The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 155

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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 155. A Luxurious Feast (3)

Seo Yoo-hee had built a campfire in the back of the cave and was waiting.
A white pot with a lid hung over the flames, and dishes were arranged nearby.
“You’re not hungry, are you?”
He’d asked him to follow quietly, so he’d tensed up a little. But this was unexpected.
Seo Yoo-hee tilted her head slightly, gently clasped her hands together, and spoke softly.
“You train so hard late into every night. I thought you might be hungry by dawn, so… I prepared a simple midnight snack for you.”
Seol Jihoo was at a loss for words. The firelight suddenly seemed to illuminate her back like a halo, bathing her in radiance.
‘An angel?’
Could a person really smile so gently and warmly?
Just watching her made his heart melt, though he didn’t notice his own mouth falling open.
He barely managed to gather his wits, scratching his head, fidgeting with his hands.
“I… you prepared a midnight snack for me… I’m so sorry….”
“Not at all. You stopped training and have been protecting me instead. If anything, I feel like I’m the one wasting your time, so I should be apologizing.”
Strictly speaking, that wasn’t entirely wrong, but Seol Jihoo had never once thought of her as a hindrance. If anything, these moments felt almost healing.
Hadn’t Agnes herself repeatedly emphasized that eating well and sleeping well were part of training?
When he’d first arrived, there was a need to push him to his limits under the guise of testing his eligibility for the banquet. But now there was no rush, so he could rest in between, and he should rest.
Jang Maldong had even encouraged adequate rest.
“It’s almost ready. Would you mind sitting and waiting a moment?”
Yet she spoke so graciously, telling him not to feel burdened, that Seol Jihoo felt overwhelmed by a tide of gratitude and had nowhere to put himself.
Honored, you might say.
‘What am I doing?’
Of course, he understood that Seo Yoo-hee wasn’t treating him specially. Still, his heart felt so light it might float away, so even though she’d told him to sit quietly and wait, he found himself wandering about restlessly.
Seo Yoo-hee, watching Seol Jihoo wander around with a bashful smile, found him adorable, and turned her attention back to the pot.
Beneath the quiet night sky, with firelight dancing across her face in shades of crimson, she looked so beautiful and serene that Seol Jihoo, though he had nothing to say, pressed on anyway.
“Um….”
“Yes?”
“Should we wake the others? It might be nice to eat together.”
“Oh, no.”
Seo Yoo-hee turned her head sharply.
“Absolutely not.”
She spoke with finality.
“Absolutely not?”
At her firm refusal, Seol Jihoo flinched, and she continued, her expression troubled.
“It feels shameful to wake them from peaceful sleep for something trivial… And the siblings were so exhausted from training that they collapsed as soon as they arrived.”
“Ah….”
“Right now, the three of them probably couldn’t imagine anything more delicious than a deep sleep. To be honest, I came back here because I was worried the smell might disturb their rest….”
‘That’s true.’
As someone who’d experienced Jang Maldong’s notoriously hellish training firsthand, he deeply understood the saying that sleep was the most delicious thing of all.
Seo Yoo-hee, who’d been troubled, let out a relieved sigh when she saw him nod.
A moment later, the pot began to bubble, and as foam rose, she quickly lifted it and set it on a dish.
She gently lifted the lid, and white steam rose in wispy tendrils.
“Wow….”
Simple, she’d said. But what emerged surpassed his expectations, and Seol Jihoo gasped.
In the gently boiling broth lay a meticulously cleaned young bird, its legs crossed beneath the surface.
‘Spirit Creature Poached?’
Yet unlike the chickens he’d seen on Earth, this one had a difference: the skin and faintly visible flesh gleamed with a golden hue.
Without even activating the Golden Law, much less the Nine Eyes, it radiated a soft golden light. The broth itself was a dazzling, luminous yellow.
“What… is this?”
“Nothing special. Do you know what poultry is?”
Seol Jihoo, who’d been staring with drool threatening to spill, murmured something incoherent, his expression blank.
“There’s a similar kind of bird in Paradise. I was lucky enough to catch one wandering near the cave and simmered it slowly. I seasoned it with thick soy sauce and clean wine, so it should be worth eating.”
