Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 361

After Apophis revealed its identity, Dorgul couldn’t shake off his shock for quite some time.

“So, you’re telling me that you’re really that Apophis...”

The unbelievable information clogged his head. It was just too much to sort it out. He didn’t even know where to start questioning it.

He downed a glass of ice-cold water so cold it hurt his teeth. Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, Dorgul let out a deep breath. A faint, gray energy drifted up from the tiny, floating shovel.

There is no doubt about it... Dorgul had once witnessed Solomon wielding Apophis with his own eyes.

The thick gray demonic energy now emanating from that shovel was identical to that of the demon sword that had once plunged the Deep Realm into terror during the Great War.

“F-fine. I believe you. Please, just take that energy away,” Dorgul pleaded.

—Tch.

Apophis clicked its tongue, and the energy engulfing the forge dissipated.

Dorgul’s breathing came easier now, his posture relaxing slightly. It wasn’t unexpected, as exposure to Apophis’ power would be unbearable for an ordinary administrator.

He had more than a few lingering thoughts, but one question stood out above the rest. What was the relationship between Do-Jun and Apophis? From the way they spoke, it was obvious they weren’t strangers. They talked like old acquaintances, not people meeting for the first time.

“Don’t tell me... you’re the master of the demon sword Apophis?” Dorgul asked Do-Jun, shocked.

It was a shot in the dark. If this suspicion turned out to be true, the balance of the Deep Realm would be completely upended. With Apophis’s power alone, one could secure a position as a top-ranked adventurer, maybe even rival Imfelheim or Baal. Or even... surpass them. After all, Do-Jun didn’t appear the least bit mentally affected while wielding Apophis.

“I am not,” Do-Jun answered.

In truth, the one who used Apophis the most was Byeol. After her, it was her friends. Last Arbor Day, Apophis was, without fail, used as a shared tool. This Arbor Day would be no different. Considering its shape and purpose, Apophis had long since lost its function as a sword.

Do-Jun observed a brief moment of silence for what the once-feared demonic weapon had become.

“B-but you two seem pretty close,” Dorgul said.

—Hehe. You can tell, huh? Indeed, I maintain quite a close relationship with the King of Earth. We often share honest conversations at home. Isn’t that right, human?

Do-Jun gave a small shrug. Apophis wasn’t wrong. The garden shovel did, on occasion, share bits of Deep Realm information related to Solomon.

Dorgul couldn’t help but think this was very strange. The fact that Apophis would allow anyone other than Solomon to use it without mental domination, no less, was unheard of. There was a reason it was called a demon sword.

From what Dorgul had heard, Apophis had no room in its heart for anything but killing and evil. It regarded life as less than dust, not as something to be treated as sentient. And yet, Apophis before him seemed entirely different.

Dorgul was sure he hadn’t misunderstood the demon sword’s true, bloodthirsty nature. He vividly remembered what he saw during the Great War: Apophis slaughtering civilians without mercy. There had been no sympathy, no compassion.

“May I ask just one more thing?” Dorgul asked the shovel.

—What is it?

“You were originally a sword. How did you end up in such a ridiculous form?”

—Ridiculous?

A wave of dark energy surged from Apophis, clearly annoyed by the question. However, a sharp look from Do-Jun was enough to make the energy vanish immediately.

Dorgul flinched, realizing his slip of the tongue. Without realizing it, he had gotten a little too comfortable, so much so that he had casually called Apophis “ridiculous.”

He rectified his words. “I mean, no matter how I look at you, you’re a... a shovel. I just can’t understand why you’ve taken that form.”

—Well, to be honest, at first, I wanted to die. But now, I rather like this form. Hah, man, too many people fail to appreciate the pure aesthetic beauty of a shovel. And just so you know, I can’t change my form at will. That’d be great, wouldn’t it? But no, I can’t. Actually, I’ve realized people like me better as a shovel. So I have no interest in going back.

Apophis confessed honestly.

“But still—” Before Dorgul could finish, Apophis cut in.

—Dwarf, do you know about Arbor Day?

“I do not.”

—It’s a holiday on Earth. Every April 5th, humans plant trees. Since last year, I’ve become a necessary tool for a little girl named Byeol. She uses me to dig holes for her daycare activities.

