Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 356

On the fifteenth floor of the Core, at the Second Trial, a massive Imoogi, the size of a standard house, was coiled in place, its eyes gleaming with anticipation. It was tasked with overseeing the Second Trial, evaluating an adventurer’s worthiness to proceed to the Deep Realm. In a particularly good mood, it flicked its tongue and chuckled gleefully, then formed a mirror of magic to check its forehead. Etched on it was the number “11.”

I can’t believe this is happening, it thought.

It had come across a golden opportunity to evolve into a dragon, the ruling species of the Deep Realm!

Changing one’s fundamental nature was said to be as difficult as plucking stars from the sky, but thanks to borrowing the power of “Law” from Solomon, the Imoogi had obtained immense magic. In just one hundred years, it would fully transform into a full-fledged dragon.

“To think I’ve managed to get on Solomon’s side... I am so lucky.”

Solomon was the very being, no, the only being, who rivaled the Overlord, ruler of the Deep Realm. This fact was known only to a select few.

In the coming Great War, survival would depend on standing with the powerful. From that perspective, the Imoogi couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest being in the Core. It double-checked the “11” it had drawn on its own forehead. It had heard that dragons ranked themselves by the numbers on their foreheads, so the Imoogi, who would eventually become one, had drawn its future rank early.

Who wouldn’t think I’m already a dragon? I’m such a dragon. The Imoogi let out a pleased grin, admiring what it deemed a handsome reflection.

***

March was a particularly busy month for the Fissure Management Division of Seoul City Hall. Well, in truth, there was no such thing as a slow month for them. For example, January was packed with budget planning, February was filled with meetings about new projects with partner organizations, and each passing year only increased the workload.

Still, for Cheol-Soo, the Section Chief of the division, these were happy days. After all, the more the division’s workload grew, the more it signaled Seoul’s growing influence in the world of Hunters. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t feeling the pressure as this year’s Academy Information Session approached.

“We can participate. That’s perfectly fine. But why do we have to go first?” he complained.

Every year, the Hunter Academy hosted information sessions with guilds, and last year, for the first time, Seoul City Hall was invited. Until two years ago, even being part of this session was unthinkable. Yet for some reason, they had been invited last year, and again this year. Holding the session itself wasn’t the problem, but being the first presenter meant they’d receive the most attention from the students, and that was a heavy burden on Cheol-Soo’s shoulders.

“Don’t worry, Chief. It’ll go great,” Hyuk-Soo said confidently. “Besides, we’ve got a strong budget and backing from the Lab. Just highlighting that will be enough to win over the students. Sure, last year our reputation wasn’t amazing, but things are different now.”

And with good reason. These days, Seoul City Hall was jokingly referred to as one of the Great Guilds, the newest addition to the most elite group of guilds in Korea. With S-rank Hunter Ye-Ji as their flagship, they had already signed contracts with numerous A- and B-rank Hunters.

“Still, I’m worried I’ll mess up the presentation. Ahem,” Cheol-Soo confessed.

Standing in front of hundreds of students was no small feat. Just facing their expectant eyes could trigger stage fright. In fact, Cheol-Soo had stammered pretty badly during last year’s presentation.

“Ahem... Do-Jun.”

“Yes, Chief?”

“You gave a great presentation last year...”

Seeing Cheol-Soo very obviously nudging him to take over the presentation, Do-Jun replied, “If you’re fine with it, I’ll do the presentation, Chief.”

All he had to do was give a brief overview of the division and its operations. It wasn’t difficult, and Do-Jun had more or less expected Cheol-Soo to get nervous, anyway.

The moment he agreed, Cheol-Soo’s face brightened dramatically like a man who had just met his savior.

***

Hashinta, the gatekeeper of the First Trial, had left the door wide open. The King of Earth, whom he had met not long ago, was expected to descend again to the fifteenth floor. One could say he had prepared a “fast pass” lane just for Do-Jun.

With a thoughtful look, Hashinta gazed off into the distance toward the Second Gate, or rather, toward the Imoogi standing guard before it. Once, they would ask about each other’s days and exchange pleasantries. But recently, the Imoogi had grown unbearably smug, prompting Hashinta to stop speaking to him altogether.

Should I give him a warning, or not...? Hashinta debated whether to pay forward the goodwill Tusitala started by warning the Imoogi in advance.

Given the nature of a gatekeeper, the Imoogi would surely treat any adventurer who tried to pass through his gate with arrogance. If it acted up against Do-Jun, there was a high chance it would suffer the consequences.

After a brief internal struggle, Hashinta decided to say something for old times’ sake. He called out, “Hey, Imoogi!”

The Imoogi glanced over but then turned away as if it hadn’t heard. It was a blatant snub.

Hashinta bristled with annoyance but still walked over. As he approached, he noticed that the Imoogi’s body looked slightly larger than before. He tilted his head in puzzlement and asked, “You’ve grown a bit... and what’s that number on your forehead?”

“Hmph. It’s nothing. A mere small fry like you wouldn’t understand,” the Imoogi replied.

“What? Small fry? Are you insane?!” Hashinta growled, offended by the blatant insult.

But the Imoogi didn’t budge; if anything, it sneered. Having joined Solomon’s side and with the promise of becoming a dragon in a hundred years, it saw Hashinta as something along the lines of vermin.

“I was going to give you a heads-up on something important, but never mind!” Hashinta blurted and then turned away.

“There’s no advice a worm like you could give me,” the Imoogi kept up its attitude.

