The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 163

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

Episode 163. Struggling (2)

Dwarves, vampires, orcs, yokai, fairies, dragons, humans, spirits….
Paradise, where diverse races once coexisted under imperial rule, saw its species count plummet after the Parasites’ emergence.
Some races were driven to extinction, others subjugated, and still others surrendered willingly.
In the end, only a handful of species remained to resist the Parasite Queen’s domination of Paradise.
But the outcome was defeat after defeat.
The Parasites, their numbers swollen to grotesque proportions, swept across Paradise’s every corner with impunity.
Days of struggle—so desperate, so heartrending—stretched on without end, yet no matter what they did, the future refused to change.
The Chief Deity guarding the stars had been consumed, which meant the Seven Divine Guardians beneath him shared the same fate, and mortals bereft of their god had no means by which to stand against the immortal.
Yet at that moment of utter crisis, a tremendous shift occurred—one that could break the deadlock.
The neglected god of the Seven Sins Sect stepped forward and forged a contract with humanity. In doing so, he rapidly recovered his strength by summoning humans from Earth.
And then, the Fallen Angel—a non-terrestrial race like the Parasites themselves—appeared and succeeded in uniting the surviving species.
United under a single banner, the subordinate races began to compensate for each other’s shortcomings while absorbing new knowledge from the alien world, steadily amassing formidable firepower.
These two shifts triggered seismic changes too vast for even the Parasite Queen to dismiss, and they succeeded in applying the brakes to the Parasites’ relentless advance.
Yet the Parasite Queen did not remain idle. Facing a turning point where the board might flip at any moment, she deliberated at length before reaching her decision.
The card the Parasite Queen played was to regurgitate the Seven Divine Guardians she had absorbed—or more precisely, to select seven exceptional species from among her subordinates and bestow divine status upon them.
“In short, she created seven new powers capable of standing against humanity’s and the Federation’s sporadic attacks.”
Kazuki, who had been explaining the genesis of the 7 Great Armies, coughed quietly. Seol Jihoo’s face had gone blank with shock at information beyond imagination.
“So those seven species became gods?”
“Hard to call them complete gods. She simply bestowed divine status. Whether they can fully embody it depends on each species’ capacity.”
“Even so, if they have divine power… they must be incredibly strong.”
“You’re telling me.”
Kazuki let out a derisive laugh.
“Even just three of the 7 Great Armies…”
He trailed off with a slight tilt of his head.
“If only four of them marched out, humanity would have to fear annihilation.”
Seol Jihoo’s breath caught. Now he understood why everyone had reacted that way moments before.
“Something doesn’t feel right.”
It was Cheonji’s voice. The two men who had been murmuring ceased their whispers and refocused on the meeting.
“It’s uncharacteristic of the Parasites, somehow….”
Cheonji’s words wavered—a rarity. The usual composure she carried like an armor had evaporated, leaving only grave concern in its place.
It was the first time Seol Jihoo had seen the leader of the Southern Region’s war-mongering faction wear such an expression, and the weight of the situation began to settle upon him in earnest.
“That’s true enough.”
Teresa affirmed it with a troubled face.
Indeed, deploying such overwhelming force so openly was impossible to ignore. They had gained time to prepare, yet an unsettling feeling lingered.
More than anything, the Parasites had always shown actions that outpaced human expectation.
There had to be a deeper scheme at work.
The princess knight who had fought them for over a decade knew this well enough.
“Still….”
Teresa continued in a weary tone.
“In the end, there’s only one thing we can do.”

