Those time travelers that year

Alduin's return heralded the arrival of the Fifth Age's climax, with resurrected dragons gradually casting shadows over the entire sky, yet many remained completely unaware of this.

The guards stationed at the town gate were as leisurely as ever. While the peaceful days were precious to the veterans, they seemed rather dull to some of the younger soldiers. So, the young soldiers on duty chatted amongst themselves to pass the time.

The hottest topic recently is undoubtedly the civil war in Skyrim. If the lord of Whiterun hadn't deliberately chosen neutrality and strongly withstood the pressure from both sides, the entire Whiterun region would have been engulfed in war. However, many young soldiers, especially the native Nords, do not agree with the lord's actions.

“If you ask me, we should all join the Stormcloaks…” a young soldier said. “Like Ralof, Ulfric should be the true ruler of Skyrim, not that despicable thief who stole the throne.”

“But our lord doesn’t think so…” another soldier said. “Although the lord is a pure Nord, he doesn’t really like Ulfric’s ways… especially since Ulfric killed the previous High King without consulting the Lords’ Council and started a rebellion.”

“I would love to have the Stormcloaks added... that way we could really teach those high elves a lesson.”

"With your pathetic skills, save your breath. There are wizards around who can burn you to a crisp with a single flame."

"Come on, the war is about to end!"

"Who said that?"

"Haven't you heard? General Tullius from the capital launched a surprise attack on a Stormcloak unit, and coincidentally, Ulfric was inside one of those Stormcloaks, where he was wiped out..."

"Nonsense. Lord Ulfric is a warrior who can use the art of roar; how could he be captured so easily!"

"Why would I lie to you!? I heard they're going to transport them to Helgen for public execution. Didn't you see that army that passed through the town last night?"

"impossible!"

"Liar..."

"We'll find out when the time comes. If Ulfric is really executed, then the civil war will be over."

"Wait... someone's coming!"

……

"Who are you?" A soldier stepped forward and blocked Charles's way of entering the town.

“I…I’m just a traveler!” Charles replied.

"You're from another city?"

“I should say other provinces…” Charles said. “I am a wizard, and I came to Skyrim to visit the College of Winterhold.”

"Are you a wizard?" The soldier looked at Charles with suspicion. "Can you summon fire?"

“Of course!” Charles smiled, snapped his fingers, and a small, fiery red flame appeared on his fingertip. “How is it?”

Several guards retreated in a panic.

"Alright, alright, a wizard, you can go in... but don't burn anything, or you won't leave unscathed..."

"Of course... I will follow the rules!"

……

The Riverwood trading post was run by a brother and sister, Camilla Valerith and Lucan Valerith. They were both from Cyrodiil, belonging to the Hildir, or Empire. What truly made Charles remember this seemingly ordinary brother and sister was that he'd received a side quest related to the main storyline there while playing the game, and aside from that, he'd simply looked at the spellbooks sold there.

In any world, magic is like throwing money into a furnace; the prices of anything related to it are enough to make you vomit blood. Therefore, for those who have arrived in Skyrim, the best place to obtain spellbooks is undoubtedly in these small shops; at least before reaching Winterhold, places selling spellbooks are not common.

16. The Magic of the Sky

The Riverwood Trading Post is located near the town gate, opposite the town's only blacksmith shop. Like the other buildings in town, the Trading Post is also made of wood; apart from the stone foundation, the rest of the structure is constructed from tall fir trees from the forest. From the outside, this trading post looks no different from the other buildings in the town, exuding a medieval architectural style; the only difference is the shop sign hanging outside.

Arriving at the trading shop, Charles pushed open the concealed wooden door. A commotion erupted as he opened it, but stopped as Charles stepped through the door.

“Welcome. The shops in Riverwood have everything you could want,” a man standing behind the counter said apologetically to Charles as he stepped through the door.

“I seem to have… arrived at the wrong time!?” Charles glanced around the shop. Lamps made of ram's horns hung on the walls and counters, their faint light illuminating the dimly lit room. The counter was filled with all sorts of items, from weapons and equipment to various colored potions, and some herbs hung on one side of the counter.

