The fire crackled in the hearth, casting long shadows across the common room of CODE's newly expanded guild base. The room was sparsely decorated but had an air of comfort about it. The walls were solid, the wood polished, and the guild's emblem—a dark insignia etched in shadow—hung proudly over the mantle. Yet, for all the improvements, an underlying tension filled the space. Alex sat at the head of the long table, arms crossed, his gaze distant as he contemplated what lay ahead for the group.

They had accomplished a lot in a short time. They had scraped together their savings from **dungeon runs**, pooling their resources to expand their headquarters, but Alex knew it wouldn't be enough. Not by a long shot. And his team, sitting around the table with him, knew it too.

"We've hit a wall," Alex began, breaking the silence, his voice steady but carrying the weight of his thoughts. He glanced at each of them—**Betsy**, ever sharp-eyed and analytical, her hands folded neatly in front of her; **Drax**, leaning back in his chair with a smirk but listening carefully; and **Luke**, quiet as always, seated at the far end of the table, his eyes closed as if lost in thought.

"No kidding," Drax replied with a low chuckle, though the humor didn't reach his eyes. "The dungeons aren't giving us what we need anymore. Sure, the loot's good, but it's nothing that's going to push us to the next level."

Betsy sighed, her eyes flickering toward Alex. "It's not just that, Drax. We've been lucky so far, but if we keep relying on **dungeon farming**, we're not going to make it to **Floor 2**. Not at this pace. The other guilds are already way ahead of us."

"Exactly," Alex said, his tone sharp. "The **major guilds** have connections, resources, and influence that we can't touch yet. And as long as we keep playing by their rules, we're always going to be a step behind."

"Playing by their rules," Drax muttered, leaning forward now, his smirk fading. "What are you thinking, Alex? What's the move here?"

Alex glanced at the fire, the flames flickering like the thoughts racing through his mind. He had been **experimenting** with his shades—pushing the limits of his control, testing how far the glitch that empowered him could take him. What he had discovered was beyond anything he had imagined when he first entered **ALBEKO**. His shades weren't just tools for combat. They could be so much more.

"I've been working on something," Alex said, his voice low but filled with a quiet intensity. "My shades… they're more than just fighters. They can be **anything**. Workers, machines, guards. I've been testing their limits, and the more I use them, the more I realize the **bug** in my system lets me push them beyond what any normal player could handle."

Betsy's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, **anything**?"

"I mean exactly that," Alex replied, sitting up straighter. "I've figured out how to **fuse them** into things—machines, constructs that can operate without us needing to do anything. I've already started using them to do the **manual work** around the guild. They don't need rest, they don't complain, and they never break down."

Drax raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "So, what? You're saying you can turn your shades into, like, living **machines**?"

"More than that," Alex said, his eyes gleaming. "I can turn them into **anything we need**. We don't need to keep relying on loot drops or the hope that we'll find some legendary item in the next dungeon. We can build our own wealth, our own influence. And we'll do it faster than any other guild out there."

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Betsy leaned forward now, her interest piqued. "What's your plan, Alex? You've obviously thought this through."

"I have," Alex replied, his tone sharpening. "We're not going to **grind dungeons** anymore. Not as our primary focus. We're going to invest what we have left into something bigger. Something that gives us more than just **gear and levels**. We're going to **build a casino**."

"A casino?" Betsy echoed, her brow arching. "How does that help us get stronger?"

Alex smiled slightly. "Think about it. The **wealthiest players** and **NPC nobles**—they thrive on risk. They live for the thrill of taking a gamble, hoping to win big. But we're not going to be the ones gambling. They are. We'll give them a place to **spend their fortunes**, and in return, we'll make enough gold to run this city."

Drax let out a low whistle. "I like it. Let them throw their money at us."

"But it's not just about the money," Alex continued. "It's about **control**. Influence. Once we've got them coming to us, we'll control their **weakness**. And with that control, we can start making **moves** in Starter City that no other guild can match. We'll have leverage. And the best part is, we won't even have to leave the city walls to get it."

Betsy's expression grew thoughtful. "You're talking about **political influence**. If we can get the **nobles** hooked on our casino, they'll start coming to us for favors. That kind of power could open doors—get us into circles we'd never have access to otherwise."

Alex nodded. "Exactly. This isn't just about grinding for levels anymore. It's about building **long-term influence**. The dungeons will still be there, and we'll farm when we need to, but the casino will be our real source of power."

Luke, who had been silent until now, finally opened his eyes. "Verum," he said quietly, his voice calm but steady.

"Exactly," Alex said, looking at Luke with a small nod. "The truth is, we're not like the other guilds. We have something they don't. My **shades** give us an edge, and we're going to use it. No one else can do what we can, and that's going to be our ticket to the top."

Drax grinned, leaning back in his chair again. "Well, I'm in. We're going to turn this city upside down. And I like the sound of a casino. Bet we'll get some **interesting characters** through those doors."

Betsy still looked thoughtful, her analytical mind clearly racing through the logistics. "It'll take some serious investment to get it off the ground. And we're going to need to be **strategic** about how we attract people. The wealthy aren't going to come running just because we say we've got a casino. We need to give them a reason to come."

"We will," Alex replied confidently. "I've already started laying the groundwork. We'll offer **games** and **events** that play to their greed, to their desire to win big. But we'll keep the odds in our favor. The house always wins, and they won't even realize it until it's too late."

Betsy nodded slowly. "We'll need a **marketing strategy**. Rumors, whispers in the right circles. Let people think it's **exclusive**—a place where only the elite can come to gamble their fortunes."

"And once they're in," Alex added, "we make sure they lose. But not all at once. We'll give them **hope**—just enough to keep them coming back. That's the key. Hope. No one gambles without it."

Drax chuckled. "Man, Alex, you're ruthless."

"I'm realistic," Alex corrected. "We can't play nice in this world. If we want to make real changes, we have to be willing to do whatever it takes. That's why we're doing this. Not just for us, but for everyone who's struggling out there. We're going to build something that helps the ones who need it most. And we're going to take the wealth from those who can afford to lose it."

Betsy's eyes softened as she considered his words. "You're serious about helping the smaller players."

Alex nodded. "We've all seen what it's like out there. Players selling their **time** just to survive. The **system** isn't built for them. It's built for the powerful. But we can change that. We can give them another option. A way to stay alive without sacrificing everything they have."

"And in return?" Drax asked, his tone curious.

"In return, we get **loyalty**," Alex said. "We help them, and they help us. They join CODE, they level up

with us, and together, we become untouchable. It's a win-win."

Betsy smiled. "I like it. The more people we help, the stronger we get."

"Exactly," Alex said. "We'll use the wealth we gain from the casino to build something bigger than just a guild. We'll build a **network** of people who support us because we support them. And no one—not the nobles, not the other guilds—will be able to stand against us."

Drax grinned widely, slamming his fist down on the table with enthusiasm. "Alright, I'm sold. Let's do this. Let's build a casino that'll make Starter City beg to be part of CODE."

---

The meeting continued late into the night, with Alex and his team refining their plans, discussing everything from **casino layouts** to **marketing strategies**. They knew it would take time and effort, but the pieces were already falling into place. The casino would be their ticket to real power, and with Alex's **shades** running the show, they would operate with efficiency no one else could match.

As the night drew to a close, Alex stood alone by the window, looking out over the darkened streets of Starter City. In his mind's eye, he could already see the future—nobles flocking to their casino, gold flowing into their coffers, and CODE becoming a name that **no one could ignore**.

They were going to win this game. And they were going to do it on their own terms.