Chapter 359
Chapter 359
Like a jet doing a flyover, the tower was fast . It left behind a bright trail of light as it moved upward, which gave it the appearance of a comet . The tower soon came to a stop and floated around the trajectory of the Moon"s original orbit around Earth . The light it continuously emitted started to change . It flickered in different patterns as if it were giving someone a signal .
The Moon had completely broken apart, but its fragments hadn"t gotten the time to drift away; they had somewhat maintained the Moon"s shape . When the light flickered, these fragments reacted . Everything started to move toward the tower, whether it were the rocks as large as a mountain or the dust as small as a sand grain .
The tower shone in the dark s.p.a.ce, resembling a lighthouse safely guiding the pa.s.sageway of the Moon fragments . The four cities were amongst these fragments . The Connectors gathered at the capital continued to watch a sight that no one would see ever again .
When the Moon fragments reached the Moon"s original orbit, they started to spin around the tower . They then lumped together with the tower at the center . The Moon fragments weren’t the only things gathering around the tower . Air, water, and most importantly, the magical energy of the Moon also gathered around the tower .
The lump created by the fragments quickly got bigger . As it grew in ma.s.s, gravity started to form . Then, water, air, and magical energy fell toward the surface . The water and the air settled on the Moon"s surface, but the magical energy soaked into the tower at the center of the Moon .
Kwahhhhhhhng!
The capital of Planote landed on the surface of the newly-formed ground . An enormous force shook the capital, but the Connectors could endure it . They just frowned once to shake off the unpleasant vibration they had felt .
The Connectors then looked up . Rocks were still falling all around them as if the debris from a meteor were bombarding the Moon"s surface . However, it seemed the capital was protected since none of the meteoroids. .h.i.t the city .
Sungyoon was solemnly watching the sight when he heard a conversation between Emily and Grace .
“Do you think planets were formed like that in the beginning?”
“It must"ve been different . An incredible amount of fragments collided at once to create a natural satellite . In reality, gas and dust must have collided over time to form the celestial bodies . ”
As Grace explained, if the Moon had been naturally formed, there would have been a magma ocean on its surface . The Connectors were fortunate that it didn"t happen .
‘It became quite clean . ’
Sungyoon thought as he looked at his surroundings . Meteoroids were still falling from the sky, resulting in clouds of dust and vibration . It wasn’t a clean process . However, neither labyrinths nor monsters could be seen anywhere . The new Moon was very clean in that aspect .
However, that wasn"t entirely true . The filthiest being on the Moon was still there .
『Ggoo-uhhhhhhh!』
A cry filled with madness rang on top of the newly-formed Moon .
Kwah-jee-jeek!
The pale hands with black symbols tattooed on the skin erupted from the ground . The long fingers dug into the ground, and the ground cracked around them . Then, Grenoid pulled himself out of the ground .
“He should"ve just died in s.p.a.ce!”
“I feel the same way, but we knew it wouldn’t be that easy . ”
Bruce and Russell got ready to fight . The other Connectors also summoned their weapons .
“Are you all ready?”
Sungyoon, who stood in the front, turned to look behind himself . The Connectors shook their weapons to indicate that they were ready .
“According to what Mr . Hyunwoo had said, Grenoid should be very weak right now . For the Moon to be broken and reformed like this, a ma.s.sive amount of magical energy was needed . Right now, Grenoid barely has any magical energy to command . ”
Previously, the Moon"s surface had been filled with magical energy . Now, it completely lacked ambient magical energy . All the magical energy had been absorbed into the tower when the Moon was put back together .
“There are no monsters here to help it . They couldn’t endure the Moon"s revival . ”
“Basically, it"s very weak and has no one that can help it . Am I correct?”
“Yes, you are, Mr . Bruce . ”
“Good! Let’s end this for real!”
The Connectors could see the end, so their eyes shone with light . When the monsters had started to act oddly, the world had come under threat . Now, the Connectors could end that threat once and for all .
“As Mr . Bruce said, this is the end game . Our tall mountainous task has been cut down into a manageable hurdle . Once we get over this hump, the serious threat to humanity will be gone . ”
They had undergone a treacherous and dark tunnel, but a light had finally appeared at the end of the long tunnel . This light infused strength into the Connectors" hands .
“Let’s do this!”
Sungyoon ran out of the city . This would be the final charge . It would end the calamity humanity was facing, so the Connectors" steps were more forceful than before .
