The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 107

"First of all, one thing is certain."

Yoo Seong-Woon concluded.

"There was no malice in Gio."

"What kind of narrow-minded comment is that from a guardian defending their child, Yoo Seong-Woon, the curator?"

"Please, don't say it like that. It gives me the chills."

Seong-Woon shuddered at Bisa Beul's thoughtless nonsense.

"You wouldn’t be saying such nonsense in front of Gio, would you?"

It was hard to act casually in front of someone with such an enormous and vast aura.

Only someone familiar with the source, like Seong-Woon, could remain this composed. There were still many staff members who couldn't even speak properly when facing Gio.

Seeing Seong-Woon's demeanor, Bisa Beul asked in a subtle tone.

"Do you really think I wouldn’t act like this in front of him?"

"...Damn it, just stop thinking about seeing Gio forever. Do you understand?"

"Oh, it’s so unfair. I bought ‘Gio’s Portrait.’ I bought it with my own money."

"Then maybe you should change that personality of yours."

That was the best course of action for the sake of humanity's peace.

"Gio doesn’t like the guildmaster."

"What have I done...?"

"You’re overflowing with energy, way too much."

"Is that a crime?"

"Well, it doesn’t seem like a crime, considering you’re not attracted to him yet."

Bisa Beul’s words seemed to imply that he wished something would happen to that tongue of his, but it would be unfair to place such a horrific responsibility on Gio. Seong-Woon steadied his mind and returned to the main point.

"Really, Gio had no ill will. If that guy had any malice or ill intent when he took Hunter Park Eun-Gyeom, I would have felt some discomfort when I tried to rescue him. After all, it would have been as if he ignored his own feelings."

But 'Gio's Portrait' showed no regret.

"Rather, it showed an inclusive attitude as if telling me to do as I pleased."

"Isn’t it possible that he staged it like that?"

"Why would I go as far as to stage something like that? Especially inside Gio’s stomach..."

Seong-Woon knew that the limits of Gio's abilities were unclear, but at least he understood that the dungeon's master could unleash miraculous powers within his own dungeon.

"Despite that, the fact that he treated me so kindly means that he really didn’t have any bad feelings."

"Our Hunter Seong-Woon really has a good heart."

"It’s like he’s giving a smile as if he’s looking at his grandchild... but please don’t act like that in front of Gio."

As he said this, Seong-Woon half-resigned.

"I can’t say for sure, since I was the only one who observed this, but from what I saw, the reason ‘Gio’s Portrait’ attacks humans is because he thinks they are rude and evil."

And then.

"The ultimate goal is to maintain the quality of the human race."

"To maintain the quality of the human race, you say..."

"I’m not sure if this is a proper analogy, but you know how sick chickens are culled before they spread germs... and how overly violent animals are kept separately in zoos..."

"Oh, I think that’s a perfect analogy. It’s spot-on. Does that mean Gio sees us as livestock or animals?"

"......."

Seong-Woon awkwardly laughed.

"...I’m not sure."

When they toured Seoul, Gio had been extremely human-like, kind, and respectful to others. However, when he appeared as the "Black Cloak," it was confusing because his demeanor was completely different.

"If only his way of treating humans changed depending on his personality, I think it would be easier for us to understand, but... from what I saw, that distinction wasn’t very clear."

Seong-Woon expressed his frustration.

"One thing I’m sure of is that he’s benevolent toward humans."

"That’s something we’ve known for a while, but it’s become a little clearer now."

"That’s right, it’s clear now."

Through this incident, Seong-Woon learned one particular aspect of Gio’s habits.

"Gio treats rude and evil humans almost like a different species compared to other humans."

It wasn’t clear if ‘Gio’s Portrait’ treated all humans like livestock, but at least those who were rude and evil were treated like livestock. It was a nonchalant and ruthless attitude.

"He showed me while talking to the transparent humans in black suits, 'I don’t care about Park Eun-Gyeom at all.' Whether he really didn’t know, or whether he staged such a performance on purpose, I can’t say for sure..."

Seong-Woon recalled the Black Cloak he had seen in the City of Void.

"It was truly an indifferent attitude."

"So you say there was no malice. There was no intent to kill or attack."

"When the human he brought was either locked up and left to die, or escaped, or struggled, Gio didn’t seem to care at all."

"It was like isolation or disposal. Moreover, it was a nearly indifferent attitude. Gio’s interest seemed to be solely focused on good or ordinary humans."

"But he doesn’t go out of his way to eliminate all the evil ones. It seems like he just deals with those who don’t meet the 'human' standard whenever he sees them."

"That’s quite scary."

Bisa Beul smiled, going along with it.

"And that’s about it."

"...The guildmaster is right."

Seong-Woon nodded.

"It’s not an action that would harm humanity on a large scale."

Had he tried to eliminate all the evil beings on Earth or openly showed unconditional favoritism toward the good, the situation might have been different.

However, the behavior of ‘Gio’s Portrait’ didn’t cause significant chaos for humanity.

"It seems like he just sees it as a casual pastime."

