An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

George grimaced in pain and flung the snake-like creature away. But the creature wouldn’t give up. It lunged at him again as soon as it hit the ground.

“You’ve got a death wish?” He snorted and smashed the creature into a scarlet mist with a single punch.

He then turned his gaze to Abigail with a malicious grin. “It’s just a little snake. You don’t actually think it could hurt me, huh?”

“Can’t hurt you? Check out the bite marks,” she replied sarcastically.

“Huh?” George looked down and saw two tiny, needle-like punctures where the creature had bitten him. The wounds were so minor that they didn’t even bleed.

However, the area around the wounds had turned a deep, unnatural black. It was darker than his skin, like ink.

The most disturbing part was that this black mark was rapidly spreading and crept into his bloodstream. Within seconds, it had covered most of his hand.

“What is this?” George’s frown deepened, and his smile faltered.

He had always prided himself on being impervious to harm, so he hadn’t thought much of the attack earlier. But the small snake-like creature had managed to penetrate his defenses with its venomous bite.

The unknown toxin was causing an unsettling throbbing in his chest. He had a sinking feeling that if the poison kept spreading, he might be in grave danger. After all, being invulnerable to weapons didn’t mean he was immune to all poisons.

George quickly transformed his left hand into a sharp, black blade. He roared and swung the weapon down hard on his right wrist.

splattered everywhere and turned the

again. With a mighty swing, he severed

the spectators shudder. They hadn’t expected George to

began to decay rapidly. Within moments,

it wouldn’t just be your hand you’d be losing.” Abigail raised an

Serpent was a highly poisonous creature cultivated by the Mystic Arts Order. Though it appeared small and harmless, it was dangerous. Anyone bitten by it would dissolve into a puddle of

him to have the resolve to cut off his own hand, which spared her from further

me? Not a chance!” George’s expression was a twisted scowl.

almost instantly. A sharp, black blade quickly emerged from where his hand had been severed. Compared to the blade on his left

kind of monster is this? A

gorilla must have undergone genetic

“Ugh! That’s gross.”

hand transformation drew murmurs from the spectators. It finally dawned on them why he

into weapons. Transforming his fists into blades increased his offensive power and raised his

painless for you. But since you’re so

slowly spread his blades. Their edges gleamed with a dark, ominous glow in the

let you suffer too much.

turned cold. She raised one hand as she spoke, and a red beam shot out from her sleeve