The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 84

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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 84. By a Hair’s Breadth

— Is it really true?
Kazuki’s voice carried unmistakable relief.
— Where did you—no, wait. Has she been infected?
Teresa’s condition was difficult to describe as anything but dire. Her eyes bruised a sickly purple, dried blood crusted beneath her nose, her lips split and raw, her cheeks swollen and mottled with injury.
Her body was covered in welts and abrasions, and the stench of filth hung thick in the air. She bore all the marks of unspeakable torment. Yet there was no sign of infection from breeding.
Seol Jihoo held a Crystal up to Teresa’s face and spoke.
“I found her in the Experimental Facility. There are traces of torture, but no infection.”
— Torture? Ah!
Kazuki seemed to understand the circumstances without needing explanation. They’d already shared footage, after all, so he’d have had his doubts laid to rest.
— Hmm. I was heading back. If you need it, go there.
“It’s difficult to describe the location clearly. Please head back first.”
— Fine. I trust you.
The communication ended. Seol Jihoo hurriedly examined Teresa’s wrists and ankles. If they’d been bound with restraint cuffs, it would have been troublesome, but thick Rope held them fast. As he drew out his Short Dagger, his eyes suddenly met the princess’s. Her face was the color of someone who’d just seen a ghost.
“…Is this a dream?”
Her voice was hoarse and thin.
“Or an illusion?”
The young man merely smiled faintly, and Teresa found the indifference infuriating. Tears began to pool in her jewel-bright eyes. Her reddened nose twitched as her voice turned desperate and yearning.
“Tell me it’s not. Please.”
“It’s neither a dream nor an illusion.”
Seol Jihoo answered clearly.
“I’ve come to rescue you, Your Highness.”
“How?”
“I know you have questions, but I must ask you to hold them. We don’t have much time.”
Seol Jihoo dropped swiftly to one knee.
“Oh.”
Teresa suddenly grew flustered.
“No, no, no. I’m ruined. Everything’s ruined.”
“?”
“I couldn’t help it. That pervert wouldn’t even let me use the restroom…”
Teresa spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
‘That pervert?’
“It doesn’t matter.”
Seol Jihoo continued softly.
“The fact that you’re alive… that’s all I need to be grateful for. Truly.”
The words came from his heart. He was too focused on cutting through the bonds to notice what expression crossed the princess’s face at those words.
“…Can I cry?”
“No.”
“What about a proper kiss?”
“That’s out of the question, obviously.”
As they traded remarks back and forth, Seol Jihoo brought the blade toward the Rope binding her ankles—
Creak!
A sound rang out from beyond the wall. His breath caught. His hands stilled. His chest lurched, every muscle in his body tensing at once.
Now that he thought about it, the building he’d seen from outside had a rectangular container structure. But this torture chamber was closer to square. Only then did he notice a door tucked into the corner. He’d marked it as a no-go zone, but he’d forgotten about it entirely while his attention was on Teresa.
What should he do? Before he could even think, the door swung open with a bang. Seol Jihoo instinctively crouched low and hid behind a massive metal frame, while Teresa quickly dropped her head and began to speak.
“Someone help me. Save me. This is awful. Ahhhhhhh.”
She muttered as if to herself. Squelch, squelch. Wet footsteps echoed across the floor, and a massive shadow fell across the area around the frame.
“I thought I heard talking just now. Was it just muttering?”
Gurgle-gurgle. A repulsive voice issued forth, like a swamp churning.
Teresa’s quick thinking had carried them through the danger. But Seol Jihoo remained taut with tension. Movement while under control meant it was a Higher Species. He’d hoped against hope it wouldn’t be, but here it was.
Cold sweat ran down his spine. He’d been too focused on what was trapped inside all this time to notice. If he’d been observing the situation from the start…
“Hmm?”
The creature that emerged from the door squinted its eyes.
“What’s this creature doing here?”
For a moment his heart nearly stopped, but then—
“Wasn’t there an order to keep this place sealed?”
—he realized it was speaking not about him, but about the Mutant Orc it had just sent in to scout.
A small mercy, though there was no room for relief. He quickly summoned the Ludum and disabled every control save for friend-or-foe identification.
