Thunder Shroud Chapter 1

This here is a little revamp of Lightning's Vestige. It's not a rewrite --- there's literally nothing to rewrite anyway --- but just a minor rework of the first two chapters. Why? Well, it's been nearly three years since those chapters, and I would like to say that I have greatly improved. So seeing it win the poll, I took some time to enhance those chapters to post with the newest one. Yes, chapter 3 is done and will be posted in just a few minutes.

Also, unlike other snippets, this will be available to super because this fic isn't a snippet. It was and always has been a fic I've been meaning to write and finish. So this --- alongside Backseat Fighter whenever it wins one monthly snippet poll --- will be added to the standard story poll.

As for the name change? Eh, I just think 'Thunder Shroud' sounds a lot better.

Enjoy the chapters~

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Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu

As I slowly wake up from my sleep, I stare at the unfamiliar stone ceiling in a haze, my vision still blurry as a pounding headache prompts me to groan in pain. I shiver and shudder from the biting cold as the intense dizziness makes me go in and out of consciousness.

I try to turn my head to the side in an attempt to scan my surroundings, but this strange weakness I feel makes that an impossible task. That is, until little droplets fell on me from the ceiling, hitting my face and giving me the energy I needed to try to get up from this terrible bedding I was on.

I jerk in surprise as my feet sink into a small, icy puddle, breaking my trance. My eyes widen when I realize I’m in a prison cell. I quickly rise, scanning the room in a panic, struggling to recall what occurred before this moment. I don’t know where I am or how I got here, but what I do know is that this isn’t the time to be asking questions.

So I look down at myself, realizing what I’m wearing is nothing more than thin rags, not even good enough to protect me from the cold. I pat myself around in search of my wallet, phone, anything, but nothing. These clothes don’t even have pockets, for god’s sake. What the hell is going on?

Once again, I scan the area, this time wide awake and fearing for my life—a dark, dank prison cell covered in moss, with nothing more than the bed next to me and a strangely familiar statue on top of a wooden table near the prison bars. This is too real to be some kind of setup or prank. Besides all that, it’s freezing here. I can see my own breath.

“H-hello?” I stammer, hearing my own voice echoing in this cell.

This makes me realize that whatever is happening right now isn’t some joke. Where the hell am I? Did I get kidnapped? This is too real to be a dream.

Everything about this makes me feel nauseous, so I slump back down on the bed, inhaling and exhaling deeply as I fight desperately against the urge to vomit right here and now, my legs and arms trembling from the sudden wave of sickness.

As I relax, my racing heart begins to slow, and the nausea thankfully fades away within minutes. I open my eyes and assess the situation, scanning my surroundings for clues that might explain what just happened to me and where I could be.

“Fuck.” I whisper with a shudder. “Why is it so cold?”

I take another deep breath and reluctantly get off the bed, avoiding the puddles and ignoring the uncomfortably cold stone floor as I approach the little statue. That of a cloaked woman spreading her arms behind a basin of sorts. This feels very… familiar. I feel like I’ve seen this before.

I trace a hand over the statue, trying to recall where I’ve seen this statue. There’s a strange sort of warmth coming from it. What the hell is going on? What is this statue, and why do I feel I know it? I can hear it almost calling for me.

The strange allure of the statue is shattered by the biting cold, causing me to shiver once more. I shake my head and begin to rub my hands together as I gaze at the prison door. How on earth am I meant to get out of this place?

I glance at the statue one more time before investigating the door. The moment I lay a finger on it, it creaks slightly open, making me blink in surprise. It’s open…

I pause for a moment, looking at the door in a mixture of dread and shock. I still have no idea where I am or how I got here, but maybe I can worry about those things once I get out of this prison. As long as I make it to civilization, I can just call the cops or something.

