The birthday dinner did not last very long. After all, Saint King Halo had just finished a 3200-meter race.
Even though the girl had won and was still riding the high, her body had started to show signs of fatigue by the end.
Sometimes, spirit alone could not fully command the body. No matter how hard Halo tried to force herself to stay energized a little longer, it simply could not be done. Besides, Teraizumi Shinji's view was the same—after such an explosive effort, she needed proper rest. It would not do to sacrifice a racehorse girl's most important asset—her body—for the sake of a little extra celebration.
Back in his room, Teraizumi took off the clothes that still had traces of cake cream on them. His face still felt sticky where the cream had been smeared earlier, but he did not mind. He simply followed his usual routine, tidying everything that needed tidying first before finally heading into the bathroom.
Though he had already wiped his face with tissues earlier, there were still faint traces of cream left behind. That probably explained why so many horse girls on the way back to the dorm had given him curious looks as they passed.
He carefully wiped his face clean with a towel, then stepped back out to get a change of clothes.
The day's work was finally over, and even Teraizumi was beginning to feel sleepy. The hot water helped wake him up a little, but the moment he sat down on his familiar bed, the drowsiness began to creep in again.
There was still one last piece of work left to do.
So he took a few sips of water to clear his head, then called up the system and opened both his own panel and Saint King Halo's.
Host: Teraizumi ShinjiEmotion Energy: 1921
Trainees: Offside Trap / Saint King Halo / Narita Brian
PT (can only be obtained through races +60 and gift packs): 1269Attribute Points (can only be obtained through races +10 and gift packs): 190
Inventory:Bond-Domain AnkletCodex of Equilibrium IIKey of NobilityBanner of DreamsBeliever's CrestCrude DollOsaka Hai Victory PackTenno Sho (Spring) Victory PackDubai Sheema Classic Victory PackFirst Overseas Victory Pack
The PT and attribute points had increased again, but Teraizumi did not feel they were all that plentiful.
Just like he had said at the birthday dinner, Narita Brian's improvement had been heavily constrained by the damage done to her body from the Triple Goddess' blessings in the past. As far as Teraizumi was concerned, most of those stockpiled PT and attribute points would probably have to go to her.
Still, the pile of items in his inventory—and especially the four unopened reward packs—was enough to comfort him.
"Open the three race-victory packs for me."
The system notifications rang out one after another:
Emotion Energy +300
Attribute Points +75
PT +360
Seed of Blessing(Use on a horse girl who has not yet filled her quota of system blessings before a race. It will make her more likely to awaken a system blessing during the upcoming race and after it.)
Codex of Equilibrium III(One volume of the Codex of Equilibrium. Gather all four volumes to obtain the equipment: Codex of Equilibrium.)
Demonbane Bracelet(Effects from any skills -20%. If no skill effects are received during the opening phase, gain immunity to two negative skills.)
As the system messages finished flashing by, Teraizumi's gaze lingered on the last item.
Being able to pull a Seed of Blessing already made him extremely happy. In the long run, it was undeniably one of the best items for rapidly boosting a horse girl's strength. The effect of blessings on both runes and the horse girl herself was dramatic enough to count as a qualitative leap.
As for the Demonbane Bracelet... Teraizumi frowned slightly.
Its effect felt somewhat awkward. "Effects from any skills" meant that even beneficial skill effects would be weakened. In most cases, wearing it would probably do more harm than good.
Still, getting a Seed of Blessing was more than enough to satisfy him.
Nodding to himself, he moved on to Saint King Halo's panel.
