An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

"…………Wha, what? Sorry, Myuu, I didn't hear you clearly. Please say it again."

"dad."

"In the language of the Sea People, does that mean 'big brother' or 'haji'?"

"No, Dad is Dad."

"Okay, wait a moment."

When Hajime rubbed his eye sockets with his hands, Shia timidly asked Myuu why he called Hajime "Dad", and Myuu replied:

"Because Myuu doesn't have a father... My father went to heaven before Myuu was born. My friends all have fathers, but Myuu doesn't... So my big brother is my father."

"I kind of understand, but I really want to complain 'so what's going on'. Myuu, please don't call me dad, I'm only seventeen alright?"

"No, Myuu, call me daddy!"

"I understand. Just call me big brother! I told you to call me big brother, don't call me dad!"

"Nooooooooooooooooo!! Daddy is Myuu's daddy!"

Afterwards, Hajime tried every possible way to get Myuu to retract the title of "Dad," but Myuu seemed to think that "Dad" was more appropriate than "Big Brother," and was surprisingly stubborn. In the end, Hajime still couldn't get her to retract the title.

At this point, Hajime could only ask Myuu's mother to persuade her after sending her back to [Enishen]. With the most hurt expression since leaving the Abyss, Hajime gave up trying to persuade Myuu.

After finishing the conversation with Ilva and returning to the inn, a dispute arose over who Myuu should call "Mom." In any case, in order to avoid any negative impact on Myuu, Hajime tied Tio up and threw her on the ground, which naturally made her very excited...

As a result, it seemed that only a real mother could be called "mother", and Myuu always called Yue, Shia, and Tio "sisters".

That night, because Yue couldn't get Myuu to call her "Mom", she said:

“…Hajime, I want to have a child.”

Hearing Yue's request, Hajime broke out in a cold sweat. It seemed like the day Yue would be called "Mom" wasn't far off.

Incidentally, Shia also made the same request, but Hajime ignored it. Shia was very dissatisfied with this, and the useless dragon beside him also spoke up:

"Master, I am ready to give birth to a child at any time—"

"Your existence is already a joke. There's no need to joke about it anymore."

"You're so cruel only to me?!"

Since her wish was rejected outright, it goes without saying that Tio slapped the floor and struggled in agony.

The next day, as Ilva, the Security Bureau, and the Count Kudeta family saw them off, Myuu sat firmly on Hajime's shoulders. Hajime carried the little girl, holding her feet to prevent her from falling, while Myuu held Hajime's head tightly, the two of them looking quite like a father and daughter.

On this day, the monster from the abyss truly became a father.

Next, the monster with the child is about to start his journey!

Volume 4, Chapter 2: The Silently Approaching Shadow

In the dimly lit underground labyrinth, illuminated only by a pale green glow, fierce sword clashing and explosions rang out, their intensity almost horrific. Even those far away, unable to see the cause of the noise, could still feel the labyrinth walls vibrate.

Silver sword light traced countless beautiful curves in the void, while fireballs and lances, wind blades and water jets crisscrossed. The crash of strong bodies colliding, roars to comrades, and mighty shouts—these sounds transformed the once silent space into a battlefield.

"A light that splits everything, a violent wind of severance, swirling like scattered flowers, transforms into a storm of light that tears apart the enemy—[Heavenly Split]!"

The Radiance of the River of Heaven, whose vocation is "Hero," speeds up the swing of the holy sword by swinging his arms and twisting his wrists, releasing countless blades of light in all directions, centered around himself.

Ten bat-shaped monsters, each about fifty centimeters long, were about to attack, but were chopped into pieces in an instant. Before they could launch an attack, their flesh and blood flew all over the place and they fell to the ground.

"Forward! Ten seconds left!"

"""""learn!"""""

The circular room, thirty meters in diameter, was filled with countless throbbing monsters. There were ant-like monsters with hard jaws, bat-like monsters flying through the air, and anemone-like monsters with countless twisting tentacles. The room had eight horizontal caves, from which monsters continuously poured out.

