NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60: Bad Driver
Early in the morning, Kael stepped out of Bach's house, followed closely by Milan with her daughter in her arms.
"You're going to Level Up?" Milan asked.
"Yes," Kael nodded as he reached out and gently touched the head of Milan's daughter.
"It's going to be painful," Milan said. "My mother said it felt like she was in hell every time she Levelled Up."
"You feel fear when you're weak, but if you're strong, it becomes a pleasure you need to conquer," Kael smiled as the little girl grabbed his finger.
"Are you saying my mother is weak?" Milan pouted.
"No," Kael chuckled. "She's an admirable person. Maybe if she were here, I would also—"
"Also what?" Bach's voice came from the street. When they turned toward the sound, they saw him pulling up in his vehicle.
"Nothing," Milan quickly said, glaring at Kael.
"Oh, is that so?" Bach stared suspiciously at the two after stepping out of the car.
"It's nothing," Kael added. "Are you letting me borrow your car?"
"Yes," Bach nodded, tossing him the keys. "But that's my baby. If I find out you wrecked it, I'll personally throw you out of my house."
"I'll still stay in your house, even if I wreck it," Kael said shamelessly, leaving the Miner speechless.
"You… unbelievable," Bach shook his head. "Just go. I didn't know you could be so irritating."
"Then I'll drive your baby crazy," Kael grinned at Bach before casting a playful glance at Milan.
When Milan caught Kael's gaze, her face turned red.
"Please don't," Bach muttered under his breath.
"Haha," Kael laughed as he slid into the sleek black car. Once seated, he inserted the key, turned it to the right, and revved the engine in one smooth motion before slamming his foot on the gas.
Bach's "classic" car bolted off into the distance, disappearing around the corner—nearly hitting a pole along the way.
"This guy… he didn't even warm up my car!" Bach's eyes widened, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "Don't tell me he doesn't know how to drive?!"
He couldn't have been more right.
Meanwhile, Milan's face was still red as she recalled what happened just a few hours ago. Something inside her stirred—and all she wanted now was to go to the bathroom and calm down the itch building within her.
…
The White Prime zoomed down the highway in Bach's Mustang-like car—only more futuristic and powerful.
As Kael nearly collided with another vehicle, he twisted the wheel just in time, narrowly avoiding a crash. He let out a sigh of relief—though it didn't last long, as another car was already in his path.
Kael sighed again, heavier this time, and turned the wheel in another direction. Like a man with a death wish, he tore through the highway haphazardly, barely dodging every vehicle that came near him. Each turn was last-second, every near-miss a close call.
Horns blared all around as drivers expressed their anger at the reckless lunatic behind the wheel.
A few tried to catch up, eager to teach him a lesson—but Kael's terrible handling nearly caused another accident. In the end, no one dared follow him.
"Even after a hundred years, I'm still not good at driving," Kael muttered in defeat.
What many people didn't know was that the person they worshipped—the legendary Kael Draven, the strongest human to have ever lived—was actually a terrible driver.
If there were a level below women and Asian drivers, then there was Kael Draven.
He was so bad at driving that the Exo-Primevals and the team behind them had actually banned him from ever touching any kind of wheel—whether a bike, a spaceship, or especially a battleship. That ban came after he nearly wiped out an entire civilization by crashing a planet-sized battleship.
Kael recalled the destruction he'd caused because of his awful driving and couldn't help but feel a little sad. But even so, his love for operating vehicles never died. In fact, the worse his driving got, the more he wanted to drive.
It was like a curse—and Kael was well aware of it, though he couldn't bring himself to stop.
"This is fun," Kael grinned as he pushed his foot harder on the gas.
No longer caring if he caused an accident, Kael enjoyed himself, racing the vehicle toward the destination Trey had sent him through the Status Band.
The car roared down the highway like a devil, and if any other vehicle dared touch his, they'd surely be sent straight to hell.
Kael pulled up the location on the car's map with one hand while using the other to swerve past a massive truck. Horns blared all around, but he ignored them completely.
The place he was headed to was where he would Level Up—and Trey was already waiting for him.
Glancing at the map again, Kael figured it wouldn't be long before he arrived.
And sure enough, after a few more minutes of nearly destroying every vehicle that came near him, he finally reached his destination.
Kael entered a street filled with people going about their day, their suits gleaming in the sunlight. He found a parking spot—and only when he hit a wall did he decide to hit the brakes on Bach's car.
Opening the door, Kael stepped out and checked the damage. Seeing the front hood completely crushed, he just shrugged.
"He should be grateful I didn't wreck the whole car," Kael muttered, even pleased the vehicle was still 80% intact. "Now now, where are you, kid?"
Kael pulled up his Status Band and saw the latest message from Trey, who said he was already at the Level Up Center. Turning off the device, Kael began walking in Trey's direction, completely ignoring a pole with a sign that read:
"NO PARKING."
Kael was now in the center of the city, where Primers frequently visited. This place was officially called the Primers District, though most simply referred to it as the Central District.
The area was packed with towering buildings and businesses that catered to Primers. There were weapon shops where they could buy all sorts of gear, elixir buildings selling potions like Health Elixirs and Stamina Boosters, and even Exoskeleton buildings where one could purchase full-body suits.
This district had everything a Primer could need—and they could find almost anything that might help them survive or grow stronger. But by far, the most popular building here was the Level Up Center, located right at the heart of the district.
Kael didn't need to ask for directions—there were signs everywhere.