Chapter 7: Hakko streamer Pope (2)

After the angel appeared and vanished, the chatroom erupted.

– ? What was that?

– An angel?

– The Goddess sent you?

– You’ve seen all sorts of things in your life

Despite the sudden intrusion, everyone seemed to grasp what had happened. The angel’s iconic appearance—halo, wings—was unmistakable. Not recognizing her would’ve been odder.

This was likely the first time anyone had seen an angel in person. No returnee had ever been so close to a deity before.

As the viewers buzzed with excitement, the first sponsor, Want_a_Job, chimed in.

– Wow, I really just received something like a blessing. A light suddenly descended from the sky.

Their vivid testimony reignited the chat.

– I should’ve done it first, dammit

– Why is this happening?

– Oh, I was gonna do it too

– The Pope is different, lol

The mix of shock and regret fueled the frenzy. The idea of a remote blessing clearly captivated them.

Meanwhile, I was sweating buckets, staring at the chaotic chat.

‘…She really went all out.’

It wasn’t me who blessed Want_a_Job. The Goddess herself did it.

She’d apparently been watching the entire stream.

I was deeply grateful for her support from afar, but this was over the top.

Regardless, there was a problem.

“My divine power…”

Gods can’t freely manifest or influence Earth. They’re beings from another dimension.

To act here, they draw divine power from priests or paladins. Usually, they borrow from multiple followers, but…

The Goddess’s only followers in this world were me and Liam—a Pope and a former Hero. High quality, low quantity.

In short, my divine power was nearly depleted.

“Let me make this clear.”

Muttering, I rolled up my sleeves.

The sudden drain made my body feel like it was burning under the sun. Rolling my sleeves to my elbows helped a bit.

I wanted to strip further but refrained. I couldn’t undermine the Pope’s dignity.

“…This is tricky.”

Wiping sweat from my forehead, I took control.

“Remote blessings are taxing, even for me. From now on, I won’t bless supporters. Please understand.”

This implied I’d given the blessing, which was fine. I didn’t know what Want_a_Job received, so I left it vague. Imagination could work wonders.

Fanning myself, I checked the viewer count.

[53 viewers]

Not huge, but the chat was lively.

– I wanna convert, where do I sign?

– You haven’t done it yet?

– I have no choice but to believe

– There’s proof God exists, why wouldn’t you believe?

The enthusiasm was palpable—a golden chance to lock in regulars and new believers.

“If you keep watching, you’ll see moments like this often.”

I framed the Goddess’s intervention as part of my plan.

No big deal. With practice, reason strengthens, letting me handle surprises calmly.

“If you’re enjoying this, please hit ‘Follow’ and ‘Notifications.’”

A sales pitch I’d picked up from other streamers. Perfect for the moment.

Then I dropped another hook.

“By the way, we’ll soon offer supporters a chance to become lay members of our church.”

Proselytizing.

Seoyoon’s core advice. Announcing it now, with the crowd hyped, would soften any pushback.

With a warm, inviting smile, I continued.

“The base price is 10,000 won, but for those watching now, I’ll offer a special half-price discount.”

People love feeling special.

Even a small perk can cloud judgment when it feels exclusive. It was a missionary tactic targeting that psychology.

Of course, I wouldn’t keep a pay-to-join system forever. Just for the early days. Once our church grew in this world, I’d open it to everyone.

‘This feels reasonable.’

The Goddess’s approval was key, but that seemed secure. She’d sent an angel to cheer me on.

“Well, everyone? Will you join?”

After my pitch, I paused.

Soon, donation alerts chimed.

[Want_a_Job donated 50,000 won]

– My entire fortune, take it.

[Birapbabap donated 10,000 won]

– I believe!!!

[BadGinger donated 5,000 won]

– No reason not to.

[NungByungJang donated 30,000 won]

– Can’t resist lol

Donations poured in, quickly hitting six figures. Seoyoon’s strategy worked better than expected.

Despite the half-price offer, everyone gave 10,000 won or more. They seemed loaded.

‘Makes sense, watching streams at this hour.’

It was 3 p.m. Most working folks would be busy. My viewers were likely the idle rich.

“Thank you for the support.”

I thanked each donor and declared them lay members of our church.

“One thing for new believers to remember.”

In this world, overt proselytizing often sparked resistance. Some were atheist, others followed different faiths, or just disliked zealous types.

While reasons varied, people generally despised being pressured to believe.

So, I took a different approach.

