Not for the expected reason

You look at him and laugh, which he seemed to expect.

Eventually you calm down and ask him “Seriously, apart from a small bit of detail, we already knew that. We hear Players complaining about losing jobs and being unable to find them, even talking about trying to get jobs shaping Arkus. People discus where they are in the world due to something called Time Zones and how hard it was to be active at the same time when they are on the opposite sides of the world. Considering they are saying it face to face here, it would not be a large leap to realize that they have bodies elsewhere and far away from each other.

“So what do you need my help with, and what problems have I caused?”

Halma had been stunned by what you knew, and how. “Shit! Do all NPCs know this about us?”

“Only the observant. If it was meant to be a secret, blame the Players who do not consider us to be people.”

Halma nodded.

“Well, Shards of Arkus has been going on for a while. In fact, the Betaworld was the first version with NPCs that could think.

“Many mages have worked on it, and keep records of what they did. However, there is so much information people can’t understand them all, or how things mess up because of these problems. That is one source of the problems.

“The second problem is the fact that Arkus is not free to keep going. We need Players willing to come here. That means keeping them interested, or offering them something they are forbidden in our plan of existence. That was done without the knowledge or permission of the people in charge. Those things are mainly sex and **** as they want it. This includes ****, ****, ****, **** and things for which there is no suitable term except for sick. Of all of them only sex with children is considered so wrong that even depictions of it, or graphic description, are considered illegal.

“What you mentioned about how they by-passed that laws about child sex may in fact have us shut down! That broadcast showing the barbarian doing the **** and **** was so horrific that some people who monitor things actually killed themselves. Some are in shock, and others are insane. One even tried to destroy something that was essential to keep Arkus existing so that he would not be responsible for those acts happening again. He almost succeeded! Then the boss in charge of making sure Arkus makes money and works properly saw it with his legal advisor, they soiled themselves.

“Any more scandals and Arkus will be destroyed as being too corruptive. We already are working with the authorities to see if anyone who got a taste for the nastier acts here, or practiced them here are doing in our world.”

This was serious. You had no idea what you said could endanger your entire world’s existence like this.