Title) By any chance, who is the highest god in this world?
Wild Grylls
Title says it all.
ㄴ Why’s that?
ㄴ Wild Grylls) So I can curse them out.
ㄴ Lmao lololol
ㄴ Lolololol
ㄴ Outright declaring blasphemy, damn lol
ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Blasphemy is bad!
ㄴ That’s why he got dropped into the Forest of the Four Seasons lololol
ㄴ You’re being punished lol
ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Blasphemy is bad!
I felt as if the hope I had barely managed to cling to was crumbling to pieces. I crossed my arms and looked down at the ground.
Lined up on the ground were the compasses I had received from the registered users. Their needles were spinning round and round as if they were broken.
It was highly unlikely that all of them were broken, which meant the problem was most likely the place where I currently was.
’Is this really the Forest of the Four Seasons?’
I raised my head and checked the Gallery. Perhaps because the rumors had spread, the entire board was filled with posts about me.
While many argued that this phenomenon would be impossible if it weren’t the Forest of the Four Seasons, there were just as many counterarguments asking why I was still able to access the Gallery if that were the case.
What if Wild Grylls fabricated all of this?
Didn’t this bastard break all the compasses on purpose?
ㄴ It’s "on purpose," not "on porpose."
ㄴ For a fabrication, his posts have been pretty thrilling, though?
ㄴ First a Mad Dog, then a Guardian, and then an Owlbear.
ㄴ Look at that lineup lololol
ㄴ And they were fucking huge too. There’s no way it’s fake.
ㄴ I think the Crescent Moon Spirit Herb is real too. Look at what Heavenly Demon posted.
ㄴ At least he’s not a scammer, even if he is a bit crazy.
ㄴ Lolol
I wish it were fake too. A sigh escaped my lips from sheer frustration.
Just like the spinning needles of the compasses, my mind felt like it was spinning round and round.
Meaning, I was about to go crazy. I had no idea what to do next.
’Still, there’s hope.’
There is no confirmation that this place is indeed the Forest of the Four Seasons. The world is vast, and there are plenty of uncharted territories.
Could this not just be one of those regions? Everyone described the Forest of the Four Seasons as a literal living hell.
As a civilized person who had always been protected by the boundaries of civilization, I needed to find a way out, no matter what.
It was better to do something rather than just sit around doing nothing.
Title) Can someone tell me the characteristics of the Forest of the Four Seasons?
Wild Grylls
Title says it all.
ㄴ Why the characteristics?
ㄴ Wild Grylls) To check if I’m actually here.
ㄴ You can basically expect to find spring, summer, autumn, and winter weather all in one place.
ㄴ To be precise, it has all kinds of climates. I heard there’s even a desert.
ㄴ Wild Grylls) Fuck, why is there a desert in a forest? You said it’s a forest.
ㄴ We don’t know that either lol
ㄴ For your information, the Forest of the Four Seasons is about the size of a small country, so keep that in mind.
ㄴ Wild Grylls) That’s fucking useless information.
ㄴ Hey, just keep it in mind lololol
I had no idea how such a fucked-up forest could even exist. I should probably go check it out first.
Going outside was dangerous, but staying put was pointless now that the compasses were broken.
It seemed best to use the cave as a base camp and slowly expand my exploration range.
’I’ll need paper and a pen too.’
I planned to draw a rough map. Even if the compasses were useless, having a map was better than nothing.
Otherwise, I might get lost along the way and fail to even return. I needed to prepare for the worst.
’I have to do everything I can.’
I had heard that the most important thing in survival is the will to live.
More often than not, doing nothing out of despair leads to absolute ruin.
Even though danger lurked everywhere, I had to take the risk. I turned my head and looked at the corner of the cave.
’Since there’s no place safer than this cave right now...’
Since I would likely have to stay in this forest for a few days, my priority was to find water rather than an escape route.
You can survive for three weeks without food, but you die if you don’t drink water for three days.
Even if I could get help from the Gallery, I intended to do what I could on my own.
’I might not be able to get help when I’m in actual danger.’
I had realized this when I was bitten by the Mad Dog. Back then, I had narrowly escaped the crisis thanks to Sword Matstar’s goodwill.
There was no guarantee that such a thing wouldn’t happen again. In fact, the probability was extremely high.
If I couldn’t get help in a split-second, life-or-death situation, I would lose my life.
’In that case, I need to get closer to the registered users...’
