The Artist Who Paints Dungeon
Chapter 175

Gio wasn’t particularly angry with Sanarae.

“Why should I be?”

“Hmm, I see.”

Sanarae replied with a languid grin.

“Most people would be mad by now.”

“I think that’s understandable.”

“You’re tougher than I thought.”

Contrary to his infamous reputation, Sanarae was surprisingly cooperative.

“Well, if you’re not all emotional, wanna help me find a base first?”

“A base?”

Gio blinked at the term, prompting the curator Garasani, who stood beside him, to whisper,

“‘Base’ is slang for a temporary resting spot inside the dungeon. It’s useful to secure a shelter or stronghold in advance, especially if the raid won’t end within a day or two.”

Garasani glanced around and added,

“The temperature and humidity are high, and there are many poisonous plants. We should find solid ground or, if that’s not possible, clear a spot ourselves.”

“My personal opinion? Might be faster to just make one. Can’t tell where the other teams landed, but this area doesn’t smell like dry soil... We’ll need to walk a bit.”

Sanarae sniffed the air as he scanned the surroundings.

“It’s really humid here.”

The thick, tightly-packed vegetation certainly wasn’t helping. Breathing felt as hard as being trapped in a sauna.

“I heard it rains here periodically, the kind that drives people mad. Maybe it evaporates and makes it worse...”

“They also said the fake sun changes its position at random. We should prioritize building something to shield us from the rain.”

As Sanarae and Jeong Yeong-Won discussed, one of the Daecheong Guild hunters turned to Gio.

“You’re a tamer, right...? Could you maybe scout out a spot?”

But it was Jeong Yeong-Won who answered, not Gio.

“That’s sacrilege.”

“Excuse me?”

“You have committed sacrilege.”

“Uh... wha...?”

The declaration was so grave that the Daecheong hunter briefly wondered if he’d committed a mortal sin, and Gio questioned if he might be the reincarnation of King Sejong.

Snapping out of it, Gio chuckled awkwardly.

“Yeong-Won, are you teasing me by calling me young master too?”

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intent...”

“In a space with such poor visibility, it’s only right for the tamer to act.”

That’s what he was brought for, after all.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me for a moment.”

Gio pulled on his hood and called out to his little companion, who was sprawled out comfortably, apparently enjoying the dungeon’s high humidity.

“Honey.”

“Kurrr.”

“Oh.”

Sanarae gasped even before Honey had fully emerged. When Gio turned to look, Sanarae was resting his chin on his hand, nodding—clearly impressed.

“So once your face reaches that level, even making sounds like ‘Honey’ doesn’t sound cringe. That’s wild.”

“Thank you for admiring my face. I think it’s a rather pleasing one myself.”

His mother had lovingly sculpted his features from womb to newborn stage with utmost care.

“Turned out pretty well, don’t you think?”

“Huh. That’s a new response. Did you have work done?”

“No, it’s all natural. A face shaped by fate.”

“Yeah, guess you can’t buy that kind of face. Sorry for the assumption.”

Sanarae laughed, feigning sheepishness.

“When you said it was made, I figured it was artificial. You really do talk in a weird way, young master.”

“Sorry for the confusion. Let’s agree that no one is at fault—shared responsibility.”

Gio reached out, and Honey plopped into his hand. At the sensation and weight, Gio smiled softly and murmured,

“...Have you gained weight?”

“Ggungk ggungk ggungk...!!”

“He can fly, believe it or not.”

“GGUNG GGUNG GGUNG!!!”

“Honey, could you find us a place to settle down?”

He gently stroked Honey, who stopped bouncing.

“We need to set up shelter before that rain that hurts people starts falling.”

“...Kurruk.”

“Not too far, ideally. Can you manage that?”

“Kur.”

With a quick flap, Honey zipped off between the trees. Despite its chubby appearance, the little creature flew shockingly fast, impressing the hunters.

One of the Daecheong Guild members said in awe,

“Amazing, Sergio Hunter. Your monster listens so well...”

“Well, I am a tamer.”

“Even for a tamer, this level of bond is rare.”

