Skin-Selling Youth (1)
"Hell Duke. Even with armor equipped, I'm still getting one-shot. What's going on?"
"That's because your 'inner strength' is still lacking."
I'd once consulted Chang Yeom about constantly getting one-shot by the mana summons she called forth.
"Take a look at this mana newbie guide!"
So she'd handed me her newbie guide. I'd thought I'd already shed the newbie label by then, but apparently, to her eyes, I was still a total noob.
The problem was...
"Make 200 outfits in 40 days? That's insane."
Her instructions were utterly ridiculous.
"120 of them dresses, no less. Who gives assignments like this?"
"But since we're doing it, shouldn't we do it right?"
Chang Yeom spread her arms wide with a beaming smile, even topping it off with some black magician's hat that made her look ridiculous—and sent chills down my spine.
"Enough. That's plenty."
"Really? I thought you'd go all the way."
"Just the intro was fine. That's not even my thing anyway."
Chang Yeom wasn't the type to use me for item farming. No, she wanted to turn me into a master craftsman, then shatter the heavens.
"So what's the point of making clothes?"
"This kind of point."
Whoosh.
Chang Yeom raised one hand high, then swept it down in a single motion.
"Oh? Magical girl transformation now?"
"Not just any transformation. Watch closely."
Everything but her face vanished into black mist. Her chest was exposed up top, but as she yanked her outstretched hand downward...
Shimmer.
With some magical girl-esque sound effect, a brand-new outfit materialized on Chang Yeom in an instant.
"Ta-da. What do you think?"
"Looks good."
"For real?"
"Yeah. Magical girl outfits are supposed to transform like that in a flash."
Chang Yeom had become a magical girl in the blink of an eye.
"So then what, strip off your underwear and turn it into a weapon?"
"Similar principle."
"......"
"Half-joking. It's possible, but with a skirt this short, turning it into a weapon would shatter kids' innocence, right? Puhuhu."
Chang Yeom slid one stocking down and handed it to me.
"'Analyze' it. See what this is."
"30-denier sheer black."
"Well, yes, but that's not the analysis I meant."
"I start with what's visible to the eye."
I took the stocking from Chang Yeom with both hands and began the 'analysis' as instructed.
What was this black stocking, embroidered at 30 denier—an 'item'—made of? What structure lay in this thing she'd forged in a flash?
"It's mana made solid. A stocking woven from mana."
"Correct. And its actual structure?"
"Mana spun into threads, woven into fibers to form clothing. Right?"
"Spot on!"
Chang Yeom snapped her fingers and tugged off her glove with her teeth.
"Just like S-ranks make 'auras' or 'sword beams,' there's solidifying mana. Same principle as aura blades."
She spread the glove wide, and it began glowing with mana in an instant.
"Mana fiberization. Then clothing formation. The most basic mana skill to master after reaching S-rank."
"Got it. So equipping DLC skin items from the inventory for instant transformation works on that principle?"
"Exactly. Running around in a bunny girl suit on the battlefield without it tearing? What do you think that bunny suit's made of? One that even the Demon King can't pierce."
"'Alchemy' in the form of a bunny girl outfit. ...And it had in-game performance buffs too."
No use hiding it. Esdinas Academy from Changcheon Studios—the developers—raked in massive cash from DLC.
Skins! Magical girl, bunny girl, racing girl, uniforms, military fatigues, nurse outfits, swimsuits, even bath towels for hot springs(?).
"You didn't indulge, but there were players who dressed every male character in swimsuits to raid the Demon King."
"Pervert. Not triangle briefs on the guys... triangle swimsuits for the final battle."
"The modeling was top-notch, body graphics putting real people to shame."
"Whoever that player was, definitely a woman. But how do you know? Wait, are you...?"
"Oh dear. I flipped the gender to protect someone's dignity, and this is how you respond?"
"Sorry. Just checking for achievements like [Swimsuit Festival]. And it was female character swimsuits, not male."
"A swimsuit party right before the final showdown, with the whole world cheering 'You got this, Special Class!'"
"......"
Couldn't win against Chang Yeom.
"Digging up not just personal black histories, but others'. But that's why they sell DLC. I exercised my rights as a consumer. Paid items, and cheap ones at that."
"Cheap? The company made more from DLC skins and merch than the base package?"
"High volume, low margin."
Changcheon's Esdinas developers were swimming in money. The 200 billion viral prize sold tons of packages, but ongoing skin sales brought in even more. At least they never went full gacha—that was their last shred of conscience.
"So all those DLC items are 'mana-fiber crafted items'?"
"Yes. Like this, tweak the mana and you can make any outfit."
