Chapter 409: Need for Speed (2)
“Get out of the way, you idiots!!”
“Anyone blocking the path will not be spared!”
Crackle, crunch!!
As soon as the race began, the struggle for the lead was fierce.
Superhumans riding on the backs of beasts targeted the tires of vehicles speeding alongside them, while participants on armored cars aimed for the beasts’ legs.
Almost simultaneously, dazzling magical light burst forth from various parts of the road, and explosions began to erupt.
Boom, boom, boom!!
The roar of a hundred superhumans galloping down the middle of the road all at once.
Despite the commotion in the middle of the night far exceeding any reasonable noise level, there were no signals from the surroundings.
A lawless zone where explosions and brawls could break out at any moment.
In the city outskirts, which were practically extraterritorial, there was nothing to hinder them.
Crunch, crunch!!
As soon as the starting signal blared, blood splattered in all directions, a metallic scent spread, and visibility became blurry.
In the middle of the road, long-handled weapons were indiscriminately swung, and barrages of fire erupted, all while continuously speeding forward.
Lennok adjusted his visor and slowly leaned forward.
‘Davi.’
[Magic Fusion Engine triple activation.]
The voice of the Cyber-Domain spirit flowed through his earphone. At the same time, the bike let out a fierce roar and vibrated violently.
[6th gear accelerator activated. Balance correction calculation complete. Automatic driving algorithm completely revamped.]
Whirrrrr!!
[Full speed ahead. Going now!]
The bike transformed into a streak of light, shooting out like a ray amidst the chaotic barrage.
Whoosh!!
The surrounding scenery instantly changed from points to lines, and his vision narrowed as if converging, until only the road ahead was visible.
Despite gripping the throttle tightly and bracing himself, the resistance was so strong it felt like he would be flung backward.
Lennok pressed his body close to the bike, lowered himself, and raised a shield above his head to deflect the raging wind.
Whoosh!!
[Hoo…!]
A light sigh escaped through the visor. As he got used to the bike’s speed and adjusted to the inertia, the surrounding scenery finally began to appear.
Unlike other competitors who fell out during the initial struggle for the lead, a few skillfully adjusted their speed to avoid collisions and got onto the right track.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!!
A spearman riding a unicorn, its four legs moving frantically as it galloped down the road.
Shhhhiiing!!
A sorcerer with the lower body of a snake, flicking its tongue as it burrowed beneath the road and leaped forward as if swimming.
Not only riders on bikes like Lennok, but also spirit users mounted on spirits with no legs at all, came into view.
As if by unspoken agreement, they were aware of and wary of each other’s presence, but no one immediately laid a hand on another.
They had witnessed firsthand how more than half the participants had been eliminated by collisions right at the start of the race.
They intended to focus on gaining speed until they were securely in the leading group.
[Left turn towards the intersection at 75 degrees to your left. Brake activated 43%. Center of gravity adjustment calculation complete.]
Whoooosh…!!
A sudden curve appeared on the endlessly straight road.
Davi’s computational abilities and Lennok’s auxiliary magic completed the automatic driving algorithm, naturally tilting Lennok’s body to the opposite side.
The finely calculated brake caused the monster bike’s body to lean sharply on the road due to inertia, making it turn.
The thick bike tires skidded across the asphalt, sending up violent sparks.
Screeching!!
The bike, losing no speed whatsoever, instantly began to overtake other competitors who were slowing down and balancing on the curve.
“What kind of balance is that…!!”
“He’s insane. Is he going to take such a gamble from the start?”
“He might be a rider specially hired for this race. Catch him!”
An extreme balancing act where even a slight mistake could lead to slamming his head into the roadside ditch.
Their expressions changed at the unusual drift, and others hurriedly began to channel their mana, one by one.
If it were a mere coincidence, that’s one thing, but if he could maintain acceleration so precisely and make several turns like that, catching Lennok would be a distant dream.
Before that, they needed to tie him down and put pressure on him to make Lennok acknowledge them.
[Grrrroooaaarr!!]
The eyes of a wolf panting right behind Lennok turned blood red, and it raised its rapidly swiping front paw to strike the bike’s rear wheel.
Bang!!
The beast’s sharp senses allowed it to put pressure on him even while struggling to keep its four legs on the ground.
It stumbled for a very brief moment, quickly regained its balance, and then galloped off with its rider.
Lennok’s bike also wobbled violently once, leaving a long S-shaped scratch on the road.
