I wiped the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand, letting out a deep exhale as I added the final log to the towering stack.

"Nice one, Alex!" Gunnar called out, clapping me on the shoulder as he passed. I returned the friendly gesture with a tired grin. All around, the rest of the lumberjack crew was packing up tools and preparing to head home for the evening. Bjorn waved as he headed down the dirt path towards Riverwood proper, no doubt eager for a hot meal and a cold tankard of mead. Even Svog looked chipper, laughing at something one of the other men said.

It felt… weird to see him again, whole and hearty. I had established a bit of a friendship with him that day, and it was all reset to zero. But I had to live with it, I had no choice but to live with it.

I sighed and made my way over to Hod's shack that served as his office. The mill owner was just coming out, ledger in hand, when I approached.

"Alex!" His bushy eyebrows rose in surprise. "Didn't expect to see you here so quickly. Everything alright, lad?"

I nodded, suddenly feeling strangely nervous. I rubbed at the back of my neck, averting my gaze for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "Everything's fine, Hod. I, ah..." I trailed off, unsure of how to begin.

Hod raised one bushy eyebrow. "Out with it, then."

I took a deep breath. "I wanted to thank you for giving me a chance here at the mill these past few days. But after that bandit attack..." I shook my head slowly. "I've decided I want to become an adventurer. Take the fight to bandits and other threats, rather than waiting for them to find me."

Hod's eyes widened in surprise. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, brow furrowing. One hand rose to stroke his scraggly beard as he considered my words. "You're sure about this, lad?" he asked at last. "That kind of life, it's a dangerous path to walk. You could lose your life out there."

A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. I gave a casual shrug, appreciating his concern. "I'm willing to risk it."

Hod held my gaze for a long moment, as if searching for any hint of uncertainty. Finally, he sighed heavily and nodded. "Aye, I can see you've got your mind made up. Well, I can't stop you." He extended a rough, weathered hand. "Just promise me you'll be careful out there."

I grasped his hand firmly, giving it a solid shake. "You have my word. And thank you, again, for the opportunity here."

Hod waved away my thanks as we broke the handshake. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a small coinpurse and tossed it to me. I caught it easily, the familiar clink of septims greeting my ears. "160 septims for your yesterday and today. Farewell, Alex, and may the Divines watch over you."

I pocketed the coins with a nod of thanks. Turning on my heel, I headed back down the path towards Riverwood, my steps feeling lighter already. Once I'd put some distance between myself and the lumberyard, I leaned back against the sturdy stone wall encircling the village, tilting my head up to gaze at the rapidly darkening twilit sky. Streaks of brilliant orange and deep purple painted the horizon, the sun's last rays casting long shadows that seemed to reach out with grasping fingers. A few wispy clouds drifted lazily overhead, stained crimson by the dying light.

What were my plans from here? I had enough basic rations squirreled away to last me for a little while out in the wilds, and could always forage for more when needed. But it wouldn't hurt to stock up on a few extra supplies here in Riverwood before striking out - some potions would be wise, maybe materials to craft up some basic items too.

Nodding to myself, I pushed off from the wall and made for the Sleeping Giant Inn near the northern entrance of the village. Even from outside, I could hear the loud sounds of wild laughter and clinking tankards spilling out into the street. As I shouldered my way inside, I was immediately swept up in a wave of rowdy villagers.

The common room was absolutely packed to the rafters. Delphine and Orgnar were both working hard behind the bar, struggling to keep up with the steady stream of drink orders. Tables had been pushed aside to create a makeshift dance floor, where a handful of young women twirled and kicked up their skirts as men shouted their appreciation. The air was thick with the aromas of spilled mead, roasted meat, and sweat.

I made my way through the press of bodies, finally managing to catch Delphine's eye as I reached the bar. Her sharp gaze swept over me appraisingly as I fished out 50 septims, sliding them across the wooden top towards her with a friendly, polite smile.

Her expression remained as inscrutable as ever, not a single flicker of emotion showing on her harsh features. But she gave a curt nod, scooping up the coins and dropping them into her apron's deep pocket. No words needed to be exchanged - my room rental was clearly an established routine by now.

