I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 242

The sudden pain began around dawn.

At that time, I simply thought it was a cramp and stretched my muscles.

However, the pain did not easily fade, but gradually began to intensify.

I tried my best to endure it and close my eyes, but even that was hard, so I started operating the mental cultivation art.

"Oh goodness..."

Even that was difficult. It was a pain that breached every ounce of my concentration.

In the end, I had no choice but to be bedridden. I could feel cold sweat pouring down.

[Where does it hurt?]

"My whole body hurts. My entire body."

I answered Cain’s question roughly.

My tone was somewhat sharp, but my current state was a total mess.

It wasn’t like a fever was spiking or anything; my whole body was just aching all over.

Especially, the most painful spots were my limbs—more accurately, my joints.

As if undergoing execution by dismemberment, it felt like someone was pulling my arms and legs apart.

’I knew it was about time to get sick, but I didn’t ask for this.’

Although I maintained strict hygiene and prevented bug bites as much as possible, this was the wild.

I could have caught a disease I didn’t even know, so being this sick wasn’t strange.

However, usually illnesses accompany a fever, but not right now.

It just hurt physically(?). Even if it sounded bizarre, there was no other way to express it.

"Kkyuu..."

"Ppiiiik..."

As I lay sick, Wonmo and Tyranno looked at me with sad eyes.

Seeing those cute and lovely kids, the pain seemed to fade just a little bit.

[It looks like they are asking for food, though?]

"Shut up."

It felt like that was actually true, making me even sadder. In the end, I entrusted breakfast to Ludwig.

Ludwig lacked feet, not hands. So he could smoothly handle making breakfast itself.

"Ahjussi. Can I ask you one really impolite favor?"

"What is it?"

"Please feed them instead."

"..."

"Don’t look at me with those eyes. I’m serious."

My whole body hurt so much I couldn’t even lift a spoon.

Seeing that I was speaking seriously and not joking, Ludwig fed me bit by bit.

Breakfast was fish porridge. It reminded me of when I fed Ludwig when he was sick.

Now that our roles were reversed, life sure was unpredictable.

"I guess I’ll have to stay only inside the Shelter today."

"Mmm."

Originally, after visiting the squirrel’s shelter, I planned to train with Ludwig.

But in this shape, I had no choice but to stay stuck inside the Shelter all day.

"Uuu..."

I drank a sip of Elixir as a painkiller substitute. Thanks to that, the pain eased a little.

But even so, it didn’t mean I was completely healed. It felt like my muscles were tearing apart.

’There are no signs of bug bites, so is it because I fought yesterday?’

While groaning, I searched my mind for the cause as much as possible.

I fought the raptor yesterday, but there was no way I’d suffer like this over just that.

The biological chainsaw armadillo was the same. I didn’t overexert myself.

’Then is it because of the Acorn Jelly I ate two days ago?’

That was the only thing that came to mind right away.

Indeed, hadn’t what was presumed to be waste matter been discharged?

But being sick right now instead of the very next day was strange.

I couldn’t find a proper cause. I blinked my eyes and stared into empty space.

Since Ludwig said he didn’t know the cause either, all that remained was the Gallery.

’Fortunately, I can use the Gallery even without hands.’

Even if my consciousness was hazy, I could at least use the Gallery.

Rolling my eyes, I wrote a post in the Gallery.

Lick—

Just then, someone licked my cheek. Because I was in so much pain, I hadn’t even noticed someone coming.

Turning my head at this, Tyranno was looking at me with a worried expression.

His usually charismatic face had disappeared without a trace.

Staring with big, round eyes, a smile naturally emerged despite the pain.

"I’m okay. No need to worry."

"Ppiii..."

Even at my words, Tyranno still displayed concern.

Just as I wondered if this was why people raised pets—

"Kkyuu!"

Wonmo came waddling over to Tyranno’s side.

Something was wriggling frantically in his sharp beak.

It was a snake.

