The Second Coming of Gluttony Chapter 403:
A cold wind blew inside the office .
A shiver went down the young man’s spine .
He could tell that something wasn’t right .
Yun Seohui, who was well known for her ever-smiling face and gentle manner of speech, was angry .
Instinctively sensing danger, the young man replied without taking so much time as to think .
“Ah, y-yes! I’ll contact them right away through the communication crystal . ”
Yun Seohui shut her eyes .
Because the HR Director Jung Minjong was in disciplinary confinement, she had chosen a temporary secretary to fill his place .
But to think he did not even know the difference between using a communication crystal and sending a messenger in Paradise…
Or was he mistakenly thinking that Sinyoung’s position was still the same as in the past?
“No, no, don’t call them . Write up an official document and respectfully deliver it through a messenger . ”
As Yun Seohui spoke coldly, the young man lowered his head in a fluster .
“Y-Yes, Ma’am . Messenger . I understand . ”
“Where’s Director Jung?”
“He’s staying at in his mansion on Earth . We’re keeping a close eye on him . ”
“And what about Manager Yun Seora?”
“Lady Yun Seora is…”
The young man trailed off .
Yun Seohui shook her head . Then, she shooed him away as if talking any longer would be a waste of time .
The young man scurried out of the office .
Tak . The door quietly closed behind him .
Yun Seohui let out a deep sigh .
‘What’s wrong with me?’
She had failed to control her emotions and ended up lashing out . In the past, she did not show it outwardly no matter how angry she was on the inside . This just went to show how shaken she was .
Yun Seohui sat dazedly for a long time before glancing down . She reached out and opened the lower drawer of her desk, which she did not open more than four times a year .
After taking out a pack of cigarettes, she picked out a thin cigarette and bit down on it .
Looking into the air with relaxed eyes, she lit the cigarette .
“…Sure . ”
From her thin, pale lips…
“I don’t see a reason not to bend down . For now . ”
Rather than a thin, long puff of smoke, a short and thick puff of smoke spread out .
*
Same time .
The Parasites’ grand hall was filled with a bone-chilling tension .
The six Army Commanders were bowing their heads in prostration .
As always, the Parasite Queen was sitting on the Corrupted Throne where their admiration was directed, emanating more intense energy from her body than usual .
[…What was that? That Seol Jihu said what?]
A harsh voice shook the air .
[To honor the memory of the Parasites’ Fourth Army Commander, Raging Temperance…?]
As the Parasite Queen asked doubtfully, the Army Commanders bowed deeper in shame .
Twisted Kindness glared at the ground with bloodshot eyes and clenched her fists hard .
[Hah…!]
The Parasite Queen burst out with empty laughter that was closer to a lamentation .
After sensing the change in the celestial bodies, the Parasite Queen summoned the Army Commanders and heard what had happened while she was asleep .
Realizing that the external state of affairs suddenly changed, she tasked them to find out the detailed reason .
And once she heard Vulgar Chastity’s report, she felt her insides twist .
Those worthless insects acting on their own was frustrating enough, but that damned human had even taunted the Parasites so openly .
Honoring the memory of the deceased great general despite being enemies?
[That damned brat…!]
The Parasite Queen’s trembling voice echoed out .
What vexed her more was the fact that there was nothing she could do about it at the moment .
Neither she nor her six Army Commanders were in a condition to fight . They were only now approaching a full recovery .
In truth, the Parasite Queen had expected some change to happen while she and her Army Commanders were immobilized .
Since she lost a mutual, all-out war, she considered it as something that she had to bear .
But this situation…
[Whew… . ]
The Parasite Queen barely calmed herself down and slowly closed her eyes .
It was still too early to discuss victory and defeat .
Though the situation had changed greatly, the scale was still tipped in their favor .
The problem was that this scale started to move toward the other side, despite looking like it wouldn’t change for eternity .
An even bigger problem was that the Parasites had lost when it was at a position of such an overwhelming advantage .
Before the Tigol Fortress War, the Parasite Queen had an ominous sense of foreboding .
That if they lost the war, they would only be left with two, no, just one chance .
