An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

The torrent of light transformed into meteors, barreling straight towards the retreating monsters, causing countless explosions as they struck. The countless light bullets that made up the barrage exploded like cluster bombs, triggering a chain reaction that sent the monsters flying off balance and flying far away.

““““Roar!!”””””

The monsters wailed with their eyes tightly closed.

A side effect of "Sky Claw Rain" was that it damaged vision through flashes of light. The intense light blasted nearby burned the monsters' eyes, causing them to rub their eyes in panic and attack frantically.

They were no longer on the retreat route, and had cleared a straight path to the passage.

"Now! Everyone retreat!"

At Kouki's command, everyone moved in unison. Nagayama carried the petrified Kondo and Saito, while Endo carried the unconscious Rin. Although Nomura's left hand was still petrified, he endured the severe pain, stood up on his own, and ran towards the passage.

"Hmph! Don't let them escape! Attack them all at once!"

The demon woman dealt with the remaining two chimeras while giving orders to the monsters with normal vision. The monsters faithfully obeyed and immediately gave chase. Whether it was the chimeras, the four-eyed wolves, or the black cats, many of them were fast-footed monsters, and the distance that Kouki and the others had opened up was quickly closed in.

At this time, Nomura turned around, and despite the painful expression on his face, he still showed a smug smile and stretched out his right hand.

"How can I lose in a contest of earth-attribute magic?! This is my return gift to you—'Jail!'"

From Nomura's hand came a swirling gray sphere, the same as the female demon had just used.

A magic ball containing petrifying mist landed in front of the approaching monsters. When the female demon cast "Prison," the monsters immediately distanced themselves without her even saying a word. Therefore, Nomura concluded that the monsters must have been taught the dangers of this magic. To prevent pursuit, Nomura had prepared a chant beforehand.

Nomura's speculation was spot-on. The moment the gray sphere flew out, the charging monsters all braked, leaping backwards to distance themselves. The petrifying mist also acted as a smokescreen, obscuring the retreating figures of Guanghui and the others.

Endo used a smoke screen to eliminate any traces of magic power, including residual odors. That was one of the Assassin's derivative skills—Concealment.

From the entrance of the room at the back, which had become very small, the monsters' unwilling roars seemed to be heard.

Although some of their companions were covered in wounds and some were unconscious, they all survived in the end. Guanghui and the others continued to flee silently with mixed feelings of regret and joy.

Volume 4, Chapter 3: The Struggle of the Little People

This is a room near the deepest part of the eighty-ninth floor.

The large, regular octagonal room had four entrances and exits, but between two of them, there was another passage. Inside the passage was a secret room about five square meters in size, the entrance cleverly camouflaged and sealed.

Guanghui and the others, each with their own thoughts, relaxed there. However, everyone's expressions were equally gloomy, with their heads bowed in frustration. Covered in wounds, many wore expressions of pain.

Normally, Kouki would have relied on his charisma to inspire his companions, but the side effects of his "Limit Break" had left him feeling an intense fatigue throughout his body. Now, he leaned against the wall, lips tightly pursed, and remained silent.

At such times, the class's brightest and most cheerful girl always ignored the tense atmosphere and boosted everyone's morale; but now she was pale, her brow furrowed in pain, her breathing rapid, and she was fast asleep. This fact was also one of the reasons why they were dejected.

Qian's lower body from the knees down is still in a state of petrification, and Kaori is continuing to treat her.

The wound in her thigh had healed, and all that remained was to undo the petrification. Unfortunately, however, Suzu was attacked by a tentacle, causing her to bleed profusely, possibly damaging a vital blood vessel. It was Kaori who treated her that saved her in time.

Even Kaori couldn't immediately replenish Suzu's blood. The best she could do was give her a blood-boosting potion made in another world. Suzu's body probably wouldn't recover immediately, so she needed to rest.

Kaori was focused on caring for Suzu, so the others hadn't received treatment yet. Of course, Saito and Kondo were placed aside like ornaments, still stone statues.

Even if Qian's treatment was complete, they would be the next two to receive treatment. The members knew they would have to wait until then to receive treatment, and with the exception of a few, most of them didn't complain. Or perhaps they simply didn't have the energy to argue.

The makeshift dim space was filled with a solemn atmosphere. Shizuku frowned and racked her brains, trying to find a way to encourage her companions.

