A place slightly removed from the coast.
"D-Do bosses normally come outside...? This doesn't seem like a standard dungeon break..."
To the young priest's question, Kang Seodam, leading the team, responded.
"Rarely, this happens with humanoid monsters. Monsters with intelligence beyond humans can act far beyond their nest. Since the scale of their authority is vast, they can do many things even outside their own dungeon."
"Then, what if the submarine we're supposed to board is attacked as we descend...? I just heard that mermaids are surging up from the deep."
"Thanks to the ice-type hunters freezing the area, that shouldn't happen. And we've brought telekinetic-type hunters for exactly that. We, Children of the Sun, can also perform ranged attacks, so all we can do is remain alert and watch our surroundings carefully as we move."
They were heading to the mermaid's dungeon, seizing the brief opportunity created when the dungeon boss emerged from its nest. One team targeted the boss outside, while the other aimed for the heart of the dungeon.
But in such conditions, they couldn't move unprotected. They had to use a submersible. Following a staff member from the Association, they moved forward. Kang Seodam let out a soft sigh.
"I wish Sister Iru Da was in the rear..."
"That's already been arranged. She's staying put."
"She has to. It's not safe back there either."
"She's a girl who keeps her promises."
"I believe so too, but..."
It was presumed that Cha I-Sol was inside the mermaid dungeon, the "Nation of the Deep Sea."
Iru Da had forced herself into this war to find her partner, Cha I-Sol, but as a priest-in-training, she couldn't be taken into the dungeon. It was an S-class dungeon that had already claimed the lives of many.
"...Well, worrying like this won't change anything."
For now, they could only hope Iru Da would maintain control over herself.
"How much farther to the submersible?"
"Sorry, movement-type hunters can't work properly in crowded places, so..."
"No, I was just asking how far we still have to go. I already understand how much effort it takes for movement-type hunters to concentrate."
"Thank you for your understanding. We're almost there."
Just then, the Association staff received a message.
"...What?! N-No, what do you mean—?"
"What's wrong? Has something gone wrong?"
"They're saying the movement-type hunters and the submersible are under attack."
"What? If we go now—"
"In a situation like this, movement-type hunters prioritize retreat."
"...Right."
Simply put, teleportation-type hunters had fragile bodies. They had neither offensive nor defensive power, but their evasion skills were unmatched.
They typically operated from safe locations, and even in emergencies, they were legally permitted to retreat if their lives were threatened. That rule was created after many hunters had been exploited as transporters and died.
"What happened to the submersible?"
"They said mermaids crawled out of the sea and attacked. We can't expect much from that one now."
"But there should still be another submersible, right? They wouldn't have prepared only one..."
"Judging by the number of mermaids, the situation doesn't look very hopeful."
A hunter frowned at that.
"So what, we're just supposed to turn back? After coming all this way, now you're saying we don't go into the dungeon?"
"No, we have to. If we don't raid that place, this damn war might never end. The dungeon might produce an endless number of them..."
"That's why we're here. But if there's no submersible and teleporters can't take us directly into the dungeon, then what are we supposed to do?"
The Association staff, looking troubled, offered an alternative.
"We have a backup submersible. But it'll take a while to bring it here. The movement-type hunters are already worn out from transporting the large one, so we'll need to reassign manpower..."
"That's going to take a while."
Sanarae of Haryeong asked,
"Should we just go back?"
"Uh..."
"Hm? Should we?"
It was a rude and uncooperative question, but not wrong.
The hunters gathered here for the raid had no role left, and until the new submersible was ready, they had no way of knowing how many more would die at the shoreline where the boss still roamed.
"Sitting around wasting time here isn't it."
"Hunter Sanarae is right."
The faces of the Association staff darkened.
"..."
"...Wait, that—"
"A frame?"
The hunters noticed something strange.
"Since when was there a picture frame there?"
On the concrete wall along the coast, still marked by pre-catastrophe ruins, a frame was hanging. The hunters approached it, sensing something from it.
Sanarae's expression turned grim.
"The smell of the sea."
"Huh?"
"..."
"...Ah, you're right."
It was a ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ painting of a shrine that looked strangely familiar.
"Black Cloak...?"
At someone's murmur, the painting inside the frame shimmered.
"What the hell?"
"W-What's going on now?"
"That picture inside... I think it's the 'Shrine of the Deep Sea'..."
"So what, what's the point? What does it mean?"
"Isn't it telling us to go in?"
"No way—what, is it helping us?"
The hunters were baffled.
"Why would a monster help humans?"
"But even before, Black Cloak liked giving gifts to good people..."
"Are we good? No way. We haven't done anything good."
"Does a raid count as a good deed?"
Kang Seodam felt conflicted as the others kept labeling Black Cloak a monster.
"..."
"...Why, what is it?"
"No, it's nothing."
It seemed the staff didn't know the truth. Kang Seodam understood.
'Well, not every piece of information gets shared down the ladder, even in the Association.'
Even though this staff member was on the frontlines, that particular "information" was too risky to spread freely.
Kang Seodam ran through hundreds of thoughts in an instant but ultimately chose to follow the will of the divine. To go against it would be to forfeit his right as a priest.
"...This may be difficult to say in the current situation, but it's precisely because of this situation that I must speak. The Church of the Sun has recognized Black Cloak as a form of divinity, having taken in a very small number of apostles."
"...Wh-What?!"
"No, what are you saying...!!"
Not only the hunters but even the Association staff were shocked. Kang Seodam silently cursed the world for forcing him to say this, but he did what he had to as a person.
"And those apostles are believed to be Hunter Sergio of the Collector's Guild and the Church's trainee priestess Cha I-Sol."
"If—if that's true..."
"It's not confirmed, but within the Church, it has been accepted as fact. I personally felt the presence of the sun when I first met Hunter Sergio, and Cha I-Sol has testified to this connection multiple times."
"...Ah, so that's why..."
Now they understood why, of all times, Black Cloak had opened this "door."
"To save his children, perhaps."
There had been previous cases of divinity asking humans for help, unable to exert power directly due to interference from the dimensional system. Black Cloak, in particular, was already rooted in Korea. Opening a gate like this wouldn't be difficult for him.
"I'd love to dig deeper into this topic..."
"There's no time for that. We'll think about Black Cloak later. If this isn't a door opened by a monster, then it should be safe to use, right?"
"It could still be an evil god. We don't know if this gate is truly safe."
"But with the shoreline hunters distracting the boss, we need to make a quick entry. We can't just sit here."
"If we rush in, we could all die."
"There are hostages still trapped in the dungeon—are we just going to stand here and do nothing?!"
"If Hunter Sergio and the trainee priestess Cha I-Sol are truly apostles of Black Cloak, this makes sense. But that doesn't guarantee our safety!"
"Still, look at the situation—!"
At that moment, something popped out of the frame.
"Goo."
"...W-What."
"Goo-oo?"
"..."
One of the hunters squinted at the plush object now draped over the frame like laundry on a rack.
"...A teddy bear?"
Its fur was a bit faded, but clearly well cared for. Soft and plump, small enough to hold in both hands, its limbs short, its color warm and cozy—it was unmistakably a teddy bear.
"What the hell is this?"
"Wait a minute. That..."
"...I-I feel the power of the Sun."
The priests of the Church of the Sun murmured.
"Yes, it's definitely the Sun's power! I don't feel divinity exactly, but the traces are clear...!"
"Could it be one of Black Cloak's apostles? I know it looks like that, but I really do feel the Sun!"
And Kang Seodam realized.
'If Sergio is trapped in the dungeon, then who opened the frame...?'
Having never been invited to the hut, unlike Yoo Seong-Woon or Joo-Hyun, Kang Seodam didn't know about this teddy bear. But the sacred trace and solar aura made it clear the bear had a deep connection with Black Cloak.
