An Understated Dominance - Chapter 2562

“Your Highness, what should we do now?” Neville asked solemnly. “Should we tell the Hall of Gods where Logan is?”

The Hall of Gods was a formidable force—but so was Logan, especially with West Lucozia backing him. If tipping Zeus off led to Logan getting hurt, the monarchy wouldn’t take it lightly.

Matthias scowled. “That bastard Nathaniel really screwed me over.”

He finally realized Nathaniel hadn’t just passed the problem on—he’d laid a trap.

Unable to clean up the mess himself, Nathaniel had weaponized the Hall of Gods to do his dirty work and chip away at Matthias’ standing. Two birds with one stone.

Matthias seethed, but there was no easy way out. Either he crossed the Hall of Gods or made an enemy of Logan.

Then it hit him. This had nothing to do with him in the first place. It was Logan’s feud with the Hall of Gods—not his. If they tore each other apart, so be it. Matthias just wanted to stay alive, and that was a trade he could live with.

With that thought, his hesitation vanished.

“Go inside and tell Zeus exactly where Logan is,” Matthias ordered. “And tell him to get the hell out.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Neville replied.

He rushed off without delay. Even though he hated it, he swallowed his pride—for the greater good, and for Matthias.

“Let’s hope nothing else goes wrong,” Matthias muttered.

He stood there, frowning, still stewing over everything. Sending Neville wasn’t just about passing along a message—it was also about covering his own back.

If Zeus killed Logan and the West Lucozian monarchy sought revenge, Matthias already had someone lined up to blame. Neville might not be the perfect scapegoat, but it would at least make it seem like Matthias had acted in good faith.

A few minutes later, Neville returned with a hardened look.

“Well? Did Zeus buy it?” Matthias asked.

“He only believes part of it,” Neville admitted. “He’s heading to Embercrest Hill himself. If he finds out we lied, he said he’d bring the full might of the Hall of Gods down on this estate. He’ll make sure you pay for it.”

“Are you certain your intel is accurate?”

“Absolutely. No doubt about it.”

“Good. Let them fight it out. However it ends, it’s not our problem.” Matthias exhaled, relieved.

This was the best outcome he could’ve hoped for. Whatever came next, he’d deal with it then.

“Mr. Galen, open a path in the formation. Let the Hall of Gods’ people leave,” Matthias shouted toward the sky.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Galen said little. He formed a hand seal, and a gap opened at the top of the Five Sanguine Elemental Seals.

As soon as it appeared, two figures shot into the sky and vanished beyond the horizon.

Inside a natural cave on Embercrest Hill, Dustin floated midair with his eyes closed.

Five glowing orbs spun slowly around him, each radiating a strange light. Within every orb, a dragon-shaped stream of energy swirled endlessly. With each movement, a small amount of pure spiritual energy was released and absorbed into his body.

Dustin focused intently, carefully channeling the Dracan essence just as Grace had taught him. But the process was painfully slow. Even with his natural talent, he couldn’t absorb all five streams of essence in such a short time.

Grace didn’t disturb him. She sat nearby, fully focused on keeping watch.

This natural cave had a special trait—it could block the flow of energy, making it impossible for anyone outside to detect what was happening within.

In other words, whatever occurred inside remained hidden. That was one of the main reasons Grace had chosen this spot for Dustin to absorb the Dracan essence.

She had also set up defensive formations throughout Embercrest Hill beforehand. She was confident that even an ultimate grandmaster would struggle to break through them quickly.

Before Dustin began the absorption, she had used a secret divination technique from the Regal Observatory.

Success and failure were two sides of the same coin. If he succeeded, Dustin would become a force to be reckoned with. If not, he would die. But at this point, neither of them had a choice.

The crisis had already arrived, and the pressure was mounting. In moments like these, only bold action mattered. Hesitation would cost them everything.

Suddenly, Grace’s badge blinked twice—an alert from her people outside. The flashing signal meant someone was trying to break in.

She glanced at Dustin, still suspended in deep concentration. Not wanting to interrupt him, she walked over to a smooth, mirror-like slab of stone.

Without hesitation, she slammed into it headfirst. Strangely, the moment her body touched the stone, it turned to mist and enveloped her completely.

In the next instant, Grace was no longer inside the cave—she had been transported to the summit of Embercrest Hill.