chapter 133

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons - Episode 133

For the record, “I don’t interact with the weak of mind and body” was Argio’s subjective opinion.

“My tastes are picky, you know.”

“You’re saying something quite like a wicked god.”

“If possible, a healthy person is better.”

Argio took off his hood and continued.

“Someone like that is fun to watch even when they get angry.”

“...”

“Hey, sir.

What’s the problem now?”

“...Ah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s because I’m too handsome, right?

I understand, it’s common.”

“Why is this so irritating...?”

“You’re a fun friend to tease.”

“No...”

Looking around sharply as if on guard, Juhyeon asked with a subtly furrowed brow.

“Even though I’m acting this insolently, you’re not angry?”

“If you want to see me angry, it’ll be a bit expensive—are you confident you can afford it?”

“I’m not saying I want to see you angry, I mean... aren’t you annoyed?”

Whether the other party was a monster or evil, in truth it might not even matter to distinguish them, but anyway, they wouldn’t just leave alone an insolent human.

Basically, monsters that could think had high pride.

In contrast, even though he himself knew he was acting rashly, the Black Cloak didn’t show displeasure.

Rather, he seemed to enjoy it.

“Why would I be angry?”

“Because I’m being insolent?”

“Then I should die first—there won’t be anyone more insolent than me.”

“Th... that, I don’t know what the standard is.”

“Me neither.”

The wicked god laughed, narrowing those splendid golden eyes.

“My principle is not thinking about troublesome things.”

“You live very breezily.”

“In a world with so much to enjoy, is there any reason you have to make it hard?”

“Ah... that kind of...”

He looked like quite the hedonist.

“...”

More than that, the colors are far more flashy than I imagined.

Juhyeon’s eyes narrowed uncomfortably.

‘It’s a color I could never have imagined when he was hidden by that dull black cloak.’

Vivid dark-red hair and golden irises with a cold light in them.

“...It’s a cool color.”

“Do you like this color best?”

“Huh?”

“As expected, you seem to like stimulating and honest people.”

“I’ve never really thought that...”

“Then, as a special favor, today I’ll stay as Argio to match your taste.”

“...Huh?

Ah?”

Juhyeon, who had been sat down on the sofa without realizing it, asked.

“Do you call the 모습 you’re in right now ‘Argio’?”

“That’s right.”

“Then... there are other 모습 too?”

“The form is the same, only the color is different.”

“Like some kind of chameleon.”

“A chameleon—you could call it a distant relative of mine.”

“You’re joking... right?”

“The ability to change here and there to match the situation is similar, I suppose.”

Soon, his color changed to a bright platinum blond as if soaked in sunlight.

“Isn’t it?”

“...”

What is this.

“...Multiple personalities... or something.”

“It’s not that the personality is different.”

“But your tone and expression are this different—how is it not a different personality?”

“It’s literally only changing the color.”

“...Ah, I see.”

He roughly understood.

‘It feels like changing clothes.’

Changing clothes doesn’t change the person inside, so from a god’s perspective, it could be a similar kind of game.

Certainly, you shouldn’t judge mysterious existences by human standards.

Juhyeon nodded.

“I understand what you mean.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“...But I, uh, feel more comfortable with the red side.”

“Is that so?”

In an instant, like fire flaring up, the Black Cloak changed back into a glamorous impression and introduced himself.

“I am Argio.

If you promise to become my friend, I will tell you my other name as well.

I swear on my honorable friends that it will not harm you.”

“...Th...”

There were still parts he didn’t understand.

“To begin with, why do you need a friend—why do you need a pen-pal friend?”

“I’m timid, you know.”

“Did all the timid people in the world die?”

“Making friends is too hard.”

“And it was easy with me?”

If anything, Juhyeon himself was more difficult now, having been betrayed by the world and become extremely sensitive.

If he grabbed anyone passing by, it would have been easier to make friends with them than with him, so it was absurd.

Then Argio said,

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“...”

“Everyone just makes strange eyes the moment they see me.”

“...I, I see.”

That certainly was true.

‘Most people were either afraid or reverent, I guess.’

Right now, Black Cloak’s status in Korea was exactly that kind of feeling.

Famous enough that even children know him, but his danger level is high, and he’s oddly kind so you don’t feel outright aversion, but you can’t help feeling fear...

‘A ghost story, through and through.’

Like an urban legend.

If Juhyeon had met him in ordinary circumstances, he probably would have reacted similarly.

