Chapter 9: The Forest of the Four Seasons (4)
JWDbRI am not thinking about anything.XH53V
V2zABecause I literally have no thoughts at all.axwS1U
nRUsSince I returned to the cave, I just stayed there, blankly, without thinking about anything.XFTas94
AbeThe reality I am in is so unbelievable that I only wish it were a dream.Zp1
ObDzTBut even as time passes, nothing changes.v2GCa3
85lThis damned place is the Forest of the Four Seasons, and this is where I woke up.B7WoM
9sf3It was impossible not to lose my mind.mzGd3
GLPRBecause of that, I spent the whole day writing shitty posts full of desperation and sadness in the gallery.86jeE
IbUTitle) The five stages of death in real timeK7L
B71LH[No kidding. I am going to investigate a bit more.]Tp32qM
9dRDenialpcq
vao5ae[Why me? Fuck! What did I do wrong?]2JP
dv29nAnger4jnp
bunCcVC[I will be a slave for life, can someone come and get me?]UR5sKd
teo2Bargainingv3JDRu
0dd[Take me home. I want to eat the kimchi jjigae I left yesterday.]QIctP
QWyDDeDepressionL90
Coq5sAEThose are the titles that Grills wrote in real time if now only acceptance is left.bor
czHRkzㄴ hahaha306q
NO2rQㄴ hahahajsSvOMc
SSGU4ㄴ It is science, hahaKflL
7AwtHㄴ What is kimchi jjigae?BMBFFI
N12Pㄴ I do not knowEhvkna
ecDㄴ StarlightLady) How pitiful…… just like me, with limited time……yEN7B
xPuㄴ It is not that serious eitherLfaA
ZgOTmㄴ StarlightLady) Oh, no?M7d2Ad
Kt1ㄴ Fly lifespan?fVJ
friLUmHㄴ hahaharDt5C
gnfieㄴ It makes sense, hahaSPGH5d
teZ0TlQㄴ StarlightLady) You are really meanvr5
bdwJsrOne user even kindly arranged the timeline.Vzi
HZfxw5WWhen I saw it, a laugh escaped me.5wQw
Rv9The truth is that I was already thinking about moving on to the acceptance stage.zo0xre
K2OyStaying here doing nothing is useless.hN21tv
4EO3I do not know why I have to suffer here, but I cannot run away from reality every time either.kIywS
5NPHos‘Could it be that there really is no way out? No impossible.’7guP
OKbIn the gallery they said that the Forest of the Four Seasons is a barrier that covers the entire region.RsnE
03cEven if you break one barrier, another appears, and the one you broke is restored with a different pattern.jExe
fxZxoHThat applies to the ground, the underground, and the sky.Mm6Xp
NNmtThat is why, once you enter, you can never leave.oHEk
Xs3uKP‘First I must confirm the size of the forest I am in.’3lObd4
eFDF0WIn case I have to stay and live here, it is best to thoroughly explore the surroundings.6A4wJ9O
PdbbKMsThe cave is right in front, and getting lost so close would be ridiculous.lsn
4CZkiThe problem is that that kind of ridiculous thing happens often. I have to be careful.G6i
F8RKLgE‘First I will go to the river. I have to check whether the water can be drunk.’hsOQb4G
DlHYesterday I was so mentally unstable that I did not confirm it.54omaYa
16BTI was so shaken that I felt like crying.0hlPMl
XW7fJpNormally forest water is drinkable.KY0x2
ZG5KJVWhat I want to confirm is what lives inside it.GmbICH
7VwB78wIn a place full of snakes the size of an anaconda, bears the size of a house, and strange creatures, is the water going to be safe?6wk5bbE
85hcUIt would not be strange if there were fish that eat people.im8XCZ
x54xWI could die just from drinking water.9iaMHk
Ul5‘If it can be drunk, this cave can serve as a shelter.’1WX
ipHWETwo days have already passed and, aside from the mad dog that was the original owner, no one else has come.WXoV
