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HC: Handyman | Ch. 93 - Trapped
🕑 Added 2024-09-19 12:02:59 +0000 UTCWhile Horace moved toward the nest, Jack quickly prepared. He scattered dirt over the fire, snuffing it out, and packed his tent. He hid [Pot Hive] beneath the gnarled roots of a nearby tree. The last thing he needed right now was its 20% speed debuff. With a final glance at his setup, he sprinted toward the trap’s location.
It felt unnerving to walk without the familiar buzz of bees. The hive had become a comforting presence. Without it, the silence pressed down on him like a weight. But Jack pushed through, running hard to the spot Horace had marked on the map. He located the patch of ground covered with twigs and jungle litter and spotted the rope tied to one of the trunks of the tree.
"I'm here," Jack messaged as soon as he arrived.
"Same," Horace replied.
Jack's fingers trembled as he brought the ocarina to his lips. A fleeting thought crossed his mind—what if this was all a ploy? What if Horace was using him as bait for the allosaurus while he ran off with the real prize? But Jack shook the suspicion away. They'd been through too much together for that. Horace had even reset his account for Amari—betrayal didn’t fit.
He exhaled and played ‘Sitting Wind,’ trying to calm his nerves and recover the little stamina he'd lost on the way. His fingers slipped, and a few notes came out wrong.
You’ve played [Sitting Wind].
Success rate: C
+100XP in [Bard]
"She's not reacting," came Horace's message.
Jack swallowed hard. "Okay," he muttered to himself, inching closer to the nest before trying again.
You’ve played [Sitting Wind].
Success rate: C+
+110XP in [Bard]
"Still nothing," Horace messaged again. "You need to get closer."
Jack crept closer than he was comfortable with, moving farther from the safety of the trap. He had no choice—the allosaurus had to hear him for their plan to work.
This time, he played more confidently. The soft, soothing notes of ‘Sitting Wind’ drifted through the jungle.
You’ve played [Sitting Wind].
Success rate: B+
+170XP in [Bard]
“There! She’s heard you. But she’s not moving.”
Jack took a deep breath—it was time to change the tune. He began playing ‘Angry Void,’ the trills sharp and grating, designed to irritate. Mechanically, it was fun to play, but the dissonance was jarring.
You’ve played [Angry Void].
Success rate: C
+120XP in [Bard]
Seconds passed. Then came the message from Horace: “RUN!”
Jack didn’t hesitate. He bolted, the distant sound of trees behind him crashing as the mother allosaurus tore through the forest in hot pursuit. Her thunderous footsteps pounded closer as Jack raced toward the trap. He heard the twigs creak under his weight and felt slightly safer. He stuffed the ocarina into his inventory and grabbed two clay bombs.
The tremors grew louder—then stopped. Jack froze. She’s already here, he realized. The allosaurus was stalking him.
Without wasting a second, Jack hurled two bombs into the clearing, followed by two more. The clay smashed open, and as the sugar and guano mixed, a thick, chemical fog began to rise, cloaking the area in a mist.
His heart pounded. The smoke would help obscure the trap—but it also turned the clearing into a terrifying, murky battlefield. Seconds stretched into eternity.
Then, from the right, the attack came.
The allosaurus burst through the trees, jaws wide open to swallow Jack whole.
Sprint!
Jack activated [Sprint] and surged in the opposite direction in a desperate dash. He pulled away, the beast still raging behind him, hell-bent on destroying the intruder who dared challenge its domain.
Then came a loud creak, and the ground beneath the dinosaur gave way. The allosaurus tumbled into the deep pit Horace had dug. It wasn’t deep enough to fully trap her, but she was still stuck.
Jack took out his bush knife and ran toward the tree where the ropes were. He cut through it desperately, and another trap triggered. Vines tied with rocks dropped from above, wrapping around the dinosaur’s limbs as she thrashed, anchoring her further. Wooden pieces fell, clattering and rattling, disorienting the creature.
