Chapter 9
The Forest of Four Seasons (4)
I have no thoughts.
Because there is literally nothing on my mind.
Ever since I returned to the cave, I've just been sitting there, completely spacing out.
I still can't believe the reality I'm in right now. I wish this were all just a dream.
But no matter how much time passes, nothing changes. This damned place is the Forest of Four Seasons, and this is where I woke up.
There was no way my mental state wouldn't fall apart.
So I spent the entire day writing depressing, self-pitying posts on the gallery.
Title: The Five Stages of Death (Live Updates)
[Bullshit. I'm looking around a bit more.]
Denial
[Why me? The hell did I do to deserve this?]
Anger
[I'll be your slave for life. Someone please come pick me up.]
Bargaining
[Please send me home. I want to eat the leftover kimchi stew from yesterday.]
Depression
Those are the actual titles of Grylls' posts in real time lol.
Only Acceptance is left now.
ㄴ True lololol
L StarlightPrincess) You're such a terrible person.
_ Science, lol.
L What's kimchi stew?
_ Dunno.
_ StarlightPrincess) That's unfortunate.
ㄴ It's not like he's terminally ill.
L StarlightPrincess) Then what is it?
_ More like he's living on borrowed time?
About the same as me, honestly.
One kind user had even made a timeline of my mental breakdown.
Seeing it actually made me chuckle.
To be honest, I was already thinking it was about time to move on to the acceptance stage.
Sitting around sulking wasn't going to help.
I still had no idea why I had to suffer here of all places, but I couldn't keep escaping from reality forever.
"...It's not like there's absolutely no way out... right? Right...?"
The gallery had explained it.
The entire Forest of Four Seasons was surrounded by barriers.
Break through one, and another appears.
Even the barriers you've already broken eventually regenerate in a different pattern.
The same applies not only to the ground, but also underground and in the sky.
Once you enter...
You never get out.
First, I need to figure out how big this forest actually is.
If I ended up settling here, I'd better get familiar with my surroundings first.
The cave was right nearby, but getting lost within sight of it would be beyond pathetic.
The problem was...
Apparently that happened pretty often.
I'd need to be careful.
Let's head to the river first. I need to check whether the water's safe to drink.
I hadn't been in the right state of mind to check yesterday.
Back then, I was too busy wanting to cry.
The water itself was probably drinkable.
What I really wanted to know was...
What lived in it.
This forest was crawling with monsters the size of anacondas and bears as big as houses.
Who said the riverbank was any safer?
Even man-eating fish wouldn't surprise me.
I could literally die while taking a drink.
If it's safe to drink, I can make the cave my base.
It had already been two days.
Other than the Mad Dog who originally lived there, nothing else had shown up.
Well...
There had been that owlbear.
But let's pretend that didn't count.
I got away fast enough.
Besides, the cave was easy to defend.
I'd probably be staying there for the foreseeable future.
Maybe I should just survive on Wall-Fasting Pills?
That was something I'd need to think about.
I stood up.
For now, checking the river came first.
I'd worry about everything else after I got back.
Or maybe I'd just make a poll on the gallery.
Only users with permanent nicknames would be allowed to vote, of course.
There were way too many people whose attitude was,
"Not my problem, so why should I care?"
Not collective wisdom...
Collective stupidity.
Whooooosh—
"Whoa... what's this?"
The moment I arrived at the stream I'd noticed yesterday, I couldn't help but stare.
Was there some dangerous beast?
No.
Man-eating fish?
No.
It was something else entirely.
The scenery beyond the stream.
Yesterday, it had been a desert.
***
Title: Guys, check this out.
Wild Grylls
(Photo of snow-covered mountains beyond the stream.)
Yesterday it was a desert.
Today it's snowy mountains.
Wonder what it'll be tomorrow lol.
L Definitely the Forest of Four Seasons! Confirmed!
L Wait... what the heck is that...?
L ...What are you even supposed to say in a situation like this?
ㄴ StarlightPrincess) Just cheer him on.
