WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈

Chapter 52: Night Raid (1)

──────

My animal friends and I made short work of the crabs I brought back.

Maybe because they were grilled instead of steamed, they tasted good even with the shells on.

Wonmo, especially, did a great job as the cleanup crew, so there was almost nothing left to throw away.

Even if there had been, I would've ground it up and tossed it into the river.

“Ahh. I’m full.”

“Kyuu.”

“……”

Maybe because our stomachs were full, all of us, myself included, went completely limp.

Wonmo flopped onto his back while rubbing his bloated belly, while Fast Sloth lay facedown.

The two animals and I had split the food evenly enough that none of us were too stuffed to move.

‘Wonmo ate a lot, though.’

I looked at Wonmo lying on the ground. His puffed-up belly was adorable.

When I poked it, his body wriggled. How could every little thing he did be so cute?

“Wonmo. Don’t sleep out here. Go inside the cave.”

“Kyuu……”

He was too full to move. Well, he'd eaten the shells too, so it made sense.

I lightly picked up bloated Wonmo and carried him into the cave.

Before long, Wonmo sprawled out on the mat and started taking a nap.

He really had it easy.

‘He’s not going to turn into a pig, is he?’

He was still growing, so everything he ate would probably go toward getting bigger. Still, I couldn't help worrying.

It might not be a bad idea to take him around the area with me, even if it wasn't a full exploration trip.

He needed to learn that outside the cave was dangerous.

‘No, wouldn't he already know it was dangerous from following his mom around?’

It was strange that I was the one who sent that very mother to the great beyond.

What would Wonmo think of me if he found out later? He wouldn't shout, “You killed my mother!” and stab me, would he?

After briefly worrying about pointless things, I finished cleaning up.

I was planning to do laundry with the charcoal left over from burning firewood.

‘Charcoal is seriously useful.’

You could use it as soap. You could use it as deodorizer. It could even add flavor while cooking.

It was perfect, with no real shortcomings. If I had to name one downside, it was that the heat could attract snakes.

But I'd been applying repellent regularly, so there was no need to worry about that either.

Thump! Thump!

I turned on the hose and started washing my clothes. Since I'd been rolling around everywhere, muddy water poured out of them.

I'd bought the laundry bat from the Auction House. It made beating the clothes easier.

Once I finished, I hung them on my makeshift drying rack.

All it took was sticking two branches into the ground and tying a line between them.

‘Feels like I’m already getting used to this.’

I had absolutely no intention of living in the wild, but somehow, I was living pretty well.

The Gallery kept me from getting bored, and Wonmo and Fast Sloth made me feel less lonely.

Whenever I had time, I steadily trained with the Inner Energy Cultivation Method, so my life was surprisingly busy.

‘Life’s pretty damn good.’

Still, my desire to escape this place hadn't disappeared.

It was too dangerous here. I never knew when or where a dangerous animal might show up.

Especially that building-sized crab I saw at the lakeside. Even from far away, it made me feel powerless.

‘Let’s not go to the lakeside for a while. Even if I do go, I’ll just get crabs and leave.’

That was a place where giant crabs gathered in swarms.

The best option was to grab only what I needed for the dwarf and head back.

If giant crabs came rushing in along the way, well... I'd have to run like hell.

‘I should mark things along the route. Places like where the lower river begins.’

It was best to use the river as my reference point. It was a landmark in a forest where compasses didn't work.

Or I could make landmarks myself. It would take work, but I needed to keep myself from getting lost.

If I got lost here, my survival odds wouldn't just hit rock bottom. They'd plunge straight into the abyss.

I'd only found this cave by luck in the first place, and it already had an owner.

It only became my cave after I took that owner down. Finding another cave would be difficult.

‘First, I should mark it on the map.’

I marked the river, then drew the lakeside at its end.

I didn't know how large the lake was, so I drew it as small as possible.

They said the Forest of Four Seasons alone was about the size of a small country.

‘Now that the map is done, Inner Energy Cultivation Method.’

Before using the Inner Energy Cultivation Method, I checked Heavenly Demon’s message first.

It wasn't a greeting. It was a message farther up in the chat history.

Knowledge that formed the foundation and roots of the Inner Energy Cultivation Method. I carefully reread it every time I used the cultivation method.

‘Even if this knowledge is widespread in the Gallery, I should learn from someone trustworthy.’

The basics were spread throughout the Gallery too. Like Heavenly Demon had said, it was the most basic of basics.

But it wasn't objective. Most people added their own personal know-how.

