The door was open, catching the attention of Robert, who had been lingering in the hallway. Upon seeing Father York appear, he quickly went to greet him.
"Father York!"
"Shh!"
Father York shook his head, signaling for quiet. He glanced back at the father and daughter who were still embracing and sharing their feelings, then hung his cross on the doorplate.
"Let's go."
With that, Father York handed his backpack to Robert, the first employee of the Pluto Church, and walked past him out the door.
"Ah, okay, Father."
Robert nodded, a bit confused. Seeing the crying father and daughter in the room, something stirred in his heart. Clutching the backpack, he hurried to follow Father York.
The free meal van ran its full route and then returned.
Father York had been a steadfast counselor and listener throughout the journey, spreading the glory of the Lord, and was finally dropped back at the church.
"Father York, I'm heading back now," the young driver called from his seat.
Father York, holding his backpack, waved his hand.
"Be careful on the road."
"I will, Father."
The driver nodded seriously and then slowly drove off.
Watching the van disappear, Father York surveyed the area.
The streets on either side were eerily quiet, save for the sound of leaves from the American red maples, the popular street trees, whose leaves changed color with the seasons – green in spring, turning yellow, with hints of red or orange in autumn.
"Has autumn come...?"
Father York looked at the pile of yellow-mixed leaves for a long moment before turning to enter the church.
The day's work had been generally fruitful. Besides triggering a random mission and gaining five attribute points, he had also garnered a large group of potential followers.
These potential followers would not only increase the donation income for attribute point exchange at Pluto Church but also raise the probability of triggering random missions.
If not for that bad news, it would have been a good day for Father York.
Unfortunately...
"Satan."
Father York narrowed his eyes, recalling the meaning of this name.
Satan, also known as the Devil, had various interpretations in his past life. But Father York knew one of Satan's titles was the King of Hell.
Having made a certain decision, Father York felt much better. He walked to the statue of Jesus, made the sign of the cross, and headed to the rest room.
"I'm back, Amen..."
Soon after, Father York, dressed in a new robe, sat below the statue of Jesus, allocating his newly acquired attribute points.
Although it was only a meager five points, the quality was doubled, making it a substantial gain.
Father York still allocated points according to his plan, focusing on life points to evolve his physique, with secondary attributes as support.
"Three points to life..."
With a thought, the panel's available points decreased by three.
[Point Allocation Successful] [Life Points: 117 increased to 120]
"Two points to constitution..." Remembering he had just increased magic power, Father York decided to allocate the last two points to constitution, encompassing strength, endurance, agility, speed, and other comprehensive physical attributes.
[Point Allocation Successful] [Overall Constitution: 32 increased to 34]
[...]
"Phew..."
A familiar sensation exploded within him, and Father York, facing the ever-constant image of Jesus, clasped his fists and slowly closed his eyes.
A sincere prayer for random missions.
To handle all situations, he needed to become stronger and more formidable, an entity to be feared by everything and everyone.
Time passed slowly, and the reddish twilight outside pierced through the hall's glass, filling it with light.
Until darkness invaded.
Father York's prayers officially ended, and the sensation within him had long since faded.
"Another day gone by."
Father York roughly recalled the day's events and shook his head. Looking at the darkened hall, he stood up and walked towards the candlestand.
White candles were a staple in the church, but after several nights of burning, the ones on both stands were almost gone, barely enough for tonight.
More importantly, the church's supplies, including some essentials, were nearly exhausted, so he would need to go shopping tomorrow.
Father York used a lighter to ignite the white candles, watching them flicker into life, casting a feeble glow over a corner of the hall. He instinctively thought of Robert and his family.
It was fortunate he had hired Robert on the spot; otherwise, he would have had to do all these trivial tasks himself.
Father York couldn't help but smile at the memory of Robert's family's gratitude as he lit the candles.
These little things, he had done them for many years, and now he felt somewhat lazy.
At the same time, this quiet church needed some change.
Deep down, he was actually looking forward to the arrival of Robert's family.
One by one, the candles were lit.
The weak candlelight formed a bright array, dispelling the darkness of the hall.
Father York looked at the statue of Jesus and went to light the candles below it. After finishing, he placed the lighter on the stand, made the sign of the cross towards the statue, and prayed silently.
"Forgive me, Lord, Amen..."
At that moment, there was a sound outside.
A burly man in a suit appeared, calmly walking towards him.
"My child, what brings you here so late? Do you need my help?" Father York stood still, turning to look at the approaching Russian, his hands clasped in front of his chest, smiling warmly.
"If so, I hope I can help you."
The Russian, a symbol of strength, stopped in front of Father York. He cracked a smile and said earnestly.
"Father, my name is Andrei. I do need your help."
Remembering the footsteps he had just heard, Father York's smile remained unchanged as he nodded, willing to offer assistance.
"Thank you, Father." Andrei stroked his chin, looking serious.
"Then, can you help me find Johan?"
He said, staring at Father York, his gaze sharp.
"Johan Wick! If you can help, the Bear Gang won't pursue Vance's matter."
Hearing this, Father York's smile brightened.
"Mr. Johan hasn't been here for a long time. I don't know where he is now..."
Saying this, Father York maintained his priestly demeanor, made the sign of the cross, and expressed his apologies.
"So please forgive my inability."
"Father!"
Andrei's expression remained unchanged, but his tone became colder.
"Do you know the price to be paid for Vance's matter?"
Father York shook his head and said sincerely.
"My child, I don't know what you're talking about."