Episode 06
Siwoo couldn’t hide his confusion when he read the message.
A well-known trainee—
Personally inviting him for another match.
And not just that—
Challenging him to a sniper mirror duel.
“Was I… acknowledged?”
The thought made the back of his neck burn.
Half fear—
Half anticipation.
But deep inside—
A strange thrill kept rising.
And yet—
“…This guy sounds angry.”
He could feel it in the text.
Lee Junghyeok’s emotions bled through the screen.
Had he done something wrong?
He couldn’t think of anything.
He had just played the game.
“Angry?”
“Maybe he hit a wall against Siu.”
“That’s possible.”
Unlike Siwoo, his friends chuckled.
Han Jiyeon, smiling, asked:
“So what did he say?”
“He wants to queue again right away. Said he’ll go sniper too.”
“Yeah, he definitely hit a wall.”
Park Jongsoo burst into laughter.
“He got destroyed last round, so now he wants a sniper mirror. His competitive spirit kicked in.”
“Totally. He even sent a friend request immediately.”
The others agreed.
Jiyeon smirked.
“Then give him what he wants. Siu—you’re confident, right?”
“Well… I’ve always been confident.”
She laughed.
“Look at you acting proud. Let’s queue up!”
The match started instantly—
As if it had been waiting.
[Match Found!]
The loading screen appeared.
Just like before.
“They queued right away too.”
“Let’s crush them again.”
“Know your place, trainees.”
This time—
The map was Solas Base.
Known for its balanced design.
A perfect battlefield for attackers.
And Siu’s team—
Ran the same composition as before.
[Shield Defender – Rifle Attacker – Sniper – Sniper Healer – Shield Support]
A lineup built entirely around Siu.
Maximizing strengths—
Rather than covering weaknesses.
Yes, it relied heavily on him.
But in Overland—
Attackers decided the game.
It was called an attacker’s game for a reason.
“Wait—they changed their comp.”
“They’re all-in on their sniper.”
“They really want a 1v1 with Siu.”
The enemy team—
Had changed completely.
Instead of balance—
They built everything around Lee Junghyeok.
[Charge Defender – Assassin Attacker – Sniper – Sniper Healer – Shield Support]
A composition designed for one thing—
Win the sniper duel at all costs.
Their intention was obvious.
They wanted to defeat Siwoo.
“….”
Siwoo felt a bit dazed.
He didn’t know what triggered Junghyeok—
But somehow, he had provoked him.
“Their comp only works if they win the sniper fight. We’ll stick to our plan. Siu—you can beat him, right?”
Jiyeon asked.
This match would revolve around the sniper mirror.
“Leave it to me.”
Siwoo nodded confidently.
He couldn’t say he wasn’t confident—
Not when they trusted him this much.
Besides—
He didn’t think he’d lose.
[Escort the Payload!]
The timer hit zero.
“Let’s go!”
“Make him feel the wall again!”
“Wipe Midriser clean!”
His teammates advanced without hesitation.
Not a shred of doubt on their faces.
Only—
Blind faith in Siu.
“I have to repay that.”
His expression hardened.
His breathing slowed.
If they believed in him—
He had to deliver.
Clink—!
The grappling hook shot from his wrist.
He scaled the wall—
Reaching high ground.
Scope raised.
His focus sharpened—
The world went silent.
Slowly—
He moved.
Toward where the enemy would be.
No force activation.
Not yet.
Then—
Just as he shifted position—
[MDR Lee Junghyeok]
He spotted him.
And pulled the trigger instantly.
Bang—!
[Headshot!]
*
[You were eliminated!]
The screen shifted to third person.
His character collapsed.
The world turned grayscale.
Lee Junghyeok spoke—
Face stiff.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
He couldn’t believe it.
That was his advantage.
He had taken position first.
Waited for the enemy to appear.
In equal skill—
He would never lose.
Not even by a small margin.
He hadn’t even used force.
And yet—
He lost.
Completely.
The difference wasn’t small.
It was overwhelming.
A gap too large to measure.
And this time—
It was different.
He had come prepared.
Sniper vs sniper.
A pure duel.
And still—
He lost.
“…No. Again.”
He refused to break.
If he accepted limits—
He couldn’t grow.
“Hey! Where’s sniper support?!”
A teammate shouted.
Below—
A fierce fight raged around the payload.
“Wait a bit. I’ll take their sniper first.”