Heavenly Demon’s teachings, on the other hand, were plain and honest. Some words were difficult, but the principles were orthodox.

‘The important part when using a cultivation method is whether I can feel mana, in other words Internal Energy, flowing through the Ren and Du Meridians.’

I couldn't just circulate it blindly. I slowly used the cultivation method.

Understanding the principles of the Inner Energy Cultivation Method and naturally accepting them.

Breathing without consciously thinking about circulation.

Finally, making ordinary breathing achieve the same effect as using the cultivation method.

Heavenly Demon recommended progressing through those three stages one by one. Hearing it, it all sounded right.

‘Even the second stage is hard.’

Breathing and circulation still felt separate.

Heavenly Demon taught me to work toward breathing and circulation happening at the same time, until I could do both unconsciously.

It sounded like a goal that even someone like me could achieve with enough effort.

I concentrated as hard as I could every time I used the cultivation method so I wouldn't disappoint her.

“Phew.”

But I wasn't a genius. I wasn't even from this world.

No matter how many times I regulated my breathing, I made no real progress.

‘Breathing... Would increasing my lung capacity improve efficiency?’

Since breathing was the foundation of everything, it had to be closely related to lung capacity.

The only thing I could do here, though, was bodyweight exercise, and that mostly meant strength training.

Cardio? That would be a perfect way to wander around and get lost.

For now, all I could do was take deep breaths and exhale slowly.

‘That’s what SwordTasteMaster told me.’

SwordTasteMaster had given me nearly all these useful tips.

To make my breathing intervals longer rather than shorter, and things about aura and so on.

With Heavenly Demon and SwordTasteMaster working together, I was improving little by little.

My progress was as slow as a turtle's, but there was no reason to rush.

‘Time to set up the Fish Trap. And catch some Golden Frogs.’

My breathing practice was over, so it was time to get to work.

I slung the crossbow over my back and called Fast Sloth over.

“Hey. Stop lying around and get on.”

“……”

Fast Sloth slowly climbed onto my back at my command.

It hung on comfortably so it wouldn't get in the crossbow's way.

All that was left was to bring the Fish Trap...

“Why is this thing so big?”

I thought it every time I saw it, but the Fish Trap was pretty huge.

It could easily hold two or three fish as big as the ones I'd caught before.

Just thinking about setting it up made me dizzy already, but there was no helping it.

That was how I could keep moving around without worrying about food in the future.

From now on, Fasting Pills would be Fast Sloth’s dedicated food.

Whooosh!

When I arrived at the river, I felt overwhelmed. When was I ever going to finish setting this thing up?

On top of that, there was the threat of the Golden Frogs. First, I needed to get rid of that threat.

“Hey. Get down. Let’s start getting ready.”

“……”

At my command, Slow Sloth slowly climbed down.

Then I stuck my hand into the river to lure out the Golden Frogs.

Splash! Splash!

“Ribbit.”

“Ribbit. Ribbit.”

Just as expected, a group of Golden Frogs jumped out of the river.

Only one thing remained.

Thump!

Slow Sloth would draw their attention while I fired my crossbow.

The first time had been hard, but the second was easy. The hunt went smoothly.

‘It really is incredible.’

Fast Sloth’s dodging was genuinely incredible.

The Golden Frogs’ poison could kill with a single hit, yet it stood there boldly and avoided every shot.

I was too much of a coward to pull something like that off. Only Fast Sloth could do it.

Splash! Splash!

Before long, the Golden Frogs went back into the river.

Unlike before, they didn't keep firing poison even after their companions were attacked.

It seemed their poison wasn't infinite and had to be replenished.

‘They said animals like that consume other poisons and make them their own.’

If they didn't eat poisonous plants or animals, they were just ordinary frogs.

Anyway, now that the Golden Frogs had gone back, all that remained was setting up the Fish Trap.

I just had to widen the spot where the hose was set up and put the trap in.

I'd hunted the Golden Frogs in advance because I had no choice but to step into the river.

Since I was wearing slipper-like shoes, I could step in without much hesitation.

‘A huge fish isn't going to swallow me whole, right?’

I kept looking around nervously.

This place was so dangerous that I couldn't let my guard down.

Fortunately, no giant fish came out and ate me in one bite.

With the Fish Trap set up, I immediately requested a trade with Allfather.

Allfather must have been logged into the Gallery too, because the trade request was accepted right away.

[You]: Hello.

[You]: Allfather. I caught the frogs. Would you like them?

[You]: The venom sacs are intact.

[Allfather]: Oh. Thank you very much.

[Allfather]: I think I can give you the medicine tomorrow.

