Back inside the Red Dragon Master’s chamber, deep within the massive Red Dragon Boat, the air trembled with a thick, heavy pressure. The sound of distant battle had faded.

The Red Dragon Master sat on his throne made of red scales and black iron, tapping his clawed fingers against the armrest. A dark grin crawled across his face.

"So," he said, voice low and sharp, "both the White Dragon and the Orc Shaman have been defeated."

He didn’t sound impressed. He didn’t sound worried. He sounded... entertained.

As he stood up, a terrifying wave of pressure exploded from his body. It swept through the chamber like a violent storm. Tyler staggered back. Mana gasped and held her chest.

Outside Mathilda and Lily froze mid-movement, eyes wide. Even the air felt like it was being crushed.

Lily swallowed hard. Her natural calmness vanished. "Such heavy pressure... it feels like the wrath of a Loose Immortal," she whispered. She was still inside her Domain, yet even her strengthened state trembled.

Mathilda, who had been joyfully storing the Dim Red Skulls in her ring, froze and glanced at Lady Reaper. "Um... maybe we should collect faster... and run? Like, right now?"

Outside the Red Dragon Boat, people who weren’t even in the battle felt the crushing aura. Some dropped to their knees. Others grabbed onto railings and trembled. Birds flying overhead scattered in panic. Even the sea around the boat rippled violently as if reacting to the power.

Back inside, the Red Dragon Master narrowed his eyes at Tyler. A sharp, invisible energy shot out from him — his divine sense. It moved like a giant unseen hand, aiming to grab Tyler as easily as picking up a leaf.

But the invisible hand stopped.

It hit something... or someone.

The Red Dragon Master’s eyes widened slightly. He felt another divine sense pushing back — strong and powerful.

"What?" he muttered.

Then he smiled.

"Interesting... very interesting." His eyes gleamed like molten gold. "You’re not even at the Divine Seeker Stage. But you have a divine sense... equal to a Loose Immortal."

Tyler didn’t answer. He didn’t move. His expression didn’t change.

But his silence annoyed the Red Dragon Master.

"Hmph. Divine sense or not... power is still power."

He scoffed and snapped his fingers.

The entire chamber flipped upside down.

From the outside, the Red Dragon Boat looked unchanged — floating as usual. But inside, the world spun. The floor turned into the ceiling, the ceiling turned into the floor, and everyone inside was thrown violently upward.

Tyler’s body smashed toward the ceiling. Mana hugged Tyler as she flew up with him.

Only one person didn’t move. Only then Tyler noticed that he lost his ability to float.

The Red Dragon Master remained perfectly seated on his throne, as if gravity itself obeyed him.

"Did he... flip the whole ship?" Tyler muttered as he pushed himself from the ceiling.

He looked up — or rather, down — at the Red Dragon Master, who now sat above him like a cruel king overlooking his prey.

Tyler clenched his jaw. "Mana, stay inside my consciousness."

Mana nodded quickly and grabbed onto his shirt for one last second before her body dissolved into black mist and vanished into him.

The moment she disappeared — BOOM.

A massive, invisible force punched Tyler’s whole body. The air cracked. The ceiling dented behind him in a shape of fist, as he was thrown into it.

The force was enough to kill a normal Divine Seeker instantly. Bones should have shattered. Organs should have burst. Tyler should have become a smear of blood.

Instead—

BZZZZTT—

A black light flashed around him.

A circular pattern of ancient symbols shimmered like a shield.

The attack bounced off, leaving Tyler unharmed.

The Red Dragon Master froze, his dragon-like eyes widening in shock.

"What...?" he muttered.

Tyler looked down at his body, where the black light lingered before fading.

"Huh... Celestial Armour," he whispered to himself and smiled faintly. "Thank goodness, Apollo was unable to use this power when fighting him."

The Red Dragon Master’s expression twisted. Rage flooded his face. His claws grew sharper, longer, darker. His fingers curled until his hands resembled true dragon talons.

He stepped forward once—

And vanished.

In the next instant, he appeared above Tyler, who was still stuck on the ceiling. His claw slashed downward with the force of a falling mountain.

THUD! CRAAAACK!

The Red Dragon Boat shook from the impact. Tyler was sent smashing deeper into the ceiling, wood and metal breaking apart around him. Before he could even pull himself free—

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

The Red Dragon Master attacked again and again. His claws tore through the air, each strike filled with killing intent. The entire giant chamber shook with every blow. Cracks spread across the walls. The ceiling was ruined with deep claw marks.

