Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 164

The landscape beyond the Fissure’s entry point revealed a mountain blanketed in pure white snow. Snowflakes fell heavily, accompanied by fierce winds that whipped the snow into a blizzard. The temperature hovered around -150°C, making it understandable why even S-rank Hunters had failed to progress beyond the entrance.

Crunch.

Do-Jun stepped forward, seemingly unbothered, as each breath he exhaled appeared like plumes of cigarette smoke. Expanding his qi sense, he detected no monsters nearby. However, at the mountain’s peak, tens of kilometers away, he sensed an immense presence. It, too, had noticed Do-Jun’s approach and was filled with hostility, ready to defend itself.

Suddenly, the wind intensified. The snow transformed into sharp, icy shards and hurled toward Do-Jun like projectiles. Any ordinary person would have been shredded to pieces in an instant, but Do-Jun remained unscathed. The icy projectiles dissipated before even reaching him, obliterated by the invisible force surrounding him.

A black, ominous demonic energy enveloped Do-Jun’s form. From that moment, his footsteps left no trace in the snow, and the crunching sound of his steps ceased. Around him, the world fell eerily silent, as if sound itself had been erased.

Using another one of his skills, Snow Steps, Do-Jun seemed to glide forward, covering hundreds of meters at a time. It was a type of celestial technique, folding the earth beneath his feet as he walked.

Shck.

His final step left a faint trace. Do-Jun now stood before the master of Snow Mountain.

“Who... are you?” The mountain’s master regarded him with disbelief, unleashing an intense cold.

***

Do-Jun quickly understood why there were no ordinary monsters here. Standing at the summit of Snow Mountain, he found himself face-to-face with an ethereal spirit. It had a human-like shape but no physical body; its form was made entirely of white mist.

“I see.” Do-Jun nodded as if everything had fallen into place.

The ethereal spirit was Snow Mountain itself—a vast expanse of forests and peaks stretching across acres. The relentless blizzards and piercing snow were both part of its essence.

“You possess power that defies belief for a human. No one but you has ever made it here. So, what business do you have with me?” asked the spirit of Snow Mountain.

“I’ve heard that I can get the Elixir here,” Do-Jun replied.

“The Elixir? The essence of nature itself? Why do you need it?”

“Let’s just say I have a use for it.”

“The Elixir is not something I can hand over lightly. No matter how far you’ve come, I see no reason to give it to you.”

“What must I do to obtain it?”

“You must pass my trial,” stated the spirit of Snow Mountain.

“A trial, huh...? Alright. What’s the trial?” Do-Jun asked.

“I will measure your soul.” The spirit approached Do-Jun. “If you are unworthy of the Elixir, your soul will shatter and fail to merge with nature, disappearing forever. If you still wish to proceed, swallow this.”

The spirit handed Do-Jun a small crystal that shone a dazzling white, purer than anything he had seen before. The spirit was certain Do-Jun would hesitate and ultimately abandon the trial. However, without the slightest hesitation, Do-Jun swallowed the crystal as if it were the most natural thing to do.

“It’s been a while,” he muttered, grinning if he was amused.

“What is...?”

“Since someone last dared to test me,” Do-Jun said.

***

The Elixir was a crystallized essence of nature’s vitality, shining in pure white, untainted by anything. While some considered it a universal panacea for ailments, the Elixir’s true nature extended far beyond simple healing. It was a journey to inherit a fragment of nature’s power itself.

“Strange... I see nothing,” muttered the spirit of Snow Mountain as it peered into Do-Jun’s soul.

However, what it sought to observe wasn’t there. It was as if Do-Jun’s emotions had almost vanished, leaving his soul devoid of color and scent.

Glimpsing fragments of his past, the spirit saw only brief flashes—just fragments. Yet their sheer number was overwhelming. No, “overwhelming” was an understatement. It was the universe. From Do-Jun’s soul, the spirit sensed the vastness of the universe itself.

“T-this can’t be...!” cried the spirit of Snow Mountain.

[You are not worthy to access this information.]

[You may not use your skills due to a difference in soul caliber.]

[Warning! Continued exposure will result in soul encroachment.]

[Time remaining until encroachment: 10 seconds.]

With only ten seconds remaining, the spirit prepared to escape but then paused. In a brief moment, it caught a glimpse of fragments from Do-Jun’s life.

“This is... What is this?”

How many lives had he lived, and how long had they been? How many deaths had he experienced? The scale was incomprehensible, even to the spirit.

Because of this, Do-Jun’s soul was infinite in size—almost boundless.

[Warning! Continued exposure will result in soul encroachment.]

[Time remaining: 3 seconds.]

[2 seconds.] ƒreewebɳovel.com

[1 second.]

***

The spirit of Snow Mountain gasped for breath. Do-Jun looked down at it calmly. After swallowing the crystal, he had felt a brief tingling sensation, and the spirit had reappeared after about fifteen seconds.

“You... who are you?” the spirit asked.

What Do-Jun had consumed was the Elixir, and he had gone through a journey to inherit nature’s power. Yet Do-Jun’s soul had rejected that power. Or rather, it didn’t need it. Within Do-Jun’s soul resided the universe itself, and in that universe was the grand nature itself.

“Are you... a god?” the spirit asked him again.

Do-Jun shook his head.

He was just a human—nothing more, nothing less. However, the spirit’s demeanor, even its gaze, had completely changed.

“So, what about the Elixir?” Do-Jun asked.

“You don’t need it. You possess power far beyond the nature itse—” The spirit couldn’t finish its sentence.

