Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 1289  Nero the slave

After absorbing the entire structure and nature of the Soul Seal, Max stepped toward the trembling third demon king. The demon's fear-filled eyes followed every step Max took, as though each movement carried judgment over his life.

When Max finally stopped before him, he tilted his head slightly and asked, "You said you do not want to die. Is that correct?" His voice carried an almost gentle tone, matched with a faint smile that did nothing to ease the demon's anxiety.

The demon king nodded so vigorously that his entire body shook. "I do not want to die. Do anything you want to me, strip my power, imprison me, chain me, take my essence, just do not kill me. That is my only request." His desperation was painfully clear, and his pride had been abandoned entirely.

Max's smile softened into something warmer, though there was a sharpness behind his eyes. "Alright, I will not kill you," he said calmly. "But I cannot trust you either. That leaves us with a problem. What should be done about that?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully, letting the demon stew in uncertainty.

The demon king did not hesitate. "I can become your slave. Just do not kill me," he blurted out, clinging to that single thread of hope. "I swear to follow any order you give."

"Slave?" Max repeated slowly as he examined the demon with piercing eyes. "Are you certain you want that? When you become my slave, there will be no freedom left for you. Your future will no longer be yours. You will live under my command until the day I release you, if that day ever comes." His words carried no mockery, but they held undeniable weight.

The demon king dropped to one knee with surprising decisiveness. His voice trembled, yet within it lay genuine resolve. "Master, your strength already stands at the peak of the mortal realm. It is only a matter of time before you ascend to the Divine Realm. Even in the Divine Realm, I believe you will rise to unimaginable heights. To serve a master such as you is not a humiliation. It is a blessing. I accept this path completely."

Max studied him quietly for several long seconds. The demon's flattery was shameless, yet it carried a certain intelligence. His willingness to abandon pride for survival was a sign of adaptability. Max's initial wariness faded slightly. "Very well," he said at last. "I will place a seal on your Soul Palace. Once the seal is established, your loyalty will be absolute. Open your Soul Palace to me and do not resist at all."

The demon king lowered his head further. "Yes, Master." Without hesitation, he allowed the defenses of his Soul Palace to fall away.

One's Soul Palace was sacred, more protected than the body itself, and granting access was equivalent to offering one's life in another person's hands. Yet the demon remained still, the fear of death far greater than any instinct for self-preservation.

Max raised his hand and placed his fingers on the demon king's forehead. His consciousness slipped into the demon's soul world. The Soul Palace rose before him, vast and dark, shaped like an ancient fortress carved from obsidian.

With the knowledge imparted by Blob, Max wove the structure of the Soul Seal, layer by layer, inscribing it directly upon the core chamber of the palace. The seal glowed faintly, then sank into the very foundation of the demon's essence, binding him permanently.

The process should have been incredibly difficult. Enslaving another being required overwhelming spiritual superiority. Forcing a seal into a resisting Soul Palace was almost impossible, and even if one succeeded, the target's spirit could collapse entirely.

The reason Max completed it so quickly was simple: the demon king had accepted servitude willingly. By opening his Soul Palace without resistance, he removed every barrier. Max only needed to perform the technique correctly.

After withdrawing his consciousness from the demon's soul world, Max stepped back. The demon king remained kneeling, head lowered, but the tremble in his aura had disappeared entirely. The Soul Seal had taken effect.

It was done. The last demon king now belonged to him.

"Alright, from now on your name is Nero," Max said as he looked at the demon king who was still kneeling respectfully before him. There was no hesitation in his voice. Naming a slave was an act of ownership, but it was also the beginning of reshaping that being's identity under his command.

The demon king lowered his head even further. "Nero… I thank Master for bestowing me with a name," he said, his voice steady and filled with a kind of solemn reverence that had not existed in him earlier. A name given by one's master signified complete submission in demon culture, and Nero accepted it fully.

"Good," Max said with a slight nod. "Here is your first task. Go and scour the entire region of Nullaria. Hunt down every demon still hiding in this world. I want every last one of them dead. Leave no survivors.

When the task is completed, return to this exact place and report to me." His tone carried authority that left no room for misinterpretation and no space for disobedience. It was an order issued by someone who knew his command would be followed without question.

As soon as Max finished speaking, he lifted his hand and released a pulse of will. The spatial dome that had sealed the battlefield vanished instantly. The shimmering barrier dissolved like mist under sunlight, revealing the chaos of battle outside it. Max stood at the center, calm and composed, while Nero lifted his head to acknowledge the order.

"Yes, Master," Nero said before rising to his feet. His body shot into the sky with incredible speed, disappearing into the horizon within moments. There was no hesitation, no doubt, and no trace of resistance. Nero had accepted his role completely.

Max watched Nero's figure fade from sight. There was no anxiety in his expression and no lingering suspicion in his heart. The Soul Seal was absolute. It allowed no wavering, no hidden intent, and no possible betrayal.

If Nero ever entertained even the faintest thought of defiance, the seal would ignite his soul from within, burning him from the inside until nothing remained. More importantly, the moment such a thought occurred, the seal would alert Max instantly.

Because of that certainty, Max did not worry at all. Nero was bound tighter than chains or oaths could ever provide. His loyalty was no longer a matter of choice. It was enforced at the deepest level of existence.

With that assurance settled in his mind, Max turned his gaze toward the battlefield.