There was nothing good about getting entangled with a suspicious mystery like the Black Cloak.

“...”

It’s just that right now, he doesn’t have even the minimal leeway to behave that way.

‘...Honestly, I don’t even really understand how things ended up like this...’

He was barely holding onto his sanity, but little by little the sense of reality was dulling.

‘It would be far more convincing if I were dreaming.’

So there was also a part of him answering more comfortably.

From when he made the sign of Sankalut, his mind had already been half gone, and since he’d done it intending to die from the start, afterward he remained in a daze the entire time.

In the midst of that, the Black Cloak appearing and being invited into the portrait also added another layer to the unreality Juhyeon was feeling now.

He was too sensitive and lacked the energy to react normally.

“...This place... is really nice.”

Juhyeon said, looking around.

“It’s much cozier and more peaceful than I imagined.”

“I like my house a lot too.”

“Is this your house?”

“You can make a home in many places, but it feels like a hometown.”

“Is that so, a hometown...”

It certainly had an atmosphere where you could say that.

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Eat and play.”

“Huh?”

“Going to work?”

“...I got suspended.”

“Then you can just eat!”

“Why does it become that?”

More than that, he didn’t know why he was so obsessed with eating.

‘Come to think of it, I did hear that most of Black Cloak’s gifts are snacks...’

Could fattening humans really be the ultimate goal?

‘Could you call that a wicked god?’

It felt strange.

He thought it was because he called himself a wicked god, but the more they talked, the less he felt like a wicked god.

Was this some high-level deception?

Acting to coax a worn-out human?

Or mercy sprinkled like alms from a god to a begging pauper?

Or a fleeting whim?

“...Should I help prepare the meal, at least?”

“I can’t leave the kitchen to a guest.”

“Then I just wait still?”

“How about a cup of tea?”

“That sounds good, but...”

And then some teddy bear brought tea.

“...A teddy bear?”

“He is my father.”

“Your father?”

“He’s soft, isn’t he.”

“Why?”

The fruit tea the teddy bear served was insanely delicious.

“Suddenly I’m not hungry.”

“Ah, dear.

I made a mistake again.”

“Please don’t make mistakes with a weak human.”

“You don’t look very weak.”

“Then what kind of mistake is it?”

“This tea gives a sense of fullness.”

“So you shouldn’t drink it before a meal?”

“Something like that.”

“Ah-ha.”

Juhyeon nodded.

“As expected, this is a dream.”

“It’s reality, though.”

“I’m sleepy.”

“Then sleep.”

A big hand patted Juhyeon’s head.

“Sleep well, wake up and eat, and even have snacks.”

“...”

“Then wash up, lie down in bed, and I’ll sit by your bedside and listen to your screams.”

“...Yes.”

“After chattering endlessly, we’ll be friends.

You just need to talk with me.”

“Yes.”

“I’m curious what your wrath will taste like...”

A voice filled with interest and mercy fell over his head, and then the hand closed Juhyeon’s eyes.

“I can become a good friend for you.”

It really felt like he could.

“...”

“Don’t dream.”

Letting go of everything, Juhyeon fell asleep.

* * *

“...Mm, I see.”

Yoo Seong-woon nodded.

“So there’s an Association researcher sleeping at your place right now?”

“He has not woken even though two days have passed.”

“It’s already been two days?

I didn’t know, since I only stop by at dawn.”

The background inside Gio’s portrait changed appearance according to the changes within.

Morning in the morning, evening in the evening.

Sometimes new animals appeared, or unknown flowers bloomed.

‘Still, to think the time inside the painting has already been two days in that short while.’

Maybe because he finally got the ‘pen-pal friend’ he’d been shouting about nonstop, Gio seemed to be greatly welcoming this guest’s visit.

Because in that world inside the portrait, the flow of time changes depending on Gio’s mood.

‘When I visited before, ate, and came out of the frame, only about 20 minutes had passed.

By the portrait’s internal time standard, Gio said time flows quickly when he’s enjoying himself and slowly when he’s resting...’

That meant he was enjoying himself greatly right now.

Yoo Seong-woon wore his usual unbothered smile.

“I’m very happy you’ve gotten a new friend, but.”

“He and I are not friends yet.

I will always give guests a chance.

He may become my friend, or he may not.”

“I’m glad you have such an open heart.”

If you were forcibly made friends with the source’s eye, what a tremendous calamity it would be for that individual.

