I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 134

I’ve thought about it many times, but God must definitely hate me.

Otherwise, He wouldn’t have sent a blizzard just to prevent me from renovating my house.

’Then again, I hated Him first, didn’t I?’

I spent my whole life resenting God just to avoid hating people—did the snowball roll all the way here because of that?

Indulging in bullshit philosophical thoughts, I waited for the blizzard to stop.

Right now, the situation outside the cave was sheer disaster. A landscape completely choked with snow.

I had never experienced a blizzard back on Earth, so experiencing one here felt absurd.

Title: Save me

Wild Grylls

(Photo outside the cave with a raging blizzard)

Now there’s even a blizzard raging. Somebody save me.

└ Heavenly Demon) It is truly chaotic. It does whatever it pleases.

└ Sword Matstar) The animals living there are fascinating too. How do they live in such a shitty environment?

└ Wild Grylls) I think they just know instinctively. Seeing Wonmo fatten up makes that clear.

└ Heavenly Demon) Wonmo aside, was there no change in Speed Sloth?

└ Wild Grylls) Nope. Nothing really. Still has that dumb face.

└ They survived because they adapted lol

└ Wonder what the gorillas are doing.

└ Probably eating bananas?

└ What if yellow dust storms come in spring too? lol

└ Where does the sand even come from?

└ The terrain across the river changes every time. If a desert pops up during spring, it comes from there.

└ That actually makes sense, goosebumps lol

└ If yellow dust comes too, that’s legendary lol

A blizzard is hard enough, but yellow dust in spring? That’d drive me up the wall.

The problem was that it wasn’t impossible at all—in fact, the probability was high.

Because this damned forest was a domain where miracles were made real, turning the impossible into possible.

Even the seas and rivers defied common sense, so weather wouldn’t be any different.

’Meanwhile, the blizzard stopped.’

The blizzard that hit as if to sweep everything away had vanished completely.

In exchange, the white trash dropped from the sky had piled up deep. Thank goodness this wasn’t the military.

Because the trash falling from the sky had no end no matter how much you cleared it.

’Since I don’t know when it’ll strike again...’

Better hurry. Pickaxe in hand, I climbed up toward the ceiling spot I had marked earlier.

I wasn’t going to punch straight through the ceiling right away. That would only increase the workload and waste efficiency.

Kkang! Kkang! Kwadeuk!

Just enough to make a hole. I poked my face out through the small hole in the ceiling.

Below, Speed Sloth was looking up with his trademark blank expression.

Now, using this hole as a base, I just needed to carefully stack bricks upward.

Before that, if I boiled water to melt the soil...

’Ah. Right.’

A late realization. I opened the valve connected to the hose to check if water came out.

As I feared, even after opening the valve, no water flowed. The river had probably frozen over.

Even if it hadn’t frozen, the inside of the hose might have frozen solid.

’I’ll have to make water from snow.’

Still, thanks to the blizzard that just hit, I could use snow instead.

In that brief span, enough snow had accumulated to crunch crunch underfoot, making it possible.

Until the water boiled, I decided to do the prep work for stacking the fireplace.

Of course, the structure wasn’t difficult, but since it was my first time building one, there was every reason to be cautious.

’Before laying bricks, start with the base.’

Before laying bricks, I repaired the ground underneath.

So ashes wouldn’t stagnate but collect below, and so outside air could flow in smoothly.

Because there were many functions to keep in mind, I had to move back and forth between the inside and outside of the cave frequently.

However, temperature was directly tied to my survival.

As long as I didn’t freeze to death, it was well worth the effort.

People from warm regions might not relate, but winter is mercilessly harsh in most places.

You have to prepare for all threats while the weather is still warm.

Otherwise, you will face death from various causes like freezing or starvation.

From ancient times, Korea made those preparations during the Kimjang season.

That’s why there’s a saying:

’Every season is a stepping stone to prepare for winter.’

As I began preparing for the cold, I started worrying about various illnesses too. Especially the flu.

’Why don’t humans have fur? Because fur burns easily?’

Pondering why humans lack fur and get colds easily, I decided to ask Allfather about it sometime.

Anyway, now that I’d dug the ground, all that remained was stacking the bricks.

Since I planned to spread mud like cement between bricks, I prepared hot water first.

I was boiling the hot water outside to melt the surrounding ground at the same time.

"Huh?"

"Kkiiuung..."

But there was some strange animal near the campfire. At first I thought it was a raccoon dog, but looking closely, it wasn’t.

The animal often mistaken for a raccoon dog—a raccoon. The raccoon was holding both hands out to the campfire, warming itself.

It wasn’t inside the cave but outside, so it was fine. But if it stayed too long, I planned to chase it away.

’Or Bbareumbo will educate it.’

Just as I held the container of hot water while thinking that:Get faster updates on novelping . com.

