The Bedroom Fortress Awakens
BAAAAANG······.
Car horns blared from the nearby road, echoing into my one-room apartment.
Inside, I sat on the edge of my bed, scanning the room around me.
“······.”
Shelter, huh.
I just felt dazed. Nothing in the room seemed drastically different.
It was just that the shelter's status window was now fully visible. That was about it?
From what I'd gauged earlier with 'Synchronization,'
the shelter seemed to be operating based on my 6-pyeong one-room apartment.
“What kind of effects does it have?”
My expectation was obvious: my safety.
It had been my top priority since awakening... If it fulfilled that, I was confident I could become the greatest hunter in a snap.
The name was Shelter, after all. A refuge or bunker concept.
Can't I hope for just a little?
Full of anticipation,
I examined the shelter's status window in detail.
■ Barrier = 1,100 / 1,100
■ Unique Functions: None
■ Hired Agents: None
The standout detail was that the shelter was level 11.
Guess it levels up with me.
And then,
“Boo-hoo... please...”
Tears welled up.
This meant a precious barrier now enveloped my sweet home.
I didn't know exactly what it implied,
but a quick Hunter Universe search revealed that a barrier point equated to 100 HP each.
My brain couldn't crunch the numbers precisely, and overthinking it would've driven me mad, so I compared it to a monster's durability.
It can tank a full-power punch from a Stone Golem.
At my current level, that's what it meant.
“Haaah.”
This was a solid defense. It wasn't like I was doomed to die.
No more worries about sudden death from random flying debris outside,
and I'd established a first line of defense against potential invaders.
But there was still one unresolved issue...
What about internal threats?
Could I now piss freely inside?
That was the key question.
A human should be able to handle bodily functions without worry.
But I couldn't test it.
With HP 1, even a light tap could kill me.
Next chance, maybe.
A little thought showed that since only the 'barrier' had appeared with no other explanations,
it probably meant I was on my own inside.
But was there no hope at all?
Whew. No.
What caught my eye was the 'Unique Functions' section.
Let's check it out.
Just like I'd gained the 'Penetration' skill at level 11,
something was probably available here too.
Hope lay here.
[Function Improvement].
Entering the shelter menu's Function Improvement,
Oh!
There were two learnable skills.
Corresponding to LV 5 and LV 10.
Thump. Thump.
These were the shelter's real features,
and spotting that spark of hope, I checked the skill list.
The LV 5 and 10 skills were
【Air Purification】
【Humidity Control】
“······.”
- Whiiiirrrrr······
After acquiring the skills, a sound hummed from somewhere.
“Hic... sniff...”
Tears came again.
“These are... way too good for my survival...”
The slightly chilly room warmed up,
the lingering humidity turned comfortable,
and the prickly dust in the air vanished...
I was an ultra-fragile sniper with HP 1.
Not kidding—my firepower was god-tier,
so I grew by sniping viciously from afar, reaping benefits shamelessly to ensure survival...
No risk, high return.
No conscience, yes gains.
That was Kim Yu-hee's hunter life slogan.
And right now, I was extremely busy.
“Nngh...”
Poking and prodding the [Shelter]—my sole lifeline—to achieve total safety.
For now, there were four functions to test.
Entering Shelter Reinforcement showed two options.
Being LV 11, I had 10 stat points.
Then I discovered something insanely surprising.
Testing, I invested 1 point into 'Area,'
- Ku-gu-gu-gu-gung!······!
“Aaaah!”
The sudden roar scared me so much I dove under the covers, trembling for ages.
Once it quieted, I looked around.
No way?
The space between my sparse furniture had widened.
My one-room had expanded.
By my rough estimate, about 1 pyeong.
“Holy shit.”
Was this even possible?
Expanding a building didn't make sense.
To assess, I made a bold decision:
Hold up, let's peek at my room from the hallway.
I needed to check if my [Shelter] had expanded wildly and wrecked the building.
Staring through the door crack for ages to confirm no one was around,
I wrapped myself in the blanket like an airbag and stepped into the hall to check my door.
No freaking way.
No external changes at all.
It should've burst through the neighbor's wall or protruded into the hall grotesquely,
but from outside, it looked identical.
How is this possible?
My room had become a space slightly detached from the world's physics, thanks to this enigmatic [Shelter] concept.