I slipped away from the boisterous common room, shaking my head in bemusement at the festivities. Once inside my room, I shrugged off my wolfskin cloak and dropped my heavy fur-lined backpack on the floor and sat down in the chair.

Before I could really start to unwind, a muffled thump from the hall outside made me sit up straight again. It sounded like someone stumbling into the door across the way. I frowned, straining my ears over the muted sounds of celebration.

The thump came again, followed by a distinctly feminine giggle. I rose to my feet, hand drifting towards the hilt of my Ancient Nordic Dagger. But before I could so much as unsheathe the blade, my door burst open with a bang.

A young woman stood in the doorway, one hand braced against the frame to keep herself upright. Her blonde hair was disheveled, tendrils escaping from the hasty braid and framing a heart-shaped face flushed crimson. She blinked owlishly at me for a moment before her lips split into a wide, sloppy grin.

"Well, hello there," she slurred, giving an exaggerated wink. She pushed off from the doorframe and immediately pitched forward, barely catching herself on the edge of my bed. "I'm Isgerdr!"

I blinked dumbly as she giggled again, swaying precariously on her feet. The potent reek of ale wafted off her in waves, momentarily stunning me. She was utterly, completely sloshed.

"Uh, hi," I managed after clearing my throat. "I'm Alex. Can I...help you with something?"

Isgerdr's grin widened as she straightened up, making an obvious effort to appear more composed. The results were...questionable at best. "Oh, I think you can help me out," she purred, taking an unsteady step towards me.

I instinctively retreated, holding up my hands. "Look, I don't think this is a good idea. You're clearly in no state to-"

"Shhhh," she hushed me, one finger pressing sloppily against my lips. She gave me an exaggerated wink, leaning in until I could smell the sweetness of her wine-soaked breath. "I know exactly what I want."

Before I could react, her other hand snaked around the back of my neck and pulled me into a hard kiss. My eyes went wide with shock as her tongue immediately sought entry, hot and insistent against my sealed lips. I let out a muffled grunt of surprise that she seemed to take as compliance, her mouth opening to deepen the sloppy, drunken kiss.

I froze, utterly at a loss for how to respond. This beautiful, sodden mess of a woman was all over me, her free hand sliding brazenly down my chest to grip at my shirt. Part of me knew I should push her away, extract myself from this situation before it went any further. She was clearly in no state of mind to be making such decisions.

But another part of me was thrilled at the wanton way she practically mauled me. My inexperienced body flushed hot with desire, blood rushing southward as she pressed herself flush against me. I could feel the swell of her breasts even through our clothing, smell the sweet floral notes of her perfume over the reek of wine on her breath.

My inaction seemed to encourage Isgerdr further. With a husky giggle, she broke the heated kiss, trailing her lips along the line of my jaw. "I want you," she breathed hotly against the shell of my ear, making me shiver, before she pushed me onto the nearby chair.

I could only watch, dumbstruck, as Isgerdr dropped to her knees before me. Her nimble fingers made quick work of my laces, tugging down my trousers just enough to free my hard cock. I sucked in a sharp breath at the feeling of her soft palm wrapping around the heated flesh, giving an quick stroke.

"You're so big," she purred, locking eyes with me as she slowly licked her lips. The sight of her pink tongue darting out made my cock twitch eagerly in her grasp.

Then, Isgerdr leaned forward and took me into the wet heat of her mouth.

A strangled groan escaped me as her lips stretched wide around my girth. Her tongue swirled wickedly along the underside as she bobbed her head, taking me deeper with each movement. I held onto my chair’s sides, knuckles going white as I fought against the urge to buck my hips upwards.

Isgerdr seemed to sense my desperation. She pulled back with a naughty grin, dragging her tongue along the tip in one long, deliberate lick. My whole body tensed, breath coming in ragged pants as she lavished the same agonizing attention on my shaft.

