The idea was bold, but it was also the key to unlocking the future Alex envisioned. A casino wouldn't just be a place for the wealthy to gamble away their fortunes—it would be a tool for control, a center of power that CODE could use to grow faster and stronger than any other guild. But now came the hard part: actually **building** it.

It had been a few days since Alex laid out the plan to his team, and the excitement from that night still buzzed in the air. But as the weight of their task settled in, Alex knew they had a lot of work ahead. It wasn't just about setting up tables and games. They needed to create a system, an **experience** that would draw people in and keep them coming back. The entire project had to be built from the ground up with precision and strategy, and Alex wasn't going to leave anything to chance.

The team had gathered again in the guild's common room, the table now littered with papers, maps of Starter City, and crude sketches of what would become their casino.

Betsy stood over the table, her eyes scanning the plans. "So, we've got the basics down. **Card games**, **dice games**, the usual stuff people expect to see in a casino. But it's not enough."

Drax, sitting with his feet up on the table, waved a hand dismissively. "People love to gamble. All we have to do is open the doors, and they'll come running."

"It's not that simple," Betsy replied sharply. "People won't gamble unless they think they can **win**. The entire business hinges on hope. If they don't think they stand a chance, they won't even bother walking through the doors."

"She's right," Alex added, his voice thoughtful. He leaned forward, his eyes focused on the sketch in front of him. "We need to make sure they feel like they have a chance. It's about **balancing the odds**. We want them to **lose**, but not too quickly. We give them small wins to keep them hooked."

Betsy nodded, tapping a finger on the table. "Exactly. We need to make sure the **house always wins**, but we can't let it feel that way. That's where the **games** come in. We need to make sure the odds are in our favor without it being obvious. If we can create an environment where they win just enough to keep coming back, we've got them."

Alex leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "And it's not just about the games. The **atmosphere** needs to be perfect. The casino has to feel like a place of wealth and power. It needs to draw them in, make them feel like they're part of something exclusive, something only the elite have access to."

Drax grinned. "I like the sound of that. So, what do we do? Fancy decorations? Lots of gold and shiny things?"

"Not quite," Alex said. "We're going to lean into the **mystique** of CODE. The shades are going to be a big part of that. They'll be the ones running the casino—working the tables, serving as security, even helping with the games themselves. No one's ever seen anything like it. It'll give the place an air of mystery, of **otherworldly power**. People won't just come for the games—they'll come to see the **shades**."

Betsy arched an eyebrow. "And that won't freak them out?"

"Maybe a little," Alex admitted with a smile. "But fear can be a powerful tool. As long as we balance it with enough allure, they'll be too intrigued to stay away. The shades will be more than just a gimmick—they'll be the face of the casino. Silent, efficient, and everywhere."

Drax sat up, now interested. "So, how do we actually pull this off? What's the next step?"

"We start small," Alex said, his mind already working through the logistics. "We'll use one of the unused floors in the guild base for now. It's not ideal, but it'll give us a place to get things off the ground. We'll need to focus on a few key **games** first—things that are easy to set up but can draw people in. Once we've got a steady flow of customers, we'll expand from there."

Betsy nodded. "We'll need **capital** to start this, though. Setting up the games, buying the materials, creating the right environment—that's going to take some serious gold. We don't have a lot left after the renovations."

Stolen story; please report.

"I've got that covered," Alex said. "We'll use what we have left, but I'll also use my **shades** to cut down on costs. They'll handle most of the labor—setting up the tables, maintaining the machines. We won't need to hire anyone."

"Good," Betsy said. "That'll save us a lot."

Alex stood up from the table, his expression resolute. "Let's get to work. The sooner we set this up, the sooner we can start drawing in customers."

---

The next few days were a blur of activity. Alex used his **shades** to begin transforming one of the lower floors of the guild base into a working casino. The shades moved silently, fusing together into machines and structures that could run the basic operations of the casino. They created **tables**, **roulette wheels**, and other gambling stations with eerie efficiency, their shadowy forms melding into the material world like something out of a nightmare.

Betsy oversaw the finer details, ensuring that everything was in place. "We'll start with the basics," she said, walking around the room and inspecting the work. "A few card tables, dice games, and a roulette wheel. We'll keep the odds in our favor, but we'll make sure people win just enough to keep them interested."