'Or perhaps...'
It reminded him of the feeling he had once sensed in the "Shrine of the Deep Sea."
"..."
Having made up his mind, Kang Seodam looked around.
"I vouch for this. From this teddy bear, I feel the unmistakable power of the Sun. And the Sun has never once sided with disorder in any dimension. This is not the apostle of an evil god."
"S-Still..."
"If you're not convinced, we of the Church of the Sun will go in first."
The Church members looked almost elated, as if reassured by the idea of another Sun aiding them. Not purely out of faith, but out of shared kinship. The priests, who had long walked in harmony with various Suns across dimensions, responded with warmth.
"I never imagined Black Cloak was a manifestation of the Sun...!"
"I'd heard stories, but to think there was such an adorable apostle too."
"The gifts he gives feel similar. Maybe he likes cute things?"
"Black Cloak himself too... he's always been a gentle and kind mystery to humans."
"For a divine being to care so much for humanity... how fortunate we are."
The murmurs of the priests seemed to ease the tension among the other hunters.
"...Yeah, Black Cloak was always kind."
"...Anyone here ever been betrayed by him?"
"They say unless you're utterly rotten, Black Cloak doesn't even attack."
"Honestly, if you're scared here, aren't you just admitting you're trash?"
"Damn right. I won't be the one confirming I'm garbage."
Though still anxious, the hunters seemed reassured by the priests' calm.
"...Still feels weird, but—"
"Let's go in."
And so, one by one, the hunters entered the painting with Black Cloak's aid.
"..."
"...Uh, team leader."
"I'm confused too. Don't talk to me."
The Association staff stared in disbelief at the hunters' "painting" moving inside the frame.
"This is no time to freeze up—get the upper comms now. I need to ask the higher-ups what the hell this is."
"A-Alright, I'll bring the movement-type hunters immediately. This place is still relatively safe, so they'll arrive soon."
"This is insane. I don't get any of this."
There was far too much to report.
***
"..."
"...Where are we...?"
Splash.
Shallow water covered the marble floor.
"...It's definitely the inside of the 'Shrine of the Deep Sea.'"
"But doesn't it feel different?"
The hunters scanned the surroundings, wary.
"I've been here once before, and it wasn't like this."
It was dark.
Brilliant.
Dreamlike.
"Something feels... ominous."
"Feels like we've fallen into the trap of an evil god."
"I feel the same..."
One of the hunters turned to Kang Seodam, the team leader.
"These dungeon mermaids—were they evil gods?"
"No."
But—
"They simply built a legacy equivalent to one."
Kang Seodam gazed upon the world of the mermaids with a sense of dread.
"..."
The shrine they returned to was chillingly serene—and beautiful.
'...I can tell who influenced this.'
It resembled a funeral.
-x-X-x-
From the temple, a faint song could be heard.
"...Isn't that a hymn?"
"I'm a follower of the Moon Church, so I hear them occasionally... it sounds really similar."
The priests of the Church of the Sun looked somewhat displeased.
"...If we must be precise, the format does resemble a hymn..."
"No matter how much it resembles Earth's music, we can't equate something from another dimension to it."
"It might be a clue of some sort, but I don't like it."
A hymn was a song to praise a god and nurture one's faith. Considering that this place was once revealed to have been a temple of the Sun, the fact that this strange hymn was echoing here was nothing short of blasphemy—an insult to the Sun and a celebration of something wicked.
The faint song reverberating throughout the temple was eerie due to its slight dissonance. Its soft melody was languid, like the sag of a summer twilight, and its tone—resembling the cry of a beast—was incomprehensible.
It wavered like a whale's call drifting through seawater.
"..."
"...In any case."
Even amid the strange atmosphere, the hunters focused on their mission.
"Our top priority is locating the heart, right?"
"Yes. Often, the monster is the heart, but... just as often, it has a separate one."
"And we also need to secure Hunter Sergio and the trainee priestess Cha I-Sol. They're both valuable talents. We can't let them die here."
"We'll have to look around a bit."
Kang Seodam held up a small, round gem.
"We can locate Trainee Priestess Cha I-Sol with this resonance stone."
The resonance stone that Iru Da had shared with her partner Cha I-Sol vibrated even more vividly once inside the frame. Its pulsing was like a tiny, living heart.
"She's definitely inside this dungeon."
"Then Hunter Sergio as well...?"
"We'll proceed on the assumption that the two are being held in the same place."
"What about finding the heart of the dungeon?"
"As I said earlier, we'll split into two teams."
One would handle the hostage rescue. The other would identify the heart.
"Hunter Sanarae, we're counting on you."
"Mhm, I'm good at that. Don't worry."
"If a powerful monster appears, make sure to lead your team so it doesn't wander off..."
"Haha, don't worry, don't worry. We're super reliable people."
'I don't believe a word of that.'
Kang Seodam exchanged glances with the hunters assigned to Sanarae's team. They stifled sighs and gave faint nods. The team was hastily assembled, with hunters of all kinds, but at least there weren't any clueless ones among them.
'We can rely on this side, at least.'
He nodded.
"See you soon."
"Yes, see you."
They split into two groups.
***
A gardener belongs in the garden.
They referred to themselves in many ways. Some called themselves gardeners outright, while others used terms like servant, errand-runner, apostle, or believer. There were even gardeners who called themselves his children.
What this tells us is that "gardener" means one who cannot disobey the garden.
"...Ah, Gardener..."
Tap... drip...
From the bowed head of Jeong Yeong-Won, flower petals stained with blood fell.
"Gardener, I'm sorry. I made a mistake."
Jeong Yeong-Won wept blood as she touched the corners of her eyes. The petals that brushed her palm were soft.
The smoothness of the petals—pure as a newborn's skin—filled her with ecstasy, yet at the same time, the gardener's shouted rage and grief made her cry and beg for forgiveness.
"Gardener."
"Yeong-Won."
"Please..."
"You can't lose yourself here, you hear me? Huh?"
"It's too cold here, isn't it?"
"Oh, for the love of—"
The man watching over her was the team leader in charge of Jeong Yeong-Won. He didn't know she was a "gardener," but he did know she bore a great mystery. With a troubled face, he guarded Jeong Yeong-Won in the narrow, dark space where she had secluded herself.
"What'd you do this time to get scolded like that?"
From the corners of her eyes and her hair, vibrant flowers had bloomed. Tiny shoots sprouted from her fingers—it was a chilling sight of a living person being consumed by nature.
Someone obsessed with artwork like the Collector might call it "beautiful" or "artistic." But to this man, who possessed normal sensibilities, it was simply horrifying. A punishment.
"Gardener... Gardener..."
"Timing-wise, it's probably right after she healed Hunter Yoo Seong-Woon."
Even though Jeong Yeong-Won was one of the top healers in the Eunwol Guild, she sometimes pushed herself too far. Especially when she used her "god's" power without permission—this was what happened.
'Was it really worth it?'
If Hunter Yoo Seong-Woon hadn't recovered, the newly appeared boss monster would've devastated everything. There were many A-rank hunters here, but each one was irreplaceable.
'Losing even one would've caused a disaster. Still, even so...'
He didn't even know how Yoo Seong-Woon had recovered so quickly in the first place.
It couldn't have been by human means, so it was easy to guess that Jeong Yeong-Won had done something—but that didn't mean he could understand all of it.
"..."
He sighed deeply and remained by her side.
"I'll keep others from coming in, so recover quickly."
"Aaagh... Haaa..."
"Damn, what a mess..."
He had no idea what could've made her borrow divine power in such a hurry.
'She's not stupid.'
There must've been a reason—one he simply didn't know.
