HC: Handyman | Ch. 8 - Back to Square One (Patreon)

When Jack first opened the menu, he saw many options but had ignored them at the time, hurrying to learn his two minors. Now with some time on his hands, he explored the different functionalities of the game.

• Inventory
• Skills
• Attributes
• Quests
• Map
• Friends

Under the skill menu, he could find all the skills he had picked up from Jenny and Saul. They were neatly organized under a tab for each of his professions.

“Attributes,” he called, wanting to see what information it gave access to. It turned out to be some general information on his character.

Name: JackofDiamonds

Level: 1

Major: [Bushcraft]

Minor: [Pottery]

Hit points: 100/100

Stamina points: 43/100

Strength: 5

Constitution: 5

Agility: 5

Intellect: 5

Luck: 5

His level was 1. No surprise there. He could also see his two minors. He studied his hit and stamina points. When he first started playing, he noticed the two colorful bars at the top left corner of his vision. This wasn’t his first time playing a video game. The red was obviously for his hit points, and the yellow was for his stamina or energy. What he hadn’t noticed was how low his stamina bar had gotten. What was up with that? Did he use up stamina as he walked around?

He sprinted as fast as he could, testing this out, and saw his stamina decrease by four points. He tried standing still, and sure enough, after a minute, the stamina bar decreased by one more point. He scratched his head, confused. What did this mean? Sprinting accelerated stamina expenditure, but it looked like the yellow bar would go down even if he stood still.

He then looked at the different stats: strength, constitution, agility, intellect, and luck. The first four were fairly basic, but not every RPG had the luck stat. He wondered what that did in this game.

He circled back to the main menu and explored the other options. ‘Quests’ contained a list of all ongoing and completed quests; ‘Map’ had a world map marking every place he’d been to, and ‘Friends’ was a list only containing his cousin’s player ID. Jack felt kind of stupid for only finding all of this now.

Thinking about how he would have to spend several days to get [Bushcraft] and [Pottery] to level ten, Jack grunted and dragged himself back toward where he had first started the game. He had to figure out what each stat did and what the deal with his stamina bar was.

After going uphill, downhill, and then uphill again, past many bunnies and players in gray, he spotted the old tutor. Asking Ezekiel for this basic information was probably easier than asking passersby or browsing the internet. Jack hadn't expected to have to travel back here, and something on Tutor Ezekiel's creased forehead told Jack that he wasn't expecting to see him either.

“Hello, adventurer. So you came to visit this old man?”

“I figured that there were some things I didn't learn from you that I really should.” It seemed he had no choice but to complete the tutorial. His cousin's talk about it made it sound as if it shouldn’t be overlooked.

“Very good. What would you like to learn?” Ezekiel asked, smiling. The list of options appeared before Roth.

The world within the wall

The world outside the wall

Fighting

Crafting & gathering {Complete}

Dungeoning

Attributes

“Why don't you tell me about the world within the wall?”

“Oh yes, the wall. It's a wonder of human engineering. The way that everyone came together, putting differences aside to create a haven, this beautiful refuge that shielded us from the outside. Oh yes, what a wall.”

Jack bit his lip. The man was just talking but saying nothing.

“That over there is the outer wall,” Ezekiel said, pointing to the farthest wall, “Beyond that, it's the great wilderness with its many dangers. And that,” he said, gesturing in the opposite direction, “is the inner wall.”

“Wait. There are two walls?”

“Yes. A safeguard in case the outer wall ever falls.”

“How would such a big wall fall?”

Ezekiel’s expression turned grim. “Considering the might of the beasts outside the wall… It’s only a matter of time, fledgling.”

Jack thought of the game’s advertisement. Was Ezekiel talking about dinosaurs?

“Anyway, inside the inner wall is the capital, the last great human city: Eternia. Oh, what a city it is. Its jade towers and beautiful gardens. You’ll love it there, adventurer.”

“There’s just one city?”

“Only one great city. There are also the ten gate towns.”

“Gate towns?”

