I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 439

Thanks to the picture Heavenly Demon sent me, I was able to get a rough idea of the current situation in the Central Plains.

As if things weren’t chaotic enough with the Demonic Cult beginning to act in earnest, I went ahead and dropped the bomb of ’Origin’ on them.

On the bright side, it was at least fortunate that the origin revealed was related to Buddhism, but an even more severe problem remained.

’Looking at the Central Plains right now, Confucianism seems to be the underlying foundation....’

A religion founded by Confucius, one of the four great sages.

It was one of the Three Teachings of East Asia alongside Buddhism and Taoism, exerting a profound influence even on distant future generations.

What kind of era was the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period? It was a time overflowing with blood, flesh, and supernatural, bizarre phenomena.

An era where it wasn’t even strange for humans to eat other humans.

’There must be someone who spread Confucianism in the Central Plains as well. From the looks of it, it seems to be one of Aris’s disciples.’

I had heard about it before. Just before leaving, Aris bestowed teachings upon her two disciples.

Those two disciples departed for the Western Continent and the Eastern Realm respectively, taking root there.

Those roots were none other than the Mana Cultivation Method and the Internal Cultivation Art. She had taught them how to govern mana.

But it couldn’t have ended with just that. She surely passed down other teachings as well.

I wasn’t too sure about the Western Continent, but there was a high probability that the Eastern Realm was deeply connected to Confucianism.

Otherwise, there was no way the Central Plains could have been so peaceful.

’Well... even if I told them, they’d probably just ask what Confucianism is.’

Unlike other religions that left a clear legacy, they didn’t even know the name of Confucianism. Even when I dropped Confucianism jokes, the only response I got back was "What’s that?"

Since there was no telling what kind of shockwaves revealing this fact would cause, keeping my mouth shut was the best option.

’Unless I find ruins later on.’

Irresponsible pleasure should be enjoyed in moderation. The moment I crossed the line, sparks would fly back at me too.

And sparks flying at me also meant that the fixed-nicks helping me would suffer.

’And Asella is in a situation where she can’t ban me either.’

If the Gallery users caught wind of this? There was no telling what would happen.

Public sentiment wouldn’t just nosedive vertical; it would plummet straight down to the mantle.

Of course, it wouldn’t matter if I put on a thick skin, but I didn’t know if soft-hearted Asella could hold up well.

’Is she really... soft-hearted?’

She seems like a push-over, but subtly stubborn and strong-willed. I guess this part will be fine.

More importantly, it was about my future plans. It was slowly getting to be time to focus on exploring somewhere other than Alex’s Library.

Finding traces of Aris or other ancient humanity would be fantastic.

But the odds were extremely low, and there was no telling what kind of dangers lurked.

’The best method would be heading toward the World Tree, but...’

If there was no clear place to go, heading straight to the World Tree was best.

However, there was a point Cheongseol’s mom—that is, Nidhogg—had mentioned before.

That the closer we got to the World Tree, the more we’d be exposed to dangerous entities.

That single reason was why I usually refrained from going near the World Tree.

’Besides that direction... ah, there is another place.’

There was a place I visited once long ago and hadn’t returned to since: the Ash Zone.

The environment full of ash was memorable, and I had encountered the Flame Horse there too.

The foals I met back then were so cute. I remembered how they cried and made a huge fuss when we separated.

I wonder how much they’ve grown by now. About two months have passed, so I wonder if they’ll even remember me.

"Therefore, Wonmo will decide where we go next. Toward the World Tree, or toward the Ash Zone."

[Why is Wonmo deciding?]

"Because he’s cute."

[I have no choice but to concede.]

Honestly, whichever one was chosen, there were pros and cons.

The Ash Zone would let us expand our search area and potentially find another route.

The World Tree side carried higher risks, but the rewards could be just as great.

"Alright, Wonmo. Choose between these two."

"Ggyuu?"

I wrote ’World Tree’ and ’Ash Zone’ on two slips of paper and showed them to Wonmo.

Wonmo tilted his head at my intention for a moment, then toddled over.

