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HC: Handyman | Ch. 86 - Experimentation
🕑 Added 2024-09-03 12:14:48 +0000 UTCSeeing that Jack wasn’t interested in getting her number, Beeatrice relaxed. Jack felt her apprehension made no sense. Didn’t he have her in-game contact information already? If he wanted to call her, he could just contact her in-game. On top of that, hadn’t she been the one contacting him? He sighed. Girls… What are you going to do? he thought to himself.
“If that’s what you want to know, I don’t mind giving my opinion. I don’t think this item will be very popular. Most beekeepers are adventurers who like to be out adventuring and collect income from their hives when they return to the city. Having a hive that makes them slower is terrible for them. The others are hardcore beekeepers like me, managing several hives at once. But having a single hive without buffs is a liability. It makes the other hives susceptible to disease or parasites. Things can quickly spiral out of control. I only want to buy this to feature it on my channel.”
Jack sighed, disappointed. He had hoped the item would be a hit, but Bea didn’t share his optimism.
“Are we good? 50 gold?”
Jack nodded. “Deal.”
“Let me know the next time you’re in Embersgate, and we’ll close the deal.”
“Alright. Pleasure doing business with you!”
She disconnected, leaving Jack’s heart pounding. It wasn’t just because of how beautiful Bea was, but because of how guilty he felt for noticing. Even though Lydia had broken up with him, she was still his girlfriend in his heart.
What Bea said about the [Pot Hive] was also disappointing. If Pot Hives wouldn’t make him prosperous, he had to hope that ocarinas would. He’d just have to gauge the market potential once he returned to Embersgate. In the meantime, Horace was probably running around Embersgate getting buffs and finding a quest. Jack decided to make the most of his time, too.
*
Jack eventually decided that the best campsite to run experiments with his upgraded cooking and foraging skills was in the backyard of Erwind’s shack. He found the perfect spot a few meters away. It was a quiet area surrounded by towering trees, their branches forming a natural canopy. The underbrush separating him from Erwind’s shack was thick, giving him some privacy, but he was still close enough in case he needed to run to safety. He put his [Pot Hive] down gently, started a fire and set up a tent nearby to empower it.
Jack’s fire crackled to life. He compared its brightness with Erwind’s fire. The light of the NPC’s fire was strong enough to pierce through the shrubbery that separated their campsites. He could even feel some of its heat from this far away. His suspicions that Erwind’s fire had something special grew stronger. Jack made a mental note to look in the XP store for the skill that empowered fire this much.
He wasn’t jealous, though. If anything, he felt safe. If he went to the lake, he risked being attacked by dinosaurs. Here, he was under Erwind’s protection. This way, he could entirely focus on taking stock of what the upgraded versions of his skills did.
There was little to no information online about the upgraded versions of [Survival Cooking] and [Forage]. Streamers were eager to share tutorials for beginners but kept the most precious secrets closer to the chest.
He overheard the voices of people arriving at Erwind’s camp. Maybe they knew. Bushcrafters who hung out around the lake were more experienced than him, but he doubted they would be willing to share the information that gave them the edge over their competitors.
There was no way around it, he needed to figure it out by himself. He had to get cooking. Jack looked at his cooking pots. After cooking so many meals in them they were all on their last leg and needed replacing. To make new ones, however, he needed torches. He had pieces of cloth in his inventory, and he could forage for sticks, but he had no fat, the third ingredient in the torch recipe.
He looked again in the direction of Erwind’s camp. Even though asking other bushcrafters for the secrets of [Survival Cooking, level 2] would be a bit much, buying some fat from them should be OK. He walked through the bushes and studied the three players sitting on rough-hewn logs around the fire.
The first, a burly man with a thick beard, waved his finger in long motions. His hand motions suggested he was scrolling through all the stores' listings, looking for a specific upgrade.
Beside him, a woman slightly older than Jack with braided hair read through the upgrades in her invisible system window. She did so calmly and happily as if she were window shopping.
The last bushcrafter was a bald younger man, idly tossing a knife into the air, catching it with a practiced hand, perhaps a gesture made while he mulled over which bushcraft upgrade he’d buy next.
Jack approached the group cautiously. "Hi, guys! Can anyone sell me some fat? Or torches?"
The younger man looked up, a smirk playing on his lips as he rolled his blade on his fingers. “I can get you some fat. Want some?”
“Sure!” Jack said fearfully. The way the young man was looking at him was disturbing. It was almost as if he planned to harvest fat from Jack’s body!
He licked his lip and grinned. “You can have it. For one gold a piece.”
Jack’s face fell. “Come on, man. What a rip-off!”
“Stop being a douchebag,” the woman with braided hair stood up and put herself between Jack and the young man. She glared at the young man until he sat back down. “How much do you need?” she asked Jack, her tone firm.
“Just 2 or 3.”
“Here,” she said, transferring three pieces of fat to Jack’s inventory.
Ornithopod Fat (Common)
Description: The fat of an ornithopod. It can be used in a variety of applications.
Durability: 13
“How much do I owe you?”
“Don’t mention it. It’s just a few silvers, anyway. Consider it a gift.”
“Thanks,” Jack said, grateful for her kindness.
“No worries,” she replied, casting a withering look at the bald young man. “You should be ashamed, you jerk. Didn’t your mamma teach you any manners?”
The young bushcrafter just laughed, dismissing her words with a wave before returning to his knife tricks. Jack shook his head as he walked back to his fire, shaking his head. What was wrong with that idiot? If there was anything that creamed his corn, it was idiots like this who were greedy and rude.
