{ Hydra Core - The Final Strike}
The massive crystal pulsed like a beating heart at the center of the devastation.
Zephyr's eyes locked onto it instantly—the Hydra Core. Around him, the others froze mid-step as they spotted it too. Elina. Joshua. Rokhan. Zayna. Evara. Kaleon. Jin-Seok. Noah.
All of them staring at the same prize.
The remaining Hydra heads swayed above them, massive and lethal, but something was different. Every time someone took a step toward the core, the heads erupted into violent fury—roaring, thrashing, desperate to protect their heart.
But when Lucien had been near it earlier...
Nothing. Not even a glance.
The realization hit them all at once.
"It only sees threats," Zephyr muttered.
And Lucien?
Wasn't one.
{The Sprint}
No words were exchanged. No planning. No discussion.
They just ran.
Nine of the most dangerous climbers in the Tower, all sprinting toward the same target. Shoulders collided. Elbows flew. Someone—Kaleon—got shoved sideways into a crater.
"Hey! That's not—"
Too late. The others were already past him.
But as they closed in, another truth became crystal clear. The core pulsed with protective energy, the heads regenerating faster whenever someone got close.
We can't destroy it unless the heads are down.
All of them.
At once.
{Synchronized Destruction}
Dante & Rokhan – Rock & Crystal
They moved like mirror images—Dante charging from the left, Rokhan from the right. Both heads turned toward them, massive jaws opening wide.
The timing was perfect.
Two fists. Two heads. One devastating impact.
The Rock and Crystal heads exploded in a shower of stone and shimmering fragments.
Zayna & Evara – Water & Fire
The elemental heads gave chase, water crashing against fire in waves of steam and fury. Zayna and Evara sprinted toward each other, the heads following—closing the distance fast.
At the last second, both women leaped high.
The heads collided beneath them in a massive explosion of steam and flame. When the smoke cleared, both were gone.
Joshua & Elina – Venom & Forest
Elina danced between the two massive heads, her movements fluid and precise, drawing their attention with every graceful step. Venom dripped. Thorns sprouted. Both heads focused entirely on her.
Joshua hefted a boulder the size of a small building.
With a grunt of pure effort, he hurled it forward like a cannonball.
The rock tore through both open maws, crushing them from the inside out.
Noah, Jin-Seok, Kaleon – Wind, Shadow, Golden
The three remaining heads circled them like predators. Jin-Seok grinned at Noah, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Wanna play? Let's see who smashes more heads."
Kaleon blinked. "Wait, WHAT game are we—"
Too late.
Both Noah and Jin-Seok launched themselves skyward. Noah's fist connected with the Wind Head in a sonic boom that shattered the air itself. Jin-Seok tore through the Golden and Shadow heads like lightning, his strikes echoing like thunder.
Kaleon stood there, jaw hanging open.
"Are you guys even human?!"
{The Final Strike}
As the last heads began their desperate regeneration, Zephyr appeared at the core.
Calm. Silent. Focused.
He raised his hand—and brought it down in one clean strike.
The Hydra Core shattered.
The entire inner zone went quiet.
{Victory}
[SYSTEM ALERT]
> [HYDRA BOSS CLEARED!]
[Climber: Zephyr Karshem – Earned 1,000 Bonus Tokens]
The VOX commentary exploded across the Tower.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE HYDRA HAS FALLEN!!"
"WHAT A FINISH! DESTRUCTION! COORDINATION! AND… PURE CHAOS!"
{40 Minutes Remaining}
{The Final Strike}
As the last heads began their regeneration cycle, Zephyr appeared at the core.
Silent. Calm. Inevitable.
He raised his hand and destroyed the Hydra Core with a single, wordless strike.
---
{System Victory}
[SYSTEM ALERT]
> [HYDRA BOSS CLEARED!]
[Climber: Zephyr Karshem – Earned 1,000 Bonus Tokens]
VOX Commentary exploded:
> "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE HYDRA HAS FALLEN!!"
"WHAT A FINISH! DESTRUCTION! COORDINATION! AND… PURE CHAOS!"
The Colosseum erupted. Cheers, gasps, laughter.
---
{The Leaderboard Rises}
[TRIAL TIME REMAINING: 40:00]
The leaderboard materialized in the sky, its golden letters burning bright against the darkening arena.
