The next morning.
I woke up to the familiar light glowing from my own body.
"I can't believe I leveled up while sleeping."
It was still early morning, so the room was dimly lit.
"I could just go back to sleep… but today is a school holiday. It's my first day off, and since I woke up early anyway, maybe I'll take a morning walk."
I tried to get out of bed, but right under it Tom was curled up like a black cushion, and I nearly stepped on him.
"Black panthers are hard to see in the dark, so I have to be careful."
Stepping over Tom, I got up, stretched, and walked toward the window.
Outside in the garden, I noticed two spots where the pitfall traps had already been triggered.
There were signs that something had climbed out on its own, so this probably wasn't the first time.
"But I roughly understand why I leveled up. Fwaaah~"
Yawning, I opened my status window.
--------------------------------------------------
Leopin
Job: Tamer
LV: 13 → 14
HP: 2010
MP: 2010
Status
Vitality: 201
Stamina: 201
Toughness: 201
Spirit: 201
Resistance: 201
Agility: 201
Focus: 201
Strength: 201
Magic Power: 201
Divine Power: 201
Intelligence: 201
Culture: 201
Five Senses: 201
Sixth Sense: 201
Charm: 1
Luck: 2
Dexterity: 400 → 500
Jobs Available for Change
Production
Woodcutter
Appraiser
Celestial Carpenter Seres Carpenter
Stonemason
Leatherworker
Woodworker
Mana Farmer
NEW! Potter
Exploration
Ranger
Treasure Hunter
Combat
Axe Battler
Ninja
Martial Artist
Trapper
Tamer
--------------------------------------------------
"The new job is 'Potter.'
I've done a little pottery as a hobby before."
Muttering to myself, I stepped outside the house. It was unusually noisy near the gate.
Mark was pacing back and forth in confusion.
"What's wrong, Mark?"
When I asked, Mark looked unsure what to do and kept shifting his weight while looking at me.
In both of his raised paws was a large amount of golden, sticky liquid.
"Is that… honey?"
"Kuoon kuoon, kuooon!"
From his cry and gestures, I roughly understood the situation.
It seemed he had gone out to gather his favorite honey and ended up collecting way more than he could eat.
Mark was crying "I can't eat all this~!" with repeated "kuoon kuoon" sounds.
"Wait a bit. I'll make a container out of wood…"
I paused and reconsidered.
"Right, when it comes to honey, it has to be that!"
Leaving Mark behind, I headed into the forest.
Of course, I didn't forget to change jobs.
--------------------------------------------------
Leopin
Job: Tamer → Potter
Job Skills
Soil Preparation
Can create clay for pottery
Small Pottery Items
Creates plates, cups, etc.
Medium Pottery Items
Creates vases, jars, etc.
Large Pottery Items
Creates stone coffins, bath boilers, etc.
Mass Production
Shortens the time required for drying and firing pottery
Pottery Destruction
Increases attack power against pottery
--------------------------------------------------
The moment I became a Potter, I could distinguish the types of soil and stones under my feet.
I was surprised to learn that even ordinary stones came in many varieties.
"Forest Stone, Green Earth Stone, Sand Stone… Oh, found some 'Pyrite Sand.'
Over here there's also 'Granite Stone.'"
--------------------------------------------------
Pyrite Sand
Quantity: 100
Quality Level: 1 (Material Level 1)
Sand formed when iron minerals separate from rock.
It sticks to magnets.
--------------------------------------------------
Granite Stone
Quantity: 4
Quality Level: 2 (Material Level 2)
A type of volcanic rock. Hard, fire-resistant, and resistant to weathering.
--------------------------------------------------
"There's no volcano around here, so the presence of volcanic rock means there must have been a river in this area long ago.
If I search, I might find the source nearby."
Just by becoming a Potter, my thoughts had already reached the geological history of the forest.
"Oh, but before that, let's get back and start working. I've got the materials now."
I returned home carrying sand and stones.
Then I said to Mark, who was still pacing around,
"If you're just going to stand there like that, could you step on these stones and crush them finely? Thanks."
I placed the granite stones at Mark's feet and began work.
"Oh, before that, I should switch to 'Stonemason.'"
I picked up some forest stones lying around and struck them together to shape them.
I stacked the finished stones to create a small arch gate tall enough for me to crouch through.
"Then I'll cover the outside with forest soil so there are no gaps…"
--------------------------------------------------
Forest Kiln
Quantity: 1
Quality Level: 21 (Material Level 2 + Dexterity Bonus 5 + Job Bonus 14)
A simple kiln made by combining forest stone and forest soil.
Thanks to the various bonuses, temperature control is easier.
--------------------------------------------------
"All right, it's done! Now I can finally debut as a Potter!"
With the kiln ready, I checked on Mark. He had crushed the granite stones into powder.
He seemed to have gotten completely absorbed in the task and was grinding away with his claws, even forgetting about the honey in his paws.
"That's enough, thank you, Mark!"
I crouched at Mark's feet and mixed the powdered granite stone with pyrite sand.
Then I added water from the waterskin in my coat pocket and mixed it thoroughly…
--------------------------------------------------
Granite Clay
Quantity: 40
Quality Level: 22 (Material Level 3 + Dexterity Bonus 5 + Job Bonus 14)
Clay made by adding water and pyrite sand to granite stone.
--------------------------------------------------
Thanks to the pyrite sand, the clay had turned a yellowish color.
I placed the clay on a flat rock that served as my workbench and began shaping it.
With half the clay left over, I made another identical piece.
"Now all that's left is to fire it…!"
Excited, I placed the clay inside the kiln and added burning firewood.
Normally firing would take around 10 hours, but with the Potter's "Mass Production" skill, it was shortened to just 1 minute.
Unable to wait, I took out the clay. It had hardened perfectly.
Moreover, it shone brilliantly like a tiny sun.
--------------------------------------------------
Granite Clay Pot (High Quality)
Quantity: 2
Quality Level: 52 (Material Level 22 + Dexterity Bonus 6 + Job Bonus 14 + Quality Bonus 10)
Fired granite clay.
It features patterns from the color change of the pyrite sand.
--------------------------------------------------
"High quality!? Unexpectedly!"
The pots were a vivid yellow, and on the sides were black bee-like patterns, probably from the pyrite sand burning and changing color.
"Perfect for storing honey."
I brought the freshly made pots over to Mark.
Mark was overjoyed and carefully poured the sticky honey into the pots.
In the middle of this, I heard hurried footsteps approaching.
It was the usual mismatched duo.
"G… garbage…! N-no, Leopin-kuuuun!"
"I-is it true that you fired a high-quality pot!?"
"Did you see it?"
"A very great pottery master happened to witness that moment!
Of course I think it must have been a mistake, but just to be sure…!"
"Even if it is true!
I know that a pot made by a dropout like you can't possibly be worth even 1 Ender!
But that master said he really wants to see it!"
"So hand it over! We won't treat you badly! But if it's garbage like you, we won't accept it!"
"Exactly! If the pot turns out to be of decent quality, we will specially… pull you out of the hell known as the 'Special Training Class'…"
I cut off the principal's words with "I decline."
"I made these pots for Mark, so I can't give them to anyone else.
If Mark says it's okay to give them away, then we can talk."
""Mark?"" the mismatched duo said in unison.
Only then did they finally notice the bear standing nearby.
When Mark roared "Guoh!",
""F… fugyaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?!?""
The two screamed like cats with their tails on fire and fled at full speed.