The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 76

"So, here's the thing,"

Leaning against the gallery wall, Yoo Seong-Woon asked Gio.

"Is it because you're a painter that you turn people into paint?"

"...."

"If it's a difficult question, you don't have to answer it."

As a former research team leader for the Hunter Association, Yoo Seong-Woon had deep connections with them. This also meant he could access a lot of information, including recent rumors about Gio being spotted in 'The Country of the Deep Sea.'

"I've never heard you call yourself a painter, so I just got curious."

Witnesses had referred to 'The Black Cloak' as both a portrait and a painter.

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"Turning living beings into paint is fascinating too."

"That was not as grand as you might think."

As usual, Gio responded in a mechanical, subdued voice.

"To answer your previous question, I am just an ordinary person with a hobby of painting. I am not qualified to be called a painter."

"Well, in the end, being a painter means someone who paints, right? Although, technically, it refers to someone whose profession is painting... isn't that close enough?"

"If you wish to think that way, I don't mind."

Unlike when Gio stepped outside of the portrait and mimicked human behavior, the voice of the Gio within the portrait was strangely businesslike. It had a mechanical tone, void of any emotion. Gio continued.

"The reason I turned those people into paint was simply because I could draw them beyond the frame. However, when I considered drawing already existing life forms with regular paint, it seemed closer to creation rather than just movement, so I had no choice but to turn them into paint."

"...Well, that..."

Yoo Seong-Woon recalled the conversation he'd had before with 'Gio's Portrait.'

"In your view, the painting is not about you, but about us, right?"

"I am not forgetting that you are not ordinary paintings or paint, but living beings with self-awareness. After thinking about ways to help them, I chose this method. Did it help?"

"Thanks to you, the survival rate has definitely gone up."

Separated by the frame, Gio and the humans would see each other as mere paintings from their respective worlds. It seemed that as both a painter and a portrait, Gio could influence them through the painting.

"Just... well..."

Yoo Seong-Woon hesitated slightly before continuing.

"Everyone's scared, that's all."

"Are they scared?"

"You're not exactly... approachable."

"That's true."

"Being turned into paint alive isn't something that happens every day."

It wasn't just 'uncommon'; it was the sort of thing that one might never experience in their life. The Hunters were grateful for 'The Black Cloak's' mysterious favor, but they also feared him.

"Anyway, as long as you're not treating us as mere paint, that's fine."

"I didn't think of it that way."

"Yeah, you just wanted to help in your own way."

Which, honestly, was what made it seem so inhuman.

"From the human perspective, the benevolence of an entity like Gio doesn't necessarily feel like benevolence," he thought.

If anything, it was a pure way of thinking.

It was like a young child, who doesn't understand the biology of a dog, feeding chocolate to a cute puppy. Though the child might think they were sharing a sweet treat, the dog would end up poisoned.

"Maybe it's because he's a portrait himself, but Gio doesn't hesitate at all about turning people into paint. The only good thing is that people have realized it’s meant to be a kindness..."

Maybe that’s why some Hunters even revere him.

"...Uh..."

After a brief pause, Yoo Seong-Woon spoke again.

"Are you still going to 'The Country of the Deep Sea' lately?"

"I visited, hoping to meet Iser, but I only encountered humans, not mermaids."

"Ah, I see."

It seemed like Iser, that clever mermaid, was avoiding Gio. It was unclear whether she needed time to gather her thoughts or if she was planning something else.

"Anyway... thanks for helping those people."

"No need to thank me. I rather feel like I surprised them, and I want to apologize. Was my behavior rude?"

"It wasn't rude, nothing like that. It's just that... there are a lot of people scared."

Although it was more than just 'a little,' the fact that Gio had spared the humans was unchanged. The Hunters seemed to understand that it was a kindness.

"If 'The Black Cloak' becomes too familiar to the Hunters, there might be issues, but for now, it doesn’t seem like anything major is going to happen."

Yoo Seong-Woon wanted to distinguish 'Sergio,' the friendly and kind Hunter, from the mysterious legend of 'The Black Cloak,' but it seemed Gio had no intention of doing so. From a greedy human perspective, that was a bit of a dilemma.

Did Gio want to interact closely with others, even in the form of 'The Black Cloak'?

"I’ll clarify beforehand. I’m not saying you shouldn’t help people. It’s just that... it’s probably better if they’re a little scared than dead, right? I'm concerned about what you know, so I came to check. Please don’t take it the wrong way."

"I’m not offended."

"That’s a relief. But..."

Yoo Seong-Woon trailed off, hesitating.

"I have a question."

The reason he visited the gallery today wasn’t just to deliver the latest rumors about 'The Black Cloak.'

"Can I ask you something?"

"I will answer any question I can."

"Then... how do you adjust your level?"

This question stemmed from the many rumors circulating and the testimonies of a few witnesses, like Seong-Woon and the Chara family. The 'Black Cloak' and 'Gio' as a human were not seen as the same entity by others, as the disparity between the two was immense.

The portrait painted in black paint and with eyes that couldn't be seen seemed to ask back.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ah..."

Then again, Gio probably didn’t realize how high his own 'level' was.

"Since he thinks of himself as an ordinary human, it was my mistake to bring up the word 'level.' After all, he once explained the fear people had of him as just a resolution issue..."

After thinking it over briefly, Yoo Seong-Woon spoke again.

"Of course, the rumors about 'The Black Cloak' and 'Gio' being the same person... there are times when they act or speak so differently that it’s hard to see them as the same entity."

"This is the problem."

"When you’re ‘Sergio,’ you probably wouldn’t think of turning people into paint."

