The Artist Who Paints Dungeon - Chapter 115



Only Noblemtl

Episode 115

Park Eun-gyeom wasn’t the only one who was dragged into the ‘Empty City’.

“Huh…? Uh, uh, where am I…?”

A C-class hunter who tried to kill teammates and take their items.

“Huh? Huh? What is it? Some kid… Huh?”

A civilian who committed violence against a drunk passerby without asking questions.

“… Could this be the ‘City of Emptiness’?”

A B-class hunter who was moving forward while throwing out his companions as bait.

It didn’t matter whether they were hunters or civilians. They all went through the same process as Park Eun-gyeom and floundered around in the ‘City of Void’, and since they never met the master of this dungeon, Black Cloak, they just became a picture.

“I, I was invited and went to the ‘Empty City’!!”

And some people came back alive, having been gifted with a thrilling experience.

“I was walking down the street at dawn when I met a black cloak. I was throwing trash into a trash can….”

“You did such a small and nice thing? You’re someone who doesn’t usually do that?”

“Fuck, yeah, honestly, I’ve been doing that a lot lately because I wanted the snacks Black Cloak gave me.”

“You crazy bastard, you made it back alive. Should I report this to the association or not… So?”

“I went there because they asked if I could get an invitation to the ‘Empty City’ instead of a snack.”

With the help of the black cloak, the pedestrian was able to safely enjoy the ‘City of Void’ and escape. It was an extremely brave challenge for a pedestrian who was not a hunter, but thanks to it, he gained something to brag about for the rest of his life.

“It was really cool. Sometimes a guy in a black suit would pop out and stare at me… Do you know Hunter Lee Sung-jin?”

“You know, you’re the B-rank hunter who was supposedly taken to the ‘City of Emptiness’ this time. You wouldn’t… .”

“I saw that hunter there? No, he was covered in black spots… I couldn’t even tell if he was human.”

At that time, the man in the black suit with the voice of Lee Seong-jin Hunter spoke.

“He said that was him.”

Unless it was necessary, the black suit did not imitate the human he had robbed. He simply requested communication in the form of a stylish black suit, with a gentlemanly, heavy and respectful gesture, and with a human voice and face.

“I was seriously freaking out. This was crazy, this is awesome…!”

“You, you… You did something completely crazy. Who would crawl into a dungeon on their own two feet, you brat?”

“But you said it was worth risking your life for? It’s almost a work of art!”

Cases like this pop up every now and then, causing people to murmur.

Some were taken away by force. Some escaped from the painting at the behest of their families. Some returned to committing evil deeds and became paint. Others reflected on their actions and lived honest lives.

“I also want to go to the ‘Empty City’ sometime.”

“I told you not to do anything that would hurt you. Are you innocent?”

“No, I’m just average, average.”

The safest way to get an invitation was to ask the Black Cloak for an invitation instead of a gift. If you asked for an invitation in front of the ‘City of the Void’, you could enter, but if you were judged to be a villain, you would be forcibly dragged out of the place.

This wasn’t something that just happened among those who enjoyed taking risks.

“It’s amazing that it’s a work of art that you can not only look at but also enter.”

“They say that there is so much to feel just by appreciating Black Cloak’s work. They say that it is small but enormous.”

“Have you heard of the safest way to get invited to the ‘Empty City’?”

“If you encounter Black Cloak after doing good deeds, you can exchange the gift for an invitation….”

Even decent people who enjoy art talk about it.

“Who can enter the interior of the work and appreciate it?”

If you could enter Vincent van Gogh’s masterpiece, ‘Starry Night’, and see the world of the work, who would refuse it? Those who pride themselves on enjoying art were excited by the work of the black cloak.

“I heard that the painting style changes depending on the subject matter of the work.”

“Isn’t that just plain stupid? Every writer should have his or her own style.”

“No, if there is a lot to appreciate when looking at a work of art, can we say that the person who drew it is not an artist?”

“Black Cloak is a good artist. The moment you see his work, you can tell what Black Cloak is trying to say.”

“It could simply be because he’s a monster.”

“In an age where countless gallery painters use their skills to create works of art, who cares?”

“That’s right, that could actually be an advantage.”

“If Black Cloak has a style, it would be that his paintings are worlds that exist in reality.”

“If you think about it that way, it’s definitely… It’s a work that clearly conveys what it wants to say.”

