The Artist Who Paints Dungeon
Chapter 185

And so, after the dungeon was cleared—came the corridor meeting that followed.

Yoo Seong-Woon asked,

“So, you handed out snacks?”

“Was it too rash of me?”

“Oh, no...”

Yoo Seong-Woon chuckled as he sipped the Basram Tea Gio had handed him.

“At this point, it’s hardly surprising.”

He had been full of worries in the beginning. Giving such extravagant gifts to humans so casually was bound to cause problems—neither good for the humans nor for the Origin-being offering them.

But now, he wasn’t all that concerned.

“You’ve already been spreading gifts through your Black Cloak persona, haven’t you?”

“I wouldn’t call it that many gifts.”

“Oh, come on. You handed out quite a few. Don’t be coy.”

The gifts Gio offered to humans were, in general, safe. Most people wouldn't realize that what ‘Hunter Sergio’ gave them and what ‘Black Cloak’ gave them held the same properties.

“Someone sharp might notice—you’re always handing out gifts, always wearing a black cloak, and the effects are... similar.”

“Then wouldn’t they have figured it all out?”

“The world’s prejudice will protect you. A human-like portrait as detailed as you? Doesn’t exist in any dimension, even Earth. At most, they’ll just assume you’re loosely connected.”

“So all I can trust is the world’s prejudice?”

“Our Collector’s Guild will also step in if needed. More importantly, the gifts you give as Black Cloak and as Sergio are slightly different, aren’t they? I believe the effects differ, too. And no one knows Black Cloak stays at the Guild—no reason to think it’s the same person.”

That’s how wide the gap was between ‘Black Cloak’ and ‘Hunter Sergio.’ The fearsome reverence Black Cloak evoked was so intense, no one would think he could mimic humans so convincingly.

Gio asked,

“Even so, I believe it’s not difficult to determine they’re the same person.”

“To be honest, I agree. At this point, it’s hard to deny their connection outright.”

“I’ll prepare an excuse.”

“No need to call it that...”

Yoo Seong-Woon smiled placidly.

“Stuff like that, you can just smooth over with a bit of storytelling. You’ve got the whole mysterious background thing going—people will believe anything.”

“That’s somehow reassuring and unsettling at the same time.”

“In truth, I’m not too bothered about your gifts anymore.”

Back when he didn’t know Gio well, Yoo had agonized over every gift—worrying whether Gio would be upset if he shared it, or if the gift was too precious to reveal casually.

But now, Koreans had adapted to Black Cloak’s existence.

“You’re like a Santa Claus, handing out presents through portraits. People are used to it now. No point worrying every time you do it again.”

Yoo Seong-Woon asked,

“Are your gifts dangerous to humans?”

“They are not.”

“There you go. They’re safe.”

Even if someone sought those rare treasures, they were protected—by the ‘City of Void,’ one of Gio’s portrait offspring.

Besides, Black Cloak’s kindness didn’t feel like poison from fate.

‘Because Gio isn’t just a derivative being—he is the Eye of Origin itself.’

A typical child of Origin might have handed out kindness that backfired, but Gio was different. He handled humans as deftly as their systems did—and he was good at pretending to be one. That made all the difference.

“You know, I was really scared when we first met.”

“You did seem nervous. But I appreciated your kindness.”

“The kind one was you, Gio. Me? This is just the job I do.”

“You also worried a great deal about my gifts.”

“Well, I’ve learned a few things from my time as a gardener...”

Now that he knew Gio wasn’t like the other Origin-beings he’d studied, it didn’t matter. But back then, he’d really stressed over it.

“There are a lot of beings I’ve come across who’d curse you if you shared their gifts, or get offended if you felt pride in receiving them.”

“Then what’s the point of giving a gift at all?”

“Exactly. That’s why I now know you’re not like them. You want people to... well, get a little fatter. More pig-like. So sharing your gifts wouldn’t upset you.”

“If the gift helps in any way, I’m happy.”