The Mutant Orc wheeled around. The Incubation Chambers, which had fallen silent moments before, erupted into chaos once more. As it watched the Mutant Orcs stirring back to life, that something let slip:
“Thirsty. Thirsty.”
Seol Jihoo’s attention flickered toward Teresa’s moan of pain.
“Water. Water….”
“Ho-oh.”
Splat, splat. It drew closer, moving through the mold. Saliva pooled rapidly. Seol Jihoo felt tension coil through his entire body and forced himself motionless. He didn’t even breathe.
“Kekeke. Hallucinating now, are we? Reaching your limit already?”
“Water. Just one sip of water, please.”
“Whining already? How disappointing. Where’s that fire from the beginning?”
“Ugh.”
“Well, that’s what you get from an inferior species. I’ll grant you put up more of a fight than expected, though.”
At the mockery, Teresa bit down on her lower lip.
“Do you want water?”
Teresa nodded quietly.
“Do you want food as well?”
“…Yes.”
“Then speak.”
Teresa’s face clouded with conflict.
“It’s not difficult. You need only speak.”
That something spread both arms wide.
“The Queen is magnanimous. And merciful.”
“…….”
“Even an inferior race is not easily discarded if it possesses even a shred of usefulness. So speak. Tell me everything regarding the Covenant with Seven Gods. That alone is the sole means by which you might prove your worth.”
Teresa, in deep deliberation, hung her head.
“Give me time to think.”
“This is infuriating. What more is there to think about? Did you not understand my words?”
“We humans are different from you. I have a family who trusts me, friends, subordinates. If I do as you say, I become nothing but a traitor to their faith.”
“Tsk, tsk. And that is precisely why you are inferior. Mere sentiment, insignificant compared to the new world the Queen shall reveal.”
“Damn it! Fine. I understand. Just give me some time alone to think, will you?”
It was then that Seol Jihoo finally grasped Teresa’s intent. She meant to buy them time—to send away the Higher Species and create an opening for escape.
“Hehehehe. Amusing. Do you think I cannot see through you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Four days ago, wasn’t it? You kept saying you needed to think, making endless demands and dragging things out for tens of minutes. I don’t fall for the same trick twice.”
‘So it’s already used that skill….’
Seol Jihoo felt despair settle into his chest. Teresa thrashed against her bonds.
“Hell! Even a moment is fine! I can’t think straight with you standing there!”
That something snorted derisively but did not refuse outright. It wavered visibly. A moment for rationalization would do no harm, perhaps. Yet it did not withdraw gracefully.
“A moment, then. I have no objection. But if you’re scheming to deceive me again, you’d best prepare yourself.”
“I’m really trying to think about it.”
“Good. I hope you mean it. Otherwise…….”
Thwack!
“Aagh!”
A fist drove brutally into her abdomen. Teresa’s eyes went wide as saucers. Her mouth fell open, drool spilling from the corners. That something let out a high, cackling laugh.
“Today promises to be enjoyable as well.”
Cough, cough! It abandoned the gasping human and strode from the chamber.
“Ugh… bitter.”
Teresa muttered in distress. Seol Jihoo’s hands moved with urgency. Her reddened belly tore at his heart, but there was no time for sympathies—the sudden appearance of the Higher Species had consumed precious minutes. Had Teresa not drawn it out further, they might have exceeded their window entirely.
The rope was remarkably thick, but with magic channeled through his hands, it parted with ease—snip, snip.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes. Ah… ah?”
The moment Teresa’s feet touched the ground, her legs buckled beneath her. She flailed for balance, nearly toppling, but Seol Jihoo caught her. He wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders and the bend of her knees, lifting her effortlessly. A princess carry, one might say.
“Oh my?”
The princess suddenly cradled in his arms blinked in surprise. Seol Jihoo scanned the area carefully, wondering if that creature might return soon.
“I hope it doesn’t come back right away.”
“It’ll be here soon enough. It’s already been deceived once, and its temperament is… unstable. Impatient, really.”
Teresa’s voice carried a bitter edge.
“Besides, our way of thinking is fundamentally different. It’s insane, frankly.”
