I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 41

It was enough to make a ghost wail. I thought to myself while staring at the empty box.

No matter how many times I searched, the Golden Mushroom was nowhere to be found. Wonmo hadn’t eaten it behind my back either.

Whether it had sprouted hands or feet, it had practically disappeared on its own. I couldn’t comprehend it at all.

’Did a thief like Bbareumbo steal it?’

I stared blankly at Speed Sloth.

Speed Sloth had a Fasting Pill stuck in his claws, nibbling on it bit by bit.

I didn’t mean that he ate the Golden Mushroom. Even if something ate it, it must have been some other animal.

Speed Sloth had tried to steal fish before, though it ended in failure.

Judging by that, beasts that targeted nutrient-rich flora and fauna certainly existed.

’Even so, the Golden Mushroom carries way too much risk though?’

Even wild beasts rarely messed with mushrooms.

And the appearance of the Golden Mushroom was practically screaming "I’m poisonous! Eat me and die!"

Bright coloration meant harboring lethal poison. Beasts knew this well too.

Even if it had been eaten, some trace should remain, yet the mystery showed no signs of unraveling.

’Strange.’

Perhaps it was for the best. I was struggling with how to dispose of it anyway.

Still, since someone had expressed interest in the Golden Mushroom, I posted on the Gallery.

Title) Mushroom disappeared

Wild Grylls

(Photo of the empty box)

I put the mushroom I picked yesterday into the box, but when I woke up today it was gone;;

I thought Wonmo ate it, but that wasn’t it either. Truly strange.

L Heavenly Demon) For a mushroom to flee is quite astonishing. Has it grown legs or something?

L Wild Grylls) I don’t know either. I looked around, but I don’t see any footprints.

L Heavenly Demon) A mushroom could hardly perform Void Stepping.

L Wild Grylls) What is Void Stepping?

L Heavenly Demon) It is a technique to walk or run across empty air. The pinnacle of Lightness Skill.

L Wild Grylls) Can Heavenly Demon-nim do it?

L Heavenly Demon) This venerable self is not at the level of Void Stepping, but Void Flight. I can freely fly through the skies.

L Wild Grylls) Oh;;

L Sword Matstar) Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration? That level would be Grand Master tier, wouldn’t it?

L Heavenly Demon) What does that mean? Explain it simply.

L In Zhongyuan terms, isn’t that equivalent to the Profound Realm?

L Probably around there. Is there anyone in Zhongyuan who reached the Profound Realm?

L Probably so few you’d have to dig through history books to find them?

L Just being in the Transcendent Realm is enough to demolish a city, but the Profound Realm lol

L Heavenly Demon) I understand. This venerable self has reached that Profound Realm.

L Sword Matstar) Yeah, yeah~ Sure you did.

L Allfather) Perhaps the mushroom truly did sprout legs.

L Wild Grylls) Really?

L Allfather) Considering muscle-bound mushrooms exist, having limbs would be basic for a Golden Mushroom.

L Wild Grylls) It was quiet when I plucked it though?

L Allfather) Expecting the laws of nature to conform to your common sense, Grylls-ssi, is a miscalculation. Remember Speed Sloth.

L Wild Grylls) Ah.

Listening to the advice of sage Allfather, I realized: it really might have sprouted legs.

This world was fantasy. The Forest of the Four Seasons was a place where even the common sense of people from this world didn’t apply.

And I was struggling right here in this place. Putting it like that made me a bit sad.

At any rate, judging things by normal common sense was strictly forbidden no matter what happened.

I didn’t have to look far—there was a sloth catching arrows, after all.

L Wild Grylls) I guess I should just accept that I lost it.

L Allfather) What a shame, I wanted to research it.

Sad as it was, nothing could be done. It was a situation born of careless carelessness.

I would just take comfort in the fact that no one had attacked during the night.

I exited the Gallery and walked over to the hose to wash my face.

Trickle-trickle—

The stream of water coming out of the hose was weak.

As soon as I saw that weak stream, I realized. Another fish had been caught.

It seemed a fish got caught at least once a day without fail. Truly great.

’Once I get the fish trap from the dwarf, I won’t have to worry about meals at all.’

Looks like I could put food worries aside for a while.

I was planning to set traps soon anyway, so things would become even more abundant.

As long as I learned proper hunting methods, dying of starvation seemed unlikely.

I’d probably die from poison, disease, or getting eaten by a beast instead.

Or stepping onto some weird spot and dying far from home. There were plenty of ways to die.

’...Yeah. Still better than starving.’

I felt gloomy for a moment, but quickly shook it off. What mattered was the fish.

Equipping proper gear, I made my way toward the river.

Before leaving, I didn’t forget to feed Wonmo.

