I Know the Secret to Surpass Level 100

A General selection for an Absolute Candidate was a ceremonial rights before a Candidate would formally declare themselves. There was a tight deadline for the selection, and failure to do so would mean that the Candidate is not willing to participate in the Election.

The system records every person that the Candidate has interacted with and records an affinity level based on their familiarity. The top 20% would be qualified and only the selected 12 Generals can participate in the Election.

An Absolute holds authority over all realms in all worlds, meaning that a General holds the second highest authority. A boost in the system would also allow generals to surpass their limits, although not officially break the level 100 threshold.

To every person to hold even the 20% of familiarity and selected as an eligible General, this was a 'would kill a person' moment. They would sacrifice a lot of their energy to be chosen as General and help the Candidate win in order for them to gain a higher authority.

And this is what caused chaos in Rebecca's inn.

"I should be a General!"

"No, a spot belongs to me too!"

"I've been with Elliot longer than you!"

...

People from all across the realms visited Hell just to be chosen. This chaotic nightmare haunted Elliot as he didn't expect that many people were included in the top 20% of the selection.

"This is too much." Elliot smalled his face with his palm after seeing all the familiar faces from his past journeys. As happy as he was, he didn't want this tension in between them.

"Will being the General be worth all this fight?" Elliot slammed his hands on the table. "No matter how much you argue, I've already made my mind."

"You did?" Frost walked forward, the first few people whom Elliot interacted with when he became an Adventurer. She, along with her sister Ripple, initially were not on friendly terms with Elliot, but as time passes by, they got closer.

"Yes." Elliot sighed, afraid of breaking their hearts. "Wait a minute, a lot of you came to Hell because of this selection, yet I don't even know how were you even capable of doing so?"

"I wanted to see a fight."

Trinidad jumped from the back and in front of Elliot, a wide grin on her face. "You made your selection based on power levels, right? Not based on familiarity."

"Yes." Elliot replied with a straightforward answer. "And you helped them get here because?"

"I wanted to know your decision, but realized that, nah. You've grown," Trinidad replied, looking at Melissa and winked at her. "Been a while, little girl."

The former Guard of the Forsaken turned around and sighed. "As much as I appreciate your presence here to test the Candidate and gave him a tough lesson after, I realized that I was wrong. And none of you are chosen as a General—"

"But if I win this Election," Elliot interjected. "If I become an Absolute, please know that you will all be graced with my presence and will not be forgotten. It was with all your help that I came this far. But this Election... It's about dominance and power. I'm going to be selfish and select my strongest friends so we can win this."

"Kid, we already know that."

Johnson stepped forward, his signature wide grin plastered on his face. "We've actually talked about this before you even came here. We just wanted to see you."

"Don't rub yourself off like a dumb puppy." Guan Yin stepped forward, Meirong following closely behind her. "You were here like the rest of us. Stop pretending."

"And you're here." Elliot laughed. "Why?"

"I wanted to be selected, but your friends here..."

Guan Yin paused, her eyes lingered on everyone around the inn, their presence so powerful that even when they weren't doing anything, it felt like they could break through the realm and pass through the other.

"Especially those four idiots behind you." Guan Yin snickered, seeing Lance, Connor, Ed, and Hope. "They're monsters in their own league."

"True."

This time, it was a face that nobody expected to see. A royalty that graced Terra was in Hell, trying to become a Candidate's general. Leonardo, with the Holy Crow and Raven Justice behind him winked at Elliot.

"Why is everyone winking?" Elliot scoffed. "And you're here. Really?"

"I was going to report that since all Palaces have been destroyed by people that I do not know who, Avancia will... advance to a new age," Leonardo announced. "We, will fully support your ascension. You deserve to become an Absolute."

"And the kingdoms around Avancia will support Elliot Max's ascension too," Jameson announced. "I have united the rest of us and we have concluded that the Five Kings of Avancia has been vanquished, the kingdom is already safe and the routes are now accessible. We have become more united more than ever."

"And this is not just to gain my vote as a General?" Elliot chuckled. "The Election, I've heard, will be in a form of a tea party. It won't be an all out battle of bloodshed and armies."

Irus explained to Elliot how an Election would go. Neutral Deities, called Apostrophes, will host the Election and maintain the peaceful battle between the Candidates. Each Election has different methods of voting for the next Absolute, but there was never a time where an Election would shed blood.

Only the Generals of the Candidates were allowed to attend the tea party but everyone else can watch through a screen that will be provided by the Apostrophes. Fighters, armies, and even powerful members that are outside the circle of the Generals mean nothing in the Election as it won't be a battle.

"But we have to report that another country has presented a Candidate," Leonardo said. "The Empire of Yamato has declared The Man as the Candidate and he will be backed with four of their strongest fighter there."

A tension was built up around the news, Elliot, upon hearing it, had to maintain his composure and not lose track of his goal. Although kingdoms do not matter in this Election, the powerful people that reside in those kingdoms that has the power to become a General poses a threat to his goal.

"Then I will announce my Generals now." Elliot stood at the table. "I will begin my selection."

The system heard his decision and opened the Selection panel. Elliot nodded when he saw it on his screen, taking a deep breath and sighing after.

"Lance, Connor, Ed, Hope, and Irus." Elliot announced. The five of them stepped forward, standing right in front of him as the people around them cheered. They were excited to know who the rest will be and see the generals of their supported Candidate.

"Frederick, Luck, Francoise, mom," Elliot said, choosing four more. There were three spots left and everyone was dying to figure out who they were. Elliot glanced at all everyone in the room. "Midnight, Sun, and..."

There was a slight pause. There was a single person that he needed to choose in order to become a General and he had so many choices. He took a deep breath and chuckled, looking up with a smile.

"My father."