HC: Handyman | Ch. 7 - Kindle (Patreon)

“What took you so long?” the scarred mercenary complained bitterly. Jack wondered whether Saul was upset at him or if he was just venting his frustration at the smithy’s delay.

Jack bit his lip. “I went as fast as I could. Here. What do I do with it?”

Saul looked away, seemingly wondering whether he would continue the lesson or give up on his tardy student. After a few moments and grunts, he finally answered Jack’s question. “Now, we let it dry. Lay it out here on the ground,” Saul said while pointing at a sunny spot on the street.

“Inventory!” Jack called. He reached into the window and grabbed a bundle with all the grass he had collected. He dropped one handful on the street. “Like this?”

“Precisely. Make sure you leave it under the sun,” Saul instructed, while looking over his shoulder toward the smithy. Jack took the hint and hurried along. As he laid each handful of grass, a progress bar appeared above it.

Time until [Tall Grass] dries: 3m.

At least this was much faster than drying a pot. When he finished placing all the grass on the street, he circled back to check the progress of the first handful of grass. It had climbed significantly. Some curious players stopped to observe Jack’s endeavors but quickly lost interest. Thankfully, even after two more minutes, Saul hadn’t shown any signs of leaving, and none of the passersby were curious enough to bother him with questions.

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t humor them. He had already received help from some fellow players and he would pay their kindness forward. It was just it would be a hassle to explain what he was doing this for, and if one of them decided to join him in his lessons, he suspected Saul would leave. The grumpy merc only seemed to have enough patience for one student at a time.

Seeing the progress bars filling to the end and the items changing, Jack started gathering them. The grass had shifted from green to a yellowish brown.

Dry Grass (Common)

It has weak fibers but can serve different purposes if used correctly.

Confirming he hadn’t missed any of the dry grass, Jack showed his bounty to Saul.

“Good. You’re not completely useless. Now, I’ll teach you two basic skills that any respectable bush crafter should know.”

You’ve temporarily learned [Rope Weaving].

Rope Weaving, lvl. 1

Skill description: The ancient art of twisting or braiding natural fibers to form strong, flexible ropes or cords.

Skill effects:

You can craft cordage.

“Take a handful of dry grass strands,” Saul instructed.

Jack obeyed. “Got it. Now what?”

“Now, tie the ends together so the cord won’t unravel.”

“With what?”

“You can just use one strand of grass to tie a knot. Be careful so that it doesn’t break. These fibers are quite weak, so you have to be gentle.”

Jack did as Saul told and tied a simple knot, fastening the ends of the strands together. It was as if he had just made the ugliest bouquet in the world. “Done.”

“Now that the ends are fastened, twist the fibers in one direction.”

Jack turned his wrist clockwise, carefully working the full length of grass. The simple knot he had tied held, and the loose fibers melded into the semblance of a simple cord. He had to say that this was the first profession that had nothing gross about it. It was super easy. It was just too bad the guide he read online said it wasn’t profitable.

“Good. Keep that tension. That’s it. When you’re about to run out of length, just grab one more handful and feed it to the cord, always twisting.”

He picked another handful just as he was coming to the end of the stalks and joined the ends of the fibers. He twisted them together carefully and sighed in relief as the new bundle of grass seamlessly joined with the rest. Jack kept coiling the cord, forming a thin rope.

“Should I feed more grass to it?”

“No. To make this cord, you only need two bundles of dry grass. As you become more experienced, you can make stronger, longer cordage. But for now, this is enough.”

Jack nodded, excited.

“Once you’re done, you can tie another knot at the end. Good. Now trim it.”

“Trim it? With what?”

“Don’t you own a bush knife?”

Jack blinked. “No. I don’t.”

The man slapped his forehead, exasperated. “Just use your teeth or something. Bite it off.”

Jack followed the instructions and bit off the excess of the cord. He spat the bitter strands, realizing there was something gross about this minor, after all.

Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Weak Cord].

+10xp

Weak Cord (Common)

Crafting Grade: B

Durability: 7+1

A simple cord made of weak fibers.

Grade B bonus:

+1 durability

Saul took the cord from Jack and turned it over in his hands. “Humph. Barely serviceable. But good enough. Now, let’s hurry. The smith should be almost done. The second skill that every respectable bushcrafter knows is starting a fire.”

