I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 30

Thanks to Speed Sloth’s help, I was able to safely reach the riverbank.

The very first thing I did after arriving at the river was check the hose.

I checked to see if a fish had been caught like before, and it was just as I expected.

Cheolseok! Cheolseok!

"Another one’s caught."

It got caught again in that short span of time. It was a red one this time, too.

Its size was also roughly similar to the fish from earlier.

By the looks of it, this seemed to be the average size of the fish living in this river.

’I should harvest this one later.’

What’s important right now is the Golden Frog. The trade with Allfather takes priority.

In that case, I should first get Speed Sloth, who is clinging to my back, to let go.

I patted Speed Sloth on the back and made a request.

"Can you get off for a second? It’s urgent."

"...."

Eo-gijeok- eo-gijeok-

As if understanding my words, the fellow slowly climbed down.

Then, he stared blankly at me with a dopey-looking face.

It felt like he was urging me to hurry up. Surely it was just my imagination.

’Now, to summon a Golden Frog.’

The one that seemed to be the leader before had popped out just from me dipping my hand in the river.

Would other individuals be the same? I cautiously dipped my hand into the river.

After about three seconds had passed, a cheolseok! sound was heard from the middle of the river.

"Gaegol."

It was a Golden Frog. The Golden Frog climbed onto a rock situated in the middle of the river.

Although it was smaller than the one I had seen before, it was still considerably large.

The moment the creature revealed itself, I retreated backward without a second thought.

I didn’t forget to raise my shield, just in case.

"Kyaaa-ak!"

The Golden Frog’s head tilted back. The sound of hacking up phlegm was a bonus.

It seemed poised to spit poison. However, I had already run away long ago.

Except for Speed Sloth, who was sitting blankly in his spot.

"Hey! What are you...!"

"Twet!"

Before I could even shout, the Golden Frog spat its poison.

The purple mucus flew at high speed. Its target was precisely Speed Sloth.

Speed Sloth stared intently at the purple venom, then casually tilted his head.

Chiii-ik!

The venom narrowly grazed past Speed Sloth’s face.

The venom hit a tree and began to melt the bark.

I had roughly expected it, but his agility was truly mind-boggling.

’Now’s the time.’

While the aggro was drawn to Speed Sloth, I prepared my crossbow.

Then, I loaded a harpoon-type bolt and aimed at the Golden Frog.

"Kyaaa-ak!"

"Kya-ak!"

"Kuuu-uk!"

In the meantime, other Golden Frogs climbed onto the rock.

I had already hidden myself, but Speed Sloth was still standing his ground confidently.

No matter how fast Speed Sloth was, dodging consecutive attacks would be diffi...

"Twet!"

"Twet!"

"Twe!"

Hwik- hwik-hwik-

...cult? Not at all.

Even though he was clearly just sitting in place, he dodged everything by lightly twisting his body.

His expression was so relaxed that he looked like some hidden martial arts master.

’Does that bastard have Observation Haki or something?’

Otherwise, it made absolutely no sense. I let out a dumbfounded sigh.

But that was that, and this was this. I had finished all my preparations.

Soon, I aimed at one of the Golden Frogs and pulled the trigger.

Piing! Peok!

The harpoon pierced the Golden Frog precisely, and it plunged straight into the rough currents of the river.

I immediately pulled the rope.

During this time, I wasn’t attacked by the other Golden Frogs.

They seemed quite taken aback by the fact that their companion had been hit.

Of course, them being "taken aback" was purely my speculation.

But seeing how they stopped their attacks the moment their ally was hit, they seemed to at least comprehend the situation.

The creatures inhabiting the Forest of the Four Seasons are, without exception, extraordinary.

Pungdong!

Having decided to retreat, the pack of Golden Frogs dove into the river.

There shouldn’t be any threats for the time being. Now, all that’s left is the cleanup.

I diligently pulled the rope connected to the harpoon.

Before, it felt like a wrestling match, but now, it only required a bit of effort.

"Eut-cha."

The Golden Frog I pulled out of the water was quite large.

