Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Contract
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Seo Dae-hyun and Kim Hyun-jun took a helicopter to the Hunter Association.
Branch chief's office.
They had obtained the dungeon raid permit and were about to head straight to the hospital.
But David earnestly begged for a moment of their time, so they had no choice but to agree to a brief talk.
Kim Hyun-jun headed to the hospital where his father was admitted.
Thanks to Seo Dae-hyun's emergency treatment and Heal, his life had been saved, but just in case there were other issues, he was hospitalized for a thorough examination.
Hospital bills were no concern.
It was a hospital partnered with the Hunter Association, so the association would cover all treatment costs.
Seo Dae-hyun sipped his cola while waiting for the man to speak.
He didn't start the conversation first, sensing the other had something specific to say.
David finally spoke up.
“I have a proposal for you, Hunter Seo Dae-hyun.”
“If it's about naturalization, as I said yesterday, please give me a little time.”
Naturalization—or immigration—was a matter that demanded careful thought.
He wasn't prepared yet.
Seo Dae-hyun had promised David about naturalization.
Rather than return to Korea burdened by painful memories, he wanted to reclaim his rights here in America and protect those around him.
Having just finished a dungeon raid and reached B-Rank, he now met the naturalization requirements.
If naturalization was the only goal, affiliating with America would do, but revealing his power in his current weakened state would draw flies like moths to a flame.
He couldn't expose his Necromancer abilities fully until he could wield them properly.
He could handle A-Rank hunters, but S-Rank was another story.
He had witnessed an S-Rank hunter's power firsthand on the battlefield.
'If we fought...'
With his current forces, he wouldn't last five minutes.
'Definite defeat.'
Necromancer abilities had a fatal flaw: the Necromancer himself.
Kill the caster before the soldiers could recover, and it was over.
Corpse Explosion would barely leave a scratch on an S-Rank hunter.
He needed to reach a point where he could defend himself without his soldiers.
“I won't force naturalization on you. But that's not what I'm proposing.”
“...Then what?”
He decided to hear the proposal.
The man didn't strike him as someone who'd try to scam him.
David picked up the intercom and called for Kyle.
Kyle opened the door right away, as if he'd been waiting.
He had been standing by just outside the branch chief's office.
Kyle politely extended the document toward him.
'Iowa State Certified Hunter?'
He glanced up at David after reading the first paragraph.
He needed an explanation for this contract.
David rose from his seat.
“Please become Iowa State's official hunter.”
He bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
A branch chief humbly bowing to a lone hunter like this.
The depth of his desperation came through clearly.
David never bowed his head, even in clashes with S-Rank hunters.
But this wasn't the time for such concerns.
He cast aside all pride and self-respect.
If Seo Dae-hyun came, he could offer anything.
Relations with Ryu Jin were shattered, leaving Seo Dae-hyun as the only hunter he could rely on.
He could request another A-Rank from headquarters, of course.
But it would pale in comparison.
“Iowa State's official hunter?”
Since arriving in America, he'd had zero involvement with hunters, and even during his military service, he wasn't well-versed in the industry's inner workings.
America's state official hunter system was unique to the US.
Seo Dae-hyun asked what it entailed.
“Exactly that: become a certified American hunter and tackle Iowa State's Dungeon Gates.”
David explained it succinctly.
He got it immediately.
As Iowa State's official hunter, he'd secure top-priority exclusive access to any Dungeon Gates that popped up, plus tax breaks and a salary to boot.
The conditions were almost too good, which made him suspicious.
“But don't I need US citizenship and a rank assessment...?”
He'd been burned by sweet-talking officers back in the military.
“Permanent residency is enough—no citizenship required.”
Citizenship and permanent residency were worlds apart.
A branch chief couldn't issue citizenship, but permanent residency was within his power.
David pressed on.
“And with our 'promise to Hunter Seo Dae-hyun,' we can simply restore your rank to the original D-Rank.”
He emphasized the promise with Seo Dae-hyun.
America's state hunter positions had no rank restrictions.
Assigning a D-Rank might raise minor eyebrows when A-Ranks were available, but David would handle it.
What real issue could arise?
Public interest was lukewarm anyway.
He gave him time to read the contract.
Half-jokingly, he even said he could take it home and review it at leisure.
It was thoughtfully translated into both Korean and English.
Translation devices had shattered spoken language barriers, but reading and writing were still tough.
Seo Dae-hyun had grown accustomed to conversational English over his six months in America.
He scrutinized the contract meticulously.
From his standpoint, nothing looked remotely bad.
Nope, not a thing.
Just half a year ago, he'd failed to even join the Korean association, and now...
Then his eyes caught the figure at the bottom.
He let out an involuntary cough.
“Is there something that doesn't sit well with you?”
David asked cautiously, eyeing Seo Dae-hyun.
As if.
Who wouldn't like terms like these?
“Is this... the annual salary?”
He'd never seen so many zeros in his life.
A cool 1 billion!
“No.”
David shook his head firmly.
“The annual salary's below that. That's the monthly salary.”
Seo Dae-hyun froze solid as stone.
A monthly salary of 1 billion?
Over ten times the 80 million he'd earned for risking his life.
And that was monthly, not annual.
“You don't like it?”
“No. I like it just fine.”
Seo Dae-hyun answered honestly that he was more than satisfied.
