Chapter 195
Chapter 195
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" s.h.i.+eld 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 s.h.i.+eld wall . All the remaining Super Golems just pounded on the s.h.i.+elds . They wanted to get past the s.h.i.+eld wall and attack Sungyoon .
However, Sungyoon was no pushover . He came close to the s.h.i.+eld 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 s.p.a.ce .
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 fl.u.s.tered .
“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 pa.s.sed, 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 b.a.s.t.a.r.d! 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, s.h.i.+t! d.a.m.n 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 .