Chapter 55 Stupid Chest
They slept deeply, wrapped in the lingering warmth of what they had shared the night before. The Dwemer ruin around them was silent, broken only by the faint hum of ancient mechanisms somewhere far beyond the walls. Cold metal and stone surrounded their small campsite, yet the bedrolls were still warm, carrying the scent of dust, oil, and skin.
Alex stirred first.
His eyes opened slowly, unfocused at first, then settling on the curved Dwemer ceiling above him bronze plates etched with geometric patterns, dulled by age and frost. A thin mist escaped his lips as he exhaled. He shifted beneath the bedroll, the chill of the ruin brushing against his bare skin, and sat up with a quiet groan. As his thoughts cleared, memories of the previous night flooded back in vivid fragments.
He rubbed his forehead and let out a breathy laugh.
"Phew… Astrid was really wild last night. I still don't know what possessed her."
He turned his head.
Astrid lay beside him, still fast asleep. Her expression was peaceful, lashes resting softly against her cheeks. Strands of golden hair spilled messily across the bedroll and over her shoulder, catching the dim, bluish light that filtered in from glowing Dwemer conduits along the walls. Her body was only loosely covered, the bedroll slipping just enough to reveal smooth skin rising and falling with each slow breath.
For a long moment, Alex simply watched her.
There was something dangerously beautiful about seeing her like this unguarded, calm, nothing like the fierce warrior. His expression softened. He reached out, brushing his fingers gently along her cheek, careful not to wake her too abruptly.
"Hey… sweetheart," he whispered, his voice low and warm. "Wake up. We still have to continue our search for the Elder Scroll, remember?"
Astrid stirred. Her brows twitched slightly before her eyes opened, hazy with sleep. It took her a second to focus, then she smiled when she saw him.
"Umm…" she murmured, her voice rough and soft from sleep. "Hey, my hero."
She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek, her thumb lazily brushing along his jaw. Alex leaned into her touch without thinking, smiling at the familiar warmth.
He chuckled quietly. "Rest time's over. We've got a mission, don't we?"
Astrid's lips curved into a small pout. She shifted closer, the bedroll rustling between them, and replied in a spoiled, playful tone,
"Kiss me first. If you don't… I'm not getting up."
Alex sighed in mock defeat and rolled his eyes, though the smile never left his face. "Alright, fine. But after that, you have to get up. Deal?"
"Mmm… mmm," Astrid hummed happily, already closing the distance.
Alex leaned in and pressed a light, gentle kiss to her lips soft, unhurried. He tried to pull back, but suddenly Astrid's hand slid behind his head, fingers tangling in his hair, holding him firmly in place.
"Mmph Astrmpph-" Alex mumbled into the kiss, surprised.
She didn't let go.
He struggled half-heartedly, more amused than desperate, until he finally managed to pull away. For a brief, ridiculous second, a thin string of saliva still connected their lips before breaking.
Alex wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a helpless sigh. "Enough, or we'll never finish finding that Elder Scroll."
Astrid pouted dramatically, turning her head away like a sulky child. "Yeeah… ugh. Fine. I'll get up."
Alex laughed softly and opened his system inventory. With a flicker of light, his clothes appeared in his hands. He dressed quickly, then pulled out a set of Daedric armor and handed it to Astrid. The cold metal gleamed ominously even in the dim ruin, its dark surface etched with cruel, elegant curves.
They dressed in practiced silence, the distant echoes of dripping water and humming machinery filling the space between them.
Once finished, Alex looked her over and nodded. "Alright. Looks like you're ready, Astrid."
Astrid stretched lazily, arms raised, back arching as she let out a long groan. "Uuughh… after all this, I want a vacation." Then she turned her head toward him, eyes glinting mischievously. "And drain you dry."
Alex felt a shiver run down his spine half fear, half anticipation. He laughed awkwardly. "Heh… okay, enough joking."
