Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 269
Do-Jun had little interest in demons. As long as they didn’t harm the people around him, he didn’t care what they did. The power struggles and wars they waged in the Deep Realm, their obsession with rankings—none of it mattered to him. In that regard, Marvas’ attempt at bribery had been a pointless gesture.
A sigh escaped him.
After changing into casual clothes in the bedroom, Do-Jun sat down at the dining table. Yoon-Hee soon placed a warm cup of citron tea in front of him, and he acknowledged her kindness with a small smile.
Just then, his smartphone vibrated with a text message notification from the Seoul Talent Development Institute reminding him about the Fissure Management Training Camp Schedule.
As he sipped his tea and skimmed through the details, Do-Jun looked up at Yoon-Hee, who was sitting across from him, and said, “I almost forgot to mention it. From next Monday to Friday, I’ll be away for training. If anything happens, just give me a call.”
“Sounds good, Fath...” Her words trailed off as she blinked in disbelief.
“You’ll be gone the whole week...?” she asked as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
“Yeah. It’s a training camp.”
“So, you won’t be back until Friday?” Yoon-Hee asked again.
“Unless something unexpected comes up, yes.”
The thought of him being away for four days made Yoon-Hee feel a little down. The bedtime routines, such as reading storybooks to Byeol under the soft glow of the nightlight and sharing stories about their day, had become a warm, comforting part of their daily life. The absence of those moments would leave a noticeable void. However, she didn’t let her disappointment show.
At that moment, Yong-Yong peeked his head over the edge of the table. With his short legs dangling in the air, he clung to the corner with his front paws.
Meeting Do-Jun’s gaze, he softly muttered, “Where the needle goes, the thread follows...”
***
Compared to the past, technological progress has been remarkable. In the modern era, smartphones have become an integral part of everyday life. They not only facilitate calling and messaging over long distances but also enable a wide range of activities through various applications.
On Saturday morning, Do-Jun decided to install a mobile game. There were many types, such as RPGs and card games, but he chose a game called Janggi King.
Back in his days at the Heavenly Demon Sect, when he had free time, he often played janggi. Whenever he wandered through the marketplace outside the Kunlun Mountains, he would sometimes sit down for a wagered game of janggi. More often than not, he won with overwhelming ease.
Within the sect, his usual opponent had been Wei Zhongqi, though the outcome had always been the same.
Soon, the game app prompted Do-Jun to choose his in-game name.
[Please enter a nickname.]
[Your nickname cannot exceed ten characters.]
Do-Jun set his phone down for a moment, deep in thought. Choosing a nickname proved more difficult than he expected. He wanted something meaningful, something with depth.
As he pondered, he saw Byeol toddling in from the entrance, having just returned from an outing. In her tiny hands was a snack wrapped in a leaf from the Spirit Tree.
“Daddy, look at this!” she said, opening the leaf to reveal colorful treats. They were made from Eucalius, a vibrant crop grown in the Spirit Realm, carefully steamed into bite-sized pieces.
Byeol walked over to the couch where Do-Jun sat and generously gave him half of her snacks.
“Are you sure you want to give me this much?” Do-Jun asked, surprised by the size of the portion.
“I have wots, so it’s okie.”
Despite her usual love for food, she never hesitated to share with her daddy.
Do-Jun smiled and gently patted her head. He popped a piece into his mouth, savoring the taste.
Byeol, munching on her own snack, climbed onto his lap. “What are you doing, Daddy?”
“I’m playing a game.”
“Okie.”
Maybe she was fascinated by the sight of her father gaming. Crunching on her snacks, she focused intently on the smartphone screen.
Watching her like this made Do-Jun chuckle. For the first time in a long while, he felt a deep sense of happiness, so he typed in his nickname.
[Happiness]
But it seemed a little short and boring. After pondering for a bit, Do-Jun added a few more characters.
[Happiness is...]
That felt right. The ellipsis left a lingering thought. Satisfied, he tapped the confirm button and started the game.
“What game is this, Daddy?”
“It’s janggi. You win by capturing the opponent’s pieces.”
Byeol blinked while staring at the screen, but it didn’t take long for her to lose interest. The rules were too complicated, and sleepiness started to take over. With her head bobbing forward, she drowsily dozed off in his lap.
***
A towering stack of reflection papers sat in one corner of the food stall. Looking at what appeared to be at least a hundred sheets of paper, Hakase shook his head in disappointment.
Kiriel had returned from the Deep Realm that morning, but instead of working on his reflection papers, he spent the entire morning glued to his smartphone.
How could he be so brazen? Where was this laid-back attitude coming from?
If he failed to submit his papers on time, the penalty would double, and from what Hakase knew, Kiriel already owed a hundred pages. Hakase had expected him to quietly accept his punishment after returning from the Deep Realm, yet here he was, engrossed in a game on his phone.
[Janggi King!]
[Please enter a nickname.]
