Triple Threat Incoming
Saseong High School, Class 2-3.
It was well past dismissal time, but the students were still lingering in the classroom.
The reason...
"Whoa, Lee Siwoo's a total freak monster."
"Playing sniper like that? That's on another level for real."
"Insane..."
They were there to watch the match of Saseong High's top output king, Lee Siwoo.
It had started as just Siwoo's close friends with ties to him gathering to watch, but word spread, pulling in even more classmates.
"That's our class rep's attacker?"
"No wonder we got wrecked with a guy like that."
"Dude's disgustingly good."
The friends watched the match, letting out gasps of admiration and awe. Overlant was the hottest game among teens right now, after all.
And the rookie crushing OCK was Saseong High's former second-ranked student overall? Even without personal connections, they couldn't help but tune in.
He'd dropped out, so he wasn't technically a high schooler anymore, but still.
"You see that? That's Siwoo. I was the first to spot his talent. Without me, he'd never have gone pro."
Han Cheolmin puffed out his chest proudly.
"Wasn't it Jiyeon who got Siwoo into pro gaming? I heard she convinced all the kids."
One friend asked.
"What nonsense! Sure, Han Jiyeon convinced him too, but I was there before that! Without me, he wouldn't even have entered the class tournament!"
"Yeah, sure..."
Cheolmin ranted on, but the response was lukewarm.
"...You guys look skeptical."
"Duh. When Jiyeon updates us on Siwoo's news, you're always clueless."
"What."
Cheolmin's face went blank for a second, lips flapping uselessly.
"No, that's 'cause Siwoo forgets to hit me up!"
"You could've texted first."
"How could I bug him when he's busy? That'd be rude!"
"...Just do it? You're his best friend."
"..."
He had nothing to say.
It was true.
"Anyway, Cheolmin's out. Set 2's about to start."
In the end, Cheolmin got sidelined.
Midraizer's capsule booth.
Logging out and rising from his seat, Lee Jeonghyeok stared across with a devastated expression.
Lee Siwoo was grinning lightly, like set 1 hadn't even been a proper warmup.
...He's way better than before.
His play in previous ranked games and the Series Cup had felt a bit plain at times. It relied purely on overwhelming mechanics.
But now? Precise, thorough calculations underpinned every move. A level of refinement incomparable to before. That tiny gap made all the difference.
Is this the gap in talent?
Of course Siwoo had put in the grind too. Analyzing meta, studying, pondering what plays would work.
But does that effort always yield results like this? No. Everyone's output varies.
Yet Siwoo squeezed out over 100% returns. Jeonghyeok hadn't watched him closely, but the efficiency seemed fundamentally different.
Damn, same promising rookie pool, but the extremes...
Jeonghyeok couldn't shake the despair. Just months ago, he'd brimmed with confidence. But facing the 'real deal' crushed his self-esteem into oblivion.
"That Siwoo's insane."
"Yeah. Our analysis is worthless."
"His playstyle's too bizarre."
Jeonghyeok wasn't the only one overwhelmed by Siwoo's skill—his Midraizer teammates echoed the same.
These were pros pulling eight-figure salaries, yet they couldn't hide their dismay. To Jeonghyeok, it was unbelievable.
The 'hyung's who'd always loomed like unbreakable walls, shattered by one rookie prospect.
"Pull out assassin attacker?"
"Tailor to Jeonghyeok, maybe."
"Assassin and rifle together feels awkward."
Midraizer had prepped assassin attackers specifically to counter Siwoo. But with their ace attacker's injury forcing Jeonghyeok in, picks got messy.
"Jeonghyeok, you good with assassin-type attacker?"
The coach asked.
"..."
Jeonghyeok closed his eyes slowly. Assassin attacker. He could manage, but not well. Debuting it here? No confidence.
"...I'll give it a shot."
But he didn't want to run. Backing down now would scar him with trauma, breaking him for good.
"Alright, double assassin duo this set then."
The coach nodded.
"Siwoo's headshot rate is freakishly high, but he hits any body part freely too. Even force-enhanced legs."
Midraizer's analysts had burned the midnight oil prepping for this match, hunting Siwoo's weaknesses.
No glaring flaws emerged, but they'd mapped his tendencies solid.
"Shield supporter pick for force barriers to dodge instakills seems right. Enemy defender's a bit weak, so ours pushes harder."
