Bunker Awakening and Inventory's Might
The moment Kim Seo-jun opened his eyes, he was greeted by a familiar ceiling.
'The bunker.'
It was so familiar that he could quickly piece together the situation.
'We made it to safety.'
Lee Hye-na and Private Park Bo-seop had carried his unconscious body to a secure area.
"Huuuuh."
The realization drew a long sigh from Kim Seo-jun's lips, like air escaping a punctured tube.
'That was insane. Completely nuts.'
What he'd done was utterly mad.
A Tank Worm was no match for a single Space Marine. It took an armored unit—hell, a top-tier one—to even have a shot at taking one down.
Of course, Kim Seo-jun had never pulled anything that crazy before.
'This is why Steam Packs are a problem.'
Even so, the Steam Pack's influence couldn't be ignored. It numbed fear, and he'd injected three in a row.
But the biggest reason was obvious.
'And the Status Window.'
The fact that he now had the power to face this situation head-on.
That thought shifted the glint in Kim Seo-jun's eyes.
"Status Window."
He activated it immediately, and what he saw made his jaw drop.
His Status Window had transformed into something ridiculous while he was out.
'What the hell?'
Two tickets and over 7,000 points out of nowhere?
There was only one way that could've happened.
'Did I really take down all three Tank Worms?'
The bomb worm's explosion must've wiped out the three nearby Tank Worms.
Nothing else explained this insane point haul.
'...This isn't just luck.'
It was an unbelievable feat, beyond comprehension.
He didn't dwell on what it meant. No point right now, and he didn't need to anyway.
What mattered was the massive reward.
And the new Inventory ability.
Kim Seo-jun's first emotion was a hollow emptiness.
'...I re-enlisted, risking my life for money.'
With Inventory, money worries were a thing of the past.
This power was broken beyond belief—especially in the space age.
"Inventory."
He tested it right away. As he spoke, a holographic box materialized before his eyes.
'50cm by 50cm by 50cm.'
That equated to about 125 liters of water.
'...No joke.'
Not huge, but in the space era, freely accessing that space was insane.
Stuff it with ammo or shells? You could terrorize a whole base.
Oxygen tanks or rations? Survive solo on a planet for months.
Even back on Earth: fill it with drugs for smuggling, and he'd pivot genres entirely.
But first things first.
'Gotta test how it works.'
As Kim Seo-jun reached for an item to store—
"Oh? You're awake, sir?"
Private Park Bo-seop appeared, their eyes meeting.
Park's were misty with awe and tears.
"Private Park Bo-seop."
"Private Park Bo-seop reporting!"
"Got anything to drink?"
"Pardon? Oh, yes, sir!"
Seeing that look, Kim Seo-jun made his request. Park whipped a small can from his belt pouch and handed it over.
Kim Seo-jun promptly dropped it into the glowing green holographic Inventory beside him.
"Huh?"
Park tilted his head, puzzled. Kim Seo-jun asked,
"You see this?"
"Pardon?"
That reaction confirmed it: No one else could see the Inventory or its contents.
"Uh, sir, that... I can't see it."
Park stammered, his mind reeling. He'd handed it over, but poof—gone? Magic, plain and simple.
"H-Have you been practicing magic tricks, sir?"
Kim Seo-jun pulled the can out again, cracked it open.
"It's my ability."
"Sir?"
He took a swig to wet his parched throat. Park stared blankly.
"Wha—wait—HUH?!"
Realization dawned, flooding Park's face with shock.
"S-Sir—K-Kim—Sergeant Kim, sir, a-are you sure you can tell me about this?!"
Kim Seo-jun had just spilled something unbelievable.
For Psykers, abilities were unique and closely guarded.
Revealing it like this? Wild.
Kim Seo-jun would've hidden it if he could.
"No time to scheme and hide it in a pinch. Gotta use it when I need to."
Other powers, maybe. But Inventory? Hiding it mid-fight? Imagine: ammo runs dry, he asks Park to look away, pulls a mag from thin air, drops it, and quips, "Whoa, lucky find!"? No way.
Above all, he knew:
"And you don't strike me as the type to blab outside."
Park was trustworthy. Not just from that teary gaze.
He'd risked his life following Kim Seo-jun's insane orders, command or not.
That loyalty earned this trust in return.
"Even if you do talk, wait till we're back on Earth. By then, talk all you want."
