HC: Handyman | Ch. 206 - The Spoils

As the black-horned shagrat's body hit the ground, the momentum of the wave collapsed with it. Despite the number of shagrats still on the f

As the black-horned shagrat's body hit the ground, the momentum of the wave collapsed with it. Despite the number of shagrats still on the field, the fight had effectively ended the moment the herd lost its buffs. 

Marie and Christoff cleaned up the stragglers with ruthless efficiency.

You’ve cleared wave 30.

+1 Breach point.

The northern wind, which had howled through the canyon during the battle, finally abated, though frost still clung to the remains of the shagrat herd. Unlike the first wave they’d ever faced, this time the carcasses were scattered between the bend of the canyon and the first ditch, not heaped inside it.

"Was it me, or was this the easiest boss wave yet?" Horace asked.

Jack forced a smile. "I-I don’t know, Horace. I think it was still pretty tough," he said, motioning subtly for him to be quiet.

Horace, of course, didn’t take the hint. "Are you kidding me? They didn’t even make it past the first ditch! We demolished them. I almost wish they were a real challenge. Haha. What? Why are you looking at me like that, Jack?"

Jack slapped his forehead. How could Horace be so clueless? Hadn’t he ever run dungeons inside the pyramid? Didn’t he know what kind of vengeance Piri was capable of?

He could already picture it: the next wave replaced by a sky full of dragons, each one hungry to avenge a bruised ego.

Rob, who had been listening in, glanced over with a wide grin. He’d heard Jack’s complaints about Piri and was clearly enjoying the show.

Marie clapped her hands once. “Guys. The loot. Focus.”

The team snapped out of it and hurried toward the fallen boss. The soldiers and Christoff had already departed, making their way back to the fortress—they had no interest in loot.

Horace was practically drooling, while Marie rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

“What are we waiting for?” Rob asked, stepping forward, hand stretched toward the carcass.

Horace yanked him back. “Dude! Are you crazy?”

“Huh? What’d I do?”

“Jack here’s got the Midas touch. He’s always the one who loots.”

“Really?”

“He’s got the highest luck stat out of all of us—unless you’ve got more. How much luck do you have, Rob?”

“Eight,” Rob said proudly—then deflated. “Oh. Right. My cousin has more.”

“And there you go,” Horace said, smug.

Jack smiled faintly. “Ready?”

“Go for it,” Amari said.

As his fingers touched the Black-Horned Shagrat, golden light surged outward, and his hand glowed with the brilliance of the [Luck of the Hunter] skill. The frost on the nearby rocks steamed gently, and a soft hum rippled through the air.

Horace leaned forward, eyes wide. “Please be a legendary...”

A cascade of numbers and notifications scrolled past Jack’s vision, rapid and glowing.

You’ve looted [Obsidian Shagrat]

+5 gold and 31 silver.

You’ve looted:

12x [Prime Shagrat Meat]

5x [Shagrat Royal Cut]

6x [Shagrat Fat]

8x [Sturdy Bones]

[Obsidian Shagrat Horn]

[Obsidian Shagrat Pelt]

[Hollow Prowler’s Fang]

[Into the Breach]

[Selfless Grief]

[Blade of the Mountain]

Jack let out a quiet breath of relief. There it was—the item he’d hoped for: the horn.

Obsidian Shagrat Horn (Rare)

A horn that only grows in the alpha male of a large shagrat herd. From the apex of the Black-Horned Shagrat. Its structure is dense, and the tip is razor-sharp.

Durability: 97

Jack turned the horn in his hand. Up close, its beauty was even more striking—fine crisscrossing veins of dark red and violet shimmered faintly beneath the polished obsidian surface. He couldn’t wait to craft with it.

Behind him, Jack felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. He turned and froze. The entire team was staring at him with unsettling intensity.

“Whoa, easy! Most of it’s just meat, bones, and the usual stuff. Still sorting through it so I can share, alright?”

“What is that in your hand?” Horace asked with narrowed eyes.

“A horn. Only good for crafting,” Jack said.

“Hurry up already,” Marie said, arms crossed.

