"Alright, deal."
Zhan let out a heavy sigh before extending his hand toward the creepy stranger, knowing that he was about to make a bet that could change everything. His face showed reluctance and worry, but he tried to hide his fear behind a mask of confidence. The weight of what he was agreeing to settled on his shoulders as he prepared to shake hands with this disgusting man.
"That's the spirit!"
The man grabbed Zhan's hand with an overly enthusiastic grip, his smile becoming even more disgusting and predatory than before. His eyes gleamed with excitement, like he was already imagining what he would do with Maria if he won this bet. The stranger's confident attitude made it clear that he thought victory was already in his grasp.
Both of them turned their attention down to the arena below, where the crowd was cheering loudly for the upcoming fight between two skilled warriors. The noise was deafening, with people shouting bets and encouragement to their favorite fighters. The energy in the air was electric, and everyone seemed excited to see what would happen in this important match.
—I'll leave it all to luck.
Zhan grinned at the thought, deciding that sometimes the best strategy was to trust in fate rather than trying to overthink everything. He had always been the type of person who believed that luck could change everything in an instant. His confidence was starting to build up as he embraced the randomness of gambling and fighting.
"Nut Cracker Daniel. I'll bet on him."
Zhan spoke after a few seconds of tense silence, his voice steady and determined as he made his choice. He had studied both fighters for a moment and decided to go with his gut feeling about the underdog. His decision was final, and there was no going back now that he had committed to supporting Daniel.
"Then I'll take Knight Basher."
The man replied with his smug face becoming even more annoying and confident than it was before. His voice was filled with arrogance, like he thought choosing the famous fighter was a guaranteed win. The stranger seemed to believe that Zhan had just made a terrible mistake by picking the weaker opponent.
"Oh, speak of the devil, the match is starting."
The man shifted his gaze toward the arena with a nasty grin spreading across his face, clearly excited to watch his chosen fighter destroy Daniel. His body language showed complete confidence in his bet, and he was already acting like he had won. The anticipation in his voice made it obvious that he was looking forward to claiming Maria as his prize.
"Zhan. If Daniel loses this... Then..."
Maria's face showed genuine fear for the first time, her voice trailing off as she realized what would happen if their gamble failed. Her usual confidence was replaced by worry, and she looked like she was starting to regret accepting this dangerous bet. The reality of potentially becoming this creep's slave was finally hitting her, and it was terrifying.
"You were the one who brought this onto yourself..?"
Zhan laughed at her sudden change in attitude, finding it amusing how she was acting scared now after being so confident earlier. His teasing tone showed that he wasn't too worried about the outcome, or at least he was trying to act that way. He wanted to lighten the mood and help Maria feel less anxious about what they had gotten themselves into.
"You're supposed to comfort me, not make me feel worse..."
Maria laughed despite her nervousness, appreciating Zhan's attempt to make her feel better about their risky situation. Her smile returned slightly, though there was still worry in her eyes about what could happen if they lost. She was grateful that Zhan was trying to keep things light, even though they were both scared deep down.
"Now, let's focus on the fight."
Zhan immediately turned all his attention to the arena below, his eyes becoming sharp and focused as he prepared to watch every detail of the battle. His playful attitude disappeared completely, replaced by intense concentration as he realized how important this fight was for their future. Every move the fighters made could determine whether Maria would be free or enslaved.
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"Mighty Knight Basher..."
Daniel's voice was shaking with obvious fear as he stared at his much larger and more experienced opponent across the ring. His hands were trembling, and sweat was already forming on his forehead even though the fight hadn't started yet. The size difference between the two fighters was huge, and Daniel looked like a child standing next to a giant warrior.
"Hah! How cowardly of you, Daniel."
The Knight Basher laughed at his opponent's fear with a deep, booming voice that echoed through the entire arena. His arrogant attitude was on full display as he looked down at Daniel like he was nothing more than an annoying insect. The famous fighter's confidence was overwhelming, and he clearly didn't see Daniel as any kind of real threat.