Ultimately, any fallout was post-survival. Worry later.
That settled it for Kim Seo-jun. Park's shock faded, replaced by faith and emotion.
"I won't breathe a word!"
Right then—
"You're up?"
Major Lee Hye-na entered, Yan Zabwotski at her side.
Kim Seo-jun rose. They blurted in unison:
"Sit down!"
"No need to stand, friend!"
That reaction sealed it.
'Things went even better than expected.'
He'd pulled off something huge.
Especially Yan, the Pole—his expression screamed hero worship.
And it wasn't wrong. On Amotia, the base was the nation. Stopping that bomb worm had saved Poland itself.
No need for false modesty.
"Sergeant Kim Seo-jun."
He saluted from his seat. Yan returned it hastily.
"Major Yan Zabwotski, Winged Hussars Unit, Polish Space Force."
Winged Hussars? Kim Seo-jun blinked.
Poland's elite Hawk Bike force—one of the top ten in the galaxy.
'An elite like that here? Who pumped hot air into his lungs?'
Curious, but he shelved it.
"Time's critical, so straight to business."
Not the priority.
"Amotia's Korean HQ is obliterated. For Korean Space Force survivors to escape the planet, we need Polish base support. I beseech your broad mercy and embrace."
Yan's face hardened. No time for hero songs—this was dire.
He saluted sharply.
"On my honor, I repay the savior of our nation."
Salutes dropped. Kim Seo-jun said,
"Then let's rest properly and move out."
The moment talks with Major Yan Zabwotski wrapped, Kim Seo-jun crashed.
He scarfed energy gel like mad, then passed out.
He woke five hours later—and knew instantly.
'Stamina stat boosts recovery too, not just endurance.'
His body was recovering at absurd rates.
Forced march plus three Steam Packs? Normally, sleep wouldn't cut it—you'd need serious treatment to even function.
Insane stamina.
Park Bo-seop or Yan couldn't recover this fast from mere sleep. Even Lee Hye-na couldn't.
As she stood watch for the three, Kim Seo-jun approached.
"Major, I'll take watch now. Rest."
"I'm fine. You rest more, Sergeant."
Her gruff tone prompted,
"This is just the start. Your strength matters more than ever—rest is key."
No smile. Pure sincerity. She nodded and headed off.
Kim Seo-jun donned his Battle Suit for instant combat readiness.
Swish!
Helmet on, he murmured,
"Buy one Bronze Ticket."
Unlike last time, just one—to test.
'Could be a dud.'
Stamina over 30? Bronze might yield no gains.
Confirm first.
Bronze Ticket x1 purchased.
Current Stamina stat is 30+ points, so no Stamina stat will appear.
Strength increased by 1 point.
His worries vanished.
No dud!
No hesitation:
"Buy 13 Bronze Tickets."
Strength increased by 7 points.
Mana increased by 5 points.
Talent Upgrade Ticket (E) obtained!
His eyes sparkled brighter than ever.
No Silvers, but the haul was ecstatic.
And he still had two more.
"Use Silver Ticket."
Skill Upgrade Ticket (D) obtained!
He clenched his fist unconsciously.
'Perfect!'
Best-case scenario.
Now the Gold.
No huge expectations—already won big.
"Open Gold Ticket."
[Gold Ticket contents revealed—narrative implies positive, but no specific text; proceed as open]
Four hours later.
"Ahh, slept like a rock."
Everyone stirred, prepping to move.
Destination: Polish HQ.
Park Bo-seop unrolled the map, charting the route.
Then—
"Private Park Bo-seop."
"Private reporting! What is it, sir?"
"How's the path to Polish HQ?"
"Not tough. Problem's what we run into en route."
"Mind adding one more stop?"
"A detour, sir?"
Park cocked his head. A pit stop on barren Amotia?
Kim Seo-jun pointed.
"Huh?"
Park gawked.
"The mining site—the one the Chinese used? Why there?"
"Left supplies behind."
"Right!"
Park nodded. Chaos back then—no time to load properly.
"Route updated!"
Too valuable to leave.
Of course,
'Won't fit much.'
Their 2.5-ton truck had limits.
Kim Seo-jun knew.
But he wasn't worried.
'4m x 4m x 4m... That's 64,000 liters full.'
A monstrous C-rank Inventory, dwarfing the bunker.