What is the most dangerous thing in the wild?
Poisonous plants, venomous insects, and snakes, known as the Three Deadly Venoms? True.
Or mushrooms, the gamble of all gambles? True.
If not those, then starvation or dehydration? That’s true too.
Outside the fences of civilization, everything in the wild is dangerous. Even the ground beneath your feet isn’t safe.
And humans, on an individual level, are weak as hell. Without tools, you couldn’t even beat a large dog.
"Keo-eong! Keong! Keong!"
"Keong! Keong!"
Right now, a pack of large dogs was barking ferociously in front of me. The problem was they weren’t just ordinary big dogs.
Their size was comparable to an ox. True to fantasy standards, even wild dogs had ridiculous specs.
’Fortunately, their size means they can’t come any closer...’
Considering the wild dogs’ bulky bodies, I intentionally retreated into a thick cluster of trees.
The place where I found the herb was okay, but it was wide open on all sides. Plus, the tree cover was sparse.
So I bolted. I didn’t forget the sword and the bundle of food I received from Heavenly Demon.
Since then, I was holding out with my back against a massive rock wall.
The wild dogs didn’t easily attempt to squeeze through the trees either, merely watching me.
In other words, they were smart. They knew I had the terrain advantage.
’What should I do?’
Is holding out my only option? I really hope these dog bastards back off quietly.
However, one must always assume the worst-case scenario. I logged into the Gallery immediately.
Since they hadn’t charged yet, I planned to seek help through the Gallery.
Title) Need help dealing with these dog bastards ASAP
Wild Grylls
(Picture of fucking huge dogs glaring through the trees)
What do I do about these dog bastards? Any solutions?
ㄴ Aren’t those Mad Dogs? Why are they so huge?
ㄴ Those are tough to handle even for a Sword Expert though?
ㄴ RIP, I’ll pray for your soul
ㄴ The moment you get bitten, you’ll die of rabies lmfao
ㄴ Wild Grylls) You motherfuckers don’t answer a question with another question
Seriously, useless bastards, every single one of them. I grimaced.
As time passes, these creatures called Mad Dogs will look for an opening. I have to devise a plan somehow.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) You must not! Do not die! Please do not die so this one can repay the favor!
ㄴ Why so dramatic lmfao
ㄴ Anyone looking would think they are lovers lmfao
Heavenly Demon’s cheer-like encouragement was comforting. Even though it provided no practical help.
Still, because so many replies came in, naturally more people were viewing it. I hoped at least one useful answer would pop up.
ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Ah! I’ve seen those monsters a lot! Their snout is their weak point, so stabbing it with a sword will stun them for a few seconds!
ㄴ How does Orange Badge know that?
ㄴ Aren’t those monsters rare to encounter?
ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Because I’m the Hero! I know how to deal with all monsters and magical beasts!
Fortunately, the passing Orange Badge kindly gave advice. Just as I was about to gain hope from it:
ㄴ Sword Matstar) But to pull off what Orange Badge said, wouldn’t you need to be at least an Upper-tier Sword Expert? From what I know, that’s the case.
ㄴ World’s most useless theory "from what I know" lmfao
ㄴ What happens if you fail?
ㄴ Sword Matstar) They will go berserk and destroy trees and everything. And then you die.
ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) That’s why you have to cut off their heads or pierce their heart before that! I can do it!
Fucking hell. This Orange Badge bastard was a monster in human skin. And how the hell did Sword Matstar know that?
I didn’t know what a Sword Expert was, but at least by my standards, I knew it meant a total monster.
ㄴ Wild Grylls) Fuck, is there no method for ordinary people? Right now I only have a sword I got from Heavenly Demon
ㄴ Ordinary people wouldn’t meet those monsters;; Is OP really in the Forest of the Four Seasons? Are you a convict?
ㄴ No no no, convicts have their eyeballs gouged out when sent into the Forest of the Four Seasons so they can’t browse the Gallery
ㄴ Holy shit, insane;;
ㄴ Isn’t Gallery access blocked in the Forest of the Four Seasons anyway?
ㄴ It’s "blocked," not "block"
ㄴ Yeah, pretty sure mana interference breaks connection
ㄴ Just hit them on the head. A big dog is still just a dog
ㄴ Fr lmfao
Though all kinds of useless comments came out, the conclusion was one: Strike the head.
