Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World

After ensuring the man was securely tied and unconscious, Gideon quietly exited the room and continued deeper into the building.

Elaine’s past was only a side quest to him. His primary objective remained finding her and uncovering any clues about the relationship between the Skull Fangs and the Eagle Union.

He understood why Jade had not approached the Eagle Union directly. Such a move would only worsen the fragile relationship between the two factions. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

They were like siblings bound by shared history yet driven by rivalry and competition, especially since both operated within the same field.

Also, securing the Skull Fangs’ supplies would ultimately benefit Freebound, making the situation a win-win.

Gideon paused when the corridor split into two paths, one leading upstairs and the other descending into the basement.

Trusting his instincts–or more like every movie cliche he ever watched–he was certain Elaine would be held underground. He moved down the stairs cautiously, but the moment his feet touched the basement floor, he froze.

Two men stood guard at the entrance, clearly acting as bodyguards.

"Hey, you know this place is off limits, right?" one of them said while narrowing his eyes. "Show your face. The boss said there are still intruders who haven’t been caught."

"Yeah," the other added while gripping his weapon. "Those shots earlier must have come from someone else. Our men were being taken out from behind."

’Fuck. They are sharper than I thought,’ Gideon muttered inwardly.

With no room for hesitation, he acted.

Gideon lunged forward and struck the first guard’s throat with a precise blow. The man gasped and clutched his neck as his airway constricted, leaving him unable to shout for help.

The second guard reacted quickly and raised his pistol, aiming at Gideon, but he was still a fraction too slow.

Gideon drew his knife and drove it into the man’s abdomen. The impact forced the guard backward until he slammed against the wall.

Blood poured from the wound as he slumped toward the floor. Before the man could scream, Gideon shoved part of his robe into his mouth, muffling any sound.

The guard’s eyes gradually dulled as life left his body.

"You... what the fuck!" The first guard managed to rasp out a word while still struggling to breathe. Despite his condition, he attempted to raise his pistol and fire.

Gideon closed the distance instantly. He grabbed the man’s wrist and forced the weapon upward, causing the shot to strike the ceiling with a loud bang.

"Shit," Gideon cursed under his breath. The noise would undoubtedly alert the others.

Without wasting another second, he delivered a powerful punch to the man’s jaw, knocking him unconscious. The guard collapsed onto the floor, motionless.

As expected, the sound of the gunshot triggered confusion upstairs. Gideon immediately rushed back to the stairway and slammed the basement door shut.

Thinking quickly, he retrieved his rifle from storage and wedged it firmly between the door handles to delay any attempt to force it open.

To reinforce the barricade, he purchased a long iron bar from the Infinite Store and secured it across the handles.

This would buy him some time.

Now the threat was contained. Some of his enemies were trapped on the other side of the door while he stood within the long underground hallway leading deeper into the basement.

The distant echoes of approaching footsteps and shouted orders reverberated through the corridor ahead, signaling that more Skull Fangs members were on their way.

Gideon tightened his grip on his weapon and steadied his breathing. With the path forward clear and the clock ticking, he prepared himself for whatever awaited him in the depths, determined to find Elaine and bring this operation to its conclusion.

He then hid at the corner near the stairway, keeping himself out of sight as he prepared for a surprise attack.

Fortunately, only five enemies were approaching. Most of the Skull Fangs members had already been eliminated during Elaine’s earlier assault, and the rest were likely stationed upstairs.

’This won’t be that hard,’ he thought.

Despite his calm assessment, Gideon still felt a familiar discomfort settle in his chest. He hated killing people.

Even in this world, he still held on to his own sense of morality. However, he justified his actions by reminding himself that the Skull Fangs had long abandoned their humanity.

They were the ones who had nearly raped Freya. They were responsible for attacking and burning down Elaine’s clinic.

They were involved in human trafficking and countless other crimes he could only imagine. What he knew was likely just the tip of the iceberg of their atrocities.

With that in mind, Gideon steadied his breathing and tightened his grip on his rifle. The approaching footsteps grew louder, accompanied by low murmurs as the men searched the area.

The moment the first bandit stepped into his line of sight, Gideon acted. He leaned out from his cover and fired two precise shots. The suppressed rounds struck their targets cleanly, and both men collapsed instantly.

