Chapter 28
A Rather Large Consultation Session Is in Order
Jake stared at the screen.
3,000,000,000 downloads.
Then he stared at the revenue dashboard.
Then he stared at it again.
"…That's not a comma mistake, right?"
Barbara didn't blink.
"No."
Kara leaned over his shoulder.
"…We have more than three billion dollars."
Silence.
Helia swayed outside like this was perfectly normal.
Jake inhaled slowly.
"Okay."
Beat.
"We need supervision."
Barbara nodded once.
"Yes."
Kara added:
"Before someone else supervises us."
The Guest List
If you accidentally stabilize planetary ley lines through structured digital agriculture—
You don't wing it.
You call experts.
The eclectic kind.
Invitations went out quietly.
Secure channels.
Mystic sigils.
Encrypted networks.
Polite farm-branded emails.
And because no gathering of this magnitude should risk awkward catering—
They called Shirou Emiya.
He arrived early.
Apron on.
Discreet.
Respectful.
Already evaluating the kitchen.
"I'll keep it simple," he said.
Rin and Sakura supervised like culinary war generals.
Jake had never trusted anyone more.
Arrival
The manor dining hall filled slowly.
First—
Doctor Strange, cloak settling dramatically.
Then—
Storm, composed and thoughtful.
A shimmer at the doorway—
Thor, curious but calm.
From the green—
Swamp Thing manifested partially through the garden wall.
Poison Ivy followed, intrigued rather than hostile.
A portal flickered—
Principal Darkholm entered under a different face for discretion.
Tony appeared holographically first, then physically.
Clark arrived politely, glasses on.
Barbara's expression did not change.
Kara's absolutely didn't.
Jake decided not to ask.
The Agenda
Barbara stood at the head of the table.
Calm.
Collected.
Projected charts glowed behind her.
"Three billion synchronized logins triggered a leyline cascade."
Strange nodded.
"Stabilizing rather than rupturing."
Storm added softly:
"The atmosphere harmonized."
Swamp Thing's voice echoed like wind through bark.
"The Green felt alignment."
Thor folded his arms.
"Midgard's spirit surged."
Tony leaned back.
"So you turned dopamine into planetary infrastructure."
Jake blinked.
"…When you say it like that—"
Barbara cut in:
"The concern is replication. Or weaponization."
The room quieted.
The Risk
Three billion coordinated minds could stabilize.
But what if redirected?
Strange steepled his fingers.
"Intention matters."
Storm nodded.
"The emotional vector shapes the current."
Poison Ivy's gaze sharpened.
"If someone corrupted the framework…"
Swamp Thing finished:
"It would twist the Green."
Clark spoke gently.
"Then you protect the intention."
Jake looked around the table.
"…How."
The Solution
Ideas flew.
Mystic failsafes.
Distributed emotional dampeners.
Server encryption layered with arcane wards.
Tony offered adaptive AI anomaly detection.
Barbara refined it into something elegant.
Storm suggested planetary resonance monitoring.
Strange layered subtle containment sigils into the leyline hub beneath the farm.
Swamp Thing rooted a guardian presence in the soil.
Ivy approved.
Thor volunteered lightning insurance.
Jake wasn't entirely sure what that meant.
But it sounded comforting.
The Unexpected Result
When the combined measures were implemented—
The leyline did not strain.
It stabilized further.
The farm glowed faintly.
Not like a beacon.
Like a hearth.
Strange observed quietly.
"You've created something rare."
Storm nodded.
"A shared ritual without dogma."
Clark smiled faintly.
"Hope without spectacle."
Tony raised a brow.
"And scalable."
Barbara allowed herself a small smile.
"Secured."
The Money Problem
As the mystic and heroic consultation wound down—
Jake cleared his throat.
"…There's something else."
Everyone looked at him.
He turned the screen.
3,000,000,000+ USD.
Net.
After distribution.
After platform cuts.
After taxes.
Tony choked on sparkling water.
Thor laughed loudly.
Strange's brow lifted slightly.
Barbara remained composed.
Kara blinked twice.
"…That's real."
Jake nodded slowly.
"We're… very solvent."
Storm's voice was calm.
"Power of that scale must be directed wisely."
Clark added gently:
"You can build more than farms."
Ivy smirked.
"Or forests."
Swamp Thing approved.
Tony leaned forward.
"R&D fund?"
Barbara already had spreadsheets open.
"We diversify. Foundation. Infrastructure. Ecological reinforcement."
Jake stared at the number.
"…We're not just defending lawns anymore."
Kara nudged him.
"You never were."
The Quiet Moment
Dinner was served.
Shirou moved efficiently.
Polite.
Invisible.
Perfect.
Even Thor complimented the seasoning.
The manor, once in disrepair, now housed gods, mutants, mystics, billionaires, and plant avatars—
Discussing long-term planetary stewardship over fresh produce.
Jake leaned back in his chair.
"This is absurd."
Barbara nodded.
"Yes."
Kara smiled softly.
"It's working."
Outside—
Helia glowed gently.
Not flaring.
Not erupting.
Just steady.
Three billion players continued defending digital lawns.
The leyline hummed contentedly.
And inside the manor—
An alliance formed.
Not out of fear.
But precaution.
Final Realization
As the guests departed one by one—
Strange paused at the door.
"You didn't tear reality."
He looked back at Jake.
"You reinforced it."
Storm added:
"Be careful with what you cultivate."
Tony smirked.
"Call me when you're ready for Phase Two."
Clark shook Jake's hand warmly.
"Good work."
The doors closed.
Silence returned.
Jake turned to Barbara and Kara.
"…We have three billion dollars."
Barbara nodded.
"Yes."
Kara crossed her arms.
"And a planetary network."
Jake looked out at the glowing field.
"…Okay."
He exhaled.
"Let's not screw this up."
Helia shimmered.
The soil thrummed.
And for the first time—
The farm wasn't just anomalous.
It was institutional.