As the ‘Empty City’ was fully revealed to the world, a few changes occurred in that world as well.

“Uh… What are you doing now?”

“I’m looking for trash.”

“Why are you looking for trash with such bloodshot eyes?”

“This is the place where the ‘Black Cloak’ appears frequently.”

“Ah, Black Cloak.”

In places where the black cloak was frequently seen, it was difficult to find trash. This was because street cleaning was the easiest and most frequent good deed that could be done without much effort.

“I came out today because I didn’t know when the black cloak would come out… ”

“Well, what, do your best.”

“Yes, thank you. It’s cold outside, so be careful on your way home.”

Some people did small acts of kindness to get a taste of the snacks offered by the Black Cloak. Some people did small acts of kindness to be invited to the work called ‘The City of the Void’. And some people did small acts of kindness to interact with the famous monsters of the time.

Just as it was getting tiresome, someone was bragging and cheering.

“Hey, look at this! It’s a gift from Black Cloak?”

“Black Cloak? Are you crazy? This isn’t a snack? What is it? It smells really good.”

“Flower car, flower car. Am I the first person to receive something like this?”

A woman who secretly bought a bungeoppang for a carnation child out of pity ended up receiving a ‘flower car’ as a gift.

“What, it wasn’t just snacks?”

“So even the Black Cloak’s gift had tiers… .”

“They said it was almost like a potion.”

“It’s too good a gift for a civilian to receive.”

“Fuck, I’m so jealous.”

Even some who heard the news that the flower tea was so good that it made their eyes dizzy approached women with bad intentions, but they soon stopped after being watched by the ‘Empty City’ for a month. In particular, those who almost harmed women were dragged into a frame.

“The post-processing is also neat.”

Whether you are a civilian or an awakened person, the situation has been created where there is no reason not to take on the challenge.

Of course, on the other hand, some people who habitually do evil things are discouraged. They are constantly checking their own actions as they worry about the ’empty city’ that can appear anywhere.

“…Fuck, what the hell is a monster….”

“I can’t eat it because my pride is hurt. It’s like a dog.”

However, I couldn’t act as I pleased. It was because of the habit engraved in my bones of being strong with the weak and weak with the strong.

They knew how dire the situation was for several people, starting with Park Eun-gyeom.

The association, sensing this trend, exhibited something.

“Huh? Hey, that thing in front of the association… .”

“What is it? Is it paint? Is it food?”

“No, the color is a bit strange.”

The first villain to become the ‘Empty City’ was Park Eun-gyeom.

“…Why does it look alive?”

“Dog, don’t be a dog. Are you saying that thing is alive?”

“Is the association really crazy? Isn’t this a violation of human rights?”

“If you want to end up like that, just keep being a jerk.”

“… Oh my… That’s creepy…”

Those who hadn’t read the association’s post wouldn’t know the exact circumstances, but it was clear that it was living paint. For some reason, you could tell that just by looking at it.

This was a blatant demonstration of how horrible a life one would have to lead if one were to be branded a villain in the ‘City of Hollows’.

“Can the Association use the power of monsters to do this?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We just wanted to warn you about the dangers of the ‘Empty City’.”

Anyone who looked at it could clearly see that the intention was to “keep the current trend created by Black Cloak as it is, as it is not bad.” However, the association evaded the claim, saying, “We just wanted to be on the lookout for the increasing number of people who are rashly approaching Black Cloak these days.”

The few who knew of the existence of the Source and the Gardeners realized that this was the Society’s intention to limit the ‘story’ of the Black Cloak to something beneficial to human conscience and rules.

“I wonder what they’re going to do if the story of the Black Cloak becomes too big because the Association has approved it.”

“It’s not a monster that’s stuck in a corner, but rather, it’s a being that’s quite close to the source for a simple monster. This is better.”

“Yeah, if it’s a being that keeps appearing in the gaps between people, the story will become bigger anyway.”

“So, should we try to create an image so that the black cloak can move in a direction that is beneficial to humans?”

“If we can use this gap to restrict the direction of the active Black Cloak, it would be beneficial. I understand.”

“Even for something like that, it’s a bold move. I guess he was anxious because he’s a rare being that has a direct influence on humans.”

“It’s better to prepare before something happens than to try to deal with it after it happens. Especially when it comes to storytelling.”

“This might be a strong stimulant for monster haters. It might cause some strong backlash.”

“Well, wouldn’t the association handle that well? There are a lot of capable people there.”

