[A Trench’s HP is like a market price (TL Note: ‘Ssitga’ (싯가) here refers to the HP fluctuating wildly, making it impossible to predict or gauge, much like a market price that is constantly changing.).]
A renowned former professional player of Triarchia once stated this.
The Trench, a structure capable of housing infantry units like Elf Archers,
faithfully lives up to its name by protecting these vulnerable infantry units.
Viewed in this light, it appears to be a defensive tower with a simple function.
In fact, lacking any offensive capabilities of its own, it might even seem weaker than the defensive towers of other races.
The true issue, however, arises from the complementary relationship between the Trench and the unique characteristics of the Human race.
Repair. As their racial name suggests, Dwarves, the Human workers, possess the ability to repair damaged buildings and mechanical units.
What, then, would happen if an opponent were to rush forward, intent on destroying a Trench?
What if more than eight Dwarves swarmed around a single Trench, desperately repairing it?
An otherwise subpar defensive tower would instantly transform into an impregnable fortress.
Thus, its HP becomes like a market price. For the HP, which should have long since plummeted to zero, instead oscillates with an utterly unpredictable tenacity.
For this very reason, countless ultimate attacks from Dragonkin and Undead forces are often thwarted, unable to breach even a single Trench.
If all the tears of blood they’ve shed were collected, they would surely form a veritable sea.
Im Chan-ho’s nickname also stems from this distinctive characteristic of the Trench.
He is a pioneer who elevated the once-underestimated ‘Defensive Undead’ build into the professional scene,
and a master of late-game strategy whose win rate sharply escalates once a game extends beyond twenty minutes.
Furthermore, Im Chan-ho, renowned for possessing the top defensive prowess in the current professional scene, was bestowed the nickname ‘Trench’ by his viewers.
Indeed, if not for Kang Jun-oh, the reigning strongest player in the current professional scene, Im Chan-ho would undoubtedly be a grandmaster who would have already lifted the championship trophy multiple times.
Yet, what is the reality?
The championship trophy, always seemingly within his grasp, invariably slipped from Im Chan-ho’s hands.
As a professional gamer’s career is not eternal, he came to desire victory more fiercely than anyone else.
Thus, he couldn’t help but feel provoked.
“Oh, is that the concept?”
Even Im Chan-ho, despite his defensive strengths, was not entirely devoid of offensive capabilities.
It was only natural to return what one had received.
He engraved the word ‘counterattack’ deep within his heart.
– Oh. That’s right, it’s a concept. Honestly, I don’t really want to say such mean things, but the viewers enjoy it, so I’m forced to. Sigh….
[Don’t lie, damn it! LOL]
[Judging by how they chatted with Sung-jin too, they’re just naturally like that LOL]
[Came from Nari’s stream. That’s definitely a lie.]
[Don’t hide, be proud! You didn’t say anything wrong, did you????]
[Trench is title-less LOLOLOL]
– Everyone, I’m being unfairly treated.
“For someone claiming that, your voice sounds remarkably cheerful right now.”
– Wouldn’t I be excited? I’ve been given a free opportunity to chat freely with this season’s runner-up! Well, even if he’s title-less….
“No, do you like me or not?! Just tell me already!!”
– That’s a bit difficult to answer due to the risk of revealing my personal information.
[What does that have to do with personal info LOLOLOLOL]
[I really want to punch them for being so cheeky LOLOLOL]
[What on earth is the connection? Damn it LOLOL]
[Always raising their shield when things get disadvantageous LOLOLOLOL]
“Who could possibly identify you with that?! You’ve already revealed your real name, so no matter how I look at it, that just sounds like an excuse!”
– Well, if I say I dislike you, it would be a lie, so I can’t say that. But if I say I like you, then I could be identified, couldn’t I?
“Excuse me? Let’s assume the former is true, but why the latter?”
– How many fans could a title-less person possibly have? If someone searched for ‘Yoo Seo-ha’ among that handful of fans, I’d be immediately identified.
“I have a lot of fans, you hear me!!!”
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[15,000 viewers (a handful of fans) LOLOLOLOLOL]
[This is seriously hilarious LOLOLOLOLOL]
[Wow, damn, what a build-up LOL Makes me wonder what their real job is.]
[LOL Their way of speaking seriously makes me clutch my forehead LOLOLOLOL]
As the conversation continued, he found himself increasingly drawn into that peculiar rhythm.
And he began to understand why the viewers’ reactions were so positive.
While he was the one taking the hits in real-time, even from the receiving end, the attacks seemed to come from such utterly unexpected angles.
Outwardly, he feigned exasperation for the sake of broadcast entertainment,
but inwardly, admiration and vexation existed in equal measure.
This meant he had indeed been thoroughly provoked.
Still, his mood had largely lightened, as she had just casually hinted at being a fan.
“Look, Ms. Seo-ha. Do you perhaps hold some grudge against me?? Tell me frankly.”
– Hmm….
“Huh? What? You actually do?”
– It’s nothing major… and it’s rather difficult to say it’s entirely Mr. Chan-ho’s fault.
