Star Forge Titan

Diana, who was not a talkative person to begin with, suddenly became talkative tonight, as if these words had been hidden in her heart for a long time.

Hearing the girl's words, Alvin leaned against the Beetle and smiled slightly.

Of course, he knew that Diana was not an irresponsible person, otherwise she would not have become the backbone of resisting the skeleton craze in the plot. Therefore, he would not misunderstand the girl's confusing words and think that she wanted to withdraw from the competition because the orphanage no longer lacked funds.

"Can I understand that you are a little confused at the moment?" Ivan asked calmly:

"Confused? Maybe. I'm just a little unsure about how I should approach racing from now on." Diana said with a bewildered look on her face.

The short-haired girl was certainly not someone without a sense of responsibility, but the sudden disappearance of the source of motivation that had driven her to participate in underground racing and even the Youth Magic Car Competition still made her feel uncomfortable and confused.

"Well, how do you feel when you're driving?" Ivan picked up a piece of metal plate and bent it into a U shape. He asked casually:

"How was my mood in the cockpit?" Diana fell into deep thought.

After a long time, she took a deep breath and slowly uttered a word.

"free."

"When the vehicle's speed reaches a certain level, I feel freer than ever before, as if all the worries and difficulties have been left behind. What I see before me is the road ahead, the light, the future, and..." The short-haired girl's originally confused eyes gradually became bright again.

"hope!"

Let go of the burdens of life and don't worry about the pressure that once loomed.

At this moment, Diana's faith not only did not become dull, but became even purer as she gained new enlightenment.

Recalling the most profound feeling when driving the car on the track, it seemed that she was no longer an abandoned, fatherless and motherless orphan. The steering wheel in her hand could change even the most illusory destiny!

And the changing fate will bring what the downtown area lacks the most...

That is - hope!

No, not just himself. When the shabby assembled racing car named 'Hope' surpassed its expensive competitors one after another and snatched the crown of victory from them time and time again, almost everyone in the downtown area seemed to have touched the unreachable light and future.

That's why they named their vehicle "Hope".

This name does not come from me, but from all those who live in the downtown area but still have hope!

"Ivan." Diana suddenly read out the black-haired boy's name.

"What's wrong?" Alvin stared at the girl's face which was gradually becoming more and more energetic with an understanding look.

Although she was tall and slender, at this moment there was an almost heroic expression on her handsome and pretty face.

"I want to win." Diana said this with absolute certainty.

The tone was firm, as if stating a future that would inevitably become a reality.

"If an ordinary girl from an orphanage can achieve first place, then others can definitely change their fate with a little effort."

"It's not for the prize money. I want others to see that even if you're dealt a particularly bad hand like being born in the Lower Town, you can still become a 'winner'."

"I..." Diana's voice was inexplicably choked, but she continued with red eyes and gritted teeth:

“I want to bring hope to everyone!”

"But this is not something that can be done by one person, so..." The short-haired girl stared into Ivan's eyes, her bright red pupils seemed to be burning with flames.

"help me."

Ivan flattened the U-shaped metal piece, and his originally smiling face gradually showed a kind of almost arrogant confidence.

Then he gave a very Diana-esque, simple answer.

"it is good."

Chapter 127 Qualifying Round 4

"Oh my God!"

Looking at the completely disassembled rental magic car, the gray-haired old Patton exclaimed in amazement.

Replacing the engine before was still within his understanding, but now that Alvin was opening the hood, sparks flew from the metal cover shrouded in dark golden magic, and a gap was cut through the inside and outside.

"You...what are you doing? Look what you have done to my baby!?!" Old Patton jumped up excitedly, but was pushed back into his seat by Diana.

"Oh, just some minor modifications necessary to win the qualifying round." Ivan used his index finger and thumb to indicate a small distance and explained very casually:

At present, the appearance of the entire rental magic car has not changed much. From the appearance alone, only the color of the wheels and the front hood have changed visible to the naked eye.

Through the closed hood, you can see a trapezoidal convex metal device shaped like four cylinders side by side.

This device of unknown purpose is exposed to the air through the opening in the center of the cover. At first glance, it even looks like some kind of fierce weapon, but it is actually a supercharging device used to further enhance the engine power.

