The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 10. Human Multitude

The moment she stepped forward, aiming with the jagged Chair Leg that had snapped into a point.
Shriek!
The creature recoiled abruptly. Its face flinched backward, and all four limbs crouched down instinctively.
When she pressed her next step forward, the creature even backpedaled hastily, like a wild boar struck by an arrow.
As the monster retreated, it seemed confused somehow—as if it couldn’t fathom why it was giving ground.
Grrrrr….
When it registered being pushed back, a growl rose from its throat. Its sharpened instinct sounded an alarm.
This human was different.
To attack would mean death.
It had already fed sufficiently. There was still much prey left unclaimed. There was no reason to risk injury here.
The decision made, the creature moved with swift grace, slipped through the door, and fled. Remarkably sharp instinct, and nimble movement.
The Chair Leg dropped from her hand with a dull thud. Lee Seol-a’s face went slack as she turned to survey the Auditorium. It seemed not so much time had passed, yet just in the visible expanse lay more than ten bodies.
Suddenly, the hole through which the monster had risen caught her attention.
‘The hole.’
Was that it? Was that the hole described in the diary?
Seol-a glanced at the entrance, hesitating for a moment, but she crossed the Auditorium nonetheless.
She peered into the hole pooled with blood, then carefully lowered her foot into it.

[A student’s diary is being updated.]

Descending to Basement Level 1, Seol-a walked forward without direction. The overuse of her ability had left her drained, body and mind alike.
The hallway bent like the letter L, with doors spaced evenly along its length. The school apparently used the basement for club meetings. Among them, Seol-a pushed open a door decorated with colorful paper reading “Travel Club: Go Anywhere!”
The room was modest, perhaps three or four mats in size. From the posters on the wall, it was clearly the Travel Club.
Seol-a set down her bag and leaned back against the wall.
She sat in a daze for some time, as though her soul had left her body, and gradually felt her mind returning, as if waking from a dream.
Then,
‘What was I thinking….’
The fear and revulsion she’d forgotten came rushing back in waves. The scent of blood that had driven adrenaline now brought dry heaves. At the thought of the creature that moments ago had seemed almost laughable, her body trembled.
But it passed quickly. Slow, measured breathing, and the trembling vanished. She felt her chest settle and smiled bitterly.
Was she the one who’d raged like a demon in a nightmare,
or was she the one quaking with fear here?
She was experiencing Zhuangzi’s Butterfly Dream.
Seol-a clenched her teeth and began to sort through what had happened.
The first question that came to mind concerned her eyes.
The ability that had evolved into the Nine Eyes shocked her—she’d always known only green.
‘It wasn’t that the colors didn’t exist. I simply hadn’t seen them.’
The newly visible colors were yellow, red, and crimson. The important thing was that she still couldn’t see all colors.
For instance, she’d seen yellow in Kang Seok—meaning ‘caution’—but in Lee Seol-a, no color had appeared at all. This meant there were still colors she hadn’t unlocked.
Thinking of Lee Seol-a left her feeling conflicted. That girl’s voice, crying out for help, still echoed in her ears. If she hadn’t hesitated in that moment—if she’d made the choice without wavering—couldn’t that good girl have survived?

[Kang Seok, Lee Hyeongshik, and Jeong Minwoo have arrived at the Main Building 2nd Floor Waiting Area.]

‘Already here?’
The sudden notification cut through Seol-a’s thoughts.

[#Basement Level 1, Club Room (A Student’s Diary – Page 5)]
I fled to the basement and hid, but still my tears won’t stop.
I can’t forget the screams of my friends I witnessed.
What was that monster? And why… Oh, God. Please help me….
After crying for a long time, my stomach growled.
I know this isn’t the time, but… I’m so hungry….

