HC: Handyman | Ch. 160 - Running the Rounds

Jack dumped the pickles from the pots where they’d been fermenting into the cooking pot. He stirred the pan, letting the ingredients sizzle in the oil until the faintest caramelization formed at the edges. As he stirred, a golden crust formed along the edges of the pan, the rich scent of pickled broth mixing with the smoky air.

By the time the food was ready, the group had nearly finished their last-minute preparations, chatting between bites.

“I’ll be heading out west now,” Amari announced, adjusting his gear. “Think you guys can handle the next waves without me?”

Marie turned to Horace, wiping her hands on a cloth. “I think the three of us will suffice.”

Horace scratched the back of his head, glancing toward the mountain. “Uh… not sure I’ll be done with the trap-laying at the peak in just two hours. Plus, there might be other packages up there. I’ve got enough supplies to stay out longer, so I’d love to keep exploring while I’m up there.”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “What’s the real reason?” He leaned forward slightly as if peering into Horace’s soul. “You’re thinking about looking for more bears, aren’t you?”

Horace’s grin was all the answer Jack needed.

“...Maybe.”

Amari let out a laugh. “If I know Horace well, what he’s really thinking about is starting a bear army.”

Horace snapped his fingers. “Exactly! Imagine it—Horace, Lord of the Mountain, commander of an unstoppable furry battalion.”

Marie sneered. “We don’t need more bears in the team. We’ve already got you, Horace.”

The group laughed as Horace’s cheeks reddened. He opened his mouth, searching for a comeback, but nothing came. The laughter lingered before Marie shook her head, exhaling.

Marie folded her arms and looked between Jack and Amari. “Since Horace won’t stay, that means one of you has to.”

Jack blinked, glancing over his shoulder as if she might be talking to someone else. “Are you looking at me?”

Marie raised an eyebrow. “Who else, genius?”

Jack paused. The way she said it—the way she looked at him and Amari without hesitation—it struck him. She wasn’t questioning if he could handle it. She had complete confidence in either of them to hold the fortress.

For a moment, Jack almost waited for Amari to step up first. That had always been the natural order of things—Jack handled cooking, logistics, and crafting. Others took charge in fights.

But Amari just watched him, arms relaxed at his sides. No pressure, no push—just quiet expectation.

Does he think I’m enough to help Marie hold the waves, too?

Before his mind could catch up, his feet had already moved. “I can stay.” He crossed his arms, pretending to weigh his options. “Got a ton of new recipes and skills to experiment with thanks to my synergies. Sticking around the fortress until the next boss wave actually sounds like a great opportunity.” He smirked. “Besides, Amari’s the fastest in the team. He can cover the most ground.”

Marie studied him for a beat, then nodded with a small smile. “If Jack’s here, I’m confident. You guys can go.”

Amari walked past, bumping Jack’s shoulder. “Just don’t burn the place down while we’re gone.”

Jack let out a breath, a quiet warmth spreading through his chest. Everyone seemed so relaxed, as if his staying behind was the most natural thing in the world. They trusted him. More than that, they expected him to handle things—no doubt, no hesitation.

He cleared his throat, willing himself to play it cool. But the warmth in his chest refused to fade.

A sudden tug on his mantle snapped him out of his thoughts. Jack turned to find Riku staring up at him, eyes wide, mouth already drooling.

“Uh… Riku? What’s the matter?”

“Sir, you’re staying behind?”

Jack blinked. “Uh… yeah? Why?”

Riku’s eyes sparkled with the kind of joy usually reserved for treasure hoards and festival feasts. Then, with a burst of energy, he spun around and bolted off.

“Mom! The cook is staying behind! No more stinking rations!”

From somewhere nearby, his mother’s voice rang out, loud and full of approval. “That’s great, son! He can cook a few more meals for us!”

Jack barely had time to process that before Christoff, who had been watching from a distance, gave an approving nod.

“Hmmm.” Christoff stroked his chin. “The boy is inconsequential… but a good cook. Yes. Acceptable.”

The team erupted into laughter while Jack’s stomach plummeted. He had thought the mushrooms and herbs he’d gathered in the mountains would last them several days.

But as he followed Riku’s gaze and saw the growing crowd of hungry NPCs, some already glancing at his cooking station like it was the most important landmark in the fortress…

Something told him those pickled foods weren’t going to last nearly as long as he’d hoped.

Amari adjusted his gear. “It’s settled, then. Everyone, choose where you’re heading and let’s move out.”

One by one, the others marked their maps and set off, their figures disappearing down the mountain pass or into the fortress depths. The NPCs followed suit—Esther heading out to loot the battlefield while Riku set to work resetting traps and laying fresh snares along the cliff walls.

The fortress felt different in the quiet—its usual liveliness replaced by the creak of cooling wood and the occasional snap of embers from the cooking fire. The only other sound was the rhythmic twang of a bowstring as Christoff sat near the fire, methodically restringing his bow. He performed this ritual every time they had a break between waves. Beside him, a neat bundle of freshly cut shafts waited to be fletched.

Jack exhaled, rolling his shoulders before clapping his hands together. “Alright. Time to get to work.”

The first thing he did was check on his bees.

The pot hive rested at the base of the wall, its tiny inhabitants buzzing in and out as they ventured to the slopes in search of nectar.

Even though he had recently reached Journeyman Tier, beekeeping itself remained mostly uneventful. The progress bar crawled forward at a snail’s pace. Before, he had been racing from level 9 to 10—right at the edge of a new tier, filled with juicy and exciting rewards. Now? The progress bar inched forward like molasses, taunting him with the painfully slow crawl of early levels.

Still, progress was progress. And if he could help it along, he would.

Jack pulled out his yellow ocarina and began playing Morning of Spring for his little workers.

