I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 58

Magic is a power with infinite potential.

It can spark fire out of thin air and make water flow.

Going far beyond such basics, it has exerted both major and minor influences on human civilization.

[Even if mana existed, without magic, it would have been impossible to develop this much.]

[Magic is indeed humanity’s true power.]

[Magic, along with mana, is the greatest gift God has bestowed upon humanity.]

To the point where scholars spoke in unison.

However, magic is just as difficult. Beyond merely being difficult, only geniuses can learn it.

Even for those geniuses, it is merely an admission ticket; as the saying goes, there is always a heaven beyond heaven wherever you go in this world.

An institution where only the geniuses among geniuses can enter: the Magic Tower.

Revered as the home and paradise of magic, it is a place that honors Aragon, the God of Magic.

The head of that Magic Tower is widely recognized as the greatest mage in history.

So much so that the world looks up to him with awe, calling him the ’Mage King’.

Considering how much weight the title of ’King’ carries in this world, the Magic Tower itself is practically a kingdom of its own.

Because of this, even the Iris Kingdom, where the Magic Tower is located, had no choice but to walk on eggshells around it.

The reason the Messiah Empire could not treat them lightly was also due to the existence of the Magic Tower.

And the mage who is respected as the head of the Magic Tower and the Mage King is currently...

"Hum-hum~ Hum~"

...leisurely humming a tune while sipping coffee.

With age, his hair had turned snow-white, and his white beard was just as thick and bushy as a dwarf’s.

Yet surprisingly, his face had very few fine wrinkles, making him look closer to a middle-aged man than an elderly one.

Dugeun! Dugeun! Dugeun!

In front of the mage, a heart far larger than a human head was beating violently.

Although it was quite a grotesque sight, the mage did not mind.

"Hehehe. You lovely little thing. You’re beating so hard."

On the contrary, he merely stared at it with eyes bordering on perverted.

Perhaps even the heart instinctively sensed the sinister vibe, as it paused for a brief moment.

But soon, as if dismissing it as an illusion, it began to beat regularly again.

’To think it has the same structure as a Dragon Heart. Is this truly possible?’

A Dragon Heart is literally the heart of a ’Dragon’, the creature dubbed the strongest living being.

Containing near-infinite mana, if one could only consume it, they would never suffer from a lack of mana for the rest of their life.

However, because a will is embedded within the heart itself, processing it is extremely tricky.

If handled incorrectly, it is highly prone to causing a massive explosion that would completely devastate the surroundings.

Such knowledge was also uncharted territory until not too long ago.

Until this Mage King subjugated a dragon. And single-handedly, at that.

’How can a tiger harbor a Dragon Heart?’

The mage stared intently at the throbbing heart.

Even after mobilizing all the knowledge he had accumulated over decades, the mystery remained unsolved.

A Dragon Heart is something only a dragon can harbor. Yet today, that common sense was shattered.

Even if the amount of mana it contained was terribly lacking, a Dragon Heart was still a Dragon Heart.

The mage stared fixedly at the heart, then slowly reached out his hand to touch it.

Kung! Kung! Kung! Kung!

"Oops."

The moment he touched it, the heart throbbed violently as if it were about to explode.

Seeing this, the mage lightly snapped his fingers.

Wiing-

Then, lo and behold, a cube-shaped barrier formed around the heart.

Before long, the heart emitted a blue flash and exploded.

Kwang!

The heart had exploded inside the cube-shaped barrier.

However, the cube-shaped barrier was left with not a single intact spot.

The mage made the cube barrier, which had contained the explosion, disappear with a casual brushing motion of his hand.

"It’s sensitive to external mana. This, too, is a characteristic of a Dragon Heart. If so..."

The mage began to conduct various experiments with the tiger’s heart.

Such as triggering an explosion by sending mana without touching it.

Or pacifying it right before an explosion using a specific method.

Or stopping the heartbeat, even if only for a moment, and so on.

As the experiments progressed, the mage’s eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

"Just what kind of place is the Forest of the Four Seasons?"

Having finished his experiments, the mage stroked his beard and muttered.

Even he, revered as the ’Mage King’, feared the Forest of the Four Seasons.

No matter how strong humanity had become, they were powerless before the majesty of nature.

The Mage King was no different. He had set foot in it once in the past, but he had never gone near it since.

