Chen Le let out a sigh of relief, then glanced at the scooter speedometer. A tiny gas-tank icon was there—he just noticed—and the number beneath it nearly gave him a heart attack.
[ Mana Fuel: 20% ]
"Shit…?! Only this much left?!" Chen Le blinked. "It was at 80% before the ride.!"
The flat system voice followed immediately.
[ Using the skill Turbo Dash consumes a large amount of Mana Fuel. Please use it wisely. ]
Chen Le gawked. "Ohhh… so that's the price for my free speed boost earlier. No wonder the engine was coughing up blood."
Instinctively, he looked at Lia. If he was panicking because his fuel was almost empty, what about her? Her horse had been running nonstop. Surely horses didn't need fuel, right?
That thought had barely passed when Chen Le nearly choked on his own spit. Lia casually pulled a small Mana Core from her pocket, then… fed it straight into her white horse's mouth.
Sret—SNAP!
The horse chewed once, then exhaled a long breath that shimmered faintly blue.
Chen Le froze. "Eh… you—you just fed your horse a Mana Core?!"
Lia turned her gaze flatly. "Of course. To refill its fuel, what else?"
Chen Le slapped his forehead. "Goddamn… this really is a living dark-fantasy gacha game."
Suddenly, a new notification blinked before his eyes.
[ System Hint: To recharge your vehicle's Mana Fuel, turn off the vehicle first, then press the horn button. ]
"Wait… seriously? Shut down the scooter and honk?"
He just went with it. Engine off—Click!—and the moment his thumb pressed the horn, a tiny panel popped up on the scooter's dashboard.
[ Mana Fuel Refill Mode Activated ]
[ Please insert Mana Core into the charging slot. ]
Chen Le quickly opened the heavy reward pouch. The glowing red stones inside almost burned his hand. "Alright, let's just try one…"
Click!
The instant one Mana Core slid into the slot, the scooter gave a light tremor, and the panel flickered.
[ Mana Fuel +50% ]
[ Total Mana Fuel: 70% ]
"WHOA—THIS IS SICK!!!" Chen Le burst out laughing, nearly dropping his helmet again. "This is just like pumping premium gas at a station—except the OP version!"
Chen Le was still grinning like a kid who had just discovered a cheat code. "Heheh, one more time—this should max it out!"
He pulled another Mana Core from the pouch. The red stone pulsed faintly, its heat making his palm tremble. "Alright scooter, here's a level two bonus meal!"
Click...
The core slid into the slot. But this time, it didn't vanish immediately. Its surface vibrated, slowly shrinking as though something was hollowing it out from the inside. The red glow dimmed, leaving only a third of its original size.
[ Mana Fuel +30% ]
[ Tank full. ]
[ Remaining energy refunded. Please retrieve the Mana Core. ]
Chen Le's eyes widened at the panel now showing a full blue bar.
[ Mana Fuel: 100% ]
"WOOO! Full tank, baby!" He nearly prostrated himself on the scooter. "Crazy… it tops off exactly to capacity and spits the rest back out. Doesn't waste a drop. Eco-friendly as hell."
The tiny core was ejected, cool to the touch, a faint light still pulsing. Chen Le quickly snatched it and shoved it into his wage pouch. "Change returned, just like loose coins. Genius tech!"
He smirked, his helmet sliding crooked. "Most eco-friendly rideshare scooter in the whole damn fantasy world, bro."
Lia had been quietly watching from the side. The way Chen Le hopped around in joy just because his fuel bar was full… his face lit up like a child with a brand-new toy.
She sighed inwardly. Truly… like a little kid. And compared to my age, he really is a child.
Her gaze dimmed slightly, caught somewhere between amusement and pity. Even his mount looked like a toy to him. No wonder he was so cheerful.
Chen Le finally stopped laughing, parking his scooter at the side. Helmet still on, his chin rested lazily on the handlebars. "Haaah… kinda boring when nothing's happening," he muttered.
Meanwhile, Lia stayed composed. She dug into her pocket, pulling out a few small Mana Cores and feeding them to her white horse one by one. The beast neighed softly, a faint blue glow trickling from its mouth with each swallow.
Chen Le glanced over and nearly bugged his eyes out. Her horse eats glowing rocks like snacks?! This world has officially broken my sense of logic…
Suddenly—
[ System Notification ]
[ Customer Review: Demon King Crocolandoda ]
[ ★★★★★ ]
[ Review: "Fast delivery, food complete, no bite marks, very satisfying." ]
[ Bonus: +5 Karma Points ]
Chen Le almost toppled off his scooter. "WHA—?! No way! That giant croc Demon King actually left me a five-star review?! This system really works like a food-delivery app?!"
The panel blinked again.
[ Karma Points +5 ]
[ Total Karma Points: 55 ]
Chen Le burst out laughing, his expression caught between shock and pure joy. "HAHAHA! Who else in the world can say they got five stars from a Demon King?! I must be the first legendary delivery rider—ahahaha!"
Chen Le was still laughing to himself until he suddenly noticed—Lia was staring at him. Her flat gaze felt like it peeled apart every silly antic he'd just made.
He quickly cleared his throat. "Ahem…" Straightening his back, he tapped his helmet like he was cool. "Professional, bro… gotta stay professional…"
Inside, though, he was grumbling. Damn it. This feels way more fun than being a delivery rider back in the real world. I'm acting like some kid who just got a new toy… when I should be a tough, dependable rider, bro…
Before he could spiral deeper into his thoughts, the system chimed again.
[ Ding! New Order Received ]
[ Package: Premium Slime]
[ Destination: Goblinian City ]
[ Distance Estimate: 10 km (Danger Route) ]
A blue panel popped up right in front of Chen Le's face—but strangely, only he could see it. Lia kept patting her horse, completely unaware of any notification.
At the bottom corner of the panel, two massive buttons flashed clearly.
[ ACCEPT ] [ DECLINE ]
Chen Le blinked. "Huh…? There's a decline option now?!"
Instinctively, he glanced at Lia—but the girl gave no reaction at all, like she hadn't noticed a new order at all.
Chen Le swallowed hard. So this one isn't a Co-Op job… it's just for me.
The words for the package flickered once again.
[ Delivery: Premium Slime → Goblinian City ]
Chen Le rubbed his chin slowly. "Premium Slime? What the hell does that even mean? Don't tell me it's like an energy drink—but in sticky blob form?"