I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 232

How many times in my life had I felt such terror? That was the thought that crossed my mind while running for dear life.

In the past, the overwhelming aura would have left me pinned to the spot as if nailed to the ground.

But having faced all sorts of horrors while living in the Forest of the Four Seasons, my situation was different now.

Survival instinct took precedence over fear most of the time, allowing me to make quick decisions.

"Haa... haa..."

"Heeck... heeck..."

How much further had we run? My legs were trembling.

My lungs felt like they were burning, and even breathing was a struggle.

I’ve been building up my muscular strength through daily training, but not stamina. There wasn’t really a specific way to train that separately either.

If I knew this would happen, I should have explored more diligently in my daily life. I felt a slight twinge of regret.

’No, who could have known a monster like that would pop out?’

A pair of eyes so colossal they could cover the entire lake.

Arms as massive as giant waterfalls.

Even though I couldn’t see its face, I could easily guess its immense size.

What kind of monster on earth was living in that lake? I couldn’t even imagine.

’Did it awaken because of the Recording Orb’s mana?’

I thought to myself as I looked around.

Thankfully, none of our party had been left behind.

Instead, everyone’s faces were pale, likely due to the monster we just saw.

Well, the pressure emanating from its sheer scale was hard to put into words.

If they hadn’t met the dragon, Vanir, before, they probably would have wet themselves.

’Come to think of it, wasn’t there an entity that invaded Vanir’s lair as well...?’

There are plenty of creatures in this forest strong enough to be compared to dragons.

Perhaps the guy we just ran into possessed a similar level of strength.

Catching my breath, I surveyed our surroundings.

I had sprinted deep into the forest rather than along the river so it couldn’t follow us.

I didn’t know where we were, but seeing as the space didn’t shift, it was definitely still the forest.

"Phew. Is everyone alright?"

[I’m a bit dizzy, but I’m fine.]

Cain spoke up. I had quickly grabbed Cain with my hand when we fled.

Looking at the rest of the party, they were just panting, all in relatively good condition.

The one in the best shape was Ludwig. After all, he was riding Largo.

"Lackey. What about the thread?"

"Still here."

"Good job."

Thanks to Lackey doing his job dutifully, there was no fear of getting lost.

Although there was a crisis, there were no major obstacles for our upcoming exploration.

I suggested a five-minute rest to the party and checked the time through the Gallery.

’We can explore just a bit more and then head back.’

Current time was around 1:30 PM. There was still plenty of time before evening.

Assuming it takes 1 hour just to return, we can explore for about 3 more hours.

I hoped for some gains, but decided not to get too greedy.

"Cain-ssi."

[Speak.]

"Do you happen to know anything about the monster we just encountered? Ludwig-ssi didn’t seem to know either."

While resting, I asked Cain about the identity of the monster.

This place was populated by mythical entities like Sky Whales and dragons.

I asked wondering if that monster was also something from myth.

[I’m not sure. Looking at its webbed hands and scales, it seems to be leaning toward the lizard side.]

"Not a monster that would appear in myths?"

[It could be. However, underwater combat wasn’t my forte, so I’ve never hunted one.]

"Can that monster even be slain?"

[It is precisely because humanity hunted down monsters like that that we managed to flourish.]

Indeed, the strongest monster on land is humanity. Seeing how they beat down dragons with just weapons.

I sighed and scratched my head.

To raise the chances of escaping this forest even by a little, we’d probably have to subjugate that monster too.

"Monsters like that were hard to defeat even in the Mythological Age, right?"

[It would be possible for a hero.]

"And that hero was you, Cain-ssi."

[Modest as I am to admit it, yes.]

"What do I need to do to become strong like you, Cain-ssi?"

[Why not place your faith in Goddess Aris while you’re at it?]

Ludwig stared at me intently, as if intrigued by those words.

Even with his signature stern expression, his eyes were screaming ’Hurry up and believe in Aris too!’

Not a chance. She’s the suspect presumed to be the main culprit behind dropping me into this hell.

Dragging over someone who was living perfectly fine even after his parents passed away—faith my foot.

