Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 182 | Tower Defense Game! City Defense Against 3000 Monsters!

As the fleeting figure vanished into the shadows, Athena felt her heart tighten.

That brazen intruder—so unreservedly exposing themselves here—seemed utterly devoid of fear. Amid the high-strung atmosphere, the battlefield map in Athena’s hand showed the ominous red tide advancing like waves, surging steadily in their direction.

Noxus still gripped Athena’s Black Friday, a weapon that had proven to be a devastating asset. In his hands, its full potential could be unleashed.

“They’re coming,” Athena’s voice was low and resolute, yet her eyes betrayed a weight she could not conceal.

The soldiers at her side hung on her every movement. A taxi soldier nearby turned immediately, relaying the message to the others, his face etched with worry and unease.

Athena’s gaze pierced the darkness, locked on the encroaching threat. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the assembled troops.

Over 3,000 monsters were bearing down on them—a crushing pressure for anyone. Just three days ago, they had endured an unprecedented battle, yet here they stood again.

Orders were issued, and the soldiers moved swiftly, snapping into battle-ready positions. Each soldier clutched their weapons tightly, their faces marked with determination and courage.

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Standing behind the gunners, Athena exuded a presence that brought a measure of reassurance to her troops. It wasn’t merely her commands or her formidable War Queen skill but her very charisma that inspired them.

As time dragged on, the tension grew palpable. Only Athena’s battlefield map revealed the advancing horde, leaving the others to wait anxiously in uneasy silence.

At last, a faint sound stirred in the distance. Something was approaching. The players gripped their weapons, silent prayers echoing in their hearts.

Compared to regular taxi soldiers, every player was an elite. Not because of superior training or remarkable skills, but due to their peculiar abilities and the myriad unique items they carried. If a vanguard was needed, players were always the first choice. Athena had made no exception.

Among the players, a few couldn’t hold their tongues after a few drinks, spilling their tasks with unabashed honesty. Despite the difficulty of her own mission, Athena knew the players’ lot was no less harsh.

Pushing their limits to defend the city, the players were essential to her strategy. Athena meticulously prepared volatile Fireburst Orbs, compressing them to their limits for maximum destructiveness—a perilous 150% of their normal power.

These orbs, buried strategically outside the city, were coupled with barrels of gunpowder and incendiary agents beneath the earth, forming a deadly network in the darkness. Dozens of players with stealth and survival skills were stationed nearby to operate in the shadowy terrain.

With a visibility range of only 50 meters, detonating such explosives carried risks. The walls they had painstakingly repaired could be caught in the blasts. Thus, the task fell to the players.

Suddenly, a shadow darted through the gloom, followed by more, emerging like phantoms. They charged toward Athena’s forces with terrifying speed.

Starshine Five’s eyes widened, a fierce resolve surging within him. He raised his weapon high, roaring, “For victory! Charge!”

Before anyone could echo his rallying cry, several players mounted their steeds and dashed off, dividing into three teams and heading in different directions.

Athena observed their movements closely. The horde, once fixated on her forces, splintered as the teams drew them away, lured into pursuit by these brave provocateurs.

Adrenaline surged through Starshine Five as he sprinted, his body burning with heat. Each player carried city-provided protective mechanisms, but they all knew their survival hinged on running as far as possible.

Reaching a safe distance, Starshine Five turned, pulling an object from his pouch and hurling it backward with all his might. Simultaneously, similar actions played out across the three teams. Almost as if choreographed, the explosives were triggered in unison.

The resulting explosions were cataclysmic. The earth quaked as if the apocalypse had arrived. Fire erupted into the sky, illuminating the heavens in crimson and orange. Towering columns of smoke billowed upwards, forming massive black mushroom clouds that consumed the horizon. The air grew searing, suffocatingly hot.

Within the blast radius, the monsters were obliterated, their bodies reduced to fragments. Flesh and blood rained down, accompanied by the nauseating stench of charred remains. Creatures once terrifying in their might were annihilated by the raw, unfathomable power.

In the aftermath, silence reigned. The battlefield lay in eerie stillness, as if life itself had been erased. Yet, the next wave of monsters was already advancing, unrelenting. The scarred land bore three colossal craters, a grim testament to the devastation.

Though the players had underestimated the magnitude of the blasts, they managed to escape unscathed. Athena, ensuring their survival, had equipped them with the best tools available.

Back in the city, the players returned safely, shaken but alive. The craters, now gaping barriers, trapped and severed the advancing horde, forcing them to funnel into narrower pathways.

The explosions had achieved their purpose. The monsters’ forces were fragmented, their advance slowed. Even from afar, Athena and her troops felt the tremors and heat. The first phase of the battle plan had succeeded brilliantly.

The lead wave of monsters, those who had trailed the fleeing players, now emerged into sight.

“Fire!” Athena commanded.

The response was immediate. Taxi soldiers unleashed a relentless barrage of cannonfire.