I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 633

Eternal youth and immortality have historically been among the long-cherished desires pursued by countless people.

The reason basically stems from the fear of death, but in this world, technically speaking, it wasn’t impossible.

Take Cain’s case, for instance. A case where even though the body was completely replaced by machinery, the ego still remained active.

Though there were philosophical arguments to be made, like the Ship of Theseus, he could be seen as the closest existence to immortality.

Or possession, where one switches to someone else’s body entirely, or living even when only bones remain like a Lich, and so on.

In this way, eternal youth and immortality could be maintained through various methods. And humanity had entered this stage.

If asked whether one could maintain eternal youth and immortality while keeping a human body, I would answer flatly.

’Eternal youth might be possible, but immortality is impossible.’

Even the substance manufactured in this factory was said to suppress aging, not grant an un-dying body.

If they had truly invented an immortal body, they wouldn’t have gone through such a troublesome process.

Anyway, this meant that the anti-aging substance produced in this factory didn’t seek perfect immortality either.

"So let’s not do anything foolish and just move on."

ㄴPraise the Sun) Yeah, guys. Living a long life isn’t all that great either.

ㄴPrincess Chaenggu) I don’t know. I’m curious to see what will happen to Chaeyu in 1,000 years?

ㄴKing Reor) Honestly, if it’s a bottom-tier team, you should at least see the club you support win before you die.

ㄴSuspiciously...) Even if your lifespan is short, they’ll probably win a championship before you die.

ㄴPrincess Chaenggu) You think so? lol Seriously, if you saw the state of the Chaeyu matches the year before last, lol

ㄴKing Reor) I even saw them get relegated, yeah.

ㄴSuspiciously...) Just go ahead and pour out your curses, you long-lived species.

ㄴAllfather) Even realistically speaking, it is doubtful whether the Sky Whale will ever come outside.

While the regular users were sharing useless stories, Allfather brought up a realistic point.

Just as he said, the Sky Whale was an extremely rare specimen. It had only ever been discovered in the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Although the Forest of the Four Seasons was partially open now, entering it with the intention of capturing the Sky Whale was nothing short of madness.

Furthermore, it was possible that this was the only Sky Whale of its kind.

"Are there factories like this inside the bellies of other Sky Whales too?"

[Good question. Factories can only be built inside the internal organs of female Sky Whales.]

The announcer kindly answered my question.

It seemed an AI was embedded here, fitting for a sort of Theme Park. It was enough to make me let out a dry laugh.

"Only females? Why is that?"

[Because it is efficient.]

"...."

Efficiency. That was a highly convincing answer.

Indeed, since it involved building a factory inside a living creature’s body, they would have scrapped it if the efficiency was garbage.

Moreover, since the Sky Whale was an extremely rare specimen, they must have been even more careful. Still, there were many causes for concern.

"What if something goes wrong with the Sky Whale because of this?"

[The factory occupies less than 5% of the liver. Furthermore, the liver is the organ with the strongest regenerative capacity. If liver function is severely compromised, the factory automatically shuts down.]

"So because its liver function returned recently, the factory started operating again?"

[That is correct. Additionally, the factory is utilized as a life support system.]

"They really give the disease and then offer the cure."

Was it playing a role similar to an artificial heart? I could only marvel at the fact that it could be used for medical purposes as well.

It was a factory that simultaneously demonstrated human creativity and cruelty.

If there was any consolation, it was that it didn’t seem to have a major negative impact on the Sky Whale.

If it had caused harm, I would have plotted to destroy the factory out of pity.

’Though it would have just been a plot.’

There was no telling what kind of impact destroying it carelessly would have on the Sky Whale.

For all I knew, this factory might be acting as a sort of explosive collar.

Therefore, even if I felt pity, it was better to pass by quietly. I might just end up causing a nuisance.

"Master. Where should we go now?"

"First of all, the place where the Sky Whale felt pain isn’t here."

