The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 195

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

Episode 195. Neither Paradise nor Earth (1)

Shortly after his promotion to Upper Tier Rank, Seol Jihoo decided to hold off on using the Sacred Mark for now.
He had made some adjustments to his growth sequence following Jang Maldong’s advice.
Rather than pursue rapid advancement at the cost of setbacks, he would move forward deliberately, one careful step at a time.
For now, his priority was restoring his bodily senses and recuperating.
Recovering his diminished Stat Points was the most urgent matter.
Even if temporary, leaving things as they were risked a permanent decline.
So he resumed training with light exercise like running, and only then did Seol Jihoo understand why Jang Maldong had emphasized rest so heavily.
With sufficient recovery, his body had returned to a state capable of withstanding intense training, and day by day he began reclaiming his former abilities.
Of course, such rapid recovery owed greatly to Seo Yuhee’s devoted care.
Seol Jihoo had no idea, but in Paradise, Seo Yuhee was second to none when it came to wealth in restorative elixirs.
She invited him home every three or four days under the pretense of evening meals, feeding him all manner of precious delicacies to revitalize his body, and all of it became his blood and flesh.
Thanks to her efforts, his complexion grew rosier with each passing day, and the muscle and mass lost during his convalescence returned.
Today was no exception.
The moment his training ended, Seol Jihoo fell right into Seo Yuhee’s waiting trap, and was now contentedly devouring a table laden with nourishing dishes so abundant the legs nearly buckled.
Munch, munch, munch—
Seo Yuhee watched him eat with beads of sweat rolling down his face, her gaze deep and tender, when something suddenly clouded her eyes.
Should I say something or not?
After hesitating for a long while, she finally spoke carefully.
“Um… Jihoo?”
Seol Jihoo, whose face was nearly buried in his plate, snapped his head up.
“Yes?”
“Well… you know.”
Seo Yuhee fumbled through her words.
“The gift you gave me—where did you buy it?”
“Oh, at the department store. For you, I bought it at the Victoria boutique. The sizing’s precise there and they have a wide variety of styles. And the designs are pretty too.”
‘For me specifically?’
Seo Yuhee barely suppressed the urge to ask for clarification.
A thought flickered—’Could it be…?’—but she quashed the suspicion with ‘Surely not.’
Though they say suspicion has killed many.
Regardless, his expression was so innocently confused as he tilted his head that she found herself even more reluctant to voice her real thoughts.
“That so? You must have had a hard time. Finding the right… size must’ve been difficult.”
“Not at all. I know the inventory at pretty much every foreign lingerie shop in this country.”
Seol Jihoo spoke with the pride of a company executive boasting about being fluent in Chinese.
“I… see. How impressive.”
Seo Yuhee managed an answer.
Pleased by the praise, Seol Jihoo smiled again before suddenly asking, “Why? Does it not fit well? Do you dislike it?”
“No… not exactly… it’s just a bit snug, I think.”
At that instant, all the confidence draining from Seol Jihoo’s face crumbled away.
“That can’t be right.”
‘That can’t be right?’
What was she supposed to make of that?
“I was especially careful with yours. I considered everything and chose what would be optimal…”
His flustered voice trailed on.
Seo Yuhee closed her eyes for a moment.
The truth was, it did fit snugly.
Only very slightly, though—nothing worth worrying over.
Everything else passed with flying colors.
The color and design were tasteful, and the shaping was especially excellent, providing considerable relief for her lower back pain.
That part she’d grown quite fond of.
So she’d wanted to ask.
‘Where did you get it?’ Or, ‘How did you know my size?’ and such.
And most importantly, ‘Why did you buy me lingerie?’
“I’m sorry… I should have asked first…”
Good grief.
He says he should have asked first.
Seo Yuhee stared at the deflated Seol Jihoo with an expression that asked whether he was serious.
I’d reached the point where I wondered if she was just messing with me.
“How did you train her like that? At least teach her properly….”
I trailed off into muttering, dropping my gaze.
A sigh rose from deep in my chest.
‘How am I supposed to make her into a proper person….’

