HC: Handyman | Ch. 222 - Wave 43

By the time Jack regrouped with the team, all the NPCs had already vanished. They always cleared out the moment a wave was marked complete—like regulars at a restaurant who knew that if they didn’t leave quickly, they’d be stuck in line when it opened to the public.

Jack knew what that meant. He was headed straight to the kitchen next. And based on how things had been left, he was probably walking into full-blown chaos.

The group was chatting casually, but one person stood out because of his silence.

“Anything you want to say, Horace?” Marie teased, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

Jack glanced over. Horace was biting his lip, visibly holding something back. His hands flexed at his sides like he was trying to physically suppress a boast.

Jack chuckled to himself. He could guess exactly what was on Horace’s mind—something dumb like “That was too easy,” or “Told you it was barely a warm-up.” But after getting roasted for taunting Piri earlier, it looked like he’d learned at least a shred of restraint.

“No, thank you,” Horace replied with exaggerated politeness.

Amari gave him an approving nod. “Haha. Good choice, Horace. Oof. That was intense. Okay! I guess we start with the loot, yeah?” He turned to Jack.

“Right,” Jack said. “And now that I think of it—we never sorted the loot from the Flying Marmoset either.”

A ripple of surprise and excitement passed through the group.

“Wait, seriously?” Marie said.

“How on earth did we forget a boss drop?” Horace added.

“I’ll tell you why
” Marie started.

But Horace cut in quickly. “Loot. What loot? Show us the loot,” he said, trying to deflect her jab before it landed.

Jack opened his inventory and dropped the contents into the loot-sharing interface.

A skill book: [Feline Silence]. 

Another skill book: [Primate Agility].

A set of three [Sabertooth Fangblades].

One pair of [Marmoset Gloves].

Everyone leaned in for a closer look.

Jack caught Amari trying to suppress a smug little smile. He’d been raking it in since they started the Breach, and this wave had only stacked the deck further in his favor. Between the stealth-focused gloves, the daggers, and the skill book, the loot was practically tailor-made for a rogue.

“All right. Who wants to roll for [Feline Silence]?” Amari asked, raising his hand.

Only Rob joined him.

“So it’s between the two of us,” Amari said. “And [Primate Agility]?”

Every hand went up.

Jack sighed, shaking his head. Who didn’t want a speed boost and longer dash duration? It was one of those universally good skills.

Amari looked at Rob. “Since everyone wants this one, what do you say we sit it out? We’re already rolling for [Feline Silence]. Wouldn’t be fair to take both.”

Rob blinked. “Uh
 S-sure! That’s an excellent idea.”

Rob looked genuinely surprised—not just by Amari’s offer, but by the group’s easy agreement. Jack found himself wondering, not for the first time, what things had been like on Rob’s old team. The Slayer and his crew didn’t seem like the type to pass on loot for the sake of fairness. Judging by Rob’s smile, they probably never had.

“As for the fangblades,” Amari continued, “you’re passing on those too, right, Rob?”

Rob nodded. “Yeah. My daggers are over level 30. I’m good. You?”

Amari hesitated, clearly weighing claws versus daggers, then shook his head. “Nah. Horace, can you sell them?”

“Already on it,” Horace replied. “Also, since we’ve got the ptero-peddler now, I already listed the [Blade of the Mountain]. Once it sells, everyone’ll get their cut automatically.”

“Thanks!” Jack said.

“Much appreciated,” Marie added.

“All right! Let’s do this,” Amari said, queuing up the rolls.

Jack leaned back, watching the system spin through names. He didn’t expect much. The odds rarely favored him. Still, a tiny thread of hope coiled in his chest.

[Feline Silence] goes to RobbieRobber.

[Primate Agility] goes to JackofDiamonds.

Jack blinked. “Wait—what?!”

For a moment, he just stared at the interface. He wasn’t used to seeing his name there. It almost felt like a glitch. He glanced around, half expecting someone to say there’d been a misclick.

