The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

8 AM.

Looking at the black cloak revealed in front of the frame, Yoo Sung-woon blinked his mint-colored eyes.

Hmm.

'It feels a bit different.'

It wasn't just a feeling. The pitch-black figure standing in front of the portrait didn't exude the same eerie atmosphere as before.

As if it had turned from a monster into a human.

“Gio.”

“Are you here?”

“No, I arrived early.”

“Really?”

Yoo Sung-woon responded indifferently, thinking to himself.

'…Even his voice sounds different than usual.'

Unlike before, when his speech was strangely orderly to the point of feeling unsettling, today's Gio didn't feel odd despite how he thought 'He's a bit overly polite'. It gave off the vibe of a person with an innocent nature.

'Perhaps there's a level difference when he's inside the portrait versus outside….'

But that raised questions, as the testimonies from previous witnesses conflicted with this.

Yoo Sung-woon rolled his eyes for a moment before smiling and asking.

“Are you in a good mood, by any chance?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Hmm… Your atmosphere seems lighter than usual.”

“I've always been light.”

“Let's say that's the case.”

He's definitely different from usual.

'I don't feel that overwhelming pressure either.'

Even though Yoo Sung-woon only saw his back, he knew how terrifying Gio could be outside the portrait.

That suffocating feeling and dizziness weren't sensations easily experienced despite him having no malice or killing intent.

'Even so in a world full of various creatures, monsters and humans.'

It was said that the sensation became even more intense when you faced Gio head-on, but it was really strange. The current Gio simply felt like an ordinary human.

Perhaps sensing his doubt, Gio spoke first.

“I made some adjustments.”

“Adjustments?”

“I adjusted the resolution so that others wouldn't be startled when they saw me. Judging by Mr. Yoo Sung-woon's reaction, it seems my attempt wasn't bad.”

“Ah, I see. No wonder.”

He seemed quite human.

Yoo Sung-woon nodded nonchalantly, but his inner thoughts weren't as calm.

'Does that mean… he can adjust the level of his soul?'

In the past, Gio's level was so twisted that it couldn't be expressed within human standards, but now it seemed to be around the level of an A-rank hunter.

The thought of being able to adjust the level of one's soul at will felt like a truly nasty joke.

“…You're not straining yourself, are you?”

If he forcibly lowered his level, the fatigue would be immense.

'It's basically like cursing yourself.'

He had softened his words, asking if there was no strain, but adjusting his level like this would cause more pain than fatigue.

In response to Yoo Sung-woon's question, Gio looked down at his hand before shaking his head.

“It's okay.”

“That's a relief, but….”

How can someone be so nonchalant after doing something so insane? Yoo Sung-woon quietly felt a chill.

'This is way too calm for someone who just self-harmed. If you want to pretend to be normal, be more thorough.'

Even a 10-year-old would understand the gravity of the current situation. In ordinary terms, it was like cutting off all your limbs and gouging out both of your eyes.

'It's no different from tying a leash around the neck of someone crawling around with just their torso and putting weights on them…'

Of course, Gio had no idea.

'I'm hungry.'

After all, he was someone who—at least in his perception—had been living in an ordinary human state until recently.

His body that didn't feel thirst, didn't need sleep, and neither hungered nor felt full was certainly convenient… but he didn't feel any aversion to his current state either.

He had lived this way originally, so there was no reason to feel discomfort. Rather, he was used to it.

“So where should we go now?”

“…Oh, right.”

Yoo Sung-woon answered while trying to keep a calm expression. It would be rude to keep showing concern to the fellow who came out to have a good time. When dealing with a being of origin, even he had to be careful of such small reactions.

“It's morning, so I thought we could grab some breakfast.”

“What kind of place?”

“The one I'm recommending is a restaurant that serves set meals.”¹

Gio had once expressed himself in the Korean way as 'Seo Gio'. Whether that was truly based on Korean customs or not was uncertain, but since Gio seemed to know Korea well in many ways, he opted for a set meal for breakfast.

Just in case, he added an explanation.

“It's an all-in-one meal that comes with side dishes, rice, and soup. You can also order fish or pork.”

