I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 79

The raccoon man—no, the raccoon that tried to steal and eat the Fasting Pills was dealt with by Speed Sloth.

Usually, Raccoon Man is the one solving problems, but for a sloth to handle it instead is truly bizarre.

"Here, Wonmo. Drink this too."

"Kkyuuu?"

"The moment you get rabies, your master is completely fucked."

Wonmo had devoured the raccoon that Speed Sloth had chopped into bite-sized pieces.

I gently pried open Wonmo’s beak and poured in the elixir.

It was the animal-use elixir that Starlight Lady had gifted me earlier.

Wonmo struggled at first, but after swallowing a single drop, he gulped it right down.

He went beyond drinking it well and started acting greedy, so I barely managed to restrain him.

’Elixirs are supposed to be bitter... Is this one sweet?’

Since elixirs are essentially medicine, they are normally bitter.

However, animal elixirs seemed to taste different, considering how crazy Wonmo was going over it.

I disposed of the remaining raccoon carcass I hadn’t cleaned up yet and checked outside.

The rain had almost stopped, so it looked like I could start moving around soon.

’I should check the river first.’

Since it rained, the river must have swollen tremendously.

Even if it hadn’t, I intended to just check it and back off immediately.

River water doesn’t swell slowly; it surges forward like a tsunami.

’For having rained all morning, the ground is surprisingly holding up.’

Only the area around my cave—specifically where I had been working—was muddy; everywhere else was fine.

However, some construction work seemed necessary, specifically for the ditch I dug beneath the barricade.

That pit had served well as a drainage ditch, but it needed cleaning up.

’It’ll take a long time for all of this to dry out...’

I needed to adjust it so the water would drain elsewhere.

If stagnant water accumulated, it would stink terribly and likely attract swarms of bugs.

To prevent that, a drainage trench was essential. I started working immediately.

Checking the river could wait. I had to clean up around the cave first.

Pahk! Pak!

I diligently shoveled the dirt and organized the drainage channel.

The end of the drainage channel led behind the cave toward the dense tree line.

If water pooled there, the tree roots would absorb it naturally.

’For now, let’s block it with soil so water doesn’t flow.’

Letting water flow carelessly would undoubtedly lead to annoying complications.

I built a temporary dirt wall and continued shoveling.

Pahk!

As I shoveled, I stumbled upon something strange.

The main culprit was an earthworm.

It was a massive earthworm, rivaling the size of the giant gummy worms I used to eat back in elementary school.

"Kkyaaahh!!!"

Thoroughly terrified, I tumbled backward and collapsed onto my butt.

Who knew an earthworm buried in the dirt popping up to say "Hello?" could be so frightening?

I rarely screamed since arriving here, but a single earthworm pulled off quite the feat.

"Kkyuuu?"

Surprised by my scream, Wonmo rushed over frantically. He had an expression that asked what was wrong.

Soothing my racing heart, I stroked Wonmo’s head. That seemed to calm my startled nerves.

Seeing how wildly my heart pounded, I was definitely still alive.

"Nom nom nom."

Wonmo happily devoured the earthworm that had so politely greeted me.

Earthworms were high in protein, so I didn’t stop him.

"Phew..."

Once my heart calmed down a bit, I let out a deep sigh.

The appearance of that worm was going to leave me traumatized.

Would I even be able to shovel properly after this?

After a momentary thought, I steadily resumed the unfinished work.

Having Wonmo stand guard beside me like a bodyguard while I shoveled was incredibly reassuring.

"This should do it."

The drainage work was finished. I didn’t have to worry about puddles anymore.

All that was left was checking the river. Arming myself roughly, I headed toward the river.

Since Wonmo was awake, I brought Speed Sloth along as well.

And then...

Kwagwagwagwa!!

"...Fuck me."

Staring at the insanely swollen river water, I couldn’t help but curse under my breath.

It wasn’t just slightly swollen; it was raging with the force of a tsunami.

The already fast current had gotten drastically faster, and the water level had risen noticeably.

