Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 351

One day prior.

In the Cheonjon Hall of Bogwang Temple, the Head Monk let out a deep sigh. “Amitabha...”

“That said, I regret to inform you that we won’t be able to assist this time.” The news brought by Yang Won-Kyung, the instructor of Class 2-A, was not good.

Just as they finally felt relief after successfully raiding a B-rank Great Fissure, as if fate were playing a cruel joke, another one appeared nearby. After an independent investigation, Won-Kyung determined that this new Great Fissure was an A-rank.

No matter how skilled the students of Class A were, at the end of the day, they were still just trainees. An A-rank Great Fissure was far beyond their capabilities. If they attempted to handle it, there was a high chance they wouldn’t make it out alive.

Feeling guilty about delivering such bad news, Won-Kyung instead suggested a more practical solution. “There won’t be a Fissure Break anytime soon, so you won’t have to worry about monsters pouring out uncontrollably. You have enough time to request an extermination team from the Hunter’s Bureau headquarters, so that’s what you should do. They’ll likely send capable Hunters within a month to handle it.”

Although he said a month, in reality, it could take several times longer. New Fissures emerged across the country every day. On average, one A-rank Great Fissure emerged each week. The Head Monk was aware of this reality, and the truth was that if things dragged on, the wait could extend up to a year.

“Amitabha, Amitabha...” he muttered in distraught.

Even the B-rank Great Fissure raid request had been submitted to the Hunter’s Bureau months ago, yet no one had come to handle it. Thankfully, the Academy had extended a helping hand.

There were too many Fissures but too few Hunters. And among them, strong Hunters were even scarcer. The best Hunters were already stretched thin handling the Great Fissures prioritized by the Hunter’s Bureau. After all, there was no reason for them to voluntarily take on the burden of an unclaimed Fissure, especially one that hadn’t even been strategized for yet.

“Thank you for your help,” the Head Monk expressed his gratitude for the Academy’s help thus far.

“Not at all. I apologize that we couldn’t be of more help.”

At Won-Kyung’s apology, the Head Monk shook his head. They had already received more than enough grace. The Hunter Academy had practically saved the lives of everyone at the Bogwang Temple. It would be unreasonable to ask for anything more. A Buddhist should never forget gratitude.

With a benevolent smile, the Head Monk said, “You’re welcome to stay another night. Heavy rain is expected soon—why not wait until morning, when the rain clears, before heading back?”

Dark clouds were indeed rolling in, but it was only just past eleven in the morning. Taking the bus back down was still an option, but rejecting the Head Monk’s kindness felt outright wrong. After bowing his head in acceptance, Won-Kyung quietly left the room.

Was this karma? Or a trial? The odds were low, but if even a single monster emerged from the Great Fissure, the entire area could be devastated. Still, that didn’t mean the Head Monk could ask someone to do what was so obviously not feasible.

At that moment, an elderly monk stepped into the room. He was the Abbot in charge of managing the temple. He pressed his hands together in greeting toward the Head Monk. Although his expression remained composed, his anger was evident.

“We cannot sit idly by,” the Abbot declared.

“Hmm...” The Head Monk hummed in acknowledgement as he thought, So, he has heard the news. But what can be done?

They didn’t have the power to exterminate a Great Fissure themselves. The Head Monk fully understood the Abbot’s frustration, but what the Abbot said next was completely beyond his expectations.

“I’m talking about that monster, Yong-Yong!” said the Abbot.

“Yong-Yong?”

The Head Monk thought of the Academy students and recalled hearing that one of them had brought along two monsters. One of their names was Yong-Yong.

“You won’t believe what I have to tell you! I-I just can’t anymore!” the Abbot exclaimed, annoyed.

“Why are you so upset...?”

“How could that monster demand samgyeopsal at a Buddhist temple?! I don’t expect them to practice all the same Buddhist rituals we do perfectly, or enjoy the meals we eat. Sure, they’ve lived in the secular world for a long time, so temple food might not suit their tastes. But samgyeopsal! Of all things! Samgyeopsal! Samgyeopsal! That’s just too much!”

Buddhism generally forbids taking life and the consumption of meat. Although the strictness of these rules varies by sect, the Jong Faction, to which the Bogwang Temple belonged, was relatively lenient. Still, the Abbot was not pleased that Yong-Yong had so openly requested samgyeopsal inside the temple.

“I understand how you feel, but they are our honored guests at Bogwang Temple,” the Head Monk said patiently. “They traveled all the way from Seoul to offer us their aid. They successfully eliminated the Great Fissure for us. In such a situation, would it be right to force them to follow temple dietary restrictions?”

“So, are you saying we should slaughter a pig and grill it for them?” the Abbot retorted.

“Hmm... well, when you put it like that...

Killing animals directly for food was strictly forbidden. If the guests had simply slaughtered and brought their own meat, the monks wouldn’t have interfered. But asking the monks to prepare the meat themselves? That was absolutely out of the question.

“Yong-Yong, huh...?” the Head Monk said in contemplation.

***

Ah, man. I just want to go home already, Yong-Yong thought this for the nth time.

His stomach growled. After all, for lunch, all he had was stir-fried mushrooms and vegetables, and he despised both. As a result, he barely ate anything for dinner. Naturally, hunger gnawed at him.

At this time of day, he would normally be eating a cup ramen with sausages, then heading to the store across the street for ice cream as dessert. If he ever joined the temple, he would most definitely become a renegade monk.

At that moment, a dignified and compassionate monk approached him. Perched on the wooden porch, Yong-Yong glanced up at him.

“Amitabha... May I sit beside you?” the monk asked him.

“Yeah, sure, why not?”

“I heard you weren’t satisfied with the meal.”

“Tsk, honestly, I can’t say that I am.”

