Led by Sawyer, Jax arrived at a squat, three-story building adjacent to the main complex.
Upon reaching the second floor, Sawyer briefed the surrounding staff on the situation. The reaction was instantaneous—disbelief washed over the room.
"Supervisor Sawyer, our Awakened risked their lives to capture that Acid-Web Arachnid!" one researcher protested, his voice rising. "Handing it over to this... this greenhorn? Isn't that a bit reckless?"
"Exactly! Supervisor, that’s a Tier 3 monstrosity. We burned through significant resources to secure it for study. If he kills it now, we’re flushing a priceless test subject down the drain!"
The crowd murmured in agreement, their expressions a mix of confusion and indignation.
Sawyer waved a dismissive hand. "It’s fine. I’ll handle the explanations with the higher-ups later. Everyone, relax. Now, bring me a protective suit. Immediately."
The researchers in white lab coats exchanged frustrated glances but ultimately obeyed. They handed a suit to Sawyer, though not without shooting daggers at Jax with their eyes.
Jax ignored the hostility completely. He took the heavy protective gear and began strapping it on.
"Let's go. The lab is just inside," Sawyer said, guiding him forward. "That Arachnid is the only live specimen we have. Taking it alive was a nightmare."
Jax caught the subtle undercurrent in Sawyer's voice—a reminder of the creature's value—but he remained unfazed.
"What kind of research are you conducting on it?" Jax asked.
"Mostly stress tests on its offensive capabilities, carapace density, that sort of thing," Sawyer replied. "But don't worry about it. If we need another, we'll just have to catch another."
"Oh," Jax said, his tone light. "If it's just data you need, I already know it."
Sawyer stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look at Jax with wide eyes. "What? You know the data? You've seen these Arachnids before?"
"Mhm. Killed one."
"killed one?" Sawyer’s voice pitched up. "You’re joking. I know the state of your camp's defenses. How could your towers possibly bring down a Tier 3 beast?"
Jax smiled faintly. "Mechanics. You lure it out, kite it around, and chip away at it until it drops."
Sawyer stood there, stunned into silence.
Before he could process this, a chaotic clatter of boots echoed from the hallway outside, accompanied by a string of curses.
"Who the hell authorized the release of the specimen? Do you people have brain damage? That thing is for R&D! If that Arachnid dies, you're all on the hook when headquarters comes asking!"
"Uh... Captain Vance, it was Supervisor Sawyer's order!" a timid voice replied.
"Sawyer? Has he lost his mind? Give me a suit! I'm going in there. We can't let a valuable insectoid specimen go to waste without even extracting the core data! It’s ridiculous!"
A moment later, a burly man rounded the corner and spotted Sawyer and Jax.
Sawyer’s expression darkened. "Vance. What was that you were just shouting?"
Vance’s face flushed with embarrassment, but he stiffened his neck, refusing to back down. "Supervisor Sawyer, I stand by it. Handing a Tier 3 Acid-Web Arachnid to this kid is reckless. I object! My squad bled to bring that thing in!"
"Hmph. Does my authority mean nothing here? Are you trying to teach me how to do my job, Vance?"
"N-no... I wouldn't dare," Vance stammered, his momentum deflating. "I'm just... frustrated. You don't know the cost we paid to cage that thing."
Jax stepped forward, his voice calm amidst the tension. "You just want the creature's stats, right? I'll give them to you."
Vance finally looked at Jax properly, his eyes narrowing in skepticism. "What? You'll give us the data? Hah! Don't make me laugh. What could you possibly know?"
He sneered, crossing his arms. "Listen, kid, this is a Tier 3 Insectoid. If you actually saw one in the wild, you’d soil your pants, not take notes. Anyone can spout nonsense numbers. We need facts."
"Get me a pen and paper," Jax said, his voice flat and commanding. "I'll write it down right now."
He glanced at a nearby logbook containing partial stats on Sandworms and Rodent-Maw Creepers. It was enough to give him a baseline for how they formatted their reports.
