chapter 116

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons - Episode 116

There are usually two ways new employees end up joining the Collector’s.

“Did you see the new faces today?”

“Really?

Did the guildmaster charm someone again?”

First, Guildmaster Visabel picks someone up while walking down the street.

“No, there were several of them.”

“Then it looks like he looted some guild again.”

“No wonder he looked so happy...”

“It’s the guildmaster’s time-honored hobby.”

Second, they raid an illegal guild and scoop up talent.

“It wasn’t on the news.”

“Must not have been a very big guild.”

Most of the time, the Collector replenished its personnel through the Collector’s own talent for picking up people.

Since the guild itself was practically Visabel’s display cabinet of collectibles, in a way it was only natural.

If there was only one new face, the odds were high that Visabel had charmed someone he met on the street, but if several appeared at once, it was likely the latter.

In this case, it was blatantly a matter of having looted some guild.

“They’re still interns, right?

It’d be nice if they joined our team.”

“They looked sturdy, so I figured they’d end up on the gallery side.”

“No, you think being sturdy is all it takes?”

“I feel like they might have them do curator work as a kind of taste test first.”

“The company’s gotten bigger lately, so it’s gotten kind of intense...”

“The gallery is practically the core of our company, so what can you do.”

The Collector’s work was, first, managing the gallery; second, managing funds; and third, dungeon exploration.

Despite its strong image as a company that handles numbers and moves money, the Collector’s biggest business was undoubtedly the gallery.

An otherworld full of beautiful and grotesque works.

Those who knew its essence were bewitched by rare power, and those intoxicated by romance lavishly praised the gallery’s splendor.

Visabel’s gallery was the face of the Collector.

“Looks like they’ve got a good shot at becoming full-time employees.”

“But if that happens...”

With the new faces’ arrival, the existing employees murmured among themselves.

“Do the new hires get that official notice too?”

Here, “that official notice” referred to the “Black Cloak Safety Guidelines.”

“...”

“...”

“...No, even so, this is a bit...”

“...If the new hires don’t become full-time employees, it could spread outside.”

“Honestly, it’s openly about the Black Cloak—are we really telling them this?”

“But if they’re going to be assigned to the gallery, it feels like we should tell them for humanitarian reasons too.”

“I still don’t think this is right. If things go wrong, it won’t end with one or two people dying.”

“Compared to Korea getting shaken up because of a monster, a few new hires dying is cheaper.”

“No, if ‘Mr. Seo Gio’ gets provoked and it ends up harming even us...”

Only clueless people felt friendly toward the “Black Cloak”; anyone who thought even a little held the wariness that “in the end, it’s still a monster.”

In this era, humanoid monsters were an undeniable object of terror.

Especially the Collector’s employees, who knew a bit more about the Black Cloak than ordinary civilians, felt that all the more.

Only curators would go around calling those insane works “my baby” and doting on them; ordinary employees still feared and kept their guard up around the Black Cloak.

“They say its rank is pretty high.”

“They say even wicked gods are treated as one kind of monster—so could it be...?”

“It does seem fairly docile, but you can’t relax.”

“Anyway, it’s hard to know what monsters are thinking.”

“Do they even have thoughts? All they do is hate humans.”

“There hasn’t been major damage yet, but there’s nothing wrong with being cautious.”

The more so, the more important it was to recruit curators.

“I think the reason they brought in new hires this time is because of the Black Cloak.”

“Yeah, having one person handle that enormous existence would be difficult.

Yoo Seong-woon looked like he was ready to die.”

“Our curators are basically earning money by putting their lifespan on the table.”

In the Collector’s gallery, incidents and accidents occur several times a month—people die, people get hurt, people suffer permanent disabilities, and so on.

Since it’s a job managing existences ordinary humans can’t handle, they say it consumes an enormous amount of mental stamina too.

“I heard the Association’s institute is better controlled—can’t we go in that direction too?”

“We’ve got the Collector’s gallery image.

The guildmaster himself set up housekeeping with the works—do you think he’d just let that go?”

“I can already see the future where he throws a fit about how cold-hearted that would be.

Honestly, I don’t think this atmosphere is bad.”

“Well, our gallery’s vibe is so stimulating.

We benefit from it a lot too...

It’s got high recognition.”

