The Artist Who Paints Dungeon Chapter 67

Episode 67

It is not easy to change the air in an entire dungeon.

‘That would only be possible if there was a change in the dungeon owner’s status, and most owners who could assimilate a dungeon as if it were a part of themselves would be monsters that were stronger than average… .’

Thinking like that, Kang Seo-dam looked at Sergio in front of him.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes, that’s fine. What are you curious about?”

“… Are you a hunter right now?”

The question was whether you could cooperate since you were now imitating a human.

‘…I hope that doesn’t sound too presumptuous.’

Kang Seodam still couldn’t meet Geo’s eyes, and was only looking at his lips. The lips, which drew a perfectly gentle curve, opened calmly, containing an affection that was almost foreign.

“By the way, I’m sorry for the late introduction. My name is Sergio, a hunter from the Collectors’ Guild.”

“…Is that so?”

Thinking back, I remember that the white-haired hunter who was by his side throughout the initiation ceremony was definitely a collector. He was a rare hunter who was not a public figure but an underground one, so he left a deep impression.

‘So, is this person currently receiving help from the Collectors’ Guild? It’s rare for a god to put in this much effort to infiltrate humans.’

Even if a being becomes a god from a human, gaining divinity means giving up humanity. In many ways, in order to adapt to humans and society, receiving help from a capable group like now was also a kind of god’s play.

‘First of all, if it’s a collector… is it a guild with a gallery of collectors? Since it’s a group that pours out affection rather than control toward mysteries and strangeness, it’s the perfect fit to help the gods play.’

I felt secretly relieved.

‘Then the story becomes easier. If he has established his identity with the help of a group of humans, he won’t easily cast them out. That must mean he has an open mind towards humans… .’

Kang Seodam asked without meeting eye contact.

“Are you a priest?”

“Yes, I… um.”

The black cloak, who seemed to be about to give an affirmative answer, paused for a moment. Then he smiled brightly and continued speaking.

“If you ask about my occupation as a hunter, it’s not a priest, but a trainer.”

“How can I know about your s*xual power?”

“It’s just a power I’m grateful for as a child of the sun, it’s nothing grand.”

“You are a believer, not a priest. Thank you for helping me understand.”

Sergio, a hunter from the Collectors’ Guild. He has platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. His occupation is a trainer.

The level would have been adjusted between A and B, as the pressure felt doesn’t seem that different, and the reason he can control the power of the Holy Spirit is because he is a devout follower of the Sun… .

“… … .”

I remembered.

‘… Judging from the way it feels, it seems closer to something that was cut off rather than hidden. Your way of enjoying play is very extreme. It’s possible that you are under a curse.’

Of course, there was no need for Kang Seo-dam, a mere human, to analyze and ponder the story of God. He simply asked carefully to do his job.

“Can you help us find other survivors?”

“That’s exactly what I came here for.”

“Ah… thank you.”

Isn’t he really a god who is kind to humans? He has a sense of a near-death aura, so it’s possible that he’s an evil god, but I couldn’t help but ask for help from a god who appears so politely.

‘I don’t know exactly what kind of god you are, but you seem to care a lot for humans. Since you use a Korean name, Sergio is probably not your real name… I guess I’ll have to offer a prayer to your statue later.’

For now, I’ll ask about that later. From God’s perspective, it might just be interesting, but the human situation is very urgent.

“Did you see any other survivors on your way here?”

“There were quite a few people where I was. The contracted man, whom I regard as my son, is guarding the place, so you don’t have to worry about him. I was trying to check if there were any survivors in other places besides the cave where I was.”

“I happen to be in a similar situation. I was dropped into a cave full of monsters, and there were no other survivors. There were more people in the cave I just came out of….”

“Is there any damage?”

“… … .”

“okay.”

It was a surprisingly sad tone. Kang Seodam quietly hid his agitation.

‘Is there a god who mourns the death of a mere human? That is a very rare case.’

From the beginning, those so-called gods were such beings. Those who became part of nature and destiny. Even if such gods felt emotions about human death, they would only feel the level of interest that a toy had broken.

But the ‘Sergio’ in front of me really seemed to be mourning the death of a person. On an equal footing, as if he were mourning the death of a friend.

“… … .”

“Did you give me your blessing?”

“… I tried to fix it, even if it was insufficient.”

“Would it be rude if I looked at it one more time?”

“Then the dead souls will be able to return to the sun with a lighter heart.”

God himself blesses death. It may sound a bit strange to deal with those who died to monsters, but it was truly a miraculous stroke of luck.

“Please give me some guidance.”

