An Understated Dominance (Maria Vittori) novel Chapter 1934

Night quickly descended over Dusthaven Village as an increasing number of factions gathered. Among them were reputable sects, dark factions, renowned martial arts grandmasters, and infamous villains.

Despite their divergent identities and viewpoints, they all shared a common objective-venture into the oasis in pursuit of treasures.

As the village crowded with people, tensions flared and conflicts rose. Members of dark factions engaged in acts of murder and theft, while those from reputable sects exploited the pretext of combating evil to eliminate rival contenders.

After nightfall, a gruesome scene unfolded silently within the village. Several people had met their demise even before embarking on their quest for treasures.

Meanwhile, inside an inn near the village entrance, Dustin, Grace, Jackson, Aidan, Garrett, and a few others carefully examined the map Ryan had drawn.

Given its somewhat sloppy nature, they had to study it closely to understand it. It was also mainly because Ryan had sketched the map solely from memory, and not everything was entirely accurate.

“What in the world is this map? I can’t make heads or tails of it!” Jackson scratched his head in frustration.

“Don’t count on me for anything that requires using my brain. I’m only responsible for fighting.”

Aidan hated complicated stuff. He sat to one side and casually drank his beer.

“Assuming Dusthaven Village is the starting point of the map, it will take us at least a day to reach the oasis. Along the way, we’ll encounter two dangerous zones.”

She pointed to the hastily drawn map, explaining while she studied it, “Here is the quicksand area. We must proceed with caution since getting stuck could lead to suffocation.

“The environment is even worse since ground temperatures could exceed 160 degrees. If luck isn’t on our side, we might even run into a sandstorm.”

“No way! You can actually decipher this map?” Jackson exclaimed in amazement.

“Before arriving here, I had studied the topography of the Deadlands. Combining that knowledge with Ryan’s map, I can roughly deduce the oasis’ location,” Grace replied.

“I have to admit, women tend to be more meticulous than us clueless men, “Jackson said, sincerely praising Grace.