Stepping outside to keep watch, he closed the door behind him—only to find a small figure standing nearby, looking a bit startled. He blinked, then took in the situation.
"Little priestess?"
"Ah, yes. I'm Trainee Priestess Iru Da."
"What are you doing here?"
"They said they were leaving me in the care of the Eunwol side."
"Ah, the priests said that?"
"Yes."
"Well then, you're welcome any time."
Eunwol had friendly ties with the Church of the Sun and the Moon Church. That included their trainee priestesses.
"What role do you usually take?"
"Tank."
"I heard you've already formed a pact with a deity."
"It's thanks to a divine being who took a liking to me."
"Sister Iru Da is famous for catching a deity's eye from the moment she was born."
"It was a great blessing. Without that, I wouldn't even be here now. I'll do whatever you ask and perform above average."
"No need to go that far..."
They'd said she'd forced her way to the frontlines, and yet she was being surprisingly humble. Maybe worried she'd be sent back—her posture was almost submissive. The man, a bit uncomfortable, waved his hand awkwardly. Children with such refined speech always felt a bit uncanny.
"So, you're not here because you were injured?"
"No. I just wanted to know where I should be."
"Hmm, I see. If possible, we'd appreciate your help defending our side."
It was rare, but not unheard of, to see someone like Iru Da at the frontlines. The man calmly assigned her a position and role.
"This area's full of healers, so everyone here is pretty fragile."
"I'll do everything I can."
"Ah, also..."
"..."
"...Did you hear that?"
The sound of Jeong Yeong-Won groaning in pain.
"Could you pretend you didn't?"
"I swear on the divine I serve, I will remain silent."
"Thanks, I appreciate that."
He was grateful she hadn't asked why Yeong-Won was in that state.
'I wouldn't be able to explain it either.'
It wasn't the first time he'd seen Jeong Yeong-Won break down like that in front of the "Gardener." As her closest companion, he'd come to accept it—though even he didn't know all her circumstances.
'And blabbing wouldn't do any good.'
Jeong Yeong-Won was a good comrade and a decent friend. If she had things she didn't want to talk about, he wanted to help her keep them hidden.
"So, could you tell me what your tanking style is like?"
"I gather the monsters into one spot by luring them, then deploy a barrier."
"Like a ward? Then could you trap them inside?"
"It's based on the concept of setting up an intangible wall, so it's not impossible, but I'm not quite there yet..."
"Even being able to set up a single wall is impressive. That's worthy of respect."
What was I doing at her age?
"What shape does the barrier take?"
"Recently, I succeeded in forming a hemisphere."
"What's the holding capacity?"
"Up to five adult men."
-x-X-x-
Upon the endless ocean in a dream—
"...Teacher."
A mermaid wept.
"I love you."
"..."
Giovanni felt the same. He loved these small, foolish mermaids.
He loved them so deeply that he could not forgive them.
He knew these hideous and cruel mermaids far too well. They continued to sin, massacring innocent lives, believing foolishly that it was their "responsibility."
"...I see."
His innate exceptionalism had distanced him from all the destinies of the world. But no matter how extraordinary he was, nothing surpassed the time they had nurtured together.
In the end, Giovanni, who was no more than a man, chose to reach out his hand.
"...So I must drag you into hell myself."
A mere priest laughed.
"How could you be this stupid."
And then, he cried.
He did not regret it, but that didn't ease the pain.
Though he had loved and given his best without fail, Giovanni still had to die horribly.
And now, he had to behold the sins committed by the disciples he once cherished.
"I don't believe I lived so wrongly that I deserve to witness such wickedness..."
***
"Priest!"
"Brother Cha I-Sol!"
Kang Seodam saw Cha I-Sol trapped inside a barrier.
"I've been wanting to ask this the whole way here—why in the world are you here?!"
"I'm sorry! How do you write a formal apology?!"
"As a trainee priest, Brother Cha I-Sol, a simple letter of reflection will suffice!"
"I don't even know how to write one, so please teach me when we go back...!!"
"I will!!"
It was maddening.
"Is anyone here able to analyze this barrier? We need to get Brother Cha I-Sol out of here before another monster shows up!"
"I have a skill for that—please step aside!"
The hunter swiftly analyzed the barrier's composition and structure. Then turned to the priests with a bewildered look.
"This is solar-type!"
"...What did you say?"
"It's solar! The structure, the composition—everything!"
"There's no way we wouldn't have recognized that...!"
"Y-Yes, but it really is...!"
Kang Seodam accepted the situation quickly.
"It's refusing to be read by us."
"For the sun to reject its own children—impossible!"
"That 'impossible' thing is happening right now, so stop wasting energy on nonsense! Do you plan to embarrass yourselves in front of a trainee priest?!"
"Eep..."
"Listen carefully—we're dismantling this barrier before any monsters arrive!"
The priests, who looked like they were about to protest against Kang Seodam's demon-like glare, shrank in silence. Kang Seodam was famous for being merciless to foolish or incompetent priests, treating them as less than human.
"E-Even so, if we can't read it, how are we supposed to—"
"Shut up and move! If you're useless, then at least cover us instead of wasting time!!"
"Y-Yes, sir!!!"
As the priests lined up around the entrance with military precision, the accompanying hunters were genuinely impressed.
"That's terrifying."
"Y-Yeah, scary..."
They were completely cowed.
'I've heard the religious world is rigid with hierarchy, but...'
'Thank god I didn't awaken as a priest.'
'So that's what Kang Seodam looks like when he's pissed... unbelievable.'
The hunters quickly positioned themselves among the priests, separating those who were no help in dismantling the barrier. They were hunters who had studied how to cooperate with the clergy in moments like this.
After a series of trials, Kang Seodam and the hunters finally unraveled the barrier.
"Brother Cha I-Sol, come here."
"Waaaah, Teacher...!"
"We'll hear what happened once we're somewhere safe. Right now, we can't get you out to the surface, so just follow us calmly—did you hear me? Calmly and safely. Understood?"
"Yes, I'm sorry...!"
"The fault also lies with the priests who failed to manage you—no, never mind. Like I said, we'll talk later. Right now we need to rejoin the others and continue the raid."
Kang Seodam, still flushed from the monsters they'd faced on the way here, took a deep breath and calmly asked,
"Do you know where Hunter Sergio is? Or perhaps Iser, the mermaid hunter...?"
"I know where Gio is!"
"That's good news. Exactly where and in what state?"
"He's bound together with seawater at the center of the Pope's Chamber!"
"Good lord."
The other hunters were shocked.
"W-Why there...?!"
"Of all places, the Pope's Chamber?!"
"What kind of special treatment is that...?"
"Too brutal to be called 'special' treatment!"
"Y-Yeah, I was stunned too..."
Come to think of it, the mermaids had previously kidnapped Hunter Sergio using civilian hostages. And now they had stored Cha I-Sol separately as well—perhaps they really intended to do something to the apostles of Black Cloak.
'Well, they're too valuable to just kill off.'
'Considering how Black Cloak's frames occasionally appeared in the temple before, there may really be some kind of relationship here. Worth investigating.'
'Do the mermaids have a grudge against Black Cloak...?'
The mood became oddly chaotic. Kang Seodam exhaled deeply and took control.
"Trainee Cha I-Sol knows where Hunter Sergio is being held. We should head there immediately. No telling what interference we might encounter along the way—stay sharp."
"Yes, leader."
"Understood."
While moving, they reunited with the other group of hunters who had split off earlier.
"Huh? Why are you here?!"
"We've more or less figured out the story."
"Ah, in that case—"
"There was nowhere else left to check!"
They'd run into all kinds of absurd monsters and traps along the way.
"There were pig-headed priests trying to eat us!"
"That happened to you too?"
