Got a Gallery in the Wild

For a merchant who sells products, advertising is not an option but a necessity.

They need to make their products known to the public in order to encourage purchases.

And this was a world where the Gallery existed, a worldwide community rather than a national one.

Even if not everyone used it, there was no denying that an enormous number of people did.

Because of that, merchants promoted their products not only in reality but also in the Gallery.

Title) About what that anonymous user advertised earlier

I used it and it’s complete garbage lol don’t buy it.

ㄴWhat happens when there’s no proof?

ㄴNo, no, no. I used it too and you’re better off not buying it lol

ㄴI can’t tell if these guys are lying or telling the truth lol

But what kind of place was the Gallery?

A place where you could experience all kinds of people and witness pure human malice.

If you promoted something the wrong way, it was very easy to get caught in a smear campaign and suffer major losses.

Truly excellent products appeared from time to time, but they were usually items that already sold well on their own.

That was why anyone who wanted to advertise in the Gallery had to prepare thoroughly.

Getting help from famous adventurers, sponsoring sports teams, and things like that.

Title) Wasn’t it the Head Moderator who used to post advertisements before?

I seem to remember the Head Moderator from three generations ago doing it. You don’t see that anymore these days.

ㄴIt’s just a difference in personality. The Head Moderator from three generations ago was murdered after pulling a scam.

ㄴLol what kind of scam did he pull?

ㄴHe said he’d promote products and then didn’t do it. After that he disappeared and ended up dead hah

ㄴThat’s just running off with the money hahaha

Thus, the Gallery also had its own formal advertising system.

And how effective was it?

To be honest, its maximum potential wasn’t particularly high.

Cases where a product gradually spread by word of mouth, proved its quality, and exploded in popularity?

They practically didn’t exist.

As had already been said, the Gallery was a tool accessible to everyone.

And once a product started attracting attention, it wasn’t unusual for people to use anonymity to stir up trouble.

That the product was bad for your health.

That it was lethal to a certain race.

That it caused addiction.

And so on.

Rumors spread and ended up neutralizing any advertising campaign.

Title) And where’s the proof?

Where’s the proof that we did any of that? Hahaha

Stop talking about suspicions and bring actual evidence haha

ㄴWhat if it really does have side effects?

ㄴNot every body reacts the same way~

ㄴlol

That was why it was always necessary to analyze whether a complaint was legitimate or merely a malicious response to another complaint.

And that was precisely why Grills’ review had such a massive impact.

“I tried it, and it works.”

From Grills’ perspective, he was simply telling the truth.

But the fact that it worked even in the Forest of Four Seasons was practically absolute certification.

It was a seal of approval that nobody else could match.

Title) I don’t know about anything else, but

The “Forest of Four Seasons” part is insane lol

If you want to survive there, you absolutely have to use good products.

You think he used something defective?

Knowing Grills, he’d have unleashed a barrage of insults asking, “What the hell is this garbage?” lmao

ㄴHonestly, there’s no way to argue against that haha

ㄴIf you don’t like it, go into the Forest of Four Seasons yourself haha

ㄴBut he hasn’t criticized products before, right?

ㄴYeah. This time he only praised the repellent. He hardly ever complains.

ㄴBesides, among products with good reviews, defective ones are pretty rare.

ㄴThen why do they never sell out?

ㄴBecause they’re ridiculously expensive. And aside from adventurers, almost nobody uses insect repellent.

Title) I’m not an adventurer, I’m a farmer

I watched the video Grills uploaded.

Wouldn’t this work against pests if you applied it to stones?

It’s hot where I live and there are tons of insects.

I placed it among my crops and the insects stopped coming near.

After testing it, I can say it’s an essential item for farmers.

Definitely buy it.

At the very least, you’ll stop suffering because of pests.

ㄴWasn’t insect repellent originally used for that?

ㄴNormally adventurers use it.

ㄴFarmers use similar things too. They’re called pesticides.

ㄴBut aren’t most pesticides bad for crops?

ㄴThat’s why this repellent is completely broken.

ㄴWhat the hell did Icon Trading Company make…?;;;

For reasons like that, the repellent sold out almost immediately.

And not just in the Gallery.

In reality as well.

The warehouses of Icon Trading Company had been completely emptied.

In truth, something similar had happened before.

During the Sabertooth Tiger incident.

Title) Grills is still using that uniform, right?

That uniform even withstood the claws of a tiger.

Wasn’t there any news about that?

ㄴBecause Chayu uniforms were already selling well before that.

ㄴI think it was because of reputation. Back then people just thought it was interesting.

ㄴIts popularity exploded after the Immortal King incident lol

ㄴIf people rediscover it now, it’ll sell like hotcakes.

ㄴA uniform capable of resisting the claws of a Forest of Four Seasons tiger!

ㄴBut the fangs still go through it?

