Chapter 105
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 105
The moment he came to his senses, Yoo Seong-un found himself inside the ‘Void City’.
“……”
“…As expected, I can’t remember the moment I entered the painting.”
He recalled that Gio had once turned people he encountered in the ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’ into paint to help them escape. Seong-un had likely undergone a similar process, but just as those people had testified, he had no memory of the time he spent as paint.
Though I do have a vague feeling of being a living, inanimate object.
It was a highly contradictory sensation, leaving him with only a muddled impression.
“Anyway, did Gio spot me?”
Yoo Seong-un replayed the moments just before he entered the ‘Void City’.
A transparent hand reached out to me.
Something not quite visible, yet perceivable as a ‘transparent hand’ emerging from a stark, pitch-black suit sleeve, had welcomed him. Unlike the incident with Hunter Park Eun-gyeom detailed in the official report, it had been an incredibly polite gesture.
For some reason, that gesture resembled Gio’s movements…
Gio’s posture and demeanor were always refined, as if he had received rigorous education or training. His movements were akin to those of a nobleman or a soldier, and the gesture extended by the ‘Void City’ was a perfect match.
“…It probably wasn’t Gio himself, though.”
It didn’t feel familiar.
“Did the ‘Void City’ itself reach out its hand?”
He entertained the thought for a moment, but it seemed more plausible that the hand belonged to a monster from the ‘Void City’. After all, the report stated that the numerous hands that had abducted Park Eun-gyeom shared the same appearance.
“……”
Yoo Seong-un let out a slow breath.
“…This is more bearable than I thought.”
The pressure exerted by the ‘Void City’ wasn’t as overwhelming as he had imagined.
“Even for an A-Rank Hunter, this is remarkably comfortable.”
There was a slight stuffiness, a definite and unsettling feeling of a hard press against his solar plexus, and a creepy sensation like fingers tracing down his spine.
But that’s it.
The abducted hunter was a B-Rank. Though Seong-un didn’t know how powerful that B-Rank was, they were still formidable. For a dungeon where such a hunter had been helplessly dragged away before all contact was lost, the weight he felt as an A-Rank was lighter than expected.
“Am I receiving special treatment?”
For starters, the way he had entered the ‘Void City’ was completely different.
That guy was dragged in. I was escorted.
Since the treatment itself was as different as night and day, it stood to reason that the pressure they felt might also differ.
“……”
Yoo Seong-un muttered to himself.
“How is that even possible…?”
People often spoke of a ‘dungeon master,’ but in reality, almost no master could manipulate a dungeon entirely at will. From what Yoo Seong-un had seen, not even the humanoid monster mermaid siblings could completely control the ‘Deep Sea Kingdom’.
In a typical dungeon, the master, the monsters, and the environment were all separate entities. While a master’s authority grew with their power, he had never heard of one who could control their monsters’ actions to this extent, let alone adjust the pressure felt by intruders.
As expected, it’s hard to call him a mere monster.
But then, how could one explain this dungeon?
Unless they are an Evil God on the level of being classified as a monster, no god, no matter how powerful, can create a dungeon. They are beings that do not possess emotions grand enough to generate one.
The same applied to the Children of the Origin.
They are merely children who can exist anywhere; they lack the ability to create a dungeon. There is no way creatures that can barely exert physical force, let alone think, could construct such a massive game board.
Gio was, as always, an anomaly.
“……”
Yoo Seong-un scratched his neck and looked around.
“…It’s exactly like the painting.”
A wide main street stretched before him, flanked by long rows of buildings in diverse architectural styles. Although it didn’t seem like the colors had been intentionally restricted, the collection of achromatic objects created a uniformly gray world.
“The fog is thick, too. I couldn’t tell from outside the frame.”
It wasn’t blinding, but if it grew any denser, it would seriously impair his vision. He took a sniff but detected none of the exhaust fumes common to cities.
“Is this just water vapor…?”