"Forget it. I’d rather find another way. Hero aside, Ash and Heavenly Demon grew strong normally."

There’s no rule saying you have to harbour faith to grow strong.

I don’t know where the limits of my talent lie, but I’ve got to push through to the end.

Even if, like someone said, I end up getting stupidly strong like a total dumbass, it doesn’t matter. Winning is all that counts.

"Anyway, rest time’s over. Everyone! Get up! We’re moving!"Read the latest chapters at novelpi‌ng.com.

Time had passed, so all that was left was to move. I shouted to the group.

But an unexpected issue arose: Wonmo and Tyranno.

"Kyuuuu..."

"Piiii..."

"What’s wrong? Are you sleepy?"

Is it because they’re still cubs? Wonmo and Tyranno were blinking groggily.

Come to think of it, young ones sleep for more than half the day, so it’s quite natural in a way.

I placed the two on Largo’s back. It seemed we’d need to adjust our roster once exploration was over.

’They usually take about a 1-hour nap.’

In the end, we had no choice but to take an enforced 1-hour rest.

Returning like this was dangerous, and who knew if that monster was lurking around.

It would be better to use this spot as a base and explore the surroundings.

"Ludwig-ssi. Let’s clear the perimeter first."

Since insects or snakes might approach, we roughly tidied the area.

Clearing fallen leaves off to the side and spraying insect repellent here and there.

This should be enough. I wore a satisfied smile as the area turned clean.

"I’ll look around nearby, so if any problem comes up, let me know with this."

"What is this?"

"It’s a bead that creates noise. Originally a security orb, though."

I handed over the security orb to be used as a signal.

Since we didn’t have signal flares, this was the best option.

Afterwards, with all preparations finished, I set out to explore.

Without World Tree thread, I had no intention of wandering too far.

’Nothing in particular stands out in this forest either.’

Nothing glittering, just an ordinary forest. Even so, I didn’t forget to stay vigilant.

If anyone launched a surprise attack, Speed Sloth hanging on my back would handle it.

I moved forward, carving marks along the way so as not to get lost.

Sparkle! Sparkle!

"Hm?"

Then a glitter caught my eye. Right in the middle of a tree.

Not only that tree, but glitters were present on other trees as well. Mostly around the middle.

’Is there some kind of mushroom?’

Just in case, I approached the tree while remaining alert to my surroundings.

Where the glitter was, there was a hole, right at my eye level.

Flash!

Perhaps because the inside of the tree hole was dark, the lantern turned on.

What lantern? The Eye Lantern. Man, it really comes in handy in the weirdest places.

Anyway, I checked what was inside that was glittering so much.

’...Acorns?’

They were acorns. An enormous quantity of them, no less.

Even among those acorns, a Golden Acorn was glittering.

A Golden Acorn after Golden Apples. Quite peculiar.

But seeing acorns piled up like this meant someone had definitely stored them here.

’When I think of acorns, only squirrels come to mind?’

Tap- tap-

Just then, Speed Sloth hanging on my back tapped my shoulder.

Turning around to see what was up, I came face-to-face with a small, adorable animal.

"...."

"...A squirrel?"

It was a squirrel. A genuinely cute squirrel holding an acorn in its hands.

Plus a shocked expression as if it had just spotted a thief.

Plop-

Shortly after, it even dropped the acorn in its hand. A reaction of pure shock.

Even if it was a small and cute squirrel, I couldn’t let my guard down. In this place, the smaller and cuter something is, the more dangerous it is.

Although there were harmless beings like the raccoon family, you never know. I slowly backed away from the tree.

"Calm down. I just came over out of curiosity."

I doubted it would understand even if I spoke like this.

Even as I slowly backpedaled, the squirrel continued to glare intensely at me.

Soon, just as I got further away from the squirrel.

"Squeeeeeek!!!"

The squirrel flew into a rage. Though enraged, its reaction was cute.

But that was only its appearance—its momentum was the exact opposite. I immediately prepared to react.

Since I was strictly the intruder, I raised only my shield to purely defend.

Tadat! Tadat! Tat!

As soon as I raised my shield, the squirrel dashed toward me like an arrow.