While I focused on recovery training, my teammates began returning one by one.
Marcel Gionea was the first to come back.
True to his word, he’d returned to Paradise in exactly two weeks.
Next came the Lee siblings—Lee Seol-ah and Lee Seongjin.
And by sheer coincidence, the last teammate appeared on the very day I’d brought my physical condition to its peak.
The one who returned last wasn’t Hugo, but Cho Hong.
Having arrived late at night, she thoughtfully distributed gifts from a European tour she’d apparently performed.
Cho Hong received the gift Seol Jihoo offered in return and entered the quarters with a beaming face, only to emerge just as quickly looking rather deflated.
Pisora, who’d been sitting on the sofa drinking beer, noticed Cho Hong’s visible concern as she watched Seol Jihoo cheerfully chatting with Hugo, and had little trouble guessing she’d received the same gift.
“Hey. The stuff you gave—it’s really good quality. The way it hugs the area is something else. Incredibly soft.”
“Right? Right? Hugo’s a warrior, so I thought about elasticity and durability.”
It looked like she’d given Hugo the same thing.
Pisora, who’d been quietly tasting her drink, suddenly noticed Lee Seongjin sitting across from her.
“Lee Seongjin.”
At my quiet call, Lee Seongjin’s eyes flickered toward me.
“…Yes?”
His voice was lukewarm.
“Did you also…”
“Underwear.”
Lee Seongjin answered before I could finish.
Pisora’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“You too?”
Lee Seongjin nodded.
“I mean… I was grateful to receive them. It doesn’t seem like they were just for me.”
“Wait. So then…”
Pisora’s brow furrowed.
Her thoughts suddenly turned to Lee Seol-ah.
‘Even so…’
Different gender aside, she was a high school student.
Eighteen years old—at such a sensitive age.
Could she really be that thoughtless?
“My sister got running shoes.”
My lingering suspicions evaporated in an instant.
“Running shoes?”
“Yes. Track shoes. He said he wasn’t sure what would suit her, so he switched to running shoes instead….”
Lee Seongjin spoke plainly.
So she wasn’t completely thoughtless after all—she’d drawn the line where it mattered.
Pisora felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Though she wasn’t entirely sure why she felt relieved.
It was then that Cho Hong, who’d been quiet until now, spoke up.
“Hey. Speaking of which—did you get promoted?”
Seol Jihoo hesitated.
He’d kept it secret, planning to brag about it tomorrow morning.
He hadn’t expected her to bring it up first.
“Why do you look so shocked? You’re Level 4, and if you’ve built up that kind of record, you should obviously get promoted. Did you?”
Seol Jihoo reluctantly confirmed it.
“Yeah… I did.”
For some reason, Hugo flinched at that.
Cho Hong pressed further.
“I knew you would. What’s your new job title?”
Seol Jihoo straightened his neck and spine.
“Nothing special. Spear of Nemesis.”
“What? What kind of spear?”
Cho Hong blinked, clearly puzzled.
While most knew the job titles that came with reaching Upper Tier Rank, the name Spear of Nemesis was entirely new to her.
Cho Hong, who’d been glancing around the room, spotted Jang Maldong sitting quietly and asked him.
“Elder. I’ve never heard of that job title before. Is it a Named Job?”
‘A Named Job?’
“That would be the way to look at it.”
Jang Maldong spoke softly.
“Hey. Pull up your status window. Let’s just see the job title.”
Cho Hong approached, uncertain.
When Seol Jihoo opened his job title without understanding why, the team crowded around.
“No way….”
Cho Hong, who had leaned in close, drew back her head and let out a whistle.
Her expression carried a hint of envy.
“What’s a Named Job anyway?”
“A Named Job is… you could say it’s similar to a Unique Job. In other words….”
“It’s a distinct profession that a god bestows upon a specially chosen Earthian.”
When Cho Hong struggled to explain, Pisora spoke up instead.
“The difference is that a god’s hand reaches deeper into it—taking into account the Earthian’s nature, their actions, and so forth. And….”
She paused briefly before continuing.
“It matters greatly as the stage leading toward becoming a Leader.”
“A Leader?”
“Among both the dead and the living. Every single Leader ever selected has possessed a Named Job without exception. At least, that’s been true so far.”
Pisora, speaking with unusual care despite her nature, added further.
“To put it simply, it’s the stage where you’ve received the god’s seal of approval. Though receiving a Named Job doesn’t guarantee you’ll become a Leader.”
…….
“Just look at Agnes. Though no one knows what will happen when she reaches Level 7.”
“Isn’t a Named Job supposed to come at Level 6?”
Cho Hong, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked. Pisora shrugged.
“If you go by the cases we know, that seems to be true, but honestly I’m not sure myself. There’s no guarantee it’s always that way—it could be up to the god’s whim. Besides, he’s an Irregular.”
“But even among Irregulars….”
Cho Hong, still muttering with a tone of disbelief, dragged her fingers roughly through her hair. “Ugh.”
For some reason, the atmosphere seemed to grow heavier, so Seol Jihoo opened his mouth casually.
“It’s nothing special anyway. Who knows what’ll happen next.”
And he deliberately poked at Marcel Gionea.
“Speaking of which, what happened with Marcel Gionea? Upper Tier Rank?”
“I stopped by to check on the way back, but apparently his Official Record is lacking.”
Marcel Gionea spoke matter-of-factly.
“Official Record—surely from this war-.”
“No.”
The Archer shook his head slowly.
“The criteria for accumulating Official Record are strictly performance-based. It’s not awarded simply for participating in the war—it depends on how much you actually contributed.”
It was a fair point, so Seol Jihoo could accept it.
“With the Seven Great Armies appearing and me taken prisoner the whole time, there wasn’t much I could contribute….”
“Me too.”
Hugo also groaned in a despondent voice.
“My Experience Points and Official Record are both short, and Ira says I should raise my Intelligence first. That bastard.”
Hugo clenched his fist, and Cho Hong expressed deep sympathy.
“Right. A so-called Upper Tier warrior like you—how could a muscle-head possibly measure up?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You went from Priest to Warrior because your head’s too thick-.”
“Sure~. Next stop, Level 4~.”
“…you bitch!”
“Shame on you. You just got here and you’re already being passed up?”
“You got passed up too!”
“Better than being the one overtaken. And you didn’t know Upper Tier ranks hit a plateau naturally?”
…….
Hugo had nothing to say; his lips trembled and he whimpered.
Cho Hong laughed and linked arms with Seol Jihoo, speaking up.
“Anyway, our Leader’s made it to Upper Tier. We can’t just let this slide.”
“What are you planning now?”
Jang Maldong asked worriedly, and Cho Hong snorted.
“What else? Obviously a celebration party. You’re coming too, Elder. Let’s get absolutely hammered for once.”
“You bastard. You didn’t even become one yourself, yet here you are catching a case.”
Jang Maldong had struck a nerve.
“Aw, come on. What celebration party? You’re embarrassing me.”
Seol Jihoo laughed awkwardly, and Cho Hong grabbed his arm with a sudden yank.
“Don’t you dare back out. I’m treating everyone to a real spread tonight!”
Hugo’s head snapped up at that.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“No takesies backsies.”
“I know what you’re like. And besides, you’re not the guest of honor tonight.”
“You just made a huge mistake. A very huge one.”
Hugo saw his chance for revenge and bolted out the door.
Cho Hong clicked her tongue and dragged Seol Jihoo’s arm up with a shout.
“Alright! Let’s go, people!”
The office erupted into chaos.
Watching one person after another follow Seol Jihoo and Cho Hong, Jang Maldong rose from his seat with a wry smile.

