The next morning, Titan Hollow felt… different.
Not louder.
Not busier.
But sharper.
Purpose had settled into the bones of the settlement.
The fires still burned. Meat still dried. Giants still moved like living mountains across the land.
But now—
There was direction.
Derrick stood at the edge of the watchtower, arms crossed as he looked down at the valley.
"Alright," he muttered. "Time to stop improvising."
Behind him, a crude map lay scratched into a wooden board.
Lines.
Circles.
Marks.
Nothing refined—but enough.
The river.
The forest.
The current settlement.
Possible expansion zones.
Derrick tapped the board.
"Step one… control the land."
A shadow moved beside him.
Tor.
Derrick didn't look.
"Tell me something," he said. "When you were summoned… did you know anything about this place?"
Tor remained silent for a moment.
Then—
"…no."
Derrick nodded.
"So everything we learn… we learn the hard way."
Tor didn't disagree.
Derrick sighed.
"Great. Love that for us."
He turned, stepping down from the tower.
"Time to fix it."
---
A few minutes later, the entire settlement had gathered.
Humans.
Ogres.
Seven giants standing like pillars behind them.
Derrick stood at the front.
No platform this time.
No distance.
Just presence.
"We're dividing work," he said.
No hesitation.
No buildup.
Straight to the point.
The villagers exchanged glances.
Derrick pointed toward the river.
"Group one—water and land. I want soil checked, ground cleared, and space prepared."
He shifted slightly.
"Group two—food management. Everything we have gets organized. Nothing rots. Nothing wasted."
Ragor stepped forward.
"Ogres handle heavy work."
Derrick nodded.
"Good. Work with them."
Then—
He turned toward the forest.
"Group three… comes with me."
That got attention.
A few villagers stiffened.
The forest wasn't something you casually "went into."
Derrick noticed.
Good.
Fear meant they understood the risk.
"We're not hunting," he clarified.
"We're learning."
That confused them more.
Derrick didn't explain further.
Instead, he turned toward the giants.
"Tor. Grom. Luga."
Three massive heads turned.
"You're with me."
The rest stayed behind.
Bor, Krag, Durn, and Varka remained at the settlement.
Defense.
Construction.
Presence.
Derrick looked back at the group.
"We move now."
---
The forest greeted them with silence.
Not the peaceful kind.
The kind that listened.
Derrick walked slower this time.
More deliberate.
More observant.
"Spread out," he said quietly.
"Not too far."
The villagers obeyed, tension clear in every movement.
Tor walked slightly behind Derrick.
Grom moved to the right.
Luga—
Was gone.
Derrick didn't react.
He had noticed it already.
"…fast," he muttered.
Tor rumbled.
"Hunter."
Derrick smirked slightly.
"Good."
A broken branch caught his attention.
Fresh.
He crouched slightly, examining it.
"…movement," he murmured.
Not random.
Not wind.
Something had passed through here.
Recently.
He stood again.
"Mark this path," he said.
One of the villagers quickly scratched a symbol into a nearby tree.
Simple.
But useful.
Derrick continued forward.
Every few steps, he noted something.
Tracks.
Sounds.
Changes in terrain.
This wasn't a hunt.
This was mapping.
Understanding.
Claiming.
A sudden whistle cut through the air.
Everyone froze.
Derrick's eyes sharpened.
That wasn't natural.
"Down," he said immediately.
The group lowered.
Tor crouched slightly, lowering his massive frame.
Grom stilled completely.
Silence.
Then—
A figure appeared between the trees.
Human.
Armed.
Not alone.
More shapes followed.
Five.
No—
Eight.
Derrick's eyes narrowed.
"…people."
Not villagers.
Not his people.
Different clothing.
Weapons.
Organized.
One of them spoke quietly.
"Tracks lead here."
Another replied, "Something big moved through."
Derrick exhaled slowly.
"Of course they did."
He glanced at Tor.
"Don't move."
Tor didn't.
Derrick shifted slightly, positioning himself where he could see without being seen.
The group moved cautiously.
Scouts.
Or worse—
Another territory.
Derrick's mind moved quickly.
Options.
Engage?
Avoid?
Observe?
He chose instantly.
"…observe."
Because information was worth more than a fight.
The group stopped not far from their position.
One of them knelt, examining the ground.
"These aren't normal tracks."
"No," another said. "Too large."
A third voice spoke.
"…giants?"
Silence.
Tension.
Derrick felt it from here.
Good.
Fear worked both ways.
The group hesitated.
Then their leader spoke.
"Fall back."
Derrick blinked.
"…smart."
They didn't push further.
Didn't risk it.
They retreated.
Carefully.
Quietly.
Until they were gone.
Only then did Derrick exhale fully.
"Well," he muttered. "That answers one question."
Tor looked at him.
Derrick smiled faintly.
"We're not alone."
---
The group returned to Titan Hollow before sunset.
This time—
There was no celebration.
Only thought.
Derrick climbed back to the watchtower, staring out toward the forest.
Ragor approached from below.
"You see something."
Not a question.
A statement.
Derrick nodded.
"People."
Ragor frowned.
"…enemy?"
Derrick shook his head.
"Not yet."
He leaned slightly against the railing.
"But they will be."
Ragor didn't argue.
Because they both understood.
Power attracted attention.
Seven giants?
That wasn't something the world ignored.
Derrick crossed his arms.
"We need to move faster."
Ragor nodded.
"Walls stronger."
"Not just walls," Derrick said.
He pointed toward the valley.
"Territory."
Then toward the forest.
"Control."
Then toward the people below.
"Structure."
Ragor's eyes sharpened.
"You build tribe."
Derrick smiled slightly.
"No."
His gaze lifted toward the horizon.
"I build something bigger."
The wind passed through Titan Hollow once more.
But this time—
It carried something new.
Not just survival.
Not just growth.
But intention.
Seven giants stood under the fading light.
A settlement took shape.
And somewhere beyond the forest—
Others had already begun to notice.
-----
From now, I'll try to improve my writing from simple sentences to proper paragraphs, I'll try atleast...
Regards.