Gallery 41 - Dumpster

I Gained a Gallery in the Wild - Eps 41 Swindler (2)

It’s enough to make a ghost cry. I thought as I stared at the empty box.

No matter how many times I searched, the golden mushroom wasn’t there. It’s not like Round Fluff secretly ate it either.

Whether it grew hands or feet, it's as if it disappeared on its own. It's utterly incomprehensible.

'Maybe some thief like DizSpeed stole it?'

I stared at DizSpeed.

DizSpeed was slowly eating the Byeokgokdan I gave him with his claws.

Not saying he ate the golden mushroom. Even if something ate it, it would be some other beast.

There was a time DizSpeed tried to steal a fish before. Though it failed.

Seeing that, there must exist beasts that target nutritious flora and fauna.

'Even so, isn't the golden mushroom too risky?'

Mushrooms are something even beasts rarely touch.

But the golden mushroom’s appearance basically screamed ‘I’m poisonous! Eat me and die!’

Vibrant colors signify deadly poison. Even beasts know this well too.

Even if something had eaten it, there should've been traces. Yet the mystery remained unsolved.

'This is strange.'

Maybe it’s for the better. I was having trouble figuring out what to do with it anyway.

Still, since some people wanted the golden mushroom, I posted on the gallery.

---

Title: Mushrooms vanished

Aunthor: WildGrills

(Photo of empty box)

I put the mushroom I picked up yesterday in a box, but it was gone when I woke up today ;;

Thought Round Fluff might’ve eaten it, but nope. Really weird.

---

ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) A mushroom fleeing? How astonishing. Did it grow legs?

ㄴ WildGrills) That I’m not sure about either. I looked around but didn’t see any footprints.

ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) The mushroom surely couldn't perform Treading on Void (허공답보/虛空踏步).

ㄴ WildGrills) What's Treading on Void?

ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) It is a technique of walking or running on empty air. The pinnacle of light body art.

ㄴ WildGrills) Can HeavenlyDemon do it?

ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) This One has reached not Treading on Void but the realm of mastering Void Traversal. I can fly freely through the sky.

ㄴ WildGrills) Oh ;;

ㄴ SwordMaster) Isn’t that way too exaggerated? That level would be Grandmaster class, wouldn't it?

ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) What does that mean? Explain it in simple terms.

ㄴ In Central Plains terms, isn't that reaching the Profound Realm?

ㄴ Probably close. Is there anyone in the Central Plains who reached that level?

ㄴ There must be so few that you'd have to dig up the history books?

ㄴ Even with the Unrestrained Realm, one could destroy an entire city, but the Profound Realm is lol

ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) I understand. This One has indeed reached that Profound Realm.

ㄴ SwordMaster) Yes, yes~ I'm sure you have

ㄴ AllFather) The mushroom might truly have grown feet.

ㄴ WildGrills) Really?

ㄴ AllFather) If there are muscle mushrooms, then having arms and legs is probably basic for golden mushrooms.

ㄴ WildGrills) But when I caught it, it was quiet?

ㄴ AllFather) Expecting the laws of nature to fit your understanding, Mr. Grills, would be a mistake. Think of DizSpeed.

ㄴ WildGrills) Ah.

The sage AllFather's advice enlightened me. It really might've had legs.

This world is a fantasy. The Forest of Four Seasons is a place where even the common sense of this world doesn't work.

I’m the one suffering in that forest. It makes me a little sad to say this.

In any case, it's forbidden to judge things based on common sense no matter what.

Without going far, isn't there even a sloth that snatches arrows mid-air?

ㄴ WildGrills) I guess I should just think of it as lost.

ㄴ AllFather) I wanted to research it, how unfortunate.

A shame, but it can’t be helped. It's a situation that occurred due to non-carelessness that was carelessness.

At least I should take comfort in the fact that someone didn’t come to attack us in the night.

I closed the gallery and approached the hose to wash up.

Drip, drip, drip—

The water flow was weak.

I realized as soon as I saw the water. Another fish got caught.

It seems like I caught once a day without fail. It's really good.

'If I get a fish trap from the dwarf too, I won't have to worry about meals.'

Looks like I can worry less about food for a while.

I was planning on setting traps soon, so I'll be more plentiful than this.

If I just learn proper hunting methods, it doesn't seem like I'll die of starvation.

I'll probably die from poison, disease, or being eaten by beasts.

Or maybe by stepping somewhere strange and meeting an absurd end. There are plenty of ways to die.

'...Well. Still better than starving.'

I felt depressed for a moment but quickly shook it off. What matters is the fish.

