"... ALBERT DERSTAPPEN LEADS THE ITALIAN MEGA PRIX!"
"...Albert Derstappen supera Oliver Kristensen! Albert Derstappen in P1, Oliver Kristensen in P2!"
After nearly fifty minutes of racing, Oliver Kristensen could no longer hold onto the lead any longer. He had fought hard, managing his tires and pace as best as he could, but with Albert Derstappen and Max looming behind, the pressure was relentless.
Every lap, every sector, they had been chipping away at his advantage, they had been closing in with calculated aggression.
Now, Aaronson had managed to slip through, thrusting Kristensen behind to a vulnerable position, one where Max could capitalize on his momentum loss.
Mr. Moritz informed Luca that a rival had claimed P1 over Kristensen, but he didn't say who.
It was left to Luca to figure that out on his own, and in the end, the answer was an easy guess.
Luca knew Max Addams was a good driver—actually, the best in Formula 2 excluding himself. But Max wasn't that good, not to the extent of progressively overtaking both Derstappen and Kristensen in tandem.
That kind of feat was meant for Luca alone!
And then, at the sweeping curve of Turn 16, Luca's eyes flicked toward the far side of the circuit. Beyond the advertisement pavement and the strip of grass, he caught a quick glimpse of the car now leading the race.
It was a black and gold Dallara with #66 on its rear wing.
Definitely Derstappen.
Luca's growing fear about Squadra Corse Jnr having a real shot at the trophy was gradually becoming reality.
Even though Miles was at P9 now, anything could happen in the next 45 laps. It was enough time for the trophy to tilt in their favor.
Aaronson was behind Max now, and if he just pushed in a way that forced Max into anger or reckless retaliation, then those two would take themselves out.
"SQUADRA CORSE IS PLAYING THE LONG GAME!" Luca huffed, determined not to let that happen.
All he needed now was a notification confirming his effort against James Legrasse, and he'd be on his way to the front, flipping this race upside down.
Legrasse was already feeling the weight of Luca's Side-by-Side King, struggling against the oppressive aura it created.
And that was with the skill still at 7 points.
Luca had a theory about how Side-by-Side King actually worked. Maybe the smaller the value, the longer it suppressed the victim by pressing down on them, forcing them to back off gradually or eventually falter into a mistake.
But the higher the value, the faster it worked, making opponents yield and falter instantly, as if Luca had simply found the perfect moment to overtake.
He recalled the French Grand Prix, when Max had managed to hold out for two whole seconds against Side-by-Side King at 50 due to Sync Buff.
[Side-by-Side King +1]
[SYNC BAR: [][][][] 100%]
[Determining Sync Buff duration....]
A sleek digital holographic countdown wheel appeared on the interface, spinning rapidly like a roulette. Many numbers began to flash in quick succession—1:00, 2:15, 4:32, 3:09—flickering too fast for even Luca's eyes to follow.
Then, a progress bar beneath it began filling up in bright neon green:
[Processing: ▓▓▓▓3:15▓░░1:30░░░ 50%]
The numbers continued shifting, the system cycling through endless possibilities. Luca would admit it was quite scary.
[Processing: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 80%]
The countdown wheel slowed. The cube's rotation stuttered. And a single number locked in, blinking three times before solidifying.
[Finalizing Sync Buff Time...]
[...Sync Buff duration determined!]
[Sync Buff Duration: 3 Minutes, 42 Seconds]
Luca took a moment to stare at the screen, taking his time to understand what the system had done.
So, this was how the Randomized Duration Window takeaway feature worked? It didn't just select a time instantly like he had expected. Instead, it cycled, calculated, and finalized like an actual in-game mechanic.
"It feels more like calculation than random, system," Luca said, eyeing the bold numbers— 3:42. "You let me watch fate decide. That's too much anticipation."
[System is glad to receive a positive feedback on Randomized Duration Window!]
"Three minutes, forty-two seconds… hmm."
Luca exhaled, taking in the number.
One thing he appreciated about the system was its pre-activation reveal of the Sync Buff duration. Knowing the time before activation gave him control because it'd let him plan rather than gamble. If the duration was only shown after activation, he'd be forced to adapt on the fly instead of strategizing ahead.
"A minute and eighteen seconds short of the usual five minutes… not too bad... I guess," he muttered.
With the field still packed tightly together, no clear gaps had formed. That meant three minutes and forty-two seconds could be just what he needed to climb from P6 to the top three.
[7th Position closing in]
[Analyzing 7th Position's distance from host and Dallara (F2 04)...]
[7th Position is 1.5 sec away, host.]
Legrasse still had hopes to retake P6, but Luca had other contrasting plans.
A smile creeped on Luca's face once he made it out of Turn 12, getting a clear view of the driver's ahead, and the driver before him.
Aaronson's orange and black Dallara looked tantalizing like a baked meal fresh out of the oven.
And now, Luca had the appetite to devour it.
He had Sync Buff. He would have the pace. And more importantly, he had the grudge.
It was time for Luca to return the torment Aaronson did to him earlier this race. If possible, Luca wished he could use this chance to complete his Daily Quest by forcing Aaronson to a crash.
[ACTIVATE SYNC BUFF?]
[Strength: 28 »»»» 50
Endurance: 29 »»»» 50
Intelligence: 28 »»»» 50 ]
[You can only select three skills]
[Reflexes/ Overtaking Skill/ Track Awareness/ Pitstop Prodigy/Corner Chopping/Straightaway Chopping/Spatial Awareness/ Night Mastery/ Grid Launch/ Slipstream Mastery/ Side-by-Side King/ Slipsense & Rainborne]
Since Luca's aim was to make it to the lead of the pack, he'd have to select skills that would make that easier to execute. This meant taking in consideration skills that would scratch out the problems of the track and also create openings and advantages.
Luca looked at the sky ahead. He frowned. This was the first time he was hearing thunder. He wondered if he'd have to consider Slipsense & Rainborne to the list. But since no drop of rain had fallen since, he'd focus on others.
Luca ended up selecting Spatial Awareness for his own safety. With so many cars still tightly bunched together, he needed the widest possible mental map of every moving part around him. Every gap, every potential collision in this crucial race, he had to see them before they even happened.
Side-by-Side King followed, being his weapon in direct combat. The oppressive pressure it exerted would make his rivals uneasy, forcing them to back off or make errors. If he was going to carve his way forward, he had to ensure his opponents yielded before they fought too hard.
Then Luca completed the three-skill set with Slipstream Mastery.
It would be his ticket to overtakes on the straight where the speed of his SomberCore was just the same as the rival ahead. Slipstream Mastery would be the difference, giving him extra speed and slinging him forward without losing energy.
Luca gave one last glance at the stormy sky. The thunder was unsettling, but still there was no rain.
[Successfully Selected!]
[Spatial Awareness: 7 »»»» 50
Side-by-Side King: 7 »»»» 50
Slipstream Mastery: 8 »»»» 50 ]
[INFUSION SUCCESSFUL!]
[You have 3 min. 41 sec left for Sync Buff]
"It's for real," Luca said, taking a brief glance to any suite glass room he could see. "Time this motherfuckers."
[Analyzing Dallara (F2 04) and host's distance from 5th Position]
[You are 2 seconds away, host.]
Unbeknownst to Luca, his eyes had a twinkling spark of red streaking all the way out of his helmet.
He could see Aaronson driving confidently as they made it into the last rangy turn before the home straight to begin the next lap.
Aaronson genuinely had no idea what was coming for him.