Perhaps it was his imagination, but he thought he could smell the distinct phytoncide of a forest.
Is it because Gio lives in a forest?
He couldn’t be sure.
Still, it’s ironic.
It clearly looked like a city, yet the scent carried on the fog evoked a forest. The harmony was so seamless that it felt uncanny.
“…Are there no monsters?”
Step… step…
Yoo Seong-un began to walk forward slowly.
“I thought the monster that escorted me in would at least be here.”
Besides, dungeons inherently had monsters. A dungeon might lack traps or other features, but monsters rushing to kill invaders were an indispensable element.
Then again, it’s hard to compare a dungeon painted by Gio to a normal one.
The very fact that a monster had personally invited him in was far from normal.
“Are there no other rules…?”
Some scholars defined a dungeon as a single, massive monster, and as a Gardener, Yoo Seong-un agreed to an extent. Just as no monster existed without its own set of rules, the same had to apply to dungeons.
“I’m sure it has its own preferences.”
Virtual Dungeons, Entry Dungeons, Villa Dungeons—all of them swallowed humans based on certain conditions. Aside from Virtual Dungeons, which were dominated by specific criteria, there were Entry Dungeons that required one to ‘find the entrance’ and Villa Dungeons that required one to ‘be at the location of the villa.’
And other, more detailed conditions vary from dungeon to dungeon.
So, if this place took the form of a dungeon, it surely had its own conditions or preferences.
“……”
Actually, this dungeon master did have a preference.
Affirming good and denying evil.
If that counted as a rule, then there it was.
“…Then what happens when an evil person enters?”
He suddenly recalled the black dot that seemed completely integrated into the painting—presumably Hunter Park Eun-gyeom. Yoo Seong-un had a rough idea of how this ‘Void City’ would deny evil.
…Does it deny their very existence as a living human?
By turning them into a part of the painting.
“How creepy.”
He whistled softly, an attempt to shake off the chills with a lighthearted action.
As expected, those belonging to the Origin are very clear-cut.
While humanoid monsters with high cognitive abilities and intense emotions might be different, the rules for most other entities were simple and absolute. As a Gardener, Yoo Seong-un could appreciate such a manifestation of the Origin with a sense of satisfaction.
If I hadn’t met Gio, when would I ever have encountered a dungeon like this again?
If he couldn’t enjoy the thrill, he wasn’t qualified to manage a garden.
“……”
However, even a Gardener like him could feel the threat to his life.
“…Oh, boy.”
Yoo Seong-un turned around.
“I guess I wasn’t alone after all.”
“……”
“Should I call you an invisible man…?”
What caught his eye was a black suit, standing in the shape of an adult male. It had long limbs and a build that was neither too thick nor too thin. The suit’s detailed design was slightly different from the one Gio wore, as were its dress shoes. Still, the sight of the suit standing with its hands clasped behind its back gave Yoo Seong-un a sense of déjà vu.
“…It really does resemble Gio a bit.”
“……”
The empty suit bowed elegantly from the waist. From that gesture, Yoo Seong-un sensed gratitude. He pondered for a moment what it could be grateful for.
Could it be because I said it resembled Gio?
They were truly filled with affection and respect for their master.
“Um… is communication possible? I’ve never met a monster besides Gio that I could communicate with peacefully, so I’m not sure. Can we talk?”
“……”
The black suit struck a pose as if stroking its chin, then formed a triangle with its arms.
“…So that could be a yes, or it could be a no. Is that right?”
“……”
“Right, so it’s a yes. This feels like playing twenty questions.”
If this were a monster in a normal dungeon, he wouldn’t have even dreamed of attempting communication. But this was a highly unusual dungeon, so Yoo Seong-un kept his mind as open as possible and continued his exchange with the black suit.
“Why might it not be possible? Are you going to suddenly pounce on me?”
“……”
“No? If not that… does it mean other entities besides you might attack?”
“……”
“Ah, so that’s a yes. Good. In that case, are there many of those aggressive entities?”
