The Continental Integrated Gallery could be accessed anytime, anywhere, as long as conditions were met.
The first condition was that atmospheric mana must be stable. If atmospheric mana was unstable, connecting to the Gallery was difficult.
The second was the ability to manipulate mana at will. This was connected to the following.
Finally, knowing the connection formula. The calculation was so easy that even a child could do it.
Therefore, if mana was unstable, if one didn’t know how to use mana, and didn’t even know how to connect, using the Gallery was impossible.
Title) What if all of this is actually a dream?
Wild Grylls
Could it be that I’m dreaming right now? The Gallery and all of you were nothing more than part of my dream, right?
Gotta wake up from this dream quick lol
↳ He finally lost his mind rofl
↳ Hang in there bro
↳ Starlight Lady) Stay strong
↳ Wow, if even that person is telling him to stay strong;;;
↳ Bro, start over from Day 1 of survival lol
↳ Princess Chaenggu) Is that really the Forest of the Four Seasons? I can’t believe it
↳ Gotta believe it. Only the Forest of the Four Seasons is a shithole like that
↳ Princess Chaenggu) But he’s posting on the Gallery like crazy?
↳ We’re curious about that too lmao
↳ Fr common sense of the world is being shattered
↳ Allfather) May I use you as a research subject by any chance?
↳ Wild Grylls) What are you gonna use me for?
↳ Allfather) I intend to write a paper on it.
↳ Wild Grylls) Do whatever you want...
↳ He gave up rofl
However, a person who bypassed all those conditions appeared in the Gallery.
Originally thought to be just an ordinary fixed-nick, as time passed, he began drawing the Gallery’s attention.
Finding Crescent Moon Spirit Herb out of nowhere, fighting a Mad Dog and winning, getting bitten by a Mad Dog in his sleep.
Going beyond having all compasses malfunction, he even verified the Forest of the Four Seasons. Most of the proof left no choice but to believe.
That snake Grylls posted is strange, isn’t it?
Isn’t that really a Steel-Scale Serpent? Aside from being fucking huge, isn’t it undeniable?
↳ What’s a Steel-Scale Serpent?
↳ Literally a snake whose scales are hard as steel. A Sword Expert could barely defeat it, right?
↳ Expensive?
↳ If processed well, it’s great. Think of it as fabric with the strength of iron
↳ Why is the Steel-Scale Serpent that big? It’s as big as an anaconda;;
↳ How big is it normally?
↳ Ordinary snake size, which makes it easy to catch, but I don’t know about that one
↳ How much does it cost?
↳ Minimum price would be around 100 Gold, right?
The serpent Grylls posted on the Auction House also caused a major splash. Unlike direct Trading, the Auction House had a broader user base.
Unlike Trading, which was restricted to fixed-nicks, anyone could list and bid on the Auction House.
One might ask: couldn’t drugs or other dangerous goods be traded then?
Fortunately, even if only because of the murderous fees, such transactions rarely occurred.
Even if someone tried, the Orange Badge immediately permanently banned them, nipping it in the bud.
↳ Woah passed 500 Gold shudder shudder
↳ What if that’s a scam?
↳ Grylls listed it at 5 Gold and left, so he bears no responsibility
↳ Plus it was bought at auction, who would take responsibility lol
↳ Considering the fees, he listed it fucking cheap
Even while Grylls was submerged in anxiety, the auction heat didn’t cool down.
Since it was an open bidding format rather than buy-it-now, it was natural for countless users to flock to it.
Moreover, considering the fees, the structure made fierce competition inevitable.
↳ Kaaah! Passed 1,000 Gold!
↳ Sucker stepped up rofl
↳ But even that is cheap. Only if it’s real, of course
↳ Is it really authentic?
↳ If it turns out fake, they’ll go crazy trying to catch Grylls lol
↳ But Grylls is in the Forest of the Four Seasons. Can they catch him?
↳ True rofl
↳ Pleasure without responsibility shudder shudder
↳ Neither responsibility nor pleasure, right?
