Sleeping in the wild without any defense is inherently an extremely dangerous thing.
Just yesterday, I nearly died after being ambushed by a Mad Dog in my sleep.
But the moment you stay up all night, your physical capabilities tank rapidly.
If sleeping is unavoidable, preparing maximum defenses is the best policy.
This was why I invested a large sum to buy snake and insect repellent.
I blocked the cave entrance with rough logs and boulders, keeping my sword right beside me just in case.
Thanks to that, I was able to spend a safe night.
Title: Strong and Mighty Morning!
Wild Grylls
(Picture of the cave dimly lit by morning light)
If you ask me, I am Wild Grylls!
ㄴOh, he’s alive LOL
ㄴLast time he got bitten by a Mad Dog
ㄴIs it Day 2 now?
ㄴWild Grylls: Yeah, but my mouth froze sideways. Fuck my life
ㄴLOL
ㄴLOL
ㄴThat’s what happens when you sleep on cold floors LOL
ㄴHang in there LOL
ㄴWild Grylls: Every joint in my body is aching, I’m screwed;;
Whether because of the hard stone floor or the lack of a pillow, every bone in my body ached.
On top of aching joints, my mouth was even crooked from facial paralysis. Dawn must have been cold enough for dew to form.
I quickly rekindled the firewood that had died down to faint embers. Warmth was vital right now.
Thank goodness I used the jersey gifted by Princess Chaenggu as a makeshift blanket, or it would’ve been dangerous.
’Still, it’s way too cold. Did it rain at dawn?’
On the day I was bitten by the Mad Dog, it wasn’t this chilly.
After warming my body to some extent, I stepped out of the cave. Outside, I realized it had indeed rained at dawn.
’Does the weather get this cold just because it rained?’
On top of that, fog blanketed the area, making visibility poor. Shivering uncontrollably, I retreated back into the cave.
It was so cold that I even put on the jersey Princess Chaenggu gifted me. It was surprisingly warm.
For now, I planned to stay inside the cave until the fog lifted. Then I’d hunt the Golden Poison Frog.
’Time is... 6 AM. I woke up too early.’
In the forest, the sun sets early, naturally making me sleep early.
Fortunately, thanks to the Gallery, I could prevent my sense of time from diluting.
It seemed best to roughly settle breakfast with a Fasting Pill first and wait until the weather cleared up completely.
’I’ll practice cross-legged sitting until then.’
Although my body ached, that was because my muscles were stiff. Loosening up with simple stretches should help.
After light stretching, I grunted and assumed the cross-legged position. Surprisingly, it was far better than yesterday.
Yesterday, it felt like joint-twisting agony, but now it was just slightly sore.
’Good for me, though.’
That wasn’t all. Separate from the aching joints, my body surged with energy.
Was it perhaps because of the Fasting Pills from Heavenly Demon? Since she said they were made by mixing various medicinal herbs, the likelihood was high.
Ggurreureuk!
"Ah."
Aside from that, my stomach ached frequently. Especially the belly cramps, making cleanup quite a hassle.
Thankfully I had the toilet paper given by Passing Dwarf; otherwise, I would’ve faced severe crises multiple times.
I made sure to clean up thoroughly so odor wouldn’t spread. I should build a makeshift toilet later.
’Time to prepare.’
I roughly gathered the gear needed to catch the Golden Poison Frog.
Starting with the most important crossbow, Heavenly Demon’s sword, and the Golden Shield gifted by Praise the Sun.
If you ask if I could carry all this, yes. I separated fibrous tissues from wood to craft a rope-like sling.
’Makeshift as it is, it’s sturdy.’
Even if it wasn’t perfect, it was fine. The shield would be slung over my back, and the sword strapped to my waist.
The crossbow, given its bulk, would be carried by hand. With this, all preparations were complete.
Armed even with an antidote, I could handle emergency situations.
’I must focus on blocking with the shield.’
Before departing, I posted in the Gallery.
Since this hunt could be my last, I was leaving a record.
Title: Departing!
Wild Grylls
(Picture of holding the crossbow in hand)
20,000 Gold. Here I come.
ㄴOh, he’s finally going LOL
ㄴWhat if there’s no update after this?
ㄴHe died, obviously LOL
ㄴWaah dead TT
ㄴStarlight Lady: Everyone, please cheer him on...
ㄴHeavenly Demon: If thou art in danger, initiate a trade with this seat immediately.