Once again, the suit drew a circle with its arms to answer ‘yes’. Because its fingers weren’t visible, it bent its arms in a large arc over its head, as if drawing a clumsy heart. Seeing this, Yoo Seong-un silently offered the glove he was holding.
“Could you perhaps put this on and show me with your fingers?”
“……”
The black suit drew an ‘X’ with its arms. A ‘no.’
“…Ah.”
At that, Yoo Seong-un realized there wasn’t an invisible person inside the suit. The suit itself was alive and moving. As if to prove it, the black suit tapped the glove in his hand with its sleeve—a movement impossible if there were an actual hand inside.
Then how on earth do I explain the transparent hand I felt earlier?
It was a rude thought to have about the friendly suit, but honestly, it gave him goosebumps. Yoo Seong-un did his best not to let his unease show as he continued.
“I see. My apologies.”
“……”
“I’m glad you don’t mind.”
“……”
“Then, are there other non-aggressive entities besides you? Suits that can communicate peacefully with me like this.”
“……”
“There are… That’s a relief.”
It seemed some entities were aggressive, while others were peaceful.
…Let’s think about how that’s possible later.
It was obvious he would just end up at the same conclusion anyway: ‘Well, it’s Gio, so of course it’s possible.’ Through repeated experience, Yoo Seong-un had already predicted the end of his agonizing thought process.
He put his glove back on and looked around.
“……”
Before he knew it, the number of black suits had increased to three.
“…Are those two suits also non-aggressive toward me?”
“……”
“Ah, they aren’t. But they aren’t attacking right now. Are they the type to delay their attacks?”
“……”
“A triangle… Well, yes. Thank you for your kind answer.”
It seemed to mean they would attack, one way or another.
This is dangerous.
The suit that had kindly reached out from the frame of ‘Void City’ was probably this one or a similarly peaceful entity. However, it was too risky to rely on them, especially as he could see the number of black suits gradually increasing.
Does the number of them increase the longer I stay in the dungeon?
Although the speed was slow, a strange anxiety began to creep into Yoo Seong-un.
“……”
“……”
All the black suits were staring at him.
…It’s not just those two on the sidewalk.
He now felt gazes from inside the buildings, gazes he hadn’t felt before. He felt them from between the alleys and even from inside a car that was now rolling down a road that had been completely empty just moments ago.
Yoo Seong-un instinctively knew.
These aren’t things I can handle by fighting with my skills.
They couldn’t be resolved through simple slaughter. They felt exactly like the Children of the Origin, which one had to deal with solely by adapting to their rules and habits. But he didn’t know how many more would appear or what effect they would have on him. That ‘unknown’ factor awakened a fear in Yoo Seong-un, who was usually so placid.
…When dealing with the Origin, fear of the unknown is highly dangerous…
As a Gardener, he knew this well.
This place is a dungeon, but at the same time, it isn’t.
He wondered if the abilities of a hunter—abilities the Origin so kindly bestowed upon anyone—could even exert any real effect here. This felt like a ‘garden’ where even such basic assumptions couldn’t guarantee his survival.
And unless you were the owner, you should never enter someone else’s garden.
“…This is…”
Just as he was wondering if he should run before they multiplied further—
“Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“……”
“Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“…Oh, Gio.”
Yoo Seong-un almost bolted.
He’s even scarier in here.
His heart, which had nearly dropped at the appearance of the Black Cloak, pounded in his chest. Because he was acting against Gio’s wishes, he had hoped to resolve this without a direct confrontation. Unfortunately, his attempt to sneak in while the owner was away had failed. Resigning himself to his fate, Yoo Seong-un quickly changed his approach.
“Save me, please.”
He attempted to strike a deal.
“I’ll bring you some seedlings next time.”
“No one is going to kill you, Mr. Yoo Seong-un.”
“That’s incredibly reassuring.”
After all, what could be safer in a dungeon than the protection of the dungeon master himself?