‘Just giving them a choice is already unbelievably merciful.’

Anyway, Yoo Seong-woon had something else he wanted to say.

“You said that prospective friend was trying to summon a wicked god?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you stop it?”

“He had the physiognomy of someone who would cause an enormous, catastrophic incident if he caused trouble.”

“Oh...”

Since it was physiognomy spoken of by the source, it sounded quite believable.

“He said he got suspended, so he won’t be going to work, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then I guess it was a forced vacation.

Well, it happens a lot.”

“Is such coercive measures a common occurrence?”

“Yes, it’s a kind of forced resignation too.

The Hunters Association and the Collector have completely different atmospheres.”

In fact, if you looked worldwide, among Korea’s three major guilds, and even among those, the Collector was rather unusual.

You could say it was one of the few groups that treated humans as human.

“Our guildmaster dotes on the employees and spoils them, so we get various benefits, but the Association is... it feels like a demon lair.

It’s such a huge organization, some places work without personal interest, while others have blood-splattering faction fights.”

“I see.”

“Probably, that new guest of yours belonged to a team where they fought a lot over reading the room.

At the Association, a single team is big enough to be assigned an entire research building, so all sorts of things happen with no uniformity.

Because it’s cut off.”

That’s also why there were many places where people were suddenly wiped out.

There are works that pollute or infect the mind or body itself.

To research and analyze that, there’s no way only one or two people die.

“There are an enormous number of people who work at the Association, but the things that Association has to do are far more than that, and much more dangerous, so that’s why.

Various clinical trials are also being done for different projects...”

“Is it really clinical trials, not human experimentation?”

“They call it clinical trials just so it sounds good to civilians.

Well, the team I used to be in had a very moderate 분위기, and there were no projects where human sacrifice was essential.

So I don’t really know.”

Since the 분위기 differed drastically by team.

“So... um...”

With a slightly awkward face, Yoo Seong-woon said,

“In the end, I’m saying it’s not rare.”

“That is terribly frightening.”

“Of course, it’s still surprising that he was going to summon a wicked god.”

“Is it?”

“Usually people don’t go that far.”

Yoo Seong-woon laughed hollowly.

“But even if he did go that far, it seems it would have been handled somehow.

If it’s something in the Seoul Branch institute, then the institute head or the Association president would immediately hear that something happened, and then that person would step in—so even if he succeeded in a deal with a wicked god, it would have been wrapped up well.”

Gio summarized.

“It sounds as though everything is being maintained by the Association president’s mercy.”

“That’s not wrong—Earth’s current situation is exactly like that.”

It’s a situation where they’re barely maintaining their lives thanks to the mercy granted by a small number of strong individuals.

A peace that would shatter to pieces the moment even one of them decided to be malicious.

“That’s why this country can stay standing even though an overflowing number of dangerous items concentrate in Korea.

Korea in particular has a well-built system, and many strong hunters.”

“A blessing in misfortune.”

“Anyway, I feel sorry about that guest’s situation.

I came to the Collector because I got sick of that atmosphere where people are turned into tools and means.

That place really drives you insane.”

It had a talent for ruining even people whose limbs and convictions were intact.

The even funnier thing was that precisely because of that, it helped development greatly by collecting diverse data.

Korea’s rapid development was built on countless sacrifices like these.

“If you want to survive at the Association institute, you need a mindset that life is alone anyway.”

Trust other people’s capability, but you must not trust or rely on the person themselves.

“Actually, this isn’t only the Association’s problem.”

“Does everyone live like this?”

“The institute’s intensity is especially harsh, but, well... probably.”

It’s truly unfortunate, but in this narrow country, tragedies worse than this happened all the time.

“Even so, people don’t usually think as far as making a deal with a wicked god.

Was there someone who egged him on?”

“I do not know.”

“If the conversation with that guest goes well, could you arrange a meeting with me too?

I want to hear the story.”

“If it is possible, I will do so.”

“If I sense any dangerous signs, that part is something I’ll have to investigate.”

It felt as unpleasant as when he investigated the restless sea before the mermaid siblings appeared.

Yoo Seong-woon maintained his smile but let out a short sigh.

“...If something happens, send me a letter. I’ll come right away.”

He left a poor person betrayed by the whole world not to humans, but to the source.

As a gardener, it was because the source’s mercy was far more reliable than that of fellow humans.

Fantasy, Modern,