She explained calmly, but Seol Jihoo’s ears weren’t registering much of anything.
He’d heard that it was nothing special, but it looked far too appetizing.
The tender-looking skin, the glossy, plump flesh that steamed perfectly, the thick broth bubbling like lava….
Seo Yoo-hee smiled warmly and handed him a spoon herself.
“Eat it before it gets cold.”
“Well….”
Before he could even say ‘I’ll eat,’ Seol Jihoo hastily scooped a spoon overflowing with broth and brought it straight to his mouth. The moment it touched his tongue, his eyes went wide.
The subtly sweet, savory broth clung to his tongue, seeming to wind around it of its own accord. The flavor was so rich and concentrated that even a single spoonful filled his mouth with a fragrant, nutty aroma.
And then it flowed down his throat as naturally as water.
“Try this as well.”
Seo Yoo-hee, crouched beside him, tore off one of the legs and offered it. Seol Jihoo accepted it eagerly and brought it to his mouth with trembling hands, taking a large bite.
As his teeth sank into the tender meat, the rich juices burst forth explosively, making his jaw tingle and quiver.
The succulent flesh melted into the hot broth, transforming into a dense, honey-like cream in a sensation so exquisite it defied description.
Gulp.
He felt the hot essence slide down his throat, vivid and unmistakable.
‘Good heavens….’
So food this delicious actually existed.
Seol Jihoo swore this was the first time in his life he’d ever tasted anything so wonderful.
The flavor was so exquisite that faint tears had begun to gather in his eyes.
Soft laughter rang out.
“Is it really that delicious?”
“Yes… it’s incredibly delicious….”
“I’m so glad you like it. Please, eat while it’s hot. The taste diminishes once it cools.”
Snapping back to attention, Seol Jihoo began eating with renewed vigor. When facing such delicious food, there was no room for propriety or restraint.
Chomp, chomp.
Seo Yoo-hee, resting her chin in her hands, watched him devour everything with quiet amusement, occasionally letting out soft, suppressed giggles.
“Don’t forget the broth….”
“Glug—glug—.”
“That’s right, that’s right. You eat well.”
Seol Jihoo lifted the entire pot to his lips and drained every drop of broth, then examined the cleanly stripped bones with satisfaction.
Though he’d initially tried to pace himself, it didn’t take long before everything had disappeared into his stomach.
‘What a shame.’
But it wasn’t over yet. Seo Yoo-hee snapped the remaining bones into pieces and, as Seol Jihoo sucked his fingers clean, offered him a leg bone.
“Try this too.”
“…But it’s bone?”
“This bird’s bones are edible.”
She insisted repeatedly that this spirit creature—no, this bird—had no waste from head to foot, that every part could be eaten. Her earnest expression made it clear this was no joke.
Seol Jihoo, uncertain but persuaded, placed it in his mouth. Then he flinched.
A warm liquid had flowed out from the bone that had snapped in half.
‘Marrow?’
He’d thought so, but the taste was as smooth and rich as carefully simmered corn porridge, so he began to suck it eagerly.
The bone itself soon softened like taffy, releasing an umami depth that coated his tongue. It was an addictively satisfying texture that he wanted to keep in his mouth.
‘Delicious.’
Only after he’d finished the bone and licked the very bottom of the pot clean did a single bird truly vanish from this world.
Seo Yoo-hee was so amazed that she joked he’d saved her from doing dishes.
‘I’m full.’
As Seol Jihoo savored the lingering taste on his tongue, he suddenly hunched his shoulders and shivered.
His body burned like it held a small sun, and the cool night breeze that now caressed his flushed skin brought a pleasant, tingling sensation.
‘Perfect.’
Seol Jihoo, who’d been laughing softly, soon began to nod his head drowsily.
He must have trained hard. He must have washed thoroughly. He must have eaten a hearty meal.
His strength was draining; his body grew heavy and languid.
‘I’m so sleepy….’
From his days living with his former girlfriend, Yu Seonhwa had cultivated the habit of feeding him a full dinner every evening and putting him to bed early—a custom that lingered still, so he had no defense against the overwhelming tide of sleep that washed over him.
“Hehe.”
Just before Seol Jihoo closed his eyes, he glimpsed Seo Yoo-hee smiling meaningfully as her hand reached toward him.
“Caught you. My rabbit.”