OyMCmGWell, an owlbear appeared nearby, but we ignore that. I ran away.1HfPQ
FvUEnesBesides, it is an easy place to defend, so I will probably live here.whOr
Kc1fu‘Would it be better to endure by eating fasting pills?’9y51fB
XUVXbUQThat really requires thinking.0tjOwSu
MP1gmLnWhile I was thinking about it, I stood up.lkhC
oKRZRFor now I will go to the river. I will think after I return.AB65
LCJV782Or I will make a poll in the gallery.1bT
GGjM7IeThat said, only fixed users will be able to vote.7WLR4G
kHIGThere are too many who say “it is not my problem, I do not care”.GwH
NvKmCPIt is not collective intelligence, it is collective stupidity.drWY2
oOrFiuuu—0qZZhXL
jC1“Wow what is this?”O67MdGU
LUWUDAs soon as I reached the stream I had observed yesterday, I could not help but exclaim.96a2u
dFyzWere there dangerous beasts? No.LzYS4Jf
rd0DAZFish that eat people? Neither.2ZBl
WLJThe problem was the landscape on the other side of the stream.so50xC
3OXUntil yesterday, that was a desert.dsT8YT
Y7oOTitle) Guys, look at thisaZr0Ei
yvWl1HVWildGrillsl6NP
80z(photo of a snowy mountain on the other side of the stream)tMSRA
7sJYesterday it was a desert and today it is a snowy mountain.fZxX
KJAmlgBWhat will it be tomorrow? hahaaQTEZ
XlZ53nDㄴ Forest of the Four Seasons confirmed. End of story.QLdIKx
Zxtㄴ What the hell is that?RO7
AQ2ㄴ Wow…… what do you even say in a situation like this?GCNo
XLjJhSuㄴ StarlightLady) You just have to encourage himX21Bs
MoAPㄴ SwordTasteMaster) Excuse me, you are not a criminal, right?vGqS
YJmLㄴ WildGrills) Having touched my mom’s wallet when I was a child?S2ThV
8v52ㄴ SwordTasteMaster) Did you not say you were an orphan?B3F3bLB
nh0HAㄴ WildGrills) I was not before……diMIcUG
tLNy4sEㄴ SwordTasteMaster) ………SorryPp7Lb7
8bmC7Rrㄴ WildGrills) It is fine, I am already used to it4x2eM
L5mpVㄴ SwordTasteMaster) I also touched my parents’ wallet, haha;;iLS7PP
97TzegJㄴ WildGrills) Why do you not come quickly?KcFoXWL
SqQi3ㄴ SwordTasteMaster) I am busy with workH1W
oCjX68ㄴ WildGrills) What work?LD2V7H
Fa3YDHㄴ SwordTasteMaster) Security guard at home, hahayMS7
l1P0gY3ㄴ In other words, unemployed, hahahaCh1pIim
MQlXㄴ hahahaG8TWH
tbmGwVㄴ Is this guy mentally okay?196xxHW
sVbRZㄴ Even I do not know anymoresB2oogf
Hz13Xㄴ Let him survive however he cantM2i
waX5DWqㄴ Should they not give him a disaster subsidy? hahaXOKIiE
oVfNNㄴ HeavenlyDemon) The mountain is beautiful1Rh0
lJkTYNRㄴ PrincessChangu) Yes, like my face, haharoc
azMcKUㄴ HeavenlyDemon) ?UH9d
Tcamㄴ ?TZLqw6e
dJDCㄴ ?90oJBeO
LryeFg7ㄴ ?eLM
5Z3lㄴ PrincessChangu) What is wrong, does it bother you? Then leavegiH2yT
7x83ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) Where do you live?S1CF
dxx6Now they even put a seal of approval.hUf
sU8vfmI let out a dry laugh.KaC1
1s9Dp5tUntil yesterday, on the other side of the stream there was a desert.3hI0v
VpDgWcToday it is a completely white snowy mountain.rYlfTT
X7xmDid I go to the wrong place? It makes no sense.MiUffE
zI84A snowy mountain next to a desert?j9log
gRugGDThe border was clear.EuyxV
GqECX6It is not that the environment changes little by little; the surroundings change completely using the stream as the boundary.vbH
Ul1vxq0‘Is someone messing with me?’LzHFTO
cwSI sighed and approached the stream.aLm1
YCNtI7Judging by the number of small fish, the water quality seems good.Bf0lE
xseP9Within the bad, that is fortunate.Zpl
