If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
...
(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
Aerion closed his eyes, leaning back against the wooden headboard. He centered his mind, reaching inward to fully access the digital interface he had been ignoring since the his dungeon looting in Korvanjund. It was time to face the music. It was time to process the massive backlog of raw, cosmic energy waiting to evolve his physical and magical form. "System," Aerion murmured into the quiet room. "Open the level up notifications."
Instantly, a blindingly bright wall of cascading golden text exploded across his mental vision, detailing the sheer, overwhelming magnitude of his arcane growth.
[Destruction (Fire) (+1) Leveled Up 29 Times! Current Level: 72]
[Destruction (Frost) Leveled Up 31 Times! Current Level: 74]
[Restoration (Healing) Leveled Up 9 Times! Current Level: 72]
[Conjuration (Summoning) Leveled Up 23 Times! Current Level: 77]
The numbers were staggering. By utilizing maximum tier, dual cast Area of Effect spells against massive hordes of high level undead, and maintaining a vanguard of six Daedric entities simultaneously, he had forced his magical matrices to undergo an unprecedented state of rapid evolution.
And with that massive influx of skill mastery came the inevitable surge of overall power.
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 83!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 84!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 85!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 86!]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 87!]
[You have gained 5 Attribute Points!]
Aerion nodded his head in deep, profound satisfaction. He mentally grasped the five glowing attribute points hovering in his interface.
He needed to maintain a perfect balance. He funneled two points directly into his Health, feeling a sudden, deep warmth spread through his internal organs and muscle fibers, fortifying his cellular structure against physical trauma.
He channeled the remaining three points into his Magicka, welcoming the intoxicating, rushing sensation of his arcane pool expanding into a vast, swirling ocean of volatile blue energy.
[Health increased by 20! Current Health: 370/370]
[Magicka increased by 30! Current Magicka: 530/530]
With his attributes settled, Aerion turned his attention to a vastly more complex systemic mechanic.
During the battle with the Deathlord, his Destruction (Lightning) matrix had hit the absolute maximum cap of 100. Furthermore, his flawless political maneuvering with Jarl Balgruuf had pushed his Persuasion skill to the pinnacle of mortal charisma.
In standard reality, hitting the absolute peak of a discipline meant your growth stagnated. But Aerion operated on video game logic. He possessed the function to "Prestige", to render a skill Legendary.
"System," Aerion commanded mentally. "Reset Lightning and Persuasion matrices to baseline. Initiate Legendary Protocol."
The system complied instantly.
A strange, highly disconcerting sensation washed over him. The absolute, god like mastery he possessed over raw electricity and hypnotic speech suddenly compressed, folding inward upon itself.
The knowledge didn't vanish, but the efficiency pathways in his brain were forcibly restructured, returning him to a foundational state, yet marked with a permanent, intrinsic multiplier of power.
[Destruction (Lightning) Reset to Level 0. Prestige Rank Increased: (+1)]
[Persuasion Reset to Level 0. Prestige Rank Increased: (+1)]
It was a temporary drop in raw output, but his Fast Skill Levelling perk ensured it wouldn't take long to regain his footing, allowing him to infinitely farm experience from the exact same disciplines.
With his internal administration complete, Aerion shifted his position on the bed. He reached over, gently scooping the sleeping cinnamon fox up and moving Lupin from the center of the pillows to the side of the mattress, ensuring he wouldn't roll over on the tiny creature during the night.
Aerion pulled the heavy fur blanket over his legs and opened his systemic map interface.
The topographical projection of the Pale unfurled in his mind's eye. He needed to plot tomorrow's expedition. The Jarl required 8,500 septims for the Homestead down payment.
Aerion already possessed vastly more than enough in his void, but he had to maintain the illusion of a grueling, time consuming treasure hunt. Returning to Whiterun too quickly would shatter his alibi.
He mentally scrolled across the snowy peaks surrounding the Nightgate Inn, evaluating the glowing icons.
'Silverdrift Lair,' Aerion thought, examining a nearby icon. 'Filled with Draugr and bandits. Passable, but mundane.'
