Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 329

The Core was home to countless species: humans, goblins, elves, dwarves, Usurpers, vampires, demons, and more. Despite its extreme and inhospitable environment, these beings had managed to survive all this time. Some formed alliances within their own kind, and some even joined forces with other species. There were those who had been Encroached and dragged from distant planets, while others were born in the Core itself.

Their appearances and customs varied greatly, but all species shared one common trait: they formed organizations.

Dragons, on the other hand, were different. Each one had its own territory and hated intrusions. They were very individualistic by nature. The reason was simple: they were powerful, and their pride was even greater. They would never allow their pride to be hurt by submitting to someone else.

But nothing lasts forever.

As time passed, adventurers became stronger. They honed their Status Windows, mastered powerful skills, and obtained rare artifacts, steadily progressing beyond their limits. Eventually, a handful of adventurers “transcended” the physical limits of their bodies. And one day, someone suggested hunting a dragon.

That was when they realized that even among dragons, some were weaker than others. Adventurers banded together and started hunting them down. This marked the start of the Dragon Raid, a once-popular event in the Core. With each hunt, the number of dragons dwindled at an alarming rate. From a hundred to eighty, then to sixty, all the way until they were on the verge of extinction. By the time only nine remained, a dragon named Izaas appeared.

***

“Stay still. It’ll take some time for this to heal.”

“Karsiel...?” Bison called out.

He felt a familiar warmth radiating on his back. The moment he heard the soft, youthful voice, he knew it was Karsiel. Slowly, gentle magic seeped into his body, and his paralyzed nerves began to stir ever so slightly.

Biseon’s gaze fell to his forearm, where the number “7” was engraved. He said, “I must look pathetic... I apologize.”

“Don’t say that. We’re comrades,” Karsiel said gently.

Yes. They were comrades. Bound together by Izaas.

Biseon traced the number on his arm with his fingers. Once, a long time ago, Izaas had bestowed these numbers upon the remaining dragons. It was a pact, a promise to survive together. As proof of that promise, he had given each of them a number.

Biseon looked at Izaas, who was walking ahead of him. More precisely, at the massive number “1” engraved on his back[1]. It signified that he was the strongest among dragons, but the number wasn’t just a rank.

When he had assigned the numbers, Izaas had branded himself first and spoken only one thing. “I will protect you.”

A vow that, no matter what, he would always be the first to rush in whenever any of them were in danger.

As if relieved by the memory, Biseon let go of his tension and fell unconscious.

***

There was no need to be afraid. No matter how powerful the Overlord was, he too, had restrictions placed upon him. If this had been in the Core, the outcome would have been uncertain. But here, on Earth, there was a chance of victory.

Acero smirked and pointed at Izaas, who was approaching from a distance.

“Go! My army, attack!” she commanded the thousands of demons to march forward.

Her strategy was simple: wear Izaas down. The more demons he had to fight, the greater her advantage. After all, she could summon as many as she pleased.

However, the demons didn’t move a muscle.

“Huh...? I said, ‘Attack!’ Tear him apart!” she shouted. There was no reaction. This had never happened before.

Izaas continued his steady march forward.

Frustrated, Acero gritted her teeth and started muttering the incantation to summon more demons. If the already summoned demons wouldn’t listen, she would simply summon more.

But again, nothing happened.

Her face went pale. No matter how many times she chanted, no new demons emerged, and Izaas walked unhindered. No, it was more than just unhindered; the demons moved aside, clearing a path for him.

Were they afraid of him? Impossible. Summoned demons had no emotions. Then why?

“Fuck!” Acero cursed, eyes burning with rage as she glared at Izaas. Her plan had fallen apart. Still, she was confident she could win.

Hadn’t she just witnessed it? Even the dragons, once thought to be indestructible, had weakened on Earth. Their flesh, known to be as tough as the Everfrost steel, had gone as soft as tofu under her blows thanks to their limitations on Earth.

Not even that Overlord bastard can... The thought made her smile.

Acero amplified the power of her Breath of Malice, an artifact bestowed upon her by Solomon. Dark lines, once faintly drawn across her body, grew darker, pulsating with power. A moment later, Acero’s entire form was engulfed in malice. Feeling the overwhelming surge of magic, she grinned and leaped toward Izaas.

“Dieeee!”

Her fist, brimming with demonic energy, struck forward. With a deafening explosion, a violent storm erupted upon contact, shattering the ground and reducing nearby demons to nothingness. The earth split apart beneath them.

Feeling triumphant after her ultimate move, Acero chuckled, but stopped instantly.

“What...?” She gasped.

There wasn’t a single scratch on the Dragon Lord.

Her pupils dilated. Slowly, she lifted her gaze and met a pair of cold, piercing eyes.

