Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 140: Jax is Still Important

“You want Dr. Aris?” the guard captain asked, scratching his chin. He looked at his men, who all shook their heads. “Young Master, your timing is terrible. Dr. Aris already evacuated to Redrock Bastion.”

Sawyer froze. “What? Evacuated? I saw him two days ago. Why wasn’t I informed?”

“It was a direct order from the First Young Master,” the captain explained apologetically. “All essential personnel and assets were ordered to transfer immediately. However… the underground tunnels were sealed by the other families before the evacuation could be completed. Dr. Aris might be stuck in the transit zone.”

“Stuck?” Sawyer’s eyes narrowed. “Forget Aris. What about the lab? Did they strip it?”

“Only the prototype cores were moved,” the captain said. “The heavy equipment and the main console are still here.”

“Good,” Sawyer exhaled. “Take me to the main console. I need access. And if Director Kaine asks, I was never here. Understood?”

The guards hesitated, exchanging nervous glances. Disobeying Director Kaine was dangerous, even for the Second Young Master.

Sawyer didn’t wait for their refusal. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy pouch. It clinked with the sound of high-grade crystal.

“Here are fifteen Tier 3 Cores,” Sawyer whispered, pressing the bag into the captain’s hand. “Enough to buy a ticket out of this city when the walls fall. This should be sufficient to buy your silence, yes?”

The captain weighed the bag, his eyes widening. Fifteen Tier 3 Cores was a fortune—enough to bribe a spot on the last transport.

“Absolutely, Young Master,” the captain beamed, bowing low. “We didn’t see anything. Right, boys?”

He glared at his squad, who nodded vigorously. “Right this way, sir.”

Meanwhile, in the fortified boardroom of the Core District, the mood was funereal.

The heads of the major families sat around a polished mahogany table, staring at the latest tactical reports.

“One kilometer,” a white-haired man at the head of the table muttered. This was Director Kaine (Qin Lao), the de facto leader of the coalition. “The Spiked Dune Lord is one kilometer from the main gate. And we still don’t have a plan.”

He threw the report onto the table. “Well? Speak up! You’re all captains of industry. Someone give me a solution!”

The room was silent. Finally, a younger patriarch spoke up, his voice trembling.

“Director… it’s a Tier 5. We’ve never even seen a Tier 4. Our automated defenses are designed for swarm control, not titan killing. If we engage it, we’ll just be wasting ammo.”

“He’s right,” another added. “Even the Acid-Web Arachnids nearly breached Sector 7. A Spiked Dune Lord? It will melt the walls in minutes. Maybe we should negotiate with Redrock again? Beg for asylum?”

“Beg?” Kaine scoffed. “They locked the tunnels! They left us to die to save their own skins. Negotiations are over.”

“Then what do we do?” a woman asked, her voice shrill. “If we deploy our private towers, they’ll be destroyed. Those towers are our only leverage! If we lose them, we have nothing!”

A heavy silence descended. They were trapped by their own greed. They refused to deploy their assets for fear of losing them, guaranteeing they would lose everything anyway.

“Director Kaine,” a hesitant voice piped up from the back. “What about… Jax?”

Heads turned.

“Who?” Kaine frowned.

“The scavenger. The one who came through the tunnels yesterday,” the man stammered. “He claimed he could kill the worm. He demanded command authority over our towers.”

“The arrogant brat?” Kaine sneered. “He wanted us to hand over the keys to the city!”

“Yes, but…” the man swallowed hard. “He was the only one who seemed to have a plan. And he did survive out there.”

The room murmured. Desperation was a powerful motivator.

“We have no other options,” the man continued. “If he fails, we die. If we do nothing, we die. Why not let him try? At least if the towers are destroyed under his command, we can blame him.”

Kaine stroked his beard, considering the logic. It was a gamble, but a calculated one. Using Jax as a scapegoat was appealing.

“Fine,” Kaine sighed, standing up. “We have reached the point of no return. If this Jax has a way to stop the monster, we will hear him out. But we verify his claims first.”

He looked around the table. “Who will go with me?”

“You should go, Director,” the others said quickly, eager to avoid the risk. “You carry the most authority.”

“Cowards,” Kaine muttered under his breath.

“Prepare the car,” he ordered his butler. “We’re going to find this Jax.”

A convoy of two armored vehicles flanked Kaine’s luxury sedan as they sped through the ruined streets. They arrived at Jax’s villa first, only to find a hollow shell.

“Looted,” the butler reported, returning from the wreck. “Refugees stripped it clean.”

“Find him,” Kaine snapped. “He must be somewhere in the city. Check his contacts.”

The butler made several calls on a secure line. Minutes later, he returned. “Intel suggests he has a relationship with Sawyer of the Helios Syndicate. They were seen together.”

“The Helios boy?” Kaine raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. Go to Sawyer’s villa.”

The convoy tore off again. But when they arrived at Sawyer’s estate, they were met with another dead end.

“Gone,” the butler said, looking anxious. “The servants say they left thirty minutes ago. Destination unknown.”

“Damn it!” Kaine slammed his cane against the floor of the car. “The city is burning, and I’m chasing ghosts! Where could they go?”

Suddenly, a scream echoed from the street outside.

“They’re in! The bugs are in!”

Kaine looked out the window. Smoke was rising from the outer wall. The perimeter had been breached.

“Driver, turn around!” Kaine ordered, panic finally setting in. “Back to the bunker! Forget the boy!”

The driver slammed the car into gear, intending to U-turn. But as he swung the heavy vehicle around, another car screeched around the corner, blocking their path.

It was a battered sedan, missing a door mirror and covered in dust.

Two men stepped out.

One was wearing a ruined designer suit, his face streaked with grease—Sawyer. The other was tall, dressed in scavenged tactical gear, with eyes that burned with a calm, terrifying confidence.

Jax.

Kaine rolled down his window, his relief palpable.

“Director Kaine?” Jax asked, tilting his head. “What brings the high command to this side of town? Finally ready to talk?”