I Became a Black Market Tycoon with an Inventory - Chapter 233

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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233 – Secret Passage
233.
Adrian stared at the passage stretching before him, his eyes widening with alarm.
The team members following behind him shared the same sense of bewilderment.
A passage completely submerged in water.
The water reached all the way to the ceiling.
It was an entirely unforeseen complication.
Yet it was hardly an impossibility.
This Secret Passage had been constructed ages ago.
Not with the precision of modern machinery and GPS,
carved in perfectly straight lines without deviation.
It wound around the terrain,
circumvented boulders,
and descended deeper whenever necessary.
This section was no different.
When the upper route became impassable,
the passage had been dug downward.
That entire section was now completely submerged.
Dark, stagnant water had claimed the passage entirely.
Adrian took a cautious step forward.
With each step, I could feel the water growing deeper.
The frigid water had already risen to my knees.
One more step, and it reached my thighs.
Whether this was water that had seeped in from the heavy rain days ago,
or a groundwater breach, I couldn’t determine.
The real problem was the length of the submerged passage.
I couldn’t gauge how far the flooded section extended.
I had no way of knowing how deep it was.
The passage descended sharply ahead,
completely filled with water.
I tried to estimate the distance by examining it,
even shining my flashlight through the passage,
but nothing could be confirmed.
Adrian knew of this passage,
but had never actually used it before.
It was meant for emergencies only.
And until now, no one had ever pursued Adrian this far.
I had never been hunted like this before.
That’s why I’d never used it.
To escape through the Secret Passage, I would have to traverse this dark, submerged water.
But there’s no way to know how long it stretches.
Whether there are pockets of breathable air in between remains a mystery.
We can’t simply charge ahead blindly.
I can’t ask anyone to stake their life on a reckless gambit.
“Who’s willing to scout it?”
Adrian asked, his gaze sweeping across the unit members.
His voice was quiet, delivered with measured calm.
Yet the weight of his words was terrifying.
He was asking them to breach that dark waterway,
to push through and survive it.
There was no guarantee of return.
He was essentially asking who among them would die.
No one answered.
The unknowable, pitch-black passage filled even these well-trained operatives with profound dread.
If they had proper equipment, perhaps it would be different,
but all they possessed were guns and flashlights.
They had no breathing apparatus whatsoever.
No one could step forward willingly.
If the submerged passage stretched even slightly longer than a single breath,
if there was nowhere to breathe in between, it meant certain death.
No one had the conviction to risk their life traversing that route.
“Is there no alternate path?”
One operative asked cautiously from behind.
Adrian didn’t respond.
He already knew.
There were no other options through this passage.
There was only one path.
And that path lay submerged beneath water.
Then, in that moment.
A faint light flickered from deep within the darkness ahead.
Barely perceptible.
Then the light multiplied.
One became two, two became three.
Footsteps echoed.
They were careful yet unhesitating strides.
Growing steadily closer.
Adrian’s eyes fixed in that direction.
“He’s here.”
Adrian exhaled the words with measured composure.
Yet his pupils trembled visibly.
It was a first.
An enemy with nowhere to run.
*******
We continued pushing through the darkness.
Checking for booby traps as we went.
Our pace had slowed somewhat,
but this was safer.
Still, we pressed forward.
Light flickered in the distance.
Only Adrian had entered this Underground Passage.
That light could only mean Adrian.
‘Got him.’
But I didn’t rush.
Accidents happen when you hurry.
It could be bait.
Slowly. Carefully.
I approached while scanning the surroundings more intently.
Yet the light neither vanished nor receded.
It remained fixed in place.
I found it strange.
Suspicious.
He should have fled further.
He should have run from me.
But he simply waited.
We exchanged glances and approached with caution.
When we arrived, they were nothing like I expected.
Guns lowered, sitting in relaxed postures.
Some leaned against the walls.
No combat stance.
They were resting.
And Adrian stood among them.
I wondered if this too was bait, another trick,
so I studied Adrian’s face carefully.
