Infinite Dendrogram

"By the way, have you pawsed to look at your starting stats yet?" my brother asked me as we headed toward Old Reve Orchard.

Come to think of it, not yet, I realized.

"Status information... Here it is." I clicked on the option and a new window appeared displaying my stats.

My level was of course 0, and I currently had no job equipped. It seemed multiple jobs could be equipped at once, and so in addition to the level for each job, there was also a total level. My level for both was still 0.

The other stats displayed were HP, MP, SP, STR, END, DEX, AGI, and LUC. Each of them was fairly low; other than having 98 HP and 23 SP, the rest were all below 20. I didn't have anything to compare them with, but those stats were probably weak.

...But then again, I guess there's no way a newbie at level 0 would be strong, I reminded myself.

"So I'll be going into this dungeon called the 'newbie killer' at level 0, won't I?" I asked.

"You'll bearly make it past zero if you don't equip a job," said my brother. "Do you want to get one before we go?"

"...No, it doesn't look like we have the time. I'll go like this," I said.

It'd be unbearable if the girl in the picture were to die while we were doing that, I thought. The most important thing right now is speed.

My brother and I talked as we ran.

"Can I ask you a few things?" I asked.

"I guess I can bear that."

"I didn't see a stat for INT, so what factors into magic strength?" I asked. "There is magic in this game, right?" Liliana did use healing magic, after all.

"It's based on your max MP and the level of the magic skill," said my brother. "Also, the total amount of MP you pour into it. And there is no INT stat in this game, by the way. Your intelligence is the bear basics, yourself, after all."

That makes sense, I thought. I wouldn't really get what it meant if you told me my intelligence went up.

"Oh, and as for skills that use SP, their strength isn't based on your SP, but on various other related stats," my brother went on. "Well, those various stats will receive adjustments from your Embryo, so their variation will be infinite."

"That sounds complicated," I said.

"If you bear with it, I'm sure it'll go fine! How things turn out will be a pawsitive reflection of your individuality."

...He's really getting into those bear puns, isn't he?

"Oh, yeah. Let me give you some accessories I have." Bro Bear handed me some items from his bag.

When I looked at them, these included: ten Healing Potions that could easily heal me to max health, one Lifesaving Brooch, and four Dragonscale Ward accessories.

"The Lifesaving Brooch bears the brunt of your fatal damage, but it has a 10% chance of breaking," my brother explained. "How many times this is checked is determined by the amount of damage divided by your HP. The Dragonscale Ward will reduce incoming damage by 90%, but it'll break after one use."

I see, they appear to be throwaway accessories, but they'll definitely help.

"This game has level and stat restrictions for equipment," said my brother. "So I'll beef you up with these accessories instead since they don't have any level restrictions."

There are five slots for equipping accessories, so they'll all fit perfectly.

"Thanks, Bro... Hey that reminds me, what's the death penalty in this game?"

A death penalty: it was a feature found in many online games. To put it simply, it was some sort of demerit for a character that died. They could lose levels, for example, or have their stats lowered for a period of time.

Since he's trying to help me avoid dying, this game must have some kind of a death penalty, I thought. This was why I wanted to ask him what that penalty was, but...

"A 24 hour login ban."

The answer I received was unexpected.

"...A what?" I asked.

"If you die in this game, you won't be able to log in for 24 hours in real time, or 72 hours in the game world," he said.

...Are they out of their minds? I thought incredulously. I can't believe there's a game that won't let you play it as a death penalty.

"The frightening thing about this penalty isn't that you can't play the game; it's that three days will pass by in Infinite Dendrogramwithout you," he said. "So for example, if you're in the middle of a quest like we are, you'll have to abandon the quest for three days. When you're in a world as realistic as this one... that's what's so scary."

What would happen if Bro Bear and I were to leave this quest alone for three days?

...The answer to that was obvious.

"I'll tag along and try not to die," I said. "I'm not sure how useful I'll be at level 0, though."

Or more like, I won't be of any use at all.

"By the way, like I mentioned earlier, Old Reve Orchard is a trap dungeon known as the 'newbie killer,'" said my brother. "Innocent newbs starting Dendro without any prior knowledge enter the dungeon saying, 'Yaay, I'm gonna go on an adventure nearby,' and then it's game over, they get their bear butts exposed and smacked to the extreme. They get insta-killed and can't log in for a whole day."