There were two people in the room. One was the shopkeeper standing behind the counter, greeting Charles, and the other was a woman. The two had many similarities in appearance, such as jet-black hair and gray eyes, making it immediately obvious that they were related.

The two had been arguing, but the argument temporarily stopped when Charles entered. However, the woman, still looking angry, walked silently to a chair on the other side of the room, crossed her arms, and sat down. This made the man standing behind the counter quite embarrassed; his expression seemed to suggest he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to, so he could only greet the new customer apologetically.

"I'm sorry..." the shop owner paused for a moment, then continued, "I had a little problem here earlier... but it's nothing. Is there anything I can do for you?"

“I need a map of Skyrim,” Charles said. “Also, I heard you sell some spellbooks here…”

“Ah! I do have some old spellbooks here,” replied the shopkeeper, Lucan Valerith. “Some that have been sitting for a long time, covered in dust…” Lucan turned around, bent down under the counter, and when he stood up again, placed six dusty books on the counter. “These are it… If you want more, I recommend you go to Winterhold; after all, there’s a magic academy there…”

Charles reached out and picked up one of the books, dusted it off, and then opened the magic book in his hand.

Unlike the magic system in the Harry Potter universe, the magic system in this world is more primitive and violent. In the Harry Potter world, wandless spellcasting is a high-level skill. Wizards typically use wands to increase the success rate of their spells. This makes wizards in the Harry Potter world highly dependent on wands. Although wizards in the Harry Potter world would become ordinary people without their wands, the convenience and safety offered by the wand-casting system have made it the mainstream system in the Harry Potter world.

However, the wand system found in the Harry Potter world doesn't exist in Nirn. While wands do exist in this world, they are simply special enchanted items with magic imprinted on them, allowing even those without prior magical training to use them. Therefore, compared to the Harry Potter world, magic in this world lacks a detailed system. Furthermore, the magic school in Winterhold isn't like Hogwarts in Harry Potter, with its own unique magical education system, still adhering to the master-apprentice system, and certainly not recruiting apprentices on a large scale like in the Harry Potter world.

While this world may not be as advanced as the Harry Potter world in terms of magical civilization, it far surpasses it in the power of its magic. Wizards trained in this world's magical system are essentially capable of wandless spellcasting. Furthermore, their control over magic and combat abilities far exceed those of wizards in the Harry Potter world. After all, apprentices unable to control their spells almost always die in various accidents, while those who graduate are powerful mages in every sense of the word.

The spellbook that Sharl is now opening contains a spell called "Low-Level Guardian," belonging to the healing magic tree. In the game, this type of spell primarily focuses on healing and defense. However, some spells in this category are specifically designed to target undead creatures. For example, the master-level spell of this type, Undead Destruction, is a powerful weapon against undead, instantly killing most of them. Those not caught in the attack will be forced to flee in fear. The fact that undead can experience fear is truly a rare thing.

However, the low-level protective spell in Charles's hand, just as its name suggests, is indeed low-level magic. It creates a magical barrier to block some physical and magical damage, and its effectiveness depends on the user. But this magical barrier can only be maintained in one direction, and one must have a free hand to maintain its operation, while also constantly consuming mana.

But for Sharl, it didn't really matter. After all, it was a completely new kind of magical knowledge. Although in the game it was just some low-level magic, not comparable to those full-screen destructive spells, as a warlock, Sharl didn't lack magic for destruction. Or rather, destruction and disruption were his primary duties. What he lacked was a more comprehensive magical system like a mage, like those high-level mages who had shields, polymorph, invisibility, and invulnerability ice. If he couldn't beat you, he could teleport away, and he could open a portal to escape anytime, anywhere.

There were six spellbooks in total. Besides the low-level Guardian spell in Sharl's possession, there were two illusion spells: Insight (for getting lost) and Wrath; one summoning spell: Resurrected Zombie (useless); one destruction spell: Frost; and finally, one alteration spell: Tree Skin. Especially the last alteration spellbook—how could a Skyrim mage possibly face a Nord barbarian head-on? Just cast an XX spell on yourself, summon a magical weapon, and hack and slash at the barbarian!

