HC: Handyman | Ch. 53 - Jacket (Patreon)

The group of four adventurers walked in single file. The battlement of the walls was already visible through the occasional interval in the thick canopy. They were getting closer. Amari took the lead, marching with easy, confident steps, while Marie took the rear, seemingly bored. 

Horace kept throwing glances toward the fourth member of the party. The large man never hid his initial dislike for Jack, but he’d proven his worth during this quest. The little brat had guarded the camp and all the bugs for hours without complaining. However, what he was seeing now was a little off-putting.

“What’s up with him?” Horace asked Amari in hushed tones.

“What do you mean?” Amari asked, following Horace’s eyes and focusing on their quirky companion. Jack strolled, carrying the two wooden cages with dragonflies, whistling, humming, and skipping every so often. He looked like someone heading toward a picnic. “Oh. I see what you mean. He’s really happy, isn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Horace asked with a frown. “He always looks a little crabby. Seeing him this happy is kind of creeping me out.”

“Yo, Jack!” Amari shouted.

“What’s up?” Jack asked happily.

“Horace here wants to know why you’re so happy, but he’s the bashful type, so he didn’t have it in him to ask.”

“Horace can be surprisingly delicate,” Marie quickly shouted from the back, piling up on Amari’s tease.

“You guys are the worst,” Horace barked. Turning to Jack, he asked politely, “But since the cat is out of the bag, why are you so happy?”

“I finally reached level 10 in [Pottery],” Jack announced. “I’m also level 9 in [Bushcraft]. I can’t believe I’ve made it. I feel so powerful. So accomplished,” Jack said through grinning teeth.

“Oh. I see.” Horace turned toward Amari and commented in hushed tones again, “What’s so special about that? It’s super easy to get to level 10 in those two minors, ain’t it?”

Amari shrugged. “He’s new in the game. Let him savor these little victories. I still remember your happy dance when you unlocked your class. I still have the video stashed somewhere.”

Horace’s face reddened. “You promised you were going to delete that!”

“No. I promised you that I would never upload it onto my channel. I never said I’d delete it.”

Horace let out a deep breath but stopped bickering. The last few hours had been exhausting. The queen bee, in particular, had been a hassle to capture. He just wanted to hurry up and dump these disgusting creatures at the zoo to get the rewards for this quest. 

*

The trip back to the city passed in a blur. Jack didn’t even care about being asked to carry two cages with the gross bugs. All he had eyes for were the rewards for reaching level 10 in [Pottery] and level 9 in [Bushcraft].

You've reached level 10 in [Pottery]!

[Clay Molding] has been upgraded.

[Clay Gathering] has been upgraded.

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Statuette].

Clay Gathering, Lvl. 3

Skill description: You can identify some types of clay in the wild and collect it.

Skill effects:

You can collect all types of clay.

Clay Molding, Lvl. 3.

Description: You can craft many objects using clay.

Skill effects: 

You can shape every type of clay;

All pottery techniques are unlocked.

From now on, there was no technique, ceramics material, or glaze that he couldn’t use. He had reached the top of the mountain, and the view was looking great from here. He felt like he had just won the Nobel in pottery!

Chuckling, he shook his head. He knew he was being a little silly. How many other players out there hadn’t reached this same milestone? However, when he thought back to his first lesson at Jenny’s house, his quest to retrieve ceramics from the ruins with Amari, the crafting grind under Felix’s watch, and now his adventure in the clearing, he couldn’t help but feel proud of himself. How many times had he thought about giving up? However, now he was just glad he didn’t. 

Additionally, once he reached level 10 in pottery, he also received a new title. 

You’ve unlocked a new title: [Junior Craftsman].

Junior Craftsman (Common)

Description: You’ve persisted in an occupation long enough and have learned the secrets of hard work and perseverance.

Effects: 

+1% XP when crafting;

Stamina used while crafting is slightly reduced.

+1 fame.

