An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"Thank you, Shia. Okay, what's the matter?"

Despite having a bad feeling about Shia's question, Shizuku tried her best to remain calm and answered with a smile. However, it seemed that the person actually asking the question wasn't Shia, but Yue, who had moved to her side without her noticing.

"..."

"W-What's the problem?"

"..."

"Uh~ You're just looking at me without saying anything, and I don't know how to respond... Yue?"

For some reason, Yue, who was standing beside Shizuku, stared into her eyes. She remained expressionless, not saying a word, not even blinking, staring intently into her eyes.

At such a close distance, the porcelain doll-like beauty staring at me was very oppressive. Although her face was pitiful, her cold eyes made it difficult for me to remain calm.

Shizuku's eyes wandered.

Yue looked into Shizuku's eyes more intently, as if confirming something.

Then he suddenly asked:

"...Shizuku, what kind of dream did you have?"

"Huh? What kind of dream was it? It's just an ordinary dream, nothing strange about it. Yeah, it's just an ordinary dream."

"...Normal? Who appeared in the dream?"

"You asked who showed up, and everyone showed up."

"……Yeah?"

Shizuku stared directly at Yue, answering clearly as if to prove she hadn't wavered in the slightest. However, her answer was very abstract and ambiguous, revealing Shizuku's state of mind.

Yue certainly knew this, and the other members had noticed it too. However, Shizuku clearly didn't want to discuss the topic, so everyone decided to let her go for now.

Seeing Yue and the others stop so decisively, Shizuku's expression was clearly one of relief.

Since Hajime and the others were already in the middle of the room preparing to drink tea, they took Shizuku, who looked tired, to drink tea and rest.

While drinking tea, Shizuku muttered to herself.

“…How could I possibly be a princess? And the prince is…”

Not many people heard what she said.

After several hours, when Shizuku's mental fatigue was fully recovered, Guanghui and others who had not yet returned were destined to be forced to leave. After all, the conquest of the maze could not be delayed any longer.

It's fine for either Hajime or Yue to destroy it, but someone now has the most suitable moves.

"Then, Kaori, I'm counting on you. Please don't 'decompose' their bodies as well."

"Okay, no problem. As long as we're not in actual combat, my operation won't go wrong."

After Kaori said this to Hajime, she placed her hand on the amber and let her magic power seep into it. The pale silver magic light, like moonlight, illuminated the dim space with vivid colors.

"--"break down"."

Although it was not necessary to chant, Kaori deliberately chanted the keywords to make the image of the magic clearer.

Then, the amber enveloping Kouki and the others didn't melt, but rather began to disintegrate from the surface, as if weathering. Once the amber had weathered into tiny particles invisible to the naked eye, it quickly dissipated into smoke and mist.

All the amber disintegrated within minutes, leaving only Kouki and the others breathing regularly. Since the release wasn't done correctly, Shizuku and Kaori were worried about potential side effects and checked their physical condition... but it seemed their worries were for nothing.

"...Huh? Eh? Kaori? Shizuku? Where is this place? The two of you and I..."

"Hmm? Where is this place? I remember..."

“Eh? What’s going on? Where’s Eri? Eri…”

Not long after, the three woke up.

The scene suddenly switched from the previous dream to a dim cave, making the three of them seem a little confused.

Ling, in particular, stretched her hands toward the empty air, as if desperately trying to grasp something. Her words revealed what she was trying to grasp, and naturally, the content of her dream could be inferred. It was no wonder she couldn't escape her own dream.

Seeing Ling's expression, Kaori and Shizuku both wore sorrowful expressions. Even though she always had a cheerful and cheerful smile, that tragic betrayal had left a deep wound in her heart, and that wound must still be bleeding.

"Are you three okay?"

"Rin-chan..."

After hearing Shizuku and Kaori's calls, the three finally realized that what they had seen before was all a dream, and they were stunned for a moment.

However, the three people's subsequent reactions were different.

Ryuutarou, though looking somewhat disappointed, quickly said, "Never mind, it can't be helped," and scratched his head with an embarrassed expression. Kouki, on the other hand, had a gloomy expression, and his clenched fists were trembling slightly.

