"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 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.
-x-X-x-
In one dimension, there existed a vast and ancient lifeform.
It cultivated a great tree—its own child, grown from a part of itself. That tree, sacred in origin, matured into a divine being and, in time, developed intelligence.
Eventually, the tree came to love a human.
"Oh great Tree of Life, I beg you, please accept this humble child."
"Accept this child as your family, O great one of myth."
"And bless us humans with the gift of life!"
But the tree did not respond.
The limits of human life were part of the natural order decreed by Life itself. No one could receive the Tree's blessings, which belonged solely to the children of Life.
Yet, as time passed, the love the tree held for the tiny human child only grew.
The child was pure.
Gentle.
And treated the tree like family.
But the child was terribly fragile.
"The child you loved is dead."
"Split into five pieces, a divine punishment for daring to touch the child of a god!"
"This is rightful judgment, so do not be angered—grant only mercy!"
"We humans, including the child, are held in the arms of Life!"
The tree was so sorrowful it wept.
Its tears—shed by a child of Life—became heavenly blessings to humankind.
And in response, humans grew crueler.
They brought bloodied offerings.
"We offer sacrifices—grant us your blessing...!"
"Rain down the water of life!"
One among them shouted:
"If not that, then grant us all eternal life!!"
How shameless.
"Wouldn't even your beloved child return to life then?"
"Oh tree, how can you be so cruel to humanity? Why must noble human lives be so short?"
"Grant us eternal life! Grant humans immortality!!"
Swayed by such coaxing, the tree ultimately collapsed the boundary between life and death—reviving the human child it so loved.
For this, Life became enraged.
To witness its child misuse divine authority—it cast a curse.
"A calamity! Calamity has come!!"
"■■■■■...!!"
"An evil spirit resides within the sacred tree! Burn it!!"
"■■■■■■...!!!"
"The tree has become a beast!!"
The Tree of Life was turned into a monster—massive, quadrupedal, unable to see humans, with a body too vast to belong among the small ones it once cherished.
It was punishment for defying natural law.
"Aaagh...! The tree! The tree has cursed us!!"
"Please, we did no wrong...! Show us mercy!"
"Why would you turn us into beasts?!"
And those humans who had dared to take Life's blessing—were transformed into beasts themselves.
The evil humans who had killed and deceived the child the Tree of Life loved were cursed with insomnia and became monsters of the night.
The humans who had greedily soaked in the tree's blessings became monsters of the day.
"KIIIIEEEEEEK...!!"
"K-Kuhh, GRAAAAGH... AAAH...!"
"KREEEEEEEKK...!"
They all became beasts—abandoned by Life.
Their dimension began to shrink.
The burning sun—left behind as punishment—grew so hot that they wished for death.
Their intellect slowly eroded.
Only pain remained.
"■■■..."
And among them was the resurrected human child—a being returned to life by the mistake of what had once been the Tree of Life.
Once torn apart into five pieces by humans, then fused back into one by a beast... only to be split again by divine wrath.
The beast wanted to protect that small child in its arms.
So it expanded its body—larger, and larger still.
To block the collapse of their shrinking dimension.
To protect them from the scorching sun, it created a moon.
And it shed tears to cool the world.
"Grrr..."
"Krrrk, kghh..."
The cursed, four-legged beasts—now monsters—hoped this sweetness would last a little longer.
Even after losing their minds, they longed for longer nights.
For wider dimensions.
So the lesser beasts wandered around the small, delicate tree where it had all begun.
And the great beast, for that fragile tree, took in all those monsters.
It raised the moon more often.
It traveled across dimensions, trying to cool its body.
Yet the scorching heat Life had left behind... would not fade.
***
"...That's the story,"
Kang Seodam concluded, voice tired, after piecing together the dungeon's narrative with the other hunters.
"So Hunter Sergio's theory was correct after all."
"Wow... I didn't think it would be literally true."
"But now that we know this, clearing the dungeon is going to be a headache."
The other hunters clicked their tongues.
"Then why did the night monsters feed the tree? It rains regularly anyway. Why add fertilizer?"
"Uh... maybe to create more slaves? If the trees grow up, they become more like the Tree of Life? Otherwise, why bother giving it anything?"
"Well, since the tree was like family to the big beast, they wouldn't want to harm it. Maybe it's separate from the fertilizer—it's just that they wanted more 'Trees of Life.'"
"So that frenzy earlier... it was the Tree of Life protecting its child. A parent's instinct."
"Especially since all the dungeon's monsters went wild."
Listening to the discussion, Jeong Yeong-Won added,
"The rain in this rainforest... those were the Tree of Life's tears."
It made sense now—why touching it drove people mad.
"Because it's a mythic being's tears... or maybe its blood. Any ordinary human would lose their mind upon contact. Definitely worth investigating."
"The dungeon's monsters seemed fine, though."
"Maybe they went mad long ago. They're extremely hostile to humans—and now we know why. Wouldn't you lash out if you were tormented into madness?"
