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

Max gazed upon the three silhouettes positioned in front of him, his face gradually shifting to one of utmost gravity. Right as they materialized, an unseen force bore down on him, weighing heavily on his spirit and frame all at once.

This wasn't a physical entity one could ward off or evade, but rather a choking aura that turned every breath into a labored effort. The weight was utterly crushing, to put it mildly, and for a fleeting instant, Max had to brace himself simply to keep his footing steady.

'Is this deliberate on their part, or just the innate aura from beings far superior in the Divine Realm bearing down on a mere mortal like me,' Max pondered quietly while his gaze scanned across them.

"You performed admirably," Malissa finally uttered, her tone silky but laced with poison, every syllable dripping with unmistakable malice. "You'll serve as an excellent warrior for the Heron Family."

Max arched a brow deliberately, his stare piercing as it fixed on her. "Did I ever mention joining the Heron Family?" he questioned in a even tone.

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

"You can't be for real?" Max scowled, irritation sparking in his eyes. "From what I recall, overcoming the Grim Gladiator bestows liberty. That liberty encompasses choosing any faction I desire."

Malissa gave a nonchalant shrug, her features radiating superiority. "And you're aligning with a faction, aren't you? Namely, the Heron Family."

In that instant, fury started surging hotly inside Max. He'd anticipated scheming, maybe even coercion, but not this level of brazen audacity. His jaw clenched 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'd never dreamed a simple mortal would address her so boldly, much less hurl an insult right at her. Her surprise swiftly ignited into wrath.

"Don't assume defeating the Grim Gladiator places you beyond reproach," she hissed icily, her smirk intensifying as her presence erupted freely outward.

Suddenly, the force enveloping Max intensified savagely. 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 even his mind lagged under the relentless assault.

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 eyes brimming with disdain as she observed his battle against the smothering force.

"So, what do you say?" she drawled leisurely, her words soaked in scorn. "Ready to rethink things and pledge to the Heron Family now?"

Max's eyes reddened from the colossal burden crushing him. It seemed his insides were ripping apart while his frame was pulverized from without. His breaths came ragged, his sight hazed, and every fiber urged surrender, but the fire of anger in his chest blazed on undimmed.

"Screw you, you witch," Max rasped out defiantly, his tone raw with rebellion. Even now, he was dead certain he'd choose death over yielding to the Heron Family after her actions.

"You," Malissa bellowed, her temper detonating as her poise shattered entirely. Her gaze flared with lethal intent as she lifted her palm, energy coiling swiftly to obliterate Max on the spot.

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

The smothering weight evaporated in a flash, and Max sensed his body easing as though a colossal burden had been hoisted away. Oxygen flooded his chest anew, vigor seeping back into his limbs as he regained his balance. He glanced up at his rescuer, acknowledgment dawning in his eyes alongside a wave of gratitude.

"Malissa, I'm claiming Max now," Lord Arckin stated serenely, a subtle grin playing on his lips as he positioned himself guardedly next to Max.

"You wouldn't dare," Malissa shrieked, her cry quivering with outrage and astonishment. She'd never suspected the Grims Family had already marked Max as theirs, and Lord Arckin's presence validated her gravest suspicions.

"Max has been enlisted by Lady Virelia," Lord Arckin answered steadily. "It's just a question of when he'll officially become her disciple."

"Impossible," Malissa gasped, her countenance warping in incredulity. "No, you can't claim him. The instant he bested the Grim Gladiator, he joined the Heron Family."

"Screw you, you witch," Max swore once more, flipping her off without a second thought. "Even if I'd briefly considered the Heron Family before, after your stunt, I'll never align with your clan."

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

The recollection of her deploying crushing force to compel his obedience etched itself indelibly in his soul, and he understood that regardless of years gone by, he'd always remember her deeds within the Divine Colosseum.

"You insolent whelp, how dare you address me so," Malissa howled as her anger burst forth unchecked, her hand lashing out with a ferocious energy wave ripping through the atmosphere toward Max, brimming with deathly purpose.

The surge warped the space in its path, packing devastation to erase a Rebirth Realm cultivator in a heartbeat, but prior to striking him, Lord Arckin lifted his hand 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 yelled, her voice quaking with ire as incredulity warped her expression. "He insulted me. I'll discipline him personally. Surrender this whelp to me immediately."

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

"Actually, I possess that authority," 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, you dare," Malissa thundered while eyeing their rise, her control fracturing utterly. "This stems from my father's explicit command. Max must report to the Heron Family. Taking him means defying my father outright, among the seven heads of the Black Dragon Palace."

Lord Arckin halted briefly in the air and glanced back faintly, regarding her with composed detachment. "Have you overlooked it, Malissa," he remarked smoothly, his words resonating across the arena. "I serve the Grims Family, not the Heron Family. Your father commands no sway over me."

With that, he averted his gaze, ascending further while bearing Max upward into the expansive heavens over the Divine Colosseum.

As they neared vanishing from sight, Max craned his neck around, his words abruptly booming throughout the Divine Colosseum, laced with icy determination and raw animosity. "You witch, don't forget what you inflicted on me today. I'll repay it a hundred times over someday."

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