Chapter 119: Traditional Skills
Both drivers were using track-provided vehicles, so there was no question of one having superior equipment. At this point, it all came down to pure driving skill.
The greatest challenge of the Canvia Championship wasn't its length—when training facilities replicated the track, they always deliberately overlooked certain dangers from the actual course, such as how high altitude weakened engine performance.
Due to limitations, they could only recreate about thirty percent of Canvia's true difficulty.
To make the race fair, Isabella and the man had agreed on simple rules beforehand: three laps around the track, fastest time wins.
It was a straightforward time trial.
But because of their wager, the man's teammates were incredibly excited, standing in the bleachers whistling and cheering non-stop.
"Come on, boss! We've got your back—you'll definitely crush this arrogant woman!"
Hearing them stretch their voices in those shouts, Isabella almost wanted to laugh.
These guys were ridiculously overconfident.
"Just wait to become my defeated opponent, then get the hell out of this training facility with Joseph!" the man racing against Isabella boasted confidently.
Isabella slipped into the driver's seat with a blank expression, already calculating exactly how she was going to humiliate him.
She definitely couldn't let him lose too easily—otherwise, she wouldn't feel satisfied.
With the crack of the starting pistol, both cars shot out like bullets. Initially, their speeds were evenly matched, with Isabella's orange-painted car trailing slightly behind the man's blue one.
But the gap was less than thirty feet—barely a tap of the gas pedal to close.
Isabella toyed with her prey like a cat, maintaining a leisurely pace behind him.
The spectators in the stands had no idea Isabella wasn't even flooring the accelerator. Snake Team's racers were so confident they began analyzing the situation.
"Falling behind right from the start! Once we hit the curves, the boss will leave her even further in the dust! Boss really is Aetheria district's strongest racer—this skill would be more than enough for Valeria headquarters!"
"You said it! I heard the Valeria managers have already contacted the boss, clearly showing interest in poaching him. I'm so jealous—he'll be racing at Valeria soon."
"Your skills aren't bad either! Once the boss moves up, if you train hard for another two years, you could definitely catch up to him!"
They chattered like noisy crows, constantly stroking each other's egos. Joseph rolled his eyes at their noise.
"The reason geniuses are called geniuses is because they were geniuses from the moment they entered the sport," Joseph said icily, throwing cold water on their fantasies.
He'd become a professional racer at just sixteen. Isabella had spotted his talent immediately—he was the most gifted person in any crowd.
That same year, Joseph became a contracted driver for Romantic Racing Team, and the following year, he began representing the team in competitions, winning countless races both big and small.
Talent was a gift from God that no one could steal, and those without it could never fake it.
The men's expressions shifted uncomfortably.
Just as they were about to argue with Joseph, their teammate who'd been focused on the race pulled them back.
"They're approaching the first turn!"
The beginning of the curves was the most dangerous part of this track.
One tiny steering wheel adjustment could send you straight into the barriers—the difference between life and death came down to a split second.
Sweat beaded in their palms.
But Isabella, seated in her car, was completely calm. She'd run Canvia's simulation track countless times. Before that race eight years ago, Isabella had been practicing the Canvia course even in her dreams.
She could navigate this track with her eyes closed.
The man in the lead glanced in his rearview mirror, seeing Isabella hot on his tail. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly fishtailed just before entering the track.
Though it was just a light drift, the impact on the following car was massive.
If Isabella had been an inexperienced rookie, she would've been spooked by his fake-out, jerked the steering wheel, and at this speed, crashed into the barriers—dead or crippled.
Sitting in her cockpit, Isabella's lips curled in a cold smile.
Dirty tricks really were Snake Team's traditional skill.
Whether from Valeria headquarters or the Aetheria division, they were all pathetic clowns.
Isabella almost wondered if they had some kind of screening process when recruiting, specifically seeking out people with moral deficiencies for their team.
This little maneuver didn't escape Isabella's notice. Not only did she identify it, she floored the accelerator and shot past him on the inside, taking the lead.
To make this race more theatrical, after pulling ahead, Isabella suddenly slowed down, positioning herself to block him from advancing while not speeding up herself.
The mockery was off the charts—Isabella was deliberately toying with this dirty-playing man.
The guy behind her was losing his composure, his mental state cracking. Isabella could clearly see in her rearview mirror that he was desperately trying to find a way to get ahead of her.
But Isabella unleashed her inner speed-control master. Whenever he showed signs of overtaking, she'd give the gas pedal the lightest tap.
She kept him wanting to pass but unable to, frustrated like he had something stuck in his throat—choking but unable to cough it up.
They were approaching the highest-difficulty turn.
The audience held their breath.
"Is she insane? She's not hitting the brakes? She'll crash straight into the barrier!"
They witnessed something absolutely crazy—as Isabella approached the most difficult turn, dubbed the "death loop," she showed absolutely no intention of braking!
The car behind had already started braking, and the man in the cockpit actually smirked and muttered: "Idiot!"
Did she really think racing was just about who could go fastest? At this speed heading into the turn, this woman would probably end up as scattered fragments.
However, the anticipated scene never materialized. Isabella's car executed an incredibly precise and graceful maneuver—acceleration combined with a subtle drift—and she sailed through the turn perfectly!
Not only that, but after clearing the turn, Isabella began pulling away rapidly, leaving the man unable to even see her taillights.
He desperately wanted to catch up, but his car simply wouldn't cooperate. It roared like an angry beast, but speed remained elusive as he could only watch helplessly as Isabella disappeared around turn after turn.
Joseph and Olivia's excitement ignited like wildfire. Even knowing Isabella couldn't hear them, they couldn't contain their enthusiasm as they shouted encouragement from the stands.
Three laps completed. The timer showed five minutes and twenty seconds.
Isabella returned to the finish line with a beautifully executed drift.
The man had been left behind by nearly a full lap—he'd almost been lapped!