Chapter 4

□ Royal City Artea Central Street - Ray Sterling

"By the way, have you checked your initial stats yet?"

As we headed towards the <Old Reave Orchard>, my brother asked about my abilities. I realized I hadn't checked them yet.

"Let me see the detailed stats..."

A new window appeared, displaying my current stats.

Ray Sterling

Level: 0 (Total Level: 0)

Job: None

HP (Health): 98

MP (Magic): 16

SP (Skill): 23

STR (Strength): 10

END (Endurance): 12

DEX (Dexterity): 15

AGI (Agility): 14

LUC (Luck): 16

I don't know the standard, but this must be weak. A level 0 beginner can't be strong, right? By the way, in this game, you can have multiple jobs. Therefore, there are individual job levels and a total level that combines all job levels. But... both of mine are 0.

"By the way, I have to go to the 'Beginner Killer' dungeon at level 0, right?"

"You'll be a 0 bear until you get a job. Want to get a job first, bear?"

"...No, I don't think I have time for that."

If that girl in the photo dies while I'm hesitating, I won't be able to face it. Right now, speed is the priority. I'm even having a rushed conversation with my brother.

"Can I ask a few questions?"

"Sure, bear."

"Stats don't have INT (Intelligence), so how do you determine the power of magic? There is magic, right?"

Liliana used healing magic.

"MP's maximum value, the skill level of the magic used, and the total MP poured into the magic skill. By the way, this game doesn't have an INT stat. It's about you, yourself."

I see. Indeed, I wouldn't understand if someone told me my intelligence increased.

"What actions consume SP?"

"SP is consumed for sword techniques, martial arts, and physical skills. By the way, skills consume SP to use, but their power is determined by other stats like STR or DEX. The way stats grow also changes based on play style, weapons used, jobs, and personal traits."

"Complicated."

"Well, in the end, it all works out. The most important thing is to be yourself, bear."

...Does he really like adding "bear" at the end?

"By the way, I'll give you some of the accessories I have, bear."

My brother said this and handed me some items from his bag. The items included ten [Heal Potions Lv2], which can easily fully heal me, one [Brooch of Salvation], and four [Substitute Dragon Scales].

[Brooch of Salvation]

Activates the skill <One Life in Nine Deaths> while equipped.

Has a 10% chance of breaking when the effect is activated.

* Damage exceeding HP is checked for breakage. This process repeats until the damage exceeding HP ends.

* If the [Brooch of Salvation] breaks, it cannot be equipped for 24 hours.

<One Life in Nine Deaths>: Invalidates a fatal damage once.

[Substitute Dragon Scales]

Reduces damage by 10% when hit.

Breaks with 100% probability after the effect is activated.

"This game has level and stat restrictions on equipment, bear. So, it's good to reinforce with these accessories that have no level restrictions, bear."

The accessory slots are five in total, so I can equip all of them.

"Thanks, bro. ...By the way, what's the death penalty in this game?"

Death penalty.

A feature found in many online games. Simply put, there are some disadvantages when a character dies. For example, the level might drop, or the stats might decrease for a while.

Since the game is trying to avoid death, there must be some kind of death penalty. I wanted to know what the penalty was from my brother, but...

"24-hour login restriction."

The answer was unexpected.

"...What?"

"If you die in this game, you can't enter <Infinite Dendrogram> for 24 hours in real time and 72 hours in game time."

Are you serious?

Even though it's a game, there's a penalty that prevents you from playing the game.

"The scary part of this penalty isn't that you can't play the game, but that three days pass in <Infinite Dendrogram> while you do nothing. For example, if you're in the middle of a quest, you'll leave it unattended for three days. That's scary in this real world."

If I or my brother, who are on this quest, disappear for three days... the outcome is obvious.

"I'll follow to avoid dying. I don't know how much help I'll be at level 0, though."

Actually, I probably won't be much help.

"By the way, <Old Reave Orchard> is called the 'Beginner Killer' trap dungeon, bear. If an innocent beginner who just started Dendrogram enters it without knowing anything, saying, 'Yay, let's go on an adventure nearby,' they'll be killed instantly and won't be able to log in for a whole day, bear."

It's like a trauma machine.

"But it's strange. Why is the difficulty level 5? The monsters in that dungeon should be around level 25... which is too high."

While listening to my brother's mutterings, we passed through the south gate of the Royal City Artea.

◇

About ten minutes' run from the south gate, the facility was there. The facility was surrounded by a metal fence, and a worn-out sign at the entrance read "Welcome to <Reave Orchard>." However, the facility had been abandoned, the plants were growing wildly, and the sign was faded.

"Well, we're finally about to enter..."

We stopped in front of the entrance to <Old Reave Orchard>, which had become a den of insect monsters, and a new window appeared in my field of vision.

[Shuu Sterling has sent a party join request]

[Do you want to join the party? YES/NO]

"It's easier to cover if I can always check Ray's stats, bear. But since there's a level difference, the experience points will be distributed proportionally to contribution, not equally, bear."

