Chapter 18: Health (3)

The method to capture mandrakes, as I said before, is simple.

First you pull them out. And if it looks like they are going to scream, you beat them like a dog on a summer day.

Do they still try to scream with all their strength?

Then you stuff dirt into their mouth and they can’t do anything anymore.

That’s how I first collected the ones for StarlightLady, which were the most urgent, and then I gradually gathered the ones for the other veteran users.

After StarlightLady, the next person was the Heavenly Demon.

The person who helped me the most.

[WildGrills: Take this and recover your strength. Is your body alright?]

[HeavenlyDemon: It was only dangerous at that moment. Now I am perfectly fine. Rather, I’m worried about the condition of your body.]

[WildGrills: I don’t know if it’s because of the fasting pill, but aside from my stomach hurting several times a day, I’m fine.]

[HeavenlyDemon: It’s a sign that the impurities in your body are coming out. Since you didn’t go through a bodily transformation, they are being expelled in that way.]

[WildGrills: Is that good?]

[HeavenlyDemon: Of course it is. If you want I can give you more. After all, you also gave me something good for the body.]

[WildGrills: It’s fine. Just giving me the antidote and the medicine for tinnitus you mentioned before is enough.]

[HeavenlyDemon: I feel bad for only receiving.]

[WildGrills: I should be the one saying that.]

I always think this, but Heavenly Demon really had an admirable personality.

Everyone mocks her by calling her a grumpy old woman, but if you give her something, she always gives something back.

That’s how an adult should be.

I don’t know why someone like her is in the gallery.

Although thinking about it, seeing what she normally posts, she is also one of the gallery’s best users.

Maybe she simply gets bored of living peacefully and that’s why she spends time in the gallery.

‘This is the antidote, and this is what works for tinnitus.’

After finishing the trade with Heavenly Demon, I checked the items she had given me.

They were written with characters similar to Chinese, so at first I was a little confused, but Heavenly Demon explained it to me.

The gallery has automatic translation, but only inside the gallery.

Each country uses a different language.

Now that I think about it, who created this gallery and also implemented the automatic translation function?

It was a strange world in many ways, but it wasn’t something I needed to worry about now.

[SwordTasteMaster: No… it’s just that I don’t want to become healthier.]

[WildGrills: Think of it as payment for the elixir you gave me before. Or you can give it to some sick acquaintance. You could even sell it.]

[SwordTasteMaster: Hmm… alright. If you put it that way, I can’t refuse.]

[WildGrills: Thank you.]

With SwordTasteMaster the trade was practically forced.

She says she can become healthier than she is now, and still rejects it?

‘Won’t she regret it later?’

There are many people in the world who ignored their health and ended up dying.

Health is something that even if you want to take care of it, you can’t always.

That’s why you have to take care of it constantly from now on so you don’t suffer later.

[SunForEver: Is this that very valuable herb?]

[WildGrills: Yes. I heard it’s very expensive. Since you gave me a shield before, I’m giving it to you.]

[SunForEver: Hey, does this work to increase potency or something like that?]

[WildGrills: Uh… since it’s material for elixirs, I suppose so.]

So he was a man.

Although from his username I could already imagine it.

[SunForEver: Thanks. Later I’ll give you a good gift.]

[WildGrills: You already gave me a shield. If I find something good for health, I’ll give you more.]

[SunForEver: What a kind boy. Then every time you give me a mandrake I’ll give you something you want. Does that sound good?]

[WildGrills: Sounds good to me.]

I had plenty of mandrakes.

The place where they grew was quite large, so I could keep giving them to the veteran users.

But I didn’t plan to collect them without control.

If they ran out right when I really needed them, it would be a problem.

It’s better to think of them as an emergency fund.

After finishing the trade with SunForEver, I looked for DemonPrincess.

She had also helped me, so I planned to give her one.

[WildGrills: DemonPrincess, I will give you one of these.]

[DemonPrincess: Thaaanks. I will give you another uniform too.]

[WildGrills: Thanks. Whose is it this time?]

[DemonPrincess: From the legendary goalkeeper of Chayu, Gioni Sader.]

Again I had no idea who that was.

But since I received the clothes, the least I could do was thank her.

When I received a uniform for the first time I thought will this really be useful?

But unexpectedly it has helped me a lot.

The material is so elastic that it isn’t uncomfortable at all.

[WildGrills: Thanks. Was it the Champions? I hope you win there.]

[DemonPrincess: It’s not Champions, it’s Challengers. But thanks!]

[WildGrills: Isn’t the Challengers that tournament where all the clubs of Mephisto compete?]

[DemonPrincess: Yes. It’s the biggest match in the world. Not only teams from Mephisto participate, but also from other countries.]

I didn’t have a favorite team, but I also liked soccer.

When weak South Korea defeated powerful Germany I felt it was a miracle.

And when Argentina won the World Cup I thought did that really happen?

Soccer is a sport where even the best teams in the world can fall because of a miracle.