[New user “Kiriel” registered.]
“I made a bet with the King of Earth. If I win, I get a pass on my reflection papers,” Kiriel explained to Hakase.
“What’s the bet?” Hakase asked.
“Janggi.”
Hakase had always seen Do-Jun as someone who was good at everything. Would janggi be any different? Then again, no one could be perfect. Maybe this was an unexpected weakness of his. But what about Kiriel?
“So you actually think you can win?” Hakase asked.
“I once ranked in the top five at the senior center. That place is terrifying.”
Among the villa residents, the community pavilion often served as a gathering place.
Elders would sit in circles, playing go or janggi, sometimes for hours. Kiriel had improved a lot since then.
[You have sent a match request to your opponent.]
[Your opponent has accepted. The match will now begin.]
Kiriel checked his opponent’s stats. It looked like they had just started playing, just like him. The only thing strange was their outdated nickname. Other than that, their win rate was solid.
Hakase, who had been discreetly peeking at Kiriel’s screen, finally gave in and stood beside him, fully invested.
“So, when’s the actual bet happening?” Hakase asked.
“I’ll practice today and challenge him tomorrow. Think of today as a final test run. If I lose, my reflection papers double.”
For now, his focus was solely on defeating the user named “Happiness is...”
***
Kiriel trembled as he gripped his head in desperation. The user with the nickname “Happiness is...” was extremely skilled. It was shocking to think there was someone in the world better at Janggi than Wei Zhongqi.
Watching from the sidelines, Hakase scoffed as if he had expected this outcome. Kiriel’s pride was wounded, and his expression twisted in frustration.
But seriously... this guy is amazing, he thought.
For a moment, Kiriel considered the possibility that “Happiness is...” might actually be a god of janggi. Even the elderly Mr. Park, the most respected player at the senior center, wasn’t at that level. He was only slightly below Wei Zhongqi, but “Happiness is...” was on a completely different plane. It felt as if they could see several moves ahead, sending shivers down Kiriel’s spine.
Soon, the defeat message appeared.
[You have been defeated.]
Kiriel stared at the screen blankly for a long moment before typing into the chat.
Kiriel: How are you so good at janggi?
Kiriel: I’ve got an important bet riding on tomorrow’s match. I’d really appreciate it if you could share your secret.
But there was no response.
Feeling deflated, Kiriel flopped onto a plastic chair. He lay there for ten minutes before sluggishly getting up and heading to the convenience store. He wasn’t particularly craving anything, but he still grabbed a random drink from the shelf. After downing it in one go, he sat on a bench in the pavilion. Then he spotted Byeol walking a short distance away.
Delighted, Kiriel sprinted over, scooped her up, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Kirieh, whatchu doin’?” Byeol asked happily.
“I was playing a game and taking a break.”
“What game?”
“It’s called Janggi King.”
As Kiriel reopened the app, cheerful background music played, and the janggi board appeared. Byeol’s eyes widened in surprise. It was the exact same game her daddy had been playing earlier. The blue and red pieces stood against each other on the board just as she had seen before.
“Whoa!” she exclaimed, excited that she had made such an interesting observation.
“What is?”
“Daddy just won a game on that app!”
Byeol wasn’t the type to lie about things like this, so Kiriel swallowed hard and decided to ask for the nickname.
She scrunched her face in thought, recalling what her dad had used. After a moment, she beamed and answered.
Kiriel gasped, sucking in a sharp breath at her response.
***
Kiriel, who had left the food stall to go to the supermarket, came back much earlier than expected. He pulled a stack of blank paper from a corner and placed it on the guest table. Without a word, he uncapped a pen and began writing his reflection paper.
The bet hadn’t even happened yet. The results weren’t in. And yet, he was already getting started.
Seeing that, Hakase, puzzled, asked, “Didn’t you say you were going to wait until your bet tomorrow?”
“Yeah, but... ‘Happiness is...’ was the King.”
“Oh, that old-man-sounding nickname?”
“Yeah.”
Hakase recalled the playstyle of “Happiness is...,” running through possible scenarios in his head. Could he himself have won against them? After a moment of calculation, he shook his head.
“Have fun reflecting, dumbass,” he said with a smirk.
***
Meanwhile, outside, Do-Jun overheard the conversation between the two men and fell into thought. Still reading his newspaper, he found himself dwelling on Hakase’s words. Eventually, he took out his smartphone and opened the Janggi King app, and stared at the screen for a long moment.
[Nickname: Happiness is...]
Just then, Karsiel approached, peeling an apple. “Master, is something bothering you?”
“It’s nothing.”
Karsiel moved slightly closer to him.
Do-Jun was staring intently at his in-game nickname.
[Change Nickname]
He hesitated for about twenty seconds. Then, he typed in a new name and pressed “Confirm.”
[Nickname: Happiness~^^!]
At last, Do-Jun smiled in satisfaction.
