Horace was the first one to step forward. "I think I'm going to get the horse, mister."
Jack glanced over at Horace, shaking his head. After seeing the impressive giant-sized deer and the big ground sloth, he had trouble understanding why Horace would settle for a horse, but he respected his decision. There was something ancestral about human warriors riding horses.
"Very well, take your pick from the horses in the paddock," the vendor said.
Jack approached Horace. "Are you sure that's the animal you'll take?"
Horace nodded. "I know of a quest that requires me to own a horse."
Catching Jack's twinkle of interest, Horace quickly added, "With your class restrictions, it’s impossible for you to do it. Sorry, Jack."
He wondered what kind of quest Horace had in mind. From what Horace told him, he was planning on being a tank, and they usually fought on foot. Only knights battled from atop their steeds.
Actually, saying that Horace was a tank was still a stretch. He was only a warrior. The first class specialization would only come at level 30, and Horace still had more than ten levels to grind until he got there.
Horace jumped over the fence, studying the different horses running around until he approached one horse that seemed particularly tall—a stallion. The stallion neighed valiantly, rearing up on its hind legs, and Horace puffed up his chest. The two seemed to hit it off. Horace had made his choice.
"What about you, friend?" the vendor prompted.
"Speed or weight-carrying capacity?" Jack muttered to himself.
The persistent buzz around him answered for him.
He was already carrying a pot hive, and chances were that as his profession progressed, he would need more and more inventory slots to accommodate tools and crafting materials. The tent alone occupied several slots. He’d found himself out of inventory space more than once. One more level, and he would learn two more minor professions. Who knew how many tools those would require?
"I'm going to go with the megalonyx," Jack said.
"Please, take your pick," the vendor encouraged.
Jack hopped the fence like Horace. Up close, the megalonyx was even more imposing than he had anticipated. The giant furry beasts ignored him, unfazed by his presence. He approached and patted one on the back.
Its thick fur was a deep chestnut brown with streaks of black. Each coarse strand felt like aged straw. Despite its massive size, the sloth exuded a calm, slow energy—like a mountain amidst a storm, immovable and unbothered by the world around it.
Its large eyes blinked lazily at him, still munching on straw. Jack marveled at the size of its claws, each as long as his forearm. He wondered if they could be used in a fight. The two megalonyxes seemed about the same, but as one stood up to get more straw, Jack noticed a distinctive patch of white on its shoulders, which instantly made him think of a snowflake.
"I’m going to take him," Jack declared.
"It’s her, actually," the vendor quickly corrected. "Both of them are."
"My bad."
"So be it," the vendor said.
You have a new mount. Would you like to name it?
Jack thought of the patch of white fur that looked like a snowflake. “Snowy.”
Snowy likes the name you picked for her.
+5 affection.
Snowy, the Megalonyx
Gender: Female
Weight: 3213Kg
Satiation: 50/100
Affection: 15/100
Speed: +10%
Inventory: 5x5
Skills: [Homing], [Largeness], [Stubborn Slowness]
Homing (Common)
Using its fine memory, this beast can find its way.
Skill effects: Active. Your ride can transport you to a place while you’re offline. You must have visited it before.
Cost: 20 affection; 50 satiation
Skill requirements: 80 affection
Largeness (Common)
This beast’s sheer size gives pause to predators who prefer to hunt something easier to kill.
Skill effects: Passive. Predators that weigh less than your mount won’t take the initiative to attack unless provoked.
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Skill requirements:
20 affection;
20 satiation.
Stubborn Slowness (Uncommon)
There’s no point in telling a sloth how fast to move. It will move when it wants to move, and that’s it.
Skill effects: Passive. This animal can’t be slowed.
Skill requirements: 50 satiation
Snowy had her own inventory, a five-by-five grid, which doubled the amount of things Jack could carry! But the best thing about Snowy was her inherent skills. If he understood this right, pet skills required Snowy’s belly to be full and for them to share a close bond. The higher Snowy’s satiation and affection were, the more abilities she’d unlock.
The [Homing] skill was extraordinary! Having her do the traveling for him while he was offline was great. The [Largeness] skill would make them immune to smaller predators like compies or wolves, but sadly, not against allosauruses. Finally, the [Stubborn Slowness] was fascinating—as long as she was satiated enough, speed debuffs didn’t apply when riding Snowy.
Wait! Does that mean the [Pot Hive] slow debuff won’t apply either?
If so, that would give him an extra 20% movement speed just for riding her! The downside was that Snowy barely increased Jack’s movement speed—she could only move at 110% of his speed. He didn’t mind, though. Thanks to her [Stubborn Slowness] skill she was actually adding 30% to his overall movement speed. It seemed like he’d made the right choice.
The vendor quickly added, "We have some things to help you make the most of your mount. Saddles, medicine, food—"
"We’ll be okay," Horace said, interrupting the vendor mid-sentence.
The NPC kept his bright smile, unfazed by Horace’s interruption.
"Shall we go?" Horace asked from atop his new horse.
"Let’s go," Jack said, hopping onto Snowy.
Riding the megalonyx was unlike anything Jack had ever experienced. Her massive body swayed slowly with each lumbering step, and Jack felt like he was on a slow-moving ship, gently rocking with the rhythm of the sea. Her fur radiated warmth beneath him, like settling into a living, breathing couch. There was a quiet power in how she moved—confidence from knowing nothing could rush her. Despite her slow pace, there was a reassuring steadiness in her movements. The world would have to adjust to Snowy’s pace, not the other way around.
