I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 285

Dugeun! Dugeun! Dugeun!

The Immortal Herb Colossus’s core throbbed like an animal’s heart.

I didn’t know by what principle it was beating like a heart, but one thing was certain.

This creature was an animal wearing the skin of a plant. A being trapped right between plant and animal.

Whether this was possible or impossible held no meaning. Because this was the Forest of the Four Seasons.

A place that enabled even me, who didn’t know the first thing about mana, to wield it.

’Just in case, let me snap a few photos.’

As soon as I took the photos, I grabbed the core with both hands.

Did the Immortal Herb Colossus realize that this core was equivalent to its heart?

Chwararak! Chwaruk!

Countless vine tentacles began coiling around both my arms.

Although they quickly burned away due to the fire clinging to my body, the monster didn’t give up.

Just as it had put out the fire on its own body earlier, it began wrapping tightly around my entire body.

Shaaaah!

’Th-the absorption speed is...!’

I expected it, but the speed at which it absorbed Aura was staggering.

It hadn’t even wrapped properly. It was like this even while burning away in real time due to the fire.

If someone like me, who possessed a insane amount of Aura, felt it vividly, how much worse would it be for others?

It was a miracle the hobgoblin chieftain hadn’t died. He probably held out through exceptional Aura application.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled at the core. But the vines holding the core were so tough it was difficult.

Shaaaah!

"Agh, damn it!"

Moreover, the moment I laid hands on the core, a monstrous amount of Aura was sucked out of me.

Had it not been for ’fire,’ the greatest weakness of plants, it would have been absolute invincibility itself.

One might ask why not use ice energy, but I discarded that idea just in case.

’Ultimately its essence is Aura too, and ice could end up being used as a substitute for water.’

If a plant’s weakness is fire, conversely, water is a plant’s lifeblood.

Ice is ultimately just solidified water, so there was a high chance it would treat it the same way.

Against a creature whose very existence was a wildcard, I couldn’t afford to leave even an inch of leeway.

’Good thing I brought a dagger.’

I quickly drew my dagger and sliced off the tentacles one by one.

If I used Aura, the monster’s focus might shift toward the dagger.

Though tedious, since it was a dagger forged from Mythricon, its cutting power was more than sufficient.

Chwararak!

However, the vine tentacles constantly clinging to my body remained a problem.

At this rate, it would be too late. Sheathing the dagger, I rummaged through my pockets.

I had brought spare oil bottles just in case something like this happened.

Jureureuk-

I generously drenched the core and the vine tentacles bound around it with oil. The remaining oil I poured over my own body.

Having finished all preparations, I placed my hands on the core.

Hwareureureuk!!!

[ !]

Whether a mere plant felt pain or instinctively sensed crisis...

The inside of the beast vibrated violently. Vine tentacles squirmed wildly, having lost their direction.

Even amid that, the vine tentacles binding the core were burning away. Waiting just a little longer would see them completely destroyed.

’Burn faster. Burn faster. Burn faster.’

I even fanned the flames with my hands so it would burn much better.

As time elapsed like that, when the vine tentacles surrounding the core were almost entirely gone...

Udeudeuk!

I grabbed the core with both hands and tore it off forcefully.

The moment I gripped the core, my Aura began draining like water through a burst dam.

Ggumteul! Ggumteul!

What was even more horrifying was that vine tentacles squirmed out of the core like an octopus.

As expected, this core was the main body. Multiple Immortal Herbs had gathered into one, mutating into a heinous entity.

"Huu! Huu! Huu!"

Having detached the core for now, I dashed out of the cavity.

Vine tentacles began approaching from all directions to secure the core.

Normally, once the core was separated, all activity should cease, but perhaps it was possible because the monster possessed such tenacious vitality.

’Surely the Immortal Herb Colossus won’t keep moving even with its core removed, right?’

Assuming the worst-case scenario in my head, I sprinted toward the exit.

Having used Eye Lantern for too long, my eyes were gradually starting to ache.

Hwik!

