Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 126: Power Leveling

A realization struck Jax like a bolt of lightning.

“The Sprawl!” he thought, a grin spreading across his face. “The city is completely surrounded by the Insect Swarm. It’s not a tragedy; it’s a high-density mob spawner. It’s the perfect grinding spot.”

He nudged Elena, who was still examining her new rifle.

“Hey. You want to level up? You want to get stronger?”

Elena blinked, surprised by his sudden enthusiasm. “Of course. Do you have a way?”

“I do,” Jax said, his smile turning predatory. “Get your gear. I’m taking you power leveling.”

“Power leveling?” Elena frowned, unfamiliar with the gaming terminology. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’m going to fast-track your growth. You think your damage output is low? I have a fix for that.”

“Really?” Elena’s eyes lit up. She grabbed his arm, eager. “Where are we going?”

“The Sprawl.”

Elena recoiled as if stung. “The Sprawl? Are you insane? That place is crawling with millions of bugs. It’s a death trap!”

“Danger is just another word for opportunity,” Jax countered, already walking toward the vehicle bay. “Stop overthinking it. Pack some food and water. We’re burning daylight.”

“Fine! But if we die, I’m haunting you.”

Elena rushed to her quarters to prep. Thanks to the Bastion’s expansion, everyone now had private living spaces, a small luxury in the apocalypse.

Before leaving, Jax tracked down Gareth.

“Old Lu, I’m heading out for a supply run. You’re in charge until I get back.”

Gareth looked up from his work, startled. “You’re leaving again? When will you be back?”

“Not sure. Soon. Don’t worry, the turrets are automated.”

“Right, okay. Be careful out there, Boss.”

Jax nodded and descended the platform. He started the pickup truck, waited for Elena to hop in, and gunned the engine.

They tore across the wasteland, kicking up a trail of dust. Soon, they reached a ridge about 2 kilometers outside The Sprawl.

Jax slowed the vehicle. Through the windshield, the horizon was dominated by a terrifying sight. A gray-yellow curtain of dust and chitin rose into the sky, walling off the city. It was a living blockade of monsters.

“My god,” Elena whispered, pressing her face against the glass. “Is that… is that all of them?”

“That’s the swarm,” Jax confirmed. He glanced at her pale face. “Scared?”

Elena stiffened, her pride flaring. She turned and glared at him. “Scared? Please. I’m an Awakened now. Drive closer. I want to see if I can pick them off from range.”

Jax smirked. “That’s the spirit.”

He crept the truck forward until they were about 200 meters from the edge of the swarm’s periphery. He parked behind a large sand dune to break their line of sight.

“This is the spot,” Jax said. “Safe distance, plenty of targets. Let’s see what you can do.”

Elena nodded, opening her door and crouching atop the dune. She settled the Soul Collector Rifle against her shoulder, peering through the scope.

“Target acquired,” she murmured.

She lined up her shot on a Rodent-Maw Creeper attempting to scale the distant city walls. She exhaled and pulled the trigger.

Thrum-CRACK!

A beam of silver light traversed the distance instantly. The creeper convulsed and slumped to the ground, dead.

“Yes!” Elena cheered, lowering the gun. “Did you see that? Bullseye!”

“Nice shot,” Jax said lazily, leaning back in the driver’s seat. “But don’t celebrate yet. That Rodent-Maw Creeper gave you exactly one point of EXP. You need 1,000 kills to level up.”

Elena froze. She turned slowly to look at him. “What? 1,000? You’re joking.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Jax tapped the dashboard. “Stop complaining and start shooting. You have 763 kills to go. I’m going to take a nap. Wake me if the world ends.”

He reclined the seat, crossed his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes.

Elena stared at him, mouth agape. She stomped her foot in the sand. “You are unbelievably irresponsible!”

Jax didn’t respond, humming a soft tune.

Elena gritted her teeth, making a gesture as if gouging his eyes out, then turned back to the battlefield with a huff. She channeled her frustration into her trigger finger.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Jax lay there, listening to the rhythmic discharge of the energy weapon. He wasn’t sleeping; he was watching the system interface projected on the back of his eyelids.

