The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

Meanwhile, in the peaceful cabin.

Gio was examining his new family member.

“ls this little one fully grown?”

“Pyaarrr.”

“How cute.”

It was a cuteness that brought peace to the mind.

As it flopped down and waved its four paws, Gio gently grasped Anticat's two front paws. Earth cats usually hate having their paws held, but Anticat didn't seem to mind much.

Like playing with a newborn baby, he lightly held the front paws and waved them around a few times.

“Purrrr…”

“Meow.”

“A cat is still a cat.”

“Mmmeung.”

“lt's extremely cold.”

Anticat's body was cool, like touching a stalactite in a remote cave.

“Honey, you're the complete opposite.”

“Coo r?”

“You're warm.”

Perhaps because it evolved from Lulupu juice that grew under sunlight and moonlight, Honey's tiny body was exceptionally warm. It seemed to have gotten even warmer recently thanks to receiving abundant affection from the Sun God.

“lt seems like it'll be hard to stick with Honey when it's this cold…”

Though he wasn't sure if there was any scientific basis, doesn't one sometimes think that if they grab naturally cold-blooded creatures like fish or frogs with human hands, it might burn them?

“Tell me if it's uncomfortable for me to touch you, little one.”

“……”

“You're eerily quiet. Good girl, good girl. Very clever.”

It doesn't seem to be uncomfortable.

“Looks like you understand what I'm saying too.”

That was quite remarkable.

'The way it sparkles like a gem… it's like some kind of identity.'

Anticat's body was like that of a few months-old kitten. Its physique contained a dense sparkle, like a well-cut diamond.

Perhaps because of that, unlike the completely transparent Honey, it appeared opaque.

“lmpressive.”

“M i ew. - ”

“You can even glow on your own, how clever.”

Honey stared intently at Gio from the side.

“……”

“…Of course, you're clever too, Honey.”

“Coong.”

“Oh, you're so cute.”

“Corr.”

Raising kids sure is tough.

“By the way, what does our youngest eat to grow?”

From what he'd roughly confirmed, it seemed to live by sucking life force-and seemed like they were treated as a kind of ghost on Earth, but if ghosts were this cute, it might not be so bad to have life force sucked once in a while. 𝘙Å𐌽ŐＢĚś

“l might need to make a cat tower soon…1 do have quite a knack for making hide-and-seek tunnels.”

“Pyaa rr.”

“There are plenty of tall, rugged trees around here that would be good for climbing, but Anticat will need its own territory inside the house too. If it takes after cats, it'll be just as sensitive about its territory.”

“Miaw.”

“Since the youngest used to live in 'Gem's Water Vein', it might be fun to make a similar environment. I could make a hide-and-seek house like a dark ant tunnel, and put some gems inside… that might work well.”

Now it was time to give it a name.

“Spa rkl e…”

“……”

“…Deja vu?”

It was a similar reaction to when he first thought of the word 'Golden' for Honey's name. A response that seemed to ask 'Are you serious, human?'

Gio tried to be a bit more creative.

“……”

After a moment of silence, he muttered softly.

“Da na?”

Among Korean names, it has the meaning of'someone who always goes ahead', but that's not actually why he thought of the name 'Dana'.

“1”

And shortening it further to 'daa' or 'dai' seemed too unconscionable.

“So I modified it a bit to Dana, what do you think?”

“M mu ng. - ”

“I'm glad you like it.”

He passed the test.

“Phew.”

Gio dedicated this honour to name-givers around the world. Naming truly was no easy task.

“Now let's go prepare dinner.”

“Coooorrrrr.”

“l got hungry from trying to come up with a name.”

He also needed to finish up the bone broth.

“Fortunately, it seems Student Cha Ara liked the taste too.”

Earth bone broth requires a lot of attention to detail. The initial preparation process was similar, but after that came the careful work of controlling the heat and removing impurities as they rose.

“The very first bone broth that comes out is too greasy to eat as is. When I made it at home, I'd find ways to use it since it was a shame to throw away, but it doesn't change the fact that bone broth from Earth cows is trou blesome.”

“Meeng?”

“Yes, that's how it is.”

Even though she seemed to understand words, Anticat Dana-still not fully adapted-slumped onto Gio's shoulder as if to say, 'I don't get any of this.' Despite its unexpected weight, the sight was quite amusing.

