HC: Handyman | Ch. 103 - Saddled

Now that Jack had the pot hive near him, it was time to put his new approach to crafting a basket to the test. He crouched down and began making a base spiral. The process hadn’t gotten any less awkward—starting the first spiral with just his hand and teeth still felt like playing Twister. But this time, once he secured the second cord, he took extra care to remove the first one and tie it more neatly.

“There. Looks a little cleaner now,” he muttered, placing a rock over the spiral to keep it from springing loose. One step at a time, he told himself.

He imagined Old Felix watching him work and how proud he would be of him. He grimaced at the thought that there he now had an inner Felix, his very own Jiminy Cricket, to guide him through challenges while crafting. 

As Jack wrapped the rope around itself, something clicked. His fingers began moving with a rhythm he hadn’t realized he’d developed, a steady flow from the time he’d spent weaving the rope mats. Over and under, over and under. It felt natural now. This time, though, he was weaving cords into the basket. The base began to look more solid, and with each new loop, Jack felt more confident.

Once the base was slightly wider than the pot hive, Jack set the pot on top of it. It’s so much easier this way. Wrapping the rope around something solid made all the difference in the world. The pot’s weight created the perfect tension, keeping the shape intact and allowing him to tie everything off securely.

This is going way better than expected, he thought, tugging at the last knot. Of course, there was a downside—using the pot as a mold was making this basket bigger than he’d initially planned, so he ended up using more rope than he’d budgeted for. At this rate, he would have to make rope again. But he’d leave that problem for later.

By the time he tied off the last loop, the basket had enveloped over half the pot’s height. He stood back, wiping his brow just as the notification popped up:

You’ve crafted a [Grass Basket].

[Pride of the Innovator] kicks in and improves your creation rating. B- ＞B

+300XP in [Bushcraft]

Grass Basket (Common)

Description: A simple basket made of grass that is flexible and can be used to carry stuff around.

Crafting grade: B

Durability: 19

B-grade bonus: The durability of stored items drops at a reduced rate.

This attempt turned out so much better! Jack couldn’t help but throw a few punches at the air in triumph. “Yes! It’s been a while since [Pride of the Innovator] kicked in!” It was as if the game’s system itself had given him a reassuring pat on the back for a job well done.

He took a step back to admire his work. The basket looked far better than his previous attempts—tighter and sturdier. The bonus that helped preserve the contents inside was a pleasant surprise, too!

“Too bad I didn’t have any glue,” Jack muttered, though he wasn’t all that upset. He knew the basket’s durability would degrade over time, and he’d probably need to craft another one in a few days anyway. By then, he’d have some glue on hand and could make an even sturdier version.

Emboldened by his success, Jack immediately set to work, repeating the process. The rhythm he’d developed from crafting the first basket stayed with him, guiding his hands through the motions. Before he knew it, another B-grade basket was done. He paused only long enough to admire the work before diving back into the process. At this rate, I could start a basket shop, he thought with a smirk.

By the time he finished, four neat baskets were lined up atop the rock, each one uniform and sturdy. Using the [Pot Hive] as a mold made each of them look uniform and aesthetically pleasing.

He had all the ingredients to make the saddle and the saddle bags. All that remained was to bring everything together.

Jack turned to his sleeping companion. Snowy lay by the fire, snoring softly. Jack knelt by the sloth, giving her a gentle pat on the side. “Sorry, buddy. Time to get up.”

Snowy let out a long, exaggerated groan, the kind that could only come from a creature deeply offended by the idea of leaving a warm spot. She shifted sluggishly, blinking lazily at the firelight as Jack gave her another nudge. Reluctant at first, Snowy eventually heaved herself up, grunting complaints.

“Yeah, I know,” Jack chuckled. “I’d rather be by the fire too.”

Dragging one of the mats over, Jack held it up to Snowy’s broad back. She made a low, grumbling noise but didn’t resist as he carefully placed the first mat over her. Smoothing it down, he grabbed the strips of bark next, layering them evenly for padding. 

“The bark should make it nice and comfortable for both of us,” Jack said as he grabbed the second mat and laid it on top, sandwiching the bark between the two. He made sure to use the better-looking mat for the outer layer—if Snowy was going to wear this thing, it might as well look halfway decent.

Now came the tricky part: securing it all together. The rugged texture of the rope and the bark made the whole thing stick together without sliding. Even so, Jack grabbed a length of rope and began threading it through the mat, trying to reinforce the bonds between the three layers of the sandwich. He tried to keep the rope taut when necessary but left enough slack to keep the sloth comfortable.

After the saddle was secured properly, Jack moved on to tying the ropes around Snowy’s belly. He tested the tension, adjusting it carefully to ensure a snug but non-restrictive fit. Snowy huffed, her drowsy eyes silently asking, Why is this happening to me?

“Almost done with this part,” Jack reassured her with a pat. He could tell she was over this whole saddle business, but he couldn’t let her wander off just yet.

The final step was the reins. Jack grabbed another length of rope and tied it in place, making sure to fashion a loose, comfortable noose that wouldn’t tighten when pulled. He gave the reins a gentle tug to check the fit—cozy but secure.

