Got a Gallery in the Wild - Chapter 15

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈

Chapter 15: Mandrake (2)

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└ An adult?

└ A fully grown Mandrake?

└ [Allfather]: Yes. Once a Mandrake finishes growing, its body turns red. I even wrote a paper on it.

└ So the Mandrakes we know weren't fully grown?

└ [Allfather]: Based on my past research, yes. Didn't it take a moment before it started screaming?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah. When I pulled it up, it had its arms folded. Then it started screaming.

└ [Allfather]: That makes it more certain. Just as human infants do nothing but cry, Mandrakes are the same. Their bizarre appearance is likely because they haven't fully matured.

Allfather's explanation was roughly this.

For a Mandrake to mature, it needed land overflowing with mana and no threats nearby.

Mana-rich land was rare in the first place, and even if it found some, it would likely lose out to competitors.

Lower the requirements, and humans, monsters, or beasts would chew it up, eat it, and tear it apart before it could grow.

In other words, a Mandrake could only reach adulthood under ideal conditions.

Raising one artificially was impossible, too. It would need to be constantly fed massive amounts of mana.

└ I get that it's a grown Mandrake, but is it better than a normal one?

└ [Allfather]: Yes. A single Adult Mandrake can be used to make a top-grade Elixir. Considering that a normal top-grade Elixir requires ten Mandrakes, it's remarkable.

└ You struck gold, damn.

└ Grylls is gonna make a fortune again, damn.

└ Any chance you're selling it?

Well.

I looked at the Mandrake after seeing someone ask if I planned to sell it.

It had been so noisy that I slammed it into the wall a few times, and it finally settled down.

It was closer to unconscious than settled down, but I wasn't sure if I could sell it.

‘Would it be easier if I thought of it as a hundred-year-old wild ginseng?’

I looked into Mandrakes a little more to figure out what they were.

They were one of the main ingredients in Elixirs and used in countless Potions.

Everything from the roots to the leaves and stems could be used as medicinal herbs.

A plant practically born to be a Potion ingredient. Alchemy was essential if you wanted to use it efficiently.

‘Should I give it to SwordTasteMaster?’

They had given me an Elixir before, so returning the favor with this seemed fine. If I dug up a few more later, I could give some to the Heavenly Demon and the other registered users.

The Heavenly Demon was an elderly woman, after all. It would do her a world of good. I had even given her a precious herb before because she had been in so much pain.

AllHailTheSun had also given me a shield for free, so I planned to give them one for free too.

First, I should repay SwordTasteMaster. I could always collect more Mandrakes.

└ [Wild Grylls]: I'm not selling it. I'm giving it to SwordTasteMaster. They gave me an Elixir before, so I'm returning the favor.

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: I don't need it, though?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Think of it as a health supplement.

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: I'm healthy.

└ [Wild Grylls]: There's no downside to getting even healthier, right?

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: I don't want to get any healthier;;

└ [Wild Grylls]: What? Why...? It would make you healthier.

└ Someone who doesn't want to get healthier lol

└ Why though lol

└ Ah lol I just don't want to get healthier, okay? lol

└ For real, I don't get it lol

└ [Allfather]: Even if you simply brew and drink an Adult Mandrake, your mana will increase significantly.

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Now that you say that, I want it even less.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Why on earth...?

I couldn't understand it. Were there really people in this world who didn't want to be healthier?

SwordTasteMaster wasn't as old as the Heavenly Demon, but they seemed mature enough.

They had some odd sides, as expected of a gallery user, but they seemed fairly respectable.

‘They refuse so firmly that I can't force it on them.’

That left the Heavenly Demon. She had said she would give me an antidote and medicine especially effective for tinnitus, so we could trade.

Just as I was about to offer her a trade, a comment caught my eye.

└ [Starlight Princess]: Excuse me, but could you give that Mandrake to me? I'll compensate you generously.

It was Starlight Princess, the person who posted every day praying for a full recovery.

Come to think of it, there was someone who needed it more than anyone else. I replied to her comment.

└ [Wild Grylls]: You gave me a compass before, so you don't need to compensate me. But can a Mandrake treat your illness?

└ [Starlight Princess]: It should improve it somewhat. Mandrakes are plants that contain yang energy.

I remembered. When I found the New Moon Spirit Herb, Starlight Princess had said she needed yang energy.

Considering how long her posts praying for a cure had continued, the illness was probably serious.

The Heavenly Demon seemed to have thought the same thing.

└ [Heavenly Demon]: If it is an illness that requires yang energy, is it Nine Yin Absolute Veins?

└ [Starlight Princess]: That's what the physician says. Are you familiar with it too, Heavenly Demon?

└ [Heavenly Demon]: Of course I am. How could I not know the most famous form of Severed Meridian Syndrome?

└ [Starlight Princess]: Then you must know its symptoms well.

└ [Heavenly Demon]: How unfortunate. Stay strong.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Is it a serious illness?

