Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 104: I Will Avenge You

“When are we leaving? When can I see Barney? Is he okay?”

Elena paced the room, her anxiety palpable. Despite being rescued, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the club was a deathtrap, and her desperation to see her younger brother was mounting by the second.

Jax stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “Hold on. Take a breath. You’re safe now, so there’s no need to panic.”

“What do you mean, ‘safe’?” she snapped. “I was almost sold like cattle, and you’re telling me this place is safe?”

Seeing she was on the verge of another outburst, Jax raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Just listen to me for a second, alright?”

Elena glared at him, her eyes demanding a reasonable explanation.

Jax paused, choosing his words carefully. “Actually… I’m in the middle of negotiating a major business deal with the Chief of this club.”

“What?” Elena’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You? You’re doing business with the man who runs this place? Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish, or are you just eager to become a lab rat?”

“You’ve got it wrong,” Jax said, shaking his head. “It’s a legitimate partnership. It’s not what you think.”

Standing nearby, the makeup artist and Hazel’s assistant exchanged a glance. Both saw the helpless amusement in the other’s eyes.

Jax turned to them. “You two don’t have to hold it in. Laugh if you want. Also, if you’re done here, could you give us a moment?”

The effeminate assistant immediately flashed an ‘OK’ sign. “No problem! absolutely no problem! We’re going.”

As he turned to leave, he threw a sultry wink in Jax’s direction.

That single glance made Jax’s stomach churn so violently he felt like he might vomit up a meal from last year.

“Damn it, Jax!” Elena cried out as soon as the door clicked shut. “In the short time I’ve been gone, you’ve started hooking up with trash like that? I could accept it if you found some ugly woman, but a man… I have no words!”

Jax’s face went flat, his expression deadpan. “Elena, would you please shut the hell up? I don’t even know him! And you—you’re hysterical. You need to calm down. You are safe. Stop making a scene. I have to go handle some business, and once I’m done, I’ll take you to a secure location. Come dawn, we’ll go get Barnaby. Understand?”

Jax’s sudden roar startled her. She froze, blinking rapidly. Then, her expression shifted into a pitiful, teary-eyed pout.

“You’ve changed,” she whispered.

Jax rubbed his temples. “…”

“What are you even talking about? Look, just stay in this room. Whatever else is bothering you, we’ll deal with it when I get back.”

He turned to leave, but Elena grabbed his wrist.

“I… I’m worried you’ll be in danger.”

Jax paused. He looked at her and realized the subtext immediately. She wasn’t worried about his safety; she was terrified of being left alone in this nightmare factory.

He sighed, his tone softening slightly. “What are you afraid of? The Chief here is my partner now. No one is going to touch you. Besides, I’ve already settled your debt. You belong to me now.”

“You… what did you say?” Elena’s jaw dropped. “I’m yours?”

Jax realized how that sounded and quickly backpedaled. “Cough. I mean I spent Credits to buy your contract. So, nominally, you are my person. But relax, I don’t have any designs on you. I swear on my character.”

Elena had a perfect figure and a stunning face—objectively, she was a catch. But her personality was a minefield Jax had no desire to walk across. She was neurotic, plagued by extreme anxiety, and possessed a hair-trigger temper. One wrong word, and she would detonate like a powder keg.

Living with her would be an endless cycle of arguments.

“Are you… disgusted by me?” Elena narrowed her eyes dangerously. “Have you forgotten who took care of you day and night when you were sick? Have you forgotten why I came to this hellhole in the first place?”

Seeing her preparing to dig up old grudges, Jax raised his hands in surrender. “Stop, stop. I do not want to argue. Can we just drop it? Let’s not fight over semantics.”

“Hmph! You owe me, Jax!”

Elena didn’t really want to be angry, but her nature wouldn’t allow her to suffer even a perceived slight without fighting back. Yet, Jax knew that if anyone else threatened him, she would be the first to stand in front of him as a shield.

“By the way,” she said, her voice finally returning to normal as she sat on the sofa. She pulled a small plastic object from her pocket and placed it on the table. “If you get a chance, investigate ‘Lab One’ for me.”

Jax picked up the object. It was a simple tag shaped like the number “1”. There were no other markings.

“This is from Lab One?”

Elena nodded grimly. “Yes. A while back, the previous owner sold this club. We were forced to follow him when he left. Who knew that old bastard would turn around and sell us all to Lab One?”

Jax frowned, his gaze sharpening. “Did they hurt you?”

“I just went in for a physical exam, and then they tagged me with this ‘S1’ label,” Elena explained, shivering slightly. “I didn’t know what it meant at the time, but I asked that effeminate guy earlier. He said it’s a marker from Lab One.”

“Lab One…” Jax muttered. “I’ve heard the name once, but I don’t know the details. It seems to be a facility specializing in human experimentation. At the auction just now, they were selling a potion developed there. It looks like you were slated to be a test subject.”

Elena bit her lip until it turned white. “I want revenge.”

Jax looked at her and nodded firmly. “Done. I’ll help you get it.”

“You promise?”

“I promise. I will avenge you.”

“Good.” Elena let out a long breath. “Go handle your business. When will you be back?”

“I’m not sure, but stay put. It’s safe here.”

Elena nodded. “You promised to avenge me… but I hope I get to kill that old bastard with my own hands. He still owes me months of back pay!”

“Don’t worry, I guarantee we’ll catch him,” Jax assured her.

He knew she had only escaped a grim fate because he had arrived at the exact right moment. If he hadn’t come to the ninth floor when he did, he would have lost her forever. He didn’t need to use his imagination to know what would have happened to her in that lab.

Jax left the room, making sure the door was securely locked behind him.

As he walked down the hallway, he passed another room. Checking the empty corridor, he tapped gently on the door panel.

Rustle.

Movement sounded from inside.

“It’s me,” Jax announced softly, not wanting to be gutted before he even entered.

“Are you alone?” A cool female voice replied.

“Just me.”

The door opened instantly. Raven stood there, clad in black, a long blade resting casually in her grip.

“Just came to check if you’re still alive,” Jax said.

“I’m fine. Just took a nap.”

Jax looked at her slightly messy hair and shrugged. “You’ve got nerves of steel, sleeping in a place like this.”

“It’s fine,” Raven said dismissively. “Those people are hunting for me outside. Ironically, Victor’s club is the safest place to be right now. It’s his territory; they won’t dare act recklessly in here.”

“Good point. Alright, I’m heading out. I’ll come get you when I’m done. Until then, stay quiet and follow my lead.”

“Got it. Go.” Raven yawned, practically pushing him out the door.

Watching her retreat back into the room to sleep, Jax shook his head.

He made his way to the meeting room on the eighth floor. Inside, Hazel sat with a face like thunder, looking ready to kill someone. Victor sat on the adjacent sofa, a cigar clamped between his teeth, looking relaxed.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Jax said as he entered. “Had to find someone.”

Victor’s face lit up the moment he saw him. “Haha! Brother Jax! Come in, come in!”

Jax nodded and took a seat.

Once they were settled, Victor wasted no time. “Brother, it’s getting late, so let’s get straight to the point. Though… I have to ask, why did you invite Miss Hazel to join us?”

Jax glanced at Hazel, who was still fuming silently.

“Because,” Jax said smoothly, “I want to cut her in. Hazel will be handling a portion of this business. You don’t have any objections to that, do you?”