The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

“Wisteria?”

Gio looked faintly delighted.

“It resembles a wisteria in shape. But the petals are more akin to lilac...”

“I didn’t expect you to be interested in Earth’s flora.”

Kang Seodam was surprised that ‘Hunter Sergio’ was familiar with Earth’s plant life. Perhaps it was a divine privilege that let him perceive biological traits—but his words just now felt more like personal preference.

‘There are few divinities who embrace Earth’s forms this attentively.’

Examining the pale violet tree beside Gio, Kang Seodam nodded slowly.

“It does indeed look quite similar to a certain Earth species.”

“Though, considering its entire body is violet... I doubt it’s native to Earth.”

“Yes. Most of Earth’s native trees have brown trunks...”

“The uniform color makes it look like the whole tree is a flower. It's beautiful.”

At those words, Garasani, who stood beside Gio, fixed his gaze firmly on Kang Seodam.

“......”

“......”

Kang Seodam noticed the subtle pressure behind that look.

‘Is he hinting that once the dungeon is cleared and the Church gains local autonomy, they should hand over this tree?’

Like a doting grandfather demanding a miracle just to delight his late-born grandchild.

‘If this tree plays a major role in the dungeon, it may not even survive after the raid. And even if it does, it could be classified as either a critical research subject or a hazardous material, making distribution almost impossible... he knows this.’

It was like demanding a midwinter blossom from frozen soil—without magic. All because his precious grandkid wanted to see it.

“...What role might this tree play here?”

“We’ll have to find that out now.”

Fortunately, Gio himself seemed more interested in resolving the dungeon than in acquiring the tree. It meant avoiding unnecessary conflict with the Collector’s Guild.

Kang Seodam called over one of the priests.

“Do you sense anything?”

“...I’m sorry. I don’t sense anything at all...”

“That, in fact, gives me confidence.”

“R–really?”

“This tree holds no heat.”

Another team member raised a question.

“No heat? But the whole dungeon is a damn oven.”

“Touch it. It feels slightly cool.”

It wasn’t freezing—but still strangely cool. And that was already unusual, given the oppressive heat saturating the rest of the dungeon’s vegetation.

“This dungeon’s flora tends to radiate heat. That’s why poison spreads so quickly.”

“That’s true, but then why is this tree different?”

“I couldn’t say. For us priests of the Sun, it’s especially puzzling.”

Sun priests struggled to perceive heatless entities. Their sacred warmth conflicted with anything cold, making mutual perception difficult. Kang Seodam turned to the gathered hunters.

“Anyone else with an opinion? Since mere proximity doesn’t seem to trigger a frenzy, I ask you to investigate without harming the tree.”

Then Jeong Yeong-Won, the gardener, stepped forward.

“I have some interest in plants myself.”

“Do you?”

“I joined this raid because I heard there were strange plants.”

“Then please, take a closer look.”

“Just as the priests said, there’s no heat coming off it...”

Approaching the tree carefully, Jeong Yeong-Won inspected it closely.

“......”

A glint of realization appeared in her eyes.

“...The vitality is immense.”

“Vitality?”

“Just as the priests are sensitive to heat, I’m a healer.”

“So you can perceive life force better.”

“If a healer can’t sense the aura or mood of a living thing, they’re not worth much.”

“I understand, Hunter Jeong Yeong-Won.”

“I say this as someone trained in that.”

Adjusting her round glasses, Jeong Yeong-Won continued with her usual doll-like expression.

“This tree is packed with the dungeon’s life force. It’s like a vital organ. Think heart or brain.”

“Heart or brain?”

“It doesn’t just store a lot of life force—it might also circulate it through the dungeon. But I can’t be sure. It could just be so overloaded with vitality that it’s leaking out.”

She stepped back from the tree.

“I can’t tell if the dungeon is favoring the tree, or if the tree is what’s keeping the dungeon stable. If it’s the latter... then perhaps we should consider removing it quickly, even at some risk.”

A nearby hunter paled.

“Wait, healer-nim. No offense, but... that would kill us. Other teams spotted trees too, right? If there are multiple, we’d be wiped out before we cleared them all.”

“Exactly. And that’s not even a confirmed strategy. From what I heard, Team 6 couldn’t destroy theirs either. It looked weak, but it probably isn’t.”

