I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 544

Alpha’s testimony that over 90% of humanity had perished from mana poisoning.

It wasn’t a claim that was easy to believe, but summarizing the situation so far, one had no choice but to accept it.

Humanity does not go extinct merely from war. Even if it were a nuclear war.

However, what has threatened humanity the most since ancient times was neither war, nor plague, nor famine, but ’curiosity’.

Being creatures of curiosity, they achieved boundless development, but they also brought about terrible disasters.

’Besides, mana is close to being another face of radiation in a way.’

There is a topic covered in countless media: that radiation caused genetic mutations and created a new humanity.

That humanity displayed abilities worthy of being called superhumans—defeating bears with their bare hands, leaping tens of meters high, and so on.

They showed power that left nothing to be desired in calling them superhumans, and mana wasn’t much different.

The only difference was whether it was used as energy or if they were inherently born strong.

Perhaps humanity only saw the good side of mana at first. Especially the fact that it was an ’energy resource’ was a massive factor.

No matter how great eco-friendly energy was, in front of petroleum, coal, nuclear power... it was meaningless.

Therefore, it was highly likely that everyone jumped in to incorporate mana energy while ignoring the side effects.

’They probably didn’t ignore it; they just didn’t know.’

Mercury was once praised as a miracle substance. It is famous that Emperor Qin Shi Huang drank it coolly for eternal youth and died on the spot.

Not only that, people even applied it to their faces and teeth for beauty. It took many long years to realize it was poison.

Mana couldn’t have been any different. It must have been a case of blindly believing in modern science and suffering the consequences later.

The problem, as mentioned earlier, is that unlike mercury, mana was a massive energy resource.

’What if mana was used instead of electricity? Alex said it before too—that the mana civilization came after the electric civilization.’

A grand catastrophe likely occurred only after mana had permeated everyday life.

Even in an era of extremely advanced AI, without the information itself, even AI would have been meaningless.

It’s just... humanity was utterly ignorant before nature, and that ignorance simply brought about such results.

[You seem lost in thought.]

"Yes. Well... I feel a bit heavy-hearted."

[You don’t seem overly surprised, though.]

"I’ve always had my doubts."

For human civilization itself—not just a country—to reach the brink of destruction, only a plague could do it.

You can guess this from how the Black Plague, considered the world’s worst epidemic, halved Europe’s population.

However, one could build immunity to the Black Plague, whereas mana was at the level of radiation, so unless one ’evolved’, there would have been no answer.

ㄴAllfather) It’s like a textbook example of survival of the fittest. It seems beasts weren’t the only ones weeded out for failing to adapt to their environment.

ㄴStarlight Lady) He’s already distressed, do you really have to do that kind of analysis? --

ㄴAllfather) I merely wished to clear up his doubts even a little.

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) Don’t fight! Right now it’s better to just watch!

ㄴHeavenly Demon) I wondered why such a bizarre religion existed, so this was the reason.

ㄴSword Matstar) Manatology? Honestly, doesn’t seem much different from the Demonic Cult?

ㄴHeavenly Demon) What did you just say? Comparing us to such a pseudo-cult leaves me utterly flabbergasted.

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) I told you not to fight!

Asella’s desperate attempt to smooth things over felt... like she was trying her hardest to comfort me.

Her anxious behavior out of worry that every single word from the fixed-nicks might wound me.

’She really is a kind person.’

She didn’t become the Hero for nothing. Of course, she didn’t need to try so hard.

I had roughly expected it anyway, and it was better for things to be brought to light clearly like this.

Above all, the important thing was the present, not the past. I lifted my head and looked forward.

Alpha, who had revealed the truth to me, was silently moving ahead. He was guiding the way as promised.

’The path is harder than I thought.’

Instead of going straight, we were twisting and turning along the way.

Apparently, since there were too many dangerous monsters around, he was aiming for a safe route.

For Alpha himself to describe them as dangerous guys, they must be extraordinary monsters.

[--- ---- ---]

Time passed, and we reached the edge of the border of the Land of Water. It was visible to the naked eye.

Beyond the boundary line lay not a forest, nor a meadow, but a desolate rocky zone.

I wondered if it was a place where space shifted constantly like across the river, but when I asked Alpha, he said it wasn’t.

Just as there was a Land of Water, the area beyond had become desolate for a certain reason.

"Ah. Before we go, can I ask a few questions?"

I asked Alpha, who had guided us this far.

It might be annoying since my questions kept increasing, but Alpha nodded as if it was fine.

Partly because I had built up rapport over time, and partly because I was a human from Earth, which commanded a degree of obedience.

"Who made you?"