Perhaps worn down by all she’d endured, Teresa ground her teeth before her eyes suddenly cleared. She pointed toward the inner door.
“That way. There should be another exit on the far side.”
It’s only a matter of time before they discover us. That doesn’t mean we have to leave by the way we came in. Quick and clean.
‘If I can just get out of the Incubation Chambers safely!’
With his thoughts gathered, Seol Jihoo adjusted his grip on Teresa. The princess wrapped her arms softly around his neck and whispered.
“Go now. My prince.”
Seol Jihoo launched himself forward like an arrow.

The Higher Species returned exactly as Teresa had predicted. Barely two minutes had passed. When the Mutant Orcs came in, he felt an odd unease and took a moment to check—but found nothing obviously wrong.
‘Did I imagine it?’
The thought shattered the instant he returned. The princess of Haramag, who had been bound to the rack, was gone without a trace. Only a severed rope remained.
It emerged in shock, but finding the princess among so many bodies was nearly impossible. The sight was dizzying with so many moving about. Yet the Higher Species was no fool.
“All of you—cease movement!”
A powerful wave of command rippled outward, and every creature froze instantly. It searched the surroundings frantically, but still detected no movement. She had either hidden herself or already escaped the Incubation Chambers.
“You wretched little rat!”
The Higher Species roared, its gaze fixed on the ceiling.
It was around then that the Communication Crystal hanging from Seol Jihoo’s ear began to glow as he climbed the stairs.
“Kazuki?”
After a brief silence, the communication connected.
– Didn’t I tell you to arrive a minute ago?
The voice carried a note of irritation.
“I ran into a Higher Species.”
– What?
“I managed to get away safely, but I don’t know when they’ll find out.”
Gasping, Seol Jihoo reached Basement Level 1 and suddenly fell silent. The Mutant Orcs that had been moving about hastily froze and stared directly at him. He tried to use Ludum to control them, but it had no effect whatsoever. The word “finished” flashed through his mind.
– Run!
Even Kazuki, observing through the Communication Crystal, had grasped the situation and bellowed the command.
Gwaaahhhhh!
The Mutant Orcs rushed forward simultaneously. Seol Jihoo, following pure instinct, leaped onto a desk and hurled a table directly at them. The charging Mutant Orcs stared dumbly into empty space. Landing hard on the floor after vaulting over them—
Bang!
Without hesitation, he activated the Festina Earring and sprinted forward.
The surroundings blurred past in a rush. Light grew hazy, and the path behind him came into view. Whether the corridor had narrowed or his vision had—Seol Jihoo kept his eyes forward and ran for his life.
By the time he reached the center of the Research Building,
Thud-thud-thud-thud…!
An enormous, unidentifiable noise surged from his left. A chill raced down his spine as he rushed past.
That direction was where he had found Hugo. There were stairs leading to the surface in that location. Which meant—if he hadn’t misheard—the elite Parasites guarding the ground level had come pouring down.
The sounds of pursuit only grew louder with each passing second, clinging to him relentlessly. Bang—Seol Jihoo deployed his second Overlay.
Just a little further and he’d clear the Research Building. But reality was not so kind. The Mutant Orcs he’d seen on the way in were prowling near the entrance. Their numbers were few, but their massive frames made a breakthrough difficult. Then it happened.
“Run!”
An Ice Spear leveled directly before him. Teresa, having claimed his spear, now wielded it.
He couldn’t fight. Couldn’t win. They’d catch him no matter what. His only option was a frontal assault.
“Hgh!”
Seol Jihoo clenched his teeth. He lowered his stance and charged with all his strength.
Kwaak? Kwaaahhk!
The Mutant Orcs, belatedly spotting the human, flashed their yellow eyes. Weapons of every conceivable kind swung toward the young man who rushed forward like a blade.
An axe bounced off the Ice Spear,
armor crunched and gave way,
and as something grazed past, his back and ribs burned—
Crash!
Something solid struck his entire body with brutal force.
The pressure from the front suddenly vanished, and his vision opened wide. He had cleared the Research Building.
The impact of bursting through the door nearly sent him sprawling, but he barely kept his footing. Holding Teresa made balance precarious.
