Chapter 19 - Mad Blacksmith

 Jason didn't have to look for long before he found a place like the end of the dungeon that he suddenly appeared before. It was right behind the throne of the boss as well, and while it was smaller than the tunnel that led to the boss's chamber, it was enough for an adult human to cross.

 At the end of the tunnel, Jason smiled when he found another golden treasure chest. His luck was good… it would be awesome if he could get another weapon like the Infinite one… it was unlikely, but a man could have his own delusions.

 After opening the chest, Jason found a scroll, and when he opened it, he received a message from the system. 

(Congratulations! You received the Knowledge to obtain the Job Mad Blacksmith (F).)

(You obtained the following Job Skills: 

Cursed Forge: using monsters materials as part of the forging process, you can give your creations special effects and increased effectiveness.

Bloody Repair: you can repair your creations using the blood of monsters. 

Forbidden Knowledge: When obtaining monsters' materials, you can immediately identify their best uses and the type of creation to which they are best suited.)

(For discovering another treasure by yourself the title Treasure Hunter rank went up from (F) to (E). +40% Experience gain.)

 Jason felt the Knowledge being absorbed by his brain, that kind of Knowledge was kind of shady, but it would be useful in his hands. Jason didn't know if he would rather spend his time making weapons or other equipment instead of fighting. He liked the feeling of excitement that the fights granted him, after all.

"Well, to be able to use this Job, I will have to get some other things… an anvil, furnace, refining tools… a bunch of shit," Jason thought while rubbing his chin. "I hope that I can find all of this in the city."

 After leaving the dungeon, Jason found himself surrounded by darkness. The world was completely silent… at least that area was dealing with the fact that the monsters were appearing, and the world expanded as well.

 While hearing his stomach grumbling, Jason began to run toward the South to fight the feeling of exhaustion and hunger. It was past midnight, and he barely had a break since that morning. He had planned to save some room for the fish he was going to catch, after all.

"Where the hell is my car?" Jason thought and then sighed.

 As the sun began to rise, the sky was covered in clouds. The clouds had a soft, gray appearance, and their edges were tinged with hints of pink and orange. The air felt cool and fresh, carrying a scent of damp earth. A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, signaling the approach of rain.

As the rain approached, the air became heavy and still. The first drops started to fall, creating shimmering specks of moisture on the ground. The raindrops created a gentle, soothing sound as they landed. Meanwhile, the sunrise continued, sending intermittent rays of golden light through breaks in the clouds. This created a beautiful contrast between light and shadow.

 Jason probably had crossed over fifty kilometers in those hours without finding a single sign of civilization or people. He knew that the lake wasn't that visited; people nowadays would rather bathe in the sunlight of LED lights instead of bathing in the sun. Outdoor activities were getting less and less common, after all. Still, for him not to see a single soul was…

 Just when Jason was thinking about that, he frowned when he found a paved road ahead—one that would lead him to another dense pine forest. While he couldn't see what was beyond it, he could smell smoke—the smell of burned plastic, wood, and metal.

"Am I close enough? Even though I didn't see a single building until now?" Jason thought while furrowing his eyebrows.

 Changing the whole landscape of the area was a dick move, but Jason couldn't expect anything less from those that crested whatever the hell was going on. It seemed like a natural phenomenon aside from the system, and sometimes mother nature can be quite… merciless.

 Jason began to follow the paved road and soon arrived in the forest. The place was quite silent, but Jason could feel that there was something odd in the air… he couldn't pinpoint what, and he couldn't focus properly on trying to understand that since he was so hungry.

 Although he was unable to identify the weird source of the feeling, Jason found a few things in the area that made him realize other things… humans were there. They decided to hide in the forest by creating shelters to hide themselves with a bunch of bushes. The bushes were too big and looked unnaturally placed as well…

"This seems really stupid, but I guess it was the best option that they had. They won't find water and food at this rate, and when they are forced to do so, they will be too weak to fight," Jason thought while ignoring those people who were also ignoring him.

 The people were afraid, they knew that there was some sort of civilization ahead, but they didn't want to approach it since the risks were too high… Most humans have yet to learn that they don't have a choice now, and they have to pick their poison.