Chapter 35: Transforming into an Idol 6

The end-of-month showcase had begun. Their musical accompaniment was already prepared, and the school administration was not about to withhold approval on that front. However, because they ranked dead last, their turn to take the stage was scheduled near the end. With a three-day showcase featuring over three hundred pairs of performers, one could easily imagine the sheer duration of the event.

"Oh no, oh no! What should we do? We don't have our costumes yet! What are we supposed to do now?" Luo Qing only remembered they hadn't prepared their performance costumes after watching the preceding performers undergo their magical transformations on stage.

Because they belonged to the costume-transformation department, a transformation sequence was mandatory during their performance, and the attire had to match the song. This meant many students began preparing their outfits at the beginning of the month. Naturally, the production of these costumes was outsourced to the students of the fashion school.

The students at the fashion school were practically like celestial weavers when it came to transforming. While knowing how to make clothes didn't necessarily mean knowing how to design them, the fashion school explicitly taught them the principles of design, and their primary business during the school term came from the students of the Idol Academy's transformation department.

After all, student transformations required clothing to completely adapt and become their own. Renting was out of the question; purchasing was the only option. While the school did award various beautiful garments as prizes, it was still far from enough.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the single largest expense for Idol Academy students was clothing. Although a transformation naturally brought with it a default set of attire—diverse in style and closely tailored to an individual's unique temperament—these default outfits rarely matched the specific mood of every song, leaving students with no choice but to buy more.

Mu Yin and Luo Qing naturally needed costumes as well, but purchasing them now was simply too late. Even with expedited design and production by the fashion school, it would take at least half a month, and with only two days left, there was no way it could be done in time.

"Forget it, I'll figure something out." Mu Yin realized the predicament. *Tch, what a hassle.* Buying something ready-made was impossible since she had no money. She would just have to make them herself. After casually demonstrating her garment-making prowess using some old clothes on the spot, Luo Qing immediately offered to cover the cost of the fabric.

Through their days of living together after becoming roommates, Luo Qing had figured out that this companion had practically spent every last cent of her allowance for the month. Since Mu Yin was capable of making the outfits, providing the material herself was the least she could do.

For the next two days, while everyone else went to watch the showcase, Mu Yin stayed locked in the dorm room, frantically sewing. Finally, after two days, she completed the outfits for both of them—a total of four pieces designed with a pseudo-historical Qixiong Rukun dress aesthetic. The hemlines reached only to the thighs, and when twirled, the skirts flared out like blooming lotus flowers. There was one light pink, one cold blue, and two red dresses (though, as a fashion novice, those details could be overlooked).

"Wow, you made these? They are so gorgeous!" Luo Qing was overjoyed upon receiving the clothes. Although she had trusted Mu Yin's ability to sew, she hadn't expected them to turn out this stunning; the entire set of garments radiated an ethereal, fairy-like aura.

Since Mu Yin had previously asked about her preferences, Luo Qing had admitted she liked pink—truly a little girl at heart. While the four outfits shared similar designs, the red set differed slightly, featuring an additional attached trailing skirt-tail.

All they had to do was drop a few drops of their blood onto the garments after transforming, and the outfits would officially belong to them, allowing them to change into them post-transformation. Come to think of it, having been in this world for quite some time, this was Mu Yin's very first transformation.

"Invoke the power of illusion, grant me the ability to transform." She recited the transformation incantation. It was a very peculiar language, and the incantation was universal, learned by everyone during their very first transformation.

Mu Yin closed her eyes tightly to sense the shift in energy during the transformation. She discovered that it was an energy she had never encountered before, yet it felt somewhat familiar—very much like illusion arts, yet subtly different.

She couldn't be certain what kind of energy it was, but she could sense that it did not originate from within her own body; rather, it was summoned. The moment the incantation was spoken, a surge of force welled up from an unknown source, swept through her entire body, and made a single circuit within her before leaving no residue behind, altering the form of her original clothes on the exterior into an entirely different ensemble. The style of her outfit became a red evening gown, while Luo Qing's turned into a pink princess dress.

That energy left behind only a trace on the surface of her skin and within her blood, though the amount was minuscule. By dropping her blood onto the clothing, she branded the fabric with this energy-infused mark. Mu Yin felt she could now effortlessly convert the clothes she wore into any apparel bearing her personal imprint.

Clearly, the so-called transformation was actually a process of borrowing energy from the outside. However, not everyone's constitution was capable of retaining the vast majority of that energy internally; the less one retained, the weaker the abilities they wielded. In truth, their costume-transformation department was indeed the weakest of all.

Moreover, this ability was highly unique. It could be retained within the body, but it could not be absorbed. This explained why those in the combat-oriented transformation departments likewise possessed no intrinsic power prior to transforming, and why their combat potency post-transformation was time-limited.

This truly was a wondrous energy. Yet, Mu Yin could sense that it did not belong to this macrocosm; it likely originated from the world of some other Creator God. However, this energy was also distinct from the alien races they currently faced. It was entirely possible that this world had been used as a battlefield more than once.

At this thought, Mu Yin's expression turned somewhat grim.

"What's wrong?" Luo Qing turned and caught sight of Mu Yin's expression, unable to help herself from asking, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Nothing. Let's go, it's almost our turn." Mu Yin shook her head.

As the final act of the showcase, and with attendance dwindling the further the program progressed, by the time Mu Yin and Luo Qing stepped onto the stage, the auditorium was virtually empty. Every showcase, in addition to drawing the school's own students, usually attracted outsiders who purchased tickets to watch—serving as a source of revenue, with one-third of the final ticket proceeds reserved as prize money for the top ten students.

Seeing that four-fifths of the audience seats were empty, Luo Qing felt quite discouraged, but Mu Yin remained unfazed. As the music began to play, the two of them readied themselves. They had already transformed before coming on stage, but their initial attire clearly did not suit this song, meaning they would have to execute a wardrobe change right as the prelude began.

Thus, brilliant lights flared across their bodies, and their garments began to shift. The few audience members lingering in the hall started murmuring amongst themselves:

"Oh, changing outfits right at the start?"

"The original attire probably didn't fit the song. But I've never heard this track before. Do any of you know what song it is?"

"Isn't it obvious? Everyone this time around is doing male-female duets or romantic ballads. Since they're a pair of girls, they surely must have chosen a lily song."

"I know it. It's the Mofei Duo's *Twin Lotus Blossoms*."

"So it *is* *Twin Lotus Blossoms*. Now I remember."

"The prelude to *Twin Lotus Blossoms* doesn't sound like that, though."

"They probably altered the rhythm a bit. That's not unusual; people change songs if their vocal range isn't a good match."

"Changing the song? I heard they're the last group—meaning they're the worst. Just listen to the group before them, completely off-key. What kind of talent could these two possibly have?"