Chapter 60

A Strange Adventure (2)

Do you know the medical term PTSD?

Most people probably do.

Post-traumatic stress disorder—mental suffering caused by experiencing something horrific.

The human body can recover from injuries given enough time.

But the mind is considerably more fragile than the body.

Something trivial to one person can inflict severe psychological trauma on another.

Moreover, there is no fixed method or timeframe for healing wounds of the mind.

Sometimes, they never even become scars.

They simply remain open wounds.

"..."

The same applied to me.

I ran a hand down my face.

The incident when the tiger attacked in the middle of the night.

I’d dreamed about it.

Even though it was only a dream, it had felt terrifyingly real.

The predator’s vivid eyes and razor-sharp fangs.

Especially when it bit into my right shoulder.

I’d jolted awake in shock, and the first thing I’d noticed upon waking was the dampness.

The nightmare had left me drenched in cold sweat.

I’d immediately checked my surroundings afterward.

Fortunately, Wonmo and Namu-Ppareumbo were both sleeping soundly.

Seeing them safe, I’d tried to go back to sleep, but it hadn’t been easy.

I was terrified that another predator like the tiger might attack at any moment.

Naturally, I’d spent the rest of the night tossing and turning.

"Haa..."

Even after morning arrived, my head still felt foggy.

I rubbed my face again.

Using the internal energy cultivation method meant I could function on less sleep.

It didn’t mean I could go without sleep entirely.

Since I hadn’t even met the minimum amount my body needed, exhaustion had inevitably accumulated.

At least I can use the cultivation method again...

But even if I could relieve physical fatigue, could I do the same for mental exhaustion?

I wasn’t sure.

I sat there blankly for a while before looking around.

Wonmo and Namu-Ppareumbo were still off in dreamland.

Must be nice.

I didn’t know about Namu-Ppareumbo, but I was genuinely jealous of Wonmo.

He could sleep without a care in the world.

Still, sitting around feeling sorry for myself wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Besides, once Wonmo grew up, he’d be helping me hunt.

I shook my head and quietly accessed the Gallery.

I’d woken up so early that I hadn’t even checked the time.

It’s only six.

I normally woke up around eight.

Today, I’d gotten up a full two hours earlier.

There wasn’t much I could do about it after that damn nightmare had ruined my sleep.

I figured I might as well spend the extra time practicing the internal energy cultivation method.

That way, I could at least start the day feeling somewhat refreshed.

Slowly, just like she taught me...

I closed my eyes and began circulating the cultivation method.

As always, I circulated the mana throughout my body.

Normally, this would’ve relieved my exhaustion.

But a certain memory kept tormenting me.

[ROOOAAAR!]

The life-or-death struggle against the saber-toothed tiger in the middle of the night.

Its towering height, far above my eye level.

Its enormous front paws.

Its razor-sharp fangs.

The images kept resurfacing in my mind, disrupting my concentration.

I simply couldn’t focus.

I could clearly feel my heart pounding violently and cold sweat streaming down my body.

If it’s six thirty... would she be awake by now?

I’d heard that old people didn’t sleep much.

Still, wouldn’t sending her a message this early be rude?

I thought about it for a moment before chuckling.

It was the Gallery, after all.

It wasn’t like she’d receive an instant notification.

There was no reason it would inconvenience her.

I’d just be leaving a message for her to see later.

Eventually, I had no choice but to open my eyes and stop practicing the cultivation method.

How was I supposed to deal with this?

I pondered for a while before sighing.

Guess I’ll have to ask the Heavenly Demon.

It seemed I’d need advice from either the Heavenly Demon or SwordMaster.

By the time I accessed the Gallery, a little more time had passed, and it was already six thirty.

[Wild Grylls: Heavenly Demon, are you there? Please contact me if you are.]

[Heavenly Demon: This lady is always waiting. You have awakened early today.]

She replied the instant I sent the message.

