I Became a Gallery Newbie Beloved by Transcendents
Chapter 1
The black numbers caught my gaze.
1.
…Is this the 1st floor?
A structure made of stairs, is this it?
I could only continue walking.
KWADDEUK!
A sound of something being chewed echoed in my ears.
The problem was that the source of the sound was right in front of me.
I crouched down, using a slightly protruding gray wall as cover.
‘Fuck.’
KWADDEUK!
Something was consuming something.
A giant ant.
Looking at its body size alone, it seemed to be at least 100cm tall, and this massive ant was chewing something.
‘…It’s a person.’
It looked like a person. A dead person.
Without moving at all, the person was being chewed by the ant.
The ant’s large mandibles moving. And each time, dark blood flowed downward.
KWAJIK!
I held my breath.
I couldn’t tell if it was because I was hiding behind a wall or because it was focused on its meal, but one thing was certain: this creature did not know of my existence yet.
‘There’s a weapon.’
Right behind the ant.
Probably a spear used by the person now being eaten by the ant.
The only thing that could kill this ant right now was that spear.
If this giant ant finished its meal and came this way, I would die without even having a chance to grab the spear.
This was my only opportunity.
Moving to grab that spear was the best choice.
I lowered my body as much as possible and moved forward slowly.
I advanced with my breath completely held.
KWADDEUK! KADDEUK!
Hearing the gruesome sounds, I stretched out both hands towards the single spear behind the giant ant still eating its meal.
‘…I’ve got it.’
The spear felt quite heavy, but not to the point of being unmanageable. Thank goodness I frequently lifted empty bars at the gym.
Just as I was about to swing the spear, I felt a gaze. A very eerie predator’s gaze.
The giant ant’s black pupils were staring right through me.
I quickly moved my body. Stepping forward with my right foot and extending both arms.
PUUUUK!
The spear directly hit the ant’s head.
As it staggered backwards, I swung the spear towards its legs.
KWAJIK!
My heart beat rapidly.
The momentum was on my side. I continued swinging the spear desperately towards the giant ant’s head. Dozens of times.
Soon, bluish green blood formed a puddle on the floor.
Apparently, I had successfully killed it.
The giant ant with its crushed head did not move at all.
In the meantime, my entire body was drenched in sweat.
The black shirt was stained with the ant’s sticky blood.
“URRGH….”
As if I had used all my strength, my arms began to feel like they were being torn apart.
[Experience points increased.]
[Current experience 30%]
[When experience points reach 100%, level will increase.]
[As level increases, experience point increase becomes slower.]
‘Level?’
At this point, my mind was becoming hazy. Where the hell am I?
My gaze was still directed at the disfigured ant.
And then it moved towards the dead person behind it.
“What?”
The clothes were very different from the modern clothes I was wearing just moments ago.
It felt like clothes from the Western medieval period.
Something appeared above the corpse’s head.
[NPC – Fleeing Citizen]
Not a name, but a designation of ‘Fleeing Citizen’.
“Is this an NPC….”
Every situation I encountered was surreal.
I carefully searched the dead citizen’s belongings.
There was a pocket hidden under the clothes.
Inside the pocket was an object with a very familiar texture.
I pulled it out.
“A phone?”
What, a phone suddenly appearing here?
After all these entirely unrealistic situations, a modern device suddenly appeared.
Its shape was exactly like a smartphone.
I pressed what seemed to be the power button.
DING-
The screen lit up.
Suddenly, blue light flickered on the screen, and a hologram-like interface spread before my eyes.
And then the text.
【 Transcender Gallery 】
I swiped down and many posts were visible.
Just like the community gallery I used to frequent.
I first clicked on a random eye-catching post.
Title: Anyone know any notable rookies lately?
Author: Anonymous
-Been busy with real life, haven’t been to the back gallery. First time in the main gallery in a while ㅎㅎ
ㄴ No notable newbies in sight.
ㄴ Seriously, these days’ rookies have no will. They’re all just trying to find the easy path.
ㄴ So where have you cleared? Normal? Easy mode finisher talking like this?
ㄴ Light Sword) Do you know the sword?
ㄴ Aren’t you tired of this, Sword Dance?
“Main gallery” seems to be a shortened version of “Transcender Gallery”.