“They’ll probably hold the parade in spring—sure, that’s something you can’t do in a boring place like a research institute.

Only our curators can do it.”

“I think it has pros and cons.

It’s unstable because it relies on socializing and trust rather than control, but the usage value rises.”

The employees, whose sense of the gallery’s raison d’être had been reinforced once again, turned their attention back to the fresh new manpower that had come in this time.

“Looking at the curators these days, it’s about time for a refresh.”

“If new people come in, the ones already here can finally take vacations.”

“If you’re not crazy about money or about works, it’s not something you can do.

Those poor people, it’s overtime every day.

They can’t even get off work.”

“With how much hands-on attention it needs, it’s worse than a newborn—how would they ever get a break?”

“Newborns don’t go around killing people just because they need attention, though.

Every time new blood comes in, someone ends up coming out of the gallery injured—guess it’ll happen again.”

“For the time being, it’d be best to keep a close eye on the gallery.

People dying or getting injured can’t be helped, but we can’t let it harm the whole company.”

“They’re new hires—are you really going to send them up to the 5th floor?

Nothing will happen.

Man, I thought we were getting someone for our team, but...”

“Let’s cut them some slack.

Curators need rest too.

Anyway, any new hire who doesn’t fit the gallery will end up in office work.”

Just as the employees predicted, these new hires had indeed been brought in to manage the gallery.

“...”

“...”

“...”

They were awkward as hell.

“Oh, you’re the new faces.

Are you curators?”

“...Ah, yes, I was told I’d be in charge of the gallery side...”

“You’re new, so you’ll mostly be on the 1st floor, but be careful.”

“Thank you.”

As existing employees greeted them normally in passing, the new hires shrank back.

‘So this is the Collector... the building’s really nice.’

‘Is it okay for me to be here?’

‘Curator?

I’ve never done anything like that.’

‘I have to grab this chance somehow.’

‘I don’t want to go back to that guild...’

It was the kind of look you typically saw in new hires Visabel had brought in by looting an illegal guild.

They had enough conscience and will to grow that they could work in a legitimate guild, but they were dazed by the opportunity suddenly falling into their lap.

Then someone approached those new hires.

“Nice to meet you, interns.”

It was Yoo Seong-woon, who had been asked by Visabel to conduct the first curator training.

“My name is Yoo Seong-woon, and I’ll be giving you basic information about the Collector’s gallery.”

“Ah, hello.”

“Hello...”

“You should have received basic training, so let’s move right away.”

Led by Yoo Seong-woon, the new curator interns took the elevator down.

The curator-only elevator was only large enough for six people to barely fit, and since there were exactly six including Yoo Seong-woon, it felt packed tight.

Even so, Yoo Seong-woon explained without caring.

“Since it’s the first day, we’re moving together, so it’ll feel cramped, but starting tomorrow you’ll each have a curator in charge of you.

You’ll be assigned at different times, so it won’t be cramped like today, so you don’t need to worry.”

One of the new hires asked,

“Why is it narrower than the regular employee elevator?

If you need to move gallery items, shouldn’t it be bigger?”

“Good question.

It’s to keep the maximum number small, assuming that if you accompany a dangerous work, or if a work curses you, everyone inside the elevator could die.”

Yoo Seong-woon answered calmly.

“For the same reason, curators usually only ride the curator-only elevator in groups of two to four.

Works too large to transport by elevator are moved using the freight elevator or a movement skill, but since more experienced curators handle that part, you don’t need to worry about it yet.”

“...Keeping it small on the assumption everyone could die...?”

“It’s not common, but it happens now and then.

Most incidents happen when people don’t follow the gallery’s instructions and act rashly, so if you just follow the words of the curator in charge, the probability of experiencing that is low.

More than anything, a work you’ve properly built a relationship with tends to become mostly safe.”

“Ah, yes, I’ll be careful.

Thank you.”

“Since the gallery is located deep underground, it takes a long time to go down.

We’re headed to Basement Level 1, where the safest works in the Collector’s gallery are gathered.

Some works prank the elevator, so it’s good to familiarize yourself with the sense of descent time by floor.”

The elevator arrived, and Yoo Seong-woon looked back at the new hires as they stepped into Basement Level 1.

“Welcome to the Collector’s gallery.”

It was still an even voice, but not a single one of the new hires could open their mouth.

