HC: Handyman | Ch. 237 - The Defending Heroes

By the time the Mastodon fell, the fortress gate was barely standing—warped and wheezing on its hinges, as if a single gust of wind might finish what the beast had started.

The moment the final boss dropped, a system message flashed across everyone’s interface, followed by a swell of triumphant music.

Congratulations!

You’ve completed the [Don’t Stand a Chance] event!

You’ve successfully defended this fortress!

You’ve unlocked a new title: [The Defending Heroes].

The Defending Heroes (Legendary)

After countless defeats in the remnants of the human world’s war against the beasts, your victory becomes a rallying cry, rekindling hope among other warriors.

Title effects:

+10 defense;

+10 stat points;

+10 fame;

NPCs, especially military, show increased respect and loyalty;

Villagers or NPC fighters may automatically rally to your aid in battles.

Half a second later, another alert blazed across everyone’s interface in bright, attention-grabbing text:
World Announcement: Congratulations to AmariNinja, Horace, Marie, JackofDiamonds, and RobbieRobber for completing a Breach Run! Their feat is now inscribed in the Hall of Fame.

Where Horace had fallen just moments earlier, scattered motes of golden light spiraled inward, slowly forming a silhouette. The glow solidified, and he reappeared—he’d used the [Lazarus Herb] package to revive himself.

He blinked around, dazed. “Did we make it? Did we actually make it?”

Amari let out a high, triumphant whoop. “We did it! We did it!”

A tidal wave of cheering erupted. Soldiers clapped each other on the back, Goat Knights raised their lances in salute, and a few collapsed to the ground laughing or broke into awkward, joyful dances. Even the NPCs seemed caught in the contagious rush of relief.

Rob bounced in place, practically vibrating. “Did you see that title we just unlocked? It’s legendary! Ten free stat points!”

“Forget the stats—check the fame bonus!” Horace shouted, eyes wide.

Marie lunged at Jack, throwing her arms around him as they spun in giddy circles. “We’re legends now! We’re in the Hall of Fame! We made it!”

Jack was still in a daze. He could hardly believe it. They had survived all ten nightmarish waves Piri had thrown at them: packs of sabertooth tigers, swarms of ants, giant armadillos, and oversized eagles. Somehow, they’d held the line.

Messages started to pour in.

Felix: Just read the announcement. So that’s why I haven’t seen you around the workshop lately—you were off running a Breach map. Congratulations, son. You’ve done something special.

Ariadne: Well, aren’t you just a box full of surprises? Congrats! Got any new recipes from the run? I’m always up for a trade, you know where to find me.

BeeLoverBeeatrice: Hey Jack! I just saw the announcement—wow!! I’m really happy for you. Congrats!

KrakensMichaelAngeloII: Jack! Did you actually finish the Breach? I can’t believe it—someone finally cracked that cursed map. I’m proud of you. Drop me a line when you’ve caught your breath; I’d love to hear how it went.

Seeing the messages from the friends he’d made along the way, a warmth spread through his chest.

And then came the flood of friend requests. Dozens—no, hundreds—blinked across his interface. Jack gulped. 

Right. World announcement. As in... everyone in the game.

A thrill of nerves slid down his spine.

Including IronIre. The Slayer knew where they were now.

Before he could even start to process what that meant, the system chimed again:

The troops of Duke Spruce Beanstein are on their way to assume control of the fortress defenses.

Time until the Duke’s arrival: 15 minutes.

The celebration wavered.

Jack blinked at the message. “Beanstein... that’s the NPC who gave us the Breach quest, right? What does it mean we only have fifteen minutes? Marie, do you—?”

“Hold on.” She leaned over the battlement and cupped her hands. “AMARI! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?”

Jack smacked his forehead. He was literally standing right there. He could’ve shouted, too.

Amari shouted back, “Probably means we’ve got fifteen minutes to loot, pack up, or say our emotional goodbyes before the map boots us!”

“Roger that!” Marie spun back around, all business. “It means—”

“I heard him!” Jack yelped, already breaking into a sprint.

“Where are you going?” Marie called after him.

“I’ve gotta pack! My stuff’s scattered everywhere!”

Their voices blurred behind him as he vaulted down from the battlements. He darted through the fortress like a man possessed, scooping up cauldrons, pots, vases, vats, and whatever else had been left around his bone-carving station. Down in the cellar, he crammed every last amphora into his inventory like a squirrel hoarding acorns for winter.

Then he bolted for the southern wall.

His two beehives waited there—hand-crafted, pot-shaped, buzzing faintly. Jack skidded to a halt. Right. The hives.

The saddlebags didn’t fit Snowy anymore. He winced.

“Dang it,” he muttered, scanning the yard. “I’ll need help carrying you, guys.”

