48

Chapter 48

As for how things had ended up this way.

“Let’s go, Honey.”

“Gurrrrrr.”

“We’re going on a picnic.”

There was nothing particularly complicated about it. Gio and Honey had merely gone out for a picnic with the novel backdrop of a dungeon around them.

“I wonder if we can pull out that jewel and take it with us.”

“Gur.”

“So it can’t be pecked loose.”

The dungeon had been among the documents Yoo Seongwoon had given him: the ‘Vein of Jewels.’

Half because Honey had pestered him after becoming fixated on the word jewel, and half because Gio himself wanted to enjoy this fantastical picnic, he had consulted Yoo Seongwoon’s materials, created a passage, and abruptly paid the place a visit.

“……?”

Along the way, he discovered something unusual.

“The Synchronization Rate isn’t increasing at all.”

“Gururuk?”

“Well, I’m not sure why.”

Giovanni’s Synchronization Rate had risen even when Gio simply remained still inside the Portrait. Now that it had suddenly stopped budging, he could not help but be concerned.

“Does Synchronization temporarily stop when I enter another dungeon? It doesn’t feel as though it has stopped completely.”

“Gurrrruk.”

“The frame?”

“Gguk.”

“As you said, the passage may be the problem.”

Honey asked whether the connection had been severed because Gio had emerged through a passage he created himself rather than through ‘Gio’s Portrait.’ For some reason, Gio felt Honey might be right.

“Still, it isn’t important.”

People had to live in the present to enjoy themselves.

“That remains true even for a haunted portrait like me.”

“Guruk?”

“A portrait is a person too.”

When Gio insisted, Honey said nothing more. Whether this was a display of filial devotion or because the jewels had stolen his attention was unclear, but that was what happened.

Leaving the question unanswered, Gio leisurely surveyed the dungeon that Korean Hunters occasionally visited.

“Nice.”

Eerily alien in some respects yet dreamlike under the influence of the Luminescent Stones, the ‘Vein of Jewels’ was an excellent tourist destination.

“This is wonderful.”

“Gururuk.”

“I like it.”

He could understand why this place was called the ‘Vein of Jewels.’

“Everything is made of jewels.”

Much like a cave formed by flowing lava, this place resembled a cavern formed by a current of jewels.

Large jewels. Small jewels. Transparent jewels. Opaque jewels. Sharp hexagonal-prism jewels. Round, spore-shaped jewels. Clusters of glittering jewels overhead like chandeliers….

“Son, don’t eat too many.”

“Ggung.”

“You’ll get a stomachache.”

All manner of jewels gathered in disorder to form branching paths.

‘Some of the protruding tips are even glowing.’

Gio recalled the explanation in the materials Yoo Seongwoon had given him.

“It said this was an extremely dark cave.”

“Gguk.”

“Isn’t it… brighter than expected?”

The air inside this cavern was said to teem with microscopic Monsters that devoured light.

Monsters that fed on human vitality roamed the interior without giving off any presence, while Monsters too small to catch absorbed every kind of light.

In this place, so quiet it seemed even sound had been stolen away, the only things one could depend on were the jewel pillars that shone by themselves.

“That’s… what it said….”

Yet Gio could see his surroundings perfectly well.

“It is a little dark, but there are Luminescent Stones, so my vision isn’t obstructed that badly.”

“Gururuk.”

“Right, and I have you.”

He wondered if this too was a benefit Gio received because he was a ‘Portrait.’

‘Though I’m not sure exactly what kind of benefit that is.’

If Gio alone could see what no Hunter on Earth could, then he was clearly the strange one.

The only possible cause that came to mind for Gio—a harmless human who had never earned so much as a white belt in taekwondo—to possess such a strange ability was the Portrait.

“…….”

It felt as though he was drifting farther from humanity with every passing day.

“…It’s amusing, so that’s fine.”

“Gguk?”

“What a fascinating life.”

“Gur?”

“It’s because I’m handsome.”

It truly was because he had been born so ‘well.’

As a person went through life, they might become a portrait. They might also drift away from the standards of an ordinary human, could they not?

Such things were no problem at all for Gio.

