Power Corrupts: Homecoming (ch. 37) (Patreon)

This chapter was meant to be Bleak Falls Barrow but I ended up writing fluff instead.

...

"FUS!" Lydia heard someone whisper underneath their breath, just loud enough that it tugged at her consciousness and pulled her from her slumber. Instead of waking up in a soft bed, Lydia found herself in the back of a wagon stuffed with three others. She was propped up against one of the walls in her armor. It took her a moment to remember why she was here rather than back in Whiterun. 

She served the Thane of Whiterun. A warrior so large he surely had giant's blood in him, whose abilities surpassed that of a Deathlord. A legend in the making that would be told by Skyrim's descendants for thousands of years. And she was his housecarl. 

"FUS! RO! DAH!" Lydia heard someone whisper again. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, checking to her left to see that the other three were asleep. Including Aela. Calling them friends would be a strong word, but they had fought together before, when they were both younger and a younger version of herself thought her destiny lay with the Companions. But, knowing the fierce woman, the fact that she was asleep spoke volumes. 

As she looked outside, the full moons offering plenty of light once her eyes had adjusted, Lydia saw the road was moving by at impossible speeds. Unless her Thane had somehow found some horses to pull the wagon? Shifting over, Lydia looked out the front, expecting to see horses, but instead, she saw her Thane's broad shoulders as he pulled the wagon at speeds that should be beyond the natural limit of mortal men. 

Lydia blinked once, then again, then a third time to be certain that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. The trees that flanked the road that they traveled moved by with alarming speed, the stone path vanishing behind them as her Thane’s feet moved with the speed of the wind. Some kind of enchantment, perhaps? Enchantments that fortified the body were rare, and notoriously expensive since they could only be made by masters, but if he had a few then that would explain a great deal. 

"FUS! FUS! RO! DAH!" The whispers continued and it was only then that Lydia realized that they were coming from her Thane. Her lips twitched upwards. He was attempting to use the Thu'um? Many'a children had done the same, uttering gibberish in the hopes that they would use the Voice and prove themselves Dragonborn. Though considering the tale that was being spread at the feast, her Thane had slain a Deathlord in single combat, and legend said that they could use the Thu'um. 

Perhaps he wasn't uttering gibberish?

"Stupid fuckin' shout… ah, forget it," her Thane muttered unhappily, continuing to push the wagon at speeds that should be impossible. Lydia recognized the wagon of Kahjiit make, if only because of how smooth the ride was. With normal wagons, they’d all be bouncing around nonstop, much less sleeping. 

Still, Lydia felt like she should say something. “The Thu’um is more than just a word, my Thane,” Lydia spoke up, causing her Thane to glance over his shoulder at her. He didn’t wear his helmet, so his shoulder-length mane of black hair was swept back, revealing his fine features. 

“Oh, did I wake you up? My bad,” he offered an apology, and it caught Lydia off guard. She was his housecarl, he should never feel the need to apologize to her. “And… yeah, you’re right. I was hoping that since I heard it being used that I could figure it out, or something, but no such luck.” He sounded very disappointed by that. Which was fair. Everyone was disappointed when they couldn’t use the Thu’um. 

“And you don’t need to keep calling me Thane. Just call me Jericho,” her Thane offered but she shook her head firmly, even though her Thane looked back at the road ahead of them. 

“I cannot. You are the Thane of Whiterun and I-” Lydia started, only to fall silent when her Thane interrupted her. 

“How about I order you to call me Jericho? I’m not one for titles or anything like that. Just call me by my name,” her-... Jericho insisted, and when he put it like that, she was forced to concede. 

“Very well… Jericho,” Lydia agreed. It felt improper, she had been training for most of her life to be a worthy housecarl to whoever she would serve. To call someone of Jericho’s position -- the Thane of Whiterun, the largest and greatest Hold in all of Skyrim, given to him by Jarl Balgruuf, a true son of Skyrim, no matter what Ulfric Stormcloak may say about it… it told her that Jericho did not understand how high he had been elevated. It wasn’t proper to call someone of high nobility by their first name. To say nothing of his membership of the Companions. 

Three of the Circle rode in the wagon. Lydia was in the presence of high company. 

Though, that did lead her to thoughts of why three members of the Circle were traveling with Jericho. 

