I Gained a Gallery in the Wild - Eps 13 Golden Poison Frog (3)
The realization that even AllFather approached abnormality was
short-lived. I pondered over the drinking water issue.
I’m not
immune to poison, and the Golden Frog’s toxin is insanely lethal.
Just how deadly were they? Deadly enough to make trees sizzle and
melt on contact. One direct hit would be game over.
I prepared an
antidote just in case, but I don't know if it will work.
So I'm
planning to make a separate request to AllFather. Not for money, but for
something far more valuable.
[WildGrills: Hello. Are you AllFather?]
[AllFather: Yes. I am AllFather. Thank you for initiating the
trade.]
The reply came instantly. their tone far more refined than
the usual gallery clout.
Judging from their ability to guess the
Golden Poison Frog right away and their usual gallery posts, they seems to be an
intellectual like a professor.
And a filthy rich one at that. Having
committed 20,000 gold for one frog, I couldn't even begin to guess what they
might do for a living.
Not that I had any idea who these people
really were.
[WildGrills: You need the frog, right? I'll register it
right away.]
[AllFather: Much appreciated. I'll register the 20,000
gold as promised. However, are you aware that trades exceeding 10,000 gold have
their location transmitted to the mods?]
[WildGrills: Yes. I'm
aware.]
Due to potential for abuse, trades exceeding 10,000 gold
typically have their location pinged to the mod.
Such as cleanly
laundering illegally obtained profits or purchasing war supplies in bulk.
While gallery funds can't be withdrawn as cash, there are still many
ways to abuse the system.
Of course, since I'm in the Forest of the
Four Seasons, it doesn't mean much, and if my location does get sent, that’s not
necessarily bad either.
[WildGrills: Before we finalize, can I ask
for one more favor? If you agree, I'll reduce it from 20,000 gold to 15,000
gold.]
[AllFather: Hmm? What kind of favor?]
[WildGrills: I need an antidote effective against the Golden Poison
Frog's venom. As you saw from my post, I'm in a difficult situation for
obtaining water.]
There could be another river somewhere else. But
the closest one is that stream.
With those frogs camped there,
forget washing, even drinking water was off the table.
Searching for
another river might mean getting lost, which would be an incredible hardship.
[AllFather: I roughly understand what you're saying. I accept your
request. As it happens, I wanted to research that aspect as well.]
[WildGrills: Thank you. Let's consider 5,000 gold the cost of the
antidote. Would more specimens help your research?]
[AllFather: Of
course. But Golden Poison Frogs have very small populations, so please be
careful not to exterminate them.]
Well, honestly, I don't know.
No matter how precious Golden Frogs are, are they more important
than my life?
If the antidote works, it would be different, but if
not, I'll have to dry up the golden frog.
I recently realized how
important a stable water supply is. Going unwashed was driving me insane.
[AllFather: Should you discover any rare flora or fauna in the
future, do share. I'll gladly share what knowledge I have.]
[WildGrills: Thank you. See you next time.]
[AllFather:
It is rare to find someone as courteous as you in the gallery. Stay safe out
there.]
And so the trade with AllFather was over. I immediately
checked my gallery balance.
Despite some transaction fees due to the
amount, but close to 15,000 gold had been charged.
I can buy various
items from the auction house with this. I've already thought about what I need.
‘But first, I should ask the mod. I want to see where I’m located.’
If a trade over 10,000 gold occurs, the location is immediately
notified to the mod.
It's a rule that is supposed to prevent abuse,
but ironically, the mod could also abuse that rule.
While I don't
know the conditions and methods for selecting mods, there must have been
previous mods too.
For a moment I was curious about the gallery’s
history, but that’s not my priority right now.
Title: Mod-nim. Can
you see my location?
Author: WildGrills
Just traded with
AllFather-nim, can you see where I am?
ã„´ DontAbandonTheHero) Yes!
It says Forest of the Four Seasons! Right in the middle, too!
ã„´
WildGrills) Ah, fuck
ã„´ lmaoooo
ã„´ lololol
ã„´ Abandon all hope lolol
ã„´ Mod-certified Forest of
Four Seasons lolz
I asked for nothing. I suppressed the approaching
sense of despair.
