Chapter 213 - My SI Stash #13 - Life is More Than a Game by Orpheus Kidwell (SkyrimXMulticross) (1/2)

-If you like a ruthless MC well here's another NSFW Multicross Gamer fic with the SI starting in Skyrim! Also expect some mods~

Sypnosis: Life is more than just fun and games you know. The afterlife... that's an entirely different story. Gamer SI. Starts in Skyrim, but planned to be a multidimensional, world-hopping adventure.

Rated: M

Words: 74K

Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13410897/1/Life-is-More-Than-a-Game (Orpheus Kidwell)

PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)

-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)

Chapter I-III (exceptional)

Congratulations! You have been randomly selected as a trial run recipient of our Deluxe Reincarnation package, complete with an all-expense paid trip through the multiverse and The Full Gamer Experience – sponsored by Mountain Dew.

Uh… what? What's going on? I can't tell where the voice was coming from. Or where anything is, really. I can't see anything at all. Or feel anything.

As I've already mentioned, you have been pre-selected to be our trial recipient of our new Deluxe Package. Given your recent death, the conditions to run this trial have finally been met! I'm sure you're as overjoyed as we are to finally help ready this process for the public. It's so wonderful to add someone new to the team!

Deluxe Package? Death? Trial run? What… what in the actual Hell are you talking about? I try to open my mouth to say something, but that feeling of no feeling hits me. It's not just that I can't feel anything, I can't even feel my own body.

What's going on!? Am I really dead? I… I can't remember anything. If I try really hard flashes of… something… come to mind. Heat… the color orange… screams… a fire, maybe?

Oh, don't worry about that! The voice was far too cheerful for my liking. Your body will need to be remade thanks to that pesky office fire that killed you and most of your co-workers, but we have a process for that. It actually works out in our favor extremely well since it means we get to try out our new and improved Physical Appearance Improvement Nexus. Isn't that great? Before we get to that though, we need to make sure you're compliant and calm. Why don't we take care of that little annoyance of an emotional breakdown?

[Gamer's Mind] (Passive) added.

Allows you to view life as a game. Emotional and psychological maluses are nullified and HUD is unlocked.

[Gamer's Body] (Passive) added.

Allows you to experience life as a game. Your body only requires 30 minutes of rest to become completely rejuvenated.

[Observe] Lv. 1 (Active) added.

Gain insight into whatever is currently targeted. Information gained is increased at higher levels.

[Observe] allows you to gain insight into whatever you aim your senses at when activated. Gain more insight at higher levels.

As the voice finishes, several… pop-ups fill my vision. That's the only way to describe them. Rectangles of light and text informing me of whatever the voice has done and what their effects are. I think. My worry over having died recedes, but not because I feel calmer. Even as that thought appears, I do start to feel calmer. Whatever that voice is, has to be responsible for this. I've never been very emotional, but this is ridiculous. I'm not even allowed to feel negative emotions anymore?

They'll only get in the way, so it's much better this way! Just trust me. You'd go insane like the first three guys otherwise. I didn't like how I could almost hear the far-too-happy-to-actually-be-real smile the voice probably had. Now, let's begin, shall we? Our system will outfit you with a base to work from and you can just use your imagination to change things. Here's a mirror too!

That feeling of not feeling and the darkness both disappeared all at once, which was not a pleasant experience. Everything went bright white and I was forced to shut my eyes, which hadn't been there a moment ago, against the blinding light. On top of that, my entire body felt like it was simultaneously burning, freezing, constricted, and open as I had to get used to things like temperature and air pressure again.

Are you quite done screaming now? I think you're being a bit melodramatic.

I hadn't even realized that I was shouting until the voice brought it up. Controlling myself, I shut my mouth, slowly opening my eyes. Then that feeling of not calm but still calm washed over me once more when I finally saw my reflection in the mirror. What was allowing me to see it though? The confusion really set in deep, considering my body had the same plastic consistency of a window manikin. That, of course, included the lack of facial features like eyes, ears or a nose. In the end, I decided it was better that I just not worry about it, after all.

Now that you're focused, let's begin! Our new and improved system is quite easy to use, you know. All you need to do is visualize what you would like each part of your body to look like and the Nexus will take care of the rest. Go on, give it a shot.

At the voice's urging, I did so. Starting with my eyes, I watched as the plastic-y essence of my 'face' began to push inwards; with flesh, blood and nerves forming in a rather grotesque way. All at once I wanted to turn away, if that was even possible, and to keep watching out of morbid curiosity. After a few moments, that felt like hours, it was finally done and I had a pair of blue eyes looking back at me. It looked rather… uncanny when contrasted against the paper-white plastic of my form. Thankfully, despite the system's acronym it wasn't painful at all.

That's more of an unfortunate consequence of the naming than an intentional abbreviation. Our marketing team has been trying to figure out a better name for weeks, but nothing really comes up that does well in focus groups so it will have to stick for now. It looks like you're getting the hang of it though! Keep it up and we'll be able to move forward with the process in no time!

The cheery attitude of that voice was getting a bit creepy, but it's not like I could do anything about it. So I just ignore it in favor of shaping my appearance further. It's not like you get to decide on your looks down to a hyper-specific level every day, after all.

Watching all of my body parts being shaped and grown from this plastic-looking body is certainly an experience I don't think I could ever forget, even if I wanted to. And by God, do I wish I could forget watching my spherical head being ground down to shape my nose, or the lower half of said head slowly ripping apart as I finally opened a mouth I didn't have before. How I had been screaming just moments - or maybe hours? - ago was beyond me. Nothing about this makes any sense, but I suppose that's just the way things are.