“Right. I guess it’s become a fairly common thing now, so I don’t see a need to be on guard every time. So, no—I’m not worried about you handing out food in the dungeon.”

Yoo Seong-Woon shrugged, mug in hand.

“I ate all that fruit syrup you gave me last time, by the way.”

“Why only just now?”

“Well, not exactly just now. It’s been a while...”

It was after he’d confirmed Gio was indeed the Eye of Origin.

“Tasted better when I didn’t have to worry.”

“Shall I make more?”

“Mm...”

Yoo Seong-Woon gave a bittersweet smile.

“Guys like me who live on night shifts really need it.”

“Ah...”

Gio grew solemn.

“I’m glad I don’t live outside the portrait.”

“Feels weird hearing that from the portrait itself.”

“But Earth is far too barren. I wouldn’t want to live here.”

“Still, isn’t Seoul at least somewhat livable? Plenty to see.”

At that, Joo-Hyun, who had been quietly listening, chimed in.

“Why are you trying to drag out someone who just wants to live peacefully?”

“I’m not dragging him out. Just saying how I see it.”

“Gio looks happiest when he’s inside his portrait.”

“That’s true,” Yoo Seong-Woon admitted.

“The Earth will never be as peaceful as your portrait world.”

After all, paintings feel most secure when they’re inside their frame.

“Anyway, if you’re willing to make new fruit syrup, I’m all for it.”

“I’m glad. I’ve also been trying a new flower tea recently...”

“Stop. Right there.”

Yoo Seong-Woon spoke firmly.

“Are you trying to ruin my humanity?”

“I don’t see how offering a gift would do that.”

“How much has my lifespan increased from everything I’ve eaten from you?”

“Why not live a long, peaceful life with me?”

“Sorry, but can you let me die on time?”

Gio’s hair suddenly turned platinum blonde.

“Very well. Let’s start there. What should be the appropriate human lifespan?”

“The more interested you get in this, the more terrified I become. So stop.”

Gio nodded, his hair turning black again.

“That was a joke.”

“You really need to work on your sense of humor.”

Didn’t sound much like a joke.

“I don’t mind the gifts. Your snacks are really tasty. Cookies or chocolates you hand out on the street—I’d be happy to get more of those.”

Those were usually mild painkillers, sedatives, or tranquilizers. Useful, yes, but no more effective than what modern society could mass-produce.

“But the gifts you hand out like this... those are a different story.”

“You mean the syrups, sausages, and flower teas? What makes them different, I wonder?”

“They make me feel like I’ll stop being human if I eat too much. That’s a lot to carry in your mind.”

“And the tea you’re drinking now isn’t one of my gifts?”

“That’s a low blow...”

Yoo Seong-Woon hugged his mug like a precious treasure.

“You’re not gonna take it back, right?”

“I’m not the kind of cruel person who takes food away.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“You seem to like it, so I was thinking of giving you a few more pouches.”

“And by ‘a few’ you mean...?”

“My father got a hobby while I was away, so... we had a bumper harvest.”

“Get to the point.”

Gio nodded.

“About 50 pouches.”

“Denied.”

“Forty-five?”

“Still no.”

“Forty-thre—”

“Stop.”

As Yoo Seong-Woon shook his head, Joo-Hyun chuckled awkwardly.

“Even ordinary tea leaves would feel like a burden in that amount.”

“I didn’t give you a whole crate or anything.”

“Still, no.”

“So maybe just forty pouches—”

“Nope.”

“......”

From inside the portrait came the crinkling of a familiar paper package. Joo-Hyun asked,

“Don’t tell me... you already had it all packed?”

“I only did the wrapping, just in case.”

“Next thing we know, it’ll show up in the middle of our house this evening...”

“I’ll send Dana ahead with a notice.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Yes, it was a joke.”

“Good to hear!”

Joo-Hyun smiled firmly.

“Gifts that work too well are a bit of a problem.”

“But I can’t make food that doesn’t taste good.”

“Are the taste and effects of Gio’s food... connected somehow?”

