Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 104: Witty And The Musical Dolphin

Athena was enjoying the serene beauty of the seaside when she noticed a peculiar, triangular shape piercing the horizon. Squinting her eyes, she scrutinized the moving object more closely. The longer she observed, the more it seemed like the dorsal fin of a shark. It appeared that the ocean offered not just the exclusive scenes of merfolk but also some other marine creatures, perhaps even unfamiliar monsters.

As it swam closer, seemingly curious about Athena's shelter, she stood up from her sofa, her Moonlit Bow appearing in her hand, ready to take aim. Yet, before she could release her arrow, the object halted at a distance from her refuge and suddenly leaped out of the water.

It soared through the air, creating a spray of water, its sleek and graceful body moving with an elegance that resembled a dancer on the ocean’s surface. The leap was over a meter high before it plunged back into the sea, its white body shimmering in harmony with the waves.

Athena lowered her bow as she finally discerned the creature’s true form—it was not a shark but a dolphin.

【 Musical Dolphin 】
Level: 6
Strength: 3
Defense: 5
Skill: Musical Attack

The Musical Dolphin’s unique skill, the Musical Attack, allows it to summon the Royal Mermen! In a sense, it was a harmless creature, although its ability to call the Royal Mermen made it anything but benign.

Athena lifted her bow again but ultimately decided to lay back down on her sofa. Since the system would always reconfigure the mermen, killing this one would only prompt another to appear. Perhaps more might emerge if this one were slain.

Seeing her initial intent to attack, the Musical Dolphin dove underwater. Once it realized the danger had passed, it popped its head back up, curious and seemingly unbothered. Its intelligent eyes locked onto Athena’s, as it began jumping playfully at the entrance of her yard, completely blocking her view of the outside world.

With a twitch at the corner of her mouth, Athena called over Witty, who was working diligently nearby. Witty looked at her, puzzled, possibly thinking his master had a sudden change of heart. To his surprise, Athena shoved a stone into his hand, her intention clear.

"Your aim and strength are better. See that thing jumping around? Throw this at it."

Witty's ears twitched as he looked at his serious-faced master and then at the playful dolphin outside. The Musical Dolphin, unaware of what was to come, continued its joyful antics at the gate, its eyes showing its superiority over the land creatures.

Understanding the dolphin’s condescending look, the already irritable Witty’s eyes reddened. He weighed the stone in his hand before hurling it with precision. The stone hit the dolphin squarely, causing it to tumble back into the sea.

"Hahaha...," Athena laughed.

Witty clapped his paws together with satisfaction before returning to his task of harvesting vegetables. With the obstruction gone, the sea returned to its calm state.

The Musical Dolphin, now with a noticeable bump on its head, soon resurfaced. This time, its eyes no longer gleamed with wisdom but held a pitiful, human-like sorrow as it gazed at the smirking Athena. Instead of retreating, it swam closer, seemingly fascinated by Witty, making cheerful sounds that even Athena, a human, recognized as joyful.

She couldn't help but suspect the dolphin had lost its mind. Despite being hit by Witty, it showed no anger or desire to escape, instead, it eagerly sought out Witty’s attention. Even when Athena glared at it menacingly, the dolphin’s gaze remained fixed on Witty. Every time Witty glared back with his rabbit eyes, the dolphin would leap joyfully.

Unable to bear the noisy creature, Athena finally moved her sofa back indoors. Witty, on the other hand, didn't spare the dolphin another glance, which only added to the dolphin’s dejection. It was used to getting whatever it wanted in the sea, with the princess ensuring no one dared to disrespect it. Now, feeling wronged, it remembered what it used to do when ignored by other sea creatures—it went to the princess!

With that thought, the Musical Dolphin dove back into the sea decisively.

Athena’s decision not to kill it was due to previous tower defense missions where killing one often brought more trouble. She had hoped to avoid additional problems by sparing it this time. Little did she know that the trouble was inevitable and even more dramatic than she had anticipated.

【 Special Event Triggered! 】
【 The Tale of the Musical Dolphin! 】
【 The Royal Mermen Reconfiguration Time Will Be Greatly Advanced! 】
【 Players, Prepare Yourselves! Prepare Yourselves! 】

Athena, just about to sit back down after returning her sofa to its original spot, was bombarded with a series of system notifications. She triple-checked the alerts.

Paopao, arriving with the last apple, sensed the heavy atmosphere surrounding Athena. His master maintained her usual stoic expression, but the oppressive air around her was too palpable to ignore.

Athena regretted having Witty throw the stone. She should have just shot an arrow herself—it would have been quicker!

The once calm sea began to churn violently, causing her shelter to sway. At this moment, the ocean roared with fury, signaling the onset of an earth-shattering storm. The wind howled ferociously, waves surged like the angry roars of the sea, and her shelter was tossed about in the tempest. The entire world seemed enveloped in tension and oppression, heralding an impending catastrophe.