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An Understated Dominance Chapter 407
Mike turned his attention to Dustin, who was standing next to Mr. Robinson. He couldn't help feeling threatened by Dustin's calm demeanor and good looks. "This is Mr. Rhys, our family's honored guest. He came over to help out." Mr. Robinson explained. "Help out?" Abigail humphed disdainfully. "He hasn't said a single thing since he arrived. You call that helping out?" "She's right! Although he has good looks, it's embarrassing how much of a scaredy-cat he is." The short-haired girl shook her head. While none of the other girls spoke, it was clear that they were all secretly looking down on Dustin. What was the point of being so handsome if he was going to run at the first sign of trouble? He was nothing but an utterly unreliable man. "A man should act like one, buddy. You shouldn't try to break up a fight if you're scared, or you might get hurt." Mike sniggered and patted Dustin's shoulder. Dustin smiled without saying anything, unbothered by those measly words. "Well, si
An Understated Dominance Chapter 408
"Lord Horst's brother?" Everyone was aghast to hear that, especially Mike, whose face had gone as white as a sheet. He never expected the man to have that identity. Although his father and Lord Horst knew each other, they were merely acquaintances. However, the man before them was Lord Horst's brother, so it was clear who mattered more. He was doomed! "Weren't you showing off just now? Why don't you do it one more time?" The man in a suit planted his foot into Mike's chest, kicking him to the floor. "How dare you meddle with what I do! You must have a death wish!" With that, he gave Mike another two more blows. Mike gritted his teeth from the pain but couldn't say anything. "You bunch of stupid cunts! What makes you think you can boss me around? Get on your fucking knees. All of you! Break the legs of anyone who disobeys!" the man yelled, brandishing his blade. "On your knees!" His lackeys spat, their blades instantly resting on the students' necks. Shaking in terror, the s
An Understated Dominance Chapter 409
"Um …"Everyone was shocked to see the man had been batted away. They never thought Dustin had the balls to hit someone. Besides having control over many men and being Lord Horst's younger brother, the man in the suit was well known for being a pompous devil. Even Mike, who came from a distinguished family, had to grovel before that man, yet Dustin dared to talk back against him and even beat him up. Where did he find the confidence to do that? "How could he hit Lord Horst's brother? Is he crazy?" "Offending Lord Horst is the same as offending Flame Dragon Gang. He's dead meat!" "What a fool! He probably doesn't even know who he just crossed." Everyone looked at Dustin like he was waiting to die. "H-how dare you hit me!" The suited man staggered to his feet, one side of his face swollen. As he spoke, two of his teeth fell out. "Didn't I tell you? I'll beat you up if you try to touch Mr. Robinson. Did you think I was joking?" Dustin responded nonchalantly. "You're dead me
An Understated Dominance Chapter 410
After Lord Horst issued his command, the entire room was quickly emptied, and all the surveillance cameras were turned off. Mike and some of the students were huddled together in a corner, shaking and not daring to move. They were well aware that things were getting serious. "You seem quite calm, kid. Don't you know you're in deep shit?" Lord Horst was surprised. Usually, people would be quaking in fear after hearing him order his men to clear out a place, but Dustin was oddly indifferent about this. He couldn't tell if Dustin was brave or just foolish. "Really? I can't tell." Dustin shrugged. "I might consider letting you live if you chop off one of your hands and beg for forgiveness, so you better not whine that I never gave you a chance, kid." Lord Horst drew out a knife and tossed it. The blade landed next to Dustin with a clang. "I'm also giving you a chance to scram with your idiot of a brother before I beat you two up," Dustin replied calmly. The room fell silent ins
An Understated Dominance Chapter 411
"Your men seem to be quite useless. Isn't it my turn to attack now?" Dustin yawned lazily. Lord Horst's countenance grew somber, his expression turning grave. He knew almost every skilled fighter there was in Millsburg but was coming up blank when it came to Dustin. Could Dustin be from somewhere else? "I admire your fighting skills, kid, but I doubt you're skilled enough to stop a bullet." Lord Horst recovered from his shock and turned serious. "I've met people like you before, thinking they could cause trouble just because they had some skills. But in the end, all of them got shot to death. In this society, skills alone aren't enough. You still need power and family backgrounds. Would you like to make a bet with me? With just a few words, I can send you to prison." Edmund and the others began worrying for Dustin, who may be a good fighter but was still no match for Lord Horst. Putting the man's family connections aside, the men under his control alone should be more than Du
An Understated Dominance Chapter 412
