The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 7

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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 7. The Golden Dojo (2)

A quiet street.
Calling it merely that felt somehow unnatural. Not a single person was visible, not a single car.
An eerie, lifeless city where even an ant wouldn’t be seen. The sky itself was ash-gray.
‘Was this reality and not a dream?’
The moment she thought it, Seol-a bolted up and grabbed her mobile phone.
[Identity confirmed. User registration complete.]

A mechanical voice chimed, and the screen lit up. She clicked on an envelope-shaped app, and a message appeared.

[Sender: Guide]
[1. Assemble at Paradise High School Auditorium within the marked time]
[2. Time remaining: 00:09:45]

The contents were straightforward, but thoughtfully included a map. Comparing her current location with the destination, the distance seemed manageable.
Seol-a slapped her cheek hard. The crisp sound matched the sting that bloomed across her face. Part of her was trying to clear her head, but mostly she was confirming one last time that this was real.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
She rubbed her flushed cheek and cautiously pushed open the front door.

As she walked, an inexplicable tension crept in waves over her skin. Not just the loneliness of being abandoned alone in the world, but the sensation of moving alone through frozen time.
Finding the way wasn’t difficult. Following the path the map indicated, she reached her destination in mere minutes.
Beside the wide-open main gate hung a nameplate that read “Paradise High School,” as if flaunting itself.
‘That’s a funny name.’
“Awful name.”
Startled by the sudden voice, Seol-a glanced sideways. When had she arrived? A woman in a hoodie.
Their eyes met. Her skin was flawless and pale, almost girlish, yet her sharp, upturned eyes looked fierce.
When Seol-a registered the hollow, blank expression on the woman’s face, she brushed past her. With both hands in her pockets, the woman walked briskly through the gate. She moved very fast.
‘White roof.’
According to the attached map, the main building was labeled, but that wasn’t the assembly point. Scanning the area, Seol-a soon spotted the Auditorium. As she approached, she heard the low murmur of voices.
Just as she climbed the steps, Seol-a had to stop. A person stood at the entrance.
More precisely, a blonde woman in a maid outfit was waving at her enthusiastically. Come on in, she seemed to say. Welcome, she conveyed.
“Um… I should go in here?”
The woman nodded brightly, smiling. But when Seol-a tried to pass, she hurried over and blocked the way, staring intently before suddenly thrusting out her hand.
“?”
As Seol-a tilted her head in confusion, the woman’s mouth opened slightly. She formed a rectangle with her thumbs and index fingers, then held out her hands again. As if demanding something. But the man just stood there blankly.
“What do you want?”
Apparently exasperated with Seol-a’s slowness, the maid woman rolled her eyes. She puffed out her cheeks and pushed out her lower lip. Seol-a remained puzzled.
“Your Invitation! Or your Contract!”
In that moment of bewilderment, someone shouted from inside. A man sitting in a chair was watching and chuckling. Ah, Seol-a suddenly pulled the Invitation from her pocket and handed it over.
“Hmph.”
The woman accepted the Invitation with a shrewd expression and unfolded the paper. While Seol-a wondered whether the man had snorted or just breathed through his nose, the maid’s face went pale.
Looking at the Invitation.
Looking at Seol-a.
Her wide eyes slowly closed. She carefully tucked away the Invitation and, bringing her hands together, bent at the waist with meticulous courtesy. An elegant, respectful bow.
The auditorium had gone quiet. Everyone already present turned their gaze toward the newcomer. Regardless, the woman gestured to Seol-a toward the left side of the auditorium and guided her.
After escorting her to a chair, the maid bowed respectfully again and retreated with graceful backward steps. Still without a word, but her manner had changed entirely.
“What’s with her? Why’d she act like that all of a sudden.”
“Yeah. She wasn’t like that when I came in.”
Two men’s eyes turned toward the man who had just entered. But Seol-a himself was only bewildered.
Even if he’d experienced vivid dreams, this was his first time encountering such a thing in reality. There were also things unfolding differently than in the dream.
So, flustered though he was, he decided to first assess the situation around him.
About thirty people had gathered in the auditorium. What stood out was that they were divided left and right, as if into two camps.
For instance, on the left side where Seol-a found himself, there were only eight people including him. Six men and two women. They had chairs to sit in, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
By contrast, the opposite side had nearly thirty people, but they were all either sitting or standing on the floor. Anxiety was written all over their faces.
“Since we’ve met here, isn’t it fate? How about we introduce ourselves?”
As if tired of waiting, a man suddenly spoke up. He was the one who’d chuckled watching Seol-a earlier.