Some monsters hated humans and avoided them. Some were cold and calculating. Others attacked on sight.
'This dungeon's are clearly the third kind.'
Jeong Yeong-Won fell into thought.
"To clear this place..."
"It's a nightmare."
"Can't just smash our way through."
"And the Church that hired us won't sit back."
"We need to clear it while preserving what we can."
"There are some extremely valuable plants here..."
"Too much to destroy."
The poisons in this dungeon were potent and fast-acting. Extracted and refined, they could bring wealth—or be turned into medicines.
"In times like these, poisons and cures are worth gold."
After Jeong Yeong-Won's comment, a few hunters turned to look at Sergio.
"...Do you have something to say to me?"
"N-no, sorry. It just slipped out..."
"I understand. The medicine I gave was just too effective."
Giovanni smiled with divine innocence.
"Please give your thanks to the Sun."
"O-of course...!"
People were beginning to think, "Something's off here..."
But Gio wasn't worried.
He was the cheerful type who never worried in advance.
Kang Seodam, on the other hand, was deeply concerned.
"..."
He sighed quietly, unable to hide his troubled face.
"...I hate to bring this up after all the deaths, but... I'd really prefer to preserve the dungeon if possible. It's even in the contract."
"I remember. Don't worry, Priest."
"Fortunately, we've figured out the core story and clues. The next issue is: how do we clear this place peacefully?"
Each dungeon had its own rules.
Some required resolving a boss's grudge.
Some needed solving specific riddles.
Others ended when you opened a particular door.
"So what if we just kill all the monsters? Wouldn't that ease the Tree's heart a little? I mean, seems like it's been betrayed more than once."
"If that's the condition, we won't finish in a single raid. We'd have to come back repeatedly. And what if, after clearing it, the Tree just destroys the dungeon?"
"Yeah, maybe it'd collapse from peace. Ugh. What do we do then? Carefully... dig up the small trees and relocate them?"
"We'd probably die in the frenzy before moving even one. Everyone's already exhausted just figuring out the story. Isn't there a more gentle method?"
That's when Gio stepped forward.
"What if we lowered the heat?"
"Pardon? The heat?"
"Then the day monsters would sleep, and we could deal with the night ones."
"So you mean..."
Before others could finish, Sanarae tilted his head.
"Carrot, not stick?"
"It wasn't cold wind that made the traveler shed his coat—it was warm sunlight."
"Well, this dungeon's ready to go mad from that sunlight."
"Peace brings apathy more than pain does."
Creatures resist pain but sleep in peace.
"If all the Tree of Life wanted was to protect its family, we should let it. Just give it a calm, safe nest."
The tree upholding this dungeon wasn't aggressive—unless you messed with the little ones.
"So maybe it'll sustain itself too."
"That's only if this place becomes a good nursery..."
A hunter asked cautiously,
"But how? We could maybe deal with the monsters over time, but this dungeon's huge. We can't remove all the heat."
"Right. Even if we smash the fake sun, the environment would collapse. The plants would die too."
"And you can't just 'remove heat.' Not with one or two mages or priests. Though... if we could, it'd be ideal..."
Then Gio asked:
"What if there are many of us?"
"Uh... what?"
"People who can absorb heat."
"...Do such people exist?"
Kang Seodam chimed in:
"Sun priests can handle heat. But I can manage the heat of ten buildings, tops. The younger priests... maybe a single big tree."
"There are others, right?"
"If I'm not mistaken, there are six of us left, including myself. Not enough. But with help from mages, we might manage."
He paused in thought.
"We have artifacts, too."
The Church held a patent on heat-absorbing artifacts. They brought a decent number, expecting heat in this dungeon.
"But even with that, we can't remove all the heat. Unless the sun disappears, this heat won't either. But destroying the sun... we don't have the method. And we'd suffer for it. It might destroy the dungeon too."
Kang Seodam asked:
"Hunter Sergio—what's your idea?"
"I'll start with a guess."
"Go ahead."
"This place feels like a sauna, right?"
"...Yes."
"High humidity."
"Very."
"Why?"
"..."
Kang Seodam replied,
"Because of the rain?"
"But it doesn't rain that often."
"It poured when it did..."
"But it wouldn't cause this much humidity."
Even non-hunters would struggle to breathe here. Like inhaling through a soaked rag. No way it was just a few rains.
"There must be another water source."
"I thought the same."
Gio gestured to the trees.
"These trees are massive."
"Absolutely."
"Roots must be massive too."
"...Must be deep."
"And if the only water source was occasional rain—could they grow this big?"
"It's a dungeon, so maybe other factors... but your point stands."
"I think a vast body of water lies beneath this floor."
"A great reservoir."
"Yes."
Giovanni smiled.
"I'm someone deeply tied to water, so I feel quite confident."
"...Ah..."
At this point, it was basically a divine revelation.
'I suppose we should be glad he's so gentle about it...'
Kang Seodam, silently grimacing, asked:
"If we draw up that reservoir..."
"The Tree of Life could finally breathe."
"And the moonlight would last longer."