Splash! Splash!

Reaching the river, just as I expected, a fish was trapped in the narrow passage.

A fish so big it completely blocked the entrance of the hose.

Until now, I had caught red fish, but the one caught this time was golden.

’...Does this one have poison too?’

The only poisonous fish I knew of was the blowfish.

And even blowfish inhabited the sea, as far as I knew.

’No spines either.’

Above all, it had no spikes. Only a smooth body was visible.

The color was just golden, not flashy or multi-colored.

After deliberating, I decided to carry it back as it was.

Staying here too long and running into a Golden Frog would be a headache.

"Heave-ho."

This guy was also large enough that I had to wrap both arms around it.

Were all the fish living in the Forest of the Four Seasons this huge?

From my perspective, being able to eat abundantly was as good as it gets.

’I should bring a large tub or something next time.’

Holding onto the flopping golden fish, I laid out a plan.

For convenience’s sake, I’d need at least a bucket or a net.

It wasn’t that I lacked strength; it was just so big that I needed both hands to hold it.

’Or I could just bring Speed Sloth along.’

Speed Sloth was remarkably competent. He was tailor-made to be a bodyguard.

Returning to the cave, I began preparing the meal.

Fish gutting was becoming familiar, taking very little time.

’It came out again?’

Rummaging through the entrails just in case, another Inner Core popped out.

This time, instead of red, it was an Inner Core closer to a golden hue.

Did every single fish residing in the Forest of the Four Seasons harbor an Inner Core?

It wasn’t just once or twice, but already the third time, making me deeply suspicious.

’Doesn’t this mean you can get stronger just by eating fish? Why is the survival rate said to be rock-bottom?’

While the fish sizzled to a golden brown, I stared intently at the Inner Core.

Heavenly Demon had said it was closer to an inferior Spiritual Medicine, but an Inner Core was still an Inner Core.Read this novel at novel​ping.com for the best experience.

Consuming it would rapidly boost strength in a short time—that fact remained unchanged.

’Is it because escaping is impossible regardless of survival?’

The probability of that was quite high.

What good was getting stronger? If you couldn’t get out, it was all for nothing.

’Also, I’m an outlier case.’

Above all, I was a special case. I was using the Gallery normally right inside the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Unlike me, who could at least seek advice, others couldn’t. They had to slam their heads against a brick wall blindly.

Even I would have been torn to shreds by Mad Dogs if not for the Gallery.

’Let’s flip the fish.’

It was going to burn at this rate. I flipped the fish roasting on the flat stone slab.

I’d decide what to do with the Inner Core later. There was no rush.

If all else failed, I could put it on the Auction House.

Heavenly Demon had advised me to consume it only after reaching at least the Master Realm.

’I don’t really know how high the Master Realm is anyway.’

Above all, my foundation was weak. For now, deepening my roots was essential.

Eating an Inner Core wouldn’t be bad per se, but I might suffer in feverish agony for several days.

For me, who prioritized survival above all, a high fever was deadly.

I felt a sense of crisis when I had that fever last time too.

’Come to think of it, it should be about time for the auction to end.’

The thought crossed my mind as I pulled off pieces of appetizingly cooked fish flesh.

Since I posted it yesterday noon, it was scheduled to finalize in a few hours.

Inner Core: 750 taels of silver

It was set at a considerably high price.

Seeing the bidding intervals slow down, that price would likely hold.

’Credibility really must be crucial.’

The Auction House had a review system.

Even if numerical ratings weren’t available, looking at reviews allowed one to roughly gauge a seller’s creditworthiness.

Otherwise, the Auction House would have turned into a scammer’s paradise.

Especially with the ruthless transaction fees, committing fraud was unwise.

’For me, credibility is everything.’

Once credit was lost, it was hard to rebuild.

For someone like me who derived most things from the Gallery, it would be fatal.

Moreover, it wasn’t pocket change, but a fortune among fortunes, so it couldn’t be brushed off lightheartedly.

’Even if what I gave Heavenly Demon was an Inner Core, if the auctioned one isn’t...’

The probability of it being an Inner Core was high, but the possibility of someone lying couldn’t be ruled out.

Someone might say I was being overly distrustful, but at least I didn’t trust anonymous users.

When I first landed in the Forest of the Four Seasons, there were people telling me to die and become fertilizer, which said it all.

True human malice manifested behind the veil of anonymity.

’Let’s see after the auction completes.’

What mattered right now was enjoying this deliciously cooked fish.

I tossed a few pieces of fish flesh to Wonmo and devoured the rest.

The taste was far superior to the red fish. No exaggeration, it tasted like pork.

"That was satisfying."

