The Artist Who Paints Dungeons [Novel] Chapter 311

Chapter 311

Recently, a story had been floating around among the Gardeners like a ghost story.

“What do you think about that story?”

“About what?”

“The Garden in the shape of a person.”

In truth, it wasn’t a simple ghost story. Of course, it was an absurdly bizarre tale, like some cliché novel circulating in the world. Still, they knew it was an event that had actually happened.

The man wore an exhausted expression.

“…Was that real? I mean, I didn’t think it was a lie, but…”

“There’s no such thing as a baseless rumor among the stories that go around us, you know.”

“I thought so too, but the story was so far-fetched, well, I guess it lacked a sense of reality, so I didn’t think too deeply about it.”

“I think I know how you feel.”

The woman smiled faintly.

“A Garden that looks like a person.”

It was a terrifying thought.

“I kind of don’t want to believe it, either.”

“Then that must be true as well? The rumor that the Garden goes around looking for Gardeners to make families for them… I think I heard a story like that too. Is it true?”

“From what I’ve heard from a few people, that seems to be true as well. Well, it hasn’t happened in my Garden yet. Perhaps it never will.”

The woman shrugged.

“It seems not every Gardener gets to enjoy such a miracle.”

“I can’t even grasp what kind of rules that Garden operates on…”

“There must be something you can only feel by seeing it in person.”

“Seeing as the story is only floating around like a ghost story, they must be a very capricious entity.”

“Still, there is a commonality. A common trait among the Gardeners who got a family.”

“What is that?”

The woman answered the man’s question.

“They were people in precarious situations.”

Living as a Gardener was truly exhausting work.

“There were people going mad from loneliness, people suffocating under the crushing weight of their Garden, and some who gave up and just wanted to quickly become part of the Garden.”

“So to speak, they were people who found it hard to live as humans.”

“Probably, wouldn’t you say? One of them was a friend of mine, and I thought they were going to be reduced back into a Mystery before the year was out.”

Meaning they would disappear, unable to even die as a human.

“But I saw that same friend stubbornly pushing through life in their own way now.”

Even while burning and melting countless times in the damn heat of the desert, they tried to endure.

“I asked them why. They told me that because they now have a family to feed, they don’t think they can go just yet. Isn’t that hilarious?”

“…What’s funny about it?”

“The family that the ‘Garden’ made for them is a part of the desert. They just tore off a piece of the desert’s flesh, molded it anew, and had it reborn in the shape of a cute fennec fox.”

And the Gardener of the desert knew that too.

“But even so, they said they had to feed it…”

“…You’re right, because a Gardener feeding a Garden is absolute nonsense.”

“What’s even funnier is that they aren’t saying it out of ignorance, either.”

“Just what kind of family did the ‘Garden’ gift to your friend?”

The man looked appalled.

“It seems like the more you dig into this field, the more insane things keep popping up.”

They weren’t the only ones having this conversation, nor were they the only ones buried in confusion. Any Gardener with even a minimal network had heard stories about the ‘Garden’ at least once.

Nevertheless, this commotion did not spread wildly. That was just how people known as Gardeners were. This field had always been closed off. Even with the entrances to the Gardens exposed to the whole world, they had to remain rational.

“Let’s make sure not to cause a fuss.”

“In an already exhausting situation, there is no need for us to be boisterous too.”

“Didn’t Gardener Jung Hae-woon say so as well? That this is not a disaster. If so, it’s merely a change, and there’s no reason for Gardeners to go out of their way to make a fuss.”

“That ‘Garden’ is also a massive Mystery. Even if it looks and acts like a person, it is no different from the Divinities. It should be similar to our Gardens, too.”

“Even if it has a purpose, in the end, that too must be the providence of nature.”

They judged that the ‘Garden’ was nothing more than a phenomenon. Just like how the employees of the Collector treated ‘Mr. Seo Ji-oh’ as a natural phenomenon or an office potted plant. Or perhaps like a ghost, fog, or a natural disaster…

Around that time, another anomaly occurred.

“Did you hear?”

“What is it now…”

“I heard a food stall appeared in a dungeon.”

“…??”

This was an absurd story even to the Gardeners.

“Excuse me?”

“They say it sells bunggeoppang too.”

“Why?”

It was a situation that naturally drew out questions.

No, but really, why?

“I thought you’d cause trouble right in the Garden.”

At Joo-hyun’s words, Jeorge, who had been lazily sprawled out, looked up.

“Why did you think that?”

“Because it was a plan originally made with the welfare of the Gardeners in mind.”

“Right, what you said is also correct. But since things turned out this way, it’s more… something…”

The Garden smiled.

“Wouldn’t it be better if it was fun?”

“…I see!”

As expected, his way of thinking was different.

“But I still don’t quite know what standard your ‘fun’ is based on, Ji-oh.”

“Ah, dear. Are you worried? I don’t harm people, though…”

“I think that standard is also quite ambiguous. Because the people of this world do not have as strong a mentality as you think they do.”

“When have I ever harmed a good citizen?”

“At least by your standards, you haven’t.”

