Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 347

Yoon-Hee sat on a moving bus, looking out the window. The last class of the second semester was nearly here. The phrase “time flies” crossed her mind. It felt like just yesterday she had joined the Academy, and now, in a little while, she would be starting her third and final year of school.

“Alright, everyone. You all seem a little too excited, but remember—this isn’t just a fun field trip; it’s a training camp. This counts towards your grades, which will affect your class placement for the third year, so take the practical seriously!” reminded the instructor.

The final class for second-years was a training camp. Unlike regular schools, where students went on fun retreats, the Hunter Academy assigned each class to a different location chosen by its instructor. For Yoon-Hee’s Class A, the training camp would be held at Bogwang Temple, located in Yeonje-gu, Busan.

“Yes, sir!” the students responded energetically.

The instructor set the microphone down and returned to his seat. The students, still buzzing with excitement, continued chatting noisily. But he didn’t bother stopping them. While it was true they were Academy students, they were still teenagers, and the mere fact of traveling somewhere together with friends was thrilling for them.

“Ugh, I need a nap,” the instructor muttered after checking that there was about an hour left until they arrived.

He put on a sleep mask, leaned his seat back slightly, and crossed his arms. He had been busy preparing since dawn, and he quickly dozed off. Soon, he was snoring loudly.

At that moment, as if on cue, the whole bus fell silent, and the class president signaled to the students. One by one, they pulled out bottles of various shapes and sizes from their bags. It was alcohol—liquor hidden in cider bottles, soju tucked away inside Pringles cans—every trick in the book had been employed.

“Hurry up, we have to stash them before the instructor wakes up,” reminded the class president, unzipping a large duffel bag.

Each student placed their designated ration—either one bottle of soju or two cans of beer—inside. That’s when Jin-Soo revealed a bottle that looked expensive at a glance. The students let out quiet gasps when they saw the engraving on the label: Ballantine’s.

“Whoa, what’s that?”

“This is called a ‘Ballentine’s’ Whiskey,” Jin-Soo answered.

“Oho! Jin-Soo never disappoints! What about you, Hye-Jung?”

“I brought soju.”

“Nice, nice. What about you, Yoon-Hee?”

Yoon-Hee hesitated, looking slightly troubled.

But the class president quickly nodded in understanding. It wasn’t easy for minors to obtain alcohol. They weren’t going to pressure her if she hadn’t managed to get any.

“No worries at all. We’ve got tons already! Alright, that’s everything—”

That’s when a voice interjected, “Here.”

“Oh! Yong-Yong, I didn’t expect you to come through like this!” said the class president.

“Ahem!” Yong-Yong puffed out his chest as he handed over a bottle.

It looked quite different from the others. The white porcelain container bore letters written in a traditional style, “Jukyeopcheong.”

“Is this Chinese liquor? Whoa, didn’t see that coming.” The class president gave a thumbs-up before heading back to the rear of the bus.

Yoon-Hee and Karsiel stared at Yong-Yong in disbelief.

“What? You guys seriously think I stole this from Master’s stash? Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Yong-Yong placated them.

***

Murmu pointed at the twelve-pack of Choco Pie in Wei Zhongqi’s hands. “Wei Zhongqi. Where’d you get that?”

“This? I traded with the Overlord.” Wei Zhongqi pulled out a Choco Pie and handed it to Murmu. “You want one?”

“If you’re offering, sure. What did you trade for it?”

“Jukyeopcheong.”

“Oh! That’s a steal!”

Wei Zhongqi nodded in agreement.

***

The Academy aimed to use the training camp to both ensure public safety and enhance the students’ abilities; it was a win-win strategy.

Two weeks ago, the sudden emergence of a Great Fissure called Troll’s Forest within Bogwang Temple had left the monks feeling anxious. They were more than grateful for the arrival of skilled students from the Hunter Academy. The temple would be rid of a major threat, while the Academy had a place to stay and an opportunity for real combat training. It was the perfect arrangement.

“Thank you for making the journey.” A monk tapped his wooden bell and bowed slightly to the instructor.

The instructor returned the greeting before turning to face the Fissure entrance, still gaping in midair. Since he had already planned the operation during his reconnaissance a few days earlier, he gave the students their instructions without delay.

The students, including Yoon-Hee, prepared their suits and equipment. With their instructor leading the way, they confidently entered the Fissure for the final raid of the semester.

***

The raid was a huge success, completed in under two hours and ten minutes. Not a single person was injured or killed. Just that alone made it a major win.

Now showered and dressed in clean clothes, the students gathered in the main hall of the temple.

The monks, free of their previous troubles, wore serene smiles.

“We don’t have any fancy food, but please, eat as much as you’d like,” a monk said.

“Thank you!” the students answered in unison.

The monk slid the wooden door shut as he left.

With limited space in the dining hall, the students ate together in the main hall, sitting in small groups. In front of each student was a traditional Buddhist meal, consisting of multigrain rice, spinach, bean sprouts, kimchi, and dried radish soup. There wasn’t a trace of meat in sight. It was a standard temple meal, but it was something they had all expected, so there were no complaints...or so they thought.

“Grrrrrrrrr.”

“Who’s growling...? Do we have a dog somewhere?” Jin-Soo glanced around, then spotted Yong-Yong.

Yong-Yong was grinding his teeth in fury. Clearly, he was extremely displeased with the menu.

“Lord Izaas, please, you must preserve your dignity as the Dragon Lord...” Karsiel whispered but trailed off as she pondered, Wait... does Lord Izaas even have any dignity left?

A meal without meat had shattered Yong-Yong. He looked truly and utterly devastated.

“Sheesh, he’s impossible,” Yoon-Hee muttered and sighed before pulling something from her bag.

