The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 160

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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 160. Attribute Change, and… (2)

“I-I’m not doing anything particularly well for you…?”
Seo Yoo-hee, whose gaze had been darting nervously back and forth, stopped her meaningless evasion the moment she met Seol Jihoo’s steady, unwavering eyes.
She looked at him with a complicated expression before opening her mouth.
“Are you suspecting I have some ulterior motive?”
Seol Jihoo shook his head.
“No. I’m genuinely grateful for what you’ve said. It’s just that I can’t understand what kind of treatment you’re hoping for, or why you’d go this far for me.”
“I didn’t bring this up because I’m hoping for some special treatment.”
“Then that makes it even stranger. You’re not expecting anything in return, yet you help me to this extent… Of course, I’ve heard that you’re generous with others, but honestly, I can’t shake the feeling that this is too much.”
It was hard to argue with his logic, so Seo Yoo-hee’s expression froze momentarily. She seemed to realize he wasn’t going to back down gracefully, and let out a quiet sigh.
After a brief pause.
“…Perhaps.”
Seo Yoo-hee opened her mouth hesitantly.
“Have you ever heard this saying?”
“?”
“Memories become the nourishment that lets us live tomorrow.”
At her sudden remark, Seol Jihoo furrowed his brow.
“When I went to support the residents of Raman Village who had entered Haramag… how do I put it? The villagers seemed so happy. The children laughed so brightly despite the state of the world, and the adults watched with joy as their children played and ran around… There were even quite a few who couldn’t help but weep from the sheer emotion of it all.”
“Why would you suddenly—”
“On the other hand, I understood their feelings. After living unable to do either one thing or another, trembling with anxiety every day, half-resigned to their fate… and then suddenly a prince appeared and brought them into the castle. I think any resident of Raman Village would never forget the memories of that day, right up until their dying breath.”
“Yoo-hee.”
“And.”
Her voice suddenly grew stronger, and Seol Jihoo closed his mouth.
“I too.”
Seo Yoo-hee slowly placed her hand over her heart.
“Have a memory that gives me the strength to live tomorrow.”
Her eyes, as though recalling a certain day, shone with such intensity that Seol Jihoo almost felt blinded by it.
“A memory I could never, ever forget. Never.”
Seo Yoo-hee, who had emphasized it twice, slowly lowered her hand.
“Truth be told, I wasn’t as kind as I appeared to be.”
“……”
“I had too much pride and said many hurtful things… and with my difficult temperament, even when I knew I would cause worry, I deliberately made trouble. Now that I think about it, I have quite a lot to atone for, don’t I?”
Seo Yoo-hee smiled ruefully.
Seol Jihoo stared blankly at her sad smile, then opened his mouth with a slightly hoarse voice.
“I don’t understand.”
“……”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about… but at least I have no memory of creating such bitter memories for you.”
At that, Seo Yoo-hee gazed at him with a barely perceptible smile for a long moment before breathing out slowly once more.
“Then let’s do this.”
“?”
“I’ll ask you for a few more favors. But this includes the request I mentioned before.”
At the word “but,” Seol Jihoo sensed an unmistakable determination that brooked no argument.
“Are you asking me to be closer to you?”
Seo Yoo-hee nodded immediately at his awkward question.
“Yes. First of all, that ‘honorific’ way of addressing me… it makes me uncomfortable every time I hear it.”
“Ah.”
Seol Jihoo wore the expression of someone who’d been caught off guard—he hadn’t expected to have his own words to Marcel Gioinea turned back on him by Seo Yoo-hee.
“I understand. How would you like me to address you from now on?”
“I’m not sure?”
Seo Yoo-hee’s cheeks flushed slightly as she smiled contentedly, as though she was enjoying this situation.
Seol Jihoo tilted his head.
“If I may be so bold… Yoo-hee.”
“Come on. Close friends don’t use such formal suffixes with each other.”
“Yoo-hee, miss?”
“That’s too cold. Something a little warmer.”
“Something warmer… Yoo-hee?”
“Stop joking around.”
“Mom?”
“You’ll get scolded.”
Seo Yoo-hee’s eyebrows shot up and her expression hardened. Seol Jihoo flinched and clicked his tongue.
“I’ll just call you sister, then.”
It was a desperate compromise—neither option seemed to work—but veins rose sharply across Seo Yoo-hee’s forehead.
