---
title: "Chapter 1169: Devouring Essence Flames"
slug: "ch-1175"
novel: "Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100"
number: 1175
views: 0
likes: 0
wordCount: 1103
createdAt: "2026-04-15"
---

’My flames are devouring in nature,’ Max thought calmly. ’They consume everything. They leave nothing behind.’

The memory of his black flames flickered across his mind—those dreadful fires that could eat through even divine energy. His flames did not nurture; they ended. They didn’t create balance; they consumed imbalance. His path had never been one of mercy. It was about dominance—about absolute control over destruction.

For hours, Max searched within the layers of the flame pillar. His consciousness through his Three Dimensional Body traveled deeper and deeper, through the roaring light and the screaming heat.

The flames formed landscapes, rivers of lava, and vortexes of molten energy as if responding to his presence. Every shape that appeared tested his understanding. A phoenix made of golden light flew past him, then a serpent of crimson smoke that whispered of immortality. But Max ignored them all.

He continued walking through the inferno of his mind, searching for one particular resonance—the one that called to his soul.

Time lost meaning. The molten waves flowed endlessly, and the pillar’s roars became distant echoes in his perception. Then, finally, he felt it—a pull deep within the sea of fire, darker and heavier than anything he had encountered so far.

’There you are,’ Max thought, his eyes opening slightly as he located the source.

Buried at the deepest core of the flame pillar was a cluster of flames that defied logic. They weren’t bright but dark. Instead of releasing light, they swallowed it. The air around them trembled violently, and even the other flames kept their distance, flickering nervously as though terrified of their presence.

These flames radiated a terrifying aura of hunger. They devoured even the heat of the surrounding space.

Devouring Essence Flames.

The moment Max’s eyes fell upon them, his entire body tensed. The pillar’s temperature surged violently, and for an instant, the air seemed to vanish from his lungs. The flames reacted to his attention, roaring like an ancient beast waking from slumber.

He could feel their will pressing against his soul. They weren’t asking to be understood—they were demanding to be conquered.

"This is it," Max whispered, his gaze firm. "The essence that suits my path."

Without hesitation, he extended his hand toward the heart of the flame pillar. The moment his soul touched the Devouring Essence Flames, agony shot through him. His skin cracked under the pressure, and streams of black fire erupted from his arms as if his own flames were trying to resist the intrusion.

Yet Max didn’t back down. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure. "You think you can devour me?" he muttered under his breath. "Then let’s see who devours who."

The two flames clashed—the black infernal flames within Max against the ancient Devouring Essence Flames of the pillar. The surrounding area shook as molten waves exploded outward. Dozens of geniuses nearby were forced to retreat, shielding themselves as the heat storm swept through the area.

Inside that storm, Max’s body was wrapped in black and red light. His infernal energy surged wildly, intertwining with the devouring essence that burned through his veins. The pain was unimaginable, but beneath it, there was understanding—truth unveiling itself through suffering.

As the storm slowly subsided, Max’s eyes opened again. The flames around him had calmed. The Devouring Essence Flames no longer resisted him. Instead, they circled around his body like loyal beasts acknowledging their master.

At the heart of his palm, a single spark burned silently—dark, yet infinitely radiant.

He had found it.

The flame that truly belonged to him.

The path that would lead him toward the Fourth Level Concept of Flames.

Even though Max had yet to comprehend the Devouring Flame Essence fully, he could feel with absolute certainty that this was his path.

The connection between his soul and the dark essence flame was undeniable, a resonance that echoed through his body and spirit alike. It was as if the flames themselves had recognized him—not as an intruder, but as something born from the same origin.

He sat before the towering pillar, the waves of heat rising and twisting around him like serpents. Closing his eyes, he extended his senses once more, letting the energy of the Devouring Essence Flames seep into his consciousness.

His mind trembled at the sheer weight of it. This flame was more than destruction. It was an absolute void, consuming everything—matter, energy, even the light that dared to exist near it.

Max’s breathing steadied. His heartbeat slowed until it matched the rhythm of the flickering black fire within the pillar. Slowly, his soul began to synchronize with the rhythm of the Devouring Essence Flames, but the deeper he tried to understand, the more chaotic the energy became.

It was like trying to contain a storm within his mind. Each attempt left him mentally exhausted, the fire inside his consciousness threatening to consume him whole.

He opened his eyes and exhaled deeply. "No," he murmured quietly. "It’s not submission that these flames demand. It’s understanding."

Max stood and stepped back. His gaze locked on the core of the Devouring Essence Flames as they danced inside the pillar, shifting from pitch black to a faint violet hue. Each flicker carried a truth—a lesson in destruction and rebirth intertwined.

For a long time, he simply stared at them, watching how they devoured the lesser flames nearby. Yet, in that consumption, there was no mindless hunger. The flames devoured because that was their law, their nature, their purpose.

"It’s not about burning everything to ash," Max said softly, his voice echoing in the empty trial ground. "It’s about balance through consumption."

With that realization, he closed his eyes and entered his Dimension of Time.

The endless white void of the dimension greeted him, still and silent. Time here flowed a thousand times slower than outside, allowing him to study the flames in their most fundamental state. He replayed the movements of the Devouring Essence Flames in his memory, tracing how each pulse of their existence absorbed and transformed energy.

Days passed inside his Dimension of Time, though only moments flowed in the real world. Yet, despite all his efforts, Max found himself hitting a wall. No matter how deep he delved into the structure of the flame essence, he couldn’t grasp its core meaning.

Frustrated, he exited the dimension and opened his eyes again in the trial world. The pillar still stood before him, its dark flames dancing quietly as if mocking him. Max stood there in silence, his gaze fixed on them once more.

"I am missing something," he whispered. "You devour, but why?"