Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 127: The Emperor

[ Task: Repel the Monsters ]

Difficulty: Level 10

Objective: Defeat the incoming wave of monsters!

Reward: Black Iron Set (Level 3), 2000 Experience Points

Failure Penalty: One day of extreme weakness!

Athena was already en route to the palace, narrowly missing a potential encounter with Mikmik. On an ordinary day, any horse galloping down the streets would have been stopped by the city guards, but today, everyone was far too preoccupied to pay her any mind.

The hordes of rats posed a greater threat than the larger monsters, for they were everywhere, wreaking havoc on a scale that demanded more manpower and resources to contain. Individually, these rats were no match for a seasoned warrior, but their sheer numbers made them a formidable challenge.

Riding swiftly, Athena reached the palace gates. Despite the chaos outside, the two knights stationed there remained at their posts. Upon recognizing her, they dutifully opened the gates—an exclusive privilege granted by the Emperor himself.

The switch for the defense tower was located in the Emperor’s bedchamber.

As she read the sudden notification, a sense of unease crept over her. How could such a significant disturbance go unnoticed by the one seated on the throne? And yet, the defense tower remained inactive.

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No matter how peculiar the situation seemed, if she intended to complete her mission, activating the defense tower was imperative. The only forces she could command were the men of the Eagle Claw Agency, but they alone were insufficient to fend off the monstrous onslaught.

Given that the rat swarm had already begun its assault in earnest, it was only a matter of time before the main force of the monsters arrived. She had to deal with the rat creatures before then, or the situation would only deteriorate further.

The defense tower might repel the lower-tier rat monsters, but it would do little against the more powerful foes.

The vastness of the palace, now eerily silent, was unsettling. Not a single maid or guard was to be seen, despite the imminent threat.

Although one was traditionally expected to be unarmed when meeting the Emperor, she couldn’t help but retrieve the Black Abyss Axe from her pack, gripping it firmly in her hand.

Before she could proceed to the Emperor’s bedchamber, she spotted a familiar figure in the rear garden.

The Emperor, as always, strolled leisurely among the flowers. He stood there, his gaze fixed upon the vibrant life around him, his once-vigorous hands now frail as they caressed the blooms before snapping them off.

Her arrival had not escaped his notice. As he turned to face her, Athena had already bowed in respect, the weapon in her hand vanished as if it had never been there.

The once-beautiful flowers crumbled in his grasp, falling to the earth below.

“What is it?” His voice, though questioning, was devoid of any emotion, calm and unperturbed.

His deep gaze bore into Athena as he awaited her response.

“The ‘rats’ have begun their attack. The capital is overrun with them—an infestation,” she reported, her head bowed low, obscuring the expression in her eyes.

“And the defense tower has yet to be activated. I assumed the palace might be under attack as well, so I hurried here.”

She kept her gaze lowered, her tone carefully neutral.

“Have you seen it?”

“I have.”

“Then why are you still here? Maintaining order in the city is the responsibility of the Eagle Claw Agency.”

The Emperor’s words were delivered without a trace of concern, making no mention of the defense tower.

Athena remained silent, lowering her head even further before asking in a tone devoid of emotion, “Your Majesty, is the defense tower damaged?”

Her words struck a nerve. The Emperor, with a swift flick of his sleeve, approached her with surprising speed. Though old, he still towered over her, his presence intimidating.

“Do your duty and refrain from asking questions you have no business asking.”

With that, the Emperor turned and left. Once he was gone, Athena began pacing the garden, measuring its vastness with her steps. The rear garden was enormous, occupying nearly half the palace grounds.

Was it possible that their Emperor had such a fondness for flowers? Yet, despite the garden’s apparent beauty, the number of actual flowers was relatively small.

As she walked, nothing seemed amiss. Athena cast a final, deep look at the garden.

The Emperor’s aversion to the mention of the defense tower was puzzling. Was the tower truly compromised, or did the Emperor simply refuse to activate it? Activating the defense tower certainly consumed resources, but it was well within the capital’s capacity—it wouldn’t cripple the empire’s economy. The Emperor’s strange behavior was difficult to explain.

Athena had no intention of confronting the old Emperor directly; it would be a foolhardy move. She had previously arranged to meet with Mikmik, who should have returned by now with any findings. If she couldn’t enter herself, perhaps a cat could.

There was something about this garden that unsettled her.

Even if the Emperor suspected her involvement, as long as there was no overt evidence, she could deny it. If she succeeded in repelling the monsters, she would undoubtedly earn the people’s trust, and the Emperor would find it difficult to act against her swiftly.

She had thought Babron was troublesome, but it seemed their Emperor was no less so.

This vast empire—apart from the common folk who truly cared for its safety—was merely a colossal cake in the eyes of the nobility. All they cared about was how much of it they could claim for themselves.

Even if it meant toppling the cake and dividing it into pieces, they would do so without hesitation, greedily scooping their share onto their plates.

Meanwhile, the old Emperor had returned to his bedchamber. He moved aside a nearby bookcase, revealing a hidden passageway. The flames within ignited automatically, illuminating the entire corridor.

Descending the steps one by one, he arrived at a spacious, cavernous chamber directly beneath the garden.

In this chamber sat many figures, cloaked in black hoods. Beside them was an extravagantly adorned bed, upon which lay the Prince of the White Grand Empire.

“How goes it?” The Emperor, gazing at the sleeping Prince, was visibly agitated.

The leader of the hooded figures withdrew his hand from the Prince’s body. A worm had silently burrowed into the Prince’s flesh.

“Of course, a promise is a promise.”

“It won’t be long now. This body will be yours.”

The old Emperor was no longer the diligent ruler he once was. Now, he was merely a decrepit old man, desperately yearning for a young body once more.

Even if it meant eternal damnation, so be it.

In the grim sewers below, no more rat monsters emerged, for they had already claimed the streets above.