“G-Great, then let's proceed with the contract—”
“One question first.”
David was eager to wrap it up fast, but Seo Dae-hyun wasn't the type to rush blindly.
He wasn't doing this just for the money.
Unlike some S-Rank hunters with their outrageous demands.
Iowa State was free of magical beasts and peaceful.
That was the problem.
Hunters had abandoned Iowa due to its low Dungeon Gate spawn rate.
For Seo Dae-hyun, more than cash, he needed magical beast corpses to bolster his forces and expand his ranks.
He could rake in even more money once he grew stronger.
But without dungeons to raid, it was all moot.
“How do you plan to fix that?”
He'd have been disappointed if they'd shown up with just the contract and no plan.
The corner of David's mouth twitched upward.
A smile born of pure confidence.
Confidence that Seo Dae-hyun wouldn't slip away to anyone else.
Kyle held out a tablet PC.
The screen showed a map.
Iowa State's layout.
Red dots flickered into existence, then vanished.
“What're these?”
“Dungeon Gates.”
The gates opened and closed in cycles.
“Iowa State's Dungeon Gate spawn rate is about to spike.”
Headquarters and the experts already forecasted as much.
Gates were an unstoppable force majeure, beyond human control.
Hunters existed to deal with them.
“No need to worry about dungeons drying up.”
More dungeons were a boon for Seo Dae-hyun but a curse for civilians.
He felt a sense of duty.
Ordinary folks could end up victims like Kim Hyun-jun's father today.
Without him tagging along, they'd all be dead right there.
Iowa needed him, and if he could monopolize the state's future gates, it was win-win.
“I'll sign.”
David's face bloomed with joy.
Just securing Seo Dae-hyun as Iowa's hunter was victory enough.
Naturalization was just a matter of time!
“But I have one addendum.”
David asked what it was.
“W-What condition?”
If he bolted for another state, there'd be no stopping him.
With Ryu Jin ties frayed, they had to lean on Seo Dae-hyun.
The base terms already outstripped S-Rank Ryu Jin's deal.
“I want to raid Dungeon Gates solo.”
David froze at the declaration of solo raiding.
“Uh?! That's...”
No matter his national-power-level potential, that was the future—not now.
From David's position, obligated to protect him, it wasn't welcome.
Before gate laws were enacted, cocky high-rankers had soloed dungeons and died en masse.
“Solo raiding is legally forbidden.”
Laws were ironclad regulations even hunters couldn't ignore.
S-Ranks had leeway barring murder, but Seo Dae-hyun wasn't S-Rank.
“As long as it's not 'solo,' right?”
David grasped the implication perfectly.
Raiding with summons.
No precedent for that.
“No law bars entering dungeons with summons.”
He clicked his tongue.
Seo Dae-hyun's soldiers included Kim Hyun-jun and Michael.
They'd died once, but at his request, their deaths weren't reported.
'Maintaining summons must guzzle mana.'
David and Kyle still had no clue his summons cost zero mana.
“Association agents would be far better than summons, no?”
Kyle jumped in for the at-a-loss David.
They'd planned to assign combat agents to escort and support him.
Summons in dungeons? Never crossed their minds.
“...Then let me ask one thing.”
Seo Dae-hyun swallowed hard and continued.
“Will those people die for me?”
Kyle hesitated, unable to reply swiftly.
His soldiers were D-Rank, but association agents averaged B-Rank.
“We're out in the sticks here, but our agents aren't pushovers.”
In America, joining the association was tougher than landing a big guild spot.
C-Rank minimum, plus rigorous character vetting.
Agents served with duty and earned respect like soldiers or firefighters.
Even in low-gate areas prowled by villains, crime stayed low.
Courtesy of the agents maintaining security.
“We know your summons are powerful, Hunter Seo Dae-hyun.”
David kept up the persuasion.
“But our agents can assist in ways summons never could!”
They had protection training, he added, ensuring his safety.
“I don't need protection inside dungeons.”
Seo Dae-hyun knew full well how elite association agents were.
He'd once dreamed of becoming one himself.
He understood David's concern, so he toned down his reaction.
He got the man's position.
But he had solid reasons not to bring agents.
Dragging them into gates would split EXP, slowing his growth.
Soldiers slaying monsters funneled every bit of EXP straight to him.
“T-Then just bring agents along— ”
“No. My summons trigger massive explosions on death.”
Seo Dae-hyun met Kyle's eyes.
Perfect understanding dawned between them.
Agents could get caught in the blasts.
“At least assign one or two agents.”
David was half-resigned by now.
He couldn't afford to ruffle feathers.
“Fine.”
“Pardon?”
“I won't object to one.”
That was a fair compromise.
'Damn! He played me.'
David realized too late he'd danced to Seo Dae-hyun's tune.
But it didn't bother him.
Seo Dae-hyun held the upper hand here, not the association.
If he wanted to strong-arm it, he could.
David gave him the heads-up on Ryu Jin.
“Ryu Jin might come after you with a grudge.”
Agents weren't just for dungeon safety—they'd shield him from Ryu Jin too.
Seo Dae-hyun didn't shrink at the thought of an S-Rank hunter targeting him.
Fleeing foes meant no growth ahead.
They finalized the contract after tweaking it to his requests.
“Looking forward to working with you, David.”
David shook his hand with a smile.
“Likewise. The pleasure's mine, Hunter Seo.”