He straightened and pointed forward into the depths of the ruin. "Let's keep exploring this Dwemer ruin until we reach Blackreach, alright?" He raised his thumb confidently.
Astrid smirked, shouldering her weapon. "Lead the way, hero."
Side by side, they stepped forward, their footsteps echoing softly through the ancient Dwemer halls as they continued deeper into the shadows.
As they moved deeper into the ruin, the air grew colder and heavier. The corridor narrowed, its walls lined with ancient Dwemer metal plates dulled by centuries of frost and dust. Somewhere beyond the stone, gears turned with a low, distant groan, as if the ruin itself were breathing. Their footsteps echoed softly, swallowed by the vast, hollow silence.
Then they saw it.
At the end of the passage stood a heavy metal gate, its surface etched with complex Dwemer patterns. Beyond the bars, faint lamplight reflected off rows of bronze and steel several Dwemer chests neatly arranged as if waiting to be claimed.
Astrid stopped in her tracks, eyes widening. She leaned forward slightly, excitement lighting up her face.
"Hey, look, Alex! A room full of chests and treasure," she said, practically bouncing on her heels. "I'm really curious what kind of loot is in there."
Alex stepped closer, peering through the gate. The metallic scent of old oil and rust filled his nose. He let out a low whistle.
"Whoa… you're right."
He crouched down and examined the gate more carefully, his fingers tracing the cold metal until they found the small, angular keyhole hidden among the engravings. His expression turned serious.
"Hmm… looks like we'll have to lockpick this gate."
He pulled out his lockpick tools and knelt in front of the gate, shoulders squared, posture tense. The faint clink of metal against metal echoed as he began working the mechanism. His brow furrowed in concentration, eyes narrowed, breathing slow and controlled.
Astrid stood nearby at first, watching with interest then with growing impatience. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, crossed her arms, then uncrossed them. She sighed, glancing around the empty corridor.
Time passed.
"Hey…" she said at last, tilting her head and looking down at him. "Should we just skip it, Alex?"
Alex didn't even look back. His hands were steady, movements precise, every sense focused on the lock.
"It's possible there's something extremely valuable in there," he replied, voice low and intense. "Like a spell book, for example."
Astrid rolled her eyes dramatically and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Of course you'd say that."
In the game, lockpicks were fragile far more brittle than anything Alex remembered from the game. One wrong twist, one careless movement, and they'd snap. Sweat formed at his temple despite the cold as he adjusted his grip, carefully testing the resistance inside the lock. But alex realised that in the real world is not that fragile
"Just… a little more, Astrid…" he muttered, half to her, half to himself.
The mechanism resisted stubbornly, vibrating faintly beneath his fingers. Then
Click.
The sound was soft, almost delicate, but unmistakable.
The gate shifted slightly, unlocking with a dull metallic thunk.
At the same instant, a familiar sensation washed over Alex warmth spreading through his body, clarity sharpening his thoughts.
Lockpicking skill increased drastically.
Lockpicking: 20 → 40
Main Level: 32 → 35
Alex froze for a heartbeat, then broke into a wide grin. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he rose to his feet.
(Wow!!! My skill increased drastically. Was this gate a Master-level lock? Even so… it shouldn't have increased this much. This is really mysterious.)
He looked back at the gate, then at the chests beyond it, a mix of triumph and curiosity stirring in his chest completely unaware that Astrid, behind him, was already cracking her knuckles with a very different plan in mind.
Astrid let out a long, relieved sigh when the gate finally creaked open. The metal bars slid aside with a heavy scrape, echoing through the chamber and stirring a thin layer of dust from the floor. Cold air spilled out from the room beyond, carrying the sharp scent of old oil, rust, and centuries-old stone.
Together, they stepped inside.
The chamber was wider than it first appeared an orderly Dwemer storage room frozen in time. Bronze pipes ran along the walls like veins, some faintly humming, others silent and corroded. Pale Dwemer lights glowed dimly overhead, casting long shadows across the floor. Several chests stood neatly arranged, their metal surfaces engraved with precise geometric patterns, dulled by age but still imposing.
