01:59—
01:58—
01:57—
The red numbers began counting down in front of her eyes. Li Zhi was still running the inner lane. Right from the start of this round, the two of them had pushed their speed to the max, and the two go-karts left afterimages on the track.
Normally, the speed limit for cars on highways is 120 km/h. When the speed gets too fast, the vehicle tends to drift. At this point, even the slightest curve would result in a sharp turn. To make sure she had enough time and avoided miscalculating the sprint, Li Zhi had already maxed out the speed from the beginning. The go-kart’s speed was now approaching 200 km/h.
Even on roller coasters, the speed had never been this fast. And now, she was in control herself. Even if the ghostly go-karts didn’t crash into her, a small mistake sending her off the track would still result in a deadly crash.
The other ghosts competing on the track didn’t expect this human to be so reckless. By the time they realized what was happening, Li Zhi and Qi Yongyi had already left them far behind. Furious, the ghosts stomped on their accelerators and gave chase.
Corners are the easiest places to overtake, since turning requires controlling speed. As they approached the first curve, the two almost airborne go-karts in front predictably slowed down. The ghosts closing in from behind showed eerie smiles.
Screech—!
Suddenly, a sharp tire-screeching sound pierced through the air as the tires ground against the road. Roars from a few engines followed. The car running in the inner lane skidded to the outer lane, while the outer car slid into the inner lane in a similar maneuver.
The two go-karts switched lanes mid-turn, only slightly reducing their speed. Once they passed the bend, they sped up again. The ghostly karts had just barely caught up to their tails, only to be left behind once more in the blink of an eye.
The audience was stunned by their synchronized and daring cornering:
[Fast… Furious?]
[Isn’t Qinglin always aspiring to be the “God of Mount Akina”? Let him come and see what a true Mount Akina god looks like.]
[Ghost: Last night, I lost to a KartRider. She drifted through corners using inertia. Her kart was fast. I only know that she’s wild. If you know who she is, please tell her that I’ll be waiting for her on Mount Akina tomorrow night.] (Note: Original line from “Initial D”)
[Li Zhi’s passenger seat is missing me!]
[Li Zhi’s vibe really suits this kind of “badass racer” role! This is exactly the kind of role she should be playing! Ah, too bad, we might never get to see her acting again.]
[I’ve gone back and watched all the supporting roles she played before. Her aura was unmatched, such a hidden gem.]
[Just look at the way she handles things in this instance. She doesn’t care about fame at all. If she wanted to be famous, she would’ve been a star long ago.]
[Li Zhi is the coolest! Li Zhi is the coolest! Friends, vote for her!]
The ghostly go-karts hadn’t kept up from the start. No matter how much they sped up afterward, as long as Li Zhi and Qi Yongyi didn’t slow down, there was no way they could catch up.
The go-karts that suddenly dashed out from the sides or appeared on the track out of thin air would briefly stutter for a moment upon appearing. With speeds close to 200 km/h, the two seized this momentary pause to avoid collisions.
Soon, they approached the second curve. Using the same tactic, Li Zhi once again skidded from the outer lane to the inner lane. The friction between the tires and the ground was so intense that it produced black smoke with a pungent odor. But of course, the items in this ghostly world couldn’t be compared to real-world go-karts. Li Zhi had no fear of the tires bursting or the kart falling apart.
They sped all the way to the finish line, and as the countdown on the steering wheel screen hit 00:19, the two crossed the finish line.
Jumping off the go-kart, Li Zhi tilted her head and casually flicked her windblown hair. The live comments went wild over this scene:
[Sister is fierce!]
[First time I’ve truly appreciated Li Zhi’s beauty—she’s really cool.]
[I am the breeze that passed through Li Zhi’s hair! She smells so nice and soft and perfect to kiss!]
[There are too few players with both looks and skills. Those who are better looking than Li Zhi aren’t as strong as her, and those stronger than her aren’t as good looking.]
[Li Zhi is the best! Just wait! One day she’ll definitely reach the top of the popularity rankings!]
[Does Li Zhi know that her fans are hyping her up like this?]
[Haha, lacking in skill and relying on looks to get votes. Li Zhi is just like that.]
[This is Li Zhi’s solo stream. If you don’t want to see her, why come here just to get roasted? Are you secretly a fan?]
[Someone’s getting desperate! My sis is gorgeous, she’s stunning, deal with it! It’s killing you, isn’t it?]
[The vote gap is shrinking, of course, people are getting anxious.]
…
Qi Yongyi’s face was filled with excitement after getting his fill of speed: “That was incredible!”
In the past, on professional go-kart tracks, speeds were capped at 80 for safety reasons. The most thrilling ride he’d ever experienced was at a sports kart track, where the speed reached up to 130. But that was nothing compared to today’s nearly 200 km/h.
On top of that, with ghost karts chasing them, he got a full taste of the adrenaline of a high-speed pursuit. For a go-kart enthusiast like him, this was an unforgettable experience.
A staff member wearing a helmet stood at the platform as Li Zhi walked over to him.
“Congratulations on completing the second round of the go-kart challenge. Here’s your reward.”
Taking the clue box, the two of them walked towards the entrance, where the other three were waiting behind the railing, excitedly waving at them.
As soon as they approached, You Jingmeng couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “How was it? Was the second round difficult?”
Qi Yongyi, still feeling the thrill, responded, “Not hard at all! It was amazing!”
You Jingmeng: “…”
Chi Yi added, “If the system knew you rated this level like that, it would be furious.”
