Cassius woke in a daze—warm, quiet, and, for once... at peace.
He blinked.
"I actually slept?"
Rubbing his eyes, he sat up slowly. No sharp pain radiated from his torso, no burning in his arms. Only his left leg ached—a dull, persistent throb, a reminder of days prior.
"How long was I out?"
—. . .—
{18 hours, 27 minutes, 32 seconds. Recommended sleep duration for someone of your age and condition: 7 hours, 30 minutes, 00 seconds.}
—. . .—
"…Guess I needed it."
He stretched gently, the aftereffects of the herbal bath still lingering. With little ceremony, he ate the last ration and conjured clean water into his bottle using his Water arcane, drinking it all in one go.
After using the washroom, he wandered to the communal area and collapsed onto the dusty couch.
"Alright, system. What exactly is inside this bunker?"
—. . .—
[Calculating...]
[Accessing Inventory Module...]
—. . .—
[Shelter Inventory :: Unit B-13 – Deviant Springs]
Food & Water Supplies
▸ Rations (Low-Quality) ×3
▸ Bottled Water (Unfiltered) ×6
▸ Salt ×2, Sugar ×1
▸ Expired Canned Goods ×11
▸ Dehydrated Soup Mix ×4
▸ Cooking Herbs (Low Potency) ×7
▸ Moldy Bread ×2 (⚠️ Unsafe)
▸ Rusted Cooking Utensils (Functional) ×9
▸ Cooking Pot ×2, Pan ×1
▸ Water Filtration Kit (Outdated) ×1
▸ Water Storage Tank (Full, Non-Purified) ×1
Medical & Sanitation
▸ Healing Herbs (Moderate Potency) ×3 bundles
▸ Basic Bandages ×12
▸ Antiseptic Bottles (Expired) ×4
▸ Painkillers (Low-Dose) ×6
▸ Makeshift Splint Kits ×2
▸ Toothbrushes ×4, Toothpaste (1/3 left) ×1
▸ Soap Bars ×3, Shampoo ×2
▸ Towels ×8
▸ Toilet Paper Rolls ×9
▸ First Aid Box (Empty shell) ×1
▸ Basic Shower/Bath Facilities: [Operational]
Weapons & Defense
▸ Handgun ×1 (Loaded: 9/12)
▸ Knives ×3 (Various sizes)
▸ Emergency Baton (Stun function non-operational) ×1
▸ Flashlight ×2 (Battery: 45% & 18%)
▸ Bunker Door Lock System: [Active]
▸ Motion Sensors: [Offline]
▸ Emergency Defense Turret: [Sealed/Requires Manual Activation]
Shelter Infrastructure
▸ Power Core: F-Grade :: Operational
▸ Water Reclamation System :: Functional (Unfiltered)
▸ Communal Area :: Basic
▸ Bedrooms ×10 :: Basic
▸ Washroom Units ×2 :: Stocked
▸ Kitchen :: Basic
▸ Storage Room :: [Accessible]
▸ Sealed Room :: [Status Unknown]
▸ Lower Level Access :: [Locked]
▸ Environmental Filters :: Semi-functional
▸ Lighting Grid :: 73% capacity
▸ Network Terminal :: Damaged
▸ Laundry Unit :: [Functional]
Arcane Supplies
▸ Soul Cores (F-Grade) ×32
▸ Arcane Binding Chalk (Worn) ×1
▸ Ritual Thread (Water Element Affinity) ×2
▸ Minor Focus Crystal: Water ×1
▸ Herb Preservation Circle (Dormant) ×1
▸ Arcane Integration Node :: [Locked until Shelter Level 2]
Miscellaneous
▸ Blank Notebooks ×6
▸ Functional Pens/Pencils ×9
▸ Books (Outdated Manuals, Fiction, Arcane Theory) ×21
▸ Personal Belongings (Cassius)
▸ VIRELLA Co. Laptop (Encrypted) ×1
▸ ID Badge (Cassius) ×1 :: Security Tier: Level 5
▸ Old Radio Transmitter (Damaged) ×1
▸ Tapes/Cassettes (Entertainment, Training) ×11
▸ Empty Wooden Crates ×4
▸ Boxes of Dusty Clothes (Mixed Sizes) ×2
▸ Weathered Bunker Map (Hand-drawn) ×1
—. . .—
{This is the current known inventory within Deviant Springs. Additional resources may be recovered through scavenging, repair, or area exploration. Would you like to set a category filter or track depletion status?}
—. . .—
Cassius let out a low whistle. "Not bad for something shut down three years ago…"
Food was passable, barely. Water needed filtration. Medical supplies were nearly depleted. But infrastructure-wise... it could work. If he pushed it.
"I should start upgrading the communal area. Maybe check the power grid too."
His gaze drifted toward the far hall. The sealed room remained untouched.
—. . .—
[New Objective Available]
▸ Investigate Sealed Room (Optional)
▸ Clean & Upgrade Communal Room
▸ Track Inventory Usage (Recommended)
—. . .—
"Time to play house."
Grabbing a towel, he bundled a bit of soap and herbs and started cleaning. One dusty corner at a time. As dust danced under flickering light, the system began tracking his progress.
"Welcome home, Cassius Parish," he muttered. "Let's see if we can make it worth surviving in."
After about an hour, the communal space was spotless—or at least, livable. Cassius continued cleaning the other areas: the bedrooms, the power room, the shower stalls.
Finally, he asked, "System... how do I upgrade the communal room? And the rest?"
