The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 96

“However, ‘Black Cloak’ has helped humans escape dungeons on several occasions.”

“However, ‘Black Cloak’ has classified and limited the humans it will help. It means that it cannot be a monster that only helps humans.”

The association staff member spoke with a straight face, without any emotion, as if it was completely incredulous.

“Many hunters seem to have forgotten that ‘Black Cloak’ is a monster.”

It was a sarcastic remark mocking the absurd judgment of the hunters.

The hunters could no longer protest when the association responded like this. The association had considerable authority, and they were right.

“No, but still....”

“Black Cloak helps humans?”

There were still many people who °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° were dissatisfied.

“Haven’t you seen the official document? The association’s words were not wrong.”

“The association kept telling us to keep an eye out for Black Cloak.”

“Aren’t those who went to S-class dungeons because of groundless rumors stupid?”

The situation soon calmed down.

“If only it weren’t for those rumors....”

“What are you talking about? It’s the fault of those idiots who tried to conquer without even reading the official document.”

“Ugh....”

It was because the conclusion was that ‘the hunters who tried to use monsters as they pleased from the beginning were stupid.’

“Don’t you learn to be wary of monsters when you get your hunter ID?”

“Monsters aren’t vending machine drinks.... What on earth were you thinking when you went into a dungeon trusting a single monster?”

“The hunters of the past weren’t like that, but I can definitely feel that the current generation’s standards have dropped significantly.”

“How can a hunter who doesn’t even know how scary monsters are called a hunter?”

“Even these idiots are acting like hunters. This is the end of the world.”

If they had been relying on the characteristics of the monsters and considering the chance help, the criticism wouldn’t have been this harsh.

However, didn’t the problem arise because the hunters who jumped into the dungeon, which was rated as S-class, were the only ones who believed in the mercy of the ‘Black Cloak’?

Even the hunters who had been seriously considering the ‘Deep Sea Country’ since long ago showed a negative attitude.

“It doesn’t make sense to rely only on monsters to conquer the dungeon.”

“Aren’t you taking the conquer too lightly? Even though the exploration season was long.”

“They say the collector bought the entry ticket, so the attention was focused, but this is a bit...”

The atmosphere seemed to be ending like that.

“.......”

Yoo Seong-woon was watching.

‘... It’s almost sorted out.’

It wasn’t a bad flow.

‘The situation was flowing a little strangely. ‘I guess it’s fortunate that it ended like this.’

While watching the hunters and the ordinary citizens talking about this situation, Yoo Seong-woon took out a piece of candy from his chest. He was running around here and there to see how the aftermath of ‘Black Cloak’ would end, so he was really short on sugar.

“Haa....”

“.......”

“So what?”

Yoo Seong-woon asked when he felt someone’s presence on the bench behind him.

“I think I have some business to attend to.”

“You look tired.”

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

“If you work overtime for over a week and don’t get tired, you’re not human.”

“I agree.”

The association employee nodded, looking like an ordinary citizen in his black padding.

He sat behind the bench Yoo Seong-woon was sitting on, and looked at the park that was taking on the appearance of spring despite it being winter due to the government’s measures.

“I don’t intend to take up too much of the time of the busy Yoo Seong-un Hunter. I have a few questions for you. Would you be able to answer them?”

“Um... I would appreciate it if you could finish within 15 minutes. After that, I have to take the train to check the ocean conditions.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

The questions from the association staff continued naturally.

“It seems like the collector knows about the recent ‘Black Cloak’ incident.”

“There are many things to worry about, but what is the basis for your statement?”

“The collector seems to be the source of the interesting horror story that ‘Black Cloak gives gifts to good people.’”

“That’s right.”

Yoo Seong-un answered calmly.

“There were quite a few people among our staff who encountered Black Cloak.”

“Then I think we should revise the information on the website. Could you testify as the first witness?”

“I’ll ask when I have time. Surely he won’t force me to come, right?”

“No way. I just felt that the information about the Black Cloak needed to be corrected.”

“Anyway, our staff and the Black Cloak have encountered each other a few times, so I know his rules. He really hates rude and bad people.”

Even though he was saying this, Yoo Seong-woon had no intention of telling him the exact circumstances of the ‘Black Cloak.’

If he were to openly reveal the fact that the guy was the ‘Portrait of Geo’ that even the Association Chairman coveted, there was a high possibility that the Association, which had approached him for research purposes, would publicly annoy him.

‘Geo wouldn’t want that, either.’

He didn’t like things to be noisy, since he lived in a peaceful cabin.

“And maybe we should call it a ‘gift.’ They say that the Black Cloak gives gifts to good people, but it’s not something material, it’s more like a favor....”

“Can we say that he has a rule to show favor to polite and good people?”

“Yes, well. I’m sorry I didn’t report it in advance. But you don’t have the right to order your employees to report on monsters they encounter by chance.”

The employee asked.

“Is it a monster?”

