HC: Handyman | Ch. 228 – Augmenter

For a time, the turrets held.

Arrows hissed through the air. Javelins punched through chitin, pinning invaders to stone. The ground around the dandelion tree became a mound of fallen ants — the choke point, a graveyard.

But the wave never slowed.

Ants climbed over their dead, swarming the trunk and pressing forward. For every one that fell, three more took its place.

Then one broke through.

A turret swiveled, tracking it—and in that heartbeat of focus, the rest surged. Two. Five. A dozen. 

The choke point ruptured like a burst dam.

Ants poured through in a solid wall, engulfing the dandelion tree until its trunk groaned under their weight. They didn’t just come along the ground. They scaled the canyon walls, claws hooking into cracks, chitin scraping stone in a teeth-grating chorus.

The turrets kept firing, but the kill zone had become a highway leading straight to the first ditch.

The Tramontane’s frozen gusts scoured the canyon, flinging snow and ice in sheets, but the swarm pressed on as if the wind were no more than a cold sigh.

“Jack! Catch!” Rob called, hurling the kaleidoscope.

Jack snatched it mid-flight and leveled it at the oncoming mass.

Species Identified: Yeti Ant

Diet: Omnivore

Level: 24

Description:

A massive, cold-adapted ant species coated in coarse, white fur. Their strands of chitin are thick and insulated, making them resistant to cold. 

You’ve learned more about Yeti Ants.

You’ve received a buff: [Formic Resistance].

Formic Resistance: +10 defense when fighting ants.

Jack gulped. No wonder the Tramontane’s winds were useless — these creatures were built for the cold.

Around him, NPCs shifted uneasily, glancing at their commanders for reassurance. The One-Riders tugged their goats’ reins to keep them from bolting.

“They’re about to enter range,” Marie called.

Amari cleared his throat. “Horace! All Goat Knights are under your command. Hold the line, no matter what. Marie, focus fire on the ants scaling the canyon walls; infantry can’t reach them. We’ve got this! We’ve got this!”

The team scrambled into position. Horace bellowed over the deafening skitter of countless legs just to reach the Goat Knights. But volume wasn’t the problem — the NPCs were wilting under the weight of facing a tide that seemed endless.

Marie coiled her arm back, grenade in hand.

The moment felt right. Time to chip in, Jack thought.

He raised the horn — black and smooth as polished stone — and set it to his lips. 

He blew.

Ta-TAA. Ta-TA, Ta-TA, Ta-TAAAA.

The sound tore through the canyon. For the first time since the ants appeared, the skittering fell silent beneath it.

It was as if sunlight had broken through a storm-dark sky — sudden, bright, impossible to ignore. The Goat Knights eased their mounts forward. Even the most shaken soldiers gripped their weapons with new resolve.

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.

A translucent orange shield shimmered into place around every ally.

Marie’s grenade slammed into the canyon wall with a thunderous crack, scattering ants even beyond the blast radius. Those at the center took the full brunt — half their health gone in an instant.

“Whoa! Thirty percent damage! Thanks, Jack!” Marie called, grinning as her bombs struck with heavier force.

Horace shot Jack a wide-eyed look, mouth hanging open.

Jack grinned. Speechless, huh? He gave a cheerful thumbs-up.

Horace’s face reddened, forehead creasing. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DEFENSE AND BLOCK STATS?!”

Jack froze mid-bow. Oh-ho… misread that one.

“No time to explain!” he shouted back.

He switched to his ocarina. The first notes of March of the Embers wound through the canyon.

He played through the chaos, shutting out the skittering and the shouts. Each phrase built heat, the melody glowing like a coal burning hotter and brighter.

Jack hit the final note.

You’ve played [March of the Embers].

Performance grade: A+

+300 XP in [Bard]

Audience bonus: +650 XP in [Bard]

Effect: All allies deal +10(+2%) damage for 1 minute.

[Soulful Performer] activates: All allies receive +10(+2) attack for 10 minutes.

A red glow flared across every ally’s weapon. Damage numbers from Marie’s bombs and Christoff’s arrows spiked higher — Marie was nearly one-shotting them now.

A new notification blinked into view:

You’ve unlocked a new title: [Augmenter].

