I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 447

I tend to dream every time I faint. So I could realize right away that I was dreaming now as well.

Dreams that replayed my past like a revolving lantern. Recalling those dreams, I always harbored a desire to return.

However, things were a bit different this time. Was it because I realized this world was actually the future?

Or was it that everything I had experienced until moments ago was all just a dream?

"Kkoorooroorook...! Kkooroorook?!"

When I barely regained consciousness, I was flailing in ice-cold water.

Though feeling a mix of fluster and absurdity, my body moved instinctively.

Usually, falling into water causes one to sink, but miraculously, my body floated on its own.

It didn’t take long to realize the reason was the life vest strapped around my body.

Of course, realization aside, my head was still absolute chaos. Why on earth was I in such a state?

"Pua!"

Before long, I broke my head out of the water. Soon, what caught my sight was a huge boat.

Beside the boat, men with shaven heads were thrashing around in the water.

Just seeing this was dizzying enough, but there was something that made me even more bewildered.

’...Black people? There are white people too?’

Various ethnicities were thrashing in the sea. Among them, I was the only Asian in sight.

I had no idea what was going on, but my body moved on autopilot. Because a massive wave swept both me and the boat away.

After that, I naturally washed up on the beach. Barely picking up my drenched body, I looked forward.

"$%%$$%!"

A stern-looking foreign instructor shouted something. Naturally, it was in English.

Roughly translating his English, it meant: "Return quickly and complete the mission!"

Yet even before hearing that shout, my body was already turning around to secure the boat.

"Get a grip! We haven’t reached the objective yet! Secure it fast!"

Stiff yet surprisingly fluent English poured out of my mouth. When did I ever learn English?

I had turned my back on studying after my parents passed away, so it was beyond strange.

In the first place, I questioned whether this situation was even a dream. But one thing was certain:

Confusing as it was, duty called.

"Fxck..."

"Get on the boat instead of swearing, you bastards!"

I clapped my hands while urging on my lagging squadmates. Struggling at my encouragement, the personnel boarded the boat one by one.

However, just one guy couldn’t pull himself together. Seeing him out of it, he looked to be on the verge of becoming a corpse.

If time dragged like this, only harsh scolding would await us. Before the instructor’s shout dropped, I dragged the half-dead squadmate along.

"Just hang in there! Did you hear me? Just hang on!"

"Eoeueo..."

"Are you giving them a baptism or what! Get in there double time!"

While time ticked away, the instructor’s shout rained down. There was no time.

And so, my squad and I dragged the damnably heavy, massive boat into the ocean waves.

High, rough waves crashed over us, nearly capsizing the boat, but we barely managed to reach the objective.

Now all that remained was riding the power of the waves back to shore. Even the half-corpse teammate managed to hold on.

"You guys are last! Move it!"

Of course, completing the objective didn’t mean work was done. Carrying the boat on our shoulders still remained.

Still, it was infinitely better than flailing around in the crashing waves.

’...Why am I doing this?’

The thought suddenly hit me. But it didn’t last long either.

Because my vision suddenly felt like it was spinning, and an entirely different scene unfolded.

Just a moment ago I was carrying a boat on my shoulders, but now I was underwater again.

The difference was that the staggering squadmates were nowhere to be seen, and I was all alone.

Wearing goggles suited for scuba diving, I was swimming through the vast open ocean.

"#%%%#!"

A familiar yell rang in my ears. That yell shattered my focus completely.

Wondering what was going on, I turned my head to see the instructor shouting something from atop a boat.

Naturally, he wasn’t Korean, but a foreigner. Talking in English to boot.

"Huh?!"

"I said you’re heading in the wrong direction!"

"...?"

Only then did I turn my head to check my compass bearings. Just as he said, I was completely off course.

I had strayed far from the target location the instructor had designated... but it was fine. I immediately swam forward.

Just as I reached the destination and prepared to return under the instructor’s guidance...

Swaaaa! Swaaaa!

"...Huh?"

Not only had it turned pitch-black night in an instant, but I felt waves slapping against my head.

In addition, there were people interlocking arms with me. Everything seemed to zip past in a blur.

"Wake up!"

"Wake up!"

At the order to wake up, I yelled reflexively and bolted upright.

The problem was that in my haste to jump up alone, I stumbled.

The people beside me hadn’t gotten up. There was only one thing for me to do here.

"Get up!"

Forcing them to stand. They were practically dragged up.

Did the instructors find it absurd too? They yelled in sarcastic tones.

"Look at these terrible followers relying on their Pastor! Get your asses up right now!"

Well... after that, various training exercises followed.

Moving while keeping my head completely empty allowed me to execute everything without trouble.

"Use your damn brains! Stop relying only on that fucking body of yours!"

I got chewed out heavily midway, but let it slide. Since I aced the training, everyone overlooked it.

