Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

But Arlen didn’t answer him with words, merely held his gaze for a long, silent moment, then reached into his storage ring and pulled out what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary, slightly tarnished bronze coin.

The simple object gleamed faintly under the constant flicker of lightning overhead, looking pitifully insignificant against the backdrop of such raw, elemental power.

Without uttering a single syllable, Arlen turned and flicked his wrist, sending the coin whistling through the storm-lashed air. It flew in a fast, precise arc and struck one of the many lightning essence stones nestled near the lake’s edge, making a sharp, metallic clink that echoed like a gunshot across the basin.

No sooner had the coin made contact than the heavens seemed to split open.

CRACKLE!

A monstrous bolt of purple lightning as thick as a tree trunk screamed down from the roiling clouds above, striking the exact spot where the coin had hit the stone. The impact was so violent that the entire ground quaked beneath their feet, throwing up shards of rock and sending a shockwave of searing wind and static electricity rushing outward.

A flash of blinding violet light momentarily washed out the entire landscape, leaving afterimages burning across their vision like ghostly scars.

Arlen, Lena, Sana, Varek, and Kael were all forced to stumble backward, raising arms or weapons instinctively to shield themselves as the force of the blast rippled outward, hissing steam rising from where droplets of rain evaporated in the heat. Sparks crackled across their skin, hair lifting from their scalps under the surge of static charge.

But Max—caught closest to the blast—didn’t retreat. He stood rooted to the spot, cloak whipping violently around his frame, his pupils narrowing to slits as arcs of violet lightning licked the edges of his black dragon scales where remnants of his earlier Dragon Scales Transformation still lingered.

His mouth fell slightly open, and an uncharacteristic tremor crept into his usually composed voice as he murmured, more to himself than anyone else, ”Just by touching the lightning essence stones can cause lightning to strike... so terrifying.” He swallowed hard, the realization sending a faint chill coursing down his spine as he glanced at his outstretched fingers, which had been only a single step away from reaching toward those stones moments earlier.

Max exhaled shakily, the weight of how close he’d just come to getting obliterated sinking in fully. He might have withstood such a strike thanks to his formidable defenses, but there was no denying the sheer, terrifying might contained in that single bolt of divine punishment from the sky.

Arlen blinked as Max turned toward him with a thoughtful expression and asked, ”Arlen, do you know how to take the stones without causing lightning to descend?”

Arlen shook his head, looking a bit helpless. ”I don’t know,” he admitted honestly, scratching the back of his neck. ”I just knew something would happen if you touched those stones because I went through the same thing with someone else before, back when we found flame essence stones.”

Max leaned in, curiosity lighting his features. ”And how did you guys manage to collect the flame essence stones, then?” he pressed, eager for any clue.

Arlen’s cheeks reddened slightly as he glanced away, voice dropping. ”I don’t know either... I left after leading the team there. My job was only to guide them to the place where the flame essence stones were. I didn’t stay for how they actually harvested them.” His words trailed off with a hint of embarrassment, shoulders slumping.

Max let out a long sigh, his mind already spinning with ideas, trying to figure out how to gather those tempting lightning essence stones without summoning another deadly bolt from the sky.

For a few moments, he stared at the stones, and then his lips curled into a faint smile as a clever thought struck him, eyes brightening as if he’d found the answer.

But just as he was about to act on his plan, the color drained from his face, his body tensing as his Three Dimensional Body swept the surroundings and picked up several unfamiliar figures quietly closing in on them from all directions.

”Who?!” Arlen shouted, his instincts flaring as he too sensed the encroaching presence, the air growing heavy with silent tension as they realized they were no longer alone.

”Huh, so it’s the trashes from the Great Ruler Empire,” sneered a cold, mocking voice, echoing suddenly through the clearing just as a group of people materialized out of nowhere and quickly surrounded Max, Arlen, and the others, cutting off any path of escape.

There were ten of them in total, and leading them stood a young man with bright red hair that glowed like fire even under the shifting light of the lightning-filled sky, his eyes sharp with cruel amusement.

”Arlen, you guys are trapped now,” the red-haired young man, whose name was Omar, announced with a loud, wild laugh that rang with both excitement and malice.

It turned out that Omar had been hunting for anyone from the Great Ruler Empire ever since he’d received word from Gyser, and the moment he found Max’s group, a smug, ruthless grin twisted across his face, as though he’d just stumbled upon a golden opportunity.

Narrowing his eyes, he barked out a threat. ”Hand over all your storage artifacts, and I’ll let you leave.” His voice dripped with arrogance, making it clear he fully expected them to comply.

Arlen, Lena, and the rest of their companions stiffened, their expressions growing grim—not merely because of Omar’s threats, but also because of the intimidating lineup standing behind him.

Among Omar’s group, there was one expert who had reached the 7th level of Champion Rank, three others at the 6th level, and the remaining were all masters at the 4th and 5th levels of Champion Rank, each radiating a powerful aura that pressed down on the surroundings.

Judging from their presence and the matching insignias on their clothes, it was obvious they were all 2-star geniuses hailing from Thunder Monarch Hall.

As Omar’s eyes flickered past Max’s group toward the lake behind them, his lips curved into a greedy smile, his gaze locked on the countless glittering lightning essence stones scattered like stars around the lake’s edge.

”You guys are my lucky charm,” he said with a low, triumphant chuckle, his voice thick with greed. ”To think there’d be so many lightning essence stones here... it was definitely the right decision to track you down.”