『Ggoooh-ahhhhhhh! Royaaaaaaaal!』
Grenoid roared when he caught sight of Sungyoon . He then opened his mouth to shoot his magic cannon, which could generate a terrifying force . However, something had changed . The magical energy that was supposed to flow into his mouth like a raging current was not here .
Puhhhhhhhng!
Grenoid shot his magic cannon, but the attack couldn’t be compared to before . The pillar of light in the attack was thinner now .
“Hoo-ahhhhhhht!”
Tim was overflowing with confidence, so he charged past Sungyoon and raised his s.h.i.+eld to block the magic cannon .
Kooooooohng!
The enormous force pushed Tim backward, and his s.h.i.+eld became hotter . However, Tim gritted his teeth and endured the attack .
Ssssk!
The magic cannon dissipated . Had the attack been as intense as before, it would"ve destroyed everything in its path before disappearing into s.p.a.ce . However, Tim had just blocked it . It was proof that Grenoid had become weaker .
“f.u.c.king kill it!”
Bruce yelled, displaying all his frustration and anger in his voice . The other Connectors snorted at his clear intent to blow off his steam on Grenoid, but most of them felt the same way . They wanted payback, and that was why they ran faster .
Kwahhhhhhng!
The first attacks to hit Grenoid were the spells . The mages. .h.i.t Grenoid with their strongest spells . Flames burned Grenoid, winds ripped into his body, and the lightning cooked his insides .
Boom!
Grenoid swayed; the spells had ma.s.sively damaged him . Deep wounds appeared all over his body, and a constant flow of blue smoke leaked out . His regenerative speed had also become slow . In comparison to before, it was like he had no regenerative ability at all .
“It"s working! Continue to shoot the spells!”
Russell yelled, and the mages started to prepare their next round of attacks . However, this didn’t mean Grenoid was a doormat .
『Ooh-wuhhhhhhhhhhhh!』
Monsters started crawling out of his body once again .
“s.h.i.+t! It still has that ability!”
In a flash, several hundred monsters appeared around Grenoid . Tim grumbled when he saw this . All of these monsters were powerful . Even though the Connectors could win against them, the monsters would be a nuisance .
Sungyoon shouted toward his comrades .
“A portion of our forces has to keep the monsters occupied!”
“We know!”
Russell divided the Connectors into two groups .
Kwahhhhhhng!
One group clashed against the monsters, while Sungyoon and the other strongest Connectors ran toward Grenoid . However, they couldn’t avoid being hara.s.sed by a small number of monsters .
“We have to quickly kill him so that we can end this absolute madness!”
Bruce said in an annoyed voice . It was absolute chaos as Grenoid continued to produce more and more monsters .
Suh-guhk!
After cutting down a monster in front of him, Sungyoon took up his halberd . Grenoid shot his hand toward him, but Sungyoon quickly dodged to the side .
Kwahhhhng!
A loud sound rang out when Grenoid’s hand created an imprint in the ground . However, the power behind the attack was pitiful when compared to the power Grenoid had shown before .
“Hahhhhhhhhhhhp!”
Sungyoon brought down his halberd with all his might . He cut open Grenoid’s already-ragged arm . This started the battle between Grenoid and the Connectors who specialized in close combat .
Russell sliced Grenoid’s ankle with his sword, Bruce’s gauntlet cratered Grenoid’s side, and Tim’s ax dug into his s.h.i.+n . Grenoid stomped and swung his arms around . He kept using his magical attack, but the Connectors skillfully dodged while attacking .
Of course, some of them died, but they only focused on offense as they hacked away at Grenoid .
“Get out of the way!”
One of the mages yelled . The Connectors quickly moved away from Grenoid, and the spells detonated once again .
Kwahhhhhhhng!
A fierce magical storm erupted, and Grenoid looked like a leaf blown around by fierce winds .
One of his arms fell away, and half his upper body disappeared . One of his legs barely hung on, and his horn that was a symbol of his arrogance also broke . Moreover, his regenerative ability had completely vanished .
As Grenoid swayed on its feet, everyone realized he was on the brink of death .
Puhhhhhhhhk!
Sungyoon used his earth magic, and stalagmites skewered Grenoid"s lower body . Sungyoon ran up one of the stalagmites, toward Grenoid’s head .
“Ha-ahhhhhhhhhht!”