“Regardless of how big the world within the wall is, it’s still not enough to provide enough food and resources. Eternia is a giant city. Not even the relics from the dungeons in the Between Ring suffice to fill its treasuries and pantries. That’s why the ten gate towns were built. It’s from there we send expeditions to harvest resources from the outside. But that’s dangerous work. Very few make it back from a trip outside the outer wall… What would you like to hear about next?”

The more the man spoke, the more questions Jack had. Jack decided to go through all of the options available in order. He chose the next one.

“Tell me about the world outside the wall.”

“I can only tell you what I heard from travelers and adventurers. I’ve never seen it myself. I’ve lived my whole life in the Between Ring. The wilderness is boundless and so are its dangers.” Jack guessed that the Between Ring was the land between both walls. “After the skies turned dark, the snow turned to ash, and the great lizards appeared, the world outside became too dangerous for humans. The beasts are far too much for common men to handle.”

Hearing about the ‘great lizards,’ Jack couldn’t help but feel excited! There really were dinosaurs outside. Awesome! He loved dinosaurs.

Ezekiel continued. “Few possess the courage to brave these dangers and win back the land mankind has lost. I would only recommend you join the expeditions if you feel confident enough in your abilities. You shouldn’t even consider it until you’ve chosen your path.”

This talk about choosing his path must mean that he should only venture outside after he chose a class. “Tell me about fighting,” Jack said.

“I’ll do better! I think I might as well show it to you. Here, I have a sword and a staff. They're both just toys, really. But they can give you a hint of what I'm talking about. Which one do you prefer?”

“I want the staff,” Jack answered promptly.

“Very well.”

Tutor Ezekiel has given you [Wooden Staff].

Wooden Staff (Common)

Item description: A toy that will hardly harm anyone.

Durability: 5

Attack: 3

Block: 1

Requirements: None.

Jack reached into his inventory and grabbed the wooden staff. It was as long as a broom.

“Why don't you try hitting the tree a couple of times? See how it feels.”

Jack accepted the suggestion and joined a few other beginners in attacking the tree. He lifted the staff and struck the trunk with all his strength. The hit landed with a satisfying snap. He hit the tree one more time and then turned the staff over in his hands. Was this it? Did he just have to swing the staff in the game blindly, and he was ready to fight?

“Only twice? Hit it more.”

Jack hit it one more time. “Good enough?”

“Keep hitting it!” Ezekiel admonished impatiently.

“Alright. Alright.” Jack half-heartedly struck the tree a few more times.

“That’s better! I wanted you to tire yourself a little so I could teach you another important lesson. See how your stamina has depleted? Whatever you do in this world eats away at your stamina. The best way to recover is to stop for a snack. Here.”

You’ve received 10x[Apple].

Apple (Common)

Item description: a tasty, juicy fruit that will refresh and satiate you.

Item effects:

+10 stamina per minute. Last five minutes.

Durability: 1

So that’s what was going on. This was one of those games where one has to eat to recover energy. What a hassle.

“Some food also has medicinal properties and can help you speed your recovery if you become injured. Got it?”

“Yes. I understand.”

“There’s much more to be said about fighting. A big part of it is staying alive. You’ll now learn how to dodge. No matter how good your armor or how sturdy your shield is, nothing is more effective than avoiding a blow. There. See those bunnies?”

Jack nodded.

“Go there and strike a rabbit just once. They’ll try to attack you once you do. Don’t worry. They hardly do any damage. When they try to lunge toward you, dodge their strike. Come back once you succeed.”

Jack climbed down the hill and headed toward one of the little bunnies hopping around. It was white and fluffy and looked harmless. Jack felt bad about hitting one with a full swing of the staff, so he just kind of poked it. That was enough for the rabbit to become enraged and try to attack him.

The first time the rabbit jumped, Jack was caught off-guard, and the rabbit bit his arm.

-2

It hardly dealt any damage. After attacking, the rabbit stood still for a moment. Typical of low-level mobs. They gave plenty of openings for players to attack them. Instead of attacking, Jack paid close attention to the rabbit’s moves. Once the rabbit lunged toward him again, he sidestepped. It was a clumsy motion, but he managed to avoid the strike entirely.

Satisfied with having fulfilled his mission, Jack ran uphill. The rabbit chased after him for a few moments but soon gave up and returned to its original location.

