Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 10·Elemental Standing Stone
There are undoubtedly two ways for wizards to become stronger: one is to accumulate more magic power, and the other is to learn more magic.

If you want to learn magic, you need a teacher. There are indeed many wizarding covens in this land, but the most suitable place to learn is Winterhold in the northernmost part of Skyrim.

If you want to accumulate magic power, there are several channels.

First, practice the drudgery of meditation. Meditate and breathe in and out daily for decades. The accumulation of magical energy will naturally expand and improve. Almost everyone, whether they have potential or not, will make time for meditation.

Second, collect precious resources and brew potions. While most potions on the market only restore or temporarily boost mana, with enough money, you can buy higher-end potions that permanently increase your mana limit. Of course, potions become less effective the more you drink them.

Third, find a powerful source of magic power, draw upon it, and refine it, transforming it into a unique reserve of magic power for the caster. This is usually what brings together a coven of wizards and determines their upper limit.

In Skyrim, the most suitable and stable source of mana to draw upon is undoubtedly the magical furnace at the Winterhold School of Magic. And in the future, the most powerful will naturally be the Eye of Magnus, a creation-level artifact that will soon be transported to the school following the excavation of the Sattar ruins.

So we have to go to Winterhold.

Beyond this, however, there are many scattered sources of mana to draw upon—ancient relics, leyline gathering points, and even magical artifacts straying from the land. Some less sophisticated or more sinister spellcasting groups choose to commit massacres, perform profane rituals, and trade the lives and souls of living creatures for mana.

Dragon priests obviously also practice this method. However, as one of humanity's oldest and perhaps most powerful spellcasting cults, the former Dragon Cult clearly disdains the necromancy of human sacrifice—they choose to target dragons instead. They have even developed the ability to sustainably grow.

They can choose to serve a dragon lord, drawing power from the dragons themselves. They can also choose to attack a dragon and plunder the power of its servants. At the end of the ancient Dragon Wars, it was no longer the dragons themselves who led the war, but the powerful dragon priests of the Dragon Cult. Even after the Dragon Wars ended and the dragons disappeared, they still developed a way to absorb the power of faith to maintain their powerful magic.

Skyrim is home to many powerful dragon priests, hidden deep within the ancient tombs they built during their lifetime. They maintain their magical power by having the wights within the tombs worship them. The dragon priests' masks can be considered their phylacteries, but they are not traditional liches. They can be resurrected by the mask, but they cannot die without it.

Beyond this, Dragon Priests possess another secret that grants them access to magical power: the Standing Stones. These are the guardian stones erected by the ancient Nords at the intersections of Skyrim's ley lines. Normally, only those with the Destiny are chosen and protected by the corresponding constellation upon touching a Standing Stone. But Dragon Priests are different.

The Dragon Priest has a hard way.

These towering guardian stones stood tall upon the land for a long time. After the Dragon Priests fell into slumber, many sought to pursue the ancient legends and gain their power. However, in the end, all failed. These ancient ruins were forgotten, and few coveted them anymore.

The location of the Misty Tower is in the southern part of the Eastern Territory of Skyrim.

And if Wu Chen remembered correctly, there happened to be a guardian stone nearby that was suitable for spellcasters.

He was going there.

as well as……

There is a fourth way to obtain magic power.

........................

The fourth way is to obtain enchanted equipment and accessories. Carrying them with you will gain power.

Wu Chen examined the ring on his hand. It was a silver ring inlaid with a garnet. It was the most useful treasure he had retrieved from the bandit leader's hoard. It was enchanted to increase the wearer's magical reserves.

The trickle of unmasked water widened slightly. If the previous magic power reserve was 100, then this ring added about 20 points. It was a fixed value, not a proportional one. The bandits had no use for it, so it fell into Wu Chen's hands instead of being destroyed by fireballs and lightning chains.

The bonus it provides is clearly insignificant compared to the Dragon Priest Mask. But that doesn't mean it's not valuable. Even a small mosquito leg is still meat, not to mention Wu Chen, a moth, isn't much bigger.

The deal with Lazard was valuable. As a well-traveled merchant, the Khajiit might not be able to fight, but their knowledge was undoubtedly vast and varied. Wu Chen simply described it based on his already hazy memories, and he provided the corresponding information—the ancient standing stone was located west of the Misty Tower, and by horseback, it would take less than two hours.

Wu Chen didn't ride a horse—he took a carriage. Lazard had assigned the freed prisoners the task of collecting goods and money from the tower, and then volunteered to drive and guide Wu Chen. Two hours didn't seem like a long time.

"You don't seem afraid of those people taking your goods and running away," Wu Chen said casually in the car. "Maybe by the time we get back, there will be nothing left in the tower."

His words earned a chuckle from the Khajiit. "Lazard has always been a good judge of character," the Khajiit replied as he drove. "Those poor souls are practically terrified. They know they can't make it through the wilds and swamps of southern Eastland and back to their homeland on their own. Besides..."

The tiger man patted the large wooden box he had placed under the driver's seat of the carriage. The box was heavy and contained a considerable amount of backup.

"The most valuable treasures are already in this car. As for the others, they are harmless."

He wasn't actually referring to the treasure chest, but rather Wu Chen and himself, who were riding in the carriage. The investor was always more important than the investment, and Khajiit understood this well.

"Ahaha, here we are."

The carriage stopped.

Wu Chen jumped off the carriage. An ancient guardian stone towered in the middle of the wilderness. Unlike the two-meter-long stone depicted in the game, this massive stone, standing for thousands of years, was as massive as an ancient tower.

It stood hundreds of meters away, surrounded by marshes and ponds. A weed-free dirt path led to the foot of the boulder. Lazard didn't seem to intend to go near the base of the boulder.

"Lazard fears the unknown. Lazard is right here waiting for you."

It is obvious that this investor who placed a bet did not intend to test Wu Chen's secret.

He is a reliable investor.

This is good.

Wu Chen nodded at him. He vaguely remembered that, aside from the initial guardian stone used in the novice tutorial, the other guardian stones in the game would always be visited by undead, beasts, and even necromancers who were determined to gain power from the standing stones. While this area looked safe, it was hard to say what might happen.

"Be careful," he said. "There might be some noise soon, so it's best to stay away."

It was good advice, and Lazard accepted it with pleasure.

When the carriage retreated back the way it came, Wu Chen had already crossed the natural dirt road and arrived under the standing stone.

He saw moss growing on the standing stone, covered with ancient carvings from a distant past. Reaching out, he sent out tongues of fire that burned the bottom layer of moss. The ancient carvings revealed a vague pattern.

It was a giant rock shrouded in thunder—a common appearance for a storm elemental. This standing stone was indeed an elemental stone that offered magical protection. Those who accepted its protection would gain the magic absorption ability of an elemental creature, along with a base reserve of magical energy.

Wu Chen placed his hand on the standing stone.

One second, two seconds.

No response, no change.

——As expected, I am not a Dragonborn. Unlike the protagonists in the game, I am not burdened with destiny.

A silver-gray mask covered his face. Now, he possessed the identity of a nameless dragon priest. The Iron Armor spell unfolded, and magical vibrations of a specific frequency flowed out instinctively. The next moment, all the ancient patterns on the standing stone illuminated in an instant!

"In the name of the Dragon Priest, I command you to wake up!"

The ancient giant awakened under the ancient language's pardon. The next moment, the surrounding soil and swamps were violently shaken by the tide of earth magic!

(End of this chapter)