Return of the Legendary Hunter
chapter-42

Chapter 42: Avatar (1)

Yeohong began cleaning up the area with the Cleaners.

“How did it go?”

“We are removing all the security camera footage and we have started the clean-up.”

“Good.”

Yeohong didn’t speak otherwise. Cleaning out everything required a huge sum of money and they also needed to control the press. Thankfully, Bihyung had power to do so.

The medical team quickly worked to stop the bleeding from Beom’s wound and relocated him. Beom grabbed Woojin’s hand as he was being carried away.

“Thank you.”

“Go get your arm back on.”

Woojin looked at Somi’s body. She was still holding onto the fan. It was a divine object that was much more than what money could buy. Only Avatars could use it since it required spiritual power. Woojin pulled out the fan and Bihyung asked, “You know what that is, don’t you?”

“Iron Fan.”

“Then you also know that it can only be used by Avatars?”

“Yeah.”

Woojin looked at Bihyung and smiled. Bihyung, who had been letting Woojin take almost everything from the loot, seemed to be lusting over the fan. Woojin flapped the fan and asked, “Who do you think has the right to own this?”

Bihyung couldn’t answer the question right away, but he had to as Woojin continued to look at him silently.

“You, since you saved Beom’s life and landed a decisive blow. It’s you who killed her.”

Woojin smiled brightly as Bihyung agreed.

“I can’t use this right now, so how about I let you borrow it?”

“Borrow?”

“Yeah. You’ll have to pay me 1 billion per month for using it. What do you think?”

“And I return it to you when you want it?”

“Of course.”

Bihyung thought about it for a second and answered, “I’ll do it if you promise me one thing.”

“What is that?”

“If you ever want to sell it, sell it to me. I’ll pay whatever price you want.”

Woojin nodded.

“Let’s do a word pact.”

“Word pact? Is that necessary?”

Bihyung looked at Woojin as if he couldn’t believe him, but Woojin just grinned. Bihyung laughed and placed his hand on his chest. His spiritual power squirmed.

“I, Bihyung the Dokkebi, will borrow Woojin’s Iron Fan for 1 billion per month and will return it to him whenever he needs it. If he needs to sell it, I will have the first opportunity to do so. I swear with my name on this pact.”

The word pacts created by Avatars with their names had strong binds. Usually, there was no need for it, but the greed over the Iron Fan made Bihyung do it. Woojin felt a string of spiritual power coming into him and smiled. The pact was made.

“I’ll take Somi’s body.”

Yeohong’s eyebrow flinched but she didn’t object. She knew it was Woojin who saved Beom today. Bihyung just smiled and answered, “Good. You do that.”

Woojin then threw his fan at Bihyung. The Cleaners were extracting Somi’s blood. Woojin ordered, “Get it in the car. I need to stop by somewhere.”

Bihyung ordered the Cleaners to place Somi’s body and the blood in a minivan and Woojin turned to Bihyung.

“Can you look after my sister while I’m gone?”

“I’ll have Yeohong stay with her.”

Bihyung flashed the fan.

“And thank you for this.”

“I’m lending you it. Make sure you send the money.”

“Yeah.”

Woojin then smiled and turned to Yeohong.

“Take care of my bike.”

Yeohong received the key, glanced at the bike, and nodded. Woojin left the scene with the minivan. He called Doctor Ahn and parked at the lab’s underground parking lot. He then pulled out the spirit stone out of Somi’s body. Somi was an Avatar who used spiritual power. It might not give him anything but he fed it to the Starfish Fang anyway. However, there wasn’t any noticeable change.

“Hmm…”

Maybe it was because he couldn’t use spiritual power. There was only one way to find out, and that was to become an Avatar. As Woojin pulled the body, Brunhilde came down and saw Woojin doing it and brought a movable bed.

As they hauled Somi’s body onto it and got on the elevator.

Brunhilde asked, “Is it Somi?”

“Yeah.”

“You extracted her blood and brought her body?”

“I figured it would help with Doctor Ahn’s research.”

Brunhilde turned to Woojin. He wasn’t wrong. The fresh body of an Avatar was a treasure in itself. Doctor Ahn dived into the research just because of the blood, and now it was a high-ranking avatar.

It would certainly aid his research. Brunhilde had to let the doctor know on the way down.

“Doctor. Woojin’s brought an Avatar’s body. We’ll need to preserve it. Please have it ready.”

