I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 412

A turtle had appeared from the first summoning. However, being a creature of the Forest of the Four Seasons, it was anything but ordinary.

If its size were as massive as a mountain or an island, that would at least fall within the realm of comprehension.

After all, giant turtles known as Island Turtles actually existed in the seas outside the Forest of the Four Seasons.

There were even records of sailors who climbed onto one believing it to be an island, only to get thrown into the ocean when it abruptly submerged.

In any case, turtles known to the public were either absurdly tough or gigantesque.

No matter where one searched in the world, a turtle that pulverized opponents through high-speed rotation simply did not exist.

"At least it only rotates at high speeds; its intrinsic combat prowess isn’t particularly high."

Ash muttered while looking down at the turtle, which lay cleaved in half and spraying blood.

Because it was spinning at high velocity, a reckless strike could easily be repelled by the rotational force.

But who was Ash? She was a swordmaster renowned for having no equal when it came to swordsmanship.

On top of that, she possessed a weapon comparable to a relic, making it trivial to bisect the turtle.

"Isn’t that just because it’s you, Ash-nim?"

"You could do it as well, Hero-nim, couldn’t you?"

"Well, yes, but... it’s not like either of us is ordinary."

At Asella’s non-rebuttal rebuttal, Ash seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding her head.

Indeed, the combined fighting force gathered here exceeded that of a national power. Even Selena possessed immense authority as the daughter of a ducal house.

If even a single one of them were injured, it would cause a nation-level catastrophe. Therefore, they could never afford to let their guard down.

"Fufu. Fufufu."

Meanwhile, Kadir inspected the bisected turtle from top to bottom. He couldn’t stop chuckling.

A turtle that rotated at high speeds! As a creature completely unprecedented, it was more than worthy of research.

By what principle did it rotate? From where did it supply such energy? And so on.

The start felt great. The fact that the turtle’s ability had cracked his shield?

His pride didn’t even take a scratch. Research was far more important than that.

"Kadir-nim."

"Ah. Ahem."

As Asella quietly pointed this out upon noticing his demeanor, Kadir cleared his throat.

In his heart, he wanted to dissect the turtle right away, but the task was not yet finished.

Now that the summoning had proven successful, they needed to focus on the next summoning.

Thus, Kadir activated a simple preservation magic spell to prevent the corpse from decaying.

As discussed with Selena beforehand, Kadir could claim ownership of the creature if he wished.

What was important right now was what kind of creature would appear next.

"...."

Meanwhile, Selena looked back and forth between the summoning circle and the entrance to the Forest of the Four Seasons, deep in thought.

Curious about what was troubling her, Asella quietly approached.

"Selena-nim. Is there any problem?"

"Ah, Hero-nim. It’s nothing like that. It’s just that a certain hypothesis was proven through this experiment."

"A hypothesis..."

"How a creature reacts once it steps outside the Forest of the Four Seasons."

Asella already knew that hypothesis, as Selena had explained it before.

The other possibility was that it would explode immediately upon exiting due to being unable to withstand the pressure difference.

However, as demonstrated by the turtle’s case, far from exploding, it had gone on a rampage.

"I know that. But it seems like you have another concern besides that?"

"I suppose you could call it a concern. What will happen if the person living inside comes outside...?"

"...."

Asella immediately realized that the person Selena mentioned was Grylls. And she thought.

Grylls was famous even in the Gallery for growing absurdly strong.

While his technique-related talent was around average, his physical talent pierced through the heavens.

There was absolutely no one in this world with more mana than him. What if such a person came outside?

"I see who you’re thinking of, Selena-nim. If that person comes outside, wouldn’t his Aura Blade soar into the sky?"

"Probably. The whole world would likely be thrown into chaos."

"Then do you have any other concerns besides that one?"

Asella changed the subject before Grylls could be brought up any further.

Unaware of her intentions, Selena spoke up without any suspicion.

"Rather than a worry, it’s more about academic theory? I was thinking along those lines."

"Is it complicated?"

"It’s not that difficult. As you can see from the turtle we just summoned, applying the principle of buoyancy to mana as well..."

"...."

Listening to Selena’s theory, Asella could not help but wear a blank expression.

Even though they shared the same language thanks to Kadir’s translation magic, she couldn’t understand a single word.

Realizing this, Selena uttered an ’oops’ and quickly simplified her explanation.

"To put it simply, it’s like the difference between a crumpled piece of paper and a flat one. Both have the same mass, but if you place them on a balance scale, the crumpled paper tilts downward."

"So... the mana possessed by creatures of the Forest of the Four Seasons is like crumpled paper?"

"Precisely!"

"And when it comes outside, the crumpled paper unfolds, making it feel as if the mana has increased."

"Just as you said, it’s like coming out after being in a place where gravity acts several times stronger. A difference will naturally manifest even in their physical movement."

"Mmh..."

