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/Later…/
As he waited for Battlecry to refresh, Philip upgraded his equipment, buying a new shield and bow, while putting his armor for a quick maintenance session by spending a small fortune.
As he did that, waiting for the smith to finish, he wondered about the future, and how the Skill Trees of his abilities would function in reality…
Regardless of that, as the promised time drew near, he left the smithy with determination.
…
As he entered the inn, he went over his plans one last time…
"This should be good enough."
'Let's go with a somewhat casual attire. I would buy something more luxurious to heighten my position, but I don't have the time for that. A simple shirt that shows off my muscles and built will have to do.'
'What's matters is showing them that I'm a man that was worthy of being their leader… if that's still not enough, then I'll have to go with Plan B… and if that doesn't work… let's hope it doesn't get to that.'
'I'd prefer leaving them alive.'
"Hm…"
As he finished his preparations, Philip stared at his reflection in the bronze mirror, shaking his head.
'This is probably the only time I'd prefer having a beard… my face is simply too youthful, it doesn't provoke that much confidence in others… at least it doesn't in me. But there's nothing I can do about that.
As his expression tensed, he turned around decisively, 'Let's hope this and my words are enough to solve this situation. The caravan must depart… one way or another…'
It was time to resolve this issue once and for all.
…
/Sometime later... as the night grew…/
/Tap… Tap…/
Inside an empty and warm room, two people waited patiently in silence. The room was very rustic and, in a sense, empty. It had a large circular table in the middle, a door, and a set of stairs leading to the attic. A fireplace warmed the room on the side, and apart from a few decorations, that was all it had.
As for the people, one of them had half of his hair white, wearing a formal attire clearly of higher quality than those of common civilians, but still rather far from the quality Nobles were accustomed to.
The other one was wearing a unique set of steel armor that was full of scars, memories of his past battles. With a sharp face and heavy eyes, he looked tough.
His head had a large scar running from his forehead to the side of his head, splitting his hair. His shoulders were broad and strong, and his beard was long and greatly decorated, a true Nord warrior.
Obviously, they were both the General Administrator and the Guard Captain that had been serving Eddy's father for years. And right now, they were waiting for someone.
Usually, there would've been an extra person here, but that man was missing…
"He's late." The Guard Captain said as he tapped the table
He seemed annoyed, but with a good reason. Because of a lack of command, the caravan's schedule had been put on hold. And because of this, some of his men were starting to grow restless due to baseless rumors of them not being paid.
The caravan's finances were perfect, and they had the means of running on red for several months… but that wasn't the kind of thing that could be shared easily.
The people wanted to work, it reassured them of a bright future.
In normal times, they would've taken care of things, but with Eddy locking himself inside his room, they couldn't just leave and abandon the boy… This has caused him quite the headache, especially since he has already given the boy several days to calm his head down, but things were growing dire and he couldn't wait any longer.
He wasn't insensible. The kid lost a father, he lost a good friend, but now wasn't the time to grieve. They had to hit the road, or else, all of his friend's lifework would end up down the drain.
To this, the Administrator replied, "Calm down, its been only a fifth of the hourglass... give the boy a chance."
The Guard Captain took a deep breath, he wasn't angry because he had to wait, but more so because he had many things to do…
"Aye… I know. I'll give him some more time…"
/Creak…/
He barely had enough time to end his sentence as the doors to the room opened with loud creaking echoes…
With dust and rust falling on the ground, a man's broad figure stood before them. The Guard Captain was momentarily stunned, almost drawing his weapon…
But as he heard his voice, he calmed down, "Let's start this meeting," Philip said in a deep tone as he took a step inside the room, his chest up high, his steps firm and heavy.
""…""
The two watched him close the door and take a seat. They kept blinking their eyes in disbelief, not being able to process what they were seeing.
Philip did not entertain their doubts. As soon as he sat, he opened his mouth, giving them a quick nod:
"First things first, before we start talking, I would like to apologize for my delay and my past actions. Even if in pain, I should've at least given you all a word or shared with you my father's plans on how we should proceed."
"Instead, I left everyone waiting, costing us more than just coin. I have shaken the foundations my father and his father built over my immaturity. I can't say I'll act to your expectations, but I'll work hard to make this caravan thrive."
""...""
The two of them were still left agape, however, the elderly men looked at each other, sighing together as they listened to his words:
"I took a self-centered attitude and secluded myself out of paranoia, ignoring your efforts to reach out to me and offer your condolences. I've disgraced your actions in the many years we've been together."
"I'm not the only one shaken by these recent events. I've realized that father must've gone through the same thing when grandfather passed away… now it's my turn to push things forward."
"This is my responsibility, and I plan on making you all proud."
/Silence…/
The two were shell-shocked by his attitude, utterly speechless by his display... It was completely beyond what they expected, and the General Administrator even thought for a moment that he was seeing old Jum again.
But he soon "understood" what had happened, thinking that Eddy had forcefully matured because of the pressure, and he silently shook his head in regret.
The Guard Captain, on the other hand, was focused on something else… 'His attitude… and those muscles… Just what happened within those last few days for him to change so much?'
'But… It doesn't matter. Seems like we can finally move on… and live to grieve another day.'
Seeing that they had been silent for too long, the Administrator was the first to reply:
"No, no… boy… Eddy, it is okay for you to act like that. Everyone was shocked, and you, out of everyone else, needed some time to settle your thoughts, and I'm glad you did."
The Guard Captain kept nodding, "Indeed."
Despite that, he was harsh, "I won't lie, I was pretty disappointed when you refused to listen to us, secluding yourself inside your room, but I'm proud you finally sought us out."
The two smiled slightly. They were pleased with how things were going; they expected to see a shaken man, still trembling due to fear… but instead, they were seeing a strong-willed man, his eyes serene, and his voice deep and strong, unwavering…
Even his body was strong, but they didn't comment on it, this was one of the least abnormal things they've seen in the long years they followed his father.
To their honest replies, Philip smiled, "Thank you. I'm sure it hasn't been easy, and everyone is likely full of unrest regarding our future, so let us resolve everything together, and leave these troubled times behind."
"I totally agree."
The Guard Captain also nodded. Flatter talk wasn't what he was good at, and for him, a nod was enough.
Philip took the chance to continue, "Alright then, a few days may already have passed, but its not like everything was in vain…"
Philip's expression changed as he said his next line, slightly deeper than before… "In the past few days, I have thoroughly read my father's journal, and I have completely taken in what he has left behind, and albeit I may still be young, I am confident to say that I'm ready to succeed him now."
'Things are looking good... just a bit more talking and we're game.'
""!""
The two of them opened their eyes in silent shook. His words meant much more than a simple reassurance; they also pointed at the core issue of the caravan.
The convoy had always been very depending on his father, the way he always gathered exotic materials and how he always dumped unneeded cargo whenever they failed at selling everything…
He was a master of smuggling, a grandmaster of sourcing. Jum was someone who always knew where to get things and sell them. Even if the both of them did their jobs perfectly, the best they'd do is run an average, run-of-the-mill convoy.
And in these times, that might not be enough… Jum sought to use these troubled times to achieve his dream, but alas… that was his undoing.
Whatever Jum did was none of their business. Some may call it foul magic, others said it was simply skill, a few believed that Jum had an extensive array of connections… but they all agreed on something, if he were to die, those assets would completely disappear, and this caravans fate would be sealed.
Whatever the truth was though, both the Guard Captain and the Administrator kept silent, doing their jobs out of sheer respect for the lifestyle Jum had given them, for he was a man of word and honor, going to great lengths to assure all of their destination… and he rarely, if ever, failed.
As such, Eddy's words had another meaning to the two of them, because it meant that… he had succeeded in whatever Jum had that made him so successful in the first place.
"D-Do you mean it like…"
"Yes, General Administrator Horace… I have succeeded him completely."
'Interpret it as you will, I will not go further on this. These two are already pretty tolerant for Nords. If I go into detail… maybe they would've accepted it had it been my father, but me?…'
'Maybe I'm undermining their will, but I'd rather not risk it, not right now.'
Philip was resolute as he put his hands on the table, "I may not be as skilled in handling people, nor as skillful at managing, but I have faith that I will one day become just as capable as my father was."
