Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Mikmik lazily sauntered over to where Athena had just been standing, leaping effortlessly into her arms as she scooped him up.

"Director Athena is quite the expert in our country. With your participation, I am confident our soldiers will claim victory even faster."

"As for the Duke's forces, they've just endured a battle. I've suffered no small internal injury and am in no condition to fight again."

"Besides, we must have faith in our nation's warriors; they are more than capable."

An awkward silence fell over them, while the prince of their realm continued his performance, fully embracing the role of a tragic figure. Tears stained his cheeks, though they had yet to dry.

Babron, that scoundrel, had no qualms about sacrificing his own son, a scheme he had long been orchestrating.

Athena gently stroked Mikmik’s fur. She wasn’t sure what kind of magic the little creature had worked, but his fur concealed an array of hidden treasures. As she stroked him, her hand would occasionally uncover an item, which she promptly stored in her system inventory.

Though the objects were small, Athena trusted that anything Mikmik brought back was of value.

Mikmik, evidently pleased by her attention, opened his mouth to reveal a gleaming shard—a fragment of a crystal ball. Despite the old emperor's best efforts to retrieve every piece, a few had managed to slip through the cracks.

Even such a tiny shard, when given to the right person, could summon a new crystal ball imbued with the nation's power.

Though the presence of a defense tower would expedite the creation of protective shields, weakening the monsters and hastening their defeat, Athena felt no urgency.

The real concern lay with another group. She, after all, was merely a passerby here. In the grand scheme of things, whether or not the defense tower existed held little consequence for her.

Athena did not reach out to take the shard from Mikmik’s mouth. Instead, Babron, having spotted the cat, approached them.

The situation had reached its conclusion, and his men were working swiftly to deal with the monsters, engaging them in a desperate struggle.

The old emperor must be reclaimed, for the ancient monarch still possessed many valuable things.

It would be ideal to secure Mikmik’s shard quickly, but if that proved impossible, they would have to capture the old emperor and discuss terms later.

Babron, in a bold move, reached out to stroke Mikmik, but the cat dodged at lightning speed, baring his teeth in a menacing snarl.

Babron sighed, abandoning the attempt, and simply held out his hand. Mikmik spat out the shard into his palm, leaving a trace of saliva behind.

Unfazed, Athena calmly stored the staff in her system inventory, unconcerned that Babron might notice her spatial abilities. By the time anyone reached such high-ranking positions, it was common knowledge that people possessed such items for storage.

Babron was equally unbothered by her actions. The moment the shard touched his hand, it emitted a strange glow, clearly gathering energy. Without hesitation, Babron passed the shard to the prince, as if returning it to its rightful owner.

Their prince was an odd one. Though his smile appeared harmless, and his actions seemed normal, he delicately accepted the shard with a handkerchief, avoiding direct contact.

Only Athena noticed this small detail; the others were too distracted by the spectacle above. Even if they had seen it, they would not have thought much of it.

The shard, already glowing, began to fully activate in the prince's hands. Strange light flooded in from all directions, drawn by the fragment—the residual, shattered energy of the world itself, flowing into it continuously.

The era of the old emperor had ended. A new ruler was about to ascend the stage of history, and this newly formed crystal ball symbolised the beginning of his reign.

Radiant beams shone from the orb, each one representing hope and the future. The ball served as a beacon, and around it, a fresh protective barrier rose, more brilliant and durable than the last.

The moment the new emperor grasped the crystal ball, it was as if the very world trembled in response.

Everyone was caught up in the sensation—a ritual unique to the lands of Light.

Regrettably, the monsters fared poorly. In an instant, they were crushed. After fighting for so long, their strength had already been depleted, and despite their resilience, they were now covered in wounds of varying sizes.

More troubling still, their leader had vanished without a trace, abandoning them.

Ilinaya had drawn the short straw. Her first mission, her first venture into the field, and she found herself in this deathtrap.

Athena, judging by her expression, recognised Ilinaya, but showed no inclination to save her. On land, Ilinaya was far weaker than in water, and now her voice felt on the verge of giving out from the strain.

In her current half-dead state, things didn’t look good. If she died, she would ensure Athena went down with her.

The monsters were either dead or gravely injured, and Athena finally spoke. "Hold the remaining few for now. The mastermind isn’t among them."

The remaining monsters had lost all will to fight. Three or four of them posed no real threat.

The prince readily accepted her suggestion.

The monsters were nearly annihilated, yet Athena's progress had stalled at over half the rate and wouldn’t budge.

As she watched the peculiar prince, a thought occurred to her. The shard hadn’t even touched him directly; it had glowed in Babron’s hand, not his. Only the monsters feared the shard, avoiding contact with it.

With the nation’s heir deceased, it was natural that a new candidate would be chosen. Clearly, the fragment had chosen... Babron.

Their prince was merely a figurehead.

The prince and Babron noticed Athena’s scrutiny and turned to grin at her. Their smile was disconcerting, like a predator sizing up its prey, as though they intended to devour her.

They didn’t bother hiding their true intentions because, in their eyes, Athena was already a lamb to the slaughter.

Making deals with the devil...

This place was less an imperial city and more a monster’s breeding ground, with the new leader of the nation having struck a pact with the creatures. Babron was even more ruthless and deranged than their previous emperor.

Having completed her mission, Athena made a swift decision: teleport.

Ilinaya, who was part of her team, was also transported away. In the midst of the confusion, Athena didn’t forget to toss a firebomb at the prince.

As the explosion erupted, her mission progress ticked forward once more.

That ‘prince’ was the true key to the mission.