I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 309

The moment I saw the crack heading toward the food storage, I acted.

First, I handed Tyranno over to Ludwig, then sprinted toward the food storage.

Fortunately, the speed at which the crack split open was slower than expected, so I was able to reach the food storage.

’F-First the Inner Cores! Let’s pull out the Inner Cores first.’

If the Inner Cores I had managed to collect vanished entirely, tears of blood, not regular tears, would flow.

Next was the smoked food and salt, which could be preserved for a long time.

If nothing else, salt had to be secured at all costs.

Fortunately, it was stored in sacks inside the warehouse, so I was able to pack as much as possible.

Jjeojeojeok!

As I packed as much as I could, before I knew it, the crack extended all the way to the warehouse floor.

Trying to pack any more than this could put my life in danger.

It was already hard to even keep my balance, so I hastily fled outside.

Kugugugugugu!

The crack gradually widened greatly, and the food storage was sucked into that gap.

Literally, the earth was splitting open due to a powerful earthquake.

’H-How long is this going to continue?’

I had heard that earthquakes usually end within one minute.

However, subjectively, it felt like it was continuing for five minutes, let alone one.

I waddled forward as best I could so as not to fall into the split gap.

Kwareureu!

The food storage finally plunged down into the opened gap.

Tears welled up as I watched the food I had painstakingly gathered vanish in an instant.

Kugugugugugu!

"Nueooo."

Aside from that, how should we overcome this situation?

Back when living in the Republic of Korea, I was far removed from earthquakes. So I didn’t even remember emergency evacuation tips.

Even if I remembered the evacuation tips, it was doubtful whether they could be usefully applied here.

’S-Should I lie flat for now?’

In the midst of the chaos, one thing was clear.

Since buildings might collapse, one shouldn’t go near tall structures like the watchtower.

It hadn’t been built with earthquake-resistant design, but constructed with bricks, so it would easily collapse.

Deudeudeudeu-

How many minutes had passed in subjective time? The intensity of the earthquake gradually weakened.

The gap that had been steadily splitting open also began to slowly stop.

If that gap had kept splitting open continuously, it would have been troublesome, so it was a relief.

Deudeudeudeu...

The strength of the vibration decreased to a level that could be felt.

Looking up at the sky, the sun that had been changing minute by minute had also come to a stop.

I let out a deep sigh of relief and rose unsteadily from my spot.

Looking around, everyone was frozen stiff, unable to move due to the unexpected earthquake.

"...It stopped now."

"Mmm..."

Only after the earthquake stopped completely could we take proper actions.

I carefully shifted my steps and headed toward the split gap.

Before long, as I poked my head out and looked down, only bottomless darkness met my eyes.

’If I had fallen down there...’

My legs trembled at the mere imagination. I had never anticipated a natural disaster like an earthquake.

I let out a deep sigh and surveyed my surroundings.

A silver lining amidst misfortune was that only the food storage had collapsed. The other structures were intact.

’Was placing the food storage on the outskirts a mistake?’

Fundamentally, because it was a warehouse, I installed it on the outskirts so as not to obstruct our movement pathways.

Installing a barricade behind it so beasts couldn’t easily raid it was a bonus.

However, thinking about it again, calling it a mistake was ambiguous; this was practically force majeure.

Who could have known an earthquake severe enough to split the ground would occur?

Until now, when thinking of natural disasters, I had only considered storms, bug swarms, or avalanches.

’Still, it’s a blessing I managed to grab the Inner Cores and Gastroliths.’

If even those had vanished, my sanity would have completely broken.

It was while I was staring down into the deep gap with complex emotions.

"Master."

"Lackey."

"Can’t eat sweet potatoes anymore?"

"Get down."

How could sweet potatoes come out of your mouth in this situation?

When I snapped in irritation, Lackey seemed to realize his mistake and quietly backed away.

Watching him, I let out another sigh. At this rate, the ground would cave in.

’For now, the food to endure winter is sufficient, so...’

With the food packed into sacks, we’d be able to endure the winter.Read the latest chapters at novelping(.)com.

It was what came after that was the problem. The fact that there was no telling when the Gallery maintenance would end made me gloomy.

It felt as though true survival had begun. I dragged my feet forward.

Kugeugeugeu-

"Ah. Stop lying."

However, at the sudden sensation of vibration, I felt despondent rather than flustered.

Fearing that another earthquake was occurring, I hurriedly fell to my knees.

Checking various spots on the ground in case the earth split open was a bonus.

Kugugugugugu!

However, it was somewhat different from the earthquake earlier.

Rather than a wide-area vibration, should I say it was directional?

That direction was precisely the split gap.

The moment I noticed it, I turned my head toward the gap.

Kugugugugugu!

Something was rising from deep, deep darkness.

I wondered if it might be something like magma, but it was a groundless fear.

"...The ground?"

The ground was rising. It sounded like a crazy statement, but it was true.

As if filling up the hole, the earth rose to a height where one could set foot.

I wondered if this was naturally possible, but this was the Forest of the Four Seasons.

A place where events far removed from common sense erupted one after another.

"Where did the storage go, though?"

If the ground rose, the food storage that fell should naturally have risen as well.

However, the food storage was nowhere to be seen. Only bare ground met the eyes.

It was just when I couldn’t understand what was going on.

Swaaaa-

From the side, the sound of water flowing fiercely could be heard.

Turning my head at this, lo and behold—water was rushing toward this direction.

Swaaaaaa!

A stream of water flowing as fiercely as a river upstream.

That stream of water completely filled the gap between the cracks, transforming into a single river stream.

Jjeojeok!

Of course, in less than five seconds, it froze solid. I stared blankly at the situation.