Although Ling immediately smiled and tried to get away with it, her smile was so heartbreaking that Kaori and Shizuku couldn't help but hugged Ling tightly.

However, the Great Maze did not seem to intend to give them time to face themselves, as a magic circle faintly appeared in the center of the room.

It seems that since everyone has come out of amber, they will be forcibly teleported to the next level.

"Amanogawa, Taniguchi, there's no time to look back. Prepare yourself, or your wishes will truly be shattered."

“!…Okay, I understand.”

"Yeah, yeah, you're right!"

The next moment, the magic circle shone brightly, turning the vision of Hajime and the others white again.

Hajime and the others were transferred to the same forest as when they first entered the maze.

However, this time the sea of ​​trees wasn't so vast that they didn't know where to go. They could see both the ceiling and their destination.

It seems that this place is similar to the dense forest area of ​​the former [Orcus Great Labyrinth], existing in a very fixed underground space.

A closer look revealed a particularly large tree standing at the deepest point of the space, compared to the other trees of roughly the same height. According to the rules, that was probably where the new teleportation array was located.

"It seems like everyone is here this time."

Hajime narrowed his eyes and looked around at the members. He had originally suspected that there might have been tampering at the transfer station, but it seemed that his worry was unnecessary.

“…Hajime, are there any imposters?”

"No, it seems there's no problem. My eyes and senses tell me that everyone is the real one."

"Since Hajime-san says so, then there's no problem."

Xia and the others, who were still on guard, all breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing the lush forest and the giant tree in the distance, Hajime was about to give the order to set off, but he glanced back and saw that Kouki and Ling's expressions were still gloomy.

Ling could understand that. Learning that her friendship was all an illusion, and then being nearly killed, wouldn't be an easy psychological recovery. If the dream world only rubbed salt into the wound, it's no wonder she's having trouble recovering.

But what did Kouki see? His eyes, shrouded in shadow, and his expression, as if he was suppressing all emotion, gave off a very uneasy impression. Was it because of the content of the dream, or because he had once again failed the trial?

Having said that, this is a large maze, a demonic realm filled with murderous intent, and it is also a place where you may be in danger of death in the next second. If you cannot adjust your mood, you may lose your life.

"Amanogawa, Taniguchi, are you planning on moving forward?"

"What! Of course there is!"

"Eh? Yes, yes!"

Hajime's sharp gaze shot towards the two frustrated people, his harsh tone almost adding insult to injury. While he cared deeply for his companions, Ryuutarou was also impatient, and his face couldn't help but scowl.

However, before Ryutaro could speak, Hajime continued:

"This is a massive maze. The moment we take a step forward, and even a second from now, death could very well be waiting for us. If you can't concentrate, then it's best to give up on the conquest now... or you'll die, okay?"

“Wait a minute, I…”

"No matter what excuses you may offer, the fact remains that you failed the test just now. So, at least you should have the resolve to complete the rest of the journey, right? But I don't see that kind of resolve in you right now. Those without fighting spirit are more trouble than a burden."

"..."

"I don't know if it's possible, but if it is, I'll help you open the portal outside the Great Labyrinth. If not, I'll set up a barrier and have you wait inside until we return. Decide now, do you want to move forward or not? I won't tolerate anyone moving forward without motivation."

The surroundings were shrouded in silence. Guanghui gritted his teeth, as if trying desperately to suppress his anger.

However, his anger wasn't directed at Hajime, but at himself for causing Hajime to say that.

Guanghui thought that even if he was depressed and couldn't concentrate, as long as Hajime and the others were there, there would be no problem - he realized that he was unconsciously relying on Hajime.

I don't like Hajime's ideas and values, and in order to gain enough strength to deny Hajime, I semi-forced myself to follow Hajime and the others to conquer the Great Labyrinth. But I rely on Hajime, which makes Guanghui want to beat me up.

