I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 499

While recovering my body, I talked with Vanir.

Mostly about how things had been going, whether anything had happened in the meantime, and so forth.

I told her everything that had transpired without leaving out a detail. However, being human, some of my memories were a bit hazy.

"I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you hand me that diary over there? I recorded some things in it."

So I asked her to fetch the diary. Except for when I was unconscious, I had meticulously kept my daily entries.

Vanir granted my request and brought the diary over. However, she didn’t hand it over right away.

This person—no, dragon—flipped my diary wide open, as if the concept of privacy didn’t even exist to her.

Even though it was more of a record-keeping log, it still contained my personal thoughts, so I was quite flustered.

"W-What are you doing? Can you even read Hangeul?"

-I just opened it out of curiosity.

"It’s embarrassing, so please give it here."

Vanir tilted her head while looking at the diary before handing it over to me.

I then retraced my memories while going through the diary.

Looking at it like this really made me realize just how long I had survived in this place.

’Come to think of it, Vanir fell asleep a hundred days ago, right?’

It meant I had survived for more than a hundred days in this literal hellhole.

If I included the days I was unconscious, it would be much longer than that. Deeply moving, really.

Of course, I still hadn’t found a way to escape. But I could figure that out slowly over time.

-A giant made of all sorts of flesh, you say. I have seen that abomination before.

"You’ve seen it?"

-It was acting cheeky, so I unleashed a few Breaths on it, and it dissolved instantly.

"...."

As expected, messing with a dragon never ends well. Afterwards, I brought up a topic that Vanir might find interesting.

For example, the Artificial Sun located in the neighboring area. When I explained the Artificial Sun, Vanir marveled in awe.

-To create even a sun by their own hands. It is hard to believe unless I see it with my own eyes.

"It’s right next door, you didn’t check it out?"

-Is there any need to go? In a place where it is difficult enough to mind my own business as it is.

"Fair enough."

It was weird for someone like me to wander around everywhere; Vanir was the normal one.

Unless it was a special case like the Hunters, creatures generally preferred not to leave their own territory.

Since Vanir had her own realm as well, she wouldn’t step outside unless necessary.

’Besides, with Tyranno around, she has no reason to leave.’

Tyranno had also wandered around before setting foot in our Shelter in the beginning.

And then Vanir found her within a single day, forging this connection. Life sure is unpredictable.

"Kyuuu! Kyuu!"

"Bbi-eek! Bbi-eek!"

After chatting with Vanir all day, before I knew it, the morning sun had risen.

As soon as the sun rose, my companions woke up one by one. The kids were no exception.

The moment the young ones saw that I was awake, they showered me with affection in their own ways.

"Alright, alright. I’m sorry for worrying you."

-They seem to like you more than their own mother.

Vanir spoke with a disappointed voice from the side, but I quietly ignored her.

Intervening recklessly might hurt a mother’s feelings even further.

While everyone expressed their joy like this, there was one companion who couldn’t.

"Lackey."

"...."

It was Lackey. The moment Lackey saw me awake, his face brightened, but only for a second—he couldn’t meet my eyes.

How should I put it? He was walking on eggshells out of guilt. I had a rough idea why.

It was probably because he felt he had abandoned me in the final moment. But I could understand.

If he hadn’t left me behind back then, all of us might have ended up dead together.

Lackey had done the absolute best he could, and beyond that, it was my direct order.

Through my command, I was the only one injured while everyone survived, so there was no better outcome than this.

"Why are you so slumping like that? Cheer up."

"Still...."

Chalsaak!

As Lackey kept walking on eggshells, someone who couldn’t stand watching any longer stepped up. It was Bbareumbo.

Bbareumbo lightly slapped the timid Lackey on the cheek. As if telling him it wasn’t his fault.

Thanks to that, perhaps? Lackey was stunned at first, then broke into a foolish, embarrassed grin.

"In that light, I shall wash you myself, Master."

"Get lost."Read this novel at nоvelping.com for the best experience.

"Darn it."

I could endure other things, but I’d rather wash myself than be bathed by someone else.