In fact, Shizuku is a quiet person and is not good at creating a good atmosphere like Kan.

Because Shizuku was naturally helpful, she believed that since Kouki was weakened by her Limit Break and defeat, and could not be relied upon, she had no choice but to find a solution on her own. This was exactly the way of thinking that only those who had suffered would have.

However, both physically and mentally, Shizuku was also approaching her limits.

So, Shizuku gradually lost the desire to think, and in a sort of self-deprecating way, she thought, "I might as well tell a silly joke." Just then, Nomura and Tsuji, still talking, emerged from the depths of the makeshift passage.

"Phew~ I think this should complete my disguise. I've never used such delicate magic before, and it's really tiring... I can't do it anymore."

"Deforming the wall without making it noticeable isn't your forte, after all... You have to rebuild the magic circle. No wonder you're so exhausted. Thank you for your hard work."

"You are the one. It must be very difficult to completely break free from petrification. You've worked hard."

From their conversation, it became clear that the person who created this space and disguised the entrance to make it indistinguishable from the surrounding walls was Nomura.

While the Earthbender possesses a remarkable aptitude for earth-based magic, this magic primarily manipulates the ground directly, lacking the delicate manipulation and shaping capabilities of Refinement. For example, it can cause the ground to explode, sending rocks flying from beneath the ground, condense earth into spear-like spikes, and manipulate sand and dust. At advanced levels, it can even petrify and manipulate golems (completely incapable puppets), but it cannot separate or fuse various minerals to create objects.

Although Nomura could use the magic circle at hand to roughly carve a hole in the wall, "transforming" the wall to the point where it could no longer be distinguished from the surrounding area was completely beyond his expertise, and Nomura also had to reconstruct the magic circle.

In addition, Tsuji followed Nomura in order to heal Nomura's petrified arm.

"Thank you for your hard work, Nomura-kun. This should buy us some time."

"...I hope so. At this point, we can only pray that we won't be discovered until our injuries recover. As for Kousuke...we can only pray that he's safe."

"...Kousuke will be fine. He can't lose to anyone in terms of a weak presence."

"No, Jūgo, just hearing what you said makes me feel sad for him. Please don't say that to him..."

Hearing that the chamber's security had been improved, the tense atmosphere seemed to ease slightly, and Shizuku was finally able to avoid making a bad impression. She smiled and thanked Nomura for his hard work.

In response, Nomura smiled bitterly, looked into the distance, and prayed for his friends who were not there.

That's right, Endo is not here.

He left his companions and went to inform Captain Meld of the entire situation. Even for a cheater summoned from another world, attempting to conquer floors above the 80th floor alone would be tantamount to suicide. The reason Kouki and his companions were able to conquer floors above the 80th floor with such ease was entirely due to the collaborative efforts of their companions.

Only Endo, who possesses a secret technique, could have gotten through it alone.

Yes, Endo wasn't bad at speaking, nor was he gloomy. He could talk to everyone in a friendly manner, a perfectly normal high school boy. But back on Earth, he often unleashed his elusive abilities. People would unknowingly miss him, wondering, "Huh? Where's that guy?" only to glance around and find him right there, startled. If it were Endo, the man with the "weakest presence in the world," he could have fully utilized his invisibility to reach the 70th floor, where the leader was, undetected by the monsters!

Furthermore, since Endo acquired skills and magic in this world, his presence has become even weaker. Despite his natural talent and training, his presence is so weak that even the monsters in the Great Labyrinth would probably ignore him with a "Huh? Did someone just pass through?"

It was after these considerations that Guanghui and others entrusted the information to Endo and sent him to report.

When leaving, Endo's eyes were a little tearful...

Endo's tears must have come from the guilt he felt for leaving his companions behind and retreating alone. They were definitely not from his companions' words of persuasion, like, "With your weak sense of presence, even monsters with keen senses wouldn't notice!", "Who can surpass you in terms of weaker sense of presence!", "I couldn't remember Endo-san's name last time! You'll be fine!", "I completely forgot about you yesterday!", and so on.

Originally, Guanghui and his companions had wanted to retreat immediately to the upper floors, but unfortunately, they didn't have the energy to do so. Their companions were covered in wounds, three of them unable to fight, and Guanghui was extremely weak... They didn't think they could break through to the floors below the 80th floor.