“What on earth is it, then?”
Wasn’t today their first meeting?
Aside from exchanging a few broadcast-related messages that morning, he had no points of contact whatsoever with Yoo Seo-ha.
Therefore, he was genuinely curious.
He wondered what about him she found disagreeable.
– You see, I recently picked up an animal.
“An animal?”
– Yes. For several days, I fed it well, bathed it, and pampered it, even successfully teaching it potty training, you know?? But then, if someone suddenly appeared and said, ‘I am the original owner of this animal,’ how would I feel?
“…That animal, surely it’s not—”
– Hey!!! Yoo Seo-haaa!!! Who are you calling an animal!!!
– I’d tell them a hundred times, and they wouldn’t understand, so I’d say it two hundred times. They’d wake up, and it would reset again. After overcoming such hardships, enduring so much trouble, I taught them how to poop, and now…
– I wasn’t that bad!!! And I’m a female streamer!!! Don’t use poop as an example, you b*tch!!!!
“I concede.”
– Master?!
It is indeed difficult to turn a beast into a human.
To what extent did Hwanung (TL Note: A mythical figure in Korean folklore, part of the Dangun myth where a bear and a tiger wished to become human. The bear succeeded after enduring 100 days of eating only mugwort and garlic.) make them eat mugwort and garlic for 100 days?
Yet, Kang Nari shed some of her beastly qualities in just a few days.
The true owner of the countless drops of sweat buried beneath this brilliant achievement
was not Im Chan-ho, but Yoo Seo-ha.
[Agreed….]
[The true master isn’t Chan-ho, for real.]
[She should be in a biography of great people….]
[How hard must it have been for that person? They probably couldn’t even tell anyone ㅠㅠ]
[Damn, they’re half serious and half teasing LOLOLOLOL]
“NTR (TL Note: A Japanese term, ‘Netorare,’ referring to a genre where one’s partner is taken by another, often implying betrayal or humiliation.) is an absolute evil that should not exist in this world. Here and now, I will recognize Ms. Yoo Seo-ha as my equal as a master.”
– Good.
– Excuse me!! What about *my* image, as the one involved?!
“Nari. Did you ever *have* an image? What kind of female streamer’s nickname is ‘chain-smoking aunt—’
*Ding!*
Kang Nari fled the group voice messenger room.
She must have hated to hear what would come next so much.
Only after Im Chan-ho had successfully soothed her and even promised never to utter that word again did she rejoin the channel.
– Just try calling me ‘auntie’ again. I won’t hold back this time!!
– Boss, aren’t you denying the ‘chain smoker’ part?
– I have a conscience. Still, everyone, please soften it to ‘avid smoker’….
“Ahem. Let’s stop the ice-breaking here and slowly get to the game, shall we?”
The main content proceeded in the form of a replay analysis.
They rewatched the match Kang Nari had lost, pointing out better strategies or how to utilize current advantages.
“A typical 12-front vs. basic double setup. Wow, you succeeded in your initial scout again? You’re still a scouting hippopotamus.”
– Boss always seems to have good luck with starting positions, don’t they?
“And yet your win rate is abysmal, that’s the mystery.”
– …Please, both of you, provide constructive feedback, not pure criticism.
Kang Nari’s Ghost Ship illuminated the opponent’s main base.
As the vision slowly revealed itself, Dwarf workers were seen constructing buildings.
Game start, 2 minutes 40 seconds. So far, there was nothing to critique.
That silence ended just past the 3-minute mark.
– Oh?
“Huh?”
– Yes? Why?
Yoo Seo-ha’s and Im Chan-ho’s voices overlapped.
Both had discovered a problem with the current situation.
And understandably so.
Four Ghouls had burst out of the main base’s building corpses.
“Why did you make Ghouls?? You saw the opponent’s build.”
– Uh… what was the opponent’s build?
“Oh dear…”
– Boss, remember this: if an Archcourt goes up at the front base before 2 minutes 30 seconds? That means it’s a 15-Archcourt.
– Uh… what’s a 15-Archcourt?
– It’s a build where they don’t make any Elf Archers and just go straight for the Archcourt.
– Ah…
“You said you were decent at Dragonkin matches, but Human matches are still far off, ugh.”
Therefore, the opponent had skipped making any units, and Kang Nari had wasted money on Ghouls she couldn’t even use.
This kind of play nullified the advantage of the initial scout.
– Even if the opponent’s scout sees me, can I just keep making workers?
“Even if the opponent knows you’re going all-workers, they’ll never get an attack timing.”
– Since you only have one basic unit training facility, and even that was idle, there’s no need to fear a rush at all.
Having recently prepared for a tournament with fellow professional gamers, Im Chan-ho had developed a habit of omitting explanations that everyone already knew.
Thus, Yoo Seo-ha meticulously filled in the gaps, helping to clarify things.
It felt as if he had gained a reliable assistant.
“Still, you caught the scouting worker with the Ghouls… and you built the Medium Ossuary and the third Corpse Storage on time.”