***

When the sun reached its zenith, Seol Jihoo opened his eyes.
Rising up from the plush Sleeping Bag, he looked around. In the corner lay a neatly arranged Sleeping Bag, and on the table was spread a breakfast.
Jang Maldong and the siblings had apparently gone off to train; they were nowhere to be seen.
After sitting dazed for a while, Seol Jihoo suddenly sniffed the air. He realized the sweet, fragrant scent clinging to his body came from multiple places.
‘This scent is….’
It was a scent he’d caught a whiff of before.
Once at Seo Yoo-hee’s place. And another time on the way back to Haramag after a banquet…?
‘?’
As Seol Jihoo examined his body, his gaze fixed on his forearm. The skin had paled and raised up.
With sleep-hazed eyes, he stared at it blankly, figuring it must be from prolonged UV exposure, then scratched it off carelessly and got to his feet.
After enjoying the breakfast Seo Yoo-hee had prepared.
He stepped outside to stretch, and an inexplicable freshness flooded through him. In fact, a crisp vitality seemed to spring forth, his body quivering with vigor and energy.
And that wasn’t all. As he cracked his neck with a series of pops, Seol Jihoo suddenly felt his vision sharpen and tilted his head in curiosity.
Seol Jihoo’s vision typically averaged around 1.2 in each eye. Yet today, everything around him snapped into crystalline focus.
To exaggerate a bit, if he concentrated, he could even see with perfect clarity the nameless flowers blooming along the path up to the Summit—the first checkpoint.
‘When did my eyes get this good?’
As his gaze swept around, Pi Sora, lying not far off, entered his field of vision.
‘Well, well.’
Black sunglasses, a red string bikini. A straw mat laid out beneath her. And a parasol, retrieved from somewhere or other.
With hands clasped, supporting the back of her head, basking in the sunlight with enviable ease—she looked every inch the beach beauty.
‘She’s here to have fun, isn’t she.’
Seol Jihoo clicked his tongue, but he didn’t notice that he was equally captivated by Pi Sora’s voluptuous figure.
The soft, rosy bloom of her skin, a belly button so tempting it begged to be poked.
And most of all, with his improved vision, he could now see a small, shy beauty mark nestled in the curve between her soft, rounded breasts….
That was when the black sunglasses turned toward Seol Jihoo.
Pi Sora, one corner of her mouth curling up with a knowing smirk, rose from her place with practiced elegance. She approached, swaying her firm thighs, and catching him off guard, spoke up abruptly.
“So tell me, why do all you men do this?”
“Pardon?”
“You have such a graceful, elegant girlfriend, and yet your eyes still wander to other women?”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t play dumb. I saw everything~.”
Pi Sora lifted her sunglasses slightly, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
But as her companion did nothing but stare intently at a particular area, her expression turned sour, and she crossed her arms protectively over her chest.
“H-hey. You’re being way too obvious about it. This is embarrassing.”
……
“No, I mean—I didn’t mean to look on purpose. It’s just that I couldn’t sleep last night, so I was taking an early morning walk around the Cave and happened to….”
Pi Sora trailed off, then moved in close, pressing her body against his. The subtle scent of roses wafted into Seol Jihoo’s nostrils, making him flinch.
“You know, I’ll keep this secret to my grave, so won’t you tell me just me? You know I can keep a secret, right?”
She exhaled, swallowed with a gulp, and made her keen interest obvious. But Seol Jihoo looked genuinely bewildered.
“Tell you what?”
“That senior is famous for being an iron wall, so how did you win her heart? When exactly did you two start dating?”
“We’re not dating.”
“Oh come on. I saw everything, so what’s there to hide?”
When Seol Jihoo continued to play ignorant, Pi Sora let out a disgruntled huff.
“The two of you were just… especially you, what? Snuggling? Like a puppy nuzzling and rubbing against her like that—you can’t have missed it, right?”
“Pi Sora. I honestly don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Ugh.”
Pi Sora then crossed her arms with a dismissive expression.
“You liar… Fine. Keep it to yourself. Secret romance is all like that anyway.”
She jabbed those words at him, then turned away with her lower lip pouting.
“Don’t worry. I’m not the type to gossip about it all over.”
She waved her hand as she walked away.
‘What the—’
Seol Jihoo shook his head slowly, thinking that living long enough, you encounter every sort of peculiar situation.
Then he finished stretching, tied a rope connected to a log around his waist, and began his training.
‘I’m feeling particularly good today.’
Whether it was the effect of eating well and sleeping soundly the night before, his entire body felt light and brimming with energy.
The more he ran, the more his vigor surged. The feeling that if he poured out buckets of sweat, his body would feel refreshed!
But.
What he’d initially chalked up to a placebo effect showed no signs of fading even after hours had passed, so Seol Jihoo couldn’t simply attribute it to his mood.
The sun was already beginning to set. By all rights, after training nonstop for this long, he should have been completely exhausted.
Yet Seol Jihoo felt nothing of the sort—only his breathing had grown slightly heavier.
In truth, the more he trained, the more he sweated.
The heavy weight in his belly seemed to digest gradually, forcefully revitalizing his body.
Suppressing this strange sensation, Seol Jihoo remained absorbed in his training when,

