I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 88

Title) Got an egg.

Wild Grylls

(Picture of a massive egg)

Stole an egg. A turtle popped out in the middle of it and startled me, but I managed to bring it back somehow.

I’ll eat eel for dinner tonight and eat this tomorrow morning.

↳ Heavenly Demon) Didst thou not catch the turtle?

↳ Wild Grylls) I didn’t have time and it was too strong, so I gave up.

↳ Heavenly Demon) I recommend catching turtles. Word hath it they are exceedingly delicious.

↳ Sword Matstar) Have you ever eaten one?

↳ Heavenly Demon) I have partaken of Dragon-Phoenix Soup, which contained turtle.

↳ Sword Matstar) Dragon-Phoenix Soup uses softshell turtle, not regular turtle, you silly person;;

↳ Lolololol

↳ Ridiculous lololol

↳ But surprisingly, aren’t there a lot of people who get them confused?

↳ There are many, but if you look at them, the difference is clear.

↳ Heavenly Demon) Every time I see this person, sheer ignorance drips out, seriously;;

↳ Smart Demon) It can’t be helped. She’s someone who has dug only into martial arts since ancient times. They say if you dig only one well, you achieve great success.

↳ Still, that’s a bit... ;;

↳ Passing Dwarf) Are you gonna eat that?

↳ Wild Grylls) Yup, of course I have to eat it. It’s food I got with great effort.

↳ Passing Dwarf) I wanna try it, can’t you trade it to me for some good gear?

↳ Wild Grylls) Sorry. Today a giant shark stole and ate my fish, so I don’t have any spare to give.

↳ Passing Dwarf) Bummer. Then can you get one for me later?

↳ Wild Grylls) No way;; That ocean wasn’t an ocean, it was a living hell. I barely escaped with my life.

↳ Passing Dwarf) Tsk. Too bad. Still, if you get a chance, give me one.

↳ Wild Grylls) Do eggs go well as a bar snack?

↳ Passing Dwarf) Hangover egg soup.

↳ Wild Grylls) ;;;;

↳ Lolololol

↳ Didn’t even think of a hangover cure lol

↳ Does a Dwarf need a hangover cure?

↳ Of course. Otherwise, he can’t work.

I returned after exploring the ocean beach that was close to hell.

Not only did an octopus leg pop out from the sand and wrap around my leg, but a turtle transformed and shot lasers out of its mouth.

The forest alone was a headache, but with the ocean being in that state too, just thinking about it made me dizzy.

I probably won’t have to go back again. I’m not crossing the ocean, so there’s no reason to go.

’The ocean itself is full of things even more dangerous than the land...’

Just how bizarre was the ocean of the Forest of the Four Seasons?

Even the shark that floated down the river had arms and legs like a humanoid.

The turtle also swapped its leg shapes depending on the terrain.

I couldn’t even begin to guess what else existed out there.

’First off, it seems most of them possess quite a bit of intelligence.’

Is it because they underwent evolution, just as Allfather said? There’s a feeling that their intelligence has risen to some degree.

Bbareumbo and Wonmo, who understand my words miraculously well.

And even the turtle, who scowled fiercely the moment I showed it the egg.

Overall, they displayed intelligent behavior far removed from ordinary animals.

’...Then what happens to animals like monkeys or gorillas?’

Don’t tell me they’ve gotten smart enough to rival humans?

Having heard something while heading toward the sea made me even more worried.

’That was definitely the sound of a monkey.’

A panther-like beast suddenly flying out of the forest and falling into the river.

It was quite a huge beast, yet it was sent flying helplessly.

And in that forest, noises presumed to be the cries of monkeys could be heard.

"Haa..."

I let out a heavy sigh that sounded like the ground was collapsing.

The saying ’out of the frying pan into the fire’ was meant for situations like this.

How could I escape this hellish place?

Every piece of common sense I knew was completely useless in this forest, leaving me feeling at a total loss.

’Besides, since this is another world, even basic common sense is meaningless.’

I was effectively starting from zero.

To only realize this now—maybe I’d been thinking far too optimistically until now.

So do I give up? As I’ve stressed multiple times, absolutely not.

Even if it’s dirty and petty, I will definitely get out. And then I will point my finger at God with dignity and ask him:

Why did you drop me in this godforsaken hell out of all the places in the universe?

