Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 172

Today was Do-Jun’s day off, so he decided to enjoy a long-overdue brunch with the kids.

Not being much of a cook, he took out four servings of frozen shrimp fried rice from the freezer and stir-fried them. Fortunately, it seemed to suit their taste, as they polished their plates without leaving a single grain of rice.

Do-Jun was washing the dishes under the cold water of the kitchen sink faucet when Byeol came running up to him. She tightly clutched the Core Talisman in her tiny hands and held it up proudly, showing it to Do-Jun as he washed the dishes.

“I finished all my homework,” she said proudly.

“Did you now?” Do-Jun commented.

“And got a perfect score on spelling, too!”

“Well done.”

“Yeah! So, can I go out and play? Since my homework’s all done?”

Do-Jun smiled and patted Byeol on the head. “Go ahead.”

***

Icarus Guild, one of Korea’s four major guilds, boasted two S-rank Hunters: Min-Hyuk and Min-Ji. The two had just completed the tutorial and were about to enter the first floor of the Core as part of the second-wave team.

They checked the details of the Status Window Snake they had acquired.

[Status Window Snake (Colorless)]

Category: Creature / System

Currently Available Status Window: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue

All mastery is currently at 0%. Once you enter the first floor of the Core, you will not be able to use your current Status Window. Only the new Status Window, exclusive to the Core, will be available.

“So, this is the Status Window Snake,” Min-Ji muttered.

“Looks like we’re finally getting started...” Min-Hyuk said, staring at the ground.

A hole appeared in the center of the earth, swallowing the ground like water draining down a sink, and then grew larger until its radius reached five kilometers before stopping. Inside the hole, a bright red vortex swirled violently.

Min-Hyuk couldn’t help but gulp at this sight.

This was the entrance to the first floor of the Core. Once inside, the Status Windows they had used on Earth would no longer work. All stats and skills would reset, making them prime prey for seasoned adventurers of the Core.

“Are you ready?” he asked Min-Ji.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

“Make sure you get your landing right,” Min-Hyuk reminded her.

The moment they entered the first floor, they would fall from the sky. Failing to land in a safe area, such as bushes, would mean instant death. Even landing too far down could lead to death from the Curse of the Core due to insufficient magic resistance.

***

“Aaaaaahhh!”

“Eeeeeek!”

Two terrified screams echoed in the sky, at a height so great that the ground was invisible, while fluffy clouds floated around them. Sheer cliffs, trees, and hills stretched across the landscape. Even with their S-rank suits equipped, this was a moment of life-threatening peril.

Then, suddenly, a man appeared out of nowhere and grabbed both of them midair. With another leap while airborne, he landed gracefully on a patch of grass. This man was Rohan, the Monarch of the Wind Blood Alliance and King of the first floor of the Core.

“You’re newbies, huh?” he asked them.

Min-Hyuk felt his heart sink. Although they had avoided death from the fall, encountering another adventurer the moment they entered the first floor was equally nerve-wracking. Instinctively, he activated his Status Window Snake. The bracelet wrapped around his wrist transformed into a small red snake.

Rohan chuckled, finding their tension amusing. “Relax. I’m not here to fight.”

“Then what do you want with us?” Min-Ji asked cautiously.

Rohan shrugged and replied, “You two are from Earth, right?”

Min-Hyuk and Min-Ji remained silent. They were clearly growing more nervous.

“You don’t need to be so tense. No one on the first floor will harm you. For now, let me help you out. Here, take this.” Rohan handed each of them a ring with the number “1” engraved on it.

Min-Ji’s eyes widened as she examined the ring’s effect.

[Magic Resistance Ring (First Floor)]

Category: Accessory

Grade: 2

Special Effect: Nullifies the magic resistance penalty on the first floor of the Core.

The required magic resistance for the first floor of the Core was 5. Considering the artifact from the Tutorial provided only a maximum resistance of 0.7, the ring’s effect was astounding.

“Why are you giving this to us...?” Min-Ji asked Rohan.

“Hmm? You’re from Earth, right?” Rohan asked again.

Min-Hyuk and Min-Ji nodded.

“That’s all I needed to know. If you have any questions, feel free to find me anytime. I’m always up there.” Rohan pointed to a wooden building perched about three kilometers above the ground.

Beside it were several other buildings, all lined up together—strongholds of the various blood alliances. The blood alliances had forged a peace treaty and worked toward coexistence after the battles had ended, thanks to a visitor from Earth: Do-Jun.

