I Start with 13 Hidden Traits Chapter-168

Ch-168

—

Sansha smiled faintly at the corners of her mouth.

The Ogre had been holding his ranking for over three consecutive years.
Just like his name suggested, he was a monster among monsters—crushing opponents with his enormous physique.

Most who had ever fought him ended up crippled or dead; naturally, everyone avoided him.

There were a total of thirty rookies who applied this time.

“Last ten minutes, or leave even a small scratch on the Ogre — that’s a pass.
We need at least that kind of event if we want spectators.”

“Ah… No one will survive.”

The man handing over the documents shivered.
He knew very well how brutal the Ogre was.

A 30-against-1 match.

Under normal circumstances, thirty would never lose — but the opponent was the Ogre.

The man knew *all too well* that thirty mediocre fighters gathered together would still be slaughtered in an instant.

It would be a massacre.
They would be massacred.

But this was the Tower of the War God.
Here, it was only natural that the strong devoured the weak.

“When shall we proceed?”

“Tomorrow. Immediately.”

“Understood. I’ll prepare everything quickly.”

When the man withdrew, Sansha smiled.

*It’s about time I boosted the Ogre. He’s someone worth raising as a rival to the Champion.*

This event wasn’t for scouting rookies — it was for promoting the Ogre, raising his name.

Only when mid-tier fighters like the Ogre grew stronger did the Tower maintain its fame.

Besides, it would be quite a stimulus to “that guy,” who hadn’t lost the Champion’s throne even once in five years.

*I hope they last at least five minutes.*

Though she said ten, knowing the Ogre’s personality, it was extremely likely to end within five.

That was Sansha’s only concern.

—

—

The next day.

A huge crowd gathered for the event.

A battle between thirty rookies and the mid-tier monster, Ogre!
This shocking headline sold out the spectator seats within half a day.

“9 to 1?”

“Isn’t the outcome too obvious from the start?”

“Obvious or not — we’re here to see a massacre. Events like this aren’t common.”

Indeed, the result was predetermined.
People were already predicting the Ogre’s victory with an overwhelming 9-to-1 ratio.

Even the remaining 1 was just people hoping for a jackpot through reverse-betting.

Without such gamblers, it wouldn’t have been strange for it to be 100 to 0.

The reason so many gathered to see such an obvious match was simple.

*We want blood and slaughter!*
*Tear them apart!*

They wanted to see the Ogre sweep through the rookies with overwhelming brutality.

Those who knew the Ogre’s savagery already felt their hearts pounding wildly.

Even in the Tower of the War God, matches of this scale were rare.

“It’s the Ogre!”

“The Ogre has arrived!”

The arena doors opened, revealing the gigantic Ogre.

His whole body was painted green, and he wore huge ivory-like horns around his neck like a necklace.
His entrance drove the crowd into a frenzy.

He was truly the Ogre.
More Ogre-like than a real ogre!

With that ferocious appearance, the audience was instantly captivated.

“Ogre! Give us a good show today!”

“I bet my entire fortune on you!”

“It’s your return after a long break—show us what you’ve got!”

Today marked the Ogre’s return from a rest period.
His fights were practically guaranteed blockbusters.

And with thirty sacrifices prepared? The enjoyment was practically guaranteed.

“Introducing the thirty rookies who will challenge the monstrous Ogre!”

As the announcer shouted, the opposite iron bars lifted and one by one the challengers appeared.

Exactly thirty.

Not a single one of the new rookies avoided facing the Ogre.

*If we beat the Ogre, we become super rookies.*
*There are thirty of us. Surely we can take down one Ogre?*

Their mindset was simple and clear:

Slay the monster, become a super rookie.
Thirty-to-one was enough to boost their confidence.

“Just small fry.”

The Ogre clicked his tongue, watching their awkward stances.

First floor of the Tower.
The fact that *he* was here at all was embarrassing.

