The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 90

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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 90. Seol Jihoo vs. Teresa Hatse

Thunder, gunfire, and countless other sounds had swept through the Forest of Negation, but in an instant, it fell silent as though it had all been a lie.
In the quiet that flowed serenely, Teresa remained crouched for a long time. Was this what it felt like to drift in an endless sea? If even the traces of the Mountain of Corpses, Sea of Blood that were carved into every corner had vanished, she would have doubted whether the frantic chase just moments before had been nothing but a dream.
Teresa snapped back to awareness at the sight of the sky fairy lying as if dead. Now that she looked at him, his wounds were severe. If she wasn’t mistaken, his thigh was soaked with blood. He must have taken a sniper shot.
His body was already weakened enough—could he endure this? Could that spirit heal the young man?
Nothing was certain at this moment. Whatever the case, she judged that treatment was urgent. Rising to her feet, she helped the collapsed sky fairy to his feet. She wanted to collapse right then and there, but it wasn’t over until it was truly over. She could rest easy once this was finished.
When they returned to the Tomb, the Fallen Angel was moving between the two groaning sky fairies, administering treatment. Everyone had sustained wounds large and small, and two had not managed to escape the pursuit and had died. Still, six had survived. It was at least more successful than the diversion operation.
Teresa laid down the sky fairy and asked.
“Where’s Seol?”
“Brought him inside.”
The words were spoken flatly, but the voice trembled slightly. It seemed the Fallen Angel had also seen the spirit.
“Seol needs treatment too….”
“Bring him back out.”
The Fallen Angel spoke bluntly.
“I absolutely will not set foot inside that place.”
He even repeated the declaration more firmly.
“I don’t know which human tampered with this forest, but whoever it was must be utterly mad.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you’d sensed that malice, you’d understand.”
“Well, that….”
“A dead spirit steeped in sinister poison. Not only could no amount of coaxing appease it, but it was forcibly imprisoned. Centuries of resentment must have accumulated—how could a malevolent ghost not be born from such a thing?”
“Ugh….”
Teresa rubbed her arms. The images of corpses slaughtered in every conceivable manner were still vivid before her eyes. In truth, now that the Parasite she despised had been eliminated, her heart should feel lighter—but….
‘I’m terrified.’
The hostility radiating from the spirit was so ominous and ferocious that she could never mistake it for that of an ally. To speak plainly, she was grateful merely to have been spared without being attacked. She did not wish to face that entity ever again, yet she couldn’t simply abandon them here.
Teresa steeled herself and stood before the Tomb. The malevolent aura that emanated was flesh-crawling, yet she was certain of one thing: somehow, he seemed to have the spirit’s protection. That meant communication was possible. And though the spirit had shown hostility, it hadn’t attacked. Teresa opened her mouth.
“Spirit… ma’am?”
The honorific came unbidden. There are some things even the Turnabout Knight, having endured countless trials—battles in fields, in skies, in cities—cannot help. The fact that she harbored a childhood trauma that made her despise spirits only added to it.
“Would you open the door for us?”
Silence. Yet Teresa persisted.
“I believe you understand—that person is our comrade. If we don’t treat him now, he might die. I promise we mean no harm. Please, let us go inside.”
Even after her clear explanation, there was no change. At this point, she began to suspect: was the spirit using this opportunity to imprison them? Did it intend to let him die and turn him into a spirit too, so they could spend eternity together? If that were truly the case, she would have to force her way through no matter the cost.
“Please. That person came all this way, struggling so hard, barely making it here. If he dies now after finally being able to live… hic!”
Click. The sound of a door opening. Just as Teresa was steeling herself to cover her mouth with one hand and collapse in tears, she saw the door swing wide. She clenched her fist.
“It’s open!”
She cried out with excitement, but the Fallen Angel’s expression remained unmoved.
“Bring him out.”
“What—no… Yes?”
“I said I’m not going in.”
“Listen here, Fallen Angel.”
“No.”
