The Longest Week I

It would be remiss of Irwin not to, at the very least, drive Samantha to her aunt's house in Nebraska.

He had Garth contact a moving service for Samantha's items to be delivered to her aunt's address while he contacted his father's man in the federal agencies to check the background of her aunt.

A day later, Garth, Samantha, and Irwin boarded a flight to Chicago, where Garth will travel to Wyoming to resume his spying of the Devil's Gate.

During the flight, Irwin loaded Samantha's brain about his part of the world. Hunting monsters, saving people, and the do's and don'ts of such a dangerous world. Imparting such precious knowledge unto a teenager's brain might have been less than ideal, but the fact is that she was and will be a Greythorne.

Although her father had clearly intended to not tell her about the clan, now that she had been targeted by a supernatural phenomenon means that her world had changed forever. Irwin would rather have her traumatized than killed by the unknown that hunts her kind.

Contrary to his vivid imagination, the sister of her dead mother had been nothing but lovely to them since their arrival at their farm. Turns out, her husband, a former radiologist, had become sterile due to his work and intended to adopt both Samantha and Mary Anne when their father died.

Of course, Irwin didn't just vibe check them, he received the background checks from the NSA and was informed of their clean records, save a few altercations with police for their trespassing of government properties.

They were damn hippies, remarked the case officer.

He said his farewell to the couple after a day's stay, reminding them to take care of Samantha and call him if they were ever in government trouble. The last bit gaining their attention.

Samantha, on the other hand, was sad to see him go, for she found his presence to have been instrumental to helping staibilize her quickly collapsing psyche.

"Don't you worry, alright? I'm just a plane away if you ever need help." He reminded her as he patted her head and gave her a small silver briefcase. "And if you get in trouble, just show them this."

To her surprise, Irwin had gifted her his custom made M1911 pistol. Seeing how good she was at using the gun during the fight with the ghost riders, he thought she needed it more than he did.

The flight back to Greythorne Manor was remarkably short, thanks to the utter exhaustion hitting him like a freight train on the flight to LAX.

Fortunately, Ella had been more than gracious enough to let him rest and handled the paperworks coming his way. She already informed Joaquin of his arrival and retrieval of the silver sword.

As soon as his head hit the soft fluffy pillows, the darkness welcomed him into its warm embrace.

By the time his body was refreshed, it would be morning. A Monday morning, to be exact. One that started what he in the future would call the longest week of his life.

●●Monday●●●

A video-game character.

That's what it felt like for Irwin to wake up, refreshed, relaxed, and free of the ache he had experienced during and after his battle with Woden. No sore muscles nor a blood-filled wound reminding him that he was but a mortal man.

In fact, he was so rejuvenated that the thought of fighting against another god crossed his mind. Of course, once the memories of pain, agony, and other synonyms for suffering resurfaced in his mind, the thought soon passed like a candle in the wind.

While picking up breakfast at Margaret's Diner, he decided to check Lisbon Valley. He had been either too busy or too wounded to do so previously, but with his enhanced physique giving him a supernatural regeneration, he would not have to worry about that.

As he strode the streets of Lisbon, people from all over would briefly stare at him. Some poor lads would even glare hatefully. Of course, that's the best they can do, since Irwin was the richest man in town. Also, he would fold them like a pancake.

His boisterous laugh didn't help his already rock-bottom reputation, but he cared not for their stares and glares.

Before he could proceed to the Winterell Lake, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He hoped it would be his awaited phone call.

[Where's my goddamn food, dick!?!!!] 

It's just Ella being starved to death.

He returned to the manor and ate some breakfast with a very irate Ella.

He followed his usual routine. He trained his magical abilities for three hours after his signing paperworks; ate Ella's lunch and fed Charlotte before letting her read some of the ancient tomes and spell books he acquired from Lady Anastasia's personal library; driving to the House Of Blades and training his physique and unarmed combat.

He wanted to show-off his new sword, but Joaquin scolded him and had him swear not to bring the sword in the dojo.

By night, exhausted physically and mentally by the training and further paperwork, Irwin wrote his experiences in his hunter journal. 

Words flowed through his pen as he described how bat-shit crazy Woden was and that he did not care for the other exhibit at the museum, only for the fossils. 

He also wanted to buy the T-Rex skeleton, but Ella had forbidden him from doing so when she found out. He wrote how he promised himself that the next time he went to New York, he wouldn't tell her and just surprise Ella with giant dinosaur bones in their courtyard.

Next, he tried to remember the plot for Supernatural. At least, the ones he had not written down yet. He also began to write the characters who would be introduced after the Darkness was defeated. The show began a proper decline after that, but their character designs did show some great initiative.

The phone call he waited for all throughout the day did not come as he expected. There's also a chance it will never come.

If it did not, then he would have no choice but to change the course of the story. The Special child has, after all, a versatile and powerful power. 

●●Tuesday●●●

His second day was a bit more special than the last.

"Where?" He asked atop his balcony, overlooking the courtyard.

Ella, who had just finished signing the package, pointed inwards. "Parlor room. You owe me a C-note, by the way."

Irwin waved her off and went down to the parlor room, where a large crate gaudily lay in the center of the room. Postage dictated that it came from New York, expressly delivered within 2-3 business days.

Ella came in right after and saw him gently caressing the crate. She took a quick picture before announcing her entrance. "What is it?"

"A corpse of a god." He replied, to her shock. 

"Like-"

"No, just some pagan god." He corrected her. He grabbed a loose seam and broke apart the wooden coffin with ease, revealing the leather bound body of Woden. "Scratch that. What we have here is the corpse of the Allfather himself."

Even in death, Woden's form was bursting with a supernatural aura that suppresses those who neared it. Ella was deeply affected by that aura, so Irwin had her leave the room.

It was a fortunate event, since he would be making this body disappear into thin air.

He activated his system…

[ Character | Skill | Supernatural Record | Status | Quest | Trade Shop ]

… and chose the Trade Shop.

■■

Please Select And Specify The Item You Wish To Trade

■■

He unfurled the leather binding the corpse and found it no worse looking or smelling than the time he was killed. Must be a perk of divinity.

"Woden."

■■

Trade Acce–

ERROR

ERROR

ERROR

ERROR

■■

Congratulations! You have acquired an item with a hint of divinity. Unfortunately, your version of the Great Hunter System cannot fully process the item.

■■

Would you like to update the Great Hunter System?

Y/N

■■

"Shit." Irwin cursed. He did not know how long the corpse would stay intact, so he was hesitant to update the system. The note did say 'fully', so it must mean it can at least process a bit of the god's body.

"Might as well." He said, accepting the update.

■■

Update In Progress…

Update Done!

■■

"Oh. I was worried about nothing."

■■

Congratulations! The sub-system [Trade Shop] has been overhauled and renamed [Trade Store]. A brief introduction will be uploaded momentarily.

■■

Update Warning!

The improved [Trade Store] can now process and store items with divinity. In the event that the current version of the [Great Hunter System] cannot process another item, then it will automatically update the related sub-system.

■■

Trade Store

▪︎ Item Trade

[ Instead of direct trading, the user can now trade any item for a certain amount of Store Credit. Each item has a different trade value. Value is determined by a set of parameters including, but not limited to, the item's damage potential, item rarity, monetary value, and deterioration status during trade. ]

▪︎ Store

[ Store Credit can be spent here. User can browse and buy items from seven categories, each with their own sub-categories. All items bought are immediately placed in Trade Counter. ]

▪︎Trade Counter

[ This acts as a temporary storage zone for unclaimed traded items. Once removed, items can no longer be returned. ]

▪︎ Store Credit: 00

[ Currency for the Store. Current credit count can be toggled on/off. ] 

■■

▪︎ Armors & Mystical Items

▪︎ Weapons

▪︎ Spells & Rituals

▪︎ Flora & Fauna

▪︎ Potions

▪︎ Materials

▪︎ System Consumables

■■

Irwin carefully read the instructions for his updated Trade Store, excited at the prospects of window shopping.

But, first, to handle Woden's body. He clicked on Item Trade and another window popped up.

■■

Sub-system have scanned all tradeable items. Please select which item to trade:

▪︎ 'Woden', Leader of the Wild Hunt, Master of the Seven Whistles - Class 4 Pagan - Myth Variant: 350

▪︎ Enchanted Candlestick - (Vitality) Slight Enchantment - Human Magik: 5

▪︎ Cursed Silver Sword - (Bloodline) Greater Enchantment / (Limiter) Lesser Enchantment / (God's Bane) Major Enchantment - Purgatory Magik: 120

■■

Impressed by the new feature of the system and interested in the Class 4 designation of Woden's corpse, Irwin chose Woden for trade.

■■

You have traded [Woden] for [350 Store Credit]

Current Points: 350

■■

Like a time spell was cast upon the corpse, Woden's form began to decompose into a heap of ash and bones in a matter of seconds, before it slowly disintegrated into nothingness.

The pagan god's body was no longer.

"Dammit, Dick!" Yelled Ella as she came in once the suppressive aura disappeared. "You're going to clean that ash up, you hear me!?"

"Jesus, yeah, yeah!" Doused by Ella's nagging, Irwin set about dusting, vacuuming, and scrubbing the antique carpet clean of the remains of Woden. In fact, since he's already cleaning, Ella had Irwin, the heir to the manor, help her clean said manor.

Try as he might to get away from her, and he tried, going as far as to suggest getting Charlotte's 'help', Irwin had nevertheless cleaned every dirty spot on the first floor of the manor. If that's not bad yet, he also had to clean his room, which, frankly, given the previous Richard's hobbies, he wouldn't go there even with a hazmat suit.

As the day ended, and so did his work, his phone call never came.

"Maybe, tomorrow…" He muttered to himself as exhaustion caused him to slumber more peaceful than ever

…

Enchantments, Resistance/Weakness Levels:

Slight (1% - 15%)

Minor (16% - 30%)

Lesser (31% - 45%)

Full (46% - 50%)

Greater (51% - 65%)

Major (66% - 80%)

Substantial (81% - 95%)

Complete/Immunity (96%-100%)