Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 1538  Guideʼs Garage!

Lucia gave a small nod. ”As always, thank you, Rose.”

Rose let out a small laugh, a hint of amusement appearing on her face. ”Do not thank me too early,” she said. ”I am not doing this for free. Even if you are my friend, I will still charge you.”

Lucia waved her hand lightly, smiling. ”Yes, yes, we will settle that later.”

With that, she turned and led Max and Isabella toward the group gathered behind Rose.

The group consisted of five individuals. Two of them were young women, standing slightly apart with calm but alert expressions, while the other three were young men whose gazes carried a mix of curiosity and indifference.

None of them made any effort to approach Lucia or her group, and Lucia did not attempt to initiate contact either. Both sides maintained a quiet distance, understanding the unspoken rule of such gatherings.

Here, people traveled together.

But they did not trust each other.

Max stood beside Lucia, his eyes scanning the surroundings once more before he finally asked, ”What exactly is this place?”

Lucia answered calmly, her gaze sweeping across the area as if she had seen it countless times before. ”This place does not have an official name,” she said. ”But most people call it the Guideʼs Garage.”

Max raised his brows slightly, listening.

”This is where people come to find guides,” Lucia continued. ”Individuals like Rose. They know Orion better than anyone else, and they sell that knowledge.”

She paused briefly before adding, ”Of course, none of it comes for free.”

Max nodded slowly, beginning to understand.

”For people like us who are unfamiliar with Orion, a guide is the most important asset we can have,” Lucia said. ”This planet is not something you can navigate blindly. There are hidden dangers everywhere. Some you can see, and some you cannot. Without proper knowledge, even a strong cultivator can die here without realizing what killed them.”

Her tone grew more serious as she continued. ”Guides like Rose have spent years, sometimes even decades, roaming this planet. They have survived its dangers, mapped its regions, and gathered experience that cannot be replaced by strength alone.”

She then looked at Max directly. ”Because of that, anyone who comes to Orion with the intention of exploring it properly will first find a guide. It is the safest way to move through this place.”

A brief pause followed before she concluded, her voice steady. ”Otherwise, if you walk blindly on Orion, you might not even realize the moment you step into death.”

Max nodded slowly after hearing Luciaʼs explanation, his understanding of Orion deepening with every passing moment. The place was far more complex than he had initially imagined. It was not just a battlefield of strength, but a world where knowledge, experience, and instinct determined whether one lived or died.

However, just as his thoughts settled, a voice suddenly echoed from a distance.

”Lucia… is that you?!”

The voice carried both surprise and something else hidden beneath it.

Max, Isabella, and Lucia all turned toward the source of the sound.

A group of cultivators was approaching them, led by a young man whose presence immediately stood out. His aura was sharp, his posture confident, and his eyes carried a faint arrogance that made it clear he was not someone accustomed to being ignored. As he walked closer, his gaze locked directly onto Lucia.

Luciaʼs expression changed instantly.

The calm composure she had maintained until now shattered.

Her face darkened, and for a brief moment, her eyes flickered with something deeper. Memories she had buried seemed to resurface, pulling her back into a past she had clearly not wanted to revisit. Her body stiffened slightly, and even her breathing seemed to falter.

The young man noticed everything.

A sneer slowly spread across his face.

”Lucia,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery, ”I did not expect to see you here again after what happened last time.”

His words were casual, but they carried a sharp edge that cut deep.

His gaze then shifted toward Max and Isabella, scanning them from head to toe before a faint smile appeared on his lips. ”What is this?” he continued. ”One at the peak of Rebirth Realm, and another barely at the first level of Law Awakening Realm.” He let out a low chuckle. ”Lucia, are you trying to lead them to their deaths as well this time?”

Each word landed heavily.

Lucia trembled slightly.

The despair in her eyes grew more visible, as if the young manʼs presence alone was enough to drag her into something she could not escape from.

Maxʼs expression darkened.

ʼWho is this guy?ʼ he thought, his gaze sharpening as he observed the interaction.

He could clearly see that Lucia was being affected, not physically, but mentally. Whatever had happened between them in the past, it was not something trivial. The young man was not just mocking her. He was deliberately pressing on a wound.

Max did not like that.

Not even a little.

Without any hesitation, Max stepped forward, positioning himself slightly ahead of Lucia as if drawing a clear line between her and the young man.

He lifted his gaze and looked directly at the young man.

For a brief moment, the two locked eyes.

Then Max spoke.

”Can you leave?”

His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion, as if he was stating something obvious rather than making a request.

The young man paused, clearly caught off guard. It was not the words alone, but the tone in which they were delivered that unsettled him. There was no hesitation, no fear, and no attempt to soften the statement. It was as if Max had no regard for who he was or what he represented.

Before the young man could respond, Max continued.

”You smell bad,” he said, his expression completely serious, as if he genuinely found the situation unpleasant. ”I cannot stand the smell coming from you. It is irritating. So can you go away?”

The words landed heavily.

For a brief moment, the entire area fell into silence.

The group behind the young man froze, their expressions shifting in shock as they struggled to process what they had just heard. Even Isabella, who had seen Maxʼs boldness before, blinked slightly, not expecting him to speak in such a blunt and unapologetic manner in a place like this.

The young man stood still.

At first, his expression stiffened, as if his mind had not yet caught up with what had been said. It was almost as if he could not believe that someone had just spoken to him like that, especially in front of so many people.

Then, slowly, his face began to darken.

The faint arrogance that had once lingered in his eyes twisted into something far colder, far sharper. His gaze locked onto Max, and the hostility within it grew rapidly, like a flame being fed with fuel.

”What did you just say?” he asked, his voice low and controlled, yet filled with restrained anger that threatened to break free at any moment.

Max did not react. There was no change in his expression, no sign that he had noticed the shift in atmosphere. Instead, he simply looked at the young man as if nothing had happened and repeated his words in the same calm tone.

”I said you smell bad. It is irritating. If you have nothing important to say, then leave.”

The air around them grew tense, as if the space itself had tightened under the weight of the moment.

The young manʼs expression completely collapsed into fury.

In all his time on Orion, he had never been spoken to like this. Not once. Not by anyone. Especially not in front of others. The casual nature of Maxʼs words, the complete lack of respect, and the absolute indifference in his tone struck deeper than any direct provocation could have.