The brawl at the inn was finally over. Having successfully completed the quest, I pocketed my reward of 100 gold and a permanent 10-point increase to my Health.
'Going smooth.'
But there was one more quest I needed to knock out. After telling the group I had a bit of business to attend to, I slipped away and entered the Hall of the Dead.
The women likely had plenty to bond over; it wouldn't hurt to let the three of them socialise for a while.
As I stepped inside the chilly interior, the caretaker greeted me.
"Welcome. What brings you to a place like this?"
I gave the priest a polite nod and cut straight to the chase.
"To be honest, I've been traveling around trying to help the people of Whiterun. Is there anything you need assistance with?"
Predictably, the man asked me to retrieve an amulet he'd left somewhere in the catacombs. He made sure to add a warning about the skeletons prowling inside.
Skeletons in Skyrim are probably weaker than wolves. They have pathetic health pools, and their damage is hardly a threat.
[Quest Started!]
ㄴReward: Ring of the Necromancer, +20 Magicka Increase
"Oh?"
I was slightly surprised by the reward. Until now, it had been all stat points or perk points, but this time, the reward was an actual item—a ring.
A Ring of the Necromancer found in the Hall of the Dead? Certainly thematic.
I wasn't sure if it would be better than raw stats or perks, but I headed into the catacombs anyway.
"Grargh!"
I cleared out the skeletons without a single close call, found the amulet, and retraced my steps to hand it back to the priest.
"Haha, thank you. May Arkay's blessing be with you."
[Quest Complete!]
Accepting the priest's gratitude, I walked out of the Hall of the Dead and examined the small ring that had appeared in my hand.
The ring actually had a description tag hanging off it, like something you'd find at a department store counter.
[Ring of the Necromancer]
ㄴIncreases Magicka by 30. Vastly improves understanding of Conjuration magic.
'Whoa, a Magicka boost! But... improved understanding?'
Luckily, the ring provided the exact enchantment I needed most right now: a Magicka increase. However, I'd never seen an enchantment that "improved understanding" in the vanilla game before.
'Does it mean I'll level up Conjuration faster?'
There was no way to know without trying it on. I slid the ring onto my left index finger.
"..."
There didn't seem to be a dramatic physical change.
'Guess I'll find out later.'
Shaking off the mild disappointment, I headed back toward the inn.
Night had fully fallen. A pale green moon hung behind Dragonsreach.
It had felt alien at first, but I was used to it now. This wasn't Earth; this was the planet Nirn.
That green moon was likely Secunda. Beside it sat its slightly larger, reddish sibling, Masser.
While I occasionally missed the silver moon of Earth, this fantasy sky had its own charm.
Perhaps it was because of that tavern brawl earlier, but I found myself reflecting on our party composition.
Lydia was a dependable tank. Eloise was the essential healer the team needed. And Choi Ha-neul was... well, she was a walking cheat code of raw talent.
I was leading the party, and they were all following my lead well enough. I provided cover from the rear with my bow.
But even so, I felt like my personal combat capability was lagging behind the others.
I needed a change. I needed an awakening.
"Ah..."
As I stared blankly at the sky, a certain item I'd forgotten about popped into my mind. It was the Conjuration guidebook I had secretly purchased back in Winterhold.
'Might as well give this a read.'
I didn't expect a miracle, but using the moonlight as my lamp, I slowly peeled the book open.
'Conjuration magic involves summoning beings from specific dimensions or realms into the physical world...'
'A mage uses a spell to designate a target, drawing that being's energy into reality to form a pact...'
'This pact determines the summoned creature's strength and duration, while the mage's proficiency dictates the success rate...'
The contents were surprisingly fascinating.
'Dimensions, pacts, energy...'
Suddenly, the ring vibrated. My thoughts began to race with unnatural speed. It felt as if the Magicka inside my body was surging out of control.
A violet light began to pulse from the ring on my finger.
'The flow of Magicka, ritualistic energy, the connection to other planes!'
I could see it. I understood the essence of Conjuration. Visions of Magicka manifested before my eyes.
"Gah!"
A splitting headache lanced through my skull from the sheer volume of information flooding in.
The sensation of molding Magicka flared to life.
—Dun-dun!
[Conjuration Level Up!]
ㄴCurrent Proficiency: 51
[Conjuration Level Up!]
ㄴCurrent Proficiency: 56
[Conjuration Level Up!]
ㄴCurrent Proficiency: 62
[Level Up!]
