I Know the Secret to Surpass Level 100

Lance was the first one to respond, brandishing his swords and blasted himself into the direction of the village. He through long distances, arriving at the village in less than a minute.

"I think Lance can take care of that dragon," Ed said. "There's just one dragon."

"I said don't jinx it!" Connor seethed.

It was then that more different roars sounded. Two pairs of wings flapped with so much strength that it made the trees nearby sway.

Connor facepalmed and sighed, "Nevermind."

"Let's just go," Elliot chuckled. "And let's not jinx it more."

They put on their equipment and dashed towards the village after Lance. He scoffed at them for being late when they arrived.

'Multiple beasts detected.'

[[ Flame Imperial Dragon ]]

Level 68

[[ Flora Imperial Dragon ]]

Level 73

[[ Water Imperial Dragon ]]

Level 66

Elliot theorized that the dragons were below the Emperor Dragons. An Emperor Dragon would be the leader while the Imperial dragons were second in command. At least, that's what the stats were saying. The Imperial Dragons were inferior to the Emperor Dragons based on the stats.

"There are three dragons, as you can see, but they should've canceled each other out," Lance informed. "Since they're working in harmony, it means they belong in a Saturated flock. Which you also know is a rare case."

A Saturated flock mean that the beasts with different affinities belong in the same group. This was especially rare since affinities tend to become superior or inferior over the other.

"Cannibals?" Elliot asked to which Lance shook his head off. "So, just a regular dragon attack."

"I think so. Ed, Connor, help evacuate the villagers," Lance commanded. "Elliot, you take the Water, Hope you take the Flora, I'll take care of the Flame."

His teammates nodded and proceeded to do their tasks. Connor and Ed helped the villagers evacuate while the other three distracted the dragons and try to inflict as much damage as possible.

"Everyone, here!" Connor yelled and fired an attack to a pile of rubble, clearing them to make a path for the villagers. "Pass through here. This path will continue to the forest, find a safe place there. We will come back to you."

"Thank you," an old woman said. "Thank you so much."

"You are always welcome, just please be safe," Connor said.

Ed was roaming around the burning village. Everything was in flames since the Flora Dragon covered all the houses with vines and the Flame Dragon burned them all. A few burrows and holes shows that the water dragon had fired his attacks too.

"Is anyone still here?" he called. There was a house that looked like it was collapsing and he heard a soft cries inside. "Is anyone here?"

"My child!" a woman ran up to him. "Please, save my child."

"Is she inside?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. She's only 6. I don't want her to die. I have no one else with me."

"Okay," Ed said and ran to the house. He struck his sword sideways to clear a path for him to enter. Walking inside, he saw that the house was clear. Like it wasn't burning on the outside.

"Spatial magic?"

"Indeed," the woman said from behind him.

Ed turned around and saw the woman in completely different set of clothes. Her ripped set of rags were now replaced with a dark purple fitting gown that trailed down about a meter behind her. Her skin was pale and her eyes were black like the night.

Black like his.

"We have found you, your grace," the woman said with a submissive tone that made Ed shiver.

"We? What? And your what?" Ed asked.

"Your grace, please let us return to the realm," the woman bowed her head. "You are the next in line. We believe that the Escort would harm your father's legacy and destroy the realm."

Four people appeared behind the woman. They were tall men with pale features and they had black hair and eyes.

"Don't come closer," Ed said, raising his sword and pointing them towards the mysterious people in front of him.

"Your grace, please come with us," the woman said. "Etheoria needs you."

"How can you say that I'm the one you're looking for. I don't even know who I am. I was an egg, alone in the darkness," Ed sniffed, trying to hold back his tears as he recalled his past. "No one was there when I needed all of you the most. No one was there when I was hiding from beasts to save my life. I was alone. No one was with me. And then you claim for me to come with you just like that?"

"Your grace, we–"

"Ed?" Elliot called from outside. "Edward, where are you?"