It's like a trauma-generating machine.

"However, it's strange. Why is the difficulty level 5? Based on the levels of the monsters in the dungeon... it's too high."

As I listened to my brother mutter this, we passed through the South Gate of the Royal Capital Altea.

◇

The orchard was located about ten minutes' running distance from the South Gate. It was surrounded by a metal fence, and a worn-out sign at the entrance read, "Welcome to Reve Orchard." The place, however, seemed long-abandoned. Plants grew wild, and the color on the sign had faded.

"Well then, it's time to storm in, but..." My brother stopped in front of the entrance to Old Reve Orchard, which was now a den of insect monsters. Right after that, a new window appeared before me.

"Party request from Shu Starling.

Will you join this party? Yes / No"

"It'll be easier to cover for you if I can constantly track your status," he said.

"Okay, got it." I clicked "Yes" on the window, and as soon as I did, a screen opened up showing the status of our party. My brother's name had been added to it as well.

There's space on the party screen for four more players, so this game must have a maximum party limit of six.

Displayed along with my brother's name were also his stats. However...

"What's going on with this?" I asked.

On my brother's status screen, everything other than his name was blacked out, including even his level and HP.

"Ah. That's the concealing ability of this suit," he said. "If there's a difference in level between me and an enemy or ally, then they can't bear witness to my stats."

What kind of ability is that? I thought. That makes it harder to help with support magic... Not that I have any... Oh, that reminds me.

"Hey Bro, I didn't get the chance to ask this because of the quest, but why are you wearing a bear costume?" I asked.

My brother rubbed the eyes of his costume with his bear fingers. "It's a story that'll leave us both in tears."

"We're kind of busy, so hurry up and answer my question," I said.

"My little brother is looking at me so coldly..." he grumbled to himself, before gradually starting to speak. "So, you know how there's a part where you create your character, right?"

"Yeah."

"It was a pain to make it from scratch, so I tried to do it using myself as the base."

"So did I."

"Well, I made a bit of a mistake..."

"A mistake..." I began. "What did you do?"

"I accidentally confirmed it without making any changes."

"...Oh boy."

So in other words, inside the suit was my brother's actual face and appearance. Playing an online game with your actual face was a risky thing to do. This was especially true in my brother's case.

Yeah, with that you'd have no choice but to wear something like a suit.

"By the way, the reason I chose this kingdom is because I saw a store in the capital selling costumes," he said.

"Oh, so that's why you didn't go somewhere that was more along your tastes, like Dryfe or Granvaloa," I said.

"Drastic times called for drastic measures... Oh, and by the way, costume number one cost 4,980 lir."

"That's almost the entire starting amount!" I cried. Just how exactly did he get by in the beginning?!

"On top of that, it was a gag item with no defense," he said. "I was one of the first players, so there was no information available. Really, from that hopeless start, it's been a path full of hardship until I got a hold of this costume."

"So what abilities does this one have?" I asked.

"Take a look."

"Ultimate Suit Series: Hind Bear

Ancient Legendary Armor

DEF +903 (beary high)

Skills:

Disguise: completely hides your stats from anyone with a total level of 100 less than yours.

Built-In AC: a built-in AC designed for any environment. The perfect temperature any time, any place.

Power Assist: supports movement with muscle motors. STR +903.

Bullet-Proof Made: able to withstand even crossfire. Reduces damage from physical ranged attacks by 903.

Knife-Proof Made: feel safe on even the days with a lot of assassins. Reduces damage from physical close-ranged attacks by 903.

Utility Bear Hands: mysteriously, these hands can properly grab things, and they can be used quite skillfully. Increased damage to fish and insect monsters.

????: ■"

What's with this overly high-spec gag item?

"What's '+903 (beary high)' supposed to mean?" I asked. "Is it actually as high as that implies, though? Wait, what level are you anyway, Bro Bear?"

I can't see his stats at all right now, so at the very least, his total level should be over 100, but...

"That's a bearied se-cr-et," he said.

Man, that's irritating.

"All right then, that's enough of our comedy skit for now. Let's go save the girl."

"...About 90% of the material came from you, Bro Bear, but I agree," I said. "Let's go."

We made our way into Old Reve Orchard. Once inside, we followed a path of weeds and broken signs. On one of the signs was written, "500 metels to remberry field."

"I take it that means 500 meters?" I asked.

