WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 156: Lackey (3)
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There was an internet term called a meme.
It was something close to a catchphrase, but it wasn't limited to words. Images, videos, even real people could become memes.
They were a bit like emoticons, except they were funnier when you got the reference.
And since the Gallery was practically the internet, it had memes too.
There were images used for all kinds of jokes, along with videos.
Even the occasional cursed-image ambush I came across while browsing the Gallery could be considered a type of meme.
[Post title] Title) Who Is Wi Hochang?
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] (Video of Kkobong answering, “Wi Hochang.”)
[Post] I asked Kkobong who had taught him speech and martial arts. That was the answer I got.
[Post] Heavenly Demon says it was the Blood Demon. Can anyone tell me more?
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: You spoke that name... They'll be here soon.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Who?
└ Why the fuck are you asking about that bastard?
└ Wi Hochang is alive!!!
└ Wi!
└ Ho!
└ Chang!
└ Ah. Fuck, the Blood Cult freaks already caught the scent and swarmed in;;
└ Seriously, delete this fast if you don't want the comments getting weirder;;
└ [Wild Grylls]: What's wrong with everyone?;;
└ Wi!
└ Ho!
└ Chang!
└ Worship Wi Hochang!!
└ The Blood Cult has not fallen!
└ Wryyyyyyy!!!
Among the worst memes was Wi Hochang, the person I had just asked about.
The moment I asked who Wi Hochang was, strange comments started flooding in from every direction.
There were so many that it was hard to find an actual answer to my question.
‘What the hell is this?’
Who was Wi Hochang, and why did that name get such an explosive(?) reaction?
I forced my way through the comment section, now drowned in spam. I wanted an answer somehow.
Fortunately, it hadn't been completely overrun. There were still a few normal comments mixed in.
└ [Smart Demon]: Wi Hochang was the main culprit behind the War of Righteousness and Evil. You know what that was, right?
└ [Wild Grylls]: No. I have no idea.
└ [Smart Demon]: Think of it as a civil war breaking out across a country. You know about the Orthodox Sects, Unorthodox Sects, Demonic Cult, Blood Cult, and so on?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I know the basics, but not the details. Could you just tell me about the Blood Cult?
└ Wi!
└ [Smart Demon]: They were completely fucking insane. They only cared about killing people. The worst one among them was the bastard called the Blood Demon.
└ Ho!
└ [Wild Grylls]: How bad was he?
└ Chang!
└ [Smart Demon]: If anyone got even slightly on his nerves, he'd go around popping their heads. He was so strong that even decent masters were no match for him.
└ Wi!
└ [Wild Grylls]: So that was why the War of Righteousness and Evil happened?
└ Ho!
└ [Smart Demon]: More or less, but the Blood Demon was so absurdly strong that the Orthodox and Unorthodox Sects joined forces for that war.
└ Chang!
Strange battle cries(?) kept cutting in, but I managed to get the story.
Wi Hochang earned the title Blood Demon because of a massacre.
For reasons unknown, Wi Hochang had committed an enormous massacre out of vengeance against a particular ethnic group.
It was only natural that followers eventually gathered around someone like that. They had simply been drawn in by power.
└ [Smart Demon]: But like I said, even his own followers weren't safe if they got on his nerves. Their heads would go pop!
└ [Wild Grylls]: Sounds like he definitely didn't have friends.
└ How dare you doubt Lord Wi Hochang!
└ Divine punishment will strike you down!
└ [Wild Grylls]: Fuck, the Forest of Four Seasons is enough divine punishment already, so shut up.
└ Hmm. That is true.
└ He's already being punished by heaven, so there's no need for us to step in.
└ Ugh. Smells like Martial World boomers in here;;;
└ Can anything be done about those people? lmao
└ Head Mod says even if they get banned, they crawl right back out like bugs lmao
After hearing the whole story, the reason Wi Hochang had become a Gallery meme was simple.
Nobody had confirmed whether the Blood Demon was alive or dead after the War of Righteousness and Evil.
Some people were convinced the Blood Demon had survived, and those people had seeped into the Gallery.
The Blood Cult already had a bad reputation, but the bizarre meme made it even worse.
Then again, who would like an organization that enjoyed killing people?
└ The War of Righteousness and Evil got all the Orthodox and Unorthodox masters killed, so martial arts standards dropped across the board. Heavenly Demon didn't beat everyone senseless for no reason.
└ Wasn't the military intact? I heard the Emperor got his head cut off.
└ There was a faction that had colluded with the authorities, but even it got wrecked, so yeah.
└ That still doesn't change the fact that Heavenly Demon is a monster;;
└ Back then, wasn't Yaksha Blood Flower more famous than the name Heavenly Demon?
