I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 68

Title: Vigorous and strong morning!

Wild Grylls

Starting day 9 as of today!

└Heavenly Demon) You’re awake. What do you plan to do today?

└Wild Grylls) First, I’m planning to go to the cave I visited yesterday. I want to check if the entire area there is an Orichalcum Cave.

└Heavenly Demon) If you happen to find some, could you give me a little bit? Having one piece wouldn’t be bad.

└Wild Grylls) If it’s Heavenly Demon-nim’s request, of course I have to grant it. I’ll give you a big one.

└Heavenly Demon) Thank you. While we trade, I shall give you Fasting Pills I made in advance.

└Wild Grylls) Thank you.

└Sword Matstar) You’re living diligently today too. You seem busier than me.

└Wild Grylls) Sword Matstar-nim, can’t you get a job if you want to?

└Sword Matstar) I could, but there’s no real need to, hehe.

└Envious. A rich unemployed person.

└Isn’t that person the true winner in life?

└Some people work till their bones break, while others... sigh.

└Without a doubt, she’s a noble born with a silver spoon lol

└Passing Dwarf) Uh. What. Another day passed. That thing you gave me really was Orichalcum.

└Wild Grylls) Talk about a late reaction;; From what time were you chugging booze yesterday?

└Passing Dwarf) From lunch till evening. But what was inside that fish? When I drank booze with it, heat was surging like crazy through my body;; Because of that, I slept all day.

Ah. Right. It was a fish carrying an Inner Core.

As Heavenly Demon explained, a fish with an Inner Core is a spiritual creature and a spiritual medicine.

Having eaten that, it wasn’t strange that heat ran through his body.

└Wild Grylls) Same happened to me, but after a deep sleep I felt better. Are you still in pain?

└Passing Dwarf) Other than my body overflowing with power, I’m completely fine. Planning to go to the mine after a long time.

Come to think of it, this guy is a Dwarf. Because his drunkard image was so strong, I had forgotten.

Dwarves were a race of booze and mines. Drinking a glass of alcohol after finishing mine work was a tradition.

Was it said that their stubby bodies were also specialized for mine work? Anyway, it was something like that.

└Wild Grylls) I might do some pickaxe work too, any tips?

└Passing Dwarf) Don’t inject mana into your pickaxe. There might be minerals sensitive to mana.

└Wild Grylls) Is Orichalcum sensitive to mana too?

└Passing Dwarf) Rather than sensitive, its absorption rate is absurdly high. For now, you must absolutely never use mana.

└Wild Grylls) Just hearing about it sounds tough?

└It’s hard as hell lol There’s a reason it’s picked as one of the hardest jobs in the world.

└If the shaft collapses, you just die.

└Wild Grylls) I should just pick up rocks rolling around on the ground.

└By the way, you haven’t died yet

└When is this bastard gonna die lol

└He’s pretty stubborn lol

└Staying alive continuously gets boring too~

└Wild Grylls) These bastards?

I started the day receiving encouragement from fixed-handle users and regular users infused with sweetness and spiciness.

The start of the day was, of course, a refreshing glass of water and the crisp air of the forest.

And...

"Moo."

"..."

Encountering a deer far larger than my barricade.

Gloriously glowing blue antlers, pure white hide, and eyes as clear as clean river water.

I stared at the deer blankly, then silently took a photo for the Gallery.

Tadat! Tat!

Fortunately, as soon as the blue-antlered deer met my eyes, it immediately fled.

With light footsteps, the fellow leapt right over the barricade and fled.

Despite having a remarkably eye-catching appearance, it disappeared quickly once it entered the forest.

’...Could it be that my size got smaller?’

Owlbear, fish, Golden Frog, saber-toothed tiger, chicken, and now even a deer.

Every single one of them was an abnormally huge specimen, raising doubts.

I feel like I understand how Gulliver felt entering the land of giants alone.

It’s terrifying. Fucking terrifying, at that.

Title: Anyone know what this deer is?

Wild Grylls

(Photo of a deer with blue antlers and white hide)

The moment I stepped out of the cave, this guy greeted me. Anyone know who it is?

└Heavenly Demon) What a beautiful deer. The blue antlers are radiant.

└Princess Chaenggu) I know, right~ Just like my eyes.

