The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 24

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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 24. Bursting Potential

“Interesting news, then?”
“That man might not belong to Shinyoung after all.”
Agnes’s smile faltered at Chin Siia’s blunt assessment.
“That can’t be. Kim Hanna was clearly—”
“Miss Foxy does belong to Shinyoung. But here’s what matters: that gold seal didn’t come from Shinyoung in the first place.”
“What?”
“According to my investigation, Gula’s temple bestowed it upon her.”
Agnes lowered her head deeply and cast her eyes down—an old habit whenever her thoughts grew tangled and she needed to gather them.
“Seong Sihyun vanishes, and then an identical gold mark appears. Don’t you smell something fishy?”
……
“Of course, I can’t say for certain. But even if Miss Foxy were to guide him into Shinyoung, it wouldn’t concern us. We’re not quite allies with Shinyoung, but you could say we maintain cordial relations.”
Agnes lifted her chin. Her eyes gleamed with an intensity that seemed at odds with her usually taciturn demeanor.
“Then—”
“I’ll handle Maria. She won’t object.”
“Are you truly certain? Once I commit to something, I must pour everything into it—that’s simply how I’m made.”
“Then I’ll return that same sentiment, Agnes. You’ll need to give it your all.”
Chin Siia’s eyes grew sharp and calculating.
“Seong Sihyun was marked in gold and an Irregular, but so is this man. The conditions are identical. The only difference from two years ago is the instructor—or perhaps does it matter that ‘The One Who Leads’ taught Seong Sihyun directly?”
Chin Siia caught the flinch that crossed Agnes’s face and didn’t miss it.
“If you’re confident, give it a try. Show me the reputation of Sicily’s Devil Instructor, who conquered the South.”
“If that man becomes a formidable enemy later and stands in our path, I ask that you don’t resent me for it.”
Agnes offered a respectful bow and then slipped away without a sound.
“…Hmm. Did I provoke her too much?”
Chin Siia exhaled a thin plume of smoke and chuckled softly.

[Running 4 (Remaining Attempts ∞/∞)]
Circle the track until you collapse from exhaustion!
Difficulty: Basic
Success: Survival Points +10
Failure: —
*Cooperation impossible

Huff-huff, ha-ha. Huff-huff, ha-ha.
Seol breathed as Seol Seoil had advised, running the track in a state of thoughtless meditation. She’d long since stopped counting how many laps she’d done. She simply ran until she collapsed, as instructed.
At some point, she no longer even noticed the improvement in her body. There was only one reason to train herself to death: to win against herself, exactly as she was doing now.
Maintaining maximum speed, she felt as though she’d circled the track dozens of times, yet there was no sign of an end—as if running across an endless ocean.
Of course, Seol’s stamina was not infinite. No matter how hard she pushed, eventually her limits caught up with her.
And then came the familiar temptations: that she’d done enough, that she should rest a moment before running again, that even a walk would help, that she should at least slow her pace—
As her breath came in ragged gasps, everything around her darkened. Each step grew agonizingly difficult. A massive wall seemed to block her vision—as if telling her: this is where you stop.
‘……’
Suddenly tears spilled over. She wanted to cry. The exhaustion was so overwhelming she wanted to cry. She knew it was pathetic, but if she just collapsed right here and wept openly, it felt as though it would lighten the suffocating weight in her chest.
Every other survivor was carrying out their tasks, so what was she doing? No one would ever know. And in truth, she regretted having come here at all.
“Urgh!”
She gritted her teeth and swallowed her tears. But each time the inner whisper tried to pull her down, a strange sense of déjà vu pricked at her consciousness.
She didn’t know why, but if she couldn’t overcome this now, she felt certain she would gamble again someday. The thought repulsed her more than death itself. She believed that wanting change while unable to win against yourself was nothing but greed.
It was this refusal to lose—to herself—that kept her from collapsing.
When she thought of surrendering to gambling’s intoxication, fury ignited. When she recalled letting her family down, making Seonhwa weep, her entire body trembled. She despised herself so much she wanted to tear open her own chest. That rage, that shame, transformed into fuel. It became a whip lashing her legs forward.
“Grrrraaaaaahhhhh!”
She thrust her arms forward. Her soles struck the earth with force.
As if scaling a wall, as if vaulting over a barrier.
Her legs leaped without stumbling; somehow they pounded the ground with power.
In that single moment, Seol was seized by a strange sensation. The wall that had felt so impenetrably sealed suddenly became—the instant her foot landed beyond it—a solid, firm foundation beneath her.
Seol moved her legs harder and finally tumbled onto the track. But desperate to keep running, she was still thrashing forward when a sudden wave of nausea rose up.
“Retch, blaaaah.”
After spilling tears mixed with bile for a time, Seol collapsed flat on her back and closed her eyes, wanting to savor just a moment longer the lingering euphoria that had just consumed her body.