“······This is pretty damn impressive. Gotta admit.”
While out, I mustered courage for one more test.
“Fuuu.”
I smacked my door with the buttstock of my practice sniper rifle hidden in my arms!
- Kaaaang!
“!!!”
I bolted back inside faster than anyone.
The sound was louder than expected—like striking an alien barrier, with a whoosh echoing.
Back in my sweet-shelter (no longer just a one-room), I checked immediately:
Whoa. Hit it hard, and only 1 damage.
And not just that—
Less than 5 seconds later, it regenerated.
“Fuuu...”
Got the gist, you sneaky thing...
Another fascinating discovery:
Dr-r-r-
I opened the window and extended... well, not my hand, but the rifle barrel a bit.
Ziiing-
A tingling sensation like passing an invisible barrier,
Out from in is free,
and the barrel poked outside.
I also felt a faint blue film enveloping the apartment.
From what I'd grasped:
1. Free exit from inside to outside.
2. Barrier blocks entry from outside.
3. Shelter authority is mine.
4. The shelter space defies worldly logic—research-worthy.
That about summed it up.
Back to the menu:
[Agent Hiring] wouldn't open.
[Player level too low.]
It popped up every tap: [Player level too low.]
Meant I could hire 'agents' from the shelter—probably summon helpers for sniping.
This could be a big reason to level up.
My gut said great supporters for my safety would appear.
Next, [Function Improvement].
Already checked— at LV 11, just [Air Purification] and [Humidity Control].
Whiiiirrrrr······
“······Insanely clean air.”
Funny part: No preview of future functions—[No View Access].
Had to level up to find out.
Body-forward experience ahead.
Finally, [New Establishment].
I'd been saving this.
“Fuuu.”
How many hours had passed?
News said gates might open in Seoul in 1-2 hours.
No time to hesitate. Gotta master my abilities fast.
Clicking [New Establishment] brought two options.
■ Additional Shelter: Req. LV 100
■ Facility Additions
⋅ Training Ground = Req. LV 1
⋅ Supply Depot = Req. LV 20
⋅ ... (View Details)
“!!!”
Additional shelters? Huge discovery.
“Can I have multiple shelters from now on?”
LV 100 req. made it distant,
but meaningful.
Would need plans for use.
Survive to 100 first?
Self-mocking thought soured my mood.
But one card left: 'Training Ground.'
Meant adding facilities.
Clicking prompted:
[Establish Training Ground?]
[Cost: 30,000,000G]
“Damn, tough call.”
Hadn't checked the 【Sniper Shop】 yet, so hasty buy felt iffy.
Training ground—
Essential for my zero sniping skill.
Had to build it.
Just hadn't browsed the shop.
“Fuu.”
I retreated to the bed, surveying my slightly larger sweet-shelter.
Been a while since I racked my brain like this.
Frantically researching in this tiny space for survival.
Thoughts half-formed, rough reviews of functions?
Throbbing headache.
Did HP 1 apply to brain too?
Swallowing rising frustration,
I recalled one grateful point.
At least I've got tons of gold—options galore.
Truly... thankful to the Management Bureau and sponsoring groups.
Their sudden gold gifts gave me this leeway.
Could sell for won, stock food,
shop the sniper store,
build training ground instantly.
Can't repay yet, but truly grateful.
Would remember and repay somehow.
More sponsorships would cement it, though.
“Ahem.”
Mails still coming, 10+ contracts, sponsorships 2-3 small ones.
Ambivalence about me, probably.
I'm no villain.
Just moving for survival.
Hoping it helps others,
reaffirming my shameless sniping vow.
Thus, I clicked 【Sniper Shop】.
Before training ground,
to judge if it was most efficient.
“Focus.”
For my survival.
Optimal spending.
Minimal repayment to generous sponsors...
《Location Unknown》
《Hongmaehwa》
“This is a first...”
World Rank 27,
Korean Rank 3,
Assassin #1.
Hongmaehwa guild master Seol felt an odd mix of emotions.
■ ID: Unregistered (Contract Pending)······
Hongmaehwa rarely initiated contracts first.
Never one the guild master herself ordered,
complete with sponsorship.
Result: No response.
“Wow······.”
Could this happen?
Words failed in sheer absurdity.