Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 352

Hunters typically hunted in Fissures one rank lower than their own. They also preferred to hunt in Fissures already cleared by the Hunter’s Bureau or local Fissure Management Divisions. The reason for this was simple: it was safer that way. It reduced the risk of injury or death.

The same applied to the second-year Class A students at the Academy. There were some variations, but on average, their abilities were comparable to B-rank Hunters. The problem was that the newly formed Great Fissure near the temple, called the Ogre’s Tomb, was an A-rank Fissure. Moreover, it was a completely unexplored area that hadn’t even been mapped by the Hunter’s Bureau.

“Well, I just thought it’d be nice if everyone came. If you don’t want to come with me, you don’t have to,” Yong-Yong said as his expression relaxed, but the playful look from earlier was completely gone. Still, he wasn’t angry.

At that moment, the students wondered if this was really the same Yong-Yong they had been playing with so far.

Yong-Yong added, “At the end of the day, it’s your decision. I can’t force you. Honestly, it’d be much easier for me to handle it alone rather than bringing along a bunch of deadweights. So for me, this actually works out.”

There was a hint of derision in his voice.

Who wouldn’t feel insulted by being called a burden? For Hunters, in particular, it was an especially demeaning remark. Yet no one could refute it. The one saying this to them was none other than a dragon, and a Drogon Lord at that. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Yoon-Hee got up, trying to break the heavy atmosphere.

“U-uh, guys, what Yong-Yong is trying to say is...” She trailed off in confusion, as Yong-Yong’s voice echoed in her mind

—Give me one minute, Yoon-Hee.

She glanced around, realizing that no one else seemed to hear it. Then, Karsiel gently took her wrist and smiled. Yoon-Hee slowly sat down again.

Yong-Yong asked the group, “Didn’t you all say you wanted to join Behemoth or Icarus after you graduate?”

The students thought they knew what Yong-Yong was about to say next. It would probably be something like if they wanted to join one of the Four Great Guilds, the effort they had to put in should be proportional. They had heard this kind of speech far too many times to count.

However, what Yong-Yong said next was completely unexpected.

“Why?” he asked simply.

The students didn’t see that coming. They stopped what they were doing and focused all their attention on Yong-Yong.

“Because they’re prestigious? Because people admire and respect the Four Great Guilds?” Yong-Yong continued his questions.

That wasn’t entirely wrong. Joining a top guild changed how others viewed them. It also provided the best environment for growth, allowing young Hunters to develop quickly while working alongside highly skilled peers. Additionally, since guild seniors tended to favor their own juniors more than anyone else, they could expect unwavering support.

The class president stood up and answered. “No. I do want to join one of the Four Great Guilds, but it’s not just to show off. I want to be stronger so I can protect the people I care about... and those who need my help.”

“Then why aren’t you protecting them now?” Yong-Yong retorted.

“What?”

“The monks here asked for our help. Didn’t you say all your training was so you could help people like them?”

“Because we’re too weak. We don’t have the power to raid an A-rank Great Fissure. That’s why we can’t help. If the Hunter’s Bureau had at least mapped it out, maybe... but going in completely blind... of course, if we could, we’d want to take care of it right away.”

The other students shared the same thoughts.

If they possessed strength and enough power not to fear stepping into an A-rank Great Fissure, why wouldn’t they help? But the reality was different. They lacked the required strength, and that was why they hesitated, wavered, and backed away.

“Hah, that’s a pretty convenient excuse.” Yong-Yong sneered. “How do you think the Hunters of the Four Great Guilds got to where they are? Do you think the S-rank Hunters leading those guilds grew stronger by reading strategy guides? Do you think they ran away while civilians were dying just because a Fissure was too difficult?”

The students fell silent.

When they first entered the Hunter Academy, one of the most emphasized subjects was Hunter History. Over ten years ago, the first Fissures appeared out of nowhere for unknown reasons. Along with them, monsters arrived, as did the first Awakened Hunters.

Back then, there were no strategies, no mana techniques, no artifacts. No Hunter’s Bureau, no guilds. And yet, the Hunters didn’t run. Not because of some noble sense of justice but because there was simply nowhere to run. They had no choice but to fight. Even knowing they would be overwhelmed, they had to charge forward because both ahead and behind them was hell.

“Of course, I’m not telling you to rush into a Great Fissure and die meaningless deaths. I already told you that I won’t let that happen. Experience how today’s S-rank Hunters got to where they are today, even if it is just a little glimpse. That’s S-rank.”

The reason the public truly respected S-rank Hunters wasn’t just their strength. They held a special meaning beyond A-rank and lower Hunters. When the Hunter’s Bureau was established, and Hunter rankings were introduced, the initial ranks were A, B, C, D, E, and F. Then, over time, S-rank emerged. The “S” stood for Superhero.

According to Hunter History, S-rank Hunters were Korea’s undisputed heroes. They had survived countless brushes with death to become unparalleled guardians of the people.

“S-rank Hunters... how they became S-rank...” Jin-Soo murmured.

“Bogwang Temple asked for your help.” Yong-Yong encouraged, “Right now, in this moment, you are Behemoth. You are Messiah, Phoenix, and you are Icarus.”

Had they been thinking too conveniently? Did they dismiss the call for help with the excuse that the Hunter’s Bureau would handle it regardless? Even though these people had turned to them for rescue, they ignored them under the guise of practicality.

