Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Brain Proxy
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Appearance. What a cruel word.
Anyone has probably had the experience of buying something useless displayed in a showcase because it satisfied their aesthetic tastes on impulse.
Even if that purchase ends up being inconvenient in its essential use due to its inefficient structure,
the buyer compensates for practicality with the satisfaction gained from visual enjoyment.
However, that only lasts a few months at most.
As time passes and the object no longer stimulates their emotions,
the person picks up something plain and crude but faithful to its ideal form.
In this way, 'appearance' only has a positive effect in the short term.
Kang Nari's case was the same.
Born with a valuable appearance, she had hoped to enter the entertainment industry from childhood.
Playing instruments. Singing. Dancing. Acting.
Countless hours and money were invested to hone the talents needed for her dream.
But all of it fell below average.
Thus, Kang Nari was merely a product that looked good on the outside but lacked substance.
Was that the end?
As if she wasn't the only one with beauty, her exceptional looks became ordinary among competitors.
An appearance in the upper ranks but not overwhelming.
Skills that lagged behind despite twice the effort of others.
From that day, Kang Nari etched the wound of her lack of talent into her heart and humbly let go of her dream.
So this story was just one of the countless common failures in the world.
Having objectified herself through past experiences, Kang Nari made a choice.
She realized she could never succeed in the streaming industry by jumping on popular games that everyone else was doing with her physical talents.
Enter a market swarming with top-tier female streamers?
She, hovering in the lower tiers, could never compete.
Hence, Triachia.
This outdated game, lovingly preserved, could draw in countless viewers just with the title of 'newbie,' regardless of skill level.
And this strategy hit perfectly, becoming a turning point in her life.
But this choice had another side.
She deeply accepted that with her talents, she could never rise above average in any game...
So Yoo Seo-ha's proposal delivered a shock.
It told her that even with her cursed hands, her trash reaction speed and multitasking, she could aim for the top.
Simply by cultivating an eye for reading the game's flow.
"...Let's start."
- Yes. I'm watching.
The opponent was Humanity.
Averaging ordinary win rates, likely a typical custom room user.
Meaning the opponent's score was around 2,000 points.
With tension filling her, she split Skeleton Workers into the mines.
The Undead's main building, the Corpse Repository.
This race uniquely doesn't produce units from buildings like other races.
Corpses are periodically generated from the Corpse Repository, and Necromancy is used on these corpses to produce Undead.
"What should the opening build be?"
- Let's go safely with Ghost Ship first, then Underground Tomb.
"Ghost Tomb? Isn't that bad against Humanity?"
- It's the mindset that if you drag it to operations, you won't lose. You know how to do this build, right?
"Yeah. I've done it a lot."
When nine Skeletons gathered, she transformed one corpse into a Ghost Ship.
And as soon as 200 ether accumulated, she sacrificed a Skeleton to construct the Underground Tomb.
This build was stable in both offense and defense, able to block early rushes and viable into late-game operations.
- Keep producing corpses without stopping.
"Then produce workers?"
- Yes. Exactly. Up to three.
"Then next?"
- One to expand to the front yard, one for scouting, one to mine the main mineral. Ah! Scout diagonally.
This much was the standard Ghost Tomb build that even Kang Nari knew.
Nine Skeletons matched to the nine minerals in the main base.
Efficient ether gathering without idle mines.
Kang Nari's position was 7 o'clock.
There was no enemy in the 11 o'clock direction the first Ghost Ship headed.
So she sent the worker to 5 o'clock.
"How many Ghouls to produce?"
- No scout coming yet means it's not 8 Basic Infantry. Just two.
Since one corpse could produce two Ghouls, only a single corpse was consumed.
And around when the Ghouls spawned, the diagonally sent worker spotted the enemy.
She was a bit surprised.
It was Yoo Seo-ha who had instructed to send the worker diagonally instead of habitually to 5 o'clock.
"How did you know it was diagonal?"
- Probability. Usually they send searches clockwise, so if no search has come yet, high chance it's not at 5 o'clock.
"Ah. If the opponent was at 5 o'clock, they would've spotted me with the first search already."
- Exactly.
There was nothing in the opponent's front yard.
Not a safe double, so the build wouldn't fully work.
However, Ghost Tomb sacrifices some economy for stability.
If the opponent wasn't committing hard early, it was still a loss for them.
- Opponent scout timing soon, so place those two Ghouls at the entrance to block.
"What about my scout worker? Pull it back after a rough look?"
- No. Just have it poke while taking Elf Archer hits.
As instructed, she sent the Skeleton deep into the opponent's main.
It took a few arrows from the Elf Archers, but she saw everything.
- ...Opponent's using an old build.
"Huh? Why?"
- See? Building two Basic Infantry Centers? Elves producing non-stop.
"Yeah. No Illusium Extractor either. What is it?"
- Double Barracks Council. Early pressure build.
"Not used these days?"
- Viable, but better ones exist.
"Aha."
- Saw it, right? 2,000 pointers lack flexibility, stick to one or two familiar builds. Just survive the attack timing, and they'll crumble in the late game?