Horace leaned toward Rob with a mock-conspiratorial whisper. “It’s the one downside of letting Jack do the harvesting. He always takes his sweet time instead of just showing us the goods.”

Rob nodded. “Yeah… that sounds like Jack.”

Jack chuckled, unbothered, and returned to his task. He gently set the horn aside and picked up the sheet of parchment.

Into the Breach (Level 2 melody)

A stirring melody composed in the memory of defenders who charge into impossible odds. When played, it invigorates allies, granting a short burst of energy.

Melody Type: Epic

Requirements: Bard. Level 20.

The only other music sheet Jack had ever found was the level 1 melody: Sonic Valley. To this day, it was one of the most powerful tools in the team’s arsenal. 

But Into the Breach? This was marked as level 2.

What did that even mean? If level 1 was a beginner melody, was level 2 an intermediate melody? There was only one way to find out.

“Hey, guys! There’s a music sheet. You all good with me learning it?”

“Of course,” Amari said without hesitation.

“Who else could even use it? Marie?” Horace burst out laughing.

Marie narrowed her eyes. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing,” Horace said, trying and failing to keep a straight face. “Just remembered the time I heard you sing. Bwahaha—it was so bad!”

“You little—”

They launched into their usual bickering, trading jabs and exaggerated scowls. 

Ignoring them, Jack tapped the parchment and accepted the melody.

You have learned [Into the Breach].

Setting the music sheet aside, Jack turned to the next piece of treasure: a skill book. Its cover was worn but sturdy, bound in deep crimson leather. 

Selfless Grief (Rare)

A reckless burst of fury that trades balance for brutality. For a brief moment, the user becomes a whirlwind of motion—fast and deadly.

Skill effects: Doubles movement speed and attack power for 10 seconds. After the effect ends, both attributes are halved for 60 seconds.

Cooldown: 30 minutes

Requirements: Level 20

Jack tossed the book over to Amari. “Check this out.”

“Whoa!” Amari said, eyes widening as he scanned the description. “Berserker-type skills that aren’t class-locked are crazy rare.”

Rob nodded. “Only the second one I’ve seen.”

“Let me see!” Horace snatched the book from Amari, practically bouncing. “Whoa—awesome!”

“Who wants to roll for it?” Amari asked, already grinning.

“I’m game,” Rob said, stepping forward. Amari joined him, and Horace was right behind.

They let the system handle the roll. A moment later, the result blinked into view—Amari.

“Oh yeah, baby!” Amari pumped his fist in triumph.

“First, the skill from the Roach Mother, and now this? Unfair,” Horace grumbled.

“Come on, Horace,” Amari said, teasing. “You’d only use the speed boost. The attack buff would be totally wasted on you.”

“Exactly,” Horace shot back. “Which means I wouldn’t be as crippled when the penalty kicks in.”

Jack laughed as the two continued to bicker, their voices overlapping.

“That’s not all, fellas.”

All four teammates turned to him at once, like a family of startled meerkats.

With a flick of his wrist, Jack summoned the final item from his inventory—a short sword, silver and gleaming.

Blade of the Mountain (Rare)

Forged by a mountain-clan smith and long buried within the hide of a Black-Horned Shagrat, this blade hums with lingering strength. Though short, its weight is balanced and its edge honed to pierce even hardened hides.

Attack: 56

Block: 4

Durability: 92

Effect: Grants +30 HP when equipped.

Requirement: Level 20

Everyone’s eyes turned to Rob.

“Do you want it?” Amari offered.

Rob shook his head. “Nah, both my swords are better.”

Amari clicked his tongue. “Same here. I use claws anyway.”

“Should we give it to one of the soldiers?” Marie asked.

Jack and Horace exchanged a glance. They were thinking the same thing.

Horace stepped forward. “We can sell this for good money. I’ll auction it off—split the profits evenly.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Jack felt a small surge of relief. It had been days since their last proper haul, and they were still stuck deep in the Breach. If things didn’t start paying off soon, his margins this month would be dangerously tight.

Still, he wasn’t too worried. With his new ability to imbue gear using the terracoat mix, he’d find a way to make money quickly.

