"Many have asked me over the years, 'Erick, aren't you worried that you aren't you anymore? What if each reincarnation is a new person with all your memories?' My response is simple. We are not our meat suits. With the discovery of divinities, there is quantifiable proof that the system tracks and recognizes souls. A soul transferred into an android is still recognized as the original person, your species might change, but the system still sees the real you. If I was a new person every time I reincarnated, there would be soul fragments of the old me's everywhere. I'd probably be driving the poor mediums of the area crazy with the amount of me floating around. I've died a LOT" --- Erick the Immortal.
The first weapon-shaped object Erick found was a crowbar. He hefted it, swung it a few times, and then put it back. "Nope, my arms already tired, curse you weeny physique. Though I guess if I had been more physically minded and taken better care of myself I probably wouldn't have been having power fantasy dreams. Hmmm, I'm gonna call that a net neutral." He continued to mutter to himself, a lifetime of self-imposed isolation leading him to talk to himself all the time.
Rummaging around some more led to the discovery of an old wooden baseball bat. He had originally intended to whittle it down into a wooden sword, but he'd gotten distracted. Let's be honest, he was also way too lazy for that to have ever actually happened. He'd like to think that he would've at least started on it if that new game hadn't come out. He hefted the bat and swung it a few times, his arm still complained from that earlier exercise with the crowbar, but at least it didn't get worse.
He considered adding some nails or something to it to make it more dangerous, but decided against it. One he was not sure he had any nails in the house; and two, he wasn't sure he could drive nails through a baseball bat without hurting himself anyway. He also grabbed the leather duster he had bought for cosplay and threw it on. It wasn't the least bit reinforced, but it was still better than nothing. Peaking back out the window he didn't see the wolf beast, or anything else.
"Where to first," he mumbled as he thought. Turning he noticed a mirror and blinked at his reflection. He was tallish, just under six feet with sandy blonde hair cut short and blue eyes. He was pretty sure if he'd bothered to exercise he might even be considered handsome. Unfortunately, his physique left much to be desired, extra weight in the arms, legs, and waist left him comfortably plump as he liked to claim. While great for cuddling, he wasn't going to be very impressive in a fight. The house cat had proven that beyond any shadow of a doubt, and if not for his crazy power he would have been a day one casualty. The thought staggered him. He had died.
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Everyone else in the world was playing on iron man rules, and most of the people he considered friends probably were not as lucky. He wished fervently that the power was working so he could check the internet. He was startled and turned running to his room to check his phone, only to find it also dead. "oh god, did I forget to charge it, or does electricity not work the same way anymore." He winced at the thought, his dream of refurbishing and running a soda factory now even more ephemeral than it started. "First things first, I need to find someplace more defensible than a third-floor apartment. Right now my options are to barricade the door and jump out the window as a last resort. Broken legs will not make for good running away." He nodded to himself and made his way towards the door.
Even getting close to the door made him sweat. Cracking it open he peaked out and gulped at the familiar open-air corridor shadowed in darkness. He didn't see anything moving, so he cracked the door open a bit more, leaning his head out to look both ways. Nothing. He took a deep breath and stepped outside, bat held at the ready, duster whispering as it brushed against the door frame and itself. He looked around at the other doors on this level and shook his head. He didn't know his neighbors very well, but it had been a little under twenty-four hours since this had started. He doubted anyone would still be in their apartments if they were alive. People tended to group up when afraid, his best bet was to head towards a police station if he wanted to find others. The thought chilled him, people, especially scared and angry people, were not the safest option. It might have just been his social anxiety talking but he was more willing to take his chances with the mutated animals. At least he'd be expecting it when they tried to kill him. Like the thought prompted it a new message appeared.
Congratulations to everyone who has survived the first 24 hours of system integration! Please be aware that the longer mana saturates the world the higher forms of life it will affect. While larger beasts mutate more slowly, they often become powerful regional bosses! Humanity is now on a clock, you have two more days until level 0 humans begin to mutate as well. Get out there and earn experience!
"wait, we start at level 0? how is that fair?" He grumbled as he glanced back at his character sheet, finally realizing he was level 1 and there was a + beside it. "Oh cool, I guess my cat leveled me up." From behind him, he heard a growl. "I probably should stop talking to myself out loud, huh?" he said as he turned.