Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 376

News of the “final battle” spread rapidly across the entire Core. The peaceful atmosphere that had become so natural in everyday life was now colored by growing tension. According to a god-tier administrator’s warning, once war broke out, powerful monsters would pour in endlessly across all floors of the Core. The same was true of the Deep Realm. In fact, tension ran even higher there than on any other floor. It was naturally going to be the frontline of the war.

At the peak of Mount Yeongryunsan, bathed in moonlight, Imfelheim said as he watched Wei Zhongqi training, “It’s quiet tonight, Wei Zhongqi.”

The usually boisterous restaurant was strangely quiet, with only Wei Zhongqi, Murmu, and Imfelheim present. Wei Zhongqi moved through the forms of the Nine Heavens Seeking Sword Art with elegant precision. The rustle of his robe mingled with the sound of his blade as each movement echoed through the air. The sight was mesmerizing.

It was clear to anyone watching that Wei Zhongqi’s skill had skyrocketed since the last time they had seen him. They had heard that he had gained a profound realization, thanks to the Heavenly Demon, now better known as the King of Earth.

His movement came to a stop, and Wei Zhongqi slowly regulated his breathing. He was at the entry point of Soul Sword—just learning to take his first steps. Although he was far from wielding it with the same perfection as Do-Jun, he was beginning to grasp it.

“The King of Earth hasn’t said much lately,” Imfelheim said. “Have you heard anything from him?”

Wei Zhongqi shook his head and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, his eyes fixed on the horizon. The Deep Realm’s residents were all making their own preparations in their own territories. That included Solomon’s Seventy-Two Demons and the Usurpers as well.

“Come to think of it, it’s kind of amazing...” Imfelheim muttered.

“Hm?”

“We used to hate each other, remember? Now, it’s like we’re allies.”

It wasn’t because one group forfeited to another. It happened naturally, as if they had never harbored hostility toward each other in the first place. Not long ago, even seeing someone who wasn’t “me” would’ve sparked aggression. That wasn’t ancient history.

Was it because of a shared enemy? That was certainly part of it, but not the biggest reason. Even before Tusitala spread the news of the final battle, emotions like hatred and anger had already begun to fade, as if they had never existed in the first place.

Imfelheim found that strange... but not unpleasant.

“I hope it stays like this...” Though he muttered those words softly, the words rang clear.

***

“Okay, everyone, just like we said yesterday, today we’re doing drawing time! You all brought your sketchbooks and crayons, right?” Ji-Hye asked the class.

The kids all shouted brightly, “Yes!”

Byeol pulled a large sketchbook and a box of sixty crayons from her bright yellow backpack. She laid them on her desk to show that she had brought everything as requested.

However, the girl sitting next to her, So-Mi, looked upset. Even after being told to take out their supplies, she kept her head down, fidgeting with her fingers.

Byeol quickly realized So-Mi must not have brought her supplies. She opened her sketchbook, tore out a page with a loud rip, and handed it over.

“So-Mi, you can have this!”

“Really...?”

“Mhm! You can use my cwayons too. I have sixty, you know.”

So-Mi took the large sheet of sketchbook paper and placed it on her desk. Byeol then slid her crayon box to the center of their desks and opened the lid. Inside, bright, colorful crayon wrappers with little Pororong drawings peeked out.

“Thanks, Byeol! I have something for you, too.” So-Mi pulled out a piece of chocolate from her bag.

Byeol gasped when she saw the wrapper. It was the same fancy one she had seen at the store for 1800 won! Her eyes blinked in disbelief, and she wiped a bit of drool from her mouth with her sleeve.

How cute, Ji-Hye thought.

She smiled as she watched Byeol and So-Mi look out for each other. Being a daycare teacher had its tough moments, but moments like these, those little sparks of pure kindness, made it impossible to quit.

Then, the class erupted into murmurs.

“Whoa! Sung-Min, that’s amazing!”

“His paper’s huge! And look at all that paint!”

Huh? Ji-Hye turned her head toward Sung-Min to see him standing proudly in the center of the group, his shoulders squared.

She was stunned. There were dozens of paint tubes and a massive palette on his desk. It was the kind you’d expect an art student to carry.

“My dad packed it for me,” Sung-Min said proudly.

Ji-Hye let out a laugh. Sung-Min’s dad had taken doting parenthood to another level recently. This was the same boy who, not long ago, used to sulk because his dad often forgot to help him pack his supplies.

It’s funny how things change so quickly, she thought with a smile.

***

The children were encouraged to draw whatever they wanted today. Usually, the kids were asked to draw flowers, trees, or fruit depending on the day's theme, but this time they could draw anything that came to mind.

“What are you dwawing?” Byeol asked her friend So-Mi.

“Flowers, trees, and the sun!”

Byeol peeked at her friend’s paper. As always, she was drawing flowers, mostly the ones planted in the daycare garden, such as morning glories and sunflowers.