I didn’t know who any of them were. I reviewed the registered users I had managed to build some rapport with.
Heavenly Demon was someone of high status, Sword Matstar was a wealthy sword master, and Passing Dwarf was a dwarf.
For now, that was it. I had no idea what the registered users who gave me the compasses did for a living.
’Starlight Lady seems to be sick.’
I meant physically, not mentally. Not in that sense.
Seeing how she posted about wishing for a full recovery every single day, she seemed to be ill. She probably had a chronic disease.
As for the rest... well, I couldn’t really tell just by looking at their posts. They were so all over the place that it was hard to be sure.
Title) Showing my asshole
Princess Chaenggu
(Photo of an emblem with a deer pattern)
It’s my asshole lol
ㄴ Lololol did Chaenggu lose today?
ㄴ Princess Chaenggu) Those motherfucking bastards conceded two goals in extra time alone haha
ㄴ Lmao lololol
ㄴ No wonder the psychopaths are crawling out.
Or maybe not. I made a sour face at the incredibly crude content.
This Princess Chaenggu person was definitely obsessed with sports. Out of her countless posts, the vast majority were sports-related.
I want to cry. Why am I a Chaenggu fan~
Haha, those sons of bitches. Conceding goals like absolute dumbasses.
As expected of Evers!! I always believed in you guys!
This is fucking bullshit. You call that a team?
Re-Mid-Tier! Re-Mid-Tier! Re-Mid-Tier!
"..."
A very familiar scent wafted from this strange Gallery.
Most sports had a tendency to cause mental illness. It was a highly familiar flavor.
I, too, had once been deeply into football and baseball, only to end up with stress-induced hair loss. I only cured it after achieving enlightenment and quitting.
’To get close to this person...’
It seemed it would be difficult for now. Unlike on Earth, I didn’t even know what kind of sports they played here.
Let’s stop analyzing the registered users’ personalities for now and explore the surroundings before the sun sets.
Holding the Sword of the Heavenly Demon, I popped a few Fasting Pills into my mouth. The moment I chewed them, a bitter taste filled my mouth.
I quickly took a sip of water to wash away the bitterness. I had no idea how long I would have to keep eating these things.
’Alright. I’m ready.’
Before heading out of the cave, I posted on the board first.
I didn’t forget to stuff a handful of Fasting Pills into my pants pocket just in case.
Title) Ready to go
Wild Grylls
(Photo showing the exit of the cave)
I’m going to look around and check if this is indeed the Forest of the Four Seasons.
ㄴ Isn’t that too dangerous?
ㄴ You just ran into an Owlbear earlier;;
ㄴ Well, the compasses are acting weird, so exploring is probably the better option.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Be careful.
ㄴ Sword Matstar) Hang in there.
ㄴ Passing Dwarf) You should’ve waited a bit. I was going to give you a secondhand shield.
ㄴ Wild Grylls) Let’s do that later. I’m going to run away immediately if it gets dangerous anyway.
ㄴ The next day, there were no more posts from Grylls...
ㄴ T_T
ㄴ Wild Grylls) Shut up.
Everyone seemed to be cheering me on. Of course, most of those cheering were the registered users, while the rest were closer to "Who gives a shit?"
Some comments had even crossed the line severely, but they were deleted not long after.
ㄴ Don’t Abandon the Hero) Harassing and insulting someone who is trying their best to survive will result in a ban!
ㄴ Wild Grylls) Thanks, thanks;;
I didn’t know if I could even call this "trying my best to survive." I had just ended up here by accident.
Anyway, now that I had posted what could potentially be my last update on the Gallery, I took a deep breath and stepped out of the cave.
As I stepped outside, a familiar landscape welcomed me. It was a forest with warm weather.
’Is the warm weather a blessing in disguise?’
If the weather had been cold, the difficulty level would have skyrocketed. I looked around and began to walk.
I headed in the opposite direction of the Mad Dog carcass that the Owlbear had been happily munching on.
I didn’t forget to mark my path with my sword along the way so I wouldn’t get lost.
’Focus on the sounds.’
The chirping of insects. The rustling of bushes in the wind. The distant roar of beasts.
I focused my hearing to make sure I didn’t miss a single thing. My chest throbbed with tension.
An environment where a single moment of carelessness could cost me my life. The only thing I could trust right now was my sword.