“A Fallen Angel afraid of a spirit? Does that even make sense?”
“I wasn’t always afraid. I became afraid. Understand.”
The Fallen Angel turned away entirely. Then it happened.
Whoosh—something erupted from within and shot past Teresa’s neck. The force was so intense that even a mere graze sent her rose-colored hair flying upward in disarray.
“Huh?”
As Teresa’s face went blank, black smoke coiled around the Fallen Angel’s waist and yanked him inside. The Fallen Angel flailed desperately, but was drawn inward helplessly. In the end, letting out a long scream, the Fallen Angel vanished into the Tomb as the door slammed shut.
— Ahhhhhhh.
A cry, yet oddly calm in tone.

Seol Jihoo’s eyes opened an hour later. Normally his body was so depleted that he could sleep for days without rest. But because he’d been taking naps while evading pursuit, the habit of light sleep had taken root, and his eyes simply opened.
Yet he felt comfort. For some reason, he sensed safety. Of course, that didn’t mean all their problems were solved.
His body remained as heavy as before, and hunger and thirst continued to torment him. With his throat burning, he whimpered and instinctively brought a window to his lips, drawing in the cool air that spread through his mouth.
[Pitiful thing.]
Then he felt a gentle hand stroking the crown of his head. Seol Jihoo jolted in surprise, his eyes darting. He quickly pushed himself up on his elbows, and recognized the place. The moment he saw the coffin, his mouth fell open.
How could he forget this place? More than anything, the fact that he was here meant….
“Saint?”
Yes.
He heard a voice he’d longed for. And yet doubt gnawed at him. Now that it had actually happened, he found it impossible to believe.
“I… I….”
I’ve killed them all. Everyone threatening you is dead, so don’t worry.
The words were brutal for so elegant a voice, and yet they filled him with reassurance.
Seol Jihoo, unable to push forward with words, pressed his eyes shut. From the moment they’d moved into the Research Facility, the memories of eight days rushed through him in sequence. Rescued, struck by sniper fire, trapped, escaped, returned, surrounded, fled, fled again….
……
If he was honest, he’d never believed he would live. Even clinging to hope, trying to convince himself through sheer willpower, he’d already resigned himself to death. Especially after the fall and the sniper attack—he’d truly thought it was over.
How desperately he’d despaired, how utterly defeated he’d felt. More than once he’d wished he could simply go mad. Yet he hadn’t died.
No. He had lived. He’d survived. He’d somehow made it all the way here alive.
It must have been so hard for you.
In that instant, hearing those words,
It’s alright now.
With his eyes still closed, tears burst forth.
“…Hic!”
He’d thought all moisture had drained from his body. Yet scalding tears poured down his face, beyond his control.
W-what?
Confusion colored that voice. Seol Jihoo opened his eyes through his tears. His survival was entirely the Saint’s doing. Without this spirit, he would certainly have perished.
Unable to contain his swelling gratitude, he dropped to his knees. Palms flat against the ground, he bowed until his forehead touched the floor.
‘Thank you…!’
W-what?
‘My overwhelming gratitude…!’
W-wait, what are you saying? Don’t do this.
She tugged at his arm repeatedly. But Seol Jihoo didn’t move. His forehead pressed to the ground, his body shaking as he wept.
The Saint seemed greatly flustered. The dark smoke drifting languidly through the air suddenly began darting rapidly around him—evidence of her agitation.
After a moment, the black smoke, uncertain what to do, abruptly stilled. As if struck by inspiration. It swirled into the coffin briefly, then returned. Gently, as one might soothe a crying child, it slipped the object beneath his face.
There.
“?”
Seol Jihoo blinked at the beautifully wrought golden bracelet before him.
Here. Take this. There.
“No, no please. What you gave me before was more than enough.”
But you like things like this, don’t you? If it makes you happy, that’s all I need.
“I’m fine. How could I possibly… and you’ve already saved my life.”
Hmph.
