Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 144: Requirements Is So Hard

[ The spawn points will no longer randomly refresh the packages and are now entering a state of preparedness. ]

[ Due to irresistible circumstances, this system will no longer randomly refresh monsters; however, the number of monsters will not decrease. Players are urged to prepare for defensive measures! ]

[ Due to unavoidable factors, the shelter will activate its barriers during daylight! ]

[ In light of these factors, the game’s difficulty has significantly increased! Subsidies are being issued; players should check their emails for details! ]

[ Detected In Player 'Big Dream', you already possess a shield; this shield will merge with the system shield upon its dissipation, granting you a new shield as compensation! ]

Athena maintained her stance at the door, gazing at everything outside, even as her three small companions could only stare vacantly into the expanse beyond.

As the door swung open, the trio plopped onto the ground in utter disbelief.

The changes of the past had always arrived with darkness, but no one had anticipated that this time, they would descend so swiftly, and in broad daylight, no less.

The sky had transformed into a searing purgatory, while the earth lay barren like a ghostly wasteland.

A swirling tempest of snow and an endless sea had besieged them—elements of nature that, regardless of how tumultuous, once birthed vibrant life. Yet, even amidst their fury, one could still glimpse the exuberance of existence, or perhaps, their arrival heralded vitality yet untapped.

Now, however, the scene was undeniably inhuman; whether it was merely Athena’s perception, she could even feel the mournful cries of the creatures around her.

This aberration was the first of its kind to engulf the entire battlefield; previous anomalies had only targeted specific regions within combat zones.

[World Chat Channel]

091: “It’s over; the world is finished.”

053: “So spectacular, I almost wish for death!”

073: “This scene is like the previous ones—surely it’ll dissipate in a day or two?”

009: “Not necessarily; this time feels different.”

038: “If we can explore outside, does that mean we can locate one another?”

…

The atmosphere in the world chat was hardly cheerful, yet many maintained an optimistic outlook.

What left people in despair was the grim knowledge that the anomaly had not yet peaked; this was merely the beginning of an uncertain catastrophe bearing down upon them.

This time, they faced not the actively hostile monsters, but rather a calamity of their own making, with raging beasts surging from every direction, their origins a mystery.

Having returned with a surge in her abilities, Athena found herself, despite her swiftness compared to most players, still outpaced by the gathering danger.

Choosing not to linger and watch the world’s transformation, she stepped back inside.

With the temperature rising steadily, she retrieved an item she had yet to employ since its purchase.

[Cooling Wind Chime]

Price: 10 silver coins

Description: Hang it indoors to create a cooling breeze; using it in cold weather may lead to illness.

The exquisite silver wind chime emitted a pleasant, melodious sound as she hung it up. The escalating heat began to recede slowly, soothed by the chime's delicate tones.

She activated her reputation system.

[Reputation System]

Reputation Points: 565

[World Stone]

Price: 200 Reputation Points

[Blueprint for a Level 5 Shelter – Special Permissive Item!]

Price: 500 Reputation Points

Within the reputation system, two items appeared each round. The ancient tree branch from the previous round had already vanished, leaving only the immovable World Stone.

To her delight, the Level 5 Shelter blueprint was among the offerings. This item was typically reserved for those who completed high-difficulty tasks or specific system missions, yet due to her enhanced system permissions, it had become available.

Without hesitation, she opted to exchange for it.

[ You have obtained the Level 5 Shelter blueprint! ]

[ The shelter cannot be upgraded! ]

[ To upgrade to Level 5 shelter: 500 special stones, 1,000 stone blocks, 100 wooden planks, and 100 corpses of Level 5 monsters or higher. ]

With the upgrade of her shelter, the demand for grass had diminished significantly, and the requirement for wooden planks had decreased as well. Conversely, the need for the other materials had increased, including monster corpses.

Following her previous upgrade to the Level 4 shelter, she had only 60 special stones remaining. Without a reliable means of obtaining more, she felt a wave of frustration wash over her.

One hundred corpses of Level 5 monsters was a daunting requirement; unless she encountered a storm beast once more, she would need to face even more formidable creatures.

In summary: it was tough, exceedingly so. But progress must be made! Accumulating materials would yield results in due course.

In her hand floated a golden-yellow package, radiating a glow reminiscent of pure gold. Merely holding it brought forth a sensation of joy, not merely an illusion of her mind; the golden package possessed such an enchantment.

[ Unpredictable! ]

In prior instances, Athena had disabled the purple text display to stave off monotony. This time, however, when she attempted to use it, she discovered the golden package could not even be predicted through the purple text.

As she turned it over in her hands, a familiar mirror materialised. If physics wouldn’t suffice, she would turn to the metaphysical.

With her heart aligned, she was on the verge of refining it into a tool for luck.

Alas, this peculiar object had proven unreliable; perhaps her level was insufficient. After several more attempts, any inquiry of significance resulted in nonsensical answers, yet it remained infallibly accurate when used for divination.

When is the best time to open it?

Ancient characters emerged: The day after tomorrow.

Athena had few redeeming traits, but one was her tendency to heed advice.

Stowing away the assorted trinkets back into her pack, she cast a glance at her wealth.

Silver Coins: 1,489

The silver coins she had accrued, combined with the sales of her bows, formed her total fortune.

Opening her familiar card catalog, she noticed two new cards had appeared.

[ Would you like to spend 100 silver coins to initiate a scene simulation? ]

"Yes"

Even though she had triumphed over Alfred in challenge mode, that victory had merely yielded a double demise—her opponent reduced to her level, skills sealed.

She required more encounters with strong adversaries to hone her skills.

[ Please select a mode: 1. Challenge Mode, 2. Training Mode, 3. Teaching Mode. ]

To her surprise, a new mode appeared—Teaching Mode. This had not existed previously; was it perhaps a result of her prior defeat?

[ Teaching Mode selected!

Note: Any mode death will terminate the scene simulation. ]

As the system’s voice faded, Athena opened her eyes once more, finding herself in a familiar setting; however, this time she stood within the city walls rather than outside.

Gone were the once numerous storm beasts; on the area stood Alfred, his expression calm and amicable, offering her no aggression.