“May I ask what our destination is?” Lydia asked, wanting to prepare herself for the battle that would come soon. For what else could be the cause for such notable warriors traveling together? Her sword was sharp and her shield was ready. All she needed to know is what they would be fighting. 

“Bleak Falls Barrow,” Jericho answered. And with it, Lydia realized that they would be fighting draugr and worse. Either more Deathlords or Dragon Priests. A fight worthy of entrance to Sovengard. “But I got a bit excited. I forgot that we would need a dragon claw to open up the passageway to get the Dragonstone, and it was night time when we passed through Riverwood. So, we’re going to make a slight detour to Helgen.”

Lydia blinked, digesting that, the chill of the wind that washed over her face reminded her that she wasn’t dreaming. “We have already passed Riverwood?” She questioned a note of disbelief in her words. “How long have we been asleep?” 

“I’d say around six hours or so. I’ve been pushing myself to make good time,” Jericho explained as if that made any sense. From Whiterun to Riverwood was a near two-day walk at least. And apparently Jericho had not only closed that distance in six hours, but he had gone further? Was he using magic? As his housecarl, Lydia vowed to herself that she would not judge him harshly if that was the case. 

However, Jericho continued, diswaying that notion. “It’s kinda getting difficult for me to find good workouts, so I’ve also been pushing myself a bit. Trying to see how long I can run. Might try to find a way to make the wagon heavier when I get a chance,” Jericho said, mostly to himself, but the wind carried his words to her. 

That was daunting. Sprinting an incredible distance while pushing a wagon with supplies, and four fully armored Nords -- that’s what he considered a workout. Whats more, it was found lacking because he wanted a heavier wagon. 

"I…" how could she even respond to that? "I see." 

"We still have a bit until we reach Helgen, so if you want to get some more sleep, then you should while you have the chance. We're probably not going to stay the night," Jericho continued. Lydia sensed that there was more that he wasn't saying, but it wasn't her place to pry. 

"As you say, my- Jericho," Lydia agreed, praying that he did not look deeper into that slipup before she settled in and closed her eyes. But despite her attempts to return to sleep, Lydia found herself unable to. The slight tremble in the wagon, the wind that brushed against her skin kept her awake. 

And after what felt like hours later, Lydia heard Jericho begin to mutter 'FUS' underneath his breath again. 

…

Helgen was a grand town, Lydia realized as she stepped out of the wagon some hours later. Stretching as her companions did the same. The sun had yet to fully rise over the mountains than flanked Helgen, but the town itself was already up. While not as densely populated as Whiterun, it was a true town with high stone walls, cobblestone roads, and neatly organized districts. She saw inns for travelers, warehouses for storage, stores to find any type of good that would both flow into and out of Skyrim, and plenty of houses for those that lived here. 

Helgen was not a city, much less one similar to the crown jewel of Skyrim that was Whiterun, but it was incomparable to the small villages that were sprinkled throughout the North. 

"Jericho! Well meet," one of the guards waved to the Thane of Whiterun, ignorant of his elevated status. Jericho seemed a little caught off guard by the warm greetings but he returned it all the same. As well as the waves and bows. It was impossible for news of his deeds to have already spread, so it could only be that her Lord had built a fine reputation for himself before he left for Whiterun. 

Though, Jericho looked more apprehensive as they made their way through Helgen. Especially as they reached the site of what looked like a grand construction site -- Lydia saw wood, stone, and a basic foundation being set. They didn't have the materials for it yet, but judging by the large plot of land that was being used, Lydia couldn't imagine what was being built here. 

However, she was distracted when a gaggle of children walked up to Jericho, pointing at him with a stick that had seen some use considering the children were spotted with fresh bruises. "Your armor looks funny," the youngest pointed out before he attempted to bury his entire finger up his nose. 

Lydia's eyes drifted over said armor. Jericho’s left arm was covered in black armor made up of thick plates. His torso was mostly covered with copper colored Dwemer metal. The area around his stomach was made up of segmented plates, an interesting design that allowed him a great deal of free movement, while his chest was a solid plate that was only partially made of Dwemer metal. It was certainly an interesting look. 

“Yeah, well, so does your face,” Jericho returned with some exasperation, looking down at himself, then back at the child. Farkas failed to completely stifle a laugh while Aela simply shook her head. The child himself looked affronted, but Jericho continued before he could throw a tantrum.”What’s being built here?”

