Moon's Labyrinths

Sungyoon was relaxing on the sofa . Laughing sounds erupted from the comedy show he was watching on the TV .

However, this brand of comedy wasn’t to his taste, so his expression didn’t change at all .

In the end, he raised the remote control and flipped through multiple channels . But, none of the programs caught his interest .

This time he pressed a different button, a shortcut to completely skip all the Korean programming . The TV brought up English speaking channels, and he saw the lineup of foreign programs .

The first channel to show up was a news channel . A man wearing a suit was talking about an incident that had occurred earlier today .

The event being talked about had occurred in Canada . This channel was probably being broadcasted the same country .

At that moment, someone came into the living room .

Tim had just finished showering and had a towel over his wet hair .

“Are you watching something interesting?”

“I haven’t found anything that caught my eyes . ”

Sungyoon continued to watch the news with bored eyes .

“Anyway, Emily is taking quite a long time . ”

Emily had gone in earlier than Sungyoon to take a shower, yet she still hadn’t come out .

Tim shrugged .

“She is a woman . ”

Sungyoon agreed . Tim had learned this through his sister, and Sungyoon had learned about it thanks to his ex-wife . Both of them were half-resigned when it came to how long it took for a woman to take a shower .

Tim sat down next to Sungyoon, and the two of them conversed as they watched the TV .

They were on the Moon . Jimin was starting to seriously expand her company, and she had decided her company needed a base on the moon . Therefore, she had purchased this small residential building .

Its size was small, but it was only small when compared to the headquarters of other companies . This place was a two-floor building with five bedrooms and two bathrooms . It was a large residential building .

Other small companies wouldn’t even dream about purchasing such a facility . Even if Jimin didn’t care about the profits for her company, this place was being paid by the income generated by the three Connectors . It was indirect proof that Sungyoon and the Ross siblings were exceptional Connectors .

“Did I take too much time?”

A good amount of time had passed since Sungyoon and Tim had started a conversation . Emily finally entered the living room with wet hair . Her hair gave off a fragrance, thanks to the shampoo she used .

Her hair was still wet, so it fell down like a waterfall . It added to her natural beauty .

If one could take a photo at this moment, one could use the photo as a magazine cover . The scene was that flawless .

However, neither Sungyoon nor Tim showed any interest in her .

“You took way too much time . ”

The only thing that came back was Tim’s disgruntled answer .

Emily pouted as she walked towards the sofa . She sat next to her brother, and occasionally injected herself into the conversation between Sungyoon and Tim .

The TV had basically become background noise in their conversation . However, one story soon caught the attention of all three .

“Is the princess already close to reaching the Great Labyrinth?”

Tim sounded interested as he mumbled to himself .

The news was showing a woman with fair blonde hair . Sungyoon knew this person well .

‘Princess Grace . ’

Grace Elizabeth Victoria Taylor .

She was the princess loved by the entire population of England . In the past, she had saved Sungyoon when Nicholas was threatening him .

Tim and Emily stopped talking, and they looked at the TV with interest .

‘Now that I think about it, Canada was part of the British Commonwealth . ’

He had no idea how the Canadians viewed the Royal family of England, but at the very least, the two siblings were clearly interested in Princess Grace .

Sungyoon turned his gaze back toward the TV .

The segment was about Princess Grace being close to acquiring the rights to enter the Great Labyrinth .

“She’s amazing . ”

Emily mumbled to herself .

“How long has it been since the princess started operating as a Connector in earnest?”

“I’m not sure . Hasn’t it been around two years?”

Tim put his head back against the headrest and made an approximation .

“As expected, she is really quick . ”

Emily’s voice showed admiration .

Grace was a member of the royal family, and that had a large role in her quick ascent .

Her position allowed her better opportunities to acquire Jewel rank Gems, the Gems one couldn’t buy even if one had money .

Even a lot of rich Connectors couldn’t acquire a Jewel rank Gem .

However, the princess received support from the royal family and the government of the UK, so she had a much easier time acquiring these Gems .

But this didn’t diminish her accomplishments . Despite being a member of the royal family, she wanted to enter the Great Labyrinth . She had set her goal and was moving forward toward accomplishing it .

Even if she acquired the Gems easily when compared to others, it didn’t mean that she hadn’t put in the work . And, she was capable of using these Gems . If she weren’t, it would have been like giving a pearl necklace to a pig .

That was why Sungyoon didn’t gainsay Tim and Emily’s opinion .

The siblings had risen in power around the same time as the princess . They had also received assistance as they had found the keepsakes of their mother . They had been fortunate in their own situation like Princess Grace .

While the two of them shared their opinions, Sungyoon quietly looked at the figure on the TV screen .

‘If I have the chance, I’ll repay my debt to her . ’

When Nicholas tried to pick a fight with him, she had interceded on his behalf . If she hadn’t done that, he didn’t know what mess would have occurred .

If a time ever came when Princess Grace needed his help, he would do his best to help her . Sungyoon quietly made that promise .

***

Tim deflected the ax aimed at him . It had been a powerful attack, but it was no threat to Tim .

The monster attacking Tim let out a roar . It was pissed off that its opponent was unharmed after receiving such an attack .

Moo-uhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This monster had two curved horns, and its face bore a striking resemblance to a cow . It still possessed the unique eyes of a monster, which were filled with murderous intent .

It was called the Minotaur .

In some ways, it was the most well-suited monster for the labyrinth .

“Fuck this cow-headed bastard!”

The Minotaur swung its ax once again . Tim deflected the attack and swung his own ax in response .