I don't know how much time passed, but I finally finished my 'character creation' and was content with it. Generally speaking, I've never spent much time on making a character. In fact, I'm more likely to just take one of the stock options so I can dive into the game then and there, with the exception of a rare roleplay run. Still, I think I'm okay with what I've done here. Nothing over the top: black hair that falls just over the top of my ears, those same blue eyes, a lean build to my physique, and an olive tan. I took extra time to ensure all of my teeth were just how I wanted them – I do not want to have to deal with a_d_u_l_t braces, if they even exist wherever I end up. My only complaint is the lack of clothing, but at least this place (wherever I am) seems to be a nice, cool temperature that's about as comfortable to stand in as I could hope for.

Ah, it seems that you're done. That's very good. Now we can get to the fun part! The mirror disappeared into the all-white limbo world I was in. Finally focusing on my surroundings, I looked around and felt Gamer's Mind force me into serenity again. There was nothing anywhere. All around me was whiteness. If not for the fact that I could feel it beneath my feet, I wouldn't even know for sure whether I was standing on solid ground or floating through a void. I'm starting to see why the first three people went insane.

The second one didn't even make it this far, you know. The voice informed me. Enough about them, though. Now it's time that we filled out all the proper paperwork. I couldn't help but let out a sigh at that. Paperwork? I've had enough of that to last a lifetime. Nonsense! Paperwork is the lifeblood of any organization. Plus, I'm sure you'll enjoy this!

Before me materialized another one of those slightly translucent and floating text boxes. This one was much larger than those before and looked more like a job application than a notification. Looking through it, I began to notice some stark differences though. Some parts were inconspicuous enough: name, age, occupation, things like that. Then there were things like race, class, specialization, perks, flaws, and things like that looked like they fit better on a D&D character sheet.

”This is the paperwork? How do I fill it in?” I can't help but wonder. I thought that my voice might sound raspy, considering I hadn't had a pair of lungs, throat, or mouth up until just now, but it sounded perfectly healthy. That was a welcome relief.

Simply think about the section you'd like to fill out and a new screen will appear, giving you your options. A quick [Observe] and you can see some details about your choices. Think carefully! Your path here will determine the base you need to work from throughout your entire journey!

Nodding my understanding, I decided to start where all forms should, with my name. I mean, that wasn't really that difficult. My real life and my escapist fantasies always had a line drawn between them, and I'd just use the me from the latter. Orpheus Kidwell, seems like you finally get to have your time to shine, for real this time.

From there most of the mundane stuff was easily taken care of. My age was set to 21. No matter where in the multiverse I ended up, that should be a good place to start, and it gives me plenty of time to enjoy myself… if enjoying myself is an option. There's a lot of dangerous worlds out there, after all. My gender is set to male. My s_e_x_u_a_lity is set to heteros_e_x_u_a_l, though why that was part of it I'm not too sure. My race is set to Homo Sapiens Sapiens. There are some other options, but considering humans have the most consistent treatment across everything I've ever seen, I'd rather not be an elvish slave or a Twi'lek p_r_o_s_t_i_t_u_t_e.

Then came the less mundane options. These are the one that I actually had to put some serious thought into considering that these choices would decide my fate, if what the voice said was true. I had no idea where I was going to end up, so I had to be very pragmatic with my selections and take up what would be the most universally useful. So I started with occupation, which seemed to be my background. After a quick [Observe] I was given a couple of choices, but quickly narrowed it down to five.

[Occupation: Soldier]

Thanks to your experience on the field of battle you are far more in-tune with your instincts and combat ability. You gain an additional 15% experience with [Fighter] classes and start with the [Combat Instincts] ability.

[Combat Instincts] (Passive)

In combat situations, you are better at surviving. This decreases reflex save checks by 10% during combat.

[Occupation: Mercenary]

You used to be a sell-sword or maybe you still are. Either way, you are 5% better at haggling and gain a 10% experience boost with either [Fighter], [Mage], or the [Rogue] class type, whichever one you started with.

[Occupation: Artisan (Blacksmith)]

You were apprenticed to a blacksmith in your home village for many years, picking up the tools of the trade. Crafting with hard metals gives 10% additional class experience and skill checks become 10% easier.

You grew up either locked tight in a library or under the tutelage of a university and learned how to learn. All experience gains are increased by 5% and you start with one free [Lore] and [Knowledge] perk.

[Occupation: Merchant]

Your family plies its trade by buying and selling wares, and you've been made privy to the tricks that make a good shopkeep. All prices (buying and selling) are 15% better, barter checks are 5% easier, and you know how to find merchants willing to fence stolen goods.

It all came down to whether combat or practical skills were more important. Unfortunately, there weren't really any magic-based occupations, otherwise that probably would have taken priority. The mercenary occupation was the closest. Still, I was really leaning towards the last two. After a moment of thought, I finally decided and Merchant filled in my Occupation slot. I always roleplay as a merchant anyways, and having a background in accounting has to count for something if I start a business, right?

The voice has been eerily quiet since I began this process, but I ignore that fact in lieu of my next big option. There's only three choices this time. My class has to be either fighter, mage, or rogue. The choice is extremely simple. Or so I think. After I decide on mage, a second screen pops up titled 'Specialization'.