Take it. I won’t. As they bickered back and forth with stubborn little sounds, someone sitting in the corner let out a dry chuckle. Having forced the bracelet away, Seol Jihoo only then noticed the Fallen Angel watching from the shadows.
“Just take it. The bracelet carries considerable magical power.”
“Even a flea has pride. Besides, I didn’t come here to ask for anything… oh.”
Seol Jihoo answered without thinking, then caught himself and glanced around. The Fallen Angel spoke.
“Don’t worry. She’s waiting outside.”
“Outside?”
“Don’t ask why. I was forced to come along because of you anyway.”
The Fallen Angel spoke curtly, rose quietly, and turned toward the coffin with a question.
“Anyway, you seem to have your wits about you now… I can leave, can’t I?”
How’s your body?
His scalp tingled briefly, but he quickly looked down at his thigh instead. It was neatly bandaged again. The pain had dulled considerably. The Fallen Angel snorted.
“I’ve done emergency treatment, but you should get back as soon as possible for proper care. Malevolent spirit attacks are vicious—they don’t heal easily.”
He’d never felt the word “return” resonate so deeply. Seol Jihoo nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Besides, thanks to this, we managed to save four lives.”
The Fallen Angel spoke plainly, then turned without hesitation. Seol Jihoo nearly asked if she was leaving, but he closed his mouth. Of course she was. They’d succeeded in escaping. The alliance was over.
“Oh.”
The Fallen Angel, who’d been walking quickly, stopped.
“What’s your name?”
“My name?”
“Why are you asking back when you heard me?”
The Fallen Angel complained softly. Seol Jihoo scratched his cheek and opened his mouth.
“Seol. Seol is fine.”
“Seol. Thanks for telling me. I’ll remember it.”
“And you, Fallen Angel?”
The Fallen Angel, who had been muttering, hesitated. For a moment she seemed to waver like a youth, then shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s Michael.”
Michael—a name he’d heard only a handful of times in his life.
‘So it really is an angel.’
Seol Jihoo watched with genuine wonder in his eyes.
‘Why would it come to Paradise?’
And in a fallen state, no less. Questions piled up, but he saw no point in asking. The Fallen Angel, having revealed his name so readily, clearly wanted nothing more than to leave. The urgency radiating from him was unmistakable.
“I’ll remember it too.”
Michael turned away with a thin smile. The door swung shut behind him. The Saint’s silence suggested she’d abandoned the notion of forcing the bracelet on him. Seol Jihoo glanced around the chamber, his throat tightening.
“Saint?”
[Mm?]
“Do you happen to have any water?”
[Water? How am I supposed to find water here?]
Fair point. There was no way there could be any.
Seol Jihoo laughed bitterly.

Twenty minutes later, Seol Jihoo emerged from the Tomb. The spirit had been curious about how things had come to such a pass, and in the course of explaining, time had slipped away.
He apologized for the trouble and pinky-swore he’d visit again soon. Though the spirit seemed reluctant to part, she didn’t try to stop him. Her condition looked serious enough that he judged it better to let her rest and recover as quickly as possible.
When he stepped outside, the federation had already departed. Teresa, who’d stayed behind plucking at grasses, brightened at the sight of the young man returning safely. The two embraced for a long moment, celebrating their survival. But that wasn’t all.
“Here. Take this.”
Teresa produced a coral-colored gown—she’d managed to obtain two. It was small enough that it barely covered her hips, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. Seol Jihoo had been quietly anxious about entering the city unprepared, so he accepted gratefully.
“But what’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“What are you tying around the crown of your head?”
Teresa pointed with her index finger. When Seol Jihoo reflexively touched the spot, his expression went blank. A golden bracelet was tangled in his hair, dangling there.
“Saint—Your—?”
So that’s why his scalp had felt itchy before.
He’d naturally tried to return it, but the door was sealed shut. No amount of knocking or effort could budge it even a crack. More absurdly, despite leaving it at the tomb entrance, his scalp tingled again before ten seconds had passed. By the time he raised his hand in alarm, the bracelet had already been carefully woven back into his hair.
