The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 358

God approached and asked.

"How much longer do you think you can endure?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok. I mean you."

"......."

He seemed slightly taken aback by the question, which lacked context.

The Collector’s team was moving smoothly under the Moon Sect’s guidance, and Cha Eun-Hyeok himself had recently found emotional stability after reuniting with his youngest sibling, Cha I-Sol. He thought, is this really the time for ominous lines like ‘how much longer can you endure?’

But perhaps because of that, one person came to mind.

"...I don’t know. I don’t want to answer rashly."

"You’re a very cautious man, Mr. Cha."

"If you're in a position where you're responsible for siblings who could have their noses cut off while their eyes are open no matter where they go, this becomes your way of life. What exactly did you come here to ask, Hunter Seo?"

"I didn’t think it was such a difficult question."

"Then I’ll say it again: I don’t know."

There was still a sibling he hadn’t found.

"I’m just maintaining an uneasy state."

"Is it like waiting for a report card?"

"I've never really been in a position to receive one, so I wouldn’t know... but I suppose it's something like that? Honestly, not knowing the outcome might be a little more comforting."

Cha Eun-Hyeok then corrected himself.

"No, actually... It’s not a state where either outcome would bring comfort."

"I thought as much. The safety of family is important."

"...Where they are, what state they’re in. I shouldn’t ask, right? I know I shouldn’t."

"I’m sorry to say, but I won’t be able to help you much here either."

"I... heard that too."

Curator Yoo Seong-Woon had come to explain it in advance, perhaps out of concern for Cha Eun-Hyeok’s mental well-being as the only civilian in the team. He said that this was not an environment where they could utilize Guildmaster Bisa Beul or Hunter Sergio’s sight, and thus they wouldn’t be able to assist.

It seemed they understood the vulnerability of civilians, who were more prone to mental contamination. Thanks to that, he had fortunately stopped resenting them—but that didn’t mean he felt any better. Either way, it wasn’t a hopeful situation.

"...It’s not that I lack the ability to endure."

"Is that so?"

"I’m just someone who’s used to assuming the worst."

"I see."

"It’s convenient not to expect anything."

Living in this world as a third-tier civilian wasn’t easy.

Being a third-tier civilian meant you didn’t have the right to choose. No matter what abilities your siblings awakened, you didn’t have the right to stop them from becoming hunters. No matter what happened to them out there, even if they came back injured, you didn’t have the right to get angry.

"Still, even so... I end up wishing."

Can’t you at least stay safe?

"Wanting your family not to be hurt is natural, isn’t it?"

"For someone who loves their family like you, Mr. Cha, all the more so."

"Fortunately, my youngest came back to me in one piece."

"That was a great stroke of luck."

"I wish that luck would come one more time."

Having said that, Cha Eun-Hyeok let out a short laugh.

"Still, I think it’s better not to hope."

When he answered that way, God didn’t change the subject. As always, he looked at Cha Eun-Hyeok with a smiling face, then gave a faint nod and ended the conversation.

"......."

Cha Eun-Hyeok couldn’t tell what that vast divine being was trying to see in him. Hope? Despair? How could a mere human possibly grasp such an unfathomable heart?

He simply wondered if perhaps, the unknown gaze or interest directed at him just then might have been one of those ‘shards’ that curators were said to receive from time to time. Whether it would become a blessing or a curse—he thought vaguely—it would be something he’d learn with time.

And perhaps, it was a prelude to something.

"......."

"Are you happy?"

"......."

"Are you happy, oppa?"

Was that what God had been warning him about? Was this how a god foretold the future? All those questions were swallowed whole by the clown.

"...Cha Ara...."

His sister stood before them, wearing a clown’s outfit.

***

Less than a second after assessing the situation, Yoo Seong-Woon spoke.

"Please assist Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok and Priestess Cha I-Sol."

"Yes, Curator Yoo Seong-Woon."

At Yoo Seong-Woon’s instruction, some members of the Collector’s Guild approached Cha Eun-Hyeok and Cha I-Sol. Fortunately, the two were frozen stiff and obediently followed the staff’s guidance.

‘Or more precisely, they’re too shocked to resist.’

Having quickly handled the minor details, Yoo Seong-Woon turned to Gio.

"You seemed to be having a conversation with Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok earlier."

"I wasn’t expecting something like this when we spoke."