His eyes portrayed his confidence as he said once more, "No… I will... surpass him."
/Thud!/
Phillip smashed his two hands on the table, startling the two.
"So, without further ado, let's talk business."
'It's time to get a good understanding of our situation and maybe even our funds. If there's enough in our coffers, maybe I could use it to break out of the contract! The rest… I can deal with it later.'
'The rest… be damned.'
…
Following this, Philip took the reins of the conversation, completely setting its direction, leaving the other two little to no space to talk apart from agreeing or shaking their heads in denial.
He discussed with them the funds, what sort of products they usually traded, what they currently had, the personnel, and more. Showing them he was up for the job and not here for fun.
Truth be told, the condition of the caravan was much better than he had initially expected. In a sense, Philip was expecting to meet a sinking ship, but he merely saw the consequences of his, or rather, Eddy's own actions, or lack of.
It took a little while for Philip to go through all the trade leggers; it was a boring process, but one he had to go through.
He opted to be a merchant,so he was going to act like one.
The biggest problem now was sticking to the schedule, they had to leave by tomorrow, but they barely had anything, they sold some things, but bought very little, a caravan makes money by bringing in products from here to there where there is a demand.
They also needed to take in commissions for delivery; those were pretty common, and they made up a sizeable chunk of their revenue. Skyrim had no Ebay, so most of the time, to have a package travel the Holds, such merchants were the way to go.
Regarding this, Philip left them to deal with that. As for the issue regarding the products, he merely said that he already had some things ready… which he had yet to deal with.
The meeting lasted for about two hours, and they left, each to their own devices. The General Administrator was smiling from ear to ear, the Guard Captain had a look of relief now that he had an excuse to give his men, and Philip was just happy that everything had gone well.
His reputation wouldn't take a complete turn for the better, but he didn't care, as long as those two saw him in a good light, then it was okay; that was everything he needed.
As long as the soldiers and workers were paid, everyone would eventually see him in a good light. And now that the Caravan had been secured, making money would become extremely easy.
He no longer needed to fill his inventory with dozens of potions; he could simply store them in a box and leave them with the Administrator to sell.
And this led to the present…
…
/Yawn.../
'I need some rest...'
The day was still very long, so he took this time to relax and see how things would progress.
There wasn't much more he could do outside. So instead, he went back to his room, taking this chance to finish some pending issues.
The first thing he did was finish going over the items he bought from the court magician. He disenchanted what he could and learned whatever spells he could, raising his Skill's level multiple times, albeit still not enough to raise his level.
In this small session, he learned two things: The first thing, something he wasn't able to confirm before, was that he could indeed learn spells automatically through the System Menu if he fulfilled the requirements to learn them. And the second one was that certain books, which he promptly named Skill Books, could be learned automatically as well.
Not all books were like that, and he also couldn't tell when a book was deemed as such, but from the ones he bought from the court magician, at least three of them were such.
With his remaining time, he consumed whatever ingredients he had yet to take in, raising his Skill Level once more. While also finishing reading whatever books he had to read.
There were still many left to study, but he'd have the time to do so once they took to the road.
This was enough to raise his Level to 12, which now meant he had four remaining Stat Points to use.
He also consumed three more of his four remaining Stat Points, to raise his Health Stat from 150 to 180, leaving one point for emergencies and causing his body to undergo another extraordinary transformation.
As his mortal body reached the limit of human flesh, the only way for it to strengthen was for it to forgo human biology altogether. While he still looked the same, Philip could tell his body was beginning to grow superhuman, perhaps reaching the realm of Heroes or maybe even tapping into the ancient nordic bloodline within him.
While Eddy's body wasn't magical in any way aside from his Daedric contract, it was now growing beyond its original confines.
Philip's goal was perhaps to reach somewhere between 200-300 points in Health and 200+ in Stamina, making his body just a tad closer to his Hunter stats. But if need came, he wouldn't mind raisins Magicka instead.
With that kind of body, he wouldn't fear venturing out into the wilderness anymore. Because unless he met a creature of considerable magical prowess, he feared there was little he couldn't face.
Then again, the possibility of coming face to face with a wandering Lich or Elder Vampire on the surface was near zero… albeit not impossible in Skyrim.
/Crackle…/
As night fell, Philip thought about his future plans over the fireplace.
"All that's left now is to hit the road."
With a relaxed expression, Philip let himself fall onto his bed, letting the tension go away and his tiredness wash away… Amidst this comfortable feeling, his thoughts resumed:
'Surprisingly, things went smoothly, I was expecting friction from the others, but they were more reasonable to talk to than I expected.'
'Taking the reins of things was a completely natural and smooth process... perhaps due to my high Speech Skill? Well, it doesn't matter. I assumed the worst… but perhaps I was just too stressed from everything that happened.'
'I mean… from a certain perspective, it's been months since I last spent even an hour in my original body. I've been thrown around left and right without pause… though I'm mostly to blame… which only makes this that more stressful.'
'For now, I just have to wait until tomorrow and proceed with the plan. The caravan can almost self-regulate itself, the policies "my father" left behind are strong enough to sustain it for a long time. It just needs one thing… the special and exotic items that he used to sell.'
'For that, I'll need to conjure the Daedra… It can be summoned wherever I want, so there isn't much of an issue on that front. I was just planning to do it once we arrive at the next hold so I could procure the exact items needed to make a profit then.'
'There's no need to get the items now. The more I get, the heavier the load on the caravan, decreasing our traveling speed and the possibility of items being damaged during transport… there are also those bandits I heard about, although I think those guys were done in by the vampire…'
'Eddy's father used to send people to the Holds and towns ahead of time so he could get an idea of the market and needs of the land before using his powers to gather the product. This way, once they reached a city and their items inspected, there wasn't much of an issue later.'
'As for illegal items… there's always a solution for everything.'
Philip sat on his bed, taking out a small diary from his inventory.
"Hah… you helped me greatly, buddy… but nows time for you to rest."
He turned to the side, throwing the diary back into his inventory as he shook his head faintly. It would likely never see the light of day again…
'Previously, I lied about reading Jum's journal… I don't even know if such a thing exists, but its likely that it doesn't, perhaps it was destroyed before I took over. Or Jum himself never wrote one to ensure the secrecy of his family's powers.'
'Everything he had went to Eddy as soon as he died, and nowhere in his own diary did Eddy mention receiving such a thing. Everything Jum wanted Eddy to know was left in the letter I read yesterday, or taught to him over the years. There really wasn't a need for a diary to exist.'
'I technically didn't lie, Jum's plans were conveyed within the letter, his plans went as far as half a decade ahead, and even if they became less and less detailed as time went on, they already pave a pretty decent foothold for me who just needs two weeks.'
'In case things took a wrong turn, I was more than ready to show most of this letter to them, ripping apart the most important details from it… But I guess that was unnecessary.'
"Now, I just need to follow the schedule."
'Jum's original plan was to first move to Whiterun, passing through a few villages and small towns on the way, sticking to the main roads to secure safety.'
'After that, Windhelm, Winterhold, Dawnstar, Morthal, Solitude, and finally Markarth, and if it wasn't obvious already, Riften is being excluded due to it being riddled with thieves, only stupid merchants would go there unless they are directly associated with the Thieves Guild.'
'I don't have the time to go through it all though… with two weeks, I'll at best reach Whiterun, which likely means I should first focus on dealing with this contract before figuring out how to finish the rest of my mission.'
Philip looked at his mission again…
[Accomplish your father's dream of having a plentiful plot of land near Solitude while also paying for his debts so you can live a fulfilling and promising life]
[This quest has a time limit of two weeks!]
'If not for this prompt, I wouldn't be this pressed for it… In the first place, its impossible to reach Solitude in two week's times even if I work a horse to death… and how do I even finish the quest when I get there?'
"Haaa…"
Philip thought of this for a few more minutes before closing his eyes, taking a rest for the first time in a while…
…
/Not long after…/
Deep in the night… Philip locked all doors and windows leading to his room.
"Now's the time."
'I've been pushing this back for quite a while. There's a large cost to using it, but I've been meaning to try it… I just can't hold myself.'
'This may lead to my quest failing, but in the worst scenario, I'm certain Gamerverse will protect me as it has done before. Even if it can't, there's her… but I still have no idea where that goddess went.'