He grabbed one of the hives and hauled it awkwardly into his arms, waddling back to the courtyard.

By the time he returned, the others were mostly packed. Marie’s glass vials and bomb-making gear had vanished, and Horace was packing the last of his carpentry tools.

“Did you get everything, Jack?” Amari asked as Jack puffed back in, hive in hand.

“I still need help with the second pot hive. Everything else is packed.”

“I got you,” Horace said, already walking toward the back of the fortress, “but dude—you still haven’t looted the boss. We’re dying to see what it dropped. If you don’t hurry, the Duke might claim it.”

Jack blinked. “Right. Right! The loot!”

What was wrong with him? A level 30 boss corpse was lying right there full of treasures, and he’d been sprinting around like a lunatic collecting used pots.

He raced back toward the ditch and peered down at the Mastodon’s massive carcass. It was still radiating heat.

Jack paused, catching his breath, then rested a hand gently against the thick, blackened flank.

“You were a handful,” he murmured.

You’ve looted a Pacific Mastodon.

+50,000 XP in Butchering.

You’ve collected the following materials:

8× [Mastodon Meat Jewel];
17× [Mastodon Bone];
[Mastodon Skull];
[Mastodon Tusk];
5× [Mastodon Hide].

You’ve collected:

[Mastodon Might];
[Tyranic Trample];
[Call of the Mastodons];
[Mastodon Furred Cape];
[Pacific Earring];
[Pacific Furred Boots].

It was, without question, the most generous haul Jack had ever seen from a boss. No other drop even came close.

All the materials looked incredible, but the [Mastodon Tusk] caught his eye immediately. Massive and ridged, its pale curve of ivory looked heavy even in the inventory window—solid, untouched, and practically begging to be shaped.

“You’ll make an amazing horn,” Jack said, already imagining the grip, the balance, the tone.

Jack tried on the hide of the Mastodon. It was surprisingly light. It boosted constitution, HP and HP regeneration. Although its overall stats were better than what he was wearing right now, he preferred to have more speed and agility than becoming tankier.

He moved on, scrolling through the rest of the loot—and stopped short when he saw the books.

One shimmered faintly, the title gleaming in bold silver as if lit from within—practically shouting for attention—

Mastodon Might (Epic)

A thesis written by scholars from the Ardent College of Biogenics. It suggests that the secret to the mastodon’s endurance lies in an energy rhythm that pulses through its marrow. It has notes on how to reproduce it in humans.

Skill effects: Passive. Regenerates 1 Stamina and 1 HP every 2 seconds.

Jack blinked, reading the effect again just to be sure. Passive regeneration. Real, continuous regen—no campfires, no consumables, no need to return to town. It was simple, even understated—but absolutely game-changing. With this, any of them could stay out in the wild for as long as they wanted. Days. Maybe longer.

Everyone was going to want a shot at it.

He glanced at the second book. Its design couldn’t have been more different—dark, jagged, and stamped with the silhouette of a charging beast mid-strike.

Tyranic Trample (Rare)

A portion of a book written by Alric of the Deepwatch Guild. He theorized that the mastodon’s trampling force wasn’t just mass-based but created through impact harmonics. This skill imitates the resonance of the creature’s charge.

Skill effects:

Active. Your next attack releases a shockwave that interrupts casting and channeling and causes knockback in a 10-foot radius. 

Cooldown: 30 seconds.

“Cool,” Jack said, grinning. It wasn’t as broadly useful as the first skill—but it was undeniably powerful. And fun.

He moved on to the next drop—one that practically had his name on it. A weathered, curled piece of thick hide appeared in his inventory, marked with faint, deliberate etchings.

Jack pulled it out and turned it over in his hands, handling it with care.

Cry of the Mastodons (Call)

Call description: A resonance that echoes through both terrain and spirit.

Overtones: 4

Still, the haul was incredible—better than anything he’d dared hope for. He couldn’t wait to show the others.

He turned back toward the fortress—then froze at the sound of a distant trumpet.

A crisp, formal note echoed through the canyon.

Down the road, a line of armored knights marched in perfect formation. Their tabards gleamed under the sun—spruce-green and silver. Banners rippled behind them, moving in perfect time. The precision was almost eerie.

Jack narrowed his eyes. “The Duke’s troops,” he said quietly.

“Guys?!” he called, raising a hand.

One by one, the others emerged from the fortress interior. Horace came last, lugging the second [Pot Hive] and setting it beside the first.

The group stood straighter as the column of knights marched into view.

The soldiers advanced all the way to the ruined gate—still warped, still wheezing with every gust of wind. At the head of the formation rode a nobleman on a black horse. He wore a waxed, curling mustache and a woolen cape clasped at the neck, trimmed with a thick patch of white fur. His armor, though ceremonial, bore the weight and scuff marks of real use—a balance of formality and readiness.

