[Racers 35 and 36, please prepare for the start!]
The broadcast alert sounded.
Laiya An carefully checked her helmet and safety harness once more.
After confirming everything was secure, she gripped Dawnbreak's control stick and took a deep breath.
"Dawnbreak, the pressure is huge this race. I didn't expect to be starting side by side with the Magician."
Starting alongside a powerful opponent meant that collisions could happen on the track.
Having that kind of threat right beside you made tension creep in unconsciously.
"Tch, why bother being on guard against that stinky man?" Dawnbreak tilted her head, her face full of disdain. "Master, there's no need to learn that man's techniques at all. Just rely on me, and you can easily beat 99.9% of the competitors."
"Dawnbreak, I know you're strong," Laiya An said helplessly, rubbing her forehead with a wry smile. "But as we move on to higher-tier races, we'll face stronger and stronger opponents. Those Mecha Girls will have skills just like yours, and some drivers may even be Techmasters. No matter when, learning others' strengths to arm ourselves is always necessary."
"Yeah, yeah, I know—stop nagging!" Dawnbreak muttered, her eyes shifting as she puffed out her cheeks.
She simply couldn't stand seeing her favorite master shake hands with another man and talk about things like idols.
Her master only needed one idol—that was her, the top-tier Mecha Girl Dawnbreak!
No matter what, I'll defeat that man and his Mecha Girl.
Master just needs to admire me!
As the countdown continued, Dawnbreak lowered her body, entering her launch posture.
[10-second countdown!]
Vrooom—!
Laiya An stomped the brakes down and floored the throttle. The engine screamed at extremely high RPMs, releasing waves of exhilarating sound.
Beside her, Derek Su, piloting Stella, raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Planning to use a launch start? Oh? You picked it up pretty fast~"
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. There was nothing to be afraid of.
Once his techniques appeared in this world, they would inevitably be analyzed and absorbed by other racers and Mecha Girls, becoming techniques of their own. Just like how, before mobile phones existed, no one could imagine such a thing—yet less than ten years after their appearance, they evolved into smartphones.
Breaking the ice was difficult, but once a pioneer emerged, the melting of the glacier was only a matter of time.
"Master, they're copying our technique!!"
Stella's indignant voice came from the front. Her lips were pouted so hard they could practically hang a soy sauce bottle.
"Let them copy it," Derek Su said calmly. "That's better. Otherwise, it feels like racing against a bunch of cavemen."
Even so, Stella was still unhappy. All that talk about being Master's idol was just a little trick to lower his guard. Her Pineapple King had already seen through it—no matter how Master was fooled, she absolutely wouldn't let her guard down.
As Derek Su floored the accelerator, Stella let out a beast-like roar, her chassis trembling slightly.
Still, she felt the momentum wasn't enough. So she rolled down the window and shouted at Dawnbreak beside her:
"Awooo!! Awooooo!!"
Derek Su: "..."
Dawnbreak & Laiya An: "..."
Does pineapple really boost brainpower?
At that moment, Derek Su found himself having a tiny doubt.
As the starting gun fired, both Mecha Girls shot forward, fast as lightning.
Commentator Taimei immediately cut the camera to Stella and Dawnbreak.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Our most popular contestant, Derek Su–Stella, and TSD Club's dark-horse rookie, Laiya An–Dawnbreak, have both launched! From what we just saw, they're both using the launch-start technique invented by the Magician, Derek Su!"
Thunderous cheers erupted from the stands.
The first straight of the Greenfield Advancement Race ran straight through the entire spectator area.
Derek Su felt like the crowd's roar was almost overpowering the engine sounds of the two Mecha Girls.
"Both Stella and Dawnbreak have powerful advantages on straightaways. The Greenfield Advancement Race spans a total of 377 kilometers, and over the course of an hour, these two Mecha Girls may give us an intense clash! However, Dawnbreak seems to have the edge in straight-line acceleration right now!"
Stella clenched her teeth.
The commentator wasn't wrong.
Dawnbreak was indeed slowly but steadily pulling away.
"Don't panic." Derek Su held the control stick with one hand while naturally resting the other on Stella's rear. "Her straight-line acceleration is stronger than yours right now, but the Greenfield Advancement Race isn't just about straight lines. Stick close—draft her slipstream!"
Only Derek Su's words could calm Stella's restless heart. She pressed her lips together and stayed tightly behind Dawnbreak, biding her time.
Laiya An glanced at the rearview mirror, her eyes narrowing.
"Dawnbreak, prepare for serpentine movement. Shake Stella off!"
The Greenfield Advancement Race track was wide enough to maneuver freely. Compared to the small time loss from weaving, Laiya An believed that completely shaking off Derek Su was the key to winning first place. She wasn't worried about Stella deliberately ramming Dawnbreak either—this race was purely a test of jumps and straight-line acceleration. Intentional collisions were strictly forbidden and would result in time penalties.
To break away, Dawnbreak immediately began switching lanes left and right.
For a brief moment, Stella lost the slipstream and nearly slipped out of the low-pressure zone behind Dawnbreak.
But don't forget—Derek Su, that monster, was still there.
"No drafting? I'll draft anyway. I'll draft, draft, draft!"
Derek Su grinned fiercely as he guided Stella to follow Dawnbreak's lane changes. It was as if he could predict Dawnbreak's movements in advance, sticking to her relentlessly. Dawnbreak ground her teeth in fury, wishing she could cancel deployment, turn around, and charge straight into Stella's cockpit to bite that infuriating man.
"Master, I can't shake them! They're like sticky plaster—so annoying!"
Faced with Dawnbreak's furious outburst, Laiya An could only look into the rearview mirror with admiration.
All she could see was the man's upper body and the pair of steady hands gripping the control stick.
If it were anyone else, they would've been left far behind by now.
Only the Magician could cling to Dawnbreak by exploiting the slipstream despite the gap in acceleration stats.
"If we can't shake them, forget it. We're about to enter the ramp section—focus!"
Laiya An quickly soothed Dawnbreak's emotions.
She really didn't want to use Dawnbreak's skill unless absolutely necessary. She was saving it for the Panlong Mountain track. Moreover, Dawnbreak's Boost was average. On a track like the Greenfield Advancement Race, she could use her skill at most once. To use it again would require Sodium Fiber–β Nutrient Solution, which was clearly prohibited in this race.
After passing a gentle curve, large numbers of jump ramps designed specifically for aerial launches came into view.
Laiya An steadied her breathing.
The ramp section was finally here.
Before the Greenfield Advancement Race, she and Dawnbreak had trained extensively, and she now had a solid grasp of aerial jumps.
With Dawnbreak's excellent straight-line acceleration and Stability, then—
"This is where I'll defeat the Magician once and for all!"
She murmured softly, her eyes boiling with fighting spirit.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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