Chapter 33

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons — Episode 33

Ever since he was little, he could see strange things.

“What?

A person?”

“Yeah, over there.

You can’t see it?”

“...What are you talking about, it’s just an empty lot.”

“...”

“Did you see a monster or something?”

“It’s not a monster, but...”

It would sometimes take on a form similar to a human.

“...Sorry, I guess I was mistaken.”

“Oppa, are you really okay?”

“Maybe I’m not fully awake yet.”

Like a squirrel or a stray cat, a long tail would trail out from between the bushes, or it would stand there like a tree and give off a strange scent, or else it would drift leisurely high up in the sky as if it were a cloud...

He knew that it was, in essence, a being fundamentally different from the animals and plants he knew.

Sometimes it looked quite similar, but at times it was so crudely made it was bizarre.

“Maybe you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.

Why don’t you rest a bit?”

“I can still manage.”

As most wild animals do, they didn’t acknowledge him.

“You should do what you can while you can work.”

So Cha Eunhyuk also deliberately acted as if he couldn’t see them.

‘Can no one else see them but me.’

He thought hard about what they might be.

‘...Are they ghosts?

But if they were ghosts, they’d usually be there like ordinary people, but those are clearly in the form of animals.

Sometimes they only imitate parts like ears or a tail.

Then, hallucinations?

But calling it a hallucination doesn’t fit when they’re leaving real traces.

Then are they monsters?

But monsters usually aren’t that indifferent to people, are they.’

They sometimes danced.

They sang, admired flowers, or floated about on the water.

Cha Eunhyuk had an intuition that as long as he didn’t touch them, they wouldn’t harm him at all.

However, very occasionally, dangerous ones appear.

“I heard that house burned down.”

“No wonder, that lady of the house has been so forgetful lately...”

“They say the whole family burned to death in that house.”

The villagers named a housewife with dementia as the cause of a certain fire incident.

That might be true, but Cha Eunhyuk knew the fundamental problem lay elsewhere.

“...”

That lady had been followed around by one of ‘those’ carrying a bundle.

‘Ah, I see.’

That thing must have killed her.

He didn’t know exactly what kind of effect it had.

But from that day on, Cha Eunhyuk recognized that there could be dangerous ones among them.

He didn’t sense malice from them, but even just existing could be threatening to humans.

‘So they really are some kind of monster.’

That was the definition Cha Eunhyuk settled on.

“Oppa, are you going to keep selling bungeoppang?”

“It sells pretty well, you know.”

“Aren’t the city people giving you trouble?

Places like that are especially harsh about discriminating by citizen grade...”

“Everyone’s been kind.

So far, I haven’t seen anyone say anything just because I’m a Grade 3 citizen.”

In truth, he didn’t have the time or leeway to pay attention to unknown things, monster or otherwise.

“Of course, it’s not like there’s no one who gives you looks, but the youngest has to go through the initiation soon too.”

“...”

“You have to buy his priest robes, pay the dorm fees, and give him spending money for living there, don’t you?”

“...Of all things, he awakened as a priest.”

“I’ve got two hunters in the house, so I feel so reassured—what could be better.”

Both of his younger siblings were awakened.

His younger sister was the lowest rank, F-rank, so the only thing she could do was be a porter.

The pay wasn’t very good, and he also had to buy her equipment that would raise her survival chances when entering dungeons.

His youngest brother awakened as a ‘priest,’ a job that was useless unless you formed a contract with a god.

But it was said that serving a god by one’s own power was close to impossible, so you could barely receive grace only with the help of a temple.

“Still, we were lucky.

The Sun Church in Seoul called for our youngest, didn’t they?”

“...”

“Our youngest will soon become a Grade 2 citizen.

More than anything, you’re working, so how can I rest.

I have the pride of the eldest son.”

“That’s because I’m awakened, and... I’ve got more stamina than you, Oppa, you know?”

“Alright, so don’t worry and rest.”

“...Should I go work with you?

If the Seoul people mess with you, I can block them...”

“We need someone at home to watch the youngest.”

Money was tight.

“Don’t worry.”

So there was no room to worry about unknown things.

‘As long as I don’t keep them close, nothing dangerous will happen anyway.’

Those things seemed to have lives of their own, among themselves.

Like how you won’t get hurt if you don’t touch a poisonous toad by the roadside, those guys playing around on their own were harmless as long as you didn’t pick a fight.

‘It’s not like I can’t avoid them because I can’t see them, and there’s no way I, who can see them clearly, will end up in trouble.

There’s no problem, so it’s fine.’

However, if there was a problem.

“...”

“...”

There comes a moment when avoiding isn’t enough.

He didn’t expect it would be right when he was about to finish up after selling all his bungeoppang, but.

“...”

What do I do.

‘He’s been staring at the bungeoppang for a while now.’

