The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

Tea made by drying flowers grown from the corpses of forest butterflies inhabiting the veins of fate. It has a light blue colour and a soft creamy scent. Processed directly by Gio, the owner of the forest, it can even be consumed by the human body. The moment it is consumed, blood vessels regenerate, making it excellent for severe injuries, and it restructures cells to provide constant immunity from minor diseases.

Duration: 6 months

Yoo Sung-woon, who had completed the appraisal, brushed his face with tightly pressed lips.

“…Gio, this guy….”

What on earth did he give him?

“This isn\'t tea you can exchange for ten fish-shaped buns.”

***

As he had always thought, ‘Gio’s Portrait’ was an absurd existence.

\'I still don’t know its true nature.\'

Whether it\'s a monster, an item, or as Bi Sa-beol and Yoo Sung-woon speculated, a child of the origin.

\'But it has a human form… and it knows quite a lot about humans and society.\'

Still, whatever its true identity, the fact that it personally bends to the rules of such humans is close to a miracle.

Perhaps there might never be another existence like this in the world. At least not in this small dimension called Earth.

‘It means guild leader Bi Sa-beol, known for his keen eye, didn\'t pour that much money for nothing.\'

And what that \'Gio’s Portrait\' asked for was….

“Is this enough?”

It was seeds.

Crop seeds.

“I gathered them as much as I could.”

Yoo Sung-woon showed the seed bags in his arms with an awkward smile.

The next day after receiving the tea leaves, he gathered them in a few hours early in the morning. Tomatoes, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, peas, pumpkins, red peppers, carrots, radishes, watermelons, eggplants, and more….

“I wanted to get you better seeds, but there aren’t many shops selling such seeds around here. I barely scraped them together from a shabby store tucked inside an alley, hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course I like it. Seeing the amount you brought, I understand how hard you worked in such a short time. You look apologetic considering how much you brought.”

“It\'s because the balance feels off when I receive such precious tea but only give seeds in return….”

Yoo Sung-woon said, handing over the seed bags over the frame.

“Even if the seeds aren\'t that cheap, the tea you gave me was too much.”

Gio, who was checking the seeds, asked.

“Aren\'t seeds very cheap?”

“Huh? Oh, right. Normally, one bag of seeds you\'re holding costs about the same as most decent meals … so on average, I don’t think they are that cheap.”

“…Did you ask for seeds thinking they were cheap?”

“Yes.”

Though the portrait remained blunt and emotionless, looking into those black eyes, he felt that Gio was sorry. Indeed, as Bi Sa-beol had said, he was a kind fellow.

Gio blinked twice, perhaps in thought or it was just a meaningless habit, and spoke.

“I apologize. I did not think it would be so expensive.”

“I don’t understand what you\'re apologizing for. It can\'t compare to the tea you gave me.”

Gio’s simple and pure goodwill towards humans was evidently quite overwhelming. Yoo Sung-woon awkwardly laughed and waved his hand.

“Since you made it yourself, the value of its sincerity cannot be measured, and with all these various effects… To be honest, it was such a precious gift that I wondered if I could even drink it.”

Even at first glance, the tea Gio gave was highly valuable. After all, didn\'t the haunted portrait say that it was made by itself?

\'Whether Gio’s true identity is a humanoid monster or child of the origin, the fact that it is unusual remains unchanged.’

Moreover, with effects that seem capable of even reviving the dead….

“… I’m truly grateful for your kindness, however…”

After a moment of hesitation, Yoo Sung-woon soon continued.

“…I’m a little worried. Although I plan to enjoy the tea you gave me to relax, please don\'t give such precious gifts to others.”

“Most humans don\'t know how to accept goodwill as it is. They aren’t as generous as you think.”

First, there was a high probability that his goodwill would be perceived as fear. Unless one was exceptionally greedy or indifferent to everything, it was hard to simply be grateful for such an excessive gift.

\'Surely someone would perceive it as a threat and either get angry or panic, but even if a greedy person received such a gift, problems would arise.\'

Though it felt regrettable, from Yoo Sung-woon’s point of view, Gio seemed to give tea more for him to enjoy rather than for treating ailments.

Accustomed to the rules of the origin, Yoo Sung-woon had no intention of selling or using the tea in a way that might upset Gio.

“It would be unpleasant if the tea leaves you gave unknowingly be put up for auction, right?”

“Auction? I didn\'t think such a trivial tea would hold such significance.”

He acted as if saying, ‘humans behave incomprehensibly, like attaching value to meaningless things’.

“I guess it does seem that way.”

Yoo Sung-woon laughed awkwardly.

\'…Claiming to be human but showing such blatant incomprehension.\'

But for Gio, who doesn\'t think deeply, it was an unavoidable judgment.

His system clearly described it at the level of a fatigue recovery drink, and Gio had no reason to doubt it. At best, it was worth about the same as a vitamin supplement, so Yoo Sung-woon’s words seemed fussy.