I made my preparations and walked toward the river.

I didn't forget to feed Round Fluff before I went.

Splash! Splash!

Eventually I arrived at the river, and just as I expected, a fish was trapped in the narrow stream.

A fish big enough to block the mouth of the hose completely.

Until now I had caught red fish, but this time the catch was golden.

'...Does this poisonous too?'

The only poisonous fish I know is pufferfish.

And even that one lives in the ocean, as far as I know.

'No spines either.'

More than anything, it didn’t have spines. Its body looked completely smooth.

Its color was only gold, not multicolored.

After much thought, I decided to take it as is.

If I stayed here too long and a golden frog appeared, it’d be a headache.

"Heave-ho."

This one is also big enough that I had to hold it with both arms.

Are all the fish living in the Forest of Four Seasons this big?

From my perspective, it's more than good as I can have abundant meals.

'I should bring a large container in the future.'

I made plans while holding the flopping golden fish.

For convenience’s sake, I should at least have a container or net.

It’s not that I lack strength. It’s just so big that I have to hold it with both hands.

'Or I could bring DizSpeed along.'

DizSpeed is really capable. It’s perfect as a bodyguard.

I returned to the cave and began preparing the meal.

Cleaning the fish is becoming second nature, so it didn't take long.

‘Another one?’

I rummaged through the innards, thinking it couldn't be, but here is the inner core.

This time, it's not red but an inner core with a color close to golden.

Do all the fish that live in the Forest of Four Seasons have an inner core?

This wasn’t just once or twice but the third, so I was very suspicious.

'Doesn't this mean you can become stronger just by eating fish? Then why is the survival rate said to be so terrible?’

I stared at inner core while the fish was cooking golden crisp.

HeavenlyDemon said it was closer to a lower-grade spiritual medicine, but an inner core is an inner core.

The fact that you can become stronger quickly just by eating it remains unchanged.

‘Is it because survival and escape are separate issues?’

That's quite possible.

What’s the point of getting stronger if you can’t get out? It all goes to waste.

'There's also the fact that I'm a special case.'

Above all, I'm a special case. I'm properly using the gallery in the Forest of Four Seasons just fine.

Unlike me, others can’t even ask for advice. It’s like bashing your head against the ground with no guidance.

If not for the gallery, I would’ve been torn to pieces by Mad Dog.

'Let's flip the fish.'

It’ll burn at this rate. I turned the fish over on the flat stone slab.

Let's decide what to do with the inner core slowly. There's no rush.

If it doesn't work out, I can put it up for auction.

HeavenlyDemon advised to eat it only after reaching at least the Peak realm.

'I don't even know what level Peak is.'

More than anything, my foundation is weak. What matters right now is building my roots.

There’s nothing bad about eating the inner core, but I might end up writhing in pain for a few days.

For me, whose survival is important, fever is lethal.

I felt the crisis even when I caught a fever last time.

'Come to think of it, it should be time for the bidding to close.'

It occurred to me while tearing into the deliciously cooked fish flesh.

I put it up yesterday at noon, so it should be sold a few hours from now.

[Inner core: Silver 750 taels of silver]

It's been priced quite high.

Seeing that the bidding intervals have decreased, there's a high possibility that price will hold.

‘Credit really is everything here.’

The auction house has a review system.

You can’t give star ratings, but from the reviews, you can roughly tell someone’s credibility.

Without that, the auction would’ve turned into a paradise for scammers.

Especially with the brutal commission fees, it’s not worth trying to scam.

‘My credibility is all I have.’

Once credit is lost, it's difficult to recover.

For me who gets most of things from the gallery, it's fatal.

Moreover, it's not just a penny or two but an enormous sum, so it can't be brushed off as a joke.

‘Even if what I gave HeavenlyDemon was an iner core, if the one I put up for auction isn’t…’

The probability of it being an inner core is higher, but the possibility of lying can't be excluded.

You could say I’m too distrustful of people, but at the very least, I don’t trust anonymous users.

When I fell into the Forest of Four Seasons, there were even those who said I should die and become fertilizer, so that says it all.

The true malice of a person thrives in anonymity.

'Let's just wait for the bidding to end.'

What matters now is eating this deliciously cooked fish.

I gave a few pieces to Round Fluff and then devoured the fish.

It tasted way better than the red fish. No exaggeration, it’s like pork.

"That's filling."

Having finished off a prize catch, I went back into the cave and began cultivating my internal energy.

I practiced the breathing technique based on the fundamentals HeavenlyDemon taught me and the know-how of SwordMaster.