“Good job, adventurer!” praised Ezekiel. “On your second try. Not bad!”

“Thanks.”

“Dodging is one of the most important skills you can learn. Sometimes, attacks are unavoidable. In those cases, you can block the attack. Go back to the bunny, and this time, when it lunges at you, try to put the staff between you and the rabbit's attack. See what happens.”

Jack ran back to the foot of the hill and poked the very same rabbit again. This time, Jack was able to predict the rabbit's attack on the first try. The rabbit collided with the staff, and Jack had to retreat half a step.

Block!

-1

Jack checked his hp and noticed how it remained practically unaltered. His stamina bar, however, had come down by a significant margin. That meant blocking consumed more stamina. Just as the rabbit was about to lunge forward again, Jack ran away in Ezekiel’s direction, who stood waiting, leaning on his staff.

“It's done,” said Jack.

“Good job! Were you able to mitigate damage entirely?”

“No. Some of it still came through.”

Ezekiel nodded knowingly. “How much damage can be avoided depends on your weapon, skill, and path. Shields are particularly effective. Remember, though, that blocking greatly decreases an item’s durability. If you aren’t careful, you will break your weapon beyond repair. Finally, let me teach you one skill every respectable hunter should know.”

You've learned [Heavy Strike].

Heavy Strike, Lvl. 1 (Common)

Skill description: A powerful technique that bolsters your attack.

Skill effects:

Active. Deal 150% damage.

Cool! His first damage-dealing skill!

“Try using it on the tree, fledgling.” Jack did as he was told and activated his new skill.

Heavy Strike!

The wooden staff shone orange, and as it landed on the tree, it created a heavier clapping sound, causing several leaves and twigs to shower on Jack.

“Good hit!” Ezekiel enthusiastically commended. "These are the basics. Remember: dodge when you can, parry if you must. The best defense is a good offense. Always keep an eye on your stamina and weapons’ durability. With these, you know the basics of fighting.”

Jack had to admit that returning to Ezequiel was the right move. Not only had he received a staff, but he had also learned valuable lessons, received a free skill, and some apples. He also finally figured out how the stamina bar worked. There were only three entries left in the tutorial. Well… two. One of them was crafting, and Jack had already done that. “Now, can you tell me about dungeoning?”

“Oh yes, dungeoning. By the time that great lizards appeared, there were many earthquakes. Thankfully, they have stopped. Had they continued, it would have been devastating for the wall. Regardless, the tremors revealed some hidden ruins. Although many of them are outside the wall, there are some inside too.

Some ancient civilization built them. They are filled with traps. For some reason, they left valuable items to whoever was able to go through them. Some of them are even guarded by dangerous beasts that were bred by the ancients. No one knows where they came from, but it baffles me that a culture with such advanced technology would disappear just like that. I wonder what happened to them.”

Jack had expected him to direct him toward a nearby dungeon, but the tutor went quiet. It seemed this wasn't the time to do that yet. From the looks of it, dungeons in this game weren’t all about fighting monsters but were obstacle courses of some kind. Whatever. Jack would figure it out later.

“Now, can you tell me about attributes?”

“Oh yes, that's the final lesson I can teach you, young one. Attributes. Strength determines the damage your weapon deals, as well as your vitality. Constitution increases your resilience and prevents you from losing too much stamina whenever you block an attack. Agility determines your speed and the damage of ranged weapons. Intellect allows you to operate some advanced equipment and has many uses while crafting. As for luck, it helps you whenever you have to roll a die if you catch my drift.”

Jack didn't. What did he mean? What die? Was he talking about randomly generated effects? Like loot and critical attacks?

“Some of these attributes have secondary effects, but you'll learn it as you go. Anything else, fledgling?”

“No, thank you, Tutor Ezekiel.”

“Here's a parting gift. Hopefully, it will assist you on your travels.”

You've received 5x[Glass Vials].

You've received 5x[Aloe Ointments].

You’ve received +100xp.

Level up!

You’ve received 50 copper.

Ch. 7 - Kindle

INDEX

Ch. 9 - Level Up!