Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 82: The Dark Fruit’s Secret

As the system indicated, the growth of the Dark Fruit was not a matter of decades or centuries but an annual event. Each year presented an opportunity for the fruit to mature. With the rapid reproductive rate of the Giant Bees, they could easily catalyze the fruit over time without resorting to such extreme measures.

This urgency might reflect their impatience, yet even if the two swarms divided the fruit equally, over time, the numbers would be considerable. However, despite their efforts, the Giant Bees only had about five queens at most, and none of the queens had evolved yet.

This situation was highly unreasonable, suggesting that the successfully ripened Dark Fruits rarely fell into their hands. Other entities were competing with them, powerful enough to challenge the entire bee swarm.

Despite knowing they were toiling for others, the bees had no choice but to seize every opportunity.

Athena now needed only to wait. Once the war concluded, the monsters would fight over the Dark Fruit, but the leaves and bark of the tree were useless to them. As long as the Giant Bees handed over these parts to her afterward, she would leave this cursed place as soon as possible.

She dared not touch the queens, knowing it would drive the bees into a frenzy, triggering catastrophic consequences. The bee queens were evidently aware of this, allowing them to coexist with her up to this point.

No one wanted to take such a risk.

The Black Forest was vast and rich in resources. If she could gather a bit more to take back, she would be well rewarded.

Curiosity killed the cat, and greed killed humans.

Ultimately, Athena chose not to overstep her bounds. Getting the Giant Bees to help her acquire the leaves and bark was already a great outcome.

While others were just starting, she was already at the finish line.

"You are visitors from the Third World. You are easily recognizable; no one here does not know who you are."

"Is that a special weapon in your hand? You always seem to have these strange items..."

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To Athena's surprise, the bee queen across from her began to chat, but she knew it wanted more than idle conversation, so she remained vigilant.

"That thing was made by you, right? It still carries your aura."

Ha, maybe she was crazy, but these monsters of the darkness, these Giant Bees, were no less insane. She gradually guessed the queen's intentions.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Can you make it here? We can find the materials for you."

Just as Athena suspected.

"You were asking if there are other lord-level creatures here? Yes, many."

"Some are even stronger than us, but I think the item in your hand... might be very useful."

The bee queen’s red eyes scrutinized the fireball in Athena’s hand. Though it appeared to be an ordinary clump of soil, its eyes could see the terrifying energy collisions within. The recent explosions across the land, observed through their worker bees, had given them a clear understanding of the power held within this unassuming sphere.

Despite knowing its power, they believed that the human might not use it to its full potential. However, they could push its destructive capacity even further.

“Of course, I can make it for you. In return, I expect the leaves and bark as we discussed earlier,” Athena replied, awaiting their answer.

The yellow bees had been locked in a long struggle with the black bees, and now they were losing ground. The black bees had gained strength from the last skirmish, while the yellow bees faced the threat of annihilation by this rival swarm. Moreover, the Black Forest housed other menacing creatures.

This time, they needed a breakthrough. The arrival of someone from the Third World, like Athena, presented a promising opportunity.

Even if the collaboration failed, it would still leave both sides weakened. This was no worse than their current predicament.

Partnering with Athena essentially meant partnering with all the players who ventured here, with her as their representative.

“Giant bee honey can enhance your body, and our stingers are perfect material for your weapons. You can have as much as you need.”

“But with your current skill level, your creations are incomplete. You need practice, don’t you?”

Their analysis was spot-on, laying bare the stakes involved. Athena wasn’t annoyed because they were right.

The potential gains from this venture were beyond her initial expectations and control. Yet, she wasn’t deterred; she had been prepared to risk everything from the moment she arrived.

This wasn’t recklessness; if she had to label it, she’d call it ambition.

“Of course.”

Those two words, uttered with a slight tremor in her voice, encapsulated everything. It wasn’t fear but joy and a thrill she couldn’t quite describe.

This was negotiating with tigers.

“I’ll conduct my experiments elsewhere. They’re unstable and might endanger your queens. However, Mikmik will stay here. My life is expendable, but your queens are crucial, aren’t they?”

Just in case they tried to surround and threaten Mikmik when she left.

The yellow bees weren’t foolish. For them, Athena’s status as someone from the Third World wasn’t important. What mattered was their queens. If a queen was injured, even a victory would be meaningless.

Behind her, the queen, who had been weak and silent like a puppet, slowly opened her eyes. They were red, like the most dazzling rubies in the world, mesmerizing and radiating an extraordinary power.

It wasn’t coercion or temptation but an innate desire to submit.

Unlike the bee queen’s voice, the queen’s was ethereal and melancholic.

“Human of the Third World, let us make a pact.”

The Queen had been listening all along. Though she was weak and immobile, she was still the true ruler of the hive, commanding all the yellow bees.

Her silence had already given tacit approval to the bee queen’s actions.