I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 810

The phenomenon presumed to be Bbareumbo’s memory unfolded very quietly, at an excruciatingly slow pace.

After all, Bbareumbo—or rather, sloths inhabiting the Forest of the Four Seasons—was usually extremely sluggish by nature.

He would only unleash speed comparable to lightning when facing a crisis or when it was absolutely necessary.

Whether eating leaves, moving through the trees, or entrusting his young to another sloth...

Everything moved as slow as a turtle, boring anyone who watched.

"Master."

"What is it?"

"Mm... Never mind."

Yet even Lackey couldn’t complain.

And with good reason—the protagonist of this memory was none other than Bbareumbo, our reliable insurance policy.

Even Lackey, who acted flippantly around me every day, was treading lightly around Bbareumbo now.

Furthermore, most of Bbareumbo’s family had been slaughtered in the battle against the gorilla troop.

For Bbareumbo, he was getting to vividly see the family he thought he’d never lay eyes on again.

Understanding and deeply empathizing with how he felt, I couldn’t bring myself to suggest skipping through it.

’More than that, the one feeling the most awkward here must be Dolsoe.’

I turned my head and glanced at Dolsoe.

As everyone knew, describing the original relationship between Bbareumbo and Dolsoe as sworn enemies would be an understatement.

It was only because Dolsoe was defeated by me and Bbareumbo’s own desire for revenge had faded that their current relationship was able to form.

’Even if they follow the law of the wild, because their intelligence is high...’

The higher an animal’s intelligence, the broader its range of emotions tends to be.

Bbareumbo and Dolsoe possessed intelligence comparable to—or even surpassing—that of humans.

On top of that, Bbareumbo wore his signature expressionless face, making him hard to read unless something extraordinary happened.

I could only hope that watching these scenes wouldn’t reawaken his inner desire for vengeance.

"Master. I have become curious about one thing. It is not a sensitive matter."

"What is it?"

It happened while we were quietly watching Bbareumbo’s family.

Lackey, who had been treading carefully until a moment ago, called out to me and spoke hesitantly.

"Which one over there is the leader?"

"..."

Now that’s quite a speciesist remark.

Though I couldn’t really judge him either, because they honestly all looked identical.

Every animal belongs to a different species and clearly looks distinct.

The problem was that unless they had prominent features, they all looked pretty much the same, making it extremely difficult to tell them apart.

"I’m a human, so let’s set me aside, but shouldn’t you be able to tell them apart since you’re a fellow animal?"

"I can distinguish faces of my own kin. Then can Master distinguish the faces of all other species?"

"Of course. Don’t you know well enough just by looking at Elia?"

"Me?"

Being pointed out so randomly, she blinked her eyes and looked at me.

Fearing she might misunderstand, I immediately explained the reason.

"Elves are famous as a race of beauty, and Elia, aren’t you evaluated as pretty even among them?"

"Yes."

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) Hearing her answer so naturally as if it’s obvious is somehow infuriating!

Asella... What on earth are you talking about?

The moment I saw that comment, I was momentarily rendered speechless.

As everyone knew, Asella was also a beauty with her own distinct charm and presence.

It’s just that Elia was considered beautiful even among elves; what mattered was individual charm.

’I should send her a message later.’

Thinking that, I continued speaking.

"In other words, I’m saying it’s completely possible to distinguish them even when viewed by a different species."

"Mmm... Is that so? Understood."

Lackey looked at Elia with a half-comprehending expression before nodding.

His reaction suggested he wasn’t particularly convinced, which Elia didn’t miss as she asked.

"I’m curious. From Mr. Lackey’s perspective, do I not satisfy the standards of beauty?"

"Hmph."

At that question, Lackey scanned Elia up and down.

Finally meeting her gaze, he shook his head slowly and answered.

"You might be splendid as a female, but as a mate, you fall far short."

"That’s a compliment, right?"

"Although I doubt human aesthetic standards, as a male, I acknowledge it."

"Heh."

No, why are you puffing out your chest and shrugging boastfully?

I have no idea how she interpreted Lackey’s assessment.

Especially regarding falling short as a mate, I suspected her bloody obsession with trees played a part in his judgment.

ㄴSword Matstar) Does that mean she took it as being recognized as a woman with a large chest and wide hips?

ㄴHeavenly Demon) This seat hears it that way as well.

ㄴStarlight Lady) It feels like watching nobles making roundabout remarks at a social gathering.

ㄴSmart Demon) I don’t think it’s a roundabout remark, it seems completely blunt?

ㄴPrincess Chaenggu) I don’t lose out either hehe

ㄴPassing Dwarf) Everyone on the Gallery says that, yeah yeah.

ㄴAllfather) Though I am advanced in years, I possess youth and vigor no less than any young person.

ㄴNecromancy is Love) Reeking of old age even to We, who have nothing left but bones.

Did they take Elia’s reaction as a provocation of some sort?

