NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36: Expansion
It had been a week since I brought the Uchiha here and things were finally calming for them. Spending time with them, they slowly grew closer to me. They had recently been choosing a representative for their clan, the votes being between Naori Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha. It was clear who was going to win there, Shisui being supported by the heir of the clan's previous head; Itachi.
Besides that, I spoke to some of the elders with relation to the traditions they held. I learnt of their sense of honour and the trappings of that, namely being the fact that if their clan's name is insulted they will lash out. Besides this detail they spoke to me of the Curse of Hatred, a propensity they all had to lash out in utter rage over the death of a loved one.
We discussed these issues for most of a night, the elders coming to the opinion that they trusted me to be their clan's permanent contractor. Essentially I would be able to ask for any of their ninjas to help me and would have the ability to hire any members. Every Uchiha retained the right to choose whether they accepted or not, but I was essentially an honorary member. This honorary position was officialised by the elders in front of every Uchiha, a party being had soon after at my own expense, because they didn't have money.
The next day I hacked into the Government records and artificially added birth certificates, records, ID's, EIN numbers and all the other information the government would ever need from them. Soon as this was completed, I marked all of their ID's as requiring replacement, with a confirmation from the system stating they would be sent out as soon as possible. For the rest of that day I continued to train my psychic prowess. Lifting large objects, trying to control the smallest objects I could feel and manipulating their movements. By the end of the day I had been able to slightly deform a coke can by re-arranging the atoms around a pin-prick sized section of the aluminium exterior.
For the rest of the week I oversaw the renovations on the company, ordered shipments of food and water for the clan and payed a lawyer from New York to represent me personally. He was very skilled and had an almost 100% win rate against all of the cases he has faced. For the company I hired a multi-national lawyer firm, their cost being quite expensive but also tax deductive as they were a business expense. At the same time I got an accountant firm to manage my tax obligations. I didn't intend to dodge any taxes, it was unnecessary since I could effectively steal infinite money with my power... If I wanted to... It was a moral grey zone for me as one part of me was wishing to just abuse it, the other to only use it in dire need.
This moral quandary was constantly on my mind during most of the week, until, at the end of said week I took a look at my points... [Points: 875,119,742]
'HOLY FUCK!?'
'HOW?'
Rushing over to a nearby door in the Uchiha mansion I stepped into my apartment and quickly slid onto my desk's chair, my fingers tapping away at the balance feature to look at the timeline of transactions and gains.
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\STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN/
Beginning of Week- Total: 100,000,000P ~13,333,333 People Purchased :FALLOUT:~
Middle of Week- Total: 450,000,000P ~ 16,666,667 People Purchased :FALLOUT: Additionally~
End of Week (Today)- Total: 800,000,000P ~ 23,333,333 People Purchased :FALLOUT: Additionally~
Total Summary: 53,333,333 People Purchased Fallout ; 800,000,000 Points were earned in total ; Additional Income from Enjoyment = 50,000,000 Points ; Suggested Action- Expand game options. Total Points: 875,119,742 .
///
The sheer numbers and the repetitiveness in some of them were, mind-blowing. I mean, how could I possibly get two long strings of numbers spamming 3's at me?
I was shaking, my eyes blinking rapidly as excitement bubbled up within. In said celebration my fingers reached for the shop app and immediately searched the True VR Hubs.
🎇VR Gaming Hubs🎇
~Primitive VR Gaming Hub -1,000,000,000P
~Primal VR Gaming Hub -10,000,000,000P
~Beginner VR Gaming Hub -100,000,000,000P
~Apprentice RE Gaming Hub - 100,000,000,000,000P
~Journeyman RE Gaming Hub - 10,000,000,000,000,000P
*REMAINING OPTIONS ARE LOCKED*
I was 125,000,000 Points away from getting one of the most mysterious rewards on my battle pass. Narrowing my eyes at the cock block, frustration spread through my heart. Since first seeing it my curiosity had been spiked, now I was stopped at the point of entry... So to speak.
'Guess it is time to release SWTOR then... Perhaps make an event out of it, giving people access to a small demo version of the game that is simply an animatic of the remaining animated videos could be a good way to suddenly reveal the game release...?'
