Dimensional Keeper: All My Skills Are at Level 100 Chapter 1526 A Secret Force!

After listening to her, Max stayed quiet for several moments, his eyes locked firmly on Isabella as though pondering a crucial matter in his thoughts. The thick tension hung between them, unyielding, until he nodded faintly, signaling his resolve.

"You've figured it out," he admitted steadily, dropping all pretense from his tone. "My bloodline stands apart from every other in the Black Dragon Clan. Don't get it wrong—it's still a Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline, just not like the ones you know. It outshines any source bloodline or even the clan's so-called progenitor bloodline. Essentially, mine is the mightiest form of the Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline."

He halted for a second before going on, his voice growing graver as he picked his words with care. "Now that I've come this far, I'll lay it all out for you. My bloodline isn't whole yet. What you sense is merely a fragment of its real power. To finish it completely, the Imperial Bloodline is required."

His revelation brought a profound hush over the chamber.

Isabella held her tongue at first. Though she'd long suspected Max harbored something unusual, his blunt confirmation still caught her off guard briefly. The notion that his bloodline wasn't just different but superior, eclipsing even the Black Dragon Clan's progenitor bloodline, had never crossed her mind as feasible.

Moments later, she responded, her face hardening into gravity as she regarded him with heightened intent.

"I'm stunned you hold such an uncommon and potent variant of the Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline," she uttered deliberately. "What astounds me more is how readily you shared it with me."

Her gaze tightened as she scrutinized his features. "As far as I know, this ranks among your greatest secrets in the Black Dragon Clan. Still, you disclosed it without pause."

Leaning in a bit, her tone deepened with fresh doubt. "So speak plainly, Max—what do you really want? I doubt it's solely about securing the Imperial Bloodline. There's deeper purpose in your revelation."

Max held her stare without flinching, his look composed yet resolute. "You're correct," he agreed with a subtle nod. "It goes beyond just the Imperial Bloodline."

Taking a breath, he pressed on evenly and directly. "I'm sharing this because your loyalty and trust are essential to me."

Isabella's eyebrows knit together right away. "Explain yourself," she demanded, sharpness lacing her words while wariness and bewilderment swirled in her eyes.

Max answered her query without delay. "I'm building a hidden faction," he stated bluntly. "And I want you in it."

Isabella gazed at him blankly for an instant, then let out a soft chuckle. It held no scorn, only evident skepticism as she eased back.

"A hidden faction?" she echoed, amusement tinting her voice. "And what's my gain from it?"

Yet her eyes stayed piercing. Under the casual front, she probed his motives, weighing if his proposal stemmed from true resolve or empty bravado.

Her laugh drew no response from Max. He replied unflinchingly, his demeanor steady and assured.

"Beyond empowering you to exceed Zain Heron's strength prior to your full Imperial Bloodline awakening, consider this too," he explained. "Everyone I bring into this faction will be exceptional. They'll rank among the Divine Realm's top geniuses."

Though spoken softly, his declaration rang with unshakeable faith, hard to brush aside.

Going on, his eyes intensified as they bored into hers. "Face facts, Isabella. Soon, your Imperial Bloodline will awaken fully, crowning you the Black Dragon Clan's authentic Saintess. That destiny awaits you."

After a short pause, he queried more softly, "But does that satisfy you truly?"

A faint change crossed Isabella's face.

Max inched closer, his words charging with greater fervor. "Content to be the Black Dragon Clan's premier genius—a third-rate power scraping the Divine Realm's fringes? Ready to confine your life to this clan, blind to the world's true expanse?"

Every phrase hit squarely, piercing her deepest drives.

Shifting tone to serene assurance, he added, "I offer more. I'll propel you to the Divine Realm's summit. Your gifts and promise will rival first-rate forces' prodigies, not trail them."

His stare pinned hers for the ultimatum. "Provided you join my faction and pledge loyalty to me."

Silence enveloped the room anew.

Isabella refrained from laughter this time.

Her face grew utterly grave as she faced Max, prior levity vanished. Initially, she'd dismissed his secret force notion as fleeting fancy or hubris. But hearing his unwavering delivery, she grasped his sincerity—no jest involved.

This course was set in his mind.

And crucially, he held genuine faith in his vision.