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HC: Handyman | Ch. 151 - Breakthrough
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 10:31:06 +0000 UTCJack was back at the fortress. With no way to capture the bear at the peaks and with no time to deal with the other bear sleeping on the road back, Amari and him were forced to hasten their journey. Jack found all his friends and their NPC allies starving and waiting for him to come cook for them.
I guess this is how my mother feels when I arrive home. Argh...
The stew bubbled softly. The meat from the last wave of creatures was strikingly red—redder than roach meat, and thankfully, none of the slime.
The aroma wafting from the pot reminded Jack of rabbit, though it hinted at a gamier note—something characteristic of Romie meat, he guessed. He’d never tasted romie or even squirrel.
He stretched his hands out toward the fire, savoring the warmth as the crackling flames pushed back the lingering chill. Despite leaving the snowy peak over an hour ago, the biting cold clung stubbornly to his clothes as if it were a living thing trying to hang on against the fire’s onslaught.
Nearby, Riku and Esther sat with their eyes glued to the pot, small pools of drool forming beneath their chins. Their recovery had plateaued since Jack started feeding them. Horace and Marie’s rations hadn’t been enough to help the pair recover from malnutrition.
Jack stirred the stew, watching the progress bar creep closer to completion. The aroma thickened, tantalizingly close to its peak.
A few steps away, Amari animatedly recounted their recent adventures.
“...so I was heading toward one of the pins when Jack sends me this video of these strange creatures,” Amari said.
“Strange creatures?” Horace leaned forward. “What species?”
“Not dinosaurs, not prehistoric. Completely fictional. They’re about as small as kids, with bodies shaped like…” Amari paused, searching for the right word. “A thumb, maybe? Covered in yellow fur with green polka dots. And they’ve only got one eye and one hand.”
“That’s… odd,” Marie said, tilting her head.
“I’ll send you a picture. Wait.” Amari fiddled with his interface.
Marie’s tone unexpectedly shifted. “They’re adorable!”
Jack smirked as he listened to the conversation. Thankfully, Amari was leaving out the part where Jack had fallen into the One-Eyes’ trap.
A flash of red caught Jack’s eye. The progress bar had filled. The stew was done. Finally. He carefully lifted the pot off the fire to halt the cooking process, the aroma of perfection rising from the simmering contents.
Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Survival Stew].
+400XP in [Bushcraft]
Crafting grade: C
Ingredients: [Ischyromys Meat], [Ischyromys Meat], [Ischyromys Meat].
Item description: A nutritious, tasty meal made from ingredients gathered in the wild.
Item effects:
+1 stamina per second for five minutes.
+1 HP per second for five minutes.
Tree climber: +10 jump for 30 minutes.
“Cool, little buff,” Jack muttered to himself. Amari was always darting around the battlefield; he’d definitely appreciate the boost.
Jack began ladling portions into bowls. Despite the team’s collective exhaustion, the first servings went to Riku and Esther. It wasn’t just out of compassion. Their gaunt faces and the unrelenting intensity in their eyes were impossible to ignore. He wasn’t entirely sure what they might do if he didn’t serve them first, but he wasn’t eager to find out. Better to avoid the possibility altogether.
Riku and Esther snatched the bowls hungrily, clutching them as if Jack might change his mind. They gulped the stew down in ravenous haste, slurping loudly, unbothered by the juices spilling down their chins. Jack couldn’t help but grimace slightly at their lack of manners, but he didn’t blame them. Hunger had a way of overriding decorum.
Next, he filled a bowl for Christoff, the newest member of the defense team. The hunter stood out from the other two NPCs, not just for his imposing figure, but for the air of confidence he carried. A hunting bow rested across his back, and a thick pelt was draped over his shoulders, its coarse fur brushed by the flickering firelight. The pelt looked warm enough to fend off the peak’s harshest winds, making Jack slightly envious.
Christoff’s addition to the group had been a boost to their damage output, but his presence came with a cost. The increased strain on their already dwindling supplies had left Horace and Marie desperate for Jack’s return.
“Here, sir,” Jack said, handing Christoff his bowl.
“Thank you,” Christoff replied politely, his tone curt but sincere. He moved to sit by the fire, eating with a calm efficiency that contrasted sharply with Riku and Esther’s frantic slurping.
Jack continued his rounds, serving the rest of the team. When he reached Amari, he handed him a bowl without a word, careful not to interrupt him.
