I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 420

My name is Wi Baek. I am an albino gorilla currently living under the name of Park Kkobong.

The reason I know I am an albino gorilla is thanks to my master (emphasis on ’bastard’).

A human who possesses all kinds of knowledge, acquiring even more information through something called the Gallery.

He is of the same species as Wi Ho-chang, who was like a father and master to me. However, he differs in many aspects.

There is too much to explain, so I shall summarize it like this:

’A human more beastly than a beast.’

In a good way, of course. My master grew noticeably stronger with each passing day.

This damned forest had many beasts possessing bizarre powers, but my master was alien even among them.

’There are many creatures that grow stronger the more prey they consume.’

He was somewhat similar to the apex powerhouses roaming the forest—that is, the Hunters.

However, my master’s growth rate was far more terrifying than those Hunters.

Just a few weeks ago, his weight class was lower than mine, but now it was overwhelmingly superior.

At first, I wondered if all humans were like that. After all, my master Wi Ho-chang was close to a monster too.

Soon, after hearing the words of Ludwig—the human missing an ankle—I realized that was not the case.

"Lackey. Is the tonic boiling?"

"It is boiling very well."

"We need to lower the fire, so pull out some firewood."

"Got it."

Still, I liked that human very much.

Occasionally he did things that even a beast like me found beastly, but now I brushed it off.

Because Master himself realized he was strange and humbly accepted it.

Above all, my current life was the most satisfying. Just look at right now.

’To survive the winter, fire was the only answer.’

Fire—an essential condition for enduring the harsh winter.

When I was still mingled with the pack—that is, the gorillas—we didn’t even have fire.

A truly beastly solution where only those resistant to cold could survive.

Fortunately, after Wi Ho-chang arrived, we learned how to start fires and could endure.

’This thermal underwear is truly comfortable.’

But look at this now. Thick thermal underwear plus a house with a cozy fireplace.

It was so peaceful that winter felt like nothing.

Especially since I had lived as a hunter for a while after being banished from the pack.

They say leaving home is a hardship, but being thrown out on top of that taught me to appreciate this deeply.

Thus, I obediently followed all of Master’s orders. For he was the owner of this house.

’Bbareumbo is a being similar to Sabu.’

The actual leader of the gorilla pack was Wiheuk—that is, my brother.

Wi Ho-chang was essentially a guest, and over time we received teachings from him.

Well, that said, Bbareumbo was also satisfied with his present life.

If he weren’t satisfied, would he cling to Master’s back every single day?

Far from complaining, he was enjoying a content life.

Revenge? Such feelings vanished after spending winter in comfort.

Rather, I worried whether my brother’s pack might target this place.

’According to my younger brothers, there is a human over there as well.’

For the record, my younger brothers were the hobgoblins. After learning their language, we became very close.

My younger brothers had scouted the gorilla pack under Master’s orders. The information they provided was meager.

Gu-chil, who could be called Wi Ho-chang’s successor, was striving to become a member of the pack.

Picking bananas, shoveling manure, chasing away wild beasts, dealing with bugs, and so forth.

He was working hard doing all sorts of chores. By contrast, my duties ended at simple odds and ends.

And even those odds and ends were performed by everyone in the Shelter except Bbareumbo.

’This place is definitely much better.’

Thinking thus, I obeyed Master’s command.

"Drink."

"..."

Correction. This master bastard is trying to use me as a test subject.

I stared at the restorative tonic emitting a pungent smell.

I didn’t know what on earth he boiled, but it was a liquid with a black color.

Fascinatingly, despite being black, it felt clear and transparent.

From what I heard, he boiled it together with the Empty Sky Stone Milk found in the cave last time.

"...Master."

"What?"

"I read it in a book before. Poison broth—it looks similar to the water you drink and die."

"Where did you hear about that? Impressive."

Occasionally, Master tosses me books so I won’t get bored. Through those, I acquired some knowledge.

Furthermore, I possess a memory that rarely forgets anything seen once. Even I felt my memory was incredible.

"Anyway, it’s not poison broth, so don’t worry. Why would I kill you?"

"As expected of Master. You would not kill me."

"I’ll just push you to the brink of death, that’s all."

"..."

"Just kidding."

Was it really a joke? Narrowing my eyes, I glared at Master.

At that, Master gestured for me to drink up quickly. A sigh escaped me, but there was no choice.

Surely Master wouldn’t have given me weird medicine. So I gulped it down in one shot.

Ggulkkeok!

"Eu-eum..."

"How is it?"

"Tastes bad."

"Not that, what about symptoms?"

"Eu-eum..."

I closed my eyes and quietly checked the effect.

Aside from Master using me as a test subject, the efficacy was undeniable.

First and foremost, what I felt was warmth. Even wearing thermal underwear, the biting cold couldn’t be helped.Get faster updates on novelping dot com.

However, upon drinking this tonic, my body warmed up before long.

"My body has warmed up. It feels as though the cold has receded."

