Chapter 162

The World Is Vast (1)

Thanks to the Heavenly Demon’s explanation-that-wasn’t-really-an-explanation, the users came to a realization.

Title: Who Cares If She’s the Real Heavenly Demon?

Who cares if the assistant manager is the Heavenly Demon? What difference does it make?

We can just keep mocking her as a crusty old martial arts boomer~

└ So we can just keep insulting the Heavenly Demon like before, right?

└ Yeah. Whether we’re insulting the real Heavenly Demon or the assistant manager Heavenly Demon, what’s the difference? Kekeke.

└ What are you going to do if she really is the Heavenly Demon? What can you do, Heavenly Demon? Kekeke.

└ She can ban you, though?

└ Whether it’s in reality or on the gallery, she still has all the power. Kekeke.

Whether the Heavenly Demon was real or fake was meaningless.

They could simply continue mocking her to their hearts’ content, just as they always had.

Of course, the Heavenly Demon was a registered user with a will of steel, someone who remained unfazed by most insults and provocations.

The users ultimately decided to maintain a strict(?) distinction between reality and the gallery.

’She even fooled me for a moment. Her years of experience really show at times like this.’

The Heavenly Demon had been an active registered user on the gallery for a long time.

Her manner of speaking might have been old-fashioned, but all that experience hadn’t gone anywhere.

Hadn’t I confidently started hurling insults when I’d nearly fallen victim to a scammer?

On the gallery, where desires disguised as honesty were standard, it was an appropriate response.

’Now I just need to watch whether the Blood Cult causes trouble.’

I stared at the Heavenly Demon’s post as its recommendations rose in real time, then returned to the gallery’s main page.

Everyone was going wild over her explanation post.

I was curious about how the Blood Cult had reacted, but unfortunately, it was difficult to pick out any relevant posts amid the commotion.

Even if a post related to the Blood Cult appeared, there would be no way to tell whether it was genuine.

’If the Blood Cult is full of lunatics like Geumjang, they’ll probably post something again.’

Until then, I could simply focus on my own work. I would leave the outside world to the people living in it.

After browsing the gallery a little more, I quietly closed—

Title: Taking Advantage of the Chaos

(Photograph of a female elf with an incredible figure)

Dropping a pic.

—No, I should save that first.

I glanced around, saved the picture, and then closed the gallery.

It was about time to get back to work. Kkobong had worked hard sawing the lumber, so now it needed to be shaped.

’Once we finish this, we should be ready to build the bridge.’

It had already been two days since Kkobong joined the company(?).

He had proven himself to be an outstanding worker, demonstrating remarkable efficiency.

Even with his mana sealed, his natural physical abilities made him excellent at manual labor.

Thanks to him, we finished producing the lumber in less than three days, even though I had expected it to take several.

"Kkobong. We’re going to use these to build a bridge now. Do you understand me?"

"..."

"I’ll take that as a yes. Here, look at this."

Now that the lumber was ready, it was time to build the bridge.

I explained the structure of a da Vinci bridge to Kkobong and showed him the completed model I had made.

It was honestly simple enough to understand just by looking, even without a verbal explanation.

The fact that Kkobong was a gorilla was slightly concerning, but he was intelligent enough to learn human speech.

"If you understand, try building one yourself."

I gave Kkobong some branches for the demonstration and instructed him to begin.

He pushed his glasses up and slowly stacked the branches as I had shown him.

At first, he seemed unable to grasp the trick, but he gradually began assembling it properly.

Before long, he completed the bridge far faster than I had on my first attempt.

"Jjwareo."

"Oh..."

Kkobong showed me the completed bridge while apparently declaring that he was finished.

Judging by the result, he understood the structure perfectly. I was satisfied.

"You get the general idea, right? Now we’re going to build this over the river."

"..."

"The river is up there. It’s where I get the fish. You know the place, right?"

If he understood, it was time to carry the lumber upstream.

With that, Kkobong and I began transporting the wood.

Anyone who had ever lifted a log would know that wood was incredibly heavy even by itself.

We had cut the wood with a saw and planed it down, reducing its size, but it was still wood.

Even after eating the eel and reinforcing myself with mana, my limit was carrying only a few pieces at once.