└Heavenly Demon) I shall bring down an iron mace.

└Princess Chaenggu) I’m sorry!!!

└Heavenly Demon) Heh.

└Sword Matstar) What is that if not oppression?

└Heavenly Demon) It is righteous regulation.

└Sword Matstar) Look at that shamelessness;;

└Starlight Lady) I’ve seen that deer in a book. If my guess is correct, it’s a Spirit Deer.

└Wild Grylls) A Spirit? There are Spirits too?

└Starlight Lady) You didn’t know? Where on earth did you live before?

└Wild Grylls) I told you I came from another world...

Should I have just said I grew up in a backwoods country bumpkin village?

But then she would’ve countered asking how I was using the Gallery.

It felt better to comfortably say I came from another world.

└Starlight Lady) You can think of Spirits as living mana. Mana possessing a will.

└Wild Grylls) That’s abstract.

└Starlight Lady) You know the Guardian you first encountered, Grylls-ssi?

└Wild Grylls) You mean that giant rock giant, right?

The memory is still vivid. The rock I leaned my back against came alive and moved.

And its size was so massive that if I had been stepped on, I would’ve died on the spot.

└Starlight Lady) Nothing is certain, but it’s presumed that Spirits dwell inside naturally occurring Guardians.

└Wild Grylls) Then what about that deer?

└Starlight Lady) It’s called a Spirit Deer because it looks like a Spirit. Spirits cannot directly affect living beings. In the end, they are just mana.

└Wild Grylls) It doesn’t shoot lasers from its antlers or anything, right?

└Starlight Lady) A single kick from it would hurt much more than that.

└Beyond hurting, wouldn’t your bones be smashed to pieces?

└Grylls-ah. Why don’t you try getting kicked once? You have a shield too.

└Wild Grylls) ;;;Get faster updates on novelping(.)com.

└Starlight Lady) You can ignore those morons’ words.

Being in a place with an excessive amount of mana, I was meeting all kinds of animals.

It was a fantasy-like world, but to me, it was a dark fantasy.

A place where a single mistake could cost me my life. Could I leave with my body intact?

’Before that, I need to keep myself alive.’

Shaking my head, I walked up to the river. I intended to check the fish caught overnight.

Cheolseok! Cheolseok!

Exactly 2 fish were caught in the trap. And they were hugely massive ones too.

Delighted, I retrieved the fish trap. This is what you call free loot.

Buseureok-

"Hmm?"

While retrieving the trap, I heard the rustling sound of bushes.

Because it sounded right next to me, I stopped retrieving the trap and immediately shifted into a vigilant stance.

Holding my sword and shield, I stared intently in the direction of the sound.

"..."

Whether it was groundless anxiety or not, no further sound was heard.

Still, without lowering my guard, I retrieved the trap.

A slight misstep could end my life, so I couldn’t help but be hyper-sensitive.

’Since it’s near the river, I have no choice but to be careful.’

There would be many animals coming to drink water.

This spot seemed to have fewer due to the Golden Frogs... but now, who knows.

Because of me, not only the boss but a considerable number of Golden Frogs were dead.

Keeping guard until the end, I returned to the cave. Nothing threatening happened along the way.

’Whenever possible, I should always bring Speed Sloth with me.’

With that thought, I prepared breakfast. Right on cue, Wonmo woke up too.

I gave one fish to Wonmo. Naturally, I removed the Inner Core.

’By the way... has he gotten bigger?’

While eating fish deliciously, I observed Wonmo. Wonmo was currently wearing the uniform gifted by Princess Chaenggu.

Originally a perfectly fitting uniform, it was now stretched to its limit.

Either he gained weight or grew in size, one of the two.

Or both. Since he was in a growth phase, I didn’t pay much mind.

’Getting bigger is good.’

Since ancient times, hasn’t weight class been king? Then that’s fine.

In the future, if he grows bigger than me, he’ll be a massive help. Though I don’t know when that day will come.

’Will I escape the Forest of the Four Seasons before then?’

Even if it was a futile hope, it was fine. Times like these were when I needed to hold onto hope.

I finished eating and cleaned up. My stomach was comfortably full.

’I should take the medicine Allfather gave me and practice the Mental Cultivation Method.’

I was consistently practicing the Mental Cultivation Method. In particular, I focused on the breathing technique itself.

