The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 68

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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 68. Level 2 Leader

“This won’t do.”
After a considerable stretch of silence, Kim Hanna spoke for the first time. She reached into her handbag.
“I didn’t want to meddle in your life in Paradise. That’s why I kept going back and forth about whether to give you this. But I can see now—it won’t work.”
She announced this as if delivering an ultimatum, then set something down with a decisive tap. It was a transparent, perfectly round crystal no larger than the palm of her hand.
“A Communication Crystal. It’s made from quality material, so you’ll be able to use it even in Harumag. From now on, wherever you’re going, you tell me first. Understood?”
Seol Jihoo nearly said “Are you my mother?” but one look at Kim Hanna’s stern expression made him think better of protesting. He answered with silence instead—though that clearly wasn’t acceptable to her.
“Well? Aren’t you going to take it?”
He shook his head.
“What? Since when do you get to shake your head like that? What did you do so right?”
“Look, that’s a bit much. You’re not my mother, and asking me to get permission before I go anywhere—”
Seol Jihoo ventured his complaint carefully,
“I mean, it’s not that I won’t take it.”
But the moment he saw Kim Hanna’s expression darken to something genuinely dangerous, he scrambled to claim the crystal.
“Don’t think I’m being unreasonable. You’re the one who broke the promise in the first place.”
Seol Jihoo became a man who’d swallowed honey and found himself unable to speak.
“I was terrified. Ramman—sure, fine. But the Forest of Negation? Aden Canyon?”
Even now, the color of Kim Hanna’s face cycled between red and purple, as if she could barely contain her anxiety.
“The southern reaches weren’t enough—you had to go into the border territories! I’m amazed you came back alive! You reckless fool!”
Seo Youhee nodded in wholehearted agreement, setting down a glass of ice water.
‘Why are you doing this too?’
They say a scolding sister-in-law is worse than a beating mother-in-law. Wasn’t it because things were noisy that he’d gotten irritated? Seol Jihoo stuck out his lower lip.
“Tuck that lip back in.”
Kim Hanna growled the words. She drank down the ice water as if trying to cool molten metal burning in her chest.
What bewildered the young man most, though, was that Kim Hanna’s behavior was one thing—but Seo Youhee kept downing glass after glass of ice water right alongside her.
Gulp, gulp! She drank,
“…Ahh…”
and sighed quietly.
Gulp, gulp! Then drank again with renewed vigor,
“…Phew…”
and exhaled deeply.
The two of them had the look of people swallowing something difficult and forcibly suppressing it, so he decided it was wisest to simply stay quiet.
And so the room filled only with the sound of two women desperately trying to compose themselves.
It wasn’t until they’d drunk five or six glasses of ice water—apparently trying to fill their bellies with cold liquid—that Kim Hanna finally found her voice again.
“…So, what exactly did you come here for today?”
At last they were getting to the point. The young man quickly produced the Jeweled Tree Ornament, wanting to avoid another scolding.
“Take a look at this. What do you think?”
Kim Hanna’s eyes widened.
“Large and beautiful.”
She examined it from every angle, then hummed her approval.
“The size is impressive, but what really stands out is the purity—there isn’t a trace of impurity in it. This is top-tier material. And the craftsmanship is absolutely exquisite. A collector would go crazy for this.”
“How much do you think we could get for it?”
“In Paradise currency, even a poor negotiation would net you at least 300 silver coins. If you’re lucky, you might even push for 500.”
“What about in Earth value?”
“Astronomical. But you’d have to spend a tremendous amount of Merit Points to take it with you. I wouldn’t really recommend it.”
Kim Hanna looked up.
“Is that the only reason you came to see me?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Hand it over. I’ll take care of it.”
Kim Hanna took the ornament without hesitation.
“Selling something of this quality for its mere market value would actually be a loss.”
“You’re saying you have a use for it?”
“That’s right. Don’t worry—I’ll make sure you don’t lose out.”
On that front there was no need for concern. A woman who gave out hundreds of millions in pocket money wasn’t going to skip out, and besides, the Kim Hanna he knew was sharp and had her head on straight.
“Thanks to you, I can turn this crisis into an opportunity. Aside from that—what about the Temple?”
“Level 2.”
Seol Jihoo held up his index and middle fingers in a V, as if he’d been waiting for exactly this question.
“That’s impressive,” she said flatly.
Seol Jihoo immediately deflated.
“With that achievement, your level should’ve gone up. Did you use your points?”
“No. I’m saving them for later.”
“Good call. So what’s your class name?”
“Mana Spear Soldier.”
“A spear soldier… what?”
Kim Hanna’s eyebrows drew together.
“It’s a Unique Job, supposedly.”
“A Unique Job? My goodness, what abilities did you learn?”
“I haven’t learned any yet. I thought it’d be better to discover them on my own rather than take the easy route.”
Kim Hanna gnawed her lower lip, her expression uncertain.
“A Unique Job, a Unique Job…”
She tapped her index finger on the table, then opened her mouth.
“I can’t quite get a feel for it. Look, whenever you have time, go visit the temple and check out what abilities are available to learn.”
“But—”
“I know what you’re about to say. I do. Still, humor me and take a look. There should be abilities suited to your level, and at least it’ll give you some direction.”
Now that she mentioned it, that made sense.
“I understand wanting to accumulate points, but abilities are another matter. If you’re not using your points and not learning any skills, what’s the point in raising your level?”
Kim Hanna had identified something Seol Jihoo hadn’t considered, and she reached into her handbag. The crystal he’d seen earlier was glowing.
“Things are getting busy.”
She clicked her tongue and continued.
“Anything else you need to tell me?”
“No, nothing. You can go if you’re busy.”
“You don’t need more money?”
“No.”
“How much do you have left?”
“A hundred silver coins from you, plus 270 silver coins from the quest reward—370 total.”
Kim Hanna’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
“Not bad for a reconnaissance mission and one skirmish.”
“Is that good? I wouldn’t know.”
“Let’s see. The exchange rate these days is about 505 won per silver coin. If I round it to 500…”
After a quick calculation, Kim Hanna spoke.
“That’s 135 million won.”
Seol Jihoo’s jaw dropped.
“That much?”
“You’re risking your life for this. That’s the minimum anyone should get. Especially teams like Carpe Diem with proper hierarchy—they probably pull in 100 to 200 million per job.”
Only then did it truly sink in. Now he understood why Cho Hong had been so delighted.
“That said, don’t spend it recklessly. Equipment costs skyrocket as your level increases. Paradise especially—it’s been at war for ages, so prices are just astronomical.”
Seol Jihoo nodded in agreement, and Kim Hanna slowly rose to her feet.
“Thank you for the tea. And I sincerely apologize for making such a commotion when you were kind enough to invite me.”
“Not at all. You did wonderfully. You work so hard.”
“You’re too kind.”
Seol Jihoo watched Kim Hanna laugh softly, her eyes narrowed with amusement. He was beginning to understand why they called her Miss Foxy.
Shortly after.
With parting remarks—time to go, better to leave separately, and don’t you dare ignore my messages or I’ll kill you—Kim Hanna rattled off her final warnings and strode out the door.