Whoosh!!
In the meantime, two vehicles caught up to the bike and began to squeeze Lennok from both sides.
Two competitors, one in an armored car and one in a jeep, started to pin and crush Lennok’s bike between them.
Screeching!!
“Sorry, but the first waypoint isn’t far.”
The middle-aged man in the jeep on the right chuckled, a thick cigar in his mouth.
With his other hand, not gripping the steering wheel, he aimed a hand cannon at Lennok’s visor and pulled the trigger.
“Guys like you, who show off their skills, need to be put in their place early on.”
Bang!!
As the cannon’s muzzle spat fire, Lennok’s head reeled once.
The man smiled triumphantly and was about to push the jeep straight into the bike to crush it.
[Cigar made in Edinal Mine. A concoction of asbestos and herbs, blended with narcotics and adjusted.]
“…What?”
The man’s face stiffened at the eerie voice coming through the visor.
The visor, which had been sharply turned to one side, slowly rotated back to face the man directly.
The moment he realized his own face was pale reflected in the black goggles of the visor, Lennok spoke.
[Not my type.]
Whoosh…!!
A brilliant blue booster flame erupted from the right side of the bike Lennok was riding.
The fierce blaze was aimed not at the road surface, but directly above the jeep’s driver’s seat.
Fwoosh!!
The booster flames, erupting like from a furnace, completely incinerated the cigar the man was holding and spread brightly, engulfing his head.
“Aaahhh!!”
The jeep, filled with searing flames, staggered and then crashed into the armored car that had been pinning Lennok, flipping over.
It was then crushed by the kicks of beasts and half-humans continuously charging behind it, splattering blood that soaked the road.
Thump-thump!!
“Get out of the way!!”
“The waypoint is right ahead!!”
The road abruptly narrowed, and a movable bridge came into view.
It was virtually the only way to cross the river that cut through the downtown area.
Abandoned vehicles and containers lay haphazardly scattered across the bridge, blocking the way.
The bridge’s narrow width made it impossible to maintain speed while jostling for position.
One had to either seize the lead much faster than others or slow down and wait for their turn.
Naturally, even participants who hadn’t engaged in the lead competition until now began to fiercely clash their vehicles and beasts, engaging in close-quarters combat.
Boom, bang!!
“Aaaargh!!”
“These damn beasts really…!!”
Though slower than four-wheel drives using engines, the beasts, much more flexible in endurance and close combat, squeezed in and rubbed against others, unwilling to yield.
They incredibly cunningly used their front paws to force their way between bikes and vehicles, creating space, and bit at tires with claws and teeth.
Boom, boom, boom!!!
Metal, animal flesh, and spiritual mana mingled together, crowding and crushing on the bridge, with blood and oil spilling everywhere.
In the thick of the close-quarters combat, where it was impossible to see even an inch ahead, Davi began calculating the path.
[Predicted movement of 44 nearby bodies complete. Automatic driving algorithm pattern changed.]
[Complex Driving Rush Hour.]
[Commuting is Tough! activated!]
[What?]
The moment Lennok questioned the absurd naming, the bike, throttle in hand, twisted wildly in place, shaking its body left and right.
Lennok’s body, clinging to the handlebars with the help of his mana, swayed back and forth, deftly dodging the competitors, beast claws, and snake tails all around.
Whirrrring!!!
The bike, having escaped the air so hot it was hard to breathe, instantly burst out of the bridge and sped away.
[Phew…!!]
[Turn left in a moment. Continue straight until the next instruction!]
Davi’s cheerful voice came through the earphone.
Lennok stared at the interface mounted below the bike’s throttle and sighed.
[…Right.]
The little fox on the screen was diligently running across a grassy field.
Next to it, like a taxi meter, the distance and speed were displayed, rapidly increasing.
Perhaps he was excited to use the automatic driving algorithm after a long time.
From Lennok’s perspective, as long as he could seize the lead and rank high, it was acceptable.
Thinking so, Lennok once again pressed his upper body close to the bike and pulled the throttle all the way back.
He had swallowed two strong painkillers for this race today.
There was no telling who would be waiting at the end of the race, but having started this work based on Sebastian’s information, he had to do his best.
The monster bike, having shaken off other competitors on the dark road, began to roar its engine loudly.
“A new guy is leading?”
“He’s a participant named Victor. He’s riding a unique-looking bike.”
“Picture.”
The request was quickly fulfilled.