He reversed his grip on his sword and pierced it deep inside Grenoid’s forehead .
Poo-oohk!
The sword went halfway in, but Grenoid didn’t die . His eyes kept staring at Sungyoon, who was standing on his forehead . He then moved his remaining arm to catch Sungyoon .
Instead of dodging, Sungyoon took up his hammer .
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The hammer kept pounding the sword deeper into Grenoid’s head . Grenoid’s hand moved faster in desperation .
“Ooh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhht!”
Sungyoon didn’t even bother holding his s.h.i.+eld . He grabbed the hammer with both hands and brought it down with all his might .
Kwahhhhhhng!
The blade completely went inside Grenoid"s head, and only its hilt was visible . Then, lightning erupted inside Grenoid’s body .
Flinch!
Grenoid’s hand came to a stop right next to Sungyoon . After making sure his sword was completely inside Grenoid, Sungyoon turned around and jumped off .
After a moment . . .
Ssssssk!
Grenoid"s raised arm fell to the side . There was no strength in the movement .
Sway!
Grenoid had refused to go down even after suffering all kinds of injuries . However, his legs started malfunctioning, and he tilted forward .
Kooooohng!
The enormous body of Grenoid fell toward the newly-formed Moon"s surface . The blue smoke, which had been flowing out of him, intensified for a brief moment, then it snuffed out like a candle . Grenoid raised his head . His actions were very slow as if he were a patient on his deathbed .
『Plan…Carry out…Attempt…Fail, fail, fail . Planote defense program Grenoid… Irreparable damage . . . 』
It stretched out its remaining hand toward Sungyoon .
『Fail… Protect Planote… P . . . protect Planote…? De . . . stroy? Protect? Destroy? Protect?』
It kept repeating its words like a broken machine . Sungyoon silently observed Grenoid .
『P . . . protect . Grenoid… . Inoperative… Therefore, Planote… Safe . . . 』
Koo-oohng!
After he said those words, Grenoid’s head fell to the ground . Then, Grenoid never moved again .
“Did… we win?”
After crus.h.i.+ng the head of an unruly monster with his foot, Tim mumbled to himself . For some reason, he and the others felt as if Grenoid would get up intact using its powerful regenerative ability .
However, Grenoid’s regenerative ability showed no signs of activation, and his body refused to move an inch .
The Connectors slowly realized what had just happened .
“Did . . . did we win?”
“We won! We won!”
The victory felt real now .
[Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!]
The Connectors yelled at the same time . The threat strangling humanity had finally come to an end .
“We won, Mr . Sungyoon!”
“It’s our victory!”
Emily and Grace gave a big hug to Sungyoon . Since Sungyoon was wearing his armor, it kind of hurt, but the two women didn’t care . They wanted to share their joy with the person they considered the most precious .
“Ooh-ha-ha-ha-ha! We did it! We really did it!”
Tim acted silly . It was unbecoming of his large body, but he hopped around like a little kid . However, everyone else reacted the same, so his actions weren’t awkward at all . In fact, a couple of Connectors acted sillier than him .
“Look over there, Russell! Look at it! It acted like a G.o.d, but it"s mere sc.r.a.p metal now!”
“Don’t be like that . In some ways, it might be the victim too . ”
It seemed Grenoid’s last words bothered Russell, and he felt a bit solemn . Nevertheless, a victory was a victory . Soon, a smile appeared on his face as he humored the people rejoicing around him .
“You succeeded . ”
Plu-El grabbed Sungyoon’s shoulder .
“It happened thanks to you all . I couldn’t have done it without your help . ”
“No . Even though we helped, it would have been impossible to defeat Grenoid without you and humanity . ”
As she said this, she looked toward Grenoid"s corpse .
“However, in some ways, the one who did the most was Sung Hyunwoo . ”
A complicated emotion appeared on Plu-El’s face . Sungyoon and humanity had only followed the road paved by Sung Hyunwoo .
“Let’s think about complicated things at a later date . For now, let’s celebrate . ”
Plu-El smiled . Sungyoon smiled with her, then looked next to her .
Aruwen quietly looked at Grenoid"s corpse . What was going through his mind? As someone who had caused a lot of trouble before, a lot of thoughts were going through his mind .
Sungyoon turned on his communication device, but he heard only static come through it .
