Moon's Labyrinth

Of course, Sungyoon didn’t just wait as the sword fell toward him .

Hoo-oohng!

He stabbed above with his halberd .

Tuhng!

However, the spear blade couldn’t touch Hyunwoo . One of the shield fragments flew in from the sides to block the halberd and changed the trajectory of Sungyoon's attack . The spear blade missed as it flew past Hyunwoo’s side . Hyunwoo didn’t even glance at the weapon going past him as he leisurely brought down Flamberg .

Kwhahhhng!

“Koo-oohk!”

Sungyoon unsummoned his halberd and summoned his shield . He barely blocked Flamberg . Then, he kicked Hyunwoo’s stomach .

Puh-uhk!

It seemed he had gotten a decent blow in . He heard a large sound as Hyunwoo staggered backward . Sungyoon used this moment to get up and get away from Hyunwoo .

Hyunwoo dusted off his stomach, and it seemed he had received no damage .

“You still haven’t given up?”

Unlike before, Hyunwoo’s voice was cold and flat as if he had given up on all hope . It sounded like a lifeless mannequin were speaking . This change had probably come due to Hyunwoo's disappointment in Sungyoon . However, Sungyoon didn’t care about Hyunwoo’s cold voice and the disappointment in his eyes .

“I would've given up already if I didn’t have responsibilities on my shoulders . The responsibility I’m carrying right now is too important . ”

“It must be heavy . It must be so heavy that your legs must be shaking . ”

Sungyoon smirked .

“The responsibility I feel toward my daughter should feel very heavy . However, that isn’t the case . Isn’t it strange? It doesn't feel heavy at all . This is what it feels like to be a father . One can carry the greatest responsibility, but that responsibility is a source of strength . The heavier it is, the more strength I feel surging within me . ”

“However, your daughter isn’t the only responsibility you're shouldering, right?”

“My world exists within this world . My failure to protect Earth directly affects my daughter's safety . You said you wanted me to be a hero, but there's only one thing I can be . ”

Sungyoon stood tall . He raised his chin, retracted his shoulders, and spoke as his eyes burned with determination .

“A good father . That's the only thing I can be . ”

To a kid, their father was like a superman . Whenever the kid needed a superman, the father would act and try to fill that role . Even the most beaten-down people in the world looked like heroes in front of their children . Their back looked as broad as mountains to their children . Even if it was a hard and arduous role to fill, fathers did their best . It was a paradoxical relationship . Their expectations felt burdensome, but at the same time, they were the source of their strength . That was what it meant to be a father .

“You would rather be a good father than be the world’s hero . ”

Hyunwoo looked at Sungyoon as if he couldn’t understand him .

“I don’t get it . I’ve never been in a good family before . ”

Hyunwoo was born into a bad family, and when he grew up, he couldn't get attached to anyone .

“However, I won’t deny you feel that way just because I'm unable to understand it . Good . If that's your answer, let’s see how real it is . Come at me again . In the end, it isn’t the journey . It's the destination that counts . If you get to return to Seoul, you would've achieved your goal . It also means my goal would also be achieved . ”

Hyunwoo once again assumed his fighting stance .

“But you should take this to heart! You won’t be able to be a ‘good father’ if you lose here!”

Hyunwoo rushed forward once again . He didn’t laugh at Sungyoon’s resolve as he tried to dismantle him . Each of his sword strikes was brutal .

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

In a flash, the two of them exchanged dozens of blows . Sungyoon gritted his teeth as he sent more strength into his aching limbs .

Tuh-uhng!

Hyunwoo’s shield fragment grazed Sungyoon’s armor . The force ripped the helmet off Sungyoon’s head, but at the same time, Sungyoon’s hammer landed on Hyunwoo’s neck .

Kwahng!

Since Sungyoon had already landed several blows in the same region, Hyunwoo’s armor broke apart . However, it wasn't enough . Hyunwoo had absorbed his armor, so it had become akin to his skin . It had a massive regenerative ability, and it would regrow in no time .

Boom!

Sungyoon blocked Flamberg with his shield, then swung his ax toward the wounded region on Hyunwoo’s body .

Koo-oohng!

Hyunwoo’s shield fragment blocked the ax, and once again, Hyunwoo and Sungyoon locked weapons in a battle of strength . If Sungyoon let this continue, Hyunwoo’s wound would heal soon .

Hweek!

Sungyoon put his shield next to his body and stuck out his neck over it .

“Huh?”

This surprised Hyunwoo, who couldn’t react to it . Sungyoon bit Hyunwoo on the neck .

Kwah-doo-doohk!

“Koo-ooh-ooh-ook!”

Hyunwoo groaned . Humans could exert a lot of bite force, and on top of that, Sungyoon’s Gems had boosted his physical strength . He had deepened the wound his hammer had created .

Hyunwoo swung his fist toward Sungyoon’s head . Sungyoon distanced himself from Hyunwoo before his head got cracked open .

