Chapter 64: Strange Ones (1)

Even after some time passed, DwarfPassingBy didn’t post anything.

Did he just run off after receiving everything? I didn’t think so. If he did that, it would be a permanent ban.

Most likely, since I also gave him food, he was drinking like crazy.

That had to be it.

‘At this rate he’s going to die of cirrhosis.’

Though since it’s liquor made from mandrake, maybe it actually makes him healthier.

I sighed and checked the gallery again.

No matter how much I looked, there was no trace of DwarfPassingBy.

[fck fck fck fck]

[Trash team]

[No, that lol]

[Please disband]

[How did that team ever become strong?]

Instead, there were tons of really weird posts.

The posting speed was so fast that I even searched the dwarf’s name in case I had missed it.

I opened a random post.

Title) Trash team

Suspiciously

(roaring lion emblem)

Disband, you useless idiots

ㄴlmao

ㄴwhat’s the score?

ㄴthey just got hit with a grand slam, 7–0 lmao

ㄴwhat a garbage team lmao

Hmm. I more or less understood what was going on.

Most of the posts were about sports—specifically baseball.

It seemed like there was a game going on.

And since in sports multiple teams usually play at the same time, it was normal for there to be so many posts.

Title) ???: Post it, you bastards

(photo of an intimidating tiger beastman)

Didn’t I tell you?

ㄴsorry for doubting

ㄴthey should’ve changed the pitcher earlier

ㄴthis guy hoarding pitchers like loot boxes is infuriating lmao

Title) ???: Your pitch is so slow

(photo of an angry middle-aged cook)

even my grandma could hit it with a cane!

ㄴgrandma’s on fire today lmao

ㄴwatching them play, even a cane would be enough to beat them

ㄴfr

Title) They say “trash team” but we all know they love them

ㄴlike your mom loves you

ㄴlmao

ㄴit’s getting spicy lmao

Title) Damn child abusers

(dog emblem)

These guys don’t build dreams, they destroy them I came with my kid and he started crying when they made a comeback, fuck

ㄴstill teaching him something

ㄴlike what?

ㄴthat even being this useless you can still live

ㄴlmao

ㄴlol

“Pfft—hahahaha.”

It was impossible not to laugh.

There were so many good comments that it felt like eating spicy junk food.

Also, there were barely any serious personal insults, so the moderator didn’t intervene.

ㄴwhy does the moderator allow this? it’s all insults

ㄴHeroDontThrowAway) Sometimes people need to vent!

Apparently that was the reason.

Thanks to that, everyone was letting out their frustration without limits.

Sometimes someone would go too far and spam, but the moderator deleted it instantly.

‘Now that I think about it, HeavenlyDemon is also a moderator, right?’

Suddenly, I got curious.

What does she think about sports?

I sent her a private message.

[WildGrills: HeavenlyDemon, are you there?]

[HeavenlyDemon: What is it?]

She replied instantly.

Wasn’t she busy?

I asked her about what was happening in the gallery.

[WildGrills: Are you seeing what’s going on in the gallery?]

[HeavenlyDemon: I know the dead are screaming nonstop]

[WildGrills: Dead?]

[HeavenlyDemon: From the way they shriek, they are no different from rotting corpses]

A harsh criticism, but quite accurate to describe fans.

I wasn’t a fan, but I knew what they were like.

My friends were basically walking dead whenever there were matches.

[WildGrills: Aren’t they banned or anything?]

[HeavenlyDemon: There is no need. It is amusing to watch them. You should observe them]

[WildGrills: I already am. Hey, are there sports in your world?]

[HeavenlyDemon: Yes. There will probably be a match tomorrow]

Martial arts and sports—a strange combination.

But even in conservative places, entertainment always exists.

[WildGrills: Do you have a favorite team?]

[HeavenlyDemon: No. It seems you are quite interested]

[WildGrills: It was part of the culture where I lived]

I wasn’t a hardcore fan.

Just a casual one.

But even so, sports are enjoyable.

And if there’s a good story behind a team, I get hooked more than anyone.

[HeavenlyDemon: Do you plan to become one of those dead?]

