Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 159: Death Sentence

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Chapter 159: Death Sentence

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[ The wandering player will lose all basic system functions! ]

[ As punishment, only penalty missions can be accepted; one may revert to a normal player once the accumulated mission value reaches a certain threshold! ]

She lay crumpled on the ground, unable to move a single muscle from yet another wave of impact. Blood seeped from her torned body, staining the cracked earth beneath her.

With her fading vision, she strained to pierce the encroaching darkness, where monstrous silhouettes loomed ever closer, a colossal shadow draped over her like a funeral shroud.

Beneath that oppressive shadow lay the ruins of her once-vibrant home, now a graveyard of dreams. The very ground beneath her trembled as the shadow relentlessly ground the last remnants of her crumbling walls to dust, each fracture echoing like the final cries of a dying world.

All her efforts, every sacrifice made to preserve the sanctity of this place, were now being trampled mercilessly before her eyes, a cruel betrayal by the very ground she had fought to defend.

Tears brimmed in her eyes, blurring the vision of her shattered past, as a deep ache of despair settled in her heart, threatening to swallow her whole.

She gritted, and accept it all.

As the sense of redemption gradually returned, Athena managed to catch her breath, striving to regain control of her body. At that moment, she finally grasped what the system had proclaimed.

[ Assessing… ]

However, the enormous shadow paid no heed to the dilapidated remains of the shelter nor the bear creature beside it- lifeless.

Its gaze slowly shifted, eventually locking onto Athena. With great effort, she lifted her head, her eyes meeting those of the countless fearful figures surrounding her.

At that moment, a glimmer of light illuminated the ruins, growing brighter as it burst forth from the stone walls.

Charging through the darkness toward Athena was a rabbit.

As Witty fell, it hurried forward, employing the massive bee wings to propel itself, then set off in search of Paopao.

In its grasp, Witty clutched two items: one was the severely injured and unconscious Mikmik, and the other was Paopao, now reverted to its initial state.

Of course, on its back sat Athena, reminiscent of how it had previously heaved large boulders. The stones obscured her petite form entirely.

As the monster approached, it paid no further attention to them, shifting its focus to another destination as if nothing had happen.

Athena was nearly compelled to spit out blood from its rough handling, yet she managed to swallow it down.

A trace of amusement flickered within her.

Fortune may have stripped her of her shelter, but at least she still possessed a single life.

[ Assessment... ]

[ Penalty mechanism postponed… ]

[ Special Mission: Contest of Peaks ]

1. Proceed to the new battle zone.

[ Adapting… The teleportation array is now activating, having automatically consumed World Stone x2. ]

Without so much as a query or an explanation, the system autonomously opted for the most favorable choice. A teleportation portal materialized abruptly before Witty, which, caught off guard, plunged headfirst into it.

Alas, Athena was already gravely wounded, her mental faculties severely compromised as the system thrust her once more into this tumultuous vortex of the teleportation array.

[ World Chat Channel ]

053: “Bloody hell, it seems the first thirty zones have been besieged by special-class monsters; they’re practically all lost!”

081: “Hahaha! We’re doomed! What sort of information has that guy shared? Battle zones, white ground, black ground-- what kind of foolishness is this? Does it mean we’ll never see daylight again? Ahhh!”

054: “Flee? There’s no chance of escape! That’s not merely a monster; it’s a powerful titan! Like a god! I can see it from here!”

071: “Thank goodness our zone is at the back; I’m suddenly feeling that the monsters outside our shelter aren’t so numerous after all.”

076: “Are we really to be trapped here for the rest of our lives?”

Within this gloomy, oppressive, and utterly lightless prison, a nauseating stench permeated the air. Each breath seemed to envelop one in the stench of decaying corpses. The only source of protein in this wretched place was the myriad of writhing insects, crawling along the walls.

The woman’s hands were tightly shackled by a specially designed pair of manacles, crafted with the sole intention of preventing her escape.

The cold, hard gleam of the cuffs cruelly bound her wrists, rendering her incapable of any free movement. Her legs were weighted down by heavy iron balls, making each step an arduous challenge, the dull thud of the iron against the floor mocking her helplessness.

She lay in a dazed stupor as cockroaches crawled up her pant legs, oblivious to the subtle tremor of her lashes.

Then, without warning, her long-closed eyes flew open, filled with an unfathomable malice and icy intent! She exhaled a cloud of foul air, extending her bloodied hands to seize the insects upon her.

With a fierce grip, she crushed them effortlessly into a pulp, casting the remains aside without hesitation.

Athena’s first reaction upon awakening was to survey her surroundings.

This was a prison, with a bed of straw beneath her. The wounds adorning her body had been crudely attended to; although the treatment was rather rough, it had been performed with a certain care.

She rose to her feet, the iron balls colliding with the ground, producing a muted clang.

Witty and the others were nowhere to be found, but judging by previous experiences with teleportation, they should be nearby-- she just didn’t know how long she had been unconscious.

She had attempted to unlock her restraints, only to find them expertly designed, capable of restraining even her.

Could the system have sent her directly to a new battle zone? No, if that were the case, the first mission of the Contest of Peaks wouldn’t involve proceeding to a battle zone.

The places associated with her could not be the Sol Kingdom, as it had already been destroyed; it could only be the White Grand Empire.

Gazing at the layers of shackles meant to confine her, she realized the truth. In her quest to complete the mission, she had obliterated the current ‘heir’ of this nation without a second thought, fully expecting to return.

How ironic that fate had cast her as a mere prisoner.

Why had they not executed her outright but instead tended to her wounds? It appeared that the wealth of information cluttering her chamber was not entirely useless.

Those old geezers, torn between the desire to execute her and the fear that she might have hidden connections capable of leaking vital secrets, had opted for a cautious approach. After all, among the documents were certainly sensitive matters.

Having long controlled the darkest aspects of this empire, she had amassed a fortune. Who wouldn’t feel trepidation? Who wouldn’t be tempted?

As long as Athena remained composed here, those old codgers would inevitably grow impatient and seek her out. Yet now, she was to be transported elsewhere, with no time to waste with them.

While she contemplated how to contact them and devise a means to escape, a beam of light shone from outside her cell, accompanied by the sound of footsteps as a warden led someone into her midst.

With an air of professionalism, her presence was marked by a sleek hairstyle, an ever-present notebook, and a steel pen affixed to her chest-- Yuris.

Athena regarded her coldly. Given the woman’s status, it was improbable that she had emerged unscathed from the aftermath of Athena's incarceration. Her current radiant appearance suggested but one possibility.

“Prisoner No. 32, your execution is scheduled for tomorrow. Is there anything you wish to say?” Yuris inquired, her gaze unwavering.