[Elementalist] [Illusionist] [Summoner] [Cleric] [Druid] [Warlock] [Bard]

Well, I could immediately cross Cleric, Warlock, Bard, and Illusionist off my list. I didn't really feel like serving a god or a demon, so there's no way I was going to rely on their power. By the same token, I wanted to be at least somewhat self-sufficient, so starting as a support class like illusionist or bard would be a really bad idea.

Of the other three, it was somewhat more difficult. That said, I marked Druid off. Convening with nature and having a pack of wolves to protect me and eventually being able to shape-shift into a magical bear sounded fun, but I like civilization and its perks a bit too much to be a mountain man.

That left the ability to manipulate the forces of nature through my spells or the ability to summon inter-dimensional beings to do my bidding. If I had an army of summons to protect me, I could probably more safely delve into other arts and command them rather than get up close and personal. On the other hand, creating tornadoes of fire sounds pretty badass.

What the hell! Looks like I'm gonna go elemental magic. Hopefully I can pick up some summoning magic later.

[Class: Mage] Acquired.

+3 INT and +3 WIS each level. XP from spellcasting increased by 25%.

[Sub-Class: Elementalist] (Lv 1/100) added.

A specialized type of mage that focuses on manipulating the forces of nature, especially elemental energies. +2 INT and +2 WIS each level. XP from elemental spells increased by 25%.

[Elemental Magic (Novice)] (Passive)

You have some basic knowledge of elemental magic. You can learn spells from scrolls and books so long as they are [Elemental].

[Fireball] (Active) added.

15 MP

Launch an explosive ball of fire at a target for 25 damage. Deals an additional 20 Explosive Splash damage to nearby targets. Will ignite the target, dealing an additional 2 damage per second.

[Raise Stone Wall] added.

25 MP

Raise a wall of nearby stone from the ground to protect yourself. May be repaired at a rate of 1 MP per 2% condition.

[Ice Spike] added.

15 MP

Launch a spike of ice at a target, dealing 40 damage. Has a high chance of critical hit and does extra damage to limbs.

[Vacuum Palm] added.

10 MP

Creates a vacuum in the user's palm. Will draw a targeted object or person towards the caster.

After I finished that up, the screen closed, to my immediate confusion. ”Um… I wasn't really done with that. There was still a bunch of other things left.”

Worry not! You input is not necessary for all of them! The rest of it will be filled in as you make your journey. This paperwork is for us too. There is just one last thing before we push forward and you end up in the first of many destinations in your afterlife. There are a couple of systems we're thinking of possibly integrating into our Full Gamer Experience. Would you be interested in acting as a beta tester for those as well? There is, of course, a signing bonus should you accept.

[Choose Your Path!]

We are offering you a once in an after-lifetime opportunity within your once in an after-lifetime experience! There are several experimental systems that we would like to test, and should you accept to do so, you will be rewarded handsomely with free XP, currency, a number of potions, and an epic-class item. There is no penalty for rejecting the offer besides the missed opportunity!

[Accept] [Decline]

I looked at the screen with a little suspicion but sighed. Getting a couple of early game boons could make things a lot easier depending on where I ended up. And based on the information provided it couldn't really hurt to take the offer, so sure. Let's do it.

(5)*Large XP Potions added to the inventory

(5000)*Currency Tokens added to the inventory

(10)*Large HP Potions added to the inventory

(10)*Large MP Potions added to the inventory

Drought of Strength added to the inventory

Drought of Dexterity added to the inventory

Drought of Constitution added to the inventory

Drought of Intellect added to the inventory

Drought of Wisdom added to the inventory

Drought of Charisma added to the inventory

Drought of Luck added to the inventory

Epic-Class GachaToken added to the inventory

Scanning over the list, the last item catches my attention. ”Gacha token? Um….” I'm interrupted by the Voice overhead.

And with that, welcome to your new and improved afterlife Mr. Orpheus Kidwell! I hope for a long and fruitful partnership with you!

For a moment, everything went black and I was a little afraid I'd lost my body again. There wasn't anything to be afraid of though. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked around at a vaguely familiar scene. I was sitting, but moving outside. There was a slight creaking of wooden wheels moving over a dirt path and I tried to figure out where I'd seen this mountain and forest scenery before. I went to grab the seat behind me so that I could balance myself and look behind me, but I soon realized that I was bound at the wrists with thick rope.

”Oh, you're finally awake. You got caught at the border, like the rest of us. And the thief over there.” Oh f_u_c_k… Divines help me.

Chapter II: Rocks Fall, Everybody Dies

I literally tuned out the Nord as soon as he finished his opening line. There was no reason to pay attention to his words. I'd heard them a thousand times over a thousand games. Okay, that might be an over-exaggeration, but not by much. Right now, all I could think about was what being dropped off in this world, at this time, in this particular body meant for me. When I was making my character, I didn't think I'd be stuck as the f_u_c_k_i_n_g Dragonborn of all things. This was so bad in so many ways.

Okay, okay, calm down. This is fine. This could go well, right? I just have to make it through Helgen and escape. Sure, I have to defeat a world-rending super-dragon in order to ensure that I don't poof out of existence, but this is still fine. I'm the Dragonborn. Plus, I've got some completely unknown system as well thanks to The Full Gamer Experience. Well, first off, I've got a solid ten minutes before anything actually happens, so let's see if I also have access to the Skyrim system.

