The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 88

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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 88. In the Same Boat (3)

Thrust.
He’d struck home. Not a deep puncture—more a glancing touch—but the force of extending the spear sent a violent tremor through his exhausted frame.
‘So hard….’
It was strength scraped together to the absolute last grain. The instant every fiber of his body discharged its final duty, all of it scattered like ash. As he felt the irresistible heaviness engulfing him—
“?”
His eyes flew wide.
The creatures that had been charging at him moments before—every one of them—stood motionless. The spear point protruded from the enemy’s chest, jutting upward at an angle….
“…What.”
He’d pierced, yet it stuck out? Something didn’t add up. Looking again, the spearhead had barely grazed the surface.
The instant the wrongness registered, the Parasites began collapsing one after another, toppling to the ground. Long, slender Rapiers were embedded in the backs of each fallen creature.
‘What in….’
Before he could piece it together, his eyelids—which had been trembling at the edge of consciousness—sealed shut. His knees buckled. His spine folded. His swaying body, unable to sustain itself any longer, crumpled without resistance.
Just before he hit the ground—
“Hmm.”
A hand suddenly seized the back of his neck.
“Fighting on until the brink of unconsciousness with this body, I see.”
When had they arrived? A figure in a pale rose gown stood directly behind him, catching the young man before he could fall.
“Rare fortitude for a human.”
The hood was drawn low, obscuring half the face, but crimson lips curved in the faintest smile.
“Leave the corpses for cleanup. Erase all traces and return.”
With that command, the figure turned and dragged the youth into the forest, vanishing among the trees.

How much time had passed?
“Nngh… Nngh….”
The first sensation when consciousness returned was a burning thirst.
“He’s coming to.”
An unfamiliar voice,
“Seol? Are you alright? Seol?”
and a voice he knew reached his ears.
“Water… water….”
Something cool slipped past his throat, and he felt the nape of his neck cradled gently. Something small and plump settled into his open mouth. He closed his lips by instinct and bit down.
“Ow.”
Whatever was supporting his neck flinched. But Seol Jihoo’s attention was fixed entirely on the small, round thing that had entered his mouth.
Soft and slightly moist. While there wasn’t much liquid, he licked and sucked at it like a nursing animal at its mother’s teat. When he finally couldn’t hold back and bit down hard, the juice burst—
“Pfft!”
He nearly spat it out at once.
‘What… what is this taste?’
The bitter, sour, astringent, salty juice assaulted his tongue. Like soy sauce mixed with vinegar and left to rot in a sewer for months—a flavor bordering on chemical warfare. The fog that had clouded his mind snapped clear as a bell.
“Bursting a Duels like that. Quite the courageous human, aren’t you.”
Light laughter followed. Whatever it meant, he endured it with superhuman restraint. It was liquid after all; no matter how vile the taste, it wasn’t repulsive like urine. So he swallowed it as though it were the elixir of life itself.
“Ugh….”
A bitter aftertaste lingered in his throat. The thirst remained intense—like water dripping onto molten metal, evaporating the instant it touched. But at least he had the strength to open his eyes now.
“Your Highness…?”
Teresa came into view.
“You’re awake?”
She offered a gentle smile.
“Where am I….”
“A cave. I’m sorry. A pursuit squad came while I was away, they said….”
Seol Jihoo tilted his head, confused. The last memory that came to him was of the Parasites falling—not at his hand, but someone else’s.
“Did you perhaps—”
“No.”
Teresa averted her gaze.
“Those people saved us.”
He turned his eyes toward the cave mouth and saw six figures seated there, all clad in gowns with hoods drawn so low that their faces were invisible.
Seol Jihoo faltered as he prepared to offer thanks.
“…….”
How to describe it. There was something decidedly uncanny about calling them human. He observed carefully and soon grasped the source of his unease: folded neatly against the back of the one leading them were a pair of black wings.
“An angel?”
“…Angel. A name I haven’t heard in quite some time, I must say.”
The being with black wings responded. At first glance, the voice carried a robust, low timbre, yet its inflection was gentle—unmistakably female.
“Well, there was a time I was called by that name.”
The words came tinged with regret.
“But my place ceased to exist, and I fell besides… I’ve no right to call myself an angel anymore.”
