An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

At that moment, Captain Meld strode over and, without further ado, struck Kaori in the neck with a slash. Kaori convulsed and lost consciousness. Kouki embraced the limp Kaori and glared at Captain Meld. Just as Kouki was about to protest, Shizuku interrupted him and bowed her head to Captain Meld.

"I'm sorry. Thank you."

"Thanks... no need to bother. I can't let any more people die. Everyone, please make every effort to escape the maze... I'm leaving her in your care."

"Of course."

Guanghui didn't interrupt, but just watched Captain Meld leave with a stern face. Shizuku took Kaori from Guanghui and said to him:

"Captain Meld is only helping us because we can't stop Kaori. You understand, right? There's no time now. We have to stop Kaori before her screams cause emotional damage to everyone, especially before she collapses... You're responsible for clearing the way until everyone escapes... Didn't Nagumo-san say that, too?"

After hearing what Shizuku said, Kouki nodded.

"That's right, let's leave now."

A classmate had died before my eyes. The rest of the class was left with a deep trauma. Everyone stared at the spot where the stone bridge had once stood, their faces vacant and lost. Some even sat down and cried out, "I've had enough!"

Just like what Hajime had said to Guanghui, they needed a captain now.

Guanghui shouted to his classmates at the top of his voice:

"Everyone! Now just focus on surviving! Let's retreat!"

After hearing this, the class slowly began to move. The magic circle remained intact, and the number of Nightmare Warriors continued to grow. Fighting in their current state of mind was ill-advised, and unnecessary. Kouki desperately shouted at the students to flee, and Captain Meld and the Knights encouraged them. Finally, everyone managed to escape to the stairs.

The staircase leading to the upper floors was long. Pitch blackness stretched endlessly upwards, and it felt like I'd already climbed over thirty floors. Even with my magically strengthened body, I should be tired by now, not to mention the damage I'd sustained in the previous battle. The mere sight of the long, dimly lit staircase was enough to dishearten me.

Just as Captain Meld was beginning to consider whether he should take a break, a high wall with a magic circle drawn on it finally appeared above him.

As the students' faces gradually regained their spirits, Captain Meld rushed to the door and began to investigate in detail, not forgetting to use the Phil detector.

It turned out that there were no traps here. The spell inscribed on the magic circle seemed to be used to push the wall before him. Captain Meld chanted the spell on the magic circle and poured his magic power into it. The door swung like a hidden door in a ninja house, opening the way to the inner room.

After passing through the door, there is the room that was originally on the 20th floor.

"Are you back?"

"I'm back!"

“We’re back… We’re back…”

The students in the class breathed a sigh of relief. Some burst into tears, or collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Even Guanghui and the others leaned against the wall, nearly falling down.

However, this was still inside the maze. Even though the level wasn't high, there was no telling when monsters would appear from where. Before they could fully relax, they had to successfully escape the maze.

Captain Meld suppressed his desire to let everyone rest and forced the students to stand up with a cruel heart.

"Don't sit still! If you relax now, you won't be able to turn back! Avoid fighting monsters as much as possible and escape from here as quickly as possible! You're only a little closer, hold on!"

"At least give us a break." Though the students silently grumbled, Captain Meld glared down any objections. Reluctantly, the students stumbled to their feet. Hiding their fatigue, Kouki led the way. With the Knights at their center, they only defeated the bare minimum of enemies along the way, charging down the land in one breath.

Finally, I saw the main entrance on the first floor and the somewhat nostalgic reception window. Logically, it shouldn't have been more than a day since I entered the maze, but many people must have felt like they had passed through here a long time ago.

This time, the students genuinely looked relieved as they walked outside. Some even lay down in a large cross-section in the square at the main entrance. Everyone was equally happy to have saved their lives.

However, some students had gloomy expressions - including Shizuku and Kouki who were carrying Kaori who had not yet woken up, Ryuutarou, Eri, and Suzu who were watching, and the female student that Hajime had saved.

Captain Meld glanced at the students with concern and went to the window to report.

The new traps discovered on the twentieth floor are far too dangerous. Although the stone bridge has collapsed, and there's no telling if the traps will still work, I still need to report back. And I also need to report Hajime's death. Despite trying hard to suppress his melancholy, Captain Meld couldn't help but sigh.

After returning to Holyard, the group had no energy to do anything and went straight to their hotel rooms. Although a few students gathered together to chat, most of them threw themselves directly onto their beds and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Hiyama Daisuke left the hotel alone and went to an inconspicuous corner of town, where he sat with his knees hugged. He buried his face between his legs and didn't move. If his classmates saw him like this, they would probably think he was very depressed.

But actually...

"Hehehe. It's all that guy's fault. He's just a nobody... and yet he's so arrogant... This is karma... I'm not wrong... This is all for Shirasaki... She won't have to... have anything to do with that kind of trash anymore... I'm not wrong... Hehehe."

Hiyama simply defended himself with a dark smile and cloudy eyes.

That's right, the fireball that seemed to have been guided off course and attacked Hajime was actually cast by Hiyama.