“I haven’t really thought about that.”

“True... It’s probably hard to control something like that consciously.”

Even regular humans cook food that nourishes the body. It’s not like you can just cook something tasty without nutrients. Same goes for Gio, the Eye of Origin.

Gio looked at Yoo Seong-Woon and asked,

“Then, did you eat all the snacks I gave you before?”

“It’s been a while, and I had no reason not to eat them, so yeah—they’re long gone.”

“Hearing that again makes me proud. I’ll take this opportunity to make you new syrup.”

“That would honestly be a huge favor.”

“You’re welcome to share the gift with others too.”

“Well... It’s a gift I received. Doesn’t have to be shared.”

Gio’s gifts were genuinely delicious—and a big help to modern folks like Yoo Seong-Woon who lived through long nights. The earlier worry had been more about possibility than anything else.

“Sometimes I get so much I need someone to store or split it for me...”

His best option was Bisa Beul, the guildmaster. He’d purchased Gio’s portrait, was an S-class, and had the safest vault imaginable.

Yoo Seong-Woon looked sheepish.

“Anyway, if I came off like I was pressuring you about the gifts, I’m sorry.”

“I only meant to say: if you wish to, you’re welcome to do so.”

“If it happens within the Guild, I’ll take care of it.”

There was no need to make the Collector’s Guild’s ties with Black Cloak too obvious. That would only fuel speculation about ‘Hunter Sergio’s’ identity.

Yoo Seong-Woon smiled with his usual calm.

“Like I keep saying—so long as it doesn’t cause problems for your public life, feel free to hand out gifts to others.”

“Is that so?”

“So long as the gift isn’t too much for humans to handle.”

“Actually, I did want to mention something about that.”

“Oh, I’ve heard.”

Yoo Seong-Woon nodded.

“They say you resurrected a dead person?”

“She wasn’t dead.”

“Still, don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

“That’s quite an exaggeration.”

“She said she was about to cross the river but survived thanks to your elixir.”

“That part is true.”

“Haha...”

Yoo Seong-Woon thought to himself,

This is why I get a mini-heart attack every time I get a gift from you...

You never knew what kind of miracle Gio might pull next. Yoo knew his limits. He didn’t want to be crushed by gifts too heavy to bear.

In that vein, the elixir Sergio handed out this time definitely needed an explanation.

“You said it was a divine elixir from your god, but also that you made it yourself.”

“That is correct.”

“Joo-Hyun.”

He turned to Joo-Hyun, who wouldn’t look at him.

“Joo-Hyun. Please look at me.”

“...Do I have to?”

“We need to ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) talk. I asked you to look after Gio, remember?”

“I mean... isn’t it kind of sweet? I told him to use the item if needed—and he did.”

“But that item saved a dying person.”

Gio interjected.

“She wasn’t dead.”

“She would’ve been without you.”

“Humans aren’t that fragile.”

“They’re more fragile than you think.”

No matter how you spun it, Gio’s miraculous elixir had saved someone who should’ve died.

“I’ll go with the saint concept for now.”

“...I suppose there’s no avoiding it,” Joo-Hyun nodded at Yoo Seong-Woon’s words. Gio looked puzzled.

“So I must become a saint now?”

“At this point, it’s the only way to explain things,” Seong-Woon said flatly.

There was no divine being who would bestow an elixir of that magnitude upon a mere devout follower.

“If you’re receiving that kind of gift from a divine entity, then it implies you can commune with divinity. And 99.9% of humans who do that either die or go mad. But you not only survived—you received an elixir?”

“I tried to brush it off as some sort of divine vision...”

“Yeah, that’s not gonna cut it. Even a ‘simple’ vision is hard to justify. Traditionally, saints are shepherds who interpret divine messages and guide the ignorant masses. This can’t be explained unless you’re a saint.”

Yoo Seong-Woon cleared his throat.

“But if we’re going this route, we’ll also have to define which god you’re supposed to serve. It needs to be a deity powerful enough to influence Earth to the point of handing out elixirs.”