In response to Gio’s indifferent reaction, Yoo Sung-woon couldn’t help but think, \'Indeed, there’s a slightly different aspect from human common sense.\' Just like how a gold nugget is no different from a mere stone to most monsters.

“Well, I mean….”

Yoo Sung-woon continued.

“You may have given it as a gift simply for its value as tea, but from the perspective of ordinary humans, it\'s not just that. It would be better to refrain from giving gifts that would attract the eyes of greedy people.”

Surely, Gio, the owner, must have been aware of the effects of \'Forest Butterfly Flower Tea\', but from the beginning, he said, ‘I made it into tea because it has a good scent’, so he probably had no interest in its uses beyond tea.

Such indifference was certainly like that of any other beings of the origin.

\'Monsters and children of the origin alike often fail to understand human greed. No matter how well Gio knows human physiology, showing such carefreeness that is clearly inhuman… certainly leaves no room for excuses.’

An insignificant stone to monsters can be a valuable resource for humans.

Beings born from veins of the origin didn\'t understand such facts well. There were also many times they often described humans as making a fuss.

“…Well, right, if you call it making a fuss, I have no retort….”

It was just about preventing potential accidents.

“Your goodwill, without any intention, can feel overwhelmingly significant to us. Isn\'t that right? What can I say, it\'s a gift from a portrait.”

“Actually, you seem too tough to be hurt by such human greed… but there are many people who are more persistent than you think. Be careful not to let your kindness be taken advantage of.”

Gio stared at Yoo Sung-woon.

\'…His silence makes it even scarier. The fact that he’s inside the portrait must lessen the intimidation, but still, it\'s this intense? Scary indeed.\'

There was no trace of emotion on Gio\'s face in the portrait. That inorganic expression sent chills down Yoo Sung-woon\'s spine.

Bi Sa-beol had said, \'Look beyond the intimidation and see Gio\'s true essence,\' but how could that be easy? It wasn’t easy; it was like asking an average person who suddenly plummeted down from 50km in the sky to appreciate the view.

That\'s how heavy the gaze of ‘Gio’s Portrait’ was.

“…Was I being presumptuous?”

Since Gio in particular had a well-established consciousness and was a being from the origin, he would have firm rules of his own. The babbling of a mere human who he had only met recently might have been annoying.

‘But I couldn\'t pretend not to know. Preventing potential problems as much as possible is what we have to do.\'

That\'s all what gardeners do. Wandering around from place to place, taking measures to ensure that the origin and the Earth can coexist.

Especially since \'Gio\'s Portrait\' was a special case, he had to ask this. Humans are beings who easily discard their identity out of greed.

“No.”

It was slightly cool and very heavy, but gentlemanly and calm. Thankfully, the portrait remained unchanged.

“Thank you for the advice.”

“…Thank you for accepting it as advice.”

“Honestly, I think the word \'strange\' is appropriate, but the world outside of the painting is different from what I know.”

Gio continued with a voice so polite that it felt strange.

“It must have been bothersome, but thank you for being considerate enough to explain it to me.”

“…Still as straightforward as ever….”

Did Gio know that this aspect is what made him seem even less human?

\'He seems to think of himself as a normal human, but did he ignore that contradiction even though he was aware of it, or is he really unaware….\'

Around that time, Gio asked.

“By the way, why are seeds so expensive?”

“…Huh? Oh, seeds?”

Realizing that the topic had shifted back, Yoo Sung-woon nodded and answered.

“Well… because it allows you to farm. Whether it’s tomatoes, lettuce, or whatever it is, once you start farming, you can at least take care of your own meals for the day. Even if not, you can sell them in the market to others and use that money to buy meat or various necessities….”

“Most families that want to farm usually prefer wild seeds that can be found for free in places like mountains, rather than refined seeds like this. Anyway, in many ways, seeds sold in stores tend to be quite expensive.”

“I see.”

“Well, for someone like you who lives close to nature, it might be hard to understand.”

“No, I understand.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Yoo Sung-woon continued.

“Anyway, making seeds or seedlings by yourself is very troublesome, and the quality is lower. That’s why there are speciality shops. If it’s homemade seeds, that’s one thing, but seeds sold by professionals like this are quite expensive.”

The portrait then murmured softly.

“Farming….”

“Did you ask me because you were interested?”

“Yes.”

Gio nodded.

“I’ve done it a few times before.”

“Really? Before…”

“And with all the time inside the portrait, I also thought it would be nice not to keep my hands idle.”

“You have many hobbies. With painting and all, you must not be bored living.”

“To live a joyful life, there should be no time to be bored.”

“That\'s true.”

Understandable.

\'To spend that infinite time, you must have a lot of hobbies.\'

Gio maintained his consciousness cleanly enough to mistake himself for a human. There was no hostility or madness typical of monsters, nor the excessive indifference shown by the children of origin.

He was overly blunt, but he still maintained enough intelligence to appear human.

\'That\'s not an easy feat.\'

On the other hand, it was also pitiful.

\'… Living the life of the origin with a human mind must be quite tough…’

It would be easier if he gave up his humanity.

But from a gardener\'s perspective, that was something that shouldn\'t happen.