He dismounted near the front line and approached alone.

He was the same height as Jack, but something in the way he carried himself made him seem taller the closer he was. 

Amari stepped forward and bowed low. “My Duke.”

Duke Spruce Beanstein scanned the battlefield with solemn eyes. His gaze lingered on the colossal carcass of the Mastodon.

“When they called for help,” he said softly, “I knew something had gone terribly wrong. But this...” He trailed off, shaking his head.

He turned back to the party. “You’ve done His Majesty—and me—a great service by holding this fort.” He glanced at the damaged walls. “It’s the northernmost human fortress still standing. A vital strategic point. Had we lost it...” He let the silence speak for itself.

Then, his expression softened into a rare smile.

“You’ve proven yourselves trustworthy. And His Majesty always has room for those who can be trusted.”

He clapped twice.

From within the formation, ten knights stepped forward, each bearing an ornate chest. The chests were adorned with golden engravings and bore the royal crest: a stylized castle enclosed within two interlocking circles.

Jack couldn’t help but lean forward slightly, curiosity already burning.

“Please accept these tokens of gratitude, on behalf of the King of Eternia. We will be counting on your strength in the days ahead.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Amari said, bowing once more.

The Duke turned to his troops. “Men! Enter the fortress. Assess the damage. Repair the gate. Secure our position!”

A few knights broke off at once, jogging toward the battered entrance, while the rest began to file in, orderly and silent.

Duke Beanstein gave the party one final nod. “I bid you farewell—for now.” He swung back onto his mount and rode through the gate, his cape flaring behind him.

As the Duke disappeared through the gate, the ornate chests shimmered—and vanished in a burst of golden light.

A new cascade of notifications chimed in:

Congratulations on completing this Breach Run.

You’ve received 1000 gold, 1,000,000 XP

Congratulations! You’ve reached level 30!

You’ve received:

[Legendary Blessed Chest], [Legendary Chest], [Golden Village Creation Cube].

Jack stared at the notifications, jaw slowly dropping.

His fingers hovered over the interface, motionless.

Ten levels. Just like that. A full million XP.

It was hard to even wrap his head around the number. How many quests—how many hunts—would he have needed to grind through to earn that much the usual way?

Then there was the gold: 1,000.

He blinked at the number again. That was two months’ rent—just handed to him. Every penny he’d sunk into this Breach run was paid back, with interest.

Judging by the looks on everyone’s faces, he wasn’t the only one who got these rewards.

“Guys, did you get two legendary chests, too?” Amari asked.

“Yeah,” Marie said.

“Same here,” Horace added. “Rob, how many levels did you get?”

Rob was practically bouncing in place. “I’m back at level 36! Did you guys get 1k gold, too?”

“Oh yeah!” Marie said, grinning.

Jack tilted his head. “What does it mean if a chest is blessed?”

“Blessed chests are biased,” Amari said. “They don’t give you random loot—they tailor the rewards to match your class, build, even your playstyle. The system tries to give you something that fits you like a glove. I’ve only seen a couple in all my time in New Earth. It’s a big deal. Especially for a legendary chest.”

Jack nodded slowly. That made the chest even more intriguing.

But there was one more item in his inventory—something none of the others had mentioned.

He pulled it out. It was a cube which fit in the palm of his hand, its edges trimmed in gold, each of its six faces etched with a different design.

One showed a sun, moon, and stars.

Another held the image of a snowflake.

One face depicted a family—father, mother, and child—while another showed a troop of soldiers.

There was a single, large eye on the fifth facet.

And the last… a group of bears gazing up at a flying pterosaur.

What do these symbols even mean?

He held the cube up for the others to see. “Hey, did any of you get something called a village creation cube?”

The group froze. All eyes snapped to Jack.

“I beg your pardon?” Amari asked, voice sharp.

“This item,” Jack said, pulling it up and sharing the description.

Golden Village Creation Cube (Legendary)

His Majesty, the King of Eternia, no longer wishes to remain confined within the twin-walled Rings. He has declared it time to reclaim the lands beyond—and has entrusted a select few with the authority to lead that effort.

Effects:

Grants the right to establish a golden-grade village at a location of your choosing outside the Ring;

This item has been imparted with special features;

The village will be under royal protection for 10 days.

Bound to: JackofDiamonds, AmariNinja, Marie, Horace, and RobbieRobber

“No way…” Amari said.

Horace and Marie exchanged a happy look, and Rob brought both hands to his head, looking shocked.

From the way everyone was staring, this thing was a big deal.

Ch. 236 - Ghastly Standoff

INDEX

Ch. 238 - Blessed Chest