WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈

Chapter 54: Tigers Die and Leave Their Stripes (1)

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It had been a while since I'd had a dream.

Not one where I flew freely through the sky, but a dream from back when I still had a home.

They couldn't exactly be called ordinary days. My parents had died in an accident when I was young, so I had to live on my own.

I didn't want to rely on my relatives. They were good people, but I felt like I was burdening them too much.

Besides, they weren't well-off themselves, so I couldn't ask them for help.

I felt guilty, so I hardly kept in touch.

I just stubbornly survived on my own. There wasn't a part-time job I hadn't done, and I couldn't attend school properly either.

I drifted through life despite barely meeting the attendance requirements. College wasn't even something I could dream of.

After that, my memories were hazy, like my head had been filled with fog. I was focused only on making a living.

My circumstances had been a complete mess, but maybe I wasn't meant to die after all.

‘Jong-hyeok. We're fine, so how about coming to live with us?’

‘Hey, Park Jong-hyeok. Let me know when you're done working. Let's go to an internet café. Don't have any money? I'll chip in.’

‘Do you like soccer? Or baseball?’

‘You worked hard, so I'm paying you extra. People like you are rare these days.’

I was blessed with good people.

My relatives sincerely worried about me, and my friends were always kind and considerate.

Maybe my part-time employers pitied my situation, because they always made sure I was paid properly.

Those people showed me kindness. Shouldn't I show kindness in return?

It was a virtue anyone ought to have. With that thought in mind, I lived honestly.

The military wasn't a problem either. I just had to do what I was told.

For someone like me, who had nothing, a life with every detail laid out was actually comfortable.

I even considered making a career out of the military, but I was still lost back then, so I put it off.

What would have happened if I'd stayed in the military then? It was a pointless question.

‘God is strange.’

I didn't particularly believe in religion. Still, I didn't deny that gods existed.

When things were hard, I could curse God. When things went well, I could believe in God.

Or I could look for God when I was in danger. It seemed like human instinct.

‘From my perspective, people who show kindness are gods.’

People who showed kindness to those in need.

What else could they be to someone struggling, if not gods? At least, that was how I saw it.

Even after I'd suddenly been dropped into the Forest of Four Seasons, there were people who showed me kindness without asking for anything in return.

People whose faces I didn't even know. They were connections I could never give up.

Kindness for kindness. Gratitude for gratitude.

More than anything, I should become someone who gave rather than someone who only received.

Even if they didn't return my kindness, I should let it go. I didn't care if people called me a sucker.

Otherwise, the people who had shown me kindness would become fools.

At least, that was what I believed.

“Mm...”

I forced open my heavy eyelids.

Even after opening my eyes, my vision was so blurry that I had to blink several times.

‘Where am I...?’

My mind was foggy, and I couldn't think clearly. First, I checked what I could see.

As my blurred vision gradually cleared, I saw a deep blue sky.

Puffy clouds drifted lazily overhead. It was beautiful.

‘Why is the sky... What was I...’

Swish-

The moment I wondered what I'd been doing, something came into view.

A relaxed, stupid-looking expression. A face that was kind of cute.

I stared blankly at it before quickly realizing what it was.

“Why are you here...”

Before I could finish asking why it was there, everything that had happened before I fell asleep flashed through my mind like lightning.

The attack in the middle of the night. The fierce battle against the enormous tiger.

Its claws had torn off chunks of my flesh, then its massive fangs had pierced straight through my body.

Finally, I'd split the tiger's head open, then collapsed while making sure it was dead.

The moment those events came back to me, I jerked upright.

“Argh! Ughhh...!”

But the agonizing pain running through my entire body, especially my right shoulder, forced me back down.

Come to think of it, my shoulder had been completely wrecked.

I'd been too busy making sure it was dead to even give myself first aid.

Fearfully, I looked at my right shoulder.

“Huh?”

Surprisingly, my right shoulder was fine.

My uniform had been bitten to shreds by the tiger, but the exposed skin underneath was clean.

I wondered what the hell had happened, but then I spotted a glass bottle lying on the ground.

It was definitely the Elixir bottle Starlight Princess had given me.

“...Did you pour it on me?”

“...”

I asked Fast Sloth in a dazed voice.

Fast Sloth just wore its usual dumb expression. Still, that was answer enough.

“Pfft.”

A laugh slipped out.

How many times had Fast Sloth saved my life now?

If Fast Sloth hadn't been there, I never would have survived.

‘Come to think of it, where's the tiger?’

The bright sky meant it was morning. Since I was still alive by morning, the tiger had definitely died.

I barely managed to turn my head and saw the house-sized tiger collapsed nearby.

It wasn't moving at all. It was definitely dead.

Only then did I feel relieved.

‘What time is it...’

Judging from the clear sky, it was well into the morning.

