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The entrance to the mine was an imposing wooden door set into the underbelly of the hill, a crude torch illuminating the dark passage. He pushed the door open, revealing a downward slope that disappeared into the darkness. The air inside was cooler, damper, and smelled of earth and old rock. Torches and lanterns were placed at regular intervals, casting a flickering, ominous glow on the mine shaft.
He looked down at Lupin. "Alright, buddy. Looks like our adventure is just beginning." He had a quiet, serious conversation with the fox. "This is a mine, and mines are full of traps. I remember a pressure plate near the entrance that triggers a trap. Stay behind me, and don't step on anything that looks suspicious."
Lupin let out a small, quiet yip, his ears swiveling forward, his stance shifting to one of alert readiness. He understood the danger. Aerion nodded, a sense of quiet determination in his movements.
He took a deep breath, and with Lupin at his heels, he descended into the depths of Halted Stream Camp.
He moved carefully, his eyes fixed on the ground ahead, ensuring both he and the fox avoided the pressure plate, a dark iron patch on the floor that was noticeable to the eye but if you weren't careful you could step on it.
Aerion and Lupin moved carefully down the sloping passage, their footsteps muffled by the loose gravel and dust. At the bottom of the slope, the tunnel opened up into a wider cavern.
To their left, a derelict wooden wagon sat abandoned, its wheels covered in grime. To their right, a large clump of rocks jutted out from the wall, providing excellent cover.
Before they could fully take in the scene, they heard it: the rhythmic, metallic thunk of a pickaxe striking rock and a low, guttural humming. A bandit was at work, unaware of their presence.
Aerion raised a finger to his lips, a silent command to Lupin to be quiet. The fox, always obedient to Aerion, gave a slight nod of his head, his ears perked and his movements fluid and silent.
Aerion crouched low, using the large rocks as cover, and peered around the edge. His eyes fell upon an Orc bandit, his back to them, swinging an iron pickaxe with powerful, practiced strokes.
The Orc was a formidable sight, encased in a full set of rusty iron armor, complete with a helmet that partially obscured his face. His sword was sheathed at his side, his focus entirely on the iron ore vein he was tirelessly mining.
This was an opportunity. A chance to practice a new skill, to gain an advantage in the battle to come. Aerion reached into his inventory, pulling out the Iron Battleaxe he had taken from the Nord bandit. The weapon was heavy, much heavier than the iron mace, and felt unwieldy in his hands. It was an unfamiliar, almost foreign, object.
He moved silently, his Sneak skill coming into play, the notifications of it leveling up once again a constant, gentle hum in the back of his mind. Lupin was a silent shadow beside him, his movements light and effortless.
They crept up behind the Orc, the sound of the pickaxe masking their approach. When they were in position, Aerion took a deep breath, raising the heavy battleaxe high above his head. The weight of the weapon was immense, but a newfound strength, born from his system and his desperation, allowed him to hold it steady.
He brought the axe down with all his might, the sharpened blade a blur of motion. The rusty iron helmet of the bandit was no match for the combined force of the heavy axe, gravity, and the sheer power of the blow.
The axe sliced through the helmet, a sickening crunch of metal and bone echoing in the small cavern. The Orc was dead instantly, his pickaxe clattering to the floor with a final clang as he went down.
Aerion felt a strange mix of triumph and horror. This was a different kind of violence than his magic, a more visceral, brutal kind. The axe was still embedded in the bandit's head. He had to use all his strength to pry it free, and when it came loose, he recoiled.
Blood, gore, and even small bits of what looked like brain matter clung to the cold iron blade. He immediately backed away, a wave of nausea washing over him. The Orc's body, now free of the axe, slumped forward with a final, limp shudder.
Aerion leaned against the rock, his stomach churning, and took several deep, gasping breaths. He looked at his hands, which were shaking, not from fear, but from the raw brutality of what he had just done. He forced himself to calm down, to let the pragmatic, logical side of his gamer mind take over. He had done what he had to do to survive.
[Your Sneak skill has increased to Level 14!]
[Skill Unlocked: Two Handed (Level 1)!]
[Description: The art of using large, heavy weapons with two hands. You can swing a Greatsword, Battleaxe, or Warhammer. It's perfect for when you want to make a big impression, or for when a single handed weapon just isn't enough to make a point.]
