Engines cooled. Smoke drifted through the air.
The roar of the crowd still echoed, but Kai barely heard it.
He stood next to his Corvette C5, heart still racing, hands still tingling from the adrenaline rush.
He won.
And now?
Now, everyone was watching him.
Taro Iwasaki, furious, slammed his palm against the hood of his RX-8.
"Bullshit," he spat, turning to Kai. "You shouldn't have made it through that corner."
Kai met his glare, unshaken. He didn't say anything.
Taro stepped closer, the air between them thick with hostility.
"Watch yourself, rookie," he growled. "Next time, I won't let you slip through."
Before Kai could reply, a firm hand landed on Taro's shoulder.
"Back off."
Ryo.
The Black Widows' ace stood with his arms crossed, his sharp eyes locked onto Kai.
Kai held his gaze.
There was no mockery in Ryo's expression this time.
Only… curiosity.
"You've got skill, no doubt," Ryo admitted. "But skill alone won't get you through the next round."
Kai smirked. "Guess we'll see."
Ryo chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah. We will."
Taro scoffed but didn't say anything else. He turned on his heel and stalked away, shoving past a group of onlookers.
Dominic, the Crimson Valkyries' silent enforcer, walked over next.
The AMG driver was unreadable—his expression neutral, his posture relaxed.
Kai expected a glare, maybe some kind of warning.
Instead, Dominic just gave a small nod.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked away.
Kai exhaled.
One down. Three to go.
---
System Update
As Kai leaned against his C5, the system flickered to life once more.
---
[System Notification: Progress Update]
[Next Challenge: Round 2 Matchups Announced]
Kai scanned the matchup board as it lit up on the large screen.
ROUND 2: FOUR RACERS – TWO ADVANCE
Kai Damons (Corvette C5) – Independent
Dominic Krause (AMG C63) – Crimson Valkyries
Akira "Ghost" Nakamura (Apex Serpents) – Nissan 350Z
Leo Vasquez (Black Widows) – Subaru WRX STI
Kai's stomach tightened slightly.
He didn't know much about Leo Vasquez, but if he was from the Black Widows, he was dangerous.
And then there was Akira "Ghost" Nakamura—one of the top racers from the Apex Serpents.
His name was legendary in Marrydale's mountain pass scene.
If Hiroshi was precise, Ghost was untouchable.
And Dominic?
Kai had just barely beaten him.
Now, they were about to go head-to-head again.
This time, it wouldn't be just a straight-line battle.
This was a technical circuit—fast corners, tight turns, and no room for mistakes.
Kai felt the weight of the challenge.
But he also felt something else.
Excitement.
---
Later that night, back at Dai's garage, Kai leaned over his C5, going through every inch of the car.
Ami sat nearby, arms crossed. "You barely won that last race, you know."
Kai smirked. "Still won."
She rolled her eyes. "Round 2 won't be that easy. The next course isn't just about speed—it's about control."
Kai's smirk faded slightly. He knew she was right.
Dai walked up, tossing a tool rag onto Kai's lap.
"You need an upgrade," the gruff mechanic muttered. "You're running on stock suspension, and that's a death sentence in technical courses."
Kai looked up. "How much?"
Dai smirked.
Ami leaned forward. "If we install a sport suspension kit, you'll have better handling, better weight balance, and way more control in turns."
Kai exhaled. "Do it."
Dai nodded, wiping his hands. "Alright. We've got one night to get this done."
Kai glanced at the race bracket screen one last time.
Tomorrow, he'd be facing some of the best drivers in Marrydale.
And if he wanted to make it to Round 3…
He had to be better than ever.
Kai wiped the sweat from his brow as he leaned against his Corvette. His body was still coming down from the adrenaline rush of the first race, but his mind was already locked onto the next challenge. His name was on the board. Round two. Four racers. Two spots left.
Dominic had made it through alongside him, but now they'd be facing two new opponents.
Akira "Ghost" Nakamura. One of the best technical racers in the Apex Serpents, a driver known for his impossible lines and terrifying precision.
Leo Vasquez. A Black Widow enforcer—not as flashy as Ryo, but just as deadly behind the wheel.
Kai had won the first race with instinct and raw talent, but this one? This one would demand absolute control.
Dai and Ami had been working on his C5 all night, installing a new sport suspension kit to give him better handling and cornering ability. It wasn't a full racing setup, but it would give him a fighting chance against Ghost's 350Z and Leo's WRX STI.
Now, as he stood in the industrial district, watching the other racers arrive, he knew there was no turning back.
He had their attention now.
And that meant the pressure was on.
---
The crowd gathered once more, voices buzzing with speculation. The wildcard had survived the first round. Now, he was facing real killers.
Leo Vasquez leaned against his deep blue Subaru WRX STI, arms crossed as he sized up Kai. His expression was unreadable, but there was something calculated in his eyes—like he was already figuring out how to crush the newcomer.
Ghost, standing by his silver Nissan 350Z, didn't even glance at Kai. He was focused entirely on the track ahead, adjusting his racing gloves like a soldier preparing for war.
Dominic stood by his AMG, silent as always. Kai respected that about him. He wasn't here for the drama. He was here to race.
The announcer stepped forward, mic in hand. "Four racers. Two spots left. The next track? An industrial circuit. Tight corners, unpredictable surface changes, and zero room for error. You either control your car, or the track controls you."
Kai flexed his fingers inside his gloves. This was it.
A large screen displayed the track layout. A short straight into a series of brutal hairpins, then an open stretch leading into an unforgiving chicane. The final stretch? A long, high-speed section where whoever had the most exit speed would take the win.
This wasn't about top speed. This was about who could dance through the corners without losing momentum.
Kai exhaled slowly as he climbed into his C5, heart hammering.
As soon as his hands touched the wheel, the system flickered to life.
[System Notification: Event Flag Triggered]
Competitor Status: Recognized, But Anomalous.
System Adjustments: Analyzing Progress…
Warning: User Performance Deviates From Expected Parameters.
Response Pending.
Kai clenched his jaw. The system was noticing him.
Not as a normal racer.
But as something else.
The system expected him to lose. To be another nameless side character in the Underground Circuit's story.
But he wasn't following the script.
He was winning.
And now, the game itself was trying to figure out why.
But that was a problem for later.
Right now?
Right now, he had a race to win.