An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

At Hajime's speculation, Yue nodded, as if to say, "Right!" Indeed, using the sacred water would slow Yue's magic power recovery, so it would be best to let her recover quickly to prevent any unexpected situations. However, Hajime felt some resistance to the situation, as she was sucking his blood while he was desperately running around. Although he understood that the situation was urgent and he couldn't afford to worry too much...

In the end, he agreed. Since carrying her would cause inconvenience in movement, Hajime carried her on his back and ran to find the original body.

Then there’s the opening scene.

Hajime and his companions were being chased by nearly two hundred monsters. The bushes were annoying, and Yue refused to get off Hajime's back even after sucking all his blood.

Boom boom boom boom boom boom! !

The monsters behind him were making such rumbling noises, approaching. Velociraptors, hidden in the long grass, were walking side by side, charging at him from all directions. Hajime fought them off while running relentlessly towards the area he had discovered to be the most suspicious. Yue also fired magic to avoid being surrounded by them.

(Bite, suck.)

The location they had deduced was just after passing through the forest. On the other side of the maze wall, on the other side of the grass they were currently passing through, there was a vertical crack near the center of the wall, a place that looked like a cave.

As for why they'd chosen that location as their target, it was because the attacking monsters had certain behavioral patterns. As Hajime and his men advanced, fighting back, the monsters would become more aggressive whenever they tried to escape in a certain direction, as if they didn't want them to go that way. Continuing this aimless search would only lead to more monsters, so Hajime decided to take a gamble and break through in that direction.

It seemed that the plan to hide in the bushes had failed, so Hajime used "Aerodynamics" to jump and "Shrink the Earth" to increase his speed.

(Bite, suck.)

"Ms. Yue!? You've been sucking my blood bit by bit since just now. Can you please stop doing that!?"

"……force majeure."

"You're lying! You barely consumed any energy!"

“…That guy’s flower… is targeting me too… Ugh!”

"What are you moaning so deliberately for? Don't blame that guy, you idiot. Besides, you're taking it so calmly, hey!"

Despite this situation, Yue remained obsessed with sucking Hajime's blood. As expected of a former royal, she seemed incredibly courageous. Even with this playful behavior, Hajime resolutely met the attack, leading over two hundred monsters into the vertical rift.

The caverns of the vertical crack were quite narrow, barely wide enough for two sturdy adults to walk side by side. Of course, a Tyrannosaurus couldn't pass through, and only one Velociraptor could enter at a time. The invading Velociraptor extended its claws, attempting to tear them apart, but before it could, Hajime's Donal opened fire, and Hajime immediately sealed the crack with his Refinement.

"Phew~ That should be alright for now, right?"

"……Thanks for your hard work."

"If you really think I'm tired, then please come down now, okay?"

“…Ugh…I can’t help it.”

Hearing what Shi said, Yue reluctantly, really very reluctantly got off his back. It seemed that Shi's back seemed quite comfortable.

"Alright, since those guys are fighting so hard, this is probably the place. Don't get careless, okay?"

"Um."

Because the entrance was blocked by alchemy, the cave was dark and the two moved forward cautiously.

After walking along the path for a while, he finally arrived at a spacious hall. Deep inside, a vertical crack connected to a path, which might be the stairs leading to the lower level. He began to explore the surroundings. Although his "Sensor" didn't detect anything, he had a bad feeling, so he didn't let his guard down. Monsters that could avoid "Sensor" were countless in this maze.

When Hajime and the others reached the center of the room, something happened.

Countless things that looked like green ping-pong balls flew towards them from all directions. Hajime and Yue were back to back in an instant, trying to catch the flying green balls.

However, the green balls, numbering over a hundred, continued to fly towards him, so Hajime decided to use his alchemy to create a stone wall to block them. Blocked by the stone wall, the green balls were unable to penetrate and shattered, seemingly without much power. Yue, on the other hand, was no problem either, countering with wind magic, which boasted superior speed and attack range.

"Yue, this might be an attack from the main body. Do you know where the opponent is?"

"..."

"moon?"

