That familiar ceiling… wait, no. Dream Weaver shook her head at the fleeting scenes before her eyes.
This time, she hadn't entered the script world from home.
Instead, she'd seized the moment when the train was empty to use the stage ticket.
"Gotta pull myself together a bit," she muttered to herself, lightly patting her cheeks to sharpen her focus.
If it weren't for the mental exhaustion that always followed completing a script mission, Dream Weaver would have jumped straight into the next one.
She was so close to saving her mother—just one step away. Having just made a vow before her mother's portrait, how could she possibly wait?
But before that, she wanted to tally her gains from this latest script. Even though she knew she was nearing her goal, she still craved the certainty of seeing the exact numbers.
She glanced around. The train was still empty, so she settled into a random seat. Savoring this rare moment of relaxation, she quietly summoned the system interface in her mind.
At the same time, she recalled her remaining points from before.
"After finishing T.M. Opera O's script world, I had a little over forty thousand points left."
"I spent a couple points exchanging for that special item, but such a small amount isn't even worth counting."
Once she'd confirmed her previous total, she focused her gaze ahead, mentally counting the digits in the lower right corner of the city interface.
After double-checking several times, she let out a relieved sigh. Unable to contain her excitement, she clenched her fists and whispered,
"77,900 SP!"
The completion requirement for this script's main task had been to win both the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho victories. Matching the sharply increased difficulty, the points reward had also jumped significantly—a full fifteen thousand points.
Combined with the ten thousand points from the two phase tasks and another ten thousand for the S-rank evaluation, Dream Weaver's total points had soared to an unprecedented 77,900-plus.
This was the real final stretch.
Based on the pattern of rewards from previous script worlds, one more mission would definitely push her past the 100,000-point mark.
Even though she'd known she was close, seeing the numbers still made her heart surge with excitement.
She'd even worried that the points from one more script might still leave her just short, but now the numbers told her she didn't need to fret anymore. One more mission, and she would surely reach 100,000 points.
And more importantly, this time she'd unlocked the Proof of Spring and Autumn, her first real contact with an item of this type. If things continued like this...
"Maybe the next main mission's reward will be the Proof of Triple Crown."
The thought made her even more exhilarated. A goal that had once felt impossibly distant now seemed within reach.
It made waiting even harder. If not for the overwhelming mental fatigue, she'd have started another script mission right then and there.
But she knew better. Entering a script world in this state was out of the question.
After all, last time she'd skipped the first two legs of the Triple Crown right at the start, proving that script worlds don't always give you ample training time.
What if she started a new mission and found herself already on the track, only to lose because she was too tired to focus?
"Calm down... calm down..."
She patted her cheeks again, forcing herself to steady her nerves. She knew better than anyone that the closer you are to your goal, the more important it is not to rush.
"Anyway, I need to find something to distract myself."
She murmured this, then remembered the S-rank evaluation reward.
Unlike previous skill upgrades, the S-rank reward was a Skill Awakening Scroll, capable of elevating a blue-tier skill to purple. And the power of a purple-tier skill was undeniable.
Whether it was Tokyo Swift, which no longer appeared on her stat panel, the always-guiding Intuition, or Kindling Flame, which gave her that final burst of strength—each one had carried her further down the path to victory.
And now, Dream Weaver had a chance to obtain another purple skill. Whichever skill she upgraded would surely provide tremendous help.
Thinking this, she quietly switched the interface to her stat panel.
--+--
[Uma Musume Training System — Stat Panel]
Character: Dream Weaver
Speed: B [Elite] [Limit Broken]
Stamina: S+ [Crown] → B [Elite] [Locked]
Power: B [Elite] [Locked]
Guts: A [Legendary] [Limit Broken]
Wit: D [Rookie]
Surface Affinity: Turf A, Dirt C
Domain: [Cursed Blade/Murasame]
Skills: Intuition (Purple), Phoenix (Blue), Pilgrimage of Pain (Blue), Kindling Flame (Purple)
--+--
To possess such fearsome stats in her debut year—if she continued training in the real world, Dream Weaver would almost be a lock for the first two jewels of the Triple Crown.
But a Triple Crown achieved that way felt too slow for her now. She'd rather achieve it within a script world.
After all, the Proof of Spring & Autumn was a main mission reward. There was no guarantee that winning a real-world Triple Crown would yield the same prize.
But that wasn't her main focus right now. Dream Weaver had opened her panel with those two blue skills in mind.
Pilgrimage of Pain had been a huge help in the script world she'd just completed. Without it, she might not have been able to push through the pain that surpassed even the old curses.
Its ability to significantly boost pain tolerance and slightly increase stamina when pushed beyond her limits made it an extremely practical counter-type skill.
But compared to upgrading Pilgrimage of Pain, the other skill seemed even more crucial.
That was the blue-tier skill, Phoenix. This skill had helped her just as much, if not more.
When her body reached its limit, it allowed her to briefly return to her peak condition.
Though it only lasted a few seconds, that window was nothing to scoff at.
Its only drawback was that the duration shortened as her physical strength improved. Against T.M. Opera O, she'd had three seconds. But against Narita Brian, she'd had less than one.
If her physical stats improved further, surpassing even her previous script self, how much help could this skill truly offer then?
Just as Dream Weaver was lost in these thoughts, a all-too-familiar voice sounded in her ears.
"We have now arrived. Please exit in an orderly manner, allowing passengers to disembark first."
Hearing the announcement, Dream Weaver shook her head and decided to ponder this after resting at home.
After all, she'd just finished a script mission and was mentally drained. This wasn't the time to be making such important decisions.
--+--
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.