I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 508

It was a long time of contempt and humiliation. Gu-chil, an executive remnant of the Blood Cult, had endured a period of bitter suffering among the gorilla pack.

Fortunately, he had found Grylls, but he could instinctively realize it: he and Grylls were fated to be enemies.

What kind of organization was the Blood Cult? Unlike the Demonic Cult, which still had an established line, it was a group that lightly crossed even that boundary.

A group perfectly suited for pursuing self-interest, prioritizing personal emotions, and committing all sorts of crimes.

Yet at the same time, it possessed the ambition to unify the martial world, surprisingly keeping a touch of romanticism alive.

Of course, from the perspective of outsiders, it was nothing more than a nauseating criminal organization. Naturally, the mindset of a criminal differed from that of an ordinary person.

Therefore, Grylls—who was essentially close to a good person—and Gu-chil—a villain—could never mix, no matter how hard they tried.

’But just because he’s a good guy doesn’t mean he isn’t crafty.’

He still remembered it. The swap of that glowing golden liquid.

He had secretly stolen what was called an Elixir in the Western tongue, only for it to turn out to be urine.

Because of that, the recovery of his already fractured arm was delayed, and he had suffered all kinds of humiliations even within the gorilla pack.

A gorilla snicker-grinning from afar was actually preferable. Some gorillas openly mocked him by pretending to have one awkward, dangling arm.

What was worse, the leader gorilla constantly pressured him, threatening to kick him out immediately if he failed to pull his weight.

Thanks to that, he had to stubbornly pick bananas even with a compromised arm. Perhaps it was because the Blood Demon was watching over him from the heavens?

The leader gorilla subtly looked out for him solely because they shared the same martial lineage. For instance, by handing him medicinal herbs that were extraordinarily effective for bone fractures.

Since favoring him openly would surely spark backlash from the pack, this was his own form of consideration.

’Thanks to my arm recovering, I was accepted as a full member instead of just a banana picker.’

Normally, a bone fracture was a severe injury requiring at least three months of bed rest.

However, thanks to various rare herbs of the Forest of the Four Seasons and his training in External Arts, recovery took less than a month.

The External Arts training he conducted outdoors was especially helpful. External Arts was a discipline that drew out the physical potential of the body itself.

This included regenerative power, and because the nature of the Forest of the Four Seasons made the use of Internal Energy impossible, it proved even more effective.

’Even that Internal Energy can be used little by little as time passes.’

Having moved beyond being a banana picker and establishing himself as a proper member, Gu-chil realized something.

That eating almost any random herb in the Forest of the Four Seasons caused his body to grow bit by bit.

Although he occasionally suffered difficulties due to herbs that only gorillas could digest, he endured even those.

The biggest headache was perhaps the insects. The moment he was bitten by a bug, he would groan in pain for at least two days, which was no small ordeal.

In the end, he had no choice but to find grass suitable for repelling insects and slather it all over his body.

’That bastard has the Gallery, so he must have lived a much more comfortable life.’

Unlike Grylls, Gu-chil was experiencing the life of a true wild man.

The gorillas were uncooperative, danger lurked everywhere, and above all, he couldn’t wash, leaving him feeling disgustingly sticky.

At first he endured stoically, but when the stench became too unbearable, he intended to wash in the river.

’I almost died back then.’

And due to those damn things that popped out of the river, he nearly lost his life. Because of that, he had to settle for merely washing his face quickly.

As time passed after that, he was proudly accepted as a member of the pack, and his body grew robust.

Specifically, establishing his place in the hierarchy through his robust body was Gu-chil’s greatest achievement.

Originally, Gu-chil’s martial arts level was something even the leader gorilla acknowledged. On top of that, he had raised his weight class through External Arts.

The natural physical baseline of gorillas was far stronger than humans. Furthermore, this was the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Excluding the leader gorilla, who possessed overwhelming martial prowess, the weight classes of the other gorillas were extraordinary.

Since rare herbs were scattered everywhere, perhaps this was only natural.

What was more, he even felt his strength surging rapidly just from eating bananas.

’However, I have martial arts.’

The techniques refined by fragile humanity to eradicate beasts and monsters.

And the martial arts that evolved over generations to triumph over such people.

Gu-chil was a person who had learned martial arts devised by one who stood at the apex of those martial arts.

With his body recovered and his weight class raised to rival or exceed a gorilla’s, setting the hierarchy was remarkably easy.

In less than three months, he was able to rise to the rank directly beneath the leader gorilla.

’That Great Ape leader... is still tough to deal with.’

Of course, he did not pick a fight with the leader gorilla. The leader gorilla was on a completely different level from the rest.

In fact, the entire pack depended on the leader gorilla. Naturally, the leader’s responsibilities increased accordingly.

Slaughtering beasts that intruded upon their territory was standard. Just this alone offered a glimpse into the leader gorilla’s capabilities.

