The warm sensation in her hand vanished abruptly, and the dazzling light before her eyes dissolved into the cool glow of moonlight in an instant. Dream Weaver instinctively looked up at the night sky, taking in the scattered stars, and knew she had returned to the real world.
That was pretty sudden, but still...
"System, I take back what I said about you being cruel."
She was actually quite happy—at least the system had let her exchange those final few words with King Halo.
The system gave no response to Dream Weaver's remark.
Not that she minded. She believed her comforting words must have eased King Halo's sense of guilt. She truly hoped King Halo would find happiness in the life ahead.
Smiling to herself, she made to walk away.
But the moment Dream Weaver took a step, her body—unaccustomed to its new agility—betrayed her. She stumbled and fell, right there on the flat ground.
"Ugh…"
She'd forgotten her Speed stat had been raised to B-rank. Who would've thought her first defeat back in the real world would be like this? Well, floor, you win this round!
Sitting on the ground, Dream Weaver glanced around. Thankfully, no one was nearby.
Acting as though nothing had happened, she brushed herself off and stood up.
'Just gotta be careful on the way home,' she told herself silently.
That little mishap didn't dampen her mood one bit.
Not just because she got to talk to King Halo, but also because she saw how Narita Top Road and the others had come to visit her. Knowing there were still people in this world who cared about her—no matter what—was enough to make her happy.
Being cared for, being loved… Even though she was back in the real world, and even though she knew these precious memories would have to remain locked in her heart, nothing could take away the joy she felt in this moment.
"Hmm hmm hmm—"
Even while carefully minding her steps, Dream Weaver soon reached the entrance of her apartment building.
Calling it an apartment was a bit of an exaggeration—what stood before her was just a shabby two-story building.
"Oh my! Little Dream, you're back?"
At the entrance was a small room where the dorm manager, an elderly woman, lived. She smiled warmly as soon as she saw Dream Weaver.
"I'm back!"
In her cheerful mood, Dream Weaver's reply was bright and lively. The dorm manager didn't know anything about the stories she'd experienced, but she clearly had her own ideas.
"We all watched your debut race! You were amazing, little Dream!"
As she spoke, she pulled a piece of candy from her apron pocket and handed it to Dream Weaver.
As the only young person living in the building, Dream Weaver was quite popular.
She was the only one aside from the manager who didn't have to worry about a terminal illness. Just watching her run seemed to fill everyone with a bit of vitality.
Yes, this run-down building near the hospital wasn't just home to ordinary patients.
The people living here were all battling incurable diseases, clinging to life. Even if they couldn't afford hospital fees, they wanted to stay somewhere close to medical care.
That was also why the rent was so cheap—partly due to the manager's kindness, and partly because the place was considered unlucky, steeped in the aura of death. Most people wouldn't choose to live here.
Dream Weaver accepted the candy, but before she could say anything, the beaming manager patted her on the shoulder and said:
"You must be exhausted after running all day. Go on up and get some rest."
"Mmhmm."
With the candy already in her mouth, Dream Weaver could only nod in response.
She passed through the entrance and climbed up to the second floor using the worn-out handrail. Stopping at the first door, she fished her keys out of her backpack, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
The room was just as she remembered: the edges of the yellowed wallpaper curled slightly, showing its age, but the walls and floor were spotless.
On the faded old tea table lay her training notes. The worn wardrobe door was shut tight. The narrow single bed was made with a faded but neatly pressed blue-checked bedsheet, and a neatly folded old towel lay beside the pillow.
"Home again."
In the real world, Dream Weaver had only been out to run her debut race.
But to her, it felt like she had lived nearly ten years in the story world. As Dancing Brave's daughter, she had almost forgotten what it was like to be weighed down by money worries.
The milk candy in her mouth was almost too sweet. A faint aroma of rice and miso drifted through the air. Following the scent, Dream Weaver noticed half a bowl of rice and some miso soup left in the kitchen.
The smell triggered old memories, and she suddenly recalled—that must have been the breakfast she'd prepared because she had to go straight to her debut race and couldn't drop by the Tracen cafeteria. It was also meant to be her dinner.
Right on cue, her stomach let out a low grumble. The excitement had temporarily masked her hunger, but now the candy and the smell of food made it impossible to ignore.
When was the last time she ate in the real world? Probably the meal provided for racers during the event.
Well, no use dwelling on it. Time to eat. Dream Weaver let out a long breath, brought the rice and soup over to the old tea table, and set her backpack down on the cushion beside it.
Most people around here seemed to prefer cold rice. She wouldn't judge their tastes, but she herself preferred warm food.
There was no microwave in the room, though, and she was too hungry to bother heating it up on the stove. Instead, she poured the soup over the rice and gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.
The chilled miso soup was unbearably salty, and the clumps of rice, still firm and cold, stuck in her throat uncomfortably.
Luckily, she still had half a bottle of water left from the race. She pulled it from her backpack and drank it down in one go—at least she didn't have to resort to tap water.
The solid feeling in her stomach finally eased her hunger.
"After paying the medical fees, how much do I have left?" she muttered to herself, rummaging through her backpack.
She pulled out a much thinner envelope. She didn't feel particularly discouraged—this was something she was used to.
The story world had been a beautiful dream. The precious memories and happiness it gave her wouldn't change.
But now it was time to face reality.
"Guess I'll have to find another race to enter. I think I wrote down some events in my training notes… Oh, and I'll need to get used to my body's coordination too…"
Completing the main quest wasn't the end—for Dream Weaver, it was only the beginning.
Under the flickering dim light in the quiet room, her shadow wavered between light and dark. She sat at that old tea table, just like always, thinking about the future.
--+--
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.