Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

When Jax arrived at the recruitment square, he spotted Gareth immediately.

The man looked like he was drowning. Sweat matted his hair, and despite his frantic efforts—waving flyers, shouting pitches—he hadn’t managed to sign a single soul.

” Sigh… Looks like we’re sleeping in the trash heap again tonight.”

Gareth collapsed into his folding chair, his face a mask of utter defeat.

The contrast with their neighbors was brutal. Right next to the Dire Wolves stood a recruitment booth for one of the city’s top guilds. They were famous, powerful, and rumor had it their leader controlled two operational Sentry Towers.

A long line of hopefuls snaked away from their booth.

The irony was bitter. The elite guild had insane requirements: strength tests, combat experience, height minimums, and even aesthetic standards—no one ugly, no one who smelled bad. On top of that, you had to pay an entry fee just to be considered.

Yet, people flocked to them like moths to a flame, leaving the Dire Wolves’ booth desolate and pathetic.

Gareth had lost the will to fight. He began packing up his meager supplies, ready to retreat to the Boneyard.

Then he saw Jax striding toward him, waving a piece of paper.

“Finally found you,” Jax said, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Packing up early?”

Gareth looked up, his expression souring when he recognized the newcomer.

“Not many bites today. We’ll try our luck tomorrow. Sorry, Jax. You and your big brother might have to rough it in the open with us tonight.”

“No need,” Jax said, dismissing the apology with a wave. “I sorted the housing. The landlady agreed to defer the rent for a month. We just have to pay a penalty fee later. Easy.”

Gareth froze, his jaw practically unhinging.

“What? You… you actually talked that dragon of a woman into a deal?”

A horrifying thought seemed to cross Gareth’s mind. He grabbed Jax by the shoulders, eyes wide with morbid curiosity. “Jax… buddy… you didn’t… you know… service her, did you?”

“Woah! Get off me!” Jax shoved Gareth’s hands away, laughing in disbelief. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do I look that desperate?”

Jax smoothed his shirt and slapped the piece of paper into Gareth’s chest.

“Here. This is how we pay. I picked up a mission for the guild. We move out at dawn for Sector 33. Objective: Exterminate Sandworms. We clear this, we pay the rent.”

Gareth looked at the mission sheet and went pale. The blood drained from his face so fast he looked like a corpse.

“Sector 33? Are you insane? You took a clearance mission? Do you have any idea what you’ve done? If we fail, the penalty fee will bankrupt us!”

“Relax,” Jax said, his tone breezy. “If you guys are too scared, I’ll go alone.”

He stuffed the mission sheet back into his pocket. “Go round up the others. Tell them to rest up. If they want to come, great. If not, I won’t force anyone.”

Jax turned to leave, then paused and glanced back over his shoulder.

“Oh, and heads up—I told the landlady I’m the Vice President of the Dire Wolves. Do me a favor and don’t blow my cover, or we lose the house. Later.”

Jax walked away, leaving Gareth standing there, mouth agape, looking like a fish out of water.

” Sigh… What kind of maniac did I just recruit?” Gareth muttered, burying his face in his hands. “No Sentry Towers, no firearms… how are we supposed to kill Sandworms? But we accepted the contract. If we back out now, the guild is finished.”

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the Sprawl in a bruised, purple twilight.

Back in the stifling concrete room, Jax lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. His mind was racing with tactical layouts.

Earlier that afternoon, while hunting for Gareth, Jax had stumbled upon the Guild Hub. It was a chaotic marketplace of mercenaries and desperate captains, but it had a large map of the wasteland.

He had studied it for nearly an hour before selecting Sector 33.

The terrain was perfect. It was a dead-end valley located at the foot of the canyon range. Steep cliffs on both sides, a single narrow road leading in.

In tactical terms, it was a “Golden Choke Point.” One man could hold off ten thousand if the position was fortified correctly.

If Jax built a Defense Tower at the mouth of the valley, he could create a kill box. Anything trying to crawl out of that nest would be shredded before it could break the perimeter.

Even better, the map showed a raised plateau, about five meters high, overlooking the nesting grounds. It offered a natural buffer zone. Even if the bugs swarmed, they couldn’t scale the cliff face instantly.