'If I can even call her that…'
"Okay, to do this…"
/Glister…/
His hands flashed in dark red light as he activated his powers.
*Conjure Daedra Merchant*
/FUOM!/
The air rippled, rupturing in a dozen directions as space twisted. Light folded onto itself as a strange, egg-shaped dark spot formed before him.
/Crack…/
From within its turbulence of energies, a being stepped from within, donning an expensive robe full of golden-black designs.
Its skin was charcoal black, though most of it was hidden under its expensive robes. Its face was adorned with colored markings, akin to tattoos. Though minimalistic, they seemed to reflect their owner's desire for elegance and luxury.
On his head lay long dark hair that reached past his shoulders and a pair of dark horns that curved to the back of his head.
This being was a Dremora, an entity akin to a demon or an otherworldly existence from beyond the void… albeit… an unusual one, as this one sought something rather unusual.
It's kin was known for much, usually its brutality, but this one… was here to trade and not fight.
(Image?)
As the Dremora merchant's eyes fell onto him, he smiled, "Ahh… I greet the contractor in the name of his Lordship, Prince Clavicus Vile." The Daedra said with a gracious bow
"You may call me Wygroicus, for what business may we partake in today?" He asked without taking his eyes from Philip
Seeing this, Philip smiled. It worked.
'Now then. Let's start asking him some questions…'
/Crackle…/
"Hm?"
"What?"
Both he and the Daedra looked back as space rippled again! From the lingering magics that oversaw this complex ritual Philip barely understood, the air… began to crack!
"I-Impossible! Something's trying to forcibly enter this realm!" Wygroicus said as his eyes shook
"Can you do something about it? I didn't sign up for this!"
The Dremora thought about what to do, but before it could even act…
/SHATTER!/
Space gave in as a hand breached the void.
"!!!"
'That is!…'
Philip recognized that hand!
/CRACK!/
It was too fast. Before any of them could act, the void had completely shattered, giving way to an unstable, trembling portal.
Beyond the portal stood an endless darkness with countless shining spots, like an entryway to the endless cosmos… and before it, a woman of incomparable beauty…
Her long, deep-dark hair reached her waist, her fiery ember eyes watching intently as she slowly levitated through the gap between dimensions.
"Fucking finally. I was starting to lose it in that depressing place." Falpurgiana claimed as she brushed her hair, scoffing faintly
"You are…"
"Bow."
"UGH!"
/THUD!/
The moment the Dremora uttered a word, she glanced in his direction with disgust.
Her authority washed over the immortal being, forcing it down to its knees as she sighed faintly.
She glanced in Philip's direction, "I'm already aware of your condition. While I couldn't reach you, our connection was far from severed."
"I'm uncertain how we were separated, but before we go over the details, let's deal with this inconvenience." She added as she looked at the kneeling Daedra
She walked to him, swaying faintly as she raised her right foot… and stomped his head!
/SMACK!/
"A-ARG!!"
The Dremora's face was planted against the ground, almost splintering the wood underneath them.
"… Try not to cause too much of a commotion, please… it's deep in the night."
She snickered, "I'm not that narrow-minded. Everyone in this building is in deep sleep, and they won't be waking up any time soon… which means we can take our liberties with this bug."
"You!! You are no mortal! What are you?!"
/Smash!/
Falpurgiana raised her foot and stomped down, "I make the questions here. You are only to speak when I say so."
"Hahahaha! You think such flimsy… AGHGH!!"
Seeing the goddess shove her feet over the Daedra's head so much he thought it was caving in, he interjected, "It's useless. A Daedra like him is immortal. On death, some complicated shit happen, and their "soul", called a "Vestige" goes back to Oblivion, the place you were before most likely, where it reconstitutes itself and they are reborn through some complex process."
"Their kind is fearless of death for they do not know it. There's no point in torturing them unless you do something really, really foul to them that it completely shatters their mind… and that's hard to do when even this bugger could've been alive for thousands of years."
Her face grew a little worried, "Is there no way of changing things? You know your situation best… we cannot proceed on assumptions and risk the bigger picture."
He closed his eyes and smiled, "I know. But there are other ways to solve this. There is a contract between us, we just have to make another deal."
Philip crouched near him, "What do you think? Willing to…"
"PFFT!"
The Dremora spat on his face, "MORTAL! Your Soul will…"
/KICK!/
Philip shoved his foot into his mouth with a strong kick!
"Alright… while everything I said before is true, there is much more I forgot to add. Their kind respects the strong and devours the weak."
"If we suppress him enough and force him into servitude, we can have him null the contract on his side." He said as he wiped his face off
"Another path would be to force him to share his true name. With that, we can get total control over his sorry ass. One of my plans was to do just that. A powerful enough conjurer can force an entity like him to serve him, even if temporarily…"
"Just don't kill him. If he dies and he returns to his plane, it'll be a whole other heap of trouble."
He grimaced, "You heard his words before, who he serves… believe me that we shouldn't even dream of provoking such an entity right now… not that I think it would ever reach that point. Daedra Lords are known to… not care much about their servants or anything for that matter, and this guy doesn't look that important."
She smiled, "That's everything I needed to hear. Allow me to do something for you, my dear apostle~… Sit tight and let me handle things."
"This is a rare chance for me to descend. It's been so long since I've had this much freedom."
"I thought your real body was elsewhere after all that talk about you being unable to return with me…"
She nodded, "My body is technically outside the boundaries of this world… I had to do a few things to return with you to Eden smoothly." She said as her expression grew complex, "It's so distant I can't even feel it anymore. Which only added to my eagerness to leave that place."
"Still, it's not like this is the first time something like this has happened… nonetheless, this projection has more than enough power to deal with a worm like this. Immortal or not, it is conscious, and that's all that I need."
She licked her lips, "This time, we're going to have some fun. Last time you were in a hurry to leave, let's enjoy this world a little longer."
"I'm afraid that won't be so easy… my mission…"
"Yeah, I'm aware. But if we deal with this bastard, things should change, right? That thing within you… it should make some concessions."
"It's not a thing… it has very delicate feelings… I think." Philip said as he pulled his boot from within the Daedra's mouth
"Cough! MORTAL!!… MMNGH?!"
/KICK!/
Philip kicked his mouth again.
"Haaa… I don't have the patience for this… do you think you can deal with him before we leave tomorrow?"
'I'm tired...'
"Of course I can! I'll finish this in a few minutes! We have a lot to talk to, don't we~?" She asked with a smile as she turned to him
"…"
'I guess that's true. We barely had the chance to talk back in the trials, and in the time I spent outside, she could only speak to me through the Complex. Ever since then we've been in a hurry moving in and out of worlds.'
'I still don't understand how she got here, but I assume she was blocked by this realm's barrier? Maybe she was sent to Oblivion because she wasn't recognized as being from this world.'
'Well… we can figure that out on the way out.'
As he looked at Falpurgiana, he sighed, 'Never did I think this issue of mine would be solved in such a roundabout manner… what about all my efforts? They feel so redundant now.'
"I'll leave this to you… I really need some rest."
"Sleep tight, my apostle~, I'll deal with this stain in your portfolio like the caring deity I am." She said as she grew translucent, and so did the Daedra
"Uhhh, what's happening??"
"Hm? Oh, this? Don't you worry, I'm just taking him somewhere more… friendly." She said as her eyes shone dangerously
"… You aren't taking him inside my Soul or…"
"I'm indeed taking him inside your Soul."
"#!! My body isn't a park for you to play with!"
"A shame, I was keen on playing with it~"
"Now's not the time to joke around! Haaa… am I the only one taking this seriously?"
She reached for his chin, lifting it so he would face her again, "Do I look like I'm not taking this seriously, dear? I've been at my wits-end ever since I first met you."
"Let me blow some steam by beating this daring creature up, then… we can blow it some other way~"
He rolled his eyes.
She chuckled, "Then again… we should wait until we return to our reality… since you seem to have a tendency of taking over other people's bodies."
"Haha… this would be… my fifth time?"
'My first, third, and now this Class, plus Gamerverse's punishment and during my time challenging the trials…'
"And I feel like this won't be your last… poor thing." She added as she shook her head
"I'll be back soon, don't cause too much trouble."
