Bro, I'm not scared of spiders, okay?
But man… if the spider is twice your size, with legs long enough to grab you like a toy—that's a whole different nightmare.
The moment I stepped into that gloomy cave room, a cold draft slid down my spine. The place smelled like damp moss and old bones, and every sound echoed just a little too long—dripping water, scurrying critters, the soft crunch of our boots on dusty stone.
Then I saw it.
Every hair on my body stood up so fast I swear I felt the follicles scream.
The spider's massive body shifted, its coarse hairs brushing against the cave floor with a faint shff-shff-shff that made my stomach drop. Its multiple black eyes glistened in the dim torchlight like a cluster of wet marbles—each one staring straight at me.
Like a dozen creepy CCTV lenses programmed solely to detect my despair.
Those fangs dripped thick venom.
Its legs twitched.
I twitched harder.
God, is this Skyrim or a horror simulator?
"Astrid, I'll back you up from behind with my Sparks spell," I said. I tried to sound calm, but my voice cracked like a teenager ordering food alone for the first time. My hands trembled around the crackling magic building in my palms.
"Alright," Astrid replied, as steady and fearless as someone ordering extra spicy food without flinching. She raised her sword like she was bored.
(How is she this calm!? I'm the one about to scream here!)
I quickly checked my blue potions—mana potions. Only three left. The glass clinked nervously in my shaking fingers.
Okay Alex, don't panic. You've beaten this game countless times. You know every inch of it. You can do this.
It's just… a giant, real, lethal monster that can kill you for real.
Nice. Fantastic.
I stepped forward, gulped, and fired electricity.
The cave lit up in a burst of bluish-white lightning.
"Take this, you oversized nightmare! Kahaha!"
Okay, that actually sounded cool.
Ten seconds ago I was THIS close to yelling "ASTRID HELP!" but thank God my dignity held on by the last thread of my sanity.
Two spiders convulsed violently, their legs curling as the electricity roasted them from the inside out. They collapsed, sizzling. The air filled with smoke… then
the smell hit me.
Oh God. Burnt monster smells like burnt socks soaked in sewage.
My eyes watered. Astrid didn't even flinch. Of course she didn't.
Another spider dropped from the ceiling with a wet plop.
I panicked and threw a dagger at it—more out of reflex than skill.
"Got one!" I shouted, chest puffed with the last remaining drop of pride.
Astrid glanced over her shoulder with a smirk.
"Wow, not bad… for someone using magic for the first time."
Bro… if she knew I've beaten Skyrim more times than I've left the house, she'd probably rethink that statement.
"Well, yeah… I tried," I said, forcing a shrug, pretending to be casual.
DON'T TELL HER YOU'RE A NO-LIFE GAMER, ALEX. PLAY IT COOL.
We gathered spider venom. My hands were still trembling slightly as I bottled the thick, glistening substance. It looked—too real. Too deadly.
This is real poison.
Not the safe, pixelated green stuff from the game…
We continued deeper until the tunnel widened into another cavern, lit by shafts of pale light from cracks above. The sound of something big breathing filled the air—slow, heavy, rhythmic.
Then we saw it.
A massive bear, curled up and snoring like a giant, furry thunder machine.
"Astrid… we could use a po—"
SWOOSH!
Her arrow flew before I even finished. It sliced the air with deadly precision and sank straight into the bear's eye. The body slumped instantly, not even a final growl.
She lowered her bow, completely unfazed.
"Were you saying something?"
I stared at her, mouth slightly open.
"No… never mind."
Forget it. She's the barbarian woman, and I'm just the dude trying not to have a heart attack every five minutes.
I skinned the bear.
This is the first time in my life I've touched real animal hide…
Not smooth, not clean—but warm, still radiating heat from a life that ended seconds ago. My fingers sank slightly into the rough fur, and a smear of fresh blood stuck to my palm, hot and sticky.
Holy crap.
This isn't a game.
This is reality.
My stomach twisted; even my breath felt heavier, as if the air itself refused to let me pretend anymore.
When we finally reached the dungeon exit, a faint breeze brushed my face—cold, sharp, and filled with the scent of pine and wet earth. I stepped outside and let out a long, shaky breath.
"Huff… finally—Hey, careful!"
Astrid yanked me back behind a boulder.
Then I heard it.
WHOOOM… WHOOOM…
The beating of giant wings.
The ground trembled with each flap, tiny rocks dancing near my boots. The wind carried loose snow and dust past our faces as the sky darkened.
A shadow passed overhead.
A dragon—huge, scaled, ancient—glided above us. Its wings stretched wider than houses, each flap forcing air downward so hard it stung my skin. The growl coming from its throat vibrated through my ribs, like standing next to a thundercloud ready to explode.
This… this is nothing like the game.
Seeing a dragon in real life is like watching a mountain decide to fly.
A force of nature.
A natural disaster with wings.
Astrid crouched beside me, jaw tight, hand gripping her bow. My own hands clutched the rock so hard my knuckles turned white.
Finally, after what felt like forever, it passed over the treeline and vanished behind distant peaks.
I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding—
FWOOOM!
A soft, resonant hum filled the air.
A glowing blue screen burst into existence in front of me, its light reflecting in my wide eyes.
My heart stopped.
My blood froze.
N-no way…
A system?
Why now?
Why me?
This isn't a cutscene! There's no narrator! No pause menu!
"Astrid…" I whispered, voice trembling. "Do you know about level up? Inventory? Skills? Perks?"
Astrid blinked at me with the same expression you'd give someone who just started speaking alien language.