However, the bigger problem lay elsewhere—specifically, the fish traps I had set up.

The rocks that originally anchored the fish traps couldn’t withstand the current and were completely swept away.

Naturally, the fish traps secured between those rocks were swept away too.

All my hard work up until now turned to dust in an instant due to the rain.

Title) What the FUCK, my fish traps!!!

Wild Grylls

(Video of the rapidly flowing river)

This damn rain swept away my entire food source.

It can’t possibly be like this every time it rains, right? I’d be so depressed if it is.

└ Heavenly Demon: The current is strong indeed. You had better not go near it.

└ Sword Matstar: It looks terrifying just watching it. You aren’t hurt anywhere, right?

└ Wild Grylls: I’m fine, except for my broken heart.

└ Passing Dwarf: The fish traps I gave you weren’t even that weak;; how did it sweep everything away?

└ Wild Grylls: The traps aren’t the issue; the rocks holding them down all collapsed.

└ Passing Dwarf: It’s just a natural disaster then. Don’t worry, I’ll give you another trap later.

└ Wild Grylls: Thx thx;; Want some fish?

└ Passing Dwarf: Weren’t you supposed to give that for every trade anyway?

└ Wild Grylls: What kind of logic is;;

└ Passing Dwarf: You got a problem with that?

└ Wild Grylls: Of course not. What color would you like this time?

└ Isn’t he basically a slave at this point?

└ This goes way beyond slave level.

└ He’s practically a sugar daddy, more than a master lmaoVisit novelping dot com for the full chapter.

└ Grylls-yah. No urge to go swimming over there? Or at least surfing?

└ Looks fun from here.

└ Wild Grylls: You guys come do it then, fuckers

Most people expressed sympathy over the fish traps washing away.

Since my sole food source had vanished, I was frustrated as well.

If this happened every time it rained, things were going to get much busier.

It was while I was letting out a heavy, troubled sigh.

"Kkuwoooh! Kku-ong!"

"...Huh?"

A strange noise echoed from the direction of the river.

Turning my head, I saw a pitch-black bear struggling wildly after falling into the river.

It must have been near the river when disaster struck.

’Poor thing.’

I felt a bit sorry for it. Seeing its large build, it seemed to be a fairly grown individual.

Even if it had experience, it evidently hadn’t anticipated the rapidly swelling river water.

’...Wait, a bear?’

I looked upstream. The bear had definitely washed down from higher up.

Judging by that, it meant various animals, including bears, inhabited the upper reaches.

Just how dangerous were the creatures living up there? I was already worried.

’At least it was a normal size, so it should be fine...’

Kuuung! Kung! Kung!

"Kkuwooohhh!"

The moment that thought crossed my mind, a bear the size of a house zoomed past right in front of me.

It was a massive beast, comparable to the owlbear I had seen before.

It seemed the one floating down the river was the cub, and the one that had just sprinted past was the mother.

If I traveled upstream, I might not just encounter that mother bear—I might have to fight her.

’Just die down river, please.’

There were whales and sharks downstream too, so I wondered how that would end up.

Still, thanks to that, I realized a few key facts.

Something beyond my imagination was living upstream.

After all, even right around here, giant chickens dominated the territory.

’Rain really brings out all kinds of bizarre situations.’

A random raccoon barging into my cave, my fish traps getting washed away by the current, seeing a giant bear...

Calming my worried heart, I returned to the cave. I planned to settle lunch with the fish I caught yesterday.

’The vote should be wrapping up soon, right?’

The trade cooldown vote initiated yesterday was nearing its end time.

Perhaps because that thought crossed my mind, I decided to hold off on lunch until after the vote finished.

If the 24-hour trade cooldown was lifted, I planned to share pieces of fish with the others.

Even though it was my lunch, sharing a little bit was totally fine. The fish was massive enough to gorge on just one.

’I really hope for a good outcome.’

The Orange Badge was stubborn, inflexible, and a stickler for rules.

