Chapter 190: Clearing the Board
With the Tier 7 Parasitic Silkworm—the colony’s central command node—reduced to ash, the Insect Swarm below instantly lost all cohesion.
The tide of chitin and mandibles that had been battering the Defense Towers suddenly stopped. Without the overarching will of the hive mind, the individual bugs were aimless, wandering in confused, erratic circles.
Then, the true collapse began.
Tiny, bioluminescent green lights began to bleed out from the bodies of the surviving insects. The parasitic larvae that had hijacked their nervous systems detached en masse, floating up toward the shattered roof of the Tianhai Building in a desperate, futile attempt to rejoin the dead mother-ship.
Stripped of their parasitic drivers, the host insects collapsed. Some twitched weakly, drained of all vitality, while others simply died on the spot, their biological reserves completely exhausted.
The siege was broken. The swarm could no longer mount an offensive.
“Look!” a guard shouted from the barricades. “The swarm is routing! They’re falling back!”
“They aren’t just retreating; they’re dropping dead!” another yelled. “Did we actually break the horde? What happened to the Tier 7? Didn’t it scatter a million larvae?”
“Don’t know. It’s dead silent up there. Let’s sweep the floor and check.”
“Keep your guard up! Bio-suits to the front! It might be a trap!”
Vance, Volt, and the Vanguard from Jax’s crew formed up and began sweeping the stairwell, their weapons drawn and sweeping the corners.
When they reached the top landing, Jax stepped out from the shadows, a tired but satisfied smirk on his face.
“Stand down,” Jax said, wiping soot from his visor. “We forgot to radio the all-clear.”
“The swarm…” Vance started, his eyes darting to the windows.
Elena stepped out onto the roof, looking down at the street below. She turned back to Jax, her face alight with adrenaline. “They’re done! The street is a graveyard!”
Jax nodded, stepping up to the ledge. “Just as we calculated. The Silkworm was the central processor. Once we fried the mother-bug, the parasitic network crashed. The drones don’t know how to function without orders.”
Jax turned back to Vance and Volt, who were still sweeping their rifles across the empty roof.
“Relax. The Tier 7 is gone,” Jax confirmed.
Vance lowered his weapon, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. “Gone? You mean… you actually killed it?”
Jax nodded, though his smile faded into a tight, pragmatic line. “It’s dead. But it looks like we won’t be able to honor our original bargain.”
Vance waved a hand, dismissing the concern entirely. “Forget the bargain. You broke the siege and killed the apex predator. We can go back to our old scavenging routes without looking over our shoulders. As for the Cores, we couldn’t spend them anyway. It’s fine.”
Jax chuckled. “You’re not walking away empty-handed, Vance. Look down. The street is carpeted with high-tier insect corpses. There have to be thousands of Cores down there waiting to be harvested. They’re all yours. Plus, the Defense Towers are already anchored in an optimal kill-box. You can hold this block indefinitely.”
Vance’s eyes widened, a sudden flash of profound gratitude breaking through his hardened exterior. “Seriously? You’re leaving the salvage to us? You really don’t want a cut?”
“I don’t need it,” Jax said firmly. “Alright, the immediate threat is neutralized. Let’s sweep the battlefield and prep for exfil. We roll out tonight.”
A ragged cheer erupted from the guards. They had survived the impossible.
Vance glanced at Volt, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. Volt gave him a subtle, almost imperceptible nod—a silent confirmation of their earlier, unspoken agreement. Vance decided to hold his tongue for now. There would be time to discuss the future later.
With the crew occupied with the grisly work of harvesting Cores, Jax finally found a moment of quiet. He retreated to his armored transport, sliding into the back seat and letting his head rest against the heavy plating. He closed his eyes and opened the system interface.
He navigated to his inventory. A brilliant, gold-trimmed card floated in the digital space.
[Active Skill Gacha Card]
Description: Consuming this card initiates a randomized draw for one Active Skill. Skills are categorized into seven tiers: SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, and D.
Condition: The probability of drawing a high-tier skill is directly tied to the User’s current Architect Class.
