An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Crystal frowned as she met Miles's intense gaze. "Miles, you should call it quits. If you continue to gamble, it'll only lead you deeper into trouble." Gamblers often found themselves trapped in a cycle of addiction, and they were never content with their winnings.

Their insatiable desire for more drove them to risk everything. Hence, it often led them to stray from the right path.

At that moment, he appeared to be showing signs of addiction. If left unchecked, it could lead to disaster.

"Just one more bet, Crystal. | promise. If | win this time, I'll quit for good," Miles pleaded earnestly.

"Yes, I'm with him. I've even wagered my sword. | need to win it back," Ruby chimed in.

Their hopeful eyes bore into Crystal's.

"Have you considered the consequences if you lose?" she countered.

"It won't happen, | swear. I'll be cautious this tand only bet when I'm confident. | won't lose again," Miles assured.

"Yeah, we were led astray before. If we had trusted our instincts, we'd be winning by now," Ruby added.

"Don't you get it? Gambling never ends well. If you keep going, it'll only end badly," Crystal said sternly.

"Crystal, just one more try. If we break even, we'll quit for good! | promise," Miles pleaded.

"You've got plenty of celestial stones. Just lend us some. We'll pay you back if we win," Ruby added.

"Why are you so stubborn? Can't you see what's at stake here?" Crystal scolded.

"Crystal, you've seen how many times we've won before. What happened earlier was just bad luck. If you lend us scelestial stones, I'm sure we can turn things around!" Miles insisted.

"| just want to get our swords back. Please, give us one more shot?" Ruby pleaded.

"I'll get your swords back, but | won't lend you any celestial stones for gambling," Crystal stated firmly.

Upon hearing that, Miles and Ruby exchanged a helpless glance. They knew Crystal's resolve and that lending celestial stones was off the table.

Despite their significant losses, they couldn't bring themselves to give up. They still hoped to recover the celestial stones they had lost in the bet. Unfortunately, they had depleted their funds.

Ignoring their pained expressions, Crystal approached the betting table and redeemed the swords they had wagered.

Here are your swords. No more gambling." She tossed the swords back to Miles and Ruby.

A heavy sigh escaped from them as they looked at their swords. It wasn't happiness they felt but rather a profound sense of melancholy and regret.

The harsh reality was that the celestial stones lost in their bets were irretrievable.

"Don't be disheartened. Crystal is right. If you keep gambling, you'll only dig yourselves into a deeper hole," Dalen chimed in unexpectedly.

"You've already racked up a bunch of celestial stones. Obviously, you can afford to walk away. But we haven't gained anything," Ruby retorted sharply.

"You see, Mr. Shade knows when to walk away. But you? You win once, and suddenly, you're hungry for more.

How do you expect not to lose? Your insatiable greed is what's blinding you in the end!" Crystal scolded.

Miles and Ruby exchanged a glance and opted to stay silent.

Abigail's gambling schcontinued. With her enthusiastic urging, another batch of new gamblers joined in.

And so, the cycle began again.

First, she would allow the gamblers to win a few rounds. Then, she would let them savor success and gradually get addicted. Then, by manipulating the outcomes, she would reclaim everything.

Only a few could win the celestial stones, while the remaining ended up as her harvested crop.

Even after their losses, the gamblers hoped that luck could still be on their side. One defeat didn't dampen their optimism. They remained determined to keep going, fueled by the chance of a win.

This downward spiral led them deeper into the abyss of addiction, leaving them unable to break free in the end.

Abigail keenly understood the gamblers’ mindset, which kept her composed. She knew that addicted gamblers rarely knew when to quit, and the greedy ones often ended up losing everything. At sunset, the first day's battle tournament ended.

There were many potential talents in Group C. As soon as the matches ended, these individuals becprtargets for numerous major sects.

Offers of tempting promises, generous rewards, and attempts to recruit them flooded in.

Major sects found it easier to retain disciples due to their abundant resources. However, smaller sects faced a different challenge.

With better prospects and resources, major sects enticed talent away with promises of lucrative rewards.

In contrast, Abigail, representing the Mystic Arts Order, wasn't interested in recruiting talent. Her focus was on treasures and alchemical secrets.

After a day of betting, she amassed several batches of profit and was pleased with her earnings.

"Alright, everyone, today's matches and bets are over. Let's reconvene tomorrow. Remember, the more rare treasures you prepare, the greater your potential earnings!" Abigail directed her subordinates to gather the treasures. Despite using up a crate of celestial stones, the treasures she obtained were worth ten times that amount.

After collecting them, Abigail warmly invited Dustin and his companions to dinner.

It was tto celebrate her big haul!