Hajime asks Yue if he knows the main body's location. Although Yue doesn't have skills like "breath detection" to search for enemies, the vampire's keen five senses are also an effective means of search from a different point of view than Hajime.

But Yue did not answer Hajime's question. Hajime called Yue's name in surprise, but the answer he got was...

“…Run away… Hajime!”

At some point, Yue's hand was already aimed at Shi, the wind gathering in its grasp. Shi's instincts rang fiercely, and he leaped away with all his might. Instantly, a powerful wind blade passed through Shi's original position, neatly slicing the stone wall behind him in two.

"moon!?"

Hajime cried out in surprise at the unexpected attack, but when he saw what was on Yue's head, he immediately understood what was happening. Yes, Yue also had a flower blooming on her head, and it even made one wonder, "Is this specially made for Yue?" The bright red rose blooming on her head was a perfect match for her.

"Damn it! Is that the green ball from before!?"

Hajime couldn't help wanting to give himself a beating for his carelessness, but he suppressed the urge and continued to dodge Yue's wind blades.

“Hashi… wuwu…”

Yue's expressionless face shifted to one of grief. When he shot down the raptor's flower, the raptor angrily trampled it. In other words, while being controlled by the flower, the person was still conscious, merely deprived of their physical freedom.

However, if that was the case, Hajime already knew how to crack it. He aimed at the flower on Yue's head and prepared to pull the trigger.

However, the operator seemed to know that Shi had shot down the flower, and that Shi had a long-range attack weapon, so it was not so easy for Shi to successfully shoot down the flower.

Because the opponent was controlling Yue, she began to act as if she was protecting the flower. She mostly used up-and-down movements, aiming to blast Yue's face if Hajime missed. Then, in a different move, just as Hajime was about to approach Yue and cut down the flower, Yue extended a hand to support her head.

“…How cruel…”

In other words, it was a warning that if Hajime approached, Yue would become the target of his magic.

Yue's body is indeed close to immortality, but if you ask if she could be reduced to ash in one blast using advanced magic, would she still be able to "regenerate"? The answer is undoubtedly no. Furthermore, Yue can cast even the most advanced magic without delay, so it's best not to take such a risky gamble as risking an attack.

Perhaps sensing Hajime's hesitation, the monster emerged from the darkness of the inner crack.

Anawen and Dryads, monsters that resembled a fusion of human women and plants, often appeared in RPGs. The one that appeared before Hajime and the others was precisely that kind of monster. However, in mythology, such monsters often took the form of beautiful women, were not hostile, and some legends even claimed that treating them well would bring good luck. However, the Anawen imitation before them gave no such impression.

It does look like a human female, but it is extremely ugly, as if the ugliness inside has overflowed from its appearance. Countless vines are twisting like tentacles, looking extremely disgusting. For some reason, the corners of its mouth are split and it keeps laughing.

Hajime immediately points his gun at the fake Anawin, but before Hajime can fire, Yue enters the ray and hinders Hajime.

“Hajime… I’m sorry…”

Yue gritted her teeth, a look of regret on her face. She couldn't stand being a burden. She must be fighting back desperately. She struggled to open her lips, her lips restrained, blood trickling from the sides as she apologized. Her sharp canine teeth bit through her lip. It was unclear whether it was out of regret, or to break the curse, or perhaps both.

The fake Anawen uses Yue as a shield and shoots green balls at Hajime.

Hajime struck the green ball with the barrel of Donard's gun, and it shattered. Though it couldn't be seen with the naked eye, the spores that made the flower bloom must have scattered.

There were no flowers blooming on Shi's head like Yue's. The fake Anawen put away his sinister smile and showed a surprised expression. It seemed that the spores did not work on Shi.

(Probably thanks to the resistance skills.)

As Hajime had deduced, the spores of the fake Anawen were a neurotoxin, and therefore had no effect on Hajime, who possessed poison resistance. In other words, Hajime's survival was entirely accidental, and Yue couldn't be blamed for his carelessness. There was no need for Yue to feel grief.

