Jack adjusted the straps on his shoulders, feeling the weight of the pot hive, heavy with honey. He had worried that relocating the hive after settling at the campsite might disturb the bees, but they continued working as if nothing had happened.
He glanced back at the camp where he’d spent the last 12 hours toiling for the local adventurers. It had been a long day, but now he had several thousand bushcraft XP burning a hole in his pocket. Hopefully, it would be enough to buy everything he wanted from Erwind.
The fires had died out a little while ago, and the crowd of players had scattered—some to hunt the local dinosaurs drinking from the lake, others to fish the creatures living within it. Leaving behind a camp where he’d built a hut felt different from merely packing up a tent. There was a deeper sense of attachment, even a hint of loss.
That feeling didn’t last long. The trees rustled, and a group of four ornithopods, as large as elephants, emerged from the jungle, trampling the campsite and smashing the hut. It was the kick in the pants Jack needed. He turned away and resumed his march.
Finding Erwind was easier this time. Jack could see the blazing fire from his previous campsite, standing out like a lighthouse in the dark.
When he arrived, he wasn’t the only bushcrafter visiting. Two others sat by the fire, navigating the invisible system windows and making purchases to improve their bushcrafting skills.
“Hi. Good evening,” Jack greeted them.
“Hey,” one replied, while the other just ignored him.
Erwind, however, was the most hospitable of the bunch. “Greetings, fellow bushcrafter! Take a seat. There's plenty of space around the fire.”
Jack accepted the invitation, opening his menu and scrolling through the different skills and recipes. He didn’t have to think much about what to get—he’d already made his choices the last time he visited.
Are you sure you want to purchase [Survival Cooking], lvl. 2 for 20,000 bushcraft XP?
“Yes!”
[Survival Cooking] has been upgraded.
Survival Cooking, Lvl. 2
Description: Allows you to craft simple dishes with ingredients foraged from nature. With experience, you’ve learned to make meals that not only sustain but also taste good.
[Survival Cooking] was the bushcrafting skill Jack used most often. While [Kindle] and [Camping] were useful, they were only needed once to set up camp. [Survival Cooking], however, not only kept the XP flowing but also brought customers to the camp.
He had overheard a few things about his competitors while serving patrons. Their food offered powerful buffs. Jack wasn’t sure how it worked yet, but he knew that unlocking those buffs required the [Survival Cooking] upgrade.
He moved on to the next skill he wanted to upgrade.
Are you sure you want to purchase [Forage], lvl. 2 for 10,000 bushcraft XP?
[Forage] has been upgraded.
Forage, lvl. 2
Skill description: You can collect the bounty of Nature more easily.
Skill effects:
* You can collect all common and uncommon materials;
* Harvesting common materials grants you bushcraft XP (doesn’t stack with other professions).
With this upgrade, Jack would gain even more bushcraft XP from foraging ingredients, as well as access to a larger pool of materials. At 10,000 bushcraft XP, it was a cheap upgrade, so Jack didn’t hesitate to purchase it.
Finally, and most importantly, he bought [Stick Smithing].
Are you sure you want to purchase [Sticksmithing], lvl. 1 for 100,000 bushcraft XP?
Stick Smithing, Lvl. 1
Description: You can use sticks and cords to craft rudimentary items.
You’ve learned a new recipe: [Wooden Spear].
You’ve learned a new recipe: [Wooden Vest].
Wooden Spear
Ingredients: [Long Stick].
Recipe: Sharpen the edge of a long stick with a knife. Remove any branches from the stick. Burn the edge to harden it.
Effects: Allows you to create a spear.
Jack sighed, disappointed. He couldn’t use this weapon—his class prevented him from dealing direct damage. He looked at the other recipe.
Wooden Vest
Ingredients: 20 [Sticks]; 2x[Weak Ropes]; 8x[Weak Cords].
Description: Collect several sticks and tie them with ropes. Repeat the process. Make shoulder straps and put it on.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Jack’s face twisted in frustration. From its description and the difficulty of learning stick smithing, it should offer better stats than what he was wearing. However, the moss suit was a much better fit for his playstyle—he needed stealth more than defense. Had he really worked all day for a skill that was useless?
He stared at the next upgrade. Level 2 of [Stick Smithing] was priced at 200,000 bushcraft XP. Maybe he needed to double down before this skill revealed its true potential. Sometimes, the cheapest purchases turned out to be the most profitable.
With a sigh, he stood and walked away. He’d had enough for now. He opened the menu and logged out.
*
After a jog, a hearty breakfast, and a chat with his cousin, Jack decided to take the hint from Amari and the gang: it was time to take a day off from the game. He’d been working non-stop over the last week. Rob had suggested going to the movies, but Jack ultimately decided to spend the day on his own.
He headed to one of his favorite spots in town—a cozy café owned by a Portuguese family known for their incredible custard tarts. As he sipped an espresso and savored the tart, he gazed out the window, lost in thought.
