An Understated Dominance (Maria Vittori) novel Chapter 2191

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.

As eight battle rings hosted different match-ups, the martial artists began betting on their favored contestants.

"Hey, listen up. Number 10 is a beast. Put all your chips on him!"

"Don't fall for it. Number 10 is just a scrub. Trust me, Number 14 is where it's at!"

"Stop squabbling. Bet on Number 36. He's my senior and a fully developed divine-level martial artist. Among his peers, he's undefeated. I guarantee he'll come out on top!"

As the chatter continued, the crowd buzzed with differing opinions.

Some fully backed Number 10, while others had their bet on Number 14. A select few were adamant that Number 36 was the powerhouse of the bunch.

In short, everyone had their take, and nobody was budging. Ultimately, most people stuck to their initial choice, while a few remained on the fence.

They weren't rushing to place their bets. Instead, they preferred to sit back and see how things unfolded before making their bet.

Miles said, "Hey Ruby, listen up. Trust me on this one. Bet on Number 68. I've got a gut feeling he's going to win."

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

"Are you sure about this?" Ruby narrowed her eyes as she observed the man, feeling unsure.

After all, she didn't have much left to bet. Another loss would be tough to handle.

Miles said, "No doubt about it. That Number 68 fighter? He's got a big name in the martial world. They call him the Ironclad Titan!"