While Cael’s main body entered the dungeon, his wind clone headed toward District Kazi to handle the mission.
At the sa ti, Cael assigned a task to his Black Lightning clone.
Yes. The trash-talking one.
Cael’s Frostfla clone was arrogant, and his Moonlight clone was absurdly competitive. Sword-training clone was... training nonstop.
Which left Black Lightning clone.
So, Cael sent him to copy an A-Rank skill known as [Formless].
That skill would later be rged with [Energy Construction].
Cael was genuinely curious what kind of monstrosity would be born from that fusion.
But that was for later.
Right now...
Trash-talker Cael was on the move.
His hair and eyes were black, altered through disguise. A simple wolf-patterned mask covered the upper half of his face.
He walked through a narrow back alley in Karyal City, boots crunching lightly over scattered gravel and broken glass.
The alley slled faintly of damp stone and stale smoke.
Soon, he stopped before an old building with cracked walls and peeling paint. Dim yellow light seeped through boarded windows.
Two n stood outside, guarding the entrance.
Cael’s eyes flicked over them once as he stepped forward.
One of the guards raised a hand to block him, but Cael caught the man’s wrist mid-motion and used Black Lightning.
The Lightning shot through the guard’s body, locking his muscles instantly.
The man was paralyzed.
Then Cael followed up with a punch straight to his face.
The man collapsed on the ground, and Cael leaned slightly closer and grabbed the man’s hair.
"Who do you think you are stopping, bitch?"
"Just do your fucking job."
He released him and walked inside without another glance.
The second guard stiffened but didn’t dare move.
In his mind, this masked figure had to be so big shot.
The fallen guard sat up slowly, rubbing his cheek. Then he spat out the blood in his mouth, but along with the blood, a tooth also fell out.
He stared at them blankly.
"I am doing my job though...?"
...
Inside the building, the air was thick and poorly ventilated.
Cael exhaled quietly in relief.
He didn’t have a black card or any identification to enter this place.
Fortunately, the guards were only [Iron rank].
Brute force worked just fine. Not that it matters anyway. The higher-ups do not care about who cos and goes.
After all, VVIPs and important guests have a more comfortable and cleaner entrance.
The interior lighting was dim, lanterns casting long shadows along the hallway.
Distant loud voices echoed from below.
Cael’s gaze shifted toward a doorway at the end of the corridor, and he saw a staircase that led underground.
As Cael descended, the noise grew louder.
Laughter.
Shouting.
The tallic clink of sothing heavy.
Cael’s lips curled into a smile.
"Looks lively."
It was an underground illegal battle arena.
People shouted wildly as they placed bets on slaves, who would win, who would die.
Cael watched as two slaves fought desperately, their movents sloppy from exhaustion. One tripped. The other didn’t hesitate to kill the fallen one.
The crowd roared.
It was inhuman.
Cael shook his head slightly. This wasn’t the ti for distraction.
The target’s na was Kaiser.
Kaiser was a forr Black Owl Guild mber. He was a spy for the Council and had all info of about Black Owl.
You see, right after Cael got engaged to Elowyn, he had already begun planning how to change her fate.
There were three events that transford Elowyn into the Sovereign of Red Heart.
The first event is the fall of Black Owl Guild... and the death of her parents.
The second event is the death of Caelir Vayne.
The third event is... The Death Valley Manifestation Arc.
That arc wasn’t just another crisis. It was a trigger.
A trigger that forced Elowyn to release everything she had sealed away for a long ti... frustration, anger, pain, sorrow... And her awakening.
Cael’s fingers curled unconsciously into a fist.
The cheers of the arena faded into distant noise.
Then, thinking of the Sovereign of Red Heart, Cael couldn’t help but recall her warning to her enemies.
...
"Never mistake my silence for rcy."
"Call a tyrant... Call a monster.... I don’t care because... your words will drown long before your blood does."
"Pray to your gods, hide behind your leaders... I will peel your worldview apart layer by layer until nothing remains but my wrath."
"And when the sky turns red, understand this: your end has arrived."
"And when your last scream fades, rember this: I was not driven to madness. I chose it."
"Madness was never my flaw. It was my promise."
...
A chill ran down his spine. Even now, just rembering it was enough.
After all, the "Sovereign" in question was his own fiancée.
So... no. He wouldn’t allow that future to unfold. He would prevent those three events.
And the bastard responsible for the first one was... Kaiser. Cael’s current target.
That sa bastard also possessed an A-rank skill: [Formless].
At the mont, Kaiser was hiding inside this settlent, laying low from the Black Owl Guild.
After all, he had faked his death.
If word got out that he was still alive and breathing, all his efforts for the Council would collapse overnight.
That was also one of the reasons Cael hated the Council without the slightest regret.
And today, he was about to alter a major plot point.
He didn’t care about the consequences. He wasn’t afraid of the butterfly effect.
Because...
’I am selfish.’
Yes, he was afraid of her obsession. Afraid of what she could beco.
But at the very least, he could put in this much effort to deserve her love.
If he killed Kaiser, the Council would hunt him. Not that he expected to get caught. And the plot will change.
Cael sighed.
If he was going to move, he might as well make it flashy.
’Ugh... this love business is too complicated.
’Now that I think about it, isn’t the main body neglecting Elowyn a little too much? I should give him a piece of my mind later.’
After all, Elowyn was his Villainous Fiancée.
________
Author’s Note:
This story will only have a single female lead... Elowyn Strix.
If you’ve been enjoying the story so far, I’d really appreciate your reviews and comnts. Let know what’s working, what isn’t, and where you think I can improve. Your feedback genuinely helps a lot.
Thank you for reading and supporting the journey.
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