zLWcLater I will also bring the canteen that Heavenly Demon gave me.O5IcXSK
xebuBut just in case, I have to check first.oxnmxe
nzQ7aI started by verifying the depth.UfcEYE
6GMG26Splash.7Iz
DrKs4rnAs soon as I put my hand in, I felt more doubt than coolness.ixY
xeFFor a moment I thought my eyes were deceiving me.cy3
4cH7EeBut the more I put my arm in, the deeper it was.ef5
EUZI could not touch the bottom.uZ4
lxNw2The water is so clear that it looks much shallower than it actually is.MKG
j2HW4fF‘This is enough.’QICy
0l8WTXIt is not extremely deep.1Tes
mm0J2You can cross it if you want.RxC6FN
uSE3Although there is no reason to cross toward a snowy mountain, unless I want to commit suicide.CNp
3kqud“Croak.”wo7IJ
wisW“Huh?”UBCv
WTVIt was when I pulled my arm out of the water.6JYfE7
aWjLFodI heard a strange sound right next to my ear.y9o7
ZxrFrom how close it sounded, it was right there.1Ha
cdHTTI turned my head toward the direction of the sound.2NIlvR
SwW6S“Croak.”eOLTe
OfwHF“……A frog?”Urrq
Wp4FqjA golden frog.obleq
r2fIt was sitting on a rock in the middle of the stream.JkT
zWmIts whole body shone with an intense golden color, which made it feel even more dangerous.mLAp
hbDQaEKCreatures with such striking colors usually have venom.k7lY0vD
KwfIt is better to move away.h80cOWv
Kr3mVenom must be avoided at all costs.PvZWjP
fxTbdEven if it were not venomous, its size was like that of a small dog, which was already disgusting.qwkAlF
gfMv“Kraaaak!”lf5rkGm
8mAaLh“Huh? What?”WCV
FRRPAJust when I was about to leave, the golden frog made an unexpected move.9Q8
qLKklAwIt straightened up on its long legs and threw its head back.fnOE1t
VH4bXIt made a sound as if it were gathering phlegm, like a human.7tSCZnd
Emvy9EiThen it brought its head forward again.kUPgux
KVJI“Spit!”zuWfCY
69GR3Fiiing!s4w6Fxq
uYFhA viscous liquid shot out of the frog’s mouth like a bullet.rv8
EUDJpZStraight at my face.hdJ8rbq
pzT5CwMI startled and barely managed to move.6RVMrV
QtOUThe golden liquid passed brushing past me.g3Hgg
cEmAn instant later, the liquid hit the tree trunk behind me.GSsLad1
ayaAnQqSssss.3Hh
z01eTbp“Fuck.”iIsJ2r
T2BN5EThe tree was melting.ZP0YGm
ErtAgUsWas it not venom but acid?dOpW
QDkpThere was no time to admire anything.B1b34V
CAGpKThe frog was already throwing its head back again, charging another shot.LutH
Dpb6pGetting out of there was the first priority.nCpv5jr
hFCaIgI ran before it could spit again.9564EFz
8ROgr“Spit!”UXl
prbz“Ah!”vx9dTY
lsgeucIt missed by little again.Qn6N1
UB44CIf I had not lowered my head, it would have hit the back of my neck.K2iT8O
jrLNTC7Fortunately, the frog did not chase me.nVrT
aAUFakIt seems to consider the stream as its territory.vlA
vHmm“Gasp… gasp…”a0m
S4KyVMI returned to the cave fighting for my life, out of breath.Zcv
ctrI do not know why I have to go through all this.bac
ezgI found clean water and still I have to be careful of a frog.s67
hauK9AIt is absurd.nmkxb
bBo‘Besides, the river is deep, I cannot even get close…’yOyk6
FKQyh81If I had a bow it would be fine, but no way.WHe
74g25II do not even know how to use one.xpf
yT5fujYesterday that thing was not there.0F3cA3
fT26HTIs it because today I put my hand in the water?We8PTxK
tHBHJsI do not know if I will be able to drink from there.mXrJk
wPuRFnnIn the worst case, the frog could spit acid into the river.5v6
Z4xnmmTitle) Guys, I found a golden frogZBrXzF
FS16LWildGrillsMG6zZOc
