Chapter 41: Scammer (2)

It is something worthy of making even ghosts cry.

I looked at the empty box and thought.

No matter how many times I checked it, the golden mushroom was not there.

It’s not that Wonmo ate it in secret.

I don’t know if it had hands or feet, but it disappeared on its own.

There’s no way to understand it.

‘Could it have been stolen by a thief like the sloth?’

I stared fixedly at the sloth.

The sloth was slowly eating the fasting pills I gave him, holding them with his claws.

That doesn’t mean he ate the golden mushroom.

If someone ate it, it must have been another animal.

Before, the sloth tried to steal a fish.

Although he failed.

Because of that, there must be animals that target nutrient-rich organisms.

‘Even so, the golden mushroom is too risky.’

Even animals usually avoid mushrooms.

And the appearance of the golden mushroom basically screams, I have poison! If you eat me, you die!

Bright colors mean strong poison.

Animals know that too.

Even if something had eaten it, there should be traces—but nothing makes sense.

‘How strange.’

Maybe it’s something good.

In any case, it was difficult to handle.

Even so, since someone wanted it, I uploaded it to the gallery.

Title) The mushroom disappeared

WildGrills (photo of the empty box)

Yesterday I stored the mushroom in the box, but today it disappeared;;

I thought Wonmo ate it, but not that either. How strange.

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) That a mushroom escaped is truly surprising. Did it have legs?

ㄴWildGrills) No idea. I looked around and there are no footprints

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) A mushroom should not be able to walk in the air

ㄴWildGrills) What is walking in the air?

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) It is a technique to walk or run in the void. The pinnacle of light movement

ㄴWildGrills) Can you do it?

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) This one is not at that level. I am at the level of freely flying through the sky

ㄴWildGrills) Oh…

ㄴSwordmaster) Aren’t you exaggerating too much? That would be Grand Master level

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) What does that mean? Explain it simply

ㄴIn terms of the central continent, it would be transcendent level

ㄴProbably around there. Is there anyone at that level?

ㄴSo rare it only appears in history books

ㄴWith high level you already destroy a city, that level is something else haha

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) I understand. Then this one has reached that level

ㄴSwordmaster) Yes, yes~ sure

ㄴAllFather) It is possible the mushroom really had legs

ㄴWildGrills) Really?

ㄴAllFather) If a muscular mushroom exists, that the golden one has limbs is basic

ㄴWildGrills) When I caught it, it was still

ㄴAllFather) Do not underestimate nature. Think about the sloth

ㄴWildGrills) Ah.

Hearing the wise AllFather, I understood.

Maybe it really had legs.

This world is fantasy.

The Forest of Four Seasons is a place where even common sense does not work.

And I am surviving there.

Thinking about it like that feels a bit sad.

In any case, nothing can be judged with common sense.

Without going far, there are sloths that catch arrows.

ㄴWildGrills) Better to assume I lost it

ㄴAllFather) What a pity, I wanted to research it

It’s a shame, but nothing can be done.

At least nothing attacked during the night.

I closed the gallery and approached the hose.

To wash my face.

Drip, drip.

The flow of water was weak.

Seeing it, I understood.

I caught another fish again.

It seems one falls in per day.

It’s perfect.

‘If I get a trap from the dwarf, I won’t have food problems.’

For a while, I won’t have worries.

Soon I’ll set traps, so it will be even better.

As long as I learn to hunt well, I won’t starve.

I’ll die from poison, illness, or being devoured by a beast.

Or by stepping on something strange.

There are many ways to die.

‘……Yeah. Better than starving.’

I felt depressed for a moment, but let it pass.

What matters is the fish.

I prepared myself and went to the river.

Before that, I fed Wonmo.

Splash! Splash!

When I arrived, just as expected, the fish was caught in the channel.

It was so big that it blocked the entrance of the hose.

Until now I had caught red fish, but this one was golden.

‘……Will this one also have poison?’

The only poisonous fish I know are pufferfish.

And even those I know live in the sea.

‘It has no spines.’

Above all, it has no spines.

It just looks like a smooth body.

The color is also just golden, not multicolored.

After thinking about it, I decided to take it as it was.

If I stay here and a golden frog appears, it will be a problem.

“Huaa.”

This one is also big enough that I have to hug it with both arms.

Are all the fish in the Forest of Four Seasons this big?

From my point of view, it’s perfect because I can eat well.

‘I should bring a large container next time.’

While holding the struggling golden fish, I made plans.

For convenience, I need at least a container or a net.

It’s not that I lack strength.

It’s just so big that I have to hold it with both hands.

‘Or I could bring the sloth.’

That sloth is quite competent.

He’s perfect as a bodyguard.

I returned to the cave and began preparing the food.

I’m already getting used to cleaning fish, so it didn’t take long.

‘Did it come out again?’

With suspicion, I checked the entrails and another internal core came out.

This time it wasn’t red, but a color closer to gold.

