Having seen the outcome, Bai Xia quickly calmed down.
Without even bothering to draw her weapon, she directly addressed Qingcheng, saying, “If I accept your trial, even if I fail, it won’t be as miserable as what happened earlier, will it?”
“Naturally, I greatly admire those brave souls who dare to challenge,” Qingcheng replied.
“Therefore, even if you are defeated during the trial, you will simply be teleported back to the nearest waypoint, without suffering any loss whatsoever.”
‘Oh? So I won’t even lose a level?’
Hearing this, Bai Xia felt considerably more at ease.
Still, a sense of peculiarity lingered, for no matter how she looked at it, this strange woman seemed to be coercing her into undertaking the trial.
‘But what could be the meaning behind such an action?’
Bai Xia meticulously re-examined the Lava Giant’s attributes.
From every angle, it was clear that encountering a monster of this caliber in her current state would inevitably lead to instant annihilation.
Alas, the disparity between them was simply too vast.
Observing Bai Xia’s demeanor, which suggested she was ready to face death at any moment, Qingcheng, seated upon her throne, suddenly chuckled.
She then spoke in a slightly peculiar tone, “What, you didn’t think I’d intentionally set up a death trap of a trial for you, did you?”
“And this isn’t a guaranteed death sentence!?”
Bai Xia was stunned.
With the Lava Giant’s arms, thicker than her entire body, how could anyone survive a single punch?
She would be lucky not to be flattened into a pancake!
‘Forcing her to fight such a creature was nothing short of bullying.’
As if having divined her thoughts, Qingcheng smiled faintly before suddenly stating, “Since this is a trial, it’s only natural that I wouldn’t put you in a situation of certain death.”
Bai Xia remained silent, her gaze fixed intently upon Qingcheng.
The woman seemed unfazed by the suspicion in Bai Xia’s eyes.
Under Bai Xia’s watchful gaze, Qingcheng simply raised her hand and gently pushed it forward, causing the purplish-black orb that had been hovering above her palm to float directly towards Bai Xia.
“For you in your current state, the Lava Giant is indeed an insurmountable foe,” Qingcheng explained.
“Therefore, before we begin… I shall offer you some assistance.”
Bai Xia blinked, her eyes alight with curiosity as she scrutinized the black orb before her.
Her instinct was to reach out and poke it with her finger, but she ultimately restrained herself as she raised her hand.
She widened her eyes and leaned closer.
From its appearance, it was merely an ordinary purplish-black ball of light, and the system offered no hints whatsoever.
“What is this?”
“It is a portion of the final reward,” Qingcheng stated. “For now, I shall lend it to you.”
‘A portion of the final reward? This light orb?’
No sooner had Qingcheng’s words faded than, before Bai Xia could even react, the ball of light hovering before her abruptly whooshed forward and collided with her forehead!
Startled, Bai Xia instinctively recoiled a step, her hand flying to her forehead.
Yet, the moment the light orb touched her skin, it shattered instantly.
****
Countless beautiful, dark purple specks of light scattered forth, then swirled around her as if caught in a storm, continuously merging into her body!
Upon her throne, Qingcheng now displayed a hint of surprise, remarking with apparent unexpectedness, “Oh? It seems this child is quite fond of you.”
Bai Xia offered no reply, for she felt a sudden warmth suffuse her entire body, a sensation so comforting it made her desire to drift into slumber.
Then, she glanced down…
“Eh?! Eh?! Eh!?”
Bai Xia’s agitation was entirely understandable, for as the specks of light integrated into her body, her outer garments began to melt rapidly from her shoulders, much like candles exposed to intense heat.
In mere moments, she found herself completely bare!
However, before she could instinctively move to cover her vital areas, a large mass of black mist interwoven with red had already enveloped her body.
When the mist dissipated, she discovered herself clad in an entirely new outfit.
Indeed, a brand-new… sailor uniform!
Its style resembled the long-sleeved sailor uniforms frequently seen in anime, though its cuffs and hem were notably wider, fanning out like petals.
The top was predominantly pure black, with only the edges of the collar and the tie in vibrant red.
It lacked extravagant embellishments, yet delicate, beautiful hidden patterns adorned some of its smaller details.
