The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 178

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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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Chapter 178. Deception (2)

Undying Diligence’s eyes went wide.
He knew the two creatures were radiating Soma’s power outward, blocking any approach. But if the clan’s leader was being driven this far into a corner, propriety demanded he throw himself into the fray without regard for his own life.
The reason he wasn’t helping, just watching from the sidelines, became clear: the nosferatu were imprisoned. More precisely, all of them were trapped in individual cells of Light Bars, utterly immobilized.
A few had apparently tried to break free, but every last one had been charred to blackened cinders. Even a glancing touch against that brilliant radiance meant instant immolation—helping was literally impossible.
‘When did this happen?’
Such precise, elegant deployment of Holy Power was rare to witness, even for Undying Diligence. He turned his gaze elsewhere.
Beyond Debased Chastity, who was approaching rapidly, he could see a distant peak glowing with brilliant light.
“……What’s happening here?”
Debased Chastity, arriving at a fortuitous moment, stared in confusion at the prison of light sprawled across the area.
She’d deliberately left the army behind.
She didn’t expect to win without her own presence, but she figured the troops could at least buy time.
Yet the fact that their leader could spare such attention to a distant location proved Lushulea’s commander had grown complacent with surplus strength.
A miscalculation. She’d obtained intelligence during the advance that Lust Star had recently ascended to Level 8, but there was no way to have anticipated acquisition of two Sacred artifacts and fresh armament.
Moments later, Ugly Humility arrived astride his phantom steed. Debased Chastity’s seductive eyes narrowed.
“What. You came too?”
“……I had little choice in the matter.”
Ugly Humility’s low-voiced reply carried unmistakable reluctance. Their leader commanded two followers, and more than ten retainers. Against the undead army alone—headed by the Death Knights—they simply didn’t have the strength to win.
If he led the troops himself, the situation would flip entirely. But here, now, such suppositions were meaningless.
“We’ll lose not just some, but most. Plain as day. Having to trouble Her Majesty over such a trivial engagement fills me with deepest shame.”
The Gorge Fortress, which he’d expected to fall in five minutes, was proving far more troublesome than anticipated. Ugly Humility sighed. He couldn’t ignore Undying Diligence, but the sense of a miscalculation was overwhelmingly strong.
In any case, as the legion commanders arrived in succession without their troops, Seol Jihoo gave a low whistle.
“Well, well. And who might we have here.”
He composed his aura and acknowledged them. Both presences turned their attention toward him.
“Our old friend,”
Ugly Humility’s teeth clicked sharply together.
“Did you come all this way just to play?”
Debased Chastity’s eye corners curved upward.
“How unexpected. What brings such humble folk to grace this precious place? Hmm?”
Seol Jihoo, his spear resting across his shoulder, let his lips curve into a smile.
The moment Debased Chastity opened her mouth in disbelief, she caught sight of Undying Diligence—kneeling on one knee, breathing heavily—and her words died in her throat.
As anticipated, but seeing it firsthand made the reality clear: Undying Diligence’s condition was catastrophic.
His chest was caved in, vital points riddled with wounds. The raw, exposed flesh was blistered and weeping, streams of infected blood trickling steadily across his entire body.
Only because he was “Undying” Diligence could he maintain even this—kneeling on a single shattered leg.
Seeing it from this angle shifted her assessment. Debased Chastity’s eyes grew wary as she studied him.
Seol Jihoo’s mouth smiled, but his eyes didn’t. The blood-red light in his pupils held unmistakable, instinctive malice.
Whip-crack!
Debased Chastity’s hair whipped upward in a violent arc, lashing against the earth.
“That one. It’s been ages since I felt the urge to collect. I rather like his tone.”
“I’ll take Seonghoo.”
Ugly Humility yanked his phantom steed’s reins, pivoting its direction. Seol Jihoo and Seonghoo both lowered their spears into stance. With that, Ugly Humility kicked his mount’s flank, signaling the start of the second engagement.
Debased Chastity closed her mouth.
“Huuuh—”
With a breath, dense Purple Energy seeped forth, coalescing into roiling clouds. Riding the wind, it rushed forward and engulfed Seol Jihoo in an instant.
“Hmm?”
Debased Chastity’s brow lifted. She’d expected him to block, or at least dodge. Instead, he simply took it head-on?
