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An Understated Dominance Chapter 438
Since he was quite free, he thought he could use some time to relax.Twenty minutes later, Dustin and Abigail exited the car in front of a music bar. Compared to the lively and noisy atmosphere of a karaoke bar, the music bar was quieter. Friends could sit together, drink, chat, and listen to music. It was relaxing and comfortable. "Abigail! Over here!"Right after they entered the music bar, a short-haired girl stood up and waved at Abigail. Dustin followed the direction of the sound and recognized several familiar faces.The short-haired girl was Nina Sharp. Another one was a popular guy in school, Mike Horton. Dustin thought the rest looked quite familiar but couldn't recall their names. The only person he couldn't recognize was a girl in a school uniform. She looked young and pretty. The girl had a delicate oval face with exquisite features. She looked pure and innocent, like a fairy. With just a glance, she could capture a person's attention."Sorry, we're late."Abigail ap
An Understated Dominance Chapter 439
"Hey! What the fuck are you talking about?" Mike sprung up and yelled, feeling a burst of righteousness after seeing the sleazy man pester Ruby. "My friend already told you she can't sing the song! Why the hell do you keep pressing her?" "Exactly! How can you force people to sing songs they don't know? Aren't you being too unreasonable?" Nina chimed in. The others who had remained silent wore similar indignant expressions. "A show-off, huh?" The chubby man sneered. "She should follow the rules since she walked onto the stage. I've already paid, so she has to sing!" "So what if you paid? That measly sum is barely enough to buy coffee!" Mike scoffed disdainfully. "You want to talk about rules? Let me humor you. Hey, I'll give you 100 roses. Sing whatever you like for the first song!" he said and paid ten thousand dollars on the spot. "Damn! He sure is easygoing with his money. He spent ten thousand without hesitation." "He's probably some rich kid. Let's see what happens." Th
An Understated Dominance Chapter 440
"Ten million?" The crowd exchanged astonished glances when they heard him. Ordinary citizens couldn't even dream of earning that much money in their lifetime. How could Dustin make such a bold statement? "Do you even have that kind of money?" Abigail asked, shocked and anxious. "Come on, don't show off when you don't even have that much money. You'll only end up embarrassing yourself," Mike said scornfully, giving Dustin a disdainful look. Although he dared not challenge the chubby man again, he still had the audacity to look down on Dustin. There was no way he believed a shabby-looking country bumpkin could win against someone as wealthy as Chubster. "You're just spouting nonsense to show off, right? Well, let's see how this ends!" Nina snorted, not believing that someone like Dustin would have ten million dollars. "Who the fuck said that?" Surprised, Chubster glanced around the room frostily. "It was me." Dustin stood up slowly, his stare icy. "Are you challenging me?" Ch
An Understated Dominance Chapter 441
Despite how plainly dressed Dustin was, his confident and collected demeanor made people think twice about their opinions of him. They began to believe that he was either a regular braggart or someone who actually had ten million dollars. As everyone waited silently for the results, the restaurant owner walked over and said, "My apologies, sir, but the PIN was wrong, and the transaction failed." "Wrong?" Dustin was surprised. Wasn't his PIN 666666? Did he remember wrongly? "What about the ten million you were talking about?" Chubster burst out laughing. "Why bother pretending if you're poor? Did you think you could get away with it by acting? What a joke!" "Tsk. Turns out he's just a braggart. I nearly believed him." "I know, right? And it must be embarrassing to get your lie exposed like that." Everyone cast their mocking and disdainful gazes at him, believing that the wrong PIN was his excuse to escape from paying. There was no way they'd allow him to get the attention
An Understated Dominance Chapter 442
The crowd was stunned to see the owner frantically apologizing to Dustin. They all gaped at Dustin, jaws dropped in disbelief. Ten million dollars had accidentally turned into 100 million dollars, and the transaction was successful? How much money was on that card? No one could laugh anymore. Instead, their eyes were full of shock and envy as they stared at Dustin, who had easily paid what ordinary families couldn't even earn after generations. He was the true tycoon! "T-that's impossible!" After getting over his shock, Mike's reaction turned into disbelief. "Did you make a mistake, sir? There's no way this guy could have so much money!" How could such a shabbily dressed man have 100 million dollars? "He's right. It has to be fake. There's no way anyone would carry 100 million dollars around!" Nina voiced her suspicions as well. Although none of the others spoke, they obviously doubted it as well. "Look closely, you ignorant fools!" The owner humphed and slapped the bil
An Understated Dominance Chapter 443
In terms of power, Terry was potentially Tyler Grant's rival since they both liked doing things however they wanted."So what if you're rich? You still have to submit to the Doyle family." Mike goaded secretly. As a martial arts family, the Doyle family has always acted however they liked, so they would never take this matter lightly."The Doyle family is incredibly powerful. I guess it's over for this guy." Nina shook her head, pleased with the show.Being rich was different from being powerful. Some rich families were nothing but ants to powerful families. "You scared now?" Duncan smirked. "Since you know who I am now, you should know what to do next, right?"He may not be able to withdraw 100 million dollars, but he had a powerful brother. As long as he used his brother's name, most people would let him have his way."So what? Don't be a sore loser. You've lost the bet, so you should keep your side of the bargain," Dustin responded bluntly. "Huh?" Duncan frowned. "Do you
An Understated Dominance Chapter 444
"Are you out of your mind? How could you attack someone from the Doyle family?" Nina and the others went pale as a sheet when they saw Duncan lying on the floor, unconscious. They never expected Dustin to be so bold."So what?" Dustin replied, unconcerned."Hmmph! What an ignorant fool!" Nina glanced at him disdainfully. "The Doyle family is one of the Fabulous Five. You might end up as a corpse floating in the Ziby River by tomorrow!""Really? I don't think so." Dustin shrugged."Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're rich. The Doyle family is far stronger than you can imagine," Mike informed scornfully. "Terry Doyle is also a protective man. If he hears that his family was attacked, he'll take this seriously! If I were you, I'd start apologizing to them and atoning for my sins. That way, you might still have a chance of survival." Dustin gave the other man a small smile in response. "Well, you aren't me.""I've said what I needed to say. Since you're bein
An Understated Dominance Chapter 445
The next morning, Dustin was reading medical literature when a silver Bentley pulled up at the entrance of the courtyard. "Bad news, Dustin! Something happened to my dad!" Ruth rushed into the building and yelled anxiously. "Calm down. Your dad won't die yet." Dustin slowly lowered his book, looking unbothered. "Huh? How did you know?" Ruth was surprised."Didn't I tell you yesterday? Your father was poisoned, and he won't live past three days. This is only the second day, so he still has one day left," Dustin answered. "Then, what should we do? Can you treat him?" Ruth pressed."I can, but on one condition.""What is it?""I hope your family can agree to your sister's request and break off the engagement with the Grant family.""Break off the engagement?" Ruth frowned. "Dustin, this isn't a matter to be taken lightly. My father won't agree to it."The marriage was one that both families were expecting. Should the engagement be broken off, the relationship between the two
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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