At first, he hovered around the World Tree side, then turned his head toward the Ash Zone.

Which one would he pick? For some reason, my heart throbbed with anticipation.

"Ggyuu!"

Soon, Wonmo bit one piece of paper and brought it over to me. A beaming smile was an added bonus.

Petting Wonmo, I checked the paper. It was the Ash Zone.

It seemed Wonmo also felt that it wasn’t time to head to the World Tree yet.

"The Ash Zone, huh... Wonmo-ya? Come here for a second."

"Ggyuuuu~"

When I told him to come, Wonmo toddled over and snuggled into my arms.

Playing with him by squishing his cheeks, I checked various parts of his body.

’At this level, there’s no need to trim his fur.’

In the Ash Zone, many creatures came equipped with flames as a standard feature.

Therefore, it could be fatal for furry Wonmo, so proper grooming was ideal.

Luckily, it was spring now, and Wonmo had already finished shedding.

"Next up, Tyranno. Tyranno, you..."

"Bbi-ik!"

When I called him, Tyranno held his head up high.

His wings fluttered behind his back, and his tail wagged side to side.

It looked like his way of expressing that he had no problems whatsoever. I asked Lackey to translate.

"He says he’s immune to fire."

"As expected of a dragon, maybe?"

Indeed, if he weren’t immune to fire, there was no way he could breathe breath weapons from his mouth.

With such a convincing reason, I could move past Tyranno without worry.

The last one remaining was Cheongseol.

"Lick. Lick."

"...."

Since she just kept licking my cheek when I asked, I moved on. She had Teleport, so she’d be fine.

With this, the checkup for the animals was completely wrapped up. Largo barely had fur, so he was passed over.

"Master. Are you not worried about me?"You are reading on novelping dot com, the official source.

"Do you wanna shave your fur?"

"Um..."

Lackey looked back and forth between me and Ludwig.

After all, the only furless apes (?) here were the two of us.

"Come to think of it, I am fine. Being hairless looks unsightly."

"Do as you like. Ah, come to think of it, didn’t you burn off all your fur back then?"

The incident where he tried to pick a fight with me and got true education from the Flame Horse.

Lackey seemed to regard that event as a dark Chapter of his past, turning his head away and feigning ignorance. It seemed he knew it was embarrassing too.

"If we meet that Flame Horse again, apologize properly. Got it?"

"Ahem. Understood."

"Lastly, Bbareumbo, you..."

"...."

"...Let’s just pass over you."

In the first place, Bbareumbo was a fellow who didn’t even wash often.

Shaving someone who didn’t even bathe was preposterous. Besides, his fur wasn’t all that fluffy anyway.

Having finished the rough preparations, I thoroughly planned how to explore the Ash Zone.

"I visited once before, but that was strictly just the entrance. We don’t know what lies deeper inside."

[Unlike other places, the environment itself has shifted there. It wouldn’t be strange if a volcano was located somewhere.]

Spooky as it sounded, Cain was right. Didn’t we encounter a Volcano Turtle last time?

The Ash Zone would be worse if anything, not better. There was no harm in being thoroughly prepared.

"When shall we set out?"

"Not today; we should set out starting tomorrow."

I couldn’t say preparations were completely done with just this.

Defenses against fire attacks were an absolute necessity in particular. Burns were painful injuries in many ways.

’Should I ask Cheonjam Merchant Guild?’

It was a good thought, but I shook my head. I planned to leave tomorrow, so time was tight.

Cheonjam Merchant Guild would be thrilled just by me sponsoring them... but I felt like I was working them too hard.

Not to mention I knew they were busy these days with acquisitions and what-not.

Better to ask someone else. I logged onto the Gallery.

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

[Starlight Lady: No! I was just taking a brief break.]

[Wild Grylls: Any results?]

[Starlight Lady: A two-headed lion popped out earlier, but I’m fine.]

[Wild Grylls: ;;;]

Is that really okay? I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.

They too were making their own efforts over there to rescue me.

Wondering if I was interrupting, I asked carefully.