It was leftover sweet-and-spicy chicken from the rest stop. The moment she handed it to Yong-Yong, his entire demeanor changed. He broke into a radiant smile and began scarfing down the chicken with his rice.

Hye-Jung sat beside Jin-Soo and couldn’t contain her laughter after seeing the scene. She said to Karsiel, “Pfft. You two are complete opposites.”

No one knew what species they were, but she had heard that Yong-Yong and Karsiel were the same kind of monster. And yet, they couldn’t be more different. From their eating habits to their personalities and even the way they spoke, they were polar opposites.

“Anyway, does anyone remember what time we have to wake up tomorrow?” Jin-Soo asked.

“The instructor said we’re leaving at 9 AM.”

“Oh, right. So 8 AM should be fine.”

The instructor had already finished eating and was conducting a final check on the Fissure. It was unclear how long that would take, but the students were told that once he finished, he would head to the private room the temple had prepared for him and get some rest.

A student glanced around hesitantly before carefully speaking up. “Should we start drinking...?”

“Isn’t it a bit early...?”

“Early is one thing, but... are we really going to drink?”

“If the instructor catches us, we’re screwed. And if you think about it, we’re at a temple. It’s not exactly the best place for underage drinking.”

A strange tension filled the air among the students. Most of them had already finished eating. To commemorate their last class as second-year students, they had brought alcohol. Finally, after a brief moment of hesitation, the class president lugged the bag of bottles, struggling under its weight.

As the zipper opened, an array of colorful bottles revealed themselves in their full glory. Most were beer, followed by soju.

The students started talking excitedly.

“Whoa...”

“So this is the famous Ballantine’s...”

“What’s this one?”

“Yong-Yong called it jukyeopcheong.”

“Oh, yes, yes, jukyeopcheong is good.”

“You’ve never even tried it. How would you know?”

The students who had been hesitating just moments ago suddenly had a glint in their eyes. For teenagers like them, drinking was nothing short of a dream come true.

Yoon-Hee hesitated at the sight of her friends’ greedy expressions.

She said cautiously, “Guys, wouldn’t it be a huge nuisance to the monks if we had a drinking party here?” 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

With a hiss, the class president popped open a beer can and whispered loudly, “Oh, come on, Yoon-Hee, you worry too much. Of course, we know that! Listen up, everyone! We drink quietly and clean up everything afterward. Got it? We gotta leave things squeaky clean.”

Once one person started, the rest of the students followed, each grabbing a can of beer.

Realizing there was no stopping them, Yoon-Hee reluctantly joined in. However, knowing her embarrassingly low alcohol tolerance, she opted for a can of cola instead.

As time passed, a small smile crept onto her lips. This is... great... hehe.

She was genuinely enjoying the time spent with her friends.

Noticing her smile, Karsiel leaned in close, resting against her thigh.

***

The drinking session that started at six in the evening went past ten at night. Aside from a few who had already passed out, about thirty students were still somewhat holding on. For most, this was their first time drinking, so even a small amount had left many incredibly drunk. Soft breathing filled the air.

Karsiel checked on Yoon-Hee, who had dozed off, and gently laid a blanket over her. Then, one by one, she spread out blankets for the other students as well.

Meanwhile, the thirty or so remaining students smacked their lips as they stared at the dwindling supply of alcohol.

Then, the class president suddenly spoke. “Hey, guys.”

“Hm?”

“Did you know?” He lowered his voice dramatically, creating a sense of intrigue.

The students, sipping on their drinks or munching on snacks, turned their attention to him.

“So, Behemoth is making its way deeper into the Core, right?”

The mention of the Core made everyone perk up. It was no surprise. Among Hunters, the words “Behemoth” and “Core” were always the most fascinating topics.

“The Hunter’s Bureau announced that the strongest Rankers in the Core are Imfelheim and Baal, right?” said the class president.

“Right, I saw that on TV too.” Hye-Jung chuckled, taking a sip of her beer.

Then, she glanced at Jin-Soo, who had fallen asleep against her shoulder, drooling. Sighing, but also smiling, she grabbed a pillow and blanket and tucked him in.

The class president scanned his friends, ensuring he had everyone’s attention. “I heard from Hunter Kwak Young-Ho... that there’s actually an unofficial Ranker even stronger than those two.”

“No way. You’re kidding, right?”

“Come on, would an S-ranker like Hunter Kwak lie about that?”

“S-so...?” Hye-Jung prompted, blinking in curiosity.

Seeing the excitement in his classmates’ eyes, the class president grinned and carried on. “They call him the Overlord among the Rankers. Apparently, he’s the real King of the Core. The final boss, basically.”

“Ahem,” Yong-Yong cleared his throat, realizing where the conversation was headed.

“His true identity... is the King of Dragons. In other words, the Dragon Lord,” declared the class president.

A hush settled over the group. To humans, dragons represented the ultimate symbol of fear, with power beyond that of ordinary monsters. And the lord of those dragons? That was a whole other level.

“But here’s the real kicker—that Dragon Lord is currently living on Earth,” the class president revealed.

“AHEM!”

“They say dragons have numbers on their foreheads that indicate their rank. And the Dragon Lord... has the number one engraved on his forehead.”

“AHEHEHEHEM!”

“Yong-Yong, could you not interrupt me while I’m talking?” The class president shot an annoyed glare at Yong-Yong, who had been repeatedly and annoyingly clearing his throat.

But then, he froze as his gaze landed on Yong-Yong’s forehead. A clearly etched “1” was visible there.

Yong-Yong tapped his forehead twice with his front paw. Then, puffing out his chest, he struck a proud, triumphant pose.