"There was something like a hand reaching from inside a pond with a sweet scent..."
"We lost three people to what was probably a charm skill..."
"There were undead coming at us with farming tools!"
"Ugh, those things were seriously gross."
"There were ones charging at us yelling they were starving..."
"Yeah, I've seen those in older dungeons too."
"These new mobs are completely cracked."
Even with all that exploration, they still hadn't found the "heart."
"In the worst case, the boss monster might be the heart of the dungeon."
"But it's already deeply merged with the sea..."
"Damn it, so what do we do then? Boil it to death?"
"If you try that, it'll never end."
"Evaporating water just turns it into vapor in the sky."
"This is why liquid-type monsters are so tricky."
"I'd prefer slimes at this point..."
"Yeah, at least they've got a core you can destroy."
Most liquid monsters had a core you could destroy to kill them. But the ocean? A mermaid fused with the ocean?
How the hell were they supposed to fight that?
"Let's confirm whether or not it even has a core."
If there truly was no way to kill it, that was a matter for the divine. But none of the priests felt such a transcendent force here. They believed—at worst—it was just a monster. And a monster had to have a way to die.
"We just need to work through this step-by-step."
"True, but that doesn't stop it from being terrifying."
"Hey, can we quit with the doomsaying?"
"But it is a terrible situation, isn't it?"
At that moment, they arrived at the Pope's Chamber.
"..."
"...That—"
Multiple people spoke at once.
"Isn't that Hunter Sergio?"
"That's not a mermaid...?"
At that, Iser, the mermaid resting against his teacher's lap, opened his eyes.
"..."
Hatred surged in his gaze.
"Unwelcome guests."
"...What have you done to Hunter Sergio?"
"We're moving him back to where he belongs."
"What do you mean, 'where he belongs'?"
"To the sea."
Vrrrm—...
The water filling the room resonated.
"He's coming home to the ocean."
That was why they were kneeling in prayer.
"This Earth is too small a flowerpot for him."
"That's not for you mermaids to decide."
"Perhaps. But since when have humans ever followed only what is natural?"
"There are still lines that must not be crossed."
"Then what about my teacher?"
Why did my noble human teacher have to die that way?
"I hate you people."
"Hah, did we kill your teacher?"
"I hate your short, fleeting lives."
Clink—!
A staff, adorned in golden ornamentation, fell into Iser's hand.
"You humans, children of providence... I loathe you."
They were evidence of providence—and symbols of deception. That was the real reason humans had become the mermaids' punching bags.
Yes, it was unfair.
'But that's fine.'
They had never planned to win in the first place. The mermaids had already concluded their story and accepted their "responsibility." This was merely the final act of their performance.
Iser smiled.
"I've gone to great lengths to welcome you. I've fashioned a more beautiful and opulent temple, and even brought out the treasured pigs I'd saved for curious guests."
"Stories of monsters, huh..."
"Were you satisfied? No? Of course not. Humans are so greedy they never know when to stop."
Flick—
Iser's ears changed from human to mermaid.
His shimmering sea-blue hair mingled with his silk-like fins, making them indistinguishable. His teeth sharpened, his pupils glowed pearlescent. A long tail, like that of a sea dragon, unfurled—and the staff grew lush and wild.
"Behold."
FWOOM—!!
The golden staff grew into the form of a tree.
"The Sun has grown in the deep sea."
It radiated a brilliance like the sun, wrapping the temple in its glow.
"And so I..."
"...Ha."
"Shall greet you as the Sun."
Srrrk—
Iser too, turned gold.
"Oh, right..."
From his forehead, two antler-like branches sprouted.
"That's it."
The mermaid, casting off the deep sea's chill in an instant, asked:
"Is your Sun merciful?"
"At least more than you."
"Then go ahead. Pray."
"Beg for your lives?"
"No."
He grinned darkly.
"Pray that you live."
All the suns that had sunk into oceans across countless dimensions—
Who, in the end, had devoured them?
***
Yoo Seong-Woon thought.
"..."
Is Giovanni human?
'Yes.'
He was, once.
He had been Sergio, an eccentric Korean art teacher. He had been Argio, the Demon King who survived alone in jungles choked with poisonous plants. They had lived as humans in inhuman ways—and eventually became something no longer human.
Was it wrong to view such a being as a work of art?
'I already treat him the way he wants to be treated.'
Gio {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} liked humans like Yoo Seong-Woon.
'Isn't that right?'
The portrait Gio cherished was generous and kind—that made it possible.
A mere gardener, trembling with awe at a single glance from the Eye of Origin.
Yoo Seong-Woon was doing well. He was a gardener and a curator. He fulfilled his role. Gio wasn't angry—he enjoyed it.
Then his thoughts wandered.
"..."
Would Gio dislike being treated like a human?
'...No, he wouldn't.'
Joo-Hyun's example proved that wasn't the case.
'But am I doing something wrong?'
This was the stance Yoo Seong-Woon had chosen—and one Gio didn't reject. A curator treating a work as a work, when everyone's satisfied—how could that be a sin?
Why not?
The mermaid—torn apart by countless hunters—still looked down at Yoo Seong-Woon.
Sitting between thrones of waves and ice sculptures, the princess remained poised.
"Arrogant thing."
"I'll admit that."
"You're no different from your master."
"Of course. We're like our guild leader."
"Monstrously selfish."
"That's just what humans are."
It was a voice meant to provoke his hatred—but he couldn't deny it.
"Because it's true."
Only after defining humanity that way did the mermaid waver slightly.
"..."
"..."
Amid ringing tinnitus and the cracking of glaciers in a battlefield—
Yoo Seong-Woon's eyes widened.
"...Ah."
Was Gio really human?
And what did "human" mean in the first place...?
-x-X-x-
One day, a portrait appeared in Yoo Seong-Woon's life.
"..."
It had artistic value.
A perfectly proportioned body, like the ideal human had been sculpted into a still frame — embalmed and eternally unchanging. Above all, eyes that could seduce just by existing, dragging people into a vast abyss.
Was it even possible not to be entranced?
No, it wasn't.
"..."
Yoo Seong-Woon was a gardener. A curator. He had lived his whole life serving the garden, and that would not change. He revered, respected, and cherished the Portrait of Gio.
But could that be... a person?
Was that even possible?
"..."
What counted as a 'person'?
"Yoo Seong-Woon...!!"
"..."
"Hey, fuck, Yoo Seong-Woon, what are you doing!!"
"..."
"You fucking bastard!!"
Yoo Seong-Woon blinked slowly. His eyes had taken on the color of glaciers.
"...It's definitely a topic worth pondering."
His superior, Bisa Beul, saw everything in life as either a piece of art or not. Lately, he had added a new category: "heroes." But that wasn't something Yoo Seong-Woon needed to worry about right now.
Still, even while cherishing his guild members as his collection, Bisa Beul had treated them as humans.
Yoo Seong-Woon followed that framework. So, was he seeing the subject as art, or as a person?
Or could both coexist?
Or not.
"This is troublesome."
Yoo Seong-Woon wasn't particularly fond of change within himself. His change meant a change in the garden, a deterioration of the art — and whenever he changed, there was always a price.
How many sacrifices would be needed this time?
"This is kind of unpleasant."
Amid the ear-piercing noise, Yoo Seong-Woon readjusted his grip on the spear.
...You can't freeze the ocean.
Especially not Earth's salty oceans.
They didn't freeze easily, and if they did, it hardened instantly, only to melt again just as fast. Yoo Seong-Woon decided to consider another method.
Fire.
What if he just evaporated it?
No, that's not going to work.
This damned sea had already shown that through hail, it could even rule the skies. So even if they managed to evaporate the ocean water, it would just rain back down.
If the sea itself is the monster...