Soon, I burst out of the exit. As soon as I caught the scent of fresh air, I looked down.

The party was looking up at me with various expressions. I immediately shouted:

"Subspace Backpack! Open it!"

It was a shout of just three words, but Ludwig seemed to understand the meaning.

He said something to Lackey and grabbed the Subspace Backpack.

Following up, Lackey also grabbed the Subspace Backpack and stretched the opening wide.

Jjeojeojeok-

"Kuh...!"

I used ice energy to make it easier to throw, but it was useless.

Because it absorbed the energy faster than I could freeze the core solid with ice.

Good thing I held off on relying heavily on ice. Retracting the ice energy, I threw the core with all my might.

"Hryaaaa!!"

A throw with every ounce of strength.

Ludwig and Lackey watched the flying core intently, thrusting the Subspace Backpack into the right position.

Ssuuk!

Thanks to the assistance of the two, the core landed precisely inside the Subspace Backpack.

Just in case, they tied the opening tightly so the core couldn’t escape.

[ ]

Meanwhile, the body of the Immortal Herb Colossus slowly began to crumble.

With the core gone and its body ablaze, its life force was rapidly depleting.

At last, the Immortal Herb Colossus ceased all movement, transforming into a massive pile of firewood.The source of this chapter is novelping(.)com.

Jjeojeojeojeok!!!

Meanwhile, I enveloped my entire body in ice energy to extinguish the flames.

Soon, accompanied by a pshhhh sound, billows of steam rose up.

Dispelling Body-Protecting Gangqi, a strong smell of oil hit my nose. I’ll have to wash thoroughly later.

’Fortunately, I don’t have any injuries anywhere.’

Except for my Aura being cut in half, I didn’t sustain a single external wound.

As for the oil smell, I could just get rid of it slowly, so I didn’t mind.

Tadadadak- tadak- tadak-

The Immortal Herb Colossus’s body burned furiously, beginning to vanish.

To think I went inside that monster’s body and removed the core—even though I did it myself, I couldn’t believe it.

Thinking back, it was a move that went beyond insanity and suited sheer madness. I’m never doing that again.

"Anyhow..."

I looked toward the goblin village. A vast number of goblins were waiting there.

Realizing the situation had ended, they were growing bustlingly active.

I pondered how I should explain things to them.

’First off, it seems the reason this Immortal Herb Colossus went wild might be me...’

The Immortal Herb Colossus had been fine all this time, only to suddenly initiate activity.

The timing was also suspicious, happening right after I explored the cave.

No matter who looked at it, I was doomed to be pegged as the culprit.

’Even in rural areas, if an accident occurs right after an outsider arrives, they often point fingers at the outsider.’

However, Wonmo and Tyranno remained in that goblin village.

Shouldn’t I at least bring them along?

I might get cursed at along the way, or rocks might come flying.

Bracing for all of that, as I passed through the blown-open entrance of the goblin village...

"Uwaaaaah!"

"Kuwakeu! Kuwakeu!"

"Kuwa! Kuwa!"

I became a triumphant general returning from war.

Not a single rock came flying.

Cheers erupted instead of curses.

I expected a heavy silence at minimum, but to get a response like this—it was bewildering.

"Do they not know we’re the culprits?"

[Not us, just you, isn’t it?]

Cutting ties so coldly, how disappointing. Not that I can really deny it though.

Of course, Cain was joking too, so he stated his actual opinion.

[It might be because the Immortal Herb Colossus was hopelessly strong. Besides, there weren’t many casualties, were there?]

"Because it was hopelessly strong?"

[Even in mythology, the ones who vanquish monsters were heroes. Didn’t even the great warrior of this place fall helplessly?]

Since we brought down the Immortal Herb Colossus under circumstances where even the hobgoblin chieftain fell helplessly, cheers burst forth rather than resentment.

’...So I can just pretend I know nothing about it?’

I brought Wonmo and Tyranno along and subtly gauged the mood.

