Episode 01
“Hey, anyone up for some Over land duo right after school? I’m a Gold tank!”
“Did you watch the Over Champs yesterday? Those picks were insane. Double sniper push was legendary.”
“Since they ran double sniper in Champs, wanna try it with me today?”
“You suck though. Didn’t you lose damage to the healer while playing sniper last time?”
Like any typical high school, the classroom buzzed endlessly during break time.
But today, every conversation revolved around a single topic.
Overant.
A virtual reality game that had taken the world by storm.
The concept was simple.
Five players formed a team, each taking a role, and were assigned one of four mission types:
- Capture and defend objectives
- Escort cargo to a destination
- Deathmatch for points
- Control and defend key items
At its core, it was a hyper FPS similar to traditional PC games—but the addition of full virtual reality made the experience entirely new.
And that was enough.
Overant exploded in popularity worldwide, ushering in what many called the greatest era of E-sports. Even the prize pool for world tournaments reached staggering heights—tens of billions.
Everyone played it.
All ages, all genders.
And naturally, high school students—always chasing trends—were completely hooked.
Seventeen-year-old Lee Si-woo was no exception.
He had only recently started playing, but whenever he had spare money after studying, he’d visit capsule gaming rooms. The moment he unlocked ranked mode, he dove right in.
Lately, Overant was all he could think about.
“Hey, how long were you at the capsule room yesterday?”
Someone called out to him.
It was Han Cheol-min, his usual companion.
Si-woo shrugged.
“Not that long. Four games?”
“That’s like two hours. That’s a lot for you.”
“Most of them ended in early surrender. Didn’t even hit two hours.”
“Huh. Still longer than usual.”
Cheol-min laughed.
He was right—Si-woo had never stayed more than two hours.
Because he couldn’t afford to.
His mother was undergoing chemotherapy.
His father wasn’t around.
His older brother was in the military.
The family was held together by his older sister.
In a situation like that, asking for money—for games of all things—felt unthinkable.
Every time the thought crossed his mind, he pictured her:
Working late into the night, staying by their mother’s side.
How could he possibly ask her for more allowance?
Just imagining it made his chest tighten.
“Anyway, what tier did you hit?”
“Diamond 3 yesterday.”
“…Wait, seriously?”
Cheol-min’s eyes widened.
“How many ranked games have you even played?”
“Thirty, maybe? Around that.”
“Only that many and you’re Diamond 3?!”
“I kept winning. The system just kept feeding me points.”
Si-woo tilted his head, as if it were nothing.
“…What’s your win rate?”
“About 90%, I think.”
“All sniper?”
“Yeah.”
“That makes no sense. One-trick sniper with a 90% win rate?”
Cheol-min stared at him like he was looking at a monster.
“Wasn’t it hard to adjust? Force control and abilities are tricky.”
“Not really. Played a few rounds and got used to it.”
Overant wasn’t easy at first. The concept of enhanced bodies and controlling “Force” threw most players off.
But not Si-woo.
To him, it just felt natural.
“Dude… your talent is insane. You should seriously go pro. Try out for a team or something. If I were you, I’d drop out and go all-in.”
Si-woo frowned and waved him off.
“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m not cut out for that. Just because I hit Diamond in 30 games doesn’t mean anything. I’m nothing compared to real pros.”
Then, firmly:
“I’m going to focus on studying.”
Unlike others, Si-woo didn’t have many chances in life.
He couldn’t afford failure.
Studying was the safest path—scholarships, stability, a way to support his family.
“Man… what a waste,” Cheol-min muttered.
Bang!
The classroom door slammed open.
“Anyone here Platinum or higher DPS in Overant?! We need a substitute for today’s class match!”
It was Han Ji-yeon, the class president.
Bright, outgoing, talented in everything—sports, academics, games.
And most importantly—
She was the girl Si-woo liked.
He glanced at her, pretending not to care.
“Hey, aren’t you guys full? What about Jong-geon?”
“He just started academy classes—can’t make it!”
“What?! The match is today!”
“I know! That’s why I’m desperate!”
Class matches.
A staple school event.
Especially with a game like Overant.
There were even cash prizes and live-streamed broadcasts with professional commentators.
Ji-yeon’s uncle was a famous Overant streamer.
Her father? A wealthy CEO—rumored to even own a pro team.
“Hey, they need a DPS. Why don’t you try?” Cheol-min nudged.
“No way. I just started ranked. It’s a team game—I’d just get flamed.”
Cheol-min squinted.
Then suddenly stood up.
“President! Lee Si-woo is a Diamond DPS! He’s insane!”
“Hey—!!”
Si-woo grabbed his arm in panic.
“What are you doing?!”
“Saving your wasted talent.”
Ji-yeon rushed over, eyes sparkling.
“Si-woo, you’re Diamond?!”
“…Yeah. Just hit it yesterday.”
“That’s perfect! Can you play with us today?”
He hesitated.
“I’m not good at team play. And I don’t have money for the capsule room.”
“That’s fine! I’ll cover it. Please, just this once.”
She looked at him, almost pleading.
“Just once. Please?”
He couldn’t refuse.
“…Okay.”
“Nice! Thank you! I’ll treat you to tteokbokki later!”
“You don’t have to—”
“See you after school!”
She ran off, beaming.
Cheol-min muttered dramatically:
“The beginning of a legend… Lee Si-woo’s first tournament.”
“Shut up.”
* * *
After school, they gathered at a capsule gaming center.
“What’s your username?” Ji-yeon asked.
“…SniperSiwoo LeeSiwoo.”
She laughed.
“That’s hilarious. Sending a friend request.”
Soon, a notification popped up.
[Friend request from: “If you flame me I throw (KR)”]
“…That’s… intense.”
He accepted.
Inside voice chat, classmates greeted him.
“Whoa, you’re the sub?”
“Diamond DPS, really?”
“Top student and cracked gamer?”
Then someone checked his stats.
“32 games, Diamond 3?!”
“87% headshot rate?!”
“KDA 11.7?!”
Silence.
Then—
“…You’re a monster.”
Those numbers meant:
- Top 0.6% from the start
- Averaging 12 kills per life
- Landing 9 out of 10 shots as headshots
A statistical anomaly.
“…I just got lucky,” Si-woo muttered.
But inside—
He didn’t hate the attention.
Ji-yeon spoke firmly:
“Don’t pressure him. Si-woo, just play like you normally do. We’re a team now.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
The game began.
[Deploying to Solas Base!]
The teams were balanced.
A standard composition.
The battlefield favored snipers.
Si-woo moved to high ground.
Always.
That was where a sniper belonged.
“Si-woo, just pressure them early. Don’t overextend.”
“Got it.”
Countdown.
[10… 9… 8…]
His throat tightened.
His heart pounded.
Don’t shake.
If you shake, you miss.
[Match Start! Capture the objective!]
His team charged forward.
Si-woo activated his Force.
A blue aura surged through his body.
Clink—!
A grappling hook shot out.
He ascended.
Silence.
Stillness.
Focus.
He aimed.
Finger on the trigger.
Breath steady.
This moment—
I’m alive.
Bang—!
[Headshot!]
