In the room decorated with fragments of winged saints and crosses, Go Ji-hoon, who had been receiving massages from naked women, opened his eyes at the sound of a knock.

"Come in."

Soon, one of Go Ji-hoon’s subordinates opened the door and entered.

"What’s going on at this hour?"

"Well... you told us to inform you if someone was looking for a priest..."

"Oh, a new survivor?"

"Yes, yes."

The survivor who arrived at the church early in the morning claimed to have been passing through the area. But when he sensed a presence in the church, he decided to check and see.

A smile spread across Go Ji-hoon’s face as he heard the good news.

"Another poor lost lamb has come, huh?"

He laughed loudly, the mockery in his voice clear.

After a moment, Go Ji-hoon stopped laughing, picked up a cigarette from the bedside, and said,

"How many is this already this week?"

"Ah, nine. If you include the one who just arrived, that makes ten."

"Heh, a good harvest."

Click, puff.

"See? I told you it was a good idea to stay here. No need for us to go hunting. The Jesus freaks just crawl right to us when they see the church sign."

The food, in the form of lost survivors, had already reached ten just this week. If you count the last few months, the number must have surpassed a hundred.

Go Ji-hoon emphasized this and openly praised himself.

"Y-Yes, of course. We’re so well-fed and warm because of your grace, Awakener. We never forget your kindness."

Go Ji-hoon enjoyed the flattery for a moment before standing up from his seat. The naked women followed suit and began to get up, but as soon as Go Ji-hoon waved his hand, they collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.

Go Ji-hoon, now standing alone, put on a well-pressed priest’s robe and spoke.

"By the way, how are the zombies?"

"Well... the guards are working in three shifts..."

The words trailed off, but Go Ji-hoon already had a good idea of what was being said.

'Recently, the number of zombies has been increasing.'

He was aware of that fact as well. Most likely, the survivors who were running low on food had ventured out and gotten bitten.

Even though they increased the number of guards to clear the zombies, it seemed the numbers weren’t going down as expected.

Though it was troubling, Go Ji-hoon reassured himself.

‘Well, the barricades on the outskirts of the church are strong enough. It should be fine.’

If worse came to worst, he could just send out meat shields, so it wasn’t a serious problem.

At just the right moment, Go Ji-hoon, fully dressed, turned toward the door, a smile still playing on his lips.

Confronting those who sought out priests was one of his favorite pastimes.

With excitement over what was about to happen, his steps became lighter.

Soon, Go Ji-hoon arrived at his destination, wearing a pleasant smile. He knocked on the door and slowly opened it.

The tall man inside, clearly nervous, glared at him but immediately relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Ah, Father…!"

The man’s eyes, once filled with tension and wariness, now softened, and the sudden shift from suspicion to relief struck Go Ji-hoon as incredibly amusing.

Those who had come with hope, struggling through numerous hardships, had finally made it to the church camp, which had been carefully protected.

The thought of them being greeted by a kindly priest, only for their faces to twist with fear and despair, filled Go Ji-hoon with thrill.

* * *

- Brother, welcome. I’m Peter.

- If you need a place to stay, I’ll provide one at any time.

- You wish to make a confession?

- As much as I’d like to help immediately, I’ve only received the deacon’s ordination, not the full priesthood.

- Other priests are currently overwhelmed with work, so you may have to wait a few days. Is that alright?

- While you wait, may I ask that you remain in isolation? The infection is a matter of everyone's safety, so I hope you'll bear with us, even if it’s unpleasant.

- We’ll provide you with plenty of food during your stay, so don’t worry. We still have plenty of supplies.

Click.

The familiar, yet foreign sound of the wooden door closing decisively rang out, followed by the cold clink of metal.

Click, clank.

The distinct sound of a lock being added to the door.

This meant Seongho had been completely sealed in.

But Seongho wasn’t particularly disturbed by this.

This was exactly what he had planned.

Seongho turned his gaze away from the closed door and surveyed the small space that would be his during the isolation period.

It wasn’t large.

A simple cot, a sleeping bag, a small wooden box beneath it, and a lamp. Next to it, a portable oil heater and a thick blanket.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to comfort a tired survivor in a harsh city.

‘...They were prepared for this.’

The perfect conditions to relax his sharp, instinctual wariness.

Seongho sighed deeply, looking at the items laid out for him.

‘At least I’ve seen churches like this before.’

Thanks to that, imitating a Catholic believer wasn’t too difficult, and he had successfully deceived the one who came to greet him.

‘The baptismal name is Peter. It’s definitely Go Ji-hoon.’

Go Ji-hoon had been described as someone who enjoyed tormenting Christian followers, including Catholics. He delighted in building people’s hopes up as if he were their savior, only to push them into despair and ruin.