Perhaps the fake Anawen realized that the spores were ineffective against Hajime, so it angrily ordered Yue to cast another spell, the Wind Blade. Hajime thought that the simple movements of the velociraptors might not be able to fully utilize the power of the objects it controlled.

(This is a blessing in disguise.)

When Hajime was about to dodge the wind blade, he saw Yue put his hands on his head as if to show off, so Hajime stayed where he was and took the attack with the unique magic "Vajra" he stole from Cyclos.

This skill, by spreading its magical energy over its body, strengthens its hardness. As its name suggests, it can exert a defense as strong as diamond, making it a very reliable skill. Since Hajime hadn't mastered it yet, his defense was only about one-tenth of that of Cyclos. However, while the wind blades were sharp, they lacked power, so Hajime was able to withstand them.

(There's basically a way to resolve it immediately, but... the aftermath is scary... Should I throw an "incendiary grenade"?)

Just as Hajime was thinking about how to break this situation, Yue screamed in grief.

“Hajime… leave me alone… just shoot!”

Yue seemed to realize something and shouted at Shi to shoot. Rather than becoming a burden to Shi or attacking him, Yue would rather Shi shoot her as well. Her red eyes revealed that determination as she stared directly at Shi.

"How could I possibly do that?! I'll definitely save you!" Normally, this would be a scene where he'd shout out passionate lines like these, reaffirming his bond with the heroine. Hajime would have probably done this before, but his current behavior betrayed such expectations.

"Eh? Is that okay? I'm saved."

boom!

Gunshots echoed throughout the hall.

The moment he heard Yue's words, Hajime pulled the trigger without hesitation. The hall was instantly filled with icy air, and silence reigned. Then, the rose, which had been spinning in the air, fell to the ground with a thud.

Yue blinked, and the fake Anawen blinked too.

Light gently checked her hair with both hands. The flower was gone, replaced by her own shrunken, brittle blond hair. The fake Anawen also grasped the situation and glared at Hajime with an apology.

"No, you have no right to look at me like that."

boom! !

Hajime muttered as he fired. The fake Anawen's head exploded, spraying green liquid. It swayed and convulsed, falling to the ground.

"Alright, Yue, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"

Hajime looked relaxed as he checked to see if Yue was okay, but Yue was still rubbing his head and glaring at Hajime coldly.

“…You fired.”

"Huh? Because you said you could shoot."

“…without hesitation…”

"Because I was planning to shoot right up to the very end. I'm confident in my marksmanship, but if I shoot without first getting permission, Yue might get upset, and that wouldn't be good for the future, so I've been thinking it over."

"...My scalp seems... a little shaved off..."

"Well, that little wound will heal quickly, right? No problem."

“Wuwu~…”

Yue's expression was as if to say "That's true, but!", and she protested by pounding Hajime's stomach with both hands.

It was true that she had been the one who had asked Hajime to shoot, and it was true that she had decided that it was better to be shot along with him than to become a burden. However, Yue was also a woman, and she still had her share of dreams. She had hoped that Hajime would at least hesitate a moment. Even so, that reaction was too rash, and Yue was furious, taking her anger out on Hajime.

As for Hajime, once he realized that the possibility of Yue being manipulated to use advanced magic was very low, Hajime stopped worrying about Yue, because there was almost no attack that could surpass Yue's immortality.

However, Hajime was also worried that firing without hesitation would sour their relationship, so he refrained from firing, risking the ultimate taboo of hesitation in battle. "It's come to this, why is she so unhappy?" Hajime tilted his head in confusion. Seeing Hajime's expression, Yue became even more annoyed and turned away, ignoring Hajime.

Hajime sighed inwardly and began to think about how to calm Yue down. That seemed to be much more difficult than conquering the fake Anawen.

Several days had passed since Yue was upset by shooting the fake Anawen without explanation.

After that, Hajime was sucked unconscious by the blood. Perhaps because of this, he finally succeeded in calming Yue down, and they tried to conquer the maze again.

Finally, the next floor is the 100th floor from the original floor.