I fully open the door and walk through it. This… prison or whatever is pitch-dark, with the occasional candles lighting up just enough to help me see where I’m going. All the while, I keep taking deep breaths as I try to shake off this ungodly cold. Why the hell is it freezing here? Isn’t it fucking July?

As I keep advancing, ignoring the excruciating headache, I stop once I spot something I never expected in a million years. Next to a small wooden table with a stone hatchet on it is a fully decomposed human body. Skeletal remains sprawled right at the end of the stairs I was climbing, holding a rusted sword in its hand.

Not just one body— there are several of them littering the hallway and cells around. A part of me just knows that these things aren’t made of plastic. They are actual human bones, left here to rot for god knows how long.

“Oh my god…” I whisper to myself.

Where the fuck am I? How long have I been here? Just what’s going on?

I try to keep my lunch in place by looking away from the corpses and attempting to walk over the skeleton. I don’t know where I am or if these things are actually real, but I’m not touching them.

Unfortunately for me, it suddenly jolts awake and grabs my leg, glaring at me as blue flames light up in its eye sockets. This prompts a startled scream out of me as I frantically try to kick it off me, immediately backing off as more and more skeletons begin to rise, all holding weapons as they stare at me with malice. 

I’m nothing short of absolutely fucking terrified at what I’m seeing. What the fuck? Am I fucking dreaming? These things can’t be robots or something— I can see right through their ribs.

More of them come out of every corner, chattering teeth and cracking spines. I’m surrounded; I can do nothing to escape.

I glance at the stone hatchet and grab it tightly, slowly stepping away until my back hits the wall. My legs are shaking uncontrollably as the skeletons approaching me cackle.

All I can do right now is fight.

“Oh dear god…” I let out a shaky breath. “Back off!”

The skeletons ignore my weak battle cry as they slowly close in on me. But before the first thing attacks, something suddenly appears in my vision, making me flinch.

Systems are booting up; please wait…

…Systems online.

…What?

Hello.

The voice — belonging to a professional-sounding woman from what I can tell — catches me off guard despite the situation, but I ignore it for now in favor of what’s in front of me as the skeleton swings its sword at me, prompting me to duck under it, smashing the edge of my hatchet on its skull, smashing it apart and causing it to collapse.

“Holy shit…” I mutter to myself while staring at the skeleton whose glowing eye sockets die down, genuinely surprised at my quick reflexes and strength.

It looks like you’re in a bit of a tough spot. How about some help?

“Help?” I mumble, still in shock and dread. “What are you talking about— what the hell are you? Where the hell am I?”

After I utter those questions, another skeleton lunges at me, swinging a massive hammer at my head. I duck and evade its attack, retaliating by hacking it with my hatchet, easily obliterating its ribcage in one shot. 

I feel a little proud of what I've just done, yet I am also equally afraid of my own strength. Since when did I become this strong? Is this adrenaline? Still, I’m not going to complain. In fact, I regain a tiny bit of my confidence as I realize how slow these things are and how easy it is to destroy them. I manage to calm myself down a little, enough not to be startled by the voice, at least.

“Who the hell are you?” I ask quickly. “What do you want from me?”

I’m the consciousness and the sapient part of your system.

I don’t know what that means, so I ask another question, hoping to get a real answer.

“Where am I? How did I get here?” I say. “What’s going on?”

These are all valid questions, and I can answer all of them later. But for now, let’s focus on staying alive, yes?

I glare at the skeletons who approach me slowly. They might be weak, but there are a lot of them. Eight, I need to be careful. A simple stab could be fatal. How the hell am I supposed to beat all of them?

“...You said something about help,” I note. “I’d appreciate some of that.”

Of course. I’ll activate your powers now; please brace yourself for the incoming messages. My deepest apologies, Raiden.

“What do you—”

Bloodline powers activated.

[Raiju’s Lineage] gained 

[Lightning Manipulation] gained

Raiju Skill Tree unlocked

As the strange text boxes fill my view, I feel rejuvenated. My body feels lighter, my vision is sharper, and the skeletons look a lot slower than before. Sparks of purple electricity dance around my body, but strangely, they don’t feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, it’s the opposite.

