The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 72

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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 72. The Forbidden (2)

The Village Chief’s expression barely shifted as he read the paper. Seol Jihoo broke the silence.
“Suppression has never once failed. Not a single time.”
He continued in an even tone.
“Of course, there have been a handful of occasions when the royal house dispatched Suppression teams directly. But if their aim was to maintain stability across the Hararmag region due to the frequent appearances of mutants, it’s not something I can’t understand.”
The Village Chief, who had been listening quietly, showed signs of bewilderment.
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re driving at.”
“I’ve heard you’ve always been the one to submit the requests.”
“That much is true.”
“Three months ago, the team you hired had four Level 2 members and one Level 3, plus one Level 4. And Carpe Diem’s average level is 3.75. Though their top-tier member didn’t come here, that distinction alone sets them apart significantly.”
“I entrusted this request to Carpe Diem partly because of their reputation, but also because I’d heard they take on even trivial work.”
The Village Chief shook his head and handed the paper back. It wasn’t an incorrect observation. Seol Jihoo had indeed taken on escort and courier work alongside Cho Hong more than once.
“If I may be so bold.”
Seol Jihoo tucked the paper away and spoke carefully.
“I’m curious about the source of your ability to pitch requests so precisely every time.”
One of the Village Chief’s eyebrows rose slightly.
“You don’t have detailed information about the mutants, yet you’ve always entrusted them to teams capable of succeeding with ease.”
…….
“Perhaps you’ve taken an interest in Earthians as a matter of course, and naturally, as Village Chief representing hundreds of residents, you feel a sense of responsibility. I’m not reproaching you—quite the opposite, I think you’ve done well.”
…….
“But mutants are known to be difficult to study because their corpses decompose rapidly after death. And it’s not as though someone is quietly feeding you information either.”
Seol Jihoo paused briefly before continuing in a low voice.
“Yet the Chief has always seemed to read one step ahead, matching your requests to the situation. Not once or twice—twenty times.”
The Village Chief closed his eyes slowly. After a long breath, the old man spoke.
“So your conclusion is that you suspect me.”
“Not at all. Your actions aside, your purpose is to protect the village. I respect that effort.”
“Respect, you say.”
The Village Chief smiled faintly.
“Remarkable. That an Earthian would take such interest in something you could simply overlook. What was it—a Quest NPC? There was an Earthian who called me that once. I felt better about myself then than I do now.”
“A Quest NPC….”
Treating a living person like a game fixture—so such Earthians truly existed. Seol Jihoo let out a hollow laugh.
“I know what you’re curious about. And since you say you don’t suspect me, I won’t claim you’ve misread the situation. I’ll simply take it as pure curiosity.”
“That would mean…”
“But in truth, it’s nothing as grand as you might think.”
The Village Chief closed his eyes.
“Seven years have passed since the first mutant appeared.”
He spoke quietly, beginning his account.
“In the beginning, there was no need to file requests at all. The village militia was more than capable of handling them.”
“I see.”
“But as time passed and new mutants emerged, I began to feel the strain. Eventually, there came a day when people died. It was my mistake in underestimating them, and I took full responsibility for it. That’s when I started submitting requests.”
“I understand what you’re saying, but—”
“Now listen here.”
The Village Chief opened his eyes.
“I know what you are. Blessed by the divine to grow strong—enviable, certainly. But a poor wretch like me, representing helpless villagers, isn’t fool enough to simply wait for aid to arrive.”
His aged eyes burned with sharp, piercing light.
“I may be serving as Chief of an unremarkable village now, but I was once a soldier loyal to the Empire. I’ve fought those abominable parasites with my own hands. Though my body has withered, the experience and judgment of those days haven’t abandoned me.”
“That wasn’t my intention in asking.”
“It’s not just that. From a poor village unable to offer compensation that would satisfy Earthians—if we had entrusted the work to just any team and they’d been wiped out, what do you think would happen to the village’s prospects in the long term from such a rumor?”
