HC: Handyman | Ch. 110 - Pond

Enticed by the lush fields and drawn by the ocarina’s melody, the bees began to emerge from their hives. Jack smiled as they darted through the breeze, eager to explore. Snowy stopped and grunted, shifting slightly toward the nearby meadow.

“What’s up, girl?” he asked. Snowy stared longingly at the grass swaying in the wind. Jack noticed her hunger meter had dipped below 30.

“Ah. I see. Go on, then. Eat.”

He dismounted, letting her graze, and wandered over to the meadow. He picked a blade of grass and inspected it.

Tall Grass (Common)

Although it possesses weak fibers, when dried, it serves as excellent kindling.

Durability: 3

Running the coarse fibers between his fingers, he thought back to the rough gear now clothing him and Snowy. No wonder it itched so much. Knowing there were better options out there made the commonly found material lose appeal.

He dropped the stalk and leaned back against a tree, continuing his ocarina tune, alternating between [A Morning of Spring] to help his bees and [Sitting Wind] to recharge his stamina.

You’ve played [Sitting Wind].

+140 Bard XP.

Jack let the moment settle around him—bees flitting by, Snowy grazing peacefully, and his music carried by the breeze. This really is the coolest job, he thought.

Wish Dad could see how special this is, he mused. Even with the helmet, making me work with him weekly just shows he’s not convinced. 

Proving himself would take more than consistently paying rent on time. It would take some marketing. He would try to share more with his dad when he went working with him—just the hands-on stuff, though. No need to mention his bard class. His dad had never supported his musical ambitions; one hint of that, and the little trust he’d earned might vanish. His cousin had probably kept quiet about it, too, but he’d double-check just in case.

Jack sighed. It seemed like he was always chasing his parents’ approval. Fresh off coming clean about his gaming career, here he was, worrying again about what they’d think. He shook his head, pushing the thought away. He should stop thinking so much about it and just enjoy the game.

The bees buzzed in a steady stream, darting in and out of the hive with legs dusted in pollen and nectar from the flowers scattered across the fields.

A bee returns with pollen.

+10 beekeeping XP.

A bee returns with pollen.

+10 beekeeping XP.

Inside the hive, the queen and her workers were hard at work. Jack paused his ocarina, removing the pot’s lid to take in the progress. When he’d first crafted this hive, it had been bare—an empty pot lined with angled sticks crossing from wall to wall to form a simple frame. He’d only wedged a small honeycomb piece between one stick and the pot wall. But now, the hive was thriving.

Waxy, hexagonal cells sprawled across the sticks, filling every angle with orderly, golden geometry. The comb stretched over the wooden rafters he’d laid, layer by layer, like miniature cities of honey and wax. It was still a work in progress, with empty pockets waiting to be filled, but the pot no longer looked bare. It looked alive.

And the bees were multiplying. What had started as a small colony was now a bustling hive, with new bees emerging regularly.

The queen bee lays an egg.

+10 beekeeping XP.

A new bee was born.

+10 beekeeping XP.

Jack closed the pot lid, noticing he was close to reaching level 9. He resumed his tune, letting [A Morning of Spring] drift through the meadow. The bees seemed to work faster, responding to the music as they zipped back to the hive, one by one.

You’ve played [A Morning of Spring].

Your bees work harder.

+200 bard XP.

A bee returns with pollen.

+10 beekeeping XP.

A bee returns with pollen.

+10 beekeeping XP.

Jack lost himself in the melody as the sun climbed higher, and as his tune reached a gentle crescendo, the notification appeared—the one he’d been waiting for.

Congratulations! You’ve reached Beekeeping, Level 9!

You’ve learned [Queen Breeding].

Queen Breeding, Lvl. 1

Description: Raising a new queen requires time and resources.

Effects: Passive. When a hive is without a queen for 24 hours, a new queen will be raised. It takes an additional 24 hours to mature and start laying eggs.

Requirements: 10x[Honey], 10x[Royal Jelly], beekeeping, lvl. 9.

Cooldown: 30 days.

Jack scanned the description. Wasn’t a queen bee extremely valuable? The idea hit him—remove a queen each month, sell it, and watch the gold pile up. Each one sold for at least 500 credits. If that’s right, this skill could be my new gold mine!