“Life is an endless stream of content, and content exists to be enjoyed.”

“Gurrr….”

“There is no reason for me not to enjoy my life. The same holds true even if it is the life of a portrait.”

He would not be discouraged by a realization this minor. Untroubled Gio continued comfortably sightseeing around the ‘Vein of Jewels.’

And he marveled.

“Earth’s tourism industry has developed tremendously over the past thirty-one years.”

There were occasionally beast-shaped Monsters that showed through faintly like ghosts. For some reason, they expressed mild goodwill toward Gio before passing him by. Their behavior was not particularly different from that of the animals in the painted forest.

Those creatures sometimes kiss my ankles before leaving too.

“What adorable little darlings.”

Having reached a conclusion rooted in love, friendship, and peace, Gio nodded.

‘They must have recognized that I’m harmless.’

In any event, now that he knew even the Monsters posed no threat, there was even less reason for hesitation. With his heart full, Gio wandered through the ‘Vein of Jewels.’

As a result, Gio was able to enjoy some spectacular sightseeing with his son at a full 120 percent, but….

“…….”

There was one thing he disliked.

There were no people.

“…I should have understood when it said this dungeon was rarely visited.”

Perhaps even the Portrait had pitied Gio for growing old alone, because it had created a system for exchanging letters and encouraged him to make new friends. Yet not a single human suitable for becoming a pen pal was in sight.

‘I’m a firefly.’

He had no friends.

He could not make someone his friend immediately after meeting them and exchanging a greeting, so Gio would have to make several attempts to form a new connection. Making a pen pal was this difficult.

‘I haven’t seen so much as a single strand of human hair from the very beginning….’

Seo Gio, the light eater of this age who could feel full without eating so long as he had an abundance of love, friendship, and peace, sank into deep sorrow.

“In all my twenty-nine years, I have never been a friendless loner before.”

“Gur?”

“Family does not count. It would be a little strange to call a child born from my paints a friend, wouldn’t it?”

“Ggung, ggung, ggung….”

“Even if you’re dissatisfied, it cannot be helped. No matter how open-minded your father may be, some things simply cannot be done.”

When the needlessly dispirited Gio lowered his head, he saw a cat that had quietly settled near his feet.

“…….”

Oh, a cat.

“…When did you arrive?”

“Meungmang.”

“How cute.”

Perhaps it was a long-haired breed, because its fur was soft and lengthy. Even so, compared to the pale, ghostly Monsters Gio had seen throughout the ‘Vein of Jewels,’ it looked distinctly weighty and solid.

“Has the hour of my selection arrived?”

Gio checked whether a mother cat was nearby, then soon wilted again.

He had courageously entered society, only for his new connection to be a palm-sized kitten. Was this truly all right?

“…There’s no reason it wouldn’t be.”

Was it not good for life to become lively, whatever the reason? No one could live life alone.

Having accepted this, Gio asked the cat a question.

“Is this place normally so empty of people, little one?”

“Gyarrr.”

“You’re adorable, but you offer no answer.”

The kitten merely flopped onto its back without answering. At the natural command to rub its belly immediately, Gio, the ever-prepared servant, crouched and gently stroked its tiny stomach.

‘Hard and cold.’

He heard it purring. If my master is satisfied, then I am pleased as well. Gio nodded.

“How cute.”

“Gguk?”

“It’s small and harmless, so of course it’s cute.”

“…….”

“…For reasons unknown, you seem to be denying your father’s words. Whatever the truth may be, I would prefer you did not share it with me. There is a saying that people are happiest in ignorance, and that is certainly true of me. I do not wish to learn the cruel truth, so please allow me to enjoy myself.”

Honey accepted Gio’s heartfelt appeal.

“But it really is cute.”

The Monster, as small as a kitten, was not cleanly transparent like Honey. Its entire body was made of jewels, densely filled with crystals and fissures that made it appear almost opaque.

Yet touching it revealed fur softly enveloping its exterior. Its jewel body was cold and hard unlike Honey’s, but the behavior of the cat sprawled across the floor and enjoying his touch was remarkably lifelike.

“I wonder if I can Appraise a Monster like this.”

