The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 65

Isser was proud of himself for not being stupid.

‘... Of course, compared to my sister, I am like an infinitely small microorganism, but I can’t be stupid after learning so much from great geniuses. My reason is strong enough, so I can be proud of it.’

Perhaps because he spent so much time with his cold-blooded sister, her coolness and dryness were transferred to Isser as well. It means that he has become a person who can prioritize reason over emotion.

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So it had been a long time since he had been in a situation like this.

“... I’m sorry, I was out of my mind for a moment.”

“No, Geo-ssi must have been flustered by the sudden situation.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“No.”

Reason and emotion were fiercely fighting inside Isser.

Even in this short moment of answering, he repeated similar concerns dozens of times.

‘... I can feel the energy of the sun god very strongly from this man. Then, didn’t the Sun God, who knew of Nana’s existence, shape our only weakness into human form and pass on the sun’s divinity? It’s ridiculous that I met my dead mentor so suddenly. It’s too coincidental.’

However,

‘This face, the presence, the mannerisms, the voice, and all the senses I felt point to my dead mentor. And how did the Sun God revive my mentor, which even my sister, who locked him in the sea, couldn’t do? This person in front of me is the teacher who reincarnated through a natural process.’

Both seemed plausible, which made me even more confused.

‘If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that there’s no one closer to Giovanni than this person.’

Even if the being in front of me was the incarnation of the Sun God who imitated my mentor, or the reincarnation of my mentor who hadn’t yet established his own personality.

It was clear that this was someone Isser couldn’t miss.

“I was momentarily dazed when the waves came in. I apologize for showing you such an ugly appearance due to the confusion.”

“.......”

“My head still hurts, but can you tell me where exactly this place is?”

“That....”

He seemed to know that this was a dungeon, but he didn’t seem to know what kind of place it symbolized.

‘I guess that’s fortunate.’

Isser felt relieved once again, feeling that his mentor was not perfect.

“.......”

It was fortunate for both Isser and Giovanni that he could not recall the terrible things he had experienced here.

‘... It’s clear that the teacher’s personality is not perfect.’

However, the longer he stayed here, the more certain Geo’s memories might become.

When he recalled the reaction he had shown as soon as he arrived at the Deep Sea Research Center, after having no reaction at the Temple of the Sun... .

“As the Milky Way said earlier, this is a virtual dungeon, Geo.”

“.......”

“...I don’t know for sure since it hasn’t been that long since I figured out the situation, but I think it’s a dungeon related to the sea.”

Yoo Seong-un glanced at Isser and continued.

“I don’t know how many people from the Temple of the Sun were dragged in, but the number of people I can confirm right now is quite a lot, and they’re scattered, so it’s hard to grasp the exact situation.”

“Where are the reserve priests?”

“First of all, they’re not visible in this pupil. Since it exploded during the final event of the initiation ceremony, it seems like the virtual dungeon was intentional, so there’s no way the reserve priests weren’t dragged in.”

“Then we should gather people first. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s easy to say....”

I don’t know how it looks to Geo, but uniting the people who are now terrified and scattered was not an easy task.

Fortunately, the dungeon owner’s temper had softened, so the threat had eased a bit.

‘The chimeras that seemed like they would jump out and attack people at any moment were now lying down quietly, and if we did it right, we could probably get out of the dungeon with minimal casualties... Is that possible?’

That was when.

“-Honey.”

“Kk?”

Something small and yellow popped out from Geo’s hood.

“Kurururur!”

It was Honey, a young bird from the new country who went to bed early and woke up early.

Honey flew into the middle of the shadows that had a cold light and soon shone brightly.

“...Oh.”

Almost... small, like the sun.

“Are you going crazy??”

Yoo Seong-un was dumbfounded.

‘You were with Honey again this time? Why can’t I sense the energy of the sun god from a monster as small as Honey? Why? Is this right?’

Whether he was bewildered or not, the people who were wandering and terrified calmed down one by one in the warm light.

At least the lights came on in the dark and eerie lab.

“Wait a minute, what is this light...?”

“Is that a bird?”

“Hey, let’s all gather over there for now.”

The people who were scattered in the vast pupils instinctively followed the comforting light and gathered under Honey. A few were already sniffling with relieved faces.

Seeing that, Geo turned to Yoo Seong-un.

“That’s okay.”

“.......”

Yoo Seong-un seemed to hear a voice saying, ‘How is it, easy, right?’

“...You did well....”

“Yes, I did well.”

“Wow, you’re capable.”

Then, let’s not let anyone find out that you’re a portrait.

‘If your identity is found out in this already chaotic situation, I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it.’

