Volume Two: Life and Death at Speed in the Northern Realm

"Um, I went a bit too far yesterday, please don't mind it."

"Ah, it's okay... a whole day has passed anyway."

"This bag of cookies is my way of making up for it. Please accept it."

"Yes, thank you."

Although I can have normal conversations with Ally now, there's still a strange sense of distance between us. It seems like I'll have to wait a while before I fully recover.

"Never mind that for now, the second stage is about to begin! After a day of rest, we're well-fed, energetic, and fully equipped – we're in top form! It starts in five minutes, from Arkham Town into the Mad Mountains, which will be the first major challenge of this competition! Ferruggio Silver Wolf Team, fight!!!"

Who are you talking to...?

"Comes with its own commentary?"

"Sister, you're so cute!"

"No way, no way, let's get going!"

The second stage also had designated starting points. To avoid conflicts between strong teams at the start of the stage, the organizers arranged for our team, the Abidal Beauties Team, and the Noxar Team to start from different locations in town, ensuring that our teams wouldn't encounter each other. This was actually a good thing, preventing Alba's appearance from causing Ally to lose her temper.

Having bid farewell to the endless plains, we were now on the real mountain stage. We chose a narrow mountain road, flanked by gray-blue stone walls and covered with gravel, making the car bounce constantly. Having been mostly a bystander in the first stage, I finally had a chance to shine. I covered the roof of the car with a thick Crystal Shield to protect it from falling rocks.

Nevertheless, the mountain road was still very dangerous. Although I could prevent falling rocks, I couldn't prevent potholes in the ground. Many seemingly flat areas actually concealed dangers, and Givinia had to keep an eye on the road ahead while driving the projector. Because the road was so bumpy, we had to stop every now and then so that Ailin could check the condition of the shock absorbers.

We were all very exhausted from the journey.

"Why is this place called the Mad Mountains? It's just a normal mountain area," I asked, trying to relieve my boredom.

"Who knows? The name 'Mad Mountains' seems to have been around for a thousand years."

"I did some inquiries before," Givinia said. "It's said that in ancient times, the Mad Mountains were a forbidden area. Many, many people who went there to explore disappeared, and the few who survived either went insane or became mentally unstable. It's unclear what exactly happened..."

Sirius suddenly shook violently, and for a split second Ally's hands jerked so hard she almost crashed into the rock.

"Those are just unreliable legends. Those strange occurrences are long gone, otherwise this place wouldn't have been designated as Stage Two."

Ally's lips were pale, but she spoke very clearly; it was unclear whether she was trying to comfort us or herself.

"What's wrong, Ally? Are you scared?"

"Who's scared?! I... I'm just worried about demoralizing the troops—"

"Don't worry, sister, I'm here! Those ghost stories that scare you so much you'd wet your pants have never bothered me!"

"Ugh, that's a dark history, shut up!"

Amidst the noise and commotion, the tense atmosphere eased considerably, and just then—

"Everyone, look at the pendant!"

I cried out, and everyone immediately looked at the pendant hanging on the rearview mirror. The crystal pendant, which had been silent until now, suddenly lit up, and it was quite bright!

"The temperature... is like hot water," Givinia touched the pendant, looking at us seriously. "I'm afraid the bonus point is very close, no more than a few hundred meters away!"

"Hmm, it should be in this direction!"

After some testing, it was found that the pendant was brightest when placed near the left side of the stone wall.

"Alright, let me explore how to get around behind the stone wall--"

"No."

I lightly stomped the ground, and a thick, long Crystal Spike shot out from the ground, shattering the thick stone wall. Countless tiny Blood Blade followed, shredding the rubble into dust and clearing a path.

"..."

"What are you standing there for? Let's go!"

"...Sometimes, violence really is a good way to solve problems," Ally murmured.

Beyond the stone wall lay a deep tunnel, seemingly man-made, but clearly long abandoned. Various unidentified plants sprouted from the soil and rocks, and puddles on the ground added to the desolation. The further we went, the lower the temperature and the dimmer the light became; in contrast, the pendant's glow grew stronger, strengthening our resolve.

At the end of the tunnel was a circular open space, with many blue stone bricks scattered around it. They were so old that they had even blended into the ground. In the very center of the open space was a pile of rubble, from which one could barely make out that it had once been a rectangular prism.

It's practically like an ancient ruin.

"This must be a relic left by our ancestors. That pile of stones in the middle..." Givinia examined it closely, "It seems to be an altar."

"Forget about ruins or anything like that, just put down the pendant and get out of here!"

Ally was clearly uninterested in ruins or anything like that; for her, knowing they were a plus was enough. However, just then—

"Wait a minute, ladies~"

"Who!?" I immediately turned around and saw that the previously empty space behind me slightly distorted, revealing four figures.

"Be careful, everyone. They must have been following us. They even have the ability to become invisible. No wonder I didn't notice them..." Givinia's expression also hardened, and she looked at the newcomers with hostility.

Four men appeared, each dressed in a golden uniform with a majestic lion painted on their chest. The burly man at the head of the group had striking gold hair, beard, and eyes, even his lips were painted with gold lip gloss, exuding an air of nouveau riche. The other three were similarly dressed like nouveau riche; each was quite handsome, with dashing faces and athletic builds, but their gazes were rather... unpleasant.

They didn't even need to introduce themselves; their striking appearance spoke volumes about their identities.

"Vino Lions Team... you really did hold back in the first stage, Kilga."

Vino Lions Team, a three-time champion of the Dakar Cup, the most prestigious off-road rally before the Northern Realm Rally, has accumulated numerous achievements over the decades since its founding. With countless world-class drivers under its wing, it is widely recognized as the strongest team in the world today.

By the way, there is no other.

"Lions wouldn't stoop to playing games with mice, Ally, don't you even know that?" the leading golden-haired man, Kilga, teased.

"I have nothing to say to you. Compared to this, this bonus point was something we found first, so don't get any unrealistic ideas!"

"You're still so stubborn~" Kilga shrugged with an annoying smile. "Even though I used to care about you so much, you always rejected my kindness."

"... Stop talking nonsense! I'd rather die than be your captive!" Ally said fiercely.

"Concubine? Hey, don't put it so harshly~ The women who want to sleep with me could line up from the Northern Border to the South Spirit Continent, you should feel honored! Besides..."

Kilga glanced around, his lewd gaze licking over me and Givinia like a tongue. He and his teammates laughed more and more lewdly, their tight uniforms revealing a noticeable bulge at the bottom.

"Tsk tsk, when did you recruit so many beauties? This quality... I've almost never seen anything like it before!"

Wait, wait, wait, no way...

One Si Nan Feng was enough of a headache back then, and now four of them have appeared all at once?

"It would be troublesome if the beauties got hurt, and I personally really don't want to resort to violence, so could you please step aside so we can mark this as a bonus point?"