Got a Gallery in the Wild - Eps 2. A Fateful Encounter (1)
Who would be considered the strongest person on the continent?
It's
one of those endless debates that come up not only in the Continental
Integration Gallery but also in daily life.
Some might name
Swordmaster of the Empire the strongest, while others would name the Archmage of
the Kingdom.
Some else might mention the Princess of the Demon Race,
while others might speak of Hero who vanished without a trace.
Each
person's opinion of the strongest varies according to their origin, upbringing,
background, and affiliations. Still, there's no denying these people are
strong.
Title: Who is the strongest person on the
continent?
1. Ash of the Messiah Empire
2. Khadir of the
Iris Kingdom
3. Kaerin of Mephisto
4. The Vanished Hero
ㄴ
HeavenlyDemon) How strange. Why am This Great One not on this list?
ㄴWho
are you even?
ㄴHeavenlyDemon) This Great One is the rightful heir
and master of the Divine Sect, Heavenly Demon.
ㄴ Yeah but who the
heck are you Lololol.
Though not widely known to the world, there’s
exist a monster in the mysterious land called ‘Zhong,’ a country shrouded in
mysticism.
While Zhong remains highly isolated compared to other
countries and hardly shares any information, that doesn’t mean they can block
access to the gallery.
ㄴ If that person is the real Heavenly Demon,
then it’s true. They're stupidly OP.
ㄴ How strong?
ㄴ
Could probably wreck everyone 1v1 lmao Even the top martial masters in the
Central Plain were all defeated by the Heavenly Demon.
ㄴ Then why is
there no buzz about this? Didn’t a similar story pop up in the gallery before
ㄴ
Believing in rumors is like buying stocks based on hearsay Ye, ye.
ㄴ
Yea
ㄴ Lololololol.
Still, gallery rumors are not to be
trusted. They’re unofficial, after all.
And above all, the thought
that Heavenly Demon would even be hanging out in the gallery is laughable in
itself.
Why would the supreme master who brought all of Central
Plain’s martial artists to their knees and unified the martial world spend their
time browsing gallery?
Not just casually, either—they practically
live there, posting nonsense almost daily.
ㄴ Hey Heavenly Demon. Who
do you think is the strongest person on the continent?
ㄴ
HeavenlyDemon) Naturally, it is This Great One.
ㄴ Lolololol Why
bother asking, they would say it’s themselves
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) Then
let This Great One ask you the reverse. What level are they at? Have they
reached Unrestrained Realm?
ㄴ SwordMaster) I’m a Swordmaster
ㄴ
Allfather) I’m a 10th circle mage
ㄴ PrincessChengGu) I’m a 9th
circle mage~
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) What are they? This Great One does
not proficient in the language of the West
ㄴ Lolololol
ㄴ
Boomer Lololol
So, most users treat HeavenlyDemon as either an
"edgelord concept player" or just an outdated boomer.
In reality, the
people of Central Plain who use the gallery tend to be unfamiliar with the
languages and slang of other countries.
The gallery does provide an
automatic translation. However, proper nouns and slang terms remain untranslated
into their respective languages.
It’s a side effect of their
isolationist tendencies, but ironically, it’s also the reasons so many from
Central Plain use the gallery.
ㄴ If you’re really Heavenly Demon,
why don’t you do something about the Emperor? They say anyone caught using the
gallery gets executed.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) How dare he interfere with
This Great One’s hobby? He must not know the wrath of Heaven.
Not
long after that post, there were rumors that the Emperor of Central Plain was
assassinated, and access to the gallery became unrestricted.
Thanks
to that, people began seriously questioning whether HeavenlyDemon was actually
the real Heavenly Demon.
Title: A Message to
HeavenlyDemon
If you’re truly the Heavenly Demon, prove it by showing
your face Then we’ll believe you Ye, ye
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) You
dare demand a glimpse of This Great One noble visage? How insolent.
ㄴ
What, are you ugly? A hag? Lolololol
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) When I roamed
the martial world, I earned the title of the most beautiful under heaven.
(천하제일미(天下第一美))
ㄴ Sure, sure
As time went on,
HeavenlyDemon grew famous—or rather, infamous—as a boomer trapped in their
role-playing persona.
Some people even joked that if the real
Heavenly Demon saw this, she would tear the person limb from limb and execute
them on the spot.
And for good reason—most posts left by
HeavenlyDemon were nothing but shitpost.
