I Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 89

"Tigers leave behind their pelts when they die, and humans leave behind their names."

It is a proverb expressing human nature, meaning that one should perform great deeds during their lifetime to leave a shining name for future generations.

Humans possess the highest intelligence among all animals, yet their instinct as living creatures remains unchanged.

Namely, the desire to leave something behind.

It doesn’t matter whether that is children, a name, or achievements.

It is not for nothing that a considerable number of people live and die for ’honor’.

Because how grand a name one leaves for posterity depends on honor.

Humans possess a fundamental urge to leave their legacy to future generations.

A diary also fits into this desire. Even if it seems childish, it is quite a deep hobby.

People keep diaries for various reasons, but ultimately, it is the act of ’leaving behind’ a record.

Diaries left by great figures hold immense academic value and often alter the course of history.

Even if it is not a great figure but an ordinary person’s diary, its value cannot be considered small.

Because an ordinary person’s diary, though seemingly humble at first glance, has life melted into it.

Gaining wisdom through that diary, or taking it as an object lesson—it possesses ample value.

’Did I... say something unnecessary?’

Snow-white hair and skin. Beautiful features and a cold-looking demeanor.

Selena, a woman who had suffered from a rare incurable disease and regained her vitality through Grylls’s help, was feeling anxious.

Her expression was as cold as ever, but her trembling eyes betrayed her inner turmoil.

’What if Grylls-ssi got hurt by this?’

Selena understood Grylls’s predicament well.

A guaranteed death versus a death that could strike at any moment.

Though there was a subtle gap, both shared the commonality of being close to death.

Now, thanks to Grylls’s help, she was completely freed from the fear of death, but the fear had not vanished entirely.

Rather, she knew all too well how terrifying death was. That emotion that felt like it would drive her mad at any second.

Although the terror gradually faded as she entered the stage of ’resignation’, she distinctly remembered that emotion.

’Writing a diary in a situation like Grylls-ssi’s is usually when one has entered the stage of resignation...’

Keeping a diary is good. Leaving something behind is meaningful in itself.

However, when people close to ’death’ write a diary, it is mostly after they have entered the stage of resignation.

Quietly awaiting death, or preparing for a death that could strike at any moment.

It was quite common, and at a glance, an act close to a final struggle.

’Did he really come from another world?’

The problem was Grylls. Selena gazed intently at the picture Grylls had sent.

A photo of a notebook written in unknown characters. Even she, who was fluent in various foreign languages, was seeing this script for the first time.

No matter how peripheral a country might be, languages often shared similarities. It was easy to view it as a dialect of sorts.

However, the photo Grylls showed was not a dialect, but a completely new script.

’If he really came from another world... then even if Grylls-ssi leaves a diary behind, not a single person will be able to read it.’

A diary is something embarrassing to show others.

Yet ironically, it stems from a desire for someone to acknowledge oneself.

If one truly wanted to hide secrets tightly, one would keep them in one’s heart without writing them down anywhere.

Selena had also written a diary with such feelings. Even after being cured of her illness, she occasionally read it.

’How sad and miserable it must be.’

A legacy that no one recognizes—no, cannot recognize. His only legacy would be the posts left on the Gallery.

If it were a language she knew, she might have received his diary.

However, because he came from another world, even if she received the diary, she could not translate it.

’The best way would be for Grylls-ssi to teach me the script, but...’

Would a person whose immediate survival was urgent have such leisure? Not at all.

Death was creeping closer to Grylls with every passing hour.

Just today, hadn’t he posted on the Gallery saying he had survived a near-fatal crisis?

’Grylls-ssi helped me out of pure goodwill. I, too, must repay him accordingly.’

Selena pondered. How could she smoothly receive his legacy?

Aside from maxims telling one not to lose hope, one must always prepare for every situation.

She had occasionally given him Elixirs or delicious snacks, but that was far from enough.

’...Yes. Let’s do it this way.’

After a long yet brief deliberation, Selena came to a decision.

’The Gallery posts Grylls-ssi uploaded—I’ll transcribe all of them into text and record his footsteps as well.’

Records on the Gallery were not immortal.

Just as the dead speak no words, the Gallery also deletes the records of the deceased.New chapters come out on novelping . com first.

The complete disappearance of a specific fixed handle’s posts meant that person had died.

If Grylls’s posts vanished, it would be synonymous with his death.

’If I cannot help him directly, at least I should record his footsteps so his death won’t be in vain.’

This was the only thing she could do. Selena blamed her own lacking abilities anew.

She had wanted to mathematically analyze the Forest of the Four Seasons somehow, but the derived conclusion was singular.

Impossible. That thought struck her when she saw the video of the sea flowing backward into the river.

’So that people stranded in the Forest of the Four Seasons don’t die in vain.’

Grylls’s survival records would become a valuable asset for people stranded in the Forest of the Four Seasons in the future.

Taking that into account, Selena retraced Grylls’s footsteps. First was the very first post he had written.

The post of Grylls falling into the Forest of the Four Seasons out of nowhere and falling into panic.

’He went through so much trouble starting from back then.’

Helping Heavenly Demon and immediately being chased by a pack of Mad Dogs. The Guardian appearing right after that.

Having one arm bitten by a Mad Dog and nearly facing peril, only to be saved by Sword Matstar’s help.

Finding the Mature Mandrake, up to the record of her own complete cure.

Even though barely ten days had passed, eventful incidents erupted one after another.

So much so that organizing his footsteps alone took a considerable amount of time.

’I also need to write about the fixed handles...’

