Sell skins.
Just like the developer sold in-game, sell outfits with plausible designs.
The issue is that these outfits are made entirely of ‘mana’.
Since it transforms a human’s mana into clothing, it’s naturally detectable by mana scans.
“Miss Yunia, I’ll give you a quiz. If you get it right, it’s free, but if you’re wrong, the price will double.”
“W-What? You’re selling this for money!”
Yunia looks at me with a hint of betrayal in her eyes.
“How much are you even asking for…!”
“Well, who knows?”
Though the price is set, this isn’t just an in-game issue.
“Yunia, you thought about something when I mentioned money, right? Like, can’t I just make it myself?”
“U-um…”
“Exactly. Because, just like your theory on ‘non-attribute mana,’ this is something anyone can do if they know the method.”
I bring my hands together and stretch out my index fingers.
The gray mana gathered between my fingers stretches long, shimmering like a thread soaked in water.
“Once you make a thread like this and weave it without breaking, it becomes fabric, and that fabric becomes clothing.”
“I see why you’re showing me this technique, Phoenix.”
Since it’s about mana, Yunia stares seriously at the thread of mana I created.
“First, it’s not something just anyone can easily follow. Drawing out mana this thin and long is no easy task. You’d need at least B-rank, no, A-rank mana control to do it.”
“When it comes to control, yes.”
“Right. Unless you’re as meticulous and delicate as Phoenix, who can even control the mana within someone else’s body, you’d need at least A-rank. At least, in theory.”
Yunia stretches out her hands.
She brings her fingers together and stretches them apart, mimicking what I did.
Snap, Snap.
Mana breaks between her thumbs and pinkies, and between her index and middle fingers, the thread is so thick it could be mistaken for a rope.
The mana string connecting her pinkies sparkles with rainbow colors, and if she made clothes from that, it would be an iridescent RGB suit.
“Second, you didn’t just create a simple mana thread, did you? There’s an illusion cast on it, right?”
“Correct. I adjusted it so that it looks like ‘clothes’ to others, no matter how they view it. For example…”
I point to the inside of my shirt.
“I wove the fabric while drawing a magic circle. That way, I can also enchant it.”
“Unbelievable.”
“It’s just a trick. Theoretically possible, but it takes an immense amount of effort to achieve.”
And then.
“Miss Yunia, I know you want to research this, but don’t stay up all night doing it, okay?”
“…”
“I’m showing you these techniques and telling you it’s okay to learn because it’s you, Miss Yunia. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t even mention this. I wouldn’t have revealed its true nature either.”
I gesture to my slightly exposed tanned skin.
“So, Miss Yunia, how much do you want to buy it for?”
“…”
“It’s good to gain experience researching this, but do you think you could design clothes like this?”
I gather my mana.
I press my hands together and slowly spread them apart.
“I already have countless mana patterns stored in my mind.”
Drawing on the records I’ve refined through countless experiments in hell.
– If we use modern technology as an analogy, it’s like a 3D printer blueprint.
That’s what Changyeom said.
– It’s hard when you first draw the blueprint, but once you’ve created the blueprint, all you have to do is ‘print’ it. It’s no different from a magic circle.
Exactly.
This is a form of ‘alchemy’ based on a magic circle.
“Ta-da. What do you think?”
“…Why is it underwear?”
“Because it’s the quickest and easiest thing to make.”
I held up the underwear, stretched wide between my hands, and showed it to Yunia.
“How about it? Worth buying, right?”
“…It’s cute, I admit.”
“Focusing on the cuteness, huh? Well, Miss Yunia, you’re still a girl at heart.”
“I’m saying I’d buy it because it’s cute. If it was just a plain gray, then…that would be a bit…”
“You like gray? How about this, then?”
I toss aside the mana skin (underwear) I had just made and conjure another piece of clothing with new mana.
“Ta-da. This version has a band at the top.”
“Hmm…this one is nice in its own way…”
“How about it? If you buy it now, I’ll make the top one too.”
“Oh, really?”
Yunia stared at me for a moment.
“Then don’t we need to take measurements?”
She spread her arms wide toward me.
“If you make it without measuring, it might be too tight, so the size has to be exact, right?”
“Fair point.”
“Here I am, ready. Or…should I take off another layer? To make it easier to measure?”
“No need for that.”
I stretched out my mana like a measuring tape with my two index fingers.
“This will work just fine as a tape measure.”
I approached Yunia.
“Yunia, can you bring your arms together?”
“Sure.”
Yunia obediently followed my instructions, and I extended the mana like a tape behind her.
“Now, just stretch your arms up.”
“Uh…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, I was kind of expecting… something different.”
Yunia followed my instructions, but her face flushed red as she pointed downward.
“I thought you’d, you know, touch me directly and apply the mana yourself.”
“That is an option. Honestly, it’s even easier that way.”
Rather than taking measurements with a tape, it’s possible to spread mana like a gel, similar to taking a plaster mold, and solidify it.
“It would be like wrapping you in a barrier that functions as clothing, making the process faster and easier.”
Though, in that case, the result would be more like armor than fabric.
“Is that what you want? The design might end up being pretty plain.”
“Uh… well…”
Yunia gulped and then said.
“…I mean, you have to compare all the options before shopping, right?”
She looked up at me with a meaningful smile.
“Isn’t that how shopping works? You try things on before making a decision, don’t you think?”
“Well, yes, but…”
I continued measuring her mana pocket with the makeshift tape.
“But that’s adult-only territory.”
“…What?”
“Come on, no matter how you look at it, I can’t just casually touch a girl like that.”
“…What?”
“No matter who I am, there are boundaries when it comes to handling someone who isn’t an adult.”
