Chapter 83: At What Cost?

A dreadful lull settled between the two.

Consuming the Spirit Stone had healed most of his minor injuries, leaving only his destroyed left forearm, a dull ache in his right knee, and a terrible headache.

Sitting against the wall, his mind slowly coming to terms with the pain, he finally scanned his surroundings.

The first he spotted was Ralph...

’Damn... he looks like shit.’

’Was this what I looked like when they found me?’

He was lying on his back, his face covered in cuts and blood. His shield was missing, and his armor was completely destroyed save for his chestplate. His blonde hair was streaked with red, and his beard was caked in blood.

The only indication he was even alive was the faint rise of his armor as he breathed.

Maura was a little behind him, also out like a light.

She didn’t look much better. While she wasn’t exactly covered in lacerations and crimson, she had a nasty gash on the side of her forehead.

’Knocked upside the head, huh...?’

One of the most insidious injuries one could sustain.

’That’s why you wear a helmet.’

Thought the man who wasn’t wearing one himself, and who’d taken quite a blow to the head.

In fact, Ralph was the only one who’d been wearing a helmet to begin with.

Peace brought his gaze back to Volkar.

’He looks to have taken the worst of it...’

The potion had done its best to close the wounds scattered across his body, but blood still trickled from his abdomen and thigh.

Yulis seemed to be in good shape, likely having only joined the melee toward the end. He looked more out of breath than anything.

’Ah... screw me, man. I just want to sleep.’

Peace considered sticking himself with another stimulant, but he’d already done so only hours ago. Not to mention, artificially increasing his blood pressure seemed like a terrible idea while injured.

Even if he could sleep, they couldn’t afford to stay here for long. At the spawn rate of those behind them, the Temple Knights that patrolled this area would respawn in about three hours.

’At least we finally got some drops...’

No Wisps, from the looks of it, but one of the Temple Knights was still wearing its helmet, and two others still had their full sets of armor, minus the helmets. Two swords had dropped, and one shield.

With both Maura and Volkar’s axes destroyed, these were some much-needed drops...

Peace turned his head down the corridor, toward the passage to the next floor.

’This is the result... of the weakest floor?’

Well, this was the strongest zone on this floor, and one of the strongest spawning zones the Light Temple had to offer. Still, it was discouraging to know they’d have to brave another hell like this if they wanted even a chance at surviving.

And it was only that, a chance.

Peace tilted his head down the corridor, then said:

"We rest... for an hour... then make it there."

"What about the patrol?"

Peace opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The silence said it for him.

If they were healthy, they could have snuck around. That was what they had planned to do with the patrol of six.

Simply entering their line of sight didn’t usually draw aggro. However, stepping onto their patrol route while within their sight would immediately provoke them. Even crossing the center of their route between the looping corridors would draw aggro, whether they spotted the intruder or not.

In other words, going straight through was out of the question.

The solution was simple: follow them from behind, since they only looked forward, provided no one made too much noise. Once the patrol completed its loop and returned to the main corridor, the party could break away and continue onward.

But with how battered they were, especially since they’d likely have to carry at least one of the others, there was no way they could keep pace with the patrol.

All they could do was rest and prepare for one final confrontation with the Light Temple Knights.

’At least I learned how my Class works...’

’Somewhat.’

Terror, from what Peace had discerned, gave him three forms of partial transformation. At least, three he’d discovered.

’A Passive, Hybrid, and Aggressor state.’

Which state he entered seemed to depend on his desperation, his drive to survive, and his will to fight. Though the activation of each was largely instinctual, Peace felt he might be able to influence it through sheer will.

The Passive state was his normal Night Elf state, with ordinary-looking nails and teeth that resembled a human’s, albeit his teeth were far stronger.

And, most importantly, his natural recovery was enhanced, as was the healing he received from devouring.

The Aggressor state was almost the opposite.

His nails grew into long, wicked claws. His teeth became serrated and sharp, gaining even greater density and biting power. His overall strength increased.

However...

Pure instinct overrode his rational thinking. The longer the fight went on, the more savage he’d become, and the less he could make sense of anything.

Conversely, instead of healing him, devouring made him temporarily stronger. In fact, even his natural recovery appeared to cease entirely while in the Aggressor state.

As for the last, what Peace had deemed the Hybrid state, it was a mix of the two.

He had serrated teeth and clawed hands, albeit not as exaggerated as those of the Aggressor state. Yet his mind remained entirely lucid, allowing him to think and reason as he pleased.

He could also recover naturally and through devouring, though both were slightly less effective than in his Passive state.

Peace retained the base strength buff, but devouring no longer appeared to grant him additional strength, unlike in the Aggressor state.

’Still...’

Conditions, conditions.

From his limited experience with the Aggressor state, it seemed his mind or body would forcibly return him to the Hybrid state if he took too much damage.

Likely a preservation instinct meant to restore his ability to recover.

And it seemed he’d been subconsciously entering the Hybrid state whenever he fought.

While that seemed nice...

’I need... to recover.’

Peace willed it as best he could, clinging to that single desire.

His body responded...

His nails shortened to their normal length, and his teeth followed suit.