Qi Yongyi scratched the back of his head awkwardly, smiling and flashing his white teeth.
Li Zhi opened the clue box and pulled out the card inside. The second round’s clue, once again, consisted of only three words.
“Don’t look back,” You Jingmeng read aloud, feeling a chill down his spine. “Be careful of what’s behind you. Don’t turn around. The ghost this time must be the kind that likes to follow people from behind.”
Both clues pointed directly to the “Back-clinging Ghost” that Chi Yi had mentioned earlier. However, after their experience with Black and White Impermanence during the carousel round, no one dared to jump to conclusions before getting the third clue.
Li Zhi turned to Qi Yongyi and asked, “Do you want to go for the third round, or should I?”
Only one person needed to take part in the third challenge. If there was any danger on the track, they’d have to handle it alone, with no help from teammates. Based on their previous experience, it was safest to let the strongest player take the third round.
However, since this challenge happened to be something Qi Yongyi excelled at, and Li Zhi never liked hogging the spotlight, she figured if he could complete the challenge on his own, it would be a huge boost to his popularity. After all, the official players weren’t lacking in ability, they just lacked experience.
Qi Yongyi understood her intention. She was offering him the opportunity, and he didn’t want to let her down. The captain’s sister was just as admirable as the captain himself.
“I’ll go!” His eyes were filled with determination. “I promise I’ll finish the task in one go!”
Li Zhi smiled and patted his shoulder. “Good luck.”
Qi Yongyi headed inside, and his figure quickly disappeared from the platform. Li Zhi turned her gaze away and walked out through the exit.
Owen Dong muttered softly, whether out of jealousy or admiration, “Newbies are always so bold.”
Earlier, during a conversation, he’d learned that this was Qi Yongyi’s first time in an instance. He had bragged, offering advice and promising to protect him. But it turned out that Qi Yongyi had performed much better than him. Some people were just born for these instances.
Thinking about this, Owen Dong couldn’t help but glance at Li Zhi, who was lazily stretching against the railing, her hand raised casually.
If anyone was born for these instance challenges, it had to be her, right? When livestreaming first became a thing, Owen Dong was just an unknown viewer, and the first livestream he entered was the instance where Li Zhi was.
He’d seen how she performed in her rookie instance. Back then, he just thought this actress had a lot of guts and stayed incredibly calm. It wasn’t until later that he understood what that meant.
Sure enough, Li Zhi’s popularity skyrocketed after that. As livestreaming became more common, many players’ mindsets started to change. Some became increasingly cautious and timid, while others grew more reckless and adventurous. Only Li Zhi remained exactly the same as when she first entered the dungeons, showing no change in her behavior.
Owen Dong wasn’t sure if that was something to admire or not, but when he entered this instance and saw Li Zhi in the crowd at the amusement park entrance, a thought popped into his mind: This instance is in the bag.
At some point, many players, including the viewers, developed this subconscious belief.
If Li Zhi is in the instance, it’s a sure win.
Not even a top-tier player like Pei Hongyu could provide that kind of reassurance.
Unfortunately, this instance was different from previous ones, and no matter how skilled Li Zhi was, she couldn’t protect every teammate. If it had been the usual type of instance, Zheng Qi might not have died.
While Owen Dong was lost in thought, Qi Yongyi had already completed the challenge and emerged.
Go-karting was a fast-paced activity, making this the shortest of the challenges. You Jingmeng and Chi Yi had already started applauding this impressive newcomer. Owen Dong sighed quietly and joined in, clapping along.
“You couldn’t see the track at all. There was a wild storm, thunder, and lightning, and the rain felt like hail hitting your face,” Qi Yongyi said, recounting the third round. “I had to rely on sound to dodge the ghostly karts. I couldn’t see a thing, but luckily, I memorized the course from the first two rounds. I was driving purely on instinct.”
You Jingmeng gave him two thumbs up. “That’s still really impressive!”
Qi Yongyi scratched his head and smiled sheepishly as he handed the clue box from this round to Li Zhi. “Here’s the clue.”
Li Zhi smiled. “You earned it. You should open it.”
Qi Yongyi felt a sudden sense of ceremony. This was the first time he had completed a task on his own! He opened the box, and this time, instead of words, there was a picture.
A trail of footprints.
Chi Yi immediately pointed out, “This definitely isn’t the ‘Back-clinging Ghost’! That ghost clings to people’s backs and wouldn’t leave footprints.”
As expected, the system was full of tricks! They had almost been deceived again.
With the three clues in hand, the card dissolved into ash. Li Zhi dusted off her fingers and looked toward a tall structure silhouetted against the night sky in the distance.
“We still have time. Let’s check out the drop tower.”
At the mention of the drop tower, everyone’s legs started to feel weak.
But whether they hesitated or not, they’d have to face it eventually, so they clenched their fists and declared, “Let’s go!”
The group made their way toward the drop tower, getting startled several times by NPCs dressed as ghosts who jumped out to scare them along the way. As they neared the drop tower, another group of players came out, led by Pei Hongyu, who didn’t look too happy.
The four of them were talking as they walked, heading off in another direction. By the time Li Zhi and her team arrived, all they could see were their retreating figures.
You Jingmeng let out a small exclamation, “Wasn’t that Pei Hongyu’s group?”
Chi Yi replied, “They’ve probably finished their challenge.” She didn’t like Pei Hongyu at all, and now her fighting spirit was on full display.
“Now it’s our turn!”