Chapter 169

Treasure (2)

Ambergris, the jewel of the sea.

It was a substance formed from the excrement or intestinal stones of sperm whales.

Although it looked like an ordinary rock, it possessed an astronomical value befitting its title as the jewel of the sea.

Apparently, it sold for roughly forty to fifty million won per kilogram, and since most pieces were quite large, they were often worth hundreds of millions.

Even ordinary ambergris from my world was worth that much. So what about ambergris from a mythical creature like a sky whale?

If anything, it was something that couldn’t be sold.

It was a valuable specimen that scholars needed to study, and besides, it was something "mythical."

It was impossible to put a price on it, and there was no telling how severely I would be criticized if I sold it.

└ Wild Grylls: I understand that it’s priceless, but it’s basically just used as a fragrance, right?

└ All-Father: We’ll have to conduct further research to know for certain, but for now, yes. Since it is ambergris from a sky whale, it must contain some sort of special power.

└ Wild Grylls: The power to attract ants?

└ All-Father: Rather than an ability like that, it should possess something befitting a sky whale. Perhaps it has exceptional purification properties.

The possibility that it possessed purification powers gave me pause.

Even if it did, I had no idea what I would use them for.

It might possess other abilities, but discovering them would probably take a long time.

I can’t just leave it sitting around forever, either.

Although I had a spatial backpack, the ambergris still had weight, and the backpack’s capacity wasn’t infinite.

It was undoubtedly valuable and extraordinary, yet it was of no practical use to me.

I let out a hollow laugh at the irony, then decided that I should first determine what to do with it.

└ Wild Grylls: I’ll take my time thinking about it. Now that I’m actually trying to dispose of it, I don’t even know where it should go.

└ Praise the Sun: Couldn’t you give me just a little?

└ Wild Grylls: Do you know how to use it?

└ Praise the Sun: I want to use it as incense. I’m genuinely curious about it. Is there anything you want in exchange?

└ Wild Grylls: Not particularly. I’ll just cut off a small piece and give it to you. But be careful not to attract insects.

└ Grylls, couldn’t you break it into pieces and list them in the Auction House?

└ That’s not a bad idea. It’s useless to you anyway.

└ Wild Grylls: Not yet. There’s something I want to test first.

There was still plenty of time, so I didn’t need to rush my decision.

Besides, there was something I wanted to try—an idea inspired by the swarm of ants attracted to the ambergris.

If it attracted a swarm of ants, wouldn’t it similarly attract a school of fish?

The two might seem completely unrelated, but there was always a chance.

All-Father would probably pound the floor in outrage if he saw what I was planning, but I didn’t care.

└ All-Father: You intend to use ambergris as fishing bait? It sounds incredibly idiotic, but I must admit that I’m looking forward to it.

└ Wild Grylls: You’re surprisingly calm. I thought you’d consider it a waste.

└ All-Father: I’ve already received a piece, haven’t I? Besides, I’m curious too. What kind of fish will you catch with it? I suspect everyone else is thinking the same thing.

└ Who the hell goes fishing with whale shit? Lmaooo.

└ It isn’t even ordinary whale shit. It’s the shit of a mythical whale, lmaooo.

└ What kind of life does Grylls even live?

└ The life of a fly?

└ Youuuuu are seriously awful, lmaooo.

└ Why? His life really is as fleeting as a fly’s, lololol.

Surprisingly, everyone seemed curious.

Then again, I was probably the only person capable of doing something like this.

I carefully inspected the sponsored fishing rod.

It appeared to be made of bamboo and didn’t have a reel for adjusting the length of the line.

Considering the era, there seemed to be a limit to their technological capabilities. Still, it looked sturdy, and that was enough for me.

Title: Going fishing

Wild Grylls

(A photograph of the fishing rod and another showing ambergris being used as bait.)

I’m going to try fishing with this as bait. What do you think I’ll catch?

└ Heavenly Demon: This lady predicts that you will catch an enormous fish.

