An Understated Dominance - Chapter 114

After both sides reached an agreement, the mood quickly turned tense. Dustin and Mr. Wangley had their teams buy some medicine for them.

They planned to mix poisons right there and drink them at the same time. The outcome would depend solely on their skills.

“Do you think Dustin is going to be okay, Sis? What if he gets poisoned?” Ruth asked nervously.

“Well, since he agreed to it, he must be confident he can win. Trust him,” Natasha replied, trying to sound calm. Inside, however, she felt anxious. If she could, she would prefer that Dustin just back down.

“You can say that, but Dustin only knows about medicine. He can’t possibly compete with Mr. Wangley, who is an expert in poisons,” Ruth said, shaking her head.

Medicine has many specializations, and each one is very different. How could an amateur match up against a professional? While the sisters worried, Jessica watched from the side, feeling embarrassed for Dustin.

She couldn’t decide if he was being brave or foolish for agreeing to compete with a poison expert. Still, she found it somewhat amusing that things had escalated to this point.

If Dustin lost, he might end up seriously hurt, which would mean she wouldn’t have to worry so much about her daughter’s future marriage.

“I suggest you drop out of the competition, Mr. Boy Toy. If the poison hits you, you might not get a chance to regret it!” Quentin warned.

“To be honest, I have to give you credit for your…

of the poison?!” Quentin thought, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“Bravery? Or just foolishness?” Dustin shrugged off the concern. “Trust me, I’ve got this.”

Quentin’s laughter faded as he watched Dustin, unsure if he should be impressed or worried.

Just then, the subordinates they had sent to buy medicine rushed in, bags in hand.

Mr. Wangley wasted no time and started mixing his poison quickly, his hands a blur.

In contrast, Dustin moved at a leisurely pace, taking his time.

After a while, Mr. Wangley finished his work, revealing a bottle filled with thick, black liquid. A faint, unpleasant smell of dead fish wafted from it.

“I’m done, Mr. Boy Toy. Ready to drink?” Quentin teased, placing the bottle on the table and staring defiantly at Dustin.

Anyone could tell that the potion was extremely toxic. Drinking it was a serious risk!

“Let’s just forget about this, Dustin. Anyone who drinks that will die!” Ruth pleaded, clearly worried.

Natasha next to her clenched her fists in concern.

“It’s just poison. No big deal,” Dustin said with a grin, picking up the bottle and downing it in one gulp.

His quick yet confident action left Quentin speechless.

“Is he really not scared?” Quentin wondered, eyes wide.

Dustin wondered to himself, “What does this mean for me?”

Natasha quickly asked, “How are you feeling?”

Dustin replied, “My mouth has a bitter aftertaste, but overall, the taste is fine.”

Natasha was taken aback by his answer, and she felt her lips twitch with surprise. “Did you think I was asking about the taste?” she thought incredulously.

Mr. Wangley chuckled and said, “You don’t have to pretend if it’s too much for you. Just bow down to Mr. Harmon and admit your mistakes if you want me to help you.”

Dustin smacked his lips and said, “Your poison is only mildly toxic at best.”

He continued, “What you made is the Devil’s Elixir, right? It’s a good choice, but you used the wrong ingredients. You should have added aconite instead of epiphyllum. They have similar properties, but the differences can make a poison much stronger.”

Mr. Wangley gasped in shock, “How did you know? Did you see me while I was mixing it?”

Dustin replied, “I didn’t need to see. I could smell it in the air.”

He went on, “You used five ingredients: strychnine, Zeus’ Vine, oranges, phyllanthus, and a bit of Devil’s grass. It’s a pity you were so close to making the perfect poison.”

As Dustin finished speaking, Mr. Wangley shuddered. It was amazing to him that this young man could name every single ingredient.

Dustin had just finished creating his poison.

Quentin felt uneasy, wondering why Mr. Wangley hadn’t reacted yet. “What’s going on?” he thought, worried.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Harmon,” Mr. Wangley assured him. “He’s just pretending to be brave. Without an antidote, he’ll be dead soon!” Mr. Wangley said confidently, shaking off his initial shock.

Even if Dustin found a way to make a cure, it wouldn’t completely remove the poison from his body. This was because Mr. Wangley had added something extra to it.

Quentin felt a wave of relief.

“I’m done making my poison,” Dustin announced, holding up a bottle filled with a yellow liquid.

Steam rose from the foul-smelling, hot liquid, and it looked terrible.

“What on earth is that? It smells awful!” Quentin exclaimed, scrunching his nose and covering it with his hands.

“It may stink, but I promise it tastes good. Go ahead and try it,” Dustin said nonchalantly, pushing the bottle toward them.

“Are you really going to back out now, great Quentin Harmon?” Natasha urged him.

Quentin stayed silent, glancing at Mr. Wangley, who seemed just as unsure.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Harmon. I saw every ingredient he used, so even if you drink the poison, I can handle it,” Mr. Wangley reassured him.

“An antidote for you in under three minutes!” Mr. Wangley said confidently.

“Sounds great. Here we go!” Quentin replied, feeling brave. He picked up the bottle, pinched his nose, and drank it all in one go.

“Eugh!” Quentin gagged as the bitter liquid went down. It felt like it wanted to come back up. The taste was terrible—bitter, rancid, and just plain disgusting. It was as if he had consumed something truly awful.

“Uh uh, it won’t count if you spit it out!” Dustin reminded him.

Quentin gritted his teeth, his face flushed. He had no choice but to swallow it all. It would be a waste to spit it out after making such an effort to drink it.

“What did you put in that? It stinks!” Quentin asked, still tasting the awful liquid.

“Oh, nothing much. Just some golden juice,” Dustin replied casually.

Mr. Wangley’s face showed shock at that moment. Even Jessica, who had been sitting quietly, raised an eyebrow.

“Golden juice? What the heck is that?” Quentin asked, feeling more uneasy.

“Golden juice, or golden liquid, or fecal fluid—basically, it just means human waste,” Dustin explained with a slight grin.