The Tower buzzed with a newfound energy.
Kael stood on the Crucible launch deck, arms crossed, his cloak fluttering as he watched other Guardians gather. The air carried a scent of metal, ozone, and a promise of adrenaline. The banners of Lord Shaxx's faction snapped high above the crowd, red and white, bold as war drums.
"Well," Ghost piped up, floating beside him, optics blinking rapidly. "Welcome to the most aggressive job interview in the system."
Kael chuckled. "No pressure, right?"
"None at all," Ghost replied. "You're only going to be broadcast to the entire Tower."
The Crucible Champion Trials had returned with renewed vigor. Lord Shaxx, towering and ever intense, called to the new recruits, his voice booming through the comms like a strike of thunder.
> "Guardians! Show me your spark! Show me your fury! The Crucible is where steel sharpens steel and light burns brightest!"
Kael rolled his shoulders. His newly printed Crucible gear shimmered with silver accents. He flexed his fingers, feeling the hum of energy through his Solar subclass. A surge of warmth traveled up his spine as his Solar affinity flared, igniting his senses.
[System Update: Crucible Trials - Entry Match Scheduled]
> Match Type: Clash Map: Endless Vale Objectives: Secure Highest K/D Ratio or Playmaker Highlights (Bonus Lumens) Bonus Goal: Style Points (Top 3% get Reputation Multiplier)
[REWARD ON WIN: +10,000 Lumens per Match | XP + Reputation Bonus | Gacha Token Fragment (1/3)]
Kael cracked his neck. "Let's get violent."
---
ROUND ONE
The drop into Endless Vale hit like a wave. Kael landed with his team, crouched in the red-flushed shadows of winding metallic corridors.
The enemy team appeared on the other side of the map—a Warlock blinking into position, a Titan with an Arc barrier, and a Hunter with smoke grenades already deployed. These weren't rookies.
"I'll take left. You funnel center," Kael said.
Ghost gave a chirp of affirmation. "Watch for that Warlock. His Nova Bomb is fully charged."
They moved.
Kael vanished into a Shadowstep, his cloak blurring as he zipped through enemy radar lines. He reappeared mid-air and hurled a Tripmine grenade into a corner—ping!
BOOM.
Two red skulls lit the kill feed.
He followed with a slide-shotgun kill, vaulting into a mid-air precision shot using The Last Word, his trusted exotic revolver from the gacha pull days earlier.
> TRIPLE KILL. [Playmaker Activated]
The arena roared with the crowd watching through Tower monitors.
Halfway through the match, Ghost chimed in.
"You're being flanked. Suggest a weapon switch."
"Options?"
> [Inventory Scan: Active] Quest Rewards: Night Watch (Scout Rifle), Retold Tale (Shotgun) Engrams: 1 Rare, 2 Legendary
"Decrypting Legendary Engram now," Ghost added.
> [Decryption Result] Gnawing Hunger (Auto Rifle) — Legendary, Void, High-RPM — Acquired from Vanguard Reputation Reward
Kael smirked. "Load it."
The sleek auto rifle formed in his hands with a click of Light and code.
With it, he cut down two Guardians mid-sprint.
By the end of the match, Kael stood at the top of the scoreboard.
> 27 Eliminations | 3 Deaths | 4 Assists
[You Have Acquired: 1x Gacha Token Fragment | +10,000 Lumens | Crucible Reputation +++ | Shaxx Affinity +1]
Lord Shaxx's voice thundered in his earpiece.
> "A performance worthy of legend! Come find me when you're ready to truly bleed for glory."
Kael grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."
---
ROUND TWO - SURVIVAL (EDZ)
Fog blanketed the broken architecture of the EDZ. Abandoned spires rose like ghosts from old-world skeletons, and the scent of moss and dust clung to the battlefield.
Kael landed softly behind cover, heart pounding, eyes scanning through the shimmer of the broken chapel arch.
His teammates were down. Two eliminations behind. The next loss would end the match.
Ghost pulsed at his shoulder. "You're outgunned. You need range. Suggest switching from The Last Word."
"What's in the box?"
> [System Inventory: Access Granted] Weapons Available:
Night Watch (Scout Rifle – Quest Reward)
Gnawing Hunger (Auto Rifle – Legendary Engram Decrypted)
Retold Tale (Shotgun – Acquired from Crucible Match Loot Drop)
"Night Watch. Load it."
The scout rifle manifested with a hiss of void-tinged particles.
Kael stepped into the open, clipped two bursts downrange, and nailed a headshot on a Titan peeking too early.
> PRECISION KILL
He rolled forward, slid under a Pulse Grenade, and dropped the Warlock with a melee uppercut.
> DOUBLE PLAY
One left. And Kael's Super meter pulsed.
"Ready to burn," Ghost intoned.