The general consensus was
that no one could possibly have that much time on their hands to write so many
posts unless they were utterly insane.
"How odd. Why does no one
believe This Great One?"
Meanwhile, the real Heavenly Demon watched
the gallery with a puzzled expression.
Milk-white skin, full lips, an
alluring face, and an alluring figure that couldn’t be hidden even by her black
martial robes.
The being who reigned as the only 'Demon' under
heaven, Yoo Sowol.
Today too, 'HeavenlyDemon' was earnestly browsing
the gallery.
"I’ve already proven everything, yet no one believes
This Great One. Tsk, tsk."
Yoo Sowol clicked her tongue in annoyance,
but no hint of frustration showed on their face.
If anything, she
seemed amused. After all, the gallery was Heavenly Demon’s one and only
hobby.
One might ask, why would someone as exalted as the Heavenly
Demon bother with the gallery, but in the end, even she was human.
Even
after defeating all the martial arts masters of Central Plain and earning the
title of the greatest under the heavens, boredom was something she couldn’t
escape.
They were so overwhelmingly powerful that no one dared
challenge them anymore. That’s why they had shut themselves away in a mountain
for closed-door training.
Title: Heavenly Demon is
DogXShit, upvote if you agree. Lolol.
I’m first. Lolololol.
ㄴ
Dog shit Lolololol
ㄴ I agree, Lolol.
"Huhu, these
insignificant bastards. They dare mock This Great One."
This was the
thrill. The pleasure of seeing people spouting nonsense behind the safety of
anonymity.
Back in Divine Cult, most believers couldn’t even make eye
contact with her.
After all, Yoo Sowol was the only supreme being
under the heavens. They were busy revering her.
But not here, not in
the gallery. Here, people hid behind anonymity, freely throwing out the most
outrageous remarks.
Occasionally, there were even sexual harassment,
but Yoo Sowol let it slide generously. After all, they were just faceless
nobodies.
‘Honestly, I would love to have a match with a martial
master from the West…’
Yet, there was something that always nagged
her. It was that her name was always left out whenever people discussed the
strongest on the continent.
Other countries actively exchanged
information, so the names of their martial masters were widely known.
But
not in the Central Plains. Their isolationist policies left them like frogs in a
well, ignorant of the outside world.
She had even considered
traveling to other lands herself, but her believer vehemently opposed the
idea.
- You must not! If Supreme Being personally step out, many
problems will arise. (The believer refers to Heavenly Demon as the Sky, I
changed it to Supreme Being.)
- Why not?
- If Supreme
Being absent for too long, the believers will fall into disarray, and vile
martial artists will seize the opportunity to attack us. Above all...
-
Above all?
- The arrogant barbarians should come in person, it
doesn't make sense for Supreme Being to come yourselves, right?
-
Hmm. I suppose you’re right.
And so, Heavenly Demon was persuaded by
her trusted ‘Demon Brain’. However, the Demon Brain had a different thought.
Even
if the Central Plains wasn’t affected, the moment the supreme being clashed with
the foreign martial artists, everything would spiral out of control.
If
even the barbarians are drawn in while the Central Plains was yet stabilized?
The
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, built through so much effort, could collapse. A
realistic assessment.
Title: Fuck. I’m going insane
because of the person I serve
Author: SmartDemon
That
martial arts-obsessed woman is trying to cause another mess. Good thing I barely
managed to stop her; otherwise, I would’ve run away immediately.
ㄴ
Hang in there bro But what's your job?
ㄴ SmartDemon) In Western
terms, maybe a secretary? Butler? Something along that line
ㄴ Must
be tough working for that boss
ㄴ SmartDemon) Ugh... I seriously feel
like quitting
ㄴ Why don't you?
ㄴ SmartDemon) It's a
lifelong job lol Started with the boss's parents
ㄴ lolololol
ㄴ
But if you're a secretary do you really go under the desk?
ㄴ Are you
crazy lololol
ㄴ SmartDemon) My head would get smashed in if I tried
that
Shortly afterward, an ominous post appeared on the gallery, but
Heavenly Demon ignored it. It was nothing new.
After that, she stayed
holed up in the cult, made a brief appearance due to the Emperor, and then
returned to her usual, mundane days.
Being 'Yoo Sowol, the Heavenly
Demon' who everyone feared and revered wasn’t as fun as being 'Yoo Sowol, the
human,' who could hurl insults and bicker with stranger.