Not quite as big as the one I caught before, but maybe about the size of a small puppy?

All that’s left is trading with Allfather, but I need to deal with the fish first.

’First, I’ll tie this to my waist.’

This was knowledge shared by Allfather.

He said that if purple liquid is leaking out, it means the poison sac has ruptured.

Right now, no purple liquid was leaking. That meant it was safe.

Now that the frog hunt was over, the fish was next.

I had no idea what it had been eating to grow, but it boasted a massive size.

’Things are exceptionally bountiful today.’

With this, lunch and dinner were sorted. I lifted the frantically flopping fish.

’I wouldn’t be able to catch this fellow with a regular fishing rod.’

It was so incredibly strong that it was still trying to slap my face with its fins.

I held the fish tightly with both arms, terrified I might drop it.

If my strength hadn’t increased, I would have dropped it long ago.

Eo-gijeok- eo-gijeok-

With Speed Sloth clinging to my back once again, preparations to head back were complete.

’It would be great if it tasted good, but that’s probably asking for too much.’

I didn’t care about the taste. In my situation, taste is a luxury.

Besides, I could buy seasonings from the auction house, so it would be fine.New chapters come out on novelping . com first.

Cheombeong!

After returning to the cave, I put the fish into the iron bucket.

It was still so full of energy that the iron bucket shook slightly.

I’d better not even think about catching this guy by angling. If I’m not careful, I’ll be the one getting reeled in instead of the fish.

Using traps or fish traps seemed like a safer bet.

Just looking at the two reassuringly large fish filled my heart with happiness.

’Time to trade with Allfather.’

After finishing tidying up my things, I posted on the Gallery.

It was a post asking Allfather to initiate a trade if he was online.

Allfather-nim has requested a trade. Do you wish to accept?

Not long after, Allfather initiated the trade.

I gave Speed Sloth a Fasting Pill and accepted.

[Allfather: Hello.]

I saw your post and requested a trade.

Hello.

[Wild Grylls: I’ll list the item right away. The poison sac didn’t rupture.]

[Allfather: Thank you.]

This will make my research much easier.

That’s a relief.

[Wild Grylls: Oh, and there’s something I’m curious about.]

[Allfather: Go ahead.]

[Wild Grylls: Speed Sloth climbed onto me and won’t come down. Do you happen to know why?]

[Allfather: Are you referring to the sloth that supposedly caught an arrow?]

[Wild Grylls: Yes. It’s hard to believe, but he really did catch an arrow.]

[Allfather: To be honest, I don’t really know either.]

No such specimen has ever been reported in academic circles.

To think even Father-emon doesn’t know this species. Just what kind of place is the Forest of the Four Seasons?

While I was sighing inwardly, Allfather brought up his own hypothesis.

[Allfather: However, I can make a guess.]

I saw your post earlier. Did you say you got extorted of your money?

It wasn’t money, but I did have my Fasting Pill taken.

Allfather

Perhaps he thinks of Grylls-ssi as a tree.

[Wild Grylls: A tree?]

[Allfather: Yes. A tree that provides food, so to speak.]

That’s somewhat...

[Allfather: Sounds retarded, but makes sense, right?]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

Allfather was spitting some raw, unfiltered words.

It seemed he found it absurd himself.

And yet, it was quite reasonable, to the point where there was no other way to explain it.

Allfather

Is he still clinging to you now?

[Wild Grylls: Yes. He has no intention of letting go.]

[Allfather: Since he isn’t hostile, raising him might not be a bad idea.]

I don’t completely dislike it either.

I almost got bitten by a snake today, but this guy helped me.

After chatting about this and that with Allfather, we traded our items.

I offered the Golden Frog carcass, and Allfather offered a pill that grants poison resistance.

[Allfather: It would be best to take it after a meal if possible.]

As it requires proper digestion.

Would it be good to absorb this using a breathing technique as well?

[Allfather: Yes. It is easiest to think of it as a type of Inner Core.]

An Inner Core. Heavenly Demon’s explanation came to mind.