Indeed, Go Ji-hoon had appeared before Seongho, dressed in stolen priest’s robes, wearing a grin that only added to Seongho’s discomfort.

Although it was tough to deal with such a perverse face in real time, it was enough that Seongho had infiltrated the church.

‘I was nervous, but they didn’t even search me properly.’

They probably didn’t think an outsider would pose a threat. After all, they were likely confident they could deal with whatever Seongho did.

Given Go Ji-hoon’s abilities, Seongho understood why he had such confidence.

With a sigh, Seongho removed his shoes.

He quickly took out the lighter he had hidden in his socks.

He slipped it into his pants pocket and moved decisively.

He approached the window, which had been boarded up to limit the view.

However, there was a gap between the planks, allowing Seongho to observe the outside.

The familiar view of the church, now partially obstructed, was strange, with unfamiliar people moving around.

For a brief moment, Seongho was transfixed by the sight.

Then, the rich, oily smell wafted through the room, and he froze.

‘What is that...?’

Turning his head to find the source, he noticed smoke rising beyond the church building.

‘That’s the smoke I saw yesterday.’

It was the bait used to lure survivors outside.

Seongho stared at the smoke filling the cold winter air, mixed with the scent of roasting meat.

The faint sounds of laughter floated through the air.

It was a peaceful scene, if not for the fact that Seongho knew exactly what was happening inside the church.

"That smells delicious."

"Is it bone broth for breakfast again?"

"Oh, I can’t wait to eat."

The muffled voices from the next room stirred Seongho’s stomach into a knot.

He tried to ignore it, but it wasn’t easy.

A few minutes later, the source of the smell came right to Seongho’s room.

"Lunch is served."

A hastily prepared food slot opened beneath the wooden door, revealing a tray.

The meat soup inside was not something one wanted to see during the day.

Seongho, standing by the window, clenched his fist.

‘If I leave any food, I’ll be suspected.’

Right now, Seongho was playing the role of a poor Catholic believer who had found refuge after a long, hard journey.

Leaving food behind would not make sense.

With great effort, Seongho approached the door, holding back the nausea.

He took the tray with trembling hands and, after the slot closed, walked to the corner of the room.

There was no intention of eating it.

He poured the food out of sight where it wouldn’t be visible, and a small relief washed over him.

"Ah, I feel like I’m going to survive now!"

"I can’t believe how good this is!"

"I wish I could have just one more bowl..."

They had no idea.

They had no idea what was really happening.

And that made their reactions so much worse.

‘This is driving me insane.’

To anyone watching, everything seemed peaceful and comfortable.

But Seongho, trapped in the middle of it, was the only one wandering through hell.

Seongho, unable to bear the sound of their voices any longer, covered his ears and closed his eyes, trying to catch up on the sleep he had missed the night before.

* * *

Later, in the dead of night, with all the lights off, the snores from the guard outside told Seongho that the time had come.

Seongho wasted no time.

He tore the blanket into strips and poured some oil from the heater onto the cloth.

Then, pulling out the lighter, he prepared for his next move.

The sound of wings fluttering filled the air.

Flap.

Seongho, still holding the lighter, turned to look at the window.

Beyond the

 wooden planks, he couldn’t see much.

But he kept his gaze fixed on it, tense and waiting.

How much time passed before he heard it?

Knock, knock.

The sound of something tapping on the glass.

It wasn’t the feeling of someone tapping with their hands, but from what he had heard earlier, it was likely a bird pecking at the glass.

He couldn’t confirm it, but he couldn’t ignore it either.

With his brows furrowed, Seongho stood up from his seat.

Just as he was about to move closer to the window, the sound outside changed.

A sudden, gasping snore echoed from the hallway.

It sounded like someone was struggling to breathe.

If he delayed, the guard would wake up, and his plan to finish everything while the man was still groggy would fall apart.

Seongho quickly refocused and grabbed the torn blanket.

He positioned the cloth with the oil and lit it.

Click, click.

The spark flew, and the flame ignited.

Seongho waited for the flame to grow before approaching the door and knocking loudly.

"Hey! There’s a fire! Please, help! It’s a fire!"

The quiet building that had been still all night began to stir.

"Fire, fire! What? A fire?"

Footsteps quickly approached.

Seongho heard the crackling flames through the door and stepped back, waiting.

He positioned himself behind the door, trying to hide.

The footsteps grew louder, and the metal clink of keys filled the air.

Then, the door swung open.

"Put out the fire first! Where’s the fire... over there!"

The shadow that appeared was unmistakably two men, both strong-looking.

"What are you doing?! Put out the fire!"

Seongho leaped at the man who had spoken, ready to finish what he had started.