Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 137: You Will Regret This

“You’re actually going to cooperate with the Iron Spear Syndicate?” Elena asked, incredulous. “After what they did?”

Jax nodded, his expression grim. “Not just them. I’m going to cooperate with the entire leadership of The Sprawl.”

“The whole city?” Raven blinked. “How?”

“It’s a simple trade,” Jax explained, watching the dust cloud of the approaching worm. “They help me kill this Spiked Dune Lord, and I help them hold back the rest of the Insect Swarm.”

The three women stared at him.

“Jax,” Elena said slowly. “They have an army and they’re failing. How are you going to hold back the swarm alone?”

“I have my ways,” Jax said vaguely, thinking of his new Cryo-Tower and upgraded skills. “But I need their heavy artillery to crack this worm’s shell. It’s a temporary alliance born of necessity.”

Raven nodded, understanding the logic. “Enemy of my enemy. I’m in.”

Elena sighed, looking at the approaching monster. “Fine. If you’re crazy enough to try this, I’m not letting you do it alone.”

Annie simply nodded, clutching her knife.

“Go,” Jax ordered. “Run to the Iron Spear outpost. Tell them I’m bringing a gift.”

The women sprinted toward the valley exit. Jax stayed behind, standing in the middle of the road like a matador waiting for a bull.

He checked his watch. Ten minutes passed.

Finally, the colossal bulk of the Spiked Dune Lord crested the ridge. Its eyeless head weaved back and forth, hunting for the scent of its prey.

“Took you long enough,” Jax muttered.

He picked up a rock and hurled it. Thwack.

The worm roared, a sound like grinding metal, and surged forward. The swarm of Rodent-Maw Creepers chittered in its wake, a tide of hungry mouths.

“Come and get me!”

Jax turned and ran. He kited the monster expertly, slowing down just enough to keep it interested, then sprinting ahead when it got too close. It was a deadly dance, but he led it straight down the main road toward the Iron Spear outpost.

As he rounded the final bend, he saw a group of armed men waiting at the gate. The three women stood at the front, waving him in.

“Mr. Jax!” the Iron Spear captain shouted, relief washing over his face. “You’re finally here! We accept your terms!”

Jax skidded to a halt, gasping for air. “Good. We need to move. Now.”

“This way!”

The captain ushered them into an armored transport. They sped away from the outpost just as the Spiked Dune Lord crashed through the outer perimeter, its acid breath melting the barricades.

The transport took them to a hidden location behind the dunes—a secret entrance to the underground evacuation tunnels built by the elite families.

“We dug this weeks ago,” the captain explained as they descended into the earth. “Just in case.”

“Smart,” Jax noted, observing the reinforced walls.

The tunnel was crude but massive, stretching for over 30 kilometers. It was a lifeline connecting the outer outposts to the inner sanctum of The Sprawl.

After a two-hour trek through the gloom, they emerged into a fortified bunker complex deep within the city.

A delegation was waiting for them.

Jax scanned the room. He saw several well-dressed men and women—the patriarchs and matriarchs of the major families. But one face was missing.

“Where is Sawyer?” Jax asked. “Where is the Helios Syndicate?”

An elderly man with a long beard stepped forward. “Young Master Sawyer is… indisposed. I am Patriarch Lin. I speak for the Council.”

“Fine,” Jax said, cutting to the chase. “You know why I’m here. You need help; I need a kill.”

“Indeed,” Lin nodded, stroking his beard. “We were told you could turn the tide. What do you require?”

“I need total command authority over your Defense Towers,” Jax said flatly.

The room erupted in whispers.

“Excuse me?” Lin frowned. “You want control of our defenses?”

“Yes,” Jax said. “There is a Tier 5 monster—a Spiked Dune Lord—heading for your walls right now. Your current automated systems won’t stop it. I need to manually coordinate the fire to penetrate its armor.”

The whispers turned to laughter.

“Tier 5?” Lin chuckled, shaking his head. “Young man, don’t insult our intelligence. We haven’t even seen a Tier 4 yet. A Tier 5 is a myth.”

“He’s trying to scare us into handing over the keys!” another patriarch scoffed. “Nice try, kid.”

“We appreciate the offer of help,” Lin said condescendingly. “But we aren’t going to give a stranger control of our city’s security based on a fairy tale.”

Jax looked at their smug faces. They were standing on the brink of annihilation, yet they were still playing politics.

“A fairy tale?” Jax repeated quietly.

He stood up, signaling to Elena and the others.

“Fine. If you won’t listen, then I won’t waste my breath. We’re leaving.”

He turned to the door, pausing to look back at Lin one last time.

“When that ‘myth’ crashes through your walls and melts your city to slag… remember this moment. You will regret your arrogance.”