An Understated Dominance Novel (Dahlia & Dustin) by Marina Vittori updated 2025-26 - An Understated Dominance Chapter 2647

Chapter 2647

Matthias’s pupils narrowed. His right hand slid to the hilt of his sword, true energy surging through his body as even his breath grew shallow and controlled.

Kyle and the soldiers fell into formation, blades flashing with a cold gleam beneath the moonlight.

The bitter wind from the secret passage carried sharp snowflakes that stung their faces, but no one dared flinch.

Batu stood tall, clear-eyed, showing no trace of drunkenness. The warriors behind him wore solemn expressions, ice crystal spears angled at the ground. It was obvious—they had been waiting.

“Nikolai, how dare you betray the tribe!” one warrior roared in the tribal tongue.

Nikolai’s face blanched, and he instinctively stepped back.

He knew well the strength of these snowman elites—each one a master-level warrior. If it came to a fight, the outcome would be disastrous.

Matthias kept his gaze fixed on Batu, his mind already sketching escape routes should things turn violent.

But then Batu raised his hand, halting the restless warriors behind him.

To their shock, he stepped forward. In his rough palm lay a package wrapped in animal skin, which he pressed into Nikolai’s arms.

His amber eyes held no anger, only a reluctant warmth. In halting Chinese, he said slowly, “Mr. Nikolai… you should go home.”

Matthias blinked, momentarily loosening his grip on the sword.

Nikolai froze, disbelief written all over his face. He had expected to be dragged back, not… released.

When he didn’t take the package, Batu shoved it firmly into his arms, then pointed toward the depths of the ice field, uttering low syllables in his native tongue.

The words carried weight, heavy with feeling.

Nikolai suddenly understood, answering back quickly in the same language, his voice thick with gratitude.

Batu patted his shoulder, then removed the string of ice beads strung with animal bones from around his own neck. With solemn care, he placed it on Nikolai.

The beads clinked softly, each crisp sound cutting through the silence of the ice field.

Nikolai’s eyes trembled as he touched them. Batu had always treasured this necklace—yet now, he was giving it away.

Batu grinned faintly, gesturing to the package, then pointing into the distance as if to say: What’s inside will help you survive the road ahead.

That direction was the shortcut off Fairyharbor Island.

Years ago, when Nikolai had been stranded on the island, he had saved Batu from ice beasts and taught the tribe to craft stronger weapons and brew cold-resisting herbs. Batu had long regarded him as a mentor.

During the years of enforced captivity, the High Priest had feared losing Nikolai’s guidance, but Batu had always known the man longed to return to the Central Plains. Quietly, he had kept watch for the chance.

Nikolai bowed deeply, his voice trembling with thanks in the tribal tongue.

Batu waved it away, pointing toward the sky—urging them to leave before it was too late.

Nikolai hesitated, then turned. “Let’s go!”

Matthias had many questions, but this was not the moment. He followed Nikolai without a word, leading the soldiers toward the path Batu had shown.

Behind them, Batu and his warriors stood silently beneath the moon, their shadows stretching long across the ice. Only when Matthias’s group vanished from sight did Batu turn back with his men.

The wind grew harsher, snowflakes whipping into their faces like shards of glass.

The soldiers pulled their cloaks tighter, trudging step by step through the snow, each footfall sinking deep and dragging heavy. The crunch of boots echoed faintly in the endless white.

Kyle’s wounds burned with each movement, cold sweat soaking his back, but he pressed on, teeth clenched. Every so often, he turned to make sure no soldier had fallen behind.

At last, the horizon paled. They had put distance between themselves and the valley.

Matthias raised a hand. “Rest.”

The soldiers sank into the snow, pulling out dry rations to eat.

But the relief didn’t last.

The sky dimmed suddenly. The scattered flakes thickened in an instant, and a roar of wind swept across the plain, stirring the snow into wild white whirlwinds.

Nikolai’s face changed. “No! A blizzard—find shelter, quickly!”

The soldiers scrambled to their feet, searching desperately, but the storm swallowed the land too fast. Within moments, the world turned white, visibility shrinking to less than ten feet.

The wind howled like a beast, hurling snowballs through the air, battering them as though to tear them apart.

One soldier staggered, dragged down by the gale, and hit the ice. Snow piled over him at once, burying him until only his leg showed—and then even that disappeared.

“Hold on to the person next to you! Don’t get swept away!” Matthias shouted, grabbing the arm of a soldier beside him. He forced his true energy outward, bracing against the storm.

Kyle anchored himself to two men, pressing his back to a jagged rock of ice, trying to shield them from the blast.

But the blizzard’s fury was overwhelming. Two more soldiers were wrenched off their feet, vanishing into the endless white.