The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 62

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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 62. The First Branching Point

Aden Fortress had not yet fallen. It was mounting a desperate stand. Upon hearing this news, Teresa urged her soldiers forward and quickened the pace of their march.
As they climbed the steep slope, they soon discovered a section of the mountain that rose solitary and stark. A peak burning crimson in the sunset glow. Yeomyeong Peak.
The atmosphere shifted abruptly. Seol Jihoo, who had been climbing in silence, suddenly felt the air grow hot as he crossed some unseen threshold.
It was hard to describe—breathing became difficult, and his body grew sluggish. It felt as though something lay waiting just beyond this point.
Because he paused, by the time he reached the summit, he could see Dylan below, shaking his head as he surveyed the landscape.
“Bugs everywhere, cockroaches flying about… and there’s a Medusa too.”
“Medusa?”
Cho Hong’s face darkened instantly. Seol Jihoo peered carefully beyond the peak and went rigid where he stood. His jaw fell open in shock.
“Good God.”
“Heaven help us…”
It was someone’s lament, yet it gave voice to what they all felt.
The fortress, built upon jagged bedrock and towering eight meters high at its walls alone, was now reduced to a pitiful, shabby state.
The once-pristine ramparts were shattered in places, and the fortress gate in particular had been burned black as pitch and crumbled to cinders.
Though the view was hazy with distance, black specks were pouring densely through the gaping hole. Besides these, larger forms spread wide across the scene, some battering the walls while others flew chaotically about the fortress itself.
The soldiers fought desperately in the chaos, defending the breaches.
Every moment was critical.
“That’s not going to work!”
Teresa’s cry suddenly cut through the air. She had arrived first and was now trying to persuade the Earthians.
“Unless the enemy has already taken it completely—but they’re still fighting. We can still save them.”
“No. Even so…”
A man’s words faltered as he averted his gaze. Teresa’s face flushed crimson. She barely swallowed her frustration, then continued in a measured tone.
“We came as fast as we could, and the walls are already breached. They’re in the thick of battle right now. There’s no guarantee we can even enter the fortress safely.”
“That is true, but…”
“So we should strike at Medusa from behind. She’s committed to the all-out assault—her guard is practically nonexistent.”
“That’s… problematic.”
The man expressed his reluctance.
“Your Highness seems unaware, but bugs and cockroaches are born from Medusa as their mother. Moreover, Medusa is the final evolutionary form of her tier.”
“That’s precisely—”
“And more importantly, parasites have an instinct to obey their superiors absolutely. But if their mother comes under attack, what do you think will happen? Every last one of them will go berserk and rush at you.”
Teresa fixed the man with a piercing stare. Her expression made it clear: ‘Do you think I don’t know that?’
“…There is only one higher-tier individual—Medusa herself. If we can surprise her and eliminate her swiftly, victory will come easily.”
“That said, she won’t be without guard. One mistake and we fail. Everyone dies.”
Despite Teresa’s earnest tone, the man remained steadfast in his refusal.
“What if we do this instead? We select a separate detachment from our forces to strike at Medusa while the rest of us secure an escape route and evacuate the fortress personnel.”
‘Lunatic.’
The curse rose to her throat. Teresa swallowed it like a bitter pill and closed her eyes. She couldn’t fathom whether they had come to watch or to wage war.
“That’s the same as abandoning the fortress.”
“Call it a strategic retreat. We can gather more forces and reclaim it later, or—since we’re here—we can abandon it cleanly. Both are viable options.”
In that moment, Teresa gave up on the conversation. Even now, precious soldiers were dying. Prolonging this strategy session was pointless.
She glanced back at Dylan, but he maintained a stony silence. Teresa’s jaw tightened, and she spoke with resolve.
“We will proceed as planned.”
The man’s displeasure was evident.
“You’re ignoring our opinion and acting unilaterally again?”
Teresa surveyed the soldiers waiting behind her—only hundreds, yet each was a veteran hardened by years of warfare. Her apology flickered in her eyes as she spoke quietly.
“My soldiers and I will forge the path forward. Concentrate your firepower on Medusa in the meantime.”
“Well, we can offer some support, at least.”
“Yes. I’m so grateful I could weep.”
With that parting remark, Teresa turned away. Cho Hong, who had been watching her closely, suddenly shifted her gaze back and forth.
Seol Jihoo remained fixed on the fortress, kneeling on one knee.
“…Seol?”
Something was clearly wrong. Sweat poured down his face, his breathing labored, yet his eyes burned with an intense, focused gaze.
‘Surely not.’
There were some, occasionally.
War was fundamentally different from exploration or expedition. It was a blood-soaked struggle between different species, each fighting for survival under opposing banners. Sometimes there were those who came unprepared and, confronted with such brutality, displayed signs of breakdown.
‘Why did you come along if you couldn’t handle it!’
Cho Hong approached with deliberate strides and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Jihoo.”
Even as she spoke, Seol Jihoo couldn’t tear his gaze from the battlefield.
Black smoke billowed toward the sky. Despite the distance, the acrid stench of char and blood seemed to vibrate in the air itself.
‘Again.’
Seol Jihoo, staring as though entranced, pressed a hand to his chest. His heart, which he’d only just managed to calm, hammered violently. Even more intensely than when he’d encountered Teresa Hasse.
“Are you alright?”
“It’s not right.”
“What? What isn’t right?”
Cho Hong, who had spoken with genuine concern, flinched backward. Seol Jihoo suddenly rose to his feet.
‘I can’t let it fall.’
For reasons he couldn’t articulate, that feeling gripped him—much like when he’d encountered Kim Hanna attempting her deception. His emotions recoiled fiercely. Something in him screamed to act, to do anything, to push forward by any means.
A memory hovered just beyond reach. His eyes trembled faintly. His breathing grew ragged, and the forgotten sense of déjà vu crept through his body once more. He turned his face away, but his eyes did not find Cho Hong.
A moment passed.
The instant he fixed his gaze on Teresa’s utterly helpless form,
“Ah.”
The sensation that had been hovering on the verge of arrival crashed down suddenly, shaking his chest. His body trembled violently, its tremor matching the turmoil of emotion.
Seol Jihoo instinctively activated his Nine Eyes and looked down at the devastated fortress once more.
Aden Fortress was gold.
‘The Golden Law.’
Now he understood.
Once before the ghost fire.
Once when breaking through the second floor of the school.
And,
[The innate ability ‘Future念’ activates.]

