Chapter 6: The Sanctuary She Was Afraid to Lose

They broke through the ordinary battles prepared by Replica one after another. At first, Taehyun merely watched Rigor fight, but whenever Rigor’s opening hand went badly and he failed to draw his sword, Taehyun stepped in and fought as well.

Fortunately, the Gossip Bugs continued to expose only the Spider Painter’s embarrassing secrets without actually harming them.

Phrases such as [What if she hates me now?], [It’s been so long since I even saw her face during the endless cycles that it’s become too awkward], and [I’ve lied so much that I don’t know what I could say that she’d actually believe] were written here and there across the frames.

“The Spider Painter might actually be more soft-hearted than he thought…”

“I suppose so. Though it’s hard to say how much of what the Gossip Bugs say can be trusted.”

They continued onward while discussing the matter. They had heard that the Gossip Bugs had become much kinder, but considering what they had experienced in this dungeon in the past, it was difficult to take the bugs’ drawings at face value.

The Spider Painter Taehyun had encountered before had not seemed like the timid, anxious sort portrayed in those pictures.

Still, if the Spider Painter was going to remain holed up and refuse to come out, they would have to overlook such minor inconsistencies for the time being.

“But if what the Gossip Bugs are saying really is false, wouldn’t the Spider Painter come rushing out to correct them?”

By the time they had repeated the sixteenth ordinary battle, Taehyun said this while doing his best to pretend he knew nothing. He also tried his hardest to ignore the pitch-black shadow flickering at the edge of his vision.

If he provoked the Spider Painter too obviously, she might become even more reluctant to show herself.

“If it were him, he wouldn’t be able to leave something like that alone out of sheer wounded pride. If the Spider Painter is just letting the Gossip Bugs keep talking, doesn’t that mean she secretly admits that what they’re saying is true?”

“Is that so? In a way, that sounds like a bit of a leap in logic, though… Ah, ow. Fine, I get it. I get it.”

Just as Baek Hyerin, who was completely unaware of the situation, was about to object, the little dolls immediately poked her in the side and shoulder to stop her.

Once Baek Hyerin seemed to realize what was going on and closed her mouth, Rigor smoothly added to Taehyun’s words.

“The Spider Painter seems to have gotten pretty soft-hearted these days. She stays cooped up in this dungeon all the time while her one and only friend goes around having fun outside. Isn’t she probably sulking because of that?”

“Exactly. She must be completely sulked out by now.”

“We don’t know the situation, so we have no choice but to believe the Gossip Bugs. If the Spider Painter never shows herself again, we’ll have no choice but to withdraw. And if that happens, won’t the image that sticks most strongly in our minds be that of the Spider Painter bawling her eyes out because her friend brought a new friend instead of playing only with her?”

As he spoke, Rigor picked up a fragment of a broken frame scattered across the floor. Taehyun felt a little sorry for teasing her this much, but it seemed to be working. The pitch-black shadow at the edge of his vision was trembling with rage.

“I think he understands why the Gatekeeper switched to Choi Jeong-yu. If it were him, he wouldn’t want to be friends with such a narrow-minded little shrimp either.”

“Uh, that sounds a little harsh.”

“But it’s not wrong, is it? Think about it. The Gatekeeper has holed herself up in the Realm of the Thought Police and won’t come out. That means she finds the Thought Police more trustworthy than the Spider Painter…”

Wait.

Rigor seemed to be crossing the line a little.

Just as Taehyun nervously shuddered and quietly closed his mouth, the shadow at the edge of his vision moved violently. At the same moment, Kim Hasang and Baek Hyerin, their faces pale, hurriedly threw themselves backward.

[That’s enough already, you damn ghost! How long are you planning to keep making fun of me?!]

“Ugh…!”

Taehyun barely managed to escape the attack’s range, but Rigor did not.

The Spider Painter dropped from the ceiling and landed directly on him, flattening him against the floor.

Considering Rigor’s reaction speed, he probably had not actually been unable to dodge. After being teased as much as he had, he had likely decided to take the hit on purpose.

