The sterile white room reeked of disinfectant. Dream Weaver held her mother's hand, studying her face intently.
She appeared to be around thirty, with long, pale blue hair and a pair of listless horse ears drooping limply against the pillow. Her features were delicate—if not for the sunken cheeks and faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, one might have mistaken her for a woman in her twenties.
Dream Weaver gently stroked her mother's hand. Those slender fingers were calloused and worn. Slowly, her thoughts drifted to the past.
For Dream Weaver, this was already her second life.
In her previous existence, she had grown up in an orphanage. Thanks to society's support, this abandoned child had been given a chance to survive. But resources in the orphanage were scarce; to gain anything, one had to give something first.
To Dream Weaver, unconditional love did not exist in this world.
Even after stepping into society, this self-reliant attitude stayed with her.
Growing up in such an environment, Dream Weaver developed habits like talking to herself and overthinking. She once read that an aversion to seeking help and frequent self-dialogue were signs of loneliness and insecurity.
She neither agreed nor disagreed, nor did she have any intention of changing. Years of solitude had carved themselves into her very being. If she were to change that, what would fill the emptiness left behind?
If nothing unexpected had happened, she might have spent her entire life like this—accompanied only by her loneliness.
But on one perfectly ordinary day, when Dream Weaver woke from her sleep, it wasn't her familiar ceiling that greeted her eyes—instead, she saw a narrow patch of sky.
She tried moving her limbs. When a small, delicate hand appeared in her field of vision, she instinctively let out a cry—the cry of an infant.
Staring up at the gray sky, Dream Weaver's hand soon touched a boundary. The clear sensation of cardboard met her touch—a cardboard box.
No wonder the sky seemed so small.
Now, Dream Weaver could no longer remember what she had thought back then. Probably just the kind of despair one would expect after waking up to find herself reborn as an abandoned baby.
The only thing she remembered clearly was the face that suddenly filled that narrow sky—her mother, blinking down at her.
Dream Weaver gazed at her mother's face, gently smoothing her hair.
She would never forget that day, wrapped in warmth, her mother's eyes smiling softly as she whispered to her:
"Lately, I've been dreaming… that one day, you'll become the brightest star on the racetrack."
A dream woven from starlight—that was the meaning of her name.
On that day, Dream Weaver understood for the first time what unconditional love meant.
"I'll make sure you see it…"
Dream Weaver bowed her head, holding her mother's hands tightly as she silently made her vow.
She remained like that until visiting hours ended, quietly sitting by the hospital bed, holding her mother's hands.
The summer night breeze lifted the ribbon in her hair as Dream Weaver stepped out of the hospital. Gazing up at the starry night sky, she murmured in her heart:
'System.'
With that thought, a semi-transparent blue screen materialized before her eyes once again.
Skipping past the dazzling array of items in the shop interface, she navigated directly to the top of the exchange list.
--+--
[Hope Gem]
[Description: A gemstone shimmering with a rainbow of flowing light, possessing miraculous power to make one's deepest wishes come true.
Note: "The power of love can change the world" — Three Ordinary Uma Musume]
Exchange requirement: 100,000 SP + Triple Crown Proof
--+--
During the train ride to the hospital, Dream Weaver had already scoured the system's shop. For her mother, whose condition even doctors couldn't diagnose, this gem might be the only hope.
Looking at the enormous SP requirement and the daunting challenge of becoming a Triple Crown Uma Musume, Dream Weaver checked her current SP balance.
4,500 SP. That meant she still needed 95,500 more. Compared to the hopelessness of the hospital, this clear goal felt more motivating.
After confirming the distance she had to cover, Dream Weaver called out in her mind again:
'Status Panel.'
--+--
[Uma Musume Training System — Status]
Character: Dream Weaver
Speed: D [Rookie]
Stamina: D [Rookie]
Power: E [Entry Level]
Guts: D [Rookie]
Wit: D [Rookie]
Track Affinity: Turf A, Dirt C
Zone: Not Unlocked
Skills: Concentration (Blue)
Tokyo Swift (Purple)
[Effect: The story of a crimson streak echoing through the rain at Tokyo Racecourse. Boosts stamina slightly during rainy races and speed slightly at Tokyo Racecourse. If both conditions are met, grants a significant boost to both.]
--+--
Seeing the noticeable improvements in her stats, Dream Weaver gave a slight nod. Even now, her raw ability was enough to contend in lower-level races.
And with her new skill's additional effects…
Recalling the sensation when Tokyo Swift activated perfectly—the seemingly endless stamina and light footsteps—it was power far beyond her current level.
Pat.
She lightly slapped her cheeks, shaking off those tempting thoughts.
Rather than relying on luck to perfectly trigger her skill, it was better to steadily raise her stats until she could compete at the G1 level.
She let out a soft sigh, thinking to herself:
The conditions for saving her mother were clear now: 95,500 SP and raising her stats to A-rank.
She had a goal. Now, all that was left was to achieve it.
One last time, Dream Weaver summoned the system. Opening the items tab, she skipped past the first-aid kit icon and selected the ticket-shaped item instead.
--+--
[Stage Pass]
[Description: A plain white slip of paper with the word "TICKET" handwritten in pencil. Using it randomly generates a scenario for the user to enter. Completing scenario tasks yields additional rewards.
Note: "I will be reborn!" — A certain Uma Musume atop Tokyo Tower]
--+--
With a thought, the Stage Pass flickered and vanished from the system interface, materializing instantly in her hand.
At the same time, a mechanical voice echoed in her ears:
[Scenario task item detected.]
[Enter?]
"Enter."
Dream Weaver glanced back at the hospital shrouded in night, then responded inwardly.
After her acknowledgment, the mechanical voice spoke again:
[Scenario… constructing…]
[Construction complete.]
[Worldline… overlaying.]
--+--
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.