My Formula 1 System

After what happened in the Belgian Grand Prix, Luca knew that he really needed to get Spatial Awareness completed fast to prevent an incident like that ever ruining his race again.

Luckily, two days after the race while still in Belgium, the system had given him a Daily Quest in which (1) Catalyst was the only Reward.

The system had not been generous with the Rewards for a very long time. Ever since Luca broke his almost one-year streak of completing Daily Quests in China, he had not been consistent like before.

He didn't see any reason to prioritise the Daily Quests anymore like he did when he began his endeavours with the system. Just like how the system rarely attached Rewards, Punishments were even rare.

This completely changed the narrative of Daily Quests Luca once knew. It suddenly seemed like Daily Adventures rather, since they were endeavours with no risks nor rewards but just things to live through.

Perhaps it depended on how tough the task was. Daily Quests were relatively easy so it was often difficult or high-risk ones that came with Rewards and Punishments.

Luca had thought the difficulty of this Daily Quests would even increase with time and the progress he had made. But it seemed they were even getting easier compared to the gargantuan effort he put in back in S1.

Meditation, sun bathing, yoga, journaling, brisk walking, or deep breathing exercises; Luca had no idea where the system was heading so he chose to carry out some and leave some.

But on a Tuesday, a heavy task came. And since getting Catalysts and Wrenches wasn't a frequent occurrence, Luca practically jubilated.

[Ding!]

[Daily Quest has been issued!]

[-·-COMPLETE 50 KM ARDENNES COBBLESTONE ENDURANCE RIDE-·-]

[DURATION: Complete before 10 PM]

[This will help enhance your endurance, balance, and spatial reflexes, navigating Belgium's historic cobblestone trails.]

[Reward for Completing Tuesday Daily Quest: (Tool)

-(1) Catalyst]

[Consequence for Failing Tuesday Daily Quest: Punishment

-Red Stool]

This quest also felt like a daily adventure in its own way too. It felt this way because Luca had to hop on a bike with full cycling gear of a black helmet and black pads and ride all the way through Ardennes in Belgium, meeting all sorts of people and fellow cyclists on the way.

The trees were gnarled sentinels that followed him through his journey. Their branches were moss-draped, weaving a misty canopy over the cobblestone trails. Sunlight penetrated through and painted the forest floor in a surreal, dappled gold. And the air all around was filled with the scent of earth and life.

But while cycling, Luca understood why and how it was strenuous. 50 km wasn't a small deal. That was 7x longer than Spae-Ferenchal itself and he was cycling it. It brought about burning thighs, a hammering pulse, and sweat stinging his eyes.

Even though, Luca cycled better than others and surged past some cyclists that were even cycling professionally. His Strength and Endurance Attributes had forged him really well so he even left seasoned riders trailing in awe.

Despite the physical demand, Luca pushed through. He cycled faster when he heard the tolling of a bell in the distance. He knew that his completion was near the trail flattened toward the Stavelot's ancient church spire.

Eventually, the GPS pinged completion, and the cobblestones ended at a scenic overlook. Luca took a deep breath and looked down at what he had overcome.

He hopped off the bicycle and stood ready to accept his Reward.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations! Daily Quest Completed!]

[You have been rewarded with tools:

—(1) Catalyst]

Without wasting time, Luca ordered that the Catalyst be used on Spatial Awareness. He pushed his bicycle away afterwards.

[Processing request...]

[Applying 1 Catalyst to Spatial Awareness]

[Spatial Awareness: 10 → 11]

In Belgium, Luca was surprised—at that moment not entirely—to see Mr. Lemaître, now Trampos Racing owner. They had met at the team conference event after the race.

Mr. Lemaître treated Luca to a warm reception and offered him lunch at a stylish five-star restaurant still in Stavelot. It was exactly where Luca headed to after the cycling.

Mr. Lemaître personally expressed his deepest sympathies on what led to Aldo's death and how the Italian Motorsport Community had been treating Luca afterwards.

Luca remembered last season's conclusion and how Mr. Lemaître kept telling him to remain in Trampos, which had then meant to remain in F2 given the previous circumstances.

Watching the man speak, Luca realized that he had just encountered a very pragmatic human being, possibly a Machiavellian, but more mellowed.

Mr. Lemaître had long since known about the intricacies surrounding Aldo's death, one of the few beyond Nevada's higher-ups. But with no proof but the living son of the deceased himself, Mr. Lemaître wanted Luca to progress to Nevada and cause all that havoc.

That was the only way he could bring down one great team from the competition.

Why would he want to do that? Because he was already set to own a huge part of Trampos, and Trampos would have not made it to F1 if not for Nevada's ban.

Mr. Lemaître had then wanted Luca to re-sign for Trampos. If he had, the team wouldn't be where they were in the standings now. And even though they wouldn't be topping, it would definitely be the stepping stone to becoming the greatest F1 team ever with Luca in their roster.

This was Mr. Lemaître's plan to dominate Formula 1 with Trampos, a German team, instead of being one of the 50+ insignificant shareholders in Squadra Corse. But Luca had signed for Jackson Racing in a jiffy.

Mr. Lemaître couldn't blame him. Jackson Racing was the path to success through and through. They were powered by Ferrari, cutting-edge technology, one of the best crew ever seen. The Silver Stallions were a civilisation of their own.

Of course Mr. Lemaître did not tell Luca this and they chatted freely into discussions about F1—the driver rivalries that were growing rapidly especially the one Luca had just forged with DiMarco, Jackson's cutting-edge Ferrari engine tweak, and the bold HiCEs that were about to make their debuts. But Luca himself grew gradual self-intelligence on the issue.

This made Luca wonder if there was another competition and rivalry going on off the track that had nothing to do with the drivers themselves. Not even the team—but the owners, shareholders, and those steering the management's helm.

For Mr. Lemaître to desire huge power like this, it meant he had rivals he hoped to look down on and even rivals that would want to do the same.

Luca didn't want to get entangled in anything that had nothing to do with his career, but it seemed he was already, considering Mr. Lemaître's huge interest in him. This made Luca recall past engagements with men of power and he remembered Daniel Kingston and Mr. Marchetti.