The Artist Who Paints Dungeon-Chapter 334
From the peaceful sleep so comforting it almost felt like a shame to wake, Iru Da suddenly sensed something wrong.
Danger.
“...Uh...”
At some point, when she opened her eyes, she was in a beautiful garden.
“......”
It was a garden in the most literal sense.
Not the infamous “Garden” that had recently caused a stir in the world, but a regular one, filled with various flowers and trees. The sky was painted in pinks and lavenders, with fluffy clouds floating overhead.
A world full of whimsical, dreamlike beauty.
‘This isn’t my dream.’
Iru Da was certain of that.
‘There’s no way I’d dream something this pretty.’
That wasn’t the only reason, but in the end, that was her conclusion. The garden, so beautiful it felt wasteful just to look at, held an eerie air.
Iru Da realized she was sitting on a bench and stood up.
“...Where on earth is this?”
“Ruda!”
“Cha I-Sol?”
“Ruda’s here too!”
“Wait, you...”
Iru Da halted Cha I-Sol, who was approaching with a cheerful face.
“Hold on. There’s no guarantee you’re the Cha I-Sol I know. No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem like a normal dream. Which means you’re likely a fake. If I let you get close, who knows what side effects could occur.”
“Sorry, could you say that simpler?”
“It’s nice to see you, but I don’t trust you. Let’s keep our distance.”
“Mm... that makes sense!”
Cha I-Sol nodded obediently.
“I don’t even have my necklace.”
“Oh, I don’t either...”
They had taken off their twin necklaces—used to track each other—and gone to bed. It seemed like they’d been pulled here in their sleeping bodies. That gave them even more reason to be wary of each other.
Honestly, Iru Da felt a little proud.
‘I actually trained that airhead up to this point.’
By the looks of it, Cha I-Sol was also doubting her identity. Whether it was really her or not, the fact that she was suspicious was a huge leap forward. Especially in a place like this—it made all that effort feel worthwhile.
“Let’s start with a light verification of each other, then?”
“I’m down. I’m confident!”
“We’re not playing a game...”
The two had recently gained experience through multiple practicums. They’d learned how to handle uncertain identities. Through conversations only the two of them could understand, they tested each other.
Fortunately or unfortunately, everything matched in terms of “memory.”
“Alright. If you’re not the Cha I-Sol I know, then you’re something even more terrifying. Just in case, I’ll prep for escape.”
“Yeah, me too...”
“Don’t be disappointed just because I didn’t trust you right away. This is a necessary procedure. It doesn’t damage the deep friendship and trust we have.”
“Of course I know.”
Cha I-Sol smiled and held out her hand. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
“Here, final check!”
“Right.”
They exchanged divine power one last time.
‘This is... definitely solar divine power.’
Iru Da’s expression subtly brightened. It carried a strange chill like the deep sea, yet was also passionate and radiant. That vibrant, bizarre solar energy could only be wielded by Cha I-Sol.
Cha I-Sol seemed to have confirmed it as well.
“This is definitely yours, Ruda!”
“Cha I-Sol, don’t you think you identified it too quickly?”
“Shouldn’t we have just started with divine power exchange?”
“...It’s essential to verify via voice and language. You know that divine power exchange can be dangerous if misjudged.”
“Yeah, so we checked in the safest order possible... Gio said most corrupted beings get filtered out during that Q&A process.”
“Would’ve been better if we had artifacts or an insight skill, but let’s be content with this.”
Iru Da pulled the hand she was still holding from the exchange. It was such a common act that Cha I-Sol followed along naturally. The two clung together, now calmly assessing the situation.
“Seems like we’ve been pulled into some kind of conditional dungeon.”
“You mean a virtual dungeon, right?”
“At least, I have no memory of actually being transported somewhere.”
There was a strange kind of beauty here. Unintentionally, Iru Da found herself captivated by the surroundings. Clouds puffed like cotton candy, sparkling waterfalls, and flowers that swayed lazily in the wind.
“...It looks like a garden.”
“No monsters in sight.”
“Either there really aren’t any, or we just haven’t found them.”
“I hope they’re not here. I like it. It’s pretty.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“Huh? Isn’t it pretty?”
“It’s not a matter of taste. It clearly has high aesthetic value, but...”
Iru Da had felt uneasy from the start. This garden, as beautiful as something from a dream, carried an inexplicable sense of wrongness. After a moment of thought, she found the words.
“...It’s creepy. Like it’s alive.”
“Plants are supposed to be alive.”
“I mean, like they’re living creatures, moving around.”
“Huh...?”
“...I don’t even know what I’m saying.”
“Oh, I get it.”
Cha I-Sol spoke as if she remembered something.
“Isn’t it like being taxidermied alive?”
“...What?”
“Yeah, there’s a piece like that in the Collector’s collection.”
“There’s a piece where something was taxidermied alive...?”
Iru Da was appalled. She’d heard many times that the Collector was a lunatic pretending to be a gentleman, but this turned her stomach. Cha I-Sol groaned thoughtfully.
“Urrrgh... maybe? I heard it from Gio hyung, so I don’t know the details. But Black Cloak was supposed to be something that was taxidermied alive... so I kinda got what you were trying to say.”
“You’re Black Cloak’s child and you’re saying that? Isn’t it top secret?”
“I’m not his child. I’m his sibling.”
“Either way, Cha I-Sol, you’re his apostle.”
“He wouldn’t get mad over something like this. It’s fine.”
“No, I mean...”
“Gio hyung wouldn’t get mad over this stuff.”
“......”
After a moment of silence, Iru Da nodded.
“...It was a bit unsettling, but you’re right. That’s exactly what it felt like. Like seeing something taxidermied alive. Like a creature submerged in formalin, still alive, on display in a museum...”