_ SwordMaster) Excuse me, but... you're not a criminal, are you?
L Wild Grylls) Does stealing money from my mom's wallet as a kid count?
L SwordMaster) Didn't you say you were an orphan?
L Wild Grylls) She was around back then.
ㄴ SwordMaster) ;_; Sorry...
L Wild Grylls) I'm used to it lol.
_ SwordMaster) I stole from my parents' wallet too haha...
L Wild Grylls) Then why aren't you coming already?
L SwordMaster) Busy with work.
L Wild Grylls) Doing what?
L SwordMaster) House security. Haha.
L So... unemployed? lol
ㄴ Seriously, what's gonna happen to Grylls?
_ At this point, I have no idea lol.
ㄴ He'll have to survive on his own.
L Shouldn't we give him disaster relief funds? lol
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) The mountains are beautiful.
_ CheongguPrincess) They really are. Almost as pretty as my face lol.
L Heavenly Demon)?
L ?
L ?
L ?
_ CheongguPrincess) What? If you've got a problem, come fight me.
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) Where do you live?
Even getting challenged to a duel had become normal.
I let out a dry laugh.
Yesterday, everything beyond the stream had been a desert.
Today...
It was an enormous mountain range blanketed in pure white snow.
For a second I wondered if I'd somehow come to the wrong place.
But that made no sense.
A desert right next to snowy mountains?
The boundary was perfectly clear.
The environment hadn't gradually changed.
Everything beyond the stream was simply...
Different.
Is someone messing with me?
I sighed and walked over to the stream.
Judging by all the minnows swimming around, the water quality looked excellent.
At least there was one piece of good news.
Later, I'd bring the water bottle the Heavenly Demon had given me.
Still...
Better check things first.
I started by testing the depth.
Splash.
The moment I stuck my hand in...
Confusion hit me before the coolness did.
For a second I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.
But the farther I pushed my arm in...
The deeper it kept going.
I couldn't touch the bottom.
The water was so unbelievably clear that it looked much shallower than it actually was.
This should be enough.
It wasn't bottomless.
You could probably cross it if you really wanted to.
Of course...
There was absolutely no reason to cross into the snowy mountains.
Unless I was trying to kill myself.
"Ribbit."
"Hm?"
I'd just pulled my arm out of the water when I heard an odd sound.
It had come from nearby.
I turned toward it.
"Ribbit."
"...A frog?"
A frog.
A golden frog.
It sat atop a rock in the middle of the stream.
Whatever else it was...
Its entire body glittered with a metallic golden sheen.
And somehow that only made it seem more dangerous.
Animals with colors that vivid usually had one thing in common.
Poison.
I'd better stay away.
Poison was the last thing I wanted to deal with.
Even if it wasn't poisonous...
The thing was about the size of a small dog.
It was seriously unsettling.
"RRAAAAK!"
"Huh? Wait—"
Just as I turned to leave...
The golden frog suddenly stood upright on its long hind legs.
Then it leaned its head all the way back.
It made a disgusting noise, almost like a person gathering phlegm in their throat.
A moment later, it snapped its head forward.
"Ptooey!"
Piiing!
A sticky golden glob shot out of its mouth like a bullet.
Straight at my face.
I barely managed to dodge.
The viscous golden projectile grazed past me.
A split second later...
It struck the tree behind me.
Sssssssss!
"Holy shit."
The tree...
Melted.
So it wasn't poison.
It was acid.
But I didn't have time to admire it.
The frog had already leaned its head back again to reload.
Getting away took priority.
I bolted before it could spit again.
"Ptooey!"
"Whoa!"
Another near miss.
If I hadn't ducked, it would've nailed me in the back of the head.
Fortunately...
The frog didn't chase me.
It seemed to consider the stream its territory.
"Huff... huff..."
I ran for my life all the way back to the cave before finally catching my breath.
What kind of suffering was this?
I'd finally found clean water...
Only to get bullied by a damn frog.
Unbelievable.
