Frozen Flame of Dawn-Chapter 135 - 64: Beyond the Known_2

Aiden finally glanced at him and handed over a smaller clipboard, crisp and detailed.

"If you're so free," he said dryly, "you can stop being a nuisance and start assembling the construction team. Builders, architects, logistics people—everyone who'll be helping us survey and build that bunker. Double-check their tools, gear, and—"

Tommy groaned loudly.

"—and make sure we're over-supplied," Aiden continued, ignoring him. "I don't want to find out halfway through the build that we forgot concrete mix or support braces or the quantity is lagging."

Tommy stared at the clipboard like it had personally betrayed him. "You do know I was trying to enjoy the sunrise, right? You couldn't have given this to someone less charming?"

Aiden didn't even blink. "It's important so just get it done. And don't miss anything."

Tommy sighed and gave a theatrical salute. "Fine. You really know how to kill a moment."

He spun on his heel, calling out to a younger recruit just finishing up his gear adjustments.

"Hey, you!" Tommy barked. "Yeah, pretty boy with the shin guards. You're coming with me. We've got work to do. Unless you'd rather stay here and let our brooding Captain teach you hand-to-hand until your bones ache."

The poor kid didn't even get a word in before Tommy clapped a firm hand on his shoulder and started dragging him off across the yard, muttering about supply lists under his breath, "No appreciation for artful laziness anymore. Tragedy of responsibility. Absolute tragedy…"

Aiden, hearing the banter but pretending not to, let the faintest chuckle flicker at the corner of his mouth. Then his attention dropped back to the list in his hand, his brows furrowing as he moved from one squad to the next.

The Barracks yard buzzed with movement. Soldiers were lining up by squads, checking over their packs. Builders were hauling crates of raw materials, and engineers were shouting over the roar of an engine being tested near the motor station. The clang of steel, the hiss of hydraulics, and the occasional sharp bark of orders made the base feel alive—focused.

Aiden walked along the lineup, stopping every few meters to inspect gear. He checked holsters, comm devices, ammo clips—glancing at each soldier's eyes as if looking for doubt. There wasn't much. Not today.

By the time he reached the comms unit, Elias was already there, adjusting one of the shoulder-mounted antennas.

"All radios synced," Elias said without looking up, then passed a freshly activated comm cuff into Aiden's hand. "Tested twice—vehicles included. I've also set your RV with a couple of extras, just in case."

Aiden slid the cuff onto his wrist. "Good. I want zero dead zones out there."

"Then you'll love this," Elias continued, with a satisfied grin. "I packed a few of the proximity sonic sensors we built few day before. They're basic—range about a hundred meters—but set them around camp at night and rotate watch. You'll know if something's creeping in before it gets close."

Aiden gave him a nod of approval. "That'll buy us a few minutes of warning. Sometimes that's all it takes."

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"One more thing," Elias added, stepping in a bit closer. "I'm sending a small team with you—tech engineers. Their job is to start laying down wired lines and relay transmitters once you pass the safe zone line as till there we already placed and have establish a complete communication network. If we're gonna stretch north, we need solid connection lines. The portable relays will be installed as you move—just slow your pace around the safe zone mark and they'll work behind your lead."

Aiden glanced at him. "Do they have any field experience on this work and also any exposure combat so that they can defend themselves in emergency situation?"

"They're not rookies," Elias said, deadpan. "But some members of our previous unit with some newly trained evolved ones who have experience in electrical field. We have properly trained them to not only defend themself but also use their abilities to make the underlined wires encapsulated in strong barriers made with mixture of sand and metal elements, they were also trained to use their abilities to speed up the whole process so that they won't hinder your movement much."

Aiden exhaled a light chuckle. "Fine. Just wanted to make sure they know how to follow command and have survival knowledge."

As Elias moved on to check the RV's control panels, Aiden spotted Cole adjusting his belt gear near the motor station. The man was almost always near an engines or cars—and today was no different.