Tsu-zu-zu-zuk—
An ominous sound reached my ears, which had grown highly sensitive from the tension. It was coming from directly above.
I immediately snapped my head up. I didn’t even have the luxury of raising it slowly.
"Shaaaaaaa!!"
A massive serpent lunged at me, its jaws wide open. Its sharp, protruding fangs looked highly menacing.
Without even having time to scream, I hurriedly twisted my face away. The serpent’s jaws grazed past me by a hair’s breadth.
Without a moment’s delay, I swung my sword down toward the serpent’s body.
Puk!
"What..."
An unexpected anomaly occurred. This was the Sword of the Heavenly Demon, which had cleanly sliced a Mad Dog in half.
Yet, the blade only sank about halfway in before getting stuck. This meant the serpent’s scales were far harder than I had anticipated.
"Kyaaaa!!"
The venomous serpent thrashed in pain. At the same time, it lunged at me again with its massive jaws wide open.
Since the beast was as large as an anaconda, the moment I got bitten, it would be over.
I tried to quickly move my right hand, but I was forced to freeze.
Kwaak!
"Kkeuk?!"
The serpent had wrapped its body around my right arm. When the hell did it do that?
But my panic was short-lived. Just before it could bite me, I grabbed the serpent by its neck.
Usually, scales feel slimy and unpleasant, but this serpent was different. It felt like touching a solid steel plate.
Kwaaaak!!
"Aaargh!"
The pressure squeezing my right arm intensified. My left hand wasn’t free either.
Because the moment I let go with my left hand, the serpent would undoubtedly bite me. Maintaining this current state was my best option.
’What should I... Ah!’
In the midst of the chaos, something caught my eye. The half-severed body of the serpent.
It was the section between the head and the part of the body wrapped around my right arm. I immediately slammed both of my arms down as if swinging a jump rope.
With that, the half-severed section fell beneath my feet. Now, it was time to use my strength.
Kwaak!
"Huaaaaah!"
"Shaaaaaaa!!"
After stepping on the middle of its body, I pulled with all my might, intending to completely rip the half-severed part apart.
The serpent thrashed in agony, shaking its head wildly. Venom sprayed dangerously from its fangs.
My right arm was in no better shape. The beast squeezed even harder, as if trying to completely crush my bones.
A game of chicken where either it died or I did. And here, I faced an unexpected obstacle.
’Fuck. Why are these scales so tough?!’
This was a serpent that even the Sword of the Heavenly Demon struggled to slice. It was only natural that it would be tough.
But did I plan on giving up? Absolutely not.
If I wanted to live, I had to rip this bastard in half, no matter what.
Jijijik! Jijik!
The results of our struggle of strength slowly began to show. The beast’s body was gradually starting to tear.
The wound where my sword had been lodged slowly widened. I pulled with every ounce of strength I could muster.
Since I was using not just my hands but my feet as well, I could exert even greater force.
Jijijik! Jiiiiik!!
The long, grueling struggle finally came to an end. The serpent’s body ripped in half.
I felt the strength rapidly drain from the body that had lost its connection to the head. I immediately shook my right arm.
Soon, the serpent’s body coiled around my right arm fell off, and I immediately thrust my sword forward.
Puuk!
The Sword of the Heavenly Demon pierced straight through the serpent’s head. Even with a sword driven through its skull, the serpent continued to squirm.
I gasped for air and slumped onto the ground. Just in case, I didn’t pull the sword out.
I had heard somewhere that snakes are bizarre creatures that can still move even when only their heads are left.
Even now, despite the sword piercing its head being driven deep into the ground, its body kept twitching. What an incredibly tenacious life force.
Uksin! Uksin!
"Aigo..."
I looked at my throbbing right arm. There were clear marks left on it.
Not only were there marks, but dark bruises were also forming. Considering my bones could have been crushed, this was a relatively minor injury.
’But what on earth are these scales made of to be this tough?’
Even the Sword of the Heavenly Demon could barely pierce through them. I uploaded a photo to the Gallery.
I planned to rest for about thirty seconds before moving on. I had lost too much energy just now.
Title) Of all things, even the snakes here are fucking huge
Wild Grylls
(Photo of the serpent’s head)
(Photo of the serpent’s body separated from its head)
I seriously thought I was going to die. I was shocked as hell because my sword couldn’t cut it in one go;;
ㄴ Whoa, that’s fucking disgusting;;; Is that a venomous snake?
