The Lightning Clone materialized on a rooftop three blocks from the Crimsonhart estate, crimson electricity dissipating into the night air. Through its eyes, Anthonio surveyed the scene while his true body remained on the distant mountain peak, maintaining the connection.
*Dual perspective is still disorienting,* he thought, adjusting to seeing the world from two places simultaneously. *But manageable.*
The capital's Noble Quarter was quiet at this hour, most residents already asleep. Only the occasional patrol of city guards moved through the streets, their lanterns creating pools of light in the darkness.
Anthonio extended his clone's spiritual sense, searching for Selene's presence. He found her almost immediately—a barely perceptible shimmer of shadow essence two rooftops away, so well concealed that even his enhanced perception almost missed it.
The clone executed a Lightning Step, crossing the distance in an instant. Selene materialized from the shadows, her gray eyes widening slightly in surprise.
"Young master," she whispered. "Your clone arrived faster than expected."
"I've been practicing long-distance deployment." The clone's voice was identical to Anthonio's true body—another refinement he had mastered over the past months. "Status?"
"The assassins are in position. Three at the eastern wall as predicted, two at the southern gate, one on the rooftop of the neighboring estate." Selene pointed toward the Crimsonhart manor. "Your father's increased security disrupted their original plan, so they've adapted. More guards means more potential witnesses, which is forcing them to be more aggressive."
"Casualties?"
"Already started. Two guards at the eastern wall, killed silently. The bodies haven't been discovered yet." Selene's expression was grim. "These aren't ordinary Shadow Syndicate operatives. I recognize the leader—a woman called Nightshade. Transcendence 7-Star, specializing in poison and assassination techniques. The others are all Transcendence 5-Star or higher."
Anthonio's clone processed this information. Transcendence 7-Star was significantly above his current Manifestation 6-Star level. In normal cultivation hierarchy, the difference between major stages was enormous—a Transcendence cultivator could easily defeat dozens of Manifestation cultivators.
But Anthonio had the Primordial Red Lightning. And normal cultivation hierarchies didn't account for EX-Rank power.
"I can handle Transcendence 7-Star," the clone said with confidence. "The question is whether I should. If I defeat her too easily, it will raise questions about my identity and power level."
"Then make it look difficult." Selene's eyes gleamed. "Struggle, take damage, barely win. Make it seem like a Manifestation cultivator fighting desperately above their level."
"Good thinking." The clone smiled. "What about the other five assassins?"
"Three of them your father's upgraded security can handle, if barely. The remaining two will break through to the main house. That's when you intervene—save your father, drive off the assassins, then disappear before anyone can identify you."
"Perfect." Anthonio checked his clone's power reserves. At sixty percent control of the Primordial Red Lightning, he could maintain the clone for approximately thirty minutes of normal activity, or ten minutes of intensive combat. Enough time to handle the situation if he acted efficiently.
"Young master, one more thing." Selene's voice carried warning. "The Eye of Destiny. If Kael Stormborn is anywhere in the capital tonight, his Divine Essence might show him glimpses of this event. He could still arrive to 'save the day' even if we disrupt the assassination."
Anthonio had considered this possibility. Kael's Eye of Destiny was unpredictable—it showed possible futures, not certain ones. The more significant the event, the more likely it would register in his visions.
"If he shows up, I adjust the plan," Anthonio said. "Maybe let him think he saved the day while actually handling the real threats myself. Or create enough chaos that his contribution seems minor. Either way, he doesn't get to be the hero tonight."
A distant shout echoed through the night. One of the guards had discovered the bodies.
"It's beginning," Selene said.
---
The alarm spread quickly. Bells rang throughout the Crimsonhart estate, awakening sleeping guards and alerting the household to danger. Anthonio's clone watched from the rooftop as the manor's defenses activated—spiritual formations glowing to life, barriers rising around key buildings, cultivators rushing to defensive positions.