—His arrogance will be the end of him.
Zhan smiled at the thought, recognizing that overconfident fighters often made stupid mistakes that cost them victories. He had seen this pattern before, where famous warriors got so used to winning that they stopped taking their opponents seriously. The young master was hoping that Knight Basher's pride would create an opening for Daniel to exploit.
—Never oppose a man who leaves it all to luck.
Zhan added to his internal thoughts, crossing his arms as he watched the two fighters prepare for battle. He believed that desperate people fighting with nothing to lose were often the most dangerous opponents of all. His philosophy was that luck could overcome skill if the circumstances were right, and he was betting everything on that belief.
"THREE!"
The countdown had already started, and the entire crowd fell silent as they waited for the battle to begin. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, and everyone was holding their breath. Both fighters got into their fighting stances, preparing for what could be the most important fight of their lives.
"TWO!"
"ONE!"
"START!"
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, both fighters charged toward each other with incredible speed and determination. The crowd erupted in cheers as the battle officially began, with people shouting for their chosen fighter. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the arena as they closed the distance between each other.
"The reason why I am called the Nut Cracker..."
Daniel muttered under his breath as he suddenly slowed his pace down, confusing everyone who was watching the fight. Instead of continuing his charge, he dropped down into a crouched position on the ground, curling up like he was in a fetus position. His strange behavior made the crowd go quiet, wondering what kind of strategy this could possibly be.
"COWERING IN FEAR!? HAHAHA!"
The Knight Basher held his massive sword high above his head, laughing loudly at what he thought was Daniel's cowardly retreat. His voice was filled with mockery and disgust, clearly believing that his opponent had given up before the fight even really started. The arrogant warrior was so busy laughing that he didn't notice the calculating look in Daniel's eyes.
"Heh."
Daniel let out a quiet laugh that only he could hear, his lips forming a small smile as he prepared to execute his secret plan. His body was tense like a coiled spring, ready to explode into action at exactly the right moment. The way he was positioned on the ground wasn't fear at all, but rather a carefully planned trap for his overconfident opponent.
The Knight Basher closed the distance rapidly with his sword raised, running straight toward Daniel without any caution or defensive preparation. His heavy footsteps pounded against the arena floor as he prepared to deliver what he thought would be the finishing blow. The famous fighter was so sure of his victory that he wasn't paying attention to the danger he was walking into.
"NOW!"
Daniel screamed at the top of his lungs as he suddenly sprung upward like a rocket, both of his feet flying directly toward Knight Basher's most vulnerable area. His timing was perfect, catching his opponent completely off guard just as the big man was about to swing his sword down. The explosive movement was so fast that most people in the crowd couldn't even see what had happened.
A wet, sickening crunch echoed through the entire arena, followed by complete silence as everyone realized what had just occurred. All the male members of the audience groaned in sympathetic pain, instinctively covering their own private areas as they watched Knight Basher's face turn pale. The sound was so horrible that even the women in the crowd winced and looked away from the brutal scene.
The mighty Knight Basher collapsed to the ground unconscious, his sword clattering uselessly beside him as Daniel stood victorious over his fallen opponent. The famous fighter's arrogance had been his downfall, just as Zhan had predicted from the beginning. The entire arena was stunned into silence, unable to believe that the underdog had won with such a simple but effective strategy.
"NUT CRACKER DANIEL HAS WON THE FINALS!"
The referee blew his whistle loudly as medical doctors came rushing into the ring to help the unconscious Knight Basher. The crowd slowly started to cheer as they realized what an incredible upset they had just witnessed. Money started changing hands as people who had bet on Daniel celebrated their unexpected winnings.
"I won... FUCK YOU KNIGHT BASHER!"
Daniel threw both fists into the air with pure excitement, jumping around the ring like a crazy person as he celebrated his victory. His energy was infectious, and the crowd started cheering louder for the unlikely hero who had just defeated a legendary fighter. The young man was so happy that he looked like he might cry tears of joy at any moment.
