Beep!
The call ended, and York exhaled in relief.
With the old man holding the fort, this random quest—though it offers 40 points—shouldn't be as hard as it sounds.
The Sealed Land has been confirmed, tucked deep inside a remote mountain forest.
In a spot like that he can deploy far more methods than usual, at last free of any shackles.
'In that case…' York glanced down at the rucksack beside the sofa—holy C4 inside—and murmured.
'Let's make it big…'
Of course, before going loud he still needs to know exactly what sealing array guards the place and whether it can be smashed outright.
After all, the quest is called [Resolve the Sealed Land].
He has to wait for the full dossier to decide if annihilation is an option.
That leaves only two choices.
① If blowing up the Gates of Hell would cause follow-up problems, switch to another solution—use mana, or an array reinforced by Spirit linked to Holy Power, to keep the seal intact.
② If it can be destroyed, then level the monastery and tear down the Gates of Hell by force.
'Good thing it's deep in the wilds, not some downtown district—blast away.'
'Lucky I asked for the detailed file in advance; one more question and the old man would've replaced me.'
Muttering, York pocketed his phone, slung the bomb-pack over his shoulder, and headed for the basement arsenal—though he still couldn't help adding:
'Sacred explosions are art, a creation of God.'
No one in the world heard those words.
Soon he reappeared inside the now-open Pluto Church and began the daily routine.
For a man chasing the title of grind-king, skipping these dailies was not an option.
To be sure the Peggy Family would suffer no more hauntings he'd already missed three days; now that he was back, there was no way he'd forfeit that 0.5.
Only 0.5, yes—but it was those daily half-points that had brought him this far.
Random quests didn't trigger so easily in the past; you had to run into actual demons. How many of those cropped up each day? Now even perverts and serial-killer trash can spark a quest.
The world is turning more dangerous by the hour.
For the sake of tomorrow, York would not miss today's 0.5.
[…]
[Lord, three days without reporting—I am guilty, I repent.]
[Yet permit me a few words in my defense…]
[…]
When the confession ended and the quest-complete chime rang, York opened his eyes and signed the Cross.
'Amen.'
With the closing prayer spoken he scanned the still-empty nave, sat in his usual pew, and—thinking of the looming Holy Imbuement workload—dropped the 0.5 into Spirit.
[Spirit 89 → 89.5]
'Done. Heading back.'
Points assigned, he rose at once. Until the detailed file arrived he would finish imbuing the stockpile in the basement.
Before he could step outside, however, Little Red Riding Hood—Hailey—appeared after several days' absence, still in her trademark red hoodie and denim.
She looked no different—except for the companion at her side: a short-haired girl equally boyish, apparently no more than fourteen or fifteen.
That very youngster made him hesitate.
York' brows drew together.
What gave him pause was the faint demonic aura clinging to Hailey's friend.
'Father Yorkes!'
Seeing him, Hailey brightened.
'Finally ran you down!'
He reined in his gaze, hiding his thoughts, and smiled.
'Hailey, need something? Robert mentioned you'd been here.'
'Nope.'
She shook her head, messenger bag slung across her shoulder, looking every inch a cocky kid, and delivered a line that left him stunned.
'It's my girlfriend who needs help.'
'Girlfriend?' York echoed, glancing first at the uneasy short-haired girl, then back at hooded Hailey.
Honestly, it caught him off guard—he hadn't seen that coming—but a second thought told him it made perfect sense.
'Oh, right—Father Yorkes, let me introduce you.' Hailey shrugged, pulling the girl forward.
'This is Bridget. Something happened at her place, so I brought her to ask you.'
York kept his priestly composure, studying the now even more flustered teenager while sensing the thin, almost fading demonic trace.
'Child, what's troubling you? If I can help…'
He'd meant to hear her out and judge where that aura came from, but the girl—Bridget—abruptly apologized and bolted without a backward glance.
'Bridget?'
Even Hailey couldn't stop her.
York narrowed his eyes at the vanishing figure, then turned to the bewildered Hailey.
'Hailey, do you know what happened to your… girlfriend?'
Hailey looked equally lost.
'No idea—she didn't tell me. She only said she wanted to meet you and ask something.'
'Hm?' York raised a brow.
'Ah, I did tell her I knew an amazing priest—you.' Realization struck; Hoisting her bag, Hailey prepared to give chase.
'Sorry, Father, I've got to run.'
York stopped her.
'Hold on, Hailey.'
She paused, puzzled.
'Give this to your friend—your girlfriend.' He drew a Cross from his coat; thankfully he kept plenty in reserve.
'Huh?' Hailey took it, more bewildered than ever.
'Just do it.' He smiled calmly. Like the daily quests, anything tied to demons, Spirits, or human monsters was a chance to trigger a random quest.
'And pass on my number. Tell her: if anything happens, she can call me.'