Listening to the voice in his headset, Jake still felt like he was dreaming, but his hand subconsciously clicked 'Accept'.
In the world of Faceit, a C+ rank was the ultimate melting pot—similar to Gold Nova or Master Guardian in Matchmaking. It was the most populated bracket, meaning queue times were non-existent.
[Match found! Please accept (9/10)]
"Which idiot hasn't accepted yet? Is it you?!" Matt's voice blasted through the speakers. "Relax, I'm in," Jake replied calmly. He stared at the highlighted 'Accept' button for a couple of seconds before finally confirming.
"Here we go—Inferno! The Mayor of Inferno is in the building! I'm feeling it today, boys!" The non-stop chatter came from Matt, Jake's best friend. They had known each other since elementary school and had been inseparable all through college. They weren't just friends; they were brothers.
Jake looked around his room again, glancing at the old Redmi phone sitting on his desk. It was official: he had actually been reborn. My god... I'm living the life of a light novel protagonist. That lightning bolt was a godsend!
The loading screen faded, and Jake spawned as a CT. Looking at the gloomy sky and the old, low-resolution textures of 2022-era CS:GO, he felt like a traveler from another century. "Where am I...? Is this even Counter-Strike?" "...Dude, why are you so twitchy today? What else would it be? I know I woke you up early to grind, but you can't be that out of it, right?" "What if I told you I had a dream where CS2 was out and I played it for years? Would you believe me?" "...I think you're losing your mind."
Jake didn't argue. He just let out a stupid grin and started bunny-hopping around the spawn point. Man, this feels good! This is the real CS:GO! Even though CS2 would eventually become a masterpiece after years of updates, for a veteran like him, the old version was the "flawless white moonlight" of his gaming heart.
It was only 2022. He was 21, just months away from graduating university. He was young, healthy, and full of life. Ten years of knowledge... even if I don't become a billionaire, making a few million dollars on the skin market will be child's play. CS2 wouldn't be announced until late 2023. He knew exactly which skins would skyrocket when the new lighting engine hit. Sorry, skin traders, but I'm taking the bag.
"Ow! How did he one-tap me?! Jake, what the hell are you doing?! They're already pushing Banana, and you're still AFK in spawn! I'm gonna kill you myself!" Matt's yelling snapped Jake back to reality.
He looked up. The kill feed in the top right corner read: [Anime_Killer headshot Matt with a Glock-18]. Jake quickly bought light armor and sprinted toward B-site. "Stop crying. Someone who dies 20 seconds into the round isn't qualified to be the IGL."
Matt had solo-pushed Banana, and based on the timing, the Terrorists were about to flood the site. Years of game sense kicked in. Jake chose a conservative angle near the Church door. As soon as he reached the entrance, he heard heavy footsteps near the "yellow wall." The lead Terrorist tried to jump-peek the site. Jake's muscle memory took over. He flicked upwards instantly. CRISP CLEAN HEADSHOT.
[Boston_NiKo headshot Anime_Killer with a USP-S]
Before the first body even hit the floor, the second Terrorist swung out to trade. His movement was smooth—he knew what he was doing. But before the Glock could even bark, a silenced .45 caliber bullet met his forehead. Pfft!
[Boston_NiKo headshot 2D_Master with a USP-S]
"WTF! Are you for real? Those two taps... pure luck, has to be!" Matt shouted in disbelief. Jake kept peeking, making sure no one else was coming. "Ten lotus flowers, takes nine, kid." "? What are you even talking about?" "It means I'm your daddy in this game, Matt. Keep up." "Go to hell! You're just a luckbox!"
Jake chuckled. This was it. This was the feeling of youth. But was my reaction time always this insane? To be honest, Jake didn't even process those shots. His hand had moved on its own. Maybe it was the "buff" of a younger body he hadn't fully adapted to yet.
"Holy crap, Mid is lost!" "One in Apps! Oh my god!" "They're on A1..." While Jake was holding B, the A-site was falling apart.
[Major_General headshot Player1 with a P250] [Major_General headshot Player2 with a P250] [Major_General headshot Player3 with a P250]
Are you kidding me? Two kills, three enemies left. It felt exactly like that 2032 Major final. You guys are really trying to make me play like NiKo, huh?
"Damn, our team is trash. It's on you, NiKo. Though I bet ZywOo would ace this, and you'll probably choke. What do you think?" Matt was a massive ZywOo fanboy and loved to troll Jake about his loyalty to FaZe Clan. "Heh, watch your daddy carry."
Jake sprinted toward the A-site retake, not even bother to shift-walk. A 1v3 retake with no utility and no defuse kit was a nightmare. He decided to go fast—either kill them all or die trying.
He exited Library—the site was eerily silent. Based on the sound, the bomb was planted for A1. These guys were playing like a coordinated stack. Jake peeked Pit—clear. He checked the head-glitch behind the box—Headshot. One down.
Suddenly, a Glock fired from behind him. Someone had swung from Graveyard to trade him. A 180-degree flick in that situation was nearly impossible. Jake was about to give up when a sound like a thunderclap echoed in his ears.
Boom... tick-tock, tick-tock...
Everything turned a faint golden-yellow. Time slowed down to a crawl, accompanied by the ticking of a clock. What the hell?! Is this... the Eye of Death?!
Despite the shock, Jake's instincts took over. He gripped his mouse, whipped around 180 degrees, locked his crosshair onto the Terrorist's head at Graveyard, and clicked. Pfft! Two down!
The ability wasn't over yet. Jake's vision caught a glimpse of the last player's barrel sticking out of the second-floor Balcony. He dragged the mouse—a 90-degree snap. Pfft!
ACE! 1v3 Clutch!