Chapter 47

The Painter Who Draws Dungeons — Episode 47

Inside a vast and complex anthill-shaped dungeon.

Cha Ara had been left behind alone, barely dragging herself along.

“Bastards, leaving me behind.

I’m gonna curse you like hell.”

The place she’d been abandoned in was a dark cave filled with glowing jewels.

You might ask how it could be dark when it was packed with glowing jewels, but creatures like dust that eat light lived here.

Right near the brightly shining jewels, you could faintly make out the background, but aside from that, you couldn’t see anything.

“...”

Cha Ara had been abandoned in a dungeon this dark.

“Fuck.”

As expected, it was dogshit.

“...Stub your toe on a doorstep and tear your nail, then pick at it till it bleeds.

Lose your footing and fall somewhere crowded and get humiliated like hell.

Get drunk on dawn vibes and shitpost on the internet, then wake up the next day and do some self-reflection...”

The reason she’d been abandoned was obvious.

It was fine that they’d entered the dungeon boldly with courage the size of an ant’s tears, but they couldn’t find a breakthrough, there were no results, their food was running out, the mood plunged into the abyss, and in the end they used a return stone and escaped the dungeon.

Up to that point, she could understand.

‘Even if wasting money and time pisses me the fuck off, it’s better to get out alive than to die.’

They say even rolling in a pile of dogshit, this world is better.

Even if it was a C-rank dungeon, a dungeon is still a dungeon.

You never know when someone will die, and especially in a dark dungeon like this, your mental strength noticeably weakens.

They’d already seen enough blood, so if there was a way out, it was wise to leave.

“...”

But they were short one return stone.

“Fuck...!!”

Since return stones themselves were expensive, even if they’d had enough, who knew if they would’ve given one to Cha Ara, an F-rank porter.

Maybe the claim that they didn’t have one was a lie in the first place.

“Ah, seriously, dogshit!!

Get dumped the day before your wedding and bawl your eyes out, then live as a deadbeat forever, you fuckers!!”

Cha Ara sniffled, pressed right up against a jewel as big as her body.

This wasn’t common.

No matter how cold the world is these days, they don’t abandon a porter this openly.

Still, weren’t they comrades, in their own way.

“...”

But though hunters kept it hush-hush so it wasn’t well known, this was also an incident that happened quietly in the shadows.

‘...The real problem is that it isn’t something that never happens.’

This wasn’t the first time Cha Ara had been treated like this.

‘The biggest problem is that this dungeon gets very few visitors.’

Until now, even if she was left behind alone, she could bow and scrape to the hunters who came in after and escape with them.

‘Hunters, by nature, have to care about their image, too.’

Since hunters are a kind of celebrity, they also pay attention to character scandals, so unless they were particularly vile, they would take in at least one pitiful porter left alone.

But.

“Ha, seriously, no, this time for real, what do I do...”

This place was the ‘Jewel Ley Lines.’

A C-rank dungeon with unusually few monsters and bad rewards, so hunters didn’t visit it often.

“They say if one team comes in a week, that’s considered a lot.”

The paths were tangled in complex knots, and because of tiny creatures that absorbed all light—lanterns, anything—you could get trapped in this dark maze and die if you weren’t careful.

Finding the exit was no easy task.

Even so, the reason hunters sometimes visited this place was because of one monster that lived here.

“...”

A small monster with a jewel body that glowed softly like a mood light.

So-called ‘Anti-cat.’

“...You idiots, from the moment you said you were aiming for that thing, I had a bad feeling...”

Anti-cat was a cat-shaped monster about the size of an adult man’s palm, or a little bigger.

Despite its cute appearance that charms anyone regardless of age or gender, it hated people approaching and ran away, and the fact that it absorbed light and darkened its surroundings—just like the cave’s other creatures—added to its rarity.

‘Even if you catch it, you shouldn’t raise an Anti-cat.’

Raising monsters was strictly cracked down on nationwide, and when Anti-cat gets angry, it’s a terrifying monster that burns everything around it in blue light.

‘Well, since it’s that kind of monster, there are plenty of bastards who are dying to buy it in secret.’

Anyway, she shouldn’t have joined a team like this. She should’ve bolted the moment they said they were going to ‘Jewel Ley Lines.’

If only she hadn’t been desperate for money.

“...What the hell am I supposed to do...”

She’d been trapped alone in the dungeon for less than 24 hours, but maybe because it was dark and even sound was swallowed by the silence, it felt like her mind was being violently shaken.

Even though she was in a wide cave, it felt like she was trapped in a place sealed on all sides.

She’d heard that some prisons deliberately lock inmates in narrow, dark rooms to torment them, and it felt exactly like that.

It wasn’t physically uncomfortable like such a cramped cell, but mentally, she was exhausted.

“Ugh...”

She was starting to get hungry, too.

‘It’s not like I’m strong enough to clear this dungeon alone, either.

What kind of situation makes the exit appear again?

I feel like it needed several people...’

But waiting for rescue was also a dead end.

“...”