“A new house. The one you built wasn’t big enough for the new Goddess,” one of the children answered accusingly. Lydia stiffened, as did Jericho. Whiterun was exploding with rumors of the gods walking the world -- she hadn’t seen it herself, but enough people had confirmed the story that the statue of Talos had shrunk down to the size of a man before Talos himself had stepped off the platform. 

Even then, Lydia might not have believed it if Heimskr hadn’t vanished along with the statue. The only one that could have stopped that man from preaching was Talos himself. 

“Was that her idea or was it something that other people decided?” Jericho asked while she and Aela shared a look. Aela didn’t look shocked by the news, so she already knew, but Lydia recognized the tension in the woman. Lydia swore that she wouldn’t jump to conclusions yet, but it seemed that the Thane of Whiterun was far more important than any of them had suspected. 

“Uh-” The one that had spoken hesitated, prompting another to pick up where he left off. A young girl who looked far more interested in Aela and her than she did Jericho. Lydia offered the young girl a smile, making her beam before she continued. 

“It was a bunch of grownups. Lady Hestia said she was happy in the house that she was in, but everyone else said that she deserved better, so now they’re building her a new one,” she explained. Jericho let out a quiet sigh as he nodded. 

“Thanks, kids,” Jericho said before he parked the wagon and reached back. Lydia watched with interest as he dug around the back for a few short seconds before he grabbed a handful of ancient Nordic helmets from a chest that must have concealed them. “Here -- wear these the next time you're going to… play fight,” he offered the helmets, much to the children’s joy. 

They wasted no time putting them on and started practicing fighting with their sticks. As they wandered off, Vilkas commented, “You do realize that now they’re just going to aim for the head?” 

“I tried,” Jericho stated with a shake of his head, putting the issue out of mind as he resumed pushing the wagon. That got a chuckle out of the twin brothers as they all followed Jericho up a small hill. After turning a corner, it was easy to tell which house belonged to Jericho… and the Goddess of Hearth.

It was larger than the rest by half, made out of stone. It looked masterfully crafted, standing out that much more due to the quality of the houses that were nearby to it. It wasn’t as grand as the manors of the Battle-born, or the keep at Whiterun, but it was worthy of being the home of a Thane. 

Jericho parked the wagon in front of the house before he turned to them. He looked like he was about to say something, but seemed to think better of it. Instead, he simply shrugged to himself before he walked up the steps towards a door made to fit him. He slipped a key into the lock, unlocking it, and stepped inside. 

“WHO DARES- Oh!” Lydia heard someone shout as Jericho stepped inside, and she saw it was a small child. Jericho’s child? A young girl dressed in a simple beige cloak, her light brown hair was short with a slight curl to the locks while her eyes were an almost golden-brown. “Mr. Jericho! You’re finally back!”

At her words, Lydia heard a loud crash echo somewhere followed by the sound of someone running through the house. A door swung open, revealing a beautiful young woman with raven black hair, bright blue eyes and a smile that could light up a dark room. And that smile only grew when her gaze landed on Jericho. 

“I’m home,” he greeted her, prompting the woman to sprint across the room and throw herself at Jericho hard enough that Lydia heard the impact. Even still, Lydia rocked back as if she had been the one struck, and she wasn’t the only one. A presence that she didn’t know how to describe assaulted her every sense. Words failed her. 

It was an aura of… power. Of a being that was beyond mortal comprehension. 

In that moment, it clicked into place. She had heard rumors and hearsay, but Lydia hadn’t believed. Not really. Not until this moment. 

Lydia stood in the presence of a god. Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, and the Tenth Divine. And she was worryingly patting Jericho, love shining in her eyes as she looked up at him. 

It was hard to describe the realization that she felt in her gut. But, if she had to try, it was the moment Lydia realized that she was certain that a new Era had already begun and Jericho would be the one paving the way. 

…

“No scars?” Hestia questioned me as I peeled off my armor, the others awkwardly standing behind me as they shuffled their feet, unsure what to do. Even Farkas was left speechless. They probably needed some kind of explanation but I didn’t have one in me at the moment. I was just glad to see that Hestia was okay. It was a unreasonable worry that dividing up her arcanum had done something horrible to her, like make her physically ill or weak, or…

“No scars,” I confirmed, pushing my worries to the side. They didn’t matter. Hestia was fine. She was safe. I still had some major questions, but the important part was that she was safe and healthy. Everything else could wait. I offered her a small smile as she looked relieved, knowing that I was telling the truth. “Seems like a lot’s happened on both of our ends,” I remarked. 

