"Even with high-purity Ether crystals, it only has enough juice to run for half an hour."
That's about as realistic as reasons get. This thing doesn't just cost money, calling it a money furnace wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Of course, you could use low-purity Ether crystals, but the runtime would inevitably decrease along with the lower energy output.
Before Andrew could react, Big Boss continued:
"But don't worry, Blazewood will support you with fuel. As long as you come visit, we'll make sure you have plenty, and we won't charge a single Dennies.
What would be an incredibly high running cost for an individual, becomes negligible when shared among everyone in Blazewood. In fact, even many organizations could afford it if they grit their teeth.
But the other problem Big Boss brought up was the real reason no one had used it until now.
"The other thing is, its acceleration is just too terrifying. A normal person simply can't handle it. It demands incredible strength and constitution. If you can control it, that's actually a good thing for us.
After all, no matter how powerful something is, if you can't use it, it's just a decoration. Actually, even as a decoration, you'd probably complain that it takes up too much space.
Knowing the reasons, Andrew had even less intention of giving up. He reached out, stroking the smooth panel on the bike's front, and said:
"After all, if it just sits here gathering dust, I'm afraid it might start to cry."
As Andrew's words fell, the red gem on the front of the bike seemed to react, flashing faintly.
The engine roared like a dragon. Having laid all the cards on the table, Big Boss no longer stood in Andrew's way, instead clearing the path out of the garage.
First, after changing the Gouraam back into the TryChaser, Andrew turned to Caesar, who was staring at him with puppy-dog eyes, and asked:
Hearing his words, Caesar nodded joyfully and eagerly hopped onto her own motorcycle, pulling up behind Andrew.
No biker worth their salt would ever refuse a high-speed race. If they do, it just means the speed isn't high enough!
Asphalt roads are the lifeblood of the Outer Ring. For a region that survives on transport, the roads are like arteries, fundamental to the Outer Ring's survival.
If the roads are damaged, those arteries are blocked, which often means the towns and villages connected by that road will immediately lose their supplies.
And for all the settlements surviving in the Outer Ring, that is an incredibly dangerous situation.
Therefore, the roads in the Outer Ring are often even better maintained than those in New Eridu.
Except for the occasional, clueless bandits that spawn to block the way and try to rob people.
And a road with no cargo trucks is a biker's paradise. Andrew, who was just out for a test ride, naturally found himself on such a road.
As Andrew gripped the handlebars tightly, with a single thought, the TryChaser once again transformed into its Gouraam form.
Looking over at Caesar, who was riding her own bike neck and neck with Andrew, she wore an look of eager anticipation, waiting for him.
With a light twist of the throttle from Andrew, the Gouraam shot forward in an instant. The cacti planted on the roadside blurred into thin lines under the extreme acceleration.
The numbers on the speedometer skyrocketed, finally hitting the upper limit of 320 km/h.
His powerful physique and reflexes allowed him to completely tame this steel behemoth, turning the wild beast into an extension of his will.
A stream of light streaked across the Outer Ring road, its golden patterns leaving a trail of gold in the air.
After making a loop, Andrew arrived even a little faster than Caesar, who had ridden straight there.
On his circular route, Andrew had also seen a few other figures on their own motorcycles.
He wasn't sure why, but after he left them all in the dust with a twist of the throttle, the air carried the faint echo of an indignant shout.
"Impossible! Am I having a nightmare?! I'm the NO. 2 in our town's biker gang!"
But in the face of the Gouraam's 320 km/h speed, it was all just a futile struggle.
None of this really mattered to Andrew, who was just out for a test drive. He didn't give it much thought.
He was too engrossed in the Gouraam beneath him. As his fingers lightly brushed over the slot designed for the high-purity Ether crystal, he felt a sense of déjà vu about its size.
Suddenly, Andrew remembered the Wyvern Gem in his item box, the one he'd carved from the Vicious Claw Wyvern.
Since it required high-concentration Ether energy, wouldn't the Ether energy contained within the Wyvern Gem be a perfect fit?
Acting on the thought, Andrew immediately pulled the Wyvern Gem he had just obtained yesterday from his system's item box.
He took out the original Ether crystal, which was already looking quite dim. With a press of Andrew's palm, the metal cover snapped shut.
Instantly, the Gouraam flared with a golden light.
The energy bar instantly filled to the brim, so fast it almost seemed to overflow. The bike's original frame seemed to become even sturdier, and compared to its previous, more insect-like appearance, its form had changed slightly.
It now looked more like an incredibly ferocious, starving wolf.
While the overall shape hadn't changed much, the red crystals on the Gouraam's front, which resembled an insect's compound eyes, now looked more like the pupils of a great dragon.
The protruding ramming horn, like that of a beetle, had also undergone a slight change, becoming a bit more like the long, dangerous claws of a Vicious Claw Wyvern.
Looking at the motorcycle, which, despite the slight changes, had lost none of its intimidating aura and had even become more menacing, Andrew loved it even more.
It just seemed a little... too flashy.
The Wyvern Gem's effect was far, far better than the high-purity Ether crystal. The duration it could sustain was easily tripled.
Moreover, the most unique thing about the Wyvern Gem was that its internal Ether energy would gradually replenish over time.