“Woohoo! The Sousas are on fire! Way to go, cuz!” Rob whooped, pulling Jack into a quick hug.

They jumped together, laughing. The others beamed at them.

“Well done, guys. Congrats,” Horace said, smiling.

“It’s long overdue,” Marie agreed with a nod.

Nobody sulked, nobody grumbled. Even the ones who’d missed out looked genuinely happy for the winners. That was the team. They were in this together.

Jack grabbed the skill book from his inventory.

Would you like to learn [Primate Agility]?

He confirmed. A light enveloped him.

He hopped in place experimentally. His movements felt lighter, smoother.

He activated his only movement skill next.

Dash!

His speed doubled for one second, as usual—but when [Primate Agility] kicked in, he got an extra second of momentum. He used it to zip back to his original position.

“Woah! That was quick!” Rob praised. “You looked like a slow rogue just now!”

Jack punched him in the shoulder. “Shut up.”

Amari clapped his hands. “All right, now that the loot’s sorted, let’s debrief. I don’t know about you guys, but I was terrified when I saw ten sabertooth elites charging us. And that’s just wave one out of ten. The good news is, we didn’t burn through all our strength. We didn’t need to use a single trap and were able to fend them off on our first line of defense. Any comments? Suggestions for next time?”

“I forgot to use the kaleidoscope,” Horace admitted. “I was caught off guard and didn’t even think of it.”

“Right. Maybe Marie should hold on to it, since she’s usually first to engage and will benefit from having the buff first. We can also determine the order in which to use it. Say
 Marie, Rob, me, Jack, and then Horace. Sound good?”

Everyone nodded.

Amari turned to Jack with a playful smile. “What about you, Jack? Anything you want to say?”

Jack bobbed his head. “Me?”

Marie giggled. “That new song. That’s what he’s talking about.”

“Oh yeah. Right! I can now give everyone +10 knockback.”

Everyone let out a low whistle.

“No wonder my bombs were popping so hard,” Marie said.

“That’s really good. I noticed the buff is pretty short, though. Right?” Amari asked.

“Yeah. One second, if I play the song roughly well. More if I do exceptionally.”

“Good. Good. We’ll save it for cavalry charges, then. That’s when it’ll be most effective. I know Horace, your division would also benefit from it,” Amari said, anticipating Horace’s reaction.

Horace spoke up anyway. “Haha. I can’t wait to use a hammer to send the beasts all the way to kingdom come.”

“All right. Let’s move on. Any other comments?” Amari asked.

After a moment, Rob spoke up. “Guys, did anyone else notice the weirdness with the rewards for this wave?”

Jack frowned. “What do you mean?”

Amari nodded. “He’s talking about Breach points. We didn’t get any for this wave.”

Everyone quickly checked the log and confirmed it.

“Must be part of the event,” Amari said. “We probably only get points if we survive all ten waves. Only makes it more important to do well. And don’t forget—the system prompt did use the word ‘legendary.’”

“Yeah.”

“You’re right.”

“Right. Let’s head back to the fortress. We’ve still got 100 minutes before the next wave,” Amari said.

Jack followed his team. As they crossed the minefield, his thoughts were already drifting to his next crafting project: the blowing horn.

*

A few hours of cooking and bone carving experimentations later, everyone was back at the ditch. The full moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft silver light over the canyon. It was bright enough to make out the terrain and cast long shadows over the trench they’d been fighting so hard to secure.

Jack had moved from theory to practicing carving prototypes. He turned his latest experiment in his hands. The rhino horn was long and slightly curved, a dusky ivory color with faint ridges spiraling along its surface. 

He inspected the mouthpiece, pressing it against his lips. He’d finally gotten the size right, but it still wasn’t comfortable. The edge dug in more than it should. He carefully shaved off a thin curl of bone with a knife, eyes narrowing as he worked.

He gave the horn a test blow. A high-pitched squeal squeaked out, more whistle than war cry.