“...”

“...”

Their breath caught in their throats.

They were people Visabel had brought in thinking they had curator aptitude, and as such they had a strong fear tolerance and pain tolerance—but even so, they felt oppression.

Confusion, heaviness, and vastness so great it was hard to breathe swirled through this gallery.

To the new hires who looked around the all-white space with faces gone pale blue, Yoo Seong-woon said,

“I hear you’re all at least C-rank.”

The new hires, snapping back to themselves, answered in turn.

“I’m C-rank.”

“Me too...”

“I’m B-rank.”

“I’m B-rank.”

“...A-rank.”

Yoo Seong-woon nodded.

“There are exceptions, but usually the higher your rank, the deeper underground you’re assigned in the gallery.

B-rank hunters aside, the hunter who said A-rank should keep that in mind.”

“...Yes, thank you for the advice.

I’ll work hard.”

“As you go deeper underground, the pay and benefits increase as well.

If you don’t want it, you can consult HR and adjust your assignment map, so you don’t need to worry about being forced into danger.”

Yoo Seong-woon led the new hires forward slowly, explaining the gallery.

“You don’t need to memorize every work in the entire gallery, but at minimum it’s good to memorize the location and traits of the works on the 1st floor and the floor you’re assigned to.

If something happens, you need to at least be able to handle basic responses.”

“Yes, understood.”

“In the case of works that act actively, they’re often stored separately, and usually new hires don’t manage them, but you may later.

There are sections where you’ll need to prove your identity, so keep them in mind... and you also need to familiarize yourself with the emergency request devices installed in the gallery.”

In addition, Yoo Seong-woon continued the most basic training.

The gallery’s structure, where dangerous works were placed, what tasks new curator interns had to do, and so on...

Since the gallery was so vast, even just touring one floor took quite a long time.

Back in front of the elevator again, Yoo Seong-woon spoke.

“You don’t need to memorize works other than the ones I explained.

Of course, if you memorize them, your survival and safety will be even more assured, but the most important thing is how to respond to works that show initiative.”

“Yes, Curator Yoo Seong-woon.”

“The works you need to know and understand deeply, or form rapport with, will be taught by your curator in charge.

If your capabilities are recognized, you may be assigned more than one work, and you should keep in mind that it may be difficult to exercise a right of refusal in that case.”

One new hire asked,

“If floor assignment can be requested, why is it hard to request works?”

“Because the gallery lacks management manpower.”

“Ah... is it because everyone keeps dying...?”

“That too.”

He couldn’t exactly say it wasn’t.

Rather than perfect control like the Association’s institute, this gallery pushes a work’s usability and intimacy to their limits, and as the price of that splendor, the curators typically put up their lifespan and health.

It truly was a gallery that grinds humans down—a system that could be maintained only because a work’s value was far higher than an ordinary person’s manpower.

It was also a structure commonly seen in the world these days.

“Curator work causes significant mental and physical fatigue, so even if you’re assigned to one work, you need periodic rest.

There should be frequent rotation, but if that can’t happen, then as I said earlier, the number of works you’re responsible for increases.”

Yoo Seong-woon smiled mildly.

“But we won’t assign you something you absolutely can’t handle, or something that openly threatens your life like a human sacrifice.”

This was a world where you could never claim their lives were more valuable than the works here, but that didn’t mean Visabel neglected the curators’ safety either.

There were simply variables of injury and death, and Visabel cherished what was his.

If his employees had to die inevitably, he hoped the end would be lofty and artistic.

“You must remember that this place is the Collector’s country.”

“...”

“You were brought here because you showed the potential to become the guildmaster’s collectible.

The guildmaster cherishes his collectibles quite a lot, so if you’re promoted to full-time employee, you won’t have personal safety issues.”

“Ah...”

“As long as you don’t slack off or do something stupid.

Our guildmaster likes diligent and capable people.

You may use that as a reference for your personal development.”

As he said that, Yoo Seong-woon’s eyes curved deeply.

“What you will face from now on is the most dangerous and sensitive existence on Earth.

Even while worrying dozens, hundreds of times and making careful choices, you will also sometimes need the attitude of making a bold choice by instinct—this gallery requires that.”

It was contradictory advice, but that was reality.

Curators, who must care for works with affection and sincerity, could not survive simply by following a manual.

