A Purification Priest was one who restored land tainted by the Gate.
They were granted the right to wield power bestowed by The Savior Who Is One and All after passing a series of tests.
Once qualified, they received a modest salary from the state and worked without fear of retirement—an arrangement that bore more than a passing resemblance to civil service.
But the powers given to them were strictly limited.
Barely enough to restore a piece of corrupted land after long hours of labor, immense manpower, and resources.
Demons and fiends grew stronger by feeding on the negative emotions of the human world.
So in a sense, humanity bore some responsibility for their uprising.
That, according to the Star, was why The Savior Who Is One and All had limited the scope of the authority they granted.
‘…So this is all part of humanity’s penance?’
I thought as I looked out the window.
Beyond the glass stretched the corrupted surface of Hallasan, tainted by demonic energy leaking from the Gate.
The mountain’s face was riddled with holes.
They said the depths of those holes were immeasurable.
And the red haze that leaked from them—when inhaled by ordinary people—could lead to serious health issues.
The moment a snowflake touched that scarlet miasma, it twisted and turned to ash.
Thankfully, it didn’t spread through the air or travel on the wind, so unless you approached it directly, you were safe.
Only two kinds of people could stand unaffected before the red haze.
Purification Priests.
And those who had made contracts with Constellations.
Naturally, the Purification Priests were immune, as they were granted divine authority to heal the land. But those contracted with Constellations also bore a kind of divine protection.
‘Still…’
I pressed my fingers against the glass and squinted.
‘How much more of that stuff is out there?’
When the Gates opened around the world…
The magical contamination that poured through tainted large swaths of Earth.
The Earth had already been suffering under the weight of humanity’s reckless development.
After the Gates opened, humanity and demons had joined hands in tearing the environment to shreds.
<What are you doing here?>
Suddenly, the Star appeared silently beside me and spoke.
“…Would it kill you to make some noise when you approach?”
I tried my best to hide how startled I was.
<Aw, poor thing. I’ll make sure to stomp around loudly next time.>
The Star replied, clearly not sorry at all.
He stood next to me, staring out the same window in the Purification Priest’s office.
<The shoot’s about to start, but one member’s wandered off. I looked around and found him calmly admiring the view. Being a road manager really is no easy task.>
“Sorry. I just zoned out. I’ll head to set now—”
Just as I moved, he placed a hand on my shoulder.<Just kidding. We still have some time to rest.>
He checked his wristwatch.
<Back when we hunted Muddorok, we talked a bit about contaminated land, didn’t we?>
“Yeah, I remember.”
<I didn’t care enough to ask you then…>
The Star gave me a vague smile and looked down at me.
<But now I’m curious about your answer.>
“…Answer to what?”
<Look.>
He tapped the window with his index finger.
<Doesn’t that scene stir hatred toward the demons in your heart? Abrilah, that bastard who manifested here in Jeju—don’t you find him hateful? Isn’t that what people think?>
“Well, probably…”
<That’s a natural reaction. Abrilah tainted this beautiful island. So, creature, tell me.>
Lend me your eyes for a moment, he whispered.
Then he placed a hand on the back of my neck.
Ow—!
My vision twisted.
It was the same feeling I had when using the artifact I got from the draw—Burning Devil’s Eye.
As my warped sight slowly recalibrated, I looked forward again—
“…What the hell is this?”
—and was overwhelmed.
The sky was cracked all over.
It looked like shattered glass struck by a hammer, and from beneath the sky, dull streams of light spread in every direction.
<This is what I see. This is what the mortal realm looks like to the eyes of Constellations. Don’t be too shocked. If you’d seen this elsewhere, it would’ve been worse. Thanks to Abrilah’s reincarnation purifying all the wraiths, there are no spirits around here. But usually, we see every lingering soul as we observe this world.>
It really was hell, I thought instinctively.
As if reading my mind, the Star chuckled quietly.
<It wasn’t always like this. When Papa created the heavens and the earth, it was paradise. There was no life in Heaven, so Mikael and I were entranced by the vitality we found here. We roamed the land joyfully, awestruck by it all.>
I was at a loss for words.
Seeing this…
Seeing the world through the Star’s eyes, I thought I understood now.
“This sky… Humans did this, didn’t they?”
I was sure of it.
This was a vision of our polluted Earth.<Of course.>
The Star answered immediately.
