Turn Around

I froze for a second, staring at the rope dangling from the wall, my mind going blank before my brain kicked into gear. Crap. I fumbled with the knot, fingers stiff from the cold as I untied it and stuffed the length of rope into my bag. My heart was pounding, the echoes of the courtyard amplifying every little sound, but I tried to focus. Stay calm. Act like I belong here.

Yeah, right.

As I straightened up, my stomach twisted at the sight of the old man stepping into the courtyard. He was dressed in long, gray robes, moving with this sort of quiet grace that made me feel like I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t. And considering the whole "breaking and entering" thing... yeah, not a great look.

I opened my mouth, trying to come up with something—anything—that didn’t make me sound completely guilty. “Uh, sorry, I—”

The old man raised a hand, cutting me off. “Do not fear.” His voice was calm, but there was something behind it, this quiet authority that made me feel about two inches tall. “Though you are an interloper, you are safe here.”

"Safe?" That was... reassuring, I guess? But also weirdly ominous.

He didn’t seem fazed, just turned slightly, beckoning for me to follow. “Come. I wish to speak with you.”

I stood there for a moment, awkwardly shifting my weight, but eventually nodded and followed him. What else could I do?

The monk—Arngeir, he introduced himself—led me through winding corridors. The halls of High Hrothgar were warm, much more so than I expected. There was something about this place that made me feel out of place. Small. It wasn’t exactly grand, but the stonework was beautiful in its simplicity. Maybe it was the quiet, and obvious age. There actually wasn’t much to see, just long corridors and rooms that seemed mostly bare.

Eventually, we reached a larger hall where several other monks were gathered, all dressed in similar robes. They acknowledged me with a glance, but no one said anything. The silence was almost oppressive.

When we finally entered a larger hall, I saw several other monks gathered around. They all acknowledged me with curious looks, but not one said a word. The air felt heavy, the silence pressing down on me as Arngeir stopped and turned to face me.

“My apologies for startling you,” he said, his voice still calm. “I had a feeling you would be arriving.”

That caught me off guard. “You… were expecting me?”

“Perhaps not you specifically,” he said, giving me a curious look, “but did you not hear the call?”

“Hear the—?” I shook my head, confused. “No, I didn’t hear anything.”

Arngeir’s brow furrowed slightly, though he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he shifted his stance, like he was sizing me up, or maybe trying to figure out how I ended up here in the first place. “Then perhaps you are not the one we are waiting for.”

“I’m, uh, definitely not,” I said quickly, running a hand through my hair. “This wasn’t… planned. I just had a mission to climb the steps. When I got here, it completed, and now…” I trailed off, shrugging helplessly. “Now I’m just trying not to get in trouble.”

"What mission could possibly result in you 'unintentionally' breaking into the sacred halls of High Hrothgar?”

I took a deep breath, trying to think of the right words. “I was… given a mission to climb the Seven Thousand Steps. Once I got here, the mission completed itself. I’m not here to steal or anything. I can go now.”

Arngeir raised an eyebrow. “And who gave you this ‘mission’?”

“A… blue screen?” I winced at how ridiculous that sounded. “Look, I know this doesn’t make sense, but it's complicated and I have no way to prove any of this.”

He was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. I felt like I was being measured, weighed, and I was coming up short. But instead of grilling me further, he simply nodded. “You do not seem to be a threat, Taylor. And you appear sincere in your confusion.”

Relief washed over me, but only for a second. “Thanks. I mean, I really didn’t mean to intrude or anything. I can leave if that’s better for everyone.”

Arngeir’s expression softened slightly. “There is no need to rush. You may stay here until sunrise.”

I blinked. “Wait… really? You’re just going to let me hang out?”

He nodded. “Our halls are open to those seeking peace. As long as you do no harm, you are welcome to rest before continuing your journey.”

I almost laughed out of sheer relief. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

Arngeir seemed to consider that for a moment, before speaking again. “Just for posterity's sake, I will, though I assume to know the answer, are not the Dragonborn?”

“Dragonborn?” I frowned, trying to piece together what he was talking about. “I don’t think so. What’s that?”

He explained in calm, measured tones—something about a person blessed with the soul of a dragon, able to wield the ‘Voice’ without training, by absorbing dragon souls. It all sounded very epic, very fantasy. And very not me.

When he finished, I just shook my head. “Yeah, no. That’s definitely not me. Sorry.”