Anti-Cat

A jewel-bodied feline Monster that acts independently from the moment it hatches from its egg. It has an extreme hatred of Earth’s living creatures, so the Earthlings who first discovered its kind named it the ‘Anti-Cat.’

Elixir Refining Method: On very rare occasions, an Anti-Cat coughs up a Jewel Hairball. Stretching it out and weaving it into cloth creates an Invisibility Cloak. Even more rarely, an Anti-Cat sheds tears, which serve as an excellent sedative in their natural state.

“Oh.”

Gio came to a realization.

“I suppose it Appraised the Monster at Cheonggyecheon too, so a dungeon Monster would not be particularly different. What a diligent, speedy source of exposition.”

Then he reached a second realization.

“…It hates Earth’s living creatures?”

What about me, then?

“Am I not counted as one of Earth’s living creatures?”

“Grrrr.”

“Don’t merely purr. Answer me about my identity, little one. Though all my identification and real estate were taken away and I am presently forced to live inside a portrait, I’ll have you know that I am a healthy son of the Republic of Korea, raised amid the pure energy of the Gangwon Province countryside.”

“Gyarrrrr….”

“Is there catnip on my hand?”

Its delight was so intense that he felt bewildered yet deeply gratified.

“You recognized a ready and willing servant.”

Monster or not, it seemed to possess feline instincts, because Gio’s touch as a veteran cat-petter worked extremely well.

It was a moment that made him feel rewarded for finding time to visit cat cafés despite living in a busy modern society.

“…….”

“…….”

In any event, there were no people.

“Hmm.”

The cat was merely adorable.

“How sad.”

“Grruk?”

“I came here to make a new friend, yet I’m returning with only a new master.”

Read only on MUGEX

Gio was already fully intent on abducting this Anti-Cat. Its description said that it ‘acts independently from the moment it hatches from its egg,’ so it did not seem to have any family living with it.

‘You mustn’t carelessly touch Earth’s cats, but….’

Perhaps because this little friend was a Monster, he felt slightly less burdened.

“There is an ice storage room with an environment similar to this one, and if necessary, I can paint you a home resembling this place. I think that should be fine. What do you think, little one?”

“Gyarrrrr.”

“I shall take that as agreement.”

Nevertheless, failing to see even one person struck him rather hard. For the timid Gio, merely venturing outside to make a new friend required tremendous emotional effort.

“I dislike there being too many people, but I still hoped there would be at least one.”

“Grruk.”

“…….”

“Grrrr.”

“Hm?”

The Anti-Cat, which plainly appeared to understand Gio, slowly rose from where it had flopped over and departed for parts unknown.

“Oh.”

Gio intuitively sensed new content approaching and waited quietly where he stood.

‘Friendship brought together by an animal. What a beautiful, fairy-tale-like situation….’

As he waited in anticipation of an innocent encounter, the Anti-Cat soon lured a human toward him.

A young, pitiful human who was clearly terrified, understood nothing about the situation, and had been dragged along like a moth by the Anti-Cat’s faint light.

“…….”

Was this an offering?

‘A sacrifice?’

Surely not.

‘It must have brought her so I could make a friend. Unfortunately, she looks as young as the students I used to teach, so making her my friend would be….’

The other person had not yet noticed him, so Gio addressed her in the friendliest voice he could manage.

“Hello.”

“H-huaaaaaagh!!”

That hurt a little.

“Wh-whatwhatwhat, what, what….”

“…….”

“…Wh-who are you…?”

That truly hurt.

“Who… who are you…?”

“…….”

Without even recognizing the validity of her question, Gio became dejected. His spirits plummeted. Honey, concealed inside his hood, seemed angry that someone had discouraged his father, but Gio ignored him.

He had foreseen that the situation might unfold this way. It was not entirely unexpected.

‘Still… I thought I had grown accustomed to people being afraid of me, but that doesn’t mean it no longer hurts.’

Moreover, the guards working for the Collectors had not been this frightened. Perhaps because rumors about ‘Black Cloak’ had recently spread, most of them conversed with Gio without displaying excessive fear.

