Elijah's alarm blared at dawn, pulling him from dreams of pixelated battlegrounds into the hush before the arena doors opened. Yesterday's ping had unlocked the in-person LAN quest:
"Register and complete your first LAN match."
He rubbed his eyes, traced the quest on the Interface hovering beside his bed: Focus 8, Stamina 1, Confidence 10, Teamwork 10. Game Sense and Flow still locked. But this was real—no respawns, no resets. He swung out of bed, heart pounding with anticipation.
Breakfast felt surreal: his parents tiptoed around his nerves, offering quiet smiles and coffee refills. Tanner, ever the coach, slipped him a sticky note: "Remember to breathe. You've got skill and heart." Elijah tucked it into his pocket before rushing out.
The venue—a hulking warehouse near the city's edge—hummed with activity. Inside, fifteen teams filed in, plugging in PCs, testing headsets, and adjusting jerseys. Sponsor banners for Zenith Gaming and Red Circuit glowed under floodlights. The air smelled of hot electronics and possibility. Elijah stamped his name on the roster, collected a wristband, and found Kayzen and Ghostkit at Booth 7.
"Ready?" Ghostkit asked, voice low.
Elijah nodded, swallowing hard. "Let's do this."
A booming announcement echoed through the hall: "StrikeLine 3 LAN Qualifier begins now!" Overhead screens lit up with the bracket chart—eight teams in a double-elimination format. First round opponents: Frostbite Syndicate, an established squad with icy strategies and three live-stage veterans.
Their PCs hummed. Monitors flipped to match lobby. The system delivered another quest update:
"Quest: Win Round 1 of Match 1."
Elijah glanced at his HUD: Focus 8, Stamina 1, Confidence 10, Teamwork 10. He swallowed. "Remember our flow drills," he reminded his teammates. "Stay synchronized."
Round 1 (BO1): Frostbite started on defense. The countdown hit zero and the map unfolded: Ravenfall's neon arches bathed them in unnatural twilight. Kayzen's smoke sealed mid-tower. Ghostkit held waterfall chokepoint. Elijah anchored plaza, watching for flanks.
A Frostbite sniper peeked the mid-arch. Elijah tracked the scope glint and landed a headshot. Two seconds later, Ghostkit rushed through the smoke, blasting the last defender. Bomb down in 45 seconds. They held angles as the timer ticked—Victory.
Quest updated: "Round 1 Won – Unlock: +1 Confidence, +1 Teamwork." Confidence maxed at 10 (no change); Teamwork glowed at 11.
Elijah exhaled. "One down. Breathe."
Round 2: Frostbite swapped sides, speeding toward B-site. At 0:15, Kayzen's tactical flash blinded the entry, but a stray smoke left a gap. Ghostkit fell, and Floodlight rushed through—plant under ten seconds. Elijah fell trying to retake. They lost 4–6.
Stamina hit 0. The system pinged: "Recover: Use Focus Potion (in-game buff) to gain +2 Focus." Elijah activated the potion in his inventory. His Focus rose from 8 to 10.
Quest: Win Round 2 to advance to Winner's Bracket.
His pulse raced: double-elimination meant this round was life or death for Winner's path.
Round 3: The battle resumed under fluorescent pings. With Focus at 10, Elijah's reactions clicked. He read Frostbite's economy, predicted a B-rush, and signaled Kayzen. They executed a perfect crossfire, Ghostkit at waterfall, Kayzen behind catwalk, Elijah spraying from plaza. Two quick kills, bomb dropped. They planted and held through a last-second defuse attempt—Victory.
Quest Complete: Match 1 Won – Advance to Winners' Bracket Round 2. Teamwork jumped to 12.
Relief washed over Elijah. "Winners' side," he whispered, as the bracket screen flipped.
Their next opponent: Neon Specters, the squad that had banished them in the online qualifier's deciding round. Ghostkit clenched his jaw. "We pay back tonight."
A fifteen-minute break loomed. Kayzen and Elijah retreated to their station; Ghostkit pored over Specters' VOD on a borrowed tablet. The system issued a side-quest:
"Analyze Opponent Playstyle – Win Next Match."
Elijah grabbed his notepad. They sketched Specters' favored rotations—two-man mid stack, one lurk on B-bridge. They rehearsed counter-strats: bait mid with Kayzen, Ghostkit lurk on waterfall, Elijah entry from spawn.
Winners' Bracket Round 2 vs Neon Specters (BO1):
Round 1: Specters defied expectation—stacked A and won 6–4.
Round 2: Nightfall struck back—Coordinated Strike triggered at 0:03, buffing their entry. Bomb planted under pressure. Victory 6–5.
Suddenly, the final round began. Stamina still at 0, Elijah leaned on Focus Potion's tailwind. Specters pushed B aggressively. Elijah flicked a perfect shoulder peek and downed their lurker. Kayzen dropped stuns; Ghostkit cleaned up. Plant, hold, 6–2—Nightfall emerged 2–1.
Their monitors flashed: "Winner's Bracket Semifinal – Pending. Side-quest Complete: Analyze Opponent." Confidence remained sky-high; Teamwork glowed at 13.
They exchanged rare smiles. For the first time, they felt they belonged under these stadium lights.
But double elimination promised one more trial before the semifinals: the Quarterfinal against Code Vipers, a roster known for unpredictable emergency retakes. Their match was in fifteen minutes. Elijah straightened his posture. He glanced at the system:
"New Quest: Maintain Zero Friendly Fire during next match."
He exhaled. No mistakes.
As the arena's LED panels dimmed for setup, he whispered to his teammates: "No misfires. Stick to calls. We've earned this."
Monitors blinked green. Code Vipers hustled in.
Quarterfinal vs Code Vipers (BO3 format starts):
Game 1 (Tower Ruins): Smooth 6–2 win, thanks to mid-push strat. Game 2 (Ravenfall): A chaotic 6–5 loss after a miscommunicated revive—costly friendly fire ping distracted Ghostkit—Friendly Fire count: 1.
Elijah's heart sank: they'd failed the side-quest. The system dinged: "Friendly Fire +1. Side-quest Failed." No stat penalties, but quest removed.
Game 3 (Tie-breaker Ravenfall):
They reset. Elijah muted all non-essential pings. Calm voice, precise calls. Mid-tower rush, Ghostkit's shotgun, Kayzen's flanks—6–4 victory.
They advanced to the Winners' Semifinal. Teamwork rose to 14; Confidence held at 10.
The buzzer sounded: "Nightfall Trio to Winners' Semifinal Stage!" Rapturous applause spilled from the spectator stands. Under roaring lights, Elijah felt adrenaline surge through every wired connection in his rig.
He leaned into the mic: "We're just getting started."
On the bracket, the semis loomed—a battle for a Grand Final berth. The system queued a final note:
"Quest: Survive Winners' Semifinal to reach Grand Final."
Elijah wiped sweat from his brow. Twice, they'd clawed through adversity. Tonight, under real lights, they'd prove their practice meant more than drills. They were contenders now.
And as the next match countdown began, he tightened his grip on the mouse, heart synced to the LED pulse of the arena: Nightfall Trio was ready for its brightest challenge yet.