Surely she hadn’t spent the entire night on the Gallery, right?

The suspicion crossed my mind.

Or maybe the timing was simply good.

Perhaps she’d woken up early and happened to access the Gallery.

Putting my uncertainty aside, I brought up the problem that had been bothering me.

[Wild Grylls: Actually, something’s been troubling me. I wanted to ask you for advice.]

[Heavenly Demon: You seek this lady’s counsel? It sounds like quite a serious matter.]

[Wild Grylls: It’s nothing that serious. It’s just that every time I practice the internal energy cultivation method, I keep losing focus.]

[Heavenly Demon: You lose focus... You have not fallen prey to a heart demon, have you?]

[Wild Grylls: It’s not that bad. What happened was...]

I explained everything to the Heavenly Demon in detail.

I’d had a nightmare about the saber-toothed tiger attacking me, which had ruined my sleep.

Losing sleep was one thing, but every time I tried practicing the cultivation method, the memory resurfaced.

I’d tried my best to ignore it, but I simply couldn’t calm myself down.

And so on.

Speaking openly about everything made me feel better.

But feeling better and actually solving the problem were two different things.

I quietly waited for the Heavenly Demon’s answer.

[Heavenly Demon: I understand what is happening. This lady once experienced something similar. Whenever the memory resurfaces, does your heart begin pounding and cold sweat run down your body?]

[Wild Grylls: Huh?! Yes! Exactly!]

I hadn’t even mentioned those symptoms, yet the Heavenly Demon had identified them immediately.

An expert really was an expert.

My trust in the Heavenly Demon skyrocketed.

[Heavenly Demon: It is not merely your mind. Your body vividly remembers what happened as well. The terror of death has been engraved into your body.]

[Wild Grylls: That’s pretty abstract. Is there no way to fix it?]

[Heavenly Demon: Of body and mind, wounds inflicted upon the ’mind’ are difficult to heal. Rather than healing them, one has no choice but to overcome them.]

So basically, I just had to work really, really hard at it.

I let out a hollow laugh at the Heavenly Demon’s answer.

I’d somewhat expected that already, but hearing even an expert say it still left me feeling empty.

It wasn’t that anyone was incompetent.

It simply meant that wounds of the mind were genuinely that difficult to heal.

[Wild Grylls: That’s difficult. How did you overcome yours, Heavenly Demon?]

[Heavenly Demon: This lady gritted her teeth, devoted herself to becoming stronger, and eventually defeated the one responsible. Did you not already defeat the saber-toothed tiger yourself?]

[Wild Grylls: Yes. But because it attacked me in the middle of the night, the memory keeps coming back.]

[Heavenly Demon: Then remember how you defeated the tiger. Imagine yourself standing proudly after overcoming it. Doing so should bring you some comfort.]

[Wild Grylls: Thank you for the advice.]

[Heavenly Demon: Reciting the chant this lady taught you while imagining that scene may also prove an effective solution.]

Rather than telling me how to heal, the Heavenly Demon had taught me how to overcome it.

Now that was genuine advice.

I thanked her and did exactly as she’d instructed.

Cover the memory of being attacked by the tiger with the memory of defeating the bastard.

The saber-toothed tiger had undoubtedly been strong.

Without Namu-Ppareumbo’s help, I would’ve died several times over.

But I’d defeated it.

After overcoming countless hardships and ordeals, I’d brought down the lord of the mountain.

Sure, we’d both collapsed in the end.

But I was still alive.

And the saber-toothed tiger had left behind its hide and meat, becoming valuable provisions for me.

The wild wasn’t a place where the strong survived.

The ones who survived were strong.

And finally, if I recite the chant the Heavenly Demon taught me...

I recited the chant she’d taught me and calmed both my body and mind.

I pictured myself standing proudly with one foot planted atop the saber-toothed tiger’s back.

Thump! Thump-thump—

My heart, which had been pounding violently, gradually began to settle.

