I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 573

Nearly a week had passed since the Great Cataclysm erupted upon the world.

By then, the various nations had grasped most of the characteristics of the partially opened Forest of the Four Seasons.

The fact that it opened for about 3 hours a day was regular, but the location was erratic.

At times a volcanic zone, at times a zone filled with green poison, and at times a vast ocean unfolded.

At a glance, the forest seemed the most mild, but upon actual experience, the forest was actually the most dangerous. Because it was optimal for animals to crawl out.

Still, as it was revealed that barriers or Formations could provide a measure of defense, the absolute worst scenario was averted.

"Shaaaa!"

"S-Snake?!"

Instead, they had to endure no small amount of hardship to realize that fact. Such was the case for the Demonic Cult.

While Yoo So-wol was guarding the entrance, nothing happened, but once the elders and the rest of the party arrived, things changed.

The aurora that had been closed until just moments ago slowly parted, opening the Forest of the Four Seasons. Up to here was within predictable bounds.

But the problem lay beyond the entrance. It looked like an ordinary forest, but snakes suddenly leaped out and launched an attack.

The first one targeted was a warrior guarding the elder. He hurriedly tried to draw his weapon, but it was already too late.

Kwaaak!

The snake bound the warrior’s body in an instant with its long torso. However, its size was too small to crush him to death.

Hence, one might wonder if it intended to kill with venom, but that wasn’t it either. Because the snakes had no fangs.

Peu-eok! Peuk! Peuk!

"Kueak! Argh!"

"Th-These bastards are... my body...!"

With neither fangs nor overwhelming size, only one thing remained: nimble physical movements.

The snakes used their long bodies to manipulate the martial artists’ limbs.

After coiling around their necks and arms, they used them to force the warriors to self-harm.

The warriors hurriedly raised their Internal Energy, but the power of the snakes was so absurdly strong that they were completely helpless.

If there were only one snake, it might have been different, but since multiple snakes burst out at once, they fell into utter chaos.

Kwak!

"Kieeek!"

"..."

Yoo So-wol grabbed the head of the snake attempting to control her body.

Upon being caught, the snake thrashed the rest of its body below, but it was largely meaningless.

Controlling a physical vessel that had reached the Profound Realm was practically impossible.

"Disgusting."

Jjaaak!

Saying so, Yoo So-wol literally ripped the snake apart.

Did they realize their companion had been killed? The actions of the snakes manipulating the other martial artists stopped simultaneously.

Following that, all the snakes raised their heads stiffly toward Yoo So-wol and moved without missing a beat.

Because it was a plain where reeds stretched upward, the movement of the snakes was extremely agile and stealthy.

It was so elusive that even battle-hardened martial artists struggled to track their movements.

Chwareureuk!

The snakes didn’t attack Yoo So-wol directly, opting for another method instead.

Earlier, individual snakes controlled each warrior, but this time, the entire swarm coiled around a warrior’s body.

The warrior frantically channeled his Internal Energy, but as the entire swarm wrapped around him, he was powerless.

Kwak! Kwaak! Kwak!

As the snakes bit down on the warrior’s body, an astonishing thing occurred.

The Internal Energy manifested by the warrior became far more intense than before. Seeing this, the elder shouted:

"Withdraw your Internal Energy this instant! Those creatures intend to harm the Heavenly One!"

"I-I cannot control it!"

"What?!"

Astoundingly, the snakes had completely dominated the warrior’s body. The term ’parasitized’ fit the situation perfectly.

Seeing this, the Demonic Cultists were caught in a dilemma. If they recklessly tore those snakes off, there was no telling what might happen.

Yet, attacking recklessly could inflict severe injuries upon the warrior.

At this, the elder stepped forward first. He had to neutralize those snakes first to prevent a catastrophe.

Chwareureuk!

However, the moment the elder reached out toward the warrior, the snakes coiled around his arm.

An action seemingly aimed at switching hosts. Panicked for only a brief moment, the elder responded using his accumulated experience.

Udeudeok! Udeuk!

He injected Internal Energy into the bodies of the snakes trying to transfer onto him, detonating them.

Had they been entities capable of wielding Internal Energy, they might have counteracted, but these were mere serpents.Get faster updates on nоvelping.com.

