WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 31: Inner Elixir (2)
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Heavenly Demon Yu Sowol's days were simple to the point of monotony.
She sat upon the jade throne, a seat reserved for Heaven alone, as the highest being of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
From there, she browsed the gallery and organized her insights. That was all.
She had no need to sleep or wash.
Given her realm, her body remained in peak condition at all times.
So every day, she sat in her chair and browsed the gallery.
Some might ask what kind of lifestyle that was, but reality was reality.
Anyone who saw it might ask:
[Post title] Does Heavenly Demon even have a job?
[Post title] If she does, what does she even do? I'm kind of curious.
└ An old geezer who browses the gallery every day? What job could she possibly have? LOL
└ Even if she has one, isn't she just roleplaying as unemployed?
└ Judging by the way she talks, maybe she serves as some kind of adviser?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: I sit upon the jade throne.
└ That's it?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: This alone displays my majesty.
└ So she's just unemployed LOL
└ How's she any different from a shut-in bum? LOL
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Do not compare me to those who abandon their duties and seclude themselves. At the very least, I am revered as Heaven.
└ What bullshit LOL Does she think she's a god or something? LOL
└ Wouldn't that get you arrested for blasphemy?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Those who mock me, I personally see to it that their heads burst.
└ Wow, keeping up that persona can't be easy;;
└ Just leave her alone. She's always been like that.
Wasn't the Demonic Cult a place that regarded Heavenly Demon as Heaven? How was she any different from a shut-in bum?
The problem was that they worshipped her as Heaven in the literal sense.
What was Heaven? It was something that had existed since the birth of humanity, a symbol of the divine.
Few could stand face-to-face with such a being and ask for the fulfillment of their wishes.
Even if they did, they had to go through Demon Brain, the Demonic Cult's true ruler.
At a glance, Heavenly Demon might have looked like a figurehead, but that was far from the truth. It was the opposite.
No matter how powerful Demon Brain was, he would never escape unscathed if he disturbed Heavenly Demon's mood.
The moment he fell out of favor with Heavenly Demon, who had surpassed the Transformation Realm and attained the Mystical Realm, it was over.
[Post title] Can usernames overlap?
[Post title] Some of the active registered users have surprisingly simple usernames.
[Post title] Especially Heavenly Demon, isn't she famous in the Central Plains? Had nobody claimed that username before now?
└ I don't think registered usernames can overlap. Semi-registered usernames can, though.
└ Not if a registered user already claimed it.
└ What's the difference between semi-registered and registered users? The yellow thing next to the name?
└ That's part of it, but registered users can list things on the Auction House and trade privately.
└ Though the Head Mod can track your location LOL
└ The Head Mod from three generations ago did that, killed someone, and went to prison.
└ Holy shit, that's terrifying.
└ So Heavenly Demon took it as a registered username so nobody else could use it?
└ Yeah.
└ You're saying nobody had made a registered username called Heavenly Demon until then?
└ There probably were, but they'd all have been semi-registered users. Who'd be crazy enough to make a registered username called Heavenly Demon? LOL
└ The current Head Mod is nice, but the one from three generations ago would've taken money and handed over your address LOL
└ But what if she actually turned out to be the real Heavenly Demon?
└ The Demonic Cult would've been ruined in a different way.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: There is no need to worry. So long as I exist, the Demonic Cult shall never fall.
└ That's exactly the problem, ma'am.
└ If that person really were the Heavenly Demon, I'd have a serious reality check LOL
└ How is she browsing the gallery twenty-four hours a day?;;
All sorts of rumors circulated, but it was true that Yu Sowol had become deeply absorbed in browsing the gallery.
Recently, she had even met a benefactor one could call a Fortuitous Encounter.
Worried something might happen to that benefactor, she remained in the gallery at all times.
That way, she could comment whenever the benefactor made a post.
Demon Brain handled most matters related to the Demonic Cult, so she had nothing else to do.
“Hmm.”
It was time for her usual exploration of the gallery.