A crystal formed by the accumulation of energy inside the body of a spiritual beast.

Since the topic of Inner Cores had come up, a sudden curiosity struck me, so I asked Allfather.

[Wild Grylls: Allfather-nim, have you ever consumed an Inner Core?]

[Allfather: I have never consumed an Inner Core, but I have ingested a Dragon Heart.]

[Wild Grylls: What on earth is that?]

[Allfather: Literally, the heart of a dragon.]

It possesses abundant mana.

I had a rough idea of what a dragon was.

Since they were occasionally mentioned in the Gallery.

They were strong enough to treat humanity as ’mere insects,’ but that didn’t mean they were completely unrivaled.

Above all, I had heard that their numbers were severely lacking, making them an endangered species.

’I wonder if they exist in the Forest of the Four Seasons too?’

If they do, it would be a literal disaster. I am but an infinitely weak human.

[Wild Grylls: How do you even hunt something that flies freely in the sky and breathes fire from its mouth?]

[Allfather: Thank you as always for the great trade.]

If you come across any interesting animals, please feel free to ask anytime.

[Wild Grylls: I also saw something that looked like a fusion of a chameleon and a snake.]

[Allfather: What is that?]

I thought it was a tree branch, but it was a snake.

[Wild Grylls: It changed its body color in an instant.]

[Allfather: Oh! It truly is a land full of fascinating things!]

[Wild Grylls: Want to come over?]

[Allfather: This old man’s knees aren’t in very good shape.]

I will have to politely decline.

T_T

The conversation ended there. It seemed even Allfather detested the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Well, who in their right mind would come to a hellhole like this?

I was just lucky. Anyone else wouldn’t even have access to the Gallery.

"Hmm."

I looked down at the pill resting on my palm.

It was a round pill with an impressive, pale purple hue.

It was the medicine I obtained by trading with Allfather.

If I swallowed this, I would gain resistance to poison, just as Allfather had explained.

’Let’s have lunch first.’

I pocketed the pill and approached the iron bucket containing the fish.

Even though there were only two fish, the bucket was completely full.

’How should I cook this?’

Back when I was at home, I lived alone, so I knew how to do some basic cooking.

But that was using pre-prepped ingredients; prepping them myself from scratch was a first.

In times like this, there was only one thing to do: ask the Gallery.The source of this chapter is novelpin⁠g.com.

It was better to gather even a little bit of knowledge rather than just winging it blindly.

Title: Prepping a fish, need help!

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the fish in the iron bucket)

Anyone got some advice? This thing is fucking huge.

ㄴ Experts stab the brain with a knife or an awl to kill it instantly. If you’re unskilled, just chop the whole thing off.

ㄴ If you whack its head with the spine of a knife before cutting, it’ll get stunned. Better to aim for that moment.

ㄴ Gutting it is easy. Just slice the belly open.

Since I was unskilled, I decided on the method of whacking its head.

I was going to grill and eat it right away anyway, so there was no need for aging or anything like that.

"Kkyu-u."

"Wonmo-ya. Just wait a moment."

Wonmo had woken up right on the dot the moment lunchtime arrived.

Just look at those round, sparkling eyes begging for food.

As much as I wanted to just toss him a piece of meat, prepping the fish came first.

I scooped up the fish from the iron bucket, wrapping both arms around it.

Peoltteok! Peoltteok!

The fish thrashed about as if demanding to be let go, but that was out of the question.

I placed the fish onto the stone slab I had prepared beforehand.

Perhaps because of its immense size, even the spacious stone slab felt small.

’They said to whack the head hard, right?’

Because it was so massive, an ordinary knife wouldn’t cut it.

What I needed at a time like this was none other than the Sword of the Heavenly Demon.

Since I wasn’t using the blade edge, I struck down hard without holding back.

Kwang! Kwa-ang! Kwang!

After whacking it about three times in a row, there was a reaction.

Just as the Gallery comments said, its mouth and gills gaped wide open.

It had been thoroughly stunned. I immediately set to work prepping it.

