Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: An Ally?
After leaving the general’s quarters, Max waited at the train station. From what he knew, the train to Old Lake City would arrive in the evening, and the sun was still high above him.

‘I might as well wait,’ Max thought as he moved to sit on one of the benches at the station.

The station was crowded. Some people were resting on benches like him, while others frequently checked their holowatches, waiting for the train to arrive.

‘I need about two weeks to master all the upgraded skills to level 100,’ he pondered, wondering what level his strength would reach by then.

Time passed slowly, and an hour slipped by while Max thought about his plans for when he reached the Phoenix Order.

‘Big Sister, where did you go?’ Max thought, feeling a pang of sadness as the question that had been plaguing his mind resurfaced.

‘What if I don’t find where she is in the Phoenix Order guild? What if something has happened to her?’ Max clutched his head as these troubling thoughts haunted him again.

“No, I will surely find something about her. I have to find something,” Max muttered, his face hardening with resolve. “After all, she also went to the Phoenix Order guild and had been a member before she disappeared, so they must know something about her. They should.”

“Hmm?” It was then that he noticed something unusual with his Three Dimensional Body skill. A man in a black cloak had been standing in the same spot for an hour now. Max had seen him when he first arrived at the station, and he was still there. This made Max suspicious.

‘His strength is at level 2 of the Apprentice Rank,’ Max sensed.

Since leaving the general’s quarters, he had kept his Three Dimensional Body skill active as a precaution against any potential sneak attacks or assassination attempts from the Blade Family, and now he was glad he did.

‘Is he here for me, or am I overthinking it?’ Max wondered, frowning. With the Blade Family hunting him, he couldn’t afford to be too cautious.

After considering the situation, he decided to wait another hour to see if the man would still be there.

An hour passed, and Max’s full attention remained on the hooded man. Unfortunately, the man hadn’t left. He stood there like a statue.

‘I would have assumed he’s my number one stalker if the Blade Family weren’t after my life,’ Max mused, then decided to bait the man out. He believed his strength was enough to handle someone at level 2 of the Apprentice Rank.

Looking around, Max spotted an abandoned alleyway where no one seemed to be coming or going. ‘That’s a good place,’ he thought, standing up and walking toward the alley.

With his Three Dimensional Body skill, Max noticed that the hooded man also started moving when Max did.

‘He is indeed following me,’ Max thought, pretending not to notice anything, and continued toward the alley.

A few seconds later, Max entered the alley, but he didn’t confront the man immediately. Instead, he took several twists and turns, heading deeper into the alley to ensure no one would interrupt them.

After a few more turns, Max stopped suddenly and turned around.

“I know you’ve been following me,” Max called out. “You can come out now.”

The hooded figure emerged from the edge of the wall at that moment.

He glanced at Max and said in a mocking tone, “What you just did was very foolish.”

Max understood what he meant but didn’t care. He went straight to the point.

“Why are you following me?” he asked.

At first, the man didn’t seem like an assassin, but Max couldn’t rule out the possibility that he might be, like Nevin, so he remained cautious.

The hooded figure folded his arms and observed Max for a moment. “Your strength is only at level 6, but you managed to sense that someone was following you. I take it that’s the result of your class,” he said, as if examining Max.

Max frowned. “I asked, why are you following me?” he repeated.

The hooded figure studied him intently before tossing something to Max.

“Hmm?” Max caught the object, which was a flat, circular-shaped crystal.

“What is this?” he asked.

The hooded figure chuckled. “I can tell you’re on edge, Max. So calm down. I’m not an enemy.”

Max’s frown deepened. “What is this?” he asked again, holding up the white crystal.

The hooded figure shook his head in defeat. “It seems you’re bound to take me as your enemy,” he sighed, then pointed at the object in Max’s hand. “That’s called a Mirror Crystal. It functions like a video recorder or player but with more security and other features.”

Max looked at the flat white crystal for a moment, then turned back to the hooded man. “Why give it to me?”

The hooded man shrugged and looked at Max with sharp eyes. “Because my family was asked to do so by Freya Voidwalker.”

Max’s eyes narrowed, and his breath quickened. “Where is she?” he asked urgently.

The hooded man shook his head. “I don’t know. My family was only asked to deliver the Mirror Crystal to you.”

Max sighed in frustration at the response and glanced at the white crystal, gripping it tightly. “She’s been gone for two years, and you’re giving this to me now? You should have given it to me earlier,” he said, frustration evident in his voice.

The hooded man shook his finger at Max. “My family couldn’t do that.”

“Why?” Max asked with a frown. He couldn’t understand why they hadn’t given it to him sooner.

“There are some things you don’t understand, Max,” the hooded man said, glancing at him.

Max anxiously pressed, “Then tell me what it is.”

The hooded man sighed. “That, I can’t tell you. But what I can tell you is that my Thorne Family is neither your enemy nor your ally. However, if you want the Thorne Family to be your ally, you’ll need to show us that your talent is as strong as Freya Voidwalker’s. You need to show us your true strength, and only then will my family decide whether to aid you.”

Max pondered his words, his face growing solemn with realization. The Thorne Family, one of the four super families of Valora Continent, was similar to the Blade Family, but unlike the Blade Family, they didn’t want to kill him. Instead, they wanted to become his ally.

‘Damn, what did my sister do that she could move the four super families like it’s nothing?’ Max silently exclaimed, underestimating his big sister. He now understood that the reason the Blade Family targeted him was likely connected to his sister.

And the Thorne Family’s desire to ally with him must also be related to her.

With these thoughts in mind, Max glanced at the hooded figure. “I understand. Anything else?”

The hooded figure looked at Max blankly for a moment, then, as if recalling something, said, “My father told me to say this to you: ‘The Phoenix Order guild is good, but be in the shadows of the phoenix, not the flames of its feathers.'”

“Uh… is that advice or a warning?” Max asked, confused about its meaning.

The hooded figure shrugged. “I don’t understand it either. Anyway, I’m leaving now. And here’s some advice from me: ‘Don’t go to places like this when you know someone’s following you. It’s stupid. Got it? It’s stupid.'”

“I—I understand.” Max smiled wryly, nodding his head.

“Alright, then. I hope to see you soon,” the hooded figure said before dashing back into the alley and disappearing.