Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Dwarves Have Dull Senses (4)
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Miranda hated rookie adventurers. Not just beginner adventurers challenging the Labyrinth for the first time, but the ones among them who had no clue about their own limits—true rookies.
And most of the beginner adventurers she'd seen so far had been exactly that: rookies.
It made sense, given her background. Her father was a dwarf, renowned among their race of master smiths. And he truly lived up to that reputation with his skills.
So, word got around about the equipment shop run by a dwarf artisan, and rookies who didn't know their place kept showing up.
"Boss! Bring out your strongest sword!"
"You're the dwarf owner, right? Fit me for some armor that suits me!"
Idiots with shit for brains, clueless about the Labyrinth's terrors—especially the morons from outside the Labyrinth city—came swaggering in, demanding top-grade gear because they thought they deserved it. Sure, selling stuff was good business, right?
"Think of it as an investment in a future top-tier adventurer."
"What? 200 gold? Hah! You look down on me 'cause I'm a beginner?"
Most of the assholes who came to this shop only thought about good equipment when they heard the owner was a dwarf. They never considered the price and barged in blindly.
The rowdy ones got hauled off by the guards, or Gram smashed their faces with a hammer himself. But some riffraff would glance at the lower-priced gear displayed around the shop—her gear, in other words.
Miranda didn't like them much either, but seeing interest in the equipment she'd made stirred a spark of hope. Her skills were still far below her father's, but these were pieces she'd crafted diligently since childhood under his guidance.
"This gear's crazy cheap for dwarf-made! ...What? Daughter?"
"The, uh, daughter's a dwarf too? Hmm... half-breed?"
"I don't want this crap—I want real dwarf gear!"
"Shop-made stuff is always garbage, right?"
"This gear's too plain. Didn't you skimp on materials?"
But her hopes crashed into the abyss. Were these idiots blind to quality?
Sure, it paled next to her father's work, but it was more than enough for a beginner adventurer. And the prices were plenty reasonable.
How many con artists in this city slapped polish on shitty gear to make it look flashy and sold it at rip-off prices to clueless newbies?
Even after that, the rookies who showed up were all the same. Occasionally, a proper beginner would come along, but without fail, they'd been humbled in the Labyrinth and learned their place.
So, she gave up expecting anything from newbies. She figured they were all just ignorant fools.
Then, one day, a newbie-looking adventurer walked into the shop.
He wasn't properly geared—just a weapon, screaming beginner. At least he wasn't fixated on her father's stuff; he showed interest in her leather armor, so she threw in some old boots she'd made and sold them off.
"Hmm... You. Got Dexterity skill or something like it, don't you?"
The good mood from selling long-stocked gear didn't last. Hearing her father's words lit a fire in her chest. That guy?
She, who'd gripped a hammer since age seven, didn't even have that skill. And this soft-handed rookie did?
Irritated for no reason, she snapped at Ian the next time he came to the shop.
Knowing the rarity of Dexterity-like skills, she figured she'd milk what she could—offered to teach him gear maintenance and led him to the back.
In the back, she taught him how to clean his sword and maintain the edge.
Ian's movements were clumsy, for sure. Classic newbie hands that had never learned proper care. But they grew deft faster than she'd imagined.
Watching that only soured her mood further. She thought of how long it'd taken her to learn those techniques—and here this total rookie lucked into a skill and picked it up quick.
Soon, Ian cast a buff on her. She'd felt a mage's buffs before, but this was totally different.
Her fingertips grew more sensitive. No artificial feel—just like her own senses had naturally sharpened.
Shock and envy at the skill. Mixed with the subtle disdain she'd held for rookie adventurers, admiration and thanks slipped out as something else entirely.
"How the hell does a rookie like you have a skill like that—Dexterity-tier no less?"
When Ian's face hardened at her words, she felt a pang. Maybe that was too much.
But jealousy toward Ian kept any apology from leaving her lips.
