WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 169: Treasure (2)
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Ambergris, the jewel of the sea.
It's a stone formed when sperm whale excrement or a bezoar transforms.
It looks like an ordinary stone, but true to the phrase jewel of the sea, it boasts incredible value.
A single kilogram can fetch around 40 to 50 million won, and since most pieces are large, they're usually worth hundreds of millions.
Even ordinary Ambergris from my world was worth that much, so what about Ambergris from a mythic creature like a Sky Whale?
It was the sort of thing you couldn't sell.
Scholars would need to study it as a precious asset, and it was something “mythical,” after all.
Not only was it impossible to put a price on it, but it was hard to predict just how much backlash selling it would bring.
└ [Wild Grylls]: I get that it can't be priced, but is it just used as a fragrance?
└ [Allfather]: We'd need further research to know for certain, but for now, yes. Since it came from a Sky Whale, there must be some special power within it.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Like the power to make ants swarm?
└ [Allfather]: It would make more sense for it to have an ability related to Sky Whales. Perhaps it possesses exceptional purifying properties.
The possibility of it having purifying properties gave me pause.
Even if it did, I wasn't sure where I'd use it.
It might have other abilities too, but it would take a long time to discover them.
‘I can't just leave it lying around, either.’
I had a Subspace Bag, but the Ambergris still had weight, and the bag wasn't infinite.
It was definitely valuable and useful, but it was useless to me.
I let out a hollow laugh at the irony, then decided to first figure out what to do with it.
└ [Wild Grylls]: I'll think about it slowly for now. I'm not even sure where I'd dispose of it if I did.
└ [AllHailTheSun]: Could you give me just a little?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Do you know how to use it?
└ [AllHailTheSun]: I'd use it as a fragrance. I'm genuinely curious. Is there anything you want?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Nothing in particular. I'll break off a little for you. Just be careful not to attract bugs.
└ Grylls, why not break it into pieces and put it up on the Auction House?
└ Sounds good. It's not useful to you anyway.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Not yet. There's something I want to test first.
There was still plenty of time, so I didn't need to rush.
Besides, I had something I wanted to try. Seeing the swarm of ants attracted to the Ambergris had given me an idea.
If ants were drawn to it, wouldn't schools of fish be drawn to it too?
It might not seem related, but you never knew.
Allfather would probably pound the floor in lament if they saw this, but I didn't care.
└ [Allfather]: You're going to use Ambergris as fishing bait? That sounds stupid as fuck, but I'm looking forward to it.
└ [Wild Grylls]: You're not mad? I thought you'd think it was a waste.
└ [Allfather]: I've already received some, haven't I? Besides, I'm curious too. What sort of fish will it catch? I'm sure others are thinking the same thing.
└ Who the hell fishes with whale shit lol
└ And it isn't even normal whale shit. It's whale shit from a mythical whale lol
└ What kind of life does Grylls even live?
└ A fly's life?
└ You're seriously awful lol
└ Why? His life's as fragile as a fly's, isn't it? lol
Everyone seemed unexpectedly curious. Then again, I was probably the only one who could do something like this.
I carefully examined the fishing rod I'd received from a sponsor.
It looked like it was made from bamboo, and it didn't have a reel to adjust the length of the line.
The era probably had its technological limits. Still, it looked sturdy, and that was enough.
[Post title] Title) Going Fishing
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] (Photo of the fishing rod and Ambergris being used as bait)
[Post] I'm going to try fishing with this as bait. What do you think I'll catch?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: I predict that you will catch an enormous fish.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Grylls is probably the only person who would use whale shit as bait.
└ [Wild Grylls]: That's a compliment, right?
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: It's nice to see you looking on the bright side.
└ He can't survive if he doesn't...
└ If it were me, I'd have gone crazy ages ago...
└ Thinking about it this way, Grylls really is pitiful.
No matter how often I saw it, I couldn't understand the Gallery's flow.
They were always busy making fun of me, but now they were looking at me with pity.
I closed the Gallery and headed to the river with my animal friends.
First, I removed the Fish Trap and checked the river's condition.
Whoooosh!
Nothing was different from usual. Across the river was still a vast desert.
Since nothing stood out, I immediately prepared to fish.
I also didn't forget to spray bug repellent around the area in case insects swarmed over.
What about the others?
“Wonmo, play with this.”
“Kyuu!”
I gave Wonmo a dog plushie. You might wonder why I had a dog plushie, but that had been sponsored too.
Apparently, it was made from fabric animals liked or something.
Wonmo was having a great time with it, so I was very satisfied.
“Kkobong, when a fish bites, you'll pull the rod with me. Got it?”
“...”
“Answer me.”
“Yes.”
Kkobong would pull the fishing rod with me.
Everything was ready. I attached a piece of Ambergris to the hook.
A pleasant scent was already drifting from it, and I could see why people used it as a fragrance.
‘It's funny that shit can smell this good.’
I snickered and swung the fishing rod hard.
Soon, the hook fell into the river with a splash.
The current was so strong that I worried it might get swept away, but that was needless concern.
Flap! Flap! Flap!
An enormous number of fish rushed over. At the same time, the fishing rod grew heavy.
Startled, I shouted for Kkobong to pull. Kkobong followed my order and pulled hard.
Whether several fish had become tangled together or they were naturally strong, the rod wouldn't budge.
“Graaah!”
“Uoooooh!”
But things were different when Kkobong and I worked together.
The two of us strained with all our might and pulled up the fishing rod.
