The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 25

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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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Episode 25. Potential Bursting Forth (2)

A month had passed since morning.
Chin Shia announced, as scheduled, that she would extend the deadline in the Neutral Zone by two more months. The way she spoke—as if dispensing some grand favor—left most survivors visibly relieved. Half of them hadn’t managed to gather 1,000 Survival Points yet.
Of course, not everyone reacted the same way.
“What’s wrong? Hao Win?”
Chin Shia singled out the man in the black suit, apparently noticing the hard stare he’d been directing at her. Hao Win’s eyes widened slightly.
“It’s nothing. Just….”
“Just?”
“It’s a bit different from what I heard.”
The implication was clear: ‘Wasn’t it supposed to be three months?’ He’d simply chosen to speak indirectly rather than create friction in front of everyone.
“Is that so? Unfortunate. Whoever this idiot was who told you—did they somehow miss that I’m the one running this whole operation?”
“Well, when you put it that way, there’s nothing to say.”
Hao Win shrugged and turned away.
Once his gaze left her, Chin Shia swept her eyes across the survivors again.
“So then, how has this first month felt? What are your impressions?”
Silence. The plaza remained quiet.
The truth was, even when many of them pooled their efforts, it remained difficult to succeed at missions of ‘normal’ difficulty—that was their reality.
“Unless you’re an outright fool, don’t you think it’s about time you started feeling it in your bones? ‘I’m nothing. I’m just going to die if things stay this way.’ Haven’t such thoughts crossed your mind? Haven’t they? Brito?”
The Mexican man who’d thrown a fit before, demanding to be sent to Paradise, avoided her gaze with obvious discomfort.
“I see you’re beginning to understand now.”
Satisfied with the response, Chin Shia’s tone softened somewhat.
“Now that you’ve grasped reality, your ears ought to be open as well. By now, all of you should have accumulated a decent amount of Survival Points.”
That was true. For a month they’d thrown themselves at Missions relentlessly. Even someone who’d arrived with zero Survival Points had accumulated at least several hundred by now.
“Which is why I’ve prepared a gift for you.”
At the word ‘gift,’ the survivors’ eyes snapped wide open.
“Tomorrow, for one day, the Awakening Chamber will be activated. In that Chamber, you will meet the Seven Gods who govern this world, and depending on your condition and aptitude, you will be granted a Job. And from that moment onward, you’ll be able to use Mana.”
Murmurs rippled through the formerly silent plaza.
“Once you receive your Job, you’ll instinctively understand what sort of Missions you should pursue, or what role you should play in collaborative Missions. And….”
Chin Shia’s eyes narrowed.
“The Survival Points you’ve accumulated up until now will prove quite useful.”
Questions erupted from various corners. Unlike her first day, Chin Shia answered each one faithfully.
Agnes sighed. She could see clearly—like watching fire burn—how the Neutral Zone would transform once Awakening ended.
As Chin Shia had said, the moment Jobs were determined, Mana would open as well. From then on, survivors would inevitably need training in how to apply Mana and specialized instruction suited to each Job—but Survival Points would easily solve that. They’d simply purchase ‘Competence’ and ‘Mana Application’ from the shop and acquire them.
That was the problem. One could grow strong easily enough. But with that ease came swift limitation—a ceiling beyond which one could not ascend. Whether you called it a certain level or a hard cap, growth would stall.
The difference between depending on the Status Window’s framework and true self-realization was immense. As rank increased, an unbridgeable gap would open between those who understood this and those who did not.
Likely Chin Shia’s calculation was to accelerate power growth immediately after Awakening, using the Survival Points accumulated early on. In other words: let those who can figure it out handle themselves, and for those who can’t, force a shortcut. That was her method.
It was difficult even to fault Chin Shia for it. She was hardly wrong. They simply had different philosophies.
More than anything, since Chin Shia was the administrator, how she developed this March cohort was her prerogative.

