"Congratulations, Miss Chloe Qin. The AI Core transplant was a complete success. You are now a driver standing at the pinnacle of Smart Machinery AI Technology!"
Chloe Qin stared up at the overhead light, her mind still a little foggy. Three Mecha Girls stood around her, and the sharp scent of disinfectant hung in the air.
Compared to her previous modifications, this free procedure hadn't hurt much at all. It felt more like simply swapping out a core.
"What time is it?" Her lips moved weakly, dry from the anesthesia.
"11:30 p.m.," one of the Mecha Girls replied.
"Four hours already…" Chloe Qin frowned, her head buzzing. She clearly remembered the surgery shouldn't have taken that long. Even her last core upgrade had been faster.
"Why did it take so long?"
"Didn't you say it would be done in about an hour?"
"Ah… well…" The functional Mecha Girl smoothly delivered her prepared explanation. "We knew you were scheduled to compete on the provincial-level Panlong Mountain Circuit, so we arranged the latest 2nd-generation Module for you. It took some time to transport it here. To ensure a smooth transplant, we extended the anesthesia period. Don't worry. Our anesthesia has virtually no side effects. It's just like you slept a little longer."
"Generation 2 modules? That doesn't sound as strong as the first generation…" Chloe Qin's expression turned doubtful.
"How could that be?!" the functional Mecha Girl said, clearly surprised. "Do you know who provided the foundational technical logic for the Generation 2 AI mechanical core?"
"Who?"
"It was The Magician. The Magician known as the King of Knox!"
Chloe Qin froze.
She had just seen Derek Su at the entrance of the exhibition hall earlier. Could it really be him providing the technology?
Is there really a driver that foolish? Publicly exposing their most valuable technology? Isn't that just sabotaging themselves?
A string of questions flooded her mind.
The functional Mecha Girl continued, "If you don't believe me, we can activate the mechanical core right now so you can experience it yourself. You can even take your mecha to the second-floor runway for a test."
"Activate it. Hurry up and activate it. I want to try it!"
Her previous experience with the mechanical core and mechanical arms had been quite pleasant.
Aside from occasionally suppressing her temper, she had no complaints. The mechanical core's computing power was incredibly strong, almost like having an artificial intelligence inside her.
During regular training, it could calculate the optimal braking points and corner entry lines for her.
Back then, she had wondered. Wouldn't it be even better if the mechanical core could actually perform those actions for her?
Just calculating wasn't enough. Sometimes her mind couldn't keep up, and her hands couldn't execute in time, leaving her frustrated.
Seeing she had completely bought it, the functional Mecha Girl secretly rejoiced and quickly activated the core.
Chloe Qin felt a brief, needle-like prick along her spine. It faded almost instantly.
She had expected her mind to suddenly be filled with Derek Su's driving skills.
But nothing happened.
Everything felt exactly the same as before, as if the surgery had never even taken place.
"What's going on? Where's the technology you transplanted?"
Faced with Chloe Qin's questioning, the functional Mecha Girl remained perfectly calm.
"We cannot directly implant memories or experience into your brain to form reflexes like The Magician's. Perhaps that will be possible in the future, but for now, such technology is still far beyond both us and you. So instead, we've integrated everything into the AI mechanical core. During races, it will assist you and correct any incorrect commands."
"I see…" Chloe Qin gradually relaxed.
It made sense. The human brain was far too complex. If Mecha Island could implant memories so easily, they could just as easily alter them.
At that point, humanity might as well give up and let Mecha Island rule the world.
Storing commands within the AI mechanical core was far more reasonable under the circumstances.
To test the effectiveness of the upgrade, Chloe Qin immediately suggested running a few laps on the second-level training ground.
The functional Mecha Girl had no objections.
...
Second-level training ground.
Viper waited nervously at the starting line.
Last time, after Chloe Qin's modification, she had turned into a giant octopus. What would happen this time?
Surely she wouldn't become something even more bizarre, like a humanoid cockroach?