[WildGrills: Not that much, but I will support a team. DemonPrincess helped me]

[HeavenlyDemon: I do not understand what is enjoyable about that ball game. Better to train]

A typical old-school comment.

But it’s not like I don’t understand.

I used to think the same.

But watching my friends go crazy, I understood.

It’s like a drug.

A drug that makes you keep supporting even when it hurts.

…Well, not that much.

It’s just something that draws you in, and you can’t explain it.

[WildGrills: It’s a matter of taste. But this kind of thing creates unity]

[HeavenlyDemon: Unity sounds like a religion]

[WildGrills: In the end, religion is also culture]

[HeavenlyDemon: Then, if I lead that game, would the unity be greater?]

[WildGrills: Better create a team. You’re someone important]

[HeavenlyDemon: Good idea. I will consider it]

[WildGrills: But first gather money. That costs a lot]

Of course, that’s assuming she can even do it.

I know she’s powerful, but creating a team who knows.

I just didn’t want her to see this as a simple game.

[HeavenlyDemon: I have a question]

[WildGrills: Go ahead]

[HeavenlyDemon: If I create a team, would you support it?]

[WildGrills: Of course. I’ll support you no matter what.]

With everything HeavenlyDemon has done for me, how could I not support her at least in that?

Maybe my sincerity reached her, because she also replied with warm words.

[HeavenlyDemon: It is a shame I cannot bring you to the Heavenly Sect. I will remember your words.]

[WildGrills: Thank you.]

[HeavenlyDemon: Do not die until I personally come for you.]

The conversation with HeavenlyDemon ended with words that almost sounded like well wishes.

After that, I checked the time. It was kind of an awkward moment to do anything.

‘First I should give the stones to DemonPrincess and StarlightPrincess.’

Since there was no news from the dwarf, it was better to do those trades first.

Even if they turned out to be ordinary stones, I was going to give them away anyway, so no problem.

[StarlightPrincess: Is this really orichalcum?]

[WildGrills: Honestly, I don’t know. I’ll give it to you anyway even if it isn’t.]

[StarlightPrincess: Thank you. I’ll give you a gift as well.]

[WildGrills: What gift?]

[StarlightPrincess: Cookies. They’ll be tasty.]

[WildGrills: Ohhh!]

After the ice cream I tried before, now cookies I was already excited.

Besides, last time that damn sloth ate all the ice cream.

I immediately handed a stone to StarlightPrincess.

[WildGrills: You can verify it too, right? Whether it’s orichalcum or not.]

[StarlightPrincess: I’ll have to test it in the workshop, but it won’t take long.]

[WildGrills: Thanks. By the way, you’ve been training lately, right?]

[StarlightPrincess: Yes.]

[WildGrills: What kind of training do you do?]

Since the gallery had been full of sports topics lately, the question came out naturally.

Until a few days ago, StarlightPrincess had practically been on the verge of death.

But I heard that after recovering, she became addicted to exercise.

[StarlightPrincess: I do a bit of everything. I can feel my body gaining muscle.]

[WildGrills: Aren’t you interested in sports?]

[StarlightPrincess: I prefer strengthening my own body.]

Makes sense.

If she’s focused on training, she won’t have time to watch sports.

And besides, it hasn’t even been a week since she fully recovered.

[WildGrills: I see. Were you interested in exercise before?]

[StarlightPrincess: No. Before, I only thought about when I was going to die.]

[WildGrills: damn…]

[StarlightPrincess: Not anymore. But the sweat after intense training is incredibly refreshing.]

She’s turning into a full gym rat.

Good development.

After listening to her long speech about exercise, I closed the conversation.

She said she would make protein supplements for me later, but I firmly refused.

In the end, I already have better things around, so I don’t need that.

‘It’d be different if I asked for it myself.’

Thinking about it, I should’ve given her the internal core.

Well, I’ll give it to her later.

Anyway.

After giving her the stone, I started eating cookies with the sloth while looking for another person.

That person was DemonPrincess.

There had been no sign of her.

The trade with StarlightPrincess happened because I had notified her beforehand, but DemonPrincess hadn’t responded all this time.

I had nothing pending anymore, and training with the sword would take too long.

‘I’ll trade with DemonPrincess and then train or prepare dinner.’

The trade cooldown was just about to end.

