They walked past the riverbank, through the market, and arrived at the outskirts of the city.
With a slight tug from Shironaka Fueno, the two of them vaulted over the city walls and landed in the wilderness.
The sky was still draped in the colors of twilight.
“Elder Brother.”
“What is it now?”
“How about we switch you back to your original body? That way, your preferences might return to normal too.”
Sophie’s footsteps paused slightly.
“Dino can make it, you know,” the girl said softly. “The length of the bones, the range of the joints, the muscles, the skin, the blood circulation—as long as Elder Brother is willing, I can craft a puppet body that is exactly the same as your past self at any time.”
“Miss Moon once made a body for Elder Brother as well. It was even better than the ones I make.”
Sophie thought: That’s a surprise.
“She used humans swallowed by the moonlight as materials. Naturally, the body she refined was that of a complete human.”
Sophie thought: What a villain.
Fueno turned her head.
“Doesn’t Elder Brother want to change back? Your current body must be quite inconvenient.”
Sophie fell into deep thought.
To say she didn't want to at all would be a lie; that was her own hard-forged manly body.
Since the transmigration, she had dreamed of it several times in the dead of night. She would see Primal Sophie standing on a distant shore, back turned toward her, looking somewhat desolate, somewhat sorrowful, and carrying the regret of a reunion that could never happen.
But then she reconsidered.
The current body wasn't exactly bad.
Although her current stats weren't high, she could barely manage to maintain her growth through the effects of her reversed traits. Moreover, the Heart of Yin was bound to her soul; changing bodies wouldn't change its effects, meaning her preferences wouldn't shift back anyway.
Furthermore...
Miss Hero’s sense of boundaries would definitely take gender into account.
If she switched back to her original body...
Would Miss Hero still let her sleep in her arms?
After a brief moment of contemplation.
Sophie suddenly saw the light.
Her lust was enlightened.
The body was but a leaf of a boat crossing the sea of bitterness; the skin was but an empty shell for reaching the shore of the Great Dao. What truly mattered was never the external form of her manhood, but that Primal Heart which, despite going through hardships, remained resilient.
The Primal Self has its own luck. Without it, I’m just as happy.
“There’s no need for now.”
Sophie looked up, her expression calm and composed.
“I think I’m doing quite well like this.”
“Is that so?”
Shironaka Fueno nodded thoughtfully.
She didn't push further. She simply tightened her grip slightly, holding Sophie’s right hand—the one that hadn't yet been contaminated by Miss Knight.
“What a pity.”
“A pity for what?”
“Since Elder Brother has already decided, then from now on, you can only be a scrub for the rest of your life.”
Sophie stopped in her tracks.
She slowly turned her head and stared fixedly at Shironaka Fueno.
Fueno stopped as well.
She had been waiting for her brother to retort as he had in the past, or perhaps pinch her cheeks in a fit of pique. But Sophie only stared at her intently, remaining silent for a long time.
Did I say something wrong?
Does Elder Brother actually care a lot about the body issue but is just too embarrassed to admit it?
Or was I being too impatient just now?
Countless possibilities flashed through Fueno’s mind. She pursed her lips slightly, but before she could speak, Sophie suddenly said with a serious expression:
“Little Dino.”
“Hmm?”
“Teach me.”
Shironaka Fueno blinked. “What?”
“That expression you just made.” Sophie raised her hand and pointed at Fueno’s cheek. “That look that seems very gentle, yet contains three parts disgust, three parts mockery, and four parts condescension—the kind that can deal a massive blow to an enemy’s psyche. The scrub expression.”
Sophie paused.
“Since I’m a girl now too, there’s no reason I shouldn't be able to learn it, right?”
“...” Shironaka Fueno fell silent for a moment.
Then, she couldn't help but chuckle. “Of course you can.”
Fueno let go of Sophie’s hand and turned to stand in front of her.
“Elder Brother, try it first.”
Sophie worked up her emotions, tried her best to narrow her eyes, tilted her chin up slightly, and gave what she thought was a very contemptuous smile.
“Scrub.”
Shironaka Fueno observed seriously for a moment.
“That’s not it.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Elder Brother’s eyes are open too wide.”
Fueno reached out and gently tapped the space between Sophie’s eyebrows.
“That doesn't look like you’re mocking someone. It just looks like a child trying to act tough after being bullied.”
“...”
“Try again.”
Sophie took a deep breath.
This time, she narrowed her eyes even more and lifted the corners of her mouth with more effort.
“Scrub~”
Fueno shook her head gently.
“Still not right.”
“What now?”
“Elder Brother’s smile is too elegant and deliberate.”
Shironaka Fueno raised both hands and gently cupped Sophie’s cheeks. Her fingertips carried a slight chill as she pressed the corners of Sophie’s mouth down a bit and adjusted the position of her chin.
“The key to a scrub taunt isn't how exaggerated the expression is.”
“Elder Brother needs to make the other person realize that you don't even feel the need to mock them seriously.”
“Because the opponent is simply too weak.”
“So weak that they only deserve a casual remark.”
Sophie was lost in thought.
She looked at Fueno again.
This time, Sophie didn't intentionally narrow her eyes or deliberately adjust her mouth. She simply recalled the way Fueno had mocked her earlier, tilted her head slightly, and gazed at the sister in front of her with a gentle yet pitying look.
She thought of Fueno’s past blunders, those moments that looked like total cringe...
“Scrub.”
Sophie said.
Thump!
Shironaka Fueno clutched her chest and took a sudden half-step back.
Sophie: “?”
Fueno lowered her head slightly.
Her long blue hair fell from the sides of her face, obscuring her current expression. However, the tips of her ears peeking through her hair had already turned a very noticeable shade of red.
“W-what happened?” Sophie asked hesitantly.
“It’s nothing.” Shironaka Fueno looked up.
She tried her best to maintain a calm expression, but the faint blush on her cheeks hadn't completely faded.
“It’s just that, hearing Elder Brother say that, I suddenly felt...”
“Like Dino really is such a scrub.”
【Log: Due to Shironaka Fueno’s guidance, you have acquired the special skill [Scrub Taunt].】
Sophie was stunned.
I can learn skills like this too?
She looked at the clearly mentally damaged Shironaka Fueno, then at the system prompt.
【Scrub Taunt (Special) lv.Max: Causes minor mental damage to the target through a contemptuous expression and brief words. When used in a female form, the effect is significantly enhanced.】
〈Human language does not need to be complex. Facing an excessively weak opponent, a light evaluation is enough to make them toss and turn in bed all night.〉
Rate on N.U.
