" Incoming voice chat from The Reaper" Nova alerted just as Recoil avoided an oily lane.
" Now's not a good time Nov!" Recoil rushed. " Recoil he insists" Nova said. " Fine plug him through" he said as soon as he could breathe easy again.
" Hello… Retort…" he began. " Recoil!" Recoil corrected, his voice even while he winced inwardly at the mistake of his name. " What?" " The name's Recoil" he clarified.
" Whatever you know me but I don't know you, anyway it doesn't matter the point is that you know who you're playing with now I will need you to slow down now while I'm still asking nicely" Reaper threatened, his tone icy.
Recoil gave a little chuckle. " Was that supposed to scare me?" " A little tremble would have been nice" Reaper conceded.
" I'm gonna be first in this race and nothin is gonna stop me" Recoil declared. " How naive" Reaper drawled. " But this race already has a winner as for the fact that nothing's gonna stop you… I'm not sure about that"
Reaper's car swooped in, its sleek body gliding effortlessly across the asphalt. A small, cylindrical device detached from the car's underside, hurtling towards Recoil's vehicle with deadly precision. The device magnetically attached itself to Recoil's car, its sensors springing to life as it began to track the vehicle's movement. A countdown timer started, flashing bright red numbers on the device's surface: 10... 9... 8...
" Slow down man!!" Tyrion yelled over the line. " Speed bomb detected" Nova warned. One of the dangers in Reaper's arsenal were magnetic bombs that his car could unleash at a moment notice.
Having all the power of a hundred tons of TNT these bombs detected speed and were set to detonate at above fifty miles.
…4… 3… 2… 1… 0…
The Reaper car gave a smile of triumph when he saw Recoil's car explode. " I am the only winner in this quest" he declared…
Recoil took several breaths to calm himself down while he waited for the others to get to the checkpoint.
" That was a close call" Nova said. Recoil gave a silent nod in agreement. " Whoa Recoil… you're really alive man!" Tyrion breathed and enveloped him in a crushing bear hug.
" Calm down mate, you're crushing him with your cybernetic left arm." Vapor said.
Having tried to slow down to no success Recoil had been left with three seconds and only one thing left to do. He had closed his eyes and used quantum leap a second to when the bomb was to detonate and landed in an untidy heap at a check point a few yards away from the car.
" How are you feeling" Smoke asked. " Good although the little stunt shaved a couple points off my HP" Recoil replied. " You can still get back into this, I get that your ride's gone but you can take mine" Smoke offered.
" Really? Thanks man" Recoil replied and collected a miniature toy sized Ferrari. " I checked out your friend's ride stats and this should catch up mate" Vapor said.
Recoil dropped the toy to the ground and gave it a wide berth before tapping a button on the car key. He and the others watched as the toy car morphed and enlarged to it's full size.
*** Ferrari SF90 Stradale ***
Tier:_ 2 (Semi-pro)
Rarity:_ Common
Class:_ Supercar
Speed:_ 247mph (395km/h)
Acceleration:_ 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds
Handling:_ 70 (V. Good)
Braking:_ 80 (Excellent)
Level:_ 8
Upgrade Points:_ 5
Engine:_ 6.5L V8 Hybrid (1200 HP)
Transmission:_ 8-Speed
Automated ManualSuspension:_ Bilstein Coilovers with adjustable damping
Brakes:_ Carbon-Ceramic Discs with 8-Piston CalipersPaint:_ Divine Raven (Snow White)
Decals:_ Ferrari logo on sides and rearWheels:_ 20-inch forged vanadium with Pirelli P Zero tires
Body Kit:_ Carbon fiber with active aerodynamics
" Sweet" Recoil approved and boarded the car. The car gave a neat growl upon turning the key in the ignition and he sped off to join in the final leg of the race.
" How far back am I?" Recoil asked. " Current position 12th" Nova replied. " Are there any random shortcuts I could follow?" He got silence. " Nova?". " Affirmative Recoil, there's one but it's extremely dangerous" she warned.