While waiting for her to initiate the trade, I checked the gallery.

Just like HeavenlyDemon said, it was full of living dead.

Curious, I posted a question.

Title) Does the gallery always get like this?

WildGrills

Right now it’s full of lunatics, does this happen every time there’s a match?

ㄴSwordMaster) No. Different lunatics appear every quarter.

ㄴWildGrills) Every quarter? What happens then?

ㄴSwordMaster) Exam season at the academy.

ㄴthat’s when the best memes come out, wait for it lol

ㄴthe “I’m gonna kill the professor” posts are the best lmao

ㄴ???: the syllabus… it’s not that big…!!

ㄴ???: IT DOESN’T FIT IN MY HEAD FCK

ㄴlol

ㄴlmao

Seems like people are the same everywhere.

During exam season, the best memes always appear. I’ll have to check it out later.

[You have received a trade request from DemonPrincess. Accept?]

While I was still browsing the gallery, the request came in.

She was probably busy and just got back.

I accepted immediately.

[DemonPrincess: Hi! Sorry for the delay, I was getting ready!]

[WildGrills: Getting ready for what?]

[DemonPrincess: To watch the match! I need to train my mind to stay calm!]

[WildGrills: …wouldn’t it be better not to watch then?]

[DemonPrincess: That’s impossible! It’s about loyalty!]

I don’t share it, but I understand it.

Since I don’t have time to get that invested, I can only go along with it.

[WildGrills: Well, I’ll give you the stone that’s probably orichalcum. If it’s confirmed, I’ll give you more later.]

[DemonPrincess: Thank you! Do you need anything in return?]

[WildGrills: Let’s confirm if it’s orichalcum first.]

I’ve already received too much from her, so this is the limit.

And it seems she understood, because she didn’t insist.

[WildGrills: You said there’s a match soon, right?]

[DemonPrincess: Yes! And since the opponent is that one, we absolutely have to win!]

[WildGrills: Will you upload highlights?]

[DemonPrincess: If what you gave me is orichalcum, I can record the full match!]

[WildGrills: And you won’t get sued for that?]

[DemonPrincess: It’s in the gallery, who’s going to catch us? Besides, if it’s not orichalcum, I won’t even be able to upload highlights.]

That also made sense.

Even if she uploads it to the gallery, it’s not like anyone can really do anything.

Since transmission magic isn’t perfect and cuts out sometimes, it must be pretty inconvenient.

‘Now that I think about it, what’s the maximum video length?’

So far, I had only uploaded short clips, so I didn’t know. But from what DemonPrincess said, it seemed it could be quite long.

A soccer match lasts about 90 minutes—does that mean she can upload something that long?

I got curious, so I asked.

[WildGrills: What’s the maximum video length you can upload to the gallery?]

[DemonPrincess: There’s no limit. But it consumes a lot of mana, so usually the limit is around 10 minutes]

[WildGrills: So you can record the full 90 minutes?]

[DemonPrincess: It’s because I have orichalcum. With that, there’s no overheating and it can be used efficiently]

[WildGrills: Ahh]

I didn’t fully understand, but well, that’s how it works.

If it really turns out to be orichalcum, maybe I can also use it in some useful way.

[DemonPrincess: I have to go now. Cheer for me once, please]

[WildGrills: Let’s go Chayu! You’re definitely winning today!]

[DemonPrincess: Thanks hehe. I wish Chayu knew about your existence, Grills-nim]

[WildGrills: Then I’ll have to cheer even harder]

It has its charm. An event for a fan lost in the middle of nowhere.

Though realistically, that will never happen. And besides, I have my own problems.

I exchanged a few more words with DemonPrincess and finished the trade.

Since the match would start soon, I went outside for a moment to check the surroundings.

‘The smoking is going well better reapply repellent.’

I’ve been constantly using repellent against snakes and insects.

If it weren’t for that, I might have already died in my sleep.

After checking everything, I returned to the cave.

I planned to cheer for the match wholeheartedly, as thanks to DemonPrincess.

And just as I entered the gallery, the first thing I saw was—

[You fcking sons of b*tches damn bastards][25]

In that short time.

DemonPrincess had already turned into one of the living dead.