Chapter 159 The Vampire Trail

Chapter 158 The Vampire Trail

Alex and Serana made their way toward the village of Dragon Bridge, traveling along the winding roads that stretched through the vast wilderness of Tamriel.

The scenery around them was breathtaking.

Towering pine trees swayed gently beneath the morning wind, their branches whispering softly against one another. Sunlight filtered through the forest canopy in scattered beams of gold, illuminating patches of grass and wildflowers along the roadside. The fresh scent of pine and teak drifted through the air, mixing with the cool breeze flowing down from the distant mountains.

Alex walked at a relaxed pace, his hands resting casually behind his head as he admired the view around him.

Then he stopped for a moment.

Closing his eyes slightly, he inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the crisp forest air before releasing a long, satisfied sigh.

"Haaah…" A faint smile spread across his face. "This beauty truly is beyond compare."

The peaceful expression on his face made him look genuinely relaxed, as though he had completely forgotten about the dangers surrounding them.

Serana, walking beside him, glanced sideways at him with a strange look.

She watched him quietly for a moment, noticing how absorbed he seemed in the scenery the way his gaze lingered on the forests, the mountains, and the endless blue sky above them.

Finally, she raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Wouldn't it be faster if we just flew there?" she asked, sounding mildly puzzled.

Alex blinked once before turning toward her with visible disappointment, as though she had ruined the atmosphere he was trying to enjoy.

"Ah, come on," he complained while gesturing toward the surrounding forest. "Let me enjoy all this greenery for a little longer."

Serana folded her arms beneath her chest and looked at him flatly.

"Hey," she said, "there's a world to save, and you're out here relaxing."

The moment those words left her mouth, Alex's shoulders slumped slightly.

The peaceful mood he had been enjoying instantly cracked apart.

He slowly rubbed his forehead in annoyance before letting out an exhausted groan.

"Ugh… fine, my lady," he replied with heavy sarcasm.

Serana narrowed her eyes slightly, though she said nothing further.

A few moments later, Alex activated his telekinesis.

Invisible force gathered around them as stones and loose leaves nearby trembled faintly. Then both of their bodies slowly lifted off the ground.

The wind immediately became stronger the higher they rose into the air.

Their clothes fluttered violently as Alex guided them across the skies toward Dragon Bridge. Forests stretched endlessly beneath them while rivers shimmered like silver lines across the landscape below.

But after several moments, Serana suddenly winced.

"Tch "

A painful hiss escaped her lips as she quickly turned her face away from the sunlight. Thin trails of smoke began rising faintly from parts of her exposed skin.

Alex immediately noticed.

His expression shifted slightly in realization.

Right. Sunlight.

Without wasting another second, he opened his system inventory and pulled out a thick blanket. Using his telekinesis, he carefully floated it over Serana's body, shielding her from the harsh sunlight above.

The blanket settled gently around her shoulders like a protective cloak.

Serana blinked in surprise.

For a brief moment, she simply stared at him silently before realizing what he had done.

"Ah…" Her voice softened noticeably. "Thank you."

Alex kept his eyes focused ahead while controlling their flight.

"Don't mention it," he replied casually.

Still, Serana quietly held the blanket a little tighter around herself as the cold wind continued rushing past them high above the skies of Tamriel.

After some time passed, they finally arrived at Dragon Bridge.

They descended from the sky and landed near the village.

Serana then turned toward Alex and said,

"Alright, let's gather information about the whereabouts of the Moth Priest."

But Alex's mind was somewhere else entirely. Without even realizing it, he answered absentmindedly,

"Ah, yeah. Okay, okay."

Meanwhile, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Haaah… I miss Astrid…

Ah! I know. I'll buy a gift for her.

Serana went around questioning the villagers in search of information about the Moth Priest, while Alex simply sat nearby, waiting for her.

After a while, Serana returned looking slightly exhausted. The moment she saw Alex casually sitting there doing nothing, irritation immediately began rising inside her.

She marched toward him, clearly intending to scold him.

"Hey, why aren't you helping search for information about the Moth "

Before she could finish, Alex casually interrupted her.

"Ah, I already got information about him."

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Serana froze in surprise. She had genuinely thought Alex had just been lazing around, but somehow he had actually managed to gather information.

Alex then continued,

"Yeah. Apparently, he was here earlier, but he left not long ago. They said he headed south."

Serana stared at him for a moment before finally admitting that his information matched hers.

"Hmm… that's true. I got similar information from several villagers. Let's go."

In truth, Serana had completely misunderstood Alex.

She thought he had actually been trying to gather information, but the information Alex gave her was correct only because he already knew the storyline of Skyrim. That was why he was able to tell Serana the right details without making any effort to investigate.

As a result, Serana's trust in Alex grew slightly.

After leaving the village of Dragon Bridge, Alex and Serana continued traveling south along the lonely road that cut through the wilderness.

The further they walked, the quieter the surroundings became.

Only the sound of wind brushing through the trees and the crunch of dirt beneath their boots accompanied them.

Then suddenly

Serana slowed her steps.

