The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 185

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

Episode 185. To Earth

A dry cough echoed through the room.
Jang Maldong stood in the doorway, gazing out at distant mountains that weren’t really there.
“It seems a bit quieter now… would it be alright if I came in?”
“Ah. Yes, yes!”
Seo Yuhee scrambled to her feet.
In an instant she fled like a new bride caught in an intimate moment with her father-in-law, while Cho Hong and Teresa filed out with satisfied smiles.
“I wasn’t asking you to leave.”
Jang Maldong, tilting his head in confusion, settled into a chair and removed his fedora.
Seol Jihoo greeted him with a smile.
“Welcome.”
“Yes. I tell you, I couldn’t find a spare moment.”
As Jang Maldong grumbled under his breath, Seol Jihoo nodded in agreement.
“The tooth extraction hit hard and fast.”
“How’s your body holding up?”
“No issues. My Physical Score did drop, but they say it’s temporary—proper rest and nutrition should fix it.”
“That’s a relief.”
Jang Maldong’s tone was gruff.
Yet Seol Jihoo remembered what Cho Hong had muttered to herself earlier, and a small smile crossed his face.
After a brief silence, Jang Maldong spoke.
“I know it’s tedious to hear, but… you did well. Your victory in Aden Gorge is an achievement worthy of legend. You truly went above and beyond.”
“Haha. A legend? You’re being too kind.”
“I’m speaking plainly. Since the Seven Great Armies were born, no one has ever done what you did. What else would you call that if not a legend?”
Seol Jihoo, realizing the old man wasn’t wrong, simply scratched his cheek sheepishly.
“True, time has dulled it somewhat, but back then your name was on everyone’s lips wherever you went. Even now, children know your name. Not just humanity—the Federation speaks of you, and so do the Parasites.”
Watching Jang Maldong’s perpetually calm demeanor, it didn’t seem like he was only offering praise.
He couldn’t be certain, but there seemed to be another layer to his words.
Was it his imagination that he sounded worried?
…But then again, the bare facts spoke for themselves: a Level 4 Warrior had annihilated an Army Commander.
The First Commander, no less—the very apex of the Seven Great Armies.
If this phenomenon itself was lumped together as a single choice, then what consequences might follow was something even Seol Jihoo could not foresee.
‘Could be good, could be bad.’
“Let’s go.”
Jang Maldong rose from his chair.
Seol Jihoo’s eyes widened.
“You’re leaving already?”
“Speaking words you don’t mean? Look at those tired eyes.”
Jang Maldong let out a dry chuckle.
“Just joking. I know your body isn’t fully recovered yet, but I wanted to share a few words anyway.”
“Master!”
Seol Jihoo quickly called out to stop Jang Maldong as he turned to leave.
Two eyes met his, and in them swirled a terrible conflict.
It wasn’t that he’d forgotten.
He’d only buried it deep in his heart.
Whether the others had already forgotten or deliberately kept silent, Seol Jihoo didn’t know—but suddenly he felt compelled to unburden himself of what he carried inside.
To no one but Jang Maldong.
“It’s about Ian…”
Jang Maldong’s expression hardened slightly.
But that was all.
“Yes.”
He worked his jaw.
“I know.”
He spoke flatly.
‘Of course.’
Even though he’d suspected it, Seol Jihoo’s chest tightened.
His lips twisted into a grimace.
“I’m sorry.”
“…What?”
Hearing what sounded like an apology, Seol Jihoo continued in a subdued voice.
“Because of me… Ian passed away. He was protecting me….”
Jang Maldong lowered his head.
He closed his eyes tightly, and only after a long silence did he speak again.
“What was he like… just before the end?”
He didn’t pause for an answer, pressing on immediately.
“Did he express regret?”
And he shook his head.
“He wouldn’t have. That wasn’t his way—never to do anything he’d regret. That’s what I believe.”
[I… don’t regret this.]
Ian’s words flashed across his mind.
Seol Jihoo’s face had gone vacant.
“And I don’t know if this will comfort you, but you’ve already—”
Jang Maldong trailed off, unable to finish.
Seol Jihoo was staring at him with an expression so strange and ineffable that he couldn’t continue.
“What is it?”
“…He’s gone.”
Seol Jihoo murmured as if entranced.
Jang Maldong’s brow furrowed.
“I know that. That’s not what I meant.”
“Of course I know he returned to Earth. But I can’t meet him again in Paradise anymore.”
……
“And I can’t be sure what will happen to him on Earth either.”
Seol Jihoo’s face crumpled.
“Are you… sad?”
“You.”
Jang Maldong opened his mouth, then closed it abruptly.
And then—
“…Yes, I’m sad. I regret what happened.”
He managed to admit it.
“Let’s stop talking about this. Get some rest.”
Jang Maldong pulled his fedora low over his face.
He felt the sharp stare boring into his back but said nothing, simply turning to leave.
He closed the door with a soft click and drew a short breath.
‘That boy.’
A shadow of concern crossed his weathered face.
‘Surely not to this extent….’
He’d known that Seol Jihoo’s attachment to Paradise was different from that of most Earthians.
But he’d never imagined it went this deep.
After hearing what had just been said, a chill ran down his spine.
‘Keeping him alive….’
It had been the right choice.
A sudden, overwhelming certainty gripped him: if he’d let Ian face death and then chosen resurrection, he would never have seen Seol Jihoo again.
Because, because….
[Because I love it.]
[Wealth and fame—there’s nothing wrong with wanting those. But that’s not why I come to Paradise.]
[It’s where I belong.]
[It’s where I got a second chance at life… and honestly, I can’t think of any other word for it but ‘love.’]
Words he’d heard long ago suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Seol Jihoo’s answer when asked why he came to Paradise.
Now he understood the true meaning of those words.
Though he couldn’t say when it had started, the recent conversation had made one thing certain.
Seol Jihoo was.
[I can’t meet him again in Paradise anymore.]
[Are you… sad?]
A Paradise addict.
A severe one at that.