Then, she spotted the opponent's Dwarf Worker wandering her front yard.
She tried to attach a Ghoul to kill it immediately, but...
- Keep the Ghouls blocking the entrance. It'll come in and die on its own.
"Huh...? Okay."
As said, the opponent peeked the front yard with the Corpse Repository and started heading back to main.
Of course, the Ghoul immediately charged and attacked the Dwarf.
"For real.... It came in?"
- Scout caught, so send the Ghouls toward opponent's front yard. Need to watch expansion timing.
"S-sent them."
- New Ghost Ship over the terrain above your front yard. From now, all corpses to workers only. Build Illusium Extractor too.
No difficult demands.
Kang Nari began executing the commands step by step.
Usually against Humanity, Lich are used a lot.
Humanity grows exponentially stronger the more they clump.
Lich handle picking off isolated infantry to prevent grouping.
But the problem is,
using Lich requires solid basic control.
"Gonna use Lich?"
- No. Focus on Ghouls and Necromancers.
"Uh, um, bad matchup with Humanity infantry though?"
- It's fine.
Yoo Seo-ha seemed to have a plan.
So she built the Dark Magic Archive to produce Necromancers.
- Opponent's coming. Pull Ghouls.
"Ah!"
- It's okay. Didn't die.
Several Elf Archers and Priests burst from the opponent's main.
Distracted, Kang Nari missed the movement, barely recovering the Ghouls on Yoo Seo-ha's word.
Reaction a bit late, took a few arrows.
- Build 4 Venom Sprayers in front yard now. Diagonal, so not late.
"O-okay."
- Straight line, not zigzag. So all four can attack at once. All corpses to Ghouls.
Four Skeletons rushed out to the front yard, shattering themselves to build.
Undead has two defense tower types, each attacking only ground or air.
Venom Sprayer naturally ground-only.
- Now. Pull one worker to 9 o'clock.
"Yeah. Hide it?"
- Yes. Surviving Ghoul poke from behind their forces. Focus only on that screen now.
"Got it. I'll try."
- Timing-wise, range upgrade not done yet, so easy. They'll upgrade right as they reach our front yard.
"Ah. That's their optimization?"
- Yes.
The two Ghouls circled behind the advancing enemy forces.
Opponent couldn't ignore them.
Follow-up joining the main force,
definitely walking alone through the dark map.
Isolated Elf Archers aren't strong at all.
So risk of follow-up cut by mere two Ghouls.
- When follow-up Elf comes, charge like attacking then pull back.
"Ah! Coming!"
Ghouls charged the lone Elf Archer heading to Kang Nari's front yard.
But the Ghouls, baring teeth ready to tear, suddenly turned and fled.
Good choice.
Opponent's main stopped advance to deal with the two Ghouls, turning rearward.
- Well done. Delay their advance like this bit by bit.
"Wow...."
- Not hard, right?
"Yeah. Not at all...."
This repeated twice more.
Eventually, opponent ignored rear Ghouls and headed to Kang Nari's front yard.
Any more delay loses timing completely.
But Venom Sprayers long complete.
Spawned Ghouls, over a dozen, snarling viciously.
Sighting that, Elves halted, unable to approach.
Rear Ghouls killed two joining Elf Archers.
Though Ghouls traded similarly, resource gain huge.
Two Elf Archers 100 ether, two Ghouls 50.
- Opponent can't enter easily. From now, for each Priest joining, build one more Venom Sprayer matching the count.
"Priest just came, so one more."
Ghost Ship pre-placed above front yard terrain detailed enemy force intel.
Thanks to Yoo Seo-ha's prior instruction.
Opponent couldn't poke the solidly defended front yard.
No matter how strong clumped Elves...
Too many Venom Sprayers and Ghouls.
Plus, Elf arrows half damage to buildings, even more burdensome.
- Opponent main play. We have multi, stalemate favors our economy.
"True. Money overflowing."
- First, upgrade main Corpse Repository to Medium Morgue. Then 11 o'clock multi with the 9 o'clock hidden worker.
"Won't they spot and crush if forces head there?"
- Probably, but opponent's level won't notice.
"......"
Stealth multi.
Experts check resources, spot early attempts.
But rare skill.
Especially custom rooms.
Not 9 or 6, but 11 o'clock multi? Detection chance near zero.
As if proving it, opponent silently amassed forces at front yard.
- They'll push soon. Forces say front yard break committed.
"More Venom Sprayers."
- Build plenty? Multi difference 3x anyway. Block and we win.
Defense towers blanketed Kang Nari's front yard.
Sighting it, enemy forces flinched.
Wait for buildings? Certain loss.
Unfavorable, but must push.
"They're in!"
Elf Archers drank World Tree Dew, awakening bodies.
HP slightly cut, but attack/movement speed boosted.
Core Humanity infantry upgrade.
- Ghoul attack ground and just watch. Short duration.
And Yoo Seo-ha calmly addressed the Elves.
Would it really go that easily?
Kang Nari watched the battle tensely.
Soon, Elves and Ghouls clashed.