The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 154

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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 154. A Lavish Table (2)

Seo Yuhee’s house was not a complete mess, but familiar bundles of cloth lay scattered everywhere.
‘This place….’
The residence of Lushulia’s daughter.
The scene looked humble compared to her reputation, yet somehow carried a strangely familiar warmth.
‘Hugo would complain about this if he knew.’
Seol Jihoo sniffed at the fragrant sandalwood drifting through the space, his face flushing as he rolled up his sleeves to help with the organizing.
It wasn’t particularly difficult or exhausting, but Seol Jihoo had to work remarkably hard to keep his distance from Seo Yuhee throughout.
When they were close, desires so embarrassing to even mention kept ambushing him without warning.
The urge to tease, to throw a tantrum, and more besides….
‘Why is this happening?’
He knew reason said he shouldn’t, yet his instincts thrashed about convulsing with “You’re going to do it! You’re going to do it!”
So much so that even if he threw caution to the wind with an “Oh, forget it!” he harbored a baseless certainty that Seo Yuhee would simply sigh in exasperation and somehow forgive him anyway.
‘This is insane, truly.’
He didn’t act on it because he thought himself foolish for even considering it, yet Seol Jihoo was deeply unsettled.
His body was responding automatically—there was no better way to describe it.
He couldn’t help but understand why Cho Hong and Hugo had fled so abruptly; the embarrassment was unbearable.
As Seol Jihoo stole glances at the graceful curve of Seo Yuhee’s neck as she cleaned intently, he stifled an inward groan and forced his gaze away.
Then a bundle sitting alone in the corner suddenly caught his eye.
As he stood there staring at it as a distraction,
“Those are food ingredients.”
“Gasp.”
Startled by her sudden voice, Seol Jihoo jumped.
“Are you alright?”
As Seo Yuhee approached, Seol Jihoo instinctively backed away.
“Yes, yes.”
Watching the young man hastily retreat toward the bundle, Seo Yuhee’s expression shifted to surprise.
“…You’re holding back remarkably well, aren’t you?”
“Pardon?”
“No. Never mind.”
Catching herself mid-mutter, Seo Yuhee laughed and waved her hand dismissively.
Sensing the conversation had taken an odd turn, Seol Jihoo quickly searched for a new topic.
“Ah, food ingredients. They really are ingredients. I thought—”
“You thought what?”
“There were some strange rumors going around because you were moving things. So I…”
“Really? They’re just food ingredients… You can check if you’d like.”
Curious at her words, he untied the bundle and peered inside, finding things he already recognized.
No matter how he looked at it, they were ordinary food ingredients.
‘It really is.’
He’d expected something remarkable, but now that he finally knew what the bundle contained, his enthusiasm deflated entirely.
“The Raman Village residents’ livelihoods stabilized faster than expected. I’d prepared so much, but it ended up being surplus….”
The Lushulia Organization had actively supported King Priehi’s decision and spared no effort in practical assistance.
Seol Jihoo recalled hearing that Seo Yuhee had been at the center of those efforts, so he nodded in understanding.
‘She’s a good person.’
Seo Yuhee clasped her hands together and smiled softly.
“I must say, you’re quite admirable.”
Seol Jihoo doubted his own ears.
“Really? Resolving the mystery surrounding Raman Village and then requesting that the Gold Bar you received as compensation be used for the residents’ welfare?”
Heat surged into his cheeks.
Whether she understood his feelings or not, Seo Yuhee continued speaking with cheerful joy.
“Most Earthians would struggle to make such a choice. Your character truly seems… genuinely kind.”
His breath caught. His face stiffened.
His heart began pounding like a child who’d finally been caught red-handed.
‘Why all of a sudden.’
An indescribable sensation wrapped around his body.
Just like when the moment of choice had arrived before—surely it was a trivial situation, yet it felt as though he stood before an important “turning point.”
Seol Jihoo stood there with his hand pressed to his chest, mind blank,
“…No.”
The word slipped out without thought.
“It’s not that.”
His voice came hoarse.
“That’s not it at all.”
Three denials—Seo Yuhee’s eyes widened.
He truly meant what he was saying.