Apophis recalled what happened on April 5th last year. Byeol had received a sapling from the Spirit Queen, Laghaim, and planted it in the daycare’s garden. That was probably when it all started.

Apophis continued in a nostalgic voice.

—Planting a tree... is an act of bringing life into the world. To outsiders, it may seem like nothing, but to me, it’s deeply meaningful. You may think it’s funny to hear this from me, but what a tool creates depends on how it is used.

Since coming to Earth, Apophis had found time to reflect on its past. It had slaughtered countless lives and drenched itself in their blood—not to protect anyone, but simply to kill. It looked back on its life as a sword.

—When I was a sword, the path I walked left only sorrow, rage, and despair in its wake. But as a shovel... things are different. Now I can bring happiness to people. You might think I look pathetic, but I have no regrets.

“It’s... incredible that a creation of Solomon would harbor such thoughts,” Dorgul said sincerely.

He slowly closed his eyes, reflecting on Aphopis’ words. To give birth to new life...

Opening his eyes, he asked, “If it’s not too much trouble, may I attend that Arbor Day event as well?”

Do-Jun gave him a warm smile and nodded.

***

Today’s lunch at the daycare was set to be particularly luxurious. It was samgyeopsal! Last year, on April 5th, Byeol had planted a sapling called Ingrid in the garden. The sapling’s ability to promote plant growth meant that anything planted near it sprouted and matured quickly. Capitalizing on this fact, Ji-Hye planned to pick freshly grown lettuce and enjoy it with samgyeopsal.

“Mistah, look carefully. You dig the dirt like this, like this.” Byeol gave Dorgul a demonstration, digging into the soil with the shovel.

A cluster of kids surrounded them, having already dug holes for their own lettuce seeds.

“You ever used a shovel?” Byeol asked Dorgul.

“No, this is my first time.”

“If you use this one, it’s super easy. You just poke it into the gwound and it does the west on its own!”

“Yeah! Doesn’t even take much strength!” another child added.

Dorgul reached out to take the shovel from Byeol, his hand trembling. After all, this wasn’t just any shovel. It was Apophis. The Apophis, the mind-dominating weapon. Memories from the past stirred up fear.

Apophis chided Dorgul telepathically.

—Hurry up. You trying to leave Byeol hanging?

Ah, whatever. To hell with it. He shut his eyes tight and grabbed the shovel.

Slowly, he opened them again. No change. He was fine. The only thing that greeted him was the innocent gaze of the children watching him.

“Ahem... well then, let’s give it a try,” Dorgul said awkwardly.

He made five small holes, just enough to plant lettuce seeds. He barely had to move the shovel, as Apophis subtly adjusted its angle to help lift the dirt. Dorgul wiped the sweat from his brow and carefully set Apophis down on the ground.

“Here you go, Mistah!” Byeol dropped a handful of lettuce seeds into his palm.

“What are these?” Dorgu asked, looking at the strange seeds.

“Lettuce! They taste weally good with meat.”

“Hm...?”

Did he hear that right? Dorgul cleaned out his ears and dropped the seeds into each hole, then gently covered them with soil. The children poured water over the garden with their watering cans. In an instant, sprouts burst from the ground, and lettuce grew tall and lush before their very eyes.

Anyone else would’ve been floored by the sight, but the children, having witnessed the spectacle before, didn’t seem all that shocked. Hundreds of fresh, vibrant leaves now filled the garden.

What... why am I actually touched by this...? Dorgul swiped his nose and smiled warmly. He gently patted the lettuce he had helped grow.

Just then, Ji-Hye appeared, carrying four baskets. “Oh my! The lettuce grew beautifully. Shall we harvest them now?”

“Yes!!” The children began pulling the lettuce out by the roots and placing it in baskets.

Dorgul was horrified.

“W-what are you all doing?!” he asked.

“H-huh?” Ji-Hye and the kids flinched at his sudden outburst, staring at him in confusion.

“Why are you pulling them out?!” Dorgul questioned them.

“To eat with the samgyeopsal...?”

“To eat them? Did you just say eat?! These lives we’ve nurtured with our own hands?!” Dorgul was aghast. He turned sharply toward Apophis.

Apophis snapped irritably.

—What? You’re supposed to wrap the meat in lettuce.

“How does this make sense! How does it align with what you said earlier?!”

