UNLIMITED SPEED

Noah opened his eyes with a deep grunt, almost a growl. He tried to raise his body by supporting it with his right arm but sank back.

A curse exited his mouth as his state dawned on him, and even more, curses did he utter.

Noah felt weak. By every standard one could be considered weak; he felt weak. His very bones lacked their fundamental strength and everything felt heavy. Even breathing.

His thoughts felt slow and his mind fragile. He was suffering the effects of his skill, and now he hated it with all his being. He even began to regret his decision.

Noah lay on the bed within Riveta's tower and continued to sigh for more than half an hour.

He couldn't support his weight or felt too tired to. Even if his body was completely fine.

He was suffering a 90% decrease in all stats, he was probably as strong as a baby in that form.

"Am I going to spend the next two weeks in this state," Noah grimaced, and his regret peaked. He honestly would prefer death to what he experienced.

Tears were on the verge of clouding his eyes, but he drew them back in shock. He had literally been on the verge of crying.

Noah stayed in his position for about another half-hour before the black door flung open and Riveta walked in.

"Look who's awake!" she teased arms raised and eyes widened, coming to stand above him.

"If you've come here to make fun of me, know that it won't get any reaction out of me. I'm too tired," Noah explained. His sentence was slow and withdrawn, but his audience was patient.

"How would I do that? I have a fine young man helpless within my tower, I'll treat him nice," she placed her hand on her mouth acting shocked by his accusation.

Noah tried to snort, but somewhere down the paths of the neurons that filled his brain, he was unable to act out his thoughts and ended up staring at her. His eyes were half closed from fatigue.

"You've been asleep for four days so I came to check up on you," Riveta commented taking her seat beside him.

Noah took note of her the fragrance present on her, while his eyes widened in shock at her revelation, but he quickly regained his calm.

"Yes-yes," Riveta remarked. "I even tried giving you potions, but you convulsed and vomited violently, for hours on end."

Noah's expression froze at that point and he couldn't help but feel certain that had she not done that, he would have at least had the strength to move around.

Then again, he couldn't blame her. She had simply been considerate. Even if her actions had put him in a state worse than it initially should have been.

"I feel better," Noah lied through his teeth, but Riveta wasn't having any of that.

"Lies," she gave a tone radiating slight disdain. "Your life force is far lower than it initially was when we met. So I know you're lying," She explained waving his words off.

"Honestly, I'm shocked you're still alive. Then again, I've found you to be full of surprises," She remarked suddenly bending closer to him until her blonde hair got in his face, and Noah took in more of her scent.

Her breathing was soft and they seemed to caress his face. Noah knew he would normally be aroused by such an event in normal times, but he was weak as heck. Not even his lower mind had the energy to act.

He had such a gorgeous woman close up, but he couldn't act.

'Am I in hell already,' he wept inwardly.

"Your hair is getting in my nose," Noah commented even if he had the urge to grab and sniff them. He couldn't exactly describe the fragrance she had, but it smelled nice.

Riveta maintained her posture for a few more seconds before silently rising and leaving the room in the same manner.

Noah felt taken aback, but he also felt too tired to worry about the actions of that expert. She had already proven to be a nut-job.

Riveta on the other hand heaved a light sigh when she got outside.

Resting her back on the door, she placed her right hand on her left eye and it started to glow bright crimson color, different from the sky blue of her other eye.

"Who is he?" She muttered, her chest rising and falling in a deep sigh.

Riveta although a powerful existence in the fifth tier, wasn't only just strong, but also had an ability that differed from normalcy. A deviant.

She had a special ability which she had learned to name Fate. When activated she could peek into a person's future as long as she remained within a certain range of them.

Her eye color changed depending on what she saw. After centuries of harnessing the ability, she had learned to tell what each color meant.

In Noah's case; red meant an event that would be considered dangerous existed. But unlike all the persons she had ever used that ability on, she had only gazed at darkness. Darkness tinted with all sorts of colors.

No event had appeared in her mind; only that vision. And for some reason, it sent chills down her spine.

There were only two possibilities for that outcome. One was that his future existed in a plane that her ability wasn't allowed to touch, or he was stronger than her. In that case; far stronger than she was.

The truth was she still didn't know how her ability worked, or why it even existed, but he was the first person; far much weaker than her, whose future she couldn't gaze at.

She was however certain that whatever was to happen to the young man, had a danger level that could even threaten her own life.

Riveta spent a few seconds silently resting her back on the door to Aiden's room.

The ability drained her stamina and very life essence. She would need to cultivate to replenish it.

"You finally returned," Noah remarked seeing Riveta's figure clothed in a green gown return into his room.

The air she brought in, however, felt different than what she usually had, and Noah knew to keep quiet.

"I will be leaving the tower for a few days," She announced. Noah noticed her formal tone. "In the meantime, they will cater for you as they have for the last four days."

Noah remained silent at her words while he watched four humanoid dummies or intelligent dummies dressed in nice-looking attires walk in.

He eyed the 7ft figures of the dummies, however. Riveta saw this and opened her mouth to reassure him.

"Do not worry young man, Aiden. They are my bests. They won't try to harm you."

"They each will see you as their master while I'm out," She explained far more distant than she had been when Noah arrived there.

The event placed Noah in confusion but he could only nod in agreement. She was allowed to do whatever she wanted.

"Great," she exclaimed immediately leaving the room, before suddenly peeking into the room.

"You're allowed to move about my tower, but there are certain rooms that feature dummies at their entrances."

"Trying to forcefully gain entry into any of them would mean disobeying me and you'll be immediately kicked out of my tower," she explained with a slight giggle, then she left.

Noah didn't see her even after a week passed.