At the very least, Hestia looked abashed. “It wasn’t like I set out to join their Pantheon, you know? I just figured I should help them and, well…” Hestia trailed off, pointedly looking away from me as she realized that wasn’t exactly a defense. “But you should introduce me to your friends!” Hestia changed the subject, stepping forward to the group of warriors that eyed Hestia with wide eyes. 

“Hello! Welcome to my home," she welcomed them -- Lydia and the Companions -- with a small bow. "My name is Hestia," she introduced herself before gesturing to Lili. "And this is Lili. Are you Jericho's friends?" 

I almost laughed as I looked at them, all of these hardened warriors looking dumbstruck as they looked down at Hestia. Lili let out an unimpressed noise and it seemed that she wasn't completely over her distaste for the adventurer type. If she ever would. But I think in time she would learn that there is a very big difference in what that word meant here. 

In the end, I took pity on them as the silence and their staring grew awkward. "Starting from the left is Farkas, Vilkas is his twin brother, then there's Aela. They're members of the Companions. Lastly is Lydia, who is my housecarl," I introduced them. And in the end, it was Farkas that spoke first.

"You're a god," he stated, seeming to be the first to wrap his head around that fact. 

Hestia nodded, "I am. Hearth and Architecture are my domain. So, please, take off your armor and relax while you're here. Any friend of Jericho is welcomed here." 

"There really are ten Divines. The Thalmor are going to be furious," Vilkas muttered as he distractedly started to grasp at his armor. All of them looked like they were walking in a daze, unable to take their eyes off Hestia. 

Hestia let out an amused huff. "Everyone keeps saying that. You Nords really don't care for the Thalmor, do you?" 

"That would be an understatement, Goddess Hestia," Aela spoke up. "Skyrim has always had a troubled history with elves, but with the Golden-Accords and the ban on Talos worship, that dislike has become hatred." 

Hestia nodded, "Yeah, Talos said as much before he descended." 

"You have spoken to Talos? What- please forgive my impertinence, but what is he like?" Lydia asked. Lili sent me a look that I caught out of the corner of my eye. Judging by her expression, Hestia had been receiving that question a lot. 

"He didn't really consider himself a god, I don't think. How he acted and spoke, he seemed to still consider himself a mortal. I didn't really have a chance to talk to him, but he seemed nice. And polite. He might look and sound a little rough, but he was definitely a politician back when he was mortal," Hestia explained. 

I nodded, "Yeah. He made a slip up when I was talking to him back in Whiterun. When he was talking about mortals, he kept saying 'we' and the gods were 'they.'" Then that reminded me that there was a Wild Talos unleashed in Skyrim and I still had no clue what that meant. "Did he say what he planned? He pulled a disappearing act in the keep."

Hestia shook her head, "He didn't say. I know he's planning to form a familia, but that's it. He did say something about a priest worthy of his attention." 

"Heimskr? Huh. I'm happy for him. He's been standing in front of the statue of Talos and screaming his praises every day without fail for years now," Aela remarked. By now, most of them had stripped off their armor. They wore rough-looking underclothes that had seen some heavy use, but I'm sure the same could be said for me. 

Still, that meant Talos was still unaccounted for and at a time like this, he was easily the most important god to Skyrim. And given who he was in his previous life, I couldn't imagine that he didn't have something planned. 

"But that's enough serious talk for now. I was about to get dinner ready-" Hestia started before Lili interjected. 

"Lili will get groceries to feed more people," Lili offered before she looked up at Farkas and the others, "but Lili will need help carrying all the groceries." Which was a bold-faced lie to get them out of the house for some reason. And it seemed what Lili was trying to do wasn't lost on them either. 

"We will help you, child," Aela decided, realizing that Lili was trying to give me and Hestia a moment to talk freely. "It's the least we can do for welcoming us into your home." 

Lydia caught my eye, prompting me to nod before Lili produced a bag of gold from somewhere. "Lili will be back soon Lady Hestia," Lili said before she left the others outside. As the door closed, I glanced down at Hestia, who looked faintly annoyed, but she offered a weak smile up at me. 