Seol Jihoo said nothing.
“If I’m mistaken, so be it. But I figured that a team indifferent to the size of the reward would still take on a request of this caliber. That’s why I delegated to them. That’s the reason.”
He couldn’t say he was entirely convinced, but there was nothing left to say. The Village Chief had closed his mouth, as if the conversation were finished.
After four or five seconds of silence, the Village Chief spoke again.
“Do you have anything else you’d like to know?”
His tone was almost dismissive, but Seol Jihoo pressed on with patience.
“You served in the Imperial Army, you said.”
“Are we back to that? I said no such thing.”
“Do you happen to know anything about the research the Empire was conducting in secret during the war, following the parasites’ invasion?”
The Village Chief’s eyes widened. It was a reaction beyond what he’d expected.
“Where did you hear that?”
“It was documented in historical records. I found an experimental report led by the Empire during the war. The research concerned a mass-production program for soldiers who could counter Parasites. While it showed some initial results, it ultimately failed, and closure was ordered. Despite fierce opposition, the closure was enforced.”
“Written down quite simply, then.”
The Village Chief let out a dry chuckle.
“You knew about it?”
“Well, a little. It was an open secret, after all.”
“Could you tell me the details?”
“I’m not sure I know much about it myself.”
The Village Chief stroked his sparse beard.
“It’s true the Empire’s leadership conducted research out of alarm at the Parasites’ ability to infest. But as far as I know, one day they suddenly claimed failure and shut down laboratories across the nation.”
“Seeing that there was opposition, it seems there must have been some possibility it could have worked.”
“That, I couldn’t say. What do you expect from a lowly foot soldier?”
“I apologize.”
“No need to apologize. But if this were about the commission, that would be different. I’m getting tired just talking about old history.”
The Village Chief exhaled heavily. Seol Jihoo, who had been watching the weary old man intently, slowly rose to his feet. The Nine Eyes remained active.
“…I understand. Thank you for your words.”
“I don’t know why you brought that up suddenly.”
The moment he turned his back, a low voice caught his steps.
“It’s a matter of history with no connection to Ramman Village whatsoever. If you wish to learn more about that, wouldn’t it be better to find a survivor from the Delphinium Duchy?”
“The Delphinium Duchy?”
He half-turned his head.
“It’s the duchy that conducted research in cooperation with the Empire. The main research facility was likely there. Though it’s been long since it fell and became the land of Parasites.”
The Village Chief drew a deep breath.
“I’ve heard rumors of a sorcerer from the Delphinium Duchy who couldn’t accept the closure order, ultimately refusing to abandon the research, and who stole a critical device and disappeared. If he hasn’t died, he would still be alive.”
“Is that so.”
“That’s all I know. I hope it’s been of some help.”
Seol Jihoo bowed. When he returned to where his team was, Cho Hong bristled.
“Where did you go? You were so late I thought you’d disappeared!”
Seol Jihoo said nothing. As he remained silent, Cho Hong watched his expression.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“…No.”
He spoke with a dull face and looked away. Maria, who had regained her spirits, seemed to be in better condition.
“What should we do? The sun is still up.”
“Let’s go. Shouldn’t we handle the Mutants first and unravel the mystery?”
Veronica, the Heather, offered her opinion. As the team members agreed, Seol Jihoo nodded as well.

The team, having agreed to deal with the Mutants by day’s end, promptly left Ramman Village.
Without a carriage, they had to walk. Maria and the Porter naturally took the center, with Gyershal and Cho Hong on either side. Veronica, the Heather, took the lead with Mikhail beside her, while Seol Jihoo brought up the rear. It felt unfamiliar standing where Dylan had been.
After rapid marching, the team arrived at their destination in roughly an hour and a half.
The region, which earned the name “Night Mist Zone” because fog rolled in each evening, proved to be utterly different from Ramman Village when they arrived. Far from picturesque nature, it was a rugged, rolling terrain that seemed barren.