"You taste so good," she whispered breathily. Her hand stroked me firmly as she met my wide-eyed stare. "Now be a good boy and let me take care of you."

With that, she engulfed me once more in her sinful mouth. This time she didn't tease - Isgerdr set a relentless pace, cheeks hollowing with each rapid descent down my cock. The tight suction, the way her tongue worked me over, it was sheer bliss.

My head lolled back, jaw going slack as I surrendered to the sensations. Wet sounds of lapping and slurping filled the room, along with my guttural groans and gasps.

She seemed to sense when I was nearing the edge. Her strokes became firmer, faster, her free hand cupping my sac to roll and massage with just the right pressure. It was almost overwhelming, bordering on overstimulation.

"I-Isgerdr..." I choked out, back arching as the tension finally snapped.

She looked up at me through thick lashes, eyes shining with drunken glee. Then she took me as deep as she could manage, swallowing around my pulsing length as I came with a hoarse shout.

I'm not sure how long the mind-numbing pulses of euphoria lasted. All I could do was push her head down my cock, hips twitching upwards with each spurt of cum flooding Isgerdr's eager mouth. When the last tremors finally faded, she pulled back with a messy pop, licking her reddened lips clean.

"Mmm...not bad," she purred with a sated smile. Isgerdr rose on unsteady legs, giving me a sloppy wink. "Thanks for the fun, handsome."

And just like that, she was gone - giggling as she slipped out the door and left me utterly dumbfounded.

I collapsed back in the chair, chest heaving as I stared at the ceiling in a dazed stupor. My mind was still foggy with the afterglow, body thrumming with lingering sparks of pleasure. A giddy grin slowly spread across my face as my first blowjob truly sank in.

"Well then..." I chuckled breathlessly. "So that's how it is in Skyrim."

After taking a few moments to collect myself, I reopened my inventory panel with a contented sigh. Time to get back to business - I had some items to examine.

My eyes immediately fell upon the Enchanted Iron War Axe Head I'd looted from the bandits. Pulling it free, I turned the massive blade over in my hands, feeling the strange icy chill radiating from the enchanted metal.

An enchanted weapon could be incredibly useful, but I wasn't much for wielding heavy two-handers. A shield or free hand for spellcasting was far more versatile in a fight. Maybe the enchantment could be transferred somehow? Or I could try selling it. For now, I put it back.

Next was the Spell Research Journal. I activated it through the inventory menu, and a new panel appeared in the air in front of me. My finger hovered over the different options:

Analyze Spell

Begin Research

Compose Thesis

Compose Spell

Craft Scroll

Craft Tome.

Well, it already seemed useful at first glance.

I selected Analyze Spell first, but an error message flashed up:

You need a spell held in your right hand to analyze.

"Fair enough," I muttered, lifting my right hand. Golden streams of magicka swirled together, condensing into the warm glow of my Healing Aura spell. I held the spell there, not actually casting it to avoid draining my magicka reserves.

Trying the analysis again, a small window appeared with details on the spell's mechanics:

The spell in your right hand is a Novice, Concentration, Restoration spell. The spell appears to be associated with Magical Force, and Shields. The spell appears to utilize Self-Targeting techniques.

I nodded gently, mulling over the information. It all tracked with what I already knew about the basic Healing Aura, but perhaps this tool would prove more insightful with advanced spells.

I dismissed the spell and instead summoned my Arcane Ward into my upturned palm. The magicka crackled with a faint blue shimmer as I reactivated the analysis.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The spell in your right hand is a Novice, Concentration, Restoration spell. The spell appears to be associated with Magical Force, and Shields. The spell appears to utilize Self-Targeting techniques.

My free hand stroked my chin thoughtfully. The analysis seemed fairly straightforward so far, but there were still more options to explore on this research panel.

I tapped the Begin Research button, and another window appeared with further instructions:

Researching spells requires you to have at least one spell within your hands, and the mental energy, or Magicka, to focus deeply on your spell(s).

