Chapter 66: Resources Flow in My Room (1)

The Fairy Princess’s pot, now a sprawling forest, mostly occupies the balcony, so it doesn’t disrupt living much.

Except I have to push through bushes to reach the fridge.

“I climbed up here!”

The Fairy Princess enjoys tree-climbing on the enlarged stems, looking delighted.

She’s so cute. Heartwarming…

Beyond that, the induction stove, sink, fridge, and washing machine outside have become very eco-friendly.

Not unusable, just annoying.

The problem is…

“What tiger? You’re an obese cat rug.”

A giant cat fills my entire room.

It’s taken over the bed, gate, desk, and chair. To use this room, I either treat CatMan as a cushion, camp in the bathroom, or live on the desk.

“Hey, hey, don’t move, idiot.”

Even as the wardrobe shakes, CatMan rolls over.

Leaning on his massive front paws, belly up, he says:

[Feels like a box. This snug comfort.]

They say cats melt into boxes.

He’s merged with the room.

It’s square, sure…

His fur nearly covers the gate, though it bulges where the gate’s physical force pushes back.

If the gate’s inside his belly and fish-heads invade, they’ll fill him up.

The comfier he gets, the more I’m pushed to the entrance.

“Hey, stop pushing! Ugh, I’m the idiot.”

“Don’t think too badly of yourself—it saddens those who care about you.”

“Huh?”

“Seeing you like that hurts my heart.”

Being pushed to the entrance is fine, but the Nightmare Queen, also pushed, grabs my arm, back against the door.

“Uh… miss, you’re subtly grabbing my arm?”

I allowed 10 charms a day, but I’m rethinking it.

I might need more level-ups in this situation.

“Then there’s no answer but to cling to you.”

“No, you’re a grandma!”

“That’s what a woman’s child’s child calls her, right? Planning to make me one?!”

“Uh, no, I mean, yeah.”

No damage dealt.

I insulted her on purpose to get distance.

No matter her real age, who’d call the Queen a grandma looking at her?

The Fairy Princess, playing in the bushes, glares slightly.

She’s probably older.

“You said yeah!?”

“Not that yeah!”

Feeling like I’d fall for her charm, I turned to CatMan, who’s immune.

“Comfy lying like that?”

His doughy body’s stuck to the floor—is that comfy?

If he’d fold his paws neatly instead of sprawling, I could use the space, so I nudged him.

[Animal cruelty.]

“You shedding fur with that body is Earth cruelty.”

[Humans shouldn’t talk.]

He’s not wrong.

“Hey, this is my house! Tuck in your legs!”

[If you’re gonna treat me like this, send me to grandma.]

“No car can carry you now, idiot.”

Forget cars—grandma’d probably refuse him.

She’d rather raise a cow.

[What, buy a truck? Could haul a lot, though.]

“You’ll get shot, moron.”

I considered summoning magic to store CatMan.

<Your summoning level can’t send a pet this big to base.>

The bathroom’s my only usable space—am I sleeping there tonight?

Or just pray “the gate’s fine” and run away?

If something comes through, I’ll die lost in his fur forest.

Maybe rent a motel.

“It’s kinda like a cat bed.”

If I sleep on CatMan’s belly, since he’s a small cat at core, it might not hurt if his weight didn’t increase.

But lying on a cat is real animal cruelty.

[Don’t think of me as a cushion. Cats need territory too.]

“Humans need homes, idiot.”

Lying on a giant cat’s bulging belly like a Snorlax is a dream for pure-hearted kids.

“You’re hideous, so don’t lie belly-up—flip over.”

[If I don’t?]

“Let’s talk it out.”

[Gulp.]

I aimed a fist, and he hurriedly flipped.

Took a photo.

No one’d believe a cat this big—they’ll think it’s AI-edited.

Since I had nothing else to do, I left a review.

[What’re you doing?]

“Saying you ate your favorite food and got this big.”

[This good?]

“Good job. Hold this.”

I gave his other paw a food bag.

Like a chubby shut-in with snacks watching movies.

Could sell this photo for a decent price.

They do sell.

But the Nightmare Queen’s hair, almost clinging behind me, falls over.

She’s slightly bigger than her giant form now.

“How do you capture and store a moment in time? Amazing. Like this?”

“Wanna take one?”

“Take? You’re not trapping or stealing my soul, are you?”

“You’ve got a soul? Look, the Princess is photographed.”

Sitting by the door where CatMan’s giant tail sticks out, I lean against it. The Queen squats beside me.

Switching to the front camera startles her.

“…Oh? Huh? Wow. Look, giant, I’m captured exactly as I am, heart pounding.”

“Where do you see that?”

“It’s reflected in my eyes.”

“Charm, right?”

“Yes.”

Level up—by 4.

Usually, random comments give 2-3, but stronger, more tempting charms boost it more.

“Touch it like this to work it.”

“How… Oh!?”