[Tee-hee.]
Watching the black smoke vanish with a laugh, Seol Jihoo sighed.
‘It’s not that I dislike it…’
Who could refuse a gift so precious? Only someone without shame.
In the end, Seol Jihoo decided to accept it. He bowed toward the Tomb and turned to go.

He’d freed himself from the Parasite, but safety remained far from assured. The priority now was to escape the Forest of Negation without incident.
As Seol Jihoo walked in blank meditation, he stopped short at the sight of Teresa suddenly dropping to one knee.
“Your Highness?”
“…Indeed. So this is the effect.”
“Are you all right?”
“Perfectly fine.”
Teresa pushed herself up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Compared to tracking the Parasite, this is nothing—”
Her voice rose suddenly, and her eyes widened. As Seol Jihoo opened his mouth, she pressed a finger to her lips. “Shh. Stay quiet.”
“Stay quiet. Just listen.”
Teresa’s eyes narrowed to slits. Even as he raised the spear to guard all directions, he froze abruptly. The soft burble of flowing water reached their ears.
The two exchanged blank glances. No words were needed. As if bound by silent agreement, they bolted toward the sound.
Moments later, at the edge of the Forest of Negation, they discovered a vast lake. Connected to a stream and catching the sunlight like a mirror, it gleamed brilliantly—so clear that the earth beneath the surface was visible.
Yet rather than marvel at its beauty, both plunged their faces into the water without hesitation.
Gulp-gulp! Glug-glug! They drank frantically, without pause.
‘Delicious!’
The lake water was so cold it made his teeth ache, crisp and pure. Sweet, even—achingly so. With each swallow, it soothed his parched throat, clinging to his tongue. The fire that had burned so fiercely extinguished in an instant, and the sensation of cool liquid sliding down his throat—it was pleasure beyond words, almost unbearable in its intensity.
‘Sweet! So sweet!’
“Phaaah!”
Teresa raised her head and burst into laughter at the sight of Seol Jihoo, already half-submerged in the lake. He’d been holding his breath to capacity while gulping down water, and now he lifted his head with an embarrassed expression.
Water could taste this good? Happiness. He was drunk on happiness, ready to die of it. In that moment, he sincerely believed death would be welcome.
They drank their fill. The body that had always cried out for hydration felt properly satisfied at last. But it wasn’t enough. Teresa scrambled to her feet, hastily shedding her gown and small chain armor.
“Here goes!”
Splash! She leaped into the lake.
“Aaah… Ooooh!”
Her entire body trembled as she made strange, breathless sounds.
“Do you have any idea how desperately I’ve wanted to wash?”
She dove deep with muffled sobs, then surfaced again. Watching her wring out her hair, Seol Jihoo could restrain himself no longer. Driven by instinct, he stripped off his gown and faded underwear and plunged into the lake.
“Ugh—ahhhhh!”
Seol Jihoo’s body convulsed with cold. Now he understood why Teresa had reacted that way.
The feeling of water touching skin that had been thick with grime? Blissful. Impossibly, devastatingly blissful. Each time the clean current brushed his groin, he shuddered with such intense pleasure he wanted to cry out and roll around like a child.
With his hair soaked through, Seol Jihoo scrubbed his body urgently. As he rubbed into every crevice, yellow pus and layers of dead skin sloughed away in streams. He felt a pang of guilt toward the fish in the lake, but he didn’t stop washing.
“Ahhhhh~ I’m happy~.”
Teresa hummed a little tune. Their eyes met. Both of them burst into laughter at the same moment—not because anything was particularly funny, but because the laughter simply came.
“We made the right choice staying alive, didn’t we?”
Teresa asked with a broad grin. Seol Jihoo was nodding when his gaze suddenly fixed. The princess was tilting her drenched hair back, basking in the sunlight.
