The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

“Meow.”

“......”

“Meow.”

“...Hunter.”

Sanarae, crouched with his long body tightly folded, asked Sergio.

“Can you do something about this pet cat?”

“Dana really likes you, Hunter Sanarae. How curious.”

“I’m curious too, but I also feel fear....”

“Oh, you’re joking again.”

“When I say things, it always sounds like a lie, doesn’t it?”

“Ahaha!”

Gio burst into laughter and pulled Dana closer.

“No way. My apologies—were you really that frightened?”

“Not that scared, but I’m uncomfortable with this one....”

“I’ll take Dana with me.”

“Mrrrmmmn....”

Though Dana let out a dissatisfied whine, she allowed Gio to drag her away. Hunters admired the creature’s massive size and fluffy coat.

“This is what an Anti-Cat looks like after it’s grown, right?”

“Yes, I first met her at the Gem’s Waterway.”

“It’s shocking a monster can grow like this—but more than that, she’s unexpectedly cute.”

“I say this not just because she’s my daughter, but she’s genuinely adorable and well-mannered.”

“You really care for her like a child, that’s impressive.”

In a world where even caring for a normal pet required immense love, raising a monster that could bite off a human head any moment with affection was nearly impossible.

“So this is the level you need to reach to tame an Anti-Cat?”

“I think this really is a world first.”

“This is peak national pride. Hunter, can I brag somewhere that I know you?”

“Hey, get a grip. Why are you ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) drooling over him like that?”

As the joking hunters relaxed, one of them awkwardly asked,

“Um, but... you said this creature can drive away the heat?”

“To be precise, she will summon those who can drive it away.”

“Oh...”

A hush fell over the hunters. One of them muttered,

“...The sunlight-summoning priests....”

“Shut your mouth.”

“...Okay.”

They, too, knew well how this Hunter named Sergio had become famous. Wasn’t it because he summoned the ghosts of children into reality, causing a stir?

Skills related to spirits weren’t common. The most well-known class involving such powers was the Necromancer. Yet, no matter how they analyzed the situation at the time, it didn’t feel like that.

‘Even if it’s called summoning... what would that feel like?’

I’ve heard handling souls carries a heavy toll.’

‘If it’s the monster’s skill, maybe the tamer himself bears less burden?’

‘No one’s ever tamed an Anti-Cat before, so...’

Ignoring the hunters’ gaze, Gio continued dragging Dana and asked Kang Seodam,

“Shall we begin?”

“......”

He slowly nodded.

“...Please.”

And the cat meowed.

“Meow.”

“Meow.”

The cry echoed outward.

***

Sanarae remained squished against a tree trunk, distanced.

“Leader, what are you doing here?”

“That cat is terrifying.”

“Don’t be such a damn baby.”

“I’m seriously unjustly misunderstood.”

He wasn’t exactly in high spirits.

“No one believes me...”

That cat summons the dead.

‘But that’s not the creature’s power.’

The Anti-Cat simply served as a bell ringing at her master’s command. And that bell was made by ‘Hunter Sergio.’ Watching the situation unfold, Sanarae felt a quiet dread creep in.

The cat’s meow wasn’t loud. It was neat, like a person imitating a feline, soft and tidy. Yet in the silent room, it rang clearly like a jade bead rolling across the floor.

“Meow.”

And then—

“......”

“......”

“......”

From the shadowed forest trees, several human-like figures emerged.

“...Uh, excuse us....”

“...May we join you for a moment?”

Clad in white priest robes, they hesitantly addressed Sergio. Their eyes were reddened.

“...Ah.”

Kang Seodam’s face contorted.

As the scene progressed, the expressions of the hunters began to harden one by one.

“...Wait a second...”

“...Those people, are they...”

“They’re priests.”

“I’ve seen those faces before.”

“They were definitely in the mission reports...”

“...They’re the previous subjugation squad.”

Dead people, speaking as if alive, in their complete former shapes. Hunters who had lost their composure due to the harsh environment began realizing the severity of what was unfolding. What they were seeing were the dead priests of the previous subjugation team.

One hunter murmured,

“They even cast shadows.”

Which meant they had physical form.

“So this is...”

“......”

“...What the hell...”

It meant the dead had returned by the order of the living.

‘Just like that?’

From only a few meows? No elaborate ritual. No long prayer. No suffering drawn forth to summon a miracle—Sergio had called these souls like passersby from a street.

And in his calm, nonchalant demeanor, their spines grew cold.

“......”

“......”

Hunters began sweating coldly. They didn’t dare turn their heads. The presence of Hunter Sergio among them became all too real—his existence cast a heavy silence over them, like reverence mixed with fear.

Then, Sergio opened his mouth.

“Welcome.”

And he continued,

“We need your assistance. I hear the priests of the Sun are adept at handling heat?”

“...Yes, we are.”

“We intend to suppress the heat of this place to stabilize the dungeon’s environment.”

“Please, give us your instructions.”

The priests bowed their heads.

“Even if our souls melt away... we shall aid you.”

“To follow the will of the Sun, even like this, we are grateful.”

“Please tell us what must be done, when we must act.”

“We’ll do whatever it takes.”

“If only you give us the chance...”

Gio smiled at their words.

“There’s no need for you to melt.”

Their role was simply to gather the heat.

“My son will be the one to contain it.”

“...Then we...”

“I’ll send you to the place you long for. You need not worry.”

The priests within the shadows bowed deeply.