She roughly got the picture. It meant the density of mana inside the Forest of the Four Seasons was extraordinarily thick.

The quantity of mana used for the summoning and the turtle’s mana were roughly equal.

Although there was a slight margin of error, it was possible because of a terrifying difference in density.

In short, simply summoning indiscriminately was immensely advantageous for the outside world.New chapters come out on novelping(.)com first.

"No wonder Mithril and Orichalcum were so common inside; it’s because the density is insanely high."

"Yes. That’s likely why one can’t use mana inside. Like oil and water, not only does the mana fail to mix, but it also experiences intense compression."

Asella nodded. Through this summoning, she had acquired immense knowledge.

At the same time, she grew curious. Just how strong would Grylls become if he came outside?

The raw physical weight he currently displayed in the Gallery was already terrifying.

’He isn’t firing arrows; he’s practically shooting magic spells.’

With a slight exaggeration, the arrows Grylls fired were practically on the level of Meteors.

His very existence was equivalent to a strategic weapon. Just imagining it was terrifying.

’Of course, Grylls-nim desires peace, so he wouldn’t abuse his power. Instead, I must take good care of him so that he doesn’t harbor any discontent.’

It was while Asella was indulging in strange daydreams.

Noticing Asella lost in thought, Selena moved elsewhere.

Soon, she arrived at the spot where the party’s luggage was gathered. Her own luggage was there as well.

’I definitely brought it... Ah, here it is.’

What she pulled out was a single book. On the surface, it appeared to be an ordinary book.

However, a magic circle was drawn on the cover, serving as security magic.

To prevent anyone else from opening it carelessly, only its master could view its contents.

’There is entry about turtles, but...’

Written inside the book were the posts Grylls had uploaded to the Gallery. Naturally, it was in the language of the Messiah Empire.

A book written with earnest hope, so that the records of a man named Grylls would never vanish.

’The turtle Grylls-ssi encountered shot energy beams from its mouth. This isn’t the same species.’

Grylls had encountered all manner of monstrous creatures in the Forest of the Four Seasons. A high-speed rotating turtle was mild in comparison.

There were dinosaurs widely known to be extinct, as well as completely unknown organisms.

The problem was that those were merely a fraction. The Forest of the Four Seasons was famous for being astronomically vast.

Just as the summoned turtle possessed high-speed rotation, bizarre and eccentric abilities would bound to pop up.

’In the worst-case scenario, there might be creatures with abilities capable of neutralizing all of us.’

Among the monsters Grylls had recently encountered, the most heinous were unequivocally the undead types.

The Flesh Aberration in particular had left even Selena appalled. She couldn’t help but think that even the Immortal King would bow before it.

’Do we summon slowly to adapt, or do we rely on these people’s combat prowess?’

Even with three individuals possessing national-scale fighting power, she was uneasy. There were too many variables.

Ultimately, Selena let out a deep sigh and stowed the book away. For now, she decided to attend to another matter.

[Starlight Lady: Grylls-nim. Are you there?]

[Wild Grylls: I’m always here. What’s up?]

Asking the experienced person directly. Right now, this was the only answer.

Selena glanced behind her, worried that she might be caught sending messages.

Fortunately, the rest of the party was chatting among themselves. She had room to breathe.

[Starlight Lady: We just conducted a summoning ritual. But a turtle came out.]

[Wild Grylls: Did it succeed? Wait, before that, what kind of turtle was it? Did it shoot energy beams from its mouth?]

[Starlight Lady: It didn’t shoot energy beams. Instead, it spun at high speed and slammed directly into us with a body tackle. Its power was formidable.]

[Wild Grylls: What a strange fellow.]

Look at that. Even the experienced survivor remarked that it was strange.

Just as she wondered if there was no way to find out directly, Grylls delivered a poignant piece of advice.

[Wild Grylls: You’re going to summon again, right?]

[Starlight Lady: We will probably try once more.]

[Wild Grylls: I don’t know what will come out, but watch out for the small ones. Those ones are a real pain in the neck.]

[Starlight Lady: In what way?]

[Wild Grylls: Big ones like Ogres just try to crush you with raw size, but the small ones have all sorts of bizarre abilities. You must never let your guard down based on size alone.]

It was advice oozing with hard-won experience. Selena etched this advice deeply into her mind.

After receiving various tips from Grylls, she closed the Gallery.

Having received advice from Grylls, what remained was the summoning approach.

"...So, what are your thoughts?"

"I shall follow Lady Selena’s choice."

"I agree that would be best."

"Me too, I suppose..."

Amusingly, everyone handed the choice over to Selena. Selena let out a soft chuckle.

Most renowned powerhouse figures in the nation tended to be like that.

A mindset of ’do as you like, whatever comes doesn’t matter.’

Selena nodded and spoke with a resolute expression.