The comment section instantly became dizzying, so I immediately averted my gaze.

Bbareumbo’s daily life was still continuing.

"Daddy. Daddy."

"Hm?"

"Big brother Bbareumbo is over there."

"Where?"

It was a moment when no one else had been able to spot Bbareumbo.Read this novel at novelpi​ng.com for the best experience.

Quite amazingly, Wonmo was the very first to find Bbareumbo.

When I looked toward where Wonmo was pointing...

Hudadadak—

A young Bbareumbo running away as fast as his little legs could carry him,

"Ueong."

and a mother sloth chasing after him with all her might could be seen.

The sight of Bbareumbo fleeing hurriedly with both arms raised high in the air was... how should I put it?

"...Looks like you didn’t listen to your parents either."

"..."

Gguuuuk!

"Ack! I’m sorry!"

The instant I said that, Bbareumbo, clinging to my back, pressed his claws firmly into my shoulder.

It wasn’t a joke; he was pressing down specifically to hurt, so I had no choice but to throw out an immediate apology.

"Didn’t Master also disobey your mother and father back in the old days?"

"I listened to them very well."

"Do not lie. Master surely disobeyed no less than us."

"I’m serious, though?"

At least by my standards, I dutifully obeyed my parents.

It was just that I frequently caused accidents that drained the soul right out of them.

You could say I was a case of listening well while unintentionally causing all sorts of trouble.

Shaaaa—

Meanwhile, the landscape gradually faded as the memory began to end.

The young Bbareumbo who had been scurrying away was already caught by his mother.

Watching her struggle to drag the flailing Bbareumbo away stirred many thoughts within me.

Before long, the scenery dispersed like parting mist, revealing the place where we originally stood.

The warm and gentle scenery vanished without a trace, giving rise to a strange sense of dissonance, but that very dissonance brought us back to reality.

"That was Bbareumbo-nim’s memory just now, wasn’t it?"

While I was organizing my thoughts, Elia spoke up.

I nodded at her words and voiced my doubt.

"It’s strange that Bbareumbo’s memory was revealed even though I was the one who made contact first."

"Since we have already seen Master’s memory once, perhaps there is a grace period?"

Lackey brought up a fairly plausible hypothesis.

That since I had already viewed a memory, there was a cooldown period.

In other words, the next recollection was extremely likely to belong to Lackey or Elia.

"..."

Realizing as much, Elia remained silent, stealing glances at me.

Normally, stepping forward confidently would suit her personality, but right now she was holding herself back.

It seemed she calculated that getting overly excited might blow the precious opportunity (?) she had managed to get.

’The speed at which her brain works, seriously...’

It went far beyond being quick-witted or perceptive like Lackey.

More accurately, she knew that if she just stayed still, good things would naturally drop into her lap, so she didn’t get impatient.

"Elia."

"I didn’t say anything, though?"

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) Looks like her conscience is pricking her!

Just as Asella said, Elia replied defensively as if guilty, even though she hadn’t said a word.

Either way, if Lackey’s hypothesis was correct, it was an unavoidable fate, so I generously let it slide.

"Like Lackey said, there might be a cooldown, or rather a grace period. But maybe breathing is the condition."

"Breathing? Did Master hold your breath earlier?"

"I held it intentionally."

The very first time, I was flustered, so rather than holding my breath, I absorbed the fog thinking of blocking it.

The second time, the fog approached from behind and swallowed Dolsoe first.

"Then I will be the first to contact and inhale the next fog. That would be for the best."

"..."

"Elia. If you have something to say, go ahead."

"I have nothing to say?"

Nothing, my foot.

Glancing out of the corner of her eyes like a self-conscious puppy, her inner thoughts were completely transparent.

I let out a smirk and moved forward.

Perhaps because we had been walking for quite a long time, we were gradually getting closer to Daejeon.

Hweeeeeing—

"The fog is coming! Everyone, stay behind me!"

And as we approached Daejeon, the frequency of fog approaching from a distance increased.

Not all the fog surged toward us, and its scale varied each time.

Just as I was wondering if a larger scale of fog meant a longer duration for the memory...

Shaaaa—

The fog swept over me as I took the lead.

Unlike before, I didn’t hold my breath; I went as far as openly inhaling it.

Subsequently, the fog slowly shifted, transforming into an entirely different scene instead of the highway.

"Buy me this! Buy it for me!"

Simultaneously, a child’s shout pierced my ears.

The scenery also unfolded in detail afterward, a place that was extremely familiar to me, at least.

The toy corner of a supermarket lined with countless toys.

"No way. Do you know how many toys you’ve broken up until now? You want to break another one?"

Along with a nostalgic voice ringing in my ears.

Thinking ’no way’, I turned my head.

"I won’t break it this time! Really!"

"Do you know how many times you’ve said that?"

It was Mom. And a young version of my mom, at that.Read this novel at novelрing.com for the best experience.