"Pretty easy to understand, isn't it?" my brother agreed. "Also... have you noticed?"

"...The sound, right?" I asked. "I've been hearing it for a while now."

From the direction the sign pointed in, I could hear clashing sounds and the cries of something inhuman. I couldn't see anything due to all the plants in the way; however, Liliana, who'd entered the dungeon ahead of us, was without a doubt fighting something.

That was when I realized that the sound of battle could only be heard from the remberry field, while everywhere else was quiet.

"Are there no other players here?" I asked.

"Ahh, there are a lot of people with trauma from this dungeon," said my brother. "On top of that, the drop items and materials you can gather at these levels aren't all that great, either. Also, the insects attack in swarms, and a lot of them can cause Poison or Paralyze, so a counter for status effects is a must."

I guess it's what you'd call an unpopular hunting ground.

"Well, thanks to that, it does make it easier for me to fight..." my brother muttered. "Baldr, activate in second form."

"Ready." An electronic voice I hadn't heard before answered him.

The back of my brother's left hand began to glow through his costume, and then something suddenly flew out from it. The bear's silhouette now had the following strange additions to it: a ring of gun barrels, a motorized mechanism for quick reloading, an ammunition belt, and a giant drum-like magazine.

Right there before me was a heavy firearm known as the Gatling gun.

"...Isn't this game supposed to be primarily fantasy-based?" I asked. As I looked at my brother's Embryo, which was likely a Type Arms, I couldn't help but ask this question.

I envisioned Type Arms to be more, you know, like a demon sword or a demon spear. Is something like a Gatling gun allowed? I wondered.

"The machine Imperium Dryfe also exists in this world, so my Embryo is just fine." Bro Bear laughed as he hoisted the drum magazine on his back and lifted the barrel of the Gatling gun under his right arm.

As I stared, somewhat shocked at the surreal sight of him...

"KIKIKI..."

"CHIKI... CHIKI..."

Bee and ant-type insect monsters had begun to swarm around us.

"All right then, let's bear-eak our way through to the remberry field," Bro Bear said, as he readied his Gatling gun... and fired away. "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

In the next instant, the sound of explosions roared about us. The insect monsters were smashed to pieces, and their bodily fluids were scattered all around.

The gun barrel spun, and each bullet it spit out added to the number of corpses. As soon as the monsters fell to the ground, they turned into specks of light and disappeared.

It was a one-sided killing spree. Bro Bear mowed down the monsters faster than they could appear. In under a minute, a few thousand empty cartridges had been ejected from the Gatling gun.

Normally, there would be no way he could hold and fire something that heavy-looking. However, based on what he had showed me earlier, his costume was essentially a power suit.

His STR is at least ninety times higher than mine, so that might be why it's possible, I thought. Even so, it's bizarre for him to be shooting while walking.

The reason he didn't run out of ammo while firing at that pace was probably because his Gatling gun was an Embryo. It was likely using some sort of mysterious power.

Seeing him carry a Gatling gun and rapidly fire like that... It's almost like that one scene from that old, famous movie, I thought. I think it was the second film in a series about cyborgs, and the most well-known title of an actor who later became a state governor.

Well, given that it's a bear costume doing it and not a muscle-bulging, macho man actor, it'd probably turn into a C-class movie.

"In any case, it really doesn't look like I'll be of any use..." I said. If I were to carelessly get out in front, I would probably end up like Swiss cheese in an instant.

"Oh, you can ignore the drop items. I want you to stick right behind me," said my brother. He was referring to the drop items that had remained behind after the monsters disappeared.

Parts like this are really game-like.

"Gotcha," I said. "Hm? Isn't this situation kind of like..."

It was a situation found in a lot in games. The low-level player character would get help in the beginning from a high-level character and proceed through the game. This character would be really powerful and helpful, but would usually end up dying. The death would sometimes be used to close out the opening act.

"'Uuuuuurgh,' I think it is," I said. "That brings back memories."

"...Wait, I'd be the one that dies in that scenario." My brother's voice sounded unsettled.

It was hard to tell if we were in battle, working, or doing a comedy skit, but we traversed the 500 meters and arrived at the remberry field.

◇

"Who's there?! Y-You're..." As expected, Liliana was engaged in battle at the remberry field with a swarm of insect monsters. She was taking on a countless number of them while protecting her younger sister behind her.

"Yes, we made it!" I said, relieved.

