Chapter 2 System
Are you afraid of spiders? Hmm… maybe not. But what if the spider is twice the size of your body? Would you still dare to say you're not afraid?
"Astrid, honestly, I'm not afraid of spiders… but this one is different," Alex said.
Astrid pulled out her sword. "Hey, why are you acting so scared? Aren't you the legendary mage who can learn spells instantly?"
Alex scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I already told you—I only just discovered that power. So right now, you could say I can only use that Spark spell from earlier."
Astrid let out a long sigh, tightening her grip on her blade. "Fine. Since you're the magic expert, support me from the back. I'll charge at those spiders."
Astrid slashed at the spider's legs, her blade cutting cleanly through the chitin. Whenever one tried to attack her from behind or so much as brushed against her, Alex quickly fired his Spark spell, bolts of electricity shooting from his hands. The spiders were stunned on the spot, their bodies twitching violently before the current burned through them.
After clear the spiders, Alex's face turned pale, and he looked nauseous.
Astrid noticed immediately. She pulled out a blue-colored potion and handed it to him. "Here, drink this. You're probably out of mana. Good thing I grabbed it earlier from that chest—just in case."
Alex drank the potion without hesitation. Instantly, warmth spread through his body, and his strength returned as if nothing had happened.
Astrid then glanced down at herself. Her clothes and skin were splattered with spider blood. She grimaced. "Ugh… I'm so dirty like this. I need to bathe or at least change my clothes."
Alex looked at her as she complained about being covered in spider blood and replied casually, "You don't need to bathe—you're still beautiful. Just wash your face. I'm sure people wouldn't complain about your body."
He didn't mean to flirt or imply anything; it was just a reflex, spoken in a relaxed tone.
Astrid, however, felt her chest flutter slightly when she heard that. Not a strong pounding—just a brief, unexpected beat. "O-oh…"
A little embarrassed, she quickly looked away. "Alright… let's continue our journey."
Astrid kept thinking about what Alex had said. All this time, she had been able to tell the difference between a scumbag and a sincere man. She had received plenty of compliments from the opposite sex before—but most of them carried hidden intentions.
Yet when Alex praised her, she didn't sense that kind of motive at all. There was no lust, no scheming undertone… only simple, honest sincerity.
Or was it just her imagination?
For the first time in a long while, Astrid found herself doubting her instincts as a woman.
Soon, they came across a bear sleeping in the middle of the path.
Suddenly, Alex grabbed Astrid's hand and pulled her down to crouch. Astrid, who had been lost in her thoughts, flinched in surprise.
"Hey, look over there. There's a bear sleeping. We can sneak past it… or we can fight it," Alex whispered.
Astrid snapped back to her senses. (What am I even thinking about?) she scolded herself inwardly.
She looked at the massive bear ahead—and without another word, she charged at it alone. (I need to clear my head… a fight will do that.)
Alex's eyes widened in shock as Astrid suddenly rushed forward. "HEY! Have you lost your mind?!"
Astrid drove her sword straight into the bear's abdomen. The beast roared in fury as it woke, thrashing violently. At the same time, Alex fired his Spark spell, bolts of electricity crackling across the bear's thick fur.
The creature was enormous, far larger than they expected. It took time, effort, and coordination before they were finally able to bring it down.
After they finally killed the bear, Alex immediately approached Astrid.
"Hey, what were you thinking? Why did you charge at that bear by yourself?" he asked.
Then he noticed the deep claw marks on her arm. His expression darkened. Without another word, he gently took her injured hand. From his belt, he pulled out a bottle of water and carefully began cleaning her wound.
"Honestly… next time, be more careful. Don't just rush in recklessly. We could've made a plan first."
Astrid lowered her head. For the first time in her life, someone was openly worrying about her like this. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
"F-f-fine…" she stammered.
(What is this? Why am I acting so shy? We've only known each other for a short time… so what is this feeling?) she wondered.
Then, without realizing it, she spoke aloud, "Hey… could you maybe stop being so nice to me?"
Alex, who had been focused on cleaning her wound, paused for a moment and looked up at her. "Why? Isn't it normal for us to being nice to other people?"
Astrid hesitated. "That's not it, but…"
Astrid had lived a harsh life, always forced to stay alert just to survive. She had never known someone who cared for her the way Alex did. The world of Skyrim was not as kind as people imagined—it was a world where you had to be strong, or you would be crushed.
And yet, at this moment, Astrid found herself confused by something unfamiliar—something warm and comforting that she had never truly felt before.
"N-no… forget it," she said quickly, standing up at once.
Alex blinked, clearly confused about what she meant, but he didn't press her further.
After finishing their exploration of the underground dungeon, they finally stepped outside.
Suddenly, right in front of Alex's face, a blue screen appeared.
Alex's eyes widened in shock. "What…?"
A blue screen hovered before him, displaying icons such as Items, Map, Magic, and Level Up.
"Astrid, can you see this thing in front of me?" he asked cautiously.
Astrid looked at him in confusion. "You mean… the grass?"
Hearing that, Alex immediately concluded that he was the only one who could see the screen.
(So the system wasn't given to the Dragonborn… but to me? Why? Am I the Dragonborn? But that's impossible. Wait a second…)
He opened the Magic menu and searched for the list of Shouts.
(It's not there… Does that mean I'm not the Dragonborn?)
He glanced at Astrid.
(So I'm not the Dragonborn—Astrid is. Okay… that explains why there's no Shout list.)
Suddenly, the distant sound of dragon wings flapping echoed through the sky.
Alex and Astrid instantly reacted on reflex, ducking down and hiding behind the rocks. A massive dragon flew overhead, its shadow sweeping across the ground—but it didn't notice their presence and eventually disappeared into the distance.
"Phew… we're finally safe. And I'm free from a punishment I don't even know the reason for. Maybe you could say I was unlucky… and lucky at the same time? Haha," Alex said with a light laugh.
He then looked toward the mountains and the surrounding landscape. Awe filled his eyes. All his life, he had only worked an office job, never having the time to truly appreciate the beauty of the world.
"It's really beautiful… haha."
Astrid watched him quietly before asking, a little awkwardly, "So… umm… do you have a destination in mind?"
"Yeah. We should report this to the nearest Jarl in Whiterun," Alex replied.
Then he paused. "Ah—don't you want to come along, Astrid?"
Astrid looked slightly embarrassed, her voice softer than usual. "Well… I don't really have a goal right now. I'm free at the moment. Maybe I'll follow you for a while."
Alex smiled brightly. "That's a relief. Where else would I find a strong and beautiful Nord woman to travel with, huh? Hahaha."
Astrid stunned a little hearing those word
They continued along the road and soon came across the Guardian Stones. Since Alex intended to focus on magic, he activated the Mage Guardian Stone, while Astrid chose the Warrior Stone.
After that, they headed toward the small village of Riverwood. There, they sold the items they had looted from the underground dungeon and bought supplies for their journey ahead.
Alex felt that Astrid was someone he could trust—especially since she was the Dragonborn. So he decided to reveal his inventory system to her. When Astrid saw it for the first time, her eyes widened in shock. But because Alex was already considered a rare and talented mage, she accepted it and agreed to keep his secret.
Once they finished their business, they continued their journey toward Whiterun. From a distance, they could see a grand palace rising above massive stone walls that surrounded the city.
It looked magnificent.
Alex stared at it in awe. It was the first time in his life that he had seen a castle with his own eyes.
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