The medical team conducted a full examination of Purple Lightning and Derek Su.
As expected, there was nothing wrong. Purple Lightning's self-repair after using her special skill had completely cleared all her injuries.
Even the Stability she had previously lost was restored by Derek Su through system point allocation.
However, Derek Su now had absolutely no MP points left.
Fortunately, the final results of the Rona Bay Training Race were out. He and Purple Lightning were the undisputed champions, earning another 15 MP points.
If they performed well in tomorrow's Brana Ruins Advanced Tournament and took first place, they would gain another 30.
Before the provincial-level track began, he needed to balance everything as best as possible.
He had to use Modules and MP points to fine-tune the attributes of the Mecha Girls scheduled to compete, ensuring they were perfectly suited to the track.
Besides, it was time to unlock Stella's special skill.
...
"Didn't you tell me to lose more gracefully?"
On the podium, Justin Kim stood in second place, looking utterly miserable.
Losing a training race didn't matter much to him, but Cloud Leopard cared a lot.
She was extremely competitive. Losing normally might have been fine, but she had been directly overtaken by Purple Lightning.
They had started a full minute earlier, and still got overtaken. It was basically Purple Lightning running her down and crushing her head-on.
Now Cloud Leopard looked completely dazed, like she was about to fall apart.
And if Cloud Leopard broke down, his "future" would probably be breaking along with her!!
Derek Su lowered his voice. "Exactly. You lost, and I won beautifully. So that means you lost beautifully. Don't you understand phrasing? Those are two different meanings."
Justin Kim: "???"
What?!
"The language here is really something else."
Even after living here for over a decade, he still hadn't grasped its essence.
"And another thing," Derek Su continued, "you asked me to go easy on you. Why didn't you at least make a gesture?"
"But you said you didn't need it!!" Justin Kim's eyes widened in shock.
"If I actually needed it, would I spell it out?" Derek Su patted his shoulder with a hint of frustration. "You speak the language fluently, but you still don't get how people handle things. You've got a lot to learn."
He shook his head and sighed, leaving Justin Kim completely confused.
The award ceremony ended.
The prize money for the Rona Bay Training Race was fairly average.
First place was only 800,000, second place 400,000, and third place just 200,000.
After all, the race wasn't very well-known and couldn't compare to the Maratela Training Race.
On top of that, it was held right before the Brana Ruins event, so there weren't many sponsors.
After stepping off the podium, Cloud Leopard walked away without saying a word.
Even though Justin Kim was nervous, he still clutched the prize money box tightly and followed behind her.
A moment later, Cloud Leopard stopped at a cliff near the Rona Bay track, leaning against the railing.
Before her stretched the deep blue sea. The ocean breeze lifted her long golden hair, and distant seagull cries echoed in the air.
A storm seemed to be brewing.
Justin Kim felt like his end was near.
Should he run?
If he didn't, there was a high chance he'd lose something important.
But Cloud Leopard was his Mecha Girl. As her pilot, how could he run away at a time like this?
Right now, she was at her lowest mentally. He should be by her side.
He clenched his teeth.
When facing a desperate situation, you have to push through life and death.
Besides, even if something really happened, modern technology could fix it. As long as it made Cloud Leopard feel better, he—
"Master… do you think I'm a terrible Mecha Girl?"
Cloud Leopard's soft voice came from ahead.
Justin Kim froze. He hadn't expected that at all.
In his eyes, Cloud Leopard had always been confident—someone who never doubted herself.
Sure, she had a bit of a temper and liked to threaten him with scissors, but it was mostly joking.
He might be scared, but he knew she wouldn't actually do it. The Mecha Girl code clearly stated that they would never intentionally harm their own pilot.
"How could that be? Cloud Leopard, you're the best in my eyes."
He stepped forward and stood beside her, speaking earnestly.
"The world is huge, and there are so many people stronger than us. While we chase after them, we also have to learn to accept our own weaknesses. That's not cowardice. Only by facing ourselves can we truly improve."
Derek Su—that unfathomable man—
He and Cloud Leopard were simply not on the same level as him.
He didn't have the title of Ace only because the Stella Club lacked fame.
But in terms of actual strength, he and his Mecha Girl could easily crush ninety percent of club Aces.
And what about Cloud Leopard?
VVC's Aces were Caio Yang and Comet.
At best, he and Cloud Leopard were just well-trained regular club competitors.
Justin Kim took Cloud Leopard's hand, his expression sincere.
"Cloud Leopard, we'll keep getting stronger. You'll always be my main Mecha Girl. I'll never replace you. So don't lose heart. We still have a long road ahead."
Cloud Leopard sniffed, her eyes shimmering with moisture.
Blushing, she pouted and shook off his hand, her gaze flickering with a hint of panic.
"H-heh… stop saying such ridiculous things. We didn't even win this time. When we get back, I'm cutting you off!"
"Sure, go ahead."
Justin Kim leaned against her with a cheeky grin.
He wasn't even as tall as Cloud Leopard, yet he somehow managed to look like he was clinging to her.
"If I won't be a real man in the future anyway, then before you 'cut me off,' letting me enjoy a little shouldn't be too much, right?"
A wicked grin spread across his face as his right hand slipped under Cloud Leopard's arm, ready to unleash his secret move—the "Lecherous Pig Cloud-Probing Hand."
Cloud Leopard's lips twitched.
She grabbed his wrist in one swift motion.
Her other hand shot out, seizing his collar.
Then—
A clean 720-degree spinning shoulder throw.
Boom!
"Ow! Spare me! I was wrong!"
Cloud Leopard showed no mercy. She flipped over and pinned him down, sitting on his back, then grabbed both his legs and yanked them upward with force.
"AAAAH—!"
Justin Kim's eyes nearly popped out.
"My back—my back's broken! Help! Aaahhh!"
…
Although the Rona Bay event wasn't very popular,
Derek Su and Purple Lightning's Overclocking and Mecha Girl skill were simply too eye-catching.
The media still captured plenty of footage from the race, preparing flashy headlines for publication.
For example:
Shocking! The Magician actually commands such a top-tier Mecha Girl?
Unbelievable! A top-tier Mecha Girl reduced to a secondary role under The Magician?
And the more sensational ones:
Purple Lightning's Journey: From BSC to SC (Stella Club)!
Exposed! Why did the Queen of the Track let a top-tier Mecha Girl like Purple Lightning leave BSC? Was it drunken negligence or pressure from a higher power?
…
By the time these stories exploded across the internet,
Derek Su had already gotten off the plane and arrived at the module shop with a large group of Mecha Girls.
He now had some money on hand.
And after today, he had clearly identified Purple Lightning's issue.
The modules given by Absolute Shadow didn't suit her at all.
So now, he wanted to see if the module shop had anything suitable for Purple Lightning—or for Stella.