Chapter 11: Golden Poison Frog (1)
OG5sTThere is slang that says a disaster has broken out.JnyV9w
adDIn other words, that everything turned into absolute chaos.t8ayZ2
tS1iQsI had only posted to give thanks, but a few people jumped in and, in an instant, the comments exploded.TBpz
WPRG4OiStarting with DemonPrincess, and then KingLeor appearing out of nowhere. On top of that, a bunch of anonymous users.3Gi1
xHiiumhEach one throwing double insults, making comments about parents and so on.PBb
9y6Comment notifications kept going off nonstop.VgqhVkr
RGfRVf‘Doesn’t the moderator sanction this?’8zV
OeNUAs far as I understand, if things get too heated, the moderator intervenes. There were even similar rules in the notices.1jXCYbr
P7oTEven if they are fights between sports fans, once it turns into personal attacks, it can no longer be considered a sports issue.XQRr0
QDcgZ3ㄴHeroDontThrowAway) Enough already! If you keep spamming, I will proceed with a ban!BKk
k87LhvㄴDemonPrincess) That idiot was the one who started looking for a fight! [1]nPdIJ
tvdt5KcㄴKingLeor) It’s because she’s talking pure nonsense.7iX9l9
ZUSxㄴHeroDontThrowAway) Even so, don’t fight in someone else’s post! I’ll open an arena—fight there!f3ZDH
6EoㄴDemonPrincess) Ok04vQ
ZZjㄴKingLeor) Ok okmEMqEa
xhigJust when I thought that, the moderator appeared. The order was clear don’t fight in my post, go to the arena.ZpZX
VuVXAUEveryone obeyed and disappeared. Finally, freed from the hell of notifications.apr
HY9KShortly after, a post by the moderator appeared in the gallery.t2Y
sov9Ez8[Arena: Which team has more tradition?]RhD
1dM8With just one refresh, the comments started pouring in like an avalanche.P5XG
xSTGoing in there wouldn’t do me any good.LzB
BiAVWoWI had heard that posts that promoted conflicts between countries were grounds for a ban, but since this was sports, it seemed they let it slide.lzuL87
kvXmNOf course, if it got out of control, the moderator would intervene directly. At least they were doing their job properly.gGzh
dCfM‘I’d better do my own thing.’jA9
qehxSince I had already returned all the compasses, I started devising a method to deal with the golden poison frog.xS1uQ4i
Fe6O5First, the river where the golden poison frog lived was, by itself, a natural fortress.qPoStDN
O5aAYThe water was so absurdly clear that it was impossible to calculate the depth, and the current was fairly strong.Aju3AQ
0uVAnIf I went in there, I’d die from a single spit. Therefore, a ranged attack was indispensable.Tpo
Gviy‘A bow…? Difficult. Would a crossbow be better?’zlAbm
baqAI don’t know how to use bows.sL3y
ljJhTEYIn comparison, a crossbow should be easier to handle.dIGCxL3
xcWThe money currently stored in the gallery was about 650 gold. What I got from selling the Steel-Scaled Serpent.SHJSmyV
giQ732I didn’t know if that would be enough to buy a crossbow, and on top of that, the type I wanted.1cE
OCBkruBetter to post first.uHRHu
GB3HrmPTitle) Question about crossbows
WildGrillsMPe3y
vv0kbQI plan to hunt a frog. Is there a harpoon-type crossbow?kIswbqG
VZNSo that the bolt is connected to the crossbow and, if it hits, I can drag the target.FIj
cZyL2aㄴSwordTasteMaster) What do you need a crossbow for?igw
pTPlq1ㄴWildGrills) I need it to hunt a frog. The river is very deep and I can’t get close2oW
xpWp1UㄴSwordTasteMaster) Can’t you just launch sword energy?LKeYBUY
