Aiden kept working without slowing down while the camp was already fully awake. He moved from task to task with a steady pace, cutting wood, marking good trunks for later, and letting others haul the first loads back to the walled area.
He expected people to watch and hesitate, but they did not.
He expected to keep directing every step, but once the first tasks were set, the work started to move on its own. People filled in the gaps without being told twice, with some hauling branches and logs, others clearing brush and leveling the ground, and the kids taking the small jobs like carrying light sticks and keeping the paths clear.
It felt peaceful in a way Aiden did not expect. The forest was still dangerous, but inside the wall it was quiet work, steady footsteps, and people moving with real effort because they wanted this place to improve.
He watched it while he worked and felt a small shift in his chest.
When the sun moved higher and the heat started to stick to his skin, he finally called for a break.
"Alright, rest time, drop what you're holding, drink water, and sit down, because I don't want anyone collapsing." Aiden said, loud enough for the nearest group to spread the word.
People stopped fast and followed the order right away. Some sat against the wall posts. Others sat in small circles on hides. A few older men lowered themselves slowly and let out long breaths as they rubbed their knees and backs.
Aiden did not let the break become idle. Food mattered, and today he wanted to do it himself.
Most of them cooked the same way every day because it was the safest and easiest method they knew. They would toss meat into a pot with water, boil it until it turned soft, and pass it around as a plain stew. It filled the stomach and kept people going, but it always tasted flat, with no salt and nothing extra to give it life.
Aiden felt a quiet frustration with himself when that simple truth finally clicked. It was obvious, but he had been so focused on walls, weapons, and threats that he did not stop to think about how meals affected people day after day.
If he wanted this place to last, he could not only build defenses. He had to improve the small things too, and he needed a real meeting later to learn what else they needed that he was missing.
He pushed those thoughts aside for later, then focused on the pot in front of him and started making the meal properly.
If people worked under the sun, they needed water and salt, because without it their bodies would drain fast and small mistakes would turn into injuries.
Aiden chose to cook outside instead of inside the ship. He wanted everyone to see the pot, smell the food, and gather nearby, because a hot meal made people relax and talk more naturally than any speech. It also made the break feel real, so nobody kept working until they ran themselves into the ground.
He brought a large pot out into the open where the shade reached, set up a simple heat source, and laid his tools on a clean cloth so they would not get lost in the dirt. As soon as the pot was in place, people started drifting closer. They did not crowd him, but they formed loose circles, sitting on hides or leaning on posts. Kids sat near their parents and watched with wide eyes, then whispered and giggled when the first steam rose.
Aiden poured in water first and waited until the surface started to shiver with heat. While it warmed, he cut stored meat into chunks and kept the sizes close, because if one bowl got big pieces and another got scraps, it would cause problems later. Once the water began to steam, he dropped the meat in and stirred slowly.
The smell spread fast, and the quiet chatter around him grew louder. People started talking about the work, about where the next sleeping area would go, and about how the wood piles were already getting bigger.
When the meat started to firm up, he added strips of dried meat. They softened as they cooked and helped stretch the pot without wasting his better stock. He kept stirring and scraping the bottom so nothing burned, because burnt food ruined the whole batch and he was not going to waste a full pot for a mistake.
When it was time to add salt, he paused.
Salt was easy to throw in, but it was also one of the first supplies to vanish when a group this big ate together. Aiden stepped into the ship for a moment and checked his storage list.
[INVENTORY CHECK: CONSUMABLES]
[SALT: 3 SACKS REMAINING]
He stared at the number, then let out a slow breath. Three sacks could disappear faster than people thought, not just from meals, but from food preservation and basic care. He needed a new source, something local, because this was not a problem that would wait politely.
He pushed that thought to the side and returned to the pot.
Aiden salted it carefully instead of dumping it in. He added a little, stirred, smelled, and tasted, then added a bit more until the broth had enough bite to feel good and enough salt to help after a long day of sweating.
When it was ready, he started serving right there in the open. He kept the line moving and made sure the portions stayed even, and as bowls filled, the mood around the pot kept rising. People ate in small groups under shade, talking while they chewed, and the tension in their shoulders eased as the warm broth went down.
