The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 167

“You’re saying a saint can be made that way?”

At the man’s blunt words, Yoo Seong-Woon—leaning against the gallery wall—let out a short laugh.

“It’s not certain.”

“But according to you, she’s going through the process of becoming a saint, step by step.”

“Well, the divine being in question is going out of his way to consider the human. It’s similar to the case of the God of Death.”

Saints are those who, even without any special grace or consideration, can handle their deity like a friend or family member. Joo-Hyun, still living a perfectly normal human life thanks to Gio’s consideration, couldn’t be called the same as those saints.

“I only said there’s a possibility.”

There were enough examples of ordinary humans who became saints by virtue of their vast inner capacity alone.

“The very fact that she can look at that immense mystery and see a young man—it’s something most people can’t even imagine. The fact that she can means she’s already proving her qualifications.”

“If she continues to prove herself like that, she might just become a saint in the end. That’s how the Moon Church has managed to manufacture saints all this time.”

“Still, we can’t know what kind of saint she’d become—if she even does. And more likely than not, she won’t—either because Gio doesn’t wish it, or because she lacks the capacity.”

In other words—

“Joo-Hyun’s only taken the first step.”

If there were a staircase between an ordinary person and a saint, she’d climbed just one step. And until she reached the top, no matter how many she ascended, she’d remain just an ordinary human.

“So I don’t think you need to worry so much, Senior. For now, it’s all just in the realm of imagination.”

“It’s not really my place to worry. But did you explain it properly to the person involved?”

“I told her everything. I figured she’d grab me by the collar if I didn’t. She’s got a gentle face, but she’s sharper than she looks. Surprisingly fierce.”

“A normal human doesn’t pity an immense mystery. Only a ‘human who merely appears ordinary’ might.”

The man clicked his tongue.

“You’d better make sure she’s careful.”

“I said as much, but...”

“Well, if words alone solved anything, there’d be no tragedies in the world.”

“She’s trying to restrain herself... though, who knows.”

So many saints in history became the family or friend of a god precisely because they could treat a revered divine being as an equal. It wasn’t something you could control with sheer willpower.

“She definitely has the capacity.”

Yoo Seong-Woon rubbed his throat.

“But I wouldn’t say the situation is bad.”

“Are you falling back into your bad habit again?”

“Well... maybe a little.”

How could the curator of Bisa Beul and the gardener of the Snowfield resist the pull of something this interesting? The Origin might be a being that could become or hold anything, but even so, whether it could hold the heart of a divine child was another matter entirely.

But this wasn’t just about Seong-Woon’s curiosity.

“Gio doesn’t manipulate the people he cherishes.”

He shrugged lightly.

“So unless Joo-Hyun wants otherwise, she’ll remain an ordinary human.”

“You’re sure of that?”

“I’ve observed and analyzed Gio long enough.”

“When it comes to rules, beings of the Origin are more reliable than humans.”

“That’s why I told her—for now, just follow her heart.”

“If nothing can be done about it, that’s probably best.”

The man nodded.

“If the ‘Portrait of Gio’ has embraced that woman Joo-Hyun, maybe it’s because he’s drawn to that stubborn compassion of hers. We, outsiders, might be overstepping by trying to interfere.”

“......”

“If the portrait finds satisfaction in that part of her, it’s best to leave things be. And you—don’t go doing anything foolish just because you find it interesting.”

“...Would I, though?”

Yoo Seong-Woon pulled a mock-exhausted expression.

“Senior, I think you love the beings of the Origin a bit too much.”

“If a curator doesn’t love the work, do they even deserve the title?”

“There’s a limit, though. If you give your heart too easily to dangerous mysteries, eventually it’ll end badly.”

“I have enough judgment for that.”

The man glanced sideways at Seong-Woon, who was crouched in the hallway, gnawing on a lollipop.

“You gardeners... you really don’t know what to do once you start feeling something, do you? Feeling pity for an entire species—how arrogant.”

