Nivalis hesitated for a mont. She genuinely wanted to recover, but she also really wanted to play this ga—the real, high-stakes ga where serious punishnt and death were always on the table. Moreover, playing alongside Rita was fun.
Nivalis said, "I want to play this ga; can we wait for the recovery next ti?"
Rita nodded, but she kept a thought to herself—there was a chance that they wouldn't even encounter Frenzied Shark, considering it was ranked in the 500s. While this safety zone was randomized, players entering the sa zone could face vastly different conditions. However, as ti went on, the ga still categorized players based on their strength. For example, the most powerful player she had seen in this zone so far, Marmang-Crab, was ranked only after 5,000.
This crab-like player had terrifying combat power—level 17—but for so reason, his karting skills left much to be desired, putting him so low on the leaderboard.
Rita and Nivalis continued to drive around, familiarizing themselves with the course and the available parking spaces. Soon, the countdown clock hit its last 3 seconds.
Beep—the chanical voice announced the first challenge.
First challenge: Please park in a side position with nitrogen boost in the sa color parking space.
Nivalis pulled out a stick from seemingly nowhere and stuck it between her lips, shouting loudly, "Hold on tight! Get the parts and fuel in place!"
Rita shouted back, "Aren't they already in place?"
Nivalis: ???
There was no ti to dwell on that! A new storm was coming. Nivalis slamd on the gas, weaving between karts that hadn't even reacted yet. She alternated between the gas and brakes, steering left and right like a DJ mixing tracks. In a matter of seconds, her kart slid sideways into a parking space frad by four white lines with a screeching sound, coming to a perfect stop.
Nivalis slamd on the brakes, her short clawed hand resting on the steering wheel. She turned around and asked, "What's going on, little sis? Are you dissing ?"
Rita, still adjusting her posture, grabbed her cap and said, "No, no! I wouldn't dare!"
Nivalis scoffed.
Rita wanted to ask: Where did that little stick in your mouth co from?
Nivalis nonchalantly pointed toward the parking lot. "I picked it up when we were scouting the area."
Rita followed her gaze, and her eyes froze in shock.
Nivalis, oblivious, looked in that direction too, her heart heavy with worry. She soon saw a strange creature that seed to be a cactus, except instead of green, it was entirely wooden with a flower on top and spikes protruding from its body. It was sitting in a kart, staring at Nivalis with a lancholic expression.
Nivalis inspected the stick in her mouth again and then glanced back at the creature, now identified as Zaba, a mber of the Woodclaw tribe. She muttered in confusion, "It's just a little wooden spike. Is it really that big of a deal? It even fell on the ground."
At that mont, a blue kart slid into the space next to theirs. The driver, after successfully parking, couldn't believe it. "I actually did it in one go!"
Rita, overhearing, turned to see that the driver was none other than Marmang-Crab, the notorious crab player.
Rita, fluent in Crab Language, looked over and said, "Hey, Marmang-Crab, do you understand Woodclaw language?"
Marmang-Crab scratched his face with a claw. "Don't call that so familiarly! Yeah, I understand. What's up?"
Rita pointed at the stick in Nivalis's mouth. "Is it hard to hatch sothing like this?"
Marmang-Crab, scratching his head, responded, "Kind of difficult. The Woodclaw tribe has a lot of spikes, and only two or three of them can even hatch."
Rita proposed, "How about I sell you two kart coins for it? You can ask that Woodclaw tribe mber if they want their child back. I don't care, I just want two kart coins."
Marmang-Crab paused, looking incredulously at Rita. "...Why don't I just take it?"
Rita, in turn, answered without skipping a beat, "Then there's no fun in that. The point is to make a trade!" She added the last part with a carefree shrug.
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Marmang-Crab, though sowhat confused, still decided to entertain the deal. "Alright, but I've got one question for you first."
Rita nodded. "Go ahead."
Marmang-Crab leaned in, lowering his voice. "Did Lania KaiaMaple Syrup really deceive your sister-in-law's feelings?"
Rita's expression darkened.
She responded seriously, "I can't say for sure, but my sister-in-law nearly killed her entire family because of her, and then invited to join their little 'family'... It's all too absurd. I told her she was being foolish, but she told she was willing to be a fool for love. If there's a single lie, I'll make the heavens strike her down!"
Saying that, Rita handed the stick over, receiving two kart coins from Marmang-Crab.
Nivalis asked in her mind, What did you say that shocked him so much?
Rita explained, and after hearing the full story, Nivalis fell silent. It didn't seem like a lie, but sohow, it just felt off.
Nearby, another player was plotting to ambush Rita, but upon hearing the gossip, they couldn't help but lean in to listen. After hearing the full story, they straightened up, their face reflecting the sa shock as Marmang-Crab.
At that mont, all the parking spaces lit up, the light matching the color of each parking space. The clock had started ticking for the checkpoint.
Nivalis grew anxious. "My luck's pretty bad. What if I get blown up?"
Rita embraced Nivalis and reassured her, "Don't worry, we've already made it this far. We're doing great, and it's all thanks to your driving skills. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it this far either."
At the sa ti, she thought to herself, We've got the Master Thief Dragon! We're fine!
Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the air, filled with resentnt and anger. Nivalis and Rita both turned to see Marmang-Crab's eyes locked on them. The source of the voice seed to be hidden sowhere behind his eyes.
Rita scanned the surroundings carefully, eventually spotting a tiny sea horse hidden behind Marmang-Crab's eyes.
She smiled briefly, but her heart felt heavy. These players' pets were so well hidden—if things escalated into combat, it would be a huge disadvantage.
Just then, explosions rang out in all directions.
The check-in ti had passed the 10-second mark, and the mines in the parking spaces began to detonate.
All the players imdiately turned to look at the parking spaces that had exploded.
As smoke billowed, the expressions of many players grew grim.
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