"...I don’t need to eat. You eat plenty."

"Kkyu!"

Thump!

No! You must eat a lot!

...was what Wonmo seemed to say as he placed the snake on my face.

As if still alive, the snake wriggled continuously on my face.

Normally, I would have screamed, but right now I was in so much pain that even a scream wouldn’t come out.

[Oh dear. You mustn’t do that.]

"Kkyuu! Kkyu!"

[At least cook it over fire before giving it to him. This human can’t eat it raw like you.]

Fortunately, Cain, who was watching the situation, removed the snake, concluding the incident.This story is hosted at novelp⁠ing.com.

"Kkyuu?"

"Ppiik! Ppii!"

"Hey. Hey hey hey. No. Don’t do that."

Let me correct myself. I barely stopped Tyranno as he was about to spout breath.

Since Cain said it had to be cooked over fire, he was preparing to fire his breath.

Afterward, Ludwig somehow led them out, bringing the situation to a close.

"Ppiiiii! Ppiiiii!!!"

"Heh, my."

Only Wonmo went out. Tyranno tried to stay by my side until the end.

He had been attached to me like glue from the start, and he was still rejecting Ludwig’s touch.

Ludwig might feel hurt, but what could be done? This guy liked me.

"...Tyranno-yah?"

"Ppiik?"

"...Never mind. Just stay right there."

Aside from that, he was a bit heavy.

A smile escaped me at Tyranno lying down using my stomach as a mat.

It was a good thing he was a hatchling; if he were just a bit bigger, it would have been quite burdensome.

’By the way, I wonder if a few comments were posted.’

Right after posting on the Gallery, the kids came, so I couldn’t pay attention.

Praying that there would be the answer I wanted, I logged into the Gallery.

Title) It hurts.

Wild Grylls

(Picture of the cave ceiling)

It hurt since dawn, and by morning my limbs feel like they’re tearing off;;

It’s not like I have a fever or anything, but it feels like someone is pulling me apart.

The only thing different I ate from usual is the Acorn Jelly two days ago, does anyone know why this is happening?

└ Heavenly Demon) A pain like your limbs are tearing off? Can you explain in a bit more detail?

└ Sword Matstar) Just hearing it makes it sound like simple muscle soreness?

└ Didn’t he catch a disease? Even if it’s not a disease, there could be an illness that only affects muscles.

└ Where in the world is there an illness like that?

└ Starlight Lady’s illness is similar. No fever, but the body just hurts like crazy.

└ Starlight Lady) That is closer to a constitution than a disease. Besides, cases where it manifests acquiredly are almost non-existent.

└ Are there cases where it manifests acquiredly?

└ Starlight Lady) Yes. Cases where one consumes too much Spiritual Medicine, causing the body to fail to withstand the energy. However, usually such cases accompany a fever.

└ Didn’t Grylls eat an Inner Core once a day?

└ Not once a day, I think it was once per meal? I heard so last time.

└ That’s why he broke down;;

└ He didn’t break down, he said it feels like being pulled apart by horses.

└ Oh. Then is he losing one of his arms or legs like Ludwig?

└ Are you a crazy bastard;

└ Seriously, an incomprehensible pure evil;;

As expected, reactions filled with worry popped up.

Since I usually showed a healthy appearance and suddenly said I was sick, they seemed flustered.

Contemplating whom to reply to, I chose Heavenly Demon.

Because the person I could trust in this kind of situation was Heavenly Demon.

└ Wild Grylls) Just arm and leg joints? Those areas hurt. Like someone is pulling on them.

└ Heavenly Demon) What happened to your Internal Cultivation Art? Does it feel blocked somewhere?

└ Wild Grylls) No. That’s working fine.

└ Heavenly Demon) It is highly likely the problem lies outside, not inside. Do you happen to feel a throbbing sensation in your bones?

└ Wild Grylls) Yes. Like someone is pounding my bones with a pork tenderizer hammer?

