Log in. And I'm...not logging in. What's going on?

Oh, the server is still updating. Yay. Let's see what's going on over on the webpage. 

Hey, they are talking about the "event".

The 3rd official event is now live! Buckle up for the "DUNGEON GRAND PRIX"!!

• The Dungeon Grand Prix is a racing event that uses several Dungeons as the race course. Compete in as many races as possible and earn high scores to invest in rewards after the event period is over! 
• All players have 3 days to obtain an available vehicle to participate in the race period. No late entries are allowed. 
• 7 days will be dedicated to races, where each participating team with a vehicle can challenge 1 race per day. The challenged Dungeon is randomly decided on the day. Each team can participate in at most 5 races. 
• Fights, traps, and treasures can be found in the Dungeons, and the more one competes in the Dungeon's "activities", the higher the team's score. 
• Of course, getting to first place is still worth a lot of points, but in this race, speed isn't everything. 
• The teams who get the highest scores in each Dungeon will get bonus rewards after the end of the event period.
• Migrants! Show that you're as fearless in the face of speed as you are in the face of death!!

This is gonna get the others into a jiffy. And there's even a countdown for when the update's done. Great. Let's kill some time outdoors for once. Strange thing is, I've been feeling the need to be more active after starting to play NFO. Huh, who knew VRMMO could be so stimulating?

---

Later, I managed to log in and found the other members of the Darkland Walkers waiting for me at the frontier town in the Blastfields. 

"Garami, did you read the news!?" - Black Bone

"I didn't need to. I helped create the news." - Garami

"UGH! We have to invade the Darkland Fort?" - Black Bone

"Yes, we are dead." - Aino

"A knight should NOT invade his own fort!" - Palug

"Eh, it's my fort, and relax, you guys. I have all the info about the place in my head. It'll be easy to steer clear of the dangers. It's a race, after all. Not a raid." - Garami

"That makes things easier...I think?" - Black Bone

"Stop thinking about the difficulties and start thinking about how to get some wheels. The deadline is 3 days, and we need a lean, mean, monster machine if we want to win this race." - Garami

"I didn't pick you for the racing fan." - Aino

"I'm not. ...Okay, so I am, but I got a preview of the event rewards. And they include various facilities for the Dungeon." - Garami

"You're aiming for something big, aren't you?" - Black Bone

"And if you guys help me, I'll allow a Dungeon Zone to each of you." - Garami

"Say what now?" - Black Bone

I gave the three a brief run-down of the new function I found for the Darkland Fort. It's possible to take over free land around the Dungeon and turn them into Dungeon Zones. They are sorta like outside Dungeon Floors. The big difference is that a Floor can have multiple facilities on it, while a Zone is based around a single "Zone Facility" that is selected upon the Zone's construction.

"Some Zones can even be non-combat areas. And depending on the Zone Facility, who knows what crazy stuff you can get." - Garami

"And you're saying you'll let us command 1 such 'zone' each?" - Palug

"Precisely. Remember those ninja vampires? I've been promised a contract with them if I can get them a ninja mansion Zone." - Garami

"Wait, other people can command those Zone-thingies?!" - Black Bone

"Sure. Think of them as sub-Dungeons, which would make you guys the sub-Dungeon Masters. Heck, Bones could build a graveyard with all the undead girls he'd like." - Garami

"And they would serve my every command?!" - Black Bone

"If the facility the Zone's built on allows it. And let me warn you, I've got no clue if your desired Zone Facility exists or not." - Garami

"If it is to obtain my beautiful harem atelier, I will go to hell and back to gather the materials needed to unlock that dream Zone!" - Aino

"I second that, sister!!" - Black Bone

"Hmm, my long sought-after rabbit knighthood could be a possibility..." - Palug

Great. I've got their attention on the hook, line, and even the sinker. 

"But back to the main question: you guys know any car specialists around here?" - Garami

"Not me." - Black Bone

"...Drats! Tylin said she can't help! She must already have been recruited by a team." - Aino

Tylin...Tylin..., oh. The loli Dwarf I met during the 1st event. Tch, that's a downer. I doubt Grus knows how to make automatic vehicles.

