The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 230
“It’s truly an honor to meet you in person!”
At those words from Laami, chieftain of the Fox Tribe, Gargar, chieftain of the Wolf Tribe, wrinkled his nose.
“Why are you still in human form?”
“To appeal to the Evil God, of course. We foxes are always ready to cling to the strong, you know? If it guarantees even a sliver of mercy, staying transformed like this is no issue at all!”
“Calculating bastard...”
“Wolves are just stupid.”
As the two young chieftains bared their fangs and growled, Valf, chieftain of the Crow Tribe, let out a long sigh.
“That’s enough. We didn’t gather here to trade petty insults. You’re all chieftains responsible for your own kind—don’t disgrace yourselves.”
“...We’re sorry, Elder.”
“Apologies...”
As the two lowered their heads, Valf nodded.
“Then let’s share our thoughts.”
They had gathered to discuss how they should treat the “Evil God.”
Considering that they hadn’t held such a council in nearly thirty years, too busy managing and protecting their own tribes, it showed just how significant the Evil God’s presence was to them.
Valf spoke first.
“I have decided to revere him as our progenitor god. It was a collective decision after discussion with the other crows. Yes, he is a dangerous being who may bring calamity... but the eye of the storm is always calm. So long as we can stay within it, loyalty will not be difficult.”
Following the crow’s stance, the wolf—after exchanging a glance with the fox—spoke as well.
“We wolves have decided to trust him.”
“You mean the wolves’ ‘trust’? As in treating him as a friend or even family?”
“We understand the danger he poses.”
The first time they saw him, the terror had been overwhelming. A human—extinct for all they knew—stood like a taxidermied corpse in the center of the black forest. His scent was complex and strange.
It didn’t take long to conclude he was the Evil God, but the Gio they saw before them was far different from the Evil God of history. He had shown them gentle kindness.
“At the very least, I judged that the mercy he showed us was not a lie. The other wolves were wary at first, but now they’ve come to trust him. Gio treated us wolves as friends and gave us gifts beyond that. So we’ll respond appropriately.”
“Foolish as ever.”
Laami narrowed her foxlike eyes in disapproval.
“The Evil God is still an Evil God. To treat such a being as a friend—at this point, that’s borderline blasphemy. Loyalty can be a virtue, but it’s also a weakness.”
“Grrr...!! And what wise choice have you foxes made? You wag your tails like trained dogs, pretending to be human—”
“Temper, temper. Such lack of refinement.”
The Fox Tribe chieftain clicked her tongue mockingly.
“He is a god. A new god who will rule us and this world now that the Creator is gone. Don’t you agree, Mister Valf?”
“I don’t think it’s necessary to grovel excessively... but I agree. A certain reverence and distance is essential for lesser beings like us.”
“See, even Mister Valf says so, Gargar. Of course, to wolves who cherish loyalty and friendship, our attitude might seem too submissive.”
But they prided themselves on being pragmatic.
“Do you even understand the situation? The god who came to us—this world isn’t something he can easily love. That’s how history shaped it.”
No one truly knew how the ‘Evil God’ came to be. Some records said he was a demon from the beginning of time, others claimed he was born from human greed.
But what mattered was this: he had been rejected by every living thing in this dimension and sealed away. No one knew why or how that seal was broken, nor what emotion drove him to seek them now—but it would be strange if he wasn’t angry.
Even if he now served as their progenitor god, the tribes were born merely from the expression of his rage—not from purpose or intent.
“When I first learned of his return, I was sure he would bring fury. At best, I thought he’d offer wicked proposals or make this broken world even worse.”
“But he didn’t, did he?”
“That’s exactly why it’s frightening. Because I don’t understand it.”
Why did he show mercy and affection?
“It doesn’t make sense.”
Benevolence without logic only made them more anxious.
“I suspect that his kindness is just whimsy. Couldn’t you feel it? His actions and attention revolve around interest. That means if we fail to keep him entertained, we may be discarded.”
“Hah! So that’s why you wag your tail and grovel? Have you no pride?” free𝑤ebnovel.com
“We’re not stubborn wolves who live and die for their honor, you know? I’d rather beg for my family’s safety than get butchered like a naive hunting dog.”
“You foxes know nothing of honor... The weight of our trust is heavy enough to wager our lives. Even if Gio turns on us one day because he loses interest, we’ll take responsibility for our choice.”
“Does honor guarantee your tribe’s survival?”
And so, the foxes grovelled—tails wagging low to the ground.
“If it ensures the safety of my family and my kits, I’ll bare my belly. Fortunately, the god refused to eat sentient beings for now. So if wagging our paws a little earns his favor—then it’s worth it.”