She vanished with the Dremora in hand.
"… Why do I feel like she's far more… "active" than usual?"
'Maybe that's what they say about relationships. You only get to know someone's true self after spending enough time with them…'
"… I need some sleep…"
Philip did not waste anymore time. He prepared himself and soon after… he went to sleep.
…
[DING!]
"… Huh?"
In the middle of the night, moments before sunrise… Philip opened his eyes tiredly at the System's notification.
[Disclaimer!]
[Hidden quest complete! A Warlock's Domination!]
[Conjure Daedra Merchant Lv1 -> Lv5]
[You have gained the Skill, Forced Daedric Subordination Lv1]
[You have gained the Ability, Demonic Attraction Lv1]
[You have gained the Title, Outer-World Subjugator]
[Outer-World Subjugator
Description: Even in realms far beyond yours, the will to dominate others remains.
Effects: Increases all abilities when dealing with unknown entities.
]
[Class Mission time-limit has been revoked!]
[All of your Class-specific Skills will now gain a considerable amount of experience]
[Illusion 16 -> 31]
[Conjuration 17 ->32]
[Destruction 16 -> 31]
[Restoration 16 -> 31]
[Alteration 16 -> 31]
[Enchanting 20 -> 33]
…
[Speech: 50 -> 60
[Alchemy: 52 -> 61
{Uh... HA!}
{Level up}
{Uh... HA!}
{Level up}
{Uh... HA!}
{Level up}
…
{Uh... HA!}
{Level up}
"UUGH!… Huff… what a terrible way to wake up."
'I feel like its also louder than normal…'
Before he could complain, however, he was assaulted with another wave of memories. This time, far stronger and continuous than before!
Only after half an hour had passed did, he slowly come back to himself, looking up at the ceiling as his forehead was drenched in sweat.
"Huff… huff… yeah… this is definitely the worst morning I ever had."
'At least it wasn't as overbearing as the memories given by the Complex… at least these ones feel mine. As if I were watching my future thoughts and experiences being brought to the past… if that makes any sense.'
Philip spent a good minute trying to get his thoughts in line and to read the notifications before he stepped out of bed, opening the Menu.
"At least now I don't have to worry about rushing things… though I wasn't planning on remaining here for long anyway."
'Let's see what changed first…'
[Name: Philip Vinten
Class: Dragonborn
Level: 11(24)
Race: Human/Nord
Health -> 180/180
Stamina -> 110/110
Magicka -> 110/110
Abilities:
Battle Cry Lv7
Trading Lv9
Demonic Attraction Lv1
Skills:
Resist Frost Lv6
Resist Fire Lv0
Resist Lightining Lv0
Resist Poison Lv2
Haggle Lv12
Conjure Daedra Merchant Lv5
Dragon Tongue Lv5
Fast Metabolism Lv7
Forced Daedric Subordination Lv1
Traits:
Dragon Soul
Dragon Blood
]
'Aside from the ridiculous number of Level Ups… I gained a new Skill and Ability. So Class-specific Skills meant only those related to my Class itself.'
'Well, this is the first time I've entered a game-world that has a unique Skill system. So I wasn't exactly certain how things would interact with one another… at least I don't think I can transfer these away, they look like they belong to an entirely different… system…'
'Well, I suppose everything will work out in the end. As long as I find a way to bring even one related ability to my Main Status, I should be able to access Magic even if I change my Status. I don't really care much about any of the Skills aside from those in the Mage Constellation… and Alchemy and Smithing.'
'The rest isn't significant enough for me to care about. Maybe I'll learn something interesting if I raise the Warrior Skills to a decent enough level, but right now, it's all too basic… although the basics are nice. Being reminded of the utmost basics, martial arts, movements, and combat based solely on the human body isn't that bad.'
"Let's see what changed…"
{Mage -> Illusion: 31; Conjuration: 32; Destruction: 31; Restoration: 31; Alteration: 31
In-Between: Enchanting: 33
Warrior -> Smithing: 33; Heavy Armor: 30; Block: 33; Two-Handed: 35; One-Handed: 33
In-Between: Archery: 31
Thief -> Light Armor: 33; Sneak: 30; Lockpicking: 30; Pickpocket: 30; Speech: 60
In-Between: Alchemy: 61}
'Everything rose considerably… excellent. I can now learn a few more spells. This makes me an Apprentice in all Skills, and Adept in some of them… this is already within the skill level of most individuals out there.'
"Not bad."
He looked at the sky through the gaps in the locked window, 'The sky is still dark. I still have some time.'
'I'm now Level 24, my level doubled with just this quest. I can now accomplish some of the things I thought about before. First, raise Health to 200… Even though Falpurgiana is with me, I can't leave it to her to deal with every issue… I'd rather never have to rely on that.'
'Enough talking..'
First to 190, and then to 200.
"Ugh!…"
After enduring excruciating pain for a few more minutes, as his body changed in ways he couldn't even imagine, Philip rose from bed with a trembling hand…
"Haa… I'm starting to feel thirsty…"
[DING!]
[You have gained the Ability, Giant's Strength Lv1]
"Phew… so this is possible?"
'When my abilities rise past a certain stage, I can gain skills? Good to know.'
'Health and Stamina are useless stats for me. No matter how much I dump into them, I doubt this body will ever compare to my real one. Instead, I should focus on Magicka if I want value in the long term.'
'However, if I can gain unique skills from raising them… then there might be a value in raising them further.'
He checked his body, his muscles still looked the same, albeit far more defined than before. To check his realm strength, he took an iron hook used to stoke the fire and bent it!
'It's not that wide, but its not thin either… alright… this much strength is fine for now. Give me a hammer, and I doubt anyone, even if fully armored, will resist a well-placed strike.''
/Creak…/
He looked at his bed, hearing it creak far more than normal, 'Also… is it just me… is it like that? Did my weight increase somehow?'
He walked around, hearing the ground creak, 'Seems like I was right… maybe I did indeed grow heavier.'
"I still have ten points…"
'I suppose its fine to raise Stamina to 200 as well. It would be just enough to leave me with one point in case of emergencies… I'll do that.'
'The next few points will be dedicated to raising my Magicka!'
As such, Philip slowly raised his Stamina to 200. As his senses sharpened beyond superhuman levels, something manifested within him to reflect his accomplishments.
[DING!]
[You have gained the Ability, Absolute Senses Lv1]
As the Ability proclaimed, his senses had grown immeasurably, so much so that he could now clearly hear things happening on the streets and beyond.
The cold air on his skin, the aftertaste of what he ate yesterday… even the intense smells coming from somewhere below…
"Urg… this will be a pain to get used to."
"What will?"
/Shaa…/
Falpurgiana slowly manifested before him with an extremely bloodied Daedra…
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"
Seeing his appearance as he groveled on the ground, almost crying, he grimaced, "… Did you clean the place?"
'How did she…? Forget it.'
"I would never dirty your body. I just made him realize what I was." She claimed proudly as she touched her chest
"That's fine, but be careful… we shouldn't reveal more than necessary."
She chuckled as she turned to the Dremora, "I already took good care of that. Are you listening, servant?"
"…"
"See?"
"I don't think he's in his right mind anymore…"
She shoved her foot onto his face, "Speak."
"As you may." He claimed as he shoved his face on the ground
"He's listening. See?"
"… What did you do to him?"
"You said he was immortal, so I just made him regret being like that." She said with a sweet smile as she floated behind him, holding onto his neck
"I was quite surprised. To think this punk is older than me… so I was quite young after all."
"…"
"Hey, tell me what you're thinking." She asked as she poked his cheeks
"… I don't want to end up like him…"
She smiled, "Then you ought to work hard."
He smiled awkwardly. There was still a lot of work to do.
"Well… let's send him back to where he came from. We'll be departing soon, so…"
When Philip's eyes fell on him, the Dremora got to his feet and bowed, "I shall take my leave, my lord."
/Fuom!/
A portal opened, and the creature was engulfed by it, vanishing from sight.
'… I guess this takes care of that…'
"Where are we going?"
"Witherun, the center most Hold of Skyrim and one of the province's biggest cities."
She floated around him, her arms crossed.
She rolled her eyes, "You aren't going to play merchant now that I solved that issue, right?"
