Lust System: Conquering the World Beauties

The dwarf continued talking.

”So, beautiful lady, I must say that—”

He stopped.

His head tilted slightly.

The drunken smile disappeared from his face.

Something had changed.

He sensed it.

Danger.

His eyes shifted.

The dwarf’s pupils contracted.

He moved.

He threw himself sideways just as Liam swung the sword downward.

BANG!

The blade slammed into the wooden table.

The impact was catastrophic.

For one brief moment, the table seemed to resist.

Then it exploded.

BOOM!

Wood, metal and dust erupted outward, but the destruction didn’t stop there. The table didn’t simply break into pieces. It disintegrated. The entire structure seemed to collapse into particles before those particles were reduced further, until nothing remained except a thick cloud of smoke spreading through the workshop.

Everyone froze.

Tatiana’s eyes widened.

Irina stared.

Leonid’s mouth fell open.

Gregor looked from the smoke to Liam.

The dwarf had landed several feet away and was staring at the place where the table had been.

Liam slowly lifted the sword.

His eyes traveled along the blade.

Despite the weapon looking like something that belonged in a junkyard, it had just destroyed the table with a single strike.

Liam’s expression changed.

”Damn.”

He looked at the sword again.

”What is this masterpiece?”

The dwarf’s eyebrow twitched.

Liam turned toward him.

The dwarf was still recovering from his sudden escape, one hand planted against the floor as he pushed himself upright.

Liam smiled.

”Die, you bitch.”

The dwarf’s eyes widened.

Liam raised the sword.

The blade immediately began descending.

”Wait!”

The dwarf rolled sideways.

The sword came down.

The dwarf saw it coming straight toward him and his drunken expression vanished completely.

”Holy shit!”

This little fucker was actually going to kill him.

There was no hesitation in Liam’s eyes.

The dwarf’s hand shot toward his boot.

His fingers wrapped around something hidden inside it.

He pulled.

A small knife appeared in his hand.

The weapon looked almost laughably tiny compared to the sword Liam was holding.

The dwarf raised it just before the blade reached him.

Liam saw the attempt.

He laughed.

”Idiot!”

The two weapons collided.

BOOM!

The resulting impact was completely different from what everyone expected.

The dwarf didn’t move.

The sword didn’t shatter.

Instead, Liam’s entire body was suddenly launched backward.

”WHAT?”

His feet left the floor.

His body flew across the workshop at ridiculous speed.

CRASH!

Liam disappeared directly into an enormous abandoned cauldron sitting in the corner.

The ancient metal container shook violently.

Then a huge cloud of coal dust and black powder erupted from it.

”Liam!”

Tatiana immediately ran toward him.

Irina’s eyes widened as she followed her with her gaze.

Leonid stared at the dwarf.

Gregor stared at the dwarf.

The dwarf simply stood there holding the little knife.

He glanced down at it.

Then at the smoking cauldron.

Then back at the knife.

He shrugged.

”Still works.”

Tatiana reached the cauldron.

”Liam!”

There was no answer.

She leaned closer.

”Liam, are you okay?”

A hand suddenly appeared over the edge.

Tatiana froze.

Liam’s fingers curled around the rim.

He pulled himself upward.

His head emerged first.

Then his shoulders.

Then the rest of his body.

Tatiana’s expression slowly changed.

She had expected to see Liam bruised.

Maybe covered in dust.

Maybe angry.

She had not expected this.

Liam was completely black.

Coal dust covered his hair, his face, his neck, his clothes and practically every visible part of his body. His skin had disappeared beneath a thick layer of black powder, making him look as though someone had thrown him into a chimney and forgotten about him.

His face was almost entirely black.

Only his eyes remained visible.

Two bright eyes staring out from the darkness.

Irina covered her mouth.

Gregor’s shoulders began shaking.

Leonid turned his face away.

Tatiana stared at Liam for several seconds before her lips finally twitched.

Liam noticed.

”Don’t.”

Tatiana immediately composed herself.

”I wasn’t laughing.”

”You were.”

”I wasn’t.”

”You absolutely were.”

Before she could respond, the dwarf looked at Liam.

He sighed dramatically.

”Ugh.”

He shook his head.

”I can’t believe you girls follow this dirty pig around.”

Silence.

Liam stared at him.

The dwarf looked at Tatiana.

Then Irina.

Then back at Liam.

”A filthy one too.”

Liam’s soul almost left his body.

He had nothing left.

No anger.

No argument.

No strength to deal with this man.

He slowly walked over to a nearby chair.

Every step left little traces of coal dust behind him.

