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HC: Handyman | Ch. 8 - Back to Square One

When Jack first opened the menu, he saw many options but had ignored them at the time, hurrying to learn his two minors. Now with some time on his hands, he explored the different functionalities of the game.

• Inventory
• Skills
• Attributes
• Quests
• Map
• Friends

Under the skill menu, he could find all the skills he had picked up from Jenny and Saul. They were neatly organized under a tab for each of his professions.

“Attrib...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 235 - Wooden Castle

“Greetings, esteemed fellow weaver. What a joy it is to have you in my humble shop!” Instead of the harsh tone the tailor had used to send off the female player earlier, Keith addressed Roth with the utmost politeness and respect.

It’s your first time meeting Keith. Charisma bonus activated.

Pleasantly surprised by his politeness, Roth shook hands with the NPC. “Hello, Keith. Nice to meet you.”

“I can tell by your handshake that you are a nature�...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 234 - The Boss

LimeLeaf and SandScrapper were neck to neck. Drake watched as the two contestants gave it their all for the last stretch of the battle. Crafting a stun grenade was delicate work, and it was common for it to explode in the middle of the process. Drake knew this from experience.

SandScrapper was a tinkerer from a local guild in Hilsford that didn't even break the top 100 in the worldwide ranks: The WorldBreakers. Despite his unassuming background, SandScrapper was well-known in the Union....

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 233 - The Oak Tree

BlueFire grinned as he saw his boss with fidgety hands, half prepared to reach for his swords.

“You're not ready to take on a boss of that level, sir,” BlueFire warned, seeing how his boss kept his eyes glued on the humanoid boar swinging its axe.

“I don't know. There's something about him. He might be a berserker. See those wounds? He's not 100%. There may be a quest here. Like that of the giant.” Saying this, Ogre took one step forward.

The boar prince stopped mids...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 232 - The Greenhouse

As Ruth leafed through Roth's broker ledger, her eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. “The Ratans, I see. Oh, and Foxes, too? Interesting. Oh my, a whole city?” She seemed impressed by Roth's client portfolio. Judging from her smile, she didn't regret giving all the information she had volunteered earlier.

Even though he was in the room with the merchant, Roth’s mind was elsewhere. He was already thinking in what order he would tackle his to-do list. He finally knew where the dwarves an...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 231 - Ruth

Roth instantly recognized the knowing asymmetrical smile, the tanned skin, and the freckles. Even though her clothes differed from the explorer’s attire he’d seen in the portraits, this was unmistakably the same person.

Ruth wore a golden shawl and long golden earrings. Her skirt was long with golden fringes to match the ensemble. Her sleeves were pulled up as if to tell others that despite her age, she was a hard worker ready for a fight.

“So you are the zoomorph Soros spea...

HC:Pacifist | Ch. 230 - Slave Market

Even though there was a large crowd, Roth could get a good view of what was happening thanks to his height. The line of people turned out to be a small part of a large audience sitting in an amphitheater carved into the mountain. Stair-like benches descended on a central stage where a man in fine jade silk and a green turban smiled at the crowd with golden teeth.

“The next lot, lot 33, is brought to you from the distant sands of Sun Desert.” A muscled man wearing a simple vest and l...

HC: Handyman | Ch. 7 - Kindle

“What took you so long?” the scarred mercenary complained bitterly. Jack wondered whether Saul was upset at him or if he was just venting his frustration at the smithy’s delay.

Jack bit his lip. “I went as fast as I could. Here. What do I do with it?”

Saul looked away, seemingly wondering whether he would continue the lesson or give up on his tardy student. After a few moments and grunts, he finally answered Jack’s question. “Now, we let it dry. Lay it out here on th...

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HC: Pacifist | Ch. 229 - Sapphira

Gigi, the Rock Lizard

Lvl. 20

Hp: 250

Ep: 130

Skills: [Sunbeam], [Camouflage], [Stampede], [Call to Arms], [Slash], [Tail Whip].

So, it was a species of lizard. He wondered if these animals had anything to do with the lizardman race. Just as he was about to open the forums and check out more information about them, Kurt panicked. “Shoot. I hoped they'd be back in their caves, ...

HC: Handyman | Ch. 6 - However…

Knowing how deceptively sturdy the construct was, Jack knocked fearlessly on the door. “Mr. Kevin?”

There was the sound of glass breaking, a beast roaring, and then a kettle whistling, followed by an increasingly loud, droning complaint. Just what was this man doing inside his house?! And how big could it be?

“You again?” the man said in a grumpy tone from the other side of the door.

“That’s right, sir. I’ve become a potter, just as you asked. I’m ready for y...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 228 - Rock Canyon

“Thank you for the ride back, Molly,” said Roth as he hopped off the furry digger.

“No problem! I have to go back to digging. The burrowthon is approaching, and I want to win it this time.”

Roth nodded. He had used the trip back to ask as many questions as possible about the games. The next time he came, he would be prepared to tackle the Molympic Games. Maybe he’d even compete against Molly. “I'll see you soon.”

Molly went back to slashing the wall, turning it...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 227 - The Champion

Roth had seen amazing things in Antioch, but this was different. The scale of this underground space was mind-boggling. It made him feel small in a way that the mountain over them couldn’t.

“Is this where you hold the games?”

