novelODS Chapter 2 Dilemmas and Upgrading
Chapter 2 Dilemmas and Upgrading
It took Fang Yun a long time to calm down.
He recalled the diverse starting options in the "Different Lives" MOD—an abandoned death row inmate, a reclusive mage, a newbie in a guild, and an art gallery treasure hunter who arrives in Solitude by boat.
Fang Yun suddenly felt a little fortunate that he had chosen an extremely ordinary starting point.
No need to escape Helgen, no need to follow Larov or Hadvar through tunnels, you can directly own a house in the most prosperous city in Skyrim and start your life with dignity.
However, the "Proud Spear Villa" in the game is worth 25,000 gold coins and is one of the most luxurious residences in Dugu City.
But his room was clearly not that spacious—although the furniture and furnishings were not bad, it was still far from being "luxurious".
On the bright side, at least he owns a house.
In his previous life, he worked 996 hours a day in a big city for seven or eight years, but he didn't even save up a penny to buy a house.
With this thought in mind, Fang Yun decided to explore his house thoroughly, hoping to find something that would help him survive in this damned world.
After some searching, Chen Mo suddenly realized that the Silent House was actually more like a "home" than he had imagined.
The layout on the first floor is simple and practical. Directly opposite the door is a small living space with a worn but clean wooden sofa, a low table, and traces of charcoal ash still remaining in the fireplace.
To the left is a staircase leading to the second floor, and to the right is a door that leads to a narrow corridor, a simple kitchen, and a back door.
Chen Mo stood in the center of the room and slowly turned around.
A cold wind slipped in through the cracks, making a faint whistling sound.
It all feels so real.
Real dust, real wood grain, real chill.
He walked up the stairs.
There were two rooms on the second floor. The larger one was his bedroom where he woke up, and the smaller one's door was ajar; he hadn't been inside it before.
Chen Mo pushed open the door.
Then he froze.
This was a small room of less than ten square meters, much colder than a bedroom. The windows were tightly closed, but wind still managed to squeeze in through the gaps in the window frame, swirling around inside.
A stone workbench was placed in the center of the room.
The tabletop was engraved with intricate patterns, which formed a design that Chen Mo recognized all too well—
Enchanting table.
A workbench in the game used to dismantle magical equipment and enchant weapons and armor.
He strode over, and the moment his fingers touched the countertop, a cool sensation came from his fingertips. It wasn't ordinary cold, but a strange, tingling feeling, as if something was gently scratching under his skin.
Scattered on the table were several items: a rusty dagger, two used quill pens, and a few pieces of broken bone of unknown purpose.
There was also a rock the size of a fist.
It was a dark purple color, and its surface was covered with cracks, as if it had been used for a long time and was almost exhausted.
Soul Stone.
Moreover, they were small, nearly used-up "ordinary soul stones".
Chen Mo picked up the stone and weighed it in his hand. It was heavier than he had expected, and its texture was warm and smooth, unlike stone; it felt more like some kind of solidified resin. Faint purple light could be seen moving within the cracks, as if something alive was trapped inside.
This is one of the common currencies in the ancient scroll world, and also an essential item for mages to cast spells and enchant.
In the game, after killing a creature, you can use the Soul Trap spell to capture its soul. The soul will be stored in this stone, which can then be used to enchant equipment or charge magical weapons.
At this moment, a tiny bit of unused energy remained in the soul stone in Chen Mo's hand.
The moment he was observing the Soul Stone, a strange feeling suddenly surged up from the depths of his body.
The feeling was hard to describe—it wasn't hunger, it wasn't an empty stomach, but a craving that every cell in the body was screaming for.
Before his consciousness could react, his body had already made its own choice.
The fingers tightened.
The instant the skin touched the crack in the Soul Stone, a burning sensation surged into the body.
Chen Mo tried to let go, but found his fingers wouldn't obey him. The burning sensation climbed up his arm, across his shoulder, over his chest, and finally surged into his head—
He closed his eyes.
dark.
Then there is light.
Countless points of light spread out before his "eyes," densely packed, layer upon layer, stretching from nearby to the unseen distance. Some were bright, some dim, some still, and some slowly moving.
Star map.
Chen Mo agreed with this.
In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a star map appears every time a character levels up. Here, players choose to increase magic, health, or stamina, and allocate newly acquired skill points.
However, the star map in the game is just an abstract background.
At this moment, he is "inside" it.
The light emanating from the stars fell upon him, carrying a strange temperature and weight. He could feel that each star had its own "voice"—not a real sound, but some kind of more subtle vibration, emanating from each twinkle of starlight, gently tapping at his consciousness.
