Liam was back in the game he had been playing for the past two months. Calling it "playing" might be a stretch. It was more of a training—training for the last 60 years. Yes, for one and a half months, Liam had been in training instead of progressing in his game.
And there was a perfect mentor for him, who had been guiding him all this time. The mentor's name was Celebrimbor. Many of you might not have heard of this name, and those who know it only recognize it from games.
Celebrimbor was a Ñoldorin prince and the last in the line of the House of Fëanor, who lived in Middle-earth. Yes, the game was Shadow of Mordor. He was the dead elf bound to the protagonist, a ranger by the name of Talion. Both of them had already died, but for some reason, they were bound together and trapped in Middle-earth. Both wanted to be free from this curse and finally rest in death. They soon realized the infamous Sauron was behind it all.
Thus, they started their quest for the Black Hand, so they could kill him and free themselves. There were some differences in the plot compared to the books, but it was still a great story. Since Talion was bound to Celebrimbor, who was not only an elven smith who forged the Rings of Power but also a great warrior, Liam begged him to teach him how to use a bow and fight with a sword over the past one and a half months.
It was then that Liam realized Celebrimbor was a perfectionist. To become an ace in the game, Liam spent 60 years fighting and learning from him. It's worth noting that, in the beginning, Liam didn't have the wraith-like abilities and had to rely solely on melee combat. Titanfall 2 had taught him gun mastery, but melee combat was what he lacked.
He remembered how tough the game was, even on normal mode, so Talion had a hard time in the beginning, killing orcs and monsters. But he got the hang of it quickly since Liam had already trained. What he was lacking was proficiency in the wraith abilities.
So, for the past half a month, he had been grinding. He was a one-man army and had to be incredibly nimble, relying mostly on sneak attacks. But once in a while, he faced his enemies head-on. Unlike his time in Titanfall 2, his success rate in direct combat wasn't as bad.
He came out victorious 50% of the time. So, it was a win-win situation for him. In his previous life, he loved the game and knew how to play it. And since Liam was a completionist when it came to games, he explored every nook and cranny of the open world and did what he felt was right.
He soon raised an army using his wraith abilities and now aimed for the final target: the Hand of Sauron. Today, he was at the end of the game's story. He had struggled to get here, ensuring everything was perfect, but he was glad he'd finally arrived.
Liam stood at the precipice of Barad-dûr, the air thick with the acrid stench of sulfur and the oppressive weight of Sauron's malevolence. He had heard about Sauron's power, but now that he was feeling it, it was like a horror show for him.
Shadows danced wildly around him, flickering like whispers of dread, as if the land itself sought to crush his spirit. But Liam, though gripped by the raw terror of truly being inside this world, refused to falter. Celebrimbor's voice echoed in his mind, steady and resolute.
"Steady yourself, Talion. The Hand of Sauron is near. His death will bring us one step closer to ending this nightmare."
Liam knew this elf wasn't a good man, but one couldn't entirely blame him. His thirst for revenge and the influence of his own ring had corrupted him. Still, this man had taught him swordplay and archery. And it was only a game, so Liam didn't mind being used—as long as he gained power from it.
Liam tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his free hand crackling with the eerie blue light of wraith energy. The Hand of Sauron stood at the heart of the chamber, waiting. He was a towering figure draped in obsidian armor that seemed to absorb the light.
"I have a gift for you… Celebrimbor."
In the next moment, Liam was forced to relive images that weren't his own, a story he already knew. The story of Celebrimbor and how he fought against Sauron. The exposition was soon over, and then he continued.
"The Dark Lord gave you a second chance—to stand by his side. Now I give you no choice. You shall be sealed together in death."
The Hand of Sauron cut his own throat and proceeded to suck Celebrimbor away from Liam.
"Return to me, Ring maker."
At that moment, Liam saw Sauron, almost in flesh and blood. This was where the fight would begin—the fight he had been training for. Of course, Celebrimbor helped him in the battle. When Sauron came to finish him, Celebrimbor held him back. And that was enough for Talion to not only take Celebrimbor back but also kill Sauron.
When Liam played this game the first time, he had complained about how boring the final boss fight was. But now, he thanked the gods for making it short. He was tired of smelling sulfur, feeling oppression, and walking on dead earth.
As soon as he finished the whole story, he found himself back in bed at the Stark Mansion.
[Congratulations to the host for completing the game. Final evaluation: A-]
"Well, at least it's not a B. I did better than I expected. Now, give me the rewards."
[Before the host claims the rewards, there is one matter that need to be spoken.]
"What is it?" Liam asked.
[Since you have completed the game Shadow of Mordor and it is the prequel of Shadow of War, if the host is willing, he can play Shadow of War and have a chance to fair better in the eventual evaluation. But there is a catch. If the host in the game Shadow of War, fails to get at least A-, he wouldn't recieve any rewards and only if he does better than the previous game would he get any rewards]