If freezing or burning didn't work — if it would just return to its liquid form either way —
Then we have to seize control.
Just like the mermaids had done, someone else had to consume it.
"..."
It wasn't that he didn't know how. But Yoo Seong-Woon felt a twinge of guilt toward Jeong Yeong-Won.
"Ah, what should I do..."
"Yoo Seong-Woon, are you back with us?!"
"My ears are going to fall off. Back up when you talk."
"If we don't freeze this thing, it's going to breach the interior! Get a grip and throw your spear!!"
"That's not going to solve it right now."
"Then what?! You want us all to die?! That thing's a fucking monster!!"
"I'm saying let's think."
"Let someone else do the thinking — you move!!"
"So uncultured."
Massaging his nearly deafened ears, Yoo Seong-Woon glanced at a hunter he knew.
"Go fetch Hunter Jeong Yeong-Won."
"What? Why her?"
"Call all the tree-type hunters. And also..."
"You do know this is saltwater, right?"
Of course they had considered having the overflowing seawater absorbed by other plants. If they could just take control, the absorbed water would no longer be a threat.
How to restore the diminished sea afterward was a problem for later. For now, that was the best they could do. But unfortunately, the liquid they were dealing with was not just water — it was seawater.
"How are plants supposed to drink this?!"
Any ordinary plant would wither and die. And there weren't many hunters who could cultivate plants that monstrous. After all, plants were still just plants.
"Well, if we just keep pumping them out nonstop, maybe we can win by sheer volume, but that's just..."
"It's frozen."
"Huh?"
"This. It's ice. We froze it, all of us."
Thanks to the frost-type hunters blasting their skills nonstop, the sea had gradually turned into bitter, hard ice. But Yoo Seong-Woon hadn't created that solid ice instantly. It had taken time to freeze.
I nearly died doing that.
Ice created too quickly isn't durable. To form a strong glacier like this, you needed time. His mind was a little hazy, but what Yoo Seong-Woon meant to say was—
"The salt's probably sunk to the bottom."
It was common knowledge.
"That's how seawater behaves."
"What are you—wait, ah... Ah... Ah!!"
"I'm telling you."
Water and salt freeze at different temperatures.
Water first, then salt.
If his assumption was correct, then the ocean around them had frozen into a vast tundra-like surface, while the salt had sunk. At least, that's how Earth's oceans behaved.
"We didn't do this with that in mind, but..."
CRACK—
He pulled out the spear embedded in the ice.
"If we melt just the top layer, the plants should be able to feed."
"Fuck. You're right."
"Go on now."
"I'll bring them right away."
What they needed were tree-type hunters who could instantly grow flowers and trees, and fire-type hunters who could melt the upper layer of ice. Fortunately, they had all the personnel right here.
As he sent the runner off, Yoo Seong-Woon thought to himself:
There's no way that mermaid doesn't know this.
A doctor and researcher who had built achievements nearing that of an evil god, generating endless data.
And yet they didn't make a move while all these humans froze the ocean?
Yoo Seong-Woon clicked his tongue.
"They're underestimating us."
It was both mercy and a condition. If the intelligent species couldn't come up with even this much, then they didn't deserve to live.
He said something like the Earth was too small to keep becoming Gio's flowerpot... maybe this is a test before they leave forever, in whatever form that might be...
In this mind-numbingly difficult and chaotic situation, who could recall such common knowledge? But from the mermaids' perspective, even that forgetfulness was pathetic. Yoo Seong-Woon felt utterly disgusted.
...A mass-murderer who doesn't even know the value of life dares to be arrogant.
One of the rare hunters who didn't hate monsters, Yoo Seong-Woon ground his teeth.
"Tired, huh?"
This flowerpot had been chosen by Gio himself.
To doubt the choice of the Origin — how blasphemous.
***
"Wh-what is this...!!"
Other hunters were shocked, but none more than the priests of the Sun.
"This much solar energy...!!"
"Blasphemy! This must not be allowed!!"
"What the hell did that insane monster do?!"
From the enormous golden tree wrapping around the grand temple radiated unmistakable sunlight. And the priests of Earth's Sun could feel it — countless "suns" gathered in one place.
That deranged monster had been devouring suns.
"..."
"...Fuck..."
Some hunters wore strange expressions of awe.
This... for a monster's creation, it's too...
Holy?
It was too beautiful. Their gazes were transfixed.
Sunlight, like falling gold dust, shone through every inch of the temple, lighting up treasures and gems until they sparkled so brilliantly it hurt to look. The rainbow brilliance made the hunters recoil slightly.
This... is the sun...
And you're saying this isn't divine?
It was a scene that seemed to have collected the purest, most precious light of the sun.
"...Haa..."
Kang Seodam pulled Cha I-Sol behind him.
"Stay with the other hunters."
"I'm useless here?!"
"You're not. But Brother Cha I-Sol's position is a healer."
"But what if you get hurt...!"
Pretending not to play favorites?
Well, if someone didn't care at all for other people, they'd # Nоvеlight # be the Black Cloak.
Cha I-Sol clearly wanted to protect Kang Seodam more than any random stranger or fellow priest. That this tiny kid was the one protecting him — it was beyond shameful.
Kang Seodam hesitated but spoke firmly again.
"Cha I-Sol."
"! Y-yes!"
"Back."
"Understood...!"
They say even a rotting fish is still a croaker — but Cha I-Sol had never rotted. He was a rare gem. Still a student, but he grasped the situation and immediately followed Kang Seodam's words.
Kang Seodam readjusted his staff.
That staff's wood... it grew like that?
He had seen the mermaid Iser's staff before. Its texture, like an antique wooden carving, was now shining golden. He also knew that staff had once belonged to "Giovanni."
Obsession, maybe?
The mermaids in this dungeon were too sentimental.
"I see you've finished your conversation."
"Thanks for the courtesy."
"I don't want to cause an uncultured ruckus here."
Iser stood in front of Sergio, who was still bound to the pope's throne. His long, straight golden hair had some resemblance to Sergio's — to Giovanni's.
But the mermaid's eyes were a piercing pearl blue, unbearably intense.
"Let me take him."
Kang Seodam's face tightened.
"You're demanding a sacrifice."
"A sacrifice? No, it's a step forward."
"Did Hunter Sergio agree to that step?"
"He promised to stay in place of the weak and incompetent humans."
"That's coercion. Brutal."
"Didn't expect to hear that from a human."
Iser laughed, descending the steps.
"I'm pretty honest. I don't do brutal things."
"How very impressive."
"Then I'll offer a deal."
"A deal? Now?"
"I was born with a weak body."
"..."
"I'm still not strong."
So Iser always relied on tricks.
"Let's have a test."
He spread his arms slightly, and the golden tree blazed with divine light like the sun.
"This tree will show them a dream."
"A dream?"
"Could be a dream, a hallucination, fragments of the future or past. That will be decided by the order of nature, and the many suns, and themselves."
"Sounds like nonsense."
"If they wake up normally, they can fight me."
"And if they don't?"
"They'll become fertilizer for the tree."
"Can we refuse?"
"No."
With a grin, the mermaid folded his hands behind his back and waved one hand.
"May the blessing of the sun be with you."
And thus, the humans lost consciousness.
"..."
"..."
Except for one.
Like a strange silence behind the curtain after a stage play, two beings locked eyes.
Cha I-Sol's pupils quivered.
"..."
"...Uh, uh, uh..."
"Cha I-Sol."
"Why didn't I fall asleep...?"
"Because I knew you'd wake up anyway."
"Oh!"
Cha I-Sol's face lit up.
"You're talking casually now!"
"...Yeah."
"We're friends now?"
"Even now, you say that to me?"
"Eunha didn't knock me out either..."
"That's..."
Iser sighed.
