I Know the Secret to Surpass Level 100

Level 100. From the moment an Adventurer signs the contract and receives their system, the level cap will be placed upon them. No matter how hard they try, or methods they use, the limit will remain in place.

No one knows what the creators of the system thought of when they placed the level cap, or why they assigned 100 as the threshold. There was only the truth and the simple truth of accepting that fact.

It was one of the reasons why Guilds became more prominent. Some beasts are too powerful to be defeated by a single Level 100 Adventurer alone. The limits to their capabilities hinder their power, causing them to be unable to reach greater heights.

Rumors has spread throughout centuries, that a certain artifact could break the level threshold. Adventurers from all over the world sought for this item, desiring its powers. But no one succeeded.

Nobody, until the first owner.

Florant Alastair. An Adventurer Mage who carries a broadsword which made him quite peculiar. From first glance, you would mistaken him for a crusader. Large muscles adorned his body, various tattoos covered his entire skin. His face was fierce, one that would make even beasts fear him.

But the moment you see him in action, all your thoughts would go down the drain. The man carrying a large, two-handed broadsword casts spells. It was a humourous yet intriguing scene to be witnessed. The broadsword would only hover over him, acting as a hand that points the direction of where his skills would launch.

However, there was a shroud of mystery that cloaked over Florant. He carried a giant weapon made of Valorian metal, his muscles were made to wield the sword, yet he wasn't able to. Nobody even saw him as much as touch his sword. It was attached to his back with some kind of magic. It was peculiar, but seeing as Florant was a tough man, nobody dared to ask.

It wasn't until Florant faced a Triple Alpha Threat that he unlocked his potential to break the level threshold. Everyone saw how his body glowed, how his eyes shifted colors, and how his weapon morphed into one that made to look like it was offered to the gods.

Level 101, it showed in his screen. Florant was unable to comprehend everything as he demolished the giant rat that was the beast that destroyed half a kingdom. The beast did not even stand a chance against Florant. For everyone who saw, it was as if the giant rat was back to its normal size and it was facing a lion. There was a huge gap in their powers.

A few years after Florent's surpassing of Level 100, he vanished without a trace. Rumor has it that a Guild hunted Florent to make him spill out how he broke the limit. When Florent did not budge, he was killed by a number no less than fifty.

The legend of Florent Alastair continued to be passed on for decades, until he was simply forgotten. Many Adventurers that came after him, even ones that did not break the level threshold, were more magnificent than him. Suddenly, after decades, breaking the Level limit wasn't as special.

Until the second limit breaker came. His life did not last long as he also vanished just like the first. He was then followed by the third not long after. The glorious Rosa Valentine. She was legendary because she was the one who united the kingdoms of the midwest. But just like all the others, she vanished as fast as she rose to prominence.

Elliot gulped as the information was sucked inside his head. He felt like a sponge, and the data was water. He was seeping all of it at the same time that it almost broke his head.

It was right before he broke free from the insides of his minds, where a split second time he consumed to think everything that happened.

"The Manual..." Elliot whispered to himself. "All the limit breakers were owners of The Manual. The Guide to Surpassing Level 100 is real, and now I can break the limit too."

Elliot was sent to a place where everything was white. His body was glowing and he lacked clothes to cover it. He looked around as he hovered over the empty space.

"Hello?" Elliot called out, trying to ask for anyone to talk to him.

"Congratulations, child." A deep male voice spoke. Elliot couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from. It seemed like it came from everywhere, all the particles in the air seemingly speaking to him. "I present to you two choices, Power or Growth."

"You have gained all the necessary requirements to break the level cap, you can select Growth," the voice spoke again. "You have accumulated... 1,093,513,635,102 EXP. This will be equal to one level. Are you willing to exchange this?"

"What will happen if I don't exchange?" Elliot asked. "What is Power?"

"If you're not willing to accept this one time ofter, your current powers will be tenfold, but you cannot break Level 100 again. This is Power," the voice replied. "I must warn you, each Level after Level 100 corresponds to two Level 100 growth in the regular system."

Elliot paused all his thoughts and focused on that last statement. If each level after Level 100 is equal to 2 Level 100s in the Adventurer system, that means that he would gain more power if he continues to level up. It was the ultimate catapult for him to reach exteme heights.

He paused and asked, "Is there any more rules?"

"None," the voice replied. Knowing that The Manual was full of exchanges, Elliot knew that there was more than just an trade. There would be some kind of sacrifice.

The boy weighed his options. The first one would be if he want powers immediately. He could have tenfold of his current powers, which means 10 level 100s. However, he could not get any more stronger than that. His powers would become stagnant.

Meanwhile, if he was going to choose Growth, he could gain more power although that would take some time. Elliot was stuck. He wanted to gain power immediately, just so he would defeat Malice. He doubts that the boost he'll have from one level after breaking the threshold would be enough to defeat the monster that was Malice.

"I have always been growing and I doubt that would be enough. There are more enemies out there, more powerful than Malice," Elliot whispered to himself. "I choose..."

--

Malice was struggling to keep up with Elliot's powers. The boy was already at the level that she could not comprehend. It was as if his powers were ten times more than before.

"You're Level 101?!" Malice growled. "How?!"

"I had a choice," Elliot said. "Whether to gain immediate power or to grow. But I know that there are more people stronger than you that I'll face in the future. I cannot take immediate powers. I have to think of the long run."

Malice growled. "Long run. You think you can have anything against the Angels?!"

Elliot looked up. "I don't have right now, but the system gave me a tool that could definitely help me."

'Notice. Defeating Malice the Queen of Hell would increase your level by... 1'

"I have to level up."