Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

The green fruit swelled and grew, its color shifting from light to dark until it turned a deep black.

The tree monster, having absorbed the serpent monster, began to regenerate its previously blasted branches at a frantic pace.

A violent, dark, twisted, and maddening aura spread in all directions. Its roots became grotesquely gnarled and dried.

Under the players' incredulous gazes, its roots burst from the ground and pierced the crevices of the trunk.

The trunk, like a boundless black hole, devoured these roots. The air was filled with wails as human faces emerged from the dark fruit atop the tree.

Eventually, it transformed into a single black fruit, emitting a strange black light. The scattered corpses of the giant bees on the ground were left untouched this time.

The war was on the verge of breaking out. Almost everyone moved at the same time, like ravenous wolves, mindless beasts, charging towards the giant tree.

Agasi led the yellow giant bee queen, then the black giant bee queen, and the remaining birds. The three sides gathered, continuously attacking one another.

Wave after wave of giant bees recklessly charged at the fruit, only to be thwarted and killed by any of the factions.

The players, equally frenzied, used various weapons to stab into the tree monster's branches from smaller trunks, attempting to take away as much as they could!

Some aimed for the leaves above, but getting close to the canopy was impossible—it was heavily guarded.

Athena was teleported into a cave, clutching Mikmik. Thankfully, they had escaped quickly, or they would have been blown to pieces.

The serpent monster probably wouldn't survive. If those present allowed it to live, there would be no need to fight over the dark fruit; they could simply give it to the serpent.

There was no time to waste. Athena sprinted towards the center, her destination clear.

As she exited the cave, she saw the towering tree in the distance, now several times larger than before.

More terrifying was the strange glow emanating from it, drawing even Athena's gaze, compelling her to claim it for herself.

This is...?

A fruit capable of captivating the mind!

The fruit was ripe, and the battle had likely already erupted. Athena hurried towards the commotion.

Meanwhile, at the forest's edge, two hive queens sensed the changes simultaneously.

To their surprise, the serpent monster was dead. Though it had died at the tree monster's hands, it was still shocking to the bees.

The protective shield above the yellow giant bee's hive flickered, its energy waning, while dense black fog swirled around, ready to consume it.

In the distance, the black hive queen hovered in mid-air, clutching a sphere of energy.

Her eyes, black as voids, emitted a black light. Black mist continuously poured from her open mouth.

"Kill them all!"

Shrouded in black mist, the yellow giant bee hive's forces were immobilized, preventing any reinforcements for Athena's side from arriving.

Players, having seen Athena on Agasi's back, now mimicked her, standing on the yellow giant bees' backs.

BAAAM! BRRZZTT!! BAAGMMM!!!

They launched relentless attacks on the canopy, deploying a variety of skills, even resorting to the dirtiest tricks!

When Athena arrived, the battle was already fierce. She quickly climbed a nearby tree, leaping nimbly to catch a black giant bee and flipped onto its back.

Despite the yellow giant bees lacking reinforcements, the explosive fireballs and player support temporarily suppressed the black giant bees.

The giant birds, plagued by the fireballs, were reluctant to engage directly, fearing another situation like the serpent monster’s demise.

Many people were now hacking at the tree, wishing to take the whole tree if possible. But no matter how they attacked, the tree didn’t even shed a layer of bark.

Eventually, they focused their attacks on one spot, finally seeing a small crack. Unfortunately, their joy was short-lived as the crack quickly healed, becoming even tougher than before.

The tree monster remained motionless, as if lifeless after completing its mission, indifferent to the players' actions.

Even the players who had fled earlier returned, hoping to claim a leaf fallen from the tree as a valuable trophy.

Before the dark fruit was taken, the tree monster wouldn’t be harmed by any attack, and any damage would instantly heal.

Trying to take anything from it was a fool’s dream.

Another wave of violent explosions hit. The combatants were formidable, and Athena had no intention of joining their chaotic battle.

She was merely there to confuse and distract. Familiarity bred confidence.

Below, her acquaintances, the Cloaked Witch, and Magic King felt a sense of unease as they saw her return, a feeling of déjà vu.

The yellow giant bee queens occasionally hurled explosive fireballs at the opposing side. Athena assisted by launching her own fireballs.

Any ordinary black giant bee that approached her was split in half by her axe.

Her fireballs contributed significantly to the battle, coupled with her inherent damage output, causing her ranking to soar.

The fight was fiercely contested. No side could get close to the dark fruit without being repelled by the combined forces of the other factions, leading to a stalemate.

However, the glow of the dark fruit began to fade. It had a time limit and couldn’t withstand prolonged stalling.

The black fog outside the yellow giant bee hive grew thicker, constantly assaulting their protective shield. Berry had no solution.

They could only hope for a swift end to the battle and timely reinforcements. The black fog outside seemed determined to obliterate them, with each attack more ferocious than the last.

The woman in mid-air suddenly stopped spewing black mist. "Hmph!"

She curled into a fetal position, slowly swallowing the energy orb.

Instantly, her power surged, but it was only temporary; she needed a quick resolution.

The massive spherical egg-laying structure inside the hive was summoned by her.

She then flew inside, soaking in the liquid within. The yellow sphere began to pulsate.

A mysterious connection formed between it and all the black giant bees...