The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 45

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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 45. Back to Paradise

Seol Ji-hu reviewed the contract meticulously. Not a single word had changed from when he first saw it.
Besides, judging by the attitude Kim Han-na had shown so far, there was no reason to think she’d deceived him.
After completing his final check, he signed. Then he handed back the Dimensional Paper and spoke.
“I’ve signed, and there’s something I’m curious about.”
“?”
“You belong to Shin Young.”
“Yeah.”
“So why did you say what you said then? Wouldn’t it benefit you if I go to Shin Young?”
Kim Han-na, who had been folding the contract and tucking it away, lifted her eyes.
“I was wondering when you’d ask. Shouldn’t you ask things like that before signing? What if you’d changed your mind after hearing me out?”
“Then I’d have made sure you didn’t change. I just wanted to hear it comfortably, that’s all.”
“…You get sharp when it matters, don’t you?”
Kim Han-na tilted her head with a graceful scoff, then removed her glasses. She set down her spoon and tapped the table lightly with her index finger.
“Fine. The explanation will be long, but I’ll tell you straight since you asked. Do you know what Shin Young’s situation is like right now?”
Seol Ji-hu held back the question he was about to ask—didn’t you say they were the elite faction?—because the atmosphere that was flowing out was somewhat grave.
“It’s murky as a duck’s eggs in the Nakdong River.”
Kim Han-na rested her chin on the back of her hand, gazing out the window with hooded eyes. Her face reflected in the glass looked bitter.
“The situation is complicated. Shin Young lost tremendous military strength, and they’re gradually losing justification too. They haven’t weakened to the point of wavering, but there’s no denying they’ve declined. Have you ever read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?”
It was an abrupt tangent, but Seol Ji-hu nodded along.
“Cao Cao laid the foundation for hegemony by seizing the young emperor, right? Shin Young is similar. A year ago—or three years ago in your reckoning—the first internal conflict within human forces broke out.”
Kim Han-na lowered her voice and continued.
“To be precise, several Royal Families who wanted Earthlings to act aggressively conspired together and employed somewhat coercive measures. Many factions resisted these unreasonable demands. An entire region rose up—you can imagine the scale.”
“Which region are you talking about?”
“The Southern Region. With it as the center, Rebel Forces rallied, and finally war broke out. They swiftly occupied… and pushed all the way to… ah.”
Kim Han-na caught herself mid-sentence. She’d spoken freely, forgetting about the oath.
Seol Ji-hu waved his hand to indicate it was fine.
“Did every Earthling join the rebellion?”
“No. Some joined the Rebel Forces, while there were also those who backed the Royal Family. But most remained neutral.”
Kim Han-na placed her hand over her heart, marking that moment.
“Shin Young, which had been neutral, declared support for the Royal Family and entered the war.”
She spread her index and middle fingers in a V shape.
“There were two reasons behind Shin Young’s intervention. First, obviously, for profit. Second, because they believed they could win.”
Kim Han-na’s throat was dry; she gulped down cold water.
“Well, three years ago, Shin Young didn’t have the military might to suppress the rebellion alone. But there were some factions, however few, that backed the Royal Family, and Shin Young persuaded allies to join in. After that, they became the center point, coaxing neutral groups to abandon their neutrality. But most importantly—”
Kim Han-na’s expression darkened, signaling that the crucial part was coming.
“They deployed a high-ranking member to the battlefield.”
In Paradise, a high-ranking member means Level 7 or above. It’s a Ranking few can attain, and even across all of Paradise, they’re counted on one hand.
“A man named Sung Si-hyun.”
Sung Si-hyun… Seol Ji-hu turned the name over in his mind. He’d heard it before. Kim Han-na’s expression, crossed arms and all, showed clear displeasure.
“In short, bolstered by Sung Si-hyun’s exploits, Shin Young decisively defeated the Rebel Forces in the siege warfare. The Royal Family wanted to sweep straight through to the Rebel Forces’ main base, but Shin Young wouldn’t allow it. They claimed they should give the enemy a chance, that continued fighting would only weaken human forces—a noble excuse on the surface—and proceeded with peace negotiations.”line>
The word “noble excuse” meant that while the justification sounded fine, political calculation lay underneath.