"It doesn’t seem like he takes any particular pleasure in it, but it doesn’t look like he feels any sense of responsibility or duty either."

"Well, there’s no enthusiasm that could be considered either fun or punishment."

"Whatever enthusiasm the source shows, there’s no disaster threatening humanity like that."

"In that sense, Gio’s habits cannot be seen as a major disaster for Earth."

It seemed like a rare event that occurred now and then.

"At least if we stay cautious in front of the frame, no one will get dragged away. So, at this point..."

"It’s possible to coexist."

Bisa Beul spoke in a definitive tone.

"It’s good news that there’s no choice but coexistence for humanity. It’s a coexistence that wouldn’t cause a major problem from the human perspective either, so the association will feel less burdened."

Though Seong-Woon didn’t refute Bisa Beul’s words, he still didn’t let go of his concerns.

"It’s too early to be sure. We haven’t even been analyzing ‘Gio’s Portrait’ for that long."

"Yoo Seong-Woon, the curator, is right. It would be foolish to think we’ve 'figured out everything' about the source and rest easy. Especially with someone like Gio, whose true identity we still don’t know."

"...That’s the part that worries me the most. If only we knew more accurate information, I’d feel a little better. But with all these unknowns popping up..."

Even though Seong-Woon believed that the habits he had observed from Gio wouldn’t harm humanity, there was still so much they didn’t know. There was always the possibility that ‘Gio’s Portrait’ could show a more aggressive side in the future.

"......."

Seong-Woon sighed.

"...This is dragging on too long."

"Wouldn’t it be better to approach this carefully and cautiously?"

"That would be the case if we knew what we were dealing with."

As a curator and, in a way, a gardener.

"I still don’t know what Gio is."

Even at this time of year.

"The new frame that appeared this time, that gray city was an abnormal dungeon. It was so similar to a normal dungeon in structure that it created an even stronger sense of discord. It felt like it was trying to imitate a dungeon."

And then.

"It’s closer to a garden."

"I think you know what that means."

"Yes, I do. The garden is the lifeblood of the source."

A garden is where life is nurtured and maintained, and in simple terms, it could be seen as the 'organ' of the source. The gardener's duty was to manage the veins, the heart, the lungs, the muscles, and the bones of the source.

"I’ve never heard of a non-human managing a garden..."

"That’s because we don’t know much about the source either."

"That’s the problem. All the gardeners I know are human, and I’ve only known about it for 31 years."

"It’s only natural that there are things about the source we don’t understand."

"However, it’s also unreasonable to consider Gio as a gardener instead of a human."

Even if there were monsters who managed gardens, even if such diligent gods existed, it was impossible for anyone to create a garden. It was an impossible task that could not be expected from anyone.

"...A gardener can’t do that."

Yes, a gardener cannot do that.

Then...

"......"

"I’ve had this thought."

Instead of Seong-Woon, Bisa Beul continued.

"What if the source is a sentient being?"

Seong-Woon didn’t scold him for speaking nonsense.

"My children."

After Seong-Woon left, Gio embraced the black-suited figures in his arms and enjoyed the life of a portrait.

"I’m so happy that you’ve grown so well, even though I wasn’t able to take care of you."

"Yes, thank you for loving us, Father."

"How did you grow into such a fine young man? I must have some good luck with children, indeed."

The combination of the faceless black cloaks and black-suited figures was spine-chilling to anyone, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ but there was no one here to point it out.

Gio kept muttering "My precious children" as he hugged his new offspring.

"How can you be so adorable?"

His children, who recognized him—well, technically, they were closer to his grandchildren, as they were monsters from the City of Void—came to him willingly, and he loved them dearly. They were like the sweet vitamins in this harsh world.

"I didn’t intend it, but you look so much like me."

"Yes, we tried to resemble Father."

"So this is what it means when you say, ‘I’ll grow up to be just like you, Dad.’ Such a beautiful sentiment."

"Yes, thank you for creating us to your liking, Father."

"How are you so diligent and smart, my dear children?"

Even Gio, speaking these words, knew that these ‘black suits’ objectively had quite a frightening appearance.

Since they awkwardly imitated his usually blunt nature, their actions felt human yet somewhat clumsy, creating an uncomfortable sense of dissonance.

Park Eun-Gyeom felt an almost fatal fear just from looking at them, and Seong-Woon, an experienced gardener, couldn’t help but feel an unbearable chill. Gio wasn’t unaware that others might feel this way about them.

"But that’s none of my business."

Personal feelings couldn’t be helped, but no one should criticize his children for trying their best to resemble their father.

"This sentimental father is moved by my children’s accomplishments."

"Please pat us, Father."

"Father, we love you."

"Father."

"My precious children."

In Gio’s eyes, the thick, sturdy shells had already formed.

"Please, don’t worry about people who might be scared. It won’t be a problem as long as Father loves us."

"Yes, if you love us, Father, nothing will be a problem."

"Although we may not be human-friendly, to me, you’re just adorable."

"Thank you, Father. Please hug us."

"At this age, having good fortune with children..."

These precious children of his. They were truly a warm family who cared for one another.