[You]: Thank you.

[You]: By the way, can I ask you something?

[Allfather]: Ask whenever you like.

[Allfather]: What are you curious about?

[You]: The Golden Frogs were firing poison, then went back into the river. Does their poison need to be replenished?

[Allfather]: Yes, that is correct.

[Allfather]: Once the poison in their venom sacs runs out, they have no means of attack.

[Allfather]: To replenish it, they must eat something poisonous.

Just as I expected.

That meant there had to be something nearby with terrifying poison. Probably poisonous insects.

‘I need to keep applying repellent.’

I ended the trade with Allfather and returned to the cave. Nothing else happened.

After getting back, I logged into the Gallery and checked the time.

Maybe because setting up the Fish Trap had taken so long, it was already past three.

‘I’ll practice swordsmanship until dinner... Then dinner will be a Fasting Pill.’

Should I have brought one more crab?

It was a little disappointing, but what was done was done. That didn't mean I wanted to go to the lakeside.

I planned to visit the lakeside only after getting my new shoes. That would help prevent accidents.

[Post title] Help me. I opened my eyes and I’m in the Forest of Four Seasons.

“Huh?”

While browsing the Gallery, I saw something I couldn't ignore.

A post claiming someone had ended up in the Forest of Four Seasons. I hurriedly opened it.

[Post title] Help me. I opened my eyes and I’m in the Forest of Four Seasons.

[Post] Danos Duchy, Menesil Street, public restroom, men’s room, third stall. Please help. There’s no toilet paper.

└ LMAO, that bait is insane. I rushed in the second I saw it.

└ Same LMAO. I thought we had a second Grylls.

└ I would've ignored it normally, but I came in because of Grylls LMAO.

└ Oh right. The Gallery doesn't work in the Forest of Four Seasons normally LMAO.

└ Thank you so much to the unknown hero. You saved my life. That restroom was the Forest of Four Seasons to me.

└ Yeah, that counts as the Forest of Four Seasons LMAO.

└ Can’t argue with that;;

└ Even Grylls would be like, “Ah, yeah. This one counts.”

“……”

Right. As long as they got out of the Forest of Four Seasons, that was enough.

* * *

The forest was quiet at night.

Other than the chirping of insects and the distant howls of wolves, it was the perfect place to close one's eyes.

At the same time, the forest was extremely dangerous at night. Darkness so thick that nothing could be seen ahead, and beasts that could leap out from anywhere.

The wild was a place where even herbivores couldn't sleep properly, desperately fighting to avoid the death coming for them.

Crack-

The sound of a branch being stepped on. Along with it, the loud chorus of insects suddenly stopped.

It was a subtle difference, but even the insects knew. A dangerous predator was walking nearby.

Before long, the predator headed toward a cave where the campfire was almost out.

Even a small campfire was no different from sunlight in a place swallowed by darkness.

Perhaps it was only natural for it to catch the predator's attention.

“Grrr……”

The growl of a predator entering the cave's perimeter.

It was quiet, but there was an animal sensitive enough to react even to that sound.

Not the deeply sleeping human, nor the young Owlbear still in need of protection.

“……”

The Sloth, never knowing when or where it might be eaten, slowly opened its eyes.

The presence outside didn't feel right. The Sloth, no, Fast Sloth, slowly raised its body.

Snap!

“……”

This time, it heard clearly. The sound of a branch breaking.

Fast Sloth slowly turned its head.

The human was still wandering through dreamland. Not a trace of alertness could be seen.

Fast Sloth found that human, Grylls, incredibly pathetic, but a companion was still a companion.

So Fast Sloth raised an arm to wake Grylls.

Thump!

“Guh!”

Grylls woke with a start after suddenly being punched in the face.

Even in deep sleep, pain could still be felt. He sat up with a dazed expression.

“W-what? What’s going on?”

“……”

Without a word, Fast Sloth pointed outside the cave.

Still looking confused, Grylls turned his head in that direction.

“Grrrr……”

“……”

What had he just heard? Grylls looked blankly stunned.

Still, it didn't take long for him to realize that the sound belonged to a beast, and a dangerous predator at that.

‘This is fucking crazy...!’

He cursed internally and hurriedly armed himself.

Dangerous. Really dangerous. That was all Grylls could think.

Once he'd put on some basic gear, he slowly stepped outside the cave.

Fast Sloth climbed onto his back as well, ready to fight at any moment.

At last, Grylls spotted a single light in his vision.

Flash!

Within the curtain of deep darkness, a pair of fiercely glowing lights.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried