Transferring Lin Young-Jae to Legion.
Shin In Soo and Lin Ji-Young didn't think that it would be difficult.
A lot of immediate opposition from the lab department were raised when they heard of the decision, as if he was their child.
"They must really care about you." Lin Ji-Young sighed after explaining to her younger brother that his departure might get delayed because Shin In Soo had to listen to what the first lab department doctors had to say.
Lin Young-Jae wanted to spat out bad words right then and there. But of course, not in front of his sacred cake that Ji-Young got him when she visited earlier today.
Those annoying bloodsuckers.
They really want him blood dry. What the heck do they mean that he's like their own child. Do they suck their children's blood to the point of dying?! Torture him in the mask called check up?
He kept quiet about it because he was planning to gather evidence and bring it down himself when he has a bit of strength. But for some reason, some of them just kept dying for various reasons.
Maybe it's karma at work. But it's also annoying that they kept dying. He won't have a chance to fight back.
With a sigh, he took a big fork full of cake and icing, shoving it in his mouth full of frustration.
He also checked his status window while he's at it. The contamination is twelve percent after absorbing malicious Mana from his sister, Park Do Hyun, and Shin In Soo when they visited him.
This percentage is like his own battery. He was happy that he didn't faint the entire day and was able to walk around his room for minutes. He never thought that he'll actually embody a weird idea: "Bad things are good for you." After all, by absorbing the bad things for other awakeners, he gets to become better!
Maybe the rules apply to him differently. He didn't really know.
While he was in the middle of eating, his room door opened, and a set of unhurried steps were heard. The young man raised his head and saw a familiar middle aged man approaching. The white lab gown that hung on his body indicated that he was a doctor.
The young man watched him come closer. His body was relaxed and void of the typical apprehension he felt whenever 'check up' arrived. Because this man isn't someone this original body hates. In fact, he quite liked him.
"Uncle Woo." The young man smiled in acknowledgement.
Aegis hospital's Director and Doctor: Woo Eun sat on the chair beside Lin Young-Jae's bed. His posture was ever straight and strict. "Young-Jae, how are you feeling?" The man asked.
He has known the Lin siblings for years. Even before the era of dungeons. Woo Eun used to be the Lin couple's assistant when he just graduated college and was trying to obtain his PhD. The daughter, Lin Ji-Young was not yet born at that time.
Through the years, after working together with the Lins, he also grew closer to the family. When Lin Young-Jae was born, he even became his godfather.
They had been tight knit. It was until Lin Young-Jae collapsed, caught an illness, then dungeons began to appear, and finally, when the Lin couple disappeared in the first dungeon exploration that this relationship began to fall apart one by one.
Fortunately, Lin Ji-Young chose to work with Aegis. Lin Young-Jae was transferred to the hospital immediately and they met again.
"I feel much better than I've ever been." Lin Young-Jae replied from the man's earlier question. The smile in his eyes reflected his clear and honest persona. Doctor Woo Eun can tell that the boy isn't lying unlike in his past visits. The boy really felt more lively than he's ever been.
He cleared his throat, pretending to look at his watch to avoid eye contact. "That's good to hear. Seems like the guild master isn't lying when he proposed his so called 'real cure'." He said. The so called treatment of letting the young man use his ability to absorb malicious Mana regularly. "But the doctors from the first lab seemed to have something to say."
Lin Young-Jae pouted when he heard the last sentence. Once again, the topic is about the doctors rejecting his healing journey.
He sighed. "Uncle Woo, do you also oppose that I'm tainting my own mana core?"
The doctor looked at him without changing an expression. "Eight years." He said, his tone was reminiscent.
Lin Young-Jae knew that he was talking about the years that he had been sick.
"For eight years, no one has been able to understand what happened to you. The diagnosis always comes out normal despite the fact that something is clearly wrong. The medication that had been useless and to the point that even you gave up on yourself." He firmly emphasized every word, reminding the young man the years that had been wasted. "Now that you've found the solution to your pain and can become healthy... Even as a doctor myself, why should I go against it?"
"But they said that it might cause side effects." Lin Young-Jae explained. To be precise, it was the doctors trying to tell him that filling his core with contamination can cause bad things.
