Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 815: Swamp

The hour that followed wasn’t particularly long, but for Max, who stood on the precipice of danger with threats mounting from all sides, it didn’t pass by peacefully either.

During that time, Princess Lyra stood beside him like a steady presence, her gaze sweeping across the other forces and factions with unflinching focus.

Every now and then, she would lean slightly closer and whisper another warning, naming faces and backgrounds, identities of those Max should avoid provoking under any circumstances.

Just as Max was absorbing another such caution, Lyra subtly gestured toward a group standing with quiet authority under a black and silver banner—the emblem of the Obsidian Order. ”You see that girl over there...”

She said in a low voice, nodding toward a girl standing near the center of the group. Max turned his eyes to the one she meant and spotted a young woman dressed in dark, elegant robes, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity as she looked around, as though the political tension around her didn’t exist at all.

She looked too carefree to be dangerous, but Max’s senses immediately caught something else—her strength. Third level of Legend Rank.

”What about her?” he asked, keeping his tone casual, but his brows already beginning to furrow.

”Her name is Luna,” Princess Lyra said, her expression tightening. ”She’s the daughter of the Obsidian Order’s mysterious leader. No one knows much about him, but the Four God Nation—all of them—are wary of him. Which means they’re wary of her too. Whatever happens inside, don’t offend her, Max. I’m serious.”

Max gave a calm nod, but inwardly, his curiosity ignited. What kind of power did the Obsidian Order possess to be feared by even the Four God Nation? He didn’t ask. There were too many questions, and the hour was already slipping away.

As it passed, Lyra continued to brief him about other individuals—some monstrous talents hidden among low ranks, others hires of powerful elders—each one a walking landmine Max needed to avoid if he didn’t want to trigger more enemies than he already had.

Then, just as the tension had become almost unbearable, a clear, commanding voice cut through the gathered crowd. ”The portal has fully stabilized. You will have three months. Keep that in mind,” President William of the Hunter Association announced, his voice booming with finality and power, spreading over the entire assembly like a divine decree.

In response, the crowd stirred at once. The members of the Seven Overlord Forces, followed by the elite geniuses from the many regions of the Middle Domain, began stepping forward, moving toward the portal in orderly streams.

The blue swirling light of the portal glowed brighter with every person who vanished into its depths.

”You all go too,” Emperor Hermes ordered firmly, his eyes lingering for a brief moment on Max before shifting to the rest of the Great Ruler Empire’s representatives.

Everyone nodded and began to move, filing toward the portal with focused expressions.

As Max prepared to follow them, Princess Lyra turned to him one last time, her voice soft but steady. ”Max, take care inside. Seriously. Don’t underestimate what’s waiting for you in there.”

Max met her gaze and nodded. ”I will.” With those parting words, he stepped forward and joined the others, his figure blending into the line of powerful young experts as he crossed the threshold of blue light and entered the secret domain.

As Max stepped through the shimmering blue light of the portal, the world shifted in an instant. A chilling dampness greeted him, and a foul stench curled into his nose before he had even opened his eyes.

When he finally did, he found himself standing ankle-deep in blackish-brown sludge, surrounded by an endless, eerie swamp. Gnarled trees loomed from the mist like skeletal hands, their twisted branches dripping with murky moss.

The ground was uneven, patches of bare dirt and mossy tufts scattered around stagnant pools of dark water. Strange bubbles rose and popped across the swamp’s surface, releasing a faint, rotten odor into the air.

Max’s lips curled in faint disgust, but he didn’t complain. He knew from Princess Lyra’s explanation that everyone who entered the secret domain was randomly transported—some landed in forests, others in deserts, and a few unfortunate souls might drop directly into monster nests.

By that standard, a swamp wasn’t so bad. He could work with this. Without hesitation, Max circulated his vital essence and formed a glowing shell of protective energy around his body to block the miasma and moisture in the air. A soft hum echoed as the shell solidified.

Then with a light push off the soft, mucky ground, he rose into the air and hovered several meters above the swamp. The higher vantage point offered a better view—though it only confirmed the vastness of the swamp.

It stretched endlessly in every direction, a sickly mix of blackened water, pale grass, and low-lying bushes that looked half-dead.

Occasionally, the skeletal remains of unknown creatures jutted from the marsh, alongside rusted weapons and shattered armor—relics of those who had once entered but never returned.

A quiet chill settled into Max’s heart. This place wasn’t just naturally dangerous—it was cursed with death. Monsters or not, this swamp was clearly a graveyard. He narrowed his eyes, considering his next move.

Then he reached into his storage space and summoned a carefully folded scroll. It was the rough map Princess Lyra had given him before departure—drawn by the Great Ruler Empire’s elders during their limited exploration of the domain.

According to Lyra, although the domain’s inner areas were unreachable due to ancient restrictions, the outer zones had been partially surveyed before the elders of the Middle Domain were forcibly expelled.

With careful fingers, Max unfurled the parchment mid-air and began comparing its details to the landmarks below. The misshapen clusters of dark trees, the scattered rock hills half-sunk in the mire, and the bend of a distant stream all lined up with one section of the map.

After a few moments of quiet examination, Max confirmed it—he was currently in the southwestern corner of the secret domain. That knowledge alone gave him a sense of direction.