Augmenter (Rare)

Description: You have shown the rare ability to push an ally’s abilities far beyond their natural limits. Others may train for years to inch forward; you can double their potential in mere moments.

Effect: Your buffs last 10% longer and are 10% stronger.

Condition: Double one of your allies’ attributes. {complete}

In the heat of battle, Jack didn’t waste time reading further — his fingers were already moving into the next melody, each note crisp and deliberate.

The ants neared the ditch, and the One-Eyes opened fire, darts snapping into the swarm. Amari’s shurikens flashed, Rob’s needles flew, each strike adding to the punishing wall of ranged fire.

It was barely enough to hold them. But with the combined force of the Tramontane’s blasts, four turrets, twelve blowgunners, Christoff’s arrows, two rogues, and a grenadier, the unstoppable tide slowed — the ants now inched forward instead of surging.

Jack struck the final note of Tenderizing Repercussions.

A concussive wave rippled down the canyon. Snow and dust spiraled in its wake, tracing the shockwave’s path. Ants staggered; the front lines buckled under the withering fire.

By the time they regained their footing, the ants had been pushed back a few precious inches.

ROAAAAR!

Beneath the skittering came a new sound — deep, guttural roars from the rear of the canyon. Jack’s lips curled into a brief smile. The short-faced bears had joined the fight.

The smile faded almost instantly. With this many ants, what could the bears really do? The swarm might tear them apart if they fought.

He itched to see the bears in action, maybe even help them — but there was nothing he could do for them right now. The best thing was to keep his side standing.

The ranged units were quickly depleting their stamina. 

Jack shifted into a slow, steady melody. When the final note faded, a faint blue shimmer rolled over the defenders.

You’ve played [Sitting Wind].

Performance grade: A+

+500 XP in [Bard]

Audience Bonus: +2500 XP in [Bard]

Effect: Allies recover +1 stamina every 5 seconds for 10 minutes.

[Soulful Performer] activates: +50 stamina for 10 minutes.

[Augmenter] activates: Buff lasts 11 minutes. +5 stamina.

Stamina bars across the party pulsed, ticking upward bit by bit.

Still, the ants pressed forward. The defenders clawed back a few yards only to lose them again. Infantry and knights shifted restlessly, bracing for the inevitable moment when the swarm reached the ditch.

Jack didn’t stop. His fingers launched into the most difficult song in his repertoire — Into the Breach. The melody came fast and relentless, each note driving into the next like hammer blows.

You’ve played [Into the Breach].

Performance Grade: B+

+8,500 XP in [Bard]

Audience Bonus: +2,500 XP in [Bard]

Effect: All allies gain +10 knockback for (1+2) seconds.

Every shot blazed green, streaking through the air before slamming into the ants and shoving them back. The defenders roared, reclaiming precious ground.

But the glow faded quickly. As the effect passed, the swarm began inching forward again. From deeper in the canyon came echoing roars — not of victory, but of pain. The short-faced bears were retreating. The front lines tightened under the renewed pressure.

Jack shifted immediately into the next melody. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he played the dissonant intervals. His mouth was dry, but he kept playing, forcing every note into the air. It felt like wrestling the swarm itself—his buffs and debuffs the only thing holding them back.

He closed his eyes, steadying his breathing. Whether it was the rush from two earlier A+ performances or sheer desperation, he felt good about this one.

The song ended in a dissonant clash.

You’ve played [Sonic Valley].

Performance Grade: A+

+1,000 XP in [Bard]

Audience Bonus: +3,150 XP in [Bard]

Effect: All creatures are confused.

[Soulful Performer] activates: All creatures see hallucinations.

The jarring progressions twisted through the swarm. Ants turned on one another, snapping and clawing. Some tumbled from the cliffs; others lashed at the air, fighting invisible foes.

Jack stole a single breath. Despite every song, every buff, every push… the canyon was still choked white with fur. The swarm showed no sign of ending.

Are we really going to make it?

Horace’s voice cut through the clash. “Amari! The package!”

“But what if we need it later?”

“More than now?” Horace shot back without missing a beat. “Go! Activate it! I’ll hold them.”

Amari hesitated, biting his lip before turning and vaulting onto the canyon wall, vanishing into the chaos.

