I Know the Secret to Surpass Level 100

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Elliot kept on repeating as he ate the bread that Imedla prepared. "I never thought about going back here. I was so selfish. I'm sorry."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, my child," Imelda wrapped her arms around the boy. "You are our child after all."

Elliot nodded. "When my mother passed away, there was no one else that took me in because I was so weak. You made me work because I didn't want to owe you anything. Yet after everything, I forgot about you."

Imelda was silent. She sighed, "Elliot, I understood how busy you were. You were always in missions and sent in dangerous places. Don't worry about it, my dear."

"What if I didn't?" Ellio sniffed. "What if I just forgot about you because I'm a sad person?"

Imedla chuckled and took a book that has clippings of paper on each page. Some of the pages had newspaper headlines with Elliot's name on it, some had sketch of Elliot and his battle.

"Someone gives me a weekly update," Imelda said. "Joy was so happy after he saw you in a newspaper that the man gave us. He would always look forward to that time of the week."

"Who did it?" Elliot asked. "I have to thank that person."

"His name is Frederick," Imelda chuckled. "He's your guild master, wasn't he?"

"He was," Elliot said. "But not now. I built my own guild."

"I would love to know everything about your new guild," Imelda chuckled. She took a chair out in the bakery and places the box in the wooden table. She sat on another chair while gesturing where Elliot had to sit. "Come here. Tell me all about it."

"I went to a lot of missions, and I met new friends," Elliot grinned. "Currently, there are eight members of our guild, but I'm sure our numbers will grow. It all started when I was in a Strike here in Alorde. Then I met Connor…"

Clan watched as Elliot told his entire story to his mother figure. He sighed and turned to Trinidad who was smiling at them. "You're awfully powerful for just a seamstress. Who are you?"

Trinidad shook her head. "I am nothing but a lonely seamstress. I don't know what you are talking about."

"Your entire body is stenched with pure black aura," Clan said. "When Hope is nearby, you would try to find an escape path so you wouldn't run into him. Dragons have superb magic perception thanks to our sense of smell."

"You are mistaken," Trinidad laughed lightly. "I am really just a seamstress. I make gowns for a living and sell clothes to put into my table."

"I have read about this realm's history in the library a few days back," Clan chuckled. He stood and raised his guard. "Apart from quests there are rallies that are called after a certain being that was the first target of such event. They are one of the Forsaken's Guard, Conquest."

Trinidad took a few seconds back, narrowing her eyes at Clan. "It seems like you have figured me out."

"Guard of Conquest, Basherus," Clan grit his teeth. "What is the former and notably strongest Guard of the Forsaken doing in this realm?"

"I have changed my ways after I retired," Trinidad said. "For thousands of years, I have moved from city to city, constantly changing my identity in order to live a normal life."

"You cannot change the fact that you are an Abyssal Behemoth, Basherus. You are one of the first Guards of the Forsaken, what lunatic would believe that you suddenly changed your mind?" Clan said. "I know that even if I do my best here, I would never match your power. But that kid Elliot can."

"Dragon, do you know that there were only two people who stood up against the Forsaken and survived?" Trinidad raised two fingers. "One was me and the other was Reginald from Pentos. Do you know that Terran?"

Clan's eyes widened. He lowered his guard in shock. "A Terran stood up against the Forsaken and survived?"

"That's what they said, but I was never there," Trinidad shook her head in amusement. "But if a Terran did do such feat, then I will do my best to protect this kid and become the third one. I see great potential in him."

"No," Clan growled. "This boy is just a kid. You cannot force him to fight such a thing like the Forsaken. Think about his future."

"Come with me," Trinidad said. "I will show you something."

Trinidad led Clan into her shop. There was a tall mirror with a metal casing on the side. Trinidad walked past that mirror and ordered Clan to follow her.

Clan could only cover his mouth in shock after everything that he saw inside. There were glass tubes that contained seventy massive monsters. "Each one of them has sense the potential in the boy and has tried to kill him so they could look good for the Forsaken."

"Each one of them?" Clan gulped. "How frequent were they?"

"About three a year," Trinidad said. "It all started when he was still a baby. His mother would cry for help because she was chased by a giant creature. I was there to help her because I know these creatures will also attack the people after it kills its target."

"You have been protecting Elliot since he was little," Clean whispered. "And just because you want someone to defeat the Forsaken? You're just taking care of him so you could use him later. It's like raising a livestock for meat."

"There is no other way," Trinidad said. "I have waited eons just to wait for someone who could remotely par the Forsaken and I will not wait any year longer. Each day the Forsaken grows stronger. If we wait for it to become too strong, then there will be no hope for us all."

"I…" Clan trailed off. "What can I do?"

"He has friends, that Elliot kid," Trinidad said. "And I know that you are planning to take one of them home and if you do, Elliot's mind will become less fortified. He will lose a big portion of his power. Don't."

Clan clenched his fists and nodded. "Alright. I won't take Hope home. But it doesn't change the fact that Elliot needs to know what lies ahead of him."

"I have been guiding him blindly all this time," Trinidad said. "And I will guide him always."

–

Elliot returned to the guild along with Clan. When they arrived, everyone was wearing black and they looked like they were mourning.

"What happened here?" Elliot asked Lance who greeted them by the door.

"The three idiots prepared a funeral for Hope even when he didn't die," Lance sighed. "They just forced me to wear this."

"Hope," Elliot called out to his friends and ran towards him along with Clan. "What happened to you?"

"You know my uncle is taking me away," Hope sniffed. "I will never get to see you. That's why I'm sad."

"Don't be silly," Clan laughed. "You belong to this realm, Hope. You belong to your friends. I wouldn't allow myself to break your bond."