Lee Seol-a was delighted at the news of the two-month extension. She could use all of her Competence.
Items purchased here could be used in Paradise too, but in a different way. The Neutral Zone was a special space created solely for survival and training. Nowhere else offered Competence utilization quite like this place.
“Your Job will be determined in the Awakening Chamber tomorrow.”
Agnes cut into her T-bone steak as she spoke. Following her suggestion, Lee Seol-a had grown accustomed to eating at restaurants rather than convenience stores—and now she regretted two things.
First, why hadn’t she come here sooner? The restaurant food was delicious, yes, but nutritious too. It wasn’t simply filling her belly; her body felt healthier for it. The better the food, the higher the price, but that was of no concern to Lee Seol-a.
Second, she shouldn’t joke around with Agnes about meals. Once, she’d broken the promised daily meal treat, saying, ‘I ate alone already, so let’s just train.’ Agnes had given her the silent treatment for three days straight. Just remembering the exhausting process of coaxing her out of that mood….
“What are you thinking about?”
“I’ve already decided on my Job.”
At Lee Seol-a’s quick deflection, Agnes sighed.
“A Job isn’t decided by you. It’s decided for you.”
“Ah… is that so.”
“The Seven Gods who govern this world deliberate among themselves and then grant it. One of four: Archer, Mage, Priest, or Warrior.”
Lee Seol-a tilted her head.
“Only four? That’s quite simple.”
“Only at the beginning. As you grow and progress, once your Level rises, those four branch into countless paths.”
Agnes spoke after swallowing her meat with practiced elegance.
“For example, suppose a Level 1 Warrior uses a sword as their primary weapon and rises to Level 2. At that point, the Job title changes to Swordsman. If they wielded an axe instead, it would become Axe Warrior. The same applies to Archers. If they primarily fought using ambush tactics with daggers rather than bows, they’d become an Assassin at Level 2.”
So Jobs remained uniform only at the very start—from there, they diverged based on how you developed them. Thinking it over, Lee Seol-a found herself curious about more than a few things.
“What happens if someone chosen as a Mage raises their Level through swordplay?”
“They’d become a Level 2 Magical Swordsman, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You’d exhaust yourself trying to master a single discipline, let alone split your focus.”
Fair point. You had to raise your body’s potential to match your Job; dabble in too many things and you’d end up a bland, watered-down mess. As Lee Seol-a nodded along, Agnes continued.
“More importantly, once you reach Level 5—that’s when you enter High Rank—you’ll need to choose a god to serve. From that point on, the direction you’ve been developing becomes absolutely crucial. The same applies when you reach Level 7.”
“Choose a god?”
“Right. Think of it as your Job evolving or specializing according to the power that god governs. For now, just remember that much.”
Lee Seol-a’s brow furrowed. She’d thought it would be simple when she heard “Job,” but it was far more intricate than she’d expected.
“And regarding your training going forward.”
Lee Seol-a had been about to settle into studying this gradually, but she tensed instantly. Every time Agnes mentioned training, her body reacted on its own.
“As soon as your Job is determined, inform me immediately. I’ll need to adjust your training regimen.”
“Are you referring to Job-specific training and Mana Application training?”
“Yes. You’re well-informed.”
“I only just heard about it today. If you’re talking about that—”
“I don’t recommend purchasing them from the shop.”
The firmness in Agnes’s voice, unprecedented until now, gave Lee Seol-a a small start.
“Both Mana Application and fundamental Job abilities can be acquired perfectly well through training. Neither is particularly difficult, and there’s no reason to waste Survival Points on them. On top of that, you possess a special Competence, so I’m confident you’ll master them quickly.”
“…….”
There seemed to be another reason behind it, but Lee Seol-a didn’t press. In the month she’d been training, she’d learned that when Agnes spoke, even the dead would rise. Her words were gospel.
“From now on, we’ll finish your physical training by mid-morning. Afternoons will be dedicated to Mana Application training.”
Lee Seol-a had been about to ask when missions would begin, but she held her tongue. Hadn’t she sworn not to rush forward until confidence took root in her bones? Her body burned with impatience, but she had to endure.
‘I won’t get another chance at a place like this.’
Agnes had her reasons for pushing this way, surely. As long as she remained ignorant of this world, it was foolish to jump ahead.
Lee Seol-a set down her fork after licking her lips.
“I’ll decide once I see my Job tomorrow.”
Agnes nodded, as if that settled it.