"I still have a mission to fulfill. And for that, I'll need funds…"
"Yeah, yeah, bla bla! I heard about that before. Let's do something more interesting! Let's raid a Dungeon! Let's slay a dragon and steal his hoard!"
"I…"
"What do you have to fear? I'm here!"
"Look, it's not that I fear things. It's just that I'm prudent… the reason I came this far in the first place isn't that I'm talented or gifted; it's just that I take things one step at a time."
'Before I met Dae and everything happened, the reason I survived Yarham was exactly because I took my time with things. Many times I fled from enemies, and even more did I avoid confrontations.'
'It took time for me to become the ultimate Hunter, but that was the culmination of many failures.'
"Haaaa… why is my apostle so meek?" She claimed as she floated around
"You talk like this because you don't know what's out there. We're talking about ancient liches that have been mastering magic for thousands of years, ancient living cities with unstable magic and sealed technology from eras lost. Magic forgotten in modern times, waiting to be unleashed!"
"I would go there if I had the ability, but I can't just save and load reality and keep trying whenever my body and Soul crumble!"
"Tell me more!"
"… You are a pain…" He said with a sigh as he smiled
"Let's take things one step at a time. It's not like it makes much of a difference to you, anyway. A month or two, a year or a decade, you've already waited a thousand years, what to say another?"
"I still experience time in the same way you do! I may don't get bored as easily, but that doesn't mean… Fine… let's do things your way."
"I'm not here to stop you. In the first place, it was this kind of thought-process that led you to me."
She smiled, "Let's have many adventures from here on out, alright?"
"… I can't guarantee they will be entertaining."
"I'm sure they will."
Philip looked at her and sighed, "Let's get things started then. I'll go clean myself. You… can stop following me now!"
"Huh?"
"Don't you feel embarrassed watching a bunch of random men's bodies?!"
She floated to him, grabbing his face, "I'm not looking at their bodies though."
"Tche!" He voiced as he turned aside, walking down the room
She followed him with a smirk, "My, my! Don't be embarrassed now… Outer-World Subjugator~!"
"Of course you can read that too…" He said as he tried to contain his embarassment
"And much more! Exterminator of Nightmares!… Hunter Genius! Antesunderian Archeologist! Jack of all Trades! The Great Scholar, Martial Grandmaster, and Magical Enthusiast!"
"Please, stop…"
"The great Mental Lord! Blessed by me, my apostle! The looming Apex Evolver!…"
"I really have a lot of Titles…"
"The Soldier, the Contender, and the Silent Legion! The silent Specter, a Hitman, yet still a Protector!"
"…"
"He who gave away his humanity and achieved Artificial Chrysalidate! The one who conquers, the Outer-World Subjugator!!!"
She flew after him, looking at his slightly red face, "You should smile more with your real body, you're always with that poker face."
"That's because my Trait keeps me calm…"
'How long will she keep following me? Why do I even ask…? She'll bother me for the rest of my life.'
With the goddess talking behind him, Philip went to take a shower.
…
/A few hours later…/
"We move!"
"Haa!"
""Neiigh!!""
As the wagon drivers whipped their horses, the convoy took its first steps under new leadership. Thanks to Philip taking care of things so well, they all hit the road in no time despite spending a few days lazing around.
While their haul was low, Philip wasn't concerned. The potions he gave to the General Administrator the day before would do to cover their loses.
While he wondered about his sources, Philip kept quiet for now.
To cement his position in the convoy, every once in a while, he would challenge one of the guards for a small fight. And as the days grew, he remained unbeatable.
Although truthly speaking, he did this mostly to quench a certain deity's thirst for action.
Meanwhile, aside from the periodic beasts in their path and a single ambush by bandits, the caravan moved forth unimpeded. And in both circumstances, Philip and the others dealt with everything with minimal loses.
As for the time in-between, he focused on reading his books inside the carriage as he realized, to his absolute despair, that for the next few weeks if not few months, he'd be spending most of his time inside this uncomfortable wooden wagon.
As they left the Hold behind, traveling across the land, passing by multiple villages, trading and dealing with the locals, Philip used every chance he had to improve his Skills.
He was the one buying and selling, being at the forefront of the caravan as its representative.
He used his gold to buy books or rent them for a while. Taking this chance to raise his knowledge, and with it, improve the effects of each Skill Level Up.
He bought materials and processed them whenever he could. Whatever potions, enchantments, and items he created were added to the caravan's supplies to be sold some other time.
If there was time to do something, Philip was there. Not only that, Philip also took to himself to complete as many "side-quests" as he could, after all, in the middle of nowhere, people rarely had to fend for themselves, leading to many issues being left as it is for another to deal with.
Bandits in some ruin? He would cut them out.
Infestation of some strange creature? Sure, their hides and flesh were worth something.
Investigate some strange occurrences? No problem, as long as he was being paid for it.
Almost every village and small town had some unresolved issue, some more dangerous than others… His worst encounter was when he was sent to retrieve the bodies of missing miners that hadn't returned from the coal mines.
As he ventured through the cold and dark tunnels, he found a collapsed tunnel. After figuring out how to bypass it, he was almost immediately swarmed by the undead.
Thing is, during their mining, from one day to the other, the tunnels had been breached by the Draugr. Undead mummies preserved by ancient Nordic magic. Still mining and expanding their tombs even after thousands of years…
Not willing to deal with whatever shithole they came from, he scoured the caves and found a few miners still alive, eating insects and mushrooms. After they had all been retrieved, the mines were sealed, much to the village head's disappointment.
Now, even if he had found the Draugr's source, there was no real solution for them. Their tombs were often impossible to fully traverse, and even if he killed hundreds of them, there wasn't much stopping them from being reanimated if their lords still remain.
Despite the bellowing cries of a certain haunting spirit, Philip never truly went too far in these little adventures of his. He stuck to the surface, albeit even that was sometimes dangerous…
From the smallest rodent to the largest of giants, whenever the caravan stopped, he went to the wilderness to train if he could.
Ordinary enemies he did not fear, but sometimes… something unexplainable came his way…
But danger wasn't the only thing he came across. Sometimes, the many wonders of this land came across his eyes. From the tall mountain, the Throat of the World, to even the ancient Standing Stones…
Standing Stones are ancient monuments from a time long lost, they are attuned with the thirteen birth signs, and grant powerful blessings to those of great fate.
According to legends, these stones granted powers to the Heroes of Old, and honestly, Philip didn't know how much of that statement was true, but that was but a story of the past.
The first few he met came just shy of one of their first stops was Riverwood, a small mill village by a river. Next to it, however, were the Guardian Stones.
The Guarding Stones were a set of three ancient obelisks full of carvings representing the major constellations, The Warrior, The Mage, and The Thief.
When no one paid attention, he went into the woods alone under the cover of the night sky, touching them. And as expected, a system window appeared in front of him, asking if he wanted to activate the Thief Stone.
He obviously accepted, with its power, all of his Thief-related Skills would increase 20% faster, and this included his Highest Level Skills, Speech, and Alchemy.
With a small smile, he returned to the Town under the cover of the cloudy sky back to his lodging for the night was long, but so was the day, he needed the energy to remain awake through the journey if he wished it to go smoothly.
Regardless, from village to town, city to Hold, he finally arrived at his last stop… Solitude!
The current capital of Skyrim!
Once they reached it, he began his plans. For him to get a property, to become something akin to a Noble, he'd have to go through a lengthy process...
But no matter how difficult, he'd achieve it!
…
/Half a year later…/
Inside a beautiful hall made of stone and marble, a man sat upon a wooden throne with several people around him waiting for his words.
Before him was Philip, kneeling on the ground. This time, he wore very formal clothes, and he looked somewhat handsome with his hair pulled backward…
The Jarl of Haafingar, King of Solitude, and the High King of Skyrim looked at him with a serene expression.
"As I've promised before, and as there is room in my court for a new Thane, I shall stick to my words and name thee Thane of Haafingar..."
"As your land is located near the Village of the Two Peaks, and it also lacks a ruling figure to oversee it, I'll put that territory under your supervision."
He tapped on his throne, saying once more:
"Truly, you had me shocked, it hasn't been long since you and your convoy arrived in town, but your name is already in many people's mouths. You did many good deeds throughout the city, fit for a Thane."
