CHAPTER 64: BUILD, BUILD, BUILD

The morning light spilled across the forest floor like molten gold, dappling the undergrowth with a shifting mosaic of shadow and brightness. Ahce stirred from her makeshift bed in the tree, the dawn chill brushing against her skin.

The air was crisp, carrying the subtle scent of dew and the faint, alien perfume of the bioluminescent plants that lined the cliffs above the stream. Today’s task was planned. She needed to prepare her second meal and begin laying the foundation for a more permanent shelter.

She unpacked the leftover chicken from the previous day, brushing off any stray ash from the fire and setting it aside. With ease, she sorted her small arsenal of ingredients she had scavenged.

Lemongrass, chili pods, crushed black seeds reminiscent of pepper, and sap sugar. Each component had been carefully collected yesterday, and today they would serve to turn the remaining meat into a fresh, nourishing meal.

Ahce moved carefully through the forest, her boots crunching softly against the damp soil. She had spotted several root vegetables resembling potatoes near the base of a rocky outcrop the day before, their skins mottled and rough, blending seamlessly with the soil. She knelt, digging gently with her fingers and a small, collapsible trowel.

Each tuber was surprisingly heavy, with a subtle weight that promised a dense, starchy bite once cooked. She collected a generous handful, brushing off dirt and carefully placing them in her pack. As she continued her scavenging, she noticed a small patch of plants with long, smooth fruits dangling like lanterns.

Their deep blue hue caught the first sunlight in a way that made them almost luminescent. Eggplants, but not the familiar violet of Earth. These were deep cobalt, with a faint metallic sheen. Ahce smiled, appreciating the variety this alien ecosystem offered. Carefully, she harvested several, mindful not to damage the roots, and added them to her pack.

Returning to her campsite, she set up a small fire pit near the stream, keeping it shallow and controlled. She sliced the root vegetables into chunks and cut the blue eggplants into thick rounds, tossing them alongside the chicken over the smoldering embers. The crackle of the fire and the hiss of fat dripping onto the stones echoed through the forest, a melody of survival and self-reliance.

Unbeknownst to her, the viewers of her live stream had not slept. Thousands of observers across the Orion Galaxy were now tracking her every movement with a level of attention bordering on obsession.

Some had their optical brain notification system and monitors synchronized to react in case of danger, ready to alert her of predators or hostile elements, while others debated in real-time about her technique, efficiency, and resource management. The feed had transformed into a form of interstellar reality theater, survival, culinary skill, and ingenuity rolled into one.

Ahce ate slowly, savoring the combination of smoky chicken, spicy chilies, earthy root vegetables, and the faint tang of the lemongrass she had harvested. The forest around her remained alive, the occasional rustle of leaves signaling unseen movements, but she was attuned to every sound.

Her drone hovered silently above, its sensors mapping the terrain, noting wind shifts, and keeping a close watch for predators or rival cadets venturing into the same zone. Once the meal was finished, Ahce turned her attention to more pressing matters, shelter.

She needed a structure that would withstand sudden storms, provide concealment, and offer protection from both predators and environmental hazards. Her eyes scanned the cliffside nearby, where a small grove of bamboo-like trees grew densely. They were tall, hollow, and straight, a perfect material for construction.

She began cutting the bamboo, using her S-level physical strength to snap the trunks into manageable lengths. Her muscles tensed and flexed with each movement, her body perfectly coordinated from years of martial arts, survival, and interstellar combat training.

Despite the alien wood’s density, she managed to carry large bundles back to her campsite without pause. She collected sturdy hardwoods from nearby trees for posts and beams, ensuring that her hut would have a solid frame.

Ropes made from fibrous plants, twisted and braided, completed her material list. Ahce paused briefly, wiping sweat from her brow, and took stock of her supplies. She had enough to build the basic frame and roof of her hut today. The walls and flooring would have to wait until she recovered her energy.

Even in survival, efficiency was key. Overexertion could be fatal, and the forest was unforgiving to the reckless. Ahce sat for a moment, eating another portion of roasted chicken and sipping water from her filtered flask. Her drone hovered nearby, recording everything with meticulous detail.

The live broadcast showed her preparing her tools, cutting bamboo, and hauling materials, though she remained blissfully unaware that her viewers had swelled into tens of thousands. Comments and reactions streamed across the network.

[She’s building an actual house!]

[Look at her strength!]

[No one survives like this!]

[Those blue eggplants, what are those?]

Fortified by food and determination, Ahce began constructing the hut. She set the vertical posts into the ground first, hammering them with controlled strikes against the forest floor. Her movements were precise, almost ritualistic, as she braced each pole with angled supports to form a skeleton strong enough to withstand storms or animal attacks.

She tied the posts together with plant-based ropes, looping and knotting them in patterns that ensured maximum stability. Next, she began forming the roof frame, aligning bamboo poles in a triangular formation. Each piece had to fit perfectly, or the structure would collapse under wind or rain.

Ahce measured angles with her keen eye, adjusting lengths and notches to fit snugly. Her back ached, her arms trembled slightly with exertion, but she pushed forward. The sun climbed higher, casting long shadows across the cliffside, highlighting the silhouette of her slowly emerging shelter.

During a brief rest, she stumbled upon a discovery that made her stomach lurch in delight, eggs, enormous and nestled in a shallow depression beneath a fern-like plant. Each egg was roughly the size of a human head.

She cracked one carefully over her fire pit, letting the heat seal its protein-rich contents before she consumed it. The taste was rich, earthy, and invigorating, a perfect supplement to sustain her energy for the afternoon’s labor.