Chapter 14: The Smokehouse
The celebration lasted until late into the night. For the first time in weeks, the villagers went to sleep with full stomachs. Laughter replaced fear. Hope replaced silence.
Yet while everyone rested, Aren couldn’t sleep. He sat alone beside the dying campfire, staring into the glowing embers. The image from his recovered memory refused to leave his mind — a small wooden building, a fire that never burned too hot, meat hanging from wooden poles, smoke... lots of smoke.
"It preserves food..." Aren whispered to himself. "If we can keep meat from spoiling, winter won’t be as dangerous."
The familiar blue screen appeared once again.
[Civilization Recommendation]
```text
══════════════════════
Suggested Construction
Smokehouse
Difficulty:
Easy
Materials Required
• Wood × 24
• Clay × 15
• Stone × 12
• Vines × 8
Expected Effects
Food Preservation +40%
Food Waste -30%
Winter Survival Chance +12%
══════════════════════
```
The screen slowly faded. Aren let out a slow breath. "So that’s my next task."
---
The next morning, the village returned to its usual routine. Hunters sharpened their stone spears. Women prepared dried herbs. Children carried buckets of water from the nearby river.
Chief Rokan noticed Aren waiting outside his hut. "You seem troubled."
"I have an idea."
The old chief smiled. "You always do."
Aren picked up a stick and drew another sketch on the ground. "This building isn’t for people. It isn’t a storage hut either."
Chief Rokan folded his arms. "Then what’s its purpose?"
"It keeps meat from spoiling."
Several nearby villagers stopped working. One of the elders frowned. "Impossible. We’ve dried meat under the sun for generations."
Another elder nodded. "The ancestors never built such a thing."
Aren remained calm. "I know. But drying meat in the open doesn’t always work. When the weather changes, we lose food."
The elders looked at each other, clearly not convinced. One elderly hunter stepped forward. "You’ve brought us good ideas before. But this? It sounds like a waste of wood."
Several villagers quietly agreed. The atmosphere became tense. Chief Rokan remained silent — he wanted to hear both sides.
Aren looked around before speaking again. "I’m not asking everyone to build it. I’ll build a small one. If it fails, we lose a little wood. If it succeeds, the entire village gains more food."
Silence. The elders exchanged another glance. Finally, Chief Rokan smiled. "A fair proposal." He looked toward the villagers. "We’ll give Aren a chance."
---
By noon, Aren, Doran, and three younger hunters gathered the necessary materials — fresh logs, flat stones, sticky clay from the riverbank, strong forest vines.
Most villagers continued watching from a distance. Some whispered quietly.
"Will it really work?"
"I’ve never heard of preserving meat with smoke."
"Maybe the young man finally made a mistake."
Aren ignored them. Instead, he carefully remembered every image the system had shown him. The fire must stay small. Too much heat would cook the meat. Too little, and the smoke wouldn’t preserve it.
Hour after hour, the small building slowly took shape. By sunset, the village’s first smokehouse stood near the storage hut. It wasn’t beautiful — its walls leaned slightly, the roof was uneven — but it stood.
Chief Rokan slowly walked around the structure. "So, what happens now?"
Aren carried several strips of fresh venison inside. He hung them from thick wooden poles near the ceiling, then placed damp wood over a small fire pit. Thin gray smoke slowly filled the room before escaping through a small opening in the roof.
The villagers watched in complete silence. Nothing happened. One minute passed. Then another. Finally, a pleasant smoky scent drifted through the air.
Even Elder Mira smiled faintly. "It smells... different."
Aren nodded. "Now we wait."
---
That night, as everyone returned to their homes, the Civilization System quietly appeared once more.
[Construction Complete]
```text
══════════════════════
Building Added
Smokehouse
Rank:
Primitive
Village Buildings
✔ Chief’s Hut
✔ Storage Hut
✔ Smokehouse
Civilization Progress
12% → 15%
New Building Slot Available
Requirements:
Reach Population 50
══════════════════════
```
Aren looked at the final line. Population... fifty. The village only had forty-seven people. That meant the Civilization System wanted the village to grow.
As he closed the panel, a cold wind blew from the northern forest. In the distance, a lone figure stood among the trees, silently watching the newly built smokehouse. The stranger remained still for a long moment. Then, without leaving a single sound behind, the figure disappeared into the darkness.
End of Chapter 14