How did things get like this?

“Let’s go, Honey.”

“Gurrrrrrr.”

“It’s a picnic.”

Nothing much. Geo and Honey were just having a picnic in a dungeon, a novel setting.

“Can we get that jewel?”

“Gurrr.”

“I’m losing.”

Among the documents that Yoo Seong-woon had handed over, there was a dungeon called ‘Jewel Vein’.

Half of it was Honey’s infatuation with the word jewel, and the other half was Geo himself who enjoyed this fantastical picnic, so he made a passage using the materials Yoo Seong-woon had given him and visited this place right away.

“……?”

Then he discovered something peculiar.

“The assimilation rate doesn’t increase at all.”

“Gurrrrr?”

“Well, I don’t know why.”

Even when he was still in the portrait, the assimilation rate of ‘Giovanni’ was rising. But when it suddenly stopped moving, he couldn’t help but be concerned.

“Does the assimilation temporarily stop when you come to a different dungeon? It doesn’t feel like it’s completely stopped.”

“Gulp.”

“Frame?”

“Knock.”

“It could be a problem with the passage, as you said.”

Honey asked if the connection was cut off because he came out of the passage he had created, not ‘Gio’s Portrait.’ For some reason, Geo felt like Honey was right.

“One thing is not important.”

People should live in the present to be happy.

“Even I, a portrait possessed by a ghost, am no different.”

“Knock?”

“Portraits are people, too.”

When Geo cried, Honey didn’t say anything more. I don’t know if he was showing filial piety or if he was obsessed with the jewel, but that’s how it was.

Leaving the question as a question, Geo took a good look around the dungeon that Korean hunters often visit.

“It’s nice.”

The ‘Jewel Vein’, which was somewhat eerie and dreamy due to the influence of the luminous stone, was a great tourist attraction.

“It’s cool.”

“Kururuk.”

“I like it.”

I thought I knew why they called this place ‘Jewel Vein.’

“It’s all made of jewels.”

It looked like a cave made of flowing lava, and it was like a cave made of flowing jewels.

Big jewels. Small jewels. Transparent jewels. Opaque jewels. Sharp hexagonal jewels. Round spore-shaped jewels. Jewels that gathered and sparkled like a chandelier…

“Son, don’t eat too much.”

“Kung.”

“I’m getting a stomachache.”

All kinds of jewels were gathered together in a messy manner, creating many paths.

‘Sometimes the protruding tip glows.’

Ji recalled the explanation of the data that Yoo Seong-un had given him.

“I thought it was a very dark cave.”

“Kk.”

“Isn’t it brighter than I thought?”

He said that the air in this cave was teeming with tiny monsters that devoured light.

Monsters that sucked the life out of people wandered around inside without a trace, and monsters that were too small to be caught absorbed all kinds of light.

In this place that was so quiet that even sound seemed to have been taken away, the only thing he could rely on were the self-luminous pillars of jewels.

“I said so….”

Ji’s eyes could see everything clearly.

“It’s a little dark, but there’s a glowstone, so the view isn’t that blocked.”

“Kururuk.”

“Yeah, you’re there too.”

Ji thought that this was a benefit that he could receive because he was a ‘portrait.’

‘I don’t know exactly what the benefit is.’

If only I could see something that all the hunters on Earth couldn’t, then Geo was definitely the weird one.

The only reason Geo, who was just a harmless human without even a white belt in Taekwondo, had such a strange ability was because of the portrait.

“…….”

It seems like he’s getting further and further from being human as the days go by.

“…It’s funny, so that’s okay.”

“Kkuk?”

“It’s a very interesting life.”

“Kur?”

“It’s because I’m handsome.”

It really is because I’m ‘good.’

Well, if a person lives for a while, they can become a portrait, and they can also deviate from the standards of ordinary humans.

That didn’t bother Geo at all.

“Life is a series of contents, and contents are meant to be enjoyed.”

“Kurur…”

“There’s no reason for me not to enjoy my life. Even if it’s the life of a portrait.”

He didn’t give in to this level of realization. Geo, who had no thoughts, toured the ‘Jewel Vein’ with ease.

And he was amazed.

“The tourism industry on Earth has developed so much in 31 years.”

Occasionally, there were monsters in the form of beasts that seemed faintly like ghosts, and for some reason, they would express a slight favor to Geo and just pass by. They looked no different from the animals in the forest of pictures.

Those guys would sometimes kiss my ankles and leave.

“You’re like cute darlings.”

Geo nodded, having made his judgment based on love, friendship, and peace.

‘Do you realize that I’m harmless?’

Anyway, since he knew that even the monsters weren’t a threat, he had nothing to be afraid of. Geo toured the ‘Jewel Vein’ with a full heart.

As a result, Geo was able to enjoy the amazing tour with his son to the fullest… .

“…….”

There was something he didn’t like.

There were no people.

“… I should have known from the time you said it was a dungeon with few people.”

Even though the portrait was sad for Geo, who was growing old alone, and even told him to make new friends, he set up a system of letter communication, but he couldn’t find anyone he could make a pen pal with.

‘I’m a dung beetle.’

