I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 106

Two gorillas had broken into Grylls’s home once again.

One had been struck by Grylls’s arrow and subdued, but the other had fled for its life.

Pushing through lush bushes and dense trees, it climbed into the canopy and bounded rapidly from branch to branch.

It moved with incredible agility for a gorilla with such a heavy physique. That was just how desperate it was.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh! Ooh-ooh!"

Before long, the fleeing gorilla managed to reach where its troop was gathered.

At that moment, the gorilla troop was holding an unexpected Fasting Pill feast.

However, seeing their companion approach with such a frantic expression, they had no choice but to pause their feast.

"Ooh-ooh?"

"Ooh-ooh! Ooh-ooh-ooh!"

Sensing an unusual atmosphere, the leader gorilla stepped forward.

The escaped gorilla then explained the entire situation from start to finish.

After hearing the full explanation, the leader gorilla assumed a grave expression and soon issued an order.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh. Ooh!"

"Ooh-ooh!"

First, let’s scout out the area and observe the situation. We are the ones who trespassed on their territory.

If the owner of that territory has killed our kin, we can retaliate then.

Once it communicated its intentions roughly along those lines, the other gorilla nodded as well.

"Ooh-ooh-hoo."

"Hoo..."

The leader gorilla handed over a Fasting Pill to calm its fellow kin.

It felt as though a fight would break out sooner or later.

After completely subduing one of the gorillas, what I did wasn’t slaughter... it was binding it tight.

In my heart, I wanted to slice its neck and put its head on a pike, but that didn’t fit my personality.

Above all, since these bastards possessed quite a bit of intelligence, there were several factors to consider.

’If they have comrade love, they’ll definitely come back. It’s better to keep it alive for that time.’

Seeing their comrade dead might drive them even wilder with rage.

If it were just one, that would be one thing, but if several swarmed me at once, it would be a tough fight.

Even though I had Speed Sloth and Wonmo with me, I didn’t know how strong the gorillas’ total combat power was.

What I needed was information. It would be best to use the captured gorilla as a hostage to gather intel.

’Let’s see. Tie the arms behind its back, tie the legs too... Since it must be insanely strong, I need to bind it extra tight.’

Gorillas possess the greatest muscle strength among all primates. And this was the Forest of the Four Seasons.

A place where animals of even ordinary size were far more terrifying.

Therefore, I bound the unconscious gorilla tightly with rope.

Thoroughly enough so that it could never break free through brute strength alone.

What about the arrows stuck in its body, you ask? I just gave them makeshift treatment.

The arrows were embedded so cleanly that I just snapped off both ends.

An Elixir? I didn’t have any Elixirs to waste on thieves.

I just bought the cheapest potion from the auction house and wrapped it up tight in bandages.

Title) Captured the thief alive.

Wild Grylls

(Photo of a gorilla bound tightly with ropes)

Some anonymous user once said: the culprit always returns to the scene of the crime.

Looks like these gorilla bastards weren’t satisfied with just the Fasting Pills; they even tried to steal my fish.

There were two of them. I subdued one with a crossbow shot and missed the other.

For now, I’m planning to use this bastard as a hostage to get some information out of them.

↳ Heavenly Demon) You bound it properly. Since ancient times, those who steal food have been punished with flogging.

↳ Wild Grylls) For me, food equals life, so I’m thinking of giving it a punishment even harsher than that.

↳ Heavenly Demon) Severing its wrists so it can never steal again for the rest of its life wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

↳ Wild Grylls) Ugh;; I’ll just stick with flogging.

↳ Sword Matstar) Just sever its wrists. In my country, repeat offenders get their wrists chopped off too, if I remember correctly.

↳ Wild Grylls) ;;;

Looking at comments like these, their hot-headedness fit their respective eras.

A punishment that seemed barbaric, yet somehow made sense at the same time.

↳ Allfather) You have bound it quite securely. Looking at it, it is definitely a gorilla.

↳ Wild Grylls) Right? I thought these guys were herbivores, but they were trying to steal fish too.

↳ Allfather) It seems their diet has shifted. Be careful. Its kin will surely come for it.

↳ Wild Grylls) I’m keeping that in mind. I’m waiting for them right now.

↳ Suspiciously...) Is that one male or female?

↳ Anonymous) Why are you asking that?

↳ Suspiciously...) Because I heard gorilla societies are matriarchal.

↳ Anonymous) Aren’t gorillas orangutans?

↳ Anonymous) I heard male orangutans travel alone too.

↳ Anonymous) You’re a beastman and you don’t even know that? haha

↳ Suspiciously...) I can not know too, fuck

Crazy bastards were bound to pop up in the Gallery, as always.

I chuckled softly and didn’t even bother replying. I just let them play among themselves.

If they crossed the line, the mods would take care of it on their own. There was no need to jump in.

’Anyway, when is this guy going to wake up?’

I quietly stared at the gorilla, which was still passed out cold.