"First, let's confirm if it exists—and if we can draw it up."
"If we pull up an entire tree, we'll know."
"...I... suppose so."
Please don't expect humans to pull off miracles like this.
"..."
Taking a deep breath, Kang Seodam said,
"Let's sort things out step by step."
They still had plenty of food. Plenty of skilled people.
"If this drags on, we'll shift to long-term expedition mode."
"Must it drag on?"
"Pardon?"
"If you permit it... I'll start with the heat."
Gio lifted the edge of his cloak.
"..."
"Dana."
From the deep shadow—came a cat's meow.
"Meow."
-x-X-x-
"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 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.
-x-X-x-
The dungeon no longer saw the rise of the sun.
"Will it stay like this?"
"That likely depends on what the Tree of Life decides."
"Fair point."
The hunters lingered near Honey, who had grown to about five meters tall.
"Wow, it's warm..."
"Now that the heat's gone, it's suddenly cold."
"He absorbed all that heat, and this is as warm as it gets? How's that even possible?"
"Who cares if it makes sense? It's warm, that's enough."
"True enough..."
Maybe because his body had grown heavier, Honey didn't fly.
Thud.
"Let's go home and relax."
Thud thud thud...
"If he farts here, it'll all go to waste."
Thud thud thud thud thud...
"Want a treat?"
Gurgle.
Gio handed a bag of snacks into Honey's mouth just as Kang Seodam approached.
"Hunter Sergio."
"Ah, priest."
"Thank you for helping with all of this."
"It was something that had to be done."
"Honey's help was enormous too..."
Kang Seodam seemed about to say more but fell silent.
"..."
After a moment, he continued.
"...It's only a big contrast compared to how it was, but the current climate is actually quite mild. If we were to compare it to Earth's seasons, it would be something like spring."
"Does that mean things have stabilized?"
"We've called for mages among those who are still active to dig into the ground, but we haven't found anything significant yet. Even without drawing up groundwater, with how things are now... I don't think it'll be much of a problem."
"I see."
Gio asked.
"Shall we check on those little trees now?"
"Yes, we're gathering people to accompany us."
"I'd like to go with you."
"That would be most welcome."
And so, a small group of hunters moved toward where the pale purple tree stood.
Despite all the previous commotion, the little tree remained untouched. It glowed faintly in the dark, and Jeong Yeong-Won, examining the delicate tree with care, spoke.
"The climate's changed a lot, but the tree's temperature hasn't changed much."
"It seems to have lost more heat than before, but yes, I'd agree," Kang Seodam nodded, then turned toward Sanarae.
"Do you have any suggestions?"
"Thank you so, so much for depending on me."
"I know that's sarcasm."
"I don't really have anything to say... Hmm. There's a smell."
"A smell?"
"Before the weather cooled, there was the stench of corpses."
"That certainly suggests there's been a change."
Just then—
Meow.
From the shadow of Gio, Dana cried out.
Meow.
"..."
Meow...
At Dana's cry, the tree's branches trembled faintly. No matter how tired they were, these hunters were not ones to miss such movement. An unknown phenomenon caused an Eunwol guild hunter to tense.
"...C-Could this be another monster...?"
"If it was once a human that turned into a tree, then it's not impossible."
"Shouldn't we be preparing for that, then?"
Before any more could be said, the tree's branches flapped.
Flap.
"..."
Flap, flappity-flap.
"...?"
Thud...
The hunters stared blankly as the tree flailed like a puppy stuck in a swamp, trying to crawl out of the ground. About ten minutes passed.
Unable to bear the bizarre stillness, one hunter finally spoke up.
"...Sh-Should we... help?"
"It makes no sense to help a monster."
"We're not even sure if that is a monster..."
Not everything that moved in a dungeon was a monster. Most dungeons were, yes, filled only with monsters, but some included normal trees or wild animals.
But this tree—moving so vividly—was hard to dismiss as just a tree. Unless it was a creature that existed before this dimension became a dungeon...
"..."
"...But it looks so weak."
"...We've grown pretty weak too. There are many cases where hunters got hurt by monsters that looked weak."
"But isn't just standing around waiting for it to crawl out meaningless anyway?"
"Yeah, we're gonna watch it either way..."
"Let's just pull it out already."
"It doesn't seem particularly hostile toward humans."
While monsters did typically hate and threaten humans, there was a wide range of behavior across individuals. Eventually, with hesitant expressions, the hunters carefully pulled the flailing tree out of the ground.
And then, they realized something.
"...! A seal?"
Someone shook their head.
"No, it's got a long neck and four limbs. Much wider too."
"Then what do we call this kind of creature?"
"I think I saw something similar in another dungeon. I don't know... a sea dragon?"
"If I had to say... maybe a plesiosaur."
A hunter asked, incredulous.
"Did you just name a dinosaur?"
"Yeah, it's one of those underwater dinosaurs that supposedly lived back on old Earth."
"That's not what I meant... How do you even know that?"
"My son's into them..."
"Ah..."
