As Peace had surmized, he was once again in the body of a Night Elf.
Instantly, a wave of revulsion coursed through his body.
Peace threw the thin covers off of him and rolled off the bed onto the lacquered wood floor. He held a hand to his mouth while the terrifying image of the six dead humans turned mangled abominations flashed in his mind.
No modern man was used to such a horrific sight.
It was only now, with the mental block gone, that Peace truly took in what he'd seen. Those mutated corpses, the bones sticking out through skin, fetid, corrupted blood everywhere… it was truly horrible.
Not to mention digging through the corpse of that monster… plucking away the strandy muscle fibers and tearing at the vat of fat, tender meat inside… It was much more disgusting than delectable in memory.
Peace choked back vomit as he picked himself up and slowly sauntered over to the window shutters and peeled them open, letting the morning rays fill the room with their radiance. He didn't care if they weakened him; within them was an untold sanctuary that fought against the plague eating his mind.
Peace hobbled back over to the bed and curled up in a ball, consumed by thoughts, eventually letting the initial shock pass without any involuntary… spewing.
But, no matter how much he wanted to stay curled up in bed, today wouldn't allow it. Being lazy today was tantamount to a death sentence.
He had no food, no water, and the portal to the labyrinth would open in approximately 12 hours.
Peace threw on his tattered clothes as well as the robe, all of which had been with him since he'd woken up in this body. Then, he slid the dagger he'd bought into the waistband of his pants after wrapping the blade with some cloth he'd found abandoned in an alleyway.
'I kind of wish I had shoes…'
Footwear was a bit of an issue.
In any case, Peace left the room he'd only gotten to call home for one night, then returned the key to the owner of the inn… the moment he did, he felt like he was signing away any second thoughts.
He now truly was only worth what he could carry.
Peace continued to get stares as he walked out of the inn and out onto the streets, some even screaming at the sight of him. However, it seems rumors of his existence were spreading pretty quickly, as in almost each incident, a person would speak on his behalf and explain that he wasn't part of the Night Parade, whatever that was, but rather just looked like them.
Of course, explaining on his behalf didn't mean they liked him. Most still purposefully walked out of his way as if they got within a couple of meters of him, they would die, but at least he wasn't being detained or assaulted.
Well, physically assaulted.
Verbal insults still came regularly, no matter how hard Peace pulled the robe over his eyes and tried to hide his face.
Thankfully, he'd made it to the Diver's Guild without too much suffering involved.
The Diver's Guild was essential for all Divers — people who enter the labyrinth in hopes of sustaining the Immortal Citadel. At least, that's the overarching goal.
While each person may have a different motive, and many may not even care about the well-being of the last sanctuary, at the very least they are concerned about the financial benefits. And, coincidentally, sustaining the citadel also means you get paid.
Because all of the land outside the world is corrupted and infertile, the land within the walls of the kingdom is relatively limited, despite how massive it is.
It would be logistically impossible to feed and nurture the several hundred million inhabitants, but the stones Diver's get make it possible for the miraculous creation of food, water and other resources.
Peace wasn't entirely certain of the conversion process because all he cared about while playing the game was handing the stones over and getting his coin, but he knew they were vital in sustaining the kingdom, which was anything but a citadel, contrary to its name.
The Diver's Guild was the entity that handled all the logistics concerning these stones, acting as a sort of broker for Divers.
Then, there was also the secondary aspect of them providing a sort of protective law in the lawless abyss, as well as acting as a bank.
The labyrinth was a mystical realm separate from the Immortal Citadel, hidden from imperial view. Therefore, enforcing laws was a tall task.
The only tried and true method one had to protect themselves was to buy a tag from the Diver's Guild.
The tag was similar to a military dog tag, worn around the neck.
Peace wasn't entirely sure how it worked here, but in the game, all human/humanoid beings kills would be recorded into the tag, which was linked somehow to the Diver's Guild.
Then, if a kill were recorded, the killer would have to plead their case.
While it didn't seem like much in terms of actual protection, it at least served as a warning from one Diver to another: if someone was wearing the tag, they probably didn't mean harm. Or at least, inconsequential harm. If the tag was absent, then get the hell away from them. Even if they don't mean to harm you, it was at least a sign of them being shady.
And, while there wasn't an actual restriction on who could enter the labyrinth, the tags showed that you weren't a criminal as the tags couldn't be stolen as they disintegrated when separated too far from their host.
Though, there were still many flaws with the tags.
Then… the final aspect of the Diver's Guild — banking and parties.
While it wasn't something Peace really dwelled on in the game, if one wasn't in a clan, they could register their party in the guild. This doesn't mean much, except that upon death, all assets remaining in the guild's control are split between the remaining party members and the victim's family.
Most of the money will be returned to the family, but if any items were being vaulted, the Diver's associates got first rights.
Peace didn't have to worry about that right now, though. Or more like he didn't have a reason to worry.
It's not like he had anything to lose beyond his life… He didn't even have a single ally, and it really didn't look like that would change anytime soon.
The only thing he actually valued at the moment was the hope of reuniting with his sister.
Peace finally threw open the doors and stepped into the guildhall, forcing many heads to turn and eyes to pierce the visage of the lone, ragged Night Elf with red eyes, silver hair, and a robe with a hood that vainly attempted to hide his face.