Gallery 61 - Dumpster

I Gained a Gallery in the Wild - Eps 61. Bizarre Adventure (3)

Thwack! Whack! Whack!

"Kuek! Kueek! Keek!"

Harvesting Mature Mandrake has become so familiar it's reached a state of perfect mastery.

As soon as I pulled out the roots, I beat them up, then stuffed their mouths full of dirt and that was it.

It seemed surprisingly easy, but... it was actually easy. Just beating them up was enough.

It's a waste for it to be here anyway. It's better for it to become someone's excellent nourishment.

'I should probably start eating one now and then.'

Eating it raw would be insane, so I’m thinking moderate processing or cooking.

AllFather said just boiling it in water is enough, so there are various methods.

The best option is to ask StarlightPrincess.

She is well-versed in alchemy.

'Eventually they'll run out though.'

I looked around the Mature Mandrake colony. The empty lot was still filled with mandrakes.

The clearing was roughly the size of a basketball court. In that wide clearing, Mature Mandrakes were growing densely packed.

It's a large amount, but if I keep pulling them out at this pace, they will gradually decrease.

I need to get the most out of them while they're here. That’ll raise my survival odds.

'I wonder what kind of shield will they give me this time?'

Holding a Mature Mandrake in one hand, I returned to the cave. There were no notable threats during the return trip.

As soon as I returned, I checked the smoked meats first. The smoke has permeated nicely, giving it a golden-brown color.

It's a bit salty, but since salting definitely extends the storage period, there's no need to question it. It's bearable.

'Let me initiate the trade with LongLivetheSun first.'

I poked the campfire to adjust its intensity appropriately and wrote a post on the gallery.

A post asking them to initiate a trade if they saw it.

[LongLivetheSun has requested a trade. Will you accept?]

The trade came in less than a minute. It seems the timing was fortunate.

Or maybe they read my post and prepared the shield. I accepted immediately.

[WildGrills: Hello! I've brought the Mature Mandrake!]

[LongLivetheSun: I brought the shield too. Ah, and can you return the golden shield?]

[WildGrills: Of course, I should. Are you going to repair it?]

[LongLivetheSun: I'm going to melt it down though?]

[WildGrills: (ᵕ—ᴗ—) ]

As I always felt, LongLivetheSun gave off the vibe of a rich person, like a Middle Eastern oil tycoon.

Should I say the leisure that comes from money is more powerful than anyone else's? They’re an enviable person in many ways.

[LongLivetheSun: It's a shield made with Adamantium mixed in, so it should hold up fine under most circumstances. If that breaks, you’d be breaking too.]

[WildGrills: So it's that durable, you mean?]

[LongLivetheSun: Right. Do you know what Adamantium is?]

[WildGrills: I know vibranium but...]

[LongLivetheSun: What's that? Anyway, think of it as an extremely rare mineral. It's harder than steel. Its durability is specially incredible.]

Speaking of durability, the slippers I wore in the military came to mind.

The slippers praised as the Ministry of National Defense's last conscience and called Vibranium.

It's one of the items you must take with you when you are discharged. The other is a razor and blades.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t even thought about shaving.”

I rubbed my chin that had become rough with growing beard.

Normally, I shave about once every 2-3 days, but given the circumstances, I had been putting it off.

But I doubt there's a razor in this world. Maybe straight razors used in barbershops.

[WildGrills: Sir. Do you happen to shave?]

[LongLivetheSun: The servants do, but why? Want me to give you a razor?]

[WildGrills: You don’t have anything that isn’t in blade form, right?]

[LongLivetheSun: What else would you use to shave besides a blade?]

Unfortunately, it seemed there was no razor in the form I had in mind.

And using a straight razor would bring a lot of hassle.

'Making a lather would be hard, too.'

What would I do for soap or foam, and if I get a cut, what then?

Rather than worry about all that one by one, it seemed more comfortable to just live as a hairy man.

Having thought that far, I cleanly gave up on the idea of shaving. If it gets too long, I'll just trim it roughly.

It's a step closer to becoming a true wildman.

[WildGrills: No, it's fine. I think I'll just let it grow. Did you register it?]

[LongLivetheSun: I registered it. Don't you need anything else?]

[WildGrills: Nothing right now.]

[LongLivetheSun: Alright. If you need anything, ask me anytime. And give me a Mandrake each time.]

[WildGrills: I'm lonely, so how about you come visit...?]

[LongLivetheSun: My wife is calling. I'm leaving first.]

[WildGrills: K...]

After finishing the conversation with LongLivetheSun, I checked the shield.

The shield was overall circular in shape. The size was similar to the golden shield I used before.

'There's no pattern at all?'

Instead, it was a rather plain appearance, far from flashy. No, plain doesn’t even begin to cover it.

