The Second Coming of Gluttony Chapter 157:

Seol Jihu was running with frayed logs tied to his waist today as well when he suddenly stopped while climbing the peak .

“?”

Perking his ears, he carefully scanned the area .

He had heard a strange noise . It sounded like someone quietly crying .

And following the sound to its source, his suspicion was proven right .

He could see a small girl crouching behind a large rock .

Yi Seol-Ah was quietly sobbing with her hands clasped against her mouth .

She looked like she was desperately holding back her tears, but big drops fell from her deer-like eyes whenever she hiccupped .

Seol Jihu put his hands in his pockets and quietly watched .

He could guess why she was crying without even asking her . Jang Maldong’s training method was to push a person to his or her limits before making them overcome it, so it could only be hard and painful .

There was nothing anyone could do but curse Jang Maldong for being evil during his training sessions . It explained why Chohong and Hugo so desperately prayed for his afterlife .

Seol Jihu himself had experienced it, so he could sympathize with what she was going through .

But as much as he expressed his sincere thanks to Jang Maldong the moment he came back from the Banquet, he knew how significant the process was .

‘Hmm . ’

Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t been able to pay her much attention after going through the trouble of recruiting her because of his own training .

While enduring the training was entirely up to the siblings, he could have at least talked with them for a minute or two…

Becoming apologetic after realizing that, Seol Jihu pulled his hands out of his pockets and walked towards her .

He had intended to quietly approach her, but forgetting the logs tied to him, he ended up making a loud noise .

Yi Seol-Ah raised her head in surprise .

“O-Orabeo-nim?”

“Ah!”

Seol Jihu bitterly smiled and quickly began untying the rope around him .

Yi Seol-Ah watched him drop the practically broken logs and sandbags with tired eyes before quickly hanging her head down when Seol Jihu plopped down next to her .

She didn’t want to show him her crying face .

“I-I’m sorry . ”

“What’s there to be sorry for?”

“Still… You’ve brought me all the way here, but I’m just pathetically crying…”

Hearing her speak with a sinking voice, Seol Jihu realized that she had an obsession of some sort .

Dryly smacking his lips, Seol Jihu took out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth .

“You can cry when you’re tired . Even I cried . ”

“Orabeo-nim too?”

“Yeah . For your information, crybaby is one of my nicknames . ”

Even though it wasn’t something to be proud of, Seol Jihu made a V-sign with his hand and beamed .

Yi Seol-Ah made an expression of disbelief .

“You’re just trying to cheer me up…”

“No way . If you really think I’m lying then go ask Master . ”

“…Really?”

“Yeah . Was it when I was going up the hill in front of the cave? I was so tired that I couldn’t take a single step further, but Master yelled ‘Hurry up! Are you going to give up like this?’ at me . I teared up that moment . ”

“So what did you do?”

“I clenched my teeth and trudged up with all I had . The second I collapsed, a notification informing me that my strength increased popped up . ”

Seol Jihu smiled as he recalled that day before lighting his cigarette . Yi Seol-Ah opened her mouth slightly .

She knew how hard it was to increase a person’s physical level through pure training, since she, too, had trained before without missing a single day .

“Master’s training sessions are just like that . Even though he pushes you to the brink of death, you don’t actually die . It’s only to the point where you begin to lament ‘I’m going to die at this rate . ’”

Seol Jihu turned to look at Yi Seol-Ah with a slightly serious face .

“And it’s all up to you to surpass your limit when that moment comes . ”

Yi Seol-Ah attentively listened, engraving his precious advice in her heart . Seol Jihu grinned before blowing out the smoke .

“Well I’ve said this and that but… The point is that you can cry when you’re tired . Just cry out everything until your heart feels refreshed . ”

Yi Seol-Ah wiped her tears with the back of her hands and let out a bright smile .

“Sora sunbae’s words were true . ”

“Miss Phi Sora?”