"The bear cavalry (no horses) has arrived!" my brother agreed.

He fired his Gatling gun again in grand style. The insects that had been encircling Liliana started to fall at an incredible rate.

I was worried he might hit the two of them, but he handled his Gatling gun skillfully, and there wasn't even a ricochet. He easily wiped out the encirclement of insects, and we made it safely over to the two sisters.

"Are you all right?" I asked, repeating back the same words Liliana had said to me earlier.

"You're the one from before... Why are you here?" She looked at me in surprise.

Hm? She's reacting as if she just realized who I was, I thought. So then when she said "Y-You're" a moment ago, was that directed at... my brother?

"And you, as well..." Liliana said. "Really, why?"

"We came to help," said my brother. "My little brother was saying, 'I can't leave them alone! I'm going to go rescue her, no matter what!' so I figured I'd bear with him."

I didn't say that! I thought. I don't recall saying anything that embarrassing!

"Your little brother... so that's why," Liliana whispered to herself as if she had understood something.

The mood here... I think Liliana and my brother just might know each other.

Liliana turned to me and bowed deeply. "Thank you very much. If you two hadn't come, I wouldn't have been able to protect my sister, Milia."

"O-Oh, no," I said. "All I did was watch from behind..."

"Still, please let me thank you," she said. "Even though I caused you trouble, you brought reinforcements to come save me... I won't forget this kind deed."

Her words went beyond making me feel embarrassed; they made me feel a sense of guilt. The quest had been automatically accepted for me, and all I had done was stick safely behind my brother like a parasite.

That guilt caused me to avert my gaze from Liliana, and when I did, it landed on her sister, Milianne.

She's as cute as she was in the picture. No, even more so.

"Loli?" my brother asked. "Lolicon?"

No I'm not! I fumed.

"Sniffle, sniffle..." Milianne was crying.

Well, yeah, she would be, I thought. She was surrounded by a bunch of insect monsters, and her life was even in danger.

However, given that there were still about five fruits — most likely the remberries — inside the basket she was holding, she really had her stuff together.

"A-Anyway, let's get out of here," I suggested. "It'll be dangerous if more monsters come."

"Very well," replied Liliana, and a change occurred on my menu screen.

"NPCs have joined your party.

Liliana Grandria has joined.

Milianne Grandria has joined."

Ahh, NPCs can join parties, too. And their stats are...

Milianne's stats were lower than mine were at level 0. Liliana's stats, however, were very high. Her Paladin level was 60, and her total level was 210. She even had over 5,000 HP.

Well, then again, she is the Vice Commander of the Knights of the Royal Guard, which means she's ranked second out of all the knights in this kingdom, I thought. So it shouldn't be a surprise she's this strong.

I then noticed that Bro Bear was silent and his expression was serious. I couldn't actually see it directly, but given how long I had known him, I could tell from the mood.

"Ray, the quest still hasn't been completed, has it?" he asked.

"Um, yeah," I said. "It hasn't changed at all."

"I see." Bro Bear readied his Gatling gun and looked about our surroundings. He appeared far more serious than when he had been mowing down insects earlier.

"Bro...?"

"Ray, the difficulty levels of quests are calculated individually by the control AIs in charge of them. The control AI takes into account information about the surrounding environment and people related to the quest."

"What?" I asked.

So the difficulties are calculated with information on the environment and related people? Control AIs really are impressive to be able to do that for every quest... but what does that have to do with anything?

"So, I was thinking the difficulty for this quest was high due to a time limit." My brother started to put his thoughts into words bit by bit. "I thought we cleared it easily because I'm suited for fighting against large numbers, but..."

His gaze fell to one spot on the ground.

"...we met up with Liliana and eliminated the swarm of insects. And yet, the quest still isn't complete. In other words, this quest has a difficultly of 5 even after taking into account that Liliana's total level is 210."

Right after he said this, the ground where he was looking exploded. Something huge and long flew out from it.

"GYULUUUUUUUUAAAAAAA!" It was a giant centipede almost thirty meters long. "Clink!"

The giant centipede had large, stag beetle-like jaws growing on its face in all four directions. Its skin was also covered in reptile-like scales. The bullet my brother had swiftly fired at it had been easily repelled.

It was completely different from the bugs my brother had been trampling over earlier. Even a beginner like me could tell.

This thing is strong.

I could hear Liliana's shocked voice beside me. "A Demi-Dragon Worm!"