└ SwordMaster: I think you may be the only person in existence who would use whale feces as fishing bait, Mr. Grylls.

└ Wild Grylls: That’s a compliment, right?

└ SwordMaster: It is admirable that you always look on the bright side.

└ He wouldn’t survive if he weren’t optimistic.

└ I would’ve gone insane a long time ago.

└ When you put it that way, Grylls really is rather pitiful.

No matter how often I saw it, I couldn’t understand the flow of conversation on the Gallery.

One moment, everyone was busy mocking me, and the next, they were looking at me with pity.

I closed the Gallery and headed toward the river with my animal companions.

First, I removed the fish trap and then checked the river’s condition.

Roooooar!

It was no different from usual. Beyond the river, the vast desert still stretched into the distance.

Nothing in particular stood out, so I immediately began preparing to fish.

I didn’t forget to spray repellent around the area in case the ambergris attracted insects.

Then what should everyone else do?

"Wonmo, play with this."

"Kyu!"

I gave Wonmo a stuffed puppy.

One might wonder why I had a stuffed puppy, but that was another sponsored product.

Apparently, it was made from a fabric that animals especially liked.

Wonmo was happily playing with it, so I was very satisfied.

"Kkobong, if a fish bites, you’re going to help me pull the rod. Understand?"

"..."

"Answer me."

"Yes."

It was decided that Kkobong would help me reel in whatever I caught.

Everything was ready. I attached a piece of ambergris to the hook.

A pleasant fragrance was already wafting from it, making it easy to understand why it was used in perfumes.

It’s rather funny that feces can smell this wonderful.

I chuckled and swung the fishing rod with all my strength.

The hook landed in the river with a splash.

Since the current was so powerful, I worried it might immediately be swept away, but my concern proved unfounded.

Splash-splash-splash-splash!

An enormous school of fish had converged on it.

At the same time, the fishing rod grew incredibly heavy.

Startled, I shouted at Kkobong to pull. Following my command, he tugged on it with all his strength.

It was difficult to pull up, perhaps because several fish had become tangled together, or perhaps because the fish here were naturally powerful.

"Graaaaaah!"

"Uwooooooh!"

But it was a different story when Kkobong and I combined our strength.

The two of us strained with all our might and hauled the fishing rod upward.

Splaash!

As a result, one enormous fish burst from the water.

I was delighted to have caught such a large fish—until disappointment immediately set in.

"That’s it?"

The fish I’d caught was no different from the ones that regularly entered my trap.

It seemed ambergris would work better as a lure for attracting fish than as actual bait.

Still, I’d obtained enough food for the day. That alone was something to be grateful for.

I overcame my disappointment and packed everything away.

It’s not completely useless, since it works as bait, but...

How should I put it?

It felt like an outrageous waste.

I could catch fish merely by setting a trap, even without bait.

There was no reason to go out of my way to use ambergris.

Well, perhaps All-Father would discover some other effect while researching it.

I handed the flopping fish to Kkobong and returned to the shelter.

The days really are longer because it’s summer.

Ordinarily, it should have been growing dark by now, but the sun was still shining brightly.

At least summer gave me more time to remain active.

That would be a different story once the monsoon arrived, though.

When will All-Father finish researching the ambergris?

It was excrement left behind by a mythical creature that even All-Father had never witnessed before.

There had to be something unusual about it.

I had no choice but to wait patiently if I wanted to learn what that was.

But why were the ants trying to carry it away? Was it simply because of the fragrance?

Ants weren’t the only insects that liked sweet things.

Perhaps the ants had claimed it first, preventing other insects and animals from approaching.

While entertaining such idle thoughts, I turned my head.

My gaze fell upon the cave wall—the wall where I had recorded the number of days I had survived.

Does this make today the twenty-sixth day?

In three days, it would be exactly one month.

Time had passed surprisingly quickly.

I could still only check the situation outside through the Gallery, but things were far from peaceful.

El Dorado had descended into a state bordering on civil war, while the Blood Cult was also displaying ominous movements.