Although the shockwave magic engine is different from the internal combustion engine, the magic shockwave also requires air as a medium to transmit thrust, and the structural similarities between the two also mean that some devices that can be used to enhance the operating efficiency of the internal combustion engine are also effective for the shockwave magic engine.

Hence the transformation plan that Alvin just completed.

"Ah, this." After hearing the explanation, old Patton sat in the chair for a long time without saying a word.

His understanding of magical engineering is actually much deeper than Diana's, so he can fully understand that this design, which seems to make people feel that the other party is mentally abnormal, is actually very feasible and advanced.

But no matter how you think about it, in the eyes of Old Barton, who has lived in the world of Palladia for nearly sixty years and has personally experienced the entire era of the rise of magical engineering, using uncontrolled magic explosions as the main driving force and even using various methods to increase the power of the explosion is still too dangerous!

"I still think that using a modified car like this to compete is too..." Before old Patton finished speaking, Diana interrupted him with a sigh.

"Actually, we don't have time anymore." The short-haired girl said directly:

"What do you mean?" Old Patton frowned, vaguely sensing something.

"It's simple. The qualifying round has been moved up, and this is also our last chance to get a ticket to the Magic Tournament." Ivan added:

“…” The old driver fell silent. His eyes were a little vague and a little nostalgic, as if he was recalling his past.

Finally, old Patton sighed.

"Then go ahead."

The old man turned around and looked at Diana and said slowly in a loving tone:

"Decide your own way, Little Moon."

This nickname, which also had a sense of 'coming from heaven', made Diana blush slightly, and then she nodded very solemnly.

"I will win." The short-haired girl continued calmly in a declarative tone, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, which was quite rare.

"Because I am the witch of Salt."

After completing the vehicle modification, Ivan's work was over, so he left Diana and old Patton to familiarize themselves with the modified new car, while he went inside the workshop.

"Do you trust that little girl's driving skills so much?" Ka Yang's unique sweet voice came from the dark corner.

"Maybe." Ivan shrugged.

"At least I'm confident enough in what I used on that car."

"You are really confident. But then again, are you sure you are only interested in her skills?" Khayang's voice rose subtly, as if he was expecting something.

"Hey, you turned on the recording." Alvin suddenly said for no reason.

"Ahaha, who knows?" Ka Yang laughed.

The spell that can record sound is not difficult, and it is even easier for a wizard like Khayang who has already stepped into the advanced level.

Although the lights were not on, Alvin still rolled his eyes in the direction of the sound. He didn't believe a word of this coming from the mouth of the skilled worker in front of him.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter if you want to tell Fleur about it. After all, I just see the shadow of someone I know in Diana."

The slightly melancholy voice echoed in the room. Feeling the meaning behind it, the mocking smile on Khayang's face slowly faded.

Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, Alvin walked towards the room on his own.

The next day, the final qualifying race at the Salt Park Circuit officially began.

The noisy stadium was packed with spectators, accompanied by strangely shaped magic cars that entered the stadium one by one. Each of them shouted out the name of the player they supported, so much so that the young host who served as the emcee of the game had to use magic equipment to amplify his voice.

A hollow iron ring is fixed above the long microphone-shaped sound amplification device. Magical fluctuations are transmitted back and forth in the ring like rippling water waves, amplifying the host's voice to a level that can be heard by the entire audience.

"The next vehicle to appear is from the famous Wright Brothers Workshop!" The host's voice became particularly excited because this was the most famous contestant in this qualifying round.

"It's well known that this is a very creative workshop. The high-speed magic cars they produce are popular among many young people, although older people often complain that their products are disturbing."

"Their vehicle this time is so unique that it took them longer to develop than other companies, which is why they only competed in the final qualifying round!"

"Oh, look at those spinning blades, look at those broad wooden wings, it's like a griffin strolling across the field! It will tear through all obstacles with its talons, and surpass all opponents with its broad wings! Other contestants must be extra careful and don't stand in front of this monster~" the host said humorously:

In fact, he didn't need to say much. The exaggerated shape of the entry vehicles had already attracted people's attention, and the contestants all showed solemn expressions.