"GIIIEEEEAAAAAAAA!" The ground exploded again, and another Demi-Dragon Worm appeared.

"A Demi-Dragon class monster, huh..." my brother said. "I get it now. If we need to protect this girl while facing off against several of these, then I can see why it has this difficulty rating even with some help. But even so!"

His voice sounded cheerful, almost as if his worries had disappeared. I, on the other hand, was intimidated by the two monsters and was at a loss for words.

"If you're up against me, that amount just isn't going to cut it!" My brother then lifted up both his arms and said, "It'd be fine to just smash them to pieces, but this is a good opportunity! Baldr! Activate your fourth fo—"

"GIIIEEEAAALEAAAAAA!"

"GYULUUUUUUUUAAAAAAA!"

"GYUIIILUUUUAAAAAAAAAA!"

"GYULUUUUUUUULOOAAAAAAA!"

Just then, four more Demi-Dragon Worms appeared from the ground in each direction, trapping my brother.

"Hey, wait, I can bearly move right now!" he protested. "Really though, there are still—" The newly appeared Demi-Dragon Worms locked their jaws onto my brother and then disappeared into the ground.

"......Huh?" I couldn't process what I had just seen.

"Ah!" gasped Liliana, as she bit her lip at the unexpected turn of events.

I checked the party status, but my brother's stats were still blacked out. I couldn't tell if he was alive or dead.

"Um, Bro, I'm sorry for triggering a flag, but... isn't this a bit sudden?" I hesitated.

With my brother missing, the remaining two Demi-Dragon Worms drew toward us.

I was terrified. In an instant, I had been cast from the safe zone behind my brother into danger.

The biggest animal I had ever seen in my life was an elephant. Now, monsters far larger than that were bearing down toward me with cold hostility. Even if I knew this was a game, my legs shook.

"...There's something I wish to ask of you," Liliana said to me.

"Wh-What is it?"

"I'll hold back one of them. Both, if possible. During that time, could you please take my sister to safety?"

"But..." I paused.

There are two of them, I thought. Even for Liliana, by herself that'd be...

No, I'm thinking wrong, I reminded myself. At level 0, I won't be of any help to her. In fact, I'd just get in her way if I stayed behind. That would put not only me, but Milianne in danger as well.

"...All right." I pulled Milianne's hand and started running. Behind us, the battle between Liliana and the Demi-Dragon Worms commenced.

◇

The path where my brother had just recently mowed down enemies with his Gatling gun was clear of monsters.

We can make it to the exit in one go like this, I thought. I have to say, though... I only realized this after running desperately, but this game also incorporates the concept of fatigue.

On top of that, my legs were shaking, and the game was kind enough to display that I had the status effect Fear. Infinite Dendrogram's absolute realism even went so far as to convey the terror of a giant creature.

Even so, I ran, making sure that I never let go of Milianne's hand.

"Heh... Heh..." Following behind me, Milianne also ran in earnest. Her face was full of dread.

Both scared, we continued to run.

"By the way..." I said to Milianne. It was an attempt to help ease our worries, if even for a bit. I wasn't sure myself just exactly whose mind I was trying to put at ease though. "Milianne... Milia, so why did you come all the way here to get remberries?"

I asked her this half out of curiosity; the other half was for distraction.

"T-Today is Sister's birthday... She loves remberry cake, so I thought I would make it for her..." she stuttered.

"I see," I said.

"But there weren't any for sale at the shops, so I didn't know what to do," she said. "And then, a guy with glasses told me, 'If you have this incense, you can go get some from the orchard outside.'"

...So this is that four eyes' fault, I thought. I don't know what he was thinking telling her that, but I'd like to punch that idiot for sending a kid to a place this dangerous.

"Sister came to get me, but the effect of the incense wore off..." she said.

We had covered half the distance while we were talking.

Just the other half left, I thought. At this rate, we'll make it the rest of the way.

"...uluuuu!" Just then, I heard a roar and felt the ground tremble behind me.

I made the decision on the spur of the moment. I picked up Milianne and jumped to the side.

In the next instant, a Demi-Dragon Worm burst from the ground and chomped its jaws as it passed through the area where we had just been running.

"She couldn't have...!" An unpleasant thought compelled me to turn around, but I could still hear the sounds of battle.

Liliana was still fighting.

