HC: Handyman | Ch. 105 - Empty Brag

After logging out for a quick bathroom break and a snack, Jack was back on his trusty steed, wearing his Ronin-style straw rope outfit as he rode toward the lake. As he neared it, he spotted Ariadneā€™s camp, marked by its large palisade. Feeling courteousā€”or maybe just wanting to show off his new gearā€”Jack decided to stop by and say hello.

Ariadneā€™s camp looked as impressive as ever. This time, though, it wasnā€™t her Gibbon butler who greeted him; Ariadne herself stepped forward with a welcoming smile.

"Hi, Ariadne!" Jack grinned.

She glanced him over, taking in his new look, and smiled. "Hey, Jack! I see you took my advice and leveled up your rope weaving."

"Right?" Jack spun in a slow circle, showing off his full ensemble. "Thanks for the tip!"

He watched her expression closely, hoping for admiration, but something about her smile felt off. It didnā€™t quite reach her eyes.

"What?" Jack asked, frowning.

"Itā€™s nothingā€”"

"No, come on. Thereā€™s something wrong with my clothes, isnā€™t there? Tell me."

Ariadne hesitated, then plucked at one of the many dry strands of grass poking out from his armor. "You spent all that time crafting, butā€¦ couldnā€™t you have used a better material?"

Jackā€™s shoulders slumped. "What do you mean? I thought grass was the only option for rope."

"Well, sure, but thereā€™s more than one kind of grass. You used plain grass. Bluegrass or pampas grass wouldā€™ve given you smoother armorā€”and better stats."

Jackā€™s pride deflated instantly. His mind spun. How did I miss that? He blinked, incredulous. "Youā€™re telling me thereā€™s more than one kind of grass?"

Ariadne burst out laughing. "Of course! What made you think there was only one? Hey, at least you got some good practice out of it."

Jack forced a smile, but inside, it felt like someone had dumped cold water over his excitement. Hours spent weaving, and there had been better materials out there all along? He tried to focus on the upsideā€”At least now I knowā€”but it was hard to shake the bitterness.

Ariadne, sensing his mood, changed the subject. She stepped closer to Snowy, patting the ground slothā€™s neck. "I see youā€™ve got a new friend."

"Yeah, got her from a quest. Sheā€™s really cool, isnā€™t she?"

ā€œThat she is!ā€ Ariadne inspected Snowyā€™s items and smiled. "You really went all in with the rope, huh? A rope saddle and four saddlebags? Thatā€™s impressive. Most bushcrafters wouldā€™ve bought those from a tailor, but you made them yourself." She put on a proud look. "Kudos to you, Jack! Why use a tailor when you can craft your own stuff? Bushcrafting is the best profession, donā€™t you think?" she added loudly as if declaring it to everyone in the camp.

Jack blushed slightly, half-embarrassed. Ariadne seemed to be waging a personal war against the other professions, as though bushcrafting could outshine every tailor, carpenter, and trapper in the game.

"What are you planning to do with baskets that large?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Even with their anti-spoiling bonus, by the time you fill them with perishables, there wonā€™t be enough time to haul them back to the city."

"Iā€™m not using them for perishables." Jack pointed to the pot hive strapped to his back. "Iā€™m going to use them for these."

Ariadneā€™s eyes widened slightly. "I noticed that pot earlier. Itā€™s... unusual," she said, intrigued.

Since sheā€™d been helpful before, Jack decided to explain. Plus, after the rope armor misstep, he felt the need to explain how awesome his plan was. "Itā€™s not just unusual. Itā€™s a unique itemā€”only I can make these portable hives."

Her expression grew more serious. "Only you? Are you sure?"

"Positive," Jack replied confidently.

She squinted slightly as though unsure whether to believe him. Jack continued, "The hive does have a downside, though. It gives me a speed debuff, but sloths cancel out weight debuffsā€”"

Ariadneā€™s smile returned. "Youā€™re using the saddlebags for pot hives. Smart."

