Jack stumbled through the treeline, trying his best not to lose his balance. The dinosaur chasing him had crimson and blue scales and ran on two legs. It was as tall as a house, and to it, the thick bushes and trees that hindered Jack’s movements must have felt like blades of grass. Worst of all, with each step it took, the ground quaked. Every time he was close to outrunning it, Jack stumbled and fell.
You’ve run out of stamina. All your movements become sluggish.
You're starving. Eat quickly, or you will die.
-1HP per second.
“No, no, no. Not now,” Jack screamed. He could already see the battlements of the wall. He was so close to safety. “I don't want to be eaten by a dinosaur,” he protested. But the predatory beast didn't care.
Stomp! Stomp!
Looking up, he saw the tall dinosaur tall towering over him. Jack had seen the look on the allosaurus’ face many times before. When Jack ate chicken, at the moment when he was deciding whether he wanted to take a piece of breast or a thigh, he had the same look. This time, however, he was the chicken! Jack didn’t want to see what followed. He closed his eyes, covered his ears, and screamed as loud as he could.
You've been killed by a red allosaurus.
You’ve lost one level and dropped a random piece of equipment.
You’ve dropped 1 gold and 3 silvers.
You’ve respawned.
Jack came to in Embersgate’s graveyard. He punched the ground a few times, rolled over, and flailed his arms and legs. “Noooooo! Why?! Why meeee?!” He wasn't the only one screaming like a madman. The graveyard looked like a loony bin. Players shouted, kicked tombstones, and cursed their luck. No one here was happy about losing levels and items.
When he found a quest to level up his bushcraft, he didn’t hesitate to take it. Even though the suggested number of players was three, Jack figured that since he had already learned the basics of questing from Amari, he could tackle this one on his own. Boy, was he wrong! Not even fifteen minutes after he’d left the gate, he’d stumbled on an allosaurus who had sent him here.
Jack took stock of his losses. He had dropped his straw hat, worth a few silvers. The worst part was that he had dropped one full gold coin. Another gold coin had been out the window when he threw a [Raptor Dung Bomb] at the allosaurus. It didn’t even work on the creature, but how was he supposed to know that? It wasn’t as if he had the time to calmly browse the internet to double-check it once he stumbled on the terrifying dinosaur.
He had overlooked a tiny little thing when he decided to run more expeditions. Even though expeditions were truly the fastest way to progress, they were also the riskiest! With his nose flaring and blood rushing through his head, Jack kicked a nearby pebble, hitting a nearby player.
“Ouch! Watch it, man.”
“Sorry.”
He shouldn't play solo if he went outside. Partnering up with a veteran like Amari had been a stroke of luck. It made a huge difference to be accompanied by someone who knew what they were doing. Speaking of which…
“Hey Amari, how are you doing?”
AmariNinja is now offline.
Jack pursed his lips. It had been a long shot. Amari was probably editing his videos. Besides, what guarantee did Jack have that he wanted to run a quest with him again? Jack had no choice but to rethink his strategy.
He had just wasted two gold coins on this quest. Maybe it was time to cut his losses and focus on something he knew would work. Disappointed, Jack located the nearest bulletin board, looking for any quests that could be completed without leaving the city's safety.
A crowd of recently deceased players huddled around a bulletin board, giving up on the quests that had gotten them killed. Jack sorted the different filters, looking for any missions that involved pottery. He could use a break from bushcraft right now.
After the rush of being chased by an allosaurus, he just wanted to sit down and peacefully make ceramics. He missed pots that weren’t as tall as houses, didn’t cause earthquakes with each step, and didn’t eat him! Remembering the allosaurus’ stinky breath, Jack felt a shudder down his spine.
There were some quests involving pottery. Not many, but certainly more than those that involved bushcraft and pottery simultaneously. One of them caught his eye.
Restaurant Dinnerware (Common)
The Sold&Proper restaurant is looking for an artisan willing to craft 30 bowls, 30 plates, and 30 pots, a set of ceramics for their restaurant.
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Quest rewards:
Since the client purchases in bulk, you're expected to sell it at a discount;
The price will be calculated based on the quality of your work;
Extra XP for supporting the Pottery Association.
It looked fairly easy. Jack was happy to give up some of the profit to level up his pottery a little faster. Furthermore, since the Pottery Association issued it, they probably had a fire that Jack could use. Jack accepted the quest and headed towards the coordinates marked on his map.
The Pottery Association was in a part of town Jack hadn't visited. He'd only seen the coach station, the pyramid, the Historical Society, the gate, and the cemetery, which he’d been to twice. This new part of town seemed to be devoted to crafting.
The street was filled with scents he’d only felt in stores: freshly varnished wood, forged steel, and dyed fabric. NPCs and players filled the street, carrying heavy loads around their backs, in baskets over their heads, or on beasts of burden. While several players could be seen selling wares, Jack noticed that most of the shoppers were NPCs. Players probably preferred to buy stuff from the market window where they could easily access all goods.