The raccoon dog—no, the raccoon—glanced at me, then stuck its hand into the campfire. Literally shoved it in.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but be shocked. Doing that meant beyond burning its hand, it would catch fire completely.

But where was this? Wasn’t this the Forest of the Four Seasons, where small things were not just spicy, but vicious?

Hwareuk!

The raccoon looked at its hand, which had caught fire and was burning brightly:

"Yum."

And shoved it right into its mouth. It looked as if it were eating the fire.

Dumbfounded, I couldn’t utter a word until the raccoon proudly walked back into the forest.

I couldn’t wrap my head around what just happened. Did that fire act as a kind of heater?

’Right. Trying to understand is a losing game.’

I had my own fires to put out. I began stacking the fireplace as planned.

Lay a row, spread mud.

Lay a row, spread mud.

Since there was a reminder to check if it was securely fixed, I checked meticulously.

Originally I was going to slather it on with my hands, but since it was so cold, I bought a tool.

Searching the auction house roughly, there was a cement trowel tool available.

After using it, I wondered what I would have done without it.

’Now all that’s left is the chimney...’

The hardest part was the chimney. A shape that narrowed as it went upward.

Unlike before, it was hard to secure with mud alone, so I had to use another method.

’I’ll need a framework.’

Since it was mud and not cement, the framework was crucial.

Pondering what to do, I bought a suitable iron barrel from the auction house.

Then I went outside briefly to hammer away, since I might wake Wonmo.

Sagak! Sagak! Sagak!

First, I cut the iron barrel into plank shapes. A sword infused with aura was more than enough.

Next, I cut out the inside so only the edges remained. With that, the framework was complete.

A framework overall taking the shape of a C-bracket. It was thick and sturdy.

’The size should roughly match too.’

As long as smoke escaped properly, it was fine.

If it collapsed, well... I’d just have to stack it harder next time. This was my best effort.

Step by step, I stacked it until it reached the hole in the ceiling.

My work inside the cave was done; I had to go outside again.

Items to bring: soggy mud, bricks, pickaxe, and finally a hammer.

Kwadeuk! Kwareureuk!

I widened the hole with the pickaxe and meticulously trimmed the edges with the hammer.

Because I couldn’t work with fine precision, the hole ended up wider than the chimney size, but it was fine.

I had brought mud specifically to seal that up. Thanks to the Subspace Bag, I was able to carry everything.

"Alright. Done!"

Stacking up to the chimney neatly, the makeshift fireplace construction was complete.

A chimney on top of a cave felt a bit strange.

But it wasn’t completely finished yet. The most important thing was performance.

I needed to test whether the fireplace performed properly.

"Phew."

Had it gotten even colder in the meantime? My breath puffing out was distinctly thicker.

I cleared out all the stone debris inside the fireplace and loaded firewood.

Tadak! Tadadak! Tadak!

The fire crackled to life, creating an atmospheric scene.

Just this warmed my heart, but it wasn’t over yet.

The cold breeze seeping gently through the cave entrance. I had to block that first.

’Dwarf said to block it roughly with well-insulating cloth or leather, right?’

Tiger hides weren’t nearly enough to cover the size. Let’s block it with several layers of large cloth for now.

Right now, while the blizzard isn’t blowing, is the right time. Securing it firmly with nails should block it somewhat.

When a blizzard rages, I plan to weigh down the bottom overhang with stones.

’Blocking the entrance makes it gradually warmer.’

That was also why I built the chimney. Because I had to seal the entrance.

Lighting an open campfire required an open entrance to be safe, but a fireplace was different.

I felt cozy inside the cave as it grew progressively warmer.

Before I knew it, Speed Sloth had approached the fireplace and was warming his body.

"Nice, right?"

"..."

Nodding at my question. I felt strangely proud.

Times like this call for a Gallery post. I took a photo of the fireplace and uploaded a post.

Only now did I realize that building the fireplace alone had taken a whole 2 hours.

Focused solely on construction, I hadn’t noticed time slipping by.

Title: Fireplace construction finished

Wild Grylls

(Photo of fireplace with blazing fire)

(Photo of Speed Sloth zoning out into the fire)

(Photo of Wonmo, who crept near the fire unnoticed and is sleeping)

Makeshift fireplace constructed over 2 hours. Looks like I can pass winter smoothly now haha.

└ Heavenly Demon) I think this every time, but your dexterity is remarkably good. To even construct a fireplace.

└ Sword Matstar) I agree on that part. Were you originally quite skilled with your hands?

└ Wild Grylls) In the past, I folded origami colored paper insanely well.You are reading on novelping . com, the official source.

└ Does that even count as dexterity?;;

└ It counts. I can’t fold it even knowing the method lol

└ Butterfingers and golden hands really exist fr fr

└ Passing Dwarf) Made pretty decently. Did you slather mud between the bricks?

└ Wild Grylls) Yep, I roughly cut and built the framework myself.