I still feel intensely confused and scared, but this… It feels almost comforting in a way.

Quest added

[First Step]

Objective: Escape the Abandoned Prison

Rewards: Random New Class

I blink at that before ignoring it. I can think about it later; I need to leave now. 

Good thinking.

As this strange power fills my very being, almost all my current worries evaporate as I easily dodge the strike of the skeleton, quite literally smashing its skull to pieces with one swing of my hatchet. 

Once again, I’m shocked at my own strength. This isn’t adrenaline— I barely put any effort into that swing. Its skull just fell apart like nothing. I may not know what the hell is going on, but for the first time since waking up, I smile before charging at the next one, finally taking the initiative.

I’m not quite sure where this surge of confidence is coming from, but with this newfound strength, I can get out of here alive. 

Two more skeletons try to attack me, but I manage to evade their attacks and retaliate with my own, destroying them one by one. On the other side of the place, I see a skeleton nocking an arrow to a bow and beginning to draw, aiming right at me.

I wince while ducking under a swing, striking the attacker’s face with my fist before rushing at the archer. As the archer releases the string, the arrow flies towards me. Despite my increased speed, I can’t dodge it, and it sinks into my shoulder.

“Aghh! Fuck!” I curse with a hiss, getting close enough to smash its skull into the wall. 

The hot pain in my shoulder stops my advance as the three remaining skeletons rush at me, but I can ignore it for just a little to defend myself. Even a punch is enough to end them, so it isn’t that difficult to defeat all of them quickly.

What is difficult, though, is ignoring the pain.

I kneel, grimacing as I grunt at the pain while pulling the arrow from my shoulder, causing the wound to start bleeding much heavier. After discarding the bloody arrow onto the ground, I press my free hand against the wound, keeping a firm grip on my hatchet.

At least I killed them, so that’s good. I can handle the bleeding for now as long as I get out and call the cops.

Just then, right as I stand up, a horrible chill goes down my spine. The air feels even colder than before as I suddenly hear a terrifying voice.

“I sense a presence…” It whispers, prompting me to slowly turn around. “Does someone live? Among the dead?”

I see a ghostly blue humanoid gripping a similarly spectral sword, glaring deeply into my soul. A nervous, mirthless chuckle escapes me. First, skeletons; now, ghosts? Seriously?

“I see you…”

I stand up and face it, but then that voice speaks again.

I suggest escaping, Raiden. That enemy is far beyond your current level.

“Where the hell is the exit, then?” I ask it.

There’s a door right behind you. It should lead you outside. The ghost shouldn’t be able to follow you there.

I back away step by step, keeping an eye on the slowly approaching ghost before making a run for it. I sprint as fast as my legs can take me, pushing everything I see down behind me in hopes of slowing it down, from barrels to crates, because, holy shit, it’s fast.

Unfortunately, it just phases through any object I throw toward it, so all of my struggles are for nothing. I click my tongue and focus on getting out of here. I spot the exit door in the distance as I run up the long stairs. The door is right there.

But the bastard is too fast for comfort. 

“Get the hell away from me!”

“Mortal fool! No one can hide from the dead!”

It’s right behind me when it charges with its sword, just inches away from stabbing my back. Thankfully, I manage to ram open the door with my shoulder just in time, immediately being greeted by the warm sunlight hitting my face.

However, I don’t notice what’s in front of me at the time, and I trip over a rock before falling right into the river below. The freezing cold water makes me thrash around with panicked cries until I make it to the other side next to a wooden shack destroyed by a tree trunk falling on it.

I cough and hack from what feels like swallowing liters of water in a second, lying on my back, gasping for air after the most stressful event of my life. Despite the water being cold as tits, the weather is much warmer, so I don’t immediately freeze to death and pass out.

