The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 77

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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 77. “I hate living like that.”

The journey back took four days on foot, whereas the ride there had consumed an entire day by carriage.
Maria headed straight for the Temple without a word of complaint. Even if the backlash was minor, an offering was an offering. Prayer and proper rest at the Temple, where divinity dwelt, was the safest way to prevent any unforeseen losses.
Mikhail and Veronica, meanwhile, seemed reluctant to part ways. They had been thoroughly impressed by Seol Jihoo’s Abilities and judgment throughout the Quest—his overall performance was remarkable.
At Level 2, he was already performing at this level; his future growth seemed almost immeasurable. There was no downside to becoming friendly with someone like him. Better safe than sorry.
Having finished his mental calculations, Mikhail gently pressed Seol Jihoo to have a drink with them, offering to cover the tab as thanks for their rescue.
Seol Jihoo weighed his options in turn. He’d felt it before—they weren’t exactly his ideal team. But once both of them reached Level 4, their Abilities would grow as well. Thinking ahead, building connections wouldn’t be a bad investment. Besides, Cho Hong was clearly eager to go, and he had a weakness for free drinks, so he readily agreed.
That evening, Seol Jihoo ate, drank, and made merry, returning to the Office pleasantly intoxicated alongside Cho Hong. After a refreshing wash, he collapsed onto the bed—soft and cozy in ways no cot had ever been, after nights spent sleeping on hard ground.
‘This is good.’
The smell of human life is good. I’m not alone anymore. I’ve made a nest in Haramag as an Earthian.
A content smile crossed his face as the thought drifted through his mind. Soon, in better spirits than he’d felt in days, he drifted off to sleep.

He noticed Dylan and Hugo were missing the day after returning to Haramag.
Since their luggage was gone too, it didn’t look like a simple outing. Seol Jihoo shrugged it off—they probably had Quests of their own.
He had no idea how long it would take, but the fact that Cheonji had come in person suggested this wasn’t a one- or two-day job. Based on Ian’s involvement, he could only guess it had something to do with the Royal Palace.
‘Wait.’
That meant until they returned, it would just be him and Cho Hong in this building. In other words, they’d be living together.
“Phew, that’s refreshing. I’m wide awake now.”
A familiar voice reached his ears. Cho Hong emerged from the shower, toweling her wet silver hair dry after her morning hangover cure routine.
‘Wow….’
No matter how many times he saw her, admiration was all he could muster.
Muscular thighs hugged snugly by dolphin shorts. The rounded, well-toned backside that followed, its line tapering gracefully to a slender waist, above which sat a plump, tempting navel pale as porcelain. And over the thin sleeveless top, her full breasts asserted their unmistakable presence.
Perhaps it was his unblinking stare that made Cho Hong look at him with a strange expression.
“Why’s your face like that?”
“Like what?”
“Your eyes are all droopy and lazy, and your philtrum is stretched out like—”
Cho Hong plopped down onto the sofa. Seol Jihoo, sitting beside her almost instinctively, began toying with her long hair. Still damp, it shimmered with a soft silvery glow. It looked beautiful to the eye, and the texture was pleasantly soft to the touch.
While Cho Hong was biting into a piece of fruit, a chill suddenly ran down her spine, and she turned her eyes away. Seol Jihoo had bunched her hair in his fist and was rubbing it against his cheek.
“…What are you doing?”
“Hm? Oh, the feel of it. It’s nice. Kind of fascinating, actually.”
“Stop. It’s annoying.”
“I wish it would stay silver like this.”
“Wake up and smell the coffee. It’ll go back to normal by later today or tomorrow… Ugh, just stop already!”
When Seol Jihoo twisted her hair into a pretty shape, Cho Hong shook her head irritably, and the ribbon-like form he’d carefully crafted came undone. He looked genuinely disappointed.
“Are you insane? You know you act like a creep every time you do that?”
“Let me touch it. You use me as a pillow all the time anyway.”
“Oh, whatever.”
Cho Hong was about to throw her fruit, but instead took a big bite. Then she flopped onto the sofa and propped her legs up on his lap. Seol Jihoo quickly grabbed her hair again.
“Hands off!”
“Legs down.”
Cho Hong snorted and puffed out her cheeks while chewing, then opened her mouth.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“I’m going to the Temple today. Want to come?”
“I worship Gula. You’ve got Ilya or Invidia, don’t you?”
“Come on. You’re only Level 2 anyway. Up to Level 4, it doesn’t matter where you go.”
That was true enough.
“And I’m going to Gula’s Temple too.”
“What? You’re going to Gula’s Temple?”
Seol Jihoo, who had been drumming his fingers on Cho Hong’s thigh, suddenly stopped. Could it be…
“For real?”
“Well, I’m not certain. We’ll find out when I get there.”
Cho Hong’s expression was nonchalant. She kept her eyes down, focused on eating. But the corners of her mouth betrayed her, twitching slightly. Seol Jihoo broke into a bright smile.
“Are you serious? You’re really reaching Level 5?”
He poked her in the ribs, and Cho Hong twisted away, bursting into delighted laughter.
“I said we’d find out when I get there!”
Cho Hong’s laughter rang out again.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“How was I supposed to know the Nest would pop up out of nowhere?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Weighing my options. Invidia won’t go. If I go to Ilya’s, I’ll probably become a Templar. Gula’s more likely to make me a Crusader.”
“Templar, Crusader… I’m jealous. Even the names sound incredible.”
Seol Jihoo sprang to his feet.
“This isn’t the time for that. What are you doing? Get up, come on.”
“I’m fine. I’ll eat breakfast and head out. And you think reaching Upper Rank is that easy?”
“Then how does it work?”
“From Level 5 onwards, they don’t judge you on experience alone. They look at Merit Score too.”
“Merit Score?”
Cho Hong finished off a piece of fruit and wiped her hands clean, nodding along.
“It’s like contribution. They measure how much you’ve dedicated yourself to Paradise all this time.”
“So if it’s lacking, you can’t advance?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to say that definitively, though…”
Cho Hong tilted her head, then continued.
“When you’re promoted to Upper Rank, the Royal House gets involved too.”
“The Royal House?”
“Yeah. You have to go to the Temple, earn recognition, and then succeed at a Mission the Royal House gives you. It’s like a promotion test, in a way.”
“Do you have to go through that?”
“Well, there are cases of people rising without examination, but those are people who built serious merit by Level 4. You know, the types who don’t care about Merit Score and just hunt for war—but honestly, there are almost no Earthians like that.”
More complicated than expected, Seol Jihoo muttered. Cho Hong shrugged.
“Can’t help it. Once you reach Upper Rank, the respect you get changes completely. Still, Warriors have it way easier than Priests.”
“What about Priests?”
“They have to prepare massive offerings, and they have to prove their qualifications in certain ways too, apparently. It’s a hassle.”
Seol Jihoo let out a low whistle.
“So being a Priest isn’t exactly a cushy job either.”
“Exactly. Every Class has its pros and cons when you think about it. Mages aren’t exceptions either.”
“Anyway, should we throw a celebration party this evening?”
Cho Hong looked flustered.
“A party? Come on, no need. What’s there to celebrate?”
“It’s a big deal. Carpe Diem’s going to have two members in Upper Rank.”
“I said no. Don’t be embarrassing about it.”
Seol Jihoo grabbed Cho Hong’s hand as she waved it off and pulled her closer.
“We’re doing this. I’m thinking of the benefits I’ll get from it going forward, so I’ll go all out.”
“Really? Well, if that’s the reasoning… I guess we could?”
Still, there was something pleasant about being celebrated by others. Cho Hong pretended to resist, then lifted herself up with a relenting air. A bright smile bloomed across her pale face. She opened her mouth, beaming.
“I wonder if we can just keep it among ourselves.”
“Why not. When Dylan and Hugo get back, we can do it again then.”
“Haha! I’d love to see Hugo’s face. When he finds out I reached Upper Rank first, he’s going to be green with envy!”
The two left, walking side by side and laughing merrily.

