Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Surveillance Department (2)
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"Dae-hyun becoming an Iowa State Hunter? Didn't you want to keep living in Korea?"
Henry asked, sounding surprised.
"When I suggested you come with me, you said Korea was better."
Until the Nakdong River egg incident, Dae-hyun had wanted to work as a hunter in Korea.
There had been a ton of events leading up to Seo Dae-hyun leaving Korea for America.
"It just... kinda happened that way."
Dae-hyun flashed a bitter smile and changed the subject.
"By the way, I had no idea you were with the Hunter Association's Surveillance Department?"
He'd known Noah and Henry were Association agents back then, but they hadn't been in Surveillance at the time.
"After returning to the States, I got scouted for Surveillance."
The Surveillance Department was an elite group—only the best of the best Association agents could join.
"Dae-hyun, is it true about your reawakening?"
Henry had read articles about Seo Dae-hyun on the flight to Iowa and gathered intel that way.
'Seo Dae-hyun was a D-Rank hunter?'
The Dae-hyun he'd met in the military had clearly been A-Rank.
There were holes all over the info. A lot had been omitted.
"Yeah."
Dae-hyun nodded.
"You were A-Rank last time I saw you. How'd you end up D-Rank? Don't tell me this whole thing was planned from the start?"
If he'd registered as an A-Rank healer right off the bat, he wouldn't have drawn this much attention.
But introducing him as a D-Rank hunter with no expectations, only to reveal he was an A-Rank healer?
The twist would grab people's interest, and that spotlight would make it impossible to ignore him.
Henry figured it was all some scripted pro-wrestling-style show.
But...
"No."
Dae-hyun gave a quick rundown of what had happened.
His rank had dropped during a dungeon raid, and he'd reawakened while living the farm life in America.
"Ah... so that's what happened..."
He didn't mention switching jobs from healer to necromancer.
Even close acquaintances like these two were Surveillance agents.
He couldn't just blab to anyone.
They weren't just anyone, but better safe than sorry.
"You okay?"
Noah asked, furrowing his brow.
The pain of losing comrades and coming home alone was beyond words.
Henry and Noah had been through similar hell, so they understood his feelings better than most.
The comrades who'd fallen in that dungeon that day—they'd known them too.
On the battlefield, borders of nationality and race vanished; they saved each other's lives.
When Henry and Noah heard the news of their deaths, they'd clenched their fists or bitten their lips raw.
If it was hard for them, how much worse for the guy who'd watched it happen up close?
"I'm good now."
He said that, but his heart probably wasn't.
"Glad to hear it."
Noah didn't press further.
That was his way of showing consideration—not dwelling on it right now.
"Noah, time to get to work."
Henry shifted the mood.
The reason those two had come to Iowa was an Association audit.
The targets: the Iowa branch and Seo Dae-hyun.
"You didn't bribe the branch chief for his position, right?"
Henry eyed Dae-hyun.
Dae-hyun shook his head no.
He didn't have that kind of cash, and besides, he'd only met the chief less than a week ago.
Clap!
Henry smacked his palms together with his saliva, wrapping up the audit on the spot.
"Case closed. No wrongdoing."
Nothing was so clean it couldn't be dirtied; even a dried squid would drip water if squeezed hard enough.
The Surveillance Department's reputation was terrifying for a reason.
They could hound you for three straight days—or a full month if they dragged it out.
But they'd finished everything in under half a day.
David and Kyle were quietly impressed by Dae-hyun's connections.
It wouldn't wrap this quick without some serious pull.
They hadn't expected Surveillance's top dogs to trust Dae-hyun this much.
Dae-hyun smiled and said,
"What if I had done something wrong?"
Henry grinned back.
He knew Dae-hyun wouldn't pull anything shady anyway.
The real reason they'd come was just to see him.
"Then I'll check it out myself."
"Check what?"
"Hit us with a heal."
They'd judge based on his Heal skill.
Dae-hyun cast Heal on Noah and Henry.
[Heal]
Dark clouds gently enveloped their bodies before scattering like mist.
A guy with this kind of Heal skill taking bribes? No way.
"Feels like the heal amount's gone up since last time?"
Noah and Henry had received Dae-hyun's heals on the battlefield, restoring their stamina.
After returning to America, they'd missed those heals like home-cooked meals from Mom.
"How could I forget this feeling."
They'd gotten heals from Association and guild healers, but none matched this.
Compared to Dae-hyun's, those felt flat.
His heals had something special.
"Dae-hyun, ever thought about joining Surveillance?"
The scout offer came out of nowhere.
"No way! Seo Dae-hyun is our Iowa State Hunter!"
"Even you, Noah—we can't hand over Hunter Seo!"
David and Kyle jumped in, shielding Dae-hyun from the 'enemy' within the Association.
Watching their reaction, Dae-hyun said quietly,
"I like it here."
Kyle and David let out small sighs of relief.
Noah and Henry looked a bit disappointed deep down.
With the audit wrapped up, Noah and Henry headed back to HQ for their next assignment.
They'd really just come to see Dae-hyun.
"Dae-hyun, you hear from Claire?"
"Claire?"
Claire was currently captain of the US Hunter special forces.
She'd changed her name, gender record, and rank in the past, fighting alongside Dae-hyun on the front lines.
The last syllable was off, but he brushed it aside.
"No one in our circle had heard from you—we thought you were dead."
No smartphones in the military, and the phone numbers from the US hunters got lost before they rotated home.
So contact had been impossible.
Plus, he'd been swamped adjusting to life in America.
"Anyway, glad you're doing well."
"See you next time, Dae-hyun."
At the Association entrance, Dae-hyun waved as the two walked away.
Iowa State Airport.
Word that S-Rank hunter Noah was in Iowa had reporters swarming the airport.
They could've slipped out quietly if they wanted, but they didn't.
Noah had tipped them off on purpose—to clear his name publicly.
"We heard you arrived at dawn, but you're leaving already—what's the rush?"
They questioned why the full-day audit had wrapped in hours.
Henry fielded the reporters' questions.
"Hunter Seo Dae-hyun has zero involvement in corruption or bribery with Branch Chief David or otherwise. Everything was by the book, making him a legitimate Iowa State Hunter. That's Surveillance's official stance."
It meant Seo Dae-hyun and the Iowa branch were clean.
"What do you think of Seo Dae-hyun becoming an Iowa State Hunter?!"
Henry's lips curved slightly.
"Honestly? Iowa's lucky."
"What do you mean by that...?"
Everyone knew, but they wanted to hear it straight from Henry.
"If we'd met him sooner, Surveillance would've scouted him ourselves."
Surveillance agents had sky-high pride and weren't shy about praising talent.
"Comparing him to S-Rank hunter Ryu Jin—who comes out on top?"
David picking an A-Rank healer over an S-Rank was a minor debate in the States.
She scowled at the question.
Noah was an S-Rank tank.
Before Henry could answer, Noah signaled he'd handle it and took over.
"Seo Dae-hyun, obviously."
"He's not your average healer."
"His heals are top-tier, but he's got dealer-level sharp attacks and agility, plus tank-like endurance."
Noah was the tight-lipped type—only spoke when necessary.
That's why Henry had always handled interviews.
Viewers watching the footage online were baffled.