A few days later, Seol Jihoo was finally able to leave the intensive care unit.
Of course, the process wasn’t entirely smooth.
On the day of discharge, Seo Yuhee fussed over needing to perform a final examination, which kept him pinned down at the hospital well into the afternoon.
As a result, he couldn’t properly enjoy the discharge celebration party, and the moment he returned to the familiar office, exhaustion swept over him and he collapsed into sleep.
The next morning, Jang Maldong convened a team meeting in his capacity as instructor.
“Congratulations on your discharge, Leader.”
Marcel Gionea bowed deeply as Seol Jihoo appeared, offering both hands with respect.
In his grip sat a single block of tofu, wrapped in a translucent plastic bag.
As Seol Jihoo stared at it, Marcel Gionea spoke with absolute confidence.
“In the Republic of Korea, there is a tradition of giving tofu to an acquaintance upon their discharge from the hospital, is there not? I prepared it as a congratulatory gift.”
A flicker of distaste crossed Seol Jihoo’s face.
“Who told you that?”
“I saw it in a film. A scene where a foolish but fiercely loyal subordinate handed tofu to his organization’s newly discharged boss.”
“…I’m curious—what happened in the next scene?”
“The boss struck his subordinate hard on the back of the head, but ultimately did eat a bite. I suspect he was embarrassed.”
Lee Seol-ah’s muffled laughter could be heard.
‘This guy too.’
He’d been delighted to find someone as sharp and quick as Kazuki, but this man seemed to harbor a streak of earnest foolishness.
Yet Seol Jihoo took a bite of the tofu without complaint.
“Thank you.”
A smile bloomed at the corners of his mouth.
It was a genuine smile of joy, not a forced one.
Watching everyone gather on the sofa in a cozy huddle stirred something in Seol Jihoo’s chest.
Jang Maldong, Cho Hong, Hugo, Lee Seol-ah, Lee Seongjin, Marcel Gionea… faces he’d seen every day, ordinary moments that shouldn’t have mattered, and yet an inexplicable warmth welled up inside him.
At last.
At last he’d returned to his everyday life.
‘Wait. Now that I think about it…’
It was then that he suddenly realized one person was missing.
“It looks like we’re all here,” Jang Maldong’s voice rang out.
Before Seol Jihoo could ask where the missing person had gone, the main topic emerged.
“Speaking plainly—don’t you all think it’s about time to head back?”
Seol Jihoo’s head snapped around.
“I knew you were going to say that.”
Cho Hong stretched with a groan.
Seol Jihoo asked quickly.
“Haven’t you all already been back while I was lying here?”
“Well, it’s not like nobody went, and there was talk of splitting shifts—two weeks on, two weeks off, that sort of thing…”
Cho Hong shrugged.
“It just felt weird leaving you alone, you know? So I kept putting it off.”
“I had no idea when you’d wake up…”
“But you did wake up. Anyway, we’ve been through a lot, and it’s been a long time since we went back. It’s time we made a trip.”
“I’m in too. Fair warning—this time I’m planning to stay longer. I’ve got travel plans lined up.”
Hugo added his piece.
“Seol-ah and Seongjin and I as well…”
Lee Seol-ah and Lee Seongjin nodded as if they’d been waiting for this.
“I believe I’ll need around two weeks.”
Marcel Gionea agreed simply.
The way they spoke, as though returning was a foregone conclusion and an established current, left Seol Jihoo bewildered.
Jang Maldong, who had been watching Seol Jihoo intently, opened his mouth.
“Jihoo. What about you?”
“Yes?”
“Why not take a long trip like Hugo—maybe a vacation. Your body needs proper rest anyway. A month or so.”
“A month?”
Seol Jihoo’s eyes widened.
“Consider it this way. A month here equals… three months in Paradise. Isn’t that too long? Especially for that person…”
Fortunately, Cho Hong came to Seol Jihoo’s defense.
Jang Maldong tapped his walking stick against the floor and spoke again.
“Then how about two weeks before you return?”
Cho Hong seemed unbothered and said nothing further, but Seol Jihoo still looked reluctant.
“Two weeks is still…”