└ [Heavenly Demon]: It trades away one's lifespan for talent that can reach the heavens. Even if one lives long, one cannot make it past twenty.

└ [Starlight Princess]: You know it well. Lately, my body can't hold up anymore, so I can't even get out of bed. I suppose it's getting dangerous now.

└ [Wild Grylls]: ;;;

I felt like I needed to give it to her immediately. The illness was much worse than I had thought.

I didn't know whether it was because a cure was hard to find, but posts praying for her full recovery were still going up every day.

She had said she needed a medicinal herb comparable to the New Moon Spirit Herb for a complete cure, so it had to be like trying to pluck a star from the sky.

└ [Wild Grylls]: I didn't know it was that serious. I'm sorry.

└ [Starlight Princess]: It's okay. You're not exactly long for this world either, Grylls.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Excuse me?

└ [Starlight Princess]: It was a joke.

└ That didn't sound like a joke lol

└ Is this some kind of death pact? lol

└ Trying to drag him down with you lol

└ Who do you think will go first? I'm curious now.

└ Youuuu are seriously awful;;

I was a little flustered, but once I realized it was a joke, I gave a bitter smile.

She must have made that joke to break the tension. A bit of self-deprecating humor.

Moments like this made me realize that health was everything. It was a treasure that couldn't be traded for anything.

└ [Wild Grylls]: By the way, would an Adult Mandrake work on Nine Yin Absolute Veins?

└ [Allfather]: I don't know about ordinary Mandrakes, but an Adult Mandrake should have an effect.

└ [Starlight Princess]: An effect is better than nothing. Mandrakes are rare plants to begin with.

└ [Heavenly Demon]: It seems it is not exceptional enough to cure Nine Yin Absolute Veins.

└ Is there no cure for Nine Yin Absolute Veins?

└ There is. Usually three methods. You either take medicine, have a physician open your meridians one by one, or have a man directly infuse you with his energy.

└ Those first two are fine, but what's with the last one? Is it what I think it is?

└ Yep. But the man also has to be sufficiently strong.

└ Oh. I'm strong, so could I do it?

└ How strong are you?

└ I beat everyone in my village at arm wrestling lol

└ LOL

This lunatic had just sexually harassed a patient. My expression went flat.

The gallery guaranteed anonymity, so there were plenty of people who spewed lewd nonsense like that.

It would have been one thing if the mood suited it, but doing it now was a little unpleasant.

└ [Starlight Princess]: Come if you're confident. If you don't meet the requirements, I'll cut it off, so keep that in mind.

└ Cut it off? You mean my Johnson?

└ [Starlight Princess]: Then what did you think I was going to cut? If you don't like that spot, would you prefer I cut off your head?

└ Holy shit.

└ I'm sorry. I won't act up again.

Maybe she was used to this kind of thing, because Starlight Princess struck back hard.

The third method was out for obvious reasons, and the second was practically surgery.

It was an extremely difficult operation. Even Earth medicine with advanced science would struggle with it, so how could this world manage it?

That meant the first method was the only real answer. But even that was incredibly difficult.

└ [Heavenly Demon]: Nine Yin Absolute Veins can only be cured by consuming spiritual treasures such as Sunfire Carp, Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp, or Sunfire Herb.

└ [Wild Grylls]: I've never heard of any of those. Are they rare?

└ [Heavenly Demon]: They are comparable to the New Moon Spirit Herb you gave me.

└ [Wild Grylls]: So insanely rare, then.

└ [Heavenly Demon]: I was very fortunate. That is why you are both my Fortuitous Encounter and my benefactor.

└ [Wild Grylls]: I got lucky too. Anyway, is a complete cure impossible even with Adult Mandrakes?

└ [Allfather]: It may not be entirely impossible. The issue is the amount.

└ [Wild Grylls]: The amount?

└ [Allfather]: Yes. Adult Mandrakes are not spiritual treasures, but they belong to the tier beneath them. If six or seven Adult Mandrakes are made into a single Elixir, she should recover.

Six or seven? That was doable. I thought of the place where the Adult Mandrakes lived.

I had fled in a hurry, so I didn't know the exact number, but there had been well over ten of them gathered there.

No, what was I saying? There had been at least dozens. Either way, there were a ton.

‘And they quiet down if I beat them up after pulling them out.’

I turned to look at the Adult Mandrake. It was still limp and unconscious.

I had heard that even if it looked dead, it would become fresh and green again if planted in soil.

Of course, I had no intention of planting it. I would give it to someone else. It would be a pain if I had to pull it up again.

I should tell her first. Maybe I could get something I wanted from Starlight Princess while I was at it.

└ [Starlight Princess]: You need that many...? It would be hard to find them all, right?

└ [Allfather]: I've only seen three in my entire life. Even if you found one, someone would have probably eaten it already.

└ [Starlight Princess]: That's disappointing. Ah, Grylls hasn't even said he'll give one to me, but I think I got too greedy.

└ [Wild Grylls]: There's a fuckton of them here, though?