"Nice!" he gasped, watching the trap spring into action. Jack tossed another clay bomb into the chaos and ran.
Without wasting a moment, he dashed back to retrieve the [Pot Hive], then made a beeline for the allosaurus nest. By the time Jack reached the nest, Horace was finishing up, securing the baby allosaurus with ropes around its legs, tail, and snout. The creature squirmed in his grip, but Horace heaved it over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Did it work?" Horace gasped, disheveled and out of breath. He hadn’t had an easy time here either.
"Yeah!" Jack confirmed, still catching his breath.
"Well done," Horace said, already turning toward Embersgate. Jack quickly followed, stealing a glance back toward the jungle.
As they sprinted, Jack finally asked, "How long will the trap hold the mother?"
"Not long. That trap’s only meant for creatures around level 20. Even with the stacked layers, it won’t hold her for more than a few minutes."
They picked up the pace. Whenever the skills came off cooldown, Horace activated [Heroic Charge], surging ahead in short bursts, while Jack kept up with [Sprint]. All the while, Jack played ‘Sitting Wind’ on his ocarina, topping up their stamina so that they could keep up the frantic pace.
The baby allosaurus had stopped struggling against the ropes and instead focused his energy on barking—sharp, piercing cries that made Jack wince. His gut told him those calls would reach its mother.
When they finally reached the road, Jack felt a brief flicker of hope. It was a straight shot now, far faster than navigating the thick jungle, avoiding roots, trees, and hunting parties. But the road had dangers of its own.
"You sure taking the road was a good idea?" Jack asked nervously.
"It’s the fastest way to the city," Horace replied, focused on the path ahead. Suddenly, Horace's voice cut through the air. "Watch out!"
From the tree line, a pack of green, wolf-like creatures with oversized fangs lunged toward them. Jack's stomach dropped. The helpless cries of the baby allosaurus, combined with his ocarina’s tunes, had drawn the predators. The sight of bound prey was too tempting to resist.
Heroic Charge!
Horace became a blur of brilliant yellow light, bulldozing through the pack and sending them flying. Jack, quick to react, hurled a clay bomb into their midst. The wolves scattered in confusion as Horace and Jack sprinted away.
"Use a patch!" Jack called as he pulled out a cloth strip coated with a vibrant green paste.
Guarana Patch (Common)
Description: A cloth patch infused with guarana, known for its energy-boosting properties.
Effect: +5% movement speed for 1 minute.
Jack pressed the patch against his arm, feeling the familiar warmth of the guarana spread through his muscles as his pace quickened. He could feel the slight burst of speed almost immediately. Horace did the same. They both knew these patches wouldn't last long, and guarana was tough to come by. Jack had only managed to craft four for each of them with the scarce guarana he'd found since buying the recipe from Erwind.
It was enough. The wolves hadn’t chased after them.
"Man, I’m glad you made these items," Horace panted.
Jack laughed weakly, though the relentless barks of the baby allosaurus were fraying his nerves. "Think the mother’s already after us?"
"Yes," Horace said, not slowing down.
Jack glanced back, anxiety gnawing at him. How close could she be?
“We’ll be fine,” Horace reassured. “Allosauruses are tough, but they drop valuable loot. Hunting parties won’t miss the chance to go after one if they spot her. We just need to make it to the city. The further we travel on the road, the greater the chances of her running into other players who’ll get rid of her for us.”
They pressed on. They came across a lone player and two other players walking back to the city. They glanced curiously at the baby dinosaur but didn’t do anything. After several minutes, they came across the largest group of players they’d seen on the road yet. They were heading in the opposite direction.
Jack sighed in relief. Horace had really thought this through. If more hunting parties like that showed up, at least one might take a shot at the mother allosaurus. What had seemed like an impossible mission was turning out to be quite straightforward.
Just as Jack started to believe they might actually make it, a scream pierced the air behind them, followed by the unmistakable rumble of the ground.
"Oh no..." Jack muttered.
The hunting party had run straight into the allosaurus.
“They’re too low-leveled to survive this! Run like the wind, Jack!” Horace shouted.