But Joo-hyun’s friend had truly great capacity. So great, in fact, that he believed everyone else thought just like him. In other words, he had too much faith. The faith that everyone would be just like him.

‘Yoo Sung-woon said this is a cognitive error frequently committed by Mysteries. In the sense that they believe all humans are capable of doing what they can. Was it due to a lack of data on the human race?’

Joo-hyun did not deny that perspective either. This Portrait friend of his would often turn people into ‘paint’ as if it were nothing. That meant he didn’t consider the mental burden others would endure because of it.

Even though nowadays, most of the people who became paint were those who voluntarily asked to become ‘paint’ in order to appreciate Ji-oh’s artwork.

“…You need to be a little more meticulous, Ji-oh.”

“Yoo Sung-woon actually asked me not to do that, though.”

“That was likely a request made solely considering the Curator’s convenience.”

The more ‘Ji-oh’s Portrait’ exhibited human-like behavior, the more troublesome it was for the Curator. As his imitation of humans became more excellent, Ji-oh became a far more anomalous existence. This was practically a minor disaster.

“So what I want to say is the fact that you often cause trouble like it’s nothing, Ji-oh. That makes the people around you very confused.”

“There’s no reason I shouldn’t, and no reason I can’t, so why should I hesitate? Once we pass through a brief moment of confusion, we can live even more enjoyably.”

“I’m asking again, but where did the ‘fun’ in this project come from? Why was it a dungeon instead of a Garden? If it’s you, you definitely have a reason.”

“Hmm, well.”

He covered his mouth with his hat.

“…”

“…”

“…Isn’t that more fun?”

“I know perfectly well that you have no intention of explaining.”

But Joo-hyun had a guess. He had a brain too.

‘He must be hoping that everyone gets used to this situation.’

Ji-oh’s motive for acting was clearly ‘because he didn’t want his friend Yoo Sung-woon to struggle’. That was true. It was true, but even though the catalyst was trivial, ‘Ji-oh’s Portrait’ had always caused events that changed the Earth.

‘So this incident must be in a similar vein in the end. That’s why he must have scattered so many Garden entrances across the world. He probably knew all along that the world wouldn’t become too chaotic thanks to the incredibly cold-hearted pragmatism unique to Gardeners…’

If Ji-oh knew what Joo-hyun was thinking, he would feel a bit wronged.

The reason he painted so many Garden entrances was to catch ‘Jeorge’. The reason he didn’t stop those Gardens from appearing all over the world was because he knew they weren’t dangerous. It was just an incident of exactly that magnitude.

But Joo-hyun, who knew him through the eyes of the Source, had no choice but to overthink it.

‘He is trying to inform everyone about the realm of Mystery, which remained unknown because most people couldn’t see it. That must also be the reason he chose a dungeon, not a Garden, as his first business location. Only then would people’s attention shift naturally without feeling burdened.’

Well, as a result.

“…”

It didn’t seem like a bad thing.

“…Although it does seem a little extreme.”

“Am I extreme? That’s strange, I’ve heard many times that I’m soft and sweet.”

“This version of you is definitely a bit burdensome, Ji-oh.”

Joo-hyun subtly distanced himself.

“Where did my blunt Ji-oh go? What about Giovanni or Arzio?”

“Right here.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“It breaks my heart when you feign ignorance like that, Joo-hyun. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“It’s weird, the Ji-oh I know wasn’t someone who dragged others down like a water ghost…”

“Oh my, a water ghost? Since you’re this terrified, the kindhearted me should probably back off.”

Jeorge smiled playfully. It was an eye smile that curved gently, like a butterfly playing a prank.

“Such a scaredy-cat.”

“…Please don’t go around bewitching people in the wrong places…”

“That’s unfair, I merely loved.”

“Making it so they can’t live without that love and then suddenly leaving is something only trash would do.”

“Then I must be pretty trash, right?”

“Aha…”

“If so, haven’t I already fulfilled my duty with my looks alone? Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“Joo-hyun?”

Joo-hyun simply shut his mouth.

‘…How did such a ruffian get to my kind and sincere Ji-oh.’

His heart ached as if his gentle youngest sibling had fallen in with the wrong crowd.

“Captain, Captain.”

“I’m dead tired, so don’t spout nonsense…”

“They say there’s a food stall roaming around dungeons lately.”

“Fuck, I told you not to spout nonsense.”

“Ah, but it’s true.”

When the Hunter acting as the leader scolded him, the team member whined.

“I’m telling you I’m not the only one who heard it!”

“We barely found this safe zone. Aren’t you even tired? Why don’t you get some sleep instead of blabbering?”

“How can I sleep when the Captain is awake? I have loyalty.”

“Then are those rag-like bastards sprawling over there sleeping because their personalities are completely ruined? Cut the chatter and get some rest while you can. I’m going to sleep soon anyway. You guys have to keep watch next…”

“No, really.”

“…Haa…”

The Captain nodded with a tired face.

“Fine, let’s hear it.”

