HC: Handyman | Ch. 233 - Strength Through Unity

Author's Note: We're sooooo close to the end of the Breach Arc. Next chapter we reach wave 50!

There was so much loot to sort through in this chapter, that I ended up having to condense a little some system notifications. Please let me know in the comments if it felt too many or too few notifications.

Thanks!

****

The Roach Mother and the Shagrat darted back and forth, searching for a way out of the ditch. But there was none. With two of their fellow bosses down and half of their collective buff's power lost, the fight had gone out of them.

The time for caution had passed.

Jack swapped his ocarina for the blowing horn and raised it to his lips. A deep, resonant note rang out through the canyon.

You’ve played [Attack Call]! [Rodent Fortitude] activated!

+200 XP in Bard

+30% attack; -10% defense; -20% block; +10% total health shield.

Buff lasts for 20 minutes.

The shift was immediate.

Arrows flew faster. Blades hit harder. Skills ignited with extra force. The team’s damage output surged, and the final two bosses began to bleed health at a rapid pace.

Amari vaulted over the ditch wall, back from his fight against the Flying Marmoset, landing beside Horace in a twirl. “Miss me?”

“Glad you’re back,” Horace replied, already driving his warhammer into the Shagrat’s flank.

Seconds later, Rob and the Goat Knights arrived. Rob jumped down into the fray to assist Horace and Amari, while the Goat Knights leapt over the ditch, falling into formation beside the soldiers, plugging gaps and helping pin down the bosses.

Surrounded, outnumbered, and pelted from above, the Roach Mother couldn’t hold out. Her spiked limbs flailed one last time before she collapsed, her shell hitting the ground with a heavy, final thud. Dust kicked up around her broken form, curling in the air before drifting down like ash.

Only the Shagrat remained.

The tankiest of the group, it fought on with grim determination. But without the shared buff propping it up, it was no longer a force of nature—just a boss hanging on by threads. And finally, it too fell.

A hush settled over the field.

The only sounds were heavy breathing and the faint whir of turrets winding down. Then came the system chime:

Wave 49 cleared.

Jack wiped sweat from his brow. “Oof. That was rough.”

He glanced at the system clock—the fight had taken over thirty minutes.

“I know,” Amari replied, nodding. “But we pulled through.” He scanned the field. “How many did we lose?”

“Three soldiers,” Horace said bitterly.

“Four Goat Knights,” Rob added. “When the Cobalt Romie went berserk, it one-shot them. There was nothing I could do.”

Amari’s expression tightened. “That hurts.”

Jack looked down, guilt tugging at him. He hadn’t even noticed the One-Eyes fall. 

Seven gone. Just like that. No death messages. No goodbyes. Just gaps where they used to be.

Their strength had taken a hit—right before the final wave. 

Rob exhaled hard. “Man… if that was wave forty-nine, what’s wave fifty going to look like?”

Amari didn’t flinch. “Doesn’t matter,” he said. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it.”

He raised his voice so the others could hear. “Alright, everyone—it’s time to prep for the final wave.”

“I’m going to loot the bosses. I’ll be right there with you,” Jack said.

Amari nodded. “Thanks, Jack. And don’t worry about food this time—we’ve got you covered. Just focus on practicing your horn calls.”

Jack hesitated, then shook his head. “Actually… I’d like to make the meal. The last one, before the last fight. If that’s okay.”

Amari raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

Jack glanced at the fallen bosses, then back at his team. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

Amari gave a nod. “Alright then.” He turned. “Marie? Can you use that package now? The stopwatch one?”

You have 30 extra minutes until the next wave.

“That should give you some breathing room,” Marie said to Jack with a smile.

“Thanks.”

Their NPC allies had already started walking in silence, heading from the carriage back toward the gate. Downcast, quiet—they too felt the loss of their companions.

The rest of the team, though, stood still. Watching Jack.

He blinked. “Uh… anything the matter?”

“Nothing. Just go get the loot,” Rob said.

“We’ll be right here waiting for you, buddy,” Horace added.

They were all smiling at him—wide, unsettling smiles, like they were about to mug him the second he turned his back.

So that’s how it was. They wanted to see what these four bosses would drop.

He could humor them.

Jack leapt down into the ditch and approached the two fallen bosses. They’d landed nearly on top of each other, massive and still.

I wonder if the loot will be the same as the first time we hunted them. 

He touched both carcasses.

You’ve looted the Roach Mother.

+10 gold and forty-three silver

…

4x [Roach Mother Chitin];

[8-Leg Slash: Addendum];

[Strength Through Unity];

[Roach Mother Mandible Claws].

You’ve looted the Obsidian Shagrat.

+14 gold, 10 silver

…

[Strength Through Unity];

[Selfless Grief: Addendum];

[Mountain Ring]. 