Even Bisabal, who had become an S-class with just one emotion skill, couldn’t completely figure out his identity, ‘Geo’s Portrait.’ He could be a human, a monster, a child of the Origin, or even a god.

‘If that fluidity is found out by the people now, enemies could suddenly gather here.’

There were people who were excitedly shouting that even a worthless C-class Hunter should take responsibility for this situation. In the midst of all that, if they saw something that wasn’t human, or even something that had divine power, there was no telling how much chaos they would cause.

“.......”

Yoo Seong-un, who had been staring intently at the unexpectedly gentle light, soon called out to Geo.

“Geo.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“I didn’t tell you in advance, but you were supposed to receive an A-class Hunter license soon.”

“Am I a Hunter?”

“That would be better for your activities on Earth, right? I think the Guild Master wanted to make things convenient for you.”

So.

“Since you were going to receive a Hunter license anyway, when introducing you to people, explain that you’re an unofficial A-class Hunter belonging to the Collector’s Guild, ‘Sergio.’”

“I see.”

“Your job is a trainer. You also take Honey with you, so that would be convenient for you to get along with other people.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“With something like this.”

So there was a small wish that you would please act like a human.

‘I’m aware that it’s too much to expect.’

Since the existence of the source changes depending on the size of the ‘story,’ Yoo Seong-un wanted to put Geo into the category of humans if possible. He himself was imitating a human.

But recently, Yoo Seong-un felt that Geo had no intention of imitating a human. Regardless of his true feelings, Geo could never act like a complete human.

‘That’s why I was thinking of separating Geo as a human and Geo as a mystery.’

This was part of that work.

‘... Geo’s unique heavy atmosphere is still there, but I’ve lowered his level to that of an A-class hunter, so unless you’re quite sensitive, you won’t be able to confirm Geo’s sense of discomfort.’

Of course, it’s just that he’s not certain, but anyone can feel a strange sense of incongruity, but that ‘not being certain’ part is important. If it’s to that extent, he can be said to be part of his power or skill.

“.......”

“.......”

Yoo Seong-un and Eun-ha’s eyes met.

“...Anyway, now that it’s come to this, are you going to keep acting like a coward?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“This is turning out pretty funny. It’s completely different from what I thought....”

Watching Geo approach the crowd of people who were gathered together, Yoo Seong-woon asked in a voice that the crowd couldn’t hear.

“I guess you’re not thinking about going out and slaughtering people, right?”

“I just don’t want to get blood on my hands. That’s all.”

“I really appreciate that. I know what you’re talking about.”

“.......”

“You don’t want to look like a bad kid to Geo, right?”

Yoo Seong-woon whistled.

“That’s enough.”

The monsters’ behaviors changed depending on Eunha’s emotional state, and the atmosphere inside the dungeon was also controlled. This was an integrated dungeon that came to life according to the owner’s state of mind.

It was obvious that the difficulty of this dungeon would be lowered to match Eunha’s psychology of not wanting to be a ‘bad kid’ to Geo.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep my identity a secret as long as you cooperate.”

“Humans have a terrible habit of urging orders. You’d better not act so arrogantly, Meteor Hunter.”

“You’re scared.”

Honestly, I was really scared.

“Is it okay to live easily?”

I didn’t want to die in a place like this.

‘If I die, the garden management will also be disrupted.’

Meteor was in charge of the ‘garden’ that could be called the bloodline of the origin, roughly the size of the aorta. Even if he found a successor, he would be busy training for a while, so he didn’t have the luxury of dying right away.

“.......”

Isser glanced at Meteor, then turned his stagnant pearl-colored gaze to look at the man in the black cloak.

His eyes soon filled with dreams.

‘... Really... .’

It’s the same.

‘Nothing different.’

Even though the color was different, the benevolent figure that embraced and soothed the sun’s creatures with warm energy was definitely Giovanni’s.

No matter how suspicious it was, it couldn’t be denied.

“It’s such a sacred sight that I feel bad about watching it for free. Doesn’t that make him look like a saint?”

“...I have no reaction to your worthless words, but he was actually called a saint.”

Even so, he had to die so cruelly. In a cold tank, his windpipe was torn off by the teeth of his student he was teaching...

‘...Humans are truly disgusting creatures.’

Iser was always drawn to my lips as he saw Giorno showing mercy while embracing the lowly monkeys.

He felt the faint smile falter.

He still did not know if the author was truly his benefactor. However, the sight of such a being showing mercy to humans made Isser feel uncomfortable.

‘Why am I seeing this sight?’

Suspicion of sudden good fortune. Longing and pain for recurring memories and nightmares. Anxiety to separate the black cloak from those disgusting insects. Desperation.

The mermaid, searching for a way to define this emotion, muttered to herself.