What was this supposed to mean?
“The Federation,” Teresa said.
She spoke quietly.
“And if my guess is correct…”
She cast a sidelong glance at the black wings.
“A Fallen Angel.”
The moment he heard those words, Seol Jihoo couldn’t hide his alarm.
He knew little about Fallen Angels. They led the construction of the great unified state called the Federation, yet Fallen Angels were also an Extraterrestrial Race. Which meant they were not natives of Paradise like Earthians or Parasites, but outsiders from another realm entirely.
Seol Jihoo had been lying with his head on Teresa’s lap; now he pushed himself up. It would only be proper to thank her for saving him. But strictly speaking, these people were his enemies.
The Fallen Angel opened her mouth.
“I understand you wouldn’t think kindly of us. After all, we’re the invaders and you’re the invaded.”
He said nothing.
“But given the circumstances, wouldn’t it be wise to set aside hostilities for now? It seems to me we’re in much the same position.”
“She’s right. Seol, don’t be so defensive,” Teresa urged gently.
Seol Jihoo scratched his head.
“Thank you for saving us.”
“No need to thank us. You humans extended your hand first, and we simply chose to grasp it.”
‘Extended our hand first?’
He tilted his head in confusion. Had they ever owed the Federation a debt?
“Besides, anyone bearing the blood of the Haramag Royal House is worth saving.”
“You overestimate me.”
“I’m simply stating fact. You’re one of the few humans favorably disposed toward the Federation.”
Teresa shrugged.
“If anything, we should be grateful. The Federation crushed their Mass Production Plan, which bought us some breathing room.”
“Heh. There were plenty of dissenters within our ranks, mind you,” the Fallen Angel said.
She smiled faintly, then drew a Blue Stone from her pouch.
“The electricity we used to demolish the lab might have been enough to defend Aden Fortress… It came down to choosing one or the other.”
“So the Federation chose humanity’s survival over Aden Fortress.”
“The majority wanted to ignore the whole thing. The Beastmen Alliance especially fought us tooth and nail.”
Teresa laughed bitterly. The Beastmen Alliance had once been the second-strongest power, but they couldn’t withstand the Parasite onslaught and fled to the Federation. Humanity had stood by and watched their annihilation.
“But then you humans came forward unexpectedly aggressively. Out of the blue, as it were.”
“If you mean Aden Fortress, I’m almost ashamed to take credit.”
“Don’t be. Looking at the current Parasite troop deployments, it’s clear the Queen’s attention is significantly divided.”
“Because she couldn’t ignore the fortifications in Aden Gorge.”
“Thanks to that, we’ve been able to range this far from home.”
Seol Jihoo caught himself. The mention of Aden Fortress triggered a memory. He hadn’t thought much of it then, but now it all came rushing back.
“What puzzles me, though…”
The Fallen Angel tossed the Blue Stone up and caught it repeatedly, speaking almost to herself.
“What is it?”
“The Mutant Mass Production Plan. To stop it, we absolutely had to destroy the research facility in the Delphinium Duchy—it was the true headquarters and forward base both.”
“Right. Now that I think about it, how did you manage it? The defenses must have been insane.”
“I have no idea.”
The Fallen Angel spoke matter-of-factly.
“We were nearly ready to give up. Our supplies were running out and we couldn’t find an opening… when suddenly the situation changed.”
“Changed?”
“Yes. For some reason, all the surface forces retreated underground at once… and thanks to that, we buried not just the lab, but everyone inside it—both those already there and those who went down.”
She bared her white teeth in a grin.
“Wait a moment.”
Seol Jihoo asked urgently.
“All the surface forces retreated underground?”
“That’s right. I’m certain of it. I saw it with my own eyes. Do you know something about it?”
“…Perhaps.”
He blinked slowly, then spoke quietly. Rescuing Teresa, evading the pursuit of their entire force—if his memory served him correctly, he had felt enemies rushing down the stairs that led to the surface.
Teresa, who had been listening to the explanation, let out a sharp exclamation. “Ah!”
“Hmm.”
The Fallen Angel also ceased hurling the Blue Stone, pressing her lips together.
“Is what this human says true?”
She didn’t appear to be asking Seol Jihoo directly as she turned to look back. One of the hooded figures gave a small nod.
