Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Killian’s Reply
Over the next couple of days, Max stayed away from the Battle Realm entirely, choosing instead to dedicate himself to mastering Flame Aura. He immersed himself in its intricacies, pushing his understanding and control to new limits.

In his free moments, he focused on leveling up his skills, ensuring that every aspect of his power grew stronger.

He was waiting patiently for a reply from Killian Blade. Until Killian accepted his challenge, Max saw no point in returning to the Battle Realm. Battling others who weren’t ranked in the Novice Rankings felt like a waste of time.

For now, his goal was singular and clear: to face Killian Blade and humiliate him before everyone.

As for his training, under the guidance of the master of the Arcane Order, Max delved deeply into the intricacies of Flame Aura. Each lesson pushed him to focus not only on amplifying his connection to the aura but also on mastering the raw, untamed nature of flames themselves.

The master’s teachings were both profound and rigorous. “Flames are alive,” she would often say. “They burn with a will of their own. To command them, you must respect their nature and bend it to your will without breaking it.”

Max spent hours honing his control, learning to shape flames into precise forms and wield them as extensions of his own power. The more he practiced, the more attuned he became to the energy flowing through him.

Three days passed as Max trained diligently under Sophia’s guidance.

During these three days, Sophia often noticed something peculiar about Max during their sessions. While meditating, he would occasionally seem to drift off into a trance-like state. Curious, she once asked him, “Where do you go when you zone out like that?”

Max, quick on his feet, offered an excuse with a calm smile. “I enter a deep meditation state,” he replied. “It helps me process everything you’ve taught me. Please, don’t wake me when it happens.”

Though Sophia found it strange, she chose not to question him further. She had to admit, whatever this so-called state was, it seemed to benefit Max immensely. Every time he emerged from it, he displayed remarkable progress, grasping even the most complex of her teachings with surprising ease.

It left her wondering just how deep Max’s talent ran—and what secrets he might still be hiding.

—

In a completely white space, Max held a whip composed entirely of flickering flames in his hand. The fiery weapon crackled with energy, but he could tell it was far from perfect. It lacked the solidity and substance he had witnessed before.

His mind drifted to the strange opponent he had faced days ago—the one who had effortlessly formed solid, tangible weapons out of flames.

Those weapons had been real, wielding the destructive power of fire with a precision that left Max both awed and astonished.

Compared to that, this flaming whip in his hand felt incomplete, a mere imitation of what true mastery could achieve.

But it wasn’t that Max couldn’t form solid shapes out of flames; he could, but it required a specific skill.

‘She said it’s impossible to fully control flames for an attack without a skill,’ Max mused, his thoughts running deep as he stared at the flickering whip of fire in his hand.

From what he had gathered, having control over any element or weapon was undoubtedly a powerful asset. It provided flexibility and creativity in battle.

However, true mastery, the kind that could unleash devastating attacks and reach its full potential, required the foundation of skills specifically designed to channel that control.

‘I guess this is enough for today,’ Max thought, putting the flames out as he came out of his Dimension of Time.

To his surprise, along with the master of the Arcane Order, Alice was also present today.

Max glanced at Alice before turning to Sophia and asked, “Master, if what you said about control and skills is true, then wouldn’t my control over flames be useless without a skill to complement?”

Sophia pondered for a moment and replied, “That’s where a technique comes in.”

“Techniques? What is this technique?” Max asked in confusion. He had never heard that term before.

Sophia began to explain, her tone clear and thoughtful. “The simplest way to differentiate a skill from a technique is this: skills are things we acquire—either as drops from monsters or as rewards from dungeons. Techniques, on the other hand, are entirely human creations.”

She paused for a moment before continuing. “Think of it like this: skills, while powerful, come with limitations. They’re predefined, their variety and uses constrained by what the dungeons provide.”

She smiled. “But techniques? Techniques are born from human ingenuity. They’re tailored to our needs, our creativity, and our understanding. A technique can be anything—it’s only limited by the imagination and mastery of the person creating it.”

Max nodded and asked one more thing he wanted to know. “Why haven’t I heard of techniques until now? There’s no topic about techniques in the academy books, nor have I heard it from anyone else.”

Sophia shrugged. “Techniques are kept secret because of their scarcity. Only the top four families and five guilds have access to them.”

Max understood and asked again something he had been wanting to know for a long time. “After Novice Rank comes Apprentice and Adept, and after these two comes Seeker Rank, but what comes after Seeker Rank? I believe Seeker Rank isn’t the limit, right?”

Sophia shook her head wryly. “Kiddo, you really ask too many questions.”

Max scratched his head. “I’m very curious about our world.”

Sophia nodded and said after some pondering, “How about this? When you level up to Apprentice Rank, I’ll tell you something about our world.”

Max smiled and nodded. “Alright then.”

Sophia said, her tone scolding, “Alice has been waiting for an hour now. Go and talk to her.”

Max nodded and turned to Alice. He walked to her and said, “Let’s go.” Alice nodded as they slowly left the training chamber of Sophia.

—

“Killian accepted your challenge,” Alice said once they were outside. “A video of his went viral, replying to your challenge.”

“Let me see.” Max muttered as he tapped his holowatch and entered the extranet. The first article he saw was about his challenge and Killian’s reply.

[I accept your challenge, Max. I don’t know what your beef with me is, but as you mentioned, as a member of the Blade Family, I have to accept your challenge. See you in the Battle Realm at noon tomorrow.]

“Oh, he replied nicely.” Max chuckled, a sly grin spreading across his face. “It seems he’s very careful about how people perceive him—but that’s all going to change tomorrow.”

Alice smiled warmly. “Your battle with Killian has become the talk of the entire East Region. While it’s officially a fight to determine the strongest in the Novice Rankings, the stakes are enormous.”

Max flashed a confident smile at Alice. “Of course, the stakes are high. On one side, you’ve got a genius who’s held the number one rank for the past three years. On the other, there’s me—a rising star with an undefeated winning streak. People love nothing more than a clash between two unstoppable forces.”

Alice nodded, her expression a little hesitant as she asked in a tone full of concern, “How confident are you against Killian?”

Max smirked at her. “Are you worried about me?”

Alice flustered at Max’s words. “Just tell me,” she shouted lightly.

Max glanced at her and said, “Know that Killian won’t be able to bring out my strongest strength no matter what tricks he tries tomorrow.”

He then asked, “Have you eaten dinner? If not, let’s go and eat together.”

Alice nodded, looking down, her heart beating fast.