Furthermore, the place where the Sky Whale felt severe pain was not here.

This was a fact I learned by comparing the anatomical chart Allfather had handed me with the map discovered inside.

However, the liver could not be easily passed by either. The liver is called the ’silent organ’ because it doesn’t easily feel pain.

If one felt severe pain in the liver, it meant it was already far too late.

Moreover, since the factory had been inactive for a long time and had only recently started operating again...

It was necessary to inspect it, just in case.New chapters come out on nоvelping.com first.

"But how do we get inside?"

[A factory tour has currently been approved. Please follow the guide to enter.]

Thank you very much. I almost smashed the glass window to break in.

I entered the factory according to the sketch shown by the hologram. Nothing blocked us along the way.

Soon, as we entered the factory where machinery was actively operating, I felt a renewed sense of awe.

’How on earth do factories of this scale run?’

The liver is the body’s chemical factory. And a factory cannot run without energy.

While it produced numerous substances in the liver, it had to be sourcing energy from somewhere.

The most likely place was the heart. Even simple pumping would be releasing an immense amount of energy.

"Let’s head to the engine room first. The place connected to it is highly likely to be the heart."

ㄴAllfather) That sounds quite plausible.

ㄴPrincess Chaenggu) Every time I watch, you fight so brutally, but your brain works really well.

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) He is the Chief God, after all!

ㄴPassing Dwarf) Are you saying the Chief God is a god who fights brutally?

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) T-That’s not what I meant!

Surprisingly, I couldn’t refute the dwarf’s words.

According to the memories shown by the Tyrant Dragon King, the Chief God really did fight brutally.

He had literally thrown a mountain at the Tyrant Dragon King, so if that wasn’t brutal, what was?

I glanced at the chatter of the regular users and looked around the factory. Surprisingly, there were no guards blocking us.

I thought they would have set up robots like in the Theme Park, but apparently not. However, there was something else instead.

Kkumul-kkumul—

"What is this now? Mold?"

"It looks like the flesh we saw last time, Master."

Lumps of flesh blooming like mold in various parts of the actively operating machinery.

They were definitely not ordinary lumps of flesh, as they were covered in countless eyes, noses, and mouths, hinting at their identity.

"Has Manatology invaded all the way here?"

It was Manatology. To think they had penetrated even into the belly of the Sky Whale.

However, the remnants of Manatology I had seen before and the lump of flesh in front of me were slightly different.

Instead of being self-sustaining organisms, they were clinging to and parasitizing the machinery like mold.

Furthermore, mouths were attached to the outlets where the machinery discharged the finished substances. I could roughly guess how they had been sustaining themselves.

"Master. Are we going to burn this too?"

"We have to burn it. They’re worse than parasites."

They were worse than tumors, so leaving them alone would only have a negative impact on the Sky Whale.

If we weren’t careful, the Sky Whale itself might get devoured by Manatology.

If that happened, it would truly be the worst-case scenario.

’Fortunately, since this is a factory, using fire won’t be an issue.’

I poured oil over the flesh fused with the machinery and set it ablaze.

The distinct smell of burning flesh wafted through the air, causing discomfort, but even that didn’t last long.

Wiing! Wiing! Wiing!

[Fire alarm. Fire alarm. Fire alarm.]

[Extinguishing system activated. Factory operations suspended.]

Out of nowhere, a loud alarm blared, and water began pouring from above.

The sprinklers had activated. Honestly, it was something you’d expect in most facilities, so I just let it go.

The problem was the extinguishing capability. Fires fueled by oil usually don’t go out just by spraying water.

Chiiiiik—

"Wait. It caught on oil, so why is it going out?"

But it did go out. What on earth was the water pouring from above that it could extinguish even an oil fire?

While I stood there dazed, the fire on the flesh was completely extinguished.

Soon, along with an announcement that the fire had been suppressed, the factory resumed operations.