“Yes . I’ve actually been caught crying a few days ago, too . ”

“What did that woman say to you? Did she do that Bitching Time again?”

“N-no . ”

Yi Seol-Ah shook her head . After scratching her cheek with her finger, she crossed her arms .

And as if she was imitating someone, she squinted her eyes in a haughty fashion .

“Well, fine . I’m not one to talk since I cried too… and she left just like that . ”

“Wow! Even Miss Phi Sora?”

“Why?”

“Ah . The truth is…”

It was something Seol Jihu had only found out recently, but Agnes, too, was said to have cried after receiving Jang Maldong’s guidance for only a single day .

And of course, Kazuki who told him this, also cried after a day .

And when he told her about Chohong who screamed like crazy before rushing at Jang Maldong, threatening to kill him, Yi Seol-Ah broke out into laughter, clapping her hands .

Seeing her feel better, Seol Jihu extinguished his cigarette and rose up from his seat .

“Master might be harsh when he’s training, but he has high expectations from you . ”

“Really?”

“Yeah . And so do I . ”

Seol Jihu continued as he put on the sandbags and tied the rope around his waist .

“Grow up fast . I’d like for us to do missions and go out on expeditions together . ”

“Orabeo-nim…”

There was a saying that a randomly thrown stone might kill a frog . Not knowing how each and every one of his words would impact her, Seol Jihu tightly tied the rope and gave her final words of encouragement .

“I have a feeling you and I will work well together . ”

He sent her a wink .

“Now then, do your best . ”

After those words, he resumed his training .

Yi Seol-Ah stared at the back of Seol Jihu gradually growing farther away with a slight blush on her face .

That he had high expectations from her… that he wanted to do things with her . Seol Jihu’s words remained in her mind, causing her heart to flutter .

Yi Seol-Ah immediately stood up .

“My limits…”

She still had red eyes, but after having her motivation reignited, her eyes contained a new sparkle .

Yi Seol-Ah clenched both of her fists .

And at that moment .

“Break through my limits . Break through my limits!”

Yi Seol-Ah’s growth direction was determined .

*

Sometime in the evening, Phi Sora approached Seol Jihu .

“Here, take this . ”

What Phi Sora passed to him was a communication crystal . The faint light coming from it indicated that there was an incoming call .

“Ooh . Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?”

“Grandpa told me to give it to you . Don’t get me wrong . ”

Coldly replying, Phi Sora left with sassy steps .

‘Why did that woman come here anyways…?’

She obviously wasn’t here to train . She didn’t look like she particularly had anything to do either .

After tilting his head in confusion, Seol Jihu let a bit of his mana flow into the crystal .

And a moment later, light spilled out, showing an image of Chohong and Hugo grinning cheekily .

—Yo! You rolling well?

—Look at what we’re eating!

Hugo teased him, waving the meat and liquor he was holding in front of him . After silently staring back, Seol Jihu angled the crystal to show him a glimpse of Seo Yuhui quietly looking up at the sky not far away .

Hugo screamed .

—Whaaaaat!? W-What’s going on? Why is the person destined to be my future wife over there?

“She had business to do on the Huge Stone Rocky Mountain . Hearing that we were coming here, she decided to tag along . ”

—Come oooon! You should have told me!

“The two of you ran off . How could I tell you when I couldn’t even find you?”

—Aaaahhh! Nooo!

Hugo screamed in despair, disappearing from the screen .

— …What happened?

It was an unfamiliar sight seeing Chohong’s frosty face . Then suddenly, she flung her hair back and spoke .

—Whatever… I called you because…

Seol Jihu’s eyes widened after hearing out Chohong .

—We were surprised too . A dude we thought was dead suddenly showed up asking if we knew anyone that had been to the Forest of Denial alone .

“It seems like he was talking about me… but what would he find me for?”

—I don’t know either . I told him about you and that you weren’t here at the moment . But after asking where you went, he suddenly dashed off .