Looking back, it had been this way since the Forest of Negation, since the Neutral Zone itself.
Every time those around him praised him as virtuous, as remarkable, he felt a nameless weight and discomfort settle in his chest.
Seo Yuhee asked.
“Why?”
“…I don’t know.”
Seol Jihoo exhaled deeply. He knew he was rambling, but when it came time to explain his reasons, the words caught in his throat as if he couldn’t breathe.
Perhaps it was mere assumption, but it seemed to him that she expected some kind of ‘image’ from him—and he wanted to make clear that wasn’t what he was.
“My sins are… too many.”
Seol Jihoo bit at his lip.
“I want to ease the guilt…”
He spoke as if lamenting.
“And I thought that if I lived righteously, maybe one day I’d be forgiven.”
Even knowing that would never happen.
Seol Jihoo twisted his mouth bitterly.
“I’m not good.”
Only after he’d said it did he realize his mistake.
She was hardly a stranger, and yet he’d laid bare his heart without meaning to.
The gentle warmth had vanished from Seo Yuhee’s face. Her eyes, grown still and dark, studied him intently.
Her delicate lips parted slightly as if she meant to speak, then closed again.
Her quiet gaze felt as though it saw through him completely, and Seol Jihoo shook his head.
“I apologize.”
Feeling as though he’d said something he shouldn’t have, he turned his attention back to the work at hand.
The awkward silence broke again once the organizing was finished.
“Would you happen to have time tomorrow as well?”
Seo Yuhee wore the faint, enigmatic smile of the Mona Lisa. This expression seemed closer to her true face than her habitual bright grin.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. I prepared quite a lot of food ingredients, and…”
“Ah, I’m afraid that won’t work. Starting tomorrow will be difficult.”
Seo Yuhee blinked.
“Our team is heading to Big Stone Rock Mountain. A new member has joined, and Master Jang is overseeing their training as well.”
A second later, her eyes went wide.
“Oh! Big Stone Rock Mountain?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“How fortunate!”
She clapped her hands together in delight, then mentioned that she herself had business at Big Stone Rock Mountain and asked to accompany them.
“Since it’s a dangerous area, I’d rather not travel alone. You’re welcome to accept it as a request, if you would—”
“That’s not necessary.”
Seol Jihoo agreed readily.
“We’ll be there awhile anyway. Since our destinations are the same, let’s go together.”
He figured she wouldn’t be much trouble, so he accepted.
‘But didn’t she say she was high tier rank?’
The question rose as he watched her depart, but he dismissed it, thinking that a Priest by Class often lacked combat prowess and might indeed face danger. He didn’t press further into her circumstances.
As expected, Jang Maldong raised no objection—quite the opposite, he seemed pleased. He did express curiosity about what business she could possibly have at a mountain with so little of note, but he didn’t inquire too deeply, respecting that it was her own affair.
The following morning.
The Carpe Diem Team boarded a carriage heading for Big Stone Rock Mountain alongside Seo Yuhee, who had dressed neatly in Priestly Robes.
They’d expected five, but Pisora slipped in at the last moment, bringing the number to six.

Upon reaching their destination, Seol Jihoo made directly for the hideaway the Village Chief had shown him. They planned to stay at least several weeks, and a suitable location for a base camp was hard to find elsewhere.
Six Cave Ettins had apparently settled there in the interim, but Seol Jihoo eliminated them all in short order.
The siblings marveled at his skill as he dispatched all six with precisely six thrusts of his spear.
They’d known he was no ordinary fighter, but they never imagined the gap between them and someone of the same cohort could be this wide.
Jang Maldong, watching with satisfaction, murmured something about “that’s the level I wanted from the start” and proceeded to unpack and issue training instructions.
‘At last.’
It was time to train.
Seol Jihoo loosened his body, suppressing the urge to explode at any moment, when Jang Maldong approached.
Ostensibly he had come for sibling training, but for Jang Maldong, Seol Jihoo was always priority one.
“I’m starting to see the shape of your growth trajectory.”
Jang Maldong spoke up.
“Speed.”
“Speed?”
