I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 382

I sometimes think that the Forest of the Four Seasons is a place packed with someone’s bizarre personal tastes.

Because the fact that I could just brush off such absurd phenomena with a simple "Well, it’s the Forest of the Four Seasons~" was ridiculous in itself.

’I should just accept it and move on.’

It went beyond resignation into the realm of despair. Even Earth, with its advanced science, had no choice but to kneel before nature.

On top of that, for whatever reason, all sorts of bizarre phenomena were constantly unfolding here.

Was that sky-sea something that had existed from the beginning, or was it the doing of ancient humanity?

Either way, as Alex said, it seemed best not to step outside the shelter.

’Seriously, how did the sky turn into a sea?’

I poked only my head out of the door and looked up at the sky.

Expressing it as "a sea floating in the sky" sounded strange in itself, but anyway, it was floating up there.

What was even more astonishing was that the sea, which should have been deep blue, was semi-transparent.

Thanks to that, even though it blocked the sun, the sun could still be faintly seen through the water.

Overall, the weather felt more like a heavily overcast day rather than complete pitch-black darkness.

Title) A sea just formed in the sky

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the sea shimmering in the sky)

(Video of the sea shimmering in the sky)

(Video of all kinds of fish flying through the sky)

You won’t believe it, but I woke up and there’s a sea in the sky.

Looks like the Sky Sea phenomenon my living-wiki friend mentioned yesterday.

So there’s a giant octopus up there, right? Guess I shouldn’t step outside today.

ㄴHeavenly Demon) The Sky Sea... What a beautiful view. A sight one could never behold even in the Central Plains.

ㄴSword Matstar) Come to think of it, I heard the Central Plains has gorgeous scenery. Don’t you have any photos?

ㄴHeavenly Demon) Are there not plenty in the Gallery?

ㄴSword Matstar) Hey, you barely ever leave your house, right?

ㄴHeavenly Demon) I have no interest in exploring nature.

ㄴSword Matstar) Don’t worry too much. I like staying cooped up at home too.

ㄴHeavenly Demon) Did I not tell you it is nothing like that? This seat of power cannot be vacated lightly.

ㄴSword Matstar) Yeaaah, yeaaah. Sure, sure lololol

ㄴDude. Aren’t you gonna get banned again at this rate?

ㄴPretty sure she already banned her lololol

ㄴLooking at everyone who’s been banned for talking back to Heavenly Demon so far, Sword Matstar is the only one lololol

ㄴShe really got addicted to teasing her lol

ㄴWhat’s that flying under the Sky Sea right now? Is it like fruit flies?

ㄴFruit flies aren’t that huge;;

ㄴSince it’s the Forest of the Four Seasons, wouldn’t it be possible?

ㄴThat makes sense too. I accept it.

ㄴThe magic words that make anything weird make sense: "Forest of the Four Seasons" lolol

ㄴGrylls must have seen so much weird stuff in person shudder

ㄴWild Grylls) Those aren’t flies, they’re fish. They’re literally flying through the air right now.

ㄴGonna try catching one?

ㄴWild Grylls) Nope, Alex told me not to step outside, so I’m not touching them.

ㄴWhat a coward lol

ㄴWild Grylls) Hey, cowards are the ones who survive lol

I wanted to try catching the fish flying through the sky—or rather, swimming beneath the Sky Sea—but I held myself back.

If I caught one recklessly, it might turn out to be poisonous. Right now, hiding out inside the shelter was the best choice.

’By the way, Alex said octopus tentacles would reach down and snatch things up, but there’s no change yet.’

Just in case, I also warned the hobgoblins.

Telling them never to come outside if the sky got covered by a sea.

Perhaps because they regularly went out scouting, they knew very well what a sea was like.

That was why there were no hobgoblins in the house next door right now. Outdoor activities for today were effectively impossible.

’If a monster like a real Kraken comes out...’

I knew very well what kind of monster a Kraken was. A monster that appeared during the Age of Discovery mentioned by Alex.

It was the decisive reason why Westerners particularly feared cephalopods like octopuses.

Imagine peacefully sailing the sea, only for a giant octopus to attack and swallow you whole.

’Sailors of old were always prone to losing their lives early.’

Even on Earth with its advanced technology, encountering a typhoon by mistake meant annihilation.

