Chapter 550: A Lifetime Ago

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Season 7 "Game Start" finale is on Chapter 553… and it is just epic.

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"So, where to go?" Nurina asked.

"Apocrypha!" Jon replied with delight.

"I know we're going to Apocrypha but where would we go to reach Apocrypha, you dolt."

"Oh… nowhere to be exact. Just let's sit and open the book together. It will envelope the reader with some Hentai tentacles and send his mind to the Realm of Apocrypha."

"So it's a trip only for one?" Nurina seemed unamused.

Jon's eyes gazed sideways.

"Kin…da?"

"You don't know?"

"Can't you just make an Astral Mind connection and link with me?" Jon asked, "You're the head of Mysticism Department for crying out loud."

"Alright alright! Let me check how that one used to work."

Nurina went up and started rummaging through her books and scrolls in the corner of her room. Nurina is messy by nature and the way she organizes her personal things is scary. No one knew how she used to run an orphanage as a hobby but it seemed that she could get organized if she wanted to.

She came back with a book and a staff then recited an incantation and cast a spell towards Jon.

The two had their consciousness blackened out for a second before returning back again.

"Oh… that's… interesting!"

Jon looked towards his hands to see them much smaller, darker, and he was holding a staff he was familiar with. Just beside him was… well… him. Jon checked himself by touching his chest to feel it rather soft. On the other hand, the other Jon was checking his own muscles as if shocked by the terrifying physical power he felt.

""Hey!""

They finally understood what happened and Nurina hurriedly cast the spell back to reverse what just happened. The two returned to the way they were and realized what went wrong.

"Why is there such a spell to begin with?" Jon asked.

"Beats me… actually, I think I need to do some gymnastics from now on."

"Good… I learned nothing important by the way."

The two decided not to bring up the matter ever again and would kill anyone who may know about it just in case.

The spell worked by the second try and Jon could feel Nurina in his mind. It was a higher form of telepathy that is very obscure but can connect people together even across worlds.

"We are ready now." She said, "Just remember, do not get lost in Apocrypha or I'll be lost with you as well. We need all the Knowledge regarding the Divine Script and the Varliance to translate the knowledge on the Eye of Magnus."

Jon nodded and let out a sigh, in front of him were three Black Books all under seals. During his expedition to Solstheim a few years ago, he managed to acquire four of the six Black Books of Hermaeus Mora, Daedric Prince of Forbidden Knowledge. He managed to read the easiest one in the past and learned the iconic Bardic Knowledge spell from it but that book was less evil compared to those three. Even now, he wasn't sure he could conquer those three books in one go.

That's why Nurina was here.

"Alright, here goes nothing…"

Grabbing the first book randomly, Jon read the title as he opened the first page.

"Filament and Filigree. I stared at my reflection in the metal, wondering if my face had hardened to match my inner mood. I had been working the piece for days, and the forge's swelter was taking its toll. I always came to the metal shop when the dark swam over me, and today was no exception. In the midst of…"

Nurina watched Jon as he read, the words written were neither poetic nor a masterpiece of literature but rather generic and normal yet every word he read put her and his mind to a strange state. Their consciousness started fading and Nurina could see strange tentacles growing from the book wrapping themselves around Jon… and everything went dark.

***

*Oblivion, Apocrypha Realm, Filament and Filigree, Chapter 1*

Jon's eyes moved around as everything around him just felt uncomfortable.

"Tentacles again? For fuck's sake!" He sighed as he was sure how exactly the book takes people in.

He looked around and felt uneasy in this place. Filament and Filigree is a one of kind between the Black Book collections. It was unusually dark, the thick smell of the Apocryphal ink sea, the rotten smell of old books, the suffocating scent of a dusty library.

A quagmire of ink and paper, an island in Apocrypha or rather… a book.

"Nurina." Jon called.

It wasn't much later when a person materialized beside him wearing a long dress and looking around the place with interest.

"For the place where all the knowledge is hoarded, it is a bit shabby." She said

"Don't let the landlord hear you saying that." Jon laughed it off.

Now that Nurina joined him in Apocrypha through the mystic link, things started to liven up a bit.

"Look, that book is a lost interpretation of Vivec's 37th Sermon!" Nurina grabbed a book and started going through it.

"Ignore it!"

"Look, a recipe book for Khajiiti Lasagna!"

"Stop it!"

"My! My! Isn't this text written in Akaviri?"

"Only Laaneth can read that."

"I'm not sure what it says but there is a drawing of a monkey beating up a monster with tentacles."

"Just drop it, please."

No matter what, Nurina was a scholar and an obsessed one at that. If she finds out a world that is basically built by books, she may never leave, not even in a hundred years. That is why Jon seemed to be more resistant to the influence of a Daedric Realm than her.

