I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 136

I’m fucked.

(Photo of the cave entrance completely blocked by snow)

Looks like I’m completely fucked.

That is the conclusion I reached after deep deliberation.

I am fucked.

↳ Heavenly Demon) Is that all snow?

↳ Wild Grylls) Yes. Maybe because of the cold, it’s hardened up, so I’m digging it out with a pickaxe.

↳ Heavenly Demon) Can you not easily dig through it with Sword Qi?

↳ Wild Grylls) I can, but I don’t know how deep it’s piled up—it just keeps sliding down as I dig.

↳ Sword Matstar) Isn’t that dangerous? What if you run out of oxygen;;

↳ Wild Grylls) I’m managing thanks to the chimney I carved out yesterday. Bbareumbo kept putting firewood in, so it seems all the snow in the chimney melted.

↳ Sword Matstar) Bbareumbo seems to be saving your life over and over again.

↳ Why does that sentence feel so literary?

↳ It perfectly captures being fucked in just three sentences lololol

↳ It’s got profanity mixed in, but it doesn’t even feel like swearing lololol

↳ But can snow really pile up that much? Is that because it’s the Forest of the Four Seasons too?

↳↳↳ Nah, not necessarily. Snowy regions get like that often. Heard it frequently piles up to door height.

↳ You can tell just by looking at the northern region of the Messiah Empire. People there shovel snow every single day lololol

↳ I’m from the north, and shoveling snow is way more annoying than monster subjugation. It’s literally trash falling from the sky.

↳ Allfather) Even so, an abnormally massive amount of snow has fallen. It should be difficult for it to pile up like that overnight.

↳ Wild Grylls) No matter how much I dig, snow keeps pouring down from above.

↳ Allfather) As advice, why not dig more snow instead of browsing the Gallery? It seems quite dangerous.

↳ Wild Grylls) I am digging continuously.

It wasn’t just shoveling; it was at the level of ’mining’ with a pickaxe, but I was working hard.

No matter how much I dug, snow cascaded down from above to restore the wall.

If Speed Sloth hadn’t thrown firewood into the hearth overnight, the chimney would have been blocked too.

If even the chimney—the sole oxygen supply—had been blocked... I didn’t even want to imagine it.

Speed Sloth was a fellow who brought immense help not only in combat but in daily life as well.

’By the way, if snow falls like this, can other animals survive?’

It wasn’t just animals. It was questionable whether plants could survive either.

If snow piled up like this, growing properly would be impossible.

And yet, various trees towered high enough to form a ’forest.’

They either possessed enough vitality to endure this snow, or there was another reason.

’If winter in the forest is like this, how much more fucked up are the other environments?’

Even the forest, which had a relatively ’normal’ climate, was in this state.

Snowy mountains or deserts would be worse, definitely not better.

Not only that, but the tropical rainforest where the gorillas lived wouldn’t be any different.

Common sense dictated that my living area couldn’t be the only place like this.

’Just mindlessly digging won’t lead to an end.’

I considered climbing out through the chimney, but quickly gave up on the idea.

The width of the chimney wasn’t very wide. Getting stuck would be a major disaster.

It was better to dig through the mound of snow at the entrance with the mindset of seeing it through.

’I need to clear the entrance before it snows again.’

If it snowed again now, I might be trapped in the cave for the rest of my life.

Having a chimney was no guarantee of safety. In fact, forget the chimney—I was worried about the cave itself.

The moment snow piles up, it boasts an immense weight.

Could this cave really withstand the weight of that snow?

Especially since I had slightly modified the cave to install the chimney?

I couldn’t just sit idly and wait.

’Fortunately, I have plenty of firewood.’

I removed the tarp blocking the entrance and started a new campfire.

Since the snow had hardened into ice, I decided to melt it with fire. That was my judgment.

Of course, I didn’t just stand around waiting; once the snow melted to a certain extent, I dug again.

Pak! Pak!

As time passed, the snow melted, making it easier to dig.

I was careful, fearing that melting snow might slide down and put out the campfire.

And so, how much time had passed? Even when I dug, there were no signs of snow piling up again.

Finally, the end began to show.

"Phew!"

Labor involving pickaxing and shoveling. The results of that labor came into view.

I had barely managed to clear all the snow that choked the cave entrance.

However, it was only the cave entrance itself; the surrounding area was not.

The entrance of the cave alone was much taller than my height, but the snow around it was piled up even higher.

’Do people in Russia or Canada really live in places like this?’

How on earth do people live there? I was genuinely curious.

Staring at the cleared space right at the cave entrance, I suddenly remembered the military.

The memory of shoveling snow in the military. And spreading calcium chloride to prevent the ground from freezing.