Ahead of them, partially blocking the road, was an overturned carriage. One of its wheels had completely shattered, while the wooden frame leaned crookedly against a large rock nearby. Broken crates and scattered belongings littered the ground around it.

The scene looked violent.

Far too violent for a simple accident.

Serana narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Hmm… an accident?" she muttered.

Alex silently observed the wreckage as they approached carefully.

As they drew closer, the metallic scent of blood became stronger.

Several corpses lay sprawled across the dirt beside the carriage. The horses that had once pulled it were also dead, their bodies twisted unnaturally on the ground. Deep claw marks and torn flesh covered parts of the scene.

Serana instinctively lifted one hand to cover her mouth slightly.

"Hmm… strange…"

Her gaze slowly moved across the corpses, scanning the wounds with growing unease.

Meanwhile, Alex crouched beside one of the bodies for only a brief moment. His eyes calmly examined the injuries before he stood up again almost immediately.

Then

Without another word, he simply turned around and started walking away from the carriage.

Serana blinked in disbelief.

"H-Hey "

She quickly turned toward him with a deep frown.

"Hey, hey, wait." She pointed back toward the wreckage in confusion. "Where are you going? Don't you see there's been an accident here?"

Alex stopped walking but didn't fully turn around yet.

Serana continued,

"This could be a clue about the Moth Priest… or maybe he was involved in this accident."

Only then did Alex glance back over his shoulder at her.

"Exactly," he replied calmly. "Which is why we shouldn't waste any more time."

He gestured slightly toward the corpses behind her.

"Look closely at the wounds on those bodies. There are clear signs of vampire bites."

Serana froze slightly.

Alex's voice became more serious.

"It seems your father's vampires already found the Moth Priest first. Which means we need to hurry… don't we?"

For a brief second, Serana stared at him silently.

Then Alex simply turned away again and resumed walking down the road as though he had already figured everything out.

Serana remained standing beside the corpses for another moment before lowering her gaze toward the wounds.

This time, she looked more carefully.

And sure enough

There they were.

Distinct puncture marks along the necks and torn flesh surrounding them.

Clear vampire bites.

Serana's eyes widened slightly.

He was right…

A strange feeling quietly settled inside her chest.

Once again, her trust in Alex increased a little more.

Still, she quickly regained herself and turned toward him again.

"Hey!" she called out while hurrying after him. "Even if vampires were responsible for this, we still don't know where they took the Moth Priest!"

By now, Alex had already gotten several steps ahead of her.

Without even turning around, he casually raised one hand and pointed toward the ground ahead.

"This is the clue," he said loudly enough for her to hear. "The blood trail. Come on!! Let's follow it."

Serana stopped mid-step.

Her eyes slowly followed the direction he pointed.

Only then did she finally notice it

Drops of blood scattered faintly along the road, continuing deeper toward the wilderness.

"…Ah."

The realization hit her instantly.

A wave of embarrassment immediately followed right after.

She awkwardly looked away while rubbing the back of her neck slightly.

"Ah… umm… alright."

Her voice sounded noticeably less confident now.

For a brief moment, Serana felt genuinely foolish for missing something so obvious.

Thankfully for her, Alex didn't seem to notice her embarrassment as he continued walking ahead calmly, following the trail without hesitation.

The trail of blood continued deeper along the road, growing more obvious the further they traveled. Dark red stains marked the dirt path at uneven intervals, while scattered belongings littered the ground around them.

A thick book lay abandoned near a broken lantern. Several loose pages fluttered weakly in the cold wind. Farther ahead, pieces of torn cloth and small travel supplies were strewn carelessly across the road, as though someone had struggled desperately while being dragged away.

Serana crouched briefly beside one of the fallen books and picked it up.

Dust covered the leather binding, but she immediately recognized the religious markings engraved on the cover.

Her expression sharpened.

"This definitely belonged to the Moth Priest," she muttered while standing back up.

Alex glanced at the scattered items only briefly before shifting his eyes toward the path ahead again.

The blood trail continued.

And eventually

It led them directly toward a cave hidden between large stone cliffs.

The entrance was dark and unnaturally quiet. Cold air drifted out from within, carrying the faint metallic scent of blood along with it.

Alex and Serana stopped several feet away from the entrance.

The two exchanged silent glances.

Serana slowly folded her arms while staring at the cave.

"Okay…" she said quietly, narrowing her eyes. "It looks like they brought him in here."

Alex remained silent for a moment before scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ah, yeah…" His voice sounded unusually hesitant. "There's actually something I wanted to ask."

Serana turned toward him.

Alex looked at the cave entrance briefly before finally asking,

"Are you sure you want to fight your own kind?"

He paused slightly.

"I mean… you won't hesitate, right?"

For a brief second, Serana's expression stiffened.

The wind brushed through her silver hair as silence settled between them.

Then slowly

She clenched her fists at her sides.

Her red eyes hardened with determination as she lifted her chin slightly.

"Don't worry," she answered firmly. "If you think I'll become a burden because I have to kill my own kind… then you're mistaken."

Her voice became colder and more resolute.

