{ Trial Grounds – Middle Zone Collapse }
**Time: 01:59:00**
**"ATTENTION CLIMBERS: MIDDLE ZONE COLLAPSE INITIATING IN 60 SECONDS."**
Panic erupted.
Climbers burst into desperate sprints. Others abandoned their fights entirely. The sky began to bleed crimson.
"Move! MOVE!"
"The barrier—where's the barrier?!"
Six climbers remained scattered across the collapsing zone. All of them were now running for their lives.
---
{ VOX Commentary Booth }
**"Ladies and gentlemen, we're down to the final seconds!"** VOX's voice boomed across the Colosseum. **"Only six climbers remain in the Middle Zone! Over one hundred have successfully advanced to the Inner Zone, while more than four hundred have been eliminated in just two hours!"**
The commentator's excitement was infectious, even as lives hung in the balance.
**"This is what Tower climbing is all about—survival of the strongest, fastest, and smartest!"**
---
{ Middle Zone – Final Moments }
Marcus spotted the shimmering barrier ahead. Behind him, the jungle was dissolving—trees turning to ash.
"Come on!" he shouted to Elena. "We can make it!"
But Elena stumbled. Her ankle twisted.
Marcus spun back, grabbed her arm. "I'm not leaving you!"
The crimson sky flashed white.
Both climbers vanished—eliminated together.
Four seconds later, the Middle Zone ceased to exist.
---
{ Inner Zone – Safe Ground }
**Time: 02:00:00**
The sudden silence felt wrong.
Over a hundred climbers stood scattered across the Inner Zone, breathing hard, some still shaking from their narrow escapes. The air here was different—cleaner, but charged with an energy that made everyone's skin prickle.
Then the leaderboard materialized in the sky.
**TOWER TRIAL LEADERBOARD – 2:00:00**
| Rank | Name | Tokens | Status |
|------|------|--------|---------|
| 1 | Zephyr Karshem | 579+ | Inner Zone |
| 2 | Joshua | 565+ | Inner Zone |
| 3 | Noah Varnok | 561+ | Inner Zone |
| 4 | Ryu Jin-Seok | 555+ | Inner Zone |
| 5 | Dante Dragunov | 550+ | Inner Zone |
| 6 | Lady Evara Umbrea | 550+ | Inner Zone |
| 7 | Zayna Malik | 540+ | Inner Zone |
| 8 | Rokhan Zokhul | 530+ | Inner Zone |
| 9 | Elina Vel | 500+ | Inner Zone |
| 10 | Kaleon Vass | 490+ | Inner Zone |
| ??? | Lucien Arkwright | 99+ | Inner Zone |
---
{ VOX Commentary – Leaderboard Analysis }
"Incredible! Zephyr Karshem maintains his lead, but look at that dark horse Joshua climbing to second place!" VOX's enthusiasm never wavered. "Noah Varnok holding strong in third, and that masked phantom Ryu Jin-Seok has surged to fourth!"
A pause for dramatic effect.
"And at the bottom of our display... Lucien Arkwright with a whopping ninety-nine tokens. Folks, that's barely enough to buy lunch in most Tower cities!"
Laughter rippled through the Colosseum.
---
{ Top 10 Reactions }
**Zephyr Karshem** stood alone near a cliff edge, arms crossed. First place meant nothing if you couldn't hold it. His eyes swept the Inner Zone, already calculating threats.
**Joshua** cracked his knuckles. Second place. Not bad for someone without a famous bloodline.
**Noah Varnok** grinned at the leaderboard, then glanced around until he spotted Lucien cowering behind a tree. That guy was entertaining, if nothing else.
**Ryu Jin-Seok** remained motionless, mask hiding his expression. Fourth place put him exactly where he wanted to be—noticed, but not the primary target.
**Dante Dragunov** shrugged. Fifth was fine.
**Lady Evara Umbrea** studied the rankings with cool calculation. Tied for fifth.
**Zayna Malik** stretched her arms above her head. "Finally, something interesting might happen."
**Rokhan Zokhul** spat on the ground. Eighth place was insulting, but it would do for now.
**Elina Vel** checked her weapon. Ninth place meant she was underestimated. Good.
**Kaleon Vass** was already counting potential profits from a top-ten finish.
---
{ Colosseum – Audience Reactions }
In the general seating, a young girl held up a handmade sign: "GO JIN-SEOK!" Her face was flushed with excitement as she cheered for the masked climber.
In the VIP section, Alfred the butler watched the same girl with growing emotion. The resemblance was uncanny—Jin-Seok moved exactly like his grandfather, Han Seok, had in his prime.
"Young master," Alfred whispered to himself, "your grandfather would be proud."
**Azhrel Karshem** leaned back in his luxurious chair, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Living up to the Karshem name," he said, loud enough for his companions to hear. "Though I wonder..." His inner thoughts turned serious. *Which of you two is truly stronger, Zephyr?*
**Lyra Varnok** chuckled softly. "Looks like Noah found himself an interesting friend." She nodded toward Lucien's position on the leaderboard. "And my boy hasn't lost to any of these Tower noble brats yet."
**Daman Zokhul** crossed his arms. "Zephyr's only first because people targeted him thinking he'd be easy prey. They're not even tired yet, and there are still two hours left." His eyes gleamed. "Don't forget about the final boss. Whoever kills it gets over a thousand points. This leaderboard could change in an instant."
All three nobles fell silent, their gazes turning toward the Inner Zone with curious anticipation.
