The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

Although the portrait closed its eyes due to Yoo Sung-woon's impatience, the painting's owner, Bi Sa-beol, did not scold him.

“After all, it's a portrait that wouldn't respond even when I spoke to it. It wouldn't even look at me.”

“The seventeen employees that had conversed with it so far ran away, unable to withstand the pressure of the portrait. In that sense, Mr. Yoo Sung-woon's attempt can be seen as significant and successful.”

“But…”

“Although making Gio run away was certainly not a good choice, I scouted you because I was impressed with Mr. Yoo Sung-woon's curiosity. There's no need to apologize for that.”

“I will be more careful in the future.”

“That's all you need to do.”

Fortunately, Bi Sa-beol was someone special to his own people.

A curator's duty is to maintain and manage the artworks. This kind of inquisitiveness a researcher might have isn't appropriate. Nevertheless, it was a blessing to have a boss who defended Yoo Sung-woon like this.

“Haa ….”

But Yoo Sung-woon was still troubled.

'Just because there's no big problem doesn't mean the mistake disappears.'

It had been quite some time since he was employed by Bi Sa-beol as a curator. He thought he had become quite dull over time as he appreciated and managed Bi Sa-beol's collection, but perhaps it was his nature after all, as he was captivated by the mystery of the dungeon he saw for the first time in a long while.

Yoo Sung-woon entered his private workroom and bit into a candy. Adults weary from fatigue needed sugar.

Yes, that's right.

'Gio's portrait is not an ordinary monster.'

That was what piqued Yoo Sung-woon's curiosity.

“… It could simply be a mutation, but…”

A soft murmur.

Yoo Sung-woon sat in his chair for a long time, staring into space.

Soon he opened his mouth.

“…Should I contact the gardeners?”

Gardeners were a profession secretly operated by associations in various countries.

In fact, it wasn't to the level of being 'secretly operated', as anyone with the aptitude could do it.¹

However, since there were so few candidates with the aptitude, it was more appropriate to say that it was unavoidable for it to not widely publicized.

'But as a researcher, it's awkward to contact them again since I leave under the guise of retirement.'

Gardeners, a kind of secret researcher and adventurer, were people who had come close to the truth of the dungeons.

They knew various information not known to the world, but even with the knowledge of a former Gardener, Yoo Sung-woon still couldn't explain 'Gio's Portrait.' It was a type of existence he had never seen before in his life.

“…Well, it'll work out somehow.”

Creak…

Yoo Sung-woon sighed and slumped in his chair.

“There's no need to rush, let's take it slow.”

No matter what humans do, the 'origin' does not run away.

'It's too big to do so.'

There was no reason to hastily dig up the secret, nor did he feel like doing so. After all, it was only a few days ago that he made 'Gio' run away by acting rashly.

“Let's reflect, reflect…”

Fortunately, 'Gio's avoidance did not last long.

A few days later, Yoo Sung-woon was able to see the portrait with its eyes open.

***

“Good evening.”

“…Hello?”

Yoo Sung-woon smiled awkwardly.

“It's a nice evening.”

“Yes, it is.”

The forest in Gio's Portrait was an evening with twinkling stars.

“It's evening for us too.”

“Wasn't it dawn?”

“I came a bit early today. It's not even midnight yet.”

“It seems definitely earlier than usual, is there a reason?”

“I came to check on the other works I'm in charge of.”

Yoo Sung-woon shrugged his shoulders.

“Then I saw you, Gio, was awake.”

“I am always awake.”

“That's an amazing story.”

Yoo Sung-woon, who had been joking around, asked in his characteristic calm voice.

“What were you doing now?”

His gaze was on the brush held in the hand of the portrait. It was a very strange sight, a painting holding a tool that could paint.

'The guild leader's eyes will roll back if he saw this.'

Gio answered obediently.

“I was making a bird.”

“Ah, you were painting a bird.”

“Yes.”

“May I see it too, if it's not too rude to ask?”

“If Mr. Yoo Sung-woon wishes, I will show it to you.”

The man with the blunt face put down the brush in his hand, and soon tapped somewhere invisible to Yoo Sung-woon. As his delicate fingers called something in a subtle manner, something extraordinary happened.

The sound of water rippling was heard, and soon a bird appeared.

Yoo Sung-woon was surprised.

Of course, unlike the previous gem, it was definitely flat, like an existence beyond the painting … but at least it felt as alive as Gio.

“…Tha

“It's my new family.”

“Ah, I see.”

He wanted to respond as calmly as possible, but he wasn't sure if he did well. To be honest, Yoo Sung-woon was a bit excited.

“It's a wonderful bird.”

The bird was very small. If compared to species in Korea, perhaps it resembled a bull-headed shrike?

But its tail feathers were much longer, and merged with its transparent body, its wings were hardly visible. Perhaps they were fused together just like that.

