After obtaining the blueprint and reviewing the required materials, Ethan Carter finally understood why the seller had accepted his offer so quickly.
The resource requirements were enormous.
Basic materials like firewood and iron nails each required at least 500 units.
On top of that, the upgrade demanded a considerable amount of Basic Copper Ingots and Basic Iron Ingots.
Iron nails weren’t much of a problem.
The Universal Crafting Bench could produce them easily enough.
Copper and iron ingots, however, were another story.
Most players didn’t even possess a furnace.
The seller had probably asked for such an outrageous price because they were running out of food and water.
If they couldn’t even gather basic resources, there was no chance they’d collect the advanced materials needed for a Level 2 shelter.
For all Ethan knew, they might not have even upgraded their cabin to Level 1 yet.
Rather than holding onto a blueprint they couldn’t use, it made more sense to trade it away while it still had value.
"I definitely got the better end of that deal."
"The only thing I’m missing is a little copper."
"The furnace can handle that."
He immediately placed the furnace beside the window and started smelting.
Before long, every required material had been prepared.
[Use Shelter Upgrade Blueprint (Lv.2)?]
"Absolutely."
The instant Ethan confirmed, soft white light enveloped the entire cabin.
The building expanded rapidly before his eyes.
When the glow finally faded, the shelter measured nearly 2,000 square feet.
It no longer resembled a crude shack.
Now...
It looked like a genuine fortress.
The flimsy wooden walls had been replaced by thick brick and stone.
The wooden front door became a reinforced steel door that looked sturdy enough to withstand a battering ram.
The windows gained heavy steel bars.
Better yet, the bars could still be released from inside, allowing anyone trapped indoors to escape through the windows in an emergency.
The roof underwent the most dramatic transformation.
The old wooden planks disappeared beneath reinforced steel panels layered over insulating materials.
The new roof drained rainwater efficiently, resisted heavy snow, reflected intense sunlight during the day, and retained warmth during cold nights.
The shelter was beginning to regulate its own temperature.
Warm in winter.
Cool in summer.
The bed itself remained mostly unchanged.
However, it now sat inside a dedicated bedroom measuring roughly 200 square feet, complete with built-in storage cabinets.
The shelter also gained two entirely new rooms.
A bathroom with a flushing toilet.
And a separate bathing room equipped with both a bathtub and a shower.
Naturally, Ethan still needed to supply the water himself.
Even so, it beat using the desert outside.
The system had even designed the plumbing intelligently.
Water from the bathtub could be reused to flush the toilet.
Nothing was wasted.
As for the sewage...
It was automatically discharged deep underground far away from the shelter, preventing both contamination and unwanted monster attention.
Since arriving in this world, Ethan hadn’t taken a proper bath once.
The best he’d managed was wiping himself down with a damp towel.
Naturally, the bathtub became his first destination.
It measured over six feet long and more than three feet wide.
He could comfortably stretch out inside.
Even better...
The bathtub came with automatic heating, self-cleaning...
...and Basic Water Purification.
It couldn’t produce drinking water.
But it could purify contaminated water well enough for bathing and sanitation.
Immediately opening the Marketplace, Ethan searched for polluted water.
After browsing several listings, he traded a single loaf of bread for 500 liters.
[Polluted Water — Contaminated by agricultural chemicals. Unsafe to drink, even after boiling. High chance of poisoning and possible death.]
He poured all five hundred liters into the bathtub, filling it completely.
The water glowed with a murky purple tint.
Holding his breath, Ethan activated the purification function.
Less than a minute later...
The water became crystal clear.
It looked clean enough to drink.
The System, however, disagreed.
[Untreated Water — Has not been disinfected or sterilized. Drinking it may cause illness and carries a small risk of death.]
Once the bathtub heated the water, the description changed again.
[Heated Untreated Water — Suitable for bathing, cleaning, and washing. Not recommended for drinking.]
"Perfect."
Smiling with satisfaction, Ethan called toward the bedroom.
"Natasha."
"Let’s take a bath together."
"It’ll save water."
Then he looked toward the massive tiger.
"Brutus."
"Guard the shelter."
"Don’t let anyone sneak up on us."
Brutus had little interest in bathing.
For him, grooming his own fur was more than enough.
He simply let out a short roar before standing guard, his intimidating presence radiating throughout the shelter.
Natasha, on the other hand, eagerly accepted.
No matter how disciplined she was...
She still appreciated feeling clean.
She’d been putting up with dust, sweat, and grime for days.
Without hesitation, she joined Ethan in the warm bathtub.
After enjoying a long soak together, the two eventually returned to bed.
Thanks to Brutus standing watch, both of them could finally enjoy a full night’s rest.
Around midnight, Ethan woke naturally.
Natasha opened her eyes as well.
"Hey, handsome..."
"Still awake?"
Ethan leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"I’ve had enough sleep."
"I’m going to get some work done."
"You keep resting."
She smiled sleepily.
"Okay."
"Wake me if you need anything."
With that, she closed her eyes again.
Although Natasha possessed excellent physical conditioning...
She still couldn’t quite keep up with Ethan’s enhanced physique.
Even after soaking in the hot bath, her legs still felt pleasantly weak.
After tucking the blanket around her, the Daily Check-In System activated once more.
[Ding! A new day has begun.]
[Today’s available rewards are:]
[1. Basic Agility Potion ×1]
[2. Basic Strength Potion ×1]
[3. Legendary Alchemy Workbench ×1]
Ethan didn’t hesitate.
A single potion was useful.
A workstation capable of producing unlimited potions in the future was far better.
"I choose the Legendary Alchemy Workbench."
Finding an empty corner inside the shelter, Ethan summoned it.
The workstation looked as though it had been carved entirely from a single piece of ancient wood.
At its center rested a massive glass flask.
Beneath the flask floated a glowing orb that shimmered with every color of the rainbow.
[Legendary Alchemy Workbench — By placing the correct ingredients into the flask in the proper order, the corresponding potion can be successfully brewed.]
[Note: Incorrect ingredients or procedures will not cause an explosion... but the final product may be something completely unexpected.]
"As expected from a Legendary item."
"It makes brewing potions ridiculously simple."
"I should start collecting potion recipes."
"They’ll probably become another major source of strength."
Brutus wandered over curiously to inspect the strange device.
Chuckling, Ethan rubbed the tiger’s head.
"Go get some sleep."
"I’ll handle the watch from here."
"Yes, Master."
Brutus obediently lay down at Ethan’s feet.
As far as the great saber-toothed tiger was concerned...
Unless Ethan specifically forbade it...
Every corner of the shelter was the perfect place for a nap.
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