Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 82

The Hunters assigned to the Seoul City Hall’s Fissure Management Division were on standby at their own homes most of the time unless a special occasion required them to be in office—such as when a new C-rank or lower Fissures were detected, or when issues arose with existing Fissures managed by the city, or for patrols. Additionally, they were required to come in once a month for the monthly physical enhancement session.

On the day of the physical enhancement, the Hunters gathered in the break room attached to the Fissure Management Division office, waiting their turn. They sat close together, quietly eyeing Ye-Ji—more precisely, they were looking at the man sitting next to her, with whom she was happily chatting: Lee Do-Jun.

The Hunters started talking among themselves.

“I heard Supervisor Kwon isn’t coming in today.”

“So, we’re going with the drill sergeant?”

“Man, keep your voice down, or the sergeant’s gonna hear you.”

Among the Hunters contracted by the city, Do-Jun had earned the nickname Drill Sergeant. His by-the-book, process-driven way of working made the Hunters think of him as an instructor at a military academy.

Still, that wasn’t the only reason he had earned that nickname. There was another key factor for this.

“I wish he’d run drills with me, too...”

“Are you crazy?”

“Hah, don’t act like you’re not jealous.”

The nickname came about after an unexpected change in Do-Jun following his sudden accident. Before the accident, people had mocked him behind his back for being useless, mainly due to his timid speech and clumsy work, but out of nowhere, he had grown taller, become more muscular, and even better looking. After that, he quickly became a pillar of the division alongside Hyuk-Soo.

But what truly caught the Hunters’ attention wasn’t just Do-Jun’s transformation. Ye-Ji, an ex-F-rank Hunter managed by Do-Jun, had experienced rapid growth in recent months, quickly rising to the top among the contracted Hunters.

“Of course, I’m jealous... I’m crazy jealous.”

The Hunters suspected that Ye-Ji’s sudden growth was due to Do-Jun’s lessons. They weren’t sure what exactly he had taught her, but there seemed to be no other explanation. Plus, Ye-Ji followed Do-Jun around like a chick following its mother, solidifying their theory.

“Here comes the sergeant. Quiet down, everyone,” one of the Hunters said as Do-Jun approached.

***

I can hear everything, you dummies... Do-Jun reprimanded the Hunters mentally as he entered the break room with an indifferent expression.

He walked past the Hunters, who were avoiding his eyes and whistling as if they hadn’t just been talking about him. He placed a stack of documents on the round table and gestured with a smile for the Hunters to take their seats.

It was a signal for them to stop their chatting and sit down.

“Since Senior Kwon isn’t here today, I’ll be accompanying you to the Hunter’s Bureau. I’ve already reviewed your physical enhancement data. Is there anyone who’s had alcohol or isn’t feeling well today?”

No one raised their hand.

Of course, this was expected. For Hunters, the day of physical enhancement was one of the most important days, as it was their chance to increase their mana. Knowing how much these mana stones cost, no one was going to waste this opportunity.

“As usual, we’ll be using the C-rank mana stones provided by the Fissure Management Division for your physical enhancement. If any of you have acquired higher-grade stones and want to use those instead, please let me know now.”

The average price of a C-rank mana stone was about a million won, which was drastically lower than its price of thirty million five years ago, thanks to its rapid increase in supply. Despite a million won being an insignificant amount for Hunters, since using a higher-grade stone wouldn’t dramatically increase the amount of mana absorbed, most were content with the C-rank stones provided by the Fissure Management Division.

Anyway, it was also common for many Hunters to fail to absorb the mana from a C-rank stone fully.

At that moment, one man raised his hand. It was Ahn Young-Guk, an E-rank Hunter managed by Hyuk-Soo. “Excuse me, sergeant.”

“Yes.”

Hearing Ahn Young-Guk unintentionally address Do-Jun as sergeant, the nearby Hunters nudged his side as their eyes widened.

Realizing his mistake, Ahn Young-Guk stammered nervously, “N-no, I mean, S-supervisor Lee...”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Despite being called sergeant, Do-Jun’s expression didn’t change, and the Hunters breathed a collective sigh of relief. Perhaps he already knew about the nickname. In any case, the Hunters made a mental note to be more careful next time.

“I was just wondering... Is Hunter Ye-Ji not coming with us today? Not that it matters; just curious,” Ahn Young-Guk asked.

The Hunters had long been suspicious. Was Ye-Ji receiving some special kind of enhancement? Was she being treated differently?

Do-Jun shook his head and replied, “She won’t be coming with us. Hunter Ye-Ji doesn’t receive mana stones from our department; she handles her physical enhancement privately. Any other questions?”

In truth, she didn’t need the enhancement. Thanks to her S-rank skill Scholar’s Swordsmanship, her mana increased naturally with every training session. But Do-Jun didn’t mention that, as it would only cause unnecessary trouble.

Although the Hunters had plenty of things they were curious about, talking to Do-Jun felt somewhat intimidating, so they held back from asking any more questions.

Most Hunters had similar thoughts: He used to be so timid around us...

Aside from Do-Jun, most of the Fissure Management Division staff treated the Hunters with utmost respect. The Hunters knew how difficult it was for the city to secure contracts with Hunters, so they had grown used to this implicit hierarchy.

Of course, it wasn’t that Do-Jun was rude to the Hunters. He still maintained basic manners when interacting with people. The only difference was that he didn’t lower himself and spoke to them as equals, unlike the others.

Where is his confidence coming from?

The reality was that these contracted Hunters had no idea who was superior and who was inferior.

They truly had no clue.

