WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈
Chapter 72: Core (2)
──────
Exploring the gallery often led to interesting discoveries.
From pointless shitposts that meant nothing to posts with surprising depth.
In other words, I could easily find the information I wanted, but weird things could also pop up out of nowhere.
On top of that, the gallery wasn't divided into categories. It was all one giant place, so there was way too much content.
'The homonyms are a pain too.'
I searched for information about Cores.
Just in case, I typed in “Guardian Core,” but nothing helpful came up.
The most useful information I found was that Cores were extremely rare materials with excellent magical value.
A Core itself was a huge lump of mana, so it had plenty of uses.
'Do I have no choice but to give this to Allfather or Starlight Princess too?'
Either way, it was a pain for me to deal with. It was huge, too.
Most Guardian Cores were supposedly fist-sized, but the one from the Guardian I killed was almost as big as a basketball.
The larger the Core, the stronger the Guardian. I really had gotten lucky.
'Would I have died if it had been a Guardian other than an Orichalcum one?'
Orichalcum Guardians were sensitive to mana.
That trait was both their strength and weakness, and it was how I barely managed to win.
I stared blankly at the Core that had lost its light, then scratched my head.
'I should ask first.'
One thing was certain. There was almost no chance I would use it.
If only I could absorb it like an elixir, or carry it around like a Crystal Ball.
I couldn't even play ball with it. It was so hard that kicking it would probably break a bone.
Wonmo could probably roll it around since it was round, but if that was the case, I'd rather buy him a soccer ball.
[Post title] I Want to Get Rid of This Core
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] (Photo of a Core with a hole through its center)
[Post] I don't think I'll have much use for this. Does anyone need it?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: What can one do with it?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I'm not sure either. According to the dwarf, it's something like firewood?
└ [Heavenly Demon]: This one doesn't think she needs it.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Yep.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: It's easiest to think of a Core as a top-tier battery.
└ [Wild Grylls]: What use would I have for that?
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: A pretty piece of trash?
└ [Wild Grylls]: ;;;
└ [Allfather]: I don't think I need it either. I've already mastered all research related to Cores, so it would be of no use to me.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Would it be useful to me?
└ [Allfather]: Probably not. You have no machinery, and you cannot use magic, so it would be nothing but a burden.
└ [Wild Grylls]: What about carrying it around to absorb mana from it when I'm running low? That doesn't sound bad.
└ [Allfather]: If it were smaller, perhaps, but its size would make that difficult. It isn't a bad choice, though. You would need to repair it first.
└ [Wild Grylls]: If I have to repair it too, I'd rather just give it away.
└ [Starlight Princess]: I recently replaced my laboratory's energy source, so I probably won't need it either. It's a shame. If only I'd waited a few more days.
└ [Wild Grylls]: That's too bad. I guess Cores are pretty useful?
└ [Starlight Princess]: It's a portable lump of mana. Considering how much mana products like refrigerators consume, it's quite useful.
That was the general assessment. It was a good item, but its uses were limited.
People said things like it wasn't worth buying one just to use it as a battery.
It was a white elephant. That only made it harder to get rid of.
'Would listing it on the Auction House be best...?'
That was when it happened.
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: Excuse me! If you do not need the Core, could you trade it with me?
└ Why are you here?
└ They pop up sometimes.
└ What nonsense are they going to say this time;;
LetsGrowTrees made the offer in a cheerful yet polite tone.
But why all of a sudden?
Honestly, LetsGrowTrees's offer caught me completely off guard.
'They do leave comments sometimes.'
LetsGrowTrees was a fairly famous registered user. In a bad way.
Going by the information floating around the gallery, they were an elf practically soaked in imperialism.
An elf who justified invading other territories, though no one could tell whether they were serious or joking.
'They're the total opposite of the Head Mod.'
Both were active users, but everything about them was the opposite, from their public sentiment to their way of thinking.
Maybe that was why I felt like I would approach them with prejudice, but I held it back.
Whatever the case, this was a registered user who wanted to trade for the troublesome Core.
└ [Wild Grylls]: A trade is possible, but what can you offer? I'll refuse if it's something like trees or seeds.
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: How about Alvenheim-grown saplings?
└ [Wild Grylls]: There are trees everywhere around me;;
└ I seriously want to punch them in the solar plexus lol
└ They didn't lose their conscience. They never had one.
└ Classic elf behavior lol
They weren't seriously offering that, were they? I prayed it was just an act.
The gallery was overflowing with people who played up weird personas.
If this wasn't an act, that was a serious problem in its own way.
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: Then that cannot be helped. How about a bow?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I have a crossbow. I don't think I need one.
