An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

From the moment Dustin unsheathed his sword, the entire sequence unfolded in an instant. The swift beheading of the black serpent left everyone in disbelief.

Even after the serpent's head hit the ground, it continued to snarl menacingly, seemingly oblivious to the gravity of the situation. It only recognized the severity of its decapitation when the truth finally sank in.

Confusion enveloped the creature as it questioned what had just transpired, trying to comprehend how this seemingly insignificant human had managed to decapitate it.

The royal family held the black serpent in high esteem. They saw it as a divine being that had spent centuries cultivating its power, establishing dominance over everything.

Its path was meant to be unimpeded, and all living beings were destined to be its prey. The creature couldn't comprehend why it now lay lifeless, defeated by the hands of a mere human.

The massive body of the black serpent convulsed a few times before crashing heavily to the ground. Blood gushed out, swiftly coloring the surrounding area in a vivid red hue, spanning several dozen feet.

"Dead... Is it dead?"

Everyone was frozen, eyes wide with disbelief, as the serpent's head separated from its body. The shocking sight left them speechless, struggling to make sense of the unexpected turn of events.

Dustin's victory over the black serpent took everyone by surprise, especially since it happened with just a single stroke of his sword. This formidable creature had proven to be a challenging adversary, even for Aidan.

Everyone couldn't fathom how a nobody could wield such extraordinary power.

Garrett couldn't believe what he was witnessing. He shook his head in disbelief, trying to process the shocking truth before him. "No way... This can't be happening. It's just not possible!"

He had always underestimated Dustin, thinking of him as nothing more than a scammer in the martial world.

Garrett's resentment towards Dustin, fueled by his feelings for Grace, had even led him to contemplate silencing Dustin for good.

that beneath Dustin's unassuming facade lay extraordinary power. A power that now instilled fear in Garrett's

trembling. "Wait, did I really see that correctly? The black serpent is actually dead, and Dustin took

ago, Bran had witnessed the black

even hundreds of people couldn't

also known as Sandscale, had suffered serious injuries from the serpent's attack. Simply surviving an encounter

only survived but managed to

the fact that a young, unknown young man had

hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he wouldn't

serpent, the one

artist?" Yonah exclaimed. His face displayed sheer shock, with cold sweat

serpent seriously injure Aidan, but it met its end at

indicated Dustin's strength surpassing Aidan's but also hinted at Dustin having achieved

in the entire southwest, was hard for Yonah to fathom. He wondered, "Who is this guy, damn

couldn't help but shudder. Had Yonah provoked Dustin, he

brat... he's good at masking his strength." Aidan frowned, his face

him a severe injury. He had

sword stroke, showcasing unparalleled strength. What added to Aidan's sense

struck suddenly, and his eyes widened. "Could it be...

and his breath quickened as he connected the dots. The sword aura that Dustin unleashed resembled the one that severed the golden

a tidal wave. He pondered the mysterious elder who had aided him the previous night—was it

mysterious

the hidden ultimate grandmaster? But... how is that possible? He can't be older than 30. What kind of

was briefly bewildered, but then he jumped up, his excitement evident. "Oh my god! Dustin