Chang Yeom swapped outfits in a flash. Maid uniform to swimsuit. Swimsuit to suit. Suit to white dress, then bunny girl, then everyday casual like Unia's...
"Hold up. Didn't you skip showing me the bunny girl?"
"Service~"
"Not a quick flash—show it properly."
"Not ready yet, so be patient. Puhuhu."
She raised her hand above her head and wiggled her fingers like bunny ears.
"Slave dear. Listen up. Clothes made from mana fibers—don't you want to dress the heroines in them?"
"Hmm..."
"All that money you dumped into paid items for them—gonna let those designs rot in memory? The designs are in your head and mine."
"So..."
"The skins from DLC sales—put them on the heroines. Let's make some cash."
Hmm.
"Perverted, but a brilliant plan."
Not off-the-rack or custom from Silverstar Group, but outfits designed by modern game devs to pry open gamers' wallets—dressed on the heroines.
"Won't they hate it? Too male-oriented."
"That's why we build up gradually. Start with safe, cute uniforms, escalate to bitch-in-heat outfits just for you."
Chang Yeom tugged at the strap of her black lingerie peeking from her clothes.
"What if even this is mana-made clothing?"
"Naked after all?"
"Naked? I'm wearing perfectly valid mana-fiber clothes."
"I see."
Not naked. Just fantasy-special fibers that don't exist in reality.
"Alright. What outfit first?"
"First, for your cosplay practice..."
Chang Yeom ran her hand over her body.
"Start with the gold-tan skin."
* * *
"Ta-da."
"......!"
Unia jolted up from her seat as I rubbed my neck lightly.
"Wh-what?!"
"Shh."
I zipped over and pressed my index finger to her lips.
"Our little secret. Haven't even told Instructor Esta, right?"
"......"
Told only her, no one else, and she pursed her lips, hand over her mouth—pressing my finger firmly against them.
"Look inside. See the white skin?"
She nodded.
"Human skin doesn't peel off like that suddenly, so what's this brown tan?"
I peeled it away like gel from my body, revealing more skin.
"There. Can you guess?"
"...Illusion magic?"
Unia swallowed hard, staring confused at the white skin on my collarbone.
"Hallucination just for me? Or grand magic fooling the whole world?"
"Who casts illusions on the world just to look like a golden sun?"
Not impossible, but it'd take mana beyond imagination.
"Just wrapped in a gold-sun skin."
"And the hair?"
"Huh?"
"Skin aside, hair woven that intricately with mana..."
"Ta-da."
I plucked a strand—actually shook off the gold mana overlay on it.
"Black... hair?"
"Something like that. Impressed?"
"......Black hair's a demon trait, isn't it? Are you a demon?"
"Half?"
I didn't deny it.
"What if I said I'm half-incubus?"
"Nah, you're joking."
"Yeah, kidding. Natural black hair."
Standard Korean black.
"Got mistaken for a demon spawn since childhood, though. Tough times."
"Ah..."
Not total lies. After falling to the demon realm and training under Chang Yeom, other demons did ask if I was human or incubus.
"Point is, mana's potential is endless. You can attach it to your body like this, color it too. Like makeup."
"Makeup..."
"Why? Wanna tan up too, Unia?"
"N-no. ...No."
She rolled her eyes side to side, mumbling.
"...No need, maybe."
Her pitch: If Phoenix isn't gold-tan, no need for me to tan either. I just smiled and played dumb.
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"Nothing! Um, so."
Unia flipped open the fashion magazine again.
"This kind of outfit too?"
"That's your taste?"
"N-not really."
The magazine showed a sleek model's figure fully outlined.
"This is Silverstar's new 'battle suit.'"
It had to cling. Like skin-tight latex.
"Can I wear this under my clothes?"
"Not impossible."
"Then, um."
Unia gulped.
"...This too?"
She flipped to the back, pointing at an outfit.
"Tank top and shorts?"
"Yeah."
"Tricky, though."
I raised my right hand.
"Told you it's the Hand of the Sun?"
I channeled mana into it, rubbing my exposed skin.
"Needs direct contact. If I'm making it for you."
"......So."
Unia grabbed my wrist.
"That's fine."
"Really?"
"Yes. Because this is."
She glanced side to side.
"Protective gear for survival, right? What's the issue?"
Her tone implied it was the most obvious thing.
"True enough."
I raised my other hand, gathering mana.
"All for survival. Right?"
"Of course. Who'd think anything lewd?"
"Exactly."
Consensus reached. No lewdness whatsoever.
"But Unia."
"Yes?"
"For free?"
"......Yes?"