eGFW7I could not take a picture because I ran.3YRtm
2XN0This son of a bitch spits acid. Does anyone know what it is?jIy
h5wEB8ㄴ A frog that spits acid? What kind of frog is that? hahaVbyPpx
Wz8TL0ㄴ It is the Forest of the Four Seasons, but now you are going too far with the lie, hahagZHbMr
EldAㄴ Without a photo, 99% lie hmmZEy6m
3lobRAㄴ AllFather) Did you find it in the river?p0cC3
1K8CvIsWhile only useless questions were piling up, one of the fixed users left a comment. It was AllFather.Kvsqu
yi4NAllFather is a fixed user who appears very occasionally, leaves a comment and disappears. He does not publish many posts either.EYX0r
1guXbaIf anything, they are texts related to magic or alchemy. Most are full of technical terms, so I used to ignore them.X3tTW
TbXnrTHe has a professor-like air.YWgllAY
YfASHSHe almost always speaks in a formal tone, so I also replied respectfully.4LFf
4E5tㄴWildGrills) Yes. I found it in the river. As soon as I put my hand in the water, it spat at me.HB26s02
P480ukㄴAllFather) What size was it?ZtUTrV
yHGGRㄴWildGrills) The size of a dog.JS2
S6PK5ㄴAllFather) Being in the Forest of the Four Seasons, it seems it grew. Normally it is the size of a phalanx.kNeg
z4UPl83ㄴWildGrills) Do you know what it is?siwfyXf
Sw30uㄴAllFather) Yes. Its scientific name is Golden Poison Frog. It is a rare species that only appears in clean waters, and its venom is so potent that many people have died trying to capture it. Be careful.0nktv0
OUc7mdoㄴWildGrills) So it is not acidic saliva but venom?;;aGl
kfUy0ㄴAllFather) It is because the venom is extremely strong.7bzB
WORqa11There really are all kinds of creatures in this place.quU7Rh
OtZnxHkA frog that spits venom comparable to acid.VxjZB
caImMoreover, since the entire river is its territory, it is practically a natural fortress for it.IUd5tM
ZUTiDIt is like an archer shooting arrows from the top of a wall.CJY2wb
DSQ4Jjk‘At least I want to be able to drink water safely…’Qga
0quNIf I appear too often around there, it might wait for me directly.k8YPPV6
z797hrWThat would be a serious problem.mEhL
CpmPrINWhile I was thinking, notifications kept ringing non-stop.u1s
Nl75Lately, every time I post something, I get a rain of comments.Mj1
hKPHj6ZㄴAllFather) If you manage to capture the Golden Poison Frog, I will pay you 20,000 gold. I would like to research it.zGqyUXn
AG2Ky8ㄴ Is that not an elegant way of telling him to die?J4WLwk
Nx0OthBㄴ It is true haha5fkB
MvAzㄴ If you catch it I will give you 50,000 gold hahahZLHm
tKkNs4hㄴWildGrills) I have to catch it otherwise I cannot drink water any other advice?boci
sqccGㄴAllFather) I am sorry, but it is an extremely rare species and there is no academic information available. We only know that it is usually active in the morning. You might need an antidote.p4t6BE2
SLD17ㄴ Then you can go at night to drink water, yes.b2s
NloㄴWildGrills) At night it is more dangerous;;Zw0BT3w
3wAㄴ What appears?bdrgix
dEMㄴWildGrills) Precisely because I do not know what might appear is why it is dangerous.gZIv
VjEhreKThere was no clear strategy.gs95
yQO2FLIn the end, I have to solve it myself.jOLwJ5
1ZEU8It is the trial I must overcome to secure drinkable water.eszF
HqeGlAnd for that I need to prepare well.OK1LZ
jRIN‘First of all, I will return the compasses.’O7Lt6du
vlFExcept for the one Heavenly Demon gave me, I plan to return them to their original owners.Qq1
