The moment Dawnbreak activated her Mecha Girl skill, the entire Greenfield Advancement Race was thrown into an uproar. Spectators in the stands, racers still waiting to start, and competitors already tearing down the track were all stunned by the sight.
"Ladies and gentlemen, do you see that crimson phantom? This peak moment belongs to our No. 36 racer—Laiya An and her Mecha Girl, Dawnbreak! Before this race began, none of us could have imagined that Dawnbreak possessed a special skill. Mecha Girls like her are exceedingly rare. If nothing unexpected happens, the champion of this Greenfield Advancement Race is practically decided!"
Host Taimei's voice echoed across the starting area. The stands erupted into deafening noise, and although the audience was wide-eyed with shock, no one questioned her judgment.
The gap between Mecha Girls with skills and those without wasn't just a matter of price—it was a difference in sheer dominance, like the gap between a Techmaster and an ordinary driver.
In a race filled entirely with standard Mecha Girls, the appearance of a top-tier unit with a special skill was like throwing a wolf into a pack of huskies. The rest never stood a chance.
Miles Wang, still stuck at the starting grid, had a face as dark as burnt soot. He clenched his fist and slammed it into the guardrail, shouting angrily,
"What the hell is this?! It's just an advancement race! Are you kidding me?! Even top-tier Mecha Girls should know to hide their skills as trump cards! Damn it! I'm the young master of the SSC Club—I just want first place once! What's wrong with that?!"
"Master, please calm down. At worst, we'll aim for a top-three finish today…" Hurricane held onto Miles Wang's hand, trying to soothe him. In truth, she felt just as miserable. She had thought today would be a clean sweep, but first Derek Su–Stella took the left-side ramp route, and now another monster had appeared.
Top-tier Mecha Girls too?!
Who could possibly handle this?
Justin Kim, who had just left the starting line, broke out in a cold sweat. He poked Cloud Leopard's rear and said ingratiatingly,
"Um… Cloud Leopard, how about we adjust the punishment threshold? You heard it too—Derek Su–Stella is already ridiculous, and Laiya An is even worse. Those two alone have locked down the top spots. We…"
"Then we fight for third," Cloud Leopard replied flatly, glancing back at Justin Kim. "If we don't get third and end up fourth, Master can choose gold scissors. Fifth to tenth, silver scissors. After tenth—rusty scissors. Decide for yourself."
"How can this be… how can this be…"
Justin Kim shakily wiped the sweat from his forehead.
In his heart, he had already prayed to every god imaginable.
Stella, Laiya An—please slow down a little.
Someone's really going to die at this rate.
...
The only racers who remained unaffected were those who had started near the front.
Like Zane and Lingwind.
As time passed, they approached the finish. Zane didn't get greedy and choose the 250-meter jump. Instead, he stuck to his usual training plan, following the riverbank and jumping at the 150-meter width.
For this Greenfield Advancement Race, his only goal was to finish the course with Lingwind—build confidence, improve coordination, and strengthen their chemistry. Of course, a top-ten finish would be even better.
"Ready, Lingwind?"
This was Zane's second time racing in the Greenfield Advancement Race.
Last time, he and Broken Moon hadn't even reached this point before flipping somewhere earlier on the track. Staring at the rushing river ahead, even after countless training runs on the steel framework, he still couldn't help feeling nervous. His palms were slick with sweat as he gripped the control stick.
Lingwind could feel Zane's emotions clearly.
He was nervous—and so was she.
But Lingwind knew that if both of them panicked, the race would only end badly.
She turned to look at him, took a deep breath, and met his gaze with unwavering resolve and courage.
"Master, I'm ready. We're starting ahead of the others—we have to set an example for Stella and Lumina. Just drive me forward and charge!"
"Lingwind, I—"
"Master, I believe in you!"
Zane froze for a moment. The tension and unease in his heart slowly melted away under Lingwind's encouragement.
Broken Moon had never spoken to him like that. Whenever something went wrong on the track, she would complain immediately and push all the blame onto him as the driver.
It felt like she had never truly acknowledged him.
But now, Lingwind was giving him something he had never had before.
So… I can be trusted. I can be relied on too?
Zane lifted his head sharply, tightening his grip on the control stick.
The trembling in his heart settled in that instant.
"Alright. I'll take you through!"
