I Picked Up the Fallen Earth

Chapter 34. Hajin Middle School (3)

Blacksmith Kang of the Village. His name wasn’t known to Jeron either. He was simply the only blacksmith in Yin-Yang Village and a native of Seosan.

During his time on Earth, as Jeron settled in Yin-Yang Village, he became acquainted and would sometimes share a drink and converse with the townspeople including Mr. Kang.

He remembered Mr. Kang as someone who had a guarded personality and didn’t open up easily. Mr. Kang had a wife and daughter, but he lost his wife right before his eyes during the great catastrophe.

His only reason for living was his daughter, Yujung, and he would sometimes tear up from the guilt of not being able to protect his wife.

The pieces of the puzzle clicked in Jeron’s mind. Upon further reflection, it seemed unlikely that there was another blacksmith in this rural village. A month ago, Jeron had found a dead man’s diary in front of a mart.

It mentioned an engineer who majored in mechanical engineering at the shelter had created crossbows and distributed them to the survivors. That engineer was Mr. Kang.

Given that there was no vehicle at the blacksmith shop, it was inferred that Mr. Kang and his daughter might have moved to the shelter with their belongings.

Although Jeron couldn’t be certain this was after his death, reviewing the sketches solidified his belief.

“The world really is small.”

Scattered across the floor were traces of effort. As the mutants grew stronger, so did the need for Mr. Kang to create a stronger crossbow.

Not just piercing through a thin plate, but powerful enough to take down a mutant in one shot was essential for survival. It seemed he had invested endless effort in weapon design, pondering deeply.

On the floor rolled various sketches of net launchers, harpoons, traps, and more. Some were scorched, others torn, marked also by the erratic scribbles of a pen.

Jeron carefully collected these failed blueprints and stored them in his backpack. Although complex to the point of being indecipherable to a layperson, these could likely be researched and replicated in the Karen Continent. If produced, they could be highly useful in the war, making it a great find.

“He majored in mechanical engineering and new materials, yet he also had a knack for art.”

If lucky, Jeron might meet Mr. Kang in the agricultural-industrial complex. If persuaded successfully, he could be brought over to become the Karen Continent’s leading mechanical engineer.

Jeron had died on Earth, but this connection had crossed over past lives and continued in this way. It would surely be interesting to see Mr. Kang’s reaction upon learning Jeron’s true identity. Jeron left classroom 2-3 and headed elsewhere.

Knowing that the school had plenty of materials worth farming, finding the library to meticulously search each classroom like before seemed necessary. Walking with his sword at the ready, Jeron looked well-equipped, with a revolver at his waist and a sniper rifle over his shoulder.

Suddenly, he crouched low upon hearing a tearing scream.

“Screeeech!”

“…!”

His blood turned ice cold from shock, nearly collapsing among the mummies on the floor.

‘A mutant?’

Undoubtedly. Judging from the magical wavelength, it surely was a death scream of a mutant. What had happened? Over the past month, before raiding a bus of the mobile unit, Jeron always checked if the middle school was safe and then began his work.

Despite the grotesque scenery making him sigh, there were no signs of mutants. If there were mutants in the school, he would have dealt with them first since safety was his priority. His throat went dry.

Click.

Jeron was startled by his reflection in a shattered full-body mirror in the hallway. The blood-stained mirror was broken in half, and the remaining part was also cracked severely, resembling a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Jeron was ready to open a portal to another dimension at any moment. In the third floor corridor wall. He cautiously looked around.

“Screeeeech!”

“Good heavens.”

The roar of a mutant echoed again, this time closer and accompanied by a harrowing scream. Jeron realized that the cries of the mutant weren’t moving from one spot.

With a sword in his right hand and a revolver in his left, he slowly made his way towards the source of the noise. The screams grew closer, and Jeron discovered why the mutant was shrieking and unable to move.

“Oh, boy.”

“Screech! GrRRr!”

The mutant writhed maniacally upon seeing Jeron. It was completely ensnared in an iron net and further immobilized against the wall by crossbow bolts through its arms, legs, torso, and neck. Despite its fierce struggle to escape, freedom was impossible. The craftsmanship suggested the work of Mr. Kang.

Penetrating the mutant’s skin required technology modern engineering could provide, as no ordinary arrow could suffice. Black blood oozed and then hardened at the site of each bolt. The creature was a sight — reddened flesh, long nails, a mouth torn open over 30 cm, razor-sharp teeth, and its emaciated body.

Clearly a mutant, it was considerably weakened, its mana almost entirely depleted, emitting only a faint blue aura. Jeron, initially intending to kill it, realized this was an ideal opportunity for experimentation. When else would he find a mutant so securely bound?

