"A scholar interested in blacksmithing, eh?" she said, a small smile forming on her lips. "That's a new one. Most folks just want to buy my gear and be on their way." She gestured to the anvil. "Tell you what. It's not as easy as it looks. But if you're so interested, why don't you try your hand at it? I could show you how to make something simple, like an iron dagger."
This was a golden opportunity, the perfect chance to unlock and level his blacksmithing skill. "I would be honored," Aerion replied, his excitement barely contained. He walked forward, extending a hand to her. "My name is Aerion. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Adrianne wiped her hand on her leather apron and shook his with a firm grip. "Adrianne Avenicci," she introduced herself. "I'm the blacksmith here at Warmaiden's, and my husband, Ulfberth War-Bear, runs the shop inside."
She glanced down at Lupin, who was sitting patiently beside Aerion, his ears pricked. "And what about your little friend?"
Aerion smiled. "This is Lupin. He's my traveling companion."
"A traveling fox, an interested High Elf scholar... you two certainly aren't a common sight in these parts," Adrianne said, a hint of amusement in her voice. She gestured to the anvil. "Well, come on then, scholar. Let's see if you've got the arm for it. We'll start with the basics."
Aerion's heart pounded with anticipation. He was about to do his first bit of real crafting in this new world, and in the process, unlock yet another one of the game's skills, or well, real world skills now.
Aerion followed Adrianne across the cobblestone yard to her workstation, a small, bustling area that felt like the heart of the city's industry. The forge roared to his left, its fire a hungry orange glow. To his right, an anvil sat ready, its surface a testament to countless strikes from hammers long since cooled.
The air was thick with the smell of coal, hot steel, and the earthy tang of the nearby tanning rack. Lupin trotted faithfully behind, his tail giving a curious twitch as he watched the forge's flames dance.
Adrianne, now with a serious, teacher like demeanor, gestured to the various pieces of equipment. "Alright, scholar. This is my domain. The forge to heat the metal, the anvil to shape it, and the workbench to assemble the final product. We'll start with the basics, an iron dagger. It's the simplest thing to make, but it's a good way to learn the fundamentals."
She began to explain the process, her words a mix of practical advice and a master craftsman's philosophy. Aerion listened intently, not just with his ears, but with his unique system.
As she spoke of heating the metal to the perfect temperature, of striking with a steady, rhythmic cadence, and of the delicate art of sharpening, a new skill flashed into existence in his mind.
[Skill Unlocked: Smithing (Level 1)!]
[Description: The ability to forge, temper, and improve weapons and armor. Your hands are the tools of creation.]
[Smithing has increased to Level 9!]
An incredible surge of knowledge flowed into him. He didn't just understand the principles, he felt them. He knew the precise force needed for each hammer blow, the exact color of the iron when it was ready to be shaped, and the subtle differences in a well balanced blade. He picked up the hammer Adrianne offered him, and it felt like an extension of his own arm.
Under Adrianne's watchful eye, he began. He pulled a raw iron ingot from a nearby chest and placed it in the forge, waiting for the tell tale glow. Then, following the instincts now ingrained in him, he pulled it out with a pair of tongs and placed it on the anvil.
The first strike of his hammer was surprisingly clean and precise. He fell into a rhythm, the sound of metal on metal a new song to his ears. He hammered, shaped, and then moved to the workbench to assemble the hilt and handle. It was an effortless, almost meditative process.
When he finally finished, he held a simple, yet perfectly crafted, iron dagger. Its blade was sharp, its handle was firm, and its balance felt just right. As he finished the final touches, another cascade of notifications flooded his vision.
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 6!]
[You have 1 Attribute Point to spend!]
He immediately opened his system panel and placed the point into Stamina. He needed it to carry his ever growing collection of gear, and to run, climb, and fight for longer periods. The world felt bigger and more physically demanding than the game, and a deeper stamina pool was a necessity.
[Stamina increased by 10 points! Current Stamina: 120/120]
[Your maximum carry weight has increased by 5 KG! Current Weight Limit: 310 KG]
Adrianne, meanwhile, took the finished dagger from his hands. She ran a practiced thumb along the blade, checked its balance, and inspected the hilt.
She looked up at him, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "By the Nine, I've never seen anything like it. For a first attempt, this is an incredibly well made piece. The balance is perfect, the edge is true... you have a natural talent, scholar."
Aerion, with his newfound social graces, acted with a humble deference. "It's all thanks to your excellent guidance, Adrianne. I just followed your every instruction. You're a wonderful teacher."
Adrianne laughed, a hearty sound that carried over the market noise. "My guidance is one thing, but if you didn't have the aptitude, it would have been a waste of my time. You have the hands of a true blacksmith. You're welcome to use my forge and equipment anytime you like, on the house. You'll just have to provide your own materials, of course."
Internally, Aerion was ecstatic. This was an even better outcome than he had hoped for. A free crafting station was an invaluable asset. He maintained his calm, grateful facade. "That is incredibly kind of you, Adrianne. Thank you."
She held the dagger out to him, but Aerion shook his head. "Actually, would you be interested in buying it? I'd like to sell it to you, as a sign of my gratitude."
Adrianne's eyes lit up at the prospect of an easy sale. She inspected the blade one last time. "A good, clean iron dagger. I'll buy it for 10 septims. It's the base price, but it's a fair one."
"It's a deal," Aerion said, taking the pouch of septims from her. He placed them into his pocket, and as he did so, they seamlessly merged with the gold he already had in his inventory, the weightless pouch of coins feeling fuller.