As she read carefully, she noticed something attached to the diary. In her panic before, she’d missed it. Her eyes widened as she opened the file.
‘A Map?’
The attached image was a school Map. When she clicked on the Main Building, it zoomed in instantly, revealing the interior layout.
Seol-a fixed her gaze on a point in the Main Building 2nd Floor. The rectangular area bore six blue Marks flickering at its edges and corners. One of them turned red. Then it stopped flickering.
Knock, knock.
The moment Seol-a wondered what kind of phenomenon this was, the knock sounded again. Startled, she looked up as the door bloomed green and vanished.
– Not here either?
“Who is it?”
The sharp question silenced the noise.
– Finally found you. Mind if I come in? Don’t worry—I’m not here to threaten you.
“…….”
– If you’d rather I didn’t, just say so. I’ll leave quietly.
“…Come in.”
The door clicked open.
“Thanks. Honestly, I was worried you’d actually tell me to get lost.”
The man who entered with casual confidence had shoulder-length hair beneath a hat and dusky skin—one of the eight Invitees.
“Finding you was a hassle. The bloodstains were already fading, and there are so many rooms… Hey, want a smoke?”
As he set down his bag, the restless man suddenly offered a pack of cigarettes. Seol-a pulled one from her pocket. A hybrid.
“A hybrid? I can’t stand flavored ones.”
He lit it for her himself. Soon both men sat facing each other, exhaling smoke.
The man spoke first.
“Should we introduce ourselves? I’m Hyeon Sangmin.”
“…Seol.”
“Seol? Sounds like a girl’s name. Is it a single character?”
“How did you find me?”
Seol-a changed the subject. Hyeon Sangmin flicked the cigarette between his fingers.
“I saw you at the Auditorium. Going into that hole.”
“You were there too?”
“No, no. I escaped through the main entrance at first. Then I came back… Anyway, were you in the Auditorium the whole time?”
As Seol-a nodded, Hyeon Sangmin scratched his head. Then he spoke rapidly.
At the critical moment, the group barely managed to push aside the podium and chairs to open the door. Those who escaped scattered in all directions. Some ran toward the front gate, but most followed Kang Seok toward the Main Building entrance.
The problem was that the Main Entrance was locked.
“There was time, though. The monster that seemed to be chasing us didn’t come out for some reason.”
Hyeon Sangmin glanced at Seol-a briefly, then continued quickly.
“But no matter what we did—kicking, pushing, anything—the door wouldn’t open. I was already going crazy with impatience, and to make matters worse, the monster showed up again. It was no joke, I’m telling you.”
“So what happened?”
“No idea. I went to the flower bed to try smashing it with a rock, but I saw the monster coming, so I bolted. Turned right around and burst back into the Auditorium.”
Hyeon Sangmin pulled his sunglasses down slightly and smirked.
“Since it had already attacked there, I figured it wouldn’t come right back.”
“You saw me there and followed.”
“Right. I never imagined you’d actually go into that hole, so I hesitated a bit. By the time I went down, you were already gone. Been searching ever since.”
“Why?”
“What, asking because you don’t know?”
Hyeon Sangmin joked around. Seol-a had already suspected the answer.
“It’s simple. I wanted to travel together, so I found you… What do you think? You planning to go alone?”
“…….”
“If you’re open to traveling with someone, how about me? Fair warning though—I’m not trying to cling to you.”
As Seol-a stayed silent, it was Hyeon Sangmin whose resolve began to falter.
“Let me be blunt. I can tolerate injustice, but I can’t stand being at a disadvantage.”
He stubbed out his cigarette as if the question confused him, then straightened his posture.
“Listen. What I’m proposing isn’t a Horizontal Relationship—it’s a Vertical Relationship.”
“Vertical Relationship?”
“Right. If you accept me, I’ll follow your orders. I’m also prepared to bear most of the risks in your place.”
Hyeon Sangmin’s words were simple and clear.
Use me as you see fit.
I’m worth using, so trust me and put me to work.
Only then did Seol-a understand why this man was so deferential.
The golden Mark. Plus, he might have noticed something in the Auditorium.
But Hyeon Sangmin wasn’t offering freely out of kindness; he wanted something.
“What do you want?”
“Various things, probably… but for now, just surviving and reaching Paradise is enough.”
Seol-a studied Hyeon Sangmin.
“If you’d rather go it alone, I’ll respect that. I have no intention of forcing myself on you either. Like I said before, if you don’t want me here, I’ll leave quietly.”
With that, he slowly extended his hand.

[Hyeon Sangmin’s Status Window]
[1. Information]
Summoned Date · Month · Year: 2017. 03. 16
Mark Grade: Bronze
Gender · Age: Male · 26
Height · Weight: 176.2cm · 65.8kg
Status: Good
Profession: LV 0. Invitee
Nationality: Republic of Korea (Area 1)
Organization: —
Alias: —

[2. Characteristics]
①Nature
Self-interest (pursues only one’s own gain)
②Aptitude
Exceptional (far exceeds ordinary level), Discernment (the insight to perceive and judge things)