"I won't hold you back."

Alex quietly observed her expression for a moment before finally nodding once.

"Alright then."

He turned his gaze back toward the cave entrance.

But inside his mind, his thoughts were far less calm.

Well… honestly, I still don't know how Serana truly felt in the game whenever she had to kill other vampires.

His eyes briefly shifted toward her again.

But if she hesitates even a little, I can handle it easily enough.

With my telekinesis and the enchanted ring, I can keep using my abilities continuously without much strain.

A faint confident smile appeared on his face.

Yeah… everything should be fine.

Without saying another word, the two of them stepped into the cave.

The atmosphere inside immediately changed.

The air was damp and cold, while the narrow cave walls were stained dark in several places. Dim torchlight flickered along the stone corridors, casting moving shadows that made the cave feel even more oppressive.

And just as expected

Vampires.

Several of them immediately noticed the intruders.

"Halt!"

The vampires rushed toward them without hesitation.

The cave instantly erupted into battle.

Serana raised both hands as icy magic surged around her fingers. Sharp spikes of ice shot forward violently, piercing through one vampire's chest and throwing him backward against the wall.

At the same time, Alex lifted one hand calmly.

Invisible force exploded outward.

A vampire charging toward him was suddenly lifted into the air before being violently slammed into the cave wall hard enough to crack the stone behind him.

The battles continued deeper within the cave.

Steel clashed violently. Ice magic illuminated the darkness in bursts of blue light. Bodies fell one after another as Alex and Serana pushed forward relentlessly through the vampires blocking their path.

Eventually, after fighting their way deeper into the cavern

They reached the inner section of the cave.

And there In the distance

A glowing purple barrier pulsed ominously within the darkness.

Streams of magical energy flowed continuously from several strange constructs surrounding it, feeding power directly into the barrier and keeping it active. The eerie purple light flickered across the damp cave walls, causing long twisted shadows to dance throughout the cavern.

Several armed vampires stood guard around it, their eyes alert as they scanned the surroundings carefully.

Alex narrowed his eyes slightly while observing the scene.

But before focusing entirely on the barrier

His attention shifted toward Serana standing beside him.

She looked exhausted.

Her shoulders rose and fell unevenly with each breath, and strands of silver hair clung to her face from sweat. The usual calm confidence in her expression had weakened, replaced by visible fatigue. Even the hand holding her magic staff trembled faintly.

For a moment, Alex wasn't sure whether she was physically tired or simply mentally drained from fighting her own kind.

He turned toward her fully.

"Hey," he asked quietly, "are you alright?"

Serana exhaled slowly before leaning one hand against the cave wall for support. Her eyes looked heavy with exhaustion.

"Yeah…" she muttered between breaths. "Using all those ice spells against the vampires is draining a lot of my mana."

Without hesitation, Alex reached into his system inventory and pulled out a mana potion. The blue liquid inside shimmered faintly in the darkness.

"Here," he said as he handed it to her. "Drink this."

Serana accepted it immediately and drank the potion in several quick gulps. A few seconds later, the tension in her face eased slightly, and some color gradually returned to her pale complexion.

"Haa…" she let out a relieved breath while lowering the empty bottle.

Then her brows slowly furrowed as another thought crossed her mind.

"Umm…" She looked at Alex suspiciously. "What I don't understand is why you don't seem exhausted at all when using your telekinesis."

Alex remained silent for a moment.

Then suddenly

He reached out and grabbed her hand.

Serana's entire body stiffened instantly.

"Eh w-wait "

Before she could even process what was happening, Alex calmly slipped a ring onto her finger.

A faint magical glow shimmered across the metal for a brief second the ring enchanted with Fortify Destruction 20%.

Serana froze.

Alex held her hand firmly as he looked directly into her eyes, his expression unusually serious.

"Use this," he said in a low voice. "And don't lose it. More importantly… don't tell anyone you have it."

Serana's heartbeat skipped violently.

The sudden physical contact, the seriousness in his voice, and the unexpected gesture completely caught her off guard. Her fingers twitched slightly in his grasp while her mind struggled to catch up with the situation.

For a brief moment, she could only stare at him silently.

Alex then released her hand and continued calmly,

"This ring reduces the strain of destruction-type spells. It'll make casting much easier for you."

Serana slowly lowered her gaze toward the ring on her finger. The initial nervousness and confusion inside her gradually faded as she began sensing the enchantment flowing through her body.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Oh… oooh…" she murmured softly in realization. "So that's it… you're using enchanted items."

Then she truly felt the effect.

The mana flow within her became smoother almost instantly, as though a heavy burden had suddenly been lifted from her body. Even maintaining magic now felt far easier than before.

Her expression shifted from confusion… to disbelief.

What is this…?

Is there really an artifact this powerful? This enchantment is absurdly strong…

She slowly lifted her eyes toward Alex again.

Meanwhile, Alex had already turned his attention back toward the purple barrier ahead, calmly observing the guards and magical constructs as though giving away such an item meant nothing to him.

Serana stared at his back quietly.

Why would he give something this valuable… to me?