He had no friends.

He couldn’t just greet someone and make them his friend, so Geo had to try several times to make new connections. It was this hard to make pen pals.

‘I haven’t seen a single hair on a person’s head since the beginning…’

Sergio, a newsman in this era where love, friendship, and peace filled his stomach without eating, fell into great sadness.

“I’ve never been a friendless loner in my 29 years of life.”

“Kur?”

“Except for family. Wouldn’t it be a bit weird to call the child I gave birth to with my paint a friend?”

“Kung-kung-kung….”

“Even if you’re dissatisfied, there’s nothing you can do. No matter how open-minded this dad is, what can’t be done can’t be done.”

As Geo, who had lost energy for no reason, lowered his head, he saw a cat that had quietly settled down near his feet.

“…….”

Oh, a cat.

“…When did you come?”

“Bbaeng-mang.”

“It’s cute.”

It was a long-haired cat with long, fluffy fur, but compared to the grayish monsters of the ‘vein of jewels’ that he had seen so far, it had a definite weight and solid appearance.

“Is it time to choose?”

Geo, who looked around to see if there was a mother cat nearby, soon lost his temper again.

I mustered up my courage to come out into society and my new relationship was a kitten the size of my palm. Is this okay?

“…There’s nothing that can’t be done.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if everything was smooth? Life was something you couldn’t live alone.

Convinced, Geo asked the cat.

“There aren’t many people here, right, kid.”

“Kyaarung.”

“You’re cute, but you don’t answer.”

The kitten just laid down and didn’t answer. The butler Geo, who was ready for the natural command to immediately stroke my belly, crouched down and gently stroked my tiny belly.

‘It’s hard and cold.’

A gurgling sound was heard. If my master was satisfied, I’m happy too. Geo nodded.

“You’re cute.”

“Kku?”

“It’s cute because it’s small and harmless, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) then.”

“…….”

“…I don’t know why, but it seems like you’re denying what this father said, but whatever the truth is, it would be better not to tell me. People are happiest when they’re ignorant, and that’s exactly what I am. I don’t want to know the cruel truth, so just let me enjoy it.”

Honey acknowledged Geo’s sincere appeal.

“But it’s really cute.”

The monster, which was as small as a kitten, wasn’t as clean and transparent as Honey. The monster’s entire body was made of jewels, and its interior was full of dense crystals and cracks, making it seem opaque.

However, when I touched it directly, I could feel the fur that softly covered its exterior. Unlike Honey, its jeweled body was cold and hard, but the cat’s behavior of lying on the floor and enjoying being touched was very sophisticated.

“Can’t this monster be appraised?”

Anti-Cat

A cat-shaped monster made of jewels that has been acting independently since it was born from an egg. It extremely detests Earth creatures, and the Earthlings who first discovered its existence named it ‘Anti-Cat.’

The method of the rite: The jewel hair balls that Anticat spits out very rarely can be stretched out and squeezed into a cloth to create an invisibility cloak. Even more rarely, Anticat’s tears are used as an excellent mental stabilizer in their own right.

“Oh.”

Geo realized.

“Well, I did appraise the monsters in Cheonggyecheon, so I guess the monsters in the dungeon aren’t all that different. They’re like this honest Speedwagon.”

And then he realized for the second time.

“…Do you hate Earth creatures?”

Then what about me?

“You don’t consider me an Earth creature?”

“Grumble.”

“Stop grumbling and answer about my identity, kid. Even though I’m currently living in a semi-forcibly portrait because my status and real estate have all been liquidated, I’m still a healthy South Korean man who grew up in the mountains of Gangwon Province receiving pure energy.”

“Gyarrrrr….”

“Do you have catnip on your hands?”

He was embarrassed to be so happy that he liked it this much.

“You recognized the prepared butler.”

No matter how much of a monster it was, it seemed that Geo, a veteran at petting cats, was very good at it because it had the nature of a cat.

It was a moment where he felt the reward of visiting a cat cafe every now and then while living in a busy modern society.

“…….”

“…….”

Anyway, there were no people.

“Hmm.”

Only the cats were cute.

“Sad.”

“I see?”

“I came to make new friends, but I ended up going back with only the owner.”

Geo was already thinking about kidnapping this anti-cat. It says that ‘they act independently from the moment they are hatched,’ so it seems like they don’t have any family to live with.

‘You shouldn’t touch the cats of Earth carelessly, but… .’

This guy was a monster, so there was a little less burden.

“There’s an ice warehouse with a similar environment to this one, and I can draw a house in a similar place, so I think it’s okay. What do you think, kid?”

“Gyarrrrr.”

“I guess you agree.”

However, not seeing a single person was a big blow to Geo. Even going outside to make new friends was a huge waste of energy for the timid Geo.

“I don’t like too many people, but I wish there was at least one person.”

“Grrrr.”

“…….”

“Grrrr.”

“Hmm?”

Anti-cat, who clearly understood Geo’s words, quietly got up from where he had been lying down and left.

“Oh.”

Geo intuitively sensed new content and waited quietly in that spot.

‘A friendship between animals? This is a beautiful situation like a fairy tale… .’