And her prediction had come true .
Forcefully drawn by the attraction of the Brightest Star, humanity had begun to orbit a proper path . And to make matters worse, the Federation had appropriately joined their course .
With this, the Parasites no longer had a place to fall back to .
She felt like all bridges were burned .
Meaning, if they lost another huge war… that would be the end .
[The Brightest Star…]
The Parasite Queen sighed as she slumped down on the throne .
[I should have gotten rid of him in the valley war…]
Hearing her monologue, the Army Commanders all looked grief-stricken . They had no words to say and no excuses to give .
However, one person had an aloof expression from the beginning to end . As if he didn’t like this atmosphere, he slowly raised his head and looked up at the throne .
“Your Majesty . ”
He slowly put his hand up and spoke .
“There’s something I’m curious about . ”
[?]
“You see, when I was a human, I just couldn’t wrap my head around why you left humanity alone despite having the power to raze them to the ground and why you were so hell-bent on taking down Tigol Fortress… . ”
Sung Shihyun shrugged .
“Of course, I know you must have had your reasons . You’re a god, after all . I’m sure there was something outside of my understanding or something specific you were aiming for . That aside…”
Sung Shihyun paused briefly before continuing .
“There is something that I haven’t been able to understand even after turning to the Parasites’ side . ”
[What is it?]
“What is the Brightest Star?”
Sung Shihyun asked .
“Seol Jihu . Isn’t he just a human? What is so special about this Brightest Star that makes Your Majesty shudder like this?”
The Army Commanders all turned to Sung Shihyun in shock .
To dare to say their supreme queen would shudder…
It was just too irreverent .
The Parasite Queen didn’t reply right away .
[…Hmm . ]
After a long silence, she said .
[I suppose it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times . Come closer . ]
The Parasite Queen got up from the throne and beckoned Sung Shihyun .
Sung Shihyun got up immediately and walked forward .
Step by step, he approached the throne and climbed the stairs leading up to the queen .
Then, at last, he arrived in front of her . It was then .
“!”
Sung Shihyun’s field of vision changed completely .
No, in an instant, the space he was standing in warped .
From the imperial palace’s grand hall to a starlight-embroidered galaxy .
“Uwoah!”
“How can stars… Aha, this large planet must be Paradise . It’s kind of amazing looking at it like this . ”
Sung Shihyun exclaimed in awe while looking down at his feet .
“Why are you showing me outer space all of a sudden?”
The Parasite Queen pointed in a direction instead of replying .
When Sung Shihyun reflexively turned, his eyes lit up .
He saw a blue dot that was shining brightly .
It was then .
“Is that…?”
Sung Shihyun’s body shook violently as soon as he stared at it .
His excitement and intrigue evaporated in an instant as his eyes widened in shock .
“Ear…”
He convulsed without being able to finish his sentence .
“… . ”
Eventually, he fell to his knees, gasping for breath .
Was he swallowed by the terror of the universe? A few seconds was all it took for his arrogant face to turn pale in fear .
[How is it? Can you see the… Oh?]
The Parasite Queen exclaimed in admiration after seeing Sung Shihyun gasping for breath .
What she had pointed to should not be visible to most high-ranked species, much less a human’s eyes .
But Sung Shihyun’s reaction clearly showed that he had seen it .
This could only be interpreted as one thing . Sung Shihyun had gone beyond fully absorbing Undying Diligence’s divinity and reached the point of having complete control over it .
The sight should be visible to anyone with the rank of godhood, and that included demigods as well .
[How surprising . How long has it been?]
This time, it was Sung Shihyun who did not reply .
No, he couldn’t .
He was subconsciously flailing his legs to push himself back . He was in no state of mind to think about giving a reply .
Then, as Sung Shihyun began to well up with tears…
The Parasite Queen decided it was enough and lightly waved her hand .
The world changed once again .
The surrounding scenery returned to the grand hall from outer space .
Despite this, Sung Shihyun still had not come to his senses .
[Tell me what you saw . ]
At the Parasite Queen’s command, Sung Shihyun muttered with heavy breaths .
“T-Two red giants… one white giant… . ”
[And?]