"Now, if you don't mind," Aerion continued, "I'd like to look around a bit, take in the kinds of equipment here you have in you smithy."
"Of course, go right ahead," Adrianne said, already turning back to her own work. "Just don't touch anything I wouldn't touch!"
Aerion, with a polite nod, and Lupin, with a contented flick of his tail, walked past her and headed toward the back of the forge. He stopped when he reached the stacks of chests he had seen earlier, which were lined up neatly behind the building, just out of Adrianne's immediate line of sight.
He leaned down and spoke softly to Lupin. "Hey, buddy. Can you see anything back here?" He gestured vaguely at the area with the chests. Lupin simply looked at him, his head tilted in confusion.
Aerion then nudged him, encouraging him to walk through the space where the chests were. Lupin did so without hesitation, his paws moving through what to him was empty air. He stopped, sat down right where one of the chests should have been, and looked back at Aerion, a puzzled expression on his furry face.
The confirmation was absolute. The chests were a mod, a glitch in the Matrix that only he could see and interact with. His power was even greater than he'd imagined. This wasn't just a physical cheat, it was a reality bending one. He didn't just have a system, he was a god in his own private world.
He didn't waste any time. He mentally opened one of the chests, his thoughts a seamless command to his system. Instantly, a detailed system window opened in his mind's eye, showing a seemingly endless list of ingredients, weapons, armors, books, and miscellaneous items.
He scrolled down until he found the septims. He saw a stack of 5,000 septims. He immediately took it, and the golden coins were added to his total, appearing as a new, weightless sum in his inventory. He opened the other four chests, repeating the process.
In a matter of moments, he had taken all the septims, his new balance now sitting at a staggering 25,000 septims.
Next, he looked for enchanted gear. As a High Elf Destruction mage, he needed a new look and a new set of equipment.
He scrolled through the armor chest and found what he was looking for. The Master Robes of Destruction, an enchanted garment that would give him a whopping 150% magicka regeneration and make his destruction spells 22% cheaper.
He also found an Adept Hood that gave him 50 extra points of magicka, a pair of Boots with an enchantment that increased his carry weight by 50 KG, and Gloves that gave him another 50 points of magicka. He took all four items and placed them in his inventory.
His attention then shifted to jewelry. He scrolled through a separate chest and found five Silver Rings. Four of them were enchanted to reduce the magicka cost of the other schools of magic, Restoration, Alteration, Conjuration, and Illusion, by 20% each.
The last one was enchanted to increase his health by 50 points. He took them all, knowing that a fully enchanted set of rings would make him a much more versatile and powerful mage.
Lastly, he found three Silver Garnet Rings and two Gold Garnet Rings, all of which he could sell later, a lie already prepared to explain their origins as "bandit loot."
With everything taken care of, he closed the system panel, a faint smile on his face. He turned to look at Lupin, who was still sitting in the same spot, tilting his head. He then glanced at Adrianne, who was still working on the same piece of iron she'd had on her anvil earlier.
He realized with a jolt that when he was in the system menu, time had seemingly stopped in the outside world. This was a monumental discovery. He could now manage his inventory, equip items, and make decisions without ever having to worry about an enemy or an NPC catching him off guard.
With a massive fortune and a full set of enchanted gear now in his possession, Aerion realize that his list of choices to do expanded exponentially.
The rhythmic clang of Adrianne's hammer on the anvil filled the air as Aerion, with a newfound sense of purpose, walked over to her. He had a plan, and it started with a simple request.
"Adrianne, I'm heading out to do some traveling later," he said, keeping his voice casual. "I was thinking of trying my hand at gathering some alchemical ingredients to sell. Do you happen to have a spare sack I could take? I'd be happy to pay you for it."
Adrianne, without even looking up from her work, gestured toward a small pile of burlap sacks near the smelter. "A sack? Of course, take one. Don't worry about paying, they're cheap enough and I have plenty. Consider it payment for the entertainment of watching a scholar swing a hammer."
Aerion put on a genuinely grateful expression. "Thank you, Adrianne. You're too kind." He walked over, picked up a small sack, and then bid her farewell. "I'll be seeing you later, I'm sure." Lupin gave a farewell yip as well, a small, polite sound that earned him an amused look from the blacksmith.
With the sack in hand, Aerion and Lupin walked away from Warmaiden's. He made his way to the back of Breezehome, a secluded spot where he was sure no one would see him. He quickly pulled the Master Robes of Destruction, Adept Hood, Boots of Carrying, and Gloves of Magicka from his inventory. The items materialized in his hands. He carefully folded them and placed them into the sack, ensuring they were hidden from view.
_____________________________
[Main Panel] Name: Aerion Race: High Elf (Altmer) Health: 100/100 Stamina: 120/120 Magicka: 180/180 Level: 5 ➝ 6
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire/Lightning) (Level 15/17), Persuasion (Level 15), and Smithing (Level 9) - NEW
[Inventory Panel]
1x Small Pouch = 330 Septims
1x Iron Dagger, Iron Mace, Steel Dagger, Iron Battleaxe, Silver Ring of Alteration, Silver Ring of Conjuration, Silver Ring of Illusion, Silver Ring of Restoration, & Silver Ring of Major Health
3x Silver Garnet Rings
2x Gold Garnet Rings
Weight: 25 KG / 310 KG
Septims = 25,000