Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Chapter 187: I Want to Follow You

Down the street, the insectoid creatures began to stir. One by one, they crawled from the shadows, their numbers swelling until they formed a single, horrifying mass. A living tide of chitin and legs began to sweep toward their building.

Vance’s heart seized in his chest. “Damn it all. That parasitic silkworm… its main ability must be summoning its brood! All that time spent laying eggs… it was all for this!”

Tension coiled in the room, tightening the expression on every face.

Jax scanned the faces of his team, his own expression unreadable. “What’s the status of our vehicles? Are they secure?”

Vance nodded, his relief fleeting. “They’re in the basement. It’s relatively safe down there. Should we fall back and make our stand?”

Jax waved a dismissive hand. “Absolutely not. If we hole up in the basement, we lose the towers. We’re not abandoning our high ground.”

“But look at the size of that Insect Swarm! How are we supposed to stop it?”

Jax’s gaze drifted from the chittering horde on the street to the haphazardly arranged Defense Towers inside their building. “Can your towers be moved?”

“They can,” Vance confirmed, “but do we have time?”

“We have time,” Jax stated flatly. “The swarm’s initial assault is always disorganized. We have a window. Now, give me the specs on every Defense Tower you have. And I need a map of this sector. Immediately.”

Vance stared, baffled by the sudden, authoritative command.

Beside him, a strange glint appeared in Volt’s eyes. “You… did you study at the Defense Tower Academy? The coordinated placement course?”

“An academy?” Jax looked at Volt, a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he processed the question. “What for? You need to *study* this?”

“The Defense Tower Academy was founded by the major cities of the Northern Frontier,” Volt explained, his voice earnest. “It covers all the theory and practical knowledge for tower deployment. When you asked for the tower types and the map, I just assumed…”

Jax let out a sharp, barking laugh. “Hah! That’s a good theory, but no. Never even heard of the place.”

A look of pure shock crossed Volt’s face. “How is that possible? Then where did you learn all this?”

Jax paused. “Learn it? Why would I need to? It’s simple.”

“Simple?”

This time, even Vance couldn’t hide his disbelief. He had the distinct feeling Jax was showing off again, but on a whole new level.

“Are you serious?” Vance sputtered. “We’re talking about dozens of tower types, thousands of bugs, terrain, choke points, obstacle construction… it’s a mountain of complex variables. How could that possibly be simple?”

Jax sighed, a sound of pure condescension. “Forget it. If we survive this, maybe I’ll give you a lesson. Now, Vance, the catalog and the map. The swarm is already starting to flank us.”

“Right, right!” Vance snapped out of his stupor. He found the Tracker and snatched a rolled-up map from the man’s pack. He then produced a small, worn notebook from his own pocket and handed both to Jax.

“Here’s all the data on our towers,” Vance said. “And this is a topographical map of the entire Forgotten City. It’s six months out of date—we haven’t had the manpower to survey for a new one—but not much has changed.”

Jax took the items and unrolled the map on the dusty floor. Kaleb and the others immediately clicked on their Flashlights, bathing the parchment in a pool of focused light. Every eye in the room was fixed on Jax, waiting for a miracle.

Jax’s lips moved silently, his finger tracing invisible lines across the map. No one knew what he was doing, but the intensity of his focus was palpable, as if he were calculating the outcome of a thousand different battles at once.

He pulled a pen from his pocket and, without hesitation, drew a large circle around their current city block.

The Tracker started to protest, but Vance shot him a look and held up a hand. “Quiet. Let him work. A map is useless if we’re all dead. We can make a new one later. Right now, all that matters is surviving this swarm.”

The Tracker could only sigh, his heart aching as he watched Jax deface the only complete map of the Forgotten City in existence. It had taken him months of painstaking work to create it, and now its details were being lost under a web of frantic lines.

Volt, however, watched with rapt attention. He could almost see the logic in Jax’s markings, a ghost of a grand strategy that was just beyond his comprehension.

After several minutes, Jax looked up. “Get me some stones. Different sizes.”

Vance immediately dispatched a few men, who returned moments later with handfuls of rubble.

Jax picked up the stones and began placing them one by one inside the circle he had drawn. When he was done, he pointed at the map and looked directly at Vance.

“You have three hundred and thirty-five Defense Towers. Sentry Towers make up roughly eighty percent of that. The rest are a mix of support and a few artillery pieces. Now, listen carefully.”

Vance leaned in, his ears straining, terrified of missing a single word.

“Every small stone I’ve placed is a Sentry Tower. Take this map and get your men to move them to these exact positions.”

“No problem!” Vance agreed, but then his brow furrowed in confusion. “But why these spots? Is there a reason?”

A thin smile touched Jax’s lips. “It’s all about interlocking fields of fire. This layout maximizes overlapping kill zones. Nothing gets through.”

Next, Jax gestured to the larger stones. “These are your artillery towers. Placing them here ensures every shell lands in the thickest part of the swarm.”

Finally, he placed the last few pebbles along the sides of the main thoroughfare. “You should be able to figure this one out.”

Understanding dawned on Vance and Volt’s faces simultaneously. The others murmured in awe.

“I get it,” Vance breathed. “I never imagined you could use them like this. It’s a whole different level.” He shot Jax a sincere thumbs-up.

A decisive glint flashed in Volt’s eyes. In that moment, he knew who he needed to follow. He kept the thought to himself, burying it deep for the right moment.

With their orders given, the team scrambled into action. The sheer number of towers made the task daunting, and the swarm was already beginning to press in. Worse, they had to keep one eye on the sky, watching for the parasitic silkworm that commanded the horde. Their movements were frantic but efficient.

Jax remained on the upper floor as the command center, with Volt staying behind to assist. Seizing the quiet moment, Volt finally worked up the nerve to speak.

“So… The Sprawl. Is it hard to get into?”

Jax glanced at him, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “Hah. Planning a trip?”

“Well…” Volt scratched his head, struggling for words. “Look, I… I’m looking to follow someone who knows what they’re doing, but I don’t know who… Where are you headed after this?”

Jax’s smile was sharp. “Cut the crap. You want to come with me, don’t you?”

Volt nodded immediately. “Can I?”

“Of course…” Jax paused, letting the silence hang in the air. “…you can’t.”

A look of weary resignation fell over Volt’s face. “Alright. I guess I’m stuck in this ghost town, then.” He turned to go check on the building’s power conduits.

“But,” Jax’s voice cut through his disappointment, “I can make an exception. Because you’re valuable.”

Volt stumbled, nearly losing his footing.

“Let me be clear,” Jax continued, his tone all business. “I need an expert in power systems. This nuclear power plant is critical to my plans. I wonder, are you willing to stay here and hold it for me until I send for you?”