Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 159
Chapter 159
In Behemoth Guild’s office in the Hunter’s Bureau, Kang-Hyun leaned back against the plush sofa, staring at the calendar hanging near the automatic door. It had a circle around Saturday, August tenth—the date of the next Core Dive.
He picked up a stack of over fifty pages lying on the table, titled “Core Second Floor Strategy Guide.” This guide was created using information Do-Jun had shared a few months earlier about the Core’s second floor.
Currently, Behemoth Guild was practicing with their orange Status Windows to gather additional intel. Unlike the first floor, starting from the second floor, there was access to a feature called the Core Forum, which resembled the countless online communities of Earth.
The posts varied greatly in content. Some were simple “attendance checks,” while others turned into full-on “keyboard battles,” reminiscent of heated online arguments. Thanks to the anonymity guaranteed by the board, it was impossible to identify the authors or commenters.
Most posts weren’t worth reading, but some were surprisingly helpful, like “Tips for Core Newbies (Ver 1.0).” It was a post by someone using the nickname Cecilia. They claimed to have written it to improve survival chances and help others adapt quickly to the Core. With over twenty thousand likes and a hundred thousand comments, it seemed credible.
Kang-Hyun had copied these “tips” into a notebook that had grown to more than a hundred and fifty pages, with about thirty pages covering the Core’s second floor.
“The most dangerous thing on the second floor is the Tarantuloso.
“It’s a catastrophe that feeds on the massive tree Yggdrasil, which is the foundation of the whole floor.
“Tarantuloso is a byproduct of distortions caused during the Transcendents’ travel to the Deep Realm, and now, not even the Transcendents dare to touch it. If you encounter it, don’t look back—just run.”
However, this information was no longer relevant. The calamity, Tarantuloso, was already dead. Speculation about its death ran rampant on the forum. Some claimed it had been killed by a mysterious adventurer named Lee Do-Jun. Others suggested that one of the Transcendents had eliminated it, or that Solomon’s demons or one of the Kings of the Deep Realm had ascended to the second floor to kill it.
I didn’t believe it at first, Kang-Hyun thought.
He had always acknowledged Do-Jun’s strength, but only to the extent that he was the strongest among humans, not someone capable of handling a catastrophe-level monster alone.
That was until he saw the two dragons napping at Do-Jun’s house.
Kang-Hyun flipped to the Deep Realm section on page 140 of his notebook. A disclaimer at the top warned that the information might not be entirely accurate and should be taken as a reference only. Nevertheless, the crucial part was the story of the Deep Realm’s past.
“The Great War in the Deep Realm was akin to a blazing hell. The armies of evil, countless kings, and Transcendents clashed, wiping out insignificant beings in the blink of an eye. Even ordinary monsters were annihilated. The war reached peak chaos when dragons and spirits entered the fray. On the brink of complete destruction, the slumbering Dragon Lord awoke, unified the Deep Realm, and brought the war to an end. Everyone in the Deep Realm feared the Dragon Lord, who disappeared after the war. The inhabitants of the Deep Realm revered him as the Overlord.”
The Dragon Lord, named Izaas. Rumor had it that all dragons were numbered in the order they were born, and Izaas, the first dragon, ruled over all others. The number “1” was said to be engraved on his forehead. And the dragon at Do-Jun’s house bore that very number.
Then does that mean...
The Overlord, who had once ruled the Deep Realm, was being kept as a pet by Do-Jun.
So, that makes the true lord of the Deep Realm...
***
The Deep Realm was in turmoil due to the death of Tang Gak, the Poison King and the seventh-ranked Transcendent; several of Solomon’s demons; as well as the fall of Kamatra, the third commander of Demon King Baal’s legion. Amidst the Deep Realm’s escalating power struggles, whispers of Earth’s king began to surface.
Demon King Baal had temporarily ceased activities following the loss of his commander. As a result, the Deep Realm experienced a brief and fragile peace.
The strongest figures in the Deep Realm grew increasingly curious, and one question lingered on everyone’s mind: Who is this ‘king of Earth’? Without visiting Earth, there was no way to confirm anything, but those who reportedly encountered the king of Earth were said to have all perished.
Only two Transcendents, who had stepped back from the fight for power, were privy to the truth.
***
Beneath the glow of two moons, atop Mount Yeongryunsan, stood a house where the Transcendent, Wei Zhongqi, had secluded himself.
“Dammit!” Kiriel gritted his teeth, clutching his pen tightly.
The reason he was writing this reflection paper was solely due to that wretched lizard number five. What made it even more infuriating was that lizard finished his paper in just three hours and even passed Do-Jun’s review!
“That cursed bastard lizard. How did he write all ten pages?”
The lamplight flickered inside the house where Wei Zhongqi and Kiriel sat across from each other at a desk. Wei Zhongqi was poring over the secret manual of the Heavenly Demonism’s swordsmanship, the Nine Heavenly Demon Sword, while Kiriel tugged at his hair, struggling with his letter.
Kiriel tried asking for help. “Wei Zhong—”
“No.”
“At least let me finish what I was gonna say!”
“Do you even realize how many pages from the Book of Transfer you’ve taken?” Wei Zohongqi asked.
“I-I'm sorry! But! There were circumstances this time!”
“You told me. You ran into Hakase.”
“Exactly!”
“But you were the one who started the fight.”
“B-but would you be able to hold back after seeing that bastard lizard’s stupid face?” Kiriel pleaded.