Izaas was staring down at her.

She stammered, “You...? How...? I-I definitely have... Lord Solomon’s... power...”

At that moment, Izaas opened his mouth and uttered a single phrase—words in the ancient Dragon Tongue, incomprehensible to others.

The air shifted.

W-what is this? Acero instinctively leaped away from Izaas and scanned her surroundings.

Her lips quivered. “The dimension...”

It was collapsing. Like shattering glass, cracks splintered across the space, and fragments of the dimension scattered. The demons vanished as if they had never existed in the first place. The ground fractured. The very earth beneath her feet crumbled into pieces, plunging downward. Existence itself unraveled into nothingness.

“W-what are you doing?!” Acero stammered as she staggered backward. “This... This isn’t possible... Dragons are supposed to be weakened on Earth...”

“You.” Izaas raised a hand and casually swept it through the air. “You talk too much.”

Acero immediately sensed something was wrong with her body. Her senses dulled. No, it wasn’t just that—her very existence was unraveling. She realized she no longer recognized her own being. Even as she opened her mouth to speak, no sound came out.

This... can’t... be... She was in a state of disbelief.

The dimension collapsed further.

Acero felt true terror not at the prospect of dying, but at the ominous “gate” that had opened in the sky. The shattered pieces of the dimension were being pulled into that gate, disappearing completely.

What... is that...?

Then, a dreadful realization struck her: anything that entered that gate would be erased. She was seized by panic and took another step back, unable to look away.

Izaas watched her retreat and then slowly raised his hand toward her. The gate in the sky shattered, and the swirling fragments gathered into his palm. The dimension had collapsed, severing its link to Earth. Now, nothing restrained his power. Luminous energy formed in his hand and continued to grow steadily.

That’s... all magic? Acero trembled.

With unlimited power like that, it didn’t matter if he was restricted on Earth. The sheer magnitude of his energy rendered such constraints meaningless. Worse still, this place was no longer connected to Earth. The restrictions had been completely lifted.

Acero collapsed to her knees. The “Breath of Malice” that had surrounded her dissipated. She had released it herself; Izaas had nothing to do with it. Even if she fully unleashed her demonic power, she knew it wouldn’t be enough to block the attack.

So this is who they call Lord Solomon’s adversary...

Only Solomon could stand against this power.

Finally, she understood why the Dragon Lord was called the King of the Core. She also wondered if Solomon could fight the power gathering on Izaas’ palm.

I... I’m not sure anymore.

Solomon was undeniably strong. Acero had always believed him to be the greatest force in the universe. But now, she wasn’t so sure. A bitter smile formed on her lips.

Who would become the true King of Dimensions?

Until now, she had believed, without a doubt, that Solomon would claim that throne. But now, she was no longer certain.

Suddenly, a memory resurfaced. It was her conversation with Baal. He said that he would never follow her to Earth. At the time, she had found it odd, but now, she understood.

Slowly, Acero closed her eyes. Soon, a flash appeared, followed by a deafening explosion, and her existence was erased.

***

The collapsed dimension returned to its original state.

Yong-Yong collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, his hands trembling. Expending all his magic at once had left him completely burned out. Feeling a deep fatigue he hadn’t experienced in ages, he lay flat on his back and stared up at the sky.

“Lord Izaas!” Karsiel ran over and checked his condition. “A-are you alright?”

“This is nothing.”

That was a lie. But for some reason, he didn’t want to look weak in front of his subordinate.

“B-but...”

“I said I’m fine. I used this magic before, remember? Back at Hephaestus’ forge, when I poured all my magic into that attack on the artifact to protect Yoon-Hee. I just needed ten minutes of rest, and I was back to normal.”

Yong-Yong remembered the time when Do-Jun ordered him to unleash an attack on the artifact with all his might. Back then, he was also burned out, but after lying down for ten minutes, he recovered. He also recalled that the artifact itself didn’t even have a scratch.

Shuddering at the memory, he forced himself up with a groan. Even though his body still ached, there was something else he was more concerned about.

“So?” he asked Karsiel.

“Oh, Biseon, right. He lost consciousness, but thankfully, his life isn’t in danger. However, he’s still contaminated with demonic energy. It’ll take some time to purge it completely.”

“Huh? I’m not talking about Biseon.”

“Then who were you referring to...?”

Yong-Yong hurried over to Biseon, beside whom he found his bag. Unzipping it, he checked its contents and discovered the snacks were still perfectly intact. His face lit up with a radiant smile.

“Teeheehee!”

Karsiel thought that it was probably for the best that Biseon wasn’t awake to see this.

1. Honestly, Izaas’ number keeps shifting so much that I have lost track. Dragon form: forehead. Human form: back of his hand, and now on the back. ☜