Chapter 21: The Clingy Guy
"What kind of game is this?"
Top Chat: Guess he didn’t know after all
Top Chat: Battle Race Champ is a pretty simple racing game
Top Chat: Even if your car hits walls or other cars, there’s no destruction or damage
Top Chat: There also aren’t many items or gimmicks
Top Chat: I guess the main feature is the acceleration items you get every lap
Top Chat: …Though you see that in other games too, lol
"So it’s straightforward, huh."
Top Chat: That makes skill differences show more easily
Top Chat: It’s not the kind of game you can win just by flooring the gas pedal
Top Chat: So at first, just try copying Beard Guy’s moves
Top Chat: …If Beard turns out to be bad, that’ll be hilarious, though, lol
"Got it."
"Yellow-Green Girl, let’s confirm. First to two wins, free vehicle selection, random course — correct?"
"Mm."
I picked the same car model as Beard Guy, one of the heavier ones. He went with red, and I chose green.
The randomly selected course turned out to be one modeled after a massive highway cutting through a huge city. Its name? 『Ultra Metropolitan Expressway Maximum』.
"Highway course, but it’s got these twisty roads and sharp turns."
Top Chat: Well, it’s only highway-themed, you know
Top Chat: If there were normal civilian cars running around, that’d be different
『Ready… Go!』
The giant signal sign on the screen flashed, and at the cue, the race began. Eight cars took off at once.
"Haah-haah! Behold the dazzling driving technique of yours truly! Try not to fall for me!"
Top Chat: Beard snatched the lead at the very first crank turn
Top Chat: Didn’t expect Beard to pull that off
Top Chat: Beard, you’re actually kinda good, huh
"Hear that?"
"So I’m just an accessory to Beard now!?"
Top Chat: lol
Top Chat: Growing a beard over here, man
Top Chat: Oh, Elf-san’s pulling out of the pack of AI cars
Top Chat: Still trailing Beard, but not by much
Top Chat: What, like a two-second gap?
"Yellow-Green Girl, not bad for a so-called beginner. But let’s see if you can handle this double hairpin turn!"
Top Chat: Smooth
Top Chat: Took the outer-in, hugging the inside perfectly
Top Chat: Guess he talks big for a reason
Top Chat: Elf-san’s coming up too
Top Chat: There she goes!
"Here we go!"
Braking down hard at roughly 5.7 seconds. From about 1.20 meters off the outer wall and 38 degrees from the apex, I hit the brakes while rotating the wheel three full turns and one-eighth.
Top Chat: Hm?
Top Chat: Hmmm??
Top Chat: ……
Top Chat: Um, Elf-san, may I ask you something real quick?
"What is it?"
Exiting the turn, I flicked the wheel left, right, left again near the outer wall. Did that even do anything? Guess I’ll try skipping it next time.
Top Chat: Wait… are you just copying Beard’s driving?
Top Chat: The time gap hasn’t shifted by even 0.01 seconds…
Top Chat: …What the hell are we even watching here?
"You told me to trace him, didn’t you?"
Top Chat: We didn’t mean “perfectly copy him,” though
Top Chat: …Not like we could even if we tried
"Heh… Yellow-Green Girl, not bad at all. Didn’t think you’d stick this close to me! …No, seriously, I’m impressed. You done this before?"
"First time playing."
Top Chat: Lmao, Beard looking less majestic by the second
Top Chat: “Keeping up” is underselling it at this point
Top Chat: Come on, Elf-san, finish him off!
"You got it!"
I shaved off every bit of wasted movement from Beard’s line and picked up speed.
From a two-second gap, I cut it down to one by lap three. By lap four, I’d be in position to overtake him.
"Alright… and here we go!"
"…Tch!"
Top Chat: Beard clipped the corner!
Top Chat: And now the gap’s practically gone
Top Chat: You could see him start panicking after the start of lap three
"…Yellow-Green Girl."
"What is it? Also, for the record, I’m a guy."
"As a reward for giving me this much trouble, I’ll show you something real good!"
Top Chat: She’s just gonna copy it anyway
Top Chat: Beard’s about to become toner dust
Top Chat: Huh?
Top Chat: Wait, what?
Top Chat: Beard’s not slowing down before the corner?
Top Chat: If Elf-san follows the same line, won’t she get taken out with him?
Top Chat: Nah, that’d be underestimating Elf-san too much
Top Chat: Exactly
Top Chat: Ah, yep, Elf-san’s already starting to decelerate
The location: a corner — the sharpest turn on this entire course. Up ahead, Beard Guy’s car… and just in front of him, a lapped AI car blocking the way.
"Let’s go! Trace this if you can!"
Top Chat: Accelerating!?
Top Chat: He used all his boosts!
Top Chat: But how’s he gonna make that turn—
Top Chat: He rammed it!?
Top Chat: He rammed the damn thing!
Top Chat: Beard actually hit it!
Beard Guy’s car shot forward, slamming into the AI car that had slowed for the corner. Using the rebound, he whipped around the curve at high speed, clearing it perfectly.
Top Chat: Ehhhhh!?
Top Chat: Is that even allowed!?
Top Chat: The poor AI car just went flying off the track
Top Chat: Ah, okay, yeah… that move can’t be traced
"How about that?! This is who I am!"
"Mm. Got it."
The second curve of the back-to-back turns. I dumped all my acceleration boosts and dove in.
Target: Beard Guy’s car.
"Whaaaaat!?"
Top Chat: She launched Beard straight off!
Top Chat: Whoa… Elf-san took the corner cleanly
Top Chat: Damn, she nailed it perfectly
Top Chat: So she doesn’t even need to copy the same line to pull it off, huh, lol
"Victory."
Top Chat: Kinda feel bad for Beard now
Top Chat: Tough luck, Beard
Top Chat: It’s okay to cry, Clingy Beard Guy
"I… I’m not just Beard’s accessory…"
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