It was made of very clean water. It resembled the holy water Yoo Sung-woon, a former gardener, occasionally saw in dungeons, or the spring water in remote places where no life existed.

“Gio, did you just create it?”

He seemed to understand why he said 'made' rather than 'painted.' It was definitely a living creature.

“You were holding a brush.”

“I'm having fun, so I'm making several of them.”

“Several?”

“Right now, it's about … probably less than 100.”

“That's impressive.”

It means that he drew each of those 100 animals one by one.

“It must not be easy.”

“It doesn't matter since I have time to spare.”

“Ah…”

“It's also fun.”

He seemed to have a surprisingly curious nature.

'That's something to keep in mind.'

Although it's hard to get a sense of it due to Gio's excessively polite and stiff expression, but the fact that an existence, whether it was a monster or something else, leads a life focused on interest, was something to be wary of as a human.

Yoo Sung-woon, who had memorized the information in his head, asked again.

“It seems to be made of water, can that bird cry?”

“It has no vocal cords, but…”

Splish…!

Splash, splash!

“… Like this.”

“Aha.”

When the bird shook off its body like a wet puppy, there was a splashing sound. It sounded like a small water bottle being shaken, and also like a thin, viscous jelly being stirred around.

Yoo Sung-woon laughed slightly.

“So it cries like that.”

The portrait added.

“It can cry in other ways too.”

“But didn't you say it has no vocal cords?”

“It's a similar method to before.”

Gio took out a small gem from inside his suit.

“How about this.”

Crunch…! Nibble!

“It's yours.”

Chomp.

The small bird snatched the green gem from Gio's hand. It nibbled on the gem, seemingly sizing it up with its petite mouth, before swallowing it down in one gulp.

“Ah.”

Gio, still with a blunt expression, handed over a few more gems.

“Now it will be able to cry.”

“How…”

At that time, a clattering sound was heard.

Yoo Sung-woon soon realized how the bird in front of him cried.

'…By moving or colliding the objects inside its body…'

It was a scene reminiscent of a fairy tale.

The gems trapped inside the bird's transparent body floated around, making sounds when colliding with each other once in a while.

Despite appearing to be dense gems, they floated inside the small body, twinkling with the light scattered inside the water.

Gio spoke as if teaching a newly born animal.

“That's right.”

Rattle!

“You're doing well.”

Clink, clink!

Then he saw him blink twice. Perhaps it was his imagination, but even though his stoic expression hadn't changed, he looked tired.

“They're chatterboxes.”

“It seems pretty quiet though.”

“If there had been vocal cords, I can't even imagine how noisy it would have been.”

“That's… true, but.”

The bird, with its characteristic quick movements of a small physique animal, fluttered and flapped its tail busily as it moved back and forth on Gio's hand. Then it spread its wings and flapped them as well.

'The wings are bigger than I thought.'

The wings, large enough to envelop its entire body, were absorbed back into the torso, losing their form.

'That aspect is very much like a slime.'

It also looked a bit similar to how it tries to put something into its body. Though it seems like this guy does it not for hunting but to adorn itself…

He wondered how it would react when meeting an enemy.

“… Your painting is really cool.”

Is this a portrait and also a painter? With that thought, Yoo Sung-woon who had spoken looked at Gio.

His eyes, so dark that they even seemed bright, captured Yoo Sung-woon for a moment before he opened his mouth.

“Thank you.”

“I didn't say anything rude, did I?”

“That was the perfect compliment for someone who paints.”

“Then that's a relief.”

But a living painting—

'Everyone would say that's cool.'

As Yoo Sung-woon stared blankly at the bird, the portrait asked.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Ah, a question….”

Is this also one of the rules of 'Gio's Portrait'?

'It seems like it always gives opportunities like this.'

Yoo Sung-woon answered while gauging the opponent's patience and goodwill.

“I always have questions. So I have one this time too, since Gio, you showed me such a cool painting.”

“I see.”

“This bird is really beautiful. Do these guys each have their own sense of beauty, or do they act according to your taste, Gio?”

The portrait blinked twice and answered.

“I don't know much about these friends.”

“I see.”

“But they like to adorn themselves by putting something inside their bodies.”

Perhaps due to already having had quite a bit of conversation, Gio continued speaking without hesitation.

“So far, I've created about a hundred birds, but each of them preferred different things. This friend prefers jewels, some birds wanted flowers, and others looked for twigs or pebbles. There were also times when it was small fishes or fruits of trees.”

Splash!

When the portrait waved his hand, the bird sitting on it flew away. There was the sound of water.

“They don't move according to my aesthetic sense. They have their own distinct tastes. It might have been slightly influenced by me, but… it's not something I can impose on them now.”

“It looks like a real bird.”

