There was a reason Yoo Seongwoon always stayed close to Gio.
‘Whenever I come to my senses, I find him saying or doing something completely absurd.’
It would have been fine if Gio were a mimic-type Monster whose imitation of humans was clumsy. No matter how such a creature behaved, anyone could tell it was a Monster. But “Gio’s Portrait” was unnervingly adept at imitating a human.
‘That only makes him more confusing.’
The mind insisted he could not possibly be human, while the heart remained convinced that he was. The dissonance produced a peculiar dread—one quite different from the fear inspired by Monsters or Children of the Source.
‘You could call it the stuff of a ghost story.’
It was Yoo Seongwoon’s role to help such a Gio blend in among humans.
“Hup.”
Splash.
Yoo Seongwoon set foot on the floor of yielding, gelatinous material.
“This feels kind of like jelly.”
“It certainly does.”
Kang Seodam, who entered the Dungeon after him, nodded as well.
“It also resembles a low-viscosity slime, though it supports our weight too well for that.”
“And yet, if you scoop it up, it’s just seawater.”
Yoo Seongwoon shook the water from his hand and looked at Gio and Cha Ara, who had entered with them.
“Oh, you’re in?”
“Y-yes, yes… yes.”
“Don’t be so nervous. There are three A-rank Hunters here. Surely we can protect one Hunter Cha Ara?”
“Three….”
“That’s right. Three.”
“Ah… y-yes, of course.”
Apparently accustomed to reading the room, Cha Ara quickly played along with Yoo Seongwoon. From the way she kept…