Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World-Chapter 121: Defeating the Monster

Delilah knew she was getting closer the moment the trail of blood became clearer, thicker, and more frequent, mixed with torn human remains scattered along the path.

Among them were also the corpses of monsters, their bodies riddled with bullets that had pierced both the floor and the walls during the fight.

Some of the creatures looked like Kiki, twisted beyond recognition, while others resembled pets that used to belong to the people in this bunker.

She saw something shaped like a hamster, another like a parrot with its wings torn apart, and even rat-like creatures, all of them deformed and covered in plant-like growths pushing out from their bodies.

"It looks like all the pets here mutated," Leon said from behind her, trying to keep his voice steady. "They all have parts of their bodies turning into plants. Do you think the government had something to do with this?"

"You worked with them. You tell me," Delilah replied flatly.

She didn’t even bother looking at him. The answer was obvious. Even a child could have guessed it.

The real question was why. Was there a breach somewhere? But as far as she knew, this bunker wasn’t supposed to house any serious lab. It was meant for civilians.

A heavy, rushing sound echoed through the corridor.

STOMP.

They both stopped instantly, raising their weapons and aiming toward the source, ready to fire the moment anything appeared. As the sound got closer, the figure finally came into view.

It wasn’t a monster. It was people, dozens of them, running.

Some were covered in blood, others missing limbs, their bodies barely holding together as adrenaline forced them forward. Their faces were pale, twisted in pure fear.

"RUN! RUN! IT’S NOT SAFE ANYMORE!"

"The monsters keep coming!"

"The defensive unit is down!"

They shouted as they passed, not even stopping, not even slowing. One girl stumbled and fell hard onto the ground, but no one turned back to help her. They kept running, like a herd fleeing from something they knew they couldn’t fight.

Delilah’s chest tightened when she realized something else.

These weren’t people from her sector. They came from another connected bunker. Which meant this wasn’t isolated.

Delilah pushed forward, moving faster, the metallic smell thick in the air, making her stomach churn. She forced herself to keep going until the sound of gunfire reached her ears, followed by men shouting orders.

She slowed, then moved carefully toward the source.

Below, on a lower level, the defensive unit was still fighting. Gunfire flashed in bursts as they tried to hold their ground.

At the center of it all stood the creature that had appeared earlier.

The massive black beast loomed over everything, its fur hardened into thorn-like structures that shot outward with terrifying force, piercing through the soldiers as if they were nothing.

And behind it, pressed against the wall, trying to stay hidden, were two small figures clinging to each other.

Delilah’s breath caught. She would never mistake them, it was Summer and Freya.

She forced herself to slow her breathing and focus. From where she stood, she had the advantage.

The lower level opened into a wide space, and she was positioned directly above it, giving her a clear view of everything. If she rushed in without thinking, she would only make things worse.

From this angle, she could see it more clearly. The hardened thorns covering the creature’s body weren’t random.

They formed a dense outer layer, deflecting most of the gunfire from the defensive unit below. The bullets struck, but they barely penetrated, only making the creature more agitated.

The monster lashed out again. One of its vines swung wide, the hardened mass at its end smashing into a soldier with terrifying force.

The impact tore the man apart instantly, blood splattering across the walls and floor in a way that made her stomach twist.

"It’s a hardened cactus fruit," Leon said from behind her, his tone calm, almost analytical.

"I know that."

It was a lie. She only said it to shut him up, to keep him from following her further.

"Hey... I’m sorry, alright?" Leon continued, his voice softer now. "You’re right. I’m irresponsible. But I did that because I care more about you."

"Leon, stop," she cut him off, her voice firm as she turned slightly toward him. "This isn’t the time. Focus on the monster. Why are you paying attention to the cactus fruit?"

He gave a short, almost amused breath. "You really need me to explain that to you?"

Delilah glared and he finally answered, "Cactus fruit exists to store water. In arid environments, plants evolve to retain as much moisture as possible, usually in their stems or fruit. If that mutation carried over, then those hardened growths on the vines aren’t just weapons. They’re reservoirs."

She didn’t like relying on him, not after everything he said earlier, but the logic made sense. Everything about the creature pointed toward adaptation and survival, and if its body depended on stored water, then removing that advantage could disrupt it.

She tightened her grip on the shotgun and exhaled slowly. "Fine. Then I’ll try it."

She adjusted her stance and steadied her aim, forcing her focus to narrow despite the chaos below. Gunfire, screams, and movement all blurred into the background as she locked onto one of the vine tips.

The creature lashed out again, one of the hardened ends slamming into a soldier while it shot the thorns from it back like a gun, the effect was catastrophic.

Delilah pulled the trigger without hesitation. The blast struck true, shattering one of the hardened growths into fragments.

The monster’s body jerked in response, its movement faltering for a brief moment as a distorted, almost pained sound escaped from its throat.

That single reaction was enough to confirm it.

Before she could fire again, the creature’s head snapped upward, its red eyes locking onto her position, making Delilah stunned.

’The monster is conscious, it can think!’

The vines tightened and coiled, its body lowering as it prepared to leap.

Delilah shifted her footing, raising the gun again, but she already knew she wouldn’t have enough time to destroy all of them before it reached her level.

The distance wasn’t far, and the way it moved made it clear that it could close that gap in a single jump.

Beside her, Leon moved, but not toward the creature. His gaze lifted toward the ceiling above it, and his hand followed, raising his gun.

Delilah caught the motion from the corner of her eye and frowned, not understanding for a brief second, but before she could question it, the shot rang out.

The bullet struck the reinforced ceiling, and instead of reacting in panic, Leon simply stepped back, already expecting the outcome.

A deep crack spread across the surface, thin at first, then widening as the structure failed. A low rumble followed, and then the entire section gave way. A massive surge of water burst through, pouring down in a concentrated, overwhelming force as the storage above collapsed completely.

The impact was immediate. The water slammed into the monster and forced it down, its body hitting the ground as the entire lower level shook under the weight of it.

The defensive unit scattered, some slipping, some diving away, all of them trying to avoid being dragged into the flood.

Delilah watched closely, her grip tightening as she focused on the creature. It didn’t resist the water the way she expected.

Instead, it absorbed it. Its body expanded rapidly, the plant-like structures swelling as if they were taking in everything at once.

The vines thickened, the thorns bulging outward as the creature grew larger, its form becoming unstable under the pressure.

Leon remained still beside her, his expression unchanged, observing it like a completed calculation. "It’s exceeding its capacity," he said calmly.

Delilah could see it clearly now. The expansion was uncontrollable. The surface of the creature’s body began to strain, small cracks forming across it as the pressure built from within as it kept absorbing all the water on the ground floor.

The sound that followed was wet and tearing, the kind that made her stomach twist, and then the cracks spread further until the entire structure gave in.

The creature exploded.

Fragments of flesh and plant matter burst outward, scattering across the flooded floor as the water surged in every direction, carrying debris and remains with it.

The force sent ripples across the entire level below, but where Delilah stood, the height protected her from the worst of it.

She instinctively stepped back anyway, shielding herself as droplets reached their level, her breathing uneven as the tremor beneath her feet slowly settled.

For a moment, everything went quiet.

The defensive unit was scattered, some still moving, others lying still, while the lower floor flood now reduced since the water move to other hallyway and rooms.

Delilah didn’t linger on it. She widened her eyes when she realized something. She snapped back to the corner immediately, to the place where she last saw them.

Summer and Freya were not there anymore.