Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

"How is that possible?!" Elder Bras's voice trembled with disbelief, his eyes wide as saucers. Beside him, Travis stood frozen, mouth agape, unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

A second ago, it looked like Max was on the brink of defeat—barely holding on, seconds away from being flattened into dust by that overwhelming golden palm and the six colossal hands summoned by the Buddha's shadow.

Everything had pointed to a crushing loss. The ground beneath Max had already cracked, his arms had been trembling violently, and his sword had been slowly inching backward under the weight of the attack.

Everyone watching had already assumed the outcome. And then, in a heartbeat, it all changed. That sudden, inexplicable burst of terrifying red energy, the demonic brilliance in Max's eyes, and the way his sword—so resolute, so final—tore through the golden palms like they were made of paper… it completely flipped the battlefield upside down.

The shift had been so abrupt, so fierce, that even the air itself seemed to pause in shock.

Elder Drew, who had watched in silence until now, was equally stunned—but for a different reason. He had known Max was strong. He had acknowledged his performance against Kai.

But not once—not even when Max unleashed his full sword concept—had Elder Drew truly believed that this boy could overcome the Bright Buddha Palace's top genius.

And yet… here he stood. Max Morgan. Not crushed. Not even injured. But victorious. And the scene of those shattered palms, disintegrating like divine relics turned to dust, brought an undeniable sense of pride swelling in Elder Drew's chest.

This wasn't just a battle won. It was a statement. A message that the Great Ruler Empire was not to be looked down upon. A grin formed on Elder Drew's face—slowly at first, then deepening with satisfaction. It had been far too long since he'd felt this kind of triumph.

Not only had Max overturned the impossible, but he had done it against someone whom everyone thought invincible at least during this battle. A genius who came from the most disciplined, most untouchable of the seven overlord forces.

Max had proved them all wrong.

Lyra stood with a calm smile on her face as she watched Max emerge victorious. Yet deep within her mind, countless thoughts stirred.

She had always known Max was powerful—dangerously so—but the way he had defeated Noah left her puzzled. He hadn't just won through sheer brute force or luck. No, his victory had been surgical, deliberate, and controlled.

Especially that final strike… the sudden eruption of demonic energy, the terrifying red gleam in his eyes, the absolute dominance in that single moment—there was no mistaking it. Max had been holding back.

The question now was: how much? How much strength was he truly hiding beneath that calm exterior? What else could he do if he really went all out?

But after a moment of silent wondering, Lyra shook those thoughts away. If Max didn't want to reveal his full power, then she had no right to pry. She trusted him. That was enough—for now.

Meanwhile, Noah, who had finally recovered from the shock of defeat, walked up to Max with bright eyes and an excited smile.

"Friend, you are amazing! You are absolutely amazing!" he exclaimed with heartfelt admiration. "My elders always told me I was unbeatable within my level. That I could crush even geniuses at the fifth or sixth level of Champion Rank… but today, you proved them wrong. You… with just the strength of 8th level Expert Rank… you defeated me. How did you do it?"

His voice was filled with awe, his curiosity raw and genuine, like a child encountering something miraculous for the first time.

Max stood still, his chest heaving as he tried to calm his breath. The aftermath of that final clash had left him drained, not just physically but mentally. That golden palm, empowered by the Buddha shadow, was unlike anything he had ever faced.

Defending it had taken everything—his sword concept, his draconic strength, even a fragment of his infernal power. As the last remnants of pressure faded from his body, he finally managed to catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow.

As for Noah's question, Max could only smile wryly. What was he even supposed to say? That he'd been holding back most of his true strength? That he still had multiple concepts he hadn't even touched yet? That he used only a sliver of his Infernal Demon Transformation, just a flicker of that terrifying power? Of course not. That would invite more trouble than it was worth.

So instead, Max said the first thing that came to mind, stringing together the most nonsensical yet profound-sounding words he could muster. "To be truly invincible," he said, trying to sound mysterious and deep, "you must first believe, with absolute certainty, that you are invincible. There's no room for maybes, might, could or would—only can."

Noah blinked, his wide, curious eyes staring at Max in silence for a few seconds.

Max held his breath, unsure of how the guy would respond.

And then, slowly, Noah began to nod—slowly at first, then more confidently, like he was piecing together the ultimate puzzle of the universe. "Oh… oh, I see. I see now," he murmured, voice filled with awe.

His gaze turned distant, and for a terrifying moment, Max saw something shine in Noah's eyes—a strange flicker, the kind of light someone might have just before entering a state of enlightenment.

'No way… Don't tell me this guy is about to enter an enlightened state from that?' Max was horrified. He stared at Noah, almost expecting golden runes to start circling around him or some divine chant to fill the air.

But thankfully, the moment passed. Noah's eyes returned to normal, and he smiled with his usual warm, serene expression.

Max let out a silent sigh of relief. That had been too close. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally create another monstrous genius on the spot with a throwaway line of bullshit wisdom.

Noah was already too damn strong. Max didn't even want to imagine how much scarier he'd be if he had really attained enlightenment just now.