The Artist Who Paints Dungeon
Chapter 173

The day of the official deployment ceremony.

“When are they coming out?”

“They said the departure was at 10, right?”

“Only the attendants are visible so far.”

Near Hwanseon Cave in Samcheok, Gangwon Province—an area still not fully recovered from the aftermath of the Great Catastrophe—people had gathered just beyond the barricaded danger zone.

Even in such rough regions, whenever a major guild launched a raid, it was common for both media and spectators to crowd in. Among those with cameras were not only journalists but also fans who had come all the way here out of sheer devotion to a particular hunter.

“......”

Choi Raon—once mockingly called the splat girl—was one of them.

“...The Collector’s Guild isn’t out yet, huh...”

Growing anxious as she waited, she was startled when someone called out.

“Oh! Unnie!”

“Gah...!”

“Come on, it’s been forever!”

“Jesus, you scared me.”

Choi Raon clutched her pounding heart. Maybe it was the stress of leaving the safety of Seoul alone to come to this infamously dangerous Gangwon region.

Fortunately, the woman who had spoken to her was someone she used to tour the country with, chasing candid shots of hunters. Camera slung over her shoulder, the woman grinned and sized Choi Raon up.

“Ever since you got dragged off by that hunter in the black cloak, you ghosted us. Looks like you found a new ray of light and salt, huh? Coming all the way out here again—for a hunter?”

“Yeah... a hunter. But seriously, what about you? What happened to your old flame?”

Fans like Choi Raon—who moved on quickly—weren’t exactly beloved in fan circles. But this woman had a similar temperament, which is how they’d become close.

They had originally met on the idol scene—bonding over shared stanning. Raon remembered the last time she’d seen this woman, she had been obsessed with a boy idol. But now...

“......”

“...Sorry.”

“...It’s fine.”

Why would someone who used to stan a civilian idol show up here, camera in hand?

‘So your well ran dry too, huh.’

There hadn’t been any news of a group disbanding, so it was likely her favorite had been involved in some scandal, leaving a void in her heart. She’d always been sensitive to flaws in the ones she admired.

‘Sure, in this day and age, what celebrity doesn’t have baggage...’

Most fans were turned off by personality scandals backed by solid proof—videos of someone abusing their manager, or leaked voice files mocking others. That kind of thing.

It wasn’t that such “flaws” were rare anymore, but Choi Raon couldn’t keep loving someone once she saw that dark side. Especially if the face didn’t justify the moral compromise.

She knew she was being a bit extra.

‘Still... I don’t get how others just look past that stuff.’

Out of simple decency, she didn’t say “What the hell did that jerk do this time?” She was curious, sure, but some things you just don’t say. You don’t go rubbing salt into someone’s wounds.

“...Ahem.”

“Hmph.”

They tacitly agreed not to dig deeper.

“So, who are you here for?”

“Ah...”

“It’s fine. I made a new account too.”

“It’s not that.”

With an embarrassed expression, the woman replied,

“Hunter Sanarae...”

“Huh?”

“He’s my mess. The kind you’d be ashamed to show in public. Beautiful face, constantly causing trouble, never even gets famous because all his screw-ups keep needing to be cleaned up.”

“...What?”

“God, if he crosses the line even once, I swear—just once—I’ll end him.”

“Wow...”

Choi Raon, who didn’t know who Sanarae was, found the woman’s reaction strange—but got the gist. Sanarae was probably one of those hunters who liked to stir up trouble just barely within the limits of acceptability.

Then the woman asked,

“So, who brought you all the way out here? Didn’t you take half a day off?”

“Nah, full vacation day.”

“Whoa, must be a big catch. Who is it? What guild? Not Haryeong if I don’t know him. Eunwol? The Church of the Sun?”

“Collector’s Guild.”

“Collector’s...?”

The woman glanced past the barricade where attendants were still arranging things, then looked toward the hotel where the hunters were staying.

“...You don’t mean Hunter Sergio?”

“Oh? You know him?”

“Of course. He’s been making waves lately.”

“I actually met him before.”

“...Ah!”

The woman’s eyes widened.

“The splat girl.”

“Thanks for not shouting that out loud.”

“No way. I thought your silhouette looked familiar.”

“He saved me in the dungeon, too.”

“Damn... You hit the jackpot.”

Granted, it was a jackpot earned while almost dying—but in today’s world, that’s modern life. If you got rescued by your bias and didn’t end up with lasting injuries, people would be jealous.

The woman scrunched up her face.

“Jealous. Meanwhile, my account could explode at any moment.”

“Is he that unstable...?”

“Kind of... a chaos-magnet hunter...”

“How’d you fall for someone like that?”

“Been in denial for over two years.”

“That was when you were stanning someone else, wasn’t it?”

“Exactly. God, it’s bullshit.”

The woman looked genuinely aggrieved.

“Next thing I know, I’m licking photos of him.”