’Furthermore, Grylls is even able to use the Gallery. His very existence is bizarre.’

At first, it was mere curiosity. The Gallery was something he had started out of loneliness.

However, the more he explored the Gallery, the more the mage realized.

The world is vast, and those who are lower than beasts are overflowing.

For him, the Gallery was perfect for conducting a sort of ’social experiment’.

Then, by opening up trade with Grylls, he obtained the opportunity to encounter all kinds of rare flora and fauna.

For the Mage King, who coveted all the knowledge in the world, Grylls was now practically indispensable.

’Dragons mostly inhabit deep mountain ranges rich in mana. The Forest of the Four Seasons is a place far beyond that. If a tiger can harbor a Dragon Heart, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the species itself has completely changed.’

One thought led to another.

The Mage King mobilized all his knowledge to come up with a plausible hypothesis.

’Did it evolve like a spiritual beast, or did it adapt over generations? If so, did dragons also evolve from another species to easily contain abundant mana? Or did a specific species adapt and change its form? Was the Dragon Heart not exclusive to dragons after all?’

Questions began to tangle like a ball of yarn. It was a dizzying hypothesis even for the Mage King.

It felt as though the very concept of common sense had been shattered into pieces and scattered over his head.

Just what kind of place is the Forest of the Four Seasons? The Mage King grew even more curious.

’The specimens are terribly lacking. The tiger might just be a mutation. To find out, I need to support Grylls wholeheartedly.’

There was already the case of the Golden Poison Frog.

Originally, a Golden Frog is about the size of a small fist.

However, the frog Grylls caught at the very beginning was the size of a small to medium-sized dog.

The ones he caught and gave him recently were also far larger than a fist.

’Not to mention, even a common crab was larger than a building. Is the Forest of the Four Seasons a place that accelerates evolution?’

His inquisitiveness as both a mage and a scholar burned even hotter.

’I’m not certain yet. If this really is a Dragon Heart, I must see if it reacts to blood as well.’

An exception that defies common sense is a case that researchers don’t just like, but absolutely love.

Since he had found material for a thesis, it was only natural. Indeed, a smile was etched on the Mage King’s lips.This story is hosted at novelping . com.

Following that, the Mage King shifted his steps and headed somewhere. The place he arrived at was a large freezer.

It was a place where various experimental materials and specimens were stored.

Deolkeok-

As if there were no separate locking mechanism, the Mage King swung the door wide open.

The moment the door opened, a freezing chill crept out.

"The dragon’s blood... is here."

"..."

Inside the coldly preserved freezer were animal hearts, blood, and...

...a human skull. Of course, it was no ordinary skull.

For a green glow was radiating from its empty eye sockets.

As if they were eyes, the green glow stared at the Mage King.

Normally, skeletons cannot speak, but there is always an exception.

The skull spoke in a dying voice.

[Kill me.]

"Later."

Replying nonchalantly, the mage slammed the freezer door shut again.

The mage returned with the container holding the dragon’s blood.

He could hear shouting coming from the freezer, but he cleanly ignored it.

Hwijeok- hwijeok- The Mage King stirred the dragon’s blood with his index finger.

The frozen, rock-hard blood gradually melted down.

Before long, the dragon’s blood returned to its original state.

Jjok- The Mage King licked the blood off his finger with relish.

It was much like someone eating crumbs off their hand after snacking.

"Now, if I pour this..."

The Mage King was full of anticipation. If things went as expected, the heart would devour the blood and...

Peong!

...grow stronger, but it didn’t. It just burst.

It wasn’t an explosion; it simply popped. Completely.

"..."

The Mage King couldn’t even think of peeling off the pieces of the heart stuck to his face.

Because the situation was so far off from his expectations.

Still, it wasn’t like he had gained absolutely nothing. He calmly peeled off the heart tissue stuck to his face.

’Even if the structure is the same, if the species is different, it triggers a violent rejection reaction.’

With this, he had accumulated one excellent stack of ’knowledge’. Though the price paid was quite gruesome.

The Mage King, Kadir, stared at the heart with a calm expression.

The heart, which had been much larger than a human head, was shattered into pieces, leaving no trace of its original shape.

Only the fragments of the heart scattered here and there bore witness to the disaster.

