An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

“Tsk!”

The bullets that could penetrate even the apostle's sword could not even hit the target.

The bullet stopped completely in front of Esheed who was standing leisurely.

"This is truly incredible... You were able to decipher my 'Divine Words' with your own strength. You truly are an anomaly—'Tian Zhuo'."

In an instant, two rows of twenty-four lightning balls appeared around Shi, forming a wall of lightning that trapped him. Leaving no chance for Shi to escape, a lightning pillar resembling a giant tree immediately arose.

This was the top-tier lightning magic that had previously inflicted horrific damage on Xudela during the final test at the bottom of the abyss. However, this one was far more powerful than that. The number of lightning balls, the speed of their deployment, and the power of the primary lightning strike were vastly different.

Magnificent lightning flashed violently in the throne room. Everyone could only see a bright white, and their eardrums were almost shattered.

Shia, who jumped to the side to avoid the apostle's attack, and Tio, whose "Dragon Transformation" was temporarily lifted due to severe injuries, were also caught in the aftermath of this magic and were blown back nearly twenty meters.

Even so, the two managed to steady themselves, quickly climbed to their feet, and immediately—

"Mr. Hajime!"

"Owner!"

"Hashi-kun!"

At this moment, Kaori had just released the Silver Wings barrier, and amidst the thunder, she, Shia, and Tio simultaneously let out a cry that was almost a scream.

Even if they wanted to rush forward immediately, the violent burst of lightning was like a tsunami, making them hesitate.

When the lightning finally died down, white smoke continued to rise from the center of the magic. Hajime's body emerged from the white smoke, and the same white smoke emanated from his entire body.

All the cross-shaped floaters sank into the ground as if struck by gravity. The light of the diamond on Hajime's body also began to flicker, intermittently, appearing quite weak.

Under such intense magic, it was astonishing that his body had retained its original form, and Hajime was still standing. "Limit Breakthrough: Overlord" had boosted his abilities in all areas, allowing him to survive while maintaining consciousness. Even with burns all over his body, Hajime gritted his teeth and persevered, staring at Esidé, who was possessed by Yue.

"I knew you could hold on, Anomaly. But after being struck by lightning like that, no matter how resilient you are, your body will become sluggish—"Fourth Formation: Thunderbolt"."

Although Hajime's instincts warned him, the effects of the lightning strike slowed his reaction speed by a split second.

At that instant, a fatal flaw was created. The space around him was completely distorted. Knowing that he had nowhere to escape, Hajime cursed fiercely in his heart and activated "King Kong" at full power again.

Immediately, shock waves from the space explosion shot towards him from all directions.

“Ugh, Ughhhhhhhhhhh!”

The concentrated shockwave's power could only be described as devastating. The power of the "Vajra" was shattered, and Hajime's bones crackled unpleasantly. Perhaps because the gods forbade anyone to behave disrespectfully in their presence, Hajime's legs gave way, and despite his will, he knelt.

Although he used the same magic as Yue, his power and dexterity were so extraordinary that they were terrifying.

"Don't even think about hurting him again!"

"Stay away from Hajime-kun!"

"To use Yue's body and magic to harm the master... You deserve death!"

Seeing Hajime covered in wounds in an instant, Shia and the others rushed forward like enraged dragons. However, the god only gave them a single sentence:

"In the name of Esid, I command—'Get down.'"

"Ahh."

"Ah ah!"

“Uuuuu!?”

Just those few words pinned Shia, Kaori, and Tio to the ground, as if crushed by pressure from above, completely unable to move.

"—'Beast Creation'."

The ground around Shia and the others rose up, transforming into a massive stone wolf in the blink of an eye. The wolf's claws and fangs pinned the three of them physically. The excruciating pain in their backs and shoulders caused them to howl in agony.

"Watch me dismantle this thing all at once—"

Kaori tried to spread her silver wings. However, before she could do anything—

"In the name of Esid, I order—[Stop function]."

“Uh—”

As the Creator Esid exercised his authority, Kaori's eyes immediately lost their luster. The two greatswords in her hands slipped and fell to the ground with a clanging sound. Kaori was now like a puppet.