The launch point drew closer. Zane floored the throttle, and Lingwind's speed surged higher and higher.
Hesitation, fear, cowardice—cast them all aside.
He was no longer the old Zane.
Now, he had a partner he could trust completely.
Go, Lingwind!
Boom—!
The wheels slammed heavily onto the launch pad.
Lingwind shot into the air, tracing a graceful arc between the riverbanks, soaring above the roaring water.
...
At the same time.
Xavier Young and Lumina were also nearing the river at the finish.
"Lumina, you're in great shape today," Xavier Young said, gazing toward the distant track, emotion filling his chest.
He hadn't expected to be back on the track with Lumina so soon. This moment felt almost unreal.
"Yes, Master. Compared to last time, I'm faster and in better condition!" Lumina's gentle voice rang out ahead, carrying a hint of happy laughter.
"Then let's challenge the 150-meter jump again."
"Just what I wanted!"
Lumina's eyes sparkled.
Today, she would tear apart the nightmares of the past with her own hands.
Just then, a ferocious engine roar erupted behind them.
Lumina's expression changed instantly. Xavier Young hurriedly glanced at the rearview mirror and saw a fiery-red Mecha Girl charging forward like she had burst out of smoldering embers. Not far behind her, a streak of silver light was rapidly closing in.
The violent engine noise came from those two Mecha Girls.
"That's… Stella!"
Xavier Young stared in disbelief, his throat going dry.
In the next instant, Dawnbreak and Stella blasted past Lumina almost side by side, one on each flank. Caught between them, Lumina cried out in shock, feeling as if two razor-sharp blades had sliced through the air beside her.
"Are they insane?! What are they trying to do at that speed?!"
Xavier Young could hardly believe it.
He had thought he'd already seen Stella's straight-line acceleration, but now it was clear that Derek Su and Stella hadn't been serious at all during their usual steel-frame jumps.
Lumina stared blankly at Stella and Dawnbreak charging straight toward the riverbank, her heart shaken to the core.
That carefree girl who always talked about pineapple, who blushed shyly whenever Master was mentioned… had such terrifying explosive power?
...
"Master, the [Extreme Stance] skill has ended."
Dawnbreak's hoarse voice carried a trace of unwillingness.
Once [Extreme Stance] was activated, her steering locked in place, but she gained periodic bursts of explosive acceleration—starting at 98% and gradually dropping to 33%. During that time, Impact Resistance increased dramatically, and the cockpit was reinforced.
But once the skill ended, the body entered an overload state. All attributes dropped by 15% for a full minute. It was a true all-or-nothing skill.
Yet even after using her special skill,
Stella was still closing in relentlessly, sticking to them like a shadow.
"The overload state ends in three seconds! We still have one burst of acceleration!"
Laiya An gritted her teeth, her back drenched in cold sweat.
Dawnbreak's speed had already reached 397 km/h.
As the skill ended, the speed continued to fall. The overload had forced Dawnbreak's engine into a semi-dormant state—but in three seconds, the engine would reactivate, granting one explosive surge. If they could seize the launch pad first, they would win!
"Three!"
At this moment, Stella was already half a car length ahead.
Laiya An and Dawnbreak couldn't understand it. What exactly had happened to Stella, whose raw speed was supposed to be lower than theirs?
"Two!"
Stella pulled ahead by half a full car body.
The riverbank came into view. Both sides prepared to fight for the launch pad.
"One!"
Laiya An and Dawnbreak shouted almost in unison.
The extinguished engine roared back to life with thunderous force.
Roooom!
In that instant, Dawnbreak's wheels spewed flames and black smoke.
Her speed surged violently—breaking past 420!
The entire body lunged forward, overtaking Stella.
"We got the launch pad!"
Laiya An clenched her fist, maneuvering Dawnbreak to block Stella's line.
It was a guaranteed win.
The launch pad was only wide enough for a single vehicle.
Choosing the 250-meter jump meant Derek Su and Stella would have to use the same pad as them.
Just as Laiya An thought this—
She heard the engine behind her suddenly fade away.
Screech—!
The sound of tires tearing against the ground pierced straight into her soul.
She turned her head stiffly, her eyes widening.
In her vision, Derek Su drove Stella like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging straight toward a cliff upstream along the riverbank.
There—
Was no launch pad at all.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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