In other words, this was the first time he had met someone so terrified of him.

‘…Did I even scare a student who looks about high-school age…?’

The heart of Seo Gio, a former high-school teacher, began to ache instantly. Had she been one of his students, he would have soothed her with a sweet snack, but doing so now seemed likely to frighten her further.

As though it understood Gio’s feelings, the Anti-Cat rubbed itself against his leg as if its duty were complete. It was exceedingly cute. Gio looked down at the Anti-Cat.

“…The Anti-Cat….”

“…….”

“Um, excuse me, are you perhaps… a-a Tamer? And….”

“…….”

“Which guild’s Hunter are you…?”

Seeing the other person ask her questions so cautiously, Gio belatedly realized something.

“……?”

Ah, that student.

‘Is she the student I encountered in the alley before?’

The kindhearted student who had readily donated her own scarf to a homeless person on a winter day.

‘Even thinking back on it, that was admirable.’

He needed to give her a Good Conduct Award immediately. Or a prize. Or perhaps even a snack….

‘The admirable student who showed me that even Hell Korea still has promising young sprouts.’

Having been a teacher, Seo Gio had a soft spot for young students and personally liked good people very much. Nothing warmed Gio’s heart like a kind and courteous student.

‘What should I do?’

Upon remembering that she was the kind student from that day, Gio found himself even more at a loss for words.

‘She seemed terribly afraid of me that day too… Won’t she faint if she learns I’m the same person?’

Furthermore, Gio presently had no particular identity or affiliation. In other words, he could not answer the questions she had asked.

No matter how insane he might be, he could hardly say, ‘The truth is, I was an art teacher at a high school thirty-one years ago, but during a fire, I became a haunted portrait….’

“…….”

“…….”

Yet an adult could not simply continue ignoring a student’s questions because he was at a loss for words.

They had met only once by coincidence, but he was pleased to encounter a familiar face nonetheless. Pressuring his slightly stuttering brain, Gio forced himself to speak.

“Hello.”

“…Ah, yes.”

“…….”

“H-hello….”

Ah, was that not right?

‘All the social skills inside me must have withered away during the thirty-one years I was asleep.’

Watching the student behave so awkwardly naturally filled him with guilt.

This was his first time meeting someone so afraid of him, leaving him unsure how to respond. The fact that she was a young student made him even more cautious, which also contributed to Gio’s demeanor.

Gio hesitated briefly, then spoke again.

“My name is Seo Gio.”

His grandmother had said that exchanging names was the most effective way to put another person at ease. Gio believed his revered grandparents without reservation.

“…….”

“May I ask your name?”

Though this was undeniably somewhat strange, Gio, who had appeared in the dungeon as the ‘Portrait,’ was unaware that he was objectively saying strange things.

Even if he had been aware, he was so flustered that he could not have produced a convincing response.

“…I-I’m….”

“You are nervous.”

“…….”

“Are you afraid of me?”

“…….”

“I promise I will cause you no harm.”

Gio was speaking purely out of goodwill and from the bottom of his heart. The student simply looked so tense that he wanted to tell her, ‘I am harmless, so you needn’t be quite so afraid,’ but….

“Do not be afraid.”

Life was not so accommodating.

“…….”

“I would like to know your name.”

For one thing, his excessively courteous manner of speech already showed that his identity as the ‘Portrait’ had begun to consume him.

‘Is she still unable to relax?’

To ensure that the already dangerous ‘Gio’s Portrait’ did not drift away from his human personality, Yoo Seongwoon and Bisabeol had never described just how terrifying and unfathomable Gio seemed to other people.

Consequently, Gio regarded himself as little more than ‘a gloomy ahjussi encountered in an alley late at night.’

‘Things should improve once I clear up the misunderstanding.’

How accurate could Gio’s self-assessment possibly have been?

“Cha-Cha Ara… My name is Cha Ara.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cha Ara.”

Gio asked with his voice brimming with kindness.

“Would you converse with me?”

Behold my open heart. I shall show you how harmless I am. It was something along those lines.

“…….”

“…….”

“Please spare my life.”

Sincerity did not always get through, however.

(To be continued)