You’ve temporarily learned [Kindle].

Kindle, lvl. 1

Skill description: You can start fires.

Hearing about starting a fire, Jack thought back to the flaming forges of the smith and the warm hearth at Jenny’s house. He hadn’t realized that starting a fire required a skill.

“To kindle a fire, you’ll need a tinderbox. This one is mine, but you can borrow it for this lesson,” Saul said as he reached into his pocket and took out a small wooden box.

The tinderbox was small and unremarkable. It had no decorations or engravings of any kind. Jack was beginning to wonder whether the shield's disrepair and the box's simplicity were signs of male practicality or poverty. He eyed Saul suspiciously. He acted so high and mighty, but why would a wealthy bloke come to this beginner’s village to have the local smith repair their shield? He didn’t know why, but this rude NPC creamed his corn.

Inside the box were a small piece of gray rock, an oblong metal ring, and some thin wood shavings.

“You just need the flint and the firesteel.”

“Which is the flint?” Jack asked, scratching his head.

Saul slapped his forehead again. “Seriously? My goodness. I don’t even know why I’m wasting my time. You’re not going to last one minute out in the wild. It’s the rock, dummy. The rock!”

“OK, OK!” Jack said, grabbing it. This guy was worse than some of his teachers and supervisors. He had thought that the developers would have programmed nicer NPCs. Where was their customer service? Jack resisted the impulse to ask Saul which of the objects was firesteel and picked up the metal ring.

The firesteel reminded him of brass knuckles he’d seen in movies. He slid his index, middle finger, and ring finger into the ring, and judging by how comfortable it felt, and how Saul observed quietly, he guessed that he was doing it right.

“Now strike the flint against the firesteel.”

Jack hit the two objects together as if he were crashing cymbals at an orchestra.

“You’re doing it wrong. Don’t hit it like that. Strike it at an angle. Imagine that you’re shaving a stick with a bush knife.”

“You could have told me that earlier,” complained Jack. As he positioned his hands, he realized that he didn’t understand the comparison used by Saul. He glanced in his teacher’s direction, and seeing his flaring nostrils, he decided to wing it.

“At an angle,” he mumbled. Instead of bringing his fists together in a clapping motion, he held the firesteel straight and brought the rock against it from three o’clock. After doing it, he glanced at Saul and saw him nodding approvingly. Emboldened, he tried it again, more confident this time, and after three strikes, produced sparks. “Wow!”

“Good. Now get some dry grass ready and throw some sparks on it.”

Jack grabbed two handfuls of dried grass and positioned the flint and the firesteel over it. He kept striking the flint against the metal ring, showering sparks on the grass. After several tries, a wisp of smoke emerged from the grass, and finally, the pile was set ablaze.

Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Low-Temperature Fire].

+10xp

Low Temperature Fire (Common)

Durability: 4

A cozy fire that will keep you warm and safe.

Aura effects:

+10% hp regeneration;

+10% stamina regeneration;

Keeps weaker animals at bay.

Jack hadn’t expected fire to have all these uses in the game! No wonder that hunting parties looked for people with this minor.

Saul continued the lesson. “Remember to gather enough fuel to keep the fire going as long as needed. Try throwing more grass in there and see what happens.”

He threw a little more grass in and saw the fire’s durability rise to seven. “The fire will last longer now,” Jack concluded.

“That’s it. Dry grass is great for starting fires, but try to find sticks or other better fuel to keep it going.”

Out of curiosity, Jack kept the window with the fire’s information open and saw the durability decrease to six after ten seconds. This fire would only last a minute at this rate.

“Good. I think you got the basics down. The rest will be up to you.”

Congratulations! You’ve become a [Novice Bushcrafter].

You’ve learned [Foraging].

You’ve learned [Kindling].

You’ve learned [Rope Weaving].

You’ve learned a new bushcraft recipe: [Weak Cord].

You’ve learned a new bushcraft recipe: [Low-Temperature Fire].

“Thanks!”

“Tsk. Whatever. I only did it because I had time to kill. Now give me back my tinderbox and get lost.” Jack promptly returned the small wooden box to Saul.

“Try not to die,” he added with the tiniest smile before disappearing into the smithy. .

