HC: Handyman | Ch. 174 - Loot Time

Jack found his team gathered around the boss’s carcass, waiting expectantly for him.

He raced to them and dropped to one knee beside it.

“Was it worth us waiting?” Horace asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Oh yeah. Got a nice skill to boost the loot.”

“What are you waiting for then? The wait is killing me!” Marie urged.

“On it!”

Jack opened his stat window and kept his eyes locked on his [Luck] stat. As he neared the carcass, his hand began to glow, and the number ticked up by 3.

“Sweet. That’s [Luck of the Hunter], isn’t it?” Amari asked.

Jack smirked. “Yeah.”

Horace rubbed his hands together, and Marie was practically drooling as she watched.

Let’s make this count.

Jack touched the carcass. It dissolved into motes of light.

You’ve looted [Cobalt Ischychromys]

+3 gold and 78 silver.

You’ve looted:  

9x [Exquisite Ischychromys Meat]  

4x [Ischychromys Sovereign Cut]  

7x [Ischychromys Fat]  

5x [Sturdy Ischychromys Bones]  

1x [Ischychromys Skull]  

1x [Cobalt Ischychromys Tooth]  

1x [Cobalt Ischychromys Pelt]  

[Cobalt Sheen]  

[Slinger’s Arm]  

Coins rained into his pouch, followed by a flurry of items. Jack pulled them from his inventory and began arranging them into a neat pile in front of the group.

There was a generous stack of meat, bones, and fat—but three items stood out.

One was the pelt. It almost looked like soft metal, with the same blue metallic sheen they’d seen on the boss. Its surface shifted like polished armor, gleaming faintly under the sun.

Beside it were two books. Their covers were worn, but the bright blue letters across each title shimmered with a faint pulse as if alive.

“Two rare skills!” Marie gasped.

“And so many materials,” Amari said, crouching to inspect the haul.

“Butchers really have it easy,” Horace muttered, nudging a chunk of [Exquisite Ischychromys Meat] with the tip of his boot. “You barely lift a finger and get the whole boss’s pantry.”

Marie chimed in. “First of all—oooh, gross. Why are you touching the meat with your foot? We’re going to eat that.”

“S-sorry.”

“And secondly, we’re the lucky ones. Jack does all the work, and we get the benefits.”

Horace smirked. He crossed his arms and leaned back. “Now that you put it that way… we really are even luckier. Muahaha.”

Jack shook his head, but he didn’t disagree. The team was still chatting, but his attention was already on the pile.

He’d gotten so many items out of this boss. He went through each one, one by one.

He grabbed one of the bones. It was as long as its arm. He swung in the air and then tested it against a nearby rock.

Sturdy Ischychromys Bones (Uncommon)

Thick, light bones harvested from a Cobalt Ischychromys. Strong as metal and resistant to impact, they’re ideal for crafting.

Durability: 42

He ran his hand over the bones. Until now, he’d only worked with the brittle, marrow-thin bones of regular and elite romies—only good for broth. But these? These were something else. Strong, light, and full of potential. The [Bone-Carving] skill he’d learned moments earlier suddenly became even more appealing.

If I can learn how to shape this material… I could make incredible tools.

He turned to the teeth next. They were almost too white, with a luster that bordered on unnatural. Jack picked one up and tapped it against the nearby cliff wall.

The tooth sliced into the rock like it was nothing.

Jack gasped.

Horace leaned in. “Did that just—?”

“Yeah,” Jack said, still staring.

The regular Ischychromys teeth made a dull tink when scraped against stone. He grabbed one of those and repeated the same motion. It barely scratched the surface.

But the boss’s tooth? It left a clean groove. No wonder one of these had almost instantly destroyed Horace’s shield.

Cobalt Ischychromys Tooth (Rare)

Sharp, dense teeth that gleam with a natural luster. They are prized for use in high-grade weapons and tools.

Durability: 91

“No way… ninety-one?” Jack blinked. “That’s insane.”

Jack’s fingers tightened around the tooth. Maybe that’s how I could work the bones… using materials like this. Tooth against bone.

He grabbed the regular romie tooth again and hit at it with the boss’ tooth. It left a clean mark. Jack grinned. He was on to something here. He put these away for now.

