Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 290

Late at night, Cheol-Soo sat alone in the office, turning up the volume on the TV. The news anchor was reporting the most current publicly available information about the Deep Realm.

⌜Amid the swirling speculations about the Deep Realm...⌟

The Core, and especially the Deep Realm, was a world completely out of reach for ordinary people. The broadcast described the Core as a place far more dangerous than S-rank Great Fissures, and the Deep Realm, known as its edge, was said to be a realm no human could dare to invade. Cheol-Soo couldn’t agree more.

“Whatever. I’ll just do my job,” he grumbled to himself.

He began reviewing various documents submitted by his staff: updates on a newly discovered E-rank Fissure in Seocho-gu, mana injection results for contracted Hunters, and requests for office supplies. Compared to the events being reported on the news, they were incredibly trivial matters.

Just as the clock pointed at 9 PM, the office’s automatic door suddenly opened.

“Hm?” Thinking it might be one of his employees, Cheol-Soo glanced over the partition toward the entrance. Instead, he saw a small creature waddling in.

With a wide grin, Cheol-Soo greeted, “Oh, Yong-Yong! What are you doing here?”

Yong-Yong hopped onto Do-Jun’s desk, retrieving a notebook labeled Great Job Stampbook.

“I left this the other day, so I came to get it.”

“Did you come with Do-Jun?”

“Nope.”

The TV broadcast continued in the background.

⌜There are said to be various factions within the Deep Realm, and according to the Hunter’s Bureau...⌟

“Aren’t you going home, Mister?” Yong-Yong asked.

“I still have some work to do. Oh, did you eat dinner already?”

Yong-Yong’s mind raced. Of course, he’d already eaten, but if he said no, he might score some free food.

Without hesitation, he answered, “No, not yet.”

“Really? Want to have some cup noodles with me?”

Yong-Yong nodded vigorously.

***

“Aah, that hit the spot.” Having drained every last drop of broth, Yong-Yong placed the empty cup down in front of him.

Three empty cup noodle containers were stacked neatly on the table. Watching this, Cheol-Soo grinned with satisfaction as he twirled a large bite of noodles onto his chopsticks.

⌜On May 1st, Chief Jung Young-Chul of the Hunter’s Bureau stated that one day, the Deep Realm would be thoroughly investigated to ease the public’s concerns. However, as curiosity about when that day might come grows...⌟

Cheol-Soo stared intently at the news, his noodles hanging untouched from his chopsticks. Only when the broadcast switched to commercials did he shove the now-bloated noodles into his mouth.

Yong-Yong, seemingly full, let out a wide yawn. He disposed of the empty cup noodle containers in the trash.

“Thank you for the ramen, Mister,” he said.

“Haha. Such good manners. Are you heading home now?”

“Yes. What about you? When are you leaving?”

“I’ll wrap up a few things and head home. Probably by eleven at the latest.”

It was already well past 9 PM. Since he had work the next day, he figured he’d call it a night by eleven.

Cheol-Soo finished his noodles, poured the leftover broth down the sink, and crushed the empty container before tossing it into the trash. His gaze lingered on the TV.

Then he asked, “Yong-Yong, aren’t you curious about the Deep Realm?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, with all the noise on the news... The Hunter’s Bureau says even they don’t know much about it, and it’s such a mysterious, untouched world. Don’t you ever wonder what it’d be like to visit?” Cheol-Soo shrugged with a small chuckle. “Just saying. Anyway, get home safely. I’m going to take a quick power nap and finish up my work. I’ve been yawning nonstop.”

With that, he returned to his desk, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. Exhausted, he was snoring within ten seconds.

Yong-Yong glanced at the trash can filled with empty noodle cups. This guy... So, the ramen was a bribe!

He recalled taking Hyuk-Soo on a guided tour of the Core not too long ago. Surely, as part of the same team, Hyuk-Soo must have mentioned it to his section chief. And Cheol-Soo’s earlier remarks? They clearly meant, “I gave you cup noodles, so take me to the Deep Realm in return!”

