Genius Archer’s Streaming - Chapter 823

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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 293
95. Tangfang Strategy (3)
The Ming Dynasty.
China was essentially a civilization that existed for the sake of reaching this Ming Dynasty era.
Only now could I finally utilize all the factions I had accumulated, being reborn as a complete China.
[Unification of All Under Heaven]
This is called “Unification of All Under Heaven.”
[All existing civilizations are integrated and all factions are applied.]
The Yuan’s explosive arrows that scatter enemies in panic, the Liao’s aggressive iron-clad cavalry, the Jin’s stalwart soldiers and formation-based buffs, the Song’s defensive crossbowmen and economic capabilities—all these civilization traits converge into one. That is, quite literally, the meaning of Unification of All Under Heaven.
‘Finally.’
Like all Chinese civilization players, Youbi had been waiting for this moment.
There was a tendency to think that since China had different faction characteristics by era and could alternate between various factions, the game could be played with tremendous advantage.
But that wasn’t actually the case.
While other civilizations grew progressively stronger as they accumulated factions one by one with each advancing era, China could only use a single faction at any given moment.
Up to the second era, it could be said to be more flexible and advantageous, but by the third era alone, China began to fall behind.
China had to alternate between multiple second-era factions, as it essentially had no third era.
In other words, China was theoretically always stuck in the second era.
Ultimately, if they failed to properly utilize this system transition, they couldn’t even withstand the firepower pouring out from other nations’ third eras.
Therefore, China was the civilization with the largest skill gap and disparity between the professional world and casual players.
So did casual players rarely play China? If asked, the answer was no.
Despite this, the Chinese civilization enjoyed great popularity among players.
And the reason was precisely this moment.
[Ming Dynasty]
Boom.
“The Ming Dynasty!? China just reached the Ming Dynasty!?”
“Ah…”
Once the Ming Dynasty was reached, all previous problems were solved.
All the power of every civilization accumulated intact while simultaneously unlocking the Ming Dynasty’s unique faction.
The Ming Dynasty’s representative unique faction is “Advanced Technology.”
This is a faction focused on siege weapons.
All siege weapons produced from the Ming’s special building, the “Technology Institute,” emerge with increased health and attack power.
Simply put, even if you produced them for the same cost, the siege weapons would be stronger.
“Wait, wait a moment!? If the Ming Dynasty appears at this timing! This is unexpected!?”
Joseon was still in the third era.
China had ascended to the Ming Dynasty, the so-called fifth era, so even if Joseon controlled the Central Plains and multiplied resources exponentially, the commentators found the situation unsettling.
-Scary
-What is this
-The fifth era came faster than the fourth era
-Damn, there’s a one-shot potential
“Well, China reaching the Ming Dynasty quickly is frightening, certainly, but there’s no major reason for Joseon to be shaken.”
“Yes! We won 200 versus 200 decisively! We had a 9-to-1 advantage, and now it’s down to 8-to-2! We’re not losing!?”
“And Joseon! As we started consuming the central territories, our resources have been skyrocketing!?”
Indeed, as they began consuming the resources in the map’s center, Joseon’s resource score was steadily pulling ahead of China’s.
“Exactly! We built up a huge lead beforehand!?”
“But! China! Now that they’ve become the Ming Dynasty, their resources… their resources aren’t decreasing!?”
As China became the Ming Dynasty, the Song Dynasty’s economic faction was automatically applied as well.
So the per-minute resource score graph was beginning to stir again.
“This, this can’t be given time! Right now is when they have the least money!”
“Now is the cheapest! Is this some kind of Gangnam real estate!? China! Their birth rate followed the trend too, and now this!!”
Hahahahaha
-King apartment…
lol
Why are you following me lol
-This is too scary;
“Joseon! They’re moving right now!?”
“Securing property values early! That’s it!?”
“Yes! But as you know, if you carelessly touch real estate, it inflates several times over!? In one blow! You have to cut off their lifeline in one strike! Joseon!!!”
Joseon still has generals from the 3rd era, but they’re advancing directly into China regardless.
That’s how much they can’t afford to look back.
“That’s right! The fact that China just advanced to the Ming Dynasty actually means they’re at their most vulnerable!”
While not as much as other civilizations, China too has significant weaknesses immediately after becoming Ming.
