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HC: Handyman | Ch. 118 - Plucking
🕑 Added 2024-11-15 18:13:01 +0000 UTCThe faint, stale smell of raw chicken clung to the air. Feathers spiraled down like lazy snowflakes, soft at first but prickling against Jack’s skin. Jack worked steadily, plucking feather after feather until his movements became mechanical. His shoulders ached, and his thoughts wandered, but his hands never stopped. He chuckled, finding an odd parallel between this and yanking grass to dry.
The task was mindless, sure, but technique made all the difference. Wide, sweeping motions kept the feathers from falling back onto cleared sections. With time, his pace quickened. Meanwhile, Mr. Jerry lay sprawled on his stool, snoring softly. His arms were folded across his chest, his head tilted back like a man without a care in the world.
A stray feather landed on his nose, but even that didn’t rouse him. Jack glanced at the growing mountain of feathers he’d plucked and shook his head. The old man looked like he was sunbathing on some tropical beach instead of presiding over a chicken farm.
Jack hadn’t timed himself, but he was pretty sure it took him three times as long to pluck a chicken compared to Mr. Jerry’s effortless speed. He kept going—one chicken, then two, then three. By the fifteenth, he stopped counting. His eyelids drooped, and his grip slackened. Counting chickens, he realized, was just as good at making someone drowsy as counting sheep.
His fingers throbbed, and his back protested each time he leaned over the table. He paused to stretch, earning a satisfying crack from his neck. Relief surged through him, but it was fleeting. With a resigned sigh, he went back to yanking feathers.
The grind dragged on, and Jack grew restless. Over an hour had passed, and Mr. Jerry still hadn’t stirred. Jack coughed, shuffled his feet, and and even thumped the table several times, but the old man kept snoring. Eventually, Jack gave up on subtlety and turned to the web browser on his device. Maybe someone else had asked the question that was gnawing at him.
Poster: "Hi, guys, I’m doing the butcher quest, and they told me to start plucking chickens. I’ve done ten already, and NOTHING happened. How long is this supposed to take? Am I missing something? Going insane here!"
TomTum: "Ten chickens? That’s barely a warm-up, bro. Bad news: you’ve got 90 to go. Buckle up—it’s a marathon, not a sprint."
Navarro: "Keep going. You’re about to unlock greatness."
Jack smirked as he scrolled through the replies. What’s up with this guy? Ten chickens and he’s already whining on the forums? Youth these days. He yanked out another feather and chuckled quietly.
He yanked out another feather, chuckling quietly. It struck him how, two weeks ago, he could have been this player, venting his frustration in an online rant. Guess I’ve learned a thing or two about patience, he admitted, even if the realization was a little begrudging.
Looking for motivation, Jack pulled up his browsing history and reopened the description of the minor he was working for.
Butchering
This one-tier profession is one of the easiest to pick up and remains a favorite among players. Often called the “no-brainer” minor, it doesn’t require any special skills or fancy mechanics. Just hunt, harvest, and loot—something every player does naturally. The difference? Butchers get more from their efforts.
For example, imagine you’re hunting a porky, one of the game’s most common mobs. A regular player might loot porky spikes and call it a day. But as a skilled butcher, you’ll also extract porky bones, scales, tendons, and even rare materials. Overall, butchers can harvest five times the resources from a corpse compared to ordinary players.
But that’s not all. You’ll unlock access to the [Salting] skill, which keeps meat in your inventory fresh for longer, saving you time and money. Additionally, butchering is highly synergistic with several other professions:
Rancher Major: Allows you to harvest meat and other resources from animals you raise.
Chef Major: Grants bonuses to meat-based dishes, making them more powerful or profitable.
Smith Major: Enables you to craft specialized tools like cleavers and meat hooks.
Fishing Minor: Unlocks the [Fishmongering] skill, ideal for maximizing profits from fishing.
However, keep in mind that butchering has its downsides. It’s a highly competitive field due to its simplicity, and you’ll often have to sell your resources to intermediaries like leatherworkers or chefs, who make the real profit.
