I Gained a Gallery in the Wild - Eps 4 Crisis (1)
Why is
the Messiah Empire called 'Empire'? There are many reasons, but the answer is
simple.
It has the largest territory, the most money, and an
overwhelmingly powerful military.
Among these, military power is
heavily influenced by individual fighting capability, and the Empire possesses
none other than a Sword Master.
Who is the Sword Master? They are
the pinnacle of swordsmanship, a monsters treated not just as a tactical weapon
but as a strategic one.
The Sword Master is famous for splitting the
earth with one slash, and mountains with another.
The reason other
nations dare not oppose the empire is precisely because of the existence of the
Sword Master.
Title) Were Sword Masters Originally Rare?
I thought they were everywhere back in the day
ㄴ Ye, ye
that was the case back then
ㄴ Then why is it different now?
ㄴ Ash is blocking them all, says don't call yourself a Sword Master
if you're weaker than her lol
ㄴ wtf is she the ceiling or what? lol
ㄴ lmao
ㄴ Old Sword Saint = Current Sword Master
ㄴ Are there no Sword Masters from other races besides humans?
ㄴ There are, yea, yea, but Ash beat them all up
ㄴ Is
she even human? Lol
That’s right. In truth, Sword Masters as a level of mastery isn’t
exclusive to the Empire.
It’s just that the Empire’s Sword Master is
the strongest. Overwhelmingly.
Ash Menesil, the Empire's Sword
Master and renowned as the strongest swords warrior of the era.
Not
only is she powerful, but she's also famous for being a beauty with snow-white
hair and blue eyes.
Her beauty has been radiant since childhood,
captivating the hearts of countless men.
Naturally, marriage
proposals started pouring in even when she was young.
"I’ll only
marry a man stronger than me!"
15-year-old Ash declared, unable to
take it anymore. Everyone accepted this.
Those who wanted her beauty
and strength had to defeat her. But only after she became an adult.
Three years passed. She became an adult, but no man appeared who
could defeat her.
Five years passed. Her family grew anxious as her
marriageable age slipped by, but they waited patiently.
Ten years
passed. Her family caused an uproar begging her to marry. That's when she
realized something was wrong.
Title) ??: Will marry a man stronger than herself
Fifteen years passed. No man appeared who could defeat her.
ㄴ She's basically an aunt now lololol wait someone's knocking
ㄴ Only cold silence remains in this comment section
ㄴ
What happens if you call Ash auntie to her face?
ㄴ dunno but some
kid made fun of her age calling her auntie lol
ㄴ Can't elves or
demon races take her?
ㄴ There’s literally no one stronger than Ash
lol
ㄴ And humans are surprisingly strong fr fr their baseline is
stupidly low but the ceiling is stupidly high
ㄴ crazy how strong is
she?
Fifteen years passed. While her skills kept improving, no man who
could defeat her appeared.
Despite going through a complete rebirth
and maintaining her 20s beauty, she was in her 30s.
Since she was
well past marriageable age, few men dared approach her.
Of course,
there were men who proposed to her because they were enchanted by her beauty.
The problem was that they were all weaker than Ash.
She didn’t want
to break her last shred of pride and belief, so she held on and endured.
Men also understood her stance, as they found women stronger than
themselves burdensome.
"This can't go on."
She couldn’t
just sit around waiting forever. Ash decided to personally train disciples.
Let's raise promising ones myself. Surely one will make the cut.
But none of them did. They all lost to Ash and ended up marrying
other women.
Since most people married early, they ran away before
they could even reach her level.
"I'll pass down all my know-how to
the gallery."
Feeling a sense of crisis, Ash meticulously posted her
swordsmanship techniques in the gallery, hoping for a virtuous cycle.
(D: A virtuous cycle is a series of events that lead to positive
outcomes, and continue to reinforce themselves through a feedback loop.)
Indeed, a virtuous cycle emerged, raising the overall skill level of
people across the continent.
If this continued, it seemed inevitable
that a man stronger than Ash would emerge from some kingdom.
Wouldn’t that cause international issues? Well, who cares? Her
marriage prospects were completely blocked anyway, so to hell with that.
But even so, no man appeared who could defeat Ash. Instead,
mass-produced Sword Masters kept popping up.
To make matters worse,
Ash's strength kept growing even when she was just breathing.
"Why?
Why isn’t there anyone? Why the hell!"
Ash couldn't understand. Why
was there such a lack of talent?