He dragged his focus further west. 'Ironbind Barrow. A decent Nordic ruin, but it involves dealing with that arrogant Argonian adventurer and his cowardly wizard friend. Too much unnecessary dialogue.'
He looked east. 'Bronzewater Cave. A small Falmer hive. Disgusting creatures, minimal high tier loot.'
Finally, his gaze locked onto an icon nestled in the freezing foothills just east of their current location.
Forsaken Cave.
Aerion's meta knowledge fired, accessing the dusty archives of his past life's gaming memories. Forsaken Cave was a dual layered dungeon.
It began as a natural ice cavern before transitioning seamlessly into a massive, ancient Nordic crypt. More importantly, he distinctly remembered that it housed a Word Wall at its deepest level.
Furthermore, a specific quest was tied to that location. He couldn't quite remember the exact details, or the specific name of the quest giver in Dawnstar, but he knew it involved retrieving a highly valuable enchanted item from the final boss.
'If I retrieve the item now and keep it in my inventory,' Aerion strategized, a pragmatic smile touching his lips, 'I can use it as leverage later. When I eventually identify the quest giver, I can simply hand it over, instantly completing their objective and massively increasing my relational standing without having to backtrack.'
The decision was made.
"Forsaken Cave it is," Aerion murmured into the quiet room.
He closed his eyes, the warmth of the hearth lulling his exhausted, magically taxed body into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The next morning, Aerion was violently awoken not by the morning sun, but by a blur of cinnamon fur ricocheting off the walls.
He opened his eyes to find Lupin in the absolute throes of severe morning "zoomies." The tiny fox was sprinting in rapid, chaotic circles around the small room, launching himself off the heavy wooden chair, skidding across the floorboards, and aggressively pouncing on a completely invisible enemy hiding in the corner.
Aerion let out a tired groan, rubbing his face with his hands. He shook his head at the sheer, boundless energy of his familiar.
"You are a menace before dawn," Aerion scolded playfully, sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Lupin paused his frantic sprinting just long enough to let out a happy, high pitched yip before diving under the bed.
After ensuring his dark robes were pristine and his appearance immaculate, Aerion opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, the energetic fox trotting loyally at his heels.
Just as he stepped out, the door opposite his opened, and Jenassa emerged. She was fully armored, her new Dwarven bow slung securely over her shoulder, looking entirely rested and ready for violence.
"Good morning, Patron," Jenassa greeted with a crisp nod.
"Morning, Jenassa," Aerion replied smoothly. "Let us break our fast before we face the cold."
They walked down the hallway and entered the main tavern room. The Nightgate Inn was quiet, bathed in the soft, gray light of the early morning blizzard howling outside the windows. They took a seat at a sturdy wooden table near the roaring central fire pit.
Hadring was currently wiping down the main counter. Aerion raised a hand, signaling for service. A young, tired looking tavern waiter hurried over to their table.
"What can I get for you travelers?" the waiter asked, pulling out a small ledger.
"We require three large portions of your beef and cabbage stew, and two bottles of your finest Alto Wine," Aerion ordered smoothly. He reached into his satchel, withdrawing a handful of coins. He placed twenty septims onto the wooden table.
The waiter's eyes widened slightly at the generous payment. He quickly swept the coins into his apron. "Right away, my lord. Coming right up."
As they waited for the hot meal to arrive, Jenassa leaned forward slightly, resting her forearms on the table.
"Where are we riding today, Patron?" she asked, her crimson eyes focused on him. "More bandits, or another ancient tomb?"
"Both, if the architecture holds true," Aerion replied, leaning back in his chair. "We are heading directly east of this inn, into the foothills. There is a location known as the Forsaken Cave. According to my information, it houses a substantial amount of high tier loot, and seamlessly connects deep into a massive, buried ancient Nordic crypt."
Jenassa raised a scarred eyebrow, looking at him with a mixture of respect and genuine curiosity.
"How do you know the exact layout and subterranean connections of an unmarked cave in the middle of the Pale, Patron?" Jenassa asked. "You speak as if you have personally drawn the maps of this province."
Aerion didn't miss a beat. His scholar persona was flawlessly constructed.