According to Andrew's estimate, even if it were completely depleted, one night would be more than enough for it to fully recover.
While that might not seem like a lot, it was more than enough to last through a battle. And if it really wasn't enough, swapping in an Ether crystal on the spot wouldn't be a problem.
Most importantly, the Wyvern Gem turned what was a long-term money sink into an ordinary motorcycle that only occasionally needed a top-up.
After Andrew and Caesar met up at the designated spot, Caesar asked impatiently:
"Feels good, right? I can't believe Big Boss had something this amazing. If I'd known, I would've insisted on trying it out."
Although Caesar's words sounded like a complaint, there wasn't a hint of jealousy in her eyes as she looked at Andrew. Instead, she was happy that Andrew had found the perfect ride.
"It's incredibly powerful. But if you want to try it, Caesar, why don't you just hop on?
Hearing Andrew's words, Caesar instantly lit up with excitement.
'Yeah! I think so too!
But after glancing at her phone, she lowered her head, looking a bit dejected, and said,
"Unfortunately, I have to go make deliveries now. I haven't done any for two days, and the orders for Boar Rush Delivery are really piling up.
I'll come try your bike properly next time!
After speaking, Caesar said to Andrew, a little shyly:
"Oh, right, Andrew! We have to stay in touch! After you go back, I... we... will really miss you!"
Although they had only spent a short time together, less than two days, in that time Caesar had come to completely accept Andrew as a friend.
"Of course. You can come hang out with me anytime, Caesar. Besides, I think we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on!
Hearing this, Caesar nodded shyly. Just as she was about to wave goodbye and leave, she seemed to suddenly remember something and said:
"Oh, right! I sent you a gift. Be sure to open it when you get back!
With that, as if afraid of being questioned, Caesar revved her motorcycle and sped away at top speed.
After bidding Caesar farewell, a very satisfied Andrew rode back to Blazewood and greeted Big Boss.
Big Boss looked at the completely full energy bar on the screen and the tiny little Wyvern Gem, and couldn't help but marvel that if you live long enough, you'll always see something new.
Still, he placed the three Ether crystals he had already prepared to give Andrew for fuel into his hands.
"Since I already prepared these for you, just take them."
Andrew didn't refuse them. After stowing them in his item pouch, he heard Belle's cheerful voice from behind him.
'Andrew! You're back!
Belle, who had only just lazily gotten out of bed after sleeping in for ages, stared at the TryChaser beneath Andrew, her eyes immediately lighting up.
"Andrew! Is this the motorcycle you designed? It's so cool!
"I didn't actually design it. This design comes from the ride belonging to a man who always smiles and charges forward bravely.
Hearing this, Belle was instantly intrigued and nodded eagerly. Seeing her eyes sparkle, Andrew said:
"When we have time later, I'll tell you his story. I'm sure you'll love it!
Kuuga's own TryChaser was much cooler than the prototype chaser from the beginning of the show.
The streamlined front and the tail end, which no longer sported two antennas but had become bulkier, like a small rocket thruster, made the motorcycle look incredibly cool.
'Don't get too excited yet. Let me show you something even cooler! Transform!
Even though he could do it just by thinking, it always felt like something was missing if he didn't shout it out loud. It just felt wrong.
As Andrew's words fell, living metal flowed like liquid over the TryChaser beneath him.
Then, before Belle's shocked eyes, it transformed into its Gouraam state.
"Th-This is too cool! Do it again, do it again!
Even as a girl, Belle was completely powerless to resist the appeal of a cool transformation.
Only after watching Andrew transform it back and forth several times did Belle reluctantly let him stop.
Looking at the motorcycle, which was clearly a single-seater, Belle circled it twice before decisively sitting down in front of Andrew, squeezing in under his arms.
Compared to the tiny space behind Andrew, where her view would be completely blocked by his tall frame, Belle decisively chose the gap within Andrew's arms.
Instead of letting Andrew get fresh with her, Belle decisively chose to get fresh with him.
Feeling the contact with his pectoral muscles behind her head and his abs at her back, Belle couldn't help but let out a little 'hehe' giggle.
The wide-open view gave Belle the illusion that she was the one driving the motorcycle.
Since Belle's height didn't block his view at all, Andrew just let her be. After all, the feeling of holding her in his arms like this was pretty nice.
After saying goodbye to Big Boss, Andrew set off with Belle on the road back to Silver City. Watching the two figures recede into the distance, Big Boss silently wiped a bead of sweat for his silly daughter.
Then again, Caesar had been very confident this morning when she said she'd sent Andrew a really great gift, one that would definitely convey her feelings.
Maybe it could really turn the tables?
Recalling Caesar's blushing face, Big Boss decided it was better to just look at the sky in the distance.
Since he'd already decided to let the kids handle their own affairs, this wasn't something for an old man like him to meddle in.
With that thought, Big Boss hopped on his own motorcycle, preparing to go have a nice, reasonable chat with some clueless punks who had wandered into the Sons of Calydon's territory to cause trouble.
Or... have a nice, physical chat with his fists.
After all, this old man knows a thing or two about fisticuffs!
"I wonder how that kid Billy is doing. He ran off to New Eridu to buy the latest Starlight Knight merchandise...
I just hope he hasn't blown all the Dennies I gave him already... ahem.
_____
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