While she had a tiny bit of flexibility, she generally avoided breaking rules whenever possible.

’Given the nature of the Gallery, this might actually be better.’

I had picked up rumors here and there about previous Orange Badges.

Every single one of them had abused the Gallery to cause all sorts of shameful incidents.

The most outrageous case was someone subtly exploiting the trade system to ruin an entire fiefdom.

There were even reports of someone using location tracking to stalk people, so one could easily guess the system’s dangerous capabilities.

’What would have happened to me if the current Orange Badge were a lunatic?’

She probably would have slapped a trade restriction on me to drop dead, or perma-banned me altogether.

I heard the Orange Badge isn’t replaced unless under very specific circumstances, so it was fortunate.

I sincerely hoped the current Orange Badge would last a long time. That way, my survival would be much easier.

’If the trade restriction is lifted, I should give some fish to Orange Badge too.’

From what I could tell, she seemed to live a pitiable life, so giving her some wouldn’t hurt.

She mentioned being pursued occasionally, though I couldn’t tell if someone with her personality had committed a crime.

Well, there are all kinds of people in the world, so I should just accept it and move on.

I was merely repaying a kindness, not judging the person behind it.

’Other than lifting the trade restriction, I don’t really have anything else to ask for.’

One-on-one chat would be nice, but that could be substituted with private posts.

It was slightly inconvenient, but even this was something I was deeply grateful for right now.

"Wonmo, time to eat."

"Kkyuuu!"

I fed Wonmo and waited for the vote to end.

Practicing the Internal Cultivation Art wouldn’t be efficient right now anyway, so exploring the Gallery was my best bet.

Since I had posted the vote yesterday, I was worried it might have gotten buried.

’Oh, it’s pinned in the notices?’

However, that concern was unfounded. It was clearly posted right in the notice section.

Since breaking a Gallery rule was a major issue, she must have converted it to an official notice.

’They said only fixed handles could vote... I wonder how many fixed handles there are?’

Most Gallery users were anonymous lurkers, but there were quite a few fixed handles as well.

The Gallery was a place anyone could access as long as they met the requirements.

I didn’t know the exact population across dimensions, but proportionally, there had to be a huge number.

’Just looking at the post refresh rate shows how absurd it is.’

Every time I refreshed, an entire page worth of posts slipped backward.

Sometimes it jumped two or three pages at a time.

’Who on earth created this Gallery anyway?’

It was something I wondered about from time to time. Structurally, I heard it was magic.

However, I knew nothing about magic, and I had gained access to the Gallery the moment I arrived here.

Judging by this, there had to be some other underlying mechanism.

Two Dumbasses

(Video of two human males doing stupid shit)

Can’t believe these bastards are my friends lmao

└ Hahahaha

└ Lmao

└ ROFL

└ What the hell is this again lmao

"Khehehehe."

Either way, it was perfect for stress relief.New chapters come out on novelping . com first.

I chuckled while watching funny videos, then checked the notice board.

[Wild Grylls: The vote ends in about 3 minutes. I was fine earlier, but now that the deadline is near, my palms are sweating for no reason.]

[Heavenly Demon: Sir. Are you present?]

While I was waiting quietly, Heavenly Demon sent a message.

Was she waiting for my vote results too? I immediately replied.

[Wild Grylls: Yes. I’m waiting for the vote results right now.]

[Heavenly Demon: Then our hearts beat as one.]

Do not worry overmuch. This noble one personally cast a vote in favor.

Thank you.

[Wild Grylls: If the result is good, shall I give you a bit of fish?]

[Heavenly Demon: Did you not state that your fish traps were all swept away?]

I have one fish left over from yesterday.

[Wild Grylls: I can share at least a single slice with you.]

[Heavenly Demon: This noble one is fine.]

I have no desire to pick the liver out of a flea.

That flea’s liver is massive, though.

[Wild Grylls: Even if I give you a piece, I’ll still be completely full.]

[Heavenly Demon: It remains a flea’s liver all the same.]