Yu Sowol sat idly on her throne, closely examining something.
It was a tiny red bead pinched between fingers as delicate as jade.
It was the item Wild Grylls, her Fortuitous Encounter and benefactor, had traded to her and asked her to verify as an Inner Core.
Having surpassed the Transformation Realm and reached the Mystical Realm, identifying it was easy for her.
‘It is an Inner Core.’
The red bead Grylls had given her truly was an Inner Core.
Though it looked like an ordinary bead, the energy contained within it was anything but ordinary.
‘But it is lacking in many ways.’
For an Inner Core, it was lacking across the board.
First, it contained too little qi in absolute terms.
Normally, consuming an Inner Core allowed a Transcendent Peak martial artist to enter the Transformation Realm.
This one held enough energy to raise someone from the Peak Realm to the Transcendent Peak Realm.
It must have belonged to a spiritual treasure that had lived for several hundred years, rather than several thousand.
‘It is not bad.’
From Yu Sowol's perspective as one who had reached the Mystical Realm, it was closer to an elixir that was good for the body.
Of course, that was only from Yu Sowol's perspective. To anyone else, it was more valuable than a treasure.
One only had to consider that even masters who had reached the Transcendent Peak Realm, let alone the Transformation Realm, were uncommon.
If this were released onto the market, especially through the gallery's Auction House, there would undoubtedly be an uproar.
‘It is too much for my benefactor to consume. What a pity.’
Yu Sowol did not dwell on it. Something more important was at hand.
Grylls had only just learned the Inner Energy Cultivation Method.
He had somehow opened both his middle dantian and upper dantian, but he was still inexperienced.
If he consumed the Inner Core as well, his body might not endure it and could burst in the worst case.
Even if he endured it, he would likely suffer for days.
It was not something Grylls, for whom survival was paramount, would prefer.
Still, leaving the Inner Core untouched was not an option.
Its energy would disperse over time.
It had originally been inside a spiritual treasure's body, so that was only natural.
‘What a remarkable forest. To think fish containing Inner Cores can be caught so easily.’
The New Moon Spirit Herb, an Adult Mandrake, and now even fish containing Inner Cores.
Any one of them appearing would throw the world into turmoil, yet there seemed to be enough of them in the Forest of Four Seasons to trip over.
That did not mean entering the Forest of Four Seasons was a viable option. It was an act of suicide.
The space changed from moment to moment, and even connecting to the gallery was impossible.
Grylls endured only because he could connect to the gallery in that strange place. An ordinary person would not last even two days.
‘That was how Demon Brain explained it, was it not?’
After staring intently at the Inner Core, Yu Sowol connected to the gallery.
Now that she had confirmed its quality, all that remained was to inform Grylls.
Since they had just traded, she could not return it immediately.
Still, there was a way to preserve the Inner Core's energy, so there was no need to worry.
[Post title] Sir, Take a Look
[Author] Heavenly Demon
[Post] As you requested, I have verified whether the Inner Core is genuine. It is real.
└ Isn't this a scam?
└ She's going to sell it for a high price LOL
└ Now we're getting Inner Cores too? LOL
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Believe me or not, it matters not. I have not uttered a single lie.
Yu Sowol ignored all the pointless comments. Grylls was the one who mattered to her.
Still, playing along for a little while did not seem too bad.
Unlike her, who remained in the gallery at all times, Grylls was busy.
As she joked around with the users, Grylls finally left a comment.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Oh. Is it really genuine?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: It is. What will you do now?
└ [Wild Grylls]: What happens if I eat it?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: In the worst case, your body will burst. Even should you be all right, you will likely suffer a fever for several days.
└ [Wild Grylls]: So I have to give it to someone else, then.
└ If it's real, give it to me. I've hit a bottleneck, so I'm still stuck at First-Rate.
└ No, give it to me. I'm stuck at intermediate Expert rank.
└ Giveittomegiveittomegiveittomegiveittomegiveittomegiveittome
└ MineMineMineMineMineMine!