Seol Jihoo’s eyes flickered with fluid brilliance.

“Just a moment.”
Teresa stopped in her tracks. She turned to face the young man, her expression melancholy. Seol Jihoo stepped forward, cutting through her piercing gaze.
“That operation is dangerous.”
Teresa’s face twisted in exasperation, as though she’d heard this before.
“Damn it, I know that! But we can’t afford to waste any more time!”
“I understand your urgency, but—”
Seol Jihoo continued calmly.
“Even if it succeeds, our forces will suffer considerable casualties. The same applies to you, Your Highness.”
“…What did you just say?”
Teresa’s brow furrowed. Rather than anger, it was the look of someone doubting their own ears.
The man who had been chuckling darkly until now opened his mouth at the sight of this sudden intruder.
“And who the hell are you?”
“Enough.”
Ian raised his hand. While not of the highest rank, he was a Level 4 mage—someone capable of wielding influence over both Paradise and the Earthians.
“Jihoo. The way you’re speaking makes it sound as though you have a better plan in mind.”
“Something has just occurred to me.”
“Then allow me to ask one thing.”
Ian spoke softly.
“War differs from an expedition, you see. The strategist holds the lives of hundreds to thousands—or in larger scales, hundreds of thousands to millions—in their hands. Do you understand this point before speaking?”
“Yes.”
Ian’s expression darkened. After four or five seconds of silence, he continued.
“…I have witnessed your abilities firsthand, but I must ask again. Do you truly believe your plan is worth executing?”
“Before that, I must ask one thing myself. Can you use a spell like this, Ian?”
“A spell like what?”
At Seol Jihoo’s question, Ian began to deliberate slowly.
“There’s little I can’t do. Given time to memorize and prepare the necessary antidote potions… wait.”
Then, unexpectedly, he blinked.
“You, you…?”
“Fortunately, if you can do it, we can annihilate more than half the enemy’s forces without our army suffering casualties. So long as the operation proceeds as planned.”
Ian let out a small groan.
“I’d like to hear this plan first.”
“Your Highness. Do you have a map of the Canyon?”
At the sudden question, Teresa hesitated. Only then did she notice that the young man before her was the Level 1 warrior she’d glimpsed briefly at the entrance of the ravine.
Every second counted in a situation like this. Yet Ian’s reaction was anything but ordinary. Even Dylan, who had maintained neutrality until now, was approaching with evident interest written across his face.
Just what sort of Earthian was this?
“If it’s a map, I naturally have one.”
Teresa, who had been conflicted, finally produced the map. If they could eliminate half the enemy’s forces without losing a single ally, it would be nothing short of miraculous. But was such a favorable solution truly possible?
Teresa unfolded the map. Seol Jihoo’s eyes swept rapidly across it. The nearby terrain bore several steep gradients worthy of the name Canyon, and across the ground ran narrow passages with branching side paths spreading out like a spider’s web.
“How many routes connect Yeomyeong Peak to the fortress?”
“That would be….”
Teresa pointed to several locations. Seol Jihoo nodded and swiftly outlined the plan. When he finished speaking, everyone’s faces went blank.
“Ha! That’s absurd!”
The man scoffed.
“If that’s what you call a plan, I could come up with one too.”
“Do you know what Columbus’s Egg is?”
At Ian’s question, the man faltered.
“I… I beg your pardon?”
“Never mind—clearly you don’t understand.”
Ian silenced the man with a few words and turned to face Teresa and Dylan. Teresa wore the expression of someone lost in thought, while Dylan tilted his head in confusion.
“The plan itself is straightforward. I concede that using the fact that the Parasites don’t yet know we’ve arrived as a weapon is sound. However, the probability of success is nonexistent.”