Jack looked over his shoulder, afraid that the crazy bushcrafter had chased after him, but nothing happened. Taking a deep breath, Jack set about crafting new torches. He scoured the surrounding area for suitable sticks, eventually finding some straight, sturdy ones from a nearby hazel bush. Their bark was smooth, and they were just the right thickness for holding a flame.
He pulled some strips of cloth from his inventory and the fat, which came in a neatly packed blob. The fat was thick and greasy, a deep yellow color with a pungent smell that clung to his fingers. Grossed out, Jack smeared it on a cloth. He then carefully wrapped the fatty cloth around the top of each stick, layering it tightly so that it would burn steadily once lit. Satisfied with his work, he tested one of the torches, holding it to the flame until it caught fire. The cloth burned slowly, the fat fueling the flames with a steady, bright light.
You’ve crafted [Torch].
+120 bushcraft XP.
With his new torches ready, Jack turned his attention to crafting new cooking pots. He grabbed the last of his earthenware clay and kneaded in some dry grass for added strength. He rolled the clay into cylinders, using his fingers to create long, even coils.
He made a flat base and deposited the coils one by one, heating them with the torch to harden the clay. The warmth spread through the material, making it more firm. He did this layer by layer. Once the pot was shaped, he smoothed out imperfections before letting the pots dry and solidify. After applying a glaze and firing them, he finally had the cookware he needed for his experiments.
You’ve crafted [Clay Pot].
+370 pottery XP
Now, it was time to test his new skills. Jack poured water into one of the freshly made pots and set it over the fire. He scanned the area for ingredients, and his eyes caught sight of some mushrooms growing in the shadow of a large oak tree. He knelt down to examine them more closely.
You’ve picked up [White Mushroom].
White Mushroom (Common)
Description: Its mild, earthy flavor makes it a versatile ingredient in many dishes.
Durability: 5
+5 bushcraft XP
White mushrooms, with their smooth round caps, were one of the easiest ones to find. Jack loved them because they spawned in clusters and respawned quickly. He could easily get a stack of them at every spawn point.
He’d also gained XP from harvesting the mushrooms! Jack grinned, seeing that he could now get at least some points from foraging, thanks to the upgraded version of [Forage]. Jack harvested three of them; the experience points making the action a little more thrilling.
He tossed the mushrooms into the pot, watching as they sizzled and began to soften in the boiling water. He added a pinch of salt and pepper, and once the stew was ready, the usual notification appeared.
Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Survival Stew].
[Camping] has strengthened your meal.
+120 bushcraft XP
Survival Stew (Common)
Crafting grade: C
Ingredients: [White Mushroom], [White Mushroom], [White Mushroom].
Item description: A nutritious, tasty meal from ingredients you’ve crafted in the wild.
Item effects:
+1.5 stamina per second for five minutes.
+1.5 HP per second for five minutes.
Survival buff: Prevents loss of stamina and health for 15 minutes after leaving camp. The buff wears off when entering combat.
Durability: 3
The stew was no better than what he usually made. The only difference after upgrading [Survival Cooking] was that its ingredients were now listed. “What does this mean? Do ingredients make a difference now?” he muttered.
Determined to explore further, he searched for other types of mushrooms. He soon found them.
Morel Mushroom (Common)
Description: Morels grow in the underbrush of dense forests, often found near decaying trees. They add a deep, savory note to any dish and are particularly favored in broths and stews.
Durability: 7
+7 bushcraft XP
Oyster Mushroom (Common)
Description: Named for its resemblance to a cluster of oysters. Oyster mushrooms have a delicate, slightly sweet flavor with a hint of anise, making them versatile for a variety of dishes.
Durability: 4
+5 bushcraft XP
Morels were dark brown and had a honeycomb-like cap. They were spongy but firm. Even though they were also of the standard grade, they were more challenging to find. Oyster mushrooms were creamy white and had broad, fan-shaped caps.
Jack picked up another [White Mushroom] and combined it with the other two types of mushrooms in the pot, eager to see what would happen. As the stew bubbled, an earthy, inviting scent wafted from the pot. Jack was sure he’d tried this combination before, but it had never smelled this good.
Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Survival Stew].
[Camping] has strengthened your meal.
+300 bushcraft XP
Survival Stew (Common)
Crafting grade: B
Ingredients: [White Mushroom], [Morel Mushroom], [Oyster Mushroom].
Item description: A nutritious, tasty meal from ingredients you’ve crafted in the wild.
Item effects:
+1.5 stamina per second for five minutes.
+1.5 HP per second for five minutes.
Survival buff: Prevents loss of stamina and health for 15 minutes after leaving camp. The buff wears off when entering combat.
Mushroom buff: Increases resistance against disease and poisons for 1 hour.
B grade bonus effect: +0.5 to regeneration effects. Durability: 5
“Woah! There’s a whole new buff!”
The ingredients hadn’t made a difference until now. Whatever he threw into the pot, all he got was [Survival Stew]. The upgraded version of the skill turned out to be more sophisticated and powerful than he’d imagined. If he got the right combinations, he could unlock new buffs. This one, in particular, unlocked a buff that increased resistance against diseases and poisons.
This was a game-changer. The possibilities raced through his mind; he could create meals with specific buffs tailored to different challenges. Jack glanced at the clock and then around him. He still had roughly 90 minutes before Horace was due to arrive. There were countless ingredients yet to be explored, and he was eager to experiment with as many as possible.
Comments
Cássio Ferreira
Haha.
Cássio Ferreira
Coming soon...
ByLAWphoto
I can see Jack making a bunch of pots, filling them with ingredients, and making a mini shop where players can pick and choose what buffs they get...for a price.
Julia Pennoyer
I wonder what buff his honey will give
Harley Dalton Jr.
Tyftc