Jack was happy to get rid of this rude NPC. He kept watching the fire, curious to see what happened once it reached zero durability. After half a minute, the flames died, leaving only a blackened pile of ash.

It was time to head back toward Mr. Kevin’s shack. He had learned bushcraft much quicker than he had anticipated, and hopefully, with this, he would seal the deal and get all the rewards of his rare quest.

As he dreamed of giving his dad an envelope with rent, and a snarky note, and then impressing Lydia by arriving at her house in a limousine, a player intercepted him. “Excuse me, sir. Do you know where I can learn tinkering?”

“Uh. No. Sorry.”

“No worries.”

Jack smirked. He was starting to become familiar with the city's layout and for once knew where he was going. This new player may have picked up on his confidence and assumed he could give him some information. Chuckling at how fast one went from noob to veteran in this town, Jack traveled the rest of the way to Mr. Kevin’s shack.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Jack expected to hear another cacophony of sounds, but this time, there was nothing. He knocked again and finally got an answer from the other side.

“Who is it?”

“Hi, Mr. Kevin. It’s me again.”

“Uh? Who?”

Jack clenched his fists. What was up with these annoying NPCs? “Tutor Ezekiel sent me here. He told me you’d help me find my path. You told me to learn [Pottery] and then [Bushcraft].”

“Right! Now I remember. You’re the lazy brat.”

“Excuse me. Lazy brat?”

“Didn’t you give up without trying any of the professions Ezekiel suggested to you?” Jack stood speechless for a while. “Ezekiel told me about you, you know?”

Jack didn’t know what to say. He just kept getting insulted today.

“I suppose you’re not hopeless, though. You did learn the minors I told you to. But the path I have for you requires dedication. Do you have what it takes? Are you willing to go down this path?”

Hearing how serious the man sounded, Jack gulped hard. Dedication. Did he have that? Was he willing to go down this rabbit hole? He closed his eyes and remembered the sensation of molding a pot, braiding a cord, and starting a fire. He then checked the time. It was almost 4 am in the real world. He had already come this far. What did he have to lose?

“I want to try it.”

“Hmph. Your hesitation shows you understand this won’t be easy. Your instincts are correct. Come back once you’ve gained some more experience in the crafts I had you learn. Only then will you be able to walk this path.”

[Jack of All Trades] has been updated.

Jack of All Trades (Rare)

Mr. Kevin has shown himself willing to guide you and show you a path that might suit you. Even though he appreciates your initiative, he worries you lack the resolve needed to walk this path to the end. It’s up to you to prove him wrong.

• Visit Mr. Kevin {completed}
• Learn [Pottery] {completed}
• Learn [Bushcraft] {completed}
• Reach novice potter, lvl. 10 {ongoing}
• Reach novice bushcrafter, lvl. 10 {ongoing}

“Level 10?” That meant that he had to max out these two minors. He didn’t even know if he wanted to keep either of them, and now he had to grind it all the way to level 10? Just how many hours would that take?

“Yawn. I guess I’ll go back to my nap. Cheerio.”

“What? You’re going to sleep?” Jack protested.

“I’ve worked plenty in life to earn that right. Have you?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jack demanded from the door, but Kevin didn't respond.

Jack was left contemplating what he would do. He opened a web browser and typed a query. “How long does it take to reach level 10 novice in a minor?”

Several answers appeared with varying estimates. One guide claimed to offer a short track for blacksmiths to level up the first tier in just a few hours, and more conservative posts spoke of how it could take several days. One thing was for sure, though… it would take time.

Jack ran the numbers. He had one month to pay the first rent and one week until he had to pay 50 more credits to the helmet rental company. Time wasn’t on his side.

He took a heavy sigh. He had already made an investment, and VRX technology allowed him to use his time sleeping. He had to at least give it a shot. His cousin had seemed genuinely impressed with the grade of his quest. Maybe he could just do a week of work in the game, complete the quest, and get enough money to pay his father.

Jack yawned. It wasn't because he was sleeping in the real world. It wasn’t because he had heard Kevin yawn either.  It was that it drained him just thinking about all the effort he would have to make to complete this quest.

Ch. 6 - However…

INDEX

Ch. 8 - Back to Square One