HC: Handyman | Ch. 203 - YES, SIR!

Jack picked up the bones he’d shaped between waves 28 and 29. For two straight hours, he’d measured, sawed, and drilled—again and again.

Now came the sanding.

He filed the holes clean, smoothed the cut edges, and carefully rounded the bone’s interior. Comfort mattered—especially if these were going to be worn in motion.

Nearby, a pile of fresh mountain grass lay drying—the strands he’d use to bind the greaves. Marie and Rob had brought back plenty. He’d laid it close enough to the fire to stay warm, but far enough not to catch flame. The sun helped too. The fibers were drying just right.

He was starting to feel confident. If things kept going like this, he’d have the greaves and shin guards finished before wave 30 hit. And with Horace covering weapons and shields, maybe—just maybe—the soldiers would be properly geared for the boss fight.

Jack blew bone dust from the inside of a half-shaped greave and ran his fingers along the surface.

Smooth. It should hold up well enough.

Still, a thought lingered.

I wish I could add something to the outside. A mark. A flourish. Something that made it unique.

Ever since Marie and the professor had praised his pendant, he’d been itching to make something beautiful again—not just practical. His fingers hovered over the curve of the bone, thumb tracing an invisible pattern. Just one line. One flourish. A symbol. A crest. Anything.

But he pulled back. There just wasn’t time. Not if he wanted the soldiers ready before the next wave.

Get a grip, Jack. It wasn’t worth it. These things are going to get chewed up in minutes.

They were meant to take hits—heavy paws, crunching jaws. Their job wasn’t to look good.

He chuckled. A few weeks ago, he’d have searched for any excuse to cut corners. Now he had to convince himself not to go overboard.

His mother’s words came back to him—how he’d changed. How he needed time before starting something new.

He shook his head. Focus. I have to finish these.

He double-checked that all the bones were properly cut and sanded, then turned to the pile of dry grass beside him.

Stone-Reed Grass (Uncommon)

A hardy, fibrous grass that grows in narrow mountain crevices. Its silver-green blades are stiff and sinewy, and its long inner fibers are naturally resistant to fraying. 

Durability: 22

The strands were tougher than bulrush, but still pliable enough to braid. As Jack began working with it, he immediately took a liking to the material. It responded well to tension and didn’t split under pressure. Braiding the first cord felt smooth and steady.

Perhaps I should create a new armor using this grass. And this time I can make something with an A-grade.

Jack kept weaving the fibers, twisting, turning, and tying knots on both ends. Even though it had been a while since he’d last worked with grass, his hands were still able to work on their own, nimbly.

You’ve crafted [Weak Cord].

+5XP in Bushcraft.

After several minutes, he’d worked through the whole batch.

Jack pulled up the details of a skill that had been sitting in his inventory for days.

Rope Waxing (Common)

Skill level: 1

Skill description: You can strengthen ropes by coating them in wax for added durability and resistance to weathering.

Skill effects:

• Allows you to apply wax to ropes, increasing their durability

• Waxed ropes gain slight resistance to fire and water damage

I suppose it’s somewhat similar to [Wax Resist].

Jack retrieved the beeswax and warmed it briefly by the fire. Holding a section of cord between his fingers, he rubbed the wax along its length in slow, deliberate strokes. The fibers darkened as the wax sank in, giving them a faint sheen. It felt smoother now, less likely to chafe. He coiled it up, nodding in quiet approval.

As he worked, a memory flickered up: the recipe for the Drinking Horn—one of the synergy recipes he’d found a while back.

Recipe for: [Drinking Horn]

Ingredients:

1x[Horn]

1x[Beeswax]

Instructions:

• Clean the horn thoroughly, removing any remaining tissue.

• Sand and smooth the edges to create a comfortable drinking rim.

• Coat the inside with wax.

Requirements:

[Bone Carving], lvl. 1

[Brewing]

They hadn’t found beasts with horns yet, but a line in the recipe had stuck with him—“coat the inside with wax.”

He eyed the shin guard resting in his lap.

Waxing the cord had been quick enough. Shrugging, he took the warm wax and began applying a thin coat to the inside of the greave. It didn’t take long, and the result was worth it. The surface turned silky, almost polished. It wouldn't absorb moisture now, and it felt even smoother against the skin.

With all the individual parts ready, all that remained was to bring the whole thing together.

Jack began threading the waxed cord through the holes he’d drilled. It felt oddly familiar, like lacing up a sneaker—one strap, then the next. The first shin guard came together tight and clean. He gave it a tug. Solid. Flexible. Ready.

He worked fast, assembling the second guard to match. When it was done, Jack brushed the dust from his hands and lifted the set, turning the finished pieces in the light.

Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Shagrat Bone Shin Guards].

+450XP in [Butchering].

Shagrat Bone Shin Guards (Uncommon)

Sturdy greaves crafted from the leg bones of shagrat beasts and bound with waxed mountain grass cord. Though rough in appearance, they offer impressive protection and endurance for frontliners who expect to hold their ground.

Durability: 30

Crafting grade: C

HP: 10

Constitution: 4

Block: 4

Defense: 9

Requirements: Lvl. 20.

Not bad, considering how fast it took to make a pair.

The explosions stopped.

Wave 29 Cleared.

+1 Breach point.

Everyone else was done, too.

Jack stood and stretched, flexing his fingers. “Esther, can you come here for a moment?”

“Sir?” she said, wiping her muddy hands on a cloth as she approached.

“How’s your task going?”

She beamed and gestured to a cloth spread neatly on the ground. Several small clay disks lay arranged in pairs. “I’ve made six pairs so far,” she said.