"Yeah, that works." Closing out of the shop, ignoring all of the daily specials, I selected the edit tool for SWTOR and carved a small section of Coruscant as a locked zone. From there I set the spawn point for a separate 'Demo' version of the game. People would get a taste of what is to come and experience a theatre style show of animatics for SWTOR. Luckily, I had expected to release more animatics for the marketing. Not that I had foreseen this usage of them.
A few minutes later, it was all set and I blasted a message to Ned, Peter, Alucard, Bruce, Tony and Spiff about the upcoming demo. Speaking of Spiff, he had been aiding me in bug testing, recording some content for himself whilst doing it as my recompense. I told him he can release it when the launch was announced; So i sent him a message that he can upload those videos whenever he wished.
The demo was up, and people could join...
This would stay up until tomorrow, when the launch would begin and the world will be able to play SWTOR officially.
...
Within S.H.I.E.L.D HQ Somewhere...
"Natasha, answer me, what happened to the men sent to Yggdrasil interactive?" Fury gazed out at the frowning figure of Natasha; Black Widow, who was currently thumbing through various pieces of paper for the details she had marked down on observation.
"Our operatives were left knocked out and in a pile next to a heap of cow dung, sir."
The eyepatch of his twitched along with his muscles as he ran his left hand down his face as if in sheer agony. Yes, he was suffering... Not from pain, from the lack of skill in his organisation.
"I- No, I ain't going there. Tell me how." She stopped thumbing through pages and finally started to trace a finger over some text on the sheet.
"From the operative's perspective a massive storm of ravens flew down on them from above and started to scratch away at their eyes. In panic, they fled and fell, all getting knocked out."
A slapping noise resounded as Fury full on facepalmed now, hunching over his desk as if he had just been kicked in the balls.
"What did these stupid motherfuckers just report to me!?"
"Let's not be hasty sir... they could have been put under the effect of an illusion spell, holographic illusion or maybe they were exposed to hallucinogens."
"Phew, fine, let's assume that they were exposed to something unique... Is there any details on who this God Empress is or anyone around her?"
She flipped through a few more pages until landing on what she wanted again.
"Currently there is very little information due to, interruptions, we are facing. The only details we were able to get was from Tony's infiltration of the company and the blurred figures of presumably the Empress and her off-sider."
Fury sat down and steepled his hands, his singular good eyes locking onto his computer screen where it showed hundreds of different images around the compound of Yggdrasil Interactive. His fingers tapped lightly against one another for a time, Natasha standing and waiting for him to finish his thoughts.
Finally, he finished when he broke the steeple of his hands. " We are approaching this the wrong way. Our attempts to secretly monitor and gather information is not working due to some form of technology that we don't understand. If she can make Virtual reality, a reality, then we are outmatched in scientific understanding."
"So sir? What do you wish to do...? She isn't hiring anyone from outside and there has been very little fiscal movement since Yggdrasil Interactive hired those two firms."
"I will go meet with this woman. She is too intelligent to spy on, like Stark. We have to treat her with the same level of respect."
Natasha closed her clipboard and threw it to the side, crossing her arms soon after as a stern look besmirched her stunning features. She was akin to an angry mother about to berate her son for being too stupid.
"Sir! That is not procedure, and it is definitely not safe. We don't even know who she is, unlike Stark..."
"That, whilst it is true, is not the point."
"What is the point then?"
"To meet her, on her own terms... To let her feel a sense of control. She definitely knows we are seeking information from her. Now, we just have to attempt to gain information from a meeting with her."
A frown melded with the sternness becoming a disgusted expression of frustration. Never in her life had Shield had to stoop so low as to meet with a person who they didn't even know. They were supposed to know everyone or at least have the ability to gain information on that person. This was revolting for her, for her pride more aptly.
"Must we...?"
"Yes! Now, stop question my orders and carry them out."
"You have to give me some first."
"M-motherfucker, fine! I want you to go up to Yggdrasil-Motherfuckin-interactive and request a meeting with this God Empress figure... If that fails, see if you can book an appointment."
Natasha didn't even wait to respond, simply turning and walking out. Her sniper swaying side to side as she huffily left the officer of her boss. This was degrading, this was, unnatural, she had to definitely see who this God Empress woman was now...
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