"I know a player who can help." - Palug

"That's what I'm talking about! Lucky rabbit, where is our man?" - Garami

"Never call me 'lucky rabbit' ever again, and I will take you to him." - Palug

---

We left the Blastlands and headed for the port town of Barataria, the town I used to operate in before going Dungeon material hunting. Palug has already visited this city, along with practically every other large city in the Umbral country, so we didn't have to wait for him.

But our time in town was cut short as we were heading out again immediately. Following Palug, we crossed the plain fields without engaging in combat with the demonic beasts, and soon, we reached a hill-type field known as the "Coeurl Labyrinth".

There is nothing much about this area. Lots of hills, enough to make a natural labyrinth, but it is easy to climb over the "walls", so the name is a little overrated. The monsters we discovered here are large, feline demonic beasts, but they don't seem too keen on attacking us, so we took a little distance from them as we moved on. 

"Are we there yet? My feet are killing me!" - Aino

"Just a little longer." - Palug

"Bones! Please tell me you can summon a necro horsey!" - Aino

"No blueprints for that, o spoiled princess. And the sun's too strong here for my summons." - Black Bone

"Then, Garami-!" - Aino

"If I had a rideable demon, I'd have brought it out before the first hill." - Garami

Honestly, I wish I had one. The rules for the event say that if you fall out of your vehicle, that player is disqualified from that race, but summoning a new ride and jumping onto it before one hits the ground allows you to stay in the game. 

Meaning, if Bones or I could fulfill Aino's wishes now, we would also have had an advantage in the race. What a pity. 

"We're here." - Palug

After crossing who-knows-how-many hills, we finally reached the place Palug was talking about. This is..., is this a race court? 

Long roads made outta asphalt had been placed around the hills. Seeing the burn marks from car wheels, I'd suspect its purpose is to be a test-.

*VROOO-BOOOOM!!*

Test...course... Wow. That's one heck of an explosion. 

"Err..., should we go and help?" - Black Bone

"No need. The idiot has a portable respawning item in his shack." - Palug

Shack? Oh, the building that's close to the road. I couldn't see it at first due to the large walls around it. They must be there to prevent the cars..., or whatever that's racing on those tracks, from crashing into the house. Or should I say the "pit stop"? It looks sorta like that when you take the rest of this area into the equation.

*Knock, knock*

"Hold on! I'm coming!" - ???

Palug didn't waste any time knocking on the door, and soon after, a...hold on. What did just come out now?

"Palug! Why are you here? And accompanied with some walking bones and-, o-la-la~. Ladies, it's a pleasure~." - ???

"Eh..." - Garami

"Oho~." - Aino

"Why am I the only one getting such lousy treatment?!" - Black Bone

Each of us reacted differently to the slime's first sentence. I guess he's a ladies' slime?

"Everyone, this is Rolf-Prix, a racing enthusiast who often requests me to locate and deliver rare materials for his speed demons." - Palug

"Call me Rolf! Glad to meetcha! Especially the ladies!" - Rolf-Prix

The racing fan greeted us (Aino and me) with a cheerful voice. But, I'm not sure how to react. 

I mean, he's a slime. A grey-colored slime, a little metallic even, wearing a toolbelt and goggles. He's pretty small, not even reaching my knee. 

"Are you sure we're at the right place?" - Garami

"Of course I am. Rolf is the best, eccentric driver and mechanic one can find." - Palug

"I cannot deny that I'm the best or the most eccentric~." - Rolf-Prix

"Is that something you should be proud of?" - Garami

"She's talking about the last part." - Black Bone

The slime only shrugged with its two tentacles. That's sorta impressive. A post on the BBS said that using non-human avatars is extremely difficult, especially the slime types.