He offered a soft, highly academic smile. "The Arcanaeum of the College of Winterhold is not merely a repository of spell tomes, Jenassa. It holds thousands of massive, ancient texts detailing the geographical history, forgotten locations, and buried ruins of Skyrim. I spent my days there doing vastly more than just practicing my magic. I committed the maps to memory."
Jenassa slowly nodded her head, completely accepting the flawless, logical lie. "Knowledge is power. And it seems your mind is a fortress of it."
The waiter returned promptly, placing three steaming, fragrant bowls of rich beef and cabbage stew onto the table, followed by two uncorked bottles of dark, heavy Alto Wine.
Aerion and Jenassa ate in comfortable silence, the hot, calorie dense meal providing the necessary fuel to combat the freezing temperatures of the Pale. Lupin, having been given his own bowl on the floor, devoured the beef with terrifying speed.
Once their bellies were full, Aerion wiped his mouth with a linen napkin. They stood up, walked to the main counter, and returned their heavy iron room keys to a relieved looking Hadring.
Stepping out of the heavy wooden doors, the biting, howling wind of the blizzard instantly assaulted them.
They quickly made their way to the small stable enclosure, untying Revan and Jenassa's horse. Aerion tucked Lupin into the thick, insulated saddlebag, mounted his massive black destrier, and spurred the beast forward into the driving snow.
They rode hard to the east, leaving the main road behind and navigating the treacherous, uneven topography of the frozen foothills.
After thirty minutes of freezing travel, a massive, jagged tear in the side of a sheer rock face loomed into view. Heavy, unnatural icicles hung like jagged teeth over the gaping, pitch black entrance of Forsaken Cave.
Aerion pulled Revan to a halt just outside the entrance, Jenassa stopping beside him.
They both dismounted, leaving the horses in the shelter of a small rock overhang. As Aerion's boots hit the packed snow, a sudden, unnatural drop in temperature washed over the clearing, followed instantly by a high pitched, ethereal shrieking sound.
HIIISSSSS.
Bursting from the deep snowdrifts surrounding the cave entrance, materializing from the freezing air itself, were three Ice Wraiths.
They were serpentine, translucent entities composed entirely of swirling, jagged ice and freezing mist, soaring through the air with terrifying, erratic speed. They dove directly toward the intruders, their frozen maws snapping.
Jenassa reached for her bow, but Aerion was already moving.
He didn't bother drawing his newly reset Lightning magic. Ice Wraiths were highly susceptible to extreme thermal shock.
Aerion thrust his hands forward, visualizing a roaring inferno. A massive, concentrated blast of Flames erupted from his palms, creating a sweeping arc of liquid fire that cut directly across the path of the diving entities.
The Ice Wraiths shrieked in absolute agony as the superheated plasma struck them. Their translucent, frozen bodies instantly flash-boiled into thick clouds of harmless steam, completely vaporizing before they could even land a strike.
[Destruction (Fire) (+1) Leveled Up 4 Times! Current Level: 76]
"Vile creatures," Jenassa muttered, lowering her hand from her weapon.
"They thrive in the blizzards. Stay alert," Aerion warned.
He noticed a thin layer of frost rapidly accumulating on Jenassa's leather armor from the Wraith's ambient aura. He raised his hands, enveloping both himself and his bodyguard in a warm, glowing wave of golden holy light.
[Restoration (Healing) Leveled Up 4 Times! Current Level: 76]
The Healing spell instantly drove the supernatural chill from their bones, warming their blood and relaxing their shivering muscles.
With the ambush thwarted, they stepped through the jagged, icy maw of the entrance.
The interior of Forsaken Cave was a breathtaking, terrifying marvel of natural geology. The walls were not made of stone, but of solid, sheer blue glacial ice. Strangely, it was not pitch black.
Massive, natural fissures in the icy ceiling high above allowed thick, concentrated shafts of pure sunlight to pierce through the gloom, refracting off the glacial walls and illuminating the cavern in a haunting, ethereal blue glow.
Just a few yards inside the entrance, half buried in a snowdrift, sat an abandoned, rotting wooden cart. Resting atop the splintered wood was a mundane steel chest.