nzrㄴWildGrills) …9tdx
JjSㄴSwordTasteMaster) Or you could walk on wateryOhS
XHgeSIㄴWildGrills) What?5GB
oDXWas this guy joking? I was so incredulous that I just let out a dry laugh.7h0Uo
krEJQThough, seeing how much serious fencing material he had posted, maybe he was serious from his point of view.Iv8hb0B
vPYQKJVAfter emphasizing several times that I was a normal person, the matter more or less ended there.TKeCyI
xNFfeㄴHeavenlyDemon) How about you completely master the internal technique this woman will teach you and then try?i8Y
YgVo86ㄴWildGrills) I also have to drink water to live, master99nLpg
Pufo3w4ㄴHeavenlyDemon) If it’s water, this woman can give you as much as you wantMdMKbDt
va4uGㄴWildGrills) Then I won’t be able to ask for help when I truly need itjJDUC
XcebEyAs I said before, I planned to ask for help only when it was truly necessary.BBk9
qlCjZIt was like a wildcard.KCkSMvp
VCxvuEUntil then, I had to manage on my own. Or earn money and buy things at the auction.neANP
ekzvBesides, a crossbow could be extremely useful in situations like this.aFC9hq
HNvLㄴDwarfPassingBy) What you’re saying can be done if it’s modified.4Izn
d3p6ㄴWildGrills) About how much would it cost?WVQ
nCVqㄴDwarfPassingBy) It’s dwarven-made, about 500 gold. Is that fine?CxO0J
L8a“What the hell…?”wflxTw
NeMWhy so expensive? Does it have diamonds embedded or what?Y7czR
goafoJLIt was a price that far exceeded my expectations.yIANI
OAzHYUWIf 300 gold was a commoner’s monthly expense, this surpassed it by a lot.mWugM3
yE7OyMaybe it was expensive because in novels dwarven stuff is always expensive, but I didn’t know if that also applied in this world.hFxPX
j3clㄴWildGrills) Why so expensive;; is it gold-plated or what?dnS
5Qt113QㄴIt’s dwarven. Obviously it’s expensive2LcfQT
eRUFuㄴActually, isn’t it even cheap? It’s a crossbowA5jOeFa
4hJdm2ㄴCrossbows vary a lot depending on the makerANFJ2kU
fMa37gQㄴAfter swords, crossbows are the worst in that regardU1mg
nqNㄴDwarfPassingBy) Take into account the modification cost. It really is cheap. I’m telling you because I feel badeqFACI
4tfㄴWildGrills) And what do you feel bad about?EbjkS
KpiㄴDwarfPassingBy) That earlier I told you to become fertilizer. I didn’t think it was that seriousbZazj
hkZqTㄴWildGrills) Hmm. And how much does a normal crossbow cost?WkH1w
vyXㄴDwarfPassingBy) I don’t know much about human onesR2UO
wcOtCVㄴAbout 30 gold or solqhUN
YnhXaKㄴYeah, normal bows are around 10W0G57
tLhyQ1PㄴWildGrills) What kind of bullshit premium is that?LMQAo
9cwM2hㄴDwarfPassingBy) If you don’t like it, don’t buy itiT4
Re1GwㄴWildGrills) Hey, hey. I never said I wasn’t going to buy itG6HQND
XoIZwuTㄴHahaha look how his attitude changeduQ77Li
1jbkEither way, this was an opportunity.Z4Q
atpOnly DwarfPassingBy could give me the crossbow in the shape I wanted.mdKEyS
fkIRozIt was expensive, but since it was trusted dwarven craftsmanship, I could pay for it.SdcyMDY
2WSE6tqEven if it were a scam, it would be enough to just not buy from him again. In the worst case, I’d look for a crossbow from someone else.FlkbuS
J9GjaㄴLetsPlantTrees) More than a crossbow, the best option is still the bow. That’s proven even in the Watermelon Treaty of the World TreeObH
3NjQeuVㄴWhat’s with this elf?3svmF1
2gzmㄴHere he goes again with the Watermelon Treaty of the World Tree jokevKZX