Starting with an unbearable earthquake occurring, the ground split.

From that split gap, another patch of land surged upward, and water began to flow.

’Does this make any sense?’

In less than ten minutes, a new ’river’ had been formed.

Having a river form in front of the house was a good thing, but it was hard for my head to process.

I turned my head toward the direction from which the water stream flowed.

’If I follow this upward, will I see the ocean?’

It was something I realized when I went to the ocean once before.

That all river streams originated from the ocean.

Usually, the end of all river streams is the ocean, but here it’s the opposite.

’Should I... go to the ocean?’

It was a place I had sworn never to go back to after nearly dying several times.

However, seeing a new river stream formed, doubts arose.

Is that place really an ocean? Could it just be a massive lake?

With a convoluted head, I washed my face with dry hands and lowered my gaze.

My face was reflected like a mirror on the frozen river surface.

’I’m gonna lose my mind, seriously.’

The things I thought I had finally grasped became entirely futile.

I didn’t know how this damn forest was created, but I felt like I’d die of frustration.

Above all, the sun and sky shifting in real-time earlier—that went beyond shock into terror.

In the face of nature, a mere human like me could do nothing. A wave of helplessness poured over me.

’As expected, this piece-of-shit place isn’t somewhere fit for living.’

I must escape somehow. I steeled my resolve.

It was too early to despair like this. It was better to think positively.

Since I realized that even the natural environment changes at specific intervals, I just had to be careful next time.

’The problem is what lives in this river...’

I pondered while staring at the frozen river.

Depending on what creatures lived in this river, our future daily life would change.

If troublesome creatures like the Golden Poison Frog lived here, it would be tricky.

’If such creatures live here, I’ll have to block it with barricades.’

I stepped away from the river. The river was the river, but organizing the food came first.

Although the items packed into sacks were only smoked dishes, the quantity was sufficient.

Gororong...

Dororong...

"They’re sleeping well."The source of this chapter is novelpi‌ng.com.

Wonmo and Tyranno, who had woken from hibernation due to the sudden earthquake, had fallen back asleep.

As if it were a simple happening, watching them sleep soundly was both funny and cute.

Still, it was a relief that the mouths to feed hadn’t increased.

’The Elixirs and honey were stored inside the house, so there’s no problem... The fruits are a bit regrettable.’

In particular, the jujube dates, whose sweet taste was superb, were deeply regrettable.

It was really great to eat them one by one like dried persimmons whenever my mouth was bored.

After complaining inwardly for a brief moment, I spoke to the party.

"We will probably have to ration our food during the winter."

"Understood."

"Master."

"There are no sweet potatoes, you rascal."

Lackey became gloomy at the fact that he couldn’t eat sweet potatoes anymore.

However, what wasn’t there was simply not there. The only fruit fit to eat was roughly the World Tree Fruit.

’That’s something we have to save, so it’s ambiguous.’

The World Tree Fruit bore steadily.

Even so, there was no guarantee that it would continue to bear fruit, so we had to save it.

’First, I should check if there’s anywhere damaged.’

I checked whether damage had occurred to the living quarters and other structures.

Since it was such a massive earthquake, the possibility of cracks forming was high.

Of course, that didn’t mean we could repair it right away. Repairs would only be possible after winter passed.

’Fortunately, there’s no noticeable damage.’

In particular, the watchtower we built not long ago was intact.

Feeling relieved inwardly, just as I was about to start preparing lunch...

Kugeugeugeu-

The ground shook, albeit very faintly. It was an aftershock.

Usually, after a strong earthquake occurs, small and large earthquakes are bound to follow.

I froze my body stiff, then hurriedly looked around.

Nothing changed. The earthquake quickly subsided as well.

"Phew..."

Letting out a sigh of relief, I looked up at the sky.

The position of the sun had shifted slightly. It seemed space had changed once again during that brief moment.

Kugugugugugu-

Afterwards, every now and then.

Deudeudeudeu-

Very faint aftershocks occurred, picking on my nerves.

I felt like I understood with what mindset people living in Japan prepared for earthquakes.

’I can’t get used to this at all.’

If nothing else, I couldn’t get used to earthquakes.

Far from mere annoyance, it only set my nerves on edge.

"Lackey. Was it originally like this here?"

"Occasionally."

"Do river streams newly form like this?"

"Not that."

Then why on earth did that form? It’s driving me crazy.

Above all, I was truly looking forward to when spring returned. What kind of fucking bullshit would happen then?

’Did the gods doze off when creating the Forest of the Four Seasons?’

I felt my resentment toward the gods growing stronger.

Thus, an eventful day flowed past. Even in the midst of it, aftershocks were steady.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t even sleep properly. How could I sleep when the ground kept shaking?

’No way surrounding environment changed when I open my eyes, right?’

That prediction was right.

"Oh. Master. Trees grew back."

"...I’m looking at it too."

I was so dumbfounded seeing trees we had chopped down long ago grow back overnight that no words came out.

To be more precise, they were trees chopped down a long time ago.

Just like trees appearing inside a video game, they looked as if they had sprouted tall as time flowed.

’Come to think of it, the hobgoblins pulled out even the tree roots completely, right?’

I felt like I understood the reason why now. I shook my head side to side.

Still, since we could obtain new trees, it was reasonably fine.

However, leaving everything else aside, there was a part that was even more concerning...

[Under maintenance.]

The Gallery was still under maintenance.

Unlike Grylls living in the Forest of the Four Seasons, who was unable to access the Gallery...

[A new feature has been added.]

"Um?"

Asella, the Hero who was eating bread at home, expressed doubt at the message that came into her sight.