Bullish in Another World: Isekai Trading for Survival

Chapter Seventeen: Into the Depths

Chapter Seventeen: Into the Depths

The market district bustled as if nothing was wrong, the usual flow of traders, buyers, and merchants moving like clockwork. But beneath the surface, Mia could feel the undercurrent of tension, like the entire city was holding its breath. It felt surreal, knowing that at any moment, the Flow could erupt, tearing everything apart.

Mia and Logan moved through the crowd with purpose, their destination clear: the old entrance to the tunnels beneath the market. It had taken some digging—both literal and figurative—but Valen’s map had shown them where the forgotten access point lay, hidden behind a rundown storage building on the outskirts of the market.

“You sure this is it?” Logan asked, glancing around skeptically. The building looked like it hadn’t been touched in years, its wooden beams rotting and its windows covered in dust.

Mia nodded. “This is where the old tunnels connect to the city’s main conduit. It has to be here.”

Logan gave her a dubious look but didn’t argue. They approached the side of the building, where the map had indicated a concealed door. Mia ran her fingers along the wall, searching for the mechanism Valen had described.

“Here,” she muttered, feeling the slight indent of a hidden latch. With a soft click, the wall shifted, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.

Logan peered down into the abyss. “Great. Creepy tunnels under the city. Nothing ever goes wrong in places like this.”

Mia smirked despite the weight of the situation. “Think of it as an adventure.”

Logan snorted. “Adventure? This feels more like a death trap.”

Still, he followed Mia down the stairs, his knife in hand, ready for whatever waited below. The air grew colder the deeper they went, the sound of the bustling market fading until there was only the echo of their footsteps against the stone.

At the bottom of the stairs, the narrow passage opened up into a vast tunnel system, lined with old, cracked stones. Faintly glowing veins of the Flow pulsed along the walls, casting an eerie light over the damp, cavernous space.

Mia’s heart pounded as they ventured deeper. She could feel the Flow intensifying the further they went, the energy thick and almost oppressive. It was clear that they were getting closer to the heart of the surge.

“Do you hear that?” Logan whispered, his voice barely more than a breath.

Mia listened carefully, and sure enough, she could hear the faint hum of machinery in the distance, accompanied by the rhythmic thrum of magic being manipulated. The Consortium was here, working beneath the city like parasites feeding off the Flow.

“Stay close,” Mia murmured, her hand brushing against the stabilizing crystal in her satchel. It pulsed faintly with energy, a comforting reminder that they had a chance to stop this, even if it was a slim one.

As they rounded a corner, they spotted the source of the sound—a large, open chamber at the end of the tunnel. Inside, several figures in dark robes moved about, their hands raised as they channeled the Flow into a massive, glowing conduit at the center of the room. The air crackled with energy, the sheer power of the magic making Mia’s skin tingle.

“We’re too late,” Logan whispered. “They’ve already started.”

Mia’s mind raced. The conduit was pulsing with the Flow, its energy swirling faster and faster, like a storm gathering strength. If they didn’t act soon, the surge would rip through the city.

“We can still stop it,” Mia said, her voice firm. “We just need to get to the center of the conduit and plant the stabilizer.”

Logan glanced at the figures moving around the room. “Yeah, and how are we supposed to get past them?”