"But that ended when I met them," Ed said and leaped above the people. He had already reached Sacred, meaning his physical stats were better than what he was before.

He could jump from high places and leap through a group of people. Ed walked to the arch made of debris and was about to go out.

"Your grace," the woman called out one last time. "Please, if you ever want to know who you really are, raise the hilt of your sword while holding the blade. We will always watch over you and we will come for you then."

"But please make your decision in 3 days," one of the men said.

"Xelon," the woman hissed. "Don't pressure him into anything."

"But Axla, the Consort will take over in 4 days. If we fail to get his answer by then, the realm will perish," Xelon replied.

He turned to Ed and bowed, "At least let us tell you your rightful name, your grace. It is Haavok."

'Haavok, my child.' A memory flashed inside Ed's mind. 'Please be safe, my child. I will always love you.'

Ed looked at the people once more before exiting the house. He squinted his eyes after feeling the light of the sun hitting him.

"What?"

"There you are!" Elliot sighed. "Where were you?"

Ed looked at Elliot and then at the surroundings. It was day already. The sky was clear and the sun was bursting its heat into the world.

"What happened to the dragons?" Ed asked.

"Dead," Elliot answered. "We killed them before they could wreck more havoc."

The name rang inside Ed's head once more.

He was inside the egg and he felt everything outside was hot– no, everything outside was burning.

People were screaming and his egg kept on being shook as he felt a comforting arms wrapping around him through the shell.

The one who was carrying him stopped. And although he could only see darkness, his senses were sharp. He could feel a few more people in front of them. A lot more followed from behind them, and they were already surrounded not a moment later.

'The Duke left,' a female voice said from in front of them. 'The pillar of this castle is gone, meaning that his realm is vulnerable for attacks.'

'He will come back,' the woman with the soft voice said. 'And when he does, you shall pay.'

'I won't,' the other woman said and chuckled. 'I will seduce the Duke and make him mine. Then I will take over this realm and attack every other realm until I rule over everything. And you will be watching over me in another realm, Krassila. Just watching.'

'You will never succeed,' Krassila said. 'My child is the Heir of Etheoria and he will succeed his father.'

'Not anymore!' was what the other woman said before Ed felt a strong burst of energy shooting to him.

"Ed?"

He was snapped back from his thoughts when Elliot called. "You keep spacing out."

"I-I…" Ed trailed off and held his head. A stringing headache resonated from his skull that he could only felt it being cracked into several pieces.

"Take this," Elliot took a potion from his Inventory and gave it to him. "It's a drink that would heal basic and Infundamental pain."

Infundamental were terms used for those that were not included with the world's basic fundamentals, magic. Headache and sore pain from physical activities were part of this category.

Ed took the container and gulped all the contents down.

"Give me some!" Hope cheered. "What is it anyway?"

"A potion to cure headaches," Elliot simply said. "And maybe sore pains."

"What happened?" Ed asked. "Why is it morning already? It was just night a few minutes ago."

"Are you drunk, Ed?" Elliot asked. "You were missing after looking for victims for 17 hours. We were dead worried."

Lance smacked the back of Ed's head gently. "Connor was about to cry because he felt guilty."

"I was," Connor huffed. "Where were you anyway?"

"I think I just saw my people," Ed confessed. "But I don't know. I kind of look like them but I don't."

"How so?" Elliot asked.

"It felt like I was falling into the nothingness when I look into their eyes," Ed said. "But I don't think I see myself that way."

"You're not leaving us, are you?" Hope pouted.

Ed shook his head vigorously, "No. Never. I guess I'm just a mystery for everyone right now. And I think I want it to stay that way. I don't think I can handle the truth."

Lance swung his arm around Ed's neck. "Let's go to Aquaria and find you a woman."

"Yeah," Ed chuckled. "I'd like that."

But in his mind, Ed had no interest in their relaxation anyomore. Axla and Xelon's words had already chained his head to one question.

Are they really telling the truth?