Trainee: Saint King HaloCondition: ExcellentPopularity: 240,942
System Blessings (2 random chances remaining): Pending Activation
PT (skills only): 180Attribute Points: 0
Stats:Speed: 851+126 (1670)Stamina: 658+14 (1305)Power: 882+29 (1601)Guts: 725+200 (1298)Wisdom: 488 (1174)
Running Style Aptitude:Front Runner G / Pace Chaser B / Late Surger A / Closer D
Distance Aptitude: 1000m–2700mSurface Aptitude: Turf A / Dirt G
Skills:
Hear Me as King Lv.4 (Unique Skill)
Straight Path Expert (Yellow)
Picking Up Speed (Yellow)
The Diligent One (Yellow)
Curve Expert (Gold-Yellow)
Domain:Saint King's Coronation: Royal Radiance + Brave One's Final Dance
Runes:
(Noble)(Mad Craftsman) Noble Adornment(Speed +4 / Stamina +4 / Will +17)
(Noble)(Reviver)(Abyssal Cantor) Power Above All(Speed +7 / Power +9 / Inspiration +12)
(Noble)(Vassal Lord) Outer-Realm Vision(Speed +6 / Stamina +6 / Morale +19)
(Noble)(Battle Maniac)(Abyssal Cantor) Scion of Turmoil(In the middle phase of a race, perform x checks, where x is the number of runners in the race. Each check rolls a random number p {500–1800}; if p < the trainee's highest stat, the check succeeds. Every success grants +2% Domain Strength, +1% Surface Aptitude, +2% Collision Ability. Every failure causes the trainee to lose 1% stamina, while all other runners lose 2% stamina.)(Stamina +10 / Speed +2 / Power +9)
Rune Synergies:
Noble (4): All stats +5%, able to adapt to any race pace and bring out most of her full performance
Mad Craftsman (1)
Reviver (1)
Vassal Lord (1)
Abyssal Cantor (2)
Battle Maniac (1)
Special Status: None
Equipped Items:
Hero's Promise (Necklace)(A crystallization of the courage and vows of all brave ones. Can only be obtained after a hero stakes everything—including her life—and completely blooms in full. A required item to purchase the xx Mask (xx).)
Halo Crest
Primal Bloodtrace(Fully awakens the potential of a horse girl's bloodline; equipment that links souls through the commonality of blood. Speed +100. Special effect: can see spirits at certain moments.)(Usage: Apply between the eyes and extend down to the lowest point of the face.)(Link: Brave Dance)
Launch Horseshoes
Training Affinity: Better at Power and Guts training
There were many parts of the panel worth paying attention to.
The first was, of course, the pending system blessing activation, something he absolutely had to finish tonight.
The second was the new piece of equipment Saint King Halo had gained.
Teraizumi had already noticed the necklace around Halo's neck after the race ended. He would be lying if he said he had not cared, but he also had not made a huge issue of it at the time.
That was, until Farewell Halo had walked up to Saint King Halo afterward. The violent shift in the woman's gaze had made Teraizumi realize that something unusual was going on.
He had heard that Farewell Halo had been searching for something. At the time, he had already begun to suspect an answer.
"Hero's Promise...?"
As he read the description of the item, Teraizumi suddenly thought of another piece of equipment he possessed—one whose description had felt strangely similar.
"Does this have anything to do with the Crude Doll?" he asked the system. Then, worried that was too vague, he added, "I mean, do these two items share some kind of connection? The thing they're used to buy… are they runes? Is there something special about them?"
The system's brief silence told him more than enough.
Whenever it was something the system could tell him, it usually answered right away. It only turned evasive over things like this.
"I want to see Saint King Halo's skill purchase panel and Offside Trap's rune purchase panel."
The panels for both trainees instantly appeared before his eyes.
Offside Trap's purchasable rune list had not changed at all. Aside from the usual five runes, Witch's Authority still sat behind them exactly as before.
But on Saint King Halo's side, there was something new.
(xx) xx Mask(A corresponding mask will be generated, granting powerful effects.)
Saint King Halo:(Noble)(Battle Maniac)(Reviver) Unyielding Mask(Greatly boosts the trainee's fighting spirit.)Cost: 2200 Emotion Energy + Hero's Promise
At first glance, it looked absurdly underwhelming for its cost.