↳ Right lmao
↳ Wild Grylls) Uh wait. Why’d it get so expensive?;;
↳ The man himself appears!
↳ Hey Grylls. Is that really a Steel-Scale Serpent?
↳ Wild Grylls) Dunno, was worried something might eat it later so I posted it right away
↳ Don’t tell me it’s farm-to-table fresh?
↳ Wild Grylls) It was squirming right before I listed it lol
↳ Kyaaaaaah!
↳ Gyaaaaaah!
From Grylls’s perspective, he had listed it on the Auction House just to dispose of it quickly, so he was only flustered.
Above all, Steel-Scale Serpent or whatever didn’t matter to him right now.
When his survival was bleak, would an auction house catch his eye? He felt like crying.
Title) Upvote if you’re Grylls and want to commit suicide rofl
Starting with me first lmao
↳ Wild Grylls) Upvoted rofl
↳ ?????
↳ Wait why is OP flustered lmao
↳ Didn’t think he’d actually show up;;
↳ Looks like Grylls lost his mind rofl
He couldn’t help losing his sanity. All hope of escape had completely vanished.
Getting lost in a normal forest was life-threatening, let alone the Forest of the Four Seasons, dubbed an unearthly hellscape.
A place where compasses broke and space itself was warped. The survival probability was extremely low to begin with.
By the way, where is Grylls from?
Come to think of it, I’m curious about his background. What the hell did he do to end up in the Forest of the Four Seasons?
↳ Wild Grylls) I’m from Earth, but drank alcohol and opened my eyes here
↳ Where the hell is Earth? First time hearing it
↳ Wild Grylls) Another world
↳ ...?
↳ You didn’t wander into the forest because you went crazy, right?
↳ Another world lmao
↳ Do they have a Gallery there too?
↳ Wild Grylls) There is, but more sub-divided
↳ Oh! Any interest in becoming a Blue Badge by any chance?
↳ Wild Grylls) What’s a Blue Badge? Same role as Orange Badge?
↳ Yeah, except fewer permissions and unpaid lol
↳ Wild Grylls) Fuck no
↳ Don’t Abandon the Hero) I can handle the hard work alone!
Whether his mind was properly broken or not, Grylls answered every question wholeheartedly (?).
Starting from being from another world to stories about that world.
Of course, Gallery users didn’t seem to believe it. They just treated him as a mental patient.
↳ Sword Matstar) So that was your persona. I see.
↳ Wild Grylls) It’s not a persona;;
↳ Sword Matstar) Who would believe that a single bomb can obliterate an entire city?
↳ Wild Grylls) I find it even harder to believe a person can destroy a mountain though?
↳ Heavenly Demon) This maiden is capable of it though.
↳ Princess Chaenggu) Me too
↳ Allfather) I am capable of it as well.
↳ Don’t Abandon the Hero) I can do it too if I put my back into it!
↳ Wild Grylls) Is this place full of monsters or what?;;;
↳ Passing Dwarf) What you said is interesting, do you know how to make it?
↳ Wild Grylls) How the fuck would I know that?
↳ Passing Dwarf) Then what CAN you do?
↳ Wild Grylls) Eat, shit, and fool around?
↳ Passing Dwarf) Just die and become fertilizer then
↳ Wild Grylls) Yeah, guess I should...
↳ Passing Dwarf) Ah fuck sorry. Don’t actually die, I’ll send you some booze later
↳ Hahaha
↳ Look at him freaking out cause he thought he’d really commit suicide rofl
Or they just thought he was playing a role. From their perspective, it was a natural thought.
Grylls landing in the Forest of the Four Seasons and being from another world were separate matters. Nor was it particularly important.
What mattered most right now was the Steel-Scale Serpent listed on the Auction House.
↳ How’d you kill that? You said you’re an ordinary guy
↳ Wild Grylls) Sword couldn’t cut it so I just ripped it apart
↳ You call that an ordinary guy?
↳ Talking about ripping steel plates with bare hands lmao
↳ Wild Grylls) No no, not that much. The sword cut a small part, so I targeted that. Even though it’s big, the neck fit in one hand
↳ And you ripped it like that?