└ Yeah. That was why people said she was Blood Demon's hidden child.
└ Come to think of it, weren't that albino gorilla's palms red?
└ Wi Hochang's palms were red too. That's why he was called the Blood-Handed Overlord.
└ Did Wi Hochang really flee to the Forest of Four Seasons?
└ If he did, what is he doing now? Is he dead?
If the Undying King was in the west, Wi Hochang was in the east.
The Undying King had sent a sibling into the Forest of Four Seasons, while Wi Hochang seemed to have come here personally.
Of course, I didn't know if any of this was true. It was only Kkobong's answer.
I needed to learn more. Fortunately, the questionnaire had a relevant question.
“Kkobong. Answer this one too.”
“...”
As before, Kkobong narrowed his eyes while staring at the questionnaire.
The question asked where that person was now.
Kkobong gave an answer, and I asked Heavenly Demon to translate it.
[Heavenly Demon]: He says he left the troop when he was young, so he does not know.
[Wild Grylls]: I see.
So that was why Fast Sloth hadn't recognized Kkobong.
With such distinct features, there was no way Fast Sloth simply hadn't recognized him.
“@$@%& %@#!”
Maybe it was because Wi Hochang was someone Kkobong knew. Or perhaps the memories had come back.
Kkobong started telling all kinds of stories without me asking.
Naturally, it was all in the Central Plains language, so I asked Heavenly Demon to translate again.
[Heavenly Demon]: He says Wi Hochang was the only one who cared for him when the troop discriminated against him. Wi Hochang taught him until he left the troop.
[Wild Grylls]: Wasn't the Blood Demon a bad person?
[Heavenly Demon]: That may be so, but perhaps Wi Hochang was lenient with beasts. This world is full of creatures worse than beasts.
That was a sharp observation. Reality was full of people worse than animals.
Some people committed even worse acts because they were capable of higher thought.
I thought about Kkobong's story for a moment, then turned my attention back to the Blood Demon.
‘Either way, wasn't that person a criminal?’
Even in an age with broad allowances for self-defense, the Blood Demon had gone far beyond that.
The Blood Demon was someone who killed others for fun, even if the name was now used as a meme.
At least there was a high chance Wi Hochang was no longer in this world.
If Wi Hochang were alive, Chief Gorilla would have reported it immediately, and I would naturally have met Wi Hochang.
‘They said the War of Righteousness and Evil broke out around fifty years ago...’
The Blood Demon, Wi Hochang, had been roughly in their fifties when last seen.
That meant they would be well over a hundred now, an age where dying naturally wouldn't be strange.
Still, Wi Hochang had supposedly been monstrously strong, so surviving in the Forest of Four Seasons wouldn't have been difficult.
‘No. Wait. Doesn't that mean even someone like that couldn't escape the Forest of Four Seasons?’
I didn't know whether Wi Hochang couldn't escape or simply chose not to, but the former seemed more likely.
According to posts floating around the Gallery, the Blood Demon had been extremely prideful.
Would someone like that mingle with mere gorillas and teach them speech, writing, and even martial arts? Something was strange.
Of course, I would have to find evidence to know for sure, but Chief Gorilla would probably have it.
‘The clothes that guy wore back then must have been the Blood Demon's.’
Some things were finally starting to make sense, while others remained incomprehensible.
Maybe entering the Forest of Four Seasons had brought about a change of heart. Or perhaps escape had been proven impossible, and the Blood Demon had given up.
It was still completely unclear, but I could investigate slowly.
What mattered now was information on the Blood Demon.
└ [Wild Grylls]: What realm was the Blood Demon in?
└ I heard Mystical Realm? I think he was around Grand Master level.
└ If he was in the Mystical Realm, call it Mystical Realm. What's with Grand Master?;;
└ What's the difference between Grand Master and Grand Swordmaster?
└ They're basically the same. People just call it Grand Master for convenience.
└ How strong is that?
└ Think of it as a realm where you can flip heaven and earth.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: I too have reached the Mystical Realm. Demonic cultists call it the realm of Demonic Transcendence.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Yes, yes, sure. I could get there too. I just can't be bothered.
The Blood Demon seemed not merely monstrously strong, but ridiculously strong. Even someone like that hadn't escaped the Forest of Four Seasons.
Maybe the injuries from the War of Righteousness and Evil were the problem. Maybe it was something else.
I decided to gather information on the Blood Demon slowly and moved on to another question.
‘This might be the most important one.’
The question I wanted to ask was this: Why had Kkobong harmed my esteemed predecessor, Rais Kraone?