It was fortunate that Lord Horst hadn't taken things too far, or the consequences would have been dire."So, you agree to join my gang?" Lord Horst asked, lighting another cigarette after calming down."I don't mind joining, but I want to be the gang leader." Dustin shocked everyone with his words, causing Lord Horst's second cigarette to fall out of his mouth.Couldn't Dustin say something normal?"Are you nuts? Even my brother is only the assistant leader. What gives you the right to be the gang leader?" the suited man argued, displeased. Lord Horst took a deep breath and stuck another cigarette into his mouth before asking, "Do you have any idea how big Flame Dragon Gang is? People all over Millsburg are dying to get in, so what gives you, someone with no power or strong family background, the right to say something like that?" "This."With a flick of Dustin's finger, a beam of light shot towards the wall. An ear-splitting boom broke out as a meter-wide hole appeared in the
An Understated Dominance Chapter 413
In a coffee shop across the street, Mike and his group hadn't left. Instead, they'd made themselves comfortable in the shop to enjoy the show. "Abigail, was that man your relative? He's so handsome and brave! He even dared to boss Lord Horst around." "She's right. With his looks and moves, he makes me feel so safe." The girls gathered together and gossiped, their voices turning into adoration when talking about Dustin. "So what if he can fight? In this day and age, the only things that matter are brains, connections, and family backgrounds." Mike humphed begrudgingly. "Besides, we don't even know if he can make it out of the place alive after offending Lord Horst, so what's there to brag about?" "He's right! That guy beat up Lord Horst's men and embarrassed Flame Dragon Gang. It doesn't matter how strong he is; he's still dead meat." "He's just a foolish brat who likes to show off." The boys grumbled unhappily in return, making the girls worry again. Dustin may be stron
An Understated Dominance Chapter 414
"He actually got out?" Mike was stunned. He never expected Dustin to leave that place safely. He only made a casual call to his dad without expecting much. Since when had his father gotten so authoritative? "Um, are you all right?" Abigail was the first to walk out of the coffee shop and approach Dustin, the rest of the students following behind her."What could've happened?" Dustin splayed out his hands. "And why haven't you gone home yet?" "Abigail was worried you were going to be chopped up, so she wouldn't leave," Nina interjected. "Still, to think you managed to get out of there safely after upsetting Lord Horst. You sure are lucky, I'll give you that." "Is he very powerful? I went easy on him just now and didn't give him a beating." Dustin responded indifferently. "What? You wanted to give him a beating?" Nina rolled her eyes. "Are you crazy? Lord Horst is the assistant leader of Flame Dragon Gang, and he's got hundreds of men at his beck and call. No one could save yo
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Chapter 2530
The next morning, Nathaniel was inside a lavish mansion. He was in his study, flipping through an ancient manuscript. One of his most trusted aides hurried in and lowered his voice, "Your Royal Highness, word just came in. Another trace of Dracan essence has been found."Nathaniel raised an eyebrow and closed the manuscript. "Where?""Our investigation shows it ended up in the hands of Logan Rhys," the aide replied."Logan Rhys?" Nathaniel narrowed his eyes slightly and was surprised by the name.He had tried to win Logan over before and spared no expense, but never received a response. Later, he discovered that Tristan and Matthias had done the same.Fortunately, Logan still hadn't picked a side. He might be holding out for the best offer, but at least he hadn't shut the door on Nathaniel.With the Dracan essence in his hands, Logan had become an even more valuable target. In addition to the West Lucozian monarchy, Logan was an ultimate grandmaster, which made him worth recrui
Chapter 2529
"Give me a moment to think," Dustin said.Grace's words sent him into deep thought.After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation's fate was involved, everything changed.Not that he had many options.Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh's fate to push through his cultivation's bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter."I can give your plan a shot," Dustin said suddenly. "But we're still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we're doing this, we need to find that last one first."Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the
Chapter 2528
"Royal gods? And two of them?" Dustin frowned at the news.His battle with Poseidon in West Lucozia had shown him firsthand that the Hall of Gods didn't send weaklings into the field.One royal god had already pushed him to his limit. If two came at him together, winning wasn't even the question. He'd be lucky just to make it out alive."That's right," Grace said solemnly. "The royal gods, Zeus and Hera, have crossed the border. They're even stronger than Poseidon. If they ambush you together, your chances are slim."She knew Dustin was strong, but he was still young. Moreover, Zeus and Hera weren't just anyone. They were world-class powerhouses. Surviving a fight with them would be next to impossible.The Hall of Gods had probably figured out how dangerous Dustin could become. If they had given him a few more years to grow, they might not have been able to stop him."Well, that complicates things." Dustin rested his chin in one hand with a thoughtful expression.Two royal god
Chapter 2527