[Wild Grylls: It’s nothing else, just that I have something to ask. I’m not taking up your time, am I?]

[Starlight Lady: As I’ve told you time and again, helping you is only natural, Grylls-nim. You gave me a new life, after all.]

[Wild Grylls: Hearing you say that makes me embarrassed. What happened is...]

I informed Starlight Lady about the current situation.

Asking if there was anything like a fire resistance potion, since getting protective hazmat suits was difficult.

It frequently appeared in games, but I wasn’t sure about this world.

[Starlight Lady: Fire resistance potions... They do exist. The recipe is tricky, but I can craft them.]

[Wild Grylls: Really?]

[Starlight Lady: Yes. However, given the current circumstances, it might be difficult to craft a lot of them.]

[Wild Grylls: That’s fine. Not many people need it.]

I could just endure with Body-Protecting Gangqi, and Lackey could cover himself with magic.

Exaggerating slightly, Ludwig drinking it alone would be sufficient.

Though his skills were great, his base physical durability was the lowest, so investing in him was best.

[Starlight Lady: Then I’ll make them right after night falls today. Ah, and this time, I have something to ask.]

[Wild Grylls: What is it?]

[Starlight Lady: While summoning, I noticed that sometimes objects get summoned.]

I was puzzled by the statement that items could be summoned too, but soon understood.

In the first place, the requirement for summoning was abundance of mana.

Usually living beings were rich in mana, and the Forest of the Four Seasons had that in extreme degrees.

Therefore, objects were rarely summoned, but if one was, there was a high chance it was an extraordinary item.

[Starlight Lady: It’s an object I’ve never seen before, but I thought Grylls-nim might know. I just summoned this one as well.]

[Wild Grylls: I don’t know everything either, but... could you show me once?]

[Starlight Lady: (Photo of summoned item) Here it is. It’s generally round, so is it something like a baseball?]

[Wild Grylls: ...?]

Looking at the true identity of the object, I had no choice but to blink in shock.

Although it had old, rusted parts, its shape was extremely clear.

A round appearance with a firmly inserted safety pin.

[Wild Grylls: Don’t tell me... nobody pulled that pin, right?]

[Starlight Lady: I didn’t pull it because it looked dangerous.]

[Wild Grylls: Good job. If you use that, the entire surrounding area will be turned to wasteland, so throw it away immediately.]

[Starlight Lady: A nuclear bomb like the one you mentioned last time? Is it the same power as that?]

[Wild Grylls: Even so, no one throws a nuclear bomb with their bare hands;;]

I began explaining hand grenades to Starlight Lady.

Fortunately, bombs weren’t entirely nonexistent in this world either, so she could understand right away.

She mentioned that since many people walked away unscathed even after taking a direct hit from a bomb, they weren’t used often.

[Starlight Lady: Hm. Hearing you put it that way makes me curious. May I test it just once?]

[Wild Grylls: If you’re going to use it, don’t throw it. Bury it in the ground and attach a thread to the pin. Maintain a safe distance before pulling it.]

[Starlight Lady: Thanks for the advice. I’ll show you what its firepower looks like later.]

Will it be okay? I was slightly worried.

The appearance of the grenade was similar to what I knew... but the color was different.

’Aren’t hand grenades usually green? Why was that one purple? The shape was weird too.’

As time went on, Selena’s party grew accustomed to summoning creatures from the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Except for the cat, most summoned creatures were large beasts, which were easy to handle.

"Meow~"Enjoying the story? Read on at nоvelping.com.

"Hahaha. You little rascal."

Added to that was the cat they quickly bonded with. Kadir handed a snack to the cat perched on his shoulder.

The cat seemed to like the snack as well, eating it heartily.

"...."

Asella stared intently at that scene before cautiously approaching.

Last time she had been hissed at, but wouldn’t it be different this time?

"Kyaaaang!"

She wasn’t hissed at. She merely got hit with a cat punch.

Perhaps because it was a cat living in the Forest of the Four Seasons, even its cat punch hurt like crazy.