" What's my chance of success if I take it?" Recoil asked while he tried to balance risk versus reward. " Thirty four point four percent" his system replied.
" I can live with that" he shrugged and went off the tracks. Then the road behind Recoil collapsed, pixel by pixel, leaving only a narrow path ahead. The new route unfurled before him like a serpent's tongue, jagged and organic. The pavement cracked, moss-covered stone replacing digital steel.
"Nova, status update. This doesn't look like any racetrack I've ever seen," Recoil muttered.
"Environmental shift confirmed. Biome: Ebon Hollow. Warning—high concentration of hostile entities. This is no longer a race. It's a gauntlet."
Recoil gritted his teeth and floored it. " Give me an idea of the defense systems this ride's got" he demanded his voice urgent.
" Kinetic flare, plasma scattershots and a hull integrity of 35%" Nova stated. " Jesus Mary and Joseph! Has Smoke been crashing this car around" Recoil wondered.
Trees loomed like towers, their bark pulsing with bioluminescent veins. Fog crept low, hugging the path and whispering static-laced nonsense into the comms. Then he heard the first screech—a chittering, throat-ripping sound that raised goosebumps.
He caught movement in the treeline.
A monstrous form leapt from the foliage—six limbs, plated exoskeleton, jaws like a bear trap. It landed on the hood with a shuddering thud.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Recoil shouted, swerving violently.
The creature clawed at the windshield, screeching, acidic saliva splattering across the glass. Nova's targeting HUD lit up red.
"Identified: Rendcrawler. Class: Elite. Weak points—underside, joint gaps. Recommend evasive maneuvers."
Recoil activated his Kinetic Flare. The car emitted a pulse of blinding light that launched the beast off like a ragdoll. It crashed into a tree and vanished in the fog.
But more were coming.
The road curved into a tunnel of bone-white roots, gnarled and twitching like nerve endings. As Recoil entered, glowing eyes blinked open along the walls.
A stampede followed.
Massive, horned beasts—like rhinos crossed with velociraptors—charged behind him, smashing through the underbrush. One rammed a nearby racer—DarkVulcan, his nameplate flashed—sending his car tumbling into a pit of writhing tentacles.
"Eliminated: DarkVulcan."
Recoil boosted forward, dodging fallen branches and spiked tentacle pods that lashed at his tires. He fired the mounted Plasma Scattershot, one of his recent mods, blowing chunks off a beast that got too close.
"I thought only Enos lived on Enoverse". " That's a wrong notion, they form the majority but they aren't the only ones" Nova clarified.
Suddenly, the path narrowed—bordered by cliffs on both sides. Up ahead, a creature blocked the road.
It stood on two legs, tall as a house. Similar to the popular Eno but larger. "Identified: Name: Enos Major B
HP: 119/500 Strength: 80
Stamina: 40. Agility: 40
**Abilities**
Super human strength: capable of punching holes into giant rocks and able to lift 30+ tonnes
Claws: able to inflict -300 points damage.
Primal rage: restores 150 health points, increases stamina by 5 and strength by 10. Class: Boss-tier obstacle. Weakness: direct impact at speed exceeding 200mph."
Recoil glanced at his HUD.
Current Speed: 184 mph
"Nova… give me juice." his system automatically splashed some of his coins towards the purchase of fuel"
"Overdrive protocol engaged."
The Ferrari SF90 surged forward, every engine component screaming in protest. The Eno Major roared, clawed hands raised, ready to crush. Recoil didn't blink.
At 223mph, he collided with the beast.
The impact was pure chaos—flames, static, the world spinning like a broken VR sim. For a second, Recoil thought he was out. Done.
But then he landed.
The car skidded across a moss-slick platform and came to a shaky stop. Smoke drifted from the hood. The Eno's shattered code exploded in slow-motion above him, raining down like digital ash.
"Boss neutralized. Systems critical. Hull integrity at 18%."
Recoil coughed, hands still on the wheel. A sharp movement made him view his rare mirror. He spotted a lone player in a black Porsche.
What intrigued him was the fact that this was the only one player in a list of sixty five that wasn't trying to kill him…