Chapter 168

Chapter 168
## Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Champion

Sansha wore a subtle grin.

The Ogre was a titan who had maintained his position for more than three years.

Living up to his moniker, he was a freak of nature even among elites, obliterating rivals with his gargantuan physique.

The majority of those who faced him left the ring mangled or dead, causing most to shun him as if he were a plague.

For this particular event, thirty newcomers had signed up.

“If they can last ten minutes, or even manage to land a single nick on the Ogre, they move forward. A display like that is bound to pull in a massive audience.”

“My goodness… not a single soul is going to walk away from that.”

The clerk delivering the files felt a chill run down his spine.

He was intimately familiar with the Ogre’s penchant for cruelty.

A battle of thirty against one.

Logically, one might assume thirty fighters would overwhelm a single man, but the opponent in question was the Ogre.

The clerk was certain that even thirty experienced warriors would be torn apart in moments.

It would be a bloodbath.

Complete annihilation.

However, this was the Tower of Martial Gods.

A realm where the mighty consumed the feeble as the natural order of things.

“What is the date for the match?”

“Set it for tomorrow.”

“Understood. I will begin the arrangements at once.”

As the subordinate exited, Sansha’s smile deepened.

‘It is the perfect moment to market the Ogre again. He serves as an excellent foil to the champion.’

The goal of this spectacle wasn’t truly to find new talent—it was to build the Ogre’s legend even higher.

Seasoned veterans like him were what kept the tower’s reputation thriving.

Furthermore, it would serve as a subtle provocation to “that individual,” the one who had held the champion’s throne without a single loss for five years.

‘I just hope the rookies can survive for five minutes.’

She had officially set the mark at ten, but knowing the Ogre’s violent nature, it would likely conclude in half that time.

That remained Sansha’s only lingering concern.

Champion

The following day arrived.

A sea of people flooded the arena for the spectacle.

Thirty challengers versus the monstrous veteran, the Ogre!

The aggressive marketing had ensured every seat was sold within hours.

“The odds are 9-to-1?”

“Isn’t the finish already written in stone?”

“Predictable or not, we came here to see a massacre. Opportunities like this are few and far between.”

Indeed, the conclusion seemed certain.

The betting pools were heavily skewed, with 9-to-1 odds favoring the Ogre.

The solitary 1 represented the fringe gamblers hoping for a miracle payout.

Without those desperate risk-takers, the odds might have been 100-to-0.

The reason the public rushed to a fight with a known ending was visceral.

‘We want to see the carnage!’

‘Destroy them all!’

They hungered for the sight of the Ogre crushing the novices through absolute power.

Those acquainted with his brutality felt their pulses quickening in anticipation.

Even within the Tower of Martial Gods, a match of this scale was a rare treat.

“Behold, the Ogre!”

“The monster has arrived!”

The heavy gates of the arena creaked open, and the towering Ogre stepped into the light.

His skin was stained green, and a necklace crafted from massive tusks hung across his chest—his appearance drove the spectators into a frenzy.

The quintessential Ogre.

A creature more terrifying than any myth.

His savage aura gripped the audience instantly.

“Ogre! Show us something brutal today!”

“I’ve put everything I own on you!”

“It’s been too long—don’t hold back!”

This match signified the Ogre’s return after a period of absence.

A guaranteed financial hit!

Facing thirty sacrificial lambs? It was pure theater.

“Now, presenting the thirty rookies who dare to challenge the monstrous Ogre!”

At the announcer’s shout, the far gate slid upward, and the hopefuls walked out in sequence.

There were exactly thirty of them.

Despite the Ogre’s reputation, not a single rookie had withdrawn.

‘If I take down the Ogre, I’ll become a legend.’

‘It’s thirty of us against one—we can’t lose.’

Their logic was simplistic.

Kill the beast, achieve instant fame.

The safety of a 30-to-1 advantage provided them with all the confidence they needed.

“A pack of bottom-feeders.”

The Ogre snorted in contempt at their clumsy postures.

The first floor of the Tower of Martial Gods was beneath him.

He usually campaigned on the eighth floor, yet here he was, entertaining the dregs.

‘No matter.’

It wasn’t a total loss.

It was the perfect warm-up to shake off the rust from his break.

He intended to leave a lasting ‘memory’ in the minds of the viewers, at the very least.

‘And what is the deal with those two?’

His gaze settled on a specific pair among the group of thirty.

The Ogre let out a low chuckle.

‘A penguin and a rabbit?’

While the tower appreciated flair, it was only respected when backed by genuine talent and progression.

Almost no novice behaved with such arrogance on the first floor.

A few tried, but they never made it far.

And those who did try? He usually made it a point to break them more thoroughly than the rest.

Playing the fool in his presence?

‘The rabbit has a decent frame…’

He scanned the woman’s movements and gave a small nod of approval.

The Penguin: he would tear its throat out with his bare hands.

The Rabbit: he would skew her like game.

Visualizing the sensation of meat pulling away from the bone, the Ogre shuddered with sadistic joy.

“How will this battle between thirty newcomers and the Ogre reach its end? Let the fight commence!”

The announcer dropped the black flag, the exit gates locked tight, and the violence began.

The Ogre raised his massive, crude weapon.

‘I’ll start slow—just crush a couple.’

They were mediocre trash.

Not one of them had the courage to step forward alone.

He had hoped for a bit of spirit.

It was so dull he felt like yawning.

Shwooo!

The Ogre swung his heavy club and propelled himself into the air.

“Aah! It’s happening! The Ogre’s famous move—Sky Smasher!”

His leap was unnervingly graceful for someone of his size.

It was a straightforward overhead strike—yet no one in his tier had ever successfully parried it.