Splash!
As a result, a huge fish shot out of the water.
I was thrilled for a moment at catching a big one, but I had no choice but to be disappointed right away.
“That's it?”
The fish I had caught wasn't any different from the ones caught in the Fish Trap.
It seemed Ambergris was better used to lure fish than as fishing bait.
Still, I had gotten a day's worth of food. I shook off my disappointment and cleaned up.
‘It isn't completely bad since it works as bait, but...’
How should I put it? It felt like a huge waste.
I could catch fish just by setting up the Fish Trap without bait.
There was no need to use Ambergris as bait.
Well, Allfather might find other effects while researching it.
I handed the flopping fish to Kkobong and returned to the shelter.
‘The days really are longer in summer.’
It should have been getting dark around now, but the sun was still blazing.
It was nice that summer gave me more time to be active, at least.
Things would be different if the monsoon came pouring down.
‘When will the Ambergris research be finished?’
It was something Allfather had seen for the first time in their life, and excrement left behind by a mythic creature at that.
There had to be something different about it.
To find out what that was, all I could do was wait quietly.
‘But why did the ants try to take it? Was it simply because of the scent?’
There were plenty of insects besides ants that liked sweet things.
Maybe the ants had claimed it first, keeping other insects and animals away.
I was lost in such pointless thoughts when I turned my head.
I looked at the cave wall, at the marks showing how many days I had survived so far.
‘Is today the twenty-sixth day?’
In three days, it would be exactly one month. Time had passed surprisingly quickly.
I could still only learn about the situation outside through the Gallery, but it wasn't particularly peaceful.
El Dorado had entered something close to a civil war, while the Blood Cult was making ominous moves as well.
From my perspective, I hoped I could meet Ludwig somewhere in the Forest of Four Seasons soon.
‘Come to think of it, is the football match today?’
Since I didn't have anything else to do, I logged into the Gallery.
Just then, PrincessChaenggu made a post announcing the start of the match.
I opened the post and left a simple greeting.
└ [Wild Grylls]: What exactly is today's opponent like?
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: The saint is hereee! They're a mid-table team todayyy! What score do you predict?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Their defense is still terrible, so I'm predicting 3-2.
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: That's worrying...! At least we're winning, so that's a relief!
└ [KingLeor]: Then what do you predict for our Leor? We're playing a weak team today.
└ [Wild Grylls]: You'll be winning 1-0, then concede an equalizer late because your players run out of stamina.
└ [KingLeor]: Ugh, that damn stamina problem;; They've rested for a week. Shouldn't they have recovered by now?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I've been through exhausting work, so I know that recovering from accumulated fatigue takes more than a week. It takes over a month. Besides, footballers fill their free time with training too, don't they?
└ [KingLeor]: Now that you put it that way, it really sounds possible. We have to sign someone next time;
└ Does Leor have that much money?
└ It's more that the manager changes next season. We'll have to see then.
└ Might as well expect no signings lol
└ What about Chaeyu?
└ Chaeyu is a different case, so I'm honestly looking forward to it. The manager understands tactics properly.
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: Next season, we'll be fine if we just strengthen our defensive tactics! Throw out that 100-billion-yura piece of trash too!
└ Isn't that harsh lol
└ But seeing how they still can't play now... they just suck.
└ For real. Even Kone came back to life, so what's their excuse?
└ The defense can be blamed on the line being too high, but that bastard...
After making my predictions, I waited quietly.
Since it would take a while for the matches to end, it would be better to practice my cultivation method.
‘The cold energy is fist-sized now.’
As time passed, my control over the cold energy had improved by leaps and bounds.
It had started out the size of a grain of millet, but now it was as large as a fist.
The fact that its growth was gradually slowing made it seem like I would perfect it soon.
‘Once I finish controlling the cold energy, I should ask Heavenly Demon to teach me the next formula.’
Maybe I could ask once it had been exactly thirty days.
I practiced my cultivation method and worked on other tasks until the football matches ended, then logged into the Gallery.
It was also about time for dinner, so I had made time.
[System] [Chaeyu vs Cadrol: Match over! Chaeyu closes it out 3-2, just as the saint predicted!]
[System] [Leor vs Hoonin: The two teams finish in a draw after an added-time equalizer.]
“Oh?”
I got it right again. Even the score and the course of the matches.
I could brush it off once or twice, but getting it right a third time gave me a strange feeling.
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: Everyone, declare it! Grylls is a saint!
└ Please let me marry my girlfriend.
└ Please let me get a perfect score on my Academy practical exam.
└ Please let the next six months be a huge success.
└ [KingLeor]: Please let Chaeyu get relegated.
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: What the fuck are you even sayinggg? Get lost! You only managed a draw lol
└ [KingLeor]: So are you going to the Champions League? lol
└ [PrincessChaenggu]: If we win all our remaining matches, we can go~
Of course, the prophecy pilgrimage followed naturally.
I snickered at the Gallery going wild over the match results, then closed it.
There was a post saying someone had gambled and made a fortune, but I casually ignored it.
Money and all that didn't matter. My own life was more important.
When I stepped outside...
Gulp. Gulp.
I saw the fish I had just caught with my fishing rod.
It was swimming through midair.
‘...What? Is this a bug?’
The world's really going to hell.
Footnotes:
Glossary collision: 구결 is locked as both “mnemonic verses” and “formula.” “Formula” is used here because it refers to the next instructional passage of the cultivation method.
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