Not only have the weapons incorporating Ming technology not all been produced yet, but Ming’s vaunted gunpowder units have only just begun producing a couple of them.
“And right now, China has no troops! They’re rebuilding from scratch!?”
Only Guan Yu and the small cavalry unit he commanded survived. China’s current troop count was below 50.
“The term ‘human wave tactics’ is rendered meaningless! For China!”
-So should we push now?
-I’m worried
-Can’t drag it out, gotta go
Let’s go ㅠㅠ Let’s win ㅠㅠ
China has become the Ming Dynasty, but their troop count is only 34.
Joseon is still in the 3rd era, but their troop count is approaching 150. On top of that, they have 12 siege weapons deployed.
If they advance as is, China cannot stop them.
“But! China! This is a decision!? They’ve positioned their troops in the rear!?”
China isn’t putting up a fight with their 34 troops, but has withdrawn them entirely to the very back.
In fact, this is a clichéd final strategy in the game Civil Empire.
In this game, buildings have quite good defensive capabilities, so it takes time for enemies to break through the walls and reach the main base.
Especially for China, once they become Ming Dynasty, the cannons on the towers scattered throughout the walls rain down fire.
So they’re preserving troops and buying time with buildings.
“China is cycling through defensive building upgrades! While pulling their troops back!? This is preparing for one last reversal!?”
“Right. China doesn’t think those towers can actually stop Joseon’s army! They’re just trying to buy time! And in that time, gather as many troops as possible!?”
“The blacksmith! The training grounds! Everything’s being rebuilt behind the palace!? This was all planned from the start!?”
“Joseon must advance quickly! Quickly! We need to push forward!”
I positioned my forces to the rear while holding the buildings as defensive positions.
It’s a standard strategy in Civil M, certainly.
“But China switched to this final strategy far too quickly!? It’s impossible to predict…!”
China’s immediate shift to this strategy caught everyone off guard.
After all, China’s plan was to surrender every territory except their own capital.
“China is sacrificing so much! The saying goes ‘give what you must give,’ but they’re giving away too much! Doesn’t that make it harder for Joseon to figure out!?”
In these circumstances, predicting China’s strategy was no easy task for Joseon.
“Joseon seems unaware!?”
Joseon doesn’t know China’s final strategy.
This alone buys China an enormous amount of time.
“Their advance speed is somewhat cautious!?”
They had no choice but to advance slowly, suspecting ambush soldiers might be lurking somewhere.
The time China needs for their final decisive blow continues to stretch longer and longer.

* * *
Cookie kept watch over the battle situation while managing multiple fronts across the Central Plains.
Siege weapons hurled massive stones, and city walls crumbled.
Boom boom boom…!
China’s territory was gradually becoming Joseon’s.
Of course, there was resistance.
Boom!
Crash!
From China’s towers, gunpowder smoke erupted wildly as cannons fired.
But such artificial intelligence attacks were far too weak to stop this massive army.
The soldiers scattered in timing with the cannon fire, lured the targeting, and conquered Chinese territory with virtually no casualties.
For these towers to deal effective damage, they would need ground forces coordinating with them.
But with only towers, their effectiveness was poor.
Cookie felt a doubt arise.
‘…Hmm?’
As a commander, I could sense an inconsistency visible only from above.
‘They’re gone?’
China had almost no soldiers defending their own territory right now.
From the soldiers’ perspective, this could simply mean China had no forces where they advanced.
But from a commander’s vantage point, I could see everything at once.
There were no Chinese forces anywhere.
‘What’s going on?’
I never imagined China would already position their forces in the rear and prepare only for a final engagement.
So I assumed their forces were ambushed somewhere.
[Falcon Scout]
The first falcon scout is wasted on a nearby forest terrain ideal for ambush.
‘Nothing there.’
Of course, there was nothing in that location.
Cookie’s mind grows troubled.
Now only one falcon scout remains. Waiting for the next use will take considerable time. Perhaps I won’t be able to use it before the game ends.
‘What is this.’
From this moment onward, the thought that China was preparing for a final decisive battle began to creep into my consciousness.
But certainty was difficult. It was merely a possibility.
China’s current strategy was like boxing—deliberately taking hits despite having substantial stamina remaining, waiting for a single counter opportunity.
