42 First Strike
Yuri was already on his way to his first attack target: Northwatch Keep. Tonilia had told him to wear his Erebus outfit, or the Nightwalker set, because it looked cool so he obliged. Especially after the conversation they had.
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"How do you feel about harems?"
"Pfft," Her serious face collapsed and she punched his shoulder again. "Why were you so serious while asking that?"
"It's very important to me! I've got plans and shit, I might pick up a few girls here and there..."
"You're not gonna pile up concubines like an emperor and shove them in a closet, are you? I'll kill you"
"No no no, I wanna approach a few people and see if it works out. Ten at most, probably less"
"Well, you certainly have the libido for it..."
"Haha, I'm sorry"
"Don't be," Tonilia grew a sheepish grin. "I know how much you hold back. Not that that's a good enough reason to have a harem"
"Anyway, let's get this straight! It's not your harem, it's our harem!" She resumed.
'Comrade?' The Soviet Union anthem started playing in Yuri's head.
"Agreed"
"Besides, I like girls too so it's a win-win"
"Wha-" Yuri had no idea she was bisexual.
"Surprised? Me too"
"That you like girls?"
"No, that I'm fine with this." If it were anyone but Yuri who proposed this sort of thing, she would have ran for the hills. But Yuri, he's different. She already knew he was only saying this as a preliminary check should the need arise, so to speak. He cared, she believed he had the capacity to love multiple women and still be just as strong as he is. It takes a certain type of person to inspire that type of faith in a woman.
"But really, I'm first so I'm the momma. The harem queen."
'Haha, glad she's sticking up for herself. She isn't lying either... she really likes girls. How exciting'
"So why do you want a harem?" She interrupted his thoughts.
"It's a childish dream I had that I know I can pull off as an adult. I want a family. A big one. I want a whole slew of sons and daughters who all look up to me with pride. I want the chance to prove myself to all types of women as a good husband, to all types of children as a good father. I want to use this second chance to be selfish a bit, but I know I can love more with this new heart of mine"
"And also your libido"
"And also my libido"
"You're a fucking sweetheart even when you talk about having more wives. If this starts to fall apart I'll bring you back into shape, though."
"I'd expect nothing less," Yuri gave a sweet smile to her and she closed in on him, got on her tiptoes, and sank a kiss into him. Yuri held his arms around her and kept her prisoner.
"You look antsy. Where are you off to?" She observed.
"Dirty work. I want to erase the Thalmor presence in Skyrim-" Tonilia interrupted him to spit on the floor. Yuri looked up and frowned at her. "This rug is new, Toni"
"Sorry, sorry, continue."
"I want to erase the Thalmor where I can, but I won't be doing it for free. A few demonstrations on my home ground should tell the Emperor that I mean business."
"Haha, good good!" She held his cheeks in endearing pride. "Make sure to not undersell yourself. Your work is too thorough to be cheap."
"As expected of the greatest sales representative I could ever ask for, you know what my work is worth." Yuri leaned down and kissed her again. "How about when I get back I treat you to a Solitude dinner. You can even come with me to Cyrodiil to dine after I go there on business"
"I've never been to the Skyrim's or the Empire's capital. You should definitely take me soon"
"Agreed. You'll be amazed by the places we will travel to. Speaking of which, there are a few more things I need to talk about with you. Future stuff."
"Of course, love. We'll talk when you get back"
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'If I do build a small harem they should be made of women as good as her, and they all need to get along too. A slow process, most likely, but a worthwhile one. It depends on where I go next, really.'
Yuri was thinking while flying along the northern coast of Skyrim. The shore had changed from low and snowy lands to high and frozen cliffs repeatedly, a waterfall here and a river there. He almost forgot about Dawnstar and Shrouded himself quickly.
'I haven't checked my status since the operation. Status'
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Status: Yuri Nightingale
Titles: Champion of Akasha
Race: Arch Human
Power: 120
Speed: 120
Perception: 85
Mana: 610
Stamina: 470
Record Points: 19,140
Skills: Minor Mana Manipulation, Minor Elemental Manipulation, Shroud of the Hunter, Lightbringer, Doormaster, Accelerated Processing, Accelerated Adaptation.
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"THREEEEE NEW SKIIILLSSSS!!!" He screamed out loud into the open air.
"Introduce Doormaster," He commanded with fervor.
[Doormaster: (Passive, Active) All analog locks can be opened immediately, insight into locks and seals has been granted and will expand with experience. Composition of mystically sealed areas can be determined with varying amounts of time based on effort and experience. Seals can be manifested according to the holder's desire, locking certain areas from specific influences at the cost of will and energy. Grants a portal ability.]