Aerion walked over and threw the unlocked lid open.
"A poor soul's final resting place," Jenassa noted, looking at the frozen skeletal remains slumped against the cart's wheel.
"And a rather poor haul to match," Aerion sighed, cataloging the contents.
Inside rested a small leather pouch of coins, a completely empty Common Soul Gem, and a small glass vial containing a pale blue liquid. A quick system scan identified the vial not as a restorative elixir, but as a Weak Magicka Poison.
Aerion swept his hand over the chest, transferring the meager loot to his void.
[Gold Acquired: 87 Septims]
[Items Acquired: Common Soul Gem (Empty), Weak Magicka Poison]
[Inventory Weight Increased by 0.15 KG]
"Leave no stone unturned," Aerion murmured, stepping away from the cart.
They proceeded deeper into the glacial cavern, following the winding, slippery ice path. The natural beauty of the cave was constantly interrupted by sudden, shrieking ambushes. Four more Ice Wraiths materialized from the frozen walls over the next ten minutes.
However, they were highly prepared this time. Jenassa didn't even bother firing, she simply pointed out the visual distortions in the ice, and Aerion instantly incinerated the entities with rapid, precision blasts of fire, turning the tunnels into temporary steam baths.
Eventually, the natural blue ice of the cavern walls abruptly shifted.
The glacial ice gave way to perfectly cut, massive blocks of ancient gray stone. The transition was jarring. Nestled deeply between two sweeping, carved stone staircases was a heavy, rusted iron door.
"The crypt begins here," Aerion announced, pushing the heavy iron door open.
They left the freezing, sunlit ice caves behind, stepping into a long, incredibly dark, and dusty single stone hallway. The air immediately grew stale, reeking of undisturbed centuries.
They followed the linear corridor until it opened up into a wide circular chamber. In the center of the room, a precarious, creaking spiral wooden staircase led straight down into the deeper, darker bowels of the ruins.
They descended carefully, the ancient wood groaning under Aerion's significant weight.
Reaching the underfloor, they navigated another long, narrow stone hallway. As they approached the end of the corridor, the path opened up into a small, square room.
Dominating the far wall was a terrifying, stylized ancient Nordic statue of an eagle, its wings spread wide in a silent scream. Resting directly beneath the statue's talons was an ornate steel chest.
Aerion stepped forward to inspect the loot, but his eyes, heavily trained to recognize environmental traps, immediately snapped downward.
Resting flawlessly flush against the stone floor, directly in front of the chest, was a perfectly square stone pressure plate.
Aerion shot his arm out, physically blocking Jenassa from taking another step.
"Halt," Aerion commanded sharply. He looked down at the fox trotting near his boots. "Lupin. Stay exactly where you are."
Jenassa froze, her eyes following his gaze to the floor. She saw the slightly elevated edge of the pressure plate and cursed softly under her breath. "A dart trap. Good eyes, Patron."
Aerion carefully stepped entirely around the stone plate, pressing his body against the wall to reach the chest without triggering the mechanism. He flipped the heavy lid open.
He stared into the interior for a long moment. He let out a profound, highly annoyed sigh.
"Empty," Aerion grumbled, slamming the lid shut. "The ancient Nords rigged a lethal pressure plate to protect absolutely nothing. Typical."
They carefully bypassed the trap room, continuing down the winding corridor. The silence of the crypt was finally broken by the heavy, scraping sound of rusted armor dragging against stone.
Stepping out from a series of dark, inset wall alcoves were three Restless Draugr. They were significantly faster than standard corpses, their eyes blazing with violent blue light as they raised heavy ancient axes and charged down the hall.
Aerion did not reach for his Destruction magic.
"Let us test the light," Aerion murmured.
He raised his right hand, tapping into the holy, blinding power of his Restoration matrix. He didn't weave a healing spell; he wove pure, searing, offensive light. He unleashed a highly concentrated beam of Purify.
The holy magic struck the lead Draugr directly in the chest.
The effect was instantaneous and absolutely devastating. The searing light acted like holy acid upon the necrotic flesh.