I see the ghost there, feeling its hateful glare as it stands there, unable to leave the weird prison tower it’s in.

“Fuck…” I cover my eyes with my arm. “I wanna go home, man.”

I take a moment to gather my bearings and enjoy the nice warmth from the sun, letting it start to dry my wet clothes. After some time, I sit up and look around, knowing damn sure that wherever I am right now, it’s not Earth.

I can just feel it.

Nonetheless, I feel a strange sense of ease, which helps me process my situation a lot better. So, with my mind feeling a lot clearer and much less panicky, I speak to the voice. System or whatever it called itself.

“Hey…” I mutter. “Voice in my head. You said you’d answer my questions, didn’t you?”

I have.

“Then please do.” I sigh. “I feel like I’m going insane.”

Of course. My apologies for the… rough introduction to your system. You’re usually given a few minutes to adjust before being thrust into a world like this.

“A… system?” I blink. I’m familiar with that term. “You mean one of those ‘Gamer’ systems? The RPG mechanics in real-life things?”

Correct.

“What?” I mutter in disbelief. “But why me?”

No reason. You’re simply lucky.

“Oh, what the fuck, man…” I lay on my back again.

I’m lucky? Waking up in a cold prison and being attacked by the fucking undead minutes afterward is considered lucky? Are you kidding me? 

…You don’t seem particularly enthusiastic about this; I would have thought you’d be over the moon right now.

That’s usually how others react.

“I woke up in some random prison, almost froze to death, fought honest-to-god skeletons, and escaped from a ghost, and where does all that lead me?” I hiss. “Bumfuck nowhere. How else do you expect me to react?”

Fair enough, I suppose.

I take a moment to breathe and take in the information. I have a system or whatever. Fucking hell, man, I might actually be in a fever dream. What’s really odd is that I do not remember what the hell I was doing before this.

Did I or die something? That’s how these stories usually play out, right? Guy gets hit by a truck and is sent to Fantasy Land #5913.

Speaking of which—

“You haven’t told me where I am.”

You are in Nirn.

I immediately recognize that name, and as I hear it, memories begin to rush back, prompting me to sit up again.

“Nirn?” I blink. “Elder Scrolls Nirn? Tamriel?”

Yes.

That statue was a Statue of Mara. The fucking prison you start in with the Live Another Life mod.

“Ah…” I cover my face with my hands, letting out a hiss. “I’m in Skyrim, aren’t I?” 

Correct.

Of all fucking places… You’d think it’s a typical fantasy world if you’ve only played the games, but one look at the lore will make you wish you were anywhere else. And assuming this is the fourth era, then I’ll have to worry about dragons that can warp reality by arguing really loud, vampires that want to blot out the sun — not understanding the immense consequences of doing that — and elven fuckers whose only purpose is to either enslave mankind and/or unmake the world.

This isn’t counting the billion bandits, giants, and undead roaming about. Why can’t this be a shitty and generic fantasy world? Why the batshit Elder Scrolls universe? And to put me in the frozen wasteland that is Skyrim?

If I end up being the Dragonborn on top of that, I might just fucking kill myself out of spite. I don’t need that kind of responsibility on my shoulders. Fuck this world and everyone in it. Let Alduin consume it for all I care.

After a few minutes of processing and accepting my new life — doing my best not to curl up into a ball and break down sobbing — I stand up and approach the river. I stare at my reflection in the clear water for a moment. Despite everything that’s happened, it’s still good ol’ me. Blond, skinny despite my weird strength, and…

Purple eyes, for some odd reason. I blink and rub them, wondering when I got these Chuuni contacts and what they were for before quickly realizing they’re natural. My eyes were blue— what’s with the change?

This is part of your bloodline. 

The Raiju thing? But why and how? I don’t remember being related to a Japanese person at all, much less a mythical creature. I mean, I’m not complaining; it saved my ass, but how and why? Is it related to this Skyrim Isekai business?

