Chapter 180: Dog Fight
'Anyway what is he doing?'
Caelum frowned as one of the holographic screens zoomed in on Paul.
The man was still leisurely pedaling his bicycle in its place.
He appeared as though he were enjoying a peaceful afternoon ride through a park instead of competing in the Grand Epix.
Caelum couldn't understand him.
While everyone else was unleashing devastating weapons, eldritch horrors, and giant war machines.
Paul was riding a bicycle.
The even stranger thing was that, the battlefield above was locked in a stalemate.
Caelum's orbital platform continued bombarding Voomie's Outer God, while the eldritch creature continued devouring every attack that came its way.
Neither side seemed capable of gaining an advantage.
"Sigh…"
Caelum sighed.
'I'll starve her for a day later.'
That would surely teach the dog a lesson.
Meanwhile, the race itself continued.
The competitors who had survived the opening catastrophe were already entering the second section of the course.
The towering mountain range.
Unlike the gentle grasslands behind them, these mountains were almost completely vertical.
Countless narrow cracks and winding passages snaked through the cliffs, forming the intended route.
Most racers immediately headed for those openings.
It was the safest option.
Anastasia meanwhile, had no intention of taking it.
She sat confidently atop the majestic griffon-like creature she had created.
Its white feathers shimmered beneath the sunlight, while its golden wings resembled those depicted in the royal banners of the Zenith Empire, where the griffon had long stood as a symbol of courage and sovereignty.
As she approached the mountain wall, she didn't even slow down.
Instead…
"Up."
The griffon beat its wings.
WHOOSH!
Rather than entering one of the narrow mountain passages.
It soared straight toward the summit.
"If I can fly, why would I crawl through tunnels?"
Anastasia smiled confidently.
However, she wasn't the only one who had reached that conclusion.
Nearby, a magnificent winged chariot rose into the air.
Several radiant, horse-like creatures pulled the golden vehicle through the skies with effortless grace.
Seated proudly in the chariot was the angelic woman Paul had defeated earlier.
The daughter of the Celestial King Oldivat.
The two women immediately noticed each other.
Their eyes met.
"…"
Neither spoke.
The tension between them was enough to make the surrounding air feel heavier.
Then, without a word, both accelerated.
The race through the skies had begun.
***
Loreal's creation was, perhaps, one of the strangest constructs in the entire competition.
At first glance, it appeared almost insignificant.
Only a small cockpit protruded above the ground.
The true body of the machine remained hidden beneath the earth.
It resembled a gigantic subterranean predator silently swimming beneath solid ground.
Its greatest ability wasn't speed, nor firepower.
It was the ability to merge seamlessly with shadows.
Throughout the grasslands, that ability had been of limited use.
There simply weren't enough shadows to exploit.
But as she reached the mountain range, Loreal's eyes lit up.
Towering cliffs cast enormous shadows across the winding paths.
A small smile finally appeared on her face.
"Perfect."
The underground construct drifted toward one of the mountain's dark silhouettes.
The instant its body touched the shadow, it vanished.
Not physically, rather it melted into the darkness itself.
SHHHHHH!
Instead of digging through stone, it traveled through connected shadows.
The mountain's countless cliffs became an intricate highway only Loreal could use.
She slipped from one shadow to another at an unbelievable speed.
Seconds passed and even before she realized, Loreal had overtaken them.
Less than a minute later, Loreal emerged from another shadow.
"Already?"
She blinked.
The mountain range was behind her.
She had crossed the entire section faster than anyone else.
"I am first!"
For the first time since the race began, Loreal held first place.
She allowed herself a satisfied smile, then she looked ahead.
"…"
The smile froze.
"Oh no…!"
Before her stretched an endless ocean.
Blue water extended as far as the eye could see.
There wasn't a bridge.
There wasn't an island.
There wasn't even a floating platform.
Only a massive sign hovered above the waves.
Its arrow pointed downward.
↓
"The track is underwater?"
Loreal sighed.
"This is going to take some time."
Her shadow-based movement had made her the fastest through the mountains.
Unfortunately, the open sea offered almost no shadows at all.
Her greatest advantage had disappeared.
Behind her, the rest of the competitors were rapidly catching up.
***
Viewers' Section.
"The first-place position has changed! I repeat, the leader has changed!" the announcer excitedly shouted.
His voice echoed throughout the massive stadium as every broadcast crystal immediately shifted its focus.
The audience watched Loreal emerge from the far side of the mountain range.
Her unusual subterranean construct surfaced from the shadows as if the mountain itself had spat her out.
"What?!"
"She crossed the mountains already?"
"She's unbelievably fast in the shadows!"
The crowd burst into discussion as Loreal officially claimed first place.
Meanwhile, Ryan looked back toward another screen.
Instead of racing, Caelum and Voomie were still busy trying to overwhelm each other.
One was commanding what looked like a superweapon.
The other was piloting an eldritch horror that casually ate said superweapon's attacks.
Ryan scratched his head.
"Why are they still fighting? Isn't this supposed to be a race?"
He had always suspected there was some strange dynamic between Caelum and Voomie.
But, he hadn't realized it was this strange.
Jojo folded his arms with a knowing nod.
"They're fighting for supremacy."
Ryan slowly nodded.
"That makes sense."
But before he could say more.
Cliodhna tilted her head while watching yet another volley of missiles disappear into the Outer God's impossible mouth.
"This doesn't feel like a fight for supremacy. There isn't even any honor involved."
She watched Caelum attempt another bombardment.
She watched Voomie immediately eat it.
Then she watched Caelum prepare an even bigger bombardment.
"This looks more like,"
She paused dramatically.
"A dog fight."
Everyone present let out a synchronized sigh.
Ignoring the conversation entirely.
Bonjour remained glued to another broadcast.
"There! Punch him! Freeze him!"
He enthusiastically cheered for Big Ice, whose gigantic Yeti continued exchanging earth-shaking blows with the Fire Dragon.
Every collision between ice and flame made Bonjour cheer even louder.
Seth chuckled as he looked around at the group.
"Well, at least they're enjoying themselves."
He glanced toward the remaining members who had chosen not to participate.
"Were you all sure you didn't want to race?"
The group exchanged glances before unanimously nodding.
Considering what had happened in just the opening minutes, none of them regretted their decision in the slightest.
The VIP viewing area was just as extravagant as the race itself.
Long banquet tables stretched across the luxurious lounge.
Every imaginable delicacy had been prepared exclusively for Seth's guests.
Fresh fruit.
Elegant gourmet cuisine.
Healthy meals.
Spicy dishes.
Countless desserts.
Even legendary delicacies said to send a pleasant shiver through one's very soul were neatly displayed among the feast.
There was enough food to satisfy almost any palate.
If Voomie had seen this feast, she would have immediately forgotten about the race.
She would have been absolutely furious that everyone was eating without her.
Unfortunately, at this moment.
She only had a tiny mouth so even if she wanted to complain, she could only puff out her little cheeks.
And fume just a little.
Oh… and that would certainly require a lot of effort.