The assembly ended in heavy silence.
After the meeting adjourned, Seol Jihoo was asked to remain behind for a moment—a request he gladly accepted, as he had matters to discuss himself.
Shown into the Reception Room, Seol Jihoo received several briefings he’d missed due to his late arrival.
Everything from the rendezvous time to the decision to seal Sicily’s gates, and questions about whether he knew any outside forces that could lend aid.
She beseeched him repeatedly—whether individual or collective made no difference—to bring anyone he could, promising she wouldn’t forget to settle accounts once the war ended.
The desperation in her clasped hands, the way she grasped at even the thinnest straw, squeezed at his chest.
When Seol Jihoo mentioned that Seo Yuhee would bring support from the Rusheria Main Force, Teresa’s weary eyes gleamed.
“Truly?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“That’s a relief! We were so short on healing Priests….”
Teresa, the worry lifting from her shoulders, pressed a hand to her chest and exhaled deeply.
Her slumped shoulders spoke of profound exhaustion.
He wanted to urge her to rest, even for a little while, but as the princess approached with uncertain steps—so unsteady she seemed on the verge of collapse—Seol Jihoo said nothing.
Teresa stopped just before him, gently gripping both his arms, and lowered her head. Thump. As her forehead touched his chest, her cherry-red lips parted slightly.
“Haah…”
She exhaled a long, heavy sigh as if purging something lodged deep in her chest.
Suddenly she noticed Teresa’s small shoulders trembling faintly.
Teresa was human, after all. She’d likely gone without proper sleep for days, consumed with devising countermeasures around the clock.
Her nerves couldn’t help but fray.
“You should…”
Seol Jihoo began to offer comfort, to tell her to stay strong, but hesitated mid-gesture.
How could he possibly understand what Teresa felt—she who’d been born into this world and had to survive it from earliest childhood? The thought left him without courage to speak.
It felt like offering comfort from across a river, watching someone else’s misfortune.
So as he started to lower the hand he’d raised, she whispered—
“My hair… stroke it for me?”
At her soft request, he placed his hand on top of Teresa’s head.
As he slowly ran his fingers through her lustrous rose-gold locks, she let out a small, contented sound.
“My back too.”
The way she rubbed her cheek while asking reminded him of a child fussing for attention, so Seol Jihoo chuckled and gently patted her back as well.
Though it was only temporary solace at best.
‘How could I…’
…lift Teresa’s spirits?
“Ah.”
Seol Jihoo suddenly remembered something he’d nearly forgotten and opened his mouth.
“Your Highness.”
“Mm…?”
“Your Highness?”
“That feels nice… doesn’t it?”
Teresa, whose expression had gone somewhat distant and dreamy, jolted awake at his voice and lifted her head.
“When you were held captive at the research facility, you didn’t lose all your equipment, did you?”
“Oh—yes, that’s right. I did. Sigh.”
Teresa wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, looking genuinely regretful.
Buried with the destroyed research facility had been some rare pieces of equipment that boosted Stat Points—items now lost to her.
Of course, given her station, she could requisition whatever she needed from the royal armory, but finding equipment as fine as what she’d used before was a difficult task even for a kingdom’s princess.
“I thought as much. So.”
Seol Jihoo held up a sleek silver Longsword in his left hand and a Heater Shield etched with geometric patterns in his right, flashing a smile.
Both radiated a soft luminescence that spoke clearly of their exceptional quality.
Teresa’s expression turned bewildered.
“They’re Imperial-made blade and shield. Though it’s been a few hundred years.”
“…Really? The Empire?”
“The Forest of Negation’s Tomb. You remember?”
After hearing the circumstances, Teresa let out a gasp.
“You’d give me something this precious?”
“Yes.”
Seol Jihoo affirmed it firmly. Not a loan—a gift.
He extended them without hesitation, and Teresa accepted them in astonishment.
“I’d originally planned to use them during diplomacy… but circumstances being what they are.”
“Diplomacy?”
“Yes. Ian gave me an assignment. He said to conduct diplomacy with Your Highness using these two items.”
“Ah.”
Teresa’s eyes gleamed like a predator spotting opportunity.
“All right. Diplomacy it is, then. As representatives of Paradise and Earth respectively.”
And she spoke.
“Let’s get married.”
……
“Why not? Diplomacy is precisely about establishing economic, cultural, and political relationships. Surely you know that in Paradise, Political Marriage is one of the primary tactics of statecraft.”
Seol Jihoo laughed dryly, yet he wasn’t displeased at all.
Teresa, who’d seemed as fragile as glass moments before, had recovered her vitality and was now brimming with energy.
She’d regained her strength, that much was clear.
As Seol Jihoo chuckled softly, Teresa asked, embarrassed—
“Are you really sure you want to give these to me?”
“I think it would be best if Your Highness used them.”
“I feel bad about accepting them for free. Imperial artifacts. And ones granted only to Saints at that… is there anything you want? Something you’d like to have?”
Even hearing such an offer, nothing came immediately to mind. He hadn’t given them with any expectation in return.
‘No.’
As Seol Jihoo pondered, a dream he’d had on Big Stone Rock Mountain suddenly flashed across his mind.
Everything else had faded, but the image of Teresa lying headless in a pool of blood remained vivid as ever.
The thought twisted his mood and sent a chill crawling down his spine.
He found himself wanting something. Without thinking, Seol Jihoo spoke his true heart.
“Don’t die. Promise me.”
“?”
“I hope that when the war ends, you’ll be alive and I can see you again.”
“What… is… the reason you’re giving me this because you hope I won’t die?”
Teresa looked bewildered, but Seol Jihoo nodded with a serious expression.
“If this equipment can only help you, I couldn’t ask for more.”
“…Oh my….”
Teresa clutched the longsword and shield tightly to herself.
‘Is she really that pleased?’
Seol Jihoo, who had been smiling contentedly, suddenly wore an awkward expression. Hot, piercing eyes had fixed upon his face.
“Good heavens….”
Her eyes glazed over, her face flushed a rosy hue.
She looked utterly entranced, as if lost in rapture.
The problem was that Teresa’s gaze wasn’t on the equipment at all—it was boring straight through Seol Jihoo.
Looking closer, were those… hearts in her eyes? No. Pink hearts were blooming and floating all over her body.
Seol Jihoo shook his head vigorously as the shower of pink hearts scattered and blurred his vision.
Looking again, he could see Teresa approaching him slowly, her expression dazed.
“Your Highness?”
“…….”
“Why are you coming closer?”
“…….”
She didn’t answer. Her lips simply curved into an increasingly seductive smile.
‘A seductress?’
“I should be going. There’s much to do….”
The pheromone was so alluring and dangerous that the Snow Rabbit instinctively turned to flee.
A common mistake of prey animals. The moment he looked away, the predator seized the opportunity and pounced with ferocious speed.
Seol Jihoo cried out and fell.
“Got you.”
Teresa pinned down the struggling Seol Jihoo with all her strength.
“Y-Your Highness?”
“Blast it, will you hold still?”
“Why are you doing this!”
“After saying something so romantic—you’re telling me to just sit here?”
Her breath tickled his ear, and Seol Jihoo twisted his neck this way and that.
“Noooo!”
“Just once!”
A moment later.
“Mmm—!”
A breathless cry echoed from the Reception Room, carrying far down the Corridor.
It melded with endless, meaningless exclamations—twice, thrice, four times over.