Cha Ara squeezed her eyes shut, then got up.

“...Let’s just move, do something.”

It’s easy to say it’s been less than a day, but in your right mind, it was a pretty long time.

She was sick of just sitting still to stretch out her lifeline.

At this rate, she’d go insane before rescue arrived, so it felt better to move her body, even just to avoid going crazy.

“Still, Jewel Ley Lines has relatively few monsters.

I can’t even dream of clearing it alone, with no food, no stamina, no ability... but if I just watch out for those ghostlike monsters that pop out suddenly... I should be fine.”

Jewel Ley Lines isn’t mainly about fighting monsters.

The method to clear it is simply ‘Find the escape route,’ but that’s exactly why this place was complex like an anthill and also dark.

Since it was a dungeon where mental strength mattered more than attack power, even Cha Ara could get out alive if she kept her head on straight.

“...”

But after about three hours, it felt like her mind was about to snap.

“Ah, I’m gonna lose it.”

She was hungry, thirsty, sleepy, her limbs ached.

Her leg, injured in the last run, still hadn’t recovered, and she was limping.

At this rate, if something dangerous happened, she definitely wouldn’t even be able to run.

‘But it’s stupid to sleep peacefully in a place crawling with monsters that suck your life force.’

She didn’t know much, since she’d only heard things or seen them herself without proper training, but at least she knew this much: all the monsters living in Jewel Ley Lines had shapes similar to ghosts.

In the same vein, the monsters here attacked by sucking hunters’ life force, and while their physical attack power wasn’t high, if you let your guard down, your lifespan could be cut in half.

‘When you’re awake, at least you can stay alert and drive them off...’

And that was when she was trudging along.

“...”

Far away, something faintly glowing came into view.

It was a very weak light.

“...A jewel pillar...”

Doesn’t seem like it.

Cha Ara narrowed her eyes.

Her eyesight wasn’t bad, but it was hard to make out because whatever it was, it was so small.

‘What is it?’

She could tell at a glance.

That wasn’t one of the glowing jewels scattered around the cave.

It was much smaller, with a round, unmistakable shape, and above all, four paws that trotted lightly, tot-tot-tot, like a noble young lady.

“Oh.”

Pointy ears and a fluffy tail.

“Oh, oh...”

A tiny, delicate jewel-furred kitten, small enough to fit in one hand, with fur as luxurious as any long-haired cat—an Anti-cat.

“...Holy shit, I’m actually seeing this.”

If the hunters who left first found out, they’d pound the ground in regret.

‘Just thinking that makes my exhausted body and mind feel completely filled.

Go choke on shit, all of you.’

Cha Ara gained a bit of energy and watched the Anti-cat.

‘...There’s no way I can catch an Anti-cat, and I don’t even want to.’

Even if the world is one where you can just keep quiet and it’s fine, it was illegal to begin with.

Unless you never got caught, but if you did get caught, Cha Ara, an F-rank porter with no one backing her, had a high chance of being severely punished.

So what Cha Ara wanted wasn’t something like capturing Anti-cat.

‘They said those things move in the direction where the exit is.

It’s not certain information, but still...’

Maybe Anti-cat noticed her presence, because it whipped around to look this way.

“Ah.”

“...”

“...”

As far as people knew, if Anti-cat sensed someone’s presence, it would turn off its own fire, then absorb all surrounding light and leisurely run away, but fortunately, the one in front of her didn’t do that.

Cha Ara swallowed a sigh of relief inwardly.

‘...I, I lived.’

This was the first time Cha Ara had seen an Anti-cat giving off such a soft light.

No, it was the first time she’d even heard of it.

She’d learned that Anti-cat usually hid in the darkness, avoiding humans after eating all the surrounding light.

The Anti-cat, its tail swishing, soon began moving with quick, tiny steps.

A light, elegant motion, like a soft balloon bouncing up, like petals fluttering.

“...”

Does this mean I can follow it?

‘...It’s a monster, so it’s not like it’s turning on the light with the intent to help a human, but it doesn’t seem to intend to attack me.

They say it’s a monster that resembles a cat’s habits a lot, so if I just keep a proper distance, it won’t suddenly attack...’

As she cautiously followed behind the Anti-cat, Cha Ara noticed something strange.

“...”

“...”

“...?”

It looked like the Anti-cat was checking whether she was following.

‘...What.’

You could call it a miracle-like kindness from a monster, but no matter how low her rank, Cha Ara was still a hunter.

She knew very well that a monster wouldn’t truly like humans enough to offer real kindness.

Anti-cat, in particular, was a monster rumored to hate humans.

‘But that look is clearly like it’s luring me...’

Wait a second.

“...”

Luring?

Cha Ara hesitated, about to run, when—

“Hello.”

“H-hhhaaaaaaah...!!”

Thud—!

Her legs went weak and she collapsed.

“W-whatwhatwhat, what wha...”

“...”

“...W-who are you...”

It took a little time to understand what was happening.

Panting as she caught her breath, Cha Ara realized there was someone besides her in the darkness.

