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---
title: "Chapter 296: Into the Divine Palace"
slug: "ch-296"
novel: "Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100"
number: 296
views: 0
likes: 0
wordCount: 1486
createdAt: "2026-04-13"
---

Final Preparations

Max sat cross-legged in the training room. Eyes closed. Breath steady.

Then—his mind drifted.

A familiar pull. A shift in reality.

The Dimension of Time.

The world around him faded. A void stretched endlessly. Time slowed. Or rather, he moved beyond it.

Here, minutes became hours. Hours became days.

And he used every second.

Polishing. Refining. Perfecting.

His techniques sharpened. His skills became more fluid. Every movement, every ability—honed to its peak.

But he didn't stay locked away.

Every now and then, he pulled himself back to reality.

Callie was preparing, too. And between training, they talked. About strategies. About the expedition. About things unrelated to battle—distractions to keep their minds from the weight of what lay ahead.

Time moved fast.

Before they knew it, two days had passed.

Now—it was time.

The Mourning Depths awaited.

***

The West Region.

At the farthest edge, where mountains met dense forests, stood a massive palace.

Long. Towering. Seven floors high.

A fortress of power.

Outside, a crowd had gathered.

Hundreds of figures. Geniuses at Seeker Rank. Warriors at Expert Rank. Even those at the very peak of Expert Rank stood among them.

All waiting. All anticipating.

Max stood among them, turning slightly toward Klaus. His featureless mask covered his face. His black hoodie concealed his identity.

To the outsiders, he was just another member of the Black Lotus Guild.

They didn't need to know the truth.

His voice was calm. "Where is the entrance to the Mourning Depths?"

Klaus smirked. "Closed, for now."

Max raised a brow beneath his mask. "Closed?"

Klaus nodded, voice relaxed. "The Mourning Depths erupted a few hours ago. The Divine Palace must have sealed all entrances by now."

Max's eyes narrowed. "Erupted?"

Klaus chuckled. "It's not just a place, Max. It's alive in its own way. Every time it erupts, Infernal Beings and other monsters from its deepest depths surface."

His smile faded slightly. "And trust me, we don't want those things running wild."

Max exhaled, understanding the situation.

The Mourning Depths wasn't open all the time.

It had to awaken.

And during that awakening, it spewed out horrors no one wanted to face outside its cursed lands.

"So," Max murmured, "one can only enter after an eruption?"

Klaus's expression darkened, the casual amusement in his tone fading. "Yeah… and that's where the problem begins."

Max listened, his gaze steady.

"Since it just erupted, all the strongest Infernal Beings, monsters, and… worse things from its deepest depths have surfaced."

His voice was grim. "Which means the very entrance is now the most dangerous part of the entire place."

Max exhaled slowly. "So, before we even get inside… we have to push through the worst of it?"

Klaus nodded. "Exactly."

Max didn't ask anything else. He had enough to think about.

Instead, his eyes moved across the crowd.

Hundreds of powerful figures. Experts from all over Valora Continent.

Seeker Ranks. Expert Ranks. Even some at the absolute peak of the Expert Rank.

Every one of them here for the same thing.

That's when he saw her.

Alice.

She stood among the Phoenix Order Guild, next to Aurelia.

Max's fists clenched slightly. So she really came.

He scanned further.

The other four major guilds were here too. And alongside them—

The Four Super Families of the East.

Just then—

VOOOO!

A deep, resounding horn echoed across the landscape.

The massive palace gates creaked open.

The atmosphere shifted.

The wait was over.

Klaus didn't hesitate. "Let's go. We're heading to the entrance of the Mourning Depths."

He stepped forward, leading the way.

Max followed, Callie right beside him.

All around them, the gathered warriors and geniuses surged forward, stepping into the Divine Palace.

After another half-hour of walking, Klaus finally stopped.

Before him stood a gate unlike anything Max had ever seen.

Massive. Ancient. A hundred feet high.

Two colossal doors, their surfaces engraved with mystical, cryptic patterns.

But it was the center of the gate that drew all attention.

A twelve-layered Infernal Demon.

Its vacant, godless eyes stared out, empty yet oppressive.

The twelve layers of its form spread recklessly across the door, coiling, twisting—filling the air with an inexplicable weight. A presence that seeped into the bones.