If you want to take up the butcher minor, approach any NPC butcher and let them know you’re ready to learn. It’s that simple!
Pros:
Easy
Increases resource yield from hunts by up to 5x
Highly synergistic
Unlocks [Salting]
Cons:
Limited profit potential; intermediaries reap most of the rewards.
Only has one tier.
Rank: C
Jack felt a spark of determination reignite as he reread the guide, especially the part about the profession being “highly synergistic.” If it was already considered so with the mainstream professions, what would happen once it was thrown into a pot with all his minors and his handyman class?
He worked quietly, plucking feather after feather until, at long last, he yanked out the final one. Stepping back, Jack surveyed the results. A few chickens looked a little patchy, but at this point, he figured Mr. Jerry wouldn’t mind. One minor down, countless more to go, he thought, giving himself a mental pat on the back.
After two hours and fifteen minutes, the old man finally stirred. Mr. Jerry yawned, stretched, and rubbed his eyes like a cat waking from a nap. “Oh, uh, what’s going on? Oh, right. I needed a nap,” he muttered.
The old man stood up and inspected the pile of chickens. “Good!” He then turned toward all the feathers lying around. “Excellent! Do you know what you can do with these?” The old man asked with a grin.
“With the chicken feathers?” Jack confirmed.
“Yes.”
Jack shrugged, “I don’t know. Pillows?”
The old man laughed. “Insulation! Jewelry! Clothes! Paper! Food!” He shouted, each one louder than the other. “There’s so much you don’t know yet, young one.” As he walked over to Jack and placed his wrinkled hand on his shoulder, the old man said, “But you know enough to get started. You’re now a butcher!”
Jack frowned. “Already? That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Mr. Jerry confirmed. “Easy work, right?”
Congratulations! You’ve become a [Novice Butcher].
You’ve learned: [Skinning].
[Skinning] synergizes with [First Aid].
You’ve learned a new recipe: [Hearty Wound Dressing].
Jack’s face broke into a grin as the notification blinked across his vision. All the aches, feathers, and stale smell of raw chicken had been worth it. He felt like he was truly progressing. This wasn’t just a profession—it was proof that patience and perseverance could lead to something real.
The [Skinning] skill alone felt like a win, but the recipe? That was the real prize.
Recipe for: [Hearty Wound Dressing].
Ingredients:
2x [Green Moss]
Feathers or scales
[Cloth]
Instructions:
Grind the [Green Moss] into a paste using a mortar and pestle.
Add feathers or scales and grind until well mixed.
Smear the paste onto a [Cloth].
Apply to wounds when necessary.
Requirements:
[First Aid], lvl. 1
[Skinning], lvl. 1
It was a potential power-up for the bandages he made. He looked at the ingredients and the many feathers Jerry was collecting and stuffing in bags.
It looks like chicken feathers can also be used as medicine.
He couldn’t wait to see how better these bandages were than the regular [Moss Wound Dressing].
Jack glanced at Mr. Jerry, who was already plucking a chicken and humming a tune. “One last thing before I go,” Jack said, crossing his arms.
“Huh? What is it?” Mr. Jerry replied, not even bothering to look up.
“When you told me about the egg, you mentioned a tavern. Is that somewhere nearby?”
*
The tavern Jerry visited was just a ten-minute ride from his farm, a short enough trip that Jack didn’t mind slowing down to take in the scenery. The path wound through rolling fields of golden wheat, the sun hanging low in the sky.
Jack glanced at the guide on brewing, rereading it and making sure he really was going to go through with this profession.
Brewing
Even though cooks hold the gold medal for the most powerful buffs in the game, brewers aren’t far behind. Wine, beer, cider, and rum are just a few of the beverages that can be crafted by this versatile and rewarding minor.
Brewers don’t just brew—they age. A properly aged beverage, made with the right ingredients and recipes, can fetch a fortune and even mean the difference between finishing a boss fight or wiping out the entire party. Plus, gifting a rare wine or finely aged rum is one of the best ways to gain favor with influential NPCs.