[Your Endurance has risen from Lower-Upper to Middle-Lower rank.]

The message appeared with a chime, and he finally stopped his training.
‘What?’
The bewilderment on his face was a given.
Endurance was the most difficult physical stat to raise, second only to Mana and Luck. True, he’d brought it on himself by courting punishment, but still—Agnes hadn’t pursued Endurance increases through the beatings alone, had she?
No. From the start, it was nearly impossible to raise physical stats through simple repetitive training without pushing past your limits.
Even in his confusion, Seol Jihoo examined his body carefully.
‘Again.’
His skin was peeling white in patches. When he scraped at it with his hand, the dead skin flaked away in strips—like shedding an old husk he’d been wearing all along.
In the light of the setting sun, the newly exposed skin seemed to gleam with the faintest hint of gold.
‘Hmm.’
The muscles had become more elastic, lending his body a suppleness he hadn’t possessed before.
Since the changes weren’t limited to just one or two spots, Seol Jihoo finally grew curious and collapsed onto the ground.
He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and turned his inner vision inward through the Qi Circulation Technique.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
Seen from within, his heartbeat seemed unusually vigorous. With each pump, the blood surging through his veins flowed with a notably brisk rhythm.
Yes. His body was signaling green from every angle.
And that wasn’t all.
The more intently he observed, the more he noticed his senses had grown remarkably keen….
Ding!

[The auxiliary ability Intuition has evolved from beginner-grade to middle-low grade.]

“No, no, no!”
His shock was so profound he cried out and snapped his eyes open.
‘Why do you keep evolving?’
Even asking the question, Intuition offered no response. Just another message, sitting there on the screen.
‘What did I even do?’
He hadn’t been training with the Log at all. Seol Jihoo clutched his head.
But his fretting lasted only a moment. Soon he scrambled to his feet.
He had no idea how or why this was happening, but one thing was crystal clear.
The Status Window, which had been stalled and stagnant until now, was beginning to accelerate.
No—at this rate, it wasn’t mere acceleration. It was a torrent.
Wind and tide alike were at his back.
Pushing him forward.
Demanding he grow stronger.
Seol Jihoo wasn’t one to let an opportunity slip through his fingers. Before this mysterious surge faded, he would drain it completely, exhaust every ounce of it—only then could his heart rest satisfied.
And so, doubling the number of Logs and adding twelve Sand Bags to his load, Seol Jihoo threw himself back into training with renewed vigor.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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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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