Jack blinked. “Where’s he going?”

“What are you asking questions for? We need your songs, Jack!” Horace barked.

Jack lifted the ocarina again and began Sleeping Lullaby, the final debuff in his repertoire. As the last note faded, the effect rippled through the swarm. Ants faltered. Claws scraped uselessly at the stone before bodies slumped in half-dreams. Others shook their heads, fighting the pull of sleep.

“Fire at will!” Marie shouted, hurling bomb after bomb to cut down as many as possible before the swarm stirred again.

But when the ants woke, they didn’t hesitate. They poured forward once more — and finally reached the ditch.

Horace’s voice carried, impossibly clear over the chaos.

“Focus on the ants on the walls and on the far side of the ditch! Anything the ranged unit can’t reach, we push back into the ditch until they’re dead!”

The ranged unit loosed shot after shot, cutting numbers where they could. Soldiers braced at the rim, shields raised.

The swarm slammed into the ditch like a living tide. Ants clawed for purchase on the far wall, mandibles snapping at any opening.

Soldiers shoved them back with shields, smashing down with maces to knock bodies into the pit below. Goat Knights drove their lances into the mass, skewering the front ranks before wrenching the weapons free and striking again.

Horace stood at the center, hammer sweeping in great arcs, each blow sending ants crashing back into the ditch.

One by one, the translucent shields—worth ten percent of each fighter’s total HP—shattered like glass under the strain. The defense line was bleeding damage.

Jack shifted into a slow, grounding rhythm. When the final note rang out, the buff pulsed through the infantry.

You’ve played [Dance of the Turtles].

Performance Grade: B-

+300 XP in [Bard]

Audience bonus: +2500 XP in [Bard]

+8 defense for 1 minute.

[Augmenter]: +6 seconds

The bonus would ease — if only slightly — the loss of defense stats caused by Jack’s earlier call.

Horace caught his eye and gave a sharp, grateful nod before turning back to the fight.

Still, they came. Dozens became hundreds. The defenders’ line bent under the weight. At this rate, they’d have to fall back.

Jack felt it — a faint tremor in the stone beneath his boots. It grew, rattling his bones. He scanned the canyon and spotted movement high on the cliffs.

Boulders. Massive stone boulders breaking free, rolling in an unstoppable cascade.

BOOOOOOOM!

They smashed into the swarm, carving deep furrows through the mass of white-furred bodies. Ants vanished beneath the crushing weight, ragged gaps tearing open in their ranks. Some stones stopped only when they piled against mounds of broken bodies; others crashed into the ditch, crushing climbers in their path.

Jack swallowed hard. “Such destructive power. Was that the package you found on the cliffs?” He dimly recalled Horace scaling the canyon wall, looking for any hidden packages. 

“Yeah. Been saving it until now. It bought us some time.”

Jack nodded. Half the swarm lay dead, but still, from the dandelion tree, new ants poured out to replace them. Worse, the fallen boulders had bridged the ditch, turning their first line of defense into a ramp.

“Fall back!” Horace commanded.

Jack snatched up his horn.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!

You’ve played [Retreat Call]!

+200 XP in Bard

+20% movement speed;

+10% evasion;

-30% attack.

Buff lasts for 20 minutes.

The buff rippled through the defenders, and they surged back along the safe path. Behind them, traps triggered one after another, buying precious seconds. Even with her attack cut, Marie never stopped tossing grenades, the blasts marking their trail.

The Goat Knights and Rob vaulted the ditch in perfect sync, landing on the carriage where Amari already waited. Jack activated his movement skill.

Dash!

The world blurred. He gathered speed and leapt, landing beside them with ease. He glanced at his shoulder. Thanks to the flying marmoset’s pelt, he had been able to do what only the rogue in their team did.

“Nice jump!” Amari called.

“Thanks!” Jack grinned.

He scanned the field. The traps were slowing the ants’ advance, and on the horizon, the choke point stood empty.

As the last of the soldiers climbed on the carriage, Amari’s voice rang out. “Everyone! Get ready! All we have to do is clear the stragglers, and we’re through the wave!”

They were almost through the wave, but the fight was far from over.

Ch. 227 – A New Family?

INDEX

Ch. 229 – Sandwiches