’But Kkobong... His strength really is monstrous.’

Despite being unable to use mana, Kkobong carried nearly as many pieces of lumber as I did with his bare hands.

I already knew that his natural physique was exceptional, but I hadn’t expected him to be stronger than me after I ate the eel.

His physical capabilities had probably risen so he could survive in the Forest of Four Seasons. Being a gorilla must have contributed as well.

We transported most of the lumber near the river, then searched for a suitable location.

Naturally, we needed to choose a place where the river was as narrow as possible and the current relatively weak.

I had measured the river’s width beforehand and cut the lumber based on that measurement, but there was always the chance of an error.

’The other side of the river is a mountain today.’

And it was a mountain with a clearly visible precipice.

Beyond the precipice stood countless mountains surrounded by a haze that might have been fog or clouds.

It was a breathtaking sight, but I had no particular desire to visit. I wanted to finish quickly and be done with it.

’First, I should check whether the golden frogs are here.’

I placed my hand in the river.

Normally, the frogs should have leaped out immediately.

However, none appeared.

How long had it been since the weather warmed up? Were they still hibernating?

They might also have migrated to another region.

Whatever the explanation, it was excellent news for me.

I told Kkobong that we were beginning the construction and started carefully stacking the lumber.

"No, not there. You need to place it here."

"Ooh?"

"Yeah. Right. There. Put it there."

Kkobong understood my instructions perfectly, allowing the work to proceed quickly.

If I had been doing this alone, it would have taken at least several days.

There was a reason I even gave him fasting pills.

The animals living in the Forest of Four Seasons went crazy for fasting pills as if they were chocolate.

"Let’s see. The length... We only need to interlock it one more time. We’re almost done."

"Hoo..."

"I know it’s annoying, but hold on a little longer. We’ll have a snack once we’re finished."

And so, the bridge was completed.

However, completing it and moving it into position were two entirely different matters.

We had to hold opposite ends of the bridge and carry it across the river.

’Just in case, I should tie a rope around myself.’

The current was strong, so preparing for an accident was essential.

I securely tied the rope to a tree, grabbed one end of the bridge, and slowly began moving.

Kkobong also held the structure firmly so that it wouldn’t collapse.

’Ah. Should I have tied ropes around all the interlocking sections?’

At the very least, I could have poured a little cement over them.

Why did these ideas always occur to me too late?

After briefly lamenting my stupidity, I maintained the bridge’s balance and moved all the way to the opposite bank.

Thanks to the extraordinary effectiveness of the shoes the dwarf had given me, I didn’t fall along the way.

"Hoo-ah!"

The instant we set the bridge down on the opposite bank, I hurried back.

With that, the da Vinci bridge was complete.

Now all that remained was to place planks over it.

Though it was only a temporary bridge, the structure was exceptionally good at supporting weight. A little more work should finish it.

Since I also had cement, I might even be able to turn it into a proper bridge rather than a temporary one.

Title: Bridge Complete!

Wild Grylls

(Photograph of a da Vinci bridge connecting to the opposite bank)

Kkobong and I worked together to build this bridge. Now we just need to place some planks over it.

People of the outside world, you are always welcome here. Cross this bridge to paradise and come visit me!

└ Heavenly Demon: It feels more like a bridge to hell than a bridge to paradise. Am I the only one under that impression?

└ Swordmaster: Surprisingly, I felt the same way.

└ Passing Dwarf: You built it better than I expected. Is that gorilla a good worker?

└ Wild Grylls: Yeah. He’s amaaaaaazingly good. Kekeke. I might promote him from laborer to assistant eventually.

└ Passing Dwarf: Why don’t you make a sword with him while you’re at it? Kekeke.

└ Wild Grylls: Is that possible?

└ Passing Dwarf: I can’t explain it in words, so figure it out yourself. Just hammer it into shape or something.

The Passing Dwarf’s explanation went something like this.

Blacksmithing was originally a profession in which it was difficult to work alone.

Until a blacksmith earned the title of "Artisan," they couldn’t create tools by themselves.

Before reaching that level, blacksmiths always worked in teams of at least two.

’I’ll get around to it someday.’