The ‘thing’ that approached at an odd hour was a man wearing a pitch-black cloak.

He was very tall, and the clothes he wore were luxurious.

But perhaps because it was nothing but black, he also looked like a guest at a funeral.

The air around them died and grew heavy, sending a chill down his spine.

It didn’t feel like a grim reaper or some death god.

Rather than them, who have a self and collect souls, it looked like something far closer to nature...

He could tell for sure that it was ‘that.’

“...”

Should I speak to it, or not.

‘I’ve never seen anything good come of interfering with these guys.’

But he was staring this openly—if he ignored it, he feared repercussions all the same.

‘I miss the youngest.’

He tried to act calm because he didn’t want to provoke it, but cold sweat streamed down his back.

Cha Eunhyuk had guessed these were a kind of monster.

Compared to the ones you can normally see, they were gentler.

But the sight of them sometimes ruining a person so casually without even malice was too chilling.

‘...He keeps staring at the bungeoppang...’

If I give it, will it disappear.

It was then.

“How much is one bag?”

“...”

It talked?

‘A monster?’

He didn’t show it, but he was startled.

He’d often seen ones that took on human form.

They would sometimes imitate human life, but their actions had no substance, and none of them had ever actually spoken until now.

‘And it asked how much it is?’

It’s imitating humans this seriously?

“Ah...”

Even so, he couldn’t ignore it after it asked.

“Five thousand won for ten.”

“Do you only take cash?”

“Cash would be best.”

“...”

The black-cloaked man, silent with his hands clasped behind his back, reached inside his hood.

He wondered what it was doing, but soon, in its hand was a jewel glittering with transparent light.

Even a provincial person like Cha Eunhyuk could tell the beautifully cut gem was incomparably more valuable than ten bungeoppang.

“Won’t this do?”

“...”

Just as he was about to think, ‘That was a pretty convincing human imitation,’ it pulled this stunt, and it made him resentful to the point of bitterness.

‘Who gives a jewel to buy bungeoppang.’

Cha Eunhyuk’s spine went cold.

Trying barter at all, not knowing the conventional value of what it wants—no matter how much it was imitating a human, it only felt more and more uncanny.

‘But it really does seem human, and that makes me even more unsettled.’

He managed to answer.

“...That’s too much.”

“I have no other physical goods.”

“Don’t you have a card...”

“Does a card work?”

“Uh... yes.”

“I see.”

He couldn’t believe it, but it really did hold out a card.

“...”

“...”

“...I was just finishing up, so I’ll have to bake more—will that be okay?”

“That’s fine.”

“It’ll take a little time.”

Quickly resigning himself, Cha Eunhyuk started making bungeoppang.

‘What a mess.’

Because business was good today, he couldn’t even get to the terminal until the last bus left.

He’d gotten permission in advance, so he wasn’t worried about being arrested; he’d been planning to sleep out for the night, but then this new customer showed up.

And it was an unknown monster customer, no less.

“...”

Clack.

His hand trembled a little as he closed the bungeoppang mold.

‘...It won’t suddenly kill me, right.’

Like monsters, these guys too seemed to have their own rules, for the most part.

Only opening their eyes when the sun is up, sticking to a blind person for life, stepping only on white stones.

There were plenty of rules like a child’s prank, but among them were also ones that threatened humans.

‘But this is the first one that can talk, so I can’t judge.’

This was the first time he’d seen one imitate humans this well.

The problem was that he could feel the uncanniness everywhere, but aside from the strangely chilling atmosphere, its words and actions were quite similar to a human’s.

‘It even has a card.’

Suddenly, Cha Eunhyuk realized something.

‘...If it didn’t steal someone else’s, then someone must have lent it to it.’

If so, wasn’t it possible there was a guardian for this thing somewhere?

“...Don’t you have anyone else with you?”

“I did, but not right now.”

“...”

“They’re probably sleeping by now.”

For a moment, he thought it meant it had killed them.

‘It’s the first time I’ve ever come to resent someone I don’t even know this much.’

In a world where you can’t even walk a dog without putting it on a leash, how could you just let something this dangerous loose, even if it resembles a human.

“...”

No, wait.

‘If it gave it a card, that must mean it thought it could use it.’

A monster that other people couldn’t even see wouldn’t be able to use a card.

Then was the one before him not a monster, but a human?

“...In Seoul...”

Cha Eunhyuk carefully opened his mouth.

“Is this your first time?”

“It’s not my first time.

But it is true that I’m sightseeing.”

“Ah, sightseeing.

Did you go to Gyeongbokgung?”

“Yes, it was enjoyable, as there were various foods.”

The conversation was choppy here and there, but he got enough information.

‘Other people can see it too?’

Then does that mean it really is an ordinary person, just with a chilling atmosphere?

Or could it be a humanoid monster, which the textbooks said was mandatory to introduce...

