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

The lift groaned as it descended, every movement accompanied by the grinding of old metal and cables that Gideon wasn’t entirely convinced were still capable of holding their weight.

But this was better than going down through the cables conventionally. He just hoped it wouldn’t end up with them being crushed like a horror movie he once watched.

He kept one hand near his weapon while watching the darkness below through the gaps in the rusted platform, although there wasn’t much to see except the occasional pale glow from the parasite growth far beneath them.

Petter seemed determined to make the descent more uncomfortable.

"Chief, if this thing breaks, do we get to count falling to our deaths as part of the operation or do we need to file a separate report?"

Addam snorted beside him. "Pretty sure the report would say, ’Four idiots entered a mine and decided to use a lift that hasn’t worked in like fifty years.’"

"Speak for yourself. I’m not an idiot."

"You asked Chief if the parasite could eat your balls five minutes ago."

"That was a legitimate scientific question."

Nick sighed heavily from the opposite side. "Can both of you shut up for five minutes?"

Gideon glanced at them. Petter was clearly the type who used jokes to keep himself from thinking about danger. Addam simply enjoyed making everything worse.

Nick, meanwhile, had been sulking since the strange voices started, although Gideon suspected that his irritation was mostly an attempt to hide how nervous he actually was.

Then there was Jasper. He hadn’t said much since Gideon returned. His eyes remained fixed on Gideon whenever he thought he wasn’t looking. He was sweating a lot and his lips were moving like he murmured something with no one in particular or someone they couldn’t see.

Gideon noticed every time. Definitely something happened.

The lift finally stopped with a violent metallic jerk.

Everyone instinctively grabbed something. While Petter let out a loud, piercing shriek, which made all eyes on him.

Petter immediately looked at Addam. "If you tell anyone I screamed, I’ll shoot you."

"You didn’t scream."

"Good."

"You made a noise like a dying goat."

Petter’s face darkened.

Gideon chuckled as the old gate finally opened.

The chamber beyond was enormous. They stepped out of the elevator and carefully moved forward.

The first thing Gideon noticed was the old railway running through the center of the cavern.

Several mining carts remained on the tracks, some overturned and half-buried beneath thick layers of pale growth.

Rusted equipment stood beside the walls, while old support pillars disappeared upward into darkness. Almost the same as he saw on the ground above them.

Until Gideon looked closer. The white growth covered almost everything. It was different from what they had seen above.

The thin grasslike layer had become thicker here, almost fibrous, spreading across the stone like roots.

Some sections had swollen into long structures resembling veins, running along the walls and disappearing into cracks.

Gideon crouched and touched the ground with the tip of his sword.

The growth contracted slightly. He immediately pulled the blade back.

"Don’t touch it. That thing may contain parasites or anything that we are better without them."

Petter looked down. "Did it just move?"

Gideon nodded, "Indeed."

Addam stared at the wall. "Well, that’s very reassuring."

Gideon ignored him and looked farther into the cavern.

Several tunnels were branching from the main chamber, but something caught his attention near the eastern wall.

An old reservoir had been carved into the stone, its surface covered by dark water and thin translucent membranes.

Gideon smirked. He was once told himself he would make this operation hell for Jasper; this was one of a way to do that.

He pointed toward it. "Jasper."

The man looked at him suspiciously. "What?"

"Go check the water."

Jasper’s expression immediately hardened. "Why me?"

"You’re the best fighter here, apparently. The one whose kills count precedes everyone here."

Petter immediately covered his mouth. Addam failed completely and laughed. Nick looked away, clearly trying not to smile.

Jasper’s glare sharpened.

Gideon picked up a long metal rod from beside one of the abandoned carts and tossed it toward him. Jasper caught it against his chest.

"Don’t drink it; you might become a zombie.... Though, I think you are smart enough to figure that out. Just touch the surface."

"You’re an asshole."

He grinned. "Probably. Now go."

Jasper muttered something Gideon couldn’t hear, but he still approached the reservoir.

Gideon remained where he was, watching him rather than following. He wanted to know whether the parasite would react when one of them deliberately disturbed something it had been growing around.

Jasper reached the edge of the reservoir and crouched down, extending the metal rod until its tip touched the dark surface.

Nothing happened at first.

Then the white growth surrounding Jasper’s boots slowly tightened against the stone, almost imperceptibly, while several thin strands along the nearby wall shifted toward him.

Gideon’s eyes narrowed. "Jasper, don’t move."

Jasper looked back at him. "What? If you just want to scare me, I will fuck you up."

Gideon was already watching the growth rather than him.

"I said don’t move. Something is reacting to you."

Jasper glanced down, finally noticing the thin strands curling around his boots. He immediately stepped backward, but the moment he moved, the white growth snapped around his ankle and pulled.

"What the fuck?!"

Jasper stumbled and caught himself against the edge of the reservoir. Gideon stepped forward, but before he could reach him, the dark water suddenly erupted.

Something pale and enormous burst from beneath the surface.

Jasper barely managed to throw himself aside as a long limb slammed into the stone where he had been standing. The impact sent pieces of white growth scattering across the floor, and Gideon immediately drew his sword.

The creature pulled itself out of the reservoir.

"Prepare to fight! Careful everyone! That thing might have spores that will infect us!" Gideon shouted, giving an order.

For a moment, Gideon couldn’t understand what he was looking at.

It had the shape of an aberrant, something vaguely resembling a large aquatic predator with a long body, several powerful limbs, and a wide mouth filled with uneven teeth.

Yet there was nothing natural about it. Its entire body was made from the same pale vines covering the mine, woven together so tightly that they formed something resembling muscle and flesh.

Water poured from its body as it crawled onto the stone.

Nick’s expression changed immediately. "Back! Everyone back!"

Gideon glanced at him. "You know it?"

"That’s a Mire Stalker." Nick’s rifle was already raised as he continued, "I’ve seen them before. They’re group hunters. Usually found around underground water sources, and they don’t rush their prey immediately."

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