I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 432

The member of the Demon Race whose body swelled up and exploded like a balloon.

Blood and flesh splattered in all directions due to that explosion just now, but fortunately, none got on me.

The moment I saw its body swelling, I had hurriedly fled. It was a natural survival instinct.

"Ugh..."

Apart from avoiding it, I couldn’t escape the gruesome scene. I crumpled my face.

I had seen terrible atrocities frequently up until now. Especially with Manatology.

Fragmented bones and flesh were scattered everywhere, and only the lower body remained dangling.

Keung-keung. Keung.

"Wonmo. Don’t eat that. You mustn’t eat it! Hey!"

I hurriedly stopped Wonmo, who was showing interest in the scattered chunks of flesh.

There was no telling what consequences eating this might bring. There was even a possibility it was a lump of virus.

’In games or movies, cases like this often happen because of a virus...’

I carefully approached the lower body, then poked it with the Sword of the Heavenly Demon.

I wondered if it might regenerate, but fortunately, there was no sign of that.

It was truly dead. The blue skin unique to the Demon Race remained unchanged as well.

"Did they really conduct human experiments..."

[Starlight Lady: But this person... is a Demon Race member, right?]

[Sword Matstar: It certainly looked like a Demon Race member... right?]

[Praise the Sun: There are many races in the world, but only the Demon Race is that foreign.]

[Princess Chaenggu: It’s definitely one of our kind... What on earth happened?]

[King Reor: Don’t tell me they were conducting human experiments on our kind? And the gods did it?]

[Smart Demon: This might become quite a controversy?]

Racial discrimination and human experimentation are issues on entirely different levels. Because of this, the fixed gallery users also expressed grave concern.

Looking at the corpse of the Demon Race member with only its lower body remaining, I turned my head. It was toward the capsule this person had come out of.

What on earth kind of experiment were they conducting for a person—and a member of the powerful Demon Race at that—to explode like a balloon?

"It seems related to ancient humanity..."

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: It definitely wasn’t Lady Aris! I’m sure of it!]

"I didn’t say anything."

Since it was a matter connected to the gods, Asella hurriedly shouted.

From her perspective, it was a somewhat nerve-wracking situation. This wouldn’t apply just to her, but to Ludwig as well.

The gods used people to conduct human experiments? It was equivalent to a massive meteor crashing into the religious world.

No. Beyond the meteor level, there was a high chance faith itself would be shaken to its core.

’It is a bit strange, though. Aris was closer to a good deity.’

Aris was different from the gods I disliked.

That goddess, at least, truly cared for her believers.

If she didn’t care, she wouldn’t have widely distributed the breathing techniques either.

’...Setting aside that she’s the main culprit who made me like this.’

Anyway, since there could be a misunderstanding, further investigation was necessary.

Why was a member of the Demon Race preserved inside that capsule?

Why did it pop out from there as soon as power was restored?

Crucially, the reason why its body shattered into pieces. There are many things to find out.

’The materials to solve this would be on that laptop.’

I looked at the futuristic laptop, not a design I was familiar with.

A screen displaying the text "Please enter password." I’m no hacker, so cracking it is impossible.

’Will Cain pop up on the screen like last time?’

I looked around. Aside from the laboratory beyond the reinforced glass, nothing in particular was visible.

If so, where would Cain reveal himself? It was while I was looking around.

Ddiring~

Surprisingly, the laptop was unlocked. Me and the companions were startled.

As soon as the laptop unlocked, light flashed, soon revealing a hologram-like image.

[Oh. Now it works.]

"..."

[What are you staring at like that?]

The identity of that hologram was none other than Cain.

Just like how he had revealed himself on the large screen in the bunker, this time it was in hologram format.

Feelings of flabbergast and bewilderment mixed together, but what needed to be asked had to be asked.

"...Did you pop out from there this time?"

[Because there was nowhere else to pop out from. The only relatively intact place in this building was here.]

"The only relatively intact place was here?"

[The rest felt like all the lines were severed. I couldn’t interfere at all.]

What could have happened here? I grew increasingly curious.

Anyway, since the laptop password was cracked as well, all that’s left is the recordings.

If records were left behind like the person in charge who committed suicide in the bunker, nothing could be better.

"So records remain on this laptop?"

[That is the case. Shall you check them right away?]

"How many video files are there?"

[There is only one. The rest were all cleanly deleted.]