– Now is where it gets important, isn’t it?
“Right. What happened before was just annoying, not a huge loss.”
The opponent continued to amass Elf Archers, and Kang Nari prepared a Lich.
However, the Ghouls she had produced remained completely still.
“In times like these, you need to properly scout the opponent’s units with your Ghouls.”
– That build starts producing Priests around the 5-minute mark. You need to keep track of the number of Priests to estimate later engagements.
– Ugh… I probably wouldn’t understand even if I saw them.
– I told you before to match the number of Priests with the number of Corpse Gas Sprayers, didn’t I? Just roughly substitute them. If there are four Priests, it means you need to break through four Sprayers… something like that.
Of course, it was just an analogy, so one shouldn’t rely on it excessively,
but for Kang Nari, a complete beginner, it would at least help her grasp the basic feel.
– It definitely makes more sense using the Corpse Gas Sprayer substitution method! Like, how many are needed to break through.
– They say only those who have been beaten know how to take a beating well. You’re used to being broken through, aren’t you?
– Be quiet.
The game didn’t last long.
The Lich attacked to prevent the opponent from gathering Elves, but it suffered significant losses in terms of trade ratio.
The weakened Undead failed to stop the opponent’s timing push and lost.
It was a common scenario, but one that Kang Nari had experienced dozens of times.
– Seo-ha, Master. I lose Human matches like this every time… that’s why I brought this. I’ve experienced it more than once or twice, but I just can’t figure out a solution.
“Hmm… how about giving up on Lich micro-control for now?”
– Kuaaak!!
[Wow, damn, three Elves die, but three Liches die LOL]
[Miraculous trade ratio LOL]
[It would be better to just let them auto-attack, damn it LOL]
[Only one word comes to mind: terrible…]
“Just kidding. Actually, the problem is clear. You’re playing too aggressively.”
– Boss, there’s no need to force a micro-control fight where a bunch of Elf Archers are gathered. Even if you take some damage, go into their main base and harass their workers.
“That’s right. Especially with your hands, Nari, that’s something you absolutely shouldn’t do….”
– You should only pick off newly produced Elf Archers, then aim for their main base the moment the opponent pushes out. That’s the most difficult situation for Humans to time against.
“Hey. Today’s broadcast is a freebie, isn’t it? It’s easy because I don’t have to talk much.”
– Hmm. Do people’s faces usually get thicker as they age? I don’t want to get old….
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[I’m almost 30 too, so I can’t laugh…..]
[Chan-ho is so shameless today LOL Seeing him abandon Kang Nari and even delegate her education LOLOL]
[Auto-hunt ON LOL]
“Ugh!! Just when I thought you’d stop with the ‘title-less’ jokes, now it’s my age?!”
– Repetition is a basic principle of comedy, but too much becomes excessive. We need to find new material soon.
“So why are you focusing on hitting me?!”
– You threw potty training at me and then said things like, ‘It’s nice to get a free ride!’ How is that anything but asking to be hit?
“…”
– I thought Mr. Chan-ho had awakened to a masochistic tendency.
– I told you it wasn’t potty training!!! Kyaaak!!
[I have nothing to say LOLOLOL]
[Everything is a fact LOLOLOL]
[There’s really no rebuttal LOLOL]
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[Auto-hunt (sometimes hunts the owner too) LOLOLOL]
[Is there an archaeopteryx next to them? My ears are going to burst because of Kang Nari.]
“Ms. Seo-ha. If we’re going to keep hitting each other like this, why don’t we just drop formalities? Let me try to counterattack for once.”
– Should we, Chan-ho?
“Hey!! I told you to call me uncle, who told you to just drop formalities like that?! You and I have more than a 10-year age difference, are you kidding me?!”
– Oh, sorry. That wasn’t it. I’m just not very good at manners according to 30-something standards.
[Seriously, they’re completely insane LOLOLOLOL]
[Look at them dropping formalities without a second of hesitation LOLOLOLOL]
[Should we, Chan-ho? LOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[These Gen Z kids are really spicy, damn it LOLOLOLOL]
“Alright, Seo-ha. At this point, I’m curious. Are you even holding back right now?”
– Holding back?
“Are you hitting me with 100% of your true power?”
– Of course not. I’m obviously choosing my words carefully. I’m not that ill-mannered of a person.
“…?”
Im Chan-ho was momentarily stunned.
He wasn’t the only one, as even the chat window briefly froze.
*This* was her choosing her words carefully?
Was that even possible?
“…Then, could you show me just once? Your 100% power.”
– Oh… really?
“No, I’m genuinely curious because it feels like I’m taking the red pill. I just want a taste of how painful it would be if you truly went all out to hit me.”
– Hmm…. You’ll regret it, though.
– Master? Seriously, you should stop…. I still remember Professor Le—kuaaak!
“Just a little taste, then. What do you say, Seo-ha, can you do it?”
– Hmmm…
A brief moment of contemplation.
Then, Im Chan-ho’s headset speakers began to ring.
