The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 51

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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 51. Forest of Negation

Samuel was heading to an inn that Alex had recommended.
Seol Jihoo, who climbed past the second floor where he was staying and up to the fourth, was startled to find three people already waiting in the room.
“Hugo?”
“Huh? Seol!”
Hugo’s reaction mirrored his own. Cho Hong’s eyes widened in surprise, and Dylan, his arms folded, let out an awkward laugh.
“Oh my gosh. I never thought we’d run into each other again less than an hour later.”
“I heard at the tavern that they were looking for porters. So I applied right away.”
Seol Jihoo smiled wryly. Dylan’s earlier advice had surfaced in his mind.
“What? You knew Carpe Diem before?”
“Let’s just say we have some acquaintance.”
“Huh. This guy.”
At Dylan’s words, Samuel looked over Seol Jihoo with fresh interest.
“Can’t be helped. I’ll chalk it up to fate.”
Dylan raised both hands.
“Time is money. I’m eager to hear this tasty bit of information you mentioned.”
“Heh heh. Give me time to get the provisions ready. Don’t you already smell it in the air?”
Samuel, having made light conversation, hauled a large table to the center and unfolded a map.
As people gathered in small groups, Seol Jihoo stood awkwardly in the corner. He wasn’t sure if a mere porter should even be present.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Cho Hong, who had been watching him, jerked her head toward the table.
“Come here. He’s about to start.”
She shifted aside and made room for him.
As Seol Jihoo took the spot beside her, Hugo chuckled softly.
“She always subtly looks after you whenever she gets a chance to apologize. You should just say sorry and be done with it.”
Cho Hong’s ears flushed, but she said nothing, holding her tongue quietly. Samuel had begun his explanation, pointing at a location on the map.
“Given your nature, I’ll keep this simple. Our starting point is the South Gate. From there, we’ll travel by carriage for a day or two along the Rahman River.”
Samuel’s index finger traced the wavy lines marking the river.
“We’ll move as quickly as possible through the relatively safe areas. We need to conserve our strength. If nothing goes wrong, we’ll probably dismount around here. Then we’ll cross over Trumpet Hill and….”
His finger eventually came to rest on a vast forest.
“The Forest of Negation. That’s our destination. We need to venture in a bit from the entrance and go as far as just before the middle.”
The moment Samuel spoke of the Forest of Negation, Dylan’s expression hardened, though he didn’t interrupt. Samuel, licking his lips with his tongue, flashed a confident smile.
“I heard this from someone I trust. Supposedly, there’s a rather large tomb deep in the Forest of Negation.”
“A tomb?”
“That’s right. Of course it’s no ordinary tomb. There’s a strong possibility it’s connected to a fallen empire.”
“You’re saying we should loot the burial goods.”
“Exactly! If this is true, we could end up with some incredible Artifacts!”
Dylan stroked his chin.
“I thought it was pushing too far, but there’s real potential here. By location, it could easily be considered a frontier holding of the empire.”
“That’s not all. Sicily has already posted a Reconnaissance Mission for the Forest of Negation, haven’t they?”
“Of course.”
“And on top of that, there’s even a royal mission overlapping it. If everything goes well, we could receive compensation from three different sources!”
“Okay. I get what you’re saying. Samuel.”
Dylan calmed the excited Samuel down.
‘So this is how expeditions come together.’
Seol Jihoo, listening intently so as not to miss a word, suddenly grew puzzled.
It was certainly an enticing prospect. But if no one knew the information Samuel was sharing, the Forest of Negation seemed to be only a four or five days’ journey from Haramag, and yet it hadn’t been conquered. That seemed suspicious.
There had to be a catch.
Dylan, turning the matter over in his mind, finally spoke.
“I have three questions. Samuel.”
“By all means.”
“First, who else knows about this besides us?”
“To be honest, I approached Khan’s team first. They turned me down. But they’ll keep it quiet.”
Dylan nodded.
“Good. Then will you tell me the identity of this trustworthy person you mentioned?”
“When are you going to ask about precautions for the Forest of Negation?”
Samuel’s mouth quirked up on one side. Dylan’s face darkened as if he’d been outmaneuvered, and soon he broke into a quiet laugh.
“This is surprising. Ever since Rebecca, the High Priest, barely escaped with her life, we’ve all considered the Forest of Negation impenetrable.”
