Athena in Tower Defense Game! [LitRPG]

Chapter 169: The Harbinger of Azure Flame

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Chapter 169: The Harbinger of Azure Flame

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A towering figure astride a pitch-black warhorse emerged from the mist of chaos. Clad in a tattered black robe, a hood obscured his visage, casting a shadow that veiled his features.

With deliberate poise, the figure raised a skeletal hand and pulled back the hood, revealing a polished skull devoid of flesh. Yet, within the empty sockets burned two radiant blue flames, their intensity so fierce they seemed to sear the very air, making it impossible for anyone to meet his gaze directly.

The surrounding monsters instinctively recoiled from his presence, retreating to maintain a safe distance. However, Athena’s onslaught showed no signs of abating.

He had just remarked on the lack of higher-tier monsters when, as if summoned by his words, this formidable apparition materialized.

As Athena’s eyes settled on the skeletal rider, an overwhelming aura of oppression and dread radiated from the figure. It felt as though the very air froze, heavy and suffocating.

With a subtle nudge of his heels, the skeletal rider sent the warhorse bolting forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring. A black blur streaked across the battlefield, the ground trembling beneath the beast’s thunderous charge.

In an instant, the colossal steed bore down on Athena. Its muscular frame rippled with power, hooves pounding the earth with bone-rattling force. With a mighty snort, the horse reared, threatening to crush Athena beneath its ironclad hooves.

But Athena evaded the strike effortlessly. The horse’s hooves slammed down, obliterating two hapless monsters that had failed to escape, leaving Athena unscathed.

The warhorse, standing nearly two meters tall at the shoulder, was an imposing sight. Paired with the skeletal harbinger’s towering three-meter frame, the duo dominated the entire area with presence alone.

Seeing his steed fail to trample its target, the skeletal harbinger cast a disdainful glance at Athena. His hollow eyes burned with icy contempt.

With long, spindly fingers, he stroked the warhorse’s mane, calming its labored breathing.

Around them, the battlefield remained a frenzy of combat, the air thick with the stench of blood. Yet an eerie stillness enveloped the space between Athena and the skeletal harbinger, as if an unspoken pact had cleared the area.

All eyes turned toward them, a mixture of dread and hope flickering in the gazes of the onlookers. Victory for Athena could shift the tides of battle, galvanizing their faltering morale.

Even those deserters who had abandoned their posts earlier were now gradually rejoining the fray, driven by a fragile spark of hope.

Athena inhaled deeply, her eyes sharpening with steely resolve. She tightened her grip on the Black Abyss Axe, its blade gleaming ominously. The skeletal harbinger regarded her as a mere insect, but Athena refused to bow to his arrogance.

The harbinger growled, a guttural sound that reverberated through the battlefield. It was a low, menacing roar, a warning meant to cow his adversary.

How dare such a feeble creature direct murderous intent at him? Unforgivable!

The dignity of the skeletal harbinger was sacrosanct, and his wrath was absolute.

The blue flames in his eye sockets blazed brighter, the oppressive aura he exuded growing so suffocating that even his warhorse began to tremble. It pawed at the ground nervously, as if seeking escape from the crushing pressure.

But Athena stood her ground. She advanced steadily, each step imbued with unwavering determination. An intangible aura began to emanate from her, one that seemed to defy the skeletal harbinger’s overwhelming presence.

A confrontation so immensely strong and demanded everyone's attention!

The warhorse quaked between them, its once-powerful legs faltering under the strain of the two immense auras.

Sensing the shift in momentum, the skeletal harbinger finally moved. From beneath his ragged cloak, he drew forth a massive sword with a single sweeping motion. His left hand gripped the reins tightly, while his right hand brandished the blade, ready to cut down his challenger.

Athena dodged his strikes with nimble precision, her own attacks targeting the vulnerable joints of the warhorse’s legs.

If she could bring the beast down, the harbinger would lose his advantage in mobility.

Her strikes landed true, eliciting pained roars from the warhorse. Yet it endured, its unyielding spirit surpassing her expectations.

She quickly noted a pattern: while the harbinger’s strength was formidable, his movements were slow, encumbered by his towering frame. Exploiting this weakness, she launched a relentless series of calculated strikes at the warhorse.

The skeletal harbinger retaliated with sweeping arcs of his greatsword, forcing her to divide her focus between evading his attacks and crippling the steed.

Finally, after a grueling exchange, Athena saw her chance. With a precise thrust, she drove her blade into the warhorse’s knee joint. The beast buckled under its weight, its balance shattered.

As the warhorse collapsed with a tortured neigh, the skeletal harbinger leapt clear, abandoning his mount without hesitation.

Wasting no time, Athena delivered a series of brutal strikes with her axe, ensuring the warhorse would not rise again.

The skeletal harbinger regarded the scene impassively, as though the loss of his steed meant nothing. To him, the horse was but a disposable tool.

Athena smirked bitterly at his indifference. How typical of these creatures, she thought. Their arrogance was their undoing, a hubris born from the belief that they were the world’s rightful rulers.

She stepped onto the fallen horse’s carcass, using it as a springboard to launch herself toward the harbinger, who stood watching with disdain.

With a thunderous crack, their weapons clashed once more. Sparks flew as their respective auras collided in a violent dance of power.

This time, Athena’s strike forced the harbinger to take a step back. A shallow fissure marred the pristine surface of his ribcage.

The blue flames in his eyes flickered momentarily before roaring back to life, fiercer than ever.

The azure fire spread rapidly, engulfing his entire skeletal frame and flowing seamlessly into his greatsword. He stood ablaze, a ghastly figure emanating spectral light, like a harbinger from the depths of the underworld.

Raising the flame-wreathed sword high, he charged at Athena with renewed ferocity. The air around them swirled violently, whipped into a frenzy by his movements.

The azure flames licked at her axe as their weapons met again, and an unbearable searing pain coursed through her body- not physical, but deep within her soul.

It was as though her very essence was being scorched by the unearthly fire.