"Damn it!"
I kicked the dirt on the ground and let out a curse. I never imagined I'd get separated from the protagonist in a way like this.
I was certain Harkon had pulled some kind of trick on Choi Ha-neul, but there was nothing I could do back there.
Resistance would have meant certain death, so honestly, I was lucky just to make it out alive.
"Sigh... what now..."
In all my time playing the game, I'd never heard of a companion being brainwashed by a vampire. The path ahead looked bleak.
My original plan was to clear several quests simultaneously alongside Choi Ha-neul, but this unexpected variable had thrown everything into chaos.
'For now, let's head back.'
Since there was nothing I could do immediately, I decided to return to Fort Dawnguard where the rest of the party was waiting.
—Fshhhhh!
I cast a conjuration spell to open a portal and returned to the fort.
"I thank you for granting such a great blessing to a lowly creature like me."
Meanwhile, inside the castle after I had been kicked out, Choi Ha-neul—now fully under the effects of Charm—bowed her head to Harkon and swore her loyalty.
"Bare your neck and stay still."
At his command, Choi Ha-neul tilted her head to the side, exposing her throat. Harkon then sank his sharp fangs into her artery, injecting the ancient blood.
—...
It must have been painful, but she didn't let out a single whimper, waiting patiently until the 'blessing' was fully delivered.
Soon, as the blood completely saturated her system, her body was slowly overtaken by the sinister aura of blood.
But the blood of a Pure-blood Vampire was far more than that of a common fledgling; it possessed immense power.
Even for her, the Dragonborn, it wasn't something easily endured.
The blood of a vampire and the blood of a Dragonborn—foul blood and divine blood—tangled together, triggering an immune response that brought excruciating agony to her body.
"Hgggh...!"
The vampire blood seeped into every corner of her being, slowly beginning her transformation.
"Ugh..."
"Good, you are awake."
Overwhelmed by the intense pain, she had eventually fallen unconscious from the shock. A short while later, she slowly opened her eyes in the middle of a deep chamber within Castle Volkihar.
At the sound of Harkon's voice, she regained her senses and immediately checked her condition.
'Something's wrong... My body is so cold...'
She felt an alien sensation enveloping her flesh. Her body had already fully assimilated with the ancient blood, transforming into a new form to match it.
Her pupils glowed a deep crimson even in the darkness, and her fangs grew longer and sharper than before.
"That power will grow with you. You must learn to control it."
Once Choi Ha-neul was awake, Harkon began teaching her how to use her power.
"The true power of a vampire is revealed in the form of a Vampire Lord. Visualize that form I showed in the banquet hall earlier."
Following Harkon's instruction, she brought to mind the image of the Vampire Lord: the ashen, leathery skin, the sharp claws, and the wings.
Her veins swelled, her body staining deep red, and then—
"Graaagh!"
With a burst of crimson aura, her body morphed into that of a hideous monster.
"In this form, you can use Blood Magic to drain the life force from your enemies. You can also use necromancy to raise fallen foes to fight for you."
Listening to his words, Choi Ha-neul materialized the vision of Blood Magic within her mind.
Drawing on Magicka just as she did with Destruction spells, a bright red orb of magic formed in her right hand.
Watching her absorb the knowledge rapidly, Harkon paced around her and continued his explanation.
"Through Night Powers, you can transform into a cloud of bats to move quickly across distances. If your Magicka is depleted, you can stop hovering and descend to the ground for physical combat."
"Hmm..."
She tried to transform into bats as Harkon described, but didn't succeed immediately.
"Visualize the form of the bats clearly. Imagine your body splitting into small pieces."
Thanks to his advice, she succeeded in the transformation shortly after. Having turned into a swarm of bats, she moved through the castle interior with ease and speed.
"Impressive."
Harkon marveled at Choi Ha-neul's rapid rate of growth.
"While you cannot use Blood Magic once you stop flying, your Night Powers remain accessible, and your claws are formidable weapons."