While waiting with anticipation for a meeting full of innocence, Anticat soon lured the human.

A young and pitiful human who was so scared that he couldn’t understand the situation even when he saw it, and who was dragged along like a moth by Anticat’s faint light.

“…….”

A sacrifice?

‘A sacrifice?’

Oh, no way.

‘I brought you here to make friends, but it’s too bad. You look as young as the students I used to teach, which is too young to be friends… .’

Geo spoke to the person who hadn’t noticed him yet in the most friendly voice possible.

“Hello.”

“Huh, hh ... “Who, who are you….”

“…….”

Geo became gloomy without even noticing the other person’s reasonable question. His spirit was completely gone. Honey, who was hiding in the hood, seemed to be angry, saying, “Why are you killing my father’s spirit?” but he ignored it.

He had foreseen this situation. It wasn’t something he had completely guessed.

‘Still… I thought I was used to people being afraid of me, but I guess I’m not immune to getting hurt.’

Furthermore, the guards working at the ‘Collector’ weren’t this scared. Thanks to the recent rumors about the ‘Black Cloak’, most of them were not overly afraid and talked to Geo.

In short, it was the first time he had met someone who was this scared of him.

‘… Did I scare a student who looked like a high school student…?’

Sergio, who was a high school teacher, felt pain in an instant. If he was a student he was teaching, he would have tried to calm him down by giving him a sweet snack, but in this situation, he would have been even more scared.

Did he know how Geo felt and acted like this? Anticat rubbed its body against Geo’s leg as if it had completed its mission. It was so cute. Geo looked down at Anticat.

“…Anticat….”

“…….”

“Oh, by the way, are you… a trainer? That….”

“…….”

“Which guild’s hunter are you….”

Geo realized belatedly that the other person was asking such cautious questions.

“……?”

Oh, that student.

‘Is that the student we ran into in the alley last time?’

The kind-hearted student who kindly donated his scarf to a homeless person on a winter day.

‘It’s admirable even when I think about it again.’

He had to give them a good deed award right away. Or a store. Or maybe a snack… .

‘A special student who showed us that even in Hell Republic of Korea, there are special sprouts.’

As a teacher, Sergio was weak towards young students, and personally, he liked good people very much. There was no one who warmed Geo’s heart more than a kind and polite student.

‘What should I do?’

Recalling that the other person was a good student back then, Geo felt even more lost.

‘I think he was really scared of me that day… If he found out that it was the same person, wouldn’t he faint?’

Besides, Geo was not in a position to be like that now. In other words, he couldn’t answer the question the other person asked.

No matter how crazy he was, he couldn’t say something like, ‘Actually, I was an art teacher at a high school 31 years ago, but I became a portrait possessed by a ghost during a fire…’

“…….”

“…….”

However, it wasn’t the right thing to do as an adult to continue ignoring the student’s question because he was lost.

It was only a coincidence that I saw him once, but he was happy to see a familiar face anyway. Geo put pressure on his slightly stammering brain to speak.

“Hello.”

“…Oh, yes.”

“…….”

“That, ah, hello….”

Oh, this is it.

‘I’m sure all the sociality I had in me during the 31 years I was asleep has dried up.’

Looking at the student who was so awkward, I felt sorry for no reason.

This was the first time I’d seen someone so scared of me, so I didn’t know how to respond, and since the other person was a young student, I was even more cautious, which also played a part in Geo’s attitude.

Geo hesitated for a moment and then spoke again.

“My name is Sergio.”

His grandmother said that the most effective way to calm someone down was to give them a full name. Geo firmly believed in the words of his heavenly grandparents.

“…….”

“What is your name?”

Even so, this was a bit strange, but Geo, who appeared in the dungeon as a ‘portrait’, was not aware that he was objectively saying strange things.

Even if he had been aware, he would not have been able to respond plausibly to the situation where he was stuttering considerably.

“…I, I….”

“You’re nervous.”

“…….”

“Are you scared of me?”

“…….”

“I promise I won’t cause you any harm.”

Geo was really just saying it with good intentions and sincerity. He just wanted to say, ‘I’m harmless, so you don’t have to be so scared’ because the other student seemed so nervous…

“Don’t be scared.”

Life isn’t that easy.

“…….”

“I wonder what your name is.”

He was already being eaten up by his ego as a ‘portrait’, starting with his overly polite tone.

‘Isn’t the tension gone?’

In order to prevent the already dangerous ‘Portrait of Geo’ from losing its human nature, Yoo Seong-woon and Bisabal never described how scary and distant he was to people.

That’s why Geo also thought of himself as ‘a gloomy old man you meet in an alley late at night.’

‘It would be better if we cleared up the misunderstanding.’

How much better would it have been if Geo’s self-objectification had been done well?

“Cha, Cha-ara… It’s Cha-ara.”

“Nice to meet you, Cha-ara.”

Geo asked with a lot of kindness.

“Would you like to talk to me?”

Look at my open heart. I’ll show you how harmless I am. Well, that was the promise.

“…….”

“…….”

“Please save me.”

Not all sincerity was understood.