In contrast, Honey-aware that Gio enjoyed cooking-listened calmly. A true gourmet knows the origins of the food they eat and savours it more profoundly. Honey and Gio embodied this perfectly

“ln that sense, Treehorn Deer bone broth is extremely independent, you see.”

If one just leaves it on low heat for 3 days, the bones and cartilage will dissolve without needing to skim off any impurities.

“Strictly speaking, there's really nothing to waste with the Treehorn Deer.”

“Cooorrr.”

Honey, who had devoured all the innards except for a few intestines, nodded in vehement agreement. Wagging its tail feathers cheerfully, it glanced back at Gio from Dana on his shoulder.

“……”

“……?”

Noticing Honey's thoughtful expression-as if it had just remembered something-Gio soon caught on to what it meant.

“…Ah.”

Come to think of it, there was that jewel heart obtained when butchering the Treehorn Deer back then.

“l forgot I was going to check on that.”

“Coocoocoo…”

“lf you finish all your food today without any issues, I'll give it to you, Honey.”

Gio, who could even create gems himself, did not covet the jewel heart. Despite clearly being part of a dead body, it somehow felt like it was still alive, which made him feel a bit strange.

“But if it seems like eating this will upset your stomach, Dad will keep it safe.”

“Coo.”

Honey didn't throw a tantrum beyond that point. Gio felt pleased.

“Such a good boy.”

He rejoiced in having a sincere and kind son. Though Gio himself was not exactly a virtuous person, he thought it was a great blessing to have met only such good families throughout his life.

Gio skillfully adjusted Dana's posture which was slumping, and said:

“Actually, the bone broth itself was completed when I gave Student Cha Ara the rice made with it. Still, since it's better to have it concentrated if we want to store it in the ice storage and eat it over time-I simmered it a bit longer to thicken it. After all, we can always add water later when needed.”

“Coorrrrrrr.”

“Yes, you've waited for a long time too. I can still vividly remember you pacing in front of the fire, eager to eat. You showed great patience. Seeing such strong willpower, you'll surely grow into a big bird someday.”

Honey, who originally liked liquid-form food, must have found the long wait quite harsh. Gio acknowledged and praised Honey's patience, then approached the cauldron where the bone broth was still simmering.

“Oh….”

The sweet and savoury aroma rushed out when the lid was opened.

“Nice.”

“Corcorrcorr….”

“lt must be hot now.”

“Coong.”

“lf you insist, I'll scoop some for you.”

Honey, who had safely withstood the Sun God's touch multiple times, naturally had no issue with soup simmered a bit longer with firewood. Gio tried to scoop the soup into a small bowl to give to Honey.

-And then Gio finally saw it.

“Honey.”

“Coor.”

“lt would be good for my mind and body for you to come out.”

Honey had plunged headfirst into the cauldron.

“Coongcoongcoong….”

“l don't want to eat broth that my son has been stewed in. This isn't a scene from Greek or Roman mythology, what kind of human scum are you trying to turn me into?”

In that short time, Honey had expanded from the size of a sparrow to that of a pigeon. If they went to the animal hospital like this, it's clear he'd hear that Honey is severely obese and that the guardian needs to pay more attention.

“lt's already concentrated so the flavour should be even stronger, what on earth are you doing?”

“Coongcoongcoongcoong….”

“Eating too much salt isn't good for your health. Dad can make it tastier, so let's try to calm down a little.”

Honey grumbled but crawled out of the cauldron.

“…….”

“…You too?”

“Aeong.”

Perhaps inspired by her brother's audacity to crawl into the cauldron anytime, anywhere to taste its contents. Dana, who had been slumped over his shoulder like a slime with no motivation, plopped down beside the cauldron.

'lt might be a bit hot for Dana, who has a low body temperature.'

Gio scooped a shallow portion of the broth and cooled it as much as possible before handing it to Dana.

- A661 A…….”

Slurp.

- A661 A…….”

“Oh.”

Gio nodded at the sight of its body softly glowing without a sound.

'Looks like it's pleased.'

Though not as talkative as Honey, it appeared to express its mood through the glow of its body.

Feeling the pride of being both a father and a chef, Gio prepared the meal heartily.

“We have rice left over from when Student Cha Ara was here, so let's eat that.”

“Corr.”

“Meang.”