“What’s formalin?”
“...Preservative.”
“You really are smart, Ruda.”
“Uh, thanks...”
The two slowly looked around. Observed closely, this beautiful scenery felt like something a child would imagine—an immature and fantastical world brought to life. Full of implausible flora and fauna.
Flowers that bloomed candy, a chocolate lake, a beach with sea snails shaped like chocolate bread. Trees made of baumkuchen. Cotton candy clouds on poles. Fountains bubbling with soda. A world full of sweets...
“This one tastes good.”
“I’m not responsible if you get sick.”
“It’s hot chocolate. Want some, Ruda?”
“No.”
As she watched Cha I-Sol’s carefree demeanor, Iru Da looked up at the air. Or rather, tried to—only to realize her gaze didn’t land anywhere.
It didn’t respond to her intent.
‘The system’s not working.’
She’d heard the system had been glitching recently—was this part of it? But this wasn’t a simple error or missing UI. It didn’t respond at all. Was it a dungeon trait? Then can this place even be called a “dungeon”?
Maybe it would’ve been better if monsters had appeared. Instead, within this peace, Iru Da felt a deep unease.
‘A world of literal fantasy...’
It was a scene that might tempt untrained, undisciplined children. Sweet and salty foods growing from plants, plush animals made of fabric wandering harmlessly.
No oppression. No duties. Just a beautiful world for eating and enjoying. The fuzzy sensations of affirmation and indulgence. And that was why it was disturbing.
“Where in the world would something like this exist?”
“Huh? It’s right here.”
“Utopia should never exist.”
The instinct of living things is selfishness. From the will to survive to consuming resources—they persist through conflict and coexistence. There’s no way for everyone to be happy and satisfied at once.
Which made this place a hollow, living hell.
“Is this some fickle evil god’s afterlife? No, even that doesn’t make sense.”
Perfect happiness doesn’t exist anywhere. And yet, this place clearly does. The terror of that contradiction slowly consumed Iru Da. A creeping anxiety climbed from her feet.
How had she even been brought here? What was this space?
“...Divinity is omniscient and omnipotent—beyond our understanding. If a being of immense mystery seriously tried to create a utopia, I suppose it might be possible. But Cha I-Sol.”
“......”
“Can we call it a world? Isn’t it just a giant deception, a stage? Should we really approve of a world where everything is governed by forced happiness and satisfaction?”
Look—at the forcibly cheerful flora and fauna here. Tigers befriend rabbits. Dolls, robbed of the need to eat or drink, don’t hunt or get hunted.
Iru Da’s hand, still holding Cha I-Sol’s, was damp with cold sweat. Her eyes combed through this so-called utopia.
She had little strength in her grip. Her pale fingertips trembled.
“Whether it’s a dungeon or an afterlife or whatever, this is some sadistic hobby. At least that’s how I see it. Isn’t it just too human-centered? All these plants and creatures exist for human indulgence—easily consumed, conveniently designed. They can’t even graze or hunt, made of cloth and cotton...”
“......”
“Cha I-Sol.”
“......”
“Cha I-Sol, answer me.”
“......”
“......”
Iru Da turned her stiff head toward Cha I-Sol.
‘Cha I-Sol?’
‘Ruda’s here too!’
‘Cha I-Sol, don’t you think you identified it too quickly?’
‘Shouldn’t we have just started with divine power exchange?’
‘Either way, you’re an apostle.’
‘It’s fine. He won’t get mad over stuff like this.’
‘Cha I-Sol.’
‘.......’
Not once had it acknowledged the definition of being “Cha I-Sol.”
It hadn’t responded to the name, hadn’t answered questions aimed at her, hadn’t matched explanations directed toward her.
Which could only mean one thing.
Iru Da withdrew her sweat-drenched hand.
“...Who are you?”
This was not a normal dungeon.
And this—
Was not Cha I-Sol.
***
“Who are you.”
Yes, Zeorge was not Cha I-Sol.
“Knew it. Ruda, you really are smart.”
“......”
“...Mmm, I’m sorry...”
“......”
“I mean it. I didn’t want to scare you.”
If he could explain himself—
‘But really, though.’
He had only prepared a lighthearted little event. If those cute little lips had dared to mention a pajama party, wasn’t it only proper to throw a cute and chaotic mess of a party in return?
But Iru Da was a well-adjusted child who’d grown up too fast, and Cha I-Sol was a modern New Country kid who respected her partner. Zeorge had only wanted them to enjoy their precious vacation a little more.
“These children... are really different from the ones I know.”
“...Not all children share the same shape. Each has distinct traits. Perhaps you ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ should study humans a bit more—don’t you think?”
“That’s quite a leap, but you’re not wrong. My mistake. I should’ve done more research.”
Kids these days were too smart for their own good. They matured too early, beyond expectations.
Back in the day, all it took was something fun and interesting with a happy ending to keep a child content. Had Gio’s thinking grown too one-dimensional? Or had the world just changed that much? The kids he remembered didn’t bother poking holes in fairytales.
‘Like how they’d only think the witch’s candy house looked delicious, and never worry about the storage or hygiene regulations...’
In that sense, he was genuinely surprised by Iru Da’s intellect. He’d only stayed behind to manage appearances so she wouldn’t feel betrayed when she realized Cha I-Sol had wandered off into another dream first. And yet, the child had been deeply shaken before they even reached the core.
Iru Da’s glare burned into him.
“What exactly were you trying to do? Where is Cha I-Sol, and where are we?”
“......”
Only then did Zeorge realize something.
‘Oh no. Did I blow the first impression?’
It definitely seemed that way.