It was the perfect testing ground for his System.

Jax was grinning in the dark, waiting for dawn, when heavy, angry footsteps thundered up the stairs.

BANG!

The door flew open, slamming against the concrete wall.

Kaleb stormed in, gripping a thick wooden club, his face twisted in rage.

“Jax! Get your ass up!” Kaleb screamed, spitting saliva. “Who gave you the right to take a mission? Who do you think you are!?”

Jax sat up slowly. He didn’t flinch. He looked at Kaleb with cold, dead eyes.

“I’m the guy who got a roof over your head,” Jax said calmly. “And I’m the guy who’s going to complete the mission. You got a problem with that?”

Kaleb’s face turned purple. He jabbed the club toward Jax’s face.

“You think you’re tough? Hand over the mission sheet, you little punk!”

Jax casually slapped the club aside.

“Did I ask you to come? If you’re scared, stay home. No one is holding a gun to your head. And don’t point things at me. I don’t like it.”

“You piece of shit!”

Kaleb roared and raised the club to swing.

“Kaleb, stop!” Gareth yelled, grabbing his arm.

“Don’t do it, man!” Annie grabbed his other arm, pulling him back. “We’re all on the same side!”

Behind them, Viper and Silas leaned against the doorframe, watching with amused smirks. They made no move to help.

“Let him go,” Viper chuckled. “Kid needs to learn his place. Let them blow off some steam.”

“Yeah,” Silas added, lighting a cigarette. “Bottling up anger is bad for the health.”

Gareth shot them a furious glare, but he was too busy wrestling with Kaleb to argue.

“NO HIT JAX!”

A massive shadow surged from the corner of the room.

Barney roared like a bear, his face flushed red with protective fury. He plowed into Kaleb, tackling him to the concrete floor with a bone-jarring thud.

“Don’t! Hit! My! Brother!”

Barney, nearly two meters of raw muscle, pinned Kaleb effortlessly. He sat on the struggling man’s chest, his massive hands clamping down on Kaleb’s wrists like iron vices.

Kaleb wheezed, terrified. He had known the big guy was strong, but this was different. This was raw, overwhelming power. He realized instantly that if Barney wanted to, he could snap him in half.

“It’s okay, Barney,” Jax said softly, stepping forward and patting the giant’s shoulder. “Let him up. He’s done.”

Barney glared at Kaleb for a second longer, snorted, and then climbed off.

Kaleb scrambled backward, rubbing the back of his head. The rage in his eyes had been replaced by fear. He stayed on the floor, unwilling to challenge the giant again.

“Yeah… whatever,” Kaleb muttered, nursing his bruised ego.

“Listen closely,” Jax said, addressing the room. “If you don’t want to go, don’t go. I accepted this mission, and I will clear it. That means the Reward is mine. I’m not sharing the payout with anyone who doesn’t pull their weight.”

Jax turned his gaze to Gareth. “That works for you, right, Guild Leader?”

Gareth stammered, wiping sweat from his upper lip. “I… uh, sure. No problem. But maybe we should discuss a plan first?”

“No discussion needed,” Jax cut him off. “I work alone. From now on, you guys do your thing, I do mine. That way, no one can accuse me of leeching off the guild.”

“Hmph,” Kaleb grumbled from the floor, his voice barely a whisper. “If you’re so tough, why join us in the first place?”

Jax looked down at him, his expression dripping with disdain.

“Don’t get it twisted. I’m not taking advantage of you. You are taking advantage of me. When I finish this mission, the guild gets the reputation boost and the completion credit. You get the fame; I get the cash. I’m the one doing you a favor.”

Jax stretched his arms and yawned.

“Now, if there’s nothing else, get out. Barney and I are taking this room. You guys can fight over the closets.”

He ushered Gareth and the stunned crew out the door and slammed it shut.

In the hallway, Gareth stared at the closed door, feeling a heavy mix of shame and regret. This newcomer had solved their housing crisis and offered to carry the guild on his back, and his veterans had responded with threats and violence.

It was humiliating.

“Alright, enough,” Gareth sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Let’s pick rooms. Two to a room. I… I’ll take the smallest one.”