Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 278

The Deep Realm had been quite noisy as of late. Illeina’s return after losing her cursed sword had stirred things up, but the real reason for the commotion was the return of the King, otherwise known as the “Overlord.”

There had long been whispers that the Overlord, who had vanished after the Great War, had been sighted. However, now that the rumor had become reality, the residents of the Deep Realm were in a state of shock. To them, the Overlord was the embodiment of “fear.”

While Baal and Imfelheim were officially ranked as the most powerful figures in the Deep Realm ranking, they were nothing compared to the Overlord. The residents still vividly remembered the Great War, when even the highest-ranked beings had fallen to their knees before his overwhelming might.

All residents murmured the same question, “So, where is the Overlord now?”

***

In Mount Yeongryunsan in the Deep Realm, Wei Zhongqi gathered three bottles of freshly brewed jukyeopcheong. Back in the Central Plains, it was a common liquor found in any tavern, but in the Deep Realm, where no such establishments existed, he had to brew it himself. After a month of careful aging, it was finally ready.

Wei Zhongqi smiled at the thought of taking it to Earth as a gift for Do-Jun.

“You ready?” asked a man sitting on the wooden porch of Wei Zhongqi’s thatched-roof house.

He was a striking figure with sharp, red eyes and crimson hair. The number “1” was engraved on the back of his hand. This was the Overlord—the being feared by Solomon’s demons, countless kings, and even the Transcendents.

“Yes, Overlord.”

Though Wei Zhongqi had been startled when he first met the Overlord on Earth, he had since become comfortable speaking with him. After all, they had already interacted several times. Whatever fear he once felt had long since faded, now that he knew this man was not the tyrant he had once been.

“Then, shall we?” Wei Zhongqi asked.

“No. You go on ahead. I’ll watch the shop,” Yong-Yong replied.

Wei Zhongqi hesitated at the unexpected offer.

“I hear more and more customers are coming to your place just to try Earth’s food. Imagine coming all this way only to find the place closed. That’d be a huge disappointment.” Seeing Wei Zhongqi hesitate, Yong-Yong asked, “Why? You don’t want me to help you?”

“Are you sure that would be okay...?” Wei Zhongqi asked.

Though they had become somewhat friendly, this was still the Overlord. The gesture was appreciated, but the idea of him running the shop was... overwhelming.

“I’m a great cook,” Yong-Yong insisted.

“That’s not why I’m hesitant...”

“Come on. Don’t worry, and just go. Master must be eagerly waiting for that—what was it again? Jukyeopcheong?” Yong-Yong said with a shrug.

After the demon sword incident, Yong-Yong had come to the Deep Realm with Illeina. Curious about the rumors of Earth food being sold here, he had stopped by Wei Zhongqi’s place. Initially, he had planned to take a quick look and then return to Earth, but upon learning that Wei Zhongqi was heading there with the liquor, he changed his plans.

“Alright, then... I’ll leave it to you, Overlord.”

“No need to be so formal. Just go and enjoy your time with Master. I’ll take care of the shop. You’ve got all the ingredients, right?”

“Yes. They’re stored in the Pouch of Greed inside the house.”

Yong-Yong entered the thatched-roof house and opened the palm-sized pouch. Just as Wei Zhongqi had said, the fresh ingredients for Earth food were neatly stored inside.

***

At the dark foothills of Mount Yeongryunsan, the thick fog gradually lifted, allowing the blue moonlight to bathe the entire mountain in a soft glow. Since this phenomenon occurred once a day and lasted for about six hours, Wei Zhongqi had designated it as the mountain’s “morning.” Yong-Yong also prepared accordingly, getting everything ready for the day.

“Lala♪”

He hummed a little tune as he wiped the wooden tables clean with a damp cloth. Before long, hungry customers would start trickling in. Yong-Yong grinned, satisfied with the preparations.

While Mount Yeongryun’s “morning” had just begun, it was likely around 7 PM on Earth. By now, Wei Zhongqi should have arrived on Earth and be enjoying dinner with Do-Jun.

Scratching his cheek, Yong-Yong recalled his bold claim. “I’m a great cook.”

“Maybe I exaggerated a little, but it’s not like I’m a bad cook, right?”

Hadn’t Cecilia once praised his spicy braised chicken?

His family had never been enthusiastic about his cooking, but that was clearly because they had been spoiled by Yoon-Hee’s excellent food.

A short while later, the first customer of the day arrived. It was a dark elf from the northern region of the Deep Realm—the Forest of Death.

She had come, as always, to buy one of Wei Zhongqi’s delicious salads. But the moment she spotted the Overlord loitering in the yard, she stiffened in sheer terror.

O-O-Overlord! she thought in horror.

So, the rumors were true! The Overlord really had returned to the Deep Realm!

But why was he here, of all places? She needed to leave before he noticed her. Fast. She tried, but she failed.

“Welcome! Here to eat?” Yong-Yong asked her.

She just looked at him, terrified.

“What would you like?” he asked again, curious as to why this dark elf was frozen.

The dark elf’s eyes darted around.

Where was Wei Zhongqi? Why was the Overlord running the shop?

In a panic, she dropped to her knees, bowing her head deeply.

“I-I am honored beyond words to be in your presence, Overlord,” she said.

“Hey now, customers shouldn’t be kneeling. Get up before someone sees you.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“Customer is king, you know.”

She was unsure about how to respond.

“So, what’ll it be?” Yong-Yong asked again.

The dark elf hesitantly said, “A salad, please...”