The mana inside my body regained its stability as well.

Before I knew it, both my body and mind had grown tranquil.

"..."

A little while later, I slowly opened my eyes.

My eyes, which had felt exhausted from lack of sleep, now felt completely refreshed.

Not just my eyes—every trace of fatigue in my body seemed to have vanished.

It was the same refreshing feeling as waking up after a deep, restful sleep.

I smiled at the indescribable sense of clarity.

As expected of the Heavenly Demon. She’s someone I can rely on.

My respect for her grew even more.

I immediately accessed the Gallery.

I wanted to thank the Heavenly Demon.

What the hell? Two hours have already passed?

It had felt like only an instant, yet a considerable amount of time had gone by.

I was startled by the strange feeling that I’d completely lost my sense of time, but I quickly sent the Heavenly Demon a message.

[Wild Grylls: Heavenly Demon. Thank you so much. I feel like both my body and mind have cleared up thanks to you.]

[Heavenly Demon: It seems to have worked. Remember this well. No matter how strong your opponent may be, the one left standing at the end is the one who may reach the heavens.]

[Wild Grylls: I’ll remember that. I’ll take those words to heart.]

[Heavenly Demon: This lady cannot hide her joy at seeing your growth. I hope you will soon rise to the same heights as this lady.]

[Wild Grylls: I’ll try my best.]

Of course, simply trying probably wouldn’t be enough.

Besides, the Heavenly Demon was far stronger than I was.

Becoming as strong as her was nothing more than a wish for now.

Still, there’s no downside to getting stronger.

Strength was essential in the wild, where danger lurked everywhere.

With my body and mind far more refreshed than before, I stepped outside.

The moment I emerged, a cool breeze, even more refreshing than yesterday’s, greeted me.

The weather’s nice too.

It was perfect weather for exploring.

I immediately made a post.

Title) A Strong and Mighty Morning!

Wild Grylls

If anyone asks who I am, I am Wild Grylls!

Day 7 begins!

└ SwordMaster) Your posts are always so energetic. Nothing happened during the night, right?

└ Wild Grylls) I lost some sleep because of a nightmare, but I’m okay.

└ SwordMaster) A nightmare?

└ Wild Grylls) Yeah. I dreamed about the tiger attacking me. I’m fine now, though.

└ SwordMaster) I’m glad you’re okay. Keep working hard and getting stronger today too, so you can hurry up and marry me.

└ Wild Grylls) Ma’am?

└ Heavenly Demon) Hahahaha. My stomach hurts.

└ SwordMaster) What’s with that mocking laughter? I’m being serious.

└ Heavenly Demon) Hahahahaha.

└ SwordMaster) --;;

└ Praise the Sun) You’re awake. I’ll send you a trade request in a bit, so accept it. I’ve got one hell of a shield for you.

└ Wild Grylls) Thank you. Should I give you a mature Mandrake in return?

└ Praise the Sun) Just give me one. This time, I’m giving it to my son.

└ Wild Grylls) You have a son too?

└ Praise the Sun) Kid, I’m a dark elf over five hundred years old.

└ Wild Grylls) Oh. Please wait a little. I’ll send it right away.

└ Passing Dwarf) Hey. What about my drinking snacks? You’re giving them to me today, right?

└ Wild Grylls) I’ll give them to you, so don’t worry. I’ll leave as soon as I receive the shield.

└ Passing Dwarf) K.

└ Wild Grylls) But don’t tell me you’re planning to drink first thing in the morning?

└ Passing Dwarf) Why not?

└ Wild Grylls) You’ll ruin your liver, you bastard;;

└ Leave him alone. Dwarves are the kind of guys who’d keep drinking even after getting jaundice.

└ Yeah, seriously. That’s why their average lifespan is about the same as a human’s lol.

└ Wasn’t their natural life expectancy supposed to be around 150 years?

└ Probably somewhere around there. But most of them die around sixty-five because of liver problems.