Could this be one of the two she was fighting, and it left to chase after us? I wondered. Or maybe it's one of the ones that dragged my brother underground? The real issue is that, no matter which one it is, I don't have a way of fighting back.My stats were still at their default levels, and the Embryo on my left hand still hadn't hatched. Even if it did hatch now, I can't imagine a newly-hatched Embryo would be able to stand up against an enemy that my brother's Gatling gun didn't work against.

My heart pounded in terror and unease, while a cold sweat broke out on my forehead and down my back. I thought I might die just from how realistic it felt.

"GYULUUUUUUUUUEAAAAA!" The Demi-Dragon Worm exposed its long body from the ground and roared, not in an attempt to intimidate us, but rather in triumphant laughter.

"...The end of the road, huh?" I muttered.

The "newbie killer," Old Reve Orchard, I thought. It looks like I'll also experience my first death here.

But...

"W-Waaah..." Milianne was crying in my arms.

She's an NPC... a tian. Unlike me, if she dies, she won't come back. The thought left me unsettled. Bro said that even the king died. I'm sure there aren't any special circumstances just for her. In this world, she'll die just like anybody else."...Like I said, that'd leave a bad taste in my mouth!" I took off the Lifesaving Brooch and equipped it to Milianne. "Milia, can you run to the entrance from here by yourself?"

"...What?" She looked up at me with unease.

"I have to go and beat up this damn centipede for a bit," I said.

Right after I said this, the Demi-Dragon Worm charged at us. I pushed Milianne away, and like getting hit by a truck, I flew into the air.

"Gah... hah..."

It was a powerful impact, even worse than when I had collided with Liliana back in the town.

However, the damage had been 93. My remaining HP was 5... I'm still alive.

One of the four Dragonscale Wards I had equipped had broken and disappeared. I'd survived thanks to its ability to reduce the damage of the attack by 90%.

I forced my numb body to move and drank a Healing Potion from the item menu. My HP was fully restored.

I can still move.

As I turned around, I saw that Milianne was still standing there.

"Go! I'll take care of this guy!" I shouted.

It was a big lie; there was nothing I could do. However, I could at least buy some time. If she could run away during that time, that was all that mattered.

Milianne stood up and ran for the exit.

If she can get to the exit and return to the field, there should be other players and tians there. This is for the best, I thought, and was then immediately flung into the air again.

It was my second cycle of near-death, the Dragonscale breaking, healing with a potion, and then recovery.

"Hah! If you include the death penalty, I can take another three of your hits, you damn centipede!" I shouted.

The third attack came, but this time I avoided it. Even at default stats, if I move, I can dodge it.

However...

"What?!" I was caught by its tail and knocked aside.

The damage was nearly the same. My HP was dangerously low again, and another Dragonscale broke.

"Damn... it."

Only one more left.

Milianne still hadn't made it to the exit.

At the very least, I have to bide my time until then, I told myself. As I thought this, the Demi-Dragon Worm changed its focus of attack.

"GYUUUUEAAAA!" It twisted its large body around and laid its sights on Milianne.

"Hey, you bastard! What are you looking at?" I shouted.

It ignored me and charged after her.

"Waaaiiiitttt!"

I chased after it, but I couldn't catch up with it at my speed. The large Demi-Dragon Worm struck Milianne, sending her small body floating upward into the air like a leaf. The basket she had been holding so dearly was forced from her hands, and tumbled to the ground.

"Aaaaahhh!" I dived headfirst and caught her falling body. There was a large impact as I caught her, and the last Dragonscale shattered.

That's not the real issue right now.

I was frightened to do it, but I looked at Milianne's face. A pain different from physical pain was stinging at my heart.

She was unconscious... but unhurt. In exchange, the Lifesaving Brooch I had placed on her had shattered.

It apparently works even when equipped to Milianne, I thought, relieved. However, now that the brooch is broken, there won't be a next time.

My last Dragonscale was also gone. We no longer had any means to withstand the Demi-Dragon Worm's attack.

Liliana's still fighting, I thought. Bro still hasn't come back since disappearing into the ground... I'm all out of options.

"GYUUUUAAAAAAAA!" The monster in front of me had become irritated at its tough prey, but it now appeared to be shaking in joy at finally being able to finish things.

In a last-ditch effort, I tried drawing the knife I had received with my starting equipment. However, after removing the knife from its sheath, I discovered that its blade was broken. Before I could even use it, it seemed the repeated collisions had caused the knife to break.