“Yes. The Festina Earring, Gung Shin Tan Young, and so on. Your fundamental combat style has considerable potential for specialization in speed. Think carefully about how you brought down the Orc Champion.”
“Master, then the Flash Thunder—”
“Don’t be hasty.”
Jang Maldong cut him off sharply.
“You may have patched things up a little, but your Spirit Core Structure is still discordant. As I’ve said before, your first priority is to harmonize this. You must be able to fully withstand that tidal wave of mana of yours….”
After rambling on for a while, Jang Maldong suddenly turned his gaze. Seo Yuhee stood beside him, busily scribbling notes in her notebook.
“I see. Rapid growth, but the Spirit Core Structure is disharmonious… especially the mana….”
She pursed her lips faintly and worried her pen tip, lost in thought.
“Oh, that was close to being a disaster… if I’d given him a beverage yesterday as thanks and his mana… I thought he was a Warrior with low base mana, but… so I should focus on boosting his physical level rather than mana first….”
She felt their eyes on her, stopped her muttering, and lifted her head from its bow.
Seeing the sharpness in both men’s gazes, she waved her hands apologetically.
“Oh, never mind me.”
“…well, to explain a little more anyway.”
Jang Maldong cleared his throat and continued, looking at Seol Jihoo.
“In combat, speed is important, but power matters just as much. The Flash Thunder is a kind of awakening technique that satisfies both elements. The key point is that your attribute, which was nearly nonexistent, shifts to Lightning.”
He raised his index finger, pointing at Seol Jihoo.
“When you see lightning strike, what comes to mind?”
“That it’s fast and… intense….”
“Exactly. The energy of lightning is supremely swift, and so overwhelming you might call it tyrannical. In many ways, it suits you remarkably well. As a Warrior, it’s a perfect fit.”
Jang Maldong pressed forward with emphasis.
“The point is: build a body that can sustain that speed, and pursue power.”
The flash of sudden brightness, the roar of thunder.
The foundation for speed is already laid, but control is still immature. Power comes next.
Seol Jihoo, thinking it over, asked a question.
“Master, I may be jumping ahead, but how do I transform my attribute?”
“A good question.”
Jang Maldong folded his arms.
“Along with everything I’ve mentioned, you need to prepare to evolve your Heart Method.”
“My Heart Method?”
“Yes. I mean a Heart Method that goes beyond simple Qi Circulation Technique—one that can gather and master Lightning Energy.”
When Seol Jihoo found himself speechless, Jang Maldong let out a low chuckle.
“You fool. Didn’t I tell you? Your path of training would be thorny.”
He knew it, but the complexity exceeded his expectations, and Seol Jihoo’s tongue felt heavy.
‘When will I ever finish this….’
A premonition washed over him that he might have to spend a lifetime in training, leaving him feeling helpless for a moment. But then he steadied himself and grasped his resolve firmly.
Even a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.
No—not even that yet.
A pilgrim’s shoes must be sturdy to complete a thousand-mile journey.
He couldn’t even properly handle the abilities he already possessed—Gung Shin Tan Young, Intuition, the Festina Earring. To covet higher abilities would be greed.
“So what do you say? It’s not too late even now….”
Jang Maldong, who had been grinning, fell silent again and turned his eyes away.
“Lightning… lightning… yes, that’s right. If I recall correctly, it carries a Burning Demon’s crystal…?”
Seo Yuhee blinked rapidly, then quietly glanced toward a distant peak.
Jang Maldong shrugged and handed a thick rope to Seol Jihoo.
“Tie it around your waist.”
Seeing heavy logs wound tightly at the rope’s end, Seol Jihoo let out a wry laugh.
“So now you’re not even making me just run anymore.”
“At this point, this much is the least I can demand.”
Seol Jihoo said nothing and wound the rope tightly around his waist. And then,
“Should I skip the Preparatory Techniques?”
“Heh, go ahead if you can. I won’t stop you.”
“Yes. I’ll be back!”
Without another word, he took off running with all his strength.
Thump-thump-thump! At the loud clatter of logs colliding, Jang Maldong squinted and turned to regard the siblings standing at attention.
“You both remember what I said yesterday, don’t you?”