If I simply raised my guard and threw some jabs of my own, there would surely be a way forward.
But to take every blow while aiming for just one counter strike? What a reckless choice.
Cookie pondered this.
Why would they do this?
If they were making such an extreme choice, what could the reason be?
‘…!’
I grasped the answer.
This very moment, this time spent deliberating!
That itself is the answer.
Ironically, while I assumed they wouldn’t make such a reckless choice and advanced cautiously, this very moment of hesitation was already the counter they were throwing.
After all, for preparing a final decisive battle, time was the most precious resource of all.
‘Damn it.’
Cookie checked the time.
[Falcon Scout]
The falcon takes flight.
This time, behind the enemy’s palace. There, where the forest wrapped around like a comfortable sofa—the perfect place to gather forces.
‘Ah.’
They were there.
What had been fewer than fifty soldiers had swollen to over eighty.
All of them equipped in Ming Dynasty armor.

* * *
“Ahhh! Cookie! Now I see it!”
“This is quite significant!?”
“Joseon is finally! Accelerating their advance!”
“Still, now that we understand! The odds are definitely much higher for Joseon, aren’t they!? Even if Joseon loses this final battle! Joseon can just have another final battle!”
-lol that’s true
-oh lol
-that’s right
-exactly
“Y-yes, that’s correct!”
If China had fought a final battle, Joseon could do the same.
Well… that was true, but King Gul couldn’t be certain.
‘Joseon is in the Third Era, while China is the Ming Dynasty.’
Joseon and China were in different situations.
China was the Ming Dynasty, but Joseon was in the Third Era.
Joseon now had little room to spare for advancing to the Fourth Era. If they lost this battle, advancing to the Fourth Era would be difficult.
Preparing for a final battle while still in the Third Era was the right choice.
But if that happened, they would have to face the Ming army with even greater numbers.
‘Everything becomes tangled. All of it…!’
The game’s outcome was uncertain, but if they couldn’t break through here, Joseon’s win rate would plummet dramatically.
‘Impressive. Youbi.’
He had no choice but to acknowledge Youbi’s brilliant move.
Without falling into Cookie’s trap, he walked his own path while remaining prepared to land one final blow even to the very end.
He was an opponent who couldn’t afford a single moment of carelessness.
Because of this, he too focused more intently on the battle situation as he continued his analysis.
“Joseon increases their advance speed! In an instant, they charge toward the Ming palace! Breaching it!”
Fortunately, after discovering China’s final battle forces, Joseon accelerated their pace and demolished the last defensive wall blocking the palace, cutting through it like a highway.
Clop clop clop…!
Then China’s final forces stepped forward and began forming their formation.
“We prepare for the final battle! China!”
China managed to assemble barely around 100 troops, and approximately 10 gunpowder weapons for defense near the palace.
They watched Joseon’s army, now swelled to around 200 as they poured through the breached wall, and steeled their resolve.
“Ah! Now Joseon says it!? Now let’s see who the real nobility is! Let’s compete aaaaah!?”
-lololol
Ming Dynasty ㅠㅠ
-lolol true nobility
-lololol
Now a battle between roughly 100 Ming troops and 200 Joseon troops remained.
China’s advantage lay in the palace’s inherent defensive capabilities and gunpowder weapons, fighting on their own territory.
Joseon’s advantage was that they had postponed the Fourth Era and replenished their forces to fill 200 troops, with all soldiers brimming with momentum.
But then─
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!?”
King Gul suddenly leaped to his feet in excitement, striking the table.
It was because of the formation China’s army had taken.
“This, this, this!?”
The formation China had deployed was the ultimate formation he knew.
“The Balmun Geumseoljin!!”
-Trembling
-Huh?
-What even is that, you weeb
-Sounds like a Naruto jutsu
-You kids haven’t read Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Pathetic
-Stop bringing up that old story
Eight gates.
Rest, Life, Wound, Closed, View, Death, Alarm, Open.
Enter through Life, View, or Open gates and fortune follows; enter through Wound, Alarm, or Rest gates and harm befalls you; enter through Closed or Death gates and calamity strikes.
Eight gates formed, with only two guaranteeing life—the ultimate sealing formation.
That is the Balmun Geumseoljin.
It was China’s final sealing strategy, the last gambit of a master of defensive warfare.

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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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