MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 704: Normal People

Within minutes, Anthony and Vega arrived at a massive gate that marked the entrance to the racetrack. Before Anthony could drive in, a guard stepped forward and raised a hand, halting them. ”Gate fee, ten thousand quarks,” the man said plainly, no greeting, no nothing, his tone brisk and flat. Without hesitation, Anthony reached into his account and paid the amount as though it were nothing. He didn’t even blink at the demand.

He wasn’t surprised in the slightest that the racetrack charged an entrance fee in quarks. If the management had insisted on mana crystals instead, this place would have been long deserted. No ordinary person, or even a casual cultivator, would waste crystals simply for the sake of driving around. Quarks, however, were another story.

As Anthony eased the car forward and drove inside, a whole new world seemed to unfold before them. A sprawling raceway stretched out, complete with winding tracks, towering bleachers, and scattered clusters of people engaged in animated discussion. The hum of engines and faint scent of burning rubber already lingered in the air, mingling with the faint buzz of excitement.

The arrival of Anthony’s car drew immediate attention. Heads turned sharply at the sound of a new engine growling across the grounds. All eyes fixed upon the sleek black sports car as it sped gracefully forward before drifting to a perfect stop beside the gathering of racers with almost theatrical finesse.

”We’re here,” Anthony said softly, his tone composed.

Vega simply nodded. With the gentlest touch, her butterfly door swung open skyward. She stepped out of the passenger seat, her heels striking the ground with a crisp, deliberate clank. Even such a mundane action carried an air of poise and elegance.

Without hesitation, she activated her illusion ability. Subtly, her facial features shifted whenever anyone glanced in her direction. The illusion did not diminish her beauty or charm, if anything, her allure remained just as deadly. Only the outward details changed: her hair shimmered with a different color, her eyes reflected a new hue, her face was arranged differently. To any observer, she was simply another breathtaking woman, but not the Vega they might have recognized.

On the other side of the car, Anthony employed a similar strategy. His hair, eyes, and facial structure altered just enough to make him unrecognizable, though his natural aura of confidence and handsomeness remained completely untouched. His appeal could never be dulled, not even by magic or disguise.

As the two of them stepped forward, the atmosphere seemed to shift. Conversations faltered. People stared, stunned into silence. It was as though two angels had descended from the heavens to walk among mortals.

’Young Masters,’ Anthony thought privately, scanning the crowd with faint amusement. Everyone present either sat upon or leaned beside their cars, their postures radiating a sense of entitlement, arrogance, or simple boredom.

Anthony and Vega walked with unhurried calm, their strides steady and elegant. One of the men in the group finally broke from his daze and addressed them. ”You must be new around here. Haven’t seen you before.”

Anthony’s lips curved into a small, polite smile. ”Within this racetrack, I am indeed new,” he admitted smoothly.

”The name is Lorian Blackwood,” he introduced, adopting the old alias he had once used during his adventurer days. To these people, the name ’Anthony’ would be too recognizable, too sacred, almost. The world had long since elevated that name into legend. Using it here would only bring needless stares in his direction.

”This is my girlfriend, Vega,” he added, gesturing gently toward her.

One by one, the rest of the racers introduced themselves. There were fifteen men and four women in total, all gathered here to chase away their boredom by competing. Anthony acknowledged each name with a courteous nod and a faint smile, never losing the calm composure in his eyes.

”We’re just waiting for one more person to arrive,” one of them said, a tall, lean man named Ernest. ”That’ll make twenty. Since you’re here now, you up for joining?”

Anthony chuckled softly. ”Of course. What else would one do at a racetrack if not race?”

”That is true,” another voice chimed in, a woman named Alicia. She chuckled, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.

”But we don’t just race,” Victor added with a sly smile tugging at his lips. His tone carried the weight of a subtle challenge, as though he had already decided Anthony was a naive newcomer to be fleeced. ”We make bets. Of course, if you can’t afford it, you’d best step aside.”

Anthony tilted his head slightly, unfazed. ”What are the stakes, then?” he asked calmly.

”Nothing too much,” Dave, another racer, replied casually. ”Just a hundred million quarks each.”

Anthony didn’t even blink. ”No problem then. A hundred million it is.”

”Hooo... it seems we have a rich one among us,” Alicia remarked, her tone playful as her gaze lingered on Anthony with renewed interest.

”I’ve never heard of the Blackwood family,” Dave muttered, suspicion flickering across his features.

Anthony shook his head, replying evenly, ”The Blackwood family isn’t really a major household, so it’s no surprise you wouldn’t know of it. As for wealth, well, yes, I am rich. But if you truly think you can take money from me, we could raise the stakes even higher.” His calm smirk deepened, his words carrying a subtle bite.

Ernest, the tall racer, smiled faintly, studying Anthony with a keener eye. ”Let’s see how the first race goes before we get ahead of ourselves.”

The group soon began moving toward another section of the grounds where payments were handled. To ensure fairness, they had agreed that all racers would use identical cars with identical specifications. The race would be decided by nothing more than raw driving skill.

At the manager’s table, Anthony and the others each paid half a million quarks to rent their chosen vehicles for the duration of the next few hours. The paperwork was handled swiftly, and keys were distributed.

’I think this is the first time I’ve interacted with people who aren’t truly high up in the cultivation world,’ Anthony reflected quietly.

Most of the people he had crossed paths with in his years were individuals of immense power, people for whom quarks were meaningless, little more than scraps of paper. Such people traded in crystals, artifacts, and treasures of unimaginable worth.

Quarks were beneath their notice. But here, among this group, Anthony was reminded that ”normal” people existed. These were individuals whose lives weren’t chained to cultivation, who had long accepted their limitations and chosen to live within the reality of their talents. They weren’t deluding themselves with grand phrases like ”defying the heavens” or ”bending fate’s hand.” They were simply living.

Anthony exhaled softly and shook his head, dismissing the thought. Dwelling on such things served no purpose.

His gaze shifted instinctively toward Vega. She stood nearby, already engaged in light conversation with some of the other women who had accompanied the racers. Even within her altered appearance, she drew attention like a magnet. The elegance of her posture, the subtle curve of her smile, the way her eyes seemed to shimmer with quiet intelligence, Vega was captivating, no matter the circumstances.