“Oh, and if you ever run into the king of Earth, make sure to tell him that I helped you out. That’s all I ask.” Rohan wiped his nose and smirked with satisfaction, while Min-Hyuk and Min-Ji exchanged puzzled glances.

***

Min-Hyuk leaned against a tree after registering a skill in his skill ring. He had been wandering around, trying to build mastery for the red Status Window.

His stomach growled loudly. Even hunting the weakest monster, Pokopo, was so exhausting that he and Min-Ji had spent the past five hours flipping over stones and digging in the ground to collect mastery stones that others may have missed. Considering that they had entered the first floor right after clearing the fourth stage of the Tutorial, they had already spent twenty-four hours in the Core.

“My endurance is really tragic in this place...” Min-Hyuk muttered.

“Same here. I’m not used to this,” Min-Ji replied.

“But... where are we? It feels like the surroundings suddenly changed.”

The area was lush with greenery. Previously, they had been navigating precariously along a cliffside, but now they found themselves surrounded by dense grass, bushes, and a massive tree towering over a hundred meters tall.

At that moment, Min-Hyuk exclaimed in surprise as he noticed something unusual—a child.

Was the child an adventurer? But could someone so young even be here?

The child was holding a piece of grilled butter squid.

“Wait, that’s...?” Min-Hyuk said in surprise when he noticed the grilled butter squid. He was very familiar with this treat, typically sold at beaches or rest stops, where squid was grilled and coated with butter.

The child glanced at him curiously and began waddling over.

S-she’s so cute! he exclaimed inwardly.

How could anything in the world be this adorable? Min-Hyuk rubbed his eyes and looked again. Min-Ji, too, seemed stunned, her mouth slightly open as she stared blankly at the child.

At that moment, Min-Hyuk’s stomach growled again. Ignoring his hunger pangs, he asked, “Who are you...?”

The child’s eyes narrowed lazily. “Mistah, I don’t know you. You’re a stranger. My daddy told me to watch out for people like you.”

“O-oh, haha. That’s good parenting. But this oppa isn’t a bad person,” Min-Hyuk replied, seemingly caught off guard by the “mister.”

“How do I know?” The child remained skeptical.

That’s when the Tree of Wisdom, which could read others’ minds, spoke. “Byeol. What the man says is true. They’re not dangerous.”

After all, there was only one person whose mind it had failed to read: Do-Jun.

Upon reading Min-Hyuk’s thoughts, the Tree sensed that his mind was entirely dominated by one thought: Cute! Additionally, his Status Window mastery was laughably low, meaning Byeol could easily handle him if necessary.

“Weally? Mistah isn’t a bad person?” Byeol asked the Tree.

“Yes. And they’re from Korea.”

Byeol’s expression relaxed at the Tree’s words. “Oh! You’re from Korea, mistah?”

“Y-yeah. How did you know?” Even as he asked, Min-Hyuk’s stomach growled again. His eyes were now glued to the butter squid in Byeol’s hand.

“Mistah, are you hungwy?”

“Huh?”

“Your stomach made a sound.”

“I-I guess it did...”

“Do you want some? It’s weally tasty.” Byeol offered to share her grilled squid.

“Really? That’d be great, thank you.”

“But you can only have a little, okay? Don’t eat too much.” Looking a bit anxious, Byeol hesitantly extended the butter squid toward Min-Hyuk with trembling hands.

Min-Hyuk swallowed hard, then carefully bit into the squid’s head—just a tiny nibble with his front teeth. However, it was harder than he expected. He tried to tear off just the edge, but the squid was so chewy that when he bit down, the entire piece slipped right off the skewer.

Min-Ji, watching from the side, gasped in shock. Even the Tree of Wisdom seemed momentarily speechless. Byeol stared blankly at the now-empty skewer in her hand.

Panicking, Min-Hyuk quickly grabbed the squid with his hand and managed to tear off a small piece. However, the butter made it slippery, causing the squid to fall to the ground.

“Where did it go...? Where did my squid go?”

Byeol looked down at the squid, now covered in dirt. Stunned, she sank to the ground. Picking up the squid, she smiled briefly, but then her head drooped.

“I... I took longer than three seconds... I... can’t eat this anymore...” Tears welled up in Byeol’s eyes. She muttered, “I didn’t get to eat any of it...”

With a panicked expression, Min-Hyuk tried to explain himself, “L-look, sweetie, it wasn’t on purpose...”

“I came here just to eat this...”

