An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Though Dalen had been defeated, his fanbase didn’t seem to care. His female supporters were still going wild, chanting his name. It was a scene unlike anything the other contestants had experienced.

Being good-looking definitely had its perks.

“Mr. Shade, are you alright?” Ruby asked with genuine concern as Dalen returned to his seat.

“It’s just a minor injury. Nothing serious.” He shook his head with a smile, though a hint of melancholy and regret lingered in his eyes.

Dalen had entered the tournament to make a name for himself and prove he was as good as anyone. Finishing in the top eight was respectable, but he had aimed for more.

Unfortunately, his strength had fallen short, and he stumbled at the threshold of the final four. Still, losing to Fenley was something he accepted wholeheartedly.

“You’ve done well, Mr. Shade. Many disciples from the major guilds are nowhere near your level. Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Crystal comforted him.

“Yeah. You’re way better than me. I didn’t even make it to the top sixteen. Just look at you. You’re famous and have a ton of supporters. You’re impressive,” Miles chimed in.

In this tournament, not only had he failed to achieve a good ranking, but he was also gravely injured. Half of his body was wrapped in bandages.

other side, Aurora beamed at Fenley.

strong, but I had the advantage in cultivation level. If we’d been on equal ground, it would have been a tough fight.” He didn’t let his success go to his head. His earlier opponents were nothing more than warm-ups, but today’s

won and made it to the semifinals. Just two more

unwavering confidence

won’t be easy,” Fenley said. His gaze drifted toward Glenn, who sat calmly with

challenge. Defeating him was the only path to claim the championship.

was a break. With plenty

prepare for the next round. Once the music and dance performance ended, the

and scanned the matchup list before announcing, “The second match is

announced, murmurs swept through the crowd. Glenn and Emeret were Sword

each other. What a tragedy!” Alloy said sarcastically, shaking his head. After being

front of them, so who would let that slip away? If

to back it up, unlike your guild. Even if one of us gets knocked out, we can still take the championship. As for

to the top eight. Both seemed to have had the opportunity to reach the semifinals, but that certainty was fading fast with them facing off in the second

two prized disciples tearing each other apart,” Alloy smirked. “They’re both