“I think it’s worth attempting.”
Teresa spoke urgently.
“Dylan. Even you think it’s impossible?”
“Impossible. Unless she were a high-ranking archer who pushed agility to its absolute limit—but with the Canyon terrain being treacherous and the Cockroaches capable of flight, they’ll inevitably be caught.”
It was just as Dylan refused that—
“I’ll do it.”
Seol Jihoo raised his hand.
“What… what did you say?”
Cho Hong’s eyes widened in shock.
“No, no! That’s not it!”
Hugo shared her reaction.
“Seol. There’s a difference between courage and recklessness….”
Ian spoke as though sighing, then fell silent. Seol Jihoo was pointing at the earring attached to his left earlobe with his index finger.
“…I see. But you can’t control it, can you?”
“If it’s just running, I can manage it. You’ve seen it yourself.”
“Hey!”
Cho Hong seized him by the collar, as if she wouldn’t hear another word.
“Do you really want to die so badly you’ve gone mad? Huh?”
“Cho Hong.”
“Why! Why are you like this!”
“Let go.”
Cho Hong flinched. Irritation flickered in Seol Jihoo’s eyes—a clear signal not to interfere.
“You… you?”
In that moment, Cho Hong suddenly realized the young man felt like a stranger to her. As though he’d become someone else entirely. Those sunken eyes looked eerily similar to how they’d gazed down at Clara from the grave. And with that realization came an inexplicable bitterness.
“Do whatever you want! You bastard!”
Finally, Cho Hong, her temper flaring, wrenched her hand away and turned her body. A parting cry of “Die for all I care!” escaped with her.
Regardless, Seol Jihoo turned back to Teresa.
Teresa’s face was flustered. Not only was an Earthian volunteering for this dangerous mission, but she doubted whether he could succeed at something even a high-ranking archer would find difficult.
In the end, she had no choice but to defer judgment to Ian. They seemed to know each other, after all.
“If we use up to three layers… hmm….”
Ian, working his jaw, finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
“It’s not impossible.”
“Really… truly?”
“But.”
Ian regarded Seol Jihoo with complicated eyes. What if something went wrong?
No—the odds of failure were far greater. If it came to that, he’d have grounds for regret. Seol Jihoo’s actions in the Forest of Negation had been that striking, his potential that evident.
Even so, he couldn’t help but feel a certain anticipation.
“Your Highness. We’re running out of time.”
Seol Jihoo pressed the matter.
“I… I suppose that’s true….”
Teresa, wavering, soon spoke with the grave tone of someone who had made a decision.
“Would it be all right if I asked you… truly asked you?”
“Of course.”
Seol Jihoo smiled softly. She was a stranger, yet somehow familiar. When he heard her ask for his help, his chest eased without reason. He didn’t know why.
“It’s decided then. I’ll prepare myself.”
Ian pushed himself up with visible reluctance.
“Your Highness. You must move discreetly.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Teresa nodded in agreement.
“Seol, I know that Artifact is impressive, but won’t you reconsider?”
Dylan and Hugo had been protesting nonstop. Seol Jihoo nodded.
“I know. I can’t do it alone.”
“Right, then—”
“That’s why I want to give Dylan a chance to repay his debt.”
At his cunning words, Dylan’s face hardened visibly.
“Oh my gosh. Dying together is not happening.”
“You just need to provide sniper support from a suitable position. And if Dylan helps, not only will the operation’s efficiency improve—my chances of survival will too.”
…
Had the princess asked, he would have refused without hesitation. But this youth was different. A comrade who had saved his life twice.
Dylan tapped his crown repeatedly with his palm before sighing.
“…Okay. Tell me. I’ll listen and decide.”

