Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

As Athena stepped inside, she immediately noticed that the bubble encasing Ilinaya had burst, water splattering everywhere and leaving the floor damp beneath her feet.

Ilinaya stood there, dazed, her eyes slightly unfocused. Just as she was about to embrace her beloved musical dolphin, Athena pushed the door open and entered.

The moment Athena spotted Ilinaya, a complex array of emotions crossed her face. For a fleeting moment, she had thought she might need to go to extremes to ensure they both perished together.

But fate had other plans; Athena had returned in a state that left her feeling half-dead, though she couldn't place the blame on the mermaid. After all, it was that accursed black-robed figure who had ensnared them.

Meanwhile, Ilinaya remained perplexed. What possible benefit could destroying their chances bring? Or had the figure already met an untimely end in some unknown corner of the world?

Her mental turmoil didn't last long.

Athena was succinct, extending her right hand toward Ilinaya—a patient who had just regained her senses.

“According to our contract, I require the world's energy you owe me,” she stated, casting a sidelong glance at the musical dolphin. “Also, I need to settle the expenses for your pet's meals and accommodations.”

Those expenses would certainly need to be reclaimed. Although the dolphin feasted on peculiar fish that they themselves could not consume, it had a particularly hefty appetite. The bear, known as Paopao, had even grumbled to her about this very issue.

At her words, Ilinaya's expression remained unyielding; thoughts were solely on returning to Ilinaya's domain. Despite having obtained what desired from this excursion, Ilinaya felt utterly drained, in need of recuperation rather than engaging in further battles of wits with Athena.

However, upon hearing the latter part of Athena's statement, Ilinaya felt a flicker of indignation. Reflecting on the dolphin's daily food consumption, she silently bit her tongue.

With a slender, pale hand, Ilinaya touched the pendant at her chest. The vial containing the world’s energy materialized in her palm, which she promptly offered to Athena.

“Here you go.”

Almost immediately, she reached out again, producing another object—a shell.

“For the meals and accommodations,” she stated, her voice flat and devoid of emotion, though the strain in her hand was evident, blue veins tracing the surface.

Athena, however, remained unperturbed as she took the items from Ilinaya's grasp.

 

[Congratulations! You have obtained a portion of the World’s Energy!]

[Player Athena holds a special item; Reputation increased by 100!]

[Do you wish to sell the World’s Energy to the system?]

[World’s Energy]

Sale Price: 1000 Silver Coins

Special Acquisition Level Upgrade Permission Granted. First Submission Reputation increased by 200. First Submission of the Golden Package.

Description: The original power sustaining the world, transformed into World’s Energy through special means, has been utilized by both darkness and daylight to create different energy forms, safeguarding the realms of light and dark, as well as their sanctuaries.

 

The moment Athena made contact with it, a cascade of notifications flooded in, urging her to sell the item to the system without delay.

After handing over the items, Ilinaya's expression soured.

“Dissolve the team,” she ordered.

Gently, she stroked her musical dolphin, which nuzzled affectionately against her palm.

Ilinaya wished to leave quickly, and Athena had no desire to keep her; as the team leader, the responsibility fell to her to dissolve their partnership.

Without hesitation, she initiated the disbanding process.

[Team Disbanded!]

Finally, Ilinaya let out a long sigh of relief, her eyes closing as she breathed in the surrounding air. When she opened them, a subtle look flitted across her face as she regarded Athena.

“Good luck,” she said, her words laced with a hint of mischief.

As she finished speaking, a teleportation circle materialized behind her, pulling both her and the musical dolphin into its shimmering embrace, and they vanished from sight.

That girl undoubtedly sensed the disturbance in the battlefield; her parting words were tinged with a sense of malicious joy.

Once she had gone, Athena promptly chose to sell the World’s Energy to the system.

[Yes]

[Sale Successful!]

[Permission Level Upgraded! Please check your system panel to explore your new permissions!]

[Reputation Points Granted!]

[Golden Package Granted!]

 

Just as Athena prepared to examine the items, an unsettling noise echoed from outside the door.

"%$^**U*@U!!!"

Instantly, her senses heightened; that sound was definitely not from the trio or the bear.

The noise grew closer, a formidable pressure accompanying each approaching step. At last, it arrived at the door, pounding against it with a relentless fury, the thundering knocks resounding like heavy hammers, causing the very room to tremble.

"BAAAMBB!!"

Each impact reverberated through Athena, leaving her feeling as if her insides were being compressed with each strike.

Athena gripped her black abyss axe tightly, trying to shift her body, but suddenly she felt an enigmatic force pin her in place, rendering her immobile.

Athena's body turned rigid, ensnared as if by invisible shackles.

In that moment, silence enveloped the room, save for the incessant pounding at the door. Her breaths came faster—not from fear, but because with each echoing knock, it felt as if her organs were being squeezed tighter.

The knocking intensified, imbued with urgency and a warning tone.

Though daylight still bathed the area, an ominous presence was clearly attempting to breach her home.

 

[ Calm Yourself! ]

[ Judgment Successful! ]

 

In an instant, Athena regained the ability to move, paradoxically finding clarity amidst the chaos.

The creature outside clearly could not enter, yet it possessed an overwhelming psychic ability, allowing it to approach even in daylight, its power seemingly formidable.

 

Phantom

Level?

Strength?

Defense?

Skills? Psychic Suppression, Phantom, ???, ???, ???…

Psychic Suppression could immobilize opponents through a medium, with control duration determined by the disparity in strength.

Phantom could shift into a state of invisibility, undetectable and unobservable, free to traverse anywhere.

Warning: The unthinking, special creatures wander the battlefield, yearning for pure World’s Energy. Please do not provoke them; they will depart on their own.

 

The phantom creature was beyond Athena's capacity to defeat at this time. The red color of the text and barrage of question marks starkly highlighted their disparity, but the purple text reassured her slightly. Still, she maintained a firm grip on her black axe, eyes locked on the door.