“The approach was wrong from the start. The Forest of Negation wasn’t cursed at all. It’s magical.”
“Magical?”
“Exactly. Magic must be countered with magic, but she tried to meet it with holy power, so that’s why she failed. Though to be fair, only someone of Rebecca’s caliber would’ve lived to tell about it at all.”
Samuel spoke with casual certainty, his eyes darting left and right. Even though they were inside the room, he seemed wary of being overheard.
“Dylan? Let me answer your last two questions together. The person who told me about the tomb—that was Ian.”
At that moment, Dylan, Cho Hong, and Hugo all reacted with genuine surprise.
“Ian?”
“That’s right! And he’s going to participate in the expedition directly!”
“Hmm. Hm.”
Dylan, who had been expressing his displeasure all along, suddenly tapped the table twice. Tap, tap.
Seol Jihoo poked Hugo gently in the ribs as he gaped like a fish.
“Hugo.”
“Huh? What?”
“Who is this person named Ian?”
“Ah, how would you know that? Right, this is your first time.”
Hugo spoke in a low voice with a look of understanding.
“Ian is a Level 4 Alchemist. He’s a skilled mage on the verge of reaching the upper ranks.”
Now it made sense. It seemed that any class at Level 4 or above commanded decent respect, but if the rarest job category—a mage—had reached Level 4, there was nothing more to say about it.
Dylan opened his mouth.
“So the conclusion is that this is an expedition, not a reconnaissance mission. But since it’s formally carrying out a reconnaissance mission, we don’t even need to apply for expedition clearance.”
“Hehe. That’s a delicious prospect, isn’t it?”
“I’ll admit it. I’m already salivating.”
“Ha, me too, I’m telling you!”
Samuel stamped his foot impatiently, and Dylan bared his teeth in what might have been a grin.
“Good. What are the specific conditions?”
“Why are you acting like this? You know how I am. I’ll handle navigation, but you take the lead in combat. Artifacts go to whoever’s class is suited for them—if classes overlap, we go by level. Everything else gets split equally.”
Samuel rattled off the terms as if he’d already worked them out.
“Clean.”
Dylan’s approval came through, and Samuel lifted his head.
“What about the rest of you?”
“Why ask? It’s already decided.”
“I’m in!”
Cho Hong gave a lukewarm nod, while Hugo responded enthusiastically.
Samuel, wearing a satisfied smile, turned to look at Seol Jihoo.
“My friend! You’re coming too, right?”
“Ah, I…”
Seol Jihoo hesitated.
Part of him wanted to go. But hadn’t he promised Kim Hanna that he wouldn’t go any further south than Haramag?
Catching the signs of his hesitation, Samuel’s eyes went wide.
“Hey, what’s the problem? This isn’t an exploration. It’s an expedition wearing the mask of a mission. The experience points are going to be insane!”
“Isn’t the Forest of Negation near the border? Won’t it be dangerous?”
When Seol Jihoo raised the concern, Samuel exclaimed in exasperation.
“Ah, that’s true, technically. But don’t worry! To be precise, it is close to the border region, but the Forest of Negation can be considered a sort of Neutral Zone. The magic spread across the entire forest is so strong that not only humans, but even lesser races avoid it completely.”
Samuel, who had been waxing eloquent, clenched his fist.
“But we’re different. We have Dylan, who’s near the upper ranks, and the mage Ian. We’ll definitely smash that ancient magic of the forest to pieces.”
Rather than taking his words at face value, Seol Jihoo activated the Nine Eyes. Samuel was still pale.
“So? You’ll come, right?”
After a moment of consideration, he relented.
“All right.”
“Okay!”
Samuel struck the table and sprang to his feet.
“We leave tomorrow! See you at the South Gate in the morning!”

Morning came.
Seol Jihoo opened his eyes, washed quickly, and hurried into his armor. Now that he thought about it, time had become vague since leaving Paradise. Without a clock, he couldn’t help it, but he had no sense of exactly when the morning they’d agreed on was supposed to be.
He shouldered his pack and left the Inn, running toward the South Gate along the route he’d memorized yesterday.
Sure enough, as he’d half-expected, eight or nine people were already gathered at the South Gate. Thinking he was late, he pushed himself to run faster, and Samuel whirled around with a wave.
“Whoa, whoa! Relax, relax! You’re not late, so there’s no need to rush like that.”