“My sincerest apologies for not serving you better,” the monk said.

“It’s fine. I’ll eat properly once I’m back home tomorrow.”

“Thank you for your understanding. Amitabha.”

Yong-Yong didn’t scold him because it was obvious the monk genuinely felt remorseful. It wasn’t his place to get angry, anyway. He knew he was just being picky.

The monk suddenly gave a long sigh.

“That’s a rather deep sigh. Something wrong?” Yong-Yong asked.

“I’d like to say it’s nothing, but the newly emerged Great Fissure weighs heavily on my mind. Instructor Yang Won-Kyung told me not to worry, but... but what if something happens?”

“Pfft, that’s nothing.”

“Yong-Yong, it isn’t ‘nothing.’ It’s a huge concern for us.” The Head Monk’s face darkened.

No matter how many times he chanted “Amitabha” in his heart, the unease wouldn’t go away. It was only natural. An A-rank Great Fissure was right there, under their noses. Who could remain at peace knowing that?

“We’ll handle it for you. We’ll raid that Great Fissure,” Yong-Yong promised.

“Excuse me? Do you mean that?”

“I don’t say things I don’t mean. Hunters help people in distress. That’s literally their job. Of course, if we do raid it, it’d be nice if you grilled some samgyeopsal for us. I mean, just saying. Oh, and I prefer mine cut thick. Again, just saying. Don’t worry too much about it.”

The Head Monk looked at the little monster in silence.

“So, what do you think?” Yong-Yong asked.

“If you could really make that Great Fissure go away, preparing samgyeopsal won’t be a problem. But Instructor Yang Won-Kyung said it would be impossible—” The Head Monk was interrupted.

“That guy just laaacked the effort!”

Yong-Yong dusted off his backside with his front paws. Then, without hesitation, he trotted toward the room where the students were staying.

The Head Monk blinked, watching him go.

***

Was it because they ate lunch early? No, it was because the meal was too meager in the first place. Except for the few students who naturally ate little, the rest were feeling the gnawing hunger. Yesterday, they managed to get by with the snacks they brought from home, but today, eating only temple food all day was proving to be a real struggle.

“Ugh, if I had to live off temple food for the rest of my life, I think I’d die,” a student complained.

“Agreed. The little beggar in my stomach would riot.”

“Hah... Well, at least we’re going home tomorrow.”

Leaving an A-rank Great Fissure behind felt somewhat unsettling, but there were no other options. With their current skill levels, a full raid of an A-rank Fissure was out of the question. If they worked together, they might be able to take down one or two monsters at best, but anything beyond that was simply impossible.

“Still, if the Hunter’s Bureau can’t do anything about it right now, can’t Yong-Yong or Karsiel handle the raid instead? With their strength, it doesn’t seem like it’d be an issue...” the class president said.

Hearing this, Jin-Soo and Hye-Jung nodded in agreement. It still felt like a dream—the memory of their time in the Core was so vivid they would never be able to forget it.

Curled up on Yoon-Hee’s lap, Karsiel pondered for a moment. It does need to be taken care of...

That’s when the door flew open with a thunderous crash as if a bomb had gone off.

The class president, who had been lying near the door reading a book, jolted in shock, scrambling back. “Could you not?! Take it easy for once!”

Yong-Yong didn’t care one bit about what the class president was saying. He himself had something to say.

“Who wants to go raid that Great Fissure? I’m taking thirty with me, first-come, first-served.” His words were as shocking as they could get.

“Thirty...? That’s... all of us, isn’t it?”

“Oh, really? Now, that’s convenient.”

The sudden declaration left the students stunned. An A-rank Great Fissure was well beyond their capabilities. Even the instructors had given up attempting to raid it, fully aware of their limits.

“I already made a promise, so I can’t take it back. Just come along,” Yong-Yong urged them.

“Promise...? What promise?”

“I told the monk we’d take care of the Great Fissure.”

The students looked bewildered.

“W-wait, isn’t that a promise you personally made?” one of them asked.

“Yup.”

“A-and... what about our say in this...?”

“Are you saying you can’t do it?” Yong-Yong challenged.

“That’s an A-rank Great Fissure... How are we supposed to? We can’t.” Even Jin-Soo, usually full of confidence, hesitated and looked away. That’s how daunting an A-rank Great Fissure was.

It wasn’t just difficult; it was downright impossible. One misstep, and they’d be high-fiving Yeomra on the “other side.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll back you up from behind. No one’s dying, no one’s dying,” Yong-Yong promised.

“N-no, just the thought of stepping into an A-rank Great Fissure is already too much...”

Most of the students voiced their objections.

At that, Yong-Yong let out a long sigh, looking genuinely disappointed. “Back in my day, it wasn’t like this.”

“A-and when exactly was ‘your day’?”

“Kids these days... all they learn is how to give up. Tsk tsk.”

Hye-Jung spoke up in a firm tone, her gaze serious. “It’s not about giving up. It’s about being realistic. We’re not as strong as you. An A-rank Great Fissure might be easy for you, but it’s not for us. One wrong step could mean life or death, so yeah, of course, we’re scared. Even if you say you’ll help, it’s not like that fear can just go away.”

The other students nodded in agreement.

Yong-Yong chuckled as if he found the whole thing amusing. “Fair enough. Makes sense.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page,” Hye-Jung said.

“Hmm? Who said anything about being on the same page?”

“Huh? But you just said—”

“I said it makes sense. But that doesn’t mean I agree with you.” Then, with a completely serious expression, Yong-Yong asked a question, “So, what’s it gonna be? Would you rather hunt some ogres? Or would you rather face an enraged Dragon Lord who’s pissed off because he had to eat temple food instead of samgyeopsal for dinner?”