↳ Wild Grylls) Yeah
↳ Fuck, that makes no sense either
↳ Are all ordinary people in your world like that?
No matter how one thought about it, the answer didn’t sound like an ordinary person’s. Still, it wasn’t completely nonsensical.
Because humans often exerted several times their strength when their lives were endangered. One could just gloss over it.
↳ Stopped at 1,100 Gold, looks like it’ll sell soon?
↳ How much time left?
↳ 10 mins left yeah
↳ Grylls set the limit to 6 hours just to sell it quickly
↳ Wild Grylls) Huh? You could set time limits on this?
↳ He didn’t know rofl
↳ Must’ve been really urgent lmao
↳ Still, selling fast is better for Grylls
↳ Might get snatched up like last time rofl
The Steel-Scale Serpent that caused a commotion was sold for roughly 1,100 Gold. A fairly high price.
Even considering the auction house’s murderous fees, he had earned a huge sum in an instant.
Fuck fuck fuck shouldn’t have bought it
(Video of serpent torso squirming fucking crazily)
First off, it IS a Steel-Scale Serpent. Is farm-to-table delivery real fuck
↳ Ugh;;; Needs a mild NSFW tag
↳ Squirming is cute lol
↳ ?
↳ Sir?
↳ Seeing as it has no head, it’s not live delivery rofl
↳ Fr lmao
↳ It’s just fresh lol
↳ True, if it were alive it couldn’t even be listed on auction lol
The authenticity of the item was proven as well. Simultaneously, credibility toward Grylls rose.
A genuine person even if he seemed to have a few screws loose mentally. That was the public opinion regarding Grylls.
Title) Any survival experts here?
Wild Grylls
If there are any, give me tips please. I want to live
↳ There used to be many back then, but none nowadays
↳ Wild Grylls) Why?
↳ They all died lol
↳ Wild Grylls) ;;;
↳ Famous nicks went into the Forest of the Four Seasons and lost contact too, right?
↳ Yep
↳ Grylls started inside it from day one rofl
↳ Hardcore start shudder shudder
↳ Wild Grylls) Useless bastards
While Grylls vented his tearful laments, chaos had erupted elsewhere as well.
The entity that had once turned the entire Central Plains upside down—the lair of the Heavenly Demon and sanctuary of the outcast.
The Demonic Cult, which even the Imperial Court of the Central Plains closely observed beyond the Jianghu.
"Haneul-isiyeo! Entering the Forest of the Four Seasons is strictly forbidden!"
"This maiden goes to rescue a benefactor, so why do you block my path? Do you truly wish to die?"
Heavenly Demon Yoo So-wol threatened the man before her with a frigid expression. Her momentum alone felt capable of ripping a person apart with a glance.
That presence was tangible, inflicting considerable pressure on the man. His stomach felt turned inside out, thoroughly twisted.
Though on the verge of passing out, the man forced himself to hold back and spoke.
"It is not that. It is merely that the Forest of the Four Seasons is a magical hellscape that even Haneul-nim would find difficult to break free from."
"Demonic Brain. You surely know well what realm this maiden resides in."
"Of course. You have transcended the principles of martial arts and earned the right to ascend."
The moment he faced her, he had noticed. Heavenly Demon Yoo So-wol had entered an out-of-bounds realm.
If previously she was like the sun floating high in the sky, now she felt as if she had become Heaven itself.
Even before this, Yoo So-wol was someone who had single-handedly raided the Imperial Palace and taken the Emperor’s head.
Now that she had reached an even higher realm, no entity existed that could stop her.
"However, the Forest of the Four Seasons mentioned by Haneul-nim is Nature itself transcending Heaven. All natural energy converged into one place, turning the entire region into a magical realm."
"Speak simply."
"It is easiest to view the entire region as being filled with a Formation. Even if one breaks the Formation, Nature’s powerful restorative force rapidly heals it and shifts it into another form."
Once one enters the Forest of the Four Seasons, one can never leave. Demonic Brain had just explained the reason.