Seeing them die to a single open-palm strike, even Gu-chil kept his mouth firmly shut.

’Even if I could use Internal Energy, could I defeat that guy?’

It was a display of power capable of humbling even his arrogant disposition.

Therefore, Gu-chil decided not to try defeating the leader gorilla, but to earn his confidence instead.

The process of gaining confidence was quite simple. All he had to do was teach martial arts to the gorillas.

He taught the leader gorilla’s child with particular passion. Only then could he transcend mere confidence and secure complete trust.

It was a desperate effort to survive in the wild, as well as a tactical retreat to plan for the future.

’I’ve grown a lot too. At this level...!’

Thus time flowed, and Gu-chil’s External Arts grew to a perceptibly formidable degree.

Before, even a playful tap from the gorillas had made him squirm in agony, but now it merely tickled.

Now, fighting gorillas in earnest posed no issue. Even if hit in a vital spot and feeling intense pain, he recovered rapidly.

’The Forest of the Four Seasons isn’t such a big deal after all, huh? All I need to do is close my eyes and endure.’New chapters come out on NovelPing first.

When the body grows comfortable, the mind relaxes. Gu-chil felt a sense of ease for the first time in a while.

However, that leisure did not last long. It was because of a monster that suddenly intruded upon their territory.

"What is this guy again? A Lesser Demon?"

"Leader caught him."

A Lesser Demon, which is to say a goblin, had been caught wandering around the territory.

It was draped in some strange hide, and the performance of this hide was astonishing.

Because simply draping it over oneself made the entire body invisible.

If this goblin hadn’t made a mistake, they wouldn’t even have realized they were being spied on.

"Kekerk! Kraka! Kaw!"

"...What is he saying?"

"Don’t know."

It seemed to be speaking its own unique language, but he had no idea what it meant.

In the end, this issue had to be discussed with the leader gorilla, Wiheuk.

Wiheuk handled it calmly, as if this wasn’t his first time encountering such a situation.

"There is a village near here where Lesser Demons live."

"Lesser Demons have a village? Is that even possible...?"

It was possible. Because this was the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Right in front of his eyes stood a gorilla that spoke human tongue and even unleashed human martial arts.

No matter what happened, brushing it off with "Because it’s the Forest of the Four Seasons~" was healthier for one’s sanity.

"Normally, we ignored the Lesser Demons. But sending a scout is unusual."

"So what are you going to do?"

"We wait. Word will reach the Lesser Demons as well. They will come to negotiate."

"...."

Every time he looked at him, he felt it. Contrary to his appearance, this Great Ape possessed an exceptionally brilliant mind.

Understanding the concept of negotiation, as well as thoroughly weighing pros and cons.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him a human wearing the skin of a gorilla.

’Even so, he’s just a gorilla.’

However, Gu-chil refused to acknowledge it. A Forest of the Four Seasons gorilla was ultimately still just a gorilla.

Surely an opening would present itself someday. The moment an opening showed would be his opportunity.

’If only I could use Internal Energy...’

He had steadily developed his External Arts, but it was truly frustrating that Internal Energy remained unusable.

He could use it to a very faint degree, but it was literally just that—faint.

He became intensely curious as to how Grylls managed to utilize Internal Energy.

’No matter how I think about it, that guy just has incredible luck.’

A being who could smoothly utilize not only the Gallery but also Internal Energy.

Even for the Forest of the Four Seasons, he was extraordinarily anomalous. Gu-chil had a reasonable suspicion: had Grylls actually been born and raised in this forest from the beginning?

Gu-chil harbored jealousy toward Grylls for a moment, but soon faced a party of Lesser Demons. Upon seeing them, Gu-chil could not help but be shocked.

’Those are mutants, aren’t they? And there are that many of them?’

The goblin caught scouting was also a hobgoblin—that is, a mutant.

Hobgoblins possessed overall abilities superior to ordinary goblins.

Furthermore, being mutants, their numbers were supposed to be severely lacking. Yet there were so many of them.

That wasn’t all. Every single one of these hobgoblins wielded Internal Energy.

Having been cooped up exclusively within the gorilla pack, Gu-chil had no choice but to be dumbfounded.

’What on earth is wrong with this forest? Mere Lesser Demons wielding Internal Energy?’

While Gu-chil’s mind dazed off momentarily, Wiheuk engaged in conversation with the hobgoblin group.

Surprisingly, Wiheuk had learned their language through the hobgoblin captured while scouting.

Just as he was being shocked by this once more, Wiheuk spoke to Gu-chil.

"It seems the pack next door has formed an alliance with the Lesser Demons."

"The pack next door?"

"A pack of humans like you."

"...."

It felt as though common sense wasn’t merely collapsing, but shattering into pieces over his head.

The hobgoblin pack and Grylls’s group had formed an alliance.