Lastly, there was the skull. It was also in near-perfect condition. 

.Ischychromys Skull (Rare)

The full skull of a Cobalt Ischychromys, naturally curved and heavy with bone.

Durability: 55

Its sharp curves and natural grooves immediately made Jack think of helms or plated gear. Too bad I don’t know any recipes for either.

And then there was the meat.

This wasn’t just the [Exquisite Ischychromys Meat] he usually got when [Tenderizing Repercussion] triggered. His upgraded [Meat Carving] skill had finally triggered. He had obtained a special cut of meat!

Jack inspected it with keen interest.

Ischychromys Sovereign Cut (Rare)

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

Durability: 48

The marbling was incredible—fine white lines running through rich red muscle. But what truly surprised him was the scent.

Meat usually carried a slightly sour, raw smell until it hit the heat. This one, though, was fragrant—almost sweet. It smelled ready to eat like it had already been seared and seasoned by nature itself.

I could almost make sushi with this… Jack thought.

He put this meat away, too. The last thing he needed was for Horace to come poke at it with its foot.

Finally, there were the items that had his team riled up the most: two skill books and the hide.

Jack reached for the shimmering pelt. What an incredible material.

Back when it had protected the boss—and damaged both Horace’s and Amari’s weapons—it had been incredibly frustrating. But now, with just the pelt in his hands, Jack could finally appreciate it.

It looked beautiful. The blue fur was incredibly soft when he ran his hand through it gently. But when he poked it with a finger, it felt thorny and pointy.

He didn’t waste any time. He pulled off the elite pelt he’d been wearing over his shoulders and draped the new pelt over himself instead.

Item effect [Gear-Grinder] is now active.

His stats immediately soared.

Cobalt Ischychromys Hide (Rare)

Smooth to the touch but layered like natural armor, this hide shimmers with a faint metallic sheen. Taken from a matured Ischychromys apex, it's prized for gear that balances mobility and resilience.

Item effects:

+3 constitution

+2 strength

+7 jump

+5 cold resistance

+5% movement speed

+4 block

+9 defense

Gear-Grinder: When attacked, an opponent’s equipment loses durability at an accelerated rate.

Durability: 42

Just in constitution and strength alone, Jack had gained the equivalent of five level-ups. Then there was the bonus effect: [Gear Grinder]. It seemed like something tailored for PvP—a toxic effect at that. Jack shrugged. He didn’t plan on PvPing. Fighting other players wasn’t his thing, but it was still a solid perk.

The best part, however, was how it looked on him.

The elite hides only covered his shoulders and upper back. But this boss had been larger, and its hide was more than enough to drape down his spine like a flowing cape.

“I feel like a superhero,” Jack said loud enough for Horace to hear.

Marie squinted at him. “You look like an impoverished noble who could only afford to buy a squirrel’s pelt as a cape.”

“Jealousy is an ugly color on you, Marie. I know what I look like—and that’s a superhero,” Jack said.

Horace ignored them both. He was turning over one of the skill books in his hand, eyes narrowing. “Well, look at that.”

Jack checked the details of the skill that had caught the warrior’s interest.

Cobalt Sheen (Rare)

Skill level: 1

Skill description: You’ve learned to channel the defensive properties of metallic beasts, coating your body in a reactive armor that punishes attackers.

Skill effects: Active. Coat yourself in a metallic sheen for 10 seconds. While active, reflect incoming physical damage based on your [Block] and [Defense] stats.

Cooldown: 60 seconds.

“Such an interesting skill.” Jack imagined Horace in the middle of a battlefield, reflecting strike after strike back at their enemies. Epic.

Horace looked around, checking if everyone had read the details. “You guys all okay with me learning this?”

Jack laughed. “Who else could? You’re our only warrior.”

“Go for it,” Amari encouraged.

Horace didn’t need to be told twice. He accepted the skill book without hesitation. The book crumpled into ashes as Horace learned the skill.

Cobalt Sheen!

A soft metallic hum filled the air as his whole body pulsed with a bluish glow. The sheen rolled over him like liquid armor, shimmering across his shoulders and chest like he’d been dipped in metal.

The effect reminded Jack of Horace’s usual [Copper Skin]—but this one had a different energy. Instead of pure defense, it shimmered with the promise of payback.