Yoo Ji-Na from the Collector’s Guild chimed in.

“What if it’s the former? The tree is just being favored.”

“Then even destroying all of them wouldn’t finish the dungeon.”

“So we’d just be pissing it off for no reason? Great...”

With many dead or wounded after a single frenzy, haphazard destruction wasn’t a sound option.

A young priest looked exhausted.

“To think we’ve gathered so many elite personnel, and we’re still stuck... How is this an A-class dungeon?”

“Please don’t speak so negatively in front of our guests.”

“S-sorry. I let my frustration get the better of me. I’ll reflect.”

The priest bowed deeply—but not sincerely. Other hunters frowned.

Hot, humid, poisoned, constantly injured, and now insulted like they were overpaid underachievers—it was enough to put anyone on edge.

“I’ll apologize on his behalf.”

Kang Seodam stepped in.

“After the operation, the Church will issue a formal apology to the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ hunters.”

“Huh? No, I mean, that’s not necessary... the Church has its reputation...”

“Integrity and humility are more important than face. Please grant us the opportunity to reflect.”

As Kang Seodam expertly soothed the tension, Hunter Sanarae, who had been sulking, quietly approached the violet tree.

Gio greeted him with a smile.

“You’ve come.”

“There’s a weird smell from the tree.”

“Is that why you look so moody?”

“Moody, huh? Cute way to put it.”

As usual, Sanarae dodged the subject, crinkling his nose.

“......?”

Seeing his expression, Jeong Yeong-Won asked,

“Hunter Sanarae, you’re known for having excellent senses. I’m sure you noticed something we didn’t. Could you tell us if you picked anything up?”

“Known? That’s a bit much. Still, I appreciate the compliment. It’s not much, but... hmm...”

With a characteristic grin, Sanarae answered.

“Smells like a corpse.”

“......”

At that, Gio called to Garasani.

“Mr. Garasani.”

“Yes, Hunter Sergio?”

“What did Priest Kang Seodam mention earlier during the gear check?”

“He said he found traces of something heavy being dragged.”

“And we confirmed that monsters move toward this area at night.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

“Then let’s find out what the monsters do when night falls.”

In this dungeon, with its chaotic sun and moon cycle, night came quickly. Skilled hunters concealed their scent and presence to observe the monsters—and what they discovered was shocking.

“......”

“...Wh–what the...”

A young priest collapsed.

“How... how could they...!”

“Calm yourself.”

“They’re using priests as fertilizer!”

His face was twisted with disgust for both monsters and the dungeon.

“These vile creatures! Disgusting! Demonic beasts abandoned by the Goddess herself...!”

At night, the monsters brought “fertilizer” to the tree. Sometimes it was dormant monsters, but among them were unclaimed corpses from previous raids.

The young priest—barely an adult—was sickened by the blasphemy of it all.

“No wonder our brothers were missing... this is what happened to them...”

“I said calm down.”

“B-but...! I didn’t know this dungeon was so horrid!”

“You shame the name of the Sun.”

“......”

Click.

Kang Seodam clucked his tongue. Only then did the priest shut up, his face turning pale.

Within the Church, Kang Seodam had a reputation for sharp judgment and authority. His opinion carried weight. Offending him wasn’t wise.

Ignoring the priest, Kang Seodam turned to the hunters.

“Using bodies as fertilizer... an unexpected method.”

“There were no signs of disturbed soil. Makes sense.”

“No one expected the ground to split open...”

Kang Seodam looked tired.

When night fell, monsters brought the ‘fertilizer,’ and upon clawing the earth, the ground opened painfully wide. Then they dropped the corpses inside.

“That pit looked deep... and yet Sanarae caught the scent?”

“Just happened, I guess? It was a weird smell. You know?”

“Whatever the reason, thank you. Thanks to you, we found our brothers’ remains.”

“Though I’m not sure if you can still call them remains...”

“Better than finding nothing at all.”

Even seeing what was left of those once considered family, Kang Seodam’s face did not change. He knew his role. It wasn’t time to break.

“And we’ve discovered something else.”

“If we stay hidden near this tree, monsters can’t find us.”

“Yes, just as Hunter Sergio said. I’m not sure why, though...”

Even before, hiding worked—but now they were near the dungeon’s core life source. Shouldn’t that make concealment harder?

