Chapter 6: Four Seasons Forest (1) - Park Jong-hyuk Overcomes His Life's Greatest Crisis
Thanks to PassingDwarf, I'd barely scraped through that massive crisis, but it wasn't fully resolved yet. Whatever effect those cocoa balls had, my stomach kept hurting. And it was a shitty stomachache.
Cheonma didn't give me anything spoiled, did she?
It tasted bitter, but there was no rotten smell, so it definitely wasn't bad. My body just couldn't handle it. Shit was just waste anyway—no real health issue there. The real problem was when nothing came out at all. That meant I hadn't eaten. At least it wasn't diarrhea risking dehydration, so for now, it was just a minor hiccup.
First, I need to wait until Cheonma sends something else.
I stashed the toilet paper PassingDwarf had given me in a corner. This stuff was different from what I knew—kinda rough in texture. Low absorbency too, so cleanup was a pain. Still, better than nothing. Toilet paper had all sorts of uses.
Where the hell am I, anyway?
Not just the forest—I meant the whole world. No internet, yet there was a Gallery? And it floated around like a status window. Questions piled up. I pondered where to start and decided to grasp the basics of this world's structure first. Seemed like various races existed, so better to learn early.
Races roughly divide into humans, elves, dark elves, beastkin, demons, and dwarves.
Human nations: four. Mixed one: one. The rest: one each. Ungrecognized regions existed too, mostly human. Wondered why humans were the most numerous, but that could wait. Priority was common knowledge over details. That way, I wouldn't get treated like a lunatic outside.
Listen up, damn elves, stop cutting trees so much and plant some. Because of you guys, we're the ones suffering more.
└GrowTrees Why not? More trees mean more resources, right?
└Guys like you take all our trees and only plant your own.
└And then you claim those trees are yours and insist the land is yours too ㅡㅡ
└Average elf behavior lol
└GrowTrees We don't just chop randomly. We plant only on suitable land! It's in the World Tree records too.
└Won't someone just kill those elf bastards? Is persuasion that hard?
└Nope. Even the elf queen is crazy, you can't reason with her.
└Is this really going to turn into a war at this rate?
└But the elf queen is still somewhat sane, she at least knows where to draw the line lol that's the weird part
The elves' reputation was wild. In my knowledge, elves loved nature and had noble personalities. But in the Gallery... they were pretty much the world's most hated.
Elf trait: in the past they acted superior and got beaten by other races, after losing they tried scheming again and got beaten again, now they secretly plant trees and get caught and beaten again. Do these guys have no ability to learn?
└Watch your words, we once fought against the entire world.
└And lost to humans, right? Want to lose again?
└lololol
└GrowTrees We don't want to fight. We're a peace-loving race!
└Bullshit, then why freak out over territory?
└GrowTrees It was originally elf land! Reclaiming it is natural, right?
└Haha fuck lolol
└But from their perspective that's true. They're long-lived lol
└For humans that would only be like 10 years ago.
└These days… the young ones… keep causing trouble… I'm truly sorry…,
└Aigoo, the elders have it rough.
└Elf queen making the council suffer lolol
└Shouldn't they normally oppose her?
└Queen's such a psycho;;
└Madness overrides logic yeah
Yeah... best to avoid elves outside. GrowTrees popped up often in elf-related posts. Lots of users knew them, like Cheonma or SwordTasteStar—big names. But hate stacked up, so not much support.
Anyway, time to check swordsmanship.
For survival-focused me, basics only. Couldn't wander without a compass yet. I checked SwordTasteStar's post: Swordsmanship Basics.
You Can Do It Too! Swordsmanship Tutorial: Basics 1
SwordTasteStar
Before diving in, if you don't know how to fight properly, hold a shield alongside your sword. Learn fighting first, then focus on swords. Coolness? You'll die showing off. You're a clueless noob—quietly grab a shield.
Mana users: fine. Non-users: learn Mana Circulation Method first.
Great, but how do you even do the Mana Circulation Method? I blinked. I knew mana existed and strengthened you. That was it. No clue where to get the method.
Concept posts are all weird too...
I scratched my head. Gallery was great but chaotic. Aside from concept posts, auctions, trades—no real categories. Needed to find someone like SwordTasteStar. Browsing was inefficient.
30 minutes till I can trade with Cheonma again.