The stream's too deep to approach safely...
If only I had a bow.
Not that I'd know how to use one anyway.
That frog definitely hadn't been there yesterday.
Maybe...
Did it only attack because I'd put my hand in the water?
Now I wasn't even sure whether I could drink safely.
Worst-case scenario...
The frog might spit into the river itself.
***
Title: Guys, I found a golden frog.
Wild Grylls
No picture.
I was too busy running for my life.
This bastard spits acid.
Anyone know what it is?
L A frog that spits acid? What kind of frog is that? lol
L Sure, it's the Forest of Four Seasons, but that's a bit much lol.
L No picture means it's 99% fake lol.
ㄴ AllFather) Did you happen to find it in a river?
L Wild Grylls) Do you know what it is?
L AllFather) Yes. Its official name is the Golden Poison Frog. It's an extremely rare species found only in exceptionally clean water. Its poison is so potent that many people have died trying to capture one. Please be careful.
L Wild Grylls) Wait... it wasn't acid? It was poison??
L AllFather) The poison is simply that powerful.
Amid all the usual pointless comments...
One user with a permanent nickname replied.
AllFather.
He was one of those users who only appeared occasionally to leave a comment before disappearing again.
He barely made any posts himself.
When he did, they were almost always about magic or alchemy.
Most of them were filled with technical jargon, so I usually ignored them.
He gave off serious professor vibes.
He also tended to speak politely, so I did the same.
L Wild Grylls) Yeah. I found it in the river. It spat at me the moment I put my hand in the water.
L AllFather) Approximately how large was it?
L Wild Grylls) About the size of a dog.
L AllFather) It must have grown larger because it's in the Forest of Four Seasons. They're normally only about the size of a finger joint.
This place really did have every bizarre creature imaginable.
A frog whose venom was so potent it looked like acid.
And with the entire river serving as its fortress...
It was practically the equivalent of an archer firing from atop a castle wall.
More than anything... I just want to be able to drink water safely.
If I showed up there too often...
That thing might start waiting for me on purpose.
That would be a serious problem.
Even while I was thinking it over, notifications kept pouring in.
Lately, every post I made seemed to attract a flood of comments.
L AllFather) If you manage to capture the Golden Poison Frog, I'll pay you 20,000 gold. I'd like to study it.
L Isn't that just a roundabout way of telling him to go die?
L If you catch it, I'll give you 50,000 gold lol.
L Wild Grylls) I kind of have to catch it... Otherwise I can't get any water. Any other advice?
ㄴ AllFather) I'm afraid not. It's such a rare species that very little is known about it. The only confirmed fact is that it's primarily active in the morning. You may also need an antidote.
ㄴ Then just go drink water in the evening lol.
L Wild Grylls) Evenings are more dangerous ;;
ㄴ What comes out at night?
L Wild Grylls) It’s dangerous because I don’t know what might come out.
There was no obvious way to deal with it.
In the end, I had no choice but to solve the problem myself.
This was the first obstacle standing between me and a secure source of drinking water.
To overcome it, I would need to prepare thoroughly.
Before that, I should return the compasses.
I planned to return all of them to their original owners except the one the Heavenly Demon had given me.
First, I made a public post so everyone would see it.
Five minutes later, I began sending trade requests.
The first person I contacted was the user named StarlightPrincess.
Maybe it was because she practically lived on the gallery all day, but she accepted the request almost immediately.
[Wild Grylls: Hello. I sent you a trade request because I wanted to return your compass.]
[StarlightPrincess: Oh. Okay! You really don’t have to return it, though...]
[Wild Grylls: The one the Heavenly Demon gave me is enough. Carrying the rest around would be difficult.]
[StarlightPrincess: I understand. Let’s both do our best.]
[Wild Grylls: Thank you. I hope you recover soon.]
It seemed she really was sick.
She had a kind personality too.
Next was PraiseTheSun, the user I suspected was a dark elf.
[Wild Grylls: Hello. I sent you a trade request to return your compass.]
