Chapter 276
Chapter 276
The Breath traveled in a straight line, vaporizing several high-rise buildings . The outer wall of Armstrong city was very sturdy, 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 pass 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 passed 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 amassing 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 spaceport . ”
“That’s right . It’s the most important place in Armstrong city . ”
If the spaceport 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 assumed it would be pandemonium inside the spaceport and that people would be lined up and fighting to escape the Moon . However, the Aldrin spaceport 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 .
Spaceships 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 space .
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhng!
A new emergency siren rang out as the space 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 spaceport 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 . ’
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