Even someone as dense as Derek Su could tell that Stella was upset and needed comforting, though he had no idea why.
"What's wrong?" He gently stroked Stella's head.
"Zane and Lily Zhao are together now," Stella murmured weakly against his chest.
Derek Su could not help but laugh. If they were together, then so be it. Everyone made their own choices. What could anyone else do about it?
Was Stella upset on Lingwind's behalf?
What he did not know was that Stella had become depressed herself while trying to comfort Lingwind.
"As their friends and bystanders, all we can do is respect their decision and wish them well. We can't force Lingwind and Zane together. That would only make things worse. I'm guessing Zane was thinking about the future, especially lifespan and children. A lot of people can't get past the desire to have a family of their own."
Derek Su analyzed the situation from his own perspective. He had heard that people wanted children more as they grew older, but he had no such desire at all right now.
Maybe it was because he was still young.
"Then what will happen to Master and me in the future?" Stella suddenly asked.
"What do you mean? If we don't have children, then we don't have children." Derek Su looked completely unconcerned, but then his cheeks turned red and he cleared his throat twice. "Why are you asking something like that? You're making this awkward."
"Just because we can't have them now doesn't mean we never will."
Stella raised her head and looked at Derek Su with reddened eyes, her lips pursed in a pout.
"Technology will keep advancing. Maybe someday the research-oriented Mecha Girls on Mecha Island will find a way to let Mecha Girls reproduce!"
Derek Su rubbed his nose. He did not think it was very likely.
He had once read a report explaining that Mecha Girls were neither carbon-based nor silicon-based lifeforms. They were an extremely unusual form of life built around sodium fiber, an entirely new type of energy-based material.
For humans and Mecha Girls to reproduce together would go far beyond crossing species. It would mean crossing the very laws of the universe.
Of course, he would never say that aloud. It would only make Stella even more upset.
"Master, I'm going to make sure you live to be a hundred!"
Stella stared intently into Derek Su's eyes as she repeated those words.
Living to a hundred meant surviving long enough to witness the technology of the future.
It also meant transcending the limits of humanity and remaining with a Mecha Girl forever.
"Sounds good."
Derek Su smiled, reached out, and pinched Stella's soft cheek.
"But if you want me to live that long, we'll have to work hard so I can become a Techmaster. We'd better win the provincial-level race. I'll be relying on you quite a bit."
The provincial-level racetrack consisted of two stages.
Stella would race in the first stage, while Purple Lightning would handle the second.
The safest approach was naturally to take first place in both.
Stella considered this in silence. Her expression grew serious as she nodded and clenched her fist.
"Don't worry, Master. The championship for the first stage of the provincial-level racetrack is mine. No one is taking it from me!"
"Confidence is good, but our opponents are strong too."
Derek Su showed Stella the information he had just found.
First was the data on Eternity.
In several recordings, Eternity had taken first place at speeds that left the runners-up in despair. Every race had been a crushing victory.
There was plenty of information available on Eternity-01, but very little about her special skill.
Her base attributes were already so powerful that she usually won without needing to activate it.
Even so, Derek Su had managed to find three recordings of Eternity-01 using her skill.
Two were from advancement races held during the first half of the year. The third was from the Mermaid Bay Advancement Race she had competed in recently.
At Mermaid Bay, Eternity-01 activated her skill the moment the race began.
In the two earlier advancement races, however, she only activated it after leaving every other Mecha Girl far behind.
"Stella, have you noticed anything unusual about Eternity?"
Derek Su sat in front of the computer with Stella in his arms. They were pressed close together, both dressed in fluffy pajamas, like a large koala holding a smaller one.
"Hmm. It looks like Eternity-01 can't activate her skill when another Mecha Girl is nearby?"
Stella tilted her head.
"Well, look at you. All grown up and getting smarter."
Derek Su stared at her in amazement.
So Stella was not actually stupid.
Stella gave him a speechless look, bumped the top of her head against his chin, and puffed out her cheeks.
"What is that supposed to mean, Master? It's obvious! I think Eternity-01's skill prevents her from engaging with other Mecha Girls. That's why she only uses it after leaving everyone behind and making sure no one can intercept her."
"Exactly. That's the same conclusion I reached."
Derek Su pulled up several more recordings comparing Eternity-01's speed on straightaways and around corners.
With her skill active, her straight-line speed was more than three times her cornering speed.
Furthermore, Eternity-01's speed did not increase without limit.
Her peak speed while using the skill was roughly 1.3 to 1.5 times her normal maximum. That appeared to be her limit.
"That huge difference means Lucy Luo isn't as good behind the wheel as Master. When Master drives me, the gap between my straight-line speed and cornering speed isn't nearly that large."
Even while analyzing the footage, Stella did not forget to cling to Derek Su's arm and flatter him.
"You're only looking at the surface."
Derek Su nodded and narrowed his eyes.
"Watch this."
He pointed to one of the recordings and pressed play.
"When her skill is inactive, there's barely any difference between Lucy Luo's straight-line and cornering speeds while driving Eternity-01. That proves Lucy Luo has excellent technique. Even so, she occasionally clips the barriers around corners."
"Once the skill is active, however, she becomes ten thousand times more cautious than before. What does that tell us?"
"Does that mean Eternity-01 can't make contact with the course at all while her skill is active?
Stella's eyes widened as she followed Derek Su's reasoning to its conclusion.
If that were true, then Eternity-01 was not quite as terrifying as she had imagined.
Of course, Eternity-01 would still exert suffocating pressure on most Mecha Girls whose Acceleration attributes were inferior to hers.
But from Stella's perspective, Eternity-01's strength no longer seemed impossible to overcome.
"Based on everything we've seen, that's probably right. Still, we can't rule out the possibility that Lucy Luo and Eternity-01 deliberately revealed this weakness."
Derek Su rested his chin on top of Stella's head, his expression still grave.
"More importantly, the first stage of Panlong Mountain uses staggered starts. If Eternity-01 starts first, no one will be able to intercept her. She could maintain her skill's peak speed all the way to the finish line. That would be terrifying."
"Mhm! Mhm!"
Stella crossed her arms and nodded with a deep frown.
"But she probably won't be lucky enough to get the first starting position... Mmph!"
Derek Su abruptly turned Stella around and covered her mouth, forcing the rest of her sentence back down.
He stared into Stella's large blue eyes. Seeing the confusion in them, he let out a relieved breath and warned her with lingering fear.
"Don't jinx us! If she really does get the number one starting position, beating them will be a nightmare!"
Stella blinked to show that she understood.
Only then did Derek Su remove his hand.
Well, his left hand had indeed been covering her mouth.
As for his right hand...
Derek Su exchanged a glance with Stella as her pretty face gradually turned red.
He gave her an awkward smile and quickly pulled that hand away as well.
...
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