“Then this way… .”

Leading ‘Sergio’, Kang Seo-dam felt a little relieved. Not all gods can be trusted, but if a god is putting in enough effort to imitate mourning, then he is trustworthy.

‘Since the Goddess has also looked upon me with favor, I, the servant, have no reason to doubt. Let us empty our minds and follow the will of the God. That is what a priest should be like.’

Kang Seo-dam decided to give a rhythm to the name ‘Sergio’.

It was a historic moment in which the secret human identity of the ghost story ‘Black Cloak’, ‘Sergio’, was created.

* * *

“I am.”

Yoo Seong-un stared blankly at the campfire.

“… … .”

“I thought I would be dragged into a virtual dungeon while I was at the Temple of the Sun, and that I would end up in a gruesome survival game with blood splattering and tears flowing.”

Kang Seo-dam nodded in agreement as he heard those words.

“I had similar thoughts when I first fell into the pit of my stomach.”

“Is that so?”

“It seemed like a cold dungeon where sunlight could not reach, so I prepared myself to take responsibility for this situation, even readying myself to die.”

“Wow, that’s cool. Not all priests who awaken as priests will be as cool as Priest Kang Seo Dam.”

“I just do my best at what I have to do.”

“I’ll do my best, okay… .”

Yoo Seong-un nodded.

“So you’re cleaning the fish now?”

“… … .”

Yes, Kang Seo-dam was cleaning the fish right now.

“…Can’t we just let him handle it himself?”

“Geo likes that kind of thing.”

“It is disrespectful.”

“No, really… .”

A campsite had been set up here out of nowhere. With makeshift tents, a campfire, and even prepared fish, the atmosphere of the people gathered in a peaceful manner was truly peaceful.

‘Geo, please.’

I had hoped that Geo, who was quite gentlemanly towards humans, would help me in this virtual dungeon as well. However, I did not expect this much comfort.

‘It might feel like a fun picnic or game to you, but it’s not like that to most people… What if you start enjoying it like this?’

The only fortunate thing was that few people found this situation strange, as they were swept up in the peaceful and warm atmosphere that Geo created.

Only Yoo Seong-un was nervous that Geo would be found out to be not human.

‘The fact that most of them are civilians with little experience with dungeons or monsters may have also played a part in this situation.’

Yoo Seong-un muttered.

“It’s called a dungeon, but is this really allowed?”

“If you don’t like it, why don’t you just go out and hunt monsters?”

“The galaxy is quite dense.”

You were the owner of this dungeon in the first place.

“Are you okay?”

“… … .”

“… I honestly think things are going a bit strangely.”

Even though he was smiling as if he was green, he was strangely avoiding eye contact, which seemed to be a bit stinging. Well, from the monster’s perspective, how absurd this must be.

‘It seems like he’s struggling like that because he doesn’t want to be labeled a bad kid by Geo, but thinking about it again, it’s still an absurd situation. Is it okay for things to become peaceful like this?’

Fortunately for him, the only ones who knew Eunha’s true identity were Yoo Seong-un and Kang Seo-dam, who was probably a high-ranking priest. The other survivors treated Eunha as just another prospective priest.

Geo came closer.

“Is the fish ready?”

“It’s almost over.”

“If you’re having a hard time, I’d rather be with you…”

“Don’t worry, I can handle fish quite well.”

“That’s not what I meant, but I understand.”

He spoke refreshingly with the face of ‘Giovanni’.

“If they offer to help, there’s no reason to turn down free manpower!”

“… … .”

How dare you say such worldly things as ‘free manpower’ with that noble face that just looks purifying.

‘For some reason, the Milky Way army is looking at me with a longing expression.’

Was Giovanni originally like that?

‘Even if you say it like that, he still seems like a faithful and noble priest, but somehow, somewhere, he seems a bit… shameless, maybe… mysteriously reckless… .’

But it was really amazing how that unique elegance never disappeared.

“Geo.”

“Yes, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”

“Why am I just going to stay still like this?”

“I think it’s also essential to check if a monster is approaching.”

“That’s true, but….”

Again, this place was a campsite. The dungeon owner himself kept his mouth shut, saying he didn’t want to be a bad kid, so what kind of big monster would come looking for him?

“Isn’t it true that we don’t need to check if there are any other survivors?”

“We all looked for it together, but we couldn’t find it.”

Galaxy naturally answered Yoo Seong-un’s question. I could hear the voice saying, ‘There are no other survivors besides the people gathered here, so just dig around a little.’ It was chilling.

