"I said I won’t say anything, you all can’t force ." Ellen stated, her voice a low, steady counterpoint to the roaring silence of the arena. She crossed her hands over the chest of her racing suit, her posture radiating an infuriating calm that was far more unnerving than a defensive crouch.
’Let them think what they will.’ she thought, a smile playing on her lips.
The audience, a mass of stunned faces, buzzed with frustrated confusion. Ellen’s silence was a vacuum, pulling in every suspicion.
Zoey, however, scoffed. "If you say nothing, it only ans you cheated. Hiding this will only make it worse."
"Fufufufu..." Ellen’s soft giggling started low and quickly grew into an honest, uninhibited laugh, stunning everyone anew. It wasn’t mocking; it was the sound of true amusent at their assumption.
"Why are you laughing?!" Zoey scread.
"Hey! Don’t you dare yell at my sister!" Jinx hissed, instantly moving closer to Ellen. Her gaze was ice-cold.
"What if I yell at her? You cheated because of the rewards, right? I get it," Zoey sneered, her eyes flicking dismissively over Jinx.
"That five million is a big motivator for soone like you."
"....?!"
Jinx, Blood Eye, and Ellen exchanged confused glances.
"Ok. Ok." Ellen finally held up a hand, her laughter gone, replaced by focused intensity. "You want to know what I used?"
Zoey and the audience nodded, hanging on her every word.
"I used my luck," Ellen declared, letting the absurdity hang in the air for a mont.
"These cars are all fundantally the sa; they’re designed for a driver to bring out their potential. If you can’t, you lose." She fixed her gaze directly on Zoey, her purple eyes burning with conviction.
"You lost because you are incompetent, Zoey, not because I cheated. You were so focused on my car you ignored your own. Advance your skill before accusing soone of deceit." Ellen’s words, calm yet devastatingly direct, hit Zoey—and the watching crowd—like a physical blow. Even Jinx was montarily speechless, impressed by her sister’s newfound boldness.
"You?!--" Zoey sputtered, her face a storm of rage and humiliation.
"Enough, you guys. She won. That is the end of it." A new voice cut through the tension. Tyson walked toward the cluster of drivers, his own defeat forgotten in the pursuit of truth.
"We’re here to have fun, and you’re taking this far too seriously."
"And who are you?" Zoey demanded, dismissing him instantly.
"Tyson. A fellow driver." He turned to Ellen, a flicker of genuine curiosity and respect in his eyes.
"After the qualifying race, I personally checked the detailed schematic for the Space Car. I noticed a hidden detail: a tiny note about a ’celestial energy jump start’." He tapped the his cosmic brain, and a crisp, holographic screen materialized, showing an intricate diagram of the space car’s engine.
"You can all see the core," he explained, pointing to a minuscule component. "This tiny, unknown thingy here powers the car, but when sufficient celestial energy is channeled into it—and I an channeled by the driver—it jumps up like a charging beast. It’s a feature, not a hack."
"....???"
The drivers blinked, staring at him dumbfounded. They had all been too preoccupied with speed and standard tuning to look past the surface data.
"What?" Tyson asked, suddenly self-conscious.
"So she didn’t break any rule?" A voice from the audience finally broke the silence, relief mixing with awe.
"With everything he just said, that must be it," another spectator added.
"Why was such an important feature hidden?" a third asked.
"He is absolutely right." The Announcer walked over, a smile of professionalism replacing his earlier panic.
"This information was sent to all your cosmic brains, drivers. It seems only this young man and Miss Ellen bothered to read past the first page."
"I actually just checked mine, after the race." Tyson said, nervously rubbing his neck.
"...?!"
Zoey was completely speechless, her entire case dissolving before the facts.
Jinx grinned, a triumphant, feline expression spreading across her face. She spun to face Zoey. "So, Princess Zoey, my sister didn’t cheat. You were just too stupid, jumping up and down like a frog on a hot skillet."
"You?!" Zoey’s voice was a dangerous whisper.