He examined the terrain carefully. Several distinctive features became apparent. First, the land sloped, and there were hundreds of high points. The hills varied so much in size that there were countless places his sight couldn’t reach.
The ground itself was strange too. The lush grass had withered to yellow, and mysterious holes dotted the landscape here and there.
And then.
‘Yellow.’
Sweeping the area with the Nine Eyes, Seol Jihoo caught his breath. The entire Night Mist Zone appeared marked with caution warnings.
“Veronica! Do you see anything? Anything at all?”
“Hardly. The only troublesome thing about Mutants is that they leave no traces.”
“The Great Pioneer, one of the highest-ranking archers, even gave up pursuit—that’s a famous anecdote. It was classified as unsolved after that.”
Mikhail added a word with a wry smile. Seol Jihoo fell into thought.
His calculations had gone awry. He’d expected something suspicious to show up when he used the Nine Eyes upon arriving at the destination. But if the entire area looked like this…
‘Let’s be cautious and look around carefully.’
Seol Jihoo adjusted his grip on his spear and scanned the surroundings. He scrutinized everything, not wanting to miss a single detail.
Suddenly, Veronica stopped walking.
“What is it?”
Mikhail, about to say “What?”, closed his mouth as Veronica lowered her stance and signaled rapidly with her hand, quickly drawing his longsword. Gyershal raised his Spear and Shield, and Cho Hong, sensing the danger, rolled her eyes in alertness. Only Maria, oblivious, let out a yawn that split her face wide, working her jaw.
After five minutes of stillness, Veronica slowly straightened up.
“That’s strange. I definitely heard a sound…”
The moment she tilted her head and looked to the side, something came whooshing down and engulfed Veronica’s crown.
Seol Jihoo reflexively flinched, snapping to attention at the long, piercing scream, and cast his gaze downward. A gray mass coiled itself over the fallen Veronica’s face and body.
“Aaargh! Aaaaargh!”
Veronica thrashed and kicked, flailing her arms. Mikhail at her side swung his longsword in a swift arc. He carved deep, but the thing refused to fall away.
“Damn it!”
Mikhail spat the curse and raised his blade again, when Cho Hong charged forward like she’d sprouted wings and kicked the mass with all her strength and precision. Squelch! The sound of tearing flesh. The clay-gray lump scattered droplets of blood, flying far away.
“Uuughhhh!”
Veronica’s neck and chest ran slick with blood. She winced.
“What—what is it? What’s happening?”
“On the… on the hill above….”
“But—”
“It was camouflaged. Hidden against the slope… hiding there.”
Veronica struggled through the words, breathless.
Seol Jihoo watched ahead and could not believe his eyes. The massive lump, split nearly in half, rippled and contracted, then sealed itself shut and slowly began to rise. It swelled to something under two meters tall,
‘Human?’
It took shape like a figure molded from clay. But there was one difference—both arms protruded like lances, sharpened and rigid. That wasn’t all.
Ooooooh… Ooooooh….
A dismal drone seeped from various points across the hillside.
“Hell! They’re mutants!”
Cho Hong shouted.
“This makes no sense! Last time, they had no Camouflage Ability!”
“Shut your mouth, forward!”
Cho Hong shrieked desperately. Mikhail, reacting on instinct, turned his eyes and gasped in shock.
Mutants emerged gradually from the slope—not just one or two. Thirty? Forty? Each transformed their arms into weapons of varied shapes as they advanced. The entire field turned ash-gray in an instant.
Whistle! Whistle!
Veronica, barely upright, fired arrows in rapid succession. Both bolts struck the thing that had nearly engulfed her, but the mutant didn’t flinch—it kept charging forward. Veronica’s face drained of color.
If they let it get closer, the entire team would be surrounded.
“Damn it! Mikhail! Cover me!”
“Wait—wait a moment!”
Cho Hong gripped the mace and surged forward. Mikhail, hesitant until then, clenched his teeth and scrambled after her.
