chapter 103

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons - Episode 103

Though he wondered whether it really had anything to do with it, “Gem Vein” was one of the dungeons Yoo Seong-woon had told Gio about.

“Did I end up handing over information for nothing?”

It was already “Gio’s Portrait,” who could freely move anywhere.

Giving him information about several interesting dungeons connected to Earth with few people, might have been like telling a hungry tiger where the village was.

“...Still, it would have been only a matter of time.”

Yoo Seong-woon did not regret his actions.

‘Visabel agreed too.’

Above all, he was human, but not wholly on humanity’s side.

There is a saying that the best gardener is an observer.

He couldn’t truly do nothing but observe, but their mission was to balance the source and the world’s equilibrium.

Chosen as a gardener from a very young age, Yoo Seong-woon could be indifferent to the events of life blooming and withering.

‘And Gio knows Earth well.’

Yoo Seong-woon had only hastened the time Gio would become active; the portrait appearing here and there across Earth to startle people was something that had been bound to happen.

“I haven’t even finished investigating Gyeongbokgung yet, and before I can wrap up anything, another incident happens—honestly...”

Yoo Seong-woon sat on a bench dusted with snow and scratched his chin.

“...Was today Christmas?”

Originally, he had planned to go see Gio and ask whether he had any plans to enjoy the year’s end.

“Now it’ll be hard.”

For Yoo Seong-woon to have overtime confirmed on a holiday like this—he really was the sad face of a modern person.

Rubbing his stiff neck, Yoo Seong-woon slowly let out a sigh.

By the will of the garden he served, no breath steamed out.

“Alright.”

The first thing he needed to do was interview the witness.

* * *

An F-rank hunter.

An awakened person only a little stronger than a healthy adult male civilian.

Those who, knowing they would likely die if they entered a dungeon, still obtained a hunter license often took the position commonly called “porter.”

“Ah, hello.”

“Nice to meet you, Hunter Lee Seon-hu.”

“I was told you’d be coming today.”

The “witness” Yoo Seong-woon found was a porter with a kind impression.

“So... you said you wanted to hear about the Black Cloak.”

“Yes, to be precise, I came because I want to hear the details of what you witnessed that day.”

“As I said on the phone, I already told the Association staff member what happened that day.”

“What I’m curious about, strictly speaking, is information about the frame you saw, Hunter Lee Seon-hu.”

“...Alright.”

Though he looked troubled, he let Yoo Seong-woon into his house.

“It’s a bit shabby, isn’t it?

I’m sorry.”

“No, not at all.

I’m the one who came without notice.”

Yoo Seong-woon understood the witness’s faint reluctance.

In general, third-grade citizens tended to feel awkward or burdened when they saw citizens of a higher grade.

‘It’s also an era with severe grade conflict.’

Even so, the witness served him warm green tea and treated Yoo Seong-woon politely.

‘An impression Gio would like.’

The portrait that liked polite and kind humans came to mind.

Surely one reason it caused this incident was that it liked Lee Seon-hu as a person.

“It’s warm—thank you.”

“I’m sorry this is all I have to offer.”

“Just agreeing to talk is more than enough.”

Yoo Seong-woon kept up light conversation and eased the witness’s tension.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem the type to harbor ill will toward a first-grade citizen; the witness soon let down his guard and continued the conversation earnestly.

Only when the green tea was nearly cool did they reach the main point.

“You said you were curious about the frame I saw then?”

“It’s a new work by the Black Cloak, following ‘The Breathing Sea.’”

“Ah, that part surprised me too.

I didn’t know he could produce another new work like that...”

“While working as a curator and researching various things, I grew interested.”

Yoo Seong-woon did not mention that he was looking for the missing Park Eun-gyeom.

‘My purpose is less about saving a man named Park Eun-gyeom than confirming how the Black Cloak expressed hostility, but... either way, it won’t sound good to the person involved.’

If Hunter Park were alive, saving him—or at least recovering his body—would be one of Yoo Seong-woon’s duties.

There was nothing good in telling the person who had been abandoned and even abused by him about Yoo Seong-woon’s duty to save him or retrieve his corpse.

‘...Still, what’s interesting is that he’s quite favorable toward the Black Cloak.’

The witness was smiling as he said, “I didn’t know he could produce another new work like that.”

It looked like someone who had heard news that a favorite artist had opened a gallery.

“...”

To think I’d be reminded again that ‘Gio’s Portrait’ is a painter.

‘Gio, you’ve got a fan.’

He knew there was a group of people who oddly idolized the Black Cloak.

He hadn’t intended to meet them separately or talk to them, but confirming it like this made him feel strange.

Unaware of Yoo Seong-woon’s thoughts, the witness asked,

“Will the Black Cloak keep producing works like that?”

“...At present, I believe the probability is high.”

“That’s amazing.”

Nodding, the witness continued.

“The work I saw that day was a painting of a gray city.