’I wonder if the word "calcium chloride" even exists here?’

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So wouldn’t producing calcium chloride be easy? Such a thought crossed my mind.

’If worst comes to worst, I can just scatter salt.’

I had heard that if you don’t have calcium chloride, you can scatter salt.

They said scattering salt was better, citing environmental destruction or whatever.

’I’ll ask questions after I finish the work, but for now, let’s scatter salt.’

Salt could be purchased at the Auction House. Although expensive, it was an essential survival item with high demand, so supply never ran dry.

I scattered salt on the ground revealed by shoveling, then proceeded to dig out the next section.

Fortunately, it didn’t snow again, so I was able to set up additional campfires here and there.

However, maintaining this path and determining how to shape my activity radius were concerns.

’At this rate, I’ll need to build an emergency escape route, not just a chimney.’

Soon, I might need to borrow the wisdom of people who live in cold regions.

I didn’t know how long this winter would last, but it didn’t seem like it would end quickly.

Afterward, it wasn’t until around lunchtime that I was able to clean up the area around my shelter.

’Unlike snowy mountains, it’s not like there are no plants at all, so there must be something...’

I thought as I cleared the snow covering the oven and the furnace.

As I said earlier, if snow piles up like this, flora and fauna can never survive.

It should be normal for it to be desolate like a snowy mountain. Surely, it won’t stay like this forever.

Maybe, could it return to normal as early as tomorrow?

Since I hadn’t been here for very long and so many dynamic events had occurred, I couldn’t help but make various guesses.

Just as it suddenly turned into winter, it could also change into summer.

Imagining a colossal amount of snow melting away brought a bit of comfort.

However, imagination is imagination, and reality is reality.

’Since I don’t know if it’ll snow again, let’s put everything I can into the cave.’

Things like iron buckets filled with frozen fish, the bellows, various tools, and so on.

The makeshift oven and furnace couldn’t be moved, so I had no choice but to leave them as they were.

I comforted myself thinking that they were things unlikely to collapse even if it snowed, and even if they did collapse, I could just build them again.

With that, my winterization and isolation preparations were almost complete. Just as I had a moment to rest and was about to log into the Gallery—

Kugugugu—

An ominous sound hit my ears, and the ground trembled subtly.

As soon as I felt the noise and vibration, I headed into the cave without hesitation.

Then, without panicking, I gripped my sword and shield.

The goal was not seeking refuge, but preparing for battle. That was a realization gained while living here.

Rather than idly awaiting one’s fate, it was better to prepare like this.

Seueuk—

Just before I went out, Speed Sloth extended his hand. Was he asking to come out together?

However, Speed Sloth was in a position where he had to guard Wonmo, who was hibernating.

I deliberately ignored his gesture and stepped outside the cave.

Kugugugugugu!

Before I knew it, the noise and vibrations grew even stronger. What on earth was coming?

Judging by its momentum, it was definitely fast.

Because of that, I couldn’t help but be even more tense. I had no idea what would pop out.

Just in case, I circulated my mana and even manifested my Aura.

After focusing on the sound and vibration for a long while, I realized where it was coming from.

’Behind... the cave?’

The back side, completely opposite the cave entrance. As soon as that thought hit me, I snapped my head around.

It was puzzling that it was coming from behind the cave rather than from the forest side, but this was the Forest of the Four Seasons.

No matter what came out, it wouldn’t be surprising.

Even if that...

Kwagwagwagwagwa!

was not a ’creature,’ but a ’disaster.’

"Uh. Sh-shit?"

As the avalanche swept down from behind the cave like a tidal wave, I felt the illusion of time slowing down.

During that brief moment, looking down, I saw Speed Sloth staring at me from inside the cave.

He had a look that seemed to exude pathetic pity, as if saying, ’Why didn’t you listen to me and went out alone?’

Reaching out his hand earlier wasn’t asking to go together, but trying to stop me.

Kwaaaaaa!!

"Kwak! Ugh! Wooergh!"

No matter how strong an animal is, it is helplessly powerless before nature. I was no different.

I hastily drove my sword into the ground, but it was meaningless. The Sword of the Heavenly Demon was simply too effective.

Following the force of being swept away by the avalanche, it sliced right through the ground. It produced a reverse effect at a time like this.

’Sh-shit, wasn’t the direction I was being swept toward the river?’

Even amidst the chaos of being swept away by the avalanche, I recalled the direction.

The destination of this avalanche was toward the river. And across the river was a place where space shifted constantly.

Dangerous. One wrong move, and I might never be able to return to the shelter.

’Not the sword, use the shield...!’

