The Maratela Desert Circuit is located in the northwest of the Huaxia Region of the Human Federation.
It was originally prepared as a provincial-level advancement circuit. However, the difficulty proved far too extreme. As a provincial track, it failed to comprehensively test both Mecha Girls and drivers; yet as a national-level advancement circuit, it couldn't compare to Death's Breath—the Grivin Desert Circuit.
Stuck in an awkward middle ground, it was ultimately designated as a training race.
Even so, Maratela's popularity remained sky-high. Not only did its relay format allow for a larger scale of competition, but the desert terrain itself posed an enormous challenge to both Mecha Girls and drivers. Anyone capable of achieving a strong result on this circuit was no weakling. Coupled with full global live broadcasts, it became a major event whose popularity rivaled that of official competitions.
The Maratela Circuit opens once every three months.
The champion's prize is five million, second place earns three million, and third place takes one million. From fourth to tenth place, each receives a 200,000 consolation prize. These rewards are one of the major resources drawing drivers and Mecha Girls alike. In addition, nearly all major clubs participate, backed by massive sponsorships from conglomerates and large corporations. Drivers and Mecha Girls hope to catch the eye of a major club and be recruited, while clubs hope to attract financial backing from corporate giants. Everyone has their own goals—and their own calculations.
This time, the leading enterprise behind the Maratela Training Race is Giant Tech, headed by the well-known entrepreneur Howard Wang. Giant Tech is responsible for the race's full monitoring system, supply distribution, and tire provisioning at all stations. The medical teams, rescue units, and track facilities are handled by Dragon Tech along with several other small and mid-sized companies.
...
Giant Tech's operations office.
Howard Wang glanced at the participant list, his brows knitting tightly.
"Tsk—! That kid's here too?"
Near the bottom of the list, one entry stood out glaringly:
Stella Club — Derek Su.
Howard Wang didn't actually have any personal grudge against Derek Su.
His targeting of Derek Su and the Stella Club stemmed entirely from his feelings for Chloe Qin.
If Chloe Qin weren't involved, as the CEO of Giant Tech, he wouldn't even bother tripping up an ordinary driver.
To be blunt, they weren't even in the same lane. He was an entrepreneur; Derek Su competed on the track.
They had nothing to do with each other.
And yet, the moment he saw Derek Su's name, Howard Wang felt his teeth ache.
It was this Derek Su who drove Chloe Qin into a rage every few days. And every time she exploded, Howard Wang felt like he'd grown two heads—one of them massive—and a few more strands of white hair would follow.
"Damn it. Chloe Qin brought her racers to compete today too. If she runs into Derek Su, she won't just be angry—she'll go berserk," Howard Wang muttered, covering his face in pain. He could already picture Chloe Qin throwing a fit. His newly bought villa might not survive the day.
"No, this won't do. I need to find a way to rein this kid in."
Howard Wang lifted his head and began thinking.
In terms of raw strength, Chloe Qin couldn't possibly match Derek Su—that went without saying. He didn't expect the drivers and Mecha Girls under her club to pose much of an obstacle either. That meant there was only one angle left to exploit.
Supplies.
He glanced at the Stella Club's starting order.
His eyes flicked once, and an idea immediately formed.
...
"A lone plume of smoke rises straight from the desert, the long river framed by a round setting sun."
Derek Su gazed at the blood-red sunset over the Gobi and couldn't help but sigh.
The temperature difference between day and night in this world was already extreme.
In the desert, that contrast was pushed to the absolute limit.
Even now, at dusk, the air was still scorching—38°C. During the day, the heat had been nearly unbearable. Although it had cooled somewhat, crouching down and touching the sand still left one's hand burning.
Racing under such conditions was brutal. Setting aside the extreme wear sand inflicted on tires, the high-temperature surface alone meant tires would need frequent replacement. At night, as temperatures dropped, the air near the ground cooled and condensed into dew. Once temperatures dipped below freezing, that moisture would turn to ice, causing wheels to slip.