Then one
day, while she was in the middle of her seclusion, she had unexpected
enlightenment, which led her to another round of closed-door training. But she
faced a completely unforeseen obstacle.
"Cough!"
Splat!
Yoo
Sowol coughed up a handful of pitch-black blood. A substantial amount of
blood.
She wiped the blood from her mouth with a troubled expression.
‘For This Great One to suffer from qi deviation
(주화입마(走火入魔))….’
That’s right. She had fallen into qi
deviation during her intense training.
One might ask how the only
supreme being under heaven could suffer qi deviation, but this was a kind of
trial.
Like how an insect either lives or dies based on whether it
successfully sheds its skin, this was her trial.
Qi deviation was
something anyone can experience. Heavenly Demon was no exception.
‘My
internal energy… it’s becoming too powerful.’
Heavenly Demon was
strong. The problem was, she was too strong.
Yoo Sowol stared at her
hand. Cracks ran through them like spiderwebs, ready to shatter at any
moment.
Her shell couldn’t contain the energy inside and was
collapsing on itself.
To breakthrough this, she could either
consolidate her internal energy or neutralize it with an elixir.
But
despite endless attempts at the former, her internal energy only grew stronger,
not decreasing at all.
'Heaven is heaven, earth is earth.'
Still, she continued browsing the gallery. In truth, she was
half-resigned to her fate.
With her internal energy growing stronger
by the moment, it was only a matter of time before this fragile shell of hers
would burst.
In a situation akin to a death sentence, she mindlessly
typed out another post on the Gallery.
Title: Would
anyone have a profound conversation with This Great One? It’s a serious
matter.
Author: HeavenlyDemon
Exactly as the title
suggests.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon Death Beam!!
ㄴ
Teeengggg!
"Huhu."
Yoo Sowol laughed. Her expression was
as if looking at a pitiful fool.
The fact that the gallery was the
only place she could turn to for comfort brought her beyond self-deprecation—it
was pure self-loathing.
The more she delved into these feelings, the
deeper her descent into qi deviation became, but she had already reached a state
of enlightenment.
'Is this how it ends....'
She thought
she might as well browse the gallery one last time. Dying alone quietly wasn’t
something she desired.
At the very least, she wanted to leave
something behind, even at the last moment. It's a natural instinct as a human
being.
With that thought, before writing her final post, she clicked
on the topmost post.
It was from a new fixed nickname: the person who
had been insulted by a dwarf for having a head as dense as an anvil.
Title:
Anyone know what this herb is?
Author: WildGrills
(Photo of a
crescent moon-shaped plant)
Don't know what herb this is, anyone
know?
"!!!"
Yoo Sowol's eyes widened like lanterns
when she saw the post. It was all because of the picture.
The photo
in the post showed an herb with flowers in the shape of a crescent moon.
"No-
No way, could this be...?!"
Even though Heavenly Demon was obsessed
with martial arts, she knew a great deal about herbs.
Growing up in
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, she had consumed every type of miraculous medicinal
herb imaginable.
She’d also learned how to manage and harness their
effects, making her as knowledgeable as any expert in medicinal herbs.
‘Could
this be the Crescent Moon Spirit Herb? I’m certain of it.’
The
Crescent Moon Spirit Herb.
An herb excellent for controlling surging
internal energy.
It was the one thing Yoo Sowol needed even more
than an elixir of immortality as she was dying from her inability to control her
own energy.
Without hesitation, Yoo Sowol left a comment. Her thought
process was several times faster than others, allowing her to secure the first
spot.
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) Mine!! This Great One claimed it first! How
greedy of you all!!
ㄴ Yeah, no~
ㄴ What do you mean mine
Lolol Whoever the seller likes best gets it
ㄴ Bug off Boomer~
"These,
these insolent rascal...!"
But claiming first meant nothing. In that
short time, a pack of wolves had already caught the scent.
Yoo Sowol
fumed, but her frustration soon turned into anxiety. The competition was too
fierce.
She had already tried to initiate a trade long ago, but
WildGrills hadn’t accepted.
'How pathetic.'
Yoo Sowol let
out a self-deprecating laugh. Even in her final moments, she was acting
pathetic.
But she was too frustrated. She wanted to die fighting, not
in such a pathetic way.
Her internal energy grew increasingly
uncontrollable, and her remaining lifespan was being shaved away bit by bit.
Just
as Yoo Sowol was about to close her eyes, lamenting her fate...
