An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

After the meal, Hajime began to refine in order to replenish consumables.

Creating a single bullet required immense concentration. After all, it was an extremely precise piece of work. To ensure the rifling inscribed on the donner was not wasted, the dimensions had to be perfectly matched, and the compression of the explosives could not be wrong. It took nearly thirty minutes to create a single bullet. Hajime felt it was a remarkable feat, and he couldn't help but admire himself. Humans, faced with life and death, unleash incredible strength.

However, despite the effort, its power was relatively impeccable. Furthermore, his proficiency in refining it increased rapidly, so Hajime had no complaints.

Thanks to this, he now had the ability to easily remove impurities from minerals and separate their components, making it easier to fuse materials. In fact, Hajime's current forging skills were top-notch even compared to the kingdom's own blacksmiths.

Hajime silently continued his refinement, currently only progressing down one level. The depth of this abyss was unpredictable, and Hajime planned to begin exploring immediately after completing the refinement. To return home as soon as possible, he couldn't delay any longer.

Hajime, having resumed his exploration, remained constantly on the move, except for restocking consumables at his base. In this vast labyrinth, exploring while resting would undoubtedly take forever. Thanks to his 'night vision', Hajime didn't have to worry about the darkness, and his 'scent sense' allowed him to detect monsters within a ten-meter radius, allowing him to explore at breakneck speed.

Then, finally finding the stairs leading down, he stepped down without hesitation.

The floor of that floor was covered in tar, like a thick, swampy mess. Because my feet were sinking into the ground, it was extremely difficult to move. Hajime frowned and began to explore, using the protruding rocks as footholds or using his "air power."

During the exploration, while investigating the surrounding minerals with the "Mineral Exploration" skill, he discovered an ore that interested him very much.

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Fulham Ore

This lustrous black ore melts into a tar-like substance when heated. The melting point is around 50°C. The tar-like substance will ignite at 100°C, reaching temperatures of up to 3000°C. The burning time depends on the amount of oil used.

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“…You must be kidding.”

A twitching smile appeared on Hajime's face, and he tried to slowly lift his foot. Then, the oily semi-liquid that had covered the entire floor and been stepped on several times before began to drip from Hajime's shoes.

"S-Strictly prohibiting candles..."

The fire temperature was 100 degrees Celsius, so it shouldn't start easily. However, if it did, the chain reaction would engulf the entire floor in a scorching 3,000-degree Celsius heat. Even if there were a stockpile of divine water, Hajime wasn't confident he could survive.

"You can't use railguns or 'Tornado'..."

Donar is a powerful weapon. Even without electromagnetic acceleration, the explosives of the incendiary stone alone can exert its full power.

However, that was purely a case of dealing with ordinary monsters. For example, a monster like the Nightmare Warrior could be easily destroyed without electromagnetic acceleration, and even a Behemoth should be able to inflict considerable damage. However, the monsters in this abyss are quite unusual. Compared to them, the monsters on the upper levels are nothing more than ordinary beasts. So, can the power of explosives alone really destroy the monsters on this level...

Ignoring such uneasy factors, Hajime raised the corner of his mouth and said:

"It doesn't matter. What I have to do is still the same, I just kill and eat it."

After sealing the "Electromagnetic Cannon" and "Tangled Thunder", he resumed the search.

After walking for a while, I came to a three-way fork in the road. I first checked the nearby walls, then followed the basic procedure and took a step forward to start exploring from the left passage.

At that moment.

Keng!

「!?」

A bloody mouth lined with countless sharp teeth opened, and a shark-like monster leaped out from the tar. It aimed its jaws at Hajime's head and bit down fiercely. The sound of teeth clashing against each other was so loud that even though Hajime ducked to avoid it, he still shuddered.

([Breath Sense] didn't respond!)

Indeed, Hajime had been using the 'Scent Sense' skill constantly since acquiring it. He should be able to sense any creature within a ten-meter radius without missing a beat. Even so, he hadn't felt the shark's attack until just now.

The shark, having failed to devour Hajime in one gulp, sank back into the tar with a plop and disappeared.

(Damn it, I really can’t control my breath!)

Hajime gritted his teeth at the incomprehensible situation. However, he knew that if he stood still he would be attacked, so he used his "air power" to start moving again.

Then, as if it had seen the right moment, the shark flew out again.

"Don't underestimate me!"

Shi flipped in the air and shot at the shark that passed over his head in his field of vision in an upside-down position. In order to destroy the enemy, the bullet shot by Donal passed through the air and approached, and then at the perfect time, hit the shark's back squarely.

however--

"Gu! It actually deflected the bullet!"

The bullet struck the shark's skin, as if it were rubber. Although it dented for a moment, it quickly rebounded. It seems the shark's skin has the property of absorbing physical shock.

“Ouch!”

After passing through, the shark rushed into the tar, showing amazing agility, turned around, and pounced again at the moment of Shi's somersault and landing.