\'The same goes from a human\'s perspective.\'

That delusion was something that had to be maintained to last for as long as possible.

Yoo Sung-woon shrugged and shook off all his emotions, then he asked Gio with an easygoing smile as always.

“Then are you going to start farming now?”

“It seems so.”

“I guess there must be a place to farm inside the portrait? That’s amazing.”

“It\'s just an ordinary cabin.”

“Hmm….”

A cabin.

“That sounds very peaceful.”

“It really is peaceful. The weather is always mild, the ground is soft with moisture, and there\'s a clear stream flowing through the quiet, cosy forest.”

“…That’s really….”

Sounded exactly like the story of the origin.

“…A place I\'d like to visit.”

“I will invite you someday.”

“I guess it\'s not possible now?”

“The house is dirty, so it\'s not possible now.”

“Is that so.”

Considering Gio’s personality, the statement ‘the house is dirty’ is highly likely to be a lie, but anyway, he can’t enter without the homeowner’s permission. Naturally, Yoo Sung-woon had that much sense.

“Then enjoy your farming time.”

“Can I see you again tomorrow?”

“Oh, that… Is it because of the return gift?”

“Now that I’ve received so much, I have to reciprocate.”

“It\'s nothing much, really.”

“Moreover, Mr. Yoo Sung-woon gave me good advice.”

“…Is that so?”

Refusing further would only provoke him.

\'Existences of origin have their own rules.\'

The monsters in dungeons created under the influence of the origin have consistent habits and behaviours, and there were separate methods for interactions or attacks. In the case of ‘children’ closer to the origin, if they were strong, then their rules were at least as strong, or even stronger.

\'He\'s already judged to be a child of the origin. He would have high pride in his own rules, and even if not, physiologically, violating that would be impossible… I can’t refuse from my side.’

The origin is nature itself. Just as a mere human cannot prevent a disaster, to coexist with nature, humans must learn humility and adjust to it.

“Hmm….”

Yoo Sung-woon awkwardly laughed.

“Please make it something not too extravagant.”

“Tea leaves weren\'t extravagant either.”

“I guess so…?”

For a child of origin, identifying items valuable to humans would be difficult. After a brief thought, Yoo Sung-woon spoke with difficulty.

“… Then something delicious?”

“Are you asking for cooking?”

“Just snacks you gave to the employees you met before would be fine. You said you gave them things like chocolate, cookies, and jelly.”

“Yes, that’s right. They were all kind, so I gave them gifts.”

“Really?”

Judging from what he said, it certainly seemed that Gio gave gifts to \'kind people.\'

Perhaps he judged all acts, such as being polite, facilitating conversation, and giving him gifts, as \'kind\'.

“I think snacks like that would be fine.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh, and by the way.”

Yoo Sung-woon passed on what he had heard from the guild leader Bi Sa-beol.

“He said it\'s okay for you to come out.”

“You used to come out of the portrait often. Since the employees were scared, you mostly appeared at dawn. I\'ve been the only one you could talk to.”

“There was no need to come out.”

“But you might feel stuffy, so the guild leader Bi Sa-beol said that if you want, you can come out and look around the company building. Here, an access card.”

“I\'ve never been employed by the Collection Guild. Besides you, Mr. Yoo Sung-woon, I don\'t know anyone else, so is it okay for an outsider like me to wander around?”

“Important places are off-limits, but I’ve made it so that you can go to areas accessible to general employees. If you come out later and run into other employees, you can show this card, it should smooth things over somewhat.”

Though it would only be a rough excuse.

\'Because of the high level of his soul.\'

Still, for future treatment, having was more convenient than not having. Members of the Collection Guild were quick-witted, so they would be cautious on their own.

The portrait looked at the white necklace card handed over by Yoo Sung-woon.

“Well, you seem to have ways to move around even without it, but it would be more comfortable for you to have formal access, right?”

“If possible, I wish you could come out in a time like now when there are no people, but …. you can come out during the day if you don’t mind.”

“That\'s a sufficient answer.”

“Oh… and don\'t hurt other people.”

“What should I do if I\'m attacked first?”

“Then that can’t be helped.”

If a foolish human deliberately stepped on an angry tiger’s tail and got eaten, that would be a natural death.

“I\'m on neither side.”

Yoo Sung-woon aimed to help the origin and humans coexist as much as possible, not unconditionally take the side of humans. A gardener always had to remain neutral.

“You attack too.”

“I can\'t do that, so I\'ll try to run away.”

“I\'d appreciate it if you do so.”

So, this was a sign of trust that humans could show.

And as it has always been, he just hoped \'Gio\'s Portrait\' with its 1:1 rule, would reciprocate appropriately.

***

A month later.

A ghost story began to circulate around Collection.

“It was a black cloak.”

There were no deaths.

Bi Sa-beol\'s gamble succeeded.

t/n: access card get ✅️

guild map unlocked ✅️

city map

we are one step closer to our potato gaining freedom to roam around the city ദ്ദി • ᗜ • )✧ (not really)