Soluna Hall had one rule—they wouldn't accept unfamiliar customers. They only served those they knew well or people introduced by someone they trusted. Every transaction required an appointment. Exceptions were made for urgent matters, but those came with an additional fee.When Dustin reached the entrance, two security guards stopped him. After stating his name and being verified by the guards, they let him through.Inside, a female attendant with a pleasant smile greeted him and led him across the main hall straight into the back garden. They passed a small fish pond and stopped in front of a secluded private room."This is Ms. Linsor's private reception area. Mr. Rhys, please come in," the female attendant said with a smile."She's not here?" Dustin asked curiously."She had something come up, but she'll be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable," the attendant said, still smiling."Alright then." He nodded and walked into the room.The room was spacious, with a vintag
Chapter 2526
"You're wrong, Tristan," Matthias said with a meaningful look.He continued, "Sure, I've got the Moseys to back me, but I'm still far from securing the throne. Nathaniel's got strong backing too, and this won't be an easy win. But if you were to support me, I'd say my chances shoot up to 80%."In his eyes, Tristan's support was worth more than the Ballard family.If he could win Tristan over, his odds would jump from 60% to nearly 80%. The only question now was whether Tristan would be willing to shelve his own ambitions and place his bet on Matthias."You know me, Matthias. I've never been one for ambition or glory. This kind of power struggle just isn't for me. I hope you can understand that," Tristan said.After thinking about it thoroughly, he finally turned his brother down. He knew his chances of winning were slim, yet he couldn't let go.Tristan was the eldest legitimate son, the rightful and undisputed heir to the throne. Aside from his poor health, he had no real shortco
Chapter 2525
Tristan, Matthias, and Nathaniel weren't fools. They understood the unspoken message loud and clear.Their purpose for this trip was to take advantage of the opportunity to offer their condolences and win the Ballard family's support. Should it work, all the better. If not, they'd at least make a good impression. The key was that as long as the Ballard family didn't pick a side or turn against them, there was still room to make things work. No need to rush into anything.Tristan spoke first. "You're being too kind, Duke of Lachshire. We've always admired Mr. Jovian's loyalty and courage. We're simply here to pay our respects—nothing more."Matthias added, "That's right. Your family has a lot to deal with right now. Plus, you're not as young as you used to be, so don't wear yourself out over this. We won't take up more of your time today."He gave a respectful nod, then turned to leave."Duke—"Nathaniel opened his mouth to speak, but Tristan interrupted. "That's enough, Nathani
Chapter 2524
"Oh? I didn't expect both of you to be here," Nathaniel said.He was just about to pay his respects when he spotted Tristan and Matthias inside the mourning hall. He gave a respectful nod and said, "Hello, Tristan, Matthias."Truthfully, he wasn't surprised. He had already guessed they would show up.The four ancient houses and the eight great families were all key players he needed on his side. And with the Ballard family still undecided, he wasn't about to miss the chance to make an impression."I heard you left Oakvale on official business. Funny how quickly you came back," Tristan said, his tone laced with meaning."It wasn't anything important. When I heard about Mr. Jovian's passing, I returned immediately. I wanted to pay my respects in person," Nathaniel answered smoothly, without missing a beat.He brushed off Tristan's subtle jab and used the moment to show the Ballard family he was genuinely there to pay his respects."Don't just stand there, Nathaniel. Go pay your re
Chapter 2523
"Your Royal Highness, it's an honor to have you here," Jonathan said.Upon seeing the distinguished guest arrive, he quickly pulled himself together and aside his grief. He led his family to greet Tristan, and they bowed in respect.Before they could finish the gesture, Tristan raised a hand to stop them. "No need for such formalities," he said. "The deceased deserves our respect."He turned to Jovian's portrait, which was displayed in the mourning hall, and sighed deeply.Tristan continued, "Mr. Jovian's untimely passing is truly a great loss to Dragonmarsh. May his soul rest in peace. My condolences to your family during this difficult time."Jonathan's eyes were filled with tears as he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kind words. My family is heartbroken over my brother's tragic death."Tristan nodded slightly. His gaze quickly swept across the hall before asking, "I've heard that Duke Lachshire fainted from grief. How is he doing now?"Jonathan
Chapter 2522
The unrest in West Lucozia finally ended with the capture of Warrick.Every official who was his accomplice was thoroughly investigated. Those who needed to be arrested were taken into custody, and those who deserved to be punished were executed.After the purge, more than 300 officials in West Lucozia were removed from their posts. Those guilty were arrested, and those whose crimes were severe were executed.Under Austin's iron-fisted reforms, West Lucozia's government underwent a complete overhaul. Corruption, bribery, and the tangled web of illegal deals were swept away like dust in the wind.The citizens quickly noticed the difference. When they visited government offices, they no longer faced delays, refusals, or demands for bribes.Long-neglected public issues began to move forward, thanks to the organized efforts of newly appointed officials. Things were improving across the board.Instead of fearing the crackdown, the citizens welcomed it. The corrupt officials who had dr
