Chapter 9

Vekom sat in the dim light of his underground command center, his fingers scrolling through the encrypted feeds of his clones in America. Each one operated under a different cover — Gabriel was a former military contractor working private security in Miami, Lena a tech-savvy mercenary moving through the illegal gun trade in Chicago, and Trent and Royce infiltrating underground arms markets along the Mexican border.

Reports came in fast, too fast for Vekom to process all at once, but he sifted through the data like a surgeon. The clones were doing their work. They'd already scoped out multiple black markets in the U.S., identifying key players, suppliers, and vulnerabilities. With each new connection they made, Vekom's network grew stronger, and his weapons, in turn, grew more in demand.

In the span of a few days, he had secured several new deals — one with a group of private military contractors based in Texas, another with a weapons dealer network in Nevada. He had guns, ammo, grenades, and even more exotic weapons moving across state lines and into foreign markets. The orders were growing. The war between the cartels and the U.S. government continued to fuel the fire of demand.

The System updated.

System Notification:"Weapon Orders Fulfilled: 28.""New Weapon Orders Pending: 15.""System Resources: High Demand in Global Arms Market.""Clone Deployment: Tactical Expansion Required."

Vekom's smirk grew. The System was no longer just a tool — it was the foundation of an empire. But to continue, he needed more than just weapons. He needed the infrastructure to keep the deals flowing without drawing too much attention.

One of his new clients was a middleman in Eastern Europe. A man named Ivan Kuznetsov, an arms broker who controlled key markets in Russia and the Balkans. Ivan had heard whispers of the weapons Vekom was moving in Colombia, and he was eager to establish a partnership. The deal was set: Vekom would supply high-end military-grade weapons, while Ivan would provide connections to buyers throughout Europe.

There was risk, though. The more deals Vekom made, the more attention he attracted. If any of his clients were to get caught — if any of his clones were exposed — the entire operation could come crumbling down. He couldn't afford to make a mistake.

Meanwhile, back in Colombia, Escobar's forces were in full swing. The government had pulled back for the moment, but the cartel was far from safe. DEA agents had infiltrated more of their ranks, and the Colombian military was starting to push harder. Vekom had to make sure his weapons continued to flow to Escobar's men, but he couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long.

The idea of expansion was beginning to weigh heavily on him. While Colombia was still a valuable base of operations, the world was vast. And with the System's ability to move weapons and supplies globally, the potential for chaos — and profit — was endless.

Vekom's mind raced as he studied the feeds from his clones. He could see the seeds of something bigger growing, but they needed more. More influence. More power. More clones.

He moved swiftly.

System Notification:"Clones Ready for Deployment: 10 Units.""Expansion Plan: Strategic Acquisition of Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and North African Markets.""Financial Requirements: 15,000,000 USD."

The money, again, was the problem. His current profits, while impressive, weren't enough to expand quickly enough. He needed a large influx of cash to accelerate his plan. So, he turned to an old contact — a shadowy figure who operated in the realm of high-stakes betting and political manipulation: Alonso.

Alonso had always been a useful ally, one with connections to people who could provide the kind of capital Vekom needed. Vekom made the call.

"Alonso," he said, his voice low. "I need funds. The time to expand is now. I'm making moves in Europe, and the next phase requires us to move quickly."

Alonso didn't hesitate. "I can get the funds you need. You want to expand, we'll make it happen. But it's going to cost."

Vekom leaned back in his chair, watching the numbers scroll by on the screen.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

But with the expansion came new threats.

Rival arms dealers in Europe were already starting to notice the disruption Vekom had caused. His unconventional methods, his shadowy tactics, were putting a strain on their businesses. Some of the biggest names in the arms trade weren't willing to share the market. Vekom had heard whispers of other dealers plotting to eliminate him. They weren't going to let some upstart take their slice of the pie without a fight.

Vekom couldn't afford to sit back and let them come for him. He'd been too careful, too strategic, to let his success be his downfall. If he had to destroy rival arms dealers to maintain control, so be it.

But for now, he focused on the clones. They were his eyes in the storm.

One by one, his clones reported back. Gabriel had infiltrated a private arms expo in Las Vegas, gathering intel on new suppliers and buyers. Trent and Royce had made contact with a group of Mexican cartel members looking for high-end weapons for their operations. Lena had successfully breached an underground tech lab in California, uncovering a new prototype for a drone-mounted weapon system.

The reports were clear: the U.S. market was hungry for weapons. But the attention Vekom was drawing was getting dangerous.

It was time to move. He couldn't wait forever.

System Update:"Space Transport Capabilities: Full Activation. Weapons and Clones Ready for Global Distribution.""Deploying 20 Additional Clones to Key Markets.""Financial Goal Met: 16,000,000 USD."

Vekom smiled. This was the moment. The world was his oyster, and the System had provided the tools. The foundation for his empire was solidifying.

The war was just beginning.