UNLIMITED SPEED

Noah opened his eyes in the middle of a street. Furrowing his brows, he scanned his environment with curiosity, he hadn't expected that type of terrain.

The whole place seemed abandoned as there were many broken buildings, even the streets looked badly kept.

The tallest building present was just a storey tall. Most of the buildings even had vegetative growing on and in them, as the place smelt old and ancient, but also looked big.

Finding that James wasn't with him, Noah heaved a sigh, and wished he would remain safe until Noah found him.

Noah couldn't help but want to explore the whole place, but he didn't lose focus. Opening the map, Noah got a better understanding of it.

He was currently in the said safe place which was in the edge of the city's south region, but was also close to a tier 3 beast.

Noah could see that in the center of the city was a green circle, he didn't understand what it meant so he moved on. Opening the meter that held the number of participants, Noah was surprised to see 178, on the meter.

'Whoa that's a lot of work,' Noah thought. One hundred and sixty eight participants would have to be eliminated to meet the stages' requirements, but it felt impossible to do all that In just one day.

Noah ran for around five minutes, and remained speechless when he found James. It seemed that their present area was the so-called safe spot.

Noah wondered why that was so. Was it safe from the magical beasts or participants.

"I've never been anywhere like this," James marvelled at the abandoned city, Noah simply nodding in response.

"We should to begin eliminating participants, you'll have to stick with me," Noah said retrieving his staff since the situation wasn't too troublesome.

"We'll simply have to remain a good distance from the tier 3 beasts," Noah added expanding his consciousness, which could cover over 70m around his figure, greatly assisting him.

"Why exactly are you letting me stick with you?," James asked, his expression mixed with curiosity and helplessness.

Noah gazed at him, their eyes locking gaze's for multiple seconds, before his voice rang out, "For starters, we had planned to be partners through out the whole thing. The change of events didn't change that in my mind," Noah nodded.

"But I've been feeding off you. There are many others who will actually be more useful than me. Why did you stick with me. It just doesn't make sense," James complained.

Noah's eyes immediately turned cold, his expression reaching chilling levels, even his voice. "This isn't completely for you. Don't forget I promised Jesse that I'd bring you back to him. This is just me fulfilling my promise." Noah turned and gazed at a far distance from them.

A difficult expression appeared on James's face at that point. He had many things to say about the matter but he didn't push it. Noah had told him his primary reason after all.

"Let's go," Noah announced, sprinting towards a particular direction, James following closely behind.

Noah didn't actually know where they were going, the map didn't indicate where the other participants were, which would have been an even better reward than the meter, but they probably wanted to keep it a bit fair, as such a reward would have been outrageous.

The number of the participants dropped once in a while, but not steady enough to make Noah think clearing the stage would be easy.

Though after ten minutes of running, weaving through the cities streets, the duo encountered a person, a man in the middle stage.

When the man sighted Noah's face, he began to run from them. But Noah caught up to him before he could escape.

"Do you choose to surrender or be killed?." Noah hastily asked, there wasn't much time. "I surrender," the around thirty years man said, his voice shaky from what Noah could do to him.

His incredible speed had frightened the man, causing him to believe that Noah feats were actually true, and besides Noah was peak stage, he naturally didn't have a chance.

"Good. You chose the easy way. Now activate the teleportation function." Noah ordered the man, who complied but with a dark and helpless expression.

Noah let whiffs of his aura escape his body, which terrified the middle staged man in the process.

An inscription lit up on beneath the man's feet and also on his wrist, then a blue light wrapped around him. His sad figure disappearing an instant later.

Noah smiled when he saw the number on the meter drop by one.

Dashing forward, the duo ran for a while. During that period, Noah tried thinking of what could happen if the requirements weren't met in just a day.

Would they send those still unknown creatures to them or something else, Noah tried to figure it out, which he couldn't.

Eventually the duo found another participants, a woman in the peak stage.

Seeing the duo's figures, the lady suprisingly didn't run, but instead slammed both her palms on the ground. Noah and James immediately understood that she was about to cast a spell.

James dashed towards a different direction away from the two peak stages'. While Noah's steps came to an abrupt halt just for a millisecond. Double tapping his right foot, he shot up into the air. He had performed one of his martial arts.

Noah understood that in the air he would basically be defenseless, which was why immediately he had reached the peak height his mountain stomp could currently take him; a whirlwind or so flickered into existence beneath him. Interrupting the ladies spell while also protecting himself from her.

Landing on the lady's position. Noah was surprised to find that she was gone, and he couldn't see her with his eyes due to the spinning wind currents, but his mental waves picked something up.

Spinning his staff, Noah raised it horizontally above his head. Then he felt a foreign weight land on his staff, which was held with both his hands at each ends.

The weight immediately vanished, so did the whirlwind. Noah was able to see her figure on the building right in front of them.

"You are strong," her voice rang out.

Noah only raised his eyebrows, he didn't understand. 'I am strong, but we haven't even started yet,' he thought. 'Was that attack supposed to be overwhelming,' Noah wondered in his mind.

Seeing that Noah gave no response, she brought her large hammer in front of her.

"I am Insha second daughter of the house of Verilon. And we shall battle to the death," she announced. Noah simply nodding his head, then shot upwards. So fast she could barely follow his movements.

Noah kicked at her hammer, sending her flying towards the edge of the roof. But she managed to grab one of the mulitiple metal poles, stopping her descent in the process.

Noah moved at that point. Slamming his staff on the ground, Noah caused a sharp blade made of condensed air to fly towards her.

The lady seemed to have sensed danger, since she released her grip on the pole and fell downwards.

Noah dashed forward immediately after. He had tried not to overwhelm her but it seemed she couldn't keep up too well.

Jumping down the building, Noah cursed his rash action.

Multiple stakes rose up at a threatening speed beneath him. Noah watched all this happen in slow motion. Stretching his fist forward since no spell could work as fast as he currently needed.

Noah punched at the first spike with all his might.

Immediately his fist touched the first pointy stake, an explosion resounded sending sharp rocks everywhere.

To Insha's surprise, her attack had been destroyed with just a punch. Noah landed on the ground at that point,

"You almost got me there." Noah announced, he immediately switched weapons In an instant. Rasing his dagger up, it glowed with an intense dark purple light, indicating that Noah had activated it ability.

Insha immediately sensed danger, but couldn't move since a thin spike had struck and impaled her right leg.

Doom filled her mind at that point. 'Am I going to die,' she thought as fear took over her emotions.

Noah was about to slash at her when he sensed something that made him divert his attack.