Despite all her desperate attempts,
no man who could defeat her appeared.
When she finally examined the
situation, she realized something.
"You’re telling me I get stronger
just by breathing? Are you kidding me?!"
That’s right. The woman
once praised as a "genius" (天才) was, in another sense, a "genius"
(天災/Meaning natural disaster).
Her mana accumulated just by
breathing, and she could naturally channel it into her sword.
If she
hadn't been so fixated on marriage and trained consistently, she would have
reached Grand Sword Master at an early age.
But Ash was already
considered one of the continent’s strongest. She didn’t need to get any
stronger.
"Life is bullshit."
Everything felt
meaningless. Reality hit her hard.
In the end, Ash abandoned all her
titles and went into seclusion.
The Empire's Emperor begged her to
stay, but she rejected everything.
Though she said they could use
her name anytime, there's such a thing as public figure.
Ash's
presence alone shook the empire, a testament to her influence.
And
so, after twenty years total, Ash in seclusion....
"Huehuehue."
Was lying in bed eating a banana. She giggled like an idiot.
Her snow-white hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she wore nothing
but lazy bum clothes.
With round glasses on top of that, she was the
very embodiment of a shut-in NEET.
Currently, she was spending her
happy (?) days lurking intently on the gallery.
Thwack!!
"Ack!"
"You little-! Didn't I tell you to go outside?!"
A sharp spike of pain hit her back as she mindlessly scrolled
through the gallery.
Despite Ash's iron-like body, somehow it still
stung.
"Look at your sister! At age 30 she's having another child,
making it five now, five! How come you, who was once the captain of the Imperial
Guard, aren’t married?!"
"Ah. Mom..."
Well, that was
because it was a beating filled with motherly love. Ash looked at her mother
while rubbing her stinging back.
Her mother had many wrinkles, but
her features were similar to Ash’s. She must have been a beauty in her prime.
Though Ash was already in her 30s, her mother had given birth to her
at 19. That was the norm for their era.
"What can I do if there’s no
man I like...?"
"Lower your standards! Where in the world are you
going to find a man stronger than you?!"
"......"
Ash
fell silent at her mother's point. It was half-true, after all.
Ash
was exceptionally strong, even among all races. She was stronger than elves and
demons.
Of course, there must be somewhere in the world a man
stronger than her. She just hadn't found him yet.
"Oh heavens. This
mother's heart is bursting, just bursting. What good is being a whatever-Sword
Master when you won't marry at 35! Your mother's in her mid-50s, please listen
to me for once!"
"Well... at least my sister married well, right?
Mom, we’re nobles now, nobles."
Originally, Ash's family were
commoners. They achieved social advancement when Ash became the continent's
greatest swordswoman.
She was granted the title of Countess!
Considering Margraves guard the borders, this was the Emperor bestowing the
highest possible rank.
Moreover, her younger sister was also a
beauty and made a fine marriage.
The fact that she had five children
was proof that her marriage was a happy one.
Unlike her older
sister, the younger sister had found her soulmate. Ash couldn’t help but feel
envious.
"So what! The eldest daughter is a mess like this! At least
go outside and exercise!"
"But I get stronger just by breathing..."
"Do you expect me to believe that nonsense?! Get out!"
"Yessss!!"
No matter how old a child gets, they’re still
a child in their parents’ eyes. At her mother’s loud scolding, Ash quickly got
out of bed.
She grabbed a practice sword and headed outside the
mansion—or at least pretended to, before turning back.
Training was
such a hassle. Being someone who got stronger just by breathing, she saw no need
for it.
'I should post something.'
She returned to bed
and logged into the gallery. Her activities there were simple.
Title) You Can Do It Too! Advanced Swordsmanship Lecture 15
Author: Sword Master
Today's advanced topic is parrying.
Parrying is...
Registering swordsmanship know-how in the gallery. One could say
it's her daily routine.
Originally, she posted these tips to raise
the continent's overall level. Now it felt like just a job.
She
wasn't originally immersed in the gallery. She used to lurk occasionally, but
that was it.
But after realizing her unique constitution and feeling
a strange sense of betrayal by the world, she became deeply engrossed in it.
ㄴ What do you think about iaido?
(Art of Drawing,
drawing weapon ofc.)
ㄴ SwordMaster) Instead of practicing that,
focus on mastering the basics first.