I’m not giving you all of it; I just want you to have a taste.

Bickering back and forth with Heavenly Demon, the voting period came to an end before I knew it.

The moment the vote closed, I entered the post with high expectations.

[Wild Grylls: Vote on Lifting Wild Grylls’s 24-Hour Trade Restriction!]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Fixed handle user, Wild Grylls-nim, is currently fighting for survival in the Forest of the Four Seasons!]

Normally, such special privileges should not be granted! However, Wild Grylls-nim has not only verified his situation but is also a highly trustworthy user, so we will hold a vote!

Also, please keep in mind that Wild Grylls-nim promised to forfeit this privilege the moment he escapes the Forest of the Four Seasons!

In Favor: 95%

Opposed: 5%

"Hell yeah!!"

Clenching my fists, I cheered out loud. An overwhelming majority had voted in favor.

I was curious what kind of people made up the 5% opposed, but voter handles were not revealed.

Still, the overwhelming approval was more than enough.

[Heavenly Demon: I congratulate you.]

Your wish has been fulfilled.

Your single vote gave me great strength, Heavenly Demon-nim.

[Wild Grylls: Thank you!]

[Heavenly Demon: You know how to appreciate even the smallest gestures.]

You are growing on me more and more.

Every little bit adds up, right?

Anyway, once the restriction is lifted, I’ll give you a slice of fish as promised!

Now all that was left was to quietly wait for the Orange Badge.

I was worried something might go wrong in the middle of it all.

Don’t Abandon the Hero-nim has requested a 1-on-1 chat! Do you accept?

As if proving my anxiety unfounded, a 1-on-1 chat request message arrived from the Orange Badge.

Overjoyed, I immediately accepted it.

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Hello!]

You’re Wild Grylls-nim, right!

[Wild Grylls: ! That’s correct!]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: You received an overwhelming majority of votes in favor!]

As promised, I will lift your trade restriction!

However, if there’s any sign of abuse, I will immediately revoke it, so please be careful!

Of course.

[Wild Grylls: I’m solely focused on surviving anyway.]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Mm! That’s great!]

I truly hope you survive safely!

[Wild Grylls: Before that, Orange Badge-nim. I’d like to give you a gift, would you be open to a trade?]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Huh! What kind of gift!]

[Wild Grylls: A bribe?]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: No way!!]

Just kidding. I’ll give you an Inner Core as a token of gratitude for looking out for me in the future.

After all, I’m benefiting from your consideration, Orange Badge-nim.

Framed like that, it was practically a bribe. But I didn’t think the Orange Badge would be swayed by something like that.

As I had mentioned before, the Orange Badge was strict and a total stickler for rules.

It was closer to a pure gesture of goodwill. Besides, I had nothing else to offer right now anyway.

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Isn’t that literally a bribe?!]

It’s a gift filled with ’goodwill’.

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Why does ’goodwill’ look so heavily emphasized?!]

You’re just imagining things.

Still, please accept at least one.

From what I’ve heard, your living conditions don’t sound too great.

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Ummm...! Okay, fine for now!]

You can register the trade item right here!

[Wild Grylls: The Orange Badge can do that too?]

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Because I’m the Orange Badge!]

Also, since your restrictions are lifted, Grylls-nim, you’ll be able to trade directly through 1-on-1 chats as well!

Right, now that trade restrictions were gone, 1-on-1 trading would be unlimited.

I nodded, then pulled out one Inner Core kept in an elixir bottle.

Wild Grylls-nim has registered a trade item.

Eat this and stay strong.

And thank you so much for accommodating me.

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Don’t mention it!]

And you called it accommodation, but this is what’s fair!

Technically it’s equity rather than equality, but thank you anyway.

[Don’t Abandon the Hero: Yes! May the Goddess’s blessing be upon your journey, Grylls-nim!]

Come to think of it, did she say she held a religion-related class?

Accepting the Orange Badge’s final farewell, I ended the chat.

’Finally...!’

The suffocating trade restriction was lifted.