“In the end, the Royal Family agreed to guarantee freedom in that region in exchange for consolidating all Rebel Forces into the Southern Region base.”
“Hmm… so the Rebel Forces achieved their objective in the end?”
“Looking at the outcome alone, yes. But you could also say they were driven south. You know that region has been caught in warfare for ages, right?”
He’d heard it in outline. There were four races currently coiled up in Paradise. Humans were the weakest among them.
“The Southern Region is virtually the front lines of the war zones. The most dangerous place there is.”
“Ah.”
Seol Ji-hu let out an exclamation. That single sentence made it clear which side had gained the most from the civil war.
“Right. They sent every competing faction to the Southern Region as a meat shield. Thanks to that, Shin Young could safely build up its forces in the Capital. And with the Royal Family backing them too—what would they fear?”
Kim Han-na spoke with a touch of sarcasm, then slowly leaned back in her chair.
“But as the saying goes, there’s no hundred-day blossom… things didn’t stay rosy. Two years ago in their time, a problem nobody saw coming erupted.”
“A problem?”
“Sung Si-hyun.”
The name Sung Si-hyun appeared again.
“As for why he did it… honestly, I don’t know. Some say it was conflict with Shin Young. Others claim the Royal Family moved to check Shin Young’s growing power. And some say it was Sung Si-hyun’s own ambition.”
“So who exactly is this Sung Si-hyun that everything hinges on him?”
“I can’t talk about that here. But he’s not a good person, let me tell you that. I acknowledge his abilities, but his personality is arrogant as hell, and he acted on his own whims—that’s how I remember it. Anyway, the important thing is that he forced through an expedition on his own, it failed, and then he disappeared without a trace.”
“He’s dead?”
“That’s the thing—I don’t know. Just because someone dies there doesn’t mean they’re dead here. But he vanished completely in both places. That’s what I’m saying.”
Really strange, Seol Ji-hu murmured, nodding along.
“This Sung Si-hyun—his disappearance must have hit Shin Young hard.”
“It had to. He was an Irregularity.”
Kim Han-na confirmed it readily and continued.
“Every organization has limits to what it can mobilize. The reason Shin Young could explode with growth was the Royal Family’s unwavering support. Of course, Shin Young had to pay for that by fulfilling the Royal Family’s requests, but most of the difficult or unreasonable missions were handled by Sung Si-hyun.”
But with Sung Si-hyun gone, Shin Young began to struggle with meeting the Royal Family’s demanding requests. And so the very foundation that had enabled Shin Young’s growth started to crack.
Seol Ji-hu, absorbing all this, narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Suddenly I understand why the Rebel Forces exist. How relentlessly was the Royal Family making demands? I understand the sentiment, but they should’ve at least considered the circumstances.”
“Well… I mean, that’s…”
Kim Han-na’s words trailed off—something evasive in her tone.
“Anyway, let’s leave it at that. Truth is, you didn’t need to know any of this yet. But let me answer your original question.”
Kim Han-na cleared her throat and looked Seol Ji-hu straight in the eye.
“Now that Sung Si-hyun—such a major asset—has disappeared, Shin Young is swamped. There are piles of projects underway, and the Royal Family demands attention too. Just the work I’m handling alone comes to eight separate jobs.”
“Eight?”
Seol Ji-hu let out a hollow laugh. The thought crossed his mind: shouldn’t she be doing something else right now?
“And into all this comes a new Irregularity. Of course, that’s you. The way you’ve been moving so far is strikingly similar to Sung Si-hyun. Tell me—if you were Shin Young, what would you do?”
“Try to recruit me, wouldn’t you?”
“Exactly. But Shin Young, having already lost Sung Si-hyun, would come prepared. You saw the contract, right? Every clause promising to support you—each one was a trap meant to bind you. They want to cultivate you, that’s true, but as a puppet dancing to Shin Young’s tune.”
He’d suspected something like that, but hearing it spoken aloud felt different. His whole body trembled.