Together, they left the paddock—Jack on his giant sloth and Horace on his tall horse.
"So, what are you going to do next?" Horace asked.
Jack pondered the question. He’d been playing for most of the afternoon. "I think I’m going to take a break, maybe get some exercise, eat, and then come back at sleep time."
"Sounds good. I’ll start on that quest I told you about—the one that requires me to have a horse."
Jack sighed. That was the good thing about having a capsule. Horace could just have nutrients fed to him via IV, while it cleaned his body and kept him from needing to use the bathroom.
"What’ll you get out of the quest?" Jack asked.
"Everything the vendor offered to boost this ride," Horace explained.
"Sweet," Jack said.
After the rush of the quest with the allosaurus, Jack was eager to get some air. "I guess I’ll see you soon then, Horace."
"See you."
Jack opened the menu and logged out.
*
Jack got out of bed. Lately, he’d been more mindful of taking breaks during long gaming sessions. His helmet rang an alarm every two hours, prompting him to pause the game for a few minutes. Even during the intense Red Lake bushcrafting grind or right before the quest, he had logged out for bathroom breaks and snacks. So this time, when he stood up, he only felt slightly sore—nothing too bad.
Still at his cousin's place, Jack read a message from him saying he’d be out with friends until late. It was almost 7 p.m., so Jack decided it was a good time to get some exercise in.
He started by stretching out his muscles, focusing on his shoulders and lower back, which were stiff from hours of lying down. After pushing the armchair aside, moving a lamp, and rolling up the rug to clear some space, he got to work. With his headphones on and music pumping, he dove into the old exercises from P.E. class: scissor jumps, squats, sit-ups, and push-ups.
His push-ups were still rough. After only two shaky reps, he dropped to his knees, which made it easier, but it still left him gasping for breath. Each movement was a struggle, yet he did a few more than last time.
In just 20 minutes, Jack was drenched in sweat, his heart pounding, and his muscles burning. The tension that had built up from hours of gaming slowly melted away. Despite how grueling it felt, he knew he was making progress.
When he was done, he showered, changed clothes, and poured himself a glass of water. Sitting on his cousin’s couch, he watched the last rays of the sunset filter through the window.
In the quiet of Rob's apartment, Jack sighed. It felt just like the time he hid the pot hive before drawing the allosaurus into an ambush. He had missed the comforting buzz of the bees then, and now, after hours spent with Horace and in a busy virtual world, the room's emptiness became stifling.
He glanced at the robot, which could cook him any meal as long as the pantry was stocked. But instead of using it, he grabbed his phone, thinking about calling his parents. It was a strange thought, but he missed talking to them.
As he unlocked his phone, he saw three unread messages. One was from his bank, reminding him that a credit card bill was due soon. Another was from the auction website, confirming he’d sold the last piece of the bugkeeper set. After ten days of gaming, he’d managed to ride a wave of inflation and had made half of what he needed for the month’s rent. But unlike last time, Jack didn’t care. The message barely registered. All he could see was the name above the last message.
“Lydia,” he said her name aloud, his hand trembling as he held the phone. She must have received the card he’d left at her boss’s café.
Had she hated it and was now telling him off? Or did she like it and miss him as much as he missed her? The answer was just a tap away, but he hesitated.
After a few deep breaths, Jack finally opened the message.
Jack,
My boss gave me the card you left for me. It was kind of you. Thank you.
What you wrote for her was also lovely.
I hope you’re OK.
Lydia
Jack re-read the message several times—sometimes aloud, sometimes in silence—trying to grasp its meaning. It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold either. One thing was clear: she didn’t hate him. That was a good sign. But the tone was far more neutral than when they’d been together.
There were no questions in her message, no invitation to respond. But still, she’d reached out. That had to be something, right? He stared at his phone for a few more minutes before closing the message and texting his mom.
After a quick response from her, he grabbed the spare key and headed out the door. As he walked to his parents, Lydia’s message kept replaying in his mind, word for word. He had wished every day since they broke up that she’d message him, but now that she had, he felt even lonelier.
It wasn’t long before Jack arrived at his parents' house.
"Hello."
"Hey, baby," his mother greeted him with a bright smile as she came to the door, gently caressing his face. "How’s it going?"
"I'm doing well, thank you," Jack replied.
"How are the preparations for handyman school?" she asked excitedly.
Right. I’d almost forgotten about my white lie. "Going well."
"Oh yeah? Have you been studying much?"
"Yes, quite a bit. Spent the whole weekend on it. I decided to take a break before diving back in," Jack said, blending just enough truth to make the lie manageable.
"Maria, is that Jack?" his father called from the kitchen in Portuguese. Moments later, he appeared in his robe. "Hey, son. How are you?"
"Good! You?"
"The game’s about to start. Want to come watch?"
Jack had forgotten about the game. His father loved football as much as he did. No matter how busy he was, he always made time for it. The invite was a good sign—it meant his dad was happy with him, probably because he thought Jack was on the right track with ‘handyman school.’ Jack’s stomach churned with guilt. "Sure. Thanks, Dad."