The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 58

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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 58. Favor for Favor, Malice for Malice

‘What?’
It came without warning. For Seol Jihoo, who had been carefully inspecting the burial goods his teammate was gathering, it struck like a bolt from a clear sky.
The Tomb Chamber, which had been tinged with green and yellow, transformed in an instant to crimson. Soon, as if the tomb’s master had taken offense, the entire world flushed a vivid red.
Seol Jihoo spun around in alarm and saw Alex and Clara touching the burial goods in the left coffin.
More precisely, Alex was reaching toward a token with a vacant look in his eyes, while Clara was caressing an ornate Necklace inset with blue gems, her expression entranced.
There was no time to think.
“What are you doing!”
The two froze. Alex withdrew his hand at once, but Clara simply stared blankly and, paying no attention whatsoever, lifted the Necklace. The crimson light shifted entirely to deep red.
“Clara!”
“What? I can’t even look at—”
Alex belatedly tried to stop her, and Clara’s expression turned blank. Seol Jihoo rushed over and snatched the Necklace away. He hastily returned it to its place atop the coffin, and Clara let out a scoffing laugh, as if the whole thing were absurd.
“What are you doing right now?”
“That’s actually what I’d like to ask you.”
Seol Jihoo’s tone was not gentle either. It remained soft as always, but there was an edge of anger beneath it.
“Didn’t you see the note earlier?”
“I saw it.”
“Then why—”
“I saw it. So what?”
Clara’s response was cutting. Seol Jihoo’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t you think you’re overstepping?”
Clara crossed her arms and offered a thin smile.
“Seems like you’re confused about something. Samuel said decisions would vary depending on opinion—he never said that if the outcome was favorable, we’d follow what’s written on the note. Neither I nor anyone else did.”
“You’re looking for a death wish.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. How can you guarantee anything? You don’t know whether whoever’s buried in that coffin is strong or weak.”
Seol Jihoo glared at Clara at the edge in her voice.
“Isn’t what’s hanging on the wall enough for you?”
“No. It isn’t. If you’ve got nothing else to say, get out of my way. And here’s some advice—backing off a little would be good for your health.”
She met his gaze without flinching, then strode past him, shouldering him aside.
“Idiot. Do you even know how much you could sell something like this for? It’s an Empire Artifact, at minimum.”
In the next instant, as she reached for the Necklace again, Seol Jihoo grabbed her wrist.
“…You’re not letting go?”
Clara turned to face him, her eyes burning with covetousness.
“You want to do this?”
“Don’t touch it.”
Seol Jihoo’s voice dropped lower. Clara snorted and tried to bring her other hand forward when his eyes flashed with sudden intensity.
“I said don’t touch it!”
His furious voice echoed through the Tomb Chamber,
“Aagh!”
and Clara was hurled to the ground.
“You!”
She hit hard on her shoulder and pelvis, her face twisted in pain, then scrambled to her feet in anger.
“What—why are you like this? Seol, Clara!”
Alex floundered, waving his hands uselessly.
“What’s going on?”
The other Expedition Team members turned as well.
Regardless,
“You’ve lost your mind? How dare you lay hands on me!?”
“Shut your mouth.”
“What… are you serious? You actually want this?”
Clara spat the words like venom as she unstrapped the Arrows from her back and nocked one.
“Calm down! Clara!”
Alex moved frantically to intervene. Clara pulled the bowstring taut and aimed at Seol Jihoo when—
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
The Tomb Chamber, silent until now, began to vibrate with a faint rumbling. Through his Nine Eyes, the world flickered in four colors—yellow, red, crimson, and black. Never before had he seen them all appear simultaneously like this.
“What is that? What’s that sound?”
Dylan, who had been trying to step between them, stopped in his tracks and looked around. Seol Jihoo turned and felt his blood run cold. The left coffin was shaking like a vibrating phone.
In that moment, for reasons he couldn’t explain, Seol Jihoo found his hand resting gently on the coffin.