The Draugr shrieked, not in pain, but in absolute supernatural terror, as its linen wrappings and dried skin instantly combusted into blinding white fire. The undead creature was literally purged from existence, collapsing into a pile of smoking white ash in seconds.
[Restoration (Purify) Leveled Up 8 Times! Current Level: 60]
"Effective," Aerion noted with a sharp smile.
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 88!]
[You have gained 1 Attribute Point!]
He dismissed the level up prompt, choosing to save the attribute point for later.
Jenassa blurred past him, her Frost Steel Sword severing the head of the second Draugr before it could swing, while Aerion hit the third with another blinding blast of Purify, reducing it to cinders.
The main hallway was completely blocked by a massive, impenetrable wall of collapsed ceiling rubble just a few yards ahead.
"We detour," Aerion stated, turning left into a wide, open archway that bypassed the collapse.
They stepped into a long, tiered gallery. The moment they entered, the heavy stone lids of six sarcophagi lining the walls blew open simultaneously. A small horde of Restless Draugr poured out, surrounding them in the narrow space.
"Take the front line, Jenassa. I will provide holy support," Aerion commanded, stepping back.
Jenassa didn't hesitate. She became a whirlwind of lethal motion, her Frost Steel Sword and Orcish dagger moving in perfect, bloody synchronization. She parried heavy axe blows, slipped past rusted greatswords, and systematically dismantled the ancient warriors.
Aerion stood behind her, acting as an artillery battery of divine light. Every time a Draugr attempted to flank the assassin, Aerion hit it with a staggering, burning blast of Purify, turning the undead into screaming pyres of holy fire, making Jenassa's job effortless.
[Restoration (Purify) Leveled Up 7 Times! Current Level: 67]
As the final Draugr crumbled into ash, Aerion stepped forward to inspect the burial niches the creatures had emerged from.
Resting atop a small stone pedestal inside one of the open tombs was a complete set of highly preserved Ancient Nord Armor. Specifically, a heavy, horned iron helmet and a pair of thick, plated boots.
"Sturdy craftsmanship," Aerion noted, running his hand over the heavy iron. He stored both pieces in his inventory, knowing they could be melted down for ingots or sold to a collector.
[Items Acquired: Ancient Nord Helmet, Ancient Nord Boots]
[Inventory Weight Increased by 4.85 KG]
They pushed forward, exiting the gallery and entering a massive, multi level chamber spanning a dark subterranean chasm.
The room was heavily populated. At least a dozen standard Draugr and heavy Restless Draugr were patrolling the stone bridges and upper platforms.
Aerion decided he was done playing with holy light. It was time for efficiency.
He raised his hands, the air instantly dropping to freezing temperatures on his left, and smelling heavily of ozone on his right. He unleashed absolute hell.
For the heavily armored variants on the upper bridges, he fired blinding, jagged arcs of low level Lightning, letting the electricity arc between the metal plates, frying them instantly. Aerion also briefly utilized Fire to finish off the frozen stragglers, the thermal shock shattering them completely.
[Destruction (Lightning) (+1) Leveled Up 6 Times! Current Level: 6]
[Destruction (Fire) (+1) Leveled Up 7 Times! Current Level: 83]
The chamber was cleared in under a minute, reduced to a silent, smoking graveyard.
Aerion walked across the main stone bridge, approaching a heavy, flat stone table situated in the center of the room.
Resting perfectly aligned on the edge of the table were four heavy, refined Iron Ingots. Sitting directly in the center, completely free of dust, was a thick, leather bound tome.
Aerion leaned over, reading the embossed gold lettering on the cover.
The Mirror. The moment his eyes registered the title, his system recognized the inherent, magical knowledge trapped within the pages. A golden prompt flared in his vision.
[Skill Book Discovered: The Mirror]
[Would you like to instantly absorb the martial knowledge contained within this tome? YES / NO]
Aerion smirked. Knowledge without effort was the ultimate luxury. He mentally pressed YES.
A sudden, incredibly vivid sequence of martial memories flooded his brain. He wasn't just reading text, he was experiencing the muscle memory of a master warrior perfectly executing shield bashes, parrying heavy strikes, and deflecting kinetic impact with flawless geometry. The knowledge embedded itself directly into his neural pathways.