KKfFirst I published a message so everyone could see it, and five minutes later I sent trade requests.D6SY
NP4RThe first was to StarlightLady.6dRZi
7FgGSince she practically lives in the gallery, she accepted instantly.abWZ
hlW[WildGrills: Hello. I am sending a trade to return the compass.]PERaEP1
u1D3Psv[StarlightLady: Ah, yes. There was no need to return it…]XB6Vxa
IXQ0TY[WildGrills: The one Heavenly Demon gave me is enough. The others are hard to carry.]w5YJQBy
nEytCJY[StarlightLady: I understand. Stay strong for both of us.]6Fu
Aj8ut0[WildGrills: Thank you. I wish you a speedy recovery.]t7X
bUxbIt seems she really is sick. And she is kind.QU0
eSdwNext was SunForEver, a user who is supposedly a dark elf.feh
OLP[WildGrills: Hello. I am sending a trade to return the compass.]aPF
nH7PKd9[SunForEver: Keep it.]PGD
2l7xxSA[WildGrills: But I have a conscience, I must return it.]s5xYrz
Gfh4k6[SunForEver: I do not accept small change.]OcpL5U
tT8Juh[WildGrills: ;;;]Yx8E4F
ZjwHe is so relaxed that it is almost embarrassing.wzaT8
Hb3J94DBut since he helped me, I must return the favor.ddYp41N
8KuI told him that when I got something good I would repay him, and he replied.fN9cn
QuV[SunForEver: I like you. Do you need anything else? It seems you need a shield.]LE8
6Nd[WildGrills: Yes I need one, but I will buy it. I sold the Steel-Scale Snake.]WdD
XkKfh[SunForEver: I do not accept small change.]HsxUR
HmVbUBl[WildGrills: Eh;; You are a dark elf, right?]n9bTp
FFS[SunForEver: Yes.]cNZnHt
cPpX2h[WildGrills: Are all dark elves rich?]eZK8Z0
LnEMoFrom what I knew, dark elves were the opposite of elves.ohvBDE
vAh5Same root, but a different nature.LlJO
uof9bUnlike peace-loving elves, they do not hesitate to use dirty methods, although they do not cross the line.lD3o
sPCZYqThey believe they must grow stronger to maintain peace.ksu
79Qac7That said, they usually have poor social skills.9xPFy
24CagdBut that is according to what I know.QDw
aCFbWI cannot apply my standards to this world.h4R
ZWZnvYAfter all, even the elves here do not seem that peaceful; they are full of imperialism.Cz9u
cHtr[SunForEver: Yes, many are rich. In Setan there is gold and resources in abundance. Is that not common sense?]PFaQ
CqXsqWJ[WildGrills: I come from another world, I do not know it well.]fTU7UcY
O5vmjSc[SunForEver: Was that not just a concept?]oz4A9N9
m6wMyw[WildGrills: It is true……]0vXcg
zGKrxlWhether he believes it or not, it does not matter.m4enla
DAGDCI am trapped in the forest, my origin does not matter.ouqOg
aOGMRo[SunForEver: Anyway, we dark elves are kinder than those crazy old elves. Understood?]xn4pgu
broRChQ[WildGrills: It sounds like you emphasize that was it different before?]o6xoK
zvHr[SunForEver: Before it was the other way around. But when we settled in the desert and started having money, we became more generous. Before, we suffered discrimination and had bad tempers.]l57diDV
t7gq9cA[WildGrills: Quite realistic.]ywJSO
DjXTOp5[SunForEver: But do not underestimate us. Surviving in the desert made us experts in combat.]dVX
3iPV[WildGrills: I have no intention of doing that. Anything I should avoid?]XGyQ
Xi9s[SunForEver: If you call us black, you are dead. Or I curse you so that you die.]Ut7Vih
eF4nI1I suppose it is similar to the position of black people on Earth.lvqxaR
lCpY9They are usually cheerful, but if you touch the wrong subject, they are scary.nN3i