Wei Zhongqi shrugged. Hakase, the Fifth Dragon, didn’t really have much to do with him. Although they weren’t allies by any means, Wei Zhongqi had no reason to hold a grudge now, nor to pick a fight.
“Honestly, I blame the Earth’s king as well. Who gives something back and just takes it away again?”
Kiriel had lost his treasured Gungnir again.
Wei Zhongqi sighed, watching Kiriel grumble as he wrote his reflection paper.
“Kiriel. Don’t you think you’re lucky?” he asked.
“Lucky? Me? In this situation? Are you mocking me?” freewēbnoveℓ.com
“Look at this,” Wei Zhongqi said and handed him a piece of paper.
Written on it were the names of several powerful figures from the Deep Realm: Vapula, the Flame King, Amon, and Kamatra. These individuals had made a significant impact in the Deep Realm.
“What about them?” Kiriel asked, puzzled.
“They’ve all been erased from the rankings. They’re dead.”
“So? Death is common in this world. You never know who’s next tomorrow.”
“You know what they all have in common? Earth. They all went to Earth,” Wei Zhongqi explained.
“To Earth...?”
“Who do you think killed them?”
Kiriel’s face went pale. He snatched the paper and scanned the list of names. Only one person on Earth was capable of taking down beings of that caliber.
“You’ve gone to Earth four times now, haven’t you?” Wei Zhongqi asked.
“Y-yes.”
“And yet, you’re still alive. Lucky, very lucky.”
Sweat began to drip from Kiriel’s hands, soaking into the paper.
“You can borrow the Book of Transfer again. But before you meet the Heavenly Demon, I suggest you finish that paper properly.”
Kiriel swallowed hard, straightened his posture reverently, and gripped his pen. Noticing Kiriel's tension, Wei Zhongqi couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
The lamplight flickered again.
***
On Sunday evening, after finishing dinner, Karsiel stepped out of the apartment building and onto the street. Not far from Changshin Villa, warm light spilled from a roadside food stall.
After wrecking the road and being reprimanded by Do-Jun on Friday, Hakase likely felt down. Remembering that Do-Jun had personally covered the repairs, including replacing fences and fixing walls over the weekend, Karsiel figured the scolding was deserved.
Still, her kind heart led her to go comfort Hakase.
“Hakase—huh?” Karsiel was surprised.
Hakase was busy cooking while holding a book titled “Top 30 Street Food Recipes.” So engrossed was he that he hadn’t noticed Karsiel’s arrival.
“Hakase,” she called again.
“Oh! Hi, Karsiel!” Hakase grinned widely, attempting to lift Karsiel into the air.
“S-stop it! No spinning me around here!”
“Ah, I almost broke the stall out of excitement.”
All Karsiel could do was sigh.
“So, what brings you here? Craving some taiyaki?” Hakase asked her.
“No, not really. I just...”
A month ago, as punishment for picking a fight with Do-Jun, Hakase had been ordered to sell taiyaki throughout the summer. Normally, Hakase enjoyed tinkering with machinery in his nest, but running the stall had taken away his time for mechanical research, leaving him noticeably dejected. To make matters worse, after damaging the road, his punishment had been extended through the winter.
But why is he smiling? To Karsiel’s surprise, Hakase seemed genuinely cheerful.
“Perfect timing! I needed a taste tester,” Hakase stated.
“A taste test?”
“Yeah. I followed the recipe, but I’m not sure if it’s good enough for humans. Their tastes can be so picky these days. Here, try this.”
The first dish was a rolled omelet. Still steaming, the thick omelet was garnished with parsley, making it look quite appetizing.
Karsiel took a bite.
The seasoning was just right. Soft and moist inside, contrary to its appearance. Karsiel’s eyes widened from the delicious taste.
“Well? Is it good enough for humans?” Hakase asked.
“Yeah, but not just good... this is amazing.”
It was impressive. Though not quite at Yoon-Hee’s level, it was easily restaurant-quality.
“Really?” Hakase clasped Karsiel’s hands and leaned in, his face uncomfortably close.
Feeling awkward, Karsiel pulled her hands away and leaned back, nodding. Seemingly encouraged, Hakase began serving more dishes: grilled chicken skewers, seafood pancakes, spicy whelk salad, buttered shrimp, and more.
“H-Hakase, I’m too full to eat another bite!”
“But I still have more recipes to show you...”
“I told you I already ate dinner, you idiot!”
Hakase scratched his head awkwardly.
“Hmm... Hakase, hang in there until winter. If it gets too hard, let me know. I’ll talk to Master for you.”
Startled, Hakase’s eyes widened.
“N-no, that’s not necessary!” he said, seemingly panicking, for some reason.
“But if you’re struggling—”
Hakase quickly looked around before leaning in and whispering, “This... this is actually kinda fun.”
***
Meanwhile, Do-Jun, feeling guilty for extending Hakase’s punishment, had left the apartment about twenty minutes ago to tell him he could stop after summer instead.
“Anyway, keep this a secret, okay?” Hakase told Karsiel.
“Got it.”
“It’s our little secret. If you promise, I’ll give you free taiyaki.”
“Okay, I promise,” Karsiel said.
Leaning against the corner of an alley with his arms crossed, Do-Jun overheard their conversation. He smiled faintly and looked up at the night sky. As he gazed at the glittering stars, he made a silent promise to himself.
To keep their secret.
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