Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 191: Upgrading to Senior Architect

At Jax’s direction, Vance and his team began transporting the High-Energy Electric Tower into the Tianhai Building. The advance was agonizingly slow, each step taken with extreme caution. Though the insect eggs could be crushed underfoot, they posed a lethal threat. A single egg burrowing into your flesh was a death sentence; there would be no chance for regret.

The group crept forward, letting the powerful electric tower clear their path. The automated weapon hummed, arcing with energy as it systematically vaporized the insectoid horrors lurking throughout the building.

Jax glanced at the tower’s control panel. “Damn,” he muttered. “Less than two hours of power left. We need to move.”

He relayed the urgency to Vance, who immediately barked orders. The team, spurred by the dwindling time, picked up their pace.

Led by the Defense Tower’s transport vehicle, they finally reached the top floor. The space was vast, but it was swallowed by an oppressive, pitch-black darkness. Before they even stepped inside, a thick, acrid stench assaulted their nostrils—the smell of rot and decay, of countless insect carcasses left to putrefy in stagnant water. The fumes stung their eyes, forcing tears to stream down their faces as they clamped hands over their noses.

Holding a high-powered flashlight, Jax pushed forward into the gloom. The beam cut through the darkness, revealing a hall that was a slick, wet nightmare. In the far corner, something glittered.

“Hmm? What’s that?”

Getting a closer look was impossible. The entire floor was crisscrossed with thick, web-like threads that sizzled and smoked on contact with the air. They would have to be cleared manually.

Even Kaleb, whose eyesight was sharper than most, was blinded by the caustic air. He could barely keep his eyes open, let alone see into the distance.

The stench, however, barely seemed to faze Jax. He grabbed a long metal pole and began methodically tearing down the corrosive strands. As the path cleared, his flashlight beam fell upon a sprawling carpet of glistening, green insect eggs. The sheer number of them dwarfed the nest they had incinerated on the lower floors.

Staring at the pulsating mounds that covered nearly the entire floor, Jax felt his throat tighten.

“Fuck. If we don’t torch this entire nest, this city is finished the moment they hatch.”

Vance’s face was grim. He swept his own flashlight across the room, finding no signs of adult monsters. The floor, however, was littered with pools of viscous fluid—the dissolved remains of insectoid horrors. Only the hardest parts—chitinous teeth and splintered bone—remained, suspended in the muck.

The sight of the slaughterhouse floor made Jax want to turn around and walk away. But he steeled himself, his mind already calculating the next move. He ordered his men to continue pushing the Defense Tower forward. Its automated defenses were a godsend; the tower would instinctively target and eliminate anything that moved, even a creature the size of a sesame seed.

“Get on the radio,” Jax commanded. “Tell them to bring up gasoline. We’re burning this place to the ground.”

Vance immediately relayed the order. A small team broke off and hurried back downstairs. The lower levels of the Tianhai Building were now clear, and they had set up a perimeter of Defense Towers to secure the surrounding streets from any wandering threats.

A few minutes later, an assistant arrived, hauling a heavy drum of gasoline.

As the men prepared to douse the eggs, Jax’s gaze drifted back to the glittering spot in the corner. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d missed something.

“I’m going to check that out,” he announced. “You all wait here.”

Elena’s face tightened with worry. She grabbed his arm. “It’s too dangerous to go alone! I’m coming with you.”

A faint, knowing smile touched Jax’s lips. He cleared his throat. “Alright. Then you come with me.”

The two of them carefully navigated the cleared path toward the distant glimmer. When they finally reached the spot, Jax’s flashlight beam revealed the source.

It was a mountain. A king’s ransom in Cores, glittering under his light. He could see dozens of Tier 3 and Tier 4 Cores mixed in with the more common ones, piled up like treasure.

“Gods…” Elena gasped. “Are those… Cores?”

Jax immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, hissing in her ear. “Quiet. They haven’t seen this yet. You want a cut of the real prize?”

Elena’s eyes went wide, and she nodded frantically, a flush of excitement rising in her cheeks.

“Good,” Jax whispered, a predatory glint in his eyes. “Start digging. Grab every Core that’s Tier 4 or higher. Leave the rest.”

“Right!”

Having spent so much time with him, Elena understood his methods perfectly. He wouldn’t hoard everything, but he always carved off the prime cuts for himself, leaving the bones and gristle for the others to squabble over. If a treasure this vast was revealed all at once, it would only breed resentment and conflict. Taking the best part first was simply efficient.

Working quickly, Elena unearthed more than a dozen Tier 5 Cores and over a hundred Tier 4s.

“That’s all I can find without digging too deep,” she whispered, her hands full.

“It’s more than enough. Bag them up and don’t let anyone see. Now, I’ll call them over.”

Taking a deep breath, Jax turned and bellowed across the hall. “Hey! I found a massive stash of Cores over here! Get a few people over to help move them!”

The effect was instantaneous. The weary survivors erupted with shocked and ecstatic shouts.

“What? Cores? I knew I saw something shining over there!”

“Thank god we came! We would’ve missed out on a fortune!”

“Move, move! Let’s go get them! I wonder how many high-tier ones are in there!”

“I’m getting a sack! Think they’ll let me fill it?”

“Dream on. We’ll be lucky to get an even split.”

The group swarmed the corner. When their flashlights illuminated the sheer scale of the glittering mound, their faces twisted with a mixture of awe and raw greed. For people who were constantly on the verge of starvation, this pile of Cores represented more than just wealth—it was survival. It was a chance to finally improve their miserable quality of life.

Jax pointed at the pile, his voice cutting through the excited chatter. “Bag everything up and take it downstairs. We’ll divide it later. Right now, the priority is dealing with those eggs.”

Vance nodded immediately, though he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the mountain of Cores. He’d never seen so many in one place. It was staggering.

Everyone set to work, frantically stuffing Cores into more than thirty large sacks and hauling them downstairs.

Once the treasure was secured, Jax turned his attention back to the nest. He had his men douse every last egg with gasoline. As the fuel soaked into the pulsating mounds, a few freshly hatched green insects crawled out, their carapaces still soft and yielding. The men stomped them into paste without a second thought.

When the last of the gasoline was poured, Jax ordered everyone, including the Defense Tower, to evacuate to the ground floor. Standing at the threshold, he lit a torch. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the hall.

The gasoline-soaked air ignited with a deafening whoosh.

A wall of fire erupted, instantly illuminating the cavernous room in a hellish orange glow. Without a backward glance, Jax turned and left.

The inferno consumed the entire top floor, and thick, black smoke began to billow from the building’s windows and cracks. Down below, the survivors watched the pillar of smoke rise into the sky, their faces alight with a profound sense of relief.

“The danger that’s plagued us for so many years… it’s finally gone,” Vance said, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank you.”

Jax just gave a slight nod. “The problem is solved. We can leave now.” He turned to the others. “Alright! Notify the convoy. We’re moving out.”

He climbed into his vehicle, rolled down the window, and gave Vance a final wave. “Until next time.”

Vance nodded, watching as Jax’s convoy slowly pulled away and disappeared down the ruined street.

Once they were on the road, Jax finally allowed himself to relax. The trip to the Forgotten City had been more profitable than he could have imagined. He finally had a moment to himself and pulled up his status bar.

[Architect Level: Intermediate Architect (5000/5000), Upgrade Available]

A grim smile touched his lips. Finally.

“Upgrade.”

[Ding! Architect Level has been upgraded to Senior Architect (0/10000)]

[Aero-Step has been upgraded to Level 2. Duration: Ten minutes. Cooldown: Five hours.]