‘Seeing him making such sly threats, I think he’s worried that his story will be revealed. Dungeons are usually designed to fit the owner’s past and image… I wonder if he’s worried that I’ll find out about him and Giovanni while I’m investigating the dungeon.’

On that topic, it seems like Geo is 120% enjoying the situation where he is acting like ‘Giovanni’.

‘As expected of a humanoid monster, it has rich emotions. It has many thoughts.’

Geo patted Eunha’s head.

“Student Eunha is really confident.”

“Ah, that… .”

“I was worried, but I’m glad you seem okay.”

“… … .”

Looking at that sight, Yoo Seong-un thought to himself.

‘It’s a mine.’

I don’t know the exact circumstances, but the reaction was clear. Geo was tap dancing on top of the galactic mines as if nothing happened, but Geo himself seemed oblivious to what he was doing.

‘Well… If we think about the safety of the humans, it would be better to distract them in this way.’

Yoo Seong-un looked around.

“… … .”

People were pretty stable.

‘I wouldn’t say there were a few deaths due to the dungeon opening, but the fact that so many people survived the dungeon that was deliberately opened in the temple is close to a miracle. And the expressions of the survivors don’t look that bad.’

Of course, there are still people who are anxious, but they quickly calm down after Geo approaches them and says a few words. In such a cold dungeon, the mere sight of Geo will be a great comfort.

“No matter what, you know… .”

Yoo Seong-un spoke to Geo, who was wandering around without any rest.

“Aren’t you working too hard? Aren’t you getting tired?”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Is it okay now that you said your head hurt earlier?”

I know he’s not a pushover who’s just busy getting chewed out, but no matter how tough he may seem, I feel uneasy if he acts too nice.

If we continue like this, we will grow tired of ourselves and become disappointed in humans, what will happen?

Fortunately, Geo’s expression wasn’t too bad. Giovanni answered with a gentle smile like a painting.

“It feels like things are getting sorted out little by little, so it’s okay.”

“Oh… Sort it out… .”

Then that won’t work.

‘… If Giovanni’s personality is really established here, won’t it be a bit difficult? I don’t know exactly how close the relationship between Eunha and Giovanni was, but it doesn’t seem like it was an ordinary relationship. If he regains all his memories, he might end up on Eunha’s side… .’

For now, it was a situation where we had no choice but to rely on Geo’s kindness.

“Still, take it easy. I understand that you want to be nice to people, but sometimes there are people who think that kindness is a right. No, not just sometimes, but often.”

To his surprise, Geo nodded calmly.

“I know, too.”

“Oh, really?”

“But doesn’t the sun shine on everything?”

“Uh uh… .”

“If the sun does so, so should I.”

“… … .”

If you just listen to him, he seems like a really faithful priest.

‘… If I hear people say, ‘I’m just doing it because it’s my job,’ am I mistaken?’

Yoo Seong-un was worried that Geo would trust humans too much or show too much affection to them, and then commit a major accident after being betrayed.

But from the way you were talking now, it seemed like there was no need to worry about that.

‘What should I say to this?’

ah.

‘You look like a service worker.’

It was a model of a capitalist smile.

‘In this situation, it’s not like Geo can gain any capital gains, but for some reason, it feels like seeing an employee who is skilled at responding like a civil servant at the center… .’

I got the general feeling.

‘Giovanni wasn’t just a good priest.’

I felt strangely reassured by the fact that his expectations of humans seemed quite low. If he was showing such kindness despite not trusting humans that much, he wouldn’t get angry right away even if some tactless idiots were to mess with him.

But before that happens, Yoo Seong-un will have to block it first.

“But how did you manage to catch a fish? I don’t know since it happened while I was away, but where on earth did you catch the fish? Was there a pond in this desolate place?”

“There was a deep pool of water near the edge of the third hole I found. The water quality was actually better than on Earth, and the fish living there didn’t seem to be particularly poisonous….”

“Did you ever think about eating it?”

“Aren’t you all hungry?”

“Aside from being hungry, I don’t usually think of calmly grilling and eating fish in a dungeon like this.”

“I think it’s because I’m not very hungry.”

“That’s really firm. It’s not wrong, though.”

I was a little worried, but Giovanni seemed like a pretty nice guy.

‘As Geo said, it’s not the personality that changes, but the character.’

It’s just so peaceful it’s ridiculous.

If a meteor shower is like this, how much more absurd must the dungeon owner be… .

* * *

“… … .”

In the depths of the sea, bright red lips drew a vain smile.

“…under.”

There are people who don’t change even after they die and come back to life.

That’s you, Giovanni.

The painter who draws dungeons