The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 202
From the temple, a faint song could be heard.
“...Isn’t that a hymn?”
“I’m a follower of the Moon Church, so I hear them occasionally... it sounds really similar.”
The priests of the Church of the Sun looked somewhat displeased.
“...If we must be precise, the format does resemble a hymn...”
“No matter how much it resembles Earth’s music, we can’t equate something from another dimension to it.”
“It might be a clue of some sort, but I don’t like it.”
A hymn was a song to praise a god and nurture one’s faith. Considering that this place was once revealed to have been a temple of the Sun, the fact that this strange hymn was echoing here was nothing short of blasphemy—an insult to the Sun and a celebration of something wicked.
The faint song reverberating throughout the temple was eerie due to its slight dissonance. Its soft melody was languid, like the sag of a summer twilight, and its tone—resembling the cry of a beast—was incomprehensible.
It wavered like a whale’s call drifting through seawater.
“......”
“...In any case.”
Even amid the strange atmosphere, the hunters focused on their mission.
“Our top priority is locating the heart, right?”
“Yes. Often, the monster is the heart, but... just as often, it has a separate one.”
“And we also need to secure Hunter Sergio and the trainee priestess Cha I-Sol. They’re both valuable talents. We can’t let them die here.”
“We’ll have to look around a bit.”
Kang Seodam held up a small, round gem.
“We can locate Trainee Priestess Cha I-Sol with this resonance stone.”
The resonance stone that Iru Da had shared with her partner Cha I-Sol vibrated even more vividly once inside the frame. Its pulsing was like a tiny, living heart.
“She’s definitely inside this dungeon.”
“Then Hunter Sergio as well...?”
“We’ll proceed on the assumption that the two are being held in the same place.”
“What about finding the heart of the dungeon?”
“As I said earlier, we’ll split into two teams.”
One would handle the hostage rescue. The other would identify the heart.
“Hunter Sanarae, we’re counting on you.”
“Mhm, I’m good at that. Don’t worry.”
“If a powerful monster appears, make sure to lead your team so it doesn’t wander off...”
“Haha, don’t worry, don’t worry. We’re super reliable people.”
‘I don’t believe a word of that.’
Kang Seodam exchanged glances with the hunters assigned to Sanarae’s team. They stifled sighs and gave faint nods. The team was hastily assembled, with hunters of all kinds, but at least there weren’t any clueless ones among them.
‘We can rely on this side, at least.’
He nodded.
“See you soon.”
“Yes, see you.”
They split into two groups.
***
A gardener belongs in the garden.
They referred to themselves in many ways. Some called themselves gardeners outright, while others used terms like servant, errand-runner, apostle, or believer. There were even gardeners who called themselves his children.
What this tells us is that “gardener” means one who cannot disobey the garden.
“...Ah, Gardener...”
Tap... drip...
From the bowed head of Jeong Yeong-Won, flower petals stained with blood fell.
“Gardener, I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”
Jeong Yeong-Won wept blood as she touched the corners of her eyes. The petals that brushed her palm were soft.
The smoothness of the petals—pure as a newborn’s skin—filled her with ecstasy, yet at the same time, the gardener’s shouted rage and grief made her cry and beg for forgiveness.
“Gardener.”
“Yeong-Won.”
“Please...”
“You can’t lose yourself here, you hear me? Huh?”
“It’s too cold here, isn’t it?”
“Oh, for the love of—”
The man watching over her was the team leader in charge of Jeong Yeong-Won. He didn’t know she was a “gardener,” but he did know she bore a great mystery. With a troubled face, he guarded Jeong Yeong-Won in the narrow, dark space where she had secluded herself.
“What’d you do this time to get scolded like that?”
From the corners of her eyes and her hair, vibrant flowers had bloomed. Tiny shoots sprouted from her fingers—it was a chilling sight of a living person being consumed by nature.
Someone obsessed with artwork like the Collector might call it “beautiful” or “artistic.” But to this man, who possessed normal sensibilities, it was simply horrifying. A punishment.
“Gardener... Gardener...”
“Timing-wise, it’s probably right after she healed Hunter Yoo Seong-Woon.”
Even though Jeong Yeong-Won was one of the top healers in the Eunwol Guild, she sometimes pushed herself too far. Especially when she used her “god’s” power without permission—this was what happened.
‘Was it really worth it?’
If Hunter Yoo Seong-Woon hadn’t recovered, the newly appeared boss monster would’ve devastated everything. There were many A-rank hunters here, but each one was irreplaceable.
‘Losing even one would’ve caused a disaster. Still, even so...’
He didn’t even know how Yoo Seong-Woon had recovered so quickly in the first place.
It couldn’t have been by human means, so it was easy to guess that Jeong Yeong-Won had done something—but that didn’t mean he could understand all of it.
“......”
He sighed deeply and remained by her side.
“I’ll keep others from coming in, so recover quickly.”
“Aaagh... Haaa...”