└ I bet alcohol flows through their veins instead of blood;;

└ Wild Grylls) Ah, right. But because of the trading restriction, I can’t give it to you until after noon.

└ Passing Dwarf) Ah, fuck. I completely forgot. Fucking head mod.

└ Don’tAbandonTheHero) ?

└ Passing Dwarf) I meant the head mod from three generations ago who slapped the restriction on us and ran away.

└ Look at him sober up in front of authority lmaoooo.

After chatting with the named users and anonymous users, I took care of my morning routine.

I glanced back toward the cave before setting off again.

***

As though understanding what I’d told him, Namu-Ppareumbo nodded.

I could trust Ppareumbo to handle things.

Wonmo will probably sleep, right?

Whether human or animal, fragile babies required a lot of attention.

Childcare, in particular, was difficult for every species.

Then what was the single most important thing to remember when taking care of a baby?

Healthy food?

Protection?

Or love?

All of those were correct, but there was one thing more important than anything else.

Never take your eyes off the baby.

That was the alpha and omega of childcare, because there was absolutely no predicting what a baby might do.

Babies were innocent and full of curiosity because they were still learning about the world.

And curiosity came with countless dangers.

The curiosity every living creature naturally possessed could sometimes lead directly into danger.

"Kkyuu."

Wonmo, the fluffy ball of fur, opened his bright, round eyes.

Breakfast was the smoked meat I’d made yesterday.

It was salty, but it tasted excellent.

"Wonmo. Eat this."

"Kkyuu!"

I’d bought a suitably sized piece of meat for Wonmo from the Auction House.

Namu-Ppareumbo had already eaten a fasting pill, so there was only one thing left to do.

Harvest a mature Mandrake.

I’ll go and come back quickly.

I made some basic preparations and set off.

I didn’t bring Namu-Ppareumbo with me.

I wasn’t going to hunt a Golden Poison Frog, so there was no particular reason to take him along.

"Watch the house while I’m gone."

Normally, Wonmo should have been taking a nap around this time, but today his eyes were wide open.

Those wide, curious eyes were fixed on the outside of the cave.

The world outside was far brighter than the cave.

Wonmo grew curious.

Why was it so bright out there?

What was outside?

Should he go take a look?

Dad—Grylls—wasn’t here anyway.

His big brother, Namu-Ppareumbo, was around, but it didn’t seem like he’d bother stopping him.

So Wonmo began crawling toward the cave entrance.

He looked ready to leave at any moment.

And Namu-Ppareumbo was watching the entire scene unfold in real time.

At first, he didn’t think much of it.

But then he began to get a bad feeling.

Where was that little guy going?

The food-giver—Grylls—wasn’t even here.

Namu-Ppareumbo’s movements might have been slow, but his thoughts certainly weren’t.

After all, his reflexes were fast enough to snatch an arrow out of the air after it had already been fired.

Swoosh.

Just before Wonmo could leave the cave, Namu-Ppareumbo stretched out an arm.

It was a gesture telling him not to go outside.

Wonmo stared at Namu-Ppareumbo.

But Wonmo was still a cub.

And he was right in the middle of the age when curiosity was at its strongest.

"Kkyuuuu."

"..."

Wonmo completely ignored Namu-Ppareumbo’s warning and continued forward.

Namu-Ppareumbo reacted to that behavior, albeit slowly.

Grab—

His vicious claw hooked into the uniform Wonmo was wearing.

Naturally, Namu-Ppareumbo was dragged along with him.

To avoid getting hurt, Namu-Ppareumbo wriggled and adjusted his body.

"Kku?"

Somehow, Namu-Ppareumbo ended up riding on Wonmo’s back.

Wonmo looked back at Namu-Ppareumbo in confusion before moving his legs again.

An absurd yet adorable situation that had occurred while Grylls was away.

"Kkyuu!"

And so began the strange adventure of Wonmo and Namu-Ppareumbo.

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