Chapter 288: Chapter 288

Chomp chomp.

This was the most apt expression describing the advance of the monsters.

An endless stream of monsters kept rushing out of the holes in the outer wall of Armstrong city.

'We would have been in big trouble if we decided to defend the city hall while we looked for the safe.'

Sungyoon was a distance away as he watched Armstrong city from a hill. He shook his head from side to side when he saw the battlefield.

It looked as if the units in charge of the diversionary attacks were being hit by a tsunami. They looked liked a wooden house that was about to be wiped out by the water. It was a precarious situation.

Both units looked like they were on the verge of being surrounded and snuffed out by the monster.

'Thankfully, they are doing well disengaging from the fight.'

The moon people were like a sailboat that didn't lose its way in a storm. They surged past the waves of monsters in a skillful manner.

It was all thanks to Plu-El, who was leading from the center of her unit.

She had borrowed Devices and Gems from her comrades, and she showed that she was a very good commander.

Even if the Plu-El's unit was holding up well, Sungyoon couldn't help but be uneasy.

'Wouldn't it have been better if we stopped her?'

If something happened to Plu-El, it wouldn't matter if they did retrieve her Device and Gems. They would be put in the awkward situation where they wouldn't be able to return to earth without her.

However, Plu-El had been adamant in participating in this plan.

She had been one of the three that had led the moon people. Everyone else was inexperienced in commandeering troops in battle.

This would especially be a problem since one couldn't hear any sound on the surface of the moon, and the gravity was weaker than what they were used to. It would be much harder to command the troops compared to the normal environment within the labyrinths.

This was why only a handful of people were qualified to command the moon people, and Plu-El was one of them.

She had insisted on taking on the role of commander, and she wasn't wrong for doing so.

'I wish Aruwen would have taken on the role instead of her.'

However, he had a task to accomplish too, so that plan wasn't feasible.

'Still, she is sticking to her promise. She isn't participating in the actual battle. She is allowing the others to protect her. It should be fine.'

Moreover, she had one of the Flesh Gems, which had the portal function. If she was in any danger, she would escape the battlefield.

Sungyoon looked away from the battlefield.

While they were busy, Sungyoon also had work to do.

Sungyoon used the portal to return to the ancient city.

"How is it going?"

As soon as Sungyoon exited the portal, the mayor, who had been waiting for him, asked the question.

"The number of monsters exiting the city is decreasing."

It looked as if there was an endless stream of monsters exiting the city to kill diversionary units. In reality, there was a limit to their numbers.

Sungyoon had made sure the number of monsters exiting Armstrong was significantly less before he returned to the ancient city.

"Good. Let's move on to the next plan."

The mayor called in the Connectors, who were on standby outside of the room. These units would be inserted for their second plan.

They were all armed to the teeth, and there was a great deal of anxiousness for the upcoming battle.

"Are you ready?"

Sungyoon spoke toward the unit that would be inserted first in the second plan.

These men might die as soon as they exited the portal.

They were the unit being sent in to monitor the situation within Armstrong city. It was an exaggeration to say that they were bait.

The Connector, who stood in front of the group, nodded his head.

He had made his peace, so no more words had to be said.

Woo-oong!

Sungyoon opened the portal.

He became tense for a brief moment, but no monsters jumped through the portal like before.

The Connectors on standby entered the portal.

After a moment, one of the Connectors, who went through the portal, appeared once again.

"There are no monsters within the building. There is an extremely low number of monsters within Armstrong city."

Everyone let out a small cheer at his words.

Their first plan of drawing the monsters out of Armstrong city was a success.

"Good. The result is good. Let's start our second plan in earnest."

After hearing the mayor's order, the Connector, who had come back to give the report, entered the portal once again.

Sungyoon looked to his side. Aruwen was standing next to him.

"Let's start, Mr. Aruwen."

"Understood."

Aruwen raised his hand.

His Warrior Gem was activated, and a portal formed.

Sungyoon also made a new portal. It was a portal that led to a different location from the previous destination.

"Begin!"

When the mayor gave the order, the various units of Connectors jumped through the portals.

***

The plan was proceeding without a hitch. The Connectors were being sent into Armstrong city through the portals.

Sungyoon and Aruwen had opened portals to predetermined locations.

Interestingly, Aruwen could open his portals more accurately compared to Sungyoon.

Both the Royal Gem and the Warrior Gem could open the basic portals to places where they had visited before.

However, Sungyoon hadn't really explored the city before.

He usually operated near his house, the first sector of Armstrong city where all the major organizations were located at, and restaurants that he occasionally visited.

Unlike Sungyoon, Aruwen had scouted every corner of Armstrong city in order to gain information about their enemies.

They had to send Connectors to various locations within Armstrong city, and the one most suited for this task wasn't Sungyoon. In fact, it was Aruwen.

This was the reason why Plu-El had to take on the role of commander for the moon people.

While Aruwen opened portals to various locations within Armstrong city, Sungyoon focused on opening portals within key facilities. Since Sungyoon had earned the trust of the mayor, he was more acquainted with the inner parts of these key facilities.

The mayor kept pointing at locations on the map. Either Sungyoon or Aruwen opened the portal depending on the location. This process continued for a while.

"That's the last of them."