Look at him, pretending to sleep! He’s a real pro, huh?! With a deep sigh, Yong-Yong disappeared with a pop and reappeared about five minutes later.

He spat out a pair of leather boots onto the floor. A Hidden Piece obtained by Do-Jun on the fourth floor of the Core, it bore the title “One Who Withstands Magic.” With these boots, one wouldn’t perish due to insufficient magic resistance in the Deep Realm.

“Mister, stop pretending to sleep and put these on,” Yong-Yong called out.

But Cheol-Soo continued to “feign” sleep.

“Tsk.” Yong-Yong picked up the leather boots again, walked over, removed Cheol-Soo’s slippers, and carefully put the boots on him.

“Ugh. So stinky.”

***

Cheol-Soo snored loudly.

“Mister, I get it. You can ‘wake up’ now,” Yong-Yong told him.

Cheol-Soo groggily opened his eyes halfway. Once his vision cleared from the brief blurriness, he found himself being stared at by Yong-Yong. Feeling queasy, he slowly sat up and surveyed his surroundings. He was in a strange room.

“Where am I?” he asked in confusion.

“Ah, I see you’re awake,” a young man said to him, dressed in peculiar robes that looked like they came straight from a historical drama. His face was strikingly handsome.

“Who are you...?” Cheol-Soo asked.

“Oh, I apologize for my lack of manners. My name is Wei Zhongqi. I am the owner of this house.”

“Oh... I’m Kang Cheol-Soo. By the way, where exactly am I?”

“This is the Deep Realm.”

“Ah, the Deep—what?”

Wei Zhongqi tilted his head and looked at Yong-Yong as if asking why Cheol-Soo appeared so confused. Yong-Yong blinked and shook his head.

“The Deep Realm, Mister. The Deep Realm.” He clarified to Cheol-Soo again.

Cheol-Soo stared at them, bewildered.

“I was told you asked the Overlord to bring you to the Deep Realm. Is that not correct?” Wei Zhongqi asked. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

“Uh, no, wait a second...” Cheol-Soo was utterly confused, and his head throbbed.

Was this all because he had fallen asleep? None of this made any sense.

“This is really the Deep Realm...?” he asked.

“Yes. More specifically, Mount Yeongryunsan in the Deep Realm,” Wei Zhongqi replied.

“W-wait, hold on. What’s the Overlord? And what’s Mount Yeongryunsan? Could you please explain this to me slowly so I can understand?”

***

Cheol-Soo sat on the edge of the wooden porch, his face half vacant, lost in thought.

In front of him, residents of the Deep Realm were seated at a low table, eating simple dishes like kimbap and ramen. Cheol-Soo turned to watch Wei Zhongqi, who was busy carrying plates of food, and began mentally piecing together what he had learned.

So, this is the Deep Realm... That man, Wei Zhongqi, is a Transcendent... And those people eating over there are the residents of the Deep Realm...

He glanced to his side, where Yong-Yong yawned widely, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

And this guy is the king of the Core...

“Haha... Hahaha.”

A hollow laugh escaped Cheol-Soo’s lips. How could this be real?

I’m dreaming.

Yes. Cheol-Soo convinced himself he was dreaming. This situation was too absurd to be anything else. He pinched his cheek. It hurt. But surely, even this pain was part of the illusion. Cheol-Soo tilted his head back to look at the sky. It was dark, and what he assumed was the moon was glowing a faint blue.

“Yong-Yong,” he called out to the mini-dragon.

“Yes?”

“This is a dream, right?”

“Sigh... Let’s just go home. This was a mistake. My bad, Mister.”

At that moment, a man made his entrance with a resounding bang.

“Wei Zhongqi! Where is the esteemed guest?” he yelled.

“He’s sitting over there on the porch.”

“I see!”

The man, Murmu, confidently strode toward Cheol-Soo and offered his hand for a handshake. Cheol-Soo hesitated for a moment but eventually shook it.

“I heard you’re the King of Earth’s boss,” Murmu said enthusiastically.

“Pardon...?”

