Dream Weaver had spent her entire morning rushing.
She'd hopped on a train to the hospital to steel Tokai Teio's resolve, then immediately doubled back on another train heading home.
What she needed to do next was best handled behind closed doors.
On the surface, it seemed like a lot of wasted effort.
After all, her visit to the hospital was only to exchange a few words.
She could have easily asked Symboli Rudolf to pass on a message, or called Rudolf and asked her to hand the phone to Teio.
Logically, there was no difference.
But Dream Weaver had always believed that true connection between people had to be built on a foundation of face-to-face honesty.
Besides, if she hadn't stood right in front of Tokai Teio and grabbed her by the collar to say those things, the girl never would have made such a perfectly bewildered expression.
With a hurried pace, Dream Weaver had marched to the hospital, and with that same urgency, she returned to her apartment.
After a quick, distracted nod to the elderly dorm manager who was hanging laundry by the front gate, she dashed back to her room.
The sheer fluidity of her movements left the old woman blinking in a daze. She stood there, clutching her laundry pole, only snapping out of it once she heard the click of Dream Weaver's door closing.
"What's the big rush?" the manager murmured, a bit puzzled.
Then, a thought occurred to her. She remembered her own rowdy son back in high school—how he'd sprint to his room once a week the moment he got his hands on the latest manga magazine.
A warm, gratified smile touched her face.
"Well, it's good, really. A girl Dream Weaver's age should be like that—hurrying about every day because of the things she loves."
The Dream Weaver of the past, who had pushed herself to the brink to scrape together money for her mother's medical bills, was certainly a good girl.
But the Dream Weaver of now—the one who took the initiative to do something for herself—was even better.
With that pleasant thought, the manager began to hum a little tune, sliding the clothes onto the drying rack.
Dream Weaver had no idea that a simple greeting had triggered such a long train of thought for the manager.
Even if she had known, she wouldn't have cared; she had far more pressing matters to attend to.
Stepping into her room, she sat down on the bed and took a long, steadying breath.
Back during the Japanese Derby, she'd assumed she might never have a reason to use it again. She hadn't expected things to take such a turn so quickly.
'System,' she thought, 'withdraw the Stage Ticket from the inventory.'
With a mere flick of her will, a long, pure white strip of paper appeared in her hand.
On it, the word "Ticket" was written in bold, simple pencil strokes.
Her path was clear.
She would enter the Scenario World once more, use the points she earned to buy an item capable of healing Tokai Teio's fracture instantly, and stand alongside her on the stage of the Kikuka-sho.
Only then could she once again touch that familiar, searing heat of Teio's will.
But before diving in, there was preparation to be done. She didn't use the ticket immediately, instead continuing her mental command.
'Open the Shop interface.'
In the next heartbeat, that familiar, translucent blue screen flickered into existence before her eyes. She checked her remaining balance first.
[11,998 points.]
After deducting the 100,000 points she'd spent on the Gem of Hope, she should have had 12,000 left.
However, a few months ago, she'd spent those two points to unlock the hidden and special items from the last Scenario World.
At the time, she'd only looked at the newspaper that forecasted the scenario's future; she hadn't bothered to check the customary special item rewarded at the end of a run.
Before switching to her inventory, she needed to confirm how many points she still lacked for the item that would fix Teio's leg. Scrolling through the shop, she finally found a suitable candidate.
--+--
[Self-Developed German Orthopedic Formula]
[Price: 20,000 SP]
[Description: A mysterious German hospital that, for some reason, is legendary among "siblings." It is rumored to have unparalleled expertise in orthopedics. Drawing from a vast—and strangely specific—well of clinical experience, they have finally developed a specialized formula for bone injuries.
When applied topically, it drastically accelerates the healing of injuries like fractures, shortening a six-month recovery period to just one week. It also slightly increases the user's bone density.]
[Note: "To be honest, rather than the medicine, I'm more curious why the patients here are always siblings. Where are their parents?" —A confused doctor holding a bone saw.]
--+--
The System's medical items didn't offer anything as absurd as regenerating from a single drop of blood, but there were plenty of options for accelerating natural healing.
The one Dream Weaver had chosen was among the best in the field.
She picked it not just for the speed, but for the added bone reinforcement.
While she wanted to see Teio perform with the same brilliance she showed at the Japan Derby, she wasn't cruel enough to let the girl end up back in a hospital bed a second time.
Beyond this item, she planned to use any leftover points to buy gear that would mitigate the severity of any future injuries Teio might face.
After all, the longer Teio could stay on the track, the longer Dream Weaver could watch her.
With her goal set, she switched the interface to her inventory and opened the neglected special item.
--+--
[Divine Blessing]
[Description: An Uma Musume who reached unprecedented heights in another world. It is said that even the gods sang hymns in her honor.
Yet, despite standing at the peak of the world, she was bound by shackles that kept her from running as her heart desired—until the Uma Musume who could shatter those chains appeared.
Only then did the gears of destiny truly begin to turn.
Wearing this may enhance the power of one's own Zone.]
[Note: "Shinzan, huh... though sometimes, I still find myself missing the name 'Niiyama'." —A girl who looks more like a Trainer than an Uma Musume says with a smile.]
--+--
To date, Dream Weaver had defeated four formidable foes:
T.M. Opera O, Orfevre, Narita Brian, and Shinzan. From each, she had gained an item reflecting their personal style.
T.M. Opera O's Kingly Crown slightly increased the pressure she exerted on other racers.
Orfevre's Hexagram Hairpin provided a modest resistance against the Zones of others.
Narita Brian's Midnight Gloves increased her intimidation factor on overcast days.
Now, she had the Divine Blessing, which took the form of a white cross-shaped ring—perfectly designed to be worn right over her gloves.
As she quietly summoned these items into reality and equipped them, Dream Weaver felt the weight of her preparations.
Three SS+ rank attributes.
Six Purple-tier skills.
A collection of situational items.
And now, the spoils of war from her victories over the legends.
The current Dream Weaver had the confidence to conquer any world the System threw at her.
"System," she whispered.
"Use the Stage Ticket."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.