<Who else could’ve made it like this if not you lot? This—this is humanity’s legacy.>
In that moment, I felt like I understood something else.
Why the Star acted so cynically toward humans.
In fact, it was impressive that some Constellations continued to support humanity, even after seeing the world in this state.<I have a question.>
The Star smiled faintly.
<If you were Papa, how would this world look to you?>
“…I think I’d be scared of it.”
That answer came without thought or reason.
<Why’s that?>
“Because it was instinctual, maybe.”
<A gut reaction, then?>
I nodded.
“But if I really try to think about it…”
I imagined the bugs I’d spot in the house now and then.
If there were insects in the house, the cause would be human behavior. Poor cleaning, food scraps left out… All of it invites bugs. Not to mention the sewage systems that run like spiderwebs beneath our feet.
When humans see bugs inside, they instinctively recoil in fear. That’s called instinct.
So how did that instinct develop?
Surely we didn’t fear bugs from the very beginning. Otherwise, humans wouldn’t have survived living in caves.
If human instinct was shaped by The Savior Who Is One and All…
Then maybe it’s because…
“…we eventually came to understand fear.”
I murmured, arms crossed.
The Star watched me silently. When I looked up, his expression was unreadable—no mockery, no grin.
He just looked… cold.
<Interesting.>
He said bluntly.
<Then tell me—if Papa came to know fear, what do you think he would be afraid of?>
“…Us.”
Again, I answered without hesitation.
“Demons and fiends were created with evil intent. So naturally, they were banished to Hell. But humans…”
Were we created with this outcome in mind?
I couldn’t help but wonder.
If not…
“…Then that’s kinda terrifying, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t imagine the mindset of someone omnipotent, so I could only reason from a human perspective.
<Is it, though?>
The Star shrugged.
<If that were the case, wouldn’t humanity have been wiped out already? If a bug appeared in your house, you’d shriek and reach for bug spray. Why wouldn’t Papa do the same?>
“Because maybe… he was curious.”
I replied.
“Of course, if a roach appeared in our dorm, I’d scream and look for bug spray too…”
Unless Madojin, with his insect-boy instincts, stopped me. Then maybe I’d just kick it instead.
“…But when I was a kid, it was different.”
Back then, I’d catch bugs and observe them without fear.
<So you think Papa is like a curious child?>
“It’s just a metaphor. This is all from a human’s point of view.”
<…Tch.>
The Star scoffed.<I see.>
Then he nodded.
<If that’s the case, then it’s hilarious. I rebelled against Papa out of curiosity too.>
“Guess you two really are alike.”
I chuckled.
“But hey…”
I pointed to my eye.
“…when is this vision going to go back to normal?”
Two hours, they said.
‘…Are you kidding me.’
I grit my teeth and stared ahead.
I was inside a tent near the contaminated zone. Red miasma writhed in every direction—
Sssssk―!!
“Iro, can you grab the salt over there?”
I looked over my shoulder at Han Iro, who was standing behind me, shaking a frying pan.
“On it―!!”
He huffed out a puff of steam like he was making some kind of declaration.
“Uh… is this salt?”
Despite his confident tone, he started fumbling through the condiments we’d brought from the office.
“This is salt, right?”
“That’s pepper….”
How can anyone not tell the difference between salt and pepper?
But I couldn’t afford to sigh right now.
I was cooking savory pancakes for the Purification Priests.
A dismal sight, if there ever was one. The sky cracked open, the land tainted with impurities.
Even the mold in the tent and the germs clinging to the dishes were all visible to me.
“Ahaha, don’t worry!”
I smiled at the camera.
Iro and I were cooking.
Jeong Noeul and Madojin were doing paperwork.
Min Heejae was managing the priests’ equipment.
Those were the roles we’d drawn by lot.
“Everything’s going great! Please look forward to it!”
I gave a thumbs-up to the camera crew filming my face.
And as if in reply, the Star—standing among the staff—also gave me a thumbs-up.
With a gleaming, cheerful smile.
God, I really wanted to punch him.
‘…I can’t concentrate on cooking because of your stupid eyes!’
I shouted inwardly.
<Is it really such a big deal?>
The Star replied in my mind, amused.
<It’s the same food and tools you always use.>
That’s exactly why! It’s different when you can see all of it!
Little Pink Starfish 
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