Seeing the three men subdued, Hajime let out a low, wild animal-like growl. Blood streamed from his mouth like a waterfall, and his body, already stretched to its limit, convulsed. Despite this, Hajime still tried to stand up.

However, Esid's words and God's "divine judgment" mercilessly crushed Hajime's spirit.

“—‘Crucification’.”

The space above began to distort, forming the shape of a cross. Formed by the distorted space itself, the cross looked like a sculpture made of transparent glass. However, its function was extremely sinister.

"cough!"

The cross fell, and Hajime was pressed tightly to the ground, completely unable to resist.

He lay completely down, sinking into the pool of his own blood. The intense pressure caused him to bleed even more. The cross on his back was like a tombstone.

Seeing this, Ling immediately used the barrier to create a dome tunnel, extending to Hajime's side.

"Go ahead, both of you!"

"Nagumo-kun! Kaori!"

“What the hell is going on?! Damn it!”

On this side, the demons had been using hit-and-run tactics against the corpse beast soldiers and the radiant light, and by now, over half had been defeated. Shizuku and Ryuutarou were worried about leaving Suzu alone to reach the throne, which was quite a distance away. However, seeing Hajime severely injured and Kaori motionless, they decided to prioritize rescue and decided to rush over.

However, as expected, they also suffered the "Judgment of God".

“—‘Implicit death’.”

“Ugh, ah…”

“Ouch!”

Esid uttered only a few words. Shizuku, Ryuutarou, and even Suzu, who was even further away, paled instantly, collapsing in exhaustion. After a beat, the three of them, with trembling hands, touched their necks and feet.

They looked as if they were experiencing a hallucination of having their heads and feet severed. However, despite discovering their heads and feet were still there, the three of them showed no sign of relief. They seemed to still be unable to feel these parts, preventing them from rising, their faces livid.

"Hmm, it's indeed excellent material. Perfect for being my vessel."

The entire group was wiped out so easily.

Essid clenched his fist and then stretched out his five fingers, looking quite satisfied.

"Anomaly. You liberated the 'Son of God' for me, which is commendable. I thank you."

“Ugh… cough!”

Knock, knock, following the sound of footsteps, Esheed approached step by step.

Hajime was still pinned to the ground. He tried to operate the cross-shaped floaters, but they seemed to be pinned down by the immense pressure, sinking deep into the ground and unable to move.

With great effort, he finally managed to turn his head and glance to the side. Unknowingly, the cross floater protecting Myuu and Remia had also fallen into the same state. Myuu whispered, "Daddy..." and looked at Hajime with tearful eyes. Remia hugged Myuu tightly, her expression extremely tense.

Aiko and the others seemed eager to help the mother and daughter, but an apostle blocked their path. This alone prevented them from taking any action.

Hajime began to think, "Just take out some explosives and blow everything up." If he activated Kongo's "Concentrated Strengthening" to protect his vitals, he might be able to save his life. He could be resurrected by drinking the sacred water.

However, just as Hajime tried to activate the treasure vault, Asiel, as if reading his mind, gracefully snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, the treasure vault ring on Hajime's finger disappeared. The next moment, the ring was transferred to Esid's palm.

Several other rings clung to his palm. They were the treasure troves of Shia and the others. It seemed that Esid could precisely and simultaneously teleport multiple specific targets without even creating a spatial portal.

Not only that. One after another, the many artifacts crafted by Hajime, including Donal, Hulak, Alcorn, Great Shield, Cross Floater, Deluken, Black Blade, Twin Iron Fans, etc., were transferred one by one and appeared around Esid, then circled him like satellites.

"These artifacts are quite good. I'm also very interested in most of the other artifacts collected in this ring. It seems that the world of anomalies is a very pleasant place."

As Esid said this, he played with the treasure house in his hand and then held it.

Then, a faint light shone from his hand. When he opened his palm, the treasure house was shattered and turned into dust.

"It just so happens that I'm tired of this world. It's difficult to transfer to other worlds while only possessing a soul. But... now that I've obtained the best vessel, I'll go explore another world."

"Hehehe..." Asilde smiled. It looked so vicious and disgusting, a smile that Yue would never have.