Looking at the Mecha Girls on the training ground with their drivers, Viper's eyes were filled with envy. BSC had plenty of resources, but surely no one would want their master turned into a cyborg, especially one with eight tentacles.
After a long, agonizing wait.
Chloe Qin finally arrived, accompanied by the functional Mecha Girl.
Seeing that Chloe Qin looked the same as before, Viper let out a sigh of relief.
An eight-legged octopus was manageable. She had at least gotten somewhat used to it.
"Viper, deploy. I want to test the new AI core." Chloe Qin was in high spirits.
Though she still looked a bit worn out, there was a clear smile on her face.
Viper didn't hesitate. She deployed, and Chloe Qin climbed into the cockpit as usual.
A blue glow flickered rapidly along her spine. The AI mechanical core detected her entry and activated fully.
Once Chloe Qin was ready, the functional Mecha Girl stepped aside.
At the same time, she subtly gestured toward the stands.
Torch stood quietly in the corner of the training ground, watching, and gave a faint nod.
The test subject was in place. The test began.
Bang!
The starting gun fired.
With a thunderous roar, Viper launched forward like a wild horse breaking free of its reins.
The starting line was left with nothing but black tire marks and thick smoke. In the blink of an eye, only Viper's taillights could be seen.
A flawless launch control.
From the timing of releasing the handbrake to the precise management of engine RPM and tire grip, everything was executed perfectly.
The surrounding drivers and Mecha Girls were stunned.
They had seen Derek Su perform a perfect launch before, but they never expected Chloe Qin to replicate something like this.
Inside the cockpit, Chloe Qin's face flushed with excitement.
"That's it!"
This was the intelligent correction she had been longing for.
During the launch, she had mistimed her input and issued the command too early.
But the AI mechanical core intercepted it instantly, calculated the perfect timing in a fraction of a second, and sent the correct command to Viper.
That was how Viper achieved a perfect launch.
After that, Chloe Qin put Viper through a full series of tests. Cornering, steel bridge jumps, and tunnel Wall-Riding Overtakes.
Perfect drifts, flawless jumps, and dazzling Wall-Riding Overtakes. She executed them all with ease.
There was no lag at all. In fact, Chloe Qin felt like she didn't even need to drive anymore. She could just leave everything to the AI mechanical core.
When Viper finally came to a stop at the finish line.
Chloe Qin was still immersed in the thrill.
So this is what it feels like to be a top-tier driver?
No wonder she couldn't beat Derek Su before.
In terms of track judgment and technical skill, she had been far behind him. But now, those gaps had been filled by a tiny AI mechanical core.
Derek Su was no longer invincible.
Under the floodlights, she gazed at the empty training ground. In that glow, she seemed to see a future where she had already crushed Derek Su beneath her feet, her own limbs restored.
"Derek Su… Purple Lightning…"
Chloe Qin's eyes burned with malice.
"Just you wait!!"
...
"Achoo!"
Derek Su sneezed.
"Who's talking about me?"
A cold wind swept past, making his shoulders shiver. It felt as though something was watching him.
In front of him stood the haunted house from earlier. The moment he left the exhibition hall, Stella had dragged him here. It was late now, and the area was deserted. Through the pitch-black windows, ghostly shadows flickered faintly. Ancient vines, gnarled trees, and crows at dusk set the scene. A hemp rope stained with "blood" swayed from a branch in the wind, and from time to time, eerie howls echoed from the pale building.
Whoa!
Derek Susucked in a sharp breath.
I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead!!!
"Whoa~ Master, you're not scared, are you?"
Stella tilted her head, looking at Derek Su's pale face. Her large eyes narrowed slightly, and a teasing smile curled on her lips.
"Scared? Of course not!"
Derek Su cautiously glanced at the 'nurse' wandering outside the haunted house. His scalp tingled, but his pride as a Master forced him to hold firm.
"It's just a haunted house."
"Let's go. I want to see how scary it really is!"
...
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