WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈

Chapter 36: Moderator (3)

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News that Heavenly Demon had become an assistant moderator spread like wildfire.

She was already a well-known registered user, so it was only natural that the gallery got noisy.

Assistant moderators might be lower-tier versions of the Head Mod, but they were still managers.

Anyone who broke the rules or got on Heavenly Demon’s bad side had a high chance of getting banned.

‘Not that Heavenly Demon would do that.’

Heavenly Demon had a strong tendency to do things her own way.

No matter what anyone said, she was the type to steadily walk her own path.

Her mental fortitude was practically steel. Or maybe it was the particular kindness of an old person.

Getting on Heavenly Demon’s bad side meant showering her with insults too vile to repeat.

‘If that’s the case, they can’t complain about getting banned.’

Anyway, from my perspective, it was little more than an ordinary incident.

Even if Heavenly Demon became an assistant moderator, nothing major would change.

There was simply one more manager now.

Since we were acquainted, I might get a tiny bit of convenience out of it.

‘Not that I’m going to depend on her.’

If I relied on Heavenly Demon too much, I’d inevitably get lazy.

She was already helping me plenty.

Rather than clinging to Heavenly Demon, it was better for me to grow stronger on my own.

‘She’ll be busy now that she’s an assistant moderator, right?’

Assistant moderators were practically volunteers. Unpaid slaves.

If they neglected their duties, though, their badge could be taken away, and they could even get banned.

The Head Mod was especially rigid and big on rules, so Heavenly Demon would have no choice but to be careful.

‘Let’s focus on what I need to do.’

I’d escaped the Muscle Mushroom, and Heavenly Demon had become an assistant moderator, but I still had work to do.

I needed to repair my shelter with the walls I was getting from Passing Dwarf.

They said they’d give them to me around lunchtime, so a trade request should be coming soon.

‘Once I set up the wall...’

Just as I was thinking about what to do after setting it up, a message appeared.

[System] Passing Dwarf has requested a trade. Would you like to accept?

A trade request had arrived from the dwarf.

Speak of the devil. Thinking that, I accepted.

[Passing Dwarf]: You accepted right away. Guess you’ve got time?

[You]: I was waiting for you.

[Passing Dwarf]: Ah. I’m into women, though. Such is my popularity.

[You]: You crazy bastard lol. Are the walls done?

[Passing Dwarf]: They’re done, but there are a lot of them, and they’re big. Do you have somewhere to store them?

At that question, I looked around.

Maybe because this had once been the territory of a Mad Dog pack, the area around the cave was fairly spacious.

The cave itself was spacious too. Three huge beasts had lived here, after all.

If necessary, I could store them inside the cave after setting up a few in advance.

[You]: I’ve got room. About how big are they?

[Passing Dwarf]: Look at these first.

[Passing Dwarf]: (Wooden wall photo), (wooden wall photo 2)

[Passing Dwarf]: Which one looks better?

“Oh?”

I admired the photos Passing Dwarf had uploaded.

One was an ordinary wooden wall.

It was made by lining up wooden logs sharpened to points at the top.

The other was closer to a barricade.

Walls and barricades were technically the same thing, but their shapes differed.

A wall stood upright, while a barricade was set at an angle.

It was made by setting pointed logs at an angle and binding them tightly together.

[Passing Dwarf]: You’re not going to live there forever.

[Passing Dwarf]: If it’s only for temporary use, spikes seem better.

[Passing Dwarf]: They’re easier to install too.

[You]: That one does look better.

[You]: I dug like hell, though lol.

[Passing Dwarf]: Just bury them in the ground.

[You]: Then I’ll make them like this.

[You]: How long would it take to make those?

[Passing Dwarf]: What I’m giving you should be enough for basic defense. If it isn’t, make them yourself.

[Passing Dwarf]: They’re easy to make if you know how to tie rope.

[You]: I’ll think about it. Can you send them right away?

[Passing Dwarf]: Wait.

[System] Passing Dwarf has registered trade items.

[Passing Dwarf]: Take them.

[You]: Thx thx. Is there anything you need?

[Passing Dwarf]: Give me booze lol.

[You]: Can’t give you booze, but I’ll find something to eat with it.

[You]: Fish okay?

[Passing Dwarf]: Not bad.

[Passing Dwarf]: Don’t you need a fish trap to catch fish?

[You]: It’d be nice to have one, but they seem too big, so it’d be rough.

[Passing Dwarf]: I’ll make one for you.

[Passing Dwarf]: You better give me snacks for drinks. Okay?

[You]: Okay.

Once the trade ended, the items Passing Dwarf had sent arrived.

I’d assumed they wouldn’t be very tall, but I’d been wrong.

Even slanted, the wooden logs rose slightly above my height.

This method must have taken even more effort.

‘They’re bigger than I thought.’

There was no time to panic. Another barricade would arrive shortly.

Because there was a delay between each one, I was able to place them slowly.

Perhaps they took time to transfer because of their size.

Or maybe there simply wasn’t enough space.

“Whew.”

Time passed, and I finally finished placing and adjusting everything.

There had been a few hiccups because I didn’t know exactly where trade items would appear, but there hadn’t been any accidents.