This is the 89th floor of the Orcus Great Labyrinth. Besides the "Brave" Kouki, the vanguard also includes Kouki's childhood friend, the "Boxer" Sakagami Ryuutarou, the "Swordsman" Yaegashi Shizuku, the "Heavy Fighter" Nagayama Jūgo, the "Light Warrior" Hiyama Daisuke, and the "Lancer" Kondo Reiichi. Furthermore, the "Assassin" Endo Kousuke is playing shortstop somewhere.

They use their own martial arts to try to defeat or fend off the monsters that want to attack the guards; the guards tell the countdown time and prepare to cast magic at the same time to launch a general attack.

The bats, which were flying monsters, were extremely formidable. They found a gap in the front line and rushed towards the rear guard, but the reliable "Boundary Master" turned into a wall, blocking their attack.

"A sudden storm, an invisible shield, whip up a violent gust to block everything—'Exploding Storm Wall'!"

Taniguchi Ken, whose vocation is "Boundary Master", casts an offensive defensive magic.

As the guards chanted the spell, she stood one step ahead of them, extending her hands and creating a breeze in front of them. Since her appearance remained unchanged, the bat monsters ignored the seal and, following their instinctive warning, attacked the guards who were about to launch a large-scale attack.

However, just as the bat monsters were about to reach the rearguard, they were blocked by a wall of air. The air wall was distorted by the monsters' impact. Although dozens of bat monsters continued to charge at them, the air wall only bent and dented, preventing any monster from passing through.

The moment all the bat monsters hit the air wall, the air wall seemed to have reached its limit of curvature and exploded with the violent impact.

The impact of the explosion was so shocking that some individuals' bodies were shattered just by the impact; others were blown against the maze wall in one breath, making miserable sounds and being smashed to death.

"Hehe! I won't let you pass easily!"

Qian, the class's most cheerful person, spoke triumphantly between the sounds of intense fighting. Meanwhile, the vanguard team unleashed their ultimate attacks, their attacks intended not so much to knock down the enemy as to create a shockwave, halt their advance, and create distance.

"Back off!"

At Guanghui's command, the vanguard team immediately distanced themselves from the monsters.

The next moment, the six defenders launched their attack magic at the same time with perfect timing.

A massive fireball struck its target, instantly causing a massive explosion. A tornado, accompanied by the vacuum blade, swept across the battlefield, picking up and shredding the surrounding monsters. Stone spears shot forth from beneath its feet, piercing the monsters from below. Icicles rained down from above, gouging holes in the monsters' flesh.

It was as if nature had launched a counterattack. In this horrific space, no living creature could survive. The attack lasted only tens of seconds, but in that short time, over 90% of the monsters were either killed or seriously injured.

"Alright, it worked! Let's take care of the rest in one go!"

Hearing the radiant command, the vanguard charged forward once more. They decisively defeated the monsters individually before they could recover from the combined magical assault, annihilating them all in less than five minutes.

After the battle, Guanghui and his group did not dare to be careless. They began to search for enemies around them and praised each other's efforts.

"Huh—the next floor is the ninetieth... We're already strong enough to easily defeat the monsters on this floor. Our labyrinth combat training is almost over, right?"

"Even so, we can't let our guard down. We don't know what monsters and traps lie ahead."

"Shizuku, you're worrying too much, aren't you? We've reached a level no one has ever reached before, and we can still fight with ease, you know? No matter what kind of enemy comes, we can defeat it, even a demon."

Guanghui muttered to himself with emotion, but Shizuku reminded him. The simple-minded and strong-limbed Ryuutarou retorted generously, then bumped fists with Guanghui and smiled triumphantly at each other.