Really useful information. Comparable to ’humans will die if they don’t drink water.’
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) This one’s sword is a masterpiece among masterpieces. Severing the head of a wild dog will be trivial. Trust in this one.
ㄴ Sword Matstar) How good is it? Is it better than Durandal or Excalibur?
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) What are those? Regardless, it was forged from Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron.
ㄴ Lmfao
ㄴ Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron lmfao
ㄴ Is Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron the neighbor’s dog’s name? Lol
As Heavenly Demon said: the sword was a masterpiece among masterpieces.
I looked down at the sword upon hearing Heavenly Demon’s words. It definitely didn’t look ordinary.
I could tell it had been properly maintained. Given the terrain advantage, I could easily handle them.
’It’s now or never.’
I stared at the dog that was the biggest and standing in the center.
There were three dogs in total, and the one in the center was the largest among them.
That one must be the boss. Without hesitating, I charged toward the boss.
"Keong! Keong!"
Then, the ones guarding both sides of the boss began squeezing through the gaps between the trees.
"It’s a trap, you bastards!"
Feigning an attack on the boss, I targeted the minion instead. Left side first.
More than half of the left one’s body was squeezed through, so I swung vertically at its head.
Knowing jack shit about swordsmanship, I struck downward with the feeling of hitting rather than cutting.
Seueuk—
"Huh?"
But it was weird. I clearly struck downward, yet the blade slid right through the dog’s head seamlessly.
For a moment, I wondered if I had swung at thin air, but the reaction manifested soon after.
Jjeoeok!
The dog’s head split vertically with a crack! sound.
Kuuung!
It collapsed onto the ground with its tongue lolling out. Even its tongue was split in half vertically.
I looked down at the dog in sheer daze. I hadn’t felt any resistance in my hands at all.
If anything, it felt like cutting through tofu with a knife. It was unreal in a different way, leaving me stunned.
"Keo-eoeong!!"
Ah. Right. There was one more.
As soon as I heard the sound behind me, I swung the sword out of pure reflex.
The sound was so close that my body reacted on its own.
Cheolpeok!
Fortunately, the dog didn’t pounce on me. Instead, its head and body separated, crashing onto the ground.
Just like before, there was barely any sensation of cutting. I looked back and forth between the dogs’ corpses with a dazed face.
If nothing else, I realized one thing.
Heavenly Demon is a god, and this sword is invincible.
"Krrr...!"
"Ah. You’re still there."
The last remaining boss dog. It was glaring at me with extreme caution.
Tension stretched between the thick trees. Who would back off first?
Naturally, it was the boss dog. It glanced back and forth at its dead minions and slowly slunk away.
It must have realized that as long as I held this sword, it was at a disadvantage. Smart bastard.
"Phew!"
The dangerous situation was over. I exhaled a long sigh fraught with pent-up tension.
What if it weren’t for the sword Heavenly Demon gave me, or if I hadn’t randomly found that herb earlier?
Since I hadn’t obtained a compass yet, wandering around freely was out of the question. I’d have to wait until Heavenly Demon gave me one.
’Ah. Before that, I should send my thanks.’
I logged into the Gallery without delay and typed a post.
Title) Heavenly Demon is a god and
Wild Grylls
(Picture of dead dogs on the ground while holding the sword tightly)
This sword is invincible.
ㄴ Holy shit, you actually killed those?
ㄴ That sword really is insanely good lmfao
ㄴ Sword Matstar) Clean cut. Even with a good sword, cutting like that is difficult.
ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) You survived! What a relief! No need to mourn today!
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Are you injured anywhere?
ㄴ Wild Grylls) Thanks to you, no. Thank you for the great sword.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) What a relief. This one worried that something bad might have happened to noble sir.
Concern practically dripped from her post. Such a warm person is the Heavenly Demon? No way.
Her speech tone reminded me of my late grandmother, which made her even more endearing. Leaning against the rock wall, I began browsing the Gallery while resting.
ㄴ Sword Matstar) If you have free time, would you like to learn swordsmanship? You seem to have talent.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Begone! This one shall personally impart secret manuals to him! Where do you think you’re stepping in!
ㄴ Sword Matstar) Aww. Don’t be so stingy. Does Heavenly Demon-nim use swords too?