‘Twenty-four times….’
Seol Jihoo returned with his soul half-departed and summoned his team.
When Hugo saw the dark kiss marks etched across his entire face, neck, and collarbone and joked that he’d been to a red-light district, Seol Jihoo brushed it off vaguely and reported what he’d been told.
Once the briefing ended, Jang Maldong asked a question.
“How are you planning to prepare?”
“First, we need to decide on participants and submit a roster. Within today or tomorrow.”
There wasn’t really much to decide. An emergency mobilization order had been issued, so Seol Jihoo, Cho Hong, Hugo, and Marcel Gionea—all Level 4 or above—had no choice but to comply.
Those Level 3 and below could choose whether to participate based on their own will, but
“Brother, me too!”
“Absolutely not.”
The moment Lee Seol-ah raised her hand eagerly, Seol Jihoo shut her down flatly.
Her spirit was admirable, but Parasites were no trivial opponent—creatures of Level 1, 2 strength that couldn’t be handled carelessly.
“But!”
“No buts. Say something that makes sense.”
“I’ll just stay in the back and shoot arrows. If it gets dangerous, I’ll run.”
“What if a flying creature pursues you? And if you get involved, Sung-jin will want to participate too. Are you both trying to get yourselves killed?”
The moment Seol Jihoo’s expression hardened, Lee Seol-ah quietly lowered her hand.
Seeing her slump with a dejected look, he could tell she felt genuinely sorry—but there was no help for it. If he didn’t speak firmly, she’d cling to the idea with stubborn persistence.
“And….”
Seol Jihoo blinked, about to continue.
Jang Maldong, Cho Hong, and Hugo were all staring directly at him.
“Wow….”
Cho Hong let out a low whistle.
“Wow, hell… have some shame….”
Jang Maldong cleared his throat.
“And?”
“The princess asked us for help, so I’m thinking of finding some allied forces to work with.”
“You know anyone?”
“I’ll have to look into it.”
That’s when Hugo suddenly interjected.
“A Priest. I think we should try to recruit a Priest too.”
“Oh! Not a bad idea.”
Cho Hong nodded in agreement. When Seol Jihoo tilted his head, Hugo launched into a passionate explanation.
“Think about it. On a battlefield where hundreds and thousands clash—having a Priest who prioritizes our team isn’t a bad thing at all.”
‘Fair point.’
Human nature worked that way, after all.
When two people fell into danger at the same time, people naturally tried to save the one they knew over a stranger.
Seol Jihoo understood that logic because he’d act the same way.
Honestly, it felt like bribery—paying for favor under the table—and that rubbed him the wrong way. But war wasn’t a game.
Since everyone did it anyway, he decided to let it slide.
“I understand what you mean. I’ll try talking to them.”
“Oh. Good luck, leader.”
Hugo flashed a grin and gave a thumbs-up.

