The successful, and thankfully crash-free, maiden flight of the Cloud-Piercer kicked off a final, intensive period of refinement and double-checking. The core concept had been proven; now, it was time to polish their creation to a state of absolute, user-friendly perfection.
Ren's suggestion of an acceleration pedal was the first, and most significant, new addition. They installed a second pedal beside the brake, a simple, intuitive mechanism that, when pressed, would send an increased flow of power specifically to the rear-facing, forward-pushing propellers. This allowed for a smooth, manageable increase in speed, a thrilling "boost" for open-air travel, while still being governed by the built-in, unchangeable speed limit, ensuring that even the most enthusiastic driver could not push the vehicle beyond its safe, operational limits.
Their final, and perhaps most brilliant, safety feature was the "Obstacle Detection Rune." Xianyun, with her deep, adeptal knowledge, and Ren, with his clear, logical vision, collaborated to create a small, forward-facing sensor. It was a simple, low-power adeptal rune that emitted a constant, invisible pulse of energy.
"If the pulse hits an object—a tree, a mountain wall, another, hypothetical, hovercar," Ren explained, "it will bounce back. The sensor will detect the returning pulse, and the car's internal system will instantly, automatically, engage the braking system." It was a simple, elegant, and almost foolproof, way to prevent head-on collisions, a final, brilliant layer of protection for the future drivers of their creation.
With these final, crucial additions in place, the Cloud-Piercer was no longer just a prototype; it was a complete, safe, and fully-featured, vehicle.
And now, it was the Master's turn to drive.
Ren, his role as test pilot now complete, happily took the passenger seat. Xianyun, her usual, elegant, scholarly composure tinged with a look of barely-suppressed, almost childish, excitement, slid into the driver's seat.
She, of course, had her own methods of flight. She could soar on the very currents of the wind, a being of pure, untethered, elemental grace. But this… this was different. This was not an expression of her own, innate power. This was a machine, a tool, a comfortable, enclosed, and wonderfully, cleverly, designed, piece of mortal (and half-mortal) ingenuity. The concept of flying not as an adeptus, but as a person, was a novelty that she found utterly, completely, and profoundly, fascinating.
She used a manual key which they had replaced the start button with, and the familiar, powerful hum of the car filled the air. She handled the controls with a cautious, but deeply intuitive, grace, her long, slender fingers resting on the steering wheel, her foot gently pressing the new acceleration pedal.
The Cloud-Piercer surged forward, faster than in Ren's test, a smooth, exhilarating rush of speed that was both thrilling and perfectly, beautifully, stable.
They soared out from the peak of Mt. Aocang, a single, sleek, and silent, vessel against the vast, open sky. Xianyun, her initial caution giving way to a pure, unadulterated joy, banked the car into a graceful, soaring turn, a delighted, almost girlish, laugh escaping her lips, a sound that was as rare and as beautiful as a sunsettia blooming in the snow.
Ren, sitting beside her, simply enjoyed the ride. He leaned his head back, the wind whipping through his messy, blue-streaked hair. He raised his hands, his fingers brushing against the cool, clean, and wonderfully, exhilaratingly, fast-moving, air.
He looked over at his Master, at the brilliant, powerful, and ancient, adeptus, who was currently giggling like a schoolgirl as she executed a perfect, high-speed turn around the peak of Mt. Hulao. He saw the pure, simple, and unadulterated, joy on her face. And he knew, in that moment, that they had not just built a car. They had built a new kind of happiness. A new kind of freedom. And it was a feeling that was, quite simply, wonderful.