Madman Recognizes Madman
“Whoa, that guy's insane?”
As his vision faded to black and white with the respawn camera spinning, Ryu Jin-seok voiced his honest reaction.
Judging a trade from there?
The boldness and audacity rare even among snipers took him by surprise. Instead of fleeing, he'd charged right in.
Truth be told, that bold call had been the right one. If Lee Siwoo had run, A1's healer would've linked up, putting them in a 2v1 pinch.
But did that make the decision easy? No way—it carried massive risk. Sure, the payoff was huge if it worked, but the odds of success were way too low.
You're a gambler, huh.
Ryu Jin-seok grinned.
Like Pokémon, attackers came in all types.
Some chased ultimate survival for stability, others staked their lives to create chaos, and then there were the hyper-aggressive frontline pushers, and so on.
Ryu Jin-seok was the type who threw his life on the line with excessive aggression to spawn variables out of thin air.
This style had brutally low floors, but mastered to the extreme, its ceilings pierced the heavens.
Lee Siwoo was the same.
He hadn't shown his lows yet, so it was hard to gauge the full picture, but that peak was undeniable.
No wonder he's league first.
Refined yet savage in spots. Layer on mechanics bordering on artistry and beast-like instincts, and you got play straight out of a masterpiece.
Today, Ryu Jin-seok finally understood why Lee Siwoo topped the league rankings and why he'd devoured OCK from debut. It clicked in an instant.
This was talent that wouldn't come around again.
“Haha.”
Ryu Jin-seok's lips curled up. The laughter kept bubbling. New rivals were always a thrill—they injected tension into the complacent OCK.
Having sized him up, Ryu Jin-seok spoke calmly.
“I'm dead, right? With Do-jun out, regroup with main squad and back up the defender with Hyun-jun. Siwoo's not full HP, so he can't push right away. He'll need heals no matter what.”
“Got it.”
Even after Ryu Jin-seok's solo death, his teammates stayed cool. Sudden crises were par for the course with his style.
“Once I'm back, target Kim Ho-jong over Siwoo and breach their defender. Poke around there.”
He'd love a rematch with Siwoo, but winning trumped everything. Better to crack other lanes than chase him.
A1's defender was struggling against their own, and Kim Ho-jong was barely holding vs. Lee Min-young.
Ignoring a weakness for personal grudges? That'd be throwing the match.
Siwoo, let's see if you can break your team's chains.
Siwoo had snagged a solo kill on Ryu Jin-seok, but the game stayed dead even.
Siwoo was the only one profiting from the scattered skirmishes everywhere.
Side lane under fire! Kim Ho-jong struggling against Lee Min-young! Kaiserst needs backup ASAP!
Main squad's getting pushed! Even outnumbered, A1's pressuring Kaiserst!
Kim Ho-jong had held objectives decently, but Lee Min-young had the edge.
Park Chan-seong looking rough! Keeps getting edged out by A1's defender!
Kim Yong-taek's heals locked on Park Chan-seong! That's why main squad's losing ground!
Siwoo needs to provide covering fire pronto!
Siwoo's on the brink! Pushing now risks death!
No breathing room for Kim Yong-taek to heal him up!
Kaiserst's breakthrough hinged on Siwoo alone, but even that looked dicey. His HP had tanked from the prior clash.
Critical HP meant flashing red vision, shaky aim. Vulnerable to supports or healers too.
Counting on Siwoo for support was a stretch.
Kim Yong-taek, tasked with patching him up, was glued covering Park Chan-seong.
But in that pinch—
Siwoo climbing the antenna!
HP's critically low! Is he okay?!
Siwoo ignored it all and scaled the antenna. He activated his scope.
Bzzzzt!
His body glowed blue. Sparks flew as the barrel flashed.
A1's supporter scrambled to aim—
Bang—!
But the Operator's blue tracer lanced out faster.
Siwoo cuts down A1's supporter Lee Hyun-jun!
Hyun-jun never saw it coming! Siwoo was combat-ineffective!
Rat-tat-tat—!
A1's supporter unleashed his SMG in panic.
A1 sprays desperately, but Siwoo ducks below!
Whack-a-mole! Perfect timing on pop-out and hide!
No hit.
He'd vanished the instant the kill landed.
With Hyun-jun gone, no one's covering A1's frontline!
Kaiserst pushing in? Oh, Siwoo's out again! Providing fire support!
Fall back!! Ryu Jin-seok still respawning! A1 loses the key point!
Once the dam broke, the flood roared in. Kaiserst's counterattack ignited.
Kim Yong-taek heals Siwoo now that main squad has breathing room!
Lee Soo-hyuk charging Force! Kaiserst taking control!
Kaiserst claimed Eternal Base's key point.
This flipped the script from earlier skirmishes. Range advantage was overwhelming.