He decided against using his gun; the shot would reverberate throughout the interior, and with all the windows shattered, the noise could easily travel to distant locales. Approaching the city meant noise restraint was essential. Thus, he opted for the sword.

Clang.

The mutant effortlessly deflected Jeron’s sword. A weak blue barrier had formed, blocking the blade. Puzzled, Jeron tapped the barrier.

Ting! Ting!

The shield was incredibly durable. Such magic was new to Jeron, and he assessed that it would likely prevent any superficial damage. He then thrust with all his might.

Clang!

“Ah.”

The sword was repelled forcefully. Jeron realized that simple methods wouldn’t kill this creature. After probing various spots, he noticed the shield was weaker near the eyes, beneath the neck, and around the temples. Channeling what felt like a surge of mana, he swung the sword with great force.

Wham!

“Oh?”

The sword pierced through the shield and into the creature’s flesh, tough as it was, it couldn’t fully stop the sharp blade. The mutant shook its head wildly in response.

Crack.

One of its arms broke free momentarily threatening Jeron with a swift strike. After a brief burst of cold sweat, Jeron, channeling all his strength, drove his sword into the creature’s skull.

Squish!

“Screeeech!”

A final scream marked its end. The golden key in Jeron’s right hand absorbed the mutant’s mana. The glow became more vivid, and the duration was reset. A significant amount of mana was absorbed, filling him with energy. Hunting indeed proved more efficient than training.

Black blood trickled from his head, and his body slumped lifelessly. It felt like a level-up experience, thanks to blacksmith Kang. Gleaning a few insights about the mutants was a bonus. After cleaning his sword, Jeron turned around.

“There it is.”

At the end of the third floor’s corridor. A sign reading [Library] was precisely affixed. Given the state of the entire school, could the library actually be intact? That was unknown.

Even if the library was destroyed, it didn’t make sense that there wouldn’t be a single usable book left. With the world in such chaos, there seemed to be few willing to risk their lives just to loot books.

Back on Earth, food and medical supplies were important, but the thought of utilizing the knowledge from books for anything hadn’t occurred to many. Step by step. Bloodstains stretched long across the corridor.

Given the broken walls and streaks of nail scratches, it seemed a mass slaughter had also occurred in front of the library. The library’s doors were flung far away, and all the bookshelves were toppled over.

As expected, all the windows were shattered, letting the cold air from outside seep in. Books near the windows were all rotted away. It seemed natural for them to have turned that way after enduring years of rain, snow, and humidity.

Jeron sighed.

“To think the library is in this condition too.”

As expected, it appeared that a mass slaughter took place inside the library as well. Body parts were scattered about, and books rendered unusable by dried blood from the day of the incident were everywhere. The scene from that day played vividly in his mind.

The students had tried to block the entrance using the library’s bookshelves in a desperate attempt to survive, but the mutants were not mere feeble beings like zombies. They would have destroyed anything to reach their prey.

Because of the remnants of the rampage, the entrance was cluttered with toppled bookshelves, making it difficult even to step inside. Despite the grim situation, it was still worth a search. If he could bring even a fraction of Earth’s advanced knowledge back to the Karen Continent, it could trigger a massive transformation.

Textbooks, novels, music books, and humanities literature were scattered all over. Most of the books were beyond recognition. The covers might look intact, but the moisture made it impossible to discern the contents.

Jeron, sighing, made his way towards a wall where books were still neatly shelved. The books lying on the floor were deemed unusable, and the same was said for those near the windows. There weren’t many intact books, but the fact that there were any at all seemed like a miracle.

Jeron browsed slowly through the bookshelf.

[Middle School Basic Mathematics]
[The Invention and Development of the Abacus]
[Shakespeare’s Four Major Tragedies and Five Major Comedies]
[The Invention of the Saddle and Hanes]
[Dust Explosion]
[Understanding Humanities]
[The Evolution of Art]
[The Achievements of King Gwanggaeto]
[The Culture of Unified Silla]
[The Dynasty of Joseon……]
……

“Hmm?”

Jeron paused on the spot.

After seeing the dilapidated state of the library, he hadn’t held much hope. Finding usable books seemed very difficult, so he thought it might be better to search a university library or a downtown library or look in bookstores.

But even in a middle school library, there were clearly valuable books. Some of them could potentially have a tremendous impact on the Karen Continent.

“Saddles and harnesses… Dust explosion, huh? Why didn’t I think of that before?”

Saddles and harnesses would be the cheat code for cavalry, and dust explosion could be akin to an early form of grenade based on basic chemistry principles.

“These might actually be decent items.”