“If that rubbed you the wrong way, I apologize. But I guess... yeah. Just think of it as a harmless occupational hazard.”

Seong-Woon chuckled mildly.

“After all, the floor director has dedicated his life to the work, just like the guildmaster.”

The man’s name was Garasani, also known by the nickname “Chamber Master”—director of the Fifth Floor at the Collector’s Gallery. He oversaw the gallery’s most dangerous works, ones Bisa Beul valued more than his own life. Naturally, his love for his works was intense.

He was also one of the few guild members who knew that Yoo Seong-Woon was a gardener. Garasani looked down at him with faint exasperation.

“I don’t get it. You signed a full-body liability waiver just to enter, and now you’re talking about ‘dedicating your life’?”

“That wasn’t a waiver—it was just a contract. Let’s not use such ominous phrasing.”

“Doesn’t seem that different to me. Either way, loving the work is part of being a curator.”

“Of course, of course. You're the Fifth Floor Director, after all. You’d know best.”

“You say that like you don’t realize you’re worrying about me.”

Garasani raised an eyebrow.

“But isn’t it funny? You’ve given your whole body and soul to a garden, and you’re worried about me loving a few pieces of art too much? Doesn’t that seem off?”

“Well, when you put it like that, I guess I don’t have much to say...”

“I know the guildmaster and I have a habit of being too indulgent with our works. But we wouldn’t do it if it weren’t warranted.”

“Talk about favoritism. Not that I can say much myself...”

Whenever a work’s safety and a human’s safety were both on the line, they always chose the work. That was the way of the collector Bisa Beul—and his loyal right-hand man, the Fifth Floor Director.

“Anyway, I’m sure things with Joo-Hyun will wrap up fine.”

“Didn’t you just toss her a bomb?”

“If it was a bomb, she was holding it from the start.”

“Fair.”

“She’ll struggle with it a bit, but she’ll find her own way.”

The little things weren’t Yoo Seong-Woon’s concern. No matter how things unfolded, as long as Gio stood firm, there wouldn’t be real danger.

Yoo Seong-Woon turned his focus to reality. What he had to worry about now was Gio’s first dungeon raid.

“I heard you’re joining the Collector’s dispatch team?”

“Of course. No way I’d miss the moment we take a mystery like that into the outside world.”

“Ooh, confident.”

“So, is today’s visit to ask me to look after the ‘Portrait of Gio’?”

“Just wanted to see you. Call it a courtesy visit.”

Bisa Beul had chosen Garasani, the Fifth Floor Director, as the curator to accompany “Hunter Sergio.” He was not only someone who served the work like a master but also a powerful A-Class hunter capable of protecting it.

Two trainees and two field staff would also join the team, but as a fellow curator, this was the least Yoo Seong-Woon could do.

“Please take good care of my work.”

“With me around, it won’t suffer a scratch.”

Garasani nodded as if it were obvious.

“You get a little intense sometimes, you know.”

“...Sorry? All of a sudden?”

“Yeah.”

He stared down at Seong-Woon.

“So maybe... do something about those eyes.”

“My eyes? What about them?”

“Quit staring like that. I’ll bring your piece back in one piece, alright?”

“...Unbelievable.”

Yoo Seong-Woon grinned.

“Caught me.”

How could he not care, when his work was being handled by another curator?

“There’s just too much on my plate. And the guildmaster wanted to know if Gio would be satisfied with a curator other than his own.”

“So, you’re not happy with it?”

“I wouldn’t say that. Just... you know. Asking you to take care of my kid. He’s never been dropped among strangers before—it feels like leaving a baby by the water.”

There was also the issue that he simply didn’t have the time to participate in the raid himself. Still, Bisa Beul was curious to see how Gio would interact with unfamiliar humans.

“He’s doing just fine with someone like Joo-Hyun, who represents a ‘dangerous divinity.’ So maybe we’re worrying too much...”