[--- --- ----]

[--- ---- ----]

[He says he is a mass-produced model, so there is no concept of a creator. Instead, he had a master, but the master died when the ship ran aground. Currently, he merely executes duties imprinted in his command prompts.]

I thought the name of one of the gods would be mentioned, but it seems not.

Leaving my disappointment behind, I brought up the next question.

"Then is it true that this place is Earth?"

[--- ----]

[--- ----]

[He says it is indeed Earth.]

"Then do you know if there is another world outside?"

This was something I had been curious about. Are this world and Earth separated, or fused into one?Follow the newest chapters on novelping . com.

Whichever it was, it would make me deeply appreciate the technology of ancient humanity.

I just hoped to deduce the structure of the Forest of the Four Seasons through this.

[--- --- ---]

[He knows that the outside is a world other than Earth.]

"Do you know how humans from Earth reached this place? Did they perform space flight or something?"

[---- ---- -- -]

Looking at cases like the ghost ship or the Colossus, space flight wouldn’t be surprising.

The issue was that humanity itself had suffered a severe blow due to mana.

I guessed that even scraping together all the geniuses would have made it difficult.

[--- --- ---]

[Space flight is inefficient. Reaching this place was possible because a hole was punched through dimensions.]

"So Earth and the outside world aren’t completely merged, but separated into distinct entities?"

Alpha nodded at my words. I realized another truth.

Ancient humanity was a group that had reached the pinnacle of magic. They must have known the concept of teleportation or warping better than anyone.

Furthermore, high-performance AIs were scattered everywhere, so appropriately entering algorithms would have sufficed.

’They must have been desperate.’

Numerous environments existed in the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Among them were zones overflowing with radiation, zones where volcanoes erupted constantly, and so on.

I didn’t know what kind of disaster struck, but it was absolutely not a place for humans to live.

Though a few regions were okay, establishing a ’civilization’ rather than a simple village was impossible.

"Then are they continuously maintaining the pathway? Is there no danger of it severing?"

[--- --- ---]

[--- --- -]

[No. The roots of Earth and the outside world have already fused into one. It is easier to understand if described as acquired Siamese twins.]

Acquired Siamese twins. There was no better expression to describe this shitty world.

Still, many unresolved questions remained, but even Alpha struggled with them, as no answer came back.

"Thank you for telling me. Next time I come, I’ll bring something good."

[--- --- ---]

[He says he doesn’t know what lies ahead, so be careful.]

As expected, a kind guy. Except for cases like the Colossus, most AIs were friendly.

I waved goodbye to him and moved my steps.

Shortly after crossing the Land of Water, I stepped into the somewhat barren rocky zone.

"Master. There is a forest ahead over there."

"I see it too."

Still, there was an area far off that looked like a forest.

Also, even if it was a desolate rocky zone, it wasn’t particularly bad. The open view made it easy to look around.

’The World Tree is slowly getting closer.’

Although the World Tree had defied perspective before, I could feel it gradually drawing near.

Pushing ahead like this wasn’t bad, but right now we needed rest.

I checked the time. Talking with Alpha had consumed quite a bit of time.

’4:30... I should start heading back.’

Since a lot happened today, it would be time to regroup soon.

At the same time, I intended to ponder over the truths Alpha had shared.

"Let’s head back for now. Given the time, it’s about time to regroup."

My party agreed with my words. Just walking today took a long time.

Plus, fighting monsters along the way drained a significant amount of stamina.

’Still, nobody is injured, so we can set off again tomorrow.’

I took off my shoes and made my feet comfortable.

The shoes made by the Dwarf’s friend have been useful to this day.

Though heavy since they were made to protect feet like combat boots, there were no uncomfortable aspects.

’Lackey and Dolsoe don’t really need shoes.’

Ludwig also preferred the shoes he used to wear.

In the first place, one of his legs was made of mithril.

"Still, make sure to wash your feet. Got it?"

"Why must we wash?"

"Do you want to smell my foot odor?"

"Mm. Understood."

Still, after going out on an outing (?), washing feet thoroughly is a must.

This applied to the kids as well. Except for Cheongseol, who perched on my shoulder almost constantly, I thoroughly washed their feet.

Thus, after a quick foot wash, we immediately went into dinner prep.

In this shelter, the person who could cook besides me was Ludwig.

However, Ludwig’s cooking skills... I won’t say much. It’s better if I do it.

’Instead, Ludwig has a knack for weapon maintenance.’

Even now, he was hard at work sharpening blades with a whetstone or wiping down oil.

Lackey was also handling household chores alongside Dolsoe. The single most useless party member here was...

