I woke to someone shaking me.
"Chen! Chen, wake up!"
Kyle's voice.
I opened my eyes—groggy, disoriented.
Only four hours of sleep after playing Skyrim until 3 AM.
"Kyle? What—"
"Master Liu, there's a problem!"
That woke me up.
I bolted upright. "What kind of problem?"
"The Silver Serpent Sect. They're here."
"What?! But they said 3 PM! It's only—" I looked at the window. Early morning light. "—seven in the morning!"
"I know! They came early!"
Kyle's face was pale, worried.
"And Master Liu... they brought a lot of people."
I threw on clothes, rushed downstairs.
Found my parents in the kitchen—both armed with their weapons, faces tense.
"Chen." Father said quietly. "Look outside."
I went to the window.
And saw them.
Outside the Gaming Hall—
Twenty cultivators stood in formation.
All wearing dark robes with the silver serpent emblem.
At the front—an old man.
Thin. Bald. With a long white beard and eyes like frozen chips of ice.
His aura was crushing.
Even from inside, even through the walls, I felt it.
Core Formation. Seventh stage.
Elder Feng.
Behind him—three other elders. Fifth and sixth stage.
And behind them—sixteen disciples. All Foundation Establishment or higher.
My Survival Instinct tingled.
But then—
[REMINDER: HOST IS INSIDE GAMING HALL]
[IMMUNITY ACTIVE]
[ALL OCCUPANTS PROTECTED]
[SURVIVAL PROBABILITY INSIDE: 99.9%]
I took a deep breath.
Smiled slightly.
They can't touch us.
"Chen." Mother's voice was shaking. "There are so many of them."
"I know, Mother. But we're safe."
"Safe? How can we be—"
"The System protects everyone inside the Gaming Hall. Remember? I told you last night."
I walked to the window, looked at Elder Feng calmly.
"They can threaten. They can posture. They can attack."
"But they cannot hurt us."
Elder Feng stepped forward.
His voice—amplified by spiritual energy—boomed across the entire street.
"LIU CHEN! OWNER OF THIS GAMING HALL!"
Every word shook the windows.
"YOU WERE GIVEN THREE DAYS TO RESPOND!"
"YET YOU SENT NO REPLY!"
"THIS IS DISRESPECTFUL!"
I opened the front door—stood in the doorway.
Completely calm.
"Good morning, Elder Feng." My voice was polite. "You came early. It's only been two days and sixteen hours."
His face darkened.
"You dare mock me?!"
"I'm not mocking anyone. Just stating facts."
I smiled.
"So, what can I do for you?"
Elder Feng raised his hand.
Massive spiritual energy gathered.
"SERPENT'S STRIKE!"
A huge spiritual serpent—thirty feet long—
Shot toward the Gaming Hall.
CRASH!
The serpent hit an invisible barrier ten meters from the building.
FLASHED brilliant gold.
And disintegrated into nothing.
Complete silence.
Elder Feng stared—eyes wide.
"What... what sorcery is this?!"
He attacked again.
"SERPENT CAGE!"
FLASH!
Nothing.
"HEAVEN-SPLITTING PALM!"
FLASH!
Still nothing.
Elder Feng was breathing hard now.
Frustrated. Furious.
I stepped forward—still inside the protective boundary.
"Elder Feng, you're wasting your energy."
"This Gaming Hall is protected by powers beyond cultivation."
"You cannot break through. You cannot harm anyone inside."
"So I suggest—"
I looked at him directly.
"You leave. And don't come back."
His face turned red with rage.
"You—! You think this barrier will protect you forever?!"
"It doesn't need to protect me forever. Just long enough."
"Long enough for what?!"
I smiled.
"Long enough for me to become strong enough to destroy you myself."
Shocked gasps from the Silver Serpent disciples.
Even Elder Feng looked stunned.
"You? A mortal without spiritual roots? Destroy me?!"
He laughed—cruel, mocking.
"Impossible!"
"We'll see."
I turned to go back inside—
But paused at the door.
"Oh, and Elder Feng? When I do come for you—"
I looked back at him.
"It won't be with cultivation. It'll be with magic."
"Real magic. The kind you've never seen."
And I closed the door.
Ten minutes later, another presence arrived.
Victoria.
Alone this time.
She walked calmly down the street—past the Silver Serpent cultivators—
Straight to Elder Feng.
"Elder Feng." Her voice was cold. "I suggest you leave."
"Lady Wei." He sneered. "This doesn't concern your clan."
"Perhaps. But I'm making it my concern."
She looked at the Gaming Hall—at me watching through the window.
