Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

0060 – Tree Roots

Three hours passed quietly, and the restrictions between players completely disappeared. The red and blue barriers in the distance had vanished entirely, leaving the surroundings in darkness with no trace of light.

The sky was devoid of stars and the moon, immersing everyone in endless darkness, evoking a sense of fear. Moving forward now required light, and in this absolute darkness, any appearance of light would attract everything nearby like a beacon for attacks.

Athena stayed in a large tree by the river, hidden among dense leaves, with Mikmik nestled in her arms. They took a short break there. The extra red dots on the map had disappeared, leaving only ten purple dots representing the top 10 players.

The war medal Athena carried also changed, showing the number seventeen, indicating her current rank in the regional battle.

Players had started fighting among themselves, which was exactly what the system intended—to have the strong eliminate the weak. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such rules.

Athena double-checked the purple message and confirmed she hadn’t misread it. The Mikmik in her arms, suddenly squeezed tighter, yelped in pain. She comforted it, stroking its head and messing up its carefully groomed fur, causing it to jump out in frustration.

Originally, Athena planned to adapt to the surroundings, staying by the river for food and occasionally snatching a package or two, maintaining a rank below 10, and targeting the top players later. She wanted to avoid being attacked early on but was pleasantly surprised by this sudden opportunity.

She grabbed the still-pouting Mikmik and instructed it to lead the way. Even in total darkness, Mikmik could see clearly and navigate effortlessly due to its natural concealment abilities, making it invaluable in these conditions.

Athena, on the other hand, could only perceive her surroundings within three meters, barely enough for combat, despite her attributes nearing a breakthrough. Therefore, she needed Mikmik to guide her.

With Mikmik leading, Athena moved faster and soon reached the location marked by the purple text. As she observed the surroundings, she realized this was where several red dots had mysteriously disappeared before, a place she had intentionally avoided.

Unexpectedly, she ended up here anyway. The system’s first supply package refresh point was in this area, causing her a headache. Mikmik, sensing danger, circled her feet, warning her of the potential risks ahead.

Initially thinking she could get ahead of others and take the package right away, Athena now faced difficulties. Even Mikmik, usually calm and proud in battles against various monsters, seemed fearful and uneasy.

After some consideration, she decided not to be the first to act. It was wiser to wait for more players to arrive and divide the attention of whatever was lurking inside. Reminding herself not to be blinded by greed, she retreated a bit.

Half an hour later, a light beam appeared at the refresh point, illuminating the darkness and attracting distant players. However, there were three such beams! The other two were much farther away, visible only as faint glimmers.

Athena’s mouth twitched. This commotion made the map redundant. And the special notice—was the system afraid players wouldn’t compete for the package without knowing its valuable contents?

Ignoring the other items, a single pair of Dark Vision Goggles, just by the name, suggested its crucial role in this dark place. It was the perfect tool for ambushes and looting.

"Whoosh—"

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Shortly after the system's notification, the nearest group of people had already sprinted at full speed to the location. Inevitably, they encountered each other, creating an instant and extremely awkward situation.

However, the war medals each group carried emitted two different glows: blue and red. This was a system feature to distinguish people from different regions.

Almost instantly, the players reached a consensus. Those from the same region stood together, and the two sides faced off. Their standoff didn't last long, though, as the next group was about to arrive, prompting them to start fighting.

Various dazzling weapons appeared, more than Athena had ever seen in the big uncle's shop. Almost everyone had their own unique skill.

Several of the stronger players had already charged into the forest. Seeing this, Athena didn't hesitate and followed suit. As she ran, someone noticed her and tried to block her path.

The person wielded a long spear and thrust it at her fiercely. However, Athena, gathering her strength and activating a skill, broke the spear in half. Both the spear wielder and his previous opponent were stunned.

In the moment of their shock, Athena delivered a flying kick, sending the spear wielder flying. Mikmik seized the opportunity to snatch the war medal from his chest.

The darkness, previously pushed back by the light, suddenly surged forward like a living thread, enveloping and dragging the man away before he could even scream.

Seeing this, no one dared to obstruct Athena's path.

When Athena reached the inside, she found three people standing still. The fourth person was trapped between the tree roots. The ground cracked inch by inch, and the roots, like clawed hands, thrashed about on the surface, attacking the three.

The three fought while retreating but noticed Athena approaching.

Although Athena had anticipated a grim situation, she hadn't expected it to be this dire.

These roots lurked beneath the entire forest, ready to break through the ground at any moment. The thickest roots were as wide as barrels, and the thinnest were as thick as Athena's arm.