Becoming stronger brings pleasure.
That feeling of every cell in his body leaping with pride left York' mind in a bit of a daze.
He was obsessed with random missions and their rewards; it was hard to say he wasn't doing it for this very enjoyment.
It was just like fitness fanatics who go to the gym every day; it's hard to say they aren't there for the afterglow of a workout.
As they say, fitness is addictive, but for him, it was assigning attribute points that was addictive.
A long time passed.
The candlelight on both sides flickered unsteadily.
The night grew deeper.
After an unknown amount of time, York, sitting on the front pew, shuddered once more, instantly snapping out of that trance-like euphoria.
"What time is it..."
Looking at the Jesus Statue that had been there all along, York instinctively took out his phone.
[20:53]
York shook his head, feeling that time had passed rather quickly. From the moment he assigned the points, two hours had slipped by unnoticed.
More importantly, at such a late hour, aside from believers who truly needed confession or help, visitors were generally not normal or up to no good. Thus, when no one was around and there was no pressing need, he always chose to clock out.
Picking up the Bible beside him, York prepared to stand up.
Perhaps because he prayed every day, God finally took pity on him. Before he could stand, a set of footsteps reached his ears.
The all-around improvement of his physical constitution had made his five senses exceptionally sharp.
"Two people? Adults?"
Based on the footsteps, a 3D map appeared in York' mind. Two people were walking across the outdoor plaza, heading toward the main building, getting closer and closer until they reached the entrance.
York shook his head slightly again to clear the 3D map from his mind and looked toward the door.
"..."
"Father Yorkes, are you there?" A voice rang out before the person appeared.
The familiar voice reminded York of an officer he knew—the one he had met in the Tem Community.
"Baker? Investigated that quickly?"
York raised an eyebrow. He wasn't panicked; in fact, he was completely unruffled because he wasn't worried about being arrested.
He wasn't exactly an ordinary person; he was a true priest respected by several communities, and the bishop who had appointed him was the current Pope. This meant that unless he left the Church, these law enforcement officers wouldn't touch him without sufficient evidence.
"Father Yorkes!"
Along with the shout, two men appeared at the door. One was pot-bellied, the other lean and wiry; both were dressed in plain clothes.
York first looked at the pot-bellied man and said warmly.
"Officer Baker. Is there something I can help you with this late?"
...In the hall still lit only by candlelight, the originally quiet atmosphere was broken by a small voice.
"Father Yorkes, do you think demons really exist in this world?"
The pot-bellied Officer Baker sat next to York. He glanced at his colleague, who was sitting on another pew with eyes closed and hands clasped in earnest prayer, his expression somewhat hesitant.
York thought seriously about it. In this parallel world, they certainly did exist—not just demons, but even things like Vampires. However, he couldn't make an atheist who had never encountered one believe in the existence of demons.
"If you believe, they exist; if you don't, they don't."
Hearing this, Officer Baker withdrew his gaze from his colleague.
"I don't believe, but my colleague here is a firm believer."
As he spoke, a characteristically American look of confusion appeared on Officer Baker's face as he continued.
"Father, you know, just because of some short story his mom told him when he was a kid—you know, the kind of children's story—unbelievably, he's believed it until now."
Not knowing what these two officers were up to, York, who had been keeping them company, took a specific look at the other officer praying earnestly.
"What short story?"
"Um... let me think." Officer Baker recalled seriously, then spoke.
"He said there's a demon wandering the human world who can take human form. That demon loves to punish sinners. Before their souls are taken away, it gathers specifically selected sinners in one place and tortures them cruelly..."
At this point, Officer Baker spread his hands and twirled a finger near his temple, that characteristically American expression appearing again.
"Tell me, believing in a story like that, is there something actually wrong with this guy's head?"
York didn't answer, but he made a mental note of the story. If there really was a demon active in the human world playing the role of a judge, then it was incredibly powerful and sophisticated. After all, walking in the human world was equivalent to walking under God's nose—if God truly existed.
"Amen."
"Hey, Father!" Officer Baker saw that York hadn't answered and only made the sign of the cross, so he pressed further.
"You definitely think I'm right, don't you?"
Yet, at the very moment he finished speaking, a hand patted his shoulder.
"Let's go, dear Officer Baker, who thinks I'm crazy. A new case has come up..."
With that, the lean officer, having finished his prayer, nodded to York and strode toward the door.
Officer Baker was startled. Looking at his colleague who was already several meters away, he looked a bit embarrassed. That's what happens when you get caught badmouthing someone behind their back.
"Father, thank you for receiving us. We'll be going now. See you next time."
Officer Baker said as he picked up his coat and stepped out of the pew. But after a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped, turned back to York, shrugged, and said in a casual tone.
"Father, you haven't been to the Tem Community lately, have you?"
York shook his head and replied in a calm voice.
"No."
"Oh, then I'm relieved." Officer Baker smiled and continued as if giving a warning. "The Tem Community hasn't been safe lately. There were several shootouts the day before yesterday. Man, some mysterious person appeared out of nowhere and in just one day—one day—shot and killed all the key members of the Vance Gang..."
Saying this, Officer Baker paused and stared at the priest before him.
"Father, would you say this mysterious person is playing a game of justice?"
York remained calm and made the sign of the cross. "That question is a bit beyond my scope, Officer Baker. I'm just an ordinary priest, not a professional criminal profiler."
"Oh right, look at me." Officer Baker slapped his forehead as if realizing his mistake.
"My apologies, Father Yorkes."
York said calmly.
"It's fine."
Hearing this, Officer Baker looked at the priest, nodded deeply in respect, then grabbed his coat with one hand and left, disappearing from sight shortly after.
In the empty hall, York was once again the only one left sitting on the pew.
"Were those two fishing for information?"
York reviewed the whole interaction and confirmed he hadn't missed anything. He gave an indifferent smile, stood up with his Bible, and walked toward the donation box under the Jesus Statue, planning to count the money inside and then head home.