"Liu Chen is under my personal observation. If anything happens to him—"
"The Wei Clan will investigate."
It wasn't a threat. Not officially.
But the implication was clear.
Elder Feng stared at her for a long moment.
Then—
"Very well. We'll leave."
He looked at the Gaming Hall one last time.
"But this isn't over, Liu Chen!"
"One week! You have one week to reconsider!"
"After that... we'll find other methods."
And the entire Silver Serpent group left.
After they left, Victoria entered the Gaming Hall.
Derek—her son—was already there, having arrived early to play.
He looked between his mother and me—
Suspicious. Calculating.
He's watching.
Victoria noticed too.
Her face remained perfectly neutral.
Professional. Distant.
"Master Liu." She said formally. "I came to check on the situation."
"We're fine, Lady Victoria. As you saw, the barrier protected us."
"Good."
She glanced at Derek—who was pretending not to listen—
Then back to me.
"I'll return later. For my session."
"Of course."
She left.
But as she passed me, she whispered—so quietly only I could hear—
"Be careful. Elder Feng won't give up."
Then she was gone.
I looked at Derek.
He was watching me.
Definitely suspicious.
I'd need to be very careful around Victoria when her son was present.
Whatever feelings might be developing—
They'd have to stay hidden.
For now.
After Victoria left, I gathered everyone in the Gaming Hall.
My parents. Kyle. Derek. Elena. Marcus. Shen Yun.
About fifteen regular customers.
"Alright everyone. You saw what happened outside."
"The Silver Serpent Sect tried to attack. And failed."
"But they'll be back in one week."
I looked around.
"So today, I want to show you something. Something that will give you hope."
I raised my right hand.
Focused.
"FLAMES."
FWOOSH!
Fire erupted from my palm.
Not huge—about the size of a torch—
But real.
Burning. Hot. Actual fire.
Everyone gasped.
"Master Liu—you can use magic?!" Kyle's eyes were huge.
"Yes. I learned it from Skyrim."
I sustained the flame for five seconds—then let it die.
My parents were staring—mouths open.
"Chen... you... you cast fire?!"
"Yes, Mother."
I raised my other hand.
"HEALING."
A soft golden glow appeared over my palm.
Warm. Soothing.
I had a small cut on my finger from earlier.
Touched it with the glowing hand—
The cut closed.
Healed completely.
"Oh my god." Mother whispered.
Father looked like he might faint.
"Chen, this is... this is real cultivation?!"
"No, Father. It's magic. Different from cultivation."
I looked at everyone.
"This is what the Gaming Hall offers. Not just strength. Not just combat skills."
"But real supernatural power."
"Magic that anyone can learn. With or without spiritual roots."
Marcus stepped forward—eyes blazing with curiosity.
"Master Liu, how does it work? What's the mechanism? Is it—"
"It comes from Skyrim, Marcus. From absorbing dragon souls in the game."
"Each dragon you kill gives you magicka—magical energy."
"And as you learn spells in-game, you can practice them in reality."
I demonstrated again—
Fireball this time.
A small flaming orb shot from my hand—
Hit the training dummy across the room—
BOOM!
Small explosion. Scorch mark.
Complete silence.
Then—
Chaos.
Everyone talking at once.
"I want to learn that!"
"Can I absorb dragon souls too?!"
"How many dragons do I need to kill?!"
"Is there a limit?!"
I raised my hands for quiet.
"Everyone can learn. But it takes time. Practice. Dedication."
"I've played Skyrim for over twelve hours total. Killed seven dragons. Practiced magic for hours."
"And I'm still weak. These spells are nothing compared to what cultivators can do."
I looked at them seriously.
"But they're mine. Earned through skill. Through effort."
"Not through spiritual roots or bloodlines."
"That is the point of this Gaming Hall."
"To give power to everyone."
After the demonstration, my parents pulled me aside.
Mother's eyes were blazing with determination.
"Chen. We want to learn magic too."
"Of course, Mother. That's why I—"
"No." She interrupted. "You don't understand."
She gripped her daggers—the Lunar Twin Daggers she'd earned.
"We want to learn magic so we can kill Elder Feng ourselves."
Father nodded grimly.
"That man threatened our son. Tried to destroy what you built."
"We won't forgive that."
Mother looked at me—
And I saw something I'd never seen before.
Fury.
Cold. Controlled. Deadly.
"Teach us magic, Chen. Teach us to be strong."
"Strong enough to destroy our enemies."
I felt something warm in my chest.
Pride. Fear. Love.
