Awakening the War God novel Chapter 74

"So, what's on the line? Let my fiery-haired buddy here have a say!"

Thomas didn't want to make the call on the wager himself, so he passed the torch to Gabriel.

"Anything goes, as long as you're cool with it!" Maria responded nonchalantly.

Gabriel ruffled his hair and took a step forward, a sly grin forming on his face. "Since we're all in high spirits tonight, let's up the ante and go rogue! Miss Adams, if you lose, you got to hand over the lingerie you got on today, top and bottom. I'll hang 'em up on the wall like a trophy!"

The wilder, the better.

Gabriel knew when dealing with an arrogant woman like Maria, the most entertaining thing was to poke fun at her.

Peeling off Maria's lingerie and panties would be a provocative challenge, akin to playing with fire.

It was a guarantee that Maria would be fuming.

Maria's expression soured immediately.

She looked dark, her eyes murderous.

"You're courting death, you son of a bitch! Guys, get him! Beat the crap out of this guy for insulting Maria. He's got to pay!"

Before she could say another word, Luca couldn't contain himself any longer.

Like a dog on a leash, he lunged forward, barking like crazy.

Maria was his dreamboat, the one he'd been chasing after all this time.

Taking Maria's lingerie and panties would be an outright insult to her and a provocation to him.

With Luca leading the charge, several young men surged forward.

They all looked indignant, ready to pound Gabriel.

"Back off!"

With a stern face, Maria spun around and shouted it out.

The young people immediately wilted.

"Maria, this weirdo bastard, he..."

Indignant, Luca was about to charge forward, but once again, Maria shouted at him, "Shut up. This is my affair. It's not your place to intervene!"

Yvonne chimed in with a sly grin, "No need to talk, Luca. This red-haired dude dared to speak to Maria this way; he's toast. You don't need to get involved!"

Luca, visibly frustrated, wore a resentful expression but dared not say another word.

After all, he was somewhat afraid of Maria.

Maria was no pushover.

Seeing Luca keep his mouth shut, Maria turned back around.

Her striking eyes carried a mocking smile.

Her two canine teeth stood out.

They added a touch of cuteness, but also a hint of menace.

She glared at Gabriel and said, "You've got some nerve, daring to make that request to me!"

In Silverwood, no one had ever dared to be so disrespectful in their speech to her.

Gabriel, however, just shrugged nonchalantly and said, "You said anything goes, but now you're hesitating and trying to scare me off. If you don't want to, that's fine, but you shouldn't have bragged about your generosity earlier."

Proud people couldn't resist being provoked.

Someone as proud as Maria was bound to take the bait.

"I agree. If I lose, you can do it, but I want you to do it yourself. Whether you can or not depends on your capability!"

As expected, Gabriel's guess was spot on; Maria agreed.

But there was a fierce determination in her eyes, and her words were menacing.

She endured the wrath within her and intoned, "For you guys, if you lose, I'll use scissors to cut off your manhood!"

This proposed bet had taken a confrontational turn.

This competition became even more interesting because of these two unconventional wagers.

Hearing the threat of cutting their manhood, Yvonne chuckled and covered her mouth. She said to Maria, "You're so wicked, Maria!"

The group of young people burst into laughter at this.

Gabriel, however, remained unfazed.

After all, his manhood was as unbreakable as adamantium.

Poor Thomas, on the other hand, felt a chill down his spine.

This bet was getting way out of hand, and he might end up losing his pride.

But the decision was out of his hands. Gabriel, with a cheerful smile, said, "Alright, it's a deal. After you agree, you can't back out!"

And so were the wagers settled.

"Don't you worry!" Maria's eyes sparkled with expectancy as she responded, "We've got a top-notch, ultra-sensitive camera set up at the finish line, ensuring that even the slightest difference can be spotted! Plus, we've got Bill, a renowned professional race referee, who's as straight as an arrow when it comes to making calls! And as for me, Maria, I'm willing to bet and accept the outcome!"

Gabriel couldn't help but gasp at the manly temperament of Maria, despite her delicate appearance.

He nodded and said, "Alright, that couldn't be better. That guy with the small eyes is bound to be putting something on the line too, just like us. And if he loses, he'll be castrated too."

Now there were four players, of course there should be four stakes.

Even Gabriel had to take the risk of potentially being castrated. That small-eyed guy couldn't be allowed to avoid it either.

Luca muttered curses under his breath, initially contemplating refusing the challenge.

But then, with a second thought, he realized that with his and Maria's skills, there was no way they could lose.

Surrendering at this point would just make him look weak in Maria's eyes.

With this in mind, he put on a brave face and grinned, "Alright, fellas, get your scissors ready. We're gonna have some fun with it later!"