Moon's Labyrinths

Chapter 276

Chapter 276


Chapter 276


The Breath traveled in a straight line, vaporizing several high-rise buildings . The outer wall of Armstrong city was very st.u.r.dy, but as for whether the wall could withstand the Breath or not, it was up in the air .


Suddenly, someone jumped into the air to get in the Breath"s path .


Puh-uh-uhng!


A large wall of energy expanded in the air to block the Breath . Thankfully, the Behemoth’s Breath couldn"t destroy Armstrong city .


“Who"s that?”


“Probably a Connector working under Armstrong city . ”


Even if a good amount of their main fighting force had been drained out of the city, this was "the Armstrong city" . Here, plenty of Connectors were capable of blocking a Behemoth’s Breath .


Koo-uhhhhhhhhhhhhh!


The Behemoth found it displeasing that someone had blocked its attack . It took a threatening step forward . Armstrong city shook as if a quake had hit it . The huge monster started running toward the Connector who had blocked its attack . Its enormous body crushed all the buildings in its path .


Puh-uh-uhk!


Koo-ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!


The Behemoth reared up as it raised both its front legs . It then let out a roar while blood dripped down its leg . Another Connector had intercepted and injured the Behemoth . It seemed enough Connectors capable of defeating a Behemoth had arrived in the streets .


However, the problem was the fact that the Behemoth wouldn’t be the only monster to come out of the Great Labyrinth .


Koo-oong! Koo-oong!


More monsters stepped out of the Great Labyrinth . Large, medium, small, all kinds of monsters were mixed in with the group .


Sungyoon immediately made a decision .


Ooh-ooh-oong!


The Royal Gem swallowed his magical energy as he activated its ability . A blue portal appeared next to Sungyoon . The group that wanted to kill Plu-El came to a halt, and it was the same for the man who kept attacking Sungyoon .


Were they take aback by the appearance of the portal? The group that had been trying to recover Plu-El charged forward with all their might to attack Sungyoon .


“Run in!”


Sungyoon yelled . He then took out an item from his storage Gem and tossed it to Chelsea . Chelsea quickly put on the magical energy suppressor .


‘I stored one for an emergency . If I hadn"t, we would have been in trouble . ’


The location he and the others were about to enter was very dense with magical energy . It wasn"t a place Chelsea could enter without any preparations .


Kwahng! Kwhang!


Sungyoon and Tim stepped forward to block their pursuers . The time they bought allowed Grace, Emily, Chelsea, and Plu-El to pa.s.s through the portal . Even as Sungyoon blocked the attacks, he kept an eye on the man that had kept attacking him . Thankfully, the man wasn’t moving .


“Mr . Sungyoon!”


Tim shouted as the other four had already pa.s.sed through the portal .


“You go first!”


Sungyoon replied while slowly retreating . Tim did as told and disappeared into the portal .


Woo-oong!


Puh-puh-puhng!


Gravity increased, and stalagmites erupted from the streets . Sungyoon had tried to decrease the intensity of the pursuers" attacks, and it worked . The spells slowed down the attacks from his pursuers, and Sungyoon used this opportunity to jump into the portal .


Even as he moved, his eyes remained on the man he suspected to be Hyunwoo .


Glance!


The man raised his hand . Was he going to stop Sungyoon from escaping? Sungyoon"s mind became tense . The man did not attack . He just waved his hand into the air as if to say goodbye . Even though the man had a helmet on, Sungyoon was sure he was smiling right now .


‘What"s he up to?’


Sungyoon felt icky as he disappeared into the portal .


As if he wanted to attack through the portal, the archer shot a final arrow toward the portal .


Paht!


However, the portal blinked out of existence, and the arrow went on to pierce a building .


***


Koong!


The blue light all over his vision disappeared . Sungyoon arrived in a room within the ancient city and saw his comrades waiting for him . He then quickly shut the portal .


Paht!


With the portal closed, he no longer had to worry about any pursuit . Sungyoon then spoke .


“Are any of you hurt?”


“I’m fine . ”


“I’m also fine . ”


“I’m good . ”


“I’ve received no injuries . ”


Thankfully, none of his comrades were injured, so Sungyoon finally relaxed . However, that relief lasted only a moment .


“What should we do now?”


They were alive, but things were getting progressively worse in Armstrong city . Sungyoon picked up Plu-El, who was on the floor, and slung her around his shoulder .


“We have to go back . We can’t let Armstrong city go down . ”


The two pursuing groups might attack them again, yet there was no hesitation on Sungyoon"s face . This had nothing to do with his morals . If Armstrong fell, his livelihood would be at stake and he would have no way to return to Earth .


In that case, their only hope would be to wait for a rescue from Earth . If Earth did nothing, they would have to stay on the Moon and let their body waste away like Plu-El . The Moon would become their cemetery .


“Shouldn’t we leave behind Ms . Chelsea and that woman?”


Tim asked .


In terms of safety, no place was better than this city . However, Sungyoon shook his head from side to side .


“What happens to them if I die?”


“…”


The only one who could access the ancient city was Sungyoon . If he died in battle, anyone left behind in this city would die .


“Of course, someone else might be capable of activating this Gem, but it took me a very long time to activate this Gem at will . By the time someone else would learn how to use this Gem, Ms . Chelsea would probably be dead . Isn’t that the reason they stopped researching the ancient city?”


