Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 340

Ho-Cheol pulled out a handful of vending machine drinks from his lab coat pocket and set them on the table.

“Please, help yourself, Supervisor Lee,” he said.

“Thank you, Dr. Choi.”

Ho-Cheol grabbed a can of coffee and chugged it down. His desk was already littered with empty coffee cans, a testament to his reliance on caffeine to combat his mounting fatigue. He had deep shadows under his eyes.

Do-Jun watched him quietly while sipping an ion drink. He then reached out and pressed lightly on the Acupoint of Clarity at the back of Ho-Cheol’s neck. Then, pretending he was picking something off from Ho-Cheol, he flicked his fingers.

“You had some dust on you,” Do-Jun said.

“Oh, thank you. Anyway, to get straight to the point...” Ho-Cheol’s words trailed off, and he tilted his head slightly.

The stiffness in his body, which had been weighing him down just moments ago, had vanished. It felt like waking up from a deep sleep and stretching his body—light, refreshed, and utterly revitalized.

“Where was I?” he asked.

“You mentioned that all artifacts contain unique mana properties.”

At those words, Ho-Cheol’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. That was the opening statement of a research paper titled “The Correlation Between Artifacts and Magic,” published by the Central Research Center two years ago.

Do-Jun smiled and reached into a box filled with research materials, pulling out a dagger. “When I first joined the Fissure Management Division, I studied all available materials to get up to speed as quickly as possible. I found your papers particularly helpful, Dr. Choi... Ah, here it is.”

This time, he picked up a ring. Holding an artifact in each hand, he lifted them slightly. To an outsider, it might have seemed meaningless, but not to Ho-Cheol. His eyes widened.

“The properties of mana can be classified as yin and yang. Yin and yang interact with each other, complementing their deficiencies. You defined this interaction as ‘Synergy’ in your research paper,” Do-Jun recited what he saw in the paper. “These two artifacts have approximately a seventy-eight percent synergy rate. That’s quite an optimal combination.”

Ho-Cheol moved his mouse, activating his laptop screen. Opening an Excel file labeled “Synergy Chart,” he checked the recorded synergy data for the two Artifacts. The displayed result was 78.356%, just as Do-Jun had said. That wasn’t something that could be dismissed as a coincidence. Moreover, of the hundred or so artifact samples in the lab, the two Do-Jun had selected happened to have the highest synergy rate.

Ho-Cheol was left speechless. It had taken his team countless sleepless nights, rigorous experiments, and hundreds of trial-and-error attempts to determine these values. Yet, the man in front of him had identified the best combination in five seconds, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“H-how did you do that, Supervisor Lee?” he asked.

“I’m just naturally sensitive to mana.”

“Even the First Hunters couldn’t do what you just did.”

“That’s precisely why Chief Jung always seeks me out first—something you’ve been curious about, I assume.”

Ho-Cheol was at a loss for words. Years of research and painstaking effort... suddenly felt like a fleeting mirage.

Seeing his expression, Do-Jun placed the artifacts back into the supply box. He said, “But in the end, this method isn’t a permanent solution. I’m only human, after all, so my ability to sense things like this fluctuates with my condition. That’s why Chief Jung ultimately turns to the Lab, and why Behemoth Hunters regularly undergo mana evaluations here.”

Do-Jun had deliberately downplayed his ability. For him, detecting the yin-yang properties of mana was trivial, thanks to his ability to manipulate the qi of nature. However, he hadn’t come here to completely trample the research team’s efforts.

“The Central Research Center’s system is impressive. I believe it’s a testament to your hard work and that of your research team. Your theories have been praised for their near-perfection, but ‘Synergy’ technology has yet to become widely adopted. That’s due to the lack of sufficient sample data, isn’t it?”

Regrettably, Do-Jun was right. The concept of artifact synergy had not yet taken root in the Hunter community. If a Hunter only used two artifacts, it might be manageable. However, the average Hunter equipped five or more artifacts. Even a single miscalculation could completely negate the synergy effect.

Extracting the optimal artifact synergy required extensive experimentation and research, which cost research institutions tens to hundreds of billions of won in salaries alone for expert researchers. Moreover, beyond the astronomical costs involved, research requests could only be made on specific individuals, and that pool was hard to expand due to competition in the field.

“If you could develop a system that reduces the margin of error and rapidly calculates synergy for commercialization, what would you and your team at the Artifact Research Division do?” Do-Jun asked.

“Every single one of us would jump and cheer for joy three times.”

It was a dream scenario. If realized, it would mark a groundbreaking achievement in Hunter history.

Ho-Cheol downed the remainder of his coffee in one gulp.

“I’ll help you,” Do-Jun declared.

“Supervisor Lee, are you saying you’re going to join the research team?!”

“No, I have no intention of doing that. But I will contribute to your research.”

“Contribute without being a part of our team...? How would you do that?”

“I’ll collect samples and provide synergy estimates for you. The Lab can then conduct experiments in reverse—analyzing the results to determine the cause. If you hit any roadblocks, feel free to reach out. I’ll help where I can.”

From the Lab’s perspective, there was no downside. In fact, it was an overwhelming gain.

A wide grin spread across Ho-Cheol’s face. “We would be beyond grateful for your help.”

“However, I have one condition.”

“A condition?”

“I want there to be... synergy between Seoul City Hall and the Central Research Center.”

***

“Hey, Hyuk-Soo, pinch my cheek. Hard,” Cheol-Soo said. “Just do it.”

