You experienced the event: Track Carnival You gained one chance to draw a temporary Ability Card for this game. You obtained Skill Card: Copy Level 1. Effect: (Can copy one existing Skill Card.)
He fell into thought.
Then, he copied one of the cards he already had.
Twenty minutes later.
The race had entered its most dangerous stretch.
"Detroit Mountain Road, the most dangerous loop track.
"This section of winding turns alone had buried nearly a thousand outstanding racers over the past decade.
"So, aside from the final stretch's 'Endless Acceleration,' this is the most, most, most terrifying 'Death Gyration'!"
The host spoke passionately as she watched the split screens behind her.
"Still charging at the very front is the Carnival Convoy's 'Brass Buffalo.'
"Just like its name, this massive steel creation was barreling through sharp turns that might be littered with loose rocks or swallowed by patches of darkness!
"It was as if it did not care about the terror of Death Gyration at all."
On the screen.
The massive, heavily modified vehicle with yellow-and-black stripes roared as it sped forward, like a bull in a Roman arena charging furiously at a matador.
It was a beast.
Without question, violence and noise were part of Detroit, the City of Chaos's mechanical aesthetics.
At the sight of this.
In the spectator stands.
Countless viewers who might ordinarily have been business owners or corporate white-collar workers, along with Carnival Convoy fans with greasepaint on their faces, shouted the driver's name.
"Grace!"
"Grace!"
"Grace!"
The next second.
Just as everyone cheered for the champion who had defended his underground racing title for three consecutive tiers.
The roaring modified car took an extreme bend. At a blind spot beyond the reach of its headlights, its left wheels ran over a fallen rock.
In an instant.
The speeding vehicle immediately lost control and slammed into the cliffside.
It became a massive fireball that erupted halfway up the mountain.
Then.
More rocks began rolling down because of the explosion.
The winding mountain track became even more dangerous.
Some racers stopped where they were and gave up the race.
The host had probably seen such scenes many times.
Still, she probably had not expected the defending champion, Brass Buffalo, to meet his end like this.
"This is Detroit. You never know where you'll come to a stop.
"Not even Grace Arnold, who had experience driving countless dangerous tracks.
"All right.
"He's history now.
"Let's turn our attention to the racers approaching from behind."
Then.
Two race cars, their speeds locked tightly together, shot out through the smoke of the explosion.
The image was as eye-catching as a Hollywood blockbuster.
At the same time.
A prompt appeared on the other side of Su Wen's view.
Confirm use of skill: Buffer Level 2
He tapped confirm.
A Persuader Card bearing the image of an elite lawyer vanished into smoke.
In an instant.
A transparent film slowed the force of the explosion.
At the same time.
A pale golden barrier gradually spread outward.
Buffer Level 2 (Energy consumption 0–100%): Based on the proportion of spiritual energy expended, provides corresponding buffering and damage reduction against the next incoming attack. Current energy consumption: 30%. Explosion effect reduced by 60%. Please Judge Me First effect successfully activated. 50% of the damage suffered by target 'Grace Arnold' has been transferred. Your HP has decreased by 37.6.
Seeing that his enormous health bar had dropped by less than one-seventh.
Su Wen was completely unaffected.
At that moment.
The race track surveillance feed also lit up.
"The two cars currently competing for the championship are:
"Blue Margarita, driven by Racer No. 25, and the Scavenger Organization's 'Westerly Harvester.'
"Wait.
"Racer No. 25's speed has suddenly dropped.
"What is he doing?!"
The host cried out.
"He actually used Buffer to catch Grace. Grace—he's not dead yet."
That was right.
On the screen.
Su Wen had actually slowed his race car with the brakes while deploying the Schlote Heavy Industries Plugin's deceleration field.
He had caught the bald Black racer, who had already been judged severely injured by the explosion.
Appraisal: Grace Arnold, former defending champion of underground racing. Never slaughtered innocents. He used his prize money to support three orphanages in Detroit. He suspected the Leis Angton Group after children went missing. To raise funds, he chose to take the risk and enter this race. Tier 1 Transcendent. Extraordinary Characteristic: Speed Control.
In fact.
During this single explosion event.
Su Wen had reloaded twelve times.
The first eight times, Brass Buffalo had caused him to die right along with it.
But the last four times.
It was precisely because of this appraisal result.
The enemy of an enemy was undoubtedly not necessarily a friend, but at least someone who could be won over.
Besides.
The Carnival Convoy's favorability was currently very low.
He needed more cheers and shouts from the City of Chaos, as well as more buffs.
That was essential to becoming a legend.
Most importantly.
Grace was probably one of the few people in this chaotic city with a conscience.
Su Wen could save him.
So, that was exactly what he did.
On the livestream.
Su Wen opened the car door, reached out, and pulled Grace to safety. Then he calmly said:
"Grace Arnold, you owe me your life."
Upon hearing Racer No. 25 say that.
The bald Black man nodded.
"I can't die yet. If you can save those children Leis Angton took, you can have this worthless life of mine."
"Coincidentally, that's my destination too."
At this moment.
Although the surveillance footage had no audio channel and could not record what they said.
It faithfully captured the scene.
A racer with the chance to contend for the defending champion's title had saved the former defending champion after his vehicle exploded.
The crowd erupted.
Suppose.
In this city, the night was their carnival, and chaos was their means of fighting law enforcement and corporate giants.
Then.
Saving a former opponent without hesitation in an underground race for a championship worth millions of dollars.
That was incomprehensible.
And it was the greatest rebellion against the rules.
"Blue Margarita!"
"Blue Margarita!"
"Blue Margarita!"
The surging cheers drowned out everything else.
Compared to the heroes of conventional American blockbusters, who were unwelcome here.
At this moment.
Detroit truly had a legend of its own!
Because of your incomprehensible act of stopping to save someone, every member of the Carnival Convoy now holds you in extremely high regard. They have prepared Granada rum with an alcohol content of 73%, ready to open it all at the finish line and hold a feast in celebration. Carnival Convoy faction favorability +70 Current player buff acquired: Speed and Passion Buff effects: 1. Your racing speed can be multiplied by an additional (0–500%) (you may choose the coefficient yourself). 2. Your own movement speed and neural reaction ability increase by 120%. Note: Enjoy the carnival. Next, our blazing heat will ignite the night.
Su Wen instantly felt his already modified car body become even lighter.
Control.
The next second.
Another prompt appeared at the same time.
Although such a foolish stop did not conform to the rules of the race, it happened to align perfectly with the core of Detroit. Besides, many people bet on you to lose. Be proud. Your actions have earned the respect of the entire audience! Great Legend of the City of Chaos, S-rank hidden mission progress: 40%
Watching the Westerly Harvester's modified race car speed away.
Su Wen felt his racing buff and Speed attribute surge.
This felt incredible!
He said with a smile:
"Grace, hold on tight. I'm about to accelerate."
"Brother, are you looking down on me? There's probably a lot of loose rubble piled up ahead. You'll need an excellent copilot observer too."
The burly Black man answered confidently.
But Su Wen merely smiled.
Modification module—Isaiah Glider extended structure activated. Aerodynamic stabilizing alloy glider wings deploying. Rear thrusters in position. Liquid nitrogen acceleration activated.
Under the powerful thrust of an initial acceleration of one hundred kilometers per second.
A deep-blue trail of flame appeared behind the "race car."
The next second.
The race car's rear jet thrusters opened at full power.
Using the steep rock face of the cliff, it soared into the air.
Everyone who saw the scene was stunned.
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