To that, Joo-Hyun asked,

“For example... Black Cloak?”

“...Ah-ha?”

“I mean, the behavior patterns of Black Cloak and Hunter Sergio are kind of similar. Like we mentioned earlier, they give out similar gifts and wear identical clothes...”

“So, birds of a feather?”

“I’ve been reading up, and unless it’s some artificially made cult like the Moon Church, saints usually match well with their gods. And since Gio harbors divinity, eventually people will realize Black Cloak is a god.”

“In that case, might as well beat them to it. Got it.”

“And Black Cloak already exerts a fairly peaceful influence on Earth, so even if people label him a dark god, it probably won’t get him hunted.”

“He’s become quite a familiar figure to Koreans, after all.”

“We can explain him away as a divine entity the Association is disguising as a monster. There are already plenty of cases like that—gods masked as natural phenomena or dungeon anomalies to prevent public panic.”

“Right.”

Joo-Hyun followed up,

“Then... what kind of saint should he appear as?”

“We’ll need him to be the highest possible level of saint, given who he is...”

“Considering Gio’s true nature, it makes sense to start with a strong foundation.”

“That way people will accept it and won’t try to dig deeper. So yeah, he should be a top-tier saint.”

“That much punch would be necessary.”

“So, it’s settled,” Yoo Seong-Woon declared.

“From now on, you’re a saint. Sounds fun, right?”

“Sounds... amusing. But what kind of saint exactly?”

“Let’s say a vessel capable of containing any divine power.”

“You mean, a human blessed with the ability to serve various gods?”

“Exactly that.”

One of Gio’s identities was the Sun God. Naturally, he’d be interacting with multiple divine forces going forward. Framing him as a ‘vessel coveted by many gods’ was a smart preemptive move.

“We should also get Priest Kang Seodam’s input on this part.”

Of course, the additional headache would be repaid in material compensation. That would also indebt Seodam slightly to the Collector’s Guild, making a refusal unlikely.

“And... you ran wild as Argio?”

“Yes. It was delightful to stretch a bit after so long.”

“At that level, don’t you not need your own battlefield?”

“Mr. Yoo Seong-Woon, would you say that a late-night cup ramen is the same as your three daily meals?”

“...Oh. Got it.”

“A midnight snack is optional. Meals are essential.”

“Understood.”

But this, too, was a problem.

“Now that people have seen you fight directly, even if they didn’t notice in the chaos of the dungeon, they’ll start feeling something’s off. Some may have already begun suspecting things during the raid.”

Joo-Hyun suggested,

“Could we just say he’s a hidden S-rank?”

“Yeah, I’m sure a lot of people are thinking that.”

“These days, that’s the most convenient explanation.”

“There are already hunters who hide their ranks, and conspiracy theories about that are common...”

“The idea of a secret S-rank has a kind of romantic flair.”

“Just like the trope of a hunter befriending a monster.”

In a society obsessed with glorifying hunters, fantastical narratives had become familiar. So even if they went with that angle, people would buy it easily.

“Top-tier saint, romanticized S-rank... What else should we add?”

“Well, it’s a little sensitive, but...”

“Don’t be coy. If you’ve got ideas, better share them before Gio’s identity leaks.”

“You said Argio’s appearance was briefly revealed, right?”

Gio nodded.

“Yes.”

“Argio has red hair and golden eyes?”

“...Are you thinking of Guildmaster Bisa Beul?”

“Yes, him...”

As Joo-Hyun hesitated, Yoo Seong-Woon cut in.

“People might suspect they’re related by blood?”

“I’m not sure if anyone has already, but... it might be useful to lean into that.”

“Right. That would explain why Gio is so protected by the entire Collector’s Guild.”

“And why he’s hiding his identity as a saint or S-rank.”

“Wouldn’t that make our guildmaster seem... kind of creepy?”

It would paint him as someone who secretly kept his bloodline hidden within the guild, only sending him out at 29—and with surveillance staff to boot.