It was definitely the Adrian I’d met in Mauritius.
We didn’t advance further.
We faced each other from a measured distance.
Silence hung between us.
Adrian spoke first.
“You came?”
His voice was light, as if greeting an old friend.
I let out a quiet chuckle.
“A man about to die, and you’re talking big? You said I’d be finished if I got caught by you. You told me to hide well, that you’d find me. So how did you end up like this?”
“Heh heh. That’s right.”
Even in this situation, Adrian showed no sign of tension.
“So shall I finish you off now?”
“If I die, does everything end?”
Adrian’s eyes met mine directly.
“What?”
“Do you really think I’m finished?”
Adrian began playing with words.
“Whether you’re finished or not doesn’t matter to me. I’ll kill you, and if someone else comes, I’ll kill them too. That’s all there is to it.”
I cut the conversation short decisively.
I answered as if it were nothing.
Getting drawn into that would lead nowhere.
No matter what, Adrian dies by my hand today.
But Adrian continued speaking without regard.
“Phantom Grid is the problem. With that, anyone would have no choice but to act like me, right? I’m not the first, and I won’t be the last.”
His voice was composed and relaxed, as if he were counseling me.
It was the same demeanor I’d seen in Mauritius.
That expression was utterly repulsive to me.
“You talk too much for a thief. So when are you going to die?”
“I’ll teach you how to use Phantom Grid effectively. How about the selling methods too? Doesn’t that sound tempting?”
“What? You really don’t listen to me. I said I don’t need that pittance.”
“Keke. Bravado. Well, a man needs that much bluster. I like it.”
“Our Adrian sure has a long tongue. Are you afraid of dying? Getting cold feet?”
“How about this? If you let me live, I’ll give you appropriate compensation.”
“Compensation? I just said I don’t need money.”
“Compensation doesn’t have to be monetary. I offer money because I can’t give what you want, but I can give you what you actually need.”
“What I actually need…”
“I’ll protect you. I’ll ensure you can conduct business without worry, prevent conflicts, and if there’s war, I’ll give you partnership so you can join in. What do you think? Not bad, right?”
“Protect me… Those are shameless words for someone cornered and about to die. It looks pathetic, doesn’t it?”
“I’ll also give you some of Parallax’s shares. If we divide our shares with each other, wouldn’t that be proof we’ve become one? With the two of us, I think we could dream bigger dreams. Even conquering the world isn’t just a dream.”
Adrian spoke with confidence.
“If I have that, will Dennis come back? If I conquer the world, will Dennis come back?”
Adrian fell silent at my words.
“… It’s in the past anyway. And I’m telling you again—we didn’t kill him.”
I let out a quiet laugh.
“So if I push you off a cliff, that wouldn’t be my fault either? You’re the one who fell.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
He seemed to realize that no persuasion or negotiation would work.
“···.”
“And if I kill you and take Parallax for myself, I don’t see why I should bother forming a partnership with you. Stop clinging to this life and just disappear.”
“I felt it back then too, but you really are someone who doesn’t listen to reason.”
Adrian spoke while carefully shifting his body.
He took a step backward.
Bang.
A gunshot rang out.
Adrian’s single step back.
It was a movement to shield himself and prepare to fire.
At the same moment, he issued a quiet command to the Parallax operatives.
“Attack.”
The seated operatives began firing at Adrian’s command.
Bang! Bang bang!
They opened fire toward us.
We took cover and returned fire.
Bang bang!! Bang bang bang!!!
Gunfire echoed through the narrow space.
Sparks flashed, and bullets ricocheted off the walls.
This was the worst possible location for an engagement.
Cramped, close, and dark.
I wanted nothing more than to unleash a single Aeris blast,
but using it here risked collapsing the passage,
and given the weapon’s nature of stripping oxygen, we’d suffer casualties too.
Here, we had only guns and grenades.
.
.
.
In the meantime.
Adrian was already moving.
The moment the firefight began,
he was the first to abandon his position.