Perhaps it was shedding that layer of filth. Her true form, now revealed, was dazzlingly beautiful. Her skin, saturated with water, caught the sun and gleamed with a delicate coral blush. Her shoulders curved as softly as orchid petals, and below them rose full, taut—
[Perfect! No point holding back. First, the breasts are a 70D, and her waist tapers down so elegantly!]
Suddenly Ian’s words flooded back. Hastily, he averted his gaze and began singing the national anthem in his head to distract himself.
“…Huh?”
Teresa seemed to notice his sudden restlessness. She opened her mouth with a fresh smile.
“Why so embarrassed? You’ve already seen everything there is to see.”
That was true. They’d grown accustomed to being naked long ago, and at night they’d even slept pressed together.
“That was then. This is different now.”
Seol Jihoo stammered. Teresa stared at him, then her lips curled into a smirk. Now that she’d regained some flesh, her playfulness was back in full force. She waded through the water toward him with light, dainty steps and suddenly asked:
“Well? What do you think?”
“?”
“Pink~.”
“…….”
In truth, he had seen. So he couldn’t deny it, but he had absolutely no idea what to say.
“Right? Or not?”
He squeezed his eyes shut. He’d walked right into her trap.
“My, my. Our gallant knight isn’t speaking. Are you being defiant?”
“…I’d rather not die for treason against the crown.”
“What are you talking about? No such law exists. Anyway, so you did see it?”
Seol Jihoo managed a nod. He didn’t want to be dragged further into this. But once Teresa had her prey in her mouth, she was relentless.
“Hmm~. Where did you see?”
“Sorry?”
“I mean—if you confirmed it was pink, then where exactly did you see?”
She asked boldly, hands planted on her hips.
“…You know perfectly well.”
“I don’t. It’s not just one or two places—how would I know which?”
Teresa wound a strand of hair around her finger and shrugged. Seol Jihoo kept both hands covering his groin while watching her grin back at him with an expression of utter amusement.
Suddenly.
‘Why is she doing this?’
Something hot and dangerous welled up in his chest. The moment he realized they were still inside the Forest of Negation, he caught himself—but the effect had already taken hold.
‘She knows I’m flustered.’
The flame, once kindled, blazed beyond control.
‘Does she enjoy teasing people? Is that the kind of person she is?’
Seol Jihoo dropped his shielding hands. He’d meant to brush this off, but he couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“I don’t know.”
“What~? You said you saw!”
“I did see, but only for a moment. I didn’t get a good look, so I can’t quite remember.”
He answered in a deliberately evasive tone. Teresa’s eyes flickered—she sensed something had shifted.
“Honestly, I really don’t remember… Oh, but if Your Highness would tell me yourself, that would solve it.”
“…What?”
“Tell me directly with your own lips. Where exactly is it pink?”
Watching the startled princess, he wore a triumphant smirk.
“…Hm.”
Teresa quickly recovered her composure, folding her arms and fixing him with a fresh gaze.
“So you’re asking me to say it with my own mouth directly, is that it?”
“Precisely.”
“Oh ho.”
She let out a soft, amused chuckle—as if to say, ‘You dare challenge me?’
“Fine. There’s nothing I can’t tell you.”
She glanced around, then clapped her hands lightly.
“Would you do me a favor and ask if I’ve ever seen a ghost?”
“Why?”
“Oh, no reason. It’s not strange at all~. I could just ask you.”
‘Have you ever seen a ghost?’
He found it suspicious, but asked anyway.
“Your Highness, have you ever seen a ghost?”
In that moment, Teresa smiled as if to say *you’ve walked right into this*.
“Yes.”
And she spoke.
“Didn’t you see one just now?”
She emphasized those middle words deliberately. A moment of silence.
“…Ah.”
Seol Jihoo’s face, which had been tilted in confusion, suddenly hardened,
Splash!
and he dove hastily beneath the surface.
That day.
For the first time, the vessel flying Seol Jihoo’s colors sank from a single volley of Teresa’s guns.

(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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