Despite the late hour, the crowd ate, drank, and made a ruckus.
The moment Seol Jihoo entered, the room fell deathly quiet.
But only for a moment—soon murmurs rippled through the space, growing louder as people began to chatter again.
Though he noticed people standing up to get a better look at him, Seol Jihoo paid no mind and headed toward the table Hugo had reserved.
Then he stopped short, staring blankly at the log table packed solid with bottles.
Even Pisora, a hardened Paradisean, looked taken aback.
And Cho Hong was the one most stunned of all.
“You crazy bastard?”
“You said you’d pay for everything, didn’t you?”
Hugo, who had already drained one bottle, giggled.
“The bill’s gonna hit hard—might wanna shed some tears~.”
“You maniac—you better finish every single drop.”
“Oh yeah? I’ll drink it all, even if I have to stay awake four days and nights straight, so don’t you dare run.”
“Damn it. Fine. Let’s do this tonight. Eat, drink, and die.”
Cho Hong rolled up her sleeves and sat down.
And so Seol Jihoo’s promotion celebration began in earnest.
Everyone who mattered was here.
With war itself as such abundant entertainment, Seol Jihoo lost track of time, drinking and savoring the stories.
Sharp glances kept pricking at his awareness throughout, but he paid them no heed and kept his focus on the conversation.
By the time dawn broke.
“Come to think of it, everyone here should probably bow to you, shouldn’t they?”
After downing dozens of bottles, Hugo set down his drink with a thud, speaking with a heaviness he hadn’t shown before.
“No way—right? Honestly, if it wasn’t for you—huh? Isn’t that right?”
“That’s not true. We all fought together. Paradiseans and Earthians alike, all our strength combined.”
“Still, if it wasn’t for you, we’d have been completely wiped out!”
“I got it. I got it, so please be quiet. Please.”
Even with his tongue thick, Hugo raised his voice, so Seol Jihoo quickly tried to hush him.
Regardless of right or wrong, it simply embarrassed him.
“I’m just saying—that street festival was something else. The real hero was wandering death’s door, but those little shits were having the time of their lives.”
“Exactly! That’s exactly what I’m saying!”
Cho Hong chimed in, and Hugo bobbed his head vigorously, slapping the table repeatedly.
“This guy’s already drunk.”
Cho Hong let out a snort of derision.
“And you’re one to talk. When you think about it, you got knocked flat on your ass with one punch too.”
“Hold on!”
Bang! Hugo brought both fists down hard on the table.
That wasn’t enough—he pushed aside the mountain of bottles and hoisted himself up onto the tabletop, then loomed over Cho Hong like he was about to devour her, barking like a dog.
“I—huh? If I was just Upper Tier Rank—huh? Then a lousy Immortal Diligent like that—huh? But—what? Ira, you son of a—!”
He couldn’t even string words together, rambling incoherently.
His face flushed red as he bellowed wildly, looking exactly like a drunk dog, which made Cho Hong clap her hands and laugh outright.
Jang Maldong sighed.
“Good heavens….”
Watching him shake his head in disapproval, Seol Jihoo smiled bitterly too.
That was when it happened.
“And listen, wait—if it weren’t for our Seol, wait—you wouldn’t even be here right now—!”
“Christ, that’s rich.”
A crude voice cut through the air without warning.
Seol Jihoo’s eyes narrowed in an instant, sliding sideways toward the source of the sound.
“So that’s how it is, huh.”
Three or four men who looked to be in their mid-twenties were sitting at a nearby table, watching them.
“Hey there. How about you dial back the bluster, yeah? And keep it down while you drink, would you? Thanks?”

(To be continued)

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