Though disappointing, this might actually be better. If there were over ten, just watching them would be exhausting.

I immediately requested to see the video. Then, a large hologram was generated.

’Feels... kind of like a Gallery window.’Find the original chapter at novelping dot com.

Though only visible to the eyes, it gave off the feeling of a Gallery window.

While I was having such thoughts, along with a bit of noise, the video played.

Kwagwang! Kwang!

[Dammit! What about the guard squad? What is the guard squad doing!]

[We must escape this place quickly! That woman...!]

[How can we abandon these research records and run away! Humanity’s great long-cherished wish...!]

[Mustn’t we stay alive for even that damned knowledge to be preserved!]

The start wasn’t good. A violently shaking screen accompanied by the sound of something exploding.

Along with that, people presumed to be researchers were shouting something.

Ah. Just in case, the people in the video were speaking in English.

"Must be an automatic translation spell."

"I hear it as well."

However, everyone heard it in their native tongue.

Just like in the Gallery, an automatic translation feature seemed to exist.

Apparently, this laboratory was built in an era much later than the bunker.

[If someone watches this video, I pray you fulfill humanity’s long-cherished wish. All my research materials...]

Peo-ok!

It was before the man presumed to be the lab director could finish speaking.

Kicked by someone’s foot, he blew far away.

It was a simple kick, but it carried considerable power, enough to slam him into the wall.

Gi-i-ing—

The camera moved, pointing toward the man slammed into the wall.

While the camera moved, the surrounding situation was also visible, and the expression ’bloody pulp’ suited it well.

Researchers fallen on the floor with parts of their bodies crushed, broken capsules, and so on.

[Kraaaagh!]

Peo-ang! Peo-ok!

Surprisingly, the people who escaped from inside the capsules exploded one after another like balloons.

Ordinary humans, of course, as well as Elves, Dwarves, Beastfolk, and so on.

It felt as though humanity—every race of this world—had been stuffed inside the capsules.

Of course, the result was the same explosion. The situation was getting progressively worse.

Jeolgeureok— Jeolgeureok—

Meanwhile, the person who kicked the researcher moved their steps. Perhaps due to the camera angle, only their back was visible.

However, even from just their back, an extraordinary presence could be felt.

’...Suit?’

That was understandable, as they wore a suit one might see in movies or games.

Rather than a heavy-looking design, it gave off a somewhat sleek feel. Also, the sword held in their hand.

It was a sword with a familiar appearance. As I tilted my head, Ludwig muttered.

"That is... a Holy Sword?"

"A Holy Sword? The one the Hero holds?"

Surprisingly, the answer came back that it was a Holy Sword.

This was the opinion of none other than Ludwig, who had closely observed the Hero, Asella.

There was no way another Holy Sword existed in the world. In other words, that person is...

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: N-N-No way, Lady Aris?! Is that really Lady Aris?!]

[Allfather: Looking at the armor style, it truly resembles Lady Aris.]

The possibility of it being Aris was extremely high. I focused on the video.

The person who subdued the researcher right away while kicking him. Earlier, one of the researchers mentioned ’that woman.’

If so, why did she raid this laboratory? I grew increasingly curious.

[Cough! Cough! You bastard...!]

[Speak. What experiment did you conduct here?]

From inside the armor a knight might wear—to be precise, the suit—a slender voice flowed out.

Perhaps due to the suit, static slightly mixed into the voice, but it was brimming with force.

[Can’t you tell by looking? We were making humanity even greater!]

[...]

[Conversely, I ask you! Why are you interfering with this long-cherished wish! Do you not know why we went extinct!!]

The researcher shouted as if spitting blood. In fact, it actually gushed from his mouth.

However, as if he absolutely had to say this, he even pointed his finger while shouting.

[To withstand even a nuclear explosion, that person’s genes are absolutely necessary! Otherwise, humanity will only repeat the same history!]

[Foolish. Truly foolish. Doing this won’t stop history from repeating.]

[At least we won’t go extinct! Like us!]

[...]

At least we won’t go extinct. At those words, the woman flinched.

A reaction showing that she couldn’t possibly deny those words. I could roughly grasp what had transpired.

It seems ancient humanity made ’their own efforts’ so as not to repeat their mistakes.

The problem was that the direction of those efforts went wrong by a long shot. Otherwise, things wouldn’t have turned out like this.