‘Still.’
The Cloud Bridge lay ahead, which meant he’d passed the steepest climb. From the bridge through the corridor to the hidden chamber—the path was a straight line with no obstacles.
With that thought, he deployed his third Overlay, and his neck suddenly prickled.
Whoosh—the sound of wings hammered his ears. Shouts from the Communication Crystal, pounding footsteps, multiple sounds crashed together in chaotic discord. He hadn’t even crossed the Cloud Bridge yet, but something was closing in from behind at a terrifying speed.
– Run!
Kazuki’s cry pierced his ears.
“I’m already running!”
– No, that’s not it! No! Just trust me and jump with all your strength! Now!
“Behind!”
At the same moment, Teresa raised her voice in alarm.
It was now or never. The moment Seol Jihoo’s feet left the Cloud Bridge without a second thought.
Bang!
An explosion erupted without warning. The shockwave engulfed the young man plummeting through the air below. He curved downward, clutching Teresa tightly, and tumbled across the ground until the bridge’s edge brought him to an abrupt halt.
Cough!
Thud-thud-thud-thud! Seol Jihoo’s head snapped up at the sound of repeated impacts as he coughed. Several flying creatures slammed against a white barrier, now fractured with spider-web cracks.
“What in—”
His mouth fell open. And this time, it was for all the right reasons.
The middle of the Cloud Bridge had collapsed. A gaping hole opened up where it once stood. The vanguard of the Parasites that had been chasing them relentlessly tumbled downward, then hastily retreated.
Sharp cracks of air split the silence as the flying creatures attacking the Protective Barrier dropped one by one to the ground below. Whoosh, whoosh! The sound of arrows whistling through the air.
Now he understood. And why Kazuki had told him to run.
‘Traps!’
– Snap out of it and get up!
Seol Jihoo immediately pushed himself to his feet. Thanks to Rahin Maery’s timely Protective Barrier, neither he nor the princess had suffered any injuries.
– I’ll cover you! Just keep running!
Seol Jihoo glanced back at their pursuers with the expression of a hunter who’d become the hunted, then hoisted the princess into his arms. He burst through the tattered barrier and sprinted forward.
“How much time left!?”
– Eleven seconds!
Close, but doable. The enemies could no longer pursue, and the remaining corridor was a straight shot. The situation had become exponentially easier than when they’d lured them in the Gorge.
A whistle grazed his ear, and exhilaration surged through him. He heard nothing else. Every ounce of his focus poured into the sprint.
The corridor stretched nearly two hundred meters—a considerable distance—but layered three times over, he covered it in six seconds.
“Huff, huff!”
He burst through the door. Five seconds remained.
Kazuki and Rahin Maery lowered their bow and crossbow. Yaser Radi, his face flushed with excitement, bounded up and down, gesturing frantically.
Four seconds.
A bookshelf rotated ninety degrees and hurtled toward them.
Seol Jihoo didn’t slow his pace—he simply adjusted his angle. Cho Hong stood ready with both arms spread wide to catch them.
Three seconds.
Relief bloomed across every face. Seol Jihoo smiled back in acknowledgment.
In that singular moment.
Crack!
A gunshot rang out, and Cho Hong saw it clearly.
The young man holding Teresa convulsed and was hurled backward.
‘What…?’
Seol Jihoo’s expression went blank. They’d almost made it. Success was within reach.
Something caught his foot. His vision spun. The world went white, then tilted toward the ceiling, then plummeted—his body crashing hard onto the floor.
‘What happened?’
And then.
– Don’t forget. Watch out for snipers.
Agnes’s words flashed through his mind as his spinning head struck the floor forehead-first.
“Ah.”
Something hollow spread through his body. Pain arrived late.
“Ah, ah…”
Blood poured from his mouth in a rush. He curled like an insect, trembling arms lifting with difficulty.
As his hand thrashed meaninglessly through empty air, Cho Hong’s bestial cry pierced the silence. He managed to lift his head.
Nothing.
The altar was empty.
….
Seol Jihoo stared with vacant eyes.
At the Teleportation Magic Circle standing before him—its light already extinguished.

(Continued in the next installment)

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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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