“It’s not for me.”

“Then... for whom?”

Do-Jun explained the situation about Kim Ok-Soon’s hospitalization and the cause of her condition.

After listening carefully, the spirit responded, “This should suffice.”

The essence of nature gathered in Do-Jun’s palm, and a potion formed in his grasp.

***

In the ICU of St. Mary’s Hospital in Banpo-dong, an elderly woman opened her eyes. Just a few days earlier, she had been diagnosed with a terminal condition because of her Status Window maladaptation. For years, she endured excruciating pain that felt as though her body was being eaten away, holding on until she finally reached this state.

“Hmm...?” Kim Ok-Soon felt puzzled.

Her body no longer ached. On the contrary, she felt as light as a feather and unusually refreshed. What in the world was happening?

“Ah, you’re awake!” the doctor said cheerfully.

“Oh, doctor...”

“How are you feeling?”

“I feel... fine? Actually, I feel as if I’ve gotten stronger.”

“You’re ready to be discharged,” the doctor said happily.

“Pardon?” Kim Ok-Soon doubted her hearing.

The doctor had previously given her no more than a week to live. Yet now, she was being told she could leave? What could this mean? Kim Ok-Soon had her suspicions, but she dared not believe.

“Are you saying I’ve been cured...?” she asked, cautiously.

“Yes. You’ve fully recovered.”

In disbelief, Kim Ok-Soon touched her body. Her previously frail arms and legs had regained some mass, and the wrinkles that once deeply lined her skin seemed to have softened.

“Thank you... Thank you so much...”

Still, a concern nagged at her—the hospital bill, which was likely astronomical. The doctor seemed to sense her unease and smiled.

“You’ve got a wonderful neighbor. You don’t need to worry about the hospital fees. They’ve been fully covered. And your recovery is thanks to the miraculous medicine your neighbor brought.”

“My neighbor... paid my bill? And miraculous medicine, you say...?”

Although the person who had helped insisted on remaining anonymous, the doctor described him nonetheless. After all, good deeds should be highlighted.

***

It had been two days since the grandma from the convenience store had been away, and Yong-Yong and Byeol were feeling quite down. To cheer them up, Yoon-Hee prepared a special meal for them, a traditional stamina-boosting dish often eaten during the hottest days of summer: samgyetang[1].

Byeol carefully used a spoon to remove the meat from a chicken drumstick that was served in her cute teddy bear bowl. She tried not to show it, but worry was written all over her face.

Do-Jun, who had already emptied his bowl, called out, “Byeol.”

Assuming he wanted her to stop playing with her food and eat properly, Byeol hurriedly began shoveling food into her mouth while stealing glances at him. However, that wasn’t the reason he called her.

“Once you’re done eating, how about we go to the store together?”

At the mention of the store, Byeol lit up briefly, only to sulk again as she replied in a tiny voice, “The stowe’s closed now.”

“Is that so?”

“I went in the morning to check. But gwanny wasn’t there.” Byeol recalled what the security guard had told her earlier that day, and said, “Gwanny is sick and in the hospital. The secuwity man said she can’t run the stowe anymore...”

“Hmm. It might be open now, though,” Do-Jun said, standing up. “How about we go check together?”

“Okie...”

***

Do-Jun, Yong-Yong, and Byeol left the house and walked toward the store in their complex. When they saw the lights on and the door wide open, their eyes widened.

Yong-Yong dashed toward the store. “G-Grandma!”

“Hoho, hello, Yong-Yong.”

“W-weren’t you in the hospital?”

“I was discharged today.” The owner of Changshin Supermarket, Kim Ok-Soon, greeted Yong-Yong with a kind smile.

Moments later, Do-Jun and Byeol entered the store.

“Gwanny! You’re weally here!”

“Byeol, you came too. Hoho.”

“Are you okay now? Are you not sick anymore?”

“Oho, you heard? Don’t worry. Grandma is all better now.”

“Not sick at all?” Byeol asked again.

“That’s right.”

For Yong-Yong and Byeol, the joy of confirming her safety far outweighed the excitement of getting their usual snacks. To them, Changshin Supermarket was more than just a place for treats—it was a warm and comforting haven.

Quietly, Kim Ok-Soon glanced at Do-Jun, who was watching Yong-Yong and Byeol cheerfully wander around the store. She cautiously approached him. “Excuse me, young man...”

“Yes?”

She recalled what the doctor had said.

“He looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties. I believe he lives in the same complex, Changshin Villa. He’s about 180 centimeters tall...”

“Thank you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay this kindness...”

It was clear that the man who had helped her was none other than Do-Jun. Feeling both guilty and grateful, Kim Ok-Soon struggled to find the right words.

Byeol ran up to Do-Jun, holding a pack of gummy worms she had seen advertised on TV. “I found the worms!”

Do-Jun smiled and said, “Byeol, Grandma said this is a gift for you.”

“Gasp! Weally, gwanny? For me?”

“Yes. Now, thank her properly,” Do-Jun said.

Byeol gave a deep bow, her hands pressed together in gratitude. “Thank you vewy much!”

She then tucked the gummy worms into her pocket.

“Aren’t you going to eat them now?” Do-Jun asked her.

“Nope. I’m saving them.” Byeol beamed with happiness.

Do-Jun suppressed a laugh and turned to Kim Ok-Soon. “You’ll be open tomorrow, right?”

“Yes.”

Do-Jun smiled softly and added, “Then that’s more than enough.”

1. Ginseng chicken stew. ☜

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