Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1351 Clever Raymond

Max's name illuminated brightly on one side, as a different name on the other started racing through options at a frantic pace, flashing past endless choices. Yet this round, the random draw dragged out far longer than before, extending into a tense, drawn-out minute that ramped up the suspense in the crowded colosseum, with thousands of stares locked onto the shining names overhead.

As the rapid scroll came to a halt and the pairing of Max against Raymond emerged, a surge of disbelief swept over the entire Divine Colosseum.

Raymond stood out as no mere participant, for his very name echoed with prominence and legacy inside those grand walls. He had triumphed in every one of his first ten fights until facing the Grim Gladiator, at which point he opted to yield right away without throwing a single punch.

That one choice transformed Raymond into an enigmatic sort of icon, a fighter whose prowess no one doubted, but whose conduct ignited endless discussions and theories.

From that moment forward, Raymond rose to fame in the Divine Colosseum, not solely for his perfect streak, but due to the enigma of his choice to back down from the Grim Gladiator.

Countless folks couldn't fathom why a warrior capable of ten straight victories would give up without even gauging his foe's might, and that lingering puzzle split the views down the middle.

A few admired him for spotting an impossible divide and safeguarding his existence, whereas others ridiculed him outright as a spineless pretender, insisting he never had the guts to face the Grim Gladiator even briefly.

With his name now paired against Max's, those buried debates exploded back to life, and the spectators grasped that this clash was no run-of-the-mill affair.

"Max and Raymond, step into the arena," the announcer boomed, his words booming across the Divine Colosseum and pulling every gaze straight to the battleground below.

While Max strode ahead, the fellow from yesterday piped up right behind him, "Watch yourself in there."

This was the same guy who'd fielded Max's queries before and chatted lightly with him later, and that caution made Max's eyes tighten just a bit as he entered the arena completely, his face steady but his attention honing in sharp.

Before long, Max and Raymond faced off dead center in the arena, the vibe between them shifting markedly from Max's earlier scraps.

Raymond seemed mild-mannered at first glance, his face at ease with a steady smile curving his mouth, painting him as a battler free of any grudge even mid-fight. But that very poise rendered him all the more threatening, suggesting profound assurance over mere bravado.

"Shall you strike first, or may I take the lead?" Raymond inquired with his trademark even grin, his tone casual like addressing a companion instead of a rival.

"By all means, take the lead," Max answered with his own grin, his stance loose but ready.

"As you wish," Raymond murmured gently, and right then his frame blurred into a golden flash hurtling at Max, his blade gleaming as it sliced toward Max's throat in a clean arc.

Max countered without delay, lifting his palm to snag the approaching edge, yet Raymond had clearly foreseen it, for his shape melted back into that golden ray and popped up on Max's flank, his sword whipping in once more at blistering velocity.

Max shifted like he sensed it from behind, his arm whipping out to clamp the blade anew, and as his grip locked on, a crisp crack rang out across the arena while a minor blast rippled from the clash point.

Right then, Raymond's form divided, spawning a twin figure right next to it, and the duplicate charged ahead with its blade, stabbing unyieldingly at Max's throat.

Up against the abrupt dual assault, Max steadily tapped into a sliver of might from his initial Seven Divine Vein, the Vein of Origin, and gave a soft push on the sword already in his grasp.

The outcome hit fast and fierce, as the weapon exploded into shards with a thunderous roar, and the unleashed surge kept going. A savage blast roared out, flinging both the real Raymond and his duplicate backward through the air, their forms tossed aside while the arena quaked from that one measured burst of force.

Once the blast died down, the duplicate Raymond broke apart into swirling golden specks that dispersed and faded into nothing, as the true Raymond swiftly pulled another blade and plunged it into the ground, anchoring himself to stop his slide.

After regaining his footing, the serene smile he'd worn vanished, swapped for a grave and intent look, since that quick power flash from Max had repelled him and his copy with zero pushback.

In that split second, Raymond fully realized the sheer dread of Max's strength, unable to picture what force could unleash such effects with such effortless command.

"That all you got?" Max quipped with an easy smile, like the whole thing was no big deal.

Raymond grinned too, but now with an odd conviction in it. "Yeah, that'll do. I've already claimed victory."

"How so?" Max pressed, his grin dimming a touch as a subtle dread stirred in his thoughts.

"Hold tight just a sec," Raymond urged smoothly, his grin widening while he eyed Max intently.

Max's brow furrowed, puzzling over Raymond's words, and precisely then, an unexpected rush of frailty washed over his frame out of nowhere.

It struck sharp and eerie, and with the frailty came a gradual seep of his life essence, like some unseen force was steadily devouring his vitality from inside. His gaze sharpened as the truth dawned, for just one cause fit that feeling.

"Poison," Max noted to himself, and right away it all clicked. When he'd seized Raymond's sword moments ago, that's when the toxin had slipped in, proving Raymond's real goal wasn't a fair test of might but to end him from the start.

"Something the matter?" Raymond jeered upon spotting the pallor on Max's features, his stare brimming with scorn. "You don't look so hot anymore."

Max lifted his eyes to meet his and smirked back, his look piercing and icy. "There's chasing death, and then there's crafting your own stairway to it. Looks like you picked the full package."

A blaze of golden radiance burst from Max's form as he ignited his Heavenly Luminance Royal Bloodline, enveloping him in a brilliant sheen that pulsed with supreme clarity and command.

The impact struck right away, as the toxin within him got purged entirely in mere heartbeats, erased so completely it might never have been there. The frailty evaporated as swiftly as it came, leaving Max rooted firm and commanding once more.