Chapter 63: Well-Deserved Break

He needed a good, long, bath in a tub, but a shower would have to do.

It was just that, no matter how long he marinated himself in the shower—if he hadn’t awakened, his fingers would’ve been wrinkly by now—and no matter how hard he scrubbed, it never seemed to be enough!

“Damn, I smell like I fell down a septic tank,” he said, gagging a bit as he imagined it. The image, combined with the actual stench, was a very potent combination.

He tried to rub himself with the towel, but there was still a lingering scent that he swore would kill his brain from the stress!

Then, he remembered: the Market was open. Pang had mentioned that more room-specific upgrades would be available once the [Market] was opened. The best part about the items tethered to a particular room was that they did not have a purchase limit! If he could afford it, he could buy whatever he wanted.

To purchase, he did not have to peruse the [Market]. He simply had to go to the [Room] tab, click on the [Upgrades] button at the bottom of the screen, and choose from there.

The utility room only had enough linen, towels, and so on; later, he’d add some stocks and extras. For the bathroom, he could finally get his precious shampoo, conditioner, and soap!!

The market offered different scenes and styles. It was quite interesting. There were hard soaps, liquid soaps, gel, and the like. He locked in on three.

[Hygiene Item – Standard Cleansing Shampoo and Conditioner]

[Information: Dispenser with basic dual formula for hair washer and softener, infused with low-grade herbal essences. Removes dirt, sweat, minor monster residues, environmental grime, and the like. Slows down bacterial growth for a day. Adds minor cleanliness stat.

Cost: 1 gold and 100 Hearth Points per dispenser, 50 Hearth Points per refill]

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[Hygiene Item – Body Cleaning Gel]

[Information: Standard-grade cleansing body wash crafted with wild herbs and natural oils. Removes dirt, sweat, minor monster residues, environmental grime, and the like. Slows down bacterial growth for a day. Adds minor cleanliness stat.

Cost: 1 gold and 100 Hearth Points per dispenser, 50 Hearth Points per refill.]

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[Hygiene Item – Teeth Cleanser]

[Information: Formula made of various herbs and mints, with a subtle healing salve. Keeps teeth clean and fresh for the whole 30 hours of the day.

Cost: 1 gold and 100 Hearth Points per dispenser, 50 Hearth Points per refill]

Even these things were sold in Gold, and he wondered how it’d fare with the rest of this world. Putting that aside, he chose the wall-mounted style dispensers, where he’d just have to press them. He placed the shampoos and the body wash on the shower walls, while the toothpaste was above the lavatory.

Interestingly, like the inn rooms, they had the modern design but had the medieval aesthetic.

For example, it was a dispenser, but it looked to be made of wood. He didn’t have to worry about them getting moldy though. Knowing the system, the wood used here was probably ’stronger than earth concrete’ like Pang said.

That said, it seemed like the Hearth Market had access to Earth things, unless this world also had these exact same formulations, which he really appreciated.

As for the refills, he wasn’t entirely sure, but they should last a while with several guests. If he added more upgrades, of course, he might consider charging more for the next customers.

He used everything to clean himself up well, using the towel as a scrubber for extra cleanliness.

As for the toothpaste, he had made some toothbrush-like thing from loose branches of the minty plants, and he had been using that for two days now. He just had to use it with toothpaste for maximum effect.

As he got all the grime off of himself and was no longer distracted by the smell, he realized something had changed in his body.

Before this, he could say that—for a normal dude— he had a pretty good figure. He had a home gym he used every day, and it was because of that that he could do such straining work as a chef gracefully.

However, it was just a common healthy body with a decent amount of lean muscle.

Now… even though he didn’t become bulky at all—on the contrary, he maintained his lean muscular frame— he could feel it: the newfound strength pulsing in his veins.

It was like he could punch dents in trees, and he might not even break a sweat.

His amber eyes sparkled with interest.

So this was power.

…

He went out in a bathrobe after a while, feeling completely refreshed. The first thing he saw was Pang, lazily lounging on his favorite spot on the sofa.

“When we get customers, you’d better be the one to handle them,” he said. “I totally deserve uninterrupted sleep today!” He said, combing back his damp hair and pursing his lips.

It’d be great if he could dry it so he could sleep more comfortably—

At this, he went to the [Market] again. He seemed to have seen something useful earlier.

[Inn Appliance – Hairdryer]

[Information: A compact, handheld tool that channels heat and airflow with precision. Carries light disinfecting properties. Usable as long as Inn utilities are activated.

Cost: 3 gold, 100 Hearth points]

He grinned. It might be a luxury, but it was a reusable convenience. His customers could use it too, after all, and few things were more uncomfortable than damp hair when it was humid!

As such, he bought one, dried his gossamer hair until it was once again silky and smooth.

Finally, he allowed the exhaustion to catch up and he fell down on his clean bed and bedroom, wiped spotless by the new system function.

He closed his eyes, and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Today, he received new strength, new discoveries, and new opportunities.

Half-asleep, he smiled. He looked forward to another day.

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