—What did I say?

“You said you were creating life—”

—Yeah, but I never said we wouldn’t eat it.

***

Thick slices of samgyeopsal sizzled deliciously on the grill. Byeol stood in line, holding a lunch tray in both hands. Gulping sounds came from all directions. Fluffy white rice, doenjang jjigae, kimchi, ssamjang,[1] garlic, and... lettuce—that was enough to make any mouth water!

“Alright, hold your tray up a bit, sweetie.”

“Thank you vewy much!” Beyol said.

With her tray piled high with food, she carefully walked to her seat, taking care not to spill anything.

One by one, the children finished getting their meals and began to eat. The daycare teachers and the nutritionist watched with warm smiles.

“Eat up, everyone!”

“Thank you for the food!”

And in front of Dorgul, too, sat a lunch tray. Of course, he hadn’t served himself. It had been prepared and placed there by Ji-Hye, who had seen him refuse to eat.

I should’ve never believed someone like Apophis... Dorgul, shaken to his core by the recent loss of his innocent fascination, still hadn’t recovered from the shock.

Byeol blinked as she watched him stare blankly down at his tray. She concluded he must not know how to eat samgyeopsal the right way. With a bright smile, she made a decision.

“Mistah.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know how to make ssam[2]?”

Ever so thoughtful, Byeol decided to make one for him herself. She picked up a lettuce leaf, easily three times larger than her hand.

“First, you put wice on the lettuce.”

She scooped a generous spoonful of rice. Then she took a juicy piece of grilled samgyeopsal, dipped it in ssamjang, and placed it on top of the rice.

“You’re watching, wight?” she asked Dorgul.

“Y-yes.”

“You gotta watch carefully, okie? It’s a little twicky.”

She added kimchi and garlic on top, then finished it off with another piece of samgyeopsal and wrapped it all up.

“Here, say ‘ahh.’”

He was about to say he couldn’t eat it, but Dorgul couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Because Hashinta and the Imoogi’s words after their trip to the first floor of the Core kept echoing in his head.

“Dorgul! Did you know they sell Earth food on the first floor of the Core?”

“It was amazing. I’ve never tasted anything like it in my life. I’m going back tomorrow.”

In the end, the ssam entered Dorgul’s mouth.

Forgive me, dear lettuce... he thought, as he closed his eyes tightly and took a bite.

And suddenly, his eyes snapped open. They sparkled as if bursting with light. His chewing grew faster and faster until the ssam melted away on his tongue.

“Isn’t it good, Mistah?” Byeol asked with a smile.

A shiver of pure delight ran down his spine. As if possessed, Dorgul reached for the lettuce. Grabbing two or three leaves at a time, he began devouring them with wild abandon.

***

Do-Jun left work a little early and headed to the daycare. He gently scooped up Byeol, who was fast asleep after a big lunch, and cradled her in his arms.

“Thank you for letting me come along today,” Dorgul said gratefully.

“Did you have fun?” Do-Jun asked.

“I... I really did...”

If one looked closely, there were faint traces of pork grease, lettuce, and ssamjang still clinging to the corners of Dorgul’s mouth.

“Well then, I’ll be returning to the Deep Realm.” There was reluctance in his voice, as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to leave.

He kept glancing wistfully toward the garden bed where the lettuce had been planted. He didn’t want to leave Earth.

“Here, let me give you something,” Do-Jun said.

A large paper bag suddenly appeared in his hand. Inside were lettuce seeds, instant rice, samgyeopsal, ssamjang, and more. When Dorgul peeked inside, his eyes lit up.

“Y-you’re really giving me this? Can I really take these?”

“Of course.”

Tears of gratitude welled in Dorgul’s eyes. He bowed deeply, lowering his head to the floor.

“I will never forget this kindness!”

***

One day, a small vegetable patch appeared beside the forge at the Third Trial before the Deep Realm. Dorgul stood watering it with a watering can, humming a tune.

“Hohoho. Grow strong and healthy, my lettuce.”

Watching silently from a corner were Hashinta and the Imoogi, glancing at each other and tilting their heads in puzzlement.

1. ssamjang is a classic, savory dipping sauce for meat. ☜

2. Ssam is wrapping meat in leafy veggies, like lettuce and samgyeopsal! ☜