"But didn’t you sort of give him a hint?"

"More like... Mr. Zeorge’s personality is worse than I imagined."

"So you did suspect something like this might happen."

"Didn’t you also have a similar idea in mind, Mr. Yoo Seong-Woon? That was the level I was at."

"Hmm, well, fair enough."

There was no time to play the “Eyes of Origin” game in a situation like this. Confident that ending the conversation here wouldn’t disturb his piece of work’s mood, Yoo Seong-Woon turned his gaze to the distant figure again.

"This is troublesome."

"Even if it wasn’t Miss Cha Ara, we would’ve faced a similar situation eventually."

"That’s true... but still, ugh, it really leaves a bad taste."

Cha Ara, unlike usual, was dressed to the nines.

Her short bobbed hair was curled neatly, pale cheeks like paper had tear designs painted on them, and her outfit—which included a skirt she didn’t usually wear—was decorated with excessive frills and ribbons, making it both flashy and somehow chaotic.

As he studied her appearance, Yoo Seong-Woon spoke again.

"For a clown, doesn’t she look rather refined?"

"It’s certainly an over-the-top outfit. It seems they’re desperate to attach every pretty and stylish thing in existence. Seeing as they have no sense of selection or focus, their fashion sense is obvious. ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Like a child who doesn’t understand the beauty of empty space."

"Ah, I guess you don’t like this kind of thing...."

It appeared that Giovanni was the one who disliked it, to be precise. Yoo Seong-Woon, who had reviewed many materials on the “clowns” that had appeared on Earth, realized that Cha Ara’s clown attire was a bit different from theirs.

"Still, she’s much more prettily dressed than the other clowns, right?"

At Yoo Seong-Woon’s remark, several Collector members nodded in agreement. Giovanni, wearing a subtly displeased expression as if not willing to deny the truth, finally conceded.

"I can tell more effort went into it."

"And the fact that Hunter Cha Ara is in the area where we think the ‘answer’ might be located...."

"We should stay cautious."

"You mean there might be differences from the ordinary clowns."

At that, Yoo Seong-Woon fell silent. A strange stillness settled among those sensing the off-kilter atmosphere.

"......."

"...She’s not attacking?"

"She’s just watching quietly."

"Why...?"

Cha Ara—the clown—stood motionless among the gems. All she did was smile toward them. Whether mentally or physically, it was a reaction distinctly different from the other clowns, who had attacked immediately.

"Is there a possibility this too has been distorted?"

"No, the flow of particles is unchanged. It wouldn’t be called stable, but within this dungeon, the flow is rather gentle."

"Then why...?"

As the tension began to settle and everyone’s attention focused, the clown, who had been silent all along, spread her arms.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen."

Her voice was as clear as a chime, yet somehow mechanical. She wore a drawn-on, unchanging smile, and in her hand was a hat. Yoo Seong-Woon instinctively scanned it.

‘Is that Zeorge’s magic hat?’

A black hat that seemed to have its own will. Faint golden patterns shimmered under the light of the gems, almost invisible, and a smooth blue ribbon wrapped around it, as if made of silk. It was unmistakably Zeorge’s.

‘But does it make sense for a mere monster to have the boss’s precious possession?’

Then the clown’s words continued naturally.

"I welcome you, who have arrived at this deep waterway on your own two feet."

"That means?"

"Among the uninvited guests of the garden, you have proven yourselves not to be the dumbest. For that, a sweet reward awaits. I have been designed to answer exactly three questions from you."

"That’s...."

"You have exactly six minutes. The right to ask belongs only to the three with the highest contributions. I recommend thinking carefully, as there are questions I cannot answer."

The clown called out three names.

"Aram. Yoo Seong-Woon. Cha Eun-Hyeok."

"......."

"Then please, in order, ask your questions without delay."

At that, Gio looked at Aram.

"Does this mean we’ve reached the ‘answer’?"

"At the very least, it’s the exact opposite of what happened when we found the other artifact... so I think we can consider it that way. We’ve gained a valuable opportunity. But six minutes isn’t much time."

"We can’t afford a long discussion like we did before entering the dungeon."

"We’ll have to think later about the purpose and criteria behind determining contribution. For now, we need to ask our questions. But if we ask something too central to the dungeon, there's a high chance they won’t answer... we’ll need to be careful."