‘I’m sorry.’
Perhaps he felt a kinship with this woman’s plight. Of course, what they had endured—what they’d been forced to endure—was hardly the same. Yet in one respect, they were identical: whether by choice or circumstance, both had ultimately been abandoned by family.
For Seol Jihoo, who had once felt utterly displaced on Earth, he understood something of her heart, however faintly. Above all, she had released her resentment and answered his kindness with her own at a Requiem Ceremony that was hardly a ceremony at all—he couldn’t betray that.
‘I won’t let anyone touch you. I promise.’
And then something strange occurred. Had his thought been transmitted to her? The coffin, which had been trembling violently, began to still.
Seol Jihoo turned away from it, his gaze fixed. Clara, who had been aiming at the coffin with a look of mild surprise, trained her bow on him once more.
“Good timing. Hey, quit stalling and get out of there.”
“Do you have no respect for the dead?”
“Oh, come on. There you go with the smooth talk again, and in the end that’s all it was?”
Clara laughed briefly, then abruptly grew serious.
“You can worry about morality when you’re back on Earth. Now get out of the way, unless you want an arrow through you.”
“And if I won’t move?”
“Then I’m afraid I have no choice. You started this. Don’t blame me if you end up dead.”
At her blatant aggression, Seol Jihoo let out a hollow laugh.
“…Fine.”
Though the Magic Spear had shattered, he still had one left.
“If you really want it, you’ll have to step over my corpse to take it.”
He drew the spear and leveled it at Clara, summoning his Mana.
As the young man crouched slightly, as if truly ready to fight, Clara gritted her teeth. That was when it happened.
“Enough.”
Samuel stepped between them, defusing the tension on a knife’s edge.
“Clara. Lower your bow.”
“S-Samuel? But he—”
“You and Alex are the ones who acted on impulse. We’ve now confirmed there’s a Vengeful Spirit in there—who told you to lay hands on anything? How were you planning to deal with the consequences?”
Clara bit her lower lip. After a moment, she lowered her bow slowly, though her displeasure was written across her face.
“And you—lower your spear as well.”
Once Samuel saw that she’d put away her weapon, he made the request. Seol Jihoo lowered his spear but didn’t step aside. Samuel placed both hands on his hips.
“Phew.”
He exhaled a sigh deep enough to move the earth, then opened his mouth quietly.
“Let me be blunt about this. In truth, I agree with Clara.”
“Samuel.”
“Of course I understand the woman’s misery. But that’s all there is to it. We are Earthians.”
“This woman is a native of Paradise.”
Samuel studied the young man’s cold reply for a moment, then spoke.
“…Come to think of it, didn’t you say you’ve only been here a short time?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“Do you know why this place is called Paradise?”
It was an unexpected question. Seol Jihoo shook his head.
“Simple. Only a chosen few can come here, and opportunities are strewn about everywhere.”
“Opportunities?”
“The Burial Goods in that coffin behind you. Unless my eyes deceive me, those are Empire Artifacts.”
Seol Jihoo was about to speak when Samuel raised a hand.
“You want to ask me if such things are really that significant, don’t you? They are. Oh, they certainly are. Though the Parasites did destroy them, the Magitech Engineering advancement of the Empire was the highest in Paradise. Riches beyond compare to the Kingdom’s wares.”
Still, Seol Jihoo showed no reaction.
“Don’t you understand? To put it plainly, if we take just one of those things, we’ll become obscenely wealthy.”
“Has it never occurred to you that your greed might be excessive?”
Samuel thought for a moment, then smiled bitterly.
“Greed? If you mean the same as asking whether I fear death, then I’d say it’s worth the risk. I’m not joking. We’re talking gold coins, not copper or silver—at the very least. Do you have any idea what a single gold coin converts to in Earth currency?”
“I don’t. Nor do I wish to know.”
When it became clear that Seol Jihoo wouldn’t be persuaded, Samuel smacked his lips.