'This is probably the main use of the key. This is insane, it looks like the skill gave me 4,000 RP while I was still feverish too. The others sound simplistic enough, probably a result of unlocking my own potential. Introduce-'
[Accelerated Processing: (Passive, Active). Holder gains slightly faster thought-processing speed and dynamic vision naturally. Holder gains mystically faster thought-processing speed and dynamic vision at the cost of mana and mental pressure.]
'This one didn't give me any RP, guess it already exists somewhere'
[Accelerated Adaptation: (Passive) Gain increased resistance to certain stimuli below a limited threshold in conjunction to the amount of time endured. Physical training results are slightly accelerated]
'This one didn't either, but they are both extremely important. I'm glad I got them'
Yuri looked to his right past the shore and saw a certain castle on a small island in the distance, meaning Northwatch was right in front of him. He swung left and went past the shore in order to take the front entrance.
A ruined Nord keep being swarmed by bastards in glass armor was what he met. From above they look like sickly green mirrors.
'Leave one alive to send a message, or keep them guessing? If I leave one alive it will blowback on the Empire but the news will spread faster and they can claim ignorance. They also won't successfully cast suspicion on me since I'm the Lightbringer and I'll be using Shadow magic. It's decided. Leave one alive'
Yuri got to the ground since he didn't want people to associate him with Lightbringer since he also flew in Solitude. He released his Shroud and was spotted almost instantaneously.
At least eight Thalmor who stood on the wall and a few more in the complex bore witness to the sudden arrival of a red-eyed devil. Clothes that stole the light were covered by a cloak as black as the night that billowed in the chilly wind. They all drew elven or glass bows as soon as they could while an elf at ground level shouted.
"Who goes there! This is Aldmeri territory! None may pass! Identify yourself at once!"
"I will give you a moment to pray before I send you to thy final rest"
"Presumptuous impure blood! Fire!"
"You can't even see my face and you call me impure? I assure you, my blood is purer than you can fathom," Yuri caught an arrow with telekinesis before he wrapped it in shadow and spun it around.
A flash of black mist and the foggy arrow arrived in the chest of its shooter before he could blink.
*Boof* With the sound of a deep and heavy wind, the shadow exploded out and wrapped around its victim.
"AAARRGG. AAAAHHHHH!!!!" Shrill screams grated against those closest to him. His hands lost their color and grew bony and cracked, his face sunk and grew wrinkles rapidly before his skin rotted off and his flesh decayed in seconds. What fell to the ground was an empty cloak.
'Curse of Decay was a roaring success. Good thing I kept the most gruesome curses for myself, that grimoire in the College was child's play'
The commander elf grew fearful at the display and spat, "KEEP FIRING, KEEP FIRING!!! DIE YOU SKYRIM SCUM!!!!"
The wind growled and roared, the sky grew dark, Yuri's figure was concealed in a tornado of charcoal wind. Yuri stored his organs and debuted the Shadow fusion. He also used his new skill to seal the area above ground from noise so they didn't get interrupted by those he felt below.
The arrows the rest of the elves fired were disintegrated when they tried to cross the veil. Yuri advanced and the storm followed.
'Can you play me a song, system?'
[Playing Lacrimosa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 1 RP deducted]
'Haha, you have good taste. I feel villainous'
The commander elf thought he would fire a lightning spell, it didn't reach Yuri before it was consumed.
Yuri let his figure reappear from amidst the dark clouds as he walked slowly toward his prey. His whole body was black, his eyes glowed a deep and powerful red, not just the iris. His nails extended slightly and grew to points, his hair floated like he was underwater. Smoke exuded from his skin and billowed behind him to join the storm.
The arrows continued and Yuri had enough. He extended his hands outward and closed them together while tendrils of Shadow extended and tore apart the seven who still stood on the wall along with several portions of the wall itself. The men who were sliced in half fell to the ground floor screamed as they decayed and attracted the attention of the men who hadn't seen the commotion in the compound.
Lightning bolts were still hitting Yuri to no effect from a man who was whimpering and backpedaling.
"Is this your purity? Is this your superiority?"
Yuri created a whip and sent it to the man while it wrapped around his head and strangled him. Yuri tightened the whip till he couldn't even let out choking sounds and the whip burned through him and decapitated him.
He made his way into the compound as the men who saw the front commander get decapitated and noticed the darkening sky saw the culprit. Some charged after gritting their teeth, most had stayed behind and tried to fire spells. There were 40 just in this yard and 60 more below ground. He had no idea why so many were here and what they were supposed to do because there was no way over a hundred men were just here to hold a keep.
"Who do you think you are!"