He sat frozen, staring intently at the monitor.

After hesitating for a moment, Hyuk-Soo reluctantly reached out and gave his cheek a firm pinch.

“Argh!” Cheol-Soo yelped, rubbing his now-reddened cheek. “So it is real.”

He stared at the official document and let out a series of exclamations. “Wow! Wow!”

Agreement on Designated Collaboration Targets

1. We extend our best wishes for the continued success of the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division.

2. The Hunter’s Bureau Central Research Center regularly appoints research request partners in accordance with the Special Purpose Research Act. After an internal review, we have selected the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division as a designated partner. Please provide your department’s feedback on this decision.

Collaboration Benefits Include:

Hunter Mana Testing

Artifact Performance (Synergy) Analysis

Status Window & Skill-Related Research

Monster & Byproduct Composition Analysis

.

.

.

All application fees, research costs, and related expenses are fully waived.

This wasn’t just preferential treatment; it was almost like being handed everything on a silver platter. Not only did they now have access to the Central Research Center, but the costs were completely covered.

“W-why are they suddenly being so generous?” Cheol-Soo asked.

At that moment, Do-Jun entered the office with Yong-Yong, who had a cloth bundle strapped to his back, stuffed full of sodas. He scurried over to the break room, opened the fridge, and carefully stacked the bottles inside.

“I’m back,” Do-Jun said.

“Oh! Do-Jun! You came at the perfect time. Look at this! This is insane! Hahaha!” Cheol-Soo called out.

Do-Jun leaned over to glance at the monitor. Ho-Cheol had said it would take a few days to review everything internally because he needed to hear from other researchers first. And yet, the official document had already been sent out.

“This seems like a good opportunity to conduct mana evaluations for our contract Hunters,” Do-Jun commented.

Seeing Do-Jun’s expressionless face, Cheol-Soo asked, “How are you so calm about this?”

“No, Chief, I’m just as surprised as you are.”

“Hmm... okay, then. Anyway, getting access to the Central Research Center for mana evaluation was something only S-rank Hunters could do. And it used to cost a fortune. Wasn’t it around 8 billion won per evaluation? I remember seeing that on the news.”

Cheol-Soo scrolled down with the mouse. The list of available services was staggering.

“The Hunter’s Bureau is giving out artifacts, supporting S-rank Hunters, and what else? SG Group is handing out money, and now the Central Research Center is granting access to all their facilities and services... At this rate, even the President might start doing favors for us.”

Cheol-Soo meant it as a joke, but one person didn’t think so.

“That might actually happen...” Hyuk-Soo said seriously.

The Central Research Center’s sudden generosity could only be attributed to Do-Jun, and Hyuk-Soo instinctively knew that if Do-Jun wanted, even the President could be brought into play.

***

“You’ve been looking better lately,” Young-Chul remarked.

“Haha, thank you, sir. I’ve actually been feeling quite great for days now, even though I still only sleep four hours a night,” Ho-Cheol replied.

Young-Chul turned his gaze toward the official document pinned to the Lab’s whiteboard. It was a response from Seoul City Hall. “You’re lucky that Supervisor Lee is willing to cooperate with you.”

“He was kind enough to suggest it first. He said he wanted to create a mutual synergy.”

The Lab was bustling with researchers moving about. For a moment, Ho-Cheol imagined Do-Jun wearing a white lab coat, roaming between research centers.

If only that could become a reality.

Clicking his tongue in regret, Ho-Cheol muttered, “Supervisor Lee should have been a researcher.”

“What?”

“I’m just saying... Well, actually, I mean it. Don’t you think so? That guy is way better suited to being a researcher than a civil servant. He’s talented, has great intuition, and anyone in this field would want him on their team.” Ho-Cheol’s voice was filled with sincerity. “I really want him, that Lee Do-Jun.”

“You’re not the only one, so you’d better get in line. He even has a fan club,” Young-Chul said.

“What? Who’s in it?”

“There are official and unofficial members.”

“Hmm.” Ho-Cheol opened a can of soda that Yong-Yong had left behind.

“The unofficial members are the S-rank Hunters,” Young-Chul stated.

Cough! Cough, cough!

Choking, Ho-Cheol pounded his chest. “Wait. S-rank Hunters?!”

“Yeah.”

“Sir, are you being serious?”

“When have I ever joked with you?”

“You’re right... Then, who’s in the official club?” Ho-Cheol asked and took another sip of his drink.

“Me, Chairman Moon Gwang-Ho, and President Choi Sung-Hwan.”

“Pfft—!” Startled, Ho-Cheol spat out his soda and coughed violently, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “Sir, aren’t you going a little overboard?”

“You doubt too much.”

“Call it a researcher’s mindset. But still, you’re just throwing words around. The SG Group chairman and the President? That’s ridiculous... And what’s the difference between official and unofficial members, anyway?”

Young-Chul removed the taegeuk pin from his suit and held it up. “This is the official pin made personally by Supervisor Lee.”

“No way. Seriously?”

“Of course. Why are you so full of doubt? Seriously.”

Ho-Cheol turned the taegeuk pin over in his hands, inspecting it before handing it back.

Young-Chul reattached it to his suit. “Well, I’m done here. I’ll be heading out.”

The automatic doors of the Central Research Center closed behind him.

Ho-Cheol, still in disbelief, muttered under his breath, “Wait... Did he seriously come here just to brag about his pin?”