ㄴProbably won’t even have time to trade LOL
ㄴOne hit and you go straight to heaven~
ㄴBut do you really think he’ll give 20,000 Gold? LOL
That last comment was sharp. Even if I caught the Golden Poison Frog, would Allfather actually give me 20,000 Gold?
Even if he didn’t, it didn’t matter much because I had to catch the Golden Poison Frog anyway to get clean water.
If he gave 20,000 Gold, great; if he reneged and ran, I’d just cut ties with him.
’Or I can just use him to dump the corpse.’
Being poisonous, it’d obviously be tricky to handle like a blowfish.
One misstep and I’d be dead; rather than risking that, I’d sooner roast and eat bugs.
Leaving the carcass lying around might negatively affect me or contaminate the stream again.
So giving it to Allfather to dispose of served both purposes—a win-win situation.
’Safety is the top priority right now.’
After skimming through the comments, I carefully stepped out of the cave.
The time shrouded in dawn dew passed, and the sun was now up to some extent.
Since other beasts might show up, I had no choice but to be cautious with every single step.
’If I get the chance, I should build a fence too.’
Blocking only the cave entrance wasn’t safe. The moment an Owlbear smashed through, it’d be game over.
I’d have to use the cave’s narrow passageway to fight it, but if I heard the entrance break, it’d already be too late.
Therefore, making fences with surrounding timber in my spare time was best. It would take a while, but that was fine.
’Then I’ll need an axe and a dagger instead of just a sword.’
Since I intended to make the cave my base camp, I needed various tools.
Thankfully, buying items was easy due to the Gallery. Assuming I had money.
If I caught the Golden Poison Frog this time and snagged 20,000 Gold, I planned to buy everything necessary.
’As for food... I should hunt directly whenever possible.’
Buying food to eat was a luxury due to insane transaction fees. Moreover, reliability was severely lacking.
Unless there were things like fried chicken or pizza, but those didn’t exist in this world.
One might ask why not buy ingredients, but people rarely sold them.
Almost no one listed ingredients due to the auction house’s terrifying fees.
Even if there were any, the problem was that their expiration dates were deeply suspicious.
’However, I must buy salt no matter what.’
Salt was a mandatory purchase even if expensive. It was essential for human survival.
Someone once said: one liang of salt is worth one liang of gold. It was that crucial.
On Earth, food was naturally seasoned, but not in this world.
Judging by the era, it was medieval to early modern, making salt extremely precious.
Swaaaaa-
Pondering various plans for settlement, I arrived at the creek before I knew it.
Whether because of the dawn rain or another reason, the current seemed stronger than yesterday.
Still, it was clear almost to transparency, rendering the riverbed vividly visible.
’How do I lure that frog?’
Having arrived, I realized I didn’t know how to lure the frog. I couldn’t just wait indefinitely either.
Should I dip my arm in the water like yesterday? That would negate the purpose of bringing a crossbow.
Catching it before it recognized me was crucial to avoid lingering trouble. Being venomous, I had to be extra careful.
Pu-ak!
While I was deliberating, I heard something burst upward from the creek. I turned toward the sound.
A golden entity the size of a small dog soared high into the air, clutching a salmon-sized fish in its mouth.
Before long, a frog coated entirely in gold landed atop a rock in the creek.
Seeing the fish’s tail flopping outside its mouth, it seemed to have just finished hunting.
’Lucky me.’
Just as Allfather said, it was active in the morning. Hiding in the foliage, I quietly aimed my crossbow.
I only had one shot. The moment I missed, who knew when another chance would come.
Maintaining tension, I aimed the crossbow slowly. The distance was farther than my practice yesterday.
Still, since it was a crossbow personally modified by a Dwarf, I could land a hit as long as my aim was true.
Moreover, the frog was practically the size of a small dog, minimizing the risk of missing.
"Ribbit."
"..."
As soon as its mealtime concluded, I held my breath.
Pi-ing!
And pulled the trigger.
The harpoon arrow shot forth fiercely, trailing the attached rope behind it.
Though there was a subtle wobble, the harpoon launched directly toward the frog.
Peok! Poondong!
The harpoon slammed into the frog’s body. From the impact, the frog fell into the creek.
"Sweet...! Woah?"
Joy was short-lived as I barely grabbed hold of the crossbow slipping from my hands.
Whether alive despite taking a harpoon to its body or due to the current, the thrashing frog almost tore the crossbow from my grip.
Thus began fishing time. I grabbed the tether line connected to the harpoon rather than the crossbow and pulled.
Thank goodness I wore gloves; with bare hands, I would’ve been severely cut.
