Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 697

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Archer’s Streaming Season 3 Episode 167
55. The Fourth Age Battle (3)
Joseon held the advantage fighting in the Third Age, while the Vikings suffered a disadvantage in the Third Age.
The Third Age was the decisive turning point for victory and defeat.
So why did Cookie decide to push the battle into the Fourth Age?
The reason came down to a single player.
‘I need to minimize combat.’
I cannot perform at my full capacity outside of my dedicated capsule. Especially my stamina drops significantly, and my sustained combat duration plummets.
I had to keep battles to two or fewer per game.
But even that depends on the battle itself.
In the first match, I had fought through what amounted to three or four consecutive battles.
Moreover, in the current second match, I had already engaged in one battle.
‘That was a situation where we would lose if we didn’t fight.’
Forced into an all-out offensive, I had fought on the front lines of combat in the second match as well.
Now I could no longer be deployed as a combat unit.
I needed to secure victory through strategy.
I had to minimize the time I spent drawing my bowstring.
‘Mounted archer combat consumes far too much energy.’
Frantically drawing my bowstring toward enemies from horseback could strain me beyond my current limits.
Instead, Cookie chose the standing archer formation, where I could stand still and simply draw my bowstring to devastate enemies.
On top of that, Cookie assigned me the role of scout.
Scouts can become quite capable combat personnel if they put their minds to it, but in reality, scouts rarely get caught up in large-scale battles.
That’s simply their nature from the start.
Yet their role is crucial.
It was the perfect troop type for a weakened me to command.
[Move]
He issued a movement order to me and Coffee, my guide.
One scout and one assistant commander.
That’s how critical this mission was.
[Infiltrate]
The mission was to infiltrate the Viking main base.
If this succeeds, Joseon will claim victory in this Fourth Age battle.
If it fails, we will be defeated.
Either way, I wouldn’t get caught up in any major battles.
The other archers would handle the fighting.
That was what the standing archer formation was for.
‘These archers have been trained to focus on standing archer formations rather than mounted archery.’
Contrary to the commentators’ expectations, the standing archer formation was a prepared strategy.
Of course, this hadn’t been practiced specifically against the Vikings.
Cookie had judged that the standing archer formation could become Joseon’s surprise tactic, so he had the archers repeatedly drill it.
[Snipe Standby]
Peep.
Cookie marks specific positions on the map for the crossbow unit, issuing orders.
Led by Pangeo, the sniper unit takes their positions and each draws out a ‘tong-a’—a thin wooden tube that allows them to nock arrows properly on the bowstring.
Just as modern snipers require preparation, sniping with the Gakgung also demands careful setup.
They all insert arrow nocks into their tong-a tubes, position themselves, and lock their bodies in place.
Then they aim toward the distant battlefield.
There, the Swordsman unit clashes body-to-body with the Vikings, forming ranks.
Snap!
The enemies form their own lines in opposition.
The central region—currently the only area with remaining resources.
Red and blue dots converge there.
Grrrrrrrr…!
Not just the Swordsman unit, but siege weapons wait in the rear as well.
The moment the Vikings advance even one step further, these will respond first and fire.
Using siege weapons against infantry is inefficient, but these are no ordinary siege weapons.
[Shingi-jeon × 5]
I now possess five Shingi-jeon units.
Anti-personnel mass casualty weapons that load hundreds of arrows and fire them all at once.
Mechanical equipment requiring a commander to control and direct the strikes.
Tension flashed across my eyes.
“Huh.”
I exhale shallowly and scan the map quickly.
Massive forces are gathering in the center.
As the standoff continues, the arena falls silent.
No one dares to speak.
Taut tension flows through both sides.
The moment anyone moves, this thin veil will snap and chaos will erupt instantly—such was the quiet.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
A sound echoes from outside—whether it’s a war drum or a heartbeat, I cannot tell.
That moment—
‘It’s begun.’
Kuguguguguuu…!
The Vikings charge forward.
“Chaaaaaaarge!!”
Red dots surge toward the blue dots in unison.
Their momentum is so overwhelming it feels like storm clouds rolling in.
I immediately reach for the Shingi-jeon.
[Loading]
They decide on their attack positions.
[Impact Zone]
Whoosh!
I ignite the Singi-jeon.
Flames consume the device.
“KRAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
The Vikings charge forward with savage roars.
Beyond that grassland, the soldiers finally catch sight of them.
In an instant, their expressions betray their intimidation.
“W-when do we go?!”
The soldiers grip their weapons tighter as they ask.
“When do we go?!”
“Wait!”
