Cael never imagined he would meet his end because of his passion.
As a devoted weather enthusiast and a storm chaser, he chased tornadoes and meteors—yet nothing thrilled him more than thunder and Lightning. Armed with various instruments and apps, he dedicated his spare time to capturing the breathtaking beauty of thunderstorms, reveling in the raw power of each strike.
He cherished these moments, feeling the sheer grandeur and overwhelming power of thunder fill him with awe.
So when a bolt of lightning struck him, he felt an odd acceptance. On that fateful day, he arrived at a vast plain, ready to photograph distant storms, when suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck right above him. He felt the surge of electricity coursing through his body, and in that instant, he knew he was dying.
But at the same moment, his consciousness seemed to detach from his body. He felt as if he were racing through a cinematic portal, traversing a tunnel of light and shadow.
As a fan of web novels, he recognized that feeling... Could it be that he had crossed into another world?
Before he could ponder further, he crashed heavily to the ground. The sensation of being struck by lightning lingered within him, every inch of him buzzed with powerful currents, inflicting immense pain. The raw energy of the lightning surged wildly within him, yet strangely, instead of rejecting it, his body embraced this energy amidst the agony.
The electricity raced faster inside him, building to a point where he felt he might explode, teetering on the brink of a critical threshold.
"Ah~~ Ahh~~!" Cael shouted, fists clenched, looking skyward.
Gradually, he acclimated to the overwhelming surge of energy. Struggling to balance the electric flow within him, he felt both exhilarated and burdened by its intensity, the current racing through his very bones.
Once he steadied himself, he took in his surroundings. Although his body still fought against chaos and his vision was somewhat blurred, he found he was in a vast valley, surrounded by lush trees swaying gently in the wind, interspersed with golden leaves.
Looking down, he was shocked to discover he had transformed into a child of about twelve or thirteen! He wore rough, old-fashioned clothing: knee-length gray pants and a matching long-sleeve shirt, with a simple cloth belt cinched at his waist. The garments looked incredibly shabby, with loose threads fraying along the edges, giving them a worn-out appearance.
He had crossed over, whether to another world or the afterlife; he was undeniably in a new realm.
Suddenly, a virtual interface appeared before him, as if he had donned a pair of VR goggles. Information floated into his line of sight, seamlessly blending with the reality around him. While everything else appeared blurry, this interface was strikingly clear.
As a seasoned reader of web novels, Cael instantly recognized it—this was his system.
The screen displayed a simple layout. On the left side, there were two lines of text:
[Name: Cael Stormheart Zesterein]
[Element Clan: Thundaris]
On the right side, a single line read:
[Energy Value: 457 Voltaris (VT) ]
There was no additional information.
"This system has so little data!"
Cael was more surprised by the lack of details than by the interface itself. It felt illogical, almost strange.
Moreover, he noticed that the name displayed was Cael, the same name he had in reality—or rather, in his previous life.
He attempted to communicate with the system through his thoughts: "System, please respond." "System, answer me."
But the system offered no reply, and the screen remained unchanged.
Just as Cael began to feel frustrated by his inability to grasp the situation, the interface changed. In the center of the screen, bold red text appeared:
[Doubling in progress… ]
It flashed above the existing information.
Puzzled by its meaning, he suddenly felt the current of electricity within him surge even faster! Every part of his body pulsed with the energy of the thunder and lightning, as if hundreds of high-speed trains were racing through his veins.
"Ahhhhhh~~~~~" he couldn't help but scream again.
He felt his body teetering on the brink of losing control over this power!
Meanwhile, the flashing "Doubling in progress…" text quickened, and the number displaying "Energy Value" on the right began to rise at an alarming rate, increasing faster and faster.
[500 VT]… [550 VT]…
[600 VT]… [700 VT]…
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Cael cried out continuously, as if this might help him release some of the overwhelming energy flooding his body.
He felt as if his body could no longer contain this energy! It was as though it all wanted to burst free!
At that moment, the red "Doubling in progress…" text vanished, and the "Energy Value" halted at the number "807".
This value had nearly doubled!
But just at that moment, a blurred figure suddenly burst into Cael's view, moving so quickly that he could barely make it out!
Who? An enemy? Or some dangerous creature?
Cael's mind was a whirlwind of confusion. He hadn't fully adjusted to this unknown world, and everything around him was shrouded in uncertainty.
In that moment, his senses sharpened by the strange energy coursing through him made even the slightest rustle feel like thunder in his nerves.
He couldn't afford to take any risks! He had to act first!
With no time to think, his body moved on instinct, almost beyond his control. His right hand shot up, fist clenched tight, as if an invisible force awakened a deep power within him—a powerful current surged through his veins!
"Boom!"
He swung his fist with all his might toward the swiftly approaching figure. Although he was still several meters away, the pent-up energy of lightning found its outlet in an instant.
Rumble—!