Personally, I hoped to encounter Ludwig, who was somewhere in the Forest of Four Seasons, as soon as possible.

Come to think of it, wasn’t the football match today?

Since I had nothing in particular to do, I opened the Gallery.

As it happened, Cheonggu Princess had just posted an announcement that the match was beginning.

I opened the post and left a brief greeting.

└ King Leor: Hey, what do you think the score for our Leor match will be? We’re facing a weak team today.

└ Wild Grylls: You’ll take a 1–0 lead, then concede an equalizer near the end because of poor stamina.

└ King Leor: Come on. That stamina problem again? ;; They’ve had a week off. Shouldn’t they have recovered by now?

└ Wild Grylls: I’ve done exhausting work myself, and once fatigue accumulates, it takes more than a week to recover—sometimes over a month. Besides, football players fill their free time with training too, don’t they?

└ King Leor: When you put it that way, it really does sound likely. We absolutely need to sign someone next time...

└ Does Leor have that much money?

└ It’s less about money and more about the manager changing next season. We’ll have to wait and see.

└ So basically, expect no new signings, lol.

└ What about Chae-U?

└ Chae-U has moved to a different team, so I’m honestly looking forward to it. The manager properly understands tactics.

└ Cheonggu Princess: All we need to do next season is reinforce our defensive tactics! And throw away that useless piece of trash who cost one hundred billion yura!

└ Isn’t that a little harsh? Lol.

└ But judging by how badly he’s playing now... he simply has no talent.

└ Exactly, lol. Even Kone has made a comeback, so what’s that guy’s excuse?

└ You can blame the defense on the line being too high, but that bastard—

└ Wild Grylls: Exactly how strong are today’s opponents?

└ Cheonggu Princess: The Saint has arrived! Today’s opponents are a mid-table team! What do you predict the score will be?

└ Wild Grylls: Your defense is still terrible, so I predict 3–2.

└ Cheonggu Princess: That makes me nervous...! Still, I’m relieved that we’ll win!

After making a rough prediction, I quietly waited.

The match would take a long time to finish, so I decided to practice my cultivation method.

The cold energy has grown to the size of a fist now.

As time passed, my control over the cold energy improved by leaps and bounds.

What had once been the size of a grain of millet was now as large as my fist.

Moreover, its growth rate was gradually slowing, suggesting that I would soon master it completely.

Once I finish mastering the cold energy, I should ask the Heavenly Demon for the next mnemonic verse.

Perhaps I could ask her when exactly thirty days had passed.

Until the football match ended, I practiced the cultivation method and handled my other tasks before opening the Gallery again.

It was almost time for dinner, so I’d taken a short break.

[Chae-U vs. Cadrol: Match over! Just as the Saint prophesied, Chae-U finishes with a 3–2 victory!]

[Leor vs. Hunin: An equalizer in stoppage time brings the match to a draw!]

"Oh?"

I had gotten it right again.

This time, I had even predicted both the scores and the course of the matches.

I could dismiss getting it right once or twice as coincidence, but getting it right a third time left me with a strange feeling.

└ Cheonggu Princess: Everyone, say it together! Mr. Grylls is a saint!

└ Please let me marry my girlfriend.

└ Please let me score one hundred points on my academy practicum.

└ Please let the remaining half of the year be amazing.

└ King Leor: Please let Chae-U be relegated.

└ Cheonggu Princess: What the fuck is wrong with you?! Get lost! Your team could only manage a draw, lol.

└ King Leor: So, are you making it into the Champions League? Lol.

└ Cheonggu Princess: We can if we win every remaining match~

People even began making their pilgrimage to the prophetic post as though it were only natural.

I chuckled at the Gallery, which had descended into chaos over the match results, and closed it.

I noticed a post from someone claiming to have made a fortune through gambling, but casually ignored it.

Money or no money, my own survival was what mattered.

Then I stepped outside.

Blub—blub—

It was the fish I had caught earlier with the fishing rod.

And it was swimming through the air.

...What is this? A bug?

The world truly was coming to an end.