Chapter 13: The Trident’s Triumph

“Great. We’ve got quite the crowd,” the PC café owner said with a satisfied nod.

The Eternal Battle Tournament, hosted by a prominent gaming gear company, was finally happening.

Initially, there had been concerns about participant numbers,

but those fears seemed unfounded as the venue teemed with people players and fans alike,

all eager to either compete or spectate.

Even before it began, there was an air of excitement.

If this tournament could create buzz for its gameplay, it would be a huge success.

Unlike the usual amateur events, today’s competition aimed to stand out.

A professional tournament commentator had been invited to enhance the experience.

While it wasn’t a first-tier professional league, it was close enough to draw significant attention.

“Tell the participants to log in and get ready,” the owner instructed a nearby employee.

“Yes, sir!”

The café was hosting a bold event, with a total prize pool of 3 million won.

Across the room, players were setting up their computers,

while the event’s commentators introduced themselves over the broadcast system.

The setup seemed deliberate: two of the commentators carried an air of professionalism,

while the third appeared to be a well-known streamer.

The mix felt balanced and engaging.

They began by discussing the sponsors, the café’s contributions, and the substantial prize money.

It wasn’t particularly riveting for the audience, but it set the tone for the competition.

Finally, they transitioned to the actual gameplay rules.

Unlike casual play, today’s matches would take place on a tournament server.

This specialized environment was designed for competitive play,

emphasizing speed and combat while minimizing random elements.

Battle royale games are typically less suited for eSports due to their reliance on luck and the overwhelming number of participants.

In contrast, Eternal Battle had overcome these challenges with a refined observer system and a streamlined tournament mode.

The result? A game that wasn’t just fun to play but also thrilling to watch.

The tournament server sped up gameplay significantly,

eliminating survival downtime and focusing on action-packed combat sequences.

For someone used to the regular servers, adapting to this rapid pace could be overwhelming.

As someone who’d never played on a tournament server, I was at a slight disadvantage.

It wasn’t a common experience unless you were a pro.

Sure, it could’ve been fun to test it out in custom games, but without ranked incentives, why bother?

“Please join the designated room! And don’t leak the password to anyone!”

an employee shouted as they scurried around the café, ensuring everything ran smoothly.

The atmosphere buzzed with energy as the tournament’s start drew closer.

Managing a tournament with 66 participants couldn’t be easy.

But that wasn’t my concern.

My only focus was my performance.

By 12:15, it seemed like the games were finally about to start.

As I slipped on my headset, the outside noise faded completely,

replaced by the clear voice of the referee.

“We’ll begin in one minute. ”

“Please remember, any form of cheating will result in immediate disqualification and permanent banning from all future tournaments.”

Permanent ban, huh? That was a serious warning.

But given the game’s reputation for handling cheaters effectively, it wasn’t surprising.

For Eternal Battle, cheating had always been a near non-issue.

The developers had an impressive track record of combating hacks in previous versions.

If there were cheating concerns,

it would likely involve looking at other players’ screens or overhearing commentary though those could be hard to prove.

Still, none of that mattered.

Anyone capable of beating me in this tournament would likely be a pro aspirant,

and no serious contender would risk a lifetime ban for a small-time café event.

“Aah.”

Lost in thought, I barely noticed when the game began.

All 66 participants were transported to the lobby.

I immediately opened the map to analyze the terrain.

The location: Red Wasteland.

Weather conditions: Strong winds, with little else to note.

Time: Night an important factor to keep in mind.

Overall, it was a decent setup, even favorable.

Now came the decision of where to drop.

Without hesitation, I chose the center where the action would be most intense.

The strategy for today? Simple: Domination.

“Let’s do this.”

I opened my eyes to find my character already transported to the designated location.

Without wasting a second, I got up and began searching for my primary weapon.

Normally, I adapted my strategy to match the first weapon I found.

It was the most efficient way to win. But today wasn’t just about winning.

It was about making an impact leaving an indelible impression.

Not as “Bae Gaeul, the person,” but as the relentless Eternal Battle player known as Jjamppong Enthusiast.

To maintain my anonymity,

I’d gone the extra mile with a black cap and mask, fully concealing my identity.

As I explored, I found a secondary weapon first.

It was functional but limited, with no skills or levels attached and a finite number of uses before vanishing. Just a backup.

Then, I spotted it: a Kar98k.

No one could deny its value it was versatile, reliable, and ideal for this map.

The Red Wasteland, as its name suggested, was sparse on cover, making it perfect for long-range combat.

By all accounts, picking it up was the obvious choice.

I bypassed the Kar98k without a second thought,

even though it was the kind of weapon that could guarantee solid performance in any game.

Before moving on, I made sure to thoroughly destroy it so no one else could use it.

It just didn’t fit the concept I had in mind for today.

Instead, I selected a different weapon.

“Oh.”

This was it the weapon I had been hoping for!

Excitement surged as I picked it up, twirling it in my hands with a sense of elation.

Then, as if on cue, an enemy emerged from behind a nearby boulder.

Perfect timing to test my new toy.

My opponent hesitated for a moment, then pulled out their weapon: a modern riot shield.

Seriously? A riot shield right at the start? That was some incredible luck.

Among melee weapons, shields were the only ones considered equal to or better than ranged weapons.

Their natural resistance to ranged attacks gave them an edge.

Sure, shields lacked damage output and had limited killing power,

but in Eternal Battle, survival often outweighed the need to eliminate opponents.

For that reason alone, shields were hailed as overpowered.

This reputation hadn’t endeared them to casual players,

who often mocked shield users with derogatory nicknames.

One of the more popular insults combined “shield” and “cockroach,” dubbing them Shieldroach.

But forget their shield just look at my weapon.

And look at the utter disbelief on my opponent’s face.

Their expression practically screamed: “Are you seriously using that garbage?”

Yes, my chosen weapon was infamous in Eternal Battle for being one of the worst.

A trident.

Its reputation was terrible, to say the least.

Unlike shields, which inherently countered ranged attacks, tridents had zero ranged defense.

And unlike two-handed swords, they didn’t even dominate in close-quarters combat.

To most players, tridents were nothing more than a flashy joke a Poseidon cosplay prop.

Players often pretended they couldn’t see them, lamenting a lack of weapons even when a trident lay right in front of them.

But today, this “garbage” was going to be my weapon of choice the tool I’d use to obliterate my enemies and grab everyone’s attention.

Who knew? Maybe even now, just a minute into the game,

the commentators were already buzzing with excitement about the lunatic wielding a trident.

I couldn’t waste this opportunity.

With no hesitation, I charged at my opponent.

In the tournament server, early-game fights weren’t uncommon.

Since looting and hunting offered reduced rewards,

combat had been rebalanced to provide massive experience gains.

Taking out an opponent early could significantly boost your stats.

My enemy raised their shield in a panic, but their sluggish movements weren’t fast enough to stop me.

I sprang into the air, vaulting over them, then landed behind them.

Before they could turn, I crouched low, swept their legs out from under them, and drove the trident into their chest.

Instead of blood, clear water flowed from the wound, rising along the trident and absorbing into it.

After ensuring the enemy was finished, a chime echoed in my headset,

accompanied by a notification on my watch.

[First Kill Achieved]

One down.