---
title: "Chapter 1016: Caged Up"
slug: "ch-1022"
novel: "Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100"
number: 1022
views: 0
likes: 0
wordCount: 1024
createdAt: "2026-04-15"
---

Max’s gaze swept across them—Hermes, William, Liam, Lyra. His lips curled into a bitter smile. "Did you all know about this?" His voice dripped with accusation, but also carried a tinge of desperate hope. Hope that someone—anyone—would deny it.

But silence answered him.

The weight of it pressed heavier than chains.

Max’s laugh rang out, harsh and broken. "Of course you knew. Of course you’re all in this together." His fists trembled at his sides, lightning cracking.

"The team from the Four God Nation will arrive here tomorrow." Hermes said, his voice low but firm as he glanced at Lady Divine. The weight behind his words made the entire chamber fall into a brief silence.

Lady Divine nodded lightly, her calm eyes carrying a faint trace of regret as she turned to Max. "We are sorry for this, but you and the other Heaven Grade geniuses have already been arranged to enter the Heavenly Lord Secret Domain. Until that moment arrives, I cannot allow you to act freely. If I don’t restrict you, I fear you will throw yourself into unnecessary danger." Her palm shimmered faintly, and Max could already feel the suppressive runes tightening around him. "So, I can only make you immobile."

Max’s jaw tightened. He didn’t bother answering her. He simply glanced back, cold and unreadable, but deep in his chest he felt the familiar burn of distrust flaring stronger. In this whole damned world, he truly felt like no one could be trusted.

---

He was moved to another chamber later, but even this so-called "room" was nothing more than a prison cloaked in elegance. The red cubic prison Lady Divine had created surrounded him entirely, its translucent walls carved with faint runic patterns that pulsed like veins of blood. They didn’t bind his body, but they locked his freedom all the same. He knew she didn’t want him to slip away and go after his enemies before the time came.

Blob stayed with him inside, floating restlessly, his round form occasionally shifting in color. Lenavira lay unconscious on the bed to the side, her breathing shallow but steady. Before Hermes and William had left, she had whispered to Max in secret, telling him that she had found a way to remove the curse—but the situation hadn’t allowed her to say more.

The thought lingered in Max’s mind like an itch he couldn’t scratch, making the bitterness in his chest deepen. It only added to his growing suspicion. No one here was worth trusting. Not even those who smiled kindly.

That night, silence hung heavy over the room. Max sat cross-legged on the floor, his back straight, his hands resting loosely on his knees. His hair, usually a dark shade, was still burning with that strange red hue, glowing faintly under the flickering lights. The infernal energy around him didn’t calm down—it grew thicker, sharper, almost like a living flame crawling across his skin. Each breath he exhaled came out with a faint ripple of scorching heat.

"Max, you should calm down a bit and return to your normal form," Blob finally spoke, frowning as he hovered closer to the glowing red walls of the cubic prison. His small eyes reflected the ominous aura swirling around Max. "Your infernal energy is growing deeper by the second. This isn’t normal."

Max opened his eyes slowly. They glowed faintly with that same crimson burn, his voice flat and detached when he replied, "You don’t need to worry about that."

Blob’s expression darkened. "Don’t play it off. The last time you tried this... you know exactly what happened." His tone was firm, his usually casual demeanor absent.

But Max didn’t say anything. His eyes drifted past Blob, fixed instead on the runic walls of the cubic prison, as though he was reading something beyond the naked eye.

Blob sighed, his frown deepening. "I know you’re in control of your infernal energy. I’ve seen you train in that form countless times. You’ve gotten good at it, no doubt. But I’ve also seen what happens when you try to keep it for too long. Don’t make the same mistake again." His voice carried a rare trace of pleading, but also stern warning. "Switch back before it’s too late."

Max finally turned his head, his crimson eyes sliding toward Blob for just a second. But he didn’t answer. His mind was elsewhere—somewhere far away, buried in darker thoughts that even Blob couldn’t reach.

Just at that moment, the heavy silence in the room was broken. The door creaked open, its faint sound echoing inside the prison chamber. A soft breeze slipped in through the gap, carrying with it a trace of cool night air.

Max’s eyes, glowing faintly red beneath his lowered lashes, shifted toward the doorway.

Princess Lyra stepped inside, her royal robes trailing lightly behind her. Her expression was complicated—caught somewhere between guilt and determination. For a moment, she hesitated as her gaze fell on Max seated cross-legged within the glowing red cubic prison.

"I... am sorry," she finally said, her voice quieter than usual, almost trembling. "But this was the only way."

Max didn’t move. His crimson eyes stayed locked on her, silent, unyielding.

Lyra bit her lip, guilt flashing across her face. She took a small step closer, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "I know what you must be thinking—that we betrayed you, locked you away like some criminal. But you don’t understand."

Her voice grew steadier as she continued, forcing herself to explain. "Those twin demons that challenged you—we investigated them. And what we found..." She paused, exhaling slowly. "Their strength is at the peak of the Mythic Rank. You must realize what that means, Max. I know you’re extraordinary. I know you can fight above your rank. But you don’t understand how wide the gulf becomes at that level. In Mythic Rank, a single level isn’t just a step forward—it’s as vast as the entire Legend Rank put together. The very purpose of Mythic Rank is to build and store power, layer by layer, enough to impact the life and death cycles of the Divine Rank itself."