[Block Leveled Up 10 Times! Current Level: 70]
[LEVEL UP! You are now Level 89!]
[You have gained 1 Attribute Point!]
He dismissed the prompt, adding the point to his saved reserve, bringing his unspent total to two.
He picked up the book and the four heavy Iron Ingots, letting them vanish into his void.
[Items Acquired: 1x The Mirror and 4x Iron Ingot]
[Inventory Weight Increased by 3.45 KG]
With the room fully cleared of hostiles and loot, they continued down the hallway, turning right through a large, open stone archway.
They entered a long, incredibly silent, claustrophobic corridor. The walls on both the left and right were lined entirely with deep, vertical burial niches.
Standing inside every single niche, wrapped in ancient linen and clutching rusted weapons, were fully mummified Draugr.
Jenassa instantly raised her bow, tension radiating from her frame as she expected the massive horde to suddenly burst to life and swarm them in the narrow space.
But the blue light in their eyes remained extinguished. The mummified corpses did not twitch. They did not wake up. Aerion walked calmly down the center of the silent hall, his golden eyes scanning the dormant army. "Do not waste your arrows, Jenassa. The ancient magic binding them is dormant. They sleep... for now."
_____________________________
[Main Panel]
Name: Aerion
Race: High Elf (Altmer)
Health: 370/370 Stamina: 370/370 Magicka: 530/530
Level: 82 ➝ 89
Skills: Animal Affinity (MAX LEVEL), Fast Skill Levelling (MAX LEVEL), Fast Magic Mastery (MAX LEVEL), Instant Shout (MAX LEVEL), Destruction (Fire(+1)/Lightning(+1)/Frost) (Level 83/6/74), Restoration (Healing/Purify) (Level 76/67), Alteration (Level 27), Alteration (Level 20), Illusion (Level 42), Conjuration (Necromancy/Summoning) (Level 37/77), Persuasion (+1) (Level 0), Smithing (Level 22), Sneak (Level 33), One Handed (Level 67), Two Handed (Level 65), Lockpicking (Level 35), Archery (Level 72), Enchanting (Level 34), Light Armor (Level 53), Block (Level 70), & Pickpocket (Level 8)
Shouts: Fus (Force) & Tiid (Time)
[Inventory Panel]
1x Steel Dagger, Small Sack, Poacher's Axe, Mammoth Tusk, Iron Shield, Steel Mace, Steel Warhammer, the Golden Claw, Calm Spellbook, Arvel's Journal, Inkwell & Quill, Thief Book, Scroll Of Summoning (Wolf), Scroll Of Healing, Steel Dagger of Minor Souls, Weak Potion of Paralysis, Ancient Nord Bow, Dragonstone, Ancient Nord Battleaxe Of Blaze, Potion of Minor Pickpocketing, Golden Staff of Flames, Parchment Rolls Of Mammoths Farm And Loan, Golden Emerald Circlet, Copper Sapphire Circlet, Ebony Claw, Orcish Dagger, Emerald, Sapphire, Garnet, Silver Garnet Circlet, Jagged Crown, Elven Sword Of Lightning, Elven Shield, Circlet Of Peerless Alchemy, Ancient Nord Helmet, Ancient Nord Boots, & The Mirror
2x Iron Mace, Steel Axe, Steel Greatsword, Silver Amethyst Ring, Silver Necklace, Gold Emerald Ring, Gold Ingot, Potion Of Ultimate Magicka, Common Soul Gem (Empty), & Weak Magicka Poison
3x Iron Greatsword, Steel Sword, Scroll Of Fireball, Glowing Mushrooms, Potions of Minor Stamina, Silver Ruby Ring, Gold Ruby Ring, Amethyst, Silver Ingot, Quicksilver Ingot, & Black Soul Gems
4x Potions of Minor Magicka, Spider Eggs, & Iron Ingots
5x Lesser Soul Gem, Dwarven Metal Ingot, & Ruby
8x Iron Arrows & Ancient Nord Arrows
9x Potions Of Minor Healing
Weight: 137.07 KG / 485 KG
Septims: 81,519