An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

"You're overestimating your abilities!" Abigail sneered as she watched Luke and his group charging at her. Without a second thought, she whipped out a fist-sized iron orb and hurled it their way.

The orb belonged to the Dawson Clan's collection of eight hidden weapons, known as the Phantom Blooms. There were 888 poisoned needles packed inside the iron orb. Each needle could penetrate an energy armor. Should any martial artist below the grandmaster level be struck by these poisoned needles, they would instantly be immobilized.

When the Dawson Clan lost their bet, Abigail acquired this weapon. Finally, she had the opportunity to put it to use.

The moment the Phantom Blooms orb was thrown, it emitted a faint hum. It signaled the activation of its mechanisms.

In an instant, the 888 poisoned needles were primed and poised for release.

"Hah! Do you think a puny hidden weapon can harm us? Dream on!" When Abigail threw the iron orb, Luke didn't hesitate and raised his sword to jab it. Upon impact, the orb erupted, and countless poisoned needles were released.

The needles shot out like an arrow as they scattered in all directions.

"Watch out!" someone shouted, but it was too late.

The activated poisoned needles of the Phantom Blooms transformed the surrounding area into a deadly zone spanning a radius of 30 feet.

Luke, leading the charge, bore the brunt of the attack. He had reacted swiftly and activated his energy armor for protection, but it was futile.

Unbeknownst to him, the poisoned needles were designed to breach even such defenses.

Ssuccumbed instantly, while others lay wounded.

Luke was pierced by a barrage of needles, with over 100 needles penetrating his body. Behind him, the other experts suffered similar fates.

The power of the Phantom Blooms proved devastating as it caught them completely off guard.

Despite their knowledge of the Mystic Arts Order's mastery of poisons, they never imagined Abigail possessed the Dawson Clan's hidden weapons.

This lack of preparation made them vulnerable and turned them into easy prey.

Those with greater resilience managed to shield their vital points with weapons and thus narrowly escape death. Meanwhile, the weaker ones succumbed instantly to the onslaught.

In just one encounter, over 20 bodies were strewn across the ground.

The air echoed with the sounds of agony and curses as the wounded writhed in pain.

"The Dawson Clan's Phantom Blooms truly live up to their reputation. They're devastatingly effective," Abigail remarked.

She smirked as she surveyed the casualties around her.

Her choice to employ the Phantom Blooms had been spontaneous since it was driven by a desire to gauge its effectiveness. However, the results surpassed her expectations.

She had incapacitated more than 20 martial artists with a single activation of the Phantom Blooms. It proved that it was a formidable weapon for mass destruction.

Abigail knew she would be undefeatable in a fight if she had a few more Phantom Blooms.

"Holy cow! What just happened down there? Why did everyone collapse so suddenly?" Ruby exclaimed.

Her eyes were wide with astonishment as she peered through the window from the second floor. Everything had happened so quickly that she couldn't process it. All she saw was Abigail throwing something dark, and then Luke and his group were writhing in agony on the ground.

"It's the Dawson Clan's Phantom Blooms-one of their deadliest hidden weapons," Miles explained. "It's incredibly powerful and designed to pierce through energy armor. Anyone below the level of a grandmaster would struggle to defend against it." Though he had heard of the Phantom Blooms before, witnessing its devastation firsthand made him realize its terrifying potential.

Previously, he had regarded the Dawson Clan's claims with skepticism. He even dismissed them as mere boasting with a touch of exaggeration.

However, witnessing the devastating power of the Phantom Blooms firsthand made him realize the true extent of the threat posed by these hidden weapons.

"The Dawson Clan's Phantom Blooms? That's terrifying," Ruby murmured as she felt a shiver run down her spine. She might not have lived to tell the tale if she had been the one down there.

"While the Phantom Blooms are formidable, their range is limited to about 100 feet," Dalen explained.

He narrowed his eyes and continued, "Within that range, they're lethal, but er their power diminishes gignificantly beyond it Additionally, they're equipped with a delayed release mechanism to avoid unintended harm. "So, defending against them is relatively straightforward. Either flee swiftly or find solid cover for protection. "While the Phantom Blooms can pierce through energy armor, their penetration power isn't formidable. Rocks, steel-anything sturdy can weaken or even block the poisoned needles.

"In essence, it's a matter of running or hiding. And if you are a grandmaster martial artist, you can simply ignore them.

"The poisoned needles can pierce energy armor but can't penetrate a grandmaster's internal energy. In the end, hidden weapons are merely decorative if you're strong enough." While the Dawson Clan's hidden weapons proved effective, they cwith their own set of drawbacks.

Firstly, crafting such potent weapons required rare materials and intricate manufacturing processes, making mass production impractical. Moreover, only a select few elite disciples could possess them. Secondly, the Phantom Blooms were a consumable item. Once deployed, they couldn't be reused.

Lastly, their effectiveness was limited to martial artists below the grandmaster level.

Most hidden weapons could be easily disregarded at the level of a grandmaster martial artist. While rare hidden weapons could harm them, they were exceedingly scarce and known to few.

"Despite their drawbacks, the Dawson Clan's hidden weapons Sare still formidable. It would be wise to exercise caution if we ever encounter them in the future," Crystal remarked solemnly. She even doubted her chances of survival within 100 feet of the Phantom Blooms.

Furthermore, the Dawson Clan's hidden weapons had no restrictions. Even an ordinary person could defeat a martial arts expert.

Decades of dedicated training couldn't compare to the deadly potential held by an average individual.

That was the true terror of the Dawson Clan.

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