"Alright. But it won't be quick. It takes—"
"We have time." Father said. "We're staying inside the Gaming Hall. You said we're safe here."
"We'll play. We'll train. Every day."
"Until we're strong enough."
Mother nodded.
"And then—"
Her voice was ice.
"The Silver Serpent Sect will pay."
Later, as we prepared for the day's sessions, Mother asked—
"Chen, if we're staying inside... what about food?"
"We can't go shopping. And we only have supplies for a few days."
I'd been thinking about this.
"Wait here."
I focused on the System.
System, if someone eats food inside Skyrim—in the game—will they feel full in reality?
[Ding! Correct!]
[SKYRIM FOOD SYSTEM:]
Food consumed in-game provides REAL satiation
Nutritional value transfers to real body
Hunger/thirst satisfied in reality
Note: Taste and enjoyment fully replicated
Perfect.
I turned to my parents.
"You won't need to worry about food."
"When you play Skyrim, you can eat inside the game. Bread, cheese, meat, whatever you find."
"It'll satisfy your real hunger."
Mother blinked. "Really?"
"Really. The System provides."
Father laughed—a relieved, amazed laugh.
"This Gaming Hall just keeps getting more incredible."
12:00 PM
Device 1: Victoria
Device 2: Shen Yun
Device 3: Derek
Device 4: Elena
I started all four devices.
Victoria had chosen High Elf.
Pure mage build.
She started in Helgen—experienced the dragon attack—
And immediately gravitated toward Destruction magic.
Learned Flames.
Practiced on wolves.
[Destruction: Level 8 → 15]
But what fascinated her most was the strategy.
In Skyrim, she couldn't rely on overwhelming power.
She had to think.
Manage magicka. Position herself carefully. Choose when to fight and when to flee.
"This..." I heard her whisper. "This is what Liu Chen meant."
"Fighting without raw power. Thinking instead."
She reached Riverwood.
Helped defend against bandits—using only magic.
Joined the mage's college questline.
By the end of the hour—
[Destruction: Level 25]
[Learned: Firebolt, Ice Spike]
[+1.2% magicka capacity]
[+0.8% spell control]
She removed the headset—
Eyes shining with excitement.
Saw Derek watching—
Immediately smoothed her expression to neutral.
"Interesting game, Master Liu." She said formally. "I'll book ten more hours."
But I saw it.
The passion in her eyes.
She loved it.
Shen Yun chose Breton.
Balanced magic and combat.
He was methodical.
Joined the College of Winterhold immediately.
Studied every spell available.
Practiced combinations—
Fire in one hand, sword in the other.
[Destruction: Level 32]
[One-Handed: Level 28]
[+1.8% magicka capacity]
[+1.4% combat versatility]
When he finished—
"Master Liu, this magic system is sophisticated."
"More refined than many cultivation techniques I've learned."
He paused.
"I want to master it completely."
He placed twenty gold coins on the table.
"Two hundred hours. I'm investing fully."
Derek played as a Nord warrior.
Two-handed weapons. Heavy armor.
Straightforward. Powerful.
But I noticed him watching the other screens.
Watching his mother play as a mage.
Watching Shen Yun combine magic and combat.
He's suspicious.
Watching for any sign of... what? Affection between his mother and me?
I'd need to be very careful.
Elena chose Wood Elf archer-thief.
Focused entirely on stealth.
Joined the Thieves Guild.
Learned to move silently—picked locks—stole without being seen.
[Sneak: Level 38]
[Lockpicking: Level 32]
[+2.1% stealth]
[+1.6% hand dexterity]
She barely spoke when she finished.
Just nodded at me.
Booked fifty more hours.
And left.
Throughout the afternoon, dozens of customers played.
Each experiencing Skyrim differently:
Kyle - Became a Companion, learned werewolf transformation (in-game)
Marcus - Focused on Enchanting and Alchemy, fascinated by crafting
Thomas - Became a legendary blacksmith, forged Daedric armor
Every player found their own path.
Every player gained real improvements:
Strength (warriors)
Agility (thieves)
Magicka (mages)
Crafting skills (smiths, alchemists, enchanters)
The Gaming Hall was alive with activity.
After closing for regular customers, I sat down with my parents.
"Alright. Six hours. Together."
"We're going to dive deep into Skyrim tonight."
Mother and Father exchanged excited glances.
"We're ready, Chen."
Device 1: Liu Chen (Me)
Device 2: Liu Mei (Mother)
Device 3: Liu Wei (Father)
I started all three devices.
Mother's character appeared in the cart.
She gasped—even though I'd described it, experiencing it was different.
"Oh... oh my. This is real."
