The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 70

"......"

Yoo Seong-Woon asked the priest Kang Seo-Dam, who sat across from him, a favor.

"If possible, I would like you to treat 'The Black Cloak' and 'Seojio' as separate individuals."

"Separate individuals, you say."

"By doing so, separating the 'story' will cause fewer problems in terms of coexisting."

"I understand what you mean."

Kang Seo-Dam nodded.

"The hunter I saw in the 'Temple of the Deep Sea' must be the 'Seojio' you mentioned."

"That's right, and the male with the black cloak that the association’s hunters encountered is an entirely unknown entity. I’m sure you’d know that it’s the same person, but..."

"If it's the will of the gods, I will accept it. The goddess herself has expressed the desire for fellowship with him, so if keeping quiet is necessary, it should be no problem."

He readily accepted Seong-Woon's request. It wasn’t just because it was the will of the goddess.

"I wasn’t planning to claim I saw a god in the 'Temple of the Deep Sea.' It didn’t seem like the being wanted to reveal its true identity, and if I said that a god appeared at the ceremony I presided over, I would’ve been tormented for a while. For my own sake, I’ll refrain from speaking of it."

Though it had been quite some time since his escape from the 'Temple of the Deep Sea,' Kang Seo-Dam had not properly reported Seojio to the church.

As a priest, he would not have acted alone without the goddess' will, but it was a decision that would have been impossible without flexibility from the priest himself. Seong-Woon understood this and had attempted such contact.

Seong-Woon sighed in apparent relief.

"I’m really grateful that you’re saying this. Staff members within the same guild can be kept in line by the guild leader’s authority, but I was worried about how you, being a member of the church, might handle keeping quiet."

"Keeping quiet? That's a rather extreme way of putting it. But I do acknowledge that the matter of 'The Black Cloak' requires caution. The person I met back then didn’t feel like a typical god."

Not every god could mimic human behavior and enjoy games.

"Could it be that this person is a type of evil god? I understand that among the beings capable of adjusting themselves to human proportions to enjoy such games, there are quite a few evil gods. If so, this separation could be seen as a major gamble."

"We’re still investigating."

"This time, too, calling it a 'beloved work'... The collector handled it carelessly. I still can’t understand the guild members’ attitude of being relieved just because the guild leader finds it charming and safe."

"Even so, we can’t send Gio to the association’s research facility."

"It’s true that unethical acts happen easily in the association’s research facilities, but thinking of humanity’s safety, it seems like the better option. Of course, that’s assuming he’s an evil god. Given that he seems to value peace and mercy, the likelihood of him being that kind of entity is low, so once again, I swear to the sun that I will keep quiet about this matter."

However, the fact that Seojio was not safe for humanity remained unchanged. The vast powers of certain gods, even without malice, had wiped out entire civilizations or created countless hellish realities.

"Moreover, a humanoid monster, entering its dungeon like it’s at home and saving people..."

That level of authority clearly surpassed that of a regular god. Not all gods were omnipotent in every aspect.

Fundamentally, gods were beings of will, closer to intangible fate or nature, and could neither enjoy human-like games nor enter dungeons with ease.

This required immense willpower, expertise, and considerable [N O V E L I G H T] power.

"From the perspective of someone who has received much mercy, it may seem extremely ungrateful, but the fact that 'Seojio' is a dangerous entity does not change."

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

Kang Seo-Dam looked at Seong-Woon.

"He’s a being that even the best collector couldn’t comprehend."

"It may seem frustrating to the church and the association, but we’re also putting effort into understanding him."

"Is there any chance that he might become an enemy of humanity? I recall the aura I felt being dangerously close to death."

"Well, if he gets angry, it could lead to a disaster. He might unintentionally harm humanity. Who knows, the Earth could even be destroyed."

"That would be troublesome."

The Earth was barely hanging on, surviving thanks to the mercy of a few powerful beings.

"...Just to reiterate, I have no intention of interfering with Seojio’s games. That’s why I didn’t report it to the church either, as you, Hunter Seong-Woon, are well aware."

"I know well. That’s exactly why I came to see you. I understand that you don’t plan on revealing his true identity, but given the situation, I just wanted to hear a definitive answer."

In order to create a world where they could coexist with this terrifying portrait, and hoping for more opportunities to appreciate it, Bisa Beul hoped that Seojio and 'The Black Cloak' would be successfully separated. Seong-Woon felt the same.

"The blonde, blue-eyed Seojio’s appearance was already revealed in the 'Temple of the Deep Sea,' so his existence can’t be denied, but this time, the association has only officially identified 'The Black Cloak.'"

"I understand why that decision was made. No mere human could stop such a powerful god’s game. It’s clear that only innocent victims will come out of this."