ㄴCurrent Level: 11
'Wait, my Conjuration skill just jumped like that?'
The proficiency points for Conjuration were skyrocketing, and the resulting experience pushed my overall level up as well.
The ring's light grew blinding, and it became searingly hot—far hotter than before.
Unable to contain its own energy, the band began to crack. Sensing the danger, I ripped the ring off and threw it to the ground.
POP!
The ring exploded on the cobblestones just a second later. It would have taken my finger with it if I'd been any slower.
"Phew... that was close."
I'd just lost the ring I'd worked for as a reward.
It was a shame, but the growth I'd gained in exchange was immense.
'Shall I test it out?'
Most people were indoors given the hour, but I slipped into a more secluded alleyway just to be safe and began drawing upon my Magicka.
Necromancy had always come easily to me, but for some reason, summoning entities from other realms had been tricky.
Now that I'd leveled up, I decided to try summoning a weapon first.
'Focus on the weapon. The hilt, the crossguard, the blade...'
I molded my Magicka into the structural form of a sword I held in my mind.
Suddenly, a razor-sharp blade made of pure aether manifested in my hand.
'Whoa! Now, a bow.'
On my first try, I successfully summoned a bow and even a two-handed battleaxe. Not only that, I managed to iterate on the basic summoning spells to create new weapon types.
'Is this how Phinis felt when he summoned those bookshelves?'
Next came a dagger, a mace, and even a shield. They appeared almost exactly as I imagined them.
I attempted armor and a crossbow as well, but those failed—likely due to a lack of proficiency.
Next, I tried summoning an Atronach.
'Let's start with the easiest one, a Flame Atronach.'
To my surprise, it succeeded effortlessly. It was likely due to my vastly improved level.
An Atronach wreathed in roaring, flickering flames stared back at me intently.
'Not bad. But it's not enough yet.'
The Bound Weapons were superior to the iron sword I'd been carrying, but I couldn't draw out 100% of their destructive potential yet.
The same went for the Atronach. Compared to the Storm Atronach Phinis had summoned, this was child's play.
But as the adventure continued, my Conjuration would only grow stronger.
After taking the perks to reduce Magicka costs for Apprentice and Adept Conjuration and to strengthen Bound Weapons, I distributed my attribute points into Stamina and Magicka. With a lighter step, I headed back to the inn.
'Heh. They're going to be shocked.'
As I entered the inn, I saw the three of them chatting excitedly at a table. Choi Ha-neul spotted me and came rushing over instantly. Something felt off, though.
"Ugh, the stench of booze. Just how much did you drink?"
"Hehehe! It'sh Misterrrr!"
"Get a grip..."
The Dragonborn clung to my arm, giggling like an idiot for no apparent reason.
'Wait, where are the others?'
Looking over at the table where they'd been sitting, I saw Lydia face-down and fast asleep, and Eloise, who looked just as plastered as Ha-neul.
"C'mon over here!"
With her absurd Dragonborn strength, Ha-neul dragged me toward the table.
"Hey, Boss! Where've ya been?"
The drunken Eloise suddenly dropped the formalities. I guess this was her "drunk personality."
"Try some of this!"
"Tell us a story, Mister! Somethin' funny!"
I had come back to show off my growth, but there was no reasoning with them.
I pried the two of them off me and asked, "How did you end up drinking this much?"
Usually, Ha-neul only sipped a little with her meals, and Eloise didn't touch the stuff at all.
"Well, Eloise said it was her firssst time drinking on an adventure!"
No wonder she always stuck to water whenever we went to a tavern. I see.
"That doesn't mean you drink until you're completely incapacitated."
Apparently tired of my nagging, Ha-neul shoved a piece of beef into my mouth.
'Wait... beef?'
Now that I looked at the table, it was covered in roasted beef, sweetrolls—nothing but the most expensive food on the menu.
"Mister, you hungry? Hey, another—mmph!"
I slapped my hand over Ha-neul's mouth before she could order more and proceeded to lug the three drunks into their rooms.
"Well, they have been working hard lately..."
I figured they deserved to feast every once in a while. But my heart nearly stopped when Hulda, the innkeeper, handed me the bill.
"Wait, the three of them ate all of this?"
"Yes. Horker Stew, roasted beef, sweetrolls, smoked slaughterfish, cabbage salad, and thirteen mugs of mead."
I'm making them work twice as hard tomorrow to pay for this.