The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 356

Each accessory had a story behind it.

“Teacher, have you been well?”

“Aram, you’ve grown quite a bit.”

“It’s all thanks to you.”

And it was the priests of the Moon Sect who uncovered that.

They had failed to simplify what they called the “Garden Formula.” Or rather, they had postponed it. The general consensus was that no matter how simplified it was, the Hunters wouldn’t understand it anyway. It also helped that, as priests handling divine power, they had an easier time comprehending such formulas.

So instead, the Moon Sect chose full-scale exploration.

“It’s truly a joy to see your face again like this. I heard you were recovering and resting inside the Collector’s compound, and now to be pulled into such a major incident again...”

“Well, I don’t mind. It’s nice to get a walk in on an occasion like this. More than that, is it thanks to that so-called Garden Formula that you found us so easily?”

“Yes, that’s right. Though rather than finding you or the Collector, we were tracking the location of the dungeon’s accessories. It’s still surprising that the schism within the Church of the Sun was caused by an accessory. With all that hair-pulling, I assumed it had collapsed due to pure internal conflict.”

“And the fact that the earring ended up in Priest Kang Seodam’s hands and made its way to us is also quite the twist.”

“Exactly. Without the ability to read the Garden Formula like we can, it would be nearly impossible to meet any other participants in this dungeon. The gracious goddess of the Sun must truly be watching over Priest Kang Seodam.”

That is to say, unless by divine luck, encountering another survivor here without assistance was nearly impossible.

“Of course, we also can’t rule out the possibility that the dungeon master is showing some favoritism...”

As Kang Seodam avoided her gaze with a subtle expression, Aram turned back to Gio with understanding eyes.

“Then, may I continue the explanation?”

“Seeing you again, you seem to have lost all hesitation.”

“It’s a relief to know I’ve grown in some way during the brief time I was sealed.”

“Confidence is a very healthy form of growth for humans, yes.”

For reference, the first thing Aram shouted when she ran into the Collector’s group was, “The earring—!!!” She’d been chasing after the accessory from the beginning rather than looking for survivors, so in a way, it was a natural reaction. Still, it was hard not to notice how much thicker her skin had become compared to the past.

In any case, Aram appeared to be ready to give the matter serious attention and continued explaining with a determined expression.

“The accessories found in this dungeon—this garden—are special. In a typical dungeon, destroying them would be a vital step in progressing.”

“They didn’t seem destructible, though.”

“That’s because they’re part of the garden itself. Unless the garden collapses, those accessories can’t be destroyed. Thanks to that, we were able to track them all the way here.”

“Were the other accessories harder to find?”

“No, actually, this was a bit of a calculated move... You know how encountering an accessory triggers a clown attack? So the Moon Sect decided it would be better to seek out already-discovered accessories first.”

“So the reason you assumed the earring we’re holding was one of those ‘already found accessories’... was likely because Priest Kang was wandering around with it?”

“Exactly. At present, the only accessory in motion was this earring.”

Unfortunately, the anklet and necklace no longer showed any movement. That likely meant the teams carrying them had either abandoned the accessories—or been annihilated. And based on the circumstances, the latter seemed more probable.

No matter how much they tried to analyze it, other than identifying something as a ‘probable accessory,’ they couldn’t determine any specific features. So rather than gambling on an unknown, the Moon Sect chose to pursue the item clearly held by someone still alive.

“We didn’t expect it to be an earring, though.”

“But the first thing you said when you saw us...”

“Yes, I shouted about the earring. Allow me to explain what I meant earlier by ‘story.’”

The Moon Sect hadn’t merely been chasing accessories.

Once the formula was established, they gained more composure, and began noticing how the mystical flow functioned in this strange garden. They meticulously noted oddities they encountered during their movements—driven by the tireless scholarly curiosity unique to seekers of truth.

“And in the process, we discovered this.”

“...Is that a letter?”

“It appears to be a love letter, based on our interpretation.”

Yoo Seong-Woon, who had been silently standing next to Gio, glanced at it and frowned.

“...? I don’t recognize the language at all.”

“That’s why I said we interpreted it.”

“You basically created meaning out of thin air.”

“Thank you for noticing.”

Interpreting an unfamiliar script from scratch was no small feat. If there’d been more examples or references, maybe it’d be a different story—but Aram had only found three letters.

So even if the language had patterns, and even if she’d managed a rough translation, to Yoo Seong-Woon, it felt like a miracle.

Seeing his reaction, Aram pointed proudly to the Moon Sect’s “Moon,” cradled gently by the priests behind her. She looked like a doting guardian, reverent yet beaming with pride.

“Our Moon played a huge role in this.”

“As expected, the Moon’s dignity remains unshaken.”

“Of course.”

Returning to the explanation—

“These letters correspond to specific accessories. While traces of accessories or similar objects can be felt all over the garden, the presence of these letters is limited to just three. Which suggests that the letters only appear after the accessory is found.”

“Then how do you know which letter connects to the earring? Can you tell the difference?”

“Yes, of course. If you’ll look here...”

Aram nodded at Gio’s question and showed the letter.

“They’re the same color.”

“Oh.”

“The earring has a blue gem, and the letter is also blue. Though we didn’t make the connection just based on that. Our Moon Sect confirmed that both the letter and the earring emit the same color and type of mystical particle.”

“Impressive. That Garden Formula of yours can even pick up on color?”

