The Artist Who Paints Dungeon
Chapter 192

“Is divinity usually this childish?”

“What are you talking about now?”

Yoo Seong-Woon, who had been waiting for Joo-Hyun at home, asked with his characteristic smile.

“Seems like you went through a lot today in the portrait?”

Joo-Hyun, who had a bold side in strange places, had visited the portrait today. Unlike Aria, who was clearly the instigator of the impending incident, Joo-Hyun had gone to hear what her younger brother Iser thought.

“Why? What did Gio do this time to make you react like that?”

“Sanqallut came to visit Mr. Gio’s portrait.”

“Oh, I remember that name.”

Yoo Seong-Woon’s expression stiffened.

“Why is that evil god suddenly appearing?”

“Exactly. A divine being who should be sealed in the research facility suddenly showed up, so I was quite shocked too.”

“Is it really okay to just say ‘quite shocked’? That evil god has a lot of history with you, doesn’t he?”

“I guess I should have reacted more strongly... but, hmm... how do I put this...”

Mouth hesitating, Joo-Hyun finally gave an answer.

“It didn’t feel real.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, I get it.”

Yoo Seong-Woon quickly understood.

“Your brain hasn’t fully processed reality yet.”

He set a warm cup of coffee in front of Joo-Hyun.

“Here, drink this and wake your brain up.”

“I feel a little dazed right now... once I snap out of it, I wonder how much of a fuss I’ll make.”

“Don’t worry. I was shocked too.”

Yoo Seong-Woon gently reassured her and then asked,

“Do you feel any desire for revenge?”

“...I’ve thought about that, but....”

Joo-Hyun mulled it over for a moment, then shook her head.

“Not really, no.”

“You’re surprisingly calm.”

“I think so too. It’s unexpected.”

“So you’ve decided to treat it like a natural disaster?”

“Maybe.”

Or maybe the situation had been so absurdly childish at the time that she didn’t even have the energy to be angry. She wasn’t sure. If anything described her current state, it was probably “stunned.”

“It feels like I got slapped while peacefully sleeping...”

“But you do feel some resentment, don’t you?”

“Of course I resent him. I know a mere human’s resentment is probably just a light snack to an evil god, but still... he’s the one responsible for harming my family and friends.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Gio had never clearly stated it, but both Joo-Hyun and Yoo Seong-Woon had concluded that the past tragedy must have been Sanqallut’s scheme. And beyond that, they hadn’t taken any action.

Joo-Hyun fiddled with her coffee cup.

“I think I can be more composed because of Mr. Gio.”

He had properly addressed what happened back then, and now they were here.

“Even with that sudden encounter, Mr. Gio handled it like it was nothing, so it didn’t spiral into something worse. And the topic of conversation wasn’t even about me, so...”

“Right. But what was that evil god Sanqallut doing in Gio’s portrait in the first place? Was he trying to challenge Gio or something? There's also the matter with the mermaids... what a headache.”

As a curator, Yoo Seong-Woon couldn’t overlook it, so he asked. Joo-Hyun gave an awkward look.

“Well, rather than visiting of his own will...”

“Don’t tell me he was dragged there?”

“That’s how I interpreted it.”

“How the hell did that happen...?”

No matter how weak or foolish an evil god might be, a divine being could still perform countless miracles. A being like Sanqallut, once worshipped on an entire planet, wouldn’t be an easy opponent.

It was hard to understand.

Joo-Hyun asked him,

“Do you remember the student Cha I-Sol?”

“She’s the one Gio cares a lot about.”

“Apparently, he tried something with her and got scolded by Mr. Gio.”

“Even so, it’s hard to understand.”

“He got dragged in while possessing the body of a girl named Iru Da.”

“...So...”

Yoo Seong-Woon roughly pieced it together.

“...he possessed Iru Da, Cha I-Sol’s partner, to pull something with I-Sol, but for some reason, both their bodies were pulled into Gio’s portrait, and Sanqallut’s scheme failed?”