He didn’t even look back.
Splash.
He entered the water-submerged passage.
Cold water engulfed Adrian’s legs.
But he couldn’t stop.
No matter how I thought about it, this was the only way to survive this.
That man couldn’t be persuaded no matter what.
Money didn’t work, nor did honor.
He showed no interest in making any deal.
So there’s only one option left: escape.
While my subordinates hold back Alex,
I slip into the submerged passage.
I know it won’t be easy.
But this is the only way.
Staying here means death.
I steadied my breathing slowly.
I drew in long, deep breaths.
And once more.
I packed my lungs full of air, layer upon layer, until they were completely filled.
It was a breathing technique I’d learned long ago.
I pushed my body into the water.
Silently, slowly, sinking as deep as possible.
No one could see me escape.
So carefully.
The water was freezing.
Ice-cold water enveloped my entire body.
My breath caught reflexively.
Light vanished.
Complete darkness unfolded.
Only the flashlight in my hand cast a faint glow ahead.
But.
Underwater is far different from imagination.
Depth perception collapses, direction blurs.
Up and down become confused, senses waver.
My lungs began to tighten gradually.
My breathing quickened.
It’s still manageable.
Still.
I clenched my teeth,
and reached my arms into the darkness.
.
.
.
“Clear.”
The brief firefight ended.
A few grenades.
Followed by gunfire, and the Parallax operatives fell without managing a proper counterattack.
“Check the perimeter. And find Adrian.”
I swept the flashlight across every corner,
Adrian was nowhere to be found.
There was nowhere to hide.
My gaze naturally drifted toward the end of the passage.
Dark, still water.
If Adrian had vanished, it could only be here.
I walked toward the water.
The frigid water crept up my legs from below.
Far colder than I’d imagined.
“He went in here?”
“It appears so.”
Allen, standing beside me, answered.
“How long do you think this passage is?”
“I have no way of knowing.”
Allen and the operatives had no sense of it either.
“Tian Zihao. Can you confirm how long this is, or where it leads?”
“No. We have no information on that.”
We’d captured Adrian’s team,
but Adrian himself was gone.
He’d likely escaped through the water.
I had to catch him.
If he slipped away tonight, he’d burrow even deeper into hiding.
I couldn’t predict what he’d do next.
I had to capture him—no exceptions.
There was no time to deliberate.
“Do we have rope?”
An operative rummaged through his pack and produced a climbing rope.
It looked to be about thirty meters.
I gripped one end and tied it around my waist.
Then I handed the other end to Allen.
“I’m going.”
“I’ll go instead.”
Allen offered.
“I want to take a swim. Let me handle it.”
I smiled as I answered Allen.
“Don’t come in after me. Under no circumstances. The moment I pull the rope, haul me up immediately.”
“Understood.”
“If I don’t surface within two minutes, pull me up right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
I checked the knot one more time,
then drew in a deep breath.
Splash.
I plunged into the water.
The frigid current enveloped my entire body, biting deep.
It was not merely a sting against my skin—it was a searing pain that carved through flesh itself.
My breath caught in my throat.
Light vanished.
Only the faint beam of the flashlight remained.
A narrow passage stretched ahead.
The ceiling hung low.
Water filled it completely.
The width made swimming nearly impossible.
I pressed my palms against the walls, propelling myself forward.
Narrow, suffocating, and bitterly cold.
My muscles began to seize.
My legs grew heavy, and my lungs constricted.
I had no sense of how far I had come.
I could only rely on the rope tied around my waist.
Adrian was nowhere to be seen.
Had he escaped?
Had I arrived too late?
Thoughts multiplied.
And with them, my body began to fail.
Every fiber screamed that oxygen was running out.
I desperately wanted to breathe.
Then.
Something drifted ahead in the darkness.
My eyes widened.
It was Adrian.
He was motionless.
He had not escaped this passage.
I seized Adrian.
He was cold.
Limp.
Already unconscious.
I yanked hard on the rope around my waist.