Anyway, as the scenes shifted in real time, keeping my senses straight was tough, but breaks did exist.

Namely, sweet meal times. Constantly grinding through grueling work left me perpetually starved.

Though the training was hellish, the food was ridiculously good.

"Hey. Park."

"?"

It was while I was shoveling food into my mouth as fast as I could. Someone called out to me.

I was the only person here with the surname Park. In fact, I was the sole Asian.

Anyhow, turning my head, a Black man characterized by thick lips caught my sight.

He was staring at me like I was some peculiar creature. I answered with a puzzled voice.

"What?"Follow the newest chapters on novelping(.)com.

"Ain’t you tired?"

"Of course I am."

"No. That ain’t what I mean..."

"Forget it. What do you expect from a pastor? Devout bastards are always tough as nails."

A cynical voice came from another side. This time, a white guy.

His eye sockets were so deep that it was hard to even make out his eye color.

"Anyway, I’m curious. Are there a lot of guys like you in your unit?"

"Probably not? I came here for training on recommendation too."

"Right? Imagine if there were more bastards like you—horrifying."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Of course it’s a compliment, what else would it be?"

I shrugged at his sarcastic compliment. More than that, food was what mattered right now.

Once that sweet mealtime ended, I assumed another training session would follow.

"I’m sleeping first."

"Yeah."

It wasn’t. Following the meal was bedtime.

Granted, it wasn’t official lights-out yet. Everyone was falling asleep early because fatigue had piled up from the brutal training.

I said goodnight to my teammates turning in one by one. Then, one fellow trainee asked me:

"Aren’t you sleepy? You’re still reading that boring thing?"

At my peer’s question, I turned my head. I was sitting at a desk.

A slightly yellowed book rested atop the desk. And the verse that entered my eyes read:

[Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.]

It was a passage I had heard somewhere. I reminisced deeply.

The pastor who supported me after my parents passed away. It was his favorite verse.

’Why am I reading this?’

Originally, I was far removed from the Bible—no, from religion altogether.

Didn’t I hate God because I didn’t want to hate people?

Yet why was ’the current me’ reading the Bible?

Even looking at the slightly discolored pages, it seemed I had carried it around for quite a long time.

"Because I’ve got nothing else to do?"

"Ugh. Tough, so damn tough. Get some sleep already, Pastor."

I gave a smirk at my squadmate’s teasing, then quietly closed the Bible.

It was getting close to lights-out anyway, and I didn’t want to disturb the others’ sleep.

Thus passed a grueling day—no, a night where I couldn’t even tell how many days had slipped by.

When I opened my eyes again, vomit-inducing training would begin, right? So I thought.

[#$%%$%!]

[%%^^%@#!]

[$%%%^$!]

Contrary to my expectation, it flashed past like a revolving lantern. All kinds of punishing drills sped by in a blur.

Yet strangely, those memories etched themselves one after another into my mind.

Were these memories actually experiences I had lived through? Or were they merely imagination?

’No. What the hell am I doing in the first place?’

I almost forgot because I was dreaming.

I clearly collapsed after protecting the Flame Horse family, so why on earth was this scene unfolding?

If everything I’m undergoing right now is just a dream or a life flashing before my eyes, am I really dead?

Just as I was still confused by the current situation, the perspective suddenly shifted.

Ddok-ddok-ddok-

"Candidate 231 reporting."

"Come in."

A voice granting permission came from inside along with a knock. I carefully opened the door.

Upon opening the door, a drill instructor with sharp eyes was waiting for me.

As I stood at attention, the instructor returned a crisp salute.

"Have a seat here."

The instructor’s tone was infinitely polite. Was this really the same guy who yelled so furiously during drills?

Well, maybe it was because I’d be returning to my original unit soon.

Since what I received was basic qualification training. And that course had ended two days ago.

Apparently, that’s how cross-branch training works. I just took it on recommendation, so I didn’t really know.

"Is there anything you’d like to drink?"

"I’m fine, sir."

At my refusal, the instructor poured me a glass of water anyway. I took a sip to wet my throat.

As I thought earlier, it was probably just to encourage me to do well going forward.

"First off, I commend you on completing the basic training. I’ve instructed countless candidates so far, but your case is the most peculiar I’ve ever seen."

"...Pardon me?"

I couldn’t tell if that was praise or an insult. Or maybe my English was lacking.

However, the instructor nodded as if confirming I had heard right, then spoke.

"Candidates who endure pain well. Candidates who push through on sheer grit. Candidates with extraordinary physical specs. Truly countless trainees have passed through this course."

"..."

"However, there was never anyone like you who shouldered the tasks of other candidates. Ah, I don’t mean to talk down on the others. It just shows how unusual you are. Everyone else focuses solely on their own tasks."

I scratched my head. It sounded almost like he was saying I carried the log all by myself.