The corner of her mouth twitched upward in a forced smile, a gesture that clearly displeased her.
“Why did you assume I’d be older than you…?”
Her voice pitched higher than usual, climbing an octave at the end.
“Wasn’t I? I’m twenty-six…”
Seo Yoo-hee shook her head sharply. A look of genuine indignation crossed her face, and then—as if she’d made some solemn decision—she clamped her lips shut.
“Fine. Okay. So if I’m your sister, can I drop the formalities with you from now on?”
“Of course.”
“I will, then. Actually—I will. Jihoo…”
“Yes. Sis…ter.”
In that instant, both of them looked away in opposite directions as though by agreement. Speaking the words aloud proved far more awkward than either had imagined.
His face grew warm, flushed with heat, but Seol Jihoo steeled himself and opened his mouth again.
“Sister.”
“H-huh?”
“About the other favor you mentioned…”
In truth, what he called her or whether they used formal speech hardly mattered.
Seo Yoo-hee opened her mouth, her expression troubled and reluctant.
“My level is actually seven right now.”
“Seven?”
“Why do you look so surprised?”
“I thought you were at level ten.”
“This kid.”
Seo Yoo-hee let out a soft laugh.
“There’s no one at ten—not even at nine. There’s only one person at level eight.”
After the initial awkwardness, she’d adapted quickly; the casual speech came naturally now.
“To reach level eight, I have to solve two problems.”
“Is it Experience Points and Merit Points—”
“No. I have more than enough Experience Points and Merit Points stockpiled. You know that beyond High-rank, advancing isn’t just about raising your level—it becomes a matter of Promotion?”
Seol Jihoo didn’t actually know, but he nodded along anyway.
“High-rank works the same way. To be promoted to level eight, I need to fulfill certain conditions as proof of qualification.”
“Conditions?”
“First, find two specific items. Second, raise my Luck stat one tier higher.”
So he needed to find those two items and help boost her Luck stat—that’s how Seol Jihoo understood it. He pressed further.
“What are these items?”
“They’re emblems that the ancient empire bestowed upon priestesses—kind of like holy relics. One looks like a cross ornament that priests would use, and the other is said to resemble a ring.”
“An ancient empire… wait. What are they called?”
Seol Jihoo’s words tumbled out faster.
“The cross artifact—I think it’s called the Proof of Castitas.”
Seeing his jaw drop, Seo Yoo-hee continued calmly.
“Of course, I’m not asking you to find them right away. They’re centuries old and extremely rare. Anyway, I’ll give you a Soma Flower for now, and maybe later when you have time, we can look together…”
But Seol Jihoo’s shock stemmed not from the difficulty, but from something far different.
[I know what these emblems are. Those things called the Proof of Castitas.]
[The Proof of Castitas—one of the items given to priestesses.]
“So.”
Recalling Ian’s words, Seol Jihoo clenched his fists, half-believing, half-skeptical.
“If I solve the problem, that’s all it takes?”
“No. Don’t even hope for the Luck boost. I’ve pretty much given up on reaching level eight soon.”
Seo Yoo-hee tilted her head, confused by his sudden confidence.
“Though if I could manage it in the near term, that would be ideal. It would give me a little more breathing room against the dangers ahead…”
“I’ll get them for you.”
“W-what?”
“The Proof of Castitas is the cross artifact, and the Proof of Dedication is the ring. Right?”
Seo Yoo-hee’s eyes widened—she hadn’t expected him to know this much.
“You… you already knew?”
“And I’ll raise your Luck stat too.”
“What?”
“I’ll raise you to Level 8.”
When Seo Yoo-hee’s expression turned skeptical,
“Trust me.”
Seol Jihoo smiled broadly.
“My epithet is Problem Solver, after all.”
Now it was Seo Yoo-hee’s turn to be caught off guard.

The deal was struck.
Seo Yoo-hee would hand over the Soma Flower, and Seol Jihoo would deliver three items once he returned to Haramag.
The Proof of Castitas was something he’d received on his first visit to the Forest of Negation, and the other item had been obtained when he’d brought Floné out. Since Seol Jihoo had steadily plucked items away one by one, only a Long Sword, a Shield, and three rings remained in his equipment.
He recalled that one of the rings was called the Proof of Dedication.