"You what?!" Jinx challenged, stepping forward, inviting the fight.
Zoey’s gaze darted around, desperately searching for a supportive face, but found only pity, annoyance, and the cold indifference of the crowd. Her humiliation was complete. With a huff of pure fury, she turned and marched away.
"Princess Zoey! Your reward!" the Announcer called after her.
"Send it to the elves’ orphanages!" Zoey hissed without looking back, a final, self-serving gesture of nobility designed to salvage so shred of pride.
_
"That was so good," Jinx whispered to Ellen, a satisfied, predatory smile still gracing her lips.
"Ok," the Announcer nodded, adjusting his earpiece. "The rewards—"
"—Let it be donated to the poor." Ellen’s voice was firm, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"...?!"
Everyone turned to Ellen in surprise. Her nonchalance about the massive prize was baffling.
"Um... What did you say? That is five million and one hundred celestial energy stones."
"I know," Ellen replied, eting his gaze calmly. "I’m not only donating this, but also ten million of my own funds to local charity initiatives."
"Yes! I agree with my sister!" Jinx chid in, suddenly enthusiastic. "I will donate another ten million! It’s all pocket change anyway."
"Ten million? Who really are you two?" Tyson asked, genuine confusion replacing his earlier admiration.
That kind of money wasn’t simply ’donated’ by local drivers.
"She is the Princess of Eldoria."
Heads whipped around to see Lola walking towards them, radiating quiet authority. And then the audience’s attention shifted past her to the figures following.
"Oh my! Is that God Wolf?!"
"I can’t believe it! That is God Wolf!"
"He is so handso!"
"God Wolf!"
The cheers and screams instantly exploded, a wave of genuine adoration washing over the arena. God Wolf had not only increased the winner’s rewards but had also been instruntal in the revitalization of the Three-Eyed Nation after recent conflicts.
"Dad. Mom."
Ellen, forgetting her racing persona, ran into the arms of her parents, hugging them both with unrestrained affection. The simple, raw act of familial love from the formidable God Wolf froze the entire arena.
"She... She is actually God Wolf’s daughter?" Tyson muttered in horror.
"Don’t worry," Jinx said, giving him a playful, comforting tap on the shoulder as she sauntered past. "I forgive your family for raising an idiot. For now."
"...Huh?" Tyson was stunned.
"You did good, Honey." Sunny with a loving smile, gently removed the distracting wig Ellen had worn for her disguise. He then looked up at Jinx, his expression questioning Ellen’s appearance.
"Hey, don’t look at ," Jinx pouted, her façade of indifference crumbling slightly. "She should experience life without your influence, right? You said that was important."
Josephine chuckled lightly, a sound of gentle amusent, and stepped forward to address the crowd, turning a casual racing event into a kingdom-wide announcent.
"Eldoria will be hosting a friendly fight contest in one month... There is a reward for the five top winners... And also a chance to join Eldoria’s special force team... Only the strongest will get this opportunity. This is also the ti for those unemployed to work under God wolf... This contest will start on the tenth of next month. More information will be revealed on Eldoria system site, hope to see you all there." She said with a smile.
"Wow... A contest hosted by God wolf himself! I won’t miss this!"
"Yes!! When are we registering?!"
"Co on!! Let’s check the details!"
"Lola," Sunny said, turning to Lola.
"Make sure the word gets out." He then took Ellen and Sunny’s hands.
"Co, my dears. Let’s leave them to the anticipation."
They walked out of the arena, with the crowd’s cheers following them.
"Wait! Where is Aunty Star?" Ellen asked, noticing the absence of their final companion.
BAM!
Everyone turned to Star’s racing tunnel. With a deafening boom and a plu of exhaust, her car slowly crawled to the finish line, grinding to a halt. Then, before their stunned gazes, she casually got out, removed her helt, and stretched with a theatrical groan.
"Wow! What a race!" Star said, blinking at the bright lights, her hair disheveled. She looked around at the silent, staring crowd.
"Why is everyone staring at ?" she asked innocently.
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