It had been a strange week. On one hand, it felt like a month had passed since he quit his job at Cheap Mart. The sensation was only heightened by how he spent his sleeping hours awake in the game, trying out new activities and exploring new territories. He had dabbled in pottery and cooking, ventured through pyramids, battled dinosaurs, and even picked up the ocarina.
Through the partial reflection on the window, he saw people passing by and caught a glimpse of himself. How many of those people played New Earth, he wondered? Had he crossed paths with any of them in the game?
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. Jack reached for it, nearly dropping it as he read the notifications.
You’ve sold [Junior Bugkeeper Gloves] for 165 credits.
Jack stared at the notification, wide-eyed, as he jolted upright, startling a passing waitress. “S-Sorry.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“One more coffee and one more custard tart, please,” he replied, sitting back down. He had finally made some money in the game—no small amount either! It was the equivalent of a week’s work at Cheap Mart. He quickly opened his banking app to confirm, and sure enough, even on a Sunday, his account balance had jumped to over three hundred credits.
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” he whispered, excitedly. With this, along with what was left of his Cheap Mart salary, he had his living expenses and the helmet rental fees for the month covered. From now on, any extra earnings would go toward his dad’s rent. He stared at his phone, waiting for another notification about the boots, but nothing came. He’d have to keep waiting.
Now that he knew the auction site worked and he’d managed to sell the gloves for such a good price, he felt more confident about selling the rest of his equipment. That brought him to his next decision.
He had two unique items he could make: Pot Hives and Ocarinas. The next chance he got, he would list an ocarina for 50 credits and a pot hive for 100 credits. He discovered that the website had an option to automatically update the listing to fetch the best price, which he planned to activate to find the market value.
At the same time, he considered participating in the flea market in Embersgate. He opened the browser to learn more about flea markets and discovered there was one happening today. Unfortunately, it was too late to prepare. Flea markets only took place twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays. He’d have to get ready for the next Wednesday.
“Here you go,” the waitress said, bringing him another coffee and pastry.
Jack rubbed his hands together, ready to celebrate his first significant sale on the auction site. He bit into the crunchy pastry, letting the soft custard melt on his tongue, and washed it down with hot, bitter coffee. He smiled contentedly.
After finishing his snack, Jack paid the bill and left the café. The sun was shining, and the town was slowly coming to life as people emerged from their morning slumber to make the most of the weekend.
Jack thought about what to do next. On Sundays, he and Lydia had always done something together—going to the movies, getting ice cream, or taking a walk in the park. This was the first Sunday he couldn’t be with her. No custard tart or coffee could fill the void in his heart.
He wandered aimlessly for a while until he spotted a stationery shop. As soon as he saw it, he knew how he’d spend the rest of the morning.
Jack entered the shop, bought two postcards, and then headed to a garden bench. Only after sitting down did he realize he hadn’t bought a pen. After a quick return trip to the shop, he was back at the bench, ready to write.
The events of the day near the lake came to mind, along with the memory of his breakup. He finally understood what Lydia had meant when she said he didn’t consider her boss’s feelings.
Sighing, he picked up the pen and started writing a card. He paused several times, searching for the right words. Finally, he placed the card in an envelope and wrote “Mrs. Linda” on the outside.
He then took out the second postcard. He stared at it for several minutes, struggling to find the right words. Eventually, he wrote a few sentences, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t come up with anything else that didn’t sound insincere or just plain stupid. He placed that postcard in an envelope as well and sealed it.
Jack walked to the other end of the block and spotted Lydia’s café. He looked inside, heart pounding, hands shaking, but didn’t see Lydia. Trembling, he debated whether to go in or not. After a few minutes of wrestling with himself, he finally stepped inside.
The café was half full. Jack glanced around and noticed a couple of Lydia’s friends at a table, throwing him judgmental looks. He sighed and continued looking until he spotted the café’s owner, Mrs. Linda, standing in a blue apron behind the counter. He walked over to her.
“G-good m-m-morning, Mrs. Linda.”
The lady looked up and adjusted her glasses. “Jack, I believe. The serenader…”
Jack gulped. “I k-know you’re b-b-busy, but I was h-hoping I could give t-this to you.”
“To me?” she asked.
Jack nodded.
To his surprise, she opened the envelope right then and there, reading the card in front of him. Jack felt like he wanted to disappear. This was too awkward. What was he supposed to do—wait for her to finish? Leave?
Mrs. Linda’s eyes shifted between the postcard and Jack. As she read, her expression softened, and finally, she smiled. “Thank you, dear. Apologies accepted.”
“Thank you, too, Mrs. Linda.”
With her polite response, Jack felt a bit more confident. “This one is for Lydia. Could you please give it to her?”
Mrs. Linda accepted the envelope but didn’t promise anything.
Jack took the hint. “Thank you. Have a great day.”
He left the café in a daze. The encounter had been nerve-wracking, but he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He had apologized and done what he needed to do. Sighing, Jack headed toward the bus stop. He’d had enough of reality for one day. It was time to return to the game.