The place was crawling with Adult Mandrakes. That was what I meant when I posted the comment.

Then no one commented for quite a while. I wondered if she had closed the gallery to do something else.

└ [Starlight Princess]: Wha?

Apparently not. She had been too stunned to comment.

└ [Starlight Princess]: You're lying, right? If you're trying to tease me, it won't work.

└ [Wild Grylls]: I'm serious. I said earlier that the Mandrakes were all screaming together.

└ [Starlight Princess]: They were all adults?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Every one of them was red.

└ [Starlight Princess]: I won't believe you until you show me a photo.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Give me a minute.

A photo was fine. I packed up my things and headed for the Mandrake colony.

It wasn't far, but a beast could jump out at any moment, so I didn't forget to stay careful.

“Hmm?”

I had reached the Mandrake colony when I noticed something different.

It wasn't in a different place. Some Adult Mandrakes had come out above ground without being pulled up.

They were looking around as though standing guard. Maybe becoming adults had given them intelligence.

‘This could be a problem.’

If they spotted me, the ones standing guard would scream, and I would get hit by the same Lion's Roar as earlier.

All I could do was wait until they went back underground. Still, this was enough.

[Post title] Adult Mandrakes Standing Guard

[Post] (Video of Adult Mandrakes Standing Guard)

[Post] I wasn't lying. Please watch the video and reply, Starlight Princess.

└ Why is this real? lol

└ Why is it actually real? lol

└ Are Mandrakes normally like that?

└ How could they be? lol

└ [Allfather]: Oh! Adult Mandrakes standing guard...! This is worth a paper! Are all those plants Mandrakes?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah. I took one of their friends earlier, so I think they're standing guard now.

└ [Allfather]: If you don't mind, could you observe them continuously?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Sorry. I don't have that kind of leeway.

└ [Allfather]: What a shame.

While I was talking with the scholarly Allfather, Starlight Princess commented.

└ [Starlight Princess]: Those are all Adult Mandrakes... right?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah.

└ [Starlight Princess]: Just the ones buried in the ground seem to number in the dozens.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah.

└ [Starlight Princess]: What on earth are you?

I thought about Starlight Princess's comment. Would she tell me to quit joking if I said I was from the Miryang Park clan?

Still, I didn't have a proper answer. I had no idea why I was here either.

While I hesitated, other comments poured in.

└ Correct! A mayfly!

└ Correct! A Forest of Four Seasons castaway!

└ Correct! A bum!

└ Correct! A motherless bastard!

└ [DontAbandonTheHero]: Correct! A weird person!

└ [Wild Grylls]: Fuck, I don't know about the rest, but what's with the Head Mod?

└ [DontAbandonTheHero]: I was bored! Also, the person who made the parent insult got a one-hour ban!

└ No, Grylls really doesn't have a mom. What's wrong with that?

└ [DontAbandonTheHero]: The wording is awful! And telling someone without parents that they don't have parents can hurt them deeply!

└ [Wild Grylls]: You're worse.

└ [DontAbandonTheHero]: Ah! I'm sorry!

└ LOL

They really were a savage bunch. I snorted, then asked Starlight Princess again.

└ [Wild Grylls]: So, do you want them? I can give you the first one I collected for free, but I can't keep giving them away for free after that.

└ [Starlight Princess]: What do you want? I'll give you anything I can obtain. Do you need money?

└ [Wild Grylls]: No. I'm not in a hurry for money.

The money Allfather had given me was enough. I would only ask for food in an emergency.

Right now, there was only one thing I needed. It might be the most important thing after food.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Starlight Princess, is your family wealthy?

└ [Starlight Princess]: You could say that.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Then if I send you Mandrakes, can you make them into Elixirs right away?

└ [Starlight Princess]: It will take some time, but I can. I'm well versed in alchemy.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Then I'll ask just one thing of you.

This worked out perfectly. Starlight Princess could provide what I needed most.

She was also skilled in alchemy, which made things even better.

└ [Wild Grylls]: If you're fully cured, can you supply me with Elixirs? I never know when I'll get hurt. I feel bad only receiving things, so I'll give you Mandrakes sometimes too.

└ [Starlight Princess]: Whenever we trade Mandrakes, I'll give you Elixirs. If I can be fully cured, I can give you my position, my wealth, even my body.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Want to come to where I am? lol

└ [Starlight Princess]: Ah. That's a little... hehe;

└ [Wild Grylls]: Bad person.

└ Of course she doesn't want to go to the Forest of Four Seasons lol

└ You get cured just to go on a suicide march lol

└ If she's giving away Elixirs, she must really be rich.

└ Not Potions, but Elixirs. She's definitely a noble.

This was enough. All that remained was giving her the Mandrakes.

For that, I had to catch some. I looked at the Mandrakes standing guard.

‘They call it standing guard, but they aren't that alert.’

Even if they were monsters, plants were still plants. They were already less vigilant than before.

Since they were plants, they had to return to the ground eventually. I waited until only the last one remained.