The operation began.
Dylan and Seol Jihoo, having made their way down, concealed themselves on the Hill.
“I’m counting on you, Dylan.”
“Don’t worry. Start whenever you’re ready. I can time my shots to match.”
Seol Jihoo, reassured by these reliable words, gathered the Spell Ball and the bow and arrows he’d obtained from a soldier. There wasn’t a trace of tension about him—so much so that Dylan smirked. Of course, not knowing about Future念, Dylan could only find it remarkable.
“Thinking about direction too. It’s a more meticulous operation than I expected.”
“I’m just trying everything I can.”
“I see.”
“I should get going now.”
Dylan, drawing out a long arrow, asked as Seol Jihoo prepared to leave.
“Seol. This might be our last meeting—can I ask you something?”
Seol Jihoo nodded at his playful tone.
“Hugo asked once too, but what exactly were you doing back on Earth?”
“…Um….”
Seol Jihoo scratched his cheek with an uncomfortable expression and laughed bitterly.
“A gambler.”
Dylan laughed silently.
“Okay. Now I understand what kind of guy you are.”
“I quit.”
“I believe you. Best of luck.”
Dylan extended his fist. Seol Jihoo bumped it and crouched low as he slipped away from the Hill.
The fortress drew closer by the moment. As the smell and sound grew sharper, the remaining distance was clearly just within reach.
At last, he arrived at his objective.
‘A Bug.’
The first thing that caught his eye was a crustacean insect rushing toward the fortress gate—half the size of an adult, with an alligator’s snout and eight legs.
But Seol Jihoo’s attention was focused entirely on one thing.
‘Medusa.’
On first sight, he’d thought it was some kind of siege weapon over four meters long.
But looking more carefully, he could see human limbs mixed with bestial legs. Those deep green appendages tangled chaotically together, forming a single mass that rose upward, with the upper half of a female form jutting out at the top.
Circling around it were Cockroaches—oversized versions of the ordinary insects.
He wanted to observe more carefully, but there was no time. He didn’t know when he’d be spotted, and besides, the soldiers’ desperate stand was nearly at an end.
Strangely, he felt no fear. Instead, he felt exhilaration. If he could protect this fortress, what result would return to him in the future?
Come to think of it, it had always been this way. Future念 always moved with feeling guiding the body—like something pushing him forward from behind. Stripped of pretense, it was unfounded confidence, but the point was that he’d always come through in the end.
‘Perhaps….’

[Your innate ability ‘Future念’ resonates with the awakening of a new power!]

‘Could the two innate abilities be connected?’
For instance, a guide to changing the future.
Seol Jihoo recalled the message he’d seen in the great hall when Nine Eyes awakened and shook his head. The truth would only become clear once he discovered which remaining direction Nine Eyes held.
And to do that, he had to protect this fortress and return alive, no matter what.
With a sharp exhale, Seol Jihoo suddenly pushed himself upright. In the next instant, he hurled one of the Spell Balls gripped in his hands skyward with all his strength. His eyes tracked the Spell Ball as it left his palm and cut through the air.
Screech?
Whether she sensed something amiss, Medusa’s head snapped upward. The Spell Ball spun with a high-pitched whine, blazed with light, then transformed into a towering column of water that cascaded down.
The spray engulfed Medusa, drenching her completely. In that reflexive moment as she swept her gaze around her surroundings,
Crack!
A single bolt of lightning shot forth like a blade of light and pierced straight through her chest.

(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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