“This place is a painting. As the owner of the painting, the painting drawn by me becomes real. If they desire it, they can come to life and breathe. It can happen.”

“Is this a sufficient answer?”

After a moment of silence, Yoo Sung-woon soon opened his mouth.

“This bird doesn't seem like just a painting. It seems alive. Could it come outside like you, Gio?”

“I'm not sure.”

Gio didn't give a clear answer. It seemed like he himself didn't know what would happen, or perhaps he wasn't that keen on sharing. Yoo Sung-woon did not mind much and moved on.

Still, he cautiously asked.

“Is there ….”

“… A soul inside?”

Now, 31 years after dungeons appeared, people have acknowledged the existence of 'souls.' It was an inevitable trend as various skills targeting souls had emerged.

Despite there is nothing rare about such skills.

“Did you create a bird with a soul just now?”

“I'm not sure.”

The same answer as before.

'I can't figure out his intentions.'

The portrait remained blunt.

It was a face that couldn't be seen as someone who had just created a life, making it all the more foreign and eerie.

'Perhaps it feels even more bizarre because it performs actions that don't seem human at all, yet it has eyes, nose, and mouth just like a person.'

There was a sense of disharmony that was different from the monsters or similar beings he usually saw.

The portrait answered calmly.

“I don't know either.”

“If you, the owner, don't know, then who would?”

“Maybe no one knows.”

His voice was clear.

“I just drew a painting. And I am a person who entered inside this painting.”

“I can decorate this painting, and the drawing decorating this painting becomes real within this portrait, just like the last time when Mr. Yoo Sung-woon drew an apple for me ….”

“After all, it's a painting.”

It might sounded like wordplay, but it wasn't wrong.

'A painting within a painting is indeed real.'

After a moment, Yoo Sung-woon asked again.

“You created a bird within the painting. You drew a gem for me and gave it to me, and you were able to deliver it to me.”

“That's correct.”

“Gio, you are definitely a painting, but you're human at the same time and can also influence reality.”

He asked.

“If so, can you paint the real life here?”

“Not just coming out of the painting and then going back in like the last time, but can you draw something like destiny, past, or memory? Or perhaps…”

“A real person.”

Gio soon replied.

“It might be possible, or it might not be.”

“But I don't want to do that.”

“… Why? Isn't it lonely or boring inside the painting?”

“I don't feel lonely here.”

His tone was still blunt.

“I'm comfortable here. Here, the weather is always nice, the spring breeze blows, and the scent of the forest fills the air, nothing is troublesome or difficult.”

“If I ever get bored, I can just create new friends like now. That'll be enough.”

Yoo Sung-woon was a bit surprised.

“Are you satisfied with your peaceful painting world?”

The out-of-ordinary beings he had seen so far always coveted things of reality. Regardless of whether they had consciousness or not, their actions were instinctive, like the stem of a plant reaching towards the sunlight.

“Don't you have the desire to come out?”

“I'm tired.”

“That … might be possible, but…”

“I don't want to go out. This place is my home now.”

He definitely just said, 'now.'

'… So there was a time when he didn't live in this portrait.'

The portrait claimed to be human and said there were times when he didn't live inside the portrait, but there was no guarantee that the place he stayed was necessarily Earth.

'It could be a dungeon or another dimension. No, considering Gio's usual remarks and demeanour, the probability for it to be the latter seems more likely.'

Regardless of Yoo Sung-woon's thoughts, the portrait continued.

“I cannot create a living being that threatens me.”

“… A threatening living being?”

“Humans always have the potential to harm other beings. The living beings I can create are only friends who are friendly to me. That's the rule of this portrait.”

“At first, I didn't know either, but after trying a few times, I figured it out. Since I am the owner of this portrait, I cannot create a being that can erase me. Therefore, I cannot draw humans.”

The portrait recited.

“Since a portrait cannot exist without its subject.”²

Having said that, Gio looked at Yoo Sung-woon again.

“I'm reluctant to create humans.”

“Why is that?”

“That's too special of an event.”

“Isn't it good if it's special?”

“I'm not special enough for that, so it's not good.”

“I am content with my speciality just to the extent of being a talking portrait.”

It was certainly so profound that it was hard to believe it was merely a portrait with consciousness.

'It's definitely not an ordinary monster or item.'

That's why it had an eerie side.

“Is this a sufficient answer?”

“For today, yes.”

Neither a monster,

nor an item.

If it's neither a ghost nor a human.

“I'll see you next time.”

What on earth could this be?

¹: I want to phrase this better, but I don't know if this is referencing to 'aptitude skill' as the author uses the same word, sorry ૮₍ ꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ ₎ა as far as I read the gardeners haven't shown up yet so I'm not sure about gardener stuffs.

²: 'subject' here has the same word as 'owner' in Korean (주인), but in this line, I think using 'subject' made more sense …. right? (not me questioning my own choices—)