Once you have started researching you can either cast the spell(s), and you will observe the effects as you cast them, or you can use the research journal to spend some time analyzing the composition of the spell. The latter option is much more efficient than the former, but will be much more taxing on the mind.

So I could either manually cast and observe the spells - likely an arduous process - or take the more mentally-draining route of pure analysis through this journal? Well, I was planning to rest soon anyway...

Both hands lifted, glittering with the golden light of my Healing Aura spell. But as soon as the magicka manifested, I could feel something was...off. A strange lethargy seemed to weigh me down, and a quick glance at my Effects panel revealed the source.

Researching: Due to the focus you have on your research, your Magicka has been reduced by 50 points.

I grimaced, the reduction leaving me with a mere 30 magicka - not enough to cast anything. Hopefully I could easily drop out of this research state if needed. I reopened the journal's interface, eyes scanning the new options.

Analyze Spell

Perform Research

Stop Research

I sighed in relief when I saw the Stop Research option, though I didn't select it just yet. I had already tested Analyze Spell, so I pressed Perform Research instead.

For how long do you want to research these spells?

There were lots of options. 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, all the way up to 12 hours straight. I had the entire night to myself, so six hours seemed reasonable.

The moment I tapped the 6 hour button, a strange feeling filled me. Reality itself seemed to warp and bend, the edges of my vision growing hazy. The room around me blurred into an indistinct smear of colors that made my head spin. I squeezed my eyes shut against the vertigo, my heart pounding in my ears.

When I opened them again, I found myself...nowhere. Just a vast, endless blank whiteness in every direction I turned. No walls, no floor, no ceiling - nothing but a boundless, featureless void surrounding me.

"What on earth...?" I muttered, my words seeming to get swallowed up by the emptiness.

I lifted my hand, the warm golden light of my Healing Aura spell flickering to life. At least that much was still functioning normally. I extended one palm outwards, trying to summon an Arcane Ward. Nothing happened, no matter how fiercely I willed the magicka to obey.

Gritting my teeth, I clenched my fists and let the Healing Aura's light wink out. What was going on here? I spun slowly in a circle, craning my neck to scan the infinite blankness stretching in every direction. Not a single landmark or object to latch onto - just an endless, monotonous white haze.

I took an experimental step forward, half-expecting my foot to meet some invisible barrier. But it didn't - I could walk freely, it seemed. I paced a few steps to my left, then doubled back, retracing my path. The scenery - if you could even call it that - didn't change in the slightest.

Frowning, I tried to imagine something new appearing in this blank space. A sword, maybe, or a simple wooden chair. I squeezed my eyes shut, visualizing every detail as vividly as I could, then snapped them open again. Nothing, not even a flicker of change to the vast emptiness surrounding me.

I huffed out a frustrated sigh, raking my fingers back through my hair. What was the point of this place? It had to be related to that Spell Research Journal, but the sheer nothingness was baffling. Unless...

I had to be inside some kind of self-contained space created by the System through that journal, designed specifically for analyzing spells in depth. A space utterly devoid of distractions or outside influences, leaving only the raw spell itself to focus on.

I looked down at my hands, the Healing Aura's golden light springing back to life between them. Yes, that had to be it - this blank void was solely for studying and breaking down that specific spell in incredible detail. No other magic seemed to function here besides the one I'd chosen to research before entering this state.

I eyed the unblemished skin of my finger, letting out a sardonic chuckle. "Well, this is just perfect. How the hell am I supposed to test a healing spell without any injuries to actually heal?"

Flexing my hand, I shook my head. This blank void was meant for in-depth analysis, sure, but the System couldn't expect me to do that blind. I needed hands-on experience, a way to push the spell to its limits and truly understand its potential.

An idea struck me then - a crazy, slightly worrying idea, but one that might just work. If this space responded to my thoughts and imagination, well...I could give myself some "test subjects" to work with.

"Alright, let's start small," I whispered, squinting down at the tip of my index finger.

I pictured a tiny cut forming there, just a paper-thin slice across the pad. I focused intently, brow furrowing as I concentrated. At first, nothing happened. But then a faint stinging sensation bloomed, and I hissed through clenched teeth as a thin red line appeared, welling up with a bead of blood.