“You understood it perfectly.”

“Sounds like another bizarre incident almost happened while we weren’t looking.”

“I think it’s an extension of what happened to me.”

“That... yeah, that tracks.”

Familiar with the actions of a primordial being, Yoo Seong-Woon grasped Sanqallut’s scheme.

“Seems like he’s trying to start over.”

“I thought he was sealed... if that’s the case, then...”

“Looks like something went wrong with the seal in the research facility.”

“If not, there’s no way Sanqallut would be able to reach even the children of the Church of the Sun.”

“This is something the Church of the Sun should formally raise with the association’s research facility.”

“Since it’s related to Mr. Gio, I’ll make contact myself. I met Priest Kang Seodam last time, so he won’t ignore my call.”

“He’s pretty flexible ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) for a priest. I’m sure he’ll handle it well.”

If it had gone unnoticed, it could have escalated into a major incident. But since Gio had blocked it in advance, there was no need for humans to worry too much. As long as they handled the aftermath properly, the rest would be fine.

Yoo Seong-Woon studied Joo-Hyun’s expression.

“But seriously, are you really okay?”

“...I’m not sure.”

“...You should talk about it again once your thoughts are sorted.”

He smoothly changed the subject.

“What about Iser? Did you get to speak with him?”

“Yes. I’m not sure if it was because Mr. Gio called him, or if he was already interested, or for some other reason... but he agreed to my request more willingly than I expected.”

“Did he say anything about this situation?”

“He said he agrees with what Miss Aria is doing.”

“I figured as much...”

Yoo Seong-Woon gave a slightly awkward smile.

“I’m just glad the conversation went peacefully.”

“I expected things to go smoothly since Mr. Gio was there, but the conversation was more cooperative than I anticipated.”

“I was worried. You’re a little too brave sometimes.”

“I’m sorry if I made you uneasy.”

“You really do lose your fear in the weirdest places.”

“Still, I couldn’t ignore it. Even if I’m not one of the main figures in the war the mermaids are about to start, I’ve at least met them before.”

Aria had already expressed her opinion clearly, but Iser hadn’t. Joo-Hyun had been concerned about that, and Iser gave his thoughts and stance. That was enough for Joo-Hyun.

“I know it’s not something I, a non-Awakened person, should worry about.”

“But thanks to you, everyone got to confirm where they stand. In the end, that’s not a bad outcome.”

Yoo Seong-Woon cleared his throat.

“Still, you should be careful. You don’t have many ways to protect yourself.”

“I’ll be more cautious from now on.”

“Sorry if I’m nagging too much.”

“I know you’re just worried about me.”

“Well, if you see it that way...”

Trailing off, Yoo Seong-Woon sipped his coffee.

“...Any other info?”

“They said things will go down in about a month.”

“Is there a chance that’s a lie? After all, it was said in front of Gio.”

“Mr. Gio didn’t say anything about it, so I think they were serious.”

“Such an odd way to go about it.”

This must be what they meant by the eye of the storm.

‘It’s absolutely not peaceful, and yet it feels calm.’

What a truly insane world.

***

Iser had returned to the sea, and only Cha I-Sol and the sleeping Iru Da remained in the portrait.

“Are you feeling a bit calmer now?”

“Hyuuuu...”

“...Guess not. I figured.”

“I’m really so upset.”

“You still have an excellent vocabulary.”

It was impressive that someone so young could express their emotions so clearly.

“What made you so upset?”

“People are heartless.”

“The world really is a scary place these days.”

“Were you the same way, hyung?”

“Of course.”

If anything, Sergio had it worse than Cha I-Sol. He remembered a time before the great catastrophe, when things were at least relatively orderly.

“Back then, Earth wasn’t as openly terrifying as it is now.”

“Back then?”

“I mean Earth before the Great Catastrophe.”