“You’ve got to be kidding me... Fine. Be that way.” Hashinta started walking away.

Sensing something strange, the Imoogi called out, “Wait...!”

“What?” Hashinta replied after halting.

“Actually, let me hear this advice of yours.”

Its tone was haughty, which only angered Hashinta further. Still, thinking again of their past good relationship, he decided to endure it and speak.

“Fine. The King of Earth will be here soon. When he arrives, open the gate and let him through. Don’t ask questions. I’m telling you this for your own good, so take it to heart.” 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

“The King of Earth?”

“Yeah.”

“Who the hell is that?”

“Watch your mouth! He’s an incredible being! You’re absolutely nothing before his immense presence!” Hashinta was completely serious, but it didn’t land.

The Imoogi just snorted.

King of Earth? No matter how strong, he was still just an adventurer. There was no way a mere adventurer could contend with a soon-to-be dragon.

“I told you to keep that in mind,” Hashinta repeated himself, slightly concerned.

“Yeah, yeah,” the Imoogi replied lazily, clearly uninterested and thinking that Hashinta’s warning wasn’t worth its time.

It was truly an unfortunate thing.

***

The next day, Saturday afternoon.

As Do-Jun’s expedition into the Core progressed, the Interpreter’s completion steadily climbed toward one hundred percent.

[Interpreter - Ataraxia]

Category: Miscellaneous / Support

Grade: Lost Item of the Deep Realm

Completion: 83.71%

Magic Resistance: 10 (+800)

Description: Encyclopedia of the Core compiled by Epicurus, a traveler of the Deep Realm (incomplete). Tap the magnifying glass button on a blank page to record information about a target. As the completion increases, magic resistance will also increase (for use in the Core only).

After reviewing the data inside it one more time, Do-Jun placed the Interpreter back into Ivela’s Pouch.

It was the weekend. Yoon-Hee and Byeol had gone to an indoor playground, leaving only Yong-Yong and Karsiel at home.

“You two want to come along?” Do-Jun asked.

At the offer, Yong-Yong, who had been lazing on the floor, leaped to his feet. Meanwhile, Karsiel, who had been folding laundry, suddenly picked up the pace. It seemed both of them had been quite bored.

“Heck yeah, outing time!” Yong-Yong exclaimed enthusiastically.

“I’ll get ready at once, Master,” Karisel said happily.

The two of them didn’t bother hiding their excitement and quickly got ready for the trip to the Core. Do-Jun smiled at the sight. He had originally planned to go alone, but seeing how excited they were, he was glad he had asked. Before long, Yong-Yong and Karsiel were fully prepared.

A pillar of light surrounded Do-Jun, Yong-Yong, and Karsiel, and then the three vanished without a trace, teleporting to the fifteenth floor of the Core. A breeze passed through the slightly ajar balcony door, rustling the curtains and flowing into the now-empty apartment. Well, empty except for the little garden shovel stuck in a flowerpot on the balcony, which briefly fell into deep thought.

—Doesn’t take me to the indoor playground. Doesn’t take me to the Core either. There is... an outcast in this home...

That was the shovel’s conclusion.

***

Hashinta opened the first gate with utmost reverence, and Do-Jun gave a polite nod in return as he stepped through. Yong-Yong followed behind with a cheerful grin, waddling along. Karsiel, expressionless at first glance, had a faint smile on her lips if one looked closely. It seemed she was also having a good time.

Then a raspy voice echoed from the distance, accompanied by the sound of something dragging along the ground. “You’ve walked to your grave of your own accord, adventurer.”

A massive Imoogi flicked its tongue as it spoke. Its body was enormous, large enough to fill the entire hollow space and exceedingly long. Perhaps that’s why it exuded such immense confidence.

Do-Jun sensed a trace of the same energy he had sensed in Solomon within the Imoogi’s energy. However, the amount was negligible, and its depth was vastly inferior. He decided it wasn’t worth worrying about.

“I am the Gatekeeper of the Second Trial before the Deep Realm. And for the record...” The Imoogi pointed to the number “11” on its forehead. “I am a dragon.”

It was a blatant lie, full of exaggeration. But the Imoogi was certain the adventurer before him would be terrified. Honestly, had this adventurer ever even seen a dragon? The Imoogi itself hadn’t, so how could the adventurer have?

But contrary to its expectations, silence followed. Yong-Yong blinked and stared at the creature, then looked at Karsiel.

“W-why isn’t anyone reacting? I just told you groundbreaking information. I’m a dragon!” It repeated.

It was honestly ridiculous. Do-Jun, Yong-Yong, and Karsiel simply stared, solemn and composed. Not one of them looked the least bit intimidated.

Flustered, the Imoogi began drawing in magical energy. The air trembled. It expected the adventurer and his companions to collapse under the pressure. However, they stood perfectly still, calm and collected. Seeing this, the Imoogi withdrew its energy, shaken.

Finally, Karsiel asked flatly, “You said you’re a dragon?”

“Yes! I told you. I’m a dragon! See this number on my forehead?” The Imoogi kept up the bluff.

In reality, the number was painted on. It wasn’t a dragon.

Karsiel slowly closed her eyes and muttered, “Number eleven... then you’re a junior dragon.”

“Junior...?”

“There has always been a proud tradition among us dragons—a beautiful culture of ‘education’ passed down through generations.”

The Imoogi frowned. “Us dragons?”

“There’s a custom... a legacy...” Karsiel opened her eyes again and approached the Imoogi. “You need to take some hits.”

Five, in fact.