“Haha! Wei Zhongqi, you should’ve told me sooner that someone so important had arrived. Sir, my name is Murmu.”

Yong-Yong, standing by, chimed in, “He’s also a Transcendent.”

“Oh, is that so...?”

“He’s visited Earth a few times.”

“H-he has?”

“For fried chicken,” Yong-Yong said.

Cheol-Soo stared blankly before asking, “Uh, what exactly do you mean by ‘King of Earth’?”

“It means exactly what it sounds like. The supreme sovereign. The King,” Murmu explained.

“And... who is that?”

“You don’t know? In Earth’s language, he’s called Lee Do-Jun, is he not?” Murmu asked.

“Do-Jun...?”

“Yes. I owe him a few favors. By the way, what brings you to the Deep Realm?”

“Tourism,” Yong-Yong answered instead.

“Ah, I see! Please, enjoy your time here. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Murmu vanished as quickly as he had arrived.

Cheol-Soo’s gaze fell on the books the residents were carrying under their arms. The title, written in Korean, read Children’s Hangul. He felt his head spin.

“Heh... Hehehe. Hahahahaha!”

Had he lost his mind?

He started laughing loudly, then suddenly fell backward and sprawled on the ground. Soon, his snoring filled the air.

“He’s asleep again. I can’t even show him around when he’s like this,” Yong-Yong complained.

“It’s to be expected. He’s just a normal human, after all. Even with the magic resistance artifact equipped, it must’ve been difficult for him. The Deep Realm’s energy is overwhelming even for its residents,” Wei Zhongqi said.

Although Mount Yeongryunsan was considered one of the least energy-intensive locations in the Deep Realm, it was still part of the Deep Realm.

“Well, I guess we’ll just head back.”

“Understood. Please send my regards to the Heavenly Demon.”

“Will do.”

***

Cheol-Soo’s head throbbed as if it were splitting open. Slowly, he opened his eyes. For some reason, the light was blinding. When he sat up, he found himself sprawled out in his office chair. Sunlight streamed faintly through the window blinds.

The clock read a little past 8 AM.

Cheol-Soo rubbed his sleepy eyes.

With the light buzz of the automatic door, Hyuk-Soo entered the office.

“Good morning, Chief.”

“Eh... It’s not exactly a good morning, but hey.” Cheol-Soo greeted him back.

“Looks like you got in really ear—wait, did you pull an all-nighter?”

“I guess I did... I must’ve fallen asleep when I tried to take a power nap.”

The door buzzed again. This time, Do-Jun entered.

“Good morning.”

“Good... I’m glad your morning is good,” Cheol-Soo grumbled.

Do-Jun went to the pantry, brewed three cups of coffee, and handed one to each of them.

“Thanks.”

“Much appreciated.”

Cheol-Soo took a sip of his coffee and exhaled deeply. “Ah, that’s better.”

“You seem tired. How about a visit to the sauna?”

“No need. It’s Friday. I’ll just power through,” Cheol-Soo said, swinging his feet under his desk as he looked for his slippers. Once he found them, he slipped them on.

Then he said, “You know, I had this dream last night. The most ridiculous dream...”

Hyuk-Soo asked, “Do you remember it?”

“Yeah, every detail. It was so vivid.”

Cheol-Soo began recounting his dream in full.

He had woken up in a traditional thatched-roof house, which turned out to be in the Deep Realm. The owner of the house, who introduced himself as Wei Zhongqi, was a Transcendent. Yong-Yong had brought him there, and, as it turned out, Yong-Yong was the King of the Core.

“Get this—Do-Jun, you’re apparently the King of Earth. They said you’re unbelievably strong. And the funniest part? People in the Deep Realm were sitting in the front yard, eating ramen and kimbap.”

Hyuk-Soo glanced at Do-Jun, stealing a quick look at his expression.

“Oh, right! And they were studying Korean! I mean, what kind of crazy dream is that? My imagination is pretty wild, but even I couldn’t have expected something like that to show up in my dreams.”

Do-Jun simply smiled faintly.