He’d gone half-expecting disappointment, but to his surprise, Maria hadn’t fled—she was still in the Temple.
‘How am I supposed to convince this money-obsessed girl….’
Seol Jihoo had steeled himself for a tongue-lashing when—
“Big brother! You’re here?”
The blonde girl’s nasal-toned voice and affectionate manner made him doubt his own eyes and ears.
“Why are you just now coming back~ Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting? I almost got upset thinking you’d found some other Priest girl~.”
No, this wasn’t just affectionate—she was clinging to his ribs like a cicada to a dead tree, practically burrowing into his side. This didn’t look like Maria at all; it looked like someone else entirely.
Only after Seol Jihoo saw her room—evolved from a trash heap into something resembling actual living quarters—could he shake off his suspicion. Maria sat perched on the bed, leisurely smoking Cigarettes with a mischievous pout. Then she opened her mouth.
“You came because of the war, didn’t you?”
‘She knew.’
Of course—a Level 4 Healing Priest would’ve received offers from all quarters.
Seol Jihoo decided not to waste time with flattery and cut straight to the point.
“That’s right. First, here’s this.”
Thud!
A heavy Money Pouch landed on the table. Not a jingle—a solid thud.
Maria’s eyes flickered with interest as she looked at the Money Pouch, so bloated it seemed ready to burst at the seams.
But then her expression turned serious.
“Big brother. What are you doing?”
Seol Jihoo, having anticipated exactly this, reached into his pocket again. Maria bit down hard on her lower lip.
There were limits to what she could endure. If she gave in to the Money Pouch attack the way she used to, she’d eventually break down—that much was obvious.
Money was Maria’s only weakness, after all.
But this was money she absolutely could not accept if she wanted to achieve the larger goal she’d mapped out in her head.
“Big brother!”
So she shrieked and jumped to her feet.
“That’s not it! How do you even see me?”
“Huh? Money….”
“Money? Yeah. I love money. I do love it, but… Ugh. Do you really not get why I’m like this?”
Maria glared at him with a wounded expression, and Seol Jihoo could only stand there bewildered.
“Big brother. Even if I’m a money-loving girl, I’m not shameless.”
“…What?”
“An Expedition or exploration—sure, that’d be different. But a war? It’s a duty that everyone should shoulder… Are you trying to make me look like a woman without principles?”
“What? Maria?”
“I’m really hurt. How could you see me like that…?”
Tears welled up in her already glistening eyes. Seol Jihoo’s mouth fell open.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what you were thinking… but would you accept this as a token of my sincerity?”
At a loss, he thrust out a money pouch. Maria’s head trembled for a moment, then turned sharply away.
“Take it. How much more do you plan to humiliate me?”
……
“I’m so disappointed. Honestly, we’ve known each other for more than just a time or two, haven’t we? We’ve been through thick and thin since the Neutral Zone… but it seems I was the only one thinking that way….”
Speaking in a melancholic voice, Maria closed her eyes tightly. A transparent tear rolled slowly down her cheek.
An awkward silence fell.
‘One, two, three, four….’
Having counted to ten in her mind, Maria’s eyes snapped open. She caught Seol Jihoo’s deeply apologetic reaction and allowed herself an inward smile of triumph.
The push was sufficient. Now came the pull.
“Never mind. Just introduce me to your new teammate soon.”
“Introduce you?”
“I heard you recruited a Steel Archer to your team. I need to see their face before I decide whether to help or not.”
This was her way of accepting the Carpe Diem Team’s proposal.
“Maria!”
Seol Jihoo’s expression brightened. Maria crossed her arms with a huff.
“I was planning to visit your building within the next day or so anyway.”
“Thank you. I’m just… truly grateful.”
“That’s enough. You upset me greatly and now you’re playing doctor and patient? Is this your hobby?”
“I truly didn’t know. I never realized you were like this. It’s impressive. Really impressive.”
“…In any case, if I’m looking out for you first, you have to protect me well too, understood?”
“Of course!”
Maria pretended to wipe away her tears with her palm. Her lips kept trying to curl upward, so she needed to hide them preemptively.
In truth, Maria had only one reason for going this far.
After the banquet, her assessment of Seol Jihoo had skyrocketed dramatically. A woman with mercenary instincts buried bone-deep, Maria had calculated the young man before her thoroughly and reached a conclusion.
‘This commodity is… no. This man is….’
Capable. Wealthy. Generous with money.
Above all, the fact that whenever you gave him one thing, he returned at least one thing in kind—this powerfully drew Maria’s heart.
In other words, a product with 100% guaranteed returns.
Yes. This was an investment for the future.
The one in this room was not Uriel Maria. It was Warren Maria, she who was called the Stock Queen.
In a climate where foreign markets were in turmoil and domestic stock markets were at the height of tension, Maria chose to invest boldly in Seol Jihoo as a commodity.
She had rattled on about being hurt and upset, true enough….
‘I wonder if he’ll completely wash his hands of me later?’
Imagining how much would return when the market stabilized in the future filled her with delight, and Maria slyly raised one corner of her mouth.
Of course, whether it would soar to daily limits with both hands rowing, or crash into delisting and bankruptcy, remained to be seen.

(To be continued in the next installment)

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