Swish.
Bread raises his hand high.
The moment that hand drops, we countercharge.
Bread’s gaze turns toward the forest.
The sniper unit will send the signal.
‘Not yet.’
Still nothing.
Bread keeps his hand raised, watching the right flank.
Then it came.
BOOM——
The Singi-jeon erupts with crimson firepower, unleashing hundreds of arrows across the battlefield.
[The Singi-jeon! It’s firing!]
[This is Joseon’s total war effort! This is civilization! Barbarians!]
The commentators reach fever pitch as arrows paint the sky like fireworks.
Even the Vikings’ attention is momentarily captured.
[Vikings responding!]
[Shields up!]
They all raise their shields skyward in unison.
Crash-crash-crash!
Boom!
Arrows shatter against the shields with deafening clamor, and several Vikings collapse from the impact alone.
Yet the Vikings appear to have successfully repelled the Singi-jeon’s barrage.
Then Pangeo shouts.
Snap!
As the flag rises.
“CHAAAAAAARGE!!!”
The sound of bowstrings echoes across the entire forest.
Birds nesting in the forest burst upward and scatter from the sheer force of the arrow storm.
However, this sound never reached the Vikings’ ears.
The arrows came first.
Pshhhhhhhh!
A barrage of sniper arrows pouring in from the left.
Those who couldn’t turn their shields sideways in time to block the divine arrows died instantly, and even those who managed to raise them tumbled across the battlefield.
The tremendous velocity and piercing power of my arrows, combined with the full stack of concentration—devastating damage incarnate.
Crack…!
The shields tore like paper, scattering everywhere. Those holding them met the same fate.
“Gah!”
“How many are there…!?”
──Whoooooosh!!!
Only then did the arrow’s whistle reach their ears.
Those who heard this sound were the ones who managed to survive.
More than half were still alive.
Actually, all of them were alive.
[Valhalla]
The Vikings all rose to their feet, their bodies enveloped in white light as they charged forward again.
Valhalla—the Viking faction of the Fourth Age.
Was it an optical illusion?
White light burst from behind one Viking’s back, and the light transformed into wings.
Whoosh!
She spread her wings and cried out.
“Forward! To Valhalla!!!”
White light enveloped all the Vikings as they surged forward at tremendous speed.
-Wow
-Insane
-Crazy
-Valkyrie buff OP
-Whoa
-Terrifying
Warriors who knew no death.
This was the perfected form of the Vikings.
[Ah! That—that’s a special unit! A Valkyrie, right!? Defense buff! Movement speed buff! Plus her own combat prowess is exceptional!!!]
[Yes! She’s the vanguard of the battlefield, granting special buffs! In the original mythology, she’s the warrior woman who carries the slain to Valhalla! That’s the concept!]
[Her role remains unchanged even now! If you charge following her orders, it’s a direct ticket to Valhalla!?]
-Lmaooooo
-That’s true tho lol
-Express train to heaven lol
-Jesse’s crew is insane OP
-Vikings really have that romantic faction appeal
-Whoa
-Magnificent
Uuuuuuung!
The defense buff and movement speed buff activate simultaneously, and the distance between the Vikings and Joseon soldiers narrows in an instant.
Yet Bread’s hand still pointed upward.
Still waiting.
‘Hah….’
She steadied her breathing.
Facing the Viking army charging toward her, practically blazing with ferocity, wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heart pounded wildly in all directions.
‘Will it work.’
Doubt crept in insidiously.
It always happened in situations like this.
‘If it doesn’t….’
Whiiiiiiiii!
Then, the signal of releasing the hawk rings out.
Coffee, the other Assistant Commander, had used the hawk release ability.
‘Almond has departed.’
This was a kind of signal Coffee had sent.
Now I could only trust.
‘Now.’
At that moment, Bread’s hand came down with sharp resolve.
Slash!
“Chargeeeeeeeee!!”
“Waaaaaaaaaaa!”
The Joseon Swordsman unit charges forward, while the Shingijeong slowly retreats backward.
[The Vikings have siege weapons too!? They’re counterattacking!]
The siege weapons the Vikings had prepared now began spewing fire in return.
Boom boom…!
[The mounted archers!? The mounted archers are providing fire support… Huh?!]
[The Viking Onager! It’s targeting exactly where the mounted archer unit is!!]
The point they struck wasn’t the charging Swordsman unit, but the forest where the mounted archers were positioned.
Crash!
Fiery red-hot stones flew through the air, burning the forest to ash.
Perhaps everyone inside it as well.
