Daddy is too Strong
Chapter 166

Chapter 166

There was one day of the year that instilled a sense of unease across the entire Deep Realm. This day was known as “Cleaning Day,” a time when monsters rampaged uncontrollably. On this day, everyone evacuated to safe zones and waited for the chaos to subside. Even the kings of the Deep Realm, Solomon’s demons, and the Transcendents had no choice but to retreat, as a single monster might not have posed much of a threat, but being swept up by tens or hundreds of millions of them meant certain death.

***

In a thatched home in Mount Yeongryunsan, located in the Deep Realm, Wei Zhongqi and Kiriel were leisurely playing janggi[1].

Janggi was a game that Wei Zhongqi often played with Do-Jun during his time in the Central Plains. With nothing better to do, he had started teaching it to Kiriel a few days ago to pass the time.

“Check,” Wei Zhongqi said.

“Argh! Let’s just go back one move!” Kiriel cried out.

“Sigh. This is already the tenth time you’ve asked that in this game. No more.”

“But you’re a pro! I’m just a beginner.”

“In a game, there’s no room for mercy,” Wei Zhongqi remarked as his rook captured Kiriel’s pawn.

Kiriel gritted his teeth, spun around, and stood up suddenly, clearly upset about his loss. Wei Zhongqi chuckled softly as he began to set up the pieces for another game.

“Let’s play another round,” Wei Zhongqi said.

“No, I’m going to Earth.”

“Again? Didn’t you just get Gungnir back?”

“Tomorrow’s Cleaning Day.” With those words, Kiriel tore a page from the Book of Transfer and crossed through a dimensional portal to Earth.

“What’s with him?” Wei Zhongqi scratched his head.

Mount Yeongryunsan was unaffected by Cleaning Day. Given that Kiriel usually stayed here every year during the event, his behavior was baffling.

***

Monday morning, 7 AM.

Do-Jun sipped a cup of freshly brewed coffee while reading the newspaper. Although he usually helped prepare breakfast, Yoon-Hee had begged him not to, so he had no choice but to sit and wait.

An assortment of side dishes and a refreshing cold bean sprout soup were served to alleviate the heat of the weather.

“Thanks. Looks delicious,” Do-Jun said with a smile as he picked up his spoon.

Sitting across from him, Yoon-Hee also picked up her spoon. She was neatly dressed in her school uniform. Breakfast could have been quiet, but Yoon-Hee always had plenty to say to Do-Jun, making their meals lively. Most of the conversation naturally revolved around her school life.

“So, my dorm friends do these self-training sessions every morning, and I’m thinking about joining them. If we leave together at eight, the timing works out perfectly. What do you think?” she asked.

Do-Jun was a man of few words, but Yoon-Hee didn’t mind. He listened attentively, smiled when their eyes met, and responded just enough to keep the conversation from feeling one-sided. She found these moments with him deeply comforting.

Suddenly, Do-Jun sensed a strange energy through his qi senses, coming from near the road outside Changshin Villa. It felt familiar. Although he had already returned Gungnir, he wondered if Kiriel had more business with him. However, it didn’t seem like he was coming up to the apartment. Instead, he headed to Hakase’s food stall.

“Long time no see, lizard. Give me a taiyaki,” Kiriel greeted Hakase.

“Why did this idiot crawl back up here...?” Hakase grumbled in return.

“What? Idiot? You must have a death wish, lizard!”

“Fine. Let’s settle this once and for all!”

Hearing their bickering, Do-Jun sighed deeply.

“I-I’m sorry! I was talking too much, wasn’t I?” Yoon-Hee asked, biting her lip as she glanced at him nervously.

“No, it’s not you,” Do-Jun replied calmly.

***

Seoul City Hall, Fissure Management Division.

While working on a draft for an official document, Do-Jun suddenly paused, his hand hovering over the keyboard. Tapping his fingers lightly on the desk, he seemed lost in thought. A moment later, someone set a cold glass of iced tea with floating ice cubes on his desk.

“Thank you, senior,” he said.

“Got something on your mind?” Hyuk-Soo asked, sitting down at his desk.

“Not really. Nothing worth worrying about.”

“Come on, talk to me. That’s what mentors are for.”

“Honestly, it just feels like there’s a lot going on in my neighborhood these days.”

“Noisy? Is it something real estate-related? Like redevelopment or something?” Hyuk-Soo asked.

“No, it’s just that there have been more... guests around recently. But it’s hard to explain,” Do-Jun brushed it off.

The Deep Realm was still a mystery to most, if not all, ordinary people. Hyuk-Soo was no exception, and explaining concepts like Transcendents wouldn’t help anyone.

“Fair enough. If it’s hard to talk about, you don’t have to. Everyone’s entitled to their privacy,” Hyuk-Soo said.

This was one of the things Do-Jun liked about Hyuk-Soo. He respected boundaries and never pressured his juniors, treating them with genuine respect and consideration.

“Do-Jun,” Hyuk-Soo called out again.

“Yes, Senior?”

“If things get tough, you can rely on me anytime.”

Do-Jun smiled softly and nodded.

Meanwhile, Cheol-Soo rested his chin on his hand as he stared at his monitor. He glanced over and muttered, “Are you two filming a drama or something?”

Hyuk-Soo coughed awkwardly and quickly returned to his work.

***

In a barren wasteland of a desolate Fissure, Hakase and Kiriel glared at each other, ready to pounce.

“I’ll finish you off once and for all,” Hakase declared.

