Daddy is too Strong
Chapter 138

Chapter 138

Kiriel was in a foul mood since Gungnir, which was basically an extension of himself, had been stolen by the Earth’s king. He sat alone, sulking, ruffling his hair before letting out a deep sigh.

Noticing his gloom, Wei Zhongqi decided to offer some advice. “Why not ask for it back?”

“Are you insane? You’re telling me to face that guy again?!”

“Why not? Is there a reason not to meet him?”

Kiriel chewed on his nails, his legs trembling. Looking back, it was a miracle that he had returned alive after facing him. The strength of Earth’s king was incomprehensibly overwhelming, far beyond imagination, and only he and Wei Zhongqi knew just how terrifying he was.

“It’s clear as day. If I go back to Earth, I’m as good as dead,” he said, terrified.

“Didn’t you once say you’d become the King of Earth? Something about preferring to be the head of a snake rather than the tail of a dragon?” Wei Zhongqi teased Kiriel.

“Shut up! How was I supposed to know that Earth was actually the dragon?!”

Wei Zhongqi chuckled softly and said, “Anyway, think it over.”

***

In the Hunter world, there was a concept called “Lines.” They were similar to the “connections” often talked about in society, and they played a significant role in career advancement within workplaces or in politics. Naturally, this concept of Lines was deeply ingrained in the Korean Hunter community.

At the Hunter Academy, the guild recruitment season was in full swing.

Yoon-Hee glanced at the guild recruitment notices on the bulletin board in the hallway and murmured, “Third years seem super busy these days.”

The third-year students were preparing for graduation. In just six months, they would leave the academy and step into society. In other words, they would officially become Hunters. Shedding their status as students, they would receive Hunter ID cards issued by the Hunter’s Bureau and be assigned ranks based on their performance. The most crucial step, however, was joining a guild.

“It’s best to aim for at least a mid-tier guild, even if not one of the Big Four.”

Korea’s top four guilds, Behemoth, Icarus, Phoenix, and Mejai, were the so-called Big Four, regarded as the corporate giants of the Hunter world. Getting into one of these guilds guaranteed an elite status in society. Even joining a mid-tier guild offered significant perks across various industries, so the third-year students were desperate to secure a spot in at least a mid-tier guild.

“Jin-Soo, you’re lucky. Your dad is the chairman of a big-shot group,” Hye-Jung said.

“What does that have to do with this?” Jin-Soo retorted.

“You’ve got connections. Doesn’t that mean you could get into one of the Big Four easily?” Hye-Jung asked as if it were obvious.

Jin-Soo let out a hollow laugh, half in disbelief. She wasn’t entirely wrong, but getting into a guild still required solid grades to back it up.

“The GI Group is partnered with Mejai, right?” Hye-Jung pressed on.

“Well... yeah,” Jin-Soo replied.

“Then you’re going to join Mejai Guild, no?”

“I want to join Behemoth Guild, though.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would Behemoth take you?” Hye-Jung scoffed.

“Let a man dream!”

Behemoth had only three members, the top three Hunters in Korea, who were the brightest stars of the Hunter world. For a decade, that lineup hadn’t changed, meaning they never recruited new members. Jin-Soo was well aware of this, so his statement about joining Behemoth was nothing more than a fantasy.

“Anyway, I’m jealous. Yoon-Hee and I have to make it purely on skill.”

“Says the daughter of the president of Je-Il Smithy! Your father backs the Phoenix Guild. Getting into one of the Big Four isn’t hard for you,” Jin-Soo retorted.

Jin-Soo and Hye-Jung were what people called nepo babies.

GI Group ranked fourth in Korea’s business sector, while Je-Il Smithy was one of the top three workshops in the country. Although Je-Il Smithy had a cooperative relationship with Phoenix Guild, Hye-Jung secretly wanted to join Icarus Guild instead.

“By the way, it’s finally next month,” Jin-Soo muttered.

“What is?”

“The Swordsmanship Festival! The one for the third years.”

“Oh, right.”

The Swordsmanship Festival was regarded as the highlight of Hunter Academy. This event featured a one-on-one martial arts tournament that involved all third-year students, and it was also attended by high-ranking officials and guild representatives. A good performance here could catch their attention and open doors to prestigious guilds.

“Man, the third years must be so nervous.”

“Yeah, especially since this year’s competition is fierce. Ranking high in the Swordsmanship Festival is like a badge of honor. I can’t wait to compete myself.”

Jin-Soo glanced at Yoon-Hee, who was silently lost in thought, occasionally touching her lips. Her serene expression was so captivating that he found himself staring absentmindedly.

What could she be thinking about so deeply? Jin-Soo thought, curious.

Unfortunately, he would never know, or believe, what Yoon-Hee was pondering so deeply.

What should I make for dinner tonight?

It was a typical dilemma for a housewife.

***

Cheol-Soo and Hyuk-Soo sat at a table in the conference room of the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division. The week had been extremely busy, filled with back-to-back meetings. This was due to the biannual task of the Fissure Exploration Unit: the Comprehensive Fissure Survey.

Do-Jun entered, holding packed lunches. “Lunch is here.”

Usually, they would go out or eat at the cafeteria during lunch, but this week had been so busy that they had resorted to takeout every day.

“Thanks, as always.”

Cheol-Soo accepted the lunch with an apologetic smile. Although he could have bought the lunch himself, Do-Jun insisted it was a task for the youngest in the office.

“Thank you, Do-Jun,” Hyuk-Soo said as Do-Jun handed him a lunchbox with a grin.

“At least the second half of this year looks promising. We’ve got four A-rank Hunters under contract now.”

