Chapter 292: Wasn’t being a coward still better than being dead?
Adelyn didn’t like Karl very much. But she didn’t hate him either. She didn’t think he was a bad person. He was young, reckless, spoiled, and terribly annoying —but none of those traits deserved to get him killed.
However ...
Stupidity was a perfectly valid reason for it.
And he was well on his way to becoming one of its finest examples.
Karl, on the other hand, blinked in confusion after hearing his sister-in-law’s words. Unable to understand what she meant, he turned to Pier, only to find him looking just as puzzled.
So he looked back at Adelyn and asked, "Sister-in-law, what do you mean?" His gaze shifted toward Steve again as he tried to recognize the man. But no matter how long he looked, he still couldn’t.
"Is he someone famous in the martial arts world? Do you know him?"
"He is—"
Adelyn had barely begun to answer when Karl suddenly shook his head and interrupted himself.
"No ... how could you know him?" he said, turning back to her. "Even if you know a little fighting, it’s nowhere near the top-grade martial artists. Which means you’ve never received any formal training."
He nodded to himself, sounding more convinced the more he spoke.
"And if you’ve never been part of that world, how could you possibly know someone from it? Without interest, you wouldn’t keep up with the news either. Even if these annoying punks are famous, you probably wouldn’t recognize them. So, it means you probably mistook him for someone else."
Adelyn paused.
For a long moment, she simply stared at him.
She was honestly speechless by how confidently he had managed to deduce every single thing incorrectly.
She slowly replayed his words in her mind.
Her fighting skills weren’t anywhere near those of a top-grade martial artist ...
She had no interest in the martial arts world ...
She didn’t know anyone from that circle ...
Her jaw tightened ever so slightly.
She couldn’t decide whether the problem was with her ...
... or with him.
Even if she had never been Onyx and were merely an ordinary enthusiast of swordsmanship, she would still know far more than Karl did.
Her eyes drifted back toward Steve.
Standing behind him were Tressa, Denis, and Pete —all wearing the academy’s standard uniform, embroidered with the unmistakable emblem of an eagle’s eye.
The same emblem that officially represented one of the renowned overseas martial arts and swordsmanship academies—
Talon.
And Steve Orlow was none other than Talon’s second-in-command.
He had represented Talon multiple times in fourth-grade international competitions.
He had even entered the third-grade international division individually and finished as the runner-up.
Adelyn wouldn’t have known him —or been so familiar with his capabilities —if her own disciple hadn’t participated in that very same tournament.
She had personally attended the competition to watch the matches.
Not because she doubted her disciple ...
But because she wanted to observe every opponent firsthand and identify areas where her disciple could improve further.
Back then, her disciple had defeated Talon’s vice-captain. The amusing part was, he hadn’t won through overwhelming strength alone.
Instead, he had toyed with Steve’s pride throughout the entire match.
Every time Steve thought victory was finally within reach, her disciple would snatch it away at the very last second.
Even now, remembering Steve’s expression back then made the corners of Adelyn’s lips curl into a faint smile.
After that tournament, however, she hadn’t paid much attention to him anymore.
But one thing remained undeniable.
Someone who had once secured second place in the third-grade international competition was not someone whose abilities could ever be underestimated.
Especially considering Talon was famous for producing martial artists who constantly broke through their own limits.
Forget Karl; even if Ashvale’s national competitors stood here today, they still wouldn’t confidently claim they could defeat Steve.
Talon had participated in countless international competitions that Vabraria had never even managed to qualify for.
Its reputation alone was enough to make many competitors lose confidence before the match even began.
"Sister-in-law, don’t overthink it," Karl spoke again, completely unaware of everything running through Adelyn’s mind. "These punks probably aren’t anyone special. Zeke is just trying to stir up excitement and scare people."
He cracked his knuckles confidently.
"Otherwise, I can handle all of them by myself."
Adelyn looked at him quietly. For the first time, she genuinely felt a little sympathy for him.
Normally, she wouldn’t interfere if someone insisted on throwing their own life away. Everyone was responsible for the consequences of their own choices.
But Karl ...
This boy was different.
Perhaps it was because of the strange relationship they shared.
Or perhaps because, despite all his foolishness, he had always sincerely treated her as his sister-in-law.
Whatever the reason, she found herself unable to simply stand by and watch him walk toward disaster.
"Kiddo," she said after a brief silence, "do you think there’s any way to cancel or nullify the bet?"
Karl frowned immediately.
"Cancel the bet?" he repeated, looking at her. "You pity Zeke, sister-in-law."
Before even Adelyn could say anything, he said, "No, even if you’re kind and pity him. You cannot possibly make me cancel the bet. It’ll make me look like an utter coward."
Adelyn pursed her lips.
Wasn’t being a coward still better than being dead?
"Then tell me," she asked patiently, "what’s more important to you —this bet or your life?"
She genuinely hoped he would choose the obvious answer.
Unfortunately ...
She had forgotten exactly which fool she was asking.
Karl answered without even needing to think. "Of course the bet." He looked at her as though the answer couldn’t have been more obvious.
"If I lose it, wouldn’t the rest of my life become pathetic?"
Adelyn didn’t hold herself back. She stepped forward and smacked him on the head.
"Idiot!"
Karl immediately clutched his head, rubbing the spot where she had hit him as a sharp sting spread through it.
"Have you even considered whether you’ll still have a life left if you step into that ring again?"
Pier looked equally worried. He quickly nodded in agreement. "That’s right, Brother Karl. Don’t risk your life over a simple bet."
His voice became increasingly anxious.
"Let’s just admit defeat and try talking things out. I heard Zeke has ill intentions toward you. Those people aren’t ordinary. They—"
"Bullsh*t!" Karl cut him off immediately. "You actually believe Zeke?"
He snorted disdainfully.
"Do you seriously think he has the capability to hire some overseas martial arts expert? What kind of influence does he even have?"
The Carte family was certainly wealthy. But compared to the Warrens ...
They weren’t even on the same level.
Hearing Karl put it that way, Pier found himself unable to argue. After all, objectively speaking, the Carte family truly didn’t possess that kind of influence.
Karl then turned back toward Adelyn with complete confidence.
"Sister-in-law, just wait and watch me win." He shifted his gaze toward the arena, his eyes narrowing. "I’m not only going to defeat that overseas punk, but I’m also going to make Zeke Carte understand what real bullying feels like."
A dangerous grin slowly spread across his face.
"How dare he scheme against me? I’m definitely not letting him off that easily."
He sounded absolutely certain.
But Adelyn knew better.
Confidence without the strength to support it was nothing more than a fragile illusion. The moment he stepped back into that arena, that confidence would shatter within minutes.
Could she really let him jump willingly into a pit of death?
She sighed inwardly.
This troublesome kid wasn’t so awful that he deserved to die this young.
So ...
She decided to give him one final chance.
"What if I told you," she said slowly, raising one brow as she looked straight into his eyes, "that your friend, Zeke Carte, has hired someone from Talon?"
Her voice remained calm.
"Would you still choose to continue this bet?"