“It's not too spicy overall, but since it's breakfast, I found a restaurant that would be easy on the stomach.”

“That sounds good.”

Although Gio could eat just about anything, he had grown up under his grandmother who always served set meals, so he liked such comforting food. It made both his body and mind feel at ease.

Yoo Sung-woon nodded.

“Glad to hear it. Shall we go?”

Gio followed behind him.

'…I can hear footsteps.'

He seemed to have been barefoot before, but now Gio was wearing shoes. However, what surprised Yoo Sung-woon more was hearing the sound of footsteps carrying the weight of a person.

'Has he really lowered himself to a human level? I still can't believe it.'

Starting from the sheer possibility of how that could happen, to why he would do such a terrible thing, his feelings were conflicted.

'Maybe he did this deliberately to be considerate of other humans…'

Before Yoo Sung-woon could even feel embarrassed about thinking of excuses for any occured damage, a strange sense of guilt crept in. It was hard to handle such a ridiculous kindness, as if it involved cutting off parts of his own limbs and soul.

And the fact that he gave such out-of-the-ordinary kindness so casually made him feel even less human-like.

“Hmm….”

Yoo Sung-woon snapped back to his senses and led Gio to the elevator.

“Let's ride.”

“This is a first for me.”

“What is? This elevator?”

“I usually moved through paintings.”

“So you really did move through paintings.”

He had already suspected as much, but this confirmed the mysterious portrait sightings often reported by night guards in the hallway.

Despite that, the ghost story of 'Black Cloak' had already taken root in this guild.

“Since I gave you an access card, why didn't you use the elevator?”

“I thought it might be awkward if I encountered others in such a confined space.”

“…Makes sense.”

After all, even just encountering Gio in the wide corridors would often result in guards needing vacations, but in such a narrow space, they might have fainted with foam at the mouth.

However, that wasn't exactly what Gio had meant.

'Knowing the kind of people who work here, why would I risk being in a confined space with them?'

Gio, who knew when to retreat, was scared. The 31 years added with fantasy were enough to make even his homeland feel like a mysterious terror.

'Who knows how much culture has changed? From the perspective of a haunted portrait, it's too risky to act carelessly. Moving through the paintings is faster too.'

It was a decision that took into consideration his convenience in many ways, but…

Yoo Sung-woon couldn't help but interpret it a bit differently.

'…Isn't this too kind? Maybe I've been worrying about the wrong things.'

He was starting to get concerned.

'Worried that people might be pressured by his presence, he avoided the elevator and moved through the paintings. He even cut down his own level to avoid any unpleasant incidents during the tour….'

There were other suspicious details too.

'Come to think of it, his fondness for giving gifts is a bit unsettling now that I reflect on it.'

This tour had been planned out of concern that the portrait might cause trouble, but if the humans ended up harming Gio instead, that would be an accident in another sense.

'It seems I picked the wrong target to be cautious of. Instead of worrying about the gentleman Gio's sudden actions, I should have been concerned about humans approaching and provoking him instead….'

Despite feeling exasperated, Yoo Sung-woon couldn't help but wonder if his concerns were in the right direction.

“…Okay, let's get off.”

“This took quite a while.”

“Well, the gallery is deep underground.”

Yoo Sung-woon explained with a small smile.

“The items in the guild leader's gallery are gathered from all over the world. Some items were personally purchased by the guild leader, others were identified and purchased by guild members, and some were so dangerous that they were entrusted for safekeeping….”

In other words, it was a den of chaos.

“The restrictions on entering the gallery are partly to prevent theft, but also because one wrong move could easily kill a dozen people. Collection's gallery is well-known for being filled with works with all sorts of bizarre characteristics. Thanks to that, when rumours of ghost stories arise, the gallery is usually the source.”

“I see.”

“That's why the gallery is intentionally located in such a ridiculously deep place. It's designed that way so that if an unknown bomb explodes down there, it can be handled more easily, or… to at least minimize the damage.”

After saying that much, Yoo Sung-woon looked back at Gio.

“Hmm, right.”

“…Is there a problem?”