Her face stiffened the moment after. As the mist dispersed, Seol Jihoo stood untouched.
Wrapped in such venomous vapor, he should have been reduced to a smear of blood.
Upon closer inspection, a brilliant sheen danced across his body. Who’d cast a Protection Spell was obvious without asking.
‘Lust Star!’
Click—the sharp sound escaped as Seol Jihoo pinched his nose, giggling.
“Ugh. Your breath reeks.”
“……What?”
“Your breath stinks, I’m saying. With halitosis that foul, how could any client ever adore you? You lack professional pride.”
Debased Chastity’s hair rose, then settled with a soft rustling sound.
“That mouth of yours, truly.”
Her eye corners curved beautifully as she spoke in a seductive purr, her smile sultry and full of promise.
“Makes me want to kiss you, doesn’t it?”
Debased Chastity’s pupils dilated vertically, tearing upward. The moment their eyes met, her irises flared with an eerie light.
In the next instant, Seol Jihoo’s vision convulsed. The acrid battlefield melted like wax, leaving only vibrant, gorgeous hues flooding the void.
The indescribable world seemed to beckon him forward, and Seol Jihoo’s eyes grew dim as he stared without end.
When he staggered forward in a daze, Undying Diligence—who had been catching his breath until now—lifted his blood-soaked face slightly.
“So mental attacks were the weakness… well done.”
He bared his reddened fangs and charged toward the swaying Seol Jihoo like a thunderbolt.
“I’ll kill you!”
“Wait! He’s my collecti—”
Debased Chastity’s frown deepened, then she abruptly fell silent. Seol Jihoo’s steps had come to an unexpected halt. Most strange of all, his mouth was still smiling.
“Stop!”
As the target slid smoothly out of the way, Undying Diligence’s talons tore through empty air. Seol Jihoo lost his balance and thrust his spear toward the enemy’s back as he passed.
The spear plunged through the back and pierced the heart, erupting from the other side. It was the fourth fatal wound he’d dealt in a single day.
“Hack—!”
Only then did Undying Diligence realize it had been an illusion. He kicked off the ground by instinct, and the moment the spear withdrew, fury consumed him at the realization of his deception.
“You bastard.”
But the moment he turned around, he found himself receiving dozens of Golden Sword Qi strikes like a carpet bombing. As they rained down and exploded, he let out a pitiful shriek.
“…You’re having quite a bit of fun playing, aren’t you?”
Debased Chastity, who had been watching with a vacant expression, spread her bat wings and soared into the air.
“How did you manage it? Setting aside your mental fortitude—it’s impossible to resist my seduction without experiencing suffering or a despair equal to death.”
Her voice carried a hint of irritation. She’d expected entertainment from this reconnaissance, only to find herself toyed with instead. Seol Jihoo twirled his spear and kept his eyes on her above.
Debased Chastity’s eyes narrowed.
“You, sir—when a lady asks a question, you should answer her.”
“I’m no gentleman.”
Seol Jihoo tilted his head.
“And you’re not a lady either.”
“?”
“Far from it. You’re nothing but a whore.”
Debased Chastity’s expression turned venomous. Her hair rose strand by strand toward the sky, rippling and swaying.
“That’s it—!”
With a hissing sound, hundreds and thousands of hairs shot up in all directions, rigid as needles. Then they stretched like taffy, arced gracefully, and surged toward Seol Jihoo in unison.
Seol Jihoo clicked his tongue and began crossing his spear through the air. The Spear Thrust erupted with ferocious momentum, carving sharp, howling winds.
‘What—’
A handful of pointed hairs tangled in the wind current and shredded to pieces. But it was only the beginning.
Moments later, a keening blade-wind encircled Seol Jihoo, forming a barrier. The countless hairs that charged like whips bounced off without ever reaching him, or snapped apart entirely.
‘Impossible.’
On the surface, it appeared simple enough, but the reality was far more complex.
To swing a spear and artificially generate wind, then seed thousands of spear-strikes infused with Soma’s power into each current—the sheer consumption of energy required was incomprehensible. Even Debased Chastity couldn’t easily fathom it.
Though she hated to admit it, the thought flickered across her mind that this irritating human’s power might rival that of a legion commander.
The truth was, though his magical power had risen to the highest tier, that alone wasn’t the full explanation.
