I hadn’t not worried about Hojin.

Half-exorcised by the even stronger “GodsWriting,” Hojin was in a state of great confusion.

Was it the New Heaven God or Roy?

Though he resented Roy for interrupting his religious activities, just seeing his face chased the anger away.

So I’d lain awake worrying until right before the live audience taping, then fallen asleep, when

My child.

No sooner had I opened my eyes than the New Heaven God called to me.

The spark that had returned to my eyes while watching the broadcast faded again and grew dull.

As a result, I was not in the audience seats but in the very back row of the Salvation Church chapel.

“But why does the church seem so crowded today.......”

Had the number of worshippers really grown this much in a few weeks?

I wondered whether they, like me, had been chosen.

But I lacked the courage to ask, so I only rolled my eyes—just then I overheard the conversation in front of me.

“Today the New Heaven God himself is coming to speak.”

“Could it be that?”

That?

What was that...?

I wanted to hear more, but I didn’t dare butt in on the eavesdropped conversation.

Suddenly I remembered the day I first came here.

A worshipper who introduced himself as “one not chosen.”

He’d been my daily mentor, teaching me how to trade ABC juice from tomatoes and various folk remedies.

“When your body became easy to awaken, the New Heaven God recognized and acknowledged your efforts.”

Could that acknowledgment be related to his coming today?

I thought maybe today might be my chance.

By then Roy was completely forgotten in my mind; only the New Heaven God mattered.

“How can I stand out?”

If I’d known this I’d have sat in the front row.

It was the most conspicuous seat when the New Heaven God arrived.

But he would surely not ignore the sincere.

I clasped my hands and steeled my heart.

“If you wish earnestly, it shall be fulfilled.”

All I could do now was pray with all my might right here.

The chapel filled with more and more worshippers.

All their faces reflected joy and expectation.

But I, too, was no less earnest than any of them.

No—in fact, more so than anyone.

“I, too, will be chosen.”

Thus the service began.

Hoping my earnest prayer would reach him, I began to pray with all my heart.

“New Heaven God, I will be your faithful servant. Amen.”

I will be a faithful servant, so please grant me the chance to awaken...!

At that moment.

Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, the chapel lights dimmed and the door creaked open.

Creak—

All the worshippers stopped praying and held their breath.

A man in a white robe stood beyond the door.

A pin spotlight above his head looked like a halo.

“That is the New Heaven God.”

In an instant, an overwhelming aura filled and then left the space.

Discomfort creased my brow, but worshippers in the front row began prostrating themselves.

Prostrate, they whispered toward the man’s footsteps.

“Worship the New Heaven God!”

The strange ritual that began in the front swept like a wave to the back.

I felt I should follow, but my body froze.

Unable to move either way, I met the man’s eyes.

He smiled meaningfully at me, then looked away and stopped at the pulpit.

The chapel became so silent that not even breathing could be heard.

Every worshipper moved as one, bowing their heads.

“My children.”

His low, gentle voice cut through the stillness.

Though not thunderous, his voice felt overwhelmingly commanding the moment he spoke.

My chest swelled at the same time.

But hadn’t I heard this voice before...?

Though I was seeing him for the first time today, it felt familiar.

“All of you gathered here have been chosen.”

At his words, the worshippers who had bowed now looked up with reverent expressions.

Those whose eyes met his were filled with awe and joy; sobs soon rose here and there.

In that moment I realized.

This voice was the one that had resonated in my head from some day in the past.

“I told you that your prayers, devotion, and faith would become miracles.”

Each word he spoke made the worshippers’ breathing grow more rapid.

“And after a long wait! At last, the one whose prayers will be answered is here today.”

Scanning the congregation, he locked eyes with me.

“Worshipper Kim Hojin.”

“...!”

“I will bring you forward. Everyone, please greet him with a great round of applause.”

✧

Meanwhile Roy, unaware that his butler had been chosen by a cult, yawned continuously.

Unaware he was about to become a stray cat.

Tap, tap—

His finger, instead of a tail, drummed the table rhythmically as Roy waited for Gwak Hyeol.

After all, their hidden mercenary was currently seeing the future.

“He’s such an attention seeker.”

