WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 43: Con Artist (4)
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The Gallery could be used by anyone, regardless of age, gender, or social status.
Along with its anonymity, that often made it both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.
In particular, scammers frequently used the Gallery to pull all kinds of cons.
[Post title] Ah, fuck. I got scammed.
[Post] There was some good wild ginseng on the Auction House, so I bought it, but it was regular ginseng. Fuck.
└ LOL You too? Me too!
└ Wild ginseng and regular ginseng are kind of similar lol
└ That fucking bastard deleted the post right away.
While one-on-one trades were only available to registered users, everyone could use the Auction House.
That meant there were plenty of criminals, scammers who could fleece others without a shred of shame.
Whenever a high-priced item was involved, most people assumed it was a scam.
Most scammers were looking to make one big score. There was no choice but to be suspicious.
└ Why do those scammer bastards even scam? They can't withdraw the money from the Gallery anyway.
└ They use the money to buy other stuff. You can find just about anything here.
└ The biggest perk is skipping normal distribution channels. You can easily get stuff from other countries too.
└ Don't they get banned?
└ They do, but it depends on the moderator. Some people don't get banned because the mod says, "Over something that small? Lol."
└ At least the current Head Mod is decent. Scammers get perma-banned without hesitation.
└ What if an innocent person gets caught up in it?
└ Then they need to work it out among themselves.
Fortunately, scammers had been dealt with harshly while DontAbandonTheHero was Head Mod.
Even minor scams were not forgiven. Every offender received a permanent ban.
That did not mean bans were handed out blindly, though. If the offender reached an amicable settlement with the other party, they were forgiven.
What mattered was whether they showed remorse. That was the second most important thing, after figuring out what had really happened.
Thanks to that, scams had decreased quite a bit, though they had not disappeared entirely.
[Post title] This fucking registered user is a scammer. Don't trust them.
[Post] (Photo of a bizarre plant)
[Post] I planted this from a seed I won for 1,000 gold. Thought it was a rare plant, but it wasn't. Fuck.
└ Ugh, what is that? A nepenthes? Why does a flower have teeth? LOL
└ Nepenthes don't have teeth. What the hell is that?
└ Allfather: That's Deathmeros, a plant-type monster that only grows in Mephisto. How did you raise it?
└ Fuck, it was a monster LOL
└ Is the OP still alive?
Those who would scam kept scamming, and both the scale and methods of their scams grew more vicious and elaborate.
Registered users do not scam? That was complete bullshit.
There were countless people who would even sell off their registered accounts for one big score.
On top of that, Auction House payments were transferred immediately after a bid won.
That was tied to the Gallery system itself, so the Head Mod could not do anything about it.
As a result, people had no choice but to exercise extreme caution with auctions, especially bidding.
Most bids were kept low, and people tended to avoid large amounts.
Unless it was an item listed by a highly reputable registered user, few people placed high bids.
[Post title] What if the Head Mod scams people?
[Post] Title says it all.
└ It almost never happens, but wasn't there a scammer Head Mod around a hundred years ago?
└ A hundred years ago? LOL Must've been demonkind or an elf.
└ I think it was an elf. They kept scamming people with World Tree leaves LOL
└ What happened then? It's hard to remove a Head Mod.
└ Nobody bought anything the Head Mod listed. Maybe they died while scamming people in real life, because the Head Mod suddenly changed one day.
└ LOL Serves them right.
Scams were crimes that could not be eradicated from the Gallery, no matter how much people wanted them gone.
That was why Gallery users recoiled at the very word scam.
A rumor that someone had scammed others, especially that a registered user had done so, was enough to earn condemnation regardless of whether it was true.
Even if the accusation was false and born from manipulation and fabrication, that was just how the Gallery worked.
“Heh heh. What idiots.”
A middle-aged man muttered to himself.
He had the distinctive appearance and clothing of a Central Plains native, along with a thin, rat-like mustache.
His narrow, slanted eyes gave him a somewhat treacherous impression.
“They're so easy to handle.”
The Gallery was spread out before his eyes.
Its list was filled with criticism and hostility toward Grylls.
A single short post from the man had created such an enormous wave.
‘They won't be able to stand it for long without settling this.’
The man was a merchant. One of the countless small and mid-level merchants found throughout the Central Plains.
This time, however, he had won an auction for an item Grylls had listed and stumbled upon an incredible opportunity.
Creak.
The merchant looked away from the Gallery and opened a desk drawer.
