After a small celebration and receiving some congratulations, we came back to our dorm, where I was finally able to relax. My body ached and felt heavy, but in two days I have to go back to the intense training.
'Now I have a better idea of how we will continue your training, Meek. ' Aoi had a wolvish smile on her face, that wasn't good... or maybe it was, but it will come with a price.
I was alone in the room, Haru was on a reunion with her trainer, and she told me something about planning her next races, or a campaign to earn more fans, or some mumbo jumbo like that, for a moment I smiled thinking back when all of this was just a game her career was like that, having to get many fans before going back to racing.
"System... can you show me the store?"
(The store function has been unlocked recently)
(Your total funds: 400 uma coins)
Up until now, the system has been useless; it felt like a ripoff from the game, it showed me limited information and gave me small gains on stats... but yet again, I don't feel different from those points gained. I sighted and looked at the things displayed on the store)
(Acceleration skill 1000 uma coins - Recovery Skill 1000 uma coins - Unique Skill (Imitation) - 3000 uma coins)
"Whoa, those things are expensive!"
I had to complete a random mini-quest from the system to earn some coins, but those quests don't always appear; they come at random, and the rewards are unappealing. The first section of the store was all about skills. Now, I noticed it doesn't specify which skill I'm buying...
"Is it some kind of gacha thing where I get one at random?"
(The skills are selected at random, yes)
"Tsk... stingy..."
After the skill selection panel, there were some interesting things that weren't in the game...
(Lucky Coin Charm 5000 uma coins, Fortitude Carrot 5000 uma coins, Body Mend Carrot 7500 uma coins...)
"And what are these things?" I wondered, raising an eyebrow, below those...
(Miracle Carrot 25000 uma coins)
Miracle Carrot? 25000 coins!? For some reason, my otaku mindset tells me that Carrot should have been with me at the start of my journey as a cheat skill of some sort.
"Can I at least have an explanation about what those items are?" I asked, mildly annoyed.
(No.)
"Haaaah?" The sound of disbelief escaped my mouth.
(There are no shortcuts for slakers, work hard and find out for yourself)
"Haaaaaah!?" That was it, stupid blue screen. I jumped towards it to fight, but that had proved to be a stupid idea since I just transpased it as thin air and plummeted to the ground. "Who are you calling a slacker, you... you... inexistent thing!?"
(The system is just a guide that provides rewards to people such as yourself, who wasted an entire life before deciding to take action for once in their lives)
'Ouch, touche.' After getting critically hit, the window vanished into thin air.
I was really mad, my face hurt after hitting the ground, and being told the truth, of course, made it worse. Back then, I didn't work hard on any single day; I blamed others for my lack of action, my lack of interest. But now I'm trying, I want to believe I'm trying to improve.
'Damn it all!' I hit the ground with a fist and cried silently.
My mind was a swirling tornado of emotions. I felt happy for not losing, I felt nostalgic about my old life, I felt encouraged to keep working towards my new future, and I felt sad for being called out. It was just way easier to lie down in bed and do nothing, but if I did that, then there was no point in my new life. Whoever is behind the system, I had to prove him, or her, or it that I, that I can live a better version of my life.
...
...
...
As Aoi returned to her family's household, she was received by the family butler. He received her raincoat and bowed deeply and slowly, a movement practiced thousands of times.
"Congratulations, young miss," He said with solemnity, tho his words seemed hollow, he didn't really feel them. It was expected of her lineage to rise champions; her ancestors had risen the best umas in the past, and now it was her turn; it was as simple as that.
"Thanks..." Aoi answered, looking at the man who awaited her instructions. After all, she wasn't expected today, and of course, Aoi had hoped not to return to this house for a long time. "I need to talk with grandma."
"Of course, miss."
The household of Kiryuin had humble origins, but all their members shared their talent as trainers for umas, and even one or two of their members were umas themselves. But as the years passed, Aoi felt that something had gone sourly... as if the family had lost the passion for their craft, just to become more efficient. And during all her life here she had felt the pressure upon her shoulders, so of course she didn't want to come back... but... she felt something escaped her control, it was barely there, as a phantom, and it terrified her.
'Meek...' Aoi thought as she followed the man through the corridors of the mansion.
It was like a ceremony, in a dark, humid house, almost empty and devoid of the ancestral spark that had formed the family, and soon they were in front of an ornamented door; the air there was dense, and the smell of incense filled the place.
"Madam Kiryuin, your granddaughter is here seeking an audience."
"Come in," Aoi heard the commanding voice that had terrified her since small, and with a deep breath, she went inside the room. It had to be done.
...
...
...
Flashy Step navigated through her smartphone, receiving notifications. She was having the time of her life, the video she had uploaded of Meek wasn't viral, but was receiving a generous amount of attention, and she was having a blast fighting with the trolls in the comments.
"Haaah!? Who are you calling lame!" She just needed to keep feeding fire to the comment section, and the video would keep spreading around 'Hehehehe, this is great!'
"I... bet... Happy Meek... will... destroy... Flashy!" She said out loud as she typed the answer and sent it.
Of course, none knew it was her. Her account name was "Umaspeeeedz", and she had a silly avatar, so she could do internet justice all she wanted.
'This is good!'
Flashy thought as she finally dropped her phone, since it had only 2% of battery left, everything was going according to how she had dreamed. She found herself a rival, she won her debut race and so did her rival, and now she had made sure that Happy Meek gains a little more popularity... if everything comes to fruition, then she will crush Meek on their fated race, but not a weak oponent, she wanted challenges, she wanted to win worthy victories, not just hollow triumphs where everybody says she won because there is none better around.
"Please, Meek, I beg of you... keep winning!"
Her hunger for competition wasn't satiated; it was just the beginning. She needed challengers, and good matches, and everything will go as it should.