The bottom consisted of a pleated skirt that barely covered her thighs, its color scheme now a striking red and black.
Moreover, the changes extended beyond just the top and bottom.
Her slender thighs were now encased in dark black pantyhose (TL Note: Tights or stockings that cover the feet and legs, often worn under a skirt or dress) adorned with subtle dark red patterns.
These were not tight, but instead imparted a wonderfully subtle, silky smooth sensation.
The boots on her feet had transformed into black, round-toed leather shoes, each whimsically tied with a bright red bow.
With this new outfit, Bai Xia truly looked like a middle school student.
If she were to walk out now and claim to be twenty years old, it was doubtful anyone would believe her.
“What… what is this?! What in the world is a sailor uniform?!”
Staring at the clothes now adorning her, Bai Xia remained dumbfounded for a long while.
Despite having become a ‘legal loli’ (TL Note: A slang term for an adult who physically resembles a young girl, often used in anime/manga contexts), she had never once worn a skirt, deeming it utterly mortifying!
‘And with nothing underneath the skirt, wouldn’t it feel terribly drafty?’
Now, having donned the sailor uniform, she didn’t feel a draft below… because she was wearing pantyhose.
‘Ah, pantyhose are truly wonderful.’
‘As if!’
‘Damn it, wearing a skirt is already embarrassing enough, and stockings are absolutely heretical! Pantyhose? Just kill me now!’
Clutching at her new clothes, Bai Xia squatted on the ground, burying her head in her hands, her face a canvas of despair and ash-gray resignation, as if her life had utterly crumbled.
Qingcheng, still seated on her throne, clearly could not comprehend Bai Xia’s reaction.
After all, the new outfit made her immeasurably cuter than before.
‘Even if she disliked sailor uniforms, such a peculiar expression seemed unwarranted, didn’t it?’
Nevertheless, Qingcheng did not press the matter, merely stating calmly, “Did I not just explain? This is one of the final rewards, and also the first assistance I’m providing you.”
‘The final reward is a sailor uniform? Is this trial truly legitimate? Is it too late to regret it now…’
Bai Xia was utterly speechless.
She simply could not fathom how this sailor uniform would help her defeat the Lava Giant.
‘Did Qingcheng intend for her to cosplay with this massive creature? Or was the Lava Giant, shockingly, a fan of JK uniforms (TL Note: ‘Joshi Kōsei,’ a Japanese term referring to high school girls and, by extension, their uniforms)?’
“Eek!”
A shiver involuntarily ran down Bai Xia’s spine at the thought.
She then cast a disgusted glance at the menacing Lava Giant in the distance.
‘To think this terrifying brute was actually a gentleman with such tastes!’
The Lava Giant blinked innocently, utterly unaware of the label that had just been slapped upon it.
While Bai Xia was still fretting over her new attire, Qingcheng, from her throne, suddenly raised her hand and made a grasping motion in the air towards her.
A streak of light flew from Bai Xia’s body and was caught in the woman’s hand.
The action appeared as though Qingcheng was reclaiming Bai Xia’s clothes, but this was not the case, for the utterly mortifying outfit remained fully on her body.
Something new had indeed appeared in Qingcheng’s hand: a dagger.
Bai Xia recognized it instantly as her own weapon, the Dagger of Phantom Shadows!
She instinctively checked herself, only to confirm that the Dagger of Phantom Shadows was indeed no longer on her person.
Unconcerned by Bai Xia’s shifting expressions, Qingcheng lowered her gaze, briefly inspecting the Dagger of Phantom Shadows before stating calmly, “Since I have already bestowed upon you a piece of armor, let us now upgrade your weapon as well.”
‘Armor?’
Just as Bai Xia was about to inquire further, several black lines (TL Note: An anime/manga trope indicating embarrassment, awkwardness, or exasperation) appeared on her forehead.
‘How could this slightly alluring sailor uniform possibly be considered armor!’
‘And with such a short skirt, could she truly fight? She’d probably flash someone with the slightest movement!’
‘Unless the battle took place in a bed, who would ever use something like this as armor to enhance combat power!’
Bai Xia lifted her gaze towards the palace’s vaulted ceiling, suddenly feeling a throbbing ache in her head.