The execution scene played out.
The dragon attacked.
Mother was terrified—but also exhilarated.
"Chen! There's a dragon!"
"I know, Mother! Run! Follow Ralof!"
She escaped Helgen—
And stepped out into Skyrim.
Stopped.
"Chen... this world is beautiful."
I smiled, watching her screen.
"I know, Mother. Take your time. Explore."
Mother chose to be a healer-mage.
Focused on Restoration magic.
Learned Healing immediately.
Practiced on wounded NPCs in Riverwood.
[Restoration: Level 12]
She was gentle in the game.
Helped everyone she met. Healed the sick. Avoided killing when possible.
That's so like her.
By the end of two hours—
[Restoration: Level 28]
[Learned: Fast Healing, Healing Hands]
[+1.4% healing ability]
[+0.9% compassion manifestation]
She removed the headset—eyes wet with tears.
"Chen... I healed people. With magic. With my own hands."
"All my life, I could only watch when people were hurt."
"But now..."
She looked at her real hands—trembling.
"Now I can help."
Father chose Nord warrior.
Axe and shield—practical, straightforward.
He wasn't flashy.
But he was effective.
Fought bandits. Killed wolves. Protected villagers.
[Two-Handed: Level 22]
[Block: Level 18]
[+1.8% strength]
[+1.2% defensive instinct]
When he removed the headset after two hours—
"This... this is training." He said, amazed.
"Real combat training. Every fight taught me something."
He looked at me.
"Chen, if we play this for months... we could become real warriors."
"That's the idea, Father."
I dove deep into the main questline.
Hour 1-2: Diplomatic Immunity Quest
Infiltrated the Thalmor Embassy
Used invisibility potions and stealth
Discovered information about dragons returning
Barely escaped alive
[Sneak: 45 → 52]
[Speech: 38 → 44]
Hour 3-4: The Throat of the World
Climbed to meet Paarthurnax
Learned the Clear Skies shout (LOK VAH KOOR)
Philosophical conversation about the nature of power
Learned Dragonrend shout (JOOR ZAH FRUL)
[Shout mastery: +15%]
[Wisdom: +0.6%]
Hour 5-6: Alduin's Wall & Dragon Hunting
Discovered ancient Blades temple
Learned about Alduin's return
Hunted three more dragons deliberately:
Frost Dragon near Winterhold
Blood Dragon near Riften
Elder Dragon near Solitude
Each fight was brutal.
The Elder Dragon especially—
Took fifteen minutes of constant combat.
Dodging fire breath. Timing arrows perfectly. Using Dragonrend to force it down.
When I finally killed it—
[DRAGON SOUL ABSORBED!]
[Dragon Souls: 7 → 10]
[Magicka: 310 → 370]
What I loved most about Skyrim?
The freedom.
In other games, you followed a linear path.
Here?
I could do anything.
Become a thief. A mage. A warrior. A merchant.
Join any faction. Ignore the main quest. Build a house. Adopt children.
Endless possibilities.
I also appreciated the lore.
Every book I read added depth.
Every NPC had a story.
The history of the Nords. The Dwemer ruins. The Daedric princes.
Rich. Complex. Fascinating.
This wasn't just a game.
It was a world.
By the end of six hours—
[TOTAL REWARDS - LIU CHEN:]
+8.4% strength
+6.2% magicka capacity
+5.8% combat experience
+4.1% world knowledge
[NEW SHOUTS LEARNED:]
Clear Skies (LOK VAH KOOR)
Dragonrend (JOOR ZAH FRUL)
[TOTAL MAGICKA: 370 points]
[MAIN QUEST PROGRESS: 35%]
[ESTIMATED COMPLETION: ~60 more hours]
Mother and Father removed their headsets—
Both exhausted but happy.
"Chen..." Mother said softly. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever experienced."
Father nodded.
"If we can do this every night..."
"In a month, we'll be strong."
"In two months, stronger than most mortals."
"In six months..."
He looked at me.
"We might be able to stand beside you. When you face the Silver Serpent Sect."
After my parents went to bed, I sat alone.
Thought about the day:
What Happened:
Silver Serpent Sect attacked—failed completely
Demonstrated magic to everyone
Victoria played (loved it, but hiding feelings because Derek watches)
Dozens of customers leveled up
Parents committed to training intensively
I progressed 35% through Skyrim's main quest
Current Strength:
Me: 51.1% above baseline (42.7% + 8.4%)
Magicka: 370 points
Can cast: Flames, Healing, Fireball, Ice Storm, Chain Lightning
Proficiency: Still low (5-20% depending on spell)