cassioferreira
patreon
HC: Handyman | Ch. 65 - Arpeggios
🕑 Added 2024-07-10 19:25:26 +0000 UTCJack's hopes of learning a powerful skill at bard, level 2, were shattered once he read the notification.
You’ve learned a new skill: [Major Arpeggio].
Major Arpeggio: C E G C G E C.
Jack clicked his tongue. He didn’t have anything personal against arpeggios. They were another essential building block in music. It was just that he had hoped to unlock something useful, like a skill that would help him if he was invited to join a hunting party. So far, the bard profession only gave him tools to improve his instrument mastery but nothing practical to do with the instrument. Perhaps the first melody would only come after he progressed more in the profession.
Arpeggios were made up of intervals of thirds. From C, Jack had to jump to E, from E to G, and finally, finish with a fourth, landing on a higher C. The ocarina only had one octave, meaning he could only play one arpeggio before having to come back. Jack tried playing an arpeggio, but his fingers eluded him, and it came off tempo. Still, the system validated his attempt.
You’ve played a major arpeggio.
Success rate: D
+5 bard xp.
Sadly, the experience of an arpeggio was no different from that of a scale. On the plus side, it required fewer notes, and Jack could finish it in half the time. If he only focused on arpeggios, he would be doubling his grinding speed.
Jack rehearsed the arpeggio as he had done with scales, reviewing the fingering positions between these more distant notes. He first worked on each transition: from C to E, then from E to G, and from G to C. Improving it would take less time since there were only three intervals and one octave.
Jack kept observing the bees and playing the arpeggios. Although he was slightly disappointed with the skill he’d learned at level 2, it still offered some respite from playing scales. At least now, he could alternate between the two.
*
“Look at that. I guess there’s another player here trying to get the beekeeper profession.”
The player who had arrived had a mousy voice that instantly annoyed Jack. However, he resisted the urge to look at him. He wasn’t afraid of being turned into salt or stone if he looked, but he just didn't want to ruin all his efforts until now. Guides repeatedly mentioned that one couldn't look away from the bees or the clock would reset.
He felt the bench tremble as the player sat on it.
"Are you going to play all the time we’re here?" the young man demanded.
Jack chuckled at the thought that this young man was probably ten times more annoyed than him. for the dull hours of bee-watching to follow. Although a finished song was beautiful, hearing a musician learning an instrument wasn't.
"I'm sorry, I'm practicing for one of my professions.”
“I guess I can't stop you from playing that thing.”
Jack took a deep breath. “A girl was here looking at the habitat while browsing the Internet and doing something else. She couldn't even hear me. Perhaps you would like to try that?" Jack suggested.
"Cool, good idea. I don't have the patience to watch the bees for hours anyway."
Jack took the aspiring beekeeper’s silence as a sign that even though his avatar was staring at the bees, his real attention was focused on something else online. Learning that the young man had accepted Jack’s suggestion so well, he sighed in relief. It was challenging enough to spend so much time here. If he had to put up with a nagging companion, it would be even more challenging.
A funny thing happened when playing scales and arpeggios for a long time. For one, the brain tuned the repetitive sound out. Then, the fingers seemed to detach themselves from the brain and become their entity. Finally, the mind digressed, thinking of nothing and everything simultaneously.
First, Jack thought of what he was doing there. How on earth had someone discovered this profession? Under what circumstances would anyone come to the entomology department, sit before the bee habitat, and stare at it for hours? Also, how did they know to look at the bee habitat specifically? Were there even other insect-related professions? Could he also become a wasp charmer? Or a scorpion master?
The only plausible explanation that Jack could think of was that someone had sat here by accident, had spent hours browsing the internet while happening to be facing the glass, and had returned to the game only to find they had been awarded a new profession. If so, that player was the luckiest duck ever.
He then thought back to college. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t remember how he decided to follow a business major. All he remembered was being sure about his decision. But what did he know? He was just a kid!
He remembered hating every minute of class and rediscovering his love for music. His friends even helped him get a few gigs at restaurants and student bars. Everyone seemed to like his music so much then. He had gone to his parents, begging to leave college so he could devote himself to a musical career. He could still see the lines on his father’s stern, worried face and hear his mother’s voice quiver as she pleaded his case.
Then, he remembered all the hours of effort putting a demo together. He’d spent hours writing songs, composing the accompanying track, mixing it, and contacting studios. The day finally came when he secured one meeting at a studio. His fingers accelerated in an erratic tempo as he recalled how the studio manager had shot him down without even hearing 10 seconds of his demo. To this day, he couldn't shake off the disappointment. He’d given his best, and it still hadn’t been good enough.
After taking a tour through his past aboard his ocarina, Jack refocused on reality. He had become faster again. By now, he could make four notes per second on the ocarina. Jack could complete a one-octave scale in four seconds and an arpeggio in two by playing four notes per second.
You’ve played [Major Scale].
Success rate: A.
+10 Bard XP.
You’ve played [Major Arpeggio].
Success rate: B-.
+6 Bard XP.
He knew he could only play this fast, thanks to his prior experience with another instrument. Interestingly, the grip of the ocarina wasn't that different from the guitar. The only difference was having to articulate his breath as he played it.
Some arpeggios and scales come off better than others, but still, he was gaining levels in the bard profession at record speed. He was almost at level four. He hoped that he would learn something new to play soon. He didn’t know how much longer he could take playing these boring sequences.