"Haha. Aragon save me."

A hollow laugh escaped him. No matter how much of a Mage King he was, turning back time was impossible.

The research material Grylls had painstakingly provided had gone up in smoke all at once.

What should he do about this? Kadir quickly racked his brain.

’Lie to him.’

What kind of lie? That the heart exploded as soon as it arrived?

If that were the case, he should have posted on the Gallery immediately. Let’s put this on hold.

’Tell the truth.’

Given Grylls’s personality, he might let it slide generously.

But then, the likelihood of him getting first dibs when rare flora and fauna are discovered would plummet. Let’s put this on hold too.

’Say I’ll buy it and give him something else.’

In reality, this was the best option. Kadir pondered deeply.

An item equivalent to a degraded Dragon Heart. What could that be?

The conditions were quite strict. First and foremost, it had to aid in Grylls’s survival.

Trying to meet such conditions made it difficult even for Kadir to make a choice easily.

’...I should start by cleaning up.’

Kadir let out a sigh and cleaned up the messy laboratory, harboring a sense of guilt toward Grylls.

Even for an existence dubbed the Mage King, a shred of conscience did exist.

’If I handle this well, won’t I be able to get an even better specimen next time?’

The only problem was that his conscience was completely shot.

After handing over the Saber-toothed Tiger’s heart to Allfather, I set off to harvest a Mature Mandrake.

I had no shield and my shoes were uncomfortable, but harvesting the Mature Mandrake wasn’t difficult.

I didn’t encounter any dangerous beasts along the way, and harvesting the Mature Mandrake was easy.

All that was left was to trade with Passing Dwarf. I decided to give him the side dishes next time.

[Passing Dwarf: You have to give it to me tomorrow, okay? Otherwise, I’ll become a liar.]

[Wild Grylls: What happens if you become a liar?]

[Passing Dwarf: My infused liquor gets confiscated. That can absolutely never happen.]

[Wild Grylls: Quit drinking already;;]

[Passing Dwarf: You want me to die? No way lol]

Right. It was my mistake to tell a dwarf to quit drinking.

Anyway, through the trade with the dwarf, I was able to obtain shoes.

The shape of the shoes was overall similar to the combat boots worn in the military.

The only difference was probably the color. Having been crafted from top-grade leather, even the sheen was different.

’They’re comfortable and nice.’

They weren’t as heavy as I thought, and they were comfortable. I was highly satisfied.

Since they were made by a dwarf, and a master craftsman at that, they were highly reliable.

’For other shoes, I should trade based solely on performance.’

My heart had already been stolen by these shoes.

Since I had gotten a new pair of shoes after a long time, I logged into the Gallery to post a thank-you note to the dwarf.

Grylls-nim! Look at this!

"Huh?"

It wasn’t strange to see my name every time I entered the Gallery.

However, with the unique tone of voice next to it and the fixed nickname, I couldn’t help but pay attention.

Title) Grylls-nim! Look at this!

Princess Chaenggu

(Chaeyu uniforms laid out side by side)

I carefully picked out long-sleeved uniforms! Please choose one you like from here!

Personally, I recommend the uniform from three years ago! It’s red, so it’s really cool!

ㄴ Wow;;; this is a real hardcore fan.

ㄴ Isn’t that the uniform from 50 years ago? lololThe source of this chapter is NovelPing.

ㄴ Probably because the Demon Race has a long lifespan. But why are there so many lolol

ㄴ Seriously, it looks like she does nothing but eat and watch soccer;;

ㄴ Wild Grylls) Thank you. I don’t have anything proper to give in return, is this really okay?

ㄴ Princess Chaenggu: I would be sadder to lose a fellow Chaeyu fan! So please accept it without feeling burdened!

ㄴ Wild Grylls) Thank you so much. I’ll initiate the trade.

ㄴ Princess Chaenggu: Okay! I’d love to chat about soccer while we trade! That’s more than enough for me!

ㄴ Wild Grylls) Although my knowledge is lacking, I will listen attentively.

ㄴ "Knowledge" lololol

ㄴ Since when did playing with a ball require "knowledge"? lol

ㄴ Don’t say that to the Demon Race. Fists will fly.

How could I help Princess Chaenggu? I pondered even while trading.

I had shown interest in soccer because of a friend, but that was as far as it went. I had never rooted for a specific team.

