UNLIMITED SPEED

Noah and Elder Sarah sat in the sitting room of her mansion. She had long since gotten it repaired, and the walls even featured more decorations and on top of the cream, almost yellow paint were purple stripes creating patterns that were geometrical in nature, but Noah didn’t know their use. He had been within the bounds of the underground training area during the time of their repair.

Elder Sarah mostly left him a lot in there, meaning he could cultivate within it. At times she left him for days giving him full access to the many functions of that place. During those months Noah learned all that there was about its functions. At least the ones she let him know. He suspected that there were still many things hidden away from him.

“So what were you saying that time,” Noah broke the silence that had befallen them after he returned from his barely used room. A cup of fine non-magical wine lay in both their grasp. He had to admit that the taste of the drink was soothing and made his taste buds tremble in joy.

He had often eaten only bland stuff during those months, except when elder Sarah brought down food for both of them.

Not until she finished sipping the wine in her brown cup did Elder Sarah open her mouth to speak.

“Ah yes,” she started oddly. “You know how you haven’t been rising in ranks for a while now, well it’s about that,” she stated sipping more wine.

Raising an eyebrow at her words, Noah soon furrowed them to try and speak, but she beat him to it.

“I know that you’ve been worried about the fact that you’ve not gained any new rank in the guild. Any sensible person would. We all want to be found important and an individual such as yourself wouldn’t like to remain beneath lesser talented people just to gain battle experience. At least I know I wouldn’t.” She nodded and shrugged shutting Noah up.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” she continued. “There are two ways to gain ranks in all guilds. The first one is by taking and completing tasks. Which is what the mass does it. A boring and annoying method if you ask me.”

“Then there’s partaking in social events that grant an increase in rank as one of its winning rewards.” She paused silently gazing at Noah’s expression and watched it flicker. A good sign that he was listening and getting interested.

“This social event I’m talking about come in many forms and themes, but the particular one only two weeks from now is the main target. Its main focus is on young martial art practitioners,” she paused watching Noah’s eyes light up with realization.

“It’s something only the concerned targets are privy to, which is one of the reasons the guild keeps tabs on its new members, so I don’t expect you to announce it to other guild-mates when you begin to associate with them again,” she warned. Noah nodded in understanding, but his expression spoke of his willingness to know more about the event she spoke of.

Intending to keep him waiting, Lady Sarah took a series of sips from her cup before continuing. Aiden looked pissed already, but he couldn’t do anything to offend her since she held valuable information.

“The martial arts tournament like I said earlier is aimed at upcoming martial arts practitioners who have amazing talent and are within the third tier. It would have young experts like yourself coming from different guilds, but they would only number one hundred, and the total winners will be ten in number.” 𝚍ｎ𝚘ｖ𝚕．𝚘𝚛𝚐

“The hundred are one of the finest since they are pitted against artificial opponents before the real tournament, and the best will be chosen to fight.”

“I had initially counted you out and aimed for the next tournament since I never thought you’d be able to achieve the second form so quickly, but it seems you will be able to participate. Although the registrations should be closed by now, I can still pull some strings to get you into it. It would be a good way to expose you to different opponents while probably bagging a prize for yourself,” she explained. She too getting excited.

“It starts two weeks from now right?” Noah asked, and she nodded in response. “Would I need to be tested too,” he asked.

“Yes I believe so,” Elder Sarah replied. “I know how amazing you are but the guild still needs visual assurance. After all, you have barely been training for four months. The individuals you’ll be put against have been at it for years, but are still considered young,” she continued to sip her wine.

“And I’ll have to be among the top ten individuals to be granted the reward…” Noah spoke before his words soon faded.

“What are the rewards?” Noah asked, and watched Elder Sarah’s face light up with a wide grin.

“That’s the best part,” she said over a mouthful of wine.

“There are three prizes given to all ten winners, and there are special prizes given to the top three.” She began, suddenly getting serious.

“The top ten all gain an emblem, by which they are allowed to visit any of the participated guilds, and they would be treated with high respect. The second prize is a weapon forged just for them which is of their liking. The third prize is being moved to the peak of rank C since most individuals are never in that rank within the third tier,” she explained.

“The prize given to the top three is that they will be given the chance to tour the continent, and even the giant continent, and they will be treated with high respect,” she announced making Noah hold in breath while his eyes widened in utter shock.

“Even if he had barely spent a year in that world, he already understood a few basic rules and sad realities. One of them was that most of the masses barely had any information about the other continents and many would never see them till they die as a result of how low their cultivation base was and the standard of living.

“Not even some tier 4’s get that privilege, and thus have to go through underhand methods to reach those far places. The top three will be taken there fully funded by the guilds that participated.” Elder Sarah added, making Noah’s excitement reach high levels that it began to permeate the room.

He had already been bought over by the rewards of the top ten. The rewards for the top three were overkill.