"Ugh... Why me..."

Asella held her hand with a tearful face. Her hand hurt, but her heart hurt even more.

Why was it friendly with Kadir while treating her with utter hostility?

Even though time had passed since then, the cat was still on guard against Asella.

"Is everything done?"

"Yes. Now all that’s left is pulling this thread."

Meanwhile, Selena and Ash stared at the grenade buried in the ground.

Their current location was a place far removed from the summoning circle.

They had even made thorough preparations to test the explosive force.

"Kadir-nim?"

"Yes."

At Selena’s call, Kadir quietly activated magic.

Thereupon, a sturdy protective shield manifested around the buried grenade.

Since it was a shield Kadir had created with full intent, it should easily withstand any ordinary explosion.

Just in case, he deployed shields around the party members as well.

"Now, pulling this thread should do it."

"Just to be safe, let’s fall back a bit further."

Since they didn’t know the bomb’s power, they backed away as far as possible.

Soon, with all preparations complete, Selena took a deep breath and pulled the thread.

Chiiing!

As soon as the thread was pulled, the safety pin was extracted.

According to Grylls’s explanation, a massive explosion would occur 5 seconds later.

’5... 4... 3... 2...’

Finally, it was the moment Selena counted 1 in her mind.

Kugugugugu!

A jet-black spherical entity emerged from the hand grenade.

Seeing that, the party harbored doubts, but that was only brief.

Kwakwakwakwa!

The pitch-black sphere immediately expanded in size and began sucking in everything around it.

That force was so tremendously powerful that it even absorbed the shield created around the grenade.

Moreover, the more it absorbed, the larger its size grew, and the stronger its suction force became.

"E-Everyone, be careful!"

"Khurgh...!"

That impact reached the party members as well. The absolute stroke of luck was that their distance was far.

Had they been just a bit closer, there was a high probability they would have been sucked into that jet-black thing.

Even right now, they were plunging swords into the ground or enduring with magic.

Even with shields deployed, they were straining with all their might just to hold their ground.

Kwakwakwakwa!!!

"Jjaek! Jjaek-jjaek!"

"Kyaaaang!"

The black sphere, having absorbed trees, stones, and living beings indiscriminately for a long while.

However, as if a limit existed, its size gradually shrank.

Tuk-

Finally, the black sphere vanished completely. Once the black sphere disappeared, the hand grenade fell plop! from its center.

The ground where the grenade was buried had formed a deep crater due to the black sphere.

A crater was putting it nicely. The surrounding environment was virtually blown to smithereens.

A mere single hand grenade had spawned terrifying environmental destruction.

"...."

"...."

The party remained speechless for a while at the terrifying might of the grenade.

A mere small object like that produces such power?

Just how powerful were the gods that they carried this around as a ’portable’ item?

"...That is why the gods’ civilization fell into ruin."

Kadir spoke as if he finally understood. No one raised an objection to those words.

When things worse than that were overflowing everywhere, it would be strange if they didn’t perish.

"We should return that to the Forest of the Four Seasons, right?"

"I think keeping at least one would be wise. It could be used in emergencies."

"That thing?"

Selena questioned back with wide eyes. Because it wasn’t Kadir, but Asella who had said it.

Suggesting they keep it even after witnessing that power. No matter how much it was meant for emergencies, its very existence was dangerous.

"As long as it’s kept properly, it’ll be fine. Seeing how it remained intact after being practically abandoned for so long... it will definitely be helpful."

"But..."

"It is a weapon used by the gods. It is effectively equivalent to this Holy Sword, so as a cleric, how could I disregard it?"

At the answer that it was a ’Holy Relic’ on par with the Holy Sword, Selena had no further words to say.

If there was any consolation, was it that the Hero herself would retrieve it directly?

If it were anyone else—especially Kadir—she would have opposed it unconditionally.

"...Very well. Instead, I ask that you manage it thoroughly."

"Thank you."

"What will you call it?"

"Hm..."

Asella pondered briefly before opening her mouth.

"Holy Grenade of Aris?"