It was already small, but being so fast made it hard to even track with my eyes.

Thank goodness I had been training my dynamic vision all this time; otherwise, I would have lost sight of it from the very start.

Swish!

Finally arriving right in front of my nose, the squirrel jumped high into the air.Follow the newest chapters on novelping . com.

Then, surprisingly, it thrust out its delicate shoulder. Don’t tell me... a shoulder strike?

Doubts aside, I instinctively shoved my shield forward. And then....

KABOOM!!!

An immense impact transferred through the shield.

Even though I stood firmly planted on both feet, I was pushed back sliding across the ground.

They say small peppers are the spiciest, but what kind of squirrel possesses power like this?

If it had smashed into me head-on, my bones would have been shattered.

Throb!

"Ugh!"

As proof, the arm holding the shield felt numb and throbbing.

It was just one blow. A single strike, yet it dealt damage that couldn’t be ignored.

"Squeek-squeek! Squeek!"

On the other hand, the guy was totally fine. It stood vigilantly with its tail raised straight up.

A stance showing it realized it had met an unexpectedly strong opponent. Honestly, it felt unfair.

Sure, I was the one who trespassed on its nest, but I intended to run away.

Fighting pointlessly wouldn’t net me anything except...

’...Those acorns?’

Suddenly, the thought struck me: ’Isn’t this worth a shot?’

Since I was curious about what properties the Golden Acorns possessed.

Even if not quite on par with Golden Apples, they should have a comparable effect.

Besides, just looking at them, I could feel a strong presence of mana.

How should I put it? It felt as if mana had saturated the entire tree hole. They definitely had an effect.

Instead, killing the squirrel would feel cruel, so let’s just loot it. That was my line of thought.

With that, I prepared for battle in earnest. Noticing my momentum, the squirrel flinched slightly.

Between me and Speed Sloth clinging to my back, it wouldn’t be easy for it to approach casually.

’Looks like Bbareumbo hasn’t been to this territory before.’

Animals near the shelter were always hyper-vigilant whenever they saw Bbareumbo.

But this squirrel only felt an instinctive sense of danger; there was no sign of actual fear.

Tatadat! Tadat!

Eventually, the squirrel dashed toward the tree hole. Was it planning to wage a siege battle?

But that was purely my own assumption.

Tap, tap-

The moment the squirrel entered the tree hole, Bbareumbo tapped my shoulder.

Looking at him, he stretched his arm out in a sluggish movement.

Not toward the place where the squirrel hid, but toward the tree to my right.

"Why over there..."

"Squeeeeeek!!!"

Question unresolved, the squirrel burst out from the tree on the right.

Its attack method was the same shoulder strike as before—the Iron Mountain Lean.

Startled, I frantically blocked with my shield.

KABOOM!!!

"Kughhh...!"

As felt earlier, terrifying power. Even circulating mana, it was tough to hold ground.

While I was regaining my posture, the squirrel charged back into the tree hole.

Watching that scene unfold, just as I was starting to suspect the absurd.

Tap, tap-

This time too, Bbareumbo signaled the direction. Now it was from behind.

The moment I felt that, I whipped around, and sure enough.

This time, instead of a shoulder strike, the squirrel came into view executing a back kick.

Its speed was significantly faster than before. What on earth was this guy?

KABOOM!

"Gaaah!"

In the end, unable to withstand the shock, I tumbled backward.

Bbareumbo hastily helped me up, but the squirrel had already disappeared into the hole.

Watching this unfold, I was left dumbfounded.

’Don’t tell me....’

Just like the Spirit Deer teleported, this squirrel was also teleporting.

I didn’t know the principle behind it, but those tree holes seemed to function as a sort of Teleport mechanism.

Swiiiiish!

The sound of something cutting through the air pierced my ears.

Realizing it was flying straight for my face, I hastily jerked my head aside.

Thwack!

Shortly after, a small object lodged itself right where my head had been.

The identity of the object was none other than an acorn. Looks like it threw an acorn....

Vrrrrrr!

"What?"

I was startled by the sudden sound, but.

KABOOM!!!

The acorn exploding happened first.