"We reached a similar conclusion. It’s a rather irresponsible neglect, but the collector values coexistence over control. It’s the guiding principle of our guild."

After all, the incidents caused by "Gio’s portrait" couldn’t be stopped by humans. So, they decided that the guild would officially manage only Giovanni’s side, while secretly negotiating with Gio, trying to reduce the conflict between humans and the entity.

"We’re not just sitting back either. If we pay attention, we can at least reduce the agitation among people."

"How do you intend to reduce the agitation?"

"By turning 'The Black Cloak' into an urban legend. Make it a normal story that people can casually enjoy."

"......"

Kang Seo-Dam’s expression subtly shifted. It seemed like he tried to hide his irritation, discomfort, and disbelief with a polite mask.

"...I don’t think that will work. If things go wrong, 'The Black Cloak' might become a symbol of terror, and that could turn him into a much stronger disaster."

"For now, the collector is okay with it. Our staff treats 'The Black Cloak' like an urban legend, following the rules that suit that approach."

"I believe that’s due to the collector guild’s nature. For the city, for Korea, or even globally, it’s hard to imagine it being easy."

"Still, it’s better than doing nothing."

"...Sigh..."

Perhaps he thought it wasn’t his place to speak further on the matter or maybe he couldn’t continue discussing the same topic. Kang Seo-Dam, with a tired expression and furrowed brows, soon asked another question.

"...By the way, is it acceptable to call a god so familiarly? 'That guy,' 'Gio'...?"

Kang Seo-Dam appeared slightly taken aback.

"To treat such a huge being, which is mimicking human skin, in that manner."

"Gio wants that."

"......"

"I suppose from a priest's standpoint, it might feel awkward."

"...It can’t be helped."

Regardless of the religion, there were three rules expected of priests who served a god.

"First, don’t look into the eyes of a god. Second, don’t call the god’s name. Third, don’t test the god..."

"I’m sure you know them well, Hunter Seong-Woon."

"Those are famous rules."

"It means don’t try to understand the essence of the god. Priests always try to maintain a certain distance when dealing with gods. Treating them too familiarly could infringe on their essence, so we try to prevent that in advance."

"......"

"Faith in the current era is definitely used as a tool. Because of that, human attitudes towards gods have become more intimate, and their images have become much more worldly. But still, those with divine power are, without a doubt, intangible disasters."

Though gods were classified as traditional gods or evil gods, the absolute criteria for these distinctions were vague. Evil gods were considered to be those divine beings who posed harm to humanity.

But how could nature and fate be divided into good and evil? Even if humans, with their limited existence, tried to categorize them, it would only lead to troublesome results.

"Whether they have the will to do so or not, a god can always become a disaster for humanity."

Priests had to understand this better than any human.

"If they forget this, they’re not worthy of being a priest."

"That’s quite profound."

"I wanted to remind you, Hunter Seong-Woon. I’ve seen countless people who burst under the weight of destiny after calling the god’s true name. To be under the god’s gaze means that."

"I know that well."

Seong-Woon might have known it even better.

"I’m a bit of an expert in this regard."

From the perspective of a gardener, the gods of the current generation were considered 'children of the origin.'

They were closely connected to the origin, and in any dimension, they were intangible, silent disasters. Beings of will, living stories. All of these conditions matched the 'children of the origin.'

‘But I can’t share that part with the priest.’

If he were to speak of it, he would likely be called blasphemous.

After all, the existence of gardeners and their related knowledge was dangerous, uncontrollable information known and handled only by a select few, so Seong-Woon couldn’t talk freely about Gio to maintain his own dignity.

"Anyway, don’t be too surprised when Gio starts operating in society. By then, Gio will be quite flexible and friendly, so there won’t be any accidents. His identity will be solidified."

"......"

"He’ll be introduced as a devout worshiper who can manipulate divine power, so I hope you’ll play along. His essential energy might differ a little, but primarily, Gio leans towards the Sun God faction."

"Please don’t speak like that. It sounds uncomfortable."

"This is my way of speaking. What can I do?"

"Sigh..."

"Oh, by the way."

Seong-Woon blinked and asked.

"Has the association made the information about 'The Black Cloak' official?"

One of the association’s tasks was to establish rules about entities that hunters should be cautious about. Seong-Woon thought that 'The Black Cloak' was now significant enough to be officially recorded.

"They need to open the door first, so it’ll be easier for us to fabricate an urban legend."

"Now that the newly discovered dungeon entrance has been named, the official information about 'The Black Cloak' will probably be organized soon."

"As expected from a Sun Priest, your information is fast. What’s the name of that dungeon?"

"It’s not that different from the one we visited."

Kang Seo-Dam continued.

"They’re calling it 'The Deep Sea Kingdom.'"

"What...?"

Seong-Woon nodded.

"Intuitive, and fitting."

It was a name that suited the place well.