But still that was Nurina, an overpowered existence that can't be even influenced this easily. She was only letting herself rummage through the collection in this place but even if she read the whole realm, she won't be trapped by it.

The reason is simple.

*fwaa* *fwaa* *fwaa*

Chaos!

Jon and Nurina are the only two capable of using that attribute without suffering its side-effect. Chaos can rampage through anything and everything, the aftermath is mostly horrible but that is something no one can avoid. Jon used the Chaos to break one of the towering pillars of books and threw it in the sea of poisonous ink making a bridge.

"You rude son of a bitch! Haven't read that yet."

"Anything that the Demon of Knowledge hoarded isn't of value if it is just lying around. Herma Mora is known to be… possessive." Jon said.

"Demon of Knowledge? How very Nord! When did you become religious?" Nurina was unamused.

"Me?"

Jon felt disheartened. If there is a list of heathens in this world, it is him on its top.

"Let's just cheese through this place and get out of here." Jon said as he broke another pillar of books to widen the bridge.

< A Daedric Entity is curiously watching you! >

"Yeah, expected that one to happen."

Hermaeus Mora was indeed watching. He can tell mortals apart as the Daedric Prince of not only Knowledge but also Fate… not in a good way in either of the spheres. It was understandable when Mortals try to hide things from him but it was also understandable when he tries to forcefully know what is it. Jon was using Chaos to cause rampage on Apocrypha, breaking the Chapters apart and traveling through them. Hermaeus Mora could tell that the power Jon used is not a thing of this world and it is basically the opposite of Existence.

Existence is based on variable information but Chaos is simply something that doesn't make sense. An Apocrypha one way or the other. The Spheres of Hermaeus Mora are actually very tricky, he may be the Lord of Knowledge but the way he acts is to gather Knowledge and lock it in his realm driving all those who come to it insane. He is not really the Lord of Knowledge but rather the Lord of Ignorance. Chaos can't be processed by him thus to him it is something of both interest and fear.

Chaos is the defiance to all worldly so as a part of the world. Hermaeus Mora is a part of the world so when he sees the Chaos, he sees something that he can't be curious about even though he doesn't know.

Jon and Nurina finally managed to conquer the book of Filament and Filigree and reached its end. There, the Knowledge which Hermaeus Mora uses as a lure to bait the mortals in Black Books was waiting for them in the form of a large book with Divine Script and Knowledge Power flowing around it.

Three choices met them; the [Secret of Strength], the [Secret of Protection] and the [Secret of Arcana].

Each one of those represented both power and knowledge, Jon lusted for each of them equally but he can only pick one.

"I'll take the Secret of Arcana." Jon said as he selected the page he needed.

Power moved from the page to his mind and imprinted itself firmly.

< You have gained [Secret of the Arcana] >

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[Secret of the Arcana] <Power>

- You are well versed in the lost secrets of Magic. You can draw Magicka from the power and use it directly with enough mental capacity for a short period of time.

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"Sweet!"

Jon smiled as he read the message and started to immerse himself in what kind of power this can be.

"My turn. I'll pick [Secret of Strength]." All of a sudden, Nurina butted in and chose something completely unsuitable for her.

"Wait… what? Nurina." Jon tilted his head in confusion.

Why would Nurina… pick strength?

"What?" She eyed him up and down, "Having muscles isn't something bad."

She picked the power anyway even though she could pick the same thing as Jon which will insanely buff her magic.

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[Secret of Strength] <Power>

- You don't tire no matter how demanding the Physical actions you do for a period of time depending on your original endurance.

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"That's worthless." Jon said.

"To you with your… crazy strength." She said as she looked away.

A while before they entered Apocrypha, Nurina had gone through a first-hand experience on how strong the human demi-giant she raised. To her, it was traumatizing.

Nurina was physically strong as she used to be a Battlemage but Jon is simply a freak. The way his muscles look when flexed is akin to some demonic being possessing them with how every muscle looks like it has muscles of its own. Of course Jon doesn't look over-buffed at all since his Body Forging techniques pressed all that together into his fearsome body.

"Alright, that's enough looking at my body. Sheesh woman, I can recommend you to the gymnasium."

"Not interested." She said as she walked away.

Jon smiled and followed her towards the exit portal.

"Seriously, it's a Dare gymnasium, best in the world."

***

Filament and Filigree was the first book to conquer, the team of mother and son went out and directly picked another Black Book, The Sallow Regent.

"Act I, Scene 1…

(Enter Filemina, with broken sceptre)

Filemina--

Woe betide my fate-wrecked heart

Which gives no tender shine to he

Who gave his favors up to gods

And brought his blood-struck mind to me…"

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Another Black Book and another chance to cheese through a Daedric Realm in the most infuriating of ways. Hermaeus Mora's Daedra are the Seekers and the Lurkers.