Hye-Jung clenched her fists and asked, “You really won’t let us die, right, Yong-Yong?”

“Of course, I won’t.”

They were scared. Even with a dragon promising to protect them, the idea of entering an A-rank Great Fissure terrified them. But they couldn’t stay still forever. They couldn’t continue down a path laid out for them by their seniors. They wanted to stand side by side with them and carve out a path together.

We need to grow stronger.

Yong-Yong saw the fire returning to their eyes. A small smile tugged at his lips.

“Good. Let’s go,” he said.

With determined looks, the students put on their suits, one by one, then headed outside. Before leaving, Yoon-Hee hugged Yong-Yong, smiling as she gently stroked his head.

“Thank you, Yong-Yong,” she whispered.

Then, Yong-Yong stepped outside.

As Yong-Yong lined up the students neatly, Karsiel watched him from behind and found that his back, even in his mini-dragon form, looked... enormous. This was something he could have easily handled alone. But he chose to do it the hard way to build the students’ resilience. There was something deeply reassuring about that.

As expected... Lord Izaas has such a warm he—. Her thought was interrupted by Yong-Yong’s exasperated shout.

“Hey! Come on! You’re gonna chicken out after I said all that?”

“Y-Yong-Yong, I really can’t do this. I’m gonna back out, okay?”

“If you back out, that’s one less portion of samgyeopsal, you know!”

Karsiel covered her ears.

***

Although they had cleared the B-rank Great Fissure, Won-Kyung’s mind was troubled as he prepared to head back to Seoul, having failed to handle the newly emerged A-rank Great Fissure. He had already reported to the Academy and submitted a formal raid request to the Hunter’s Bureau via mobile, but honestly, there was no telling when a team would be dispatched. It could take six months if they were lucky. A year, maybe, if not. The monks would be under a lot of stress in the meantime.

Feeling guilty, Won-Kyung decided to at least conduct a thorough post-clearance check of the B-rank Fissure they had already taken care of.

Doesn’t seem like we need to worry about it reopening. Still...

After a Fissure was cleared, it would eventually disappear on its own, but there were rare cases where it reopened. For instance, when a monster’s eggs remained, or a boss monster’s divine artifact was still lingering.

Then, out of nowhere, a loud boom sounded. The inside of the Fissure suddenly shook, almost like an earthquake.

W-what was that?! Won-Kyung scanned the interior for the source but found nothing.

Then, another loud boom sounded.

This time, his entire body jolted. That... doesn’t usually happen.

Only one explanation came to mind: a wave from a nearby Fissure was bleeding into this one. But that was almost unheard of. The only creature that could exert that kind of impact was... a dragon.

A dragon in the A-rank Great Fissure...?

No, that couldn’t be. He had already done a full sweep of the A-rank site, and there hadn’t been even the faintest trace of a dragon.

Then what the hell is going on?

He decided it would be better to head back to the temple.

***

As he passed through the Cheonwang Gate of Bogwang Temple, a familiar monk came into view. It was the abbot. He was heading toward the Cheonjon Hall, carrying a large basket of something. Whatever it was, he looked very pleased, and a smile stayed on his face.

About ten meters behind him, Won-Kyung also walked toward the hall. And a moment later, he doubted his eyes.

Samgyeopsal sizzled on a large outdoor grill within the temple grounds. The person grilling it was none other than the head monk himself.

The students were eagerly wolfing it down.

The abbot approached and set down the basket he was carrying. “Oh dear! Master, give me the tongs! You can’t be trusted with something so simple!”

“Huh...? What do you mean?”

“Yong-Yong doesn’t like it burnt, remember? Right, Yong-Yong?”

“Teehee!” Yong-Yong giggled, hearing the abbot get his preference exactly right.

The head monk handed over the tongs with a warm chuckle. The abbot began grilling the pork belly with passionate precision.

Just then, the class president spotted Won-Kyung and waved him over. “Come have some meat!”

“Huh? O-okay.”

Yoon-Hee took a thick slice of samgyeopsal the abbot had grilled, cut it down into smaller, bite-sized pieces for Karsiel, and placed it on a plate.

“Young Master, this is some proper samgyeopsal.”

“Mhm. It’s really good, right?”

Seeing the spectacle, Won-Kyung thought, What... is even happening right now?

The monks were... grilling samgyeopsal.

“Um, Master. What is all this...?” he asked, his confusion plain on his face.

The head monk gave him a gentle smile. “The benefactors here successfully cleared the A-rank Great Fissure. So we’re offering this barbecue as thanks.”

“Wait, what? Our students cleared the A-rank Great Fissure?!”

An A-rank Fissure couldn’t be taken down without at least one S-rank Hunter. Even if this was Class A, thirty second-year students should never have been able to manage that. His head spun—two completely illogical things had happened back-to-back.

“Hmm... Something’s missing, though,” Yong-Yong muttered.

He munched his meat, then turned toward the head monk and asked, “Hey, do you have any aged kimchi by chance?”

“There’s plenty in the jars over there. But why—”

“Heh. I’ll make you some kimchi jjigae.” With a smile, Yong-Yong started trotting off toward the clay jars.

“W-we need to stop him!”

The students, now pale-faced, rushed after him in a panic.