I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 618

A man’s voice pierced clearly into my ears. It was a voice I had never heard before.

Looking around to see where it came from, I realized it emanated from the statue of the Chief God.

"...Did the statue just speak?"

[Indeed.]

It really did. I took a step back at the voice coming from the statue.

Since numerous robots existed throughout the Theme Park, a talking statue wasn’t absurd.

However, the overwhelming pressure carried in that voice forced me to step backward.

Compared to other robots, it sounded closer to an imperative command tone. I felt a bit unsettled.

"...Who are you?"

[I have no name. I am merely a Guardian protecting this place.]

"A Guardian?"

[Just as the Chief God protected the world, I am an entity that protects this place.]

’So I can roughly consider it an entity modeled after the Chief God.’ Only then did I understand.

Separate from that, however, it seemed to know about the Chief God’s identity. So I questioned further.

"You seem to know quite a lot about the Chief God?"

[I only know what I know.]

"Then do you know the Chief God’s real name as well?"

[As I stated earlier, all information regarding the Chief God was expunged by his country of origin.]

The question Why on earth? crossed my mind, but it wasn’t all that strange.

Because events from my dream flashed in my mind: the moment World War III ended and I received a scout offer from the National Intelligence Service.

Initially I declined, but I accepted under the goal of protecting the daily lives of my friends.

’For black ops agents, even upon death, only a star would be engraved.’

Completely replacing one’s identity, or wiping it out entirely.

If one tried, it might be recoverable, but the problem was that the government had completely collapsed due to mana.

Of course, even without being a black ops agent, there were likely many people whose identities had been completely wiped.

However, seeing the mention that the state itself had expunged it, there was a high probability he had been involved in state-level affairs.

"...Can’t you tell me anything more besides that?"

[Pass the test. Then I shall inform you.]

"A test?"

[If you step inside, three trials await you. Pass those trials and return to me.]

What a bother. Grumbling, I entered the Chief God’s domain along with my companions.

Inside the Chief God’s domain, there were no notable amusement rides or tourist attractions to speak of.

Instead, it was filled to the brim with equipment that children would love.

Children’s Viking ships, roller coasters, Tagada rides, and so on. Most of it was like that.

Just as I wondered what kind of test I was supposed to take, something caught my eye.

"Is that an archery competition?"

[It seems to be the field you are most confident in.]

There was an archery booth. As Cain said, it was the field I was most confident in.

Come to think of it, didn’t the Chief God also have a knack for archery? The statue had a bow slung across its back as well.

Instantly realizing that the first trial was that, I quietly stepped forward.

[The Chief God was a master of archery. If you wish to know about Him, hit the target accurately.]

Wi-i-ing—

Along with a voice coming from somewhere, a bow and arrows appeared in front of me.

As a bonus, just like an archery range, a target popped up in the distance.

On top of that, a scoreboard was projected in hologram format so I could check more details.

’I recall archery being under 100 meters, so why did they set this over 200 meters?’

Even for a gun, that’s a distance difficult to hit without zeroing the sights.

Grumbling inwardly, I nocked an arrow on the bowstring.

I was confident in archery, so it wasn’t particularly hard.

Pak! Pa-ak! Pak!

"Hey! I hit dead center! Why isn’t the score going up?!"

[Hitting it too well seems to be a problem.]

The problem was that I shot so well that the points got ignored by the system.

How did this happen? It was fine up until I drove an arrow straight into the exact center of the target.

But because I shot the next arrow precisely into the exact center again, it wasn’t properly registered.

Some arrows even split the previously nocked arrow right down the middle like Robin Hood.

[Passed.]Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping . com.

Fortunately, it had some flexibility and passed me right away.

Soon after, it even gave me a proof of passage. The problem was that the proof was rather... awkward.

[A token featuring two children smiling harmoniously. Quite heartwarming.]

"I guess... so?"

[Why do you sound so unenthusiastic?]

Because this token wasn’t an actual emblem, but a stamp mark.

Swallowing those words, I looked at the token. It was a phrase everyone had seen when they were young:

[Great Job!]

A stamp featuring two smiling children drawn in an old-fashioned artistic style.

Having that stamp engraved as a proof token left me with complex emotions.

’Was the Chief God Korean?’

Although the text language was English, the art style was definitely the one I knew.

Feeling a peculiar sensation, I moved on to the next. The next test content was fairly ordinary.

[The Chief God was famous for his monstrous strength to hurl mountains. Roll this ball up to the mountain peak to pass.]

"What is this, Sisyphus?"

[Correct.]

The next task was pushing a massive boulder up to the summit like Sisyphus.

You might wonder how a kid could roll a boulder to the summit, but apparently this was the adult version.

The children’s version was a lightweight ball or something. Anyhow.

"Kkeu-eung... cha!"

[Passed.]

I passed this easily as well. It was a bit tough because I had expended energy freeing the Sky Whale, but there were no issues.

Thus, after receiving the second "Great Job!" stamp token, I headed to the final testing site.

The final testing site brought us full circle back to the statue of the Chief God. It seemed this guy was posing the question directly.

[I shall ask the final question. If you answer this correctly, I will tell you a story regarding the Chief God.]

"Just ask it already."

I wanted to hear the story of the Chief God as soon as possible. Circumstances hinting that the Chief God was Korean had already been revealed through the token.

