Riser
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🕑 Added 2025-08-09 23:32:26 +0000 UTCEP.114 Penthouse Preview
After meeting with the Bureau agents, a few days of uneasy peace followed.
I did as they advised.
And just as I’d told Child, I lived as quietly as a mouse no possessions, no app use, no special powers.
They seemed to keep their promise too, doing nothing to me since then.
That, if anything, made me more anxious.
[“Ah, landlord? It’s Lee Hyunseong from the 3rd floor.”]
But I couldn’t shake the feeling about not noticing anything the day they moved in, so I called the landlord to check a few things.
[“Did someone move into the 4th floor? I was away for a few days and saw some new faces.”]
[“Oh, those young ladies? Yes, new tenants on the 4th floor. Been about a week, I think? Paid the deposit right after signing, even filed their residency right away. Not like most young people these days very thorough.”]
That helped me understand what Child meant by “stuffy bureaucrats.”
They were bound by their own rules, moving strictly within the “laws” and “systems” of this world.
“Keeping order,” huh.
Not that it made me feel any safer.
They were still watching me.
‘My dick’s itching.’
It was nice when I could just fool around without a care.
Now that I’d quit sex cold turkey, I was starting to feel withdrawal.
“Ughhh.”
I couldn’t stand just sitting around anymore.
When I jumped up from the sofa, Lizetta, who was folding laundry nearby, turned to me.
“Is something wrong, Hyunseong-nim?”
“Lizetta.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s move.”
She blinked a few times at my sudden words.
I’d planned to move anyway might as well get it over with.
Most of all, I didn’t want to live in a place where the people watching me were just one ceiling away.
I set three requirements for my new place:
First, as far from the old villa as possible.
Second, right in the middle of a crowded city.
From how those two acted before, they seemed to avoid drawing attention.
The fact that they came and explained everything to me probably meant they wanted to finish things quietly.
And third, as nice a place as possible.
That was pure personal greed, but if I was moving, I wanted to try living in a place I could only dream of a top-tier building.
[Points on hand: 6,200P]
That’s 620 million won if exchanged.
Last time I checked, it was 560 million, so it’d grown.
‘The app’s best feature is that points keep piling up even if I don’t meet people in person.’
If I checked the app’s point log, I’d see a list of all the registered women’s masturbation records.
Anyway, with my other assets, I had just over 700 million won in cash.
‘That should be enough.’
Or so I thought.
“Sigh…”
Wearing a stiff suit, I walked across the lavish lobby of the “Isang Felice” luxury apartment complex.
The marble floors reflected my image like a mirror, and the huge chandelier on the ceiling blazed with light.
But amidst all that perfection, there was a subtle sense of something off.
In the center of the lobby, instead of a modern art sculpture, there was a fossilized dragon skull straight out of medieval fantasy.
Between the abstract paintings on the wall, there was a stone slab inscribed with ancient runes.
The effects of erosion showed up even in places like this.
“This way, sir. The unit you’ll see is on a royal floor and has a fantastic view.”
The polite realtor opened the digital door lock.
The interior was clean, the finish excellent, the view wide open.
It was all great, but it didn’t quite satisfy me.
I toured a few more places, but it was the same story.
I was starting to feel bad for the realtor when he pulled out his last card.
“There’s one more property that hasn’t been listed yet… Would you like to see it?”
That’s how I ended up at the penthouse on the top floor.
The moment the door opened, I was speechless.
The space was incomparably larger than anything I’d seen, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire city.
A place fit for a chaebol.
“Just cleaning a place like this would take all day.”
Lizetta, not in her maid outfit but a calm dress, looked around with sparkling eyes.
She clenched her fists, burning with some unknown passion.
“Don’t worry, Hyunseong-nim. I, Lizetta, will manage it perfectly with the soul of a maid.”
“We haven’t even decided to live here yet…”
But the realtor, betraying Lizetta’s enthusiasm, spoke up cautiously.
“There is… the price is a bit high, sir.”
The price he quoted for the penthouse was far beyond what I expected.
Seven hundred million wouldn’t even cover the rent.
‘Of course, a penthouse like this wouldn’t go for just a few hundred million.’
“Ah…”
Lizetta, too, looked disappointed when she heard the price.
“But with the recent drop in prices, if you add just a bit more to your offer, it could be possible…”
But “a bit” meant many tens of millions more.
After seeing this perfect fortress, I couldn’t settle for another floor.
‘Could I hypnotize the realtor…?’
The thought flashed through my mind, but I shook my head.
This wasn’t so simple.
‘There are dozens of people involved in a multi-billion-won deal lawyers, banks, the owner… I can’t hypnotize them all.’
In the end, I left the building with nothing but a vague “I’ll think about it.”
As I crossed the first-floor lobby in a sour mood
“Huh?”
A woman in sunglasses and a mask walked past us.
She was dressed simply, but something about her aura made me turn and watch her go.
She felt familiar, but before I could think more, she was gone into the elevator.
“Hyunseong-nim, is something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
After leaving the building and saying goodbye to the realtor, I slumped down on a bench outside with Lizetta.
“Moving isn’t as easy as it sounds…”
Truth is, there were plenty of options if not for the penthouse.
But after tasting the top, how could I settle for less?
“Maybe the realtor’s just good at his job?”
“What will you do? Should we go home for today?”
“Let’s rest a little longer. You must be tired from all the walking, too.”
“I’m fine, but… understood.”
Lizetta sat up straight and gazed blankly at the sky.
‘…Even if I move, what then?’
Moving wouldn’t solve everything.
In the end, the Bureau’s target is Child, not me.
Their surveillance is just part of that.
Once they catch Child, just as they said, all my powers will be gone.
Am I just supposed to sit and wait for that day?
‘That Child bastard…’
The more I thought about it, the weirder it seemed.
Even with the Bureau after him, he was so relaxed.
‘Is he just waiting for immersion to hit 100%?’
Immersion can rise without possession.
Like on my Japan trip, it sometimes goes up even without it.
But could his plan really be to just hide and wait for who knows how long, dodging the Bureau?
“Ugh, my head hurts.”
Better to spend the night with a woman than wrestle with this at least I’d earn points.
“I’m sorry I can’t be of help at times like this.”
Seeing Lizetta blame herself, I shook my head slightly.
The app doesn’t work on her.
Neither she nor I can do anything about that.
Just then
Bzzz
My phone vibrated in my pocket. The caller ID read “Kang Juyeong.”
[Hello? Hyunseong?]
Her voice was bright and playful.
“Yes, team leader. What’s up?”
[About that dinner this weekend remember? I asked my husband if we should invite you, and he was all for it. So… how about it? If you’re free this weekend…]
Please come.
I could hear her earnestness through the phone.
‘What should I do?’
Normally I’d have said yes without a thought, but the Bureau kept nagging at me.
[Hyunseong?]
Ah, screw it.
“…Yes. Sure. I’m free this weekend. Oh, and can I bring someone?”
‘Yeah. No need to overthink it.’
Meeting a woman is my private business.
As I continued the call and stood from the bench, I looked up at the penthouse I’d just toured.
Just a few thousand more points to go.
In my mind, my new home was already decided the penthouse.
