Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Mysterious All-Rounder
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[Ttalpi Reader]: What are you doing?
[Ttalpi Reader]: No Tomb 3-something?
[^______^]: Ah, caught too early.
There were no underground tombs in the enemy's main base—the structures needed to produce ghouls, the Undead's attack units.
The only thing there was the main building, the Corpse Repository.
Moreover, the absence of a Corpse Repository in the main base meant they weren't producing even a single attack unit. They were going for a two-multi start build.
If I let this slide, defeat was certain.
The enemy having secured two multis meant their resource intake would gradually ramp up.
There was no way I could compete while mining resources only from my main.
But the weakness was obvious, too.
Right now, aside from workers, the enemy had zero attack units.
They had almost no means to defend against my assault.
No, wait. Even for a custom room...
This was way too aggressive?
How much did they underestimate me?
My own main base already had a basic barracks completed, with one elf archer out.
As the only basic combat unit among the three races capable of anti-air attacks, I used the elf archer to chase off the ghost ship that was openly spying on me.
After taking a few arrows, the ghost ship sluggishly retreated to a spot out of reach up on the terrain.
That blocked the enemy from blatantly scouting my moves.
I immediately queued up a second elf archer and began preparations for combat.
[^______^]: No harassment pls
With my scouting dwarf, I kept harassing the enemy's skeleton workers, disrupting their resource gathering nonstop.
Dwarves had short limbs, so their attack range was short, but among the three races' workers, they were the toughest.
After annoying them a few times like that, I closed in on a lone skeleton worker that had wandered off mining ether without others nearby.
In Triachia, you couldn't build a structure if there was a unit or terrain blocking the spot.
I was exploiting that to deny the enemy from building their underground tomb.
At the same time, I ordered my three elf archers and five dwarf workers to charge into the enemy's main.
By the time they arrived at the enemy's natural expansion, a fourth elf archer would join them.
The classic cheese rush timing.
The goal was to strike while the enemy had no attack units and force losses on them.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Gonna die?
[^______^]: Nah
[^______^]: lol
To that end, I'd delayed their underground tomb construction even a little.
Though they immediately rebuilt it with another skeleton once disrupted, I'd bought a few extra seconds.
They'd seen me mobilizing even my workers, thanks to partial vision from the ghost ship.
The enemy had likely steeled themselves mentally.
But it didn't matter.
I'd never profited much from these cheese rushes before, but now I could control units with fine precision.
Six dwarves in total, including the workers from the enemy main.
And three elf archers, plus one more just produced and joining.
A one-sided chance to attack.
- Clank! Clank!
By the time my forces arrived at the enemy's natural, over eight skeleton workers had poured out.
The match came down to one thing.
Break through and win. Get blocked and lose.
Without chatting, both of us focused purely on control.
Four skeletons headed to the rear to pick off the incoming elf archers one by one.
I blocked them with my dwarves' plump bodies, then had an elf archer focus-fire one skeleton.
- Crack!
Unable to withstand the pickaxe swings and arrow barrage, one skeleton crumbled in an instant.
I ordered one dwarf worker to dig a trench right in front of the enemy natural.
Once that trench was complete, the elf archers inside it would shine, so the enemy had to stop it at all costs.
- Clank!!
But the enemy ignored it, clumping their skeleton workers and charging at the rear elf archers.
Worker units could overlap in layers without collision when mining, and the enemy was exploiting that.
The block crumbled meaninglessly, and one elf archer got surrounded by several skeletons and attacked.
- Kyaaak!
The encircled elf archer got mobbed, unable to escape, and was quickly taken down.
A twitch. My eyebrow flickered.
Because the enemy's decision-making was no joke.
'Tch. Normally, they'd go for the worker digging the trench...'
Even if the trench finished, without elf archers to put inside, it'd be a wasted investment.
The enemy trusted their control and struck exactly that weak point.
They'd read my plan to bait with the trench-digging dwarf and whittle skeletons.
But I had no intention of letting them have it that easily.
My mouse hand moved fluidly, clicking repeatedly.
Skeletons charging at another elf archer.
I kited the targeted elf archer in circles while my dwarves chopped into the skeletons.
Another one joined from behind, bringing elf archers back to three.
The enemy kept switching targets instantly whenever I kited, going for others, but...
[^______^]: Ah
[^______^]: Hold on a sec
My reaction speed and multitasking were the keys to my old scores.
And now, my steady mouse hand was shining.
I could issue precise orders amid the tangle of over a dozen units.
In this skirmish, I lost zero elf archers.
The enemy lost a whopping three skeletons.
A brief lull set in again.
The screen flicked as I ordered a dwarf worker from my main to build in my natural.
Basic multitasking.
You couldn't stop spending your piled-up cash even mid-fight.
[^______^]: Advanced barracks
In the end, the trench completed unhindered.
I quickly ordered the orphaned elf archer into the trench.
Skeletons tried their best to stop it but only managed to snag one.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Got more?
[^______^]: Not lost yet
[^______^]: Nice control
[^______^]: But you're old...
As soon as two elf archers entered the trench, ghouls burst out at perfect timing.
But the sturdy wooden fence in front turned those aggressive ghouls into unemployed slackers.
Arrows relentlessly pounded the Corpse Repository in the enemy natural.