Astrid's eyes gleamed.
She didn't hesitate.
She strode straight to the nearest chest and grabbed the lid, planting her feet firmly. With a sharp grunt, she pulled.
Nothing happened.
The lid refused to budge.
Her expression froze.
"What? No. No no, no, no!" Astrid exclaimed, panic creeping into her voice as she tried again, harder this time. The chest didn't move an inch.
Alex, meanwhile, looked like he'd just stumbled upon a festival. His eyes lit up, practically sparkling as he stepped closer.
"Oh? Is it locked again?" he said eagerly, already reaching into his pouch. "Let me lockp "
BAM!
The sound exploded through the chamber.
Astrid's fist slammed straight into the chest with brutal force. Metal shrieked and buckled under the impact, the lid caving inward as shards of bronze and hinges flew aside. The chest was left with a gaping, jagged hole, its contents now fully exposed.
Silence followed.
Astrid slowly turned her head toward Alex.
"…What were you just about to say?" she asked quietly.
Her eyes burned with fury.
Alex froze solid. Every muscle locked up, his excited grin vanishing instantly.
"N-no nothing at all!" he stammered, raising his hands slightly in surrender. "Looks like your method works just fine, hehe… heh… heh…"
He took a careful step back, shoulders hunched, shrinking in on himself like a frightened cat that had just knocked something over.
From that moment on, Astrid made a decision.
Every time they encountered a locked chest or door, she didn't even pause to examine it. She simply stepped forward and smashed it open with raw force punches, kicks, or brute strength. Metal groaned, locks shattered, hinges tore loose.
Alex stopped arguing entirely.
Surprisingly, the results were more than worth it.
They gathered several soul gems that glimmered faintly with trapped energy, a handful of polished gemstones, neatly bundled Dwemer arrows, and various scraps of ancient mechanisms. Then Alex reached into one of the ruined chests and pulled out a thick, leather-bound book etched with arcane symbols.
He froze.
Slowly, reverently, he turned it in his hands.
"Heh…" His voice trembled with excitement. "We're incredibly lucky. Not only did we get a spell book it's a very rare one."
The title glowed faintly on the cover:
Wall of Storm
Sprayed on the ground, it creates a wall of lightning that deals 50 points of shock damage per second.
No friendly fire.
Mana cost: 145 per second.
Alex burst out laughing, the sound echoing brightly against the cold metal walls.
"Hahaha!! I can't believe it! A rare spell book that isn't even sold on the market and we actually got it!" He looked up at Astrid, eyes shining. "And it's all thanks to you, sweetheart."
Astrid crossed her arms and lifted her chin proudly.
"Of course. Why didn't you just smash the doors and chests like I did?" she said smugly. "With your magic, that probably easy work. Instead, you chose the hard way, boring way."
Alex looked at her, her confident stance framed by broken Dwemer metal and scattered loot. His smile softened as a thought crossed his mind.
(Yeah… maybe I'm still too stuck thinking in terms of a game. But the Skyrim world I'm living in now isn't a game anymore it's reality. Game logic doesn't always apply here.)
He scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
"Haha… sorry for doing something dumb and boring you, my love. What you did really snapped me back to reality."
Astrid puffed out her chest even more.
"Hmph. If I weren't here, you'd probably spend an entire day just opening those stupid chests and doors."
Alex sighed, smiling in defeat. "Yeah, yeah. You really are amazing."
With the chamber stripped of its treasures and the echoes of destruction fading behind them, they turned and pressed onward deeper into the Dwemer ruins, toward whatever awaited them next in the ancient darkness.
Main Level: 32->35 (after sleep)
Perk point 3 -> 6 (after sleep)
Perk Points: 3
Health: 200
Stamina: 160
Mana: 250
Lockpicking 20 -> 40
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