Seeing the beasts growing overly excited and restless, the Ether Clone stepped forward and uttered a single, calm word—"Shhhsh."
The sound traveled through space itself, resonating directly into every beast's mind like an irresistible command.
For a brief second, all their thoughts went blank.
Then legs trembled, tails dropped, teeth chattered, and even the proud purple-level snow wolf fell completely quiet, its massive frame shrinking inward as though scolded by an elder.
The Ether Clone nodded in satisfaction at the instant obedience.
"This is your home from now on," he said clearly, voice carrying across the continent. "You will stay here. I will provide food and help you grow stronger. But you are my subordinates—understood?"
Other than the snow wolf, whose intelligence had already begun to awaken, none truly understood the words, yet they all nodded vigorously in agreement, mirroring the wolf's submission without hesitation.
The Heart Clone, seeing they had accepted their place, tossed a handful of glowing pills toward the group.
"Eat these," he instructed. "They will control your hunger and murderous instincts so you don't turn on each other. You can fight and spar freely, but no killing. And from now on, this wolf is your leader—you follow him."
The snow wolf caught one pill mid-air, ears twitching with reluctance at the thought of no more fresh meat, but with no choice, it swallowed the pill. Other beasts follow suit.
The Heart Clone observed the beasts closely and noticed a subtle shift in their auras—disappointment and restlessness flickering through the group after hearing they could no longer hunt or devour fresh meat, their primal instincts clearly clashing with the new rules.
Seeing their subdued expressions and lowered heads, he reached into his robes again and tossed another handful of different glowing pills toward them—brighter and more radiant than the first set.
"Eat these as well," he said gently, voice warm with reassurance. "These will strengthen you greatly and help you grow powerful without needing to hunt or kill for sustenance. Take them."
The snow wolf, still adjusting to the loss of fresh meat, hesitated for only a moment before leaping forward to catch one of the new pills mid-air.
The instant it swallowed, a much stronger surge of energy flooded its body—warm, pure, and invigorating, far richer than the first pill.
The wolf's eyes widened, ears perking up as it instinctively guided the energy through its meridians, feeling its strength rise noticeably in just seconds.
The Heart Clone watched this with approval—the wolf was truly clever, actively directing the flow rather than letting it scatter like the others.
"Your name from now on is Husa," he said warmly. "Here—take this."
He sent a stream of knowledge directly into Husa's mind: a complete, tailored cultivation system designed specifically for the snow wolf's potential.
With this method, Husa could grow at least a hundred times stronger than before.
The wolf stared up at the Heart Clone, tail wagging slowly, eyes shining with clear gratitude and loyalty.
The Heart Clone and Ether Clone exchanged a glance—they had already prepared similar systems for every beast in the continent, but they would not hand them out freely.
Only when the beasts proved themselves—through strength, loyalty, or achievement—would they receive such precious knowledge.
That way, they would value it deeply and grow ever more devoted to their new masters.
Satisfied with the arrangement, the two clones left the continent, sealing the entrance behind them with layered spatial arrays.
The Heart Clone felt no worry about the beasts turning on each other—Husa could control them now, and even if he couldn't, powerful guardian puppets already patrolled unseen, ready to enforce order.
With the beasts settled, the Heart Clone and Ether Clone opened the stable spatial passage and stepped through, arriving back inside Dark Haven Fortress.
They emerged in a quiet chamber near the main gate.
Without delay, they teleported the entire family—Kamal, Neelam, Sanya, Rudra, and even Astra the cow—directly in front of the passage leading to the Abode of the Sky.
Kamal had been sitting comfortably, watching news on a screen, when the world shifted around him.
He blinked in confusion, then saw the two clones and immediately understood.
Still, he demanded an explanation with a raised eyebrow. "Why have you called us now? What's the rush?"
The Heart Clone smiled warmly beneath his mask.
"Surprise."
Kamal looked around and saw the rest of the family had been brought too—Neelam looking curious, Sanya excited, Rudra bouncing with joy, and Astra calmly chewing on nothing in particular.
They all turned to the Heart Clone, waiting.
The Ether Clone had already slipped away to continue comprehending higher elements, leaving only the Heart Clone to guide them.
He spoke slowly, voice full of warmth.
"Follow me. I want to show you our new house."
The words landed like thunder.
A new house?
This fortress wasn't enough?
Kamal's mouth opened slightly in disbelief.
Neelam raised an eyebrow.
Sanya gasped.
Rudra, however, jumped up and down with pure delight.
"New house! New house! Let's go!"
Without waiting for more questions, the family followed the Heart Clone toward the spatial passage, stepping through the shimmering gateway that led to the Abode of the Sky.