ushernet Chapter 125 Fall! FALL!
Chapter 125 Fall! FALL!
Hugo's legs were screaming at him, his muscles burning as he pedaled furiously on his clunky, rented bicycle.
Every rotation of the chain sounded like an ancient door creaking open, and the bike itself rattled so much it felt like it might shake apart beneath him.
"This bike!" Hugo grumbled, glaring down at the offending piece of junk as he pushed harder on the pedals.
"This thing was probably built in the Stone Age! How is it even still holding together? Meanwhile, Lisa's over there riding a bike that looks like it was handcrafted by NASA!"
He glanced ahead, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Lisa's sleek, aerodynamic frame zipping gracefully down the track.
Her bike seemed to glide effortlessly over every bump and crack, as if the potholes simply didn't exist for her.
"Oh sure, Lisa," Hugo muttered to himself, "just ride your fancy two-wheeled chariot of perfection. Meanwhile, I'm here on the 'bike of doom,' rattling my way to an early grave. This is fine. Totally fine."
Up ahead, the track twisted into a sharp turn—a turn Hugo had been dreading since the race began.
The uneven asphalt was littered with potholes, some small enough to barely notice, others big enough to swallow a bike tire whole.
The memory of his earlier crash replayed in his mind, and he shuddered.
'Okay, Hugo. This is it. Don't mess this up again. Falling here would literally mean death. The System would probably laugh before deleting me.'
He narrowed his eyes, focusing as hard as he could. Every pothole, every crack in the asphalt, felt like it was staring back at him, daring him to make one wrong move.
"Alright, stay calm," he muttered. "Left... right... avoid that one... don't die..."
As he reached the worst section of the turn, Hugo activated his Aura of Zen.
A strange, calming sensation washed over him, dulling the noise of his racing thoughts and sharpening his focus.
For a few precious seconds, he was in the zone, his movements smooth and precise.
He weaved through the treacherous section of the turn like a pro, narrowly avoiding disaster at every twist and bump.
By the time he reached the other side, his heart was pounding, but his bike was still upright.
"Yes!" he cheered, a victorious grin spreading across his face. "Take that, potholes! Not today!"
Before he could finish, the track sloped downward slightly, giving both riders a burst of speed. Hugo's bike rattled so violently it felt like it might launch him into orbit.
"AHHHH!" he screamed, clinging to the handlebars for dear life. "Why is this happening? Why does everything hate me?!"
The finish line for the first lap was coming up fast, but Lisa showed no signs of slowing down. Hugo gritted his teeth, forcing himself to push harder.
His legs felt like jelly, his lungs were on fire, and his entire body screamed for him to stop, but he refused to give up.
"Come on," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Just a little more... just a little—"
Lisa crossed the line first, her victory lap already beginning. Hugo followed seconds later, wheezing like an old vacuum cleaner.
But just as he crossed the line, his bike made the worst sound yet—a loud, metallic CLUNK.
The handlebars wobbled violently, and the entire frame shuddered like it was about to collapse.
"Oh, come on!" Hugo yelled, his voice full of frustration and panic. "What now?!"
Lisa, now pedalling ahead with a smug grin, turned to glance back at him. "Having trouble back there, babe?"
Hugo glared at her, his hands white-knuckled on the handlebars. "Don't... even... start."
But deep down, he knew the second lap was going to be even harder. His bike was falling apart, his energy was almost gone, and Lisa was still annoyingly perfect.
Still, Hugo wasn't about to quit. Not yet. Not until the race was over—and maybe not even then.
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