Myriad Dreams grit her teeth, climbing upward one step at a time.
Fatigue, pain, fear... all her senses were gradually fading away.
At this moment, the only thing supporting her was her resolve to inherit Senbonzakura's factors.
Just as she stepped onto the tenth stair, her foot suddenly slipped, and she slammed heavily against the steps.
She tried to push herself up, only to find the three-fold pressure weighing on her back like an invisible mountain.
With her physical strength already depleted, even standing had become a luxury.
But she didn't give up.
If she couldn't stand, she would crawl.
Myriad Dreams reached out with both hands, using the most primitive method to crawl upward inch by inch.
As images of Yaeno Muteki's disappointed expression flashed through her mind, she vowed to win the Winter Cup.
She would never again let someone important to her be saddened because of her.
Senbonzakura watched the stubborn figure below, a hint of emotion flickering in her eyes.
Such a persistent will was rare even in her own career.
By now, Myriad Dreams had no room for other thoughts.Her world consisted only of the stairs before her and the hunger for strength in her heart.
Her fingertips were rubbed raw, leaving faint bloodstains on the steps, yet she remained completely oblivious to the pain.
Finally, she reached the nineteenth step.
When she placed a trembling hand on the final level, she found that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move an inch further— her stamina was completely spent.
Just as her consciousness was about to fade, a warm hand grasped her wrist and gently pulled her to the top.
"Your will... I acknowledge it," Senbonzakura said softly. "Go back, little filly."
A pink speck of light drifted gracefully into Myriad Dreams' body.
In the next second, her silhouette vanished from the space.
In the dormitory, Myriad Dreams jolted awake.
She was drenched in sweat and felt an indescribable exhaustion, but more than any of that, she cared about whether or not she had successfully inherited the factors.
[Myriad Dreams]
Speed: 510
Stamina: 630
Power: 600
Guts: 610
Wit: 480
Turf Aptitude: S | Dirt Aptitude: A
Distance Aptitude:
Sprint: B | Mile: A | Medium: S | Long: S
Strategy Aptitude:
Front Runner: S | Pace Chaser: A | Late Surger: A | End Closer: S
Looking at her attributes, Myriad Dreams couldn't stop herself from being shocked, especially regarding the Front Runner strategy.
Upon inheriting Senbonzakura's factors, she found she had gained a wealth of knowledge about being the lead horse and the essentials of power output.
"It seems that Senior really loved using a Great Escape..."
Just by inheriting the other's factors, she had become nearly all-powerful.
Myriad Dreams didn't dare imagine just how strong the actual Senior must be now.
At that moment, perhaps because Myriad Dreams had bolted upright so suddenly, the nearby Yaeno Muteki rubbed her eyes and asked sleepily, "What's wrong?"
"Did you have a nightmare, Myriad?"
Seeing her covered in sweat, Yaeno Muteki sat down beside her, clutching a pillow.
"Are you okay?"
After all, the amount of sweat on her was far more than usual.
Myriad Dreams hurriedly waved her hands. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Sorry for waking you up."
Hearing this, Yaeno Muteki helped wipe the sweat from her forehead.
"Look at how much you're sweating and you still say you're fine. Go take a shower first, sleeping while you're this wet isn't good for your health."
"Mm."
With a blushing face, Myriad Dreams eventually entered the bathroom and began to wash her body.
She shook her head, tossing aside her stray thoughts.