Tree Skin is just the lowest level; above that, there's Stone Skin, which makes you as hard as stone; Iron Skin, as tough as steel; Ebony Armor, providing defense as strong as black fungus; and finally, Dragon Skin, which grants an 80% damage reduction. Once you cast a spell, a barbarian without a good weapon can't even scratch you, but you can always kill them with a magical weapon.

It seems that magic is quite unfriendly to barbarians in any world.

17. What is the strongest monster in Skyrim? — Chicken God

In D&D, mages use their superior intelligence to outmaneuver barbarians. In Skyrim, mages use spells to directly overpower barbarians. Overall, without good equipment or skills, barbarians are simply at the mercy of mages.

Six spellbooks are expensive, at least for most people. The total value is 860 Septin, showing that the cost for a mage is much higher than for a barbarian. These are just apprentice-level spells, but the price is enough to buy a barbarian a complete set of high-quality equipment. However, this price didn't bother Sharl. Even without the currency of this world, he still had plenty of gold coins brought back from the Tinderbox world. Although he spent a lot on dark magic books in the HP world, many were still in his inventory.

In at least the worlds Char had experienced, the gold standard was universal, so Char didn't even haggle over the price, simply tossing out hundreds of gold coins—purity far superior to that of Septim in this world. Incidentally, after pocketing the six spellbooks, Char also bought several bottles of magic potions from this world and a reasonably accurate map of Skyrim.

Then he turned and left the store without looking back.

Although he knew there would be a side quest here, what did that have to do with him? He wasn't Dragonborn, so he wouldn't bother with such trivial matters.

However, Sharl was quite interested in the ancient Nord tomb in the Frostfall Mountains, the location of this quest. Of course, he wasn't interested in the ghouls inside, but rather in the stone wall at the far end of the tomb, engraved with dragon roar runes. Dragon roars weren't the exclusive domain of dragonborn or dragons; ordinary people could also master them through long practice. Ancient Nord kings who had become ghouls all knew how to use dragon roars, and Sharl had been roared away by these ghouls more than once while playing the game, leaving him with a deep-seated resentment.

What intrigued Sharl more was the stone wall engraved with the phrase "Unyielding Power"... Oh, and there was also a 'zombie' lying in a coffin in front of the wall. But even the fledgling Dragonborn could easily defeat that piece of trash, so there was no reason why Sharl couldn't. If he was lucky, he might even be able to obtain an ancient Nord enchanted weapon with cold-attribute attacks.

Having swept through a trading shop, Ciel cheerfully pushed open the door, ready to leave Riverwood for the nearest inn—the only inn in the town where a female Blade was hiding. Of course, Ciel had no intention of getting entangled with that Delphine Blade; he'd leave that to his future Dragonborn companion.

However, after Charles stepped out of the trading shop, his gaze sharpened instantly when it caught sight of a small figure. It was a figure with golden fur, a red crown, and a radiant, arrogant gaze that exuded a domineering aura. Though short, its presence far surpassed that of a giant…

That was a chicken.

...The most terrifying creature in all of Skyrim, the lifelong enemy of the Dragonborn. This proud and stern creature is especially dangerous; if you accidentally touch it, even just brush against it, you will be riddled with arrows...

The infamous Chicken God...

So Charles stood there, waiting for the chicken to walk past, before heading to the inn in the town. It was already late, so he decided to stay at the inn for the night and head to the Coldfall Mountains tomorrow.

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After spending the night at the inn, it wasn't until almost noon the next day that Charles leisurely left the inn in the town and headed towards the Coldfall Mountains, which were not far from the town.