Just as he finished fastening the last knot, a notification popped up:

You’ve crafted a [Grass Rope Saddle].

+1100XP in [Bushcraft]

Grass Rope Saddle (Common)

Description: A makeshift saddle that has ingeniously been crafted using bark and rope.

Crafting grade: C

Durability: 34

Effects:

+8% movement when riding a mount;

+5 satiation;

Grass and bark satiate more.

Jack stepped back to admire his handiwork. The [Rope Saddle] wasn’t exactly a work of art, but it was functional—and surprisingly good-looking for something made of bark and rope. Plus, the slight buff to Snowy’s movement speed and the extra bit of satiation were nice perks. He could ride faster and for longer now. She can stuff herself a little more now, too, Jack thought.

Snowy, however, seemed less than impressed. She gave him a sleepy, half-lidded look before glancing longingly back at the fire.

“Uh, uh. Don’t you dare,” Jack warned, wagging a finger. “I still have to put the saddle bags on you.”

The sloth grunted, her protest clear. She stayed put, though. Jack brought over the four baskets he’d crafted earlier, placing two on each side of Snowy. Jack began threading the rope through the loops in the saddle.

Using steady hands, Jack tied the baskets securely to the saddle, weaving the rope under Snowy’s belly and looping it back around to the other side. 

Snowy gave a lazy huff, clearly unbothered by the added weight. He tried securing the baskets as best he could so they wouldn’t slip or shift during travel. Once the first pair was fastened and snug, a notification flashed across his vision:

You’ve crafted [Grass Saddlebags].

+745XP in [Bushcraft]

Grass Saddlebags (Common)

Description: Simple baskets that can be fastened to a saddle and allow for the transport of more goods.

Crafting grade: B

Effects:

Can be used to transport live goods in addition to regular inventory space.

Durability of perishable goods does not decrease for the first 30 minutes of transport.

B-grade bonus: +30 minutes of durability protection.

“Nice,” Jack said, a grin spreading across his face as he admired the saddle bags. But the real test was still ahead—could they hold the pot hive?

He brought over the green portable hive and placed it into one of the baskets. The fibers strained under the hive’s weight, creaking slightly as they adjusted, but the basket held firm. Jack frowned, noticing that the pot was tilting slightly. “It’s leaning toward the side of the loop,” he muttered, studying the issue. It wasn’t a deal-breaker, but he made a mental note to fix it in future crafting attempts.

Another issue caught his eye—the tightly woven rope blocked some of the hive’s entry and exit holes. What if the bees can’t breathe? Concern flickered through his mind for a moment. But as the weight of the hive stretched the spiral of rope, small gaps opened in the weave. Jack realized most of the lower holes were blocked, but the upper ones remained clear. Good enough, he thought. Bees are smart; they’ll figure out how to use the lower holes for ventilation and the top ones to come and go.

Still, there was one last test to pass.

“Stand up, Snowy,” Jack commanded.

Snowy groaned, reluctant as always, but eventually lumbered to her feet. As she rose, the pot hive tilted precariously to one side, and Jack’s heart lurched.

“Stop!” he shouted.

Snowy dropped back down on all fours, saving the hive from toppling. I’ll need to make it slightly heavier at the bottom, Jack thought. That would keep it from tipping like a wobbly vase.

Sighing, he removed the pot hive from the saddlebag and set it aside. The problem was clear, but Jack already had a plan for fixing it. For now, he untied one of the baskets and readjusted it, making sure the angle of the loops wouldn’t tilt in the same direction Snowy leaned when standing.

Moving on, Jack crafted the second pair of saddle bags. By the time he finished tying the last knot, another notification popped up:

You’ve crafted [Grass Saddlebags].

+800XP in [Bushcraft]

Grass Saddlebags (Common)

Description: Simple baskets that can be fastened to a saddle and allow for the transport of more goods.

Crafting grade: B+

Effects:

Can be used to transport live goods in addition to regular inventory space.

Durability of perishable goods remains the same for the first 30 minutes of transport.

B-grade bonus: +45 minutes of durability protection.

Snowy, with her baskets on either side, looked like a walking mercantile tank, ready to carry anything from honey to half a forest. It amazed Jack how he had turned simple materials—dry grass and rope—into something functional and genuinely cool.

Snowy, however, was less impressed. She groaned again, shifting her weight and scratching at her sides with obvious discomfort. As Jack watched her shuffle back toward the warmth of the fire, he noticed the way she was scratching a little more insistently.

"Is the grass making you itchy?" Jack wondered aloud, tilting his head. He quickly checked for any system notifications that might hint at an itchy debuff, but nothing popped up. Shrugging, he figured it couldn’t be that bad.

He debated returning to town to craft more pot hives and fill the saddle bags, but a quick reality check reminded him that his beekeeping level wasn’t advanced enough to manage more than one hive at a time. With a sigh, Jack shelved the idea for now. No point hauling around more hives when I can’t use them yet.

With that thought, he turned his attention to the next big task: crafting his own set of rope armor. He could feel the excitement bubbling up as he imagined himself and Snowy both decked out in matching gear.

Ch. 102 - Rope Weaving

INDEX

Ch. 104 - Rope Armor