He respawned—
And immediately climbed back up.
“Now it’s the opposite situation.”
This time—
The enemy waited.
He advanced.
Disadvantage.
But—
He had to win.
To surpass his limits.
But—
Bang—!
[You were eliminated!]
If he lost in an advantage—
How could he win at a disadvantage?
“Wait—he lost again?!”
“Junghyeok lost the mirror?!”
“What the hell?!”
His team was shaken.
Their formation collapsed.
The fight—
A disaster.
“Who the hell is that guy?”
“Sniper Siwoo… what are you?”
Now—
Curiosity took over.
“Is he secretly a pro?”
“Don’t think so. Never seen that name.”
“No pro tag either.”
All pro players—
Used official accounts.
Easy to verify.
But—
“…He’s an amateur.”
“What? That’s amateur?!”
“Or… is he hacking?”
“No way. No reports of hacks.”
“Then he’s a prospect.”
“Good enough to debut immediately.”
Confusion spread.
Where did this monster come from?
Top-tier prospects were already in teams.
Hard to find outsiders.
Scouting had even expanded to Diamond—
And yet—
“Is this… one of those hidden monsters?”
“A once-in-a-generation talent.”
“He’s going pro soon.”
They were certain.
They’d see him on broadcast someday.
[Defeat]
The game ended.
“Man… I felt suffocated.”
“Junghyeok still hasn’t said a word?”
“He’s in shock.”
“Got destroyed in a duel.”
Junghyeok’s face remained stiff.
Silent.
“Ugh… this killed our practice. Let’s call it.”
The Midriser trainees logged out.
Time to prepare for scrims.
Then—
“Hey… who was that sniper?”
Their coach—
Who had been watching—
Spoke up.
“We don’t know. No pro tag—probably amateur.”
“Really? Then he’s unsigned. Let’s check his stats.”
The coach opened his laptop.
Typed the name.
And—
“…34 games. Diamond. 90% win rate?”
“Headshot rate—90%.”
“KDA over 10. Insane.”
“Smurf account?”
Impossible stats.
Only top-tier players could produce that.
But—
“…Not a smurf.”
Creating a new account required deleting the old one.
A month-long process.
No one serious would do that.
“Then he’s a top-tier prospect.”
“We need to sign him before someone else does.”
The coach nodded.
“I’ll contact him. You prepare for scrims.”
Lee Siwoo.
They had to recruit him.
*
Some time later—
Siwoo was resting in a private training room.
Then—
[Friend Request: MDR Lee Jinwoo]
“…MDR?”
Midriser.
The same team.
Don’t tell me… another match?
He hesitated—
But accepted.
[Message – Hello, this is Lee Jinwoo, coach of Team Midriser Academy.]
[Message – May I ask you a few questions?]
A coach.
Not a player.
“…Okay.”
Even if he didn’t plan to go pro—
He was curious.
[Message – Age and gender?]
[17, male.]
[Message – Are you affiliated with any team?]
[No.]
Then—
[Message – What do you think about Midriser?]
Siu paused.
If he accepted—
He could take the test.
And go pro.
Just like that.
“….”
But—
Give up being ranked 2nd in school?
Leave that stable path?
His chest tightened.
What if this choice ruins his future?
He already had a path.
A good university.
A stable life.
Maybe even top engineering or medical school.
It was right in front of him.
And yet—
Throw it away?
For a game?
He bit his lip.
He wanted it.
He wanted to go pro.
The game was fun.
The cheers—
Still echoed in his mind.
That moment—he had felt alive.
But—
Faces appeared in his mind.
His older sister—
Working tirelessly.
His mother—
Growing weaker from chemotherapy.
How could he say—
He wanted to chase a dream?
“…It’s too risky.”
In the end—
His fingers moved.
[I’m not considering going pro right now. Thank you for the offer.]
He chose.
To refuse.
[Message – I understand. That’s unfortunate. If you ever change your mind, please contact us. We’ll be waiting.]
Short.
Clean.
Rejection.
“This is the right choice.”
Maintain rank.
Get scholarships.
Enter a prestigious university.
A safer path.
A certain path.
Bang—!
He resumed practice.
Targets fell—
Clean headshots.
Perfect.
Unshaken.
But—
Why?
Why wouldn’t that offer leave his mind?
Even after practice.
Even after his friends returned.
The words—
Kept echoing.
