Moon's Labyrinths

The Connectors saw that the Super Golems had started behaving in an odd way .

Until now, the battles were somewhat structured as both sides attacked and defended against each other . However, it now seemed that the Super Golems had lost their minds . They heedlessly charged toward the Connectors .

As a result, all the attacks sent toward the Super Golems struck home and their bodies became wound-ridden . However, the Super Golems didn’t stop . One could actually feel their resolve . It was as if the Super Golems had a target they had to kill at all costs .

And this target was Sungyoon .

The Connectors were taken aback . The four Super Golems deeply pushed the Connectors’ shield wall in a bid to create a crack . Although they bent the Connectors’ frontline, it was still intact .

However, a small opening soon appeared, and a Super Golem snuck through and extended its arm toward Sungyoon .

Ssssk!

Its arm transformed into a slim pike . The other veteran Connectors could’ve blocked the attack, but Sungyoon didn’t have the ability to . Yet, he slightly moved his head and swung his halberd .

The ax blade of the halberd effortlessly cut through the arm of the Super Golem . Sungyoon then took three steps forward .

After losing one of its arms, the Super Golem tried to attack once more . However, from Sungyoon’s perspective, his opponent’s arms were moving very slowly .

Sungyoon casually swung the halberd in an upward direction . The spear blade of the halberd sliced apart the Super Golem’s body as if it were was slicing through tofu . The halberd entered the thigh of the Golem, sliced through the body, and exited while creating a deep furrow in its face . This scene surprised everyone .

As soon as the halberd sliced through the Super Golem, the Connectors had closed the gap within the shield wall . All the remaining Super Golems just pounded on the shields . They wanted to get past the shield wall and attack Sungyoon .

However, Sungyoon was no pushover . He came close to the shield wall and nonchalantly stabbed with his halberd .

The spear blade of his halberd pierced through the forehead of a Super Golem . Sungyoon immediately swung the halberd to the side, and the Super Golem’s head exploded .

It appeared as though Sungyoon was high on drugs . After the ax blade had decapitated the head of one of the Super Golem, Sungyoon stabbed the next Super Golem with the spear blade . Then, he hooked the shoulder of another Super Golem using the hook of the halberd .

It was almost unbelievable that these were the same Super Golems that the Connectors here were having so much trouble with . Sungyoon continued attacking the Super Golems and wounded them so heavily that other Connectors didn’t have to wait for the Super Golems to weaken .

The Connectors swarmed over the Super Golems and destroyed them .

A strange mood permeated the atmosphere after the Connectors had killed all the Golems . Everyone looked at Sungyoon as if he were some strange creature . However, their looks didn’t have an iota of mistrust . They had already heard about Sungyoon killing a Super Golem before in Armstrong .

At that time, they had just laughed it off . However, it seemed the report was true .

They wanted to ask questions, but they were on the surface of the Moon . Moreover, Sungyoon had his head down as he clutched at his heart .

The Connectors looked at each other . But just as they wondered if they should approach him, more Golems appeared out of the labyrinth . The Connectors decided to destroy the Golems first . They reformed their formation and fought the Golems once again .

However, Sungyoon couldn’t join them . As his senses returned to reality, he felt excruciating pain . He felt as if his heart would be ripped apart .

But he could still hear the sound of his heart beating .

***

“Are you really ok?”

Slim fingers brushed Sungyoon’s forehead . The eyes in front of him looked like twin blue lakes . She was worried about him, so ripples were all over the blue lakes .

“I’m fine . ”

Sungyoon gently put down Chelsea’s hand . However, Chelsea still looked anxious and worried .

Russell approached them .

“Was it the same as last time?”

“Yes, the same sensation . The only difference was the fact that I could maintain it longer, and I didn’t faint at the end . Moreover, this time, the pain I felt after it ended was lesser . ”

“Are you perhaps getting used to it?”

