I Know the Secret to Surpass Level 100

Elliot had woken up from an alarm-like ringing from his Console. He sat up and looked at his notifications and saw a series of notifications there.

'[ Dump ] Feature upgraded.'

'Skill [[ The Creator's Gluttony ]] gained.'

[ The Creator's Gluttony ]

Passive

// Allows the Creator to convert the excess items from crafting.

'[[ The Creator's Valiance ]] has finished forging.'

'The item has been added to your inventory.'

"Woah," Elliot gasped after reading everything. He took out the chest piece and wore it, feeling the power exuding from the item down to his skin. "This is elite!"

He excitedly got out of his room and into the guildhouse where his friends were already having breakfast.

"You woke up late," Connor said. "Today is the quest for the Monolith Venom Skill Set, remember?"

Elliot nodded, "Right."

"Eat your breakfast," Midnight walked over and handed Elliot a tray of food. "This is from Josephine. She said she'll treat you breakfast for your quest today."

"Yesterday Florencia, and now Josephine? My boy's a cassanova!" Ed cheered that earned him a smack in the back of his head from Elliot.

"Josephine's a grandmother of the kid we're doing this quest for," Elliot deadpanned. "Seriously, Ed, you and your bad habits."

"What bad habits?" Ed pursed his lips, pretending to not know anything.

"You don't think everyone doesn't notice that you sneak out a lot at night and then goes somewhere?" Elliot playfully narrowed his eyes, smirking as the other boy cleared his throat and looked away. "Gotcha."

"He's picking women off the streets?" Hope asked curiously. "Were they homeless?"

"It's best that you don't know," Lance smiled.

Ed was pouting while eating breakfast that only made his friends tease him more.

After they ate, they had returned to their rooms to get ready and go on their quest.

Elliot noticed a box in his table and he realized it was from Florencia. She didn't wanted it back saying she will still continue liking Elliot until she don't anymore.

He opened the box and his eyes widened after seeing a familiar red gem. "A Legendary Equipment Gem?"

He instantly called Florencia, "Hey, I really can't take this. This is too much."

"It's nothing. I'm rich, remember?" she chuckled. "I forgot to tell you yesterday but, I will become strong. Strong enough so you could acknowledge me and maybe like me back."

Elliot was silent, not knowing what words to say.

"And you don't have to say anything, consider that gift as a gift for saving me from that officer. It won't mean anything more," she said. "Good luck with your quest, Elliot. And I'm so sorry."

Elliot sighed and nodded, "Okay. Thank you."

The call ended with Elliot saying goodbye and Florencia not responding. He heard her sniffle but he just didn't point it out, thinking she might needed the space.

A knock on his door interrupted Elliot from his thoughts.

"Hey, Elliot, let's go!" Connor yelled.

Elliot took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm coming!"

–

"I noticed," Connor trailed off. "Sometimes when we go on quests, something would happen. And that something would affect us. Like the frog that Elliot's afraid of–"

"Shut up," Elliot deadpanned.

"Or the dragons that everyone jinxed," Connor continued. "It led to Ed knowing who he was and all that biz. And what would this quest bring us?"

"Will it bring us anything? Or not? It's a mystery," Ed added.

"I hope this quest would let us finish silently," Hope sighed. "Every time there's something that's going to happen, it had to be something major. Why can't it let us rest in peace?"

"Welcome to the real world, bud," Lance flattened his lips. "You haven't even seen the amount of drama in Solaguer. It's like watching a theatrical performance right before your very eyes. Everyone's betraying everyone and it's a constant push and pull of people. It sucks."

The four kept talking and Elliot had to check the quest in his Console.

[ The Frogs' Belly ]

He stopped reading and glared at his friends, lips parting. He couldn't believe they didn't tell him about the quest.

"It's about frogs?!" Elliot screamed that almost made the wagon topple.

"You didn't know?" Lance was holding back his laughter but couldn't contain it anymore. "We're sorry. We switched the easier one with this one."

"Why would you do that?" Elliot growled. "You know how scared I am with frogs. Their slime, their tongue… their skin. You– let's switch qiests."

"We thought since you have to go to the Crimson Palace for the other quest, might as well go with the frogs instead of going the other way," Connor said. "You know, because we're thoughtful."

Elliot tilted his head, "Why would I go to the Crimson Palace?"

"For the skill gem you owe Isabelle," Lance replied.

"But I already finished that quest," Elliot paused and tilted his head. "Why would I go back?"