Seekers are grotesque tentacled daedra that are usually guarding tomes of forbidden knowledge in Apocrypha. Seekers have the power to banish prey with sound attacks. They are rarely seen outside the Apocrypha. They have the ability to drain their prey's energy, vitality and Magicka. The Seeker can also drain knowledge from unfortunate mortals who cross its path. While they appear bestial and imposing, they are not unintelligent. Mortals who are lucky enough to pass by a Seeker without invoking its ire may witness them reading one of the many tomes Apocrypha has to offer.

Lurkers, on the other hand, are large daedric creatures that come from the murky waters of Apocrypha. They appear as tall, amphibious humanoids with gaping mouths and needle-like teeth. They have what appears to be armor or thick scales lining their lower arms and legs. As their name may suggest, they lurk beneath the roiling pools of creatia in their master's realm and may surface if they detect trespassers. Lurkers use their long legs to stamp down on trespassers and can attack from afar by spewing tentacles from their mouths. Additionally, they can spit acid from their mouths. Their flesh has regenerative properties, allowing them to heal when they are attacked. Lurkers are resistant to poison.

Unlike how things went in the game, the Seekers and Lurkers were hoarding towards Jon and Nurina from every direction. The two were not going to face the horde alone as they started endlessly summoning Undead from the Soul Cairn and pushed forward with violence until they finished the book.

The powers they were offered in the end were [Seeker of Might], [Seeker of Sorcery] and [Seeker of Shadow].

"I choose Seeker of Sorcery." (Jon)

"I choose Seeker of Might." (Nurina)

"Woman, you're truly going for it, ain't you."

"Shaddap!"

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[Seeker of Sorcery] <Passive Power>

- Magic costs 10% less Magicka and Enchanting is 10% more effective.

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[Seeker of Might] <Passive Power>

- Physical activities are 10% more effective.

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"Fine, I'll admit that this is not a bad one… it is actually… physical… hmmm… sex counts, right?"

*Whack* *Whack* *Whack*

"Ouch! Stop… stop it!"

Nurina chased Jon towards the portal beating him up with her staff flexing her newfound power on him.

***

The last book was [The Winds of Change].

"During the reign of Elgryr I took notice of the various patterns in the thoughts and behaviors of a troubled populace, and undertook a humble plan to comprehend and, in the end, affect them. Being of ordered mind, I began my taxonomy in the lower classes, which divide evenly into those who…"

Another book, another chapter in the Chronicles of Jon and Nurina cheesing through Daedric realms.

This one took them quite a while but thanks to the time difference between dimensions, it was rather nice Hermaeus Mora to give this such a good advantage.

Just like the other two books, there were three choices but this time, Nurina herself was confused about what to choose.

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[Champion's Insight] <Passive Power>

- You are an inspiring leader that empowers his followers. In the fray of battle, your area attacks can avoid your allies.

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[Lover's Insight] <Passive Power>

- You are a charismatic lover. Get better prices and easily approach others.

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[Scholar's Insight] <Passive Power>

- You are a peerless scholar. Get more insights through reading.

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"Lover Insight… no, must not think, must not choose it." Nurina was going mad over the knowledge she always wanted.

"It is agonizing indeed. I mean… I would love to see myself doing better than what I already can do but I am here for the [Scholar's Insight]." Jon simply went with that choice.

"Tsk! Damnation! Can't resist anymore." Nurina stomped the ground in anger, "The [Lover's Insight] is mine."

"Heh! I knew this would happen."

Nurina finally satisfied her own greed to be a sociable charismatic character and Jon had to stick to the plan of harvesting all Knowledge related powers.

It seemed that he would be doing all the work on the [Eye of Magnus] himself.

But that wasn't really true. In actuality, Nurina didn't need the Knowledge and Sorcery powers as much as Jon needed them. Casting spells through the Magicka of the World, making magic cost-effective and being able to research better? Nurina is 200 years old, this is all child play to her.

On a different note, once she and Jon returned to her quarters while the sun was rising, she turned to Jon asking about more Black Books.

"I still have one but I used it a long time ago. You can use it later but it doesn't have anything interesting to be honest." He replied.

"Hmph! I could have gained some more Knowledge too but I think we have already attached enough attention from the Daedra today. We will be in trouble if Hermaeus Mora targets us." She said.

"Soon." Jon nonchalantly replied.

"Hm?"

"He will be targeting us sooner than you think." Jon implied.

"Why?" She asked.

"Dragonborn." Jon pointed at himself.

"Ah… I see."

Jon spoke based on future knowledge but it was easy to imagine that Hermaeus Mora would be interested in a Dragonborn indeed.

"So… why don't we hit him before he hits us first." All of a damn sudden, Nurina spoke up as if she found something interesting.

Jon looked at her as if she was some kind of a fool.

"You serious?"