It wasn’t urgent, so I simply took the suggestion as general advice.

If I started making tools myself, I would probably make a pickaxe first.

Besides, Kkobong and I couldn’t even communicate properly, so it would take a long time.

’I really do need to teach Kkobong how to speak.’

I had thought the same thing earlier, but the frustration of being unable to communicate was terrifying.

It would have been different if he were a speechless beast, but knowing that he was capable of learning language made it even more frustrating.

My original plan had been to keep talking to him until he gradually learned to understand me.

’But he’s far too capable.’

Over the past three days, I had discovered just how competent Kkobong was.

His talent(?) was too valuable to waste by using him only as a laborer.

I could understand why the Blood Demon had bothered teaching Kkobong martial arts.

He might not have been a genius capable of deducing ten things after being taught one, but he made sure to understand that one thing thoroughly.

Considering how many people failed to understand even a single thing after being taught it, he was an outstanding prospect.

"Now, Kkobong. Look at me."

"If we’re going to live together smoothly from now on, I need to understand what inconveniences you’re experiencing. That means we need to be able to communicate."

The instant I mentioned his discomfort, my gaze fell upon the suppressor around Kkobong’s neck.

Did I feel guilty?

Don’t make me laugh. He was the one who had tried to kill me first.

Without feeling the slightest pang of conscience, I continued.

"You’ve heard everything I’ve said until now, right? Try saying any one of those words."

"..."

I didn’t know whether he could understand this instruction either, but I had to try.

I made an effort using both spoken words and body language.

Eventually, Kkobong realized what I wanted and nodded.

After thinking for a long time, he finally opened his mouth.

"F**k."

"...?"

"Ooh-ooh. F**k."

"Hey. Wait a second."

It was an exceptionally vulgar curse.

I was utterly bewildered.

Of all the countless words he could have learned, why did he have to learn that one? Was it because of the particularly forceful intonation?

Then again, people did say that curses were the first words one learned in a foreign language.

Besides, I had often cursed while grumbling to myself.

"What are you going to do after learning that? Don’t you know any other words?"

"Kkobong."

"That’s your name. From now on, when I ask you a question, answer with ’Yes.’ Got it?"

I decided I should begin by teaching him polite speech.

It wasn’t long after I made that decision that—

"Fuck off."

"You crazy monkey bastard! When did you learn that one?"

"You."

"I’m seriously going insane."

We had a long, long road ahead of us.

***

Around the time Grylls began teaching Kkobong Korean, both the gallery and the Central Plains were in an uproar over the Blood Cult.

Although the Heavenly Demon had "coincidentally" passed by and defeated one of the Blood Cult’s elders, the fact remained that the cult had resumed its activities.

Members of the older generation who remembered the Blood Cult’s former power trembled in fear, while the younger generation also became vigilant.

Geumjang’s strength, in particular, had proven so overwhelming that even members of the older generation wouldn’t have dared to stop him.

They were fortunate that the Heavenly Demon had killed him. However, the general consensus was that the Blood Cult probably possessed more experts of similar strength.

└ Can’t the Heavenly Demon just kill all of them?

└ What justification would the Demonic Cult have for getting involved? She only came this time because someone was impersonating her.

└ Honestly, it’s better for the Demonic Cult to remain uninvolved. They’ve already made it clear that no one should mess with them.

└ The Demonic Cult can remain neutral only because it has the Heavenly Demon. The Martial Alliance is the only one that’s fucked.

└ The Martial Alliance isn’t what it used to be... It’s seriously grown weaker compared to the old days.

└ More like the Martial Dumbass Alliance now.

└ Martial Dumbass Alliance! Kekekekeke.

└ Listen to how good that sounds. Kekekeke.

Thus, while the Heavenly Demon’s fame skyrocketed, wariness toward the Blood Cult also intensified.

Meanwhile, the Blood Cult’s members had gathered at the "holy land" Geumjang mentioned.

"Of course we should make the black gorilla our successor!"

"Ridiculous! How are we supposed to choose a creature that already leads its own troop? We would be better off choosing the white one!"

"No, why are we even considering a gorilla as our successor...?"

"Silence! We are having a serious discussion!"

They were engaged in an absurd argument at the worst possible time.