Of course, they didn't think that Captain Meld could come to the rescue.

Including Captain Meld, there were six individuals capable of establishing a stronghold on the 70th floor. With them as the core, along with the next strongest knights, and with the assistance of the guild's high-ranking adventurers, and without considering critical safety points, they could probably reach the 78th or 79th floors, but going deeper would be impossible. Even if they could make it, Guanghui and his team would have to break through to the 80th floor and beyond on their own.

In other words, they sent Endo alone not to ask for help, but to inform them of their current situation and information about the monsters led by Majin.

Kouki and his companions had indeed heard from Pope Ishtar of the Holy Church that demons could command large numbers of monsters, not through known methods like brainwashing, but by making the monsters obey orders with a clear will. However, they had never heard of such powerful monsters. The terrifying thing about them was probably not the strength of each individual, but their sheer number.

In reality, the monsters led by the female demon were so powerful that they could easily clear the ninetieth floor of the unexplored Orcus Great Labyrinth, and even overwhelm those outsiders like Kouki. If demons were capable of such feats, humanity would have been wiped out long ago.

In other words, when Guanghui and the others heard the news, Ishtar's information was not wrong; in terms of conclusion, the monsters led by the demons had become stronger.

Besides numbers, the individual strength now also became a threat. Kouki and the others decided that this information must be conveyed to Captain Meld at all costs.

"Shirosaki-san, I'll leave the petrification of Kondo-san and Saito-san to you. It would take a long time for me to handle it. Meanwhile, let me heal the others."

"Okay, I understand. Don't force it, Tsuji-san."

"It's okay, that should be my line... Sorry, if my abilities were better, Shirosaki-san would be able to take some of the burden off of you..."

While Nomura and the others were talking, Tsuji, who was standing next to them, took a magic recovery potion and said this to Kaori who was continuing to heal Qian.

As a fellow healer, Tsuji's skills are far inferior to Kaori's. Although he pretends to be nonchalant, he feels extremely guilty about his own uselessness and the burden it always puts on Kaori.

"That's not true," Kaori replied, shaking her head. Tsuji gave a wry smile and went to treat her companions. Through her treatment, the students' injuries gradually healed, and their complexions improved slightly.

Nomura looked at Tsuji with an indescribable expression, but he didn't speak to her for fear of interfering with her treatment.

"...In this critical situation, if you have anything in your heart, please convey it to her now."

“…You’re being long-winded.”

Nagayama spoke to Nomura with an expression as if he was watching a play, but Nomura just turned his head away unhappily.

In the following hours, Guanghui and the others took turns to rest, gradually healing their physical and mental wounds.

On the other hand, Endo was entrusted with the important task of conveying information about the demons. He avoided all battles and simply hid and waited for the demons to leave, and then headed towards the 70th floor where Captain Meld was.

If he were spotted by a monster on the 80th floor or above, he could handle a one-on-one fight, but two or more would be his demise. Although he hurried as fast as he could, he also moved forward cautiously. Thanks to this, he was now able to watch the monster pass by.

When the monster completely vanished, Endo, who had been clinging to the ceiling, swiftly leaped down to the ground. He was dressed entirely in black, adorned like an assassin, and possessed a divine device that maximized his invisibility.

With a surprise attack from the ceiling, Endo could undoubtedly inflict considerable damage on the monster that had just passed by without being detected. Endo definitely didn't think, "...it's okay if you can just sense my presence a little bit?" Seeing the monster pass by unnoticed, there were no tears in his eyes. Absolutely not!

"We have to hurry..."

Endo was well aware of his mission and realized that Kouki and the others had sent him there for more than just information: they wanted him to survive. Although Nagayama and Nomura didn't say it out loud, he could sense that his two friends hoped he'd never come back.

Even so, after completing his mission, Endo still had to go back to be with Guanghui and the others. No matter what they said, he couldn't allow himself to escape to the safe zone and live a leisurely life.

Although he felt a little empty that the monster hadn't noticed him, Endo still told himself that this was his strongest weapon right now. He followed the retracing route he remembered and finally reached the 70th floor.

Suppressing his impatience, he headed for the room marked with a teleportation array where Captain Meld and his men had set up their base. Soon, Endo's aura sensor detected the presence of six individuals, undoubtedly Captain Meld and his men. He had already deactivated his "Invisibility," so given the distance, Captain Meld and his men should have already spotted him.

