The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 98

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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 98. Great Fortune in Training (2)

Study and training cannot succeed through mere effort alone. To put it plainly, one must work ‘well.’
Understanding your weak points. Knowing what to prioritize. Scheduling your day, adjusting your timetable—these things matter. Only by establishing priorities can training become systematic, and even the same hours of work yield greater returns.
So Seol Jihoo resolved first to see his current position clearly and honestly.
Specifically, the question of ‘Level.’ Or put differently, whether or not he should visit the Divine Temple.
He couldn’t know for certain without going himself, but something told him that his participation in the rescue team might push him to Level 3.
In any case.
Was raising his Level now truly the right choice?
Ordinarily, there would be nothing wrong with it. It wasn’t as though he’d never hungered for that advancement.
But he’d joined Carpe Diem, and with time his thinking had changed.
In truth, this dilemma stemmed entirely from his unique circumstances.
Excluding external factors, there were only two concrete benefits an Earthian could gain from a Level increase.
Yet Seol Jihoo had deliberately imposed a restriction on each, one by one, for the sake of Late Blooming.
For instance, rising from Level 2 to Level 3 granted three stat points. But he’d resolved to pursue physical improvement through training alone until he reached a higher rank, so he’d skip that reward.
Then came the Class abilities that unlocked with each Level—but he couldn’t gain their benefits without learning them. And he’d made a promise with Agnes: he would not acquire them through Merit Points.
Moreover, Seol Jihoo hadn’t mastered even a single Level 2 ability yet. This dilemma was the greatest reason for his hesitation about visiting the Divine Temple.
[I understand wanting to accumulate points, but abilities are different. If you don’t spend the points and you don’t learn the abilities, what’s the point of raising your Level at all?]
Kim Hanna had put his problem precisely into words.
Truthfully, advancing to Level 3 wouldn’t create any major issue in itself….
‘It’s abnormal.’
He was afraid. What if his Level kept rising without first improving his physical capabilities?
What if he became not even half-formed, but only one-third of what he should be?
‘Don’t rush into this.’
So Seol Jihoo resolved to add one more restriction to his plan.
He would not visit the Divine Temple until he had awakened to an ability and could wield it with skill.
In other words, he would defer meeting Gula until after mastering Mana Application and Ungi Haengkong.
He harbored no regrets about his choice. Perhaps this moment was an opportunity. With Cho Hong and Hugo still away, now was the only time he had to pour himself wholly into training.
‘I’ll start right now.’
Strike while the iron is hot. Having already resolved to concentrate on training for the time being, Seol Jihoo rose to his feet immediately.