"Son of a..." I trailed off, staring in morbid fascination. So it did work - I could literally will injuries into existence just by imagining them vividly enough.

Quickly, before I could overthink it, I gathered the warm golden light of my Healing Aura spell. The magicka swirled around my body, and I watched as the tiny cut stitched itself back together. Smooth, unblemished skin remained, without so much as a faint scar to mark where the slice had been.

Five minutes, tops, and a papercut-level injury was completely healed. Not bad at all.

I moved on to testing the next tier of injury. I imagined a shallow gash this time, maybe an inch long but not too deep, the kind of thing you'd get from a nasty kitchen knife slip. The sting was sharper, more insistent, and I let out a low whistle as I stared at the fresh gash sliced across my finger.

I could feel the spell's energy knitting the wound closed, smoothing the torn flesh back together.

Ten minutes, give or take. Not bad for a more substantial injury.

I flexed my finger experimentally, nodding in satisfaction as the newly-healed skin stretched without reopening. This blank void was the perfect controlled environment for testing my abilities to the limit.

A small, dispassionate smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I contemplated my next self-inflicted "experiment." I needed to push this healing spell harder, see just how much trauma it could reverse given enough time.

Closing my eyes, I visualized a vicious slash across my forearm - the kind of wound that could be caused by the edge of a dagger. I imagined the muscle fibers parting, skin flaying open in a ragged gash down to the bone itself.

The pain blossomed suddenly, white-hot and searing. My eyes flew open as I gasped, instinctively recoiling. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to look down at the horrific injury I had manifested.

A jagged, oozing furrow ran from my wrist up towards my elbow, easily three inches across at its widest point. Blood welled up in sickening gushes with each frantic beat of my heart. I could see flashes of white, glistening between tattered flaps of skin.

I swallowed hard against the wave of nausea, my throat clicking dryly. The spell's energy swirled and pulsed, but the injury remained, blood still freely flowing. Slowly, agonizingly, the ragged edges began to knit back together. I could actually see the severed muscle fibers reweaving, the torn skin pulling itself into a tight seam as flesh re-formed from the inside out.

Ten minutes ticked by, the pain fading to a dull, throbbing ache. At last, the final strip of new skin sealed itself over the injury, leaving nothing but a thin, pinkish scar in its wake. I let out a shuddering exhale, my shoulders sagging with relief and sheer mental exhaustion.

Healing that level of damage clearly pushed the Aura's limits. I wasn't sure I could handle testing anything more severe right now.

Clenching my fist, I willed a new wound into existence - this time, a puncture wound straight through the meat of my palm. I barely flinched as agony lanced through my hand, blood gushing over my clenched fingers.

The Healing Aura sprang forth, and I watched impassively as the severed tissues slowly re-knit over the next twenty minutes, though I had to re-cast Healing Aura once. Once the scar had formed, I spent a few minutes calmly testing my hand's flexibility and dexterity. Satisfied it was back to normal, I moved on.

I spent the next thee hours inflicting wound after wound on myself - slashes, punctures, even crushed and broken bones. With each new injury, I pushed the Healing Aura's limits further, watching and analyzing as flesh re-formed and bones re-knit under its golden light.

At some point, I moved on to more...extreme tests. Visualizing myself on the brink of death itself, hovering at the very edge of the void. Shredded organs, ruptured arteries, sucking chest wounds. Each time, I'd summon the Aura and focus every ounce of my being into surviving, observing how long it took to reverse even the most catastrophic trauma.

The pain became an old friend, something to acknowledge with a curt nod before shunting it aside to focus on restoring and repairing. My mind grew sharper, colder, as irrelevant thoughts and emotions sloughed away like dead skin. All that mattered was data, results, understanding the spell's true capabilities.

I'm not sure when I crossed that line into self-mutilation and body horror. At some point, the revulsion at seeing my own flesh torn asunder simply...stopped registering. It was all a means to an end - knowledge, pure and simple.