“I see.”
“Ian hasn’t arrived yet.”
Samuel gave Seol Jihoo’s shoulder a light pat, then handed him a large bag.
“This is what you’ll be carrying. Guard it well. If you lose it, we’re in serious trouble.”
“Is this all I need to carry?”
“That’s right. We have two other porters—natives, so you don’t need to worry too much about them.”
Seol Jihoo nodded and took the bag lightly, slinging it over his shoulder. It felt somewhat heavy, but not unbearable. Samuel stared at him blankly.
“Wait, it’s not heavy?”
“No.”
“Huh… so Alex’s word really is trustworthy after all.”
While Samuel marveled, Seol Jihoo slowly surveyed the area around him. At the South Gate, he could see two carriages, members of the Carpe Diem team, and Samuel’s own team members.
If he had to point out one thing that had changed significantly since yesterday, it was their clothing.
He’d seen Hugo’s Battle Axe and heavy armor when he came to Haramag. The Samuel before his eyes now wore a studded leather jacket of a bright color with a blue cloak that reached down to his waist—quite a dashing ensemble.
Dylan was supposedly an archer, yet he wore a coat-style Brigandine armor that you’d expect to see on a warrior. The way it caught the sunlight with a subtle gleam made it look like no ordinary piece of equipment.
And seeing Grace’s keen-edged Long Sword and silver Buckler, Seol Jihoo couldn’t help but feel that his own gear was shabby by comparison.
Cheonji had been right. The classes of Paradise and the Neutral Zone were worlds apart.
‘One day I’ll get there too….’
Just as he was firmly resolving to level up and buy better equipment to join their ranks, Cho Hong came striding over. Her outfit was so distinctive that it immediately caught his attention.
Like Alex, she wore a Robe over Chain Mail, but she’d also added chest plates, arm guards, and shin protectors—a remarkably complex ensemble.
‘Is she a priest? Or a warrior?’
Cho Hong, unbothered by Seol Jihoo’s confusion, poked Samuel.
“When is that pervert showing up?”
“Hey, watch your tongue. Ian might hear you.”
“So what? He’s not here yet.”
“Is he though?”
Samuel smiled knowingly and waved his hand. Seol Jihoo turned and caught sight of someone walking toward them in the distance.
Medium height, a lanky frame. His hair wasn’t entirely white, but grey streaks ran through it generously. The deep wrinkles around his eyes made him look well past fifty.
Most striking of all was the long beard that hung down to his navel, which reminded Seol Jihoo of a certain famous wizard from a movie.
“Heyyo!”
The man in the saffron Robe waved a hand holding a long staff with a curved end. It was Ian.
“Welcome, Ian.”
Samuel bowed respectfully.
“Sorry, sorry, I’m a bit late. Seeing the streets of Haramag again after all this time—I found it so fascinating.”
“I understand. I’ve been to the Royal Palace a few times myself, but it’s a suffocating place.”
“It really is. If I hadn’t gotten to see the princess, I’d have died of restlessness.”
“Ah, that particular princess, you mean?”
At Samuel’s words, Ian burst into hearty laughter. Having formed preconceptions from yesterday’s story, Seol Jihoo found Ian’s casual demeanor oddly comforting.
“Anyway, let’s get moving. If we stay here much longer, the royal family might send people to drag me back. They kept pestering me all this morning to change my mind.”
“My goodness, that won’t do at all. We’ll depart at once.”
“Which carriage should I take?”
“That one over there. And—”
Samuel paused as he was about to point at Seol Jihoo, but Cho Hong grabbed his arm.
“He’s coming with us.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Samuel nodded, and upon spotting Cho Hong, Ian’s face lit up.
“Oh! Cho Hong! It’s been forever. You’re still—”
“Shut it, you pervert.”
Cho Hong hefted her Mace in a decidedly threatening manner and spun around sharply. Dragged along without ceremony, Seol Jihoo found himself climbing into the Carpe Diem team’s carriage before he quite knew what was happening.
Moments later.
“We’re off!”
At Samuel’s call, the two carriages slowly rolled out past the South Gate.
The first expedition had begun.

The carriage was quiet.
Dylan had climbed up onto the roof to catch the breeze, and Cho Hong had been staring out the window since they departed. Hugo, for some reason, was grinning broadly.
