WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈

Chapter 88: Diary (1)

──────

[Post title] Got an egg.

[Author] Wild Grylls

[Post] (Photo of a huge egg)

[Post] I stole an egg and brought it back. A turtle showed up and startled me, but I somehow managed to bring it back.

[Post] I'll have eel for dinner tonight, then eat this tomorrow morning.

└ [Heavenly Demon]: You didn't catch the turtle?

└ [Wild Grylls]: I didn't have time, and it was strong, so I gave up.

└ [Heavenly Demon]: I recommend catching the turtle. I've heard turtle is very tasty.

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Have you ever eaten it?

└ [Heavenly Demon]: I've had yongbongtang, which has turtle in it.

└ [SwordTasteMaster]: Yongbongtang uses soft-shelled turtle, not regular turtle. Come on, seriously;;

└ LOL

└ This is ridiculous LOL

└ But aren't there quite a few people who get them confused?

└ There are, but once you see them, the difference is obvious.

└ [Heavenly Demon]: Every time I see this person, stupidity just pours out of them, seriously;;

└ [Smart Demon]: Can't be helped. They've been studying martial arts for a long time. They say you achieve greatness by focusing on one thing.

└ Even so, that's a bit much;;

└ [Passing Dwarf]: Are you going to eat that?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Yeah, of course I'm eating it. I worked hard to get that food.

└ [Passing Dwarf]: I want to try it. Can't you trade it for some good equipment?

└ [Wild Grylls]: Sorry. A Shark Giant stole and ate my fish today, so I don't have any to spare.

└ [Passing Dwarf]: Damn. Could you get me one later, then?

└ [Wild Grylls]: No;; The sea wasn't a sea. It was a living hell. I barely made it out alive.

└ [Passing Dwarf]: Tch. That's a shame. Still, give me one if you get the chance.

└ [Wild Grylls]: Do eggs go well as drinking snacks?

└ [Passing Dwarf]: Egg soup for a hangover.

└ [Wild Grylls]: ;;;;

└ LOL

└ I didn't even think of hangovers LOL

└ Do dwarves need hangover cures?

└ They do. Otherwise, how are they supposed to work?

I returned after exploring the beach, which was practically hell.

An octopus tentacle shot out of the sand and wrapped around one of my legs. A turtle transformed and fired a laser from its mouth.

The forest alone was enough of a headache, but the sea was like that too. Just thinking about it made my head spin.

I probably wouldn't ever have to go back. I wasn't planning to cross the sea, so there was no reason to.

‘The sea itself is full of things more dangerous than anything on land...’

Just how bizarre was the sea in the Forest of Four Seasons?

Even the shark that had come down the river was a humanoid with arms and legs.

The turtle had swapped the shape of its legs depending on the terrain.

I couldn't even begin to guess what else might exist there.

‘For now, though, most of them seem fairly intelligent.’

Had they evolved, just as Allfather said? It felt as though their intelligence had risen to some extent.

Fast Sloth and Wonmo, who understood what I said surprisingly well.

Even the turtle, whose face twisted into a vicious glare the moment I showed it the egg.

They all displayed intelligence far beyond that of ordinary animals.

‘...Then what happens to animals like monkeys or gorillas?’

They hadn't become nearly as smart as humans, had they?

I was even more worried because of something I'd heard on my way to the sea.

‘That was definitely the sound of monkeys.’

A leopard-like animal had suddenly flown out of the forest and fallen into the river.

It had been pretty big, yet it had gone flying so helplessly.

And from that forest, I had heard noises that sounded like monkeys crying.

“Haah...”

I let out a sigh so deep it felt like the ground might cave in.

This was probably what people meant by one mountain after another.

How was I supposed to escape this hellish place?

Everything I knew as common sense was completely useless in this forest, leaving me at a loss.

‘And since this is another world, even basic common sense is meaningless.’

For all practical purposes, I was starting from zero.

To realize that only now... Maybe I'd been thinking too optimistically all this time.

Did that mean I would give up? As I've emphasized several times, absolutely not.

Out of sheer spite, I would get out of here no matter what. Then I'd point at God and ask outright.

Why did you drop me into this shitty hell out of all the places out there?

