Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 - Chapter 410

Chapter 410: Dark Elf
Princess Lenavira brought Max to a place unlike any he had seen in the Elf Kingdom. As they walked through thick layers of ancient trees, the air grew still, unnaturally still—as if the forest itself were holding its breath. Max noticed how far they had come from the bustling heart of the kingdom.

The lush greenery had faded into denser woods, where even the sunlight seemed to hesitate before filtering through. There were no elves here. No animals. Not even the fluttering lights that danced through the air elsewhere in the kingdom.

The silence was heavy, almost sacred. Eventually, they arrived at a small, serene pond nestled in the embrace of twisting roots and moss-covered rocks. Its water was pitch black, yet shimmered faintly with a violet hue when touched by light, like it was hiding something beneath its surface. A soft mist hung over it, cool and quiet, giving the place an eerie calm.

Max glanced around, instinctively alert. “What is this place?” he asked. There was no guard, no protective formation, no welcome. It didn’t feel like somewhere he was meant to be.

“This,” Princess Lenavira began softly, her voice barely above a whisper, “is one of the most forbidden places in all of Sylvaria. Even most elves aren’t allowed to step here without direct permission.”

She stepped closer to the edge of the pond, her gaze distant. “This pond is called The Mirror of Shadows. It’s not just water. It’s… where we come when the darkness inside us threatens to consume us. When our darker halves—rage, bloodlust, despair—begin to surface. This is where we confront it.”

Her fingers brushed the surface of the water, sending faint ripples through it. “It reflects not our faces, but our truths. It forces us to see what lies beneath the calm, beneath the noble blood. That’s why most elves fear it. But it is also the one place where the evil energy in one’s body is naturally suppressed, brought under control.”

She turned to Max, her expression serious. “I thought this might be the only place strong enough to help you resist the infernal energy flowing in your body. No place else in our kingdom would hold it back. But here… maybe, just maybe, you can tame it before it devours you.” Max stood at the edge of the pond, staring into its dark surface. He couldn’t see his reflection. Only ripples of violet and black, as if the water was studying him back.

“Wait a minute—how did you know I wanted to control the infernal energy?” Max asked suddenly, his eyes narrowing as he turned to face her.

There was a hint of surprise in his voice, maybe even a trace of suspicion. He hadn’t told anyone his plan in exact words, and yet she had brought him to a place specifically suited for that very purpose.

Princess Lenavira merely smiled, a calm, knowing smile. “News travels fast,” she said lightly, then gestured to his right arm. “And your right hand is etched with an Infernal Demon Tattoo. Not just any tattoo, Max—the twelfth-layered one. The one that, according to rumors, holds the potential to help someone comprehend a domain. I may not understand everything about infernal energy, but I figured… if someone like you bears that kind of mark, then controlling the energy it contains is your only path forward.”

Max nodded, her words making sense. It wasn’t exactly a secret anymore—his body practically radiated infernal power.

He turned back to the pond, gazing into the eerie stillness of the dark water, then looked back at her with a curious frown. “But I thought elves used the purest form of mana. So what do you mean by ‘dark self’? What darkness do elves even have to suppress if they’re born with such purity?”

Lenavira’s smile faded, replaced by a solemn expression. Her voice grew quieter, more serious. “That’s exactly the problem,” she said. “We are born with the purest form of mana… and it’s a blessing, yes—but also a curse. Unlike humans, who are used to dealing with chaos, pain, and impurity from the moment they’re born, we elves are taught to uphold harmony, serenity, and inner balance at all costs. But when one of us falls—when we experience intense hatred, guilt, despair, rage, or killing intent—it doesn’t just pass through us like it does for humans. It festers. It grows.”

She turned her eyes toward the water, her reflection dancing faintly over the surface. “Those negative emotions become seeds. And once they take root in us, they begin to shape a darker version of ourselves—one twisted by everything we suppress. That is the dark self. If left unchecked, it eventually takes over completely. And when it does…”

Her voice dropped, and she looked at Max with a heavy gaze. “We become something else. Not truly elf anymore. Something corrupted. Something dangerous. That’s when we turn into dark elves.”

The weight of her words hung in the air between them, cold and real. Max looked at her for a moment, then back at the pond, understanding now why even the elves feared this place. ‘So the rumors about dark elves are true after all.’ He thought.

“You have about twenty days—give or take—before you’re eligible to enter the tenth floor,” Princess Lenavira said, her sharp eyes lingering on Max. “All thanks to your little ‘demon’ friend stirring up enough trouble to fast-track your eligibility.”

She took a step back, brushing a strand of golden-blonde hair behind her ear, and smirked playfully. “So, I’ll be heading out. I’ve got things to take care of. But don’t worry—I’ll make sure to inform that red-haired girlfriend of yours.” Her smirk widened just enough to tease, but not enough to be mocking.

Max nodded quietly, not rising to the bait, but the faintest flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes. With that, Lenavira turned and walked away, her figure disappearing between the twisting trees and silver vines that lined the path to the Mirror of Shadows.

Max stood still, the silence wrapping around him once more. Twenty days. That was all the time he had to master the infernal energy and make it his own. And he knew… every second of it would count.