“Damn, what a mess...”
He had no idea what could’ve made her borrow divine power in such a hurry.
‘She’s not stupid.’
There must’ve been a reason—one he simply didn’t know.
Stepping outside to keep watch, he closed the door behind him—only to find a small figure standing nearby, looking a bit startled. He blinked, then took in the situation.
“Little priestess?”
“Ah, yes. I’m Trainee Priestess Iru Da.”
“What are you doing here?”
“They said they were leaving me in the care of the Eunwol side.”
“Ah, the priests said that?”
“Yes.”
“Well then, you’re welcome any time.”
Eunwol had friendly ties with the Church of the Sun and the Moon Church. That included their trainee priestesses.
“What role do you usually take?”
“Tank.”
“I heard you’ve already formed a pact with a deity.”
“It’s thanks to a divine being who took a liking to me.”
“Sister Iru Da is famous for catching a deity’s eye from the moment she was born.”
“It was a great blessing. Without that, I wouldn’t even be here now. I’ll do whatever you ask and perform above average.”
“No need to go that far...”
They’d said she’d forced her way to the frontlines, and yet she was being surprisingly humble. Maybe worried she’d be sent back—her posture was almost submissive. The man, a bit uncomfortable, waved his hand awkwardly. Children with such refined speech always felt a bit uncanny.
“So, you’re not here because you were injured?”
“No. I just wanted to know where I should be.”
“Hmm, I see. If possible, we’d appreciate your help defending our side.”
It was rare, but not unheard of, to see someone like Iru Da at the frontlines. The man calmly assigned her a position and role.
“This area’s full of healers, so everyone here is pretty fragile.”
“I’ll do everything I can.”
“Ah, also...”
“......”
“...Did you hear that?”
The sound of Jeong Yeong-Won groaning in pain.
“Could you pretend you didn’t?”
“I swear on the divine I serve, I will remain silent.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.”
He was grateful she hadn’t asked why Yeong-Won was in that state.
‘I wouldn’t be able to explain it either.’
It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Jeong Yeong-Won break down like that in front of the “Gardener.” As her closest companion, he’d come to accept it—though even he didn’t know all her circumstances.
‘And blabbing wouldn’t do any good.’
Jeong Yeong-Won was a good comrade and a decent friend. If she had things she didn’t want to talk about, he wanted to help her keep them hidden.
“So, could you tell me what your tanking style is like?”
“I gather the monsters into one spot by luring them, then deploy a barrier.”
“Like a ward? Then could you trap them inside?”
“It’s based on the concept of setting up an intangible wall, so it’s not impossible, but I’m not quite there yet...”
“Even being able to set up a single wall is impressive. That’s worthy of respect.”
What was I doing at her age?
“What shape does the barrier take?”
“Recently, I succeeded in forming a hemisphere.”
“What’s the holding capacity?”
“Up to five adult men.”
“Oh, that’s quite...”
That was no small feat.
The most effective shape for a barrier was spherical, and the hemisphere came next. But most hunters with barrier abilities hit a massive wall when it came to reshaping it that way.
‘And yet she’s already capable of a hemisphere—and it can hold five people?’
Even if she’d been chosen by a divine being, her talent was exceptional.
“Hm. Then what about something simpler—just putting up a rectangular wall?”
“If it’s that, then I can cover up to this tent. I could block the entrance, but not much more than that...”
“Then, Little Sister Priestess, conserve your strength as much as possible. If the frontlines collapse and the wave breaks through, that’s when you act.”
“...I don’t mean to question the decision-maker, but... will that really be enough? In the situation you described, we should be thinking about retreat. Otherwise, it’s {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} essentially a loss.”
“You really are smart, Sister Iru Da.”
But that was all he needed.
“Your ability is meant to be used exactly then. In a final moment—when no one else can protect you or the patients here—you step in.”
“......”
“Until then, you’re free to idle around and do nothing. Got it?”
“I feel too sorry to do that...”
“If you’re that sorry, help the healers instead. I heard the Church of the Sun teaches first aid even during training. Go ask if anyone needs assistance.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll do that.”
“More importantly, you really don’t need to worry too much.”
The man gave her his signature smile.
“It’s not arrogance. I just believe in the people beyond that wall.”
A-rank hunters who could fight in the ocean, and B-ranks just below that—all of them were massed at the shore, holding back the boss. The man believed they wouldn’t let it breach the inner area.
***
“AAAAARGH!!”
“Shit, who brought this amateur?!”
“Who are you calling amateur, you son of a bitch?!”
Of course, the frontlines were far from easy.
“Damn it, where the hell is all this seawater coming from?!”
Thanks to Yoo Seong-Woon’s efforts, they had managed to freeze the surface and some of the water below. But seawater, unfrozen from the deep, kept surging upward and attacking the hunters.
Even that had its limits, though—the seawater being pulled up was starting to freeze in slushy, partially solid forms.
“What, does the damn seawater have a mind of its own?!”