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) This one is proficient in all weapons. If I had to pick, it would be the sword.
Looking closely, Sword Matstar also seemed to be of older age. Unlike others, her punctuation and spacing were immaculate.
I usually didn’t care much, but if the other party acted politely, I tended to respond politely as well.
Only halfway, though.
ㄴ Wild Grylls) I need survival items more than swordsmanship though...
ㄴ Sword Matstar) That makes sense too. I’ll think about it and come back.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) This one shall quickly descend the mountain. I will surely send the items you requested.
That’s it for forum browsing for now. I stood up.
If I stayed holed up here, other beasts might catch the scent of blood and come running.
Even though it wasn’t a fierce battle, the tension drained quite a bit of my strength. It was best to move along.
’Until the compass arrives, a place to hide...’
Ddeodeodeodeodeodeo!!
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble. I blinked, then hastily scrambled up.
Natural disaster right after wild beasts? What kind of absurd bullshit luck is this?
But it was weird. The moment I lifted my back off the rock wall, the vibration felt like it diminished.
Before I could even grasp the nature of that strangeness, a shift occurred in the wall behind me.
Geugeugeugeugeuk!
"...Oh. Lord."
The wall was rising. Literally, the wall was elevating.
Soon, the colossal rock wall pulled out like a massive root. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the ’rock wall’ I was looking at was actually a ’leg’.
I stared at the entity that had transformed in an instant from an ordinary rocky mountain into a two-legged giant, then logged into the Gallery.
Title) What the hell is this guy?
Wild Grylls
(Picture of a fucking huge rock giant standing tall)
Title says it all
ㄴ Holy fuck? Isn’t that a Stone Guardian?
ㄴ Fuck, why is a Guardian over there lmfao
ㄴ Isn’t that something even a Sword Master has a hard time beating? Lmfao
ㄴ Bro what are you doing! Run fast!
Everyone was screaming at me to run. I turned around without hesitation.
Before that, I didn’t forget the bundle of food on the ground. Heavenly Demon gave this to me, I’ll never abandon it.
ㄴ If you defeat that, it gives 50,000 gold lol
ㄴ Wild Grylls) FCKURREALIDNTNEED
ㄴ Still browsing the gallery amidst all that;;;
ㄴ Someone translate please
ㄴ Isn’t it "Fuck you bitch I don’t need it"?
ㄴ Sounds right lmfao
ㄴ Crazy guy lmfao
I barely managed to escape. Leaning my back against a tree, I caught my breath.
Thumping noises resounded in the distance, but they were growing further away. It wasn’t coming in my direction.
’Driving me crazy.’
I barely overcame one crisis only for another to show up. I have no idea what kind of fucked up forest this is.
’It really isn’t the Forest of the Four Seasons, right?’
I prayed it wasn’t. For one, they said Gallery access was impossible inside the Forest of the Four Seasons.
I caught my breath and opened the Gallery.
Even while running, notifications kept buzzing so constantly that I had no choice but to check.
ㄴ Sword Matstar) The trick to beating that is simple. Just cut one leg to break its balance. In that state, thrust your sword into the core in its chest.
ㄴ Why are you giving instructions like it’s a ramen recipe lol
ㄴ ???: Pretty easy, right?
Sword Matstar was also surprisingly far from normal. What kind of person was she?
Just like I did with Heavenly Demon, I searched through Sword Matstar’s post history.
You can do it too! Advanced Swordsmanship Lecture Part 15 - 2 hrs ago
You can do it too! Advanced Swordsmanship Lecture Part 14 - 1 day ago
You can do it too! Advanced Swordsmanship Lecture Part 13 - 2 days ago
"..."
Oh, fuck. She was a sword nutcase.
Every single post without exception was a swordsmanship lecture. A lunatic in a different sense.
In terms of post count, she lagged behind Heavenly Demon, but unlike Heavenly Demon who mostly posted shitposts, her posts were filled with immense dedication.
A uselessly diligent psycho. No phrase defined Sword Matstar better than this.
Among them, there was one post that was overwhelmingly mind-boggling.
Title) Looking for a life partner.
Sword Matstar
Condition: Must be stronger than a Sword Master
ㄴ How strong are you, bro?
ㄴ Sword Matstar) Won’t tell you
ㄴ Yeah right bullshit lol
There was not a single normal person in the Gallery.