---
{ The Calm Before }
**Time: 02:00:01**
The Inner Zone felt too quiet.
Too peaceful.
Then VOX's voice shattered the silence.
**"ATTENTION CLIMBERS: FINAL BOSS IS BEING SUMMONED TO INNER ZONE. CAUTION ADVISED."**
A pause that lasted forever.
**"ENTITY: NINE-HEADED HYDRA. CLASSIFICATION—TOWER GUARDIAN."**
The jungle fell silent.
Then trembled.
Then roared.
---
{ The Summoning }
The ground didn't just crack—it screamed.
A massive rift tore through the center of the Inner Zone, glowing runes spinning in nine interlocking circles. The air itself began to burn as something impossibly large forced its way up from the depths.
A girl near the treeline dropped her sword. "H-Hydra? What the hell is that doing here?!"
Three rookie climbers huddled together, faces pale. "That's not a monster," one whispered. "That's a death sentence."
Some climbers turned and ran. Others threw their tokens to the ground and surrendered on the spot.
"I didn't come here to die!"
But the top climbers?
They stepped forward.
---
## { Colosseum Explosion }
The audience erupted into chaos.
"Did the Tower just summon a Hydra?!"
"They're just rookies!"
"What are you talking about? The Golden Generation is still there! Let's see if they live up to the name!"
"Is this even allowed?! Are they trying to kill these kids?!"
In the VIP room, reactions were more measured but no less intense.
**Azhrel Karshem** raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued for the first time all day.
**Daman Zokhul** chuckled coldly. "Let's see if any of them deserve the title 'Golden Generation.'"
**Lyra Varnok** leaned forward in her seat. "Finally, a real test."
---
{ The Hydra Rises }
**"SUMMON COMPLETE – FINAL BOSS: 'NINE-HEADED HYDRA, CLASS: TOWER GUARDIAN' HAS ENTERED THE FIELD!"**
Nine heads.
Nine different elements.
Nine separate nightmares rising from the earth like the Tower's own judgment.
VOX's voice cracked with excitement. **"AND THERE IT IS! THE FINAL CHALLENGE! This is unprecedented for a Newbie Trial! A fully manifested Tower Guardian in the Inner Zone!"**
The warning came next: **"THE HYDRA'S CORE WILL NOT BE VULNERABLE UNTIL ALL NINE HEADS ARE DESTROYED SIMULTANEOUSLY. REGENERATION IS CONSTANT."**
---
{ The Hunt Begins }
The nine heads didn't attack randomly.
They hunted.
Each one locked onto the strongest climber in its vicinity, as if the Hydra could sense power itself.
**Water Head** → A massive, glistening head charged like a tsunami through trees, body dragging waves of mud and moisture toward **Zayna Malik**.
She cracked her knuckles. "Good. I was getting bored."
**Stone Head** → A boulder-like beast of muscle and jagged stone skin rampaged toward the cliffside, heading straight for **Dante Dragunov**.
He walked forward to meet it.
**Forest Head** → A leafy, vine-covered head silently moved through the underbrush like a predator, stalking **Elina Vel**.
"Let's see how nature handles precision."
**Wind Head** → The air shifted. A fast-moving, winged head shot through the trees, blindingly quick like a missile, distorting the air around it toward **Noah Varnok**.
Noah grinned and launched into the air. "Alright. Let's have some fun."
**Shadow Head** → Black-scaled, twitching, its eyes glinting red—this head moved unnaturally toward **Zephyr Karshem**.
"You picked the wrong person to stalk."
**Fire Head** → A head burning with searing flame erupted from the crater, leaving charred ground in its wake as it headed for **Evara Umbrea**.
She sensed it coming.
**Golden Head** → A shining golden-scaled head pulsing with eerie rhythm arrived between **Kaleon Vass** and **Ryu Jin-Seok**.
"Is... is that real gold? Can I loot it if I survive?"
"Idiot, be serious," Jin-Seok snapped.
**Venom Head** → Oozing venom. Dripping fangs. Hissing steps toward **Joshua**.
He took a breath. " poison, huh."
**Crystal Head** → The head that emerged near **Rokhan Zokhul**
shimmered—gemstone-like. Durable. Sharp.
Rokhan lifted his arms. "Alright, shiny. Let's see who breaks first." He glanced at others. "Stay back. This isn't something you can handle."
---
{ Lucien's Survival Strategy }
Lucien Arkwright crouched behind a bush near the Hydra's tail, trembling.
"Yep. Totally not worth it. I'll just... pretend to be dead."
He clo
sed his eyes and tried to become one with the shrubbery.
---
{ The Final Declaration }
**"THE FINAL TRIAL BEGINS NOW. DEFEAT THE HEADS. CLAIM THE CORE. BECOME A LEGEND OF THE TOWER."**
The countdown resumed.
Two hours left.
Nine heads.
And legends waiting to be born.
_______________
"What began as a simple trial has now turned into a battle for survival. With the roar of the Nine-Headed Hydra shaking the jungle and fear gripping the hearts of many, the Newbie Trial enters its deadliest phase yet. Our climbers—each with dreams, doubts, and destinies of their own—must now decide: fight, flee, or fall.
From soaring talents to rising dark horses, alliances will be tested, rivals will clash, and history may just be written here in the heart of the jungle. As the Tower watches on, only one truth remains…
This is more than a trial. This is the beginning of something far greater."
_________________________________________________
{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}