I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 651

Lucas.

The blacksmith of the gods, and the deity worshipped by the dwarves.

In terms of popularity, his prestige was so immense that he ranked right below the twin deities.

And for good reason—it was Lucas who forged Revolution, the Holy Sword handed down through generations in the Holy Kingdom.

Not only Revolution, but he had crafted countless masterpieces and left various footprints across history.

There was even a rumor that the demonic sword ’Gluttony’, which Allfather had mentioned before, was crafted by Lucas.

Furthermore, there was a decisive reason why the dwarves couldn’t help but worship him, which stemmed from a statement he had left behind.

That out of all the many masterpieces he had presented throughout his life, his ultimate life’s work was the dwarves—that is, the race that worshipped him.

Whether it was a proven fact remained uncertain, but this alone gave the dwarves more than enough reason to believe in him.

In particular, the nation of dwarves, Mountain, was a kingdom built with the ’Forge’ left by Lucas at its center, gradually expanding outward.

Currently, that forge was even used as a temple. That was why the dwarves had no choice but to follow Lucas devoutly.

"You call yourself Lucas, yet you say you are dead? What do you mean by that?"

[Kkeuek. It’s literally as I said. Lucas is dead, and I am closer to his proxy.]

"While possessing all of Lucas’s memories and secrets?"

[That’s right.]

"Then aren’t you practically him?"

Having recently seen a clone made in the image of the Chief God at the Theme Park, such a question naturally arose.

If one retains the original’s memories and secrets intact, isn’t that person essentially the original?

At my doubt, Lucas drank a glass of beer before explaining clearly.

[You’re not blabbering about the Ship of Theseus or whatever, are you?]

"I was thinking from a similar perspective, yes."

[Seeing this makes me think you really aren’t the Sovereign... Anyway, setting philosophy aside, the scientific way to distinguish it is simple. Whether it is programmed or not.]

Saying so, Lucas turned his gaze to look at Cain.

[Hey, you in the tin can. What’s your name?]

[I am Cain. Unworthy though I am, I serve Aris-nim.]

[Ah. Was it you? The guy who used to act like a reckless hooligan back in the day and got a knuckle rap on the head from Santa?]

"Is that true?"

When I asked as if asking ’really?’, Cain cleared his throat and looked away.

Seeing him react like that, he really must have acted like a hooligan in the past.

[...I am embarrassed that you remember that.]

[What’s there to be embarrassed about? Even Aris was a hooligan before the Sovereign set her straight. I still remember when she stole my sword and got beat to a pulp by the Sovereign.]

↳ Princess Chaenggu) Aris-nim should have seen this, for real.

↳ Sword Matstar) Wouldn’t she probably feel embarrassed?

↳ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Th-The gods are just superior to us, not perfect!

Asella’s desperate defense was truly tear-jerking. Still, she was right.

Because the gods of this world were not flawless entities, but simply beings slightly superior to humanity.

[At any rate, you retain all memories from when you were alive, right?]

[Yes. Thanks to Aris-nim’s blessing, I retain my memories.]

[And when Revolution calls, you get summoned regardless of your own will.]

[Yes. That is correct.]

[That is precisely what programming is. Acting according to input values, not your own will.]

That was the method to distinguish between the real and the fake.

I nodded upon hearing Lucas’s explanation. In the end, even if it acts like a human, a robot is still a robot.

It meant that true free will was what mattered most.

Thanks to that, a concern I had wrestled with for a while was somewhat resolved, but I had one more problem to solve.

"I woke up to find myself in this forest; do you know anything about that?"

[How should I know? Frankly speaking, some guy who looks like the Sovereign could have gotten dead drunk and crawled into this forest for all I know.]

"Uh..."

[Or open up your head and check if you have a brain. That would make it clear.]

"Does the presence of a brain determine whether I’m genuine or not?"

[Because no matter how advanced the world gets, duplicating a human brain exactly is impossible.]

Even for an AI with high learning capacity, duplicating a human brain directly seemed difficult.

"Is there no simple medical checkup machine in a place of this scale?"

[This is Lucas’s flagship. It’s a forge and a factory. Such things would be on the Sovereign’s flagship or in some laboratory out there.]

"I found a few places, but they were all trashed by Aris."

[....]

Lucas paused at my words. The remaining beer sloshed inside the bottle.