Even though countless records had been lost since the Great Catastrophe, information about dinosaurs still lingered. Some kids still memorized dinosaur names.
"So this plesiosaur thing looked like this?"
"Yeah. Long neck, four flipper-like limbs, flat and broad body, a tail."
"I wondered why it didn't feel like a beast. So it was a sea dragon..."
"It was mimicking a tree. No wonder we didn't recognize it."
A sea dragon, trapped in a dungeon scorched by the cruel heat of the sun. One could only imagine the pain life must have inflicted on the tree to create this. Like throwing a fish into a dehydrator.
"When it was stuck in the ground, it looked just like a tree."
Now that it had emerged, it looked like a plesiosaur draped in hanging wisteria blooms.
The small, pale-purple sea dragon wriggled forward, tapping its tail. With no visible hostility, it quietly approached Sergio. It let out a short cry.
"Moo."
One hunter clamped a hand over their mouth.
"So cute."
"It's a monster."
"Lots of monsters are cute."
"People have different tastes."
It was a world of individualism. Hunters freely respected their comrades' preferences.
The tree-entwined sea dragon, seeming unbothered by the hunters' murmurs, gently nudged Gio's waist with what appeared to be its head. Watching closely, Gio reached into his pocket.
"Moo."
"Are you hungry?"
"Moo!"
"Good creature."
Sanarae asked,
"So, if it's hungry, being a monster doesn't matter?"
"If it eats well, it's pleasant to watch."
"Hmm... very clear taste you've got there."
One of the hunters observed,
"That monster seems to really like Hunter Sergio."
"Maybe because he's a tamer...?"
"No, before you tame it, it's just an enemy."
"Then why is it acting like that toward him?"
It was unmistakably acting like a baby beast begging its parent for food. As murmurs spread, someone guessed,
"Maybe it's already been tamed?"
"How? With what?"
"Just... affection and love?"
"...Does anyone here know how taming actually works?"
But no one did. Tamers didn't just give away their hard-earned secrets. And every tamer had their own unique methods.
In the end, the hunters settled on vague conclusions.
'Guess monsters go for looks too.'
'Maybe he smells good? Like pheromones...'
'Could be a monster-calming skill.'
'Maybe it's a tamed monster's power. No way we've seen everything he can do.'
It had become common courtesy not to pry too deeply into others' affairs. In a world where unspeakable things had to be imagined rather than asked, the hunters simply let it go.
If another tamer had been there, they would've realized how absurd the situation was. But that was unlikely. Worship and speculation were normal now.
"Oh no, this jerky is all I've got left..."
At Gio's words, the hunters were surprised.
"Hunter Sergio, you brought jerky too? I thought the muffin was it?"
"Muffin? What are you talking about? I got jelly."
"...Wait, I got chocolate. How many snacks did you bring?"
Sanarae thought to himself,
'If they saw him pulling out a giant cauldron from a subspace pocket, they'd shut up.'
As Sergio gently patted the sea dragon's head like a dog's cheek, some hunters followed his gaze. Others had already sensed it earlier.
And then—water burst forth.
"..."
"..."
"...It's water."
A sharp-eyed hunter summed it up.
"Looks like it was blocking the water vein."
The hunter grabbed their communicator—to stop the mages still sweating and digging for groundwater.
The hunters looked at each other, stunned.
"So there really was groundwater here."
"But is it okay for it to just keep gushing like that? What's the mechanism?"
"Isn't the flow too fast?"
Around then, Kang Seodam received another report.
"Other teams are saying the same. Some trees are still stuck and flailing, some are already out... but water's springing up there too."
"At this rate, isn't the dungeon gonna flood?"
"It probably won't flood completely. We don't know how long the groundwater's been sealed, but even on Earth, piercing one aquifer doesn't drown the whole world."
"Fair point, but still..."
Plip, plip...
Jeong Yeong-Won raised her hand.
"It's raining."
"What?! Wait, where should we—"
"It's fine."
She gently stroked a raindrop on her hand and continued.
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
The rain that once drove people mad with pain was gone. This wasn't a lashing downpour, but a soft drizzle, like morning dew.
Then, the hunters saw the message from the system.
"...Raid..."
"...It's been cleared."
"P-Priest! Right now...!"
"The raid's complete!!"
The Great Wisteria Sea Dragon falls into deep slumber.
Dungeon: 'The Four-Legged Rainforest Below' has been cleared.
Please check your reward from the system.
"We're off work now!!"
"A wise decision."
Kang Seodam nodded.
"Let's return."
As they prepared to leave—
***
"Sanarae."
"Hmm?"
"I've got a question."
"Oh? What is it?"
"What is the reward from the system?"
"The reward..."
Sanarae grinned as he looked at Gio.
"You can think of it as a gift from the system."
"What kind of gift?"
"When you clear a dungeon, the system determines how much you contributed, and sends a gift accordingly."
"How do you receive it?"
"Usually through the system interface. It's delivered to your bound subspace—"
"How does one do that?"
"...Why are you even asking?"
