Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 118 On-Site Recruitment

Raven gazed out the window, her interest in the view waning as quickly as it had arrived. With a bored sigh, she pulled the heavy curtains shut, sealing the room in dimness.

It was only then that Jax took stock of the aftermath. The suite was littered with corpses.

“We need to clean this up,” Jax said, eyeing the carnage.

“Consider it done,” Raven replied, her voice cool. “I’ll toss the trash outside shortly. Don’t worry about it.”

She turned to face him, her expression unreadable. “Do you need my blade back at Sector 33?”

Jax paused, weighing the situation. “If you’re willing, then yes. The Sprawl isn’t safe anymore, and I could use the backup.”

“I don’t mind assassins,” Raven said, wiping her long blade on the bedsheet with a nonchalant grace before sliding it back into its sheath with a sharp click. “They’re hardly a challenge.”

The metallic tang of blood hung thick in the air, cloying and oppressive. Jax frowned; he had no desire to linger in this slaughterhouse.

“Pack your gear,” he ordered. “We’re moving out.”

“Give me a minute.”

The return trip to Sector 33 was uneventful. Upon arrival, Jax gathered the team to introduce their newest ally.

“Everyone, this is Raven.”

Fortunately, Raven was adaptable. Her striking beauty didn’t hurt, earning her a generally warm reception from the survivors at the Outpost.

Everyone, that is, except Elena.

The young heiress watched Raven with eyes narrowing into slits, radiating hostility. She dragged Jax into a corner, her voice dropping to an accusatory hiss.

“Why did you bring her back?”

Jax chuckled, trying to defuse the bomb. “Raven is here to reinforce our defenses. Don’t be so hostile. We need to be united right now.”

“Hmph! She’s a vixen,” Elena spat, glaring at Raven over Jax’s shoulder. “I can tell just by looking at her. She’s bad news. I don’t like her.”

Jax shook his head, rubbing his temples. “Just bear with it. Tonight, you, Hazel, and Raven will take the master bedroom. Barnaby and I will sleep in your old room.”

“What?” Elena’s voice pitched up. “You want me to sleep in the same room as her? Absolutely not!”

“My dear Princess,” Jax groaned, clutching his forehead. “Now is not the time for a tantrum. Can you just cut me some slack here?”

Elena bit her lip, seeing the genuine exhaustion in his eyes. She finally let out a defeated sigh. “Didn’t you say we’d have separate living quarters once you upgraded to the Tier 3 Fortress?”

“You think I don’t want that?” Jax replied. “But I’m still short on materials.”

He pulled up his interface, the holographic text glowing softly in the air.

[Tier 2 Fortress]

Status: Upgradable

Requirements: 500 Stardust Stone, 500 Refined Iron

Jax stared at the numbers.

“It’s been days,” Elena noted. “We still don’t have enough?”

“We’re miles off,” Jax admitted, retrieving a sample of Refined Iron and a Stardust Stone from his inventory. “We need another three hundred of these stones and nearly four hundred Refined Iron.”

“That much?” Elena’s eyes widened. “When will we be ready? I heard the Insect Swarm is barely a week away!”

“I know,” Jax said, his voice grim. “But the mining output is capped. Even running at full capacity, we only pull in about a hundred of each per day.”

Elena did the math quickly. “That means… five more days?”

“Exactly. So believe me, I’m more anxious than you are.”

Elena’s anger deflated, replaced by a look of guilt. “I… I’m sorry. I was just stressed. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Jax offered a reassuring smile. “It’s fine. In the meantime, focus on stockpiling wood. The insectoids fear fire.”

“Okay, I’ll get on it right away.”

“Good. I’ll send Raven to help you. try not to kill each other.”

As Elena walked away, Jax let the smile fade. He desperately wanted that Tier 3 upgrade, but the system didn’t bargain. He had no choice but to wait.

Five days later.

Jax arrived at the mining zone just as the first light of dawn grayed the horizon. The atmosphere was chaotic.

Panic had set in.

Instead of workers heading to the pits, Jax saw crowds packing vehicles, preparing to flee. Guilds and prominent families were organizing mass evacuations, desperate to reach the safety of The Sprawl before the deadline.

When Jax’s vehicle rolled through the dust, fingers pointed, and whispers broke out among the refugees.

“Look, that’s the second-in-command of The Dire Wolves. Their mine is still running. Are they insane?”

