Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 252

The Core connected to every existing planet, spreading its Encroachment across them. When a planet was fully Encroached, the lifeforms on those planets were forcibly transported to the tutorial zone.

This tutorial was a system designed to help lives survive in the Core—kind of like a “consideration.” However, despite this intent, very few adventurers survived. Many died during the tutorial itself, and the further they went, the fewer survivors remained—exponentially so.

Hidden Pieces were extraordinary, almost unfair artifacts and skills scattered throughout the Core, designed to aid adventurers in survival. However, finding a Hidden Piece was like finding a needle in a haystack, and the challenges that one had to overcome in order to acquire them were overwhelmingly difficult.

“What’s the point of Hidden Pieces if they’re nearly impossible to find?” the adventurers would say.

Some adventurers discovered the traps hidden among the Hidden Pieces.

“These bastards have such a twisted sense of humor. If there’s something genuinely useful for us, they make sure to mess with it. Sometimes, a Hidden Piece comes with a trap, and if that’s the case, you’re as good as dead, really.”

Some adventurers, even after discovering trials leading to a Hidden Piece, deliberately avoided attempting them.

In the worst-case scenario, the traps could summon monsters or other beings impossible to defeat at the level of an average adventurer.

***

Early Friday morning, Do-Jun was reading the morning newspaper when he suddenly remembered that Behemoth would soon move to the fifth floor of the Core. He pulled out his smartphone and reviewed the materials he had provided Behemoth about the fifth floor’s Hidden Piece trials.

There were three trials on the fifth floor. The first was the “Ancient Dragon’s Resting Place,” the second was the “Inverted Tree,” and the last was the “Sealed Chest.”

The first two trials were manageable, suitable for Behemoth to challenge if they had enough resources and time. However, he had advised against even touching the third trial. Do-Jun was aware of the trap concealed within the Sealed Chest but had chosen not to remove it.

He tapped the dining table with his finger, lost in thought.

***

In Mount Yeongryunsan, Deep Realm, Wei Zhongqi was boiling water in a large pot, adding various medicinal herbs and simmering them for hours. Once the decoction was strained and reduced for half a day, it became a potent medicinal concentrate. Adding rare herbs like Gujisin Leaf or Seolsam at this stage transformed it into a specialized vitality pill called the Special Sustenance Pill.

This method was one Do-Jun had taught him. Unlike the standard sustenance pill, which merely suppressed hunger, this special version also boosted internal energy, greatly aiding closed-door training.

The white knot tied to his sword’s hilt swayed in the breeze. At the knot’s end, a small jade stone dangled, moving gently. This knot was a token given to members of the Shadowless Squad during Wei Zhongqi’s time in the Heavenly Demon Cult. Though the knot itself was ordinary, the jade stone was not. It was linked to the “Sealed Chest” that imprisoned Guang Le, one of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s three Supreme Demons and the former commander of Baal’s Legion.

Wei Zhongqi had learned from Imfelheim that Guang Le had been cursed and sealed into a Hidden Piece by Baal’s authority for offending him. This jade stone, also obtained from Imfelheim, was connected to that seal. If someone released Guang Le from his seal, the jade stone would glow.

If he awakens again... Wei Zhongqi shook off the thought, deciding not to worry about something so unlikely, and stood up.

However, as if his thoughts had unconsciously come to life, the jade stone at the knot’s end emitted a faint glow.

***

The Rise Blood Alliance had spent a long time exploring the fifth floor of the Core and had finally discovered a trial that led to a Hidden Piece. At the edge of a cliff was a sealed chest, pressed down by a massive boulder. When they stepped onto what should have been the edge, another cliff appeared as if it connected to a different dimension. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

[Trial – Proof of Strength]

The task was straightforward: simply remove the massive boulder weighing down the sealed chest.

Candel, the Monarch of the Rise Blood Alliance, urged his members forward toward the boulder. However, as they advanced, their steps grew slower.

“L-Lord Candel...” said one of the members.

“What is it?”

“I don’t have a good feeling about this....”

The members' faces were pale, not just because of the trial but also from instinctive fear of hidden traps that might activate even if they succeeded. Rumors on the message boards suggested that Hidden Pieces often concealed traps, and if one were present here, it could lead to the complete destruction of the blood alliance, including their monarch.

“Hmm...” Candel glanced at the pale faces of his members, then shifted his gaze to the massive boulder. Then, he stepped forward.

Even if their fears were justified, there was no choice but to press on. Doing nothing would accomplish nothing. To survive in the Core, one had to keep moving.

“Push it.”

The Monarch’s command was absolute. Though reluctant, the members obeyed and placed their hands on the boulder, chanting as they started to push. Strangely, the boulder didn’t move, making them doubt the sweat and tears they had shed over their last two hundred years on the fifth floor of the Core.

“Lord Candel, it’s not moving.”

Candel unwrapped the bandages from his fists. He expanded the qi stored within his body and channeled it into his palms. This was Arhat Palm, a high-level skill he had learned from an immortal on the fourth floor of the Core. It infused his hands with explosive force, granting them several times their usual strength.

“Hup!”

With a thunderous boom, a powerful shockwave erupted as the magical energy in his palms was unleashed.