ㄴSurviving that was already a miracle haha

ㄴBesides, uniforms sell more because of their design than their performance.

Since the uniform’s main appeal was its design rather than its performance, the effect wasn’t particularly large.

Even so, sales increased, so it couldn’t be said that it had accomplished nothing.

Especially because Grills’ popularity had grown enormously after revealing the truth about the Immortal King.

The before and after were completely different.

A simple user review generated a terrifying advertising effect.

It was impossible not to drool over such an opportunity.

Title) Hey, you bastards

WildGrills

Give me back my damn insect repellent.

ㄴAnd why the hell would it be yours, idiot? Hahaha

ㄴAh lol we’re putting it to good use haha you go use something else lol

ㄴYou got to enjoy it all by yourself for long enough haha

ㄴBurp~!

ㄴGrills, do you need any other products? I can recommend something amazing.

ㄴWildGrills) Like what?

ㄴThere’s one called XXX Repellent in the auction house. Give it a try.

ㄴWildGrills) Okay. Give me a moment.

ㄴWildGrills) (Video of insects swarming onto the repellent) Do you want to die? Did you put honey in this crap?

ㄴEuk hahaha

ㄴThat’s the exact opposite effect lol

ㄴIt wasn’t repellent, it was actual honey lmaoo

ㄴDoesn’t that count as fraud? Haha

ㄴBreaking news. The repellent that was listed in the auction house has just been removed lol

However, there were some rather demanding requirements.

The first was performance.

If someone recommended a product and it didn’t work, there was a very high chance Grills would bury it under a mountain of insults.

ㄴBut who says that necessarily means it’s a bad product? We’re talking about the Forest of Four Seasons.

ㄴExactly. Honestly, I think the repellent from Icon Merchant Guild is the abnormal one.

ㄴIf it works even in the Forest of Four Seasons, that’s what’s impressive;;

ㄴNow that you mention it, you’re right.

But what was important?

That even if the product turned out to be mediocre, they could always justify it by saying it had been tested in the Forest of Four Seasons.

The impressive part was that it worked there.

And failing to work there didn’t necessarily mean it was bad.

From the perspective of someone promoting a product, it was literally a low-risk, high-reward situation.

Especially for those who trusted the quality of their products but had never had the chance to stand out.

Title) Grills, could you test this just once?

(Photo of a mosquito net)

We invented it in our Merchant Guild and thought it might be useful in places with lots of insects.

We’ll give it to you for free, so please test it just once.

It doesn’t matter if you criticize it afterward. We just want you to put it through its paces.

ㄴWildGrills: Okay. Give me a moment. Are you planning to put this up in the auction house?

ㄴYes. We’ll be listing it soon.

ㄴWildGrills: (Video of him installing the mosquito net over the container where he keeps the fish) It performs well. You could even use it to make a mosquito screen lol.

ㄴThank you;;; I’ll put it up for sale right away.

ㄴI’m so jealous.

ㄴHey, Grills. I want to ask you a favor too.

From Grills’ perspective, this was beneficial as well.

He received all kinds of products for free, so everyone won.

Of course, from time to time people sent him strange items, but that was simply part of the Gallery’s nature, and he took it with a sense of humor.

Although many people were happy to send him sponsorships, not everyone felt the same way.

“We can’t just sit back and do nothing! At this rate, our main sales are going to be affected!”

“……”

Especially the Merchant Guilds that directly competed with Icon Merchant Guild.

Commerce was, by nature, a ruthless game where victory only came when your competitor disappeared completely.

And since the era was still what it was, the concept of a “monopoly” practically didn’t exist.

It was a world where the winner took everything.

That made it inevitable to pay attention whenever a rival Merchant Guild’s products demonstrated strong competitiveness.

“Fortunately, Icon Merchant Guild’s insect repellent isn’t one of their main products. Even now they’ve sold out completely and can’t properly supply it.”

“……”

“That’s why we need to take advantage of this opportunity and come up with a strategy before—”

“Let me ask you a question.”

The Guild Master calmly interrupted his secretary’s passionate speech.

The secretary closed his mouth and waited for the words that would follow.

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Then the Guild Master spoke.

“What exactly can we do?”

“……Excuse me?”

“I asked what exactly it is that we can do.”

The words that came from the Guild Master’s mouth were not a proposal to solve the situation, but an acceptance of reality.

Who was the Guild Master?

He was the owner of the Merchant Guild and the person responsible for determining its direction.

That was why it was so bewildering to hear something like that from someone in his position.

However, it wasn’t because the Guild Master was an idiot.

On the contrary, he had understood reality faster than anyone else.

“Are you planning to forcibly capture the guy living in the Forest of Four Seasons? Or spread rumors saying the product’s effectiveness is a lie?”

