Chapter 56: Rally
In less than five days, Jiangzhehu Inheritor had delivered another massive shipment of supplies to Lin Huai.
Looking at the mountain of crates and materials, Lin Huai was genuinely impressed.
“Indeed, there is strength in numbers.”
In just five days, she had gathered all the basic materials needed to upgrade her vehicle to Level 5 and her workbench to Level 4. Even better, four other members of the squad now had enough resources to push their cars to Level 4 as well.
Now, her vehicle only lacked five more emeralds. Her workbench still needed a Blazing Fire Jade and a Black Tortoise Dragon Bone.
Right at that moment, Old Hei’s abrasive electronic tune blared through the air.
[Hey, you useless trash, still clinging to life? The number of drivers in this district who have hit ten thousand kilometers has reached one thousand. The racing dungeon is now unlocked! Anyone wanting to participate can sign up.]
[Specific rules will be explained once you enter. Registration opens now and lasts for ten minutes. Anyone who fails to sign up in time will be marked as forfeit. Of course, spineless cowards who are afraid of dying can just stay home.]
[Also, you idiots, make sure you are sitting inside your vehicle when you click confirm!]
Hearing the alert, Lin Huai didn’t hesitate. She quickly confirmed her registration first.
Flash!
A beam of light engulfed her, teleporting her hearse straight into an enormous outdoor parking lot.
Sitting behind the wheel, Lin Huai looked around. Cars and players were appearing in the surrounding parking bays one after another.
Her tall, heavily armored red hearse was already imposing. With the massive green jade coffin resting on its roof, it was utterly unique. It drew eyes like a magnet.
Curious drivers began crowding around, eager to catch a glimpse of the famous number-one player and her legendary ride. Trapped inside her vehicle with hundreds of eyes staring at her, Lin Huai felt a deep wave of social anxiety wash over her.
Fortunately, the awkward tension broke as several Level 3 vehicles drove toward her through the crowd.
The massive, pitch-black Sabertooth blared its riot siren, sending other survivors scattering out of the way.
The armored beast pulled up right beside the hearse. Behind it came a modified Level 3 food truck, an ambulance, an off-road SUV, delivery vans with custom paint jobs, and finally a Level 3 armored flatbed truck.
It was the Elite Squad!
Lin Huai breathed a long sigh of relief. For a minute there, she had felt just like a monkey on display in a zoo. It was thoroughly exhausting.
Dressed in a black combat uniform, Dragon Emerging from the Sea stepped down from the Sabertooth. He walked over and gave a firm tap on Lin Huai’s window.
“Boss, the crowd has moved back. It’s safe to come out now.”
Lin Huai opened the reinforced door and climbed down. She shook her head with a wry smile. “The race hasn’t even started, and I’ve already burned through half my mental energy. Being stared at like that is rough.”
“Hahahaha! Well, who told you to be so charming, Boss?”
Old Wang from Building Materials burst out laughing. Seeing Bone Ashes—who was normally so cool, sharp, and untouchable—looking completely overwhelmed made the others chuckle softly as well.
Once the laughter died down, Lin Huai waved her hand, gathering everyone in a tight circle. “The tournament is split into three tracks, and each person can only pick one. The harder the track, the richer the rewards.”
“Milk Tea, Sparkling, and Lawyer He—your three rides are specialized utility vehicles. They aren’t built for heavy rally conditions. You should enter either the easy or medium modes. With your vehicle levels, securing a ranked finish will be easy.”
“The rest of you can join me in the hard mode: the All-Terrain, All-Weather Rally.”
As she spoke, Old Hei’s obnoxious voice buzzed in everyone’s ears again:
[Quite a few rookies showed up, huh? Ten minutes are up. We don’t care about the quitters who stayed behind. Go ahead and die whenever you want.]
[Now, prick up your ears and listen carefully! If you don’t pay attention, you can just die on the track!]
[The racing dungeon features three modes:]
[Easy Mode: Straight-Line Drag Race]
[Medium Mode: Circuit Time Trial]
[Hard Mode: All-Terrain, All-Weather Rally]
[The names speak for themselves. Choose your event now. Each driver can only enter one race.]
Old Hei’s explanation was short and sharp. The moment the voice cut out, nearby players scrambled to tap their screens, but the members of the Elite Squad remained still, waiting for Lin Huai’s instructions.
Lin Huai nodded and laid out the critical details: “You heard the three options. Keep these rules in mind: the straight-line race depends entirely on raw engine acceleration. Attacking other drivers on that track is strictly forbidden. Violators will be tossed straight into the river. And remember—dying in this dungeon means real, permanent death, just like out on the open highway.”
“The circuit time trial counts how many laps you complete in thirty minutes. It isn’t overly complicated, but running continuous laps tests your steering and handling to the limit. One bad turn and your car will flip. Even worse, collisions between cars are permitted, so your vehicle’s armor rating matters a lot.”
“As for the all-terrain, all-weather rally, there are no rules at all, except that you cannot take shortcuts off the track. Whether you attack each other or work together as a convoy, all that matters is crossing the finish line alive. The driver who finishes first takes the grand prize.”
When Lin Huai finished explaining, Cute and Sparkling and Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar looked at her with wide, sparkling eyes. “Wow… is this how top-tier experts see the world? Boss, how did you know so many hidden rules? Did Old Hei tell you in secret?”
Dragon Emerging from the Sea stepped in smoothly. “The server’s number-one player naturally has exclusive channels for information. These are trade secrets, so don’t pry.”
Lin Huai said nothing. She had felt a brief spike of worry, fearing that keeping the details to herself would make her teammates suspicious.
Seeing that no one held any doubts—and that Dragon Emerging from the Sea had stepped up to cover for her—her tense hands slowly relaxed.
“I’ve registered for the rally race,” she said. “Make your picks.”
The two young women pulled their heads in playfully. “Understood!”
Linking hands, they smiled at each other. “We’re both going for the straight-line race!”
Dragon Emerging from the Sea didn’t hesitate. “Put me down for the rally.”
Peace and Violence gave an easy shrug. “My driving is pretty mediocre. I’ll stick to the straight-line sprint.”
Jiangzhehu Inheritor adjusted her collar. “I drive a modified off-road SUV. The straight drag is too simple, but in a circuit race, I’d worry about getting rammed. It’s safer to stick close to the Boss. I’m signing up for the rally too.”
Fastest Hand at SF Express chimed in: “The Three Knight Brothers are taking the rally as well!”
In the end, eight of them—Lin Huai, Dragon Emerging from the Sea, If You’re Bad, Practice More, Old Wang from Building Materials, Jiangzhehu Inheritor, and the three delivery drivers—all entered the all-terrain rally.
Once their selections were locked in, the system flashed, teleporting each driver directly to their respective tracks.
A large crowd had signed up for the rally event. The starting grid was jammed with heavily modified vehicles of every shape and size. Engines revved, filling the air with deep, rumbling growls as drivers gripped their steering wheels, each eager to shoot off the line and grab the lead.
Lin Huai was in no rush. An endurance rally was never won on the starting line; you won by being the one who survived to the finish.
A long, grueling race tested stamina, strategy, and sheer survival instincts above all else.
The first stage of the route wound through steep, towering mountains. Heavy dark clouds hung low over the craggy peaks as a violent torrential downpour hammered the earth. Thick sheets of rain fell like an endless gray curtain, swallowing the entire mountain range in a cold, drifting mist.
The track was raw dirt and gravel, without a single patch of asphalt. Under the relentless deluge, the unpaved mountain road quickly turned slick, unstable, and choked with thick, churning mud.