I flailed around with the shield instead of the Sword of the Heavenly Demon, hoping it would catch on a tree branch or anywhere.

Since my body was almost buried in snow, it was close to a desperate struggle, but shouldn’t I at least do this?

To survive, one must do whatever it takes.

Deolkeok!This story is hosted at no‌velping.com.

The result of that struggle revealed itself quickly.

I didn’t know which tree it caught on, but I distinctly felt my clothes get hooked.

I was prepared to abandon the Sword of the Heavenly Demon if worst came to worst, but I came to a halt right on time.

"Eub-b-b-b-b!!"

Of course, apart from that, I had to absorb the avalanche directly with my body.

I held on until the end, waiting for the avalanche to stop, and endured.

"Pwah!"

After such a long, long time, the avalanche finally came to an end.

Usually, an avalanche leaves piles of snow behind, but strangely, everything had been swept clean away.

Thanks to that, I wasn’t buried under snow mounds and could breathe fine.

"Cough! Cough!"

I coughed as I looked around.

It seemed the avalanche just now had swept away all the snow, revealing the dirt ground.

Before that, I needed to figure out where I was. Crossing the river would be the worst outcome.

’I didn’t cross the river.’

It seemed I had caught on a tree near the river. I could clearly see the frozen river in front of my eyes now.

Across from it existed a terrain completely different from this place: a stark white snowy mountain.

The snow on the mountain was also immense. The avalanche that passed by earlier had definitely gone over there.

I couldn’t tell at all whether the snow had moved on its own or if the forest had repelled the snow.

’In the first place, was there a structure that could cause an avalanche?’

Is there a mountain nearby? It was confusing.

Or maybe the forest was literally ’alive’ like a living organism and performed a self-cleansing action.

If self-cleansing were impossible under such shitty weather, no plants would remain.

Because it would have ended up just like the snowy mountain across the river. It was a high-probability theory.

’If even the forest is in this state, what on earth are the other regions like?’

I grew increasingly fearful. Hurriedly finishing my gear check, I returned to the cave.

"...Ah."

And I was confronted with the gruesome sight of my shelter’s yard.

Not only the barricade, but the makeshift furnace and oven had all been swept away by the avalanche.

The furnace and oven were fine since I could rebuild them, but the barricade was the problem.

’Is this why there’s no civilization here?’

Since everything was swept away periodically, civilization simply couldn’t exist.

While Grylls was filming a disaster movie by himself...

Swaaaaaaaa!!!

In the Forest of the Four Seasons, within the grassland region, a situation fitting for a disaster was also unfolding.

Since it was originally a region split into rainy and dry seasons, heavy rain was expected during the rainy season.

However, what would happen if that rain fell far too heavily? Even so, wouldn’t the grasslands absorb it all?

"Pwah! Pwah!"

"Kwoo-ung! Kwoo-ung!"

There was no such thing. A literal ’flood’ hit the grassland, causing damage to numerous animals.

Among them, the animals that suffered the most were those unable to find shelter—especially the young ones.

Being young and weak, they were swept away just like that.

"Hmm."

And there was a person observing this scene in real-time: Ludwig.

He, who was still wearing heavy armor to preserve his defensive capability.

"So this is why this animal’s legs are long."

"..."

He was currently riding on the back of a Kirin to avoid the disaster.

Kirin were originally known to be foul-tempered animals, but Ludwig did not provoke it.

The lump on the Kirin’s head indicated the basis of its judgment.

’If not for this animal, I would have been in big trouble.’

Ludwig, mounted on the Kirin’s back, looked up at the Kirin’s face.

Even in the grassland where a flood was occurring, the Kirin stood composedly.

It had merely come beneath a giant tree to temporarily avoid the rain, standing steadfast alone.

Koong! Koong! Koong!

Then, a loud sound reached Ludwig’s ears. The vibration shaking the earth was a bonus.

Turning his head toward the sound, an unbelievable reality met his eyes.

Koong! Kwoo-ung! Koong!

It was a turtle. Not a sea turtle, but a land tortoise.

Not a normal shell, but a tortoise carrying a massive ’mountain’ on its back.

Because it carried a mountain, its size was also terrifyingly enormous.

When rain poured down heavily enough to cause a flood, animals climbed onto the back of that tortoise.

If Grylls had seen this, he would have called it a living ’Noah’s Ark.’

"..."

Ludwig silently watched the walking tortoise, then turned his head away.

’Can a human really live in a place like this?’

Ludwig grew increasingly curious about Grylls.

The key point was that Grylls’s yard had also been completely swept clean.

’I should find a shelter on high ground. Since I have an excellent horse, it should be decent enough.’

It wasn’t a horse; it was a Kirin.