"Your bloodline runs deep. For generations, you've been perusing the land. Even for me, it didn't take long for me to recognize your surname. Albeit faint, I hope you'll make me remember it for many more years to come."
His expression a bit more melancholic, he said, "Your name is well known, you possess a property fit for a Thane, and there are no longer any requirements left to be fulfilled, you fit them all."
He smiled slightly, but that wasn't the smile of a happy man… Getting up from his seat, he grabbed a beautiful blade made of steel from the hands of his steward, approaching Philip with slow but heavy steps.
"By my right as a Jarl, I name you Thane of Haafingar… Congratulations."
With a few congratulatory gestures, the ceremony was completed.
"I'll soon grant you a personal Housecarl to watch over your manor and this sword directly from my armory to serve as your badge of office."
He returned to his throne, "The guards shall be notified of your title so next time you are summoned or request an audience with me, the proper procedures shall fall in place. We can't have the Thane wait in line after all."
"I expect great things of you, as the youngest Thane of Haafingar. Magically gifted, master alchemist, giant slayer. Your titles are many, and I expect to see many more be added onto it."
/Clap clap…/
Following his words, a quick round of applause echoed through courtroom, and with a thin smile, Philip raised his head to grab the sword… proof that he had succeeded in his somewhat lengthy mission.
[DING!]
With a proud smile, Philip waited for the Jarl to dismiss him, ignoring the notifications beeping in his ears.
'Finally... it's over... I took a lot of risks to be here. To raise my Skills higher... so many tireless nights…'
'To find treasures to bring with me... I risked my life and braved many ferocious beasts, spending massive sums of money to make more wealth... I swindled people, I stole from others, and I even assassinated people I believed were deserving of such.'
'All throughout this journey across this magical place that is Skyrim. These were some tiring six months… not nearly as hectic as the two worlds I visited, but tiring nonetheless.'
As he participated in the after-ceremony, Philip took the chance to slip away, retreating to an inn in the richer section of the city.
It was time to check his progress, and what would become of him.
(Images)
…
[Name: Philip Vinten
Class: Dragonborn
Level: 62(71)
Race: Human/Nord
Health -> 200/200
Stamina -> 200/200
Magicka -> 500/500 + 310
Abilities:
Battle Cry Lv9
Commerce LvMax(15)
Demonic Attraction Lv4
Giant's Strength Lv11
Absolute Senses Lv13
Berserk Rush LvMax(10)
Focus LvMax(10)
Magicka Well Lv4
Skills:
Resist Elements Lv3
Negotiate LvMax(15)
Conjure Daedra Merchant Lv11
Dragon Tongue Lv9
Iron Stomach Lv11
Forced Daedric Subordination Lv7
Devilish Tongue LvMax(10)
Study LvMax(10)
Helping Hand LvMax(10)
Leadership Lv12
Noblesse Self Lv3
…
Horse Ridding Lv9
Farming Lv2
…
Traits:
Dragon Soul
Dragon Blood
]
{Mage -> Illusion: 1-78; Conjuration: 1-82; Destruction: 45; Restoration: 1-94; Alteration: 2-56
In-Between: Enchanting: 79
Warrior -> Smithing: 41; Heavy Armor: 35; Block: 66; Two-Handed: 41; One-Handed: 50
In-Between: Archery: 47
Thief -> Light Armor: 37; Sneak: 65; Lockpicking: 89; Pickpocket: 34; Speech: 1-93
In-Between: Alchemy: 1-12}
{Shadow Magic: 8}
{Blood Magic: 19}
{Flesh Magic: 2}
…
He stared at his stats with some glee, 'These numbers are no joke, I'm a force of nature…' but soon he stopped smiling.
'Alright, enough with the humble bragging.'
'My stats have risen considerably, but even this is limited by my circumstances. With me being on the road nearly all the time, I barely had any time to sit tight and train, especially given I was in public over 90% of the time.'
'Pretty much, following my visit to Whiterun, I proceeded as written in the schedule, making a few changes so I could make the most of my time here.'
'While I believe the Skill System can help me reach legendary heights, it sure wouldn't take much to bridge a little of the time by reading documents and research papers of others.'
'My greatest haul came from the College of Winterhold. While they're quite reclusive following the collapse of the city, they allowed me to access their library following a few trades. After that, Falpurgiana helped me by copying all the books inside.'
'This means she'll have to teach it all to me verbally, but its at least something.'
'Raising my Skills was sometimes difficult. Some like Speech were easy to do it, but others, like Sneak weren't… Lockpicking, for example, was quite simple. I merely bought the most secure lock I could find in the market and opened it with a pick whenever I found myself bored.
'Monotonous? Yes. Did it work? Yes. The Skill System works merely on a basis of repetition… extreme repetition… And just in case that wasn't enough, I'd often buy other locks for practice all over the land.'
'As for Pickpocket... I tried using it on a bandit inside the city, but he noticed, and I ended up casting magic to have him calm down. Since then, I stopped trying.'
'Too risky, the cons outweighed the benefits, so I left that for another time… doing it whenever the opportunity arose. As such, I did the same for most Skills.'
'With repetition being the key, raising them to Legendary status, in other words, Skill-Level 100, was quite easy, albeit ridiculously repetitive.'
'Of all the systems I've interacted with, this one is by far the easiest to improve, but the most boring one of them all. Even with my mentality, I grew bored and lazy several times… compared to this, I'd rather go back to being tortured by Fabrin.'
'Raising a Skill to Legendary status merely means reaching its maximum level and then resetting it back to Level 1. At first I thought this would cause me to receive repeated knowledge, but I actually continued to receive meaningful information, albeit raising a Skill from Level 1 to 2 was harder than raising it from Level 99 to 100.'
'It seemed the progression continued despite the lowered Level… so rather, perhaps it could be taken as the first level of a whole new stage in itself, and while that couldn't be confirmed, it was what I came to believe in.'
'Resetting a Skill would have it enlighten me to the most obscure of theories and ideas by giving me another perspective on the same subject. Like a master dissecting an otherwise meager problem.'
'Of course, there are an infinitude of ways to analyze the world, but these little insights were often what I needed to progress a bit further. For while the knowledge is implanted in my head, it's up to me to make use of it.'
'I didn't have much time to toy with it here, but I'm certain I'll have the opportunity back in Eden.'
'I found it rather ironic that Magic was the thing I cared about the least at the start, but it ended up becoming the very thing I spent most of my time on, while physical Skills became neglected.'
'Lastly, I had a question in the back of my mind that came as I conjured the Daedra merchant a second time. When I did so, I learned that the Skill causes a different merchant to appear, which is then tied to the Skill's level.'
'Each level made the merchant stronger and his merchandise grander… but if the merchant changed every time the Skill leveled up, who would come to collect the debt had it come to pass? And who was in charge of it if the first merchant I met was different from the one my father contracted?'
'In short, I still don't know, and perhaps I never will, but I have the inkling that it's the very being all of those merchants were servants of... Clavicus Vile, the Daedric Prince that is best known for granting wishes and entering into pacts with mortals.'
'Would the lord himself be conjured if I were to raise the Skill Level to max? Or if I were to evolve it, or maybe even, fuse it?'
'It's the Summon Messenger Shop situation all over again… that Skill ended up being fused and becoming something I still don't understand. Will the same happen now?'
'As for the rest… midway through the Journey, my Resistance Skills fused together, and even after drinking and eating all sorts of dangerous foods, it barely even raised in Level.'
'At least I lost my fear of being poisoned in my sleep… though I doubt I was ever truly in danger of that occurring.'
'My previous Haggle Skill became Negotiate, and even that I raised to max… buying and selling in bulk, trading in the tens of thousands surely helped with that.'
'Fast Metabolism became Iron Stomach, now, even if I were to drink sewer water, I doubt I would get sick… not that would under any circumstances, even if I were to die instead.'
'I'd say that if I were to combine that with my innate resistance, I could consume even stronger kinds of toxins and I would be pretty much fine. Albeit with magic, I wasn't at any risk of that becoming reality.'
'Devilish Tongue, Study, Helping Hand, Leadership, and Noblesse Self are all new additions, the rest are meaningless Skills I accumulated over time, such as Horse Riding and Farming. They're mostly rewards from some quests I completed, although most quests, like the contracts back when I was Samuel, only helped increase the level of certain skills.'
