An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

After lunch, Dustin received an unexpected call from Grace. She had something important to discuss,

and they were to meet at the old house in the western city.

Dustin had acquired this particular residence specifically for the training of undercover agents. These

women, once victims of Russo’s abuses, willingly joined the West Lucozia undercover agent camp.

They were prepared to sacrifice their lives to make sure no one else would go through the same

experiences they did. Dustin admired their sense of justice and honored their wishes.

Under Rodrigo’s training, these women had been inducted as official agents. However, they still

required at least three years of further development before they could take on missions.

Dustin fervently hoped that he would never have to deploy them as it would signify peace in the region.

Undercover agents were only deployed in the face of potential threats and only had a 10% survival

rate.

Half an hour later, Dustin arrived at the old house in the western city and entered the meeting room

where Grace had long been waiting.

Grace wore a green dress that day, her beautiful face still concealed by a veil. Even with her features

hidden, her alluring figure exuded undeniable charm, sparking the imagination of those around her.

“You’re here. Have a seat,” Grace said, pouring Dustin a cup of tea.

“What is it that you need to discuss, Your Highness?” Dustin said as he took a seat.

“Why do you sometimes address me that way? Aren’t we considered close now?” Grace smirked.

“How should I address you then? Ms. Linsor? Princess Grace?” Dustin was puzzled.

“Come on! Haven’t you been calling me Grace all this time?” Grace rolled her eyes.

“I was just worried that you might not like it. Fine, Grace, then.” Dustin shrugged.

Dustin guessed they could address each other more familiarly since they’d had life-and-death

experiences together.

“Hmph! Why does it seem like you don’t like it?” Grace narrowed her beautiful eyes.

“What do you mean? Of course, I’m delighted. It’s my honor to be friends with the Princess of

Dragonmarsh.”

Dustin gave her a professionally courteous smile.

“Hmph! I don’t feel the sincerity!”

Grace grumbled but didn’t dwell on it too much. Instead, she immediately revealed the reason for their

meeting, ” I invited you here today mainly to discuss our next steps.

“West Lucozia has now been stabilized, and the remnants of the Dragon Guard have been wiped out.

According to our previous agreement, it’s time for you to help me search for the Dracan essences.

“Don’t worry, I will fulfill my promise. As soon as there is information on the Dracan essences, I’ll leave

with you immediately to investigate,” Dustin replied earnestly.

He had a rough idea of her intentions the moment she called. However, with no information or leads on

the whereabouts of the Dracan essences, he couldn’t just roam around aimlessly like a headless

chicken.

“Great. I’m relieved at your assurance, “Grace responded.

She wore a satisfied smile. “To be honest, my men have been searching for the Dracan essences, and

they finally found a lead two days ago.”

“Oh?” Dustin raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Do you mean they’ve found one of the Dracan essences?”

“I wouldn’t say definitively that they’ve found it. I can only say that there’s a high probability that they’ve

found it.” Grace shook her head.

“What do you mean?” Dustin was puzzled.

“According to their findings, there’s an unusual phenomenon near the southwest borders. An oasis has

emerged in what was once a desolate desert, and the most remarkable part is its rapid expansion.

“I suspect that a Dracan essence might be concealed within the oasis, and we’ll need to investigate

closer to confirm,” Grace explained.

“An oasis forming in the middle of the desert? That’s indeed unusual.”

Dustin stroked his chin and asked, “Did your men discover anything else?”

“No.”

Grace’s tone turned somber, “The oasis seems like a different realm. Once my men entered, they

either vanished completely or lost all communication.

“So far, I’ve dispatched three groups, but every one of them vanished without a trace.”

“It’s that serious?” Dustin was taken aback. “Doesn’t that mean the oasis is an extremely dangerous

place?”

The three groups of scouts have likely met an unfortunate end. It suggested that what appeared to be

an oasis was, in reality, a treacherous abyss.

“Why would I need your help if it weren’t dangerous?” Grace said matter of factly.

“Well, uh…” Dustin’s mouth twitched, momentarily at a loss for words.

“As a formidable martial artist ranked 10th on the Astonishing World List, with the exception of a few

dangerous locations, there are hardly any challenges in the entire world that pose a threat to you.

“So, you won’t need to worry about your safety,” Grace said with a smile.

“Hardly doesn’t mean none,” Dustin muttered. The world was vast and full of surprises. What does it

matter if he was ranked 10th on the Astonishing World List?

Even Reagan Judd, who was ranked 5th, died by the Deicide Venom. Anything could happen.

“Logan, are you scared?” Grace asked.

“What a joke! How can a grown man like me be scared? Be it an oasis or a lion’s den, I’ll go with you!”

Dustin declared boldly. He couldn’t back down now after what he said earlier.

“Great! It’s a deal, then!” Grace said with a smile.

“When do we set out?”

“We have no time to delay. We leave tonight.”

“That soon? Shouldn’t we make preparations?” Dustin was taken aback.

“I’ve already prepared everything we need. Various forces are already eyeing the oasis, thinking there’s

treasure inside. We must be quick. It’ll be bad if someone gets there before us.” Grace’s tone was

somber.

“Alright, we’ll proceed as you’ve suggested. I’ll return to inform everyone and start packing as well.

Tonight, we’ll head to the deserts in the southwest!”