He seemed to think for a moment, organizing his thoughts, before finally letting out a sigh.

[Haa... So she finally pulled off that stunt. True to being twins, she’s as foolish as her older brother.]

"You seem to know what kind of conflict occurred between the two of them."

[I do. I couldn’t move back then because I fell ill.]

"Fell ill? When scientific technology was so advanced?"

[I guzzled so much booze because of the war that my liver enzymes surpassed 8,000....]

"...."

He was basically a living corpse. As expected of the god worshipped by dwarves.

Although dwarves had a higher life expectancy than humans, their actual average lifespan was similar.

That was because many of them died young from liver disease due to their distinct culture of excessive drinking.

’Did they even say that in the past, dwarves had shorter lifespans than humans because they got kidney stones at every turn...?’

Nothing came to mind except the saying, ’Like race, like god.’

Even one of those worshippers was currently ignoring everything and demanding beer.

"Then..."

[Stop. Don’t just ask questions yourself; let me ask a few things too.]

"Ah. Yes. What are you curious about?"

[What’s your name?]

I realized my slip. Come to think of it, I hadn’t told him my name either.

Flustered for a moment, I began introducing myself.

"My name is Park Jong-hyuk. As you heard earlier, I’m from the Republic of Korea."

[Park Jong-hyuk, huh... The name is different from the Sovereign.]

"What was the Sovereign’s name?"

[All records were expunged by his home country, so he had no recorded name. He didn’t reveal his real name to anyone except the twin siblings either.]

"According to the records, his name was difficult to pronounce, so he went by various names."Find the original chapter at novelping(.)com.

[That’s right. He was usually called by the name ’Hurk’.]

"Hurk, huh..."

I felt a strong sense that ’Hurk’ might have been derived from the ’Hyuk’ in Park Jong-hyuk. Of course, it wasn’t certain.

In the first place, the title ’Sovereign’ seemed to be used far more often than ’Hurk’.

’Digging into secrets about myself that even I don’t know feels quite strange.’

Not being sure if I was truly myself made me even more curious. I was also scared that my past dark history might come to light at this rate.

At the same time, I felt terrified. Terrified of what had happened to my friends and acquaintances.

Due to ignorance, all of humanity suffered Qi Deviation, and over ninety percent were incinerated into dust.

It was an undeniable fact that my friends and acquaintances were included in that percentage. Denying it was meaningless.

[Then next question. What weapon do you use?]

"Huh? Weapon?"

[Yeah. The weapons you’re currently using. Looks like a sword and a bow?]

"Yeah. Well..."

I pulled out my armament and showed it to Lucas. I was somewhat expectant.

Lucas was the God of Blacksmiths. Thus, he would objectively evaluate the weapons I had used or forged myself so far.

Moreover, since his body was mechanical, he would be able to make a much more detailed assessment.

’If nothing else, I’m a bit expectant about the Sword of the Heavenly Demon though.’

Honestly, everything I created myself was practically shoddy. Even the Mythricon sword was nothing more than roughly melting materials and slapping them together.

Even the gauntlets wouldn’t have been completed without the dwarf’s help.

[A bow, huh... Seeing this really makes you resemble the Sovereign. The Sovereign was exceptionally skilled with a bow too.]

"I can pride myself on being quite a good shot as well."

[Confident, aren’t we? Then can you hit a flying fighter jet with an arrow?]

"...I can probably hit a bird?"

Was that even human? That’s a machine pretending to be human.

When I looked at him with that expression, Lucas shrugged. It was a reaction that left me confused whether he was joking or serious.

[Hmm... I expected as much, but most of this is shoddy. The bow is on the verge of reaching the end of its lifespan.]

"On the verge of reaching the end of its lifespan?"

My eyes widened. I had anticipated harsh criticism, but I didn’t expect a terminal sentence.

The bow I was currently using was a gift from the elf, Let’s Grow Trees.

Its draw weight was terrifically high, a weapon I couldn’t even dare to wield when I first received it.

[The bow itself shows signs of long use. It’s been used for at least five years.]

"That’s because... I received it from an acquaintance."

[Normally, it’s natural for a bow stave to break within five years. It lasted longer only because it used the World Tree as material.]

"You mean it needs repair, right?"

[Precisely. Since you came all this way, I’ll repair it for you. I’m not a stingy person like a certain someone.]

