Chapter 10: Freaky Friday

It didn’t take long for him to get his new ID and belongings back — including the twelve coins confiscated when he was first brought in.

The ID was a small, rectangular red card bearing the imperial logo: a helmet with an arching crest surrounded by a wreath. Beside it were his name and age:

Pax Garnier — Age 18

Below that, some fine print read:

Identifier: OP7PNE18

Date of Issue: 6/17/267

Date of Exp.: 6/17/271

’267, huh?’

A new game always started in the year 300.

’Is worrying about that even relevant?’

At least for the moment, the answer was no. He had far more dreadful and immediate concerns to stress over.

Peace pulled his hood over his head before making his way out of the inspection agency as a ’free’ man.

Though it was quite obvious he was going to be tailed.

Not that Peace could do much about it. The best he could do was act natural and proceed with his original plan of becoming a Dungeon Diver.

However, he did have a few questions for the original owner of this body...

’How did you live without being seen for... who knows how long? And how did you end up in that alley?’

There was one place Peace thought he’d be able to find answers to at least some of his questions: the library.

But those answers would have to wait until the scrutiny on him died down. Peace also suspected the library was a heavily watched facility, especially if the authorities shared his thought process. After all, it was the perfect place to learn about the city and its history — an enticing prospect for anyone who had woken up here and found themselves the target of persecution.

’I doubt other Soul Stealers haven’t already set that precedent.’

It would be painfully obvious that someone wasn’t from this place if they started reading up on commonly known history, let alone the history of their own race.

His appearance already drew enough attention on its own.

He was bound to be noticed no matter where he went.

Before he even considered going to the library, he needed to establish himself as something other than a threat to the local community. Or, at the very least, make his existence known enough that people wouldn’t panic and cause a scene every time they saw him.

Sighing at the dismal prospect, Peace adjusted his hood to make sure it hid his ears while keeping his eyes low.

’Will I even be able to find an inn that allows Night Elves?’

One that wouldn’t overcharge him...

At least not too much.

***

As expected, acquiring even the barest necessities proved to be quite the Herculean task.

First, he’d gone to buy a loaf of bread and been overcharged by two whole bronze coins. Then, he tried to buy a weapon and was overcharged again, costing him nearly everything he had left.

Peace would have tried to haggle if most places hadn’t turned him away, immediately calling for the guards as soon as they saw him. Thankfully, the ID was working wonders in proving his humanity — ’elvenity?’ — and rumors of his existence were already spreading throughout the city.

He was starting to get recognized by those who had just seen his tattered cloak, not even his ears, hair, or eyes.

At any rate, he’d managed to secure lodgings for one night... albeit at the cost of his remaining coin. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be a setup in which they let him stay only to break into his room during the night and rob him.

Even if they did, there wasn’t much to rob him of other than his life. Though it seemed that some people possessed vindictive motives that would encourage such actions.

’Tch.’

’Seriously... what the hell happened? What was the Night Parade?’

From what he could piece together, from what Ashren and the guards had said, Night Elves had gone on a rampage in some fashion. These Night Elves seemed to have been touched by corruption, which sent them into this frenzy. However, there were some flaws or holes in that logic... corruption was easily identifiable, yet it had taken the guard some time to confirm he wasn’t corrupted, and he’d only confirmed it by confirming his lucidity and rationalization.

That could only mean the Night Elves of the Night Parade either suffered from a new type of corruption Peace wasn’t aware of or had somehow only had their minds corrupted. Perhaps the answer was both.

Nothing could be known for certain.

The only certainty currently known to Peace was destitution.

He was now flat broke, with only some tattered rags and a crude dagger to his name.

’Who the hell is going to want to party up with me?’

Then there was his inability to consume Wisps and the peculiar Trait that persisted despite his demonsterification...

’Does this mean I have to eat beasts even like this...?’

’I pray to all that is unholy that I can at least cook them. There better not be some "eat it raw" or "right after it is killed" stipulation.’

Peace’s stomach rumbled as he lay on the small bed.

’Man... even dirt would taste good at the moment.’

Peace closed his eyes, marking the end of his first official night in the Immortal Citadel.

Or at least, that was how his day was supposed to end...

Once again, he felt wind rush across his cheek.

Peace snapped his eyes open and found himself in an all too dreadfully familiar scene...

It wasn’t the bed he had been lying in, nor was it his home back on Earth. He hadn’t woken up and realized it had all been a dream.

No...

He’d woken up on the thick branch of a large black tree covered in sleek, inky miasma. Once again, he inhabited the small body of an abomination.

’What the...’

’Seriously?’

His mind didn’t even have the time to dwell on it.

’Argh, damn... I’m hungry.’

’So fucking hungry!’

Peace forced those questions aside and tried to rein in his thoughts, but his thin stomach felt as if it had been flattened against his spine.

His mind was consumed by ravenous voracity.

Peace looked below and saw that Lacan’s corpse had disappeared, probably devoured by some passing scavenger.

He didn’t dwell on the loss; his stomach wouldn’t allow room for rational thought.

Instead, he raced through the corrupted trees in search of something to scavenge.