On the train ride back, Dream Weaver stood holding the railing, silently watching the fleeting lights streak past the window.
Though she was reluctant to admit it, she had actually nursed some foolish hopes for this festival.
Perhaps, in this late summer celebration, she might find that unique longing she held for this special season.
But reality never lives up to imagination. Today, everyone Dream Weaver saw and encountered—including the friends she'd made in the script worlds—could all throw themselves into the festival without hesitation, embracing joy without any burden.
Yet Dream Weaver found herself unable to join in. Whether it was watching Gold Ship clowning around from shop to shop or seeing her friends gathered on stage performing, she felt out of place, unable to blend in.
That's why she quietly slipped away amid the cheering crowds.
She realized she could no longer quite grasp that carefree, unburdened sense of happiness.
The path to exchanging the Hope Gem was already half complete, yet Dream Weaver felt its presence weighing on her more heavily than ever before.
The initial 100,000 points had been a somewhat distant, abstract goal; the Triple Crown title was an achievement beyond her imagination.
But now, with the goal so close—points nearly halfway there, and two of the three crowns already won—the hope felt almost tangible, and it stirred a restless anxiety within her.
What if she could enter another script? Maybe this time she could win the Triple Crown. Maybe this time the main quest rewards would be astonishingly generous, and she could gather enough points.
Thoughts like these swirled in her mind, making it impossible for her to find even a sliver of joy in the festival.
Even her original goal of uncovering the truth from Gold Ship lost its urgency amid this inexplicable melancholy.
Compared to figuring out what really happened, saving up for the Hope Gem clearly took priority. Interpersonal issues could always be dealt with later, but in the pursuit of hope, even a moment's hesitation felt shameful.
"Just a little longer," Dream Weaver murmured to herself, leaning against the railing. She rearranged her priorities once again.
What mattered now was meeting the conditions to exchange for the Hope Gem. What mattered was the script quests. Relaxation could wait until everything was over—she repeated this to herself again and again.
Lost in her scattered thoughts, she hardly noticed as the train soon arrived at her stop. Dream Weaver shouldered her backpack and counted her steps along the familiar route home.
Flicking on the dim yellow light, she tossed her backpack beside the desk. She didn't feel like eating, so she simply sat on the edge of her bed and called out inwardly:
'System.'
As soon as the thought formed, that familiar translucent blue screen materialized before her eyes.
--+--
[Uma Musume Training System — Status]
Character: Dream Weaver
Speed: B [Elite Class] [Limit Break]
Stamina: D+ [Rookie Class]
Power: B [Elite Class] [Locked]
Guts: A [Legendary Class] [Limit Break]
Wit: D [Rookie Class]
Affinity: Turf A, Dirt C
Zone: [Cursed Blade/Murasame]
Skills: Intuition (Purple), Phoenix (Blue), Endurance (White), Kindling Flame (Purple)
--+--
For an Uma Musume who had just debuted, these stats were undeniably impressive. Two B-rank attributes and one A-rank, plus multiple skills and a Zone ability—at this point, Dream Weaver was absolutely confident she could win the limited G1 races in the latter half of the year.
But that had never been her goal. The championship she pursued had always been one thing: the Triple Crown.
So when she compared these stats to those she had when winning the Japanese Derby in the script world, the difference made her frown.
She knew that with time, all these attributes could be trained up—especially her Speed after the breakthrough. If she trained from now until the end of May, she would undoubtedly be stronger than she was during that Derby.
Dream Weaver patted her cheeks, using the sting to shake off her subconscious anxiety. Based on her past experiences with script quests, she should still have some time to train her attributes.
After calming herself slightly, she switched the system interface to her inventory. Seeing the Skill Upgrade Ticket inside, she gave a slight nod. It was a reward from the last script world's completion, and now was the time to use it.
Without hesitation, she applied it to the only skill that could be upgraded.
'System, use the Skill Upgrade Ticket on Endurance.'
The moment she spoke, another blue translucent screen flashed before her eyes.
--+--
[Endurance (White) → Pilgrimage of Pain (Blue)]
[Description: Tear and heal—growth is achieved through pain, again and again. In pursuit of greater strength, Uma Musume undergo this cycle countless times.
This skill significantly increases pain tolerance. If the pain exceeds endurance limits, it slightly boosts Stamina.]
--+--
Trading extreme pain for increased stamina? Dream Weaver studied the upgraded skill—now called Pilgrimage of Pain—and nodded thoughtfully.
She returned to the status screen, silently reviewing her skills.
Intuition allowed her to read the flow of a race and find a path to victory, while the hidden Tokyo Swift provided attribute boosts in specific scenarios.
These two skills operated relatively independently. The others, however, were different.
Phoenix granted a brief burst of energy after the second wind, just as true exhaustion set in. Pilgrimage of Pain, according to its description, would trigger an instant before Phoenix, boosting Stamina. Following that, Kindling Flame could push her abilities to the limit in a final, desperate surge.
The sequential activation of these three skills would give Dream Weaver a powerful finishing kick in the final stretch of a race—a burst that might even rival Orfevre's during the Japanese Derby.
Combined with the pressure from her Zone, Murasame, and the attribute-boosting items she possessed for specific situations, if she could train all her stats to their limits, she would be confident she could stand against any Uma Musume.
Having confirmed her status, Dream Weaver slowly closed her eyes and whispered:
'System, use the Stage Pass.'
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.