I gained a few key insights over that time period:

The Healing Aura could not be empowered by feeding it more magicka - its potency seemed fixed from the start, likely linked to my own skill level in Restoration magic.

Likewise, the Aura itself was unalterable, a simple omnidirectional sphere of energy that enveloped my entire body. I couldn't shape or direct it in any meaningful way.

There were also hard limits to what it could repair. Severed limbs and digits remained stubbornly separate once detached, and I couldn’t re-attach an eye.

But within those constraints, I now knew this spell's potential down to the finest detail. The exact rate at which it could regenerate multi-layered tissues like muscle, organ, and bone. How long it took to replenish blood loss and reverse oxygen deprivation. The upper limits of what qualified as "near-death" before the healing process became overwhelmed.

Satisfied, I finally allowed the Aura to dissipate, leaving my body a ravaged, mutilated wreck. I stared down at my shredded form, watching blood continuing to gush and pool around my feet. A thin, reedy chuckle escaped my cracked lips.

This was it, then. The point of no return.

I visualized the most grievous, catastrophic injuries I could imagine. In seconds, I was left as a mangled lump of vivisected meat and splintered bone, hovering on the absolute brink of death. I couldn't even draw breath - both lungs had been obliterated, along with my ribcage and most of my internal organs.

Numbly, I summoned the Healing Aura one final time, watching as its golden light sputtered weakly against the sheer magnitude of damage.

Tick...tock...

The first five minutes passed with minimal progress, the spell struggling just to re-establish basic structural integrity and stem the most severe hemorrhaging to keep me just on the edge of life and death.

Tick...tock...

Ten minutes, and my devastated body had zero progress, still stuck on the edge.

Tick...tock...

Fifteen minutes, and I could feel that some of my internal organs were beginning to regenerate a little bit.

Tick...tock...

Twenty minutes, and the Aura sputtered out, leaving me a twitching, feebly moaning wreck, still horrifically maimed but technically alive. Alive, but quickly expiring, as I'd ensured this final injury greatly exceeded the spell's limits.

I couldn't move, couldn't speak. Could barely think through the searing, all-consuming agony radiating from every nerve ending. All I could do was... was…

I blinked slowly, my vision swimming back into focus. The blank, featureless void faded away, replaced by the familiar wooden walls of my rented room at the Sleeping Giant Inn.

Instinctively, I glanced down at my hands, half-expecting to see them mangled and torn. But they were whole, unblemished. Not a single scratch marred my skin.

I flexed my fingers slowly, the simple motion feeling almost alien after what I'd just experienced. A humorless chuckle escaped my lips as I studied my perfectly healthy body. Not even a twinge of residual pain remained.

It was...surreal, to say the least. As if the last few hours had been nothing more than an incredibly vivid nightmare. Except I knew better. That blank, empty space may have existed solely in my mind, but the horrors I'd inflicted upon myself had been all too real.

I could still taste the coppery tang of blood on my tongue, smell the sickly-sweet reek of seared flesh. My stomach churned with phantom nausea at the memories - slicing into my own skin, snapping bones, shredding muscle down to the glistening cords. All in the name of understanding, of pushing that damned Healing Aura spell to its absolute limits.

A full-body shudder ran through me, and I hugged my arms tightly around my stomach. It hadn't been my choice to go to such lengths, such cold self-mutilation. That Research Space had slowly leeched away everything that made me human - empathy, revulsion, basic emotional responses. Until I became little more than a rational machine, endlessly testing and probing with scientific detachment.

Gritting my teeth, I tore my gaze away from my unmarked flesh and looked instead to the panels crowding my vision.

Restoration increased to 4

Restoration increased to 5

Restoration increased to 6

Restoration increased to 7

Restoration increased to 8

Level increased to 3

I blinked slowly, letting the information sink in. Then my lips quirked into a small, satisfied smile. Well...it seemed that nightmarish experience had been worth it, after all. My newfound understanding of Healing Aura on Self was reflected in those skyrocketing skill levels.

