An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

Moments later, the once-turbulent sea finally calmed.

All that remained was a dense cloud of steam. Like a giant beast, it slowly drifted across the water, as if telling the tale of the heart-pounding battle that had just taken place.

Dustin stood on the surface of the sea with the Celestial Blade in hand. His face was grim as he looked ahead. His clothes were torn, and his body was covered in cuts and bruises. Blood streamed from his wounds and dyed the water beneath him red..

Suddenly, a headless corpse floated to the surface. Covered in blue scales, it had torn, ragged wings on its back. The body was riddled with gaping wounds as the dark blue blood seeping from it dissipated into the water.

The body belonged to Poseidon.

"H-He's dead? How is that possible?" Looking at the headless corpse floating on the sea, Warrick and the others couldn't help but stare in shock.

They never imagined Dustin could slay one of the world's mightiest royal gods with a single blow. If they hadn't witnessed it, they would never have believed it.

"He's an ultimate grandmaster who's only in his 20s. And yet, he slain Poseidon, the royal god. What kind of monster is this kid? 11 Warrick and the others were trembling with fear. An indescribable terror clouded their minds to the point where they found it hard to breathe, as if an invisible hand was choking them.

When Poseidon first appeared, Warrick was thrilled and thought they were saved. But after the fierce battle, Dustin had beheaded Poseidon with just one strike.

That strike hadn't just severed Poseidon's head, but it had also shattered Warrick's last hope of survival. "Phew... It's finally over." Dustin let out a long breath.

His mystical pure energy was nearly spent, and he was on the brink of complete exhaustion.

He had to admit Poseidon's strength was terrifying. Even after giving it everything he had, Dustin only managed to win by a single strike. If that blow hadn't severed Poseidon's head and cut off his life force, he would've been the one to fall.

From what he knew, Poseidon wasn't even the strongest of the four royal gods. That honor belonged to Zeus. If Dustin had faced Zeus today, he wouldn't have bet on himself.

"Hurry up and surround the area. Don't let anyone escape." Suddenly, shouts erupted from behind them.

Dustin turned and saw Austin leading thousands of armies from West Lucozia toward the dock.

The battle with Poseidon had been impossible to miss. The shockwaves alone must have been felt for miles. As soon as Austin received the news, he mobilized his forces and rushed over.

Fortunately, Poseidon-the toughest opponent-had already been dealt with. As for the rest, they were severely injured and not a threat.

Dustin dragged his exhausted body from the sea and slumped onto the dock. He lay there without any concern for how it looked because he was simply too exhausted to care.

"Dustin, are you okay? Is everything alright?" Austin asked worriedly.

He led a team of Draken Guardians and rushed to Dustin's side. He had never imagined that capturing Warrick would lead to his brother getting injured.

"It's nothing-just sminor cuts. I'll be fine after a few days of rest," Dustin replied, shaking his head. "Here, take this Haemotrol. It'll help with your recovery," Austin said as he promptly pulled out a pill and handed it to him.

Dustin didn't hesitate to swallow it. The pill dissolved as soon as it hit his throat and released a warm sensation that spread throughout his body. It slowly restored sof the energy he had just burned through.

"What happened earlier? Who was that mysterious expert who appeared out of nowhere?" Austin asked gravely. He had seen Dustin battling a peerless powerhouse on the sea from a distance, and he was certain that person wasn't Warrick.

"It was Poseidon," Dustin replied. "The royal god from the Hall of Gods." "What? Poseidon, the royal god? He's here in West Lucozia?" Austin frowned.

The royal gods of the Hall of Gods rarely intervene unless absolutely necessary.

Austin never expected they would send Poseidon to assist Warrick. Now it made sense why Dustin had been struggling so much.

"He's dead now, but his body still has research value. Bring it back quickly," Dustin said as he glanced at the huge body still floating on the sea.

Austin turned to his men and ordered," General Steele, retrieve the body." "Yes, sir," Jaxon responded before diving into the water.

He swam to the distant spot toward Poseidon's headless body with remarkable speed. He gripped it firmly and quickly made his way back to the dock.

Poseidon's headless body was thrown to the ground with a heavy ΟΙ thud. The once-glimmering blue seales now appeared dull and lifeless. It took on an almost greyish hue. "Hmm?" Dustin scanned the body and sensed that something wasn't right.

Normally, even a grandmaster's body would retain a flicker of life-forcen after death one that lingered briefly before fading away. However, Poseidon's body showed no sign of life. It was as if all his life force had been drained.

"General Steele, where's his head?" Dustin asked.

"I didn't see it. It's probably sunk to the bottom of the sea," Jaxon replied as he shook his head.

"Gather a team and retrieve the head immediately," Dustin ordered.

"Yes, sir," Jaxon replied with a nod. He promptly rallied the soldiers and a ship crew to scour the area around the battle site.

"Dustin, do you think something's off about Poseidon's death?" Austin asked, suspicion creeping in.

If Poseidon's death had been ordinary, Dustin wouldn't have called for such a search.

"I can't say for sure. I hope I'm just overthinking it," Dustin replied as he looked into the distance.

Typically, a grandmaster would be confirmed dead if their head was severed.

However, royal gods had abilities that were unknown to most. Until 'om Poseidon's head was recovered, Dustin couldn't be sure he was truly dead.