“I see.”

Next, she looked at Sung-Min. He was painting a blue background with his brush, then added swimming fish. Smiling proudly, he drew a grandpa and placed a yellow crown on his head.

“Is that the aquawium?” Byeol asked him.

“Yeah. It was so fun when we went last time.”

“Wight! It was super fun!”

As she admired their drawings, Byeol finally looked down at her own blank sketchbook. Then she smiled, having just had a great idea, and grabbed her crayons.

“Hehe, I know what I’m going to dwaw.”

As her small hands moved quickly, the once-blank page began to fill with color.

***

Kiriel had a habit that always surfaced when he was overwhelmed with anxiety. He would start shaking his leg unconsciously, something he didn’t even realize he was doing.

If it had been the usual Hakase, he would’ve smacked him on the head right away. But this time, he let it slide. He understood the feeling. Kiriel was clearly scared. But there was always a line. After thirty straight minutes of leg-shaking, Hakase’s patience finally snapped.

“Goddammit, that’s enough!” he shouted and smacked Kiriel on the top of his head.

“Argh! What was that for?!”

“Stop shaking your damn leg, idiot!” Hakase said and let out a long sigh. “Try not to worry so much.”

“Hmph. Worry? Me? Never. I’m a landlord, you know!”

Ever since he bought a building and became a landlord, Kiriel had taken to reminding people of it every chance he got. He shrugged and returned to his comic book, but the pages wouldn’t turn. It was obvious his mind was elsewhere.

Hakase gave a bitter smile. The truth was that he was just as anxious. They’d taken it for granted that happy, peaceful days would last forever, unbroken. But now, when he thought about it, it was almost laughable. After all, they’d only been enjoying this peace for maybe two years. Before that, back in the Core, every day had been a fight for survival, with nerves constantly on edge.

Maybe we got too comfortable.

Or maybe... this was what normal was supposed to be. Now more than ever, he realized just how much of that peace had come from Do-Jun’s presence.

Just then, a familiar baby’s voice, bright and innocent, rang out. “I’m home! Byeol’s hooome!”

The gloom melted from the two men’s faces as if it had never been there.

“Hm? What’s that in your hand, Byeol?”

Byeol was holding a rolled-up piece of paper. “I dwew a picture at daycare today!”

“Wow, look at you.” 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

“Mhm!”

“Let me see just how amazing it is.”

“You wanna see it, Kirieh!?”

“Hmm... but first, you’ll have to give me a kiss on the cheek.”

“Okie!”

Byeol kissed Kiriel on the cheek, then opened her sketchbook and showed them her drawing.

“You drew our neighborhood?”

Byeol had drawn the view around Changshin Villa. The lines were rough, and the shapes wobbly, but it was clear she had put her heart into it. Everything was there: the villa, Changshin Supermarket, the food stall. A group of kids playing in the vacant lot, the security guard combing his hair at the front gate, the old lady selling goods in the store, and two men inside the food stall, who were probably Hakase and Kiriel.

“What’s this thing?”

“That’s Yong-Yong.”

“Pffft!” Hakase burst out laughing.

After hearing what it was supposed to be, the little figure stepping out of the store did resemble Yong-Yong. But it wasn’t just Yong-Yong. Each person in the picture had their own distinct characteristics captured. It was such a peaceful scene.

Hakase suddenly felt a terrible thought creep in. He’d heard that when the final battle came, monsters would pour out of the Core.

They shouldn’t reach Earth... they can’t.

The people of the modern world were weak, with only a few rare exceptions. He didn’t know the details, but back when Fissure Breaks occurred frequently, people had died by the thousands, and entire livelihoods were wiped out.

If monsters really show up here...

“Why’re you sad?” Byeol asked Hakase after noticing his face tighten with worry.

She recognized that look well. Adults always made it when something serious was happening. She could even feel Hakase’s heartbeat quicken.

“It’s nothing, Byeol.”

“Mmkay...”

Lately, Byeol had started noticing more and more serious faces around her, and that made her feel deeply sad. But she also began to understand that not everything could always be good. As much as she wanted it to be, the world didn’t work that way.

***

The King of the Dimensions kept thinking about the presence over and over in his mind. He was to remain in the realm of the subconscious until the Path opened, but his consciousness was growing sharper by the day.

It was too distinct to be a mere illusion.

As his awareness solidified, the King of the Dimensions narrowed his eyes. From that moment on, he closely observed the Core. He had to know what that presence was, but he couldn’t identify it. Its true nature remained a mystery.

That’s that, but... what’s going on here? He wondered, scanning the Core from the first floor down to the Deep Realm.

Adventurers, administrators, and even some monsters seemed to be working together in some kind of alliance. Intrigued, he watched them closely, then turned his attention elsewhere.

“Why hasn’t that place been Encroached?” He was talking about the dimension called “Earth.”