The group stood on the platform, dumbfounded. They had grown accustomed to the brutal rhythm of the insectoid invasions, conditioning themselves for terror.
When the first wave ended, the adrenaline had faded, leaving them drained. But the arrival of the second wave failed to reignite that primal fear. It felt... anti-climactic.
Silas nudged Gareth with an elbow, whispering, "Hey, Old Gareth. Why aren't you shaking today?"
Gareth froze, mortified. He had assumed his involuntary trembling during attacks had gone unnoticed by the others. He thought he had preserved that scrap of dignity, but Silas’s question shattered that illusion. Clearly, everyone knew about his cowardly display.
"Ahem! I... I’ve conquered my fear!" Gareth stammered, straightening his back. "From today on, I won't be afraid! That's right, never again!"
Strangely enough, Gareth wasn't lying. Even with the Rodent-Maw Creepers approaching, the panic didn't come. Perhaps it was the lingering belief that the attacks usually ended after one wave, making this feel less real.
Just as they spoke, the Rodent-Maw Creepers finally scuttled into the illuminated zone.
Seeing them, Jax didn't hesitate. He grabbed a rope and rappelled down the fortress wall.
The firing rate of the Howitzer Turret was painfully sluggish. While the Creepers were slow underground, their speed on the surface was lethal. Jax intended to complicate their journey.
Landing on the sandy ground, Jax watched the distant swarm approach. Like his teammates, he found it hard to be afraid. After witnessing the nightmare that was the Spiked Dune Lord—a massive, grotesque monstrosity capable of ranged strikes—these oversized rodents felt manageable.
Boom!
The first shell from the Howitzer Turret slammed into the cluster, blasting the formation apart.
As if synchronized by a hive mind, the surviving Rodent-Maw Creepers halted instantly and burrowed into the earth.
Jax sprinted to the foremost Tier 1 Barricade and fixed his eyes on the ground.
Several small earthen mounds rose from the surface as the creatures tunneled forward. Accompanied by the faint, unsettling sound of excavation, the mounds shifted toward the fortress. It was an eerie sight—the ground moving as if it were alive.
Jax held back his Decoy Clone skill. He needed to observe. He needed to know exactly how the enemy AI handled physical obstructions.
Fortunately, the subterranean Creepers seemed to have poor olfactory senses regarding the surface. Jax stood mere meters away, watching the mounds advance, yet they showed no reaction to his presence.
After a few tense minutes, the burrowing trails reached the first line of defense.
The mounds stopped dead in front of the Tier 1 Barricade. Jax crept closer, cocking his head to listen.
Skritch-skritch-skritch.
The sound of sharp claws raking against rock echoed from below, sounding like rats gnawing through a coffin lid. Jax felt goosebumps rise along his arms.
After a pause of about fifteen seconds, the scratching ceased. The mounds shifted, veering sideways to flank the obstacle.
Jax carefully stepped over a passing mound and placed a hand on the wall.
[Tier 1 Barricade: Integrity 80%]
Jax froze, then grinned. A wave of exhilaration washed over him.
"Perfect! My theory was correct. They prioritize pathing over destruction. If there's a way around, they'll take it, saving the walls!"
He glanced at the open ground behind him, a plan forming in his mind.
"I have 10 Barricade charges left. If I deploy them all now, I can force them into a massive detour. The longer they spend walking, the longer the towers have to shoot. Finally... this is starting to feel like a real Tower Defense game."
Acting on the thought, Jax ran to the rear sector. He summoned the remaining 10 Barricades, arranging them in a staggered formation.
He effectively created a maze. To bypass the new obstructions, the Rodent-Maw Creepers would be forced to snake through a winding S-shaped kill zone, drastically increasing their travel time.
With the trap set, Jax returned to the base of the platform to wait. He still didn't use his Decoy Clone; he wanted to see if the Defense Towers alone could wipe them out during the delay.
Up on the platform, the survivors watched Jax’s erratic behavior in silence. To them, Jax was an Awakened; his logic operated on a plane they couldn't comprehend, so they didn't question it.
Only Barnaby was visibly distressed. He kept shifting his weight, wanting to jump down and help.
"Barney, don't worry," Annie said soothingly, patting the large man's arm. "Jax will be fine."
"But... but it's really dangerous down there!"
"Do you trust him? He's running tests, Barney. It's okay."
Kaleb added his own soft reassurances. He held no guard against the giant with the mind of a three-year-old. Barnaby nodded eventually, though his eyes remained fixed on Jax with anxious devotion.
Overhead, the rhythm of the battle changed. The booming of the Howitzer and the thwip of bolts from the Sentry Towers became a constant drumbeat.
Because the Creepers were forced to navigate Jax's maze, their advance stalled, and their casualty rate skyrocketed.
Jax watched his interface with satisfaction.
[F-Level Bounty Protocol: Eliminate 100 Tier 2 Rodent-Maw Creepers.] [Current Progress: 53/100] [Time Remaining: 45 minutes 32 seconds]
"Excellent. Already halfway there," Jax muttered. "Usually, killing a hundred of these things takes over an hour. This makes it trivial."
He watched the distant mounds reach the third line of defense. True to their programming, they paused for ten seconds at the wall, confused, before adjusting their direction again.
[Tier 2 Rodent-Maw Creeper Eliminated x1] [Tier 2 Rodent-Maw Creeper Eliminated x2] [Tier 2 Rodent-Maw Creeper Eliminated x1]
The notifications scrolled by in a comforting stream. Jax relaxed.
By the time the swarm finally navigated the maze, only twelve Creepers remained alive.
"Too easy," Jax thought. "But this Bounty Protocol is incredibly lucrative. With these resources, I can upgrade more buildings. Although... I still haven't received any prompts for new blueprints. Do I have to rely on luck or specific missions to unlock new Defense Towers?"
He recalled his gaming experience from his past life. Usually, upgrading the headquarters unlocked the tech tree. But this system was stingier, its rules more opaque. Much of his progress seemed to rely on RNG—like The Vault.
Finally, a Howitzer shell whistled down, obliterating the last group of Creepers just as they surfaced from the sand.
[Congratulations, User. F-Level Bounty Protocol completed.] [Reward: Refined Iron x100]
Jax quickly opened the Bounty Protocol interface. The icons had turned gray, overlaid with a countdown timer.
"Twenty-four hour cooldown. One mission a day," Jax noted. "Still, getting a daily Bounty on top of the fixed system missions is a massive advantage."
On the platform, the group stared at the battlefield in bewilderment. They exchanged glances, feeling useless. They hadn't done a thing—just watched Jax run around moving walls, and then the enemy was dead.
They hadn't even thrown a single Torch.
"Ahem! Alright everyone, show's over!" Jax called out from below. "Get some rest!"
The survivors looked at him with strange expressions.
"Boss... that's it? It's over?"
"Yeah! If we knew you could solo the whole wave, we would've gone to sleep an hour ago!"
"Go on, get some sleep," Jax waved them off. "I've got the second shift anyway."
One by one, they retreated into the fortress, shaking their heads. Jax smiled wryly. He hadn't expected the maze strategy to make the victory quite this effortless.