‘It"s to be expected . Satellites and all the communication infrastructure were destroyed along with the Moon"s reformation . ’
He would have to take out the communication device capable of emitting powerful radio waves . The Mayor and the people of Earth were probably waiting for him to contact them . He had to contact them as soon as possible to allay their worries and fears .
‘But . . . ’
Sungyoon looked across the horizon .
‘No one will fault me for savoring this joy for a short time . ’
As everyone cheered, Earth peeked out above the horizon of the new Moon . Sungyoon could finally let go of all his anxiety as he watched the Earth rise into view .
***
“It’s Daaaaaaaaad!”
s.h.i.+nhae jumped into Sungyoon’s arms . A bright smile appeared on Sungyoon’s face as he hugged his daughter .
“How have you been while Dad was gone? Were you ok?”
“Yes! Yes! I was a good girl! I listened to Mom! I ate everything, and I washed myself really well!”
“Really? s.h.i.+nhae did so well!”
“Eh-he-he-he!”
s.h.i.+nhae let out a burst of silly laughter as she buried her face in her dad’s chest .
As he tightly hugged s.h.i.+nhae, Sungyoon looked at Jimin, who stood off to the side . She watched the reunion between the father and daughter with red eyes .
“You did a good job . ”
She spoke with a voice full of unshed tears . Sungyoon smiled . He moved s.h.i.+nhae to one arm, then hugged Jimin with his other arm . Jimin quietly closed her eyes as she remained in his embrace .
For a moment, the family enjoyed their reunion by sharing the warmth of their bodies .
“Dad! Dad! What is that?”
s.h.i.+nhae caught sight of the shopping bag in Sungyoon’s other hand
“Ah! You mean this?”
A meaningful smile made its way to his lips as Sungyoon opened the shopping bag . The events from before unfolded in his mind like a panorama .
***
“You"re amazing, Mr . Sungyoon! You"re all amazing! All of you saved humanity!”
The overjoyed Mayor looked at Sungyoon and the Connectors who had just returned to Earth .
“You all are heroes! Do you want anything? We’ll do our best to fulfill the wishes of the heroes of the world . ”
The Mayor was serious . These people were humanity’s heroes who had saved the world . The Mayor didn’t feel it would be a waste even if he had to spend millions of dollars . Of course, he had to negotiate the terms with the other countries, but he would do his best to compensate everyone .
Sungyoon didn’t really have anything he wanted, so he was about to turn down the Mayor’s offer . However, something crossed his mind at that moment .
“Will you really grant any wish I have?”
“Yes! Just say the word! I’ll do my best to make it happen!”
The Mayor pounded his chest . Sungyoon then told the Mayor what he wanted .
***
“Tah-dah!”
As he recalled his question, Sungyoon took out an item from the shopping bag .
s.h.i.+nhae’s eyes widened when she saw it .
“Ooh-wahhhhhhhhh~!”
s.h.i.+nhae, who had refused to separate from Sungyoon up until now, jumped down from his arm . She took the item in Sungyoon"s hands .
The item was a doll from a very popular children’s cartoon show . It was almost impossible to purchase one right now
“This is . . . How did you get this?”
“Your dad worked really hard to get it! Do you like it?”
“Yes! I really like it! Thank you, Dad!”
s.h.i.+nhae kissed Sungyoon’s cheek, then ran into the house in joy . Sungyoon felt satisfied as he watched her back .
“Where did you get it? It"s so popular around the world that it"s hard to get even if you have money . ”
“The Mayor said he’ll grant any wish I have because I had saved the world, and I asked for that doll . ”
“…”
Jimin was at a loss for words . Even if the doll was hard to get, how many people in the world would ask for a doll as compensation for saving the world?
“Huh? Why are you also looking at me like that? Everyone, including my party members, looked at me like that . ”
“… No, it"s nothing . ”
Jimin shook her head from side to side, then suddenly burst out laughing .
Even if he was a high-flying hero that saved the world, he was still her husband . He hadn’t changed since she had first met him .
“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s nothing . Let’s head in . It has been a while, but let’s have a family dinner . ”
Jimin linked her arms with Sungyoon . She closed the door as she dragged him into the house . A small sound rang beyond the thick front door .
“Here, take this . ”
“What is it?”
“This one is yours . I asked for it alongside s.h.i.+nhae’s doll . There’s no way I would forget about my wife . ”
“Oh my! This is…!”
Even their words faded away, and the only thing flowing out of that house was warmth . It was the bliss of a happy family .