The ancient spirit beings and spiritual plants that Seo Yoo-hee had fed Seol Jihoo on Big Stone Rock Mountain were only now beginning to truly exert their strength.
The majority of their essence, which hadn’t been fully digested and had been slumbering in his muscles and meridians until now, responded to the state he’d reached through his Future Sense, all of it drawn forth and lending him power.
Thus, each time he expended magical power, Spiritual Qi erupted explosively, amplifying his strength. A sensation as if his entire body were boiling over, about to be burned through, dominated him completely.
Yet it applied only to his power—his body, which wielded the magic directly, remained unchanged.
Suddenly, thin rivulets of blood spurted from his nose, but Seol Jihoo paid it no mind. The moment he’d dumped all his body points into magical power, he’d abandoned any hope of his body remaining intact.
Debased Chastity ceased her attack and withdrew her hair. Seol Jihoo maintained his slashing defense.
With that, the offensive initiative had shifted. Seol Jihoo slowly raised his arm as if to unleash the wind itself.
Engulfed in that impossible gale? The mere thought made her shudder. Debased Chastity moved her wings frantically, ascending higher and higher. Then came the moment—
“Screeeeeeeeeee!”
A wail struck her ears. Debased Chastity’s expression, as she looked down from above, turned bitter.
Undying Diligence was being torn apart in a tempest of spear strikes. And Seol Jihoo had already turned his back toward him.
Tricked again. Flames ignited in Debased Chastity’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Undying Diligence was on the verge of losing his mind entirely. His heart was pierced and destroyed once more, Golden Sword Qi barbs riddled his entire body, and already staggering, he was now being shredded by relentless slashes.
He needed to heal the fatal wound inflicted by the Union of Thunder Qi and Holy Water, yet given no moment to recover even a fraction, he felt rage upon rage ignite within.
Most of all, what infuriated him was the sheer malice with which every strike aimed precisely at his vital points.
Thump!
The spear embedded itself in his heart again. As Seol Jihoo twisted the shaft and poured Lightning Energy through it, a searing agony ravaged his insides.
Seol Jihoo regarded the convulsing Undying Diligence skewered on his spear with cold derision. Normally, this would be impossible, but he’d been fortunate.
Even after being sealed with countless barriers and spells, and after the dwarf had detonated Custom Thunder x100 in two separate waves for amplified effect, this creature still drew breath.
Small wonder that even the Parasite Queen had marveled at his tenacious vitality and granted him the title of the Undying.
She hadn’t even dared to hope for a serious wound, but thanks to Seonghoo’s quick thinking and clever support, she’d managed to inflict a fatal one.
After that, she pursued Undying Diligence relentlessly, using Debased Chastity to deceive and manipulate.
But one or two tricks were one thing—if the opponent wasn’t a complete fool, the same method wouldn’t work again.
Still, she had something to rely on. Because this wasn’t a 2:1 fight, it was 2:2. And Debased Chastity’s perfect counter was Lust Star.
A thick, heady fragrance suddenly engulfed her from behind. A wet sensation clung to her back, and slender limbs crossed before her like chains.
“You’re so obvious.”
Debased Chastity whispered in a venomous voice at her ear, her hair moving with predatory swiftness. It coiled around her suddenly trapped limbs. When Seol Jihoo shook his head to fling off the hair binding his arms, the spear pinning Undying Diligence came free with it.
Seol Jihoo released his Lightning Energy, and Debased Chastity countered with a flash of Purple Energy.
Debased Chastity rested her chin on Seol Jihoo’s shoulder just as he had done to her, her sensuous hands sliding across his chest. She placed her palm softly where his heart would be.
In the next instant, Seol Jihoo’s head snapped around.
“Watch your mouth—”
Debased Chastity couldn’t finish. Seol Jihoo’s jaws opened like a beast’s, his teeth descending like a hawk’s talons.
Crunch.
The sound of flesh tearing.
“Screeeech!”
Caught off guard, Debased Chastity shrieked. She jerked her head back, and her nose came away bloodied.
Through her widened eyes, she saw Seol Jihoo had bitten off the bridge of her nose.
“You—!”
All thoughts of collection fled. The moment she tightened her grip with lethal intent, brilliant light exploded from Seol Jihoo’s body—pure white fire that incinerated her hair completely.
Debased Chastity recoiled in horror, and light blazed down from the sky. In that instant, hundreds of stars rained down upon her.
