Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100

Chapter 1408  The Puppet!

The moment Max laid eyes on the puppet, it reacted as well. There was no warning, no pause, and no attempt at communication. The instant its gaze locked onto him, its body blurred and vanished from its original position.

It moved with terrifying speed, faster than any opponent Max had faced so far, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. In the next moment, it appeared directly before him, its fist already clenched and coated in a brilliant golden glow.

The aura around that fist was so dense that the surrounding air trembled violently, compressed by sheer power as it smashed straight toward Max.

Max's eyes sharpened. He did not retreat. Instead, he clenched his own fist, drawing upon the full might of the Vein of Origin, and met the attack head on.

Bang!

The collision of their fists erupted with a deafening boom that echoed through the forest. Shockwaves tore outward, flattening the undergrowth and shaking the towering trees as though a storm had passed through them.

A figure was pushed backward, sliding across the forest floor before coming to a halt several meters away.

It was the puppet.

Yet Max felt no satisfaction. His gaze narrowed as he observed the result. Despite being forced back, the puppet showed no signs of injury at all. Its arm was intact, its aura steady, and its body showed not even a scratch.

That realization made Max's expression turn serious. His punch, empowered by the Vein of Origin and his Rebirth Realm body, was more than enough to severely injure most peak Rebirth Realm cultivators. Yet this construct had endured it without consequence.

"The defense of this puppet is extremely strong," Max muttered, his tone calm but focused.

Before he could reflect further, the puppet was already moving again. It lunged forward with the same terrifying speed, its fist once more clenched and shrouded in golden aura, the pressure radiating from it causing the ground beneath its feet to crack as it charged.

Max watched its movements carefully and quickly reached a conclusion. "It seems this puppet is limited to close combat," he muttered, a faint smile forming on his lips. "In that case, I will meet it the same way."

He inhaled deeply and spoke in a low voice. "Vein of Origin, full release."

In an instant, the restraints within his body shattered. Raw strength flooded through his veins and muscles as though a massive dam had burst open inside him.

Power surged outward, violent and overwhelming, reinforcing every fiber of his reconstructed body. His presence changed completely, the air around him warping under the sheer physical might he now exuded.

The instant Max fully released the Vein of Origin, a subtle yet undeniable realization struck him.

'What is this feeling?' The raw strength surging through his body felt different from before, sharper and denser, as though it had been reforged. Compared to when he was still at the Divine Rank, the output of the Vein of Origin had clearly increased.

It was not a sudden leap, but a natural elevation, as if the same power now flowed through a far stronger vessel.

More importantly, Max could feel an unprecedented level of control. The raging strength no longer threatened to spill out or run wild. Every strand of power moved exactly as he intended, responding instantly to his will. His body felt solid, grounded, and absolute, like a divine forge that could contain and direct monstrous force without strain.

'So the Rebirth Realm strengthens the foundation of the body itself,' Max realized. This realm did not merely grant new power. It refined the vessel that wielded it.

He did not have time to dwell on the thought.

The puppet was already upon him.

It appeared directly in front of Max, its golden fist tearing through the air with brutal momentum. Max stepped forward instead of retreating, his stance firm as he met the attack with his own fist. Their punches collided, not once, but repeatedly, as the two entered a violent exchange of pure close combat.

Fists clashed. Elbows crashed. Knees struck. Every movement was direct and merciless.

The forest became a battlefield of shockwaves. Each collision sent ripples of compressed air blasting outward, snapping tree trunks and pulverizing the ground beneath their feet. Max dominated the rhythm of the fight from the very beginning.

His strikes were heavier, his timing sharper, and his control absolute. Each punch he threw carried overwhelming physical authority, forcing the puppet back again and again.

The puppet retaliated without hesitation. It did not flinch, nor did it slow. It countered every strike with mechanical precision, its golden aura flaring brighter as it absorbed Max's attacks head on. Max's fists slammed into its body, producing thunderous impacts, yet the puppet endured, its defenses proving just as terrifying as before.

Max pressed harder.

He drove the puppet across the forest, landing blow after blow, his raw strength surging relentlessly. At several points, he forced the puppet to block with both arms, its feet carving deep trenches into the earth as it resisted being blown away entirely. In terms of dominance, Max clearly held the upper hand. His strikes dictated the battle, his presence overwhelming.

Yet as the clash continued, Max felt something unsettling.

The resistance was increasing.

Each time their fists collided, the puppet's counterforce grew subtly stronger. Its golden aura became denser, its movements more refined. Where its strikes had initially felt inferior, they were now carrying weight that nearly matched his own. The difference was small, but Max noticed it immediately.

'It is adapting,' Max realized, his eyes narrowing.

The puppet's strength was no longer static. With every exchange, it adjusted, refined, and elevated itself, responding directly to the level of force Max displayed. In direct confrontation, its punches were beginning to carry power dangerously close to his own.

Seeing the subtle yet undeniable adaptation taking place, Max's expression hardened. He understood immediately what kind of opponent he was facing. If this battle dragged on any longer, the puppet would continue to adjust, refine itself, and eventually reach a point where brute force alone would no longer be enough to decisively end the fight. That was not a risk he was willing to take.

Max decided to finish this battle.