“Can you guarantee he has absolutely no connection to Icon Merchant Guild? Even if he doesn’t, surely we could somehow…”

“Of course, because someone capable of pulling up Adult Mandrakes as if he were harvesting corn would be that easy to manipulate.”

“……”

“There is nothing we can do. Go get some popcorn and enjoy the show.”

In the end, the secretary couldn’t find any fault in his superior’s words and had no choice but to withdraw.

But that didn’t mean the Guild Master had given up.

He was simply evaluating the current situation.

‘Would our products actually work in the Forest of Four Seasons?’

That was the key issue.

Did they possess performance so overwhelming that they could function even in the Forest of Four Seasons?

Honestly, he could confidently say no.

If that were truly the case, even Icon Merchant Guild would have treated it as one of their flagship products.

This entire situation had arisen through coincidence after coincidence.

‘If the Guild Master of Icon Merchant Guild isn’t an idiot, he’ll start treating the repellent as a flagship product. And when that happens, our Merchant Guild’s products will be viewed as inferior by comparison.’

It was already too late even to try asking Grills for help.

The idea that Icon Merchant Guild’s repellents were the best had already begun to spread.

This was the moment when the true power of the Gallery revealed itself in full.

And it wasn’t something a single Merchant Guild could stop.

In the end, it meant he needed to find another strategy.

The Guild Master thought deeply.

‘I’ll have to reach an agreement with Icon Merchant Guild.’

The victory or defeat of this competition had already been practically decided.

The Guild Master let out a sigh.

He didn’t like having to yield, but money had to be made.

After all, a Merchant Guild existed to earn money, not to fight over pride.

And just as one Guild Master was gracefully accepting defeat—

“G-Guild Master! Orders are still skyrocketing!”

“Damn it! I clearly told them to wait! This is made from crops grown on my father’s land!”

“Even so, they’re saying we need to get more no matter what! There are even rumors that it’s good for the skin…!”

“Good for the skin?! Since when is insect repellent good for the skin?!”

Icon Merchant Guild descended into chaos due to the endless flood of work.

They had expected repellents to sell better from now on.

But this was excessive even by those standards.

“Why the hell is it selling so much?!”

And none of them were in the Forest of Four Seasons like Grills.

Grills, who had unintentionally sparked a massive revolution in the world of commerce.

He was still living inside the cave because of the insect plague infesting the outside world.

And since he was stuck there anyway, he spent his time checking the items he had received as sponsorships and promotional products.

“Seriously, why the hell would they send me women’s underwear?”

Although he occasionally received strange things, there were also many useful items.

He had decided not to write any more reviews because every time he praised something, its value ended up skyrocketing.

But he couldn’t simply keep the items and disappear without saying anything.

‘I’ll test their performance and give an honest opinion.’

Just as he was thinking that—

WOOOOOOO—

A sound he had never heard before came from outside the cave.

A noise so piercing that it completely drowned out the buzzing of the insects.

Grills stopped sorting through the items and peeked outside.

Since he had already applied repellent, the insects didn’t come near him.

WOOOOOOO—

“……What the hell is that?”

Grills could see it clearly.

A “whale” swimming freely through the sky despite there being no sea anywhere.

A creature identical to a blue whale, the largest mammal in the world.

The Forest of Four Seasons had always been a place that effortlessly twisted common sense, but this was simply on a completely absurd level.

WOOOOOOO—

The whale gliding freely through the sky stopped directly above Grills’ head.

Then it turned toward the direction where the insect swarms were buzzing and opened its mouth.

A gigantic mouth befitting its enormous size.

FWOOOOOOOSH!

Moments later, it began sucking up the insects like a vacuum cleaner.

The suction force itself wasn’t particularly strong.

But insects were a different story.

They were countless in number, yet extremely weak.

And they were pulled helplessly into the whale’s mouth.

Thus, the Celestial Whale swallowed the entire swarm in mere moments.

WOOOOOOO—

As if satisfied with its feast, the whale leisurely resumed swimming through the heavens and disappeared.

“……”

Grills was speechless for a moment.

‘Well… I guess since this is a fantasy world, flying whales can exist too.’

After all, people already said unicorns existed.

Celestial Whales wouldn’t be that strange either.

Title) Do flying whales exist too?

WildGrills

(Video of a whale flying through the sky)

That whale is flying up there. Do whales in this world always fly or what?

ㄴHeavenlyDemon: It looks like a creature that should only exist in legends.

ㄴSwordmaster: No. Sky Whales are creatures that normally only appear in myths.;;

ㄴHeavenlyDemon: Myths? You mean beings like the Scarlet Phoenix or the Azure Dragon?

ㄴSwordmaster: I’m talking about myths, not legends.;;

ㄴIt’s literally a mythical creature and this guy just saw one in person;;

ㄴThis is completely insane lmao;;

Hmm.

It seemed that Celestial Whales were treated in this world the same way unicorns were treated on Earth.