Yoo Seong-woon shrugged.

“If both you and the company judge curator work doesn’t fit your aptitude, you’ll be assigned different work.

Since the gallery lacks manpower, everyone is receiving this training first, but it isn’t mandatory.”

“Ah, then what other work is there?”

“Processing company documents, or exploring to find works to place in the auction house or gallery, I suppose.

If you want a stable life, office work is good, and if you want to be active within your ability and be compensated accordingly, field work is good.”

Being compensated according to ability and results also applied to curators, but since it was far more dangerous than ordinary field work, it was excluded from comparison.

If you valued your life, it was better to take on the company’s general work.

“That concludes the required training I must give you today.

If you have strong will to work as a curator or still have questions about this place, you may look around a bit more.”

“...”

“Hm, none.

Then I will record in the roster that you will all leave the gallery with me.

Your curator in charge will tell you, but let’s make it a habit to fill out the gallery entry/exit roster every time you ride the elevator.”

Nodding, Yoo Seong-woon asked,

“I’ll take questions now.”

“...If we become full-time employees, does something change?”

“Whether you do curator work or something else, the benefits will increase, of course.”

Had he been sorting what information he could share with interns?

After thinking for a moment, Yoo Seong-woon continued.

“Other than that, you will have your own identity in the portal that only full-time employees can access.”

Here, “your own identity” meant that their citizen grade would rise.

If they were formally hired, they would be issued a 2nd-grade citizen ID from their current 4th–5th grade.

If they were lucky, if they worked harder, even a 1st-grade citizen ID could be reality rather than a dream.

Anxiety and desperation filled the new hires’ eyes.

“What is the portal only full-time employees can access?”

“You can think of it like a portal for employees, similar to an ordinary company portal.

There’s information and a community that only the company’s employees can see.”

“Could interns be disadvantaged by differences in that information...?”

“To be honest, I can’t say there won’t be.

But it isn’t a major disadvantage like you’re imagining, though I can say there is certainly a difference in treatment.”

After saying that, Yoo Seong-woon paused briefly.

“...”

“...Curator-nim?”

“And one piece of advice.”

He spoke with the same mild smile as before.

“There is one dawn shift member in our company named Seo Gio.”

“...Dawn shift?

What is that?

Is it like part-time?”

“A similar concept—a special force, of a sort.

He’s an unofficial hunter who hasn’t debuted in the media, and sometimes he shows his face at the company, so you may run into him.”

“What kind of person is this Seo Gio... since you’re telling us separately like this, is there something we need to be careful about?”

“He is a good and polite person.

As long as you don’t act rude first, he won’t get angry either, so if you do meet him, I hope you won’t be too startled.”

“...Does he look kind of scary...?”

“Hm, roughly, yes.”

Yoo Seong-woon nodded.

“He wears a black cloak.”

“...Black Cloak?”

“He’s having trouble because his image overlaps with the famous Black Cloak these days.

He originally likes wearing a black cloak, but unfortunately people say he resembles a dangerous monster...”

“Ah, I see.

A similar image...”

“...”

After a brief silence, Yoo Seong-woon opened his mouth.

“...He’s the Collector’s unofficial special force.

He roams around checking the company’s overall atmosphere, so you might run into him in the corridors or the gallery.

I’m telling you in advance so you don’t mistake him for an intruder.”

At those words, two of the new hires’ expressions stiffened.

It looked like they’d realized something, but Yoo Seong-woon didn’t say any more and ended his explanation here.

“It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Yes, Curator Yoo Seong-woon.”

“I’d like to see you again as one family, without incident.”

He laughed softly.

The Collector’s gallery existed for management, sales, and display.

In this place, made solely to cherish Visabel’s collectibles, socializing was needed rather than control.

Could these new hires foster irrational affection for those insane works?

“I hope you adapt without incident.”

The new hires’ first training ended.

* * *

“...”

“Hello.”

And then the day grew dark.

“Are you all right?”

“...Ah...?”

“It’s a relief you don’t seem injured.”

One of the new hires encountered a blond man.

He said,

“My name is Seo Gio.”

“...”

“What is your name?”

“...”

“I’m curious about your name.”

Eyes holding the sea smiled.

“Would you speak with me?”

It happened at 5:13 a.m.

Fantasy, Modern,