Jang Maldong’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“From what Kim Hanna told me, you haven’t even established a proper foothold on Earth yet. There are still plenty of uncertainties.”
‘Why is he saying something so pointless.’
Seol Jihoo bit the inside of his cheek.
“Well, even if that’s true, two weeks is too long. I don’t really feel the need to go right now.”
“Is there some pressing business keeping you here?”
Seol Jihoo’s eyes darted around.
“Well, for one thing, I should thank all the people who came to visit me while I was recovering.”
“It’s debatable whether that’s necessary, and it’s something you can do later anyway. I know your circumstances perfectly well.”
“I’d like to visit the Temple too.”
“You can go there later. Besides, with your Higher Rank Promotion coming up, you need time to think about your future path.”
“I need to recover my Physical Stats quickly. At Big Stone Rock Mountain.”
“I’m returning to Earth myself.”
“Even if it’s alone.”
“Didn’t you say that rest and proper nutrition were the priority?”
Seol Jihoo fell silent.
Jang Maldong continued in a patient, soothing tone, as if coaxing a stubborn child.
“You’ve been discharged, but your body still isn’t fully recovered. If you push yourself in this condition, there’s a greater risk that temporary decline becomes permanent. Now is the time to rest.”
Unable to think of any rebuttal, Seol Jihoo merely worked his lips.
Part of him wanted to just cry out that he didn’t want to go back.
In the sudden heavy silence that fell, the sound of Jang Maldong letting out a short sigh could be heard.
“…A week.”
Still, Seol Jihoo didn’t answer.
“Surely you’re not saying even seven days is too much?”
Only then did the other team members begin to turn their attention to Seol Jihoo.
As gazes poured in from all directions, the young man roughly scratched the back of his head.
He didn’t understand in the slightest why they were looking at him as if he were strange—but ultimately, realizing he had no choice but to yield, he dropped his gaze.
“…Understood.”

Jang Maldong, proving the saying that you should strike while the iron is hot, proposed they return to Earth that very day.
In fact, Jang Maldong had rarely forced anything until now, but this time there was an undeniable sense of pressure being applied subtly.
He even went with Seol Jihoo to the Temple.
Seol Jihoo felt as though he were being properly sent back—or perhaps even being monitored.
As they made their way to the Temple, Jang Maldong suddenly spoke.
“Where do you live?”
“Yes? Oh, Seoul.”
“Seoul is a big place. You don’t live all over it.”
“…Seodaemun-gu Hongeun-dong.”
“Seodaemun-gu, I see.”
Jang Maldong nodded, his head tilting slightly as he continued.
“That’s close to Hongik University Station.”
“That’s right. It’s about fifteen minutes by bus.”
“Good, then. Now that I think about it, there’s a restaurant near Exit 8 of Hongik University Station that makes excellent grilled pork belly.”
“?”
“If you get the chance, try going there. It’s really delicious.”
Seol Jihoo wore a bewildered expression.
It was certainly an unexpected remark, but given Jang Maldong’s nature, he wouldn’t suggest going somewhere without a reason.
Yet no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t discern the intention.
Shortly after, the two arrived at the Portal within the Temple.
Jang Maldong stopped before the altar, telling him to go in first.
Seol Jihoo offered a brief farewell and quietly climbed the steps.
And just as he was placing one foot on the Warp Gate—
“Seol-ah.”
A tepid voice from behind suddenly caught at his heels.
“I truly am grateful for what you did this time, and I think you’ve shown real promise.”
“Yes?”
“But this world is not where you belong.”
Seol Jihoo’s body, already half-turned to leave, came to a complete stop at those words.
“Don’t forget.”
Don’t forget.
“Where you belong is Earth.”
[Where you belong is here.]
“…….”
Seol Jihoo pulled his foot back from the Warp Gate and quietly slid it inside once more.
Then, as if he hadn’t heard, he surrendered his body to the Portal.
It was his third return to Earth.

(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
—————