Jack followed the XP bar of the bard profession, waiting for it to complete a level. He even resorted to making only arpeggios to accelerate his progress. Finally, the bar finished filling.
You've reached level 4 as a [Bard].
You’ve learned [Sitting Wind].
Sitting Wing (Level 1 Melody)
Description: This beautiful melody brings comfort to a weary soul. Whenever you play this melody, all your allies recover stamina.
Melody Type: Soothing
Jack’s eyes widened as he read through the description. He thought the only way to gain stamina was by eating or being close to a fire. However, after learning this song, Jack discovered he could recover stamina through music, too!
How cool was this? Players had to manage their stamina well during a fight. Some skills helped gain bursts of stamina and power, but it wasn’t easy to fight a giant dinosaur while keeping an eye on the stamina bar. He recalled how that allosaurus had eaten him because he ran out of stamina.
This skill solved that. He could keep a hunting party fine and dandy while imparting stamina through music!
Jack expanded the details of the song and found it didn't come in the form of a recipe but in a musical sheet. When he opened it, the menu grayed out, and it was as if he were looking at a web browser and the song was playing.
Jack didn’t know whether it was a pre-recorded track by a hired ocarinist or if it was played by a robot. The notes were smooth and mellow, and the melody was simple. It had segments following the major scale with the odd arpeggio interval. The song wasn't long, either, and Jack, used to learning songs by ear, soon figured out most of it. Still, he played the song a couple more times.
Once done, he left the musical sheet menu and tried to reproduce what he had heard on the ocarina. He missed several notes the first time, misjudging them to be one note up or down. It was such a failure that the system didn’t even register the attempt.
Jack tried it again. This time, the song flowed more smoothly. It was a slow, soothing ballad, and Jack knew that he was playing it well enough this time. His stamina bar was slowly growing.
You’ve listened to a soothing melody.
+1 stamina per second.
You’ve played [Major Scale].
Success rate: A.
+10 bard XP.
If this didn’t make him popular with hunting parties, he didn’t know what would. And this was only the beginning. Just as he was about to take another go at it, an NPC approached him.
"Excuse me, young man. I've noticed you've been observing the bees for a while."
Jack thanked the heavens! The NPC finally appeared. This dialogue led to the quest to become a beekeeper. "Yes, they are amazing creatures. Very hard-working," Jack said sincerely. Since he sat there, the bees hadn't stopped for a second. They were constantly working and collecting nectar.
"Yes, amazing creatures indeed. Without bees, the world as we know it would end. They play a huge role in our ecosystem. For instance, cattle could easily replace dinosaurs, but these tiny creatures are irreplaceable."
"Really?" Jack asked.
The NPC nodded knowingly. "When the ash cloud came, and the great lizards appeared, new species of bees started popping out in the wild. Their immune systems are incredible. They are much less susceptible to modern-day plagues and diseases than domestic bees. It is important to study these creatures, cross them with domestic bees, and promote healthy bloodlines."
"I agree," Jack said, rubbing his hands.
"If you are interested in these creatures, perhaps you could start your hive. All you have to do is find the queen bee in the wild, set up a hive, and you're good to go."
"I would love that," Jack accepted immediately.
"Very well. In that case, find the queen bee. Once you have one, come back here, and I’ll teach you how to start a colony."
You’ve received a new quest: [An Introduction to Beekeeping.]
The entomology department hopes to increase the number of beekeepers using prehistoric bees in their hives. Beekeeper Jarvis suggests you find a queen to start your colony. If you do, he’ll teach you more about beekeeping.
Quest objectives: Capture a prehistoric queen bee.
From what Jack read online, bees could be captured or bought. However, a queen bee sold for at least 500 gold, and Jack had nowhere near that money. Fortunately, he already had a way to secure the queen bee that didn’t require gold.
Jack messaged Amari. "Hi, Amari. How are you doing?"
Unlike last time, Amari responded immediately. "Hey, Jack, what's up? We're hunting at the bug fields. You cool?"
"Yeah, actually, I'm about to become a beekeeper. I just received a quest from the Entomology Department, asking me to capture a queen bee. I was wondering if you and the guys would be willing to help?"
"Just a second."
Jack bit his lip, fearing Amari hadn't meant it when he said he owed him one.
"Yeah, the rest of the gang is on board. There are quite a few wild hives here. If you join us, we'll help you capture a queen."
"Thanks! Can you send me your coordinates?" Jack asked excitedly.
"Yeah, sure. Here."
Jack checked the location on the map. It was just a short distance from Embersgate, about 30 minutes of travel. "I'll come and meet you in about two hours. Is that okay?" Jack estimated based on what he wanted to do next.
"Okay, see you there."
Jack got up from the bench and stretched his neck and shoulders. It hadn't been easy. No one in their right mind could stare at bees for hours without cheating a little by using a browser or practicing music. Hopefully, his choice of profession was solid and would prove worth it.
Jack gave the bee habitat one last look and logged out.
Comments
Cássio Ferreira
Thank you for your comment. I'm looking forward to revealing what happens next.
Cássio Ferreira
Thank you for dropping a line!
Ender419
Awesome chapter! Looking forward to Jack capturing a uniquely rare queen bee that loves to dance to his music.
Harley Dalton Jr.
Thanks for the chapter.