[Due to your Fast Skill Levelling, Two Handed has increased to Level 8!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 7!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 8!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 9!]
[You have 3 Attribute Points to spend!]
The notifications came in a flurry, a sudden, unexpected reward for his brutal work. He had leveled up three times at once, a sudden jump in power that felt both exhilarating and a little strange. The system must have decided he was "safe" now, away from the prying eyes of anyone maybe, he doesn't know, and had chosen to grant him the levels all at once.
He immediately spent his three attribute points. He put two into Stamina, feeling a surge of energy and an increased capacity for physical exertion. His maximum carry weight also increased by 10 KG. He put the final point into Health, feeling a reassuring boost to his overall survivability.
With his levels and attributes sorted, he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He looted the Orc's body, finding 8 septims, a key, a lockpick, and a slightly less rusty Iron War Axe.
He placed all of them into his inventory, the Iron War Axe adding a modest 5 KG to his weight total. He then put his own Iron Battleaxe back into his inventory, the thought of carrying it in his hands was a little too much to handle at the moment.
Beside the dead bandit, on a small wooden table, sat a Potion of Minor Healing and a Potion of Minor Stamina. He took them both, the small vials feeling cool and heavy in his hand, and placed them into his inventory, their combined weight a mere 0.50 KG.
Done with the immediate area, Aerion turned his attention to a metal barred gate on the left wall of the cavern. The key he had just found must be for this. But his mind, ever the gamer's mind, saw another opportunity. He could use his new lockpicks to open the gate, which would allow him to gain and level up a new skill.
He took out a couple of lockpicks from his inventory. He knelt down in front of the locked iron gate and began to work. The first lockpick broke almost instantly, a fragile piece of metal that was no match for his inexperience. But it was enough.
[Skill Unlocked: Lockpicking (Level 1)!]
[Description: The ability to open any lock without a key. You can be a sneaky thief, a clever adventurer, or just a really good friend who always has the key to the treasure. It's a skill that opens doors, both literally and figuratively.]
[Due to your Fast Skill Levelling, Lockpicking has increased to Level 5!]
The information flooded his mind, a new, intricate knowledge of pins, tumblers, and the delicate art of picking a lock. He picked up another lockpick from his inventory, and this time, his hands were steady.
He had the knowledge now. He inserted the lockpick, his hands moving with an intuitive grace that belied his lack of practice. A moment later, with a soft click, the lock gave way, and the gate swung open.
[Your Lockpicking skill has increased to Level 9!]
Aerion smiled. He was getting the hang of this. With that, he and Lupin stepped through the open gate and continued their descent into the mine, and at one point the hall narrowed forcing them into a single file.
The left wall was shored up with a series of wooden boards and logs, a makeshift support system to prevent a cave in.
The air grew heavier, thick with the smell of damp earth and the distant scent of cooking meat. As they passed the makeshift support pillar, the hall widened, opening up into a massive cavern.
Aerion's eyes scanned the area, his mind already mapping out the dangers. To his left, he saw a line of bones tied to a rope, a simple tripwire stretched across a narrow walkway. He made a mental note of it, a satisfied smirk on his face as he realized the bandits had been lazy.
The entrance to the cavern was wide, but they had only placed a single, easily avoided tripwire on the left side. It was a rookie mistake, and Aerion was more than happy to exploit it.
He crouched low, his movements silent, and crept along the right side of the cavern, using the shadows and the rocky terrain for cover. He reached the edge of a wooden platform that overlooked the main bandit camp.
The cavern was a hive of activity, lit by the flickering glow of torches and a large fire pit. The stone ceiling was a dark, brooding canopy, from which several ropes hung, each holding a glowing fire pot.
He peered over the edge of the platform and saw his targets. Below, a female Breton bandit in fur armor was talking to an Orc in hide armor, who was hunched over a grindstone, his large, muscular arms moving with practiced ease.
The Orc was sharpening a familiar looking woodcutter's axe, one Aerion knew from the game as the Poacher's Axe, a unique weapon with a special enchantment of having more damage when being used against animals.
"Gotta have a sharp axe to get through all this mammoth fat," the Orc grunted, his voice low and gravelly.
"Hurry it up, Durak," the Breton woman replied impatiently. "We got a merchant to take care of in the pit after we finish carving up the mammoth."
