An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Abigail explained, "The more the merrier, right? I'm just here to amp up the excitement for everyone.

"After all, betting adds some thrill to the mix. Let's have fun with a few rounds while we watch the tournament matches. Doesn't that sound like a blast?"

She was busy counting the treasures handed over by the surrounding martial artists. Despite her pleasant words, she couldn't hide her greedy expression.

After all, she was a bookie, not running a charity. There had to be some perks involved, or else why would she be so eager?

"I'm just watching your back, kid. I don't want you to lose all those celestial stones you brought along in a bet," Dustin reminded him.

In a casino, the odds were always stacked in favor of the house against the players. Even with a slight edge, the house always won as long as there were plenty of betting rounds.

So, the casino wasn't sweating bullets about players pocketing some cash, but its biggest concern was an empty house.

But with Abigail's betting pool, the house had no upper hand. If someone had eagle-eyed observation skills and luck, they could rack up wins back-to-back.

With everyone else jumping on the betting bandwagon, just a few wins could clean out Abigail's stash of celestial stones.

After all, this was a risky move. She could either hit the jackpot or go bust.

Abigail winked and leaned close to Dustin, whispering, "Don't sweat it. I've got a trick up my sleeve. I won't be walking away empty-handed tonight."

If she was going to run this betting pool, she damn well had confidence in winning. After all, she knew taking a risk without that certainty was just plain foolish.

He smiled and said nothing. Soon, he began rallying the martial artists to place their bets.

The battle rings were cleared ten minutes later, and the second round began.

match-ups, the martial

Number 10 is a beast. Put all your

Number 10 is just a scrub.

Number 36. He's my senior and a fully

I

continued, the

others had their bet on Number 14. A select few were adamant

take, and nobody was budging. Ultimately, most people stuck to their initial choice, while

preferred to sit back and see how things

Trust me on this one. Bet on Number 68. I've got a gut feeling he's going

toward a man on the eighth battle ring. The man was built like a tank and wielded a massive battle ax. He

Ruby narrowed her eyes as

have much left to bet.

Number 68 fighter? He's got a big name in

body forging technique.

against him. Betting on him is like picking up free

Is he that

was the Group C showdown, while Miles was in Group B, a notch above in skill. If Miles gave Number 68 such high praise, that contestant

me, this bet's a lock!" Miles thumped his chest

on Number 68!" Ruby made her decision as she pulled out

Ruby, you're one brave friend." Miles gave her a thumbs-up. He then confidently placed his darksteel sword on the table as

and Ruby had exceptional darksteel swords, each valued at five celestial stones. If they won this bet, they could recoup all their previous

shook her head helplessly. But she refrained from discouraging them. She believed that firsthand experiences often imparted lessons

out of placing a bet this time. The bustling crowd made her

Dalen went all in. He placed all the celestial stones he