To be honest, it didn’t sit right with him. If it had been Lee Seol-a, she would have accepted without hesitation—but Hyeon Sangmin? He wasn’t drawn to it.
Yet it wasn’t as though he had nothing in common with her.
‘No color showing.’
If even a yellow “Proceed with Caution” hue had appeared, he would’ve refused. But the fact that it was a color he didn’t yet know—that tugged at something in him.
No harm in waiting and seeing how it plays out. After her moment of deliberation, Lee Seol-a clasped his hand.
“I’m in!”
Hyeon Sangmin broke into a genuine grin, beaming.
“Yes, good, excellent. Now I’m part of the great host myself.”
Left to his own devices, he looked ready to burst into a dance.
The excitable Hyeon Sangmin leaned in close.
“So what’s the plan? I want to hear your strategy.”
Lee Seol-a sank into thought. She had the map. If she set her mind to it, reaching the second floor was simple. Monsters roamed, yes—but she could evade them with her ability.
Kim Hanna’s words suddenly came to mind, and she let out a quiet laugh. The woman had been right. They were laying out the red carpet for her like this.
Lee Seol-a picked up her bag and rose. Hyeon Sangmin watched her intently.
“First, let’s get out of here.”

The two men exited the Club Room and walked the length of the corridor. The entrance at the end led to the Parking Lot, though not a single car was actually parked there.
As they crossed the parking lot, Hyeon Sangmin chattered on without pause—what did she pull from her box, he’d gotten five hundred Survival Points, didn’t know what to do with them, useless stuff, and so on. Meanwhile, Lee Seol-a occasionally glanced at her map as she walked.
When she offered no reply, Hyeon Sangmin grew flustered and cleared his throat.
“Where are we going? Looking for the stairs?”
“No.”
“Huh? Aren’t we going up to the second floor?”
“We are.”
Lee Seol-a shook her head while checking her phone.
“But we don’t need to go up right now.”
“Why not? Wouldn’t it be better to get there quickly?”
“Quickly? Was there anything about first-come, first-served?”
“Well…”
No. The instruction had simply been to arrive within the designated time. More than three and a half hours remained.
Seeing Hyeon Sangmin still fidgeting, Lee Seol-a felt compelled to elaborate.
“Think about it. How long do you think it would take to get from the Auditorium to the Main Building’s second floor?”
“I’d say… maybe ten minutes if we sprint at full speed?”
“Right. The distance between the Auditorium and the Main Building at this school is very short.”
The Mission was too easy. Ridiculously easy. Any ordinary person could clear it.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? No matter how slow, we’d clear it in five minutes.”
“Isn’t that because the door’s locked?”
“A locked door can be opened or broken. Looking at the message from before, it seems they managed to get it open. It’s not something that takes time.”
“What about the monsters?”
“Even accounting for that variable, ten minutes at most. Four hours for a distance we can cover in ten? That’s too long.”
Even the guide hadn’t suggested otherwise.
[It wasn’t difficult to get this far.]
That was right. Ten minutes would be more than enough to reach the Auditorium. Given that Lee Seol-a had taken four minutes just to enter, she’d essentially been granted double the minimum time needed to complete the task.
It was precisely this that struck her as odd. The distance had shrunk, yet the time allotted had expanded tenfold.
There had to be intent behind it. A reason for giving four whole hours.
Hyeon Sangmin wasn’t a fool either. Something had dawned on him; he fell silent and stroked his jaw thoughtfully.
“So what you’re saying is—the mission itself is easy, but there’s plenty of time… right?”
“And since they said ‘first,’ there has to be a second mission, a third, maybe more.”
The fact that they’d deliberately restricted it to the second floor was another tell. Lee Seol-a added as she walked.
“The real point is there’s no need to rush. We can gather what we need and head up afterward. There’s not just one or two ways to get to the second floor.”
“How do you know that?”
Lee Seol-a flipped her mobile phone to show him. Once Hyeon Sangmin leaned in to look, he let out a sharp breath.
“Whoa! A map! I didn’t get one?”
“I received it as a bonus. And the place we’re heading to—”
As Lee Seol-a touched the screen, the Basement Level 1 map zoomed in.
“The entire basement of this school is connected. Under the Auditorium are the Club Rooms. And if you pass through the Parking Lot, you reach the Main Building basement.”
Lee Seol-a stopped walking. She pushed open the glass door wide, and the space beyond came into view. Hyeon Sangmin let out a cry of amazement.
Along the left side of the straight corridor, a staircase leading upward was visible, and on the right were three doors in total. A Bookstore, a Convenience Store, and a Stationery Store.
Hyeon Sangmin’s gaze was drawn unmistakably to the Convenience Store. The feeling that had been just out of reach now finally crystallized into certainty.
The three laws essential to human survival.
Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food.
In other words, Lee Seol-a had focused on survival and come here to address the most pressing needs first.
‘So that gold mark isn’t just for show.’
His mouth hung open. Caught off guard and abandoning his earlier urgency to rush upward, Hyeon Sangmin couldn’t hide his astonishment.
‘I have to stick with her. I absolutely have to stay close. She’s on a completely different level from Kang Seok.’
He harbored no particular ill will toward Kang Seok, but the difference between someone who simply bolted toward the Main Building and someone like this was stark. It was less about thinking differently and more like questioning whether they were even the same species.
“I thought it’d be a vending station, but a convenience store? The students at this school have it good.”
“Wait!”
He caught Lee Seol-a’s shoulder just as she was about to step inside. Hyeon Sangmin couldn’t contain his excitement, patting his own chest.
“Got it, that’s slick. Really slick. Since you understand, leave it to me from here on.”
“?”
“We’re cleaning this place out before we head up, right?”
“And?”
“You know what might be waiting for us? This is when you use me.”
With that, Hyeon Sangmin crept inside. Since the right wall was transparent glass, Lee Seol-a could see in from outside.
After a moment, having finished his reconnaissance, Hyeon Sangmin raised his hand and signaled. Lee Seol-a, who’d already confirmed everything with her ability, let out a wry smile.
The two naturally entered the Convenience Store first. It was smaller than expected, but every shelf was densely packed with food.
“Damn, this is perfect.”
Hyeon Sangmin was already opening a cola and drinking.
“Let’s hurry and strip this place. If a monster shows up while we’re taking our time, we’ll be in trouble.”
“Roger that!”
Hyeon Sangmin looked genuinely delighted. Lee Seol-a pulled out her Bag and began loading it item by item. She prioritized canned goods and Gimbap—things compact yet calorically dense.
As they were in the thick of it—
“What?”
“What’s wrong? Something up?”
Lee Seol-a noticed the oddity when she was placing Water Bottles.
She’d packed them as tightly as possible, yet there still seemed to be considerable space left.
The weight was off too. It should have felt proportionally heavier with everything she’d added, but it felt only slightly heavier.
“…Are even Bags subject to discrimination?”
Hyeon Sangmin, who’d already stuffed his own Bag to bursting, expressed envy.
In the end, once they’d scraped in snacks and sundries alike, it barely felt full.
After they’d cleared out the Convenience Store, the two split up to search the Bookstore and Stationery Store separately.
Unfortunately, the haul was meager. They found a Basement Level 1 Map at the Bookstore, but they already had one.
The Stationery Store was no different. Notebooks and pens weren’t necessary, so after grabbing just a few Cutter Knives as a precaution, they left the corridor behind.
Hyeon Sangmin had been humming as he climbed the stairs, but the moment Lee Seol-a signaled, he fell silent.
Upon reaching the first floor, a large, bronze-colored steel door came into view. As he eased it open, a thick stench of blood rushed in and hit his nose.