The guy who had frothed at the mouth and fainted the moment it laid eyes on Speed Sloth.

Because of that, I became curious about Speed Sloth’s past, but it wasn’t something to worry about right now.

The important thing was information. It seemed best to leave it alone for the time being.

’How great would it be if I could talk to animals?’

The ability to converse with animals—a so-called Druid.

Since this was a fantasy world, I checked if such an ability existed, but there wasn’t one.

Occasionally there were people who claimed they could hear animals talking, but most said it was BS.

’Even humans have different languages; how much worse would animals be?’

Musing over useless thoughts, I inspected the gorilla thoroughly.

On the outside, it was a gorilla with a physique much larger than mine.Get faster updates on novelping(.)com.

Aside from that, it was plain as could be. I couldn’t find anything special about it.

"Keung-keung. Keung."

"Wonmo. That’s not food."

"Kkyu-u?"

I warned Wonmo just in case he tried to eat the unconscious gorilla.

My job was to wait until this guy’s companions arrived.

If they didn’t come... what could I do? I’d have no choice but to kill it.

Disposal wouldn’t be an issue either, since I could just bury it in the ground or dump it in the river.

’Should I dig a hole in advance just in case?’

It was just as I quietly picked up the shovel while pondering that very thought.

"Ooh-eu..."

The knocked-out gorilla slowly began to regain consciousness.

Seeing it wake up, I quietly set the shovel back down.

"Hey. You awake?"

"Ooh-eueu...?"

Its mind seemed dazed as it looked at me with a bewildered expression.

It seemed it hadn’t recognized my face yet.

"Ooh... ooh-ooh? Ooh-ooh?!"

Then, all of a sudden, the gorilla began writhing violently.

Judging by its flustered expression, it had realized that its body was bound tightly.

Thank goodness I had used several ropes; otherwise, it probably would have broken free in an instant.

"Ah-ooh-ooh..."

Regardless, that didn’t mean the wound pierced by the arrow had disappeared.

Unable to overcome the pain from its struggling, the gorilla soon quieted down.

Since it had settled down, it was time to have a conversation(?).

"Hey. Look at me."

"...."

At my words, the gorilla slowly raised its head.

Just a moment ago, its face had been distorted in agony, but now it looked stern again.

A firm resolve not to answer no matter what I did. It really felt like a human.

’I can’t understand what you’re saying anyway.’

The reason I called out to the gorilla was nothing special. It was just to check its reaction.

I intended to decide its treatment based on its reaction, but it seemed to be a stubborn bastard.

’In that case, what happens if it sees Speed Sloth?’

I brought over Speed Sloth, who was standing quietly and gazing into the forest.

Speed Sloth didn’t put up any resistance even as I picked him up and carried him over.

Then, I set Bbareumbo down right in front of the gorilla’s face so it could see him.

"Do you know this—"

"Ooh-kki-aaaak!!"

The moment it laid eyes on Speed Sloth, the gorilla freaked out to the point of near-seizure.

Even though it was bound with ropes, the sheer intensity of its reaction was palpable. That meant it was utterly terrified.

I stared blankly at the thrashing gorilla before turning my gaze toward Speed Sloth.

Speed Sloth looked at the rampant gorilla and slowly raised his hand.

Just as I was about to stop him, wondering if he was going to kill it—

Jjaaak!

Bbareumbo delivered an exceedingly refreshing slap right across its cheek.

With that, the gorilla instantly became submissive. A gloomy expression was a bonus.

No, rather than gloomy, it looked as though it had lost its will to live entirely.

’What the hell did this bastard do in the past?’

I knew Speed Sloth’s capabilities. Speed that couldn’t even be tracked with the naked eye, and razor-sharp claws.

Whether his notoriety was famous among gorillas, or if this specific guy was just traumatized, I couldn’t be sure.

Still, he made it behave, so I guess that worked. I rummaged through my bag and pulled out a Fasting Pill.

A Fasting Pill brought along as emergency rations and a token of goodwill. I intended to show this to it.

"Hey. Look at this."

"...?"

"You know what this is, right?"

When I showed it a single Fasting Pill, the gorilla’s pupils trembled violently.

It clearly recognized what it was, which was tantamount to confessing that they were the culprits.

No need to see any further. I snorted softly and gestured slowly.

"Fasting Pill."

First, the Fasting Pill.

"Speed Sloth."

Next, Speed Sloth.

"Staple food. Okay?"

Finally, when I mimed eating, the gorilla’s complexion turned pale yellow.

You might ask how I could tell when its entire body was covered in black skin and fur.

If I answered that it just felt that way, would you believe me? Anyway, let’s just move on.

’In the end, I’ll just have to wait until this guy’s friends arrive.’

I asked Speed Sloth to keep watch on the gorilla.

Since I didn’t know when the gorilla troop might show up, I planned to check my weapons.

First up was the crossbow I had used so effectively. I span the string so I could fire at any moment.