└ Heavenly Demon) I shall take that to mean the pain is severe. First, I shall send a private message.

By the looks of it, Heavenly Demon seemed to have noticed something.

Although Sword Matstar posted a comment in the middle, I postponed it for later.

Sword Matstar was outstanding in swordsmanship and aura control, not mental cultivation arts.

[Heavenly Demon: Dear friend, you unblocked both the Conception and Governing Vessels and breached the Gateway of Life and Death. Do you remember?]

[Wild Grylls: No?]

Because it was a long time ago and the terms were too difficult, I didn’t remember.

I probably just passed over it thinking, ’Good things are good~’.

[Heavenly Demon: It matters not. Then, have you heard of the term Body Metamorphosis?]

[Wild Grylls: I’ve heard that plenty of times.]

[Heavenly Demon: There is a high probability that you are undergoing the process of Body Metamorphosis.]

[Wild Grylls: Me?]

Body Metamorphosis all of a sudden. Rather than surprise, doubt arose.

Doesn’t Body Metamorphosis only happen to masters appearing in wuxia novels?

Even if I possessed a strange constitution like an invasive species, Body Metamorphosis was weird.

[Heavenly Demon: Indeed. Has anything strange happened to your body so far? Such as skin peeling off, or waste matter being expelled outward.]

[Wild Grylls: Uh... both happened?]

Even one of them happened just two days ago. Thanks to that, my trust steadily rose.

Regardless of that, the pain remained the same. Frowning, I focused on the message.

[Heavenly Demon: You have already satisfied the conditions for Body Metamorphosis. However, due to a lack of enlightenment, you have reached the current situation. What I feared has come to pass.]

[Wild Grylls: A lack of enlightenment can’t be helped. Then what is the reason I am in pain?]

[Heavenly Demon: Just as a lizard falls into dire straits if it cannot shed its skin, you ought to have shed your skin already, yet find yourself unable to do so.]

As expected of star instructor Heavenly Demon. It was a perfect metaphor that even an outsider like me could easily understand.

If so, all that remained was shedding skin—that is, Body Metamorphosis.

’But does Body Metamorphosis happen that easily?’

I firmly believed not.

Protagonists in wuxia stories undergo Body Metamorphosis at the drop of a hat, but I wasn’t one.

Well, becoming this strong in just a month was also abnormal, but I lacked ’depth’.

On the other hand, depth was important for Body Metamorphosis. Here was the key issue.

[Wild Grylls: What happens if it passes like this?]

[Heavenly Demon: There is a high chance your skeletal structure will warp. In the worst case, you could gain a disability.]

[Wild Grylls: Please save me.]This chapter was copied from NovelPing without permission.

Even so, gaining a disability was out of the question. I had to struggle by any means necessary.

[Heavenly Demon: Of course. I would hate to lose the benefactor who saved my life, even if it kills me. Therefore, I shall teach you the third chant.]

[Wild Grylls: The third chant?]

[Heavenly Demon: Indeed. Originally, I intended to teach you when your realm became more profound... but since your physical body cannot endure it, it cannot be helped.]

[Wild Grylls: It can’t be helped since I’m abnormal. Will you teach me right away?]

[Heavenly Demon: Once your preparations are finished.]

I asked Heavenly Demon to wait and called Ludwig.

Ludwig, who was working outside, ran over immediately at my call.

"Ahjussi. I need to undergo Body Metamorphosis right now, you see?"

"..."

As I spoke with a nuance as if saying I needed to go take a dump or something, Ludwig’s reaction was quite something to behold.

A face that seemed troubled over whether to believe this or not.

Anyway, since I was serious, I made a request.

"I might not be able to get up for a while. Strange sounds might come from my body, too."

"Mmm."

"So please guard my side. Pass these words to Lackey as well."

The only person to trust here was Ludwig.

Lackey was closer to a worker or luggage porter than a comrade, so it was ambiguous.

Having finished all preparations, I caught my breath. Subsequently, I sent a message to Heavenly Demon.