A massive boost to fighting spirit? That sounded like almost nothing.
And the more he thought about it, the less sense it made. If 2200 Emotion Energy only bought a rune with an effect like that, then it could only mean one thing:
The rune absolutely had more to it than what was currently shown.
His gaze drifted to the Crude Doll still lying quietly in the system inventory.
"I've been wondering," he said, "if the Crude Doll is something the Witch made in imitation of the Triple Goddess, then shouldn't there be three of them in total?"
After a brief pause, the system answered:
[Yes.]
"Then Witch's Authority—even though it can already be exchanged right now—isn't actually showing its full effect yet, is it? I'd need all the Crude Dolls… maybe even more… before I can see what it really is?"
"And this Mask thing too. It still needs other equipment, doesn't it?"
He skipped right past the questions the system had refused to answer and pressed on.
"How do I get them?"
[That, you'll have to explore on your own~]
The system's deliberately mysterious tone did not bother him much.
These were clearly things he was not meant to complete at his current stage anyway. It was the same as the Codex of Equilibrium—there was obviously still a long way to go before it could be assembled. There was no point in being impatient.
So Teraizumi shrugged, put the matter aside, and focused on what really mattered.
"Use the Key of Nobility. It's time to choose Halo's blessing."
At his words, a gorgeous backdrop spread out before his eyes like a grand painted landscape of rivers and mountains.
It was the same scene as when Offside Trap had first awakened her blessing.
Four faintly gleaming colors shimmered in the distance, representing the four blessings that were about to reveal themselves.
The first appeared:
[Star-Making Program](Grants two rune enhancement chances, strengthening runes to a certain extent.)
Teraizumi merely glanced at it and moved on. What he wanted most this time was the Noble-exclusive blessing he had seen before. If that did not appear, then he at least wanted something equally good.
The second blessing appeared—
and he immediately relaxed.
[Gold] Noble Bloodline(Your Noble runes can activate simultaneously with other rune synergies.)
It was exactly the Noble-exclusive blessing he had been hoping for.
Even though it was only a gold-tier high-quality blessing rather than a top-tier one, that hardly mattered. What mattered was the core effect:
breaking the restrictions on Noble synergies.
Unlike Offside Trap—whose Vassal Lord and Earthwarden synergies were already maxed out—Saint King Halo's rune setup was much more scattered. If future runes and crest effects could light up several synergies at once, then Halo would gain enormously from it.
The third blessing appeared:
[Gold] Blessing Super Evolution(Gain one random top-tier blessing.)
Teraizumi could not help but feel tempted. Even though he had already all but settled on Noble Bloodline, he still could not deny how attractive this one was.
Then the fourth blessing appeared in a burst of color:
[Rainbow] Omnidirectional Battle Soul(Gain four random Battle Souls.)
At first, Teraizumi thought it did not seem all that extraordinary. "Battle Souls" sounded vaguely familiar, but he could not immediately place what they did.
And then he remembered the Soul Core currently visible in Saint King Halo's rune purchase panel.
If that rune depended on accumulating Battle Souls in order to unleash its real strength, then a blessing that granted several Battle Souls directly could potentially let Halo immediately activate the full effect of an extremely powerful rune.
He inhaled sharply, forcibly suppressing the surge of temptation.
Still, in the end, he chose Noble Bloodline.
Breaking the Noble synergy restriction wide open was simply too important.
Only after the brilliant gold light of Omnidirectional Battle Soul faded away did he finally calm down.
Just like before, golden energy gathered, hovered before him for a moment, then shot off into the distance.
Its destination, naturally, was Saint King Halo's dorm room.
Watching the system screen gradually disappear, Teraizumi finally let himself sink completely into the softness of his bed.
He had been tired for a long time.
And now—
he intended to fall straight into sleep.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 155)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter200)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter110)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 180
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 65
Why did they assign me to Uma 65
MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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