Arngeir smiled slightly, though there was a weight to it, like he was thinking of something far off. “There is no need to apologize. The Dragonborn will come when they are meant to.”

After that, I wandered the halls for a while, taking in the simplicity of the place. It was peaceful in a way that felt… foreign to me. Like I wasn’t used to that kind of quiet. No drama, no pressure. Just stillness. Most of it was just cold stone walls and empty rooms. The Greybeards lived really simply. Their living quarters were modest, just small cots and chests, and the library was mostly filled with dry history books. I still read a few. History is a lot more interesting in a place that has magic. Which I have now confirmed probably exists here.

Or maybe they're just powers and the locals call it magic.

Eventually, I found an empty cot and settled down for the night. I was still trying to process everything that had happened—this strange world, the mission, the fact that I’d just broken into some ancient monastery and wasn’t thrown out immediately. My head was spinning, but exhaustion finally won out, and I fell asleep.

When I woke the next morning, I made my way to the front hall, where I found Arngeir was waiting for me at the entrance, holding out three small bottles.

“These are potions of healing and regeneration,” he said. “A gift for your journey.”

I took them, surprised. “Wow… Thanks. You really didn’t have to.” Were these actual healing items? That's... kind of nuts if it's the case.

He nodded, his expression calm but kind. “May your path be clear, traveler.”

With that, I gave him a small smile, tucked the potions into my bag, and stepped out into the cold morning air. I walked for a bit until High Hrothgar was mostly out of view, and then focused on the words “Return Home” in my mind. I wasn't sure how it would- A flash of light enveloped me, and just like that, I was back in the white room.

Huh. I guess it's that simple.

It took me a moment to adjust to the sudden shift from the freezing cold of the mountain to the perfectly neutral not quite cold not-quite-hot of the base. It was a little disorienting—like waking up from a weird dream, but still feeling like you weren’t quite back in reality.

I dropped my bag onto the floor, breathing out slowly. That trip up the mountain had been a lot, but in the end I hadn't got into a direct fight even once. A win, I guess. Shaking my head, I took off my coat now that I didn't need it and—

Wait.

The bugs.

I hadn’t even realized it, but the entire swarm was still with me. The spiders and ants I’d stashed in my bag, the few flies I’d picked up while I was wandering the halls, everything. I didn’t think I would be able to bring other living things through since none of my bugs from back on Earth Bet came along, but apparently, I could. Maybe because I literally had them on my person?

A smile tugged at my lips. This was huge. If I could bring my bugs through to different worlds, I won't have to go anywhere unarmed. And more importantly, it meant I could finish my costume. It was a small thing, maybe even stupid, but it mattered to me. I'd been making that thing for months at this point, and I hated leaving it unfinished. I was supposed to be a hero. Heroes had costumes. It was just… right.

“Alright,” I muttered, kneeling down and letting the spiders spill from my bag. “Let’s get to work.” There weren’t a lot of them—mostly fliers—but it was enough. I sent out a command, and immediately the spiders scattered, searching for places to spin webs and start building. They were slow, but they’d get the job done. Soon enough, I’d have the silk I needed.

With that handled, I turned my attention back to the base itself. I needed to check my missions. The last one hadn't been awful, but I want out of this as soon as possible. I needed more points, and I needed them fast if I wanted to reach 1,000,000 before the next year.

I walked up to the terminal, opened the mission menu with a quick tap, and an actual list opened up. There were more missions available now than before—quite a few, actually. They were all divided into four categories: Easy, Normal, Hard, and Nightmare. Each one listed the reward points next to them: 100 for Easy, 500 for Normal, 1,000 for Hard, and a whopping 5,000 for Nightmare.

I let out a low whistle. “Five thousand points? That’s…”

Suicide. That’s what it was. The very first Nightmare mission literally said I had to fight a god. I doubted it was an actual god obviously but they would probably be too strong. Hell, even if it was just someone like Hookwolf, I would get destroyed.

I scrolled past the Nightmares quickly. Hard missions, though? That felt doable. I mean, the Seven Thousand Steps had been labeled Normal, and I’d managed it. Assuming the jump in difficulty wasn’t absurd, I could handle it. Maybe. Hopefully.

I scrolled through the Hard mission list, frowning at the descriptions. They were all over the place—some of them sounded suspiciously easy, like I’d be walking into a trap. Others just flat-out sounded impossible. Eventually, I found one that looked reasonable and bookmarked it. With that choice made, I opened the store. It was time to prep.