Since the colors were very transparent, I thought it might be watercolor...”

He spoke as if he were truly discussing an artist’s work.

“Actually, at a glance I judged it as gray, but it wasn’t entirely gray.”

“Then?”

“It would be more accurate to say it was a completely achromatic work.

It was fascinating. The building shapes in the city were diverse, the windows and everything... the depiction was extremely vivid.”

“Vivid depiction with watercolor, which tends to clump and blur—that’s surprising.”

“There was also pure black and pure white.

There weren’t any strong colors like red or yellow, but I don’t know how it grabbed the eye so strongly.”

The witness seemed to have some knowledge of art.

Not professional-level, but enough to see and enjoy works in his own way.

‘That might be why he’s even more favorable to the Black Cloak.’

Organizing his thoughts, Yoo Seong-woon asked.

“I envy you, having seen such a work.

Have you ever seen it again anywhere other than ‘Gem Vein’?”

“Ah... unfortunately, no.

That one time in the dungeon was all.

And even then, it disappeared quickly.”

“I see.”

He didn’t sense any falsehood.

“I wanted to see it with my own eyes—it’s a pity.”

Yoo Seong-woon needed to find that frame and confirm what state Hunter Park Eun-gyeom was in.

“Guess there’s no choice but to search the dungeon myself...”

“Um... well.”

The witness hesitated, then spoke.

“I have a friend who’s awakened too... but he’s F-rank like me, so he didn’t get a hunter license.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I heard that friend said he’s seen the same frame too.”

“...The same frame?”

“Actually, he saw that frame before I did.

At first, I was too out of it to know, but after I was left alone in front of the frame... it matched the frame that guy talked about.”

“...”

No matter if someone was awakened, if they didn’t get a hunter license, they were just a civilian.

‘Especially if they’re F-rank, all the more.’

Unlike hunters, who are required to write reports and are easy to gather information from, civilians—this explained why the Association didn’t know this.

But there was something puzzling.

He wondered why it wasn’t reported to the Association, but above all—

“Civilians can’t enter dungeons.”

“Yes, that’s right.

He said he saw it near Gyeongbokgung, not in a dungeon...”

“Gyeongbokgung?”

“So it seems it doesn’t appear only in dungeons.”

“Oh...”

If that was true, then there was no regularity at all to where the ‘City of Emptiness’ appeared.

‘I’m screwed.’

Now it truly looked like there was no choice but to run around on foot.

* * *

“What?”

Gio flinched, completely at odds with his gloomy, calm face.

“You’re telling me my child has been running away from home behind my back all this time?”

“Calling it running away is a bit much—your word choice, I mean.”

Flicking around the sleeves that had slipped down from the oversized doctor’s coat, Aria continued.

“Since your affection for Earth is so deep, what can we do? We studied this and that.

Last time we only planned to leave after throwing Earth into confusion, so we didn’t really know anything properly.”

“For that, you covered your tracks quite well, Aria.

I heard the Sun Church’s Seoul Branch temple is still busy cleaning up.

Doesn’t that mean our mermaid students caused quite a large confusion?”

“That is a most honorable testimony, gentleman.

As children of the deep sea who hate the sun and its children, nothing could please us more.

Anyway, while studying Earth’s situation, this is what I found out...”

Aria shrugged.

“Recently, it seems ‘City of Emptiness’ has been witnessed very rarely in a region called Seoul.”

“This father has never heard such a thing from Emptiness...”

“Emptiness? Is that your dungeon’s nickname?

Teacher, your tastes are truly peculiar.”

“My own child, and I call it by its name—what exactly is peculiar about that.”

“If you don’t know, fine.

What I wanted to tell you is that without you knowing, your dungeon is roaming the planet called Earth.”

“Even hearing it again, it’s terribly bewildering.”

As a parent, he felt guilty beyond even responsibility.

“Clearly, this is because I have not paid attention to Emptiness, and the child has gone crooked.

A parent doesn’t even know the child was born and was busy enjoying his own life—so even if I’ve only recently begun to pay some attention, that lonely heart would not simply vanish.”

“...”

“This is why I should have done better from childhood...

Since ‘home’ is not all that stable and peaceful for Emptiness, it wanders outside, doesn’t it.

But even so, I truly never imagined that a frame stored safely in the warehouse would go out all on its own.”

He even treated dungeons as children—so why couldn’t he imagine a frame escaping on its own?

‘With that much creativity and inclusiveness, it seems fully possible.’

Aria briefly wondered, but soon answered Gio.

“...It certainly isn’t a typical dungeon’s pattern.

It isn’t what an ordinary item or artifact would show either.

With the dungeon’s owner not inside it, maybe it’s moving around here and there because its body feels lighter.”

Gio lamented.

“Because Dad isn’t home.”

“Didn’t you say this is home.”

“But I did confirm that Emptiness was safely in my storage room...”

“Then it’s a split body or another entrance.”