Told to sit comfortably on the floor, he’d insisted on perching atop the table to command everyone’s gaze.

As a result, side effects abounded. The team couldn’t hide their anxiety watching the seemingly insane Gwak Hyeol at work.

Especially Park Yeonwoo.

“...Is he really clairvoyant?”

“Yeonwoo, did you know? If you roast a blood fiend over a fire it writhes like that. I saw it on YouTube.”

“That’s nonsense—”

“It’s true.”

At Anna’s serious tone, Yeonwoo, Gyebokji, and Dongyosam all turned pale.

Roy chuckled and reassured them.

“It’s fine. He looks weird, but he’s okay.”

Of course I admit he looks strange.

I, too, was full of doubt the first time I saw Gwak Hyeol use his power.

“I wonder when he’ll wake up? I hope he’s up before the search squad returns.”

Even if the search squad came back quickly, the whole team would be stuck at base camp until Gwak Hyeol awoke.

Because the success of this mission depended entirely on him.

Roy’s simple request to his former roommate was: find out who the queen of the opposing team is.

Knowing the queen’s identity makes a huge difference to strategy.

“We’re focusing on one target.”

That was our plan.

Moving blindly without knowing who the queen was would spread our strength too thin and risk wasting our effort.

But if Gwak Hyeol identified the queen, the job would be much easier.

Then—

“Ahem, cough cough!”

Gwak Hyeol, having opened his eyes, coughed up blood and spat.

“Did you see?”

After wiping his mouth with the handkerchief Roy handed him, he nodded.

Then he reached out as if wanting something.

“What do you want? Paper?”

“It’s here!”

Yeonwoo quickly handed him a notepad and pen.

Exhausted from using his power, Gwak Hyeol’s hand trembled noticeably as he gripped the pen.

“cough cough!”

“Write it down? Is it hard to say?”

He shook his head with difficulty, then began scribbling lines on the notepad with a trembling hand.

After a moment, ten “foot-drawn” composite sketches were revealed.

“Wow.”

“Uh......”

“Hmm......”

Everyone could only utter single exclamations, but only Taeeon formed a full sentence.

“What is this?”

“These are the queens of each team that the leader, cough, requested. Oops— I forgot to note the team colors. Just a moment, cough cough!”

Between fits of blood coughing, Gwak Hyeol labeled each sketch with the corresponding team color.

“This is truly the end! Perfect, right?”

Grinning with blood-stained teeth, Gwak Hyeol smiled broadly.

Roy simply stared at the sketches.

It looked as if he were either moved or incredulous.

“This is......”

His trembling hand picked up one sketch.

It looked worse ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) than something a passing dog might draw—no, more like a Picasso abstract.

Is this an eye or a mouth?

Why does it have a nose here?

“When I told him to see the future, did Picasso descend into him?”

I had no idea how to interpret this drawing, in which every facial feature was completely misplaced.

“Hyung. Are you really going to......”

“Heh. Leader, are you moved—”

“Is this supposed to be a drawing?!”

At that moment, the team saw an illusion of fire spewing from Roy’s mouth.

“Eek!”

With S-rank danger sense, Gwak Hyeol leapt from the table instantly.

His nimble movement was hardly what you’d expect from a patient.

“They’ll kill me!!!”

Flap!

His shout was so loud that birds flew out of the base camp.

“Roy, calm down! Let’s hear Gwak Hyeol out. There must be a reason he used sketches instead of names.”

Taeeon hugged Roy from behind, trying desperately to calm the maknae.

But once Roy’s eyes rolled back, he showed no sign of soothing.

“What reason? He just didn’t know the names! I told him to come back with the participants’ names!”

Gwak Hyeol, struck at the core, flinched violently.

“Are there really names?”

Seeing that, Yeonwoo also looked at Gwak Hyeol with a stern expression.

“Ah—no?”

Quick-witted, Gwak Hyeol denied it at once.

The moment he admitted it, their own team would tear his name tag to shreds instead of the opposing team.

Feigning indifference, he backed toward the base camp entrance when—

Thud—

Something solid struck his back.

“......?”

Turning with a creak, he saw a black figure with only eyes staring down at him as if to kill.

“Aaah!”

Thump—

Gwak Hyeol fainted on the spot.