Kael leapt off a second-story window ledge, golden light sparking from his form. His cloak flared as he conjured three radiant shots of Golden Gun.
> One. Two. Three.
The last Guardian dropped before they could blink.
> TRIPLE KILL. SURVIVAL VICTORY.
[Match Stats: 18 Eliminations | 4 Deaths | 5 Assists]
[Rewards Gained:]
> Gacha Token Fragment (2/3)
Crucible Style Points (Tier 1 Achieved)
+15,000 Lumens
Legendary Armor Drop: Crucible Mark IV Chestplate (Strength + Mobility Focused)
Ghost pinged a notification.
> "Crucible Champion Protocol tracking progress: 2 Matches Complete. Performance: Exceptional."
Kael let out a breath. "Starting to feel like a real Guardian."
"Or a really fancy war criminal," Ghost quipped.
From his comms, Shaxx's booming voice cut in.
> "That's the kind of Light that could shame a Red Legion fleet! Guardian, the Crucible sees you!"
Kael smirked. He looked down at the new chestplate folded neatly in his inventory, its metallic crimson edge catching the ambient glow.
Another ping.
> [System Note: Two Legendary Engrams Secured – Decryption Pending at Cryptarch]
He slung the scout rifle across his back and turned toward the looming Tower in the distance.
The Crucible wasn't just a proving ground. It was becoming his stage.
---
ROUND THREE – ELIMINATION (Bannerfall)
Rain spattered against the marble walls of the broken City district. Bannerfall stood as a silent monument—where alliances were once forged, and legends had bled for purpose.
Now, it was Kael's turn.
The Elimination round had drawn Tower attention. Guardians in the Tower lounge and hangars paused to watch the feed. The Crucible Champion Trials were known to spotlight rising stars—and Kael had already begun to earn whispers.
Ghost rotated beside him, voice low. "This team's good. Better than the last two. Their leader's flagged as a Crucible veteran."
Kael rolled his shoulders. "Then I guess we don't miss."
> [System Notice: Gacha Token Fragment – FINAL MATCH]
Objective: Victory in Elimination | Bonus Objective: 1v3 Clutch Kill Reward: Full Token + Bonus Reputation Bundle
[Inventory Update:]
Primary: Night Watch (Scoped)
Secondary: Retold Tale (Shotgun)
Heavy: None equipped
Armor: Crucible Mark IV Chestplate (Active)
Ghost buzzed. "Decryption complete on one of the Legendary Engrams."
> [Item Unlocked – "Iron Reprisal Greaves"]
Type: Titan Leg Armor (Legendary) – Balanced stats, reinforced plating
Origin: Iron Banner Cache (Pre-Reset Drop)
Kael smirked. "Didn't expect to dress like a walking tank."
"Shaxx says: 'Intimidation is armor.'"
---
MATCH START
The firefight exploded in a flash of grenades and blink-strikes. Kael's team coordinated a strong push until a sniper peeled one off. Another fell to an Arc Blade.
Kael was last alive.
"Eyes up," Ghost warned. "You can't outpace them. You'll have to outplay them."
Kael ducked into a ruined corridor, threw a Tripmine, and baited them. The first Guardian walked into the blast.
> DOUBLE KILL. HEADSHOT.
Kael emerged from the smoke, cloak flickering, as he launched into the final enemy. His Retold Tale bucked once—then twice. The third Guardian collapsed.
> TRIPLE ELIMINATION. ROUND WIN.
"Holy Light," Ghost whispered.
---
VICTORY
Kael's team rallied. The second and third rounds tipped in their favor. His final shot was a high-angle airborne strike, Super-charged Solar precision.
Shaxx's voice nearly cracked over the Tower comms.
> "That is GLORY! That is POWER! Guardian, you are the fire that burns the Crucible itself!"
---
> [System Notice: Quest Complete – Crucible Champion Phase I]
Gacha Token: Assembled (3/3 Fragments)
Bonus Unlocked: +20,000 Lumens | Crucible Champion Title (Pending Activation)
Shaxx Affinity: High | Style Ranking: 3rd Tower-wide
Additional Drop: Legendary Shader – Dying Ember
---
Kael sat at the match's end zone, watching the flames of his Super flicker down.
Ghost floated beside him. "You've made the front page."
"Guess that means I've earned a breather."
"Nope. Incoming invitation from Amanda Holliday."
Kael blinked.
> [New Thread – Sparrow Racing League Initiation]
Message: "Heard you're quick with a trigger. Let's see how you do with a throttle. Meet me at the SRL gate." – Amanda
Kael chuckled. "She doesn't waste time."
Ghost chirped. "Neither do you."
Kael stood, tossing his cloak over one shoulder. The Crucible had seen him. The track would know him next.
---
To Be Continued - Chapter 19 – Engines of Glory
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