Since it was the Gallery, there were too many personalities overflowing with individuality.

Insects—no, fools—no, morons—no.

For now, she excluded anonymous users who merely wore the guise of human beings as much as possible.

Occasionally offering important advice, even teaching Grylls how to prep fish, and so on.

Except for a few important things, most anonymous users posted strange comments.

’A desperate fight against a Saber-toothed Tiger, and the heart he got from it that shares the same structure as a Dragon Heart...’

The more she looked back, the more this thought crossed her mind.

How on earth had Grylls endured in this hellish forest?

Even with the Gallery’s help, the Forest of the Four Seasons was a place where even ordinary powerhouses couldn’t survive.

Just looking at the Gallery history showed all sorts of dangerous animals appearing.

’His basic combat sense must be extraordinarily outstanding.’

It wasn’t for nothing that Heavenly Demon and Sword Matstar kept their eyes on him. His sheer talent was extraordinary.

What was even more surprising was the intellectual capacity he displayed on the Gallery.

While he used uneducated slang when dealing with Passing Dwarf or anonymous users, he was exceptionally polite to fixed handles.

Despite the Gallery being fundamentally anonymous, a kindness and politeness that couldn’t be hidden. This caught Selena’s attention.

’What kind of work did Grylls-ssi do before coming here?’

He demonstrated an astonishing degree of adaptability. He had already established a base camp.

What was even more interesting was his resentment toward God. In fact, in Grylls’s situation, it would be strange not to resent God.

However, rather than mere complaining, a seriousness was felt that verged on sacrilege.

’Yet he continues to live steadfastly.’

The deeper one dug, the stranger he seemed. His footsteps were also filled with oddities proportional to that.

Selena recorded Grylls’s footsteps in a book, chewing on the details bit by bit.

’From what has been revealed so far...’

A benevolence that repays kindness with kindness.

A thoroughness that severs relationships immediately if betrayed instead of met with goodwill.

A friendliness that is polite by default, but throws harsh words at close acquaintances.

A fairness that respects order even in gloomy situations.

Instead, a cleverness that cleverly guides order to shift if there is a justified reason.

This was Grylls’s personality as revealed solely through his Gallery activities.

’He definitely said he was an orphan... What kind of experiences did he go through to develop such a personality?’

An orphan is fundamentally bound to lack certain things. This was not discrimination, but a matter of course.

Because everything one ought to receive from parents disappeared, leaving one deeply influenced by one’s environment.

Therefore, orphans were fundamentally self-defensive, and their personalities tended to become prickly.

Although Grylls bickered with the Dwarf, he wasn’t prickly at all. He was normal.

’It might be because it’s the Gallery, but...’

All of this might be calculated.

However, the possibility was slim; if that were the case, it would have shown.Visit nov‌elping.com for the full chapter.

’If so, he wouldn’t have helped Heavenly Demon either.’

Selena recorded Grylls’s details line by line.

She didn’t know what would become of this record in the future, but it would certainly exert a significant influence.

In particular, it would have a massive impact on research related to the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Knock, knock, knock—

"Ducal Lady. It’s Mary. May I come in?"

It was when she was sifting through the Gallery and organizing the records. Mary knocked from outside.

At that, Selena temporarily closed the book. She had no intention of showing it to anyone right now.

"Come in."

Creeeak—

Once Selena gave permission, the door slowly opened.

The person who revealed herself behind it was Mary, the maid who had stayed by Selena’s side until the very end.

Mary bowed respectfully and offered her greetings.

"So, what brings you here?"

"It’s just that the Duchess..."

"Isn’t calling the person you’ll soon have to call ’Mother’ so formal?"

"Wh-what?"

At Selena’s words, Mary startled and straightened her bowed waist.

Selena’s face had zero expression. There was even a sense of coldness.

"Soon, you will be adopted as a foster daughter. So you should practice."

"H-how could I...!"

"You must."

"Y-yes!"

Unlike her soft tone on the Gallery, Selena maintained a cold way of speaking in reality.

This couldn’t be helped. As she fell ill with the incurable disease, even her emotions had gradually dulled.

At least recently, it had improved. Selena rose from her seat.

Since the Duchess—that is, her mother—had summoned her, she had to go out.

Previously, she used a wheelchair, but now she could walk proudly on her two legs.

"Mary."

"Yes?"

"Hold my hand. Let’s walk together."

"B-but...!"

"It’s your eonni’s request."

"Y-yes!"

Well, there was still a long way to go before getting close with Mary.

Selena took Mary’s hand affectionately and stepped forward.

A human’s body temperature that used to feel uniquely hot.

Now it only felt soft and tender, not hot at all.

’May Grylls-ssi never lose hope.’

Selena whispered softly in her mind.

Around the same time, Grylls, who had decided to keep a diary.

"Whoa."

He marveled as he looked at the diary entry he had written as a test.

It was such a splendid entry that admiration leaked even into his expression.

Though it was a text no one would read, it didn’t matter. It was enough to use it like big data and an encyclopedia.

However, an unexpected problem arose here.

"My writing skills stopped at the elementary school level."

He wrote terribly—no, far beyond that level, he was atrocious at writing.

It was so badly written that even he was astonished after writing it.

Tried to steal turtle egg. Met mother turtle. Mother turtle transformed into land turtle and shot laser at me. I was scared.

That was roughly the format. It could truly be called an ’objective’ diary.

Grylls picked apart the diary he wrote line by line, then shrugged his shoulders.

’It’s not like anyone’s gonna read it anyway.’

Unlike someone’s worry, he was extremely optimistic.