Chen Mo suddenly remembered the deeper meaning of the star map.
In the worldview of The Elder Scrolls, the so-called stars are not actual stars.
They are channels.
In the beginning of creation, the gods discovered the deception of creation. In order to escape Nirn and travel to the eternal land known as the "Light Realm," they tore open spacetime, leaving these holes. Through these holes, the primordial laws of the Light Realm—magic—were able to flow into this world.
In other words, every star is a wound. Every ray of starlight is a trace left by a fleeing soul.
As Chen Mo floated in this sea of stars made up of wounds, he suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold.
Just then, he noticed a star.
The star was at the edge of the star map, very dim and weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment. But for some reason, Chen Mo couldn't take his gaze off it.
Familiar with.
It was as if there was some invisible thread connecting him to that star, faint but definitely present.
Moreover—that star seems to be "brewing" something.
It wasn't the star itself, but its interior, where something seemed to be taking shape, growing, waiting to break free. Chen Mo could vaguely sense its outline, but couldn't make out what it was.
A wisp of energy flowed from his body, following the invisible thread, and drifted toward the dim star.
It's the power I just absorbed from the Soul Stone.
The moment the energy touched the star, it lit up slightly—just slightly, almost imperceptible unless you looked closely—before fading back to darkness.
But Chen Mo knew that it wasn't an illusion.
He is feeding that star.
Or rather, his body was nourishing that star.
An indescribable feeling welled up inside him—confusion, fear, curiosity, and a faint glimmer of anticipation. He wanted to approach that star, to see clearly what was inside, to—
The star chart began to tremble.
The points of light began to shake violently, their brightness flickering. An invisible force pressed in from all directions, pushing him in a certain direction.
select.
His consciousness told him that it was time to make a choice.
Magic, life, stamina.
The choices he had to make with every level up in the game were now presented to him in the most realistic way.
Chen Mo's gaze swept over the orbs of light representing the three powers—blue magic, red life, and green physical strength.
What should he choose?
Magic could allow him to learn spells and become a true mage. But magic requires spellbooks, training, and a great deal of knowledge and money. He has nothing right now.
His stamina allows him to run longer, carry more weight, and attack more powerfully, but he might not even know how to use a sword.
life.
A red ball of light danced before his eyes.
Life is the most fundamental thing. Only when you're alive can you consider anything else. Every extra life increases the chance of surviving in this damned world.
I don't have money to buy a magic book.
He didn't have the money to hire someone to teach him combat skills.
But at least he can make himself more resilient.
Chen Mo's consciousness probed towards that red light.
The moment they touched, a warm current surged into their bodies. The feeling was not as scorching as when they absorbed the soul stone, but gentle and filling, like soaking in hot water, like basking in the long-awaited winter sun.
A warm current seeped into every cell, the fatigue disappeared, and the vague discomfort vanished as well. He even felt that he had grown a little taller.
Then the star chart began to fade.
The light faded into the distance, and darkness enveloped him once more. The "voices" of the stars grew increasingly faint, finally disappearing completely from the depths of his consciousness.
Chen Mo opened his eyes.
He was still standing in that small room, still clutching the completely gray, cracked fragment of the soul stone. The light outside the window barely changed; it seemed as if only a short while had passed.
But the physical sensations were completely different.
He clenched his fists, feeling a greater surge of power within his muscles than before. His breathing was smoother, his heartbeat more steady, and even his core felt subtly taut—like the state after a long period of core training.
Upgraded.
It really has been upgraded.
Chen Mo looked down at the broken soul stone in his hand, suddenly unsure of what expression to make.
I... absorbed the energy from the Soul Stone?
Did I upgrade?
But—what's with that star?
He remembered that dim, familiar star, the energy flowing into its interior, and the vague, nascent shape.
What is that?
Chen Mo stood there, staring at the grayish-white stone in his hand, motionless for a long time.
He only snapped out of his daze when the sea breeze outside squeezed in through the window cracks again, accompanied by a sharp, whistling sound.
Whatever that star is, he has no way of knowing it now.
He needs more soul stones.
He needs a magic book.
He needs equipment, intelligence, food, and everything he needs to survive in this world.
And all of this requires—
"Money," Chen Mo muttered to himself.
Yes, money.
In Skyrim, it's called gold coins, it's called Septine. From the Imperial Legion to the Stormcloaks, from Nord lords to beggars, everyone recognizes it.
He needs to make money.