Chapter 17: Draugr Overlord
I realized too late—I'd stepped too close.
The moment my foot crossed an unseen line on the platform, the Word Wall hummed to life. Glowing white glyph burned against the ancient stone wall, and before I could retreat, a torrent of light burst forth. It struck my eyes like a flashbang and funneled into my brain, searing my nerves and vision all at once.
System Prompt: New Word learned — Fus
"Aaagh!" I stumbled to the side, momentarily blinded, enough time for the Draugr to step out of his tomb and prepare for battle.
My breath came in ragged gasps, and I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the stars dancing across my vision.
The Draugr roared to the sky, readying its great axe.
My vision returned just in time to see the ancient corpse rise from its tomb, its decayed body wrapped in blackened armor, a massive two-handed axe in its hands. Faint blue light glowed from behind its cracked eye sockets.
"Faus…" it shouted with its rotting tongue, taking one slow step out of the sarcophagus.
I rolled aside just as it shouted.
A shockwave of pure kinetic energy blasted past me, ripping apart the floor tile where I'd stood a second before. My ears rang, my heart pounded, but not out of fear. The shout left a mist of dust and force in its wake.
"Hahaha!" I laughed out loud, I was excited to gain that shout for myself; the only obstacle in my way was this rotting corpse.
As I dashed toward him to disarm him with my system, it shouted again, What the—
I was thrown back a few feet, crashing into the ground. Argh! Small rocks dug into my armor, denting it. Does he not have a cooldown?
I quickly got on my feet. The creature is slow, and it won't let me get close. Can it sense my intention?
He swung his axe with brutal force, carving deep gouges into the stone as I dodged.
It's not that slow
I moved ten steps back, creating a larger distance between us.
[Flame] in my left.
[Sparks] in my right.
Separately, they were low-tier spells. But I needed more. I needed something new.
What if I merged them? Change them?
I thrust both hands forward. Not in separate spells—but one stream, one focus point, flame surged with raw heat, and lightning surged with violent speed. But I was too far for them to hit the Draugr. My hands shook as I poured Magicka into both, commanding them to fuse.
It didn't work.
The elements were too different, I can't mix them, but I can create a new one
"Come on…" I growled, grinding my teeth.
Then—Ding!
System Prompt: New Spell added — Plasma Lance
Destruction 25 -> 27
A hole the size of a human skull burned through the Draugr's torso. Smoke hissed from the cavity, and a sound like wind escaping filled the chamber.
The Overlord stumbled, his axe dropping on the stone floor with a clang, his body pressed down, as no spine remained for it to stand straight.
He fell on its back, its eyes still open. Glaring at me with ancient fury.
I approached slowly, the heat cooling off in my hands.
"You were strong," I said quietly.
One final [Flame] spell to the face ended it. His brittle skull cracked and ignited, and its body slowly turned to ash.
I stood there for a moment, catching my breath, watching smoldering remains. The Word Wall no longer glowed, but I felt its power embedded deep within me. Fus.
With the System's prompt, I looted the chest placed next to the tomb, blindly grabbing everything.
Suddenly, I heard slow and steady footsteps in the cave, Camilla.
She slowly walked towards me, "What are you still doing here?" I asked her, leaning against the tomb, my hand held the Dragonstone tablet.
Camilla's footsteps echoed louder as she neared, her eyes wide with alarm at the scorched smell still thick in the air. She stopped a few feet from the tomb, her eyes gazing at the ancient wall, and a scorched mark on it.
"I heard something," she said, panting. "That blast… what was it?"
I remained slouched against the tomb, the Dragonstone resting on my lap, as I exhaled, "I told you to go back. You shouldn't be here."
Camilla stepped closer, anger edging her concern, but it quickly faded, "I did, I saw that elf, dead. I feared they'd be more upstairs. What if you were wrong?"
"I killed every last one of them," I replied bluntly, "But you did good to stay out of the fights at least," I sighed.
Camilla's eyes lit up, hearing me say that, "But you shouldn't have followed me." I reminded her quietly.
"And yet," she shrugged, brushing past me and looking around the chamber, "here I am."
She knelt beside me, examining the Dragonstone on my lap, fingers hovering over the etched surface but not touching. "Is that what that elf was after?" she asked, her face unable to hide the rage brimming inside her.
I shook my head, "Not quite."
Suddenly, another sound of footsteps echoed in the cave as I looked toward the entrance.
A woman walked quietly, her heel clicking against the stone path. She wore leather armor strapped around her body, her blade drawn, her back straight.
Camilla and I stood up, our blades drawn, ready for a fight. "Who are you?" the mysterious woman asked.
"I'm her saviour, and you?" I replied, staying calm as the breeze.
"I'm here for that." She asked, pointing to the tablet in my hand.
I chuckled, shaking my head, "I have a mission from the Jarl of Whiterun to bring this to his wizard friend; In simpler words, I can't give this to you, I hope you understand." I said, leaving clues so she understands I'm here on Farengar's request.
She hesitated a bit, her hand moving to a resting position as she quietly turned and left.
Camilla heaved a heavy sigh behind me, her hand shaking. I grabbed it, "Calm down, will you?"
She flinched for a moment but nodded her head.
Still holding my hand, with hers trembling slightly, her fingers curled into my palm like she was afraid to let go. I looked down at her, finally noticing her.
She was a young imperial girl. Black hair let loose, now slightly tousled and damp from the cavern's cold. Her black eyes—sharp yet soft—held mine with a defiant strength that hadn't been there a moment ago. She had a petite figure, yet her curves were impossible not to notice, even through the dirt-streaked dress and leather tunic I put on her when I removed her from the spider webs.
Camilla's Image:
"I'm okay now," she said softly, pulling her hand away as if suddenly realizing she'd held it too long.
I nodded, brushing past her. She moved at the same time and bumped into me, and as she began to fall, I grabbed her in time pulling her toward me.
Her breath hitched.
Her hand had landed on my chest, fingers splayed. The soft curve of her chest pressed against my shirt.
"I—sorry," she said quickly, stepping back, her cheeks red in the dim glow of the cave.
"Don't be," I muttered, a smirk running along my face. How cliché!
The silence from her was heavier than the Draugr's shout.
Without another word, I began to move, retracing the winding path up the ruin, past long-dead corpses.
I could feel her behind me, quiet, thoughtful. Perhaps, the memories of the morning were flooding her mind, her mind was in denial, and she was yet to face the worst.
We eventually emerged into the first chamber, the temple, where the sunlight pierced through the opening above from the stone ceiling, made like a rib cage.
Varn lay motionless along with the bandit I had left alive, after he gave us the information on where Camilla was.
I quickly moved toward him, turning his lifeless body, only to see his throat was slit.
'Bitch!'