Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 183

After another month of Dives, Behemoth finally reached the central area of Sky Island on their thirty-first attempt. The Sky Island, located on the third floor of the Core, was divided into three distinct sections.

The party, led by the Sword Emperor, paused for a brief rest.

As was the case with any adventurer in the Core, no matter how exceptionally skilled they were on a given floor, once they moved to the next, they were no more than rookies to the monsters and adventurers waiting there. Thus, it was wise to prepare as much as possible before descending to the next floor.

Having already fully conquered the first two floors, Behemoth planned to maximize their yellow Status Window’s mastery on the third floor before proceeding.

“Ugh, I feel so gross.” Jun-Yeol shrugged and reached to take off his sweat-soaked suit, but under Kang-Hyun’s sharp glare, he hesitated and kept it on.

“The chat is coming in too fast, I can’t even keep up,” he muttered.

The DTS, short for Data Transmission System, was a groundbreaking technology made possible by advancements in mana stone engineering. Unlike before, when external data transmission was impossible in Fissures, this system allowed streaming services to broadcast Behemoth’s raid to audiences worldwide.

Perhaps because of their hiatus, the viewership had dropped to seventy million, but in reality, even that figure easily surpassed South Korea’s population.

“Let’s take a break,” Kang-Hyun muttered, and Jun-Yeol nodded, understanding what he implied.

Taking a break, of course, meant turning off the stream.

“We’ll be back in two hours,” Kang-Hyun said to the camera.

﹂Oh no! Just keep the stream on!

﹂Dammit! I just got here!

﹂We won’t do anything, promise! We won’t even type in the chat!

[This stream has ended.]

With what might seem like cold indifference, Jun-Yeol quickly hit the End Stream button. Whether the stream stayed on during downtime didn’t matter much, but the reason Behemoth always stopped broadcasting during maintenance was simple: it was to review the strategy guides and make new plans.

“As Supervisor Lee mentioned...” Kang-Hyun pressed on a bracelet that resembled a wristwatch, and a holographic map of the entire third floor of the Core appeared. Two blinking red dots marked the central zone of the Sky Island.

“There are two hidden pieces here.” His voice was calm; his composure came from confidence.

Tapping the left red dot displayed detailed information about monster types, their patterns, the artifacts they dropped, and the hidden pieces linked to achievements. The left dot indicated a quest titled “Exterminate the Withered One’s Minions,” while the right dot showed a quest called “Air Balloon.”

“We’ll pass on the Air Balloon quest,” Kang-Hyun said.

“Senior, are you seriously giving up the foothold skill?” Jun-Yeol protested softly, unable to believe it.

The quest involved hundreds of balloons floating in the sky. Each one was a trap that burst as soon as someone stepped on it. However, completing the quest by reaching the goal point without falling would grant the foothold skill, a combat support skill that allowed the user to create steps in midair, enabling three-dimensional combat.

Knowing its value, Jun-Yeol was fixated on the foothold skill.

“I understand how you feel, but the moment we slip, we’ll die instantly,” Kang-Hyun explained his reasoning.

A single misstep would result in a fall toward the seemingly endless ground below. Because of the Core’s nature, where the required magic resistance increased with the depth, falling would result in total disintegration caused by the Core’s Curse.

“Plus, we have a limited number of slots in our skill rings. We don’t know what other skills we might acquire, so risking our lives hopping on air balloons for one foothold skill isn’t efficient.”

Just like Kang-Hyun said, Jun-Yeol only had two empty slots left in his skill ring.

“Tch.”

“Do you think the Withered One’s Minions would be okay to attempt?” Ae-Kyung asked.

Two towering spires stood in the central zone. At their peaks were hammock-like nets where the monster, the Withered One, slept. Preferring comfort above everything else, the Withered One had stationed dwarf-like minions around itself to ensure its rest was undisturbed. Defeating these minions without waking the Withered One would earn the party the Withered One’s Ring.

“We can take them out one by one. At our current level, the minions shouldn’t be an issue,” Kang-Hyun said.

“And if we accidentally wake the Withered One?” Ae-Kyung asked.

“Well, then we’ll all move on to the afterlife together.”

