Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 68

Clang.

Pulling out the spear embedded in the ground, Kim Jong-Heon let out a twisted grin.

His opponent was a newbie who had just entered the Core. Although that didn’t mean the guy was as weak as a regular person, his skill mastery in the Status Window was likely close to zero, making him no match for someone like him, whose mastery had exceeded 50%.

However, as he stood before his prey, an inexplicable unease wrapped around his entire body.

Do-Jun’s eyes, watching him as if finding this amusing, and his casual attire—a gray hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, with a casual backpack slung over his shoulder—put Kim Jong-Heon at unease.

The fact that he’s here means he’s at least cleared the tutorial, he thought.

This man looked like he was on a leisurely walk in a neighborhood park. He wasn’t even holding a weapon.

And that tattoo on his wrist... what is that? There’s no way he’s already joined a Blood Alliance, Kim Jong-Heon thought, looking at the sword-shaped tattoo engraved on Do-Jun’s wrist.

Kim Jong-Heon swallowed hard and muttered something under his breath, thinking he should test something. Soon, the leaf-shaped tattoo on his own wrist started to glow.

Then he got an unexpected message.

[You cannot send a Blood Alliance invitation to a Monarch.]

Kim Jong-Heon’s eyes widened in shock, and cold sweat trickled down his back. How could a newbie who had just entered the Core have already awakened the properties of a Monarch?

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Though he was puzzled, he knew one thing for sure. I have to kill him right now, right here, no matter what.

Just as he made up his mind, Do-Jun raised his hand and pointed at Kim Jong-Heon, saying, “You,” then pointed toward the cliff two hundred meters above. “And you three over there.”

Face pale, Kim Jong-Heon stared at Do-Jun, who smiled and asked, “You know what joint liability means, right?”

A chill ran down Kim Jong-Heon’s spine. His Blood Alliance members were stationed where Do-Jun pointed.

Setting aside his confusion over how Do-Jun knew, he shouted, “Die!” and thrust the spear he held at Do-Jun’s chest, only for it to be blocked by something.

It was Yong-Yong, the little dragon that followed Do-Jun around.

As if hitting an invisible barrier, the spear could go no further.

“Piss off.” Yong-Yong spun around and whipped his tail, creating a massive shockwave of magical energy that spread out in a fan shape with a loud boom.

Everything within its range was annihilated—the cliff, the trees, the monsters, even the spectators. Those standing outside the shockwave’s range trembled as they blinked in disbelief at the reality unfolding before them.

Do-Jun narrowed his eyes, looking at the place he had pointed at earlier. Three people were hiding behind the bushes, holding their breath.

Dark energy rose from his body as he activated the Heavenly Demon Cultivation Art. Even though his power had been restricted since entering the Core, one thing remained certain: he was still strong.

Do-Jun launched forward with a start, his body bending like a bow. He flew at an incredible speed toward the people.

“Fuck, who is that bastard?!”

Realizing that Do-Jun was coming for them, Kim Jong-Heon’s Blood Alliance members tried to flee in panic, some running up, some down, while others dashed toward the jutting cliffs on the opposite side.

Their instincts screamed that if they clumped together and fled, they’d be wiped out in one fell swoop.

“Huh?” One man fleeing downhill noticed a black streak resembling a single flower petal following him like a magnet, prompting him to scream.

The petal stuck to the man and ignited, setting his entire body ablaze. He rolled on the grass in an attempt to extinguish the flames, but they only burned more fiercely.

The man ran to the cliff’s edge and looked down.

Below was a place called the Pond of the Core, where the waterfalls converged at a single point. It was a dangerous zone that most people avoided unless they were trying to advance to and challenge the second floor of the Core.

But, blinded and paralyzed by excruciating pain, the man leaped toward the Pond of the Core.

“No!” One of his fellow Blood Alliance members screamed as the man dove toward the pond.

Still, she did not move to stop him or think of saving him. If she followed, she’d meet her death as well.

Splash!

“Dammit,” the woman cursed as she confirmed that the man had plunged into the water.

The pond was dangerous in its own right, but the biggest issue was the required amount of Magic Resistance.

The Core required higher Magic Resistance the deeper one went, and the amount recommended when attempting the Pond of the Core was 20. If anyone with less than that entered, their body wouldn’t be able to withstand it, leading to instant death in the worst case.

“Aaaaargh!”

While the woman was occupied by the falling alliance member, another scream rang out from above. And just like that, before she could even fully grasp the situation, she was the only one in her Blood Alliance left on the first floor of the Core.

She gazed at the sky with a hollow expression.

While she wasn’t the strongest on the first floor, she and her fellow Blood Alliance members were all proficient, with over 50% mastery in their Status Windows.

But now, a newbie who had just entered the Core had annihilated them.

What the hell is that absurd power? she thought, terrified.

On the first floor of the Core, only the lowest-tier Red Status Window could be used, regardless of what other colors someone acquired in the fourth stage of the Tutorial Zone.

Unless one had insanely overpowered items, all challengers’ strength would level out as their mastery approached 100% with time.

“Seriously...” Biting her lip, the woman watched the dark wave approaching her.

What is this?

***

Meanwhile, Yoon-Hee was shopping at the local grocery store with Karsiel. She picked up two 500g packs of Korean beef brisket in the meat section, which were on sale for 8,800 won per pack.

She was never going to pass on such a deal.

“Should I make stir-fried beef with bean sprouts? What do you think, Siel?” she asked Karsiel.