I frowned and unsteadily pushed myself up.

With injuries this severe, I should stay lying down, but I at least wanted to lie on something soft.

‘What? Where's Wonmo?’

When I staggered into the cave, Wonmo wasn't there.

He wasn't beside me begging for food. He'd suddenly disappeared, and I was worried.

“Wonmo! Wonmo, where are you?!”

“Kkyu?”

When I called Wonmo's name loudly, an answer came from behind me.

I turned around, wondering what it was, but Wonmo wasn't there. So I called again.

“Wonmo?”

“Kkyuu.”

This time, I heard it clearly.

But it came from the tiger's direction.

I was briefly confused, but the reason became clear soon enough.

“Kkyuuu...”

Wonmo appeared from behind the collapsed tiger.

Instead of jumping, he was struggling to crawl up. It was pitiful and cute at the same time.

I smiled warmly at Wonmo's appearance, but only for a moment before I noticed something strange.

“Wonmo, what's that in your mouth? Don't tell me that's blood?”

“Kkyu!”

Wonmo answered energetically with a bright smile.

So it was blood.

I was starting to get worried, so I carefully asked.

“Where did it come from? Was it the tiger?”

“Kkyuu!”

Wonmo tapped the ground, or rather, the tiger, with his front paw.

I could only rub my face.

It looked like he'd been tearing into the tiger's corpse while I was unconscious.

Its neck had already been shredded, so he'd probably focused on that part.

I let out a troubled sigh and spoke to Wonmo.

“Yeah. Eat in moderation. Your stomach might burst.”

“Kkyuu.”

Wonmo answered that he understood.

Now that I knew Wonmo had survived too, I went back into the cave.

Then I lay on the soft mat and tried to settle myself down.

‘Ah. Right, the time.’

I immediately logged into the Gallery. I hoped it was still morning.

[System] 10 Unread Messages

The moment I entered, I got a notification about unread messages.

The only person I had one-on-one chats with was Heavenly Demon. She had probably sent them.

‘It's already well past noon.’

No wonder Wonmo had been tearing into the tiger's corpse. More time had passed than I thought.

Then again, after yesterday's brutal battle, it was only natural that I'd been unconscious for so long.

Besides, if Fast Sloth hadn't poured Elixir on me, I would've bled to death.

‘I should reply to Heavenly Demon first.’

I was curious about what had happened in the Gallery, but replying to Heavenly Demon came first.

I entered the flashing notification window and opened the one-on-one messages.

[Heavenly Demon]: Sir. It is morning, yet there has been no word from you.

[Heavenly Demon]: If you slept late last night, I can understand.

[Heavenly Demon]: Sir. You seem to be sleeping far too late.

[Heavenly Demon]: Sir?

[Heavenly Demon]: You have not even logged into the Gallery.

[Heavenly Demon]: Could something have happened?

[Heavenly Demon]: If you see this message, I hope you will reply.

[Heavenly Demon]: Sir. It is already noon.

[Heavenly Demon]: Has something truly happened?

The messages were overflowing with concern.

She seemed deeply worried about me.

I felt embarrassed for a moment, then sent a reply to ease her worries.

[You]: I'm sorry, Heavenly Demon.

[You]: A huge tiger attacked me last night, and I passed out.

[Heavenly Demon]: A huge tiger attacked you?

[Heavenly Demon]: How large was it?

[You]: Its eye level was at least a head higher than mine.

[Heavenly Demon]: It was a beast worthy of being called a mountain lord.

[Heavenly Demon]: Is your body all right?

[You]: I nearly died after getting holes punched through me.

[You]: Fast Sloth poured Elixir on me, so I survived.

[Heavenly Demon]: That is a relief.

[Heavenly Demon]: Were you unconscious for a long time?

[You]: Yes. I think so.

[You]: Even now, the bite wound hurts like hell.

[Heavenly Demon]: If you wish, I can send medicinal herbs with excellent painkilling effects.

[You]: It's okay.

[You]: I'll drink some Elixir.

[You]: I'm going to rest for now.

[Heavenly Demon]: After a fierce battle, nothing is better than rest.

[Heavenly Demon]: Then rest well.

[Heavenly Demon]: This lady never doubted that you would return.

[You]: Thank you.

[You]: I'll make a post in the Gallery soon.

After receiving Heavenly Demon's concern and encouragement, I ended the conversation.

I dragged myself across the mat toward the Elixir.

My body hurt badly, and Fast Sloth might not have applied the Elixir thoroughly enough.

Its claws weren't suited for delicate work, after all.

Gulp-

I took a sip of Elixir and slowly removed my clothes.

Some of the blood had dried, and I had holes through my body, so even taking them off was difficult.

‘Looks like the uniform fabric got pulled deep into the wound before I healed.’