[If all of humanity were like that person! If everyone could easily withstand a nuke! Cough! If all humanity became equal!]

[...]

[We wouldn’t perish because of this damned mana! Why can’t you understand!]

[...Indeed, you might be right.]

Kwaak!!

Having said that, the woman thrust the Holy Sword straight into the researcher’s heart.

The researcher whose heart was accurately pierced twitched before going completely limp. He had expired.Enjoying the story? Read on at novelрing.com.

[Even so, this is something that cannot be forgiven.]

"..."

[It was rest achieved with such difficulty... This is far too cruel.]

Having said that, the woman took a step. No, she stopped short of taking it.

Whether she noticed the camera’s movement, she looked accurately in this direction.

She stared at the camera for a while, then looked around.

Subsequently, after sitting down, she set the Holy Sword to one side and removed her helmet.

Chi-i-ik—

With a strange sound, the woman slowly removed her helmet.

Upon removing the helmet, her face was also naturally revealed.

"Wow..."

The moment I saw her face after removing the helmet, an exclamation spontaneously escaped my lips.

A blonde, blue-eyed beauty. However, her sharply honed gaze brought to mind a well-tempered blade.

Her tightly closed lips looked quite stubborn, and her high nose bridge was impressive.

They said she was a breathtaking beauty under the helmet, and that statement was true.

Tadadak— Tadak

The Goddess of War, Aris, began typing.

She was probably deleting various research data. It was the part Cain had mentioned earlier.

So, how much time had passed? Aris let out a long sigh and muttered softly.

[...If someone comes to watch this video.]

"..."

[I offer my apologies on behalf of humanity to the primitive races of this world. These people were conducting horrific experiments.]

I wondered why this recording remained, and it turned out to be for this reason.

Apart from her somewhat intimidating beauty, her character seemed properly formed.

[Then, I wish you a peaceful day.]

Simultaneously with those words, the video ended. And...

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Lady Aris!!! I believed in you!!! I didn’t doubt for a single second!!!]

"Ah. I knew she’d do that."

The Hero Asella sounded the trumpets of victory. Even though it was text in chat, I could feel the noise.

Ignoring the rising chat for a moment, I recalled the video.

First of all, Aris wasn’t in the wrong. Rather, she stepped up to clean up the mess.

However, the timing is puzzling. Especially regarding the Holy Sword Revolution.

"Ludwig-ssi. When did Aris bestow the Holy Sword?"

"The timeframe is uncertain. Lord Cain would know this."

[She bestowed that Holy Sword upon me!]

Ah. Right. This man was the first paladin.

Since he was the first paladin, it wasn’t strange for him to wield the Holy Sword.

This means she left after bestowing the Holy Sword at least several hundred years ago. This video was recorded before that.

’I’ll need to establish a timeline sometime soon.’

I quietly closed the laptop, then put it into my Subspace Backpack.

It might come in handy someday.

"There’s nothing more worth finding, so let’s head outside."

Since Aris had deleted all data, there was nothing noteworthy to find.

At this, after putting Cain’s stone statue back into the coffin, we left the laboratory.

It was almost lunchtime, and staying here continuously wasn’t good either.

’It’d be nice if we could find out what experiments were conducted, but...’

Digital is data deletion, analog is natural weathering. There’s no way to know.

We’d have to find another laboratory or something to grasp the detailed circumstances.

"Lunch will be roughly..."

It was right when we stepped out of the laboratory.

Kwoong!!!

Out of nowhere, something plunged from the sky, kicking up a cloud of thick dust.

The vibration shaking the entire ground upon landing was a bonus. I waved my hand, hastily dispersing the dust cloud.

"Cough. Cough. What on earth..."

Gi-i-i-ing—

Just as I was flustered by the sudden situation, an ominous noise sounded from up ahead.

At the same time, the dust cloud cleared, revealing the entity that had dropped from the sky.

"...A suit?"

It was a suit. And a suit that looked like knight’s armor at that.

It resembled Aris’s armor seen in the video, but differed in fine details.

Ji-i-i-ing—

A crimson light seeped out from the face portion of that suit.

Following that, it even scanned me up and down. Something feels deeply alarming.

[Judged as ancient human, not a primitive race.]

The suit, uttering incomprehensible words—

Chwaang!

Emitted vivid Aura Blades from both hands, or to be precise, the backs of its hands—

[Eliminate.]

And charged straight at me.