---
title: "Chapter 77: Teacher or Master?"
slug: "ch-77"
novel: "Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100"
number: 77
views: 0
likes: 0
wordCount: 1289
createdAt: "2026-04-13"
---

The crowd went wild at Max’s announcement. They hadn’t expected him to directly challenge Killian Blade, and never in their wildest dreams did they imagine he would do it in such a high-profile manner.

It stunned them for a moment.

The new monstrous genius, with his undefeatable winning streak, challenging the number one in the Novice Rankings drove everyone into a frenzy. Such events were rare in the Battle Realm, so Max’s challenge shocked the entire Battle Realm.

After declaring his challenge, Max swiftly left the Battle Realm.

Outside the Battle Cube, in the Battle Hall, both Alice and Max emerged.

"That’s quite a bold challenge," Alice said, smiling.

Max nodded. "It has to be bold. Otherwise, Killian would just make excuses like ’I’m not strong enough’ or ’First defeat those below me’ or something like that. That’s why I made the announcement. I believe he should accept my challenge now."

Alice nodded and was about to say something when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure observing them.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Alice asked as she happily ran towards her.

Max turned to see a middle-aged woman with red hair standing on the other side of the hall, her eyes glaring daggers at him.

’How come Alice didn’t notice the strange look she’s giving me?’ Max wondered as he quietly followed Alice.

Alice introduced her mother to Max. "Max, meet my mother. She’s the Leader of our guild."

Max nodded and bowed respectfully. "It’s an honor to meet you, Guild Leader."

Aurelia studied Max for a moment before speaking. "I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately."

Max smiled wryly. "Master Sophia asked me to win as many battles as I could, and I did just that."

Aurelia glanced at him and turned to Alice. "You go and lead Max to Sophia. She told me she had something for him."

Alice nodded and turned to Max. "Let’s go." She said, leading the way.

Max glanced between Aurelia and Alice before quietly following Alice.

’That was intimidating,’ Max thought, sighing. When he stood before Aurelia just a moment ago, he felt an intimidating aura pressing down on him, but strangely, the pressure was very light.

Meanwhile, Aurelia watched her daughter and Max disappear and thought. ’He is indeed a bit special, as Sophia mentioned.’

--- Discover stories with empire

Along the way to the Arcane Order, Max, with a tone that suggested mild complaint, said to Alice, "Your mother is the Guild Leader, and you didn’t tell me about it before."

Alice stuck her tongue out, saying, "I thought you already knew."

Max sighed wryly. "I only knew that the leader of the Phoenix Order was a lady called Aurelia."

He added, "And although I guessed you had a unique and high status in the guild, I couldn’t be certain."

Alice smiled. "Everyone in the guild knows that."

Max shook his head. "Yeah, everyone." His expression grew serious as he added, "But your mother was looking at me like she’d kill me with her eyes."

Alice chuckled. "Hehe, my mother is like that with everyone."

Max sighed.

After some time, they arrived at the Arcane Order.

"Big Sis told me to bring you here after your time in the Battle Realm," Alice said as she led Max towards the only castle-like modern building in the area.

Max became curious. "Do you know what it’s about?" he asked.

Alice smiled. "I know, but I won’t tell you." With that, she sprinted away from Max.

Max smiled as he followed behind her.

---

In a world supported by red flames as pillars, the ground was made of black tiles, scorched by the flames. A small, cloud-like white bubble floated in the air, and atop it sat Sophia Ember, the Master of the Arcane Order.

Standing not too far from her was a young man with silver-white hair.

"Max, from now on, I will be teaching you anything you want to learn," Sophia said to Max, surprising him.

Max asked, "I thought that would only happen after I defeat Killian?"

Sophia chuckled. "That was the plan, but I underestimated your strength a little."

Max nodded in understanding. "I want to learn about Aura and Concepts."

Sophia leaned her head on her hand and asked, "Tell me, what do you understand about Aura?"

Max pondered for a moment and said, "It’s better if I show you." He extended his hand, and flames erupted from it.

Focusing on the flames, Max infused them with Flame Aura, causing the intensity of the flames to burn hotter and fiercer than before. If the previous flames on Max’s hand were controlled, the Aura-augmented flames were like a surge of power on steroids.

"Level 1 Flame Aura?" Sophia exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief as she stared at Max in shock.

She had thought she might have underestimated his talent before, but now, seeing him effortlessly wield Flame Aura, she realized she had been completely mistaken. This wasn’t just talent—it was something far beyond ordinary.

It wasn’t simply a case of underestimating him. No, she had failed to recognize the truth: hidden deep within Max wasn’t just potential—it was a monster, waiting to reveal itself.

Sophia composed herself and asked, "So, what did your Aura do to your flames?"

Max replied after some thought. "It amplified them."

Sophia nodded thoughtfully and began to explain. "Aura has three levels in total. Regardless of how advanced one’s Aura might be, its primary purpose is to amplify attacks by infusing them with the essence of the Aura itself. However," she continued, her tone turning serious, "this is also where the limitations of Aura lie. It can only enhance—it cannot transcend."

"And that’s where Concept comes in," Sophia continued, her voice tinged with reverence. "Concept is on an entirely different level. It’s said to have five distinct stages, each unlocking incredible abilities. Once someone masters a Concept, they can achieve feats that defy imagination—like creating a domain that bends reality to their will, or striking down opponents from miles away with a mere thought."

Max’s expression turned full of astonishment as he heard her.

She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "Concept isn’t just about power; it’s about control and understanding, a true mastery over the very essence of an element or force."

Max nodded in understanding and asked, "What level of Concept do you have?"

Sophia smiled sweetly. "Kiddo, you sure have a sharp tongue but I will tell you I’m just at level 2 Concept of Flames."

"Level 2?" Max muttered, feeling that it was too low for someone of her strength.𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Sophia saw Max’s expression and glared. "You think my level of Concept is too low?"

Max gulped and shook his head. "Definitely not. I was just thinking the weather is nice today."

"Hehe, kid, I know what you’re thinking," Sophia smirked at Max and said. "You will understand in the future why mastering a Concept is a hundred times, if not a thousand times, more difficult than Aura."

Max nodded, his brows furrowing in contemplation. "I have one more problem. How do I increase the level of Aura I’ve mastered? I’ve tried doing things, but nothing has worked so far."

"Hehe," Sophia chuckled. "That’s where the real difficulty lies. Understanding an Aura and leveling it up are two different things."

She gave some advice. "For now, stabilize your Flame Aura. I’ve noticed your control over Flame Aura is still very unstable, likely because it hasn’t been long since you learned it. So, I want you to have complete mastery over your level 1 Flame Aura. Focus on that first, and I’ll tell you later on how to increase its level."