lF4hㄴHistorically speaking, he’s not wrong…BFwC
WrNNㄴEverything is in the Watermelon Treaty of the World Tree, right?nbvpe0
gQVb4ㄴWildGrills) I’m using a crossbow because it’s urgent. I don’t know how to use bowsEt74hU
03uoDㄴLetsPlantTrees) I see. Then how about you take this chance to practice archery and understand the greatness of the elves?J6AbKq
1OaLHㄴGreatness my ass hahahaDVb3m
Yj06PSNㄴThere are tons who shoot better than elves hahahashd
fJjkWㄴHere the elves go again…8iQEii
UEiVzㄴLetsPlantTrees) But in general terms, the symbol of the elf is the bow. Let me ask you the other way around when you think of bows, which race comes to mind?I8uilyh
UVIyㄴDamn, it annoys me but it’s true, I have nothing to saycCmwYm
jxe0xm3ㄴFemale elves do shoot well, that can’t be denied hahahaDIqNKa1
505d2ㄴAnd what good is that? If they don’t have a vanguard, they get wiped anyway hahahaf6Yr
V2WoG6Unlike the imperialism that permeated everything, it seemed to be common knowledge that the bow was the symbol of the elves.AWte1hr
ihqAt least, that matched my own common sense. I left a comment on the already noisy post.CUN
qImAaㄴWildGrills) In my country too, they shot real bows very wellHRMP
qC5ㄴLetsPlantTrees) Were your ancestors elves, perhaps?Ahf
GHZIㄴWildGrills) No…L5R
AecㄴHahaha look at that zero prejudicexCtdj5
sIvB1DㄴI don’t know if that’s good or bad hahahaaaP
AqrㄴWildGrills) And in the world where I lived there were only humans3YDS
Vm8vFthㄴLetsPlantTrees) Only humans in the world? That’s impossible!dLHE
aovsqㄴHe said he came from another world. You have to understand himct8z
JMtㄴPoor guy, let’s let it slides89FP
znCWvㄴIt’s a concept hahahaj7s
wu2It’s not a concept, it’s the truth, but they don’t believe me. Well, it doesn’t really matter that much.13R
NvrpTiEBelieve it or not, the only thing I need is to survive here.6JWdC
FXGcㄴBut humans shoot bows well, right?sPHtt
cxzㄴWildGrills) Yes, they shoot very well. I don’t, thoughy0ds2
sFcㄴAny reason? Something about racial traits or something?8CSoMDE
JPaㄴWildGrills) Because there were many countries we wanted to shoot at from above and from belowrUPJ
Z6uㄴHAHAHAHAHAHAjNen
j3WZzIyㄴHAHAHAHAHAHADvl
VlIsuㄴIs this guy crazy or what? HAHAHAHAHAHAJNcQ6Jm
ll6lKYpㄴDwarfPassingBy) Hey. I finished the modification. Open the tradeKluKo
GQa6While we were waiting, it seemed that DwarfPassingBy had finished modifying it.uqSkZ
aj8t9YNI opened the trade immediately.A9w9PEn
4gufA crossbow made by dwarves.nSDo
LrPaDjlHow good would it be?ZsTO3AJ
OSzXI hoped it was truly worth what it cost.fnC6
cL5r[DwarfPassingBy has registered an object for the trade.]RhyuwP
eTkotV[DwarfPassingBy: I added the harpoon-type bolts you mentioned and also some normal bolts. But keep in mind that the harpoon-type bolts have a damn short range.]yIiHcaJ
nlLm[WildGrills: How short?]UbU
0e5rAO[DwarfPassingBy: The maximum range is around 50 meters.]DlGdxDY
YdCqVAbout 50 meters.IjmAQa
aktAR9Hearing that, I recalled the width of the stream where the golden poison frog lived.InvjiW
eDTY3rgIt was narrow enough to call it a stream and not a river.5BfYk6g
h3V1X4It wasn’t wide, just absurdly deep.nkRhz
l4mBut considering the golden frog’s spit, the range was dangerously tight.ys0
6JSUeIt would be best to hide and attack by surprise.vq9IR7
WNJJ[WildGrills: Okay, then. I already put in the money.]lMTP2