[The archers are too weak against that Onager! If they’re grouped together like this, they’ll be wiped out in an instant! Ahhhhh…!]
With the sniper unit’s support cut off in an instant, the close combat between the Swordsmen and Vikings began.
[Close combat without mounted archer support!? This won’t work!]
[There are still many Vikings who haven’t entered Valhalla! This is….]
The moment their front lines clashed─
Shhwaaaaaack!
Jesse swung her massive greatsword, cleaving through two enemies in a single stroke.
“──Guurgh!”
Vikings wielding twin axes split the skulls of the swordsmen, hacking them in two.
Splurt!
Splurch!
Yet the swordsmen retaliated, killing several in return. Waldo tore into Viking flesh, spraying blood everywhere.
Shhwack!
“Stay sharp! We’re taking as many as we can!”
Bread galloped forward, shouting.
It was an all-out assault, with even the Assistant Commanders joining the fray.
An axe flew from somewhere, smashing the horse’s head.
Thud!
“Ugh…!”
By system rules, horses were nearly immune to ranged weapons, but thrown axes weren’t classified as ranged weapons.
This was why Vikings weren’t particularly weak against cavalry.
Whiiiing…!
The horse shrieked and collapsed, throwing Bread from the saddle.
“P-Protect Bread!”
“Guard the Assistant Commander! He’s dismounted!”
The front line swordsmen charged forward.
Their swords were already crimson, with no trace of steel visible.
Yet the blood clinging to those blades suddenly lifted into the air.
“!?”
Moments later, it flew back to its original owners and was absorbed.
The Vikings the swordsmen had killed rose to their feet once more.
“To Valhalla!!!”
“Waaaaaaaaa!!!”
The swordsmen were cut down again.
From behind and from the sides, the resurrected Vikings swung their axes, recovering their vitality.
Still, these were Joseon’s elite front line swordsmen.
They responded skillfully with their blades.
[Axe Warrior]
The Axe Warrior faction activated, and their axe strikes became noticeably faster.
Clang! Clang-clang!
The swords bounced pitifully back and forth.
Crack!
A thrown axe suddenly caught one of them in the throat.
“Gaaaah!”
Maratang falls, defeated.
Engaging in close combat against enemies with higher stamina who could even resurrect was clearly madness.
“Damn it….”
Bread pushed herself up, on the verge of uttering her own name.
──Whoosh!
Jesse’s greatsword cleaved through her neck.
Even the Assistant Commander, who couldn’t be revived once dead, had fallen.
The Vikings’ direct combat prowess transcended imagination.
This was clearly a crushing defeat.
[Ahhh! The battle! You’re collapsing too much!!]
[This… Will Joseon really go to a third match!?]
[Joseon nooooo!]
The Vikings roared in victory, trampling over Joseon’s corpses as they pursued the Singijeon.
One Singijeon was already captured and burning.
The fallen Bread glared at the flames with a bitter expression, but her soul was already departing and rising away.
「I… actually wanted to win the championship.」
A voice rang out as if confessing an embarrassing mistake.
It was Dujun’s voice.
He spoke as though he’d committed some grave error.
「But I couldn’t say it.」
「Then why did you say it like that?」
He’d always said he’d be satisfied just reaching the main tournament.
「Everyone’s struggling.」
「…?」
「Nobody really wants to commit to a game like this. Taking something so trivial seriously… I thought it was pathetic, annoying.」
Baram shook her head.
No.
If you’re in a tournament, wanting to win is only natural.
Why hide that?
「Your whining is even more pathetic. If you’re so frustrated, you win the championship next time.」
「What…? Next time? You’re coming back next year too? You said you were getting a job.」
「I got rejected on all my applications. Just stop crying.」
Her words didn’t quite match her heart.
Regardless, she too wanted to win the championship.
Because the people she was with wanted it.
So she wanted it too.
Baram squeezed her eyes shut.
She couldn’t bear to watch this end.
‘I thought I’d at least grasped at a straw.’
As the Commander, she understood better than anyone.
If we lose here, the third match will have even less hope.
The greatest difference between strong and weak teams reveals itself in prolonged battles.
Joseon cannot endure a situation where the front line grows exhausted and the second line must deploy with starter equipment.
Defeat is inevitable.
That fragile hope, barely within grasp, scatters and vanishes.
Falling from such heights truly hurts this much.
And yet—
‘What?’
Wings of White Light.
‘I haven’t fallen yet.’
Wings that seemed to speak those very words unfurled before my eyes, shimmering into existence.
Whoooosh!
White Light radiates brilliantly, enveloping her.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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