Deep down I wanted to return just like this, but human affairs are never easy.

"Kkareuk."

Ggambu, who had a rough grasp of the situation, motioned for me to follow.

Following behind him, the place we arrived at was Gganmar’s house. It was completely intact despite all that chaos.

"Kua keujaneu arkaneu."

As I sat down with Gganmar, he bowed his head in greeting.

I brought Cain, but I probably don’t need a translation. It’s roughly a thank-you greeting anyway.

"Kkeureukakeu bamako aneukoa."

[Gratitude aside, it seems that monster appeared because of you.]

"I won’t deny it."

Feigning ignorance for no reason would only stir suspicion.

We have to interact with this village going forward, and if trust issues arise, it’ll be a headache.

Seeing that I didn’t deny it, Gganmar nodded satisfied.

"Akeu ukana keunokeu noaneukeura. Sika aeuro akeu najeunom."

[I’ve long noticed that entity was Ark. However, I am worried whether we can harvest Ark in the future.]

That must be the biggest problem. Whether they can harvest the Immortal Herb going forward.

Although I possess the Immortal Herb’s core, it’s doubtful whether this core will make Immortal Herb cultivation possible.

Unintentionally, I’ve essentially uprooted the goblins’ source of survival.

It’s hard to just wash my hands of it. I’ll need to reach a mutual agreement through fair trade.

"First, let me extend my apologies. What I propose is..."

My proposal was simple.

Until we find medicinal herbs matching the performance of the Immortal Herb, I will ’lend’ Mythricon tools.

Also, if they lend a few goblins as labor, I’ll provide various assistance, etc.

The labor aspect was something I originally had in mind, while lending Mythricon just popped into my head.

’Since it’s lending rather than giving, it’ll be fine. Having shown our military might, they won’t dare mess with us.’

The deal was sealed cleanly. Both Gganmar and Ggambu agreed.

From their perspective anyway, rebuilding the half-destroyed goblin village took urgent priority.

There was no fear of betrayal either. The moment they backstabbed us, the goblin village would face total ruin.

With me, let alone the ultimate weapon Bbareumbo standing right there, would they even dream of backstabbing?

Going further, there was Tyranno, who was practically a nuke launch button.

"For now, I’ll lend you the Mythricon sword. Return it once you’ve fully rebuilt the village."

I lent them the Mythricon sword until the goblin village was rebuilt.

After all, I could just craft another one once I returned to the Shelter.

Thus, the matter at the goblin village was wrapped up. It was time to return to the Shelter.

"Ggansu. Let me get along well from now on."

"Kkireuk!"

As a bonus, I brought Ggansu along too. It was a concept closer to an exchange student than a foreign worker.

Or a mix of both. The goal was for him to live at our Shelter and learn the alphabet.

Later, when other goblins come visiting, he can teach them the script. It repeats like this.

’Before that, let me post on the Gallery.’

Heading back to the Shelter, I pulled up the Gallery.

Snapping photos and videos along the way was well worth it.Visit NovelPing for the full chapter.

’This has become a habit too.’

The habit of taking photos and videos so naturally.

What’s funnier is that it didn’t get in the way during combat.

Realizing I had become a hardcore forum addict, I made a post on the Gallery.

Title: Defeated the Immortal Herb Colossus

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the Immortal Herb Colossus)

(Video of the Immortal Herb Colossus draining goblins)

(Video of sniping the Immortal Herb Colossus from afar)

(Video of the Immortal Herb Colossus’s core)

(Photo of the Immortal Herb Colossus’s core burning)

The Immortal Herbs combined into one to turn into this monster.

Draining life force or something, several goblins died instantly ;;

Still, because it was weak to fire, managed to catch it somehow. Kept regenerating till the end even while burning though.

ㄴ Heavenly Demon: A monster that uses the Great Art of Star Absorption. What a wicked creature.

ㄴ Wild Grylls: Great Art of Star Absorption?