Whether Allen received my signal,
the rope began to pull.
We were dragged upward at a rapid pace.
My body was hauled through the water.
My vision blurred.
I felt like I was losing consciousness.
But I didn’t let go of Adrian.
Never.
I tightened my grip.
Just as I thought I would black out, light pierced through the darkness.
I saw Allen.
“Gahhhhh!!!!”
We burst through the water’s surface.
I expelled the water from my lungs.
I gasped for air like a madman.
Wheeze. Wheeze, wheeze.
Even as I barely caught my breath, I asked about Adrian’s condition.
“Adrian?”
“He’s in cardiac arrest.”
I spoke without even steadying my breathing.
“Do CPR.”
“Sir?”
Allen hesitated for a moment.
“Perform CPR.”
“… You mean to save him?”
“Yes. Save him.”
I answered curtly and decisively.
Allen was bewildered by my command.
I had come here to kill Adrian.
Adrian was dead.
Everything was over.
Yet now I was ordering him to be revived.
Even in this contradictory situation, Allen didn’t hesitate.
He simply began CPR on Adrian as instructed.
He removed Adrian’s clothes.
His body temperature had dropped dangerously.
The water had been far too cold.
If left as is, he would develop hypothermia.
He stripped away the wet garments and wiped away the frigid water.
All the while, he continued performing CPR.
The Obsidian Unit took turns administering chest compressions and rescue breaths.
“Cough!!”
Adrian’s body convulsed.
Adrian’s eyes snapped open as he expelled water.
But his gaze was unfocused.
Even as I stood before him, Adrian seemed unable to grasp the situation properly.
He appeared confused about where he was,
about who I was.
Only after considerable time had passed
did Adrian regain consciousness.
“… Did you save me?”
“Didn’t I?”
“Why?”
Adrian asked coldly.
“To kill you.”
“What?”
Adrian’s expression twisted.
“You can’t die like that. I’m going to kill you with my own hands. At the very least, you should know who it was that killed you.”
I drew my blade.
Then I drove it into Adrian’s right ribcage.
Adrian’s body convulsed violently.
Barely conscious, Adrian could not resist my blade.
He could only accept it as it came.
The blade I thrust pierced a hole in the lower lobe of Adrian’s lung.
Pshhh.
The sound of escaping air filled the silence.
A short gasp escaped Adrian’s lips.
“Hack…”
I did not withdraw the blade.
That way, he would last longer.
That way, the suffering would persist longer.
That is the nature of the lungs.
When a hole opens in the lung, air escapes and compresses it.
The more one tries to breathe, the more the lung collapses.
Breath comes, but oxygen does not.
Helplessness and despair linger for an extended time.
He would die feeling as though he were drowning in water.
The more he endures, the greater his agony becomes.
“If I pierced your heart, it would end far too quickly. Die here and reflect on your life for a long time. That’s my gift to you.”
“Gasp… gasp…”
Adrian’s breathing grew increasingly ragged.
“We’ll be leaving now. Reflect here alone. You have at most two hours to do so. Farewell.”
We left those words behind and retraced our steps.
Adrian could not reach for us as we departed.
He could not even extend his hand.
All I could do was lie there and barely breathe.
All I could do was watch them leave with eyes full of regret.
Adrian’s vision held nothing but darkness.
He heard nothing at all.
He was utterly alone.
Built centuries ago.
He lay in a Secret Passage that no one used anymore.
There was no way to call for rescue.
There was no possibility of surviving here.
Adrian grasped the blade lodged between his ribs with trembling hands.
And pulled it out.
A wet sound.
Air rushed out faster.
His breathing grew more ragged.
“Hah… gasp…”
He gathered what strength remained through harsh, labored breaths.
I cannot die like this.
He gripped the blade again.
And brought it to his own neck.
To the point where the carotid artery lay.
There was no hesitation.
A dull thud.
Blood erupted.
At least he would not die by Alex’s hand.
Adrian wanted to decide his own death himself.
It was his final dignity.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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