This alone was absurd enough, but he quickly snapped back to his senses.

"Are you saying they will pose a threat to us?"

"I do not know. We must observe to find out. But it will not be easy."

Wiheuk said so as he mentioned a being called ’Bbareumbo.’

It looked like a sloth, but in reality, it was a being powerful enough to be compared to Wiheuk.

Right now, Wiheuk—who had continuously trained in martial arts—possessed superior skill.

However, Grylls, who was together with Bbareumbo, was the problem.

"That human’s growth speed is terrifying. It is said he endured even when Hunters invaded repeatedly."

"That’s just because of his tools, so you don’t need to worry about it."

Gu-chil concluded firmly. Surely he had received assistance from the Gallery.Read this novel at novelping(.)com for the best experience.

Even Gu-chil himself would have relied on it if he possessed the Gallery.

"If he becomes a threat later, we can deal with him then. Isn’t that right?"

"I am the leader of this pack. I cannot decide recklessly."

"What if that group becomes a threat? Didn’t you say there’s a guy who looks down on you? What if he slyly tempts them?"

"...."

Perhaps due to the existence of Bbareumbo, Wiheuk did not completely brush off Gu-chil’s warning.

However, that did not mean he could act rashly. Wiheuk decided to let this matter pass for now.

Gu-chil didn’t particularly want war either. He merely wished for this pack to be weakened.

If he subtly dug his claws in when Wiheuk grew weak in the future, he could gain immense profit.

"Since you have also grown strong, follow the pack."

"Where are those guys going again?"

"They are going to the arena. Many things can be obtained there."

Then one day, Wiheuk gave instructions to Gu-chil.

Though he had plenty of complaints, he couldn’t talk back given the hierarchy, so he silently followed along.

Thus, they arrived at a certain cave. At the entrance stood a strange-looking animal.

"...Isn’t that a Great Leaping Beast?"

A kangaroo was standing right there. What was even more ridiculous was that the kangaroo collected an admission fee.

Gu-chil had also visited arenas back when he lived in the outside world. Illegal underground arenas, at that.

Though flustered, it felt strangely familiar, so he entered without any friction. And then.

"Puooooh!"

"Puo! Puooo!"

"O Blood Demon-isiyeo."

Faced with the brave new world unfolding inside, he called out to the ascended Blood Demon.

Even when he rubbed his eyes, kangaroos were showing off various techniques and fighting each other.

’So this is the place that bastard Grylls showed before.’

Only then did he realize late that this was the place Grylls had shown.

Thanks to that, he was able to participate in the arena without any issues.

Encountering animals other than gorillas felt a bit strange and fascinating.

’Those medicinal herbs... look extremely rare.’

He realized why Wiheuk had told them to visit this place.

Though bears were terrifying, the External Arts he had trained all this time should be sufficient. Or so he thought.

"...Huh?"

"Ah."

Until, purely by coincidence, even Grylls arrived at this place.

The moment Gu-chil saw Grylls looking sleek and well-groomed—unlike his own filthy, unkempt self—his face crumpled in disgust.

’Judging by his look, he’s been living in total luxury and peace.’

While one person struggled just to wash, the other had the luxury of maintaining personal hygiene. It was mind-bogglingly ridiculous.

Perhaps because of this, Gu-chil became drunk on a strange sense of victory.

Grylls lived with enough leisure to care about hygiene. This meant he hadn’t felt any petty threats whatsoever.

On the other hand, Gu-chil felt threatened by even a single bug, leaving him no room to take care of his own body. This was a massive difference.

’What a frog in a well. I hope he gets struck dead by a bear’s paw while he’s at it.’

Gu-chil was convinced. Before long, Grylls would get hit by a bear’s front paw and die.

It wasn’t even an ordinary bear. It was a bear from the Forest of the Four Seasons, raised on all sorts of medicinal herbs and honey.

A bear’s front paw swipe was close to a full ton of force. Being a bear born and raised in the Forest of the Four Seasons, it had to be far stronger.

Peok!

And just as expected, the situation unfolded. Grylls failed to anticipate the bear’s agility and took a direct hit from its front paw.

If it had been a normal person, far from just flying away, their face and body would have been severed.

Biteul—

However, Grylls was not normal. He merely stumbled slightly and that was it.

Just as Gu-chil questioned what on earth he was witnessing—

Peok!

Grylls’s fist slammed square into the bear’s jaw.

If it had been an ordinary person’s fist, it wouldn’t even have tickled.

However, Grylls had long since transcended the realm of ordinary humans.

Teorseok!

One strike. A single strike.

Even if the jaw was a vital spot, it was a human fist, yet the bear collapsed in a single punch.

Considering the bear’s weight class, it was unbelievable even when seeing it with one’s own eyes.

’...What am I looking at?’

Witnessing that scene, Gu-chil had no choice but to fall into denial.

’Did some beast possess that guy’s body?’