The uniform had blocked the tiger's claws.

But it hadn't been able to stop its teeth.

It was riddled with holes, so it would be difficult for it to function properly from now on.

Still, getting this much protection from a single uniform was incredible value.

‘So the idea of adventurers wearing uniforms wasn't just a joke.’

I took off the uniform and checked my condition.

Even Elixir couldn't perfectly heal severe injuries, apparently, because thick scars remained.

The worst was where the long fangs had bitten me. The scars there were especially pronounced.

Just in case, I poured Elixir over the scars.

The smaller scars faded a little, but the fang wounds remained unchanged.

‘I'll apply it to the other places too.’

To prevent bacterial infection, I applied Elixir to every injured spot.

After a while, I had treated every wound and closed the lid.

The pain I'd felt in my shoulder gradually improved.

Earlier, even getting up had been hard. Now, I could at least walk.

‘Without Elixir, I would've been seriously screwed.’

I was endlessly grateful to Starlight Princess for the timely trade.

Then I decided to enter the Gallery and let everyone know I was alive.

[Post title] Where'd Grylls go? Did he die?

[Post title] Is he actually dead?

[Post title] Grylls. Come back.

When I entered the Gallery, quite a few people were looking for news about me.

There were some weird posts mixed in, but they were deleted before long.

The Head Mod or Heavenly Demon had probably banned the people who posted them right away.

All that was left was for me to report that I was alive.

[Post title] Survival Report

[Author] Wild Grylls

[Post] (Photo of a severe scar on my shoulder)

[Post] (Photo of my blood-covered body)

[Post] It's me. A fucking huge tiger showed up last night, and I almost fucking died;;

[Post] I was unconscious for at least ten hours and only just woke up. The scar is from the tiger biting me, yeah.

[Post] I think I need to rest and do nothing today. My body hurts so much that moving is hard;;

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: You're alive after all. Tigers are aggressive and difficult to deal with... You were truly in danger.

└ [Wild Grylls]: I was so scared I almost pissed myself.

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: There was nobody around anyway lol. And even if you had, I would've understood.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Have you ever killed a tiger, SwordTasteMaster?

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: I have. It was a somewhat large tiger.

└ [Wild Grylls]: I'll post the tiger I killed later. It's seriously huge.

└ [Passing Dwarf]: Hey. So you're not giving me crabs today?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah, probably not. I'm really sorry;; I think I'll seriously die if I go there.

└ [Passing Dwarf]: Then give them to me tomorrow. I can give you the Shoes a little later.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Thanks, thanks. You'll seriously be blessed someday. I'll try to get an Adult Mandrake first.

└ [Starlight Princess]: Your scars are terrible... And there's so much blood...! Did you use the Elixir?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah. Fast Sloth poured it on me while I was unconscious. I would've died otherwise.

└ [Starlight Princess]: You're talking about something terrifying so casually. Still, I'm glad you survived.

└ [Wild Grylls]: It's thanks to the Elixir Starlight Princess gave me. Thank you so much.

└ [Starlight Princess]: I owe you my life, Grylls. I hope you recover soon.

└ [PrincessChaenggu]: What happened to the uniform, I wonder?

└ [Wild Grylls]: (Photo of the tattered uniform) It ended up like this. Still, it got me through a few dangerous moments. Thank you so much.

└ [PrincessChaenggu]: So it really did protect you, then! I'll send you more uniforms later, okay?

└ [Wild Grylls]: I feel like I'm only receiving things, so you can take your time. I still have some left.

└ Where's the tiger?

└ [Wild Grylls]: I'll make another post soon. I'm going to eat first.

└ Are you selling that tiger too?

└ Of course he is. Butchering it is fucking annoying lol.

└ We all know you're just waiting to gobble it up.

└ Caught lol.

Well, I thought differently.

Normally, I would've put it on the Auction House and moved on, but I'd changed my mind.

It was the bastard that had nearly killed me, and its hide looked like it could be pretty useful.

Hide could be used for all sorts of things if maintained well.

‘Wouldn't it be better for me to butcher it myself?’

It was a good idea.

Wonmo had already torn into its flesh, and it was time for me to improve myself.

Someday, I might have to butcher something myself anyway. This was my chance.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Nah. This time, I'm going to butcher it myself. I should start practicing.

└ ? Didn't you say you were hurt?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah, but I still need to do it. It'll rot if I leave it alone.

└ If you're doing it, make sure to ask the butcher guys for advice.

└ Do what the comment above says. They're all nice people. Seriously.

└ They'll probably teach you all their specialized knowledge too. Though I'm not sure whether they know about tigers.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Is there a reason?

└ They have no choice but to be nice because if they insult someone, they get stabbed.

That was such a logical reason that I trusted it even more.

Footnotes:

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