Moreover, he had two Luck Promotion Tokens that raised rank rather than level, so Seo Yoo-hee’s advancement was all but guaranteed.
The moment he returned to Haramag, the second Level 8 Earthian in history would emerge.
‘Never imagined I’d use them like this.’
After becoming Level 3, he’d been diligently paying storage fees to keep some of his items in the Temple, and finally they’d found their purpose.
Even Jang Maldong had nodded, saying, “That’s fair trade,” which only lifted Seol Jihoo’s spirits higher.
He’d wiped away the feeling of owing a debt, and now he could rightfully claim the Soma Flower.
Still, not all his questions had been completely answered.
Shortly after, the presentation of the Soma Flower took place.
“Place your hand here. Hold it gently, like this.”
As Seo Yoo-hee carefully extended the flower stem, Seol Jihoo—tense with anticipation—softly grasped her hand with both of his.
While savoring the sensation of her warm, delicate palm, he heard Seo Yoo-hee sigh.
“Not my hand. The crystal.”
Seol Jihoo hastily withdrew. The moment he carefully brought his hand to the crystal as instructed,
a low hum rang out.
The instant his fingertip made contact, the flower’s crystal blazed brighter, its color shifting.
Seo Yoo-hee blinked at the hue.
“Gold?”
“Is that not good?”
“No, it’s not—”
Seo Yoo-hee shook her head.
“A Soma Crystal is naturally transparent and luminous, but when external stimulation is applied, its properties change accordingly. According to records, they usually turn a deep yellow or blue. Rarely, they shift red. But this color…”
It wasn’t a dull yellow but a brilliant gold that hadn’t lost its radiance.
“That’s good, right?”
“I’m not sure. Gold has never appeared in the records.”
Though unease flickered through him, Seol Jihoo felt no particular repulsion toward the golden hue and pressed on, trying to shake off his worry.
“What do I do now?”
Instead of answering, Seo Yoo-hee brought the flower to her lips and held it out toward him.
The meaning was clear: eat it.
“The stem too—”
“Just the crystal.”
Seol Jihoo obediently brought his mouth to it and took the round crystal between his lips. A fleeting thought crossed his mind—something indecent—but the moment he bit through with a soft ‘pop,’ a tingling current ran across his tongue and scattered the stray notion.
There was no particular taste. If forced to describe it, like candy infused with floral fragrance.
An urge to crush it between his teeth arose, but the thought of it exploding inside his mouth terrified him, so he swallowed it whole instead.
As the crystal passed down his throat, a crisp, electric sensation traveled along his esophagus with perfect clarity.
Seol Jihoo’s body trembled, and his eyes began to blink slowly. As if his brain had suddenly issued an emergency order for sleep in response to the sudden anomaly, an irresistible drowsiness gradually crept over him.
“Sleep will come.”
Seo Yoo-hee whispered, as if to avoid disturbing his rest.
“Don’t worry. It’s just the crystal settling into your body.”
‘Simpler than I thought.’
With that thought, Seol Jihoo offered no further resistance and willingly released his grip on consciousness.

He dreamed.
Like any dream, upon waking he either forgot it completely or remembered it all as murky as a fog-veiled night sea.
Now that he thought about it, he seemed to have seen and heard a burning city and Teresa screaming, her neck severed, her entire body convulsed….
‘Teresa?’
He didn’t know. All he could tell, from the fact that his body was drenched in sweat, was that he’d endured a terrible nightmare.
A strangled gasp escaped his lips—

My entire body tingled. A deep exhaustion so intense it felt as though my eyes might roll back behind my lids.
The faint tremor that echoed each time my heart beat seemed to send spasms through my whole frame today.
After suffering for what felt like an eternity, Seol Jihoo managed to pry open eyelids that felt leaden as stone.
I could see light, so it didn’t seem to be night anymore.
‘How much time has passed?’
“You’re awake?”
A familiar voice reached my ears. Seo Yoo-hee bent forward, her expression flooding with relief as she looked down at me.
“Yeah… huh?”
The moment I tried to push myself upright, I felt my back seize violently and I couldn’t help but laugh in bewilderment.
The ache surged stronger for a moment, then quickly subsided. My body felt impossibly heavy.
“You won’t be able to move much yet.”
At least her voice—tinged with comfort—helped calm me almost immediately.