The Starlight Requiem. What mattered was that she’d deployed a wide-range technique while maintaining the Cage of Light—which meant Seo Yoo-hee had shifted her focus entirely to supporting Seol Jihoo. That could only mean one thing: almost all of her own forces were annihilated.
Realizing this, Debased Chastity’s fury exploded.
“You damned bitch!”
The earth cracked wide, lava surging violently skyward.
In the tremor that shook heaven and earth, Seol Jihoo spat out the nose he’d been chewing. He caught his falling spear and drove it into the ground—but not toward Debased Chastity. The opposite direction.
As Seol Jihoo sprinted toward him through the erupting lava, dodging and weaving, Undying Diligence’s jaw fell open.
“Why always me!”
In that moment, he abandoned defense entirely. Gathering every last scrap of his focus on recovery, a bloody mist unfurled like wings behind him.
Seol Jihoo smirked. So the general wouldn’t drop his guard—fair enough. But wounds didn’t vanish just because he willed them to.
“Enough!”
He swung his bloodied arm in a wide arc, and Seol Jihoo’s form scattered like smoke. He vanished before her eyes, only to reappear in the air—and in that split second as she tilted her head back to track him.
“!”
Undying Diligence flinched. Without turning, he drove his elbow backward with all his strength.
Crack. The impact landed. It seemed Seol Jihoo had used Phantom Displacement consecutively—his neck was now positioned at the elbow strike, twisted ninety degrees.
“Ow. My neck hurts.”
But he simply rotated his face forward again, giggling as he wielded his spear.
“Disgusting bastard.”
“Who are you to talk!”
Undying Diligence roared with indignation, catching the descending spear-shaft and hurling it aside before throwing himself forward. The spear went flying, and man and vampire tangled together, rolling across the ground.
The moment they stopped, Seol Jihoo wrenched both hands down hard, but Undying Diligence frantically raised both palms to catch him.
A test of strength resumed. Their clasped hands trembled violently, their energies rising like dragons and tigers, intertwining and locking. It was a dog-fight—vicious and primal.
But Seol Jihoo didn’t panic. If anything, he welcomed it. This was his element, after all.
He’d fought like an animal, rolled through mud and filth if he had to, clung with savage desperation. That was how he’d survived, how he’d made it all the way to this final war.
“Damn it!”
Lying on his back, Undying Diligence glared up at Seol Jihoo looming over him with resentment in his eyes.
“What vendetta do we have that you’d go this far!”
It was a cry thick with grievance.
“Heh.”
Seol Jihoo chuckled. It was hardly the sort of thing a general should be saying—and coming from Undying Diligence especially, it was proof of just how far gone he was.
“Am I insane?”
Seol Jihoo bared his bloody teeth.
“You want me to look away while you face Debased Chastity, then come back fresh as a daisy? Scavenging corpses? Should I just sit here and watch?”
The accuracy of his words struck home—shame flickered across Undying Diligence’s face. Suddenly his mouth gaped wide, his tongue shooting up like a barbed spike aimed at the throat.
Clang! A white disc shield materialized before the throat at the last instant, blocking it.
“Done?”
Seol Jihoo smirked and suddenly drove his forehead down hard. His skull connected with the eye socket, and the world went black.
So he didn’t see the elbow falling viciously toward the mouth in the moment after the impact.
Crack!
“Ghughhhkkkk!”
Fangs and teeth alike scattered like gravel, and Undying Diligence’s eyes rolled back in agony.
No. There was no time to retreat. Because immediately after, he felt both hands forcing their way brutally into his mouth, clamping down with crushing strength and wrenching his jaws open. Undying Diligence shuddered violently.
And Seol Jihoo poured all his strength into it, spreading both arms wide to either side.
“Khhhghhhhhhhhhh!”
As flesh tore open with a sickening sound, Undying Diligence shrieked in anguish.
Seol Jihoo shook the scraps of meat from his hands, then immediately interlaced his fingers. He gathered all the energy in both hands and swiftly raised his arms high.
The moment his fists rose toward the sky, he drew upon every last ounce of strength and drove them down with all the force he could muster.
Toward the enemy’s chest.
Crunch-crunch-crunch—his hands caved in through the ribs and crushed the spine, finally striking the ground.
Boom!
As the earth shuddered, Undying Diligence’s body flew skyward with it.

(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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