And that was only the environment.
Sandstorms and dry quicksand hadn't even been factored in yet.
Here, danger and difficulty went hand in hand.
Every driver and Mecha Girl charging across this circuit was, without question, a true warrior.
"Stella, let's go."
Derek Su took Stella's hand and turned toward the relay starting point.
"Zane and Lingwind have already set off. We should get ready too—the next leg is ours."
...
Lingwind's dark navy chassis cut through the yellow sand.
The afterglow of the setting sun reflected off her bodywork, like a vivid crimson ribbon blooming within a sapphire.
"Derek Su, I'm a bit nervous. I feel like my starting speed is slower than it should be."
"Don't think too much. Trust what you've learned, and trust your partner. Just focus on charging forward."
Derek Su's calm voice came through the comms.
Strangely enough, despite how young he sounded, that voice was enough to smooth away the anxiety in both Zane and Lingwind's hearts.
"Speed is 188 kilometers per hour. Hope I'm not embarrassing the Stella Club."
Zane took a deep breath.
On a normal circuit, this speed wouldn't amount to much.
But in the desert, it was already quite respectable.
Tires had extremely poor grip on sand and were notoriously difficult to control. Pushing the speed too hard could even cause a Mecha Girl's engine to blow.
Two helicopters followed closely behind Zane and Lingwind.
Around the world, people sat in front of their televisions.
The commentator's voice rang out through the broadcast.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Maratela Training Race, proudly sponsored by Giant Tech. I'm your beloved host, Aiyo. The rules are the same as always—a 1,700-kilometer super relay race, requiring a minimum of three and a maximum of five Mecha Girls. Helicopters will provide live coverage for the entire course. On screen now is a competitor from Stella Club: Zane and his Mecha Girl, Lingwind!"
Aiyo brushed his center-parted hair back and continued with a grin, "You might not be familiar with the Stella Club—it was founded less than a week ago. But you're definitely familiar with the club's owner: the King of Knox, the man known as the Magician—Derek Su!"
"For this race, a safety route has been established."
Aiyo pointed at the flags lining the track. "Drivers generally won't encounter danger while staying on the safety route. That said, the race doesn't require competitors to remain on it. You're free to deviate—but if you run into quicksand, sandstorms, or other surprises, then… well, our condolences."
"It's clear the Stella Club driver has excellent speed. I believe they'll reach the relay point with a strong result."
"Of course, today's lineup is full of hidden talents. Who will ultimately take the championship remains anyone's guess!"
As he spoke, Zane guided Lingwind into a smooth inertia drift, cleanly carving through a U-shaped bend.
He didn't stray from the safety route at all, prioritizing stability and keeping firmly within the flags.
"Master, just keep it steady like this. You've got it."
Lingwind's encouraging voice came from ahead.
Zane pressed his lips together, carefully navigating each bend along the safety route and pushing his braking points as far back as he dared.
Naturally, he couldn't yet match Derek Su's razor-sharp judgment.
But given how short his training period had been, reaching this level was already impressive.
"I can do this."
Zane tightened his grip on the control stick.
The starting intervals at Maratela were a full two minutes apart.
That meant that, on this sand-choked track, he would likely be alone.
No one would interfere with him. No man-made accidents would occur.
The only opponent he needed to face was himself.
Yet the moment that thought formed—
Vroooom—!
A violent engine roar surged from behind, rapidly growing louder.
Zane stared at the rearview mirror in shock as the sound waves closed in.
So fast!!
In the mirror, a Mecha Girl was rapidly approaching.
Like a knight charging out of pure radiance, she tore through the wind and sand, carving a bloody path forward.
Whoosh.
In the blink of an eye, she shot past him on the side.
The sand kicked up by her wheels blasted Zane in the face, nearly burying Lingwind's entire body.
"Sorry~!"
A crisp shout was swallowed by the howling wind.
Zane swallowed hard, grit crunching between his teeth.
That Mecha Girl just now…
She was on the safety route too.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (40 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.