“Interacting with one chosen human and mimicking humanity to mingle with strangers are two very different things.”

Garasani added,

“And the fact that it’s that Joo-Hyun just makes the guildmaster’s doubts worse.”

“...That, actually...”

Yoo Seong-Woon made a face like he truly didn’t want to ask but asked anyway.

“I’ve been wondering—why does the guildmaster hate Joo-Hyun so much?”

Bisa Beul’s behavior was oddly extreme. He was usually polite unless it concerned his collector’s obsession. Even if Joo-Hyun wanted to use Gio, even if she was tempted, she wasn’t someone capable of harming him. Bisa Beul knew that, too.

He had even admitted his resentment was petty.

So then—why?

“There’s no shortage of people the guildmaster dislikes, but I’ve never seen him show this much open hostility. Usually he smiles to your face and schemes behind your back...”

“Are you sure you want to know his personal business? You look like you do.”

“Personal or not, I’d avoid it if I could. But the guildmaster keeps tying me, Joo-Hyun, and Gio together—treating us like a set. I can’t ignore it anymore.”

He schooled his expression and looked up at Garasani.

“If anyone would know, it’s you.”

Garasani was one of the founding executives of the Collector’s Guild—and Bisa Beul’s very first collected ‘work.’ If anyone knew the truth, it was him.

“If I’ve overstepped, please forget I asked. But I doubt the guildmaster thought I wouldn’t start asking questions.”

“......”

Garasani finally spoke.

“He was once badly hurt by someone like Joo-Hyun. A hero.”

“I had a feeling... And that’s already surprising enough. But how badly must he have been hurt to bear that kind of grudge against a total stranger?”

“Well... enough that he recoils at people like her now. He finds them revolting.”

He added,

“The guildmaster’s been patient many times before—but none of those times ended well.”

Garasani clicked his tongue softly.

“Sucks for you, getting caught in it. But he won’t hurt you—no matter how much spite he shows. In fact, he’ll probably go out of his way to protect you, whether he wants to or not. So don’t worry about that.”

“I didn’t think he’d really attack someone innocent, but... wow. He hates her that much? I thought he might lash out. But this is... the opposite.”

“For him, it’s more like hatred and love. He probably hates her with everything he’s got... but he won’t stand by if she gets hurt. Like I said—what you’re afraid of isn’t going to happen.”

Bisa Beul’s malice was like a reflex. Like someone recoiling from a cockroach on their brow. Deep, instinctive disgust—automatic, not deliberate.

“Especially his eyes...”

“......”

“...Yeah. Never mind.”

Garasani cut himself off when he noticed Yoo Seong-Woon watching him closely.

“Let’s stop here.”

Speaking too much about a superior’s private history was inappropriate. Garasani already felt he’d gone too far.

“You’re going to be pulled into that mess soon anyway. That’s the only reason I said anything. But beyond this? It’s too personal. I won’t say more.”

“...What you’ve said is already helpful. I just couldn’t understand why he’d show that kind of hostility toward someone younger, someone not even Awakened.”

“I don’t think he’s right, either. I just... understand. I always side with him, and from that position, I get it.”

Garasani offered a rare bit of comfort.

“If the guildmaster speaks ill of Joo-Hyun, just let it go in one ear and out the other. He knows it’s petty. He wouldn’t want you losing sleep over his bitter little tantrum.”

“For all that, he sure does grumble a lot. Anyway, got it. I just wanted to ask because if Gio’s being deployed, Joo-Hyun will have to go too. I was wondering if that’d be okay.”

“You think the guildmaster will send an assassin after her?”

Garasani scoffed.

“If he genuinely felt nothing but hate and contempt, maybe. But like I said, this case is different. He’ll more likely assign protection to make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”

Garasani continued,

“I’m more worried about Mr. Gio than her. That ‘Dana’—the anti-cat—is questionable.”