"It just seemed convenient."
"...Hmmm..."
"..."
"..."
A faint translucent window appeared between them. Sanarae's eyes instinctively flicked to his alert screen.
[Reward Delivered From Se■gi■o...
Gift from Sergio: Jerky from the Golden Stepping Sheep]
"I saw nothing, okay?"
"Maybe it was meant for you to see?"
"I said I didn't see it! What is wrong with you?"
"Are you not a fan of jerky?"
Giovanni murmured softly,
"I asked because I didn't receive anything from the system."
"..."
First: No hunter should be ignorant of system rewards. It was basic knowledge in human society.
Second: No one could just learn system tech because it looked 'convenient.' Like no one could build Earth just because it seemed cool.
Third: There was no reason why someone like 'Hunter Sergio' wouldn't receive a reward—unless he didn't have a system at all, or used a different one.
"..."
And he had no reason to share any of that with Sanarae...
"Looks like everyone else left."
"...Yeah."
"Shall we return too?"
"Why not?"
Sanarae chose to shut up and smile.
He'd learned there was no wiser answer than that.
-x-X-x-
And so, after the dungeon was cleared—came the corridor meeting that followed.
Yoo Seong-Woon asked,
"So, you handed out snacks?"
"Was it too rash of me?"
"Oh, no..."
Yoo Seong-Woon chuckled as he sipped the Basram Tea Gio had handed him.
"At this point, it's hardly surprising."
He had been full of worries in the beginning. Giving such extravagant gifts to humans so casually was bound to cause problems—neither good for the humans nor for the Origin-being offering them.
But now, he wasn't all that concerned.
"You've already been spreading gifts through your Black Cloak persona, haven't you?"
"I wouldn't call it that many gifts."
"Oh, come on. You handed out quite a few. Don't be coy."
The gifts Gio offered to humans were, in general, safe. Most people wouldn't realize that what 'Hunter Sergio' gave them and what 'Black Cloak' gave them held the same properties.
"Someone sharp might notice—you're always handing out gifts, always wearing a black cloak, and the effects are... similar."
"Then wouldn't they have figured it all out?"
"The world's prejudice will protect you. A human-like portrait as detailed as you? Doesn't exist in any dimension, even Earth. At most, they'll just assume you're loosely connected."
"So all I can trust is the world's prejudice?"
"Our Collector's Guild will also step in if needed. More importantly, the gifts you give as Black Cloak and as Sergio are slightly different, aren't they? I believe the effects differ, too. And no one knows Black Cloak stays at the Guild—no reason to think it's the same person."
That's how wide the gap was between 'Black Cloak' and 'Hunter Sergio.' The fearsome reverence Black Cloak evoked was so intense, no one would think he could mimic humans so convincingly.
Gio asked,
"Even so, I believe it's not difficult to determine they're the same person."
"To be honest, I agree. At this point, it's hard to deny their connection outright."
"I'll prepare an excuse."
"No need to call it that..."
Yoo Seong-Woon smiled placidly.
"Stuff like that, you can just smooth over with a bit of storytelling. You've got the whole mysterious background thing going—people will believe anything."
"That's somehow reassuring and unsettling at the same time."
"In truth, I'm not too bothered about your gifts anymore."
Back when he didn't know Gio well, Yoo had agonized over every gift—worrying whether Gio would be upset if he shared it, or if the gift was too precious to reveal casually.
But now, Koreans had adapted to Black Cloak's existence.
"You're like a Santa Claus, handing out presents through portraits. People are used to it now. No point worrying every time you do it again."
Yoo Seong-Woon asked,
"Are your gifts dangerous to humans?"
"They are not."
"There you go. They're safe."
Even if someone sought those rare treasures, they were protected—by the 'City of Void,' one of Gio's portrait offspring.
Besides, Black Cloak's kindness didn't feel like poison from fate.
'Because Gio isn't just a derivative being—he is the Eye of Origin itself.'
A typical child of Origin might have handed out kindness that backfired, but Gio was different. He handled humans as deftly as their systems did—and he was good at pretending to be one. That made all the difference.
"You know, I was really scared when we first met."
"You did seem nervous. But I appreciated your kindness."
"The kind one was you, Gio. Me? This is just the job I do."
"You also worried a great deal about my gifts."
"Well, I've learned a few things from my time as a gardener..."
Now that he knew Gio wasn't like the other Origin-beings he'd studied, it didn't matter. But back then, he'd really stressed over it.
"There are a lot of beings I've come across who'd curse you if you shared their gifts, or get offended if you felt pride in receiving them."
"Then what's the point of giving a gift at all?"
"Exactly. That's why I now know you're not like them. You want people to... well, get a little fatter. More pig-like. So sharing your gifts wouldn't upset you."
"If the gift helps in any way, I'm happy."
"Right. I guess it's become a fairly common thing now, so I don't see a need to be on guard every time. So, no—I'm not worried about you handing out food in the dungeon."
Yoo Seong-Woon shrugged, mug in hand.
"I ate all that fruit syrup you gave me last time, by the way."