“Keep wearing your hood.”

Although the intimidating air had lessened after he lowered his level, it still wasn't completely harmless. Above all, Gio's face was just too conspicuous. If he walked around without covering it, he would undoubtedly get caught up in all sorts of troublesome matters.

'If his face is covered, I can at least pass him off as an unofficial hunter. There were a lot of unofficial hunters in the Collection guild, so others wouldn't suspect him either.'

The employee at the entrance of the first-floor lobby greeted Yoo Sung-woon.

“Are you off work already?”

“No way, I'm on a business trip. I just got here, so there's no way I'm leaving already.”

“I almost got jealous there. That's a relief. Let's suffer together.”

The security guard joked with a cheerful attitude and then looked at Gio, who was standing behind Yoo Sung-woon.

“And this person is…?”

“A guest of the guild leader.”

“Will he be joining as a new recruit soon?”

“That could be the case.”

Even though it was his first time seeing him, the guard who seemed friendly spoke to Gio as if they were long-time acquaintances.

“Then maybe you could change the colour of your cloak a bit. You know, we've got a new ghost story going around the guild recently, and as you know… we're the kind of people who easily get caught up in that kind of ghost stories.”

Yoo Sung-woon asked in response.

“Are there still people who get scared by the black cloak story these days?”

“Well, since there have been many witnesses, it's inevitable. Apparently, it really does exist, so everyone's on guard to some extent.”

“Ah, that's troublesome.”

Yoo Sung-woon chuckled lightly as he mumbled and bowed his head.

“Then, I guess we won't be seeing each other for a few days.”

“Long-term business trip?”

“Well, I guess I'll know once I get there….”

“Take care then.”

The guard, who politely bid farewell, soon turned his attention away from Yoo Sung-woon and Gio.

The large glass doors of the lobby opened, and as they stepped outside the Collection guild, Yoo Sung-woon spoke.

“As you can see, rumours about you have spread. I've already informed the guild leader about the inconvenience you're experiencing, but it might take some time for it to take effect ….”

Yoo Sung-woon spoke as if making excuses.

“I'll tell people you're the guild leader's guest. What do you think?”

“I understand.”

“Are there any other questions?”

“I'm curious why the guard was so certain I'd become a recruit.”

“Oh, that.”

Yoo Sung-woon nodded.

“It's just the guild leader's habit to pick up people from anywhere.”

“Pick up and bring people? The guild leader seems to possess an unusual level of conviction.”

“He even tried to recruit an assassin who was hired to kill him.”

“He attempted to recruit someone who came to kill him? That's bold. He seems to be very tolerant.”

“His preferences are so unique that if you see someone unfamiliar in the guild, there's a high chance they're the guild leader's guest. There have been more than a few times where he invited someone to the guild to try to recruit them.”

There's a limit to how many times he can sugarcoat things.

Not realizing that such sugarcoating only made him seem even less human, Gio quietly resigned himself to the seemingly endless eccentricities of Bi Sa-beol.

'With the limited strength granted by Heavens and Earth, such overwhelming presence is beyond what I can handle.'

He didn't seem like a bad person, but the unpredictability made him the type of person he absolutely didn't want to talk to.

'If we somehow become close, he'll probably drag me out of my corner and throw me into the middle of some trendy extroverts' social gathering, offering me up as the party's sacrifice ….'

It was horrifying.

“Now we'll need to take the overground train. Are you okay with that?”

“…Overground train?”

Not the subway?

Thanks to lowering his level, Yoo Sung-woon could now better understand Gio's confusion and quickly explained.

“Hmm, it's a train that runs above ground. Like the bus, it has a set route, but it's a bit faster and runs on a fairly higher altitude.”

Saying this, Yoo Sung-woon pointed his finger towards the sky.

“See over there?”

A rail that cut through tall buildings or passed between them. The entire rail wasn't visible—only parts of it could be seen.

It seemed like special measures were taken for the city's view, as some sections had been made transparent. This triggered Gio's sci-fi sensibilities.

“It's quite high.”

“It runs at about the height of the 60th floor of a building.”

Gio nodded inwardly.

