The Academy Trainee's Nightmare
Kim Do-hyun.
A trainee from GZ Academy, the league's top team's second squad.
But it was hard to see him as just any trainee. He had pro-level skills and instincts on par with first-string players, plus innate mechanics that set him apart.
The reason he hadn't made the first team yet? GZ was just that stacked—a perennial championship contender. His competition was pulling eight-figure salaries.
Of course, plenty of teams had come calling. But most offers were for backup roles or sixth-man spots, not starters.
They didn't trust him fully.
Kim Do-hyun, the super-prospect.
No team wanted to gamble on a mere "prospect" like him when their defender line was already loaded with proven talent.
That's why he needed a tournament win this time around. To prove himself to the doubters once and for all.
And his first sacrifice? Team Saseong.
'A bunch of amateurs, right?'
Running into him in the qualifiers felt almost unfair.
Kim Do-hyun's team, Rising, wasn't stacked with each squad's absolute aces, but it was still a solid group of promising talents. They could suffocate any amateur squad without breaking a sweat.
Especially their sniper, Lee Seong-pil.
He was weak in team-oriented plays that demanded coordination and strategy, but his aim searching and reaction speed—pure mechanics—put him at the top among trainees.
Superior mechanics? It was the ultimate tool for "bullying the weak" against inferior opponents. Just pick them off before the team fight even starts.
Saseong, a team of amateurs, didn't stand a chance.
But why was this happening?
Lee Seong-pil lost.
In a sniper mirror match.
"What happened? How'd you lose?"
Kim Do-hyun, the team's in-game leader, asked calmly. It was shocking, but he didn't panic.
"I was waiting there first, and he still got me. His reaction speed is insane. Or was it a pre-shot?"
Pre-shot.
Predicting where the enemy might be and firing first—a technique for splitting angles in firefights.
"......Damn it, I'll reset. No team fight yet. Their sniper will support first."
"......"
Kim Do-hyun glanced at the clock. One minute until point activation.
But Lee Seong-pil's death in the mirror match had cost them 20 seconds of respawn time.
Of course, they could afford that much.
Even if Saseong grabbed the point first and set up defense, Rising could break through. The skill gap between Saseong and Rising was that clear.
But if he lost the mirror match again? That changed everything.
Without an overwhelming edge, a numbers disadvantage was fatal.
Especially on this map, Eternal Base, where snipers held massive sway.
'Gotta play the frontline more aggressively, just in case.'
Kim Do-hyun wasn't underestimating them, even if he saw them as light work. He respected their top-tier amateur skills.
"Push the frontline."
"We're outnumbered?"
"I'll cover it."
Turning numbers disadvantages in Overlant was tough.
But if a defender pumping attacker-level DPS shone up front?
Very possible.
"Go!"
With Kim Do-hyun's call, the main squad surged.
Soon, Saseong and Rising's mains clashed head-on. Predictably, the defenders engaged first.
The result was obvious: Saseong got pushed. The gap between Park Jong-su and Kim Do-hyun wasn't small.
But...
Bang!
The momentum shifted. Saseong's sniper opened fire.
Kim Do-hyun yelled desperately.
"Heals on me only—focus!"
"Already doing it!"
"He's landing every shot! I can't handle this!"
The defender's health plummeted. The Operator was infamous for its damage, and chain headshots made it impossible to tank.
'Damn it!'
Amid the bullet storm, Kim Do-hyun bit his lip and pushed harder, maxing his Force for a stubborn advance. That's what defenders did.
On the brink of death.
He shoved back Saseong's main.
The frontline skill gap was clear, and a charge defender overpowering a shield one in a slugfest was impossible otherwise.
Force shield control was a defender's lifeline. Kim Do-hyun wielded it like a first-string pro.
"Got 'em! Pushed back!"
"We're in!"
"Seong-pil, your turn!"
All eyes on Lee Seong-pil now that Rising held the point. Their jobs were done. Victory hinged on his mirror win.
However.
Bang!
Lee Seong-pil lost the mirror match again.
A mirror loss stung.
But he'd planned for variables.
Kim Do-hyun decided fast.
"Seong-pil, no more mirrors with their sniper. Just stall. We'll win on frontline this round."
"......Got it. I'll just deny his support."
Losing a mirror to an amateur bruised Lee Seong-pil's ego.
But forcing it risked the whole set. No choice.
Peeking.
FPS term for briefly exposing yourself from cover to check enemy positions.
With inferior mechanics, this was Lee Seong-pil's only way to tie up Saseong's sniper.
No matter how monstrous their reaction speed, you can't hit peekers. That'd be superhuman.
It bought time.
But then.
Saseong's sniper took to the heavens.
"Enemy sniper's out! Focus him!"
Rising didn't miss the opening. Their rifle attacker aimed.
Rat-tat-tat!
Bullets poured in. But in that instant, Saseong's sniper twisted mid-air.
Whoosh!
Shots grazed between his side and leg by a paper's width.
But some zeroed in on his head. No reverse dodge for those.
Or so it should have been.
Caster, commentators, viewers—all stunned.
"Insane, that possible?!"
"No way he—"
"What the......!!"
Rising's players' eyes bulged too.
And it didn't end there.
Having dodged and deflected every attack mid-air, Saseong's sniper pressed his scope to his eye.
And—
Pulled the trigger.
Bang!
"......!!"
That bullet perfectly pierced Lee Seong-pil's head as he peeked from cover to stall.
Skill beyond impressive—downright absurd.
Even hardcore Overlant fans who'd watched every pro event were seeing this for the first time.
"......What the hell is that guy?"
Kim Do-hyun, top prospect among trainees, was just as dumbfounded.
Beyond shock—lost for words.
Rising's line, centered on Kim Do-hyun, collapsed completely.
"Huh?"
Not a mental break.
Just disbelief.
'No, does that even make sense?'
Theoretically possible control.
But in practice?
Probably impossible.
Waiting for Lee Seong-pil's respawn wouldn't cut it. Frontline push like before? Sniper support too oppressive.
'Damn.'
Kim Do-hyun bit his lip. No good options. With such a massive attacker gap, losing was natural.
Overlant's nickname: Attacker X-game.
But the game wasn't over. Stay sharp till the end. A top prospect like him couldn't drop from prelims to one guy!
"Everyone, stay calm!"
His shout made teammates flinch.
"Frontline again. Seong-pil, tie up their sniper as best you can. All-in on frontline."
Best play now: frontline brawl.
Use main squad gap to offset sniper disparity.
That was Kim Do-hyun's plan.
But the sniper support far exceeded Kim Do-hyun's expectations.
"Insane headshots......!!"
"Just me? Picking me off?"
Perfect accuracy.
Unreal precision and poise—every shot downed an ally attacker or support.
In fleeting openings.
Even Kim Do-hyun's mentality cracked.
'What is this?'
In OCK Division 1, few pros hit shots like that. Not even Asia's title holders in China.
North America? Maybe, but doubtful.
Anyway.
One thing clear: No one had ever shown such dominant mechanics.
And.
Set 1: Rising lost.
Overwhelmingly, no contest.