The school grounds looked exactly the same as in the game world, with a harmonious atmosphere. Even without Luo Cheng's presence, the Uma Musume would act according to the system's logic.
Luo Cheng didn't want to be a passive observer; he wanted to be part of it. No matter how real they seemed, if they couldn't react to him, they were fake in his eyes. He had once stripped naked and run around outside to get their attention, but they had simply ignored him and continued their routines. Even when he tackled a few students to the ground and forcefully interacted with them, they would get up as if nothing had happened, at most looking a little unsteady. The more "passionate" Uma Musume would clamp down on him to keep him from leaving. Afterward, their affection levels would increase by five to seven points.
Luo Cheng had discovered a few ways to increase affection: saying hello (one point every five days), head pats (one point for every three times), and helping a Uma Musume in trouble (two points per time). Each method had a daily limit. However, he later found a more direct method: touching certain parts of their bodies to arouse them. The more excited they were, the higher the affection increase.
Of course, in the "game" world, high affection was useless. They continued to act the same, with no special dialogue or reactions to Luo Cheng.
But now, Luo Cheng could see the difference. An Uma Musume with zero affection would simply lower their head or ignore him. One with ten affection would say hello. One with twenty affection would actively approach him. And with her maxed-out affection, Tokai Teio was holding his hand, pouting, and glaring at the other Uma Musume who came near, like a little dog guarding its food.
"Luo Cheng-Trainer, are you going out?"
As they reached the school plaza, Luo Cheng saw the green-clad figure who stood like Tracen Academy's guardian: the beautiful Tazuna Hayakawa, the secretary. People used to speculate if she was also an Uma Musume, but now Luo Cheng was certain. He had personally measured her figure, and she was even more voluptuous than her office attire suggested.
Seeing Luo Cheng, she gracefully walked toward him, her black-stocking-clad legs showing off a seductive curve that glistened in the sunlight, hinting at the fair skin underneath. Luo Cheng wasn't sure of her exact age, but her body was as well-preserved as a teenage girl's.
"I'm going out to buy horseshoes for Teio," Luo Cheng replied, watching her expression.
"Have a safe trip, Luo Cheng-Trainer. Call me if you need help."
Her expression was the same as before. That was odd. Wasn't her affection maxed out, too? Why was she different from Teio?
"Let's go, Trainer."
Teio, despite her small size, exerted incredible force. Luo Cheng couldn't resist as she dragged him away. In the "game" world, he dragged her; now, the tables had turned.
After they left, Tazuna clutched her chest, a blush on her face. Her heart was racing, and she restlessly licked her lips.
Outside the school gates, Luo Cheng was like a country bumpkin seeing a city for the first time. For three months, he had been trapped behind an invisible wall at the gate. He had tried everything—walking backward, rubbing against the wall, and even trying to clip through it with objects—but nothing worked. Now that he could finally see the world that had been nothing but a background, he was ecstatic!
He tapped his temple. "Trainer?" Tokai Teio called, seeing his out-of-control expression.
She had noticed that he always stopped at the gate before. He must have been too afraid to go out before. Seeing him so excited now, she realized he might have never seen what Tokyo was like. Tokai Teio couldn't help but smile. Her trainer was like a big kid, afraid to go out but overjoyed when he finally did. This made him so cute! She wanted to hug him, pet him, and nuzzle him right then and there. She had felt this way all morning, finding him as tempting as a dessert.
"Teio, where are we going?"
Since this was his first time outside, Luo Cheng decided to follow Teio's lead. He was amazed. This was a true, big world—no map boundaries, no stupid air walls, and no messages like "This area is for later exploration!" He hated air walls.
"To the Uma Musume sports store, of course," Teio said, pulling his hand. "But first, we're getting that!" She pointed to a yellow food truck in the park that sold "Honey Drinks."
Luo Cheng could somehow understand the Japanese. His brain had a built-in translator for both text and speech. If he became a translator, he'd be the best, making a fortune. But he couldn't.
Speaking of which, did he even have money? Would he have to "zero-dollar-shop" just to buy a honey drink? That would be pathetic. He imagined a grand robbery, leading a group of Uma Musume to break into a bank, then scattering with their superhuman speed. He'd save the daydreaming for when he slept.
He patted his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Inside were several large denomination bills. He actually had money! In the "game" world, the chairperson would tell him he was getting paid, but he could never find the money. He suspected she had stolen it since he had no use for it anyway. So, every payday, he would "play with" the chairperson, with her body serving as his payment.
So the money was here all along! The chairperson had paid him across dimensions. He was wrong; he'd let her "play with" him next time.
"Here."
"Trainer, this is too much."
"It's fine, you keep the change."
He was being generous. Why? Because what use was money to him there? It was less than worthless. Without the goal of making money, Luo Cheng felt like his life had lost most of its meaning. He had already "speed-run" it. This world, on the other hand, had one less workhorse being PUAed by their boss.
"Trainer, remember to carry some smaller bills! This one's on me!" Teio ordered a jumbo cup.
"We're sharing?"
"Yeah, the jumbo cup is the best deal!" Tokai Teio took a sip, then handed it to him, watching excitedly as he took a sip.
Luo Cheng was no longer the naive boy he once was. Teio might not remember, but they had shared drinks mouth-to-mouth several times. The "game" version of Teio couldn't think, but she still had basic physiological responses. When he fed her something, she would instinctively swallow.
"How is it, Trainer? Isn't it great?"
"It's good." The "game" had only a few canned drinks. This was his first time drinking honey water. It was sweet and thick, and he realized Teio seemed to like sticky things.
Soon, they arrived at the sports store.