One night was enough for Sharl to master the spells recorded in the six magic books. There was no difficulty whatsoever; after all, apprentice-level spells were no problem for Sharl. Of these, only two illusion spells and Tree Skin were truly usable by him. The Insight spell was very useful for navigating the labyrinthine ancient Nord tombs. The Wrath spell was merely a welcome distraction. Tree Skin at least granted him immunity to most sword and blade attacks; everything else was insignificant. Resurrected zombies wouldn't stand a chance against fire, and Frost, besides draining an enemy's stamina, was basically just a cooling agent. It was barely usable for low-level Guardians.

Therefore, Charles decided that after defeating the monster in the Frostfall Mountains, he would head directly from Whiterun to Winterhold. Ordinary spells really wouldn't be of much use to Charles. For everyday tasks, the magic in the Harry Potter world was sufficient for him, and in Skyrim, the only powerful spells that would catch his eye were a few master-level spells.

……

Speaking of Skyrim, we must mention what lies beneath it. In most places, you won't find such a vast expanse of ruins and tombs buried underground. This effectively eliminates the potential for tomb raiding in Skyrim. Anyone with half a brain knows that Skyrim is teeming with ghouls. Where there are no ghouls, you'll find either snow elves or the advanced technology of dwarven ruins. Without exceptional skills and powerful weapons, you're just easy prey. And if you possess both, only an idiot would risk their life venturing into these places.

It must be said that those bandits who stole the Golden Dragon Claw were nothing but lowlifes. In Skyrim, the standard for success for outlaws is whether they can have a safe and powerful stronghold. Some large groups of outlaws, all skilled fighters, often manage to temporarily reside in abandoned ancient castles or ancient cave ruins, stubbornly surviving there and causing endless trouble for the lords of various regions.

Some of the most powerful, and even some down-on-their-luck mages, joined the ranks. While most were apprentices, with few formal mages and those who were merely beginners, this didn't diminish their strength. Reality wasn't like a game; the power of a single exploding fireball was almost comparable to a blasting grenade, and a fireball spell was essentially a flamethrower. In this world still in the age of cold weapons, this was a devastating weapon. If it weren't for the fact that higher-level magic consumed more energy, and that every year new mages died from learning various spells, mages would have long since dominated the world.

No matter how powerful the demon god is, you can't enter this world. The soul of a dragon cannot be killed, and you're not like the Supreme Lord who is immune to being killed by anyone other than the dragonborn. A hundred mages could still kill you by casting fireballs.

18. The bandits of the Coldfall Mountains

The Coldfall Mountains, located northwest of Riverwood, form an angle with Mount Hosga, the highest peak in the sky, making Riverwood appear to be nestled in a valley. However, it is precisely because of this that Riverwood boasts a lush, green landscape. The Coldfall Mountains and Mount Hosga together block the cold air currents from the horizon.

However, the trade-off is that the temperatures in both places are extremely low.

Since the Nords settled in Skyrim, they have struggled against this frigid land for countless ages. The harsh climate forged their resilience and indomitable spirit, but also fostered their superstitions and religions throughout history. When dragons still existed, these mythical, immortal creatures soared through the skies, their roars shaking the earth. This led the ancient Nords, who worshipped power, to form the Dragon Cult upon witnessing these powerful beings.

Among them, Alduin, the world-devouring god who arrives at the end of the world in mythology, is particularly worshipped. It is believed that Alduin, possessing the power to devour the world, should be the supreme ruler. This may very well have led to Alduin later losing his divinity due to the distorted beliefs of the dragon cult, developing the idea of ​​ruling the world, and thus degenerating from god Alduin into dragon Alduin, abandoning his duties.

But I digress. Let's get back to the main topic.

In Nirn, the souls of dragons have been immortal since ancient times, just like those of holy spirits and demons. Death is merely a peaceful slumber for dragons; even as their bodies decay, their souls remain coiled within their deceased forms until they gather enough power to return from the dead.

The followers of the Dragon Cult were madly infatuated with this power of rebirth from death, and seduced by the allure of immortality and eternal life. The ancient Nord kings were also fanatical followers of the Dragon Cult. At that time, some highly respected ancient Nords, such as valiant warriors or Dragon Cult priests, were not given hasty burials after death. Instead, they underwent a series of special processes to create wights, which were then placed in unified tombs. Through magical rituals, these deceased Nords would undergo a long period of time before being reborn as wights, like the dragons soaring through the skies. Death was not the end, but a new cycle.