***

Meanwhile, the Hunter’s Bureau was in a state of mild panic.

The supervisor of the fifteen contract Hunters from Seoul City Hall, who were scheduled for physical enhancement at 2 PM that day, had been changed from Hyuk-Soo to Do-Jun.

This change was not notified until 1 PM.

An employee in the first-floor physical enhancement room had received a call from Do-Jun notifying them that he would be coming in place of the originally scheduled Hyuk-Soo.

A secretary happened to overhear this and promptly reported it to Young-Chul.

“Tell the executive board to come to the central hall on the first floor right now,” Young-Chul’s aide relayed the Bureau Chief’s direct order to several secretaries.

Young-Chul had attempted to invite Do-Jun for a grand dinner at a hotel to celebrate Behemoth Guild’s successful raid of the first stage of the Tutorial Zone last week, but he was met with Do-Jun’s cold rejection.

“I’m not interested in those kinds of things.”

Since then, Young-Chul had eagerly awaited the day when Do-Jun would visit the Hunter’s Bureau.

After all, the Bureau’s progress in the Core was all thanks to Do-Jun’s strategy guide.

Behemoth Guild’s advance in the Core had been broadcast not only across Korea but also worldwide, boosting public opinion in favor of both Young-Chul and the Hunter’s Bureau. As such, he was keen to show his gratitude.

The sound of polished shoes echoed as the well-dressed executives of the Hunter’s Bureau made their way to the central hall on the first floor.

They knew they were gathering because of a civil servant named Lee Do-Jun from Seoul City Hall, but none of them could understand why the Bureau Chief was mobilizing them just because this man was visiting.

However, the chief’s orders were absolute law, leaving them with no choice but to comply.

Lined up in front of the revolving doors at the entrance of the Hunter’s Bureau, the executives stood at attention.

Seeing the impressive lineup, murmurs spread among the passersby.

“T-that’s Behemoth Guild!”

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“And the Bureau Chief is here too?”

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“Those people look pretty important as well...”

“Look, the Director of the Fissure Research Center is here too.”

As the elevator doors opened, Young-Chul, his aide, and the three members of Behemoth Guild stepped out.

People passing by the central hall pointed and stared wide-eyed.

Bowing slightly, the waiting executives greeted Young-Chul. They then formed a line on either side of the chief and the Behemoth Guild members.

Young-Chul glanced at his wristwatch, which now showed that it was just past 1:30 PM, and stood at attention, his gaze fixed on the revolving door.

***

Having just stepped off the subway, the contract Hunters grumbled as they ascended the escalator.

Last time, when they went for physical enhancement with Hyuk-Soo, they had comfortably taken taxis in groups of four. But Do-Jun had explained that the contract Hunters were not allocated travel expenses and that they had to take the subway using his own twenty-thousand-won travel allowance.

“I’ll be sure to put you in taxis on the way back. I didn’t realize you’d be so inconvenienced,” Do-Jun spoke apologetically to the complaining Hunters.

“Please, Supervisor Lee, try to remember we’re important people,” one of the Hunters said.

“Yes, I understand.”

Do-Jun was well aware of just how much Cheol-Soo treasured them. He chuckled as he stepped off the escalator.

He glanced up, taking in the towering height of the Hunter’s Bureau building before checking his watch and organizing the Hunters. It was almost 2 PM, time for their appointment.

“Let’s head in,” Do-Jun said and stepped through the front entrance of the Hunter’s Bureau as the Hunters followed behind.

***

As they walked inside, the contract Hunters’ eyes widened, and they swallowed nervously at the sight that unfolded before them.

Standing in a line alongside the executives of the Hunter’s Bureau was none other than Behemoth Guild, the number one guild in Korea, a group almost impossible to meet in person.

“W-what... what’s going on...?”

The contract Hunters began to edge away, trying to avoid the scene, but they then noticed the Bureau Chief and other distinguished figures bowing at a ninety-degree angle toward them.

The contract Hunters glanced around, wondering if the President of Korea was nearby. However, no matter where they looked, there didn’t seem to be anyone worthy of such deference.

Then, they heard an authoritative voice speak up. “Welcome, Supervisor Lee Do-Jun.”

Young-Chul’s deep voice echoed through the central hall.

For a moment, the contract Hunters doubted their ears. This was the Hunter’s Bureau Chief, a man with influence rivaling that of the President of the nation. Why would he bow to a mere civil servant?

The Hunters turned their heads quickly toward Do-Jun, who was... sighing.

“Come on...” Do-Jun mumbled amidst everyone’s stares. “What are you doing...”

As Do-Jun muttered to himself in disappointment, Sword Emperor Kang-Hyun stepped forward. “I sincerely apologize if any of this is displeasing you. However... upon hearing that you would be visiting, we simply couldn’t sit idly by. Please try to understand our side.”

The contract Hunters stood frozen in place, glancing back and forth between Do-Jun and Kang-Hyun, their mouths opening and closing in confusion.

What on earth was happening?

The bewildered expression was shared with the executive board members as well.

They knew the Bureau Chief held this civil servant named Lee Do-Jun in high regard, but they didn’t know why.

Why go this far? And why was even Behemoth Guild showing such humility toward him?

“I understand you’re here today to supervise the physical enhancement of the Hunters contracted with Seoul City Hall,” Kang-Hyun said, looking past Do-Jun to the group of contract Hunters.

Meeting Kang-Hyun’s gaze, the Hunters shrank back. Facing the top-ranked Hunter in Korea was overwhelming for the mostly D-rank Hunters.