What kind of ulterior motive did you have to send a person who was living just fine, even if struggling, all the way here?

’I definitely need to revise my plans.’

Now that I realized this place is crazier than I had imagined, I needed to change my plans accordingly.

Hoping for someone’s help? The Gallery was the only answer for that.

Because as I posted on the Gallery, people became even more hesitant to enter the Forest of the Four Seasons.Visit nove⁠lping.com for the full chapter.

When even powerhouses like Heavenly Demon and Sword Matstar say "What kind of insane forest is that?", that says it all.

In other words, the only way out was strictly by my own strength, and to do that, I had to become stronger.

At first glance, one might ask if anything changed from the beginning, but one key part has shifted.

’Not a starting point, but a Shelter. Living beyond mere adaptation and survival. And finally...’

An extended deadline that bordered on unlimited.

I originally intended to escape this forest as quickly as possible, but that changed.

Because the more rushed I was, the more the Forest of the Four Seasons forced me to take the long way around.

So even if it takes a year, or even longer, let me endure.

I must become strong enough so that at least no entity can harm me.

’To do that, I need to manage things well so that the Gallery’s help doesn’t get cut off.’

In particular, the relationship with the Orange Badge, Don’t Abandon the Hero, is crucial.

If I needlessly get on her nerves and end up permanently banned, I’ll be completely out of options.

However, I still hate the idea of worshiping God. That is something I cannot do even if I die.

’I can’t lie well either, so I’ll just gloss over it roughly.’

If the Orange Badge brings up talk related to faith, it would be best to avoid it as much as possible.

As I gradually organized my revised plans, I turned my head.

The barricade that had a gap left in it because the Saber-toothed Tiger smashed it earlier.

I can start by asking the Dwarf to fix this.

’Now that I think about it, I need to be careful so my body doesn’t evolve in a weird direction.’

If my body is slowly evolving to adapt to the Forest of the Four Seasons like Allfather’s hypothesis, I should shift my trajectory so that it evolves favorably.

For example, drastically increasing the time spent on Internal Cultivation Arts to guide my body to become accustomed to mana.

Or working out hard to encourage a body that builds muscle more easily.

’Would doing 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, and 100 squats a day be enough?’

It was a workout routine reminiscent of a certain bald character, with the only difference being the lack of running.

The way to do cardio here is simple. Just walk around mindlessly until you get ambushed.

Then you’ll have no choice but to breathe for your dear life. I’d rather not do that.

’Come to think of it, Starlight Lady said she was working out.’

I should ask her later what kind of exercises she’s doing.

If she’s using equipment, I’ll ask if she can help me out.

Since simple workout equipment was sold in the auction house too.

So I immediately sent a message to Starlight Lady. With the trade restrictions lifted, 1-on-1 direct messages were also possible.

Hello, Starlight Lady-nim.

[Wild Grylls: Are you around by any chance?]

[Starlight Lady: Hello!]

Is something the matter?

As if she happened to be on the Gallery right then, Starlight Lady answered right away.

I smiled with pride for a moment at her newfound liveliness before getting straight to the point.

It’s just that I’m planning to start working out.

[Wild Grylls: What kind of exercises do you do, Starlight Lady-nim?]

[Starlight Lady: Didn’t you say you had no time to work out?]

It’s because the Forest of the Four Seasons is a scarier place than I expected.

[Wild Grylls: I think I need to set at least a year or more for my escape.]

[Starlight Lady: One year... It seems you’ve had a change of heart.]

I thought you were originally trying to leave as quickly as possible.

To keep my spirit from breaking, I have no choice.

Those weren’t empty words; it was the truth. Rigid things are always easy to snap.

So I was making myself flexible so I wouldn’t break easily.

I was a case of shaking off impatience by extending the timeframe.

[Starlight Lady: I see. I understand how you feel very well.]

You’ve held onto hope, haven’t you?

[Wild Grylls: If I didn’t have hope, I would’ve hanged myself and died long ago.]

[Starlight Lady: You did well.]

No matter the situation, never abandon hope.

Just as I was completely cured after meeting you, Grylls-ssi, you might also meet a benefactor.

Thank you for the kind words.

