Chapter 102: Red Lightning
Chapter 102: Red Lightning
Ye Ranran never expected her Desert-Tail Fox to be so impressive. She immediately relaxed.
With over two hundred familiars in the race, and Fangflare being the second to start, there was no way it would end up in last place.
Fangflare shot out like a bolt after putting on the yellow Relay Band.
"Seek!"
"Seek!"
Treasure Seeker cheered with all its might.
It even tried to float over to follow.
Qiao Sang quickly pulled it back.
"Seek?"
Treasure Seeker looked innocent.
"Don't waste your energy. You still have the sixth leg to run. We'll go to the Liu River and wait for Fangy." Qiao Sang said.
This was only half-true. The first part was a lie, but the second part was genuine. She didn't really count on Treasure Seeker for the sixth leg.
It was impossible for it to follow. The third leg was at the Liu River, ten kilometers away. With its small limbs, it would probably collapse halfway there.
Moreover, marathon races don't allow followers. There are professional medical teams and technical support, and the logistics are well-secured.
Following would only cause unnecessary trouble and chaos, making it harder to maintain order.
Qiao Sang watched as Fangflare disappeared into the distance.
Fangy, I can only support you mentally!
Hang in there!
...
Fangflare ran with all its might.
It remembered its Beastmaster's advice to follow the main group, but there was no main group ahead—no other competitors in sight.
Then it thought of the Six-Tentacled Snail that had started before it.
"Yah!"
Fangflare sped up.
It would have to catch up to that Six-Tentacled Snail first!
After running for what seemed like an eternity,
Fangflare dragged its tired limbs, struggling to move forward.
Now, even walking was a challenge.
While the familiar marathon differed from the traditional human marathon, it was still a high-intensity, long-distance athletic event.
Familiars could use their traits and skills to increase their speed and add excitement to the race, but continuously using these abilities was impractical.
Excessive energy consumption could lead to exhaustion mid-race.
Familiars with marathon experience would run for a while, then occasionally use their skills to boost their speed.
They would use their traits or skills for a final sprint near the end, just like Ye Ranran's Desert-Tail Fox.
But Fangflare didn't know this. From the start, it had been running at full speed.
At first, it was fine, but once it slowed down, dozens of other familiars passed it.
Fangflare wasn't stupid.
When it saw other familiars use their skills, it also tried to use its own to speed up.
It used Blazing Charge and Ram.
But it quickly ran out of energy.
Fangflare hadn't undergone professional training. Recently, it had been focusing on practicing its skills.
Running a few laps around the Liu Gan Stream hadn't provided much endurance training.
Physically, it might be decent compared to other familiars of the same rank, but it was far from marathon standards.
The scorching sun beat down on the earth.
Even Fangflare, which usually didn't mind the heat, felt the agony.
Fangflare's tongue hung out, and it struggled to breathe. It felt like it was running out of air, and its limbs required immense effort to lift, making it even harder to move than when it wore the gravity ring.
"Yah."
Fangflare called out unconsciously, its throat dry as if it were on fire.
At that moment, it remembered its Beastmaster's words about water.
It looked around but saw no table or water.
Hasn't it arrived yet?
Fangflare’s vision blurred with golden stars, and for the first time, the thought of giving up crossed its mind.
So tired...
So incredibly tired...
"Ball."
A Bouncy Pig happened to pass by.
Its tail was like a spring, with a gray ball at the end, and it wore a bib with the number A099.
The Bouncy Pig’s tail stood straight, and the gray ball at its end touched the ground, using the spring-like quality of its tail to bounce and quickly surpass Fangflare.
"Ball."
The Bouncy Pig didn’t leave immediately. It turned its head, gave Fangflare a smug smile, and provocatively raised its smallest short toe.
"Teeth."
Fangflare was instantly enraged.
It tried to roar at the Bouncy Pig, but the sound was so weak that only it could hear it.
As the Bouncy Pig turned and hopped away, Fangflare felt a surge of anger, wanting to chase after it.
But it lacked the strength.
The burst of energy was too strong, and its already exhausted limbs couldn’t support it. After a few steps, Fangflare’s legs gave out, and it collapsed.
In a daze, it seemed to hear its Beastmaster calling its name.
Fangy.
It didn’t really like that name; it lacked any sense of power. But its Beastmaster liked it, so there was nothing it could do.
Would its Beastmaster be disappointed if it gave up here?
And its little brother was still waiting for its Relay Band.
Fangflare suddenly felt a sense of defeat.
Its Beastmaster trusted it so much, telling it to meet at the Liu River. If it didn’t make it...
It had to keep going...
A faint spark within Fangflare gradually grew into a flame. The next moment, the flame flickered and a burst of crimson fire shot up, engulfing it from the inside out.
"There’s a Fangflare here, it seems to be exhausted. Quickly send... Holy crap!" The logistics personnel was startled.
"What’s wrong? What happened?" The person on the other end of the phone asked, concerned.
"Nothing, just a Fangflare that was lying on the ground suddenly caught fire... It must have triggered its Blazing Trait, and then it just took off. I’ve never seen a Fire Familiar run a marathon with Blazing Fire before", the logistics personnel explained, still shaken.
It’s like seeing a person who was lying on the ground suddenly get up and do a backflip, fully energized. It’s pretty scary...
...
Liu River.
Qiao Sang watched the Bouncy Pig hop swiftly to the third relay point using its tail and remarked, "That tail is perfect for this race."
"I still think the Ice-Paw Lynx’s Skills are more suitable. It managed to make its paw pads icy and slide over, I wonder how it thought of that", Ye Ranran said.
"In the middle of summer, the ground is so hot. The ice won’t last long, but it’s a good way to take a break. It’s clear they put a lot of effort into their balance", Qiao Sang analyzed.
"In a Familiar marathon, coming up with a slightly easier plan to take a break is enough. The main focus is still on the Familiar’s stamina and endurance", Ye Ranran said with a smile.
Qiao Sang fell silent for a moment and asked, "What if there’s no easier plan?"
Ye Ranran thought for a moment and said, "Relying solely on stamina and endurance? That would be too exhausting. Everyone in a Familiar marathon has a plan. I’ve never seen anyone come to the race without one."
Qiao Sang: "..."
Ha, the fool is right here.
"Xun!"
"Xun!"
Treasure Seeker suddenly called out excitedly.
Qiao Sang looked at the track.
In the distance, a figure enveloped in flames raced toward her, like a red lightning bolt. It shot past her, overtaking the Bouncy Pig just as it reached the relay point.
(End of Chapter)
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