Chohong shrugged .

—He was an interesting guy . His tracking abilities are known to be terrible, so he even hired another Archer to look for you .

Seol Jihu’s face became complicated . It was because he couldn’t think of a reason that the unknown person would look for him so desperately .

—I don’t know what happened exactly but… Hey! Try to talk it out with him . ”

“About what?”

—Recruitment! Ghio, that guy! He’s a Level 4 Archer . ”

“Ghio? Level 4?”

—Don’t underestimate a Level 4 . He was once evaluated to be the next talent to continue the line of Haramarks’s elite Archers, Dylan and Kazuki . And he still is .

Seol Jihu stared at the crystal with a questioning look . It was the first time he had seen the unsociable Chohong fervently praise another human being .

—He already has a nickname for himself . Even Dylan wanted to recruit him before, you know? Well, he was immediately turned down though .

“Dylan did?”

—Yeah . He’s not so good with scouting, but his insane combat prowess is more than enough to overcome his shortcomings . He’s a rather rare type among Archers .

“Well . I think I’ll have to personally see him first . And besides, I don’t think he’ll join even if I ask him to . ”

Chohong grinned .

—It’s not that I don’t know that . I mean, what does he lack that he’ll want to join Carpe Diem… I do know that he’s probably being flooded with recruitment requests at the moment .

“Why?”

—His original team was torn apart during a war with the Parasites . And it seems like he lost the rest of his teammates recently . He has no one left now .

“Hmm . ”

—Anyways, just try asking . You never know, right? If by chance you do recruit Ghio, then it will probably only be a matter of time before Carpe Diem regains its former glory .

And after saying, ‘Well, good luck! And don’t come back too early!’, Chohong hung up .

‘Ghio… Ghio…?’

Seol Jihu tilted his head in confusion at the unfamiliar name .

But since he was told that Ghio was coming to him, he resumed his training .

And the next morning . An unknown visitor came looking for him just like Chohong said .

Seol Jihu, who had been training on the peak just in case, discovered a person walking around the woods off in the distance and decided to approach him .

A tall, nimble man armed with sculpted muscles sent a sharp gaze the moment Seol Jihu drew near .

“Can I ask you a question?”

A husky voice rang out .

“Is there a person named Seol nearby?”

“That would be me . ”

Seol Jihu immediately answered, having been informed beforehand .

A glint flashed across the man’s intense grey eyes .

“…Finally . ”

After quietly muttering to himself, he let out a short breath .

Seol Jihu carefully observed the man . There were traces hinting that he had wandered for a while, implying that he had separated from his guide some time back .

His equipment looked a bit lacking, but judging from the bow he was holding, he was undoubtedly an Archer .

His neatly combed ash-grey hair, which looked like it received volumizing treatment, along with the defined sideburn, gave him a striking impression .

‘He’s handsome . ’

If Kazuki was a cold man from the city, then this man who carried a noble atmosphere around him was a nobleman of the medieval times .

But he had too many conspicuous scars to say he was just a boy raised in a rich house .

If Kazuki was a bird of prey in the skies, then this man was a solitary white wolf wandering around a snowfield .

But most importantly, the man’s wary eyes that contained an unconcealable hatred towards something, made his face look dark and frosty .

“Are you the one called Ghio…?

The man flinched before opening his mouth .

“…So you knew . If it’s not rude, may I ask a few questions?”

As his manners could not have been more polite, Seol Jihu nodded .

“I’ve heard from Chohong that you’ve been to the Forest of Denial alone . ”

“Yes . ”

“By any chance, have you fought with a herd of Tarneras on your way back?”

“Tarneras? I’m not sure . ”

Seol Jihu rubbed his necklace .

There was no response . As Flone had recently taken a liking to explore the Huge Stone Rocky Mountain, she was rarely in the pendant .

“But I did fight with a group of man-eating monsters…’

“Can I know how many times you’ve fought them?”