Hideous noises echoed from inside the snakes’ bodies, and a considerable number fell thudding to the ground.

"Inject Internal Energy into the serpents’ bodies and burst them!"

"Yes!"

Hearing the elder’s command, the manipulated warrior hurriedly retaliated.

Once the method was known, counteracting was no issue. Thanks to that, the warrior was able to escape without injury.

Ggumteul! Ggumteul!

The snakes that fell to the ground squirmed incessantly.

Perhaps furious at almost succumbing to the snakes, the warriors trampled or ripped them apart.

Yoo So-wol quietly watched this scene unfold. She turned her head and looked into the forest.

’To think he survived in a place infested with such things...’

Unlike Westerners, people of the Central Plains were vulnerable when fighting against animals and monsters.

It was fortunate she brought along someone of the elder’s caliber; otherwise, they would have suffered massive losses.

If creatures like that swarmed out, not just the Demonic Cult, but the entire Central Plains would be in jeopardy.

"Hurry and deploy the Formation."

"Yes!"

At Yoo So-wol’s calm tone, the elder and his subordinates erected the Formation.

Since they had to prevent the animals inside from emerging, they planned to construct it thoroughly.

Meanwhile, Yoo So-wol slowly moved her steps closer to the entrance.

Even in the Gallery, no one had claimed to set foot inside the forest. It was far too dangerous.

’I am curious.’

What would truly happen if one stepped inside? Would one be unable to use Internal Energy?

Coincidentally, Wi Seol-ak was preoccupied with setting up the Formation. Yoo So-wol carefully took a step forward.

She thought taking a single step wouldn’t pose a problem.

Chilling!

Until she felt a horrific pressure transmitting across her entire body.

At that sensation, Yoo So-wol felt the hair all over her body stand on end. Even her ebony hair fluttered slightly.

Normally, she ought to have hurriedly pulled her foot back, but she did not. Instead, she pushed her body inside bit by bit.

Soon, Yoo So-wol fully entered inside the Forest of the Four Seasons. Since she was positioned right at the boundary line, no one noticed.

’There are restrictions placed on using Internal Energy.’

Yoo So-wol slowly closed her eyes. The very air was different.

It was clearly dry land, yet it felt like sinking into the deep, dark sea.

The sensation of one’s body being crushed by intense water pressure. That feeling placed a restriction on using Internal Energy.

As long as one harbored Internal Energy within their body, it was a restriction applied to all.

’Is it only to this degree because I consumed the Dragon Heart?’

However, while restrictions were applied, usage itself was not impossible.

Whether it was because she consumed the Dragon Heart or because she had reached the Profound Realm was unknown.

Perhaps it was both. Even with the restriction, the pressure was all there was to it.

She could comfortably use roughly 70 to 80 percent of her Internal Energy without difficulty.

It was a level comparable to her Internal Energy before consuming the Dragon Heart.

’I no longer need to fear.’

Truthfully, she was afraid before. Afraid that her Internal Energy, intense enough to cover the sky, would be useless in the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Not anymore. As long as she could make full use of this power even with restrictions, she had nothing to fear.

[This is a region where the Gallery cannot be used.]

"Hmm."

However, if there was one puzzling aspect, it was the Gallery.

For some reason, a prompt popped up stating that the Gallery could not be used.

It was a situation she couldn’t comprehend at all, but it didn’t matter.

Being able to use Internal Energy was a massive achievement in itself.

Soon, Yoo So-wol took steps backward and exited the Forest of the Four Seasons.

The crushing pressure like falling into the deep sea vanished entirely, and channeling her Internal Energy became smooth once more.

’Wait just a little longer.’

Once she conquered the Central Plains and founded a new heaven, she would immediately come to find him.

Yoo So-wol joined the cultists while thinking of Grylls.

"By the way, this snake. Since it lived in the Forest of the Four Seasons, wouldn’t every single one be a spiritual beast?"

"Considering how it controlled our bodies, it must be a spiritual beast. Is there no Inner Core?"

"Unfortunately, doesn’t seem to have one. To be at this level without an Inner Core..."

"If we roast and eat it, wouldn’t our realm advance?"New chapters come out on novelping dot com first.

The voices of the warriors caught her ears while setting up the Formation.