The Withered One’s Ring, a magical ring that granted a skill with a high chance of putting enemies to sleep, was valuable enough to justify the risk. To make it even more appealing, it didn’t take up a slot in the skill ring.

“I’m joking. If we wake it, we’ll use the mana shield Supervisor Lee gave us.”

“And what if that doesn’t hold? I mean, it’s reassuring knowing it’s imbued with Supervisor Lee’s mana, but if it somehow breaks, we’re dead.” Jun-Yeol smiled wryly.

The mana shield wasn’t a common artifact in the Hunter world. It created a one-time protective barrier using the caster’s mana, but compared to the mana cost, its effectiveness was limited.

“All right, we’ll move out in an hour.”

***

[Stream is starting.]

After the break, the stream resumed, and within a minute, the viewer count shot past five million. The numbers kept rising quickly, reaching forty million in just five minutes. The astonishing viewership once again showed the global popularity of Behemoth’s Core raid.

﹂HiBe!

The chat once again filled with variations of “Hi Behemoth!”

Knowing that the Withered One’s Minions quest required intense focus, Kang-Hyun immediately turned off the chat feature. In a typical personal stream, closing the chat would lead to viewer loss, but for monumental quests like this, it was common practice. Viewers didn’t mind either. During moments like these, the chat often became a distraction.

***

The party climbed the spiral stairs leading to the two spires, occasionally encountering the minions along the way. The minions were comparable to the monsters found at the start of the third floor, meaning they were no match for Behemoth.

Schring!

With a thud, a wounded minion thrashed on the floor before taking its final breath. A yellow mastery stone appeared as a bonus.

[Mastery increased.]

[Status Window (Yellow): 57.30% → 57.38%]

“Not bad,” Jun-Yeol said with a grin.

So far, everything was going smoothly. The minions, excluding the Withered One, felt like little more than training dummies. However, as they say, disaster strikes without warning. One of the spires that Behemoth was climbing suddenly collapsed with a deafening roar.

The three fell from a staggering height of eight hundred meters above ground. But their ten years of Hunter experience weren’t for nothing. Each quickly regained composure midair.

As they braced for impact, Kang-Hyun witnessed something unbelievable—the Withered One. One of the spires supporting its hammock had crumbled, throwing off its balance. Its eyes glowed brightly as it naturally woke from its slumber.

[The Withered One has awakened.]

Kang-Hyun focused his mana on his vision to observe the Withered One’s next move. But then, what happened in the next second left him speechless. A purple lightning bolt split the Withered One in two, in the blink of an eye.

***

Gamygin—he was the fourth-ranked demon among Solomon’s Seventy-Two demons. On his head were two twisted, purple horns, resembling those of a ram. His upper body was bare, revealing a balanced, muscular physique. A tail, seemingly with a mind of its own, swayed freely.

Having just landed, Kang-Hyun looked at the man who had killed the Withered One in an instant. The man’s eyes were half-closed in a smile, his demeanor mocking as he yawned and looked down at Behemoth. They instinctively knew that this man was one of the inhabitants of the Deep Realm Do-Jun had occasionally mentioned, specifically, he was one of the so-called “Solomon’s Demons,” a group of creatures classified as highly dangerous.

“Was it you?” That dangerous creature spoke to Kang-Hyun. Standing at the top of a sharp spire, he slowly opened his half-closed eyes, his voice carrying a palpable killing intent.

Kang-Hyun hesitated to answer.

Gamygin asked again, “The one who killed Tang Gak. Was it you?”

Confused, Kang-Hyun muttered, “Tang Gak...?”

“That’s right.”

Bang!

Another flash of purple lightning struck, but Kang-Hyun’s hand moved faster, activating Mana Shield.

Crackle!

The lightning dissipated upon hitting the translucent shield that surrounded Behemoth, unable to penetrate it.

“Woah.” Gamygin whistled in admiration as he landed on the ground where Behemoth stood.

Then, with a sly grin, he continued, “So, it is you.”

Tang Gak, a Transcendent, had died here, killed by someone. Gamygin had been searching for the culprit and eventually discovered that Tang Gak had perished on the third floor of the Core, leading him to this place.

