Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 171: Make Your Move

Tension hung thick in the air, pulling the standoff taut like a piano wire. Both sides gripped their weapons, knuckles white against cold metal.

A single misfire, a single twitch of a finger, and the entire street would instantly erupt into a bloodbath.

Jax stood his ground, his expression maddeningly calm as he stared down the silver-haired scavenger lord, Vance.

Vance was trapped. He knew that if he backed down now, he might walk away with his life, but he’d permanently lose his throne. In The Sprawl, a boss only commanded respect if he was fearless and possessed a razor-sharp mind in a crisis. More importantly, Vance was a Psionic Awakener. Showing weakness in front of his crew wasn’t an option.

The ruins were dead silent. Jax could hear the ragged, rhythmic breathing of the scavengers surrounding them in the ambush.

Yet, he didn’t feel an ounce of fear. Between his defensive arsenal and life-saving skills, Jax knew that even if bullets started flying, he could extract himself in a heartbeat.

Vance’s eyelid twitched. His gaze kept flicking toward the weapon in Elena’s hands. It wasn’t a standard firearm. The warning shot she’d fired earlier had nearly made him wet himself. If her muzzle had been angled a single millimeter lower, his skull would already be splattered across the asphalt.

The weapon didn’t fire kinetic bullets; it discharged a high-energy ray of devastating power.

As the seconds ticked by, the pressure became agonizing. Vance finally cracked.

“What the hell do you want?” he demanded, his voice tight. “Are we just going to stand here staring at each other all day?”

Jax met his glare with cool indifference. “I already told you. Step aside, let us pass, and you can go back to whatever it is you were doing.”

“Not a chance!” Vance spat. “You have to leave your rations behind! And the supply trucks! We’ve been freezing our asses off waiting for you in ambush. You’re going to pay a toll!”

“In your dreams,” Jax retorted, not yielding an inch. “I’m not leaving a single grain of rice. If you want to keep waiting, I’ll keep you company. Let’s see who breaks first.”

Vance ground his teeth, fury boiling over. He was just about to call Jax’s bluff when a sudden movement caught his eye. One of his scouts was sneaking back toward their position.

Bastard! Vance cursed inwardly. Where the hell have you been? Talk about terrible timing!

He glanced back at Jax, only to realize the young warlord’s eyes were already tracking the approaching figure.

“That one of yours?” Jax asked, his voice cutting through the silence. “I’d tell him to freeze if I were you. If he takes another step, my people might just put a hole in him. You know what happens after that.”

Staring at Jax—who was proving to be as stubborn as a rusted bolt—Vance gave a stiff, defeated nod.

“Hey! Stop right there!” he barked at the scout. “Don’t come any closer!”

He quickly turned back to Jax, eager to de-escalate. “Look, it’s not that I’m scared to trade paint with you. I just don’t want my guy catching a stray beam from your trigger-happy crew. He’s an investigator. He’s been tracking the Mother Insect.”

Jax’s brows shot up. “Come again? Mother Insect investigator? What Mother Insect?”

Vance rolled his eyes. “Are you thick? We’re currently pointing guns at each other. Why the hell would I hand over free intel?”

Jax just smirked. He didn’t miss a beat. “Grab him,” he ordered over his shoulder.

In a flash, several Awakeners bolted from Jax’s convoy, surging straight toward the bewildered scout.

Vance’s eyes bugged out. “Are you shitting me?! That’s my guy! What gives you the right to bag him?!”

“I’m making a move, what are you going to do about it?” Jax challenged, his eyes gleaming with open provocation. “Go ahead. Tell your men to fire. I’m dying to see if you scavengers actually have the bite to match your bark.”

Vance’s chest heaved with suppressed rage. He couldn’t get a read on Jax. The kid was entirely too confident. Dozens of heavily armed shooters had poured out of those transports, and if Jax was hoarding advanced defensive tech, engaging them could turn into a slaughter.

It had taken Vance too long to carve out his little empire in this godforsaken city. Throwing it all away on a bloody, head-on collision wasn’t his style. He preferred intimidation—flashing his fangs to bully travelers into paying tribute. If that failed, he’d play the diplomat. Nine times out of ten, it worked. Today, however, he had hit a brick wall.

Watching his scout get dragged over by Jax’s crew, Vance’s face twisted in agony.

Do I give the order? Do we fight? He agonizingly weighed his options, flabbergasted by Jax’s sheer audacity. I’m the one staging the ambush, and he’s the one rushing me to shoot?! Is he actually fearless, or is he sitting on a trump card that’ll wipe us out?

Swallowing his pride, Vance finally broke the silence. “Who the hell are you people? How come I’ve never heard of you?”

“Taking an interest in my background now?” Jax scoffed. “Like I said, we’re from The Sprawl. Just passing through. You’re the one who decided to block the road. So, if you want a war, we’re ready to dance.”

Dismissing the scavenger boss entirely, Jax gestured to his guards. “Bring him up.”

His men shoved the trembling investigator forward. The scout took one look at Jax’s cold expression and visibly paled.

“So,” Jax drawled, looking the man up and down. “You’re the one tracking this Mother Insect?”

The scout bobbed his head, then shot a desperate look at his boss. “Boss Zhao, what’s going on? Who are these guys?”

Vance dragged a hand down his face. “You tell me! I don’t know who they are either! More importantly, what did you find out?”

The scout hesitated, his eyes darting between Jax and his boss, unsure of who was in charge.

Jax shot Vance a sharp glare. “Excuse me? This guy is my prisoner now. Don’t go barking orders at him while standing in front of me.”

Vance’s face flushed a deep, ugly red. “Give me a break, he’s my subordinate! I was giving you face by backing down, not because I’m scared of you!”

“Oh, you’re not scared?” Jax’s grin was sharp and predatory. “Great. Let’s fight.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?!” Vance exploded. “Do you have any idea how many people are going to die if we open fire?!”

Jax shrugged, fully leaning into the role of a warmonger. “People die. That’s what happens in a firefight. What are you so worried about? Afraid you’re going to lose?”

“You—!” Vance choked on his own words, utterly steamrolled by Jax’s aggressive lack of logic.

Finally, the scavenger lord threw his hands up in defeat. “Fine! You win! You’re completely ruthless! How about this: you help us take down the Mother Insect, and we split the loot fifty-fifty. I won’t even ask for a toll anymore. Deal?”

Jax feigned a thoughtful pause. “I think I need to hear about this Mother Insect first. How do I know you’re not trying to screw me over?”

“Are we cooperating or not?!” Vance yelled, his patience completely shattered. “I just handed you a massive olive branch! What more do you want from me? Do you literally just want to fight?!”

Jax sized up the frantic boss with a look of mild amusement. “Are you entirely sure you want to fight me? I don’t think you’d last very long.”

Vance deflated. He could sense an intimidating aura rolling off Jax. If the kid was a physical-type Awakener, and Vance was only a Psionic Awakener, closing the distance in a brawl would mean instant death.

“Screw it,” Vance spat, waving his men off. “I’m not fighting you. Just go. How the hell did I end up crossing paths with a bunch of suicidal maniacs? Consider it my bad luck today.” He raised his voice. “Stand down! Let them pass!”

Instead of ordering his convoy to move, a slow smile spread across Jax’s face. “I appreciate the offer,” he said lightly. “But I think I’d really like to hear about this Mother Insect first.”

He turned his piercing gaze onto the captive scout. “Start talking. I want to know everything.”