While not every ancient Nord had the opportunity to be reborn as a wight in a dark tomb after a long death, over the years, who knows how many wights are buried in the tombs of those ancient Nords below the sky?

Therefore, it is hard for others to imagine that in ancient times, these ancient Nords built one tomb after another in every corner of Skyrim, creating countless ghouls to be buried in these tombs.

Unfortunately, there is an ancient Nord tomb in the Coldfall Mountains, which contains many ghouls and an ancient Nord king or lord buried in the innermost coffin, now known as the ghoul overlord.

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As we walked up the mountain along the road below, the temperature gradually dropped, and the springtime scenery of Riverwood had transformed into a snow-covered winter landscape. The higher we climbed, the lower the temperature became, with snow blanketing the mountain and shrouding everything in white.

Although the mountains here aren't particularly steep, as long as you watch your step and avoid slipping on the snow, the relatively gentle paths, compared to other mountain trails, pose no risk of falling off a cliff. There are no other dangerous creatures along the way, and almost no animals live here, so carnivores like wolves don't linger. However, it's not entirely deserted; every now and then, a fox or two will slip out from the side. These clever little creatures have made their nests in this uninhabited place, effectively avoiding predators and human hunters.

The higher they climbed, the stronger the wind and snow became. At the top of the stone steps, the summit, everything was a vast expanse of white. Only the exposed gray rock ruins told of a past inhabitant. But this long-abandoned place had once again welcomed new visitors. A group of people dressed in simple fur armor arrived, carrying rudimentary weapons. Almost every weapon, whether dagger or short sword, was riddled with nicks and chips; even the bows and arrows were old and worn.

People dressed like this can be found in every corner of the sky; they are the infamous outlaws of the greenwood. However, the situation for these heroes here doesn't seem very pleasant, or rather, no one would feel good being forced to stand guard in the cold wind and snow. Even disciplined regular soldiers would inevitably complain in this weather, let alone these undisciplined outlaws.

In short, the bandits standing in front of the ruins, holding their tools for making a living, complained and swore, cursing the weather and the people who built the ruins, even though they were their ancestors from countless generations ago.

The biggest advantage of this godforsaken place is that you won't encounter anything dangerous. If they could, they'd like to enter the ruins, but their boss, under the pretext of being prepared, forced them to stay outside while he ventured alone into the tomb to search for the so-called 'treasure'. Generally speaking, there aren't many fools in this line of work; aren't they afraid their boss will pocket that elusive 'treasure' for himself?!

However, the leader of these outlaws made a promise, saying that this place is in the mountains, with only one entrance and exit, and that there are ghouls inside. Does he want to spend his time in the snow and wind, or is he prepared to deal with those ghouls and the traps within the ruins?

So these robbers wisely made a 'smart' choice.

However, they probably didn't know that in such large ruins, especially altars and tombs built by the ancient Nords—their ancestors—there's usually a hidden door as a concealed escape route. This is the price of lack of education. If these outlaws had been educated, they wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.

Just as the bandits waiting outside were boredly enduring the cold wind, one sharp-eyed bandit spotted a stranger dressed in a strange black robe (trench coat) walking step by step up the steps in the snowstorm. These gangsters had never seen such clothing before, but that didn't stop them from recognizing that it was far better than their own smelly leather armor.

Having endured the sweltering weather outside for so long, the bandits were instantly invigorated. Although they didn't understand why a "fat sheep" would willingly walk into their trap, that didn't stop them from making a quick buck. Even if the "fat sheep" was somewhat capable, they had plenty of men! So, with cruel smiles, the bandits all turned their attention to their perceived "fat sheep"!

However, it wasn't until the "fat sheep" stretched out a hand and a ball of flame emerged from it that the bandits, their smiles frozen on their faces, realized...

Who would want their "fat sheep" to come to this godforsaken place?!