Volume Two: Life and Death at Speed in the North Realm - Using Others and Being Used
Sirius sped across the vast plains.
"..."
The atmosphere in the car was unexpectedly heavy. Ailin remained silent, I was picking at my nails, and Givinia was as usual.
The key is still Ally.
From the moment she set off, she kept her lips pursed and drove in silence, as if she were sulking.
The reason lies with the guys driving alongside us.
Abidal Beauties Team.
The atmosphere inside Freya was equally somber. Amy, the captain, pursed her lips, remained silent, and wore an arrogant expression.
As for why it turned out this way--
Let's go back to yesterday.
"What did you say!?"
Ally sprayed all the orange juice out of her mouth, her face filled with disbelief.
"Seriously, don't make me say it a second time..." Emilia blushed and said shyly, "So, for the third stage, let's team up!"
"I'm not going to work with a big-breasted idiot!"
"I don't want to work with a flat-chested idiot either!"
"Then why did you even come here? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"You think I wanted to come?! This is... this is... this is..."
"This is the result we reached after much discussion, with the minority submitting to the majority," Messiah said, taking over the conversation.
It's easy to guess who that minority is.
"Ah... if I'm not mistaken, it's because of Nacht City in the third stage, right?" Givinia spoke up for the fuming Ally.
Nacht City.
Also known as the Underground City, the City of the Great Race, and the City of Libraries.
It was a large ruin discovered several years ago deep in the North Realm Continent, an underground complex built by the ancient people of the North Realm Continent. Calling it a "city" is a bit of an exaggeration, but it does reflect its enormous scale.
"Let's confirm how many points you've identified so far."
There's only one.
"We only have one, sigh," Messiah sighed. "There are definitely bonus points in Nacht City. If we cooperate, we'll find them quickly. You can claim the bonus points first, and we'll just need to rely on your search capabilities. Besides, you know about that ruin, right? There are many rumors of its dangers. Considering safety, cooperation is the best option."
"I see, that's a reasonable suggestion. So, Ally, what do you think?"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yes, as the team leader, it's up to you to decide. Ah Ye and I have no objections, Ailin A Ye definitely listen to you."
"In that case, then... then..."
And so, it became what it is today.
Although it's a collaboration, the two tsundere drivers refuse to speak to each other. Let me imagine some doujinshi featuring Ally and Emilia. To be honest, seeing this pair reminds me of Yuri tsundere duo in Yuru Yuri. It's just so full of love!
"Snort..."
Sitting next to me Ailin looked unusually displeased, frequently casting hateful glances at Emilia as if she were a rival. Had she noticed it too? Ally and Emilia were always at odds, always competing with each other, always arguing whenever they met, and even their decision to cooperate was now causing trouble.
In other words, both of them valued and cared about each other extremely much.
No wonder that certain sister-obsessed person was unhappy.
"Look, it's right ahead!"
A vertical line appeared on the distant horizon, and as it drew closer, it transformed into a hundred-meter-tall obelisk, somewhat reminiscent of the Washington Monument. Below the obelisk was a long, arcade-like structure, its style a blend of ancient Greek and ancient Egyptian architecture. It was hard to say whether to call it beautiful or incongruous.
The ruins of ancient inhabitants, Nacht City.
Of course, what we see now is only the above-ground part; the real main body is the large underground complex. The outer perimeter of the above-ground part consists of some simple brick and stone buildings and sheds, which are clearly modern in style and incompatible with the ruins. These were the residences of the archaeologists stationed here. Because of the competition, the archaeologists who were originally stationed here were temporarily transferred, leaving only empty buildings.
In the passenger seat in front of me, Givinia was carefully studying a map, which showed "the currently explored parts" of Nacht City. It was divided into multiple maps, corresponding to ruins at different depths, and was so intricate that it made my head spin as a complete novice.
The deeper one ventures into Nacht City, the more monstrous beasts dwell there, along with various eerie rumors and the constant threat of collapse. Coupled with the overly complex roads, archaeological work has progressed slowly over the years, with only the upper levels of the city having been excavated.
For safety, several routes through the ruins were marked on the map, but in the current fierce competition, every team is frantically searching for bonus points, and many—no, the vast majority—have had to deviate from the main road and risk venturing deeper into the ruins to explore...
"A Ye." "Hmm?"
Turning my head, I saw Givinia's projection right next to my ear, speaking in a voice only I could hear, "Don't you think the bonus point rule is strange?"
"That's strange..."
Yes, I've had that question for a while now.
We initially assumed the bonus points were set up by the Gray Starling Group, but the bonus points we encountered showed no signs of anyone having visited them in recent years; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they had been dormant for a long time. Not to mention the strange altar ruins and the underground Crystal Emperor Tree, these things confirm that they weren't arranged by the Gray Starling Group, but rather existed long ago.
Does the Gray Starling Group want contestants to find "bonus points" that aren't even part of their plan?
No, I seem to have gotten a major premise wrong.
It's not that they "prepared bonus points for participants to find".
Rather, they "want to exploit the contestants to find those so-called bonus points!"
Even the Gray Starling Group itself didn't know where the bonus points were, so they used the name of "bonus points" to force the contestants to desperately search for special locations with altars on various sections of the road!
The competition was a sham; the real purpose was to exploit the situation.
If you think about it that way, all three thousand-plus convoys have been treated like dogs!
I was startled by this conclusion. Was it because my imagination was running wild? Or had everything gone wrong in the capital, making me a conspiracy theorist?
But--
There is indeed evidence that confirms my conjecture.
That is the demand of Huang Huo.
Ultimately, why did Huang Huo make me participate in the competition?
I subconsciously touched the package, which contained the parchment Huang Huo had given me—a contract. He said that as long as I "attached" the contract to the Crystal Realm Fruit, I could activate a forced contract and seize partial control of the Crystal Realm Fruit. In that case, I would have to get close to the Crystal Realm Fruit.
Could it be that instead of "participating in the competition for the Crystal Realm Fruit," it's "only by participating in the competition can one get close to the Crystal Realm Fruit"?
In that case, there must be something fishy going on in this competition...
This is likely a scheme orchestrated by the organization to obtain the Crystal Realm Fruit.
Those so-called "bonus points" are the key to obtaining the Crystal Realm Fruit.
If that's the case, then I have to consider another terrible fact.
The world's strongest company, the unparalleled business empire, the Gray Starling Group.
It's likely that the entire thing is under the organization's control.
A chill ran down my spine, and I instinctively shrank back.
Just like back in the capital, it seems I've fallen into a giant net from which I can't escape.
With mixed feelings, our group passed through the outer buildings and entered a wide passageway beneath the obelisk, large enough for two cars to pass side by side, as we headed underground.
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Feel free to mention any superpowers you like; if they're suitable, we might incorporate them into the novel.