The Forest of Seasons was supposed to be a
no-gallery zone, but I'm an exception. And now it flat-out reveals my location.
Who the hell is playing such a prank? I couldn't understand at all.
ã„´ WildGrills) No lie, for real?
ã„´ Don't throw me away)
Yes! I swear on my holy sword it's true!
ã„´ Give up Grills…
ã„´ You have to live there
Damn bastards. Is there no
option to escape?
Even the mod said it out loud, leaving me nothing
but a heavy sigh. Even the last glimmer of hope had vanished.
Escape
was difficult, because even if I crossed the stream, the location changed every
moment. My range of movement was severely limited.
'Fine. Then I’ll
survive here. But I will escape eventually.'
Even if it takes years,
I want to see civilization again. I wrote a post on the gallery right away.
Not to complain, but to ask what I need in the future.
Title: Survival experts, help
Author: WildGrills
Seems like I'll have to live in this forest from now on. So I’m
gonna buy some stuff.
I'm thinking of an axe, dagger, shovel,
hammer, emergency rations, water, soap, medicines, etc. Anything else I might
need?
ã„´ If possible, use unscented soap. Bears might come attracted
to the smell.
ã„´ If you know how to set traps, put some around you.
Not sure if that works in the Forest of Four Seasons though
ã„´
Definitely collect charcoal. You can use it to purify water or for brushing
teeth
ã„´ Sounds good, but snakes might be attracted by the warmth
ã„´ DO NOT eat mushrooms unless you’re desperate
Far from
mockery, they kindly taught me useful tips one by one. Especially the one about
charcoal was new to me.
The snake issue can be handled with
repellent. That's why I spent a fortune buying repellent.
ã„´ Who
knows what’s in the Forest of Four Seasons? Everything’s probably dangerous.
ã„´ You'll probably have to learn most things through direct
experience?
ã„´ yeye that's right
ã„´ Who’s gonna actually
enter that place? lol
But those tips were just the basics of
‘ordinary’ wilderness survival, and I'm the first to live in the Forest of Four
Seasons.
The reality is that with puppy-sized frogs around, nobody
knows what else might be there.
'Still, I need to buy what I need to
buy.'
I purchased everything the adventurers recommended one by one.
It's best to use this cave as my base.
Finally, I purchased a big
sheet of paper, a quill, and a bottle of ink.
Since the compass is
useless, I plan to rely on my own sense of direction to draw a map.
‘Focus on marking places that shift unpredictably.’
It's
likely other places are similar to the stream. Knowing these will make moving
around easier.
I should also note zones where dangerous beasts
appeared here and there. Or more precisely, their territories.
Perhaps the reason other beasts haven't approached so far is because
this was originally the Mad Dog's territory.
But this won't last
long. An Owlbear deliciously devoured the Mad Dog's corpse last time.
Nothing says that Owlbear won’t come around here. That's why I need
to prepare.
“Hm…”
Arms crossed, I stared at my
purchases. Where to even start?
They say when you’re really busy,
you have so much to do you don’t know where to start, and that’s exactly me
right now.
Should I build a fence to secure safety, or explore the
surroundings a bit more?
The former takes too much time, and the
latter makes the future uncertain.
‘I have no idea how long making a
fence will take.’
At times like this, I should ask. I wrote a post
on the gallery.
If it takes too long, I'll consider exploring the
surroundings.
Title: Building a fence near home, need advice
Author: WildGrills
Want to build a fence to prevent
trespassing, any tips?
ã„´ PassingDwarf) You know how to build one?
ã„´ WildGrills) Me hammer, me smash
ã„´ PassingDwarf) ;;;
ã„´ Me hammer lmfaooo
ã„´ It's a real deal lolololol
ã„´ PassingDwarf) Anyway, what you're thinking of is more a barrier
than a fence. There's an Owlbear nearby, right?