“Ah... I don’t know the details either. I still don’t know exactly what Gio did through Dana that day.”

“Something to do with souls, that much is clear. But you said the gift Gio promised wasn’t...”

Yoo Seong-Woon picked up where he left off.

“Not just a funeral—it was a grave. But Gio hasn’t created such a grave yet.”

“We still don’t know where the souls from that orphanage Dana supposedly led ended up. Their whereabouts remain unknown.”

“We’ll probably find out more once we see what role Dana plays during the upcoming raid. Worst case, I can always just ask her directly.”

Yoo Seong-Woon rose from his seat.

“Anyway, I hope it all goes well.”

Only if this operation ended smoothly—or at least without failure—could they justify letting Gio move more freely.

“If this raid goes well, I’m thinking of taking Gio and Joo-Hyun on a little vacation.”

“Can’t lie, I’m jealous you get to vacation with your work.”

“Right? You have no idea how sweet he is. Always giving gifts—it’s wild.”

“Alright, enough. You sound like a bragging parent.”

“There’s no one else like Gio in this world. Be as jealous as you want.”

“...Really now...”

Garasani sighed, setting aside his irritation.

“...Yeah, see you later.”

The way Yoo Seong-Woon kept pressing for details about the guildmaster’s past—and the way he was teasing now—Garasani knew it all came from a place of anxiety.

So, as a senior, Garasani let it slide.

***

Meanwhile, at the Sun Church...

“A curator from the Collector’s Guild is coming? That gallery’s curator?”

One elder priest muttered in dismay.

“How in the world did we get someone that important involved...?”

“I knew Guildmaster Bisa Beul favored Hunter Sergio, but I didn’t expect this.”

“At this point, isn’t he treating him like an actual art piece? The guy’s a real human being.”

“Everyone knows the Collector’s Guild is basically Bisa Beul’s jewelry box.”

“Still, there are limits. This is a bit much.”

The Collector’s Guild had added five hunters to accompany Sergio, including him. They couldn’t just send him out alone for his first raid—but even so, it felt excessive.

“And not just any curator. They’re sending the ‘Chamber Master’—the Fifth Floor Director of the gallery.”

The director of the most dangerous and secured floor—the very heart of the Collector’s Gallery. His involvement made it clear how deeply Bisa Beul treasured Hunter Sergio.

“I figured Yoo Seong-Woon would be the one to come, since he helped in the ‘Nation of the Deep Sea’ raid.”

“He’s famous for being busy, though.”

“I don’t know the full story either, but if it were just about personal connection, it would’ve been him, right? No matter how busy he is, this is Gio’s first raid. If he wanted to make time, he could have.”

“So the fact they chose the Chamber Master instead suggests this isn’t about familiarity.”

“Exactly. It’s not about friendship—it’s that Sergio requires a curator.”

A Collector’s Guild curator was a very specific kind of personnel. Entirely different from their usual field agents.

“Has the Collector ever taken such measures to manage a guild member?”

“Not that I can recall...”

“I thought they at least treated their members like people.”

“But sending a curator—especially a floor director—that’s treating him as a piece.”

“Every guild member is a collectible to Bisa Beul, sure, but this is still...”

Collector curators had a fearsome reputation. If someone made a request to use a gallery ‘piece,’ the curator in charge would show up—and fiercely guard their charge like it was family.

It was well-known how fanatical they could be.

One even famously wept blood and tried to sue after their assigned piece came back with a scratch. That story had spread even among the Sun Church elders.

“As I recall, the Fifth Floor Director is one of Bisa Beul’s closest aides?”

“Yes, I believe he was one of the original executives.”

“That Garasani Curator is personally coming...”

One middle-aged priest tilted his head.

“What, is he Sergio’s long-lost son or something?”

“Hey, mind your words.”

“Apologies. I just can’t wrap my head around it...”

“It is definitely an unusual case.”

Most curators never left the gallery unless their assigned work was involved. The only reason they’d be officially dispatched was if the piece they were responsible for was directly tied to the operation.

