Clutch Monster: Siwoo's Rampage
“Nice—!”
“Whoa, how the hell did he pull that off...!!”
Coach Shin Seung-hyun and coach Kim Hee-tae shot up from their seats in the strategy analysis room.
Lee Siwoo's play was the kind that demanded a standing ovation.
And for good reason—Kim Hyun-soo was a veteran pro gamer from EG who'd buried countless rookies in their graves.
He wasn't one of the league's four great attackers, but he played the gatekeeper role right below them, even inspiring a thing called the "Kim Hyun-soo ordeal"—a brutal rite of passage for newbies. Could they even survive against Kim Hyun-soo?
Versatile with no glaring weaknesses, Kim Hyun-soo was the hottest commodity in the pro scene right now. Truth be told, Shin Seung-hyun had been most worried about this matchup.
What if Siwoo crumbles here?
He didn't doubt his own eyes, but he couldn't underestimate Kim Hyun-soo's skill either. At just 22, the guy had been steadily climbing for three straight years.
But Siwoo had aced the test.
He'd crushed it so perfectly that any lingering doubts felt ridiculous now.
“This is insane, right? Cutting off their attacker in a 2v1 like that...”
“Told you my eyes don't lie. Think he'd be pulling eight figures in North America for nothing?”
Shin Seung-hyun chuckled.
Truth be told, he'd felt a twinge of unease himself, but he wasn't about to show it—not when it came to pride. Especially not to a coach who'd been like a little brother to him for years.
“But it's not over yet.”
“Yeah, they've still got their defender left.”
Shin Seung-hyun and Kim Hee-tae turned back to the broadcast screen. Siwoo was still dueling EG's defender, Lee Jung-san.
> Lone survivor Lee Jung-san activates boosters and charges in for the finish!
> But he launches a grapple hook right away! Is he escaping?!
> No—hook shot! Siwoo blows Lee Jung-san's head off with a Force Enhancement round!
> Unreal play! Siwoo wins the 2v1 solo!
The next play was just as absurd.
He effortlessly dodged the defender charging in on boosters with a grapple hook, then floated in the air, controlling a Force Enhancement shot to take his head clean off.
“Haha...”
Shin Seung-hyun burst out laughing. That brazen control was beyond comprehension. He'd known Siwoo would do well, but not this well.
If the others can just get their form up... Worlds might actually be in reach.
Kaiserst might just pull off something massive this season.
The game was in full swing.
But with their flanking squad wiped out by Siwoo alone, the momentum swung hard toward Kaiserst. They leveraged their numbers advantage to push the main enemy force and claim first pick on the objective.
At the center of it all.
What the hell?
EG's attacker, Kim Hyun-soo, pondered deeply while waiting to respawn.
How is that kind of play even possible?
He couldn't wrap his head around Siwoo's mechanics.
In old PC games where AI handled everything after input, sure—but in VRMMO games like this, that level of control was no joke.
It was a game, yes, but full virtual reality. Mastering avatar control demanded top-tier athleticism and senses, since you had to move your actual body.
Even pros with eight-figure salaries had limits on their control. Visualizing in your head and executing physically were worlds apart.
But Siwoo looked utterly free.
As if virtual reality was real life.
Force Enhancement landed perfectly where it needed to, backed by seamless body control and judgment.
That's how he pulls off those reads and plays.
Faith in himself.
Siwoo had belief like no other.
The kind that said nothing was impossible.
...Unbelievable.
Kim Hyun-soo let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.
He wasn't the world's absolute best, but he'd made a name for himself domestically. Not quite one of the four great attackers, but the gatekeeper right below them.
And he'd been utterly shut down. No—played like a fiddle by Siwoo. He'd walked right into it.
A monster's arrived.
Having come this far himself, Kim Hyun-soo knew it for sure.
Lee Siwoo was a monster.
A monster come to shatter OCK's ecosystem.
> Kaiserst secures the point and shifts to defense! Park Chan-seong raises his shield?
> EG shakes Kaiserst desperately for an opening!
> Not easy! Whoa—sudden mistake from Park Chan-seong?!
> Perfect read! Park Chan-seong lets Kim Hyun-soo slip through! Assassination attackers are slippery to catch!
Kaiserst had won the first skirmish, with Siwoo slicing their defender and attacker to secure massive objective and positioning gains.
But...