If Siwoo had a 'weakness,' it was his team, Kaiserst.
A squad of total free agents from last season's gamble. Player quality naturally dipped—mixing prospects with washed-up vets.
"Okay, picks locked. Rest in-game. Group cheer!"
"One, two, three!"
"Midraizer fighting!"
Set 2 picks began.
This mode: contention battle.
Grab the single main objective and haul it back to spawn—first team wins.
Battlefield: Solras Base.
Balanced layout with solid structures and chokepoints. Fair for all, decent attacker playground.
⊳ Shield Defender
⊳ Sniper
⊳ Rifle Attacker
⊳ Sniper Healer
⊳ Shield Supporter
Same comp as before.
Why bench what's working?
Too bad no rifle outlet.
Siwoo pouted. His new rifle sat unused. Everyone struggled enough with just the sniper.
Whatever.
⊳ Charge Defender
⊳ Assassin Attacker
⊳ Assassin Attacker
⊳ Standard Healer
⊳ Shield Supporter
Midraizer switched it up.
Double assassin attackers, ditching smokescreen to lock the sniper.
Smokescreen aside, assassins are tough to pull off.
Attacker roles had notoriously tricky subtypes.
First: sniper.
Popular, but demands wide vision, aim searching, and positioning sense. Few truly master it.
Second: close-range attacker.
Attacker diving frontline with defenders. Needs elite dueling to survive.
Third: assassin attacker.
Sense-heavy. Map reads, stealth mobility, quick instincts essential.
Fragile frames force perfect dodges or counters. Chaos brawls make it hell.
Doubling up on assassins meant...
They're dead set on cutting me out.
Defender-anchored main squad, assassins duo hunting him solo.
"I'll draw them in. Even 2v1's fine."
"Yeah, let main squad handle their push this time."
Siwoo smiled easily.
"Two assassins sound rough. Stick Yongtaek on 'em?"
Ho-jong hyung chimed in. Valid point—assassins counter snipers hard.
But.
"Nah, I'm good. Their assassins suck at it. Rushed prep job."
Siwoo was confident.
Midraizer's attackers today couldn't handle assassin type properly. Debuting Jeonghyeok especially.
No synergy, mismatched breathing.
Coach Shin Seung-hyun didn't override Siwoo's call. Track record spoke for itself. Trust, plain and simple.
"Got it."
"Fighting!"
Avatars shifted, spawning into the field.
The blue barrier loomed firm as ever, a gentle breeze tickling cheeks.
Siwoo loved this sensation. The final calm before his rampage kicked off.
"Siwoo, you got this?"
Soo-hyuk hyung suddenly asked.
"Doing it 'cause I do."
Siwoo grinned.
"Indeed."
Soo-hyuk closed his eyes, nodding deeply.
"Trusting means leaning. We're leaning on you."
"Outta nowhere with that?"
"Line from an anime I watched. Perfect fit."
More cryptic nonsense.
Still, kinda cool on its own?
"Right. Got it."
Siwoo skipped the gush, replying neutrally.
"Haha, icy reaction much?"
"Soo-hyuk hyung's otaku vibes add romance."
Ho-jong and Yong-taek chuckled. Too curt? Nah. Soo-hyuk wouldn't mind.
Anyway.
"Chat over. Prep time."
"Yeah."
"Win set 2 too."
The timer ticked down.
5...
4...
3...
2...
1...
Game Start!
The blue barrier dropped.
Bzzzzt!
Force drained as blue currents enveloped his body, boosting stats. Siwoo kicked off, leaving spawn.
Grapple hook fired, scaling walls to sniper perch. No smokescreen this time—prime real estate.
Frontlines: Main squad, Chan-seong hyung leading toward main objective.
My job...
Draw those two assassins from rear, supp fire till main secures objective safe.
Lotta plates spinning, but Siwoo volunteered. Team burden? He'd shoulder it.
Alright, let's go.
Click.
Siwoo shouldered the sniper rifle, eye to scope.
"...?"
Something off.
Enemy main pushing objective: just defender and healer.
No way.
Certainty hit.
Three incoming.
Not just duo assassins—the shield supporter too.
Locked in to delete me.
Effective strat.
Cut the wildcard from the fight, and Kaiserst's middling defender couldn't match Midraizer.
3v1 sounds fun.
Siwoo smirked, holstering the rifle. Fine—full brawl mode.