Aerion's eyes darted past them. Just below the Breton bandit, a large, dark stain of fat oil covered the ground near the remnants of a mammoth carcass. It was a perfect opportunity.
He reached into his inventory and pulled out his Long Bow and two Iron Arrows. He nocked the first arrow, his hands feeling clumsy and unfamiliar with the weapon.
He was a mage, not an archer. He aimed for one of the fire pots hanging above the bandits. He focused, holding his breath, and released the arrow.
The arrow flew true, but his aim was off by just an inch. It didn't hit the center of the pot, but the edge, enough to send it tumbling down from its rope. It fell with a soft clatter, landing in the pool of fat oil below.
The oil, a perfect accelerant, immediately erupted into a massive, roiling inferno. The Breton woman, who was standing right in the middle of it, screamed, a high pitched shriek of pure agony as she was consumed by the flames.
The Orc, Durak, dropped his axe and stumbled back, wide eyed and terrified. He was safe for the moment, but his attention was completely on the roaring fire. Aerion wasted no time.
He immediately nocked his second iron arrow and, with a silent prayer, shot it toward the still screaming Breton woman. The arrow found its mark, burying itself in her stomach, and she fell with a final, wet gasp, her scream silenced forever.
[Your Sneak skill has increased to Level 17!]
[Skill Unlocked: Archery (Level 1)!]
[Description: The ability to use a bow and arrow. You are a silent hunter, a deadly sniper, a master of a beautiful and ancient art. It's perfect for when you want to kill someone from a distance, or for when you're really bad at getting into a fistfight.]
[Due to your Fast Skill Levelling, Archery has increased to Level 7!]
Aerion quickly put the bow and arrow back into his inventory. The Orc bandit, now in a full panic, immediately drew his greatsword from his back.
From a wooden platform on the left, another Orc, this one a towering figure in a full set of steel armor, came down a set of stairs, a massive Steel Warhammer in his hand.
"Durak! What happened?" the new Orc demanded, his voice a deep, thundering rumble.
Durak, his eyes wide with fear, shook his head. "Chief! I don't know. The pot just came down from above and blew up."
Aerion, now with a new target, switched tactics. He raised both of his hands, one glowing with fire, the other crackling with lightning. He visualized a more powerful, combined spell, a dual cast Firebolt, which he knew had a powerful knockback effect in the game.
He held his hands together, the two energies merging and intensifying, the heat and electricity becoming an almost unbearable force. He aimed for the Orc chief, the most dangerous of the two.
He released the concentrated bolt of fire, a powerful, explosive projectile that flew from his hands and slammed into the Orc chief's chest. The bandit chief was blasted backward, his armor groaning under the force of the blast. He hit the wall with a sickening thud, his body now engulfed in flames, a scream of agony tearing from his throat.
Aerion didn't hesitate. He shot two separate Fireballs at the other Orc, Durak, who had just managed to get his bearings. The two fireballs hit him almost simultaneously, one on his chest, the other on his head. He was dead before he even hit the ground, his body a charred mess.
Aerion stood up from his crouched position, a cloud of smoke rising from his hands. He looked down at the Orc chief. The man was still alive, his steel armor badly damaged and his body on fire, groaning in pain. He was heavily wounded, but not dead. Aerion could finish him, but he also had more to gain.
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[Main Panel] Name: Aerion Race: High Elf (Altmer) Health: 160/160 Stamina: 140/140 Magicka: 230/230 Level: 6 ➝ 10
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire/Lightning) (Level 19/20), Persuasion (Level 15), Smithing (Level 9), Sneak (Level 13), One Handed (Level 7), Restoration (Healing) (Level 7), Two Handed (Level 8) - NEW, Lockpicking (Level 9) - NEW, & Archery (Level 7) - NEW
[Inventory Panel]
1x Small Pouch = 330 Septims
1x Iron Dagger, Steel Dagger, Iron Battleaxe, Iron Greatword, Iron Shield, Long Bow, Potions of Minor Stamina, & Small Sack
2x Gold Garnet Rings, Gold Ring, Iron Swords, Iron War Axe, & Big Sacks
3x Silver Garnet Rings, Silver Rings, & Potions Of Minor Healings,
4x Lockpicks
8x Iron Arrows
Weight: 79 KG / 370 KG
Septims = 25,143