Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1361 Forceful Recruit!

Max gazed upon the trio positioned in front of him, his face gradually shifting to one of deep gravity. As soon as they materialized, an unseen force bore down on him, weighing heavily on his spirit and frame simultaneously.

This wasn't a physical barrier one could evade or resist; rather, it was a choking aura that turned every breath into a laborious effort. The intensity was utterly dominating, and for a split second, Max had to brace himself firmly to stay upright without faltering.

'Is this deliberate on their part, or merely the innate dominance from those elevated far above in the Divine Realm over a being still viewed as mortal?' Max pondered inwardly while scanning them with his eyes.

"You performed admirably," Malissa finally uttered, her tone silky but laced with poison, every syllable hiding a sharp antagonism that no one could overlook. "You'll serve as an excellent warrior for the Heron Family."

Max arched an eyebrow deliberately, fixing his piercing stare on her. "Did I ever mention joining the Heron Family?" he questioned in a even tone.

Malissa let out a subtle scoff, as though the response was self-evident. "All who conquer the Grim Gladiator enter the Heron Family. You're included in that rule."

"Are you for real?" Max scowled, a spark of ire igniting in his gaze. "From what I recall, overcoming the Grim Gladiator bestows liberty. That liberty encompasses choosing any alliance I desire."

Malissa gave a nonchalant lift of her shoulders, her features radiating superiority. "And you're aligning with an alliance, aren't you? Namely, the Heron Family."

In that instant, fury started surging hotly inside Max. He had anticipated scheming, maybe coercion, but not this outright audacity. His jaw clenched tight as he met her eyes directly.

"Is every Heron Family member as brazen as you?" Max shot back, his derision bold and unfiltered.

"You," Malissa burst out, real astonishment crossing her visage. She couldn't fathom a simple mortal daring to address her so, much less hurl an insult right at her. Her surprise swiftly ignited into wrath.

"Don't assume defeating the Grim Gladiator places you beyond him," she warned icily, her scorn intensifying as her presence erupted freely outward.

Suddenly, the force encircling Max intensified wildly. It was like an unseen peak slamming onto his back, squeezing him from every angle. His skeleton groaned softly, his sinews ached in resistance, and his mind lagged under the crushing weight.

Max balled his hands into fists while withstanding it, knowing full well that a few more moments under this onslaught could shatter his form beneath her unleashed power.

Observing Max's plight, Malissa smirked with icy glee, her look brimming with disdain as she beheld his fight against the smothering force.

"What do you think now?" she inquired leisurely, her words oozing ridicule. "Have you reconsidered and agreed to enter the Heron Family?"

Max's eyes reddened from the colossal burden assaulting him. It seemed his insides were ripping apart while his frame was grinding down from without. His breaths came ragged, his sight hazed, and every fiber urged surrender, but the fire of anger in his core wouldn't fade.

"Fuck you, bitch," Max rasped out defiantly, his tone raw with rebellion. Despite his torment, he was certain of one truth: he'd choose death over yielding to the Heron Family after her actions.

"You," Malissa yelled, her anger detonating as her poise broke entirely. Her gaze blazed with lethal purpose as she lifted her arm, energy coiling swiftly to smite Max on the spot.

Right then, the very fabric of space wavered, and a silhouette materialized in the void separating them. Lord Arckin blurred into action quicker than the eye could follow, scooping Max aside in one fluid move just before Malissa's blow could connect.

The smothering force evaporated at once, and Max sensed his body easing as though a colossal weight had been hoisted away. Oxygen flooded his chest anew, vitality creeping back into his extremities as he found his footing. He glanced at his savior, realization dawning in his eyes alongside a wave of ease.

"Malissa, I'm claiming Max for departure," Lord Arckin stated steadily, a subtle grin playing on his lips while he positioned himself guardedly next to Max.

"You dare?" Malissa shrieked, her cry quivering with outrage and astonishment. She hadn't dreamed the Grims Family had targeted Max already, and Lord Arckin's presence verified her darkest suspicions.

"Max has been enlisted by Lady Virelia," Lord Arckin answered composedly. "It's merely a question of when he'll advance to her official apprentice."

"What?" Malissa cried, her countenance warping in incredulity. "No, you can't claim him. He joined the Heron Family the instant he bested the Grim Gladiator."

"Fuck you, bitch," Max swore once more, flipping her off without pause. "Even if I'd entertained the idea of the Heron Family before, after your treatment, I'll never align with your clan."

Malissa remained rooted, her face contorted in wrath and astonishment, as Max's stare seethed with loathing. At that juncture, she emerged as the initial figure in the Divine Realm whom Max harbored true revulsion.

The recollection of her deploying crushing dominance to compel his obedience etched profoundly into his soul, and he understood that regardless of years, he'd never erase her deeds within the Divine Colosseum.

"You insolent whelp, how dare you address me so!" Malissa bellowed as her temper unleashed fully, her hand slashing ahead with a ferocious energy wave ripping through the atmosphere at Max, intent on slaying.

The surge warped the space in its path, wielding force sufficient to obliterate a Rebirth Realm cultivator in a flash, but prior to striking him, Lord Arckin lifted his palm casually. In one effortless gesture, the assault fragmented and scattered like mist before a gale, fading into oblivion without a remnant.

"Arckin, you dare shield him from my wrath," Malissa howled, her tone quaking with ire as incredulity marred her expression. "He insulted me openly. I'll discipline him personally. Surrender this whelp to me immediately."

Her gaze smoldered with animosity as she pressed on, her voice chilling into command. "Max belongs to the Heron Family. You lack the authority to remove him."

"Actually, I possess it," Lord Arckin countered with a light smile, his manner relaxed as he rested a steadying palm on Max's shoulder. Moments later, the pair ascended skyward, their forms elevating gradually but firmly from the arena's surface.

"Arckin, do you truly dare," Malissa thundered while eyeing their rise, her control shattering utterly. "This stems from my father's explicit command. Max must join the Heron Family. Removing him equates to direct rebellion against my father, among the seven heads of the Black Dragon Palace."

Lord Arckin halted in the air and glanced back faintly, regarding her with serene detachment. "Have you overlooked, Malissa," he remarked flatly, his words resonating across the arena. "I align with the Grims Family, not the Heron. Your father wields no sway over me."

Upon saying that, he faced forward again, his silhouette climbing further, bearing Max alongside toward the expansive heavens over the Divine Colosseum.

As they neared vanishing from sight, Max craned his neck rearward, his proclamation suddenly booming throughout the Divine Colosseum, brimming with icy determination and unchecked animosity. "You bitch, don't forget your actions today. I'll repay you tenfold someday."

With that concluding vow, Max and Lord Arckin faded from view, bequeathing a rattled Divine Colosseum, an enraged Malissa rooted below, and the abiding assurance that this feud was merely commencing.