Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 116: Mission Complete

Jax led the convoy of new recruits to the first excavation site, a rugged scar in the earth known for its potential Refined Iron deposits.

He stopped at the edge of the pit and turned to the fifty laborers. “Let me introduce you to your direct superior,” Jax announced, gesturing to the young man beside him. “This is Kaleb. From this moment on, his word is law. You answer to him, and he answers to me. Is that clear?”

“Understood!” the workers shouted in unison.

Kaleb’s face flushed a deep crimson. He straightened his spine, puffing out his chest. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined commanding a crew of fifty men.

Jax turned to his newly minted foreman. “Kaleb, give them a demonstration. Show them how long it takes to extract the ore we’re looking for.”

“On it, Boss.” Kaleb nodded vigorously. He scanned the pit, selected a likely spot, and gripped his pickaxe.

The fifty workers watched intently, their eyes locked on his every move.

Kaleb spat into his palms, rubbed them together with a gritty rasp, and swung the pickaxe high.

Clang!

The metal bit into the rock, sending a shower of sparks and stone chips flying. Kaleb fell into a rhythm, his muscles bunching and releasing with every strike. Large chunks of rock broke away, but for the first few minutes, they were just useless waste rock.

Ten minutes of steady, rhythmic labor later, Kaleb’s pickaxe struck something with a duller thud. He knelt, brushing away the loose debris to reveal a dense, metallic lump embedded in the stone.

He pried it loose, knocked off the crust of ordinary rock, and held up a piece of dark, heavy metal.

“Boss, I got one.”

Jax took the ore. It was cold and heavy in his hand.

[System Message: Obtained Refined Iron x1]

Jax nodded in satisfaction and passed the ore to the nearest miner. “Pass this around. Take a good look. Memorize the texture, the weight, the color. This is Refined Iron. This is what I’m paying you to find.”

The workers passed the heavy lump from hand to hand, muttering in realization as they felt its unnatural density.

“Alright, let’s move,” Jax commanded. “Next site.”

They marched to a second pit, a designated source for Stardust Stone.

Kaleb repeated the process. He swung his pickaxe with renewed confidence, and within fifteen minutes, he unearthed a glimmering, speckled rock—Stardust Stone.

Jax held it up for the group to see, the faint starlight within the stone catching the sun.

“Starting today, this is your livelihood,” Jax addressed the crowd, his voice projecting clearly across the quarry. “I don’t expect miracles on day one. I don’t demand a fixed quota yet. What I demand is consistency. As long as our production remains stable, your wages remain stable.”

He paused, letting the promise of Credits sink in before delivering the final blow to their skepticism.

“Furthermore, while you work for me, your meals are covered. Three square meals a day, full portions. I don’t let my workers go hungry.”

A roar of approval erupted from the crowd. Cheers echoed off the canyon walls.

For these people, physical labor was a given, but food was a constant anxiety. Hard labor burned calories they couldn’t afford to replace. The promise of three full meals was arguably more valuable than the wages themselves. The gratitude in their eyes was genuine; Jax had just lifted a massive weight off their shoulders.

“Get to work!” Jax ordered. “Kaleb, they’re all yours. I have business elsewhere.”

“Leave it to me, Boss!” Kaleb saluted.

With Hazel’s assistance, Kaleb quickly organized the men into two shifts. She moved among them, correcting their stances and teaching them the tricks to identifying the veins, transitioning seamlessly into her role as instructor.

Jax didn’t return to Sector 33 immediately. Instead, he drove the armored vehicle straight to The Sprawl to meet with Raven.

He found her in her usual haunt, looking as sharp and dangerous as ever.

“Chief Jax,” Raven purred, leaning back in her chair. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Planning to spend the night in the city?”

Jax waved a hand dismissively. “Just a check-in. Any movement on your end?”

Raven’s expression sobered. “It’s quiet. Too quiet. I sent scouts out to verify the rumors. The expert analysts over in Redrock Bastion have updated their forecast.” She paused, her eyes locking onto his. “They estimate the Insect Swarm will hit in half a month. Maybe less.”

Jax nodded slowly. “Half a month. It’s tight, but we can make it work.”

“It’s cutting it close,” Raven warned.

“I know. Keep in close contact with Sawyer,” Jax instructed. “You’re my eyes and ears out here. I’m going to be tied up with base construction, so I need you to handle the external liaising.”

Raven smiled, a slow, confident curve of her lips. She reached up, tucking a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear. “Understood, Chief. I’ll keep the network humming.”