The whole Red Dragon Boat shook. Outside, waves rose violently as if a beast had stirred beneath them. Thunder rumbled without clouds. Birds fled far from the area.

Inside, bits of ceiling fell like hail. Dust clouded the air.

Mathilda and others retreated a little. Lady Reaper remained silent, but her grip on her scythe tightened. She can feel same familiar power from Apollo here.

The Red Dragon Master finally stopped, panting lightly. His claws dripped with heat, glowing faintly red from friction. He looked at the mess he created.

Then he looked at Tyler.

Tyler was still wedged into the ceiling... but completely unharmed.

Not even a scratch.

His clothes weren’t torn. His skin wasn’t bruised. He wasn’t bleeding. He looked more annoyed than injured.

Tyler exhaled. "That was loud."

The Red Dragon Master’s jaw dropped.

"You—!"

He couldn’t finish the sentence. His shock was too great.

Tyler pushed off the ceiling and landed lightly on the new "floor," shaking dust from his shoulders.

"Are you done?" he asked calmly.

The chamber went silent.

The Red Dragon Master stared at him as if staring at a monster wearing a human skin.

"What an incredible armor... I want it."

The Red Dragon Master licked his lips, eyes burning with greed.

Tyler rolled his shoulders, black mist rising from him as Black scales began appearing across his arms and neck. Not red like before ... but deep black because of the Phantom Mask altering it.

"Sorry," Tyler said calmly. "Not for sale."

Mode: Dragon.

A dark aura burst from Tyler, swirling around him. The chamber shook. The Red Dragon Master’s smile widened.

Tyler didn’t waste a second. His feet dug into the floor and he dashed forward like a black comet. His fist glowed with aura, gathering more and more energy with every step.

Red Dragon Master didn’t move.

Behind him, a thick Ice Wall appeared.

Tyler’s fist struck with full force.

BOOOOOOM!

The Ice Wall shattered instantly and the impact slammed into Red Dragon Master’s chest. The floor cracked beneath him. Waves of dust blasted out from the strike.

But the Red Dragon Master only laughed.

"Hahahaha! That tickles!"

Before Tyler could pull back, Red Dragon Master’s hand shot out like lightning, grabbed Tyler’s head, and began to squeeze.

Cracks rang out through the chamber. The pressure was enough to crush a Divine Seeker’s skull like a fruit.

But then—

BZZT!

Black light flashed around Tyler again. The Celestial Armor activated on its own, blocking the crushing force.

Red Dragon Master’s claws couldn’t sink into him at all.

Tyler twisted his body and slipped out of the dragon’s grip like smoke.

Red Dragon Master clicked his tongue. "Looks like you’re too weak to injure me... and your armor is too strong for me to injure you." He spread his arms with a mocking smile. "It’s a stalemate."

Tyler dusted off his sleeves. "I heard your story. Losing parents when you were a kid... growing up with nothing... I understand that pain." For a moment, Tyler’s tone softened. "You already got your revenge, right?"

Red Dragon Master’s smile instantly vanished.

"Talk Talk no Jutsu won’t work here," Red Dragon Master growled.

Then—

FWOOOM!

The entire room flipped again. Ceiling became floor, floor became ceiling, and everything spun. Tyler twisted mid-air and managed to land on the side wall this time.

"Busted..." Tyler muttered. "But I’m surprised you know that reference."

He laughed, even as he slid down the wall slightly. Red Dragon Master glared.

Tyler stood straight, looking around the chamber as if searching for something.

"Looks like... I’ll have to try something different," he said quietly. His eyes traced the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and the glowing red veins running across them.

The Red Dragon Master narrowed his eyes. "What are you plotting, brat?"

Tyler ignored him.

Then a small smile formed on Tyler’s face.

"I was wondering why you haven’t used your Domain yet," Tyler said. "With your power level, a Domain would instantly crush most opponents. But you didn’t. Not once."

Red Dragon Master’s expression tightened.

Tyler continued, "I think... I finally figured out why."

There was a sharp silence.

Then Tyler said it:

"The entire Red Dragon Boat... is your Domain, right?"

The words hit like a blade.

The Red Dragon Master’s eyes widened and smiled.