The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 173

Chapter 173: 173 | Revolutionary Wool

The System wanted me to collect heroines like trading cards. Rina Soleil sat three feet away from me apologizing for existing while her tail did that adorable little twitch thing, and my brain was already running the math on how to turn innocent conversation into Temptation Gauge progression.

Real scumbag hours, apparently.

"So what’s your Aspect?" I asked, because that was the question everyone asked and answering it would give her something familiar to talk about instead of sitting there vibrating with social anxiety.

Her face went through about six different expressions in two seconds. Surprise that I’d asked. Hesitation about whether she wanted to answer. Something that looked like embarrassment. Then resignation, like she’d decided the question was inevitable anyway.

"Wool," she said quietly. "I generate and manipulate wool constructs. It’s. Um. Not very impressive compared to most people here."

She said this like she was apologizing for her superpower, which was both tragic and completely on-brand for someone whose default setting appeared to be ’sorry for taking up space.’ The girl could probably smother a city block in comfort-inducing fluff and she was treating it like a party trick nobody wanted to see.

"That sounds useful as hell," I said, and meant it. "Defensive applications alone would make most Heroes jealous."

Her purple eyes went wide again, that same surprise from earlier but bigger this time. Like the concept of someone describing her Aspect as useful had never occurred to her as a possibility worth considering.

"Really? You think so? I mean, everyone always says it’s nice and soft and comforting, but in combat applications it’s mostly just. It makes people sleepy. And comfortable. Which isn’t very heroic, is it? I can’t blow things up or move super fast or anything exciting like that."

The way she said ’exciting’ made it clear she’d heard that word applied to other people’s Aspects approximately a thousand times while hers got filed under ’sweet’ and ’nice’ and other words people used when they were being polite about something they found boring.

"Exciting is overrated," I said. "Half the people in this building probably have Aspects that are one bad day away from accidentally leveling a city block. Someone who can make opponents too comfortable to fight effectively? That’s strategy."

Her tail did the twitch thing again, but this time it was a different kind of movement. Less anxiety, more. Something else. The fluffy white puff bounced once against the couch cushion and settled back down, and the motion sent a spike of something warm and interested straight through my chest that the System immediately catalogued with the enthusiasm of a starving accountant.

〘 Temptation Gauge Update: Rina Soleil.

Current status: 3%.

Stage: Neutral (Elevated).

Recent modifier: Validation of Aspect utility. Subject responds positively to genuine appreciation of her capabilities.

Analysis: Subject has low self-worth regarding combat applications. Approach vector: continued validation, practical applications discussion, demonstration of respect for her strategic value.〙

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