Rifle Counterstrike
“Tch.”
Ryu Jin-seok smacked his lips in regret.
The first set had slipped away by the slimmest of margins. They'd been edged out by a hair's breadth, leaving the game in a deadlock. With the enemy holding the range advantage, ceding the key chokepoints had been fatal.
It wasn't anyone's fault. No one lacked skill. Their strategy just hadn't unfolded as planned. The match was still very much winnable.
And above all...
Waaaaaaaaah——!!
The fans' energy was surging. More eyes than ever were glued to the stage, drawing unprecedented attention. This was Ryu Jin-seok's favorite scenario.
He was a freak attacker whose performance peaked under the spotlight. Where others might buckle from pressure or nausea, he thrived.
Call it "attention whoring" in a bad light, or battle-hardened in a good one.
The reason was simple.
Thrilling.
He was a pervert who got off on the crowd's gaze. A born attention junkie.
Pro gaming was a non-productive job that fed on public interest anyway, making it his perfect calling.
Anyway, just before the second set kicked off.
The casters' voices boomed through the arena.
The battlefield was urban Mekatera City.
A prime sniper map.
But it favored A1 too. They were masters of street fights.
Without a sniper, Kaiserst would struggle more to leverage the terrain than A1.
The mode was point occupation.
The libero role—grabbing objects and timing joins—would shine. Fights typically involved all five players clashing.
With map and mode set, A1's coach hopped into the team's Liscode for a briefing.
He backed it up with analysis slides on his tablet PC.
A1 had prepped for this, analyzing Kaiserst and drilling counters to their strats. League leaders demanded no less.
Their solution: Ryu Jin-seok marking as assassin attacker. But they'd never dreamed he'd solo-kill a sniper.
Other options existed. This was the simplest.
“Still worth picking assassin attacker again, right? Last set, Jin-seok misjudged a bit and got flanked outta nowhere.”
Too soon to ditch it. They'd come this close to nabbing Siwoo.
“One more shot. I'll seal it this time.”
Ryu wanted another crack at him.
The coach respected him.
Ban/pick phase began.
Ryu's brow furrowed.
...What the hell?
Kaiserst usually locked in Operator first to dictate comps. Picking rifle now? Unreadable.
“Got it.”
The players followed, puzzled but obedient.
Comps solidified slowly.
Kaiserst went double rifle attackers.
Fans voiced worries. Natural—Siwoo had sniped religiously past mid-season.
Plus, no need for rifle. They'd won set 1 sniping; map/mode suited it fine.
The curveball worked.
A1 dodged early suspicion, but Siwoo's rifle had zero footage. He'd never used it.
“No sweat. Might even be easier.”
Ryu brushed it off with a grin.
“Snipers are tougher. Rifles are straightforward. No guarantee he'll match his sniper skill here.”
Unproven meant unproven.
“Yes.”
“Got it!”
Trust in his players.
Siwoo exhaled deeply as the game loaded.
“Hoo.”
Cold tension gripped his body, heart pounding wildly. His breath shook irregularly; fingers curled involuntarily.
He rarely got nervous, but this was different.
Ranked and scrims saw plenty of rifle attacker, but tournament debut? First blood.
Against A1, no less—a league title on the line. How could anyone stay calm? Human nature.
This'll be fun.
Excitement bubbled too. Rifle worked in scrims/ranks—would it hold against top dogs A1?
He had to know.
A1 owned Korea's best engagements. Jiyeon's intel confirmed it; Siwoo's analysis too.
They had the guts to hate losing. Fearless + sense + mechanics = synergy explosion.
Toughest matchup.
Kaiserst backed that circus style. Stellar mechanics across the board.
Coach rallied them.
“Let's go!”
“OK!”
The hyungs roared. Morale peaked.
At the center, Siwoo hopped in place.
Thud, thud.
Body light as a feather.
Senses sharper than set 1.
Peak condition.
Nothing holding him back.
Perfect.
Siwoo glared ahead.
His role: libero.
Game's crux. Snag objects against Ryu, time the join perfectly.
No fear.
Beating Ryu here mattered more than Worlds prep.
Match begins!
The timer ticked down.
The blue barrier parted.
“Charge—!”
Crackle!!
Ho-jong hyung's shout hit, and Siwoo ignited full-body Force. He kicked off, minimal path to the object zone.
“We won't dodge fights. Siwoo, minimal objects then join.”
“Yes!”
Siwoo dashed nonstop. Leapt a wrecked car mid-alley, hit the object-strewn road.
Ducked cover, held breath.
“...”
Lee Min-young or Ryu Jin-seok.
Odds on Ryu. Melee attacker.
Team comps:
Kaiserst: [Shield Defender – Rifle Attacker – Rifle Attacker – Standard Healer – Smoke Supporter]
A1: [Charge Defender – Melee Attacker – Rifle Attacker – Standard Healer – Smoke Supporter]
Both brawl-heavy.
Ryu was key. Melee heaven.
Cut him first, own the fight.
Shwaa—!
Smoke dropped from sky. Even outer zone—Ryu object-hunting.
Siwoo mashed in-ear.
“Outer object zone smoked. Probably melee attacker.”
“Copy, checking.”
Siwoo crouched low, slinked cover-to-cover.
Urban road: tangled wrecks, weeds cracking asphalt.
Sparks from snapped wires; burnt metal and dust hung heavy, wind whispering through.
“...”
No Ryu yet. Silent—hiding likely.
Stay sharp.
Smoke amped danger. Tight spots vs. melee = death.
Objects first.
Siwoo snagged a shard. Red buff: HP regen, minor DoT.
Collecting en route to center—
Thump, thump, thump.
Heavy footsteps.
Melee attacker.
Ryu, as predicted.
Dead ahead, ~5m. Sensory guess.
Risky, but tunable—rifle edge at this range.
First shot wins.
Siwoo grinned.
Grabbed a flashbang.
Click.
Pinned, cooked, rolled floor.
Boom—!
Flash popped. Siwoo rose, aimed sound origin.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
Ban-dal bucked wild, shoving him back. Brutal recoil. Controlled. Swung barrel opposite bullet spray, tensed full body to tame it.
But then—
Whoosh—!
Smoke parted sideways—Ryu burst out.
“...!!”
Siwoo's eyes widened.
Sound was bait!
But he'd prepped for this exact play.
Hwooo—!
Ryu's gauntlet swung—Siwoo's body dissolved into blue particles, misting away.
Whoosh—!
Distance gained. Siwoo Force-enhanced instantly. Crackle! Blue arcs flared, boosting physicals.
Flash—!
Siwoo blurred forward, afterimage trailing. Ryu Force-accelerated in pursuit.
Chase on.
“Where ya running?!”
Ryu laughed boisterously. Victory certain.
Siwoo narrowed eyes, snatched chest flashbang.
Let's see you keep laughing.
Fallen for the feint? No issue.
Truth is, I prefer close range too.
Just flip the matchup.