The whole region is a barrier, and even if dispelled, a barrier with another pattern appears.
The whole forest is a living barrier. A barrier that regenerates no matter how many times it is breached.
Therefore, no matter how strong Yoo So-wol was, she would not be able to breach the Forest of the Four Seasons.
"Can your mind not solve this either?"
"Regrettably, with my foolish mind, the reality is that I cannot decipher even Heaven."
"Hmm."
Yoo So-wol ceased her pressure and withdrew her momentum.
If Demonic Brain, the top strategist of the Demonic Cult, spoke like that, it meant there truly was no way.
Nothing would come of forcing the issue. Nor could she kill a trusted strategist over it.
It was better to grind Demonic Brain down further and further to conquer the Forest of the Four Seasons.
"Understood. Instead, make sure to investigate the Forest of the Four Seasons. This maiden’s benefactor is trapped there."
"I shall follow your command. Then, what will Haneul-nim do moving forward?"
"I require time to organize my enlightenment, and I shall assist my benefactor to survive. By chance..."
Yoo So-wol was about to ask Demonic Brain if he used the Gallery, but stopped. The shitposts she had thoughtlessly spammed came to mind.
Heavenly Demon Yoo So-wol felt not an inch of shame, but human Yoo So-wol did not. She felt embarrassed.
Of course, calling them shitposts, they were closer to diary entries. She had included enlightenment along the way as well.
Still, it wouldn’t do. Yoo So-wol pondered before bringing up another topic.
"If there is anything helpful for survival, feel free to advise at any time."
"First, it would be best to advise that person not to abandon hope. In survival, the will to live is the most crucial element."
"I shall take that to heart. Anything else?"
"Nothing."
"Then you may take your leave now."
At the dismissal order, Demonic Brain bowed his head and retreated. As Demonic Brain left, Yoo So-wol was left alone in the room.
Left alone, as Yoo So-wol was naturally about to access the Gallery, a sudden question occurred to her.
’Come to think of it, he did not ask who this maiden’s benefactor is.’
She had no intention of telling him, but Demonic Brain hadn’t asked either. This point was suspicious.
However, that doubt was brief; Yoo So-wol connected to the Gallery. Thinking did not suit her.
Leaving brainwork to Demonic Brain was enough. She had lived that way till now, so there would be no problem.
"Thought I was going to die. A total disaster, a disaster."
Meanwhile, Demonic Brain let out a sigh that was barely a lament. His internal organs had been shaken, causing a bit of blood to leak from his mouth.
He roughly wiped the blood from his mouth and took medicine. Now he felt a little better.
’Now, there is no entity that can stop Heavenly Demon.’
Heavenly Demon had become far stronger than before. She was already monstrously strong, but now she had gained enlightenment as well.
At least within the Central Plains, no one could stop her. It meant the long-cherished desire could be fulfilled.
’Not yet. There is much to organize.’
The Demonic Cult is a paradise for outcasts. In other words, internal friction was considerable.
Internal discipline had to be tightened firmly to exert influence outside. Therefore, he planned to wait with bated breath for now.
’We must keep a close eye on the Western Kingdoms as well.’
If it were just the Central Plains, maybe, but the Western Kingdoms also required caution.
The moment the Demonic Cult took center stage, the Central Plains would shake tremendously, and the outside world would pay attention.
Historically, whenever civil war broke out, foreign powers being dragged in was a natural course of events.
A few crazy people would pull that stunt just to maintain their power, which happened surprisingly often.
’The problem is how to persuade that monster...’
Demonic Brain looked around and confirmed no one was present. He then stared into thin air.
Looking into midair, a very familiar window revealed itself. It was the Gallery that Yoo So-wol was also using.
’The benefactor must be Wild Grylls, right?’
In truth, Demonic Brain knew Yoo So-wol used the Gallery, and even knew her fixed-nick was Heavenly Demon.
Judging by Gallery experience alone, Demonic Brain was a senior. It would be strange if he didn’t know.
Even so, why did he leave her be?