“...Thank you.”

Moments later, their forms vanished.

“......”

“...W-where did they...”

“What the hell.”

Only then did the priests’ mouths open.

“D-Did that really just happen?”

They were all stammering, but it was not cowardice—it was truth shaped by utter confusion. They could not believe what they’d just seen, nor could they bring themselves to discuss it openly.

As no one dared glance at Sergio, Garasani approached with a smile.

“Then shall we begin?”

“Yes. Let’s start with the heat.”

“And after that?”

“We’ll need to bring out the water.”

“Then we’d better gather as many priests and mages as we can.”

“The more the heat settles, the more frenzied the monsters will get—we’ll need to prepare for suppression.”

“That’ll help eliminate a good number of dangerous creatures in the process.”

As they discussed their plans, Yoo Ji-Na from the Collector’s Guild looked around at the raiders.

“What are you all doing?”

“Uh, w-well... just now...”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“But...!”

“Hey.”

She grinned.

“Get to work.”

It was pressure.

“......”

“...R-right.”

A warning: do not dig into Hunter Sergio.

And so, suspicion crept into the hunters’ minds. After witnessing a miracle like this, the Collector’s Guild wasn’t marveling—they were guarding. It could only mean one thing: there was a secret.

‘This isn’t just a monster’s ability...’

They began to wonder.

‘No joke—could he really be a saint...?’

‘Isn’t this like the miracles the Moon Temple’s saintess sometimes shows?’

‘Did that perverted Collector actually breed with some monster to make this guy?’

‘Maybe he’s secretly S-rank pretending to be A...!’

Most of the hunters assumed Hunter Sergio was either a top-tier saint or a hidden S-rank. A few believed Bisa Beul had engineered him with some insane method. The rumors and infamy around the Collector’s Guild made it plausible.

But not one of them thought Sergio wasn’t human.

“...Haha.”

Except Sanarae.

“This is terrifying.”

“Please refrain from speaking.”

“I’m telling you, I’m scared.”

“Blasphemy, Hunter Sanarae.”

“......”

And the collector and the gardener.

“...This is driving me crazy.”

Sanarae finally decided to shut up once more.

***

“─KIEEEEEEEEEEKK!!!”

Was it because the Tree of Life sensed another disruption in the dungeon, or had the removal of heat sparked its activity? Night monsters began to rampage.

“KYAAAA!! KYAAAAA!!”

“GRRRRRRRR...!!”

“KEEEEAAAK!! AAAARGH!!”

They screeched grotesquely and charged at every human in sight.

“Protect the fragile mages, you muscleheads!!”

“Damn it, do you know how that sounds to a tank, you magic freaks!”

The hunters, already prepared, responded like veterans.

Had they been rookies, they'd have been dead instantly. But everyone here was a seasoned fighter. With plenty of recovery items and healers, none feared to throw themselves forward.

“Healer, please bless us!”

“Here, take some grace!”

“Love you...!”

“The grace of the Healer is boundless!!”

“All the hurt ones, scream!!”

“Aaaaagh...!!”

“Aaah, over here, aaagh!!”

“Yell louder—I can’t tell you apart from the monsters!!”

“RAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”

Hunters, by nature, live by sacrificing their bodies and risking their lives. None here feared pain—and they had a surplus of rare, noble-class healers.

The roles were clear: while the mages and priests focused on heat control, the dealers and tanks protected them from rampaging monsters. With healers behind them, they stood firm.

“No monster will touch a single hair on the Healers’ heads while I breathe!”

“Hey, what about us mages?!”

“Mages fend for yourselves!!”

“Damn it! We’re not just freeloaders!!”

Even amid the chaos, the priests and mages were half in disbelief.

“H-How is this actually working?”

“It’s absurd how smoothly this is going...”

“This is really happening, right?”

They were gathering the dungeon’s oppressive heat into a single point.

“Grroooowl.”

“Aren’t you just precious when you eat?”

“Grrrmm grrrm grrm.”

“Aww, you’re doing so well, so cute.”

“GRRRRRRRMMMMMM!!”

“Our little Honey is doing great.”

All the gathered heat was being gulped down by Honey. No one questioned why Honey seemed to be growing bigger and bigger.

If they’d had to contain the heat, it would’ve been too much—but simply moving it to one spot was doable.

“UGH it’s so hot I’m dying...!”

“I knew something was off when I couldn’t breathe properly!”

“I’m never going into a forest-type dungeon again!”

It wasn’t an easy task. Mages grumbled in frustration. Some drew the heat with spells, others pulled moisture from the air to bind it.

And the Sun’s priests quietly, diligently gathered the heat.

“......”

“...Sniff...”

Some cried. They felt an invisible force helping pull even the heat they couldn’t reach.

The priests, having heard what Sergio’s Anti-Cat had done, held back tears.

They couldn’t help but feel sorrow—it might be their last collaboration with their fallen brothers.

“...Hey, doesn’t it feel cooler now?”

“Holy crap, this is really working.”

“This is freaking insane...”

After about three hours, the hunters started noticing real changes.

“It’s definitely easier to breathe.”

And not just them—the dungeon’s false moon appeared more frequently and lingered longer. According to records, it was the Tree of Life that cast this moon to support the dungeon.

And when that long, endless evening finally descended—

“......”

“...I-Is it over now?”

“...I’m gonna die.”

No monsters came to attack them anymore. Their sweat cooled, and a faint chill settled into the air.