“Two times . They came back to ambush me around dawn after I drove them away once . ”

The man let out a small gasp .

“The Tarneras are known to eat people . And the number of battle traces I’ve confirmed were two . ”

“Then I guess it was me . But why…?”

“Did you know that there was a nest of Tarneras nearby?”

“No . ”

“Then you must be unaware of the fact that you’ve freed people that were held captive by them . ”

Seol Jihu who had been tilting his head in confusion, widened his eyes . He had suddenly remembered something that he had read in a report before .

—…he was ambushed by a group of ‘Tarneras’ on the way home from Napal Hill… .

—…Miraculously, he and four others trapped in the same way managed to escape… .

—…many organizations have offered the Archer of Steel excellent conditions to recruit him, but Marcel Ghionea, being the straightforward person he is, refused… .

—…he is hellbent on finding his benefactor… .

“Oh . ”

‘He’s not called Ghio but… . ’

Suddenly, the man quietly kneeled, causing Seol Jihu to be perplexed .

“Let me formally introduce myself . My name is Marcel Ghionea . ”

He planted both fists on the ground before raising his head .

“I greet my benefactor . ”

At that moment .

[You dealing with the man-eating monsters . . ]

[You did well . Things got hard when Evangeline Rose died in vain, but with this, the hole has mended . ]

He suddenly remembered what Gula had said to him before .

*

The Parasite Queen sat on the Corrupted Throne of the Empire like always .

Of course, that was what it looked like from a third-person’s point of view, but in reality, the world reflected in her eyes was completely different .

After devouring the Chief Deity who overlooked this planet, the Parasite Queen recovered her divinity that was once driven to the brink of extermination and obtained new powers .

And one of the powers she had gained was the ability to see the destiny of all things on the planet .

However, the expression of the Parasite Queen who had been observing the movement of the stars was strange .

Her usual leisure was nowhere to be seen, and she could be seen leaning her body forward to intensely stare at a certain place .

[Strange . ]

Her eyes carefully searched around the place .

[Strange, strange . ]

All Stars of Fate traveled along their destined path .

However, there were always exceptions .

A shining star that appeared with an extremely small chance . A star that exceeded the size of any normal star and shined brighter than any other .

The moment that such a star exceeded a certain ‘standard,’ it would be reborn to be an existence that simply could not be compared to any other stars around it .

Every time it orbited, it would attract the surrounding stars . Sometimes, other stars would voluntarily enter the brightly shining star’s orbit .

And the shining star would share its light to the stars around it .

It was like the concept of the Sun .

Like how the planets orbited the Sun and how the satellites orbited the planet .

[Why… . ]

One of the two insignificant stars that had always been stuck together was suddenly struggling .

As if to test its own limits, it radiated an intense shine, foretelling a tremendous growth .

[Why…?]

She had been relieved at the disappearance of a strong star a while ago, but a new star suddenly appeared in its place .

And it showed movements of gradually heading towards a certain direction .

That wasn’t all .

There was a gigantic star emitting a shine greater than any other star .

This star was tightly embracing a dead star that was at the source of the entire anomaly in the starfield . It was like a mother protecting her child from danger .

A dead, lightless star was causing this much commotion?

Stars of Fate on the trajectory of self-destruction were suddenly becoming chaotic?

That was impossible .

But that impossible thing was happening .

Right in front of the Parasite Queen’s gaze .

[Tsssss…]

When the Parasite Queen, who had been staring for a long time, finally set her ‘resolve’… .

Boom!

Slamming her hands down, she stood up from her throne . At the same time, the 14 pairs of bone wings on her back unfolded .

The Parasite Queen who had been staring at the dead star opened her mouth

[Come— Undying Diligence—!]

Her furious call rang out throughout the entire land .

Undying Diligence (Industria) .

This was the title of one of the Imperial Guards of the Parasite Queen and the leader of the Nosferatus .

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