[Wild Grylls: By the way, what kind of exercises do you usually do, and how much?]

[Starlight Lady: Since it hasn’t been long since I was completely cured, I’m only doing simple calisthenics.]

Sit-ups, push-ups, squats, and finally running.

...Don’t tell me Starlight Lady is going to turn into that bald guy?

The thought suddenly crossed my mind, but I brushed it off immediately. Let me not entertain useless thoughts.

I see.

So you don’t use equipment?

Starlight Lady

After all, it’s my first time working out.

It’s your first time working out too, right Grylls-ssi?

It’s not my first time.

I did some during my military service.

The military is a collective where one must exercise just to perform training well.

Combined with a regimented lifestyle, it inevitably forged a good physique.

Of course, after being discharged, my body reverted to normal. But at least those memories remained.Follow the newest chapters on nove​lping.com.

[Starlight Lady: Then let’s start doing calisthenics together.]

I’ll even give you protein supplements.

[Wild Grylls: You really don’t need to go that far;;]

[Starlight Lady: Are you saying you don’t need Elixirs?]

I understand.

[Wild Grylls: Hold on a second?]

[Starlight Lady: I’m not joking.]

An Elixir is a potion that aids rapid regeneration.

And muscles are...

Starlight Lady’s lecture ensued.

I listened to her explanation regarding the principle of muscle growth.

She explained that it utilizes the fact that muscles grow stronger during the process of regenerating after being damaged by exercise.

[Starlight Lady: Therefore, the special protein supplement I crafted drastically increases that recovery speed.]

How is it? Isn’t it amazing?

It doesn’t even leave any muscle soreness!

That really is wonderful.

Since I didn’t know what she was talking about, I should just quietly clap.

Given that she poured the entire regenerative power of an Elixir solely into muscle recovery, it must be something incredible.

[Starlight Lady: So please drink this after working out or doing other training.]

You’ll definitely become stronger.

Thank you.

[Wild Grylls: I’m only receiving help from you in so many ways.]

[Starlight Lady: Compared to you saving my life, it’s still far from enough.]

And Grylls-ssi.

[Wild Grylls: Go ahead.]

[Starlight Lady: As I said earlier, please never lose hope.]

I silently watched the words Starlight Lady sent.

She was someone who noticed the shift in my emotional state just from a simple conversation.

She probably felt something profound.

[Starlight Lady: Preparing yourself rather than waiting endlessly isn’t a bad choice either.]

Still, never abandon hope. Promise me.

[Wild Grylls: I’ll take that to heart.]

[Starlight Lady: Ah. Why don’t you take this opportunity to keep a diary?]

I also gained solace from writing in a diary.

[Wild Grylls: A diary?]

[Starlight Lady: Yes. A diary is truly an act of leaving something behind.]

You can also have time to reflect on yourself.

Can’t I just write it on the Gallery?

[Starlight Lady: That represents desire, not who you are as a person, right?]

I believe a diary is what truly reveals a person.

A diary, huh. I fell into thought.

It wasn’t a terrible suggestion, but there was a part that made me hesitate.

A moment later, I bought a notebook from the auction house and wrote my name in it.

(Picture of a notebook with the name Park Jong-woo written on it)

Can you tell what these letters are?

Starlight Lady

They are characters I’ve never seen before?

I know almost all languages, but...

What country’s writing is this?

It’s the script of the country I used to live in.

[Wild Grylls: So they are characters that don’t exist in this world, right?]

[Starlight Lady: At least as far as I know.]

Tsk. Is that so? Shame.

As expected, she doesn’t know Hangeul. It would be stranger if she did.

This was why I hesitated to keep a diary.

’Still, it shouldn’t be too bad.’

I’m expecting to stay here for a long time.

A diary would certainly serve as a record proving ’I endured this much.’

In particular, I could even predict the future through the records kept in the diary.

Increasing my survival rate through accumulated data. Not bad.

It doesn’t matter if no one recognizes it. I have good people around me.

I could just think of it... as a hobby to soothe my boredom.

[Starlight Lady: Um... Grylls-ssi.]

[Wild Grylls: Yes, go ahead.]

[Starlight Lady: Please don’t be too disheartened.]

I will remember you.

Huh?

Wait, what kind of misunderstanding is this person having?