Chapter 90: A Celebrity Lives in the Studio Apartment

Click click.

“Heeheeheehee.”

“Having fun?”

“Yeah!”

I’m trimming the Fairy Princess’s nails.

Her fingers and toes were almost indistinguishable before, but now they’ve grown to the size of shrimp crackers.

Still, they’re a child’s hands—small.

I kind of wish she’d stop growing now…

She’s okay for the moment, but any taller and she’d get those societal stares like, “She’s big—why no school?”

“Don’t you want to go outside and look around?”

The Fairy Princess, pot clattering on her head, watches her nails being clipped, then beams up at me.

“I’m looking at Joo-heon!”

“Watching me is enough?”

“I don’t need anything else!”

Aigoo, yes, yes.

“Hey, you hear that, RiceCookerMan?”

The only one in this room who likes going out is that inanimate object.

Though those outings seem to have earned him some grand titles—feels more like performance from beating up the kids.

[No abnormalities!]

Sigh, that rice cooker.

Anyway, if the Fairy Princess keeps nagging to see the world, the moment she’s socially recognized might get a bit troublesome.

If that happens, do I register her on the family registry?

“She’s big—why no school?”

I can’t exactly smack everyone who says that on the back of the head.

By design, attaching a pebble to the current dragon bone weapon could make a dragon bone spear with a stun effect.

Debating whether to use wood or the aluminum mop handle the Fairy Princess actively uses as a weapon.

“Wow?”

Hearing the Nightmare Queen scream, I glance over.

“…”

She’s flailing again, crushed under a smartphone that’s about two-thirds her height.

Is she an idiot?

“Hey, lay it down to watch.”

“Then it’s not intuitive. It has to float like this.”

Guess I need to buy more accessories like a phone stand.

The Nightmare Queen’s size is large Barbie-doll proportions for otherworld monsters, but still no match for a smartphone’s length and width.

In her original form, it’d be like a giant screen right in front, and since her body is vertical, lay it horizontal.

Or just put it on the floor and float up to watch—but she won’t listen.

Should I take it away?

“Wow!?”

Finally standing the phone up again, she fails and gets crushed once more.

Shouldn’t have bought one with curved design?

<Resisting Charm.>

“…”

Never thought I’d feel rational excitement from a woman in distress.

Didn’t get much thrill from 202’s panties either.

“OF, OF.”

Yong-gae even sighs a disappointed breath (actual mana effect comes out) and approaches to prop up the phone from behind.

“Oh my? You’re helping me?”

“Ang!”

“Well, even enemy offspring can…”

The harmonious scene looks proper—I was about to praise.

“Kkyu?!”

This time the phone slides toward Yong-gae, crushing the chick-sized dragon.

Simultaneously sliding on Yong-gae’s fluff, it scrapes the bottom, hits the Nightmare Queen’s ankle, and makes her fall face-down on the screen.

“77|OF?!”

Capacitive touch works—the phone starts running this and that…

Why are they putting on a live show just because I bought phones?

Feels like I bought something I can’t handle?

The Fairy Princess points at the scene with her half-trimmed nails.

“Me too that!”

“Buy you one?”

“Yeah. Looks fun!”

Ah, the slapstick of the phone-sized dragon and succubus stubbornly trying to stand it up and suffering double kills?

Not asking for a phone to watch kids’ YouTube like other kids.

The Fairy Princess finds the physical comedy fun—two creatures her size struggling with a giant rectangle.

“I’ll buy it.”

“Really?!”

I have plenty of money now.

After winter, planning to evict starting with 204 and remodel that side.

Breaking walls isn’t hard.

Don’t know how much it’ll cost, but the remaining college entrance exam success candy sales money will come in.

Once that cash arrives, I’ll start.

Cheerfully promising the Fairy Princess a phone, I finish trimming her nails—CatMan asks.

[Me?]

“Hey, what’s a cat need a smartphone for?”

[No, nails.]

Where are a cat’s hands?

“Nails?”

[If I use hands, it’s fingernails. Then claws?]

…?

Claws, you idiot.

But don’t cats hate nail trimming?

Might rampage if I try.

“Sharpen them yourself.”

[So sharpen them sharper.]

“Yeah, just don’t steal panties. Sharpen your combat power.”

[I bought it?! With 50,000 won?]

It’s an expensive brand, but cheap for tagged price—expensive for discounted.

“For real?”

Shocked by CK panties, but CatMan rages—why throw away what he properly bought from someone who wouldn’t listen.

I figured the comfort meant someone wore them—stolen.

This pervert cat, planning strict discipline.

Definitely black fur there?

Of…

Was that cat fur?

Accused of theft, but he insists paid fair price.

He does have money-begging ability.

[Bringing people is unauthorized restraint— you order that freely, but bringing one item is wrong? Inconsistent.]

“Don’t want to make you a thief.”

[Who’d put a cat in court? Ultimately your fault for poor management.]

“But who’s wearing the ones you bought?”

[You, obviously.]

Damn.

Keeps insisting he paid and bought.

Can’t cross-verify?

Plus this cat’s talking ethics teacher.

“Sigh, fine—you know morals, so whatever.”

[How’s that. Knowing morals and big-hearted—like a tiger?]

“Bark like one.”

[Watch.]

“Aeong.”

“Kyaoooong!”

Can’t even roar—pretending tiger.

Then I trim my own nails—the clipper cuts so well, with a click my nail flies off.

Disappears somewhere.

“01.”

Was going to collect and throw away—can’t find where it went, tried <Search LV25>.