Kang Seodam furrowed his brow.

“Maybe they’re too focused on the tree to notice anything else...”

The hunters were puzzled.

“Then is that favoritism? If the dungeon really treasures it, wouldn’t there be guardians nearby?”

“Exactly. In previous A-class dungeons, there were guardians near core pillars. And tons of traps. Here, there’s nothing.”

“Very strange. If this tree really held the dungeon’s fate, it’d be way more heavily protected.”

Jeong Yeong-Won nodded.

“Then perhaps it’s not the dungeon’s heart. It might be indestructible, so they feel no need to guard it—but even that seems too... casual.”

Night monsters seemed unusually intelligent. Creatures that clever wouldn’t neglect their own survival.

“So what is it then? So much life force focused here, and yet the monsters are indifferent. If it were mere favoritism, their behavior wouldn’t add up.”

“Why does the tree even exist? It doesn’t attack, doesn’t poison, doesn’t resist being touched...”

“It only responded when the night monsters opened the ground. Without that, it wouldn’t even react.”

“So it’s just a passive plant? Why is it here? Why does touching it cause such chaos?”

That’s when Gio spoke.

“Isn’t this how you treat a hostage?”

“...A hostage?”

“Like a leash to control someone useful.”

He continued.

“You have to feed it regularly. Check its condition nightly. But there’s no love—just duty. Not caretaking—obligation. So why would monsters follow through?”

A hunter hesitantly answered.

“Maybe... because the dungeon needs it to survive? Monsters can’t think deeply, but that might make them more sensitive to loss.”

“Well said, Hunter Dang-U.”

Gio nodded.

“Then why is this tree’s existence and growth vital to the dungeon? The monsters don’t love it. They don’t guard it. So it’s not an organ.”

“...Maybe not a heart, but still essential to the dungeon’s stability... Wait, is this where that hostage idea comes in? Then... who is the hostage for?”

“The dungeon.”

Gio’s voice was steady.

“This is a villa-type dungeon, underground. It rains, the sun rises, and the moon appears—but there’s no sky.”

“Dungeons don’t obey natural laws...”

“Just a hypothesis. Who makes it rain here? Who raises the sun? Who moves the moon? This isn’t another dimension.”

It’s a physical space.

“Could be magic.”

“Possibly...”

“I’m curious.”

Gio turned to Yoo Ji-Na, the Collector’s Guild mage.

“Can a human use magic to make it rain?”

“If you wreck an A-class, yeah.”

“Can a human raise the sun?”

“Maybe... if you destroy an S-class?”

“Can a human raise the moon?”

“Same deal. Not really within human limits.”

“Then who owns magic?”

Gio’s blue eyes curved gently.

“Isn’t it ours?”

But no human can truly raise the sun or moon.

“Where does the sun go at night? Where does the moon go at dawn? Earth’s sun and moon rise and set as the planet rotates. But this is a villa dungeon.”

“...Ah...”

“It’s a finite physical space. Honey flew as high as he could. Dana ran as far as she could. This place isn’t the size of a planet.”

“......”

“Then where does the sun hide at night? Where does the moon rest by day? They swap places perfectly—when one goes down, the other rises.”

Gio looked up at the ‘sky.’

“Since this place is underground, what we see above is a giant ceiling. Honey confirmed the ceiling is covered in trees.”

He smiled.

“And then the rain fell.”

“......”

“If it rained from the ceiling, that means water dropped from above.”

Torrents of water, like jungle monsoon.

“When the moon rises, heat lessens. The night monsters bring offerings to this tree. These monsters don’t even like the heat. So daytime beasts sleep, and intelligent night monsters roam free.”

Assuming the moon is the preferred presence.

“You said this tree alone lacks heat, yes?”

“...Yes.”

“And it holds concentrated life force?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s assume something.”

Gio pointed at the sky.

“What if this dungeon is being sustained by something massive? And this tree is beloved by it? What if this delicate tree... is family?”

He lowered his hand and covered his mouth, laughing quietly.

“If it were me... I’d hold up an entire forest for my family.”

“That’s why I mentioned the idea of a hostage.”

“...A hostage.”

“It may be delusion. But still.”

“......”

Kang Seodam rubbed his face.

“All personnel capable of moving—focus on search operations.”

Some dungeons could only be conquered once their stories were understood.