"Why only just now?"
"Well, not exactly just now. It's been a while..."
It was after he'd confirmed Gio was indeed the Eye of Origin.
"Tasted better when I didn't have to worry."
"Shall I make more?"
"Mm..."
Yoo Seong-Woon gave a bittersweet smile.
"Guys like me who live on night shifts really need it."
"Ah..."
Gio grew solemn.
"I'm glad I don't live outside the portrait."
"Feels weird hearing that from the portrait itself."
"But Earth is far too barren. I wouldn't want to live here."
"Still, isn't Seoul at least somewhat livable? Plenty to see."
At that, Joo-Hyun, who had been quietly listening, chimed in.
"Why are you trying to drag out someone who just wants to live peacefully?"
"I'm not dragging him out. Just saying how I see it."
"Gio looks happiest when he's inside his portrait."
"That's true," Yoo Seong-Woon admitted.
"The Earth will never be as peaceful as your portrait world."
After all, paintings feel most secure when they're inside their frame.
"Anyway, if you're willing to make new fruit syrup, I'm all for it."
"I'm glad. I've also been trying a new flower tea recently..."
"Stop. Right there."
Yoo Seong-Woon spoke firmly.
"Are you trying to ruin my humanity?"
"I don't see how offering a gift would do that."
"How much has my lifespan increased from everything I've eaten from you?"
"Why not live a long, peaceful life with me?"
"Sorry, but can you let me die on time?"
Gio's hair suddenly turned platinum blonde.
"Very well. Let's start there. What should be the appropriate human lifespan?"
"The more interested you get in this, the more terrified I become. So stop."
Gio nodded, his hair turning black again.
"That was a joke."
"You really need to work on your sense of humor."
Didn't sound much like a joke.
"I don't mind the gifts. Your snacks are really tasty. Cookies or chocolates you hand out on the street—I'd be happy to get more of those."
Those were usually mild painkillers, sedatives, or tranquilizers. Useful, yes, but no more effective than what modern society could mass-produce.
"But the gifts you hand out like this... those are a different story."
"You mean the syrups, sausages, and flower teas? What makes them different, I wonder?"
"They make me feel like I'll stop being human if I eat too much. That's a lot to carry in your mind."
"And the tea you're drinking now isn't one of my gifts?"
"That's a low blow..."
Yoo Seong-Woon hugged his mug like a precious treasure.
"You're not gonna take it back, right?"
"I'm not the kind of cruel person who takes food away."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"You seem to like it, so I was thinking of giving you a few more pouches."
"And by 'a few' you mean...?"
"My father got a hobby while I was away, so... we had a bumper harvest."
"Get to the point."
Gio nodded.
"About 50 pouches."
"Denied."
"Forty-five?"
"Still no."
"Forty-thre—"
"Stop."
As Yoo Seong-Woon shook his head, Joo-Hyun chuckled awkwardly.
"Even ordinary tea leaves would feel like a burden in that amount."
"I didn't give you a whole crate or anything."
"Still, no."
"So maybe just forty pouches—"
"Nope."
"..."
From inside the portrait came the crinkling of a familiar paper package. Joo-Hyun asked,
"Don't tell me... you already had it all packed?"
"I only did the wrapping, just in case."
"Next thing we know, it'll show up in the middle of our house this evening..."
"I'll send Dana ahead with a notice."
"That's not the point."
"Yes, it was a joke."
"Good to hear!"
Joo-Hyun smiled firmly.
"Gifts that work too well are a bit of a problem."
"But I can't make food that doesn't taste good."
"Are the taste and effects of Gio's food... connected somehow?"
"I haven't really thought about that."
"True... It's probably hard to control something like that consciously."
Even regular humans cook food that nourishes the body. It's not like you can just cook something tasty without nutrients. Same goes for Gio, the Eye of Origin.
Gio looked at Yoo Seong-Woon and asked,
"Then, did you eat all the snacks I gave you before?"
"It's been a while, and I had no reason not to eat them, so yeah—they're long gone."
"Hearing that again makes me proud. I'll take this opportunity to make you new syrup."
"That would honestly be a huge favor."
"You're welcome to share the gift with others too."
"Well... It's a gift I received. Doesn't have to be shared."
Gio's gifts were genuinely delicious—and a big help to modern folks like Yoo Seong-Woon who lived through long nights. The earlier worry had been more about possibility than anything else.
"Sometimes I get so much I need someone to store or split it for me..."
His best option was Bisa Beul, the guildmaster. He'd purchased Gio's portrait, was an S-class, and had the safest vault imaginable.
Yoo Seong-Woon looked sheepish.
"Anyway, if I came off like I was pressuring you about the gifts, I'm sorry."
"I only meant to say: if you wish to, you're welcome to do so."
"If it happens within the Guild, I'll take care of it."
There was no need to make the Collector's Guild's ties with Black Cloak too obvious. That would only fuel speculation about 'Hunter Sergio's' identity.
Yoo Seong-Woon smiled with his usual calm.
