Athena breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was fortunate the three little ones had already gone out, and Grey was still napping in the room, unaware of the outside events.
As the minutes ticked by, the persistent tapping finally ceased.
[ The abnormal creature has left! ]
At last, Athena dared to open the bathroom door. The mont the world's energy appeared in the area, it had almost instantly attracted this peculiar entity.
Right now, her desire for a defensive barrier was at an all-ti high. The system’s protective shield, however, only functioned optimally at night. During the day, while it could fend off so creatures, it didn’t offer protection against the system-refreshed monsters or these special entities.
The giant bee shield that Athena had acquired so ti ago still remained unused. Its duration was only three days, so she had been saving it for a crisis—particularly for when she faced swarming attacks.
But now, it seed she should deploy the shield. The appearance of the phantom wasn't solely due to the world's energy but also because of the evolving dynamics of the battle zone, making it more sensitive and volatile.
Even though the giant bee shield might not fully fend off more powerful monsters, at least it would give Athena so forewarning, rather than leaving her completely unguarded.
With a fleeting thought, a radiant golden orb materialised in her palm. Upon closer inspection, one could faintly see the outline of a giant bee within the orb.
She threw the mysterious golden sphere high into the air. Instantly, a thin yet awe-inspiring golden barrier unfurled like lightning, swiftly enveloping the entire shelter.
Simultaneously, a countdown appeared on Athena's system panel, marking three days of protection.
The noise stirred Grey, who could no longer sleep. She peered through the door crack to assess the situation. Seeing everything was in order, she finally erged.
Looking up at the pale golden shield before her, Grey was utterly fascinated. Apart from the initial burst of strong golden light when it first activated, the shield now emitted a faint, steady glow.
It was an impenetrable barrier, capable of withstanding any external threat or attack.
Seeing Grey, Athena promptly took out her three weapons—the Moonlight Bow, the Black Abyss Axe, and Black Friday paired with the Crimson Tear—and handed them over.
"Could you help figure out how best to install them and assist with the installation?" Athena asked sincerely and warmly.
Grey, clutching all the weapons to her chest, nodded eagerly. It was clear this was a testant to Athena's trust in her!
At that mont, the three little ones returned. Sensing the gravity of the situation, they didn’t goof off as usual but scoured the surroundings thoroughly, bringing back a wild rabbit and a large boar, which Witty dutifully carried ho.
Paopao, having used his gigantification ability in the last battle, couldn’t transform again and thus couldn't handle such hefty loads.
They held their heads high like triumphant generals, already anticipating Athena’s praise and admiration.
Yet, as soon as they approached their ho, the sudden sight of the protective shield stunned them. They recognized that this was different from the system’s usual protective barrier; it was another type entirely.
When Athena allowed them inside, the three were still sowhat bewildered.
As soon as they entered, Athena erected an earthen wall at the entrance of the shelter to reinforce its weakest point.
With her increasing ntal strength, she could now maintain an earthen wall for about an hour. If she only sustained a single wall, she could extend that ti to five or six hours, which also provided a small ntal exercise.
As they had expected, Athena lavished them with praise, sending them into a blissful state of pride.
Athena, as usual, chose to decompose the at using the system—not because she wished to be frugal, but because the system-preserved at could last up to six months without spoiling.
If she processed the at herself, it would likely rot within a few days. While her system backpack could slow down spoilage, it wouldn’t stop it entirely.
Thus, system decomposition remained the most practical option.
After returning indoors, Athena sat the three little ones down and solemnly explained the process of evolution and the significance of the Golden Water Ring.
The trio exchanged glances, each clearly understanding Athena's decision. They all agreed to give the opportunity for evolution to Mikmik. However, when Athena placed the Golden Water Ring before them, asking them to decide, a dilemma arose.
Paopao imdiately declared he wouldn’t get involved, nonchalantly grabbing an apple and munching away. Witty and Mikmik, on the other hand, began pushing the Golden Water Ring back and forth between them, neither willing to take it.
Finally, Mikmik, unable to contain his frustration, exploded! His fur stood on end, resembling a small, angry lion, baring its teeth and pouncing on Witty.
With one swift motion, Mikmik slapped Witty’s head with his paw and snarled ferociously as if to say, "Put it on already!" His deanour was so fierce it was as though he intended to devour Witty whole.
Witty, stubborn as ever, still refused to relent, insisting Mikmik wear the ring instead.
In the end, Mikmik shot a guilty glance at Athena before pulling Witty aside to whisper sothing in his ear. Witty's expression turned to one of surprise, but eventually, he quietly agreed and slipped the Golden Water Ring onto his paw.
As soon as the Golden Water Ring touched his soft, fluffy paw, it transford into a bracelet perfectly sized for his foreleg.
Witty was fascinated by the transformation, examining it from all angles. He even ran over to Mikmik and Paopao to show them up close.
Athena had no idea what the two had whispered about, but since they had finally sorted it out, she was relieved.
Mikmik, seeing that Athena hadn’t noticed their little exchange, also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, he had his own secret stash.
Every ti he accompanied Athena on outings, whenever they ca across sothing beautiful or of high value that suited her refined tastes, Mikmik would discreetly swallow it. Later, he would cough it back up and hide it under her bed. If Athena ever checked, she'd discover his collection.
To Mikmik, the Golden Water Ring was ugly and gaudy, so he had no qualms handing it over to Witty. It suited him much better.
As for their leader? Well, one day, if she ever ran out of resources, Mikmik figured his little treasure trove might just co in handy for supporting the four of them. He needed to stash away more!
Athena scooped Mikmik into her arms and initiated the evolution process.
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