“I’m honored that you’re impressed, teacher. Anyway, since we also deciphered the contents of the letter, we were already expecting that ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) the accessory you carried would be in the form of a blue earring.”

At this, Yoo Seong-Woon rubbed his chin and let out a nasal hum.

“Hmmm...”

“Is something wrong?”

“Not really... It’s just...”

Looking slightly awkward, Yoo Seong-Woon answered Aram’s question.

“It hit me again that everything here really is made of mystery.”

“At least we’re human, so don’t worry too much.”

“I’m not worried, just a little deflated, that’s all.”

Every time they moved, the scenery changed, and everything—from chandeliers to mansions—was composed of mystic particles or illusions. Realizing that made it feel a little absurd.

Having thought it over, Yoo Seong-Woon voiced his admiration again.

“You really are amazing. Even I—who’s supposed to be the gardener—can’t see any of this.”

“It’s not exactly seeing—it’s more like calculating. We remember the patterns of particles floating in the air and plug them into the formula to deduce outcomes.”

“So that’s how you knew the earring was blue? That’s practically a miracle.”

“While we did predict it would be blue ahead of time, even if we hadn’t, the letter’s vibrant color made it easy to guess. We figured the color was probably a hint.”

Blue, green, yellow. Though not childishly vivid, their clear hues made it obvious these weren’t ordinary letters. The color clearly carried meaning.

“So then, to the contents of the letter...”

Aram unfolded the letter delicately and read it.

“You’ve drawn a dud.”

“Seriously?”

This damned garden, now dabbling in gambling mechanics?

Gio sighed at the dreadful learning aptitude of Zeorge. Of all the things to pick up from Earth, he had to learn probability games. Even “Mr. Giovanni” inside Gio silently cursed.

“A dud? You mean...”

“Yes... there’s a correct answer. At least, we believe so.”

Aram turned to Kang Seodam.

“Where exactly was the earring found?”

“...I didn’t find it myself, but it was inside a hidden jewel box. It was tucked away in a spot hard to see. Someone brought it back from there.”

“So it was disguised as something precious.”

“From what you’re saying now, it doesn’t sound like it was precious at all. Are you saying it was a trap reflecting human assumptions?”

“More scam than trap. It was made to look valuable.”

Aram lowered her head and opened the blue letter in her hands. She checked that no anomalies had occurred before nodding and continuing the explanation.

“It’s a love letter addressed to what we assume is the dungeon master. From what we can tell, it’s not a fictional element added for dungeon storytelling, but a real letter. The idioms, objects, and buildings mentioned reflect a consistent era and reality.”

“Ahem, Bishop.”

“Forgive the tangent. We believe the letter was written by someone akin to a stalker. Maybe a kidnapper, or a slave trader. The affection expressed borders on obsession—and it’s clear it wasn’t mutual.”

“It felt more like fixation than affection.”

“Exactly. Honestly, it was creepy to read.”

The Moon Sect priests nodded in agreement, clearly disturbed. Before they were scholars and priests, they were people, and anyone would feel revulsion at such clingy emotion.

“And based on what we can tell, the recipient didn’t appreciate it much either. Or maybe—it’s unclear. But what is certain is that the letter’s feelings held little value to the recipient.”

“No value, huh.”

“You can tell just by the condition of the earring. If it had been a cherished gift from a beloved person, even in a dungeon, would it really be this tattered?”

Not only that, it wasn’t even the real item—it had been reconstructed from mystic particles. Which meant the creator had to imbue it with their own intent.

“If we consider the dungeon master’s perspective—if they had no desire to polish or preserve it, that suggests they didn’t care much for it. It’s possible that’s also a trap, of course...”

But since this dungeon—this garden—was centered on exposure, that possibility was lower. Especially considering this was the garden transformed into a dungeon by the Black Cloak. Just as the participants were influenced, the dungeon master must be influenced too.

Just as the sub-dungeons were formed based on the participants’ “happiness,” this entire space seemed to be based on the dungeon master’s own idea of happiness.

“So let’s assume it’s not a trick. Doesn’t it clearly feel unloved?”

“Aha, so that’s why it’s a dud?”

“Well, maybe not exactly a total dud... but at the very least, it’s obvious that the accessory and letter weren’t something the dungeon master cared much for.”

The clown attack triggered upon discovery was likely the same. Perhaps to prevent the person from learning more after uncovering a weak spot. But even so, the clowns didn’t take the accessory back. They even seemed to play around, as if mocking.

“We think the clown’s appearance is a kind of punishment. That’s why we called it a dud. It’s not valuable to the dungeon master, but it brings disaster to the one who finds it. So yeah, a dud.”

“So then... we haven’t found the ‘correct answer’ yet?”

“......”

Blinking, Aram eventually replied to Gio’s question.

“...We haven’t found it, but we’ve detected a flow of mystic particles similar to the accessories, but gentler.” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“Gentler?”

“It doesn’t feel like something reproduced, like these letters. It seems like an actual object. And that likely means it’s something the dungeon master truly treasures. But maybe for that very reason, it’s incredibly hard to locate.”

“So its presence is faint.”

“Not quite faint, but... like a weed. Very natural, but not immediately noticeable. Blended in so well, it’s hard to spot. Similar to how people struggle to perceive the clowns—we suspect it works by a similar principle.”

“Then we should find that first.”

“If we want to confirm whether there’s really a ‘correct answer,’ yes.”

And now, after what felt like an immeasurable amount of time, they finally had a goal.