As he weighed the two tasks of escaping to the stairs and rescuing Hajime, Kaori, staring at Hajime, suddenly caught his eye. Instantly, the demon inside Hiyama whispered to him, "Is it possible to kill that guy now without him being discovered?"

So Hiyama sold his soul to the devil.

To avoid being discovered, Hiyama timed his attack with a deceptive fireball. With the magic flying like a meteor, it would be difficult to pinpoint the source. Furthermore, Hiyama's magic was wind-attributed, and with no evidence, it was unlikely anyone would know.

Hiyama convinced himself with this, a dark smile spreading across his face.

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind.

"Oh~ It's you, after all. The first person you killed after arriving in this other world was actually a classmate... Not bad at all."

“!? Who is it!?”

Hiyama quickly turned around. There was a familiar classmate.

"W-Why are you here..."

"That's fine, whatever happens. But... Mr. Murderer, how are you feeling right now? How does it feel to take advantage of the chaos and kill your love rival?"

The man chuckled softly, his face amusement, as if he were watching a comedy. Even though it was Hiyama's hand, a classmate had died, and he seemed to take it all for granted. Until a moment ago, he had looked as exhausted as the others, having suffered a severe blow, but now, he showed no sign of fatigue.

"...Is this your true nature?"

Hiyama murmured in astonishment.

The person said with contempt and ridicule:

"Nature? Not that exaggerated. Generally speaking, everyone plays nice to some extent... But rather than that, what would happen if I told everyone about this? Especially... if that girl heard..."

“!? T-T ...

"No? But if I said it, everyone would believe it, right? After all, you were the one who caused that predicament, so I think your words are no longer convincing."

Hiyama was cornered. These words were like tormenting an already weakened rat. No one could have imagined this guy was this kind of person. A dual personality was more likely. The sight of the man before him, looking down on him with a cruel expression, sent shivers down Hiyama's spine.

“W-What do you want to do!?”

"Hmm? How rude! You're saying it as if I'm threatening you. Hehe, I won't do anything to you. Anyway, just be my subordinate and obey me."

“This…”

This was essentially a declaration of slavery, and even Hiyama couldn't help but hesitate. He wanted to refuse, but if he did, the person before him would probably tell everyone without mercy that it was Hiyama who killed Hajime.

"I might as well just kill this guy too." Hiyama, his mind tangled, began to sink into dark thoughts. But perhaps he had anticipated this situation, as the man offered the devil's temptation.

"Don't you want Shirasaki Kaori?"

“!? W-What did you say…”

His evil thoughts vanished instantly, and Hiyama stared at the man with wide eyes in shock. The man sneered down at Hiyama and continued to speak seductive words.

"As long as you obey me... you'll get her sooner or later. Actually, I wanted to leave this matter to Nagumo... but you killed him. Well, you're more suitable than him anyway. The result is everything, right?"

"What's your purpose? What on earth do you want to do?!"

Faced with this inexplicable situation, Hiyama couldn't help but speak roughly.

"Haha, this has nothing to do with you. I can only say that I have something I want... So what's your answer?"

Seeing that person's disdainful attitude persist, Hiyama felt irritated. Furthermore, his completely different demeanor filled him with fear. However, knowing he had no choice, he nodded in despair.

“…I promise.”

"Ahahahaha, that's great! I feel bad for having to tell on my classmates. Let's just get along, Mr. Murderer? Ahahahahaha."

Looking at the man's back as he turned and walked towards the hotel with a happy smile, Hiyama muttered, "Damn it..."

That scene was seared into his mind, a memory that would never fade, no matter how hard Hiyama tried to forget or deny it. As Hajime fell into the abyss, Kaori's expression spoke volumes about her feelings, more clearly than any words could.

Although he fell into a deep sleep exhausted now, once he calmed down, the classmates would probably feel the pain of Hajime's death and deeply understand Kaori's feelings. Kaori was not just taking special care of Hajime out of kindness.

After seeing the haggard Kaori, they would realize the reason. And Hiyama's careless behavior even put them in danger.

To secure his own place, Hiyama had to act accordingly. After all, he had already crossed that line, and there was no stopping him now. By obeying that person, he might even have a chance to realize a possibility he thought had vanished—namely, to claim Kaori for himself.

"Hehe, no, no problem. Everything went smoothly. I'm not wrong..."

Hiyama buried his face between his legs again and began to mutter to himself.

No one disturbed him this time.

Volume 1, Chapter 2: Monsters at the Bottom of the Abyss

The sound of gurgling water and the cool breeze brushing against his cheeks made Hajime shiver from the cold. The hard feeling against his cheek and the stinging coldness in his lower body made Hajime groan and wake up.

His head was dizzy and his whole body was in pain, making him frown and use his hands to support his upper body.

"It hurts~ This is... I remember I..."

He pressed his dizzy head with one hand, recalling his memories while looking around.

Although it was dark, thanks to the glow of the green stone, it wasn't so dark that I couldn't see anything. A river about five meters wide stretched out before me. Hajime's lower body was submerged in the water, while his upper body was stuck on a rock protruding from the riverbank, as if he were lying on top of it.

