Auto-Hunt (1)
In Korea, churches were like totems. Crosses dotted the landscape wherever you went in the cities.
It had to be that way. In a country where mental health care and psychotherapy still carried a heavy stigma, religion was the only thing filling that void.
The problem was that these churches, meant as substitutes, had largely corrupted over time. The fact that most domestic cults had sprouted from churches was proof enough.
"We are facing a great trial right now. A pagan cult has set up shop right in front of our church."
"Amen."
"Amen."
Near Yeonok-dong stood a cross symbolizing yet another church. Its name was Saint Church.
"Already, not a few of our believers have fallen into apostasy and turned away. This cannot stand! To think our faith was this frail!"
Saint Church was just one of the countless ordinary churches in Korea. It wasn't particularly pure, nor was it exceptionally rotten. It was the kind that muddled along, moderately tainted by the secular world, doing just enough volunteer work to scrape by.
"This is a holy war! Right now! If there's any woman among you who believes in that pagan cult, get out immediately! Otherwise, God's judgment will be upon you!"
The one mistake Saint Church had made was its location. As the closest church to Yeonok-dong, it was the first to be unwittingly exposed to Providence Church's influence.
"Come out, you Satan-worshipping reapers!"
"....."
"....."
The sanctuary fell silent at the senior pastor's shout. There were no Providence reapers here to begin with. Providence Church didn't proselytize.
Even if they did harvest, they targeted cults or the non-religious first. They didn't bother with the hassle of poaching from established faiths like other churches, Buddhism, or Catholicism. In short, the defectors had left purely out of disappointment with this church. The pastor and congregants either didn't know or turned a blind eye.
"....."
Assistant Pastor Go Yo-han of Saint Church stared silently at the podium, watching the senior pastor preach with blood and fervor.
No one sits next to Min-su.
His gaze shifted to the youth group seats. In the farthest corner, a young man sat isolated and alone.
Do we really have the right to curse those who've apostatized?
The youth group alone made it painfully clear why believers were leaving. Comparison, competition, and boasting were even more rampant in the insular church society. He knew well the private conversations among the congregants.
"Oh my~ Mr. Jin-su's dad, new car?"
"Hahaha! Got a big performance bonus this time, so I splurged a bit."
"Public sector jobs are on another level."
"Gasp! Isn't that Mrs. Kyung-su's bag a Louis Vuit-ton?!"
"Hohoho! My kid gave it to me for my birthday."
"Parents with doctor kids must feel so secure~ I'm thinking of selling some inherited land that's appreciated and using it for my daughter's study abroad."
"Right! Mi-so got into a top U.S. school, didn't she? NYU?"
"Why do all the people at our church have such great luck~?"
The adult believers competed endlessly over jobs, salaries, homes, and cars. Their kids' universities and jobs were prime topics too.
The youth group, emulating their elders, was no different.
"Oppa Sung-su! Heard you got into Seoul National University?"
"Min-ju, congrats on med school!"
"Unnie, getting married soon? Where? Gasp! A hotel? What'd you get for engagement gifts? Chanel and Tiffany?! Insane!"
The youth group gathered college students and young professionals. Elites from top universities, cushy jobs, high-ranking civil servants, and big corporations dominated it. They stuck together, drawing others into their orbit. Even adults fawned only over the successful kids, ignoring peers and the less fortunate.
"Hey, isn't that Min-su?"
"Still prepping for civil service?"
"Failed his third round and now grinding for exams?"
"He's basically a NEET."
"What a loser."
"I'd be too embarrassed to even show up."
By society's success metrics—or lives brag-worthy on Instagram—those who fell short were treated as invisible. No peers or adults sat near the losers.
In all these church conversations, Jesus was nowhere to be found.
"Our church is a luxury brand church."
"We can't keep accepting broke folks as members forever."
"We need to be like the mega-churches in Yeouido or Gangnam, attracting society's elites."
The very pastors, elders, deacons, and deaconesses who should guard against this culture ignored or encouraged it. Youth retaking exams, attending mediocre colleges, lingering in job prep, or stuck in dead-end jobs were thoroughly shunned.
After service, I should talk to Min-su.
Pastor Go Yo-han had been looking out for youth Kim Min-su, who epitomized the latter. After two retakes and failing admissions, he'd opted for civil service prep over a so-so college, living as the church's most pitiful fixture for years.
Jesus would have sat first with someone like Min-su.
Yo-han felt a sudden disillusionment with the church he served. It deepened into futility at the growing corruption of Korean Christianity.
"Min-su? Long time no see."
After service, Yo-han made time to find him.
"Yes, hello."
"How've you been? Civil service prep going well?"
Worried the youth group's scorn had hurt him, Yo-han relaxed seeing Min-su's unexpectedly bright face.
"I quit civil service."
"Oh? Decided to job hunt? Smart move. Even part-time is fine—no job is beneath anyone. Being a productive member of society is best."
"Saying even part-time is okay... Guess even you draw lines between jobs, Pastor."