A direct impact would cause the earth to shudder and create a massive shockwave.

It was his signature opening move to dominate the rhythm of the fight from the first second.

“Get back! Move!”

“This is insane!”

The rookies scattered in panic as the pressure descended, just as he anticipated.

However, this was not an attack one could simply step away from.

And yet.

‘They aren’t moving?’

The Emperor Penguin and the Bunny Girl remained perfectly still.

‘Are they paralyzed with fear?’

It was almost a shame to end them so quickly, but the momentum was set.

The Ogre plummeted toward them, club leading the way.

In that heartbeat.

“Uh…”

“What…?”

The fans, who had been screaming in excitement, suddenly went quiet, their eyes bulging.

They weren’t the only ones.

The announcer, the other challengers in the pit—everyone froze.

All eyes were fixed on the Ogre, stunned into silence.

Crack-crack-crunch!

…His frame disintegrated into dozens of jagged pieces, falling to the arena floor like bloody confetti.

“W-what just happened?”

“I didn’t see a thing!”

“Is that… actually a rookie?”

The odds had been 9-to-1.

But the contest had been settled in less than ten seconds.

Such absolute power left the crowd too stunned to cheer.

It was the debut of two transcendent stars.

Sansha, who had been expecting a triumphant return for the Ogre, had to rub her eyes at the sight.

‘What was that move?’

The Penguin Warrior and the Bunny Girl.

Their actions were too fast for a normal human to perceive.

They had struck in perfect unison, carving the falling Ogre into pieces.

Even for an administrator like Sansha, that level of speed was borderline impossible.

‘…Transcenders. At least at the two-star level.’

It wasn’t common for Transcenders to bother with the tower.

It happened, but they rarely made such a loud entrance.

‘If they are climbing with such distinct personas, they are clearly targeting the highest levels.’

But this was the Tower of Martial Gods.

The summit was populated by nightmares.

Especially the champion—a man who had been invincible for five long years.

He had broken every challenger and fellow Transcender, crafting a myth of total dominance.

‘He detests anyone who tries to outshine him, so this could turn into quite the show.’

However, the champion hadn’t participated in a match for over a year.

He maintained his crown purely through his massive lead in points.

Critics whispered that he had lost his nerve and was avoiding conflict.

‘He is simply bored. He hasn’t found anyone worth fighting in a year.’

Sansha understood the truth.

The champion wasn’t afraid.

There were just no worthy opponents.

But if she marketed these super-rookies aggressively?

‘…He would have to take notice.’

He might finally agree to a match.

It had been nearly a year.

She could no longer allow the champion’s inactivity to continue.

The choice was made.

She would throw the full weight of her support behind the Penguin and the Bunny.

It went exactly as I planned.

My intuition was correct: Sansha, the woman who ran the tower, was searching for ‘attention-grabbers.’

‘Even Wilhelm wasn’t able to take the champion’s seat.’

Pure power wasn’t sufficient without the right popularity and Sansha’s backing.

Most participants weren’t even aware she existed.

I had been in the dark as well.

‘I only discovered the truth at the very top. Everything moves according to Sansha’s whims.’

Lack of information had stalled my previous progress.

To become the champion: you either forced him to accept a duel, or you accumulated more points than him through a never-ending streak of victories.

Neither was feasible under normal circumstances.

The champion ignored all requests, and matches had ceased.

Sansha had never granted Wilhelm the opportunity to fight for the title.

‘I need to leave a powerful mark right from the beginning.’

A constant, unrelenting performance.

The costume was the foundation; fame was the objective.

Second: the preference of the audience.

I needed sold-out stadiums every night to earn a shot at the title.

‘Most players play it safe, grinding out small wins for betting money.’

Those who played it safe for pocket change never caught Sansha’s eye.

The fans hated that style too.

But nearly every player, including my past self, was blind to Sansha’s role.

Not this time.

I knew exactly what path to take.

“Emperor Penguin! Emperor Penguin!”

“Destroy them again today!”

The arena was on fire, once again at full capacity.

People were skipping work just to catch a glimpse of the new Emperor Penguin.

Among them, fifty were individuals I had paid to lead the cheers.

‘Excitement is driven by the psychology of the crowd.’

Use it, and the masses will follow.

At the peak of the Tower of Martial Gods.

The champion, five years without a single blemish on his record, looked down at the world.

“Champion. Reports say some intriguing new arrivals have appeared.”

His aide spoke, but the champion remained silent.

He felt no real excitement.

For over a year, he had done nothing but sharpen his skills in solitude.

There was no enemy left to make his blood run cold.

Well, there had been one, once.

‘Wilhelm.’

That burning memory remained.

The pace of that man’s climb had been nothing short of a miracle.

Every one of his fights sent a shiver through the champion.

Once he noticed Wilhelm’s rise, the champion never missed a single broadcast of his matches.

When Wilhelm finally arrived at the summit to challenge him? The champion had been nearly ecstatic.

Finally!

But the challenge never arrived.

‘Sansha blocked it.’

Sansha, the tower’s overseer.

She didn’t want the two of them to fight.

And no one could force a duel that she opposed.

He owed Sansha a life debt, so he complied.

Still, the disappointment lingered.

The fact that they never traded blows was a tragedy.

A year later, it remained his deepest regret.

‘That is why I haven’t accepted a match in a year.’

It was a silent protest against Sansha.

After the Wilhelm situation fell through, the champion was starving for a real fight.

He trained without rest, waiting for the man to return.

Hoping he would climb the tower once more.

Then, the news from the recent great expedition arrived: Wilhelm was dead.

And then, there was him.

‘Wilhelm’s star.’