#2. The Saint of Yeonok-dong (1)
“That young man Lee Seop feels different from those cultists who came to our village before.”
“Is he a scammer?”
“Why would a scammer come here? He’d make way more money doing voice phishing than trying to rip us off.”
“Maybe human trafficking?”
“What would he do, kidnap old folks like us?”
“He could go after our grandkids.”
“Nah, he doesn’t seem like the type.”
Religions and scams were always fatal to those at rock bottom.
That’s why there had been cases in the past where people targeted Yeonok-dong residents.
In fact, some elderly folks had fallen victim to cults or con artists, suffering massive losses and even taking their own lives.
For that reason, the old people of Yeonok-dong didn’t open their hearts easily.
“After talking with that young man Lee Seop, my mind feels strangely at ease.”
“Last time, that young guy gave me a massage, and it felt amazing.”
“A massage is just a massage—how great can it be?”
“It’s real. It was way better than my usual herbal clinic.”
But Lee Seop, who had awakened his Divine Power, was different.
His breath, his every word carried an intangible power that Earthlings could never feel.
That’s why talking with him eased their hearts.
It comforted them and melted away their pent-up knots.
Churches and social workers had occasionally visited the neighborhood to chat, but it was nothing compared to this.
“Ahem! Hasn’t Lee Seop come today?”
“Oh! There he is!”
“R-Really?”
Their tightly shut hearts began to waver.
“What kind of guy is he, anyway?”
“He doesn’t seem bad, at least. He even helped tutor my grandkid.”
“My granddaughter’s been looking for him more than me lately.”
The people of Yeonok-dong voiced their warnings on the surface—don’t trust him—but deep down, they had already accepted this outsider named Lee Seop.
A day without seeing him left them feeling empty and uneasy.
They didn’t even need to talk or get a massage.
Just catching a glimpse from afar brought peace and a sense of fullness.
“Hey, Lee Seop, what do you want?”
In the end, Heo, the neighborhood elder who couldn’t hold back any longer, asked Lee Seop directly.
“Tell us straight what you’re after. That way, we can deal with you without all this nagging doubt.”
Cultist? Scammer? Kidnapper? Or just a peddler?
If he was a cultist, they’d close their eyes and pretend to believe.
If a peddler, they’d pool some money and buy a few things.
But if he turned out to be a scammer or kidnapper, he’d better watch out.
“There’s only one thing I want.”
“Knew it! There had to be something. Spill it—what is it?”
“Do you elders pray?”
“Pray? Sure, we do.”
As death loomed closer, they all had some religion or another, knowingly or not. Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism were the main ones.
“When you pray, just think of me. That’s all I ask.”
“????”
The sudden mention of prayer made the Yeonok-dong elders think, He’s a cultist after all, huh?
“That’s really all? No forcing us to join some religion or anything?”
“Yes, truly. That’s enough.”
“Hmm...”
“And if I ever ask for anything personal later, you can kick me out of the neighborhood.”
His kind, handsome face. The neat casual suit he always wore.
Lee Seop, ever gentle and caring, spoke with unusual gravity this time.
“Th-That’s no big deal. Ahem! Religion doesn’t matter, right? Any prayer works?”
“Yes.”
“Man, what a weird religion.”
Thinking of Lee Seop during prayer? It hardly qualified as a task.
That only made them more suspicious.
But they all tacitly let it slide.
What if they pushed too hard and scared him off for good?
The sense of loss would be devastating.
Lee Seop had that kind of addictive presence.
Yeonok-dong, at the northern edge of Seoul, was one of the city’s most rundown neighborhoods.
But it wasn’t because it was a slum full of outsiders.
It was just old houses and apartments lining the streets, filled with elderly folks waiting for calls that never came.
Screech... screech... screech...
On a low hillside, an old woman pulled a cart overflowing with scrap paper.
Despite the chilly wind, sweat beaded on her forehead.
Exhausting.
How much longer could she live like this? Each day felt hopeless.
Her children had all cut ties, useless as they were.
Yet she scavenged scraps for the only grandchildren her daughter—the one who’d actually married—had dumped on her before fleeing.
“Huh?”
Struggling with the cart, the old woman suddenly felt it lighten and turned in surprise.
“Aigoo, Seop!”
A young man was pushing her cart from behind.
“Grandma Seong, looks like a full haul today?”
“Hohoho, luck was on my side.”
As if this wasn’t the first time, she laughed and kept pulling, with him helping.
Her grueling life felt less lonely these days.
Just having a young man drop by occasionally to chat made it bearable.
“Things have been going well since I met you, Seop.”
“Going well? How so?”
“The scraps are piling up nicely.”
“Hahaha, glad to hear it.”
“For real! Maybe it’s the prayers. Ever since I started praying morning, noon, and night like you asked, it’s been like this.”
Lee Seop just gave a soft smile at Seong Ok-ja’s words.
That smile eased her heart.