ㄴ But it's cool
ㄴ
Swordmaster) Do it after becoming a Sword Master.
ㄴ No, Sword
Masters are strong at everything anyway lolol
There were occasional idiots, but Ash responded politely.
Why did she maintain such manners in a gallery where people openly
expressed their desires?
'This is the only way to avoid suspicion.'
It was because of Ash’s usual personality. She was known to be
rather blunt and straightforward.
Thanks to this, despite being of
commoner origin, she got along well with nobles, but it all meant nothing now.
Moreover, she had been on the gallery for too long. Though
inadequate compared to true hardcore gallers, her activity period was lengthy.
Someone who had steadily used the gallery for a long time. Plus, she
even drew suspicion when posting swordsmanship know-how.
‘I’d rather
die of embarrassment than get caught.’
Since there was a chance she
could be discovered, she deliberately adopted a polite speech style.
That’s why she never posted photos or videos when sharing her
swordsmanship know-how.
Being a genius among geniuses, she also had
a remarkable talent for writing, so it wasn’t a problem.
"Ah. I want
to get married."
Ash muttered while scratching her rock-hard abs.
Even way past marriageable age, she hadn't given up.
If a challenger
appeared, she was willing to accept them. It was just that, being in seclusion,
the Empire would refuse on her behalf.
Because the gallery was her
window to the world, she was completely unaware of this fact.
'Wonder if this one's strong?'
When scrolling through
the gallery, there were always people who showed potential or discussed
strength.
Some wanted to meet in person, but they usually revealed
their true shallow nature before long.
ㄴ shit How are you even supposed to dodge that? Are you kidding me?
ㄴ SwordMaster) Why can’t you dodge it? Flexibility is essential,
yet you don't know this. I guess you’re all talk and no skill.
ㄴ
savage burn lololol
Roughly like that. Most couldn't even grasp the theory. Or were
lacking.
But not everyone was an idiot. There were a few notable
users who caught Ash’s attention.
'How strong is this HeavenlyDemon
guy?'
HeavenlyDemon, who always shitposted like there was no
tomorrow. Users treated HeavenlyDemon as just another typical gallers.
Ash was the same at first. But occasionally, among HeavenlyDemon’s
posts, there were ones deeply related to martial arts.
While others
scoffed, Ash didn't. Rather, she disliked HeavenlyDemon several times more than
others did.
‘This bastard made me stronger...’
Genius
recognizes genius, and HeavenlyDemon's writing had a considerable influence on
Ash.
It was like being force-fed unwanted enlightenment. Every time
she read HeavenlyDemon's writing, the mana in her body increased noticeably.
And not just once or twice. At first she brushed it off as
coincidence, but after experiencing it several times, she realized.
This HeavenlyDemon punk carelessly spreading their insights. The
funny thing was, most users didn’t recognize its true value.
'Judging by how they talk, definitely a woman...'
If it
had been a man, she would have gone to find him no matter what.
If
someone had gained such enlightenment, they must have been incredibly strong.
But the way he referred to himself as “this lady” and the way she
talked made it clear she was a woman.
And quite an older one at
that. It was certain she was older than Ash.
‘...Not like I’m one to
talk.’
Ash also freely shared swordsmanship know-how on the gallery.
Originally, swordsmanship tended to be highly exclusive.
However,
because she spread easily learnable swordsmanship techniques, everyone's skill
level rose indiscriminately.
In particular, the nation that
benefited most was the Empire's eternal rival, the Iris Kingdom.
Originally, the Kingdom of Iris was a nation where mages were
stronger than knights, but thanks to Ash's trolling, they caught up to the
average level.
- Bring me this SwordMaster person at once!!
- Your Majesty. It's impossible to verify the personal identity of
gallery users.
- This... This...! Ugh...! Ugh!
- Y- Your
Majesty!
Of course, the Emperor of the Empire was furious, but there
was nothing they could do to catch the user.
This was one reason Ash
quit as Imeperial Guard Captain. How could she stick around when the Emperor was
so obviously onto her?
Since the Emperor had to come personally if
the Empire had problems, Ash could enjoy a comfortable life.
Title) HeavenlyDemon is God
Author: WildGrills
(Picture of dead dogs on the ground and a tightly gripped sword)
This sword is invincible.
“Hm?”
It was while Ash was diligently browsing the
gallery, avoiding her mother’s watchful eye, that a user who caught her interest
appeared.