“It is the truth. Falsehood would reveal itself to us.”
A beautiful voice flowed out—one so melodious it made you curious about the speaker’s face. The Fallen Angel laughed softly. “Huh-huh.”
“Then I suppose we should consider this the Federation’s first collaboration with humans.”
“It’s worth commemorating.”
Teresa smiled in agreement, her expression brightening.
“Commemoration. Well enough, but….”
The Fallen Angel, who had been fidgeting with the Blue Stone, sighed.
“Such things only matter if we actually survive this.”
“That’s…”
“At least for us, it does.”
Those two words sent the cave into sudden, heavy silence. The reality before them had not changed.
“So then.”
The Fallen Angel’s voice dropped lower.
“Enough small talk. Now I’d like to discuss something more constructive.”
“Fine. Constructive talk it is.”
Teresa nodded.
“First—the fact that you’re hidden in this mountain range….”
“I don’t see any obvious escape route.”
“I suspected as much.”
Teresa’s shoulders slumped.
“We’re in the same situation. We came here after checking the gorge first, but….”
“Even after sweeping through the Border Region, there’s no passage. I know they station troops at key points normally, but it feels longer now—thicker, too.”
“Do you think the Parasite Queen is in a rage over the laboratory being destroyed?”
“That’s the most likely explanation.”
“Damn it.”
Teresa clicked her tongue and continued in a hollow tone.
“This is absolutely insufferable. We’re limited to just two legs, but even you with wings can’t escape easily.”
She gestured toward the wings on his back as she spoke.
“Their anti-air defenses are flawless.”
The Fallen Angel’s voice was bitter.
“Not to mention the snipers—there are over a hundred of them.”
“Snipers?”
“The one who wounded this human’s shoulder.”
Seol Jihoo reflexively looked at his own shoulder, his eyes widening. He’d thought he felt somewhat better, and now he saw his left shoulder wrapped neatly in clean bandages.
“Huh? What?”
Moreover, he could move it as he pleased. The pain hadn’t vanished entirely, but it was far better than before—a marked improvement.
‘They’ve treated me, then.’
While he was processing this small act of kindness, the Fallen Angel continued.
“Even we can’t break through that fire net. We might hold out for a time, but we lack the capacity to withstand pursuit. We’d be shot down before we even left the Forest of Negation.”
At that moment, Seol Jihoo’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Which is why I have a proposal for you.”
“I’ll hear it and decide.”
“Will you lend your strength to a diversionary attack?”
Teresa’s face twisted with displeasure.
“You’re asking us to be bait?”
“To put it bluntly, yes. All of us here will be bait.”
The Fallen Angel laid out the plan.
Four of the six Federation members would pair off and attempt to break through to the left and right respectively. Once spotted and pursued, the resulting gap in their coverage would give Seol Jihoo and Teresa their chance to break through as well. The Fallen Angel and the remaining one would decide their move based on the situation.
To be frank, it was an operation designed primarily to protect the one acting alongside the Fallen Angel. However,
“It won’t be a bad outcome for you two either.”
This wasn’t a demand for unconditional sacrifice. The Border Region is similar everywhere—they’re facing a situation where a direct assault might be necessary regardless. Doing it this way could actually be the better choice. Theoretically, it would raise their survival odds by a hair, though only barely.
“You two must be important enough to get home, then?”
“There’s no need to discuss that further. In any case—what will you do? Of course, you don’t have to accept. I’ll leave the choice to you.”
“Hmm….”
“Or else.”
The Fallen Angel, observing Teresa’s hesitation, added further.
“If you have a better idea, speak it. I will listen.”
Teresa looked at the young man. He seemed lost in deep thought.
“Seol?”
“…….”
“Darling?”
“?”
Seol Jihoo blinked rapidly.
“What—what did you say?”
“It doesn’t matter if you didn’t hear. What do you want to do?”
“Well… it doesn’t sound right.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s a plan built on sacrifice.”
“That’s how it has to be.”
The Fallen Angel was the one who answered.
“Without someone sacrificing themselves, it will be hard for even one to escape. Of course, I understand human ways of thinking. But in the reality we face now, we must think and act ‘rationally.'”
“I understand what you’re saying.”
“Then why did you say it that way, knowing it?”
“Because…”
“Hmm. That means….”