"Like I keep saying—so long as it doesn't cause problems for your public life, feel free to hand out gifts to others."
"Is that so?"
"So long as the gift isn't too much for humans to handle."
"Actually, I did want to mention something about that."
"Oh, I've heard."
Yoo Seong-Woon nodded.
"They say you resurrected a dead person?"
"She wasn't dead."
"Still, don't you think that's a bit much?"
"That's quite an exaggeration."
"She said she was about to cross the river but survived thanks to your elixir."
"That part is true."
"Haha..."
Yoo Seong-Woon thought to himself,
This is why I get a mini-heart attack every time I get a gift from you...
You never knew what kind of miracle Gio might pull next. Yoo knew his limits. He didn't want to be crushed by gifts too heavy to bear.
In that vein, the elixir Sergio handed out this time definitely needed an explanation.
"You said it was a divine elixir from your god, but also that you made it yourself."
"That is correct."
"Joo-Hyun."
He turned to Joo-Hyun, who wouldn't look at him.
"Joo-Hyun. Please look at me."
"...Do I have to?"
"We need to talk. I asked you to look after Gio, remember?"
"I mean... isn't it kind of sweet? I told him to use the item if needed—and he did."
"But that item saved a dying person."
Gio interjected.
"She wasn't dead."
"She would've been without you."
"Humans aren't that fragile."
"They're more fragile than you think."
No matter how you spun it, Gio's miraculous elixir had saved someone who should've died.
"I'll go with the saint concept for now."
"...I suppose there's no avoiding it," Joo-Hyun nodded at Yoo Seong-Woon's words. Gio looked puzzled.
"So I must become a saint now?"
"At this point, it's the only way to explain things," Seong-Woon said flatly.
There was no divine being who would bestow an elixir of that magnitude upon a mere devout follower.
"If you're receiving that kind of gift from a divine entity, then it implies you can commune with divinity. And 99.9% of humans who do that either die or go mad. But you not only survived—you received an elixir?"
"I tried to brush it off as some sort of divine vision..."
"Yeah, that's not gonna cut it. Even a 'simple' vision is hard to justify. Traditionally, saints are shepherds who interpret divine messages and guide the ignorant masses. This can't be explained unless you're a saint."
Yoo Seong-Woon cleared his throat.
"But if we're going this route, we'll also have to define which god you're supposed to serve. It needs to be a deity powerful enough to influence Earth to the point of handing out elixirs."
To that, Joo-Hyun asked,
"For example... Black Cloak?"
"...Ah-ha?"
"I mean, the behavior patterns of Black Cloak and Hunter Sergio are kind of similar. Like we mentioned earlier, they give out similar gifts and wear identical clothes..."
"So, birds of a feather?"
"I've been reading up, and unless it's some artificially made cult like the Moon Church, saints usually match well with their gods. And since Gio harbors divinity, eventually people will realize Black Cloak is a god."
"In that case, might as well beat them to it. Got it."
"And Black Cloak already exerts a fairly peaceful influence on Earth, so even if people label him a dark god, it probably won't get him hunted."
"He's become quite a familiar figure to Koreans, after all."
"We can explain him away as a divine entity the Association is disguising as a monster. There are already plenty of cases like that—gods masked as natural phenomena or dungeon anomalies to prevent public panic."
"Right."
Joo-Hyun followed up,
"Then... what kind of saint should he appear as?"
"We'll need him to be the highest possible level of saint, given who he is..."
"Considering Gio's true nature, it makes sense to start with a strong foundation."
"That way people will accept it and won't try to dig deeper. So yeah, he should be a top-tier saint."
"That much punch would be necessary."
"So, it's settled," Yoo Seong-Woon declared.
"From now on, you're a saint. Sounds fun, right?"
"Sounds... amusing. But what kind of saint exactly?"
"Let's say a vessel capable of containing any divine power."
"You mean, a human blessed with the ability to serve various gods?"
"Exactly that."
One of Gio's identities was the Sun God. Naturally, he'd be interacting with multiple divine forces going forward. Framing him as a 'vessel coveted by many gods' was a smart preemptive move.
"We should also get Priest Kang Seodam's input on this part."
Of course, the additional headache would be repaid in material compensation. That would also indebt Seodam slightly to the Collector's Guild, making a refusal unlikely.
"And... you ran wild as Argio?"
"Yes. It was delightful to stretch a bit after so long."
"At that level, don't you not need your own battlefield?"
"Mr. Yoo Seong-Woon, would you say that a late-night cup ramen is the same as your three daily meals?"
"...Oh. Got it."
"A midnight snack is optional. Meals are essential."
"Understood."
But this, too, was a problem.
"Now that people have seen you fight directly, even if they didn't notice in the chaos of the dungeon, they'll start feeling something's off. Some may have already begun suspecting things during the raid."
Joo-Hyun suggested,
"Could we just say he's a hidden S-rank?"
"Yeah, I'm sure a lot of people are thinking that."
"These days, that's the most convenient explanation."
