Speed Is King

Back in the racing world with ultra dense nature energy, as usual, Elliot had absolutely no idea of the massive tidal waves he had just created.

He was simply observing his beasts destroying the Indestructible Crystal Bargans he had so casually named Giant Armored Bed Bugs.

"Don't you guys find it very strange?" Kai said quietly in the public mindspace. "These bugs aren't fighting back at all."

"I noticed that as well." Wu Kong agreed. In fact, he had stopped attacking completely and merely stood calmly atop Brock who was still wreaking havoc among the mass of bugs.

"What do you mean they aren't fighting back? One of them dropped on me and almost splattered all of its disgusting innards on me!" Brock roared indignantly. "Come down here to the ground before you make such claims, little wolf pup!"

"No, it is true. If you don't count how strangely they're dropping down to the ground at random, I didn't have to dodge any attacks, not even a single time." Winter said objectively.

After observing for a few more moments, Wu Kong finally gave the order to retreat.

"Melee combatants, disengage." Wu Kong commanded.

As one, all of the beasts gave one final slash, and leapt back to form a relatively orderly line, with bloodstained weapons raised at the ready.

However, as Wu Kong had suspected, the entire bug army didn't pursue them and instead hovered where they were.

"Cease fire." Wu Kong commanded once more.

Within seconds, the battlefield became strangely silent, with only the shrill but relatively soft death cries of the bugs filling the air.

And even that too, faded after a few more seconds.

Elliot raised one eyebrow in surprise.

"They aren't aggressive?" He found it actually really hard to believe that the bugs were actually not attacking them at all, and probably didn't have any intention of doing so in the first place!

For so many months, each and every corner of wherever he went, each and every day, he would be met with countless dangers that sought to kill him for sport or for loot.

And now, ten thousand highly armored bugs who could resist to an extent, powerful laser cannons that could slice up layers of metal like hot knives through butter, didn't want to attack him?

Absurd.

"Jen. You said you want to try out your new Darklight Flame Apocalypse? Go ahead." Elliot said as he pointed at the hovering bugs that had been almost halved in number in the short few minutes his beasts had been in "battle" with them.

Jennifer nodded and immediately leapt down from the highest tower of the fortress.

A white flash appeared out of nowhere and with perfect timing, Jennifer landed on Winter's back and they bounded away towards the the mass of bugs.

"Dismissed." Elliot waved his beasts away. "If you want to stay and watch, do it here next to me."

Most of his beasts disappeared back into their beast dimensions.

But Kai, Wu Kong and the two Blue Dragons chose to remain, and they promptly appeared next to him.

Ahead of them, Jennifer was already glowing a fearsome black as the first ring of darklight flames rippled outwards from her towards the bugs.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

Slowly, and then with increasing speed, Jennifer's darklight flames spread out and caught every single expensive Indestructible Crystal Bargans and burned them to crisp.

Her flames were not as overbearing as Jessica's, but it was more than enough to deal with the bugs who, despite their "Indestructible" moniker, had no true defense against Darklight Energy.

After a few minutes, the final "Giant Armored Bed Bug" fell to the ground in a pile of brittle, crispy husk.

"How did I do?" Jennifer beamed at Elliot and Jessica when she got back to their sides.

"Very well done. You're almost as strong as Jessica already, even though it is not your innate skill." Elliot praised her.

She smiled at her big bro happily and looked to Jessica to receive praises from her.

Jessica dutifully praised her and patted her head as well.

Elliot glanced back at the track that was littered with small mountains of bug carcasses coldly and pointed at them.

A humongous blade tornado immediately appeared and thundered across the entirety of the track, shredding their "Indestructible Crystal" Armor into dust.

If the major powers of the universe still had reservations about going after Elliot at full force, that single blade tornado from him just wiped clean any doubts they might have.

Elliot was definitely a walking treasure trove of secrets that they must get their hands on! At all costs!

"Let's go. We have a race to win, rewards to collect, fellow humans to save… and Ancients to kill." Elliot said quietly.

His sisters returned to the Dimensional Fortress and his beasts to their Beast Dimensions.

After getting rid of the massive bugs that should have been a massive challenge to avoid for all life forms without Darklight Energy, the journey towards the next phase was extremely peaceful.

After a few minutes, with Elliot's extremely sharp sense of hearing, he could faintly hear the sound of more cars entering the new dimension. However, by that time he was too far away to bother about them.

If the next phase wasn't some ridiculous stage, he was definitely going to win the first monthly race.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations. Phase one cleared.]

[Beginning final phase.]

[Reach the finish line at all costs.]

[Hint: Flying without wings isn't impossible.]

Elliot shook his head helplessly at such a cheesy hint.

But he had a rough idea what the final phase was.

"With my power, I am practically cheating my way to victory." Elliot sighed. His first monthly race in the second iteration was so different compared to the first iteration!

He kept his foot down on the accelerator and watched a massive gate with a humongous "FINISH" banner slowly appear into view.

His eyes travelled down to the track, and sure enough, there it was.

A massive chasm in between the finish line and the track.

The final phase was a leap of faith!

Would they be able to get enough speed to make the leap safely, or would they die right before the finish line? Those with damaged cars would definitely forfeit the race.

But those with relatively intact race cars… It was definitely a very tricky choice.

Elliot glanced at the track, and found that there are some places where the track curved upwards right before the edge.

The cars that utilized those would be the only ones who would survive the jump.

The rest would die.

What a vicious race.

Elliot sighed and damaged the tracks where it was flat with his blade tornado, making the curved parts more conspicuous.

Apart from stopping and literally drawing arrows pointing at those curved areas, it was the best he could do for his fellow humans!

When he reached the chasm, Elliot unleashed his Red Cosmic Dragon Energy and surrounded his race car with it.

A massive pair of Red Cosmic Dragon Energy Wings unfurled from both sides of the car and immediately, he glided across the massive hole and past the finish line.

He was, very unsurprisingly, the winner of the first monthly race.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations on winning the First Monthly Race!]

[Adamantium Sponsor secured.]