After taking the train home yesterday and resting up, Dream Weaver had planned to head straight into her next script mission as soon as school ended today.
That's why she had politely turned down Orfevre's invitation to go see a fashion exhibition—after all, Dream Weaver had more important things to focus on right now.
Just when she thought the school day was about to wind down uneventfully, she never expected that Mejiro Ardan would suddenly rush up to her and pour out words of encouragement, saying she wanted to see Dream Weaver run on the track.
Of course, Dream Weaver had a good idea what was really going on, but she didn't call her out on it. Instead, she simply responded as if humoring an eager fan, solemnly making a promise to Mejiro Ardan.
Right there in front of everyone, Mejiro Ardan—who had just acted like an overexcited supporter—felt her heart racing wildly after receiving Dream Weaver's reply.
In that moment, it didn't even cross her mind what a huge stir her actions would cause the next day at Tracen Academy. With a trembling voice, she just softly said to Dream Weaver:
"Thank you…"
Dream Weaver smiled and nodded, then turned and walked off, waving as she went.
On the train ride home, Dream Weaver pulled up the system shop interface in her mind as usual.
Before diving into the next script world, she wanted to check out the special items unlocked after completing her last mission.
She smoothly scrolled to the bottom of the list and, sure enough, spotted two unlocked L-Point items.
--+--
[Wolf King's Claws]
[Description: The black gloves of the Wolf King, revered by the wolves in the shadows. They symbolize her triumph over inner demons, and perhaps even her breaking free from a predetermined fate to reach her own peak.
Carrying them might boost your performance in tomorrow's race.]
[Note: "..." — The Uma Musume with golden wolf eyes silently watches you.]
--+--
"Narita Brian, huh…"
"Could be a good rival."
Dream Weaver murmured softly while looking at the special item.
But Narita Brian hadn't shown up around her at all today—maybe she didn't carry memories from that other world.
After exchanging points for the item, Dream Weaver turned her attention to the next one.
--+--
[Glass Wind Chime]
[Description: There was once an Uma Musume known as "Glass," who stepped onto the track seeking a moment of brilliance, yet never achieved the radiance she longed for before retiring.
But through some miracle, she regained the power to hear the wind again. This glass wind chime may one day turn into a true diamond.
The clear, gentle ringing as the wind passes is like a mother's lullaby, perhaps able to soothe the spirit slightly.]
[Note: "To all that is free—I hope you, too, can find your own freedom." — The Uma Musume gazing at the blue bird in the sky whispered.]
--+--
"From glass… to diamond, is it?"
"I'd love to see you shine brightly on the track one day."
Dream Weaver spoke softly while looking at the item called Glass Wind Chime.
She didn't know if the real Mejiro Ardan still had glass-like fragility in her legs, but after hearing the experiences of the Kasamatsu Uma Musume, Dream Weaver wanted to believe that in this reality, they could all have a brighter future.
After exchanging points for both items, Dream Weaver's remaining SP settled at 77,995.
It still wasn't a round number, but between 7 and 5, she definitely preferred 5.
Then she switched the interface over to her status screen and blinked as she looked over her skills.
After a night of rest and reflection, Dream Weaver had made up her mind.
Without any hesitation, she spoke inwardly:
"System, use Skill Awakening Scroll on the skill Phoenix."
[Used.]
As the cold, mechanical voice echoed in her mind, a translucent blue screen instantly appeared before her eyes.
--+--
[Phoenix (Blue) → Nirvana (Purple)]
[Effect: A phoenix reborn from flames will only grow stronger—how much of this mythical, death-defying power can an ordinary person grasp?
After this skill is acquired, when an Uma Musume's stamina is completely exhausted, the bonus provided by Guts will increase significantly.
If the heat of battle on the track grows intense enough, Nirvana can be triggered.]
--+--
Now this was a purple-tier skill. Once Phoenix evolved into Nirvana, its effect was no longer limited to a one-time final burst.
The permanent Guts boost was substantially enhanced, which greatly benefited Dream Weaver, who already possessed crown-level Guts.
Not to mention, under specific conditions, it could also trigger a hidden effect called Nirvana.
"Such pure strength."
Even Dream Weaver couldn't help but marvel inwardly. Every purple skill she possessed was incredibly powerful, but most were either constant buffs like Intuition or burst effects like Kindling Flame.
Nirvana was the first purple skill that truly offered both a solid baseline and a raised ceiling.
With this upgrade, Dream Weaver felt much more confident about the upcoming script mission.
But after all her preparations, she didn't rush to start the script right away. Instead, she sat on the train and waited for her stop.
Last time had taught her a clear lesson: after the mental exhaustion following a script mission, it was definitely better to rest immediately.
Yesterday, overthinking on the train plus the energy spent walking home had nearly made her late for school again today.
Dream Weaver quietly waited until her stop near home, exited the station, and followed the familiar, well-worn path back to the shabby little apartment.
"My, our Dream-chan looks quite cheerful today. Did something good happen?"
The dorm manager, who'd been waiting for some time, set down what she was doing and smiled at Dream Weaver by the entrance.
"Do I?"
Dream Weaver touched her cheek, not feeling particularly different from usual, but she smiled back and said:
"Maybe it's because something important might work out after all."
"Well, you must do your best then. Opportunities like that don't come often."
The manager didn't know what exactly Dream Weaver was referring to, but as always, she offered her blessings.
"I will."
Dream Weaver nodded with a smile, then stepped past her and headed toward her room.
"Dream-chan, if something good has happened, we ought to celebrate! Tomorrow, I'll buy some extra ingredients, and we can all celebrate together in the apartment."
Behind her, the manager called out warmly.
Dream Weaver turned back and gave a firm nod.
"Tomorrow—this time tomorrow, I'll definitely be back."
After saying goodbye to the manager, Dream Weaver opened her door, entered her room, and walked over to her neatly made bed. Under the dim, warm glow of the lamp, she murmured:
"System, use Stage Pass."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.