Byeol recalled what Yong-Yong had taught her, “If you pick something up within three seconds, it’s still okay to eat.” But now, three seconds had long passed. Overwhelmed with sorrow, Byeol’s chest heaved.

“I only got to lick it,” she said, on the verge of a complete meltdown.

Watching the scene unfold, the Tree of Wisdom murmured in an angry tone, “You...”

***

Meanwhile, as dinner was being prepared, Do-Jun watched TV with Yong-Yong on the sofa. He glanced at his wristwatch. It was 7 PM. Eight hours had already passed since Byeol went to the Core. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“I’ll be back in a bit,” he said before leaving.

***

Since the Core Talisman was with Byeol, Do-Jun used his stride techniques to descend from the Core’s entrance. When he reached the point where the waterfall cascaded down, he leaped into the air, effortlessly moving through the first floor as if there were invisible footholds.

This was Void Step, the pinnacle of stride techniques.

He landed near the Tree of Wisdom, sensing Byeol’s presence. He saw Byeol crouched on the ground, looking dejected, while Min-Hyuk tried to console her. Nearby, Min-Ji watched and sighed heavily.

Spotting Do-Jun, Byeol sprinted over and hugged his leg tightly. “Daddy! Waaaah!”

Tears and snot streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Do-Jun turned to Min-Hyuk and asked, “What happened?”

Min-Hyuk flinched. This little girl had clearly called Do-Jun “Daddy.”

***

The four were now at the central marketplace on the first floor.

Using the “magical” cookbook passed down by Do-Jun, Hendrick grilled buttered squid to sell for mastery stones. The grilled squid was a huge hit among adventurers, and Hendrick’s face was always lit up with a smile.

“Hello,” Do-Jun said to Hendrick.

“O-oh, goodness, it’s an honor to have you here, sir!” Hendrick exclaimed, running out to greet Do-Jun.

“Could I get three grilled squid, please?” Do-Jun asked, handing over fifteen red mastery stones.

Hendrick waved his hands dismissively. “Oh no, I can’t possibly accept mastery stones from the King of Earth!”

“Take them. Payment should always be fair.”

“Y-yes, but...” Hendrick reluctantly accepted the fifteen mastery stones after casting a furtive glance at Do-Jun’s face.

“Please wait just a moment. I’ll grill them to perfection!”

“Thank you.”

Next to them, Byeol smiled brightly, watching the squid sizzle and brown on the grill. Min-Hyuk and Min-Ji, meanwhile, gawked at the marketplace, their eyes wide upon witnessing such a peaceful atmosphere. Was this what the Core was supposed to be like?

“Supervisor Lee, when they say, ‘King of Earth,’ they’re referring to you, right?” Min-Hyuk asked.

“It looks that way. They’ve started calling me that for some reason,” Do-Jun replied nonchalantly.

Soon, the grilled squid was ready.

“Here are the three grilled squid you ordered!” Hendrick said, handing them over.

“Thank you.” Do-Jun took the skewers and handed one to Byeol, whose eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Wow! It’s huge!”

“Haha! I made it extra-large, just for you,” Hendrick said to Byeol.

“Thank you, Mistah!” Byeol exclaimed happily.

Do-Jun chuckled and gently patted Byeol’s head before passing the other two squid to Min-Hyuk and Min-Ji.

“Here, these are for you two,” Do-Jun said to Min-Hyuk and Min-Ji.

“F-for us?” Min-Ji asked hesitantly.

“Yes. I figured you haven’t eaten in a while.”

Right on cue, Min-Hyuk’s stomach growled even louder, betraying him as he accepted the buttered squid.

“Daddy, you’re not eating?” Byeol asked.

“We have to eat dinner soon.”

“Oh no! Should I not eat, then?”

At Byeol’s reaction, Do-Jun laughed softly and replied, “Eat the squid and then have dinner too. Simple, right?”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

“Yay! But do you weally not want some? You can have some of mine!” Byeol offered her squid to Do-Jun, raising her small hand toward his mouth.

Then, she looked up at him nervously, biting her lip. “Daddy, you can take a big bite, but... you can’t drop it, okay? You really can’t drop it!”

Do-Jun didn’t know what to say.

“If you drop it, you have to pick it up within three seconds!” She offered him another piece of advice.

Min-Hyuk couldn’t help but burst out laughing at her earnestness. Min-Ji, however, shot him a sharp glare and elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to grimace in pain.

“Why are you laughing, senior?” she asked pointedly.