But this profession isn’t without its challenges. Brewers often warn newcomers about two major hurdles:
Recipe System: Other than the basic recipe for mead, which is taught by your NPC trainer, every other recipe must be earned in dungeons. Recipes are bound to the player, meaning you can’t trade or buy them. If you’re not good at dungeoneering, this is NOT the minor for you.
Cellar Rental: You can only carry so many casks in your inventory. To take brewing seriously, you’ll need a cellar or warehouse to store your beverages. Some cellars offer bonuses, but the rent can be steep.
To start this minor, head to any place where beverages are served and offer to buy a round for everyone. The NPC will then offer to teach you the profession.
Pros:
Excellent for crafting gifts to impress NPCs.
Doesn’t require much time beyond recipe hunting and cellar setup.
Produces highly valuable items.
Cons:
Buffs are powerful, but it’s hard to drink ale in the middle of a boss fight.
Requires patience and investment in dungeoneering and storage space.
Rank: A
The guide’s glowing praise only strengthened Jack’s resolve. The requirement to explore dungeons didn’t scare him. Grinning, he let Snowy take him toward the coordinates shared by Jerry.
It wasn’t what he expected. Jack had imagined a grand building—a tall house with polished wood paneling, a shiny bar counter, and patrons crowded together while old men threw darts or played pool. Instead, he found a makeshift counter flanked by mismatched chairs outside an unassuming farmhouse.
Farmers sat in small groups, their wooden mugs raised as they laughed and shared stories. The air was thick with the mingled scents of hops, honey, and fermented apples. Frothy foam spilled over the rims of mugs, glinting in the sunset.
The counter was a patchwork of reclaimed wood, its uneven planks hinting at years of service. Behind it, a woman with her sleeves rolled up to her shoulders poured drinks with practiced efficiency. Three enormous barrels stood behind her, their spouts dripping with residual foam. Finding one of the barrels was running low, she hefted it onto her shoulder with startling ease and carried it to the back to replace it.
Jack raised an eyebrow. She had the kind of strength he’d expect from a warden or someone corralling kindergarteners, not a tavern keeper.
Jack approached the counter, glancing at the menu: apple cider, mead, and beer. None were too expensive. Looking at the number of farmers, he counted no more than 20. He was going to spend, at most, 30 silvers here. Clearing his throat, he spoke loud enough for the farmers to hear. “The next round is on me.”
The response was immediate.
“Hey!”
“Thank you kindly!”
“You’re one of the good ones!”
The farmers cheered, their voices ringing out in a chorus of gratitude. The woman behind the counter gave him an approving nod, her smile broad and warm.
“Careful, stranger. These folks drink more than you’d think—especially Uncle Billy over there,” she teased, jerking her chin toward a particularly jovial old man.
“I heard that!” Uncle Billy barked.
“You were meant to!” she shot back.
Jack chuckled. “It’s fine. If I can spread a little joy in this sad world, why shouldn’t I?”
The woman’s expression softened. “The name’s Gretchen,” she said, extending a hand.
“Jack. Nice to meet you,” he replied, shaking it.
“Well, Jack, if you’re serious about spreading joy, I can teach you how to make these yourself,” she said as she put her hand on one of the barrels. “You can’t throw a proper party if everyone’s thirsty, right?”
Jack grinned. Thank goodness for online guides. It was easy to trigger the quest when one knew what to do. Jack grinned. “Tell me more.”
Ch. 117 - Dance of the Turtles
Comments
Cássio Ferreira
Haha. Didn't know that reference. Thank you for sharing. :D
Cássio Ferreira
I've tried hinting at how it's pretty common. Advanced beekeepers can produce tons of honey and in earlier chapters it's been explained that while the minor used to be rare, it's become more widespread now.
MrDragondude5
i was wondering how common is honey in the game since brewers need it to make their first recipe it might be considered a con of the major if it is rare.
Chimera
Me granny was a Pluckers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaQdwy9oBHY was playing in by head for the first half of the chapter