Yes.

Right. That’s cool, I guess. I don’t know how that even works, considering that there is no Japan or Raiju in The Elder Scrolls universe unless you count Akavir. But I don’t think they have exactly the same folklore so that comparison doesn’t even work.

But power is power. Any crumb of it should help in this godawful universe, especially when I can’t walk three meters without ten thousand different monsters jumping me. That’s not counting the world-ending events it goes through every three to four business days. 

So how does this work? Can you explain how this system thing works?

Of course.

A system is a cosmic entity associated with its mortal host. Some systems, such as myself, possess consciousness, whereas others do not.

Systems are designed and established with a singular objective: to facilitate the host's flourishing and achieving of their maximum potential.

In simpler terms, I’m on your side, Raiden.

There it is again— Raiden. Why are you calling me that?

Because it’s your name.

No, it’s not. My name is…

…Why can’t I remember my name?

When one is chosen to host a system, some memories are discarded. Your old name is usually one of them.

Why is that a thing?

I don’t know.

…Right. That makes sense.

Raiden. 

I sigh deeply.

Sure, let’s go with that. Can you continue?

Of course.

There are many types of systems, and yours has three different categories for powers and abilities: Classes, Skills, and Perks.

Classes don’t do much on their own, but they’re the root of most skills as they’re the only category that can be upgraded. The higher the level, the more powerful your related skills will become and the more perks they grant. 

Classes can be acquired through several ways. From quests to specific events.

Some classes also come with weaknesses.

This here is your starter class.

[Raiju’s Heir - Rank 1] - Class

The blood of a legendary thunder beast runs through your veins, giving you inherent control over lightning and much more, such as enhanced senses, claws and fangs that are stronger than iron, and a much tougher body. You’re also incredibly resistant to lightning damage, able to absorb it and use it to increase your power temporarily.

[Enhanced Senses] - Perk

Your five senses are supernaturally acute. You can see further and clearer, hear better and from longer distances, and smell even the faintest of scents.

[Minor Bestial Appendages] - Perk

You have hidden claws and fangs capable of tearing through flesh with ease.

[Danger Sense] - Perk

You have a sixth sense that warns you of nearby danger.

[Lightning Absorption] - Perk

You have miniature, transparent hairs around your body that act as electricity absorbers. You absorb electricity instead of being harmed by it, channeling the absorbed lightning into an amplification of your physical strength or the power of your lightning manipulation. Sufficiently intense lightning can overload this and still harm you.

[Lightning Manipulation] - Skill

You can generate and control the mighty power of lightning.

[Cold Sensitivity] - Weakness

You are extra sensitive to the cold, whether from natural sources or magic. 

That’s a lot of stuff for a starter class. Danger Sense and Enhanced Senses will keep me alive, so they’re more defensive perks. I don’t know how to use claws or fangs as a weapon, nor do I know how they feel, but I won’t say no to a hidden weapon. I’m not a typical Khajit, so they should work well for surprise attacks.

Lightning Absorption basically renders about a third of Destruction magic harmless, and lightning manipulation seems to be my main offensive power. I don’t mind; staying alive is more important than getting strong.

However, the cold weakness is a big problem. Most of Skyrim is a freezing hellhole, for fuck’s sake.

Aside from the weak points, all of them are mentioned in Raiju Heir's description. Why bother making individual descriptions for each?

Because they’re more detailed.

Right…

So, I remember seeing a class reward when I was escaping the abandoned prison. What did I get?

Correct.

Congratulations! You’ve gained the [Rogue] Class!

[Rogue - Rank 1]

Thief, scout, assassin — you’re the whole bundle. Rogues are versatile, primarily skilled in hiding and sneaky combat. With dexterous hands and nimble feet, Rogues are also very good at getting what they want out of a conversation. Skilled enough rogues can probably convince a dragon to set itself on fire.