Gallery's perk: time checks. Endless posts meant natural time sense. But overwhelming volume. Weird my posts didn't get buried.
Anyone know how to do mana circulation?
YasaengGrill plz
Maybe 'cause I'm a high-nick?
After posting, that thought hit. Anonymity (floaters) dominated. High-nics were rare. Gallery thrived on anonymity—high-nics half-gave it up. Exposure meant black history avalanche.
Alarm rang—reply. I checked: Cheonma.
└Cheonma Mana circulation is like internal power method from Jungwon, no?
└Yeah right
└Cheonma Then this lady shall teach you.
└How good's your mana method?
└Cheonma It shatters skies, shakes earth.
└lolol grandiose af
└Scam vibes lol
Doubtful? Nah. The sword proved it. I'd only held a wooden kendo stick, yet hers was terrifying. Cheonma likely superhuman. Ironically, that made me hesitant.
└YasaengGrill Feels like I'm taking too much. You sure?
└Cheonma You are this lady's benefactor and fated encounter. Allow repayment.
└YasaengGrill Just need compass and fire starter...
└Cheonma Far from enough.
Made me feel guiltier. I scratched my head. Moon Shadow Herb was luck; Cheonma might've been dangerous. Coincidences piled up—hesitant.
No. In my situation?
Take goodwill till conscience allows. Not greedily. I'd repay as able.
└YasaengGrill Got it. Secret post pls. Don't wanna agro.
└Cheonma Understood. First, assume lotus position.
Lotus? Knew it from wuxia. That's it.
└YasaengGrill What's lotus?
└Cheonma ?
└lolol she panicked
└First time seeing that oldie fluster lol
Mostly mockery. I searched Gallery—images galore. Picked one, mimicked. Foot on thigh.
"KyaAaAaAh!!"
Girly scream escaped. Untangling twisted worse—nearly cried. Joints screamed. Collapsed trembling.
└YasaengGrill Cheonma-nim. Lotus mandatory? Hurts like hell ;;;
└Cheonma Why painful? Incomprehensible.
└Hurts at first lol
└Stretch, fag lol
Mana method postponed. Cheonma baffled too. Asked if lotus required.
└National rule
└YasaengGrill National rule?
└Yeah just do it lol
└YasaengGrill ;;;
Lotus: practice slow. Flexibility tough now. Read SwordTasteStar instead. Shield with sword—persuasive, fit me perfectly.
Where to get a shield?
Chop wood? Not bad—sword OP. But no water yet; inefficient.
Ask Cheonma for water too. Shield... nah, too greedy.
Wished for 1:1 chat. Heard it existed once—gone for clanning probs.
Placed bitter pellets on palm. Figure use first.
Cheonma-nim. What's this you gave? YasaengGrill (palm pellets pic)
Tasteless aside, not spoiled right?
└CheonmaWall Valley Pill. Bitter but not spoiled.
└YasaengGrill More than a bit bitter.......
└Cheonma Hm. Suited this lady.
└Grandma taste;;
└Rude but age?
└Cheonma Unknown. Age irrelevant?
└Old folks say that
└Real boomer lol
Need more respect. Seemed older. She didn't mind, but goodwill never hurts.
└YasaengGrill How many daily?
└Cheonma Usually one per meal.
"Eek."
I'd scarfed handfuls. Side effects?
└YasaengGrill Ate lots... no side effects right?
└Cheonma Asking aide.
└Dick explode now lol
└Lmao balls lol
└YasaengGrill Don't joke... scary. Body oddly energized. Overkill—feverish. Worst if pain hits. Prayed safe.
Time passed; Cheonma back.
└Cheonma Aide says no side effects—good for body. Clears waste esp.
└YasaengGrill Waste?
└Cheonma Normals excrete via stool.
└YasaengGrill Energized feeling?
└Cheonma Elixir-like; natural.
Phew. Big Johnson safe. Sighed relief, patted chest. Heat: absorbing energy sign. Wall Valley Pill: emergency rations, perfect for me.
Minimum said, so eat lots for nutrition.
Had to eat bitter pellets. No hunting yet. Even success: incomplete nutrition.
└Tiny pellets elixir-grade? Lmao
└Cheonma Custom for this lady's training—obvious.
└Make me one
└Cheonma Special-shaped one for you. 凸
└lololol
Sword, this—high status sure. Why Gallery? Saved by it. Without Cheonma, dead.