“Well then, that settles the loot,” Amari said, stretching his arms. “Shall we get going?”

He turned and started walking.

Jack followed, flashing a grin. “I’ll cook you something before you head back out exploring.”

*

Jack was alone in the fortress again.

Now that Horace had finished crafting the shields and maces for the soldiers, he had gone off to explore with the others. Jack didn’t mind working solo—he was used to it—but having Horace around, whistling while he worked, had been… nice. It reminded him of his days at the Pottery Association, crafting beside Felix and the other potters. He found himself missing the company more than he expected.

Still, the team had agreed to regroup here before Wave 31. They’d learned their lesson after the last one. Being underprepared for that first shagrat wave had nearly cost them the entire Breach run. That wave had pushed all the way to the carriage—a feat only the first two bosses had managed. Just in case the next one was even nastier, it was safer for everyone to be nearby.

“Better safe than sorry,” Amari had said.

In the meantime, Jack had work to do. He still needed to finish crafting the rest of the soldiers’ gear. 

The good news was that the next items on his crafting list would also let him upgrade his own equipment. 

As his [Bone Carving] skill leveled up, he’d unlocked a new synergistic recipe that blended bushcraft with bonework. Even better—he was pretty sure the resulting gear could be imbued. That alone made it worth testing.

He pulled up the two recipes he wanted to tackle.

Recipe for: [Studded Grass Chestplate].

Ingredients:

• 10x [Grass Rope]

• 50x [Bone Bars]

Instructions:

• Weave a chest-covering top entirely out of [Grass Rope].

• Carve [Bone Bars]—50 in total—into uniform, sturdy strips.

• Sand them until they are smooth and flat.

• Bind each bar securely across the chest and upper ribs, spacing them to maximize coverage without restricting movement.

• Test flexibility and adjust bindings as needed to maintain comfort and protection.

Requirements:

• [Bone Carving], lvl. 6

• [Rope Weaving], lvl. 4

Recipe for: [Studded Grass Bottom].

Ingredients:

• 8x [Grass Rope]

• 40x [Bone Bars]

Instructions:

• Weave a pair of rope-based pants using [Grass Rope] for the base.

• Carve [Bone Bars]—40 in total—into small, flat strips suitable for articulation.

• Sand them until they are smooth and flat.

• Attach the bars strategically along the thighs and sides, reinforcing vulnerable areas.

• Secure each bar tightly, checking to ensure freedom of movement is preserved.

Requirements:

• [Bone Carving], lvl. 7

• [Rope Weaving], lvl. 4

The idea seemed simple: reinforce the armor by inserting bone fragments at key points. Luckily, he had a solid stash of grass rope and plenty of shattered shagrat bones. More than enough to experiment with.

Start by seeing what others have done, Jack thought, recalling the professor’s advice.

He opened the browser and began searching for examples of bone armor.

It didn’t take long to realize the game’s concept wasn’t all that original. People had been doing this for thousands of years, especially in regions where metal was scarce.

He found a photo of a museum piece—a full suit of armor made from bone scales. Jack blinked. The amount of work that had gone into it was insane. He wouldn’t be surprised if it took years just to make one suit. Impressive, sure, but not practical for what he needed.

He scrolled past a few simpler designs—leather vests reinforced with sharpened ribs or tusks.

Now that’s more like it.

If he could figure out how those craftsmen had secured the bone to the leather, he could adapt the same principle for his studded grass armor. He studied each close-up, paying attention to the fastening.

There were holes drilled near the ends of each bone piece. Loops of sinew or cord threaded through, anchoring them like buttons.

“Alright. Threading, not embedding,” Jack said, nodding to himself.

He jotted the idea down. The bars would need to be uniform—flat, strong, and about the length of his pinky. Drill a hole at each end, then run cord through both sides.

Way better than what he’d originally imagined—just tying knots around the bone. Drilling and threading would keep everything secure, even under stress.

Satisfied with the research, Jack opened his sketching app and began drafting the armor. He was going to make sure this armor turned out right—and awesome.

Ch. 205 - Too Easy

INDEX

Ch. 207 - Wave 31