“Got it! I’ll make it extra delicious. Have a seat. I even wiped all the tables!”

With that, Yong-Yong headed into the kitchen.

The dark elf, still stiff as a board, cautiously sat down like a newly enlisted soldier. Then, a sudden explosion echoed from the kitchen. Startled, she snapped her head toward the source of the sound—only to meet Yong-Yong’s gaze.

He gave her a big thumbs-up and assured her, “Don’t worry, don’t worry.”

She just looked on in utter astonishment. Why was there an explosion when he was making a simple salad?

Roughly ten minutes later, Yong-Yong emerged with a plate piled high with salad and placed it on the table. The dark elf stared blankly at the dish.

“Go on, try it,” Yong-Yong urged.

She picked up a fork and stabbed a piece of lettuce and tomato. At first glance, it looked no different from the salads Wei Zhongqi usually made. Well, it was just a salad. It wasn’t like it required any special cooking.

However, the moment she took a bite, her expression twisted. Bleh! W-what is this?

She would rather eat the wild grass growing in the Deep Realm than this. How could something made with Earth’s ingredients taste so awful?

“This is...” Forcing herself to swallow, the dark elf struggled to speak. “It tastes...”

Yong-Yong beamed and asked, “Delicious, right?”

She stared at him, stunned.

“Come on, say something.”

What was she supposed to say?

Illeina, watching from the side, gulped.

***

Yong-Yong had been cooking nonstop ever since.

Business at the shop was booming. It started with the dark elf, but soon, a flood of customers poured in, making the place bustling with activity. However, their expressions were all stiff, as if they had all bitten into something incredibly bitter.

The reason was obvious—Yong-Yong’s food was unbearably awful. Yet, none of them could bring themselves to say it outright.

“This... this is really delicious.”

“I’ve never had food this amazing in my entire life!”

“I’m so glad I got to taste this.”

Their voices were as rigid as someone reading off a script. But Yong-Yong took their words at face value. Despite being busy taking orders and cooking, he was grinning the entire time.

Meanwhile, the customers were crying internally.

This is truly terrible.

How does food even taste like this?

Dammit. I can’t even complain about it.

Suddenly, three consecutive explosions rang out from the kitchen.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Everyone had the same thought: What the hell is going on in there?!

A moment later, Yong-Yong emerged, carrying three rolls of kimbap.

What do you need to do to cause an explosion while rolling some kimbap?!

But no one dared to voice the question. No one wanted to risk offending the Overlord.

The residents of the Deep Realm were simply curious. Curious about how long Yong-Yong would continue running the shop?

One brave soul finally mustered the courage to approach him cautiously. “O-Overlord!”

“Hmm?”

“May I... may I ask you a question?”

“Haha! Go ahead, ask away.”

“W-when exactly... how long will you be running the restaurant in Wei Zhongqi’s place...?”

Yong-Yong scratched his head. Now that he thought about it, when was Wei Zhongqi supposed to return?

Whenever he went to Earth, he typically stayed for three to four days.

Finally, he replied, “Let’s say five days, just to be safe? But why do you ask?”

“N-no reason! I was just curious. Thank you for your answer!”

***

Do-Jun personally prepared a meal for Wei Zhongqi, who was visiting Earth after a long time. It was Dongpo Pork, one of the most popular dishes sold at the tavern back in the Central Plains, often enjoyed with jukyeopcheong. The liquor paired well with nearly anything, but some claimed that Dongpo Pork was the best match.

A thick slab of pork was served alongside fresh bok choy. Of course, it didn’t taste exactly like it had in the Central Plains, but the texture and flavors were close enough.

Do-Jun took a sip of jukyeopcheong. Sitting across from Wei Zhongqi, drinking together like this, brought back memories of the Central Plains, making him nostalgic.

“So, where’s Yong-Yong?” he asked Wei Zhongqi.

“He insisted on looking after my restaurant... no, my house in the Deep Realm. I told him it was unnecessary, but he wanted me to relax while I was here on Earth.”

“Hm...” Do-Jun let out a short hum.

“I heard that he is quite skilled at cooking,” Wei Zhongqi remarked.

“Who... who said that?” Do-Jun asked, startled.

“Hm? He did, himself...”

A brief silence settled over the room. Do-Jun simply took another sip of his drink. Finding his reaction odd, Wei Zhongqi picked up a piece of Dongpo Pork and took a bite.

***

The next day, Yong-Yong lay sprawled out on a wooden bench, enjoying a lazy rest.

“Huh? You’re back already? You should’ve stayed longer,” he said, seeing Wei Zhongqi return.

“Thanks to your generosity, I was able to get plenty of rest. I appreciate you watching over my home in my absence.”

“Well, if you say so.” Yong-Yong shrugged.

Honestly, he was disappointed. A few more days of cooking practice would have been nice. But now that the rightful owner had returned, there was no reason to stay any longer.

“Alright, I’m heading out. If you ever need me to help again, just ask.”

“Thank you. Have a safe trip home.” Wei Zhongqi bade him farewell.

With that, the dimensional gate to Earth crackled open, and Yong-Yong stepped through.

After confirming that the gate had closed behind him, Wei Zhongqi began carefully storing the ingredients he had brought back into his Pouch of Greed.

***

For some reason, Mount Yeongryunsan was eerily silent today. Normally, visitors would be making their way up the mountain by now, but now, not a single person was in sight—not even a bug.

As Wei Zhongqi strolled through the courtyard, he suddenly came to a halt.

“This is strange...” he said.

By now, the place should have been lively with customers.

“Why isn’t anyone coming?”