“Thanks, Jack,” Amari said, picking up where the earlier discussion had left off. “So, the package at the peak seems like a good fit for you, Horace, because of your trapper minor.”
“Sounds good to me,” Horace replied with a casual shrug.
“And Marie, would you—”
“Replicate Jack’s bombing strategy on the other cave? Sure thing.” She shot Jack a sly smile that didn’t quite mask the glint of competition in her eyes. “Of course, I’ll make sure it’s done with proper finesse. Wouldn’t want anyone watching the video later to think we’re amateurs.”
Jack chuckled. Marie still hadn’t let go of his improvised bear stunt, seeing it as an unspoken challenge to her expertise as the team’s explosives specialist.
“Man, if we can get two more bears helping us, that would be swell,” Horace said, stirring the embers of the group’s ambition. “Those things are killing machines.”
“No kidding,” Marie chimed in. “One swipe of their paws, and half the wave is gone. It’s glorious.”
“I’d love to see that. Do you have any videos?” Jack asked, his curiosity piqued.
Horace grinned and slapped Jack on the back, nearly making him drop his bowl of Romie stew. “Haha! We wouldn’t want to rob you of the chance to see it for yourself up close. And hey, thanks for donating Hidden Packages to Marie and me. You’re a real team player!”
Jack clenched his teeth, hiding his irritation. He knew it! Horace was trying to sneak Jack’s Hidden Package into his own score, all under the guise of teamwork.
“You two! Don’t drag me into your silly competition!” Marie protested, though her tone lacked conviction.
“Why not, old hag? Afraid you’ll lose?” Horace teased with a smirk.
Marie’s eyes narrowed. “Hey, everyone! I found a fourth bear. Its name is Horace, and it’s the smelliest of the bunch,” she shot back, crossing her arms with a triumphant huff.
Amari leaned back, a relaxed grin playing on his face as he watched the banter unfold. But as the firelight flickered and the conversation began to wind down, he straightened.
“Alright, alright,” he said, raising his hands to call for calm. “Let’s focus up. Shall we head to the carriage? The wave’s almost up.” Turning to Jack, he asked, “Want to join?”
Jack shook his head. “I’ll stay here if that’s okay. I’ve got a few things I want to check out.”
“Of course! We’re more than enough to deal with this wave.”
The group began to move out, Amari leading the charge with Horace and Marie close behind. Christoff followed, his hunting bow slung over one shoulder. Riku trailed behind to keep bolstering their defenses.
As their footsteps faded, Jack found himself alone with Esther, who was watching him with a curious expression.
“Uh… Are you still hungry, Esther?” he asked.
“No, sir,” she replied quickly. “But I’m ready to do some work. How can I help?”
“Oh. Right!” Jack said, caught slightly off guard by her enthusiasm. He glanced at his skill panel, weighing his options. After a moment, he deposited [Pottery] on the NPC.
“Do you mind making a few pots? With lids? Kind of like this one?” Jack asked, pulling out a honey storage pot to show her.
“Sure!” Esther said brightly.
“I’ll give one of these to you for reference. Can I leave you to it?”
She eyed the fire and pursed her lip.
“Are you concerned about the fire? Don’t worry. I’ll keep it burning strong for you. Here,” he said, tossing a couple of logs into it. “See?”
“Very well, sir.” She pulled her sleeves up, tied a cloth around her hair, and left toward the creek to restock on clay.
Jack nodded in approval. He was going to miss having these NPCs around.
He’d need more storage to pickle food effectively. Having Esther work on pottery while he focused on other tasks was a practical way to make the most of his time.
Satisfied with the arrangement, Jack grabbed his ocarina and headed toward the back of the fortress, where his pot hive awaited.
The bees had been busy during his absence. Unfortunately, the cold had claimed two more of them. Even so, the hive had managed to produce three new pots of honey, and the progress bar for his beekeeping skill was tantalizingly close to completion at 98%.
“It’s time to help you cross the threshold,” Jack murmured, raising his yellow ocarina to his lips. He began to play Morning of Spring.
The cold weather around Jack seemed to abate as the melody evoked the image of flowers blooming and warmer weather. The hive responded instantly, the bees’ movements quickening to match the music’s lively rhythm. Jack focused intently, his fingers gliding over the ocarina’s holes as he poured his energy into the song.
You’ve played [Morning of Spring].