*Father took my anonymous warning seriously,* Anthonio noted with satisfaction. *The estate's response time is excellent.*
The three assassins at the eastern wall struck immediately, taking advantage of the initial chaos. They moved like shadows, their cultivation techniques obscuring them from normal sight. But Anthonio's Primordial Red Lightning enhanced his perception—he could track them by the disturbances they created in the ambient electrical fields.
The estate's defenders engaged them quickly. Manifestation-level guards, well-trained and coordinated, formed defensive formations and unleashed techniques. Fire, ice, blade projections—a dazzling array of powers lit up the eastern courtyard.
The assassins were forced to reveal themselves, abandoning stealth for direct combat. Two of them were clearly struggling against the prepared defense. But the third—a wiry man with shadow essence similar to Selene's—was cutting through guards with brutal efficiency.
"That's Shadow Fang," Selene identified. "Transcendence 5-Star. Known for close-quarters assassination. He'll break through to the main house within two minutes at this rate."
"And the woman? Nightshade?"
"Not visible yet. She's the patient type—she'll wait for the perfect moment to strike." Selene's eyes scanned the surrounding buildings. "But she's close. I can feel her killing intent."
Anthonio's clone prepared for action. He couldn't intervene too early—that would make it obvious he had foreknowledge of the assassination. But waiting too long risked genuine casualties among the household staff or, worse, his father.
*Timing is everything.*
The southern gate assault was going poorly for the defenders. Two assassins working in perfect coordination had broken through the initial defenses, leaving three dead guards in their wake. They were advancing on the servants' quarters, likely planning to use hostages.
*That's my cue.*
"I'm moving," the clone told Selene. "Track Nightshade. If she tries to strike while I'm engaged, warn me."
"Understood. Good hunting, young master."
Anthonio's clone transformed into lightning and shot across the rooftops toward the southern assault. He rematerialized directly between the two assassins and the servants' quarters, crimson electricity crackling around his body.
Both assassins froze, clearly not expecting a third party to intervene.
"Who the hell are you?" one demanded—a burly man with earth essence coating his fists.
The clone said nothing. Instead, he created three Lightning Spears and launched them simultaneously. The assassins dodged, their Transcendence-level reflexes letting them avoid the initial strike.
But Anthonio had anticipated that. The spears weren't meant to hit—they were meant to cut off escape routes. While the assassins were dodging, the clone executed a Lightning Step, appearing directly behind the burly man.
"Too slow."
Anthonio's clone drove a lightning-coated fist into the assassin's back. The Primordial Red Lightning surged through the man's body, disrupting his cultivation and paralyzing his nervous system. He collapsed, twitching and gasping.
*One down.*
The second assassin—a woman with wind essence—attacked immediately, sending blades of compressed air at the clone. Anthonio created a defensive barrier, the lightning wall intercepting and dispersing the wind attacks.
"Manifestation 6-Star," the woman assessed, her eyes narrowing. "You're skilled for your level. But you're still outmatched."
She was Transcendence 5-Star, same as Shadow Fang. Normally, the difference in cultivation stages would be insurmountable. But she didn't know what she was facing.
"Let's test that theory," the clone said.
He created five Lightning Clones—not full clones like his main consciousness could produce, but simple combat duplicates, mindless constructs programmed with basic attack patterns. They surrounded the assassin, attacking from all angles simultaneously.
The woman defended skillfully, her wind essence creating a whirlwind that deflected most attacks. But the clones kept coming, relentless and coordinated. While she was distracted, Anthonio's main clone executed another Lightning Step, appearing above her.
"From above!"
His fist, coated in compressed Primordial Red Lightning, crashed down toward her head. The woman raised her guard at the last second, wind essence forming a protective shell.
It wasn't enough.
The Primordial Red Lightning shattered her defense like glass. The blow connected, sending her crashing into the ground hard enough to crack the stone. She didn't get up.
*Two down. Total engagement time: forty-three seconds.*
Anthonio dismissed his combat clones and surveyed the area. The servants' quarters were secure, the two assassins neutralized. Through his connection to the main body, he could sense the eastern courtyard battle was still ongoing—Shadow Fang had killed two more guards and was advancing on the main house.
