Chapter 98: Welcome to the Battle Lane
The Blade Path Training Match was a course built specifically for straight-line acceleration–type Mecha Girls.
On this track, speed was everything—at most, with a bit of combat and collision mixed in.
The entire course stretched for 100 kilometers and was constructed near a high-speed railway on the outskirts of Tianyuan City. The starting point was an abandoned airport, vast and open, capable of accommodating dozens of Mecha Girls launching at the same time.
However, the finish line was located on a bridge.
The bridge was 1,200 meters long, with an extremely narrow deck—only wide enough for a single Mecha Girl to pass through.
That meant competitors either relied on absolute speed to crush the field and be the first onto the bridge,
or they would decide the outcome directly on the bridge itself.
The bridge wasn’t particularly high. From the deck to the water below was only about ten meters. Medical and rescue teams were on standby at all times. If a Mecha Girl or driver fell from the bridge, they would immediately rush in to ensure both survived.
After all, not every Mecha Girl knew how to swim…
For example, the Pineapple King beside Derek Su was a complete landlubber.
This training match had no fixed starting order. All Mecha Girls and drivers would launch simultaneously.
A total of sixty-seven competitors stood ready, their Mecha Girls fully deployed beside them. Once the countdown whistle sounded, drivers would enter their cockpits and prepare for launch.
“Is that the Magician himself?”
Derek Su was boredly patting Stella’s rear when a shy voice suddenly spoke up beside him.
He turned his head and saw a girl with delicate features and a few freckles on her face.
“Um… my Mecha Girl and I are both your fans. Could I get your autograph?”
She already had a marker and a brand-new racing suit prepared.
But since Derek Su hadn’t nodded yet, she didn’t dare hand them over.
Derek Su glanced toward Stella in the cockpit for confirmation.
Stella blinked and scanned the girl once.
Tch. Looks pretty ordinary.
And her chest isn’t even as big as mine.
Assessment: No threat!!
“Go ahead, sign it, sign it. Next time, you don’t need to ask this King for permission~ Master can decide on his own.”
She put on an exaggeratedly magnanimous expression, making Derek Su’s mouth twitch.
A certain shattered marker from the past flashed through his mind.
He quickly signed for the girl.
Even something this small gave him a sense of accomplishment. Being admired and liked was, after all, a very satisfying feeling.
“Thank you!” The girl bowed politely and didn’t linger.
Like a little fangirl, she pulled out another racing suit and squeezed past more than a dozen competitors to get Chloe Qin’s autograph instead. Derek Su smiled faintly as he watched her go.
Soon, the five-minute countdown began and the whistle sounded. He opened the door, but just as he entered Stella’s cockpit, a sharp, cutting voice echoed from the distance.
“What are you, anyway? Asking me for an autograph?”
“Are you ordering me around? Get lost!”
Derek Su frowned and looked over.
The girl stood awkwardly in front of Chloe Qin, head lowered, completely at a loss. Her racing suit and marker had been thrown onto the ground, already covered in dust.
“Master, that irregular-period woman is so scary!”
Stella put on a frightened expression and nodded seriously. “You’re right. Women like that really are indescribable.”
“If she doesn’t want to sign, then don’t. There’s no need to humiliate someone like this.”
Derek Su shook his head helplessly.
Looking at Chloe Qin, he felt as if he were seeing certain arrogant celebrities from his past life—singers, actors, racers, athletes. Once they became famous, they let it go to their heads, thinking they were above everyone else. Even their fans became less than dirt in their eyes. They never realized that without those fans, they were nothing.
Of course, that way of thinking might not fully apply to racers and Mecha Girls in this world.
But Chloe Qin’s arrogance was exactly the same.
“People like her only enjoy momentary glory. Once they fall off their pedestal, they’ll probably lose their minds,” Derek Su snorted coldly.
Since coming to this world, his temperament had mellowed a lot under Mr. Liang’s and Stella’s influence.
But toward Chloe Qin, a clear sense of hostility rose within him.
He had already checked Blazing Wind’s attributes.
【Drifting: 70】
【Acceleration: 89】
【Cornering: 60】
【Boost Charge: 80】
【Stability: 68】
【Impact Resistance: 72】
【Endurance: 74】
These stats were excellent for a straight-line course—truly one in a hundred. Running cornered tracks wouldn’t be a problem either; with good coordination between driver and Mecha Girl, strong results would come easily.
But today, he and Stella were here.
Chloe Qin was destined to be nothing but a pile of dog shit.
【Countdown: 10 seconds! All competitors prepare to launch!】
Derek Su tightened his grip on the control stick, clenched the handbrake, and floored the accelerator. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
“Let me see whether your arrogance can carry you to the finish line!”
【…Three, two, one!】
【GO—!】
Boom—!
Stella’s engine roared as she shot forward like a silver arrow released from its bow.
Almost instantly, she pulled more than ten meters ahead of the surrounding Mecha Girls.
Some wild drivers had also learned launch control, but their timing was still crude. On top of that, their Mecha Girls didn’t have Stella’s level of acceleration, so they couldn’t fully exploit the technique.
“So fast!”
“We can’t even see anything but her taillights… As expected of the Magician!”
The wild drivers gasped at Stella’s overwhelming speed.
And just as they were stunned, a crimson streak also surged past them, taking the lead.
“It’s Chloe Qin!”
“Blazing Wind is fast too!”
…
Inside the cockpit, Chloe Qin stared at Stella, who was one car length ahead, her teeth clenched.
“Disgraceful… to let them take the lead!”
Blazing Wind, stretched forward at the front, could practically feel Chloe Qin’s icy gaze.
In truth, her acceleration should have been on par with Stella’s.
But Chloe Qin’s mood had been affected today. She hesitated for a split second during launch control. Otherwise, at the very least, she would be running neck and neck with Stella right now.
Yes, Chloe Qin looked down on the Magician—yet she was using the very launch control technique he invented.
She justified it by saying that techniques existed to be learned, and the capable were the ones who used them.
Blazing Wind disliked this mindset, but she didn’t dare say anything.
Moreover, Chloe Qin’s learning ability was genuinely strong, and she did have the qualifications to be proud. She had mastered the Magician’s drifting techniques and Z-shaped weaving flawlessly. Her choice of turn-in points and braking zones far surpassed the other BBC Club drivers.
Setting aside her personality and character, Chloe Qin was indeed a solid driver.
Blazing Wind clenched her teeth.
Now, she could only hope she hadn’t chosen wrong.
“Blazing Wind, I don’t care how you do it—you must catch up!”
Chloe Qin issued an absolute order. But what could Blazing Wind do?
This track was a pure speed contest, without a single corner.
The only thing she could do now was slip into the low-pressure zone behind Stella and draft her slipstream, praying Stella made a mistake. Otherwise, she could only eat dust from behind.
…
“Master, they can’t catch us—just two trash fish!”
Stella glanced at the rearview mirror and snorted, her little butt swaying happily.
Derek Su pressed a hand down to steady her, calming her nerves while sending his intent through.
“What’s the fun in just making them eat dust? Stella, slow down. Let them pass.”
Stella obeyed immediately.
Behind them, Blazing Wind and Chloe Qin seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and surged forward.
“Master, they made a mistake!”
“The Magician? Nothing special!” Chloe Qin curled her lips upward, not even sparing Derek Su and Stella a glance.
…
Inside Stella’s cockpit, Derek Su’s mouth twisted into a savage grin as he murmured softly:
“Heh heh…”
“Welcome to the battle lane.”
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.