Russell mumbled . Sungyoon thought it was a good theory .

After the Golems had stopped appearing, the Connectors had re-entered the labyrinth like before . However, the mood amongst the group was different this time .

In the past, they had called Sungyoon the Knight . They had used that moniker in a teasing way, but they also held some admiration toward him . However, they had treated him like the little brother of the group . This time, they had seen a completely different side of Sungyoon . When they were finished with the Golem eradication, the Connectors had called the Director and Chelsea to come inside the labyrinth .

The people who were close to Sungyoon stood around him . Others gave the group some space .

Chelsea looked very worried . The Director was worried too, but it seemed he couldn’t hide his nature as a researcher, as his face showed a hint of curiosity . Sungyoon decided to pretend he didn’t see it .

Russell stroked his mustache with a serious expression on his face . Bruce looked a little bit out of it . Then there was Hyunwoo, a master at maintaining an expressionless face . He was desperately trying to hide his emotions .

“So you never felt this sensation when you were fighting other monsters?”

“No . ”

“Hey, what do you mean by sensation? Do you know something about this?”

Bruce joined in on the conversation .

“We don’t know much about it . We just know that a similar symptom shows up amongst 1st Gens . Moreover, it’s specific to 1st Gens who are capable of entering the Great Labyrinth . ”

‘That’s right . Didn’t they say he was 1st Gen?’

Sungyoon hadn’t shown much of his presence in the mission up until this point, so Bruce had forgotten the fact that Sungyoon was a 1st Gen .

“... Hey, Woo . ”

Russell asked Sungyoon .

“Why don’t you try fighting the Golems once again?”

“What did you just say?”

Chelsea reacted faster than Sungyoon . Her voice was sharp, and her true emotions were on display .

“We have to get him to a hospital first! How can you even think about putting him back into the battlefield?”

Russell looked down at Chelsea . Chelsea flinched for a moment when she faced one of the strongest Connectors in this world, but she bit her lips and glared at him . However, Russell’s next words left her speechless .

“Will you be able to discover anything?”

“...”

Chelsea silently moved her lips . A sour look appeared on the Director’s face .

They weren’t experts in a Connector’s body . Moreover, so far, they hadn’t really been able to find anything substantive about the labyrinths . Regarding the Connectors and labyrinths, all researchers were ineffectual .

“This isn’t the first time we’ve witnessed this phenomenon . However, the hospital hadn’t discovered anything wrong with him the last time . Of course, it was the same for other 1st Gens with similar conditions . Am I not correct, Sung?”

Russell brought in Hyunwoo, who had investigated this phenomenon in the first place .

“Yes . Since the medical professionals were unable to find anything wrong, the doctors sometimes considered those 1st Gens to be cowards or liars . Some even thought it was an excuse the 1st Gens used to avoid going to the Great Labyrinth . ”

Hyunwoo’s voice was full of distaste .

“Did you hear that? There is a high probability that he’ll be wasting his time going to the hospital . We would get much more out of it by closely observing the phenomenon in battle . This is a golden chance for Woo . He didn’t feel the sensation when fighting normal monsters, but he felt it when he fought the Golems . He must fight the Golems if he wants to investigate this sensation . And as you probably know, it isn’t a cakewalk to fight against the Golems . ”

Hyunwoo, Russell, and Bruce were some of the best Connectors of the world, but even they couldn’t go one-on-one against the Super Golems . And even if they brought their own respective parties, they wouldn’t be able to defeat these waves of Golems .

“However, we have the resources to do it right now . ”

Russell pointed at the group of Connectors who were sitting a bit away . They were all listening in on the conversation using their excellent hearing and discreetly watching Sungyoon . So, they reacted when they were mentioned .

“This is his best opportunity to fight the Golems in a relatively safe environment, and honestly, he’ll never come across this opportunity again . Even if you give these Connectors immense amounts of money, they won’t move according to your will . When will you ever get the opportunity to do a self-evaluation with a group of high rank Connectors as backups?”