With only brief exchanges of glances, the Q&A began without any preliminary discussion. Aram, the first to be called, addressed the clown—still holding the hat, not wearing it.

"We believe there are ‘answers’ that aid in clearing this world and ‘wrong answers’ that hinder it. If that’s true, tell us—are you the ‘answer’? Or is there a separate item like the wrong artifact?"

"I shall answer. I am merely the clown who appeared to praise you, the least foolish of the uninvited guests. I dare not call myself the ‘answer.’ Therefore, you will surely find what you seek in this place. You have found the ‘answer.’ What a cute word. I am happy."

Next, Yoo Seong-Woon spoke.

"This place strongly resembles the ‘Gem’s Waterway,’ a dungeon on Earth. It doesn’t seem to be the exact same space, but the connection is undeniable. Is this world connected to or derived from the ‘Gem’s Waterway’? Or is it merely imitating one of Earth’s many dungeons?"

"I shall answer. The dungeon you call ‘Gem’s Waterway’ is one of the branches derived from this deep and vast waterway. This place functions as one of the unique properties of this world and thus cannot be called a mere imitation. That was a good question. I am pleased—happy, even."

Then came Cha Eun-Hyeok.

"......."

"......."

Cha Eun-Hyeok...

"......."

Involuntarily, he looked toward “Hunter Sergio.”

He didn’t know why. But suddenly, he remembered the conversation they had before coming here. The one where he was asked how long he could endure—how prepared he was.

If that had been one of those clichés—a god’s ominous prophecy—then...

‘...Are you okay?’

What should he ask?

‘Do you remember me? Did you become a monster? Are you dead, Cha Ara?’

There was so much he wanted to ask.

‘How did this happen? Our youngest is watching—how much worse will this get? Why are you doing this to me? What did I do wrong? Are you in pain? What’s your state? Why are you like this? Is there no way to come back? Can’t you just come back like nothing happened?’

There were so many things—too many to ask all of them. Surrounded by Collector staff keeping close like guards to prevent any sudden action, Cha Eun-Hyeok looked at the clown in the distance.

He realized anew how the mind could go numb when panicked. Not even when he first saw a Child of Origin had he felt like this.

‘...What do I ask? There’s not much time left. How long have I been hesitating? Should I be doing this? Don’t I need to ask something? I should ask something useful for clearing the dungeon—but Cha Ara, now, back then, why did God ask me that? What am I supposed to do? What should I....’

Can he avoid regret?

"...What is the clown?"

He forced the words out like he was going to die.

"I want to know the identity of the happy clown—someone related to the master of this world."

"Is that your question, Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok?"

Cha Eun-Hyeok couldn’t say anything in response.

Perhaps he had just kicked away his last chance to connect with his sister. His expression was not just blank—it had hardened like a corpse. All he could do was stare at the smiling clown.

Then the clown narrowed her eyes into a deep smile and answered.

"I shall answer."

"......."

"We can become someone’s limbs, or their family, or friends. This applies to all living humans. Therefore, we are happy. We can be anything to you. And we can do anything. Oh yes, we are happy."

"...Can you tell me in more detail?"

Cha Eun-Hyeok’s voice trembled, spat out like a crushed whisper.

"How you’re made, and out of what...."

"I cannot answer."

"Does it hurt... or did it...?"

"I cannot answer."

"Please... Cha Ara."

"I cannot answer."

"......."

"All of your questions have been used, Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok."

"Ah...."

"The Q&A session is now over."

Saying that, the clown flipped the hat she was holding and tapped it twice. The gesture, almost playful, prompted the hat to spit out a colorful doll with a curt pop.

The doll swelled, bent, tore—

"Then I wish you all good luck."

In an instant, the cave filled with grotesque clowns.

"Well, well. I knew it wouldn’t end that easily."

"......."

"Please take good care of poor Mr. Cha Eun-Hyeok and the priestesses."

The clowns multiplied instantly, moving with bizarre gestures and making crunching, grinding, grotesque sounds. Their movements were somehow more unpleasant than those of previous clowns. And as always, Bisa Beul, who had remained quiet, gave a crooked smile and tilted his head.

"Let’s see how my cute creations perform."

"Yes, Guildmaster."

"Then get ready."

With a rattling of weapons and a crisp finger snap—

"Begin."

Clink!

One of Bisa Beul’s rings shattered.