Aiden took a bowl for himself and sat with them instead of stepping aside.
He reached up and removed his helmet.
The moment it came off, several people froze mid bite.
Aiden felt the air touch his face and hair, and he realized he had not done this around them yet. The helmet had been a wall between him and everyone else, and he had kept it there on purpose. It was safer that way.
Now, he let it down.
He kept his expression calm and continued eating like nothing changed, but he could feel eyes on him. People tried not to stare, then failed. A few kids openly stared without shame. One boy nudged another and whispered too loudly, then got hushed by an older woman.
Aiden did not react. He just ate, listened, and let the moment pass.
He caught small reactions in the corner of his vision. Some people looked surprised by how young he was. Some looked confused, like they expected a hardened old veteran and not a man who could still pass as someone just starting life. A couple of women looked away quickly when they noticed they were staring.
Aiden sat with the others and ate from his bowl. He kept his helmet off, and he could feel people stealing quick looks at his face when they thought he was not paying attention.
One of the older hunters nearby finally spoke, sounding more curious than rude.
"I didn't expect you to look that young under all that gear."
Aiden let out a quiet breath and kept eating.
"Yeah, I get that a lot. The helmet makes me seem older than I am."
The hunter chuckled, and a few people nearby relaxed when they heard it. The tension around Aiden softened after that, because hearing him talk so casually made him feel less like distant.
As the meal went on, Aiden noticed the shift. People were still careful around him, but it was not as sharp as before. Small conversations started up again. A few even sat closer instead of keeping distance, and the kids stayed near their parents without being pulled back every time Aiden moved.
Food did that. It did not fix the bigger problems, but it made the camp feel steady for a moment.
When most bowls were empty and the pot was running low, Aiden stood and looked over the group.
"Rest for a bit, everyone. Cool down and get your strength back." he said.
People settled where they were. Some leaned back on hides. Some stretched their legs and rubbed their shoulders. A few closed their eyes for a minute, and the kids stayed quieter than usual, copying the calm mood around them.
Aiden used the break to speak with the leaders who stayed behind.
Havel, Marrek, and Karsen gathered near him, and Aiden kept it clear and simple. He pointed as he spoke, using the space around them like a map.
Aiden stayed near the pot as the last bowls were finished, then looked around at the people resting on hides and against posts. The work pace this morning had been steady but it was still physically demanding. It seems that the people in this world was stronger than usual.
He walked over to where Havel, Marrek, and Karsen were sitting and keeping an eye on the crowd.
"How are you all holding up with the work, and don't push it if it's too much." Aiden said.
Karsen let out a short breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"It's fine, honestly, this is lighter than the kind of work we did back in Ravanis Kingdom."
Marrek nodded along, rubbing his palms like he was still feeling the rope burn.
"Yeah, if anything, this feels clean, no rushing, no yelling, just doing the job assigned."
Havel glanced at the wood stacks and then back at Aiden.
"People are doing well, they like seeing progress. And we already told them we're staying here, so they want to help as much as they can."
Aiden listened, and for a moment his mind drifted toward what their life must have been like back there. The way they said it, the way they compared it, it sounded like hard days were normal for them. He wanted to ask more, but he kept it to himself. He could dig into that later when things were a bit less awkward.
He nodded once and pointed toward the wood pile they built up through the morning.
"Alright, we've got enough wood now, so let's start the first sleeping area and get it up before the light drops.." Aiden said.
If they could finish even one proper sleeping space today, it would ease the pressure right away. People would have more room to sleep, and a better chance to rest fully without being packed together.
Karsen pushed himself up first, rolling his shoulders like he was ready to move again. Marrek stood after him, and Havel called out to the nearest group to start bringing posts and beams.
The short rest ended on its own. People got up, shook out their arms, and moved back into place, and the work started again.
Aiden worked right in the middle of it with them. He set the spacing, checked angles, and fixed mistakes early so they did not waste time redoing whole sections. When someone hesitated at a joint or tied rope the wrong way, he showed the method once, then watched them do it again until it held.
