Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 76: Swarm War Begins!

As the man cautiously approached the crevice in the rocks, his suspicions were confirmed. He could faintly see someone lying among the grass-covered stones, and the presence of flies further supported his hunch.

Opting not to move any closer, he initiated his attack from a distance. Flies materialized from thin air behind him, but these were not ordinary flies—they were carnivorous. Under his command, they swarmed forward like a plague of locusts.

However, when they broke through the underbrush, there was nothing there. The man frowned and started to retreat, but it was too late.

Hidden within the grass was an explosive device that began to fracture upon contact with the flies. The man frantically fled, unable to recall his flies in time. He felt a blinding light envelop him, and then, nothing.

A sudden, dazzling flash illuminated the entire area, akin to the fall of a star, turning night into day and bringing with it immeasurable devastation.

Immediately following, a thunderous explosion erupted, deafening in its intensity. The ground was torn apart, and dirt was flung high into the air.

Simultaneously, the explosion ignited a fierce fire, which rapidly spread. At the epicenter of the blast, the man’s body was left in ruins.

The massive explosion drew attention from all directions; even those far away could hear the sound or catch glimpses of the light.

Athena, however, remained oblivious. Inside a cave, she used the massive corpse of a spider to block the entrance, contemplating her next move.

“What was that explosion just now?”

“That explosion looks familiar. It happened once during the previous skirmish.”

“Yeah, it’s the same one that drew people in during the chaos.”

“I think it’s the top ten-ranked Big Dream again. Damn, is she fishing for people?”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll come after you if you talk like that?”

“I’m not in the top ten. How would she even find me?”

“Excuse me, how do we get across the river? Besides swimming…” - Big Bear

Big Bear was anxiously pacing. After Athena left, she and the elderly goblin had tried numerous methods to cross the river but to no avail. They couldn't find a way across.

Every piece of wood or other material they tried sank straight to the bottom. After many attempts, Big Bear gave up on finding something to float across on.

Desperate, she considered taking the risk to catch the giant bees Athena mentioned. But she hadn’t encountered a single one. She started to suspect the system might have given false information. Wasn’t there supposed to be a bee war happening all around? Why hadn’t she seen any?

She was about to give up and go back when Garen, sensing a strange disturbance in the Black Forest, suddenly stopped her.

His expression was a mix of shock, confusion, and, upon closer inspection, a hint of joyful surprise.

Grabbing Big Bear’s hand, he said with uncharacteristic seriousness, “We must get to the other side of this river, even if it means swimming across.”

Big Bear felt her wrist aching from his grip and didn’t understand why Garen had suddenly changed his mind.

In truth, it wasn’t that Big Bear couldn’t find the giant bees. Each group that approached her had turned away for various odd reasons, preventing any encounter with her. Similarly, no players or creatures had crossed her path for the same reasons.

Meanwhile, in a hidden part of the Black Forest, a severely injured black phosphorus snake dragged its weary, battered body to a safe place. It coiled around its master, trying to use its body heat to wake him, though it forgot it was cold-blooded. Still, it had some effect.

Black Planet awoke from the cold, sitting up abruptly and scanning the surroundings. The image of Athena’s black axe nearly splitting his skull was still vivid in his mind, filling him with lingering fear.

After calming down, he recalled the scene vividly. Coupled with the system notification on his panel, he realized how he had been saved. Choosing not to publicize the incident, he decided to keep it a secret.

From his system backpack, he took out two black pills. His heart ached as he looked at the injured black phosphorus snake. He fed one pill to the snake and swallowed the other himself. Though their wounds didn't heal completely, they were significantly better.

Big World… How could Black Planet not realize he had been tricked? His jaw clenched in fury, but when he opened his system panel, he saw that the person who had tricked him was no longer in the top ten.

Could it be because of Big Dream's intervention? But if Big Dream couldn’t kill him, how did she manage to harm Big World? There must be some unknown method.

He didn’t harbor much hatred towards Athena, just a bit of resentment since he had initiated the conflict. Given the absolute disparity in power, there was nothing he could do against Big Dream.

The black phosphorus snake had brought him to a small cave, where a tiger lay dead, killed by the snake.

The Black Forest seemed to have many large and small caves.

Though he wanted to explore the area, his injuries hadn't fully healed, and he dared not act rashly.

But suddenly, the black phosphorus snake began to tremble, its eyes wide with terror, hissing incessantly. Black Planet tried to calm it, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Athena was piecing together the events when Mikmik, beside him, took a half-step back, fur bristling. It bared its sharp claws and fangs, eyes narrowing to slits, ready for battle.

In the sky above the Black Forest, a massive swarm of giant bees hovered. The swarm was divided into two groups: one with a deep, dark hue, and the other shining with bright yellow light.

Thousands of giant bees flapped their enormous wings in unison, producing a deafening roar like the hum of countless helicopters.

Their size was astonishing, the smallest being as large as a soccer ball, and the largest comparable to a helicopter. Their robust bodies and sharp stingers, poised to strike, made even the bravest retreat.

Each bee radiated a formidable presence, asserting dominance over the sky.

Below them, a tiny sapling stood.