vFhZK[DwarfPassingBy: Just in case, I also included some gloves.]i4j
MM1SFuB[WildGrills: How much are those? I’ll give you more money.]Vw1d
yZwu[DwarfPassingBy: Don’t be an idiot and just accept them;;]1Peh
gQMOHe had already given me even toilet paper, so I felt awkward accepting more things, and now gloves on top of that.guzWz
Vm0If I touched the frog wrong, it could end very badly, so they were quite appropriate.pDnW
DHQLater, if I got good medicinal herbs, I should give them to him.tZ9Fh2
lsbOr hides.vrpBwRw
OQ6Being a blacksmith, he would probably prefer hides over herbs.AGC4Ksq
99l‘Let’s see he sent it in a box.’CLNdB7m
lj45bhSWhen the trade ended, a box appeared.6Qc
nCqI opened the lid of the perfectly square box.Pei
JRGKsUpon opening it, the first thing I saw was the crossbow along with the gloves.48bU63A
CLKRThen there was a bottle stored inside, something I absolutely did not expect.NdDc
kN6tLu‘And what is this?’0bu
C7OShJIt was a brown bottle with a cork stopper.Dw7cSX
Eqpy6FAs soon as I saw it, I understood.M0lwa
0fOAlcohol.bnQ
xqXFBgI remembered that the dwarf had said earlier that he would give me alcohol so I wouldn’t kill myself.4PHy
QlysCmQDid he really give me alcohol?YmO
E4Du41Every time I saw him, he seemed softer-hearted than he appeared.8JHGv
9OL‘I’ll drink this later.’8xHcIY2
7HiRmiAlcohol would later serve as an anesthetic or sedative.MIIjBE1
kiZ7H98Alcohol numbs pain, even if only a little.IHGa7
YwO2I carefully placed the bottle against the wall so it wouldn’t break and checked the crossbow.kzCmHh
RX3ZsIt was generally black, and being dwarven-made, the design was quite elegant.otq
p8T‘It’s connected to the bolt.’f2peRP7
tt9XyThe harpoon-shaped bolt was connected to the crossbow by a thin rope.8ARRh
LOaIB88I more or less understood how it was used.xPXs
H5wIt had to be tested.kmI7
iyOThe crossbow was difficult to manufacture, but using it shouldn’t be that complicated.tuMEb
pLJvwtbI placed my foot on the front part, on a sort of support.2zNx
rwU0iThat was how it was used.zKStya
fBVaThen I fixed the crossbow to the ground with my foot and pulled the string to load it.1BRP
ujjwEClack.o20
TsbEQ“Huh?”pS0yq
UkpUCeBut what’s with this?pim
sfLjI was a bit bewildered.GqDh
jg3I pulled the string, but it didn’t move.vR8oTB3
G9bxmHMy body jerked sharply.u6X1zXN
hiJyWNAt first, I thought it was stuck on something.DdLNu
4LyBut when I applied more force, the string slowly began to rise.VnYIx
guTC“Gaaaaaah!”oBW0
GIuOdSI had to shout and use maximum strength to load it completely.0ThGXdu
u8rI breathed heavily, completely incredulous.iCnY1
fIUWhat kind of crossbow was this that even loading it was so difficult?Xd4
iy0zWas this normal?ZuG0ug
CetXUIn a world where there are guys who destroy mountains with their fists, it wasn’t impossible.hvsx
6O1snsRI sighed and loaded the bolt.5EJ
YVHFirst, the harpoon-type bolt.zMN0AI
qPiKx4WThe others had to be stored.zmqKBZ
FfB0KI2This one could be reused.aRQ
fZnYZD‘It has a stock, so aiming will be easy.’ANb1N9
JUtvQQ3It was also quite light for its size, which made aiming easier.VEt12M
1BuaI left the cave and aimed at a tree some distance away.FK21G
wSFyShooting at the rock wall could damage the harpoon, so a tree was best.iDJe19h
h2T5Khx‘Hold your breath…’Vjj
sMmfFwooom!V04
MrLWhen I pulled the trigger, the air tore with a violent sound.cE47
