At exactly noon, the first match of the day began.
Two climbers stepped into the arena, facing each other. The bell rang—and by 12:01 PM, it was over.
A complete massacre.
The crowd gasped.
The stadium had barely registered what had happened.
The defeated climber lay sprawled on the ground, while the victor stood calm, almost bored.
Even Rennik's eyes widened in awe. Ash stood frozen in shock.
The announcer's voice barely carried over the murmurs. "That… that was lightning-fast…"
Ash asked Dig,
"Is that strength normal?"
Dig answered calmly.
No.
He is an anomaly.
The next matches were not even close to the level of the first one. And then the 5th match started:
Rennik vs. Venara.
Rennik stepped forward, eyes narrowing as he sized up his opponent. The arena held its breath.
The bell rang.
And Rennik said.
"I surrender."
The words echoed through the arena.
A stunned silence fell over the crowd. The stands went still. Even the narrator faltered.
"Did I… hear that right?"
Ash blinked, incredulous.
"Wait… what?"
Venara laughed, as if she had always known.
The other spectators murmured, confused.
Rennik's gaze flicked toward Ash, his expression unreadable.
"Sorry. Nothing personal."
Ash's eyes narrowed.
"Wait—what do you mean? You helped us against them before…"
Rennik shrugged lightly.
"Yes, well… that was all part of the plan."
His voice was calm, almost businesslike.
"After I 'helped' you, after I scoped your abilities… I offered Garruk and his team a deal for a lot of money…"
"All I had to do was give up in this fight. Make you lose. Simple."
Ash's jaw tightened.
"You… you betrayed us?"
"Not betrayed," Rennik said, tilting his head slightly.
"Just… business."
"Why risk climbing a tower that no one has conquered, when I can live comfortably on Floor Two?"
"Statistically, it's one of the easiest floors. The weakest competitors. A few calculated moves, and I secure my position."
The crowd, the other climbers, stared in disbelief.
The arena felt heavier, like the air itself had been punched.
For a long moment, no one moved. Then the arena began to murmur again—shock, anger, disbelief.
Ash didn't react immediately.
He just stared at Rennik.
Silent.
"…Got it."
Ash clenched his fists, teeth grinding.
"I…I see how things are."
"I'll remember that."
Rennik smirked faintly, the calm predator in his eyes never wavering.
"Believe it. Or don't. It doesn't matter. I'm just… doing what makes sense."
Ash glanced at Vail, who had remained silent until now.
"But it doesn't matter…"
"…Right Vail?"
Vail's eyes gleamed. "Not at all, we just need to win…"
"…Sounds easy enough."
And with that, the 5th match ended.
Winner: Venara
© 2025 Moku. All rights reserved. The Tower of the Animal Kingdom is an original work by Moku. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution is prohibited.