The remaining three reacted quickly, diving for cover as they realized they were under attack.

"Enemy! He’s down here!" one of them shouted, raising his weapon and firing toward Gideon’s position. Bullets struck the wall near him, sending fragments of concrete into the air.

Gideon retreated behind the corner and quickly assessed the situation. The element of surprise had been partially lost, but the narrow hallway worked in his favor. They had limited space to maneuver, and he could control the engagement from his position.

One of the bandits attempted to rush forward, hoping to overwhelm him. Gideon anticipated the move.

As the man rounded the corner, Gideon stepped out and fired, the shot hitting him squarely in the chest. The bandit fell backward with a heavy thud.

The last two enemies began advancing more cautiously, coordinating their movements as they tried to flank him.

Gideon shifted his position, keeping low and silent. He waited for the right moment, listening carefully to their footsteps.

When one of them leaned out to check the corner, Gideon reacted instantly. He lunged forward and fired at close range, dropping the man before he could pull the trigger. The final bandit, now alone and panicking, attempted to retreat deeper into the hallway.

Gideon did not allow him the chance. He closed the distance swiftly and tackled the man to the ground.

The bandit struggled, trying to reach for his weapon, but Gideon overpowered him. With a single motion, he drove his knife into the man’s neck, ending the confrontation.

Silence returned to the basement corridor.

Gideon exhaled slowly, his heartbeat gradually settling as he scanned the area to ensure no additional threats remained. The five men lay motionless, the immediate danger neutralized.

’I still hate this,’ he admitted to himself.

He knew he had been excited earlier when talking to Elaine about killing the Skull Fangs, speaking as if they were merely targets in a game.

But now, standing in the aftermath and seeing bodies lying motionless on the ground, the reality settled heavily on him. The blood staining his robe and thickening on his hands was impossible to ignore.

They were still human after all.

Gideon shook his head quickly, pushing the thought aside. He needed to get used to this.

In the future, he would inevitably kill more people, whether to attack or to protect. In this world, hesitation often meant death.

’Though Elaine would surely roll her eyes if she saw me like this’, he thought with a faint chuckle.

After confirming that the path ahead was clear, Gideon adjusted his grip on his rifle and turned his attention deeper into the underground corridor. Elaine was somewhere ahead, and whatever awaited him there, he was ready to face it.

***

Elaine was tied to a chair inside an underground cell. Her nose was already broken, and blood dripped steadily from it, staining her pants.

Ironically, it was the same place where she had beaten the Skull Fangs’ boss earlier. The woman, still bruised and missing several teeth, stood in front of her while wiping blood from her own hands.

"God, you are still as petty as ever," Elaine chuckled, unfazed by her condition.

"You almost killed half of my men and knocked out my teeth because of what? I burned down your clinic because you couldn’t pay your debt. What makes you then?" Piggy scoffed, her voice thick with resentment.

Elaine tilted her head slightly despite the restraints. "Think of it as a free surgery to fix your crooked nose. You’re welcome."

The remark earned her a hard slap across the cheek. The sound echoed through the cell, yet Elaine barely reacted. She slowly turned her head back, a grin still playing on her lips.

"That’s your idea of a slap?" she taunted. "Why don’t you ask the man behind you to try instead? I’m sure he’d do a much better job."

"You!" Piggy hissed, her anger flaring, though she restrained herself from striking again. The sharpness in her eyes remained as she studied Elaine carefully.

"What do you want? Why are you acting like a wild lioness now when you’ve been playing the obedient chicken all this time?"

"You attacked me and almost killed my friend in her own bunker," Elaine replied, her voice laced with contempt. "Of course, I fought back. No one hurts my friend and walks away."

Piggy let out a mocking laugh and sat down on the chair across from her. "Friend? You betrayed your own family. I doubt you still possess that kind of moral high ground. Let’s be honest. You’re just here to satisfy your little desire for vengeance."

She slowly pulled a pistol from her pocket, the metallic click echoing ominously within the confined space.

"So this time," Piggy continued, aiming the weapon directly at Elaine, "I’ll make sure to get rid of you properly."