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: Did you not say your people were skilled archers?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Not every elf is good with a bow, right?
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: Ah. I understand immediately. All right! Then how about tobacco made from World Tree leaves?
└ [Wild Grylls]: Tobacco? You mean cigarettes?
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: Yes!
They were boldly suggesting that I trade a Core for tobacco. It was ridiculous.
I wasn't worried about the smell. I'd already smoked meat, so tobacco smoke would hardly matter.
Still, their confidence made me curious instead of just annoyed.
└ [Wild Grylls]: You sound awfully confident. Is it that good?
└ It is. It's one of Alvenheim's signature specialties.
└ Would you believe me if I told you it was healthy tobacco? It's better than most medicinal herbs.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Since when was tobacco healthy?
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: It is here!
I really couldn't believe it. This was a world whose civilization was less developed than Earth's in many ways.
A few fields matched Earth or even surpassed it, but there were plenty of shortcomings.
Even on Earth, it had taken a long time for tobacco's harmful effects to become known.
It might have been made from World Tree leaves, but that didn't make it trustworthy.
'They're just treating it like luxury tobacco, aren't they?'
I searched the gallery, and it was treated much like luxury tobacco.
There were occasional posts claiming it helped with the Mana Cultivation Method or the Inner Energy Cultivation Method, or that it could be used as incense.
Since the posts were all completely untrustworthy, I ignored them.
Anyway, tobacco was a luxury item, and for someone focused on survival, it was just another burden.
More than anything, if I were a smoker, I would've bought some at the Auction House already.
└ [Wild Grylls]: I'd prefer something that helps me survive over those things.
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: Then how about gloves?
└ [Wild Grylls]: What kind of gloves?
└ [LetsGrowTrees]: World Tree Gloves! They are made from silk spun by silkworms raised on World Tree leaves.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Are they good?
└ Of course they are;; It's the World Tree???
└ This bastard's been stuck in the forest, so they don't know anything about the outside world lol
└ The place they're in might actually be better though lol
They sounded like more than just good gloves. They were apparently rare, too.
I heard an explanation of their performance.
They were lighter than any other gloves, so light that they felt like I wasn't wearing them at all, and they were hard to tear and extremely durable.
Their most amazing ability was regeneration. As long as mana was supplied, they would restore damage on their own to a certain extent.
'That's good.'
They seemed like they would be excellent for someone who used their hands as often as I did.
I hadn't mentioned it before, but my hands were pretty beaten up.
Chopping wood, lighting bonfires, cleaning fish, sorting charcoal, sword training, and more.
After doing all kinds of work, my hands were never completely fine.
I did have the gloves the dwarf gave me, but they were closer to standard-issue gear.
They were made for rough work like combat and construction, so they were difficult to wear for tasks that required precision.
'In some ways, hands are more important than feet.'
I thought this was a good deal and accepted LetsGrowTrees's offer.
The Core was practically a burden anyway, so I only wanted to get rid of it quickly.
[System] >>> LetsGrowTrees has registered trade items.
[LetsGrowTrees]: Thank you for the good trade!
[LetsGrowTrees]: Is there anything else you need?
[You]: Not at the moment.
[You]: But these really are good, right?
[LetsGrowTrees]: I can swear on the pride and honor of the elves!
[You]: Thank you.
[You]: By the way, what are you planning to do with the Core?
[LetsGrowTrees]: I cannot tell you the details, but it will make planting trees more efficient!
An imperialist mindset combined with an environmental activist.
It was like dog-meat tanghulu, a bizarre pairing.
Still, they had helped me a lot, so I planned to play along.
[You]: Do you like planting trees?
[LetsGrowTrees]: Yes. Planting beautiful Alvenheim trees across the entire world!
[LetsGrowTrees]: That is my goal!
[You]: I hear there's a lot of opposition... Is that really okay?
[LetsGrowTrees]: There is no need to worry!
That made me worry even more. What exactly were the elves in this world like?
Elves were usually symbols of nobility, but this one was the very definition of a nuisance.
Of course, that was only based on information from the gallery, so I shouldn't be prejudiced.
Still, the first elf I traded with was like this. I couldn't help being suspicious.
[LetsGrowTrees]: Thank you so much for accepting the trade!
[LetsGrowTrees]: May the World Tree's blessing be with you!
[You]: Thank you.
They seemed like a nice person, so I decided to let it go.
I ended the trade with LetsGrowTrees and checked the items.
“Hmm?”
They had sent something strange too. Not just one or two things, either.
I could overlook the bow made of luxurious materials. I could overlook the tobacco, which I had no idea why they included.
But I couldn't just overlook the sapling with shining green leaves.
It was a sapling planted in a flowerpot.