Conditions to unlock [Junior Craftsman]:

• Level up any profession to level 10. {complete}

The title wasn’t anything life-changing, but any increase to XP was welcome. Vases had proven that to Jack. Having an XP boost made a huge difference, no matter how small. If it weren’t for the vases’ XP bonus, he would never have been able to reach level 10 in [Pottery] so quickly. Proof of that was that while waiting for the gang to return with the queen bee, he’d also reached level 9 in [Bushcraft].

You've reached level 9 in [Bushcraft]!

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Moss Cape].

Moss Cape

Ingredients: 10x[Moss], 10x[Cords].

Recipe: Wrap moss together into the shape of a blanket. Wear it over your shoulders as a cape if you want.

Requirements: [Bushcraft], lvl. 9.

Jack wasn’t sure what the purpose of making this item was, but it had to be worth something. But why did he have to be left wondering? Wasn’t Amari here? He ran to the front of the formation. They were back in the city and were nearly at the zoo. He had to make the most of his time with these veterans.

“Amari, two quick questions.”

“Go for it.”

“Fame. What is it for?”

“It’s a requirement to do some quests and to wear certain equipment. Incredibly hard to grind it. Why?” Before Jack could answer, Amari had figured it out. “Oh yeah. The [Junior Craftsman] title. I see why you wanted to know. That’s one of the easiest ways to get your first point in fame. What was the other one?”

“[Moss Cape]. What is it for?”

“Haha. Right. It’s a cool piece of equipment. It increases stealth when in the forest. The rest of its stats aren’t anything special, though. It will make you look like a walking bush.”

“I see,” Jack said, looking down. That didn’t sound as exciting as he hoped it would.

“We’ve made it!” Horace said, interrupting the conversation. “Quick. Let’s go to the entomologist and hand him these cursed bugs.”

The zoo was completely different from what Jack had expected. He had imagined a series of paddocks hosting different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures, together with a bustling crowd of visitors, parents holding hands with curious children, and salesmen offering hot dogs and kettlecorn to visitors. Instead, it felt as if he was entering a military base.

Soldiers stood guard by the gates, and several large, dull warehouses that could have harbored airplanes or missiles in real life stood apart. The only clue this was the zoo was the occasional muffled roar from the buildings.

Amari’s crew had obviously been here many times before. They didn’t spend any time sightseeing and instead walked straight toward one of the buildings. The only clue of what it was was a small, dull plaque saying ‘Entomology Department.’ 

Once inside the building, the number of patrolling soldiers seemed to double, but Jack was beginning to feel like he was in the zoo. There was an earthy smell in the air, glass cases, enclosed habitats everywhere Jack could look, and a cacophony of sounds. 

Jack watched as one of the zookeepers threw a slab of meat into one of the habitats. Suddenly, from underneath the sand, a white scorpion as big as a dog appeared and took the slab of meat away. “Uuf. That’s gross.”

“Haha. Gross and cool!” Horace seemed happy at Jack’s disgust. “Come one, greeny. Let’s find zookeeper Willy.”

Before they could even ask one of the soldiers about the NPC, he appeared to meet them. Jack confirmed that it was him from the name tag hovering over his head. “It’s you. About time. About time. Let me see.” The middle-aged, tall man hurriedly squatted by each cage, adjusting his glasses and fiddling with his mustache as he inspected them. He looked at each bug as if he were looking at a cute puppy.

Seeing how much product the man had in his hair, Jack couldn’t help but take a few steps back. He wouldn’t be surprised if it were a safety measure against bugs. Whatever touched that man’s greasy hair was bound to become trapped in it.

“Uh-uh. Very good. A bee queen, too. Well done. I have to admit that I was a little reluctant that you’d succeed in this assignment, but I can recognize when I make an error in judgment. Well done, lad.”

“I couldn’t have done it without my team,” Horace said humbly, gesturing toward Amari, Marie, and Jack. Seeing that Horace had included him, Jack couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Very well. Payment is due, then. I hope you find these rewards to your liking.”

Completion rate: A+.

Calculating rewards.

