I Became the Only Reptile in the Community

Chapter 37

—–CROW—– 

“[Ah.]”

I was alive.

*Thud*

The familiar sky and scenery. And his friends, whose mere presence eased his mind. Everything was just as he had left it.  As if no time had passed at all.  He collapsed on the spot, his strength leaving him.

-El? What’s wrong?

Silphy approached him as he suddenly collapsed.

“Meow.”

Cheong came over too, next to Silphy.  She was weaker compared to when she’d fought him with Ceres’s help, but she had still grown considerably.  Her appearance had also fully transitioned from a kitten to a tiger, albeit still a cub.

[You have passed the Gallery Maintenance Test for the first time.]

[The Private Message function has been activated.]

‘Oh, right.’  He had forgotten about that.  The additional feature granted upon passing the test for the first time: the Private Message system, allowing for one-on-one conversations instead of communicating with everyone through gallery posts.

“[Private messages…]”

-Private messages?

“Meow?”

This could be useful.  He had originally planned to return to the gallery, but with the private message function unlocked and his experience during the test, he now had something to do before that.

***

“Really?!”

“I’m telling you! So, this time, I…”

“What’s for lunch today?”

“I don’t know.”

“Hey, let’s spar with me this afternoon.”

“That’s not something we can just do, is it?”

Students in pristine white academy uniforms were chatting amicably, their energy filling the air.  A man watched them from a fifth-floor window.

[‘DragonSnack’ has requested to send you a private message.]

“Hmm?”

He was about to smile, caught up in their youthful energy and laughter, when a notification popped up.

“Huh.”

DragonSnack. The man let out a short exclamation.  How could he not know that name? There was no one more popular in the gallery, and he was personally interested in him as well.

*Ding*

There was no reason to refuse.  The man accepted the private message request.

>Hi.

He was now having a private fan meeting with the Gallery Master!  The talk of the gallery!  Well, calling him a “person” wasn’t quite right. Though his mind might be human, his body wasn’t.

>You haven’t posted anything lately.

>Too bad. I was looking forward to your posts.

The only non-human in the gallery. The man smiled at the Gallery Master’s words.  As a gallery user, the fact that the famous Gallery Master had been waiting for his posts…

The man suppressed his urge to immediately make a new gallery post and replied. He still occasionally appeared in the gallery to chat or post updates, commonly known as “proof-of-life” posts.  But the Gallery Master had completely disappeared.

‘Well, I can guess the reason.’

Considering the Gallery Master’s past behavior, this disappearance was undoubtedly related to YOLO Swordmaster’s post.  And as expected…

>The atmosphere was a mess, so I went silent for a while.

The expected answer arrived, and the man’s fingers moved more lightly across the keyboard as he sent his next question.

>Yeah. But before that, I had something to ask you. That’s why I sent you a private message. Thanks for accepting.

“Oh…”

He hadn’t returned to the gallery directly but had sought him out instead.  This boosted his ego. He had been irritated by recent events, and now a being from another dimension was alleviating his frustration.

>You. How much do you know about the goddesses?

*Tap. Tap.*

“Goddesses.”

Why the sudden mention of goddesses? The man racked his brain, trying to understand the other party’s intentions.  A guess flashed through his mind.

“Is this related to the Gallery Maintenance Test?”

For some reason, the memories of what happened during the test disappeared upon returning to reality. Everyone in the gallery experienced this same phenomenon, so they expressed their fear and anxiety in the gallery without knowing what kind of test they were taking.

“He must be the same.”

It would be easier to assume that he was simply curious about the goddesses.

“Whatever it is, it’s about goddesses.”

Usually, when the keyword “goddess” was mentioned in the gallery, everyone thought of Rine. But he knew that Rine wasn’t the only goddess in this world.

“Gallery Master, I’m curious how much you know.”

He wasn’t the type to just give information away to anyone who asked… not exactly.  He had already shared various information with others in the gallery.

*Tap tap tap*

And this time was no different.

>…Four?

He had prepared everything, just in case! The man gladly shared the goddesses he knew. Now, which goddess’s information did the Gallery Master desire?

>Uh… Could you tell me who’s who first?

So, he was going to choose after a preview.

“If that’s what you want!”

Then he would play along.

He would answer any question about any goddess.  The man waited for a reply, and after a short while, it finally came.

>Could you post this as a proper article?

What an interesting choice.

“Hahaha! You must really want to extract knowledge from me!”

This arrogant choice of selecting all of them instead of just one.  Some might call it a childish choice, while others might criticize it as greedy.  But the man’s eyes shone with delight.

“You have to be at least this much to stand out among us.”

For someone special, even among those who could be considered protagonists of their respective dimensions, such a choice was understandable.  In fact, he would be more troubled if he hadn’t made this choice.

*Knock knock*

“Hmm?”

He had seen the Gallery Master’s choice and was about to start writing his post when he heard a knock on the door.  Who could it be at this timing?

“Come in.”

*Burst*

“Master!”

“Hey. You shouldn’t call me Master here. How many times have I told you to be mindful of your words and actions?”

“Ah, I apologize.”

The young man scratched his head at the man’s scolding.  However, the smile on his face showed that the man didn’t view him negatively.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Ah, well, about the test…”

The man listened attentively to his disciple’s words and offered him some advice and answers.  His disciple, with a sturdy build like a knight, specialized in magic, specifically time magic, which required a sharp mind and talent.

“You’re a professor in charge of a subject at the academy now, so I believe you’ll do well.”

“I know. But these are the first students I’m in charge of, so I’ve grown attached to them.”

He wasn’t being biased.  He hadn’t gone that far yet, but he saw the potential for it, so he wanted to prevent it beforehand.

“…Well, despite your appearance, you’re smart, so you understand what I mean.”

“Master, isn’t it a bit much to criticize my appearance?”

“Shut up, you brat!”

Who was he doing this for?!  The man had nothing more to say, and since the young man’s business was concluded, he waved his hand dismissively.  He was old enough to manage on his own.

“Then, excuse me, ‘Headmaster.’”

“Alright.”

*Click*

Once the young man left and he was alone again, the man quickly opened the gallery and started writing his post about the goddesses.

“Yes, I should share this information I recently discovered as well.”

He was a hero who had already saved the world, the current Headmaster of the academy, a living legend. 

A master of the incredibly complex time magic, a hero who brought peace to the world by trapping evil in an eternity of time.  

In the gallery, his name was History Buff.  He was one of the few beings across all dimensions who had seen the story’s end.

—–CROW—–