Then, Thomas turned his attention to the currency. He took the thousand blank crystals and meticulously customised them. He etched the words CAESAR CHIPS onto each one in an elegant font of gold and black. He even added a bold number 'One' to the centre of each chip.
"This is the base unit," he decided. "Eventually, I'll have 10-point chips, 100-point chips... maybe even thousand-point plaques for the S-ranks."
The ship was no longer a ruin; it was a beacon. It glowed with a warm, amber light that felt incredibly inviting against the cold, endless white of the dream dimension. The featureless foggy servants stood at their stations—the barman polishing a glass, the waiter ready with a tray, and the concierge standing by the golden-etched Caesar Chips desk.
"Everything is set," Thomas said, standing at the bow. He looked out into the white fog, searching for the first silhouette. "Now, it's time to invite the first customer on board and see if the house always wins."