It was like a solid piece of steel cut to an appropriate size. It looked like it just had the basic frame of a shield.

The shield shone silver. Maybe that’s why it felt more trustworthy.

'The weight is similar.'

The weight was similar. That made me like it even more.

He said its defensive power was superior to the golden shield, so it was an overall upgrade.

'Now I am invincible.'

The HeavenlyDemon’s sword and the adamantine shield. With these two, I fear nothing.

...is bullshit, and things like tigers were scary.

Invincible my ass, without DizSpeed I would have died several times over already.

‘Now that I've got the shield, I should go catch some crabs.'

Before going crab hunting, I decided to check on DizSpeed and Round Fluff first.

Round Fluff should be peacefully napping by now, and DizSpeed would be by his side…

"....?"

...but where did they go? I blinked and looked inside the cave.

The cave was quite spacious, as it was once home to a pack of Mad Dogs.

Though not enormously spacious, just cozy enough.

"Round Fluff? Answer if you're there. DizSpeed, you answer too if you're there."

I looked all around and called their names, but they weren't there.

I wondered if some beast had taken them in that short time, but that didn't seem likely.

If that were the case, there should have been signs of resistance, but the cave interior was in a clean state.

I'm not entirely sure what exactly happened, but one thing is certain.

Round Fluff and DizSpeed fled out of the cave.

The thought that not one but both of them had left was already making me dizzy.

'Why on earth.... No. When did they leave?'

It was a completely unexpected turn of events. It felt like my mind was at a standstill.

Round Fluff still only knew how to eat, sleep, and poop. He’s at an age when he needed to be cared for.

I never imagined a cub like that would go outside. Why on earth would he?

'If I search blindly, it might take even longer. Let's look for traces first.'

I posted on the gallery beforehand.

It looked like I would have to delay the trade with PassingDwarf.

---

Title: Round Fluff and DizSpeed run away

Author: WildGrills

(Photo of the empty cave interior)

I have to find them so I can't take questions.

And PassingDwarf. I'm really sorry. I'll give the thing to you after putting out the urgent fire first.

---

I didn't check the comments. I had other pressing matters.

I grabbed my sword and shield, plus elixirs and Byeokgokdan for emergencies.

'Let me chase after them quickly, they couldn't have gone far.'

I'm worried that something might happen to Round Fluff or DizSpeed.

The silver lining is that there were footprints.

All I can do is track them as best I can.

"Round Fluff!"

I called Round Fluff's name loudly as I followed the footprints.

There's a risk of attracting the attention of beasts, but there's no other choice.

Above all, Round Fluff recognizes his name.

The judgment was that if I call his name, Round Fluff might hesitate.

"Round Fluff! No! Stop!"

Someone once said. A tip for when pets disappear.

Even if you don’t know where it is, first tell it ‘No.’

Since you don't know what they'll do, you have to scold them saying no unconditionally for them to come back.

"This is..."

While tracking the footprints, I discovered some kind of mark.

Scratches from DizSpeed's claws. Clearly etched into a tree. I'm certain because I've seen this form often.

Seeing that they were engraved periodically, it seems he was worried the footprints would disappear and carved traces here and there.

I too carved marks with my sword here and there in case I needed to find my way back.

'As long as they don't go to strange places.'

Especially a place like the other side of the river, where space shifts constantly.

Them falling into such a place would be the worst possible outcome.

Hoping such a thing wouldn't happen, I chased the traces.

'They didn't go toward the bushes.'

Round Fluff is fairly bulky, so he didn’t head where the brush was dense.

Thanks to that, tracking was relatively easy. Especially with the marks DizSpeed left being a huge help.

Perhaps because he was a clever creature, he had carved large traces in conspicuous places.

If I find them later, I should give DizSpeed some Byeokgokdan. And give Round Fluff a good scolding.

‘I guess I'll have to bring along Round Fluff with me from now on.’

I can leave him behind when he’s napping, but if he’s awake, I should take him along.

Now I need to think about securing the cave entrance too.

'The problem is how to block the entrance... but let's move on from that for now.'

I'll have to wait until the kids come back before I can decide whether to build the entrance or not.

I kept calling Round Fluff 's name and searched for quite a while.

Contrary to my expectations that they wouldn't go far, I couldn't find them.

Rustle—

Then, I paused as soon as I heard a noise from the bushes.

The bushes wouldn't be rustling for no reason.

Would it be good news, or bad?

I remained alert, staring at the rustling bushes.

"Round Fluff..."

I quietly called out to Round Fluff. But there was no answer.

The likelihood that the one in the bushes isn't Round Fluff had increased.

I kept my eyes glued to the bushes.

Rustle— Rustle—

The rustling noise grew louder. I became extremely tense.

Since it was my first time here, I couldn't tell what would pop out.