His cheerful, bright voice drew attention from both sides at once. With his bangs neatly styled and his tall, handsome features, he seemed to enjoy the attention itself, cracking a slight smile.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Kang Seok. And these two—ah, you two can introduce yourselves.”
“Lee Hyung-sik.”
“Jeong Min-u.”
Whether they’d been friends before or had grown close since arriving here, the two men introduced themselves simply enough. Each had distinctive features, and Seol mentally assigned them nicknames—”Skinny” and “Chubby.” The first man to speak, she’d decided on the spot, was “Stone.”
“And what’s your name?”
Kang Seok’s next target was the hooded woman—someone Seol had briefly crossed paths with at the Main Gate.
The woman’s eyes were indifferent. She pretended not to hear, her attention fixed on her phone. A perfect dismissal. Kang Seok laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
“She’s a heartbreaker, this one.”
Lee Hyung-sik interjected softly.
“This is embarrassing. Could someone rescue me here?”
Kang Seok’s gaze settled on one of the remaining women. She was holding the hand of the boy beside her tightly, offering an uncomfortable smile.
“Ah… I’m Lee Seol-a.”
“Lee Seol-a, then. And the person next to you?”
“My younger brother. Lee Seong-jin.”
At the mention of a sibling, Kang Seok’s interest visibly piqued.
“You’re brother and sister?”
“Yes.”
“How old are you, if you don’t mind my asking? You look younger than I expected. Ah, I’m sorry if that offended you.”
“It’s fine. I’m eighteen, and Seong-jin is two years younger than me.”
“Wow.”
Surprised at their youth, Kang Seok let out an exclamation. Then, with a warm smile, he extended his hand.
“Feel free to speak comfortably. I’m twenty-nine. Since we’re all here on the same invitation, let’s get along. Think of me like an uncle.”
“Thank you.”
Lee Seol-a shook his hand shyly. Her refined features, flushed with embarrassment, resembled a single delicate flower—even Seol found her gaze drawn for a moment. Kang Seok held onto Lee Seol-a’s hand for some time.
Two people remained: Seol and a man in a green cap and sunglasses.
The cap-wearing man seemed quite restless—his mouth never stopped, as if chewing gum, and with an earphone plugged in, his leg bounced constantly. He showed no interest whatsoever, not bothering to introduce himself.
Seol discreetly concentrated her consciousness to observe Kang Seok. A faint green glow appeared and vanished almost immediately.
The probability of getting entangled with him was high, and it wouldn’t be good. Ultimately, Seol turned her head away as well.
When she first entered, she’d felt flustered, but as time passed, a sense of calm settled over her.
In her dream, she’d been standing on the right side of the Auditorium, not the left. But now that was different. What on earth was that golden seal to warrant all this? No matter how much she retraced the dream, she couldn’t recall it.
‘I’ll find out soon enough.’
She turned on her phone, and the remaining time counted down from 01 seconds to 00.
“It’s time.”
Just then, a sudden voice came from the front. A man in a tuxedo emerged from the Platform, walking with precise, measured steps. Since he hadn’t been visible moments before, everyone couldn’t help but be startled.
The impeccably styled man with a monocle raised his hand toward the Maid standing at the entrance.
“Is everyone here?”
The woman shook her head and pointed to the group on the right, holding up four fingers.
“Four people… Well, that’ll have to do. We can’t wait any longer, so let’s close the doors and begin.”
As the Maid hesitated, the eyes of the man who resembled a butler narrowed.
“The Guide has arrived. Getting here wasn’t difficult, and I have no use for people who can’t even keep time.”
In the end, the woman nodded obediently and quietly closed the doors. She pulled out her phone and tapped away.
The man on the Platform clapped his hands a couple of times to draw everyone’s attention.
“Welcome. I’m Han, and I’m the one guiding you all today. You can just call me the Guide.”
The Guide’s fingers gestured, and the Maid rushed forward with her ponytail swinging, climbing onto the Platform.
“First, the contracts. How many pages total? Twenty-eight pages… that’s quite a lot. And there are eight Invitations?”
The Guide received the stack of contracts and, without even looking, shoved them into his jacket. But he didn’t put the Invitations away—he held them in his hand.
The Guide touched his monocle.
“Right then, let’s begin with identity verification. You’ve received your Invitations, but it’s meaningless if I don’t confirm them directly.”
Silence. The Auditorium was quiet. He smirked.
“You must have many questions, but let’s follow procedure. Everyone here, please bring up your Status Window or Status. You can speak it aloud if you prefer.”
‘Status Window? Status?’
The moment the thought crossed Seol’s mind—
Text poured down across her vision.

[Personal Status Window]
[1. Information]
Summoned: 2017. 03. 16
Mark Grade: Gold
Gender · Age: Male · 26
Height · Weight: 180.5cm · 80.6kg
Condition: Good
Job: Level 0. Invitee
Nationality: Republic of Korea (Area 1)
Organization: —
Alias: —

[2. Traits]
① Nature
Weak-willed (lacks the resolve to make independent decisions or persevere), Impatient (quick-tempered)
② Aptitude
Ordinary (possesses nothing remarkable or distinctive)

[3. Physical Stats]
Strength: Low-Low
Endurance: Lowest
Agility: Low-Mid
Stamina: Low-Low
Mana: Mid-High
Luck: Mid-Low
Remaining stat points: 0.