With Kim Hanna gone, only the two of them remained. As Seol Jihoo was quietly getting to his feet, he suddenly felt a gaze fixed upon him—an intense stare that rooted him in place.
He turned his eyes hesitantly and saw Seo Youhee gazing at him with a sorrowful expression. A chill ran through him, as if he’d stepped into winter wind. The woman who’d seemed like a kind older sister suddenly felt frightening.
‘Is she angry?’
It was Kim Hanna who’d caused the commotion. And she’d said just moments ago that it was fine. He felt wronged, but Seol Jihoo decided to apologize quickly.
“I’m sorry for the disturbance.”
………
Seo Youhee squeezed her eyes shut, covering her face with her pale hands.
After a brief silence, she picked up a clean cloth and came around the counter, stopping just in front of the young man.
The woman was quite tall. Seol Jihoo wasn’t short himself, but her head barely reached below his neck.
Looking at the cloth in Seo Youhee’s hand, Seol Jihoo finally realized his face was covered in the tea spray that Kim Hanna had spewed.
“Oh, no. I can—”
“Hold still.”
Speaking softly, she slowly reached out and began wiping his face with the cloth. Her hand was cool as it brushed against him, yet it carried a warmth that made him drowsy. Seol Jihoo gently closed his eyes.
“…I’m upset. Really.”
A small voice, almost like an aside, reached his ears. He doubted them. Upset? Had he been that loud?
He tried to apologize again, but she was so meticulous in wiping even his lips that he couldn’t open his mouth.
“Have I done something wrong to Shin Young?”
It was an abrupt question.
“No. If anything, I’ve only helped, not caused any trouble.”
“Then why?”
“Because Shin Young has me in mind as a candidate Earthian named Seol Seongsihyeon… I’m not quite sure myself.”
In that moment, the woman’s hand faltered. Though it soon resumed its work.
“It sounds like you’re active in Harumag.”
“Yes. The capital is Shin Young’s own domain, so he said I shouldn’t be there.”
“I see. Life in Harumag can’t be easy. Is there perhaps a reason you come to Paradise so regularly?”
He wondered why she asked so probing questions on a first meeting, but Seol Jihoo answered earnestly.
“Because it’s enjoyable.”
“Enjoyable? You mean fun?”
“More than fun, really… Paradise is where I belong.”
“Where you belong?”
Seo Youhee tilted her head. Her face showed bewilderment.
“Yes. People who accept me and need me.”
Seol Jihoo spoke brightly. A slight wrinkle creased Seo Youhee’s unmarred brow. She withdrew her hand slowly and gazed at the young man intently. She looked almost angry.
“Does that mean you have no place in Earth?”
“Well, I… um.”
Seol Jihoo laughed awkwardly and scratched his head. Seo Youhee shook her head heavily.
“That’s not true.”
She continued as if admonishing him.
“Paradise has no family, no friends.”
“…….”
“Think about it. If you disappeared suddenly, your family and everyone who knows you—how worried they’d be.”
Her tone had crossed beyond persuasion into something almost like pleading. But Seol Jihoo’s response was lukewarm.
The mention of family made his chest tighten as though he’d swallowed a stone. The weight of it was enough to make him want to flee.
‘I’d almost forgotten.’
Wouldn’t they be better off if he disappeared? Seol Jihoo genuinely believed that.
“I don’t think they’d worry much.”
“How can you say that?”
“Ah, here we are, talking about everything on a first meeting. Ha.”
He laughed bitterly and stepped back a few paces.
“Thank you for inviting me. I should go before I overstay my welcome.”
Seol Jihoo bowed and turned as if to flee. Seo Youhee’s hand reached out reflexively, but—
“Ah.”
Just before it touched his back, she stopped herself. She could only watch as the young man passed through the door and disappeared.
A moment later.
Seo Youhee gazed quietly in the direction he’d gone, her eyes gleaming.
“Harumag.”