The next morning, the Awakening Chamber activated.
All the survivors were assembled and moved to the 8th Floor, forming a line. It snaked around the corridor and down the stairs.
The process was straightforward. The first person to enter emerged in less than thirty seconds, looking somewhat dazed. There were differences from survivor to survivor, but nobody took more than a minute—some lasted only fifteen seconds.
The line moved swiftly. Lee Seol-a had fretted about getting no Job at all, but when she emerged, her expression was oddly complex.
“I got Archer.”
“Archer?”
More than half the survivors had received their Jobs by now. It wasn’t certain, but from what Lee Seol-a gathered, most had become Warrior—the close-combat type.
Archer seemed to be the second most common, with the occasional Priest. No one had mentioned Mage yet.
One peculiar thing was that people acted differently depending on which Job they received. Those who became Warriors walked out calmly, whereas Archers like Lee Seol-a emerged with complicated expressions. As for Shin Sang-a, who’d gotten Priest, she’d visibly struggled coming out.
“How’s the Mana feel? Getting a sense of it?”
“Not sure. My body feels warmer, but…”
Lee Seol-a was rubbing her chest and abdomen uncertainly when suddenly the door swung open and the sound of tumbling echoed out.
Startled, everyone turned to see a girl stagger out, losing her balance. She dropped to her knees, bracing herself with both hands against the floor, breathing in ragged gasps. Her back was soaked with sweat.
“Ha… ha…”
A moment later, Delphin pulled herself up against the wall with great effort, lifted her chin high, and pressed her hands to her chest and stomach. She stood there as if meditating.
‘Could she be…’
While Lee Seol-a wondered if Delphin had been chosen as a Mage, her own turn came.
As she entered, her eyes met Delphin’s. The girl’s curious gaze seemed to be asking what Job Lee Seol-a would receive.
“Are you alright?”
Delphin giggled at the polite inquiry.
“It felt like being pregnant.”
Lee Seol-a gave a wan smile. She stepped inside, closed the door, and turned around when—
‘…What?’
The room transformed.
White. A colorless void where no hue existed. She couldn’t tell if she was standing on solid ground or floating in the air.
Having torn apart mission papers many times before, she adapted quickly, though the wonder didn’t fade. Grasping the doorknob, Lee Seol-a slowly surveyed her surroundings and suddenly spotted something massive.
Stone statues. Seven of them, each towering at least ten meters tall, positioned in a circle around the door.
[About time you arrived.]
[Let’s start with your Awakening.]
Resonant voices spoke in succession, and Lee Seol-a felt an enormous hand rest upon her crown. In the next instant, a violent sensation seized her entire body, every nerve firing at once.
“Gasp!”
It was as if a powerful vacuum were sucking her brain through her skull. Or perhaps as if every cell in her body were opening up, one by one.
The sensation of being pulled stretched on—but only briefly.
Then her perception shifted.
Suddenly, an itch bloomed below her navel. Some force stirred like a tender shoot, then swelled and churned like boiling water, expanding throughout her body. Less than five seconds passed before it coalesced into one massive stem.
[Hm? With Mana levels like that… she’d be at least upper-middle, wouldn’t she?]
[She possesses an innate ability.]
[Indeed, that makes sense!]
[It seems she awakened quite young.]
[But there are traces of lost power.]
[What a waste, what a terrible waste….]
Multiple voices erupted simultaneously in her mind.
One arrogant voice, another rumbling with fury like thunder, another drawling with indifference, and still another so sensual that merely hearing it caused an instinctive reaction….
But she had no time to process the voices. The Mana surging through her was ravaging every corner of her being.
Overwhelmed by the unfamiliar force, she couldn’t collect her scattered thoughts.
[It’s a shame, truly. Her Mana regressed while her power lay dormant. Had that not been the case….]
[She might have surpassed even the upper tier.]
[It can’t be helped. She couldn’t have perceived Mana there anyway.]
[Let’s decide now. There’s no question—she’d be a Mage.]
[I agree. Nothing more to discuss.]
[Two Mages in a row… what fortune… what fortune….]
The world spun around her. Even through the haze, she clearly heard the word “Mage.” Fighting with all her strength, she pinched her thigh hard.
“Warrior….”
The moment she forced the word out, silence fell.
[…Warrior?]
[A peculiar one. She desires to be a Warrior.]
[Now that you mention it, her aptitude for Warrior cultivation is excellent. This path is also difficult to abandon, isn’t it?]
[Hm. True enough… I sense ‘impetuousness’ in her. She might not suit the Mage path after all.]
[What are you saying? With that level of Mana, she could reach High Rank with just a little effort!]
[Difficult, so difficult….]
Damn it, she didn’t care which anymore—just decide already. That was all Lee Seol-a’s mind could muster. She wanted out of here as soon as possible. Her body wasn’t exhausted, but standing became harder with each passing second. As if under hypnosis.
[Enough now. Don’t you know that the longer we linger, the more we drain our resources?]
[Why not simply grant the child what she desires?]
[That’s not it!]
[Silence. We’ll decide by vote.]
At the thought of a decision finally coming, Lee Seol-a opened her eyes. Her vision blurred—whether from sweat or something else.
[Mage.]
[Mage.]
[Warrior.]
[Mage.]
[Warrior.]
[Warrior.]
Three votes for Mage, three votes for Warrior.
[…Gula, why do you say nothing?]
Gula? Even as she gasped for breath, Lee Seol-a racked her mind. She was certain she’d heard that name before….
[…I….]
The moment the voice continued, Lee Seol-a instinctively knew it was over. Following instinct, she gripped the door handle with all her strength and twisted it.

Cool air washed across her skin. Had the Neutral Zone ever felt this refreshing? Leaning against the wall, Lee Seol-a flinched at the shock of coldness seeping through her clothes, soaking her back. Her entire body was drenched in sweat.
Her body felt heavy. The Mana that had been raging through her now settled, coiling peacefully from her heart down to below her navel. The daze persisted, but as her breathing eased, she felt more anchored to herself.
“Haaaah….”
The moment she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into dozens of blank faces. She realized she must have emerged looking not so different from Delphin before her.
“I knew it.”
Delphin had been waiting in the corridor, sitting on the floor the entire time.
“You were decided as a Mage too, weren’t you?”
Having composed herself somewhat, she asked with that knowing look—as though she’d expected nothing less.
Lee Seol-a caught her breath for a moment, then opened her mouth quietly.

(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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