Practicing to increase overall lung capacity—this was the most effective.

’Later, I should ask how to increase lung capacity too.’

Now, only one task remained: going to the Orichalcum Cave to pick up a few pieces.

Since I had memorized the path entirely, there was no chance of getting confused.

’Wonmo is...’

Usually, he was a fellow who passed out right after eating. But this time was different.

He stared at me with his trademark blank eyes. He didn’t seem to have any intention of taking an afternoon nap.

"Wonmo. You shouldn’t go anywhere weird, okay?"

"Kyu?"

"Even if you see something delicious, don’t go. Got it?"

"Kyu?"

"Because it’s dangerous."

Every time I spoke, Wonmo tilted his head while making cute noises.

Like Speed Sloth, he was a fellow who surprisingly understood my words well, so he would follow along fine.

Having finished breakfast, I began gathering my gear.

The equipment was, as always, sword, shield, and the Subspace Bag I received as a gift from Allfather yesterday.

The bag contained various items, including a crossbow.

However, items easily damaged like Elixirs were not put inside.

It was a bag that ignored spatial constraints, not one that transcended weight or physical impact inside.

Although the probability was slim, occasionally items collided with each other and sustained damage.

So Elixirs and Fasting Pills for emergency rations were kept in a separate bag.

On my left waist, a bag containing food, including Elixirs.

On my right waist, the Subspace Bag containing the crossbow and other tools.

’This is plenty.’

Even if it was a bit heavy, I could manage it easily.

The crossbow was an extremely useful weapon for me, who lacked any ranged attack means.

With preparation complete, I carried Speed Sloth on my back.

Wonmo, wearing his stretched uniform, also urged us to go quickly, bouncing around cutely.

"Yeah, yeah. Let’s go. But you must not fall behind, okay?"

"Kyu!"

Unlike during the runaway incident, this time the three of us—or rather, one human and two animals—moved side by side.

Destination: the Orichalcum Cave visited yesterday. I planned to explore that place a bit more.

There was also the item gifted by King Reor, so using that would work out.

’There was nothing dangerous in the cave yesterday anyway.’

Though bats and snakes were present, they weren’t threatening.

I had prepared Elixirs just in case, and even if I didn’t step in personally, Wonmo would probably take care of them.

Tracing yesterday’s memories, I walked toward the Orichalcum Cave.

The markers carved yesterday remained intact, so finding the way wasn’t difficult.

’Chickens and chicks won’t pop out, right?’

I had no idea why chickens and chicks were in the forest, but regardless, caution was necessary.

Just the chicks alone were similar in size to me. The chickens were far larger than me.

Knowing the scope of their territory would make activity easier, but it wasn’t simple.

"Sniff, sniff."

"Wonmo. That’s gross, gross."

Along the way, Wonmo sniffed at a weirdly shaped plant.

It was an eye-catching yellow flower that strangely reflected light and sparkled.

Just looking at it, it was practically advertising, ’I’m poisonous.’

I gave Wonmo a brief scolding and snapped a photo of the flower for the Gallery.

Things like this should be asked of Allfather or Starlight Lady. There was no need to take risks now.

—Kokkio!!!

From not too far away, a loud rooster crow echoed.Visit novelping(.)com for the full chapter.

As I walked, it seemed I had entered the chicken territory before I realized it.

"Kyuaeng!"

The moment Wonmo heard that sound, he scrambled over to me in terror.

It seemed that being chased by the flock of chicks previously acted as trauma.

Patting Wonmo to reassure him, I looked around. Nothing in particular caught my attention.

’There are feathers scattered here and there, though.’

Black feathers presumed to have fallen from a chicken.

Because the size was so large, even a single feather was quite big.

I picked one up and put it in the Subspace Bag. It might come in handy later.

"We’re here."

Without any threats, I managed to reach the Orichalcum Cave.

Arriving at the cave, I pulled an item out of my regular bag.

The crystal ball engraved with Light magic gifted by King Reor.

I heard tapping this ball a few times would trigger the magic.

Tuk-tuk-

Following King Reor’s explanation, tapping the crystal ball a few times caused a strange phenomenon.

The dim crystal ball emitted a bright light, which then floated into the air.