[Wild Grylls: Rooting for Chaeyu is only because Princess Chaenggu is helping me, so it’s a bit ambiguous to say I have affection for them.]

[Princess Chaenggu: I’ve registered the uniforms!]

By the way, is your body okay?

Thanks to the uniform, I was less injured.

[Wild Grylls: Getting bitten by the teeth was unavoidable, but it blocked the claws.]

[Princess Chaenggu: That’s wonderful!]

There’s a Chaeyu match in two days, so please cheer hard for them!

Of course I will.

I want to repay all the kindness I owe to Princess Chaenggu-nim.

Princess Chaenggu

Haha, then please think about how soccer can develop in the future!

Because before being a Chaeyu fan, I’m a soccer fan, and before being a soccer fan, I’m a sports fan!

She really loves sports.

Indeed, in a world with so little entertainment, sports must be like a drug.

Without ending the trade, I pondered for a moment and casually brought up an idea.

[Wild Grylls: You said there’s no World Cup here, right?]

[Princess Chaenggu: World Cup?]

Yes. A tournament where nations compete against each other, not just clubs.

[Wild Grylls: It was the biggest tournament in the place where I used to live.]

[Princess Chaenggu: That’s fascinating.]

I’ve heard of races competing against each other, but this is the first time I’ve heard of nations.

There aren’t many of them, so would it be popular?

Just as Princess Chaenggu said, there are few nations in this world.

It was because the tendency to band together by race was too strong.

However, if we talk about fiefs, the story changes. Even if there are few nations, there are countless fiefs.

Countless fiefs are gathered within the massive framework of a nation.

Then you can do it by fief.

[Wild Grylls: Not as clubs based in those fiefs, but by the players’ place of origin.]

[Princess Chaenggu: By origin, not by base?]

Yes. In the place where I lived, we held a tournament roughly like that every four years.

[Wild Grylls: It’s like putting the honor of representing one’s country on the line.]

[Princess Chaenggu: Oh! Every four years, not every year?]

That’s really novel!

Did they bestow titles of nobility or something when they won?

I was about to reply, "In my country, they granted military exemption," but stopped myself.

Since it was a unique circumstance specific to the Republic of Korea, I felt no need to go out of my way to explain it.

No.

In the world where I lived, social status didn’t carry much meaning.

Rather than titles, they drew stars on their uniforms as proof of their victory.

[Wild Grylls: In Chaeyu’s terms, it would be like having a star drawn above the deer.]

[Princess Chaenggu: Inspiration!]

Inspiration is striking me!

Thank you so much!

This could be applied to all sports, not just soccer!

Even though the Olympics and the World Cup are different tournaments, I guess it doesn’t matter.

I didn’t feel the need to explain that far, and above all, I didn’t think this would be enough of a repayment.

It was just a "there was something like this" kind of thing. Besides, I didn’t even know who Princess Chaenggu was.

Time is slowly running out.

Thank you for the uniforms.

[Wild Grylls: I will definitely repay you.]

[Princess Chaenggu: I’m the one who should be thankful for such inspiration.]

If this isn’t enough, please help me acquire Chaeyu haha

[Wild Grylls: Can you actually buy Chaeyu?]

[Princess Chaenggu: If you have enough money, yes haha]

[Wild Grylls: A Mature Mandrake wouldn’t even come close, right?]

[Princess Chaenggu: Even if you have them, you’d need quite a lot.]

If I find expensive items that I don’t need, I’ll give them to you.

[Wild Grylls: Use those to buy it.]

[Princess Chaenggu: Thank you for the kind words haha]

Well, I was being serious, though.

Unless it was an item related to food or equipment, it was subject to barter.

I felt like my mind would only be at ease if I bought the uniforms I had received so far, even if it meant using money.

Since she rarely accepted other items and only showered me with gifts, this was the best I could do.

"Wait. She gave me all of this?"

However, Princess Chaenggu’s gift exceeded my expectations.

She hadn’t given me just one of the uniforms in the photo, but all of them.

I was flustered as the clothes piled up in an instant, but there was an even more baffling part.

’Who is supposed to wear something this small?’

There was a uniform that looked like it was meant for a child.

The only ones here who could be considered children were Wonmo and...

"Ah."

I realized it immediately.