Focusing a bit, I bring up my inventory. Instead of the more familiar list that this game usually had, it was a grid system, 6 wide and 12 tall. There was no carry weight and it seemed like the pages went on forever. Okay, so that's one less thing to deal with.

What about the perk trees? Despite my focus, nothing actually appears. Just thinking about the concept of perks does do something though. It brings up an empty page labeled [Perks and Flaws]. I don't actually start with any, but the Voice said that it would fill up over time. Perhaps I would gain things through quests or actions then? Either way, that meant that I probably was stuck in a familiar world and a completely unfamiliar system. I would just have to adapt then.

Orpheus Kidwell

Level 1

Race: Human

Class: Mage

Sub-Class: Elementalist (Lv. 1/100)

Occupation: Merchant

HP: 118 (3.8/min)

MP: 128 (1.2/sec)

STR: 8

DEX: 9

CON: 8

INT: 16

WIS: 12

CHA: 9

LCK: 6

Out of curiosity, I wanted to see if I could pull up my character information. I'm not sure whether my stats are good or bad yet, and I probably won't be able to tell until I actually get into a fight or have to suffer through a failed check. Besides, the moment I'm free of bondage, I'll probably drink those stat potions I got. I'll get a free 10 points into every stat thanks to opting-in on the beta program. That should hopefully make the early game a little easier.

My thoughts are interrupted as the cart finally comes to a halt and we're commanded to leave one at a time. Ralof disembarks first, being checked off the list. Then goes Lokir. He runs off just like I remember, quickly being filled with arrows in his back. I don't recall him being shot so many times in my playthroughs. Or there being quite so many people in Helgen. I guess without engine limitations, the world is more full. Noticing my surroundings for basically the first time, I realize that there are more Imperials and Stormcloaks here. Does that mean that the keep will be harder to push through than I remember? I'll have to be very careful who I choose to follow, then.

”You're a long way from the Imperial City. What're you doing in Skyrim?” I hear Hadvar comment. It looks like I'm being mistaken for an Imperial. That suits me well enough, I suppose. I wonder if I'll get access to their racial abilities? I don't seem to have access to anything else from this world, so the odds are pretty slim. I'll need to survive this little tutorial first before I worry about that. ”What do we do, Captain? He's not on the list.”

”Forget the list. He goes to the block.” I'm quite happy with the knowledge that that bitch will be burning alive very soon. I mean, I never did like her when I played, but hearing the nonchalance in her voice at dooming an innocent to execution in person brought that dislike straight into loathing.

”By your orders, Captain. I'm sorry, I'll make sure your remains are delivered to Cyrodiil.” At least Hadvar seemed genuine. That decision was getting harder. Whomever I chose between Hadvar and Ralof, the other one would die. ”Follow the Captain, prisoner.” He instructs me. I can see the reluctance in his eyes, but he is a soldier after all.

I did as I was told and followed after the Captain. I don't remember her name. Does she even have a name in the game? I don't know and, frankly, I don't think it really matters that much. As I join up with the rest of the group, I can see General Tullius condescending to Ulfric, but I just tune things out again. I know how this is all going to go, so I'm better off using this time for something more productive.

I take the opportunity to open my inventory and use observe on the items I got from opting-in to the beta. As I look through the descriptions, I begin to think that accepting the offer was a very good idea. The XP potions don't add a static amount of experience, but 5 levels worth of XP to whatever my currently equipped class is. It's tempting to shoot up in level, but if I save that then I can potentially get much more XP than using it early. On top of that, the 'currently equipped class' is an interesting bit of info. That means I'll be able to unlock other classes later and switch them out at will. I wonder how that works?

Besides that, other things are pretty much what I thought. My potions heal 85% of my max HP and MP respectively. The droughts give me 10 extra points to whatever the stat is, so that's a free 70 points to my stats. The Gacha Token draws from a gacha and guarantees an epic-class or higher item or companion. I wonder what the different classes are though? Epic clearly isn't the highest rarity, but I don't know whether it's the second highest, or the lowest and the naming convention is purposefully obscuring. Without any foreknowledge, it's really going to be difficult getting used to the system and all its quirks.

As I finish up, the headsman lobs the head off of the first Stormcloak. What wonderful timing. ”Next, the renegade from Cyrodiil!” That annoying woman singles me out. I knew she would, but it's no less terrible of her. Leveling a glare at her, I hear a loud roar. It's not the first one, but this one is much more noticeable than before.

”There it is again. Did you hear that?” Hadvar is next to me and seems to be amongst the few people who picked up on it. The Captain's lack of awareness is going to cost her. At least, that's what I tell myself.

”I said, next prisoner!” She demands. I shuffle over to her, feeling my murderous intent towards her being quashed by Gamer's Mind, but only just. Kneeling down, I feel her foot press into my back and force my head onto the block. My lips quirk into a smile as I hear the third roaring. The Imperials and Stormcloaks shouting in confusion is nice as well. That joy quickly goes away as I see Alduin land on the tower before me.

Shit. That's what I have to fight? Oh boy, this is going to be… terrible. This is going to be the absolute worst. Alduin Shouts, and I'm sent flying a few feet just as the headsman was ready to swing down. Vaguely, I can hear Ralof calling for me to get up. Thank you for the advice. It's much appreciated.

As I rise to my feet, I'm greeted with a pop-up.

[Quest: Unbound] added.

Helgen is under attack by a dragon. Escape with your life.

