Chapter 44: Breaking In

Diablo walked in front of me, and I followed behind him.

The tunnel wasn’t that wide.

Two people could walk side by side, but barely, so Diablo suggested he should take the lead, and I agreed.

Other than our footsteps, the only sound was water dripping somewhere ahead.

Neither of us spoke as we continued deeper into the tunnel.

Just as I was about to take another step, Diablo suddenly raised his hand, forcing me to stop immediately.

Without saying a word, he pointed toward the ground.

At first, I didn’t notice anything.

After looking carefully, I finally saw it.

A thin steel wire stretched across the tunnel.

It blended in so well with the surroundings that I would’ve walked straight into it if Diablo hadn’t stopped me.

Following the wire with my eyes, I found two grenades fixed against the walls.

I wasn’t surprised.

Klaue was one of the biggest illegal weapons dealers in the world.

If there was one thing he wasn’t short on, it was explosives.

The explosion itself wasn’t the problem.

The sound was.

One blast inside this tunnel would echo through the entire passage and alert everyone inside the base that someone had entered through the secret exit.

Diablo carefully stepped over the wire before signalling me to follow.

I slowly lifted my leg and crossed it as well.

If Diablo hadn’t noticed it, I probably would’ve charged straight ahead without thinking.

That would’ve been a pretty stupid way to die.

After that, I started paying much closer attention to the ground.

If there was one trap, there was no way this was the only one.

Our pace slowed considerably as both of us carefully watched every step.

A few minutes later, something finally caught my eye.

The sand covering the tunnel floor looked…

off.

Most of it was flat, but a few patches were slightly uneven, as if someone had buried something before covering it up again.

I crouched down and brushed away some of the sand with my glove.

A circular metal plate slowly came into view.

“…Landmines.”

I stood back up and let out a quiet breath.

Looks like this guy really didn’t trust anyone.

Then again, it made sense.

A normal person might only use a hidden tunnel as an emergency escape route, but Klaue wasn’t normal.

He had spent years dealing on the black market and had made enemies all over the world.

If someone actually found this tunnel, they definitely weren’t coming here for a friendly chat.

As we continued walking, another thought crossed my mind.

Could there be cameras inside the tunnel?

I instinctively glanced around, checking the walls and ceiling for anything that looked out of place.

After a few moments, I didn’t find anything.

That didn’t mean there weren’t any.

Still, the more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed.

This was supposed to be Klaue’s last escape route.

If he ever had to flee through here himself, relying on cameras or other electronics would only create another point of failure.

A power outage or a system malfunction at the wrong moment could turn his escape route into a death trap.

Tripwires, buried mines, and a hidden entrance were far more reliable.

They didn’t need electricity.

They just needed one careless idiot.

Thankfully, I wasn’t planning on becoming one today.

Roughly five minutes later, the tunnel finally came to an end.

Waiting for us was a thick reinforced steel door.

I exchanged a glance with Diablo before walking toward it.

Looks like we’ve finally made it.

I had already prepared for this.

Reaching into my storage space, I took out a syringe filled with concentrated nitric acid.

Kneeling in front of the steel door, I injected it into the keyhole before moving to the electronic panel beside it and doing the same.

The acid wasn’t meant to melt through the door.

I only needed it to damage the delicate components inside the lock and control circuit.

After that, both Diablo and I stepped back and waited.

Nearly five minutes passed before I walked up to the door again.

Placing both hands on the handle, I slowly applied force.

At first, nothing happened.

Then I put more strength behind the push.

A metallic click echoed through the tunnel, followed by the sound of the damaged locking mechanism giving way.

Before opening it any further, I reached into my storage space and took out two rifles.

Keeping one for myself, I handed the other to Diablo.

He accepted it without a word before checking the magazine and chambering a round.

Only then did I slowly push the heavy steel door inward, opening it just enough for us to slip inside.

Diablo entered first while I covered him from behind with my AS VAL.

The room beyond was empty.

Wooden crates were stacked neatly against the walls, and metal shelves held different kinds of weapons, ammunition, and spare parts.

It looked more like a warehouse than the actual base.

Just as I lowered my rifle slightly, my eyes caught something attached to the ceiling.

A security camera.

I immediately looked around and spotted another one in the opposite corner.

So much for staying hidden.

If someone was watching the security monitors, they already knew we were here.

There was no point trying to move silently anymore.

The longer we wasted, the more time Klaue’s men had to prepare.

I quickly looked around the corridor before turning to Diablo.

“You take the lower floor. I’ll search this one. If neither of us finds Klaue, we’ll meet back here before moving together.”

Diablo gave a silent nod before heading toward the staircase leading downstairs.

Tightening my grip on the AS VAL, I began clearing the rooms one by one.

At this point, speed mattered far more than stealth.

The first few rooms I checked were empty.

Most of them were filled with wooden crates, spare weapon parts, and stacks of ammunition waiting to be shipped.

A couple looked like offices, but there wasn’t a single person inside.

I wasn’t surprised.

According to the plan, the villagers should’ve already started fighting with Klaue’s men.

He had probably ordered most of his forces to reinforce the perimeter, leaving only a handful behind to protect him.

Now all I had to do was find Klaue before the situation outside escalated.

With that in mind, I moved through the corridor, checking each room before advancing to the next.

Just as I was about to turn the next corner, faint voices reached my ears.

I immediately stopped.

Someone was talking.

The voices were coming from a room at the end of the hallway.

I slowed my breathing and tightened my grip around the AS VAL before silently making my way toward the door.

Once I reached it, I slowly crouched down and looked through the small gap beneath the door.

The moment I looked through the gap, I saw the man standing in the middle of the room.

Found you.

…………..

Author’s Note:

The next major addition to Chris’s team will be another Primordial Demon.

I’ve created a Ptreon poll, and everyone can vote—you don’t need to be a paid member to participate.

Cast your vote and let me know who you’d like to see summoned next.

I’m looking forward to seeing which Primordial wins!