Hajime twisted his body, barely dodging the attack, but his flank was lightly sliced. Hajime, struck, fell into the tar. His body, stained black, he scrambled to his feet and leaped into the air again. Then, a shark's mouth shot up from right below where Hajime had been, biting him!

Hajime, leaping through the air with his aerodynamics, sweat dripped down his face. Despite the danger, his usual fearless smile played upon his face.

"very good!"

Hajime once again used his "Aero Force" to jump in the air, constantly changing positions, waiting for the moment to attack.

When the concentration cultivated through alchemy is fully exerted, the surrounding scenery seems to gradually fade away.

(…Not being able to detect aura isn’t a problem. I don’t have that skill anyway. Even if I can’t sense aura, that guy was definitely there at the moment of the attack.)

Hajime was concentrating while jumping, but suddenly his steps were unstable and his body lost balance. The shark did not miss this opportunity and flew out from the blind spot behind him in one breath.

"You're such a help to me!"

Hajime, who seemed to have lost his balance, immediately recovered his posture and did a side flip in the air to avoid the shark's attack. The moment it passed by, Hajime grabbed Donal's right hand and swung it out.

In an instant, the shark's flank was split open, blood splattered everywhere, and it fell into the tar, stirring up tar foam and struggling in pain.

Hajime deliberately lost his balance, exposing an opening behind him, to lure the shark into a suitable time and place to attack. He then used the claw bear's unique magic, "Wind Claw," attached to Donal to slash the shark.

Hajime walked towards the struggling shark and swung his Donar at its head. Wind Claw instantly split the shark's head in half. While it didn't have three claws like the Claw Bear, its sharpness far exceeded that of ordinary swords, making it a very reliable special magic in close combat.

"Alright, I want to confirm why I can't sense any presence?"

Hajime said this and licked his tongue.

Afterwards, he cut off the shark meat and put it away, then continued exploring and finally found the stairs leading to the lower level.

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Nanyun Hajime 17 years old Male Level: 24

Vocation: Alchemist

Power: 450

Stamina: 550

Resistance: 400

Agility: 550

Mana: 500

Magic Resistance: 500

Skills: Alchemy (+Mineral Identification) (+Precision Alchemy) (+Mineral Exploration) (+Mineral Separation) (+Mineral Fusion) · Magical Manipulation · Stomach Acid Enhancement · Thunder Wrap · Sky Step (+Aerodynamics) (+Shrinking the Earth) · Wind Claw · Night Vision · Breath Perception · Breath Concealment · Petrification Resistance · Language Comprehension

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Hajime continued to conquer the maze.

After advancing another fifty floors from the Tar Shark's floor, Hajime lost track of time and had no idea how many days had passed. Even so, there was no mistaking his astonishing speed.

During that time, Hajime had several life-and-death battles with unreasonably strong monsters.

For example, on a floor filled with a thin, poisonous mist, Hajime is attacked by a two-meter-long frog (colored) that spews poisonous phlegm, and a moth (resembling a *Mothra) that sprays paralyzing scale powder. If he hadn't regularly consumed the sacred water and enjoyed its benefits, simply exploring it would have been enough to kill him. (Editor's note: This refers to Mothra, the giant moth-like creature created in the Toho Kaiju film series.)

When poisoned by the colored frog, his nerves were directly attacked, and Hajime experienced pain similar to the first time he ate monster flesh. If it weren't for the sacred water hidden in his molar, he would probably have died. Incidentally, the molar contained a stone container that was so thin that it would shatter with a single bite. Fortunately, Hajime had installed it in advance for emergency use.

Of course, Hajime ate both of them. Although he still had some resistance to eating moths, he realized that it was to strengthen himself, so he made up his mind to eat them. The taste was actually better than the frog, and Hajime couldn't help but feel a little unwilling.

Furthermore, despite being an underground maze, there's a floor resembling a dense forest. It's incredibly hot and humid, with dense trees, making it the most unpleasant place yet. The monsters on this floor are giant centipedes and trees.

While walking in the dense forest, when a giant centipede suddenly fell from a tree, even Hajime couldn't help but get goosebumps all over his body. It was so disgusting.

Furthermore, each segment of this centipede's body could be separated and attacked individually. Just one was equivalent to thirty, this monster was like a black cockroach in the kitchen.

Hajime fired a barrage of Donars, attempting to repel them. However, they were too numerous, and reloading the Donars was too much of a hassle. So, he switched to slashing with his Wind Claws. Even that wasn't enough, forcing him to resort to kicking, a truly desperate fight. At this point, Hajime resolved to hone his quick reload and kicking skills. He was covered in the Split Centipede's purple fluid, and the unpleasant sensation made him frown.

Incidentally, the tree monsters resemble the tree men in RPG games, with roots that suddenly shoot out from underground and branches that swing like whips.