Then, Esidé scattered the shimmering remains of the treasure vault in his hand, as if deliberately showing it to Hajime. The dust vanished with the light before it even touched the ground. The items stored within also didn't reappear, likely destroyed along with them.

Then, with eyes wide open, Hajime could only watch as Esid shattered the other artifacts one by one and disappeared with the light.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

Judging by his filthy smile, he definitely hadn't forgotten. Eshid's gaze then shifted to Hajime's prosthetic leg. A snap of his fingers, and that was it.

Hajime's prosthetic limb began to crack with a rattling sound. His simulated nerves were violently torn apart, and Hajime groaned in pain as he watched helplessly as his prosthetic limb crumbled into dust.

In doing so, Hajime lost all of his Sacred Gear.

Seeing the outcome, Yarbu and Fried hurried over and knelt respectfully.

"You have finally arrived. Please accept my sincere congratulations."

"I am honored to meet you. I am very happy."

"Yeah. Yarbu, Fried, you did a great job."

Just this one sentence made the two people's expressions turn into a trance, and they were so moved that their whole bodies trembled.

The lazy look on Yue's face, the expressionless yet warm and humorous expression, had completely vanished. Now, only a slight, arrogant, and harsh smile remained. Seeing Yue like this, Shia and the others' expressions twisted, filled with resentment and disgust.

At this time──

“Uh, Uoooohhh! —Refined!”

"Um?"

A red flash erupted. The floor began to sag, centered on Hajime.

"I'm surprised you're struggling so hard. Any normal person would have perished long ago... Hmm, perhaps using you as a vessel wouldn't be a bad idea. The fact that a vessel lost three hundred years ago still exists is so delightful I've lost all ability to observe... No, in terms of magical talent, there's still no comparison."

Since he was pinned down by the pressure from above, Hajime planned to use "Alchemy" on the floor to break free from the restraints. He released a large amount of red magic power in one breath, but—

"In the name of Esid, I command—'Stop.'"

As soon as Esid said this, the spirit of words took effect, the red flash disappeared without a trace, and the floor stopped sinking.

“—It’s not over yet!”

However, Hajime still refused to give up. His expression was filled with desperate determination, and he desperately gathered his magic power, as if he was exchanging his life force for it.

The red light, which had been about to dissipate, regained its power. The light grew stronger and stronger, as if it was resisting Esheed's orders.

"Oh...you can actually resist my divine words?"

“Uoooooohhhhhhhhhh!!”

He stirred up a powerful aura that pierced the air, and with a roar, the floor began to sag again. Furthermore, the cracks in the ground spread even beyond the original refining range.

Before he knew it, space seemed to begin to vibrate. The surge of magical energy grew stronger with each second, and he could even feel the pulsating, throbbing waves.

Under his blood-stained white bangs, Hajime's piercing eyes shone frighteningly.

Even in this situation, Hajime had no intention of giving up.

His murderous intent did not waver at all, as if he had no idea what despair was.

Then, there seemed to be a sound of something exploding - was this an illusion?

“Reinforced, ahhhhhhhhh!”

A chant like a scream echoed, and at the same time, red magic power—no, it should be said that a brighter, deeper crimson light spread outward like an explosion.

Then, a glowing sword emerged from the ground as if being squeezed out. Then, several spheres, approximately five centimeters in diameter, formed from the ground and floated up like bubbles.

"Owner!"

"You half-dead thing!"

Even in a near-death state, he was still able to release such a powerful pressure. This made Yarbu and Fried's faces turn pale, and they couldn't wait to kill him.

Esheed raised his hand to stop the two men and said to himself in an admiring tone:

"Having reached this point, can you still push your limits? Actually being able to instantly bestow the magic of the Age of Gods... This must be considered a breakthrough in your talent. This kind of derivation you've awakened is truly rare."

It was a sword that could cut through space, and a gravity sphere that could super-compress the surrounding ground. Furthermore, the giant wolf that Esid had just created was the result of a combination of soul magic and transformation magic: and Hajime was creating something else using a similar principle.

Obviously, this was a completely different type of alchemy and creation magic than what Hajime had done before.

But──

"You're truly a talented person, it would be a shame to leave you like that. But—don't overestimate your abilities."