Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World-Chapter 54: A New Deal

Both of them flinched at the same time.

Delilah immediately stepped away from Gideon as if distance alone could erase whatever Jade had just implied. She straightened her posture and walked toward the parked vehicle, trying to compose herself.

Jade had stopped not far from the ruined structure, and fortunately she had only brought Elaine along, likely to examine Gideon.

Gideon quickly opened the Infinite Shop and purchased a clean set of clothes. He dressed as fast as possible while Delilah tried to explain the situation.

"I was only checking his condition," he heard her say firmly. "He was covered in Devourer fluids. It was a medical examination, nothing more."

There was a slight rush in her voice that betrayed her composure.

By the time Gideon finished pulling on his shirt and fastening his belt, he was already smiling.

He approached them casually. "Delilah’s right. She was just checking my body because I was soaked in Devourer blood."

He paused, then added with a grin, "But that doesn’t mean nothing happened. She promised to open up more to me. We’re getting closer."

Delilah’s face turned red instantly. She elbowed him sharply in the ribs.

He laughed. Jade laughed even harder.

"Ohh, so you finally decided to act instead of just flirting endlessly?" Jade crossed her arms with amusement.

"This woman here would never notice you like her unless you spell it out clearly. She’s the densest person I’ve ever met."

"That’s not true," Delilah protested, clearly flustered. "It’s just that the timing isn’t appropriate. And at my age, it’s better to think about retirement than romance."

Jade stared at her in disbelief. "You’re not ancient. It’s not like you’ll be six feet under within ten years."

Elaine sighed lightly. "She is right, when you talk like that, you make the rest of us feel elderly."

She gestured to Gideon. "Come here. Let me examine you properly."

Gideon stepped forward obediently, though his ears remained tuned to the ongoing argument.

"You know how this world works, Jade," Delilah said, her voice lowering slightly.

"Life expectancy is cut in half. Once I reach fifty, I’ll become a liability. A burden to my daughters or to anyone foolish enough to stay with me. So yes, I should think about stability, not love."

There was fear in her words, subtle but real.

Jade shook her head. "That kind of thinking is exactly why you need someone. Stop acting like your life’s already over."

Then she turned toward Gideon with a grin. "Go on. Prove your point. Give her a kiss."

Gideon shrugged casually. "Sure. After Elaine finishes checking me."

Delilah glared at him, but Jade was still laughing.

"NO!" Delilah cut in immediately. "We need to focus. That corpse is still lying there, and the travelers need accommodation. Don’t you have work to do, Jade?"

Jade frowned and dragged a hand through her hair in frustration. "Can we stop talking about responsibility for one second? Let’s talk about something interesting."

She turned toward Gideon with sharp curiosity. "How exactly did you kill it? None of the weapons in Freebound HQ can pierce a Devourer’s thick scales."

She stepped closer, studying him like he was the new specimen.Elaine had just removed the stethoscope from his chest and was putting it away.

"Let me finish first," Elaine said calmly. "And you really should think about the travelers for real."

That only irritated Jade further, which made Delilah’s lips curve slightly in quiet satisfaction.

Accommodation meant resources. More mouths to feed. Winter was approaching, and from what Gideon had heard, winter in the Deliric Desert wasn’t merciful. The heat vanished, but the brutality remained.

Freebound couldn’t simply reject the survivors either. Their reputation was built on reliability. After a rescue like this, turning people away would damage that image, especially since Freebound’s main income came from selling protection, expeditions, and aberrant extermination.

If Gideon were leading, he’d use this incident as a marketing campaign.

But Jade clearly hated the long-term logistical side of leadership.

Elaine finished her quick examination. "You’re fine, Gideon. No signs of toxin damage. No nerve disruption. No visible internal trauma. You do have a mild fever, but that should stabilize with rest."

Delilah’s head snapped toward her. "Mild? He was burning a few minutes ago."

She grabbed his hand again, checking his temperature. Her brows slowly pulled together. "It’s dropping... it’s cooling on its own. How is that possible?"

Gideon didn’t have an answer.

The two women exchanged a confused look, each clearly forming different hypotheses.

Jade rolled her eyes. "He killed the Verdant Devourer. An S-rank aberrant. The Serpent of Deliric. Its outer layer is basically thirty centimeters of reinforced concrete. The closer you get to vital areas, the thicker it gets. You can’t tear it apart from the outside with standard weapons, and going inside is practically suicide."

She chuckled. "And you’re both puzzled because his fever is going down naturally? This is why I don’t understand doctors and biologists."

"Ecologist," Delilah corrected automatically.

"That’s the same shit."

"It’s not."

Jade waved it off and clamped a hand lightly over Delilah’s mouth before she could start lecturing. "Let’s stop arguing over titles and talk business."

Gideon narrowed his eyes slightly. ’There it is.’

"The corpse needs to be processed before it gets so toxic that no one can get closer in two hundred meters radius,"

Jade continued smoothly. "Scales, fangs, internal materials. There are at least five hundred usable scales and a lot of fangs. I have hazmat suits and the manpower. If we work together, we can finish the dissection in under a week."

"But?" Gideon prompted.

"I want forty percent."

He thought for a moment. The materials didn’t matter that much to him directly. However, the Safe Zone required residents and steady currency flow more than physical loot. He could also make those scales into armors and weapons. Still, negotiation was part of the game.

"Twenty-five percent," he replied calmly. "And we have a deal."

"Deal!" Jade immediately grabbed his hand and shook it with suspicious enthusiasm.

He had the distinct feeling he might’ve still overpaid.

Regardless, he followed her when she drove them toward the secured area where the wounded and rescued survivors had gathered; the small tents had been placed outside the Devourer’s nest. As he stepped out, dozens of eyes turned toward him. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Some were bandaged. Some were sitting wrapped in blankets. Others stood quietly, watching him like he was something unreal.

He shifted awkwardly under their stares.

"Um..."

"That’s him!"

"The Devourer Slayer!"

The shout spread like fire. Applause followed. Then cheers.

Before he could react properly, a few of the healthier men lifted him off the ground, tossing him up once in celebration. They shouted his name, clapped his back, and thanked him over and over.

Gideon tried to look composed, but he couldn’t hide the faint smile forming on his face.

He felt embarrassed, but satisfied.

And more importantly, this made the next step easier.

Winning hearts meant filling the Cinders of Dusk wouldn’t require persuasion. It would only require an invitation.