Someone I thought I would never see again was alive right before my eyes.

For a moment, emotion welled up inside me, but I quickly pulled myself together. First off, this memory was indeed what I had wanted.

Both Dolsoe and Bbareumbo harbored a desire to see their families, so why wouldn’t I have felt the same?

However, when that desire actually became reality, it was beyond flustering.

"Aaaaah! I won’t break it! For real!"

Whether that was the case or not, the moment I saw my younger self throwing a tantrum and screaming at the top of his lungs, a wave of embarrassment washed over me.

As I mentioned earlier, I generally listened well to my parents, but I caused a lot of other miscellaneous trouble.

"What’s going on?"

Just in time, another person appeared to prove that point.

It was my dad in his younger days.

There’s a common trait among fathers of that era: when looking at their youth, they were quite handsome and dashing.

In fact, until I was born, he was a man with quite handsome features.

It was just that parenting stress caused him to age rapidly afterward.

"Honey. Jong-hyuk is asking to buy a toy. He broke all the ones we bought him last time, too."

"It’s just because our Jong-hyuk is naturally so strong. I was really amazed when he lifted a sack of rice."

"Do you remember your nose bleeding from both nostrils because of that strength?"

Ah. Hearing Mom say that brought back memories.

While throwing a tantrum, I accidentally threw a punch right into Dad’s nose, causing a double nosebleed on the spot.

It was a serious enough injury that we had to go to the hospital. If I recall correctly, I think his nasal bone was fractured.

"Let him break toys instead. It’s better than hitting people or breaking expensive things like the TV, isn’t it?"

"What kind of absurd nonsense is that?"

"I think it’s wise, though? If he can’t control his own strength, he needs an outlet to let it loose once in a while."

Dad dealing with it with his characteristic slick charm, and Mom scolding him for it.

"Buy~ it! Buy~ it! Buy~ it!"

And below, there was my young self spinning in circles and dancing excitedly.

It was the picture of an utterly ordinary family.

"Daddy will buy it for you, so you’ll listen to us, right?"

"Yep! I’ll listen!"

"Then starting tomorrow, you’re going to the Taekwondo dojo, okay? Learn how to control your power there. Got it?"

"Yep!"

I actually did learn how to control my strength by attending the Taekwondo dojo.

Although there was an accident during the process where the head master’s ribs were broken, let’s gloss over that.

If I remember correctly, the head master generously let it slide, saying he had never seen a child this strong before and that he would personally instruct me.

Anyway, after purchasing the new toy, we walked out of the market, and...

Wageujak!

"Huh? It broke."

"What? Already?"

"Hahaha."

I snapped the new toy in half barely any time after buying it.

There was no telling what would happen after that, but right on cue, the recollection ended.

Before long, the surroundings cleared completely, returning us to the original highway.

"Master."

"What."

"It seems to me that Master didn’t obey your parents, but rather your parents obeyed Master."

"Is that a parent insult?"

"I am simply respecting Master’s innate strength."

Always has an answer for everything.

ㄴHeavenly Demon) You displayed the majesty of the Heavenly Martial Body without reservation even from childhood.

ㄴSword Matstar) By any chance, when did you start walking? At that rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if you walked as soon as you were born?

ㄴDon’t Abandon the Hero) That makes complete sense!

ㄴAllfather) Biologically impossible, but if it is Grylls-nim, it might actually be possible.

Aren’t they viewing me as way too much of a freak?

At any rate, there was something I learned through this experiment.

That the memory shown belongs to the person who inhales the fog first.

In other words, if one holds their breath until the fog retreats, chances are high that no recollection will take place.

’So there was a reason why the ostriches stuck their heads in the ground when the fog rolled in.’

Then, what would be the side effect of this phenomenon?

If it were merely recalling memories, ostriches wouldn’t have reacted in such a manner.

’There must definitely be side effects or aftereffects. It’d be best to stay away from the fog if possible.’

Whether it meant hunting down fog just to relive happy memories...

Or losing something every time one inhales the fog, and so on.

It was more than capable of causing addictive symptoms, so caution was necessary.

"Lackey. Elia. If fog approaches from now on, can you send it away using wind magic?"

"I shall give it a try."

"It seems like it’ll be easy."

And so, I decided on the course of blocking it in advance.

Furthermore, as we got closer to Daejeon, the frequency of incoming fog grew higher.

Since dwelling on memories over and over would only delay us, I resolved to prepare against it entirely.

One might ask if I shouldn’t try to recover my own memories, but because the fog arrived with increasing frequency, I pushed that idea back.

’It means there’s an origin point where the fog is generated.’

Thus, dispersing the approaching fog immediately, we forged ahead.

"...Entering this place feels like it’d be bad news, doesn’t it?"

"It feels as though we would never be able to leave."

We soon stood right before a region utterly swallowed in fog.

And that region was...

’What on earth is in there for it to be like this?’

Daejeon, our destination.