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"So? You said you'd do anything I wanted?"
Zhan turned toward the creepy man with a devious grin spreading across his face, slowly walking closer to make the stranger feel uncomfortable. His confident attitude was completely different from before, now that he had won the bet and had all the power in this situation. The tables had turned completely, and now it was time for the creepy man to pay up on his promise.
The man took a step backward in complete disbelief, his face showing shock and confusion as he tried to process what had just happened. His earlier confidence had completely disappeared, replaced by fear and panic as he realized he had lost everything. The stranger's hands were shaking, and his voice was barely a whisper as he struggled to accept his defeat.
"H-how..? How!? That was the Mighty Knight Basher!"
The man's voice was filled with disbelief and desperation, his eyes wide with shock as he kept looking back and forth between Zhan and the arena. He couldn't understand how the famous fighter had been defeated by such a simple strategy from an unknown opponent. His whole world had just been turned upside down, and he was having trouble accepting the new reality.
"Well, I don't know, but I think I just got lucky."
Zhan smiled casually, shrugging his shoulders like winning the bet was no big deal at all to him. His relaxed attitude was meant to annoy the stranger even more, showing that he wasn't surprised by the outcome. The young master was enjoying every second of watching this creepy man realize that his evil plan had completely backfired.
"Now, give me all of your money."
Zhan's eyes locked onto the heavy bag behind the man, which was clearly filled with gold coins from all his previous gambling wins. His voice became more serious and demanding, making it clear that he wasn't going to accept any excuses or delays in payment. The young master had won fair and square, and now it was time to claim his prize from this defeated opponent.
"You've hauled a lot of money."
Zhan took another step closer to the terrified man, his presence becoming more intimidating as he closed the distance between them. His eyes were focused on the bag of gold, and his expression showed that he was determined to take everything the stranger had earned. The creepy man was now trapped with nowhere to run, and Zhan was making sure he knew it.
The man took another step backward, but he was already running out of space to retreat as other people crowded around them. His face was pale with fear, and his hands were shaking as he realized there was no way to escape this situation. The stranger was completely cornered, and everyone around them was watching to see what would happen next.
"N-no..."
"Are you really going to resist?"
Zhan's face became deadly serious, his voice dropping to a threatening tone that made it clear he wouldn't accept any refusal. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and his whole attitude shifted from playful to genuinely intimidating in an instant. The young master was done playing games, and he wanted his winnings right now without any more delays or excuses.
"I-I'm sorry! Here you go!"
The terrified man quickly grabbed his bag of gold coins and thrust it toward Zhan with shaking hands, desperate to get away from this situation. His voice was high with panic, and he was already preparing to run as soon as he handed over his money. The stranger had completely given up all resistance, knowing that he had no choice but to pay up on his lost bet.
Zhan took the heavy bag and immediately opened it to check the contents, his eyes widening as he saw just how much gold was inside. The bag was filled with more coins than he had expected, representing a fortune that would solve all their money problems. His heart started racing with excitement as he realized they had just become incredibly wealthy from this single gamble.
"OH shit... This is... GOOD FUCKING TREASURE!"
Maria leaned closer and took a peek into the bag, her eyes growing wide with amazement as she saw the incredible amount of gold coins inside. Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she had to grab onto Zhan's arm to steady herself as the reality of their winnings hit her. The amount of money they had just won was more than either of them had ever seen in their entire lives.
"Oh... My... God..."
"WE'RE RICH!"
Maria screamed at the top of her lungs, spreading her arms wide like a bird as she celebrated their incredible fortune. Her voice echoed through the arena, and people around them started staring as she danced with pure joy. The excitement was overwhelming, and she felt like she could fly with happiness as she realized they would never have to worry about money again.
—Kids, this is why you should gamble.
(T/N: Actually, don't.)