“This is just the entrance, really. Come, I’ll take you to the reigning champion of the undercover mole competition. She's the one who will be able to tell you about trade and commerce with the moles. Real legend, this champion. She has won six mont...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 226 - The Games

Friend of Moles (Uncommon)

Title description: Moles appreciate your smell, the sound of your voice, and your blurry silhouette.

Title effects:

+50 ep;

It’s easier to learn Molian;

Achieve 300 reputation with moles without ever hurting them {complete};

or achieve 3000 reputation with moles.

It had been a while since he had unlocked t...

HC: Handyman | Ch. 5 - Jack of All Trades

Instead of winging it, Jack decided to call on a higher power.

“Internet access,” Jack called.

The world of New Earth and the sight of Kevin’s old shack grayed out, and a floating window with an internet browser appeared in front of him. All VRX helmets came with a standard operating system that enabled people to check their emails, make phone calls, and run normal programs.

He typed ‘Pottery New Earth,’ and several results popped up. The first entry led him to ...

HC: Handyman | Ch. 4 - Dusty

“Nice to meet you. Cough! Cough! Is it always this dusty here?” Jack asked as he covered his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. 

“Well, we make a lot of sawdust as we work.

“Sawdust?”

“Yes. When we sand or saw wood, inevitably, we make dust. We have to sweep the workshop a couple of times each day.”

“And do you always wear goggles and masks?”

“Of course. It’s so we don’t breathe the dust in.”

“Would I have to wear ...

HC: Handyman | Ch. 3 - Tutor Ezekiel

Unsure of what the large looming wall meant, Jack looked for the nearest NPC to show him the ropes. That was easy enough. He just had to find the highest concentration of players. Hidden behind a cluster of noobs in gray, an old man sat under the tree. He had a thick mustache, a long beard hiding his mouth, and a huge pointy hat hiding his eyes. Over him, he found a name tag identifying him as ‘Tutor Ezekiel.’

“Hello, tutor Ezekiel,” greeted Jack, following basic gaming protocol...

HC: Handyman | Ch. 2 - New Earth

Hearing his cousin talk about ‘New Earth,' Jack remembered the ads he’d seen all over town. “The game?” 

“Yeah. I’ve been playing it every night for the past few months. You can sell in-game items for real-life money. See the TV? Sold a rare gem at an auction online, and BOOM!” he shouted, “New TV!”

“What? You’re making money from playing the game?”

“It’s awesome. That way, even when I’m sleeping, I’m making money. You know you can play i...

INDEX | Index for Hidden Class: Handyman

Jack wanted an easy win; the game wanted a whole new Jack.

After a breakup and an ultimatum from his father to start paying rent, Jack is forced to take a hard look at his life choices, and it feels like everything is falling apart. It’s not that he doesn’t want to get his act together; it’s just that another day at his dead-end job feels like a trap.

Jack beli...

HC: Handyman | Ch. 1 - Rough Day

When Jack reached his house, he couldn’t remember how he had gotten there. While his mind recovered from the shock of his breakup, his legs had worked on auto-pilot, bringing him back home.

Each of Lydia’s remarks resounded in his mind, torturing him, suffocating him. Were they really not together anymore? Was he truly that immature? 

He trudged toward the door, and the motion sensor turned on the front door lights, letting him easily find his keys.

“I’m home,�...

HC: Handyman | Prologue

Jack looked left and right to make sure his supervisor wasn’t nearby. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he grabbed his phone and pressed record.

“Yo, tubers! This is Jack of Spades! What’s up? I’m about to show you how to quit your job like a boss! Check this out.”

Jack grabbed the gooseneck microphone with his free hand and turned it on.

“One, two, one, two. Can you hear me?”

All over the store, people stopped their trolleys and looked up. Jac...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 225 - Measures and Countermeasures

Upon hearing Roth and Lin, the creature stopped digging and whirled toward them. The agility of the animal surprised Roth. He had expected its awkward body to move clumsily, but it had just dived into the gravel, performed a graceful backflip, and turned toward them all in a split second.

The sudden movement made Roth and Lin take a step back, and seeing them stepping back, the creature did the same. It wasn’t acting aggressively; if anything, it looked scared of them. When Roth knock...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 224 - The Depths

Although he had seen players mining closer to the entrance, no one seemed interested in crossing the mountain down this path, and Roth found fewer miners the farther he traveled. Probably, most people preferred to pay to use the cable car, and only people who focused on gathering came here. Roth was starting to doubt whether this route was the best choice, but it was too late to back out now.

He spotted one lone miner and decided to confirm if he was on the right track.

“Excuse ...

HC: Pacifist | Ch. 223 - The Helpful Barman

The building Roth had entered turned out to be a tavern. There was a piano in the corner where, surprisingly, a player played happy music for the patrons. Roth had never seen anyone play music in the game before. Was that some sort of profession or class? He tried inspecting the player, but his insight wasn’t high enough to obtain any information.

The clinking of glasses and lively conversation joined the happy piano lounge music as several NPCs drank ale and enjoyed a warm meal by th...

SNAPCRAFT | Ch 47.5 - Spring Regret

This is the very last bit of Snap Craft! I've also added one segment to the Epilogue. All that's left is to proofread the whole thing and publish it.  Volume 2 of Snap Craft is already available for pre-order here.

Thank you all for supporting this novel and joining me on this journey.

Stay tuned for more HC: Pacifist chapters and the soon-to-be-released new novel Hidd...