[Avatar? Who?]

“It’s Somi, the Princess Iron Fan.”

[What-?! God, dammit. Okay, bring it to the lab right away.]

Brunhilde then ignored all security protocols and moved in. They quickly moved through toward the lab. Woojin then sat down at front of the lobby on the sofa and drank tea. Doctor Ahn then shouted from the lab.

“You come in too!”

Woojin was surprised. He never went to Doctor Ahn’s lab even in the past. This aquarium room was the furthest he had ever been. Woojin walked into the lab. It had a very high ceiling and was full of lab equipment. The size of the lab seemed to be as large as four basketball courts half filled with faint blue liquid and various specimens. There were monster organs and sometimes the monsters themselves. Now, one of them had Somi’s body in it. Doctor Ahn quickly worked on the machine that now had Somi’s body and stored the blood in a freezer.

He then turned to Woojin.

“I can’t believe it. I never thought I would see a freshly-killed Avatar body in my lifetime.”

“It will help you with your research.”

Doctor Ahn nodded.

“You bet it will. There aren’t that many Avatars who can help with my research among those that are alive. The blood is all the help I can get. This is the best research specimen.”

Woojin looked around. Everything that was made to fight Amon had been created in this place.

“So, how did the Avatar Project go?”

“We’ll talk about that outside.”

Woojin then returned to the room with the aquarium and Doctor Ahn poured him some more tea.

“How much do you know about Avatars?”

Woojin answered, “Aren’t they the bodies of legendary beings that they created in reality?”

“Right. Gods… legendary beings… they can’t exist in the material world. That’s why they choose to create Avatars. It’s their vessel that holds their will.”

Woojin nodded and Doctor Ahn continued, “Then what do you think is the difference is between an Avatar and a human?”

“I would say the main difference is whether one can use spiritual power or not.”

“That is correct.”

“And of course there will be powers. That power created legends and myths which became known to the people allows them to stay with that legendary status.”

“Right. There’s the power that creates an Avatar.”

Woojin nodded and Doctor Ahn sipped his tea.

“Your blood synced well to the prototype I created. But I can’t say for sure if it will give you a certain power.”

Woojin clenched his fist. What he was the most concerned about and looked forward to was if Doctor Ahn would succeed in the Avatar Project this time. He was sure that it alone would give him the power to fight Amon. He had gotten to the final Altar but everyone who fought alongside him either died or were tied down. He needed to become stronger to overturn that fate. If he could control the spiritual power, that alone would allow him to use divine objects. That’s why he let Bihyung borrow it.

“We shouldn’t celebrate yet.”

Doctor Ahn added, “I can’t say there is a 100% chance. I cannot stress enough that danger might lie ahead.”

Woojin closed his eyes. Amon wasn’t making any moves now, but soon the Day of Chaos would arrive and Avatars and monsters were bound to run rampant. They will then come for his sister more fiercely. He needed to stop it and there was no safe away around it.

Woojin had no other choice. “I will do it even if I have to risk my life.”

Doctor Ahn glanced toward his lab and explained, “The prototype is stable. Mixing Granny Mago and Wuma’s blood worked perfectly. However, I am not sure what will happen after I mix Somi’s blood.”

“I’ll try it with the current one. You should try another combination with Somi’s blood. Like I said before, I’ll keep getting you the materials you need.”

Doctor Ahn also began to feel his heart pounding. It seemed like maybe a god was helping him finish this project.

“When will you start?”

“I’ll stop by my house to get ready and then come back.”

“Good. I’ll wait for you with all the preparations.”

Woojin told his family that he’ll be traveling outside the country for the work and asked Bihyung to look after his sister. Bihyung seemed curious as Woojin told him he’ll be away for a few days, but Woojin didn’t explain any further. He then returned to Doctor Ahn’s lab. There was a room that was not there previously. There was a bed with equipment to bind the patient down to the bed.

“I’ll tell you one thing.”

Woojin looked at Doctor Ahn.

“If we succeed, you will become an Avatar. If we fail, Brunhilde will stop you.”

Woojin glanced at Brunhilde and nodded, “Yeah. But give me a chance up until the last moment.”

“Of course. I don’t want to lose you either.”

Doctor Ahn was thankful for Woojin who understood his dream and did everything he could to help him.

“Then we’ll start.”