"Hmph..."

[...?]

"Hmph..."

[Why do you stare like that? That is a most irreverent gaze.]

"No. I was just pondering if you have any use other than removing foot calluses."

[Hero. If you are watching this situation, please summon me.]

Contrary to Cain’s wish, the real-time video broadcast was turned off long ago.Visit novelping dot com for the full chapter.

However, despite Cain’s complaints, it’s better to find something to do.

"Look at Maengkkongi over there. He gathers tree branches on his own so diligently."

"Kkyu-ing?"

[...]

Because even Maengkkongi was diligently carrying tree branches.

Just standing still because he was a stone statue inevitably made him feel self-conscious under Maengkkongi’s gaze.

Well, Cain wasn’t doing absolutely nothing. He occasionally helped out.

Above all, Cain held a very important role in combat. I was mostly just teasing him.

[I hope to see Lady Aris soon.]

"So she can take me away?"

[No. I will beg her to please take me away.]

I chuckled at Cain’s lamentation-that-wasn’t-quite-a-lamentation.

Soon, a cozy dinner time began. Today’s menu was braised short ribs.

A dish cobbled together using the recipe obtained last time and ingredients bought from the Gallery.

The rich, deep sauce was superb, and the subtly spicy flavor stimulated the appetite.

Title) Braised Short Ribs

Wild Grylls

(Photo 1 of incredibly delicious-looking braised short ribs)

(Photo 2 of incredibly delicious-looking braised short ribs)

(Video 1 of Ludwig eating short ribs like Ha eating seaweed)

(Video 1 similar to a mukbang from The Yellow X)

(Video 1 of the party devouring braised short ribs voraciously)

Freaking delicious

ㄴHeavenly Demon) The deep seasoning makes for a magnificent dish.

ㄴSword Matstar) Why is Ludwig eating so well? He’s really eating with gusto haha

ㄴLooks like an immortal legendary meme just dropped lolll

ㄴEven if he’s the Guardian of the Holy Kingdom, meals are essential lolll

ㄴBy the way, what’s that thing that looks like ginseng?

ㄴHoly sh*t, is that a Mature Mandrake?!

ㄴWild Grylls) Yep, dug it up today. It was really delicious haha

ㄴSomething others couldn’t eat even if they paid for it lmaooo

ㄴSeriously a luxury only possible in the Forest of the Four Seasons;;

ㄴJust one bite for me...

Perhaps because it was dinner time when everyone was hungry, people were clamoring for just one bite.

Expecting that, I prepared bite-sized portions for the fixed-nicks in advance.

’By the way, the meat is running low.’

The meat remaining in the food storage was slowly depleting.

Part of me wanted to go hunting, but there was no leeway. Exploration was crucial right now.

Plus, with Dolsoe joining our group, consumption was no joke.

Even so, if asked why I made braised short ribs, there was no helping it.

’The expiration date was tight, so I had no choice.’

As they say, save it too long and it turns to waste; everything has its time.

Still, roaming around the Forest of the Four Seasons, we should be able to hunt a few beasts.

Tsing-g-g~ Tsing-g-g~ Tsing~

"Eeee~ Ee-ing~ Ee-ing~"

After dinner finished, sweet relaxation arrived.

Maybe because we visited the Land of Water today, Maengkkongi sang a song reminiscent of the ocean.

A song that induced a subtly dreamy yet drowsy mood.

’...Isn’t this the Spongebob X song?’

Where on earth did Maengkkongi hear such a song? I’m genuinely curious.

Still, there was no song selection more fitting than this.

Playing a guitar he made himself made it the icing on the cake.

’I have to go right away tomorrow, so I should sleep soon.’

It was a day where I learned many truths. But my task remained unchanged.

Whatever my past was, my current goal was to escape this damn forest.

Whether escape is possible or not, I intend to try my best as far as I can.

Thus, after a day filled with complicated emotions passed, the next day came.

[Breaking News: Setan declares expansion into the sea.]

[What is this crazy Sultan doing? Can’t he just stay stuck in the desert?]

[He’s just an idiot.]

The world is vast, and idiots are many.

[Praise the Sun: Hey. Our country really looks screwed, what do you think?]

[Wild Grylls: Um... is this also because of me?]

[Praise the Sun: Can’t say there’s zero influence. But the problem is the guy at the top is an idiot.]

[Wild Grylls: Even so, isn’t he overdoing it?]

[Praise the Sun: Seems like he has a ’win it back and pay it off’ mindset?]

[Wild Grylls: ;;;]

If that idiot is a ruler, what kind of outcome unfolds was clearly demonstrated.