‘There’s no inventory or anything?’

Big items would be a pain every time they came through like this.

It would be nice if there were a separate place to store trade items.

[Post title] Work done!

[Post] (Photo of shelter with barricades installed)

[Post] I finally finished setting up the barricades. There’s still more to do, but this feels satisfying.

[Post] By the way, isn’t there a place to store trade items? They suddenly pop out everywhere, and it was hard to arrange them.

└ Nice work. That function did exist originally. It’s just restricted now.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Why was it restricted?

└ Because of smuggling. People used to criticize it as military-style bureaucracy, but the Head Mod two terms ago ruined an entire territory, so it got blocked.

└ Isn’t that restriction meaningless for the Head Mod? The Head Mod can do anything.

└ Yeah, if the Head Mod lifts the restriction, it can be used. But would the current Head Mod-erator really do that?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Wouldn’t even ten minutes work? That’s enough for me.

└ There are bastards who hide drugs up their asses to smuggle them, so no way they’d allow it lol.

└ They might do it for you, Grylls. But is there a system that removes restrictions for only specific registered users?

└ Nope. Maybe if you were an assistant moderator. Even then, you’d have to suck up to the Head Mod lol.

└ One thing’s for sure, this Head Mod is an old-fashioned stickler, so they probably won’t do it.

└ [DontAbandonTheHero]: I’m not an old-fashioned stickler! I just value rules and principles! Calling someone a stickler for maintaining order is wrong! The technical term is antisocial tendencies!

└ Is the Head Mod here?

└ Head Mod. Then how about lifting the restriction? You can do whatever you want now.

└ [DontAbandonTheHero]: It’s something I’ve actually been considering! I’ll review it positively, so please wait! I’ll be going now!

Reviewing it positively. Maybe I could have some hope.

Even being able to store things for five minutes would be nice.

I’d set up the barricades, but things were still roughly scattered around.

‘No. I’m getting greedy. What am I thinking?’

I quickly shook my head. This wouldn’t do.

I’d resolved to reduce how much I depended on the gallery, yet here I was getting irritated over a minor inconvenience.

It really was as addictive as a drug. No wonder people couldn’t quit browsing the gallery.

I could only grow if I overcame things on my own. I reaffirmed my resolve.

‘Let’s inspect the barricades properly first.’

One day, I might have to make barricades myself if something happened to Passing Dwarf or I could no longer use the gallery.

I needed to understand the barricade’s structure in preparation for that.

‘They carved into the wood and fitted the pieces into the openings. They tied them tightly with rope just in case.’

When I had time, it would be good practice to make a smaller barricade.

Trees were everywhere, so I’d never lack materials.

What I lacked was skill with my hands. It would definitely turn out far worse than what Passing Dwarf had made.

‘Aren’t dwarves short? Passing Dwarf made all this alone?’

The physical build of dwarves suddenly came to mind.

The barricade was slightly taller than me.

It was a little amazing that a dwarf had made such a tall barricade alone.

Passing Dwarf constantly made a fuss about wanting alcohol, but Passing Dwarf might actually be someone important.

“Kyuu.”

“Are you hungry?”

Wonmo approached me and looked up with sparkling eyes.

By the time I finished installing the barricades, it was already lunchtime.

Since we had no fish, it looked like I’d have to make do with Fasting Pills today.

I gave Wonmo a large piece of meat I’d bought from the gallery.

Wonmo’s eyes lit up as he immediately began devouring it.

‘I need to learn how to set traps too.’

The problem was whether an ordinary trap would catch ordinary animals.

The only small animals I’d seen so far were squirrels and rabbits.

Even they were quite large.

The rabbits were about the size of medium-sized dogs.

They were so fast that the moment they sensed my presence, they ran away.

‘Then I can just make the trap bigger.’

It was simple, but effective.

I could set a trap as though I were trying to catch a wild boar rather than a rabbit.

As I chewed on a bitter Fasting Pill, I looked behind me.

I’d thought someone was climbing onto my back, but it was Fast Sloth after all.

“Do you want some too?”

“...”

The creature nodded at its usual slow pace.

I handed it a Fasting Pill and browsed the gallery.

After a short rest, I planned to practice my cultivation method.

[System] Heavenly Demon has requested a one-on-one chat! Would you like to accept?

“Huh?”

A message caught my eye as I browsed the gallery.

Heavenly Demon hadn’t requested a trade. She’d requested a one-on-one chat.

As far as I knew, one-on-one chats weren’t available to ordinary users or even registered users.

I’d heard it was to prevent people from forming cliques. So why could Heavenly Demon use it?

‘Is it different for assistant moderators?’

The question crossed my mind, but I couldn’t reject a request from Heavenly Demon. I accepted it.

Once I did, a window similar to a trade window appeared.

[Heavenly Demon]: Sir. Can you see this one’s message?

[You]: Hello. I can see it clearly.

[You]: Can assistant moderators use one-on-one chats?

[Heavenly Demon]: They are normally impossible.

[Heavenly Demon]: But this one persuaded the moderator and obtained the privilege.

[Heavenly Demon]: In exchange, this one must send the request first.

