Elijah awoke to the shriek of his alarm and the weight of today's promise: "Quest: Ascend to Top 4 in Open League." His self-formed challenge pulsed brighter than any Interface prompt. Focus 98, Stamina 8, Confidence Iconic, Teamwork 100—his own manifesto guided him now. Outside, the Cologne skyline gleamed under a warm spring sun, urging him forward.
Morning Strategy Huddle
By 9:00 AM, Phoenix Vanguard assembled in the Obsidian bootcamp room. Chalkboard scrawled their path: finish group stage undefeated, then win quarterfinals. Elijah tapped his marker and traced the climb:
Group Stage Matches: 2 wins required Quarterfinal: Best-of-Three against Arcane Aces Secure Top 4 Finish
He assigned roles for the day's practice:
EchoPulse to refine drone sightlines on Tower Ruins WaveRider to perfect tri-smoke B-site funnel on Citadel's Shadow GearShift to rehearse non-lethal stun grenades for mid-spire holds LowPoly to tweak the Catalyst Pulse overlay with a cooldown timer Elijah to time kill-to-buff sequences and call mental resets when needed
They poured over VODs of the group's upcoming opponents: Neon Syndicate and Crimson Cartel, each threatening in their own way. Elijah's voice rang clear: "We'll bring our hybrid flame—first blood plus buff, no hesitation. Let's test it thrice in custom drills before match one."
Drill to Perfection
The squad entered Citadel's Shadow in custom mode for intensive cycles:
Cycle 1: Breach entry—Elijah secured the first kill, called "Catalyst!" WaveRider's utility flickered, but echoed 0.3 seconds late.
Cycle 2: Mental reset at 0:30, micro-breathe drill—kill-buff synced under 0.2 seconds.
Cycle 3: GearShift timed stun grenades to coincide with Catalyst call.
Cycle 4–7: Rhythm locked; drones pinged mid-spire before buff.
Cycle 8–10: Perfect runs—Elijah chalked ten Catalyst kills in ten loops, nearly filling his new self-quest tally.
When the drill panel displayed "Synchronization Mastered," the team cheered. Elijah felt his Confidence flicker upward by an internal glow. Stamina held steady at 8.
Group Stage Match 1: Neon Syndicate
By noon, their first Open League match loaded on Ravenfall. Neon Syndicate was aggressive, swinging early, overextending for first blood. Elijah couldn't let that fool him.
Round 1: Neon rushed mid-catwalk. Elijah held his angle, landed the entry kill at 0:18—Catalyst Kill #21. "Catalyst!" he called. WaveRider's flash delayed two entries; EchoPulse's drone ping tracked a third flanker. Bomb down, retake secured 6–3.
Round 2: Syndicate counter-pushed B-tunnel with silent smokes. Elijah faked the buff call, then executed a reverse-smoke retake—Catalyst Kill #22 with a body-block grenade. Win 6–4.
Round 3: They dropped Round 3, 3–6, after a misread mid-split. Fatigue flickered in Elijah's hands. He paused, breathed, keyed a mental reset. His focus returned.
Rounds 4–7: Phoenix regained form—micro-buffs, revives under fire, perfect bait and rotate. They closed the map 6–4. Elijah tallied 18 Catalyst kills so far. Neon Syndicate routed; they celebrated quietly, eyes already forward.
Afternoon Scrim: Crimson Cartel Preview
With one group win secured, they scrimmed Crimson Cartel, a trap-heavy squad. Seven rounds tested their adaptability:
Rounds 1–2: Crimson's grid-molotov forced staggered rotations; Phoenix lost 2–4. Mid Scrim Timeout: Elijah led a five-breath reset, guiding the team through a mental reset side-quest without the Interface. Rounds 3–7: Flow regained—two dual Pulse entries, three flawless revive runs, and a last-second smokescreen retake. Phoenix won 6–4.
Elijah's Catalyst Kill count climbed to 25—overachieving against his 20-kill goal. They felt unstoppable heading into the final group match.
Group Stage Match 2: Crimson Cartel
Evening settled over the Cologne arena as Crimson Cartel took their seats:
Round 1: Elijah denied an A-push, downing the bomb carrier on sight—Catalyst Kill #26. "Catalyst!" The team surfed the micro-buff into a clean 6–2 win.
Rounds 2–5: Cartel baited and faked relentlessly, but Phoenix's hybrid synergy held firm. At 4–2, Elijah triggered his self-quest's mental reset one last time before the final round. With four Catalyst kills and revives under fire, they clinched the map 6–3.
Phoenix Vanguard finished the group stage undefeated, securing a bye into the quarterfinals. Their online standings flashed "Group A: 1st Place — Bye."
Quarterfinal Warm-Up: Arcane Aces
Quarterfinals against Arcane Aces awaited in two days. Obsidian's bootcamp room hummed with post-match energy:
EchoPulse dissected Aces' most lethal VOD plays. WaveRider sketched custom smokes for their new meta rotations. GearShift tested flash-grenade combinations on site perimeters. LowPoly polished the Catalyst overlay with dynamic cooldown bars. Elijah updated his personal tracker: Catalyst Kills 26/20 (complete), Buff Triggers 26/20 (complete), new quest: "Top 4 Achieved — New Goal Unlocked."
He added a final entry to his manifesto: "Hybrid Catalyst perfected; next, break into the semi-finals." As the evening lights dimmed, Elijah felt the burn of exertion mixed with exhilaration—Act II's climb had brought him here, on the cusp of true pro-league ascent.