"Kill hiiiim!!!!"
Yuri stomped his foot down and the shadows spread all along the floor to grasp the closest ones and travel up their bodies. Choked, constricted, burned, decayed, the men who were hit by this shadow were melted before the rest of the compound.
One shot an ice spell with a shout, Yuri held out his hand and stopped it in midair.
"You call this a spell? I thought you Elves were supposed to be good mages"
Yuri turned the ramshackle ice spear into a beautiful ten-foot trident in moments before launching it at the caster, impaling not just him in the stomach but pinning two others to the wall in the process.
With bloodshot eyes and clenched teeth, the elves all around him were building up mana in their anger, recklessly charging up single spells and trying to bombard him.
"Do your worst, peasants!" Yuri egged them on with a sinister voice.
"FILTHY MONGREL, DIIIEEEEE!!!!!"
Fireballs, Wind blades, thunderbolts, icicles, expert spells hailed onto Yuri as he merely expanded his Shadow field densely and swallowed them all whole. Multicolored projectiles disappeared fruitlessly in the black.
"Now die like good dogs, will you?"
In a flash, Yuri arrived at his left flank and put his hand through a man's chest while he held the heart in his hand on the other side.
"Always wanted to do that"
"YAAAHHHHH" A man to his left swung a sword while Yuri was stuck in his comrade. Yuri held up his hand and the unenchanted sword landed in his hand and started decomposing. Yuri swung his hand inside the chest and used the other guys sword to cut his head off before kicking them both into the wall behind them and burying them in a copious river of fire.
Two were approaching to stab him in the back, one with a spear and shield that would prove troublesome. Not!
He teleported behind them in a poof and roundhouse kicked the spearman's head off before grabbing the face of the other one and turning him into a screaming statue.
Yuri felt bullets of fire landing on his shoulders or missing him. He turned and glared at the trio that was still shooting at him before dashing and landing a dozen punches on one in rapid succession. His elvish armor formed to his body under the pressure and he landed into the wall while Yuri kept punching. The elf slouched down and spit blood, Yuri punched his chin and broke his neck.
The other two had already backed into a corner, not stopping the spells or the screaming.
He turned his hand and froze them solid before turning his attention to the right flank. They had already begun to flee.
"Is this the pride of the elves?! Fleeing from one Nord?"
Before one could reach the exit he sent a black whip to him and cut the guy in half. His screaming torso was trying to cast restoration magic on himself, but he decayed too quickly.
"Death comes for you, and it reveals the weakness beneath that arrogant face in your final hour!"
Yuri sent a giant cloud toward the twelve who almost fled. In unison, they melted and cried their last.
He lazily looked up to the top of the ruin that held the rest, Archers who hadn't stopped firing at him the whole time. Most had run out of arrows and were staring dumbly at him, refusing to climb down the stairs.
Yuri created dozens of flaming arrows and pincushioned each and every one of them. The last few tried jumping off the back wall and Yuri merely caught them with telekinesis. One was sent a small wisp of fire that landed on his chest, then rose into a fantastic pyre.
Yuri approached the other who was still suspended, the lowered him to his knees. The elf clenched his eyes shut and let small gasps escape him.
"Tell whoever sent you that Skyrim is a free land, and man will never kneel"
He let him go before heading to the central door and opened it before taking the stone stairs down.
Everyone who was alarmed by the intruder didn't last long. They stood up and the floor swallowed them and crushed their lower bodies while the walls grew stakes and stabbed their uppers.
Yuri went wild. Some became statues, some gained his personal touch and were beaten to a pulp, some dismembered and most consumed by cursed Shadow. He had to get that skill, and he used Shadow in every possible spell from now on.
The noise of death spread through the corridors and caused the elves to occasionally unite, but no more than groups of ten or fifteen came at once. Yuri solved them quickly, he was growing bored.
After less than twenty minutes, the sixty men below ground had all died horribly. He spent a little more time on the guys he perceived with bad karma, which was 25% of them.
Arriving topside and followed by silence since his song was over, he looked around and decided to send an ostentatious message.
After thinking a while, Yuri settled demolishing the entirety of the surrounding walls and collapsed everything above ground, leaving only the door down. He then used the stone and formed a familiar statue that was over a hundred feet tall, covered it in intricate wards, and sealed it with his skill. This statue of Talos would last for centuries atop the bodies of the men he killed this night.
{A/N: I have heard a few of you asking me to not make this a harem and I am respectfully declining it! I can pull it off and I will. No, the story won't turn into a slow and uphill trudge, nor will the romances dominate the story. I'm planning 5-10% romance/lemon. Thank you for your concern, however, with regards to the quality of my work.}
