For the first five laps, it was a war. Vane was faster on the Hangar Straight, his Prema car having a superior aerodynamic package that allowed him to gain ground in the high-speed sections.

Every time they reached a straight, Vane would pull alongside, his engine roaring in a bid to intimidate Leo.

But Leo was a monster in the corners. He was using "Perfect Braking" to deep-dive into every turn, waiting until the very last moment to scrub off speed. He forced Vane to take wider, slower lines just to avoid a collision. It was a defensive masterclass, but it was draining Leo’s energy at an alarming rate.

[Lap 6. Tire temperature rising. Grip dropping by 4%.]

Leo felt the car starting to understeer through the high-speed Maggots and Becketts sequence. The real-world tires were soft, and they were beginning to grain under the extreme loads he was putting through them. In the simulation, he could drive at 100% forever. Here, the rubber was disintegrating.

He had to manage the load. He backed off a fraction on the straights, letting Vane close the gap. He was purposely inviting the pressure so he could save his tires for the final push.

"What are you doing, Leo? He’s right on you! He’s going to lunge!" Anya yelled.

"Managing," Leo said shortly. His breath was coming in short, sharp gasps inside his helmet.

He began using "Rain Mastery" logic even though the track was bone-dry. He looked for the "green" parts of the tarmac, the areas outside the usual racing line that hadn’t been coated in hot rubber.

By placing his tires on the cooler surface for a fraction of a second, he managed to drop the core temperature of the tires just enough to keep the grip from falling off a cliff.

Lap 12. The pressure finally reached a breaking point. On the Hangar Straight, Vane used the slipstream perfectly. The Prema car pulled out from behind Leo, the silver bodywork flashing in the dull sunlight. They reached Stowe at 280 km/h, side-by-side, their wheels spinning only inches apart.

"He’s got the inside! Give him room, Leo! Don’t crash!" Sarah shouted, her voice jumping an octave.

Leo didn’t move an inch. He didn’t flinch as Vane’s car drifted toward him, trying to squeeze him off the track. He used "Danger Sense" to map Vane’s trajectory. He could see the violet lines of air turbulence between the two cars.

He knew Vane would brake late to hold the position. Vane was like a "Professor" of data, and his data told him that Leo would have to brake at sixty meters to make the corner.

Leo braked at fifty.

It was a "Human Glitch." In the Simex simulation, the AI would have calculated this move as a 99% probability of a fatal crash. It was a move so illogical, so contrary to the laws of physics and self-preservation, that the computer would have frozen trying to predict the outcome.

He held the outside line. His tires were screaming in a high-pitched wail that he could hear even over the engine. The car was vibrating so hard that Leo’s vision began to shake, the bolts in the steering column rattling.

He leaned on the absolute limit of friction, his "SS" reaction speed allowing him to feel every individual grain of the tarmac through the palms of his hands. He was keeping the car on the absolute edge of a terminal spin.

Vane blinked. He hadn’t expected Leo to hold. He panicked and stomped on his brakes a fraction too hard.

A massive cloud of white smoke erupted from V2’s front tires. The Prema car locked up, the rubber flat-spotting instantly. Vane slid wide, his car understeering toward the gravel trap as he struggled to regain control.

Leo turned in. It was a clean, sharp arc that cut right across Vane’s nose, missing the Prema’s front wing by the width of a finger. He hit the apex, found the grip, and floored it. He was back in P1.

"Beautiful! Absolute magic!" Anya screamed into the radio, her voice cracking with pure joy. "That was world-class, Leo! Keep it steady!"

The final three laps were a blur of pain and iron focus. Leo’s neck was failing; the muscles were so fatigued that his head started to lean to the side under the G-forces. His vision was tunneling, the edges of the track turning into a grey smear.

Every bump in the Silverstone tarmac felt like a hammer blow to his spine. His hands were cramping inside his gloves, his fingers locking around the wheel.

But he didn’t lift. He couldn’t go back to the darkness of the pod, not yet.

He crossed the finish line three seconds ahead of the field.

[FIA BROADCAST: "It’s over! An absolute shock at Silverstone! Leo Kaito, a man with no racing pedigree, has just dominated the Young Driver Test! This isn’t just a win; it’s a statement. Arcadia Racing has found a miracle in their own garage!"]

Leo slowed down on the cool-down lap, his hands trembling so violently he could barely steer. The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind a hollow, aching exhaustion.

He pulled into the pit lane, the car clicking and hissing as the temperatures surged. He stopped the car in the P1 slot and shut off the engine.

The silence was sudden and deafening. He didn’t get out. He couldn’t. He sat in the cockpit, his head resting against the headrest, watching the blue text flicker in his vision.

---

『QUEST COMPLETE: Pass the Drivers Test.』

『Rewards: +5 Freedom Units.』

『Bonus: Pole Position achieved. +2 Freedom Units.』

『New Total: 17 Freedom Units.』

---

Seventeen days. He had bought himself a life. For two and a half weeks, he wouldn’t have to feel the x500 pain scaling. He wouldn’t have to fight the Ghost Drivers.

He pulled off his helmet with trembling hands and climbed out of the car. His legs felt like jelly, but he forced himself to stand straight. Anya was already there, running toward him. She didn’t say a word. She just walked up and hugged him, her grip so tight it pressed against his bruised ribs.

"You did it," she whispered into his shoulder. "The FIA just confirmed the results. You’ve got your F2 super-license points. You’re our second driver, Leo. You’re going to the grid."

Leo looked over her shoulder. He saw Julian Vane sitting in his car, his head buried in his hands. Even the scouts from the big teams were scribbling notes on their clipboards, their eyes fixed on him.

"Let’s get the car back," Leo said, his voice cold and steady. "We have a season to win."