The First Dragon God-Chapter 64: Confrontation [Bonus Chapter]

The dim light from outside flowed through the window, cast long shadows across the ground floor of the residential complex.

Ves leaned against the cold concrete wall, her arms crossed, her sharp gaze locked on Ryan.

The tension between them was suffocating, thick with unspoken words and hidden motives.

Ves’s usually calm demeanor was gone with her hostility was barely contained.

Ryan, however, wore his usual faint smirk, his posture relaxed. He met Ves’s glare with a calm, calculating expression, as though he were trying to solve a puzzle.

The silence stretched between them, heavy with the weight of what was to come.

"You’ve been busy," Ves finally said, her quiet, yet sharp.

Her eyes didn’t waver, drilling into Ryan’s with quiet intensity.

Ryan tilted his head slightly, with a small, amused smile playing on his lips.

"Busy? I’ve been helping the group survive, if that’s what you mean."

Ves took a step forward, her shoes echoing against the concrete floor.

"I’ve heard the whispers. People talking about how Leo’s reckless. How he shouldn’t be leading. Funny how those conversations started after you started going out with them."

Ryan’s expression didn’t change, but Ves caught the brief flicker of something in his eyes. It was a spark of recognition that told her she was right on target.

"People have opinions," Ryan said smoothly. "It’s not my fault if they’re starting to realize the truth."

"The truth?" Ves’s voice sharpened. "And what truth is that?"

"That Leo’s young. Inexperienced. He’s doing his best, I’m sure. But in this world, ’doing your best’ isn’t always enough." Ryan’s tone was calm, reasonable.

He spoke as though he were making a casual observation, not undermining someone’s leadership. But both he and Ves were fully aware of what he trying to achieve.

Ves clenched her fists at her sides. She was just a second away from activating her [Bone Claw] skill, but she held herself back.

She could feel the anger bubbling beneath her skin, threatening to boil over. But she forced herself to remain still.

"You’re a clever man, Ryan," Ves said, doing her best to keep her voice steady despite the rage simmering beneath the surface.

"Too clever. You’ve managed to make people question Leo without ever saying his name."

Ryan chuckled softly, the sound low and mocking.

"People question what they see. I don’t have to say anything. They see a boy leading them into danger. They see me keeping them safe."

Ves’s nails bit into her palms. Her mind raced, piecing together the events of the past few days.

The ambushes, the near-disasters, the growing distrust among the survivors. It all led back to Ryan.

"I don’t know what you’re playing at," Ves said through gritted teeth. "But I see through you."

Ryan’s smile widened slightly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Do you?"

Ves took another step forward, closing the distance between them. "You’ve been planting seeds of doubt. Turning people against Leo. Why?"

Ryan’s expression shifted, the smirk fading into something colder, more calculating. Ge finally let go of his facade for the first time, bringing out his true self.

"Because this world needs leaders who can make hard choices. Not boys pretending to be heroes," he said with a cold voice.

The words struck Ves like a blow. Her vision blurred with anger, her body tensing as her instincts screamed at her to strike. But she held herself back, clinging to the last shred of rationality she had.

"You think you’re that leader?" Ves asked, her voice trembling with barely contained rage.

"I know I am," Ryan said calmly. "Look at the group. Who do they trust? Who do they look to when things go wrong?"

"They trust Leo," Ves snapped. "And they trust me."

"For now," Ryan said, his tone infuriatingly casual and suggestive. "But how long will that last? How many more injuries? How many more close calls before they realize they need someone who can protect them?"

Ves’s breath came in short, sharp bursts. Her vision tunneled, her focus narrowing to Ryan’s smug face.

She wanted to wipe that expression off his face. Wanted to knock him down, tag those teeth the gums that they are seated. She wants to make Ryan see that he wasn’t as untouchable as he thought he was.

"You think you can take what’s ours?" Ves hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "You think you can walk in here and take over?"

Ryan shrugged. "I think people will choose safety over loyalty. It’s human nature. Besides, what right do you have to claim that something is yours? It should naturally belong to those that can keep it. Or am I wrong?"

The cold, calculated way he said it sent a shiver down Ves’s spine. There was no emotion in his voice, no remorse. He believed every word he was saying.

Ves took a slow, deep breath, forcing herself to regain control. "You’re not as clever as you think you are. I see through you. And so will Leo."

Ryan’s smirk returned. "Then maybe you should tell him. Warn him about the big bad wolf in your midst."

Ves’s fists clenched again, her knuckles whitening. "I will."

Ryan’s expression darkened slightly, his gaze sharpening. "Be careful, Ves. People don’t like being told what to think. They like to come to their own conclusions."

The veiled threat hung in the air, but Ves didn’t flinch. She took a step back, her gaze never leaving Ryan’s.

"I’m not afraid of you," Ves said quietly. "And I won’t let you tear this group apart."

Ryan inclined his head slightly, a mocking gesture of respect. "We’ll see."

Without another word, Ves turned and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest. Her mind raced, replaying every word, every gesture.

Ryan’s manipulations were clear to her now. He wasn’t just a threat to Leo’s leadership—he was a threat to everyone’s survival.

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As Ves took the elevator to the upper floors, she made up her mind. She would talk to Leo. They couldn’t let this continue. Ryan had to be stopped.

And if it came down to it, she was prepared to do whatever it took to protect what was theirs.