An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Chapter 2644

Nathaniel stood at the edge of the ship, staring at the paradise-like island before him. He found himself holding his breath.

Sunlight filtered through the towering, ancient trees, scattering dappled patches of light across the mossy ground. The air was filled with an exotic floral fragrance, sweet as honey yet tinged with a subtle freshness.

Behind him, the soldiers could barely contain their excitement. They set down their weapons and reached out to touch the hanging vines. Crystalline fruits hung like clusters of amethyst and shimmered in the sunlight with an enchanting radiance.

“Your Highness, look at that tree,” one of his guards exclaimed, pointing at a giant tree not far away. Its trunk was covered in spiral patterns that looked like natural stairways. Glowing mushrooms grew inside its hollow, which illuminated the surroundings like daylight.

Several winged squirrels leaped from the treetop, and their wings stirred up tiny glowing particles. When the specks landed on the soldiers’ armor, they instantly transformed into twinkling stars.

As Nathaniel carefully stepped down from the gangplank, the moss rustled softly beneath his feet. He bent down to pick up a palm-sized leaf with golden edges. The veins were so clear they looked almost carved.

Just as he was about to hand it to the general beside him, a sharp scream came from the back of the group.

“What happened?” Nathaniel asked, spinning around.

bush. Each blossom was as wide as a saucer, its

soldier reached out to pluck a bloom. His fingertips hovered just above the petal when it shuddered violently.

teeth snapped shut with a crack, swallowing

The petals

widened, and he instantly drew the sword at his

below, sizzling as it ate through the ground. The once

suddenly sprouted from the severed roots of the

The hanging vines stiffened like steel, while

A vine wrapped around his neck, squeezing until his eyes bulged and his tongue stuck

swung his sword to cut through the attacking vines. But as soon as they snapped,

slowly stood upright. Their roots had turned into thick, sturdy legs, and the edges of their leaves sprouted razor-sharp teeth as they advanced toward

at one of the ferns. The moment his fist touched its leaves, the serrated edge

wounds, he let out a heart-wrenching scream. His arm swelled and blackened before his eyes, then turned into charred, purple-black flesh

them on fire!” Nathaniel

around them thickened. Countless tiny holes split