Jack saw a shift in her gazeā€”something resembling respect. "Iā€™ve got to hand it to you, Jack. Youā€™re full of surprises. So, did you stop by just to thank me and show off your new gear, or is there something you need?"

"Actually, a meal would be great." Jack cleared his throat. "Thatā€™s the main reason I came here. I need to top off my stamina before heading back to the city. Oh, and to thank you, of course." His stamina bar really was low, and he did want to thank her, but he didnā€™t want to admit that showing off his gear was a big part of the visit.

Ariadne grinned knowingly. "Any specific buff youā€™re after?"

"Uhā€¦ whatever youā€™ve got in the pot."

"Mr. Jeeves! Some stew for our guest!"

Hu-hu.

The Gibbon butler appeared with remarkable speed, serving up a steamy bowl.

"Thanks," Jack muttered, eyeing the butler. "Mr. Jeeves, huh? I need to get myself one of those."

"Good luck with that," Ariadne chuckled. "I got him from an epic quest."

"Epic?! Wow. That mustā€™ve been brutal."

"Oh, it was," she said darkly.

Jack sipped the stew, his pride still smarting a bit. Conversations with Ariadne always left him feeling a little behind. "What about you? You could be off in a higher-level area by now, couldnā€™t you?" he asked.

"I could. And I will, soon. But thereā€™s something I need from this lake. Iā€™m just waiting for the right opportunity. It shouldnā€™t be much longer," she said.

Jack was intrigued. What could possibly be so valuable here that a high-level bushcrafter like her would stick around? Whatā€™s in the lake? If it was something she wanted, there was a good chance Jack would want it, too. But before he could ask, Ariadne stood, signaling that she had more business to attend to.

"Iā€™ve got some customers waiting," Ariadne said, nodding toward a group of high-level players entering the tent.

"Thanks for the help," Jack said, genuinely grateful.

"Anytime, Jack. And thanks for stopping by," she replied, giving him a warm smile before heading off to greet the newcomers.

Jack sat there, finishing his stew, his curiosity gnawing at him. Whatā€™s so special about Red Lake that Ariadneā€™s camped out here? Could it be some rare resource? An aquatic gibbon to add to her butler collection? Or maybe even a sea monster servant? 

"Hey, you with the straw hat."

"Huh?" Jack spun around, startled. One of the higher-level players dining nearby had approached him quietly, catching him off guard.

The player, clearly far more experienced, had an eye patch over one eye and a longbow strapped to his backā€”likely a ranger, judging by his gear. Jack felt a little thrown off. Why would someone like this be interested in him? Following the playerā€™s gaze, Jack realized he was staring at the pot hive strapped to Snowy.

Maybe he wants to place an order, Jack thought.

"How can I help you?" Jack asked, trying to sound casual.

"I see youā€™ve got a hive there. Got any honey for sale?"

"Uhā€¦ yeah, actually, Iā€™ve got plenty," Jack replied. Since becoming a beekeeper, he hadnā€™t listed any honey on the market yet, keeping it for his bushcraft ventures. He only had 12 pots for storage, though, and nine were already full. He didnā€™t mind parting with some. "You want some?"

"Yes, please. Letā€™s seeā€¦ Itā€™s five silver per stack of honey, right? Iā€™ll take two stacks. How about 11 silver for both?"

"I was thinking more like 12 silvers," Jack countered.

The player grinned. "Deal."

A trade window popped up.

RobinMeadhood would like to trade with you.

Jack offered the honey, completing the trade as he received the coins. Just as he was about to return to his meal, his curiosity was piqued as the player pulled out small wooden kegs from his inventory. The player popped the lids, releasing a sweet, spicy aroma into the air, and began pouring the honey into each keg.

"Uh... what are you doing?" Jack asked, genuinely curious.

"Making mead for my next hunt," the player replied casually.

"Mead?" Jack echoed.

"Yep."

"What does it do?"

The ranger looked up, surprised. "You donā€™t know? Youā€™re a beekeeper, arenā€™t you?"

"Yeah, but I just got started recently."

The player shrugged. "Mead boosts resistances and damage. It also burns," he explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Thatā€™s... cool," Jack said, intrigued.