The bike’s body, speeding down a two-lane road, was clearly captured.
The voice muttered as soon as it saw the bike.
“Looks similar to the one that guy Adamant Thunder drives.”
“Perhaps because of that, the number of people using similar products in the outer districts has sharply increased recently. It’s highly probable he’s one of them.”
“Who’s his backer?”
This race, hosted by the Grimoire Gang, only allowed participants whose identities were reliably vouched for.
It wasn’t uncommon for new participants, having heard rumors, to join the race, but standing out in this race, where any means were permitted, was equally difficult.
His subordinate, flipping through a few papers, replied.
“A wine company. They have a few product lines released, but it’s not a very famous place.”
“It’s a disguise.”
The voice, quickly drawing a conclusion, chuckled.
A mere wine company couldn’t have hired such a skilled rider.
Beyond just being skilled at curves and drifting, his performance in the close-quarters combat on the movable bridge showed a level of expertise even the gang’s own speedsters lacked.
“And even the name Victor… it’s clearly intentional. Do they want to advertise that he’s linked to Otterble?”
“Should we stop him?”
“Leave him be.”
The leisurely voice stopped the subordinate who was about to move.
“But there’s no need to just watch a participant who could ruin the game…”
“The fact that he calmly participated in the race means he wants to talk to us. It won’t be too late to talk when he ranks high and completes the race.”
“…”
“Just make sure he doesn’t stray too far from the formation. If he’s figured out our true intentions and tries something, that’s when we’ll deal with him.”
This race, hosted by the Grimoire Gang, was no ordinary race.
They had explained that participants must not finish outside the time limit or leave the race course, but conversely, the race couldn’t end too quickly either.
Though they hadn’t told the participants, they had to fiercely compete all together towards the destination until the very last moment.
Beep!!
After a moment, the subordinate who had received the communication replied.
“I don’t think that will be the case.”
“What?”
“Victor has already reached near the halfway point.”
“…”
This time, even the voice was speechless.
His subordinate asked again.
“Should we stop him?”
The answer didn’t take long.
“…Send a signal to the pacemakers.”
After passing through the vertically rising movable bridge and riding a little further, the surroundings rapidly changed.
Just by following the pre-guided race route, the surrounding road suddenly dipped down, plunging sharply underground.
A thick steel body fearlessly rushing into a half-built subway station.
Lennok, crushing the ticket gate partitions standing idly in the inner cavity with his bike, sharply twisted the throttle.
Bang!!
Bouncing off falling debris with just a slight vibration, he slid down the stairs leading to the deeper underground.
Unable to withstand the bike’s weight and impact, the long-ago built stairs simply crumbled, transforming into a smooth slope.
Lennok quickly scanned the interior of the railway station with mana perception and inwardly nodded.
‘Traces of the Undeveloped District expansion plan. The construction is excessively well-done.’
The ticket gates and stairs were too well-maintained to be considered ruins in an unused outer district.
Was it a place that was completed during the development plan, then abandoned immediately after the plan was scrapped and fell into the hands of the underworld?
Though it appeared to be an empty space with no one around, Lennok did not miss the occasional glowing red eye-light in the darkness.
Sharp killing intent that made no attempt to hide, and an even more metallic scent of blood.
‘Is this the vampires’ territory?’
Although it started in the outer district occupied by the Grimoire Gang, circling the megacity and returning to the Undeveloped District naturally meant encroaching on others’ territories.
They didn’t seem pleased, but perhaps there was a prior agreement, as they merely observed without attacking.
Lennok left the vampires’ gazes behind him and fearlessly descended the stairs, arriving at the entrance of the railway station.
Screeching!!
The smooth marble floor was crushed by the bike’s drift, scattering stone dust.
According to the pre-notified route, he had to go down to the station level and cross the tracks.
Lennok glanced back, adjusted his helmet, and the moment he descended onto the tracks below the station.
Bang!!
The wall next to the underground tracks shattered, and four figures quickly descended through the gap.
“Hey young man, why don’t you stick around and play with us for a bit?”
Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!
Four heavily modified bikes, their frames exposed, relentlessly pursued Lennok.
Four men and women, their rough vehicles rattling, wrapped in all sorts of weapons, barbed wire, and stakes, approached.
The man riding at the very front grinned and said to Lennok.
“Driving in such dark tracks, it gets pretty scary, you know. I was just waiting for a friend to go with.”
[…I saw their faces at the start of the race.]
