The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 138

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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 138. The One Who Would Wear a Crown (2)

Early July, 2017.
Some three hundred days had passed in Paradise time since the Neutral Zone opened on March 16th of this year.
The regular event that had captivated the attention of countless Earthians officially concluded.
Most had speculated the Fifth Banquet would proceed similarly to the Fourth Banquet, infamous for the catastrophe known as the Blood Festival. The reality proved the exact opposite.
Defying all expectations, a considerable number of participants returned alive.
Moreover, the fact that even Stage 3 — notorious for a survival rate so abysmal that only two survived in the Third Banquet and zero in the Fourth — saw half its participants return was gossip enough to set the entire realm ablaze.
Especially the rumor that a single Earthian from Area 1 stood at the center of it all spread across all seven cities in less than a week.
Eva in the southeast.
“Did you see the Banquet records? Did you? The person written here is my classmate, my classmate! You know, right? Someone I went through the Tutorial with!”
Shin Sangah was bouncing on her heels, waving the records about and launching into an impassioned speech. Several people around her looked utterly tired. One man even sighed, “Oh. Here we go again.”
“I understand. Please just calm down—”
“Do I look calm to you?”
The man offered an awkward smile, but Shin Sangah only bounced higher.
“Isn’t it insane? Level 3! Level 3, can you believe it?”
While everyone else sighed deeply, one observant woman’s eyes brightened with curiosity.
“Sister, who is this person that’s got you so worked up?”
Shin Sangah’s eyes gleamed as if she’d been waiting for exactly this question, and the man who’d been trying to cover his ears realized he was doomed.
“My goodness, you don’t know Seol Jihoo? I’ll have to tell you again. Listen carefully. My connection with him started from Tutorial Level 2—”
“No, please don’t—”
The man’s voice cracked with desperation,
“Yes, it did. Anyway, there was this utter bastard named Kang Seok back then—”
But Shin Sangah answered mercilessly and proceeded to evangelize about “Seol Jihoo this, Seol Jihoo that.”

Nur in the northwest.
“I can’t believe it.”
A middle-aged man marveled as he read the newspaper.
“He not only held his ground against an Orc Champion but took its head? Even accounting for coordinated assault, for a mere Level 3 to accomplish that… wait. Since he cleared the Banquet, it’s only a matter of time before he reaches Level 4?”
He trailed off, his mouth falling open.
“That means he’s leveling up every month.”
A man in a reversed green cap chuckled at the sight of him shaking his head in disbelief.
“I told you. That monster.”
The middle-aged man’s mouth remained agape.
Only someone with an exceptional grasp of the absurd could accept this. Considering that it typically took two or three years at best for an Earthian to reach Level 4, Seol Jihoo’s growth rate was extraordinary—bordering on the grotesque.
Few in all of history could match such speed.
Conversely, this meant such cases, while extraordinarily rare, did happen, and the middle-aged man could finally close his mouth.
“Still, it’s good to see. Since Seo Yui-hee, Baek Hyejoo, and Seong Sihyun, Area 1 hasn’t had much talent to look forward to. After so long, we finally have someone worth betting on.”
“Has Area 1 really been treated as a wasteland since Seong Sihyun?”
“Not exactly a wasteland. It’s just that behind those three—well, two of them, and one punk—everything else looked mediocre.”
“I don’t know much about that anyway, so I’ll take your word for it. But why do you only mention people from our country?”
“Because he’s Korean like us.”
“Ugh. That reeks of national pride.”
“You brat.”
The middle-aged man, speaking with a hint of sarcasm, carefully folded up his newspaper and lowered his voice.
“By the way, Sangmin. You know this guy, don’t you?”
“I wouldn’t say I know him well.”
Hyeon Sangmin answered casually.
“Picking him during the Tutorial was a godsend move, even thinking back on it now.”
“Is that so? Then—”
“No, don’t even start.”
Hyeon Sangmin refused before the man could finish, leaving him embarrassed.
“I get what you’re hoping for, but we’re not that close.”
“Still, though—”
“I’m telling you. We pass each other on the street, say hello, shake hands and ask how things have been going, maybe grab one meal together, and that’s where it ends. That’s the extent of it.”
He made a dismissive clicking sound with his tongue.
“Besides, I don’t want to go that far, and besides… wait. Now that I think about it, his name is… Seol Jihoo?”
He tilted his head in confusion and continued.
“Anyway, he might seem decent at first glance, but he knows how to make clean breaks. There’s no way he’d let himself be used by anyone.”
“Who said anything about using him? I’m just saying we should work together — countrymen helping countrymen.”
The middle-aged man shot back with a disgruntled expression.
“That’s pure nationalism, and it’s getting ridiculous. Countrymen helping countrymen, my foot….”
Hyeon Sangmin, who’d been speaking sharply, let out a snort.
“If you really want to do this right, then push me — actually push me.”
“What are you talking about? How much more do you need me to push?”
“If I just show up as I am, I’ll only be a burden. I need something to show for myself before I can boldly suggest a collaboration, don’t I?”
Hyeon Sangmin slid his black sunglasses down with a sideways glance. The middle-aged man, who’d been lamenting his reluctance, suddenly broke into a genuine laugh.
“Look at you. You tell me not to use you, and here you are using me.”
“Ah, your instincts are sharp as a knife.”
“Well, damn you.”
Both men burst into laughter at the same time.