When Sungyoon had started monitoring Plu-El, the research within the ancient city was temporarily paused . That was why the ancient city was empty right now .


“Then where should we go… . ”


Tim"s voice contained hesitation .


“We’ll go to the city hall . That place will be the safest location within Armstrong city . ”


Sungyoon immediately opened a portal to the city hall .


‘I knew it . ’


The ease with which he had opened the portal was proof that the city hall was also covered with magical energy .


“Let’s go . ”


Sungyoon’s party once again stepped into Armstrong city, where confusion and violence were running rampant .


***


Sungyoon"s sudden appearance shocked the Mayor . However, the shock immediately faded away to reveal a bright smile . The crestfallen Mayor’s face had done a 180 as it showed an expression that was even rare for him .


Sungyoon put Chelsea and Plu-El into the care of the city hall’s employees .


“How’s the current situation?”


“It"s the worst . ”


The Mayor answered without any hesitation .


“Monsters keep coming out of the Beginner’s Labyrinth and the Great Labyrinth . Moreover, monsters are ama.s.sing outside the city too . ”


‘This is worse than I imagined . It reminds me of what happened to Gagarin·Yang city . ’


It was a terrifying thought, but the city being wiped out was now a possibility .


“What can we do for you?”


“Please join up with the other Connectors and defeat the monsters . ”


“Do you want us to roam around and kill all the monsters on sight?”


The Mayor shook his head from side to side .


“No way! We don’t have that many troops left . We have to be careful in how they are used . Mr . Sungyoon and the other Connectors must defend the most critical infrastructure of the city . ”


“What do you mean by the most critical infrastructure?”


Sungyoon could immediately come up with several locations that might fit the description . The city hall, the largest hotel at the center of Armstrong city, the two labyrinths, etc .


‘However, he said the ‘most’ important… . ’


Sungyoon’s eyes sank as he realized it .


“You"re referring to the Aldrin s.p.a.ceport . ”


“That’s right . It"s the most important place in Armstrong city . ”


If the s.p.a.ceport fell, the people inside Armstrong city couldn’t return to Earth .


“We’ve gathered the most powerful Connectors there . I would like your party to go there and join them . That place has to be protected at all costs . ”


The Mayor let out a weak laugh .


“We have to do it even if we have to give up on all of Armstrong . We have to be prepared for that possibility . ”


***


Sungyoon a.s.sumed it would be pandemonium inside the s.p.a.ceport and that people would be lined up and fighting to escape the Moon . However, the Aldrin s.p.a.ceport was empty .


“Where are the civilians?”


The surprised Grace asked .


“They are all inside the shelters . They are still there because this mess started as a simple terrorist attack . ”


Terrorist attacks were dangerous, but everyone knew terrorist attacks couldn’t bring down the city . Therefore, Armstrong"s residents had headed to the shelters to weather this temporary storm . The monsters" appearance was the unexpected blow that had started the countdown for Armstrong"s destruction .


s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps kept departing, but none were arriving .


‘They all probably changed course . ’


No one wanted to land in the middle of a battlefield .


“Let’s go and do what we were sent here to do . ”


‘Yes . We have work to do right now . ’


Sungyoon took out a picture of his family and brushed it with his hand . Then, he led his party into the fierce battle .


***


The war had arrived in Armstrong city just a short while ago, yet the whole city was embroiled in the fight .


There weren’t enough Connectors stationed within Armstrong city to be effective against the monsters . Moreover, there were still the monsters that were merely being kept at bay by Armstrong city"s outer defense .


Thankfully, the Mayor was very set in his views . Connectors and governments from numerous countries had mocked him for spending so much on defense, but the Mayor hadn’t listened to them . Armstrong city"s defense was enormously powerful .


For a while, the monsters outside the city couldn’t even reach the city"s vicinity . However, no matter how strong the defensive measures were, they still had a limit .


Puh-uhng!


A thick needle shot by a monster destroyed a cannon . The number of cannons going silent kept increasing with time .


Then . . .


Puh-uhhhhhhng!


An attack from inside the city broke through the outer wall as if the wall were paper . The attack kept going until it dissipated into the darkness of s.p.a.ce .


Ehhhhhhhhhhhhng!


A new emergency siren rang out as the s.p.a.ce sucked out the air inside Armstrong city . A barrier descended from the ceiling to seal the hole in the outer wall .


Puh-ung! Puh-ung! Puh-uh-ung!


Several more beams of light created numerous holes in the outer wall, and one even destroyed the barrier that had come down from the ceiling . This signified that the Connectors could no longer handle the monsters within Armstrong city .


It was like watching a dam collapse . Armstrong city had started to fall .


***


Sungyoon’s party was in a desperate struggle to stop the monsters" advance .


According to the Mayor, the Aldrin s.p.a.ceport would be their last stand . He hadn’t lied . All the highest-ranked Connectors were gathered here, and they fought the monsters to a standstill . The desperate struggle went on, but the Connectors were succeeding in their mission .


However, in the end, the event that Sungyoon and his party members feared the most happened . Armstrong city lit up . Every light still under Armstrong city"s control sent out a signal . The lights blinked red three times, then blue two times . The pattern kept repeating .


Sungyoon’s face hardened into a frightening visage when he saw the light . This pattern delivered one message .


‘We"re giving up on Armstrong city . ’