An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

Nathaniel approached the vault and quickly knocked a few times on the door. With a deep rumble, the heavy door slowly began to open.

Inside, the treasures were dazzling-emerald pendants glowing with an otherworldly light, a bronze cauldron engraved with mysterious symbols, and tablets shimmering with a strange, eerie glow.

At the center was an ornate box encased in bulletproof glass.

Nathaniel stepped forward, entered the code, and lifted the protective cover. He opened the box lid to reveal another Dracan essence inside.

The orb, about the size of a chicken egg, shimmered faintly. Inside, a stream of dragon-shaped energy swirled continuously.

“This one’s a keeper,” he muttered.

Nathaniel placed the Dracan essence Dustin had given him beside the first one. He couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.

These orbs were a force capable of defying fate and a power that could turn everything around.

He’d gone to great lengths to get the first one but never imagined he’d find the second so quickly. Clearly, his luck had improved.

Once he had all three Dracan essences, he could set up a formation to harness their power. At that point, he’d be the luckiest man in Dragonmarsh. Then, the throne would be his, and no one would dare to question it.

As he carefully stored the two orbs, he admired them for a while before reluctantly closing the box lid and lowering the protective cover.

Nathaniel walked out of the vault, then returned everything to its proper place.

He had meticulously designed the vault and this hidden chamber. It was guarded by elite fighters and protected with deadly traps and mechanisms. Anyone who tried to break in wouldn’t make it out alive.

the door behind him and stepped out, Nathaniel sternly

hummed a tune, clasped his hands

had fallen completely silent. Aside from a few routine patrols still moving through the grounds, nearly everyone inside

guesthouse, Dustin suddenly sat

into his pocket, pulled out a finely crafted compass, then channeled

with a faint glow. After spinning a few times, it pointed toward the southwest and

the compass to test it, but

he muttered with

seal, which was

Dustin could

“It’s about time.”

Then, he changed into dark clothes, put on a mask, and quietly sneaked out of

inside the room as a precaution. If anyone broke in, he’d

moved like a shadow and slipped silently through the mansion. Sometimes he leaped on the rooftops, and other

studied the layout and memorized the patrol routes. He could avoid the danger zones

took a quick look around and noticed

no way to reach the chamber without alerting someone. His only option was to take down the guards at the entrance and

a stick of intoxicating substance and

his hand to fan them. A gentle breeze carried the smoke toward the two guards at the

of the strange scent, and before they could react, they had already collapsed

muttered, “This stuff is