In the capital city of Shekherazade.
“Unnie! Unnie!”
Lee Seongjin came running over with exaggerated excitement, waving a piece of paper in his hand.
“Look at this! Look!”
“…Huh?”
Lee Seol-ah, who had been standing vacantly, turned around with a weak response.
“What is it?”
“Remember my brother? Seol’s brother.”
“My older brother?”
“Yeah. Come on, look.”
At Lee Seongjin’s urging, Lee Seol-ah peered at the paper. As she read, her expression transformed into shock.
“Wow….”
Had she missed news of an acquaintance so much? A spark returned to her once-dull eyes, and color began to flush back into her pale cheeks.
“Is this real?”
“It’s the truth. Pretty amazing, right?”
“I can’t believe it. He’s really impressive….”
“Right? He must be doing really well these days. But then again, if it’s him, of course he would.”
Lee Seol-ah kept her grip on the paper, nodding along enthusiastically.
“Of course. That’s right. Just like him! Our brother’s the best.”
Lee Seongjin chuckled, pleased at how eagerly Lee Seol-ah was responding.
“Unnie, just call him oppa. Calling him ‘older brother’ sounds weird.”
“What’s wrong with that? Anyway, his name’s listed as Jihoo? Wasn’t it Seol?”
“Oh, that. I was curious too, but it seems like he’s definitely my brother. There must be a reason.”
They chatted warmly like that, but only for a moment.
“What are you two doing?”
A sharp voice cut in suddenly, and both siblings went rigid at once.
Their faces betrayed genuine reluctance, but when they turned, it was exactly as expected.
A woman stood with one hand on her hip, regarding them with a cool expression. Her already arrogant features, combined with her naturally sharp impression, radiated an uncanny hostility.
Lee Seol-ah immediately bowed at the waist.
“G-good day!”
“I asked what you’re doing.”
Click-click.
She didn’t acknowledge the greeting and strutted over, exuding authority, then simply snatched the paper away.
“Ah.”
Lee Seol-ah instinctively reached out, but when she saw the woman’s eyebrows shoot up, she froze. Her arm slowly fell to her side.
“Hmm….”
The woman skimmed the paper roughly,
“Who brought this?”
and asked with a frown.
“I brought it, ma’am.”
Lee Seongjin spoke up. There was a hint of defiance in his voice.
“Seongjin.”
Lee Seol-ah whispered, but the boy didn’t turn away. The woman’s lips twisted.
“Ha.”
A laugh of disbelief followed.
“Ah. These kids are driving me crazy again.”
With practiced fingers, she crumpled the paper slowly, deliberately, each fold deliberate.
“Hey. Seol-ah.”
She closed her fist around it, crushing it tight.
“You think Paradise is a joke.”
“No, I don’t!”
Lee Seol-ah waved her hands frantically, horrified.
“No? Then why are you standing there going ‘wow’ while looking at this garbage? Is this really the time for you to be admiring this?”
“I’m so sorry. Sister.”
“Sister?”
“S-senior.”
Lee Seol-ah hung her head low. All the spirit had drained from her.
“Wow. You’ve been here for a while now, and you still can’t get the titles right.”
The woman tilted her chin up and exhaled slowly, as if wanting to be heard. Then her gaze fixed upon the fidgeting Lee Seol-ah.
“Listen, all of you. You didn’t get here for free. You came in on the merit I earned. Right?”
“Yes…”
“I spent two Bronze Seals for you. You should be worth that much. How many times do I have to say it before you get it?”
“……”
“And this too. What possessed you to bring this in the first place? Why? Did you want me to lose my temper?”
“That’s not…”
“Then what?”
Lee Seol-ah barely managed to open her mouth, but the moment the woman raised her voice, she shrank back.
“Don’t you feel ashamed looking at things like this? As someone from the same class, doesn’t it embarrass you? And it’s not like you joined the Three Holy Ones or anything. No, I’m not even asking for that. If you were just average, I wouldn’t say a word.”
“I’ll do better. I’ll work harder.”
“Oh, our dear princess. Every day it’s ‘I’ll do better,’ ‘I’ll work harder.’ When, exactly?”
On and on she went, relentless with her mockery.
“If you can’t do it, at least show you’re trying, shouldn’t you? Aren’t you sorry to the scout who brought you in?”
The woman shook her clenched fist back and forth, then hurled the paper away. As the crumpled ball hit the ground at Lee Seol-ah’s feet, she bit her lip.
“Look at her. Getting all upset just because someone said something to her. Honestly…”
With a shake of her head that sent her hair rippling, she turned on her heel and left the room.
Long after her footsteps faded into silence, the siblings remained quiet.
Then came a soft sniffle. Lee Seongjin, startled, could see that Lee Seol-ah’s nose had turned red.
“…That woman must have a disease where she dies if she doesn’t throw a fit once a day.”
He ground his teeth, staring at the door, then scratched his head.
“Noona, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it…”
Lee Seol-ah shook her head.
“No. I mean, she’s been like this for ages. What difference does it make?”
Lee Seol-ah’s eyes were brimming, but with her lips pressed shut and her fists clenched tight, she hadn’t lost that characteristic boldness of hers.
Lee Seongjin, working his jaw, muttered in a tone of complaint.
“I miss the Neutral Zone.”
Lee Seol-ah neither agreed nor disagreed, but she didn’t deny it either.
“Let’s go train.”
She spoke in a slightly strained voice, then gathered her bow and arrows and left the room.