‘What am I…’
“To put it bluntly, you’re choice prey.”
Seol Ji-hu regarded Kim Han-na intently.
He understood why going to Shin Young wouldn’t work, but her helping him was a separate matter entirely. Either way, Kim Han-na belonged to Shin Young.
“And as for why I’m helping you.”
Kim Han-na interlaced her fingers.
“Go ahead and call me mercenary if you want. The Golden Stamp was my personal property. And I don’t want to lose you.”
“Lose me?”
“Yes. I’d get praise if I brought you into Shin Young. Promotion would be all but guaranteed. But that’s all, right? The moment you walk in, the higher-ups will scramble to monopolize you. I don’t have the power to stop them, so I’d lose you for certain.”
Kim Han-na raised both hands in a gesture of helplessness.
“So instead, if I develop you on the outside, it’s far—and I mean far—more beneficial for me. If you grow strong enough to support me, then I can have a real voice in Shin Young too, can’t I? Uh-huh-huh-huh.”
“Is… is that so?”
“It is! I raised him. I’m close with him. He only makes contracts with me. Anyone wanting to ask him for anything has to go through me. Kuh~.”
Kim Han-na’s shoulders trembled with delight at the mere thought of it all.
Now that he heard it, that made sense. But the rosy future she was dreaming of only became reality if Seol Ji-hu grew strong. Honestly, it felt like a lot of pressure.
“You’re rating me too highly, I think.”
“Hmm.”
The young man laughed awkwardly, and Kim Han-na pushed out her lower lip.
“I suppose. Watching you here, I do get a little worried.”
Seeing her smile, he let out a small laugh of his own.
Soon the two of them sat eating their now-cooled meal, discussing what lay ahead.
“Don’t overthink it.”
As they left the restaurant and made their way home, Kim Han-na spoke to Seol Ji-hu, who was lost in thought.
“You’re only Level 1 right now. No one’s expecting anything from you at this moment. Focus on adapting for the next year or two. Think of it as playing, if you like.”
“Playing?”
“That’s right. Think of it as a game. Like logging in during your spare time for fun? This world will be your main one eventually, of course.”
Now that she said it, he remembered hearing something similar before.
[Damn it, it all comes down to a game. A game is meant to be enjoyed.]
But unlike when he’d heard it from Kang Seok, no resistance rose in him now. Kim Han-na’s way of thinking didn’t seem bad at all. Everyone had their own way of enjoying things.
On the way to the house, he spotted an elderly woman organizing trash bags in front of the row houses—a cleaning lady he’d seen several times coming and going.
The woman, muttering curses as she organized the mountainous heap of bags, tilted her head when she saw the young man and the woman. Seized by a sudden sense of guilt, Seol Ji-hu bowed quickly and hurried inside as if fleeing.
Once in the room, the two of them began preparing to leave.
“Can I leave this here?”
“Do whatever you want.”
After removing any banned items, Kim Han-na pulled out a small sheet of Dimensional Paper.
“All right. Time to head to Paradise, like you’ve been looking forward to.”
Seol Ji-hu laughed and pulled out his own Dimensional Paper, then Kim Han-na spoke up.
“Just to be safe—you know what to do once you get there, right?”
“I know that.”
“All right. Let’s go.”
With a sharp tearing sound, a circular light blossomed in the empty air. Kim Han-na was swallowed by it from the crown of her head, engulfed in an instant, and then vanished without a trace.
Seol Ji-hu, who had been watching in fascination, froze just before tearing his own paper.
The mobile phone he’d left in the corner caught his eye. He’d never charged it after getting it back, so it lay dark and dead.
‘The place it should be.’
Suddenly, a temptation whispered to him. If he turned on that phone, wouldn’t there be messages from his family? From Yoo Sun-hwa?
Of course, it didn’t take long to realize how shameful the thought was.
‘…There’s no chance of that.’
Seol Ji-hu exhaled slowly, then tore the paper without hesitation.

“Ugh, how can there be so much garbage…? Huh?”
The woman gathering trash bags turned at the sound of footsteps.