That was the issue.

"You’re still the same Gio, but your way of thinking seems to change based on your 'level.'"

"..."

"Did I misunderstand? If that was a rude judgment, I apologize."

After a moment, the portrait responded.

"Yoo Seong-Woon's words seem to be correct. I sometimes change my thoughts and tone."

"Ah."

"I try my best to live correctly and politely, but, to borrow your words, when I am 'The Black Cloak,' I tend to make arrogant and rude judgments."

It seemed like the portrait was aware of this.

"But I never intend to harm anyone. You needn’t worry about me causing any harm."

"I understand what you mean."

Yoo Seong-Woon nodded.

"Indeed, the thoughts of humans and those of the source can never be the same."

Even the same entity could have different ways of thinking depending on its 'level.'

"Gio said it was arrogant and rude, but for him, it probably seemed like a perfectly natural behavior. Considering the 'level' of the entity that is Gio’s portrait, it doesn’t seem strange."

It was only natural for a human to look down on an ant.

"To attempt to lower his gaze and meet humans halfway is impressive. Perhaps it’s possible because Gio understands humans so well."

Of course, even if Gio tried, he could never be fully human. Still, the fact that he was chastising himself for being 'arrogant and rude' seemed meaningful.

"...."

A chill ran down his spine.

"Do you have any more questions?"

"Huh? No, just..."

Every time he realized Gio was not human, it sent a shiver down his spine.

"...I just think you’re really amazing."

Yoo Seong-Woon still didn’t know what exactly Gio was.

Except for the fact that he was a portrait.

"Schhhh..."

"Hm?"

"Schhhhh..."

"Mmm."

Gio was inhaling Dana's stomach, and Honey was peeking over.

"Cluck?"

"I think I’m going to live."

"Quack?"

"Healing has occurred."

There truly was no better hobby in life than sucking on a cat’s stomach.

"Of course, Dana’s not soft or warm..."

"Chrrr."

"But it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a cat. Thank you for stepping on me, master."

The two cotton-soft paws pushing his face away were too adorable.

The sight made the Sun God, in the form of a teddy bear, look a bit troubled, but neither Gio, Honey, nor Dana seemed to be affected.

In the warm family meeting, Gio asked seriously.

"So, how do I get Iser to see my face?"

The topic was Iser’s defection.

"She refuses to come see me for some reason. I’m sure she knows I’m here, so what’s going on?"

"Cluck..."

The bear looked at him as if to say 'You don’t know that?' and Gio nodded.

"I know. It’s like how a dog hides from its owner after misbehaving. Humans have this bad instinct of avoiding punishment when they feel they’ve done something wrong."

"Cluck..."

The Sun God was contemplating whether it was acceptable to call Iser a human or if it was even right to compare her avoidance to a dog or a child. It didn’t seem like Iser was avoiding him because she feared being scolded.

Although she clearly had the form of 'Giovanni,' there was an unsettling sense of strangeness and an unexplainable high 'level.' Adding to that was the repulsion of the Sun God’s holiness, making Iser an entity the mermaids struggled to approach.

But Gio was a resolute young man. He was steadfast.

"I used to draw maps on the blanket when I was a child, then secretly did hand-washing at night, trying not to let my grandmother catch me. Even though it’s a natural physiological occurrence for children, I still didn’t want to admit it because of guilt and embarrassment."

"Cluck...?"

"But in the end, I got caught. A child can’t hand-wash very well by themselves. The cloth gets soaked, and it doesn’t dry overnight. So no matter how much Iser tries to avoid me, she won’t be able to escape."

"Cluck...?"

The teddy bear looked doubtful, as if questioning whether that was the right analogy. Gio sighed lightly.

"It’s true that Iser has chosen a much crueler path, but..."

"Cluck cluck, cluck."

"I remember Iser as a young student. It doesn’t feel real now that she’s a terrorist or anything like that."

Even though Gio felt a sense of fear about being involved in the terrorist incident, beyond that, Giovanni still remembered his young disciple. It didn’t feel real.

When he heard someone say, "Your little and precious student is now attacking religious facilities after your death," his response was nothing more than "Oh? Really?"

"But that’s why we must capture Iser... no, we must meet her."

"Cluck?"

Honey gave a skeptical look, as if to say, 'Didn’t you just say you’d capture her?' Gio ignored it, and Dana lazily yawned.

"How do I get Iser to come meet me? I can’t stop thinking about it."

"Cluck..."

"‘The Country of the Deep Sea’ is not a big supermarket. I can’t play the lost child broadcast, and Iser, being an adult, can’t really be called a lost child. She knows where the exit is, yet refuses to come... this cute mermaid..."

It seemed like she had become a coward, not even wanting to show her face. Gio blinked twice. He then continued.

"I’ll tell you # Nоvеlight # in advance, I do have a plan."

"Cluck?"

"If I make a big ruckus in ‘The Country of the Deep Sea,’ I’m sure I’ll get to see her face."

"Cluck cluck?"

"At least I’ll have the upper hand. If it works out, I’ll... let me explain my plan."

After hearing Gio’s story, the bird tilted its head as if to question whether that would really work, the cat flipped over on its back, uninterested, and the teddy bear wore a skeptical expression.

Gio looked at the Sun God.

"What’s wrong?"

"Cluck..."

The teddy bear seemed to nod thoughtfully at Gio's calm demeanor, thinking 'Well, if Gio thinks it’s fine, then it must be.'

"Cluck cluck cluck."

"Thank you for your support."

It was truly a warm family meeting.

The painter who paints dungeons.