[PraiseTheSun: Keep it.]
[Wild Grylls: I still have a conscience. I should return it.]
[PraiseTheSun: I don’t take pocket change like that.]
[Wild Grylls: ;;;]
That was so casual it almost made me feel embarrassed.
Still, since they had helped me, I ought to repay the favor.
When I said I would compensate them later if I found something valuable, I received an unexpected reply.
[PraiseTheSun: I like you. Need anything else? Looks like you could use a shield.]
[Wild Grylls: I do need one, but I’ll buy it properly. I sold something called a Steel-Scale Snake.]
[PraiseTheSun: I don’t take pocket change.]
[Wild Grylls: Wait ;; You’re a dark elf, right?]
[PraiseTheSun: Yeah.]
[Wild Grylls: Are all dark elves rich?]
The dark elves I knew were a race opposed to ordinary elves.
They shared the same roots, but their dispositions were completely different.
Unlike peace-loving elves, they did not hesitate to use dirty tactics.
Even so, they did not cross certain lines.
Their beliefs were closer to the idea that one had to cultivate strength in order to preserve peace.
Perhaps because of that, though, they tended to lack social skills.
Of course, that was merely what I knew.
I could not apply my own assumptions to this world.
Even the elves here were far removed from peace.
They were practically defined by imperialism.
[PraiseTheSun: There are a lot of rich ones, I guess? Cetan produces tons of gold and resources. Isn’t that common knowledge?]
[Wild Grylls: I’m from another world, so I don’t really know.]
[PraiseTheSun: That wasn’t just a character gimmick?]
[Wild Grylls: It’s real...]
Whether they believed me or not did not matter.
I was trapped in a forest where I could not meet anyone anyway.
My place of origin was meaningless.
PraiseTheSun seemed to understand that and casually moved on.
[PraiseTheSun: Anyway, dark elves are a kinder and more easygoing race than those insane, old-fashioned elves. Got it?]
[Wild Grylls: That sounds very emphatic. Was it different in the past?]
[PraiseTheSun: It used to be the opposite. But after we settled in the desert and became rich, everyone grew more generous. We used to have awful tempers because we were constantly discriminated against.]
[Wild Grylls: That’s realistic.]
[PraiseTheSun: Still, don’t underestimate us. Surviving in the desert made us damn good at fighting.]
[Wild Grylls: I wasn’t planning to. Is there anything in particular I should be careful about?]
[PraiseTheSun: Call us darkies and you’re dead. No, I’ll curse you to death.]
[PraiseTheSun has registered a trade item.]
[PraiseTheSun: I’ll give you this, so send me anything that’s good for the body. I don’t have much time, so hurry up and take it.]
[Wild Grylls: Thank you. I won’t forget this favor.]
[PraiseTheSun: Sure. Stay safe.]
Were they in roughly the same social position as Black people back on Earth?
Usually cheerful, but terrifying the instant someone touched a sore spot.
Here, it was racial discrimination in the literal sense of discrimination between species, so I needed to be careful.
I should learn about these things gradually.
Even though the gallery was anonymous, openly making discriminatory remarks did not suit my personality.
Besides, I was in a situation where I needed to build goodwill.
If all I did was make people dislike me, I would only be hurting myself.
Was everyone on the gallery kind?
Or were users with permanent nicknames simply nicer?
I disconnected from PraiseTheSun.
The moment the connection ended, I checked the item they had sent me.
“...?”
I could not help but stare in confusion.
The item glittered brilliantly.
It was shaped roughly like a shield, but its entire surface was covered in gold.
A literal golden shield.
Just how obscenely rich did someone have to be to casually give away something like this?
...I wonder if it performs well.
I turned the gleaming golden shield over in my hands before equipping it.
It was lighter than expected and comfortable to carry, though I should probably test how durable it was.
I had no intention of testing it with the Heavenly Demon’s sword.
I had a feeling that would only damage the shield.
“Next is CheongguPrincess, I guess?”
What a peculiar username.
