Inside the Sanya player lobby, the atmosphere was silent.
Ruyi, Jina, and Galaxy watched the man on the sofa with open curiosity, while Sanya and Rudra stared at him nervously.
The person slowly placed his teacup on the table and spoke calmly.
"Well, you all sit down here and eat something. After that, we can talk about the game."
With a casual wave of his hand, several dishes appeared on the table—steaming hot, perfectly arranged, filling the air with rich aromas.
The five weren't surprised by food appearing in the game world. They already knew players received basic daily food for free to keep the character alive even when offline for days.
But players could also buy and taste any other kind of food using game points.
Most didn't—points could be converted to real money later, so spending them on food felt wasteful.
Only rich players bought it without a second thought, just to enjoy the taste.
One such player had shared his experience on the E.A. Network: the food was incredible. The taste was so vivid it stunned him.
Others tried it and were equally amazed.
Soon, rumors also began spread: whenever a player ate food from the store, they suddenly became sharper, more focused, more reactive.
But it was still unconfirmed.
Back in the present, the five individuals moved toward the sofa and sat down around the man already there.
Ruyi, Jina, and Galaxy kept stealing glances at him, wondering who he was.
They also noticed Sanya and Rudra sitting with their heads slightly lowered.
They already knew Roxa and Rudra were rich, so a lavish spread like this didn't surprise them.
They simply assumed he was a friend or family member from their wealthy circle.
Rich people circle~
But they were curious why Roxa and Rudra looked so nervous—like rats caught by a cat.
Just then, Sanya slowly lifted her head, forced a smile, and said nervously,
"Brother… sorry I didn't tell you… about playing the game."
The person was none other than Sanya's brother—Ankit.
Ankit—Heart Clone—laughed lightly.
"Well, I already knew you were playing. I just came here to play with you too."
Heart Clone was currently inside Ether Clone's sleeves. He had planned to play casually on a secondary account while Solar Clone used the main one.
But after a few solo matches, he got bored.
Then Sphera messaged him: Sanya had started playing.
He got the idea to join her.
But he held back at first.
If he let her play alone, she could enjoy it more freely, make friends, grow on her own—so he let her be.
Today, though, he decided to join her and Rudra was here too.
He decided to play in a squad with them—let the others teach Rudra while he relaxed and enjoyed himself without any real work.
As for how he entered the lobby without Sanya inviting him?
Well… he created the game.
Of course he could come whenever he wanted.
On the other hand, Sanya and Rudra were surprised and relieved that their brother already knew they were playing—and hadn't punished them.
Then one question rose in Sanya's mind:
But how can Brother enter the VR world? Is he so strong that he can even step into this?
Even if Ankit traveled to distant planets or other worlds, she wouldn't be shocked.
But this was VR!
A virtual reality world!
Not physical. Not real.
Created with… well, she didn't even fully understand how it was made.
But it wasn't a physical place!
Just then, a familiar voice spoke directly inside her mind.
"Why can't I enter here? And who said this is a VR world?"
She instantly recognized it as her brother's voice.
Her eyes flicked to Heart Clone, who sat calmly at the table, eating from the dishes while casually telling the others to start.
He was speaking straight into her thoughts.
Surprise and curiosity filled her voice as she replied mentally:
"Brother… is this not the VR world? What is it then?"
Heart Clone continued savoring the food, fork moving smoothly, while Sanya also began eating—pretending nothing unusual was happening.
He answered casually in her mind:
"Well… this isn't a VR world.
It's created with dream element.
I told you about it."
"Yeah, you told me about it," Sanya said, eyes widening as the pieces clicked. She paused mid-sentence, then continued with growing confidence. "So… the game was created by you, right?"
Heart Clone answered in her mind.
"Yes."
Sanya's voice softened, but the realization lit her face.
"I can buy any item for free in the game… is that also because of you?"
"Yes."
"Same with Rudra?"
"Yes."
"So the single mysterious owner everyone talks about… is you?"
"Yes."
Sanya thoughts stopped for a moment and then she said.
"That's amazing, Brother. I'm so proud of you. You're not just strong—you're incredibly intelligent too. Creating a game this amazing… good, good."
"Hmm… you don't have to say those things. You don't have to fear punishment. I'm not mad about you calling me a maniac." (Ch 227)
Sanya instantly went silent.
She had already suspected her brother might have heard those words yesterday, but hearing him admit it so casually left her speechless. Her cheeks warmed slightly. She didn't know what to say.
The lobby stayed quiet for a beat—only the soft clink of dishes and the distant hum of butterflies.