TOWER TRIAL LEADERBOARD – 3:20:00
| Rank | Name | Tokens | Status |
|------|------|--------|---------|
| 1 | Zephyr Karshem | 1979+ | Inner Zone |
| 2 | Joshua | 825+ | Inner Zone |
| 3 | Noah Varnok | 823+ | Inner Zone |
| 4 | Ryu Jin-Seok | 750+ | Inner Zone |
| 5 | Dante Dragunov | 740+ | Inner Zone |
| 6 | Lady Evara Umbrea | 730+ | Inner Zone |
| 7 | Zayna Malik | 730+ | Inner Zone |
| 8 | Rokhan Zokhul | 725+ | Inner Zone |
| 9 | Elina Vel | 700+ | Inner Zone |
| 10 | Kaleon Vass | 690+ | Inner Zone |
| 11 | Lucien Arkwright | 100+ | Inner Zone |
---
{The Realization}
Now that the Hydra was down, they looked at each other again.
The truth hit like a cold wind.
Only one of us can be number one.
They began walking, rising, preparing. Each climber shifted into position—serious, focused, burning with competitive resolve.
VOX:
> "The Golden Generation Free-for-All Showdown is about to start."
"There are 40 minutes left on the clock… and now the real bloodbath begins!"
"The Boss is gone. The heads are down. The tokens are everything now."
"No more monsters to kill… just legends to surpass."
The Colosseum erupted in anticipation. Even the VIPs leaned forward.
---
{The Circle Forms}
The nine remaining climbers formed a wide circle around the shattered core. Scuffed, bruised, but burning with inner fire.
Silence stretched between them.
Then—
Zephyr (cold, calm): "Don't think helping with the core means you've earned my tokens."
Jin-Seok (smirking): "Didn't ask you to. I was planning to take them anyway."
Noah (stretching, cheerful): "Same here~ Let's make it fun. I'm in the mood for fireworks."
Evara (stepping forward): "Only the strong deserve to advance. Tokens are earned, not gifted."
Joshua (cracking his knuckles): "Good. I was getting bored."
Elina (cool gaze flicking across the group): "The real trial begins now."
Zayna (nervously chuckling… then shifting into her berserker tone): "Heh… guess it's smash time!!"
Rokhan (solemnly): "Let's fight, winner takes all."
Kaleon (confused, raising his hand): "Wait—WAIT. I thought I had a share in the tokens?!"
Zephyr glanced sideways, lifting his arm slowly—like a blade being unsheathed.
"You want tokens? Take them." His voice was flat, final. "If you can."
---
{VOX's Final Call}
VOX (losing their mind):
> "OH. IT. IS. ON."
"No more alliances! No more teamwork!"
"Only the strongest will stand at the top!"
"Do you feel that?! That's not fear—it's history being written!"
VOX (screaming as the camera pulled back):
> "THE FINAL 40 MINUTES—START. NOW!!"
"Fists will fly. Legends will fall. WHO WILL STAND ALONE?!"
"WELCOME TO THE FINAL WARZONE!"
---
{Meanwhile...}
Lucien, still hiding in the bushes, watched the standoff unfold.
"...Okay yeah. I'm staying right here. Absolutely not going there."
---
{Quick Cuts – The Watching World}
[CAMERA 1 – VIP Balcony]
As the nine stood locked in a deadly circle, the camera cut to the VIP box—every face turned toward the battlefield.
Azhrel Karshem, seated with perfect posture, eyes half-lidded as if he'd seen this moment a thousand times.
He whispered, serene and certain:
"So it begins."
No smile. No tension. Just calm inevitability.
---
[CAMERA 2 – Lyra Varnok]
Leaning lazily against the railing, Lyra raised a brow as Noah rolled his shoulders like he was warming up for a dance battle.
She chuckled under her breath.
"Of course he's having fun."
---
[CAMERA 3 – Daman Zokhul]
Daman, hands clasped behind his back, practically beamed with pride as Rokhan squared off.
"Atta boy. Show them what a real Zokhul looks like."
Then his gaze slid to the rest.
A knowing nod.
"This generation... really is golden."
---
[CAMERA 4 – General Audience]
Far below, the camera cut to the stands—zooming in on a young girl clutching a small, handmade plush of a wooden tiger.
Her lips trembled as she stared at the glowing leaderboard where Ryu Jin-Seok's name blazed in fourth.
"You can do it, big brother…"
She squeezed the toy tighter.
---
[CAMERA 5 – Alfred]
Next to her, Alfred—Jin-Seok's towering mechanical butler—had one massive hand braced against his chest.
Eyes glowing softly, voice static with worry:
"Master Jin-Seok… please be careful."
He leaned down to shield the girl as she gasped.
"Should we leave, Mister Alfred?"
Alfred's gears whirred. His voice lowered.
"Not yet. He wouldn't want us to miss this."
---
The Golden Generation stood ready. The clock ticked down. And the Tower Trial's final act was about to begin.
_______________________________________________
{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}