Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Infinite Harassment
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As I mentioned before, most Triachia players change their IDs without much hesitation.
Since accounts only accumulate game count and win rates, there's no burden of reincarnation.
So, there are plenty of players who create new accounts every day to craft a more beautiful record.
Of course, some stick to a single account.
I'm somewhere in between.
Over the two years I've been hooked on Triachia, I've switched accounts only a handful of times.
Of course, my "handful"—using fingers as an example—means three or fewer, not five.
Ttalpi Reader.
I recreated the account I'd used for about six months before my body changed.
Before diving into our third match, I want to clarify the origin of this ID.
Triachia has very low player inflow, so most of its user base consists of what young folks call "old-timers."
Even rotten herring is still herring, I suppose.
Thanks to its past prestige, people my age know the game exists.
But they mostly experience it through streamers' videos rather than playing themselves.
And I'm one of the rare young users in that crowd.
Is it my age? Or innate talent?
Objectively speaking, my multitasking and reaction speed rank in the upper tiers.
So, anyone who drags me into a long game ends up exhausted.
This was my sharpest, most honed weapon.
Today, I'd silently ask my opponent the same question.
Can your brain keep up with battles raging in three or four places at once?
*
Kim Sung-jin deliberately ignored the chat window.
Two losses in a row.
His pride was bruised, sure, but he hadn't crossed that inner line yet.
It's a sub-race.
For average gamers, the gap between main and sub races is at least two tiers.
For example, a Humanity main at S-tier would be A- at best on Undead.
Through endless streams, Kim Sung-jin had familiarized himself with all three races, narrowing that gap by one tier.
On Dragonkin, his skill was top amateur level.
But he's not the only top amateur, so he could lose to peers.
Humanity was different.
His main since trainee days, he maintained semi-pro level even after retiring from the pro scene long ago.
And ditching his usual entertainment builds for serious play?
That was when he truly earned the "Siri" nickname.
"I'll play quietly. This opponent's no pushover."
He took a sip of water to calm his mind.
Both he and his opponent had picked Humanity.
No excuses if he lost now.
Mirror matches reveal basic skill gaps most clearly.
He couldn't lose on his main.
Even if his peak was past, his ex-pro pride remained.
Has-been. The word pros dreaded most.
No one wanted that label.
So he approached it desperately, seriously.
Kim Sung-jin's pride was on the line. Game start.
What build to go?
Barracks double, wary of opponent's eight basic troops?
Or safe advanced barracks first?
No. In the end, only one choice.
A dwarf worker began constructing a supply depot near the natural expansion.
Only one start like this.
Safe Double.
Sub-race defense and main-race defense are worlds apart.
Especially Humanity, the most defense-oriented of the three.
Even against eight basic troops, he was confident he could hold.
Sure enough, the Supreme Court started rising in his natural.
At about 3/4 build, the opponent's worker spotted Kim Sung-jin's position.
The opponent's chat popped up, confirming the Safe Double.
As expected, an early rush incoming?
Kim Sung-jin had scouted the opponent's main with a worker too.
He was at 11 o'clock. Opponent at 7.
Straight vertical line.
Couldn't enter due to elf archers at the ramp, but he'd gleaned some info peeking while eating arrows.
Torch out at the basic barracks.
No additional elf archers from opponent's basics.
Safe Double succeeded flawlessly.
Situation flipped from the last game.
Victory goddess smiled on Kim Sung-jin after three tries.
Kim Sung-jin's natural ramp was narrowed by two supply depots and basic barracks, shrinking the wide alley minimally.
Basic sim-city.
Using building sizes to prevent opponent's forces from piling in at once.
He pulled workers aside, hiding them at 6 o'clock outskirts.
To time the opponent's natural later.
Time passed without clashes. With workers piled on natural, resource income ramped up.
Then, the hidden dwarf at 6 took hits.
The dwarf had two or three spears in it.
Opponent's knight had killed Kim Sung-jin's worker.
Two advanced barracks building in Kim Sung-jin's main too.
Few options for opponent in this disadvantage.
Frontal timing rush? Delayed natural? Air harassment? Unknown.
Couldn't confirm without worker.
Air possible, so minimal prep.
Built Multi-Race Council with spare resources.
Usually for infantry strats maining elf archers, but
no fool mains infantry vs Humanity mirror.
But it enables policy declarations from Supreme Court.
Humanity's racial feature: policies.
Declare on buildings for new functions/research.
E.g., Multi-Race Council unlocks [Policy Declaration - Central Election Office] on Supreme Court.
Advanced barracks gets [Policy Declaration - Magic Specialization] for battle mages.
Election Office essential. Temporary map hack.
Reveals any fog of war briefly.
Lore: dispatching spies.
Queued a knight from fresh advanced barracks, sent to opponent's natural.
Replacing lost worker with knight scout.
Detoured to avoid detection.
Opponent's two knights caught and attacked it.
Kim Sung-jin micro'd max to pierce javelin barrage, reach natural.
Would've been nice alive, but mission done—impaled dead.
"Tch…."
No natural yet signaled aggressive army moves.
To avoid losses, match army production.
Sure enough.
Opponent's battle mage and knights hit his natural.
Battle mage drew rune on ground.
From research: "War Rune Blueprint Research" complete.
Rune-grounded mage immobile but gains insane range, AoE.
Usually prioritize knight speed or dragon traps, but
opponent went mage research first—unorthodox.
"Guaranteed mage trade win like this…? Why? Doesn't look great."
Perfectly holdable, honestly.
Kim Sung-jin producing mages too, resource lead means army advantage.
Rune research pricey too.
1.5x knight dual upgrades.
Leaves main army light.
Proved: only one rune mage arrived.
Buildings far from crumbling.
By then, Kim Sung-jin counter-ready.
Prediction spot-on: his mages out, opponent retreated meekly.
Hard to pierce rune mage for main poke, but
could check to deny natural.
His army camped opponent's natural ramp.
No dragon traps, so unhindered.
What was opponent doing? Past two games flukes? Bad decision-maker?
Way too suspicious.
Used policy to reveal opponent's main.
His face darkened.
Only one advanced barracks in opponent's main. Prepping a "one-shot."
Prediction correct.
Hot air balloon appeared over Kim Sung-jin's main.
Finally pieced it together.
Fast balloon knight drop.
Front defended by rune mage.
Opponent's plan.