+200XP in [Bard]
Your bees work harder!
A bee returns with pollen.
+10XP in [Bard]
A bee returns with pollen.
+10XP in [Bard]
After a few attempts, he even managed to activate [Soulful Performer], making the melody even more powerful.
You’ve played [Morning of Spring].
+500XP in [Bard]
Performance rated: A+
[Soulful Performer] activates: +20% movement speed for all bees for 30 minutes.
Increased resistance to disease for 30 minutes.
While Jack stayed focused on the hive, the wave arrived at the fortress. The sounds of battle echoed faintly in the distance—Amari and the others fending off the relentless tide of prehistoric squirrels. Jack resisted the urge to take a look, trusting his companions to hold their ground.
The bees buzzed furiously, their synchronized effort pushing the hive’s progress forward. Finally, after several minutes of accelerated work, a notification blinked into Jack’s view.
You’ve reached beekeeper, level 10!
You’ve reached the journeyman tier in the beekeeper profession!
You’re now a journeyman beekeeper, lvl. 1.
You've unlocked a new skill: [Wax Factory].
You've unlocked a new skill: [Candle Making].
You've learned a new recipe: [Basic Candle]
Journeyman Beekeeper synergizes with Bushcraft.
You've learned a new skill: [Rope Waxing].
Journeyman Beekeeper synergizes with Potter.
You've learned a new skill: [Wax Resist].
You’ve learned a new recipe: [Candle Mold].
You’ve learned a new recipe: [Candle Holder].
Beekeeping synergizes with Bushcraft, Butchering, and Pottery.
You’ve learned a new skill: [Fiber Tempering].
You’ve learned a new recipe: [Terracoat].
Jack was dizzy. The amount of new skills and recipes he received upon leveling up was just too much. He didn’t know which way to turn first. He started by opening the skills related to beekeeping.
Wax Factory (Uncommon)
Skill level: 1
Skill description: Your beekeeping expertise allows you to harness the natural byproducts of a hive. Gain a steady supply of wax with every hive visit.
Skill effects:
Passive. You can now harvest wax from your hives.
Candle Making (Common)
Skill level: 1
Skill description: Channel your craftsmanship to create functional and decorative candles.
Skill effects: Craft basic candles using beeswax as the primary material;
There wasn’t much surprise here. Not only had he read about it in online guides, but Beeatrice had also told him about it when he sold her the [Pot Hive]. At level 1, all that candles did was produce light, maybe a replacement for [Torch]. But since he could make torches, he didn’t see the need to make these, except for fast-tracking his progress in beekeeping.
He wanted the candles he’d unlock later on, which let him buff his bees, himself, and other players. When did Beeatrice say I could unlock the candle that makes bees work faster? Was it journeyman level 4 or 5? Oh well, I’ll send her a message later.
He hoped that candle-making wasn’t too complicated. He opened up the recipe:
Recipe for: [Basic Candle]
Ingredients:
2x [Beeswax]
1x [Wick] (e.g., twine or string)
1x [Candle Mold]
Instructions:
Melt the [Beeswax] in a heat-safe container over a controlled flame.
Secure the [Wick] at the center of your candle mold.
Pour the melted [Beeswax] into the mold, ensuring the wick remains upright.
Allow the candle to cool and harden.
Trim the wick to the desired length before use.
Requirements:
[Wax Factory], lvl. 1
[Candle Making], lvl. 1
“OK! So that’s how it works. Doesn’t look too complicated. I do need a candle mold, but my class seemed to have figured that out for me already,” he said with a grin as he skimmed through the list of recipes he’d obtained and found [Candle Mold] among them.
What really got him excited, though, was the other synergistic skills and recipes he had just unlocked. Jack rubbed his hands and licked his lip. “Let’s see what we have here.”
Comments
SwR
Yep, It seems less abrupt.
Cássio Ferreira
Oh yeah! The synergies just keep piling on. It's getting harder to keep track of all of Jack's skills.
Cássio Ferreira
Thank you so much for that observation. I tweaked the beginning of the chapter. Does it feel better now?
SwR
I'm not sure about pacing here between 150 and 151. The sudden scene shift right back to the fortress felt abrupt. Maybe add a line to 150 saying they fled back to camp or the like.
ByLAWphoto
that's a LOT of synergies, holy hannah! Jack's going to be hard pressed to learn all the things AND keep the team going. moderation and balance, Jack!