“To be honest, I’d prefer to defer to your judgment if I could. The things on the walls are fine, yes, but what sits atop that coffin is worth far more.”
“So you’re taking them regardless.”
“Hear me out. If my position is that we should take the risk and claim them, and yours is that we shouldn’t risk it and simply collect what we can before leaving—then I don’t think either of us is wrong.”
So what was he getting at? Seol Jihoo watched Samuel intently, never relaxing his guard.
“Here’s what I propose. Let’s put it to a vote.”
“A vote?”
“That’s right. If our views differ, majority rule decides it.”
“What if I refuse to abide by the vote’s outcome?”
“That won’t do.”
Samuel shook his head heavily.
“Once you’ve joined the Expedition Team, we’re a community whether we like it or not. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, and sometimes we have no choice but to bend our will. But if you’re going to keep doing whatever you please, then I can’t think of you as a member of this team anymore.”
Having made it clear he would accept no further objections, Samuel looked away and glanced around the room.
“Seol is against, and Clara is for, yes?”
“Of course.”
Clara’s face brightened, and she thrust out her chin proudly.
“One vote for, one vote against. Let’s start right now. I’m in favor.”
Samuel cast his vote in favor.
“Um… I’ll vote yes too.”
Alex, having voted in favor, avoided his gaze and mumbled uncertainly.
“I’m, I’m sorry. Seol. But….”
His lips moved soundlessly before he dropped his eyes.
“Well, since Samuel’s in favor, I’m in favor too.”
Grace shrugged as well.
“Four votes for, one against.”
Just one more vote in favor would decide it. Samuel looked toward the four who had yet to cast their votes.
With the outcome looking inevitable, Seol Jihoo closed his eyes. A torrent of thoughts flooded his mind. Should he fight? Should he flee alone? Or should he reveal the truth about the Nine Eyes and try to convince them again? Whatever he decided, he had to act fast.
“I’m against it.”
Then a gravelly voice cut through the silence. It was Hugo.
“Against?”
“I don’t want to touch that woman’s coffin. That’s all.”
When Clara asked in a tone of disbelief, Hugo replied bluntly. It was an answer true to his nature—straightforward and spare.
“Hmm.”
Dylan, stroking his chin, spoke quietly.
“Against.”
Samuel’s eyebrows twitched.
“Dylan too… you’re against?”
“Yes. I understand your reasoning, but I sympathize with Seol’s reasons that I heard outside. When I think about the Khan Team’s traces, it seems right not to disturb it.”
As Dylan spoke clearly, Cho Hong began scratching her head vigorously.
“Ugh, I’m losing my mind. Really.”
With lingering regret in her eyes, she looked at the coffin, then met Seol Jihoo’s gaze. Cho Hong, her tongue constantly wetting her lips, let out a frustrated sigh.
“…Damn it, I’m against too.”
Four votes for, four votes against. All the Carpe Diem Team members had sided with Seol Jihoo. Samuel’s team seemed bewildered—they’d never even considered a tie.
Now only one vote remained.
Ian, who had remained silent until now, slowly opened his mouth.
“Outside, that friend of yours mentioned Reverse Calculation. It does provide some basis, but since it’s founded on my hypothesis alone, it’s far from certain.”
Then he fixed his gaze on Samuel.
“But, Samuel.”
“Yes.”
“Have you noticed that you’ve often seemed rushed during this expedition?”
“I… you mean me?”
Samuel blinked.
“Once before the battle with Lionel. Once after it ended. And again when you used the Stream of Consciousness Quill and when you debated with that friend.”
“No, I—”
“A person’s own self-assessment is often less accurate than others’ judgments of them.”
It was a pointed remark. Ian continued in a grave tone.
“I’ve wrestled long with whether to speak. The reason I’ve kept silent until now is first out of respect for Heather’s authority, second because I didn’t want to speak from a position of authority myself, and third because I understand your circumstances.”
At the word “circumstances,” Samuel fell silent as if struck dumb.