[Do you know the origins of the Throwing Spear?]
Words that Agnes had spoken before.
At the time, he’d nodded along, but his mind hadn’t truly grasped it. He understood that one needed to know the techniques and movements, but did one really need to know the etymology and history?
Seol Jihoo grasped its necessity as he absorbed the concept of Ungi Haengkong. Or more precisely, it dawned on him while pondering: ‘What’s the difference between Mana Application and Ungi Haengkong?’
Simply moving Mana—he could do that already. But Ungi Haengkong was one of the abilities unlocked at Level 2, so there had to be some distinction.
One thing was certain: Ungi Haengkong likely related to Mana cultivation rather than physical training. And he would need to verify the exact effects now.
Seol Jihoo settled into a lotus position in a quiet place and closed his eyes.
First came Dantian Breathing. He forgot about breathing through his nose. Instead, he drew breath and exhaled through his lower abdomen, the Dantian.
‘In deeply, out slowly….’
Focusing on his breath, he began to circulate his Mana.
‘From the crown down to the back of the neck, from the back of the neck to the chest, from the chest to the belly, from the belly to the perineum….’
From the crown of his head through his neck, chest, abdomen, and lower regions….
‘Centered on the lower dantian, through the Conception and Governing Meridians… spiraling throughout the entire body….’
The Qi flowed as freely as water. Within no great span of time, he noticed several peculiarities.
First, as expected, Circuits appeared to be the same concept as Meridian Channels—the pathways through which Qi moves.
‘Nothing’s blocked.’
Since he’d begun Ungi Haengkong, the Qi flowed smoothly without obstruction anywhere. It rushed unimpeded wherever he directed it.
Just as Mana quantity varied from person to person, so too did Circuits differ vastly. How wide, plentiful, resilient, and robust one’s Circuits were depended on individual talent and the depth of one’s practice.
To give an example, if a Level 1 Warrior’s Circuit was a single straw, a Level 5 Mage’s Circuit might be likened to a spider’s web.
But the Circuits he observed within his own body resembled a subway map covering an entire nation. It should have been normal for a place or two to be obstructed, yet not only his primary routes—which he used constantly—but even his acupoints and the very extremities of his body were open and clear.
There was an explanation for this.
‘Phscihi’s Tear!’
That supreme Spiritual Medicine of the ages, which removed impurities and opened blockages, dramatically reinforcing the Circuits!
Having consumed hundreds of thousands of Survival Points, it was proving its worth many times over.
But that wasn’t all. What truly astonished the young man was something else entirely.
‘The speed—no, the Mana itself…!’
With each revolution of the Microcosmic Orbit, the rotation speed increased exponentially. Though his exterior appeared unchanged, within him raged a tempest so fierce his consciousness threatened to be swept away.
Stillness within the storm.
‘What’s happening?’
Observing his body’s interior carefully, he found the answer. From every meridian channel and minor vessel throughout his body, vital energy bubbled up like water droplets. The latent potential he’d failed to digest until now was responding to the Microcosmic Orbit.
It was like sucking water through a vacuum cleaner—energy that had seeped into every corner was being drawn out and absorbed into the flowing current, a phenomenon even he was experiencing for the first time.
So the young man gripped his consciousness tightly and devoted himself completely to controlling the surging energy, like a starving shark encountering a school of fish. If anything, it felt as though his mana itself was throwing a tantrum about why he’d learned the Ungi Haengkong so late.
How much time had passed?
After finally achieving control, he was carefully storing the energy in his dantian when Seol Jihoo confirmed something: the strange phenomenon he’d felt was no mere illusion.
The heaviness that had settled deeper in his lower abdomen proved it.
‘My mana quantity… it increased?’
Even if only a handful, it had definitely grown.
‘Does the Ungi Haengkong have an effect that raises mana?’
He pondered it for a while, then let the thought go. Whether it did or didn’t, either way it wasn’t a bad thing. Good is good, after all.
The moment his eyes snapped open, he exhaled the breath he’d been holding.
“Phew!”
Without realizing it, his entire body was drenched in sweat. His insides felt warm, and his breathing was shallow.
‘So this is what it feels like.’
The thought that he’d finally done something he’d only ever seen in comics and novels felt wondrous. His body felt light and his mind refreshed; his mind and body were more stable than ever before. The pleasant sensation was exactly like stepping out of a sauna—absolutely perfect.
‘If I feel like this every time… I might get addicted.’
As Seol Jihoo wiped away the beads of sweat forming on his brow, he suddenly found himself staring into empty space.

[Your Class ability ‘Mana Application (Intermediate)’ evolves into ‘Ungi Haengkong (Beginner)’.]
[Your innate ability ‘Future Perception’ resonates with the new evolution!]
[Your Class ability ‘Ungi Haengkong (Beginner)’ evolves into ‘Ungi Haengkong (Upper-Intermediate)’.]
[Please check your STATUS window.]

When? He didn’t recall hearing the notification sound. The messages must have appeared while he was lost in perfect emptiness.
‘Wow.’
Entranced, he spread both arms wide to express his joy. He’d already mastered one of the two abilities. Future Perception and Phscihi’s Tear deserved much of the credit, but it was a good start.
‘I feel like I’ve become a martial artist.’
Smiling faintly, Seol Jihoo returned his focus to the Ungi Haengkong.