+2000XP in Butchering

“Well, hello there,” Jack said under his breath.

The amount of loot was incredible. As he scrolled through the system window, he recognized some familiar materials such as meat, bones, chitin, and fat—but a few items stood out.

Two of the drops were labeled as Addenda, a term he hadn’t seen before. Curious, he inspected one.

8-Leg Slash Addendum (Uncommon)

Scribbled notes about a martial technique. It might provide some insights into it.

Effects: Upgrades [8-Leg Slash].

They were skill upgrades—and both were for techniques Amari had already learned. Lucky guy. Jack glanced over. Amari was trying to act casual, but his eyes kept flicking toward Jack’s hands.

And as a cherry on top, the Roach Mother had dropped a brutal pair of mandible claws, jagged and still faintly smoking with acid. Amari was definitely going to get those.

Jack kept scrolling.

Among the final items was a thick silver ring. The tooltip listed massive bonuses to Health and Health regeneration. It was clearly meant for warriors.

The last items were… two identical skill books.

Strength Through Unity (Rare)

A tactical skill rooted in shared purpose. The more you stand together, the stronger you become.

Effect:

Active. Grants a buff.

Requires at least two users to activate. Buff potency and duration scale based on the number of allies within range who activate Strength Through Unity within a short window (3 seconds).

Cost: 30 stamina, 20 health

Cooldown: 3 hours

Duration: 3 minutes

“Some sort of collective skill,” Jack muttered. It required more than one player to use—definitely not something you’d solo with.

His brow furrowed. That roar—the sudden surge of speed, the unnatural coordination… this had to be it. The shared buff the bosses used.

And now they had two copies. Each boss dropped one? If so, the others might hold more.

He had to check. Now.

“Catch!” Jack called, tossing the addenda and claws to Amari, the ring and four sheets of [Roach Mother Chitin] to Horace, “I’ll be right back!”

He held onto the skill books for now. Best to see how many they had before showing the find to the rest of the team.

Jack sprinted toward the fallen Cobalt Romie and knelt beside it. His hand glowed as [Luck of the Hunter] activated, boosting his luck further.

You’ve looted the Cobalt Romie.

+13 gold, 55 silver

…

[Slinger’s Arm: Addendum];

[Cobalt Sheen: Addendum];

[Four-Skull Armor Recipe];

2x [Strength Through Unity].

+1000XP in Butchering

“Hahaha! I knew it! All of them drop it!”

With the loot from the Cobalt Romie, he was up to four copies of Strength Through Unity. And if the Flying Marmoset dropped one too—which seemed likely—they’d have five in total. Enough for everyone to use it. A full-team buff.

The team was going to love this.

There was an upgrade to [Slinger’s Arm] and [Cobalt Sheen], too—Marie and Horace would definitely want that. And the Cobalt Romie had dropped another carved tooth, just like the one Jack wore around his neck. His fingers brushed against the original. He’d turned the last one into a pendant… but now he had a second. What could he make with both?

As he sorted through the last few items, something caught his eye.

Wait—was this a recipe?

Four-Skull Armor Set (Recipe)

The skull is the most excellent piece of curved bone in a creature’s body and has plenty of applications. The artisan who wrote these notes appears to have devised a complete set of armor that centered on the use of skulls.

Requirements: [Bone Carving], lvl. 3.

No way—this wasn’t just for a single piece of gear. It was for a full set!

Jack’s heart sped up as he flipped through the diagrams, eyes scanning line after line of hand-drawn schematics. Helmets. Chest plates. Shoulder guards. Skulls repurposed into armor that looked both brutal and functional. At least three complete recipes. Maybe more.

Would it come with a set bonus? A passive effect? Something unique?

This was huge. And it hadn’t come from the XP store or from a synergy. It had dropped from a boss. It had to be something special.

He grinned and pocketed the recipe immediately. This was perfect for him.

He’d need to unlock the next tier of [Bone Carving] from the XP store before he could use it, but that didn’t matter. He was already itching to get started.

Jack turned and ran back to the others, excitement bubbling in his chest.

“Hey, Jack! All done?” Amari asked.

“I’m only missing the Flying Marmoset. Did you like the upgrades?”

“See for yourself,” Amari said. “I’ve already shared the details on the team chat.”

Jack tapped the message open.

The upgrades were solid. [Selfless Grief] now lasted two seconds longer, and the post-burst penalty was five seconds shorter. 8-Leg Slash hit harder, too. With each attack, it dealt 12% more damage rather than just 10%, and now the first and eighth strikes applied Bleed and shredded defense.

“I’m so jealous,” Marie said bitterly.

“Don’t be,” Jack said. “Here.” He tossed the addendum to [Slinger’s Arm] her way.

“Wait! Is this—?”

“Yes, it is!”