As they widened the gap, the sounds of battle quickly faded behind them, but Jack’s brief relief was shattered when a notification popped up:
[Breezy Step] expired.
Their speed dropped by 10%. They quickly applied another [Guarana Patch], but it was little comfort—the tremors were getting louder, and the baby, sensing its mother’s approach, started shrieking louder and thrashing harder. At this rate, they wouldn’t make it.
Just as the situation seemed hopeless, the battlements of the city came into view.
“We’re almost there, Jack! It’s the final stretch!”
ROAR!
The mother allosaurus was closing in, furious and desperate, her thundering footsteps shaking the ground beneath them. Jack’s eyes met Horace’s, and at that moment, he realized it—Horace didn’t believe they would make it.
His chest tightened. Then, Jack made a decision. He skidded to a stop.
“Jack? What are you doing?!” Horace shouted, panic in his voice.
“Just go! Get the baby to the city. I’ll be right behind you.”
Horace hesitated, torn between staying with Jack and finishing the mission. “Argh!” he cursed, before he bolted toward the city gates, leaving Jack behind.
Jack’s heart pounded in his ears as he watched Horace disappear into the distance. He knew it was the right choice—carrying the pot hive and the baby would’ve slowed him too much. It had to be Horace. It had to be this way.
He spotted the allosaurus. With trembling hands, Jack pulled out his last few clay bombs, throwing them in rapid succession to create a dense smokescreen. The stomping grew louder, more ominous, as the fog thickened around him. Jack couldn’t see the allosaurus anymore—but that meant she couldn’t see him either. The footsteps stopped.
She’s close, Jack thought. Too close.
His hand went to his ocarina. It was his only option. He had no other way to fight this monster. Here goes nothing.
The dissonant, complex arpeggios of ‘Sonic Valley’ filled the air, cutting through the thick smoke. The reaction was immediate—a frustrated growl reverberated through the fog. Jack kept playing, forcing himself to focus on the intricate melody, ignoring the growing fear clawing at his mind. The half-step intervals required precision.
He wasn’t playing to survive anymore. He had accepted that he was already dead. This was just to give Horace enough time to make it to the gates. Once he embraced that, the pressure lifted, and Jack’s focus sharpened.
The notification came as he finished the final note:
You’ve played [Sonic Valley].
Success rate: B.
+150XP in [Bard]
Audience Bonus: +300XP in [Bard]
Jack lowered the ocarina, his breath ragged. The ground trembled again, but this time, the stomps were moving away from him. The disorienting notes of ‘Sonic Valley’ had confused the allosaurus, causing her to lose her sense of direction. Jack’s heart leapt—he still had a chance.
He bolted toward the nearest bush, running into the jungle, trying to put as much distance between himself and the monster as possible.
About 15 seconds later, a furious roar split the air. The allosaurus had regained her bearings and realized she had been duped. The ground shook as she charged down the road once more, but it was too late. A message from Horace flashed across Jack’s HUD:
"At the clearing. We’ve made it."
The enraged cries of the allosaurus faded into the distance, replaced by the unmistakable clash of steel against claws. A hunting party had decided to fight the allosaurus. Jack slumped against a tree, his body aching, his mind still spinning from the close call.
“I can’t believe it,” he gasped, a tired grin spreading across his face. “We actually made it.”
But as the sounds of battle continued, a pang of guilt settled in his chest. Now that the mission was over, the pained roars of the allosaurus echoed through the jungle, and Jack couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She had only been protecting her young.
The roars grew louder, more desperate—then suddenly, silence. The mother had fallen just outside Embersgate.
Comments
Coleman
So I see that suggestion is the key word in difficulty description.
Tim Bartlett
For material gain, what about a coupon for a free recipe at any crafting store
Cássio Ferreira
Thank you so much for those suggestions, Scott!
Scott Frederiksen
Well obviously a ridiculous amount of experience it being so over leveled and larger group requirement maybe some kind of title or achievement too?