'They say even mountains and rivers change in 10 years, but the world has definitely changed in 30 years.'

Maybe it's because it's the metropolitan area that such feelings are stronger, but even taking that into account, the buildings and infrastructure have advanced significantly. Now Gio truly felt that he had become an ancestor.

Most buildings were basically over 30 floors high, and the overground trains running between them looked exactly like roller coasters.

'Although the rail lines and speed won't be as intense as that….'

Gio felt a sense of romanticism towards the futuristic design.

“Gio, this way.”

People's fashion had also changed considerably from before. Some wore armour, others had large swords strapped to their backs, and some even had wings or tails.

They say trends come and go, but it seemed like some ecological disturbance had intervened along the way. With his cloak on, Gio seemed relatively ordinary compared to the overly unique styles of everyone around him.

There were even people exchanging gems and weapons here and there. While gems were one thing, seeing people nonchalantly handling fierce weapons with sharp edges…

Ouh.

Gio realized that he was shrinking inward, like a slice of pork belly grilled on high heat.

'Here I was, worried that I might seem harmful as a haunted portrait, but now that worry feels silly.'

Contrary to his thoughts, some quick-witted people were stealing glances at Gio.

'That's some heavy presence…. Is he a hunter? Judging by his disciplined movements, maybe a knight… or a priest?'

'He's probably at least A-rank. He seems unfamiliar, so it's highly likely that he's an unofficial hunter.'

'He's dressed entirely in black. Maybe he has a skill that involves colour, or perhaps it's all part of a set item….'

Yoo Sung-woon was also aware of some of the people's gazes.

'Please, just don't talk to him.'

It was as expected, but thanks to Gio's help, they were receiving less attention than they otherwise might have.

He fervently prayed that no one would approach and cause any sort of trouble by talking to Gio, who had only just stepped into human society.

“This is the entrance to the overground train.”

Yoo Sung-woon tried to distract Gio so that he wouldn't meet other people's gazes.

“See here? If you tap your card here, you can pay the fare.”

“You pay the fare in front of the elevator?”

With his hands clasped behind his back as a habit, Gio observed the entrance to the overground train with interest.

It looked like an elevator one would find at a subway station or some overpass. The elevator, which was tall and protruding rather than hidden within a building, connected directly to the overground train line.

'Is there no station separately?'

Seeing the bare, exposed rails without a building, it seemed like there likely weren't any stations, though he did notice some small, bus stop-like areas dotted along the route. It seemed like they were really using systems like buses.

“I'll give you my card. If you want to buy anything, use this. There's no spending limit.”

Gio was startled.

'I've lost count of how many times I've been startled today.'

It was dangerous outside the blankets.

'Why are you giving me a card with no limit?'

Terrified, he decided to call him hyung from now on, hyung-nim.

Of course, as a selective introvert, Gio would never actually call Yoo Sung-woon 'hyung' after only meeting him a few months ago. Gio still remained polite as he used his card to board the overground train's elevator.

“What's wrong?”

“I have something I'm curious about.”

Gio asked.

“I don't understand why there's only one elevator when its speed is not very fast. Wouldn't there be delays when there are a lot of people?”

“Ah…”

Yoo Sung-woon awkwardly smiled.

“I think it's because not many people use it anyway, so they only installed one.”

“It seems like a useful means of transportation. Why don't many people use it?”

How could they leave such an interesting new technology just sitting unused?

“It's not for any grand reason.”

Yoo Sung-woon explained the reality.

“Because it's expensive.”

Aha.

“Of course, that makes sense.”

Gio, who was quite familiar with capitalist societies, understood.

'But that thing is still alive?'

Longevity, indeed?

¹백반 / 白飯 (baekban) is the set meals described here. the dictionaries wrote it 'meal with a bowl of rice, soup, and side dishes'. but it wasn't sth like mcd set meals either, it's usually homemade and like the image below.

trendy extroverts' social gathering is actually 인싸 gathering, it's basically the opposite of outcast (아싸) in chapter 3. basically those trendy, socially active, popular people, so I thought to phrase it that way.

hyung means older brother.