"There are already hunters who hide their ranks, and conspiracy theories about that are common..."
"The idea of a secret S-rank has a kind of romantic flair."
"Just like the trope of a hunter befriending a monster."
In a society obsessed with glorifying hunters, fantastical narratives had become familiar. So even if they went with that angle, people would buy it easily.
"Top-tier saint, romanticized S-rank... What else should we add?"
"Well, it's a little sensitive, but..."
"Don't be coy. If you've got ideas, better share them before Gio's identity leaks."
"You said Argio's appearance was briefly revealed, right?"
Gio nodded.
"Yes."
"Argio has red hair and golden eyes?"
"...Are you thinking of Guildmaster Bisa Beul?"
"Yes, him..."
As Joo-Hyun hesitated, Yoo Seong-Woon cut in.
"People might suspect they're related by blood?"
"I'm not sure if anyone has already, but... it might be useful to lean into that."
"Right. That would explain why Gio is so protected by the entire Collector's Guild."
"And why he's hiding his identity as a saint or S-rank."
"Wouldn't that make our guildmaster seem... kind of creepy?"
It would paint him as someone who secretly kept his bloodline hidden within the guild, only sending him out at 29—and with surveillance staff to boot.
And the possible reasons for hiding him could be... unsettling.
"Well, you know how he is..."
"He's obsessed with his 'artworks.'"
"So he'd come off like someone who sees his son as a living masterpiece."
"...But aren't there already people who suspect that?"
"Maybe I should have gone on that raid."
"Let's just chalk it up to Bisa Beul's karma."
"He's not that kind of man, really. But yeah, he does overdo it sometimes..."
Joo-Hyun added,
"Gio's lack of common sense could also be used to support that theory."
"I do admit to lacking in that area."
"It's natural for you not to know Earth's ways, but people don't know your circumstances. Nor should they."
Yoo Seong-Woon agreed.
"So he was raised in isolation inside the Guild, and that's why he's clueless?"
"Horrible as it sounds, it kind of... fits."
"Doesn't sound that sorry to me. At this rate, they'll say he's the child born of a union between the Guildmaster and a painting."
"The Collector's Guild does have its share of creepy rumors."
"Even I get spooked by this kind of rumor, Joo-Hyun."
But with all this, they'd explained away every strange thing that happened during the raid.
"..."
"Isn't this all getting a bit excessive?"
"...If it's you, Gio, it's doable."
"I'm not sure blind encouragement helps."
"You can handle all of it."
"Am I an actor?"
"I believe in your potential!"
"At this rate, I will have to merge with an actor version of myself."
"But this much overkill is necessary to obscure your truth."
A top-tier saint, a hidden S-rank, and now a secret son of Bisa Beul. That kind of crazy backstory would have people saying, "What the hell," and move on without digging further.
"It has to be so ridiculous they lose interest."
"You mean, overload their brains before they can find out I'm a portrait."
"Exactly. Once a story gets that insane, very few people can imagine there's an even crazier truth behind it."
"It's already been discovered, though."
"...Has it?" Yoo Seong-Woon calmly accepted reality.
"How many?"
"Would you... bury them?"
"People, no. Secrets, yes."
"If you must know—two."
"I know one. Jeong Yeong-Won. She's a gardener like me."
"Yes. She seemed to suspect from the beginning."
"Who's the other?"
"Hunter Sanarae."
"Sanarae..." Seong-Woon muttered, recalling the raid roster.
"Pinocchio?"
"Is he known as a liar?"
"He's famous for lying just to see what happens. A notorious troublemaker."
"We've become friends."
"...What?"
"He's very intuitive."
Joo-Hyun's expression cracked.
"Wait, what? But he was totally picking fights with you!"
"Picking fights?"
"Hunter Sanarae literally provoked Gio."
"I'll get his address."
"Please sit back down, Mr. Yoo. Gio, why did you become friends with someone like that?"
Gio tilted his head slightly.
"You're more concerned about my friendships than about my secret being discovered?"
"I just don't think he's a good person. You don't like rude people, remember?"
"He wasn't particularly polite, but he wasn't a bad person either."
Answering Joo-Hyun's doubts, Gio said,
"He seemed scared of me. I wanted to help him relax."
"...Scared? What gave you that impression?"
"I wasn't sure at first. But maybe... right from the beginning."
"You mean, from when he picked a fight with you?"
"Yes."
Gio nodded.
"I think he wanted to see what would make me angry."
He had tested Gio—wagering his own body to confirm how dangerous Gio really was. Because Sanarae cherished his family.
***
"Hmm..."
Sanarae, still sprawled out at the guild HQ, dug at his ear.
"My ear's itchy."
"You don't flinch when I curse you to your face, so who's talking about you now?"
"...Jealous, maybe? Don't worry—I'm everyone's treasure."
"Oh f*** off, captain."
"Whaaa—no one believes me?"
Sanarae collapsed back onto the sofa with a laugh.
"So tragic."
"Stop lying already."
"Ah, I've been exposed!"
-x-X-x-