—. . .—
{To initiate upgrades, open the Infrastructure tab under the Shelter Ascension System.}
—. . .—
"Shelter Ascension," he stated.
—. . .—
[Shelter Ascension System]
Shelter Name :: Deviant Springs
Designation :: Shelter 13 (Unit B-13)
Type :: Bunker
Grade :: F
Level :: 0
EXP :: 29/100
Inhabitants :: 1
Magic Core :: Dormant (Locked)
Atmosphere :: Neutral
Currencies
Soul Cores :: 32 (F-Grade)
Karma Points :: 0
Ascension Credits :: 0
System Tabs
[ Infrastructures ]
[ Inhabitants ]
[ Inventory ]
[ Evolutions ]
[ Defenses ]
[ Arcane Integration ]
[ Staff & Roster ]
[ Shelter Level System ]
[ Level Mapping ]
—. . .—
He tapped [Infrastructure].
—. . .—
[Infrastructure Interface Loaded]
Category: Build | Track | Repair | Upgrade
Layout: Upper (Ground) / Lower (Underground)
[Facilities Overview]
Core
- Water Purification Station
- Food Storage & Preservation Room
- Hydroponics/Farm Room
- Kitchen/Canteen Area
- Waste Management Station
- Sleeping Quarters/Residence
- Medical Bay/Infirmary
- Quarantine Chamber
- Shower & Hygiene Room
Operational & Utility
- Power Room/Generator Bay
- Air Filtration & Ventilation System
- Workshop/Garage
- Laundry Room
- Water Collection/Reservoir Room
Command & Intelligence
- Command Center
- Surveillance Room
- Inventory & Resource Management Room
- Archive/Records Room
Defense & Combat
- Armory
- Training Room/Combat Gym
- Watchtower/Bunker Hatch
- Trap Deployment Room
- Barricade/Wall Upgrade Station
Social & Psychological
- Common Room/Rec Area
- Education/School Room
- Religious or Meditation Space
- Therapy & Counseling Booth
- Event Hall
Specialized / Advanced
- Research & Mutation Lab
- Shelter Ascension Room (Leader Only)
- Black Market or Trade Room
- Escape Tunnel System
- Forge/Enchantment Room
- Cloning/Regen Pod
Modular Add-ons (6 SCr)
- Greenhouse Dome
- Fuel Refinery Unit
- Beast Taming Pen
- Drone Control Station
- Hunter's Lodge
- Healing Chambers
- Biolum Farms
- Stellar Deck
Cost Breakdown
▸ 2 SCr per functional upgrade
▸ 4 SCr per new facility
▸ 3 SCr per repair
▸ Advanced Customization: 8–12 SCr
Recommendation Detected:
▸ Common Room (2 SCr)
▸ Sleeping Quarters (2 SCr ×10)
▸ Kitchen (2 SCr)
▸ Shower & Hygiene (2 SCr ×2)
▸ Power Room (2 SCr)
▸ Hydroponics Farm (2 SCr)
{Proceed with upgrades? Total Cost: 32 Soul Cores}
—. . .—
Cassius froze.
Thirty-two.
That was all of his Soul Cores.
He hesitated. That voice in the back of his mind, cold and calculating, whispered to conserve.
But the truth was undeniable: "...That's all the essentials."
He exhaled sharply. "Yes. Proceed."
—. . .—
[Processing Upgrades...]
[. . . 5% . . . 17% . . . 32% . . . 56% . . . 72% . . . 90% . . . 99% . . . 100%]
[32 Soul Cores Consumed]
[Common Room: Basic → Rank 1]
[Sleeping Quarters (×10): Basic → Rank 1]
[Kitchen: Basic → Rank 1]
[Shower & Hygiene (×2): Basic → Rank 1]
[Power Room: Basic → Rank 1]
[Hydroponics Farm: Basic → Rank 1]
{All selected areas upgraded successfully.}
—. . .—
Cassius blinked in disbelief. The shift wasn't dramatic, but the change was real. The furniture looked freshly cleaned. The stale air had lifted.
—. . .—
[Objective Complete: Clean & Upgrade Communal Room]
+81 EXP
+30% Cleanliness
+Atmosphere: Stable
{Shelter Level Up: 100/100 → 10/250}
{Shelter Level: 1}
—. . .—
"Huh?! It leveled up?"
—. . .—
{Due to linked facility upgrades, additional hidden objectives were cleared.}
—. . .—
Cassius slumped onto the couch. "I'm a scientist… not a base builder…"
He let out a dry laugh.
His whole life had been equations, not expansions. Theory, not survival.
Most people he'd worked with had families, connections. He didn't. Just quiet lab work. Detached voices. Empty praise. His mother had passed when he was sixteen. His father? Still alive. Probably.
He wouldn't know until the man showed up.
Cassius ran a hand through his hair and lay back, staring at the ceiling.
"This will take a long while. How long would building this place up alone take?"
—. . .—
{Estimated Time: 20 years, based on current pace. Recommendation: Save survivors to increase resource collection, efficiency, and defense.}
—. . .—
"Thought so. Alright… begin tracking all resources from here on."
—. . .—
{Acknowledged. Tracking Enabled.}
[Objective Complete: Track Inventory Usage]
+14 EXP
{Shelter Level: 24/250}
—. . .—
Cassius closed his eyes and let the warmth of the upgraded shelter settle around him. The quiet hum of machinery, the gentle flow of recycled air.
It wasn't home yet.
But it would be.