"Really?"

"It is to the extent where I could take off my thermals."

Seeing how my body grew steadily hotter, it seemed extremely useful for winter.

Hearing my words, Master handed a cup to the other party members as well.

First up was Ludwig, the member with extraordinary skills. He also manifested a similar effect to mine.

"My body is warming up."

"Anything else besides that?"

"It feels like mana is circulating more vigorously than before. Almost as if it is cleansing me."

Just as he said, it felt as though internal energy was circulating to every corner of the body, cleansing it clean. Though the resulting smell of sweat grew awful.

In the end, we had no choice but to step outside.

We had to wait until the effect wore off or the waste products completely vanished.

"Master. Surprisingly, it is not cold."

"Really? Fascinating. Whatever else it does, cold resistance seems to improve."

Master stared at the tonic before tossing it back. Grimacing at the terrible flavor was a bonus.

Soon enough, Master would be sweating profusely too. Thanks to the cold resistance, he would throw off his thermals as well.

Chiiiiik!

"Huh?"

"...?"

However, the reaction manifesting on Master was somewhat strange.

For Ludwig and me, waste came out through sweat and that was it.

Look at Master, on the other hand. His skin flushed red like it was forged in fire, and steam was literally rising from him.

Even that steam was generated from his sweat rapidly evaporating. It was hard to grasp what on earth was happening.

Though I had lived in this damned forest for a long time, I had never witnessed such a phenomenon.

"...Master? Are you alright?"

"...For now?"

What do you mean "for now"? You clearly look far from alright.

I looked at Master with an utterly dumbfounded expression. His body was still glowing red, and the steam did not stop.

Did he realize something then? Master suddenly shouted frantically.

"Hey! Water! Water! Water! Kek!"

"Water?"

"I’m thirsty! Hurry!"

It seemed dehydration had struck due to his sweat evaporating so rapidly.

I hurriedly looked around and pointed at the frozen river.

Even if we looked for water, there was only ice, and with that amount of steam, a cup or two wouldn’t suffice.

"Run to the river! The water is all frozen!"

"Ah, damn it!"

Master must have deemed my words reasonable, as he bolted toward the solidly frozen river.

He then smashed the ice with his bare fists and began drinking ravenously.

Even while he drank water, steam billowed off his body.

Just what kind of phenomenon was taking place inside that body for him to act like that?

No matter when I looked, it was truly a constitution more beastly than a beast.

"Teacher Walker."

"Speak."

"Is it just my imagination, or does it feel like he’s going to get freakishingly stronger after doing that again?"

"It is likely not your imagination."

Teacher Walker Ludwig seemed to hold a similar thought.

And sure enough, the change that occurred in Master was more absurd than astonishing.

"I think I’ve become strange."

"What happened?"

"Even if I stay outside bare-skinned, it’s not cold."

"..."

His body had acquired a constitution capable of effortlessly enduring even this harsh winter.

Though somewhat ridiculous, for a wild beast, it was a blessed constitution.

Unlike a certain someone who got cold without thermal underwear despite being covered in thick fur.

He had effectively become liberated from the brutal winter. Honestly, I envied that.

Moreover, that wasn’t the only change. There was a decisive change apart from it.

"That’s weird."

"What is it now?"

"It’s been a long time since I ate, but I don’t feel like pooping."

"..."

"Could it be constipation?"

Bullsht. I could answer with total confidence.

The frequency of Master going to pass feces, let alone urine, had dropped significantly.

Waste is the leftover residue after the body absorbs nutrition. Therefore, in the wild, the less waste excreted, the better.

Because that means nutrients were absorbed that much better. In other words, the conclusion was simple.

"Master. Compared to before, do you not absorb far more internal energy whenever you eat?"

"Huh? Come to think of it, yeah? I didn’t even realize."

"..."

I gave up thinking. Calling him more than a beast was an understatement.

How to put it? I just felt an insurmountable wall as a fellow ’living creature.’

Even creatures that flew or crawled were completely meaningless before this human.

"By the way, this restorative tonic is strangely addictive. Should I try boiling it a different way?"

"..."

"I won’t use you as a test subject, so don’t avert your eyes. You’re making me feel like a bad guy."

[Considering you already order beasts around like servants, you are plenty bad.]

"It’s fair trade. At least I treat him like a person."

[Ah. Dammit. O God.]

I had no idea whether to consider that good or bad.

While Grylls’s party was spending winter wisely—

The Central Plains was plunged into chaos due to the declaration of war by the Heavenly Demon, Yoo So-wol.This chapter was taken from no⁠velping.com without permission.

A declaration to drive out the firmly entrenched Imperial Court and become the new sky.

A declaration overflowing with arrogance to rule all under heaven, yet not a single soul scoffed.

And for good reason, as the martial prowess the Heavenly Demon demonstrated at the tournament was sheer awe itself.

Holding a potted plant in one hand also registered as the composed nonchalance unique to the truly powerful.

