Chapter 118 The Realization
The next day, Alex returned to Farengar's place, intending to borrow the enchanting table. When he arrived, he noticed something strange Farengar's eyes were darkened, and his work desk was in complete disarray, scattered with papers and several soul gems.
"Hey, Farengar… did you stay up all night?" Alex asked.
But Farengar didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the scribbled notes in front of him, completely absorbed in his research. He muttered incoherently under his breath, as if lost in his own world.
Seeing this, Alex chose not to disturb him. Quietly, he walked over to the enchanting table and took out his gold rings.
"After leaving Farengar's place, I went to the mines and gathered some iron. Then I used Transmute to turn it into gold ore. After all the hard work yesterday, I managed to craft 60 gold rings. My smithing increased from level 38 to 50, and I also leveled up to 46."
Status Update:
Main Level: 44 → 46 Perk Points: 4 → 6 Health: 220 → 240 Stamina: 240 Mana: 250
Alex then began enchanting several gold rings, while Farengar remained completely absorbed in his research, not noticing Alex at all. One by one, Alex enchanted the rings. With the petty souls he had already obtained from Farengar, he no longer had to worry about running out of soul gems.
Enchanting: 83 → 84 → 85 → 86
As he continued enchanting, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
(Improving my skills here feels just like in the game… it's surprisingly easy. And whenever I unlock a perk, knowledge somehow flows into my mind little by little. Like with Destruction, or even this Enchanting skill each time I improve and unlock a new perk, it's as if new understanding naturally appears in my head. Especially when unlocking perks… it feels like I just "know" how to strengthen the enchantments, making their effects more powerful, even though there's no logical explanation for it.)
Alex quietly continued his work.
Enchanting: 86 → 87 → 88 → 89 → 90 → 91 → 92 → 93
Then, a level-up notification appeared once again.
Status Update:
Main Level: 46 → 47 (after sleep) Perk Points: 6 → 7 (after sleep)
Alex smiled to himself.
"Heh… not bad."
He then resumed enchanting.
Enchanting: 93 → 94 → 95 → 96 → 97 → 98 → 99 → 100
"Finally… 100 at last, after all that enchanting…" Alex muttered under his breath, his shoulders sagging slightly as he let out a long, tired exhale.
He slowly flexed his fingers, as if trying to shake off the lingering stiffness, before lowering his gaze to the pile of gold rings resting neatly on the table. The faint glow of enchantment still clung to them, shimmering softly in the dim light.
Alex reached out and picked one up, turning it between his fingers. The smooth metal caught the light as he examined it closely, his eyes narrowing in quiet thought.
"Hmm… it would be a waste to just throw these away," he said, almost to himself, tapping the ring lightly against the table. "I should sell them… but little by little."
He placed the ring back down with care, then leaned back slightly, his eyes drifting toward Farengar.
Across the room, Farengar was pacing in uneven steps, one hand gripping a stack of crumpled papers while the other occasionally brushed through his disheveled hair. His lips moved constantly, muttering fragments of thoughts that didn't quite form complete sentences. His eyes, dark and tired, were locked onto the chaotic scribbles on the pages, as if the rest of the world no longer existed.
Alex watched him for a moment, one brow lifting slightly.
"Hmm…" he murmured, tilting his head. "If I try to sell them to Farengar… would he even want to buy them?"
He crossed his arms, tapping a finger against his sleeve as he thought it over.
"I mean… these enchantments aren't exactly impressive," he added with a faint, wry smile. "They're only powered by petty soul gems, after all…"
Gold Ring (x60)
Enchantment: Fortify Health +10 points
Alex let out a quiet breath, then gave a small shrug as if settling on a decision.
"Yeah… no point overthinking it."
He pushed himself off the table, rolling his shoulders as he straightened up. A more decisive look settled on his face.
"I'll just head outside and find the Khajiit. Selling them there should be easier."
With that decision, Alex left Dragonreach, leaving Farengar still completely absorbed in his research. After arriving outside Whiterun, near the stables, he spotted a group of Khajiit wandering merchants. Alex approached them, intending to sell his enchanted gold rings.
Alex looked at the Khajiit and found himself thinking,
(Honestly, I'm a cat person… so seeing a Khajiit like this, they actually look kind of cute. But behind that cuteness, they're the ones who sell skooma… which really doesn't match their appearance.)
He let out a small sigh.
(But… not all Khajiit sell skooma, right? Yeah… that has to be true.)
Suddenly, the Khajiit spoke, noticing Alex just standing there blankly.
"Hey, are you going to buy something or not?"
Alex snapped back to his senses.
"Ah sorry. Actually, I'm here to sell some of my stock."
He then began selling some of his gold rings.
In the end, Alex managed to sell 10 gold rings and earned 1,000 gold.
(Hmm… this isn't like the game. I can't just sell all of these at once. If I did, it would definitely raise suspicion. And Khajiit… as a race, they tend to excel in thievery stealth, pickpocketing… they're naturally better at it. I don't want to attract any suspicion from them. But at the same time, they're also very skilled merchants.)
Alex slowly raised his hand and opened his status screen, the faint glow reflecting in his eyes as lines of information appeared before him. His gaze sharpened, scanning directly toward his perk points, his expression turning focused and intent.
"Alright…" he murmured, rolling his shoulders once as if preparing himself. "Time to unlock the perk I've been waiting for."
Without hesitation, he allocated the point.
Enchanting: 100
Extra Effect:Can put two enchantments on the same item
For a brief second, Alex just stared at the words… then the corners of his lips lifted.
"Nice…" he said softly, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice. "I finally unlocked this."
He let out a long, satisfied breath, his shoulders relaxing as a small grin spread across his face. His fingers flexed slightly, as if already imagining the possibilities.
"Next…" he continued, tilting his head as he thought ahead, "I should probably replace my old gear… and start crafting new rings for myself."
But then
He stopped.
Mid-thought, mid-breath… his expression froze.
His eyes lost focus, staring into nothing as if something had just clicked deep in his mind.
"Hmm…" he muttered faintly. "Item…?"
His brows slowly drew together.
"Wait… item…?"
A subtle shift crossed his face confusion turning into curiosity.
He suddenly bent down, his movements quick but deliberate, and picked up a small stone from the ground. Dust clung to its rough surface as he held it between his fingers, lifting it closer to eye level.
Alex rotated the stone slowly, studying it as if it were something extraordinary.
"Hold on…" he whispered, his voice quieter now, almost cautious. "If I remember correctly… an 'item' is anything that has a physical form…"
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"…and something that holds value… right?"
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then
A faint smile began to form.
It started small, barely noticeable… but it quickly grew, stretching wider as a spark of realization ignited in his eyes.
"Then…" he said, his grip tightening slightly around the stone. "Is it possible?"
His breathing slowed, but his thoughts raced wildly, one idea crashing into another.
"I never really thought about it before…" he continued, almost in disbelief. "But if it works… if this actually works…"
His shoulders began to tremble slightly not from fear, but from barely contained excitement.
"…then that means…"
For a split second, he went completely still.
And then
"Hah… hahahaha…!"
Alex suddenly burst into loud laughter, his head tilting back as the sound echoed freely. His grip loosened, the stone rolling slightly in his palm as he laughed like someone who had just uncovered something incredible something game-changing.