The raw skill gap at defender was impossible to ignore—especially mid-defense, where it loomed even larger. Park Chan-seong's mistakes kept piling up.
And yet.
> Ahh, Siwoo headshot! Rear support is brutal—one hit and you're dead!
> Textbook sniper play! Who is this guy?! He's sweeping his debut match!
> Right on cue—Siwoo cuts down Kim Hyun-soo! EG has no answer!
> To cut Siwoo, they'd have to push past the main squad—but Kim Ho-jong won't let them!
> Veteran instincts?! Kim Ho-jong blocks every path to Siwoo!
Siwoo's heroics nullified Park Chan-seong's errors. With overwhelming accuracy from behind, any gaps in the defense were meaningless.
And with Kim Ho-jong sealing off paths too, EG had nothing.
And the stats were absurd too.
100% headshot rate. DPS: 4,251.
One hit meant instant death for attackers, supports, or healers.
It was an unfair fight by design.
> Point activated! But EG still can't find an in!
> They have respawn timers too! Next chance for a final push?
> They have to! Unfavorable odds, but sitting idle won't create opportunities!
Soon, the point activated.
EG respawned in full force for one last challenge, but...
> EG dives in led by Lee Jung-san! But Kim Ho-jong is a wall! Suppressive fire keeps attackers out!
> Spot-on support from Lee Soo-hyuk and Kim Yong-taek too! First time syncing up and it looks this good?!
Breaking a positioned Kaiserst was no easy task.
> They clash hard, but no traction! Siwoo's rear support cleans house!
> What is this sniper?! No counterplay—chase him and it's pointless, ignore him and you're done!
> Overwhelming! Siwoo delivers a dominant debut! National-level sniper!
> SIUUUUUU! The team staff's hype was spot on!
Eventually, EG's squad got wiped.
> Point captured! Time's running low? EG's all respawning!
> Ahh, does this mean they drop set 1?! Can't stop the Siwoo disaster!
> Kaiserst holds the point as time ticks down! 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! It's over!
> GG!
> GG!
The game ended.
The chat scrolled at breakneck speed.
Viewers were split between awe and shock.
Unlike the old days, OCK wasn't rookie-friendly anymore. The meta had solidified, vets dominated.
Even overseas leagues were the same. Scouting new talent was like chasing stars, debuts rarer than ever.
But Siwoo had shattered that notion.
A monster named Lee Siwoo.
> Kaiserst takes set 1 with flawless execution! Back for set 2 shortly!
Overlant Championship Park.
A massive wave of cheers erupted from the 30,000-strong crowd.
Tens of thousands of voices merged into a seismic wave shaking the arena.
One name: Siwoo.
Praise for today's brightest star.
Inside the central capsule booth, Siwoo soaked in the roar with his whole body, clenching his fist tight.
This is it.
Shivers raced up his spine.
His heart pounded wildly, yet his mind was ice-cold and crystal clear.
A bizarre mix of fire and frost.
It electrified his entire body, intensely addictive—a high he could never quit.
I'm alive.
Siwoo's lips curved faintly.
In that moment, he wasn't just a gamer—he was the hero igniting 30,000 souls. A liberating euphoria like flight pulled him ever higher.
“Siwoo, you hard-carried so bad the crowd's going nuts, huh?”
“Gotta admit, winning that 2v1 was wild. You cleaned up all Chan-seong's crap too.”
“Fair. Thanks, Siwoo. You saved my ass from the tribunal...”
But the thrill faded as his teammates slapped his back.
“Feeling extra sharp today. Bigger arena hype me up or something? Kinda digging it.”
Siwoo shrugged with a light smile.
“Bigger venue = better play? You'll go feral at OWC then?”
Kim Ho-jong snorted.
“Maybe.”
The OWC—Overlant World Cup—was on a way bigger stage.
60,000 fans, double OCK's scale. Carrying there? The thought alone made him shiver in anticipation.
“Damn, total freak. No stage fright at all?”
“I feel the pressure, sure. But overwhelming? Nah, not really.”
“Haha, psycho. Spouting manga protag lines.”
Lee Soo-hyuk cracked up at Siwoo's audacity.
“Enough. Time for feedback. Save the chat for after.”
That was when Kim Ho-jong reined in the hype. Too early to celebrate—just one set down.
Siwoo stood and followed his teammates out.
I'll carry the next set too.
His mind was all carry, all for that fan roar.