Haramag.
Carpe Diem Office.
“Yeah. Do it.”
At Cho Hong’s cool reply, Seol Jihoo’s expression turned bewildered.
“I’m telling you to do it.”
“?”
“Why do you look like you’ve got a question mark floating over your head? I said do it.”
Cho Hong snorted and refocused on her workout.
“The old man’s been asking me every other day whether you’d bring up the Leader thing. This works out perfectly.”
Hanging upside down from a pull-up bar, sweat dripping steadily as she performed sit-ups, Cho Hong was impressive to watch. Yet Seol Jihoo couldn’t hide a restless unease, a quiet “I see.”
He knew Cho Hong resented the position of Leader. But there was a world of difference between disliking something and choosing not to do it, and actually endorsing it and accepting the role.
If she didn’t endorse it, then according to Ian’s logic, they’d have to split up. And Seol Jihoo absolutely didn’t want to part ways with either of them.
So he’d prepared thoroughly and carefully broached the subject. And her answer was just “Yeah. Do it.”
It was a reply that wasn’t just curt—it was ice-cold.
Seol Jihoo stood there uncertainly, and Cho Hong, sensing his hesitation, spoke.
“Hey. Do you think I’m stupid? You think I agreed without giving it any thought?”
“Really?”
“That’s what I’m saying. You’ve been doing great. What are you so worried about?”
Cho Hong’s words rang true—Seol Jihoo’s anxiety was, in fact, unfounded. He had already proven his worth.
In the Forest of Negation, he had soothed the vengeful spirits of the Tomb through an unexpected method. In Aden Gorge, he’d displayed the nerve to lure hundreds of Parasites. In the Raman Village request, he had achieved the remarkable feat of solving the impossible.
Was that all? In the Rescue Operation, he had devised solutions, and at the Banquet, he’d demonstrated the ability to command the room.
Setting aside the Gold Mark and growth rate entirely.
Everything he had quietly accumulated over time had naturally granted him recognition as a Leader.
If Cho Hong harbored ambitions for the position, that would be one thing. But she found the acting leadership burdensome enough as it was, and when he’d volunteered to take it on, there was no reason to object.
“Don’t overthink it. When we made Dylan the Leader, it wasn’t a big deal either.”
Cho Hong spoke as though to ease his worries, but the words offered little comfort. Dylan and Seol Jihoo’s purposes were, after all, fundamentally different.
Could he really just stumble into it like this, the way one tumbles over a wall into a ravine?
Seol Jihoo turned his gaze away uneasily. Hugo, meanwhile, was pretending not to listen at all, his attention fixed on the world outside.
“Heh….”
His sly gaze was fixed on the house across the way—more precisely, on Seo Yui-hee standing at the door, staring as if he could bore through her with his eyes.
“Hugo.”
Even when called gently, he didn’t budge.
“Hugo!”
“…Yeah?”
When called more forcefully, he did respond. But then, as if to say don’t interrupt, he simply waved his hand without even turning around.
“Yep. Okay. Fine. From now on, Seol’s our Leader.”
At such a casual answer, Seol Jihoo dragged his palm across his face. He felt foolish—having racked his brain all night, rehearsing words of persuasion.
“Oof.”
Cho Hong, having dismounted from the pull-up bar, pressed her hand to Seol Jihoo’s shoulder.
“Look. You’ve been around long enough to know—that idiot Hugo expresses himself one way or another if he’s got a complaint. He’s not the type to hide it.”
Seol Jihoo barely swallowed back the retort: ‘You’re the same way.’
“The fact that he’s acting like that means he’s got no complaints at all. Take it as a good sign.”
…….
“And you know it yourself. He’s just the type who drifts through life without thinking.”
Cho Hong spoke in an oddly grave tone. Seol Jihoo found himself nodding along.
“Anyway, let’s do our best from here on out. New Leader!”
Cho Hong called out cheerfully, then suddenly slapped his back hard and left the training ground.
Seol Jihoo winced at the sting, twisting uncomfortably. He glanced at Hugo, still lost in his reverie of Seo Yui-hee, then moved on.
“Hugo. We should talk.”
He’d meant to have one more serious conversation,
“Talk? Nope.”
“Listen—”
“Wow. She’s really pretty, isn’t she?”
…….
He decided to give up.

(To be continued in the next episode)

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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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