In a forest where even rabbits are strong, a moment of carelessness could be fatal.

Just as the rustling grew more frequent, what appeared was…

"Peep?"

Black fluffy down and a small beak. Even a cute chirping sound.

What anyone would see as a 'chick' revealed itself from the bushes.

Relief washed over me at the sudden appearance of a chick, but only for a moment. Then I felt doubt.

"Wait. Why is it so big?"

Chickens are usually the size of a fist.

Even after it evolves, no, grows into a chicken, at most it barely reaches a person’s knee.

But the chick I am looking at now reaches past my knees and chest, up to eye level.

'If the chick is that big, then the chicken is....'

Just how big could it be? A chill went down my spine.

Swoosh—

A shadow suddenly wash over my head. It wasn’t a cloud briefly covering the sun.

Only my surroundings had darkened. I slowly looked behind with a sinking feeling.

Come to think of it, chickens are creatures that take their young, the chicks, around with them.

And they rarely leave the nest.

Except for one case, when they go to find a chick that went outside the nest.

"...."

I lifted my head and came face to face with a 'chicken' standing majestically.

The red comb contrasting with the entirely black feathers is striking.

Just how messed up was this damned forest that even chickens were this big?

In terms of sheer height, it’s a creature as large as the Saber-toothed Tiger.

"Peep."

The chick behind me cried looking for its mother.

I glanced at that chick and quietly stepped aside.

And then, the chick waddled over to the hen.

The chicken checked the condition of its chick, then stared at me silently.

It looked ready to fight at any moment if it perceived me as a threat.

'What kind of chicken has a gaze like that...'

It’s not even a fighting rooster, yet its eyes are menacing.

There were even large and small scars all over its body.

The scars were even more noticeable because no feathers grew where they were.

"...Kko-kkok."

"Piyak. Ppyak."

Fortunately, it seemed to have no intention of fighting as the chicken turned its body.

The chick also followed closely behind the chicken's rear and disappeared between the bushes.

"Phew..."

I let out a sigh of relief. I almost got into trouble.

Maybe its intelligence had grown in proportion to its size, since even the chicken avoided a fight.

With its chick right next to it, it must have just been testing the waters.

‘...I wonder if Round Fluff is doing well.’

Worry was welling up in my chest.

*****

Around the same time. Round Fluff and DizSpeed.

"...."

Round Fluff stared ahead with wide eyes.

Not the characteristically cute eyes, but eyes of intense concentration.

"Hiss. Hiss."

The reason was simple. A snake was flicking its tongue in front of Round Fluff.

The snake was quite large. Moreover, the sharp fangs visible whenever it opened its mouth were threatening.

If bitten even once, Round Fluff's life could be in danger.

"...."

There was one person, no, one animal watching the whole situation.

It was DizSpeed, mounted on Round Fluff's back and ready to respond at any moment.

If that venomous snake tried to bite Round Fluff, he would immediately tear it apart with his claws.

Swoosh—

Round Fluff's forepaws rose slightly. At the same time, the viper lifted its head.

Victory or defeat would be decided by who struck first. Reaction speed was life itself.

For DizSpeed, it was an interesting spectacle. Of course, he planned to step in if things got dangerous.

As they sized each other up in this tense situation, the venomous snake made the first move.

"Shaaaa!"

The venomous snake bared its sharp fangs and charged at Round Fluff.

It was an extremely fast speed, one that would have been difficult for even Grills to react to.

Just as DizSpeed was about to respond, Round Fluff reacted first.

Thwack!

Round Fluff's thick forepaw struck the venomous snake's head hard.

It looked like a cat batting with its front paw, but the power was much stronger.

With just one swat, the snake's head was completely crushed.

The headless body writhed grotesquely, but it was meaningless.

Thud!

Round Fluff stepped on the snake's squirming body and confidently mounted it.

Under his weight, the snake's body twitched even more violently, but what could a headless snake do?

Before long, Round Fluff lifted his head proudly.

"Kyuuuuuu!"

The triumphant roar of a predator claiming victory. An impossibly cute roar.

Now, only one thing remained.

"Nom, nom, nom, nom."

To feast on the defeated animal to his heart's content.

Round Fluff chewed, tore, tasted, and enjoyed the snake, regardless of whether it writhed or not.

But perhaps he felt too guilty enjoying it alone.

Round Fluff stopped eating and lifted his head to look at DizSpeed.

"Kyu?"

‘A bite?’ Round Fluff asked.

DizSpeed looked between Round Fluff and the venomous snake very slowly before responding.

Shake, shake—

By shaking his head with his characteristically sluggish motion.

Their curious adventure was not over.

"Round Fluff! Where are you! If you're there, answer!"

And someone else's frantic adventure was far from over, too.

---

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