Everywhere and Nowhere
Had a third party — someone outside the Providence Church — witnessed what was happening, they would have felt more than shock. They would have felt their skin crawl with dread.
Providence had stretched its roots into every corner of the world. Broad and deep, and at the same time, utterly invisible.
"Oh my goodness! Minji? It's you, isn't it? I wouldn't have recognized you if I'd passed you on the street. You've changed so much!"
"Jiyoung! You rascal! How long has it been?"
"But what happened to your face? Girl, your skin is positively glowing."
"I switched toners. I guess my skin just takes to it well."
"A toner? Skincare? All that from changing one product?"
"Part of it is that my skin really agrees with that brand. Anyway, Jiyoung, how have you been lately?"
"Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Got divorced, raising two kids on my own while working at a factory... My ex-husband barely pays child support. What about you, Minji?"
"Me? I'm doing great!"
The church's doctrine forbade proselytizing outright. There was even an unspoken rule among believers never to act rashly. And yet Providence spread faster than anything before it.
"You saying that makes it pretty obvious you really are doing well. How? Back when you worked at the fulfillment center, you used to cry every day complaining about muscle aches."
Those who believed in Providence seemed to radiate light in every way. Their skin, their expressions, their clothes, their mannerisms, the state of their wallets — everything about them looked better. Drawn like moths to that Provian glow, their acquaintances came fluttering over, asking for the secret.
"Fulfillment center? Ah, right, there was a time like that. My husband had lost his job and was rotting at home like a deadbeat, so I was the one who had to feed the kids. I cried every day working at Coupang."
She spoke as if recounting an old fairy tale. What on earth had happened? "Did you find a better job? Or did your husband get hired?"
"Both."
"Both?!"
"Yep. My husband and I both found good places to work. Oh! And we moved out of that rental apartment too. We live in Paju now."
"A good job in Paju? Then... could you maybe introduce me?"
"Jiyoung, have things been hard for you lately?"
"Yeah.... The factory I work at seems to be on its last legs. They keep delaying our paychecks, there's talk of layoffs any day now... and between rent and living expenses... at this rate, I won't even be able to afford heating this winter."
"You've really been through it. I mean, it's so hard for women like us with no degrees or connections to find decent work anywhere."
"Please, Minji. Is there any way at all?"
"I don't mind, but this place is run by a religious foundation, so if you want to work there..."
"I have to believe in the religion? Fine, I'll believe! For folks like us, anyone who gives us good jobs might as well be God!"
"Let's see.... Jiyoung, your karma looks pretty good?"
"Karma?"
"There's a thing like that. First, download what I'm about to tell you onto your phone."
The Status Window Idol had recently received an update. Baptized Provians in full standing could now view karma, albeit in limited form.
Using the status window, Provians identified ordinary people who qualified — those who truly needed the Weaver Mother's embrace — and only introduced Providence to them. One by one, people nestled in close. Even as the church's influence swelled by the day.
And yet, strangely, Providence remained hidden from the world.
"Sunghoon-oppa, why haven't you been coming to church lately?"
"I converted."
"Excuse me?"
"Converted to Providence. I believe in the Weaver of Providence, the Mother of All Things."
"What's that? That's really weird..."
"Weird?! Do you have any idea how sacred this game is?!"
"Ah... so that's what you're into now, oppa."
"Sunghye-ah, want to try it too?"
"Huh? Ahahaha... I should get going. And oppa, you should... you know, go easy on the game. I hear people are spending hundreds on games these days... Be careful. Keep your faith in Jesus, okay?"
"Spend money?! Raising a Clergy actually GIVES you money!"
"Oh right, sure it does. F-fighting...?"
Among the younger generation, Provians were seen — half in jest — as people playing at believing in some video game goddess.
"Phew~. You see that, Love? Staying aggressive like this is actually what keeps us safe."
"Right? So count up this surprise quest bonus for me, will you? Hmm?"
Between memes and cult stereotypes lay a gray zone — and in that gray zone, Provians quietly helped those around them.
"Miryung-ah, how has Yoobin been? You mentioned she started that new drug for her blood cancer?"