“...”

“Gguruk.”

Cha Eunhyuk flinched in shock.

‘A bird?’

A faintly glowing bird popped out from between the black cloak’s hood.

“Go in, Honey.”

“Ggururung...”

“I’ll give it to you later, so stay inside.”

“Kuukkung.”

“Yeah.”

The sight of commanding a small monster was the very image of a ‘tamer’ commonly known to the public, but well.

Strangely, Cha Eunhyuk didn’t think the black cloak and that bird were a pair of human and monster.

That sense of otherness became even clearer the moment he met the bird’s eyes.

“...”

“Gguruk.”

“...”

Cha Eunhyuk couldn’t hold the gaze and lowered his head.

‘...Dangerous.’

It felt as though cold sweat flowed past the point of flowing, and his hands and feet were turning cold.

‘That one is truly dangerous.’

A bird with a sweet color like honey and a small body—anyone would call it pretty and cute.

But to Cha Eunhyuk, who could faintly sense its essence, it was no different from a nauseating deception.

Whether it was a name given by its owner, the essence of the bird called ‘Honey’ was like waves driven by a raging typhoon.

Impulsive, rough, and strong.

And yet, the reason it took that frail form was probably because its owner wanted it that way.

“...”

If so, then what kind of existence was the black cloak owner, exactly?

‘Damn it, I didn’t think it’d come to this.’

Among the ones only Cha Eunhyuk could see, there were certainly those with great interest in human food.

They would savor the rice villagers scattered for ghosts to eat, or steal side dishes from restaurants one by one.

But none of them ordered food this openly.

Most of them merely took on human form and stopped at imitating daily life—they didn’t actually try to interact with humans like this.

‘I let my guard down.’

I should have been more careful.

‘That bird doesn’t even seem to like me much...’

The bird hiding deep inside the black cloak’s hood and watching him was oppressive.

“...Here, that’s ten bungeoppang.”

“Thank you.”

The black cloak, having received the bungeoppang, paused for a moment.

“...”

“This is a gift.”

“Yes?”

“You worked hard at dawn.”

“No, wait...”

To Cha Eunhyuk, who tried to refuse, the black cloak continued.

“If I frightened you, I apologize.

I came because I smelled bungeoppang, but since I made you stop cleaning up and messed things up again, I should offer both an apology and thanks.”

“It’s fine.”

“Thank you.”

Leaving behind one of the bluish jewels it had shown earlier, it leisurely disappeared.

“...”

Cha Eunhyuk stared at the black cloak until its back was no longer visible, and when even the edge of the cloak disappeared from sight, he collapsed.

“...Ha, haha...”

Fuck.

I lived.

‘I thought I was going to die.’

From the moment he realized he could see beings others couldn’t, he’d anticipated such an end.

I’ll die in a way so strange that other people won’t even be able to guess the proper cause.

That was what he’d always thought.

But still, dying while selling bungeoppang—no.

“Wow...”

Cha Eunhyuk rubbed his face hard with both hands.

“That scared the hell out of me.”

He still didn’t know what the black cloak was.

If others can see it too, is it a person?

But if so, its essence was far too distant and vicious.

Then is it the same kind as those things he usually saw?

But if so, communication was far too smooth.

A humanoid monster?

There wasn’t even a dungeon nearby.

If it was neither, was it some kind of monster he didn’t know.

“...”

And either way, it was horrible.

‘Can you even be alive after meeting a humanoid monster.’

It was then.

“Gguruk?”

“...”

It was a sound he’d heard earlier.

“Gguruk...”

“...”

“Gguruk, gguruk, ggurukggurukgguruk.”

“...Uh...”

“Ggur.”

When he lifted his head, he saw a huge beak.

He saw teeth filling past the uvula.

He saw a pitch-black tongue.

“Kung.”

A beak hard as metal half swallowed Cha Eunhyuk’s head.

“...”

Tap, tap.

It mimicked biting him a few times, then spit him out.

“Ggurung.”

“...W-what, what...”

“Kuuk.”

When he could see again, ‘Honey’ had taken on the small form he’d seen earlier.

“...”

It looked like such a sickeningly blatant act of coyness.

“What the hell are you.”

The bird flew away.

“What was that, seriously...”

He truly didn’t know anything, but one thing was certain: he’d almost died just now.

The honey-sweet-colored bird seemed to be saying this.

‘This much is fine.’

Like that.

“...”

It felt like it was saying he passed.

He got goosebumps.

“...I should move my spot tomorrow...”

He hoped he never met them again.

* * *

And the next day at 2 p.m.

“Do you sell bungeoppang.”

Cha Eunhyuk met the black cloak again, as if it were a ghost.

“...Yes...”

“Ten, please.”

“Understood.”

What are we supposed to do if the world is this small.

Fantasy, modern,