"Is that a new language? Are you joking?"
Oh God.
So only I can see this. A floating blue hologram menu right in front of my face—and she sees nothing.
Why?
Why me?
I am NOT the Dragonborn. Astrid is!
The screen pulsed softly, waiting for input.
With a gulp, I reached out—hesitating, fingers shaking—and opened the menu.
Items. Level Up. Map. Magic.
Exactly like Skyrim.
The same fonts. The same icons.
But the weight of it…
The danger…
This time, there are no save files.
No reload.
No console commands.
If I die—
It's game over. Permanently.
Maybe the system didn't appear earlier on purpose.
Maybe it wants me to stop treating this world like a playground.
Well congratulations, system—
I'm traumatized already.
"Hey, why are you spacing out?" Astrid tapped my shoulder, her touch snapping me back into the moment. Her brows were slightly furrowed, confusion mixing with concern.
"Oh—yeah. Let's go." I forced a weak laugh.
Focus, Alex. Focus.
Stop panicking.
Stop nerding out.
Do NOT act like a dumbass in front of the warrior princess.
During the walk, I asked the question that had been gnawing at me.
"Astrid… will you still travel with me?"
My voice wavered a bit. I rubbed the back of my neck, eyes darting everywhere except her face. "Things will get very dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt becau—"
Astrid cut me off by folding her arms.
Not just casually—she crossed them with that cocky, confident tilt of her head. A smug grin curved her lips, the kind that screamed I know something you don't.
"Heh. I should be the one saying that."
She leaned forward slightly, her ponytail shifting over her shoulder. "You almost puked when you saw that corpse, turned pale fighting the spiders… and you saved me. I owe you."
Oof.
Right in the pride.
That stabbed my ego clean through like a steel arrow.
But the way she said you saved me… kinda sweet?
NO. STOP. BAD. Don't fall for her, Alex. Survive first.
"So you'll come with me?"
I tried to sound confident, but it came out as hopeful as a kid asking if they can keep the stray dog.
"Of course."
She tapped her chest with her fist—firm, sure of herself. "Count on me."
Holy shit.
She said 'count on me.'
Her tone, the way her eyes softened just a bit—too much for my weak adventurer heart.
Am I allowed to fall for her now??
NO. NO ALEX. BAD. FOCUS.
I cleared my throat. "Hey, I'm only a little shorter than you! And if I train, I'll get abs—or maybe even muscles!"
Astrid paused.
Slowly, deliberately, her gaze drifted down my body… then up again.
Her lips twitched like she was fighting laughter.
"…Sure," she said lightly.
Yeah yeah, Alex. Keep dreaming. Your body right now is potato-shaped with bonus squish stats.
The Guardian Stones
The forest opened up into a clearing bathed in soft late-afternoon light. The air here felt strangely still, almost reverent. Moss-covered stones circled the area, and the river beside us glimmered like liquid silver.
Then the Guardian Stones lit up.
Blue, green, and red light pulsed from the ancient pillars, casting colorful reflections across the trees, the water, and even Astrid's face. Fireflies hovered near the glow, like they were drawn to it. The air vibrated faintly, as if ancient magic hummed beneath the ground.
It was… breathtaking.
More beautiful than anything the game ever rendered.
Maybe this world isn't just deadly.
Maybe it's also full of beauty I never bothered to notice.
I laid my palm on the Mage Stone—warm energy surged up my arm like gentle lightning, tingling across my fingertips.
Astrid placed her hand on the Warrior Stone. The red-orange glow washed over her, making her look like a heroine carved out of light and fire.
Mage Stone: 20% faster mage skill growth.
Warrior Stone: same but for warrior skills.
Even the mechanics felt real.
Riverwood
As soon as we entered, panic hit us like a wave.
Villagers shouted, some clutching their children, others barricading doors. Dogs barked wildly. Smoke drifted from chimneys, mixing with the sharp smell of fear in the air.
"A dragon, a real dragon!"
Totally understandable.
If I saw a sky-lizard firing death beams above my house, I'd pack my bags and move continents.
We sold our loot.
And—just as expected—the merchant dramatically clutched his head and launched into:
"The Golden Claw was stolen!"
Classic Skyrim side quest energy.
Then I tested something in private.
I held a random dagger… thought about storing it…
and POOF.
It vanished from my hand into the invisible, mind-operated void that was apparently my inventory.
My eyes widened so much they almost popped out.
Holy hell.
This is power.
Real power.
Power not even Skyrim NPCs possess.
I turned—and caught Astrid watching me.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, not suspicious… but searching.
Trying to understand.
"It's… a special magic of mine," aku berkata, memberi senyum canggung. "Please keep it a secret."
Astrid's expression shifted instantly.
Her shoulders straightened, her brows lowered with determination, and she placed a hand lightly on the hilt of her sword—as if taking an oath.
"Of course," she said quietly. "I won't tell anyone."
There was no hesitation. No doubt.
Just trust.
Thanks, Astrid.
Somehow… that makes the fear in my chest loosen a little.
Toward Whiterun
After stocking up—potions clinking in my bag, fresh food packed neatly, new arrows for Astrid—we followed the main road north.
The wind carried the scent of wheat fields. Fireflies drifted around us. The sky had begun to darken, shifting to a deep violet scattered with early stars. Astrid walked a step ahead, checking the surroundings like a seasoned warrior.
Our journey had just begun.
And me…
I looked down at my hands, still tingling from the Mage Stone's magic.
I have to become someone new
—someone stronger—
if I want to survive this world.
Because this isn't a game anymore.
This is Skyrim.
The real one.