Rewards: 1000 XP, 1000 Gold, [ID Create] unlocked

Huh. That's new. I will definitely take gold and XP for completing quests. Don't mind if I do. Quickly making my way to the tower that Ralof is in, I struggle with my bindings a bit. I know that I'll get rid of them with time, but they really are uncomfortable. I wonder if I can just put them in my inventory?

Welp, looks like that's actually something I can do. Rolling my wrists to get feeling back in them, I join up with the Stormcloaks in their tower. ”Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?”

”Legends don't burn down villages.” Alduin's continued screeching above us really tests the limits of Gamer's Mind. I keep calm though. I finally have feeling in my wrists by the time Ralof instructs me to follow him up the tower. I follow, and make sure I'm far enough down the stairs that I won't be in any sort of danger when Alduin breaks through the top of the stairs.

After another shout and some fire, a couple of the Stormcloaks in front are dead. Looking through the hole it left, Ralof instructs me to jump into the second floor of what's left of the inn and that we'll meet up later. Two jumps and I find myself on the floor again. I'm back near Hadvar. ”Still alive? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way. Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join their defense.”

I don't waste time in following after him. We stick close to the wall as Alduin barbecues more Imperial soldiers, melting their armor to their flesh. The stench of the town really is something awful. Burning flesh is definitely in my top five worst things I've ever had the disp_l_e_a_s_u_r_e of smelling.

It isn't much longer before we reach the keep. Ralof is there, as I expected. The two argue for a bit. Ralof is called a traitor. All things I knew would happen. Then comes my choice.

Choose Your Path!

[Join Ralof]

Rewards: Reputation with Ralof and various other people when [Unbound] is complete. Lowered Reputation with Hadvar.

[Join Hadvar]

Rewards: Reputation with Hadvar and various other people when [Unbound] is complete. Lowered Reputation with Ralof.

Well, that doesn't really change my decision. I'd already decided a while back that I was going to join under General Tullius and stamp out the Stormcloak Rebellion. I really want Ulfric's sweet coat. So, I follow Hadvar into the keep and get the notification of my path being chosen. I like Ralof, but I like not dying even more.

Once we enter the keep, I instantly recognize the room as a sort of barracks. It's quite a bit bigger than I remember, with twenty or so beds. Each has their own c_h_e_s_t at the end. There's also a couple of weapon racks near the doorway. ”Looks like we're the only ones that made it so far. Was that really a Dragon? You're out of your bindings, it seems. Look through some of these c_h_e_s_ts. There's bound to be some gear for you. I'm going to see if I can't find anything for these burns.”

”Right, of course.” I don't argue and start my search. I keep one eye on Hadvar as he searches through a cabinet. I assume he's looking for some health potions. After I go through what I can from the c_h_e_s_ts, I have quite a bounty. I ended up storing everything in my inventory, knowing that the c_h_e_s_t near the door is where I'll find what I really need. There's several casual outfits, a couple of cloaks, some alcohol, some potions, a dozen or so books, a decent amount of septims and some jewelry now in my possession. Then I get my armor from the last c_h_e_s_t.

Heading over to the weapon rack, I take a sword and shield. Even if I'm a mage, at least having a way to defend myself in close quarters combat is a good idea. I attach the scabbard to my waist and sheathe the blade with a click. I know that I should be a bit more awkward with all of these things, considering I've never worn armor or handled a blade in my life, but I suppose this might be one of the side effects of Gamer's Body.

[Imperial Light Armor] Set bonus activated.

As long as you have Imperial Light Helmet, Armor, Bracers and Boots equipped, 10% increased reputation with Imperial soldiers, jarls affiliated with the Imperials and holds that are Imperial aligned give you 10% better prices.

That was unexpected, but welcome. I wonder if Whiterun counts as Imperial aligned? ”You ready?” Hadvar asks. I still can't tell if I've just been popped into the game, or if the game is a real world and I just happen to have a HUD and UI. For the sake of caution, I'm going to assume the latter. I give him a nod and he unlocks the door to head deeper in. As he does, I get another notification.

Entering Dungeon [Helgen Keep]

Objective: Kill 10 Stormcloaks

Optional: Keep Hadvar alive

Optional: ?

Optional: ?

Well, that was a bit unexpected. Still, objectives are quite nice. I assume killing 10 Stormcloaks means that I have to actually do the killing and not just hide behind Hadvar. And that optional objective is interesting. Can Hadvar actually die here? If that's the case then I think it's safe to assume that this isn't a game. I just happen to have a HUD and UI. Hadvar is real. Ralof is real. That Captain is real. Most importantly, Alduin is real.

Heading into the stone hallway, I know that a battle is coming. If the increased numbers in Helgen and the barracks are any indicator, there's likely to be an increase in combatants throughout this entire dungeon. Quickly, I pull out that Drought of Intellect and drink it. I'm going to need all the spell power I can. There's not really a boss here, but I still can't help but feel a sense of urgency.

Hadvar gets to the gate. ”Stormcloaks up ahead. Maybe we can reason with them.” He states optimistically. I highly doubt that. You just had them bound and ready for execution not even five minutes ago. Any semblance of civility left far before that.

I keep the sword sheathed, but feel somewhat secure with the shield strapped to my left arm. Even as Hadvar opens the gate, I ready a spell. The Stormcloak corpse off to the left shows me there's been fighting already. Yep, there's no way that we're getting out of this peacefully. Hadvar is the first through the door, but I'm the first to fire. That's quite literal as a Fireball jumps from my hand into the head of a seated Stormcloak with a two-handed battle-ax in his lap. The smell of burning flesh and his agonizing screams both fill my senses as he hits the floor.

