Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 124: The Boy

The chapel was far more intricate than she had anticipated. The murals adorning the walls were so lifelike, so vibrant, that it felt as if they were truly guiding everyone toward a beautiful world.

However, Athena saw something else. In the eyes of the gods and angels depicted on the murals, there was a clear, insatiable greed—not for wealth, but for human flesh. It was a hunger, a gaze as ferocious as that of a ravenous beast.

Athena slapped Yuris awake from her trance. The girl quickly regained her senses, but her face was pale, drenched in cold sweat from fear.

The murals had taken notice of Athena and Yuris’ resistance. The painted figures began to emerge from the walls, taking on a three-dimensional form. A large, warm hand reached out toward Athena.

The priest, observing that Athena and Yuris had not succumbed to the influence, realized that they were not ordinary people. Still, he wasn’t afraid. He had encountered many strong-willed individuals like them before, all of whom eventually became mere puppets of the chapel.

Indeed, half of the people in this grand chapel were already soulless puppets, their spirits devoured, while the other half were devout followers who endlessly propagated the chapel’s influence.

As the massive creature extended its hand toward her, Athena courteously reached out as well, placing her hand into its large palm.

But as soon as their hands touched, the creature’s smile froze. Athena’s hand, which had been clenched into a fist, opened to reveal a fireball that gently landed in the creature’s palm.

The ground began to crack, revealing a red glow from within, as a tremendous pressure filled the room.

The creature’s mouth, which had been wide open in anticipation, slowly closed. It raised its hand slightly, as if wanting to return the fireball to Athena.

But as the fireball approached her, it became increasingly unstable. Panicked, the creature tried to distance itself from her, but each time it attempted to discard the fireball, the cracks on its surface multiplied.

Understanding its predicament, the creature’s divine guise faded. Its once silver hair and golden eyes turned jet black, and its irises lost all color, leaving only darkness. It grinned, revealing sharp teeth, its smile now laced with a hint of appeasement. This bizarre and absurd scene, however, was visible only to Athena and Yuris.

The chapel’s followers had long been blinded by their delusions, unable to see anything.

The priest, sensing that something was wrong, began to retreat slowly. It wasn’t the creature he feared, but rather this strange human, Athena.

Yuris turned her head, mimicking Athena’s earlier expression, smiling sweetly as she stared at the priest. She flicked her pen, and it embedded itself in the ground beside the priest’s foot, freezing him in place.

“Do you like this gift?” Athena asked with a teasing smile.

The creature shook its head vigorously, but seeing her displeased expression, it quickly nodded in agreement.

“If you like it, then it’s yours to keep,” she said lightly.

The creature was too terrified to even consider rejecting the offer, its head bobbing up and down like a broken toy.

“Do you recognize this feather?” Athena asked, pulling out a feather-shaped key she had kept in her bag. She waved it in front of the creature.

For such a large chapel to have developed to this extent, it was unlikely to be the work of a mere low-intelligence monster. The feather key likely held great significance.

As expected, the creature’s tension eased as it recognized the feather.

The powerful figures of their organization had a peculiar habit of toying with minor beings like it, frightening it half to death each time. It was a good thing it was a monster; otherwise, it would have died of fright long ago.

The creature pointed at the feather in Athena’s hand, then at the mural on the ceiling, its earlier fear now replaced with submission. It handed the fireball back to Athena, no longer wanting anything to do with it.

Satisfied with the information she had gathered, Athena took back the fireball. Given that she could still control its stability, there was no need to waste it here.

Holding the fireball in her left hand, she drew her black axe with her right and struck the creature’s head in one swift motion. Blood sprayed as the creature collapsed.

Meanwhile, Yuris had already subdued the priest. She used a mild toxin, paralyzing him completely.

“Take him back to the Eagle Claw Agency. Summon reinforcements to come here,” Athena instructed.

Yuris saluted her and dragged the priest out of the cursed chapel without looking back.

Although it was Athena who had told her to leave, she couldn’t shake the odd feeling of being left behind so decisively.

The mural creature remained standing even after death, a headless corpse dripping with blood. Athena stepped onto its neck and pushed off, leaping upward. She grabbed a large gemstone embedded in the ceiling. A hole in the center of the gemstone caught her eye. Without hesitation, she inserted the feather key into it.

As she slowly turned the key, the ceiling began to open, revealing a hidden chamber above. Athena used her arm strength to hoist herself up into the space.

She moved with the agility of a monkey.

To her surprise, the space above the ceiling was an entirely different world. The chamber wasn’t large, but it was sufficient for one person to live in.

With the ceiling open, light flooded into the previously dark room. Athena sharpened her focus, alert to her surroundings. Suddenly, she heard faint breathing, followed by the clinking of chains.

She struck a match and tossed it across the room, using the brief flame to illuminate the area.

In the dim light, she saw a young boy, no older than seventeen or eighteen, kneeling on the floor. His features were delicate, and his hair was a striking shade of blue, like the sun’s rays. Yet, his eyes were a stark white.

He was clad in a loose white robe, his limbs frail, and his ankles shackled by heavy chains. As the light reached him, he instinctively raised a hand to shield himself.

The sight of a stranger like Athena made him tremble in fear.

Athena guessed this must be the "Holy Son" the priest had mentioned. She watched the boy sobbing, her expression cold and indifferent, as she continued to survey the room. But apart from a simple bed and this exquisite boy, there was nothing else.

When the feather key had been inserted into the gemstone, Athena had felt a brief spatial disturbance, but it was quickly suppressed, leaving only this chamber behind. She couldn’t believe that there wasn’t something else at play here.

Seeing the boy still crying, Athena casually pulled out her Moonlight Bow and, in a flash, fired an arrow straight at his heart.

The boy, who had seemed so weak and fragile moments ago, suddenly raised a hand and snapped the arrow in two. His eyes, now filled with a chilling coldness, showed a hint of anger.

“No more pretending?” Athena asked with a knowing smile.