Since it was a dungeon where you couldn’t see anything unless you were right next to a glowing jewel, she’d never even thought someone might be beyond where the Anti-cat was heading.

‘It’s not... a monster.

Right?’

What kind of monster would talk.

“W-who, who are you...”

Even as she asked in a stammer, Cha Ara gathered her courage and fumbled her way up.

For porters, even if the other party is human, they sometimes get killed inside dungeons just for amusement.

It was better to be cautious about everything.

‘Please calm down, you little shit.’

In the meantime, the Anti-cat approached ‘someone.’

It was glowing a little brighter than before, and in that blue yet gentle light and the even softer movements, you could see the affection the Anti-cat held.

As its small body drew near, all she could see was pitch-black suit pants and pale bare feet, and the Anti-cat was rubbing its body against the ankle, acting cute.

“...”

It was an impossible scene.

“...Anti-cat...”

Wasn’t Anti-cat famous for hating people?

“Ah, um, maybe... a-are you, a t-tamer?

Um...”

“...”

“W-which guild’s hunter are you...”

She asked because she was sure a tamer wouldn’t be operating as a freelancer, but the other person still didn’t answer.

A strange silence continued.

‘...Why isn’t he saying anything?’

No—more than that.

Why couldn’t I sense his presence?

‘Even if I’m an incompetent hunter, I wouldn’t be so useless that I couldn’t notice someone at this distance...’

Cold sweat ran down Cha Ara’s cheek.

Instinctively, she sensed something was wrong.

At this point, even the pitch-black suit pants and the pale bare feet under them felt eerie.

Yeah, exactly.

“...”

There’s no way some crazy bastard would come barefoot into a rough cave like this.

“...”

...Think.

Anti-cat hates people.

‘They said that doesn’t change even if you’re a tamer.’

If a tamer could solve it, Anti-cat would’ve been sold far more openly than this.

But Anti-cat hated contact with humans to an extreme degree, and that was the same even for tamers who could form contracts with monsters.

It wasn’t for nothing that ‘anti’ was in its name.

‘And yet it’s acting that cute...’

In that moment, the stranger bent down and picked up the Anti-cat.

Cha Ara could see even with her own eyes how the tiny body fit perfectly into the large hand.

It didn’t resist and fully entrusted its body.

“...”

“Hello.”

“...Y-yes, yes.”

Ah, no way?

She’d been so out of it that she’d let it slide, but Cha Ara remembered that she hadn’t answered the other person’s greeting.

‘I only screamed.’

With an odd feeling, Cha Ara awkwardly bowed her head.

“Uh, h-hello...”

To repeat the same words again in a situation like this.

Maybe he was asking again because she hadn’t responded to the earlier greeting.

It was absolutely not a normal reaction.

‘Is he someone obsessed with etiquette?’

Even thinking that, Cha Ara took a cautious step back.

That careful movement, hoping not to provoke him, already showed that she had labeled the man in front of her as dangerous.

‘...Something’s weird.’

The Anti-cat, famous for hating people, was glowing softly in the man’s pale hand, rubbing its cheek against him.

No matter how well trained he was, it was strange.

Even if it was a contracted monster, it doesn’t automatically feel affection for its master.

Most such relationships are extremely dry, or even tied together by hatred.

‘And I’ve never heard that Anti-cat gives off a soft light while in a person’s arms.

It’s so rare that not even a photo has ever been taken.’

That light was like an anglerfish luring prey in the deep sea.

“...”

Anti-cat never likes humans, but monsters offering tribute to a stronger monster happens often.

“...Uh...”

Come to think of it, talking monsters do exist in the world.

It was so rare and unusual that she hadn’t even dared to think of it, but they do exist.

Humanoid monsters.

“My name is Seo Gio.”

“...”

“What is your name?”

A face sunk in darkness, where nothing could be seen.

The hand holding the Anti-cat and the chest were faintly visible.

A pitch-black dress shirt, a pitch-black suit, and a cloak far darker still.

Even the large, thick fingers, pale as a corpse...

“...”

Cha Ara silently took it in.

It was simply hidden by darkness, but it felt like a faceless human.

“...”

And of course.

There are no faceless humans in the world.

“...I, I’m...”

“You’re tense.”

“...”

“Are you afraid of me?”

“...”

“I promise I won’t harm you in any way.”

The voice was excessively polite.

‘...What is this.’

A voice so good it gave her goosebumps.

Neat and clear like an announcer delivering the weather, gentle yet firm like a teacher instructing students.

Cha Ara suddenly felt that the voice was so perfect it was, on the contrary, alien.

Maybe she’d taken too long to sort through her confusion; as if the flowing silence wasn’t satisfying, ‘it’ spoke to her once more.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Cha Ara realized it.

“...”

That is.

“Your name, please.”

Not human.

“...”

“...”

“C-Cha Ara... I’m Cha Ara.”

“Pleased to meet you, Ms. Cha Ara.”

In the darkness.

She saw eyes darker than that.

“Will you speak with me?”

Fantasy, modern,