I wanted to figure out whether he was someone closely linked to me, or if it was just my illusion.

[Choose one of two. Do you wish for a concise explanation, or a pedantic explanation?]

"What would a concise explanation be like?"

[Throws a spear to deal physical damage.]

"...Concise, please."

There was no telling what kind of rant would come out if I picked pedantic. It might go on all night.

[One pitch-black night. A traveler walking down a path ran into an elderly man carrying a lantern. Strangely, however, the old man was blind.]

"Huh?"

I had heard that story somewhere before. My eyes widened.

Meanwhile, the Chief God’s statue steadfastly continued speaking.

[Startled, the traveler asked the blind man, ’Sir, you cannot see, so why do you carry a lantern?’ Then the blind man answered. What did the blind man answer at that moment?]

"..."

I knew the answer. It was a story that featured in either Korean Language or Ethics class back in elementary school.

So I looked around at my companions and subtly probed for an answer. The first one to speak was Lackey.

"If he is blind, wouldn’t he have no need for a lantern?"

"I think so as well."

[...]

The Sun Wukong brothers didn’t know, while Cain remained silent.

He probably noticed from my reaction that I knew the answer.

There was no need to check the fixed-handle users’ responses either. No point in dragging this out.

"The blind man would have answered like this: ’Even if I cannot see ahead, if I hold a lantern, other people will be able to see me.’"

[...]

"I learned that such a thing is called consideration."

Consideration, and the benevolence that warms the world.

Although the era I lived in was rampant with the mindset that being considerate makes you a pushover, there were still plenty of people overflowing with consideration.

That was why the world was still worth living in, and why there was no reason to sink into cynicism.

I myself was one of those people. The religious figure who cared for me, and the friends who understood and accommodated my circumstances.

[Correct.]

As I reminisced about old memories, the Chief God’s statue stated that it was the correct answer. I had lightly passed all three trials.

Yet I couldn’t rejoice. I only knew that story because I had ’learned’ it.

And this was a Theme Park presumed to have been built by either Aris or Aragon.

Therefore, the person who programmed the commands into the Chief God’s statue was also one of those two.

"...Can you properly tell me about the Chief God’s true identity? What country he was from, and what kind of person he was?"Follow the newest chapters on novelping dot com.

[...]

Kki-gi-gi-gik—

Instead of answering, the Chief God’s statue slowly began moving its body.

A stiff, unmaintained noise from lack of long-term care. But I waited obediently.

Soon, the statue stepped down and headed somewhere. I followed behind it.

"At least answer me. The Chief God was Korean, right?"

[...]

"You really know how to frustrate a guy."

Silence. A refusal to answer to the very end.

Meanwhile, I quietly drew my weapon. I had a bad feeling about this.

Seeing me draw my weapon, the other companions silently readied their arms as well.

Following behind the statue, the place we arrived at was none other than the Ferris Wheel.

It was a Ferris Wheel now completely brought to a standstill, and the statue of the Chief God stood proudly before it.

[Consideration. The benevolence that had largely vanished before the Chief God rebuilt civilization.]

"..."

[The Chief God said: Benevolence fell to the ground, and by ignoring it, it was forgotten.]

Kki-gi-gi-gik—

As soon as the statue said that, noise erupted from the Ferris Wheel.

Looking up at the sound, an astonishing sight unfolded. The halted Ferris Wheel slowly began to move.

The problem was that instead of rotating, the Ferris Wheel jolted as if it were about to collapse at any second.

[I shall ask a question.]

"Why don’t you answer my question first?"

[State your name.]

This bastard is ignoring me. I let out a dry laugh.

Meanwhile, the Chief God’s statue quietly raised its sword and aimed it at me.

Jjeo-jeo-jeok— Chaekang!

The sword I thought was merely crafted as part of a statue—

Its surface gradually peeled away, transforming into an incomparably razor-sharp blade.

Not just the sword; the surface of the entire statue began to peel away.

Since it was ’crafted’ in the manner of Cain and the other robots here, its unique sense of foreignness remained, but not its face.

Seu-seu-seu-seuk—

The surface of the face covered in stone completely flaked off, vividly revealing its features.

Sharp eyes that seemed aloof from the world. A mouth firmly shut like a high monk’s, and unkempt hair left to grow wild.

Overall, it carried the aura of a transcendent immortal, but that face was one I could never forget.

"[That person’s face...]"

"He looks... a little like Master."

"Not a little, a lot. Did you have a brother or something?"

"No."

I lightly refuted Lackey’s words. I’m an only child.

Meanwhile, the statue—no, the being with a face resembling mine—spoke to me.

[State your name.]

The same question as before. I kept my mouth tightly shut.

Inside, I thought it couldn’t be, but so many pieces of evidence pointed to it.

"...Park Jong-hyuk."

So, for the first time in a while, I uttered it aloud. My real name.

At that, the statue of the Chief God—no, the replica—answered in its characteristic rigid voice.

[So you have finally reached this place.]

The replica slowly raised its opposite hand, not the one holding the sword.

It assumed a stance as if preparing to throw something, while simultaneously the Ferris Wheel violently shuddered even more.

Jolt!

Before long, one of the Ferris Wheel cars detached—

Hwi-ik!

As the replica made a throwing gesture, the Ferris Wheel car flew straight at us.

As it flew toward us, what reached my ears was—

[My younger brother.]

A man’s voice, one I had never heard before.