Alongside various documents sat a small ring case.
Click.
When he carefully opened it, a faint, cold mist spilled out.
Inside lay an orb that shone with a brilliant red light.
It was the Inner Core he had bid on through the Gallery's Auction House.
‘I'd never imagined it was a real Inner Core.’
He had it verified through several inspections. It was undoubtedly an Inner Core.
It might not have been the sort of Inner Core found only in legends, but it was still at least elixir grade.
It would fetch at least 1,000 nyang of silver.
‘Heh heh. As long as I don't tell them, there's no way for them to know.’
The merchant was greedy. Extremely greedy.
He did not stop there. He tried to steer things so he could recover the money he had spent.
Even if Heavenly Demon vouched for it, she was considered an eccentric even on the Gallery.
Unless she proved she was the real Heavenly Demon, her words meant nothing.
‘Manipulation and fabrication are easy. Clearing your name is hard.’
The merchant was quite familiar with the Gallery. That was why he understood its double standards well.
People readily believed manipulation and fabrication, but explanations were difficult.
Even if someone tried to explain themselves, once things had blown up like this, their explanation would struggle to get attention.
‘If the Head Mod tells them to settle, they'll have no choice but to accept.’
The Gallery was practically Wild Grylls's lifeline.
Without it, their chances of surviving in the Forest of Four Seasons would plummet.
Rather than risk a permanent ban with a poorly received explanation, settling would be the better option.
It meant weighing a person's life on a scale, but the merchant did not care.
‘I've never even seen their face.’
His ugly nature was hidden behind anonymity. He did not feel the slightest pang of guilt.
Maybe things would be different if he knew their face, but on the Gallery, being decent was a weakness.
Of course, an explanation could cause the backlash to turn against him. He did not care about that either.
‘Worst case, I get permanently suspended.’
Could the Gallery possibly matter more than real life? Money was what mattered most to the merchant.
It was a shame he would not be able to enjoy the Gallery's entertainment anymore, but he could enjoy himself with money.
The merchant waited happily. No matter what kind of explanation came out, he was ready to respond.
[Post title] What Grylls gave me really is an Inner Core.
“Hmm?”
He had been endlessly refreshing the page when one post caught his eye.
It was not an ordinary Anonymous User's post, but one from SwordTasteMaster, one of the Gallery's most famous registered users.
It was not something he could ignore, so he immediately opened it.
[Post title] What Grylls gave me really is an Inner Core.
[Author] SwordTasteMaster
[Post] (Photo of a golden orb resting on a hand)
[Post] Grylls found another Inner Core and gave it to me. This really is an Inner Core.
└ Wait, they found another Inner Core in the meantime?
└ Do Inner Cores show up all the time now? LOL I believe it even less now LOL
└ Maybe it's possible because it's the Forest of Four Seasons?
└ Heavenly Demon is one thing, but SwordTasteMaster vouching for it is different.
└ It's golden this time. Did they catch a golden fish?
“What?”
There was another Inner Core? The merchant's eyes widened.
This was completely outside his expectations. He hurriedly left a comment.
└ Did it not occur to you that they might've coordinated their stories? Why would another Inner Core suddenly show up? LOL
└ Why would they coordinate their mouths? To kiss?
└ Oh my. Naughty.
└ There's no reason for them to coordinate their stories LOL And does SwordTasteMaster have any reason to lie?
└ For real LOL They're the person who raised the average combat power of swordsmen across the continent LOL
└ Heavenly Demon said private messages are possible, right? Grylls probably blackmailed them through that.
└ What would blackmail even accomplish? The Head Mod would kick Grylls out.
└ Why is this asshole's imagination so limited? LOL
└ I checked the address beside their name. This is the bastard who posted that Grylls was a scammer.
└ Getting scared? LOL
In his haste, the merchant had stepped in for no reason and only hurt himself. He frowned.
Another Inner Core appearing was unexpected.
He felt a little rushed, but soon calmed down. Thinking about it, there was no reason to rush.
‘I'll just insist mine was not a real Inner Core.’
It looked like the other side was also trying to win through manipulation and fabrication. The only difference was that their claims contained some truth.
Even if the Inner Core SwordTasteMaster had received was real, that did not mean the merchant's Inner Core was real.
As long as he denied it until the end, he would have the advantage. He only needed to keep exploiting the uncertainty.
[Post title] Let me clear this up.
‘There it is.’
Just as public opinion had started splitting down the middle, Grylls made a post.