The researchers looked at each other, bewildered by his confidence.
Sawyer leaned in, whispering, "Brother Jax, it’s alright. Just go kill it. The data they need is extremely precise—you can't just guess it."
Jax offered a reassuring smile. "Relax, Brother Sawyer. My numbers will hold up. Test them all you want; you won't find a margin of error."
A skeptical researcher handed him a clipboard and pen.
Jax uncapped the pen and mentally accessed the Insectoid Bestiary within his System interface. He pulled up the file for the Acid-Web Arachnid.
[Tier 3 Acid-Web Arachnid]
Attack: 500
Defense: 500
Speed: 30
Combat Rating: 300
Exclusive Skills: Web Entanglement, Self-Destruction
[Tier 1 Spider]
Attack: 200
Defense: 10
Speed: 50
Skill: Venomous Attack
Jax transcribed the system data into the format used by the Helios Syndicate. He was thorough, including detailed descriptions of the Tier 3 skills and even the stats for the smaller brood spiders.
He slapped the clipboard onto the table and looked Vance in the eye. "Done. Verify it however you want. If a single digit is wrong, this Tier 3 Core is yours."
Jax reached into his pocket and slammed a glowing Tier 3 Core onto the table next to the paper.
The room went deathly silent. The audible sound of throats swallowing dryly filled the air. A Tier 3 Core was a fortune in condensed energy.
Sawyer, despite trusting Jax, stared at the notebook in shock. The detail was exhaustive.
Vance snatched the notebook up, scanning the rows of data. His eyes widened. "This... how do you know this?"
Jax shrugged. "Simple. You kill one, you know one. Isn't that standard practice?"
The room remained silent.
Unwilling to concede, Vance shoved the notebook at the lead researcher. "Cross-reference this! Check it against the preliminary readings we managed to get!"
The researchers scrambled to compare their partial data with Jax's notes. Minutes ticked by. Finally, the lead researcher looked up, pale.
"It's... it's a match. Actually, his data is more precise than our sensors. There’s no error."
"That... that's impossible..."
Jax looked around the room. "Do I have permission to kill the spider now?"
Defeated, Vance lowered his head. "The Arachnid is yours."
He turned and slunk away, unable to meet Jax's gaze. Sawyer, however, stared at Jax with a burning intensity. If we can recruit him... if the Helios Syndicate can get a man like this... our power would skyrocket.
Sawyer quickly unlocked the heavy blast doors to the containment unit. "It's all yours. We've used cryo-rounds to immobilize it. It shouldn't be able to fight back."
"Thanks, Brother Sawyer."
Jax summoned his long-handled iron hammer from his inventory and stepped into the cold chamber.
"Hah! Let's see how tough you are."
Jax swung the heavy hammer in a brutal arc, smashing it down onto the Arachnid's frozen head.
CLANG!
The impact reverberated up his arms, but the creature's head remained intact.
"Tier 3 indeed. That shell is like tank armor. Again!"
Jax gritted his teeth and brought the hammer down a second time.
CLANG!
Still nothing. Not even a hairline fracture on the carapace.
"Seriously? Five hundred Defense is no joke."
He spat into his palms and adjusted his grip. "Fine. We do this the hard way."
Wham! Wham! Wham!
Ten strikes. Twenty. Fifty.
Finally, on the fifty-seventh blow, a spiderweb fracture appeared on the glossy black shell.
"Break!"
CRACK!
The fracture spread. Jax roared and delivered one final, overhead smash.
SQUELCH.
The hammer punched through the chitin and sank deep into the monster's brain matter.
[System Alert: Tier 3 Acid-Web Arachnid eliminated.] [Mission Complete. Blueprint System Access Unlocked.] [Current Architect EXP maximum reached. Promotion available: Standard-Grade Architect.] [New Mission: Assist in constructing Tier 1 Sentry Tower x1, Tier 1 Howitzer Turret x1. Reward: Title - Standard-Grade Architect.]
Jax grinned as the notifications flashed across his vision. Things were getting interesting.
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