Elijah's alarm ripped him from dreams of digital summits. Bleary-eyed, he sat up and let the Interface's prompt wash over him:
"Quest: Report to Team Obsidian Headquarters."
Stats flickered in his mind like a scoreboard—Focus 55, Stamina 20, Confidence Transcendent, Teamwork 71, Game Sense 1, Flow Mastery unlocked. The words felt both exhilarating and ominous. He was no longer the scrappy amateur champion; he was stepping into a pro organization with its own expectations and tensions.
Arrival at Obsidian HQ
By midday, Elijah and his small entourage—Kayzen "Voidpix" Meyers at his side—pulled up to Obsidian's sprawling facility. Sleek glass towers gleamed under a summer sky. Banners donned with the Obsidian logo—a black diamond shaped by crossed blades—flanked the entrance. As they entered, a receptionist handed Elijah a laminated badge: "Obsidian – Zero7 – AD Carry."
They rode an elevator to the penthouse training suite. The room buzzed with consoles, headsets, and a panoramic view of the city below. Three new teammates stood around a central table:
Raze "Pyrewisp" Liu, the fiery veteran support known for explosive utility plays and a sharp tongue. Axel "Ghostblade" Kostov, the stoic tank with a reputation for iron discipline and an inscrutable poker face. Nia "Sparkline" Ortiz, the hyper-aggressive duelist whose highlight reels drew millions of views.
Their coach, Marcel "Forge" Delacroix, a former pro with a silver streak through his hair, greeted them coolly. "Welcome to Obsidian, Zero7. We've watched your LAN victory. You have potential—but here, potential is only the start. This is where you forge excellence."
Elijah swallowed. The Interface chimed:
"Quest Progress: Obsidian HQ Check-In."
First Impressions
Forge guided them into an observation room overlooking three live training stations. "Warm up with Clarity Pulse drills," he ordered. Elijah nodded, heart thudding. As he powered on his rig, an internal reminder scrolled:
"New Quest Unlocked: Lead the Team Warm-Up."
He swallowed again. Leading pros was a far cry from coaching rookies. He took a deep breath, then initiated a drill: a precision headshot gauntlet with breathing cues. Over a speaker, Kayzen and Forge listened. After ten perfect headshots, Forge nodded. "Not bad. But tempo was off. Keep the rhythm tighter."
Elijah felt his Confidence inch downward, replaced by a spark of self-doubt. The Interface pinged:
"Quest Update: Warm-Up Leadership – 50%."
Cryptic Quests Emerge
During their first strategy huddle, Forge unveiled the plan for the upcoming International Obsidian Cup—a major LAN in Geneva. He mapped rotations on Obsidian's custom map, "Citadel's Shadow." As Elijah absorbed the tactics, the Interface flickered with a new, cryptic quest:
"Quest: Build Trust Under Pressure – Win a 3v3 Showmatch as Captain."
No stats, no rewards listed—just the task. Elijah blinked. Captain? He'd been a guiding squad leader before, but among pros, leadership carried weight. He looked to his teammates. Raze smirked: "You calling shots now, kid?" Ghostblade offered a curt nod. Sparkline bounced on her heels. "Show me what you got."
Elijah swallowed. He needed to build trust quickly—or risk being sidelined.
Clarity Pulse's Hidden Toll
That afternoon's practice was intense. In a 3v3 scrim against Obsidian's academy squad, Forge told Elijah, "You lead the rotations. Use Clarity Pulse to time your calls."
Elijah nodded and activated his ability. The world's flow slowed for three seconds, letting him spot flank angles and micro-adjust his teammates' positions. With razor focus, he directed Raze to flash a choke point, timed Ghostblade's pivot to mid, and signaled Sparkline's entry. Bomb down, win. The Interface reported:
"Showmatch Round 1 – Captained Victory. Clarity Pulse used: 3s."
But the pop-up vanished too quickly. Elijah staggered, lightheaded. His vision blurred. Forge's voice sounded distant: "Zero7, you okay?"
He blinked. Stamina dipped from 20 to 17. The Interface warned:
"Warning: Clarity Pulse Overuse – Temporary Focus Penalty."
Elijah rubbed his temples. Every superpower rose on a price. He needed to learn limits.
Earning Teammates' Respect
Over the next two scrimmage rounds, Elijah held back. When Ghostblade strayed from the plan, Elijah kept calm and offered a one-word callout: "Rotate." He muted the urge to solo carry. In the final round, Sparkline jumped mid without warning and fell. Elijah called timeout and calmly explained, "If you push mid smoke, I'll wrap site. Copy?" She nodded, opened comms. That round, they synchronized perfectly—score 4–1 Obsidian.
Afterward, Raze patted Elijah's shoulder. "Nice restraint, kid. You've got more game than flashbang spams." Sparkline grinned. Ghostblade cracked a tiny smile. Trust was growing. The Interface chimed:
"Quest Complete: Build Trust Under Pressure."
Reward: +1 Teamwork (72), +1 Confidence (Legendary).
Fractures Beneath the Surface
That evening, as the team debriefed on Citadel's Shadow, Forge laid down the gauntlet: "Tomorrow, we face the Southside Reapers. They're tournament favorites—sharp players and sharper trash-talkers." He posted the match schedule on the holo-board. Elijah's stomach knotted. The Interface pinged one final note for the day:
"Side-Quest: Resolve Team Conflict—Assist in a Constructive Feedback Session."
Forge wouldn't just coach; he expected players to coach each other. Elijah realized his next step was not more headshots, but guiding honest, respectful critique. That would test him more than any clutch.
As he packed his gear, Elijah felt the weight of Act II descending: to rise, he must break—break his pride, break his comfort, break the illusion that solo talent was enough. In the Obsidian Forge, he would learn to bend and shape, or be shattered.