[A certain student’s diary is being updated.]

“I think that’s the place.”
“The place?”
“The one I mentioned. The door was locked, but I could see inside. Seeing the staircase right ahead makes me sure. But….”
Hyeon Sangmin’s face darkened.
“Damn it, they must be pretty dead. Though somehow people got in.”
He was right. Through the gap in the door, broken glass and blood were visible everywhere. The stairs leading up in particular were so thoroughly coated in blood that their original color was barely discernible.

[#Main Building 1st Floor, Main Entrance (A student’s diary – Page 7)]
The friend ahead screamed. The friend following behind stopped abruptly, but slipped as if swept away by water.
Only after losing two friends did we come to understand the secret of those stairs….

“Something feels off about that place. How about we just go up this way instead?”
Lee Seol-a agreed with Hyeon Sangmin’s suggestion. There was another staircase right nearby, so there was no reason to go that way deliberately.
More than anything, the staircase appeared orange to Seol-a’s eyes. Approach discouraged.
Seol-a quietly closed the door and turned. After climbing the stairs with a couple of twists, the destination finally came into view.
But what appeared at the entrance to the 2nd floor was not an iron door. Unusually, several thick iron bars had been set up to block entry.
‘This can’t be right.’
She checked the map once more, but the route was correct. The shortest path going up through the Convenience Store.
“Maybe we need to press something.”
Hyeon Sangmin looked around, but there was no sign of a button.
Seol-a, staring intently at the iron bars, furrowed her brow.
‘No color showing?’
Not green meant it wasn’t in ‘normal status.’
Tilting her head, Seol-a reached out her arm.
The moment her hand touched the iron bars.

(To be continued in the next part)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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