Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

"Max, this is the First Elder of our Great Ruler Empire. Elder Drew," Lyra said calmly, her voice steady and respectful as she gestured toward the white-haired man standing beside her.

Max's expression tightened instinctively. He bowed slightly, unsure if that was the proper etiquette when addressing someone of Divine Rank, but it was the best show of respect he could offer without humiliating himself. "Elder Drew," he said, his tone neither too loud nor too soft, carrying the weight of humility.

The old man's gaze swept over Max without much expression, but it was enough to make Max feel like his soul had been examined.

"Lyra," Elder Drew said solemnly, turning his head toward her. "You say he's promising, but are you sure he'll be of any use in our current matter?"

Lyra didn't hesitate for even a breath. "Elder Drew, you know me well. I never commit to anything unless I have a hundred percent confidence in the outcome."

Elder Drew let out a soft, resigned sigh, the kind that carried decades of weariness. "I know," he said slowly. "And I also know you're the type who enjoys dancing on the edge of risk, no matter how great or small the stakes."

"Elder Drew, I'm not asking you to gamble on him. I'm telling you—he's the right one." Her tone was firm, unshakable, filled with conviction.

Another sigh escaped the old man's lips, this one a little longer, a little heavier. "If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't have come here at all." His eyes drifted back to Max, studying him one last time, as if searching for some hidden spark others might overlook. Then he turned slightly, locking eyes with Lyra again, before giving a quiet nod.

"Let's go then," Elder Drew said simply, and the next moment, his figure vanished from sight like a breeze dispersing into the morning mist, leaving behind a faint trace of divine pressure in the air.

Max blinked, still slightly overwhelmed by the presence of the old man. But his curiosity was stronger than his awe.

"What happened? And what is this opportunity you spoke of?" Max asked, his tone casual, as if speaking to an old friend rather than one of the highest-ranked individuals in the Great Ruler Empire.

He had long since stopped pretending formality with Lyra. Perhaps it was because of how they met, or maybe it was because of the silent understanding they shared.

Either way, if someone else in the Empire witnessed him talking so casually to the second princess, their jaw would've hit the ground in disbelief. Most would think he was either crazy—or someone of equal standing to her.

Lyra didn't respond immediately. Instead, she took out a small metallic device and pressed a button. A moment later, a sleek, silver void shuttle materialized in front of them, humming softly with a bluish glow at its base.

"Sit," she said without turning around, her voice calm and composed. "I'll explain everything on the way."

Max nodded and stepped inside, following closely behind. The shuttle's interior was lavish yet efficient, lined with mana-stabilized panels and seats designed for high-speed travel across the domains.

Once they were both settled, Lyra tapped a few commands into the dashboard. The shuttle hovered for a second above the 1-star sector before a sudden surge of light enveloped it. In a blink, it turned into a beam of radiance and shot through the sky, disappearing from the Great Ruler City like a comet streaking across the horizon.

Max leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the city vanish from view. His heart beat with anticipation. Whatever this "opportunity" was—if it involved a Divine Rank expert personally—then it was definitely not something ordinary.

As the void shuttle sliced through the skies like a blade of light, Lyra finally began to speak, her voice steady and calm as she explained the situation to Max.

"This opportunity I mentioned… it's not something that was planned," she said, her eyes gazing at the horizon as if recalling the events that led to this moment. "A few weeks ago, some members of the Great Ruler Empire, during one of their long-range missions, stumbled upon a very rare discovery—a hundred-year-old mana pool hidden deep within an ungoverned wilderness outside our territory. It wasn't in the Great Ruler Domain, which means it's beyond our official authority. The cave where the mana pool was found is in the Bluewind Region."

Max listened carefully, processing each word. Bluewind Region. He'd heard the name before. It was one of those chaotic, free-for-all regions not ruled by any of the seven overlord-level forces of the world. Independent, lawless in parts, and extremely dangerous.

"But," Lyra continued, her tone shifting slightly, "the problem is, our members weren't the only ones who discovered it. Turns out, both the Thunder Monarch Hall and Bright Buddha Palace had also located it around the same time."

Max's brows furrowed. Those two names weren't simple. Thunder Monarch Hall and Bright Buddha Palace—both were part of the Seven Overlords, the top-tier first class powers that stood at the peak of the Middle Domain. Each had foundations so deep and terrifying that even other first-class forces treaded lightly around them.

"So what began as a chance discovery," Lyra continued, "quickly escalated into something much more complicated. With three great forces laying claim to the same mana pool, things spiraled. At first, it was small skirmishes between their members, but soon, even the higher-ups couldn't ignore it. Elders from all three sides had to step in before blood was spilled on a scale that would stain the entire region."

Max leaned forward, his mind racing. A hundred-year-old mana pool... no wonder it was worth fighting over. If it had been gathering mana for a century without disturbance, then the quality and density of its energy must be enough to push someone through a major realm in a short time.

Lyra explained how all that concluded in the end.

After an entire day filled with heated arguments, clashing opinions, and even a few brief but intense skirmishes, the three powerful forces—Great Ruler Empire, Thunder Monarch Hall, and Bright Buddha Palace—finally reached an agreement on how to decide who would claim ownership of the hundred-year-old mana pool.

With none of them willing to fully back down, yet also wary of escalating the situation into an all-out conflict, they chose a method that would uphold pride while avoiding further bloodshed: a direct competition.

Each force would select a single representative—a young genius—to fight on their behalf in a small-scale battle. The one who emerged victorious would secure the rights to the mana pool for their faction.

However, to ensure fairness and relevance, they agreed upon a strict rule—the selected candidates could not be above the 3rd level of Champion Rank. This decision was not arbitrary. The nature of the mana pool itself was the reason.

Its energy, though dense and potent, was specifically beneficial for those within the early stages of the Champion Realm. Anyone at the 4th level or higher would gain almost nothing from it. The pool's composition, due to its natural age and the type of mana it had absorbed over the century, was limited in scope. As a result, sending stronger geniuses would be meaningless.

Thus, the stage was set. A three-way duel would decide which faction's young talent was truly worthy—and who would walk away with the opportunity to absorb the mana pool.

"I see." Max nodded in understanding. It was no wonder Lyra asked about his strength. "But I said I can only defeat 2nd level of Champion Rank not 3rd." He suddenly said.

"It doesn't matter now." Lyra said smiling. "I don't believe you would miss such an opportunity to increase your strength to next rank if I had mentioned the opponents you would be facing would all be at the 3rd level of Champion Rank."

Max smiled wryly. Indeed that was the case.

"How is this mana pool different from the one in the empire?" Max suddenly asked understanding that the mana pool in the empire were set up with runes formation in such a way that one could slowly absorb it easily.

If it was normal mana pool, one simple couldn't absorb it. Only beast cores and treasures born from nature were things one could absorb naturally. Everything else one simply couldn't absorb them or had to use some other ways to absorb it.