"So… I heard that the people of Helgen are building us a new house," I said to break the ice as I went to sit down and peel off my armor. 

Hestia let out a sigh, "I didn't ask for one! I kept telling them that I liked this one, but they’re being really pushy… and… well… I kinda liked designing this house, so I thought it would be fun to design another?” She admitted after a moment, earning an amused huff from me. 

“So, how did all of that happen? You becoming a Divine? I was out of Whiterun so if there was some big announcement then I missed it,” I said, shrugging off my top half of armor before putting it on the armor rack. My undershirt was fine, so I kept it on. 

“The Daedra found out about familias and Akatosh decided to experiment to see if it would be better for them interact with the world without their powers, rather than indirectly like they always have. I met with the Aedra to see what I could do to help them,” Hestia explained. 

“But giving up your arcanum?” I interjected before I caught myself. “Hestia, you know way more about this kind of stuff, so if you’re saying that was the best course of action then I’ll believe you, but… you scared the hell out of me when I heard that you divided your arcanum,” I told her. 

Hestia’s shoulders slumped, “I’m sorry. I should have said something to you before you left, but I wasn't sure what I would do until after you were gone. I just knew that I had to take responsibility for my actions,” she said walking over to the couch and taking a seat, patting a seat next to her for me to sit down. “But I do think it's for the best. The Aedra seem to be good gods that seem to care for their followers. With their help, I think we’re going to be able to make Skyrim a much safer place.”

And that was that. The gods descending was a massive wrench thrown into my plans, but in the end, I could make new ones and the goal hadn’t changed.

“How have things been since I left? People were looking at me like the sun shone out of my butt when I was walking here,” I commented, and an annoyed expression passed over Hestia’s features. 

“Before the gods descended, they announced my joining the Aedra and what I did to their major and favorite worshipers to spread the word across Tamriel. But apparently they told everyone in Helgen that I was the Tenth Divine. Everyone has been… well, they’ve been sucking up and bringing me offerings and stuff. But I haven’t seen anyone that I would want to join my familia,” Hestia explained. Then she sent a beaming smile at me. 

“How was your trip? Did everything go okay? Are you going to get to stay for a while?” She asked, earning a small wince from me. 

“The trip went great. I became the Thane of Whiterun and I’m a member of the Companions now. I’m also on pretty good terms with Jarl Balgruuf and we’re opening a bunch of mines in his Hold to disperse the population a bit,” then I sent a cocky smirk her way. “And he’s working to make me the Jarl of Helgen.” 

Hestia lit up, throwing her arms around my neck, “Congratulations!” she shouted, holding me tight, “What does that mean?” Hestia followed her exclamation up, making my cocky grin grow into a smile. 

“Honestly? I’m not too sure myself. I know I’ll be the highest authority in the Hold and I’d answer directly to the King, but beyond that I’m not sure exactly what a Jarl does other than managing the Hold. But, the point is, if I become Jarl then we can build up Helgen to take on Alduin,” I told her, making Hestia’s face shift as she nodded seriously. 

Now here came the hard part. “But I’ll have to gain the approval of the Jarls in Falkreath and Riften before a Moot coming up in a couple of months. It’ll be best if I do it before winter-”

“Meaning you have to go away again,” Hestia realized. I let out a small sigh as I nodded -- I had a month to impress both Jarls, then I was going to spend two months in the College of Winterhold. So, at best, I was going to be gone for about three months. 

“So I have to travel again,” I confirmed with a nod. “I’ll get done with it as fast as I can… and I’ll stop by as often as I can, but… yeah. I’m sorry,” I said, reaching out to hold her close. “I realized that Alduin is a much bigger challenge than I prepared myself for. I’m confident that I can win, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything. I’ll be a little lonely since you won’t be here, but I can put up with it. You’ll just have to make it up to me after you beat Alduin,” Hestia said, sounding like she understood, but that made me feel more like an ass. I regret not giving myself more time. Another six months at least. 

“I will. I promise. On the plus side, I’m not sure how necessary it is that I go to the College of Winterhold for all of two months,” I said. “I’m going there to learn Enchanting and some other school of magic, but that might not be the best use of those months. I’m thinking of trying to learn the Thu’um,” I told her, earning an understanding nod, so I guess she knew what that was. 

