Jack had recently discovered that humans didn't need to fight to raise their levels—they could also grow stronger through crafting, albeit more slowly. The young man had discovered this when he gained a level after crafting spear number sixth. After that, he became confident in his choice to spend his time this way, redoubling his efforts. The storeroom in the forge had long since run out of iron ingots, so Jack began salvaging unused metal around the farm that he could recycle. He had just finished tearing apart an old tractor and melting down some parts into fresh material to continue his work. The air in the forge around him fluttered and waved from the intense heat. The forge had been burning at full strength since the moment it was discovered, but to Jack, it felt gentle and comfortable. Now, the smell of old oil and carbon hung thick in the air from burning off all the built-up grime on the scavenged metal parts.
Jack had gotten quiet a few complaints that the spears he made were too heavy. Carrying them for a short time was fine, but on long guard duties, people's arms ached from the constant weight. He could use wood, but upgrading a wooden shaft with his aspect required him to carve it himself. Not to mention, reforging all the spearheads would take a great deal of time. He suspected the problem would solve itself once carrying the heavy loads earned the guards enough strength points anyway, so he ignored the complaints.
At least now there were enough weapons for everyone. Jack had moved on to addressing the desperate need for defensive items. After that, he planned to tackle ranged weapons and more personalized gear for the stronger members of the community. The red-hot slab of metal before him sparked and flashed as he struck it with his hammer. He had already completed the upgrading process and was now shaping the iron. He carefully hammered out a thin bowl of iron, large enough to cover an adult man's upper body. After shaping and cooling the metal, he moved on to creating the base.
Learning from his experience with the spears, he decided to only coat the front of the item with iron while using wood for the majority. Using a handsaw, he cut a large piece of hard maple from a table he'd found in the attic. Then, he began the tedious process of carving it by hand. As chips of wood fell to the ground, the air around the item filled with dozens of small glowing orbs. The magical upgrade process enabled by his aspect had begun. The lights collected on the wood much faster than they did on metals, but still slower than when he had upgraded a few strips of leather. Jack had discovered through trial that every material required its own unique upgrade process.
Once the item was fully saturated with magic and Jack could no longer force even a single additional orb inside, he allowed the process to finish. He had added three more points to his magic power attribute and even gained one through his own effort from upgrading so many materials. By now, he could add about twenty percent more magic to a single material, but he still hadn't crossed the quality threshold to create an item better than [Enhanced]. The wood darkened slightly, and the sound it made when Jack knocked on it deepened. He grabbed the leather straps he'd prepared earlier and ran them through the premade slits in the wood, then fit the iron bowl on top. The two parts had been carved to match perfectly. He secured them together with bolts around the rim.
Through effort, you have raised the talent Craftsmanship to level 5.
Jack lifted the newly crafted item, fixing the straps to his arm. He hit the iron face of the shield with his hammer a few times to test it before nodding to himself and prompting the system to assess his work.
Survivor's Shield - [Iron Shield] - Quality [Enhanced]
The first shield forged by a group of survivors, it has been magically enhanced by its creator's unique aspect.
Strength of the Survivor: Wielder gains +3 Strength while this item is equipped.
"Nice!" The item was of similar quality to the spears he had made earlier, but the real source of his joy was its additional attribute of strength—items that could add this attribute were highly prized in this place. He looked back at his materials, scratching his chin while pondering, he figured that he probably had enough hard maple to craft three more shields; after that, he'd need to find a new source of wood.
Lucius wrinkled his nose and turned his face away hard to one side. Now that he was so close to the dark-clothed man, the stink of rot and death was unmistakable. The man was breathing heavily as he stared at the bleeding wound on Lucius' chest. He had stopped bothering to wipe the constant flow of liquid dripping from his mouth, and every rapid exhale of stink sent another pulse of disgust through Lucius.
Lucius already had his backup dagger in hand but he kept waiting patiently for the right moment to counterattack. He watched through the corner of his eyes as the man in front of him could barely restrain himself from the blood as the goblet filled, so Lucius planned to strike when his opponent was fully distracted by his meal.
He glanced at Matriarch's Fury lying on the floor nearby. It was close enough to retrieve with telekinesis, but doing so would reveal to his enemy that he wasn't as helpless as he appeared. Besides, the long blade had failed to harm the man and he'd melded unharmed into the shadows when it struck him. Lucius hoped Patrick's inscriptions would make the small dagger more effective against the strange abilities he was facing. It took all his willpower to stay still and let the creepy bastard continue draining his blood. Thankfully, the discomfort wouldn't last much longer. The goblet was nearly full, so much that a single drop spilled over the edge. The man quickly caught the escaping drop with his hand, licking it clean before lifting the goblet to his lips. A visible shudder of pleasure rippled through his body underneath the flowing black cloth.
This was the moment Lucius had been waiting for. Without hesitation, he twisted his wrist, and the magically empowered blade let out a hiss like hot metal in water as it sliced through the shadows, freeing his hands. Lucius cut his binds and, in one smooth motion, swung his blade forward, slashing his blade through the man's neck as he drank. Lucius watched as black ooze along with his own bright red blood poured out of the whole in his enemies neck.