Returning to her Lord form, Choi Ha-neul stopped flapping her wings, descended to the floor, and swung her hand.
'Still dull.'
Since she had just entered the path of a vampire, both her Blood Magic and her claws were quite weak.
"Do not be disappointed. As time passes, your power as a vampire will grow, and you will gain new abilities."
—Bong!
Suddenly, a screen appeared before her eyes. It was the blue window that appeared whenever she completed a quest or leveled up.
[Quest: Bloodline Completed!]
ㄴ Advice: You can unlock the powers of a Vampire Lord via perks.
'Advice?'
It was the first time she'd seen a section labeled 'Advice', but after reading it, she closed her eyes to focus her mind.
When she was human, concentrating like this allowed her to see a vivid cosmos of constellations in her head.
There, she could distribute the stat and perk points she gained from leveling up as she pleased.
However, the cosmic view from within the Vampire Lord state was quite different. Instead of constellations representing swords, bows, or magic, there was only a single constellation shaped like a giant bat.
'Power of the Grave, Vampiric Grip, Blood Heal...'
As she approached the stars within the abyss of her mind, each star revealed various authorities and powers.
"You still have much to learn, but once you fully master your abilities, you will be able to carve fear into the heart of any mortal who dares oppose you."
"How can I learn new abilities?"
Deactivating the form and returning to her normal appearance, Choi Ha-neul asked.
"Blood Magic. By draining the life force of your prey with it, you can use it as nourishment for your growth. Test it on that fellow over there."
Harkon pointed to the thrall whom Hestla had mentioned needing 'disposal' earlier.
Sensing his fate, the thrall shed large tears and waited for death.
Though Choi Ha-neul had originally been a person who cherished life and was rich in empathy, she cast 'Drain Life' on the thrall without a moment's hesitation.
Through Harkon's gift and the power of the night, her personality had already completely shifted.
The crimson orb of magic flew in a straight line toward the thrall. As it hit and exploded, the life force from his body converted into energy and was absorbed by her.
"Uuugh..."
The thrall, already weakened by having his blood constantly stolen and exploited in the castle, died as his remaining life force was ripped away by her blood magic.
On the other hand, Choi Ha-neul, having absorbed the life force, felt the blood in her veins jump with joy.
"The lesson ends here. If you ever need guidance, seek me out again. Any questions?"
Choi Ha-neul asked the Lord a question as he finished his instructions.
"There is one thing."
"You may ask."
With his permission granted, she asked about this strange place where she had awakened. It was a place where the word 'ghastly' was more fitting than 'strange'.
"It is a shrine dedicated to the Daedric Prince Molag Bal. The power we possess is a blessing granted by him."
At his explanation, Choi Ha-neul looked at the bust located in the center of the shrine. From the statue fashioned in the likeness of Molag Bal, thick, crimson blood flowed out, filling a basin until it overflowed.
"Molag Bal? A blessing?"
Having very little background knowledge of Skyrim, she still found it difficult to understand, so Harkon continued.
"Eons ago, I was a king who ruled over an ancient nation. My military might was vast, my territories were endless, and my family and I reigned over everyone. But I had to face an unavoidable fate."
It was death. Though he had once boasted of immense political and physical power, as the years passed, his body weakened and his handsome face was covered in ugly wrinkles.
Worst of all, as his power waned, his minions and subordinates began showing their ambition to seize the throne. Harkon, who knew the end of an old lion better than anyone, fell into despair.
And finally, he reached into the forbidden realm.
He sacrificed thousands of innocent subjects to receive the blessing of Molag Bal.
"—Thus I swore my loyalty to Lord Molag Bal, and my wife, Serana, and I came to enjoy eternal youth."
Having overcome mortality, Harkon further trained his vampiric powers and expanded his influence, eventually leading to the current Volkihar clan.
"For your information, your blood will grow to fear the sun. As your thirst deepens, the sunlight will become more fatal. However, your power as a vampire will grow accordingly."
Leaving behind the instruction to get used to castle life for the time being, he departed the room.