└ [Heavenly Demon]: What a pathetic display.
Grylls did not comment for some time, perhaps because he was thinking it over.
Or perhaps something else had come up in the meantime.
Heavenly Demon waited in silence. She could roughly predict what Grylls would say.
‘No doubt he will choose to give it to me or someone else.’
└ [Wild Grylls]: Then either you eat it, Heavenly Demon, or give it to someone around you.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Is there something you wish of me?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Yes. Could you give me more Fasting Pills, by any chance?
Just as she had expected.
Grylls was proposing to exchange the Inner Core for Fasting Pills.
At the suggestion, Yu Sowol smiled without realizing it.
It was a smile beautiful enough to be a painting, but unfortunately, there was no one to see it.
Only Heavenly Demon sat on the throne in the audience chamber.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: An Inner Core is a precious elixir. Even if this one is somewhat lacking, an Inner Core is still an Inner Core. Though it may take time, it would be better for you to consume it.
└ [Wild Grylls]: We don't know when that will be. If needed, I'll just catch another one.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Hmm? There is another?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I just caught one. I don't know if it has an Inner Core, but it looks the same, so there's a good chance, right?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: What a remarkable forest.
└ You caught another one? Seriously?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah. I might set up a Fish Trap soon.
└ Wouldn't it tear the Fish Trap apart?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Then I'll ask the dwarf to make one.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: Why me?
└ [Wild Grylls]: You made the barricade?
└ [Passing Dwarf]: Forgot lol
└ [Wild Grylls]: You fucking bitch.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: What?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I probably shouldn't say that, right?
└ Look at this shameless bastard LOL
└ This crazy bastard LOOOOOOL
└ LOL
Fasting Pills. Yu Sowol considered the matter.
She had given Grylls a whole sack of Fasting Pills before. Could he already be running low?
Probably not. Though he ate three at a time, she had given him plenty.
He was likely keeping them as emergency rations. That was the logical explanation.
‘There is probably some for that Sloth as well.’
With another mouth to feed, supplies would be consumed more quickly.
Grylls was likely preparing for that.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: Wait. I will ask my close aide.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Thank you. If it's difficult, you don't have to do it.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: It is your request. How could I refuse? If it cannot be done, I shall make it possible.
└ [Wild Grylls]: That's a little burdensome. Still, if they say it's difficult, don't pressure them. I don't want them to hate me for no reason.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: And what will you do if they say it is difficult?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Trade with someone else, I guess. Or put it on the Auction House?
└ The Auction House is about to blow up LOL
└ Is that really an Inner Core, though?
└ Considering the Adult Mandrake, there's a 99% chance it is.
└ They might be in on it together.
└ Then they're just scammers LOL
└ There really isn't any reason for Grylls to scam people, though. Yeah.
A strange sense of anticipation had already begun to spread through the gallery.
Had the Adult Mandrake incident not happened only two days ago?
Posts flooded in, saying the Inner Core must be real too and that they wanted one for themselves.
‘Getting ahead of yourselves.’
Yu Sowol snorted as she watched.
No one had even said they would give it away, yet they were already getting excited.
Seeing such comments only strengthened her resolve.
She would trade the Inner Core for Fasting Pills somehow.
Demon Brain happened to be a master between the Peak and Transcendent Peak Realms, so it was a good deal.
[Demon Brain. Are you listening?]
Yu Sowol called for Demon Brain through Voice Transmission.
Demon Brain was likely busy at the moment, so calling this way was better.
[I have business with you. Come to me.]
No reply came. Demon Brain was too far from the audience chamber.
The moment Yu Sowol reached the Mystical Realm, her senses had long surpassed the bounds of humanity.
Her sight was no longer limited to what her eyes could see. It was more akin to gazing down from the sky.
‘And yet the Forest of Four Seasons is difficult even for me. Nature truly is mysterious.’
At the same time, she realized just how extraordinary nature was.
The closer she approached it, the farther away it seemed. That perfectly described Yu Sowol's assessment of nature.
‘That aside...’