If Siwoo holds position and main squad digs in, even A1 won't breach easily!
The caster nailed it.
With Siwoo at the core, Kaiserst built their formation.
“Guys, group up. Cut Kim Ho-jong first.”
“Roger. Pinning him from the side. He's trapped now.”
“Abandon main. Covering their sniper's a nightmare.”
The game hit snags, but A1 stayed eerily calm.
Variables like this popped up every match for them.
Ryu Jin-seok respawns! But his path's different now?!
Targeting Kim Ho-jong over entrenched Siwoo?
Then it happened. Revived Ryu Jin-seok rushed to reinforce the side lane.
But Siwoo heads side with Lee Soo-hyuk!
Rescuing Kim Ho-jong?! Reading the flow perfectly!
Right on cue—skirmish erupts in side lane!
A1 struggling! Siwoo's shots all landing!
Siwoo read their intent and shut down A1's reinforce.
Fight shifts to side lane!
Both defenders joining!
Eventually, main squads clashed.
A1 charged headlong, like they wanted to settle it here. Kaiserst met them without backing down.
Kaiserst all-in frontal clash!
Can they withstand A1's fight power?!
Pre-game plans avoided open fights, but heated players lost that judgment mid-match.
And surprisingly, it was winnable. No massive gap demanding retreat.
The reason—
Siwoo's at the center! Landing every snipe! Secret to suffocating DPS?!
Kaiserst picking them off one by one! Score ticking up! A1 in trouble!
Siwoo.
True to form after claiming the point, he forced lopsided trades, centering range battles around himself.
A1 crumbling! Hit-and-run looping! Range gap too wide!
This stems from Siwoo's solo on Ryu Jin-seok!
Incredible, Siwoo! Still sniping non-stop!
A1 can't handle it! Disengage! Numbers first!
Where to?! Retreat here's spawn zone!
Point-held sniper meant A1 folded in fights too.
Kaiserst hits score first!
Kaiserst takes set 1 over A1! GG!
Set 1 went to Kaiserst.
Rooooaaar—!!
The arena erupted in storm-like cheers the instant set 1 ended.
A dead-even thriller beyond expectations.
Hiss—.
Siwoo logged out, capsule hissing white steam as he emerged.
“Whew.”
He exhaled deeply.
That was close.
Tougher than most games by multiples.
Without that solo on Ryu Jin-seok, it'd be a loss—dragged around till a limp end.
Win secured, but now he got why A1 was top-tier.
“Whoa, Siwoo, good work.”
Then Kim Ho-jong logged out too.
“I got wrecked hard this time, but you covered perfectly. Huge relief...”
Ho-jong hyung sighed in relief.
Rifle attackers rarely got stalled by close-range ones. Range gave control.
But this game, Kim Ho-jong was pinned useless.
Sure, close-rangers ate rifles sometimes, but rarely stole 1v1 initiative like that.
“A1's no joke.”
“Yeah. Nothing like past teams.”
“These guys are fight maniacs.”
The others echoed the sentiment.
Not for nothing called the circus—they dove fights recklessly. Knowing odds, still all-in.
Yet elite skill turned impossibles real.
Clunk.
Capsule doors slid open.
“Feedback room, now.”
The coach.
“We got dragged into A1's pace too much. No fight angles, but we bit anyway. Focus there.”
Swipe. Tablet flipped.
“Chan-seong. Begging teammates nonstop when it's tough? This a daycare? Elementary? Cover's mandatory till middle school!”
Tablet showed Park Chan-seong relentlessly pushed by A1's defender.
“Make your own breakthrough! I don't do impossible. Your aggression makes it doable, period.”
Tablet dimmed, replay done.
“And you all—teams with range edges? Tread like eggshells. This is the wilds. Predators lurk anywhere!”
Tap tap.
Shin Seung-hyun hunched, head swiveling, creeping forward.
“Sniff sniff, danger? Smell any beasts? Sniff sniff, none? Okay, advance.”
Safety check passed, one step.
“Tap, safe? One step. Sniff sniff, now? Two. Sniff sniff sniff, seems good? Three. Huh? Safe? Gotta go. Clear?”
After more sniffs and crawls, he straightened.
“Doubt the doubt the doubt, then move! You strode bold. Don't pick range comps then!”
“...”
“Why shove in and get eaten? That's Ho-jong's job. Rifles run-and-gun! Ease frontline load!”
Siwoo barely stifled laughter. Serious vibe, message clear, but coach's antics slayed.
Tension from match finally eased.
“Whew, okay. Got heated. Short feedback ends here.”
Shin Seung-hyun eyed Siwoo sternly.
“Siwoo, time to pull it out.”
“That?”
“Yeah.”
The weapon they'd drilled but never deployed—lacking chances.
“Time for the rifle.”