Seeing them like this, Shizuku sighed and rubbed the wrinkles between her brows. She'd been constantly trying to protect the two men who had lost control, and her image as a hard worker had become fixed. Worried about wrinkles, she'd been looking in the mirror more often lately. Even so, she didn't just look after Kouki and the others; she even acted to protect those around her, revealing her true nature as a pushover.

"Hiyama-san, Kondo-san, I think this should be enough to heal you... How are you feeling?"

While the people around were discussing the recent battle, Kaori Katsu was doing her duty as a "healer", treating her companions who were injured in the previous battle.

Basically, among the fifteen people who participated in the actual combat training and maze clearing, there was also a girl whose vocation was also a "healer", and now the two of them were treating their companions separately.

"...Ahh, I'm fine now. Thank you, Shirosaki."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, thank you."

Hiyama, receiving treatment from Kaori, stared blankly at her face, his answers absentminded, clearly entranced. Kondo stammered a thank you, his ears reddening. As strikers, Hiyama and his companions must have received treatment from Kaori frequently... but they still couldn't maintain a calm demeanor towards her.

Kondo's attitude was, in some ways, similar to that of an adolescent, and it was even amusing to watch. However…Hiyama's gaze at Kaori was unusual. Deep within his eyes, a dark and turbid emotion clung to him, a feeling that grew stronger with each passing day…but aside from Kondo, almost no one else noticed, including his close friends Nakano Shinji and Saito Yoshiki.

In response to the two people's thanks, Kaori smiled and replied, "You're welcome," then quickly got up and left.

Looking around, I saw another "healer," Tsuji Ayako, not far away. Her hair, always pinned up with a hairpin, revealed a shiny forehead. She had just finished treating Nagayama. Nagayama often used his massive frame as a shield for his companions, and treating him seemed quite strenuous. Tsuji Ayako exhaled and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

The defender, "Earth Magician" Kentaro Nomura, and the "Support Magician" Mao Yoshino also seemed uninjured. It seemed that all members of Nagayama's team were safe...

Someone tugged at Tsuji's sleeve. It was Endō, whose presence was as subtle as anyone's. Tears welled up in his eyes as he revealed the small wound on his arm. Contrary to its appearance, it must have been painful. He wasn't crying because he'd been waiting for his turn while Tsuji hadn't noticed, assuming everyone else had been treated. Tsuji's expression of "Oh no!?" certainly wasn't because she'd forgotten Endō.

Seeing how close (?) the Nagayama team was, Kaori couldn't help but smile. After confirming that no one needed treatment, she sighed quietly and gazed at the passage leading deeper into the maze with a worried look in her eyes.

"..."

Seeing Kaori's expression, Shizuku could understand her best friend's feelings very well. Kaori's heart was filled with anxiety. She was only ten floors away from reaching the bottom of the maze (generally speaking), but she still couldn't find any trace of Hajime.

While this offered a glimmer of hope, it also presented a deeper despair. Even if Kaori had resolved not to believe Hajime was dead until she could confirm it with her own eyes, the negative thoughts that flooded her mind with each descending floor, finding no clues, were not easily reconciled. Furthermore, four months had passed since Hajime's fall. Even if Kaori's resolve was strong, such a long period of time was enough for negative thoughts to begin to erode her resolve.

Kaori hugged her sacred weapon, the white staff, tightly, as if seeking support. Seeing Kaori like that, Shizuku couldn't help but want to talk to her.

But before Shizuku could take action, the petite cheerful girl ran over without caring about Kaori's uneasy back, jumped up and hugged her from behind.

"Kaoru-chan~!! Forget about the stinky boys and come heal Suzu~! Let's heal Suzu carefully~"

"Ah wow~ Suzu-chan! What are you touching? Besides, Suzu-chan, you're not hurt, are you?!"

"She's hurt! Ling's fragile heart is broken! So comfort Ling! Comfort Ling quickly! Specifically, use your breasts!"

"Breasts... No, no! Ah, don't touch them! No! Shizuku-chan, save me!"