Having downed a big catch, I returned into the cave and operated my Mental Cultivation Method.

Operating the mental method based on the basics taught by Heavenly Demon and the know-how from Sword Matstar.

Was it because I had just eaten the golden fish? An energy akin to rough waves resonated within my body.

’Rather than waves, how should I put it... a storm?’

The name of the mental cultivation method taught by Heavenly Demon was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

So it was closer to a storm than mere waves.

After neatly consolidating that storm-like energy, I raised my hand.

Ever so faintly, a blue aura shimmered up like a heat haze.

’It’s surreal every time I look at it.’

I was definitely just an ordinary person. An average guy with nothing impressive.

Yet not only was I dropped into this strange forest, but I had also learned to manipulate mana.

Even though I recognized this reality every moment, I occasionally wondered: Was I dreaming?

The heat haze wavering from my hand was sheer fantasy itself, reinforcing that feeling.

’Thinking back to when I got bitten by the Mad Dog, it’s definitely real.’

Snuffing out the shimmer, I stepped outside the cave.

The morning would be spent building traps and exploring.

Exploration meant checking the cave and the muscle mushroom burned yesterday by fire magic (physical).

If the Golden Mushroom had really sprouted two legs and run off, there was a chance it headed to the cave.

Title) Want to make a trap, need advice

Wild Grylls

Found a spot where rabbits spawn yesterday. Anyone know how to make a decent trap?

Note that it’s not a normal rabbit, but a rabbit with a insanely strong back kick. Please take that into account.

L Can’t you just buy a bear trap and set it up?

L Setting a bear trap would split a rabbit in half;;

L Just dig a pit and put spears inside

L L L That’s dangerous. Aim to capture it alive rather than using lethal traps.

As expected of the Gallery. They generously shared great tips.

L How about you become the bait? Then you’ll catch a big one lolol

L Sounds fun lolol

L Fail and die, succeed and feast!

As expected of the Gallery. Dumb idiots appeared occasionally—no, frequently.

Ignoring all the bizarre comments, I designed a trap.

The best method was a pitfall. Digging a hole and covering it with a trapboard.

Once a certain amount of weight was applied, it would give way and drop the victim inside.

’Given the power of those rabbits’ back kicks, they’d escape a small pit in a second.’

Deepening the pit was important, but the trapboard covering it was key.

A trap that didn’t just collapse and drop out, but utilized leverage and counterweights.

’Step on it, the board swings open to drop them, and then resets back shut.’

This method seemed best. I adopted this trap design.

However, design and actual construction were two different things. Rack my brain as I might, I drew up the plans.

’The board needs to open and close depending on weight. I have to factor in the rabbit’s weight too.’

Securing the board was essential. I purchased large iron nails from the Auction House.

I planned to anchor one side of the board with these.

’I also need to attach a counterweight so the board snaps back up.’

I planted two sturdy branches upright and slotted a crossbar between them.

Thinking of a rotisserie spit was an easy mental picture. A structure that rotated freely.

Since this was a trap rather than a barbecue, I attached an iron cylinder instead of meat.

Finally, tying a stone to act as a counterweight with thread finished it up.

Clunk!

Pressing firm with my finger, the board dipped downward.

The moment I lifted my finger, the counterweight pulled the board right back up.

The trap was perfect. Now I just needed to transport it over.

’I’ll have to scale up the dimensions though.’

Excluding the nails and hammer, I’d need to make a few trips back and forth.

Asking Speed Sloth to guard the shelter well, I wrapped up my preparations.

My defensive weapon, a shovel for digging, Elixirs just in case, and so on.

With preparations done, I headed to the rabbit-frequented zone.Read the latest chapters at no⁠velping.com.

’After setting it up, I’ll check for the mushroom first.’

Unfortunately, the Golden Mushroom was not in the cave.

The charred muscle mushroom remained as it was. Aside from its aroma, it seemed animals found it repulsive.

Having checked the mushroom, setting up the trap remained. Digging the pit wasn’t overly strenuous either.

After setting the entire trap shortly after, an indescribable sense of accomplishment rushed over me.

Soon, I’d be eating meat instead of fish.

’Butchering... well, I’ll have to do it myself.’

To prevent beasts from suspecting, I scattered soil over the board and laid down grass.

All that remained was patience. Gathering my gear, I returned to the cave.

’It’s already 11 o’clock.’

Doing this and that, time flew by.

Wondering what to do until the Inner Core auction closed, I rummaged through my pockets.

The golden Inner Core emerged from my pocket. I pondered whether to list this one on the Auction House too.

’Let’s see the current auction results first. Before that...’

Grumble—

My stomach hurts like crazy. It’s like this every time I eat fish.