“Goddamn it, I’m losing it...!”
KRACK! KRACK! KRAK—!!
Mixed with solid, dense ice, the seawater moved like a living serpent, whipping toward the hunters and slamming into them.
They had to fight off the cold water and living ice, while also facing the mermaids crawling up from the deep.
“What’s with these fucking mermaids?!”
“Someone get some fire-type hunters over here!!”
“We can’t handle this with just the people on this side...!!”
The mermaids laughed at the humans.
“Ahahahaha!”
“Hahaha, woohoohoo...!”
“Aaah, aaaaaah!!”
SPLASH—!!
“GAAAH!!”
“Grab that bastard!!”
The mermaids didn’t speak language, but they dragged panicked humans down by the ankles and pulled them under the sea. Once you fell beneath the solidified ocean, it was almost impossible to escape alive—even for hunters.
Fighting mermaids made of flesh wasn’t the hard part. You could slice them with weapons or freeze them.
The problem was how many kept coming up from the depths.
“There’s too many of them...!”
Endless mermaids poured in from the sea.
“Fuck, did the assault team make it into the dungeon or not?!”
“They said they made it!!”
If they had traveled by submersible, they would’ve suffered massive losses. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened. Though no one knew exactly what aid “Black Cloak” had provided, the hunters had heard fragments of the story.
And Yoo Seong-Woon went berserk.
FWOOM—!!!
“......”
Ice from the snowfield was harder than anything else.
He slammed his spear into the ground, used the recoil to launch himself into the air, and conjured another spear mid-flight. He then froze and simultaneously tore apart the mermaid princess’s body.
SHATTER—! The sound was like scattering marbles or diamonds.
But she healed immediately.
“Ow, that hurts.”
“Well, shit.”
CRACK!!!
Creating new ice above the glacier, Yoo Seong-Woon landed—and ran again.
“Such a damn crybaby.”
The face twisted in mockery. The heartless torso. The legs, clearly meant to be decorative.
He shot forward like a bullet, freezing and smashing the woman’s face again—but it was the same result. Not only Yoo Seong-Woon, but many hunters kept freezing and destroying her—yet the mermaid princess took no damage.
‘Of course not.’
The sea existed even in polar regions.
‘No matter how cold it gets, the sea remains.’
You could freeze parts of it, but not the whole. Freezing the sea entirely would bring an ice age to the entire dimension. That wasn’t possible—and it shouldn’t be.
‘So freezing a mermaid fused with the sea won’t cause real harm...’
SHHHK—!!!
Sliding across the ice, Yoo Seong-Woon gripped his spear again.
‘All I can do with ice is temporarily halt its movements.’
Even that was a huge help to the humans. Every time the boss monster moved, the damage was massive. Freezing it, even briefly, was necessary.
But it was just a stopgap.
‘And we’re taking more damage on our side.’
The mermaid was the living sea, but humans weren’t embodiments of ice. The longer the battle dragged on, the more advantage she gained. She could just wait for them to exhaust themselves.
“Haa... fuck.”
Yoo Seong-Woon’s face twisted into a feral snarl.
“What a goddamn mess.”
“Hunter Yoo Seong-Woon, freeze it!!”
“I’m going!!”
SSHHHHHHHH!!!
KRAK—!!
BOOM, CHAAAANG!!
One by one, he froze the harpoon-like jets of seawater flying at them like arrows.
He slid across them, leapt, ran, and landed on each ice spear, pushing forward toward the princess.
The moment he reached her—his breath touching her skin—
“Hey.”
The sea spoke.
“Who do you think will win?”
“I will.”
Yoo Seong-Woon grinned defiantly at the monster’s question.
“I’ll win.”
CRACKLE, FWOOM—!!!
The princess’s face shattered into fragments.
“......”
SPLASH!!
Landing once more on the ice, he watched the mermaid princess, already healed, start to laugh.
“...Ahaha, hahaha...!”
“What are you laughing at?”
“Isn’t your confidence hilarious?”
“Hunter Sergio is on my side.”
“And how can you be sure? Do you really think he would love these ungrateful humans?”
“Of course. That’s how he was born!”
“You really think that?”
Aria asked.
“You believe that man is the embodiment of mercy?”
“You know he’s far from ordinary, right?”
“He was human.”
“......”
“He laughed, joked, loved to play...”
Love and hatred.
“A human.”
The mermaid said Giovanni was no embodiment of mercy.
“He feels pain like anyone else. He suffers when hurt, cries when sad. He’s an ordinary human. And yet you still see Gio as a mere masterpiece.”
“Are you saying I’m arrogant? Ignorant and delusional?”
“Oh yes. It’s grotesque. Humans are revolting. Why must such a precious being become your idol? Why must he become your symbol of luck and saint of mercy...?!”
The woman was furious.
“He is a normal human being!!!”
She screamed.
Foll𝑜w current novels on fre(e)w𝒆bnovel
