After drinking the gas and chatting with the guys for a few more minutes, I decided to take a walk to clear my head and think about my problem.
Mater even wanted to come with me, but I don't think I'd be able to concentrate on my thoughts with him talking constantly, so I asked him to wait for me in town, even though he was a bit sad about it.
It was now late afternoon, so the sun was setting, making me turn on my headlights for the first time.
The sensation of this was funny, it was a mixture of a physical sensation, like my chest muscles contracting, but mixed with an electronic sensation, as if I had mentally commanded a program.
Before leaving Flo's, I had to pay the bill, and my surprise was that the 'Wallet' of the cars is like a chip inside the headlight, something that I could control mentally to transfer to her account, but that I didn't remember installing anything like that in my original Skyline.
The only explanation I can think of is that the System itself modified my beacon after I received the [1★ - U$1,000], giving me the way to spend that money compatible with this world.
Thinking about the other rewards I'd received from Gacha, I thought about how to use it to fulfill my goal in the city.
1★ CARDS
[1★ - Lucky Stone (Pokémon):
A small shiny amulet that gives the wearer Luck].
[1★ - U$1.000:
Money equivalent to U$1,000 that can be converted to any currency anywhere in the world in any world].
[1★ - Jar of Spinach (Popeye):
Gives absurd strength for 10 seconds].
[1★ - GPS (Waze):
A GPS updated in real time of the user's current location regardless of internet or satellite signal].
Looking at the 1-star cards, I tried to pick this up, wanting to see what it would be like.
To my surprise, as soon as I imagined myself picking up the stone, I felt something pop up on my rear bumper.
Thinking of an idea, I engaged reverse and on my dashboard appeared the image of the reversing camera I had installed in the Skyline last year!
"Blimey, I'm glad I did that, without it it would be impossible to look at anything behind me..." I laughed.
Among the other one-star cards, the money one I was already using, the spinach one I didn't see the point of for the moment and put it away, the GPS one I activated, causing a GPS with the aesthetics of Waze to appear on my dashboard, perfectly updated to my current location, and the last skill...
I thought this skill would be useless in any world I went to, after all, what could a Drift skill do to prevent bad-endings in other worlds, but in this world... this skill could be a powerful key factor!
With Takumi's Drift skill, I would already feel confident enough to control a car to make almost any curve by sliding, imagine now that my body has become a car?!
To put this into practice I decided to put it to the test now!
Accelerating harder on the straight, when I reached the corner I noticed that the difference in my driving skills today and before I came to this world is glaring.
In the other world I wasn't a bad driver, adding my experience of mechanics to customize my cars and my driving skills, it was quite common for me to get a podium when I took part in racing competitions for amateurs.
Now? With Takumi's skills I could instinctively feel the curve and understand the most efficient way to make that turn at high speed without losing so much momentum!
For this world, that skill was incredible!
But that skill alone might not be enough to get the city back on the map.
Even if I opened a Drift school, or became a famous Drift driver, this isn't Japan, I'm in America, and as interesting as Drift is to Americans, it's nowhere near the Piston Cup races.
So I looked at the other cards.
---
2★★ CARDS
[2★★ - Instinctive Drift Skill (Takumi - Initial D):
Intermediate/advanced Drift skill].
[2★★ - Mask of Courage (Courage - The Cowardly Dog):
A hideous mask that frightens the target for a few seconds].
3★★★ CARDS
[3★★★ - Skill: Bullet Time (Michael de Santa - GTA 5):
A weak version of Bullet Time, but still useful, being able to speed up the user's perception of time for 10 seconds].
[3★★★ - Speed Charm (Haste - Final Fantasy):
Doubles speed for a few seconds].
4★★★★ CARDS
[4★★★★ - Magic Core:
Unlocks the user's Magic Core, allowing the body to generate Mana].
---
The 2-star card was practically useless for my purpose, while Bullet Time, Haste and the Magic Core could be useful if I were to take part in a competition.
But would that be enough for me to take part in a competition against the most talented riders in the country?
On reflection, probably yes, but would it be worth it to start training as a trainee in the lower divisions, look for a sponsor to invest in me, win his trust to move up to the main team, and only then become popular enough to prevent the city's tragedy from being forgotten?
By the time I finally made my debut in the Piston Cup and became famous enough to help the city, everyone would have gone bankrupt.
So I looked at the last card I had.
5★★★★★ CARDS
[5★★★★★ - AllSpark Seed (Transformers):
An incomplete protophysic capable of absorbing energy and growing over time. If developed, it can evolve into a Full AllSpark, capable of giving life to machines and even creating new Cybertronians].
'So far, this is my most precious possession, and one with the greatest potential of anything I've ever gotten... probably even of everything I had in the other world too.' I thought excitedly as I looked at the letter.
But I was afraid to take this seed, after all, where would I leave it?
Would I have to hold it with my Tire all the time? That was completely unfeasible.
Sure, I could keep it inside me? Or in the trunk, but how would I get it in there in the first place?
I could try to pick it up and hope it stuck somewhere on me, like the lucky stone, but what if it didn't?
Sighing, I remembered that I had won a Roll chance, and considering that I had Pokemon's Lucky Stone, I tried my best to mentally ask for something that could help me with this problem.
'System, do my free Roll. I said mentally.
[Doing the Free Roll...]
[Congratulations, you've received a ★★ Reward!]
Seeing that it was only a 2-star reward, I was a little disappointed, but I kept reading, still hoping that it might be something useful.
[2★ - Bender's Repairer Arms (Futurama):
These retractable arms appear as a simple version of Bender's multifunctionality: they serve to hold, rotate and adjust parts with basic efficiency...]
"That's it! That's exactly what I need!" I said excitedly as I let my engine rumble loudly in excitement.
Activating the card to pick it up, I felt a metallic hum echoing from underneath my chassis. Then two chrome arms suddenly extended, ending in simple three-fingered claws that tinkled as they closed.
Looking at it more closely, I realized that these arms looked a lot like Dr Octopus' claws from the Spider Man movie, but fortunately unlike his claws, this was completely under my control.
The feeling of having arms again was amazing, hell, having wheels was nice and all, but I was gradually feeling like a quadruped animal rather than the animal with opposable thumbs that I was.
Being able to pick things up again was great.
"Thank you very much lucky charm!" I said excitedly as I wiggled my butt from side to side to make the lucky stone wobble.
With these two arms, I felt free enough to do the research, renovations, and even customizations on other cars that I was used to.
Without thinking twice, the next thing I did was summon the AllSpark Seed.