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.

beneath Dustin's unassuming facade lay extraordinary power.

completely shocked, his voice trembling. "Wait, did I really see that correctly?

ago, Bran had witnessed the black serpent's incredible strength—a force

of people couldn't make a scratch on

injuries from the serpent's attack. Simply

survived but

that a young, unknown young man had single-handedly killed the fearsome black

it with his own eyes,

serpent, the one even Mr. Ridge

Yonah exclaimed. His face displayed sheer shock, with cold

the black serpent seriously injure Aidan, but it met

Dustin's strength surpassing Aidan's but also

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

intention to confront Dustin, Yonah couldn't help but shudder. Had Yonah

good at masking his strength." Aidan frowned, his

him a severe injury. He had somewhat underestimated the enemy, and victory seemed unlikely

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

and his eyes widened. "Could it be...

he connected the dots. The sword aura that Dustin unleashed

the mysterious elder who had aided him the previous

thoughts spun into chaos, considering the mysterious elder's strength, seemingly

couldn't help but question, "Is Dustin the hidden ultimate grandmaster? But... how is that possible? He can't be older than

he jumped up, his excitement evident. "Oh my god! Dustin