I wonder if it was because I just ate the golden fish, I felt an energy like rough waves within my body.

'Rather than waves, it's more like... a storm?'

The name of the breathing technique HeavenlyDemon taught is Heavenly Demon Divine Technique.

So it should be described as closer to a storm than waves.

After a while, I raised my hand after neatly organizing the storm-like energy.

A faint blue aura began to ripple like a heat haze.

'It's amazing every time I see it.'

I was definitely an ordinary person. A plain, unremarkable civilian.

But not only did I fall into a strange forest, I ended up wielding mana.

Although I'm constantly aware that this is reality, I sometimes question whether I'm dreaming.

The haze blooming from my hand is literally fantasy itself, making it even more so.

‘Just thinking about when I got bitten by Mad Dog is proof this is real.’

I extinguished the haze and stepped out of the cave.

I planned to make traps and explore in the morning.

The exploration target is the Muscle Mushroom and that cave I burned yesterday with flame magic (physical).

If the golden mushroom really ran away on two feet, there's a probability it went to the cave.

---

Title: I want to make a trap, need some advice

Author: WildGrills

Found where rabbits appear yesterday. Anyone know how to make proper traps?

Btw, they're not ordinary rabbits but rabbits with damn strong back kicks. Please consider this too.

---

ㄴ Can’t you just buy a bear trap and set it up?

ㄴ Bear trap would split a rabbit in half ;;

ㄴ Just dig a suitable pit and put stakes inside it

ㄴ Nono that's dangerous. Aim for capturing alive rather than something lethal

As expected of the gallery. They gave me lots of great tips.

ㄴ Why not be the bait yourself? Might catch a big one lolol

ㄴ Sounds fun lolol

ㄴ Fail = death, success = feast!

Also as expected of the gallery. Idiots and morons showed up not just occasionally, but frequently.

I ignored the nonsense and designed my trap.

The best method is a pitfall. Dig a hole and cover it with a plank.

If a certain amount of weight is applied, it collapses and falls into the pit.

'Considering the power of the rabbits' back kicks, they'll get out of a small pit right away.'

Depth matters, but the covering plank mechanism is key.

A trap that uses weight rather than having the plank just collapse and disappear.

‘Step on it, it opens, the rabbit falls, and the panel closes again.'

This method seems best. I adopted this trap.

But adoption and production are separate matters. I designed the trap while squeezing my brain to the maximum.

‘The plank has to open or close based on weight. I need to account for rabbit weight too.'

Fixing the plank is essential. I purchased large nails from the auction house.

I plan to fix one part of the plank with these.

‘And I’ll need a counterweight so it resets and rises back up.'

I set up two sturdy branches and placed another branch across them.

It might be easier to think of a barbecue rotisserie structure. A structure that rotates while grilling.

This is not a barbecue, but a trap, so I put in an iron cylinder instead of meat.

Finally, I tied a stone that would act as a counterweight with string.

Bam!

I pressed down on the plank with my finger and it went down.

As soon as I removed my finger, the board came back up thanks to the counterweight.

The trap is perfect. Now I just need to move it in place.

'Though I'll need to make it bigger.'

For that, except for the large nails and hammer, I'll need to make several round trips.

I asked DizSpeed to watch over the hideout while I finished my preparations.

Weapons to protect my body, a shovel needed for digging the ground, an elixir just in case, etc.

With all preparations complete, I moved to the area where rabbits appear.

‘Once I move it, I’ll check for mushrooms first.’

Unfortunately, there was no golden mushroom in the cave.

Even the charred black Muscle Mushroom was still there. Despite the scent, it seems creatures found it revolting.

Now that the mushroom check is done, it’s time to lay the trap. Digging the hole wasn’t too hard.

After setting all the traps, an indescribable sense of satisfaction washed over me.

Soon, I'll be able to eat meat instead of fish.

'As for butchering... well, I have no choice but to do it myself.'

I sprinkled some dirt on the plank and even put some grass on it so that the animal wouldn't suspect it.

What remains is patience. I gathered all equipment and returned to the cave.

'It's already 11 o'clock.'

Time flew while I was busy with everything.

While contemplating what to do until the inner core is sold, I rummaged through my pocket.

A golden-colored inner core came out. I considered putting this one up on the auction too.

'Let's go up after seeing the winning bid. Before that....'

Growl—

My stomach hurts too much. It's always like this every time I eat fish.

Before, my stomach would hurt almost right after eating, but today it took some time.

I should build a toilet soon too. It's becoming tiring to dig the ground every time.