[‘Basic’ mission completed successfully.]
[10 Survival Points awarded.]
[Survival Points: 2,840 SP]

Her palm, which had lain limp against the ground,

[‘Weak Will’ trait deleted.]
[Stamina Level rises from Low-Low to Low-Medium.]

clenched into a fist.

As the track vanished, a familiar scene came into view.
Summoned where she lay, Seol
“?”
tilted her head at the shadow cast over her chest.
As her vision slowly ascended, she caught sight of someone’s slender calves. Then a garter belt stretching across the inner thigh beneath the skirt. Moving deeper, a lace-trimmed cotton garment embroidered with a delicate teddy bear design, positioned to cover something intimate and precious….
“…Soft purple?”
With a short gasp, the legs hurriedly stepped back.
Such an adorable little bear, Seol thought with a nod — until she caught sight of Agnes’s spectacled gaze and froze in alarm. No, this person looked exactly like some stern head maid from an ancient, dignified family….
“My apologies. I hadn’t anticipated you’d be summoned while lying down.”
Agnes approached with a slight cough, abruptly offering a cup. Seol’s throat had been parched, so she accepted without thinking, relieved at the gesture. Cool refreshment traced down her esophagus in one smooth swallow. Feeling slightly revived, she braced herself on the ground and stood.
“Thank you. I was just—”
“That’s 10 points.”
It wasn’t free? As Seol opened her mouth to protest this coercion, a change rippled through her body that silenced her.
“Oh….”
The liquid, which had been cold on the way down, suddenly turned warm. It spread through every corner, gently caressing and loosening fatigue with a fresh, invigorating sensation. Rather than simply replenishing stamina, it felt like vitality slowly welling up and bubbling forth.
“What is this…?”
“Nothing special. Rest a bit, and you should be able to move your body adequately soon enough.”
Agnes paused, her eyes fixed on Seol.
“And though I understand your intentions, I’d advise against drinking Stamina Recovery Elixir again going forward.”
“Pardon?”
Seol was taken aback — not so much surprised that Agnes knew, but genuinely puzzled why she shouldn’t drink it.
“But I need to secure training time—”
“I confess, since taking on this instructorship, I never imagined I’d say such a thing.”
Agnes cut in, adjusting her glasses.
“You must reduce your training time as well.”
“Reduce my…training?”
“Precisely.”
Agnes affirmed as if she’d been waiting to say exactly this.
“Forgive my candor, but having watched you train over these past two weeks, you’ve crossed from disciplining your body into outright abuse. You rush relentlessly without allowing sufficient rest between sessions for your body to recover — pushing it with a brutality that borders on cruel.”
Confronted with such an unflinching assessment, Seol found herself at a loss for words.
“Of course, you’ve been artificially restoring your stamina with the elixir, but occasional use aside, regular consumption helps not at all. Rest is part of training. The more your exhausted body cycles through recovery, the faster that recovery becomes. Now is the time to teach your body natural regeneration.”
“I see….”
“Going forward, I’d recommend using items that support natural recovery over elixirs that replenish stamina in one go — beverages, bath salts, plants or scented candles to keep beside your bed while you sleep, and so on.”
Such aids will yield measurable benefits not only to stamina but also to strength, endurance, and agility, Agnes added.
Seol nodded numbly, her mind struggling to absorb so much information at once. She grasped that Agnes was offering sound advice, yet that teddy bear from earlier kept dancing before her eyes.
“If I may be so bold,”
Agnes, unaware of what occupied Seol’s thoughts, continued quietly.
“Would you grant me the honor of showing you around? Please.”
Those were the words she’d heard on her first day in the Neutral Zone. But this time, the tone carried a subtle difference.
“I’m the one who’s grateful.”
Seol didn’t refuse.
“There’s one more thing I’m curious about.”
As they climbed the stairs, Agnes spoke up.
