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HC: Handyman | Ch. 80 - Standing Out
🕑 Added 2024-08-22 16:17:19 +0000 UTCIt had been two hours since Jack set up camp. He was sitting near the edge, between the fire and the pot hive, lost in the soothing notes of his ocarina. The noon sun hit the lake head-on, bathing the shores in light and creating the illusion that lunchtime was just around the corner. The smell of fire hinted at an upcoming summer barbecue, yet Jack played a tune that evoked spring.
A Morning of Spring (Level 1 Melody)
Description: This melody allows you to become one with nature and elicit a happy, peaceful mood in your listeners. Bees become more productive as you play this tune.
Melody Type: Happy
[A Morning of Spring] wasn’t too fast or slow. The melody seemed to temper the sun's heat, rewinding the summer feel of noon to a cool spring morning. The notes floated through the air, seamlessly merging the camp with the surrounding nature.
As Jack played, the pot hive a few meters away buzzed with activity. The bees seemed to take on an almost frantic pace, zipping between the hive and the wildflowers, gathering nectar with an urgency that wasn’t there before.
A bee returns with pollen.
+10 beekeeping XP.
A bee returns with pollen.
+10 beekeeping XP.
Jack smiled, pleased with the synergy between his bard and beekeeper professions. He had already reached level 6 as a bard and level 4 in beekeeping. Not only was he gaining experience in both, but the music also enhanced his bees' productivity, creating a positive feedback loop.
His new skill, [Brood Breeding], had also kicked in.
The queen bee lays an egg.
+10 beekeeping XP.
Brood Breeding, lvl. 1
Description: The colony's queen is busy laying eggs, and the workers can’t wait to feed the young.
Effects: Passive. Your colony will spawn new bees every day. Scales with intelligence. Requires enough nectar.
Current rate: 10 bees per day.
The queen bee was laying eggs inspired by the steady supply of nectar. By tomorrow, ten new workers would be hard at work for the colony.
Despite the serene atmosphere, Jack couldn’t ignore the nagging background silence. There was no chatter, no laughter, no battle planning, and no customers. While he enjoyed progressing as a bard and beekeeper, his bushcraft efforts were hitting a slump. His attempts to attract more customers to his campsite hadn’t been as successful as he’d hoped. Other camps around the lake offered better services, according to the few travelers who had stopped by.
Some adventurers had been drawn by his music, but it wasn’t enough to keep them around for long. Most were looking for something more—something Jack couldn’t yet provide.
Jack perked up as he noticed a small group of adventurers approaching his camp, drawn by the sound of his ocarina. He quickly switched to [The Sitting Wind], hoping to impress them. They listened briefly, nodding appreciatively as the gentle notes filled the air.
“What a beautiful tune. And look! My stamina is filling up,” one of them commented happily.
Not everyone was as enthusiastic. “Hmph… no skewers or smoker.”
“Maybe we should just try the next camp?”
“Hush. Let me do the talking.” Their leader stepped forward and greeted Jack with a slight bow. “Hello, sir. How much for the meal?”
Jack put down the ocarina and put on his most inviting smile. “Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to my humble camp. The usual fee: 2 silver.”
“He only has the basic buff, then,” one of them whispered to the captain.
“Argh. As soon as he stopped playing, my stamina stopped recovering. There’s no lasting buff.”
“We’d be better off at the next camp.”
The hunters muttered their complaints to their leader, and Jack's smile faltered. Despite his best efforts, this group wasn’t going to stay either.
“You know what? We’re just heading back to the city. A full HP and stamina bar are all we need. Even if he has no significant buffs, it’ll save us some silver.”
The group exchanged looks and, with shrugs, began sitting around the fire. Jack started preparing ingredients and setting out the tableware he’d crafted. Just as the pot began to boil, one of the customers jerked upright.
“Ouch!”
“What’s wrong, Jimmy?”
Another one of them swatted at the air, yelping in pain.
"Ouch! Why are there bees here?" the adventurer exclaimed, backing away from the log. "I just got stung!"
Jack winced. The bees! He hadn’t anticipated they would attack his patrons. To be fair, this was the first time other players had come close enough to the camp. But they had never attacked Jack, who realized he had a beekeeper skill preventing stings—a protection his visitors lacked.
“I’m really sorry,” Jack said, lowering his ocarina. “I didn’t realize—”
But it was too late.
“Ouch! I've been stung, too!”
“Let's go, guys. This camp sucks!”
“Wait. Don’t go! I—”
The group was already moving away, muttering about finding another camp. Jack watched helplessly as his first potential customers in over two hours disappeared. His shoulders slumped as he stared at the hive. The bees continued their work, unaware they had just driven away his customers. How would he keep his camp running if this kept happening? Sighing, Jack grabbed the pot hive and dragged it farther from the fire.
Satisfied, he returned to the fire and sat on one of the logs. It wasn’t just the bees. Two hours without a single customer was too long. Jack had tried to make his campsite as appealing as possible, even using his music to draw people in. But the common complaint he’d overheard was that his music made no difference. Adventurers could recover stamina just as easily by sitting near any fire or eating a decent meal.
Better-grade camps offered enticing buffs that Jack couldn’t compete with. Though pleasant, his camp didn’t provide any significant advantage to sway customers into staying longer or returning. Should he make the trek back to a spot nearer the city? He’d fared better when he was the only bushcrafter around.