And the possible reasons for hiding him could be... unsettling.

“Well, you know how he is...”

“He’s obsessed with his ‘artworks.’”

“So he’d come off like someone who sees his son as a living masterpiece.”

“...But aren’t there already people who suspect that?”

“Maybe I should have gone on that raid.”

“Let’s just chalk it up to Bisa Beul’s karma.”

“He’s not that kind of man, really. But yeah, he does overdo it sometimes...”

Joo-Hyun added,

“Gio’s lack of common sense could also be used to support that theory.”

“I do admit to lacking in that area.”

“It’s natural for you not to know Earth’s ways, but people don’t know your circumstances. Nor should they.”

Yoo Seong-Woon agreed.

“So he was raised in isolation inside the Guild, and that’s why he’s clueless?”

“Horrible as it sounds, it kind of... fits.”

“Doesn’t sound that sorry to me. At this rate, they’ll say he’s the child born of a union between the Guildmaster and a painting.”

“The Collector’s Guild does have its share of creepy rumors.”

“Even I get spooked by this kind of rumor, Joo-Hyun.”

But with all this, they’d explained away every strange thing that happened during the raid.

“......”

“Isn’t this all getting a bit excessive?”

“...If it’s you, Gio, it’s doable.”

“I’m not sure blind encouragement helps.”

“You can handle all of it.”

“Am I an actor?”

“I believe in your potential!”

“At this rate, I will have to merge with an actor version of myself.”

“But this much overkill is necessary to obscure your truth.”

A top-tier saint, a hidden S-rank, and now a secret son of Bisa Beul. That kind of crazy backstory would have people saying, “What the hell,” and move on without digging further.

“It has to be so ridiculous they lose interest.”

“You mean, overload their brains before they can find out I’m a portrait.”

“Exactly. Once a story gets that insane, very few people can imagine there’s an even crazier truth behind it.”

“It’s already been discovered, though.”

“...Has it?” Yoo Seong-Woon calmly accepted reality.

“How many?”

“Would you... bury them?”

“People, no. Secrets, yes.”

“If you must know—two.”

“I know one. Jeong Yeong-Won. She’s a gardener like me.”

“Yes. She seemed to suspect from the beginning.”

“Who’s the other?”

“Hunter Sanarae.”

“Sanarae...” Seong-Woon muttered, recalling the raid roster.

“Pinocchio?”

“Is he known as a liar?”

“He’s famous for lying just to see what happens. A notorious troublemaker.”

“We’ve become friends.”

“...What?”

“He’s very intuitive.”

Joo-Hyun’s expression cracked.

“Wait, what? But he was totally picking fights with you!”

“Picking fights?”

“Hunter Sanarae literally provoked Gio.”

“I’ll get his address.”

“Please sit back down, Mr. Yoo. Gio, why did you become friends with someone like that?”

Gio tilted his head slightly.

“You’re more concerned about my friendships than about my secret being discovered?”

“I just don’t think he’s a good person. You don’t like rude people, remember?”

“He wasn’t particularly polite, but he wasn’t a bad person either.”

Answering Joo-Hyun’s doubts, Gio said,

“He seemed scared of me. I wanted to help him relax.”

“...Scared? What gave you that impression?”

“I wasn’t sure at first. But maybe... right from the beginning.”

“You mean, from when he picked a fight with you?”

“Yes.”

Gio nodded.

“I think he wanted to see what would make me angry.”

He had tested Gio—wagering his own body to confirm how dangerous Gio really was. Because Sanarae cherished his family.

***

“Hmm...”

Sanarae, still sprawled out at the guild HQ, dug at his ear.

“My ear’s itchy.”

“You don’t flinch when I curse you to your face, so who’s talking about you now?”

“...Jealous, maybe? Don’t worry—I’m everyone’s treasure.”

“Oh f*** off, captain.”

“Whaaa—no one believes me?”

Sanarae collapsed back onto the sofa with a laugh.

“So tragic.”

“Stop lying already.”

“Ah, I’ve been exposed!”