A warning. A curse. A challenge.𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Klaus spoke, his voice light yet deliberate. "We're here. This is the entrance."

Max didn't speak. He simply took in the sight.

Klaus continued. "Flying is prohibited within the Divine Palace. The Mourning Depths follows the same rule."

A pause.

Then—"It lies 100,000 feet below us."

Max's brows furrowed. 100,000 feet…?

"And if flying is impossible," Klaus went on, "then there's no way to go down."

A smirk. A flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Except… for here."

Max nodded, his eyes flickered around.

They weren't alone.

Far from it.

All the important figures were here.

King Magnar. Envoy Lucas. The heads of various factions. Powerful individuals Max didn't recognize, but could feel the weight of their presence.

Then, moments later—

The rest arrived.

The mass of warriors, geniuses, and leaders from outside the Divine Palace flooded into the grand chamber.

The space swelled with hundreds, maybe thousands of figures.

The strongest forces of the Lower Domain… all gathered in one place.

The moment was heavy. Anticipation filled the air.

The moment the last person arrived, a black-robed old man stepped forward.

His presence was quiet yet commanding.

Then—his voice rang out.

"Everyone, I will now announce the rules for entering the Mourning Depths."

Max's gaze snapped to him.

The old man's sudden appearance was unexpected. But what truly caught Max's attention?

He couldn't see through his strength.

Just like Klaus. Just like many others in the Expert Rank.

Dangerous. Unfathomable.

The old man continued, his voice steady, unwavering.

"I am a supervisor from the Divine Temple. I am responsible for opening the Mourning Depths this time."

His eyes swept over the gathered warriors. "Most of you are already familiar with the rules. But I shall repeat them for those who are not."

The crowd fell silent.

The old man raised a hand.

"A thousand miles from the edge of the Mourning Depths… is an absolute null life zone.

His voice turned cold. "Anyone who enters past this point—will die."

No hesitation. No mercy.

Max felt a strange chill run down his spine. A place where nothing survives?

The old man continued.

"From 1,000 miles to 10,000 miles outward, this is the outer region of the Mourning Depths."

A pause.

"There are countless lucky chances here. Inheritances. Treasures. Power waiting to be claimed."

A breath.

"But just as there are opportunities—there are dangers. Fatal ones."

The tension in the air thickened.

Then, the old man's voice turned sharper.

"In principle, once inside the Mourning Depths—killing is forbidden."

A few in the crowd scoffed. Others sneered.

Max didn't react. He already knew what was coming next.

"But," the old man continued, "we all know the reality."

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"There will always be those who do not follow the rules. The unscrupulous. The dangerous."

His tone darkened.

"If you encounter such individuals… then killing in self-defense is reasonable."

The words hung in the air.

The message was clear.

Rules existed. But in the Mourning Depths… survival was the only real law.

Max stood in silence as the old man continued.

Any defense is reasonable.

It sounded fair. Logical.

But in reality?

It meant nothing.

Killing inside the Mourning Depths would happen without restraint.

And no one would care.

If an expert died inside, there would be no investigations. No consequences.

Just another corpse lost to the depths.

Then—

The old man's voice took on a sharper edge.

"However… there is something you must remember."

The air felt heavier. The gathered warriors leaned in, listening.

"If you kill someone within the Mourning Depths, you can absorb their Infernal Energy… and nourish your own Infernal Demon Tattoo. But that didn't mean you are to kill anyone."

A pause.

A ripple of tension spread through the crowd.

Max frowned. 'What?'

Killing others strengthened the Infernal Demon Tattoo?

Klaus never mentioned this.

His mind spun, connecting pieces. If this was true… then the Mourning Depths wasn't just a battleground.

It was a slaughterhouse.

A voice suddenly echoed in his head.

"He's talking about people like us. Those who already possess Infernal Demon Tattoos."

Max stiffened.

That voice—

He turned to Klaus.

Klaus winked.

Max's eyes narrowed. 'He spoke to me… without speaking?'

Then—another voice in his head.

"Kid, it's just a small trick. But you need Vital Essence to do it. Don't overthink it."

Max nodded absently, but his thoughts didn't stop.

This ability… it was useful.

In the right moment, in a life-or-death situation, this could mean survival.

His curiosity burned.

He would learn this technique.

For now, he focused back on the old man.

The rules were clear.

But more importantly—so were the hidden truths.