“Haha! Hit me, Jack! Come on! Hit me!”

“No, thank you,” Jack said, waving his hands.

“What about you, Amari? Hit me! Come on! Hit—”

BOOM!

Horace was sent flying as a bomb exploded on his face. He slammed into the cliff wall, leaving behind a perfect outline on the canyon.

“Look at that! It doesn’t reflect ranged attacks,” Marie said with an evil smirk.

Horace peeled himself out of the hole, coughing. “You psycho! You didn’t give me a heads-up!”

She just shrugged and reached for the second skill book.

Slinger’s Arm (Rare)

Skill level: 1

Skill description: You’ve inherited the beast’s primal technique for launching projectiles with explosive force.

Skill effects: Passive. Increases throwing range and speed of all projectiles by 20%.

Amari and Marie looked at each other.

“What do you say, Amari? You’ve got those shurikens and throwing knives,” Marie offered.

“And you have your bombs,” Amari added.

“Rock, paper, scissors?” Marie grinned.

Amari laughed. “No way. You always beat me at it. Let’s just have the system roll the dice.”

Marie flashed the smile of a mischievous girl caught red-handed. “Fine.”

Amari opened the system window and initiated the roll. A moment later, the result popped up in bright letters:

Marie

“Suck it, Amari!” Marie cheered, punching the air.

She learned the skill without hesitation.

“Let’s test this baby out,” she said, rolling her shoulder. She pulled out a cracker bomb and hurled it with full force.

The bomb flew so far Jack lost sight of it—until it exploded with a deep thud on the third ditch, just beyond the carriage.

The image of the boss launching boulders came back to Jack. That same power was now in Marie’s hands.

Marie looked down at her palm and laughed. “Oh,” she said. “That… went further than I expected.”

Jack chuckled. Marie had just become a human catapult—and she looked dangerously pleased about it.

“Alright! Alright!” Amari said, clapping his hands to draw the team’s attention. “The loot has been split. And we’ve made it past wave 20. Now we have to discuss our plans.”

The team’s tone turned more serious.

“The battle went well, all things considered. However, we were unlucky to run into a gear-grinding boss. Especially this soon. Horace, what’s your equipment’s durability like?”

Horace’s face darkened. “Bad. I’ll have to switch to my spares. Also, I lost both shields I brought with me.”

Jack gulped. The boss’s ability to shred through equipment was broken. And this was despite the Armory's hidden package, which granted 100 extra durability to all worn gear inside the Breach. Without it, Horace and Amari might’ve been running around naked by now.

“That’s a serious problem…” Amari said.

“It’s fine. Marie found three shields in the fortress I can use, and I can always make a new one. That’s not the biggest issue. I’m more worried about the rest of my equipment—and the traps. I don’t have enough materials to craft new ones to cover the whole field again.”

Amari took a deep breath and massaged his temples. “Marie, how about your bomb stock?”

She opened her inventory. “A third is gone.”

Jack bit his lip. With each wave, the amount of bombs Marie had to spend to take down mobs went up. At this rate, they would be out by wave 40.

“I’m already running through my spare claws and chest plates,” Amari added. “I was hoping the boss would drop something I could use, but we were unlucky in that regard. I can visit the weapons cache, too, but I’m starting to worry about our supplies.”

He turned to Jack.

“Jack. Is there any way you can make us more gear?”

“If I had access to grass, I could. I can combine grass armor and the terracoat—” Jack trailed off.

“Jack? Something the matter?”

He didn’t answer right away. An idea had just hit him—one he hadn’t considered before. A possible combo between two recipes. If he was right, it could be just as broken as his Clay Dome and vases combo.

After a moment, he finally spoke.

“I might have a way to solve our predicament.”

He looked between his friends, hesitating for only a second before voicing the wild idea forming in his head.

“What if we use [Retreat]? The skill I’ve just unlocked? What if we leave the Breach altogether and go shopping in the city?”

The others stared at him, stunned.

“That... Is that even possible?” Amari asked. “Don’t you need to place them in a house for the skill to work?”

Jack grinned. “If I’m right, I already have one. Follow me!”

Ch. 173 - Cobalt Ischychromys

INDEX

Ch. 175 - Friendly Fire