"Well, in this case, my experience points don't matter anyway."

In MMORPGs, if you defeat a monster alone, you get all the experience points. However, in party battles, the distribution method is different. There are two methods in this game. One is equal distribution, where the experience points are divided equally among the party members. The other is proportional distribution, where the amount of experience points earned varies based on the contribution during the battle. In this game, contribution includes not just damage but also support actions like healing. This doesn't matter to me now, as I'm level 0 and have no job. What's important now is to complete the quest and save those sisters. I can level up and get a job later.

"YES, then."

I pressed the YES button on the window. Immediately, a simplified party status screen opened, and my brother's name was added. The simplified status screen has space for four more people, so this game allows a party of up to six people. Now, my brother's name and status are displayed on the simplified status screen.

"What is this?"

Shuu Sterling

Job: ■

Level: ■ (Total Level: ■)

HP: ■

MP: ■

SP: ■

It's a simplified status, but all the displayed items are blacked out.

"Oh, that's one of the effects of this costume, bear. If there's a level difference, neither enemies nor allies can see my status, bear."

What kind of effect is that?

It would be difficult to support with support magic... I can't do it, though.

By the way...

"Brother... I forgot to ask about the quest, but why are you wearing a bear costume?"

When I asked, my brother scratched the plush toy's cheek with his claw.

"A tear-jerking story, bear."

"Answer my question quickly, I'm busy."

My brother muttered, "Your gaze is cold..." and then started to speak.

"You know the character creation, right?"

"Yeah."

"I tried to create a character based on myself because it's troublesome to create one from scratch."

"I did the same."

"But I made a mistake..."

"What kind of mistake?"

"I accidentally decided without customizing anything."

"...Oops."

"Bear."

In other words, the person inside this costume is my brother in his original form.

Playing an online game with your real face is like playing with a dangerous card. Especially for my brother.

So, he has to wear a costume.

"By the way, I chose this country because I saw a store selling costumes in the capital's video..."

"Oh, that's why you didn't go to Dryf or Gran Barroa, which are more to your taste."

"I had no choice... By the way, the first costume cost 4980 ril, bear."

"Almost all the initial funds, huh."

How did you live at the beginning, brother?

"Moreover, it's a gag item with no defense effect. There was no information at all since I was in the first wave. Oh, it was a difficult path from that desperate start to this costume, bear."

"By the way, what are the effects of this costume?"

"Like this."

[Q-Extreme Costume Series - Hind Bear]

Ancient Legendary Weapon

Defense Bonus +903 (Bear)

Equipped Skills

<Mask of Deception>: Status concealment effect. Completely hides status from opponents with a total level 100 or more lower.

<Built-in Air Conditioning>: Equipped with a full-environment air conditioner. Always maintains a comfortable temperature.

<Power Assist>: Supports movement with muscle motors. STR +903

<Bulletproof>: Bulletproof design. Reduces long-range physical attack damage by 903.

<Slashproof>: Safe from assassins. Reduces close-range physical attack damage by 903.

<Universal Bear Hand>: Surprisingly good at grabbing and using objects. Additional effect increases damage to fish-type and insect-type monsters.

<????>: ■

...What is this abnormally high-performance gag item?

"+903? I don't know the stat cap in this game, but isn't this pretty high? By the way, what's your level, Brother Bear?"

I can't see my brother's stats at all, so he must be at least 100 levels higher...

"Secret, bear."

Ugh, annoying.

"Alright, let's stop the comedy and go save the girl, bear."

"...Most of the comedy is your fault, Brother Bear, but I agree. Let's go."

We entered the <Old Reave Orchard>. Inside, the ground, which was once a path, was now overgrown with weeds, and broken guide signs pointed the way. One of the guide signs read, "Rem Fruit Field → 500 meters."

"Is that 500 meters?"

"Pretty clear, right? And, have you noticed?"

"...The sound you've been hearing?"

From the direction indicated by the guide sign, inhuman voices and collision sounds could be heard. Although the plants obstructed the view from here, it was most likely that Liliana, who had entered the dungeon before us, was in battle. Then I realized something.

The battle sounds only came from the direction of the Rem Fruit Field. It was much quieter in other directions.

"Are there no other players?"

"Well, many people have trauma from this dungeon. Besides, the loot and harvest aren't that good at this level, and the insects swarm and have a lot of [Poison] and [Paralysis] effects, so you need to prepare for status effects."

It seems to be an unpopular hunting ground.

"Well, thanks to that, it's easier for me to fight—Baldor, activate second form."

"Ready."

As my brother muttered something, an unfamiliar mechanical voice responded. Then, his left hand, still in the costume, glowed, and something flew out. Immediately, an unusual addition was made to the bear silhouette.

A circular array of multiple barrels.

A high-speed loading mechanism powered by a motor.

A belt-shaped ammunition tube.

And a large magazine resembling a drum can.

A heavy weapon known as a "Gatling gun" was there.

"...Isn't this game supposed to be a fantasy setting?"

To be continued

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