"What is this place anyway?" - Aino

"This here? It's my Personal Base. It cost me a lot of time and Sols, but I finally finished my haven for motor racing, here hidden in this no-man's land known as the Coeurl Labyrinth! I wished there were more girls nearby, outside the feline females..." - Rolf-Prix

Is this some sort of gigantic upgrade of a Player Room? That's quite nice. I wonder if the Fort can become something like this for my Player Room in the future.

"And now it's my turn to be asking the questions. Why are you guys here? I don't mind the girls visiting...but seriously, why are you on a trip into this no-man's land?" - Rolf-Prix

"To see you. We need a vehicle for the upcoming race." - Palug

"Unless that was the explosion from before." - Black Bone

"That? Nah, that was a prototype I used to test out a new type of fuel I tried to develop. It got too much of a kick to be used for a magitech vehicle, so that's a no-go. But maybe it could be used for some explosives..." - Rolf-Prix

"Earth to Rolf. Do you have anything we can use or not?" - Palug

"Sure I have! What are you taking me for? But there are two problems you need to solve before you can run that baby in the race." - Rolf-Prix

"And those are...?" - Garami

"First: convince me to let you a bunch of random strangers, except for you Palug, ride one of my masterpieces!" - Rolf-Prix

"Someone is acting like a big-shot..." - Black Bone

"He has a reason to do so. While he is far from famous like other crafters, Rolf is also a talented blacksmith." - Palug

"You got to be joking with me! This squishy little guy? A blacksmith?" - Black Bone

"Hehe~. Not having pain sensors helps when dealing with scorching hot metal~." - Rolf-Prix

But won't you still take damage from the heat...? Ah, whatever. This guy is turning out to be quite the hidden joker. In a lot of ways. 

"Okay..., blah-blah, Dungeon Zones, yadda-yadda." - Garami

"PLEASE MAKE USE OF MY MASTERPIECE, YOUR HIGHNESS!!" - Rolf-Prix

And the slime is kowtowing. Sucker. 

"But you will have to officially join my Guild and contribute. Not only with transportation but also with your crafting abilities." - Garami

"No worries there! I was looking for a sponsor anyway." - Rolf-Prix

Nice. I love a successful session of headhunting. It would be perfect if he turned out to be a tank with that metal slime body of his, but even the two points I mentioned alone are golden reasons why I should try to recruit him. Plus, Aino seems to be liking this guy. She's been sagely nodding to Rolf's words almost all this time now.

"I guess I won't be needing this stinking old place anymore," said the slime as he took out a red self-destruct button-, HOLD ON THERE!

"Stop, you idiot!" said Bones as he hurriedly grabbed the remote before the slime could press the button.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" - Rolf-Prix

"There is no need to be so dramatic about it!" - Black Bone

"Also, I can't make the Dungeon Zones right away. We need to wait until after the event, and there's also the need for obtaining materials that let us create a facility for the type of Zone you wish for." - Garami

"Aw, come on! And here I dreamed of a proper self-destruction sequence." - Rolf-Prix

What is up with this guy? Is he a romantic villain or something?

"Let's get back on track. You mentioned something about problem number 2?" - Aino

"Oh, right. That one is divided into two, no, three parts. The first two are to gather some materials and fuel for the ride." - Rolf-Prix

"Didn't you say that your 'masterpiece' is already finished?" - Garami

"It is, but to win this race, it needs upgrades! Power-ups! Gattling guns!" - Rolf-Prix

Ooh~, I like those ideas~.

"Now, now. There is no need to resort to dirty-" - Palug

"Approved!" - Garami & Black Bone

"YES!" - Rolf-Prix

"Huh!?" - Palug

It isn't a race if you don't have any dirty tricks hidden up your sleeve.

"And what is the second condition?" - Garami

"Oh, boy. GM¹Guild Master, this may be the most important of them all if we're to win this event..." - Rolf-Prix

Now, this is a racing expert. His eyes are already locked onto that gold trophy and rearing to start!

"And that is?" - Garami

"Pit girls!!" - Rolf-Prix

...No. He's just an idiot.