“Hoohoo, is this it? Is it comfortable here? This little girl’s body is quite sensitive, wah!?”

"...Hey, don't go too far. Suzu, you're making it so hard for the boys to stand up..."

Ling turned into an ordinary old man with an expression that was not presentable. He groped Kaori's breasts with a lewd look, but was hit by Shizuku's knife on the head. By the way, seeing Ling and Kaori's lesbian interaction, some boys were also shocked.

There was a bump on Ling's head and her body was convulsing. Nakamura Eri smiled bitterly and took care of Ling as usual.

"Wow~ Thank you, Shizuku-chan, I'm so embarrassed..."

"Good boy, good boy, it's all right now. I've already dealt with that pervert."

Kaori clung to Shizuku with tears in her eyes, while Shizuku gently stroked her head. This was a common sight recently.

Shizuku gently stroked Kaori's smooth hair and secretly peeked at her expression.

Kaori watched Suzu being cared for by Eri. Although she still looked confused, her expression also seemed a little happy. Her face was no longer as sad as before, and it seemed that her mood had temporarily eased. Shizuku admired Qin in her heart. In a sense, Suzu was worthy of being the happy pill of the class (the old man version).

"Ten floors left... Let's do our best, Kaori."

Shizuku placed her hands on Kaori's shoulders, pressing them slightly, and looked at her with a sincere gaze. This was an attempt to encourage her best friend, hoping that she wouldn't be discouraged. Seeing Shizuku like this, Kaori realized that she had been a little too weak just now, so she clapped her hands on her cheeks and responded to Shizuku with a firm look:

"Well, thank you, Shizuku-chan."

Kaori realized anew how much support Shizuku's care and concern meant. Her eyes softened, and she expressed her gratitude to Shizuku with a gentle expression. Shizuku smiled and nodded quietly in response.

…To others, their backgrounds were already covered in lilies, but they themselves were unaware. Kouki and the others' gazes shifted, seemingly embarrassed, but Shizuku and Kaori didn't notice, for they lived in their own world.

"If it were now... would I be able to protect him?"

"Yeah, he's definitely capable. We're different now than we were back then, and our level has surpassed Captain Meld and the others... But, hehe, maybe he's even stronger than us? He was the one who saved us back then, too."

"Hehe, Shizuku-chan, really..."

Kaori believed Hajime was still alive, and she looked down on herself, murmuring, "Can I protect him this time?" Shizuku jokingly replied. In reality, Shizuku had guessed correctly. Although Hajime would later defy their expectations in every way... they wouldn't know about this for some time.

Furthermore, the Kingdom Knights, led by Captain Meld, were no longer as powerful as Guanghui and his companions, and were now tasked with guarding the transfer array from the 70th to the 30th floor. Guanghui and his companions, relying on their own strength, had reached the threshold of nearly completing the maze, and their strength had already reached what could be considered the highest level among the Todas.

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Tianzhihe Guanghui 17 years old male level: 72

Mission: Brave

Power: 880

Stamina: 800

Resistance: 880

Agility: 880

Mana: 880

Magic Resistance: 880

Skills: All attribute adaptability [+light attribute effect increase] [+activation speed increase] All attribute resistance [+light attribute effect increase] Physical resistance [+healing power increase] [+impact mitigation] Composite magic Swordsmanship Strength Shrinkage Prediction High-speed magic recovery Breath perception, magic perception Limit breakthrough Speech comprehension

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Ryutaro Sakagami 17 years old male level: 72

Class: Boxer

Power: 820

Stamina: 820

Resistance: 680

Agility: 550

Mana: 280

Magic Resistance: 280

Skills: Combat [+ Body Strengthening] [+ Partial Strengthening] [+ Concentrated Strengthening] [+ Penetrating Destruction] · Shrinking the Earth · Physical Resistance [+ Diamond] · All Attribute Resistance · Verbal Comprehension