Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World-Chapter 41: Eden Project

Gideon had planned to wait until the traveling faction reached Climber Rift before approaching them about becoming permanent residents. But Freya’s words that morning changed how he saw things.

In the middle of breakfast, she looked at him and asked calmly, "Do you really think simple persuasion would make them want to stay?"

"They have their own norms, their own system, even their own leader. What reason would they have to trust you?"

The words were blunt, but her tone was careful and gentle. The room grew quiet.

"She’s right," Delilah said as she nodded.

"They’ve lived as nomads for nearly ten years. You can’t expect them to change their ways so easily."

"You’ll need to show them something," Summer added. "Actions matter more than promises. Make them feel like they’re in the right hands."

Gideon nodded slowly. He agreed.

"Action, huh?" He rubbed his chin.

"If I give them a place to rest for a while, maybe they’ll see how safe this place is." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Safe?" Delilah stood up and began clearing the empty plates.

"You still have Glowbats roaming nearby. And this area is close to an oasis and the Geysermire Crab’s territory. Anyone would hesitate before settling here."

Gideon understood. The barrier made the area safe, but that meant nothing if others didn’t know it existed.

"I can’t just sit here and wait," he said, wiping his hands with a napkin before standing. "I’ll go meet them. Talk to them directly."

"I’m going too."

Freya and Summer stood up at the same time.

Delilah turned around from the sink and raised an eyebrow.

"I do need a guide through the Deliric Desert," Gideon said calmly.

"Freya will go with you," Delilah decided without hesitation.

"Summer, you’re coming with me to Climber Rift."

"But, Mom—"

Summer started to protest, but Delilah had already turned back to the dishes.

"You can use the vehicle," Delilah added, speaking toward Gideon. "Jade will come by later. We’ll ride with her."

He gave her a thumbs-up. "Got it."

"Let’s go, Freya."

Gideon gestured, and Freya stuck her tongue out in victory at her older sister, who could only glare back in frustration.

"Can I drive?" Freya asked eagerly.

"I fixed the steering damper yesterday and I want to test it."

"Sure, go ahead."

They set off into the desert, and this time the ride was noticeably smoother. The vehicle barely shook, moving steadily across the sand.

Freya hadn’t just fixed the steering stabilizer. She had re-tuned the front suspension and balanced the cargo weight, reducing the wobble at higher speeds.

She was clearly enjoying herself.

"Summer said you could make vehicles like this," he said. "Why don’t you?"

"The parts are expensive, we don’t hunt much beyond what we need, and supplies are limited. A vehicle like this is a luxury for most people."

Her eyes lit up. "That’s why I’m really grateful you bought it."

"I see," he said with a nod. "You can use it whenever you want. Just be careful."

He winked. "You might already be pregnant."

Freya’s face flushed instantly, but she still asked, "Even if I am, we can still do it, right? And... how do we tell Mom?"

Gideon laughed. "She might try to kill me at first. But I doubt she’d be able to separate us again. That’s not entirely a bad thing."

His hand slid to her waist, making her jolt at the sudden contact. Gideon leaned closer, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "Of course, we can still do it. You could even stop right now so we can have sex inside the vehicle you love so much."

To his surprise, Freya actually slammed on the brakes.

The vehicle screeched to a halt. She turned to him, eyes serious.

"Now?"

His laughter burst out, so sudden and loud that he had to clutch his stomach.

"Later," he said between laughs. "We need to talk to the travelers first. And your sister would explode if she found out we did it without her."

"Tch," Freya frowned. "Let her. It’s not like she owns you."

Still, she hit the gas again, disappointment clear in the way she drove.

Gideon shook his head, amused, but then something else surfaced in his mind and he knew this was the perfect time to bring it up.

"Freya, that sealed room in the bunker. Do you know anything about it?"

She hit the brake again.

This time it was so abrupt that both of them lurched forward.

"You found that room?" she asked.

Gideon nodded.

She let out a long breath. "Okay... I’ll tell you. But don’t tell Mom, alright?"

"Of course not," he replied. "We both know your mom too well."

She hesitated, then began.

"Back then, we were only told not to go inside. But you know Summer and me. That never stops us."

"One day, when Mom and Dad went on an expedition, we sneaked in. Inside, there was a small lab. Big cylindrical tanks, about the size of children, all empty.... There were also chemicals stored in another room."

She swallowed before continuing. "There was equipment everywhere. We didn’t understand most of it, but we knew it was a lab that had never been fully used."

She took a deep breath. "The only thing we could sort of understand was a document. It mentioned something called the Eden Project."

"Eden Project?" Gideon repeated. "What was it?"

"We only skimmed it," she said quietly. Then she leaned closer, her expression turning grave.

"It was about human experiments using the meteor that caused the apocalypse. And... it said the project was successful."

She stared ahead, her voice dropping.

"I saw one once. A girl who could summon swords made of fire. She burned everything she touched."

Gideon widened his eyes. "You mean... powers like that exist in this world?"

Freya looked at him in surprise. "Oh. So you really do have amnesia?" She blinked. "I always thought you were part of the Eden Project."

That made Gideon pause.

"That’s why neither Summer nor I questioned your abilities," she continued. "We were in awe, sure, but we didn’t think it was impossible."

’So that’s why they accepted my power so easily,’ he realized. ’People like me already exist in this world.’

Though most probably they didn’t have any system like him or the Infinite Shop. Because if so, he knows well that civilization won’t look like this.

"Wait," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You didn’t believe I actually lost my memory?"

Freya laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck.

"You weren’t very convincing," she admitted.

"But Mom always told us not to pry into people’s pasts. If someone is kind and trustworthy, that’s enough."

She glanced at him. "And you helped me, a stranger, without hesitation. Defeating those three men barehanded? That was amazing."