And it made sense—how many people had been killed or wounded by the time a tamer finally subdued a monster? No one wanted to get too friendly.

“Oh, that reminds me...”

Another guild member asked,

“What happened to the famous Anti-Cat?”

“Hm? That was Anti-Cat? It looked totally different in size.”

“Yeah... I’m not sure myself.”

“Was your cat really an Anti-Cat, Sergio Hunter?”

Gio nodded.

“If you’re referring to the gemstone feline from Gem’s Waterway, then yes.”

“Wow, impressive. They rarely even approach humans...”

“She seemed sensitive to the unfamiliar environment, so I separated from her for a bit.”

“So she’s here in the dungeon with you. Do you use a cage?”

“Cage” referred to an item tamers used to carry monsters—usually designed as accessories for convenience.

Gio smiled and lifted a corner of his cloak.

“No, she’s in here.”

“Inside the cloak...?”

“Technically, inside the shadow.”

“...Did Anti-Cats always have that ability?”

“I’m not sure. It just... happened.”

“That’s incredible.”

The Daecheong hunter nodded, impressed.

“Anti-Cats are notorious for hating humans. Sounds like your monsters really trust you. Sticking close to you is probably best for them.”

At that moment, Honey returned. The hunters were stunned at how fast the tiny creature came back.

“Kurrrrr!”

“Did you find us a home?”

“Kurung.”

Honey placed something from its mouth onto Gio’s hand.

“Oh, that’s...”

“Soil.”

Healer Jeong Yeong-Won stepped forward and touched it. The dirt crumbled gently at her white fingertips.

“Dry soil. And it’s firm, too.”

She looked at the honey-colored bird with awe.

“How did it find this in such a humid rainforest?”

“I’m not sure either, but I’m glad it found a good spot.”

Gio smiled brightly.

“Right?”

He had no idea what Honey did, but it worked. That was enough.

***

“......”

“Kang Seodam, priest?”

“...Ah. Yes, Yoo Ji-Na. I’m listening.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, not really...”

He had just felt the Sun’s divine presence from afar and flinched. It felt like the Sun God was firing off miracles for the smallest reasons.

Already tired from being dragged into this rainforest, Kang Seodam decided it was best not to comment.

***

When they arrived at the spot Honey had guided them to, Sanarae tilted his head.

“......?”

“Is something wrong?”

“Mm, no.”

Sanarae sniffed the air.

“Smells like sunlight?”

“Maybe sunlight reaches even here.”

“Hmm... no, more like... hmm...”

“Sanarae Hunter?”

Ignoring the Daecheong hunter, Sanarae turned to look at Sergio.

“......”

“Thank goodness. Looks like Honey found a good spot.”

“...This was already here, right?”

“I don’t know why you’d ask that, but what else would it be if not that?”

Garasani added,

“It’s unlikely a place like this would just appear out of nowhere.”

“There are no monster traces either, so I’m reassured.”

Yeah, yeah.

‘These two from the Collector’s sure bounce off each other well...’

Sanarae swept his eyes across the space with his signature deadpan stare.

It was large enough to fit 50 people. A hollowed-out space inside a massive tree—larger than most around. Trees like this were common here, but none had such natural hollows.

‘That means this was created... somehow.’

Yet there were no signs of tools, cuts, or burns. The earth was dry, compact. The cavity looked naturally aged, like it had formed over centuries.

Vines dangled across the entrance like a curtain, blocking outside humidity. It would also be great for hiding from monsters.

‘But that strong scent of sunlight...’

And that smell...

“......”

It was the same as the scent from that little bird.

‘...Even if that’s true, it still doesn’t explain how this place exists.’

You couldn’t carve out something like this—not just by hacking and breaking. Sanarae could feel it—this space was full of life. Not something artificially made in a short time, but something grown.

“...Huh. I don’t get it.”

“What don’t you get?”

“Like... what you actually are.”

“Ah.”

Sergio Hunter asked cheerfully.

“Would you like me to tell you?”

“Oh, really?”

“I’m actually a priest serving a Sun God from another dimension.”

“...Huh?”