The two parted ways midjourney. Cho Hong said she’d head to Ilya’s Temple first, while Seol Jihoo said he’d wait at Gula’s Temple. He hadn’t held much hope, but there was a faint possibility nonetheless.
But as expected, his Level didn’t jump to 3 right away.
‘I’m still falling short, it seems…’
[Heh heh. Your appetite is too greedy.]
‘Even so…’
[Combat experience does account for the largest portion of Level advancement, that’s true.]
Gula’s languid voice continued.
[But it’s not the only thing. Your body’s condition aside, haven’t you not yet awakened your Level 2 Ability?]
That was fair. It was nothing but the truth, so Seol Jihoo swallowed his regret and nodded.
‘I understand.’
[Good. Rising quickly is never a good thing. Cultivate sufficient strength both inwardly and outwardly, then try again.]
‘Yes.’
Then came the sensation of a hand gently stroking the top of his head—tender, affectionate. He hunched his shoulders reflexively. It felt good.
[But you did exceptionally well this time.]
‘Sir?’
[Truly remarkable.]
A thought flashed through Seol Jihoo’s mind as he tilted his head in confusion. If Gula was talking about what he’d done this time…
‘Are you referring to the contract? Could dealing with the Nest have had some effect?’
[Such trifling matters have no bearing on the grand current of things.]
Gula spoke with a gentleness that was somehow cruel.
[But to forcibly incur a debt and weave threads of connection—I thought you’d let that slide. Yet here you are. How amusing.]
‘A debt, you say…?’
Were they referring to the village chief? Mikhail? Veronica? Or perhaps one of the villagers?
[In any case, how fortunate. It’s a thorny path, but thanks to that, you’ll at least be able to walk shod.]
‘I’m not certain I follow, sir.’
[It means you did well. ‘That’ can at least grant you some breathing room.]
‘…….’
[Though in the end, it all hinges on your choice.]
Here we go again. Every time Gula spoke in riddles, Seol Jihoo’s mind clouded over.
Why couldn’t they just speak plainly?
[Causality has been fractured. Do not take the Revelation of Heavenly Secrets lightly.]
‘!?’
Seol Jihoo, who had been grumbling to himself, jumped in alarm. Remembering his previous encounter, he hastily bowed and turned to leave before Gula could strike him again.
He waited at the entrance of the Temple, but no matter how long he stood there, Cho Hong never appeared. It seemed to be taking longer than expected.
‘I can just head in myself.’
As he was about to finish his cigarette and go, a man came hurrying toward him in the distance. It was someone he’d never seen before.
“Are you the one called Seol?”
“Hm? Yes, but who are you?”
“I’ve come from Ilya’s Temple. I have a message from Cho Hong. She says she’ll be late today, so she asked me to tell you not to wait and to head back first.”
“…Cho Hong?”
“I’ve delivered the message. That’s all.”
The man turned away curtly, as if he’d said all there was to say. It made no sense whatsoever.
Seol Jihoo watched the man hurry down the steps, then drew deeply on his cigarette.
‘What’s going on?’