Since it was a pure-pottery recipe, he knew it was safe to delegate the task. And she’d delivered. The earrings were nothing fancy, but they’d do the job.

“Well done,” he said.

“Thank you!” she said, standing a little taller.

“Can you handle something else?”

“Always.”

“The others just cleared another wave. Please harvest the carcasses. When you're back, you can pick up where you left off with the earrings, alright?”

As he spoke, Jack passed the [Butchering] profession to her and retrieved [Pottery] for himself.

She nodded and jogged off. Jack watched her go. Working had helped her get past the awkward moment with the deserters.

While she was harvesting the battlefield he would go check in on the cellar and his bees. Then, it would be time to finish the rest of the shin guards and the greaves.

*

Jack wiped the sweat off his brow. He’d made it with twenty minutes to spare. Before him lay ten pairs of shagrat bone shin guards and greaves. Despite the rush, most of them had been graded C by the system—some even C-plus.

“I’m all done here!” Jack said.

“I’m still finishing up,” Horace replied, fitting wooden balls on the tips of shafts. Beside him was a pile of oval shields.

“Nice. I’ll get started on dinner,” Jack said.

He approached the pot and began adding the best ingredients he had on hand. Among them was a rare prize from the previous boss:

Ischychromys Sovereign Cut (Rare)

A premium cut taken from the belly and flank of a powerful ischychromys.

Durability: 43

He only had four of those, so he added them to the pot along with a solid cut dropped by the elite shagrat on wave 25:

Shagrat Backstrap (Uncommon)

A lean, tender cut taken from the upper spine of an elite shagrat.

Durability: 32

Jack started cooking with the best ingredients he had. He pulled out all the stops. Bone broth. Pickled vegetables. Fresh greens. He made sure everything was sautéed just right before combining all the ingredients.

In a second pot, he prepared a simpler stew, similar to what he’d been serving in previous rounds. 

This was going to be the third boss of the Breach, and judging by how much the encounters had scaled so far, Jack felt a creeping anxiety. 

To worsen it all, since Rob had joined them, this time, the boss would be two levels above them.

That’s going to be a problem, Jack thought. A big one. In normal shagrats, the level gap didn’t mean much. But with a boss? That difference could be deadly.

Hopefully, this meal would help them somewhat.

Whether drawn by the smell or just showing up on time, his NPCs and teammates began to arrive.

“Hey!” Marie greeted Jack. He caught her glancing at the pile of equipment. Her fingers twitched, like she was expecting to spot something artistic. When she didn’t, her brows furrowed.

Horace seemed to finish at that moment. He set the last wooden mace beside the others and took his seat by the fire. 

“Hi, guys. How did the exploration go?” Jack asked.

“Two more packages,” Rob declared proudly.

“One more on my side,” Amari added. “What about you guys?”

“We’ve got several pieces of equipment, except for the most critical ones: chestplate and helmet. I can make them, but I’ll need two, maybe three waves,” Jack said.

Amari nodded. “Good work. Shall we get the lads to try them on?”

“Sure.”

“Edric! Gather your men!” Amari called.

The group of ragtag fighters approached. They were already wearing mismatched gear salvaged from the smugglers' cache.

It’s a little better than what they arrived in, I guess.

“We’re here, sir,” Edric said.

Amari beckoned toward Jack and Horace.

Jack stepped forward. “Right. Here. Put these on. There’s a pair of earrings, a necklace, shin guards, greaves, shields, and maces. We still have to make a few more things, but this should be enough to get you started.”

The men perked up. They approached the pile with the quiet focus of people used to preparing for battle. One by one, they swapped out their old gear, slipping into the new pieces with minimal fumbling. They helped one another adjust the straps, tighten the greaves, and fit the arm loops on the shields. Some swung the maces experimentally, feeling their weight. 

They were heavy. Jack had held one earlier. It would deal severe damage.

“Fall in line!” Edric barked.

The men snapped to position. They weren’t fully armored yet, but they already looked more like soldiers than scavengers.

“Sir,” Edric said, turning to Amari. “The men are ready to join the front lines.”

Amari weighed it for a moment. “Fine. But you’ll play more defensively, at least until we get the rest of your gear sorted out. You will retreat at my command if needed. Yes?”

“YES, SIR!” the soldiers shouted.

Jack glanced at Esther. She still looked upset—arms crossed, mouth drawn—but the hatred in her expression had faded. Maybe seeing the men work together had softened something in her.

He turned to the two pots now bubbling gently by the fire. He approached the one with prize ingredients. Curious to see just how powerful the meal was. 

Sure enough. This was the best meal he’d ever made.

Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Survival Stew].

+2000XP in [Bushcraft]

Crafting grade: A

Ingredients: [Pickled Ischychromys Sovereign Cut], [Pickled Shagrat Picanha], [Pickled Shagrat Meat], [Bone Broth]

Item description: A nutritious, tasty meal made from ingredients gathered in the wild.

Item effects:

• +2 stamina per second for ten minutes;

• +2 HP per second for ten minutes;

• Beefy strike: Deals 2% of the enemy’s max HP damage per strike for 30 minutes. Doesn’t work on bosses.  

• Rodent vitality: +200 HP and +200 stamina for 30 minutes  

• Tree climber: +20 jump and 10% movement speed for 30 minutes

The mix of buffs was going to make a massive difference in the fight. Especially the improved beefy strike. The part about it not being effective against elites was gone. That would clear any elites that accompanied the boss that much faster.

Sadly, there were only four portions.

So I guess that the question is: who should I feed this super-stew to?

Ch. 202 - Supermom

INDEX

Ch. 204 - The Inconspicuous Shagrat