Chapter 23: Putting on this dress, I look absolutely stunning!

Five minutes passed.

The underground lake had been dyed red with blood.

A massive, badly wounded serpent floated up from the depths of the water.

Slowly, it began moving toward the opposite shore.

But anyone looking closely could tell—it wasn’t moving of its own accord.

A closer look revealed that its eyes were lifeless, and it drew no breath.

It was clearly dead.

Splash! The water surged violently, and the Blackwater King Serpent was tossed onto the shore.

“That was exhausting,” Ye Lian leapt out of the water and landed lightly on the bank, stretching her arms.

Her snow-white armor remained pristine, not a single scratch in sight.

‘But the rewards aren’t bad.’

She opened her status panel.

The [+2 Level Up] notification stood out brightly.

With a tap, her level changed to 8.

Power surged through her body like a rising tide.

“One step closer to the Wood Spirit.”

She checked the leaderboard.

Her target was still at Level 15.

Ye Lian let out a relieved sigh.

‘This gap is still within a manageable range.’

“Twenty points added to water resistance. Not bad.”

The biggest gains from this fight weren’t just the level-up—it was the increase in resistance and spatial control.

Now, she could use the surrounding air for more three-dimensional movement.

That would be a huge advantage in combat.

“Also, my spear techniques have improved a lot.

Real combat really is the best classroom.”

Ye Lian looked at the mangled body of the Blackwater King Serpent, feeling quite satisfied.

It was thanks to this creature’s tireless struggle that her growth had been so rapid.

“As thanks, I’ll make good use of your corpse.”

With that, she drew her spear and began dismantling the Blackwater King Serpent.

It was a sizable task.

But Ye Lian had plenty of experience disassembling large beasts, and she moved with practiced ease.

In just over ten minutes, she had separated the bones and flesh, peeled off the scales, and sorted the materials.

[You have obtained: High-Grade Water Source Pearl.]

[You have obtained: Red Spirit Crystal.]

She found a blue orb the size of a crystal ball and a red crystal as large as her palm.

As she pulled them out, the system’s voice chimed in.

“Nice. I’ll analyze these later to make potions.”

She stowed the High-Grade Water Source Pearl and Red Spirit Crystal, then looked down at the serpent’s skin and tendons.

Once refined, these raw materials could be used to craft some impressive clothing.

“This body really does look better in a skirt.”

Ye Lian didn’t have much resistance to the idea.

‘Pretty and elegant—that’s what matters most!’

Besides, anything was better than running around stark naked.

She carefully removed the remaining flesh and blood from the serpent’s hide and tendons.

Then, she began extracting the usable parts and processing them through meticulous tanning.

She approached each step with utmost care, striving for perfection.

***

After about twenty minutes, she was still left with a considerable amount of material.

She finally managed to make a white leather skirt, a white corset, a white jacket, and a pair of white leather boots.

As for underwear, since she hadn’t found a comfortable enough material, Ye Lian had no intention of settling for anything subpar just yet.

‘Hmm, no strange smell. Just a fresh, clean scent.’

She sniffed the newly crafted clothes, then deactivated her transformation mode, returning to her infant form.

This time, because she was able to control her aura well, she didn’t cause widespread panic like before.

The battle with the Blackwater King Serpent had not only improved her combat experience but also refined her aura control.

As long as she didn’t deliberately release it, the nightmare creatures nearby had a hard time sensing her innate, terrifying presence.

Although this imperial aura was incredibly useful, using it carelessly could easily attract big trouble.

So unless absolutely necessary, Ye Lian had no intention of revealing it.

No one would’ve guessed that the newly crowned Demon Emperor would be so good at staying low-profile.

After putting on her clothes, she glanced at her reflection on the surface of the water and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Damn, I’m drop-dead gorgeous!”

Being beautiful naked and being beautiful in clothes were two very different things.

Sometimes, the lines that clothing outlined were even more alluring.

Like beautiful legs in black stockings, or the cleavage at the chest.

Right now, dressed in white leather, Ye Lian looked both stunning and dashing.

She could easily make a bunch of girls fall for her if she walked down the street like this.

‘Silver hair, golden eyes, flawless face, snow-white smooth skin, a majestic ‘World Mountain,’ elegant curves, and long, beautiful legs… There’s literally nothing to nitpick. Ugh, why am I so perfect~’

She cupped her cheeks with both hands, completely lost in admiration.

Then, a shiver ran down her spine.

‘Hey! Snap out of it! You’re still a guy, remember?!’

The moment she recalled her real-life self, a strange feeling of dissonance flooded over her, as if someone had smacked her awake.

And so, her very first journey into crossdressing came to an end.

“Transform!”

Feeling that things were getting too weird, she chose to end the distraction and reactivated her Silver Moon Knight form.

‘It’s getting late. I should pack up the materials and get moving. Sure, it’s safe here, but there’s not much room for growth. Plus, I still need a few herbs and animal parts to make potions.’

Now that the mini-boss, the Blackwater King Serpent, was out of the picture, Ye Lian made a careful decision.

She would leave the underground river and return to the surface to find her next grinding zone.

She purified the serpent’s scales and bones, leaving behind a pile of useless scraps.

Then, after storing the essence, she left the underground lake.

Not long after, countless shadowy creatures began to swim in through the outflow channels.

They had been drawn by the smell of blood.

And they went absolutely berserk for it.

***

Meanwhile…

Ye Lian flew at full speed and returned to the mouth of the cave where she had first arrived in just five minutes.

Feeling the wind blowing from within, she drew her spear and cautiously stepped inside.

However, before long, she realized something.

This cave had no twists and turns, no traps, no ambushes.

It just led straight up.

The moment she saw the gray sky again, Ye Lian felt a sense of surreal nostalgia.

At first, she’d only joined the beta test out of fear of dying.

She never expected to be turned into a villain right from the start, then have to hide and survive until now.

Only a few hours had passed in-game, but it felt like ages.

‘I wonder how many players are still alive?’

Ye Lian could still remember how lively the starting area was—it had looked like a bustling market.

‘Oh right, that girl named Bai Xue went toward the grasslands.’

She still had a favorable impression of Bai Xue, who had taken the initiative to invite her to form a party.

That “favorable impression” was purely platonic though.

It wasn’t that kind of attraction.

After all, Ye Lian wasn’t that kind of person.

In fact, over the years, she’d spent most of her time gaming and had never been in a relationship.

‘Women only get in the way of gaming.’

That had always been her motto.

But now… she could no longer say that.

“Even now, it’s hard to believe I’ve really turned into a girl.”

With a soft sigh, she looked toward the grasslands.

‘Whatever. It doesn’t affect real life anyway.’

As soon as the words left her mouth, Ye Lian vanished on the spot.

A streak of white light shot across the sky, heading into the distance.