Three members of the Mejai Guild, plus Ye-Ji, who had climbed up from F-rank to A-rank in a flash. Even having one A-rank Hunter was a rarity for a government office, so having four made their work much smoother.

“It’s all thanks to Do-Jun,” Hyuk-Soo added.

“Not at all. It’s because of you and Chief’s guidance,” Do-Jun replied modestly.

“Kid, you may be a grade-nine supervisor, but if promotions weren’t based on tenure, you’d already be a department head,” Cheol-Soo said.

Do-Jun’s achievements were outstanding. While no other Fissure Management Division in the country had even one B-rank Hunter under contract, Seoul City Hall had four A-rank Hunters, and the credit undoubtedly went to Do-Jun.

“Don’t ever leave us, got it? We’re sticking together for life,” Cheol-Soo muttered anxiously.

Do-Jun chuckled and nodded.

“Oh, by the way, the invitation for the Swordsmanship Festival came in. Do-Jun, you should go this year. Hyuk-Soo and I have already been there before, so it’s your turn to see it,” Cheol-Soo said.

“The Swordsmanship Festival?” Do-Jun asked, unfamiliar with the term.

Hyuk-Soo explained that it was a martial arts competition held by third-year students at the Hunter Academy as they approached graduation.

Do-Jun nodded in understanding.

“While you’re there, see if you can scout any third years for our division.”

Do-Jun simply smiled at the suggestion.

***

While it was true that they were in an extremely fortunate position of having four A-rank Hunters, even with their help, it was nearly impossible for three civil servants to investigate over two hundred Fissures.

According to the Fissure Management Act and the guidelines from the Hunter’s Bureau, local governments managing Fissures were required to conduct an annual inspection of all Fissures under their jurisdiction and submit a report. When this season came around, the staff of the Fissure Exploration Division always felt like they were being worked to the bone.

Ten S-rank Hunters had gathered in the Hunter’s Bureau conference room and were skimming through the handouts Do-Jun had distributed. The documents detailed over two hundred Fissures managed by the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division, and Do-Jun had assigned ten Fissures to each Hunter. Each document listed the Fissures they were responsible for investigating.

“With the current shortage of manpower, if you all lend a hand, we can finish much faster... Of course, this is entirely voluntary,” Do-Jun said. “Please take your time to decide. If you’re willing to help, just send me a text. Of course, compensation will be provided for your efforts. Thank you.”

The S-rank Hunters swallowed dryly as they glanced between the handouts and Do-Jun. Since these Hunters weren’t under contract with Seoul City Hall, Do-Jun planned to compensate the Hunters who assisted with the full-scale Fissure inspection by offering artifacts procured from Treasure Goblin Company.

As soon as Do-Jun left the conference room, the tension in the room eased, and the S-rank Hunters visibly relaxed. They knew that when Do-Jun stated this was entirely voluntary, he meant it. Whether they participated or not, there would be no penalties. However, anyone could see this was an opportunity.

We have to do it, no question.

Kang-Hyun recalled his visit to Do-Jun’s house two weeks ago. He couldn’t forget the sight of two dragons napping on the sofa. He now knew that he had been wrong all along.

At first, he had thought that Do-Jun’s strength was merely two or three times greater than his own. But now he understood that what stood between them was an unfathomable gap and that Do-Jun was at a level so high he couldn’t even dream of reaching it.

Just then, Min-Ji muttered, “This... this is an opportunity, right?”

Even without further explanation, everyone understood what she meant. It was an excellent opportunity to earn favor with Do-Jun.

A grin spread across the faces of all the S-rank Hunters.

***

Kiriel had been repeating the process of sitting down and standing up for over an hour. He had changed his mind so many times that Wei Zhongqi had become numb to it.

Kiriel stood up once again, brushing the sand off his pants.

“I’ve made up my mind,” he said. “Wei Zhongqi, lend me a page from the Book of Transfer.”

Wei Zhongqi didn’t even bother to lift his eyes from his book anymore.

“Sure. I’ll trade you for a relic artifact.”

“What? Are you seriously doing this to a comrade?”

“Didn’t I give you one for free last time?”

That was true. However, Kiriel didn’t have a relic-grade artifact at the moment. Knowing he had no other choice, Kiriel resolved to recover Gungnir, no matter the cost.

“I’ll pay you after I get back. First, I need to get my bow back,” Kiriel said.

“Fine. But let me give you some advice: beg. Beg like your life depends on it. Swear you’ll never step foot on Earth again and just ask for the bow back.”

Wei Zhongqi handed him a page from the Book of Transfer. Kiriel stared at it for a long time, wondering whether he would be able to retrieve his bow if he returned to Earth or just end up dying for nothing.

“Ok. I’m off, then,” he said, clenching his fists.

“Alright. Be careful.”

***

Twenty minutes later, a massive Fissure appeared before the Library of Wailing in the dim Deep Realm. It was a dimensional Fissure created by the Book of Transfer.

Wei Zhongqi stopped flipping through his book, curious about the visitor’s identity. No one should be visiting at this time. When he saw the figure emerging from the Fissure, Wei Zhongqi’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Kiriel? Why are you back so soon? What about the bow?” he asked.

Kiriel explained the situation. “The Earth’s king is being held by something called ‘overtime,’ so he couldn’t come home. I was told to come again later.”

“Who told you that?”

“The girl living with him told me.”

Wei Zhongqi pressed his throbbing temples with his fingers.

Kiriel propped his chin on his hand and spoke seriously. “If it can give the Earth’s king a hard time, this ‘overtime’ must be a terrifying being...”