Endo turned the final corner and entered the transfer room where Captain Meld was staying. But even after Endo showed up, they still hadn't spotted him.

Endo, with a dead look in his eyes, approached the leader, anxious for his companions' danger and a wish to "please find me," and shouted:

"Captain! It's me! Please notice me! This is terrible!"

"Uh-huh!? What's going on? An enemy attack?"

The moment Endo shouted, Captain Meld drew his sword and leaped back, looking around warily. The other knights were also startled and immediately jumped into battle.

"I told you it was me! Please stop reacting like that!"

"Huh? Oh, isn't that Kousuke? Don't scare us. What happened to the others? Why are you covered in wounds?"

"I told you something was wrong!"

Since they already knew that Endō's presence was weak, when Captain Meld and the others found out it was Endō, they quickly lowered their guard.

However, Endo returned earlier than scheduled, alone, and covered in wounds. The captain quickly realized that something must have happened and immediately put on a serious expression.

Endo was saddened by the fact that even the kingdom's most elite knights had to make a sound before they could detect his presence. However, he immediately realized that now was not the time to be sad, and quickly explained what had happened.

At first, Captain Meld and the others showed surprised expressions, but after listening to Endo's narration, their expressions became more solemn.

Perhaps because he felt guilty for running away alone during the lobbying, Endo couldn't help but shed tears. Captain Meld touched his head and said:

"Don't cry, Kousuke. You did something only you could do. Who else could have breached twenty floors in such a short time without sparking a fight? You did a great job. Thank you for passing on the information to us."

"Captain... I, I need to go back. They said they'd come back on their own... and they definitely wouldn't lose this time... but even Tian Zhihe's 'Limit Break' couldn't defeat the enemy. We've exhausted all our strength just to escape. Everyone's exhausted. Even if we recover from our injuries, if we're attacked again... and we don't know how many of those damn monsters there are... So, please return to the surface and pass this message on to the people outside."

Endo, as if ashamed of his own crying, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, and said this to Captain Meld with a resolute expression.

Captain Meld bit his lip in regret and handed all the highest-level recovery potions on him, along with the prop bag, to Endo; the other members also handed over their own prop bags to him with regretful expressions, just like Captain Meld.

"I'm sorry, Kousuke. I really want to go with you to save people, but... we'll just be a burden..."

"Ah, no, please don't mind. They've probably run out of medicine, so these supplies will be a big help."

Endo shook the item bag containing the recovery potion and replied with a wry smile. Captain Meld's expression, however, grew even more solemn. He wasn't just expressing regret for not being able to save the people, but was even filled with bitterness.

"...Kousuke. What I'm about to say is extremely unkind, and it's only natural that you despise me, but I still need you to listen to me."

"? Captain, why are you suddenly saying this..."

"...No matter what happens, you must bring back 'Kui'."

"what?"

Endo was stunned by what Captain Meld said.

"Kousuke, if the monsters are so powerful that even you are cornered right now... then without the Light, humanity has no future. Of course, I believe you can all overcome this and reunite with me, and I hope so. But as the leader of the Heilig Kingdom Knights, I must say this—if anything happens, you must keep the Light alive."

"..."

Endo finally realized Captain Meld's intention and was speechless.

The thought of keeping more important people alive, even at the cost of sacrifice—this was a "choice" that those in a higher position had to make, and it wasn't a way of thinking that Endo could use. Therefore, Endo's expression turned extremely grim.

"...Are we just appendages of the Sky River?"

"Absolutely not. I sincerely hope that you all survive. No, that's not convincing... Kosuke, I hope you can at least convey what I just said to Shizuku and Ryutaro."

"..."

Captain Meld's words made Endo feel very depressed.

The students have spent a long and close time with Captain Meld, who has been with them since they were little friends, fighting alongside them to this day. Especially for the students fighting on the front lines, Captain Meld is like an older brother; the person they trust most in this world.

Because of this, Endo felt betrayed when he heard Captain Meld say something as if he was abandoning him.

Even so, a part of his mind understood that Captain Meld's words were necessary, so he couldn't impulsively curse. Endo could only nod in agreement with a dark expression and turn away.

At that moment...

"Kousuke!"