Chapter 1: Synchronization
Use barbarians to control barbarians.
There exists a game where this old proverb—passed down since ancient times—fits perfectly.
“Fight Monsters with Monsters.”
It started as a simple indie game.
……and even now, 7 years after release, it remains a crude indie game.
When it was first released, they boasted about rewriting the history of Dungeon Defense games.
They claimed they would implement monsters that exist in reality into the game.
They even said it would be a game that top Hunters around the world could casually enjoy during expeditions.
They spouted all kinds of nonsense.
And in the end, this is how it turned out.
“Fuck.”
I let out a deep sigh while looking at the notice posted a week ago.
Well, it was a game that wouldn’t have been strange to shut down anytime.
Honestly, the fact that it lasted 7 years is impressive.
A concept where you hire monsters, strengthen them, and use them to defend a Dungeon called “Lord’s Castle” from invading monster waves.
Yeah, the concept itself is good.
With its cute yet detailed dot graphics, it had a decent number of users in the early days.
But starting from the outdated 2000s-style name “Fight Monsters with Monsters!”
My Goblin is a 1-star trash mob, but the Goblins invading my Dungeon can beat my 4-star Ogre—this trash-tier balance.
And the roguelike system where if the final room, the “Audience Chamber,” gets occupied, everything resets without mercy.
“It doesn’t make sense that a Dungeon I invested millions into gets reset because it couldn’t stop a single Ogre. Still, I got attached and stuck with it till the end, and this is how it betrays me.”
I muttered in dissatisfaction.
Then new messages appeared on one side of the screen.
[Use Trash to Block Trash: LOL then why are you even playing this trash gameㅋㅋ]
[Final Veteran: It’s the expected endingㅋㅋㅋ Still, you broke the wave record yesterday, so take that as comfort, trash game broㅎㅎ]
“MangGame” is short for “What Kind of Trash Game Is This,” my streaming ID.
And the ones chatting were viewers who had consistently watched this filthy defense game stream for the past 5 years.
Even if there were only about 6 of them.
Still, I gave my final greeting.
“Yes, yes. You guys worked hard all this time too.”
[MangGame Fan: What are you going to do now?]
[Final Veteran: Well, MangGame bro has a Hunter Licenseㅋㅋㅋ He won’t starve at least.]
[Use Trash to Block Trash: Oh, so are you going back to working as a Hunter?]
“Hunter is a bit……”
I replied with an awkward expression.
My chest ached.
It was a mistake to reveal my Hunter License early on just to attract viewers.
At least I had the sense to hide my Rank, name, and photo.
If I had revealed the “E” next to my Rank, it would’ve been my greatest black history ever.
[Hunter Who Blocks Monsters: This guy’s flexing againㅋㅋㅋ Saying he earned enough as a Hunter and is streaming trash games as a hobbyㅎㅎ]
I wish that were true.
But unfortunately, I’m just an ordinary person drifting between day jobs.
It’s been 30 years since Gates started appearing everywhere, monsters poured out, and superpowered individuals called Hunters began dealing with them.
But it’s not a world where opportunities come to someone whose only skill is something like “Regeneration Lv.1.”
“Anyway, today is the last day of service, so… any missions, guys?”
I quickly changed the topic.
[Bald Is Strongest: What missions are even left now?]
There aren’t any.
I know that too.
As someone who has played this game every single day since release, there’s nothing left to challenge.
I’m the one who laughed while doing crazy things like strengthening a single starting Goblin and surviving up to 100 waves.
I’ve done almost every insane thing possible and lost just as many carefully rebuilt Lord’s Castles.
In short, I’m a true veteran.
[Use Trash to Block Trash: Bro, then for 100,000 won, let’s go for ‘that’ mission?]
Oh, surprisingly someone took the bait.
Well, technically I baited myself.
I smiled and spoke.
“That one? Should we try that, guys?”
[Final Veteran: Oh, that’s good. Do it! I’ll donate 100,000 won!]
[Hunter Who Blocks Monsters: That’s a must-do. I’ll give 200,000!]
I nodded.
At this point, there’s really only one mission left.
My mouse cursor moved past the ant-nest-like dot Dungeon toward the top button.
[700th Wave Start]
The 700th Wave.
Since the game launched, no one has ever cleared this ultimate wave!
If I succeed, it’ll be a new record.
Though it’s meaningless since no one plays this game anymore.