Cho Hong suddenly let out a long breath, then fumbled around in her robe for a moment before scowling. A muttered curse escaped her lips. Watching silently, Seol Jihoo pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered it to her.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
Cho Hong blinked, turning her head stiffly.
“No… it’s fine. I don’t like flavored tobacco….”
“If you don’t like the flavor, you can just not break the capsule.”
“…Yeah, really?”
Cho Hong cleared her throat with a hum, then pulled out a cigarette. Hugo immediately covered his eyes and burst into laughter — pfft-pfft-pfft~ — while resting his chin on the young man’s shoulder.
“Seol, you get it. She’s lived like such a stubborn mule that when someone shows her kindness, she doesn’t know how to handle it.”
“Shut up, Hugo.”
Cho Hong shot back sharply, exhaling smoke as she grumbled.
“Surprised you, huh? Didn’t think you smoked.”
“It’s rough country.”
“I’m proud of it. Anyway, thanks. But why did you look so down earlier?”
‘Down?’
The sudden shift in topic felt odd, but Seol Jihoo simply shrugged.
“Not really… I was just looking at everyone’s gear. They all seem pretty impressive.”
“Your equipment’s not bad either, you know?”
Cho Hong tilted her head, studying him slyly with her chin propped on her hand.
“Isn’t that Boiled Leather Armor? That’s top-tier among leather gear. The foundation’s thin, but you’ve got Chain Mail layered underneath. Your defensive equipment’s adequate enough, and that spear looks decent too?”
“It is?”
“It is. Haven’t you seen Clara? Your gear’s twice as good as hers. Especially that spear — with proper maintenance, you’ll be using it clear through Level 3.”
“Pfft-pfft-pfft~ Hahaha!”
The moment Cho Hong finished speaking, Hugo burst into another fit of laughter. Cho Hong’s jaw tightened.
“What are you laughing at? You an idiot?”
“Hey. Just apologize. It’d take one word, how hard is that? Don’t you see how funny it is watching you?”
“What? I’m just telling the truth.”
“Bull. Forcing encouragement that goes against your nature must be draining?”
Cho Hong’s pupils clouded over, a glint of madness flickering across her gaze.
“I have a question.”
Seeing a fight about to break out, Seol Jihoo quickly spoke up.
“What’s your class?”
In the next instant, Cho Hong let out a shriek — aaaaaah! — and jumped to her feet. She lunged forward and grabbed his shoulders, pulling his face close to hers. Their cigarettes nearly touched, and he flinched.
“Listen… I’ve been holding back as much as I could, okay? Just do me a favor. Can you stop talking like that?”
“Like what?”
“That! Please, just speak casually with me. Will you? Cho Hong this, Cho Hong that — it’s driving me insane!”
He didn’t understand why she hated it so much, but it wasn’t an unreasonable request.
“Fine, then.”
Cho Hong settled back into her seat, her expression visibly softening.
“Phew… Ah, my class? Holy Striker. Level 4.”
“Holy Striker?”
“Yeah. Level 1 is Priest, Level 2 is Battle Nun, Level 3 is Holy Warrior.”
“You gave up the path of the priest?”
“There’s a reason for that.”
Hugo chimed in like clockwork.
“She had ridiculously high base Mana to begin with. She could’ve even gone Mage, seriously?”
Seol Jihoo looked impressed. The minimum requirement for the Mage class was a Mana threshold of medium-low, of course, though talent and aptitude had to back it up too.
“But her aptitude fell short of what it takes to be a Mage, so the gods, reluctant as they were, settled on Priest instead. That’s when they made their real mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“A mistake. When you see someone walking the path of both Priest and warrior, doesn’t it click?”
“Hugo, I told you to shut up. This is your last warning.”
Cho Hong glared daggers at him. But Hugo paid no attention, simply tapping his own head with his index finger.
“The gods never imagined she’d be this thick in the skull. Add her hot temper to that — she’s not cut out for Mage or even Priest, is she? Hehehehe!”
Hugo laughed heartily. Quick as lightning, Cho Hong with her nails bared rushed at him. The carriage jolted — boom-boom — so hard that Dylan, who’d been on the roof catching the breeze, nearly fell off.
– Dylan, Dylan!
Someone called out frantically, but Dylan simply folded his hands in prayer.
“Sorry, rookie.”

(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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