*Time to move.*
The clone executed a series of Lightning Steps, crossing the estate in seconds. He arrived at the eastern courtyard just as Shadow Fang broke through the final defensive line. The assassin was heading for the main house entrance where, according to Selene's intelligence, Duke Marcus had established his command post.
"Stop!" Anthonio's clone commanded, landing directly in Shadow Fang's path.
The assassin paused, assessing this new threat. His eyes—cold, professional, calculating—swept over the clone, noting the lightning essence, the Manifestation cultivation level, the confident stance.
"Another one?" Shadow Fang's voice carried irritation. "The Crimsonharts must have hired outside help. Clever."
"I'm not hired," the clone replied. "I'm just someone who doesn't like assassins."
"Noble sentiment. Won't save you."
Shadow Fang moved, and Anthonio barely tracked the motion. The assassin's speed was terrifying—Transcendence 5-Star cultivation enhanced by specialized movement techniques. Most Manifestation cultivators wouldn't have seen the attack coming.
But Anthonio had been training against Selene, a Sovereign-level shadow cultivator, for ten months. His combat instincts were honed to inhuman sharpness.
The Lightning Step activated automatically, Anthonio's clone transforming and repositioning three meters away. Shadow Fang's blade—a weapon formed from solidified darkness—cut through empty air where the clone had been standing.
"Lightning transformation," Shadow Fang observed. "Rare technique for a Manifestation cultivator. You're more skilled than expected."
"I get that a lot," the clone replied.
This time, Anthonio attacked first. He created a dozen Lightning Spears and launched them in a complex pattern designed to overwhelm defenses through sheer volume. Shadow Fang dissolved into darkness, avoiding the attack entirely.
*Expected. Shadow cultivators are masters of evasion.*
But Anthonio had planned for that. While Shadow Fang was intangible, the clone created a grid of electrical current in the air—a three-dimensional web of lightning that covered the entire combat area.
When Shadow Fang solidified, he appeared directly inside the electrical grid. The Primordial Red Lightning surged through his body before he could react, causing him to cry out in pain and surprise.
"You—that's impossible! A Manifestation cultivator can't maintain spatial control techniques!"
"I'm special," Anthonio's clone said, intensifying the electrical discharge.
Shadow Fang fought through the pain, his Transcendence cultivation allowing him to resist the paralysis that would have incapacitated a weaker cultivator. He shattered the electrical grid with a burst of shadow essence and launched himself at the clone, blade aimed for the throat.
This was the dangerous part. Anthonio had to make the fight look difficult, take visible damage, convince any observers that he was barely surviving. But he also couldn't let Shadow Fang actually kill him—dismissing the clone prematurely would waste the power invested in its creation.
*Time for some theater.*
Instead of dodging perfectly, Anthonio let the blade graze his shoulder. Pain shot through the clone's body—and through the connection, his true body on the mountain also felt an echo of it. Blood sprayed, crimson and very real.
"Got you," Shadow Fang said with satisfaction.
But Anthonio was already moving, using the momentum from the strike to spin away while simultaneously creating a massive Lightning Sphere directly in Shadow Fang's face. At point-blank range, even a Transcendence cultivator couldn't completely avoid it.
The sphere detonated. Thunder cracked across the courtyard. Shadow Fang was thrown backward, his clothes scorched, his face bleeding from multiple cuts.
Both fighters stood, breathing hard, assessing damage.
*He's stronger than I expected,* Anthonio admitted to himself. *Transcendence 5-Star isn't just a number—it's a fundamental difference in power quality. I'm winning through superior technique and unexpected abilities, but in raw cultivation, he outmatches me.*
"You're good," Shadow Fang said, wiping blood from his face. "But you're also injured, exhausted, and I can sense your essence reserves depleting. Manifestation cultivators can't sustain this level of combat for long. You'll falter soon."
"Probably," Anthonio's clone agreed. "But I don't need to win. I just need to delay you until reinforcements arrive."