4NhWThe tension was so strong that even my hair was stirred by the wind.tAXxJ9l
98ORThud!xcRF
R2FThe harpoon shot out and cleanly pierced the center of the trunk.RpqUr
vx6UfeIt didn’t lodge in.SAZA5Jy
eHnQIt went straight through.jJH
rxZA terrifying power.g8OJ
yX8With this, that golden frog wouldn’t stand a chance.Ss9
9AnrarIt wouldn’t even know what hit it.6wvW7
nhEqo‘Now I understand why it was so expensive.’9LMfdnJ
OwqExI clicked my tongue at a power that exceeded all expectationsKiC
f55FP1and retrieved the harpoon.XMM38
nQiS8OThanks to the rope, retrieving it was easy.R3SJgRY
FGLH6n‘Even so, I need to practice.’ai0tj5
2QaI wanted to immediately go hunt the golden poison frog, but the more urgent something is, the slower you must proceed.CvX
RgbOHBeThe reload speed was terribly slow.VKC
NZDWweI would only have one chance.MkaDM2
CapA single opportunity to cut off its breath.biYTyV
BuNI0tIf I missed, I would have to flee immediately.DP0
0DZiYThe moment the venom reached me, I would be dead.frRdvTo
IijI had to prepare thoroughly if I wanted to drink water peacefully in the future.gFBtTDJ
qBqnIt wasn’t that I had been blinded by AllFather’s 20,000 gold.RLIO1
WmxHtNot at all.pXVrPX
dST‘Even if it’s out of sheer disgust, tomorrow I’m taking a shower.’Hfoy5x
ZHNUBI had gone two days without bathing and already felt repulsive.ACczqg
dabxAt least the climate was mild.xP6
Xne1If it had been humid and heavy, it would have been hell.z3bfJ
4ZTI kept practicing until dawn.ayuB9uy
PlxOPulling the string became a bit easier.ZwEhTyw
Bb6GDWhen night began to fall, I returned to the cave.qUriSIL
mLF0‘With the remaining money…’PQMs
dVveAfter buying the crossbow, I had about 100 gold left.5rZW0H
RfssEBWith that, I would buy everything possible.faHzAq8
wSAsThe most urgent thing was a snake or insect repellent.ziW9CKo
gcerSo far I had been lucky, but I could wake up bitten by a viper or a venomous insect.g4dOOm
oKbLgnvI also needed antidotes and medicine.Up2Avgy
Qs3Especially antidotes.m6mLrF2
K8PBecause of the frog, they were mandatory.A6N
hKoD‘At the auction house there’s everything but it’s insanely expensive.’mmUVoAg
vFzThe absurd commissions suffocated you.D0m7scM
zm5VEven without intermediaries, it was still too expensive.o9DsJm
ft3IEven so, I couldn’t not buy them.FCFH
ge0sHolding back tears, I bought a vial of antidote.8IWiSKI
DJXVJust in case it was a scam, I read the reviews carefully.bDknlbp
GLHDL‘I’ll buy this repellent.’X1t6
cE5AAfter buying several things, I only had 20 gold left.YdPx
GVMU4k8It didn’t hurt.joUa
zxpaY6It was the price of staying alive.HWS
MDJZLI sprayed the repellent at the entrance of the cave and near where I slept.DPGFc
QwIzvWwI didn’t know if it would work, but I had to believe it would.R8ldb
jG4I even read the reviews.i7P
e79ScCrunch, crunch.wKq
Xn1“Ugh… it tastes damn awful.”zme
9zlPdI didn’t forget to have a few fasting pills for dinner.Sb2k
gh8o8BThe bitter taste of herbs spread through my mouth.nUD
tCjFor now, I would have to survive on these pills.PcmiR6
2eucEndure, there was no other option.Da9
obEWj7“Gnnng…”zNc7Of
FU7rQAfter eating them, I tried to sit in the lotus position.JVP7z6
NNzIt still wasn’t time to sleep.4sfKyFW
GBvfAs soon as I adopted the posture, the pain in my joints was brutal, but I endured it.Lx50f5X
J7hAccording to the Heavenly Demon, that was how mana circulation and internal techniques were practiced.GHWH4C