'Seriously.'
Did they give me this so I would plant it?
I could feel their determination to plant trees no matter what.
The bow and tobacco were probably bribes for that cause.
Still, they had given me proper gloves, so I had no complaints.
'Fine. Even if I plant it, nature will take care of growing it.'
I checked the gloves LetsGrowTrees gave me.
Their overall shape was...
'...Aren't these just cotton work gloves?'
They looked like cotton work gloves without the red rubber grips.
The only differences were that they were whiter and seemed softer.
I silently put on the oddly familiar gloves.
'Not bad.'
They fit extremely well. They were so breathable that I could feel even the faintest breeze.
It seemed like my hands would never get sweaty again. I wanted to check their other abilities too, but I put that off for later.
'They gave me three pairs of gloves.'
I had heard they were incredibly expensive and rare, but they were generous.
Next, I checked the tobacco supposedly made from World Tree leaves.
It looked more like a cigar than ordinary cigarettes.
'They gave me a lot of these too.'
There were five cigars stored inside a small wooden box.
It could be opened and closed repeatedly, and it even had a space that looked like an ashtray.
The last thing I examined was the fine-looking bow, which had an air of nobility.
I pulled the bowstring to test its draw weight.
Creak!
“Hmm?”
Maybe the draw weight was stronger than I expected, because it didn't budge.
It reminded me of when I first received the crossbow from the dwarf.
“Graaah!”
Only after letting out a battle cry was I barely able to draw it all the way back.
I was definitely stronger than when I first received the crossbow, yet it was still this difficult.
What kind of person was the elf who used this bow, especially LetsGrowTrees?
'Weren't archers supposed to be agility builds?'
Or was the person using this bow a monster? I was confused.
It seemed like mastering this bow would take a very long time.
By the time I could use it, how adapted would I be to this place?
Hoping that day would never come, I turned my head.
There was the sapling, safely planted in its flowerpot.
“...”
Fine. I would plant it.
How hard could it be to give them proof?
* * *
[Post title] I Got Another Pet
[Author] Wild Grylls
[Post] (Photo of a rather cute sapling)
[Post] LetsGrowTrees gave me a cute sapling. Thank you.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: What kind of plant is it?
└ [Wild Grylls]: I don't know. I just accepted what they gave me.
└ [Heavenly Demon]: It feels suspicious, but it is pretty.
└ [Wild Grylls]: It'll probably take a very long time to grow fully.
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Since an elf gave it to you, it probably isn't anything strange.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Are there strange plants too?
└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Of course. There are man-eating plants, after all.
└ [Wild Grylls]: Yikes...
└ [Passing Dwarf]: This bastard got something weird from a pointy-ear lol
└ [Wild Grylls]: What's weird about a sapling? They helped me, so I should at least do this much for them.
└ [Passing Dwarf]: Fine. The Forest of Four Seasons is neutral territory, so nobody can touch it anyway.
└ That knife-ear is seriously persistent lol. They got it planted in the end.
└ Should I call it determination, or spite?;;
└ Those knife-ear bastards are pretty stubborn lol
└ Someone actually broke the ironclad stubbornness of those knife-ear elders?
└ Looking at this, the Elven Queen is a crazy bitch too lol
“Heh. Nice.”
Golden hair gleamed as though it had been woven from gold threads.
Beautiful features and pointed ears, hallmarks of an elf.
Green eyes that seemed to embody the lushness of the forest.
And finally, despite the elegant dress, the curves of her body could not be hidden.
“Alvenheim's trees have taken root in the Forest of Four Seasons now.”
An elf woman openly expressed her satisfaction.
Her mature appearance carried the freshness of a young girl, giving her a dizzying charm.
Knock, knock, knock.
[Your Majesty. I have answered your summons.]
Someone knocked and spoke from outside.
The elf woman closed the gallery window and answered softly.
“Come in.”
Her voice was gentle and clear.
Once permission was given, the door slowly opened, revealing another elf.
“You have arrived.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. But what is this about...?”
“Would it be enough to say that the time has come to lay the foundation for a great cause?”
“Pardon?”
The elf's eyes widened at the queen's incomprehensible words.
The queen then looked at the round orb resting on her lap.
It was the Core she had obtained through the trade with Grylls, still marked by the hole where a sword had pierced it.
The Elven Queen gave the Core a broad smile before speaking again.
“Prepare the experiment immediately. We have acquired an energy source.”
“B-But the elders...”
“...”
“Ah, no! I will carry it out at once!”
The elf stopped talking and hurried outside. It was practically an escape.
The Elven Queen smiled in satisfaction and called out quietly.
“Make Alvenheim Great Again!”
Footnotes:
Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried
