An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2601

Chapter 2601

After hearing the bandaged old man’s plan, the Bone Elder let out a low, eerie chuckle. A thin layer of scarlet ice crystals began to form on his newly sprouted bone spurs.

“Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.”

A sharp gleam flickered in the Bone Elder’s hollow eye sockets. With a wave of his hand, he produced a white bone token and tossed it to the bandaged old man.
“Send word to Blood Hand, Poison Heart, and Bone Face. Tell them to act immediately—spread the word that this is all the work of a powerful land immortal. Make sure everyone believes it.”

“Yes!” the bandaged old man answered, catching the token and vanishing silently into the shadows.

…

Thanks to Logan’s intervention, the red mist that had terrorized countless people was finally wiped out.

For the time being, the southern frontier stabilized. The First Prince no longer considered abandoning the city. Instead, he focused on controlling the plague and calming the public.

No one was willing to give up while there was still a glimmer of hope.

That single difference in choice caused the situation in each city to shift drastically once the red mist disappeared.

Tristan’s Wugang City was the most stable. Although there had been a short period of chaos, Tristan had acted quickly, regaining control of the city.

Plus, with the preventive medicine that Grace had sent, the plague wasn’t spreading rapidly. Various forces stepped in to cooperate, determined to save the city together.

The situation in Matthias’s Linche, however, wasn’t as good.

Before deciding to stay, Matthias had executed a large number of corrupt officials. This won over the people and let him vent his rage.

But without those officials maintaining order, the city remained in a state of disarray.

Even with the red mist gone, it would take more than a couple of days to bring the plague under control and stabilize Linche again.

Nathaniel, once holding the upper hand, was now in the worst position of all.

At least Matthias had cracked down on corruption, giving the public a target for their anger and scoring some goodwill.

Nathaniel, on the other hand, had done almost nothing before the mist was cleared—except loot and exploit.

He’d not only broken promises, he’d turned on the very people he’d tried to win over.

While preaching hope and asking for unity, he had secretly targeted the city’s wealthy and powerful—bleeding them dry with threats and blackmail.

If Liyanche City had been destroyed, no one would have questioned him. It would’ve all been buried in the ruins.

But Liyanche survived.

Now, his betrayal enraged every elite in the city.

So when Nathaniel tried to regain control—asking them to help fight the plague and restore order—those dignitaries simply walked away.

Worse, they started quietly sabotaging his efforts from the shadows.

As a result, the situation in Liyanche spiraled out of control—even worse than Linche.

But Nathaniel had no one to blame but himself.

He was seething with anger—but had no choice but to swallow it.

The three princes had made different decisions. Now, they were facing very different consequences.

…

The night fell like a heavy black curtain over Liyanche City.

On the outskirts, in a remote cemetery, a strange rustling echoed from the graves.

A dry, blackened hand suddenly broke through the earth.

Its long nails were cracked and yellow, its skin shriveled like bark—but it moved with terrifying strength.

With a few violent swipes, it dug out a large hole.

A zombie emerged, its clothes in tatters, its face sunken and pale.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

In just minutes, seven zombies had clawed their way from the graves. A foul, rotting stench filled the air around them.

The first zombie to rise wore a jade pendant around its neck. Under the moonlight, the pendant gleamed with an eerie glow.

The creature let out a low, hoarse roar, then leapt forward with stiff, jerky limbs—leading the others toward the heart of the city.

These zombies could jump over ten meters in a single bound.

They weren’t just agile—they were strong, and their bodies were hard as iron.

Wherever they landed, flowers withered, grass turned black, and trees rotted from the deathly aura clinging to their skin.

…

Meanwhile, along a road near the city’s edge—

With the city still under lockdown, there were few travelers. A handful of soldier patrols were stationed at key checkpoints to stop anyone from fleeing and spreading the plague.

“I heard the red mist’s gone now. Some incredibly powerful figure took care of it. Finally, we can breathe easy.”

“Yeah. At least we don’t have to worry about Liyanche being wiped off the map. As for the plague… guess we’re just waiting for the higher-ups to make a cure.”

“With all this going on, just surviving is a miracle in itself.”

…

At a quiet intersection, a group of soldiers chatted around a checkpoint.

Things had been calmer since the red mist vanished. Fewer people were trying to break through the blockade. For once, they could relax.

Suddenly—

“Wait—what’s that?!”

One soldier pointed toward the shadows ahead.

The others turned to look—eyes widening.

In the distance, several figures were moving quickly—jumping toward them.

Their eyes glowed green in the dark, casting a ghostly light.

And their movements…

Were anything but human.