“Why don’t you eat proper meals and subsist only on convenience store food? The dining hall is free for your use.”
The reproachful tone sounded almost like a scolding, so Seol scratched her cheek.
“Well… I didn’t want to waste time….”
“That won’t do. Eating is just as important as resting. Your body demands more calories, and if you persist with such meager food—”
Agnes shook her head with what seemed like genuine concern, then stopped in her tracks.
3rd Floor. Through the glass doors lay a spacious area outfitted with various equipment. Save for the absence of treadmills, it looked superior to any ordinary gym.
“Two weeks of running… and you’ve been taking a special Competence elixir daily, so you’ve essentially trained for about four months. I’d say your foundational Stamina Level is solid now.”
Only then could he be certain. Though she gave off a thoroughly professional impression, this maid clearly knew everything that happened in the Neutral Zone—and apparently had questionable taste in undergarments.
“Running alone won’t do. If you want to raise your physical capabilities across the board, it’s best to combine it with other training.”
Seol nodded in agreement. He’d already been thinking about incorporating other basic training besides running anyway. Agnes must have introduced him to this facility for the same reason. Though it certainly wouldn’t be free.
“How much does it cost?”
“Ten points a day, or fifty if you pay for a week upfront. Also—”
Agnes continued.
“If you want a trainer to help with your overall training, it’s one meal a day.”
Seol, who’d been listening intently, suddenly doubted his ears. Seeing his expression, Agnes hurried to add a clarification.
“The food in the Neutral Zone is really good, you know.”
The statement made little sense, but Seol chose to interpret it as her offering to help for free. The difference between having a trainer and not having one during exercise was significant.
Besides, Agnes seemed to be burning with some inexplicable enthusiasm. He activated his Nine Eyes just in case, but no color appeared. It didn’t seem like anything harmful.
After thinking it over for a moment, Seol spoke up.
“Is it possible that other maids could help me the way you do?”
Agnes tilted her head.
“It’s not impossible, but… am I not to your liking?”
“Oh, no, that’s not it.”
Seol shook his head and steadied his breathing.
“I’d like to be introduced to someone with excellent skills who teaches most rigorously.”
Agnes’s glasses flashed sharply.
“…In that case, there’s no need to introduce you to anyone else.”
Agnes placed her hand slowly over her heart and met Seol’s gaze directly. She almost seemed to be smiling.
“It’s embarrassing to mention, but my epithet is the Demon Instructor of Sicily.”
“The Demon Instructor… I like the sound of that.”
“Are you truly certain? I was planning to hold back at first.”
At her challenging tone—can you handle it?—he answered without hesitation.
“I’ll pay in Survival Points.”
And exactly ten minutes later, Seol found himself beating his chest in regret.
The reputation of “Demon” was no empty boast. From the moment training began, Agnes drove him relentlessly without mercy or consideration. He found himself longing for the pain he’d felt at the limit while running earlier.
Unable to bear it anymore, he protested roughly: “Isn’t this too much? You said rest was important.” But her reply was: “I said rest after training ends, not during training.”
What he found most bewildering, however, was that she actually employed violence during the training.
“Didn’t I tell you to keep your eyes forward?”
Crack! Agnes’s staff struck his shoulder.
“Again, one!”
Seol, breathing heavily, adjusted the Barbell he’d lifted to his shoulders. As he performed the Squat—the flower of lower-body training—a sharp pain shot through his thighs as if they might tear apart.
“Two!”
“Nngh!”
The moment his hips descended, crack—the staff struck his back again.
“Your knees are bending so far forward they’re going past your toes. Keep them aligned!”
‘Have I ever met such a vicious person?’