ㄴ Wild Grylls) Yeah, it tried to kill me with its fangs at first, then wrapped around my right arm. I thought my bones were going to break.
ㄴ You sliced a Mad Dog in half, but a mere snake didn’t get cut in one go? How did you kill it?
ㄴ Wild Grylls) I ripped it apart from the cut made by the sword. But it was fucking tough.
ㄴ Whoa, damn...
ㄴ That thing looks like a Steel-Scale Serpent, though?
ㄴ If that’s true, isn’t it insanely expensive?
ㄴ Yeah, both the venom and the scales should fetch a high price.
So this guy’s name is a Steel-Scale Serpent. It certainly lives up to its name.
I watched the comments section descending into chaos once again before simply closing the app. It wasn’t something I needed to worry about anyway.
Given its size, it would be awkward to carry it back to the cave. It would be better to just list it on the Auction House right away.
’I should list it, especially considering what happened with the Mad Dog.’
Without hesitation, I accessed the Auction House. All sorts of items were listed there.
Occasionally, bizarre items like an elf’s underwear or socks that hadn’t been washed for days were put up for sale.
Indeed, the world is vast, and there is no shortage of idiots and perverts. A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
This phenomenon occurred because, unlike direct trades, anyone could list items on the Auction House.
’The commission fee is... Yikes. It’s a whopping forty percent?’
No wonder they said the commission fees were murderous. Still, the usage rate remained high due to the massive advantage of bypassing physical distribution.
I placed my hand on the body, avoiding the head, and registered it on the Auction House.
The registered name was ’Freshly Caught Serpent,’ and the minimum bid was set at 5 gold.
Since disposing of the carcass was a hassle anyway, it would be a win as long as it sold.
’Fortunately, the registration fee isn’t that high.’
I had just received a small amount of funds from the Gallery right after creating my registered account.
Thanks to that, I didn’t have to worry about lacking the registration fee. It was a relief, to say the least.
P.S. The commission fee may vary depending on the weight.
It didn’t matter. I successfully completed the registration and stood up.
The serpent’s body vanished upon being registered on the Auction House, leaving only the head behind.
Since the head was still squirming, I couldn’t even register it. My best bet was to just cover it with dirt.
’It’s tough right from the start.’
What a miserable fate. Why do I have to suffer like this?
I massaged my still-throbbing arm as I moved forward. I prayed that nothing else would happen.
Jol-jol-jol-jol—
Before long, a sound that instantly snapped me out of my thoughts reached my ears. It was the sound of flowing river water.
If nothing else, water was a crucial means of survival. I hurriedly quickened my pace.
I could secure drinking water, and if I followed the river downstream, I might even be able to escape the forest.
Or so I thought.
"...What on earth is this?"
If only it weren’t for the ’desert’ visible just across the stream. I was more flabbergasted than panicked.
No matter how hard I rubbed my eyes and looked again, it was a desert. A desert with strikingly reddish sand.
I was clearly standing in a forest, so why was there a desert just across the stream?
It felt as though all of my common sense was being shattered. I stood dazed for a moment before accessing the Gallery.
Title) Guys, let me show you something amazing
Wild Grylls
(Photo showing the stream and the forest)
Here is the forest and the river!
(Photo of the vast desert stretching out across the stream)
And across the river is a desert! Think it’s fake?
(Video showing the forest, the stream, and the desert in turn)
Wow, holy shit! Where could this place be?
Aren’t. You. Guys. Super. Curious?
ㄴ Wow. So. Amazing.
ㄴ ??? It really was the Forest of the Four Seasons?
ㄴ How are you even accessing the Gallery?
ㄴ Lololol this is truly spectacular
ㄴ It was real lololol
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) It is a beautiful place.
ㄴ Wild Grylls) Ma’am?
ㄴ She doesn’t seem to know what it is lololol
ㄴ Why is her vibe so boomer-like lolol
ㄴ Passing Dwarf) Are you experiencing hallucinations by any chance?
ㄴ Wild Grylls) I sobered up a long time ago;;
ㄴ Passing Dwarf) Drink some alcohol again. That’ll wake you up.
ㄴ Lololol
ㄴ Curing poison with poison, damn lol
The comments were filled with absolutely nothing helpful. I let out a heavy sigh of frustration.
"Sigh..."
My current feelings could be defined in just one word.
"Fuck."