Lydia was right. There was more to the thu’um than just saying the words. I wasn’t the Dragonborn, but I was the Gamer and I had perks that would help me learn faster such as Comprehension. And I didn’t need to learn a dozen words. Just three. 

Joor. Zah. Frul.

Dragonrend. 

My plans for finding the Dragonborn and shoving a piece of paper in their face so that they would learn the words was shot. That left me either learning how to use Dragonrend, or finding someone that could. The first choice were the Greybeards, but given that Arngeir was willing to let the world end without lifting a finger -- that didn’t exactly fill me with hope that he would be willing to help. My last choice would be Ulfric Stormcloak but that was the nuclear option. 

If Ulfric was the one that learned Dragonrend and he fought against Alduin, then Skyrim’s withdrawal from the Empire would be guaranteed. He already had plenty of momentum in that direction with an unknown amount more since he was proven right about Talos. If he became known as the hero that helped defeat Alduin to save the world then his rebellion would become a coup. One welcomed by most of Skyrim. 

So, I had to learn how to use three words in a couple of months. 

“Oh?” Hestia said, sounding interested. “So you would be at the top of the mountain then? Then maybe I could visit you while you’re training,” Hestia mused. And I didn’t think the Greybeard would be enthused with the idea, but it was hard to say no to a god. 

"It'd probably be easier for me to come down to you with the seven thousand steps and all. And I'm not sure if it would work in the first place. Not to mention I should probably stay here in Helgen for the winter if I'm going to be Jarl," I said, leaning back into the couch. 

"Do whatever you think is best. I'll be here no matter what," Hestia told me before she delivered a peck to my cheek. "But, for now, I'm just glad you're here. You should sleep here more than once if you built the place," Hestia said and I didn't have the heart to correct her that I had only meant to visit. "Where are you going tomorrow?" 

"A large tomb to find a map that'll tell us where the dragon corpses are. After that I'll head to Falkreath first to see what I can do there," I answered before I glanced down at her. "Do you think I could get my status updated? I have a big fight upcoming at the tomb and I want to make sure I'm ready for it." I had wanted to avoid getting too many updates because I had feared it was going to grow increasingly difficult to grind stats now that I didn't have readily available challenges from the Dungeon in Danmachi. 

Hestia nodded seriously and a second later I was on my stomach, shirtless, while Hestia straddled my back.

Jericho

Level: 28

Title: Under Leveled

Health: 2860

Magika: 125

Progress to next level: 55,000/150,000

Strength: 123 (+151= 274)

Endurance: 160 (+225= 385)

Dexterity: 135 (+169= 304)

Intelligence: 90 (+77=167)

Sense: 155 (+240= 395)

Resistances:

Physical Resistance: 30% (10% due to Durable, Toughness and Oakskin perks)(15% due to Endurance)

Abnormal Resistance: 65% (50% due to Super Immune perk) (15% due to Endurance)

Fire Resistance: 15% (15% due to Endurance)

Cold Resistance: 65% (base 50%)(15% due to Endurance)

Skills:

(General)

Gamer Body (100/100): The user’s body is that of a video game.

Massage (55/100): Skilled hands make targets tension and exhaustion melt away. (perks available)

Kissing (65/100): An intimate act between lovers that, if done well, can bring pleasure to the target. (perks available)

Sex (49/100): Greatly enhances parameters when engaging in sexual intercourse. (perks available)

Dishwashing (1/100): Stains and dried on food are easier to remove.

(Combat)

Footwork (18/100): The basis for all martial talents. Effectiveness is determined by Dexterity.

One-handed (25/100): Governs your effectiveness when using one-handed weapons, including daggers, swords, maces, and war axes. (perks available)

Two-handed (13/100): Governs your effectiveness when using two-handed weapons, including greatswords, battleaxes, and warhammers.

(Armor)

Heavy Armor (10/100): Governs your ability to move and fight in heavy armor.

(Stealth)

(None)

(Magic)

(None)

(Thu’um)

Unrelenting Force (0/100): Your Voice is raw power, pushing aside anything - or anyone - who stands in your path.

(Crafting)

Woodwork (7/100): Craftsmanship involving wood.

Stonework (10/100): Craftsmanship involving stone. 

In the end, my stats hadn't climbed much. The one with the biggest jump was Endurance, and it was a measly ten points. Which is what I was afraid of. I needed to find a good way to grind my stats in Skyrim. Pulling the wagon helped some, but it wasn’t enough. My best bet was magic. The same could be said for my skills since they only saw a small bump. 

