CHAPTER 23

Title: My First Trading Partner is An Awaken

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Just like a gypsy, Tyler's prediction had really come true. It was that time when Henry gave the last concoction to his former classmate, Ethan Sales.

Mayor Dante Sales had settled their accounts. He paid Henry for a total of 2 million pesos which is two times higher than what they had agreed upon.

"Mayor, It seems that you really need favor from me when you give this amount. Our last agreement is 200,000 pesos per cup of my concoction, yet you had given me such," Henry came straight to the middle aged man.

"I actually, I want to know if your medicine can really make my brother be free from this peculiar ailment." Mayor Dante Sales said.

After learning about the result of his son, Ethan, he knew that there is a higher percentage that the medicine from Henry would heal his brother's peculiar disease.

"Alright, since Ethan is already stable and I believe you have already read the results of the updated laboratory result, my role here ends." Henry said.

"Yes, Henry. I can only sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you have any concerns in the future where I can help out, just call me." The mayor said.

"I know, you had already pointed that out four times already. My only concern is to make this, whatever we have in these walls, will not be exposed in public." Henry said.

"Yes, Henry. I will certainly do so," the mayor said. He knew how powerful the young man was the first time Henry revealed his power.

He clearly remembers how he succumbed to that pressure alone and he can't explain how Henry achieved such a feat.

After dealing with the concern of Ethan, they travel to the north using the Northern Express Highways. They left the national capital region and went towards the province adjacent to it, the province of Bulacan.

[Author's Note: In my story, I want to include real places to ground it in reality, without disrespecting or mocking those locations, since this is categorized as Magical realism. My aim is to showcase their existence without portraying any negative connotations.]

Again, it took them another thirty minutes to go to the address. He was with the mayor, his two bodyguards and the driver. Just like most of the politicians in the country, they too were armed with some M16 rifles and short firearms.

"Mayor, we are here," the driver said.

"Welcome, Henry. This is the place of my origin. Although it has changed a lot due to renovations and improvement, this is where I grew up." The mayor welcomed Henry.

Henry acknowledged and nodded as he looked around the place. It was a typical house for rich people. A concrete three story building touched with western style of architecture.

"How wide is this property, Mayor?" Henry asked curiously. Although he didn't plan to buy a similar property, it was still a great experience as hmit was his first time.

"Originally, we only had this house and four hectares of land. However, most of the people wanted to leave the province and sold the adjacent land to us. Thus, it had been about 34 hectares of land," the mayor replied.

They talk about it for a while as they enter the big house and just as Henry steps his foot to the entrance, he smells the foul smell he had encountered when he was in the city.

"This foul smell!" Henry still clearly remembers this kind of smell.

"What did you say, Henry?" The mayor asked. They entered the big house. They were welcomed by the housewife of his younger brother, Alfredo.

"Brother-in-law! What a surprise," before Henry could reply, the fairly beautiful lady greeted them, along with the three year old boy by her side.

"Yes, we came unannounced. How are you holding up?" Mayor Dante Sales asked.

"We're fine. However, Alfredo, he…" the woman can't continue her words since she can't describe his husband's suffering.

"Alright, is he still in the basement?" The mayor asked.

"Yes, he was with Mang Dondon. You had met him already," The woman said.

"Yeah, I know him. By the way, this is Henry, he might help with the condition of my brother," Mayor said.

"I'm Malou, the wife of Alfredo," the lady said. Henry can see weariness in her eyes. Those tired pairs of eyes, he was familiar with it as he saw mostly of those eyes in his father's during his stroke period.

"Brother-in-law, you know that my husband doesn't have any medical condition. His condition is not something any professional doctor can cure…" the woman said, mistakenly identifying Henry as a young doctor.

"I know. But even the widely known shaman in our province can't cure Alfredo. I had so much respect for Mang Dondon, but I can't find any progress in my brother's condition." The mayor argued.

Henry is just there. Not talking and just listening. He too was not sure if his F-rank healing potion can cure the mayor's brother. What he is more concerned about is the foul smell.

"Although, I can't sense where it was, this filthy smell is truly repulsive and I believe it's inside the house," Henry thought. Still, dividing his thoughts into the conversation before him.

"I know, Brother-in-law, I can only thank you for your help even with your busy schedule." Make said. The boy besides Malou recognized his uncle, so he did make some cute gestures that melted the increasing conversation between the two.

"Just this once, if we really can't cure him, I believe there is no one in this world that can do it." The mayor promised.

Malou conceded. She knew that this brother-in-law of her treasured his husband. "I'm not sure why you said that, brother-in-law, does that mean that Ethan is already cured?"

"Stop, right there, Sister-in-law. I'm sorry Henry, my sister-in-law is not your typical woman," the mayor said.

"If she can keep secrets, I don't mind. And yes, I am responsible for the treatment of Ethan," Henry speaks to Malou.

The mayor sighs from relief as he doesn't want to experience his shock when Henry reveals his power. Although he had experienced the same kind in front of his brother, this young man is more mysterious and maybe more powerful compared to Alfredo's unusual form.

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"Sure it was, the smell is more profound in the basement," Henry thought as Malou led them to the basement of the house.

The wife was convinced after knowing that Ethan got better in such a short period of time. She knows the condition of her nephew-in-law, and truly marvels at how Henry had made it possible for Ethan to be out of coma.