Buseureok- buseureok-

"Kkyu-u?"

"...."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Or rather, speak of the gorilla in this case.

Holding the readied crossbow, I turned my head toward the direction of the noise.This chapter is updated first at nоvelping.com.

Buseureok!

As if they had no intention of hiding themselves at all, gorillas began emerging from the bushes.

Not just one or two, but exactly five. At their center stood one with an exceptionally massive physique.

Given how it took the lead compared to the others, it seemed to be the leader. Above all, there was also a difference in its ’equipment’.

’Just like Allfather said.’

The leader was bare-handed, but the other gorillas were each holding something in their hands.

Among them was one holding a stone axe, and I can’t describe how shocked I was to see that.

Because creating a stone axe meant that they understood the concept of ’crafting’.

Their intelligence seemed higher than I had expected. I needed to stay on guard.

"Ooh-ooh-ooh! Ooh-euk...!"

Seeing with its own eyes that its comrades had arrived, the captive gorilla cried out passionately.

But as I mentioned earlier, this guy had been hit by an arrow. It had no choice but to wince heavily in pain.

At that, the gorilla presumed to be the leader glanced at the captive, then fixed its gaze on me.

I too raised my sword and shield, prepared to fight at a moment’s notice.

"Ooh-ooh! Ooh-ooh!"

"Ooh-eo-eo! Ooh-eo!"

Then, the gorillas beside the leader gorilla began raising a fuss.

Rather than just making noise, it was a reaction of sheer terror at something they saw.

"...."

It was Speed Sloth. Bbareumbo had approached my side before I even realized it.

Looking at Speed Sloth, most of the gorillas began trembling in fear.

The leader gorilla at least maintained its calm, though its expression turned completely rigid.

That meant Speed Sloth’s notoriety among the gorillas was terrifying.

Thanks to that, ’negotiations’ seemed like they might be a little easier. I immediately initiated the conversation.

Seueuk-

First, I showed them the Fasting Pill bag they had taken.

A gesture asking: Are you the ones who took the container with these inside?

Reading my intent, the leader gorilla nodded its head.

"Ooh."

With a brief grunt, the leader gorilla gave an instruction.

Following that order, one of the gorillas brought over an item.

The leader gorilla grasped the object in its hand and tossed it toward me.

Pulsseok-

However, since there was nothing inside, the thrown item fell short midway.

The identity of that item was the sack—the very sack that had contained the Fasting Pills.

But there were no Fasting Pills inside the sack.

’They ate them all already.’

I had my suspicions, but to think they ate every last one in that short span. I could only sigh.

Would these bastards apologize? Or would they act brazen?

Considering Speed Sloth’s notoriety(?), they ought to apologize, but who knows.

It seemed best to observe Speed Sloth’s reaction first.

"What do you want to do?"

"...."

At my question, Speed Sloth, who had been staring blankly at the sack, slowly began walking forward.

The gorilla troop took no action against his movement. They merely watched with tense expressions.

Before long, Speed Sloth approached the gorilla that was bound hand and foot.

I wondered if he was giving up halfway and releasing it, but...

Seogeok!

That wasn’t it. Speed Sloth’s action surpassed my imagination.

He sliced the gorilla’s neck cleanly off with his sharp claws.

These were Speed Sloth’s claws, which had sliced through even an iron barrel. And claws that I had personally maintained at that.

Cutting through the soft bone and flesh of an animal was child’s play.

Kwaak!

Regardless of whether blood gushed frantically from the severed neck, Speed Sloth did what he had to do.

He speared the gorilla’s head, which was rolling away like a ball, with his claw. It was just like stabbing food with a fork.

Then, staying in that posture, he slowly raised his hand and flung it toward the gorillas.

Tuuk! Tuk! Degurureureu-

The dropped gorilla head landed right in front of the leader gorilla.

The leader gorilla stared down intently at the head that had rolled to its feet.

An act that went far beyond a mere provocation; it was nothing short of a declaration of war.

At the same time, I clearly realized once again what ’food’ truly meant in the wild.

’...You crazy bastard.’

He really was the ultimate alpha chad.

Part of me felt like he was starting an unnecessary fight.

However, recalling the concept of ’territory’, it was an utterly legitimate way to handle it.

Seueuk-

Amid the chilling atmosphere, the leader gorilla picked up the head.

Its expression was solemn, yet a faint rage radiated from it.

Hwik-

The leader gorilla tossed the head into the air. Watching this action, I became bewildered.

It didn’t throw it at me, but up into the air. What on earth was it trying to do?

Just in case, I stepped my left foot forward so I could defend at any moment.

Huuuuung-

As the gorilla’s head fell back down, the leader gorilla pulled its right arm back.

Right as the head reached eye level, the leader gorilla thrust its cocked right arm forward.

Kwaaaang!!!

Accompanied by a brutally rough roar of impact—

Hwiiiiiiing!!

The gorilla’s head flew like a cannonball.