ㄴ Heavenly Demon: It is a martial art that absorbs the opponent’s internal energy. Its effectiveness is decent, but its side effects are severe. In that regard, that flower’s ability can be considered a superior upgrade.

ㄴ Wild Grylls: What are the side effects?

ㄴ Heavenly Demon: If one fails to digest the opponent’s internal energy, one suffers Qi Deviation on the spot.

ㄴ Sword Matstar: Aside from that, I also know that if the opponent has more mana, it gets sucked out in reverse.

ㄴ Heavenly Demon: This venerable one was about to explain, how rude.

ㄴ Sword Matstar: I was just helping out, is there a problem?

ㄴ Wild Grylls: So basically it’s a trash martial art.

ㄴ Allfather: How fascinating. It is clearly a plant, yet possesses animal characteristics... I wonder if it is because it is the Immortal Herb, or because it is the Forest of the Four Seasons.

ㄴ Starlight Lady: Wouldn’t it be both? There is no plant like that anywhere in the world.

ㄴ If that kind of plant-type monster existed, the whole world would have turned to desert lol

ㄴ Wow. But is that land desertification real? Even the World Tree wouldn’t do that.

ㄴ Let’s Grow Trees: The World Tree only does good things for the world!

ㄴ Passing Dwarf: Knife-ear, get out of here.

As expected, the Gallery became active. I replied briefly and returned to reality.

’Anyway, how do I deal with the core?’

Because it’s alive, even dealing with it is tricky.

I’ll need to make full preparations first before pulling it back out.

Soon, I returned to the Shelter and finished organizing all the luggage.

[Can’t we just leave it to starve to death?]

"We don’t know when that’ll be."

Outside the cave, I looked down at the Subspace Backpack containing the core.

Perhaps because it was inside the Subspace Backpack, the Immortal Herb Colossus’s core remained quiet.

Now it was time to ponder what to do upon taking it out.

’Just in case, wrapping myself in Body-Protecting Gangqi...’

Not only Body-Protecting Gangqi, I also poured oil over myself for safety.

The rest of the party stood far back in case the core went wild.

"If this thing goes wild, throw a torch immediately."

"Understood."

All preparations were complete. Rummaging through the Subspace Backpack, I pulled out the core.

Pulling out the round core, the expected reaction manifested.

Ggumulggumulggumul-

Vine tentacles began slowly creeping out from the core.

Just as I had no choice but to put it back into the Subspace Backpack...

Ddddd-

For reasons unknown, a faint vibration occurred.

Because of this, I instinctively made a gesture to draw a weapon.

The problem was that the core was held in both my hands.

What’s more, my body was covered in oil, so I was bound to drop it.

"Oops. Trouble...!"

Just as I screamed internally that I was screwed...

Chwararak!

Vine tentacles erupted from the ground. But something was strange.

The core showed no signs of taking root, and the color of the vine tentacles was also different.

The vine tentacles of the Immortal Herb Colossus were dark, whereas the ones erupting this time were bright.

Above all...

Badung! Badung!

[ !!]

The Immortal Herb Colossus’s core began flailing around as if begging for its life.

It waved its own vine tentacles around, refusing to be dragged away, refusing to be absorbed.

Meanwhile, the vine tentacles erupting from the ground enveloped the entire core.

Ssuuuk!

Before long, the Immortal Herb Colossus’s core was dragged beneath the earth.

Soon, leaving a clear trail behind, it was dragged away somewhere.

At the end of that trail...

Shaaaah-

...stood the World Tree, which had grown through the squirrel’s ability, standing tall and steadfast.

I stared blankly at the World Tree that had absorbed the Immortal Herb Colossus’s core.

No matter how much the Immortal Herb flew or crawled, in the end it was a plant.

The apex predator of plants existed right in our home.

As I stood gazing endlessly at the World Tree...

Ssok!

A fruit bore on the World Tree. At first I thought only one had formed, but...

Ssuuk! Ssuk! Ssuk!

A moment later, numerous fruits began bearing in clusters.

Like the Immortal Herb core, every single one of them was blood-red.