“How are Ha-jun and Ha-eun doing?”
“Thanks to your tutoring, they’re keeping up in school now. As expected from a top uni grad.”
Seong Ok-ja smiled wider, thinking of her elementary school grandchildren in 4th and 5th grade.
“How’s your back and knees?”
“Oh~ Your hands are magic, Seop. No matter how many times I went to the clinic next door, the pain wouldn’t go away, but now it’s all better.”
“Glad to hear it. Let me know if it flares up again—I’ll give you a massage anytime.”
“Sure, sure. But check on Sun-ja upstairs more than me. She was whining about her shoulder all yesterday...”
“Just came from massaging her.”
“Good boy. Real good. No more complaining now.”
“You’re coming to the neighborhood feast tonight, right?”
Yeonok-dong used to be too harsh for gatherings or socializing. At best, the occasional elders’ meeting.
That changed when Lee Seop arrived.
Now they held block feasts every other Thursday.
Nothing fancy—just boiling pork or frying pancakes.
“Of course! Can I bring the kids?”
Seong Ok-ja’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Naturally. Grandpa Heo went all out this time—lots of pizza and chicken for Ha-jun and Ha-eun.”
“Heo Jae-su may be gruff, but he’s generous when it counts.”
“He’s a good man. The house you’re in is his, right?”
“Yep. He knows my situation, so rent’s basically nothing. Grateful old coot. Gruff personality aside.”
There was something off about this young man Lee Seop.
Talking to him strangely soothed the soul.
And after meeting him, things just... went smoothly for days.
In the grind of life, small joys and fulfillment quietly bloomed.
“Aigoo, Seop’s here!”
“Seop, tonight’s the village feast, right?”
“Ahem! Seop, I thought of you while praying today! Like this?”
“Brother Seop!”
And it wasn’t just Seong Ok-ja.
One by one, Yeonok-dong residents gathered around Lee Seop.
Korea was fertile ground for new religions to sprout.
Tiny land, huge population, cutthroat competition, ruthless materialism.
Living in this chicken coop of a country drove people mad.
Mental health infrastructure like clinics was scarce, and stigma was high.
So the weary from the rat race, and those crushed by it, became prime cult fodder.
They craved sweet comfort, validation, belonging, hope above all.
No wonder global cults took root here.
Thanks to that, I could get started easily.
If I’d been born in North Korea, China, or the Middle East, the difficulty would’ve spiked.
I let out a sigh of relief and surveyed the scene.
“Waaah!”
“Hey! Stay right there!!”
“Kyahahahaha!”
Laughter from kids playing echoed in what was once a dead neighborhood.
Not everyone was a lonely elder—there were young folks, especially kids.
Some lived with grandparents sans parents; others were child heads of household after losing them too.
“Seop, what’re you doing? Eat up.”
“This fresh kimchi’s killer.”
“Hahaha! Seop, have a drink?”
The elders kept pushing food and booze my way.
I stuffed myself with boiled pork, fresh seasoned greens, and radish kimchi.
Downed some makgeolli too, nicely tipsy.
“Hahaha, so I was saying...”
“Aigoo, Vietnam War stories again?”
“No! Why?! Seop here never gets tired of ’em!”
“Here, drink! Drink!”
Not just me—the whole neighborhood ate and drank with joy.
Warm Conversation (C) has activated.
The passive skill triggered now and then.
I humored them while pulling out my phone.
On the screen was the self-made Status Window I’d created.
My efforts hadn’t been in vain—general followers had exceeded the job change threshold long ago.
General followers had loose criteria: just favorable feelings toward me and thinking of me during prayer.
The problem was devout and fanatic followers.
That entered the realm of true faith, beyond mere liking.
It’s about time...
I hid a meaningful smile and mingled at the feast.
Poured drinks for elders, massaged shoulders, listened—solidifying the general follower base.
That’s when the mood was ripe.
“Um... Seop?”
An old woman approached cautiously.
“Grandma Kim Sun-ja, need something?”
I recalled her name instantly and smiled warmly, though my eyes coldly scanned around.
As expected.
Behind Kim Sun-ja stood Heo, Yeonok-dong’s real power broker.
He sipped makgeolli from afar, watching me.
Finally taking the bait.
Our eyes met; I gave a soft smile. He smirked back, nodded, and drank.
Heo Jae-su was the neighborhood’s most capable elder, having run a small company once.
Wealthy too—owned 30% of Yeonok-dong’s land and buildings.
Hence his feast sponsorships.
He had to become a devout follower.
“You know how your massages magically fix pains?”
Ignoring my gaze behind her, Kim Sun-ja spoke up.
“Hahaha, just luck.”
“Luck my foot. I barely finished middle school, but I’m no fool. Not just me—everyone knows you’re no ordinary guy.”
Heo and the old-timers wanted confirmation through her.
“Can you heal other illnesses too?”
The bustling feast fell silent in an instant.
Only distant kids’ laughter remained.