“Well... That’s how bias-crashes usually go.”

There are straightforward crushes like Choi Raon’s—clear, overwhelming, love-at-first-sight types—and then there are the messy ones, like this woman’s. Denial all the way, while the fingers obediently collect every photo.

“...Oh, looks like something’s happening.”

“Huh? Where?”

“The attendants are clearing a path.”

“Oh, yeah.”

During official raids, the Association often dispatched personnel to assist. These were referred to as “attendants,” and if you knew how they moved, you could guess what was about to happen.

“Looks like they’re making space for teleportation. I mean, if you have that option, why bother walking out here?”

“The hotel isn’t that close, after all. If they want to present themselves in top shape before entering the dungeon, this makes sense.”

The woman polished her camera lens and nodded.

“Catch you later, unnie. Let’s grab lunch afterward.”

“Sure, there’s a kalguksu place nearby. They had dumplings too...”

“Oh, I love dumplings. Sounds like a solid spot.”

They gave each other thumbs-ups and parted ways.

In chaotic scenes like this, with press, onlookers, and solo fans everywhere, fans had to fend for themselves.

The first to arrive were the priests of the Church of the Sun.

“It’s the Church of the Sun!”

“Priests! Could we get an interview?”

“What’s your take on the last failed raid?”

“Priest Ahn Seo-Hee, please look this way!”

“Priest!!”

As expected, the area quickly grew loud.

‘Wow, am I even going to be able to get good shots...?’

Choi Raon had plenty of experience as a candid fan photographer, but even she found this kind of hunter-fandom overwhelming. Sergio was the first hunter she ever ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ took paid time off to photograph during a deployment ceremony.

Thankfully, the hunters were arriving one group at a time. After the Church of the Sun, no other guilds showed up right away. Choi Raon let herself relax and observe the situation.

She was a bit impressed.

‘As expected of priests... They’ve got this divine aura about them.’

Despite the surrounding commotion, they maintained a composed and pristine presence.

Their robes were pure white—flawless. But clearly battle-ready, interwoven with sturdy gear to allow fluid movement.

Just then, she met eyes with a priest with vivid green eyes.

Feeling awkward, Choi Raon gave a small, polite bow—and the priest, in turn, offered a modest nod.

Still slightly dazed, she watched the priests pass by... and next came the procession from the Guild Eunwol.

“Sunbae, it’s Eunwol.”

“They’ve brought a lot of healers, apparently...”

“They say the raid field is covered in poison. Probably because of that.”

“Yeah, in cases like that, healers are cheaper than potions. Especially if it’s not just brief damage.”

“Hunters really live a rough life...”

“Well, they make a lot of money. It’s an equivalent exchange. Life in exchange for money, you could say.”

Hearing the reporters’ chatter, Choi Raon turned her gaze back to the Eunwol Guild.

‘They give off a similar vibe to the priests who just passed by...’

Choi Raon couldn’t sense presences like a hunter, but she could still recognize that distinct aura of religious devotion. Dressed in white robes, they followed behind the Church of the Sun. Their garments were lighter in appearance but still conveyed that same devout energy.

‘Can’t see their faces well...’

More heavily covered than even the Church of the Sun, their concealed forms made her blink.

‘Is the white robe their uniform? I’ve never seen a guild hide their faces this much at a deployment ceremony.’

Deployment ceremonies, especially ones exposed to the media, were usually an opportunity for guild PR. It was a world where image mattered—most tried to look as dazzling as possible.

But Eunwol, with their priest-like demeanor, came off as extremely ascetic.

‘Right, I think Eunwol provides personnel for both the Church of the Sun and the Moon Temple. I should’ve looked into them more.’

The temple attendants—like those in the Church—served their priests while keeping their presence as muted as possible. Given that, this kind of atmosphere made sense.

“Oh, it’s Daecheong now.”

“Heard they’d be joining too.”

“Not taking pictures of Daecheong?”

“Probably nothing exciting over there.”

“Still...”

“They’re too clean-cut. Not much of a spectacle.”

“Then I’ll shoot them.”

The Daecheong Guild members all wore matching blue uniforms. Unlike the previous Eunwol group with their white robes, they didn’t attract much attention.

‘I feel like I’ve heard of Daecheong before, but maybe they’re not a top-tier guild?’

Maybe it was just her, but it seemed like even the camera flashes were fewer than earlier.

‘Feels familiar. Must’ve collaborated with someone I used to stan... But I can’t recall at all.’

At that moment, another guild’s members appeared.

“That’s Haryeong.”

“Still wild as ever.”

“They hate anything constraining, so their outfits are always a mess...”

“They don’t have uniforms?”

“Of course they do. Standard black ones. They just refuse to wear them.”

“Their guild leader doesn’t say anything?”

“They ignore anything that’s not battle-related. It’s a nest of troublemakers.”

“Scary...”

“They’re the ones involved in that journalist assault incident. Basically beasts.”