As soon as the last unit disappeared through the portal, the mayor spoke.

Both Sungyoon and Aruwen let out a small sigh.

Their second plan had been completed.

However, the last one remained, and the last plan was the most crucial plan of the three.

The mayor called in the remaining Connectors, who were on standby outside the room.

They were the most elite of the Connectors from Armstrong city, and they would be carrying out the third plan.

"It is now up to you, Mr. Sungyoon."

The mayor spoke.

The Connectors used a variety of methods to cope with their nervous energy.

Some of them took deep breaths. Some of them moved their bodies, and others shook their weapons. However, all their eyes were on Sungyoon.

Sungyoon opened the portal.

The portal opened to the city hall where their final goal was present.

"Go!"

When the mayor gave the order, the final unit started to move.

***

Unlike the other portals that he closed after sending the Connectors through, Sungyoon kept the portal to the city hall open.

He did this, because he wanted to return to the ancient city as soon as possible after acquiring their target.

Time continued to pass quietly.

The mayor continued to wait in the silence.

He kept looking at his wrist watch, but it didn't make the time flow faster.

Nothing came through the open portal as it remained open.

'They haven't found it yet.'

Sungyoon was also feeling jittery.

He hadn't looked at his watch like the mayor, but he could tell several dozen minutes had passed.

However, none of them returned.

'As expected, the basement was completely destroyed.'

The debris for the destroyed building would be present, but it wouldn't take the Connectors long to clear the debris.

It seemed they were trying to locate the safe in the completely destroyed basement.

At that moment, the portal showed a reaction.

Too-hwahk!

Something shot out from the portal.

Puh-uhk!

After impacting hard on the wall, something slid down the wall. A trail of blood was left behind on the wall.

The mayor became surprised.

Sungyoon and Aruwen pointed their weapons towards the object on the floor.

"Shit!"

When Sungyoon checked what had come flying through the portal, he retracted his weapon. Then he quickly moved towards the body.

The object that had come flying through the portal was a human. He was sure it was one of the Connectors sent to the city hall.

The mayor and Aruwen realized what had happened.

The mayor quickly moved behind Sungyoon.

Unlike the mayor, Aruwen stood guard near the portal.

"What... what happened?"

"I have no idea."

Sungyoon checked the injured man. His armor was so mangled that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a mess.

'I'm surprised his Gems didn't break.'

His entire body was bloody, and there were small and large wounds all over his body.

However, the most severe injuries happened to his arms and legs. An arm and a leg was missing. He was barely breathing, but even a hardy Connector wouldn't last long with these wounds.

Sungyoon immediately used his healing magic.

Hoo-oong!

Slowly the wounds closed. The man's breathing stabilized, and he stopped moaning as loudly.

However, his missing limbs didn't regenerate.

'This is the limit of my healing Gem.'

Emily was participating in the current plan. The regeneration of the limbs would have to be done at a later time by a Connector with a high rank healing Gem.

However, it had been possible for Sungyoon to save the man's life.

When the man opened his eyes, he quickly asked the man some questions.

"What happened? Did you find the safe?"

"S...safe...?"

His words were slurred as if he wasn't of sound mind yet.

However, his eyes soon became clear.

"Koo-oohk!"

He lost his balance when he swung the stumps of his missing arm and leg. Sungyoon grabbed him.

"M..my arm and leg...!"

"We can fix it when another healer comes! Please calm down and tell us what happened on the other side of the portal!"

The Connector was in a confused state, but Sungyoon's words calmed him down. The man started to stumble over his words as he started telling his story.

"W...we found the safe. However, too many monsters rushed us at once, so we couldn't retrieve it. Then some strange monster made an appearance, and our side started losing. Couple Connectors are already dead."

"A strange monster?"

"She had the upper body of a human, but the lower body of a snake. I've never seen a monster like that. It is incredibly powerful."

"It is Glaia."

Aruwen, who had been guarding the portal, spoke up. Sungyoon had never heard that name before.

"Who's Glaia?"

"Unlike the monsters that naturally form from the Grenoid, there are monsters that were created by the Grenoid's hands. It put a lot of effort into making these monsters, and they are the commanders of the other monsters. Basically, these special monsters receive orders from Grenoid, and they are officers that command the normal monsters."

"Officers...."

The mayor felt a bit lost when he heard the existence of these new beings.

"In the past, one of these monsters ambushed Mr. Woo Sungyoon on earth. It was the monster that used flame. It is called Kevil."

Sungyoon's face hardened.

He didn't know about the officer named Glaia, but he had fought against Kevil before.

'If this officer is similar in strength as Kevil...'

He felt a chill run up his spine. Above all else, Sungyoon remembered Kevil complaining about the fact that it couldn't use its full power on earth.

Basically, Kevil would be stronger on the moon.

There was a good chance that Glaia was as strong as Kevil.

"...what would you like to do?"

Sungyoon pushed down the shock he was feeling, and he posed the question to the mayor.

"The Connectors sent to the city hall found the safe, but they don't have enough power to retrieve it. We have no Connectors that we can send as support. There is only me and Mr. Aruwen here. Would you like us to go? Or do you have some other idea?"

The mayor remained frozen in place, but Sungyoon pushed the mayor to make a decision.