└ Passing Dwarf) Oh lol Did you see smoke coming out of the chimney?

└ Wild Grylls) Didn’t look, but it probably comes out fine.

└ Passing Dwarf) If you don’t want to become a corpse tomorrow, check it immediately.

└ Wild Grylls) But it’s annoying.

└ Passing Dwarf) Then die lol

Annoying as it was, I confirmed smoke coming out of the chimney.

Thanks to that, I could feel just how severe the temperature difference between inside and outside was.

Whether because the fireplace performed so well or not, it was really warm inside.

’I should rest a bit.’

Poured all my focus into making the fireplace, my body felt weary.

But I’d eat lunch before resting. Naturally, it was smoked dish.

Rough heating in the fireplace was all it took, so it was super convenient.

’Inner core for Bbareumbo, and Wonmo... does he not need one?’

Wonmo was sleeping like a log, as if he’d entered hibernation.

Even while I was working, he slept soundly curled in a ball.

Figuring I didn’t need to wake him, I left him be. He’d wake up if hungry.

After eating, I browsed the Gallery until my food digested.

Chaeyu vs Beger: Kone opens the scoooorrreeee!!!

’Ah. There was a match today?’

Coincidentally, there was a post uploaded by Princess Chaenggu. A post related to the match.

Being busy lately, I didn’t know there was a match today. Princess Chaenggu might feel a bit hurt.

Better leave a comment right now. I opened the post.

Title: Chaeyu vs Beger: Kone opens the scoooorrreeee!!!

Princess Chaenggu

(Video of scoring a goal 5 minutes into the first half)

THIS is an offense! THIS is Chaeyu! THIS is playmaking!! You get it?! You Leor vermin bastards?!

└ King Reor) lololol You’re thrilled, so thrilled. Even so, you bastards can’t even make it to Chals.

└ Princess Chaenggu) Yeah~ You’re still trophy-less this season just the same~

└ King Reor) So have you guys lifted a trophy in 10 years?

└ Princess Chaenggu) We’re winning the Devil Cup this time! Unlike a certain trophy-less someone lol

└ King Reor) Act like that all you want, you’re getting fucked next season all the same lol Enjoy while it lasts.

└ Princess Chaenggu) (Video of Leor conceding an opening goal 6 minutes into the first half) Huh? What’s this? What a truly stinky goal!

└ King Reor) Fucking hell, when did we concede again? Fucking bullshit.

└ lololololol

└ lololololol

└ Princess Chaenggu is truly vicious lololol

└ Chaeyu fans are always hot-tempered like that lol

└ Wild Grylls) There was a match today. I was living busy so I didn’t know. Sorry. Chaeyu fighting!

└ Princess Chaenggu) Awesome! Since the Saint appeared, we’re winning today too! What scoreline do you think it’ll be today?

└ Wild Grylls) Conceding goals while attacking like that happens a lot. Since defense is weak, I think 4 to 2. By the way, Chaeyu has 4 goals.

└ Princess Chaenggu) 4 goals! Thank you!

└ King Reor) Hey man. What scoreline do you think for us?

└ Wild Grylls) I don’t watch Leor matches much so I don’t know, but looks like you’ll lose. You got blown out after a comeback last match, right?

└ King Reor) No, wait. Why did you say nice things for Chaeyu, but for us...

└ Wild Grylls) Even right now, conceding that goal clearly shows a drop in focus, doesn’t it?

└ Princess Chaenggu) How dare you doubt Saint-nim! So rude!

└ King Reor) Ha, fucking hell, it’s true our stamina drained so I can’t even refute it.

Every time there was a match, Princess Chaenggu and King Reor would fight.

Extremes meet; though supporting different teams, their personalities were similar.

Hwiiiiing!!!

Was a blizzard raging outside again while I browsed the Gallery?

The curtain swelled outward and settled back repeatedly. Biting wind was an added bonus.

With the erratic weather, I should refrain from outdoor activities for the time being.

Rain was annoying, but a blizzard was an even greater disaster.

’Might as well practice my mental cultivation method.’

1 hour practicing mental cultivation. 30 minutes training sword techniques.

As the time for the match to end approached, I checked the Gallery.

Chaeyu vs Beger: Total score 4 to 2! Showing defensive instability just as the Saint predicted, Chaeyu claims victory!

Leor vs Balrog: Total score 2 to 0. Showing stamina drop, Leor suffers a shocking defeat.

Events unfolded exactly as I had predicted.

Naturally, countless pilgrimage comments flooded my reply.

Feeling a bit awkward, I brushed it off as coincidence and moved on.

’More importantly...’

I stared at Speed Sloth, who was still staring blankly at the fire.

He didn’t act like this when I lit a simple campfire, so why was he doing this now?

"Hey. It’s bad for your eyes. Step back."

"..."

"Hey. Step back, I said."

I felt like I could understand a mother’s heart pulling her child away from the computer.