Jack took a deep breath and stood up, dusting off his pants. The recent failure with the bees had shaken his confidence, but he wasn’t about to give up. It was time to try something different. The competition around the lake was fierce, and his usual approach wasn’t cutting it. He needed something to set his camp apart—something that would draw in weary hunters and adventurers, something they couldn’t ignore.
That’s when he remembered the mud hut recipe.
Mud Hut
Ingredients: 50x[Clay], 50x[Dry Grass]
Recipe: Temper the clay in a proportion of 3 parts clay to 1 part dry grass. Shape into patties and form the walls of the house. Use a torch to dry each layer before setting a new one. Use the remaining dry grass to make a thatch roof.
Requirements:
Clay Tempering;
Clay Molding, lvl. 3;
Camping;
Handyman, lvl. 10.
The [Mud Hut] recipe was reminiscent of how coiled vases were made. From experience, Jack knew that making large coiled ceramics outdoors took work—how much more so for a whole house! He had been reluctant to try it, considering the time and effort involved, but now seemed like the perfect time. The mud hut could provide a unique selling point, something none of the other bushcrafters around the lake could replicate.
Jack stood up, determination replacing his earlier frustration, and set out to gather materials, starting with the lake shore. He moved away from the rocks, searching for a suitable spot until he found soft soil filled with footprints from passing adventurers. Kneeling by the water, he scooped up handfuls of thick, sticky clay, filling his inventory with the cool, malleable substance.
You’ve gathered 2x[Earthenware Clay].
+2 pottery XP.
You’ve gathered 2x[Earthenware Clay].
+2 pottery XP.
Once he had ten stacks, he returned to camp to check on the bees and ensure the fire was still burning strong. The last thing he needed was for the fire to go out and for a herd of dinosaurs to stampede through his campsite.
With the fire refueled Jack headed to the border between the shore and the forest, where tall, dry grass swayed in the breeze.
You’ve gathered 1x[Grass].
You’ve gathered 1x[Grass].
You’ve gathered 1x[Grass].
It didn’t take long to gather a sufficient amount, which he bundled under one arm as he returned to camp. He lay it all neatly under the sun to dry.
Back at his campsite, Jack cleared a patch of ground within the protective range of the fire. Staying within its warmth was essential—not just for his safety but also to ensure the hut’s construction would proceed safely without interference from the local wildlife. He smoothed out the ground, creating a level surface to build on.
Next, he prepared the clay using one of his handyman's unique skills.
Clay Tempering
Description: You add non-plastic material to clay to prevent it from cracking when it dries, making it stronger and lighter.
Effects:
You can mix clay and dry grass;
Increases the durability of crafted items.
He had already tried this skill when making the pot hive, so he felt confident. Jack mixed the clay and dry grass in the correct proportions—three parts clay to one part grass. He kneaded the mixture with his hands, feeling the grass fibers blend with the cool, slick texture of the clay.
With the material ready, Jack began shaping the first layer of the mud hut’s walls. He started by laying out the foundation as a square, leaving an opening for the entrance. Slowly and deliberately, he pressed the clay mixture into thick, solid patties. Each patty was carefully placed on top of the other, forming the base of the wall. Once the base layer was complete, Jack grabbed one of the torches from his inventory.
He held the torch over the patty for several moments but frowned. The clay wasn’t changing color. He drew the torch away and felt the surface—it was lukewarm. He had assumed the torch would be enough to dry the clay, but it wasn’t generating nearly enough heat. The clay was too thick, too wet. It would take hours to dry the walls this way.
Jack paused, considering his options. Should he try using two torches at once, one in each hand? His eyes fell on the fire pit nearby, blazing much hotter than the torch. An idea sparked in his mind—he’d have to abandon his first attempt at the mud hut.
Quickly dismantling the unfinished wall, Jack set the clay patties aside and cleared a new area directly adjacent to the fire. He moved the logs he’d been using as benches and set them aside. He then began laying the patties around the fire. The difference was immediate—the heat from the fire radiated outward, warming the clay almost instantly. As he built up the first layer of the wall, steam rose from the clay as moisture evaporated. It was drying much faster.
Encouraged, Jack continued building, stacking layer upon layer of tempered clay. Each time he completed a layer, he paused to let the fire's heat do its work. Sometimes, he used a torch to help dry the clay on the wall’s side furthest from the firepit before moving on to the next layer. The walls grew higher, forming a solid, cube-shaped structure.
Though tiring, the steady progress gave Jack a sense of accomplishment. The hut began to take shape with each new layer. Thanks to the heat from the fire, the high noon sun, and not having to worry about perfectly evening the walls like with a vase, the work moved along faster than expected.
As he set the last layer, Jack noticed a group of players near the water, close to his camp, looking curiously at his work. They pointed at the sturdy hut, commenting on it. Even a dinosaur drinking water by the lake regarded the hut, intrigued.
Without its buffs, the mud hut was already drawing attention. Jack couldn’t wait to see the further benefits it would bring to his campsite.
Comments
ByLAWphoto
Didn't the beekeeper blog say eventually, you can "steer" your bees? Here's hoping he can--and soon!
Harley Dalton Jr.
Thanks for the chapter.
Julia Pennoyer
Ouch. Jack will need to figure out how to protect his customers. Maybe the mud hut will be enough or maybe he can create a smoke barrier in the doorway or something?
Ender419
I’m happy that Jack is realizing he has something no other bushcrafter near him has…a hidden class that allows him to synergize all of his minors. That’s how you edge out the competition. Nothing better than eating a meal topped with some fresh honey while getting soothed to music by your chef/maitre d under some protection from the elements next to a comforting fire.