Judging by the name alone, she seemed to be a woman.
However, ninety percent of the people who lived on the gallery were abnormal.
What kind of person would it be this time?
[CheongguPrincess: Then cheer for our Chae-U. That’ll be enough.]
[Wild Grylls: I don’t know much about this world. What kind of team is Chae-U?]
I knew this world had things resembling sports.
However, I did not know the details.
It was an entirely different world populated by a wide variety of races.
It was bound to be completely different from what I knew.
[Wild Grylls: Hello. I sent you a trade request to return your compass.]
[CheongguPrincess: Hellooo. Just keep it.]
Her reply was similar to PraiseTheSun’s.
She said she did not need the compass back.
For a moment, I wondered whether the gallery was filled with nothing but kind people.
But after thinking about it, perhaps it was only natural.
These were the people who had willingly given me compasses the moment I made my post.
That was all the more reason to strengthen my relationships with them.
[CheongguPrincess: Oh my gosh! You don’t know Chaemes United, the most famous and prestigious club in all of Mephisto?! You’ve wasted half your life!]
[Wild Grylls: The half I have left is hanging by a thread.]
[CheongguPrincess: Ah! Sorry! You were living on borrowed time, weren’t you!]
She was not wrong, but hearing her say it so bluntly was depressing.
How had my life ended up like this?
Just as CheongguPrincess’s bluntness began to dampen my mood—
[Wild Grylls: I have a conscience, so I should return it. I just don’t have anything I can give you right now.]
[CheongguPrincess has registered trade items.]
[CheongguPrincess: I’ll give you these, and from now on, you’re a Chae-U fan.]
[Wild Grylls: What did you send me?]
[CheongguPrincess: Jerseys of the most famous players, Neves and Vannir! The material is excellent, so wear them around. I’ll send two home jerseys and two away jerseys.]
[Wild Grylls: Oh. Okay...]
[Wild Grylls: What exactly is that?]
[CheongguPrincess: There’s a cheap imitation called Chaemes City, so ignore them! They’re funded by Cetan’s filthy gold money. They have no tradition. None at all.]
I felt slightly bewildered.
Still, I happened to need clothes, so this was fortunate.
I planned to buy soap with money, so that was not a problem.
But I needed something else to wear while my clothes were drying.
For now, I could still endure it.
As more time passed, however, my need for extra clothing would only increase.
[CheongguPrincess: Chaemes United is a club with a proud two-hundred-year history. I guarantee you’ll be completely obsessed with them soon, Mr. Grylls.]
[Wild Grylls: First, I need to check whether it’s even a sport I know. It might be different from what I’m familiar with. Either way, thank you very much for the clothes.]
[CheongguPrincess: Don’t mention it. But there’s one thing I need to ask of you.]
Why did this stranger give off such a familiar feeling?
A dry laugh escaped me.
CheongguPrincess ended the conversation after saying she would upload a highlight reel later and that I should watch it to calm my mind and body.
Once the conversation ended, I checked the clothes she had sent me.
They were jerseys with large names printed across them.
I have no idea what language this is.
Unfortunately, I could not read the names.
Hadn’t they said the gallery had an automatic translation feature?
The emblem on the chest, however, looked rather impressive.
Just as she had claimed, it gave off a distinct sense of history and tradition.
It was not only the design.
The white and blue colors were blended tastefully, making the jerseys look quite beautiful.
They were not ideal colors for the wilderness, but what I needed most was clothing, so it did not matter.
The material is good too.
It was also highly elastic.
They would probably prove useful in many ways.
I smiled briefly, then immediately opened the gallery to check the latest posts.
CheongguPrincess had said she would upload something soon.
I intended to leave a comment thanking her when she did.
[Chaemes United Special Highlights Collection]
The instant I saw the post, I clicked it without hesitation.
“Huh?”
My eyes widened as I watched the video she had uploaded.
“This is soccer.”
Why did soccer exist here?
Then do they have baseball too?
Every so often, a lunatic would appear on the gallery.
Could that be why?