As the reporters muttered, Choi Raon heard a familiar voice—

“—Hunter Sanarae! Please, just one look this way! Please, Hunter!!”

It was the woman she’d just parted with, the one who had wished her good luck.

And one of the men in the Haryeong group responded. He walked calmly amid the restless pack, standing out for his neat pace. Curious, Choi Raon followed him with her eyes—and was struck by his striking appearance.

‘...Looks like a romance novel knight commander. So she’s still into pretty boys...’

His long, straight golden hair fell almost to his tailbone, vivid in color. His face bore no expression, yet he didn’t seem overbearing. His bearing and movements had an elegant air, yet everything about him was unreasonably gorgeous.

Perhaps recognizing his fan’s desperate voice, the man turned toward the sound.

“Hm?”

Upon spotting her, he smiled radiantly—on that listless, pale face.

For a moment, even his pitch-black eyes seemed to shine. The smile was so bright that Choi Raon, caught off guard as she watched her friend’s bias, flinched a little.

“Noona! We meet again?”

“Narae-yaaah...! You’re so handsome, my Sanarae!!”

“Aw, I’m touched. Gonna get a nice shot of me?”

“You can count on me!!”

Hunter Sanarae, who had come right up to the barricade to charm his fan, gave a lazy wave and rejoined his group. His fellow hunters looked simultaneously fed up and used to it—clearly not the first time this had happened.

The reporters commented again.

“Hunter Sanarae still gives great fan service.”

“I mean, if someone chases you out to Samcheok on a weekday morning, you’d probably feel obligated too.”

“Even if he didn’t, I hear he’s easy to win over if you treat him sweetly...”

“Could be image management. Could be attention-seeking. Or maybe he just likes hearing people scream for him. That punk’s fan service motivation is probably a mix of everything.”

"Hunters really have it rough nowadays. Even that’s part of the job.”

“You’re like twelve. Quit yapping about ‘hunters these days’ and fix your focus.”

Listening in, Choi Raon mused to herself:

‘So that’s how he normally is...’

A pale, languid guy acting all cutesy—definitely the kind of impression her friend would fall for.

‘But there’s something... a little dangerous about him.’

He was neat and smiled well, yes, like a knight. But those dead, black fish-like eyes were eerie. His smile, foxlike and serpentine, curved into crescents that made her shiver a little.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, but still... he didn’t exactly seem sane.

“......”

‘That’s a rude thing to think about someone you’ve just met.’

‘Focus on yourself, Raon. Mind your own business.’

And then—

“...Ah, ah! It’s the Collector’s Guild...!!”

Choi Raon lit up, hastily raising her camera. The familiar weight and grip snapped her mind into focus.

“Excuse me! I’m so sorry—coming through!”

“Hey, what the...”

“I’m really sorry! Please just let me squeeze past—just this once!!”

Some people were annoyed, but many understood. Their eyes seemed to say, Ah, that’s her main bias. That understanding warmth nearly made Choi Raon burst into tears.

She barely made it to the barricade, got into position, and gasped in awe.

“Waaah...!”

Maybe it was because her favorite was in this group—but the Collector’s Guild procession seemed more majestic than all the others combined.

Dressed in coordinated uniforms blending black and white, the hunters marched in line. At the very front walked a platinum-haired man.

He was her light and salt. The reason she had come all the way to dangerous Gangwon and waited with a nervous heart.

‘Damn, the Collector’s uniforms are on another level...’

She’d only ever seen him in a black cloak—but today, respecting the guild image, Hunter Sergio wore a sleek cloak in black and white. Beneath it, the custom-tailored Collector’s suit fit him to perfection.

‘Wow... wow. Did he just clock out from the Louvre or something?’

He looked like a living cultural treasure that needed to be preserved.

“...H-Hunter Sergio!! Sergio Hunter...!!”

Mustering her courage, she raised her voice—and he responded.

“Ah.”

“!”

“Miss Choi Raon?”

“Gasp...!”

Hunter Sergio stepped right up to the barricade and looked at her. Her heart thudded violently as her favorite stood before her. Choi Raon clutched her mouth.

“I-I, um...”

“Did you come to see me? I’m grateful.”

“C-could I take just one photo...?”

“Please, as you wish.”

“Thank you...!”

By the time she came to her senses, Hunter Sergio was already walking away, waving gently.

“......”

“......”

The woman from before approached again and asked,

“You hit the jackpot?”

“...Yeah, I did.”

“Me too.”

“Yeah... I saw.”

“This is why we stan.”

“Totally worth taking a vacation day.”

It was still morning, but it already felt like a fulfilling day.

***

“......”

A pink-haired woman gazed silently at Sergio.

“.......”

“Yeongwon-ssi? Is something wrong?”

“No, just...”

Her name was Jeong Yeong-Won.

“I was just taking in the moment.”

An acquaintance of Yoo Seong-Woon—and a gardener from the Guild Eunwol.

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