Dana, who had shown little interest in food before, seemed to have had some realization after tasting the bone broth. It was quite amusing to see it following Honey around and meddling with the meal preparations.

“As expected, nothing works as well as delicious food for kids….”

Gio scraped out the rice cooked with bone broth.

After scooping out all the fluffy rice grains, he neatly scraped off the nurungji left at the bottom. Thanks to the oil from the bone broth used to cook the rice, it came off very cleanly.

“Who wants nurungji?”

When Gio asked, rolling the nurungji into balls to make a simple snack, both creatures responded.

“Corrrrr. Corrrrrrr.”

“Mang, myaak, aak… Meungmangmangmang.”

“…Let's split it.”

Though there were plenty of murmurs, could there be a choice as timelessly wise as solomon's? Gio neatly split the nurungji rice ball in half. At that point, the two companion creatures finally stopped muttering.

Taking advantage of their distraction with the nurungji rice ball, Gio finished preparing the meal.

“For the bone broth rice, I should try making one grilled rice ball.”

Even if he said this, it didn't mean he would truly grill just one.

“For side dishes, grilled eggplant with soybean paste… and maybe simmer a soup?”

Gio headed to the backyard he called his vegetable garden but considered a monster field.

The pea plant vines still seemed to have a firm consciousness.

“…….”

Enough to greet him.

“…This is getting ridiculous.”

Rustle.

“Yes, nice to meet you. Lovely weather, isn't it?”

“…….”

“Thank you for guarding the garden again today.”

Having received Gio's greeting, the vines calmly settle back down.

'… Though pretending to be normal pea vines at this point doesn't make it look normal anymore.'

But Gio decided to respect the pea plant vine's privacy. He naturally overlooked the fact that ordinary bean stems couldn't move.

Anyway, Gio picked four eggplants and assorted vegetables from the garden. After washing them thoroughly, he sliced the eggplants to a moderate thickness and salted them, peeled a radish and chopped it into chunks, and shelled and washed the peas.

“…Still, adding jerky seems a bit much.”

Gio brought out some sausages.

“Honey, you don't like spicy stuff, right?”

“Coorrrrrrrrrr.”

“Thought so.”

It was a mildly seasoned sausage.

“Aeng?”

“Well, we'll test your spicy tolerance another time. Since I'm only making one soup, adding spicy sausage would mean Honey can't eat it.”

“Meuk.”

“I'II grill some spicy sausage for you later.”

Though it might be an unfamiliar combination to Koreans, adding sausage to soup and boiling it together can be surprisingly tasty. Of course, using pink sausages or ham like spam where you can't even see the shape of the meat particles might be a bit awkward…

“Shall we peel it now then?”

Gio prepared the sausages.

By slightly cutting off the end of the casing membrane and gently pushing it out with the back of the knife, the meat bits filling the sausage came out intact.

During this time, the spices had infused properly, giving off a deep aroma, and Gio sliced the inner flesh and casing membrane into appropriate sizes.

“Now, just need to throw everything in.”

He added a bit of water to the concentrated bone broth, then placed radish, peas, and the prepared sausages on top.

The peas grown in the monster field were plump but smaller compared to others, and the sausages were already sufficient to eat raw, so they would be ready to eat once the radish was cooked.

“And next….”

He lightly grilled the rice balls and made a sauce with ingredients like fruit syrup, soybean paste, and soy sauce. After coating the eggplants with the sauce and placing them in the wood-fired oven, by the time the soup was roughly finished, the rest of the dishes had also finished cooking.

“Let's eat.”

“Corrrrrrr.”

“Aeeoook, mmngmangmangmangmang….”

Gio had never heard Dana cry this long before. It was heartwarming to see her love meal times so much. Kids were the cutest when eating.

“Dad will go offer tribute to the Sun God and come back, so go ahead and start eating first.”

“Meeaang.”

“Corr.”

Gio headed straight to the 2nd-floor artwork storage room. Several landscape paintings hung there. Gio walked directly to the 'Breathing Sea'.

As expected, the Sun God was extremely pleased, and …

“…….”

Gave a gift.

“…What is this? A certificate?”

“”

“Then shouldn't I not receive it? It wasn't originally mine to begin with.”

“”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Though unsure what it was, it didn't seem harmful, so Gio decided to gratefully accept it.