“How do you know about that? Isn’t that from a long time ago?”

“It doesn’t feel that long ago to me...”

It hadn’t even been a hundred years.

“So you were upset because people were heartless?”

“It’s too scary. My village wasn’t like this... but city people are so cold.”

“I can understand that too.”

Gio also understood how Cha I-Sol felt. He’d once come up to Seoul from a kindhearted rural village in Gangwon Province. Though things weren’t as brutal back then, the feeling was similar.

“So now you hate people?”

At his question, Cha I-Sol hesitated.

“...A little.”

“You don’t like seeing people hate each other so much.”

“I think so. I wish they wouldn’t.”

“But in any world, humans always end up hating each other.”

“...I don’t like that...”

“You’re like me, Cha I-Sol.”

Her way of thinking was unique.

“You can’t bring yourself to hate easily, so when people casually badmouth each other, you can’t understand it. And that distance you start to feel eventually makes you drift away.”

“...What did you do, hyung?”

“I failed.”

In every version of Gio, people never truly accepted him. They either idolized him or feared him. Gio couldn’t ignore that and approach them. That’s what those people wanted.

“But you’re different from me in that regard.”

Cha I-Sol had excellent social skills.

“You’re good at connecting with others.”

“But what if I grow too distant and end up hating people? I already want to run back to my village...”

“It seems more like you want rest than escape. You care more about your Church of the Sun family than you realize.”

“Do you hate people, hyung?”

“I don’t.”

He simply wasn’t wired that way.

“I understand them.”

“What do you understand?”

“Why they’ve become so evil and petty. Why they lash out. Why they cry...”

He understood it all.

“Do you get what I mean?”

“...You pity them?”

“You got it exactly.”

Gio pitied people.

“They’re pitiful beings.”

People who end their lives suffering in pain, torment, and confusion.

“What about you, Cha I-Sol? What do you think?”

“I’m the one who got hurt, along with Ruda...”

“Oh dear. I’m not trying to force my views on you. I’m just asking.”

“...I don’t know what I want to do.”

“That’s a very kind answer.”

Despite her words, Cha I-Sol was choosing growth over escape.

“Do you want to get angry?”

“A little, yeah.”

“Do you want the culprit to die?”

“N-No, not that.”

“Do you want them to suffer in pain for the rest of their life?”

“That’s not it either...”

“Then you want them to reflect and repent.”

“...Do you think they’ll apologize?”

“There are many paths to choose from.”

As long as you didn’t fall into despair, anything was possible.

“You can wait for the sinner to repent on their own, help them do it, or even scold them.”

“I don’t know if I can help... Ruda, and the others...”

“You seem unsure of yourself.”

“I’m not some almighty god. I can do my best, but what if that just makes things worse?”

“Then another path will reveal itself.”

“I’m scared of walking a path I don’t know.”

Hesitating, Cha I-Sol reached out her hand.

“Can’t you help me?”

“How should I help you?”

“Hold me.”

“That’s easy.”

Giovanni gently embraced the small priest, and Cha I-Sol finally smiled as she usually did.

“...I feel a little braver now.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Pulling back, Cha I-Sol asked,

“What do I have to do to become your priest?”

“Just become my friend.”

“Then let’s be friends.”

“What a joyful day...”

Giovanni gently brushed her forehead with his thumb.

“Your soul will always dwell in warmth.”

A comforting warmth seeped into her forehead.

***

“I did it!”

“...What... what the hell.”

“Ruda! Are you hurt anywhere?”

“What... what are you, Cha I-Sol?”

“I’m a healer now!”

“What even... are you?”

Iru Da, now awake in the Church’s infirmary, trembled as she grabbed Cha I-Sol’s shoulders.

“Why... why do I feel the weight of divinity from you?”

“I became friends with Black Cloak!”

“I told you to talk to me before doing anything!!”

Just what kind of chaos had this walking disaster stirred up while she was passed out?