Since a dungeon is a world, it wouldn’t have only one entrance.

“There isn’t only one way to invade Earth either.

If the dungeon’s owner intends it, they can create as many entrances as they want.”

“I have never intended it.”

“That’s why I came to ask.

I wondered whether you finally felt like crushing humans and left the entrance open.”

“I have never had such terrifying thoughts.

Above all, if humans get crushed, who will chat with me?

Who will roast sweet potatoes for me?”

“We can do it.”

“I refuse.

As I told Iser, you all need to cultivate independence.

Any more excessive attention and affection will tire this teacher.”

“I’m trying to restrain myself.”

Aria nodded.

“Even if you didn’t intend it, it isn’t hard to understand why ‘City of Emptiness’ is doing this.”

“Is it because it’s in puberty...?

Because it has a pathetic father...?

Because it endured an unlucky childhood...?”

“You keep saying a dungeon is a world.

It can have entrances anywhere, and you, its owner, remain inside this portrait while also being very interested in Earth.”

And the place it appeared most often was Seoul.

“Seoul—these days, isn’t that a region you go in and out of often?”

“I’m trying to find a pen-pal friend.”

“A dungeon and its owner naturally tend to become one body, so it isn’t strange that it would want to visit the dimension where its owner’s traces are most abundant.”

“This foolish child, wandering alone through vast, harsh Seoul in search of its pathetic father...?”

“...Yes, if you understand it that way, the context is roughly right.”

Of course, it was a lighter situation than that.

If the dungeon truly had self-awareness, it was closer to “a childish kid who barges into Dad’s workplace demanding he play,” than “a boy breadwinner who left home to find a father who doesn’t come home.”

‘But if this makes Teacher put effort into the dungeon, it’s only better for us.’

In the end, a dungeon was a dungeon.

A game board meant to devour something.

As long as Gio cared about Earth, humans would keep being devoured, so the more the dungeon was managed, the more the mermaids could rest easy.

‘Teacher’s works and this cabin are connected.’

Still, there was something odd.

“About that ‘City of Emptiness.’”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever connected it to Earth separately?”

“...Pardon?”

“You haven’t.”

Aria had felt, on the day Gio came to talk with the mermaids at the risk of his life, that for some reason ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea’ and ‘The Breathing Sea’ connected.

After that, in the ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea,’ a frame connected to ‘The Breathing Sea’ began to float around.

Since ‘The Breathing Sea’ had originally been part of the ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea,’ it wasn’t that strange.

At the least, it was certain that on that day, the mermaids’ temple and Gio’s “frame” connected.

‘But without such measures, in the region called Seoul on Earth, Teacher’s frame is wandering.’

Why?

“...Teacher, you really seem to like Earth.”

“There was no need to hate my hometown without any particular reason.”

“Ah-ha, your hometown.”

Then it made sense.

“It was connected from the beginning.”

Since the root of his soul was on that planet, it was only natural that it wouldn’t need to connect separately like ‘Kingdom of the Deep Sea’ and ‘The Breathing Sea.’

To ‘City of Emptiness,’ Earth was like the hometown where its father was born.

“But then I feel a bit jealous...”

“Sun, a mermaid’s jealousy.

May I refuse?”

“Even if you refuse, what can you do—my feelings are one-sided.”

For some reason, Gio’s roots were in that dimension crawling with humans.

‘Strictly speaking, the Kingdom of the Deep Sea is also our hometown.’

What in the world happened in between, for Gio’s roots to move to that narrow, barren dimension?

Aria clicked her tongue inwardly, then propped her chin and pondered.

“...Can you move the roots?”

“Move the roots—are you thinking of bonsai?”

“Mm, maybe.”

“I have a talent for that.

Do you need help?”

“For now, I’ll try on my own.”

“That independent 모습 is very admirable.”

“It’s an honor, teacher.”

She would have to think about how to move the root of the soul to her sea.

Giovanni was the most beautiful human when he was in the sea.

‘Of course, before that, I still need to think about how to take responsibility for what we’ve done and be wholly accepted by Teacher...’

Aria continued calmly, as if she had no thoughts at all.

“Anyway, pay some attention to ‘City of Emptiness.’”

“Was making residents for it still not enough?”

“That’s not bad either, but anything.

Whatever.”

Aria instinctively understood.

‘The world Teacher drew with Earth as its subject opens a door there.’

Then the more a picture was drawn while recalling Earth, or the more it was purely his own work not belonging to any other dimension—

the more their roots would also be stuck in Earth, tormenting humans.

‘Since the dungeon’s owner has no hostility, the speed may be very leisurely, but...’

When did natural disasters ever need hostility to torment humans?

“When will you draw your next painting?”

“...On a day I feel like drawing?”

“I see.”

Aria smiled in satisfaction.

‘In the end, it’s only a matter of time.’

She hoped that dimension crawling with humans would someday enter Gio’s belly.

Fantasy, Modern,