A goat, tethered near the edge of the camp, bleated sharply—as if mocking him. Jack ignored it and went back to carving. 

Nearby, his teammates chatted.

“What do you think, Marie? What will they throw at us this time?” Rob asked.

“Hmmm
 Let’s see. First were the ten elite sabertooth tigers, then a giant armadillo... Yep. I think Godzilla is coming next.”

Rob laughed way too hard.

Jack winced. It wasn’t that funny, but Marie giggled and touched Rob’s shoulder with that easy, natural fondness. They looked relaxed. Happy.

Seeing them like that made something quiet ache inside his chest.

There were flashes of Lydia in his mind—little moments—but they faded fast. What stayed was Holly. Since she'd called the night before, he’d been thinking about calling her back. She’d been the last one to reach out. The ball was in his court now.

He’d been trying not to dwell on it, but seeing Rob and Marie so openly happy made the loneliness more insistent. He missed having someone he could just be with.

He felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Horace, if you tap me with that thing one more time,” Jack said without looking up, “I’m feeding it to that cursed pterosaur.”

Horace clutched it to his chest and gasped. “What? You wouldn’t dare! Don’t listen to him, my sweet baby shield,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the upper rim. “Uncle Jack didn’t mean it.”

Jack rolled his eyes. Ever since Horace got that shield, he’d found every excuse to show it off. He’d even asked Jack to serve his stew in it.

The shield shimmered with golden scales just like those of the massive armadillo they’d fought in wave 42. The boss’s defenses had been no joke, and the shield felt just as solid. It was a rare piece—easily the best drop the Breach had yielded so far.

Giant Armadillo Shield (Rare)

A massive, curved shield made from the golden scale plates of a prehistoric armadillo. Despite its size, it balances easily in the hand, with a natural arc that deflects slashes away from the wielder. Etched claw marks run across its surface, proof of the fight it took to earn it.

Durability: 124

Block: 83

Defense: 64

Knockback resistance: 2

Slash resistance: 3

Effects: [Perfect Curvature]. Passive. Slash attacks don’t damage this shield’s durability.

Restrictions: Warrior, lvl. 22.

Jack had to admit, it was nice. Comparing it to that first [Pinewood Buckler] he’d gotten as a noob was like comparing a sheet of titanium to a sheet of paper.

“Have you finished the wedding gift for your cousin?” Horace asked.

“Aha. Funny. Almost there.”

Horace leaned in and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Anytime now, those two are gonna ask for a day off to go on a proper date.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Horace chuckled. “Who would’ve thought, huh? That your cousin would be the one to win Marie’s heart?”

Jack shrugged. “She’s never dated anyone?”

Horace’s tone softened. “Not since her divorce. Ended bad. Her ex was a real jerk. Cheated on her. Ugly, ugly mess. She was wrecked.”

Jack frowned. “That sucks.”

“Yeah. Took me a lot of work to turn that frown upside down,” Horace said, puffing his chest slightly.

“Wait—you turned it upside down?”

“Yeah! I started provoking her, cracking jokes, keeping her mind off things. You know me—I’m not obnoxious by nature. Acting like a jerk took real effort, you know?” he added with genuine pride.

Jack narrowed his eyes, trying not to smile. “Right
”

Wave 43 comes. Beware.

The tramontane began to blow, cold and sharp. The temperature dropped fast, stinging the skin through layers of gear.

“Alright, everyone! Look sharp!” Amari called over the rising howl.

Jack stood behind one of the NPC soldiers, eyes locked on the bend of the canyon. Then he froze.

All the ditches. All the traps. The wall. None of it was going to matter in this wave.

Shadows slipped over the ridge, gliding low. Wings wide. Silent.

“Brace for air assault!” Amari shouted.

Jack gulped. He couldn’t make out the details yet, but this wave was going to be made up of flyers.

Ch. 221 - Knocked Back

INDEX

Ch. 223 - Marabous

****

Author's note:

Hi everyone? How did the tiny timeskip feel? Please let me know in the comments below.