"Oh yeah... I remember the bridge collapsed and I fell off... and then..."

My mind, which had been shrouded in fog, began to function.

It was pure luck that I survived the fall into the abyss.

Along the way down, the cliff face was dotted with holes, from which streams of water gushed out like water guns, forming small waterfalls. These waterfalls were countless, and Shi was constantly being sprayed by them, gradually being pushed against the wall. Finally, he was pushed into a horizontal hole protruding from the wall, and was swept down like a water slide. This coincidence was truly a miracle.

However, when being ejected into the horizontal hole, Hajime lost consciousness due to the impact on his body, so Hajime himself did not understand that such a miracle had happened to him.

"I can't remember how it happened, but I guess I was saved anyway... Ha-ha! So cold."

Having been immersed in the cold groundwater, his body had completely lost temperature. He was worried he might develop hypothermia if he continued like this, so Hajime quickly emerged from the river, shivering as he stripped off his clothes and wrung them out one by one.

Then, after stripping down to his underwear, he used alchemy magic to carve a magic circle on the hard rock ground.

"Ouch, it's so cold, I can't concentrate..."

He was going to use the "Fire Seed" magic, a simple magic that any child could create with a ten-centimeter magic circle.

However, not only was there no magic stone to increase the efficiency of magic, but Hajime's magic aptitude was zero. Just to create a fire, he had to draw a complex spell over a meter in size.

After nearly ten minutes, he finally completed the magic circle and began to chant into it, injecting magic power into it to activate it.

"What I seek is fire, it is power and light. Reveal, 'Spark'... Ugh~ Why does just starting a fire require such exaggerated chanting? It's so embarrassing, ah~"

Hajime sighed deeply. This had become his habit recently. Even so, he still relied on a fist-sized fire to keep warm and hung his clothes next to it to dry.

"Where is this place... I feel like I've fallen pretty deep... Can I get back?"

I began to feel the warmth of the fire, and when my mood calmed down, a feeling of uneasiness gradually spread in my heart.

Hajime wanted to cry so badly that tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes, but if he cried now, his heart might be frustrated, so he held the tears in. He rubbed his eyes, wiped away the tears, and patted his cheeks with his hands.

"I have no choice but to fight. I'm going to try to get back to the ground. No problem, I'm sure I can do it."

Hajime muttered to himself as if trying to convince himself. He raised his head, which had been lowered, and stared at the flames with a resolute expression.

After about twenty minutes of warming himself, his clothes were mostly dry. Hajime decided to set off. He didn't know which floor he was on, but since he was definitely in the labyrinth, monsters could be lurking anywhere. Cautiously, Hajime headed towards the vast passage leading deeper into the depths.

The passage that Hajime was walking on was like a natural cave.

Unlike the passages on the lower floors, it wasn't square. There were rock or wall protrusions everywhere, and the passage itself was intricately winding, like the last room on the twentieth floor.

The size of the passageway was incomparable. Even though the path was complex and filled with obstacles, the length and width of the passageway were over twenty meters, and even the narrowest part was ten meters wide, making it quite spacious. While walking was a bit difficult, there were plenty of hiding places, so Hajime continued to move forward, switching between them.

I don't know how long I walked like this.

Just when Hajime was almost exhausted, he finally reached the first fork in the road. It was a huge crossroads. Hajime hid behind a rock, hesitating which way to go.

After thinking for a while, something seemed to move in the corner of his vision, and he quickly hid behind a rock.

Hajime quietly peeked out to see what was happening. He saw a ball of white fur bouncing along the path ahead of him. It had long ears and resembled a rabbit, though it was about the size of a medium-sized dog. Its hind legs were thick and unusually developed. Most strikingly, its body was covered in dark red lines resembling blood vessels, pulsating like a heart, a truly eerie sight.

The monster clearly looked dangerous, so Hajime decided not to go straight ahead, but to turn left or right. From the rabbit's position, the passage to the right seemed to be less likely to be discovered.

So Hajime waited for the opportunity with bated breath, and when the rabbit turned its head and put its nose close to the ground to sniff the air, "Now is the time!" Hajime seized the opportunity and prepared to rush out.

At that moment, the rabbit's body seemed to tremble, then it straightened up and stood up, its ears moving busily in all directions as if on alert.

(Oh no! Was I discovered? S-Shouldn’t I have?)

Hajime hid himself as if pressed against a rock, desperately trying to suppress his frantic heartbeat. Cold sweat streamed down his face, and he worried that his heartbeat would be picked up by those seemingly sensitive ears.

However, the rabbit seemed to be on guard for other reasons.

“Guaaaaa!!”

As the beast's growl sounded, another white-haired wolf-like monster rushed out from the shadow of the rock and pounced on the rabbit.

The white wolf was the size of a large dog, with two tails. Its body was covered in dark red lines like rabbits, pulsating constantly. It appeared from nowhere. As the first wolf pounced, two more two-tailed wolves darted out from behind other rocks.