Cho Hong said she’d be late, but Seol Jihoo wasn’t one to simply wait. He trained for a while, then headed to the Tavern around evening, returning laden with bottles and snacks. He arranged everything on a table and settled on the sofa to wait.
‘She’ll be happy when she gets here, right?’
But no matter how long he waited, there was still no sign of Cho Hong.
Time passed, the food he’d so carefully arranged gradually grew cold, and Seol Jihoo found himself listless, fidgeting with his hands.
Cho Hong didn’t return until well into the night, long past evening. At the sound of the door opening, he—who’d been nodding off—snapped awake. She came in with a weary expression, and seemed equally startled to find him there.
“You’re still awake?”
“Ah, well…”
Seol Jihoo averted his gaze. Cho Hong caught sight of the table and made a small, regretful sound. He felt the same way. Looking at her exhausted expression…
‘I’ve popped the champagne too early.’
Self-reproach gnawed at him as he carefully ventured to speak.
“You’re really late.”
“A bit. I had to go to the Temple and then to the Royal Palace… did you wait long?”
“The Royal Palace?”
Seol Jihoo’s eyes widened.
“Did it go through?”
“Hm? Well, yes.”
“The Mission?”
“It’s… something we should probably discuss more.”
Cho Hong spoke vaguely, turning her eyes away. Seol Jihoo patted the sofa urgently.
“What happened? Come sit and tell me.”
“There’s not much to tell yet. Nothing’s been finalized.”
“Ah… I see.”
There was something oddly deflated about her tone, and Seol Jihoo found his own energy draining in sympathy.
“…Do you want to eat? Or maybe have a drink?”
Cho Hong shook her head. Seol Jihoo, who’d been waving a bottle around, was taken aback. This woman turning down free alcohol? Impossible.
“Did something happen?”
“No, nothing like that.”
Cho Hong shook her head.
“I’m just not in the mood to drink. I’m exhausted.”
“Okay. If you’re tired, go rest inside.”
Though he remained concerned, she hesitated for a while longer before releasing a deep sigh.
“…I’m sorry….”
She murmured the words quietly, then walked slowly toward her room. Seol Jihoo watched her retreating figure in a daze.
‘An apology?’
It was the first apology Cho Hong had ever offered.
Seol Jihoo, who had been standing quietly for some time, finally spoke.
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
But no answer came.

Cho Hong looked terribly busy. She’d vanish before morning came, return late into the evening—a pattern that had grown frequent. Worse still, she’d stopped showing up at the Training Ground altogether; some days they didn’t cross paths even once.
On the rare occasions she did return to the Office, she seemed absorbed in solitude. He’d catch her resting her chin in her palm, lost in serious thought, or occasionally betraying a flicker of anxiety.
When he asked what was wrong, she’d brush it off as nothing and tell him not to worry.
‘Something’s going on.’
He wasn’t without disappointment, but everyone had their circumstances. Seol Jihoo made peace with waiting and continued his routine: mornings devoted to physical training, afternoons to Ability and Mana Training, then sleep. The days blurred together, identical as a hamster’s wheel.
But as one day turned to two, then three, four, and finally seven, Cho Hong stopped coming to the Office altogether. What troubled him most was that two consecutive days without a glimpse of her was unprecedented, and worry had become inevitable.
That wasn’t all. Whatever the Mission was, Dylan and Hugo showed no sign of returning either. What on earth was happening?
As the situation deepened, Seol Jihoo couldn’t help but notice something was amiss. There was something at play he didn’t know about. Convinced of this, he forgent sleep and waited on the sofa.
Cho Hong reappeared around dawn on the fourth day.
She opened the door cautiously and shuffled in, her eyes widening when she spotted him.
“Why aren’t you asleep?”
“…”
“Were you waiting for me? Sorry, sorry. Something came up.”
“…”
Cho Hong wasn’t foolish. Seeing him sit calmly on the sofa, watching her with steady eyes, she kept darting sidelong glances—clearly caught in a lie.
“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”
She tried to brush past, pretending not to understand,
“Cho Hong.”
His quiet voice caught her by the ankle.
“Come sit for a moment.”
Thump—Seol Jihoo placed his hand on the desk.
“Talk to me.”

(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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