He sat down.

The chair creaked beneath him.

Liam leaned backward and stared at the ceiling.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

He had come here because a goddess had sent him to find a legendary blacksmith.

Instead, he had found a drunken dwarf who insulted him every thirty seconds, a sword that weighed more than a mountain and a knife that had just sent him flying across an entire workshop.

Liam slowly closed his eyes.

There was only pain.

Pain in his pride.

Pain in his hand.

Pain in his body.

And apparently, pain in this entire fucking world.

He opened one eye and looked toward the dwarf.

The dwarf was already drinking again.

Liam sighed.

”Why did I even come here?”

The dwarf sat down heavily on the only chair that still looked capable of supporting his weight, causing it to creak beneath him as he leaned back and released a long sigh. He glanced around the shop, taking in the broken tools, scattered scraps of metal, overturned containers and the remains of what had once been a perfectly good wooden table. His eyes slowly traveled across the destruction before settling on Liam, who was still sitting nearby with his entire body covered in black coal dust. For several seconds, the dwarf said nothing. Then he clicked his tongue and pointed lazily around the room.

”You have made a mess of my office.”

Liam’s head slowly turned toward him.

He stared.

The dwarf stared back.

Liam looked around the shop.

He looked at the broken shelves.

He looked at the rusted equipment.

He looked at the piles of scrap metal that had clearly been sitting untouched for decades.

Then he looked at the dwarf again.

”Dude, your own shop was already a mess.”

The dwarf’s eyes narrowed.

For a moment, it looked as though he was genuinely considering Liam’s argument. His gaze wandered around the room again, and perhaps even he had to admit that there was some truth to what the young man had said.

Then he simply waved his hand.

”Fuck off.”

Liam’s eyebrow twitched.

He had never met anyone like this dwarf before.

The man’s entire existence seemed designed to irritate him.

Liam opened his mouth to respond, but the dwarf suddenly leaned forward. The lazy expression disappeared from his face for the first time since they had entered the shop. His bloodshot eyes moved across the group, and something much sharper appeared within them.

”So...”

His voice was suddenly calmer.

”The Seer sent you to me.”

The words dropped into the room.

Everything stopped.

Liam froze.

Tatiana’s expression changed immediately.

Irina’s eyes widened.

Gregor’s mouth fell open.

Even Leonid, who had been watching the ridiculous confrontation with barely concealed amusement, became completely serious.

For several seconds, nobody said anything.

Liam stared at the dwarf.

The dwarf stared back.

Then Liam slowly straightened in his chair.

”So you...”

His eyes narrowed.

”You’re actually the blacksmith?”

The dwarf’s beard twitched.

A slow grin spread across his face.

”Blacksmith?”

He gave a short laugh.

”That’s what they call me?”

Gregor suddenly slapped both hands against his thighs.

”I fucking knew it!”

Everyone turned toward him.

Gregor stood there with the expression of a man who had just won an argument nobody else remembered having.

”I said it! I told all of you!”

He pointed triumphantly toward the dwarf.

”A legendary forger! I knew it had to be a dwarf!”

Liam slowly turned his head toward Gregor.

The witch looked incredibly pleased with himself.

Liam’s expression became completely blank.

”You’ve been waiting your entire life to say that, haven’t you?”

Gregor’s grin widened.

”Yes.”

Liam sighed.

Of course.

Of all the things that had happened since entering this city, this was somehow the part that annoyed him the most.

He turned back toward the dwarf, his expression becoming serious again.

”So you knew why we were here from the beginning?”

The dwarf chuckled.

”Of course.”

”And you were just messing with us?”

The dwarf’s shoulders shook as another laugh escaped him.

”Messing with you?”

He looked genuinely entertained.

”You were the ones who walked into my shop looking for someone else.”

Liam’s eye twitched.

”You were drunk on the floor.”

”I was resting.”

”You were snoring.”

”Strategic breathing.”

”You smelled like alcohol.”

”I enjoy my work.”

”You called us minions.”

”You looked like minions.”

Liam stared at him.

The dwarf stared back.

Tatiana quietly covered her mouth, clearly trying not to laugh.

Irina turned her face away, but Liam caught the faint movement of her shoulders.

Even Leonid was struggling to contain himself.

Liam slowly rubbed his face.

”This guy...”

He muttered under his breath.

The dwarf leaned forward and grabbed his wine pouch.

”Besides, I knew who you were the moment you stepped foot into the city.”

Liam’s hand stopped halfway toward his face.

His expression changed.

”You knew?”

The dwarf nodded.

”I knew.”