Besides, that gorilla would definitely scrub me painfully hard. Did he think I’d fall for that?

Anyway, after all my companions woke up, we returned to our usual daily routine.

Even though a new guest, Vanir, was included, she was a savior, so we treated her with special care.

-This must be the only place that treats me as a guest.

"What about other places?"

-They tremble and bow their heads.

"...."

-Just a joke.

It didn’t sound like a joke. Considering the majesty of a dragon, bowing one’s head would be the normal response.

I mean, didn’t I also try my best to appease Vanir at first so as not to upset her?

Fortunately, since Tyranno was friendly toward me and my companions, we were able to treat her as a guest.

"Master. The water is boiling."

"Put the Elixir and herbs in there."

My body wasn’t fully recovered yet. Though my regeneration was strong, my torn muscles hadn’t completely reattached.

That’s why I prepared bathwater mixed with Elixir and medicinal herbs. I’m glad I saved some Elixirs.

While the entire bathwater wasn’t pure Elixir like last time, it would be more than enough to heal my torn muscles.

"By the way, Vanir-nim, what are you going to do now? Are you staying here continuously?"

I asked while soaked in the tub. What would Vanir do moving forward?

Last time, she fell asleep for a hundred days after fighting an intruder who invaded her dragon lair.

Now that a hundred days had passed since then, I became curious about what Vanir planned to do.

-Now that I am fine, I should take my child back first. It is dangerous here.

The expected words came out. The return of Tyranno.

Even if Tyranno was a hatchling, the fact remained that she was a youngling who needed protection.

The Shelter had the capacity to protect Tyranno, but the problem was exploration.

Every time we explored, we encountered dragon-tier dangers.

I would step up every time, but I realized through this recent incident:

If Vanir hadn’t stepped in, I would have died without a doubt.

Since one wrong step could lead to the annihilation of the entire group, I nodded in agreement.

’Our insurance didn’t work either. Similar situations will happen often in the future.’

Lackey and Cheongseol’s teleportation didn’t work. Incidents like this will only happen more often, never less.

In the end, though it was a pity, returning Tyranno to Vanir’s embrace was the best choice.

We had grown attached and even named her, but it couldn’t be helped for her safety.

"Bbi-eee-eek! Bbi-eek!"

However, had she been listening to our conversation? Tyranno flapped her wings and stubbornly refused.

Her reaction seemed to scream that she didn’t want to be taken away by her mother, that she wanted to stay here.

They say no parent can win against their child, but Tyranno was still young. Before reaching adulthood, everything in the world was a threat.

Furthermore, this was the Forest of the Four Seasons, packed with monsters everywhere that would happily devour a hatchling or anything else.

-No. I cannot yield on this matter, child.

"Bbi-eek! Bbi-eek!"

-Child. If you stay here, you will only bring harm to these beings.

"Bbi-eek! Bbi-eek! Bbik!"

Vanir was trying to reason with her gently in her own way. But at some point, her expression turned stern.

Then she whipped her head around and glared at me! For some reason, I felt anxious.

-Let me ask one thing. Have you ever fought alongside my daughter?

"Uh... plenty of times? Recently, when conquering the Ant Castle, I used your daughter’s Breath."

-Haa....

When I answered truthfully, Vanir let out a deep sigh. She even covered her face with her hand.

Just as I rolled my eyes nervously, wondering if I had done something wrong.

Vanir set Tyranno aside, saying she needed to speak with me for a moment.

Coincidentally, Tyranno also needed to eat breakfast, so she complied obediently.

-I thought she must have gone through quite a bit while I was recovering... but it seems she experienced an even wider variety of things.

"Yes. Well... is there a problem?"

-I believe I mentioned it to you before. The reason why my ancestors and I mastered Polymorph.

I had heard about it. Dragons learned Polymorph to enjoy ’amusements’ that sound straight out of fantasy novels.

Vanir could also transform into human form instead of having a reptile head. She just kept it like that out of sheer laziness.

’Since she said it’s like sculpting stitch by stitch... it’s basically character customization.’

Anyway, even dragons who reigned as the absolute strongest enjoyed all sorts of entertainment purely for fun.

