Moon’s Labyrinths (Web Novel)

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 one of the top 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.