She opens one of the rooms in the basement and it seems like a heavy air, the foulness assaulting Henry. "If that smell can punch, it might really hurt."

"Mang Dondon, how's Alfredo?" Malou inquires.

"He's weak now, and their kind usually rest during the day time. However, his condition is becoming worse and I have exhausted my knowledge and ways on how to get rid of this Yanggaw. As I said earlier, if we had detected it during the first month, I can still get rid of it but…"

Mang Dondon stops speaking as he notices the young man that gives off pure light. He knew that the two can't see it and a small chance for Alfredo to notice it.

"You!" Mang Dondon saw Henry trying to get used to the foul smell in the room.

Henry already noticed the old man and he sensed something different from him too. He can't spell what it was; he knew that there was a mystery surrounding the old man.

"What about me?" Henry asked. He seems to know that the old man is talking to him. "He didn't even recognize a mayor right in front of him."

"Young man! Your light is too pure! You have achieved a higher realm of existence!" Mang Dondon said with excitement.

"Me? What are you saying grandpa?" Henry is confused. "What light is he talking about?"

"Hey, young man, I know you can smell the foulness in the air and yes, it's coming from this patient of mine. Was it your first time to be close with it?" Mand Dondon asked.

Malou and Mayor Dante Sales were confused. They look at Henry and the young man is even more confused. "What foulness are you talking about Mang Dondon?"

"It's the natural smell of someone that can now be considered as Aswang," Explained by the old man. "Look here, the oil that I had concocted is boiling. It's one of the indications that Aswang is in the vicinity."

And right when Mang Dondon places the oil in the bottle near Alfredo, it boils even more.

"Old man, are you really sure that the man now is an Aswang?" Henry heard the magic word and he remembered that three days ago, he had just questioned the existence of one of the mythical beings in their myth stories with Tyler.

"Yes. Malou and Dante already knew this and since Dante here asked you for help, with the lights in you, I believe you can definitely help out." Mang Dondon said.

Malou and the mayor sigh as even the known shaman in their province knew something about Henry even in their first meeting.

"If that smell is really coming from that uncle who is weak and growling from time to time, this means that Tyler is actually right!"

Henry can only complain to himself as he didn't know where to actually ask. He sent a message to Tyler about this situation and wanted to wait for the reply.

"It seems that it was really your first time dealing with Aswangs! I didn't know how you had become this powerful, even more profound than my teacher in his prime years!" The old man exclaimed and focused himself up to Henry.

"Mang Dondon, it seems to me that you know something about Henry's secret. We had an agreement not to talk about this and I hope you understand," Mayor Dante Sales interjected.

He knew that this old man knew something about Henry's secret but he needed to reprimand it at the moment since other souls are listening.

"I see. I do understand Dante. Since the young man is here. I would like to witness how you deal with Alfredo's condition if you don't mind," the old man said.

"Is this alright with you, Henry?" The mayor asked.

"It's fine. I also wanted to talk to you after this, Mang Dondon if you're not occupied," Henry said.

Malou is old enough to understand that everything that happens here should really stay here, unless it will come out from the mouth of the young man himself.

Without delay, even with the foulness of smell, Henry managed to control his senses to not be affected with the odor.

The patient, Alfredo Sales, is too miserable. Aside from the pungent smell, he becomes too thin like a bamboo stick and he can see the rib cage that indicates this. "This guy is like a living corpse."

"Sir Alfredo, can you hear me?" Henry asked. "I know you can hear me. If you can, nod for me."

The living corpse nodded in a weak manner. After knowing it, Henry brings out a 100 ml of the F-rank potion and instructs Alfredo.

"Since you can hear me and I bet you heard what we had talked about earlier, you know that Mang Dondon here can only help you alleviate some of your suffering while you are in this state."

"Now, I was called by your brother as he trusted me that I can heal you from this kind of infection. I do hope you trust me too," Henry comforted.

Alfredo nodded again. Mang Dondon was amazed when Henry brings out a medicine in a bottle as the medicine is actually brimming with life energy.

"This concoction… it really might get rid of thing inside him!" Mang Dondon stated and the Mayor heard this.

"Is the medicine really that powerful?" The mayor asked the old shaman.

"Yes, Dante. I believe so. I can see far more than you can see and feel more than the normal. There really might be a high chance to kill that thing inside him without killing your brother!"

Mang Dondon stated. The mayor already knows from the old shaman that this kind of operation is too dangerous. Although the shaman can get rid of the thing that infected his brother, there is a high chance for his brother to get killed.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Ahhhh!"

The major trail of thought has been disrupted as Alfredo begins to shout in pain. Mang Dondon also assisted Henry as the young man controlled the convulsion of his patient after he let Alfredo drink the first cup of the F-rank healing potion.

[Author's Note: Mang is usually a word in our language that usually means Uncle. However, it's not an uncle that is blood related but just a title as a respect to senior or elder in the community]

[Author's Note: Yanggaw is an ilonggo word for being infected. However, in this story, it was further describe as an infection to convert oneself to Aswang, either by choice or by incitement]

[Author's Note: lastly, The Aswang is a multifaceted creature in Filipino folklore, encompassing a range of malevolent entities including vampires, ghouls, viscera suckers, and transforming human-beast hybrids often resembling dogs, cats, or pigs. It serves as a central figure in numerous myths, stories, artworks, and films, representing a pervasive element of Filipino culture and imagination.]