What was even more mind-boggling was that ancient humans crossed oceans on ships that were little better than wooden skiffs.

’If that sea is a natural environment moving in real-time... what happens if it merges with a sea nearby?’

I felt a slight surge of curiosity, but quickly brushed it aside. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.

I stared blankly at the beautifully shimmering Sky Sea before turning my head away.

The shelter felt quite cramped today. It couldn’t be helped, since Largo was inside as well.

"Master. I’m bored."

"Go do some exercise then."

"Can’t wash."

"Hmm..."

I pondered Lackey’s words. There was no telling how long the Sky Sea would linger.

A phenomenon that wasn’t there until yesterday evening, suddenly appearing this morning.

So I guessed it might leave soon, but you never knew.

’And I’m bothered by those flying fish, too.’Find the original chapter at novelping . com.

Above all, hadn’t Lackey said his fellow gorillas were kidnapped in the blink of an eye?

In the worst-case scenario, it might even uproot the World Tree, which had been a massive help to me.

That was something I had to prevent at all costs. Without the World Tree, my very survival would be at risk.

’It even has purifying abilities, so I can’t afford to lose it.’

So I frequently looked out the window, watching for any changes in the Sky Sea.

For now, only fish were flying around, with no significant changes occurring.

Just as I was wondering when on earth that thing would pass by—

Ppol-ppol-ppol-ppol—

A fish descended toward our shelter. It was one of those fish swimming beneath the Sky Sea.

Overall, it was a pretty-looking fish. Sleek, sweeping fins and a tri-colored design.

Its slightly protruding snout gave off a dorky vibe. The fish stared intently straight at me.

"...Hello? Who are you?"

"..."

Even when I greeted it quietly, the fish merely stared back at me without showing any reaction.

To find out its identity, I posted on the Gallery.

Title) Anyone know who this guy is?

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the fish staring this way)

ㄴHeavenly Demon) What a pretty fish. However, it looks tasteless.

ㄴHow come Sword Matstar isn’t commenting for once?

ㄴDidn’t she get banned?

ㄴLooks like it lolol

ㄴStarlight Lady) It’s a Moorish Idol. It’s famous for being one of the pretty saltwater fish.

ㄴPraise the Sun) Did those guys eat Sky Whale ambergris too? Fascinating.

ㄴPassing Dwarf) Looks tasty. Catch that for me so I can eat it as sashimi.

Moorish Idol. That sure was a peculiar name.

But from my perspective, catching it brought zero benefit. I waved my hand and said,

"Shoo, shoo. Go away."

"..."

Ppol-ppol-ppol—

Paying no heed, the fish drifted closer.

I had no real reason to reject it, and it was pretty, so I just let it inside.

"Kkyu?"

"Ppi-ik! Ppik!"

Lick.

The little ones playing inside immediately showed interest as soon as the fish entered.

The rest of the party was the same. Everyone had expressions showing they were seeing such a colorful fish for the first time.

"Master. Looks like poisonous."

"It’s not poisonous."

It was information Starlight Lady had shared. She said they usually swim in pairs.

But seeing as there was only one right now, was there a reason for it?

While I was pondering that, Wonmo widened his eyes and pulled his body back.

That posture was definitely a pouncing posture. I tried to stop him, but I was too late.

"Kkyak!"

Taeng!

Wonmo, leaping high, struck the fish hard with his front paw.

But the sound was strange. It sounded like hitting ’steel’ rather than hitting flesh.

As soon as I heard the noise, I examined the fish that fell to the floor.

Taking a heavy spike from Wonmo, its outer skin had peeled off, revealing its inner flesh.

"This is..."

Astonishingly, the fish was not a living creature, but a ’machine’.

And a remarkably sophisticated machine at that. On the outside, it was indistinguishable from an ordinary fish.

Chijijik! Chijik!

The fish sparked for a moment before its functions completely halted.

I could even hear the sound of the machine shutting down—that Wuuuung— hum.

An uneasy feeling crept over me. Swallowing hard, I looked around at the group.

Sensing that something was off as well, everyone was staring at me.

"...Just in case, everyone grab your weapons."

At my instruction, everyone nodded and readied their equipment.

Staring blankly at the mechanical fish, I picked it up carefully.

Perhaps because the skin tissue was peeled back, even the touch felt as soft as actual flesh.

To the point where it felt less like a machine and more like an organism made of iron.

