Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 771: Saying goodbyes

Shortly after, Max said his farewells to his team, exchanging promises to meet again soon. Then he found himself alone with Alice, wandering the quieter corridors of the Hunter Association tower, the afternoon light pouring in through tall crystalline windows and scattering rainbow hues across the floor.

She told Max about her living situation had completely changed as a princess of the Four God Nation. She told him her frustration over the months that she couldn’t tell others. She told him everything.

Max listened quietly. He could hear the time she spent in the Middle Domain hadn’t been good. Alice originally had a very free and unrestraint personality but as a princess of the Four God Nation, she had to act like them which she didn’t like one bit.

Max’s eyes softened, and he reached out, lightly touching her arm. ”I can tell you’re not happy living like that.”

”I’m not,” Alice confessed, her voice growing smaller. ”Sometimes I wish I’d never gone back. But... that’s impossible, isn’t it?”

Max was silent for a few moments, simply watching her, feeling the frustration radiating off her like heat. He thought about the girl he’d first met—spirited, fiery, with laughter that could light up an entire room. The difference between that Alice and the one standing before him now made his chest tighten.

”Has your mother or your brother been giving you trouble?” Max asked quietly. ”I know you always worried about them.”

Alice shook her head, managing a small, grateful smile. ”No. Mother and my brother... they’re actually good to me. They don’t force me as much as I thought they would. But the court... the elders... the weight of everything... It’s still there. Even if my family is kind to me, I still have to live up to what everyone else expects.”

Max nodded, relieved at least to know her family wasn’t the source of her greatest pain. ”That’s good, though. About your mother and brother, I mean. At least you have them on your side.”

Alice gave a quiet laugh, though there was little humor in it. ”It is... but sometimes I still feel alone.”

”You’re not alone, Alice,” Max said firmly, locking eyes with her. ”Remember that. No matter where you are, you have me.”

Alice stared at him for a moment, her eyes shimmering faintly, then quickly blinked away the wetness gathering there.

They spent the rest of the day together, wandering the city surrounding the Hunter Association, sharing simple conversations, laughter, and comfortable silences. Alice seemed lighter, freer, as though simply being with Max allowed her to breathe again.

But as evening fell, reality crept back in. Alice’s expression grew wistful as they stood before the teleportation runes that would send her back to her team.

”I wish I could stay longer, Max,” she murmured, clutching his hand. ”But I have to report back to the Four God Nation.”

”I know,” Max said softly, squeezing her fingers. ”I understand. And don’t worry. We’ll see each other again.”

Alice nodded, her eyes shimmering once more. ”Stay safe, Max.”

”You too, Princess,” Max teased gently.

Alice rolled her eyes, then leaned in and kissed his cheek sneakily when nobody was around, leaving a faint warmth lingering on his skin before she turned away and walked back toward her waiting team, her red hair swaying behind her like a silken flame.

Max watched her go, a quiet resolve settling in his chest. For now, their paths were separate—but he would make sure that things would not be like that in the future.

’Just wait for me to enter the Myth Rank,’ Max vowed silently, a hard glint flashing through his eyes as Alice’s figure lingered in his mind. He knew the path to power was long and merciless, but he was determined to ascend every step.

A day later, Max found himself back in the swirling activity of the Battle Realm, the colossal world thumping with the chaotic murmurs of people roaming in the Battle Realm. The chaos of voices, clashing weapons, and roaring announcements seemed to swirl around him like a living current.

As Max strolled through the wide marble corridors, his gaze sharp and searching, he began gathering the latest whispers and news echoing through the Middle Domain. He made subtle inquiries, listening to gossip from wandering traders, rogue experts, and even official news boards. His goal was singular—information on the star stone.

But after hours of eavesdropping and polite questioning, he realized it was futile. There was not a single piece of credible news regarding the star stone.

Max exhaled slowly, his brow furrowed. He understood perfectly why. Even a mere rumor of a star stone’s appearance would either be smothered in deadly secrecy or explode across the Middle Domain like wildfire, plunging entire regions into chaos and slaughter.

”I should go to the Obsidian Order,” Max murmured under his breath, his eyes glinting with quiet decision. ”But before that...” He paused, casting his gaze across the endless crowd surging through the avenues of the Battle Realm, a faint sneer curling his lips.

Max made his way through twisting corridors and stairways until he found a narrow alleyway tucked between towering walls of gleaming black stone, far from the noise and bustle of the crowd. The place was eerily quiet, the echoes of footsteps fading into hushed silence.

He turned abruptly, his voice slicing through the still air. ”How long are you going to follow me?” His tone was calm, but the edges of his words were sharp as blades.

For a few moments, there was only silence. The shadows seemed deeper here, the silence pressing close.

Max’s eyes narrowed, a glint of amusement and cold calculation flickering across his face. ”I know you’re there. You’re that guy from the Black Lotus Guild. There’s no point hiding from me. I’m also a member of the Black Lotus Guild, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

Still, nothing stirred. It was as though the shadows themselves were holding their breath. But just as Max was about to speak again, a faint ripple of movement swept through the darkness.

A figure stepped forward, emerging from an alcove where the shadows clung thick as velvet. It was Karl. His cloak fell back as he straightened, his eyes sharp and wary as they locked onto Max.

For a long moment, the two simply stared at each other. Karl’s expression was a complex blend of suspicion, and curiosity.