Chapter 237: Betting Everything

As if sensing the impending battle, the storm raged across the skies of the mysterious realm, and thunder roared like a beast hungry for destruction. This wasn't preplanned by the organizers of the tournament; it was pure coincidence. The spectacle only made everyone outside restless as they watched with bated breath.

With each second that passed, the tension in the air only built up. The Cromwell and Armstrong families offered silent prayers to various Pantheon gods of Eos, knowing full well the stakes at hand. Even the others, though no longer participating in the tournament as all their towns had been wiped out, watched anxiously, fidgeting among themselves.

Deep inside, they silently prayed for the Cromwells to emerge victorious. Between two evils, they chose the lesser, for Hendrix had brutally beaten everyone in their barony, including children and the elderly. Though the Cromwells hadn't offered refuge during the beast tide, they were known to mind their own business. The others thought it wouldn't be so bad to give their resources to these people.

Of course, Hendrix was only one person surrounded by five Awakened. No one underestimated him; they had done so once and learned the hard way, and they had no intention of repeating that mistake.

At the Landon stand, Jared wore a complicated expression as he watched the massive screen.

"So strong," he muttered, his gaze fixed on Nox's handsome features. Those green eyes gleamed with reverence as Jared thought back to Nox's devastating bloodstorm that had wiped out his team. Jared had tried to fight the blood weapons with his Vine Master class but was completely overwhelmed.

At that moment, Jared realized that he never stood a chance against Nox from the beginning. If they had fought each other, Jared wouldn't have even known how he had died. Yet he had no regrets—this entire tournament hadn't been a waste.

Though he didn't win, he had gained the attention of the love of his life. Now, all he wanted to do was watch the clash between the tournament's two favorites.

"There have been several ups and downs in this tournament—several surprises—but here we are, folks. This is the final showdown! The fight that will determine the fate of the western region!" Klein's voice boomed. He had witnessed so many surprises that there was no longer any surprise left on his face.

"Hey, Nathan, want to place a bet?" The duke's voice rang out from his curtain, carrying a confidence that could be felt by all the lords present. "Or are you too scared?"

Nathan gave the duke a defiant stare. "Scared? Pfft." He burst into hysterical laughter, holding his stomach, his crazy personality resurfacing. In a strong, self-assured voice, he said, "Of course my grandkid will win this fight."

"Very well then." The duke smiled, noting the confidence in Nathan's voice. The shadows on the duke's face grew darker as he said, "If your grandkid loses, you'll give up not just 50% of your monthly resources, but 100%."

"What?!" The other lords exclaimed in shock. The duke was truly heartless! How could he propose such a bet? Even Kron, standing beside the duke, widened his eyes in disbelief at the audacity.

Kron pondered whether to advise the duke but wisely kept his mouth shut. The duke wasn't someone who made blind decisions. For him to propose something like this only meant he was confident in Hendrix's victory.

But this level of confidence in another person was just... too much. Considering Nox's outstanding performance so far, even Kron wouldn't bet that much on himself if he were the one fighting.

Whispers spread among the lords.

"He's mad... the duke's lost it," the lord of the Landon barony spat. "One hundred percent? That's suicide."

"100% resources... wouldn't that leave the town in crisis?" one lord commented, unable to imagine how a town could survive if it had to hand over all of its income every month.

"With 50%, they could still live comfortably and afford two meals a day, but 100%? They'd barely scrape by."

"If Nathan accepts, his town is finished. What kind of wager is this?"

"I thought Nox had this in the bag... but for the duke to be this confident—does Hendrix have a hidden card?"

"Damn it, does the duke know something we don't? Maybe Hendrix is even more dangerous than we thought."

"Nathan, although I don't like you much, I advise you to reject this offer," one lord said to Nathan.

"He's right," the lord of the Landon barony chimed in. Unlike the others, he had a good relationship with the Cromwells because of Han, whose sister was his wife. He couldn't bear to see the people of his wife's town starve to death.

A laugh came from the duke's direction, filled with scorn and ridicule. "Go ahead and submit. After all, cowards submit together. It seems your earlier confidence was just a facade. Tch, What a disgrace."

"Don't listen to him," Lord Landon advised in a very strong voice.

Nathan's arms trembled as a grin slowly spread across his bony face.

'This stubborn man...' Lord Landon thought bitterly as he saw that look on Nathan's face. He knew it too well—it was the look Nathan wore whenever he was about to make a reckless decision. As if reading his thoughts, Nathan looked at the duke with a burning gaze and shouted:

"I accept!" His voice echoed.

"This fool!" the other lords cursed.

"I knew this bastard wouldn't fold easily. Now I regret even advising him," one lord muttered bitterly.

Even Lord Landon shook his head in exasperation. He had tried his best; now, all he could do was pity the Cromwells for having a crazy man as their leader.

'Tsk, unfortunate souls,' he thought.

"Good." The duke nodded in satisfaction. "I knew you were no cow—"

Nathan interrupted suddenly: "But why don't we make it even more interesting?"

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"You relinquish your title as duke and hand it over to Nox," Nathan said with a smile.

"Huh? A ten-year-old duke?" the lords exclaimed, shocked. What they heard next left them even more stunned.

"I accept!" the duke's voice echoed.

"Damn it, they've both lost their minds," one lord muttered.

Inside the mysterious realm, unaware of the heightened stakes, Nox and Hendrix stood only a few feet apart, the air between them crackling with suffocating tension.

A moment later, both of them moved from their positions.

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