I Know The Secret To Surpass Level 100

Elliot's body jolt up in shock. His eyes snapped open, finding himself inside a room. He was sleeping in a bed while Lance was sleeping on the other bed.

He pinched his arm to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. After confirming it, he got out of bed and ran to the window, opening it to be greeted by a loud music coming from the city.

"Close the window," Lance moaned from the bed. "It's too loud, Elliot."

The boy immediately shut the windows, but his eyes were still staring at it for a brief moment. He shook his head to try and remember the images that played in his mind the night before.

There was no city, only a barren and destroyed houses. He shut his eyes and remembered the castle being filled with cracks on the floor, webs on the ceilings, and tears in the walls.

"What happened to you?" Lance asked, slowly getting up from his bed. "You looked like you had a nightmare."

"I-It's something," Elliot said. "I just had a bad dream."

"No time for bad dreams, Elliot," Lance said as he stood and hopped of the bed. "We need to go to the hotsprings and explore the city today. We will eat food, enjoy the music, and just let Shyako bask us with its presence."

"Okay," Elliot said. "Yeah, let's do that."

–

"Amazing!" Hope cheered as he ran down the street. It was filled with people who were walking in the market or enjoying the bands that played.

"This place doesn't seem to run out of music," Ed said, aweing at the sights he was seeing. "They were playing the songs all night last night. Though, I couldn't hear them when I close the windows."

"That is because Shyako is the third when it comes to nightlife when it comes to the eight kingdoms," Sayu said. "The music doesn't stop two hours past midnight to accommodate the people who works or goes out at night."

Sayu was touring the group around town. She was leadin them to shops that they might like as well as the shops that sold traditional items or food. She even got them traditional Shyakan clothing that was similar to hers and the emperor's.

"I bet you also have the best hospitality, am I right?" Ed smirked. "Your service is amazing, Sayu. Thank you so much."

"Oh, it is nothing," the girl said. "The bath here is incomparable to the one your room. The hotsprings straight from the source is good for the skin and health. It has better benefits than the ones getting transfered like the ones in the palace."

She took a step to the side and gestured her hand for the envoys to pass through. Sayu bowed when the group went past her and it made them know that they like to bow to show their respect.

They took a step inside a stone wall with wooden gate and gasped in awe at the sight. It was like a small private paradise inside. The grass was green and there was a stone path leading to three different areas, to the left was a garden while the right was a wooden patio.

In the middle was a house made of wood with oblong ceramic ceilings. The floor was elevated and two steps of stairs would take them to the sliding front door. It was made of wood and white cloth like the wall divider of Emperor Yamato. Sayu opened it and revealed a smaller version of the lobby in the castle.

The house was a single story and there was a wooden aisle all throughout the house, making it look bigger than it actually was. Its walls were wooden, white and wave-like paintings.

"This way for the girls, the boys, please make a right," Sayu instructed. She led the girls to their bath while the boys were in a separate bath.

"This is going to be amazing," Connor cheered. "I can't wait to take a bath here."

"Let's go!" Ed yelled. "Last one in is a rotten egg!"

The two boys chased each other while going to the room Sayu told them. They encountered a wooden sliding door like the one in the front, and when they opened it, it revealed a room that was like a locker room but the lockers were made of wood, and looked more like shelves.

"Please, change to the towels and leave your clothes in this room," a man said to them suddenly, making all the boys jump in shock. "My name is Kuro, and I'm in charge of the men's bath."

"That's chill," Ed said and headed straight to the lockers. He got the towel and removed his clothes without any hesitation. "Last one in the bath has to treat the others at dinner."

"But we're free to stay here," Ellio scrunched his face.

"Then he pays when we get back to Avancia," Ed grinned. "I bet it's Connor!"

He laughed hysterically before running out the room and into the baths. It wasn't their first time in such establishment since there are Eastern inspired baths in Avancia. It was just that this one was an actual bath, and it makes them all excited.

Elliot dipped his feet in the water, feeling its heat. Heat doesn't really affect him much, but he wanted to think that it does. After becoming an Adventurer, he wasn't feeling the same things anymore. The irrevocable changes in his body made him somewhat reminiscent of his past.

"What was your dream all about, by the way?" Lance asked after Elliot was fully dipped in the water. "You were sweating a lot and you seemed to be in panic. What was that?"

"It was nothing," Elliot whispered. "I just really had a bad dream."

"I had one too," Viper suddenly butted in their conversation. Since he can't keep up with Connor, Ed, and Hope's energy, he settled on sitting with Elliot and Lance who were calmly bathing on the side. 

"What dream was it?" Elliot asked, quirking his brow. "Florencia rejecting you?"

Viper's face went red in a split second. He shook his head and puffed his cheeks, "Not like that at all."

"Of course, it wasn't," Elliot shrugged, smirking as he saw Viper blush even more. "You kids and your love. Let me tell you, focus on yourself first–"

Lance covered Elliot's mouth with his hands, "I'm sorry if you had a traumatic younger years, gramps, but let the kid finish."

Elliot rolled his eyes, making Lance and Viper chuckle and shake their heads in amusement.

"So, I was in the castle," Viper started. "Mr. Hope was snoring loudly, so I got up and checked the windows. Then I felt the eeire silence from outside. My eyes aren't the best at night, but I could still make out the view of the city. And it was–"

"Barren and destroyed," Elliot finished, removing Lance's hands over his mouth. "That's what my dream is all about too."

"It wasn't finished," Viper continued. "I tried to wake up Mr. Hope, but he wasn't there anymore. His bed was empty and for some reason, it too was destroyed. Everything in the room was."

Elliot was about to speak again, but Lance placed a finger over his lips. "Let the boy finish, okay? I want to beat you up right now."

He rolled his eyes once more but let Viper finished. In his mind, he was panicking. What happened to Viper was awfully similar to him. If he had at least a different dream, it wouldn't be as suspicious, but they were the same.

"I got out of the room and went to the living room," Viper continued. "Then I saw the Emperor there."

"Did you say anything to him?" Lance asked. "And why was he there?"

Viper shook his head, "Let me clarify that. The emperor's remains was there. He was just bones when I saw him standing right by the window."

As if on cue, Hope yelled in fear. Elliot and Lance immediately got up and looked around, only to see the three going missing.

"They were just here!" Lance yelled. "Where in the hell are they?"

"Shh," Elliot said, this time he was placing his finger over Lance's lips. "Listen and follow the sound."

Lance nodded and the three of them followed the shrieks and yells of Hope. They walked a few steps behind a rock and saw the three play around, Connor and Ed was holding Hope down and was the reason why the dragon boy was screaming.

"Stop it!" Hope yelled while laughing. "If you don't stop, I will morph right this second!"

"Make us stop then," Connor challenged. He placed his hands on Elliot's side and tickled him there while Ed was holding his arms. "Make us stop."

"They need to take a chill pill," Elliot chuckled. A scream sounded from inside the bath where Viper was. They immediately ran back to the first bath and saw Viper running away from a monkey, making Elliot groan.. "This one's defective too."