“Ptooey!”

Sungyoon's mouth was covered with blood and flesh, and he spat out a chunk of black-red flesh .

“Are you trying to be a beast?”

Sungyoon’s attack left Hyunwoo baffled . He had never expected Sungyoon to bite him .

“You bit me once . Let’s say we’re even now . ”

“Koo-hoo! You do have a point . ”

When Sungyoon put on his helmet again, Hyunwoo rushed him . They fought a fierce battle up close . Sungyoon unsummoned his shield and punched Hyunwoo in the face .

Kwah-jeek!

Hyunwoo bit Sungyoon’s arm with his enormous mouth . Was it revenge for what had happened before? A grin made its way to his lips .

However, Sungyoon remained calm . He twitched his hand, which was inside Hyunwoo’s mouth .

‘What the…!’

Hyunwoo knew something was wrong . He quickly spat out Sungyoon’s arm and retreated .

Suh-kuhk!

Sungyoon had summoned his weapon through his ruined hand . If Hyunwoo had been a bit late, the weapon would've spawned inside his mouth .

‘Thankfully, it isn’t a big injury!’

Suddenly, the region inside and around Hyunwoo's mouth started bubbling, and pain took over him .

‘Poison!’

Hyunwoo quickly tried to use his detox magic, but Sungyoon had already healed his arm by then . He rushed toward Hyunwoo . Sungyoon had created this opportunity with much difficulty, so he desperately pushed his attack toward Hyunwoo . He solely focused on attacking . He even blocked Flamberg with his body . He was giving up his flesh to cut bone .

Without any hesitation, Sungyoon attacked head-on even though it would leave both of them injured . It was a brutal fight where blood and flesh splattered everywhere . It was a battle of attrition .

In the end, even a brutal fight had to come to an end .

Puh-uhk!

Sungyoon roughly pushed back Hyunwoo with his shield .

“This is a complete dog fight! Those who look up to you as the Knight will be shocked if they could see this!”

Hyunwoo was beyond shocked at this point . He almost felt dismayed by what Sungyoon was willing to do . Hyunwoo clutched his body, which was full of wounds, as he sank to the ground . He looked up at Sungyoon .

Sungyoon was also covered with wounds all over . However, he was the last one standing this time around .

“That was just a made-up image I kept up at the request of the Mayor . I don’t care what others think about me . ”

“Ke ke ke! You only care what your daughter thinks about you . Is that it?”

Hyunwoo swayed on his feet as he got up .

“My body is a mess . I’m guessing you won’t give me time to recover?”

Sungyoon raised his sword instead of answering .

“Alright . It seems this might be the end for me . When I die, my Gems will appear from my body . One of them is a storage Gem, and it has what you want . ”

Hyunwoo aimed his Flamberg toward Sungyoon .

“Of course, it doesn’t matter if I kill you!”

It didn’t matter who died . This would be their final exchange .

Kwahng!

An explosive sound rang out as the swords clashed against each other . The two men stared at each other . For one of them, it would be the last face he would see before death . Both of them were about to put strength into their hands and clash when—

“I got you!”

Poo-oohk!

A spear blade pierced through Hyunwoo’s chest from behind . It was like a slow-motion picture as Sungyoon watched blood spurt from the wound .

Poo-oohk!

The spear blade didn’t stop . It continued until it pierced Sungyoon’s chest .

“Kuh-huhk!”

“Cough!”

Sungyoon and Hyunwoo coughed up blood at the same time . Sungyoon quickly retreated, and he heard a sickening sound as the spear blade exited his wound . Unlike Sungyoon, Hyunwoo couldn't extract the spear since it had gone through him .

He turned his head to look behind him .

“You!”

Hyunwoo spoke with a furious voice as he continued to cough up blood .

Puh-uhk!

A dull sound rang out when the spear was pulled out of Hyunwoo’s body . Hyunwoo fell over as if he were a marionette whose string had been cut .

The bloody end of the spear shaft pressed down on him .

“Ha-ah! I finally got him!”

The voice contained a twisted joy .

Sungyoon knew this voice .

“Kim Jinsoo . ”

He was an ex-Fabion Connector, who was Hyunwoo’s junior . Jinsoo had disappeared alongside Hyunwoo .

“It has been a while, Mr . Knight . ”

Even though Jinsoo called Sungyoon by his title, there wasn’t an ounce of respect behind his words . It was the opposite . His voice was filled with sarcasm and contempt .

“How did you get in here?”

Hyunwoo asked, and unexpectedly, his voice was now calm as if he had expected this to happen .

“Huh? How did I come in here? What? Are you trying to say I’m a piece of trash unworthy of entering this place?”

It seemed Jinsoo's victim complex was on a different level .

Jinsoo remained pretty calm as he kept his anger in check . He stepped on Hyunwoo, but Hyunoo’s calm eyes didn’t shake even one bit .