↳ Heavenly Demon) If push comes to shove, this maiden shall go rescue you.
↳ Wild Grylls) Really? Aren’t you a busy person?
↳ Heavenly Demon) Asking my confidant, he said giving hope is best.
↳ Wild Grylls) Teacher?;;
↳ Heavenly Demon) Is there any problem?
↳ We decided to call that false hope torture
↳ Heavenly Demon is lowkey dumb rofl
↳ Is it like she doesn’t know how the world works?
↳ Not that, but her mindset is different from ordinary people
"..."
Because it was enough for him alone to know this embarrassing truth. Demonic Brain let out a sigh before a laugh could come.
The Heavenly Demon revered by ten thousand people shitposting on the Gallery? A begging beggar would throw away his own bowl.
At first, even he couldn’t believe it. Yoo So-wol stood as a supreme entity through sheer force alone.
That such a being was Gallery-posting was something unimagined.
However, Demonic Brain was her close aide, and with his brilliant intellect, he caught on quickly.
The most decisive event was the Emperor’s assassination. She had decapitated the Emperor out of nowhere and returned; how could he not know?
Although the Imperial Court covered it up as a simple power struggle to conceal the fact, Demonic Brain knew the truth.
’What on earth was she thinking posting these...’
An even bigger headache was Heavenly Demon’s posts. She thoughtlessly spread around the enlightenments she obtained.
Fortunately, due to her unique vibe, the reality was she got teased as a boomer or whatever.
However, had these been written in a secret manual instead of the Gallery, insights that could turn the entire Central Plains upside down were scattered everywhere.
It was a similar logic to posts close to literature popping up in the Gallery occasionally.
’This is a matter I must take to my grave.’
Apart from Yoo So-wol’s Gallery usage, Demonic Brain was also a fine Gallery user himself.
Looking at his posts, most were cursing her. The moment he was caught, his head would fly off.
Did that mean he would quit the Gallery?
Title) Just curious all of a sudden
Smart Demon
In this world, there are people who seem dumb yet smart. My superior is like that
Fucking confused whether she has no thoughts or just doesn’t think
Is it a case of having a good brain but not using it
↳ Often lots of people like that lol
↳ Many people just have weird standards
↳ What matters is character. Pays well?
↳ Smart Demon) Boss has no greed for money so pays well lol
↳ What’s boss like? Male or female?
↳ Smart Demon) Female
↳ Pretty?
↳ Smart Demon) Pretty, but a bit dumb so meh;;
↳ What’s your type?
↳ Smart Demon) Pretty and smart woman
↳ You were a Central Plains guy, right? How about Zhuge Clan?
↳ Smart Demon) Who’s that? Pretty?
↳ Show your specs first lol
↳ Smart Demon) Demonic Cult background okay?
↳ Of course not, you lunatic hahahaha
↳ Smart Demon) Close one lol
As if he would. A dog quitting eating shit was more likely.
Demonic Brain chuckled. As much as he used his brain, clearing his head was always refreshing.
Of course, he didn’t clear his head every time he browsed the Gallery. There was a fixed-nick making a ruckus recently.
’I’ll keep a close eye on Wild Grylls for now...’
He didn’t intend to help directly. Yoo So-wol didn’t think, but she wasn’t clueless.
He planned to pretend not to know while keeping tabs on his tracks. Either way, Yoo So-wol was watching.
Even with talks of the Forest of the Four Seasons, Demonic Brain remained unconvinced.
He planned to adjust his evaluation of Wild Grylls only after more definitive proof surfaced.
Title) Send me home
Wild Grylls
I miss my mom.
"..."
He felt a bit sorry, should he help? Demonic Brain pondered.
↳ Hang in there bro... Is mom doing well at home?
↳ Wild Grylls) I’m an orphan
↳ ???
↳ ;;;
↳ Wild Grylls) But feels like I’m going to meet her soon. Gonna go hug her rofl
↳ Ah...
↳ Ahh...
↳ Ahhh...
↳ Wild Grylls) Why is everyone doing that
He really is pitied.