"And the shades?" Drax asked, watching one of them finish constructing a roulette wheel. "How do we make sure they can run this place without messing up?"

Alex smiled. "That's the beauty of it. The shades are **automated**. They follow my commands exactly, and I've programmed them to run the machines flawlessly. They'll be our workers, our security, and our dealers—all in one."

Drax chuckled. "I'm starting to see why no one else is going to be able to compete with us."

"They won't," Alex said simply. "Not with this. No one else has the ability to use shades the way I can. And no one else can create a casino that runs this efficiently."

By the end of the week, the casino was ready for its **soft opening**. It wasn't much yet—a few tables, a small bar area, and a few **shades** acting as security—but it was enough to get started. The team gathered in the center of the room, looking around at what they had built.

"It's not much," Betsy said, arms crossed. "But it's a start."

"A damn good one," Drax added, patting Alex on the back. "You really pulled this off, man."

"We're just getting started," Alex replied, his eyes scanning the room. "This is phase one. Once we get people coming in, we'll expand. We'll add more games, more shades, and we'll start bringing in the **big spenders**."

Betsy looked thoughtful. "How are we going to get people here in the first place? We can't just expect them to show up out of nowhere."

"I've been thinking about that," Alex said, pacing the floor. "We need to **market** this place the right way. We can't just put up signs and hope for the best. We need to create **buzz**. We need people talking about the casino before it even opens."

"How do we do that?" Drax asked, genuinely curious.

"We **leak rumors**," Alex replied, his tone sharp. "We make it sound exclusive. A place where only the **wealthiest and most powerful** can come to gamble. We make it sound like a place where fortunes are made and lost in a single night. People won't be able to resist."

Betsy smiled. "So, we create **mystery**."

"Exactly," Alex said. "And once people start hearing about it, they'll come. Curiosity will get the better of them. And when they do show up, we make sure they feel like they've stepped into a world they've never seen before."

"I can spread the word," Betsy offered. "I've got contacts in the city. We'll get the rumors started. People will be talking about this place in no time."

"Good," Alex said. "We'll also throw in a few **promotions**. Maybe offer some **incentives** for the first wave of customers. Give them a little extra gold if they win big. Let them feel like they've got a chance. That'll keep them coming back."

"And once they're hooked," Drax added with a grin, "they won't be able to stop."

"That's the idea," Alex said, his voice calm but firm. "We'll give them just enough to make them feel like they can win, but we'll always make sure the **house comes out on top**."

---

Within a week, the rumors had started to spread through the **upper circles** of Starter City. Betsy's network of contacts had done their job well, planting whispers in the right places, letting word of the **new, exclusive casino** trickle

into the ears of the wealthy and powerful. There was no official announcement, no flyers or signs—just **rumors** of a place where the rich could gamble their fortunes in secret.

It wasn't long before the first **curious customers** began to arrive. A few high-level players, mostly from well-established guilds, walked through the casino doors with **skeptical expressions**, but once inside, they were greeted by a sight unlike anything they had expected. The shades, with their dark, silent forms, worked the tables with flawless precision. The room was dimly lit, the shadows dancing along the walls, giving the place an air of mystery and power.

Alex watched from the corner of the room as the first few players sat down to gamble. The look of **surprise** on their faces was exactly what he had hoped for. They weren't just gambling anymore—they were stepping into another world, a world where the **shades** ruled.

---

The first night was a modest success. Word was starting to spread, and Alex knew it wouldn't be long before more people started showing up. But this was only the beginning. They had established the **system**, created the **atmosphere**, and now it was time to expand.

"We're on the right track," Alex said quietly to Betsy as they watched the players leave the casino. "But we're going to need to **add more games**. More attractions. We need to make this place **irresistible**."

Betsy nodded. "I'll work on that. We'll add a few more games, maybe even some events to get people excited. If we can keep the momentum going, we'll have this place packed in no time."

"And we're going to need more **shades**," Alex added. "I've got some ideas for expanding their role. They're already doing most of the heavy lifting, but I can take it further. Make them more integrated into the casino itself."

Betsy smirked. "You're really leaning into this, aren't you?"

Alex smiled faintly. "It's just the beginning. The more we use the shades, the more powerful we become. No one else can do this, and that's going to give us the edge we need."