An Understated Dominance - Chapter 311

“Beat me?” Luther laughed loudly, clearly amused by the idea. His laughter was contagious, and soon the other Boulderthorn disciples joined in, mocking Dustin and Maximus like they were foolish. Even though Maximus was a strong mentor for many, he was no match for Luther.

“Oh, you little jerk. Do you even know what you’re saying?” Luther frowned and challenged them. “I taught that traitor everything he knows. Even at his best, he couldn’t beat me! Are you really asking him to fight me now, when he’s weak and has lost all his power? Does he even have the guts to try?”

“Right! A loser like him doesn’t deserve to fight my dad!” shouted Oliver, Brody, and the other disciples in agreement.

But Dustin stood firm and replied, “We’ll see after the battle. The real question is—are you brave enough to take on the challenge?”

“I’m not scared of anything,” Luther sneered. “If that little traitor wants to dance with death, I’ll kick him out of my guild today!”

With that, he strode confidently toward the stone platform, ready to make a show of things before the actual battle began.

“Dustin, he taught me everything. I can’t defeat him,” Maximus said seriously.

Dustin smiled gently and reassured him, “Don’t worry. If I say you can, then you can. Didn’t he keep the three special moves a secret from you? I’ll teach you those moves and give you some extra tricks.”

“Do you know the Illusory Sword Technique too?” Maximus asked, surprised.

“Just a little. So, are you ready to learn?” Dustin replied with another smile. He had studied many forms of martial arts since he was young and was especially skilled in sword fighting. The Illusory Sword Technique was a variation of a core technique, and with just one look, he could…

Maximus could see the flaws in the moves.

“Yes!” he nodded seriously. The only way to conquer his inner struggles was to defeat Luther Williams, just as Dustin had suggested.

“Cool. I’ll teach you now.” Dustin snapped a branch from a nearby tree and began his instructions. Maximus watched closely, making sure he didn’t miss a single detail.

“Hahaha! Dustin Rhys, are you serious? That’s some last-minute preparation. Do you really think it’s going to work?” Brody teased.

Oliver added, “Yeah! Do you believe that teaching him a few sloppy moves will save him from losing? You’re dreaming!”

Dustin ignored their taunts and taught Maximus a total of six moves. The first three moves were the ones Luther had kept hidden from Maximus, and the last three were the key to countering those moves.

At first glance, the moves seemed simple, but they were tricky to learn. The practitioner needed to master the technique and build a strong foundation. Just copying the moves wouldn’t be enough in a real fight. Luckily, Maximus was a quick learner. After practicing three times, he grasped the essence of the moves.

“Got it?” Dustin asked, pausing.

“Yes. I think so,” Maximus replied with a confident nod.

“That’s good enough. You just need to use these moves correctly to beat him,” Dustin said with a smile. Maximus was almost on par with Luther, and his previous defeat was only because Luther had taught him the wrong moves. Now that he had learned the complete techniques and some extra tricks, he was ready to face Luther on his own.

“Hey! Why are you taking so long? Come up now!” Luther called out to Maximus, urging him to join him.

“Go on. Let it all out, and don’t hold back,” Dustin said, giving Maximus a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“Thanks, Dustin!” Maximus replied, bowing slightly. He then walked confidently into the ring, his sword strapped to his back.