As if on cue, more guards poured into the courtyard—the defenders from other areas, now that those threats had been neutralized. Shadow Fang saw them and grimaced.
"Damn. The operation's falling apart." He looked at Anthonio's clone with respect. "You're the variable we didn't account for. Lightning cultivator with advanced techniques, appearing out of nowhere. Who are you?"
"No one important," Anthonio replied. "Just a traveler who happened to be passing through."
"Convenient timing." Shadow Fang's eyes narrowed. "We'll meet again, lightning cultivator. The Shadow Syndicate doesn't forget interference."
Before anyone could stop him, Shadow Fang threw down a smoke bomb—not normal smoke, but shadow essence that created absolute darkness. When it cleared seconds later, he was gone.
*Escaped. Acceptable. I wasn't trying to kill them, just disrupt the assassination.*
The guards surrounded Anthonio's clone, weapons raised but uncertain. One of them—a captain by his insignia—spoke carefully.
"Thank you for your assistance. May I ask your name and affiliation?"
"I'm not affiliated with anyone. I was in the area, saw the attack, decided to help." The clone gestured to his bleeding shoulder. "And now I need to get this treated. Excuse me."
Before they could protest, Anthonio executed a Lightning Step, transforming and shooting upward toward the rooftops. He landed beside Selene, who immediately pressed a cloth to the clone's wound.
"Good performance," she said quietly. "You looked appropriately challenged. No one will suspect you were holding back."
"Where's Nightshade?"
"She retreated five minutes ago when she saw the operation failing. The woman's a professional—knows when to cut losses." Selene checked the wound. "This is deeper than it needs to be. You could have avoided this completely."
"Had to sell the illusion of difficulty." Anthonio checked his power reserves. The clone had maybe five minutes left before he'd need to dismiss it. "Is Father safe?"
"Yes. He never left his command post. The guards you saved will report that a mysterious lightning cultivator intervened. Duke Marcus will likely launch an investigation, but you'll be long gone."
"Perfect." The clone stood, testing his mobility despite the wound. "Time for my exit."
"Wait—young master, someone's approaching. Fast."
Anthonio extended his senses and felt it—a massive cultivation presence, moving through the capital at incredible speed. The power signature was unmistakable.
Three Divine Essences, blazing like stars.
*Kael Stormborn.*
"He saw it," Anthonio said grimly. "The Eye of Destiny showed him the assassination. He's coming to be the hero."
"What do we do?"
Anthonio thought fast. Kael was perhaps two minutes away, moving at Consolidation 5-Star speed enhanced by the Dragon Heart Divine Essence. If he arrived and found the situation already resolved, it would be anticlimactic—hardly the heroic intervention that would earn the Crimsonhart family's gratitude.
But if there was still danger present, still a threat for Kael to defeat...
"Selene, can you fake being an assassin? Keep Kael occupied for a few minutes, make him think he's stopping the attack?"
Selene's eyes widened. "Young master, that's risky. If he realizes I'm connected to you—"
"He won't. Use your shadow techniques, hide your true power level, present yourself as Transcendence 5-Star. Let him 'defeat' you, then escape. Give him a victory that feels earned without actually compromising anything."
"And you?"
"I disappear. Right now. Before he arrives and sees the lightning cultivator who actually stopped most of the assassination." Anthonio's clone smiled. "Let Kael Stormborn have his moment. Let him think he saved the day. The truth doesn't matter—only what people believe matters."
Selene hesitated, then nodded. "I'll do it. But young master, be careful. Deceiving someone with the Eye of Destiny is dangerous."
"I'm not deceiving him. I'm just... editing what he sees." Anthonio executed one final Lightning Step, shooting away from the Crimsonhart estate toward the city's outskirts. "Make it convincing. And make sure Father believes Kael saved him."
Through his clone's fading perception, Anthonio caught a glimpse of Selene transforming—her shadow essence warping her appearance, making her look like a male assassin, adjusting her cultivation aura to present as Transcendence 5-Star.