It'd crumble soon enough.
Momentum had clearly swung my way, but victory wasn't sealed.
That was why the enemy hadn't surrendered.
They had a multi in the back too, no doubt pumping out ghouls there.
If they could smash the trench from both sides with ghouls, rebuild the Repository, and push to late game.
But wasn't something off?
Why no more elf archers joining after the first one?
The answer was simple.
I'd diverted resources from elf archers elsewhere.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Hey
[^______^]: Yes??
I timed my knight—hidden out of sight—rushing into the enemy main as they typed their reply.
Normally, ghouls would've body-blocked the path, but they were delayed by the chat.
Thanks to that, the mounted human knight smoothly climbed the hill and entered the enemy main.
[^______^]: No way
[^______^]: Cheese strat?
Multitasking was my forte, as I'd said.
Even mid-skirmish, I'd quickly built an advanced barracks and timed the knight production perfectly.
The enemy had let their guard down.
Because they'd misread my build.
[^______^]: ??? Wasn't it double basic barracks? You built Supreme Court in your natural
[^______^]: How's a knight out this early?
[^______^]: Cheat map?
[Ttalpi Reader]: Check my natural again
Sure enough, as the enemy said, a building was going up in my natural.
But not the 400-mineral main base upgrade Supreme Court—it was just the 150-mineral basic barracks.
A bait exploiting how both buildings look identical during construction.
So, unlike what the enemy thought, I had 250 minerals to spare.
They'd spotted the building the size of a Supreme Court in my natural via minimap,
but amid the intense fight, had no time to click on it and check the name.
[^______^]: Ah...
After confirming, the enemy typed despondently.
Who could they blame?
Their fault for not checking properly.
Thanks to that, I thriftily spent the 250 minerals, and the knight popped out.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Plus, the knight running was visible in ghost ship vision for a bit...
.
.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Your fault for missing it, right? lol
I kept typing mid-chat while controlling the knight.
In this situation, not chatting would've been a mistake, so I tapped it out fast with my familiar three-finger setup.
Serves you right for focusing on worker control and ignoring the minimap.
True to form, the enemy went silent, no retorts.
The mounted knight relentlessly hurled javelins, tormenting the mining skeletons.
Ghouls rushed back to main in a panic, but two legs can't outrun four—common sense.
The knight effortlessly dodged ghoul swipes while ghosting javelins only into skeletons.
Two. Then three.
The knight's kill count kept climbing.
Losing this many workers meant they couldn't match my production in the upcoming army clashes.
The match was effectively over.
[^______^]: GG
[^______^]: Rematch?
The enemy knew it too, raising the white flag.
Followed by an instant rematch request.
I ignored it and typed stoically.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Hmm
[^______^]: Got careless, pls rematch
[Ttalpi Reader]: Hmm
[^______^]: No rematch?
.
.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Your multitasking sucked, and now your memory too...?
The ghouls gave up chasing the knight and just stood there.
Of course, I kept obsessively picking off their workers.
The knight finally stopped javelins only when no skeletons remained.
The enemy's main looked aesthetically cleaner now.
[^______^]: Hands together, bowing politely
[^______^]: Please.
[^______^]: Rematch pls.
A little time passed before the chat appeared.
It bore traces of deep agony.
Only then did I smile and nod.
Teaching manners to an arrogant player is always fun.
With that humble tone, I gladly hit the keys.
Slowly, with all five fingers this time.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Nah
[Ttalpi Reader]: Gotta go to academy
[^______^]: ?
[^______^]: You're not a student
[^______^]: And it's weekday morning, what academy?
.
.
[Ttalpi Reader]: For this rematch, count it as your win lol
[^______^]: Did everything you asked
[^______^]: Why no rematch
.
.
[Ttalpi Reader]: Yeah thought about it
[Ttalpi Reader]: Decided no
[^______^]: Scared??
.
.
[Ttalpi Reader]: lol
[Ttalpi Reader]: Practice multitasking more
[Ttalpi Reader]: Next time click buildings for sure
[^______^]: No
[Ttalpi Reader]: kk
- Ttalpi Reader has left the game.
"Kugh! That was fun after so long."
I stretched languidly as I said it.
Beating a skilled opponent always fills you with the most pride.
I left first, so they took the loss, but I rarely play custom rooms anyway.
No regrets at all.
The enemy tried provoking as I showed signs of leaving,
but my Triachia discipline runs deep—no getting mad at "scared?" taunts.
I knew quitting now would piss them off the most, so I held back with elegant restraint.
"Ah... Craving nicotine."
Times like this call for a smoke.
But my fragile throat couldn't handle cigarette smoke right now.
Then it hit me: vaping.
I'd avoided it before since it couldn't match the heft of real cigs, but maybe perfect for my current body.
Plus, time to kick the nicotine habit, and my wallet's tight...
I considered quitting smoking altogether, but honestly, I knew it was impossible.
Smoking's not just addiction—it's habit. Your mouth gets bored, and you keep thinking about it.
Smokers call it "nicotine cravings."
Reflecting on myself.
How could a two-pack-a-day chain smoker quit in one day?
Switching to vaping would be a huge improvement.
My brain was already hooked, not just my body.
With that self-justification done, I grabbed my clothes and headed out.