I wanted to ask, ’Who is that stingy person?’

What I showed next was the Sword of the Heavenly Demon. It was a blade I had cherished until now and would continue to cherish.

If I were to hear that even this sword had reached the end of its lifespan... I would feel sorry to Heavenly Demon.

’Then again, I’ve used it a bit—no, very roughly until now...’

Before learning the Unity of Self and Object, I used to jam mana into it, causing frequent overloads.

Even after learning Unity of Self and Object, it was the same. It had gone through so many different incidents.

Just off the top of my head, there were times when it blocked attacks from a Colossus or made desperate final stands.

No matter how famed a sword it was, it wouldn’t have been surprising if it had broken long ago when handled like this.

[Hmm... Ah, before that, let me ask one more thing. What’s the situation outside right now?]

"What kind of situation are you referring to?"

[I mean how advanced is scientific technology. It’s hard to check the outside from in here.]

"Since there is the Gallery..."

I was about to raise a question before stopping myself immediately. Even Cain couldn’t connect to the Gallery right now.

There was no way the already deceased Lucas could connect to that place. I figured it was only natural.

[Gallery? Ah, that? You mean that thing where holograms pop up right before your eyes?]

"That’s right. What on earth is the principle behind that? As long as someone can use mana, anyone can connect to it."

[That’s Aragon’s masterpiece. Do you know the Tower of Babel?]

"If it’s the Tower of Babel..."

I didn’t know the details. But I knew the story.

That when the Tower of Babel collapsed, human languages split into different ones. Of course, it was strictly a myth.

"I roughly know it has something to do with language."

[That’s right. It was a massive tower built to unite humanity as one. Since unifying real-world languages into one completely was impossible, it was created so people could share opinions even if they met the conditions.]

"What about the principle?"

[Do you know about DNA?]

"It’s genetic information."

[It’s contained not just in blood, but in mana too. That caused a lot of talk back then. It was a time when the Sovereign showed a rather inhumane side.]

"An inhumane side?"

[He took it for granted that personal information was handed over to the higher-ups upon birth. Since it was virtually no different from turning one’s personal information into a network database, it was bound to cause pushback.]

"...."

’He really is from the Republic of Korea!’ I swallowed those words internally and opened my mouth.

"It was built for a noble purpose, then."

[It was, but... Mm....]

Lucas pondered briefly before asking in a cautious voice.

[...By any chance, are my records still around?]

"How would I know when I don’t even know your name? Besides, I understand that records are automatically deleted when someone dies."

[What a relief. I posted all sorts of weird stuff on there.]

"Is it okay for you to do that when it was founded for a noble purpose?"

[Don’t be so harsh on me. Even Aris was beat to a pulp by the Sovereign for talking trash behind people’s backs.]

"...."

What on earth did Aris spend her life doing?

In the records, she was a woman more mature than anyone with a noble purpose, but reality was a bit different.

’She must have acted like that back when she hadn’t matured yet.’

In fact, even on the murals, there were records of her causing all kinds of trouble. In many ways, she seemed to have been a troublemaker.

"By the way, the administrator changes constantly... How did that happen?"

[The administrator changes? You mean the Orange Badge?]

"Yes."New chapters come out on novelping . com first.

[There’s no way that should change... No, wait. It’s been a long time, so I suppose it makes sense. Anyway, moving on.]

Lucas hurriedly changed the subject. There was an obvious sign that he was hiding something, but I didn’t bother pressing further.

Because just getting answers up to this point had provided me with enough information.

Besides, what mattered right now was not the Gallery, but the Sword of the Heavenly Demon.

I roughly explained the level of technology in the outside world right now.

Calling it medieval... was vague, but most work was still done manually.

It had taken this shape after developing mana and magic intensively rather than machinery.

[Considering that, it was forged decently enough to be usable.]

↳ Heavenly Demon) Of course it is. That sword is the work of blacksmiths passed down through generations of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

[Even so, it’s inferior to mass-produced items stamped out by machines.]

↳ Heavenly Demon) What reckless nonsense is that damn iron dwarf spouting?

↳ Sword Matstar) He’s a god after all. His standards are bound to be high.

↳ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Calm down, please!

I felt sorry to Heavenly Demon, but this was a fact.