Though the main body, the crystal ball, remained in my hand, the light hovered above my head—a fascinating sight.

"Ooh!"

I gasped in admiration watching the light floating gently above my head.

Magic seen for the first time in my life made me feel like I had returned to my childhood.

Since it was said to last for a full hour, exploring would pose no problem.

’It’s brighter than a torch. Very nice.’

With this, even in dark areas, I wouldn’t experience inconvenience while exploring.

With excited spirits, I stepped inside the cave. Wonmo pranced along behind me.

A short while later, I reached the downhill path leading to the Orichalcum Cave.

The rope installed yesterday was still intact, so I climbed down carefully.

"Hmm?"

The moment I descended into the cave, I felt something odd.

How to put it... the arrangement of the rocks felt slightly different.

If I had a photo, I could at least compare, but without one, it was ambiguous.

’Is it just my imagination?’

Tilting my head, I looked around. The cave was still sparkling.

Since there was light, I took a photo and posted it to the Gallery.

Title: Orichalcum Cave

Wild Grylls

(Photo of a cave filled with Orichalcum)

(Photo of rock-shaped Orichalcum)

(Photo of Orichalcum picked up from the floor)

How’s this? All that sparkling stuff is Orichalcum, right?

└Heavenly Demon) What a beautiful cave. A cavern filled with True Gold.

└Sword Matstar) It’s really pretty. What are you going to do now?

└Wild Grylls) I don’t know. Pick up some stuff dropped on the floor and explore? There’s nothing particularly dangerous.

└Sword Matstar) Still, be careful. Unless it’s an artificially dug mine, natural caves have plenty of monsters.

Monsters. Hearing those words, I looked around.

Aside from small animals including bats, there were no notable living beings.

The scale of the cave was just as far as the eye could see. Still, vigilance was necessary.

└Passing Dwarf) Kaaah. I wanna run over right now and swing a pickaxe lol

└Wild Grylls) Wanna come?

└Passing Dwarf) After I finish all this booze

└Wild Grylls) So that means you’re not coming, holy shit

└Passing Dwarf) Why the fuck would I go there crazy? lol

└Allfather) Still, it is fascinating. For an entire cave to be composed of Orichalcum. Just what kind of place is the Forest of the Four Seasons?

└Starlight Lady) Wouldn’t it be a place that experienced severe crustal deformation? Orichalcum is a mineral formed only where mana is abundant.

└Allfather) That is true, but there is definitely something present. Something generating extreme mana.

└Starlight Lady) That’s a plausible hypothesis. If space itself is distorted to this degree, wouldn’t it be beyond the World Tree?

└Allfather) Perhaps so. Further exploration seems necessary.

└Wild Grylls) Anyone else who has no idea what they’re talking about?

└Me!

└I don’t get it either!

└Ah lol It’s fine not to know lol

└Let’s Grow Trees) There is only one World Tree in this world. And that is Alfheim’s World Tree.

└We already know, so scram, elf.

└A race surviving purely off World Tree clout~

└Let’s Grow Trees) So have you received the World Tree’s blessing? Since you haven’t, all you can do is be sarcastic.

└Ha. Holy shit, that really pisses me off lol

└It’s a fact, so having nothing to say is so annoying lol

World Tree or whatever, exploration comes first.

Together with Wonmo, I surveyed various parts of the cave interior.

Just what had happened for an Orichalcum cave to exist so casually?

I wasn’t a scholar, nor a person born in this world.

I could only move past it with a simple ’Fascinating~’.

’Orichalcum has good mana absorption rate, right?’

Placing my hand on the ground, I circulated the mana within my body.

Before long, mana seeped out through my hand.

Flash!

However, it didn’t shimmer like heat haze.

As if it really absorbed it, it sparkled even brighter than before.

Seeing that, just as I rounded my lips in wonder...

Kugugu- Kugugu

The sound of rocks rubbing against each other echoed right behind me.

The moment the sound registered, I spun around in startle.

"Uh, u-uh?"

A rock was moving. A rock made of Orichalcum.

The massive mineral chunk moved as if ’standing up’, then stood proudly on two legs.

Watching it stand up, I stumbled backward step by step.

Before long, the Orichalcum mass stood upright in the shape of a human.

Kiiiing-

A ’Guardian’ revealed its presence before me.