What were you thinking when you sent someone who had been living a decent life, even if it was hard, to a place like this?

‘I need to revise the plan.’

Now that I'd realized this place was even crazier than I imagined, I needed to change my plans too.

Hoping for someone's help? The Gallery was the only place I could turn.

As I made posts on the Gallery, people had become even more wary of the Forest of Four Seasons.

Even powerhouses like Heavenly Demon and SwordTasteMaster wondered what kind of ridiculous forest this was. That said it all.

In other words, I had no choice but to escape through my own efforts, and to do that, I had to get stronger.

At first glance, someone might say that wasn't any different from before, but one thing had changed.

‘Not a base, but a shelter. A life beyond merely adapting and surviving. And finally...’

A time limit that could be extended almost indefinitely.

I had planned to escape this forest as quickly as possible, but that had changed.

The more I rushed, the more the Forest of Four Seasons forced me to take detours.

So even if it took a year, or even longer, I would endure.

I would become strong enough that nothing capable of harming me existed.

‘To do that, I need to make sure the Gallery's help doesn't get cut off.’

My relationship with Head Mod and DontAbandonTheHero was especially important.

The moment I got on their bad side and got permanently banned, I'd be screwed.

That said, I had no desire to worship a god. That was something I couldn't do even if it killed me.

‘I can't lie, so I'll just have to talk around it somehow.’

If Head Mod brought up anything related to faith, I should avoid it as much as possible.

As I sorted through my revised plans, I turned my head.

There was a gap in the barricade where the Saber-Toothed Tiger had smashed it before.

I could ask Passing Dwarf to handle that first.

‘Come to think of it, I need to be careful that my body doesn't change in a strange direction.’

If my body was slowly evolving to suit the Forest of Four Seasons, as Allfather had theorized, I needed to steer it in a beneficial direction.

For example, I could greatly increase the time I spent on the Inner Energy Cultivation Method and guide my body toward becoming more familiar with mana.

Or I could work out hard and guide it toward building muscle more easily.

‘Would a hundred sit-ups, a hundred push-ups, and a hundred squats a day do the trick?’

It was the kind of workout that brought some bald character to mind, except it lacked the running.

Getting cardio here was simple. If I walked around without thinking and got attacked, that would be it.

Then I'd have no choice but to gasp like my life depended on it. Better not do it at all.

‘Come to think of it, Starlight Princess said she worked out.’

I should ask her later what kind of exercise she did.

If she used equipment, I was planning to ask if she could help me.

The Auction House even sold basic exercise equipment.

I immediately sent Starlight Princess a message. With the trade restriction lifted, one-on-one chats were possible too.

[You]: Hello, Starlight Princess.

[You]: Are you there?

[Starlight Princess]: Hello!

[Starlight Princess]: What is it?

Perhaps she was on the Gallery at the time, because Starlight Princess replied right away.

I smiled proudly at how much livelier she seemed, but only briefly before getting straight to the point.

[You]: Actually, I'm thinking about starting to exercise.

[You]: What kind of workouts do you do, Starlight Princess?

[Starlight Princess]: Didn't you say you didn't have time to exercise?

[You]: The Forest of Four Seasons is scarier than I expected.

[You]: I think I need to give myself at least a year to escape.

[Starlight Princess]: A year... It seems you've had a change of heart.

[Starlight Princess]: It sounded like you were originally trying to get out as quickly as possible.

[You]: I don't think I can keep my spirits up otherwise.

That wasn't empty talk. Hard things are easier to break.

So I needed to make myself flexible enough that I wouldn't break so easily.

In my case, extending the deadline helped me shake off my impatience.

[Starlight Princess]: I see. I understand how you feel.

[Starlight Princess]: You haven't given up hope, have you?

[You]: If I had no hope, I would've hanged myself and died a long time ago.

[Starlight Princess]: You did well.

[Starlight Princess]: No matter what situation you're in, never give up hope.

[Starlight Princess]: Just as I met you and was completely cured, you may meet someone who can save you too.

[You]: Thank you for the kind words.

[You]: By the way, what do you usually do for exercise, and how much?

[Starlight Princess]: It hasn't been long since I was cured, so I'm only doing simple bodyweight exercises.