Usually, there would only be two of them in this room. However, there's actually four this time. One's already down, and the other three are on their feet and focused on us. Hadvar gives me a look, but I ignore it. I have objectives to fulfill and my own back to watch. As one of the Stormcloaks rushes us, I cast [Raise Stone Wall] in front of her, tripping the woman. Her sword leaves her hand and slides across the room as I shoot an ice spike into her head as well.

Hadvar then moves forward, his own sword in hand as he clashes with one of the remaining men, who has a mace. The other man rushes at me with a greatsword. I raise my shield up to block the downward slash and wince as I lose 20 HP just for blocking it. I pull back from the exchange and launch an ice spike into the man's shoulder. He yells in response, but doesn't seem to slow down. There's a health bar above his head that shows he lost a good chunk of HP, probably about 30%, from that spell. When he lunges at me, I raise another wall, this time for its intended purpose. His sword gets about two inches in before being stuck.

Seeing my chance, I lower the wall back into the ground and launch another fireball. This one is aimed right at his face. With his sword stuck in the ground and him trying to pull it out, there's no time left to react as I melt his helmet to his head and end his life as well. Looking at my MP, I grimace at the fact I'm left with only 30. Taking that Drought of Intellect was certainly a good call. Looking over at Hadvar, I see that he's finished off the maceman, fl_i_c_k_i_n_g the blood off of his blade.

”Do you have something in particular against the Stormcloaks? There's not many soldiers I've seen attack one of the Rebels with such ferocity without even offering a word unless it was on orders.” Hadvar asks me.

”It's not that.” I offer in exchange, pointing to the corpse that was here before us. ”They weren't going to listen to reason no matter what we did. That man likely arrived before them and was killed by one of your comrades. If they knew him, and there's no reason to suspect they didn't, then they were waiting here to draw blood. The first man I shot was sitting down. They weren't trying to escape, they were here to pick off survivors heading in.”

+5 Reputation with Hadvar for impressing him with your assessment (15/100)

”Hm… that makes sense. You would make a fine addition to the Legion. Have you thought about joining up? I'm sure that you would be accepted quite readily.” He asks me.

”I'm not so sure about that. I'm a merchant and a scholar before anything else.” I respond as I look at the corpses. ”However, I'll think on it a bit.” My first instinct is to search these corpses and take all that they have for myself and stuff it into my inventory, but I get the feeling that the Keep could come crashing down on us at any time since this isn't actually a game.

”Let's get going.” Hadvar seems to be thinking along a similar path as he opens up the next gate. ”There has to be a passage out through the dungeons, if it exists at all. I don't like visiting the torture chambers, but it's a task that must be done.”

I nod and follow after. I can come back here after I ditch Hadvar in Riverwood. Everyone else should either be dead or have run far away from here by then. Unless the Keep really does collapse completely. In that case, then all of this loot will be gone. The XP is pretty nice though. Three kills and I'm already up to level 3. Of course, considering there's probably no such thing as a level cap in this 'game', that might not mean much. But hey, my stats are going up at least.

As Hadvar walks in front of me, I manage to down the rest of my Droughts. The extra levels replenished my HP and MP, which is quite nice. But I noticed that they didn't do that until the battle was completely over. Looks like using level-ups to restore myself in the midst of battle isn't an option anymore. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

We finish walking down the stone steps and end up in a hallway with a door. At the end of the hall, I see several figures, but can't make out their uniforms in the darkness. Of course, it doesn't really matter. If I remember correctly, then…

Even as I'm thinking about it, I can hear Alduin's roar from above and watch those unfortunate souls being crushed by a cave-in. ”Damn, that Dragon doesn't give up easy.” Hadvar comments. Just as I'm about to say something, the two of us hear voices through the door next to us. I can't quite make it out, but the thick Nord accent is easily detectable. Sharing a look, Hadvar opens the door and we walk in to see a group of Stormcloaks looting through the Imperials' supply room.

”Cover me with your magic. I'll try and catch them by surprise.” I nod and count the group. There's only three this time. They don't seem to have noticed us yet and continue to argue. Hadvar finally strikes. His sword goes through the soft armor of one, piercing his lung. As he pulls out, the man collapses. With their attention on Hadvar, I cast two spells. A fireball to the c_h_e_s_t of one of them and a stone wall raised to protect Hadvar from the explosion. The one I hit is launched into the sacks of grain in the back. The other one gets knocked into the wall I formed. Both are still alive, but not by much. Hadvar finishes the one closest to him, while I send an ice spike towards the one in the grain.

”I wonder how far these Stormcloaks managed to get. Still, they had the right idea. There should be some potions around here somewhere. See if you can find them. We should have time for that at least. I'll guard the door over there to make sure no one else comes.”

The storeroom is set-up in an L-shape. That means that Hadvar shouldn't be able to see me stuffing things into my inventory. With that in mind, everything from the corpses of those men to the furniture and the sacks and barrels of food goes inside. I'm going to take full advantage of having no carry weight. I'm not sure when I'll be able to off-load these supplies, or if I'll need to use them, but there's no way I'm not going to utilize an infinite pocket dimension. Also, I find the potions he mentioned.

When I come back around the corner, Hadvar already has the door open. ”Are you ready? Let's head out then.” Taking a moment to recall the next two places where fighting will take place and my optional objective, I stop Hadvar and give him two of my HP potions.

”You're getting up close and personal. You'll need them before I will. If you go down, then I probably will as well.” He takes them gratefully with a smile and then continues to lead me through the keep.

+1 Reputation with Hadvar for giving him supplies (16/100)

We're finally coming upon the dungeon soon. Another level-up meant I was in good condition for the next fight. Still, I did notice something while I was adding stuff to my inventory before. One of those pieces of jewelry I found in the barracks was an Amulet of Akatosh, so I equipped that before I came back to Hadvar. An extra 25% MP regeneration is extremely welcome.

”Do you hear that?” Hadvar asks. He drew his sword and rushed down the path towards the sound of fighting. As we pushed forward, we found the torturer, his assistant and two Imperial guards fighting six Stormcloaks. They didn't look very happy at having found some of their brethren dead in cages. The torturer was using streams of electricity to keep them at bay while his guards clashed with the Nords. Without help, there's no way they'd survive.

I was right behind Hadvar and launched an ice spike into the back of a larger Nord that was about to strike the assistant. He keeled over, dropping his weapon as his life force left him. Hadvar went to help one of the guards. With a second mage here to reinforce, two of the Stormcloaks rushed towards me. I sent another fireball at the feet of one of them, sending him flying into a wall and rose a wall in front of the second, taking some satisfaction as he slammed into it. His frame was large enough that it cracked and I wasn't about to reinforce it.

The remnants of the obstacle fell to the ground in chunks to reveal the angry and bloody face of a Nord who wanted me dead. The feeling was mutual and I sent a fireball at him to showcase that. It hit his c_h_e_s_t and sent him flying into another one that was going to stab Hadvar in the back. I am not going to lose out on potential quest rewards.

By this time, the one in the wall had gotten up, though his HP was very low. An ice spike through the stomach finished him off and let me turn my gaze towards the two that were on the ground. Sending a final fireball at them, I watched as the corpses were sent even farther through the room and crashed into the back wall. It was right next to the hallway that I knew led to the cells. There were no more targets left by the time that was finished. I didn't mind since I got pushed up to Level 5 and replenished everything. On top of that, I got a nice little notification.

Level 5 Elementalist rewards acquired.

[Lightning Bolt] (Active) added

30 MP

Launch a bolt of lightning at a target. Deals 40 HP and MP damage. Extra damage if target is wearing metal armor.

[Blade of Wind] (Active) added

20 MP

Launch a blade of wind through the air. Deals 25 HP damage. May be ignited.

[Water Prison] (Active)

10 MP/s

Create a bubble of water to lock a target in.

[Cold Touch] (Active)

15 MP/s

Channel Cold energy through an object. If it is a weapon, add an addition 10 Ice damage to it as long as the spell is active. If it is an armor or shield, add 10% fire resistance as long as spell is active. If it is an enemy, deal 20 Ice damage/sec while spell is active and inflict [Shiver] status for up to 10 secs after spell ends.

So, does this mean that I'll get extra spells added to my repertoire every so often just for leveling up? If that's the case, then that's pretty nice. Skyrim's spell choice, quite frankly, leaves a lot to be d_e_s_i_r_ed. I wonder if there's a spell creation system anywhere here?

There is no in-universe spell creation system here. We decided not to mess with the Nords already fragile acceptance of the College of Winterhold.

I was beginning to think that you had disappeared and I was on my own in this game. Can I just ask questions and you'll answer them then?

You can ask, but I can't say whether or not you'll always get an answer! You are making great progress though. It seems like a good idea to have picked a world that you're so familiar with! Don't get too overconfident though, as the Board did make some alterations to keep you on your feet.

Board… like a Board of Directors? Are you a god or a corporation? The silence that met me was a bit unnerving, so I decided to get back into the thick of things. Joining back up with Hadvar, I see that the Torturer and his assistant are both alive and well.

[Optional Objective: Protect the torturer and his assistant] completed.

Rewards: 100 XP, 100 Gold, +5 Reputation with the Imperial Legion (5/100), Common Gacha Token

Well, I guess that takes care of one of those objectives I didn't know about. I wonder what the other one is? Whatever. I guess I'll find out when it comes around. As I get closer, I can hear Hadvar trying to tell the torturer that we're being attacked. I let him do that and snoop around the room, finding a mace and a heavier shield than the one I have equipped in the back room. The mace goes into my inventory and the shield to my arm. It's got some more weight to it, but nothing I can't handle. A little more searching nets me a dagger and a couple of lockpicks. The books I'll leave until later.

I come back out just as Hadvar finishes up his conversation, no one seeming to notice my looting. The torturer, as expected, refuses to come along. His assistant and guards, on the other hand, are more than willing. As we're getting ready to leave, though, Hadvar notices a corpse in one of the cages. ”Do you think you can get inside here?” He wonders. ”He might have something useful for us.”

”Oh, yes. Take all of my things.” The torturer sarcastically quips. I walk to the cage and look inside. I could probably use vacuum palm to get the spell tome, potion and gold, but that outfit will be a little harder. Thinking a moment, I grasp onto the bars tightly and cast [Cold Touch].

Mist begins to rise up from the rapidly freezing metal. After a few seconds, I let go and bash my newer, heavier shield into it and watch as it shatters. With the lock non-existent, I open the cell door quite easily. I'm not a thief and I have no idea how lockpicks work. It takes a bit of work, but the corpse loses his clothing and I get some nice bonuses from their enchantment. 30 more MP is nice, but that 50% faster MP regen is even better. Especially when combined with my Amulet of Akatosh. With a rumble overhead, I decide to ignore my rule of not showcasing my abilities.

