An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

"Dead... dead? How is that possible?" "I never expected Elder Wood from the Celestial Alliance, a prominent figure in the martial world, to die at the hands of a beast. It's truly unbelievable!" "Well, he's too arrogant and overbearing. Guess karma finally caught up with him." The death of Acheron caused a stir throughout the crowd. Nobody expected such a mighty and arrogant figure to meet such an abrupt end.

Predator took him down, pinned him, and bit off his head.

What struck everyone as particularly unsettling was that Acheron didn't even have a chance to fight back.

"Elder. Elder Wood.?" Quincy, who had just arrived, stood frozen in place as he looked at the headless corpse before him.

Acheron had always been a figure of power and authority, towering above Quincy and many others. Within the Celestial Alliance, his status was unrivaled.

All the disciples from the Celestial Alliance who showed up for the tournament at Sacred Wrym Summit were under Acheron's supervision.

Yet, the once-resplendent figure now lay as nothing more than a headless body. It was truly a lamentable sight.

After feasting on Acheron's head, the beastly Predator lifted his head and unleashed a deafening roar. The sound was so intense that many martial artists winced in pain, instinctively covering their ears.

At the level of an ultimate grandmaster, even a simple sound wave attack was beyond the defense of ordinary martial artists.

After its roar, Predator's massive body seemed to Ey collapse to the ground.

Following that, his body quickly shrank, and his black fur, along with all his beastly features, gradually disappeared.

Soon, the terrifying black-haired monster had completely reverted to his human form.

Upon seeing this, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

After all, the beastly Predator was simply too terrifying. Its speed, strength, defense, and healing ability were beyond comprehension.

Regenerating severed limbs and healing a broken heart, Predator seemed like an unstoppable force of nature.

If even elites like Acheron could have their heads bitten off, what chance did ordinary martial artists have? Luckily, the beast seemed to have worn itself out. If not, who knew how many more lives it would have claimed? "Dustin, are you guys alright?" After a brief moment of shock, Quincy finally led the group forward.

"I'm fine, but it seems Elder Wood from the Celestial Alliance had an unexpected encounter," Dustin replied casually.

Quincy's mouth twitched, and momentarily, he was left speechless. "Unexpected encounter? More like a decapitation!" he muttered incredulously.

A young female disciple of the Celestial Alliance suddenly demanded, "Hey! You were standing right next to Elder Wood when the beast attacked him. Why didn't you help?" Dressed in white and quite attractive, she had a somewhat sharp gaze.

"Why should I?" Dustin shrugged and said boldly, "What does it have to do withif he was attacked? Why would | risk my life to save him?" "ou..." The female disciple, Marcia, was visibly taken aback and said sternly, "You saw Elder Wood being attacked. As a martial artist, you lack any sense of chivalry. Aren't you afraid of being mocked?" "Why didn't you lend a hand if you're all about chivalry?" Dustin shot back.

He despised people like her, constantly preaching but never lifting a finger to make a difference. All they did was sit on their high horse and pass judgment. His stomach turned just thinking about it.

"I was too far away. If | had arrived on time, | definitely wouldn't have stood by like you!" Marcia argued. "Oh?" Dustin sneered.

He added, "Elder Wood's head is still in that beast's belly. You're so brave and righteous. Why not help retrieve his head and make it a complete corpse?" "What. what did you say?" The color drained from her face.

"What's wrong? Didn't you hear me? Letrepeat myself." Dustin pointed to Predator lying on the ground, saying, "This guy ate Elder Wood's head. As a disciple of the Celestial Alliance, helping your Elder find his head to make a complete corpse shouldn't be too much to ask, right?" Wasn't this just a moral lecture? Well, he could play along with that, too.

"I." Marcia hesitated.

Her heart raced with a mix of revulsion and fear. She couldn't bring herself to step closer, not after witnessing Predator's brutal attack.

The mere thought sent shivers down her spine. This beast had killed Acheron with ease. If he woke up now and decided to turn his deadly gaze toward her, what could she possibly do? "What's wrong? Are you scared? As a martial artist and a disciple of the Celestial Alliance, can't you even handle this little task?" Dustin taunted sarcastically.

"Who. who said I'm scared? It's just retrieving a head, right? What's so hard about it!" Provoked by Dustin's sarcasm, Marcia immediately agreed to do it.

"You're so brave, then go ahead." Dustin gestured with one hand and stepped aside to watch.

Quincy and his group exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to do.

As disciples of the Celestial Alliance, retrieving their elder's head to ensure a proper burial seemed logical.

However, attempting to cut open the still-unconscious Predator posed undeniable risks. If they were to rouse the beast inadvertently, the outccould be catastrophic.

Marcia swallowed nervously and tightened her grip around her sword.

With caution, she advanced toward the motionless Predator. At that moment, the Predator lay naked, completely still except for its heaving chest as it breathed heavily.

"Go to hell!" Gritting her teeth, Marcia stabbed Predator's chest.

Before retrieving the head, she had to kill this potential threat to ensure everything went smoothly.