With this, my rent’s practically guaranteed! he thought, feeling a surge of excitement. The 30-day cooldown was a letdown, but it made sense. If queens were easy to produce, they wouldn’t be worth as much. 

As he looked at how far he'd come in his profession, he grinned. He was level 9 in beekeeping and bard. 

Just a little more! A little more, and I'll be able to find out what it is like to reach the journeyman tier!

A quick glance at his clock told him he’d spent half an hour here. Time to press on.

“Come on, girl. Let’s get moving!”

Snowy returned to his side, and Jack chuckled at the sight of the meadow she’d cleared. The tall grass had been shaved down to a neat, uniform carpet that any football stadium would envy.

He mounted up, playing as they traveled, not just for fun but to make use of [Swing Step], his new bard skill that sped up travel time. Along the road, a farmer rode a strange, hulking creature in the distance. Its T-shaped horn and massive frame were like a rhinoceros but somehow… different. Jack waved back as the farmer smiled, realizing it was another player.

Passing a second farmhouse, Jack noticed stacks of white boxes by a field. He squinted, trying to make out the shapes. Then, the faint sound of buzzing reached his ears.

Hives!

He slowed Snowy to a stop, watching curiously as the player, surrounded by dozens of hives, used a smoking tool to calm the bees. Jack didn’t recognize the tool, but the sheer number of hives amazed him. As he did a quick calculation, he stopped short.

Wait. Fifty hives? Fifty queens a month? That’s 25,000 gold! His pulse quickened. 20,000 credits in one month! He swallowed hard. This player could be making a fortune—just from selling queens.

Then he paused, a skeptical frown forming. If queens were so easy to breed, there’d be a flood of them for sale. Beekeeping would be way more popular if it were a quick path to riches.

On his first day in the game, he might’ve celebrated the thought of easy money, but after being put to work so hard for every level, he knew better. He reread the skill requirements, eyeing Royal Jelly thoughtfully. Honey’s easy enough, but I bet royal jelly’s the catch. No free meals in New Earth, he mused, his mouth twisting in a wry grin. 

Even if he couldn’t mass-produce queens, he could work on expanding his hives. After all, if this player and Beeatrice had managed, so could he. Glancing at the empty pot hives in Snowy’s saddlebags, he sighed. Compared to the rows of hives here, his five felt like a small start. “One day,” he promised himself.

Deciding he’d spent enough time sightseeing, Jack urged Snowy onward. They approached a fork in the road. One route would take them through more farmland, the other toward the distant treeline. He chose the latter, eager to reach his destination.

Even as he moved on, images of the trip here lingered. The dark and dingy suburbs and the vast and quiet countryside. It was hard to believe such vast, hidden worlds lay within the game. Each corner of New Earth held secrets waiting to be discovered.

Following the road, Jack eventually reached the pond marked on his map. Tall, grass-like plants swayed gently in the breeze around the water, their slender, stiff stems rising above the reeds. The vibrant, bright green stalks stood taller than the surrounding grasses; each one tipped with a brown, spongy flower. Jack dismounted Snowy and knelt, running his fingers along one of the sturdy stalks. The fibers were strong yet pliable, bending easily in his hands but without snapping.

This is so much better than regular grass for crafting, Jack thought as he inspected the plant more closely.

Bulrush Grass (Uncommon)

Description: A tall, reedy plant with slender green stalks and dense brown seed heads, commonly found in wetlands and known for its durability and versatility in weaving and crafting.

Durability: 18

The durability couldn’t be compared to the usual tall grass he used. The fibers would be ideal for making ropes and a better version of his current equipment. And better still, they could be harvested within the safety of the Between Ring. Here, he could harvest to his heart’s content without worrying about wandering into dangerous territory—or any hungry dinosaurs lurking nearby.

He nodded, satisfied. "Time to harvest," he murmured as he started yanking stalks. He glanced over at Snowy, who already had a bulrush in her mouth. “Snowy! Spit that off! We’re going to need those!”

*

A sudden clatter of hooves broke the tranquility, jolting Jack from his rope-weaving trance. Startled, he looked up, eyes narrowing as he focused on the sound. After being surrounded only by the gentle hum of bees and the croaking of frogs, the commotion jarred him.