He had descended from the eighth floor — where he normally fought — to the rookies’ arena.

*Still…*

It wasn’t bad.
They were perfect sacrifices to make up for his long absence.

At the very least, he could leave a strong “impression” on the spectators.

*But what’s with those two?*

His gaze snapped to two rookies.

The Ogre snorted.

*Penguin and rabbit?*

The Tower of the War God valued spectacle, yes — but that applied only after you’d climbed some floors.
On the first floor, rookies almost never came dressed like that.

Occasionally it happened, but those types rarely climbed.
And the ones who did?
The Ogre tore them apart even more brutally.

And yet these clowns dared show off in front of *him*?

*The rabbit… not bad.*

He scanned the woman’s body, then nodded.

He would rip out the penguin’s neck with both hands, and skewer the rabbit woman naked.

As he imagined the sensation of flesh and bone splitting under his fingers, the Ogre trembled with excitement.

“And now, how will the match between thirty rookies and the monstrous Ogre unfold?! Match—start!”

The announcer waved the black flag, the gates closed, and the match began.

The Ogre hefted his absurdly large club.

*Let’s smash a few lightly first.*

A bunch of nobodies.

Not a single one dared challenge him head-on.

He had expected at least some boldness.

It was so boring he felt like yawning.

Swoosh!

The Ogre raised his club and launched himself into the air.

“Oh! Here it comes! The Ogre’s signature technique! Sky-Crusher!”

Despite his huge body, the jump was shockingly light.
A simple downward smash — but no one had ever survived it.

When he struck the ground, the earth shook like an earthquake, causing massive casualties.
It was his iconic opening technique, meant to dominate the field instantly.

“D-Dodge!”

“Crazy bastard!”

The rookies scattered, unable to withstand the pressure.

But this attack wasn’t something that could be avoided by simply running.

However—

*They’re not dodging?*

The Emperor Penguin and the Rabbit Woman didn’t move an inch.

*Too scared to move?*

A shame to kill them like this, but what was done was done.

The Ogre struck the ground and brought the club down.

At that moment—

“Wha—…”

“W-wait…?”

Every spectator who had prepared to scream froze, eyes wide open.

Not just the spectators.
The announcer, the rookies in the arena — everyone stared at the Ogre, speechless.

Rattatatat!

…Because the Ogre’s body was falling to the ground in dozens of pieces, scattered like rain.

“W-what?”

“I didn’t even see it!”

“T-They’re… rookies?!”

The overwhelming 9-to-1 prediction.

Yet the match ended in less than ten seconds.

The display was so overwhelming that spectators couldn’t even cheer.

Two colossal rookies had just been born.

—

—

Sansha, who had expected a glorious return match for the Ogre, rubbed her eyes.

*What was that just now?*

The Penguin Warrior and the Rabbit Woman.

Movements an ordinary person could *never* perceive.

The two had moved almost simultaneously and sliced the falling Ogre midair.

Even to Sansha — the Tower administrator — their speed was extraordinary.

*…Transcendents. At least 2-Star or higher.*

Transcendents rarely climbed the Tower of the War God.
Not unheard of, but they usually didn’t climb so loudly.

*Climbing with such a flashy concept means they’re aiming for the upper floors.*

But this was the Tower of the War God.
True to its name, monsters filled the upper floors.

Especially the Champion — who hadn’t lost even once in five years.

He had defeated countless challengers and Transcendents, maintaining an unbroken legend.

*He hates when someone else stands out more than him. This might give him something fun to watch.*

But the Champion hadn’t accepted any challenges for over a year.
And yet he still held the throne with overwhelming points.

People accused him of dodging fights, saying he’d lost his teeth.

*He’s just bored. No one with something greater than him has appeared in a year.*

Sansha knew the truth.

The Champion wasn’t avoiding fights because he was scared.
He simply had no challenger worthy of him.

But if Sansha pushed these super rookies properly?

*…He’ll turn his eyes toward them.*

He might accept a challenge.

