My Dad is Too Strong-Chapter 314

Chapter 314
The Core, especially the Deep Realm, was a gathering place for beings of immense power. A perilous region beyond the reach of any ordinary mortal, its inhabitants possessed strength incomparably superior to most, if not all, Hunters on Earth.
There was a time when Do-Jun personally dealt with entities emerging from the Deep Realm, but recently, he hadn’t needed to intervene. He wasn’t sure why, but it was a welcome change, meaning less troublesome work for him. Occasionally, an S-rank Great Fissure, which was commonly called a “catastrophe,” would appear. However, those were usually handled by the S-rank Hunter operation team of the Hunter’s Bureau, so there was no reason for Do-Jun to worry.
With a light rustle, Do-Jun leisurely picked up his newspaper.
***
There was a concept called “talent donation.” It referred to an act of volunteering one’s skills for the benefit of others. Surprisingly, the residents of the Deep Realm were benefiting from such a donation from none other than Kiriel. Every Wednesday, Kiriel would pack children’s Korean lesson books and head to the Deep Realm. Teaching Korean to the uneducated residents brought him great joy. Sharing his knowledge so generously gave him a deep sense of fulfillment.
“Ah...”
Wei Zhongqi returned after practicing swordsmanship in the remote caves of Mount Yeongryunsan within the Deep Realm. As he approached his property, he noticed the banner hanging outside his straw-thatched house that read “Kiriel’s Korean Class.” Realizing it was Wednesday again, he pressed his temple, fearing the imminent rush of the crowd.
***
Kiriel’s class started with only a handful of students. However, as word spread, more and more residents flocked to Mount Yeongryunsan to learn Hangul, turning the area, which was unfortunately Wei Zhongqi’s home, into a thriving hub of eager learners. What started as lessons in basic consonants and vowels had now advanced to practical expression.
Kiriel understood exactly why the residents of the Deep Realm were so determined to learn Hangul, and he catered to their needs.
“You have my utmost respect.”
“Please, just this once!”
“If you spare me, I’ll do anything.”
Reviewing the day’s curriculum, Wei Zhongqi rubbed his nose with a dumbfounded expression as he glanced at Kiriel, who was busily preparing for class.
“Kiriel,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“What is this?”
“Today’s lesson plan.”
“I can see that, but...” Wei Zhongqi trailed off.
He decided not to comment further. After all, considering the residents’ reasons for learning Hangul, it might actually be more useful for them. The syllabus was packed with “practical” phrases. However, after reading the final phrase,
“Please, give it back,”
Wei Zhongqi couldn’t help but shake his head in resignation.
***
The residents of the Deep Realm were inherently proud individuals. They believed the universe revolved around the Core, and to some extent, this was true. As a result, they tended to view the other floors of the Core, and even entire planets, as beneath them. Or at least, they used to think that way.
A few students were furiously scribbling notes, determined not to miss a single word Kiriel said. These students were none other than the Rankers of the Deep Realm, powerful individuals officially listed on the Deep Realm’s ranking board. Most of them ranked below Kiriel.
I want to visit Earth,
they all thought in unison.
A common goal had brought them together, and among them were some Usurpers.
Soon, lunchtime arrived.
***
Wei Zhongqi’s yard was lively with the chatter of students on their lunch break. The dedicated students saved throughout the week, and no matter how little they had, they always bought Earth’s food, eager to make the most of their once-a-week learning opportunity. They were very focused, like South Korean high school seniors preparing for college exams; they kept their eyes glued to their textbooks even as they ate.
“Phew...” One of the eager students, sipping ramen broth, let out a sigh. “Should I just give up...?”
“Estel! What are you saying? Don’t be disheartened. We can do this!”
“Yeah. Think of how far we’ve come. As Luvernine said, let’s hang in there.”
Estel, known as the Thunder Emperor, was a Usurper ranked fifty-ninth in the Deep Realm rankings. He also ruled Crost, a region in the south of the Deep Realm. Originally, he had intended to ascend to Earth to investigate why the Usurper’s Hourglass had stopped. However, unsettling rumors reached him, leading him to postpone his journey. When he heard about Kiriel’s Korean classes, he decided to join them instead.
“Guys, think about it. Do we really have to go to Earth?” Estel asked.
“Why are you suddenly having doubts? That doesn’t sound like
the
Thunder Emperor.”
“Titles don’t matter. Even the Flame King, the strongest among us, went to Earth and suffered defeat. What chance do I have?”
“Come on! That’s exactly why Kiriel is teaching us Hangul!”
For the Rankers of the Deep Realm, the prospect of ascending to Earth was daunting. And for good reason, as most Rankers who went to Earth never returned. Although a handful survived, they were few and far between.
“Alright, let’s stop dwelling on that and do a quick review. Say it with me: ‘Please, just this once!’”
“Please, just this once!”
“Good!”
Wei Zhongqi, who was serving food nearby, overheard the conversation and couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief. They were gravely mistaken. They feared they’d suffer a terrible fate simply by setting foot on Earth. But in truth, neither Do-Jun, the Overlord, nor the Spirit Queen would attack anyone without reason. Still, showing up uninvited might be considered rude, especially to Do-Jun.