"...How did two people like this get born in the same dimension."
Sergio, and Cha I-Sol.
He slowly walked down the stairs. The golden priest robes he wore caught the sunlight, following him step by step. Soon, Iser kicked the unconscious humans out of his path and stood before Cha I-Sol.
He scolded him like a disobedient younger sibling.
"I told you to stay somewhere safe."
"I didn't want to be alone...!"
"Didn't think you were the type to get lonely."
"You're the same."
"..."
The mermaid was briefly speechless.
"...Me?"
"Aren't you?"
"...I don't know."
"Why not?"
"It's been too long since I was with anyone."
"Huh? Weren't you with your brother?"
"Well... yeah, but..."
Eunha opened his mouth.
"..."
He spoke.
"...Yeah. I was lonely."
This cold dungeon was cozy, damp, and quiet.
"So, would you talk with me a bit?"
"Talk about what?"
"Anything. This and that..."
Anything at all.
"It feels like this might be the last."
"..."
Cha I-Sol nodded after a moment.
"Okay."
He knew well enough that the mermaids had committed terrible, unforgivable massacres. Even now, they were doing the same.
But right now, in front of him stood Eunha — Cha I-Sol's friend. Even if everything had been a lie, they had once been partners.
He can at least listen to a dying wish.
Since it really might be the last.
-x-X-x-
"What kind of dreams is everyone having?"
"Happy ones."
"Happy...?"
"So they won't try to wake up."
Eunha sat on the marble stairs bathed in golden waves, his face tired. Cha I-Sol followed and sat beside him. Just a few steps above them sat Gio.
They looked down into the Pope's chamber, submerged in seawater, where the sanctified humans lay dormant.
"As the years go by, wounds only accumulate."
The world wasn't as beautiful as dreams.
"I know how humans behave. When they're in a disadvantageous situation, they struggle to fix it no matter what. My sister and teacher called that 'growth.' It's a vague term to a mermaid..."
"Mermaids don't grow?"
"It varies by dimension, but on my planet, mermaids aren't born inside a creature's womb — they're born from the sea. At a certain moment, the ocean gathers and gives form to a mermaid."
"Uuhhh..."
Cha I-Sol poked Eunha's exposed arm.
"...But you have one?!"
"Of course I do."
But mermaids are cyclical beings.
"We're born from the sea, take on human-like forms, gradually harmonize with the ocean, inherit its powers, and eventually melt back into it. That's the mermaid's cycle."
It was the law of the sea.
"To be exact, I didn't harmonize with the sea as deeply as my sister did."
"Why? Your sister seems super smart — didn't she help you?"
"I lacked the talent..."
Iser wasn't a pure mermaid, nor was he purely human. Though mermaids differed in form, Iser had been born far from the sea's essence. Even his tail was like a separate beast's limb.
"I wasn't a child fit to contain that vast ocean."
So all the seas they passed through — Aria devoured them. And Iser devoured the suns trapped in those seas, their divinity shattered.
"That's one of the reasons I can still mimic a priest of the sun."
"How do you eat a sun? Isn't it hot?"
"It is."
Eunha laughed dryly.
"That's why my body is still so weak."
Aria had tried to make him strong, but it hadn't been enough. In the end, he had merely grown into a vessel, a key to holding the countless divine powers of the sun.
"So if I ever fought directly, I'd definitely lose. That's why I usually stayed behind in this dungeon, using the traps or weapons my sister made, or borrowing her powers."
"What about the sun?"
"As you can see, I didn't hold the sun's divinity directly — this golden staff did. To use the corrupted powers of the sun, it had to bloom in a form strong enough to handle it, like this massive tree..."
"Sounds frustrating."
"More like tedious."
Cough, cough.
Eunha let out a shallow cough.
"...It's wearing me out."
Iser was a pitiful mermaid.
"If my sister hadn't taken me in, I probably would've died from weakness."
"Your sister must be really strong. Mine is too. She protects me."
"My sister used to be like that..."
"She doesn't anymore?"
"She has a sin."
"What kind of sin? What'd she do?"
"She ate our teacher."
"..."
Cha I-Sol asked with trembling eyes,
"...Are you gonna eat me too...? Is that why you've ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ kept me around all this time...?"
"Would I do that now?"
"R-right? I was just scared for a moment."
"Of course, I wasn't in my right mind when it happened."
Mermaids aren't built to digest humans. They don't even have the kind of jaws or throat to eat flesh. So what would it take for someone like Iser to devour a living person?
He had been mad.
"After that day, our relationship got strange."
They still cared for and loved each other. Those feelings remained unchanged. But ever since their teacher's death, hatred had seeped in between them. It was inevitable.
"Our teacher used to help us make up. But after that, it got harder."
"You forgot how to make up?"
"We just never brought it up again."
"Why not?"
"Hmm..."
Iser lifted his hand and gently touched Cha I-Sol's small belly.
"Let's say you ate something bad, and a thorn got lodged inside you. Not just in your stomach — deeper than your throat, deeper than your gut. Right inside here."
"My... belly?"
"Even deeper."
"I don't like it."
"Of course you don't."
"Can't we take it out?"
"You'd need major surgery."
He withdrew his hand.
"The thorn is a tangled mess — not something you can just pull out. And it's not like it'll dissolve if you wait. You'd need to open yourself up, suffer a lot, and still come out with wounds."
"..."
"And it'd probably cost a lot."
"I don't have money..."
"I know. That's why I made the comparison."
But still—
"You could also just leave it there."
"The thorn? But it's in my stomach!"
"Sometimes, when you move too much, you might feel it. But most of the time, it won't hurt. Occasionally, it stings a bit, but not enough to ruin your day. You'll be healthy otherwise."
"Uh..."
"Even then — would you go through with the surgery? Endure the pain, spend the time, waste the money?"
"...I-I'd have to think about it."
"We did too."
They needed time to decide what to do with the thorn that was their teacher.
"There was no need to rush."
They had all the time in the world.
"Let's take another example. Say it's not a thorn — it's a resonance stone you cherish."
"...The one Ruda gave me?"
"Exactly. If you leave it there, the stone remains intact. But if you try to take it out, it'll break. You'll never see or hold it again."
"That would suck."
"You get it."
The same went for the mermaids.
"I was scared I'd lose our teacher that way."
"Your teacher?"
"He was my thorn. And my gem."
"...Still, you have to make up."
Cha I-Sol said,
"You're family. That's all you've got left."
"You're right. But I'm a coward."
He had always strayed from the right path. In the past, he'd stuck to the righteous road so rigidly that he scraped his hands and knees — so eventually, he stopped trying.
"If I'd been born stronger, maybe it'd be different."
Stronger body, stronger powers, stronger heart.
"If I'd been even half as gifted as my sister..."
He might've pulled her from the brink of revenge.
He wouldn't have eaten their teacher under the influence of drugs. Wouldn't have been dragged to a demonic trial by the priests. Would've protected humans from fearing him.
And—
"Our teacher..."
Maybe he could have saved him that day.
"...Maybe I wouldn't have held him back."
If he hadn't reached for the sun out of desire from the start...
"It makes me sick, thinking all of this happened because I wanted something."
"What's wrong with wanting to be close to someone good...?"
"I knew you'd say that."
Such a kind person.
"In the end, I'm still using these little tricks to work through my hatred of humans."
Iser looked down at the humans sleeping in their "good dreams."
"Oh."
"...Ah!"
At that moment, one man woke up.
"..."
It was Kang Seodam, priest of the Sun.
"...Why are you sitting there like that...?"
"Shall we talk for a moment?"
"If it were you, would you talk right now...?"
Grinding his teeth, glaring like a ghost — Kang Seodam's look made Iser smile faintly. The smile resembled "Sergio." Just as Kang Seodam's brow furrowed, the mermaid gestured to the empty spot beside him.