"Yeah.... She's taking it, but it hasn't done much."
"It hasn't worked?"
"It's not completely useless, but it's only a little better than nothing..."
"Didn't you have to sell your apartment for that drug because insurance wouldn't cover it?"
"Mm-hm.... We moved into a villa unit. But it's newly built, so it's clean and nice, at least."
"Miryung-ah.... There's someone I'd like to introduce you to..."
Especially when people were worn down by incurable illness or endless treatment — when they were desperate enough to clutch at straws — a Provian, everywhere and nowhere at once, would appear to help.
"Look at our kid's complexion! Honey! It's been years since she's had color in her cheeks like this!"
"Ah-heuh-heuh-heuk.... Kkeuk... Kkeuk..."
"Honey, don't just cry — you need to thank Cleric Goo Jin-joo here."
"Heu-eum... *sniffle* Thank you. Thank you so much. Our Yoobin, heu-uk..."
"There, there. It's nothing. And I haven't cured her."
"I'm sorry? But anyone can see she looks so much better? Yoobin-ah? How do you feel? Are you okay?"
"Yep! I'm bursting with energy! I'm not tired anymore!"
"I've only improved her condition. All I've done is buy her time."
"Ah..."
"My abilities end here. That is my limit."
"Then is there... is there any other way? We'll do anything."
"For this child to be fully cured, Lee Seop-nim — the Firstborn Son of the Mother — must treat her personally."
"Lee Seop-nim! I think I saw him on the news once. So those media bastards really can't be trusted! Those gutter journalists! Slandering such a man as a cult leader!"
"How... how can we be received by him?"
"Honey, should we sell this villa too?"
"I've already placed Yoobin on the appointment registry."
"Thank you! Thank you! We'll hurry with the payment—"
"Please note: Provians never demand from others any faith, any labor, or any offerings. Keep your home exactly as it is."
"...!"
"Until Yoobin's turn comes, I will visit once every three days to care for her. And on the day her turn arrives to be received by the Firstborn Son, we will take her to Yeonok-dong."
For the terminally ill, or for those whose treatments were long and grueling, the cycle of salvation turned like this: first, a Cleric would treat them to buy time; then, later, Lee Seop would carve out a moment from his schedule and heal them completely.
"Now then, let me settle today's treatment fee."
Incidentally, Providence's Clerics did charge for their divine ministrations. Human nature being what it is — kindness repeated long enough gets mistaken for an entitlement — the fees were simply unavoidable.
"For Yoobin's treatment... let's see. Fuel costs, service fees, plus minimum wage for my time... that comes to 157,000 won."
Naturally, they charged only what families could comfortably bear. They had consulted Provians in the legal profession, who advised that non-invasive medical care made it easy to sidestep violations of medical law — advice they put to good use.
The Provians extended their branches not only to the sick and disabled, but also to those tottering on the edge of false faith.
"Sungmo-yah, you still believe in that religion? I heard their leader's in prison?"
"He's undergoing holy asceticism in prison right now, on his way to becoming the second Jesus, the Messiah. Don't speak carelessly about him. Even if it's you..."
"Yeah, yeah, got it. Here, install this instead."
"What is it?"
"It's an augmented reality game. You get raffle tickets for playing, and if you win things like toner sets with them, it's decent pocket money."
"I know this one. Isn't it that cult game?"
"And you're one to talk.... Never mind. Just install it and play. You need offering money for your church, don't you?"
"Ha! You want ME to touch the work of heretics?"
"You owe this month's offering, don't you? You quit your job and dropped out of school for that religion. At least do this."
"I can earn money plenty of other ways."
"Then look at it differently. Don't you also have to do missionary work? And if you fail to proselytize, you owe another 1.5 million won in additional offerings, right?"
"...What does that have to do with this?"
"This game is secretly popular. There are tons of communities and clubs about it. You could infiltrate them and harvest believers, couldn't you?"
"What?"
"What, not confident? Isn't your church supposed to be the truth? Isn't your leader the second Jesus? Isn't your faith rock solid?"
"Wh-who says I'm not confident!"
