THE FOUNDRY PROTOCOL: IRON DOMINION
THE FOUNDRY PROTOCOL
"Try not to die like a bitch this time."
That was the last thing the System told me before it rebooted the timeline.
I’m Jack Monroe, a construction manager who failed to save the world. In my first life, I died screaming on Day 30, ranked 47th out of 50 warlords, watching my fortress crumble because I cut corners on a concrete wall.
Now, I’ve been sent back to Day 1 with a roadmap of the apocalypse carved into my skull and a 30-day countdown to a cosmic Server Wipe.
Round Two isn't about heroics. It's about industry.
Trapped in the toxic wasteland of East St. Louis, I have to turn a bankrupt chemical plant into an impenetrable Silo. I have to manage a crew of terrified laborers, a mutinous sheriff, and two System entities warring for my soul.
The dead don't just walk—they evolve. Shamblers turn into Runners, Runners turn into Mutants, and my neighbors turn into looters.
I have a plan. I have a blueprint. I have a shovel.
And if you get in the way of my construction schedule, you’re going into the concrete mixer.
Build. Harvest. Optimize.
Welcome to the Cull.
Genre: LitRPG, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival Horror
Tags: Kingdom Building, Regression, Anti-Hero, Base Building, Zombie Evolution, Crunch (Stats), Gore, Ruthless Protagonist.
Content Warning: This story contains graphic violence, strong language, body horror (System Sickness), and a protagonist who prioritizes survival over morality. Rated 18+