HC: Handyman | Ch. 101 - Addictive

Hi! I've added the following bit to chapter 97 to make this chapter make more sense:

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Thinking about Amari and the others who were picking up gear for their horse riders, Jack glanced out the window at his ground sloth. It was busy munching on the flowers growing around the statue.

I wonder if they make sloth-specific gear?

After a careful search, he found nothing tailored for sloths. However, he did find a saddle that seemed like it might fit.

Buffalo Leather Saddle (Common)

Description: A sturdy, well-crafted saddle made from durable buffalo leather. Designed to provide both rider and mount with added comfort during long journeys.

Effects: Passive. Increases riding speed by 10%.

Requirements: Level 10 mount.

Feeling a twinge of jealousy at the new gear the others might be getting, Jack decided to splurge. After all, his steed deserved the best. But as he equipped the saddle, a dreaded message popped up.

You didn’t craft [Buffalo Leather Saddle]. You can’t equip it.

Jack clicked his tongue in frustration. The game treated the saddle as equipment—despite it being for the mount, not him. Sighing, he listed it for sale and turned back to the reason he’d come here in the first place.

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Now, on to a new chapter:

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Jack’s eyes twinkled as he laid eyes on the two recipes that had brought him rushing here. The [Rope Saddle] and [Saddle Bags] cost only 20,000XP each, and Jack didn’t hesitate for a second before purchasing both.

“Twenty thousand for a saddle made of rope? Bargain,” he muttered, half-smiling. Normally, saddles and saddle bags were leatherworker territory. But because they were considered ‘equipment,’ his handyman class restrictions wouldn’t let him buy it for them and equip them on Snowy. That had been a real downer until he found these rope-based alternatives.

He inspected the recipe for the [Rope Saddle] again. How exactly do you turn rope into something you can sit on? He couldn’t picture it, but the game mechanics wouldn’t lie, right? Maybe it wouldn’t be as comfortable as leather, but it would do the job. And for now, that was all that mattered.

With the recipes learned, Jack’s next step was leveling up his [Rope Weaving] skill to meet the requirements. The [Rope Saddle] needed level 3, and the [Saddle Bags] required level 4.

[Rope Weaving] was one of the first skills I learned as a bushcrafter, Jack thought, grinning at the memory of Saul ordering him around in Bright Hill. "It’s at level 2 already. Shouldn’t break the XP bank to get it up.”

He whistled as he pulled up the upgrade window. 20,000XP for the next level—steep but manageable.

[Rope Weaving] has been upgraded.

Rope Weaving (Common)

Skill level: 3

Skill description: The ancient art of twisting or braiding natural fibers to form strong, flexible ropes and cords.

Skill effects:

• You can craft cordage.

• You can weave rope.

• +2 durability to all fibers you weave.

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Rope Mat].

You've learned a new recipe: [Rope Sandals].

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Rope Saddle].

Jack grinned. “Rope saddle, check!” And the [Rope Mat] recipe was a nice bonus since he’d need it as a component for the saddle anyway.

Recipe for: [Rope Mat]

Ingredients:

• 40x [Ropes]

• 40x [Cords]

• 5x [Large sticks]

Instructions:

• Using the sticks, form a squared frame and add one central stick to reinforce the structure. Use cords to secure the frame together.

• Run ropes horizontally along the frame.

• Run ropes vertically along the frame, going under and over the other ropes.

• Remove the frame

Requirements:

• [Rope Weaving], lvl. 3

Jack chuckled to himself. Guess I’m a one-stop shop now. No need to run back to town or hunt for rare recipes—I’ll just make my own gear. He felt a sense of satisfaction knowing he could rely on himself for crafting.

Then, his eyes drifted to the next recipe on the list.

"[Rope Sandals]?" He frowned, half amused, half incredulous. 

Recipe for: [Rope Sandals]

Ingredients:

• 2x [Ropes]

• 2x [Cords]

• [Glue]

Instructions:

• Cut the ropes to match the shape of your foot and glue them together to make soles.

• Cut cords, attach one end between your toes and the other near your ankles.

Requirements:

[Rope Weaving], lvl. 3

Jack looked down at his feet. The only things he’d made himself so far were the moss suit and cape, and his feet were still in beginner’s shoes. The idea of walking around in rope sandals made him laugh under his breath.