“Haha! We did it!”, the party celebrated. Even the usually stoic Marie was smiling from ear to ear. From his earlier experience with Amari, he knew that getting an A+ was incredible. Only by doing the quest in one go, tackling it under-leveled and undermanned, were they able to get this grade. 

[Entomology Specimens] has been completed.

You’ve received 20 gold.

You’ve received [Junior Bugkeeper’s Gloves].

You’ve received [Junior Bugkeeper’s Jacket].

+20,000xp

You’ve reached level 7!

+25,000 [Bushcraft] xp 

You’ve reached level 10 in [Bushcraft]!

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Moss Suit].

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Bug Spray].

[Bush Immunity] can be upgraded. 

Around the group rang ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as each examined their rewards. Jack hadn’t expected that he’d receive bushcraft XP in this quest. It was more than fair, though. That had been his whole contribution to the success of the quest. With it, he’d been able to close that final gap and finally fulfilled the requirements to turn in his quest.

The gold awarded was very generous, and the XP also allowed him to reach level 7. At level ten of bushcraft, there was another recipe that went with the moss cape, and, if he wasn’t mistaken, [Bug Spray] was a special recipe awarded for finishing this quest. He wasn’t sure if the [Bug Spray] killed insects or just kept them at bay, but he was happy for the reward, whichever was the case.  Sadly, the upgrade to [Bush Immunity] required that he reached character level 10, so he couldn’t see what it did yet.

He proceeded to check the pieces of equipment.

Junior Bugkeeper’s Gloves (Common)

Description: Gloves made of thick leather worn by zookeepers offer significant protection from venomous insects. It’s part of a set.

Effects:

Durability: 21

Defense: 12

Block: 10

Set effects:

If three pieces of the set are equipped: +10% damage against insects.

If all pieces of the set are equipped: +5 poison resistance, +20% damage against insects.

Junior Bugkeeper’s Jacket (Common)
Description: A sturdy jacket made of thick leather designed for zookeepers, offering enhanced protection against venomous insects. This jacket is part of the Junior Bugkeeper set.
Effects:

Durability: 35

Defense: 18

Block: 7

Set effects:

If three pieces of the set are equipped: +10% damage against insects.

If all pieces of the set are equipped: +5 poison resistance, +20% damage against insects.

“Hey, Jack, which pieces did you get?” Amari asked.

“E-excuse me?”

“Of the entomologist set,” Amari explained.

“The gloves and the jacket.”

“I’ve got the boots and the trousers,” Marie added.

“I’ve got the gloves, the hat, and the cape,” Horace said

“Three pieces? You lucky duck. I’ve got the cape and the boots,” Amari said, scratching his chin. “That means we only have one full set between us, hey? And Jack’s the only one with the jacket.”

Amari exchanged a glance with Horace and then with Marie. They both nodded. What was up with them?

“Jack, would you sell that jacket to us?”

“I don’t see why not,” Jack said, scratching his head. “Is this set good?”

“One of the best for people our level,” Horace explained. “The set effects are so good that you can use it up to level 20.”

“Really?! How much does it cost?” Jack asked excitedly.

“The full set? I’d say 3k.”

“What?! Are you serious?!”

Amari waved his hands, trying to contain Jack’s excitement. “In an auction! The marketplace will only get you 40 gold, tops.”

“Then why would anyone in their right mind be willing to fork out 3000 gold?”

“There are several maps that are filled with bugs. With this set on, you can one-shot them. It’s one of the best ways to level up to 20. Some people use this set to farm XP until level 25.”

Jack stared at the jacket. Hearing how good this set was, he couldn’t help but want to keep this jacket for himself. Furthermore, he was the only one with this piece. That meant that he held all the cards. He could probably get at least a few hundred gold for it. 

What should he do? Should he keep it for himself? Should he try to negotiate a high price for it? Or should he do the kind thing? He looked at the hopeful eyes of his team and made his decision.

Ch. 52 - Holding the Fort

INDEX

Ch. 54 - Master Kevin