Even if that weren’t the case, there was no one who could strongly oppose the association.

“If you have any complaints about the operation of the association, please contact me.”

This was because the president of the association, Dan Hae-ra, personally stepped forward.

In a world where human rights were treated as empty words, citizens who were living a safe life in the city with the help of the association could not think of rebelling against them.

Only a few people who had been secretly doing things that could be called criminals were making a fuss.

“… … .”

There were others who benefited from that flow.

“What the hell.”

It was F-class hunter Cha Ara.

“Brother, I just earned money.”

“What the hell are you talking about.”

“The people who abandoned me in the dungeon last time gave me compensation.”

“how much?”

“Uh… First of all, can you change the electric blanket?”

“It’s almost spring, so it sounds like an electric blanket.”

Although it wasn’t very common, there were times when Black Cloak would judge the good and evil of a human based on the victim’s plea. As a result, there were a couple of instances where if Black Cloak judged the perpetrator to be evil, something bad would happen.

This was the reason why Cha Ara was only now receiving compensation for something that happened a long time ago.

“Then should I fix the ceiling? It’s leaking.”

“Save some. I won’t be selling bungeoppang anymore, so I need to save some money for the time being.”

“That would be better. Oppa, you’ll stay home for a while? What are you going to do?”

“I should start taking care of the garden soon. The weather is getting warmer….”

“If my brother says he wants to make money through farming, I’ll help him with the farm work for a while.”

“Okay, a hunter should do his job as a hunter. Why are you touching dirt?”

“What are you going to plant?”

“Um… I’m thinking about potatoes and lettuce.”

While we were chatting away, the topic changed to the youngest.

“What is Chaisol doing?”

“I hope you’re eating well.”

“Does he have a girlfriend these days?”

“No… we were really close friends.”

“Kkabi, I think even the youngest one learned love.”

“How can something the size of a palm learn love?”

Cha Eun-hyuk clicked his tongue.

“I heard that you’re going on an internship soon.”

“Huh? Why can’t I hear it?”

“I got a call the day before yesterday, but you weren’t home.”

“Ah, I also have the youngest’s voice… I also have the youngest on the phone… .”

“You have to stay home whether you talk or not.”

“Our youngest, Cotton Candy, is already going to do an internship.”

“That’s just a bean pod, not cotton candy.”

“It dissolves in water.”

“That’s true for us too.”

The Cha family has been known to melt when they enter stagnant water for generations. They are a family that has difficulty staying immersed for long periods of time.

“Anyway, I told you to summon Black Cloak if you feel like you’re going to fail.”

“Is this guy crazy, ruining a child’s life? Is this like summoning the devil?”

“It’s better to be moderate than evil… Hey. But it’s better to have a messed up life than to die.”

“Honestly, it’s hard to tell the difference between a clean death and a really messed up life.”

“No, last time I saw it, Black Cloak was taking care of our youngest.”

“That… that’s true, but… .”

“I know you might be annoyed that I called you for personal reasons, but it’s better than actually losing, right?”

“… … .”

Cha Ara, who had been keeping her mouth shut, asked.

“… So what does that gentleman do?”

“From what I see on the news, it seems like you’re having a fun time.”

“Haven’t you been appearing less frequently lately?”

“I’ve heard that there are definitely fewer sightings than in the winter.”

“It feels like everyone is slowly calming down.”

“Rather than that, it was creepy because it felt like I was settling in.”

“What is it, like mandatory national vaccinations…?”

“That’s right, that’s it. That’s exactly the feeling.”

The city, which had been noisy all along because of the story of the black cloak, was gradually returning to its usual appearance.

Some people still run around trying to meet the black cloak, while others hold back so as not to be labeled as villains by him, but it feels like things have calmed down and returned to normal.

“This planet will be with Black Cloak until it dies… .”

“Fuck, when you say it like that, it makes me twice as scared.”

“It just feels like everyone has adapted, and even the Black Cloaks are becoming less active.”

Eunhyuk Cha, who had even had a meal with him, asked.

“But I heard that ‘Mr. Sergio’ isn’t active?”

“I don’t know why you’re asking me that, Sergio?”

“Black… That… That person’s… identity. He came from the ‘Temple of the Deep Sea’.”

“Ah, ahh… .”

Cha Ara nodded.

“…I know?”

Did Black Cloak ever intend to use his human identity?