Kkumul-kkumul—

The lump of flesh wriggled as if mocking me, as if claiming this was its domain.

So, what did I do?

Jjeojeojeok!

I used cold to freeze it solid. Then, I slowly pried off the frozen pieces.

Though the process was more tedious than burning it with fire, it was a reasonably effective method of disposal.Read this novel at novelpi‌ng.com for the best experience.

Of course, these bastards had firmly endured inside the whale’s belly, even while operations had been suspended for a long time.

Without burning them with fire, simply freezing them with cold wouldn’t be enough to completely eradicate them.

Wiiiiing—

Only after I peeled off the flesh tissues one by one did the extract finally emerge from the outlet.

It looked like an Inner Core at first glance, but it was white instead of blue.

The extract moved along the rail and entered another machine.

Dduk— dduk—

The extract entered the machine, and the machine began dripping droplets of liquid bit by bit.

However, because there was no glass bottle or anything to catch them, they simply fell to the floor.

"Master. The floor is open here."

"Indeed. It seems they are feeding it to the Sky Whale."

It seemed to be structured in a way that if it wasn’t collected, it would directly affect the Sky Whale.

I debated whether to fill an empty glass bottle with it, but decided to just leave it be.

ㄴHeavenly Demon) Are you not interested in eternal youth and immortality?

"I’m not interested. I feel like I’m already going to live a long time anyway."

ㄴHeavenly Demon) How strange. Eternal youth and immortality are things everyone envies.

"I believe a prepared death is a blessing."

Humans are bound to fear death, and I am no exception.

Even right now, am I not struggling desperately to survive?

But that is only in unforeseen circumstances; I view someone who lives out their natural lifespan and passes away as a blessing in itself.

The deceased can go peacefully in their own way, and the living can go on living while missing the deceased in theirs.

"And though I don’t know if I’ll ever have children, I at least never want to see my child pass away before me."

ㄴHeavenly Demon) Children. Come to think of it, I am curious. How many children would you like to have?

ㄴSword Matstar) Five is enough for me.

ㄴHeavenly Demon) This lady asked him, not you.

ㄴSword Matstar) That’s why I answered five?

ㄴPrincess Chaenggu) Having 11 to form a soccer team isn’t bad either.

ㄴSword Matstar) Are you some goddess of fertility? Is that even possible?

ㄴPrincess Chaenggu) It might be hard for humans because of their short lifespans, but we of the Demon Race are a long-lived species ^^

ㄴAllfather) Long-lived species generally have a lower probability of pregnancy compared to other races.

ㄴPrincess Chaenggu) He is the Chief God, after all, so wouldn’t at least one every three years be possible?

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) Stop talking about weird things!!!

Why did the conversation suddenly drift in that direction? I chuckled.

Anyway, I put the frozen, shattered pieces of Manatology into my Subspace Backpack.

I would replenish the cold periodically and dispose of them outside the factory.

After thoroughly exploring the inside of the factory like that, there wasn’t much else of note, except for Manatology.

’Is this place like a breakroom?’

Except for the place presumed to be a relaxation space for the employees.

Built in a neat, square shape, anyone could tell it was a place where employees took breaks.

As we entered, I could clearly see it with my own eyes.

"Master. This is..."

"Yeah. Tally marks. Marks showing how many days they survived."

Countless survival tally marks carved into the walls, and...

[I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live.]

[I’m hungry. I’m hungry. I’m hungry. I’m hungry. I’m hungry. I’m hungry. I’m hungry. I’m hungry. I’m hungry.]

[I want to get out. I want to get out. I want to get out. I want to get out. I want to get out. I want to get out. I want to get out. I want to get out.]

They were countless yearnings, showing what kind of hell this place had been.

And...

[Today, we ate Dennis. I didn’t want to eat him.]

[Who did we eat yesterday? Roy? Sarkas? Bella?]

[We ate our friends. We wanted to live.]

They were records too painful to look at with open eyes.