[4. Abilities]
① Innate Abilities (2)
Future念(Unranked)
? (Unranked)
② Job Abilities (0)
③ Other Abilities (0)

[5. Consciousness Level]
Set after Tutorial completion.

“Oh.”
“What, what is it?”
Exclamations erupted from all corners. Seol was no exception. He’d seen this dozens, hundreds of times in his dreams, but watching it happen in reality felt entirely different.
“What about innate abilities? Hyung-sik, what does yours show?”
“Excuse me? Do you perhaps possess an innate ability?”
The one who answered was not Lee Hyung-sik, but the Guide, Han. Kang Seok, caught off guard by the unexpected reply, fumbled his denial.
“Oh, no. Just curious.”
“Ah… well, it’s actually normal not to have innate abilities. That’s just how humans are. There’s no need to concern yourself about it.”
Han smiled faintly as she spoke.
“Now then, let’s set aside the amazement. Next, I’ll need you to reveal your Mark Grade. You can simply think it, or speak it aloud if you prefer. Only what you choose to share will be visible to me, so please rest assured.”
The auditorium grew louder with murmurs. Seol kept staring at the window before him.
The Guide had clearly said it was normal not to have innate abilities. Yet the window visible to Seol’s eyes displayed innate abilities. Two of them, no less.
‘Future念? What’s with the question mark?’
He could guess it was somehow related to green, but why in the world was the second one marked with a question mark?
“Let’s see… Time being limited, I’ll proceed to the next step. Lee Seol-a, Lee Seong-jin, Lee Hyung-sik, Jeong Min-u, Hyun Sang-min — you’re all Bronze Mark, correct? Yes, that’s right.”
Five of the eight people on the left nodded, then looked bewildered.
The Guide, having asked and answered her own question, gave five invitations in her hand a sharp shake. The papers flashed brilliantly before transforming into bronze bags that tumbled down. It was like watching magic.
“Bronze Mark holders receive one Random Box as a standard Privilege. There’s also room for one additional Invitee Privilege, but unfortunately, none of you received one. Not a single person.”
While the Maid gathered the five bags and presented them to their recipients, the Guide unfolded two more invitations. She continued speaking as she read.
“It’s best to use your Privileges right away. The Tutorial will begin shortly, and if you die before using them, well, that’d be unfortunate… Hm?”
For the first time, her perpetually composed eyes showed a flicker of genuine surprise.
“Oh. Two Silver Mark holders? This Guide is becoming quite intrigued. Kang Seok? Yun Seora?”
“Yes!”
Kang Seok cried out energetically. The hooded woman, Yun Seora, merely nodded.
“Silver Mark holders receive two Random Boxes as standard Privileges, plus two Invitee Privileges. Kang Seok, you have no Invitee Privilege, but Yun Seora, you have one.”
Thunk, thunk. The two invitations transformed into bags as well—silver this time, rather than bronze.
The blonde Maid moved briskly. The Guide’s gaze turned toward the last remaining person. A man still staring vacantly into space.
“Please reveal your Mark Grade.”
Han’s voice was quiet, yet carried a resonant, weighty power. Seol, whose mind had been preoccupied with his innate abilities, was startled sharply awake by the sound vibrating through his ears and responded in confusion.
“Mark Grade unlock, you said?”
“Yes. Ah, now that it’s done…”
The Guide was about to say “…nished,” when she suddenly stopped.
“What on earth….”
Her eyes — staring at the newly opened Mark Grade — had gone wide as saucers.
“That’s… gold?”
The woman who had just handed over the silver bag hurried up onto the Platform and jabbed a rigid rib with her elbow.
“Ah.”
He came to his senses at last, cleared his throat with a cough, and lowered his gaze.
One final sheet. His hands trembled as he unfolded the Invitation, growing careful as he worked through it from beginning to end. When he finished, he let out a long, heavy sigh.
“An honored guest has arrived.”
His voice was quiet. The commotion that had filled the room vanished. Dozens of eyes turned toward one point. Seol felt her cheeks burn.
“My apologies. This is my first time announcing a gold-Grade Mark, you see… Or rather, there’s been only one precedent in all recorded history, so I’ve only heard about it secondhand.”
Was it really that extraordinary? What came out was less an excuse than pure stammering.
The Maid laughed with a soft giggle, and Han cleared his throat.
“I shall… continue the proceedings.”
As the Invitation slipped from Seol’s fingers, the paper erupted in a cascade of brilliant light before transforming into the bag.
Six tags hung from the bright yellow bag’s cord.
Three standard Privileges, three Invitee Privileges. Unlike any other Invitation, Kim Han-na had filled every slot.
“The gold-Grade Mark is….”
As Han read through the Privilege list, his mouth fell open.

(To be continued in the next part)

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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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