“Yes, it was a tragic affair. I see your efforts to somehow revive a struggling team, and my heart aches for you. But you don’t seem to have learned a lesson from her death—rather, you seem bent on repeating it.”
“…….”
“I won’t belabor the point. I believe that with the gains we’ve already made and the rewards we’ll receive when we return, we can be abundantly happy. There’s no need to take further risks. Therefore, my answer is against.”
“Ian…”
“There are other expeditions ahead. I hope you won’t stake everything on this one.”
These were words Seol Jihoo had once heard Samuel say himself.
Samuel, his fist clenched tight, slowly turned his body. Clara looked utterly devastated; Alex’s face was shadowed with worry. Grace seemed indifferent to whatever the outcome might be.
After meeting their eyes for a moment, Samuel let his head drop slowly.
“…I understand….”
Only then did Ian smile faintly.
“Heather, who knows when to retreat, is reassuring. Well done.”
Samuel managed a weak smile.
“Let’s go. We’ve collected all the burial goods from the wall.”
“Right.”
Samuel and Ian shuffled toward the entrance. The other expedition members turned away one by one, but Seol Jihoo remained at his post.
Someone might touch it otherwise. He’d leave once he saw everyone out.
“How nice for you?”
Clara gnashed her teeth with a bitter laugh. Seol Jihoo couldn’t fathom why she was so angry, so resentful.
“Must be lovely. Getting to preserve that meager conscience of yours. Hmm?”
“Hey, that’s enough.”
A Mace suddenly swung in, and Clara yelped, stumbling backward.
“C-Cho Hong? You too!”
“The decision’s already been made. Stop arguing about it.”
“Why only me!”
“Because you keep causing problems.”
Cho Hong’s distinctive, eerie eyes gleamed.
Seol Jihoo opened his mouth.
“Cho Hong. Stop.”
“What? But I—”
“I know. She’s not worth the effort to stop.”
Cho Hong’s eyes went wide at his unexpected words.
“What did you just say? You think you won’t end up like me?”
Clara’s face twisted, stung by the cutting rebuke.
“Mark my words. In two years—no, one year—you’ll beat the ground regretting today.”
“Since you’re so certain of that, mind if I make a prediction too?”
Seol Jihoo let out a dry laugh.
“If you keep living that way, losing all sense of direction, you won’t last long.”
“W-what?”
“Thank Samuel. The fact that someone like him tolerates a hazard like you is beyond my comprehension.”
Clara stammered, struck by his cutting words.
“That’s—that’s ridiculous. What do you know? You’re only Level 1!”
“I suppose. But on this expedition, it seems I’ve been more useful than you.”
Seol Jihoo’s voice was glacial. Even Cho Hong was startled—she’d thought him merely kind and gentle, but this was the first time she’d seen him look like this.
“Ugh!”
Clara’s eyes welled up with tears in an instant. She spun around and bolted toward the entrance. Seol Jihoo exhaled slowly.
“Hey….”
“Cho Hong.”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, uh… I mean, what….”
At the young man’s gratitude, Cho Hong cleared her throat awkwardly and turned to leave. As she walked slowly away, she caught a glimpse of his back—he was looking at the coffin.
‘Does he really have that side to him?’
Cho Hong wrapped her hand around her neck, feeling an odd warmth spreading there.
‘That’s done.’
With this, she’d kept her promise to the woman.
Seol Jihoo carefully straightened the necklace that had tilted when he’d hastily turned it back, then gently brushed the dust that had accumulated on the coffin before turning to leave.
“I apologize for the disturbance. If the opportunity arises, I’ll visit again.”
He left with only those words, feeling remarkably at ease—so much so that he smiled softly.
He hadn’t misunderstood Samuel’s intention. But aside from the Nine Eyes, this felt far better in his heart.
Money and honor? Of course they weren’t worthless.
But they could never match the value of a conscience barely recovered.
Thump.
A faint sound of something falling reached his ears, but Seol Jihoo didn’t notice—he’d already stepped outside.

(Continued in the next installment)

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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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