Though that became ancient history once old humanity invaded, moving on.

"I heard. Is there any problem with that?"

-I heard that occasionally, some of our kind cannot forget that fun and addictiveness, spending half their lives living like humans. A sort of addiction, really.Find the original chapter at novelp‌ing.com.

"...."

-My child is currently displaying similar symptoms. She seems to have become addicted to the thrill of adventure.

"Oh."

I let out an exclamation despite myself. I roughly understood what she meant.

Even I had experienced a similar feeling. Every time I fought, adrenaline surged to the absolute extreme.

And the sense of accomplishment after battle needed no explanation. Dopamine was literally flooding out.

There’s a reason battle maniacs exist in real life too. If someone got addicted to that, they’d cause massive societal chaos.

"So... does your daughter have a strong adventurous streak?"

-I only just found out myself, so I do not know. Whether she became like this while staying with you, or if it is her natural disposition.

As a parent, it was a deeply troubling matter. It was directly tied to her life, after all.

That made me even more firm in my resolution. Tyranno definitely needed to be under Vanir’s protection.

If she was going to go on adventures, it was better to do it with Vanir; going with me was far too dangerous.

"Can’t Vanir-nim go on adventures together with her?"

-If it were you, would you want to take your child on a dangerous journey?

"No."

Instantly shut down. Certainly, from a parent’s perspective, keeping the child safe is better.

Because if something went wrong and the child passed away, their heart would break into pieces.

In the end, I decided to leave Tyranno’s fate up to Vanir. More importantly, there was something else to do.

Title) Survival Report

Wild Grylls

(Photo of soaking in warm bathwater)

(Photo of Vanir arguing with Tyranno)

It’s Grylls, resurrected after thinking I was a goner.

Thought I was dead for real this time, but I managed to survive against all odds. Survived thanks to that dragon over there.

ㄴHeavenly Demon) You have finally posted. But is your waist fine? I heard a snapping sound earlier.

ㄴWild Grylls) Huh? How did you know my waist broke?

ㄴHeavenly Demon) You seem unaware. There was a video uploaded right before you passed out.

As soon as I heard Heavenly Demon’s words, I checked my post history.

There really was a titleless post uploaded. Complete with an attached video.

I had no idea how that happened, but I probably started recording and forgot to turn it off.

ㄴWild Grylls) Just checked now. My limbs and waist bones broke, but I’m fine now.

ㄴHeavenly Demon) Bones are difficult areas to heal. Astounding recovery power indeed.

ㄴSword Matstar) It would have been troublesome if your waist broke, so what a relief ^^

ㄴWild Grylls) Why would it be troublesome?

ㄴSword Matstar) For a man, the waist is the most important part, isn’t it? Honestly, you agree, right?

ㄴHeavenly Demon) I agree as well.

ㄴHow on earth are these two agreeing for once lolol

ㄴTruly a rare sight lolol

ㄴLook at these two who fight every day acting so harmonious? lolol

ㄴIsn’t it strange? Both of them worrying about Grylls’s waist?

ㄴNah. As if they’re worrying about that kind of meaning, are you crazy lol

ㄴThis is the Gallery. Weird things happen all the time, better to just accept it as normal

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) Glad you recovered! But why are Tyranno and that dragon fighting?

ㄴWild Grylls) Tyranno is throwing a massive tantrum refusing to go back. Still have to send her home though.

ㄴNo way. Don’t send away our next Gallery Master.

ㄴHurry up, fight and bring Tyranno back.

ㄴWild Grylls) Are you insane;;

Fight Vanir and win? What kind of lunatic is this guy?

I let out a dry laugh, then turned my head back to watch the battle between mother and daughter.

And....

"Bbi-eee-eee-eng!!!"

Unable to endure Vanir’s strict reprimand, Tyranno flapped her wings and rushed straight toward me.

She stuck right onto my face, even pointing her little claw accusatorily at her mother.

She was throwing a fit, begging me to do something.

"...What is she saying?"

-She says she will run away from home if I take her. Haa....

"...."

Raising a child sure is tough.