"Why does that sound so much like an advertisent?"
The Witch, her pale face tensed, suppressed her nausea and sarcastically remarked, "And what's this about taking off the glasses and scrubbing them with boiling water? That store has to be a shady business, right? It sounds like one of those urban legends where they secretly cut out custors' organs to sell."
"No way."
Li Ang shook his head. "The owner seed very professional and sincere. The day after my surgery, he even ca to my door. He said he'd accidentally dropped a scalpel inside
during the operation and asked
to co back for another procedure to remove it, free of charge. He didn't charge a di. He didn't seem like a bad guy."
Sunset Gold Slter and the Witch stared, dumbfounded, both thinking the sa thing: What in the world did you actually go through?
anwhile, Dusk Knight, in the driver's seat, paid no attention to his companions' conversation. He focused entirely on driving, utilizing Sunset Gold Slter's five-second Prediction to navigate the winding mountain roads at high speed.
"...And Kratos has demolished another combat vehicle!"
At the very front of the first racing tier, Shou Margot, riding a flying motorcycle, excitedly announced to the cara, "The Chaos Twin Blades truly lives up to its reputation as the Apex team that's clinched the runner-up title for three consecutive years! Any vehicle that tries to get close or overtake is slashed in two by the fang-like decorations on its front!"
There was a reason for Shou Margot's excitent. The Chaos Twin Blades combat vehicle, driven by Kratos, was personally crafted by Hephaestus, the god of fire and forging. Although in the ga world Hephaestus's Divine Power, mory, and experience were compressed to an extre, his forging skills still stood at the pinnacle among all characters in Central City. This Chaos Twin Blades combat vehicle, despite official restrictions on materials, boasted terrifying speed, endurance, and explosive power. Combined with Kratos's wild and fierce driving style, it was an armored Giant Beast on the racetrack.
The void above Central City this year hasn't dropped many overwhelmingly powerful or fierce new characters, Shou Margot thought, Those capable of competing with Kratos are mostly the sa strong teams from past years: Halo Chief, Doom Slayer; Devil May Cry Nero, Singenero Claudius; Cloud, Gordon Freeman...
The Central City newspaper where Shou Margot worked also followed this trend, organizing a small betting pool in the office each year. Employees could wager a few dozen or a few hundred currency on their favored team, just to win so dinner money and add to the festive atmosphere. Shou Margot herself had bet on Kratos. However, the death race competition had too many random factors, especially during the item-use stage. It wasn't always the strongest who won; any team in the first tier had a chance.
"Shou Margot, look behind!"
A reminder from her superior at the newspaper ca through her earpiece. As Shou Margot looked back, she saw an armored combat vehicle swooping down the mountain like a storm. It drifted through nearly a hundred sharp bends in succession with extre angles, charging to the rear of the first racing tier. This exaggerated performance imdiately caught the attention of other drivers and the live broadcasters along the route. Her colleagues' excited voices buzzed in her earpiece, urging her to follow up on the situation.
Without needing further prompting, the diligent Shou Margot had already steered her hover motorcycle to sprint in that direction.
"Huh? What is this...?"
As a full-ti comntator for death races, Shou Margot had morized practically all the well-known teams, their mbers, their personalities, and driving styles. But as she flew closer, she realized she hadn't seen this combat vehicle before the competition, nor had she seen the four office workers driving it.
Where did they even co from? she wondered.
Shou Margot's question was soon answered. Her colleagues at the newspaper had contacted the race organizers and learned the identities of the four drivers from a guide.
Four bank employees who qualified for the race by turning the tables on bank robbers... she mused. Instantly, a romanticized backstory ford in her mind. These four were once ordinary NPCs, mission characters who unexpectedly won the chance to compete. They must have gone through intense psychological struggles, refusing to continue living aimlessly as re ga data. Instead, they decided to take a risk, ready to fight for that glimr of hope for freedom, even if it ant a high likelihood of losing their lives...
Moved by the dramatic tale she had concocted, Shou Margot's voice beca tinged with poignancy as she narrated the vehicle's origins to the audience.
Inside their vehicle, Sunset Gold Slter, the Witch, and the others listened to the broadcast, completely baffled. Their armored car was equipped with a radio, so they could hear Shou Margot's comntary as well.
"When did I beco the sentintal guy who must return to the hotown he's been away from for three years to et his pregnant girlfriend?" Sunset Gold Slter complained, massaging the bridge of his nose.
The Witch's mouth twitched. "You're lucky. My supposed identity is a top-tier fem fatale who juggled seven n at once in her hotown: a domineering CEO, a puppy-dog-like younger classmate, a superstar, the painter next door, the handso older man from the coffee shop, a cold-faced hitman, and the ultimate soldier king."
"Those must have been the original identities of the NPCs we replaced," Li Ang said calmly. "But I'm also a bit confused. Why did the NPC I replaced have a job that involved sticking seeds onto strawberries, adding silks to corn, and dyeing polar bears to disguise them as pandas?"
These setups didn't affect the race's progression; they could only be described as so kind of twisted sense of humor from the System.
As they talked, their vehicle sped through one extre bend after another, climbing over ten mountains. The drivers in the leading pack were all seasoned experts, having been through countless trials. Even Dusk Knight, an ambulance driver who raced against death daily, struggled to close the distance, given his vehicle's lack of a speed advantage. He ultimately finished the speed section in thirteenth place, arriving at the maintenance area.
The maintenance area was located behind the mountains. It was a vast plain with fuel trucks, open-air restaurants, and temporary hospitals, where racers could modify and repair their vehicles, eat, and treat injuries.
"All vehicles entering the maintenance area must rest for a mandatory twenty minutes before continuing, to ensure fairness," Sunset Gold Slter said quickly as their armored combat vehicle entered the plain. "I checked the data. There's no problem with the vehicle, we just need to change the tires..."
"Done."
Before he could finish, Li Ang retracted his palm, which shimred with Alchemical Lightning. The armored combat vehicle's tires were restored.
"...and fix the rear suspension."
"Done."
Li Ang raised his hand again. The vehicle looked as good as new; he had even inscribed two lines of text on its sides.
On the left: "Rowdiness Prevails"
On the right: "Fastest in the Galaxy"
The lettering was firm and vigorous, exuding an air of unfettered defiance.
"...That skill of yours is really convenient..." Sunset Gold Slter smacked his lips, a hint of envy in his tone.
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