Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

In the Celestial Academy, two of the top elders, Thorne Arcturus and Darius Armist, sat across from each other in a grand chamber, the air heavy with their hushed conversation.

The room, adorned with ancient scrolls and powerful relics, was a place reserved for matters of utmost importance. Their expressions were tense, eyes sharp as they deliberated.

The topic of their discussion was one that had perplexed them both for months—Roxana Volcaria, a once-eight-star cultivator who had mysteriously fallen to six stars, only to rise again with alarming speed and strength. Her sudden resurgence had shaken the ranks of the academy, and whispers about her potential spread like wildfire.

Elder Thorne leaned forward, his brow furrowed deeply, frustration clear in his voice. "How did she grow stronger so quickly, even after dropping to six stars?"

His tone was a mixture of curiosity and disbelief, the weight of it settling heavily between them. "Someone falling from eight stars to six star... that should have crippled her progress permanently. And yet, here she is, stronger than ever."

His eyes narrowed as he thought back to the reports. "Her cultivation manual… there's something unusual about it. No normal manual would allow someone to recover—and ascend—at such a pace."

Elder Darius, reclining slightly in his chair, rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He had been pondering the same for some time now. "It's not just her strength," he mused, his voice low but carrying a note of admiration.

"She's become a rising force in the academy. The way she moves, the power she wields—there's something... refined about it, almost as if she's tapped into something beyond our understanding."

Thorne nodded, his face darkening with intent. "I've watched her during our gatherings. The control she exerts over her mana, the intensity of her Volcanic Dragon Claws—it's not the work of any ordinary cultivation manual. No, she's hiding something, and whatever it is, it's not something we can overlook."

Darius's eyes gleamed with ambition. "Imagine what it could do for us, Thorne," he said, his tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "If we could gain access to that manual, if we could learn its secrets... think of the power we could achieve."

Thorne's lips twisted into a thin smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Exactly. It's not just about her anymore. That manual—if it truly holds the key to her sudden rise—could push us past the limits of our cultivation. Even the other elders would be forced to acknowledge our superiority."

Darius leaned forward, matching Thorne's intensity. "But she's cautious. She doesn't trust easily. If we move too quickly, we'll lose the chance to find out. We need to approach this carefully."

Thorne's eyes flickered with calculation. "Indeed. We can't afford to draw suspicion, especially now that her influence is growing. But mark my words, Darius... we will uncover her secret. And when we do, we'll ascend to heights even the other top elders can't imagine."

Darius nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips as the two elders locked eyes, their ambitions aligning. "The time will come, Thorne. We'll make sure of it."

As Thorne and Darius spoke, their conversation suddenly halted by a sharp, unexpected sound—a loud crack that echoed ominously through the chamber.

Both elders immediately turned their attention toward the source. On the far wall, a custom emblem plaque had shattered into pieces, the fragments scattered across the floor.

Elder Thorne's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening as his gaze fell on the broken plaque. He recognized its design instantly—it was the same as the one carried by his grandson, Caius Arcturus. The emblem was a family marker, enchanted to break only in the event of a grave misfortune.

A deep frown creased Thorne's face, and his jaw clenched as the significance of the shattered emblem hit him with full force. The room suddenly felt colder, the weight of realization heavy in the air.

Across from him, Elder Darius, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, glanced at his fellow elder with concern. "What happened, Thorne?" he asked, his voice cautious, as if he already knew the answer would be dire.

Thorne remained silent for a moment, his fists tightening on the arms of his chair. His voice, when he finally spoke, was grim and heavy with restrained emotion. "This emblem... it's connected to one of my grandchildren. Its breaking means... that one of them is dead."

The words hung in the air like a heavy cloud, thick with tension and disbelief. Elder Darius stared at Thorne, his eyes widening in shock. "Dead?" he echoed, as if his mind couldn't quite grasp the reality of what he had just heard. The disbelief in his tone was palpable. "Which one?"

Thorne's expression stiffened, the lines of his face growing sharper as anger began to simmer beneath the surface.

His jaw clenched, and for a moment, he looked as though he could crush the very air around him. "Caius," he said slowly, his voice low and filled with an icy fury. "Caius Arcturus."

The name seemed to hit Darius like a physical blow. His eyebrows shot up in pure astonishment, his mouth slightly agape. "Caius?" he repeated, his voice laced with incredulity.

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"But… isn't he one of the top geniuses in your family? The one you just accepted after the last inner test?" His voice dropped slightly, a mixture of awe and concern. "You always said he had the potential to be one of the best…"

Thorne nodded slowly, his teeth gritted. "Yes," he said, his voice low but filled with a seething fury. "One of the most talented. And now... he's dead." His fists clenched so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged, his knuckles white. The pain of loss mixed with a growing rage.

Darius sat back in his chair, still processing the news. "How...?" He began, but his voice trailed off, knowing the question was pointless at the moment. Caius's death was not only a loss for the Arcturus family but also a dangerous spark that could lead to retribution.

"I don't know yet," Thorne answered before Darius could speak further, his voice tense. "But I need to find out. Whoever killed him will pay dearly." His eyes burned with the promise of vengeance, and for a moment, his usual calm demeanor cracked, revealing the depth of his grief and fury.

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