Russell looked at the group as he spoke .

“You’ll all help, right?”

“Well, our mission is to defeat the Golems . This might make our job easier . We have no reason to turn it down . ”

“I feel the same way . We might be put in the same spot as the Knight in the future . There is no downside to studying the condition of the Knight . ”

The Connectors didn’t seem to mind helping out .

“What do you want to do?”

Russell asked Sungyoon .

Sungyoon placed his hand on his heart and asked in return .

“... Do you guys mind doing this for me?”

“Of course . ”

Russell didn’t hesitate and nodded .

***

The third Golem elimination mission started . The new location was a labyrinth that was two days away from the site of the second mission .

The Connectors used the same method . The only thing different was the fact that Sungyoon was placed in the front line .

When Sungyoon faced the first Golem, he didn’t show any abnormality .

The Connectors were used to fighting Golems now .

When the battle against the second wave reached its zenith, Sungyoon started hearing the heartbeat once again . He immediately rushed forward to eliminate all the Golems . His power lasted only a minute .

Afterward, the Connectors used their wait-and-attack approach to eliminate the rest of the Golems . However, it was obvious that the Connectors were getting more efficient in fighting the Golems .

***

In the end, the party fulfilled the commission sent out by Armstrong . They had toured the Moon and eliminated all the Golems in six labyrinths .

In the process, Sungyoon had learned a few things about his abilities .

For some unknown reason, his senses only awakened when he faced the Golems . Moreover, the amount of time he could maintain it had increased over time . He could now maintain it for around two minutes . In that two-minute span, Sungyoon could display an enormous power against the Golems, and was stronger than everyone . On top of all that, he no longer felt the sensation of his heart being torn apart .

When the last Golem of the entire mission had been dispatched, Sungyoon had spoken out loud a theory to the people gathered near him .

“I’m not sure if this is true . I can’t explain this through logic . This is just a hunch... . ”

Sungyoon sounded a bit flustered .

“This isn’t the sound of my heart beating . ”

***

Kwah-jeek!

Sungyoon swung his sword and cut the body of the Fang Boar that had been snorting at him .

Ggweeeeeeeeek!

The Fang Boar shook as the lightning fried its body .

‘We’ve been here for one week and six days as of today . ’

After Sungyoon gathered the moonstone, he returned to the entrance of the labyrinth . He found several researchers sticking close to the labyrinth wall and examining it .

A lot of time had passed, but the fervor of the researchers hadn’t died down even one bit .

However, the number of Connectors protecting them had drastically decreased . The original mission was supposed to take one week . The additional commission from Armstrong meant the mission lasted an additional week, and since the mission was complete, the Connectors had no reason to stay in this place . The only ones left were...

“You bastard! Bruce, how many time do I have to say this! If you’re going to carry out a mission, you have to do it correctly . ”

Russell always felt more concern and responsibility toward society . . .

“Ah, shit! Damn Mustache Knight! A Connector isn’t going to get drunk from drinking a can of beer! This is how I relax after a day of work!”

Bruce was an unfettered man . If there was an opportunity to be lazy, he would take it .

For various reasons, the two of them hadn’t left the labyrinth yet .

Sungyoon returned to the group . He didn’t feel the need to give a report .

Even if he told them he had acquired a moonstone from a Fang Boar, the Connectors here wouldn’t show any interest in it . In fact, they would become annoyed with Sungyoon for reporting such a trivial matter .

Sungyoon had picked up the moonstone because he didn’t like being wasteful . Still, he wouldn’t go out of his way to acquire these moonstones . It was like finding a quarter on the ground as one walked down the sidewalk .

‘The way I think about money is skewed now . ’

It wasn’t too long ago that he laughed and cried over a buck, and even if a moonstone was small, it was worth a good amount of money to him . Yet, he was now indifferent to such small things .