Previous times, my stomach hurt almost right after eating, whereas today took a bit longer.

I should build a latrine soon too. Digging holes every time was getting tedious.

After refreshing myself, I accessed the Gallery to check the bid on the Inner Core.

Inner Core: 750 taels of silver

The bid hadn’t changed. It had been frozen for 6 hours.

It felt like it would end just like this. So I adjusted the duration.

Would you like to update the end time to 30 minutes remaining?

Once updated, the deadline cannot be changed again.

I tapped accept without hesitation. 30 minutes was plenty generous.

What to do during these 30 minutes? I planned to practice my mental cultivation method.

Not blindly, but building a solid foundation from the ground up according to Heavenly Demon’s teachings.

Patching up the glaring holes in my foundation was key to acquiring that Aura Blade or Sword Gang or whatever.

’Difficult. So difficult.’

Basics aren’t meant to be memorized, but ’comprehended’.

Since I wasn’t an inhabitant of this world, this was the hardest part.

Even if I had grown stronger through makeshift shortcuts so far, the foundation was still the problem.

’Just practicing for 30 minutes.’

It took over an hour. Once I got absorbed, time slipped away completely.

Besides, without logging into the Gallery, my sense of time became terribly blurred.

Thus, I logged into the Gallery to check how much the Inner Core sold for.

Why Grylls is a scammer

Grylls explain yourself!

Grylls explain yourself!

This guy is straight up a scammer lol

Isn’t being in the Forest of the Four Seasons a lie too?

Honestly think he should be banned.

Upvote if you want Grylls dead lolol

"What the?"

What on earth happened for things to get this messed up?

Most of it was about me too. I couldn’t comprehend it.

First off, the easiest way was checking the Recommended Posts.

Something must have been posted to the Recommended Posts for this shitstorm to erupt.

Wild Grylls this bastard is a scammer. Don’t trust him.

It was the Recommended Post with the most upvotes. Naturally, it was about me.

I couldn’t just brush it off, so I clicked on it immediately.

Wild Grylls this bastard is a scammer. Don’t trust him.

(Photo of an Inner Core resting on a palm)

You call this an Inner Core? lolol Cut the bullshit. It’s just a normal marble.

Buying this for 750 taels of silver makes me a absolute legend fr. Grylls this bastard can’t be trusted.

Take responsibility you fucker. Give me my money back fuck

L Didn’t Heavenly Demon say it was real?

L You actually believed that? lolol

L It was suspicious every time he caught a fish an Inner Core came out~

L From now on I’ll definitely buy Grylls’ items lol

L You never bought them anyway

L Exactly lol

L Is this guy an idiot?

L But is it confirmed he bought it?

L Yeah, the number next to it matches the winning bidder

L Wow lolol how much did he lose? lolol

L At that level, he lost his entire net worth lol

L Fucking pitiful lol

L Honestly shouldn’t Grylls refund the money?

L What about the platform fee?

L Why care about that? If he scammed, he should refund everything, dumbass.

L If it’s a scam, doesn’t Orange Badge ban them?

L Yeah, permanent ban at minimum.

I had my doubts, but the expected scenario unfolded. It seemed I had trusted people too much.

Fortunately amidst misfortune, I had roughly predicted this. Just as I was about to leave a comment...

[Heavenly Demon: Worry not, noble sir.]

This venerable self shall handle it.

[Wild Grylls: Huh?]

[Heavenly Demon: Divine punishment is required for that ungrateful rascal.]

Wait.

A 1-on-1 direct message arrived from Heavenly Demon.

What on earth is she planning to do?

’Is she gonna hit them with a ban?’

The brain and strategist of the Demonic Cult. Demonic Brain was extremely confused by the current situation.

Being summoned by Heavenly Demon, Yoo So-wol, wasn’t confusing. One must answer the call of Heaven.

But the order directly issued by Heaven threw even the formidable Demonic Brain into flustered bewilderment.

"H-Heaven... May I... request to hear what you just said once more?"

"For you to question me back is a strange occurrence indeed. Out of my broad generosity, I shall command once more."

Seated on her throne, Yoo So-wol commanded in a voice tinged with slight annoyance.

"Log into the Gallery."

"..."

"You consumed the Inner Core I bestowed upon you and advanced your realm. It suffices to post a thread proving just that."

Logging into the Gallery to leave a so-called ’verification post’.

On the surface, it sounded extremely simple. But who was Demonic Brain?

Wasn’t he a hardcore Gallery addict busy cursing his boss (Heavenly Demon) daily on the forum?

’...Fucked.’

Demonic Brain and Smart Demon, Wi Seol-ak.

’Truly fucked.’

Confronted with the ultimate crisis of his life.