Even so, judging by the groan he had let out, it seemed to have genuinely hurt.

After gleefully crushing Rigor beneath her and venting her frustration, the Spider Painter gracefully stepped aside and changed her appearance.

It was the same form Taehyun had seen when he had once entered the Spider Painter’s frame.

A woman wearing a pitch-black hood and holding a brush dipped in golden paint appeared, prompting gasps of astonishment and shock from the other Hunters, who knew nothing about the circumstances.

“Th-that monster can turn into a person?”

[What do you mean, ‘can turn into a person’? I was a person to begin with! Anyway, why the hell did all of you barge into this dungeon and make such a mess?]

While Kim Hasang stared at the Spider Painter with wide eyes, Rigor groaned and dusted himself off as he got to his feet. Taehyun offered him a hand to help him up, and even after Rigor had fully stood, he continued holding Taehyun’s hand as he faced the Spider Painter.

“You don’t think we came here without knowing, do you? We came to find the Gatekeeper and Choi Jeong-yu.”

[Then go fetch those two! Why are you picking a fight with me here? What did I ever do to you?]

“We heard you and the Gatekeeper had a fight. We figured we’d need your help to get her sulking mood under control.”

[I don’t know why that kid is sulking either! If anything, I’m the one who’s got plenty of things to be disappointed about when it comes to her!]

“Wait. So you are disappointed? Don’t tell me those Gossip Bugs were telling the truth?”

[Shut up! Don’t stick your nose into other people’s business! Anyway, I wasn’t the one who got angry first. She suddenly started acting sulky, and I only ended up arguing with her because of that!]

Judging by how the Spider Painter immediately became defensive, the Gossip Bugs had not been making everything up after all. However, it was the first time Taehyun had learned that the Gatekeeper had been the one to get angry first.

He had naturally assumed that the Spider Painter had picked a fight first, and that the Gatekeeper had responded before the argument escalated.

‘Come to think of it, the Gatekeeper does have quite a temper herself.’

The information Han Seon-uk had shown them had only mentioned that the two had fought; it did not go into the specific progression of their argument. The report itself had been based on testimony from Replica, which had observed the quarrel.

From a statement such as ‘The Spider Painter and the Gatekeeper repeatedly said they were disappointed in each other while exchanging childish insults,’ it was impossible to figure out what the actual problem had been.

[Anyway, I assume you can guess why I was disappointed in her. But I have no idea why she suddenly became disappointed in me. Why don’t you ask her yourselves? You’re friends with that Choi Jeong-yu fellow, aren’t you?]

“That’s true, but we can’t contact Choi Jeong-yu right now because of the Gatekeeper’s interference.”

[She must be pretty damn anxious, then. Is she afraid Choi Jeong-yu might run away or something…]

As she muttered that and tilted her head, the Spider Painter looked far calmer and more concerned about her friend than they had expected.

Perhaps the Spider Painter really was not angry at all and was genuinely at peace. She might have been somewhat hurt, but at the very least, she had not forgotten to worry about her friend.

Then, after seeming to ponder something for a moment, the Spider Painter suddenly raised her head and looked directly at Taehyun.

[All right. Since things have come to this, I think I’d rather ask you. Why do you think she’s angry?]

“You’re asking us that?”

[You’re third parties, so you might be able to come up with some idea. Besides, that old Challenger, no, not anymore. He’s neither a Challenger nor anything like that now…. He has a pretty decent ability to see the essence of things, doesn’t he? If he hears our story, he might be able to figure out what the problem is.]

“Now even you’re trying to rely on Taehyun, after Replica.”

[What’s wrong with that? I’ve helped him before, so I’m allowed to rely on him a little too.]

‘Why is everyone asking him questions now…?’

Still, perhaps this was actually for the best. They needed to get information from the Spider Painter anyway.

“Then could you tell me what exactly the two of you talked about when you were fighting? If I hear the details, I might be able to figure something out.”