However, this tree-man's greatest strength wasn't its subtle attacks. When threatened, the monster would swing its head and hurl red fruit. This fruit had no offensive power. After Hajime took a bite, he froze for over ten minutes. It wasn't because it was poisonous, but because it was so delicious. The red fruit was sweet and tender, like a watermelon, not an apple.

The delicious taste of the fruit made Hajime forget the unpleasant atmosphere of this floor. No, it should be said that he even forgot about conquering the maze. In fact, it had been several days since Hajime had eaten anything other than fresh meat. Hajime's eyes had completely transformed into that of a hunter, attacking with the momentum of a hunter who seemed determined to hunt down all the tree-like people. By the time he finally felt satisfied and resumed conquering the maze, the tree-like people had been almost completely wiped out.

Hajime broke through the floors just like this, and in the blink of an eye he had reached the 50th floor. There was no sign of the end yet. Incidentally, Hajime's current status values ​​were as follows.

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Nanyun Hajime 17 years old Male Level: 49

Vocation: Alchemist

Power: 880

Stamina: 970

Resistance: 860

Agility: 1040

Mana: 760

Magic Resistance: 760

Skills: Alchemy (+Mineral Identification) (+Precision Alchemy) (+Mineral Exploration) (+Mineral Separation) (+Mineral Fusion) (+Copy Alchemy) · Magical Manipulation · Stomach Acid Enhancement · Thunder Wrap · Sky Step (+Aerodynamics) (+Shrinking the Earth) (+Going Foot) · Wind Claw · Night Vision · Farsightedness · Breath Perception · Breath Concealment · Poison Resistance · Paralysis Resistance · Petrification Resistance · Language Comprehension

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Hajime stayed for a while in the base he had built on the fiftieth floor, honing his spear skills, kicking skills, and training. Having said that, Hajime had already discovered the stairs leading downstairs, but there was a place on the fiftieth floor that was clearly different from the others.

It was a very strange space.

At the end of the path, in an open space, there is a three-meter-high, solemnly decorated gate. Beside the gate sits a pair of statues of one-eyed giants, half of their bodies buried in the wall.

The moment Hajime stepped into that space, a chill ran through his body. "This place is dangerous," Hajime decided to retreat for now. He was, of course, fully prepared, not planning to flee. This was a "change" that had finally occurred, and he couldn't help but investigate.

A mixture of anticipation and a sense of foreboding washed over Hajime. Opening that door would undoubtedly bring disaster, but Hajime felt it could also offer a new opportunity for clearing the seemingly endless maze.

"Like Pandora's box... well, what kind of hope is contained within?"

Hajime checked his current martial arts, weapons, and skills one by one, adjusting his condition to be perfect. When everything was ready, Hajime slowly drew out the Donar.

Then, he gently rested his forehead against his chest and closed his eyes. He had already made up his mind, but the efforts he had accumulated so far should not be in vain. He reached deep into his heart and spoke out his wish.

"I want to survive, return home, return to Japan...home. Anyone who stands in my way is an enemy, and the only enemy I can kill is... without mercy!"

Opening his eyes, Hajime's lips showed a fearless smile as usual.

Arriving at the room with the door, Hajime advanced cautiously, arriving safely in front of it. A closer look revealed the door's exquisite decoration. A magic circle with two grooves was painted in the center.

"? I don't understand. I think I've learned a lot... but I've never seen a technique like this before."

When Hajime was called incompetent, he studied very hard to make up for his low ability. Of course, he didn't learn everything, but even so, this spell that made him completely unable to understand the magic circle was a bit strange.

"Does this mean it's quite old?"

Hajime speculated as he investigated the door. However, he found nothing special. Since the technique seemed to have a long history, Hajime, while wary of traps, also tried to investigate. However, with Hajime's current level of knowledge, it seemed impossible to decipher it.

"No choice, just use the refinement as usual."

Hajime tentatively placed his hand on the door, but no matter how hard he pushed or pulled, it wouldn't budge. So, as usual, he forced a path through it with his refining technique. Hajime placed his right hand on the door and began the refining process.

However, at that moment——

Snap!

“Wow!?”

A red electric current emanated from the door, knocking Hajime's hand away. Smoke billowed from his hand. He cursed and drank the holy water to recover, and then something strange happened.

Ohh ...

Suddenly, a loud shout echoed throughout the room.

He leaped back, putting some distance between him and the door. He lowered his weight, placed his hand on his holster, and prepared to draw and fire at any moment.

Amidst the shouting, the owner of the voice finally took action.

"It's certainly old-fashioned."

Hajime said with a wry smile. The two Cyclopses carved on either side of the door shattered the surrounding walls and appeared before him. Their gray skin, which had once merged with the walls, had now turned a dark green.

The Cyclops's appearance was a stark resemblance to the Cyclops often seen in fantasy works. In its hand, it wielded a massive sword, roughly four meters long, that had materialized from nowhere. They forcibly unsheathed the half of their body still buried within the wall and turned their gaze towards Hajime, ready to eliminate the unruly intruder.