She let out a high-pitched squeal and bounced on her feet.

“There’s one for you too, Horace,” Jack said, handing him the upgrade to [Cobalt Sheen].

Horace learned it on the spot. “Oh, sweet! Now it gives me passive reflect damage. Nice! This’ll give my DPS a real bump.”

“Nothing else?” Rob asked, hopefully.

Jack forced a smile. Everyone had gotten something out of these bosses—except Rob. It was the downside of running a Breach with people ten levels behind you—sometimes, the loot just didn’t match.

“Sorry, cous. There was a bone-carving recipe, but nothing else.”

Except for the game-changing team skill I haven’t revealed yet, Jack added silently.

“Oh well,” Rob said with a shrug, though the disappointment in his face was clear.

“Don’t worry, Rob. Maybe the last boss has something good for you,” Jack said, offering a hopeful smile.

The team headed back toward the fortress. Marie was already picking up pebbles and testing her newly upgraded [Slinger’s Arm]. Her projectiles were flying even farther and faster than before. She could probably start hitting all the way back from the carriage, whatever came in wave fifty, the moment it poked its head out.

The carcass of the Flying Marmoset lay just short of the final wall, surrounded by spent traps. Jack stepped carefully through the debris and bent down to harvest the body.

You’ve looted the Flying Marmoset.

…

[Strength Through Unity];

[Primate Agility: Addendum];

[Skystripe Cloak].

+1000XP in Butchering

Jack grinned as he grabbed the addendum for his skill and opened it on the spot. The book burst into motes of light, and the upgrade took hold.

[Primate Agility] has been upgraded.

Primate Agility (Uncommon)

Level: 2

A primatologist spent decades in the jungle studying primates and what allows them to move with such remarkable agility. He noted down techniques that, when emulated by humans, can enhance their speed and reflexes.

Effects:

Passive. Dashes become twice as long. You can accumulate two stacks of dash skills;

Passive. +20% movement speed.

“Oh yeah!” The movement speed boost had doubled—from 10% to 20%! And now he could hold two dash charges. Two dashes in a row.

I should check what other dash skills are on the market. I’m getting seriously fast.

He turned to the final item dropped by the Flying Marmoset: a sleek black-and-white cloak, patterned just like the creature’s fur. It was wearable by all classes, boosted agility and movement speed, and even had a +1 bonus to luck. But the best part?

It came with a [Glide] effect. The wearer could slow their falls or glide over short distances.

Jack ran back to the crew and held it up. “Here!”

“Whoa! A special effect!” Amari said, eyes lighting up. “These are rare!”

“No kidding—it even boosts luck by one!”

“Who wants to roll for it?” Amari asked, looking around.

Rob promptly raised his hand.

Amari tossed the cloak his way. “It’s yours, Rob.”

“A-are you sure? It’d be good for you too, Amari!”

“No worries. I already got two skill upgrades and a new weapon. I’m not about to hoard all the rewards. You’ll make better use of it.”

Rob smiled from ear to ear. “In that case, I’m not wasting any time.” He slipped the cloak on.

“Oooh. It looks so good on you!” Marie said, adjusting the collar for him.

Rob laughed like a fool, cheeks flushed red.

Jack clapped his hands together. “Actually… there’s one last surprise.”

Everyone turned to him instantly.

“What?” Horace asked, practically drooling.

Jack took out the five identical books and handed one to each of them.

“A collective skill,” Rob said in awe.

“It’s only my third time seeing one,” Marie added. “Usually, only big guild teams have these.”

“And now we do too,” Amari said, grinning. “Shall we learn it, guys?”

“Let’s do it!” Horace shouted.

The five of them opened their books in unison. Pages flipped with a quiet rustle, glowing faintly. One by one, the books crumpled into motes of digital light, dissolving into the air.

You’ve learned [Strength Through Unity].

“Don’t mention it. Now, if it’s all the same to you—I’ve got some practicing to do.”

“Sure!”

Dash!

Jack vanished in a blur, racing toward the fortress. The moment the dash ended, he triggered it again.

Dash!

He reached the rear wall in seconds.

“Dude! That was awesome! You were running as fast as a rogue!” Rob messaged him privately.

Jack smiled to himself. It had looked cool and felt awesome. But there was no time to soak in the praise.

He grabbed the horn and took a deep breath. Two more overtones. That was what he needed. Two more notes—and only two hours to get them.

Not a second to waste.

He tightened his diaphragm, shaped his lips, and blew into the horn—forcing the sound higher, sharper, deeper. Reaching for the overtone that would push him and his team beyond their limits.

The sound pierced the quiet, raw and bright. A promise—not just to himself, but to the team. Wave fifty was coming. And they'd be ready.

Ch. 232 - Losses

INDEX

Ch. 234 - Bushcraft Gourmand