The mech suit helped the most with the heavy lifting parts. He could lift thick posts and long beams without straining, and he could hold them in place while others secured the ropes and braces. He still controlled his strength, keeping his movements smooth so he did not crack wood or jerk a log into someone.
They kept the build basic and practical. Posts went down first, then beams locked the frame, then the roof cover went on with a clear slope for rain. On the forest side, they added a wind block to cut the night air.
By mid afternoon, the first sleeping area finally looked like a real shelter instead.
Aiden wanted to stop there and save the rest for tomorrow, but the pace surprised him. People kept going. They did not ask to stop. They kept bringing wood. They kept clearing ground. They worked like they had been waiting for a reason to move instead of only waiting for bad news every single time.
By the time the sun leaned lower, the first sleeping area was finished, and the second one was already halfway done.
Aiden paused for a second and looked at it in disbelief.
He had only planned to finish one for the day. Aiden would have never thought they were about to finish two resting areas already.
Marrek walked past with a log on his shoulder and gave Aiden a look like he already knew what Aiden was thinking.
"We're already in it, so we might as well push and finish while the light's still here."
Aiden nodded. He understood. With this many hands, the work moved faster and cleaner, and stopping now would only break the rhythm. If they pushed a little more and finished today, people could use three resting areas tonight instead of waiting another day in the cramped shelter.
They pushed through the last part with steady effort. The second sleeping area went up faster than the first because everyone already knew what to do now. Posts, beams, roof, wind block, then ground cover.
When the second sleeping area was finished, a quiet wave moved through the group. People stood back and stared at what they had built, then started pointing out small parts to each other like they could not believe it went up in one day.
The sun was still up, and there was enough light left to do more.
Aiden could have stopped there. Two areas were already more than he aimed for, and most people were sweaty and worn out. Still, he saw something in their faces that mattered. They were not just tired. They were proud, and that pride made them want to keep going.
He looked at the stacks and did the math in his head. If they gathered enough wood now, tomorrow would be faster. The third sleeping area would be faster to build tomorrow, and they would not waste time cutting and transporting wood inside the base again.
Aiden lifted his cutting tool and glanced toward the tree line. A few people noticed and started moving before he even spoke, already grabbing ropes and hauling frames like they knew what he was thinking.
"We still have light, so let's grab more wood and stack it near the build sites so tomorrow goes faster." Aiden said.
Men picked up ropes and hauling frames. A couple of older boys grabbed smaller lines for branches. Some of the women came too, carrying lighter pieces and helping stack so the piles stayed neat and easy to grab later.
They moved out as a group and stayed close to the wall. Nobody wandered far. They kept eyes on the trees and ears on the forest, ready to pull back if something felt wrong.
Aiden cut with steady control, dropping trees in safe directions, and the others pulled and dragged the trunks back. Sap stuck to hands. Bark scraped arms. Sweat ran down faces. A few people slowed and caught their breath, then got pulled back into the rhythm when someone passed them water or took the heavier end of a rope.
Aiden watched the pace and kept it steady without rushing anything.
As the wood stack grew, part of his mind stayed on the hunting group. They were supposed to return before night, and he kept listening for movement on the path.
Then the light softened, and long shadows stretched across the ground.
Aiden turned when he heard it first. Footsteps, voices, and the sound of heavy loads dragging.
The hunting party was back.
Talren's group came in through the gate in a long line, carrying far more than Aiden expected. Bundles of salvaged material were strapped to backs. A few hunters dragged heavy loads with rope.
Fresh meat was wrapped in hides and carried carefully. One group hauled something that clinked with each step and were handled with extra care.
Aiden's eyes locked onto those right away. He did not need to ask what they were yet. He already had a strong guess, and his focus sharpened.
The moment the hunters entered, the mood inside the wall changed. People stood up. Kids ran closer before being pulled back. Faces that had been tired lifted with relief, because a group returning with weight on their backs meant the trip did not end in disaster.
Aiden stepped forward to meet them, already preparing to sort what they brought back while there was still enough light to see everything clearly.