In the lounge, Platinum was gesturing at thin air.
After waving to the crowd at the racetrack, her social anxiety had flared up again. As mentioned before, this was the first time in her life—both this one and the last—that she'd seen so many people all at once.
So once the adrenaline faded, Platinum hunched her shoulders and scurried into the lounge like a startled mouse, refusing to show her face again no matter how loud the cheers outside grew.
She left Leap of Faith and Fuji Kyoji behind on the track to handle the post-race farewells with the fans.
Ugh, ugh… I got a little carried away back there.
Platinum frowned in frustration.
Truth was, she'd caught every single word of Leap of Faith and Fuji Kyoji's conversation.
Strange as it was, this body wasn't just incredibly athletic—her senses were unnaturally sharp too. It was almost as if… she really was some kind of assassin, a killer.
Anyway, it finally dawned on her: while she'd had the time of her life racing, for the other Uma Musume behind her, this race had been pure agony.
"It's a lie that racing isn't fun.jpg"
"What the hell are you talking about.jpg"
It wasn't that the joy of running was fake—it's just that there's only so much happiness to go around.
The more Platinum smiled and reveled in it… the less there was left for anyone else.
Just imagine: you've trained and prepared for a race with everything you've got, and out of nowhere some white-haired girl comes along, knocks everyone flat like it's nothing, then turns around and says, "You're all trash." How would that make you feel?
Maybe… when they come back to the lounge, I should apologize? No, no—that would just come off as rubbing salt in the wound.
Platinum rubbed her forehead and let out a helpless sigh.
Well, I'll just have to play it by ear.
So, back to where we started: Platinum was gesturing at thin air. Of course, she wasn't actually lecturing the empty space—it was because a translucent panel had popped up in front of her eyes.
Yes, that's right. The one everyone's been waiting for, the highly anticipated, must-have accessory for any self-respecting transmigrator—the thing known as the "System."
It had appeared smack in the middle of her face while she was still on the track, waving to the spectators.
--+--
[Win a Race (Completed)] (3-Star Rating) (20+20 Carrots Reward)
[Complete Debut Race (Completed)] (3-Star Rating) (20+20 Carrots Reward)
[Complete Three Races (1/3)] (Winning grants 3-Star Rating) (100+100 Carrots Reward)
[Complete Three Graded Races (0/3)] (Winning grants 3-Star Rating) (200 Carrots Reward + ?)
[Complete the Satsuki Sho(0/1)] (Winning grants 3-Star Rating) (100 Carrots Reward + Unlock Tier 2 Shop)
--+--
Platinum scrutinized it from every angle, but the whole thing felt… surprisingly basic.
It looked less like a system interface and more like an in-game achievement tracker.
Apart from this achievements screen, there was only a shop interface—barebones, like some computer science student's last-minute final project, cobbled together from online templates just to scrape through.
And what's with the "3-Star Rating"? Why does that have to be so similar to a certain four-letter anime tower defense game? Platinum grumbled inwardly.
But that wasn't all.
Before the race, she'd searched high and low, but this thing hadn't shown up.
It didn't appear when Hayakawa Tazuna was dragging her toward the track, either. Only after she finished running did it decide to pop up?
What if she'd never raced—would it have stayed hidden forever?
Did you take your newbie tutorial cues from Don't Starve? Are we supposed to explore the map and find it ourselves? So many bad reviews! So many!
…Still, at least this barebones system confirmed she was on the right track. And that was a good thing, right?
Thank heavens.
Seeing nothing else of interest in the achievements tab, Platinum switched over to the shop.
"Oh." She stared blankly at the tens of thousands of items listed, at a loss for words.
A quick skim told her that, unlike the sparse achievement system, the shop was staggeringly comprehensive.
From pickled chicken feet to Tiger I tanks—she'd even spotted a Boeing Airplane in there…
It was as if every existing thing in the world had been crammed inside, all purchasable with the carrots earned from achievements.
"What would I even do with a Tiger tank? And why is there a Boeing plane?" Platinum scratched her head, feeling more and more confused about this system's purpose.
Then she scrolled down and saw the prices. Oh. Never mind.
It dawned on her that this shop really did have everything. Every category she could think of—electronics, clothes, appliances… it was all there. Hmm, though it didn't seem to offer fake IDs.
What really unsettled her, though—stirring up some unpleasant memories—were the various special medications and inhibitors displayed prominently on the shop's front page, under the "Frequently Used" section.
The same kinds of drugs she'd relied on to stay alive in her previous life.
She rubbed her arm, pushing the thoughts away, and continued scrolling.
Well, might as well give it a try… see if this shop is legit.
Platinum checked her carrot balance, thought for a moment, then dragged a newly released smartphone and a set of rugged outdoor jackets into her cart and hit "Purchase."
She watched as her carrot balance dropped. Sitting up straight, Ms. Platinum waited eagerly for the items to materialize in front of her.
One second passed… two seconds… three…
Nothing happened.
Ms. Platinum's smile froze. Fuming, she stood up and kicked the sofa hard.
Stupid system! Taking my stuff and not delivering? So many bad reviews!
But with that kick, a travel bag came tumbling down from the sofa. Ms. Platinum paused. Had that bag been there before? She didn't remember it.
She glanced around shiftily—no one else was there, of course. Crouching down with the same suspicious look, she unzipped the bag. Inside, she found a jacket, a fitted shirt, a pair of jeans, and the latest smartphone with a charm dangling from it.
Such practical, everyday items… Could they belong to someone else?
Muttering to herself, Platinum picked up the phone. Naturally, there was no fingerprint lock. She held it up to her face, and the screen lit up.
"It actually unlocked… Well, I'll be. It really is mine."
Grinning wryly, she rummaged through the travel bag, half-expecting the system to pull some underhanded trick on her.
In the end, tucked inside the bag, Platinum also found a phone charger. So the shop included a charger with the phone—how very un-eco-friendly.
--+--
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.