“Guildmaster Bisa Beul surely knows the impression this will leave.”

So then, the meaning was obvious.

“...He’s showing us just how precious Sergio is to the Collector’s Guild.”

“But how do we interpret that? He’s not just some guild member anymore...”

And it wasn’t just the curator.

“I know some of their personnel—two on that list are trainee team members from the gallery.”

“I’m not familiar with the Collector’s hierarchy. What exactly are trainees?”

“They’re support personnel who handle incidents within the gallery. Somewhere between full guild members and curators.”

“Then this really is treatment reserved for a piece, not a person...”

“It’s unusual. Bisa Beul is known for not interfering with his guild members.”

But the intent behind this list was clear.

“This is an escort force—for Hunter Sergio.”

And at this point, even ‘escort’ felt like the wrong word.

“More like surveillance. A curator, two trainees...”

“And yet from what I’ve heard, Sergio is a perfectly upstanding person.”

“If he had any major flaws, he never would’ve been collected by Bisa Beul in the first place.”

“True. So then why this level of oversight?”

Bisa Beul’s collection didn’t include people with character defects. They were all competent, sincere, and took responsibility for their roles. Even if Sergio didn’t match the guildmaster’s usual preferences, exceptions like him weren’t unheard of.

“I knew he was exceptional from what he did with that anti-cat, Dana. But I didn’t expect this. What’s the problem? Why go this far?”

“There must be something unique about him... Could he actually be related by blood? Not that people resemble their parents much these days.”

“I said stop making rude guesses about other guilds’ members. Do you want to start a fight with the Collector’s Guild before the raid even begins?”

At that moment, one elder chuckled softly.

“Whatever the reason, I know this—Bisa Beul may be greedy, but he’s not the kind to ruin others just to satisfy himself.”

If he wanted to destroy something, he would’ve shown it from the beginning.

“The paperwork was official. The support was thorough. He’s trying to help with this raid, no doubt about that.”

“Well... that’s true, yes.”

“And we don’t need to know everything about that young hunter. We have neither the right nor the reason. The Collector’s Guild is helping with our mission—we should simply be grateful.”

“Our apologies. We were out of line.”

“Arrogance is a sin the Sun avoids. And Sergio ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) is a follower bathed in the Sun’s light. We’re the ones who brought him into this operation—it was our desire. If anything happens, we must...”

He looked around the room.

“...we must accept it. Don’t you agree, brothers?”

“We’ll reflect on this. Thank you for the wisdom.”

“Remember, our job is to complete this mission.”

“Indeed.”

“If we grow close to Hunter Sergio, that would be a bonus.”

“We were too hasty, clearly.”

The priests bowed their heads in shame.

“We’re not investigators. We shouldn’t be talking like this.”

“Hey, now, don’t say we’re like the Moon Church.”

“Ahem, we were just surprised. It’s so unusual... Still, we’ll reflect.”

“Well, with such elite talent gathered, this raid should be promising. Maybe I’m being too hopeful, but I’m actually excited.”

“They say the dungeon is filled with heat and flora. And with a fake sun rising within—if we succeed, it’ll be a huge win for our church.”

As the mood began to settle, one of the silent elders turned toward Kang Seodam.

“Brother Kang Seodam.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“We leave it in your hands.”

“I’ll do my best.”

And in that moment, Kang Seodam thought:

‘...This dispatch team from the Collector’s Guild is less about favoritism and more about containment and caretaking.’

Of course they wouldn’t send something like “the Portrait of Gio” out alone.

Kang Seodam—barely, just barely—found himself grateful that the collector did have a plan.

And then—

“......”

He felt the goddess’s gaze.

‘...She’s interested, huh.’

She really wants to get close to “Mr. Sergio.”

Kang Seodam had no idea why he kept getting roped into divine politics, but right then, he truly wished he could just lock himself in his office.