2026-11-03 16:38:04Viper groaned in agony clutching his crushed wrist against his chest while staring up at Gideon with terror.
"Go back to Big Tiger," Gideon said, leaning down until his eyes were inches from Viper's face. "Tell him if he sends another thug to Floor 48 before the first of the month, I won't just break wrists. I'll throw them down the elevator shaft."
"I... I'll tell him! I swear!" Viper sobbed, nodding frantically.
Gideon lifted his boot. "Get out."
The remaining conscious thug dragged his knocked-out partner and the weeping Viper back into the elevator cab, frantically pressing the button for the lobby.
The elevator doors closed, leaving the hallway silent once again.
Mark stood by his welding rig, staring at his brother with wide eyes. "Gideon... you just broke a loan shark's wrist with one hand. Where did you learn that?"
Gideon walked back to his water bottle and took a slow sip.
"When you realize the world is ending, Mark," Gideon said calmly, "you stop letting parasites touch your shirt."
[PING!]
A translucent golden panel flashed quietly in Gideon's vision.
[System Alert: Host has successfully defended base territory from hostile invaders!]
[Domain Security Threat Neutralized!]
[Reward Granted: Solar Energy Reserve +200 Points!]
[Reward Granted: Unlocked System Blueprint: Solar Light Cannon (Level 1)!]
Gideon closed the panel with a flick of his eyes and a cold, dangerous smile spread across his face.
"Let's finish welding the vault doors, Mark," Gideon said, looking down the dark corridor. "We have five days left."
Mark worked through the night without stopping.
By seven o'clock the following morning, both 5-inch thick titanium vault doors on Floor 48 were fully welded into the structural load-bearing frames.
Heavy steel crossbars hung beside the handles... ready to seal the top three floors from the rest of the building.
Gideon walked out onto Floor 49, carrying a steaming mug of hot black coffee.
Floor 49 had originally been an open-plan corporate trading room.
Now, three delivery trucks had dumped thousands of hydroponic growing trays, commercial grow lights, automated irrigation pipes and tons of nutrient-rich soil across the polished floor.
Mark stepped out of the stairwell, wiping grease off his forehead with a rag.
"The vault doors on Floor 48 are locked and braced, Gideon," Mark said, leaning against a concrete pillar. "Even if someone brought an industrial acetylene torch up those stairs, it would take them eight hours of continuous cutting to burn through one door."
"Good," Gideon said, handing Mark a hot cup of coffee. "Now we start on Floor 49."
Mark looked at the thousands of hydroponic trays and grow light rigs covering the floor. "Hydroponics? Gideon, we have tons of canned meat and rice stored downstairs. Why do we need an indoor farm?"
Gideon walked over to a rack of high-intensity UV grow lights, running his hand over the aluminum casing.
"Canned food runs out eventually Mark," Gideon said calmly. "And when the sun goes dark, fresh food will be more valuable than gold. In a world minus forty degrees, whoever controls fresh crops controls human survival."
Mark stared at his brother for two seconds before nodding firmly. "Tell me how to route the power lines."
Gideon pulled up his God of Light System interface with a subtle glance.
[PING!]
[God of Light System Interface Active]
[Territory: Metro Commercial Center (Floors 48, 49 & 50)]
[System Function Unlocked: Solar Hydro-Harvest Module!]
[Effect: Converts System Solar Energy into accelerated photosynthesis. Increases crop growth speed by 500% within base domain!]
Gideon closed the panel, pointing toward the central ceiling conduits.
"Connect the UV grow lights directly to the secondary solar battery array on the roof," Gideon instructed. "Run the automated irrigation lines from our primary ten-thousand-gallon water tanks in the mechanical room."
For the next four hours, Gideon and Mark worked together.
Mark used his plasma torch to mount steel framing along the ceiling, securing hundreds of UV grow light arrays above the hydroponic racks.
Gideon opened boxes of high-yield crop seeds—fresh tomatoes, strawberries, spinach, cucumbers and dwarf wheat—planting them directly into the nutrient trays.
By two o'clock in the afternoon, Floor 49 was completely transformed.
Three hundred rows of hydroponic trays stretched across the entire sixty-thousand-square-foot floor.
Gideon walked over to the main power breaker on the wall and flipped the iron switch.
[CLICK!]
Golden light flooded the entire floor.
Hundreds of high-intensity UV grow light arrays flared to life simultaneously, casting a warm, golden glow over every row of soil.
The temperature on Floor 49 rose instantly to a comfortable twenty-four degrees.
[PING!]
A golden-blue holographic panel materialized in mid-air in front of Gideon.
[System Alert: Base Domain Upgrade Detected!]
[Hydro-Farm Construction Complete!]
[Base Status Updated: Floors 48, 49 & 50 officially designated as The Sun Temple!]
[Domain Buff Active: Crop growth cycles reduced from months to hours!]
[Domain Security Rating: 85% (Tier 1 Solar Fortress)]
Mark stepped up beside Gideon, shading his eyes from thegolden light filling the room.
The warmth radiating off the UV lamps felt like standing under a summer sun.
"It feels like... standing in a summer garden," Mark muttered, looking around in awe. "You can't even tell we're inside a skyscraper."
Gideon looked at the glowing golden field of hydroponic trays and a cold, satisfied smile spread across his face.
"This is the Sun Temple, Mark," Gideon said softly, looking out the reinforced bulletproof window at the city below. "Down there, they're preparing for business galas and property deals. Up here, we are preparing to rule."
Before Mark could reply, Gideon’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was an automated news alert from the Metro City Daily network.
[Local News: Masterson Property Group hosts massive $10M development gala at the Grand Hyatt tonight. Former model Jessica seen on the arm of CEO Masterson.]