The merchant immediately opened it.
[Post title] Let me clear this up.
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] An explanation, my ass. If you're so pissed, post your address. Let someone else check whether it's an Inner Core or not.
[Post] If it is, you're dead. If not, I'll give all your money back. You dumbfuck, what kind of half-assed smear campaign are you trying to pull? You pathetic little bug, sitting there scamming people. Fuck.
[Post] SwordTasteMaster verified it too, so if you're pissed, register a username first. You broke-ass bastard.
└ Wow LOL That was satisfying LOL
└ Upvote if this made you trust them more LOL
└ Me first LOL
└ That's the kind of rage you only get when you've got nothing to hide LOL
└ I really like them LOL
└ Every word is right. Post the address and prove it LOL
└ I'm broke, but I just caught a stray...
It was not an explanation post. It was just full of profanity.
In a normal place, it would have backfired. This was the Gallery, though.
A post like that was perfect for earning goodwill and trust.
‘W-what the hell is with this asshole?’
He was sure Wild Grylls had not been on the Gallery for long.
Yet the way they wrote made them seem like someone who had been active for years.
The merchant was flustered for only a moment before leaving a comment on the post. He could not back down now.
└ I'm the person who received the Inner Core. Why should I post my address? This is ridiculous LOL
└ OP has arrived.
└ Pathetic lol
└ Seeing this makes it obvious you really did scam someone.
└ Wild Grylls: If you toyed with someone's life, you should put your own on the line too, shouldn't you? The Gallery is my lifeline.
└ Why would that be my problem? And this isn't an Inner Core.
└ Wild Grylls: Reveal your registered username first before saying that. Or post your address like I said LOL
└ You post yours first.
└ Wild Grylls: I'm in the Forest of Four Seasons, dumbass. Come if you can.
└ LOL
└ LOL
└ LOLLLL
He had been completely shut down.
The merchant's eyes darted in every direction before he backed out of the post.
[Post title] The Anonymous User who received the Inner Core should post their address.
[Post title] Can't we just verify it ourselves?
[Post title] Upvote if Grylls has grown on you LOL
[Post title] Upvote if all scammers should die LOL
The moment he left the post, he saw that public opinion had completely reversed.
Most posts demanded that he post his address if he was so confident.
‘Are they insane? Why would I post my address and get myself killed?’
Absolutely not. The moment his address was revealed, his life in the real world would be at risk.
The merchant deleted the post accusing Grylls and closed the Gallery.
It looked like he needed to wait until things calmed down.
‘What a shame. I could've made more money.’
It was regrettable, but causing any more trouble would make it difficult to turn public opinion back in his favor.
He would be better off selling this Inner Core instead.
About ten minutes later, the merchant cautiously returned to the Gallery.
He called it a worthless Gallery in his head, but he was nothing more than a terminal Gallery addict.
It was like a drug. Something he could not quit even if he wanted to.
‘Has it calmed down at least a little?’
He entered the Gallery with that thought in mind, only to see posts like these.
[Post title] Just wait. It's right in the next town over LOL
[Post title] I'm off to enjoy an Inner Core!
[Post title] Central Plains people are so damn lucky.
[Post title] So that scammer bastard was a merchant.
Those posts looked deeply unsettling.
The merchant sensed something was wrong and entered the featured posts.
A merchant who could not read the situation quickly was bound to be weeded out.
The moment he entered, a post from the Head Mod caught his eye.
[Post title] Here's the address!
[Author] DontAbandonTheHero
[Post] Grylls posted their address, but one person didn't!
[Post] So I'll kindly provide it for you!
[Post] It's somewhere around xxx in Henan Province, Central Plains!
[Post] Grylls said they would give you money if you proved it wasn't an Inner Core, so I hope you can reach an amicable settlement!
“Uh...”
Only one thought entered the merchant's mind when he saw the post.
‘I'm fucked.’
He was truly fucked.
He had never expected the Head Mod to reveal his address.
Crash! Bang!
A loud commotion came from outside. The merchant snapped his head up at the sound.
Moments later, the secretary burst through the door in a panic.
“W-what is all this commotion?”
“I-I don't know either! We need to evacuate first...!”
“I heard there's an Inner Core here!”
“I'll only inspect it and return it!”
The voices grew closer and closer. The merchant's face went pale.
The Gallery was no longer the issue.
‘Damn it...!’
It looked like he would have no choice but to focus on his real life from now on.
Footnotes:
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