“Here we go, guys. Even if I fail, you still have to pay. And you know how much I spent raising these monsters, right?”
I hovered over “Start Wave.”
The chat instantly filled.
[Final Veteran: LOL most of that money was ours anyway]
[MangGame Fan: The Lord’s Castles you built were basically ours too, right? 인정~]
[Use Trash to Block Trash: Honestly it’s like 9:1ㅋㅋㅋ MangGame barely spent anythingㅎㅎ]
That’s true.
Without these viewers supporting me from the beginning, I wouldn’t have become such a veteran.
Even if I don’t know their faces, I’m grateful.
[Hunter Who Blocks Monsters: Don’t you trust us? Hurry up, I’m getting impatient]
[Use Trash to Block Trash: Let’s go burn money!]
[Bald Is Strongest: LOL is this how a 600-wave Dungeon falls?]
The chat of just 6 people roared.
I shut my eyes tight and clicked.
Then slowly opened them and stared at the incoming monster wave.
[Lv.100 Goblin Archer has been destroyed!]
A painful notification appeared.
Ah… I spent about 1 million won on that Goblin alone.
[Lv.130 Succubus Queen has been destroyed!]
Goodbye, Succubus. Your charm was useful against those damn Heroes.
[Lv.250 One-Eyed Bullseye has been destroyed!]
Normally, I’d be frantically repositioning monsters based on compatibility right now.
Showing off impossible defenses and drawing admiration.
But I simply folded my arms and watched.
Since it’s the end—I decided to send them all off.
[Lv.150 Ogre Tailor has been destroyed!]
[Lv.130 Cerberus has…]
The notifications kept shaking my heart.
The monster wave moved in perfect order, destroying my Dungeon like a flood.
Finally, the deepest part of the Lord’s Castle.
The “Audience Chamber.”
I counted the remaining monsters.
“We can’t stop it.”
Their numbers had decreased thanks to my strengthened monsters.
But that’s it.
No monsters remain.
Inside the chamber were only the “Lord,” a female knight, and a Butler.
The Butler could be strengthened but was weak like a staff-wielding old man.
The Lord was even worse—a decoration with 1 attack power.
Despite hundreds of Game Overs, she had never once stood up from that throne.
[The monster wave has reached the Audience Chamber!]
“Ugh.”
I covered my mouth.
So this is how my final Lord’s Castle ends.
“Guys, can you see this? Burn it into your eyes—the beautiful finale of this game!”
I joked to hide my sadness.
The chat was silent.
[The monster wave has broken through the final gate of the Audience Chamber!]
The final door shattered.
The monsters flooded in.
I moved my cursor to the center—to close the Game Over screen.
But—
[You have challenged the 700th Wave for the first time.]
“Huh?”
I stared blankly.
[‘Lord’ Awakens!]
“What?”
The Lord’s dot moved.
She stepped down from the throne and swung her sword.
Fwoosh!
The screen turned red.
“…What?”
When it returned—the monsters were gone.
[700th Wave Cleared!]
My reaction:
“Oh, shit—what was that?”
I shouted.
“Did you guys see that?! What is the Lord?! I thought she was just decoration—she’s broken!”
But something was wrong.
“Guys?”
The chat was silent.
I moved the cursor.
“Why isn’t this moving?”
The cursor wouldn’t move.
But the screen wasn’t frozen.
The Lord was moving.
“…Should I restart?”
Then—
Ding!
A message appeared.
[Viewer1: Thank you, What Kind of Trash Game Is This?]
“…Huh?”
Viewer1.
A silent viewer for 5 years.
Never chatted once.
“Wait… you’re not a macro?”
I asked.
No reply.
[Viewer1: Thanks to you, our Lord has awakened from a long slumber.]
“…What?”
[Viewer1: We can now begin anew. Together with you.]
“What are you talking about?”
Why is everyone else silent?
[Viewer1: Our Lord wishes to follow your will.]
“….”
I shut up.
Now I understand why people fear immersion addicts.
[Viewer1: Please continue to lead us.]
[Viewer1 has left.]
Then the chat exploded again.
But I couldn’t see it.
Because in front of me—
A real status window appeared.
[Synchronization with ‘Fight Monsters with Monsters’ complete.]
“…Guys.”
[You have acquired a new skill.]
‘Looks like I’ve found a way to survive.’
The beginning of a veteran’s Hunter life.