"Yes. I guess you know something, right? You know how we can screw him before he screws us." She asked.

Jon pondered for a while and nodded.

"There is a place very close here in Winterhold where we can screw him real good." Jon said and looked carefully at Nurina.

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• Name: Nurina Aren

• Titles: High Priestess of Sithis, Nemesis of Daedra

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Nemesis of Daedra, that's what Nurina is. A very terrifying fate she has here as her hatred towards some Daedra transcends scenes.

"I can also show you how to become better at using the Chaos other than using it to break stuff." She said.

"Hmmm… alright." Jon nodded and called his staff.

With a wave, Nurina's large fur coat flew from her bed to her shoulders and she looked at Jon in a funny way.

"Trust me, you'll need it."

Nurina listened and fastened her coat while Jon was casting [Teleport] to a nearby place outside the college in the north. The two of them appeared on a large floating icicle in the Sea of Ghosts.

"That's the place?" Nurina asked.

"Yep." Jon said as he walked ahead and hopped from one icicle to the other.

Nurina sighed and cast a powerful spell freezing the portion of the sea around her, there were no waves so it was safe to walk on.

"Where to?" She asked.

"There, see that boat?" Jon pointed ahead to a boat stuck on an iceberg with some signs of Human activity around it.

Jon and Nurina reached the iceberg as they found an entrance to some sort of an ice cave in the middle of the sea. Nurina was over-impressed and smiled vividly as she checked the bright ice frozen interior of the cave. It was a really new experience to be in such a magical place that felt as if it is a world on its own.

Jon walked ahead of her as they entered an interior resembling a large chamber made of this ice but there were ramps leading down to what seemed to like a laboratory with a large Dwarven construction on the shape of a shut tight vault and a man rummaging through a pile of books.

Jon saw him and smiled, he has been keeping an eye on this man for a long while now. A very powerful mage who kept to himself for the past years only hiding in this cave and going out through portals on a few occasions such as food and clothing. Jon traced his Teleportation once which led to Cyrodiil and back.

If a mage can easily jump between Cyrodiil and Winterhold, this is surely the sign of an Arch Wizard and a great one at that.

But this one is not just any Arch Wizard.

"Erm! Ehem." Jon cleared his throat as he tried not to startle the man.

"... don't spread… no no no no… yes yes yes… not like this… indeed… indeed… but… how?"

The man didn't even turn to Jon no matter how much the latter clears his throat. Jon was thinking of switching right away to the Thu'um but something stopped him.

"Sep… Septimus?" Nurina asked with a look of wild confusion and utter shock.

Jon read the mood and remembered that this man who is not paying any attention to him, Septimus Signus, was a former member of the College and surely someone who came across Nurina before.

They surely knew each other at least but… why is Nurina… having that look?

Jon would avoid Nurina when she glares, this is not the time he would want to be the one receiving those glares.

On the other hand, Septimus reacted to Nurina's call. His head turned around the moment he heard his name on three shakes. First, he was confused by the name he heard before he remembered it was his. Second, he tried to recognize the voice calling for him. Third, his instincts made him completely look at the caller with his face showing a hint of recognition.

Of course, she was familiar to him, very familiar.

"Nurina, girl. Here you are. I couldn't find you anywhere. The place is a mess, a measly mess. Go fetch me that book, the gold red book, the one with the dragon book."

The way Septimus spoke as he was kneeling in front of his book, the hint of extreme familiarity to Nurina was strange.

Nurina didn't reply but rather sped forward towards him and held the old man from the collar of his robes with a furious face. Jon didn't know what is what but Nurina is really not okay at this rate.

She pushed Septimus up and pinned him to a wall making the man groan but he still kept mumbling.

"You… fool… you old… fool."

Jon ran and held her away from him before she would do something they both regret.

"Nurina, get yourself together."

Jon managed to place her a safe distance from the man whose face was carried a similar surprise to Jon but his mouth kept mumbling.

Nurina looked at Septimus with an angry face but she later held her forehead and was almost on the verge of tears. To think that this ice queen was this emotional regarding some man she never mentioned before.

"How… how many years… you dumb son of a bitch?" Her anger was suffocating her as she spoke.

"The blocks were built on each other… the tower reached its perfectness and there was no more top… heaven if heaven were reached… or breached… the heaven… tower… but the heart." Septimus kept mumbling, making the look on both Jon and Nurina turn even stranger.

The man was even worse than his condition during the game. Just what could it be? Jon brought Nurina here based on his game knowledge to do something about a certain important quest but he didn't expect the Drama channel to be sponsoring this place.

"Nurina, what on Nirn?" He asked, pointing at Septimus who slid back to the ground looking into his books.

Nurina looked with extreme sadness at the man she never expected to see.

"He… he is Septimus… one of the world's top scholars of the Arcane Arts… a lifetime ago… he was my husband."

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