After stocking up on bulk food supplies in The Sprawl market, Jax drove back to the mining site.

The sun was dipping below the horizon by the time he arrived, casting long shadows across the quarry. He unloaded the crates of food just as Kaleb came running up, his face smeared with dust but glowing with excitement.

Kaleb dumped a sack onto the table. It clattered heavily.

“Afternoon haul, Boss. Look at this!”

Jax peered inside. There were over a dozen chunks of Refined Iron and an equal amount of Stardust Stone.

“This many? In one afternoon?” Jax asked, genuinely surprised.

“Everyone was pumped,” Kaleb grinned. “First day energy. They wanted to prove they were worth the food.”

“Excellent.” Jax nodded. “Identify the natural leaders among them. Make them team leads. Delegate the oversight so you aren’t running yourself ragged. You need to save your energy for management.”

“Got it. What about the Energy Shards mine? Do you need me back there?”

“No, Silas and Gareth can handle the Energy Shards. You focus on these two resources. If we open more pits later, we’ll reassess.”

“Understood.”

“And Kaleb,” Jax added, his tone serious. “Don’t be stingy with the rations. Let them eat their fill. We have Credits; what we need is Loyalty. Treat them like human beings, and they’ll follow you into hell. That’s how I get their Loyalty up so I can bind them to the System, just like I did with you.”

Kaleb nodded solemnly. He remembered the day Jax had bound him—the feeling of purpose it had given him. It was the best decision of his life.

The week that followed was a blur of activity.

Jax shuttled between Sector 33 and the mines, acting as the logistics backbone for his growing empire. Every day, he collected dozens of ores.

More importantly, the strategy of fair pay and full bellies was working. The Loyalty scores of the miners were climbing steadily. Several of the most proficient workers had already crossed the 60-point threshold. Jax wasted no time, using his System to bind them as official subordinates, granting them the ability to mine special resources with greater efficiency.

Seven days later, Jax checked his inventory.

[Refined Iron: 100/100] [Stardust Stone: 100/100]

[Mission Complete!] [Rewards: Tier 1 Refined Iron Mine x1, Tier 1 Stardust Stone Mine x1]

Jax let out a long breath, a weight lifting from his chest. “Finally.”

“Kaleb!” Jax called out. “Gather the bound workers. The ones I registered in the book.”

Kaleb scrambled to obey, returning shortly with a small group of men. They were covered in soot but stood with the discipline of veterans.

“You’ve all done excellent work this week,” Jax told them. “So, I’m giving you a raise and a promotion. I have a new site that needs your attention.”

He slid a pile of glowing crystals across the table. “Two Tier 2 Cores for each of you. Consider it a signing bonus. Go get cleaned up; we’re moving out.”

The men’s eyes popped at the sight of the valuable Cores. They snatched them up with profuse thanks.

Hazel, who had been organizing paperwork nearby, leaned in close to Jax. “A new site? Did you buy another mine without telling me?”

“Not a mine. The land,” Jax whispered back. “The plot I asked you to secure last week. Did you get it?”

Hazel nodded, pulling a folded document from a drawer. “I did. It’s a wasteland plot, dirt cheap. Here’s the deed.”

“Perfect. Let’s go take a look.”

Leaving the main workforce under Kaleb’s supervision, Jax took Hazel and the elite squad to the new coordinates.

The “new site” was little more than a desolate patch of rocky ground deep within a canyon. Because it showed no surface signs of valuable ore, it had been ignored by the major factions, allowing Hazel to snap it up for pennies.

Jax surveyed the area. It was barren, quiet, and perfect.

He opened his System interface.

[Construct: Tier 1 Refined Iron Mine?] [Yes / No]

Jax selected Yes.

A low hum vibrated through the ground. The air shimmered as if heated by an invisible fire.

[Tier 1 Refined Iron Mine under construction… Please wait.]

He walked a few hundred meters away and repeated the process.

[Tier 1 Stardust Stone Mine under construction… Please wait.]

Jax exhaled, satisfied. “From now on, this is where the elite team works. Hazel, arrange the logistics.”

Hazel watched him, her eyes wide. She stared at the empty ground where the air was still warping with residual energy. She didn’t know how he did it—how he turned barren rock into gold mines—but she couldn’t deny the results.

Is he always this confident? she wondered, a newfound respect blooming in her chest. He’s not just some lucky kid. He’s… formidable. Even more than the elders back home.