“…”
Yunia is 17 years old.
“I’ll calmly take your measurements and make a custom-fit design. If you want to pursue that method, you can either research it yourself or wait three more years, alright?”
“…I’m fine with it.”
“But I’m not.”
Yunia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“…As long as no one finds out, it’s fine, isn’t it?”
“If you do it in the Old School Building, they wouldn’t just be turning a blind eye.”
“So, outside the Old School Building, it’s possible?”
“Hmm.”
I shrugged lightly.
“Unless it’s some dream world where we escape reality, that kind of thing is still difficult. Let’s see… 10…1?”
“Huh?”
“101. Looks like your mana has gotten bigger a bit, compared to before you enrolled.”
“It’s really… bigger?”
“Yeah.”
Even if she can’t feel it herself, I can tell.
And an increase to 101 means that both her maximum level and mana capacity have grown.
“Let’s see… does this fit?”
I stepped back and used mana to craft the tank top she had originally requested, adjusted to her exact size.
“Try it on later.”
It wasn’t just hastily made; I had adjusted it carefully to fit her measurements.
“No, that won’t do.”
Yunia took the mana-crafted tank top but shook her head firmly, her expression serious.
“I need to try it on right away, to make sure it fits perfectly and isn’t uncomfortable, don’t I?”
“Now?”
“When else will I have the time to check?”
Yunia reached for the buttons on her shirt.
“Wait a second. Right now—”
“No.”
I quickly grabbed her hand.
“Why? If you’re worried someone might see—”
“Once you wear it, it’s no longer new.”
“…What?”
“This isn’t the Silverstar clothing store, miss.”
I tugged at the tank top Yunia was holding.
“Miss Yunia?”
“…I’ll buy it.”
Yunia gritted her teeth and clung to me.
“I’ll buy everything you made. So, tell me, how much is it? All of it.”
“Miss Yunia, do you have enough money?”
“If I don’t, I’ll earn it. Even though we’re in the Old School Building, starting next week, we can do student part-time jobs, right?”
“That’s true.”
The first week focuses on communication, but starting next week, students can earn extra money through part-time jobs during their personal time.
Esther will likely explain it on Monday, the part-time jobs available at the Old School Building.
“If I run short on money, I can just buy on credit….”
“Are you really that low on funds?”
“Huh?”
“The truth is…”
I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“It’ll cost you just one meal.”
“…You’re not talking about some expensive meal, right? Like a five-star course meal from Silverstar’s hotel?”
“Nope.”
I picked up the tank top and the underwear I had set aside.
“This one’s pasta, and that’s a post-meal coffee.”
“…”
“Even though we’re stuck at the Old School Building for now, it wouldn’t hurt to try the food from restaurants across the four terminals, don’t you think?”
“So, you’re saying I could buy a piece of mana-made clothing for that price?”
“Of course. Did you think I was trying to charge exorbitant prices?”
“…Ah.”
Yunia smiled as she carefully gathered the clothes.
“What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you. Maybe… that?”
Yunia’s eyes curved into crescent moons.
“Custard cream pie.”
“Well, even though that’s something I’d like, I can’t really force you, right? We should decide on what to eat together.”
“Is that so? Then I…”
Yunia licked her lips mischievously.
“…I’d like a banana with lots of condensed milk syrup.”
* * *
A little while later.
After completing my transaction with Yunia, I returned to my room.
Without delay, I began updating all the data in my head.
‘Adjust all of Yunia’s exclusive skins to fit her current physique.’
It’s a complex process.
Since there’s no specific program for this, I have to adjust and revise everything manually from memory.
However, mana can be incredibly useful for this kind of work.
It allows for overcoming human limitations.
“Alright, Yunia’s skins are sorted….”
I reached forward.
Whoosh.
A gray flame flickered to life, and a small bird, like a sparrow, spread its wings over my hand.
A mana sparrow.
A “Mini-Phoenix,” so to speak.
‘Go check on Yunia’s condition.’
I cracked the door open and sent the Mini-Phoenix out, directing it toward Yunia’s room.
There won’t be any issues on the way.
I had infused the bird with ‘hypnosis,’ ‘illusion,’ and even ‘perception interference’.
On top of that—
Rustle.
It could even slip through the crack in Yunia’s door.
‘As expected.’
Yunia was wearing the mana-made clothing.
She examined herself in the full-length mirror, looking herself over from different angles, a satisfied smile on her face, before throwing herself onto her bed.
Her breaths grew softer and softer.
Before long, she fell asleep, but I could still see it.
“Heh heh…”
A dream.
“When I graduate…”
Yunia was dreaming.
Probably a dream about what life will be like once she’s an adult.
‘Should I take a peek?’
I didn’t need to physically touch her to do so.
As with Esta, when I massaged her, my hands were made of mana.
As long as I could establish contact through mana, connecting to her dream would be a simple task.
Unlike with Esta, though, I couldn’t insert myself into Yunia’s dream directly, but—
‘If I’m already in her dream, that’s a different story.’
I attached the Mini-Phoenix to Yunia. If I can intervene in the dream, there won’t be any problems. If I can’t, the Mini-Phoenix will be crushed by her mana and explode.
“…Bingo.”
Luckily, Yunia was indeed dreaming.
And I was in her dream.
Now then—
‘Connect.’
Synchronization initiated.
* * *
“Huh?”
“Hehehe, caught you.”
Yunia.
At least a version of Yunia that looked about ‘20 years old’.
“Don’t even think about getting out… I’ve got you pinned under the blankets.”
She was on top of me, completely pinning me down.
“I’ve been waiting for this day, the day we graduate.”