*She's good at this,* he thought with approval. *Ten years of serving in shadows taught her how to be whatever she needs to be.*
The clone reached the city outskirts and dismissed itself, the consciousness fragment returning to Anthonio's main body on the mountain peak. The dual perspective collapsed back into singular awareness, leaving him briefly disoriented.
When his vision cleared, Anthonio was himself again—one consciousness, one body, standing on the mountain peak overlooking the capital where, even now, Kael Stormborn was probably arriving to "save the day."
*Let him have it,* Anthonio thought with cold satisfaction. *Let him think he earned the Crimsonhart family's gratitude through his own actions. He'll never know that the real threats were already neutralized by the time he arrived.*
*He'll never know that the exiled trash he met at court is the one who actually saved Duke Marcus.*
*And when we meet again at the Academy, he'll still think I'm the weak, barely competent Consolidation 2-Star who showed 'admirable determination despite lacking talent.'*
Anthonio smiled that predatory smile as he watched lightning flash over the distant capital.
*First opportunity stolen. First timeline change successfully implemented.*
*Only a matter of time before I steal everything else you think the gods promised you, Kael Stormborn.*
---
**Three Days Later**
The news spread across the kingdom like wildfire: Duke Marcus Crimsonhart's assassination attempt, foiled by the heroic intervention of Duke Aldric Stormborn's recently acknowledged son, Kael Stormborn.
Anthonio read the official report in his room at the Eternal Mist Pavilion, a slight smile playing across his lips. The story was perfect—Kael had arrived just in time, defeated a Transcendence 5-Star shadow assassin (Selene, playing her role flawlessly), and saved the Duke's life. The grateful Marcus had rewarded him with gold, promises of future cooperation, and an open invitation to visit the Crimsonhart estate whenever he wished.
Exactly as the original timeline dictated. Except the vault access hadn't been granted—Marcus was grateful, but not grateful enough to open the family's most secret treasures to an outsider. That required deeper trust, which would have developed if Kael had actually faced the real threats.
*Close enough to the original timeline to avoid suspicion, different enough to matter,* Anthonio thought. *Kael gets his heroic reputation, but without the crucial reward that would have accelerated his growth.*
There was no mention of the mysterious lightning cultivator who had actually neutralized four of the six assassins. The guards who had witnessed his intervention described him in their reports, but those reports were classified—Marcus didn't want word spreading that his estate's security had needed outside help.
Perfect.
Selene entered the room, moving silently as always. She had returned from the capital that morning, her mission complete.
"The operation was a success," she reported. "Duke Marcus believes Kael Stormborn saved him. The gratitude is genuine, but measured. No vault access granted, no deep family secrets shared. Just gold and vague promises of future cooperation."
"Good. And Kael?"
"Believes his vision led him to save the Duke at the crucial moment. The Eye of Destiny showed him a possible future where Marcus died, so he rushed to intervene. From his perspective, he arrived just in time to defeat the final assassin and prevent the tragedy."
"He has no idea most of the assassins were already neutralized before he arrived?"
"None. The chaos of the situation, combined with my performance as the 'final threat,' convinced him his intervention was decisive." Selene smiled slightly. "Young master, your strategy was brilliant. Give Kael the glory while keeping the reality hidden. He gets his hero moment without the crucial reward."
Anthonio stood and moved to the window. Outside, the Crimson Mountains loomed under gray skies. Somewhere in those peaks, more artifacts waited—treasures he had written into his novel for future plot points.
Time to claim them before anyone else could.
"How is your cultivation progressing?" he asked Selene.
"Sovereign 5-Star now. The combat experience during the assassination helped me break through." She paused. "Young master, I must say—using a Lightning Clone at that distance, maintaining it through intensive combat, executing advanced techniques... your growth is extraordinary. Ten months ago, you couldn't even control a simple lightning sphere."
"Ten months ago, I was playing it safe." Anthonio turned from the window. "Now I know what I'm capable of. Manifestation 6-Star, sixty percent control of Primordial Red Lightning, multiple advanced techniques mastered. I'm no longer preparing for combat—I'm ready for it."
