Before Celestial Weave could even process her shock, the cold, mechanical voice sounded in her ear again.
"Initial Mission World Line has been constructed. Current failure count is one."
"World Line? Initial Mission? What is—"
Celestial Weave voiced her confusion aloud, and as if it had heard her, a translucent blue panel unfolded before her eyes.
[Initial Mission: The Debut Race]
I. Main Objective
Win the debut race with an absolute advantage.
Reward: 3000 SP + Stage Ticket x1
II. Phase Objectives
Finish in the top three.
Reward: 500 SP + Potential-Stimulating Potion x1 (E→D Rank)
Surpass Tokai Teio.
Reward: 1000 SP + Potential-Stimulating Potion x2 (E→D Rank) + Medical Repair Kit x1
Note: This is the initial mission. The debut race will be repeated indefinitely until the mission is completed. Current failure count is one.
Note: If unable to complete, you may choose to exit the mission. The repetition will cease, and the system will shut down.
Celestial Weave frowned as she looked at the blue panel that had suddenly appeared. "A system? When did this show up? No, now's not the time to worry about that. I need to figure out what this system can do."
"Template? Character card? Panel—oh!"
She tried a few words, and when she said "Panel," another blue panel appeared before her.
[Horse Girl Training System - Panel]
Character: Celestial Weave
Speed: E+ [Debut Level]
Stamina: E+ [Debut Level]
Power: E [Entrance Level]
Guts: D [Rising Star Level]
Intellect: E [Entrance Level]
Aptitude: Turf A, Dirt C
Domain: None
Skill: Concentration (Blue)
[Effect: Mental strength accumulated over two lifetimes, honed by pressure. Allows for easier focus on the racetrack and the occasional ability to perceive subtle changes on the course.]
Celestial Weave stared at her stats panel, a hint of confusion in her brow. Why did it feel like there were more and more terms she didn't understand?
She tried tapping the panel and found that specific explanations would pop up. Celestial Weave flicked her ears, confirming that the commentator hadn't mentioned Tokai Teio's name yet, and began to read carefully.
"First favorite! Number twelve! Tokai Teio!"
Soon, the familiar voice reached her ears again. She let out a long breath.
"I see. It quantifies a horse girl's abilities. D-rank means a rising star with the ability to place in the top five in an Open-class race. C-rank corresponds to G3 races, B-rank to G2, and with A-rank, you can even place in a G1 race."
"A Potential-Stimulating Potion limited to raising a stat from E to D... is that a specific reward for the initial mission? Or will there be higher-level ones later?"
"As for SP, it's probably some kind of point system. I should be able to exchange it for items in a shop or something—"
The moment she finished saying "shop," another blue screen materialized before her.
"Speak of the devil."
"However..."
Celestial Weave glanced at the shop list and noticed that the blue screen was wrapped in chains. Before she could take a closer look, she heard her own name from the commentator.
Tying the red ribbon that had been wrapped around her hand, Celestial Weave once again stepped out of the entrance tunnel.
"Well, let's give it a try first."
Stepping into the rain, Celestial Weave patted her cheeks, muttering to herself as a form of encouragement.
But she couldn't just run the same race again. What would be the difference between that and the last time?
There was still some time before the race officially started. This time, Celestial Weave wasn't distracted by Tokai Teio. Instead, she began to formulate a new strategy in her mind.
First, my Speed and Stamina are decent.
The key is my Guts. Although I can't judge it accurately myself, according to the system's evaluation, it should be among the best in this race.
In that case, perhaps I can try a Stalker (Oikomi/大追) strategy.
Celestial Weave unconsciously bit her lip as she thought.
Last time, I chose a Chaser (Sashi/差行) strategy, but I got boxed in by the main group and could only watch as Tokai Teio pulled away to win. If I choose a Stalker strategy, at least I won't get stuck in the middle of the pack.
However, the Stalker strategy is inherently risky. Pinning all your hopes on the final moments is a gamble. One small mistake and forget first place, I could end up doing even worse.
I might not even get my previous mid-pack position; I could end up dead last.
But—
Do I need to be afraid of such a risk?
For a horse girl with only one chance, such a risk is undoubtedly huge.
But for me, with virtually infinite chances in this debut race, does it not just become a high-reward proposition?
If I fail once, I'll just do it again! If twice isn't enough, I'll do it ten times!
Celestial Weave had another theory: as the number of races increased, her familiarity with the track and her opponents would also increase. In that case, using a Stalker strategy might produce unexpected results.
"All racers, to your gates!"
The moment she decided on the Stalker strategy, the commentator's voice reached her ears.
Is it time?
Fine. Let me make my first attempt. Or should I say, my second?
As Celestial Weave walked to her position, she subconsciously looked for Nice Nature, the girl who had been kind to her earlier. But she saw that the reddish-brown-haired horse girl had already entered her gate.
She didn't come to greet me this time. Is it because I wasn't staring at Tokai Teio? Or did she not want to interrupt my thoughts?
Celestial Weave shook her head, dismissing the random thoughts and focusing on the race.
Once again at the gate, once again facing the track. This time, her heartbeat was strangely calm. The cheers of the crowd, the passion of the commentator—none of it could affect her now.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
In her mind, the scene from the last race played on a loop. In her eyes, the empty track was already filled with a roaring crowd.
The positions of the other horse girls she had seen in the previous race were now fixed in her mind like pins on a map.
"Number one's trajectory should be like this..."
"Number nine will cut in from the middle at that point... which means number five and number six were careless at that moment."
"Number seven seemed to have trouble accelerating on the turn... was that patch of ground too waterlogged?"
As all the information flooded her mind, the light in Celestial Weave's eyes grew brighter.
All she needed now was the starting pistol's report!
BANG!
-------
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