The alliance members watched in awe as Candel’s ultimate skill began to take effect. The once-immovable boulder started to shift, albeit slowly, with each strike of the Arhat Palm. Finally, the boulder tumbled off the cliff with a loud rumble, revealing the sealed chest beneath.

The dull and dark chest had the words Guang Le engraved on its surface.

Candel slowly reached for the chest, but even before his hand touched it, the lid began to creak open on its own, and a massive figure over two and a half meters tall emerged.

It was a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties, with a thick beard that gave him a calm and impressive look—but his expression was anything but calm. It twisted into something grotesque, like a ravenous beast, as he began to chuckle darkly.

In an instant, his blood-stained palm pierced through Candel’s body.

The sheer impact sent Candel flying hundreds of meters before his body crashed into the ground, completely destroyed. The blood clan marks on the hands of his clan members vanished instantly. Their lord, Candel, had been killed on the spot.

“How do you like my Surah Blood Palm?” asked the bearded man.

The adventurers trembled uncontrollably, their bodies shaking like leaves. They were left with nothing—only the thought of fleeing consumed their minds. The man’s overwhelming size and power made them feel as insignificant as insects.

“Run!”

Though their alliance marks were gone, the vice-monarch shouted at the adventurers to flee. His command snapped them out of their shock, and they scattered in all directions. Instinctively, they knew their best chance of survival was to disperse.

“Ahahahaha!

Watching the fleeing adventurers, Guang Le cackled maniacally. But then, abruptly, his laughter ceased. His expression contorted with rage as he began chasing down the adventurers one by one, striking them with his Surah Blood Palm.

“Don’t you even dare think about running from me.”

***

Wei Zhongqi ascended the floors. His breathing became ragged, and his heart felt like it might explode, not from the exertion of running, but from fear.

Back when he was just a low-ranking member of the Shadowless Squad in the Heavenly Demon Sect, the person who had struck terror into him was now his opponent: Guang Le, one of the Three Supreme Demons. Although time had passed, the terrible memories from those days still gripped him like PTSD.

The Heavenly Demon Sect was a place where power was everything, and Guang Le had thrived under the doctrine of the supremacy of the strong.

The entrance to the fifth floor of the Core came into view. Wei Zhongqi activated his lightfoot technique and moved swiftly toward the entrance.

***

Upon entering the fifth floor of the Core, the first thing he saw was a blood-soaked cliff. Standing there, grinning with a sinister sneer, was a massive bear-like figure.

Though Wei Zhongqi had witnessed countless horrific scenes before, his breathing instinctively quickened at the one in front of him now.

The figure’s massive body was wrapped in a worn martial robe, with a black cord tied around his waist. Guang Le turned his head, initially thinking he had missed one of the fleeing adventurers earlier. But as he looked closer and realized it was no ordinary adventurer, a twisted grin spread across his face.

“You’re different from the riffraff, aren’t you?” he said.

Wei Zhongqi didn’t respond.

“Hm? Wait a second...” Guang Le’s gaze fell on the white cord tied to Wei Zhongqi’s sword hilt.

His lips curled upward, and soon he let out a laugh, one tinged with madness. If his hunch was correct...

“You’re from the Central Plains, aren’t you? That cord and color... I’ve only seen those on members of the Shadowless Squad in the Heavenly Demon Sect.” Guang Le chuckled, clearly entertained.

To think there was someone else here from the Central Plains—someone from the same Heavenly Demon Sect, no less. It was, admittedly, a pleasant surprise. But that was all.

“If you’re truly a member of the Shadowless Squad, then show proper respect to me, your master.”

Up close, Guang Le’s size was even more imposing. Wei Zhongqi fought to suppress his growing sense of intimidation.

What did it matter if this was a former Supreme Demon? This wasn’t the Heavenly Demon Sect. This was the Core.

Still, one thing bothered Wei Zhongqi. “Master...?”

When he muttered the word, Guang Le leaped forward, kicking off the ground with immense force. His hands started to glow with a crimson aura.

Wei Zhongqi instantly recognized the technique as Surah Blood Palm. It was Guang Le’s signature martial art, the technique that had solidified his place as one of the Three Supreme Demons.

One thing was certain: a single direct hit would be devastating.

Wei Zhongqi swiftly swung his sword to deploy Barrier. Fortunately, the double-layered technique managed to block Guang Le’s Surah Blood Palm. Or so he thought.

“Gagh!”

A dark handprint was seared onto Wei Zhongqi’s chest. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, he quickly retreated to create distance.

Guang Le chuckled at the sight. “For a mere Shadowless Squad member, you’re not bad. To think you’d block my Surah Blood Palm.”

Wei Zhongqi continued to breathe heavily.

“Now, bow before me. If you’re truly a member of the Heavenly Demon Sect, show respect to your master,” Guang Le commanded.

“In the Heavenly Demon Sect, the only one worthy of being addressed as ‘Master’ is the Heavenly Demon himself,” retorted Wei Zhongqi.

Guang Le’s grin grew wider. The man in front of him wasn’t wrong. In the sect, only the Heavenly Demon could claim the title of Master.

“Young one.” A dark glint flashed in Guang Le’s eyes. “I am the Heavenly Demon.”