[WildGrills
has sent you a trade request. Would you like to accept?]
A hand of
salvation reached down from the heavens. Yoo Sowol’s eyes widened in
disbelief.
Why? Out of all the countless, why This Great One?
Though
her thoughts were long, her actions were swift. She hurriedly accepted the
request.
Upon accepting, a square window appeared in front. An empty
chat window.
[Wild Grills: Hi, hi, you're Heavenly Demon-nim,
right?]
A brief greeting filled the empty space. It was both casual
and surprisingly polite.
Yoo Sowol unconsciously cleared her throat
and sent a message.
[HeavenlyDemon: Indeed. I am the one and only sky
of Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Heavenly Demon. Are you proposing a trade with
This Great One?]
[WildGrills: Yes, Heavenly Demon-nim were the first
to comment, after all. First come, first served.]
[HeavenlyDemon:
Thank you. You are one of the rare individuals who knows proper etiquette.]
Fortunately,
WildGrills wasn’t a rude bastard. Heavenly Demon inwardly felt relieved.
The
gallery was like a cesspool. Many people hide behind anonymity and reveal their
desires without restraint.
To find such manners in this cesspool? It
felt like discovering a rose that had bloomed against all odds.
[HeavenlyDemon:
Is there anything you desire? This Great One will provide whatever is within my
power to obtain.]
For now, she was limited due to her seclusion
training, but once she returned to Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, she intended to
offer anything.
Even as Heavenly Demon, she didn't forget debts of
gratitude. If desired, she was even willing to pass on martial arts secrets.
[WildGrills:
For now, tools to make fire and a compass. Weapons for self-defense and basic
provisions. That should do.]
Heavenly Demon was puzzled. Is that
really all they wanted?
What was Crescent Moon Spirit Herb? It was
the finest herb worth buying even for countless riches.
[HeavenlyDemon:
Is that truly all? As you know, the Crescent Moon Spirit Herb is extremely rare
and invaluable.]
[WildGrills: Could it be worth more than my life? I
only need what I need.]
[Heavenly Demon: Hum… I understand. Due to
certain circumstances, there are things This Great One can't obtain immediately,
but with time, I can manage.]
[WildGrills: I’m in a hurry too, given
the situation. So, is it possible?]
It was possible. Heavenly Demon
turned to look at a corner of the cave.
There lay a pile of martial
arts manuals containing her insights, stacks of grain pills, and her beloved
sword.
Two of the requested items could be fulfilled. She didn’t
have tools for making fire, but she knew a workaround.
[HeavenlyDemon:
By any chance, what’s your level of martial arts cultivation? Have you reached
Unrestrained Realm?]
[WildGrills: I’m just an ordinary person…]
"Oh
dear."
If that’s the case, she couldn’t teach him Samadhi Dvesha
Fire (삼매진화(三昧瞋火)) Technique. Yoo Sowol quickly moved on.
[HeavenlyDemon:
My apologies, This Great One can only fulfill two of your requests—provisions
and a weapon.]
[WildGrills: Hmm...]
[HeavenlyDemon:
However, if you can make your way to the cult, I can provide you with the other
two items as well.]
Yoo Sowol grew urgent. As her internal energy
grew stronger, cold sweat began pouring.
To make matters worse, the
trading window only lasted for three minutes. After 3 minutes, they couldn't
trade for a day.
[WildGrills: ok got it.]
[HeavenlyDemon:
Truly?]
[WildGrills: You said you would give it, so I trust you. If
you don't, I can stop trusting from then.]
"Aah..."
How
could there be such a well-mannered youth(?). Yoo Sowol felt touched.
A
fateful encounter, a benefactor she had met in her moment of desperation.
Even
when she first entered the martial arts world and when she unified the Central
Plains, she had never experienced something like this.
It felt as if
the whole world had brightened. Despite the dark cave, the conversation with
WildGrills was bright as the sun.
‘Ah, this isn’t the time.’
Yoo
Sowol hastily gathered her sword and the grain pills. She wouldn’t need them
once she advanced to the next cultivation realm.
As someone who
frequent the gallery, she knew how to trade. Just hold or touch the items you
want to send.
[WildGrills has registered the trade items.]
[HeavenlyDemon
has registered trade items.]
[Do you wish to proceed with the
trade?]
She accepted immediately. The other side must have too, as
the message changed.
[Trade completed.]