“The sun is always by your side. Just know that. You don’t need to praise the Goddess. She’ll be thrilled if you seek her only when you need help.”

All true, so no deception. Honesty would dull resistance to my pitch.

As expected, the response was positive.

– Pope, when’s the regular service?

– Feels like a cult but… not?

– Cult (but chats with a Goddess)

– Lol, just show an angel, why can’t others do that?

More donations followed. Some hesitated but joined after my words.

‘Just talking and money’s piling up…?’

Less than an hour into streaming, I was earning. For a former unpaid Pope, this was a cultural shock.

Could I get rich quick? It didn’t feel real. Even 100,000 won was big money to me now.

With few viewers, the donation spree didn’t last long.

‘Just right.’

I was satisfied. Greed would’ve been excessive.

Time to resume the stream.

Just as I opened my mouth—

Ding-ding-ding!

[havant donated 1,000,000 won]

– Keep streaming, please.

Another donation hit.

But this had way more zeros. At first, I thought it was 100,000 won. Nope. Ten times that.

‘…A million won?’

My brain froze, thoughts stiffening.

I hadn’t aimed this high. For my first stream, I just wanted snack money for the kids.

Maybe they mistyped? Probably. No one would donate such a sum to a stranger.

“havant… sir. It seems you sent too much by mistake. I’ll refund it, so please share your account details.”

I spoke calmly, masking my shock.

Legally, I could keep it. But my conscience, honed as a saint and Pope, demanded a full refund.

– You don’t have to do that

– Nahhh

Some viewers tried to stop me. Wondering why, I focused on the chat.

– That’s typical for them

A “big spender,” known for large donations.

Scanning more chats confirmed it.

But something felt off.

– They don’t usually do that?

– Yeah

– Don’t they only donate to gaming streamers?

The mention of “gaming streamers” nagged at me. I hadn’t played games on stream, but I was tied to a game, wasn’t I?

“Thank you, then.”

Pushing doubts aside, I bowed and continued, hands on knees.

“I can’t let this pass lightly. havant, I’ll offer you an extra benefit.”

But what? I’d spoken without a plan. The angel’s appearance had made every idea feel lackluster.

This was awkward. Any gesture of thanks would seem underwhelming.

Unless the Goddess herself descended.

‘…Let’s not even suggest it.’

She’d probably show up instantly. Her bold personality drew people in, but the cost of her descent would leave me bedridden for days.

The dilemma gave me a headache.

Before overthinking, I forced a smile.

“I have so many options, it’s taking time to choose. Please wait a moment.”

A stalling excuse, but it spiked viewer expectations.

– Nice

– Ooooh

– What’s it gonna be?

– Angel choir doing a reaction next?

“…”

Thanks to the Goddess’s flair, my first stream had me cornered.

Sweating, I racked my brain, drawing on my Pope-honed crisis management skills to escape.

Then—

Bang.

The door burst open, and uninvited guests stormed in. The twins.

“Mom, what’re you doing alone?”

“Play with us!”

“Erina, Ivayla, wait—”

Before I could stop them, they rushed to me.

“Dad’s just sleeping, he won’t play!”

“Bored!”

Caught off guard, I scooped up my daughters, eyes darting.

‘…What now?’

I was more flustered than when the angel appeared.

I’d told Liam to watch them, but he’d dozed off, leaving a gap.

That troublemaker had done it again.

– lolololol

– Married??

– A Pope and married?

– lmao

The chat split between laughter and confusion, buzzing with chaos.

Seizing the moment, I blurted out,

“That’s it for today’s stream!”

Time to bail.

I’d deal with the fallout later.

The screen went dark as I ended the broadcast, the twins still clinging to me. Seoyoon peeked in, barely containing her laughter.

“First stream, and you’re already a viral hit, Oppa.”

I sighed, patting Erina and Ivayla’s heads. “Not exactly the plan.”

Liam stumbled in, rubbing his eyes. “What’d I miss?”

I shot him a glare. “Everything. You’re on diaper duty for a week.”

He groaned, but I was already thinking ahead. The million-won donation, the angel, the twins’ cameo—word would spread fast.

“Seoyoon, help me clip that angel part. We’re posting it everywhere.”

She nodded, smirking. “You’re learning fast.”

As I settled the twins with a storybook, my mind raced. This chaos was a goldmine. Tomorrow’s stream would be packed.

The Goddess had handed me a jackpot. Now, I just had to play it right.

*