Gideon stared at the news headline and his eyes flash with a cold glint.
He deleted the notification with a swipe of his thumb and put the phone back in his pocket.
"Masterson and Jessica are celebrating tonight," Mark noted, having caught a glimpse of the screen.
"Let them celebrate," Gideon said, turning his back on the window. "They have four days left to enjoy their wine."
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
10
The morning of October 31st arrived with blinding, clear sunshine.Weather stations across Metro City broadcasted glowing forecasts. The local news anchors smiled warmly on screen, promising a week of unseasonably warm weather, clear blue skies and twenty-five-degree sunshine.Down on the streets, people walked in shorts and light t-shirts.Cafes opened their outdoor patios, office workers bought iced lattes and families planned weekend trips to the beach.Nobody noticed the faint, unnatural dark ring flickering around the outer edge of the sun. Nobody questioned why the stray dogs in the alleyways stopped barking, hiding deep beneath cars and concrete steps with their ears pinned back.Forty floors above the bustling streets, the Sun Temple was silent and ready.Gideon stood in the center of Floor 49, wearing a short-sleeve shirt and black pants.Around him, three hundred rows of hydroponic trays glowed under the warm, golden light of the UV grow lamps. The green leaves of spinach
9
The grand banquet hall on Floor 10 of Metro Commercial Center was filled with bright crystal chandeliers and the clinking of champagne glasses.Over fifty wealthy investors, property developers and corporate executives walked across the plush red carpet in expensive tuxedos and silk gowns.Soft classical music played over the speakers while waiters in black waistcoats carried trays of imported wine and caviar.At the center of the hall stood Masterson.He wore a custom black silk suit, a gold watch glinting on his wrist and a fat Cuban cigar held loosely between his fingers.Beside him stood Jessica.She wore a backless white silk dress—paid for with Masterson’s credit card—and held a crystal glass of expensive champagne in her manicured hand. Her smile was bright and parasitic as she leaned her body close to Masterson's side."To the future of Metro Tower Expansion!" a wealthy investor in a gray suit toasted, raising his glass. "Masterson, you really pulled off a miracle securing th
8
Viper groaned in agony clutching his crushed wrist against his chest while staring up at Gideon with terror."Go back to Big Tiger," Gideon said, leaning down until his eyes were inches from Viper's face. "Tell him if he sends another thug to Floor 48 before the first of the month, I won't just break wrists. I'll throw them down the elevator shaft.""I... I'll tell him! I swear!" Viper sobbed, nodding frantically.Gideon lifted his boot. "Get out."The remaining conscious thug dragged his knocked-out partner and the weeping Viper back into the elevator cab, frantically pressing the button for the lobby.The elevator doors closed, leaving the hallway silent once again.Mark stood by his welding rig, staring at his brother with wide eyes. "Gideon... you just broke a loan shark's wrist with one hand. Where did you learn that?"Gideon walked back to his water bottle and took a slow sip."When you realize the world is ending, Mark," Gideon said calmly, "you stop letting parasites touch you
7
"I need two hundred thousand dollars worth of broad-spectrum antibiotics, surgical bandages, painkillers, burn ointments and antiseptic alcohol," Gideon said directly. "Deliver them to the loading bay at Metro Commercial Center by three o'clock.""Two hundred thousand in medical supplies? Sir, do you have a hospital license?""I'm paying cash upfront with a thirty percent private clinic surcharge," Gideon said coldly. "Do you want the sale or not?""Delivery will arrive at two-thirty sir," the clerk replied immediately.Gideon hung up, turning his car back toward Metro Commercial Center.As he drove through the city streets, he looked at his phone screen.[Current Available Balance: $1,245,800.00]He had spent over four million dollars in less than six hours.His high-altitude base lease was secured, his brother was on site, his subspace was filled with food and bulk construction materials were arriving at his tower.Gideon pulled into the underground loading bay of Metro Commercial C
6
Stacks of crisp hundred-dollar bills filled the leather interior."Five hundred thousand dollars," Gideon said, leaning against the truck door. "Consider it your signing bonus."Mark swallowed hard looking at Gideon with trembling eyes. "Gideon... what is going on? Is someone after you? Why do you need a fortress?"Gideon looked up at the sunny sky above the industrial district, his golden glint flashing in his eyes."The sun is going dark in six days Mark," Gideon said, his voice dropping low. "The temperature will drop to minus forty, and monsters will eat anyone standing in the dark. We are building the Sun Temple at the top of Metro Commercial Center. And we are going to rule from above."Mark looked at the cash, looked at his crushed former bosses in the dirt and then looked at his brother.He closed the briefcase with a sharp snap and started the truck engine."Tell me where to weld brother," Mark said, a fierce grin appearing on his face. "And I'll build you a fortress that not
5
"I need you, Mark," Gideon said straight to the point. "Drop your tools, pack your welding gear, load your truck. I will come for you right now."Mark paused on the line. "What? Right now? Gideon, I'm in the middle of a contract job for an auto shop—""Cancel the job," Gideon said, his tone absolute. "I just leased the top three floors of the central tower. I need the best welder in Metro City to turn it into an impenetrable steel vault. I'm paying you five hundred thousand dollars cash, and you start today."Silence hung over the line for three seconds."Five hundred thousand?" Mark gasped. "Gideon, are you crazy? What are you building up there?""I'm building a sanctuary," Gideon said, staring at his reflection in the mirror walls of the elevator. "The world is changing in six days, Mark. Trust me."Mark let out a heavy breath through the speaker. "You're my brother. If you say it's important, I'm waiting for you."Gideon hung up and a cold, dark spark glow in his eyes as he reached
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