However, that was forgotten as my attention was focused on the new addition to my status. Thu’um. Unrelenting Force was 0/100 but it was there. Meaning that I could learn it. And that… possibly changed everything. As much as I wanted to learn magic, learning the thu’um was arguably the better choice. It was only a question of how long it would take me to learn with the aid of Comprehension and the Title Astute Student. 

So it came down to a choice between spending winter with the Greybeards or the College of Winterhold. Still, I had time to make that choice. 

For now, I turned my attention to the other windows that had popped up. 

You have achieved a feat worthy of a Title!

Apprentice Undead Slayer: 10% increase in damage dealt to undead enemies. 

Bandit Slayer: 15% increase in damage dealt to bandit class enemies.

Bandit Slayer seemed kinda useless for the most part considering that I had little trouble with bandits. And given how there was no equipment level scaling, it was unlikely that I would have any trouble with them. Apprentice Undead Slayer was easy to dismiss as the same, but the term undead didn’t just apply to draugr. 

Vampires fell under that umbrella as well. Same with ghosts and skeletons and other specters. And considering that this wasn’t just Skyrim, normal zombies were likely a thing as well. Given the Apprentice tag attached to it, I’m guessing it was title that could be improved. Provided that the bonus damage kept increasing then that was a title worth improving. 

Lastly, there were more than a few perks than I needed to sort through. 

(General Available Perks)

Massage:

Soothing Touch: Any aches and pains of a target’s body are eased away, leaving them feeling refreshed. 

Sensitive Touch: Some places are more sensitive than others and with the user’s experience, most places are sensitive. 

Healing Touch: Cuts and bruises are massaged away, drastically cutting down how long the wound would take to heal.

Enhanced Touch: The user can simulate a target’s body, allowing them to temporarily push past their limits in Endurance, Strength, and Dexterity. 

Kissing: 

Smooth: Target of smooth feels heightened emotions of Happiness and Love.

Building Intensity: The longer a kiss lasts, the more pleasure the target feels.

Talented Tongue: The user’s tongue is rather adept at bringing targets pleasure.

Enhanced Saliva: The user’s saliva has mild aphoristic properties that enhance sensitivity. 

Sex:

Tasty Cream: The user’s semen takes the flavor of what he wishes. 

Nutritional Value: The user’s semen has the nutritional value of a healthy meal. 

(Combat)

One-handed: 

Talented: One-handed skill exp gain is increased by 15%

Sure-Grip: When using one-handed weapons, the user cannot be disarmed. 

I think it said a lot about my time in Danmachi that most of my perks revolved around sex. And I had some good choices too. Given that most of them didn’t have a practical use outside of sex, i went ahead and chose what was best for sex. 

Sensitive and Enhanced Touch were the first that I picked. Sensitive touch would be useful for setting the mood, and Enhanced Touch actually had combat applications. I might be able to pull some Gamer Manwha shit and massage myself before a big fight to boost my stats or something. Or I could do it to others. 

Next were Building Intensity and Enhanced Saliva. The first was mostly for Hestia since she enjoyed long kisses. The second for reasons that didn’t need to be explained. After that, between the two choices, I went with Tasty Cream. Nutritional Value sounded good until I realized that in any situation that someone would need to drink my cum for sustenance, I could just as easily feed them an actual healthy meal from my inventory. 

Then, with my only Combat Perk, I picked Talented. My two titles would allow me to pick two additional perks, but I was saving them until I saw what else the system had to offer me after I progressed enough. Talented would help me explore the One-handed tree faster. 

In the end, it wasn’t a bad first update in Skyrim, but at the rate I was progressing I should spread the updates out a bit. 

“Hey, Hestia?” I said, turning to look at her over my shoulder, a slow grin tugging at my lips. “How long do you think Lili is going to be gone for?”

Hestia looked surprised by the question, but it didn’t take her long to figure out what I was angling for. An impish grin found its way onto her face as her hands began to roam my back. “Knowing Lili, it’ll be a little while. She’s gotten really fond of bartering every chance that she gets. Even though she’s already getting discounts.”

“Good. I got some perks that I want to try out.” 

…

In general, would you prefer to see Jericho go to the College or to the Greybeards? Magic or the Thu’um?