Indeed, even without an Inner Core, that snake would likely aid in advancing one’s realm.

Didn’t Grylls himself once groan in pain after eating a fish whose Inner Core had been removed?

At this, Yoo So-wol secretly tucked away a snake and accessed the Gallery.

[Heavenly Demon: My lord. Are you there by any chance?]

[Wild Grylls: Yes. What’s up?]

[Heavenly Demon: This seat captured a snake that emerged from the Forest of the Four Seasons. If you are interested, I intend to give it to you.]

[Wild Grylls: Really? Snake meat is really delicious, so if you give it to me, I’ll gratefully accept.]

Fortunately, Grylls replied that he would gladly accept it. Yoo So-wol smiled with a sense of pride.

Having engaged in conversation like this, a question suddenly crossed her mind. What was Grylls doing right now?

Normally he would go on explorations, but recently there was no news of him going out to explore.

She didn’t know whether it was because he reached his goal, the World Tree, or simply to conserve his strength.

[Heavenly Demon: What do you plan to do from now on, my lord? Since you have reached the World Tree, you must set another goal.]

[Wild Grylls: Well, the ultimate goal itself is still escaping. But there’s something I’ve been mulling over for a bit.]

[Heavenly Demon: If it is a worry this seat can share, I shall gladly hear it.]

[Wild Grylls: Nothing else, just that I was thinking it’s about time I head across the river.]

Across the river? Hearing those words, Yoo So-wol wore a puzzled expression.

The area across the river mentioned by Grylls should be a region where space shifted from moment to moment.

Originally, crossing that place was something one wouldn’t even dare dream of.

[Heavenly Demon: Could it be that the region across the river has stabilized?]

[Wild Grylls: As expected, you’re quick on the uptake. Yes, exactly.]

Just as Yoo So-wol predicted.

[Wild Grylls: The region across the river hasn’t been changing.]

A massive change had also occurred within the Forest of the Four Seasons.

While the outside world was thrown into turmoil in its own right, I had my own deep concerns.

My past unfolding before my eyes when I came into contact with the World Tree? Stuff like that could just be left as discussion topics.

What was more important was my future course of action. Reaching the World Tree was fine and all, but I didn’t know what to do next.

Though the ultimate goal remained the same, the process was tricky. Even the World Tree, which I had thought of as a kind of key, failed to give me a definitive answer.

Because of that, a shift in direction was necessary. That direction was none other than across the river.

Originally, across the river was a place I didn’t even cast a glance at. The risk alone of space constantly shifting from moment to moment was huge.

’So why does it feel like it hasn’t been changing lately?’

However, ever since contacting the World Tree, I felt like the space across the river had stabilized.

A vast plain unfolded, completely different from the forest I currently lived in.

A plain where all kinds of animals roamed—lions, hippos, elephants, and so on.

"I met Largo over there. I don’t know if it’s the exact same region, though."

"Is that so?"

"And I also met a weirdly shaped horse. If I get the chance, I’d like to raise one."

"..."

It was also the region where Ludwig had first fallen. I pondered.

Whether the region across the river had truly stabilized, or if the shifting interval had simply gotten longer.

Because of that, I had no choice but to stay holed up in the shelter for a while and wait.

If I recklessly went exploring and the space shifted, it would be a disaster. Even Cheongseol’s abilities couldn’t solve that.

’I guess I have no choice but to watch for a while.’

I intended to make a decision only after at least a week had passed.

Until then, I rolled around lazily at the shelter. I also didn’t forget to periodically browse the Gallery.

Currently, the outside world was in chaos due to the partial opening of the Forest of the Four Seasons.

I wondered if this was my fault as well, but my mindset was closer to watching a fire across the river.

’Wait, no. I’m right in the middle of the fire.’

It was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. I chuckled.

After steadily keeping an eye on the area across the river for about a week, I finally realized it.

That the region across the river had indeed stabilized. Therefore, I made my decision.

"Alright. Let’s go explore now."

[Is it really alright?]

"Of course."

Exactly one hour passed from then.

"Pboooooooo!!!"

"Holy fuck! That thing only existed in games, why is it here?!"

Facing a herd of elephants equipped with blade tusks, I fled at full speed.