Chapter 12: Banag Valley Training Race

...

“Stella! Stella, wake up! The training race is about to start!”

Derek Su opened Stella’s room, only to find it empty.

Today was the third day since leaving the Leap Club. The Banag Valley Training Race would begin promptly at ten o’clock.

Yesterday they had trained nonstop except for meals, and with barely any rest, Derek Su had almost given up entirely. Stella’s Cornering attribute had only risen by 0.1—now sitting at 22.1. When he saw that pitiful increase, paired with her exhausted, borderline-starving state, he decided to send her home to rest before she passed out.

“Where’s Stella?”

Only her shark plushie lay on the bed.

On the desk sat a half-read novel, Chuunibyou Also Has Spring, and an open notebook, pages rustling in the wind. On it was a doodle of a fierce-looking little guy in flip-flops, next to a mecha girl with a snow-cone bucket on her head, clutching herself and crying. Underneath, in wobbly handwriting, was written:
‘Handbrake + Downshift + Steering Wheel + Throttle = Drift!!’

“What the—she actually… actually copied it a hundred times?!”

Derek Su’s face tightened. He’d been strict yesterday, yes, but Stella wasn’t the type to run away at a critical moment. Besides, with their core imprint, she couldn’t just disappear on him.

“What’s all that yelling so early in the morning?”

Mr. Liang walked out of the bathroom in pajamas, toothpaste foam still at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh—Mr. Liang, you’re up early. Did you see Stella?”

“That girl snuck out in the middle of the night. Probably went to practice cornering on her own.” Mr. Liang wiped his face with a towel. “Go check the training grounds nearby.”

Derek Su threw on a jacket, grabbed a bottle of high-energy nutrient mix, and stepped outside. On the way, he bought the steamed buns Stella loved, planning to lure her out like a stray kitten if needed. When he arrived at the nearby training lot, sure enough, there she was—lying flat on the ground in a full spread-eagle.

Snow-cone cones lay scattered everywhere, clearly knocked over. Tire marks from repeated cornering attempts streaked across the ground.

Derek Su sighed. “This girl even drools in her sleep?”

He leaned closer. Seeing her peacefully sleeping face, his heart softened.

She might be a dummy, but she worked surprisingly hard.

“Fff… master… cornering… hit the takoyaki… huhuoh~”

Derek Su: “???”

What kind of dream was she having? Racing go-karts?

“Stella, the training race is about to start. Time to wake up!” He poked her soft cheek.

“Training race?!” Stella’s eyes shot open. She bolted upright like a corpse rising, her long hair hanging messily over her face. “Ah—right! The t-training race!” She covered her face. “Oh no, oh no—I overslept! Master, what time is it?!”

“It’s 8:30. We can still make it.”

Derek Su sighed, rubbing his forehead. “You were practicing turns here all night?”

“Yup!” Stella beamed, dragging him toward a set of tire marks. “Master, look! I took this ninety-degree turn all by myself! Look at that perfect burnout mark! And that beautiful turn-in point!”

“And your cornering speed?” Derek Su asked flatly.

“Uh… cornering speed… was… 100… one-hundred-something… just a little…”

Her voice shrank to a whisper.

A bit over 100 was nothing compared to Derek Su’s 300-plus.

But he didn’t mind. Smiling, he patted her head. “Hitting 100 on your own is already pretty good. Keep it up~”

A praise from Master first thing in the morning—clearly she was the happiest mecha girl alive!

Blushing, Stella rubbed her cheek against his hand. Then her nose twitched, eyes sparkling. “Master! What did you bring? It smells amazing!”

“Some buns I picked up… and your AD-Calcium high-energy nutrient bottle.”

He raised the bag—inside were eight palm-sized meat buns.

“Time’s tight. We’ll head to the track first. Eat while we walk and restore your stamina.”

“Oh! Master, I want six!”

...

The Banag Valley Training Race—just as the name suggested—was held in Banag Valley in Jiangcheng.

Banag Valley had originally been a resort. Later, a racing-enthusiast owner bought it.

He tore down every resort facility and rebuilt the area into a classic race track.

The 43-kilometer course featured straights, curves, and slopes—compact but complete. Many racers brought their mecha girls here for training since the track layout was practically a trimmed-down version of a professional circuit.

Derek Su and Stella arrived just in time. Fortunately, they had pre-registered. With ID verification and number tags collected, they headed straight in.

By the time Derek Su found their spot, Stella still had a half-eaten bun in her mouth.

“The weather’s pretty good today,” he said, looking up, feeling unusually relaxed.

Banag Valley had four major turns—the toughest one being a 45-degree hairpin. After that came a full 3-kilometer sprint.

Before allocating MP points, Derek Su had doubted whether his skills alone could handle that turn.

Now he was confident he could.

“Does good weather help me?” Stella asked, blinking up at the sky.

“Of course. Rain makes cornering harder—the road gets slippery, and the tires lose grip.”

“Then I hope it doesn’t rain today…” Stella clasped her hands and prayed.

“Relax,” Derek Su chuckled. “I checked the forecast this morning. No rain.”

【Driver No. 32 has requested a starting-order change】

The broadcast announcement echoed across the track.

Stella blinked, tugging at the pocket of Derek Su’s new racing suit. “Master, you can change starting positions?”

“Yeah. But usually people move back. No one wants to move forward.”

“Why?”

“Because being in front basically turns you into a road sweeper. You clear stones and little obstacles for everyone behind you. You’re just doing free work for them. But honestly, I don’t really care where we start~”

“Ohhh, I get it! Master, you’re so smart!”

Derek Su: “...”

No—you’re just clueless.

As they chatted, they noticed two people being led over by race staff—a man and a woman.

The man looked ordinary but carried himself with loud confidence. The mecha girl beside him had long, flowing silver hair and a tall, elegant frame. Both wore racing suits with the VVC insignia.

“Mr. Caio Yang, are you sure you want to switch to starting position No. 10?” the staff member asked respectfully, a polite smile fixed on his face.

“Why ask so much? I said switch, so just switch!” Caio Yang clicked his tongue impatiently.

He hated dealing with these insignificant nobodies—no skill, lots of nonsense, and always pretending to be overly cautious. It disgusted him.

Derek Su glanced at his own position: No. 9.

Banag Valley used dual-start lanes. Meaning this pair would be starting right beside him and Stella.

The staff quickly completed their registration and left.

“Is it them?” Caio Yang asked Comet, his gaze focused mostly on Derek Su.

The racing suit looked decent on him, but his shoes—just worn-out flat sneakers…

With gear that shabby, could a guy like this really hit 300 in cornering?

Comet didn’t respond. Arms crossed, she simply stared coldly at Stella.

Stella stared right back, curious.

She’d definitely seen this mecha girl somewhere…

A memory flashed—Mecha Island’s debut showcase. A silver sports car leading the pack, leaving everyone in the dust.

For a time, that silhouette had been her inspiration—her guiding star.

“Oh! I remember now!” Stella’s eyes sparkled. Like an excited fangirl meeting her idol, she pointed at Comet. “You—you’re XC-76!?”