Even if he let out his emotions now, he would still be dependent on Hajime, who was waiting for Kouki's answer. Kouki took several deep breaths, expelling the depression in his chest along with the air, and then slapped his cheek hard with a loud "snap."

"Nagumo, I'm fine now. I want to move on!"

Seeing Kouki's powerful gaze return, Hajime nodded and turned his gaze towards Ling.

Ling shuddered for a moment, but she followed Kouki's example and slapped her cheeks. Then, with a resolute expression, she nodded and said:

"Rin has to move forward too. She's so motivated!"

"Really? That's good. Stay focused."

Hajime said only this, and then walked ahead quickly.

With a slap, Ryuutarou patted Kouki's shoulder. Kouki gave Ryuutarou's concern a wry smile and replied casually, "It hurts." Suzuya, encouraged by Kaori and Shizuku, smiled a slightly more revitalized smile.

Thus, Hajime and the others headed straight towards the giant tree.

The forest was completely silent, not even a single insect could be heard. Since there wasn't even any wind, there was no rustling of leaves, so the sound of Hajime and the others parting the grass seemed particularly loud.

"Hmm~ I feel a bit disgusted."

"...Yeah, just like when we were ambushed in the Orcus Labyrinth."

"Indeed... there's no trace of monsters around."

Tio frowned and said this. Kaori and Shizuku also recalled the time when they were attacked by the female demon, Cattleya. They kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings, their sharp eyes filled with tension and vigilance.

"I basically sent Arachne ahead, but she didn't find anything. I don't think it'll be that easy for us to get through, though..."

Hajime dispatched the multi-aimed spider-type golem "Arachne" to investigate. He confirmed the image transmitted back from Arachne and spoke to everyone.

"...Hmm? It's raining?"

"Really? It's starting to rain."

Suddenly feeling the moisture above, Guanghui frowned, and Ling agreed, covering her head with her hands. But the next moment, everyone looked at each other and immediately felt a chill.

Because they discovered that it would never rain in this place.

"Gu! Yue!!"

“…Hmm! —『Holy Zetsu』.”

Hajime was the first to react to the unusual situation. He called out to Yue, who immediately deployed a barrier in response.

Then, heavy rain came down.

Yue's "Holy Absolute" barely caught up, preventing the rain from invading. However, no one felt relieved, and everyone's expressions became even more rigid.

This was natural, as the descending "liquid" slid down the surface of the barrier with a viscous consistency.

No matter how you look at it, it's not rain.

Is it venom or a monster? Which one is it...

"Nagumo-san, look around!"

Even in this situation, Shizuku remained calmly gazing outside the barrier. She nervously called out to Hajime. From where she looked, she could see something milky white seeping out from various places, including trees, flowers, and the ground.

"Slime? Damn it! It's so incredibly stealthy! Even if it's an aura-obscuring monster, it can't even be detected by the Mystic Eye Stone!"

"Nagumo! He's popping up from under my feet too!"

Seeing that the slime had a hidden nature that even he himself could not detect, Hajime could not help but be shocked inwardly, but he saw milky white slime spurting out from the ground under his feet.

Since the "Holy Zetsu" was a spherical, all-around barrier, it could even defend underground. However, the ground inside was an exception from the beginning, and the milky white slime lurking underground attacked Hajime and the others from inside the barrier.

“Ah! Damn it—[Decompose]!”

A milky white slime suddenly flew out from under her feet, covering the area below her knees. Kaori hurriedly activated "Decomposition".

The milky white slime then disintegrated into tiny particles, gradually disintegrating. A typical slime attack is to use its invulnerability to physical attacks to approach the enemy, swallowing them and dissolving them within its body. However, it seems Kaori had successfully eliminated it before it could dissolve.

"Drink! Don't stick to me!"

Ryutaro punched the milky white slime that was expanding from behind and rushed towards him. Relying on the effect of the gauntlet-shaped artifact, the impact was similar to the penetrating force and the milky white slime exploded and scattered under the impact of the wave.

"Hey, idiot, Ryuutarou! It's splashing towards me!"

"You simple-minded guy! I'm getting mad at you!"