Though gaining abilities took priority, he couldn’t neglect physical training. With his level rising at an unprecedented pace, he had to hurry and raise his body’s capabilities to their limit.
So the days continued as before—mornings devoted entirely to physical training.
The first step of training began with running through the city of Haramag. Ever since Seol Jihoo had started running with Lee Seol-ah, he hadn’t skipped a single session except when absolutely unavoidable—during expeditions or when injured.
Huff-huff, ha-ha. Huff-huff, ha-ha.
Wearing fresh workout clothes and new running shoes, he was jogging down the street with steady breaths when his eyes suddenly widened. Coming toward him on the opposite side was a familiar face.
The woman in a maid’s uniform was carrying a large paper bag, the edges bulging with bread and vegetables, supported against her arm.
“Agnes!”
Seol Jihoo slowed his pace to express his gladness. The woman, her sharp eyes gleaming behind her glasses, merely nodded in acknowledgment and continued on without interest. But the young man, like a duckling following its mother, trotted after her.
“…Sigh.”
Agnes let out a small sigh and stopped walking.
“Haven’t I told you several times to focus only on training during your practice sessions?”
She rebuked him in a rather stern tone, but—
“Agnes, Agnes. I did it. I managed it.”
Seol Jihoo rattled on regardless of whether she was listening.
“I’ve mastered the Ungi Haengkong.”
“?”
That was—somewhat unexpected. But Agnes quickly regained her composure. She’d witnessed this man’s irregularity many times over in the Neutral Zone. There was nothing to be surprised about anymore.
While it was worth congratulating, Agnes rarely expressed particular delight. Her method of teaching was to suggest alternative visions to prevent complacency rather than offer praise, thereby setting new goals.
Agnes adjusted the paper bag in her arms and opened her mouth.
“From now on, you should be able to properly conduct mana training. I recommend investing at least four hours daily in the Ungi Haengkong.”
“Four hours?”
“Why are you surprised?”
Agnes scoffed slightly.
“The mana and circuits you’ve just awakened are like iron ore mixed with impurities. You must continuously oil, strike, and temper them to increase their purity. I’m sure you know that the purer the energy, the greater its power?”
He nodded in acknowledgment. Having experienced it directly, he understood.
“The Ungi Haengkong is the most basic of basics, but it’s an ability that allows you to cultivate energy purity, control, and circuit reinforcement all at once. There’s no reason not to invest in it.”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense. Plus, it increases my mana quantity a little too. I think I should make it my primary training.”
“…Pardon?”
Agnes’s eyebrows twitched unexpectedly.
“What did you just say?”
“Oh. It’s one of the core training methods.”
“Not that. What you said before it.”
“Ah… that my mana capacity has increased?”
“You felt it increase?”
“Yes. Though not by much.”
Seol Jihoo raised his clenched fist as if to demonstrate the small amount. Agnes wore a puzzled expression.
“That shouldn’t be possible. I understand that Ungi Haengkong has no mana-increasing effect.”
“Yes? But—”
The young man protested, insisting he wasn’t lying, that it wasn’t fair. Agnes, unusually, showed signs of deep consideration.
“I see. It’s unlikely you raised it through points. I have heard of a few cases where people pushed their mana to its absolute limit with Overdrive in mind, and the total capacity increased afterward, but…”
Agnes murmured as if speaking to herself, then asked with hesitation.
“Does your mana increase every time you use Ungi Haengkong?”
“No. It built up little by little over three or four days, but the phenomenon suddenly stopped today.”
A flash of recognition crossed Agnes’s eyes.
“It’s the effect of ingesting a spiritual medicine.”
“A spiritual medicine?”
“Yes. When someone consumes a very rare medicinal herb or spiritual medicine, they often cannot absorb it all at once—it seeps gradually throughout the body. But when you use Ungi Haengkong, you can absorb the residual matter that hasn’t yet been digested. Everything falls into place.”
“But I’ve never taken a spiritual medicine.”
“Think carefully.”
Seol Jihoo fell into deep thought. But soon he shook his head. No matter how hard he searched his memory, he had never even seen a spiritual medicine, let alone consumed one.
“Ah. Come to think of it, I did eat something called Duelce while I was being chased.”
“…Duelce is not a spiritual medicine. It’s one of the most tasteless fruits in Paradise.”
“Re… really?”
“Unless you’re on death’s door, no one would put it in their mouth. Anyway.”
Agnes adjusted her glasses and opened her mouth.
“This is an inexplicable phenomenon… but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. For now, raise your Ungi Haengkong proficiency to intermediate. Your Mana Application rank probably dropped as the ability evolved.”
He had been staring at her intently. It had indeed dropped to lower rank immediately after evolution. But it had quickly risen to upper-middle rank through Future Perception correction.
“Around level 4, Ungi Haengkong can undergo another evolution. It’s called the Heart Method.”
“The Heart Method?”
“An ability doesn’t end once you’ve learned it.”
Agnes continued.
“Mana Application evolves through Ungi Haengkong, Ungi Haengkong evolves through the Heart Method, the Heart Method evolves through the Divine Technique…”
“I see. So after Ungi Haengkong, I need to awaken the Heart Method.”
Agnes paused for a moment.
“…Of course, learning it directly is always preferable.”
She resumed speaking after a brief silence.
“But starting with the Heart Method, you should also consider evolving it through Merit Points.”
“What? You’re telling me to acquire it through Merit Points?”
“Not acquire—evolve.”
Agnes firmly corrected him. The nuance was different, though Seol Jihoo still looked confused. Agnes explained slowly.
“Mana Application and Ungi Haengkong are fundamentals, so they’re highly accessible. But starting with the Heart Method, the difficulty multiplies exponentially.”
“Hmm… you’re right. Finding texts on the Heart Method would be like plucking stars from the sky.”
“Exactly. Even if you manage to find an extraordinary Divine Technique after grueling effort, it’s useless if you can’t master it. Geniuses barely achieve mastery after decades of training, and ordinary people cannot possibly dedicate centuries to it—nor should they.”
“So it’s a matter of efficiency.”
“Yes. If it seems unavoidable, you must make the bold decision to abandon it. After all, you’ve directly awakened to Mana Application, which forms the foundation, and to Ungi Haengkong, which is the basics. Given that the game system is configured by divine grace, using it appropriately is also a talent.”
Seol Jihoo thought for a moment and spoke.
“No matter what ability it is, it’s important to master the fundamentals yourself.”
A faint smile crossed Agnes’s lips. He had grasped the essence immediately. She’d worried he might stubbornly insist on doing everything himself. But when a student you’re teaching proves clever, you can’t help but be pleased.
“Exactly. That’s what ‘fundamentals are important’ means. Whatever ability it is, that’s your Maginot Line. You must never compromise on that.”
Seol Jihoo, now convinced, asked.
“How far have you awakened to yourself?”
“If you’re asking about Ungi Haengkong—I managed to learn up through the Heart Method.”
Agnes wore a slightly knowing expression.
“I did manage to obtain the Divine Technique through various means… but it was terribly complex. It was beyond my capacity to master, so I chose to evolve it through Merit Points.”
As if it weren’t a fond memory, she smacked her lips slightly.
“Anyway, that’s still a long way off. Think slowly about the Heart Method. And I must stress again—during training, focus only on training.”
Having learned something new, Seol Jihoo nodded with a bright, smiling expression.
What Agnes didn’t know was that his Ungi Haengkong proficiency had already surpassed intermediate level. In other words, the moment he reached level 4, he could learn the Heart Method right away.
Of course, he wouldn’t know until then whether he’d learn it directly or use Merit Points, but the fact that a new goal had appeared made his heart race with anticipation.
‘You’ve helped me again.’
Seol Jihoo gazed at the young man with a hint of gratitude—someone willing to offer such detailed advice was a rare gift. A faint smile crossed his lips.
In that instant, Agnes’s eyebrow twitched, but before he could notice,
“Thank you—ugh!”
Thud.
Seol Jihoo doubled over. A brutal punch drove the wind from his stomach.
‘When—when did she—?’
He hadn’t even seen the fist coming. Only afterward did bitter confusion wash over him: why had he been hit?
“Why…?”
“You don’t know why?”
Agnes fixed him with an icy glare.
“I was just… thanking you for the advice….”
“Ah, I see. My apologies, truly.”
She scoffed, then turned away with a cold wind at her heels, but
“You’re… you’re too much….”
when she heard him mumbling, something inside her snapped. She whirled around, seized him by the collar, and began shaking him violently.
“Too much? You dare say I’m too much?”
Had he touched a nerve? Agnes went past mere hysteria—she grabbed his shirt and rattled him like a doll, her voice raw.
“Who’s too much? And you say that after seeing this?”

