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268 lines
7.7 KiB
Markdown
268 lines
7.7 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "Chapter 276: Exploded"
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slug: "ch-276"
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novel: "Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100"
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number: 276
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views: 0
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likes: 0
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wordCount: 1216
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createdAt: "2026-04-13"
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---
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"I would like to have some words with the geniuses of the South Region."
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The masked figure's voice was calm, composed, but slightly hoarse—a subtle distortion, deliberately altered.
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A calculated move.
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A voice that was unrecognizable, ensuring no one would connect it to the name "Max."
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Because if they did, things would get complicated.
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Crown Prince Aelric's frown deepened.
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His sharp, analytical mind immediately began assessing the situation.
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Just moments ago, he had successfully de-escalated the situation with the South Region's geniuses. He had convinced Arthur to step down—even if it was only a temporary retreat.
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But now—
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Someone had just appeared out of nowhere, inserting themselves into the confrontation with deliberate intent.
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Someone unknown.
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Someone masked.
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And most concerning of all—someone whose aura was completely unreadable.
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Aelric's gaze sharpened as he tried to sense the masked figure's strength.
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Nothing.
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That wasn't normal.
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Even with the most advanced concealment techniques, a warrior's general presence could always be vaguely sensed—whether they were stronger or weaker, whether they were dangerous or insignificant.
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But this person?
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He felt nothing distinct.
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No sharp spikes of energy.
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No fluctuating power waves.
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It was like trying to grasp fog with his hands—a presence that seemed to hover at the Peak of Adept Rank but then falling as low as Apprentice Rank.
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That in itself was unnerving.
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Who is he?
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And more importantly—why is he here?
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Crown Prince Aelric kept his expression composed, but there was a sharp edge to his gaze as he addressed the masked intruder.
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"Dear guest, don't cause any trouble here."
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His voice remained polite, but there was an unmistakable authority behind it. Aelric wasn't merely requesting—he was subtly warning.
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The Sun Palace was under his jurisdiction, and he wasn't about to let a nameless figure in a mask disrupt its peace.
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The masked figure—Max—slowly turned his head, his movements measured and calm.
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His gaze, though hidden behind the featureless blue mask, locked onto Aelric for a brief moment.
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Then, in a voice steady and unaffected, he spoke.
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"I will make sure I don't cause any trouble."
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Aelric studied him for a moment longer, as if trying to gauge his sincerity.
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Then, he gave a small, diplomatic smile and nodded.
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Satisfied—at least on the surface.
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But before he could move away, Max turned back to the South Region group—
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And then, he smirked.
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A slow, deliberate sneer—one that carried nothing but mockery.
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And then, in a tone dripping with sarcasm and disdain, he spoke words that shattered the garden's silence.
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"I have heard a lot of things about the South Region."
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His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear—intentional, calculated.
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Every guests in the vicinity turned their attention back to him, their curiosity instantly rekindled.
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And then—
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He delivered the blow.
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"They say the so-called geniuses there are the trash of all trash. So weak that not a single one of them could survive an attack against an opponent of the same level."
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Silence.
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Pure, stunned silence.
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Eyes widened.
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Breaths caught.
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Even the wind seemed to still, as if nature itself had paused to register what had just been said.
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Princess Aveline's mouth fell open slightly, her usual composure breaking as she stared in absolute disbelief.
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Alice froze, her expression stuck somewhere between shock and barely-contained amusement.
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Even Crown Prince Aelric, who had just acknowledged the masked figure's promise of "not causing trouble," was left utterly speechless.
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Did this man just… say that? Out loud?
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But Max wasn't finished.
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Not even close.
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Max took a slow step forward, his posture relaxed yet dominating as he addressed Arthur, Nathan, Tom, and the other South Region elites.
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His tone remained smooth, casual—as if he were simply discussing an interesting rumor.
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"They also say that everyone in the South is just talk."
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Another pause.
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A sharp, tangible shift in the air.
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Every member of the South Region's group stiffened, their expressions turning dark with rage.
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Nathan's hands clenched into fists, his face already flushing with anger.
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Tom's usual cocky smirk vanished, his lips pressing into a thin, tight line.
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And Arthur—
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Arthur's eyes burned with barely contained fury.
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But Max wasn't done mocking them.
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He tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely curious, before delivering the final provocation.
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"Tell me something, are these claims true?"
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His words hung in the air, sharp like the edge of a blade.
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Then—
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His tone dropped an octave, filled with open scorn.
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"Because I am genuinely curious… If your so-called geniuses are really just weaklings, why do you bother picking fights with other groups?"
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A pause.
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Then—
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He grinned, the sneer beneath his mask practically visible in the way his voice dripped with contempt.
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"I alone can handle all of you pieces of trash."
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If the garden had been silent before, it exploded now.
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Gasps rang out.
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Murmurs rippled through the crowd, the tension reaching a fever pitch.𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
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"Did he just… insult the entire South Region?"
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"Not just insult… he outright called their geniuses trash!"
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"Hah! This is getting interesting. Who the hell is this guy? He's got guts."
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"He's insane! Is he trying to start a war?"
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Princess Aveline blinked repeatedly, trying to process what just happened.
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Alice, despite herself, let out a small, choked laugh, quickly covering her mouth as if horrified by her own reaction.
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Crown Prince Aelric, meanwhile, closed his eyes briefly.
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A headache.
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He had just asked the masked figure to not cause trouble.
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And now?
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Now, he had declared war with words in the most blatant and public way possible.
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But the most violent reaction came from—
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The South Region's geniuses.
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Arthur's eyes twitched, his aura surging.
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Nathan's rage was nearly uncontrollable, his entire body shaking with fury.
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Tom stepped forward, his voice sharp with anger.
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"You bastard! You think we'll just take that insult?"
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Max merely tilted his head, as if considering the words.
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Then, he chuckled.
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"That depends. Do you plan to prove me wrong?"
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A simple statement.
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Yet, it was the final push.
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Arthur exhaled sharply, then—smirked.
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It wasn't an expression of amusement.
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It was the kind of smirk that preceded violence.
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Every word Max spoke was like a dagger piercing the hearts of the South Region's geniuses.
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It wasn't just an insult—it was a challenge to their very existence.
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Their pride.
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Their legacy.
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The South Region had always been known for its unyielding arrogance and unruly attitude.
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They were lawless. They feared nothing.
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And now—
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Here stood a masked stranger, brazenly mocking them in front of everyone, tearing down their prestige with nothing but words.
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Their world tilted, their pride shattered—and their rage ignited.
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Then—
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Arthur snapped.
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His face twisted with fury, his aura surging like a violent storm as his teeth gritted together.
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"How dare you speak so foul about the South?!"
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His voice boomed across the garden, raw with anger.
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Then—his eyes turned cold.
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Dangerous.
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"I will show you the true level of a South Region genius!"
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And with those words—
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He moved.
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His body dissolved into a thick mist, his form vanishing into the air, dispersing into an ethereal vapor that spread out in an instant.
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The mist rushed toward Max, moving like a phantom, as if ready to swallow him whole.
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Arthur was fully intent on teaching this masked fool a painful lesson.
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But just before the mist could reach Max— |