“Why is it like this?”
“The crystal has settled into place, but your body hasn’t fully accepted it yet.”
“How—how many hours has it been?”
“Four days. You’ve been asleep like you were dead for four days. Groaning and aching the whole time.”
When Seol Jihoo let out a breath, Seo Yoo-hee laughed and sat beside me.
“The human body is far more sensitive than you’d imagine. Now that you’ve consumed it, it will settle into place whether we like it or not—but your brain, your heart, your organs, they’re all debating whether to accept it as one of their own.”
Seo Yoo-hee pressed her fingers to my forehead, then my left chest, then my abdomen, before gently applying pressure to the center of my lower belly.
“Mm.”
A groan escaped me. I could feel something hard and smooth near my lower dantian.
“Now you carry an Inner Core within your body.”
When Seo Yoo-hee eased her pressure and began gently stroking my belly with her palm, I twisted involuntarily, almost convulsing.
“Be patient and rest. The fact that you’ve opened your eyes means your body has finished preparing to accept it.”
Seol Jihoo steadied his breathing and stared at the ash-colored ceiling. As I gazed up endlessly, a thought suddenly surfaced.
Had I perhaps obtained a strength that exceeded my station?
That was always Seol Jihoo’s nature. Rather than sampling everything thinly like an octopus’s arms, he preferred to do only what he set out to accomplish—and to do it thoroughly.
Looking back, this expedition to Big Stone Rock Mountain had brought considerable changes, and most of them had unfolded with startling speed.
For someone like Seol Jihoo, who had always grasped power only after great hardship, it was an unfamiliar experience.
Even the Soma Aura alone proved it. Others could barely claim such an opportunity when they reached Level 6—yet I had seized it at Level 4.
Could I truly handle a strength gained so effortlessly?
“That said, something’s strange.”
It was then that Seo Yoo-hee spoke. My heart clenched.
“What is it?”
“Usually, the crystal settles around the pit of the stomach or the heart. But this one moved to your lower dantian all of a sudden.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Yeah. Two days ago. As if your lower dantian had grown fond of it….”
Fond of it? The lower dantian isn’t even its home. A crystal taking a liking—that was endearing.
After pondering this for a moment, Seol Jihoo asked for help sitting up. With Seo Yoo-hee’s assistance, I folded my legs in a cross-legged position and turned my attention inward.
The heart that thundered on. The cheerful flow of blood. The vast, dormant potential stirring in every corner of my body. It was all still there.
All that had changed was the addition of one more Soma Aura thread.
As I observed this life-brimming body with such intensity that I forgot about time itself, something raw and fundamental welled up from the depths of my being.
A confidence that I could do anything.
‘That’s right.’
When I thought about it, my growth had always been steep. It was true that as there was more to handle, the burden grew heavier—but if I were truly at my limit, I would have reached it long ago.
‘Think of it positively.’
Perhaps even this was destiny. Perhaps I was simply following a fate arranged to prepare me for a future I couldn’t see even one step ahead.
There had to be reasons for the swift growth, for obtaining the Soma Aura.
What mattered was that this was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to miss—and that I had chosen to accept it because I judged it necessary.
At that moment, the decision was already made.
The die had been cast.
‘I just have to handle it.’
The instant I thought that,
Crunch.
The Soma Crystal, which had felt adrift until now, drove deep into place—a sensation that shot through my lower belly.
Thump—!
Then my heart thundered, striking violently. The impact was so fierce I nearly gasped aloud.
The relentless pain that had consumed my body suddenly receded. It didn’t vanish entirely, but transformed into a pleasant tingling sensation, a spark coursing through every muscle and capillary.
A golden radiance slowly enveloped Seol Jihoo’s skin. From my eyes, which I could no longer keep closed, a brilliant golden light blazed forth.
And so.
Crack!
Golden current erupted in a dazzling discharge, and a colossal presence rose like the surface of water stirring, slowly revealing itself.
Seol Jihoo’s jaw dropped without thinking, his mouth falling open wide. With a snap, both arms flew back sharply, his chest thrust forward as if about to burst free.
Feeling an overwhelming, absurdly pure and mighty force coursing through his entire body, Seol Jihoo roared silently.
A tremendous Thunder Aura rippled like waves, sending tremors through the cave.
At last.
A legend took its first step forward.

(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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