Ordinary engine sounds carried a deep, heavy rumble. The pricier the car, the deeper that roar became.
But this sound was different—unlike anything Dominic had ever heard.
It pulsed with violent energy, explosive enough to shatter the air itself.
A sound that promised to tear everything apart. A sound no one could resist.
"F**k—what the hell is that?"
"My soul just trembled."
"Feels like something monstrous is coming straight at us!"
"Boss, should we get out and block him?"
The car was in chaos, filled with panic and unease.
These were street racers—they knew cars inside and out. They could tell what kind of engine made what kind of sound.
But this? They swore they had never heard anything like this in their lives.
It was a car's roar—but also not.
If they had to describe it—
It was like an airplane engine, trapped inside a car.
Dominic, the fearless leader of the crew, who always drove with an easy smirk and never took anyone seriously—
looked grave for the first time.
He stared into the rear-view mirror. "Whatever that is, it's not here as a friend."
This mission was supposed to be airtight. Even the crew only got word right before they rolled out. Phones had been confiscated. Only in-car comms were allowed.
If someone still managed to tip off the authorities? That'd be supernatural.
"Maybe it's just someone passing by?" Vince suggested.
He was a burly man with a thick beard, rough around the edges, the kind you'd expect to see in bars and back alleys. Hot-tempered, but Dominic's childhood friend—and one of the few men he trusted absolutely.
"No one passing by would be this reckless. And that's just one engine, not a whole street race," Dominic said darkly.
Which meant this car was coming for them.
"It's here!"
In the mirror, headlights flared—blindingly bright—bearing down on them at an unbelievable speed.
It flew across the road like a bolt of lightning, leaving even the wind trailing behind.
"Holy shit, that speed?!"
"Too fast!!"
"What kind of car is that?!"
"It's on us already!"
The crew gaped, jaws unhinged. Some even rubbed their eyes, refusing to believe what they were seeing.
They had never seen a car move like this.
Its sheer velocity whipped up a gale, slamming into them like a storm.
In a flash, the Silver Marauder's tail cannon fired a steel harpoon, punching clean through the truck's container.
A burst of fire.
At the final corner, the Marauder swung into a flawless drift, roaring like a wild beast.
Dominic swore it was the most exhilarating engine sound he had ever heard in his life.
Inside, Leon downshifted, then slammed the accelerator at the corner exit.
VROOOOM—!
Eight exhaust pipes at the rear erupted in blue flame, the nuclear reactor flooding the car with unstoppable power.
The Marauder surged forward again, speed climbing even higher, piercing straight through the convoy like lightning.
"Shit! Cut the lines, now!" Dominic roared.
But it was too late.
The nuclear-powered Marauder's strength was overwhelming.
The container ripped free in an instant, swinging wildly like a wrecking ball.
One brush against Dominic's car sent it tumbling more than ten meters, rolling five or six times before it finally stopped. Windows shattered, hood and doors crushed.
Another car took the container full-on—flattened into a pancake. The men inside never stood a chance.
The lead car clipped the swinging box and was hurled twenty meters into the air. Its rear was mangled beyond recognition. Whether the driver survived was anyone's guess.
Such was the savagery of the Marauder!
Leon glanced at the wreckage in his rearview mirror, a grin spreading across his face.
Wiping out the opposition so easily—this was the power of nuclear energy. His car was like an aircraft carrier on land.
Dragging the container was no problem.
But hauling it at high speed was dangerous—and far too likely to draw attention from the authorities.
"System, is there a way to get rid of this cargo? Ideally, something that can be sold off quietly, without anyone noticing?"
It was a casual question—Leon didn't expect much.
But the system actually responded.
"Container cargo consists of laptops. Some are damaged. Total exchange value: five million. Proceed with exchange?"
"Exchange. Do it now!" Leon exclaimed in delight.
The container had taken a massive hit when it fell. Fragile electronics like laptops could barely withstand minor bumps, let alone such a crash.
If not for the anti-shock packaging inside, the losses would've been even greater.
At Leon's command, the cargo vanished instantly.
The system severed the harpoon chain, freeing the Marauder from the container.
Unshackled, its speed skyrocketed once more, flashing into the distance like a streak of silver lightning.
Behind him, Dominic, Vince, and the survivors crawled out of their wrecked vehicles, blood streaming down their foreheads.
But none of them cared about their injuries.
They stood there, stunned, staring at the horizon where the Marauder had vanished.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never believe it.
That such a car could exist in this world.
"What the hell… did we just run into?" Dominic muttered.