Seol screamed silently. He understood that being hit helped increase durability, so he was bearing with it—but he hadn’t expected it to be this severe. This was probably payback for showing her those light purple teddy bear panties while racing earlier.
Agnes shouted sharply.
“Again!”
But his trembling thighs could take no more and simply gave way, collapsing beneath him.
“…What are you doing?”
Agnes asked in a cold tone.
“Huff, huff!”
Regardless, Seol frantically massaged his thighs. He was worried the blood rushing to them might actually cause them to burst.
Agnes let out a soft hum and folded her arms.
“Just at this level… if you’d like, I could be a bit gentler? Though I already think I’m being reasonably kind.”
“I—!”
“If you’re not satisfied, I can introduce you to someone else anytime.”
Agnes’s lips curved upward. Seol swallowed the curse that had risen to his throat and lowered his head.
“…No. Let’s continue.”
“I should mention again—when it comes to training, I don’t go easy on anyone.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted. I’ll focus my spirit and push forward.”
“Spirit, you say. What you need isn’t spirit—it’s the resolve to endure. Anyway, let’s proceed. Get up.”
At her immediate command to rise, Seol sighed.
“Oh, by any chance, would it be okay if my battle cry is a bit… unusual?”
As he continued massaging his thighs while asking, Agnes’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you stalling for time right now? Do whatever you want with your kiai, just get up already.”
‘Damn it, damn it!’
Seol ground her teeth and rose, settling the Barbell across her shoulders. Then,
“No matter what exercise you’re doing, the most important things are form and breathing. One!”
She shouted the number with all her strength.
“Yeon!”
“Yeon? That’s certainly an unusual kiai. Two!”
“Purple!”
“One?”
“Yeon!”
“…Two.”
“Purple!”
The counting stopped. When Seol glanced over, she saw Agnes glaring at her with a flushed face, smoothing down her skirt and clutching the Staff with fingers that trembled faintly. She appeared thoroughly flustered.
Seol felt a delicious sense of satisfaction as she asked innocently,
“Aren’t you going to count?”
“W-w-what are you… are you joking with me right now?”
“Is there a problem with my form?”
“N-no, that’s not it!”
“Oh, the kiai? You said earlier to do whatever I want… Ah, I understand. I’ll change it.”
As Agnes raised her Staff, Seol capitulated. Of course, she had no intention of ending things here.
“Let’s do this properly. One.”
“Teddy!”
“Two!”
“Bear!”
The counting stopped again.
A moment later.
Smack!
A sharp sound echoed through the 3rd Floor training room.

After Agnes arrived, Seol’s life in the Neutral Zone changed once more. The most dramatic shift was that the haphazard training she’d been doing began to take on structure.
The result was that while her training time decreased, the quality improved considerably.
Strength, endurance, agility, stamina—the training intensity accounting for these four factors remained brutally harsh, but thanks to the Stamina Level she’d built through Running, she managed to keep pace.
What’s more, Agnes showed meticulous attention to matters beyond training itself: diet, rest, everything.
With her instructor displaying the fervor of a lapidary working raw stone with wholehearted dedication, Seol couldn’t simply sit idle. And when combined with her Competence bringing an eightfold efficiency boost, her strength grew geometrically exponential.
Her physical level improved dramatically, and when training ended, her exhausted body—burning as if aflame moments before—would settle almost instantly. She’d reached a point where she no longer felt her body was truly hers.
As Seol grew day by day under Agnes’s instruction, the first month’s dawn broke in the Neutral Zone.
Thirty days for others—but for Seol, two hundred and forty days. Time equal to eight months.
In another sense, it was the day when the fates of the prepared and the unprepared would reverse.

(To be continued in the next episode)

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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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