Apocalypse Architect: A Tower Defense LitRPG

Three days later, Silas returned from Redrock Bastion in one piece.

He didn’t come back alone. Trailing him was an envoy from the Helios Syndicate—the very organization Jax intended to secure as his heavy-hitting backer.

To ensure the meeting went smoothly, Jax had gritted his teeth and burned through a significant pile of resources to book a private room at the most luxurious restaurant in The Sprawl. It was a painful expense, but necessary.

Once everyone was seated, Silas played the part of the diligent subordinate. He poured a glass of wine for the envoy first, then one for Jax, before slowly taking his own seat.

“Boss, let me make the introductions,” Silas said, gesturing respectfully. “This is Officer Sawyer, the External Relations Officer for the Helios Syndicate out of Redrock Bastion. Officer Sawyer, this is our leader, Jax, and his younger brother, Barnaby.”

Jax rose immediately, extending a hand with practiced calm. “An honor to meet you, Officer Sawyer.”

Sawyer offered a limp, dismissive handshake. His eyes drifted to Barnaby, who was staring at the spread of food on the table, drool practically pooling at the corner of his mouth.

A flash of unfiltered disgust crossed Sawyer’s face.

“My brother suffered a head injury some time ago,” Jax said smoothly, intercepting the look. “I hope the Officer doesn’t mind.”

Sawyer composed himself, offering a stiff nod. “Right. Fine. Anyway, Silas tells me you’re looking to cooperate with the Syndicate?”

He leaned back, a sneer tugging at his lips.

It was obvious. He took one look at Jax—a dusty, seemingly down-and-out youth—and decided this meeting was a joke. In his eyes, Jax was nowhere near the caliber of man the Helios Syndicate did business with.

Jax ignored the condescension, his smile unwavering. “That’s correct. I want to establish a partnership with the Helios Syndicate. I was wondering what your conditions might be.”

Sawyer picked up his wine glass, taking a delicate, testing sip. “If you want my advice? Sign on as a vassal. Run errands for us, handle the grunt work, and you won’t lack for scraps. With the Syndicate’s banner over your head, no one in The Sprawl would dare touch you.”

“Haha, I appreciate the advice, Officer Sawyer,” Jax replied, his tone polite but firm. “But I’m not interested in becoming a vassal. My goal is a full partnership.”

Sawyer’s sneer deepened into open mockery.

“Kid, I’m not trying to insult you, but let’s be real. Individuals don’t cooperate with the Helios Syndicate. Our partners are major guilds, financial conglomerates, warlords. A nobody like you?” Sawyer shook his head. “To be honest, even if I agreed, the higher-ups would laugh the application out of the room.”

Jax fell silent. The man had made up his mind; he had no intention of letting this request pass. If Jax didn’t pivot now, this expensive banquet—and the connection to Redrock—would be a total waste.

He shot a glance at Silas.

Silas caught the signal instantly. He shifted his chair, leaning in close to Sawyer’s ear, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

“Officer Sawyer… don’t underestimate the Boss. He’s an Awakened.”

Sawyer froze.

He snapped his head around, staring at Silas. “What? An Awakened? Are you serious?”

Silas nodded vigorously, his face dead serious. “Absolutely. And he’s strong. He’s got his own Sentry Towers—two of them.”

Sawyer’s expression underwent a rapid transformation.

He looked back at Jax, really looking at him this time. The contempt vanished, replaced by a calculating shock.

“Is what he said true?” Sawyer demanded.

Jax lifted his wine glass, taking a slow sip before nodding. “Silas speaks the truth. I am an Awakened.”

“Prove it,” Sawyer pressed, leaning over the table. “What kind of ability do you have?”

Jax had anticipated this. He knew talk was cheap in the wasteland. Without a demonstration of power, a corporate shark like Sawyer would never sign a deal.

Two Sentry Towers were impressive, but they were back at the base. He needed to show something right here, right now. Something undeniable.

Jax cleared his throat and pointed to the empty space on the table beside them.

“Allow me a small demonstration.”

As the words left his lips, Jax focused his will. He reached into his [Storage Space].

The air shimmered.

Clack.

A heavy combat rifle materialized out of thin air, resting in Jax’s grip. The steel was cold, the smell of gun oil faint but distinct.

To pull a weapon from the void—it was a visual that commanded respect.

Even Silas stared, wide-eyed. He had suspected Jax had abilities—the mysterious appearance of the mine shaft in Sector 33 had been a clue—but seeing a rifle manifest from nothing was different. It was visceral.

Sawyer’s jaw dropped. “You… you can conjure objects?”

“You misunderstand, Officer,” Jax said lightly. “I don’t create them. I simply move them from one place to another.”

With a thought, the rifle vanished from the table.

Jax flicked a finger toward a side table cluttered with miscellaneous items behind them.

Thump.

The rifle reappeared there instantly, solid and ready to fire.

Sawyer stared at the gun, then back at Jax. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, clapping his hands with genuine excitement.

“Hahaha! I didn’t expect this! I really didn’t expect Brother Jax to have such a rare ability! You’re completely different from the brute-force Awakened I usually deal with!”

Sawyer’s demeanor flipped entirely. The bureaucrat was gone; the businessman had arrived.

“Since you have this kind of strength, then yes, I think there’s a path to cooperation. But I have to be clear—the Helios Syndicate has standards. Even for an Awakened.”

Jax nodded. “Naturally. Please, go ahead.”

Sawyer leaned in, ticking points off on his fingers. “First, personal strength must be solid. I think we can skip the test for that; your little magic trick was proof enough.”

“Second,” Sawyer continued, “cooperation implies mutual benefit. You want the Syndicate’s protection? Fine. But you have to bleed for us occasionally. If you become a partner, you will be required to handle specific tasks for the family.”

“Oh?” Jax raised an eyebrow. “What kind of tasks?”

Sawyer waved a hand dismissively, his smile returning. “Don’t be nervous, Brother Jax. We don’t have anything for you right now. We only issue orders when specific needs arise. When that happens, you just get the job done.”

Jax paused, weighing the words.

Blind obedience was dangerous. If the Syndicate ordered a suicide mission or something that crippled his own development, the deal would be a noose, not a ladder.

He voiced his concern calmly.

Sawyer laughed, shaking his head. “You’re overthinking it. We aren’t in the business of killing off our assets. Of course, the work won’t be a walk in the park—we have grunts for the easy stuff. You’re an Awakened; we need you for the sharp end of the stick.”

Sawyer held his gaze. “There will be danger, yes. But rest assured, we won’t infringe on your core interests or send you to die for nothing.”

Jax relaxed slightly. Sawyer sounded like he’d done this before. The terms were standard for a mercenary contract—high risk, high reward.

“Deal,” Jax said. “I agree. So, from now on, I can operate under the Helios Syndicate banner?”

“Correct.”

Sawyer reached into his coat and produced a heavy token, sliding it across the tablecloth.

“This is for you. It contains an encrypted chip. If you run into trouble you can’t handle, drop our name and show this. It should keep the wolves at bay.”

Jax picked it up. It was heavy, likely a dense alloy mixed with precious metals. On the face, the ancient character for Sun—Helios—was embossed in bold relief.

Jax pocketed the token, securing his lifeline. “Thank you, Officer. I appreciate the trust.”

He glanced at Silas.

Silas didn’t miss a beat. He fished a small pouch from his pocket and carefully placed twenty gleaming Insectoid Cores in front of Sawyer.

“Officer Sawyer,” Silas said, his voice dripping with gratitude. “You came a long way to meet us. We can’t let you leave empty-handed. Please, you must accept this small gift.”