[Starlight Princess]: Sit-ups, push-ups, squats, and finally, running.

...Starlight Princess wasn't going to turn into that bald guy, was she?

The thought briefly crossed my mind, but I immediately dropped it. No more useless thoughts.

[You]: I see.

[You]: So you don't use equipment?

[Starlight Princess]: I'm new to exercise, after all.

[Starlight Princess]: This is your first time exercising too, right, Grylls?

[You]: It isn't my first time.

[You]: I did some in the military.

People in the military have to exercise to properly carry out their training.

Add a regular lifestyle to that, and you couldn't help but get into good shape.

Of course, I went back to normal after getting discharged. Still, those memories remained.

[Starlight Princess]: Then let's start with bodyweight exercises together.

[Starlight Princess]: I'll even give you protein supplements.

[You]: You don't have to go that far;;

[Starlight Princess]: You don't need an Elixir?

[Starlight Princess]: All right.

[You]: Ma'am?

[Starlight Princess]: I'm not joking.

[Starlight Princess]: An Elixir was a potion that helped speed up regeneration.

[Starlight Princess]: And muscles...

Starlight Princess launched into a long explanation.

She even explained how muscles got stronger.

Muscles become stronger while recovering from the damage caused by exercise.

[Starlight Princess]: That's why my Special Protein Supplement greatly increases that recovery speed.

[Starlight Princess]: What do you think? Isn't it amazing?

[Starlight Princess]: You won't even get sore muscles!

[You]: That's really impressive.

Since I had no idea what she was talking about, I should just sit quietly and applaud.

She said she had poured all of the Elixir's restorative power into muscle recovery, so it had to be impressive.

[Starlight Princess]: So please drink this after exercising or doing any other training.

[Starlight Princess]: You'll definitely become stronger.

[You]: Thank you.

[You]: I'm always getting help from you in so many ways.

[Starlight Princess]: Compared to you saving my life, it still isn't enough.

[Starlight Princess]: And Grylls.

[You]: Go ahead.

[Starlight Princess]: Like I said earlier, never give up hope.

I quietly watched the words Starlight Princess had written.

She had noticed the change in my state of mind through conversation alone.

Maybe she had felt something herself.

[Starlight Princess]: Preparing instead of waiting endlessly isn't a bad choice.

[Starlight Princess]: But never give up hope. Please.

[You]: I'll remember that.

[Starlight Princess]: Oh. How about keeping a diary while you're at it?

[Starlight Princess]: I found comfort in writing one too.

[You]: A diary?

[Starlight Princess]: Yes. A diary is an act of leaving something behind.

[Starlight Princess]: It also gives you time to reflect on yourself.

[You]: Couldn't I just write on the Gallery?

[Starlight Princess]: Those are my desires, not who I am.

[Starlight Princess]: I think a diary is what shows who a person truly is.

A diary. I sank into thought.

It wasn't a bad suggestion, but there was one part that made me hesitate.

A little later, I bought a notebook from the Auction House and wrote down my name.

[You]: (Photo of a notebook with the name Park Jongwoo written in it)

[You]: Do you recognize what kind of writing this is?

[Starlight Princess]: I've never seen it before.

[Starlight Princess]: I know most languages...

[Starlight Princess]: What country's writing is it?

[You]: It's the writing from the country where I lived.

[You]: So it doesn't exist in this world?

[Starlight Princess]: At least as far as I know, no.

[You]: Tch. Is that so? That's a shame.

As expected, she didn't know Hangul. It would have been stranger if she did.

That was why I had hesitated to write a diary.

‘Still, it wouldn't be a bad thing.’

I expected to stay here for a long time.

A diary would surely become a record saying, ‘I've endured this much.’

I might even be able to predict the future through the records I wrote in it.

Improving my odds of survival through data that accumulated piece by piece. Not bad.

Even if no one appreciated it, that was fine. I had good people.

I could just think of it as a hobby to ease my boredom.

[Starlight Princess]: Um... Grylls.

[You]: Yes. Go ahead.

[Starlight Princess]: Don't be too heartbroken.

[Starlight Princess]: I'll remember you.

[You]: What?

What exactly was this person misunderstanding?

Footnotes:

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