[Agnes’s Status Window]
[1. Information]
Summoned Year · Month · Day: 2013. 09. 20
Mark Grade: Silver
Gender · Age: Female · 27
Height · Weight: 172.4cm · 60.8kg
Condition: Stable
Class: Level 6. The Solitary Spider Hunting Demons
Nationality: Europe (Area 2)
Organization: Sicily
Aliases: Bear Bunny, Ground Zero, Sicily’s Bitch, Sicily’s Demon Instructor, An Overwhelmingly Commanding Maid with a Cold Face but Secretly Adorable Lingerie Taste, Haramag Slaughterer

“Overwhelming? What’s so overwhelming about me? Tell me! Say it!”
Her face trembled violently up and down. When the young man caught sight of the aliases she’d revealed, he burst. Laughter poured out of him—uh-he-he-he—and Agnes’s face cycled through shades of red and blue.
“You’re laughing?”
“W-wait, just—”
“You made my aliases into this garbage and you’re laughing?”
“C-calm down… ugh! Argh!”
She didn’t even get to the Bear part of Bear Bunny before she beat him senseless.
Such was the fate of the boy who cried wolf.

“Ugh….”
He’d taken a thorough beating, but at least he’d survived.
Every muscle ached and throbbed, yet Seol Jihoo limped his way back to the building, determined to finish his run. He couldn’t bring himself to start strength training just yet, so he labored up the stairs, hoping for even a brief rest.
As soon as he reached the third floor, he tried to open the door—

“?”
A strange piece of paper wedged in the door frame caught his eye.
‘A note?’
Seol Jihoo pulled out the folded paper and unfolded it.

(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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