The chances for us to survive were now at zero.

I looked at the unconscious girl in my arms.

Her weight, her warmth, her breathing, and the emotions she had showed me — they were no different from real life. She was alive, so realistically alive.

And like death in the real world, that life was about to be lost.

"...Damn it." I couldn't give up.

For me, this world was a game. It wasn't a problem if I died.

But even if I know this world is a game, it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth if this girl were to disappear from it forever. I clenched my fist in frustration.

On the back of that hand... was my Embryo in its egg-like zeroth form.

"Hey..."

I...

"If they say an Embryo is supposed to offer a player... If you're supposed to offer me infinite possibility..." I pleaded, "...then give me that possibility."

The monster in front of me raised its head to deliver the final blow.

"Give me the possibility for a happy ending, the possibility to save this girl!" I cried.

To my left hand I pleaded. To the incarnation of this world of possibilities known as Infinite Dendrogram, I pleaded from the bottom of my heart.

"Wake up already and give me even 1% of a possibility!" I cried.

The Demi-Dragon Worm launched its last attack.

"You're an unexpectedly overbearing Master, aren't you?" said a voice. "However, I am one that is born from you. I don't dislike that part about you."

In an instant, the fatal charge was blocked by someone.

"...Huh?"

Just like when my brother had disappeared into the ground, I couldn't process what was happening before my eyes.

I couldn't understand why in front of me was not the tragedy that should have taken place, but instead, a miracle that shouldn't have occurred.

The Demi-Dragon Worm that was supposed to kill us had been repelled by a wall of light and was bent over backwards.

My Embryo had vanished from the back of my left hand, and in its place was a glowing, blue crest.

Between the Demi-Dragon Worm and us now stood a girl I didn't know. Her jet black hair waved in the wind, and her skin glistened like white porcelain. She swung her gothic skirt made of black fabric and white frills as she turned to look at me. Her eyes were made of the black of night and a white that reminded me of the stars.

"Morning," was the first thing she said.I couldn't say anything.

"Hm, you seem out of it," she said. "Good grief, aren't you something? I forced myself to wake up because you told me to, and yet..."

The way she spoke almost made the mystique she had disappear, but her words made me think of something.

"Are you my..." I began. ...Embryo?

"Of course," she said. "Well then, Master, that damn centipede is still in good health. To cheer things up in celebration of my birthday, what do you say we finish it off in style?"

"How?" I burst out.

Before I could even finish asking this, the girl had disappeared. She lost her human form and turned into a swarm of black, shining lights that enveloped my right arm, and then transformed into a black greatsword. It was organic and sinister looking, but in some way, still beautiful.

"I'll leave the timing to you," she said, her voice coming from the sword. "Swing down when the damn centipede comes charging at us. We're all going to die if you screw up, got it?"

It felt like she was telling me, "I gave you your chance, now the rest is up to you."

"...Got it." I was aware there were things that needed to be done before asking any questions.

The Demi-Dragon Worm seemed to be furious as it charged at us faster than it ever had before. It was a straight shot at a speed I was able to see, but not avoid.

However, I still had time to swing my sword.

"The three times Master almost died, and the one attack I absorbed... The four attacks you made with everything you had..."

Right before the jaws of the Demi-Dragon Worm could reach me...

"I'll double them and pay you back," said the girl as I swung down the black greatsword.

"Vengeance is Mine!" she shouted.

There was an impact the moment the greatsword made contact.

Then a moment of stillness.

Right after, the Demi-Dragon Worm, almost as if it had been crushed by a monster several times its size, shattered into pieces starting with its head.

Just exactly how many times today am I going to see something I struggle to understand? I wondered.

While I was thinking this, I looked at what was in front of me. The Demi-Dragon Worm's large body was gradually breaking into pieces that turned into light and vanished.

Behind me was Milianne, still unconscious, and beside me was the girl. She had changed back from the black sword.

"Success, success," she said happily. "Isn't that great, Master? You grabbed hold of the possibility you'd hoped for."

"You really are my Embryo, aren't you?" I asked.

The girl lightly lifted her frilled skirt and bowed with contrived respect. "I'm Nemesis, a Type Maiden with Arms Embryo. I was born from your heart, body, and soul." The girl — Nemesis — introduced herself like that and grinned broadly. "It's nice to meet you, Master."