There was only one entity possessing such level of ’technology’: ancient humanity.

’Then all those flying fish are...?’

They had to be treated as machines. And not just ordinary machines.

I judged that they were closer to ’drones’ disguised as living creatures.

[Kiiiiiiiing!]

Not long after making that judgment, a bizarre noise echoed from outside.

Even though the brick walls should have blocked out outside noise to some extent, it was remarkably loud.Find the original chapter at novelpi⁠ng.com.

Crucially, a biological creature couldn’t make such a noise. It was definitely a sound emitted by a machine.

"Everyone, watch out—!"

Kwajijijik!

Before my shout was even finished, something demolished half my house with a loud crash.

The shelter itself violently shook, causing me to almost lose my balance.

Frowning, I checked the identity of the thing that had ’pierced’ through the shelter.

"...A claw?"

It was a crane claw. Specifically, a three-pronged claw like the ones seen in claw machine arcade games.

Before long, that claw lifted our shelter whole. So effortlessly, as if taking no strength at all.

The moment I felt our shelter gradually floating upward, I hurriedly yelled out.

"Everyone, escape outside! Hurry!"

Upon hearing my shout, the group rushed to escape outside.

As soon as everyone down to Largo got out, I packed everything I needed first.

Whatever else happened, I couldn’t give up the Inner Cores and Dragon Gastroliths I had gathered so far.

Kiiiiiiiing—

"My goodness..."

"What on earth is that..."

Stepping outside, I immediately saw the stunned expressions of my party.

I checked the identity of the thing that had lifted our house whole.

"..."

And the moment I confirmed its identity, my expression hardened into stone.

The Kraken dragging a sea along with it. And the octopus arm Lackey had mentioned earlier.

At first, I thought it was a living creature, but absolutely not.

’It was a mechanical arm shaped like an octopus tentacle.’

A intricately crafted mechanical arm, looking straight out of a movie.

That mechanical arm was connected directly to the Sky Sea.

Wiiiiiiing—

The mechanical arm carrying off our entire shelter vanished into the sky.

I lost my house in an instant, but it was fine. There was still the house where the hobgoblins stayed.

However, a strong feeling hit me that it was already too late. Because that entity had shown interest in us.

I shouldn’t have let the fish inside in the first place. The fish was essentially a type of reconnaissance drone.

Chwaaaaaak! Chwaaaak!

Sure enough. As if having completed its scouting, numerous mechanical arms descended rapidly.

They weren’t targeting us specifically. They were merely aiming for living creatures across the forest.

"Uwooooooong!"

"Kyaaaa! Kyaa!"

The forest creatures were being abducted by mechanical arms and dragged away.

It wasn’t just simple living creatures being snatched.

Kwajik! Kwadeuk!

"Th-Th-That...! Son of a...!"

The food storage building I had painstakingly built. It completely looted even that food storage building.

Flames of rage flared up inside me instantly, but there was nothing I could do.

Except dodging or taking care of the mechanical arms rushing in to abduct us.

’This can’t go on.’

As long as that Sky Sea remained in position, we were bound to be victimized.

I instructed Lackey to prepare a powerful single strike.

Meanwhile, firing arrows toward the sky should buy us a decent amount of time.

’I’ll shoot every single arrow I have.’

I nocked an arrow against the string, aiming at the Sky Sea that had revealed its true colors.

After channeling as much mana as I could into it, I released the heavily weighted bowstring.

Kwaaaaaa!

Normally an arrow would make a Piiing! sound. But the noise was different from before.

It soared toward the sky as if imbued with pure destruction.

This was enough. Before long, the arrow accurately struck the Sky Sea.

Flash!

At first, it triggered a blinding flash.

Kwaaaaang!!!

An explosion influencing the entire Sky Sea erupted. Whatever was inside certainly must have taken damage.

Just as I expected, a shift slowly began occurring in the Sky Sea.

Cheuseuseuseu—

However, the sea didn’t drop whole, nor did it rain down.

As if revealing what had been hidden, the sea literally opened up.

And what was revealed inside the sea was...

[Kiiiiiiiing!!!]

It was a ’vessel’ outfitted with countless mechanical arms.

The Sky Sea was not a ’natural’ environment. It was merely an artificial environment generated by the vessel.

’Using the sea... as a shield? How?’

The path ahead looked bleak.