The start of the race was displayed on the screen, showing a total of ten cars. Unlike the qualification race, where all the racers had the exact same sports car, this race had a variation of cars. Some were sports cars, while others were everyday cars like S.U.Vs, and pickup trucks.

  All ten cars appeared on a transparent track with neon lighting, just like the rest of the game.

  "That’s funny," Danny said.

  "Funny? Just what is humorous about what you’re watching?" Cane asked.

  "No, when I said funny, I meant strange or odd," Danny answered.

  "I see. So another instance of you using an undesignated word?" Cane asked.

  "Yeah," Danny said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

  "Well then, tell me. What exactly do you find ‘funny’ about the race you’re watching?" Cane asked.

  "The track," Danny answered. "I’ve watched videos of races and seen many different tracks, but I’ve never seen a track like this. It looks like everything else in this game."

  "I understand your confusion, Danny. You are somewhat right. There is no track like this. The real track hasn’t been set yet," Cane said.

  "What do you mean ‘real track’?" Danny said.

  "It would be better if you observed it yourself," Cane said. Then the track of neon lights began to transform into something else. It transitioned to a track similar to that of the qualification race, except there was no arena, and the track was about three miles long.

  "What the…" Danny said, surprised.

  "I was about to explain to you earlier, but you didn’t let me finish. Everything you’re seeing around you, the blank spaces with colorful light: they’re beautiful. Everything you’re seeing in this virtual world are blueprints," Cane said.

  "You see, instead of creating fixed tracks or structures in the game, my creator came up with the idea of reusing the blueprints to make an infinite number of tracks for Overdrive Racers. This entire building you are in could be made into anything: a skyscraper, a medieval tower, and even something as ordinary as a suburban home."

  "The same goes for the tracks. The tracks could be made into a grassy field, a rocky terrain, a snowy field, and even something with a hot surface from which lava spills out."

  When Cane spoke, there was a certain tone in his voice. Or was it excitement? Whatever it was, it didn't mix well with his robotic voice. ‘Was he programmed to show emotions? If he was, then his creator, whoever they are, did a lousy job,’ Danny thought.

  The race countdown had begun, and the vehicles participating in the race started revving up their engines.

  Three. Two. One.

  The race started, and all the vehicles zoomed past the checkpoint. The one in the lead was a black supercar with an elongated front and a very short back. It had only two doors and two separate vertical wings with their edges continuously curved—‘That kinda looks like the wings of a...’

  "A bat?" Danny muttered, surprised.

  The supercar was in front of the rest of the cars, and no signs indicated that it would be overtaken anytime soon.

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  "Figures that the racer with the best car would win." Danny soon became disinterested in the race. There was no point watching a match when it was clear as day who was going to win. He turned around and began walking away.

  "Do you not wish to see the outcome of the race? I recommend you do. Watching how others race will prepare you greatly for your first race," Cane said.

  "There’s no point. It’s obvious the driver of the supercar is gonna win," Danny answered.

  "Do not be so quick to judge, Danny. You might find yourself surprised," Cane said.

  "I seriously doubt that," Danny said.

  "Then I also recommend you stop doubting and start observing. You might be surprised by what you witness. As an AI designed to help racers in the game, I assure you, the outcome of this race will not just be decided by who has the superior vehicle," Cane said.

  Danny let out a sigh. "Alright. You are a talking computer, after all. Maybe something unexpected will happen, but I’m not getting my hopes up," Danny said.

  He turned back to watch the race on the screen. The supercar was still in the lead.

  "See, Cane? What did I—" Danny stopped talking. His jaw dropped, and his eyes widened; he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

  "As I said, Danny, you should stop doubting and start observing. And I have analyzed your facial expressions. My scans say you are surprised," Cane said.

  "Oh, I’m still doubting, alright! How is this possible!?" Danny exclaimed in confusion.

  The reason for Danny's reaction was that the black supercar had finally been overtaken, but not just by any vehicle.

  A heavily armored S.U.V. had passed the black supercar. It was the same model that Danny had recently seen in his virtual garage when choosing what vehicle to purchase. From those statistics, the car's acceleration and max speed were incredibly slow, and yet he was seeing the armored S.U.V. overtaking a supercar.

  ‘This should be impossible,’ Danny thought. ‘Maybe it’s not the same model I saw. No. Even if that was the case, just looking at the size of that car, there’s no way it should be able to pass the supercar. Upgrades, maybe. No, that doesn’t make sense either. I don’t remember much from the data book, but upgrades like that should be above the bronze league. These guys are beginner racers like me. A glitch in the system. Yeah, that’s gotta be it. That’s gotta be it. That’s the only thing that makes sense.’

  "You seem to be in a state of confusion. Would you like me to explain how the armored S.U.V. overtook the supercar?" Cane asked.

  "No need. I already figured it out. It’s a glitch," Danny said.

  "Incorrect. The game is running smoothly. If there were any faulty code interfering with the race, I would know about it," Cane said.

  "Then what is it then? A glitch is the only thing I can think of," Danny said.

  "I would be happy to answer your question," Cane said. "Would you please turn your full attention to the S.U.V.?"

  Danny did as Cane said. He stared at the S.U.V., unsure of what Cane wanted him to see.

  "What am I supposed to be looking for?" Danny asked.

  "Do you notice anything interesting or peculiar about it?" Cane asked.

  "Apart from that huge car that’s moving way faster than should be possible? No. No, I don’t," Danny answered. "Can’t you just tell me the thing I’m supposed to spot?"

  "I could, but that wouldn’t help you in the future. My task is to help Overdrive Racers, and one of the ways I can accomplish that is by improving some of their natural skills. Being observant is a critical skill needed to become a better racer. So please try again. If you cannot tell what is interesting about the fast-moving armored S.U.V., then I will tell you what to look for," Cane said.

  Danny didn’t know why, but it felt like Cane had challenged him. It was like a parent saying something like, ‘At least try to do it.’ It was encouraging and a little bit degrading.

  "Fine!" Danny exclaimed out of embarrassment, causing the other racers watching the race on the screen to look at him. Danny’s embarrassment had just gotten worse. The cheeks of his body in the real world burned red.

  ‘It looks like no one can hear Cane but me. So to them, just screaming something out loud to nobody, I must seem like a crazy person,’ Danny thought.

  Danny didn’t know how to get himself out of this awkward situation. He couldn't offer a valid explanation of why he just shouted, so he gave an awkward laugh. The racers all turned their heads back to the screen to continue watching the race.

  "Weirdo," one of the racers said. Danny's facial expression became pale.

  "Danny, are you alright? I am detecting great distress coming from you," Cane asked.

  "Yeah, I’m fine," Danny answered. He didn’t say anything more and continued looking at the S.U.V.

  Nothing seemed out of place. At least he couldn’t find anything out of place—until he did.

  The S.U.V. had two exhaust pipes, and coming out of those exhaust pipes were visible red flames. It seemed to be propelling the S.U.V. further and further, making it faster than it normally would be.

  "What is that?" Danny asked.

  "‘That,’ Danny— is Nitro," Cane answered.