According to Rais Kraone's diary, Kkobong had attacked Rais Kraone, who died from the aftermath.
I wondered whether Kkobong had learned that rotten personality from the Blood Demon, or whether there was another reason.
If Kkobong had killed Rais Kraone just for fun...
Honestly, I thought I would deal with him immediately.
I wasn't comfortable with killing unless there was a valid reason.
“...”
Kkobong frowned after reading the question, then even snorted.
It was an expression that said the question was ridiculous, which made me more curious about the answer.
Kkobong answered, and I once again asked Heavenly Demon to translate.
[Heavenly Demon]: He says Rais Kraone was someone who had stolen his prey before.
[Wild Grylls]: ...
That cleared things up. Theft was hard to tolerate.
On top of that, Kkobong's poor eyesight made chasing a thief difficult.
‘But could glasses be made for an albino?’
The thought suddenly occurred to me. Could I improve Kkobong's vision?
Someone might ask whether that would be bad for me, but it was the opposite.
Glasses were essential to prevent accidents, or workplace accidents(?), while working.
It would be even better if they earned me some goodwill.
Like it or not, we would be sharing meals from now on, so it would be good to offer some basic conveniences.
[Post title] Title) Does Anyone Have Glasses for Bad Eyesight?
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] (Video of Kkobong squinting whenever he reads something)
[Post] This one is an albino, so his eyesight is really bad. I want to get a pair of glasses. Does anyone have something suitable?
[Post] If you do, I'll give you something I can get my hands on in return.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: One of my close attendants sometimes wears spectacles. If you wish, I shall give them to you.
└ [Wild Grylls]: You shouldn't do something so awful;;
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Mana users normally don't have poor eyesight, so this is interesting. Does he not know a method to improve eyesight?
└ [Wild Grylls]: He was born with bad eyesight.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Ah. Then that would be impossible. It would be like making a blind person see.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Don't you have a spare pair of glasses?
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: My vision is well over 9.0;;
└ What's 9.0...
└ [Wild Grylls]: Wow. You really have hawk eyes. Can you even see ants walking on the ground?
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Why would I look at that? lmao
└ [AllHailTheSun]: I have a pair that should work. Want them?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I'd appreciate it. Do you have bad eyesight too?
└ [AllHailTheSun]: No, they're just a fashion item. They can be fitted with lenses for people with bad eyesight, so there shouldn't be a problem.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Thank you. Is there anything you need?
└ [AllHailTheSun]: Nope. This isn't that expensive anyway.
└ Glasses can be pretty expensive, though?
└ I don't know about the frames, but the lenses cost a fucking fortune. A craftsman has to grind them.
└ Looks like we've got a real rich person here.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: Glasses are one thing, but put some clothes on that thing. It's hard to look at.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Why would I put clothes on a gorilla?;;
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: Would you perhaps like a Chaeyu uniform?
└ This bastard is trying to recruit another one lmao
└ After Wonmo and Fast Sloth, now Kkobong too? lmao
└ Still, he should probably wear clothes because of his fur color.
└ Yeah. White fur stands out too much.
Along with glasses, people advised me to put clothes on Kkobong.
His white fur certainly put him at a major disadvantage when it came to survival.
Kkobong had enough fighting power to make up for it, but that power was currently sealed.
I decided to give Kkobong the glasses first and think about clothes later.
‘They're exactly like old-fashioned glasses.’
The glasses AllHailTheSun gave me looked exactly like old-fashioned glasses.
They had round frames and a bridge shaped like an upside-down V.
There was no concept of plastic in that world, so these were probably the standard kind of glasses.
“Kkobong. Try these on.”
“...”
When I handed over the glasses, Kkobong looked deeply suspicious.
It was probably because he was wearing the suppressor.
Still, these were strictly for Kkobong's benefit.
When I held them out as though telling Kkobong to hurry up and take them, he reluctantly accepted.
“Whoa?”
Kkobong put on the glasses with a suspicious look.
Before long, though, that suspicion changed to surprise.
“Whoa? Whoa!”
The surprise soon became amazement.
“Whoooooa!!!”
Kkobong reacted as if he had witnessed a whole new world.
After that, Kkobong kept taking the glasses off and putting them back on.
His eyes sparkled, and his fierce expression melted away.
His lips rounded into an O. It was the reaction of a completely ordinary primate.
“Whoooa...!”
Kkobong began walking with the glasses on.
Then he headed deep into the forest.
I watched his back with a pleased smile.
“...Wait.”
Where was he going?
Footnotes:
Glossary audit: 정혈대전 currently notes the event as roughly sixty years earlier. This chapter explicitly dates it to approximately fifty years earlier.
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