On the ninety-ninth floor, before the hundredth, Hajime spent his time checking and replenishing his equipment. Yue continued to watch Hajime's work tirelessly, or rather, she enjoyed watching him work. Now, she was beside Hajime, leisurely watching his hands and face alternately. Her expression was remarkably relaxed, not at all like she was in a maze.

I couldn't tell how many days had passed since I met Yue, as I couldn't sense time. But lately, Yue had been showing an expression that wasn't so much carefree as relaxed. She had also started to act coquettishly with Hajime.

Especially when resting at the base, she would always cling to Shi. When lying down, she would hold Shi's arms as if sleeping with him, and when sitting, she would hug Shi from behind. When letting her suck his blood, she would always hug him from the front. After sucking his blood, she would linger and rub her face against Shi's chest, showing a comfortable and satisfied expression.

Hajime is also a man.

Because Yue looks like she's about twelve or thirteen, she gives off a rather cute impression, so Hajime won't easily develop feelings for her. However, she's actually much older than Hajime. From time to time, she reveals a mature side, becoming quite alluring and causing Hajime considerable distress. Because they're still inside the maze, Hajime must constantly maintain a sense of tension, which is why he's able to endure it. But if, once he reaches the surface and relaxes, Yue tries to seduce Hajime with her mature self again, he won't be confident he can remain rational, though perhaps that wouldn't make any sense...

“Hajime… you’re being more cautious than usual…”

"Hmm? Yeah, because the next floor is the 100th, and I think there might be something hidden there. It's said that a commonly known labyrinth also has 100 floors... I'm just being safe."

Counting from the floor where I first fell, if I passed the 80th floor, this place couldn't possibly be the ordinary [Great Labyrinth of Orcus] we know from above. Judging from the feeling I had when I fell into the abyss, and the feeling I'd had after breaking through each floor so far, it was certain that this place was even deeper underground than an ordinary labyrinth.

Hajime was confident that he had honed his skills in spearmanship, physical skills, unique magic, weapons, and refinement, and that he wouldn't be defeated so easily. However, despite such strength, the labyrinth could easily inflict fatal wounds. This was the terrifying part of the maze. Therefore, he should prepare as much as possible while he could. Incidentally, Hajime's current situation was as follows.

====================

Nanyun Hajime 17 years old Male Level: 76

Vocation: Alchemist

Power: 1980

Stamina: 2090

Resistance: 2070

Agility: 2450

Mana: 1780

Magic Resistance: 1780

Skills: Alchemy (+Mineral Identification) (+Precision Alchemy) (+Mineral Exploration) (+Mineral Separation) (+Mineral Fusion) (+Copy Alchemy) · Magical Manipulation (+Magic Radiation) (+Magic Compression) (+Remote Manipulation) · Stomach Acid Enhancement · Thunder Wrap · Sky Step (+Aerodynamics) (+Shrinking the Earth) (+Going Kick) · Wind Claw · Night Vision · Farsightedness · Breath Perception · Magic Perception, Heat Perception · Breath Shielding · Poison Resistance · Paralysis Resistance · Petrification Resistance · Diamond · Pressure · Telepathy · Language Comprehension

====================

Stats will continue to rise as long as you eat the first monster you eat, but unique spells won't increase much. You can sometimes still get them from boss-level monsters, but eating regular monsters on this floor doesn't seem to increase them anymore. Just like monsters can't gain unique spells by eating each other, as stats rise and their bodies deteriorate, they might become harder to obtain.

Not long after, Hajime and Yue, having completed their preparations, headed towards the stairs leading downstairs.

That floor was a vast space supported by countless massive pillars, each five meters in diameter, adorned with spiral patterns and carvings resembling vines. The pillars were neatly arranged and spaced regularly. The ceiling soared to approximately thirty meters, and the floor was flat, smooth, and clean, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Hajime and the others, entranced by the scene, stepped into that space. Immediately, all the pillars began to glow faintly. Hajime and Yue snapped back to their senses, raising their guard. They saw the pillars lighting up one by one, starting with the two of them, and moving inwards.

Hajime and the others were on guard for a while, but nothing unusual happened. So the two decided to continue forward, and Hajime made full use of all his perception skills while moving forward.