After turning a few lefts and right, he finally found the building he'd been looking for. It was lackluster, especially compared with other buildings he’d seen nearby. It was a simple three-story house that wasn’t made of marble or colorful tiles but of simple red brick. Its most remarkable feature was its spacious patio. Tall vases, large pots, and the occasional sculpture formed a labyrinth that could rival Piri’s dungeons. Here and there, customers walked the maze, admiring a tall vase and trying to decide whether to buy it.
As Jack stepped onto the patio, he received a pleasant notification:
Congratulations on visiting the Pottery Association.
+50XP to [Pottery].
That was a nice surprise. Even if it wasn't much XP, it was still something, and Jack would take it. He navigated through the different ceramics, wondering just how many techniques were required to do all these different works of art. They came in all sorts of colors, patterns, and finishes. Some were basic and lackluster, something that Jack could see himself making. Others had intricate carvings: real pieces of art. Some were shiny and glossy, while others had just basic glazing.
After checking out the ceramics in the patio, Jack entered the building. Other than the lack of the smell of a delicious stew, the inside of the building had a similar smell to Jenny’s workshop. Unlike the outside, where most of the ceramics had been large, and some were even as tall as him, the ones displayed here were delicate. Behind glass cases were tea and coffee sets and collections of plates and vases.
Jack had used plates, mugs, and other ceramics countless times in his life. However, after learning what was involved in their manufacture, he couldn’t help but admire the objects with renewed respect. There were many hours of work behind these glass cases.
Jack confirmed the details of the quest. Since no NPC was mentioned specifically, he approached the first one he bumped into. She was a lady in an apron in her mid-50s, right between the prime of her life and elderly age. She had bony hands, blue eyes, and black and gray hair tied into a bun. Her apron was filled with smudges left by ink and clay. Jack saw in green letters that the NPC’s name was ‘Nina, the Potter.’
“Excuse me, ma'am.”
“Oh, a fellow potter. I haven't seen you around. Is this your first time visiting the association?” she asked amicably.
“That’s correct. I accepted an order from one of the bulletin boards around the city. A restaurant commissioned a dinnerware set. I was wondering where I could do some work here.”
“Oh, yes, of course. You can rent one of our workshops.”
“Rent?” Jack asked with a twisted mouth. Did he have to pay to work here? What kind of business was this in which a person had to pay to work?
“Yes, it's just ten silver an hour to use our communal workshop. For a private workshop, it’s one gold an hour.”
Jack’s eyes widened. What a rip-off! “That’s… impressive,” Jack managed.
“You'll see that it's worth it. Our facilities have everything you might need as a potter. Remember that any consumables you spend are paid separately and come with a restocking fee.”
“Well, thank you for making it sound so wonderful to work here,” Jack said sarcastically.
“You're welcome!”
Jack considered what he should do. Even though he'd thrown over two pieces of gold into the trash in that last quest, he still had several gold coins to spend. Comparing the hassle of traveling back to Brighthill and appropriating Jenny’s workshop with paying ten silver and doing it here and now, he decided that he would take the quickest path toward completing this quest.
“I’ll use the communal space. But before you start counting my time, I’ll need to quickly run to the store!” Jack warned.
“Don’t worry. You are only billed for the time you spend actually working inside the association. I’ll show you around. Come.”
The communal workshop had tall ceilings and several workstations where other potters crafted. The pressure of having other potters checking in on his work was a little off-putting. He understood why others would pay a premium to get some privacy. Still, Jack preferred to be embarrassed than forking out one gold.
“Just choose any of your workstations there. There are different clay boxes over there and some glazes there. Please be careful not to interfere with the work of your fellow potters while you use the communal kilns.”
“Thank you.”
Nina walked away, and Jack observed his competitors working for a few moments. An old gentleman with a white bandana was about to get started on a piece. Seeing how he had just centered a lump of clay on a wheel, Jack decided to watch.
The potter hit the pedal a few times, spinning the wheel. He then dug his hands into the clay. As the wheel spun and the old man coaxed the clay, it seemed to come to life. It was as if the potter was singing a song that only the clay could hear and dance to.
As the potter’s wheel hummed and the potter’s finger shaped the piece, the clay began to take form—a graceful curve here, a subtle indentation there. From a humble blob, the potter had made an elegant, precious vase. The man grabbed a thread from the nearby table, hit the pedal a few more times, and trimmed the top of the vase. Finally, the potter carefully lifted the vessel from the wheel, cradling it in his wrinkled hands like a precious treasure. After a few adjustments, he set the piece aside to dry.
Jack was mesmerized. Had pottery always been this beautiful? When he did it, did he also look this inspiring? The old man, catching Jack staring, waved a greeting with an easy smile. It looked like he didn’t mind Jack’s watching. He grabbed another lump of clay and set it on the wheel.
At first, completing this quest felt like another chore, but seeing the old man crafting awoke something in him.
Jack ran out the door, heading toward the nearest market. He would buy the supplies to save himself the restocking fee.