Reading the name of the novel, Third eye clone murmured to himself:
"So the difficulty isn't just the self-reference… it's also that this place is purely imaginary. Humans have millions—no, billions—of imaginations in their lifetimes. Predicting someone's imagination at my current level is naturally difficult."
"But this is interesting. Why did I see a vision of this place? It's imaginary, so I can't go there. Is the vision pointing to the novel itself? Or its main character? Let's read it first."
Saying this, he began reading Renegade Cultivator.
In just two days, he finished the entire novel.
He hadn't known it existed before.
Thousands of novels were published daily. Even if he or his fellow clones read two or three each day, they couldn't cover them all. This one had slipped through.
After finishing, he immediately wanted to inform the main body through their connection—but then decided against it.
He wanted to see Ankit's face when he delivered the news in person.
Before leaving, he sent discreet gifts to the novel's author and the person who first linked the image to the book.
***
Ankit, reviewing the Third Eye Clone's memories, emerged from his thoughts with a faint smile.
"That novel's idea is going to become reality soon," he said softly.
In Renegade Cultivator, the main character used a special bead to create a sealed dream realm. Inside, time could accelerate or decelerate based purely on the user's imagination—the bead simply made the imagined flow real. It didn't rely on mastering the Time element; it was limited, imperfect, but perfect for grinding comprehension of laws, practicing martial techniques, or enduring centuries in moments.
The same principle could apply here.
"If I create a dream realm and enter it to experience time and comprehend the Time element, my body will only age minutes or hours in reality… but mentally, I could live centuries. Millennia, if needed."
He didn't have the bead.
But he didn't need it.
He could create his own.
He already had the Dream element—High level comprehension, but enough to start.
He had Mind to shape the dream's rules and control its flow.
He had Soul to anchor his consciousness and protect it from collapse.
Even at low levels, they were sufficient for a foundation.
Now he just needed to forge something that could affect even him—something that could induce and sustain the dream, with a built-in control system to regulate time dilation without losing himself inside.
Ankit's eyes sharpened.
He turned to his work.
He sent a quick mental command to the Third Eye Clone:
"Focus on comprehending the Dream element more deeply. This task belongs to you now."
Back at Dark Haven Fortress, the Third Eye Clone—who had just arrived—received the order and sighed.
"More work…"
He shook his head wryly, then sat down to begin.
The path to Time had just gained a new direction.
And Ankit was already moving toward it.
****
Meanwhile on Earth, the parent company of Free Fire issued a sudden, earth-shaking announcement:
Ownership of the company has changed.
No name was given. No face. No explanation.
Only the stark, unbelievable fact: the global gaming giant—now the most downloaded mobile title in history had a single owner.
The world froze.
Forums exploded. News channels scrambled for sources. Players, investors, esports organizations, even governments stared at their screens in stunned silence.
One person owns Free Fire?
The announcement continued:
Due to necessary system upgrades and restructuring, all servers will be temporarily offline.
The game will be unavailable for the next few days.
We thank our players for their patience and continued support.
The backlash was immediate.
Millions of players flooded social media with fury—some cursing, some demanding refunds, some simply refusing to believe it. Esports leagues paused schedules. Betting sites scrambled. The gaming community—already riding the high of cultivation integration—felt betrayed by the sudden blackout.
But no one could do anything.
The servers were dark.
***
In the official residence of Prime Minister Mordan, the office was quiet except for the soft clink of teacups and the occasional crunch of fruit.
Mordan, General Amit, and Umang sat around the low table, the remnants of the essence-infused fruits still scattered between them. The air carried a faint, lingering sweetness.
Umang finished his report, voice steady but tinged with satisfaction.
"The acquisition is complete, Sir. We kept our involvement anonymous—our alliance partners won't come knocking, demanding to know why we 'wasted' national funds on a game. There were… challenges, but after some "peaceful negotiations", the previous owners accepted the offer. They received more than enough compensation; they didn't resist for long."
He allowed himself a small, triumphant smile.
"All that remains is to claim our reward. I'm… quite excited."