He had everything now, it was time for the real upgrade. He took the Novice Hammer he received from his Starter Kit and, with a thought, combined the Crude Iron Shield with the Basic Wooden Haft. The metal hummed, welding itself to the wood, forming a proper grip.
"Here," Han Jin said, handing the newly forged shield to Sang-woo. "This is yours. It's better than a trash can lid."
Sang-woo stared at the shield. It was crude, but it was undoubtedly a real piece of equipment. The weight felt solid, reassuring. "Jin... you really are..."
"Focus," Han Jin interrupted. "We need to clear a path to the service entrance. There might be a delivery truck still running out there. Our main goal is to find a vehicle, any vehicle, to reach the hospital. And more materials."
His eyes swept over the Goblins feasting in the cafeteria. They were disorganized, chaotic, and it was the perfect sight for him.
"Ready, Sang-woo?"
Sang-woo gripped his new shield. A grim determination had replaced the fear in his eyes. "Ready, Jin. Just tell me who to hit."
Han Jin hefted his Splintering Club. He felt the mana surge through him, with the quiet hum of his Mini-Forge still echoing in his mind. The Tower was only beginning, but he was already ahead of the game. And he had a promise to keep.
***
The cafeteria was a vision of hell. The scent of sterilized floor cleaner had been replaced by the iron tang of blood and the musk of damp fur. Above the overturned tables, at least a dozen Goblins were scavenging.
"Follow my lead," Han Jin whispered to Sang-woo. "Don't aim for their heads yet. Use the shield to pin them against the tables. I'll do the rest."
Sang-woo nodded, his knuckles white as he gripped the Crude Iron Shield Han Jin had just forged.
Han Jin didn't charge in blindly. He picked up a ceramic plate from a nearby tray and hurled it toward the far corner of the room.
SMASH!
The noise echoed through the hall. Half of the Goblins shrieked and scrambled toward the sound.
"Now!"
Han Jin and Sang-woo burst from the shadows. A stray Goblin, separated from the pack, hissed and raised a rusted kitchen knife. Sang-woo didn't flinch. He slammed his shield forward, the heavy iron meeting the Goblin's chest with a satisfying thud. The creature was pinned against a heavy oak table, its legs kicking uselessly.
Han Jin moved like a shadow. The Splintering Club whistled through the air, caving in the Goblin's skull in a single, fluid motion.
[Ding! You have slain a Lesser Goblin (Lv. 1).]
[Experience Gained: 15%.]
"Don't stop!" Han Jin urged.
They moved toward the kitchen service counter. Han Jin's All-Seeing Eye was working overtime, scanning the room not for enemies, but for materials. In a world turned into a game, a kitchen wasn't just a place for food, Instead it was a Tier-1 Resource Node.
[Resource Detected: Industrial Grade Stainless Steel (High Purity).]
[Resource Detected: Refined Carbonized Wood.]
"Sang-woo, hold the gap!" Han Jin commanded, pointing to the narrow entrance of the kitchen.
As Sang-woo braced himself against the doorway with his shield, Han Jin lunged for a set of high-end chef's knives sitting in a wooden block. In his past life, these were just tools. Now, they were the foundation of his survival.
He pulled out the Portable Mini-Forge.
"System, use 2x Monster Essence. Target: Professional Chef's Cleaver. Secondary Material: Stainless Steel Ladle."
[Ding! Processing Crafting Request...] [Analyzing synergy... High Synergy detected between 'Cleaver' and 'High Purity Steel'.]
The Mini-Forge hummed, emitting a heat that should have burned Han Jin's hands, but instead felt like a warm summer breeze. The metal melted and fused, the dull grey of the ladle merging with the sharpened edge of the cleaver.
[Ding! Crafting Successful!]
[Item Created: Butcher's Fang (Rank E - Rare)]
Attack Power: 22-28
Durability: 60/60
Passive Skill: 'Sever' – Increases damage against limbs by 15%.
Crafting Experience Gained: 25%.
Han Jin gripped the new weapon. It was no longer a kitchen tool. It was a heavy, blackened blade with a serrated back and a gleaming, razor-sharp edge.
"Jin! There's too many!" Sang-woo shouted.
Three Goblins were throwing themselves at Sang-woo's shield, their claws scraping against the iron. The fourth Goblin that was larger than the others, wearing a necklace of human fingers, was stalking toward them from the center of the cafeteria.
[Monster: Goblin Scout Leader (Level 5 - Elite)]
Han Jin's eyes narrowed. This was the first "Elite" monster of the apocalypse. In the previous timeline, this creature had slaughtered twenty students in this room.
"Sang-woo, drop!"
Sang-woo instinctively ducked. Han Jin leapt over him, the Butcher's Fang glowing with a faint violet light.
The Elite Goblin raised a notched curved blade to block, but Han Jin didn't aim for the blade. He aimed for the weak point his All-Seeing Eye had highlighted: the creature's right knee.
SHLICK.
The Sever skill triggered. The heavy blade sheared through the Goblin Leader's leg like paper. The creature let out a deafening howl, collapsing to the floor.
Before it could swing its curved blade, Han Jin was already behind it. He drove the Butcher's Fang into the base of the creature's skull.
[Ding! You have slain an Elite Goblin Scout Leader (Lv. 5)!]
[Experience Gained: 150%.]
[Level Up! You have reached Level 4!] [Loot Found: 'Goblin Leader's Command Horn', 'Broken Scimitar (D-Rank Material)'.]
The remaining Goblins, seeing their leader fall so easily, screeched in terror and fled toward the broken windows of the cafeteria.
Silence fell over the hall, broken only by Sang-woo's heavy breathing.
"You... you killed an Elite," Sang-woo whispered, looking at the smoke where the monster once was. "Just like that."
"I told you," Han Jin said, wiping the black blood off his new blade. "I'm a Smith. I don't fight fair, I fight with better gear."
He walked over to the back exit of the kitchen. Through the small window, he could see the parking lot. A white delivery van was idling near the loading dock, its driver's side door open and stained with blood.
"There's our ride," Han Jin said.
But his mind wasn't on the van. It was on the 'Broken Curved blade he had just picked up. D-Rank material. With his Mini-Forge, he could turn that into a weapon that would last him until he reached the hospital.
He checked his status.
[Current Mana: 12/35] [Time Remaining to reach Hospital: 46 Hours.]
"We don't have much time," Han Jin muttered. "Sang-woo, gather all the salt and high-calorie bars you can find in the pantry. We're leaving in five minutes."
As Sang-woo scrambled to gather supplies, Han Jin sat for a moment, staring at his hands. They were steady. In his past life, he would have been crying. Now, he was calculating.
Arthur, I'm already Level 4, he thought. By the time you find your first 'Holy Sword', I'll have forged a dozen of them.
He stood up, his gaze hardening. Every level, every craft, every kill brought him closer to his sister. And anyone, either monster or human, who stood in his way would find out exactly how sharp his blades could be.