After emptying my stomach comfortably, I accessed the gallery. It was to check the bid price of the inner core.

[Inner core: 750 taels of silver]

The bid price hadn't changed. It's been frozen for 6 hours.

It felt like this was how it was going to end. So I edited the listing period.

[Would you like to change the auction end time to 30 minutes from now?]

[The period cannot be edited again after one modification.]

I pressed accept without hesitation. Even 30 minutes is generous.

What will I do during these 30 minutes? I plan to practice the breathing technique.

Not just randomly practicing, but building a solid foundation from the ground up according to HeavenlyDemon's teachings.

If I don’t fill in all the gaps full of holes, I won’t be able to reach aura blade or sword energy or whatever it is.

'It's difficult. So difficult.'

Basics aren't about memorizing but about 'understanding'.

As I'm not a resident of this world, this is the most difficult part.

Even though I've become stronger through non-standard methods so far, the foundation are still the problem.

'I’ll just practice for 30 minutes.'

Over an hour passed. Once I got absorbed, I lost track of time.

Also, without checking the gallery, my sense of time naturally gets dull.

So I accessed the gallery to check how much the inner core was sold for.

[Reasons why Grills is a scammer]

[Grills, explain yourself!]

[Grills, explain yourself!]

[This bastard is just a scammer lol]

[Is even being in the Forest of Four Seasons a lie?]

[Honestly, I think he should be banned.]

[If Grills dies, big upvote lol]

"What”

What on earth happened to cause such an uproar?

Most of it is about me. It was hard for me to understand.

The easiest way to find out was to check the featured post.

Something must’ve gotten posted there for this mess to happen.

[WildGrills this bastard is a scammer. Don't trust him.]

The featured post with the most recommendations. Naturally, it was about me.

Since it was a title that I couldn't easily ignore, I clicked it right away.

---

Title: That bastard WildGrills is a scammer. Don’t trust him.

(Photo of an inner core on the palm)

You call this an inner core? lolol What a joke. It's just an ordinary bead

I’m the real legend for spending 750 taels of silver on this. Seriously. This bastard Grills is not trustworthy.

Take responsibility you son of a bitch. Give me back my money you piece of shit

---

ㄴ Didn't HeavenlyDemon say it was real?

ㄴ You believed that? lolol

ㄴ It was kinda weird how an inner core dropped every time he caught fish~

ㄴ I'll absolutely never buy Grills' stuff from now on lol

ㄴYou never bought them in the first place

ㄴ That's what I'm saying lol

ㄴ Is this bastard an idiot?

ㄴ But are you sure he bought it?

ㄴ Yeye, the number next to it matches the person who won the bid

ㄴ Wow lolol how much did he lose anyway? lolol

ㄴ At that point, he lost his entire fortune lol

ㄴ So pitiful lol

ㄴ Honestly, shouldn't Grills return the money?

ㄴ What about the auction fees?

ㄴ Who cares about that? If it was a scam, he should give back everything, piece of shit

ㄴ Doesn’t mods ban people for scams?

ㄴ Yeye it's at least a permanent ban.

I was hoping not, but as expected, this is where things were headed. Seems I trusted people too much.

Fortunately, this was somewhat within my predictions. I was just about to leave a comment when—

[HeavenlyDemon: Worry not, Benefactor. I shall handle this.]

[Wild Grylls: Huh?]

[HeavenlyDemon: That ungrateful wretch deserves divine punishment. Wait and see.]

A private chat came from HeavenlyDemon.

What on earth are you planning to do?

'Are you going to ban them?'

******

The brain and strategist of the Demonic Cult. Demonic Brain found the current situation very confusing.

Heavenly Demon, Yoo Sowol's call wasn't that confusing. When Heaven calls, one must answer.

But even the greatest Demonic Brain could not help but be flustered by the command given directly by Heaven.

"He- Heaven. May I... request your words again?"

"It's strange for you to ask again. By This One's generous magnanimity, I shall command once more."

Seated on her jade throne, Yoo Sowol spoke in a deliberately stern voice.

"Access the gallery."

"....."

"You have ascended in realm by consuming the inner core I gave you. You shall post proof of it.”

Access the gallery and leave what's called a 'verification post'.

On the surface, it seems very easy. But who is Demonic Brain?

A hardcore gallery dweller who spent his days trash-talking his superior (Heavenly Demon) in the galley.

'…I’m screwed.’

Demonic Brain, the brilliant strategist Wi Seol-ak.

'I'm really screwed.'

Facing a life-or-death crisis.

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