Browsing sparked idea: post.
Mad Dog corpse worth? YasaengGrill
Shield maybe?
└Used shield possible?
└YasaengGrill New too much?
└Yeah mad dog hide meh
└YasaengGrill How much? Wanna trade
└Auction it
└YasaengGrill No gold need. Hassle carry
└Oh newbie. No carry—stores in Gallery
Stores? Investigated: deposit cash, sorted by currency, exchange rates. Killer fees—not ideal. But "ignore logistics" merit: high use.
Damn. Coulda auctioned Moon Shadow Herb?
Info key. Saved life, gained connection—worth it. Fees deter trades, but users plentiful.
└YasaengGrill Fees go where? Head Mod?
└Yeah auctions etc Head Mod ops. But broke af
└Don'tAbandonHero Fees to charity or Gallery growth!
Quiet Head Mod appeared. Kind vibe.
└Head Mod... I'm poor too... 10k gold?...
└Don'tAbandonHero Ack...! Broke now...!
└Fuck don't give
└Need sub-mods why no appoint?
└Don'tAbandonHero Hard stuff solo! Subs unpaid!
Floaters defending Head Mod from beggar cosplay? Even jokes shut down. Massive goodwill.
How's Head Mod elected? Later.
Auction Mad Dog now. Exited cave. Dumped far; memorized path.
"Chomp. Chomp. Crunch crunch."
"......"
"Crunch! Snap!"
Correction: problem. Bear—no, owl devouring Mad Dog mukbang. Owl face, bear-sized bigger.
Posted pic hasty.
TF this chick? YasaengGrill (mukbang monster pic)
Fuck went for Mad Dog—fatass eating. Who?
└Holy shit Owl Bear
└Owl Bear but size?
└Fuck house walking lol
└Claws insta-kill
Owl Bear. Backed away stealthily. Gave kill to dog? Lived—lucky.
Fuck. Run.
No wild dog, bear. Insane size. Retreated, then sprinted cave. Earlier arrival? Chilling thought.
Defend cave? Outside unknown danger, cave trap scary.
Escaped life crisis—new one. Only Cheonma's sword.
Cheonma-nim requests trade. Accept?
Trembling; perfect timing. Accepted fast.
Cheonma-nim registered: compass, fire starter. Charge with internal power.
Thanks. Don't know internal power—alternative?
Cheonma Hm? No internal power—how access Gallery?
Lotus weird too.
Gallery needed mana/internal power. Hard explain: woke to weirdness. Simplified.
Situation tough—details hard. Time short.
Cheonma Hm. Understood. Fire starter: button for flame—usable.
More needs?
Water if possible...? Rude.
Cheonma For you, gladly.
Ooh. Thanks!
Accepted: spawned aid. Compass, fire starter, big water bottle. All Eastern style.
Fire starter first: Button here.
Fwoosh!
Edge flame—enough. Compass next: escape easier. Forest lost via direction.
This solves... "Huh?"
......
Issue first. Eyes wide. Compass spun wild—not fixed.
Cheonma-nim. Compass broken? YasaengGrill (spinning compass vid)
Needle whirls... why? Seems busted...
└Cheonma ? Impossible. Fine when sent.
More confused. Why now?
└Trade glitch?
└Nah teleport concept
└Sudden break rare
└Spins good
└Like your life?
└Right
Users puzzled. Fine before—why? Coincidence possible. Need more.
└YasaengGrill Lend compass? Return soon
└StarlightPrincess Got one for you
└ChangguPrincess Me too~
└SunForever Me
└Don'tAbandonHero Wanna but none... sad...
Sensed odd? Silent high-nics swarmed. Moon Shadow Herb buzz.
Got variety. Wild diverse. Fuck all same? YasaengGrill (spinning compasses vid)
Lost direction like outsider. Why?
└Cheonma Strange.
└SwordTasteStar Weird.
└ChangguPrincess Weird~.
└PassingDwarf Why? Booze in it?
└YasaengGrill All same state.
All spun. Users opined.
└One case: yeah
└What?
└In Four Seasons Forest. Mana/magnetism twisted—no compass.
└BS then no Gallery
└Only Four Seasons fits?
└Not all broken
└OP where lol
└Drunk to Four Seasons lol
Mixed. Compasses broke = Four Seasons. No—Gallery impossible there. My gut: Something fucked.
Situation flowing weird.