Having whipped up a massive storm in reality as well as on the Gallery, Yoo So-wol...

Revered by countless people, she comfortably returned to her main cult headquarters... Not.

She postponed returning to the main cult until later and carried out her immediate tasks first.

"Heok... heok..."

"How laughable. That it should come to this in the end."

Yoo So-wol looked down with an arrogant posture at the middle-aged man kneeling before her.

The middle-aged man, distinguished by his green attire, wore an expression mixed with fear and bewilderment.

"How... from the Namgoong Clan all the way here..."

"It was indeed a long distance."

Yoo So-wol replied with a sneering smile to the middle-aged man’s question.

She then leaned her upper body down slightly, coming face to face with the middle-aged man.

Thanks to that, the middle-aged man met Yoo So-wol’s beauty—a beauty for which even the word ’gorgeous’ fell short.

Yet considering what she had done to him and his sect, she was nothing less than a rose covered in sharp thorns.

"There happened to be a teleportation formation at the Namgoong Clan leading to the Sichuan Tang Clan. I made use of it."

"Th-You used that?! Impossible! That is...!"

Indeed. The identity of this middle-aged man was an elder of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

He was the master of the assassins who had struck deals with the Imperial Court to attack Yoo So-wol during the tournament.

He had prepared immediately after Yoo So-wol’s declaration, but lo and behold.

Not long after making her proclamation, she materialized right inside the Sichuan Tang Clan.

The distance between the Namgoong Clan and the Sichuan Tang Clan was practically spanning across the Central Plains.

A formation capable of transporting someone across that distance in an instant had been installed, but it was top secret.

"Unraveling such paltry sorcery is child’s play for me."

"Keueuk...! Do you think you will escape unscathed after this?! The Sichuan Tang Clan will—!"

Kwang!

The elder’s words could not continue. For Yoo So-wol lightly stomped on his head.

Light only from Yoo So-wol’s perspective; the elder suffered real-time pain as if his head were exploding.

"Keuaaaak!"

"I am sick and tired of those words. That was also what you said in the past."

Yoo So-wol spoke as she looked around. Though the elder had been overpowered, the battle was not over.

Even right now, were there not members of the Sichuan Tang Clan standing around, carefully gauging the situation?

The scale of the Sichuan Tang Clan was massive. Defeating a single elder would hardly settle things.

Yet the reason they watched silently was twofold. First among them—

"Is there anyone left who wishes to engage in a delightful duel with me?"

"..."

The martial artists of the Sichuan Tang Clan sprawled around her. Objectively speaking, their skills were top-tier.

Yet what could a mere mortal do before a natural disaster? They were simply swept away helplessly.

Yoo So-wol was precisely that. Even while holding a potted plant in one hand, she comfortably overwhelmed them all.

This was the first reason, and the second reason was far more decisive.

"...I will not attack."

"What on earth are you saying...?!"

"You surrender too. Would you risk your life to save that pig?"

"..."

The elder’s abysmal reputation among his own people was the reason.

In the past, the elder had reached out toward Yoo So-wol and ended up sexually impotent.

Even after that, he threw weight around and acted tyrannically, but because his martial arts were formidable, nobody had dared touch him.

With discontent quietly brewing, now that Yoo So-wol was taking care of him, they gave up any thought of fighting.

"So you were a fellow who failed to grasp even the sentiments of your own people."

Peok!

Sneering scornfully, Yoo So-wol kicked the elder square in the face.

A kick directed precisely at his mouth. His teeth showered down like corn kernels.

He would be able to eat nothing but porridge in the future. In truth, even this was a merciful act.

"Is everything finished now?"

The instant the elder passed out, someone spoke up. Yoo So-wol turned her head in that direction.

A middle-aged man of similar age to the fallen elder stood loftily.

Yoo So-wol was fairly impressed by the aura emanating from him. An energy far stronger than the pig lying on the ground.

Of course, compared to her, it was vastly lacking. To this, Yoo So-wol replied:

"It is not over yet."

"What is it that you want?"

A response indicating he did not desire to fight. For he already knew.

If the fight continued here, the Sichuan Tang Clan would be annihilated on the spot.

This was why he hadn’t stepped in even while one elder was being humiliated.

The Sichuan Tang Clan’s stature was no longer grand enough to cling to foolish pride.

Even if harboring venom in their hearts, bowing before the truly strong was better.

Besides, since the person tarnishing the Sichuan Tang Clan’s honor was dealt with in the process, they could let it slide smoothly.

Provided the other side didn’t make unreasonable demands. Just as the elder grew tense—

"Utensils."

"What?"

"The Sichuan Tang Clan handles not only poisons but also medicine. Is that not so?"

"That is true, but..."

Toward the bewildered elder, Yoo So-wol spoke.

"Then hand over utensils suitable for decocting medicine. A sect like the Sichuan Tang Clan must surely possess many high-grade implements."

"..."

"Do so, and I shall peacefully take my leave."

There was no choice.