Chapter 1226:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

Orlando’s jaw dropped. “Wait, what?”

She insisted that he push the stakes higher, telling him not to hold back in the slightest.

Orlando stared at her in disbelief. “You can’t be serious, Ms. Morgan! Even if I trust your skills, what if something goes wrong? We could lose everything the Dark Hills has built!”

Maren’s demand was almost unthinkable. No matter how much faith Orlando had in her abilities, he couldn’t justify gambling the gang’s future on a single match.

Considering how fierce things were between the Dark Hills and the Axe Gang, losing that wager would be a disaster. There was no way the Axe Gang would show them any mercy. It could even cost them their lives!

“I get your concern, but look at it from a different angle. If the Axe Gang loses, we’ll finally have the chance to wipe out an enemy we’ve been battling for years!” Maren pointed out.

“Taking down the Axe Gang sounds incredible, but I can’t gamble everything we have on one match,” Orlando insisted, still unable to agree to Maren’s plan.

Maren’s lips curled into a confident smile. “Who said anything about taking a gamble?”

Orlando blinked, still lost. “Isn’t that what this is?”

“Not at all. We’re not risking anything, because I know we’ll win. This isn’t a gamble; it’s an opportunity to use our strength to wipe out the Axe Gang for good.”

𝗠𝘰𝗿e 𝗇о𝘃е𝘭𝘴 oո 𝘨а𝗅𝗻𝘰𝘷𝖾𝗅𝗌.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Maren spoke with conviction. “There’s no walking away from defeat in Underground Fighter Combat. If I didn’t think I could win, I wouldn’t gamble my life on this. You’ve probably done your research on me. That means you already know I’ve got my own issues with the Axe Gang. Trust me, I want to bring them down even more than you do.”

Orlando hesitated, the offer clearly getting under his skin.

Maren’s offer lingered in the air, making Orlando second-guess his earlier decision to turn her down.

Taking out the Axe Gang had always been his goal.

If he managed it, he’d get their territories, giving the Dark Hills a major boost.

“How about this? Why not start with a smaller wager? Just put one territory on the line. Surely that’s a risk you can handle. If I beat one of their fighters, then you can raise the stakes for the final round. What do you think?” Maren continued, not letting Orlando’s hesitation slip by.

After another moment, Orlando gave in. “Alright, you’ve got yourself a deal.” Greed and ambition finally outweighed his caution.

As the announcer’s voice echoed through the arena, it was revealed that Maren would face the wiry Axe Gang fighter next.

“I’m heading up. Make sure you raise the stakes,” Maren reminded Orlando as she moved toward the ring to get ready for her fight.

Across from her, the skinny young man took his place, looking her up and down with a hint of a smile.

.

.

.