"Cole!" Aiden called out.

Cole looked up, wiped his hands on a rag, and strolled over. "Captain."

"Can you check whether all large-capacity transports prepped. Double-check the tires, the engines, and every spare part we might need is stored. And while checking storage do check whether we stored enough fuel to last three days without question. And make sure we've got space—if we run into a village or person in need, we're bringing them back. We might not find any working vehicles out there."

"Room for evac?" Cole asked.

Aiden nodded. "Five hundred, minimum. If we have to double up, we will."

"Got it," Cole replied, already mentally cataloging everything. "Fuel, spare clutches, tires, enough empty setups. Will check on the comm systems too—already tested most of them. I'll add the last of the signal boosters before we leave."

"Good," Aiden added, "Also try to see if you can mount a defense turret on the top of each vehicle frame—especially the heavier transports. It'll give us a wider engagement angle in case of a flank or a fast-moving threat. And better surveillance coverage."

Cole gave a brief nod, but Aiden wasn't finished.

"And on the lead, rear, and flanking armored RVs—our strongest ones—see if we can add those ramming spikes. Front and sides."

Cole tilted his head. "Like the old convoy sweepers?"

"Exactly. If we run into blocked roads, broken-down transports, or get swarmed by beasts, we can plow through instead of losing time rerouting. I want momentum on our side."

Cole excitedly, rubbing the back of his neck. "You got it, sir." He gave a small salute, then turned and jogged off toward the motor yard—a cluster of hangars and mechanic stations for fueling and maintaining heavy transports and armored vehicles as its been tucked just inside the inner wall, where the thick scent of fuel and engine grease had already taken over the morning air.

The base was alive.

Aiden went to the platform at the top of the wall next to the northern gate, as he stood arms crossed, staring into the distance like he was listening for something only he could hear. Behind him, the stronghold buzzed with the hum of early preparations—the clink of gear buckles, the bark of orders, the occasional curses over misplaced tools. Oil, metal, dust, and adrenaline hung in the air like a second skin.

In a world torn apart by silence and death, this—this was movement, unity. Noise that meant people still had something worth fighting for.

He took a slow breath, letting it settle in his chest.

He knew this wasn't just any recon mission. It wasn't like the others they'd done—small runs, circling the base, mapping out terrain and saving whoever they stumbled upon.

Those were just the beginning.

Even then, they had managed to bring back thousands of survivors. And yet, it had felt like a drop in the ocean—like trying to scoop water from a flooding ship with bare hands. The Federation was massive. Their own province, sprawling. What they'd saved so far… it wasn't even close to enough.

And this mission—can make a difference as it was about expanding the safe zone for real. About locking in the larger region, building a network that could sustain growth, connection, defense.

But even more than that—it was about hope.

Aiden didn't just want to map the land or build a base. He wanted to find people. People who thought no one was coming. Who had spent days in silence, hiding, running, waiting for a miracle that never came.

Maybe today, they'd be that miracle.

He turned as his gaze shifted to the open field just beyond the gate, where their path lay ahead—stretching into land unmarked, unwatched, and undoubtedly dangerous.

And yet, for the first time in a long while… he didn't feel the usual weight of dread but felt purpose.

He heard footsteps climbing the stone stairs behind him. But when he glanced over his shoulder, he saw Tommy and Sophie making their way toward him, both wore that quiet readiness that didn't need words.

Aiden didn't need to ask. The look on their faces told him that everything's in place.

He checked his wristwatch—just past 7 AM.

Without a word, he gave a small nod and turned his gaze back downward—this time, not to the far, but just down below, where the northern gate stood wide open and his external unit waited, assembled with military precision.

It wasn't the first time they had done this—lined up in formation, prepped for recon—but today felt different.

This time, nearly three-fourths of the external forces unit had been assembled. Unlike the scattered deployments of previous recon operations—where squads were sent in every direction—this time, the full weight of their northern side.