A month had already passed since Seol Jihoo returned to Harumag.
In that time, his routine had been mundane in some ways, complicated in others.
First came training.
The morning physical conditioning posed no great difficulty. The facilities were adequate, and he simply repeated what he’d always done.
The problem was the mana training, into which he poured his entire afternoon.
Seol Jihoo fully agreed with Kim Hanna’s advice that “there’s no point in leveling up if you don’t improve your score and don’t learn abilities,” so he visited Gulla’s Temple and reviewed the two abilities available at Level 2.
The Mana Spear Throw, which generated a spear from mana and hurled it. And the Circulation of Vital Energy, which provided comprehensive aid in mana application.
At first, Seol Jihoo grumbled about how meager these abilities seemed, but once he began training, he had to revise his thinking.
The Mana Spear Throw simply wouldn’t click. Circulating mana through a circuit and manifesting it outside the body were entirely different matters.
The Circulation of Vital Energy was equally stubborn. No matter how hard he applied himself, the technique refused to reveal itself.
He had no one to ask for guidance. He could see why most Earthians readily acquired such abilities using merit points.
In truth, with his current merit points, he could easily learn both abilities, but Seol Jihoo endured and persisted through the difficulty.
Second came work.
Since joining Carpe Diem, Seol Jihoo had learned one thing: quests that satisfied both a mission and an expedition simultaneously, like the Forest of Negation, were exceedingly rare.
Unless war broke out. Even royal quests, unless they were truly dire, went first to large organizations like guilds or companies. And once assigned there, they’d be delegated downward to senior teams with existing connections, making it difficult to seize opportunities each time.
Above all, Dylan, the leader of Carpe Diem, never undertook an expedition unless he was certain of success, so Seol Jihoo was building experience with smaller jobs like couriers and guard duties.
Seol Jihoo had to accompany Cho Hong to Ramman the evening before as well. An urgent transport job had come up suddenly, and he’d gone through with it for the extra pay. Though compared to the reward he’d received last time, it was barely a fraction of that.
After returning without incident, morning had already passed and noon had arrived.
“It’s hot, so hot~.”
Cho Hong, fanning herself with her hand as she walked, slowed her pace as her destination came into view.
“Come to think of it, there aren’t many people on the streets today.”
Cho Hong glanced around as she spoke. Something must have happened—the streets were unusually quiet.
“That place is still under construction and… hey, are you even listening?”
“Hmm?”
Seol Jihoo, who had been deep in thought about Mana Spear training, cleared his mind as his colleague spoke to him. Cho Hong had a habit of sulking if you didn’t respond properly to her—she couldn’t bear boredom.
“Where? Oh.”
The direction Cho Hong was pointing toward was the building across from the Carpe Diem office. He’d never even known what it originally was, but one day he noticed they’d torn it down completely and were constructing an entirely new building.
Harumag was a city of considerable size. But seeing someone purchase an entire lot of land and build a new structure like that suggested substantial wealth—Seol Jihoo recalled Dylan wondering quite intently about who might move in.
Seol Jihoo opened his mouth.
“I hope it’s a restaurant.”
“Why?”
“It’d make eating convenient.”
“Ha! You know what, while we’re at it, should we eat, drink, and have some fun? It’s hot anyway—let’s call Dylan and Hugo and grab a light drink.”
Knowing Cho Hong’s weakness for alcohol, Seol Jihoo nodded. And then he said:
“Shall we, Cho Hong?”
Cho Hong made a face.
“Ugh! Where did you hear my family name, huh?”
“Some person passing by told me.”
“Stop messing around. Go call them!”
Thump! Cho Hong rushed at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. As Seol Jihoo chuckled and moved up the building’s stairs step by step, something happened.
Both of them looked up at the third floor at the same time. And they stopped walking. More than ten Earthians were standing outside the third-floor door. Waiting, it seemed.
“What… what is this?”
Cho Hong was bewildered.
“What are those Sicily guys doing here?”

(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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