“I think that sounds great.” Karsiel, who had transformed into her human form again, nodded enthusiastically.

Since trying ramen, Karsiel had gradually developed a taste for human food, though unlike Yong-Yong, she showed a particular interest in vegetarian dishes.

⌜The Hunter’s Bureau has responded that it will continue its efforts to break into the Core soon, but the public’s reaction remains mostly cold. However, some have defended the Bureau, citing the difficulty of the Core as a valid reason...⌟

After placing the two packs of beef brisket into the shopping cart, Yoon-Hee glanced at the TV in the store airing the news.

She wondered if the day would come when she would get to go to the Core. Although she was growing stronger by the day, her abilities were still only around that of a C-rank Hunter.

The Core, a place that supposedly made even S-rank Hunters struggle, felt like a distant dream.

“By the way, where does Father go for his work trips every weekend?” Yoon-Hee asked suddenly.

At her question, Karsiel flinched and avoided eye contact. “T-that’s... something Master told me to keep secret. He said you would worry, Young Master.”

“Can’t you tell me just a little? I won’t say you told me. I’ll even pretend I don’t know.”

“No. Absolutely not. It’s a secret,” Karsiel said firmly.

“Well, if you say so... Though it sounds like he’s going somewhere I would be worried about, huh?”

“Argh, that’s so unfair! You can’t just deduce it like that!”

Seeing Karsiel’s flustered expression, Yoon-Hee couldn’t help but chuckle, but her smile didn’t last long.

“Hey, Siel.”

“Yes?”

“I’m so happy right now. But sometimes I’m scared. I’m afraid this happiness will disappear someday. It could be gone as soon as tomorrow. That’s why I’m scared to close my eyes at night. I once had a dream like that.”

“What kind of dream?”

“In the dream, everything was just a figment of my imagination... When I woke up, Father was gone, Yong-Yong was gone, and even you weren’t there. So, every day, even though I’m happy, I’m also anxious. I’m afraid everything will suddenly vanish.”

Tears welled up in Yoon-Hee’s eyes, and she wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingers.

“S-sorry. That was a weird thing to say. Let’s just finish shopping.” As Yoon-Hee pushed the shopping cart and walked ahead, Karsiel looked at her with concern.

***

The family was gathered at the table for dinner.

“...is what Young Master said at the store.” As soon as Karsiel finished speaking, Yoon-Hee’s face turned bright red as she fumbled with her chopsticks, accidentally dropping them to the floor.

“S-siel? Did you really just tell them all of that?” she stammered, staring blankly at Karsiel.

Meanwhile, Yong-Yong was chewing on a mouthful of stir-fried beef and rice. He swallowed and said, “Heh. Buddy, even if you tell me to leave, I’m not going anywhere.”

As Yoon-Hee turned beet-red in embarrassment, stammering in front of everyone, Do-Jun watched her silently.

He realized he needed to do something to ease her anxiety. Knowing the kind of household Yoon-Hee had grown up in, he couldn’t just brush off what Karsiel had just told them.

An hour later, Do-Jun got rid of his twin bed and went to a nearby furniture store to buy a king-size bed along with a large blanket to match.

“Wow! It’s so spacious!” Yong-Yong beamed and jumped onto the bed.

“Why the new bed all of a sudden, Father...?”

“The old bed was too small for us to sleep in together.” Do-Jun’s casual response left Yoon-Hee staring at the bed in confusion.

“T-together?”

Nodding, Do-Jun turned off the lights and opened the curtains. As the soft moonlight filled the room in place of the overhead LED light, Do-Jun lay down at the edge of the bed.

“Master, may I lie down too?” Karsiel asked him.

Do-Jun chuckled softly and replied, “Lie down next to Yong-Yong.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Yoon-Hee, don’t just stand there and come over,” he called out to Yoon-Hee.

“Y-yes.”

After cautiously sliding under the blanket, she rested her head on the pillow and glanced to the side. When her eyes met Do-Jun’s, she blushed and quickly turned away.

“This way, you won’t feel as anxious, right?” Do-Jun asked her.

“Sorry...?” Yoon-Hee’s eyes widened as she looked back at Do-Jun. “Wait, did you do all this because of me...?”

“Tsk. She finally got it. So slow,” Yong-Yong clicked his tongue and muttered while Karsiel watched the scene with a satisfied smile.

Do-Jun continued, “From now on, when you wake up, we’ll be right here beside you. And even before you fall asleep, it’ll be the same.”

Yoon-Hee’s face crumpled as if she was about to cry. No, tears were already welling up and spilling from her eyes.

“When I heard what you said earlier, I was genuinely shocked. You see, dragons are creatures that cherish their nests more than anything else. We’ll never leave even if you told us to,” Yong-Yong explained.

Though a bit of exaggeration was mixed in, it was true that dragons valued their nests.

“For both Lord Izaas and me, this house has already become our nest,” Karsiel added.

“And who are you to worry about our Master? He’s the world’s strongest, most invincible being. The only thing you should be concerned with is how to serve delicious meals to me. That’s it,” Yong-Yong said.

As tears flowed continuously from Yoon-Hee’s eyes, Do-Jun pulled her into an embrace and let her rest her head on his arm.

He gently stroked her hair and assured her, “I told you, if something’s bothering you, you should tell me.”

Yoon-Hee broke down at the warmth, letting go of the bottom lip she was biting down on. She tried to hold in her tears, but it was no use.

“Hng... Sob...”

Do-Jun closed his eyes and gently patted his daughter’s back.