KWpsjHere it is not just racism, it is species discrimination.1MrL
Ngz6aJBetter to be careful.ULU
pYioxd0‘I will investigate little by little.’946
Hu1U04uEven if it is anonymous, I do not like making openly discriminatory comments.otekv
kRcU8fBesides, I need to gain sympathy, not lose it.DeRGx
XFhTyhB[SunForEver has registered an item for trade.]Di9
3YzE[SunForEver: Take this. Give me something good for the body if you have it. I do not have time, accept it.]jAk5V
a3XnLm3[WildGrills: Thank you. I will not forget this favor.]5ce
16DG[SunForEver: Take care.]YEMUNH
E52Are there only good people in the gallery?SPZRxD
PRoNdBOr are only the fixed users like this?lMufd
PM3HWI cut the connection and checked the object.Z4li
FGUId“……?”htTBWx4
I9mdU4It was dazzling.Gfg
oPKZm0cIt looked like a shield, but completely covered in gold.8xbk
UNJZOGLiterally, a golden shield.d9S
Fuc3YHow much money must someone have left over to send something like this?62ZinrX
d4PS‘…Will it be durable?’d7QtWy
Hs6fI examined it and equipped it.6eF
IIu9rAIt is lighter than it looks.zOBYGZx
zQ3tI should test how durable it is.0shT9Q
yDaKXyBut I will not use the Heavenly Demon’s sword to test it.wWChRQ7
VK2‘Is the next one PrincessChangu?’oJSrd
01BUCPeculiar name.OD6u70
jpXFrom the nickname it seems like a woman.9KK
P70DjANBut 90% of the gallery users are strange.dkX8Hs
y2CPqmBLet us see what kind of person she is.mf1rgL
LcG6uZ[WildGrills: Hello. I am sending a trade to return the compass.]BqvKY
lYVzG[PrincessChangu: Hellooo. Keep that.]wYbQl
NGk8Similar response to the previous one.tb4PE
98NJsShe says she does not need it.6Ks5E
X2Pjxc[WildGrills: I have a conscience, I must return it. I have nothing to give right now.]0UK
raCrpGe[PrincessChangu: Then support our Chayu. That is enough.]Vxwst
6Egr[WildGrills: I do not know this world well. What team is Chayu?]R52k
wvWm7I know there is something similar to sports here, but I do not know the details.gNUX
2sloQP3[PrincessChangu: What do you mean you do not know the famous and legendary Chames United of Mephisto?! You have lost half your life!]I2RoV
2QMemnu[WildGrills: The other half is in danger.]OjXY
fdDi[PrincessChangu: Ah! Sorry! You are fly lifespan!]LHk
kAd65fSaid so directly, it hurts a little.r6o
05k[PrincessChangu has registered an item.]NtQ
8vLG[PrincessChangu: Take this. From now on you are a fan of Chayu.]oT3OsY
MmVcwI[WildGrills: What is it?]IEJ7Et
dVsSGvP[PrincessChangu: Official uniforms of Neves and Bannir! They are good quality. I am sending you two home kits and two away kits.]B16
vEzYHonestly, I needed clothes, so it was not bad for me.DVC
9NpX[PrincessChangu: Chames United has 200 years of history. You will soon fall in love.]qUrLG6
QwtkY[WildGrills: First I will see if it is a sport I know. Thank you for the clothes.]t4yO
2d68kg8[PrincessChangu: You are welcome. But ignore Chames City. It is a fake team maintained with dirty money from Setan.]bvwJUSt
DhliVIk“….”9p76oM
ylOHIt reminded me too much of a certain type of fanatic.SUu8ZbQ
GKRYsZzThen she uploaded a “special” of the team.jaPZ
O4n7[Chames United Special]MSUrrHK
wa9vwRvI clicked.fTgxl
Fesh“Huh?”jCj8Vt
58UhLI opened my eyes.TvD7I
om9OGw2‘Is that football?’1KKzf
XkWIi3MWhy is there football here?Os1Jb
Ex1i‘Then is there also baseball?’P71eh7
HBW4fHSometimes real lunatics appear around here is that why?nCgZKc
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