Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
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-El, raise your hand straight!
-What?
I averted my eyes from Silpi's icy glare and curled up in the corner.
Honestly, maybe Silpi isn't a wind spirit but an ice spirit.
How can a single look make me feel this chilled to the bone?
-You're seriously insane! Insane!
-Quiet!
Why was I checking Silpi's mood right now?
It was all because of the aftermath from the Eclipse Nova I unleashed in my final clash with Cheong.
-Oh no. What are we going to do with our Cheong?
"Meowww."
To start with the results of the match: it was my victory.
That final Eclipse Nova led me straight to triumph.
And it was a perfect, overwhelmingly decisive win.
Cheong's final attack?
As harsh as this sounds, it wasn't even a match for it.
'I created it, but it's truly impressive.'
Honestly, I hadn't expected this level of power.
I just mixed all my strength and fired it off, but was it the ratios and sequence that mattered? Or something else?
How could it twist and neutralize all the surrounding energy even without a direct hit?
Thanks to that, Cheong was still wobbling on Silpi's lap, unable to get up.
Sharing Silpi's scolding emotions toward me, I admitted my mistake with a sense of regret that I'd gone too far this time and quietly curled up tighter.
Oh, and if you're wondering who Ceres is, that's the name of the tree I shared life force with for Cheong.
Silpi had said I'd name it as punishment if Cheong won, but that was something I could've done anytime, win or lose.
So the name I gave it was Ceres.
The mood wasn't great, so I didn't show it, but Ceres seemed pleased with the name, rustling its leaves secretly.
If it had hated the name I gave it... well, that might've hurt a bit.
This is?
As I quietly curled up, reading the mood...
Suddenly, a comment from the Gallery caught my eye.
The comment was on the post where I'd previously praised Ceres.
Yeah, the one where Gallery users had mocked the idea of a world tree as impossible.
But the comment had nothing to do with the post's content. Still, the word "original story" piqued my interest, and I replied without thinking.
Changing the future to my liking.
I'd never even considered it.
Sure, I'd worried about surviving until the original story or what I'd do when it arrived, but twisting the original itself? That thought hit me for the first time thanks to this comment.
Twisting the story before the original.
Honestly, not a bad idea.
There are characters and events in Jijiyong that bug me.
It means I could fix the tragedies that had already become the past by the game's start.
'But it's too early to think about that now.'
Even if it's before the original, thousands of years still pass from my current time.
'...What the hell is this weirdo?'
Suddenly picking a fight like this.
I'd humored an off-topic comment for a bit, and now they're getting cocky?
Of course, I wasn't the only one thinking that.
Many Gallery users turned their attention to the mystery user suddenly starting shit.
Listening to it, I was so baffled I spaced out a bit.
So, I have to rack my brain from now and plan for events thousands of years in the future?
Soon, other users got annoyed too, firing back at the rambling troll with sharper tones.
But the aggressive replies didn't last long.
It was because of a newly posted thread.
Comments poured in suddenly, so I refreshed the Gallery.
And found the one with tons of replies.
High chance that's what had them freaking out.
'What do you want me to do about it?'
I read the post coldly, judging it.
Sure, it could be taken sensitively, but what did that guy's world ending have to do with me?
'And that guy. He's been slacking on training forever, just playing around.'
A guy who complained about his lot instead of training.
His world collapsing? Anyone skimming his posts could've seen it coming.
Problems snowballed?
Then act before they blow up, right?
'What was he doing instead of fixing the causes?'
If he didn't know, scour the Gallery, ask around, figure out the story, and solve it.
This is just reaping what he sowed.
And when his world actually ended, he vented his frustration and targeted easy prey—me, the Gallery Lord.
But the Gallery's reaction was warmer toward him than mine.
Yeah, despite everything, he's a comrade from Earth like them.
World destruction.
The newbies experiencing it for the first time posted comments agonizing over how to prevent it.
Build personal power, or gather forces to match.
Anticipate and resolve future events—that should prevent it.
But what's the point? Those who've read the post won't shake the worry easily.
I frowned at the anxious comments.
Yeah, it's unfortunate.
His world ended, after all.
But is stirring up this mood the right way?
Raising awareness is good. But this...
It's excessively emotional.
You know how regressors act, right?
Oh, that guy's gonna be bad in the future. Gonna cause me trouble.
Gonna cause an incident. So for the future, eliminate the threat now.
Acting solely on future outcomes without considering past reasons.
The Gallery newbies were showing signs of that exact behavior.
'What a proper shit-stirrer.'
Announcing his world's end to shake up the Gallery, of all things.
'Gotta... seal the Gallery for a while.'
How do I turn this mood around?
This issue is way darker and heavier than last time.
Even if I sweat bullets alone, I can't fix it.
Worse, I could backfire and fall into the abyss.
And so, as I entered my first year and the day of the Gallery Maintenance Check arrived, I stayed away from the Gallery.