The very fact that they appeared as a group of four and spouted such nonsense meant they weren’t approaching with good intentions.
[The fact that they unhesitatingly left the course to interfere means they weren’t pure participants from the start.]
Lennok glanced back at the shattered wall they had emerged from and nodded.
A staff-only passage inside the tunnel. If they had pursued Lennok through a route impossible without intimate knowledge of the local geography, there was only one possibility.
“Someone so quick-witted shouldn’t be getting ahead alone in the race.”
Four riders, twisting their lips, surrounded Lennok with their bikes.
One of them tapped Lennok’s bike from the side and muttered.
“It’s a competition, a competition. This isn’t a race designed for you to stand out alone, you know.”
“You’ll have to slow down until the others arrive. Please understand.”
His words were sly, but if Lennok didn’t slow down, he seemed ready to draw a weapon immediately.
Their unhesitating approach and tapping Lennok’s bike were likely to gauge the combat capabilities of his disguised Victor persona.
Were they the gang’s riders, sent to manage any irregularities during the race and ensure it ran smoothly?
However, Lennok glanced back at them and, instead, nodded with an expression of understanding.
[Asking me to match speed in a race, that’s an interesting thing to say.]
“What?”
[Too fast for the race?]
“…!!!”
There was no reply.
Thwack!!
A blade shot out from beneath the throttle Lennok held, instantly stabbing into the shoulder of the rider who was tapping his bike.
“Gahak…!”
Before the startled riders could react, a built-in shotgun on the side of the saddle fired.
The blade, which had pierced the rider’s shoulder, was driven deeper, and his entire arm was blown off.
“Aaaargh!!!”
The rider, having instantly lost an arm, fell off his bike and disappeared.
“Jake!! You bastard!!”
Two desperate riders tried to force their bodies into Lennok’s bike from the front and side, but were instead pushed back by his sheer mass and bounced off.
Bang!!
The riders almost crashed straight into the tunnel wall beside the tracks, but barely managed to stop.
After being pushed back once, they didn’t easily approach, instead trying to use the walls to position themselves above Lennok’s head and on either side.
“Don’t ram him directly!! Crush him from a distance!!”
“Shoot! If we blow out his tires, it’s over!!”
Skilled driving, pressing the bike tightly against the wall with high-speed wind pressure as he raced.
And the skill with which he wielded and fired the submachine gun attached to the rear of the bike was, even to Lennok, quite considerable.
Even if they couldn’t directly interfere with Lennok, it was enough to prevent his bike from gaining speed and slow down his pace.
Even the moment of using his hand to clear them away would be a hindrance in this urgent situation.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!!
‘They’re catching up.’
A heavy vibration sound from hundreds of meters away.
The competitors who had briefly fallen behind after running in the lead with Lennok were now closing the distance and pressing in.
Whoosh!!
A massive water spirit, accompanied by damp air around his nose, glided closer in an instant.
The spirit user riding on it looked down at Lennok and chuckled.
“You must be new, so you might not know, but the Grimoire Gang aren’t exactly fair or sportsmanlike friends.”
[…]
“The common goods offered as prizes for the race are pre-agreed upon. This is just one way to supply those goods under a suitable pretext.”
[What are you trying to say?]
“It means that your rank can be decided by who your backer is, regardless of your skill.”
The spirit user said, shrugging his shoulders.
“You clearly look like someone who’s made a name for themselves, so I’m just telling you beforehand not to feel too wronged.”
Was this what the man in the first armored car had meant when he said newcomers couldn’t win the race?
Even if they didn’t directly interfere with the race’s outcome, intervening in the process would be second nature to violent organizations like the gang.
However, Lennok, understanding this fact perfectly well, slowly shook his head.
[There’s more than one way to get ahead in a race.]
“…What?”
Honk!!!
The words of the riders who had been looking down at Lennok and triumphantly shouting suddenly disappeared, as if buried by a shockwave.
With a chilling sound of bones and flesh crushing, a massive steel body crushed them and sped past.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!!!
[Subway control authority hijacked.]
A dim headlight glowing in the darkness.
But its speed was incredibly fierce and wild, more than enough to instantly overtake all participants who had been racing on the tracks until now.
A massive subway train began to relentlessly pursue them from behind.
[If I clear out all the competitors, that’s victory, isn’t it?]
Lennok nodded, watching the faces of the participants who had descended onto the tracks turn pale.
[It’s what I do best.]