Ahh… I was hoping for a mage or the like. Well, it’s not too bad. Being strong enough to defend myself is worse than not needing to defend myself in the first place. Agile and good at hiding are great combos for that. Besides, the Raiju Lineage pairs pretty well with it due to the danger sense and enhanced senses.

I really can’t complain.

[Silver Tongue] - Perk

You are a natural at charming others through conversation. Persuasion and seduction have never been this easy.

[Treasure Hunter] - Perk

You develop an innate ability to sense the proximity and general direction of any treasure within your normal range of senses, even when it's entirely hidden.

[Backstab] - Perk

Striking enemies from behind inflicts extra damage, which is significantly amplified against unsuspecting foes, and when a dagger is used.

[Sneaking] - Skill

You are able to move silently, hide using cover or shadows, and generally avoid attracting attention.

[Sleight of Hand] - Skill

You possess exceptional hand movement skills, which enable you to pick locks, disarm traps, and steal from the pockets of unsuspecting victims.

[Dagger Mastery] - Skill

You can skillfully use daggers as weapons.

[Short Bow Mastery] - Skill

You can skillfully use a short bow as a weapon.

Just about what I expected. Well, except for bow mastery skill, admittedly.

I can’t help but chuckle quietly as I see that. I guess you can never escape the stealthy archer build, huh?

Now I got this out of the way; what the hell am I supposed to do now? I woke up with nothing in the middle of nowhere, so what can I do? 

Okay, if I remember correctly, the Abandoned Prison is in Eastmarch, south of Windhelm, I believe, but it’s also pretty close to Whiterun. I can go to Windhelm — which only a fucking idiot would do — or Whiterun. 

Whiterun is pretty much my best bet. It’s at the heart of Skyrim, and it’s also one of the warmer regions. I can think of my next move from there. Perhaps I should head to Riften once I have money to buy actual clothes. This tattered tunic isn’t doing it for me.

Because even though I’m at the edge of Eastmarch, it’s still pretty cold. Granted, I’m not freezing anymore, but I still need a warm place to rest. And food, because I’m getting hungry.

I stand up on my feet, looking around the river to see a slope behind a destroyed building that’ll lead me to the road from what I can see. As I walk there to investigate, I spot a backpack next to a huge log that had crashed into said building.

I get closer to investigate and open the backpack: a silver ring, health potion, ruined books, and rotten bread. I click my tongue and throw out the useless crap, taking the rest and the backpack with me. 

I climb the slope with no effort at all, making my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Alright, it’s now obvious that that stronger body comment wasn’t a joke. I don’t even feel the strain I should be feeling from that.

I shake my head and focus on the matter at hand. The sun is directly above me, meaning it’s midday, meaning I’m not sure which direction I should be going. I can wait until the sun sets a bit, but that’s wasting precious daylight, and the night is scary in the wilderness. Predators don’t extend to only wolves and bears here.

Wait, that colossal mountain to my left is more than likely the Throat of the World, and if I remember my Skyrim geography right, behind that should be Riverwood, and north of Riverwood is where Whiterun is. If I’m actually in Eastmarch, that is, and I’m 90% sure that the Abandoned Prison is in Eastmarch.

I shiver slightly as my stomach growls in hunger, but I can do nothing other than continue walking on the cold road. I keep an eye out on my surroundings, knowing full well how dangerous it is to walk alone and virtually defenseless like this.

Nonetheless, I have a lead. I can use my general game knowledge. Skyrim might’ve been buggy as fuck, but that’s the game. The actual lore and geography can still be used, even though I’m more than sure that Skyrim is much bigger than I’m familiar with.

Though, how can I be absolutely sure that I’m in the fourth era? Is this the future or the past? Do I have to worry about the dragons, or have they already been dealt with? I shake my head with a sigh. I should focus on getting to safety first. 

I can have all the answers I want once I reach Whiterun.