After filling the kegs with honey, the player added water, giving each keg a little shake. "There. Now it just needs to ferment." The kegs disappeared back into the rangerā€™s inventory, and with a nod, the ranger turned to leave.

Jack watched him go. What kind of profession is that? I need to look into it later.

Jack and Snowy resumed their journey toward the city. Jack's thoughts were fixed on Ariadneā€™s hint about using better-quality grass for crafting. The idea of upgrading his equipment simply by changing materialsā€”without having to invest in new recipes or skillsā€”had him fired up.

After a quick search online, he discovered why all the grass heā€™d seen so far looked the same: higher-quality grass was only available on specific maps he hadnā€™t visited yet. However, one type could be harvested within the city walls, which left Jack buzzing with excitement. After crafting a few more pot hives, heā€™d definitely check it out.

Feeling content with his plan, Jack picked up his ocarina and played the familiar notes of [A Morning of Spring] as he traveled. He could now play it effortlessly, the melody flowing smoothly as the bees buzzed with renewed energy. But Jackā€™s thoughts drifted to something far less harmonious.

Here he was, after his first ā€˜day of school,ā€™ but in a couple of hours, heā€™d have to log out and face his parents. What was he going to tell them?

Why did I have to lie?

He mulled over his options. Should he keep pretending to attend school, get his ā€˜diploma,ā€™ and then reveal his new online career saying that it aligned with his supposed studies? Or would it be better to rip the band-aid off and come clean, apologizing for the deceit?

His musings shifted to his in-game decisions. He was nearing level 20 and needed to choose his next two minors. Initially, he thought heā€™d need a minor that let him craft equipment for himself, but bushcraft had become surprisingly versatile. Did he even need a minor for equipment now? If not, what was he still missing?

Despite all this pondering, he hadnā€™t reached any clear answers by the time he approached the city gate. Sighing, he put away his ocarina and checked the progress bars for his two minors. Beekeeping was progressing smoothly; already 70% of the way to level 8. His bard progression, however, was slower. Getting from level 9 to 10 required significant XP, and since he hadnā€™t been playing as much lately, his progress had plateaued.

As Jack reached the clearing before the city gate, now surrounded by other players, he straightened up, hoping someone would notice his new armor. But no one spared him a second glance. Maybe his armor wasnā€™t as impressive as he thought. A few players glanced at Snowyā€”likely their first time seeing a ground sloth used as a mountā€”but beyond that, he was just another face in the crowd.

A little disappointed, Jack made his way to the marketplace, where he began offloading extra rope, cords, and honey. Each stack of honey sold for five silvers at market price, and with the quantity he had, he was looking at a solid 50 silvers. Not groundbreaking, but reliable passive income that would only grow as his beekeeping profession advanced and he acquired more hives.

Out of curiosity, Jack searched for mead in the marketplace. Several listings popped up, and he quickly found the cheapest option. ā€œWoah!ā€ he exclaimed. One small keg with ten servings of mead sold for over one gold! And that was the cheapest type of mead. The more premium types were much more expensive.

Jackā€™s mind buzzed with excitement. A thought formed. What if I brewed my own mead? The ranger who had done it in front of him had made it look so easy, and the upside seemed to be huge. The idea of boosting his income tenfold had him stoked. Whatever profession allowed him to brew mead was now a strong contender for his next minor!

After selling everything, Jack pocketed around two gold coins. Satisfied, he bought the clay he needed to craft more pot hives as well as some materials for glazes. He then checked on his auction listings. Two pot hives and five ocarinas had already sold at their buyout prices. The remaining auctions were stabilizingā€”pot hives around 60 credits and ocarinas around 25. With a few days left on the auctions, there was still room for bids to rise, but Jack now had a better sense of their market value. It was still very good money.

Things were beginning to take shape. With his marketplace errands done, Jack headed toward the Pottery Association, ready to dive back into crafting.

Ch. 104 - Rope Armor

INDEX

Ch. 106 - Workshop Chatter