That unpredictability is what makes it the most popular sport in the world.

Especially in this world, where there is practically no entertainment besides the gallery, it was natural that sports would be so popular.

‘Isn’t there something like the World Cup?’

The Challenger’s Cup, or simply Challengers, which DemonPrincess mentioned, allows participation not only from clubs in Mephisto but also from other countries.

From what I heard, there are national tournaments and others where foreign teams participate.

In the past maybe not, but now each team includes different races, so it has become a struggle of pride between clubs.

But there didn’t seem to exist something like a World Cup that followed the origin of each nation instead of the clubs.

‘It’s not something I should worry about.’

Right now I have too many problems of my own.

Even if I like soccer, I don’t have time to worry about that.

Still, curiosity is curiosity, so someday I’ll look into it.

From what I heard, the power of humans has been increasing, and the position of the founding country, Mephisto, is also beginning to waver.

‘I’ll make a post asking later.’

For things like that, the gallery is really useful.

I wanted to ask DemonPrincess more things, but unfortunately I didn’t have time.

I heard that only moderators can adjust the time of private conversations. Maybe I should suggest it.

[WildGrills: Thanks. Let’s go Chayu!]

[DemonPrincess: Thaaanks! I hope you survive tomorrow too!]

The conversation with DemonPrincess ended cheering for Chayu.

Now only two veteran users remained: AllFather and DwarfPassingBy.

[WildGrills: Hello, AllFather. I will give you an adult mandrake.]

[AllFather: Oh! Thank you very much. How much do I owe you?]

[WildGrills: You gave me valuable information, so there’s no need. But have you made progress with the golden frog antidote?]

[AllFather: May I speak with complete honesty?]

When I read AllFather’s message, I was confused.

Speak honestly?

It sounded a little negative.

[WildGrills: The result was negative?]

[AllFather: Yes. And especially for you, Grills, it is important information.]

[WildGrills: Hmm… explain.]

[AllFather: The poison of the golden poison frog is stronger than I expected. It almost melted my laboratory.]

[WildGrills: Huff… are you alright?]

As you know, the poison of the golden frog is extremely potent.

It’s not even acid, but if it can melt wood, that says everything.

I had already warned AllFather, so if his laboratory almost melted, it must have been a very dangerous situation.

[AllFather: Yes. Fortunately there was no accident. But the most important thing is that the poison is so strong that even the antidote failed when trying to neutralize it.]

[WildGrills: Then…?]

Would I have to buy water?

While I thought about that, AllFather made a proposal.

[AllFather: But it wasn’t all in vain. Thanks to investigating the venom sac I discovered something else.]

[WildGrills: That sounds positive.]

[AllFather: Yes. If everything goes well, you, Mr. Grills, might develop resistance to poison.]

AllFather’s explanation was more or less like this.

As a result of investigating the venom sac of the golden frog, he found a special component inside it.

If that component was used, my body could develop resistance.

[WildGrills: Wouldn’t that be even better?]

[AllFather: But you will have to consume it for at least two weeks. Only then will you be able to develop resistance to the poison of the golden poison frog.]

[WildGrills: That sounds like I’ll have to capture more frogs.]

[AllFather: I see you are quick to realize.]

Ha. This old man, seriously.

I couldn’t help letting out a dry laugh at AllFather’s shamelessness.

Still, it was worth trying.

After all, he said I would gain resistance to the poison itself, so it would be especially useful for me.

‘For now, more than the frogs, the most dangerous things are the insects.’

The poison of the golden frog can at least be blocked with a shield or avoided.

But venomous snakes, poisonous insects, and poisonous plants can appear in unexpected places.

Especially since I am quite sensitive to plant poison, AllFather’s proposal was quite attractive.

[WildGrills: It doesn’t sound bad. But it would be good if you first prepare what I gave you earlier.]

[AllFather: I also have some pride. In two days I will prepare the appropriate amount and send it to you.]

[WildGrills: Thank you.]

Although the conversation with AllFather ended, I stayed a little worried.

He said it wouldn’t be an antidote, but something that would make me gradually get used to the poison.

That means the effect wouldn’t appear immediately.

It would be easy for something to go wrong.

‘For now I’ll have to endure with the antidote Heavenly Demon gave me.’

I didn’t think AllFather was trying to scam me.

If he had wanted to do that, he would have done it when I gave him the golden frog.

And judging by the enormous amount of money he has, his skills must be real.

‘Now only DwarfPassingBy is left.’

Lastly, I gave a mandrake to DwarfPassingBy.

But that guy didn’t waste any time using it to make liquor.

When I saw it, I couldn’t help being speechless.

At least I would have understood if he had sold it for money.

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) I have a lot of money haha

ㄴWildGrills) Yeah, yeah. Your shit is very thick.

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Thanks for the compliment.

ㄴWildGrills) Damn bastard hahaha

ㄴhahaha

ㄴhahahaha

ㄴI have nothing to say hahaha

Seriously, why do I even say anything.