Pushing aside the lingering unease, I reached up to rub at the back of my neck. My skin felt warm and slightly clammy under my fingertips. Definitely time for a break from the Spell Research Journal, at least for now.

I glanced out the window, taking note of the twin moons' positions in the night sky. Only around three hours must have passed, despite selecting the six-hour research duration. I supposed dying in the Research Space had cut the session short.

My gaze drifted to the cluster of panels hovering before me. Right, time to assign those new stat points from leveling up. Last time I'd dumped the five points into Health, but now I was reconsidering that approach.

At 125 Health, 80 Magicka, and 120 Stamina, my stats were fairly unbalanced. Ideally, I wanted them closer to equal values. A debuff that drained my Magicka could leave me unable to cast something vital like Healing Aura. Not a risk I wanted to take.

Nodding to myself, I allocated the five new points into Magicka, boosting it to 85. The increase made me relax slightly, though an odd mental fog still clung to me.

I pulled up my Effects panel, quickly identifying the source of the haziness.

Mental Exhaustion: Your recent scholarly activities have mentally exhausted you; lowering your available Magicka by 30 points. Spend a few hours sleeping to recover.

So that was it. The intense research session had taken its toll, leaving me with a mere 65 Magicka for the time being. Like I had feared, I couldn’t even cast Healing Aura right now. If I were to get badly injured now, I would either have to take a potion or die and lose my recent progress.

Anyway… For now, I had a perk point to spend from the new level-up. More magical spells was tempting, but I knew better than to invest there without first unlocking the Combat Casting perk. That would negate the penalties from wearing heavy armor.

Combat Casting: Your concentration is less affected by heavy armor, reducing penalties for Novice and Apprentice spells.

My Heavy Armor skill sat at 22 currently - just three levels shy of meeting Combat Casting's requirement. Could I grind that out quickly? No, better to think long-term. If I was going to make it out in the wilds, I needed to be as self-sufficient as possible.

The Alchemy skill-line caught my eye. Yes, that was a wise choice for now. With some basic Alchemical Lore under my belt, I could brew potions and poisons to supplement my repertoire. Definitely worth the investment of a single perk point.

I tapped the perk, and the node blazed a bright white. Just like with Craftsmanship, knowledge filled my mind - the principles of catalysts and reagents, how to extract essences from raw ingredients, even the basics of cauldron and lab equipment construction.

My fingers twitched with the ghostly muscle-memory of a thousand brewing sessions. I could practically smell the sharp tang of vapors and the earthy, organic aroma of fresh components. Pungent death's head mushroom caps, mild's wheat flour, the biting citrus zing of frost mirriam...

I blinked, and the phantasmal sensations faded as quickly as they'd manifested. But the understanding lingered.

Alchemical Lore (1/2): You understand basic alchemy well enough to create simple potions and poisons. If you know basic craftsmanship, you can also craft Alembics and Cauldrons at a forge.

I dismissed the skills panel with a satisfied sigh and leaned back in the chair, feeling the worn wood creak beneath me. Sleep was calling my name - it was well past time I rested up after the nightmarish research session.

Tomorrow, I'd be free to do as I pleased without worrying about punching a time clock. No more grueling labor at the mill, no schedule to keep. Just me, the open road, and whatever adventures awaited.

The lumberjacks had mentioned an alchemy shop on the outskirts of Riverwood. I made a mental note to pay it a visit first thing, see if I could stock up on ingredients now that I had Alchemical Lore under my belt. With any luck, I could craft myself a basic alembic and cauldron using my smith's toolkit as well. Being able to brew my own potions and poisons would be invaluable out in the wilds.

Self-buffing potions, poisons to coat my blade and arrows, and who knew what other useful mixtures awaited with enough experimentation?

I do think that I’ll leave Riverwood. I had spent around four days here, and I felt I had become a little bit adjusted to life in Skyrim. I knew what to expect from a village like Riverwood, and I didn’t feel like I’d be too out of place in this world. Let’s hope I’m not back here soon, because that’d most likely mean I died out in the wilds…