An Understated Dominance - Chapter 320

It was noon at the Hummer’s clubhouse when Edwin Hummer was hit on the head with a wine bottle. Blood mixed with the spilled merlot, dripping down his body.

“Tatum! This is your fault!” Tatum shouted from the couch, his face twisted in anger. “You said Dustin Rhys was a nobody. How could he be so powerful? Did you lie to me on purpose?”

Tatum had come to avenge Joshua Hummer at Edwin’s request. He thought he could prove his skills, but he ended up losing badly and even had his core destroyed. He had every reason to be furious.

“Sir Thunders, my records show Dustin Rhys didn’t come from a notable background. It wasn’t wrong to call him a nobody. I did warn you about his abilities, but you didn’t take me seriously,” Edwin said quietly, looking down.

“Are you saying it’s my fault I’m weak?” Tatum glared at him. If he weren’t hurt, he would have given Edwin a lesson he wouldn’t forget.

“I just think it’s unwise to publicly challenge someone like Dustin Rhys. You could find other ways to deal with him,” Edwin suggested.

“Oh, so now you’re trying to tell me how to handle things?” Tatum’s expression darkened, his eyes filled with anger.

“Of course not,” Edwin said, lowering his head.

“I don’t have time for this!” Tatum snapped, clearly irritated. “Didn’t you get Substratumis from Dr. Linden Watkins? Give it to me now. I need it for my injuries.”

Substratumis was a special pill designed to heal internal injuries and restore one’s core. It worked best if taken within 24 hours after an injury, making it very valuable.

In Stoneray Valley, only a few special pills were made each year. Different guilds would quickly buy them as soon as they became available. Luckily, Edwin had spent a lot of money on one just in time for Tatum to use it.

“Sir Thunders, I accidentally crushed the pill. I can’t help you. I’m really sorry,” Edwin said, shaking his head in regret.

“You crushed the pill?” Tatum narrowed his eyes and snickered. “Are you serious? Anyone would take care of that pill. How could you mess it up? Your son is gone, so who else would need it? Only me!”

“I’m telling you the truth, Sir Thunders,” Edwin replied seriously.

“Shut up! If you don’t give me the restorative pill today, I’ll break your legs!” Tatum threatened angrily.

Edwin looked at Tatum with cold, bright eyes. “But, Sir Thunders, how do you plan to do that when your core has been destroyed?”

“Hah! I may not have any internal energy left, but taking you down is easy!” Tatum boasted.

“Is that so?” Edwin chuckled darkly and suddenly pulled a gun from behind him, aiming it at Tatum. “Can someone without internal energy defend against bullets?”

“Hmm?” Tatum’s face turned serious. “How dare you point a gun at me! Do you know who I am? Put the gun down and cut your hands in front of me. If you don’t, I’ll…”

Before Tatum could finish, Edwin pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed as the bullet hit Tatum in the forehead, splattering blood on the wall.

Tatum grunted, his body shaking, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He never thought Edwin would actually shoot him, especially at such close range.

Finally, Tatum’s body fell to the ground.

slumped heavily on the floor, his eyes open as he took his last breath.

“Huh?” Fletcher Lawson, who stood nearby, was shocked. “S-Sir Hummer, what have you done? Tatum Thunders is Sir Lincoln’s main disciple. How are we going to explain this to him?” He couldn’t believe Edwin had the nerve to kill Tatum.

“Yeah, I killed him. Why do I need to explain?” Edwin said calmly as he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from his head where Tatum had hit him with a wine bottle.

“If Sir Lincoln finds out, he won’t let this go!” Fletcher was in a panic, imagining the powerful guildmaster of Boulderthorn, who was close to becoming a grandmaster. The thought of him being able to wipe out the entire Hummer Family scared him.

“If we don’t tell anyone, no one will know,” Edwin replied, his voice flat.

“But Tatum died here! How can we hide that?” Fletcher was sweating now.

“Listen, don’t panic. Just remember—none of us saw Tatum Thunders today. He had a sudden death at home after fighting Dustin. We’ll let Boulderthorn figure out who did it, and we won’t know anything about it. Got it?” Edwin tilted his head, his gaze cold.

“Are you suggesting we blame Dustin Rhys?” Fletcher quickly put the pieces together.

“It was Dustin Rhys all along. When did we ever blame him?” Edwin asked.

“Oh, right! It’s all Dustin Rhys’ fault!” Fletcher nodded vigorously. At that moment, he realized how dark Edwin’s intentions were. He had killed a top fighter like Tatum without hesitation. Just thinking about it was chilling.

Meanwhile, at the Boulderthorn branch in Millsburg, Clement Lincoln sat on his throne, his expression darkening as Tatum Thunders’ body was discovered.

Clement, the guildmaster of Boulderthorn, was furious. He had never been disrespected like this before. “Who did this?” he demanded, his eyes wide with anger.

“It was Dustin Rhys!” Luther chimed in, eager to stir things up. “He played dirty during the battle and destroyed Tatum’s core. Soon after, Tatum was assassinated!”

“Dustin Rhys! It’s him again!” Clement shouted, slamming his fists on the table. The force cracked the wood into pieces. First, Joshua Hummer had been lost, and now Tatum, who was not only a beloved disciple but also Clement’s heir. The pain of losing them ignited his rage.

“Sir, Dustin Rhys is sneaky and cruel. He has many tricks. If we don’t deal with him now, he will cause us problems later!” Luther continued to fan the flames.

“Send out my orders! The Royal Valor of Boulderthorn is on the hunt for Dustin Rhys!” Clement declared, his voice filled with grief. “I will do whatever it takes to bring him down!”

“Yes, sir!” his disciples replied, bowing as they accepted his command. The Royal Valor was shaken by the orders, and its top members were called back from all over the world for this mission. At that moment, Dustin Rhys became the most wanted man on the Royal Valor’s list.