Do all the fish in this forest have internal cores?

It’s not once or twice, this is already the third time.

It’s very suspicious.

‘Does that mean just by eating fish I get stronger? Then why is the survival rate so low?’

While the fish was roasting, I observed the core.

Heavenly Demon said it’s like an inferior version of an elixir, but it’s still a core.

Just by consuming it, you become stronger in a short time.

‘Could it be that the problem isn’t surviving, but not being able to leave?’

That’s very likely.

What’s the use of getting stronger if you can’t get out?

‘Also, I’m a special case.’

Above all, I am a special case.

I can use the gallery here.

Unlike others, at least I can ask for advice.

If it weren’t for the gallery, the Mad Dog would have already torn me apart.

‘Better flip the fish.’

It’s going to burn.

I flipped the fish that was on the stone.

I’ll decide about the core later.

There’s no rush.

If necessary, I can sell it.

Heavenly Demon said to consume it when I reach a certain level.

‘But I don’t really know what that level is.’

And above all, my foundation is weak.

Right now, the important thing is to strengthen the basics.

Eating the core isn’t bad, but I could get sick for days.

And that is dangerous for survival.

The last time I had a fever, I almost died.

‘Speaking of that, they should have bought it by now.’

I thought about it while eating the fish.

I listed it yesterday at noon, so it should sell soon.

[Internal core: 750 taels of silver]

The price is high.

It seems it will hold.

‘Reputation is important.’

The gallery has a review system.

There you can see someone’s reliability.

Otherwise, it would be a place full of scammers.

Especially with the high commissions.

‘My reputation is everything.’

If I lose it, I can’t recover it.

I depend on the gallery.

And it’s not a small amount of money.

I can’t take it lightly.

‘Although I gave one to Heavenly Demon if the auction thing isn’t…’

It’s probably a core, but I can’t rule out that it’s a lie.

It may seem like I don’t trust people, but I don’t trust anonymous users.

When I arrived here, some wanted me to die.

Real malice comes out in anonymity.

‘First, let it sell.’

What matters now is eating.

I gave some to Wonmo and finished the fish.

It was much tastier than the red one.

It tasted like pork.

“I’m full.”

After eating, I went into the cave and practiced the method.

Based on what Heavenly Demon and Swordmaster taught.

Maybe because of the golden fish, I felt energy like waves inside me.

‘More than waves a storm?’

The method is called the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique.

So it’s more like a storm.

Then I controlled that energy.

I raised my hand.

A faint blue energy appeared.

‘Every time, it’s incredible.’

I was just a normal guy.

And now I use mana.

Sometimes it feels like a dream.

That energy makes it more real.

‘But the Mad Dog was real.’

I turned off the energy and went outside.

Today I’ll make traps and explore.

I’ll explore the mushroom and the cave. If the mushroom escaped, it might be there.

Title) I want to make traps, give advice

WildGrills

I found rabbits yesterday, how do I make a trap?

But they’re not normal, they kick hard.

ㄴBuy a bear trap

ㄴThat will destroy them

ㄴMake a pit with stakes

ㄴNo, better to catch them alive

As always, good advice.

ㄴBe the bait haha

ㄴSounds fun lol

ㄴIf it fails you die, if it works you eat

Idiots.

I ignored that and designed the trap.

The best option is a pit.

Cover it with a board.

If they step on it, they fall.

‘But they can get out easily.’

The pit must be deep, but the important thing is the cover.

‘It should open and close.’

That’s better.

I chose that method. But making it is another matter.

I carefully thought through the design.

‘It should open depending on weight.’

I bought large nails.

To fix it.

‘And add a counterweight.’

I nailed branches.

And placed another one between them.

Thinking vaguely of a whole barbecue roast is the easiest. A structure that rotates and spins while roasting.

But this is not a barbecue, it is a trap, so instead of meat, I inserted an iron cylinder.

Lastly, I tied the stone that will serve as the counterweight with a rope and that’s it.

Clack!

I pressed the board with my finger, pushing it down.

As soon as I removed my finger, thanks to the counterweight, the board went back up.

The trap is perfect. Now I just have to move this trap as it is.

‘Although I should make it a bit bigger.’

For that, except for the large nails and the hammer, I’ll need to make several trips back and forth.

I asked the sloth to watch the house well and finished the preparations.

A weapon to protect my body, a shovel needed to dig the ground, and an elixir just in case, etc.

Since everything was ready, I headed toward the area where the rabbits appear.

‘After moving it, I should first check if the mushroom is there.’

Unfortunately, there was no golden mushroom in the cave.

The completely charred muscular mushroom was also still the same.

It seems that, although it gave off an aroma, they found it unpleasant.

Since I already checked the mushrooms, what’s left is to place the trap.

Digging the hole wasn’t that difficult either.

After a while, when I finished placing all the traps, an indescribable satisfaction filled me.

Soon I’ll be able to eat meat instead of fish.

‘As for butchering, I’ll have to do it myself.’