What’s “back gallery”?
I pressed back and clicked on the most recent post.
Title: Why can’t I write posts in the back gallery, damn it
Author: Archmage
-So frustrating. Why are you scared to fight something you could clearly win? It’s only the 35th floor! Whether your arms burn or legs tear, just charge in and kill! You’ll recover after clearing the floor anyway, stop hesitating!
ㄴ Stop giving advice about something that’s not your business, Archmage?
ㄴ Easy mode finisher, what a punk. Everyone knows you’re not like this. This person is a hard mode finisher. Just look at their fixed nickname.
Fixed nickname.
A fixed nickname means continuously using a unique nickname within the gallery.
ㄴ Damn, 60% are from easy mode, aren’t you also from normal mode? Just another ordinary trash. Why are you self-counseling to this Archmage?
ㄴ Easy<<<<<<<<Normal
ㄴ Hahaha, too much self-awareness. The difference between normal and the godly hard mode is that. Easy and normal are just two walls apart.
ㄴ Priestess) Hawa, everyone shouldn’t fight.
ㄴ Shut up.
ㄴ Light’s Sword) Do you know the sword?
Dizzying.
The only thing clearly felt was that everyone writing posts or comments here seems to have already completed something rather than currently doing it.
So what am I?
Still not grasping where I am, but it seems certain this is the 1st floor. Which means I’m at the starting point. Unlike the people chattering in the gallery.
I’ll first post something and see the reactions.
I pressed ‘Write’ and started composing.
The keyboard was projected in the air like a hologram, making writing easy.
TADADAK-
I’ll just use ‘Anonymous’ as the writer. Seems like people here who don’t use fixed nicknames use this. Feels just like a real gallery.
I finished writing and pressed upload.
Title: Have you all cleared? I think I’m on the 1st floor, what is this
Writer: Anonymous
-Seeing ‘1’ written on the wall, I think I’m just starting. Have you all already finished? What exactly is this place? Just killed a huge ant.
Comments appeared immediately.
ㄴ Bastard, what kind of provocation is this? This is a transcender gallery, how can a climber write such nonsense. Totally not funny
ㄴ If you have nothing to do, clean your feet and go to sleep~~
ㄴ Priestess) Hawa, it’s not interesting.
ㄴ To the climb gallery.
ㄴ Hahahaha this is hilarious, is this guy a climber? How did he even get to the climb gallery? Send him back to reset so he can climb again?
ㄴ No way, never climbing again. Still have post-traumatic stress
Don’t believe it. I was about to write another post begging them to believe me.
A new comment had been added.
ㄴ Judak) I don’t know what’s going on… but does his story seem true? Checked the location coordinates, it’s 666.666.66.532. It’s appearing with 666, which is the climb gallery users’ coordinates.
Judak?
Is this the same gallery moderator role I know?
A gallery administrator with the authority to delete posts or block users.
Anyway, as soon as Judak’s comment was posted, it was as if time had stopped, and no comments were added for a moment.
And.
After that brief silence, comments began to pour in like crazy.
ㄴ What?? What’s going on?? How can a climber enter the transcender gallery hahaha What is this?
ㄴ And from the 1st floor??? What the hell hahahaha
ㄴ It doesn’t make sense for a climber to come to the transcender gallery, seriously
ㄴ Priestess) Hawa, please apologize for the previous slip of tongue.
ㄴ Light’s Sword) Do you know the sword?
Scrolling down endlessly.
ㄴ Archmage) What, such a crazy sudden thing happening?? Do you happen to know magic?
ㄴ Pioneer) ??
ㄴ Sewer Sword Sage) Let’s hear more details.
ㄴ Absolute Monarch) What’s your origin?
ㄴ Heavenly Demon) So you’re on the 1st floor right now? What’s the difficulty?
ㄴ Millsionist) An anomaly has occurred – this world is made of a giant closed room
ㄴ Ice Queen) Freeze! Frozen solid!
ㄴ Elf) Could you be an alien species?
ㄴ Holy shit, look at all these humans suddenly appearing hahahahahaha
ㄴ Really, pulling out all the spectators. Surprising, right
ㄴ All the monsters are popping out
It was clear that all the attention of the Transcender Gallery was focused on me.