Like saying don’t waste magic on a nail.

Doesn’t find it.

[Aeaeaeaeng, aeaeaeaeng. Ah. Damn bastard.]

No one hears.

***

Telepathy—so no one properly grasps crisis.

Night cover, gate signal—but rice cooker had no mouth.

[Hm?]

But this time just psssh like moisture.

Worried mistaken for cooking.

[Not cooking! Otherworld vapor came!?]

RiceCookerMan urgently shouts—but no listeners.

Everyone sleeps well.

[Ah, right.]

RiceCookerMan recalls forgotten method.

“Cooking complete. Cooking complete.”

Jumping thump thump—can make noise without touching gate.

“No, midnight cooking? Uh, monster…!!

Ha”

Meanwhile vapor already dominates room—simultaneously master’s head tilts back on pillow.

Like ZZZZZ over head.

<Falls into deep recovery sleep from sleep effect>

[Positive sleep effect applies regardless of Magic, Intelligence resistance.]

Non-harmful sleep inducer counts as buff—recovers stamina, provides happy dreams to target.

Otherworld vapor had that power—even rice cooker nods off from mana force.

[Plug not pulled…]

Vapor dominating room starts exploring.

Split three ways—first stops at barely attached photo confusing if man.

—Giant’s portrait?

Then lingering on sleeping house master’s face.

‘Dungeon’s Giant’ face.

-This giant… seems no conscience.

Vapor hesitates, then decides.

Better handsome for activity. Mixed incubus charm in creation.

Then vapor gathers toward front door.

Dungeon’s primary passage here.

Succubus queen’s info obtained—but only wraiths found dungeon gaps to cross elsewhere.

Meaning haven’t dealt with dungeon’s primary boss—Dungeon Giant.

But.

<Escape impossible. Only by defeating gatekeeper or gatekeeper releasing.>

Otherworld vapor pays heavy mana, casts spatial movement—first crosses front door.

Still, some vapor portion must remain in 203 dungeon.

—Dungeon restrictions no joke. Physically possible?

Giant dungeon ownership now to former gatekeeper <Dungeon Giant LV1948>—his will acts.

Doesn’t easily allow further advance.

Mana-blocked otherworld vapor transforms into the man seen earlier.

Physically might break through.

Thus descending stairs, reaching dungeon first floor—doppelganger views outside scenery.

Glass main gate blocking outside—opens automatically as he approaches.

—Door opens itself. Definitely magic. Ugh?!

Man as doppelganger steps outside building—immediately repelled like bounced.

Well-maintained floor, or being vapor-based.

Slips and falls the moment stepping—head only at door and outside.

Whiiing.

“Kuh, cough, ugh?!”

Magic door(?) closes on contact with head—opens, closes again.

Meanwhile remaining vapor in 203 dungeon scans surroundings.

‘This size can’t become giant…

Stops at black black entity sleep-talking telepathy.

[Ragdoll sister miss. That voluptuous tail.]

Discovers small life sleep-telepathing dreams.

Has own dreams, relatively small body—remaining amount can implement, has desire—can steal desire to evaporate soul.

“…You amoeba? Zergling?”

Wasn’t cat multicellular?

Why reproduce by division?

[This one’s fake!?]

[You’re fake!?]

***

Receiving RiceCookerMan’s report.

Sleep gas-like vapor with some cultivation came last night—precisely dawn—from gate.

“Cooking complete.”

[You did wake to this!]

Woke to only line “cooking complete”—midnight rice?

RiceCookerMan says I woke.

“So?”

[Positive sleep effect in vapor…]

Ah, reporting yesterday’s events—this guy’s grudgeful.

“Hey, CatMan. Just brought a friend?”

Black cats do look similar.

[This bastard no friend!?]

[Friend my ass!?]

[This damn bastard!?]

[You damn bastard!?]

“Ah, noisy—telepathy off, just fight among yourselves.”

Chaos. Chaos.

Two identical black cats—mutual dog insults, pureblood debate with front paw fight.

Literally chaos.

[Shock!]

[Me too shock!]

Sparks flying.

Really glaring, fur standing—catfight, eye lightning clashes sparking electricity.

<Level 975 CatMan – Pet, Thief>

<Level 975 CatMan – Pet, Thief>

Huh.

Identical?

But Thief appears?

This guy did steal underwear?

“Nightmare Queen. Come here. Recognize this?”

“Hmm, wait. Aeongong?”

“Aeongaeng?”

“Aeongssaeong.”

“Aeong.”

“Stop cat language. Damn. How interpret this situation? Any guess?”

“Hmm, I don’t know this situation either?”

Then ask the sage?

[I don’t know animals.]

What do you know?

“…2”

***

103 planned early rise to reserve library seat during exams—but slept less at night.

Morning wakeup especially hard.

Plus close to first-floor entrance—dawn door noises kept coming.

Thump, thump, thump.

Still hearing, 103 opens door, checks hallway.

“Ah.”

Some naked man collapsed before first-floor automatic door—head repeatedly attacked by it.

“Ah, no, excuse me!?”

Man naked—awkward, but might die like that.

Save person first.

103 pulls man in—suddenly wide awake, examines.

Obviously should report first…

“Y-You’re a celebrity?”

Weird man with full lighting-favoring makeup while naked—but really looked like a celebrity.

If real—not simple drunk intruder. Could be celebrity scandal boiling all day.

But why naked?

Drunk out of mind intruder?

Gulp.

Don’t know why saliva pools and swallows—103 looks around.

“F-First, at least women’s clothes…”