“There’s a better way.”
Having spoken thus, Seol Jihoo turned his gaze.
“Your Highness?”
“Yes?”
“Is this mountain range, by any chance, the one where Lionel used to live?”
“It is, but according to Ian’s report, Lionel moved his base to the Forest of Negation.”
I know. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
“That means this mountain range connects to the Forest of Negation.”
“Yes.”
Teresa nodded.
“And do you happen to know where Trumpet Hill lies from where we’re standing?”
“Trumpet Hill? I know the general area, but….”
Why is he suddenly asking about the Forest of Negation and Trumpet Hill?
Teresa stared blankly. The young man’s eyes, which had been fading until moments ago, had regained a spark—the eyes of someone when hope was kindled. Whatever he was thinking….
“Listen to him.”
She turned to the Fallen Angel, her heart racing as she pressed down her emotion.
“The defense of Aden Fortress. The infiltration of the research facility. He led both of those. I’m certain. He’s worth hearing out.”
“If it’s just listening… no.”
Then, abruptly, the Fallen Angel asked a question.
“Can you answer a few questions before I hear it?”
Seol Jihoo nodded.
“First, is the operation you’re thinking of one without sacrifice?”
“I can’t guarantee it.”
“Do you think it has more possibility than a feint?”
“Personally, yes.”
“Good. One last thing.”
The Fallen Angel paused briefly before asking the question slowly.
“Is your plan one that considers not just the two of you, but everyone here?”
“Of course.”
Seol Jihoo answered readily, as if questioning the obvious. The Fallen Angel turned back once more. The hooded woman opened her mouth quietly.
“It is truth. There is not a shred of falsehood in it.”
“Then that’s settled.”
The Fallen Angel slowly folded their arms. The black wings fluttered softly, as if stirred by interest.
“Good.”
Gripping the Blue Stone tightly, they spoke.
“Speak.”

By the time the sun reached its zenith.
The eight of them emerged from the cave. After walking for some time, they stopped at a point on the mountain range.
“It’s not a perfect straight line, but I’d wager this direction is roughly where you’d see Trumpet Hill from here.”
“That’s fine. There’s no need to be exact.”
Seol Jihoo answered Teresa.
There was no need for lengthy explanation. Everything had been settled in the cave, so they moved directly into preparation.
The Fallen Angel’s wings spread wide. Five others unfurled their own wings—unlike the Fallen Angel’s, they resembled butterfly wings.
The Fallen Angel cradled Teresa, while from among the five, a being with distinctly beautiful, luminous white wings took hold of Seol Jihoo. It was the woman who had judged truth from falsehood just moments before. The two of them stood at the center with four others positioned around them in formation, as if standing guard.
At the Fallen Angel’s command, the five began to intone something in unison. It was an incantation utterly unlike that of a mage—something no human ear could possibly comprehend.
Whiiiish—whiiiiish!
A fierce wind swept up without warning. An invisible current wrapped around his entire body, and he felt himself grow light as a feather. Spirit Summoning, they had called it. Which meant the being holding him must be a sky fairy.
Seol Jihoo stood transfixed by the sight before him when he suddenly heard the sound of wings—flutter, flutter.
“Wow….”
His body was lifting. Slowly, slowly….
“O… oh….”
As he ascended gradually into empty air, a sense of weightlessness overtook him and he tensed his arms. A small, delicate cough sounded.
“Don’t… don’t hold so tightly.”
“I’m… I’m sorry….”
He relaxed his grip, a faint apology in his voice.
Soon they rose into the air, maintaining a minimum altitude as they flew behind the Mountain Range. They needed distance to build up to maximum speed.
Flying at a steady pace.
“This should be enough.”
At the Fallen Angel’s words, everyone banked hard in unison, making a sharp U-turn. Their altitude climbed rapidly. Watching the Mountain Range shrink below, Seol Jihoo swallowed hard.
A moment later.
“Good.”
Now the moment had arrived. Seol Jihoo felt his body tilt back. The sky fairy’s head angled forward while her legs stretched behind her.
Becoming a single line across the sky—
“Begin!”
The instant the Fallen Angel’s voice struck his ears, all the sky fairies cried out together.
“El Jinn Acceleratio!”

(To be continued)

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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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