“Tsk! You're a mess, yet you continue to look at me as if you're better than me . ”

Hoo-oohng!

Jinsoo flipped his spear and placed the spear blade right in front of Hyunwoo’s face . Blood dripped off the spear, but Hyunwoo still didn’t blink .

“Answer my question . How did you get in here?”

His voice contained a force as if he were demanding an answer . Jinsoo’s shoulders flinched, but his eyes turned fierce once again .

Puhk! Puhk! Puhk!

“Fuck! You! You're almost dead! You should know your place before speaking to me like that!”

It seemed Jinsoo couldn’t stand that he had been afraid for a moment . He kicked Hyunwoo . Even now, Hyunwoo calmly stared at Jinsoo .

“Shit!”

When Hyunwoo didn’t stop looking at him, Jinsoo raised his spear . However, he couldn’t stab Hyunwoo . He had to keep his guard up against Sungyoon .

“Tsk!”

He lowered his spear . If he killed Hyunwoo, Sungyoon would kill him . He didn’t do anything rash and stared at Sungyoon as he spoke .

“I’ve made some preparations myself . ”

Jinsoo showed the two a Gem . It was a translucent Gem that let out a brilliant light, and it even surprised Hyunwoo .

“Diamond Gem . ”

Surprisingly, Jinsoo possessed a Diamond rank Gem .

“It gives me an absolute ability to hide . It's powerful enough to conceal me from you and Udocus . I hitched a ride when you guys teleported here . It seems you didn’t notice . ”

“That's an amazing ability . ”

“Of course, there are limitations . It doesn’t work once your opponent becomes aware of your presence . It might work against low rank Connectors again, but it would no longer work against high rank Connectors like you . ”

“It still is an amazing ability . Normally, you wouldn't spew out such important information to anyone . ”

“Ha ha ha! Why would I hide it? Why should I be afraid? You can't even heal yourself as it seems you used up all your healing spells in your dog fight with the Knight . Also, I stabbed your heart!”

Jinsoo tapped the region above his heart .

“A Connector can no longer use their power if their heart is damaged . After all, the heart is what receives magical energy . Moreover, you did something special to your heart to gain this power . You have no way to resist now that I've damaged your heart . Do you realize I went through extraordinary steps to pierce your heart?”

“I see . It was really an amazing plan, and I'll congratulate you . So, why did you do this?”

Hyunwoo spoke as if he were talking to a child .

Jinsoo’s face crumpled once again, but it brightened soon after . Hyunwoo was the loser, and he was probably trying to save face for the last time . He, Kim Jinsoo, was the winner .

“Why do you think I’m doing this? I’m killing a traitor, and then, I’m going to kill Woo Sungyoon, who tried to interfere with me killing you . ”

It was a reasonable answer . As a monster now, Hyunwoo couldn’t say much when it came to betrayal .

“You gave a textbook answer . What's your real reason?”

Jinsoo grinned .

“It's my best chance to kill everyone I don’t like . The annoying Udocus is dead . You're more annoying than Udocus, and you're almost dead . Woo Sungyoon is the most annoying one, and I’ll have the chance to kill him . ”

“I see . I knew you always tried to find an opportunity to kill me . ”

Jinsoo had snuck into this tower to see if he could capitalize on an opportunity to kill Hyunwoo .

“Yes! That moment is now!”

Jinso yelled in joy .

“Sung Hyunwoo suffered a critical wound from my hands, and soon, Woo Sungyoon will die! I’ll kill two people everyone considers to be special! It's a momentous feat! I’ll be the most special person in the world!”

“Why are you all like this? There’s the wannabe villain who wants to be killed by a hero, and then there is some attention whore trying to claim he's special . ”

Sungyoon asked the question in a baffled voice . Hyunwoo scratched his cheek as he answered .

“Mmm! I’m sorry! This all happened because we weren’t loved in our childhood . This guy’s past is a mess too . ”

“Shut up!”

Jinsoo struck Hyunwoo with the butt of his spear .

“Hmmph! It doesn’t matter what you say since I’m the victor . I just have to kill Woo Sungyoon, who is at death’s door . ”

Jinsoo aimed his spear at Sungyoon .

“Die, Woo Sungyoooooooooooon!”

Jinsoo dashed toward Sungyoon like the winds .

Even though his opponent was Woo Sungyoon, he was heavily injured . There was no way Sungyoon could contend with him . Jinsoo planned on breaking through Sungyoon’s damaged armor and pierce his heart .

Kahhhhhng!

“Uh?”

However, his spear was flung aside instead . Sungyoon had just flicked his halberd without much thought, yet Jinsoo lost his spear .

“Stupid bastard . ”

Hyunwoo mocked Jinsoo in a low voice . Then . . .

Kwahhhng!

Sungyoon’s halberd struck Jinsoo .