The current roared around him, as if the very thunder had answered his call. Bolts of lightning struck from the sky, intertwining with his fist. In that moment, the world dimmed, leaving only the blinding light bursting from his fist and the deafening crackle of electricity.
A blazing orb of energy erupted from Cael's fist, with lightning swirling within like a dragon. With a fierce motion, he unleashed it towards the figure charging at him! The air thickened with the smell of burning, and the crackling sound of electricity sent chills down his spine.
"Don't come any closer!" he silently screamed in his mind, but it was too late.
For a long time afterward, Cael felt immense regret over his impulsive action. He could find countless excuses to justify himself—he had just crossed into this strange world, and his body was overwhelmed by the powerful energy; his senses and consciousness thrown into chaos; the punch was merely a reflex, an instinct for self-preservation...
Yet, that punch was ultimately his doing.
Though not intentional, it set off a butterfly effect, altering the course of everything that followed and forever changing the destinies of many.
"Cael... Ah!"
Suddenly, he heard the other person calling his name, urgency lacing their tone. But just as the words left their lips, the lightning roared forward like a beast unleashed.
The man let out a piercing scream, his voice swallowed by the roar of thunder.
Cael caught a glimpse of a figure stumbling backward, after the blinding flash of electricity, the air was thick with a scorching, acrid scent.
He couldn't make out the other person's features—after all, there was quite a distance between them. Yet the force seemed to disregard any notion of distance.
Cael was stunned. He hadn't even touched the person, nor had he intended to harm anyone, yet the thunder and lightning had spiraled out of his control.
The electric arcs danced in the air with a sizzle, and he felt the residual current crawling on his skin.
"What is… happening? I didn't mean to hurt him…"
He instinctively glanced at the virtual screen before him, which displayed bold red text in the center:
[Spark Bolt]
The "Energy Value" on the left rapidly decreased to "657 VT", but he had no time to process this information.
His chaotic thoughts and weakening body made it nearly impossible to concentrate. Everything before him blurred, as if his mind was tangled in the thunder and lightning itself.
The sounds around him faded, leaving only the faint hiss of electricity echoing in his ears. Cael felt as if the energy within him had been drained, his limbs growing heavy. He struggled to steady himself, but the world swirled around him, and dizziness overwhelmed him.
Finally, his legs gave way, and his body fell uncontrollably to the ground. In that last moment, his consciousness slipped into darkness, and everything around him faded away.
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"Ah… it's that weirdo from the other class again!"
"Yeah… I heard he only likes studying the weather and spends every day staring at the sky; he really is weird!"
"Let's ignore him. The basketball team is about to start their game.Let's go watch!"
"Ugh… he's looking at us! Let's get out of here!"
A group of stylish dressed girls chattered as they passed by Cael. He glanced at them, but his mind was elsewhere, fixated on the meteor shower predicted for tonight, wondering if he would get a chance to see it.
At school, he had always been labeled the "weirdo". Since childhood, he had been fascinated solely by the various weather phenomena of nature. Quiet and reserved, he had often found himself alone.
It wasn't until high school, when he joined the meteorology club, that he finally made a few friends who could talk to him. But even then, it was merely a transition from being called "a weirdo" to being part of "a group of weirdos".
He was never the tall, athletic type—the school's shining star. He was just an inconspicuous "weirdo" in the crowd.
Memories flooded his mind—fragments of his past, experiences, and the breathtaking natural landscapes he had witnessed… Suddenly, they flashed before him like a slideshow.
In the end, dying by lightning strike was, in a way, the best conclusion for him…
He felt the lingering sting of the electric shock coursing through his body. It felt as if currents still wove through every inch of his skin, numbness and pain overwhelming him.
Wait! No! A realization struck him—he was still alive! He had crossed over to another world!
Cael snapped his eyes open, and the unfamiliar scene before him made his heart race. He found himself lying in a shabby little hut.
The hut was constructed from rough wood and uneven bricks, exuding an air of decay and poverty. He turned his head to survey his surroundings: the furnishings were minimal. Aside from the wooden bed he lay on, there was only a rickety wooden table, two equally worn wooden stools beside it, and an old wooden cabinet that seemed almost lifeless.
Struggling to prop himself up, Cael winced as pain wracked his body, as if the remnants of the electricity still lingered within him. His throat felt parched, burning with thirst; he desperately needed water to quench his unbearable dryness.
Slowly rising to his feet, he walked to the table and poured himself a cup of water. Just as he raised the cup, a loud crash echoed from the doorway.
"Bang—!"
The door burst open with a force that startled Cael, who quickly turned to face the source of the noise.
A short, middle-aged man stormed in. Before fully entering the room, his booming voice filled the cramped space:
"Just like your father, you're a murderer!"
Cael's heart sank, and the cup slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor with a sharp clatter.
A murderer? Me? My father?
His mind went blank in an instant. Was he referring to… the person struck by the thunder and lightning before... was him? Did I... kill him with that punch?!