The surprise made Minotaur take a step back, and consequently, Tim’s attack didn’t land . However, Tim hadn’t swung his weapon with the intent to land the attack .

Hoo-ahhhhhp!

In no time, Sungyoon appeared behind the Minotaur . He then swung his ax using both hands .

Kwah-jeek!

His weapon dug into the Minotaur’s thigh, which was twice as large as the waist of a slim woman .

Ggoo-ahhhhhhhhh!

Until now, the monster was letting out sounds similar to a cow’s, but this roar sounded entirely different .

One could tell it was a scream arising from immense pain .

The Minotaur desperately swung its ax toward Sungyoon, but the man had already retreated . And in his place, Tim charged toward the Minotaur .

Kwah-jeek!

His ax was aimed at the Minotaur’s leg . The Minotaur once again let out of scream full of pain .

Sungyoon and Tim perfectly worked together as they harassed the Minotaur . The Minotaur was stronger than the Bigfoot, but it was on a similar level as the Ogre .

Although Sungyoon and Tim could solo it on their own, they were working together to cover for each other’s deficiencies . It meant the Minotaur had no chance of winning against them .

In the end, the monster fell .

Its corpse disappeared as light surrounded it . Sungyoon retrieved the moonstone left behind .

“Mr . Sungyoon’s labyrinth has the ideal difficulty . ”

Tim looked around Sungyoon’s labyrinth once again, and he spoke out in admiration . Tim’s labyrinth was too easy . Emily’s labyrinth was the exact opposite, too hard . And unlike both of their labyrinths, this one was just right for them .

Of course, the labyrinth seemed easy right now, but they hadn’t reached the last floor of the labyrinth yet . They all hoped to find a floor with the ideal difficulty .

Still, it was time for them to head out .

They had stayed here too long . The party still had enough supply, but they didn’t want to become mentally fatigued . Therefore, they made it a habit to occasionally go back to their Moon Surface Vehicle to rest .

They exited using the map Emily drew . She was more talented at drawing than Sungyoon, and they could exit faster thanks to the map . The ascent was faster than their descent .

Their Moon Surface Vehicle was parked in front of the labyrinth . However, it wasn’t the previous normal Moon Surface Vehicle .

It was a newly purchased one . In terms of size, it was twice as big as the old one, and the interior held better equipment .

The three of them got inside and moved toward the rear of the vehicle . A bed was placed on each of the walls, one for Sungyoon and the other for Tim .

Emily’s bed was placed further in the back, and it was separated by a partition .

They nodded to each other and went to their respective beds . Since they were in space with no air, they couldn’t talk . So they would either sleep early or do their own thing to pass the time .

Tim immediately fell asleep, and Emily picked up a book she had brought from earth .

Sungyoon took out Shinhae’s picture from his wallet and stared at it for a long time as he lay in his bed .

It happened at that moment .

Woooooooong!

Their beds vibrated . The three of them got up .

The vibration meant a call had arrived . It was impossible to use sound as an alert, so this was a workaround .

As the leader, Sungyoon got out of his bed . He turned on the power supply to the communication device and put on a space helmet . It would supply him with oxygen so that he could converse with the caller .

As soon as he made all the requisite preparations, the screen turned on, and a person appeared on the display .

- Thankfully, you were in your vehicle .

Jimin let out a small sigh of relief . Even if the vehicle was equipped with a communication device, it would be impossible to contact him if he was inside the labyrinth .

“Is something wrong?”

Sungyoon asked .

- A labyrinth near you is asking for help .

“Our help?”

- Yes . It seems something serious has occurred . I don’t know the exact details, but they must be desperate . They are rewarding Jewel Rank Gems, and the reward doesn’t include just one Gem . They are willing to give one to each person that comes to help . We are talking Jewel rank Gems . It is quite an appetizing commission . If the rescue is successful, each member of the party would get a Jewel rank Gem . It makes me wonder as to why the reward is so high .

“What is the request? Why would they put such a high reward on it?”

- The request came from labyrinth H-005 . It is Princess Grace’s labyrinth .

Sungyoon shut his mouth . He had no idea Princess Grace’s labyrinth was nearby .

- The mission is to rescue Princess Grace . The UK government directly sent out the SOS . They are trying to contact every Connector near that labyrinth . What do you want to do?

Jimin was careful with the question . She would go with whatever decision Sungyoon and the Ross siblings would make .

Sungyoon didn’t speak for a brief moment .

“I cannot make this decision on my own . I’ll contact you after I discuss this with the others . ”

- Understood .

Even as she said this, Jimin hesitated . She spoke once again .

- I don’t want you to feel like you have no choice but to do this . All three of you are doing well, and I don’t mind if your entrance into the Great Labyrinth becomes a bit delayed as a result . You don’t have to take on more danger .

Usually, she pushed Sungyoon to enter the Great Labyrinth even as she hated herself for it . So considering her past actions, this was a very surprising development . It was proof that a change was occurring within her .

“Understood . ”

He ended the call after saying that .

Sungyoon gestured the siblings to put on their helmets so that they could talk . The Ross siblings clumsily put on their helmets .

“What’s wrong?”

“A nearby labyrinth is asking for help . ”

Sungyoon calmly answered Tim’s question .

“The labyrinth asking for help is Princess Grace’s labyrinth . ”

The two of them looked shocked .

“It seems the UK government is directly asking the nearby Connectors to rescue her . If we manage to rescue her, they’ll give each of us a Jewel rank Gem . ”

Sungyoon leaned forward a little bit as he looked into their eyes .

“What should we do?”