Heavenly Demon browsed the gallery until Demon Brain arrived.
Reaching the Mystical Realm had not only deepened her reverence for nature.
‘Is there no way to interfere with the gallery?’
She wondered whether she could interfere with the gallery.
Other than the Head Mod, no user interfered with the gallery's structure.
She wanted to interfere with it somehow, but it was like ramming her head against a wall.
‘Connecting itself is not difficult. Who in the world created this marvel?’
The origins of the Continent-Wide Gallery were unclear.
Some said it had existed since ancient times, while others claimed it had only appeared recently.
Yu Sowol watched posts appear in real time and thought to herself.
‘To help my benefactor...’
It was an area that ordinarily would not have interested her much.
Yet things had changed after receiving help from Grylls.
She wanted to interfere with the gallery somehow and help him.
Though she could not even grasp its proper structure, interference was not entirely impossible.
‘Assistant moderator... was that the term?’
Just as Yu Sowol reached toward an unknown thing she should not touch...
[O Heaven. I have answered your summons.]
Demon Brain's respectful greeting sounded from outside.
At once, Yu Sowol exited the gallery and spoke calmly.
“Enter.”
It was not an order from the human Yu Sowol, but from Heavenly Demon Yu Sowol.
At that command, the tightly closed doors of the audience chamber slowly began to open.
The person who appeared through them was Demon Brain, a young man dressed in the robes of the Demonic Cult.
Perhaps tense, Demon Brain slowly lifted his head, wearing a slightly stiff expression.
Before him sat the Heaven of the Demonic Cult, Heavenly Demon, elevated upon her throne.
“I greet the Heaven of the Demonic Cult.”
“Take it.”
Yu Sowol skipped the trivial greetings and tossed him the Inner Core.
As if he had expected the gesture, Demon Brain caught the Inner Core lightly while keeping his head lowered.
Then, slowly raising his head, he revealed his confusion.
“O Heaven. This is...?”
“It is an Inner Core. Though lacking, it belonged to a spiritual treasure that lived for hundreds of years.”
“...”
Demon Brain looked thoroughly bewildered.
After inspecting the red Inner Core from every angle, he spoke in an uneasy tone.
“It is certainly... an Inner Core. Where did you obtain it?”
“I received it through a trade. Therefore, I ask you this.”
“Please give your command.”
“The Fasting Pills I received for cultivation. How many more can you make?”
Yu Sowol went straight to the point. There was no need for explanation.
Demon Brain seemed to consider the matter briefly before carefully speaking.
“The Fasting Pills made for Heaven... are crafted from precious medicinal herbs.”
“I know.”
“If those are the ones you mean, then it is possible.”
“How long will it take?”
“We must prepare the ingredients, and the quantity is large. It will take about a week.”
“Good. Begin preparations at once. You may consume the Inner Core.”
“Thank you for your grace, O Heaven.”
Demon Brain bowed deeply in gratitude.
It was fortunate he had lowered his head. Otherwise, Yu Sowol would have seen his lips twitching.
Soon, Demon Brain turned and left the audience chamber. Yu Sowol was naturally left alone.
The moment she sensed that Demon Brain had gone outside, Yu Sowol immediately connected to the gallery.
[Post title] Ah, fuck. Why's my body getting hot?
“Hm?”
The first thing she saw upon connecting to the gallery was a post.
It was written by Grylls. Yu Sowol hurriedly entered it.
[Post title] Ah, fuck. Why's my body getting hot?
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] (A photo of a fish picked clean, down to the bones)
[Post] Why did my body start heating up as soon as I ate this? Was it poisonous or something?
‘Oh no.’
Yu Sowol belatedly realized her mistake when she saw the post.
A spiritual treasure's energy was not concentrated solely in its Inner Core.
The spiritual treasure itself was practically an Inner Core. Powerful qi must have been present in every piece of flesh.
‘I was careless.’
Yu Sowol hurriedly typed a comment.
She was worried something might happen to Grylls.
Footnotes:
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