Racing to Infinity
Episode 3 — Rising Gears
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Two Days Later — The Loading Zone
Ruko stepped out of the wormhole gate and into the Loading Zone, a neon-lit expanse where racers from every galaxy prepped for their next run. The sky above was an endless rotating dome of holographic track maps, shifting from desert heat to frozen wastelands to cosmic voids.
He leaned against his partially evolved coupe — now Tier 2. It still had the same familiar silhouette, but its body was sleeker, the panels smooth and dark-blue, traced with gold energy lines. The windshield gleamed like crystal.
The hum through the steering wheel was stronger now, deeper — almost like the car was breathing.
Ruko pulled up his stats:
[Driver: Ruko]
• Speed Level: 5
• Handling Level: 2
• Drift Level: 2
• Power Level: 2 (Velocity Vision — Level 1)
• Vehicle Tier: 2 (Partial Evolution — Soulbound Car: Dormant Potential)
Permanent Level Cap Per Race: +4
He was no longer dead last. But he wasn't anywhere close to the monsters roaming these tracks.
Race Two — The Ice Shatter Circuit
The holographic announcer called out the next assignment:
"Sector 9 — Ice Shatter Circuit. Three laps. 500 entrants. Surface instability detected."
Ruko's car materialized on the starting line — this time in a frozen wasteland. Jagged cliffs lined the course, and massive chunks of ice floated in mid-air, occasionally crashing down onto the track with bone-shattering force.
3… 2… 1…
The launch nearly froze his tires solid. Racers ahead spun out instantly, their traction systems overwhelmed. Ruko stayed steady, feathering the accelerator and reading the surface changes through the vibrations in his wheel.
Velocity Vision flared mid-turn, giving him just enough time to dodge a collapsing ice bridge. He used the drift lines Kaien had drilled into him years ago, gliding past a cluster of wrecked cars.
Final lap — the front-runners were still far ahead, but Ruko crossed the finish line at 91st place.
[Level Up]
• Speed: +3 (→ 8)
• Handling: +1 (→ 3)
• Drift: +1 (→ 3)
His car's rear spoiler extended automatically, gold energy pulsing along its edge.
Race Three — The Magma Spiral
This one was brutal. The track wound through an active volcanic ring, with molten rivers on either side and steam vents that blasted without warning.
Ruko learned fast. Every vent became a mental marker. Every curve was a chance to squeeze speed where others hesitated.
Mid-race, a molten chunk splashed across the track — two racers veered away, but Ruko cut inside, the heat warping his windshield. The crowd feed later replayed that move in slow motion, calling it "the rookie's lava cut."
Finish: 62nd place.
[Level Up]
• Speed: +4 (→ 12)
• Drift: +1 (→ 4)
The car's hood split slightly, revealing a faint inner glow — like an engine wrapped in starlight.
Training Between Races
Between events, Ruko stayed in the Loading Zone. Some racers relaxed, some partied, but he worked.
He replayed race feeds in slow motion, studying how top-tier drivers handled their machines. He took his car through practice sprints on the simulation strip, feeling out every gear and grip point. He practiced activating Velocity Vision without panic — controlling the slow-time effect instead of letting it control him.
Other racers started noticing.
"Hey, Earth kid," a bulky lizard-like driver said one evening, nodding toward Ruko's coupe. "Your machine's changing. Fast. Don't burn it out before it's ready."
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Race Four — The Nebula Slipstream
The track was suspended through a dense purple nebula. Visibility was low, and sudden wind currents could sling you forward or spin you sideways.
The slipstream effect was key here — following close behind another racer to cut through drag. Ruko latched onto the back of a four-winged hovercar, riding its wake until the final stretch.
Then, in the last curve, he broke left and drifted past three racers before they even realized he'd moved.
Finish: 48th place.
[Level Up]
• Speed: +3 (→ 15)
• Handling: +1 (→ 4)
The gold lines on his car now pulsed steadily with each heartbeat. The exhaust tone deepened into a low growl.
Race Five — The Mirror Rift
This one was like driving through a nightmare. The track itself kept duplicating, creating phantom turns and fake jumps to trick the drivers. The wreck count was enormous.
Ruko learned to ignore what didn't feel right. The heartbeat of the track — and of his car — told him which turns were real.
On the last lap, he used the phantom jumps to force three opponents into the void, vaulting himself into the mid-pack.
Finish: 31st place.
[Level Up]
• Speed: +4 (→ 19)
The coupe's interior shifted — the dashboard reforming into sleek black alloy, the old analog gauges replaced by a holographic cluster that hovered in the air.
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Reflection in the Loading Zone
Five races. Five different nightmares. And each time, Ruko had clawed his way up.
From 17th in his debut… to 91st… then 62nd… then 48th… then 31st. Not a win, but a climb.
The other racers were starting to watch him, some with curiosity, some with contempt. The rival from the first Circuit — the black racer who tried to shove him off track — hadn't reappeared yet.
But whispers were spreading. The name Kaien was getting tossed around again. And whenever it was, eyes turned toward Ruko.
Foreshadowing the Challenge
One evening, as Ruko tuned his engine in the corner of the Loading Zone, the air shifted. A shadow fell over him.
He looked up to see a racer in gold-and-crimson armor, their presence heavier than anyone else he'd met. The symbol on their chestplate was unmistakable — God Rank.
"You're Kaien's brother," they said. Their voice was calm, but the weight of it pressed into Ruko's bones. "When you're ready… I'll be waiting at the summit."
They walked away without another word.
Ruko didn't chase them. Didn't speak. He just tightened his grip on the wheel and felt the steady pulse of his car's engine.
He wasn't ready yet.
But he would be.
The road never ends.