‘I wish they were all dead.’

That was the moment she thought that.

“.......”

“Galaxy student.”

“...Yes.”

“Don’t be alone, come here.”

The large, now cold hand reached out to Isser.

“You look lonely.”

“.......”

I couldn’t answer him when he said I looked lonely.

As expected, Geo’s hand that I held silently was cold. Compared to the warm hands of my teacher in those long-lost memories, it was as cold as a corpse.

But it was still affectionate.

“...It’s cold and dark, and scary. This space is very barren.”

“You’re honest, Eunha. Then I’ll stay with you.”

“Would you do that?”

That’s a lie.

“I feel reassured.”

Even if you were children of the deep sea, I would stay by your side. You told me that before.

‘... Saying that now only makes me feel sick. Now that everything has become cold... .’

Nothing can be undone.

I wanted to complain without knowing it, but the strong grip of the large hand that grabbed my hand gradually calmed my turbulent feelings.

As if it were a habit I had forgotten, I waited, and soon a voice came, calm and warm like the spring breeze of a quiet evening.

“Are you okay?”

“.......”

Giovanni was not the right person to receive the resentment of something as cold as me.

“...I don’t think you’re okay.”

“...What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared.”

I wanted to kill all the bug-like humans here. I still did. But I couldn’t reveal my feelings.

Whether this person who held my hand was a copy of my teacher or his reincarnation, I knew that I had to hold on to him in the end.

‘...What should I do?’

A deep sense of murder and anxiety came to me at the same time.

‘I have to save this person.’

So I have to have him... .

Meanwhile, Geo.

‘The world has really developed a lot.’

He had no thoughts.

“This is my first time experiencing a virtual dungeon, and it’s really new.”

“Haha, Mr. Geo is really bold in this situation.”

“Isn’t it new?”

“Usually, I’m more scared than excited.”

“I see. I understand.”

When he opened and closed his eyes, he felt like he had flown into a haunted house, and Geo was very interested.

“Can this also be considered part of an adventure?”

It was a cozy adventure among people bustling around, so Geo, who had been alone a lot recently, was quite welcome.

“It’s a little tiring, but....”

As soon as the huge program called the Taeyanggyo initiation ceremony ended, the new content called the virtual dungeon walked into Geo’s arms on its own.

‘Good.’

No matter how much I thought about it, the current situation was far from that kind of ‘cozy adventure’ or ‘new content,’ but Geo’s ultimate positive mind did not waver in the face of a mere threat to his life.

‘It’s not like I’m on the verge of death, so to be honest, it feels like I’m on a well-made movie set. I feel like I’m not very tense, but I guess I should be.’

They say there’s a way to escape, but isn’t this just a well-conceived escape room?

‘Ttaran.’

Geo, who came to a clear conclusion on his own without anyone’s consent, was a little excited by the commotion among people he had felt for the first time in a long time.

He actively ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) responded to people who asked him questions or started conversations to show his friendliness.

“So Sergio is a hunter from the Collector’s Guild?”

“That’s right.”

“Hey, I didn’t know there was such a tall hunter in the Collector’s Guild....”

Yoo Seong-woon chimed in.

“There are many hunters like me who don’t show their faces on the media. After all, the collectors are mainly collecting and managing the guild leader’s collections rather than clearing dungeons, so there are many hunters like Geo who don’t show their faces.”

“Why, you’re so handsome...? If you show your face on TV once, wouldn’t you have a fan club? It’s a sin, a sin, not to show your face to the world while working as a hunter.”

“Haha....”

Yoo Seong-woon tried to laugh.

“...Geo is hiding his face.”

Geo felt very wronged by those words, but Yoo Seong-woon thought that he didn’t say anything wrong. It was a natural judgment, considering the ‘Portrait of Geo’ where he avoided meeting people.

While worrying that Geo might make a mistake because he wasn’t human, Yoo Seong-woon closely observed the reactions of the people whispering from afar.

“As expected, the Hunters of the three major guilds are different. This is my first time seeing a trainer....”

“But isn’t it a little scary? If I make a mistake, I think they’ll look at me with contempt.”

“His actions and steps are noble. Is he perhaps a royal? Then there must be a reason he hides his face.”

“Judging by his power, he seems to be a follower of the sun god.... He’s a trainer, so he can’t be a priest.”

“He’s kind, but for some reason, it’s hard to talk to him. Is it because he’s too handsome?”

These were roughly the reactions I expected.

‘... I was worried about how Geo would be perceived by civilians, but the reactions were more friendly and favorable than I thought. I think I can easily cover up if I go out and do this.’

In that case, it would be time to officially acknowledge the existence of the Hunter named Geo, but both Yoo Seong-un and Bisabal had already expected it to some extent.