Kang-Hyun, not knowing what was going on, couldn’t speak.

“You must be the King of Earth.” Gamygin smirked, his lips twitching as he realized his attack had been nullified.

He once again gathered purple energy. Normally, only yellow Status Windows were available on the third floor, but Gamygin, recipient of the Deep Realm’s Blessing, was exempt from such restrictions.

Crackle!

Purple lightning struck, then Kang-Hyun noticed that the DTS signal had been cut off.

With a bang, a fist imbued with immense power struck the shield.

***

Countless reporters gathered at the entrance of the Hunter’s Bureau exactly one hour after the feed cut off, crowding the entrance like a beehive. This wasn’t surprising since reporters were known to chase exclusives to the very ends of the earth.

Young-Chul was assessing the current situation while receiving a detailed report from the operations manager.

“So, that’s when communication was cut off,” the manager explained.

“And the last thing that happened?” Young-Chul asked.

“Purple lightning struck Behemoth directly. However, it was confirmed to be blocked by the mana shield. Afterward, the figure seen in the footage appeared, and the broadcast is believed to have ended shortly after.”

If it was a shield, it must have been the mana shield Do-Jun had given Behemoth.

“Chief, reporters have filled not only the entrance but also the area around your office.” The operations manager glanced at Young-Chul cautiously.

Behemoth was more than just a group of Korean superstars; they were a global icon. If they lost their lives while attacking the Core, the blame would naturally fall on Young-Chul. As the head of the Bureau, he bore full responsibility, as was always the case. The public, who once praised the Bureau Chief for his leadership in supporting Behemoth’s streams, could easily turn against him over a single accident, even questioning his qualifications.

“They’re demanding that we hold a press conference, sir.”

The reporters would dig relentlessly into how this situation was being handled and what measures were being taken.

“How should we proceed?” the manager asked.

“Prepare the press room,” Young-Chul ordered.

“B-but...” It wasn’t the response the manager had expected.

“Understood.” The operations manager bowed and left the room.

Young-Chul, lost in thought, hovered his finger over the first name on the favorite tab of his contacts.

***

Click! Click!

The reporters filled the Hunter’s Bureau press room to capacity like sardines, cameras flashing nonstop. The Bureau’s logo was prominently displayed behind Young-Chul, who stood at the podium.

“Please say something about the current situation!”

“Have you been in contact with Behemoth? What is the current status?”

“The public is worried! Chief, did you anticipate such an event? If so, do you have a plan to address this?”

The reporters’ questions flooded in, their eyes fixed on Young-Chul’s lips. Flashes went off so often that it was almost blinding. Laptop keyboards clattered as reporters prepared to turn his every word into an article.

Finally, someone asked the most critical question: “Can Behemoth win?”

Before the stream was cut, the mysterious opponent, who appeared with the lightning, was clearly an unprecedented threat. It was the first real challenge for Behemoth, who had breezed through the Core’s defenses thus far.

“I can’t be certain,” Young-Chul replied.

That single statement was enough to spark sensational headlines. The reporters launched a barrage of follow-up questions. Concerns were raised about whether the Core assault was rushed and if more preparation should have been completed. After all, this was a project that had been stagnant for five years. Sweeping through the Core all the way down to the third floor so quickly almost felt like fiction.

“Chief Jung, do you have a contingency plan? Or will you simply wait for Behemoth to return?”

In truth, the Core raid was always an impossible thing. They had thought that once they made it into the Tutorial Zone, everything else would fall into place, but that was a big misconception.

“Behemoth will not be defeated,” Young-Chul said, his voice firm.

Click! Click!

“How can you be so sure?” one reporter pressed.

“At the end of the stream, Behemoth was unharmed. The lightning attack was blocked by the shield.”

Murmurs filled the room. It was true—Behemoth hadn’t sustained any injuries.

“And measures have already been taken,” Young-Chul added.

“Can you elaborate?”

“A supporter has been dispatched.”

“Who is it? The Icarus Guild?”

Young-Chul shook his head and replied, “There is a Hunter who’s been acting solo.”

Yes. There was one person.

He added, “Someone who can save Behemoth.”

The strongest solo on Earth.