The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

Ch. 72


Chapter 72

Of course, exchanging names was a common and convenient method of socializing.

“But, that… how should I put it… do you know the feeling of something that isn't human at all, perfectly imitating a human?”

“Monsters often attempt to mimic in order to lure humans. In the case of the Jangsanbeom, a monster that still hasn't been subjugated, it mimics human voices. Among monsters overseas, there are also individuals that wear human skin or learn human languages.”

At the researcher's words, the hunter shook her head.

“It wasn't that clumsy of a feeling. As I said before, I told you that even though it was obvious it wasn't human, I was inwardly convinced that it was.”

“Yes, you did say that.”

“It’s in a similar context to that.”

The hunter explained with a troubled look on her face, as if thinking, ‘How can I say this so they’ll understand.’

“The ‘Black Cape’ was definitely not human. But there was nothing superfluous about how it acted like a human. In the case of the monsters you just gave as examples, a fragment of them might seem perfect… but they don't look like a perfect human, do they?”

“…….”

“In contrast, the ‘Black Cape’ didn't have that kind of disharmony. The sense of unease was strong, but it was certainly a perfect human. It was….”

“A perfect human, you say.”

The researcher stared directly at the hunter.

“Humans cannot be perfect.”

“That’s the problem.”

The hunter nodded her head.

“It was too perfect.”

The actions of the ‘Black Cape’ she had seen that day certainly had no disharmony to be called human, but the sense of unease was significant.

“As if it wasn't born human, but became human later on….”

“That’s not a concrete description.”

“You know, a hunter’s intuition. Should I say it felt off? There was no clear evidence, but I felt this strong hunch, like, wow, this is really strange. I can’t just let this slide….”

The hunter let out a hollow laugh.

“Actually, it’s probably not something that could be called ‘intuition’ when anyone could see it wasn't human.”

No matter if they were old or young, man or woman, if you threw them in front of it, they would think, ‘Uh, that’s not human,’ so it shouldn’t be defined by a vague sense like intuition.

It was exceedingly polite.

The voice that seeped into one's ears as if teaching someone seemed to whisper not from a mouth but through the brain, and that voice was so quiet it felt embarrassing to even call it a ‘sound’.

He was like a peaceful grave.

“It's just, um, I meant that the senses I felt were that contradictory and ambiguous. It’s too difficult to explain concretely. You’d probably know what I’m talking about if you witnessed the ‘Black Cape’ yourself.”

“Hmm….”

The researcher asked, looking puzzled.

“You’re surprisingly favorable towards the ‘Black Cape’?”

“…Pardon? Me? Was I?”

“It seems you weren't aware of it, but what you just said had a strong feeling of ‘I want to introduce you to it too,’ rather than ‘You should suffer it too.’ Am I misunderstanding?”

“…….”

After hesitating for a long while, the hunter spoke with difficulty.

“…I think it’s right that I’m probably favorable.”

“I'm not criticizing you, it’s a genuine question, so you don't have to worry. I'm just curious how you came to hold such favor for an obvious object of fear.”

“Ah… this is so difficult….”

The hunter, letting out a sigh, continued.

“…I don’t know if this will be a sufficient answer, but I think it was because it was extremely kind to us.”

“A monster, to humans?”

“Didn’t I write it in the report?”

“I know how it works, but I can't quite understand it. Could you explain?”

“…….”

The hunter, after some thought, nodded her head.

“It would be best to talk about it from when we first met.”

She recalled what had happened in the ‘Land of the Deep Sea.’

That black, large cape.

***

“Team Leader.”

It was when they had escaped from the humanoid monster ‘Iseur’ and the monsters he had brought with him.

“There are no other monsters in the vicinity.”

“Are you sure? Any traps?”

“There's nothing like that either. We all checked together, so I’m sure.”

“This is a little strange….”

The team leader, Hunter Jeong Da-un, knew that the situation was strange.

“The master of the dungeon isn't unaware of our location, so it makes no sense for there to be no monsters only in this area. This can't be a safe zone.”

“You can tell just by looking that it's not….”

A safe zone was, as the name implied, a ‘safe area’ that existed in some dungeons.

It was an area that sometimes formed when monsters avoided a place to not cause conflict with other individuals, in cases where a dungeon had multiple masters.

‘There are exceptional cases where there's a lone safe zone that isn't a matter of territorial dispute, but this doesn't feel like that kind of atmosphere either.’

Besides, there was objective evidence.