She just grabbed her carving knife, started working, and stray thoughts faded as she focused on the piece.
While Ian's buff lingered, she deliberately tackled a delicate engraving job that demanded precision.
Focusing on the sensations in her fingertips, she hit a trance-like state. Even more than usual, other bodily distractions vanished, letting her concentrate deeper.
Overdoing it, maybe? Not hammering, but sweat poured like after heavy forging, and her throat went dry.
Not wanting to break focus, she gulped water from the cup on the workbench corner and kept going.
Finishing up, the water didn't go down smooth for some reason, but she drained the cup and wrapped the final engraving.
Sufficient experience has accumulated. [Engraving] skill level has risen to 7.
She hadn't gained Dexterity, but the stalled skill leveled up right as she finished. Joy washed away the earlier envy.
Standing from her chair, she rushed to thank Ian.
"My skill leveled up! Thank y..."
Thud.
Focus shattered, sensations sharpened around her again.
Suddenly, her lower body went weak, and she collapsed.
-Kyuuun♥
For some reason, intense heat bloomed deep in her thighs, at her core.
"You okay?"
Ian approached as I sat slumped on the floor and helped me up. Grabbing his hand triggered another reaction at my core.
-Kyung♥ Kyung♥
Not as draining as before, but holding his hand made it burn hotter down there.
"S-sorry about earlier. I was too prickly."
Flustered, I babbled an apology for before—envy of his skill, prejudice against rookies from past encounters, being cold because of it.
And thanks to his buff, I'd pushed my stalled skill to the next level.
The thrill of growth obliterated any lingering jealousy.
-Kyung♥
Then, at the persistent sensations, I hastily shooed Ian out for a bit. Excuse about sweating too much and needing a quick wash. It was true, though.
Hurrying him out, I yanked down my pants to check my weirdly reactive pussy.
Peeling off underwear soaked beyond mere sweat brought cool relief, revealing my pussy twitching faintly.
With the strange heat, I touched it with a finger.
-Twitch♥
"Eut..."
I'd masturbated now and then when my lower half itched, but this felt totally different from usual.
If anything, it resembled the afterglow in my pussy right after climaxing from a solo session.
Slipping a finger in slightly sent a jolt through my whole lower body. Way more sensitive than normal masturbation.
Still, figuring this heat would fade with some relief, I started rubbing one out.
-Schlick♥ Schlick♥
"Hut... Ueut..."
Callused fingers roughened by smithing scraped hypersensitive walls. Normally, I'd tease the edges first to warm up.
Today, though, my pussy swallowed my finger smooth and eager.
-Schlick♥ Schlick♥ Schlick♥ Schlick♥ Schlick♥
"Hut... Ah... Heut... Hut..."
Matching my amped-up pussy, my fingers sped up. A bizarre new pleasure surged.
Her body—Miranda hadn't noticed—had already climaxed once. It craved rest post-orgasm, but her mind hadn't registered it.
Thus, ignoring her flesh's plea, she brutally thrust into her unacknowledged, unrested pussy.
Had she ever continued after climaxing, she might've recognized it. But Miranda rarely masturbated, and when she did, it was quick and done.
So now, she drowned in unprecedented pleasure.
That smooth-handed guy's thorough warmup had pushed her to orgasm once,
Her pussy, feeling a man's touch for the first time, had crested once like it was primed for mating, yet kept leaking fluids,
And now, ignoring its peak sensitivity, her fingers plunged hard like always—short, intense, aiming to end quick.
All combining, she hit climax fast.
"Heuk! Haaang♥"
-!!!! Squirttt! Squirttt♥
Back-to-back peaks, plus the focus from engraving, drained her sturdy smith's stamina. Miranda sprawled on the workshop floor, twitching faintly as she squirted.
"Heek... Heek..."
Savoring the aftershocks, Miranda lay limp on the floor, pupils dilated, breathing heavy.
"F... Felt so good..."
She didn't know why, but it was the best solo session she'd ever had.