“And an even bigger red supergiant… one blue supergiant… . ”
[And?]
“And, and… . ”
Sung Shihyun stammered, failing to speak clearly .
“I don’t know… . ”
As he narrowly spat out a breath, tears streamed down his face and dropped to the ground .
“Half of it is light… but the other half is darkness akin to a black hole… they were mixed together and raging violently… . ”
[… . ]
“Then I felt like it suddenly looked at me… and laughed mockingly…!”
Sung Shihyun bent over, unable to continue his description .
“What? What is that…? Why does Earth have…!”
The indescribable terror he felt could only be imagined by the way he buried his face on the ground, crying .
The Parasite Queen didn’t blame him . It was normal for him to be shocked after seeing something that would make even the Sun pale in comparison .
However, the Army Commanders, who weren’t privy to the details, could only make wry expressions .
The proud, arrogant Sung Shihyun was crying . Just what the **** could he have seen?
[Looks like you got a proper look . ]
The Parasite Queen placed her hand on his head . As she imbued her energy into him, his shaking subsided .
[Supernova, a large nova that is millions or even billions of times brighter than an ordinary star . ]
[I call this nova, the Brightest Star . ]
Sung Shihyun, who had unknowingly stopped crying, looked up .
[The Brightest Star… an infinite star with a growth speed and potential that not even a **** can estimate . ]
[Can you guess what will happen if this star gets involved in a human’s fate?]
Sung Shihyun shook his head with a dazed face .
[I’m sure you can’t . I was the same . ]
[I encountered the star mixed with light and darkness long ago and suffered a humiliating defeat . I had courted disaster myself . ]
[But a few years ago, the same star as that star of chaos appeared in Paradise . ]
The Parasite Queen continued .
[As I said before, the most frightening thing about that star is its limitless potential and frightening growth rate . ]
[Once it explodes with light, it expands in size while evolving at a terrifying speed . ]
[In the time you do a double-take, this star surpasses everyone’s expectations and shoots forward . By then, it would be too late to catch up to it . ]
[That is the reason I am so fearful and wary of the Brightest Star . ]
Sung Shihyun gulped .
[Does this answer your question?]
“…Yes . ”
Sung Shihyun wiped his teary eyes and staggered up .
“I understand now . So…”
He collected his breath and spoke .
“We need to get rid of that star before it becomes unreachable . ”
[Exactly . ]
“The star that is in Paradise… It hasn’t evolved like that star I just saw, has it?”
[Not yet . ]
“I see… I understand . ”
Sung Shihyun breathed out a long sigh .
He calmed down a bit and spoke .
“Please excuse me . ”
[Hmm?]
“There was something I wanted to tell you… but my mind’s a mess after seeing what I just saw . It seems I will need to modify my plan completely . ”
[Your plan?]
The Parasite Queen glanced up at the celestial bodies .
She had shown it to him on a whim, but a rather interesting event was unfolding .
Sung Shihyun’s star was billowing .
He seemed to have realized something after seeing the Martial God’s true self .
“I need some time to organize my thoughts and do research . I will request an audience later . ”
[…Alright . ]
The Parasite Queen nodded her head generously .
[I will look forward to the plan you will bring to the table, First Army Commander, Sung Shihyun . Go ahead and rest . The rest of you may leave as well . ]
The eyes of the five Army Commanders widened .
The Parasite Queen’s wrath suddenly subsiding was surprising enough . But she said she would be looking forward to his plan as well?
Sung Shihyun bowed and walked out of the grand hall .
His cold eyes were burning with unknown hostility .
*
It was a peaceful day in Eva today as always .
After returning to the Temple of Luxuria, Seo Yuhui carried out an organizational reform, and when she came back to Eva, she was deeply moved .
Only a month or two had passed since she left, but Eva had changed so much in the right direction .
That wasn’t all . Valhalla’s building, which resembled a skyscraper, had transformed into a beautiful white palace, and there was an imposing statue at the entrance that was very obviously modeled after Seol Jihu .
What caught Seo Yuhui’s attention the most was the group of fuzzballs running around joyously near the lush, green garden lake .