Her long hair streaming, Cho Hong brought the mace down in a devastating arc. Bang! A head exploded like mud, and the mutant staggered. She powered through it, then began rampaging like a maddened rhino, swinging wild.
After pounding six or seven of them to pulp, Cho Hong suddenly sensed emptiness at her back.
“Damn it!”
She spun fast and raised her left arm.
Thunk!
A circular barrier erupted from her forearm, meeting the mutant’s attack from behind with perfect timing. Cho Hong twisted and tore its neck clean off, then ground her teeth.
“You useless bastard! Cover my rear or what!”
Disbelief flickered across her face. The ones she thought she’d put down were already fully healed and closing in around Mikhail.
Mikhail flailed desperately, slashing his longsword in all directions, but the mutants’ severed parts regenerated instantly. He even watched as the one whose neck he’d just torn off bubbled and gurgled, reforming at an alarming rate.
“Regeneration?”
Cho Hong bit down and bolted toward them, battering away at the ones surrounding Mikhail. She barely got him clear, but he was already bleeding heavily, stumbling.
Cho Hong clenched her jaw. Veronica kept firing arrows, but they made no difference. She’d heard they were stronger, but never imagined the gap would be this wide.
“This is absurd,” Maria muttered, letting out a cold laugh. She extended her hand, which held a cross.
“Lushu Lu Lushulia.”
Boom! Her monotone voice belied the force behind it. A translucent barrier enveloped both man and woman in a sharp rush of power. Even as the mutants threw themselves at it, it didn’t yield an inch.
“Well, we’ve bought some time at least,” Maria said, glancing sideways.
“If the rumors aren’t wrong, those two idiots’ combat prowess should be enough to crack an opening, shouldn’t it?”
Seol Jihoo reset his grip on the spear. Veronica could manage ranged support, and Gyershal was a Keeper. The only warrior left was himself.
‘Then.’
Seol Jihoo didn’t hesitate. He raised the Blue Spear and charged forward, his mana already pushed to its limit.
“Go!”
Cho Hong called out in alarm just as Seol Jihoo drove the spear downward toward the skull of a mutant that was still turning its body—
Squelch!
‘Huh?’
The moment he’d split it clean down to the groin, Seol Jihoo was startled by the spear’s sharpness. The satisfying sensation of carving through something rigid as clay transmitted through his hands.
‘That’s… pretty good feel.’
But there was more to it.
“What—what’s that?”
Cho Hong, watching from inside the barrier, let out a sharp exclamation. Seol Jihoo was of the same mind. Knowing the mutants had Regeneration, he’d planned to press the attack relentlessly, but—
Crack, crack-crack-crack!
—the severed halves weren’t fusing back together. They lay sprawled, inert.
“The spear,” Maria whispered, more to herself than anyone else. “It’s suppressing their regeneration.”
From the wound’s cross-section, a pale blue ice rippled outward in waves. The mutant, which had struggled so many times to reattach itself, finally gave up. It melted away, absorbed into the ground as though being drawn down into the earth.
‘Freezing!’
Seol Jihoo’s eyes brightened as he saw the spear blade dancing with a biting chill. Cho Hong, who had been staring blankly, seemed to grasp the pattern at last. She let out a soft incantation with a small start. Before he could even watch her mace gradually wrapped in light, he collided with an ashen wave.
Slice!
The moment he cleanly severed the left thigh of another mutant, genuine confidence bloomed within him. After driving his spear through the forehead of the fallen creature, Seol Jihoo summoned his mana with full force.
Bang! Using the Festina Earring to charge forward, the horde of mutants parted like the parting of the Red Sea. And as his spear grew lighter with each surge of mana it absorbed, he unleashed a continuous barrage of strikes—patterns and forms he could never have managed before, flowing without pause.
In an instant, he laid low nearly seventeen of them, and the moment he hammered at one from the side—
“!”
The mutants suddenly threw open both arms and hurled themselves forward without regard for their lives. He quickly thrust his spear through the one charging from the front, but those from the left and right, and even from behind and below, came scrambling and latched onto him.