[Wild Grylls: Everything is ready.]

[Heavenly Demon: Good. Do you happen to remember the contents of the chants?]

[Wild Grylls: I recited them every time I operated the mental cultivation art, so I remember them all. The first is feeling the energy of the heavens, and the second is surrendering one’s body to the heavens.]

[Heavenly Demon: You remember well. The third chant is gathering the energy of the heavens into your hand.]

[Wild Grylls: Doesn’t the difficulty feel like it suddenly shot way up?]

Feeling the energy and surrendering the body were already overwhelming, but gathering it in one’s hand?

It felt like throwing out a simple formula and telling me to solve an advanced problem.

[Heavenly Demon: It is similar, yet entirely different. I do not expect you to wholly contain the energy of the heavens in your hand. This chant is the same.]

[Wild Grylls: Then what is the principle?]

[Heavenly Demon: The act of gathering it in your hand itself is what matters. Even if a dam has a leak, if no water enters at all, the possibility is zero. It is the same as opportunity never coming to those who do not try.]

[Wild Grylls: I clearly understand what you mean.]

It was a chant directly linked to my will to survive.

It was like my image of struggling to escape by any means.

Devising every possible measure to raise the possibility even by 0.00001%.

[Heavenly Demon: There is no need to rush. The heavens are infinite, and the energy you can contain in your hand is likewise infinite. Do you understand?]

[Wild Grylls: As expected of Heavenly Demon-nim.]

[Heavenly Demon: A smile emerges at those words. Then, I shall teach you the chant.]

Heavenly Demon was silent for a moment, then taught me a chant much longer than before.

[Heavenly Demon: Gather the heavens into your hand. Gather it in your hand and let it flow through. Feel no regret over what flows away. The heavens are an infinite existence, so you too shall obtain infinite power. The opportunity granted by the heavens is eternal, and also...]

I closed my eyes and began the internal energy cultivation art.

First, I recited the first chant, and next, I recited the second chant.

Finally, reciting the third chant, I strove so my body could shed its skin.

Just around the time I combined the theory taught by Heavenly Demon with the chants to visualize an image—

Uduk!

A strange sound resonated from my body, and then—

Ududeuk! Uduk! Kkwaduk!

A very eerie sound, as if bone and flesh were twisting, began to echo.

"!!!"

It was so painful that not even a scream would come out. But I endured it firmly.

Forcibly suppressing the pain, I focused on the internal energy cultivation art.

Cold sweat poured down so heavily that the moisture was vividly felt.

As a result of enduring the pain like that—

"Kkuek..."

Making a bizarre noise, I passed out.

Ududeuk! Uduk!

"..."

Ludwig could not believe the phenomenon currently unfolding before his eyes.

A realm even he had not yet reached was unfolding.

Body Metamorphosis, or Body Change.

A phenomenon close to a type of evolution that only those who reached a profound realm could experience.

’Just what is this man...’

And that phenomenon was happening to Grylls.

According to his own words, it had only been a month since he awakened mana.

Yet, to undergo Body Metamorphosis on top of that, Ludwig felt his common sense being shattered.

’No, wait. There is one more.’

Ash, the Sword Master praised as an unprecedented genius.

He heard she experienced Body Metamorphosis in her late teens.

"Eeek... Ueek..."

"..."

"Kkuek... Kkreek..."

Apart from that, making grotesque sounds was... quite repulsive.

Even sticking his tongue out wasn’t something pleasant to behold.

Usually, Body Metamorphosis possessed a dignified atmosphere, but Grylls...

[He looks somewhat like a dumbass.]

"..."

[Still, the fact that he’s getting stronger again is truly surreal.]

Just in time, Cain voiced what Ludwig wanted to say.

That was how unnatural Grylls’s growth was.

Watching Grylls whose skeleton was twisting, Ludwig scratched his head.

’Is he really like an invasive species from the outside world?’

It was a deeply suspicious point.