As a lover of all things cute, there was simply no way Seo Yuhui would pass by them .
She grabbed a yellow rice cake that was approaching her with curiosity and placed it down on her lap .
When she stroked it gently, it closed its eyes, feeling good .
It was cute, acting just like Seol Jihu .
Speaking of the devil, she could see Seol Jihu walking down the stairs while rubbing his drowsy eyes .
“Jihu!”
Happy to see him, Seo Yuhui waved her hand .
Seol Jihu opened his eyes .
“I am back . Come here . ”
Seo Yuhui tapped her right thigh as if she had been dying to see him .
Seol Jihu silently trudged over, still half-asleep .
“… . ”
Then, in a half-conscious state, he looked down at the yellow rice cake that was taking up half of his spot .
He grabbed its wagging tail and pulled it to the side before falling flat on his face and taking over the entirety of Seo Yuhui’s lap .
Seo Yuhui smiled bitterly .
“Kkiing… . ”
Yellow rice cake whimpered, having been chased out while it was enjoying a wonderful sleep .
But after seeing Seol Jihu, it scurried up to him and dug into his embrace .
“Oh my . ”
Seo Yuhui blinked .
Seeing Seol Jihu and yellow rice cake sleeping in peace, a smile bloomed on her face .
Things couldn’t be more peaceful .
She stroked the two of them gently and prayed inwardly .
I pray this happiness will continue forever… .
Of course, she knew it was only wishful thinking with the Parasites still existing .
Coincidentally, a messenger arrived at that time .
Sinyoung very politely wrote how much they wanted to meet with them and talk .
Kim Hannah reported the matter to Seol Jihu immediately, and Seol Jihu shot up from Seo Yuhui’s lap .
Sinyoung had finally raised the white flag .
This was the moment he had been waiting for .
With the end in sight, there was no reason to delay the matter any longer .
The meeting place would be the Scheherazade Royal Palace .
Seol Jihu immediately summoned Valhalla’s members, held a meeting, and ordered everyone to prepare to leave for Scheherazade .
“Representative . ”
Before their departure, Kim Hannah asked for a private meeting with Seol Jihu .
“If it is alright with you, I plan to install a safety net for Representative ahead of the meeting . Would that be okay?”
“Safety net?”
“Yes, it would include various things . Sinyoung sent their messenger because they are backed into a corner . There’s no telling what they will do . ”
“Well, if they don’t show propriety, we don’t have to either… But okay . There’s nothing wrong with being careful . Go ahead . ”
After Seol Jihu left, Kim Hannah immediately called another organization .
—So you want us to protect Representative Seol’s family without them finding out?
“Yes . I understand it’s difficult, but is that something you can do?”
—Difficult? You call that difficult?
A chuckle rang out from the communication crystal .
—You’re underestimating us too much . Not that this is something to boast about, but you must know of our internal conflict while we were in Haramark, yes?
“I’ve heard of it . ”
Though Kim Hannah said this, she knew about it very well .
The most critical reason that the Triads were pushed out by Sicilia was their internal conflict . And during this period, their members were eager to kill each other, not just in Paradise, but also on Earth .
—It wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience… but thanks to it, we’ve become quite accustomed to assassinating or protecting someone on Earth .
“Then…”
—Of course . Valhalla’s representative is a VVIP guest of the Triads . We will be sure to protect them well . I’ll bet my name on it .
“Thank you . I have files from when I investigated Representative Seol’s background in the past . Just let me know if you need them . Just be mindful that they’re more than a year old . If you need updated information, I will get that ready as soon as possible . ”
—That would help us a lot . Anyway, we’ll send people over within four days, Earth time . They’ll all be experts in the field, so you won’t have to worry .
“Got it . ”
The call ended .
The Triads, which was Earth’s most influential underground force, promised their protection, but Kim Hannah was not satisfied .
Just like Seol Jihu said, there was nothing wrong with being careful .
Moreover, the Yun Seohui she knew was not someone who would back down so easily .
Kim Hannah immediately took out another communication crystal .
It was the direct line to Sicilia’s top brass .
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