“Tsk, tsk. He clearly doesn’t understand what the Insect Swarm is. His brain must be fried—chasing Credits over his own life.”

“Let him be. Every year there are fools who think they can tough it out. They always end up as bug food.”

“Forget him. Let’s move! Tomorrow is the last day. After that, the Swarm hits.”

Jax ignored the murmurs, driving straight to his claim. As he suspected, his was the only operation still running. Silence had fallen over the rest of the quarry.

He found Hazel amidst the dust. Her hair was a mess, strands stuck to her sweat-dampened forehead, but she was laser-focused on a clipboard.

“Mine One!” she shouted, her voice hoarse. “What was yesterday’s yield?”

A shirtless miner, coated in grime and soot, climbed out of the pit. He wiped his hands on his trousers, leaving black streaks. “Miss Hazel, we got forty-one Refined Iron yesterday.”

“Good. Keep pushing!” Hazel marked the clipboard and marched toward the next pit.

When she finally returned to the makeshift office, she found Jax sitting at her desk, reviewing the ledgers.

“Chief, you’re here.”

Jax nodded. “Drop the ‘Chief’. Just Jax is fine.”

“Right, Jax. Here are the totals,” she said, sliding a paper forward. “One hundred ten Refined Iron. Eighty Stardust Stones.”

Jax frowned. “Why is the Stardust count so low?”

Hazel slumped slightly, exhaustion overtaking her. “Morale is bottoming out. Everyone is terrified of the Swarm. We had a few runners last night.”

“Damn it,” Jax slammed his fist onto the table. “They pick now to bail?”

“Jax…” Hazel asked cautiously. “Do we keep digging?”

“Of course we keep digging!” Jax snapped, standing up. “We can’t upgrade the Fortress without those stones. If the Fortress stays at Tier 2, nothing else upgrades. We are dead in the water without those resources.”

He looked out the window at the stream of fleeing miners. An idea formed.

“Keep things running here,” he said. “I’m going out.”

Jax drove his vehicle to the main exit of the mining district, blocking the path of the fleeing crowd. He climbed out and shouted, his voice booming over the engine noise.

“Listen up! I’m hiring! I need 30 miners immediately!”

The crowd paused, staring at him as if he were a lunatic.

A few rival mine owners approached, shaking their heads. “Boss Jax, have you lost your mind? Who’s going to work now? It’s suicide.”

“He’s right,” another added. “Save your life, man. You can’t spend Credits if you’re dead.”

“Even for ten times the wage, nobody is staying.”

Jax ignored them. He turned his gaze to the ragged miners huddled in the transport trucks.

“I’m offering one Tier 2 Core per person, per day! Who’s in?”

The miners hesitated. A Tier 2 Core was a significant sum, more than they made in a month. But fear quickly took over.

“Boss Jax, stop joking!” one shouted. “Even if you gave us a Tier 3 Core, it wouldn’t matter! The Sprawl closes tonight! If we don’t leave now, we’re stuck outside!”

“Yeah! Our lives are worth more than money!”

Jax gritted his teeth. He needed that ore.

“Fine!” Jax bellowed, raising a hand. “One Tier 3 Core per day! Two days of work, that’s it! I only need ten of you!”

The crowd went dead silent. A Tier 3 Core was a fortune—enough to buy a house, a citizenship, a new life.

“And,” Jax added, sealing the deal, “When the job is done, I will personally drive you back. I guarantee your entry into The Sprawl. If I can’t get you in, I’ll give you each a second Tier 3 Core as compensation!”

The calculations in the crowd shifted instantly. Greed warred with fear, and greed won.

“Count me in!” A man jumped down from a truck. “I’m single, I’ve got nothing to lose!”

“Boss Jax! Forget the danger, I just really love mining!” another shouted, sprinting over.

“Me too! I’m strong, pick me!”

The rival mine owners watched in shock. A Tier 3 Core a day? If they weren’t so terrified of the bugs, they would have signed up themselves. That kind of wealth could set a man up for life in the safety of The Sprawl.

“Boss Jax,” one of the owners warned again, “Don’t say we didn’t warn you. It’s a death sentence.”

Jax smirked, leaning against his truck with practiced arrogance.

“It’s fine,” he drawled. “The money doesn’t matter. I just want a front-row seat to see what this Insect Swarm is really made of.”