Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

No matter what happened yesterday, the dawn of today will still come.

"Daylight has arrived; begin your exploration of the world!"

The person in bed turned slightly, opening her eyes. Although she had just woken up, her gaze was remarkably clear, far from the dazed look of someone who had just risen.

Last night, Athena had barely managed to climb into bed, her mind exhausted. Even though she had recovered somewhat by this morning, there were still lingering effects.

She dressed in her military uniform from yesterday, donned her conspicuous Redemption earrings, hid her Snowstorm Guardian necklace beneath her collar, and fastened her Snowstorm Arm Guards.

As soon as she descended the stairs, she was stunned by the noise. The once orderly room was now a chaotic mess, with things strewn everywhere, a stark contrast to the cleanliness of the previous evening.

The culprits had long since fled, leaving only a single bear, Paopao, to face the aftermath alone.

After Athena had retired last night, the little troublemakers had barricaded themselves in the workspace, completely out of earshot. What began as a game with a deck of cards had quickly escalated into mayhem.

When it became clear that Athena was not responding, the situation had further deteriorated, turning the entire house into a battleground.

This was the scene Athena faced this morning. Upon realizing the gravity of the situation and its unmanageable nature, the culprits had chosen to hide temporarily.

After their spree of chaos, Paopao, exhausted, had opted to sleep on its own rack, leaving its fate to chance.

Athena approached its rack and stared at it in silence. Despite its eyes being closed, the little bear shifted uneasily.

“Still asleep?” Her soft question weighed heavily on Paopao.

Instinctively, it tried its usual trick of clinging to her for comfort, but Athena gave no leeway. She picked it up and placed it on the highest shelf.

“Stay here. There’s no breakfast for you today.” Her brief statement crushed Paopao’s spirit. Realizing its mistake, the bear dared not look at Athena with its usual pleading eyes.

Lowering its head, it awaited its fate with some faint hope, only to hear Athena add, “I’ll catch the other two and then clean up the house with you.”

Athena had been quite patient. Some breeds of dogs can be destructive, but these three little ones were just as unruly as any troublemaker.

The morning sky was brilliantly clear, and the sea breeze carried the fresh scent of the ocean.

Though the seawater had not entirely receded, it was now possible to see the treetops faintly.

Contrary to her expectations, Athena searched outside but found no sign of the two little ones.

They were surprisingly good at hiding.

Soon after, Grey also got up. The first thing she did was head towards the house.

Her eyes were still half-closed, but her hunger was evident.

The moment she opened the door and saw Athena’s face, her soul seemed to fly away. Once she recovered, she abandoned the idea of finishing breakfast and going back to sleep.

“Have you seen Witty and Mikmik?”

“No,” Grey shook her head vigorously.

“May I come in and check?”

Grey stepped aside to let Athena enter. “Please.”

Athena searched thoroughly but found no trace of them, her brow furrowing deeper.

As she emerged, she sensed something was amiss and added, “Thank you, and good morning.”

“...No need to thank me. Good morning.”

It was improbable they had gone out to sea, but it was still possible; after all, the trees outside were barely visible.

It was possible they had spent the night on the trees outside.

After fruitlessly searching around the house, Athena approached Prince and Princess, who were still somewhat sleepy.

Upon her arrival, Prince and Princess straightened up, as if they were saluting an officer inspecting the troops.

“Did you see Witty and Mikmik?” Athena asked, bending slightly.

Prince and Princess exchanged glances before unanimously pointing their front paws towards the door.

Athena was left unsure whether to laugh or feel exasperated. They preferred to hide outside rather than tidy up the house before she woke.

It was truly frustrating.

At the gate, she looked out at the vast expanse of what had become deeper lakes.

The two must not have gone far, just nearby. Indeed, as Athena turned her gaze, she saw the two of them huddled together for warmth.

Strangely, they were not on the tree branches but on the back of a musical dolphin.

It seemed that in just one night, the three had blended together and had a lot of fun. Witty and Mikmik appeared quite content as the musical dolphin carried them around.

“What are you up to?” Her voice was not loud, but in the tranquil seaside, it was deafening.

Seeing Athena at the gate, the musical dolphin instinctively tried to escape with them.

Mikmik stopped it, so it reluctantly and slowly made its way over.

Arriving at the gate, Witty and Mikmik pushed each other inside the barrier. They huddled together quietly, neither daring to speak first.

“Mikmik, you explain,” Athena said.

Mikmik momentarily regained its previous pride, displaying the courage of a warrior going to battle.

When they realized the house was a mess, they had wanted to hide outside. They ended up encountering the musical dolphin, and after some conversation, they played together. The dolphin had taken them on a tour, and they had forgotten the original purpose of their outing.

Athena listened, unsure of how to react. “There’s no breakfast left. Clean up the house before lunch; otherwise... there will be no lunch either!”

They finally understood the severity of the situation and trudged back to their room, their path filled with their sorrowful voices.

Of course, they did not forget to bid farewell to their new friend. Athena wasn’t sure what they said, but she noticed that the musical dolphin’s gaze toward her turned from curiosity to one of fear.

Athena felt a sense of helplessness about the situation.

Everything outside was calm and serene, making it impossible to predict how Ilinaya would make her entrance.

After inspecting the area and confirming no other disturbances, she went inside, opting not to wait in place.

In the underwater palace, Ilinaya had spent the entire night restless, constantly pulling items from her backpack, placing them back, and sorting through them without settling on what to bring.