[Hero: Elena] [EXP: 240/1000] [EXP: 241/1000]

“Fascinating,” Jax mused internally. “Her leveling mechanic mirrors mine. If she grinds enough, maybe I’ll hit the threshold for the next Builder tier today. I wonder what blueprints Tier 4 will unlock?”

The hours drifted by. From high noon until the sun began to dip below the horizon, Elena fired relentlessly. Her finger cramped, and her shoulder ached from the recoil dampeners, but she kept going.

She shook out her numb arm and glared at the truck. Jax appeared to be sound asleep.

“Lazy jerk,” she muttered, turning back to the scope.

Crack. Crack.

But the relentless harassment had finally drawn attention. The hive mind of the swarm rippled. Several creatures stopped their assault on the wall and turned their sensory organs toward the dunes.

Elena dropped another Rodent-Maw Creeper, but through her scope, she saw the shift in movement. A detachment of bugs peeled away from the main horde, skittering toward her position.

“Crap,” she hissed. “I’m compromised!”

She grabbed her rifle and sprinted back to the truck, wrenching the door open.

“Jax! Wake up!”

Jax jolted, wiping imaginary drool from his chin. “Huh? You done?”

Elena reached over and pinched his arm hard. “You useless slacker! We’ve got company!”

“Ow! Are you crazy?” Jax yelped, rubbing the spot. “I bring you to an all-you-can-eat EXP buffet, and you pinch me?”

“Drive! They’re coming!”

Jax looked past her. Sure enough, a wave of dust was kicking up as a pack of Rodent-Maw Creepers and Sandworms charged toward them. Behind them, the towering silhouettes of Tier 3 spiders were pivoting to join the chase.

“Alright, looks like the happy hour is over,” Jax said.

He twisted the key, revving the engine while glancing at the stats one last time.

[Hero: Elena] [Level: 1 (763/1000)]

“Whoa,” Jax whistled. “You bagged over 300 kills in one afternoon? Not bad.”

Elena glared at him as they sped away. “300? Are you blind? I killed nearly 1,000 mixed targets! How does that math work?”

Jax slapped his forehead. “Oh, right. I forgot to mention the scaling. Tier 1 Sandworms only give you a third of an experience point now. Rodent-Maw Creepers give one full point. If you want big numbers, you need to kill the spiders—they give 10 points each.”

Elena looked like she was about to strangle him. “Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?! I wasted hours shooting worms!”

“Details, details,” Jax waved her off. “It’s fine. We have to move. The swarm is expanding.”

He spun the wheel, steering the truck away from the Bastion and toward the mining district. It was safer to loop around than lead a train of monsters straight home. Besides, he needed to check on production.

They arrived at the mining outpost as twilight settled. Elena, needing to vent her adrenaline, ran to find Hazel.

After a brief exchange, they found Jax inspecting the stockpiles.

“Chief,” Hazel said, looking tired but accomplished. “Here’s the haul for today. We have over 150 Stardust Stone and 170 Refined Iron.”

She handed him a heavy canvas bag.

Jax took it, weighing it in his hand. A satisfied smile broke across his face. “Excellent. This is enough. We can finally build the Frost Tower.”

“Frost Tower?” Hazel asked, tilting her head. “Is that a new defensive structure?”

“It is,” Jax nodded. “It doesn’t do much damage, but it has a massive area-of-effect slow. It’ll freeze the bugs in their tracks.”

“Incredible,” Hazel murmured. “Did… did you design it?”

“Something like that,” Jax winked.

Since everyone assumed he was a Psionic Awakener with a specialization in construction, he didn’t bother correcting them.

Hazel bustled off to serve dinner. The meal was extravagant by wasteland standards—pork stew with vermicelli. Jax had paid a premium for the meat in the early days, and it was paying off now in morale.

After stuffing themselves, Jax pulled Hazel aside.

“Any sign of the swarm out here?”

Hazel shook her head. “It’s quiet. The valley creates a natural blind spot. We haven’t seen a single bug.”

“Good. Keep the perimeter tight regardless.”

Jax checked the time. “Alright, pack it up, Elena. We’re heading home.”