FB: Chapter 120 – The Illuminati

“Tim, it is good to see you,” I greeted the leader of the Illuminati outside of Exponential.

“April. Your offer was quite generous,” he said. I nodded at this statement. Tim’s bank account had grown quite a bit to seven figures to keep him loyal during the transition process.

“I am glad you think so. You could have tried shopping around, but you didn’t,” I replied while looking at him intently to see if he was going to try and deceive me.

“With a lot more strings attached. I saw what happened with the Fanged Fox Guild. A dark guild like the Illuminati can’t be run like that, as part of the bureaucracy,” he replied.

“Not even interested in joining the CIA or NSA?” I asked.

“And be stuck in a hole somewhere. My fellow members would riot if I joined such an organization and they found out. And it would be obvious. No. You have kept a fairly light touch and have handed over quite a lot of useful information,” Tim answered.

“That is good to hear. Since the next target is this guild. They will soon experience a crisis of funding and leadership in the real world. Once that happens, your forces should be ready to act and take advantage of the situation,” I explained and pushed a sheet of paper across the desk towards Tim. He picked it up and looked it over.

“This is happening quite soon. I won’t be able to move a lot of people,” he said.

“That is fine. If anyone asks, you can let them know a contact from China clued you into the information,” I said.

“China? Why China?” Tim asked.

“To muddy the waters even more and separate your actions from me. It is doubtful that anyone will ask, but if you make some documents and someone sneaks in and finds something, well I won’t argue with that,” I explained.

While revenge was nice, I needed to bind the Illuminati to me more tightly. That meant useful information they could act upon. “Any new bottom lines?” he asked.

“No. Everything is fair game. Even the Mercenary Guild is fair game. I would prefer my town is not exploded though,” I said.

“The Fanged Fox Guild is okay now?” he asked for further clarification.

“Yes. Your quick infiltration with my help creates the possibility of future action. If you choose to do something, I have no objection. I would like to be informed though, if possible. My insights into schemes is decent enough to have some value, or at least I hope so,” I said with a smile.

“You aren’t worried the US Government won’t suspect you?” he asked me.

“They might, but dark guilds are dark guilds. That is the problem with terrorism, it is a sword without a hilt,” I explained to the terrorist leader. Tim nodded thoughtfully at this comparison. My goal wasn’t to wield such a sword, merely having the sword swinging about and knowing where it would hit was enough.

“More like a herd of cats all hyped up on cat nip, but I get what you are saying. There is something more, just rumors we have heard outside the Human Empire,” Tim said, and I gestured for him to continue. If he was bringing up a rumor instead of confirmed information, then it must be pretty important.

“There is a major operation being put into place to take you out by the dark gods,” Tim said, and I just smiled and shook my head.

“I already knew,” I replied. While I didn’t have any confirmation, I knew the dark gods wouldn’t take things lying down. They were just one more group that had decided to target me. It was amusing and not concerning in the slightest. The dark gods might talk a big game and hype things up among their followers, but there was one major fact that could not be overturned.

The Human Empire was stronger. There was a reason the Human Emperor, distasteful as he was, sat in the center of civilization upon the Tri-Crystal Throne and held the title of Divine Saint of the Trinity. His praetorian guard was just icing on his immovable cake. In more basic terms, the dark gods were powerful but in very specific circumstances, since the lore balanced everything out.

The Human Empire acted as the tutorial and growth area for players. Once they left, then they were on their own and the dangers greatly increased in the lands outside of the Human Empire controlled by the dark gods. Beyond that were the special zones, like hell with demons or other unique super high-level monsters. The dark gods couldn’t attack me easily inside the Human Empire both for lore and balance reasons.

“What about targeting the Human Empire?” Tim asked.

“Only if you have a death wish. Guilds and outlying zones are not a big deal, but the capital and the Human Emperor are not to be poked lightly. The response would be cataclysmic and whoever acted is unlikely to accomplish anything of note. There is just too big a level difference and the NPCs are well insulated from the chaos a dark guild can engage in,” I explained.

“It was something that was brought up, I just wanted your opinion,” Tim explained.

“Foolishness, but I am not a mother to your band of misfits people.”

“Any ideas for a big operation?” Tim asked me.

“Perhaps, in the future. For now, things are in a state of flux, and it is the best opportunity to plant seeds and wait for the right time to harvest them,” I answered.

“Then, I will take my leave,” Tim said and left my office in the real world. My secretary Henry entered soon after he left.

“Do you want me to keep a closer eye on him?” Henry asked and I shook my head.

“Just having a connection is enough. There is no need for us to start diving deeper. The more we try to control them, the more they will slip through my fingers. A light touch is best for people like that. Even Tim, who seems put togeather is the craziest of them all,” I replied.

“Tim, really? I thought he was quite reasonable?” Henry asked and I shook my head.

“He might seem reasonable, but he has serious mental issues. And not the kind of mental issues that help one control their character in Exponential. He went feral on a classmate in high school, and has a strong desire for human flesh,” I said. Henry’s mouth was hanging open slightly.

“He likes eating people?” Henry slowly asked with a worried look.

“It isn’t as simple as that. He believes that the strong should be able to do what they want. I would rather not go into his background, but it is quite dark. He was locked up in a basement with his siblings by their abusive father. Only one of those siblings came out of that basement,” I explained.

“And he has a job with us,” Henry said.

“He got a one-off payment for services rendered. While he can walk away, he understands how things work. If our relationship was revealed along with his in-game character, then he would be ruined as part of the dark guild. But I won’t threaten him with blackmail, unless he loses the plot of what his role his,” I casually replied.

The carrot and a stick were necessary to keep a leash on these crazy people. To get people who were willing to be terrorists in game, required a level of dedication that was very hard to fake. Only crazies could deal with other crazies. The regular criminals that Anthony had recruited were nothing compared to these crazies.

Power was the ability to influence the world around me. For the first time in a long time, I was starting to feel that my influence in the real world was finally catching up with my influence in Exponential. It still had a long way to go, but progress was being made.  

Having a connection with the leader of the Illuminati was crucial to manage things in Exponential and to target my enemies in a way that was very difficult to respond to. I knew how annoying dark guilds were from my last life. That was always one of the top complaints of the super guilds.

“Anything else Henry, or I am going back in?” I asked my secretary.

“Are you sure you want to bring along Anthony with you tomarrow?” he asked. It was a bold question, but I could understand where he was coming from. He was concerned about secrecy.

“He still entertains ideas. Trying to insert his people into my Mercenary Guild. A man like him never stops being greedy for more, no matter what they say. He might think our close connection gives him liberties. But he is a business associate and one that requires a poignant reminder of what it means to cross me. Also, he is someone who has supported me and I consider him somewhat of a friend. A dangerous one, but a friend nonetheless. I would hate for him to make a misstep,” I replied.

While many people would know what I did, I wanted someone close to me to know as well. That way rumors could spread around about the extent of my reach and connections. The fear of what I could unleash would act as a powerful deterrent to other forces in the shadows. Do not fear a woman with one boyfriend, fear the woman with a thousand suitors.