“That’s my line. You’re dead, lizard. I’ve come to finish the job.”

“You came to do what? Hah! What an overconfident fool. Have you forgotten how close you came to dying last time?”

“You were the one who almost died, not me,” Kiriel yelled.

Standing on the dried-up, lifeless soil of this empty Fissure, Kiriel and Hakase glowered at each other. Unable to restrain himself, Kiriel equipped Gungnir, the weapon slung across his back.

“If you’d just handed me a taiyaki, none of this would’ve happened, lizard.”

“You think I’m running a charity? You have to pay for it!”

“I said I’d pay next time!”

Hakase let out a mocking laugh. “Right, and I was supposed to believe that because I was born yesterday, huh?”

“Oh, you weren’t?” Kiriel shot back.

“You little—!” Veins bulged on Hakase’s forehead as he slowly drew his energy.

Without incantations, he instantly activated high-level spells using his mana—a feat remarkable enough to draw admiration, even more so because he was performing a double spell. However, Kiriel remained unimpressed. Instead, he became concerned.

“W-wait, hold on!” he cried out urgently.

“You’re finally ready to give up?” Hakase asked smugly.

“No, I just don’t want to write another reflection paper.”

If their fight caused the dimension to collapse again, the aftershock would reach Earth, inevitably provoking the wrath of Earth’s king. Kiriel pondered for a moment before an idea struck him.

“Lizard.”

“What?”

“Do you know how to play janggi?”

“Huh? What’s that?”

***

In the small pavilion of Changshin Villa, Hakase and Kiriel crouched in a corner, borrowing a janggi board and pieces from the seniors at the local senior center.

Kiriel explained the game’s rules. “Alright, listen up. This is called a ‘rook.’ It’s a formidable piece that can move from one end of the board to the other in a straight line. It plays an important role in the game, so you absolutely must keep it alive. Got it?”

As usual, Hakase was skeptical and asked questions in return. “And why are you telling me such crucial information? What if I use it to beat you?”

“Oh...” It seemed Kiriel hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“Ha. Well, thank you, I suppose. So, the rook must be protected at all costs, right?”

“Tsk. You cunning lizard. Alright, let’s move on to the bishops. They can only move diagonally, got it? If you try to move any other way, I’ll take your hand off. That’s it for the explanation. I’m not gonna repeat anything.”

“Doesn’t matter. I understand everything.” Hakase shrugged confidently, which seemed to slightly fluster Kiriel.

After all, he had to hear the rules from Wei Zhongqi at least five times and still asked questions during the game. However, he didn’t dwell on it; no one could remember everything after just one explanation.

“If you make an illegal move during the game, it’ll be your instant loss. Got it?” Kiriel said.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Let’s see how long that smug attitude lasts.”

With that, the game began.

***

By now, a group of seniors had gathered around, watching Hakase and Kiriel’s chess match.

“Hoho. The young man with the white hair is pretty good at this.”

Kiriel’s hand trembled as he clutched the rook. Surrounded by two bishops, he found himself cornered with no way out. He stared at the janggi board in disbelief while Hakase chuckled, patiently waiting for his turn.

Both of Hakase’s rooks had already been captured. Ignoring Kiriel’s advice to prioritize protecting the rooks, Hakase had sacrificed them without hesitation whenever necessary. The strategy of meat cleaving to break bones—sacrificing small advantages to gain the upper hand.

“Lizard... Just let me redo one move.” Kiriel begged him.

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“L-let’s pretend this last turn didn’t happen, okay?”

Hakase smirked and told Kiriel to go ahead. However, no matter how many times Kiriel took back his moves, the situation didn’t improve. Eventually, he raised a white flag in surrender. The match continued until dawn, and Kiriel failed to secure even a single victory.

Forty games, forty losses.

Utterly crushed, Kiriel ground his teeth in frustration, ripped a page of the Book of Transfer, and disappeared back into the Deep Realm.

As the morning sun rose, Hakase got up, thinking he should get ready to open his stall.

“This is pretty fun.” He mused. “I should teach it to Karsiel next time.”

***

Wei Zhongqi paused, halting his task of watering the field when he sensed a portal opening.

Kiriel, returning from Earth, burst out of a dimensional gate and rushed toward him. Grabbing his shoulders, he shouted indignantly, “You said keeping the rooks alive guarantees victory!”

“That’s the first thing you say after barging in...?” Wei Zhongqi remarked, annoyed.

“I lost every single match to that damn lizard!”

“Hakase?”

“Yeah!”

“Hmm. Seems like he’s got some skills.”

“W-well, yeah. He did say he’s played a lot before.”

Stung by his pride, Kiriel couldn’t bring himself to admit that Hakase had learned how to play from him just that day.

***

“Check.” Wei Zhongqi’s pawn threatened Kiriel.

With no options to move up or down, Kiriel was perfectly cornered.

“Let me redo one move.”

“I don’t mind, but you won’t improve that way.”

“Then let’s just start a new game...”

They reset the board for a fresh match. As Wei Zhongqi watched him, a question surfaced in his mind.

“Why did you even go to Earth in the first place?” he asked Kiriel.

“I told you, it was for the Cleansing Day.”

“Then why not stay here like last year?”

As if it were obvious, Kiriel replied, “Because it’s safer there.”

Only then did Wei Zhongqi remember that Do-Jun was living on Earth.

“Fair enough.”

1. Janggi is Korean chess, slightly different from the Chinese version, Xiangqi. ☜