ã„´ WildGrills) yeye,
that’s right
ã„´ PassingDwarf) Then set traps near the entrance
instead. For a barricade, set aside a generous one to two months
ã„´
WildGrills) A month or two?! I’m just using wood.
ã„´ PassingDwarf)
If you don't believe me, try making one right now
ã„´ WildGrills) k
w8
Is this for real? I watched with suspicious eyes but still moved
to action. Actions speak louder than words.
With trees being
plentiful nearby, sourcing materials is easy. I also purchased a logging axe.
'The axe is surprisingly heavy.'
It's quite weighty even
holding it two-handed. I stood in front of a tree that seemed a good size.
A tree standing perfectly straight. Very suitable for making a
barricade.
No way it’ll take a month. Feeling confident, I raised
the axe and swung.
Whack!
'As expected, a new axe feels
good.'
It won't take long at this rate. The PassingDwarf totally
underestimated me.
"Heuk.... Heuk...."
Let me correct
myself. They didn't underestimate me at all, they were being very objective.
I gasped for breath while looking at the tree. Despite going at it
with everything I had, I hadn't even cut halfway through.
The outer
part was okay, but the closer I got to the center, the tougher it felt.
‘I have a newfound respect for lumberjacks.’
Those
lumberjacks who casually appear in fairy tales were actually incredible people.
No wonder they typically have several kids.
I wiped the sweat
dripping down my face and looked at the half-cut tree.
If felling
one tree was this hard, what about a barricade? Humans are weak when they're
individuals.
In the end, I had to put the barricade on hold. Setting
traps near the entrance, as PassingDwarf suggested, is the better bet.
Title: Why the fuck are trees so hard?
Author:
WildGrills
(Photo of a slightly chopped tree)
I’m about
to drop dead here
ã„´ Trying it yourself is tough, huh?
ã„´ Did logging seem like child's play to you?
ã„´ People
do this hard work for you, that's why you had it easy? lolz
ã„´
WildGrills) I'm sorry. I won't talk big anymore
ã„´ SwordMaster) If
you learn the mana cultivation method, it'll be somewhat less strenuous
ã„´ HeavenlyDemon) That fellow above speaks truth. Hasten to practice
the lotus position
ã„´ WildGrills) yeye I will...
ã„´ His
confidence took a nosedive?
ã„´ That's better. Rather than dying from
showing off
ã„´ PassingDwarf) Don't talk big from now on lol
ã„´ WildGrills) Yes, Hyung-nim.
ã„´ So respectful no lmao
ã„´ For real lol
Thanks to that, I was able to decide on
a clear route. I'll make traps near the cave entrance that only I know about.
The barricade comes after training in whatever internal energy
technique or mana cultivation method. Right now, it’s too physically demanding.
‘Even digging takes a long time.’
Having served in the
military, I know all too well how backbreaking digging is.
It
usually takes three or four people to build a trench, and it takes all day.
And considering that owlbear’s size? I would need pits deeper than
my height.
'It's truly hopeless.'
There’s nothing easy
out here. Humans are so hopeless in the wild.
But would I give up?
Absolutely not.
As the saying goes, little by little, so if I keep
working consistently, I'll eventually succeed.
‘First, I’ll dig deep
around the entrance. Expanding around it can come later, and I can buy a tarp
from the auction for camouflage.’
A good idea came to mind when I
thought about traps. Traps are traps, but let's dig up the ground around the
entrance and cave.
Like the moats laid around castles of old, just
enough to deter intruders.
For the barricade, I can cover it with
soil for now. I plan to build it with wood gradually later.
'Alright. Let's do it right away.'
Nothing happens if
you only make a plan. I designed the cave entrance and surroundings.
Where to dig the moat, where to build the temporary soil barricade,
and finally, an entry path just for me.
It won’t be perfect, but it
should at least give me some defense.
Thunk!
I started
digging. The ground is a bit soft thanks to the rain this dawn.
Logging was difficult, but digging is relatively easy. Though it
takes just as long.
'Let's do one thing at a time, slowly.'
I tackled this little fortress-building project with gusto.
"Aigoo.... my whole body aches…”
The next day, I was
completely exhausted.
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