"It's closer to Hunter Sergio too."
"..."
Kang Seodam reluctantly sat down, cursing the world once more.
"Did you have a good dream?"
"...Thanks to you, I saw my partner's face again for the first time in ages."
"I assume that's sarcasm?"
"No. Just..."
He exhaled deeply.
"...I mean the 'thanks to you' part."
He had nearly forgotten his old partner's face.
"Why are we just sitting here chatting so peacefully?"
"I was waiting for you to wake up."
"Why? For what?"
"Because I need your help."
"You think I'm going to help you? When I'm this pissed off?"
"It's not a bad offer."
Iser pointed to himself.
"Kill me."
"..."
"And wake up our teacher."
Kang Seodam narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Our teacher has already decided."
"Decided what?"
"To stay on Earth."
"Then why isn't he waking up?"
"He's just being considerate."
Because humans will win in the end. The mermaids will leave forever.
Iser stood and leaned against his teacher's lap once more.
"He's simply spending a little more time with us."
"...Are you seriously saying this... that Sergio has some kind of lingering attachment to his human life? You're talking about this colossal mystery?"
"He's just a person. One who can have ordinary regrets."
"You're calling this divine being human—"
"He is a person."
He listened closely.
"..."
He heard the sound of tears.
"...He even knows how to cry."
Or maybe it was the sound of dream-bubbles popping.
"I'll say it again. It's not a bad deal for you humans. With my sister and I gone, the 'Black Cloak' will be undeniable. You won't need to spill unnecessary blood. And we... we'll take responsibility in our own way."
"This was your goal from the start?"
Kang Seodam stared at the mermaid.
"For your 'teacher'?"
"That's part of it."
But it wasn't just for his teacher.
"Whatever the method, we had to reach the end..."
"You talk about an end — that's rich. You know how many people you've killed?"
At last, Kang Seodam's rage boiled over.
"Don't you think it's disgusting? You keep tossing around the word 'responsibility' while indulging in more sins. How are you any different from the Sun's priests you hated so much?"
"My regret isn't for the sins — it's for the selfishness. That's why we're monsters."
"You say all the right words, but in the end you're still just a monster. It's pathetic — that all you can do with that intelligence is repeat the same crimes."
"If it's all deception anyway, isn't it better to pick the kind that suits you? That's the only way I can be arrogant enough to even say 'responsibility.'"
It was the only way he could earn even a chance at being accepted by his teacher.
Maybe even a place called hell...
Iser blinked slowly as he leaned on his teacher's thigh, then sat up.
"...The others will wake up soon. You'll have to kill me while no one's watching, or else we'll waste time in a pointless fight. I've done my part, and I've discarded all unnecessary emotions."
"..."
"But it won't be easy to kill me. My sister made me into a sack of the thousand suns we consumed. But as I said — this body is weak and ugly compared to hers..."
"So if the power of the suns is forced in too hard, you'll explode?"
"You understand well."
He looked at Cha I-Sol.
"..."
"...Hey."
Giovanni's first disciple asked,
"Is it cold here?"
"Yeah, it is."
For a mermaid, he was sensitive to the cold of the deep sea.
"So show me your sun."
Eunha begged.
To return to the order of things — he needed the sun.
***
CRAAAAAACK—!!!
"―Gah!!"
With a deafening boom, heat exploded outward.
"Wh-what's going on?!!"
"Where are we?!"
"Everyone, get a grip! We're still in the dungeon!!"
A tremendous crackling sound, like lightning squeezing through a narrow gap. The hunters, jarred awake by the shock, could only see clearly once the blinding light faded.
"Cough, ack...!!"
"What the hell—where did all the monsters go?"
"Ah, my eyes..."
At last, silence returned.
"..."
"...Ah..."
The blinding golden tree had withered back into its slender branches.
"...Hunter Sergio?"
The apostle bound to the throne of gods had awakened.
"Hey, are you... okay...!"
"Be quiet."
"What? Why—"
"Something's off."
One hunter held back his comrade.
"...He's crying."
In the ruined temple, wrecked by solar power, Gio was crying — still holding the golden branch.
-x-X-x-
Everyone called Giovanni special.
"..."
And perhaps, that was an undeniable truth.
Giovanni had been born bathed in sunlight, even in a dark room with no windows. On cold winter days, he slept in a bed where no sun could reach, yet still grew under its warmth. Even as an infant, with no clarity of mind, he performed countless small and great miracles — as if it were only natural.
A son touched by the sun. A healing force imbued with sunlight. Words and glances that brought warmth even in winter. People saw these things and made Giovanni a god, a saint, a hero.
"...Gi-Gio."
"Shouldn't someone go say something?"
"If we leave him like that..."
So Giovanni had always been special.
"Gio."
"..."
"Hunter Sergio."
"..."
"...Do you need to recover?"
"No."
Only those children made him human. Just as he had loved his past life, he loved that quiet daily life with the same weight in his heart.
"I'm fine."
They might have seen him as a revered teacher, a cherished savior — but Giovanni, too, had drawn endless joy and peace from his students. He had received just as much grace in return.
"I know the way."
"Hunter Sergio...?"
"I can hear the heartbeat."
Giovanni was capable of great love — but also of resentment. He hated those who hurt him. He hated the villagers who had separated him from his students. He hated the world that had forced such things to happen.
Only love strong enough to surpass that hatred had ever lifted Giovanni back up. That alone.
"This way."
He went down.
The temple was filled with seawater, but it wasn't cold. With familiar bare feet, he descended the steps, heading deeper.
Though he had never visited this place in life, Giovanni had lingered here in death.
"Is... is it really okay to go in?"
"Hunter Seo doesn't seem in his right mind..."
"But maybe he really found a clue."
"Well, still... he's not looking well."
He led the others, and eventually, they reached the lowest floor.
"..."
"...What is that?"
"That's..."
It was a giant flowerpot.
"What is that thing?"
"Looks like it's used to hold something..."
"That's more like a basin, isn't it?"
"Nice decorations."
"No, look at what's inside."
It was molten gold.
"Doesn't it feel kind of like that golden tree from before?"
"I don't think you can compare it to that. This has a kind of, uh... purity to it..."
"At least it's not the grotesque kind of thing that tree was, overflowing with crammed-in suns."
"...But it's warm all the same."
"It looks divine."
It was the liquefied remains of Giovanni.
"..."
"...W-wait."
"There's something in there..."
Before anyone else could approach, he stepped toward the flowerpot. But even from a distance, some with sharp eyes began to see something faint within the enormous crystal-carved basin.
"There's... someone in there?"
A few perceptive ones turned to Gio.
"...It's hard to tell clearly, but..."
"...Doesn't that person look like Hunter Sergio?"
"What the hell is going on...?"
It didn't matter.
In the end, Giovanni had shaken free of the small pieces trying to hold him down, saying his time was up. Those fragments must've been thorns even for the mermaids, breathing like the living sea.
Giovanni felt flowers blooming beneath a sea that had finally cleared of storm clouds.
He gazed at the transparent form — a Giovanni made of water — and murmured,
"...So you tried more than once."
Aria had said she'd tried many times to revive Giovanni, but they had all failed. Was this one of those remnants? Or a new attempt made after they reunited on Earth?
The mermaids of his sea were blindly devoted in many ways.
"So heavy."
Fwuump—
Giovanni stuck the golden branch into the shell of himself, a body of water that couldn't even breathe.
"So heavy..."
The mermaids had sculpted their heart in the image of their teacher.
It would be yet another shackle that followed Giovanni for the rest of his life.
***
"..."
On the sea's surface.
"..."
Flowers.