"If it's too much alone, team up with other people from your church and go together."
"Hmm..."
"If your harvest succeeds, I'll even give your religion an honest try."
"What?! Really?"
"Why else would I keep seeing you after you cut off your own family? It's because I've always been curious about your religion. I don't find it off-putting, that's all."
Provians grew the church while pretending not to be Provians at all. Sometimes, they even turned the tables and harvested the cultists instead.
The Provians inside the media lent a hand to Providence's camouflage as well.
"Seo Bom."
"Yes, sunbae!"
"That article you've been secretly writing about Raising a Clergy."
"!!!"
"Don't submit it."
"I'm... sorry?"
"If I say don't, then don't."
"Why not? You know as well as I do that the connection between this AR game and the cult is anything but ordinary."
"Seo Bom, have you actually played the game?"
"I have."
"You've played it, and you still say that...?"
"It's just a half-baked AR game, isn't it? The counseling bot is old-ChatGPT-tier, and the daily missions can all be faked with photos. I honestly can't see what's supposed to be so novel and fun about it. Hasn't everyone already played Pokémon GO?"
"..."
"That's how I knew for sure. All those self-proclaimed Provians making a fuss online — nothing but a second wave of cultists."
"Hmm. If you're that interested in Providence, did you try the toner they sell?"
"I did. Honestly, it does seem to work..."
"Right?"
"But it's not fuss-worthy? No matter how I think about it, burning 100,000 or 300,000 won on a single bottle of toner isn't worth it. For that money, I'd just go to a dermatologist for one laser session."
"Hold on. Your karma is... hmm... you really do carry a mountain of karma, don't you? Well, considering the quality of the articles you usually write..."
"Karma?"
"There's a thing like that."
"?"
"Anyway — if I say don't publish, don't publish. The order came from far, far up top. Don't argue."
"But—"
"And if you go saying strange things on a burner account again, you'll never work in this industry again. For the record, I know what burner account you made on Threads recently. It's SeoDonghyunBBQ, isn't it?"
"How?!"
"There are ways of knowing everything. And even if you make a new account, it'll be the same. So don't act rashly."
"..."
They proselytized with such secrecy that those who believed almost invariably became devout. The insolent filtered themselves out through various screenings. And so security held firm.
The overwhelming majority of the world still knew nothing of Providence. And even those who had heard of it had never seen its true face.
"All baptized Provians who have received the Status Window Idol through the Firstborn Son's baptism today, please proceed to the welcome hall on this side."
"Ahem. Before the welcome ceremony, allow me to say a few words first."
"You all know this already, but I will say it again regardless."
"Never, under any circumstances, reveal our Providence Church to the world carelessly."
"The world is not yet a vessel worthy of holding the Mother and the Firstborn Son."
"For now, only the chosen may become Provians and serve the Weaver Mother."
"According to providence. All things, according to providence."
The problem was that this quiet restraint worked outrageously, outrageously well on the general public.
The elites of every nation suspected and guarded against Providence. The masses, meanwhile, dismissed it or ignored it outright. Most never gave it a second thought.
"Providence, was it? Those cult guys."
"That's right, hyung-nim."
"They seem fucked in the head, but they're raking in money."
"Shall we make a move, hyung-nim? The Yeonok-dong redevelopment was already sour enough, but those cult bastards swallowing it all for themselves really sticks in my craw."
"Should we? They don't have any outsourced crews yet, do they?"
"None. Just five bodyguards the cult leader keeps around personally."
"Though word is they're tight with the police... That's why the other organizations have been leaving them alone."
"Cops warm up fast if you put money and women in their hands. A cult's bound to have plenty of pretty priestesses, so they probably moved on them ages ago. If the police say anything, we just pay them double what those guys pay. Easy."
"I mean, kids these days only want to make money off trading rooms, crypto, online casinos — whatever. Getting fat and lazy. Even with a gold mine sitting right in front of their faces."
"You said it, hyung-nim."
Perhaps that was why — it had finally reached the point where, out of pure ignorance, they began to probe.
Men who would have groveled on the spot had they known the truth of Providence were starting to pick a fight.