"What?" Lance asked. "But Isabelle told us you have a late quest that you took a week ago."

Elliot scrunched his forehead. "You hunted the Crimson Phantoms with me, remember?"

"Oh, right," Lance said. "That's weird though."

"Let's just finish the quest for now," Elliot said. "Let's talk to Isabelle when we return. We're already traveled for almost half a day. It would be a waste if we turn back now."

"But it is weird though," Ed placed his finger on his chin, his shiny metal gloves exposing, making Elliot smirk by how proud he was on how it turned out. "Did you sleep walked? You sleep talk like a lot, so maybe you walked over and took a gem or something?"

"I don't sleep walk," Elliot defended. "From what I could remember, I don't. Lance, Connor, have I sleep walked before?"

Both the guys shook their heads, making Elliot nod slowly as if he was thinking deeply. But something that Florencia said irked him.

"Why would she–" Elliot gasped. "That little–"

"What? Why?" Connor asked.

"Florencia must have used one of her skills at me!" Elliot yelled. "She has Mirror Magic, a rare kind of magic that could imitate someone physically, and if harnessed, magically."

Elliot took out the box Florencia gave and there he saw a little piece of paper. He took it and read the message, making him scoff and groan.

"That little–"

"Give!" Connor yelled and took the paper, reading it out loud. "Hey, Elliot. This is Flo– ooh, she calls herself Flo. I'm sorry for using your face to get a quest from Isabelle, but I really needed the Crystalize Skill Gem. Please finish the quest, in exchange here's a Legendary Equipment Gem. Thank you!"

"Ha!" Lance sarcastically yelled. "Told 'ya she was sketchy. No one actually believe me."

Ed looked at him badly, "You didn't tell us anything. You acted like a jealous boyfriend instead. Saying, 'He shouldn't accept her. He has us, why would she entertain someone else?'"

"Why would– what– whatever," Lance huffed.

"I am so disappointed in you," Elliot grimaced at Lance.

Lance scoffed, "But I did tell them that I feel something bad about the girl. They just wouldn't believe me. Now here we are, going to hunt a Crimson Guard just for wait–"

Everyone paused after realizing what Florencia gave Elliot. Connor's eyes widen and he grabbed Elliot by the collar gently.

"A Legendary Equipment Gem?!" Connor gasped. "Dude, you have– oh, no. You used it already. Guys, look at Elliot's chest piece. It's different."

"No, guys–"

"He's a traitor," Ed narrowed his eyes.

They paused and laughed it off. Elliot had to explain what happened but leaving the part about the Manual. He just told them he had made Francoise forge him a new piece that he could use.

"We're here," Lance announced a few minutes later.

"This place looks so sad," Hope pursed his lips. He was the first one to hop off the wagon and he looked bothered. Elliot shoved the thought off for now and focused on the quest at hand.

"Why does it seem like it's even more barren?" Hope asked. "I've been here before, and it's not as bad as this."

"That's because winter's approaching," Lance said. "The Five Palaces' beasts hates the cold. The phantoms roaming the grounds would stay close to the castle and would bathe in the heat of their King."

"I didn't know that," Ed said. "Which is understandable since no one has ever brought me here."

Connor swung his arm around Ed, "Now you're here. And let's get some guards."

"The quest says we need two knights," Lance said. "I reckon a Knight would equal me in strength, but they're really, really, really, like really dumb."

"Dumb? How so?" Elliot asked.

"They would charge at their opponents like, I don't know, plain tank meatheads, and then would only stop once their targets get out of their range," Lance said, pursing his lips. "They've been corrupted so much, that there's nothing left in them except for bloodlust."

The group entered the Crimson Grounds, leaving their wagon outside, with their horses just under a large green tree.

"I think I'll have to pull the wagon next time," Hope said. "Kian said being in Dragon Form would enhance my draconic abilities and physical stats."

Lance nodded, "Okay. Let's do that."

"You're so small though," Ed teased. "Could you pull the–"

"Guard ahead!" Lance said.

Hope smirked and used the opportunity to shift. He walked in front of everyone and raised his hands in front of him.

"Dragon Morph: Gray Dragon Emperor!"

Hope started to shift, his skin turned to scales and his body grew larger. His body started to shift and not long after, he was in his dragon form, large, strong and mighty.

"I think I can pull you," Hope chuckled that made Ed drop his jaw.

"Hope, you're gigantic!"