Of course, I literally did carry logs, but I meant it metaphorically.

Did my reaction seem foolish to him? The instructor let out a dry chuckle and said:

"It seems you still don’t grasp what I’m saying. You are the top graduate."

"What?"

"I said valedictorian, Candidate."

"Oh."

I marvelled despite myself. Top of the class in a place teeming with absolute monster candidates.

Now I had one more thing to flex when I returned to my home unit.

"Thus, I have a proposal for you. This proposal has been discussed between our command and your unit."

"A proposal?"

"Originally, you were only scheduled to take basic qualification. That is the purpose of cross-branch training."

I nodded. It was the reason I, hailing from the Republic of Korea, came all the way to the distant United States.

I had planned to eat a steaming bowl of hot soup rice right after returning.

"I am giving you the opportunity to take the advanced training."Follow the newest chapters on novelping . com.

"..."

"The choice is entirely yours. But it would be a shame for a talent like you to just head back like this."

"Have there been candidates like me before?"

"Not zero."

Not zero. Meaning the probability was exceedingly slim.

"Though even then, none quite reached your level."

"..."

"There is another reason we took notice of you. Namely, your mission execution capability."

"Execution capability?"

"You carried out every single mission using various means. Not through cheap tricks, but through pure adaptability."

I remembered a few instances. Training designed to prepare for unexpected variables.

Many candidates panicked during those drills, frequently getting points docked.

I was no different. I simply found a way no matter what, forcefully piecing things together.

"It was to the point I felt regret that it wasn’t actual combat."

"Uh... thank you for the compliment."

"So I ask again. Will you take the training?"

They say praise can make even a whale dance.

I contemplated the instructor’s temptation, but only for a moment.

"Yes. I’ll take it."

"Good. Then sign right here..."

Unable to hide his joy, the instructor beamed with a wide grin and handed over a document.

I signed that authorization form with a cheerful face, and...

"Move it, you slugs! My grandma moves faster than you!"

"Ah. Fxk."

The instant training began, I kicked myself in regret.

"Don’t swear in your own language! I understand everything now!"

"..."

"Move your feet instead of cursing, Holy Boy!"

And so, after braving another round of hell, I returned to my original unit.

"Guys. I’ve got bad news."

"What is it?"

It hadn’t been long since I returned.

"We might have to write our last wills soon."

"...Pardon?"

I was confronted with the worst news possible.

"..."

It felt like I had experienced a long dream. The subjective passage of time was entirely different compared to before.

Because whereas previous dreams spanned days, this one felt like months.

Yet there was a common thread: upon waking up, that dream felt like a mere split second.

Also, my immediate instinct was to figure out where I was.

’This place is...’

I blinked and looked around. Only my head could barely turn.

It was a pitch-dark environment, and the sensation felt by my body was extremely familiar.

Having just thrashed in water even in my dream, it would be strange not to recognize it.

’It’s comfortable...’

The difference was that it felt comfortable, and cozy too.

Furthermore, even though I was submerged in liquid, I wasn’t out of breath. It was serene beyond measure.

However, I couldn’t just lie here idle. I quickly racked my brain.

’I’m certain I...’

Took a direct hit from the fire tsunami while trying to protect the Flame Horse family.

I wrapped myself in Body-Protecting Gangqi and managed to hold it off somehow, but...

’My body. What about my body?’

As that thought struck me, I involuntarily moved my arm.

Kkwaang!

However, as it was a cramped space, my elbow slammed into something.

The recoil threw off my balance, and I ultimately tumbled onto the ground.

Chwaaak!

A massive surge of water poured out as I collapsed onto the floor. My body naturally tumbled out as well.

"Kueok!"

I didn’t know what on earth had happened, but one thing was undeniably clear:

I had been stuffed inside a container of sorts, and that tub tipped over, causing me to crash down pathetically.

Though dizzy from the impact of the fall, I quickly collected my senses. The immediate task was assessing my surroundings.

’It’s dark. What is this?’

My surroundings were pitch-black. I tightly shut my eyes and opened them again.

Checking my physical condition was secondary; I needed to figure out what was happening first...

Seueuk-

"Eueok?!"

"..."

Even before I could finish assessing the situation, someone rapidly approached.

I was startled because they emerged out of the dark, but soon realized their identity.

"B-Bbareumbo?"

It was Bbareumbo. Bbareumbo had come right up to my face.

Just as I panicked at this, Bbareumbo reached his hand out forward.

Tok-

Out of nowhere, he rested his hand on my head. It was an incomprehensible action.

However, that confusion didn’t last long. Because...

Teorseok-

As if having exhausted all his strength, Bbareumbo collapsed onto the ground.

"...Bbareumbo?"

I quietly called out his name, and...

"Hey! Wake up! Hey!"

Without even properly checking my own body condition, I checked on Bbareumbo’s well-being first.