White petals. Pale yellow buds. Bashful pinks. Lively, sprouting greens. Their delicate, translucent petals bloomed.
Fragile lives blossomed in countless numbers.
"..."
In hindsight, mermaids born of the sea had longed for such a sight.
"...It's beautiful."
It felt like her sea had turned to land.
"In the days when I knew nothing, I used to dream of a sea like this."
"With your power, couldn't you have made something like this easily?"
"It's not the same. I..."
Things like this meant nothing without humans to share it with.
"...Hah..."
Childish, wasn't it?
I can't believe I still thought like this.
Once, she had dreamed of a world where sea and sky, deep-sea mermaids and land-dwelling humans, coexisted.
Not out of some touching sense of nobility like her brother — just because it looked cooler, more powerful that way.
...My piece broke.
Giovanni had cast off that piece of dream and returned to Earth. Aria, who had planted a part of herself into that dream, was shaken. And now that her heart had been ripped out, she had no reason to keep living.
She went limp, floating atop the surface. She felt like one of those jellyfish she'd seen in Earth's ocean.
"Hey... isn't it beautiful?"
Aria looked up at the sky.
The storm clouds were clearing.
"The sun is rising, the sea has become a flower garden, the sky is clear..."
"Are you really dying right now?"
"Of course. The dungeon's core is gone. What more can I do?"
"So what do you gain from all this?"
"Maybe... hope?"
Too good for a sinner like her, but she had stolen it anyway.
While the human she loved was no longer human, would live for an unbearably long time, she clung to the tender hope that he'd never forget them.
After all, the scar we left is that deep.
And with this, the mermaids' story came to an end. They would follow their teacher to hell.
"..."
After the chill of dawn, sunlight stretched across the clear sky.
"...This really is the end..."
It had been too long.
Too long, teacher.
***
"Chaii-I-Soooool—!!"
"Ruuuda-aaaahhh—!!!"
The children embraced each other, bawling, while the adults smiled warmly at the scene.
So cute.
I used to be like that with my partner too.
Such a good bond...
Even though they'd both held their own and acted mature in this crisis, they were still young. Talented as they were, even the Sun Church's pride was still just a child. It was a touching sight.
Whether it was sorrow turning to rage or relief crashing down, Ruda shook Cha I-Sol by the collar before collapsing. Cha I-Sol panicked and caught her — a scene worthy of a classic tragedy painting.
"What happened?! Didn't you eat?! I told you never to skip breakfast...!!"
"You... you were kidnapped... how was I supposed to eat alone..."
"Even if I died, the living still have to live!!"
"No one... is going to... kill you... stop talking nonsense..."
A hunter from the Eunwol faction chuckled awkwardly.
"Using the power of the sun like that... it must've taken a toll."
"Well, Ruda's contracted god isn't even a sun deity, technically."
"She borrowed that power forcibly. No wonder she's exhausted."
Creating a flower field in the sea was no small feat.
It required not just plant-type hunters to grow the flora, but fire-type hunters to melt the frozen ocean, water-type hunters to handle the saltwater and ice, and even a priest of the sun to stabilize the growth.
And since the mermaids had already dominated the sky, even Ruda, a mere apprentice priest, couldn't afford to sit idle. Among the remaining priests, she had pushed herself to mimic the sun's power — probably to her limit.
"Though, frankly, that wasn't apprentice level at all."
"She's preparing for early ordination, isn't she? Clearly a prodigy."
Until they officially contract with a divine power, apprentice priests borrow the sun's energy under supervision. The initiation ceremony is both a plea for mercy and a formal pact. They stay at the temple and learn how to channel divine power.
Considering how many full priests still operate the same way without ever forming a proper contract, it was clear how much Ruda had accomplished in her role as just an apprentice.
"..."
"..."
"...Haha!"
"You're laughing now?"
Cha I-Sol and Ruda weren't the only ones reunited in tears.
"...I—I'm Gio... my heart really fell out..."
"Why are you crying now? With how loud you are, it might as well be blood tears."
"You're the one making me cry. I'm not someone who cries easily. You're something else, you know that?"
"I feel so proud to have given Yoo Seong-Woon such a rare emotional experience. What better friend could there be?"
"You are a good friend, sure, but is this really the time to say that...?"
"Of course, I also feel very sorry. I was wrong."
"You're gonna see me at home."
"Now that you mention it, Joo-Hyun probably won't go easy on me either..."
Gio briefly clicked his tongue, having foolishly hoped that maybe she'd let it slide since he hadn't done nothing praiseworthy. He'd stayed put even when he could've broken free at any time.
But thanks to that, he'd properly said goodbye to his students — no regrets.
That's just how I am.
As sorry as he felt, Gio was not the type to regret his own decisions.
"If Yoo Seong-Woon takes charge of cleanup, I'll help out."
"Nope. Just go back to the gallery and rest. Don't come out. Don't go anywhere. Don't use your powers. Don't interact with people..."
"What are you trying to make me into? A social outcast?"
"Just wondering... are you planning to isolate yourself from society again?"
"Do you want to seal me in a can or something?"
"You already were. A few more years in the can won't change much. I just want you to live safely and peacefully inside the Collector's space, away from everyone's gaze."
"People are already side-eyeing you for supposedly locking up Hunter Sergio until he was 29. You should stop talking before you make it worse."
Maybe he was just trying to reinforce the cover story — or maybe he was just mentally exhausted and rambling. Either way, Gio decided to calm Yoo Seong-Woon down.
"You must've been really worried about me. But look — I'm back alive and well. I'm not even seriously hurt like last time. If anything, I feel stronger, thanks to siphoning power off those mermaids."
"I figured you'd say that. Your positivity is unreal."
"Oh, definitely."
Even a kidnapping couldn't dent Gio's ultimate optimism.
This part might upset him...
Mustering what little social tact he had, Gio continued.
"I truly am sorry for making you worry. I have no excuse."
"So next time, even if people are taken hostage, you'll just ignore it and stay put?"
"I never promised that."
"Firm, aren't you. Do you want to see me crying blood?"
"Still, if someone's in danger, shouldn't I help them?"
"I do love that idealistic altruism of yours, but with you, it's just too much."
Yoo Seong-Woon said with sincere greed,
"I wish you'd tone it down... by like, ninety-four percent."
"Why don't you just say you want me sealed in the gallery?"
"I really do want that."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
Sanarae watched the two bicker with a face full of resignation.
They know how weird they sound, right?
The more they talked, the worse it made Bisa Beul and Yoo Seong-Woon look. Sanarae averted his gaze, pretending not to notice — only to lock eyes with Kang Seodam.
"..."
"...Haha. It ended well, didn't it?"
"...Yes, thankfully."
But something in Kang Seodam's eyes showed suspicion.
...I'm sure he was awake.
Back when he fought Iser and resisted the golden tree's illusion — Kang Seodam clearly remembered Sanarae jumping up the moment the noise hit. Way too fast to have just woken up.
Not like I can question him.
And even if he did, it's not like that man would answer honestly. He'd just weasel his way out with some excuse.
Kang Seodam quietly let it go. He would shoulder the burden himself. After all, the Goddess of the Sun was with him — so it wasn't a secret anymore.
"Gio, just one year, please? Just one year...!"
"You're being a creep, Yoo Seong-Woon."
"If you just stay in the Collector's space for one year, I'll treat you even better!"
"No."
"Just once!"
"No."
Finding comfort in this childish argument was almost funny to him.
"..."
Kang Seodam stared at the sea, littered with floating ice, then looked up at the sun in the sky.
The power swallowed by the Sea of Hatred is being released
Dungeon: Nation of the Deep Sea — cleared
Please confirm your reward
"...It's over."
It was time for everything to return to where it belonged.
-x-X-x-