"Uh... well? Y-yeah... hahaha..."
Min-su wasn't just brighter—he seemed transformed.
What's changed with him? Like he's attained enlightenment.
"No job or part-time for me."
"Th-then what? Enlist?"
"I already served..."
"Ah, right. Sorry."
"I'm becoming a cleric."
"C-cleric? Seminary?"
"No seminary. I'll be a Providence Church cleric."
"?!!!"
Min-su showed his phone screen.
"What's this...?"
"The Providence app. Rack up faith points here, get baptized by Lee Seop-nim, become an official believer. Then you can make holy water..."
"....."
Yo-han's mind reeled at Min-su's words.
"M-Min-su...! That's a cult!"
"Not a cult. Heretical by this church's standards, sure, but not a cult."
"No. Absolutely not. Let's pray, Min-su."
"Pray? Hmm?"
Min-su smirked at Yo-han's plea.
"If I leave, the church would celebrate. No more dead weight like me dragging it down."
".....!"
Yo-han couldn't rebut. It rang true. The church raged over losses only if useful believers left—tithers or volunteers. Deadbeats like Min-su? Who cared.
"Today's my last time here."
"...You've made up your mind, so why come?"
"To confirm it. And I was right. This place hasn't changed. Not for me."
"....."
"You're the only one here who ever saw me. So, why not convert now?"
"How dare you say that...!"
"You know it too, Pastor. Korean churches have no answers."
"You're mistaken. There are still true churches and clergy. Small pioneer churches where pastors starve for love and devotion..."
"Sure, some exist. But not Saint Church."
"We can change."
"Yeah, good luck? I'll take the monk-leaving-the-temple route."
Min-su stood.
"Know the first line of Providence doctrine?"
"Don't care."
"Do not proselytize."
"???"
"Just help the needy and be there. Never reveal the Mother or us before them. Act only with pure love."
Kim Min-su recited with unprecedented reverence.
"But if they seek our embrace, receive them sincerely."
Yo-han couldn't plug his ears to this heresy recited before him.
"And if later they find our embrace stifling and wish to leave, do not stop them. Just bless their departing back."
The bizarre doctrine hit hard, novel as it was.
No wonder Providence is popular with the young.
The first line alone lowered religion's barriers.
"Why am I breaking doctrine and half-proselytizing a pastor?"
"Why?"
"You need it. A new path of faith."
"Don't presume. Your words and actions are deeply rude to clergy like me."
"Sorry if so. Anyway, I'm out."
Kim Min-su left the church for good, striding away without a backward glance. No lingering regrets. Yo-han watched the apostate go, stunned into inaction.
Ten minutes later.
Ding!
Sudden Quest Completed!
Successfully completed the quest 'Attempt to proselytize a cleric of steadfast faith'.
Faith points increased by 5%.
Congratulations! You are now an official Providence Church believer.
Attend worship in two weeks to receive baptism.
Walking a street where Saint Church was out of sight, Kim Min-su startled at his phone alarm, then dropped to his knees right there. Pedestrians stared? He didn't care.
"As Providence wills... As Providence wills... As Providence wills..."
He'd once ignored churches entirely. Yet today he'd attended, chatted with the pastor, and subtly proselytized. There was a reason.
Success means Yo-han Pastor must've installed the Providence app!
His efforts paid off. A reward 20 years at church never gave him. Providence, after just two months, delivered instantly. Like a game.
Yo-han won't convert over me alone. He installed it to scout the enemy, investigate Providence.
But Min-su knew best: Providence's biggest hurdle was installing the app and perfectly completing the first daily mission. App converts called it the tutorial. If Yo-han cleared it cleanly? No doubt...
*****
Why? I tilted my head at the Status Window's follower count.
I'd just lived as usual. Volunteering in Yeonok-dong, holding worship, baptizing, praying with believers at the holy water factory, checking the foundation's businesses... With my body in constant motion, days flew by. All my time went to shuttling Yeonok-dong and Paju. No bandwidth for elsewhere.
Yet followers exploded daily.
More general believers led to more devout ones. Many devout became fanatics.
What's amazing is unknown cases among devout and fanatics.
Unknown meant those who'd never attended worship. Purely through the Providence: Raise a Cleric app, they'd amassed faith points to devout or fanatic.
Koreans and their gaming addiction.
It was truly wondrous. IT fused with Divine Power outstripped even my ex-pope expectations for evangelism.
Current class Priest (B) limits maximum bestowable classes.
Maximum bestowable classes: Cleric x10.
Stigmata can be reclaimed at any time.
Of course, even with surging believers, max bestowals capped at 10.
Time to bestow stigmata on followers.
I scanned fanatics and devout in the Status Window. Ones I'd seen baptized at worship.
Who fits? Who for Cleric stigmata to maximize effect?
Not just by faith depth.
Soon Oracle promotion unlocks Priest, Partner, Monk, Chaplain stigmata too. Choose Clerics with that in mind.
My calm eyes swept the list.
******