‘That level of status can’t be hidden by locking it up in a gallery, and even if it could be hidden somehow... that’s different from the collector’s motto.’

Furthermore, the conclusion was that it would be impossible to lump the ‘story’ of this portrait into the category of humans.

Since he couldn’t hide it, whether Geo wanted it or not, people would eventually feel the distant level of ‘Geo’s Portrait’.

In that case, it would be better to distinguish between Geo as a human and Geo as a monster.

‘Geo, who treats himself like a human, will try to get along with other people somehow. If we have to keep Geo as a human anyway, we should separate out the more dangerous stories in advance.’

That’s why the unofficial hunter status of ‘Sergio’ was the collector’s status.

‘With this status, the part of Geo that imitates humans... we can significantly lower the risk of that story. It would be a much safer choice than revealing Geo’s entire portrait to the world.’

This sudden dungeon exploration only brought Geo’s social life a little forward. It was just a difference in timing, so there was no need to panic.

Yoo Seong-woon thought to himself as he organized it.

“.......”

Everyone seems to be calm.

‘This is definitely not a normal situation, but should I consider this to be Geo’s power?’

Just like the previous Cha Ara Hunter incident, Geo had a strange ability to tease people. He couldn’t even hide his eerie presence.

I don’t know if it was the aftereffects of the presence or his own ability...

“Geo, I think we should move to check if there are any Cha family members or other survivors.”

People became anxious again at Yoo Seong-woon’s words and started to murmur.

“Seo, Sergio Hunter shouldn’t be here?”

“There are already three other hunters, including Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”

“While we’re here... you guys are going to raid the dungeons and come back....”

“Do we really have to move as well?”

“What if we all die? Someone has to stay.”

These were expected reactions, but the fact that Eunha’s smile, which seemed to hate humans, was gradually getting darker was a danger sign no matter how you looked at it.

‘We’ll all die like this.’

Just as Yoo Seong-un sighed and tried to comfort the people, Geo stepped forward.

“Then I’ll leave Honey here.”

“Huh? But Sergio Hunter’s summons are too small....”

“Honey is stronger than me.”

“No, don’t joke.”

“It’s true.”

Geo waved his hand as if he was innocent.

“I’ll be back soon, so don’t worry too much. I’ll help you.”

“.......”

“With such strong will, everyone will be able to return safely.”

In fact, it was nothing special, but people started to sniffle again. It seemed like Geo’s words had comforted and reassured them, but Yoo Seong-woon was a little taken aback.

‘You wouldn’t have listened if I told you. Why aren’t there people grumbling and saying it’s empty words?’

In the meantime, Geo came over and said.

“Let’s move now.”

“.......”

Yoo Seong-woon felt strange because it seemed like he was trying to run away before he could hold on any longer.

He didn’t know if what he had just said was sweet talk or sincere consolation, but Geo’s clear distinction between public and private seemed to give him a strange impression.

‘You can easily sway people’s hearts with just a few words.’

This is real talent.

“You... would be good at something like an idol. You know, acting, or something like that, celebrities.”

“That’s too much, but I think you have enough qualities.”

“I think so too.”

“Thank you for accepting my joke. How could someone as timid as me become a celebrity?”

“.......”

If you can control and sway the crowd with your words and face, shouldn’t you really become a celebrity or start a cult?

‘... I need to wake up too.’

Yoo Seong-woon felt even more responsible for the dizzying talent Geo’s new personality displayed.

“.......”

“...Wo, noona....”

“Shh.”

Cha Ara covered Chae Sol’s mouth and warned her, and Cha Eun-hyuk nodded in agreement.

“Be quiet.”

Now was the time to even hold back your breathing.

Cha Eun-hyuk glanced at his two younger siblings hiding behind him, then turned his head forward to look around.

In the vibrating situation, I naturally broke out in a cold sweat.

“Stomach, stomach, I’m hungry... I’m hungry... Stomach, stomach....”

“Kuaaaaah...!! Aah, aaaah!! Sa, save me...!!”

“Stomach, stomach, stomach....”

The sight of people eating each other’s flesh. It was clear that there was an infected monster here.

Fortunately, Cha Eun-hyeok and his younger siblings were able to hide under the desk safely before the situation got worse.

Even so, they were trapped without being able to escape, but Cha Eun-hyeok pushed his younger siblings, who were frozen in fear, even further into the corner.

“.......”

There were prospective priests hiding here and there, exchanging glances.

“...Hoo....”

Perhaps because of their small size, the only ones who survived in this room were young priests.

The only adults left were Cha Eun-hyeok and Cha Ara.

‘It’s like a dog.’

I don’t know if I can survive.