"And your next goals?"
Anthonio opened his cultivation journal, scanning recent entries. His advancement had been aggressive but controlled, each breakthrough carefully timed and executed. The next phase would require even more discipline.
"Four months until Seraphina Nightshade's debut ball," he said. "By then, I need to be at Manifestation 9-Star minimum, preferably early Transcendence. I also need to develop a combat style distinctive enough to be memorable but not identifiable as the mysterious lightning cultivator from the assassination."
"That's aggressive timing, young master. Transcendence breakthrough typically requires careful preparation, ideal conditions—"
"I have ideal conditions. The Crimson Mountains, the Codex of Primordial Essence, ten months of successful cultivation history. I can reach Transcendence within four months. I know I can."
He closed the journal and stored it in the Ring of Crimson Shadows.
"More importantly, I need to perfect my social skills. The debut ball is where I intercept the first heroine. Lady Seraphina Nightshade, blessed with the Divine Essence of Ice, destined to become Kael's first love interest." Anthonio's eyes gleamed. "In the original timeline, they meet at the ball, have an instant connection, and begin a romance that defines much of the early plot."
"And you intend to intercept that connection?"
"I intend to steal her completely. Before Kael even knows what's happening." Anthonio smiled that predatory smile. "But that requires being someone worth noticing. Not the exiled trash, but someone intriguing. Someone with hidden depths. Someone who makes her curious enough to look past the surface."
"A performance, then."
"The greatest performance. I'll attend the ball as Anthonio Crimsonhart, disgraced fifth son, barely competent Consolidation 2-Star cultivator." He gestured to himself. "But I'll also be charming, intelligent, subtly impressive in ways that don't reveal true power. Make her wonder. Make her curious. Plant seeds that will grow into something Kael never gets to experience."
Selene was quiet for a moment, studying him. "Young master, may I ask—in the original timeline, how did Lady Seraphina fall for Kael Stormborn? What made her choose him?"
"Power, initially. She's a duke's daughter with Divine Essence—she only respects strength. Kael impressed her with his three Divine Essences and his determination to rise above his bastard status." Anthonio's expression was analytical. "But the deeper connection came from shared struggle. Both of them fighting against prejudice, both of them determined to prove themselves despite their backgrounds."
"And you plan to replicate that connection?"
"No. I plan to offer something better." Anthonio's smile widened. "Seraphina doesn't need another struggling hero who wants to prove himself. She needs someone who already knows his worth, who isn't trying to impress anyone, who sees her as an equal rather than a prize to be won."
"You'll present yourself as confident despite your apparent weakness?"
"Exactly. The mysterious disgraced noble who somehow remains unbroken despite his circumstances. Who treats a duke's daughter as neither above nor below him, but simply as another person navigating a complicated world." Anthonio's eyes gleamed. "Women like Seraphina are constantly surrounded by men trying to impress them, to win their favor, to prove they're worthy. I'll do the opposite—treat her casually, honestly, without agenda. Be genuinely interesting rather than desperately impressive."
"A dangerous game, young master. If she rejects your approach—"
"Then I adjust and try again. I have fourteen months before the Academy entrance. Seraphina is the first heroine, but not the last. If I fail with her, I learn and adapt for the others." Anthonio moved toward the door. "But I won't fail. I wrote her character. I know exactly what she responds to, what she values, what she needs."
"And Kael Stormborn? What if he still meets her, still forms a connection despite your interference?"
Anthonio paused at the door, looking back with that cold, predatory smile.
"Then I'll be better. In every way that matters, I'll be the superior choice. More interesting, more capable, more worthy of her attention." His eyes glowed faintly crimson. "I have the advantage of author knowledge, ten months of brutal training, and powers Kael has never encountered. If it comes down to competition between us..."
Lightning crackled across his knuckles.
"The protagonist doesn't stand a chance."
---
**END OF CHAPTER 8**