Deathless Training: The Firing Range

After discovering that I could install the most essential facility for me right inside the Shelter,

I decided to check out the Sniper Shop first before committing.

It was all about efficient gold spending—making sure I didn't miss anything important.

Tucked away in the corner of my status window, right below Sniper Shelter.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

There was a shop window in the same purple hue. It had originally been locked with a message saying it wasn't linked to the shelter, but now...

'It's working now.'

I entered without a hitch.

"Whoa."

The first thing that caught my eye was...

'Expensive as hell!'

Every single item was insanely pricey.

"How the hell am I supposed to afford this?"

It's a hidden shop, and everything here is custom-made for a sniper like me, so I get the premium pricing.

'Still, I didn't expect 160 million gold to feel this insignificant.'

I'd hoped for some leisurely shopping, but that was wishful thinking.

Time to pivot: find what I need right now.

'Hmm.'

I browsed around, but as expected, nothing to directly fix my HP 1 issue. Not that I was holding my breath anymore.

But all hope wasn't lost. Because...

'Items that let me avoid getting hit altogether and snipe like a total coward.'

Survival strategy achieved.

I had a clear idea of what I wanted, and I found it soon enough.

"Oh ho."

My biggest weakness.

Gunfire noise!

If that keeps echoing from my one-room apartment, it'll only be a matter of time before everyone figures out I'm a sniper—and it'll pinpoint my exact location, too.

'With a silencer, I'm golden.'

The description noted they were consumables, each with durability. All shared 1,000 durability points.

'Wears down by 1 per shot.'

Tiers differed by noise reduction: basic 10%, mid 30%, advanced 50%.

Perfect silence wasn't an option, huh?

But I'm not one to give up easily.

I kept browsing and finally struck gold.

'Knew it.'

Unusual name for a silencer. The best items always have weird names.

It looked sleek and gentlemanly, all matte black.

Price...

"100 million gold."

Steep for a consumable, but one line hooked me.

[Noise Reduction 100%]

"Ha."

Insane. Impossible in real life.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted, but this wasn't just nice-to-have—it was divine intervention for someone like me.

"Buy... fuck... shit!"

Ah, but cold feet hit hard.

100 million gold isn't pocket change. Now that I knew its value, sweat beaded on my forehead.

I dithered for 10 minutes until another item caught my eye.

'Hold up.'

A killer strategy dawned on me.

Zero noise, invisible air bullets...

"I'll be completely undetectable."

Buy now, while no one knows my location.

Being stingy and dying would be idiotic.

Still, mental prep first.

'Both consumables.'

Air bullets burn 100k G per shot.

My shut-in lifestyle just got expensive. Running both full-time would make gold farming desperate.

'Screw it. Unnecessary worries from a full belly. No choice here.'

Until I find ways to upgrade or skills to replace them, gold will bleed.

"Purchase!"

Essential survival gear acquired.

Limited air bullets to 100 to cover training ground costs and emergencies.

Nothing else in the shop guaranteed safety like this, so I exited the Sniper Shop.

"Sniff..."

Way too much gold spent.

'Felt rich just moments ago.'

Already felt broke.

My inventory now looked like this:

Two survival must-haves added.

Gold down to about 60 million.

'Don't think about gold. Not the time.'

I resolved not to hesitate on essentials anymore.

Next up: Training Ground.

30 million G to install—vital for me, so I read the details carefully.

The result?

'!!!'

LV 1 perks like this weren't random.

Forget the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rest.

'Immortal status.'

Bought it on the spot.

"Ohhh, ohhh, ohhhh!"

Could anything feel better?

I'd finally found a space where I could truly relax.

The one and only Train. Ing. Ground!

'Train me right now. Please.'

I'd beg like a raw recruit.

As long as I don't die!

Purchase triggered the message instantly,

and

—Flash!

"Ohhhh!"

Same dazzling light as the shelter deployment, scanning my apartment's layout.

'Gonna convert part of the room into the training ground?'

After 2-3 minutes of thorough scanning,

The light settled on my closet.

Shelter already defies physics, so who knows what weirdness it's pulling in there.

A crisp ding rang out, and a faint blue glow enveloped the closet.

'Is it done?'

I approached, touched the door, and saw

Training Ground

Small text floating above it.

'Let's go in.'

Excited steps toward immortality.

Opened the closet door and...

"???"

A double door.

Heavy iron, reeking of steel.

Stark warning etched in block letters:

"Whatever, doesn't matter. Fine by me."

Means no exploiting outside training. Not my problem. Opened the door.

And

"Ohhhh!"

An endless void stretched before me.

White marble-like square tiles extended infinitely across the floor.

Nothing else. Pure black emptiness.

Turned around: just the entrance door standing alone.

"Kinda creepy."

But who cares?

"Yes!!!"

That gorgeous tag next to HP?

Training meant immortal status.

Tears of joy as relief washed over me,

"Oh!"

A message popped up,

"Oh, I get to choose?"

The empty void was because I hadn't set a map yet.

Custom maps for practicing sniping in any environment.

Scrolled through More and spotted

[Current Location]

"Oh."

Tempting option: simulate my real position in VR.

'Stuck in this room anyway. Sniping in a desert wouldn't feel real.'

No hesitation in a training ground. Hit the button.

—Whoosh!

"Ohhhh!"

The void transformed into my exact one-room apartment in seconds.

"No way."

Out the window: the cityscape I knew so well. Distant Signiel landmark, nearby high-rises.

'Perfect replication.'

Then the message:

Default: summon shooting-optimized robots.

Distance and position settings were easy, too.

Test-summoned a basic bot nearby:

—Whoosh!

"Ohhhh."

A sleek, angular training bot appeared.

Got the hang of it. I commanded,

"10 basic bots at close range."

—Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

"10 aerial bots and 10 basic bots at long range."

—Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

"10 micro bots at mid-range."

—Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Realistic combat placements.

Aerial bots flapped like birds, hovering near set spots.

'No time to waste. Master my sniper skills before the next gate.'

Sniper prowess was non-negotiable.

'Luck-based survival? Pass.'

Before the next gate, max out everything I had.

Skill Piercing.

Items MMM, Air Bullets.

Weapon Practice Sniper Rifle.

And above all, my sniper skills.

Pulled the practice sniper rifle from inventory.

System-delivered straight to my hands, pixel by pixel.

Gray barrel, green stock—my favorite.

'Let's do this.'

Felt like back at boot camp. Time to get serious.

Especially with no instant-death risk revitalizing my focus.

'No durability or consumable drain here anyway.'

First: test MMM and air bullets.

Basic bot on a high-rise.

Attached MMM to the rifle, loaded a few air bullets, chambered a round.

Click!

Aimed from the window,

"Huuu."

Fired as realistically as possible.

Pewwwt—!

"!!!"

Shit. Miss.

Aimed far on purpose, but...

'Lots of practice ahead.'

Still, performance was stunning.

Noise barely a whisper—not zero, but no one else would hear.

'Perfect.'

Snipe stress-free now.

'Run drills. Grind while I can.'

Unleashed on bots everywhere.

Adjust zero if off, refire.

—Pew!

—Splat!

Boosted accuracy? Extend range, repeat.

Hours in, a familiar chime in my ear.

—Ding!