Though taller, sitting close in this tight space, she leans forward watching the smartphone, her neck slightly bent.

The scent from her nape and hair unconsciously makes my heart race.

<Level up.>

She’s not even charming, just showing UI or videos, and I level up?

Whatever.

Her existence itself levels me up.

Good thing, since today’s level harvest was nil otherwise.

Beat the seaweed, but only the hairdryer and iron did anything.

“Amazing civilization, capturing images. You can draw on faces?”

“You’d faint seeing a TV.”

If invasions stop and we negotiate, I’d take gold and guide demons like a Kumsusan tour in my room.

No leaving, but I’d show them around.

Build a Lego world, they’d love it.

“They’re really doing stuff here!?”

“Remember the thing I sent with the imp?”

“Oh?”

Her eyes sparkle.

[Careful, idiot. That hurts.]

I dig through the bushes, stepping on the cat, to grab expired marshmallows cereal and hand it over.

“Huh? I love this! Wow! So much?”

It’s for kids, but she’s thrilled like one.

Eating cereal like snacks, we sit by the bathroom door, backs against it, watching TV and the phone.

I thought about ditching the gate for the day, but the lively studio vibe isn’t bad, so I stayed.

***

“Ughhh. Slept like crap.”

Could’ve gone to a motel, but I don’t fully trust the Nightmare Queen.

Can’t leave her, can’t take her.

Slept curled like a prince in a chest.

CatMan’s thick tail was kinda cushy.

“Hm?”

Waking up, the Queen’s staring at me.

“What’re you looking at?”

“Just looking feels good.”

“Creepy.”

“Not like drooling over tasty food! Uh, sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Can you turn this on?”

My phone?

We watched it together before I fell asleep, leaning on her shoulder, then startled myself awake, sleeping against the bathroom threshold with a pillow.

She watched my phone all night?

The giant CatMan who took over my room is back to normal, growling:

“Grrr… Roar.”

Still sleeping, dreaming of being a tiger.

“You’re a bit shorter—effect wore off?”

“Yeah, I can shrink a bit anyway.”

A day later, thankfully, the effect faded. CatMan left heaps of fur, and the Queen’s back to normal size.

The problem is…

“Uh, Princess?”

“Yeah?”

“Not shrinking?”

“I’m big!”

The Fairy Princess grew to a 2-3-year-old’s size and isn’t shrinking?

Her pot’s stems and leaves reverted to a flower, the forest gone, but she’s holding it, toddler-sized, saying “I’m big!”—super cute.

Will she shrink later?

Effect lasting longer?

“Cute. Adorable.”

“Heehee.”

She won’t stay like this forever, right?

I figured she’d awaken as an elf figure like the Queen when grown.

If she keeps growing, my place’ll be cramped…

“I’d love it if you loved me too.”

“Can you be quiet?”

“Uh, look.”

“What now… Oh?”

Something’s coming from the gate again.

This visual’s loud—urrr kkwangkkwang?

And something emerges.

Jjororororok.

“What the…!?”

The gate’s leaking water.

Literal water.

Smells salty—seawater.

I imagined aiming at the gate like Kim Chunchu or Kim Yushin’s sisters, flooding the other side with pee…

Having done it before, I reacted sensitively, but it’s not pee—smells like the sea.

“Damn it, if fish-heads come, they’re all spicy stew. I’ll eat their heads in seodaritang.”

[I get the bodies?]

The roaring cat’s awake, chiming in.

“No spines for you.”

It’s not flooding instantly, but flowing like an open tap.

I prepared a basin and mini pool as traps to drown invaders from the gate.

Problem is, when they fill:

“Ugh, so annoying.”

Gotta empty them.

When awake, I can pour it into the toilet or drain, but when sleeping?

Need a hose…

“Can I help?”

“Yeah, that’d be great. Can’t you block the water?”

“Hm… If I charm the sea, will it work?”

Charm the sea?

“Tch, grab a towel from the drawer…”

Resigned to manual labor, I was about to wipe the water when—

“What’s this?”

Not just water—black smoke came too.

Water and smoke together? Doubtful.

“…Not what I’m thinking, right?”

It’s not smoke—black water vapor.

Dark, hazy currents clump, flashing inside like a tiny cloud.

A small storm cloud that’d sap your energy following you?

Kurrrrung! Kwaaaa.

Juruk juruk.

Rain starts falling from my ceiling.

“Damn it.”

I freeze at this absurdity, but CatMan freaks out.

[Kyaahhh! Save me! Water’s falling!?]

“You won’t die from water, idiot.”

Look at this pig.

Yesterday, he wouldn’t sit properly; now he’s cowering.

[Save me!]

“RiceCookerMan, the laptop!”

His scream snaps me awake.

Gotta save the optional TV, laptop, chargers, and multi-tap.

The limit-breaking fan for drying got banished to the balcony too.

Yeah, electronics don’t survive water.