No matter how delicate human hands were, they couldn’t match what machines stamped out.

To put it simply, could a person produce a semiconductor with their bare hands? It was practically impossible.

Case in point, hadn’t the Holy Sword, Revolution, maintained its original form over hundreds of years?

Furthermore, as evidenced by summoning Cain, it maintained its functions as well.

"Aren’t you being too narrow-minded? Even so, it’s a sword that slices through rock like tofu."

[Narrow-minded? I’m talking about technical skill. The sword itself is quite excellent.]

"In what aspect?"

[Look at this.]

Lucas pulled something out from his body. It was a small cylindrical object.

Soon, as he gripped the object tightly, a cluster of light spewed out from the top.

Jiing!

It was a sword. A beautifully glowing lightsaber.

A sword composed of pure mana revealed its form from the cylinder.

[It’s basically something like this. A sword that lets you project an Aura Blade to your heart’s content just by inputting mana.]

"...This is a mass-produced item?"

[It’s piled up in heaps in the warehouse right now. And it’s reproducible.]

"Uh... Excuse me for saying this, but isn’t that like comparing a Korean literature professor and a 5-year-old taking a dictation test?"

[And that 5-year-old wrote a story or poem that made even the professor marvel.]

↳ Heavenly Demon) What a splendid analogy.

I understood what he meant at once. Heavenly Demon seemed to have brightened up after hearing that explanation too.

It meant that while not on the level of Revolution, the Sword of the Heavenly Demon was a masterwork among masterworks.

Since it was a sword I cherished, a strange sense of pride washed over me.

"Would it be possible to repair or upgrade that as well?"

[Repairs are doable, but not upgrades. If you want an upgrade, fulfill my request.]

"What do you want?"

[I want you to go outside and bring back a transport ship... Is there anyone among you who knows how to pilot a helicopter? The automatic driving system must be broken since it hasn’t been repaired for a long time.]

"Driving, huh..."

I turned my head to look at the party. To be precise, at one person.

The one among us whose learning ability was so exceptional that he picked up magic instantly, and who was further well-versed in operating machinery.

"...Why are you looking at me, Master?"

It was Lackey.

He had a track record of activating the machinery left abandoned in the cave after defeating the frilled lizard last time.

With the pilot (?) decided, I spoke to Lucas right away.

"Is there an operating manual or something?"

[There is, but it’s not something that can be learned in a single day.]

"That guy will manage it. Is it fine if we stay here for a few days?"

"Master. What about my opinion?"

[Nothing wrong with that. I have plenty of stories I want to share too.]

"Great, then."

"Master?"

I cleanly ignored Lackey, who grabbed my shoulder from behind. You have no right to speak.

Of course, he might feel too disappointed, so I’d have to give him a carrot as well. Later, that is.

"Ah. And since you’re a blacksmith, you know what this is too, right?"

Lastly, I pulled the Dark Arrow out of my backpack and showed it to him.

The arrow that was lodged in the Tyrant Dragon King’s heart, and a decisive weapon presumed to have been used by the Chief God.

Lucas stared intently at the arrow before speaking in a heavily lowered voice.

[...By any chance, have you ever used this?]

"I used it just once. Though I passed out from exhaustion right after."

At my response, Lucas let out a dry gasp of ’Heh’. It was a reaction of sheer disbelief.

[It’s a miracle you’re alive. Do you know what this is?]

"I know it’s an arrow used by the Sovereign."

[You know well. Even Aris would collapse from exhaustion after firing three or four shots. It’s one of my masterpieces.]

So that means my current mana pool is about one-third of Aris’s.

Then just how vast was the mana of the Chief God, who used this to his heart’s content? I couldn’t even fathom it.

"Do you happen to know where the bow is?"

[The last time he left it for repair was right after the war ended, so...]

Lucas thought for a moment before speaking.

[It’s probably somewhere in my forge outside.]

"...Wasn’t this place the main base?"

[There needs to be a place to repair this flagship too.]

I felt like he had just dropped a giant bombshell.

↳ Passing Dwarf) Please ask if there’s a hidden brewery too. Really urgent.

I love how consistent you are, honestly.

"Then what about something like a hidden brewery?"

[How did you know? Are you really the Sovereign? There is a place I made in secret when the Sovereign ordered me to quit drinking.]

"...."

I’m losing my mind. For real.