A beautifully dressed woman stood holding a paper bag in one hand. Her hair hadn’t even dried yet—she’d clearly rushed out this morning.
When their eyes met, the woman bowed politely.
“Hello. Ma’am.”
“Oh my, yes. It’s been a while… or has it? I saw you briefly yesterday, so maybe not?”
The older woman greeted her warmly, as though they already knew each other.
“But you’re here again today? You seemed to disappear for a while.”
“Yes. I had something to take care of.”
Yoo Sun-hwa offered an awkward smile.
“Have you seen the young man in 405?”
“Ah, him? I saw him.”
Yoo Sun-hwa’s eyes lit up.
“Did he come home?”
“Well, after you left yesterday, maybe thirty minutes? An hour? Something like that—he came in. I was about to tell him you’d come by, but he looked so tired and worn out that….”
Yoo Sun-hwa’s mouth fell open.
After Seol Ji-hu left yesterday, she’d followed him immediately.
There was something she needed to confirm. So she’d taken a taxi, even tipping the driver extra, and gone straight to his place.
The problem was that Seol Ji-hu never came home. No matter how long she waited, he never appeared.
She should have waited longer. She’d never expected he’d come back after she left. Probably he’d been wandering around here and there before finally returning home.
“He should be here now. But… oh dear, what do I do.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m too embarrassed to say… do you think it’ll be all right?”
“It’s fine. Please tell me.”
“I just saw him going in, but he was practically attached to some young woman.”
“What?”
Seeing Yoo Sun-hwa’s expression, the older woman hurried to add more.
“I’m not really sure. Yesterday, this rather feminine-looking woman came and asked to borrow some cleaning supplies, saying she’d do a little cleaning in 405—spoke very crisply about it. All this garbage came from there.”
…….
“Did… did I say something wrong?”
“…No. Not at all.”
Yoo Sun-hwa bowed respectfully and hurried into the building. She climbed the stairs quickly.
It wasn’t jealousy—that petty emotion. Certainly not lingering attachment.
Simply this.
The more she heard the older woman’s story, the more various possibilities converged toward one direction she’d half-suspected all along.
If what she’d glimpsed before hadn’t been a mistake….
‘This can’t be.’
Just now. Just now, she’d finally come to her senses.
If her suspicions were right, she’d do whatever it took to save him. With that resolve hardening in her chest, she went to 405.
“Ji-hu!”
Knock-knock.
“Seol Ji-hu!”
But no matter how hard she pounded or called, there was no answer.
Yoo Sun-hwa bit her lip hard, then drew a key from her handbag. It was the key to 405 that he’d given her once, telling her to keep it just in case.
She knew this wasn’t right, but this wasn’t a moment for hesitation over details.
She inserted the key and turned it. Click—the lock disengaged.
Without stepping inside, Yoo Sun-hwa simply pushed the door wide open and stared at the room, her expression turning blank.
The older woman had distinctly said she’d seen him going in.
“Ji-hu….”
No one was there.
She couldn’t hear a sound.
The room was empty.
As Yoo Sun-hwa looked around in a daze, something jarring caught her eye.
Women’s belongings—she could tell at once they weren’t Seol Ji-hu’s.
She squeezed her eyes shut, quietly closed the door behind her, locked it again, and stood motionless for a long time.
“…You fool….”
After a moment.
As if she’d made up her mind about something, Yoo Sun-hwa drew in a deep breath. Then, her face set with grim resolve, she turned on her phone.
Before the signal even rang twice, a voice mixed with electronic noise answered.
– S-Sun-hwa?
“It’s me.”
– Oh my! Is that really you? Sun-hwa, is that really you?
“Yes. I’m calling because I need to tell you something.”
Her voice dropped—hardened and controlled. She glanced around, lifted the phone closer to her mouth, and spoke in low, urgent tones.
– …What? W-what did you just say?
“That’s what I’m going to do.”
– Wait, wait just a moment. Sun-hwa?
“I don’t have time for a long conversation. As for the details….”
Yoo Sun-hwa trailed off and pressed her lips together.
A brief silence followed.
– …Are you serious? Do you truly mean what you’re saying?

(To be continued)

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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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