Someone who claimed they suddenly woke up in a forest. She
thought it was just another shitpost.
But then the gallery erupted
in chaos when this person mentioned obtaining some herb called Moon Spirit Herb
or whatever.
That's when she started paying slight attention.
Wondering what kind of person they were.
‘Is Crescent Moon Spirit
Herb really that good?’
For the record, Ash didn’t know what
Crescent Moon Spirit Herb was. Her body has no need for medicinal herbs.
Afterward, they encountered Mad Dogs the size of cattle, and just
when she wondered what would happen, they killed two of them.
‘The
cross-section... is incredibly clean?’
Ash's expression shifted to
surprise. Behind her round glasses, her blue eyes filled with interest.
Even in the picture, the cross-section of the cuts was remarkably
clean.
No matter how good the sword was, most people couldn’t even
cut tofu cleanly.
There's no wavering. They claimed to be ordinary,
but that made them even more intriguing.
Above all.
ㄴ SwordMaster) If you don’t have anything else to do, would you
like to learn swordsmanship? You seem to have talent.
ㄴ
HeavenlyDemon) Begone! This lady shall personally impart secret techniques to
them! How dare you!
HeavenlyDemon was showing interest. The same HeavenlyDemon who only
ever shitposting!
They were busy protecting them, as if saying
'Don't touch them, I've already claimed them.'
Not realizing that it
was actually drawing attention.
‘Look at this person?’
Ash smirked. This made her want to tease them even more.
HeavenlyDemon, famous for their my-way attitude, reacting like this?
It made her want to tease them even more.
While she was at it, it
wouldn’t hurt to learn more about WildGrills. Ash waited for the next post.
Title) Found a cave. Should I go in?
Author: WildGrills
(Picture showing a dark cave entrance)
It's getting dark
and I need a place to rest. Should I go in? What if there's a bear?
ㄴ Bears would be better than if it turns out to be a dungeon lolol
ㄴ WildGrills) What comes out of the dungeon?
ㄴ Dunno
lol
ㄴ WildGrills) You little shit
ㄴ Real life random
box lmao
At first, she thought it was just a gimmick, but it seems this
person really is living in the wild.
Often wanderers and adventurers
post on the gallery. But none were as bare-handed as WildGrills.
ㄴ
DontAbandonTheHero) Since there's no torch, it's not a dungeon! Still, throw a
stone just in case!
ㄴ WildGrills) What if a monster pops out?
ㄴ Don't throw away the warrior) Then you fight it!
ㄴ
WildGrills) You’re so quick to say that when you’re not the one fighting ;;
trying it anyway
Five minutes passed.
Title) This cave is mine now
Author: WildGrills
(Picture of surprisingly cozy cave interior with thumbs up)
It’s mine to do as I please
ㄴ Nobody there?
ㄴ WildGrills) Yea, yea. But it's kinda
damp.
ㄴ DontAbandonTheHero) Be careful! The owner might come later!
ㄴ WildGrills) too tired gonna sleep
It seemed WildGrills had managed to secure a cave to stay in for the
day. Ash chuckled.
It's strangely entertaining. After seeing endless
shitposts, this is a refreshing change.
But it would all be
meaningless if they died. She’d have to tell them to read her posts later.
‘What do they need to survive?’
She wasn’t sure. If
WildGrills needed something, she would give it to them then.
After
that, there were no more posts from WildGrills, probably really asleep. Ash kept
browsing the gallery steadily.
Even if it was night for WildGrills,
it was still daytime in the Empire. Plenty of time to be active.
Then, just as the sun began to set.
[Someone help
please. Emergency.]
"Huh?"
A post from WildGrills
appeared. The title alone was unsettling.
Ash checked the top post.
What could be the problem?
"Eek?"
And she couldn't help
but be shocked.
Title) Anyone help me please. Urgent.
(A picture of
right arm with multiple holes bleeding)
(A picture of earlier Mad
Dog leader dead with severed neck)
Shit, this bastard was in the
cave. I’m losing too much blood. Can someone help?
WildGrills' right arm was mangled. Severely so.
Beyond
just having holes punched through, even the bone was exposed. At this point,
blood loss was a bigger threat than infection.
ㄴ Holy shit, put a gore tag dude
ㄴ Wild Grills) Fuck,
I’m about to die, and you’re worried about that?
ㄴ Who cares? Keke
ㄴ But isn't this actually dangerous?
An emergency had
occurred.
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