“For a safe zone, there are too many traces of monsters having passed through.”

“Monsters suddenly disappeared from a place that was originally crawling with them?”

It was not a good sign.

“Then the only possibility is that a stronger monster has intruded…?”

Thinking about it that way, the reaction of ‘Iseur,’ whom they had just confronted, was also strange.

“He seemed confused because something was wrong with the dungeon.”

“Yes, considering how the air of the entire dungeon shook, it's probably right that a problem occurred. This dungeon seems to be closely connected to its master.”

“For a humanoid monster, of all things, to be agitated, it has to be a much stronger monster for it to make sense. But if that’s the case….”

“…We wouldn't be safe either.”

“Ah, we’re properly screwed.”

It seemed they hadn't even realized this place was dangerous, having been so busy running away.

“To walk right into the tiger's den on our own two feet.”

The place where a monster strong enough to agitate the humanoid monster ‘Iseur’ had intruded was probably the space they were in.

“It must be nearby at the very least.”

“…We were in such a panic….”

“Right, we would have died if we hadn't come here anyway.”

It wasn't that they hadn't thought something was strange on the way here, but they had to come.

In their condition, which had deteriorated to the absolute worst, they wouldn't have been able to defeat the other surrounding monsters and succeed in their attack.

“…Hoo….”

Jeong Da-un forced a smile.

“Well, you never know, it might be a monster we can talk to.”

“That’s true.”

Even knowing the probability of that was close to nil, the hunters chuckled amongst themselves.

They had realized a long time ago that they could die here, and thanks to that, they were mentally prepared.

“Who knows? Maybe it'll spare us if we beg.”

Joking like that, the hunters took a break.

“Hey, hey, rest up. It's war again once we leave here anyway.”

“Yeah… I mean, if we don’t rest now, when will we?”

“Ugh, my legs… anyone got a potion?”

Thanks to that, they were able to have some time to regroup, but as time passed, their anxiety grew.

“…Why aren't the monsters coming here?”

“…Just how strong of a monster appeared for them to turn down a ready-made meal….”

The time when monsters attacked the most was, of course, when hunters were semi-forcibly regrouping.

Hunters who were almost at their limit and had weakened defenses made for a good snack for monsters.

“And yet they're not coming, even now?”

Even the humanoid monster they were confronting had been flustered and had fled.

It was to the point where they had no idea what had happened to this dungeon.

“I don’t think we can just stay put.”

“But if we move rashly, we could get on the nerves of both monsters at the same time.”

“But just staying here is a problem in its own right.”

“You have a point, but….”

“…….”

“…Ah.”

Hunter Jeong Da-un’s gaze, which had been placating her team members, landed on something.

“Team Leader? Why….”

“…….”

“…….”

Something pitch-black entered the hunters' field of vision.

“A, a person?”

“Is it a survivor?”

“No, that’s….”

It was a man wearing a black cape.

“Greetings.”

“…….”

“I am, a portrait.”

“…Uh….”

“What might your name be?”

“Uh, uh….”

“I am curious about your names.”

That was their first meeting with the Black Cape.

“Will you speak with me?”

***

“…….”

The researcher shrugged.

“Just from what you've said, I don't feel any favorability at all?”

“That's true. In the first place, something that isn't human asking for a human's name is a frightening thing in itself. It was the same for me and my team members.”

“…….”

“But maybe we were a little relieved by the fact that it seemed possible to have a conversation.”

In contrast to ‘Iseur,’ from whom the will to tear humans to shreds was felt as clearly as a color, the ‘Black Cape,’ which approached silently and requested a conversation, didn't have even the slightest hint of hostility.

“If you ask if the being itself wasn't frightening, that’s absolutely not the case, but….”

And yet, he was relieved.

“…Should I say it felt like receiving the favor of something of a… very high class.”

“…Of a very high class, are you referring to a god? If so, it becomes difficult to call it a monster. Though rare, there are gods who visit dungeons in a form that humans can perceive, so please keep that in mind when you answer.”

“No, I also know what kind of beings gods are. They are beings close to a will-invested fate or nature. But speaking as a follower of the Sun myself, that was definitely not a god. I felt divinity from it, but it wasn't a god.”

If anything, it might have been a higher being than that.

“I felt the energy of the sun from him. It was truly warm. But it was as cold as a corpse. I definitely felt the aura of death too. But it wasn't rough, and all of that was just a simple outer shell…. No, no, rather than something… something like that, it was just….”