Feeling a pang of sympathy for the Rankers, Wei Zhongqi decided to offer a bit of advice. He approached the low wooden platform where they sat and took a seat beside them. All eyes turned toward him.
“Are you learning Korean so you can visit Earth?” he asked the Rankers.
“Yes, that’s right...”
“And why do you want to go there?”
Each Ranker shared their reasons: Estel aimed to find the cause of the stopped hourglass, while Luvernine and most others were mainly curious about exploring Earth.
Stroking his chin thoughtfully, Wei Zhongqi said, “I see. Well, no matter the reason, the most important thing is permission. If you want to enter someone’s home, you should first get the homeowner’s permission. Showing up unannounced would be disrespectful. So if you plan to visit Earth, I recommend informing the Heav—uh, I mean, the King of Earth beforehand.”
The Rankers exchanged glances. Wei Zhongqi’s reasoning made sense, but they had no way of contacting the King of Earth, even if they wanted to.
“How should we go about that...? How do we get in touch with the King of Earth?” Luvernine asked.
Wei Zhongqi briefly went inside the house and came back holding white stationery and an envelope.
“What’s this?” one of the Rankers asked.
“A letter.”
“Oh! Earth has letters too! We used to send letters back on my continent. But... how will we get this letter to the King?”
“I’ll deliver it for you,” Wei Zhongqi said.
“Really?! That would be incredible—thank you so much!”
The Rankers’ faces lit up with excitement. After all, they had nothing to lose. If the letter was rejected, they simply wouldn’t go. But if they received permission, they could ascend to Earth without worry.
***
The afternoon classes had come to an end.
Kiriel took down the banner he had hung between the trees. The thought of sharing his talents with others once again brought a proud smile to his face. Feeling it was about time to head back to Earth, he rolled up the banner and tucked it into his pouch.
“All done?” Wei Zhongqi asked.
“Yeah. Today, I delivered some of my best lessons. You should’ve seen the eyes of those students—so bright and eager! Too bad you missed it because you were busy serving. By the way, I should mention that I, the great Kiriel, am a proud graduate of the advanced class at the Korean school back on Earth.”
“Yeah, yeah. I think this is the fifth time you’re mentioning it already.”
“
Hehe
. By the way, I saw you helping Estel and Luvernine with something earlier. What was that about?”
“I was helping them write a letter.”
“A letter?” Kiriel asked, curious.
“They want to visit Earth, so I told them to write to the Heavenly Demon asking for permission. I even helped revise the content a bit.”
“Got it.”
Wei Zhongqi placed five bottles of jukyeopcheong, which he had been brewing for the past several dozen days, into his artifact pouch, along with the letter they had written. He then handed the pouch to Kiriel.
“This is the jukyeopcheong. Please pass it along to the Heavenly Demon.”
“Sure.”
“And don’t forget to deliver the letter as well.”
***
Do-Jun was well aware that Kiriel traveled to the Deep Realm every Wednesday for what he called his “talent donation.” Admittedly, calling it a “talent” seemed a bit of a stretch, considering Kiriel’s Korean proficiency was roughly that of an upper elementary school student. Still, Do-Jun had grown used to the idea.
After all, the residents of the Deep Realm did not know any Korean. Within that context, teaching them could indeed be considered a form of talent donation. But again, within that context only, of course.
“Thanks,” Do-Jun said as he accepted the bamboo leaf liquor from Kiriel, who had delivered it on Wei Zhongqi’s behalf.
Wei Zhongqi had mentioned that the liquor would be perfectly aged in just one more week, and right on schedule—exactly seven days later—here it was. Despite never being asked, Wei Zhongqi always delivered it consistently.
“Oh, and he asked me to give you this as well.” Kiriel handed over a white envelope.
It was a letter. Six names were written in the sender section: Estel, Luvernine, Luric, and others. The recipient section simply read, “To the King of Earth.” The handwriting was a bit clumsy and uneven, as if written by children.
These individuals were Rankers of the Deep Realm. It seemed they had learned Hangul from Kiriel and used their newly acquired skills to write this letter. Curious, Do-Jun opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.
“Firstly, we apologize for sending this letter so abruptly.
“We are aware this may be impolite, but we humbly write to you, despite never having met, as we have an earnest request to make. Allow us to introduce ourselves first...
“Therefore, we humbly seek permission to visit Earth. Should you grant us this favor, we will never forget your grace and will personally visit your home to express our gratitude.
“With hopes that peace may always dwell in your home, we will conclude this letter here.”
Honestly, Do-Jun was surprised. Although the handwriting resembled that of elementary school children, the content itself was well-structured and convincing enough to seem like it was written by an adult. He glanced at Kiriel, the only individual teaching Hangul in the Deep Realm.
“Is something wrong, my King?” Kiriel asked.
Do-Jun recalled the reflection paper Kiriel had turned in the previous week. It was no different from something one would find in an elementary school classroom. Comparing the Rankers’ letter and Kiriel’s reflection paper in his mind, Do-Jun slowly shook his head, dismissing his own suspicion.
“No, it’s nothing,” he said.
It seemed Kiriel truly had a knack for teaching others. Perhaps “talent donation” was indeed the right term for it.