This moment marked the climax of the battle.
Ryan had now reached a dead end.
The expression on Carlos's face said it clearly and without mercy: You still have a long way to go before you can catch up to me.
Even though Ryan had reached the third stage of transformation and had become far stronger than before—possessing many remarkable abilities—this alone was not enough to surpass Carlos. What Ryan still lacked was a Unique Skill. Those who had awakened their Unique Skills existed on an entirely different level compared to those who had not.
Although Ryan had reached the stage at which such a skill could potentially awaken, he had yet to do so. This was in stark contrast to Carlos, who had awakened his long ago.
That Unique Skill—the one that made Carlos a terrifying opponent even among those stronger and higher-ranked than him—was known as "Eternal Ruler". The appearance of the rune, clearly manifested on Carlos's forehead, was undeniable proof that he was now using the power of his Unique Skill.
Those who possessed Unique Skills had always been fundamentally different from others. It was impossible for two individuals in this world to share the same Unique Skill. A Unique Skill was a power engraved into one's soul, and since every being possessed a unique spiritual imprint, the same skill could never exist in two people at the same time.
Those who had awakened their Unique Skills were regarded as far more dangerous than those who had not. The rune that appeared as a glowing emblem on the forehead—taking a form that reflected the very identity of its owner—was absolute proof of the possession of a Unique Skill.
In Carlos's case, having awakened his skill long ago and mastering its use, the current Ryan was not even capable of leaving a single scratch on him.
Although Ryan had managed to keep up with Carlos without Carlos using his Unique Skill—clear proof of Ryan's tremendous growth—in this moment, Ryan no longer stood any chance against his opponent. Carlos, who absolutely refused to lose to Ryan, was willing to use his Unique Skill if that was what it took.
At that moment, Ryan was still suspended in midair, completely unable to move.
It was utterly terrifying.
Being unable to take even a single action in front of one's opponent was defeat in its purest form.
Yet even so, Ryan's determination did not bend or fade. He struggled with all his might, attempting to shake off the restraint imposed by Carlos's skill. He began forcing all the aether he possessed to surge violently throughout his body, desperately trying to break free from Carlos's power—but it was all in vain.
At that moment, Carlos spoke to him:
"Don't tire yourself out. It's not even worth trying. You are already trapped within the Domain of Eternity. Inside this domain, you won't be able to move unless I allow it. And even if you somehow manage to nullify this domain… you will never surpass this."
At that instant, something radiant emerged from Carlos's clenched fist. It was a strange object, resembling the seed of a legendary plant. Carlos swiftly dropped the seed onto the ground.
The seed pierced into the earth, then burst upward once more—but no longer as a seed. It rapidly transformed into a tree, growing at a terrifying speed. In the blink of an eye, it reached its full size, and its branches immediately began wrapping around the already immobilized Ryan.
They continued to coil around him until his entire body was covered, leaving only his head exposed.
At that point, Carlos deactivated the Domain of Eternity, finally allowing Ryan to take a breath of air. Ryan began shouting as he struggled to free himself, but his efforts were futile. His entire body was already trapped inside the tree—only his head remained free.
When he realized he could not escape, he lashed out at Carlos with his words:
"You coward, Carlos! Why don't you fight with your fists like a man?! Why are you using these ridiculous tricks?! What a coward you are!"
Despite his insults, Carlos paid him no attention whatsoever.
Carlos said calmly, "Hey, Ryan, don't take things this far. Look around you—we've destroyed the entire area because of your actions. And look at yourself. You've already lost. Why do you refuse to admit it? I've told you countless times before—you need more training. We need to return as soon as possible. Once we're back, you can train however you like. But here… look, I'm sure we'll get arrested one day because of the destruction you leave behind every time."
Although Carlos's words were correct, Ryan's stubbornness was unbelievably strong, and he refused to accept it. This was clearly visible on his face.
Carlos sighed. "Fine. You've left me with no other choice. I'll keep you restrained and carry you all the way back home."
Despite Ryan's defiance, hearing those words was terrifying. He couldn't even accept losing—how could he endure being bound the entire way back? Panic surged through him, and he hurriedly shouted:
"Alright! Alright! End it—I've lost! Stop! Don't you dare think about leaving me bound like this! Come on, get this damn tree off me right now!"
Hearing Ryan's words, Carlos finally felt slightly relieved. He returned to his normal form, as if the effects of the transformation and his Unique Skill had completely faded. As a result, the tree restraining Ryan vanished as well.
The moment it disappeared, Ryan fell to the ground and began brushing the dust off his clothes.
However, a question lingered in Carlos's mind.
Despite the strength Ryan had attained, Carlos had never expected to be forced to use his Unique Skill like this. Using it at all felt like a loss to Carlos. He had believed that his arrow would be more than enough to bring Ryan down.
Even though Ryan had countered it with his strongest attack, "Breath of Destruction", that alone should not have been enough to completely negate the damage.
Suddenly, Carlos turned toward Ryan again and stared at him with a strange look. It was an evaluating gaze, as he carefully examined every inch of Ryan's body.
There was nothing unusual.
Ryan looked no different after the battle than he had before it—and that was exactly what troubled Carlos. Normally, the crimson flames Ryan produced would burn his clothes to ashes. But this time, despite that massive fiery breath, his clothes hadn't suffered even a scratch.
Not to mention my attacks… they didn't leave a single mark on these clothes either.
Carlos quickly stepped closer and began examining Ryan's clothes more carefully.
Ryan reacted nervously and in surprise.
"Hey! What are you doing? Get your hands off my clothes! Didn't you hear me?! I said take your hands off!"
Ignoring him, Carlos continued inspecting the clothes, then leaned in even closer and sniffed them.
That action irritated Ryan even more, causing him to shove Carlos away.
"Hey, back off! Have you lost your mind?! Why are you sticking your filthy nose into my clothes?!"
At that moment, Carlos finally understood.
The reason Ryan hadn't taken any damage from that massive explosion caused by the collision of his arrow and Ryan's Breath was obvious from the start—Carlos had simply overlooked it.
These clothes… they're special.
That explained why that woman had refused to sell them for less than thirty silver coins. But now that he looked more closely, these clothes were worth far more than that. Had she been ignorant of their true value—or had she made a mistake when pricing them?
"Well, whatever. It doesn't matter now. I'm really hungry."
At last, the battle came to an end, and silence once again filled the area.
Ravan leapt down from atop the rock and rushed toward Carlos, grabbing his hand tightly, his eyes filled with admiration.
"Hey! Hey, Carlos! How did you do that?! Teach me, please! Come on, come on—how did you freeze Ryan in midair so easily? And that tree—how did it grow so fast?!"
Ravan's rapid speech and excited tone were overwhelming. Carlos couldn't keep up with him at all. As Ravan continued to pester him, Ryan—standing behind Carlos—intervened:
"Stop it. You're making an unbearable amount of noise."
The tone Ryan used was completely rude, born from his frustration at losing. Ravan clearly didn't like that at all. He released Carlos's hand and turned his gaze toward Ryan.
The two stared at each other intensely, and once again, the tense atmosphere returned.
"Hah. Is the loser talking again?"
Ryan sneered back, "Hah? Loser? Did you hit your head earlier or something? Are you trying to start trouble?"
As the two glared at each other and exchanged provocative remarks, there was someone standing beside them who looked even more irritated.
Carlos, who had just been relieved to put an end to Ryan's problem, had no desire to deal with this all over again.
He clenched both fists and struck both of their heads at the same time.
"Hey! Both of you! I'm warning you—don't start any pointless nonsense right now."
End of Chapter