“…….”

“…Things like rank or authority seemed completely useless to the ‘Black Cape.’ We speak of gods as will-invested fate and nature, but it seems to lack even will. It thinks and moves… but can you call that will?”

“What do you mean?”

“It seemed to simply exist.”

It had no intention to save anyone, nor to harm.

It seemed to have no will to be righteous, nor to be greedy.

But It was clearly thinking and was able to converse.

“…….”

“…….”

“…I don’t know how to explain this either.”

Birth and death. The living and the inanimate.

A massive presence and sense of being that made trying to find ‘will’ in its thinking and actions feel impure.

A sensation that couldn't be explained from a human perspective, but was terribly vivid.

“Besides that, the, the eyes….”

Ah, that.

“…That was….”

“…What was it?”

“…….”

She answered after a long pause.

“It felt like it could become anything.”

I don't know what kind of immense and vast things were contained in those small eyes.

It couldn't be expressed with the cliché word, universe.

The connections, nature, and fate, like stars densely scattered through that endless black and blue space, would sometimes move as if they had a will, and at other times become as still as a mere inanimate object.

How could a person express that?

It was impossible and it shouldn't be done.

“At least, I can’t.”

A domain that humans should not see.

“It seemed to be that itself.”

“…….”

“So, you couldn't… call that a god, could you? Probably.”

It was closer to a structure.

“…Or maybe a system? If not that, then… no, I don't really know.”

“…I see.”

The researcher nodded.

“But in the end, it was thanks to its favorability that you all were able to return alive.”

“That’s right. It didn't seem to know we were scared, but it was still quite the gentleman. It would have been difficult to perceive human emotions from the perspective of something that isn't human, so I understand.”

“The ‘Black Cape’ introduced itself as a portrait….”

“I felt that was the most fitting introduction.”

A portrait that is a person but not a person, that could be real or a delusion, and that might contain someone’s death or life.

The ‘Black Cape’s’ introduction was very appropriate.

“Um, and….”

“And?”

“It also used that kind of method.”

They returned alive through a painting.

***

The ‘Black Cape’ asked the hunters, who had calmed down a bit.

“Then you must want to leave. Is that not so?”

“Th-that’s of course….”

“I will help you.”

It brought a picture frame from somewhere and held it up to the hunters.

“…….”

“Do you know this place?”

It was a landscape painting that seemed to depict an alley deep in a city.

It looked like a slum, but there were no hunters here who were familiar with the complex, ant-tunnel-like structure of a slum.

“…….”

“Do you know this place?”

“Ah, no. I’m sorry.”

Perhaps it disliked it if they didn't answer in time, as it asked twice in the exact same tone, making it impossible not to answer.

Jeong Da-un sent a look that said, ‘Do you guys know?’ but they shook their heads.

She was anxious.

They would only be able to get out alive if they solved this unknowable riddle.

No, even if that wasn't the case, for some reason Jeong Da-un wanted to meet the expectations of being before her.

She wanted to be in its good graces.

“…….”

And that was why she couldn't lie.

In the midst of an awe and fear that made such an act unimaginable, Jeong Da-un shook her head.

“…I’m sorry, we… we don’t know.”

“You do not need to be sorry.”

It was a stable voice in which no emotion could be felt, but it didn't feel cold either.

The ‘Black Cape’ swept its pale, long hand over the picture frame.

And the landscape painting changed.

“Do you know this place?”

“Ah.”

This time, she definitely knew the painting.

“Yes, yes, I know. That’s… The Collectors’ guild station… the overground train, yes, it’s the overground train station.”

“Correct.”

“Haa….”

Jeong Da-un was greatly relieved.

Although its hands were visible, the opponent, whose entire body was covered by a black cape, leaving only a shadow, didn't even feel like it had a physical form.

“Th-then… will you let us go?”

“You do not need to be afraid.”

“…….”

“Yes, I will help you.”

The black cape, as if personifying a funeral, that thing resembling a grim reaper, stroked the painting.

“May I paint you?”

The ‘Black Cape’ dissolved the hunters into paint, and painted them into the landscape, and.

“…….”

“…Uh….”

“…No way….”

When they opened their eyes, they were at the overground train station.

It was an out-of-the-blue return.

***

“…….”

“…….”

“Is this a sufficient answer?”

“…Yes, for now.”

The researcher nodded.

“I will report this to the Association.”

It was the moment the ‘Black Cape’ was officially registered with the world.

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