At Taehyun’s cautious request, the Spider Painter sat down roughly on the nearby floor and thought for a moment. After a short while, she finally seemed to settle on what she wanted to say and opened her mouth.

[I think that was probably what started it. She said something like this: ‘How about leaving this dungeon with me and going outside?’]

‘Leave the dungeon?’

It sounded exactly like something the Gatekeeper would suggest.

Recently, the Gatekeeper had been traveling all over the world with Choi Jeong-yu and enjoying herself. It would not have been strange for her to want her old friend, the Spider Painter, to come along as well.

[Even if I leave the dungeon, Replica will prepare a replacement for me. If I ask it to make sure the replacement doesn’t deceive people, there shouldn’t be any major problems. Nothing will go wrong just because I leave this place empty.]

“But even then, you decided not to leave…?”

[Yes. Do you want to know why?]

“If it has something to do with why the Gatekeeper became angry.”

[It probably does. She started looking dejected after I told her the reason…]

“Then I’d appreciate it if you could tell us. What was the reason?”

[I just said that, for the time being, I wanted to stay here, talk sincerely with the people who came to this place, and sort out my feelings. It’s something I haven’t been able to do for a very long time.]

“Sincerely…?”

[Yes. Of course, some of the people who come here still don’t trust me, or think I’m plotting something to manipulate them…. But that’s the karma resulting from my own actions. I’ve spent far too long running away. I want to face the outside world honestly, without fabricating stories or inciting anyone, from a place I’m familiar with.]

Taehyun nodded for the moment, but he was still puzzled.

‘Was that really enough to upset the Gatekeeper?’

There was nothing particularly strange about the Spider Painter wanting to do that. It was something she could reasonably want, and once she felt that she had spent enough time there, she could still leave the dungeon and go outside with the Gatekeeper.

If that was truly all there was to it, there was no way to understand why the Gatekeeper had become angry.

As Taehyun hesitated, Rigor seemed just as puzzled and asked a question.

“Is that all?”

[At least, that’s all there is to the reason I explained.]

“There has to be something more. It doesn’t sit right with me.”

[I wish there were more, but there really isn’t.]

“Then tell us everything you talked about back then, even if you don’t think it was related to the reason. There might be an answer hidden in something you considered insignificant.”

[System(Temporary): If so, I can transfer the recorded information from that conversation to Yoon Taehyun. This is possible with the consent of one of the parties involved. What would you like to do?]

When Replica suddenly displayed the message, the Spider Painter seemed to consider it for a moment before finally nodding.

Taehyun wondered why Replica had not simply handed the information over to Han Seon-uk in the first place, but after seeing it ask the Spider Painter for consent before transferring the information, he decided that this was probably better.

At least it meant Replica was not acting arbitrarily and was making an effort to follow proper procedures.

[System(Temporary): Consent has been obtained from one of the parties involved. The conversation record will now be transferred to Yoon Taehyun.]

[Event] Mediate the dispute]

[Access Condition: Obtain the consent of at least one party involved in the dispute, Yoon Taehyun]

‘Why is the access condition ‘Yoon Taehyun’? Does that mean I’m the only one who can receive this event?’

After Taehyun waited for a moment, Replica filled the air with lines of text presumed to be the conversation record. Perhaps it had made the letters smaller so that only he could read them, but they were so tiny that even Taehyun had trouble reading them.

Still, they were not completely illegible, so he diligently read through the record.

Just as the Spider Painter had said, the beginning was completely ordinary. There was nothing that seemed capable of offending the Gatekeeper, nor did the conversation contain any other reason beyond what the Spider Painter had already mentioned.

Choi Jeong-yu had apparently barely spoken and had spent most of the time simply listening.

‘What exactly had been the problem?’

Taehyun reread the record several times, worried that he might have missed something.

Then one particular line caught his attention.

“You don’t have to worry anymore. I don’t need to hide in your hiding place anymore.”

The moment that seemingly insignificant sentence came into focus, Taehyun felt as though he finally understood where the Gatekeeper’s anxiety had come from.

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