Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 101: The Noose Tightens

A collective realization swept through the auction hall. The dynamic between Jax and Hazel had shifted into something far more intimate than a simple business arrangement.

Julian’s mask of composure cracked. His facial muscles twitched, jaw working silently as he struggled to find words. A bitter, hollow ache spread through his chest—the stinging sensation of having a prized possession snatched from his grasp. It was a loss he had never experienced, and it burned.

Finally, Julian sucked in a sharp breath. “Fine! Hazel! You’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

He turned his glare on Jax, his eyes venomous. “And you… you’re finished. If you can’t produce those Credits today, don’t even dream of walking out of here alive.”

Julian stormed away from the crowd, isolating himself in a corner. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number he hadn’t needed to use in a long time.

“Uncle Zhao? Yes, yes, it’s me, Julian. Right. I have some urgent news regarding Hazel.”

Meanwhile, Jax stood his ground against the aggressive manager and the sneering Slade.

“Do you really need to see the physical Credits this second?” Jax asked, stalling. “Can’t I have someone deliver the funds?”

“Sure! No problem!” The manager crossed his arms. “Make the call right now.”

Jax felt a prickle of awkwardness. He didn’t even have a mobile phone yet; his new residence only had a landline, and he didn’t know who to call.

Hazel stepped in, her voice sharp. “Why are you pressing him so hard? Can’t you give him a moment to breathe?”

Slade’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Miss Hazel, I’ve heard about your little rebellion. Honestly, there’s no need to sacrifice your future for a stranger. Julian is a good man, a much better fit for you.”

“Hmph! I know my own heart, and I know who I choose to associate with,” Hazel snapped. “It’s none of your business.”

Slade rolled his eyes theatrically. “Fine. If you won’t listen to reason, I can’t help you. But Jax needs to pay up now. Otherwise, no matter what silver tongue he uses, he’s going straight to a cell.”

Jax sighed, turning to Hazel. “Maybe you should step back. I have a way to handle this.”

But Hazel’s stubborn streak—her ‘bull-headedness’ as her father called it—had flared up. She wasn’t about to listen to anyone.

She pulled a sleek flip-phone from her pocket. “Just wait! I’ll call my dad right now. I’ll have him send the Credits.”

Slade’s expression darkened. Damn it! Why is this woman always ruining the fun? Are they actually a couple?

He glanced over at Julian, feeling a pang of pity for his friend. But when he looked, Julian had just finished his call. The frustration was gone from his face, replaced by a look of triumphant smugness.

“What’s wrong with you?” Slade whispered, leaning in. “Did the shock rot your brain? Someone is stealing your girl, and you’re grinning?”

Julian adjusted his collar, his voice dripping with malice. “Relax. The Sterling Syndicate won’t give Hazel a single Credit. I just got off the line with her father. They’re sending a team to drag her home. Trying to steal my woman? Hmph. He’s not worthy.”

Slade’s eyes lit up with satisfaction. “Classic Julian. I didn’t expect you to cut off her retreat so quickly.”

“Haha! I’m actually looking forward to watching this guy die now,” Julian laughed softly, shooting a vengeful look at Jax.

Jax looked at Hazel with concern as she argued into her phone.

“Dad, does your word mean nothing?” Hazel’s voice rose an octave. “What? What do you mean? Come home? No! I’m not coming back! Give up on that!”

Her face paled. “Impossible! You can’t freeze my accounts! That is my money, Credits I earned myself! It has nothing to do with the Sterling Syndicate!”

Hazel was losing her composure, shouting into the receiver while covering her other ear. But it was futile. The line went dead.

She stared at the phone in disbelief.

“What happened?” Jax asked gently. “Trouble at home?”

Hazel took a shuddering breath, her eyes wide with panic. “I… I might not be able to help you. My dad froze my cards. All my liquidity is gone.”

She was bordering on hysteria. Jax stepped forward and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. Relax. I have a plan.”

Hazel nodded, though her heart was pounding with the fear that her father’s enforcers were already on their way. But the immediate problem remained: Jax was broke.

The manager’s assistant returned from the payment terminal, holding Hazel’s card. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Miss Hazel. The transaction was declined. Insufficient funds.”

Hazel’s shoulders slumped.

Slade couldn’t contain his glee. “What are we waiting for? Arrest him! It’s confirmed—he’s broke! He’s just been posturing this whole time. Hey! Where is Subject S1? Drag that beast out here!”

The manager hesitated. “I’ll notify the Chief first. Since this involves the Sterling Syndicate, we need to cover our bases. We owe the Zhao family an explanation.”

“Right!” Slade agreed. “Get Chief Victor down here personally!”

In Slade’s mind, the bigger the spectacle, the better. If Jax was publicly destroyed, it would humiliate Sawyer by proxy. He couldn’t wait to see Sawyer’s face when he heard his protégé was dead.

The manager dialed Victor’s private line. It rang for a long time before connecting. Through the speaker, the background noise was chaotic.

“Chief! We have a situation at the auction involving the Sterling Syndicate. Do you need to come up?”

“The Sterling Syndicate? How are they involved?” Victor’s voice sounded distracted and irritated. “Damn it! Stay put. I’m coming.”

The line clicked off.

The manager looked at Jax. “You heard him. Wait here. If you surrender quietly when the Chief arrives, we might let you keep some dignity. If you keep playing tough… don’t blame us for what happens.”

Jax leaned back, unfazed. “Until the very last second, who can say who has the money? Let’s wait.”

The Elysium Lounge – First Basement Level, Laboratory

The air in the underground lab was sterile and cold, smelling of ozone and raw concrete. A group of researchers and guards stood staring at a newly constructed wall.

The mortar was still dark with moisture, not yet fully cured.

Chief Victor paced impatiently. “Are the Rodent-Maw Creepers ready yet? What am I paying you for? Hurry up! I have business upstairs!”

“Ready, sir!”

The freight elevator groaned, the heavy doors sliding open. Armed guards pushed a reinforced steel crate into the room. Inside, scratching and chittering sounds echoed violently.

“Open it,” Victor commanded, checking his watch.

The technicians unlatched the crate. Inside, several Rodent-Maw Creepers—vicious beasts half a meter in length with rat-like visages and insectoid mandibles—threw themselves against the bars. The metal groaned under their assault, teeth leaving deep gouges in the iron.

“Heh,” Victor muttered. “If it can stop these things, the design is legitimate.”

He turned his gaze to the test site. Jax’s wall stood about five meters high. It didn’t look particularly imposing, and since it was freshly built, Victor had his doubts about its structural integrity.

“Begin the test.”

At his command, two test subjects—condemned men sourced from the dungeons—were shoved into the arena.

One man was chained behind a standard defensive wall. The other was chained behind Jax’s prototype wall.

The technicians yanked the lever on the release cage.

SCREE!

Three Rodent-Maw Creepers exploded from the crate, a blur of fur and razor-sharp claws. They moved with terrifying speed, their claws scrabbling for purchase on the high-strength concrete floor that prevented them from burrowing.

The beasts sniffed the air, their heads snapping toward the scent of fear. In unison, they launched themselves toward the first target—the man behind Jax’s wall.

“Here they come,” Victor whispered, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.