Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

For the first time, a smile appeared on Cain's face.

It was subtle.

Cold.

Almost amused.

"Well chosen."

Max tensed for a fraction of a second.

A strange feeling crawled up his spine, his instincts screaming at him—warning him.

Had he just stepped into a trap?

'Did I make the wrong choice?'

The question echoed in his mind, but it was too late now.

The decision had been made.

There was no turning back.

Cain's smile remained as he spoke, his voice smooth, calm—absolute.

"Let me tell you about the Ascension Ceremony."

His words were deliberate, each one dripping with an inevitability that made Max's expression darken.

"You will fight an Ascendant."

A pause.

"If you win, you will have the choice to join the Ascendants or decline."

Cain's black eyes shimmered slightly as he continued.

"But if you lose…"

The air grew heavy.

"Then you lose your right to choose."

"And you will have to join the Ascendants—whether you like it or not."

The rules were simple.

Brutal.

Unforgiving.

Max's face darkened.

A ceremony? A recruitment drive?

No.

This was forced conscription.

If he lost, he would lose everything.

Not just the battle.

Not just his future.

His freedom.

And Max never bowed to chains.

His fists clenched.

There was no other option now.

He had to win.

Max exhaled slowly, his eyes turned sharp.

"Alright." His voice was steady, unwavering. "Who is my opponent?"

Cain nodded approvingly, as if he had expected Max to remain calm despite the weight of the situation.

He didn't waste time.

He simply called out a name.

"Evan."

The moment the name was spoken—

A figure materialized in front of Cain.

Max's eyes narrowed slightly.

His opponent.

A young man, likely in his early twenties, with piercing green eyes that held an edge of both calculated arrogance and calm control.

His black hair flowed down to his shoulders, silky and neat.

His face was pale—unnaturally pale—almost too smooth, too flawless, yet there was a sharpness to him.

A predator disguised in elegance.

Evan turned to Cain, his expression unwavering.

"I won't disappoint."

Cain smiled, his tone light. "Just do your best."

No pressure. No expectations.

Just a casual command.

Max observed that small interaction closely.

There was no sense of hierarchy between them.

Evan wasn't looking at Cain like a superior—he was simply following orders as a matter of fact.

Evan then turned to him, his green eyes gleaming faintly in the dim light.

"Before we begin, let me introduce myself properly."

His voice was smooth, but there was a faint mockery beneath it.

"I am Evan McAllen."

Max met his gaze, nodding slightly.

"Max Morgan."

He didn't add any flair, any excessive words.

He simply watched. Calculated. Waited.

'His strength is at the peak of Adept Rank… Something I can handle.'

That was what his senses told him.

Evan's calm, piercing gaze met Max's as he spoke, his voice unshaken, confident.

"Since you will be one of us, I warn you—you are not my match."

His words weren't just boastful—they carried absolute certainty.

"I have seen your battles. Even your strongest attacks don't hold a candle against me."

"So, for your own good—just admit defeat and get this over with."

Max let out a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

'Just when I thought he was different…'

For a moment, when Evan had introduced himself, Max had thought—maybe—he wasn't just another arrogant Ascendant.

But clearly, he had spoken too soon.

'They always do this.'

They always assumed their strength was absolute, that their victory was certain.

It was a cycle of arrogance that Max had seen far too many times.

In Battle Realm.

He didn't even need to reply.

His expression alone said it all.

And Evan noticed.

His brows furrowed slightly, irritation flickering across his otherwise calm face.

"You're not taking me seriously, I see."

His voice held no anger, only a hint of disapproval.

Max shrugged.

"It's not a question of taking you seriously."

His eyes locked onto Evan, unblinking, sharp.

"It's your arrogance. I just don't like your attitude."

A beat of silence.

Evan's green eyes darkened slightly.

Then—he shook his head.

"Then there is nothing I can do."

His voice was as composed as ever, but there was an undeniable finality to it.

He turned away, looking at Cain.

"Shall we start?"

Cain was about to nod.

But before he could—

"Wait!"

Max's voice cut through the air.

Cain's head tilted slightly, his black eyes gleaming with mild curiosity. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire

Even Evan turned back, his expression unreadable.

Max smiled, his expression relaxed, but his mind was anything but.

"I need five hours."

His voice was calm, yet firm.

"You can give me a few hours to prepare, right? After all, this battle will decide my life, so I have to prepare accordingly."

"Therefore, I need five hours before I'll be ready to fight."

Cain's expression didn't shift.

Not a flicker of emotion crossed his face as he responded flatly.

"Five hours won't change anything."

His voice was as smooth as ever, completely indifferent.

But Max didn't back down.

His eyes locked onto Cain's, unblinking.

"I still want it."

The air grew heavier.

Then—

A new voice cut through the silence.

"From what I'm aware, one can get 24 hours of time to prepare for the Ascension Ceremony, right?"

The gathered warriors turned toward the speaker.

Aurelia.

Her golden eyes flickered between Max and Cain, unwavering.

"There is another rule in the Ascension Ceremony," she continued, voice steady. "It allows the chosen participant to have 24 hours of preparation before the battle begins."

Others hearing her were surprised.

They didn't know there existed such a rule.

Max frowned a bit seeing her but he shrugged it off seeing she was speaking in his favor.

Cain's gaze finally shifted.

He turned toward Aurelia, a slow smile forming on his face.

Not a mocking smile.

Not a friendly one.

Just… acknowledgment.

"There is indeed such a rule."

His voice remained light, but his words carried a strange weight.

"But if no one knows about this rule, or if no one mentions it before the ceremony begins—"

His black eyes gleamed.

"Then there is nothing I can do."

A long pause followed.

Then—

He raised his hand.

And the Ascendants began to move.

One by one, their figures ascended toward the massive rift above, their bodies vanishing into the abyss of darkness.

Cain glanced at Max one last time.

"However, since you have mentioned it—"

A beat.

"I will allow Max to have 24 hours of time to prepare."

Max's shoulders relaxed slightly, though his mind remained razor-sharp.

24 hours.

That was all he had.

Cain gave one final look, his voice smooth and unshaken.

"After 24 hours, the Ascension Ceremony will begin. You will fight Evan."

And with that—

The last of the Ascendants disappeared into the crack in the sky.

With Cain.

As they left, so did the rift itself.

The fractures across the sky sealed, the air returned to normal.

It was as if they had never been there.

But everyone knew better.

Max exhaled slowly.

24 hours.

One day to prepare.

For others one day wouldn't mean anything.

But for him—

It was a different matter altogether.