“And when I begged earnestly, the Sun bestowed this nice house upon me.”

“......”

Sanarae’s smile twisted a little.

“...Did I tease you too much? You mad? Hey, you know I meant no harm, right?”

“Ahaha, now that’s a fun reaction. Was it too unbelievable?”

“If you hate being called young master that much, I’ll stop...”

“Oh no, as I said—I’m not mad.”

It sounded sincere enough that even Sanarae was impressed.

“It really does seem honest. That’s rare.”

“What’s so surprising about that?”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly speaking nicely.”

“It’s impressive that you’re even aware of that.”

“...You are teasing me now, aren’t you?”

“Not at all.”

Sergio wore a face of slight exasperation—but it was so perfectly idealized that Sanarae suddenly felt an unplaceable unease.

“I don’t get why you’d think I’m angry.”

“...Most people are when I talk to them. So I figured you would be too.”

“Then that would be a case of overgeneralization.”

“Is that what people normally say in this kind of situation?”

“Well, I was scared at first.”

“......”

All the hunters, including Sanarae, turned to look at Sergio.

“Why are you all staring?”

“Sergio Hunter, you really don’t have a knack for jokes... I guess no one’s perfect.”

“I truly was scared.

It felt like I was getting picked on by a scary guy on my first day.”

“And now?”

“Well, now...”

Sergio looked at Sanarae.

“......”

“......”

Just as his eyes seemed to flash gold, he smiled.

“...Haha.”

He reached out and ruffled Sanarae’s hair roughly.

“Augh...!”

“Being honest helps with bonding, Sanarae Hunter.”

“Wh—huh? What the...?”

“Enough chit-chat. Let’s start unpacking, shall we?”

“Wait! What did you just do?!”

As the bewildered Sanarae blinked, Garasani approached.

“Our guild member seems to have caused you discomfort. Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I’m fine. Is Sergio Hunter always like this?”

“He’s rather assertive. I hope you understand.”

“So that was his way of telling me to stop teasing. Seriously, you Collector folks sure talk fancy.”

Sanarae muttered while trying to fix his hair.

“Is this... how people usually think?”

What a {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} strange person.

‘His thought process is so damn weird.’

Still, wouldn’t hurt to keep him as a connection.

***

“......”

And five hours into the general exploration, Sanarae came to a realization.

“You’re a candy-house witch.”

“...Sorry? Did you say you’re hungry?”

“So you really do plan to eat me.”

“If you’re rambling nonsense, your stomach must still be empty...”

“You’re a tyrant. This is food torture.”

Tilting his head over a bowl of cream stew, Sanarae muttered,

“How do you get this flavor from rainforest plants...?”

“I supplemented the flavor with bacon I brought.”

“Why would you even bring bacon into a dungeon? How did you bring it?”

“Why wouldn’t I bring delicious bacon?”

“Wow, that’s wild. There are so many reasons not to, but somehow I feel like you wouldn’t listen to any of them.”

Sergio wasn’t a hunter. He was clearly a witch from the gingerbread house.

“You’re a hunter or a pig...?”

The other hunters flinched. Collapsed in a circle, they looked like defeated soldiers—wracked with guilt over overeating.

Eating light during a raid was an unspoken rule, but overwhelming flavor short-circuited their judgment.

“So that’s why Hansel and Gretel were lured so easily.”

“I’m delighted to hear such high praise for my cooking.”

“Mm... not sure that was praise.”

“Then what was it?”

“Like a death-row inmate’s final words. A cry before getting eaten by a monster.”

Sergio asked calmly,

“Who’s dying?”

“A hunter becomes a pig, and a pig must die.”

“Then why be a hunter?”

“Your way of thinking is so bizarre.”

He really was a strange one.

“Grandma, one more bowl please.”

“You eat so well—what a lovely sight.”

“Okay, but if you ever build a candy house, give me a heads-up. I wanna come see.”

“A candy house, hmm. I like that. I’ll keep it in mind for future creative work.”

And as he ladled another bowl, he looked so genuinely happy, Sanarae couldn’t help but laugh.