‘Damn madness!’
He violently shook off the one clinging to his side, but by then mutants had already tangled around his back and ankles, pinning his body in place.
“Gah!”
Suddenly a searing sensation tore across his back. Seol Jihoo gritted his teeth against the pain, his eyes snapping open. Before him, a mutant he couldn’t move rushed forward, its lance-shaped arm thrust straight at his helpless form!
“Lushu Lu Lushulia!”
His body abruptly came free. In that instant of regained freedom, Seol Jihoo watched every mutant clinging to him and every one charging toward him stiffen and collapse lifelessly. Maria stood with a stern face, her cross leveled forward.
“Thank you!”
Seol Jihoo responded by severing the necks of the fallen creatures, then turned to face the rest. He’d dealt with more than ten alone, yet nearly thirty remained. That they no longer paid any attention to the protective barrier and turned their full focus on him—he could see his target had changed.
‘Damn it….’
Ten of them he could manage. Seol Jihoo clenched his jaw.
“Let’s go!”
Cho Hong burst out from within the barrier. She thumped the rear flank of the mutants that had turned to face him, then slipped past and pressed her back firmly against his.
“You good with me backing you up?”
“Got the feel for it now. Thanks to you.”
Cho Hong laughed brightly and pointed her white-hot mace at the creature whose head she’d just crushed. The ashen body glowed black as it burned away to ash.
“How much longer are you going to hide?!”
Maria’s sharp cry rang out. By now she’d cast her healing spell—Mikhail stood with sweat pouring down his face, concentrating hard. Soon a blue aura rose from his longsword, and he shouted:
“That’s enough! You can drop the barrier now!”
The protective barrier lifted at once.
“You damn bastards. You dare startle me?”
Mikhail growled as he spun his blue-tinged longsword and rushed back into the fray.
“Hey.”
Cho Hong, still pressed back to back with him, spoke.
“Want to make a movie?”
At the whispered words, Seol Jihoo let out a soft laugh.
Moments later, the two sprinted off in opposite directions simultaneously.
He swept aside a savage arm with a slash of his spear and cut it away, then immediately drove a thrust at the creature’s neck. The spreading ice seized the mutant’s throat as it collapsed, and he trampled over it, swinging his spear in a wide arc.
Now he had companions watching two flanks. Maria’s support too. Exhilarated by the new spear’s performance, Seol Jihoo threw himself fully into the attack ahead, even forgetting to breathe as he danced the weapon through the air.
By the time he caught his breath after the wild rampage, dozens of mutants lay scattered around him, melting into formless slime as they vanished.
“After this commission ends, you’re definitely heading back to the temple.”
Cho Hong dimmed her mace’s glow, smiling.
“At this rate, you’ve got to be somewhere between Level 3 and 4. You’re going up in level again, aren’t you?”
Seol Jihoo caught his breath and sheathed his spear. Mikhail, who had been staring at him like he was some sort of monster, met his eyes and quickly clasped his hands together, bowing in panic.
“Sorry, really sorry! I never thought it would have camouflage and regeneration abilities together.”
“It’s fine. By the way, what was that power you used earlier?”
“Huh? Oh, the blue light?”
“Yes. Is it sword energy?”
“Sword energy? You’d need to be at least Level 7 Sword Master to use that. Just think of it as a type of aura.”
Mikhail waved his hand dismissively, then suddenly asked in a serious tone:
“But seriously—you’re really Level 2?”
Seol Jihoo, having heard this misunderstanding many times already, took it in stride.
The wounded drank healing water to recover, and Veronica, whose injuries were severe, had Maria attending to her.
Thus the first battle came to an end. Though they were caught off guard by the mutants’ unexpected abilities, once they found a way to cope, it proved less difficult than expected. Above all, the priest’s timely support at every critical moment made the fight far easier to manage.
Watching Maria cleanly restore Veronica to health with a single spell, Seol Jihoo felt a rush of satisfaction.
‘Good call bringing her along.’

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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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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