“.......”

“I’m asking the gardener, Mr. Yoo Seong-woon.”

“...Then, I guess I should say no.”

“I see. Don’t you plan on returning to the Association Research Institute?”

“It seems like it was the Association Chairman’s order, but please tell him that I have no intention of doing so.”

“Understood.”

The employee returned to the original topic.

“Can I understand that you didn’t intentionally spread the rumor about the Black Cloak?”

“It was half intentional, but....”

Yoo Seong-woon mixed in some facts.

“Aside from that, I had absolutely no intention of causing chaos like this.”

“Then what was your purpose in spreading the rumor?”

“Black Cloak hates rude and bad people, so he didn’t want to make a big fuss by doing stupid things in front of them.”

“The collector wanted to emphasize the ‘good person’ part, but the hunters were fooled by the ‘gift’ part.”

“Even the collector didn’t know that the hunters would be so stupid.”

“I understand.”

“.......”

Even so, the collector didn’t expect that the ‘Portrait of Geo’ would be completely hidden.

‘... Since the association didn’t call them directly and only checked like this, it means that they already knew to some extent, but they don’t plan on digging too deep.’

The association president was a famous hunter who was estimated to be hiding something of an S-class or higher. Since such a person saw the ‘Portrait of Geo’ and coveted it himself, he might have guessed in advance that this ‘Black Cloak’ had a big connection to it.

‘There was also a big commonality in the first place, which was the portrait.’

It was already a known fact that the black cloak was seen in the form of a portrait. At this point, I knew everything, but I couldn’t help but think that he was asking formally.

So the purpose of this blind conversation was only two.

‘With this rumor and the chaotic situation as a starting point, is the collector intending to exploit the black cloak? If not, is he thinking of handing Geo’s portrait over to the association for research...?’

Well, he denied both of them.

“.......”

Yoo Seong-woon opened his mouth.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?”

“Have you figured out the identity of the black cloak, Gardener Yoo Seong-woon?”

“...No.”

That would have been great.

“I don’t know.”

“...I see.”

“So I ask that the association pay special attention.”

“Are you saying that we need to raise the response level?”

“That might be better.”

It was a source that even Yoo Seong-un couldn’t figure out. Even if the Black Cloak didn’t have any ill intentions, there was a high chance that it would be a disaster for humans in some way, so from the perspective of the weak humans, it would be better to be on high alert for survival.

“If there’s anything we know about this side, I’ll pass it on to you.”

“...Please take care of it.”

The staff member naturally moved away as if they had never talked to him before.

“.......”

Feeling the movement moving away, Yoo Seong-un closed his eyes.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve received the association’s attention like this.’

Still, the response wasn’t awkward, as the park didn’t look much different than before. No one was even pretending not to notice and focusing on him.

‘I guess I didn’t act awkward.’

As I quietly closed my eyes, I heard the people gathered in the park with the gentle air talking.

“So what was the Black Cloak...?”

They were also confused.

“You said from the beginning that it was a monster that didn’t fit in with the ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’.”

“I heard that sometimes monsters from other dungeons come over, was that the case?”

“There might be a separate dungeon for the Black Cloak.”

“But it’s a humanoid monster. Is there a case where a boss monster goes over a dungeon?”

“I heard that sometimes you can see it outside the dungeon....”

“That’s ridiculous. Then it’s a monster that wanders around freely without a designated area."

“That’s right.”

“That was bad. It’s definitely a rumor.”

Yoo Seong-un soon opened his eyes to the voices that sounded like the flapping of a small bird’s wings.

It was all about the story of the black cloak.

“... This is what it’s going to be like.”

It was a planned chaos.

‘Still, this is a good measure.’

Geo was a being who could go anywhere. He could be anything because he was a painting, and he could create anything because he was a painter.

There was no way to stop such ‘Portrait of Geo’, so what the collector chose for the stability of the country was ultimately information control.

‘If this is how people can slowly get used to the existence of the black cloak...’

It was clear that it would cause less confusion than showing ‘Portrait of Geo’ in the forefront.

The ghost stories that the collector spread, and the fact that he gave Geo a hunter’s ID as a human, were all in that context. Trying to classify and control the ‘story’ of the origin.

“... ... .”

Nevertheless, Geo’s identity was still a mystery.

‘What kind of being could possibly do such things?’

Not even a god could do such bold acts continuously.

“Not a god, not a human, and definitely not a monster....”

And yet, a being that could be all of those things.

“How should I define this?”

It’s so contradictory.

Even Yoo Seong-un, who had set foot in the garden since he was very young, could not properly explain the being. It was because the standards were completely different from the original beings he had seen and studied until now.

“.......”

Yoo Seong-un sighed and got up from his seat.

“I have to work.”

It felt like losing his eyesight and groping his way with his hands.

A strange eerieness quietly crept up the back of his neck toward the being that was still unknown despite having seen and heard so much.

A painter drawing dungeons