An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

Outside the tavern, the martial arts experts led by Luke lay sprawled on the ground. Many were either dead or wounded.

Amidst the aftermath, only Abigail stood unscathed.

The effectiveness of the Phantom Blooms had surpassed her expectations. She even contemplated further trades with the Dawson Clan for additional hidden weapons.

After all, traded weapons often held unexpected surprises.

Luke, sprawling on the ground, struggled to speak. "Troublemaker! You... you're despicable!"

His resilience was remarkable despite being pierced by countless poisoned needles.

"You're still alive?" Abigail raised an eyebrow and was surprised that he survived.

He was just three feet away when the Phantom Blooms unleashed its barrage of poisoned needles. At that range, he should have been gravely injured.

For anyone else, it would have likely been a fatal blow. Yet, despite his severe injuries and immobility, Luke displayed astonishing resilience.

"Without your cowardly ambush with hidden weapons, would you even stand a chance against me?" His tone dripped with bitterness and defiance.

"Even on death's doorstep, your defiance remains. I can't help but wonder what thoughts swirl in your stubborn head." Abigail approached and looked at him condescendingly.

She added coldly, "In the past, you would have met your end by now. But today, I'm feeling generous. I'll offer you a chance. Kneel before me, beg for mercy, and perhaps I'll consider sparing your pathetic

life. What do you say?"

Luke spat in response, and the glob landed on her clothes. "Whether you aim to kill or maim, it's your call. But if I hesitate today, they won't see me as their hero anymore!"

Abigail glanced at the spittle staining her clothes. She frowned briefly before regaining her composure. "If death is what you seek, then I'll grant it."

With a flick of her wrist, a long sword on the ground shot up into the air and landed neatly in her hand. Then, she swung it and sliced him cleanly in two across his midsection.

"Listen up, troublemaker! Even in the afterlife, you won't escape my wrath!" Luke's final words were drowned out as he gasped his last breath.

He died with his eyes wide open and his face frozen in a grimace of rage.

Abigail dropped the sword and turned toward the survivors. Before she could speak, they fell to their knees and begged for mercy. novelbin

"Please, Grand Sorceress, have mercy!"

"We were just doing it for the money. We have no vendetta against the Mystic Arts Order. Please, Grand Sorceress, spare us! We'll never cause trouble again!"

Several survivors' bodies were battered, and their movements were sluggish from the poisoned needles.

With no strength left to resist, their only chance of survival was to beg for mercy. Otherwise, they could risk facing the same fate as Luke.

"You're not completely clueless." Abigail nodded in satisfaction. "Now get lost, and don't let me catch you again."

"Okay! We'll leave now!" They scrambled to their feet and bolted away.

Just when they thought they had cheated death, they felt a sudden wind swept over them.

Several people saw a mysterious figure clad in white soaring overhead. With a backflip, the figure landed squarely in their path.

Upon closer inspection, they were shocked that the figure in white blocking their path was the guardian of the Mystic Arts Order.

"How dare you attack the Grand Sorceress? Go to hell!" After the outburst, the guardian in white struck down with a powerful palm.

With a roar, the guardian's internal energy morphed into a dark phantom, which pounced ferociously toward the group with its teeth and claws bared.

"W-Wait! The Grand Sorceress has promised to spare us—"

Before they could finish explaining, the dark phantom lunged forward and tore them apart with a single ferocious swipe. Limbs were torn asunder, scattering across the ground in a gruesome display.

The Mystic Arts Order's guardian wielded the might of a grandmaster, rendering the entry-level divine martial artists utterly helpless in the face of his powerful strike.

"Grand Sorceress, the pests have been dealt with." After taking care of the few remaining individuals, he immediately approached Abigail and bowed respectfully.

"Good job." She nodded approvingly. "Make sure this place gets cleaned up pronto. I don't want anything ruining my appetite."

"Yes, Grand Sorceress," the guardian replied with a nod.

Abigail dusted off her clothes. With a subtle sense of awareness, she lifted her head to glance at Ruby and the others on the second floor with a slight smile.

However, to Ruby, that smile seemed unsettling.

After returning to the second floor, Abigail acted as if nothing had happened and maintained her cheerful demeanor.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. The issue has been dealt with. Let's get back to drinking." She poured herself a glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.

The others exchanged glances and raised their glasses in response. But Ruby stood there and stared at Abigail with mixed emotions.

"Ruby, what's with the look? Do you have something on your mind?" Abigail asked with a smile.

"Ms. Robinson, those people were already incapacitated and pleading for mercy. Why did you feel the need to be so ruthless?" Ruby frowned.

She found Abigail's brutality distasteful. Even her tone had turned noticeably colder toward Abigail.

"What's the matter? Do you think I went too far?" Abigail smiled faintly.

"Yes!" Ruby didn't hold back. "You had already won. Why did you kill them?"

"Have you considered what would have happened if I hadn't been strong enough? I was outnumbered today. What fate would have awaited me if I hadn't fought back?" Abigail countered.

"I—" Ruby was at a loss for words.

Luke sought vengeance for his father. If he had defeated Abigail, he would have surely killed her.

"Looks like you've got your answer." Abigail smiled faintly.

She continued, "Today, they were the ones trying to kill me. I was merely defending myself. What's wrong with that?

"Besides, do you truly believe they are righteous individuals? They're just mercenaries committing heinous acts like arson, murder, and robbery. Letting them live would only invite trouble.

"Killing them is actually doing society a favor, don't you agree?"