“Favor? What favor? Becoming his pet?”
“If I can become his pet, that would be ideal. In ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) fact, that’s my current goal, Gargar!”
The foxes had been driven to the brink.
“If we can secure life and a shred of mercy, what’s so bad about becoming pets? No, seriously. A pet is at least loved. I’ll gladly accept even that much affection.”
“You disgusting little things...”
Gargar grimaced. Seeing the tension rise, Valf intervened.
“You two should calm yourselves.”
“......”
“......”
“Yes. That’s better.”
He understood why they were so agitated—after all, hope or disaster had suddenly dropped into their laps while they were awaiting death. But being swayed by emotion would not lead to the right conclusion.
“I believe all our perspectives have value.”
Everyone was doing what they could.
“But there is one thing we all agree on.”
“And what would that be, Elder?”
“That we must serve him.”
Valf looked at Gargar.
“And I believe you wolves acknowledge that as well?”
“...Yes.”
At Gargar’s confirmation, Laami scoffed.
“Hmph. See? In the end, the wolves will tuck their tails too—after all their grand talk about friendship.”
“‘Friendship’ was Gio’s word first. What we want is a reliable ruler and loyal followers—just as wolves have always done.”
“Such stiff-minded beasts, you wolves.”
“You knew that already.”
Unlike the foxes, who united only out of survival, wolves were born into packs. Following a strong leader and protecting the weak were customs etched into their very souls.
So the wolves were already prepared to serve a new leader. It wasn’t submission like a vassal, but more akin to family and army. That’s why they spoke of trust.
“To serve him is not incompatible with being family. And if family, then also friends.”
Gargar didn’t know it, but those were nearly Gio’s own words. He continued with a firm face.
“Though of course, foxes might sell out even their families.”
“It’s not betrayal—it’s strategy. We’ve never scammed our own kind. Most of our tricks were used on humans.”
“Ugh. That’s gross.”
“What was that?”
As a second argument loomed, Valf turned to Laami.
“Even so, I don’t think there’s any need to grovel so much, Laami. If he truly becomes this world’s patron deity, there will surely be blessings and mercy to follow.”
“But how can we guarantee that? He is a cruel beast. Creatures like us could be swept away at a whim. We foxes—can’t even protect our kits anymore.”
They had to be desperate.
“Even successfully giving birth is rare now. And when we do... they die so easily. Do you know what it feels like—to bury the tiny bodies of your kits deeper and deeper into a den laced with poison?”
Among the three tribes, the Fox Tribe was closest to extinction. While wolves and crows were preparing for death, the foxes were already living it.
“We’re not as strong as the wolves. We can’t stomach poison. And unlike the crows, we lack the knowledge to create antidotes. All we can do is shapeshift—and even that’s basic magic.”
“...Laami...”
“Do you know what it takes—to feed poison to your own kits and watch them suffer just to build tolerance? I have to do my best. Whatever it takes.”
“......”
Valf and Gargar fell silent. Valf, as someone who once cared for the young chieftains, and Gargar, as an old sparring partner, couldn’t say a word.
The end of the world had become pitiful and miserable for those who survived.
“...What we’re best at is appeasing the strong. Wolves may become the Evil God’s fangs. Crows, his eyes. But foxes...”
“...I understand now.”
In the end, her choice wasn’t wrong either.
“I only said that out of concern. If you pander to him too much, you may be the first discarded. But if your choice was made with all that in mind—then I’ll respect it.”
“...Thank you.”
“I only hope that in the coming age, we may become good subjects.”
The wolf scoffed.
“Better than now, surely.”
“Yes, indeed.”
Thus, the beasts reached a consensus.
***
“Looks like...”
Gio blinked a few times as he looked around his home.
“Someone’s been messing around in here.”
“Rrrrrrr...”
“Don’t get mad.”
In a world this grim, an empty house getting looted was only natural.
“But I’ve no idea who did this.”
It had never been a peaceful house—but now it was grotesque.
The ruin he remembered, back when he was alive, was inconvenient but at least filled with animals and nature. As the Evil God, it had been a haunted house soaked in poison and dread.
But this... isn’t what I remember.
Blood and flesh were strewn everywhere. Discarded research papers. Scenes of something smashed to pulp. To Gio, it looked like the tragic end of a fanatical cult.
Looks like they turned on each other.
He could finally give it a name.
“...The last desperate frenzy of humans, I suppose.”
“Rrrrr...”
“It leaves a bitter taste.”
You always walk down the path that hurts you most.
***
The man suddenly thought he heard a human voice.
“......”
...A human?
Is there... someone else left?
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