"Didn’t think I’d be making shoes out of rope, but hey, I’ll take it. Who knows? Maybe I’ll start the latest bushcrafter fashion trend." He smirked, shaking his head. "And if it gives me extra attributes, I’m in.”

The flood of new recipes and upgrades had put him in a surprisingly good mood. It was easy to see why Felix, Ariadne, and Beeatrice were so hooked on their professions. Once you got the hang of it, leveling up and learning new skills was almost... addictive.

Jack needed [Rope Weaving] at level 4 to make the saddle bags, but the XP cost had jumped to 50,000—a steep climb compared to the 20,000 for the last level. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a slight pang of hesitation. Fifty thousand... that's more than double. 

Still, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. He had to level up if he wanted Snowy to carry those saddle bags.

[Rope Weaving] has been upgraded.

Rope Weaving (Common)

Skill level: 4

Skill description: The ancient art of twisting or braiding natural fibers to form strong, flexible ropes and cords.

Skill effects:

• You can craft cordage.

• You can weave rope.

• +3 durability to all fibers you weave.

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Rope Basket].

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Rope Hat].

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Rope Saddle Bags].

Jack skimmed through the new recipes, his eyebrows shooting up as he saw the latest additions. A rope basket? 

Recipe for: [Rope Basket]

Ingredients:

• 20x [Cords]

• 10x [Ropes]

Instructions:

• Create a tight spiral with a rope and fasten it with cords.

• Merge the ends of the ropes together as you keep expanding the spiral.

• Reinforce structure with cords.

Requirements:

• [Rope Weaving], lvl. 4

The recipe seemed simple enough. Just whirl the rope into shape and fasten it together—easy. But Jack couldn’t help but be a little surprised. First sandals, now baskets? He glanced down at the next item. Wait... a hat, too?

The recipe for the hat was almost identical to the basket, only flipped upside down with a cord to fasten it under the chin. Jack tapped his foot nervously. He wouldn’t have guessed in a million years that rope weaving could escalate into actual equipment.

One piece of equipment made out of rope, sure. But two? What’s next, I wonder.

Then, he noticed the next XP requirement. 100,000XP for the next level. A hundred thousand XP... I wonder what juicy recipes are hiding behind such a costly upgrade.

He scratched his chin, pondering what to do next. He had enough XP to either push [Stick Smithing] to level 2 or upgrade [Rope Weaving] yet again. Both options would probably open up new equipment for him, and he definitely needed more gear. But which one would give him the bigger boost?

“If only I could peek at what each upgrade unlocks,” Jack muttered, feeling torn. He stared at his crafting menu for a long moment before sighing. Alright, it's time to call in the expert.

He opened his friends’ list and shot a quick message to Ariadne.

“Hey, Ariadne. Sorry to bother you. I’m torn between upgrading [Stick Smithing] to level 2 and [Rope Weaving] to level 5. I’m focusing on whatever allows me to make equipment. What are your thoughts?”

He hit send with a flick of his finger and leaned back, waiting for a reply.

Seconds passed with no response from Ariadne. Jack mulled over his options, unsure of which path to take when a sudden commotion broke out around him.

“Hah!”

One of the players by the campfire jumped to his feet, spear in hand, pointing toward the large shape near the edge of the clearing. It was Snowy, casually munching on bark and leaves, completely oblivious to the chaos she’d caused.

“Relax,” Jack said, raising a hand. “That’s just my mount.”

The spearman, a tall, lanky guy with scruffy hair and a permanent scowl, blinked in confusion. He lowered the spear slightly but still looked rattled. “Goodness gracious, get a leash on that thing or unsummon it! It scared me half to death!”

Jack smirked, finding it hard to take the guy seriously when his hands were still shaking. His armor, two sizes too big, clinked awkwardly as his knees trembled.

Before Jack could respond, another player chimed in. This one, the guy with the knife who Jack had met earlier, leaned against a tree with a smug expression. Short and stocky, with a buzzcut and a constant smirk, he lazily tossed his blade into the air, catching it with an effortless flick of his wrist.

“How could you think it’s a mob? We’re in an NPC’s camp, noob.”

“Shut up,” the spearman barked back. He puffed out his chest, clearly trying to look tough, especially after just the sorry display earlier when he had shrieked pathetically.