[WildGrills: I got
mine, did you get yours?]
Yoo Sowol didn’t see the message. She was
too busy hastily stuffing the Crescent Moon Spirit Herb into her mouth.
She
felt genuinely sorry for WildGrills, but her life was hanging by a thread. As
soon as she consumed the herb, she sat down to circulate her energy.
Just
as expected, the moment she absorbed the herb's energy, the fiery internal
energy that had been raging like an active volcano started to stabilize.
Even
Yoo Sowol herself was amazed. At this rate, she could break her shell and
advance to the next realm.
While she felt a sense of relief, she
didn’t let her guard down She couldn’t let this rare opportunity go to waste.
‘Just
a bit more… Just a little more…’
Wooooong—
As Yoo Sowol
continued to circulate her internal energy, her body slowly began to lift off
the ground.
Her ebony-beautiful hair floated like swimming, and faint
light leaked from her.
Crack!
Like a bird breaking free
from its eggshell, Yoo Sowol underwent a similar transformation.
Though
her body had already experienced rebirth once, it was going through the process
again.
The cracked skin peeled away, revealing fresh skin underneath,
and her bones and muscles transformed into a more ideal form.
She had
reached the state of 'Transcending the Demon (탈마(脫魔))’, free from all
worldly impurities. In the Central Plain, this was known as the 'Profound
Realm.'
Swish—
Yoo Sowol’s once-closed eyes slowly opened.
The gaze of one who had faced death was absent.
Her black pupils were
as calm as a tranquil lake and as gentle as a breeze.
Heavenly Demon,
Yoo Sowol, had once again broken through her shell and gazed upon the world
anew.
"Huuu...."
Yoo Sowol let out a deep breath. It was a
sigh mingled with a whirlwind of complex emotions.
Then she looked at
her hands. Her new, snow-white skin resembled delicate jade-like hands.
She
felt satisfied. A smile crept onto her face. She didn’t know how she could ever
repay this kindness.
'Ah. Oh my, I haven't even expressed my
gratitude yet.'
Yoo Sowol hurriedly accessed the gallery. Too much
time had passed, and her conversation with WildGrill had already ended.
The
only thing she could do now was to write a post in the gallery. Even after
reaching the state of transcending the demon, the human side of Yoo Sowol hadn’t
vanished.
If anything, the gratitude she felt from meeting a
benefactor during her time of crisis only strengthened her human side.
She
was determined to repay this kindness somehow. But how?
She had
never been in anyone’s favor before in her life. While she had received
countless grudges, this was the first time she had been shown genuine
kindness.
Her heart raced, and an unconscious smile lingered on her
lips—a reaction even she wasn’t aware of.
Title:
WildGrills, Hear Me.
Author: HeavenlyDemon
Thanks to you, I've
received a lifetime debt of gratitude. This Great One will make sure to find
you, benefactor, so if you desire anything, speak up. If you wish, I can
personally impart martial arts secrets.
Ah, and just to make it
clear, I will make sure to deliver the items you requested.
Even
Heavenly Demon had used the term "귀공" (noble one. I opted with ‘benefactor’)
to refer to him. It’s a term that borders on the highest level of honorifics.
Though
several comments appeared beneath her post, the one she awaited never came.
Yoo
Sowol waited and waited, longing for her benefactor to respond.
But
even after several minutes passed, WildGrills hadn’t left a comment.
“…Why
won’t you respond?”
Yoo Sowol murmured in disappointment.
It
was just a few minutes, but to her it felt like an eternity.
‘Could
it be because I didn’t express my gratitude right away?’
Her worries
only deepened.
*****
Meanwhile, WildGrills.
“Grr!!
Grr!! Grawwr!! Grr!!”
“Oh, crap! Damn it!”
He was being
chased by a beast.
Contrary to Heavenly Demon’s thoughts, he was in
no position to access the gallery at all.
|Note
Stage
of martial art realm. I used Murim Login as a reference. I had my own from
researching namu wiki but I figure I should just the one existing.
Also, I'm sorry for the very late update. I was busy on another project and irl stuff on top of that. I'm still not sure about the schedule but for now maybe around a chapter for every 3 - 2 days.
삼류 (Third-rate)
이류 (Second-rate)
일류 (First-rate)
절정 (Peak realm)
초절정 (Transcendent Peak)
화경 (Unrestrained realm)
현경 (Profound realm)
생사경 (Life and Death Realm)
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