With a thought, the robe and hood are equipped. My armor and helmet go straight into my inventory. I do lose the Imperial Light Armor set bonus, but I'm not too concerned about that just yet. Hadvar looks at me a bit strangely, but doesn't say anything. He's probably not that familiar with magic and just accepts it as a spell. The spellbook and mana potion go into my inventory while I toss the gold over to Hadvar. I've already got quite a bit, so 25 pieces isn't going to affect me very much.

”Let's get going.” I suggest as I walk towards the hall of cells. I don't lead though. I'm a mage, I need to stay in the back. Plus, this next room we go in is going to be filled with more Stormcloaks than we've fought so far combined, if the ratios continue as they have been. Hadvar takes point with the other three behind him. The assistant has a sword and shield. The guards have a greatsword and battle-ax respectively. This should work out, I think.

”There's no way out that way, you know.” The torturer comments snidely as we leave. Is that what I usually sound like to other people? No, I'm not that bad.

We move past the cells quietly, then down a ramp. This takes us to a room full of corpses suspended in what look like human-sized bird cages. Human-sized might not be the best description though. They're large enough for a human to barely fit in if they curl up in an upright fetal position. The Stormcloaks were right to be angry at him, but it is wartime. Gamer's Mind is really quite helpful, honestly.

As we make it to what would be the end of the room, there's a large hole in the wall. Alduin's rampage has finally been helpful to some degree. Readying myself, I take a look at my MP and notice that it might not be a bad idea to drink that MP potion I just got. Downing it quickly, I smile at my once more full bar. Alright, time to kill some rebels.

Through the hole we travel into a cavern with torches lining the walls. Straining, I can hear voices arguing. ”Hadvar, do you hear that?” The soldier nods, his sword ready. Our group pushes forward and comes to a corner that turns into the larger room that the Stormcloaks are gathered.

”Where in Oblivion are we supposed to go? There's no way out!”

”Give me a moment, I'm thinking.” Hold on. I recognize that second voice. Isn't that Ralof? He's not supposed to be here. The voice did say that some changes were made, but this is one I didn't think of. Gamer's Mind keeps me calm enough that I can roughly figure out what that second unknown optional objective was. Hadvar peeks around the corner a moment and turns to us.

”I can count at least six. However, I think there might be more that I can't see. We have the advantage of surprise, so let's use it. Any ideas?” I think quickly over what I actually can do. I know that there's some oil slick on the other side of the room, if that hasn't been changed. That doesn't necessarily help right now though. On top of that, this is the first place where enemies have bows. That means that I'm not as safe at range as I have been thus far. If Hadvar sees six, there's probably at least ten. They have a numbers advantage, but there shouldn't be any mages amongst them.

”I can hit them with a fireball or two if they're cl_u_s_tered. They have an explosive shockwave when they strike an object. You'll have to be quick to kill whoever can get up and also watch out for anyone in the room that I can't get to from here.” The other four share a look before nodding. It's our best option, after all.

Peeking around the corner, I note that the four of the six Hadvar saw are grouped pretty closely. I haven't been noticed yet, so this should be fine. Forming the fireball in my hand, I launch it at the biggest of those four, watching his HP drop pretty drastically. The explosion isn't quiet, and neither is the sound of four grown men screaming as they're launched through the air in opposite directions. As soon as I threw the fireball, my Imperial bodyguard – as I'd started thinking of them as – rushed forward.

I was not far behind them and launched an ice spike at the other guy I could see that wasn't Ralof. Ralof recognized me and seemed to single me out specifically as he rushed forward. Sorry guys, looks like I'm gonna have a mini-boss on my hands already. Observing Ralof, I note that his HP is pretty high, floating just above 350. Mini-boss is right.

”You really are with the Imperials then! I should've left you there on the ground when the dragon attacked.” He sneered as his ax was raised high. I raised a wall in defense to try and halt him. He smashed into it with his shoulder reducing its condition to half in one blow. Launching a fireball at what was left of the wall, I watched him fly backwards. It gave me a little room to breathe and also managed to set his armor on fire.

Slashing my index and middle fingers in his direction, I launched a blade of invisible wind at him as he stood back up. I was really hoping that Naruto rules applied here. My expectations were greatly exceeded as the blade ignited against his c_h_e_s_t, causing an explosion of energy that shattered the armor beneath and significantly dropped his HP.

Deciding to end this before he could recover, I form a Fireball and a Lightning Bolt in either hand, launching both of them at him. Ralof becomes very dead as soon as they hit. As I thought, a notification then pops up.

Hidden Objective [Defeat Ralof] completed

Reward: 100 XP, 100 Gold, +5 Reputation with Hadvar (20/100), Common Gacha Token

I really do need to see what this Gacha system is about whenever I split ways with Hadvar. Before that though, there's still some Stormcloaks left and I'm in charge of support. I count two archers near the oil slick and one Nord fighting each of my guards. The first move is pretty obvious as I launch a fireball at the oil. The archers scream in agony as they're engulfed in flames. They probably won't die from that though, so I also send a blade a wind into the blaze. They're definitely dead when I do that.

Primary Objective [Kill 10 Stormcloaks] completed

Reward: 100 XP, 100 Gold, [Enemy of the Rebels] perk, uncommon gacha token