The bushcrafter with the knife stood up straighter, twirling his blade. “Who did you just tell to shut up, you piece of trash?”

“Get out of my face, baldie.” The spearman jabbed his spear in the air.

Jack watched with wide-eyed amusement. Are these guys seriously about to throw down? Over Snowy? He was about to intervene when the spearman swung his spear in his direction.

“And you!” the spearman shouted, pointing the spear at Jack. “If you can’t control your mount, maybe you should stick to smaller animals!”

Jack raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to say. For a moment, it looked like he might take a swing at him, but before things could escalate, the knife-wielding bushcrafter stepped in.

“Don’t you turn your back on me, twig boy,” he sneered, approaching the spearman. “Unless you want me to trim that mop on your head with this knife.”

The spearman snarled, gripping his spear tighter. “At least I don’t look like a rejected extra from a pirate movie, you dagger-flinging clown!”

“Oh, real original,” the bushcrafter shot back. “What are you gonna do, poke me with that oversized toothpick?”

The two squared off, glaring at each other, weapons raised. Jack took a step back, relieved that the heat was off him for now. 

Suddenly, a loud burp echoed through the clearing, cutting through the tension like a knife. All eyes turned to Snowy, who had paused her munching to let out a comically loud sound, given her slow-moving demeanor. Several players nearby snickered.

Jack slapped his forehead. Just as I had gotten out of trouble, Snowy.

Jack missed what happened next, but when he looked back at Baldie and Crabby—Jack’s newly assigned nicknames for them—they were in full brawl mode, wildly swinging their weapons while throwing insults.

“Come on, baldie, is that all you’ve got?” the spearman taunted, narrowly avoiding a slash.

“Maybe if you weren’t flopping around like a fish, I’d actually bother aiming!” Baldie laughed, twirling his knife again.

Jack’s best guess was that one of them had tried to use the distraction caused by Snowy and get a sucker punch in, thus starting the full-on brawl.

Jack shook his head. And here I thought I was the immature one.

Snowy, meanwhile, continued her slow, deliberate munching, completely ignoring the chaos she’d started. As if on cue, she wandered right between the two fighters, paused for a moment, and then let out a slow, rumbling fart before continuing her stroll.

Both men froze, staring in disbelief as Snowy ambled past them without a care in the world.

The fight resumed after a brief, awkward pause, though neither Baldie nor Crabby could land a solid hit. It was a comically even match, with both dodging more than striking.

Jack watched for a moment longer, then sighed. This isn’t gonna end anytime soon.

Ding!

Finally, a notification popped up. Ariadne’s response.

“Hey, Jack! [Stick Smithing] level 2 allows you to make stakes and a breastplate. [Rope Weaving] level 5 gets you the [Average Rope] recipe and equipment. I don’t remember the specifics, but I recall that between levels 5 and 4, you can get enough to make a full suit of rope armor.”

Jack blinked. A full suit of rope armor? He’d been running around with half his equipment slots empty for way too long. A full suit of armor made of rope might not be glamorous, but it would get the job done.

And if [Average Rope] was a better quality rope, then everything he made—saddle, saddle bags, and future gear—would be sturdier and more durable.

[Rope Weaving] has been upgraded.

Rope Weaving (Common)

Skill level: 5

Skill description: The ancient art of twisting or braiding natural fibers to form strong, flexible ropes and cords.

Skill effects:

• You can craft cordage.

• You can weave rope.

• +4 durability to all fibers you weave.

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Average Rope].

You’ve learned a new recipe: [Rope Overall].

Jack grinned. “A full suit of rope armor? Yes, please.”

He glanced back at Baldie and Crabby, who were still going at it, neither gaining the upper hand. The last thing he wanted was to get dragged into their drama, especially since it had all started because of Snowy, and his ground sloth seemed to be going out of her way, burping and farting at every chance she got. 

Better make a quick exit.

He left Erwind’s camp without looking back, knowing that hanging around would only lead to trouble. He could check his new recipes later, in a safer place.

Without wasting any more time, Jack began scouting for a safe place to set up and craft. It was time to turn Snowy into a powerful honey factory.

Ch. 100 - Swim

INDEX

Ch. 102 - Rope Weaving