Lest I accidentally injure myself, I used a regular dagger instead of the Sword of the Heavenly Demon for the prepping.

The dagger was quite sharp, slicing through the fish’s flesh with ease.

"Wonmo-ya. Do you want to eat this?"

"Kkyu!"

I chopped off the head and gave it to Wonmo. He ate it with great relish.

Since he was said to eat even rotting corpses, a fish head would be a walk in the park.

Speed Sloth was more interested in Fasting Pills than fish, so there was no need to worry about him.

’Now, to slice the belly open.’

I washed away the blood that seeped out from time to time with water.

I slowly sliced open the belly of the fish, which had gone quiet after its head was removed.

The sensation at my fingertips wasn’t particularly pleasant, but it was something I had to get used to.

’I wonder if he’ll eat the innards too?’

Thanks to slicing open the fish’s belly, I could see the tightly packed innards.

I just need to remove all of this and wash it with water.

It was just as I reached my hand inside to pull out the innards.

"Hmm?"

My hand caught on something. At first, I thought it was just the heart.

But it was quite hard for a heart. Wiggling my fingers, I barely managed to pull it out.

Overall, it was a bead about the size of a single finger joint.

Its color was red, just like the fish.

’What is this? Could it really be an Inner Core?’

Surely not. It’s not like spiritual beasts harboring Inner Cores are that common.

But then again, considering that Mature Mandrakes were scattered all over the place, it was highly suspicious.

To top it off, hadn’t I found a Crescent Moon Spirit Herb at the very beginning?

’Hmm...’

I stared intently at the red bead before making a decision.

For things like this, it was better to ask the Gallery—specifically, an expert.

And when it came to experts, it was naturally Heavenly Demon. She was the one who had first mentioned Inner Cores.

Since she wasn’t the type to steal it midway, I could ask her with peace of mind.

Title: Heavenly Demon-nim, I have a question.

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the red bead)

I found this while prepping a fish. It looks similar to the Inner Core you mentioned before. Can you tell the difference?

If it’s hard to tell, I can send it to you via trade.

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) It came out of a fish?

She replied just three seconds after I posted. Truly terrifying speed.

ㄴ Wild Grylls) Yes. It came out while I was gutting it.

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Hmm. It is hard to tell from a photo. It might simply be a pearl.

ㄴ Wild Grylls) Can fish make pearls too?

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) This lady knows it to be so, however?

ㄴ Sword Matstar) Aren’t pearls made by clams, not fish?

ㄴ Exactly. Speaking such ignorant nonsense so confidently lol

ㄴ Even for a boomer, that’s a bit much;;

ㄴ Isn’t she just stupid?

ㄴ Smart Demon) Sigh... I’m the one feeling embarrassed just watching this.

With Heavenly Demon’s lack of common sense suddenly being called out, I felt a bit uneasy.

But since she was the one who taught me the breathing technique, I could trust her with it.

ㄴ Wild Grylls) I’ll request a trade. You just need to check if it’s an Inner Core or not.

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) If it truly is an Inner Core, what do you plan to do with it?

ㄴ Wild Grylls) I should eat it. Didn’t you say it’s good for the body?

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) This lady does not recommend it. As mentioned before, your Internal Energy is already in a state of supersaturation. If you are careless, disaster may strike.

I nodded at Heavenly Demon’s advice.

Indeed, too much of a good thing is as bad as too little; consuming even an Inner Core in this state might lead to serious trouble.

In that case, there was only one option left: giving it to Heavenly Demon.

Sword Matstar would almost certainly refuse, claiming she doesn’t want to become healthy.

ㄴ Wild Grylls) Then would you like to have it, Heavenly Demon-nim?

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) This lady’s realm will not rise from an Inner Core. Such times have long since passed.

ㄴ Wild Grylls) Then what should I do with it?

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) It is simple.

Heavenly Demon’s reply was simple.

ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Can you not simply list it on the auction house?

It was a truly carefree suggestion.

’Should I?’

And my mind swayed slightly toward that carefree suggestion.