[You]: I see.

[You]: Is being an assistant moderator manageable?

[Heavenly Demon]: There are many images that please this one’s eyes.

[Heavenly Demon]: But those with shallow understanding like yourself would fall to a Heart Demon.

I had a rough idea of what she meant.

Last time, I’d gone in without knowing anything and gotten thoroughly eye-blasted.

But Heavenly Demon was a true gallery addict among gallery addicts. She’d get over something like that easily.

In a way, she had the perfect qualifications for an assistant moderator.

She had free time, wouldn’t fall to a Heart Demon, and had strong mental fortitude.

From the Head Mod’s perspective, Heavenly Demon becoming an assistant moderator must have been welcome.

[You]: Sounds rough.

[You]: Do one-on-one chats have no time limit?

[Heavenly Demon]: None.

[Heavenly Demon]: But the Head Mod will be able to see every part of the conversation.

[Heavenly Demon]: Still, that does not matter. What this one will teach you is only the basics.

[You]: The basics?

[You]: Didn’t you already teach me everything?

[You]: You said I opened up my upper dantian or something too.

[Heavenly Demon]: Correct.

[Heavenly Demon]: But opening it too quickly is the problem.

[Heavenly Demon]: Without a foundation, one is bound to falter.

[Heavenly Demon]: Even a bridgehead that appears sturdy will collapse someday if it was poorly built.

It was clearly martial arts language, yet I oddly understood it.

The poorly built part hit home the hardest.

This was probably what they called wisdom. She was an excellent teacher.

[You]: That makes perfect sense.

[You]: You mean my body could collapse because it was poorly built, right?

[Heavenly Demon]: Correct.

[Heavenly Demon]: This one intends to teach you the basics from now on.

[Heavenly Demon]: Even if the stem is strong, it will soon wither if its roots are weak.

[You]: Thank you.

[You]: Though I’m not sure I’ll be able to understand everything.

[Heavenly Demon]: Do not worry.

[Heavenly Demon]: This one will explain it so you can understand.

[Heavenly Demon]: First, sit cross-legged.

I sat cross-legged as Heavenly Demon instructed.

Maybe because I was used to it now, it didn’t hurt and instead felt refreshing.

Later, I should practice postures besides sitting cross-legged too. More flexibility could only be good.

[Heavenly Demon]: Ah. There is one thing this one is curious about.

[Heavenly Demon]: What did it feel like when you practiced your cultivation method?

[Heavenly Demon]: Did you feel any blockage at the crown of your head?

[You]: Not at all.

[You]: It just felt like it went all the way around my body?

[Heavenly Demon]: It appears you truly opened the Life-and-Death Gate.

[Heavenly Demon]: Your Internal Energy must be flowing freely through the Ren and Du Meridians.

I didn’t understand a single word, but I could tell she was impressed.

[You]: That’s a good thing, right?

[Heavenly Demon]: A very good thing.

[Heavenly Demon]: In terms of realm, you are at the late Peak Realm.

[Heavenly Demon]: But because your progress has been too abrupt, you likely cannot even manifest Sword Aura properly.

[You]: Sword Aura? You mean putting mana into a sword?

[Heavenly Demon]: Correct.

[Heavenly Demon]: Though this one would prefer you call it Internal Energy rather than mana.

[Heavenly Demon]: It is not essential, but the word grates on this one for some reason.

It grated on her. Apparently, she had immense pride in the Inner Energy Cultivation Method.

Well, she was an old person who’d experienced everything life had to offer, so I could understand that pride.

It was something I should respect instead. I needed to be careful from now on.

[You]: I’ll keep that in mind.

[You]: Anyway, I can’t manifest it.

[You]: It’s the first I’ve heard of it.

[Heavenly Demon]: Even strengthening your body will be difficult, let alone manifesting Sword Aura.

[Heavenly Demon]: That is why the basics are important.

[You]: I see.

[You]: I understand.

[Heavenly Demon]: Therefore, knowing the pathways will make it easier.

[Heavenly Demon]: Read carefully.

[Heavenly Demon]: When you practice the cultivation method, Internal Energy flows through the lower dantian, huiyin, wei lu...

Heavenly Demon’s lesson went on, and it was incredibly long.

All I could do was stare blankly with my mouth hanging open.

I didn’t understand a single word.

It felt like I’d learned one plus one as the basics, only for calculus to suddenly get thrown at me.

[Heavenly Demon]: If it is difficult, this one can show you with a diagram.

[You]: Can you?

[Heavenly Demon]: (Rough pathway diagram) What do you think? Can you see it clearly?

I could see it clearly enough.

It was roughly a picture of a person’s side profile and the pathways inside their body.

‘What language is this?’

The problem was that I couldn’t understand the writing at all.

At least the pathways were drawings, so I could figure those out roughly.

‘Will this be okay?’

It was too difficult.

* * *

Heavenly Demon was in the middle of giving an intensive lesson.

[SwordTasteMaster]: Head Mod. You traded with Heavenly Demon, right?

[Head Mod]: Huh?!

SwordTasteMaster was secretly approaching the Head Mod.

Footnotes:

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