Some people are on the verge of dying because of poor health, and others simply turn it into liquor.

Once again I felt that the world was quite unfair.

Although it was already unfair from the moment I fell into the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Anyway, since I had already given gifts to the veteran users to whom I owed something, I got to work on the next task.

Clack! Clack!

“Ah… I’m going to die.”

Digging traps at the entrance of the cave.

If I kept postponing it day after day, I would definitely regret it, so I needed to keep doing it constantly.

That the next day my whole body would hurt?

Better that than dying.

‘These are the moments when I want to take a shower.’

But now I had no choice but to endure.

Even if the threat of the golden frog disappears, it will still be difficult to bathe every day.

It’s not that the problem is cleaning afterward, but the clothes.

To minimize contact with insects and plants, clothing is not optional, it’s mandatory.

But if I wear the same clothes every day, hygiene will become a problem.

That’s why I’ll have to wash them from time to time, which naturally requires a lot of water.

‘I’m going to need a lot of soap.’

In a place like this, hygiene is very important.

If I got sick by carelessness, it would be dangerous.

Besides, diseases are not cured immediately just by taking medicine.

Maybe that’s why, when night fell, I stopped working and bought water.

I had sweated, so at least I had to wash the necessary parts for hygiene.

Once you experience that feeling of freshness, it’s hard to forget it.

Even if the money hurts, if you think of it as the price of your life, it’s actually cheap.

‘Is today the second day?’

After washing a little, I entered the gallery.

Since I had finished all my work for the day, I wanted to leave a record.

I would probably end up recording it every day like StarlightLady.

Title) Day 2 of survival

WildGrills

(photo of the campfire)

Day 2 of survival completed! See you tomorrow.

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Rest well.

ㄴSwordTasteMaster) Good work. I gave the mandrake to my mother.

ㄴDemonPrincess) Thanks for the gift. Take care.

ㄴSunForEver) Post again tomorrow. I’m worried.

ㄴHeroDontThrowAway) Good work!

Maybe because I had become familiar with the veteran users.

Most of them left messages saying that I had worked hard or done well.

Even the moderator appeared in the middle.

It seems I receive more attention than I thought.

I didn’t pay much attention to the anonymous users.

Most of them were only busy releasing their own desires.

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Hey. I can’t sleep after making liquor with what you gave me haha

ㄴWildGrills) You better die.

ㄴDwarfPassingBy) Gulp gulp haha

ㄴDamn, even the post smells like alcohol hahaha

ㄴLol

ㄴHaha

Even though there is a useless guy, since he at least helps a little I let it pass.

Besides, even though he talks like that, before he even gave me alcohol because he felt guilty.

‘Now that I think about it, what happened to StarlightLady?’

She hasn’t given any news and that worries me.

Hopefully she will post something tomorrow.

I slowly lay down on the ground.

It wasn’t hard, it felt somewhat soft.

Thanks to the mattress and pillow I bought at the auction.

I heard they were filled with straw.

‘It really is soft.’

Maybe because of the day’s fatigue and the comfort, sleep began to overtake me.

Unable to resist the drowsiness any longer, I slowly closed my eyes.

Hoping that the next day would bring something good.

***

While Grills finished his day and fell asleep, the gallery remained active regardless of whether it was day or night.

Normally the gallery was full of absurd posts, but recently it had changed.

The reason was WildGrills, who supposedly had fallen into the Forest of the Four Seasons.

Once it was confirmed that he was really there, he began receiving enormous attention.

Even the adult mandrake incident seemed like it would end up becoming just a simple anecdote.

Title) Gallery user in trouble right now…

My friend is a knight and his superior ordered him to trade with Grills and bring back an adult mandrake…

ㄴSeriously?

ㄴYes, seriously. That guy has a high rank.

ㄴIt feels very sudden.

ㄴThey say they had been observing him before, they just didn’t say it. It seems they became convinced after the dwarf’s post.

ㄴHaha at this rate even the emperor will ask for one to be brought.

ㄴMore than that, I’m curious about the reaction of the magic tower.

ㄴWhy the magic tower?

ㄴBecause they have the monopoly on mandrakes. They must be watching him more than anyone.

ㄴBah. Will there really be a scandal just because of this?

ㄴDon’t you know the incident of the previous moderator?

ㄴWhat incident?

ㄴA territory made a secret agreement with the Dwart territory to send goods without taxes. Because of that they almost went bankrupt.

ㄴHuff…

ㄴHufff…

ㄴBut doesn’t Grills have limited supply?

ㄴThe magic tower also has limited supply. They don’t cultivate mandrakes, they only manage them.

ㄴSo they also obtain them outside?

ㄴYes. Since they have a lot of authority and a monopoly, they say they abuse their power quite a lot.

ㄴFrom the magic tower’s point of view, Grills must be quite troublesome.

The atmosphere began to become strange.