So the beast wouldn’t suspect anything, I spread dirt over the board and even placed grass on top.

The only thing left is patience.

I gathered all the equipment and returned to the cave.

‘It’s already 11.’

Between one thing and another, time flew by.

While thinking about what to do until the internal core sold, I put my hand in my pocket.

The golden internal core came out of my pocket.

I thought about whether I should list this one in the auction house as well.

‘Let’s first see how the other one sells. Before that…’

Grruug—

My stomach hurts too much. It’s always like this every time I eat fish.

Before, it hurt almost immediately after eating, but today it took a bit longer.

Soon I’ll also have to make a toilet.

It’s getting more tiring to dig the ground every time.

After emptying my stomach, I connected to the gallery.

To check the internal core bid.

[Internal core: 750 taels of silver]

The bid didn’t change.

It stayed frozen for 6 hours.

It seems it will end like this.

Because of that, I modified the time.

[Do you want to change it to 30 minutes before the auction closes?]

[Once modified, the time limit cannot be changed.]

I accepted without hesitation.

30 minutes is more than enough.

And what will I do during those 30 minutes?

I plan to use the method.

Not use it mindlessly, but properly build the foundation from the basics, just as Heavenly Demon taught.

I must somehow fill the parts full of holes to be able to more easily obtain that thing called Aura Blade or aura sword or whatever.

‘It’s difficult. Very difficult.’

The foundation is not memorized, it is “understood.”

Since I’m not from this world, that is the hardest part for me.

Even if I’ve become strong through shortcuts so far, in the end the foundation is still the problem.

‘I’ll just practice for 30 minutes.’

It ended up being more than an hour.

Once I got immersed, I didn’t even feel time passing.

Also, if I don’t enter the gallery, my sense of time becomes quite vague.

Because of that, I connected to see how much the core sold for.

[Why Grills is a scammer]

[Grills, give an explanation!]

[Grills, give an explanation!]

[This guy is a scammer haha]

[Could it be a lie that he’s in the Forest of Four Seasons?]

[They should ban him, honestly]

[Like this if Grills died haha]

“What?”

What the hell happened for everything to be this messed up?

On top of that, most of the posts are about me.

I don’t understand.

First, the easiest thing is to check the pinned post.

Something must have been posted there for this to happen.

[This bastard WildGrills is a scammer. Don’t believe him.]

The post with the most recommendations.

Obviously, it’s about me.

I couldn’t ignore that title, so I went in immediately.

Title) This bastard WildGrills is a scammer. Don’t believe him.

(Photo of the internal core on the palm)

Is this an internal core? Hahaha

What the hell, this is just a normal little ball.

I’m a legend for having paid 750 taels for this, seriously.

You can’t trust this bastard Grills.

Take responsibility, you son of a bitch. Give me my money back.

Didn’t Heavenly Demon say it was real?

ㄴAnd you believed her? Haha

ㄴIt was already suspicious that every time he fished, an internal core came out~

ㄴFrom now on I’ll buy everything from Grills haha

ㄴAs if you ever bought anything

ㄴExactly haha

ㄴIs this guy an idiot?

ㄴBut are we sure he bought it?

ㄴYes, the number and the buyer match

ㄴWow lol how much did he lose?

ㄴAt that level he lost all his money haha

ㄴThat’s sad

ㄴHonestly, shouldn’t Grills return the money?

ㄴWhat about the commission!

ㄴDoes that matter? If he scammed, he must return everything, idiot

ㄴIf he scams, the admin bans him, right?

ㄴYes, at minimum permanent ban

Just as I feared, what I expected happened.

It seems I trusted people too much.

Fortunately, it was something I had more or less anticipated.

Just as I was about to comment—

[Heavenly Demon: Do not worry, young noble. This one will resolve it for you.]

[WildGrills: Huh?]

[Heavenly Demon: That ungrateful one needs divine punishment. Wait.]

I received a private message from Heavenly Demon.

What is she planning to do?

‘Is she going to ban him?’

***

The brain of the demonic cult and strategist, the Demon Brain, was very confused by the current situation.

That Heavenly Demon, Yoo Sowol, called him was not something so confusing.

After all, one must answer the call of the sky.

But the direct order from the sky made even the Demon Brain uneasy.

“H-Heaven… what you just said… could you repeat it?”

“It is strange that you ask again. With my great generosity, I will order it once more.”

Sitting on the throne, Yoo Sowol spoke with a voice that feigned anger.

“Connect to the gallery.”

“……”

“You consumed the internal core I gave you and increased your level. You only need to upload a post that proves it.”

To connect to the gallery and post what they call a “verification post.”

At first glance, it is something very easy.

But who is the Demon Brain?

A true gallery addict who spends all day insulting his superior

(Heavenly Demon).

‘……I’m screwed.’

The Demon Brain, the intelligent demon, Wi Seolak.

‘I’m really screwed.’

He found himself in a desperate crisis.