The place they were in was none other than a B-rank dungeon. It was an overwhelming dungeon for them, whose average rank was C. Even though he wasn’t someone who didn’t know how important rest was at a time like this, he was still being persistent.

He had to assume there was a thought or intention behind it. Although it could just be a story brought up because he was genuinely bored. As the Captain nodded, the team member told the rumor he had heard with a brightened face.

“A food stall selling bunggeoppang in a dungeon…”

“Just sleep, you bastard.”

“A-no, no, it’s really true.”

“Just where did the bullshitting start?”

“It’s not bullshit, I heard it from a truly reliable friend.”

“I’d have to be able to trust what you say first.”

Why on earth would the word bunggeoppang come up in a dungeon?

“If it’s bunggeoppang, isn’t it that thing? The lump of flour that occasionally appears on handcarts in the winter…”

In today’s world, bunggeoppang wasn’t a snack in high demand. To be more precise, it only had a niche fanbase and wasn’t all that delicious of a food. Because there were fewer usable resources than before the Great Cataclysm.

“Well, even that’s tasty when you eat it on a cold day. Nice and hot…”

“It’s just a bite-sized thing, though.”

“So why did it come up all of a sudden?”

“My friend came back from some chilly dungeon, and said they saw a food stall there.”

“Wasn’t it a hallucination?”

That was the most likely guess.

“They must have been extremely hungry.”

“Ah, well, they did say they were stranded…”

“See?”

“But this isn’t coming from just one guy.”

“What kind of bizarre… Then that means it’s not even a dungeon trait.”

Very occasionally, monsters like ‘Merchants’ would appear in high-rank dungeons. So to speak, they were monsters that belonged to that dungeon’s story. They would sometimes sell tools or food supplies that were helpful to the Hunters.

“If multiple people said that, it means it wasn’t just witnessed in one dungeon.”

Does that make sense?

“Are you saying there’s a food stall wandering around dungeons or something?”

“Yes, I heard they sell all sorts of things besides bunggeoppang.”

“Funny. Let’s hear it then, what else do they sell? Street food? Skewers or something?”

“Fish cake skewers, kimbap, tteokbokki… Ah, they said they sell sundae too.”

“…Is it like a snack bar concept? The menu is more plausible than I thought.”

The Captain Hunter had also heard about it from his parents. That before the Great Cataclysm, snack bar food was sold in places like food stalls. Even though nowadays you had to seek out a proper restaurant to try it.

“Selling that kind of food at a food stall is pretty funny too.”

“Right? Ah, I’m hungry… I thought it would be nice if it visited us too.”

“I’m already starving to death as it is, and you’re saying things like that.”

The Captain clicked his tongue.

“Got it, so go rest.”

They were stranded.

The raging snowstorm sapped their body heat minute by minute. They had barely managed to find a cave-like safe zone, but it was merely spacious, with no food or weapons. The only things scattered all around this area were dangerous monsters.

‘Damn it, if only there were a few less monsters…’

He had brought the kids here trying to score big, only to end up getting them all killed. As he frowned with a bitter heart, the hesitant team member took something out. The Captain looked at it.

“Um, this…”

It was a blue gem.

“…Is it an artifact? I don’t sense anything different from it, why did you bring something like this? Isn’t it just a jewel?”

“No, um, I got this from doing volunteer work.”

“Volunteer work… Ah, right. You said you were a believer in the Cloak Order.”

“Hey, I’m not exactly a believer. I’m just doing club activities.”

“But it was recognized as a religion anyway. So what is this? Can you eat it?”

“How could I eat this, are you crazy?!”

The jumping team member hugged the gem tightly.

“I received this directly from Black Cloak, you know!”

“…What? Black Cloak gives out gems too?”

“Well, something like… the club members who have been active for a while all have one. It feels like a veteran badge.”

“So what’s the reason you showed this to me.”

“…My friend also had a gem like this, and after the gem broke, the food stall arrived…”

“…”

“…Should we try it?”

The Captain nodded.

“…Try it.”

There was no knowing if the team member’s words were true. Perhaps things could get even more twisted.

Black Cloak was a Divinity. Although it was an existence with high familiarity because it showed quite a few human-like sides, its essence was ultimately closer to a natural phenomenon. And the Captain considered trusting such a natural phenomenon to be an act of madness.

‘There’s a boatload of Hunters who passed on to the afterlife performing half-assed summoning rituals in a situation where they had absolutely nothing like this.’

But at this point, it was worth trying something crazy.

“We’re screwed anyway, what difference does it make if we get screwed a bit more.”

“Ah, come on.”

Just as the team member was getting annoyed and trying to break the gem.

“―Are you going to break that?”

“…”

“Don’t break it.”

A pure white hand wrapped around the team member’s hand.

“What a waste.”

“…Uh, uh…”

The team member and the Captain turned their heads to look at the owner of the hand.

“You can just call me.”

A presence like a spring flower garden.

Was very naturally mingling among them.

Why do people keep trying to break my gifts?

The tender-hearted Ji-oh was deep in thought over this massive dilemma lately.

– To be continued in the next chapter –