Though he couldn’t know what words they recalled, both nodded with resolute determination.
Jang Maldong jerked his chin toward Seol Jihoo, who was already pulling ahead.
“Chase after him.”
The next instant, the siblings took off running after the young man.
“Seongjin, I’m sorry!”
Lee Seol-ah left her younger brother scrambling down the hill in her wake and pushed harder for speed.
“No—noona?”
She heard Lee Seongjin’s cry behind her, but made no move to slow.
Lee Seol-ah was no fool. If anything, she was every bit as shrewd as Yoon Seora.
From the moment they’d escaped White Rose, she understood how impossibly rare a destined opportunity it was to receive direct training from Jang Maldong.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance that every Earthian would kill for.
‘All thanks to my brother!’
Given that Seol Jihoo had trusted her enough to secure this place, she had no intention of letting it slip through her fingers.
So she resolved to chase after them with unflinching tenacity, even if it meant putting her own desires first rather than looking after anyone else.
Besides, running was the girl’s bread and butter. She’d relied on it to lift her spirits whenever White Rose had weighed on her, and this was one skill she truly trusted.
That confidence lasted all of five minutes before it came crashing down.
No matter how hard she pushed, the gap didn’t close—it only widened.
It wasn’t her imagination. Even carrying a dozen logs, Seol Jihoo had already reached the Peak at the first turning point.
‘This can’t be real.’
“Hah!”
Seol Jihoo’s breathing had already grown ragged. Sweat beaded on his brow, yet his face gleamed with something like elation.
‘This is it.’
Yes. This was what he’d wanted.
To throw himself into training with no worries clouding his mind. How long he’d been waiting for this moment, how desperately he’d craved it.
The crisp wind that whipped at his hair with such force filled his chest with exhilaration.
“Ha-ha!”
Seol Jihoo burst into laughter and drove his legs harder.

Hell training had begun.
The intensity of the regimen transcended imagination—Lee Seol-ah broke down in tears within a single day, and Lee Seongjin screamed that he was dying before getting struck unconscious by a staff. Seol Jihoo, though he suffered equally, methodically pushed through the work as an experienced trainee would.
The first week was devoted to conditioning, meant to limber the body.
The daily routine was simple enough: dawn training, breakfast, morning training, lunch, afternoon training, dinner, midnight training.
Once finished, they’d drift about by the Lakeside, then return to the Cave to drink Healing Water and sleep.
When they woke, it started again.
A few days in, one thing changed: before afternoon training began, they carved out a brief window to venture around Big Stone Rock Mountain with Seo Yuhee.
At first, Seo Yuhee had simply watched Seol Jihoo train intently. Then, suddenly, she’d asked if he might provide protection against any unforeseen dangers. Seol Jihoo agreed without hesitation.
Given how intensely he trained, a couple of hours of easy walking and rest in the middle of the day wasn’t unwelcome. Besides, Seol Jihoo was the only one who could spare the time.
The siblings were perpetually collapsing, and Jang Maldong had to keep them under his instruction.
As it stood, in exchange for an hour or two of escort duty each day, Seo Yuhee covered three meals—hardly a bad bargain.
In truth, while they wandered harvesting wild herbs and flowers, something about it felt almost like dating, and Seol Jihoo had begun to subtly hope she’d call for him.
That day held nothing particularly unusual.
After finishing midnight training, Seol Jihoo had washed in the lake and was heading back with water still dripping from his clothes.
Had he not spotted Seo Yuhee waving her arm in the distance, he would have simply headed straight into the Cave.
‘Hmm?’
But as he drew closer, he realized she wasn’t waving at all—she was making a beckoning gesture.
As if telling him not to go to the Cave, but to come here for a moment.
The moment their eyes met, she pressed a finger to her lips with a soft ‘shh’, then broke into a smile and retreated backward, vanishing from sight.
Seol Jihoo’s head tilted in confusion before his nose suddenly flared.
‘That scent…’
He wasn’t sure what it was, but the mere hint of it set his mouth watering.
‘What is it?’
Seol Jihoo swallowed hard and moved in the direction where Seo Yuhee had disappeared.
‘What could it be?’
His face bright with anticipation.

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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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