Nearly a year had passed.
They couldn’t allow the Champion’s inactivity to continue.

Thus, Sansha came to a decision.

She would give that penguin and that rabbit a proper push.

*

*

Just as expected.

The prediction that Sansha, the one who managed the Tower of the War God, was looking for a “show-off” proved exactly right.

*Wilhelm couldn’t become champion either.*

No matter how strong you were, without popularity and Sansha’s support, becoming champion was impossible.

But there were countless people who didn’t even know Sansha existed.

I was the same.

*I only learned once I reached the top floor. That everything depended on Sansha’s whim.*

Because I didn’t know, I couldn’t progress any further.

To become champion, the current champion had to accept your challenge, or you had to keep fighting until your score surpassed the champion’s.

But neither was possible.

The champion did not accept challenges, and no further matches were being opened.

Because Sansha did not permit Wilhelm to become champion.

*“I need to make a powerful impression right from the start.”*

I had to keep showing shock value, relentlessly and without pause.

Outfits were the bare minimum; popularity was a crucial factor as well.

The second most important factor was the audience’s choice.

Only by climbing while maintaining a constantly full arena could you earn the right to challenge the champion.

*Players climbing the Tower of the War God must have bet on the side most advantageous to themselves, scraping their way up.*

If you held back your strength just to earn some pocket money from bets, Sansha would never acknowledge you.

And the audience didn’t want to see that either.

Yet almost every player—including myself—did not know about Sansha’s existence.

Of course, now I know.

And I know what needs to be done from here on.

“Emperor Penguin! Emperor Penguin!”

“Crush them again today!”

Amidst blazing heat, the stands were packed to capacity yet again.

Countless people had abandoned their day jobs to come running just to see the newly arrived Emperor Penguin.

But among the spectators, fifty were “plants” I had hired.

*Entertainment is also driven by herd mentality.*

If you use and manipulate that herd mentality, you can make the crowds even more feverish.

*

*

At the very top of the Tower of the War God—

The being who stood there.

The one called Champion, who had not allowed a single defeat in five years—an undefeated legend!

That man looked down from the tower.

“Champion, they say some interesting newcomers have appeared in the tower.”

The secretary attending him spoke, but the champion didn’t even answer.

He truly felt nothing in particular.

For more than a year, he had done nothing but temper himself without end.

Because he still had not met anyone strong enough to make him tremble.

No—there had been one time he almost met such a man.

*Wilhelm.*

That intense memory still refused to fade.

The rate at which that man ascended the tower had been astonishing.

How many times had he shivered in excitement watching Wilhelm’s matches?

Once he learned Wilhelm was climbing the tower, the champion had never missed a single one of his matches.

And when Wilhelm finally reached the top floor and was about to issue a challenge, the champion had literally jumped in joy.

At last—we’ll clash!

But Wilhelm’s challenge to him never came to pass.

*Because Sansha did not permit it.*

Sansha, the manager of the tower.

He had no intention of letting Wilhelm fight the champion.

And the champion could not hold a match that Sansha disapproved of—not of his own will.

Sansha had granted him a favor he could never repay in a lifetime.

But it was such a regret.

Not having fought that man back then.

Even now, one year later, that regret lingered so deeply it felt like it might become a lifelong regret.

*So he had not accepted a single challenge for the entire year.*

A form of protest toward Sansha.

After the match with Wilhelm was canceled, the champion had been burning with thirst.

He constantly trained, believing that someday they would meet.

He had prayed Wilhelm would climb the tower again.

But not long ago, he heard news during the Great Expedition—news of Wilhelm’s death.

And then he—

······ Ate the fallen star of Wilhelm.

At the same time, an enormous torrent of memories came crashing in, and the Champion was left in a state of utter confusion.

Ever since Wilhelm died and he consumed Wilhelm’s star, that confusion had reached its peak.

Because—

‘Who am I?’

 

 

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