Three horses thundered down the road, and Jack relaxed as he recognized his friends. Amari, Horace, and Marie pulled their horses to a halt and jumped down.
“Jack!” Amari greeted with a wide grin.
“Hey, guys. You took your time.”

Amari approached, glancing over his shoulder, and spoke in a soft tone. “Sorry. Marie acted a bit paranoid and insisted we take a detour.”
“I’m not paranoid!” she barked.
“Then why were you eavesdropping?” Horace countered.

Jack laughed, having missed his friends’ familiar banter. He eyed their horses with a curious smile. When he’d last seen Horace’s horse, it had been far less equipped. Now, a dark leather saddle hugged its back, and its mane was neatly trimmed, giving it a disciplined, military look. Amari’s and Marie’s horses looked similarly transformed like they’d all been through a training camp.

“I see you’ve got new gear!” Jack chuckled.
Amari laughed, though his eyes scanned Jack from head to toe. “Looks like we’re not the only ones. Nice setup, Jack. Going all in on bushcraft, huh?”

Jack shrugged. “I guess. So…what’s the story with the horses’ makeovers?”

Horace stepped forward, grinning. “Glad you asked. It’s not just for show—” He stopped suddenly, his posture shifting as his body glowed golden. In one swift move, he darted toward Amari, shoving him aside. A figure clad in dark leather armor, wielding twin daggers, had appeared right where Amari had been standing. The stranger’s headband gleamed, its metal centerpiece engraved with a twisted, agonized face locked in a silent scream.

“It’s IronIre!” Amari gasped.
“I told you I felt someone watching!” Marie shouted, flinging small bombs at the intruder. But the assassin blurred, reappearing mid-air as he sliced through the bombs effortlessly, negating their effects.

“He’s got to be at least level 35,” Amari called, leaping into the fight.
“37, actually,” the assassin said. “The Slayer sends his regards, Amari,” he added, his voice muffled through the mask.

I thought the Slayer had left them alone, Jack thought, panic rising. It’s been weeks since they reset their accounts. Is the Slayer this relentless?

Everything seemed to slow down around Jack, his mind racing. Only moments ago, he’d been weaving rope; now, he was watching his friends fend off an assassin from IronIre.

The assassin dodged Amari’s swing with ease, slicing through Marie’s grenades mid-air with expert precision. Horace seized the chance, appearing from the assassin’s blind spot to land a stunning blow. The team moved in perfect sync, and for a moment, Jack felt a surge of hope. But the stun didn’t hold. The assassin recovered, swiftly closing the gap and resuming the onslaught. Horace’s damage-nullifying skill faded, and as the assassin’s blade grazed him, a third of his HP disappeared.

Jack’s hand shot to his ocarina, ready to play a support melody. But he hesitated. What should I do? If I jump in, won’t IronIre come after me, too? His thoughts spiraled. Is this worth the risk? He felt paralyzed by fear, torn between helping his friends and protecting himself.

“Watch out, Horace!” Marie screamed as she threw a flash grenade at the assassin, shielding Horace from a killing blow.

Jack couldn’t sit by and do nothing. He brought the ocarina to his lips and played [A March of the Embers]. The music rang out, and the assassin paused, his gaze snapping to Jack.

“Shoot! He’s going after Jack. Run, Jack! Run!” Amari shouted.
“What did you say?” the assassin asked, his voice low and sharp.

Jack didn’t flinch, continuing to play the song even as his heart pounded. The assassin’s figure blurred, and suddenly, he was right in front of Jack, staring him down.

“Get over here! Your fight’s with us!” Horace yelled, rushing forward.

Jack froze, his mind blank as the assassin’s eyes bore into him. Then, a voice broke the tension.

“J-Jack?”

Jack’s eyes widened. The assassin pulled back his mask, and Jack’s jaw dropped.

“Rob?!”

THE END OF BOOK 2

Ch. 109 - Suburbs

INDEX

Ch. 111 - An Understanding

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Hi, everyone! Do you think this is a good place to end book 2? What did you like and did not like about the 2nd volume? Let me know if you have any suggestions on how to improve the story.