"Ghaaaaa!"
Gritting my teeth, I pulled the rope. Fortunately, before long, the frog was dragged out of the creek.
Seeing the frog pulled out of the water, I held both hands together. They throbbed with stinging pain.
’Ugh. Luckily no wounds.’
Taking off the gloves revealed deep indentations, but no cuts. I rubbed my palms continuously.
Carefully reeling the rope in, I inspected the frog pierced by the harpoon.
Its long tongue and the fish it just ate protruded from its mouth. Seeing it unmoving, it was definitely dead.
"Hehehe."
This small-dog-sized thing is worth 20,000 Gold. A sneaky grin formed on my face.
20,000 Gold translated to a staggering 200 million KRW. No matter how expensive auction fees were, what I could do with 20,000 Gold was practically endless.
Still, I needed to handle it carefully just in case. Even wearing gloves, unexpected things happen.
"Ribbit."
"Huh?"
What? Was this guy alive? I tilted my head at the frog’s croak.
But re-checking confirmed it was dead with its tongue lollling out. In the first place, the sound hadn’t come from it.
’If it wasn’t this guy...’
With a sense of dread, I turned my head toward the creek.
"Ribbit ribbit ribbit."
"Ribbit. Ribbit."
"Ribbit."
And I saw clearly: several Golden Poison Frogs sitting atop the rocks.
If the one I caught was comparable to a small dog, these frogs were the size of toads.
But the number was the problem. There were quite a few, as if an entire family had gathered.
’...Let’s snap a picture first.’
While sneaking backward, I took a photo.
Not because I was a Gallery addict, but I was curious how Allfather would react if I showed him.
Would he give 20,000 Gold for catching those too? Or a smaller amount?
Before that, how was I going to get water from now on? I was already feeling gross from not taking a shower.
"Kyaaak!"
"Kaak!"
The Golden Poison Frogs simultaneously tilted their heads back. A signal that they were about to fire venom.
One was one thing, but if multiple frogs spat at once, there was nowhere to dodge. I hurriedly unslung the Golden Shield from my back.
"Ptui!"
"Ptui!"
"Puh!"
Golden venom projectiles launched rapidly. Stepping back swiftly, I blocked them with the shield.
Perhaps because it was pure venom rather than acid, the shield didn’t melt. Or maybe the shield’s stats were just that good.
I should send a thank-you note to Praise the Sun later. For now, returning to the cave was top priority.
’Seriously fucking hell.’
Barely returning to the cave, I let out a sigh. One crisis after another.
Still, it wasn’t without harvest. I caught the Golden Poison Frog presumed to be the chief.
I’ll take comfort in acquiring 20,000 Gold. The drinking water issue can be solved slowly.
Title: Easy Scrub LOL
Wild Grylls
(Picture of the Golden Poison Frog impaled by the harpoon)
Frog scrub cut LOL
ㄴWoah, look at that size LOL
ㄴIs that really a frog? LOL
ㄴWhat’s it biting in its mouth?
ㄴIsn’t that a fish?
ㄴWild Grylls: Yeah, caught it while it was eating fish
ㄴCaught it while it was eating? LOL
ㄴSeriously sly LOL
ㄴYou’re not even supposed to disturb a dog while it’s eating LOL
ㄴWild Grylls: This ain’t a dog though LOL
ㄴHeavenly Demon: Art thou injured anywhere?
ㄴWild Grylls: No, I’m fine. The hunt itself was surprisingly easy.
ㄴHeavenly Demon: That is a relief. Just in case, this seat hath prepared an antidote, so speak if thou needest it.
ㄴWild Grylls: It’s okay. I have one antidote, and I have something to think about anyway
ㄴAllfather: Oho. You caught it. May I initiate a trade right away?
ㄴWild Grylls: Before that, I’ll post one more thread. I think you’ll really like it
ㄴAllfather: Something I’ll like? Intriguing.
He’s gonna love it. Knowing this would happen, I took a picture beforehand.
The Gallery had an album feature, enabling users to upload desired photos anytime, anywhere.
I uploaded the photo of the Golden Poison Frog family happily gathered together.
Title: Allfather-nim, look at this
Wild Grylls
(Picture of the Golden Poison Frogs gathered together)
Do these guys naturally form packs? There are so many of them.
ㄴAllfather: Ohhh...! It’s vulgar to admit, but my lower half is throbbing...!
ㄴLOL
ㄴLOL
ㄴSeriously vulgar, is he really a scholar/professor? LOL
As expected, there are no sane people in the Gallery.