'Devilish Tongue is like one perk of the Speech Skill tree as it simply makes me more convincing whenever I'm lying... I don't really remember lying that much, but I will not refuse such a boon.'
'Study, on the other hand, is a Skill I was already aware of, so there isn't much new about it. Helping Hand is an odd Skill that raises my proficiency in some actions when I'm helping others, while Leadership improves my ability to lead by raising my image in the face of orders, making them less likely to refuse others and lose their focus.'
'This is also a Skill I'm aware of, for it was written in some documents back in the palace. I wasn't prone to getting it, so it probably won't be chosen to be transferred… ever. Since I can get it myself if I feel like it.'
'Noblesse Self is a reward for completing a series of missions in Solitude. It has something to do with nobility and the prestige of a Noble, but in general, it just seems to be some sort of "imagery" Skill that affects how others perceive me.'
'As for other skills such as Battle Cry, it was pretty easy to increase it; I just needed to find a place to scream and… do so. Once per day, I would go to the forest or a secluded place and scream… is that weird?'
'I screamed a lot… even so, it was only enough to raise it Level 9. Maybe if I screamed outside its cooldown, its level would increase faster? Hard to say.'
'I feel like that while the Class-specific Skill rise in level quickly, these ones don't rise nearly as fast…'
'Anyhow, Commerce is just like the others, a direct evolution of Trading, nothing to say about that.'
'Berserk Rush came as a reward for a quest, albeit it was a rather unique quest that required me to have a certain degree of physical power, I would say its like a mix of the Argonian and the Redguard's racial Powers from the back in the game.'
'To become like a barbarian that ignores everything and rushes forward… My health and stamina regeneration increases for about a minute, but I get pretty tired after using it as if my body just burned a shit ton of energy.'
'Focus allows me to greatly increase one or all senses at the same time for a set amount of time, the cost depending on what senses I choose to augment and for how long. It's like a much weaker version of Blade Mode… when it was still called that.'
'Using it does come with certain problems… if I enhance my eyes, they'll get dry, if it's my ears, they'll start ringing, if it's my nose, it'll get irritated and maybe even bleed, and so on.'
'As for Magicka… when I raised it to 200, my body underwent a major change. Once it was over, I gained an Ability to increase my Magicka output, and pretty much, the effectiveness of my Magic.'
'But then, I raised it to 300, and the Skill evolved regardless of its past level… and then 400, 500… becoming what it now is, the Magicka Well.'
'Albeit the number being shown is 810, that is merely because of the current enchanted items I'm wearing beneath these clothes. It was even higher previously because I drank a potion prior to my meeting with the High King, but its effects wore off… one can never be too sure…'
'Magicka Well is an incredible ability. As the name says, it's a well within my body that stores Magicka and whenever I wish, I can draw from this well instead of my own body's reserves.'
'As its level increases, the speed at which I can draw from it will probably increase, and its side effects will also reduce, that is my hope at least. Magicka Well also seems to affect other aspects of my body, but its hard to say.'
'In the first place, what each stat does is not explained. I merely assume what they do. They could very well be affecting every corner of my being, causing a qualitative change overall.'
'Lastly, my mastery over the Dragon tongue has greatly increased, even though I have yet to finish the book I received at the start. I'm not that far from it. And I believe something will change once I do reach that stage.'
He looked at his palms, 'I can even feel a vague force, as if there was something within the words of the book, perhaps its writer, whoever it was, had placed within it his own understanding of the Dragon language, in a more literal way.'
'The Graybeards are said to be able to 'feel' the Voice, perhaps I have started to feel it too… albeit, I would like to point something out, and that is my absurd lack of Shouts… I've considered visiting the Graybeards, perhaps they would show me something, teach me that very something I lack… but I ended up not doing it.'
'There just wasn't enough time to journey through the highest mountain of this province to meet with a bunch of secluded monks to learn how to speak some mysterious language… they might be inclined to teach me because I'm Dragonborn, but if they forced me to remain, things could get dicey.'
'I could look for Shoots myself. There are probably thousands of them, hidden and locked away in some ancient cold tomb... but they too remain out of sight.'
'Stil, if I can't have them, I just need to make my own, shouts are merely the result of a language, and mastering it can bring forth a reaction in the physical world. Dragons see no difference between speaking and shouting as for them, that is their language. They were born with it… It just happens.'
'If I can put my thoughts into words and speak them, then I too should be able to produce the same effect. I should share their perspective, their blood, their Soul, flows through me.'
'I've had some meager success so far… but enough time to practice it.'
"This should be all… hm?"
He suddenly remembered something… 'Oh yeah!'
'My Perks! There is a lot to talk about with this one, but I'm a bit tired… Well… for Magic, I mainly focused on picking some of the most basic perks… however, these perks were different from the ones I was used to. They were far too numerous, and they seemed more like goal marks then anything else.'
'Whenever I picked a Perk, the respective insights would flow into my mind. However, most of the time, by the time I fulfilled the requirement to unlock them… they were almost unnecessary.'
"There is no need for a shortcut when I have already reached the goal..." He said as he closed his eyes
'The sheer volume of knowledge I had in my mind more than allowed me to perform the part. In essence, whenever they became available, grabbing those Perks or not was irrelevant.'
'Still, the Perks did provide me with some insight, which was welcomed. My only fear, however, was their number.'
'If to unlock the next Class I'm required to fill all of them and reach my full potential… then how long would all of it take? Even if I have the most efficient training schedule, I can't see myself finishing any of this anytime soon!'
"Sigh…"
'There's only one thing left to do.'
He turned to the notifications he had ignored…
[DING!]
[You have accomplished your Class mission!]
[Processing...]
[The background has been constructed]
[Open Story Log?]
"That's new… do it." He said without much hesitation
/Fwoosh!/
Suddenly, a beautiful golden scroll appeared in the air above him, floating before him.
"I like the effects..."
'I almost can't look at it right… almost as if its contents weren't something for mortal eyes to see, too precious to be opened… if she was here… she would've probably grabbed it.'
'Thankfully she left to do something in town… though I'm not relieved either.'
Regardless, the scroll unveiled itself, revealing its contents to the world:
{4th Era 175, the 23rd of Frost Fall
>On a silent night of Tirdas, a black blade drew from the shadows, striking down the foul presence that had taken root in the bastion of culture of the North, the Blue Palace.
>A being of shadows, a tumor that fed on life, and an ancient creature had been exterminated without resistance, such was their fate when drawn into the light.
…
}
"Hum…"
'It's talking about the vampire I slew? There was a story I knew about a vampire being at the Blue Palace's court. While I thought of using that to raise my prestige, I ended up finding one feeding on a servant as I… uh… sneaked inside at night…'
'That vampire ended up being unrelated to the hidden vampire, but I was rewarded just the same.'
{…
>His name would be well known, albeit this truth would remain in the dark for years to come…
>On a beautiful morning of Midda, High King Torigg declared him Thane of Haafingar, the youngest out of the nine at the time, and the one he was the most interested in.
>Curiosity drew Torigg towards this young Nord. At his age, what was he doing? He represented a future he wanted to be part of, the deposition every Nord should have.
>Later, on a Turdas afternoon, he would set out once more. Not for wealth, not for power… not for himself… But for his father, a past he wished to reconcile with.
>His last goodbye, a way to honor his ancestors, he would cross Skyrim one last time before abiding by his new Noble identity, like he had done so many times before.
>He would leave as a child, and come back as the man his father always wanted him to be, and then, he would disband the very caravan that made who he was… but in its place, he would proudly announce the birth of a new entity. It was the rebirth of his line.
>Many years later, he would find out the cause of his father's death and close his eyes in regret before beheading a man, leaving a family in grief...
>On the surface, he would seem to be a simple man, a strong Nord warrior whose mind was as sharp as his blade, but inside, he would hide his extensive magical knowledge as a master of the arcane.
>He would continue to conduct his magical experiments from the safety of his home. He would continue to develop his knowledge, being a rare scholar in a land that threw aside its heritage.
>Few would know the truth, of the true man behind his mask. But who would believe even if they were to share?
