This scene felt oddly familiar.
Not long ago, Garden Gale had stood in a similar position, carefully learning Silence Suzuka's running style. Now, fresh from her Satsuki Sho victory, she was once again preparing herself for another intense imitation—this time targeting Mr. C.B., a technique demanding even greater precision and mastery.
She shook off the deja vu.
Breathe, just breathe.
Clarity filled her mind.
Garden Gale sharpened her focus, her gaze locked unwaveringly onto Mr. C.B., standing ready on the track.
On the course—Mr. C.B. had already assumed a racing stance, her entire being coiled, ready to burst forward.
"Watch carefully," Symboli Rudolf instructed suddenly.
Garden Gale blinked, puzzled. Watch carefully? What else had she been doing? Constant observation was essential for imitation: her mind had to analyze, process, and integrate every subtle movement at maximum capacity.
She soon understood Rudolf's intent wasn't simply a reminder to pay attention.
A heartbeat later, Mr. C.B. moved.
It happened instantly—!
At the imaginary opening of the starting gates, Mr. C.B. surged forward with the sleek grace of a hunting cheetah. Her entire body united in perfect coordination, muscles contracting seamlessly. Strength erupted in a fluid sequence—a combination of exquisite skill and hardened experience—turning her into a fierce, emerald gust tearing down the track.
But this initial burst—
Still wasn't enough.
A Classic Triple Crown Winner wouldn't stop there.
In mere moments, Mr. C.B. accelerated further, approaching speeds that threatened to break the sound barrier. Calves tightened against the ground, transferring immense force into momentum, thrusting forward with explosive intensity—
A second-stage acceleration!
Only a handful of Umamusume could master this elite-level technique.
Second-stage acceleration wasn't the ordinary build-up of speed that anyone could manage over distance.
A split-second burst that created an insurmountable gap. Unlike gradual acceleration, this sudden surge provided an overwhelming advantage. Imagine racing neck-and-neck, only for your rival to catapult ahead in a blink—both of you might have equal finishing kicks, but when one Umamusume accelerated instantly and the other had to build up speed, the outcome was decided immediately.
Garden Gale's pupils constricted.
Even without a formal race, she clearly felt Mr. C.B.'s crushing aura.
Truly, incredibly strong.
So this is the caliber of a Hall-of-Fame-level Umamusume, a master of [ZONE] and undisputed legend among closers.
But now, Garden understood why Rudolf had urged her to watch closely—to even glimpse the basics of such high-level technique demanded unwavering focus and absolute seriousness.
This was sheer, unadulterated skill.
Raw, overwhelming talent… and nothing else.
Garden Gale couldn't deny it.
Mr. C.B. was frighteningly strong.
But...
I'll admit you're strong. But when I pull out my trump card, how will you deal with that?
—Selas System!
A pale-blue screen opened instantly, and Garden Gale shifted her attention to the newly-added modules. Two stood out clearly: [Handoff Point] and [Template Learning].
She ignored [Handoff Point] for now, immediately selecting [Template Learning].
[Welcome to the Template Learning Module]
[First-time user detected. Tutorial enabled.]
[Template Target]: None
[Template Progress]: 0%
[Module Description]: The host may designate one Umamusume as the learning target. Upon selection, the host will automatically begin acquiring the target's running style. Until progress reaches 100%, the target cannot be changed. During this process, the host will engage in continual study and complete associated tasks. Task completion accelerates template progress.
[Assessment]: Mastery comes from diligence; neglect breeds mediocrity. True mastery arises from singular devotion.
This was clearly designed for dedicated improvement.
Garden Gale had made the right gamble.
She found herself increasingly comfortable with risk. In essence, this module targeted the "barrel principle"—normally, the shortest plank determined how much water a barrel could hold. But [Template Learning] allowed Garden Gale to significantly lengthen one plank.
It provided an opportunity to cultivate one extraordinarily strong running style, integrated seamlessly into her existing versatile arsenal.
Essentially, it was like an advanced form of [Chameleon], with subtle but important differences.
Talk about perfect timing—
Without noticing, Garden Gale had become a bit addicted to this "cheating" life—though she'd undeniably worked hard for it.
She locked the learning target directly onto Mr. C.B.
If everyone insisted on calling her Mr. C.B. the Second, wouldn't it make perfect sense if she mastered Mr. C.B.'s actual running style? In fact, wouldn't it be stranger if she couldn't?
[Target Locked]: Mr. C.B.
[Confirm Selection?]
[Yes / No]
Garden Gale chose [Yes].
...
[Target Locked Successfully.]
[Confirmed Target]: Mr. C.B.
[Skills Unlocked]: Encroaching Shadow, Seamless
—[Otherwordly Skill Detected.]
[Otherwordly Soul (2/4)]
[Otherwordly Running Styles]: End Closer, Front Runner
—[Quest Series Activated]
[Quest Name]: Otherwordly
[Objective]: Learn and master the four distinct Otherwordly running styles—End Closer, Late Surger, Pace Chaser, Front Runner—and refine them to a certain proficiency.
[Quest Reward]: Currently Hidden
Garden Gale paused thoughtfully.
Seriously?
A quest got triggered? Even though the reward was hidden, logic dictated it would undoubtedly be valuable—after all, Otherwordly Front-Runner wasn't a title any Umamusume could casually claim.
Life truly was full of pleasant surprises.
Garden Gale smiled to herself, setting aside deeper analysis for now.
Instead, she turned confidently toward Symboli Rudolf, a quiet intensity radiating from her gaze.
"I'm ready."
On the track, hearing those words, Mr. C.B. slowed down unconsciously, mild surprise flickering in her eyes.
Already?
But in the end—
Whether mule or thoroughbred, you could only tell by testing it on the track.
Just as now—Garden Gale had declared herself ready, and next would come another display of her imitation magic.
---
T/N: just putting this just in case i forgot, but i replaced pegasus with otherwordly since it fits more with silence suzukas actual title "Otherwordly Front-Runner"
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter is a bonus chapter...?
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_