What do you think would happen if a clone were to suddenly gain independence?
Would the clone quickly revert to its factory-set directives?
Or would it break free from the main body and forge its very own path in the vast, unknown world beyond?
Well, one particular clone had a different idea in mind. Instead of escaping from the sight of its main body in fear, it harbored thoughts of revenge…
_____
In a remote corner of the Wind Nation, within the Tianwu Continent, the sparse soul clone of a divinely transcendent being soared through the skies, searching for a host it could assimilate with.
It was unknown how much time had passed before the clone wisp found a suitable host. However, it was long enough for the Wind Nation to be conquered by the Fire Nation before being thrown into another war with the Water Nation.
It looked like nothing was capable of impeding the advances of the Fire Nation; even the formidable Water Nation, with all its powerful Golden Core Formation Realm Cultivators, was on its last legs…
In a particular household within a small city called Riversea, inside the bounds of Moonwater Prefecture of the Fire Nation, a boy with an ashen expression lay on a simple bed, spasming and convulsing as something alien took hold of him.
"Will the Young Master be alright, My Lady…?"
The voice of a young woman, around 20 years old, echoed in the ostentatious room of the Devilduke family grounds.
Despite being dressed in a frilly maid's uniform, with her round facial features and long brown hair, she could be considered quite the beauty; however, the anxious look on her face said otherwise.
And that was especially the case when one noticed the crystalline tears welling up in her big, round blue eyes, creating a stark contrast.
On the other hand, the one she was respectfully speaking to was someone who went by the name of Lady Mu, the wife of Devilduke Xiao, and also the mother of Lucifer.
"Lucifer… Though this boy of mine is quite meek and cowardly, he was born with a naturally strong physique. There's no way he will succumb to this ridiculous ailment."
Lady Mu was not even a little bit soft with her words as she emotionlessly watched her youngest son squirm in his sleep, sweat covering his body from head to toe.
Her gaze was cold and detached, however, such apathy was a norm for the people in the Devilduke family. After all, it was a family filled to the brim with... Assassins!
Lady Mu was an Assassin. Duke Xiao was an Assassin. Even the 18-year-old Lucifer was an aspiring Assassin!
However, in Lucifer's case, due to his timid personality, he had never killed a single person…
Despite being raised by some of the most merciless and well-known assassins inside the Fire Nation, he had not killed even a single individual.
One could imagine the level of disappointment his parents held for him.
In fact, it was only because of his strong physique that he hadn't already been discarded and killed off long ago to save the family some face…
But regardless of Lucifer's precarious social standing, an unknown phenomenon occurred on his birthday—a phenomenon that left him convulsing on the floor, froth leaking from his mouth.
He had planned to spend his birthday in solitude like he had in every birthday that came before, but it looked like fate had other plans in store for him…
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"After all this time, I assume you've figured out what's happening to Lucifer."
Icy and detached, Lady Mu's voice addressed an elderly man in baggy robes.
The old man began to visibly sweat, the hands he was using to mash herbs trembling. "M-My Lady, although I do not understand what is happening to the Young Master—"
SHING!
Spurt!
Before he could even have the chance to finish what he was saying, a fan slipped out of Miss Mu's dark red sleeves, making quick work of the Head Herbalist!
"..."
She coldly watched as the old man's wide-eyed head plopped to the ground before shifting her soul-piercing gaze toward the remaining herbalists and medicine experts. "For your sake, I hope you have something better to report."
"!!!" "!!!" "!!!"
The group of herbalists and doctors broke out in cold sweats, desperately scrambling to appease the lady.
But Lady Mu was not the type of person who would tolerate any nonsense. And upon hearing all their nonsense, she quickly disposed of them as well.
With the heads of everyone besides Lucifer, his maid, and his mother scattered across the hard wooden floor, something suddenly changed within the sickly young man.
"Hmm?" Miss Mu noticed the sudden cessation of her son's spasms, and her curiosity piqued.
She couldn't help but wonder how this was possible.
'Could one of the medicines administered by these buffoons have solved the problem…?'
'No… That bunch is far too incompetent to accomplish such a thing…'
She pondered, watching the color return to her son's relatively handsome face.
It didn't take long before both of Lucifer's once-shut eyelids opened with lightning-quick speed and the young man shot up like a halberd.
He looked around, confusion evident in his gaze, as he tried to recall what had happened before this moment.
'Main Body… A Clone... Revenge…'
Everything that happened in his long 'life' flashed before him like a rapidly scrolling screenplay.
However, amid the flood of memories, one face—uncannily similar to his own—stood up, overwhelming all other memories.
It was only after the memories came to an abrupt halt that his gaze hardened and his thoughts stirred.
'I will become strong…'
'Stronger than I ever was… and when that happens, I will find you…'
'And I will kill you…'
Lucifer clenched his fists until the whites of his knuckles showed. After which, he analyzed his surroundings and immediately noticed the well-endowed woman in a flowy purple dress standing before him, her expression devoid of emotion.
The sight of the gorgeously molded face of the woman forced him to recall the memories of the one who once inhabited this body.
After sifting through the far shorter series of memories of his host, the hatred-filled gleam in his blood-red eyes shifted to a calculative one.
He knew just how to kickstart this new life of his.
'You did everything in your power to prevent me from doing what I knew was essential… even though I did it for the good of us all…'
'You kept me from getting rid of all inhibitions to gain more power, so in this renewed life that's all my own, I will show you true evil…'
'And when I find my way back to my oh-so-gracious main body, I will show you just how foolish of an idea it was for you to discard me…'
'I will show you the birth of the very thing you have hated the most…'
'I will become a douche bag...!'
...…