"Then I shall summon a big one this time. Conveniently, we have an appropriate item, so it should be fine."

"An appropriate item...?"

"It’s an item received through the Duke’s support."

Saying so, Selena pulled out a grayish ingot.

It was quite heavy, requiring Selena to lift it with both hands.

It was the Mythricon ingot passed down from Grylls.

"Since we have this and other items... I shall begin the summoning right away."

As the summoning ritual commenced once more, everyone except Selena stepped back.

Kadir deployed an even sturdier shield than before. Since it would be a strong one this time, they needed to be thoroughly prepared.

Woo-woo-woong!

Before long, the summoning circle began to glow and operate.Read this novel at novelping . com for the best experience.

The moment she finished the summoning ritual, Selena rushed inside the shield.

Perhaps because a massive quantity of mana was sacrificed as an offering this time, the summoning took quite a while.

"By the way, it’s rather puzzling."

"What is?"

While the summoning was underway, Asella spoke up, to which Selena asked.

Asella stared blankly at the glowing summoning circle before turning her head.

Where she turned was the entrance to the Forest of the Four Seasons, shimmering like an aurora.

"Why did the gods create the Forest of the Four Seasons like this?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Was it because it was spoken by a cleric—and a Hero at that?

Selena and the rest of the party couldn’t immediately grasp her words.

The reason why the gods had created the Forest of the Four Seasons was revealed only recently: to imprison dragons.

Hadn’t Grylls encountered a descendant of those dragons as well? It was a fully confirmed fact.

"Why, isn’t it naturally to imprison dragons?"

"That’s true, but... that place is the realm of the gods, isn’t it? Isn’t it strange to use one’s own realm as a prison?"

"Mmh..."

"Besides, if it were meant purely as a prison, there would be no need for a space that vast. There must be another reason..."

Peo-ung!

Just as Asella raised her question, a small explosion occurred at the summoning circle.

Thick dust billowed up just like before, clearing away shortly after.

What was revealed inside was...

"Nyaong."

"...A cat?"

"It’s a cat."

It was a small and cute cat. A cheese cat, no less.

On the outside, it possessed an appearance that was harmless and adorable to the extreme.

Just as the party’s guard was about to drop at the sight, Selena suddenly recalled:

’Watch out for the small ones especially.’

A poignant piece of advice from a survivor currently living inside the Forest of the Four Seasons.

The moment she recalled that advice, Selena unleashed her magic without hesitation.

She intended to launch a quick Fireball first. Cuteness meant nothing.

Hwareureuk!

True to a brilliant genius mage, Selena fired a Fireball without even chanting.

A massive fireball flew toward the cheese cat. If it hit, it would burn the cat to a crisp.

Tuk!

However, an astonishing sight occurred.

The cheese cat lightly swiped its front paw and reflected the fireball directly back!

Kwa-kwagwang!

Although it was a completely unexpected situation, thanks to Kadir’s shield, there was zero damage.

However, the cat was still right there. Selena urgently shouted:

"If a creature from the Forest of the Four Seasons escapes, the ecosystem will be ruined! We must capture it!"

Selena was right. The moment even a single creature from the Forest of the Four Seasons broke free, the local ecosystem would be utterly annihilated.

If they accidentally lost track of it and it rose to rule as an apex predator somewhere, they would immediately have to mobilize an army.

In the worst case, the entity could breed and swell its numbers.

It had to be stopped at all costs. This was a matter they had repeatedly emphasized to one another.

"Nyaong~"

Regardless, the cat was simply meowing in place.

As if posing the question: ’Can puny humans like you actually take me down?’

Spurred by its infuriating posture, Ash was the first to step forward. Wearing a serious expression, she swung her sword.

Just as Ash’s sword was about to reach the cat’s head, the cat acted first.

Pabat!

Deciding that unlike magic, it needed to dodge Ash’s attack, the cat lightly leaped up.

It moved out of the sword path, but who was Ash? She did not miss the cat suspended in midair.

Because she had launched the strike anticipating an evasion, she was able to adjust her trajectory instantly.

’Cut.’

The sword surged toward the cat airborne. A vivid Aura Blade was manifested upon her weapon.

At this rate, the cat’s body would be cleaved in two, spraying blood, meeting the same fate as the turtle.

Just before the horizontally slashing sword touched the cat’s body, the cat gently closed its eyes.

Juuuuuk-

"What...?!"

An astonishing sight occurred. The cat stretched out like yeot taffy and wasn’t cut at all!

As if proving the ’cats are liquid’ theory, it was like cutting through a sticky fluid.

As Ash looked on in flabbergastment, the cheese cat opened its closed eyes.

Beonteok!

Not a cute and gentle gaze, but a sharply flashing glint.

Chwaak!

Simultaneously, a shallow slash wound appeared across Ash’s chest.

Not a multi-clawed wound like a beast’s claw, but a single line carved cleanly.