The huge magic car with two wide wings and an overall triangular structure directly occupied one-third of the track. It looked like an eagle or a lion striding on the earth, or a combination of the two, a ferocious and arrogant griffin!

The rapidly rotating rotor in front of the vehicle made a whistling sound, which even drowned out the shouts of the audience at one point, and above it stood two figures, one tall and one short.

Seeing that everyone's attention was drawn to him, the shorter figure climbed onto the wing and shouted like a madman:

“The dream of mankind is to fly. Let’s fly towards our dreams together!”

The hoarse voice was sharp and piercing, but the man kept shouting "Dream dream dream dream" tirelessly, which was simply annoying.

“Fly towards your dreams!!!”

"Oh, it seems our contestants are also very excited." The host continued with a forced smile.

"However, we still have one last car that needs to enter. Wait, what did I see?!" Suddenly, his voice became strange, as if he was trying hard to hold back a burst of laughter.

"The last participating vehicle was actually a..."

“A taxi!!!”

Chapter 128 Qualifying Round 5

"Oh, let me see what the code number of this car is on the registration form?"

The host said in a very exaggerated tone:

"Beetle? Oh, her name is Beetle. It's really a name as unremarkable as her appearance." The guy laughed and said loudly:

"Let's welcome the last contestant - Little Beetle!"

The teasing remarks and casual nicknames caused a burst of laughter.

As we all know, due to technical limitations and safety considerations, although magic cars have begun to be put into the traditional passenger transport industry, they are still subject to many restrictions on driving speed.

This leads to the impression among most Linde people that the rental magic car is a vehicle that travels relatively slowly but is stable enough.

Sometimes, even horse-drawn carriages were faster than the former. Many Linde nobles in Lutetia still chose traditional luxury carriages to demonstrate their status and position when traveling. Furthermore, rental carriages also relied on their low prices and low costs to occupy most of the low-end market.

Although this phenomenon will inevitably change in the future, at this stage, most of those who choose to take the Magic Department's taxis are young nobles or middle-class people with a certain amount of savings.

Even they thought it was a new mode of transportation that was slower but cleaner and smoother than a horse-drawn carriage.

So, when the host shouted out that the last participating vehicle was a magic taxi, all the audience were stunned for a second.

Then, laughter burst out like Coca-Cola that had been shaken vigorously and then the cap was opened, instantly enveloping the entire stadium.

"It's really funny that taxis are also participating in the competition, hahahaha."

"Maybe he should try the chariot race. He might even come in second to last if there's an old, lean, lame nag in the team."

In addition to laughter, various sharp sarcasms also came from the audience.

However, the two people in the car turned a deaf ear to it.

"The engine is running fine, and the new unit works very well with the original engine."

Ivan raised his hand and pressed the joystick connected to the inside of the magic engine, carefully sensing the continuous and rhythmic vibration coming from the six-stroke shockwave magic engine, which indicated that this new magic engine was in excellent working condition.

"Didn't they say that new engines don't need to be adjusted all the time? So, are you here to act as ballast?" Diana raised her eyebrows, and there was a hint of sarcasm in her words.

She was obviously a little nervous last night, but the moment she took the steering wheel, she became calm and at ease, even more relaxed than usual.

"Just in case," Ivan replied while monitoring the engine operation.

"If we really encounter an unexpectedly strong enemy, I can directly inject 500 units of chaos magic into the car if I'm in it. By then, it's likely we'll either win or the car will explode." The black-haired boy began to talk nonsense seriously.

This is of course a joke.

Even if a large amount of Mithril was used in its manufacture, if he directly stuffed 500 units of Chaos Mana into this magical engine that was built entirely by hand (not even a screwdriver or wrench was used), it would be equivalent to 'inputting 2880' or 'pressing the self-destruct button'.

The two of them, operating at minimum power and completely oblivious to the outside world's mockery, chatted while slowly arriving at their parking space in the magic taxi.

Today's Salt Park track is completely different from the usual underground racing track.

A construction team with the participation of mages built a high temporary stand, and the width of the track was widened again, enough to accommodate six medium-sized magic cars running side by side.