Current Class: Intermediate Architect
Current Drop Rates: 50% D-Tier | 30% C-Tier | 15% B-Tier | 3% A-Tier | 2% S-Tier | 0% SS-Tier | 0% SSS-Tier
Jax’s eyes snapped open. “Class restrictions on the drop rates? That’s a brutal mechanic.”
He pulled up his primary status screen.
[User: Jax | Age: 21]
[Physical Assessment Score: 190]
[Class: Intermediate Architect (4772/5000 EXP)]
[Exclusive Skill 1: Luring Doppelganger (Lv.3)] – Duration: 5 min | Cooldown: 8 hrs.
[Exclusive Skill 2: Aero-Step (Lv.1)] – Grants brief levitation. Duration: 1 min | Cooldown: 8 hrs.
[Active Skills: None]
[Unlocked Defense Towers: Tier 4 Sentry, Tier 4 Howitzer, Tier 4 Cryo-Tower, Tier 4 High-Energy Electric, Tier 4 Spell-Energy]
Jax exhaled a long breath, a slow smile spreading across his face.
Thank god I didn’t burn the card immediately. I’m only 228 EXP away from hitting Senior Architect.
He wasn’t going to roll the dice with those garbage drop rates. Grinding two hundred EXP was a walk in the park compared to hunting a Tier 7. He would hold the card until he leveled up and the S-Tier probabilities shifted in his favor.
Having finalized his strategy, Jax popped the heavy door of the transport and stepped out into the fading light. He found Vance coordinating the salvage teams.
Vance looked up, a slightly forced smile on his face. “Jax. You guys packing up?”
“Yeah,” Jax said, nodding toward the perimeter. “We’re burning daylight. We pull out tonight. But before we go, I have a proposition.”
Vance blinked. “A proposition?”
Jax pointed a gloved finger toward the looming silhouette of the Tianhai Building. “The mother is dead, but that building is still packed with unhatched eggs. If we leave them, it’s only a matter of time before a new queen emerges. I want to go in and sterilize the nest. But I need your men to run perimeter control while I do it.”
Vance stared at the skyscraper, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He knew Jax was right. A dead queen meant nothing if the brood survived.
“You want to clear the nest for us?” Vance asked, a mix of shock and relief coloring his voice.
“I’m not doing it out of the goodness of my heart,” Jax said, his tone turning cold and pragmatic. “This is a transaction. I clear your backyard, and in return, you become an ally of The Sprawl. I want guaranteed safe passage for my convoys through this sector. You do not touch my people, and you do not touch my freight. As for anyone else who crosses your borders… I don’t care what you do to them.”
Vance nodded immediately. It was a wildly lopsided deal in his favor. But he had an ulterior motive.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself. “Jax… is there any chance The Sprawl would be willing to absorb our Outpost entirely?”
Jax smirked. He had seen this coming from a mile away. Vance was a survivor, but he was exhausted. He wanted the security of a fortified city.
Vance hadn’t dared ask earlier; his previous attempt to extort Jax had put him on thin ice. But now that Jax was offering an alliance, the door was open. He knew Jax wouldn’t retaliate for a simple request, and Vance certainly wasn’t suicidal enough to try and raid Jax’s supply lines after witnessing the man summon a lightning tower out of thin air.
“You want to fold into The Sprawl?” Jax asked, letting the silence stretch for a moment. “Done. When the time comes, submit a formal request to my lieutenant. But for now, I need you right here. Hold the Forgotten City. Lock down this territory. When I have the resources, I’ll send a detail to help you rebuild the infrastructure.”
Vance’s eyes lit up with unfiltered excitement. “You’re serious? You’re going to annex the Forgotten City?”
“Eventually,” Jax said. “Right now, my plate is full. Hold the line here, keep the bugs contained, and secure the sector. I’ll establish a supply run to keep your men fed and armed.”
“Done,” Vance said, his voice trembling slightly. “Thank you, Jax. Seriously.”
Vance practically vibrated with energy, but he forced himself to remain professional, locking down the urge to cheer. They had a city to clean.
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