2z8She said she would teach me, so for now it was enough to practice the posture.bLBBH
76M5‘In a week will I get used to it?’abkHg
bwEFlexibility doesn’t improve overnight.42izwxQ
9R3ONbI would have to put in effort for several days.Totx1df
K0PCndBut since there was nothing better to do before sleeping, time was plentiful.oIWHaFd
PgRIf I were at home, I would be playing video games nonstop.zHmmwD
NdhJRx3‘Good thing the gallery exists.’zCI
gZ3uWhile practicing the lotus posture, I continued browsing the gallery.843OCJd
Au6MThe gallery played a huge role.dNc
ELF8Human beings do not handle loneliness well.4Nk6
s2IxmThat’s why they are called social animals.QOz
K9V2Robinson Crusoe?8ndj
oD1hdk5I remembered a novel about someone stranded on an island who treated a ball as if it were a person.ROyYZI
0NhgXWThat proves how vital communication is.D0gtlHM
yFhENow, the gallery fulfilled that role.ipd1e
4FFpL8d‘It’s time to sleep.’CXbHC0
ixYdTime flew by while browsing the gallery.NwWwrI
XIinBNI released the posture.mOOoB
2aqRCuriously, while I was sitting, I had forgotten the pain.971
creBut as soon as I became aware of it, it returned with full force.BmDTSEU
fvANpI endured the joint pain and prepared the place to sleep.ynWA9
6vKDuring the day it was warm, but at night the temperature dropped.jjwK
dYSIy5MFire was indispensable.HWEV
h4i1mGCrackle, crackle.4NRryEr
IDeHLI used the ignition stone the Heavenly Demon gave me and wood from outside.gbyoQBZ
NvTpXThe cave felt a little warmer.qN4c
VTROn the first day I was so tired that I didn’t even feel the cold.Ejr
bx7kOLI almost died bitten by Mad Dogs, after all.L43u
lheI added some more firewood and wrote a post in the gallery.7I9wHW
dO0Title) End of day 1 of survivalGO4Z
xYrWildGrillsHEFIUaS
vligKON(Photo of a line marked on the wall)HOPN
ZX27GF(Photo of a bonfire burning)exu
O70Z2With this, day 1 of survival ends.Nud9
BVwxNow to sleep.K0Ji9
wanwjSㄴHeavenlyDemon) You worked hard. Rest well.7TkO
3wGWfOㄴSwordTasteMaster) Rest well.sdHEwyI
ytZvWAKㄴIs this officially day 1?BEuB
ZBlNㄴSeems like it. If it gets cut off…DoG8iX
Jr6STㄴUgh;; bad feeling0GS
ragJㄴStarlightLady) Let’s keep going together. I’ll wait for day 2.Ls2cZQ
FDp3G1ㄴMayfly life vs terminal illnessEf3bxh
DhF8ㄴMy chest tightens, uffooc
oLCiawpㄴThanks for supporting WildGrills until nowdcrpc2
NSzㄴStarlightLady) You all are really awfultrHYk
0fMGQYcYes.X4x2gQ
FA0FWhat could I expect from those idiots?sgRMmFz
Lx5BzAAh, just in case, I’m referring to the anonymous users, not the fixed IDs.QcQ5rS3
kWflrThe fixed IDs usually encourage.b1d
w5sThe anonymous ones no need to explain.imYlSR
aNQW‘Well, it’s something.’V5RH7tQ
pfrhCoAI smiled faintly and closed the gallery.fWwlvyo
Ghnzn7ZThen I lay down on the hard stone floor.sq7W
y0yX27xIf tomorrow I hunted the golden frog, maybe I would buy a blanket.aSF3l
5HREoOr a pillow.xUnA
0XyWNzI was so exhausted that even those thoughts didn’t last long.FKUFE
ZpHpqSleep enveloped me.Weqg
iXUSlowly, my eyelids closed and the sounds of insects faded away.0dc
GO0‘I want to go home.’ngRRO2r
6sVJFEWith that desperate wish, my consciousness completely went out.cDcA4
R2cT/N:K0F9myj
qv0ol(1): PrincessChangu I changed the name to DemonPrincess I will keep changing the names for better differentiation.PLsyu
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