You’ve played [A Morning of Spring].

Your bees work harder.

+200XP in [Bard]

The bees buzzed energetically, weaving through the air in synchronized patterns as they soaked in the tune. Jack kept playing until he managed to trigger [Soulful Performer].

You’ve played [Morning of Spring].

+500XP in [Bard]

Performance rate: A+

[Soulful Performer] activates:

+20% movement speed for all bees for 30 minutes;

Increased resistance to disease for 30 minutes.

“That should help you guys keep up the good work,” he said, giving the hive a gentle tap.

With his little friends tended to, Jack opened the collection window to check what they had produced in his absence.

A new material sat there—Beeswax!

Oh? A full stack already? Nice!

Jack inspected the material.

Beeswax (Common)

A naturally occurring wax produced by bees, often used in candle-making, sealing, and waterproofing.

Durability: 10

Beeswax! Finally. He’d been waiting for this. There were a ton of new recipes he wanted to try, which required it. This was going to be useful.

He also harvested the honey. The bees had collected another full stack, bringing his total production in the Breach to three full stacks.

During the first adaptation phase to the Breach, honey had been a staple for meals and expeditions. But with meat becoming more plentiful from the wave battles and pickling extending his food supply, he could finally shift all honey production toward mead-making.

He dipped a finger into the golden syrup and tasted it. Instead of the bold floral notes of prairie honey, this was softer—light on the tongue, almost airy, with a smooth, lingering finish. Subtle, but refined.

It should pair well with the fresh spring water. This batch wouldn’t be as sweet as my first few batches—lighter, drier. All that’s left is to see how that will affect its in-game effects.

He’d have Esther start a batch once she got back.

Wiping his hands off, Jack rolled his shoulders. If he wanted to experiment with mead, he’d need to check on his current batches. He headed toward his makeshift cellar at the well to check on his amphorae.

Jack reached the damp bottom of the well and held up his torch, studying his three most prized amphorae.

Out of the thirty batches of mead he’d first brewed, only three had successfully aged to Tier III. Now, they were close to advancing again. The odds of success grew slimmer with each tier, but if even one made it to Tier IV, he’d be satisfied.

No—he’d be thrilled.

He collected all the empty stoneware amphorae and climbed back out of the well. As Jack stepped onto solid ground again, he spotted Esther returning from the battlefield. He waved as she approached, wiping her hands on her tunic before handing over the haul.

“Here, sir.”

Esther has transferred to you:

• 67x [Exquisite Romie Meat]

• 83x [Romie Meat]

• 132x [Romie Fat]

• 5x [Red Ischyromys Pelt]

Jack gave an approving nod. “Thank you, Esther. And you made it just in time. Here!”

He flicked through his system interface, swapping out [Butchering] for [Brewing] with a thought.

“I’ve got some fresh honey. Do you mind making some more mead for us?”

“Of course, sir!”

Jack handed her the honey along with the empty amphorae. “I think the durability in these is still good for another batch, but the last few turned sour. If needed, wash them in the spring first.”

Esther nodded and went straight to work.

Jack sighed, watching her go. He was really going to miss this—the ease of delegation, the quiet efficiency of someone taking care of tasks without him having to lift a finger.

Once he left the Breach, it would be back to doing everything himself. Back to long nights, full schedules, and never enough time.

But that was a problem for another day.

Satisfied after making his rounds, Jack tossed a few logs into the fire and stretched his arms. The warmth seeped into his muscles, easing the tension from a full day’s work.

Now for the next challenge.

He had two experiments to run—[Terracoat] and the etching recipe he’d picked up from the One-Eyes.

Time to get to work.

He started by pulling up the [Terracoat] recipe.

Recipe for: [Terracoat]

Ingredients:

• 2x [Beeswax]

• 1x [Fat]

• 1x [Earthenware Clay]

Instructions:

• Melt the [Beeswax] and [Fat] together in a heat-safe container over a controlled flame.

• Gradually add [Earthenware Clay], stirring continuously to create a thick sludge.

Requirements:

• [Wax Factory], lvl. 1

• [Touch of the Potter], lvl. 1

• [Lipid Extraction], lvl. 1

Looked simple enough—boil some wax, fat, and clay together. The recipe explained how to make it, but not what it was for.

Jack frowned. Well, guess I’ll figure it out as I go.

He set up a clay pot over the fire, adjusting the stones around it to keep the heat steady. As he ran a hand over the pot’s rim, his fingers traced the fine grooves in the hardened clay. Was this even the right kind of container?

If this ruined the pot, he’d have to make another one from scratch.

Oh well. It’s what it is. Let’s get everything ready.

Jack reached into his inventory and pulled out the ingredients.

First, two chunks of [Beeswax]—golden, slightly sticky to the touch, with a faint, honeyed scent. The surface was uneven, showing where it had been shaved or cut from a larger block. He pressed a thumb into one of the pieces, feeling it give slightly under the warmth of his skin. It was firm but pliable—pure and untouched by dirt or impurities.

Next, he pulled out the chunk of romie fat. Soft, pale, and faintly greasy, it left a thin sheen on his fingertips. It would liquefy easily in the heat—probably quicker than the wax.

Finally, the earthenware clay. Jack turned the dull, reddish lump over in his hand, its dry, slightly grainy texture rough against his fingers. This was the only stack he’d brought from outside the Breach—his only supply.

On his last two expeditions beyond the fortress, he hadn’t found a single earthenware deposit. If this batch failed, there was no easy way to replace it. And the recipe specifically called for earthenware. He had a strong suspicion that substituting it with stoneware would ruin the entire mix. 

All the ingredients were ready. Jack took a breath, rolling his shoulders.

Time to see what this [Terracoat] is all about.

Ch. 159 - Lucky

INDEX

Ch. 161 - Terracoat