>His secrets would be buried with his enemies who received the unfortunate fate of being on the wrong side of his magic... and even fewer would know what he truly is, Nord legend, a being of Divine Blood... A mortal shell with an Eternal Soul.
>Dovah-Kiin, Dragonborn!
>And his father would forever smile upon him, together with his ancestors from Sovngarde. Waiting for the day his son would also join them in eternal festivities.
>Until then, his work remained on the mortal plane. A master of many arts, a seeker of the truth, a man of ambition… until the end of his life.
}
As he read the last line, the scroll closed in the blink of an eye, startling Philip.
"Huh?"
But then, he realized something, the surrounding room seemed to have disappeared; leaving only darkness.
'What the…'
"What an abrupt ending… it was getting pretty interesting..."
'I wanted to know what would happen next... was this a quick look into the kind of life Eddy will live after I'm gone? I've never thought about what becomes of the worlds I pass by, of the bodies I possess… maybe something does remain.'
'If this all isn't just reality being manipulated by Gamerverse.'
[DING!]
[Hidden requirement, Generations, has been completed!]
[You were successful in accomplishing your father's dreams and beyond!]
[You have acquired a new Title, The Invisible Hand]
[All of your Class related skills gained a massive amount of proficiency]
[Battle Cry Lv9 -> LvMax(15)]
[Resist Elements Lv3 -> Lv10]
[Conjure Daedra Merchant Lv11 -> Lv15(Max)]
[Dragon Tongue Lv9 -> LvMax(10)]
[It has been detected that some Class skills have exceeded their maximum proficiency]
[Battle Cry LvMax has been forcibly evolved into War Call Lv0]
[Commerce LvMax has been forcibly evolved into Tyranny of Wealth Lv0]
[Negotiate LvMax has been forcibly evolved into Mediation of two sides Lv0]
[Dragon Tongue LvMax has been forcibly evolved into Greater Thuum Lv0]
[You have received the Fallen Tooth of a Legendary Dragon]
[It resonates with your Soul… The requirements have been met, the slumbering power of a Dragon awakens]
[A Dragon's Aspect now lies within you]
[You have acquired a new Title, One of a Kind]
[As a reward, you may choose one of your three basic stats to increase permanently]
[1-Health
2-Stamina
3-Magicka
]
[Hidden requirement, Master Wizard has been completed]
[You've reached a level of magic mastery impossible for most men]
[You have received the Diadem of the Savant]
[You have received the Ring of the Erudite]
[Hidden requirement, Master Alchemist has been completed]
[You have received, Masterwork Alchemy Table]
[You have received the Ingredient Bag of Continuous Materials]
[Hidden requirement, Erudite Enchanter has been completed]
[You have received, Replenishing Rune of Greater Enchanting]
[Hidden requirement, More Thief than Warrior has been completed]
[Skill, Steal Lv1 has been granted]
[Hidden requirement, More Mage than Thief has been completed]
[Ability, Shatter Spell Lv1 has been granted]
[When Masser and Secunda are at their highest points, will it, and the dream shall end]
/Flash!/
With a bright flash, the dark room returned to its previous state, leaving a confused Philip behind. But he didn't have much time to think...
"Urg…"
Like many times before, he did not rejoice, and instead, bit his lips as pain overcame both his body and mind as a flood of imagery reached the depths of his mind.
And once it finally washed away, he grumbled his decision, "The… the third option…"
/Inhale.../
"Magicka."
[Magicka has been increased by 100]
[Magicka Well Lv4 -> Greater Magicka Well Lv0]
"!"
/Badum.../
He felt his heartbeat echo throughout his body... and then it came...
"GRR…!"
Once again, immense pain took over his body as this time, he couldn't help but grunt slightly as he felt his muscles dissolve…
…
When he finally recovered, Philip saw himself in bed in a rather familiar scene...
"Hey you, are you finally awake?" Falpurgiana asked with a gentle smile as she lay next to him
"Ugh... how long has it been?"
She smiled, "Not even a word of thanks? A few hours, I guess. It's already nightfall."
"Urg... then I suppose it's our cue to leave."
She pouted, "Aww... already? I like it here. A simple world with not so simple problems... I was especially interested in meeting that Mehrunes Dagon fella."
"... Do not speak the name of a Daedra Lord so casually..." He said as he pushed himself off the bed
"There you go with your worries again... I suppose we're leaving that thing behind too?"
"If you're talking about the Eye of Magnus, no, we aren't going there. I'm not diving into the ruins of an ancient Archmage to face whatever traps and creatures he left behind to hide his secrets. And I'm definitely not facing an ancient, high-ranking Dragon Priest to retrieve it!"
"I wasn't talking about that... then? What are you doing?"
"... We're leaving. I'm tired of being out of my body."
'I doesn't feel right. It never does... soon enough I'll have spent half of my life out of my body. And that's not something to be proud of.'
"Fair enough. Well then, after you." She said as her body grew translucent
"... Just one stop before we go."
/Fuom!/
Philip channeled and bent the arcane forces within and around him. Creating a portal through which he stepped through.
Next stop... his last.
…
/Rustles…/
In the middle of the wilderness, pushing aside a few dead twigs, Philip finally arrived at the edge of a precipice next to a waterfall.
Standing on a platform made of natural stone, a tall obelisk remained there in silence as the moons shone brightly above him.
(Image)
"Fucking finally took me way too long to find this damn place..."
"I still can't tolerate those things up there." Falpurgiana said as she looked at the moons
"Just leave it be... shit... something bit my arm again... what a pain."
'Enough of this place, I want to go back to my lavish lifestyle surrounded by pretty maids.'
"How vain..."
"Easy for you to say when you haven't been the one working his ass off for the past year."
She snickered, "Easy for you to say when you haven't been the one on the verge of death for a thousand years."
"..."
"If you say what you're thinking about, I'll rip your tongue out."
"Tche!"
Without thinking much, Philip touched the stone.
[Activate the Lover stone?]
(No bitches?)
"Yes."
"I didn't take you for the romantic type. I'll give you a point, though you'll have to work hard to remain positive." She said with a smirk as she floated beside him, hugging onto his neck
"... Will you stop talking if I carve your image in stone?"
"Would you?" She asked with some lingering desire
"No."
She faked a cry, reaching onto her eyes, "You're a mean man... I have no statues left... how will others worship me?"
"The pains of life..."
/SMACK!/
"OUCH! What was that for?!"
"... The pains of life..." She said, full of melancholy as she looked at the sky
"#!!"
/Shine.../
For a moment, the Guarding Stone flashed faintly, displaying the image of a constellation, a woman.
The same seemed to happen with the skies, as a few stars shone a bit more brightly…
Not long after, he felt his body be embraced in a warm sensation, making him feel slightly more comfortable.
"Phew…"
"Cheater, minus a thousand points."
"Huh?"
"Receiving another being's blessing. What else if not a cheater?"
"... A player?"
She smiled playfully, "With a zero score? I'll give you ten thousand pity points then."
"..."
Seeing that his time was nearing its end, Philip sat down on the edge of the cliff, watching the sunset with tired eyes.
"... Not bad for a small-time adventure." He said with a small smile
"I would've liked to have seen a Dragon."
"Me too. Too bad they're extinct, and you don't want to look for the others."
He looked at the massive mountain in the distance, the Throat of the world, the tallest mountain in Skyrim… no, of the entire Continent.
He closed his eyes and rested his head on the grass, taking a small nap…
"Try not to vanish this time."
"It's not up to me!"
…
[Transferring…]
...
[...plete]
"Urg…"
[Readjusting Status...]
Philip slowly woke up on the cold hard floor of his room...
"... Alive?!"
Just as he opened his eyes, he heard someone screaming in his ears, much to his displeasure.
An adventure ended; another one resumed.
...
.
.
.
Notes
Next episode on Drag...
Thank you for reading! While I've made this chapter somewhat short, I think it did what I wanted.
To some degree, we aren't done with this world yet! Perhaps not even the others... ahem...
It was a rather uneventful adventure compared to everything he did before, but it set the base for several other things. Right now, we're about halfway through the original story, so we have a lot of chapters left to develop these powers and fuse them with his other abilities.
I hope you liked it.
Like always, I have a lot to say, but I'll stop here.
Peace!