Doctor Woo fixed his glasses. "What's your contamination percentage?"
"12%."
"And in that 12%, how healthy have you become?"
"Well, the headaches aren't as frequent as before, I don't pass out on random days, I can walk around the room for thirty minutes, my muscles aren't as stiff as they were. It's like... Most of the things that I thought I'd never achieve in the past felt like in arm's length now."
"Does it make you happy?"
Lin Young-Jae smiled even brighter. "Yes, it made me happy that I can even hug my family."
The ever so serious Director Woo sighed and as he watched this child who had almost died so many times finally found the hope he needed, he cracked a small smile. "For awakened hunters, 12% of mana contamination is nothing but a normal rate. Normal awakened has about 10% malicious Mana in their bodies as soon as they receive their powers. Do you know where I'm getting at?" He asked.
The boy nodded his head like a pecking chicken.
"It means 10% is just the starting rate even if you don't step inside a dungeon, that even if your contamination reaches 20%, there is no serious side effects. And even if you exceed, your rare ability to cleanse your own core can save you." He explained. "By utilizing your abilities properly, you can even become a great asset. As long as you don't overdo, I will not oppose."
"Yes! I won't, I promise." Hearing the approval of the hospital director himself, Lin Young-Jae feels extra confident about his own decision to proceed with this treatment method.
Just a skin contact with awakeners and he can become better!
"Good. I still have a meeting. Be sure to use your abilities in moderation." Returning back to his cold demeanor, Doctor Woo Eun stood up and didn't spare any more of his time and left immediately.
Doctor Woo Eun is really a busy man. So busy that he didn't even know what his doctors are doing behind his back. Lin Young-Jae knew that he really had no knowledge of the torment the young man is experiencing in the lab. His demeanor genuinely cared for this body's owner but he was just really busy after becoming a director.
Also, because he had an impression of him from the book. Director Woo Eun had appeared in the story several times that with just hearing his name, it would immediately jog his memory.
After hearing that Lin Young-Jae was murdered, he joined forces with Lin Ji-Young to destroy the world. He assisted her time and time again in the shadows, pretending to be on the protagonist's side. If Shin In Soo is the double agent of the heroes, then Woo Eun is the double agent that is loyal to the villainess.
He unethically experimented on malicious mana using human lives, killing hundreds and thousands of innocent people in order to achieve one of the deadliest weapon in the story which ultimately ended the first world before Park Do Hyun regressed.
So when the protagonist went back to life, he exposed doctor Woo Eun's evil deeds immediately and was about to kill him. But Lin Ji-Young asked her contractor: the hidden boss, to rescue the doctor, delaying his early death, deeming this human a useful tool.
Doctor Woo Eun died protecting Lin Ji-Young from her first loss near the end of the story.
With a sigh, Lin Young-Jae recalled the man's ending. Even if he was portrayed as evil, he really did care for Lin Ji-Young and 'Lin Young-Jae'. He stood as the former's guardian when she first entered Legion at such a young age. He was like the Lin sibling's second parent and genuinely looked after them as much as he could.
With such a big man backing the siblings, it's a wonder why 'Lin Young-Jae' never told him that he was being tormented to death here?
According to his memories, he didn't bother to say anything because he knew that Woo Eun was also researching a cure for him. He had seen him work hard only to fail again and again. In the end, he was guilty that he caused more trouble than his sickly body is worth. So allowing himself to be experimented upon is his way of repaying him back.
What a selfless kid 'Lin Young-Jae' was. Even thinking about it made the soul inside him to hold the back of his neck from all that boiling blood rising in his body.
He felt pity for the body's original owner. And he pity himself for not stopping this farce.
Back then, before he was kidnapped, it was because he thought that he'll die anyway, so what's the point of fighting back?
But right now? He's not going down without a fight if this happens again.
As the young man postured himself with determination, a giggle rang to his side which he was not able to hear. Distracted and dazed he was, as a black entity formed from behind, flying from left to right without any features of identity. Only a Cheshire grin was plasted on their shadowy figure from where the mouth should have been.
It twirled a few more around him before dispersing like smoke.
Lin Young-Jae blinked, touched his nose and shrugged it off.