Chapter 8

□ Capital City Artea <Heavenly Three Stars Pavilion> - Ray Stirling

That evening, my brother had reserved a regular haunt of his.

The place was run by a player who not only served regular meals but also cooked dishes if you brought the ingredients. My brother apparently had already handed over a mountain of ingredients in advance.

"Then, let's celebrate Ray's first login and first quest completion! Cheers, bear!"

"Cheers!"

My brother raised a glass of Rem wine (a fruit wine made from Rem berries), while Nemesis and I toasted with a drink similar to orange juice.

It seems that <Infinite Dendrogram> refers to the player's nationality for age restrictions, and I apparently can't drink alcohol in-game until I turn twenty.

To be more specific, adult content is R18, and alcohol and tobacco are R20.

Should I call it healthy, or should I say it's unhealthy at that point?

"Mmm, I can't drink alcohol because of my childish master. It's been six years in this world, a long time indeed."

"Well, in terms of appearance, you're the second person who shouldn't be drinking here."

The first is my brother. For various reasons.

The bear mascot was drinking from a stein.

"Munch munch munch. Eat, eat, eat. Meat, meat, meat. Munch munch munch."

My brother was eating the food on the table and encouraging us to do the same.

By the way, can you drink and eat while wearing that costume? It's surprisingly well-designed.

"Wow, this is amazing! What is this?"

I was surprised by the taste of the unfamiliar dish he recommended.

Despite being made from unknown ingredients and cooking methods, it was somehow understandable and incredibly delicious.

"The owner of this place is a top-class [Cook], a [Heavenly Cook]. His honed cooking skills would be equivalent to three Michelin stars in the real world."

"But, eating such a feast and then returning to reality might be a bit of a shock."

I was about to be hungry in the real world, as it was almost dinner time.

"By the way, in the real world, I'm just lying down, right?"

"Yeah, in this world, you only affect the real world when you sleep. For example, six hours of sleep here equals two hours in the real world."

Could you explain that a bit more?

"For example, one day in the real world is three days here. If you stay awake for eighteen hours and sleep for six hours for three days here, it would be equivalent to being awake for six hours and sleeping for two hours for three times in the real world, making a full day. As long as you don't sleep in the game, your brain remains awake."

In other words, if you start <Infinite Dendrogram> before going to bed and stay logged in all night, you won't have slept and will have to rub your sleepy eyes and go to school or work.

"Also, you don't have to worry about physiological needs like going to the bathroom or feeling hungry. You'll get an announcement if something comes up."

As soon as he said that, a window opened at the edge of my vision.

[Announcement: Urination]

[Announcement: Hunger]

I see.

"Then, I'll log out for a bit."

"Okay, come back as soon as you can."

"I need to come back quickly. If the master doesn't return, I won't get to eat either."

"Alright, alright."

So, I selected the 'Logout' screen from the 'Main Menu'.

[Logging out]

[Do you want to set the next login point to the save point or the current location?]

"Current location, then."

[Understood]

[We look forward to your return]

And so, my body disappeared from this world, and my consciousness retreated from <Infinite Dendrogram> as if waking from a dream.

◇

"..."

After logging out of <Infinite Dendrogram>, I first checked the clock.

It had been about three hours since I started the game.

It really is only 1/3 of the time.

After feeling a bit amazed, I went to the bathroom.

Although I had eaten a bit in the game, my real body was naturally complaining of hunger, so I had a stick of balanced nutrition and mineral water to replenish my nutrients.

I also checked my phone for any missed calls, but there were none. I looked at the news on my PC, but there were no significant events.

After about ten minutes, I logged back in.

◇

"Welcome back, bear."

"...Hey."

When I returned, the food on the table had completely changed.

It seems that all the initial dishes had been eaten.

...Does my brother really eat that much by himself? Is he really a bear?

"Whoa!? The a la carte dishes I was looking forward to are gone!"

And as soon as I logged in, Nemesis, who had apparently materialized, screamed.

What's with the "Whoa!?" What's with the "Whoa!?"

"Don't worry, bear. There's still a lot of food, bear. This is only about 1/10, bear."

"Too much! How many people's worth is this!?"

There were only two of us if my <Embryo> wasn't Nemesis, so why did he prepare so much!?

"...Alright, anyway. Brother, I still have a few questions."

"About how to get this costume, bear?"

"No, ...well, I'm a bit curious, but no."

What I was curious about were two system-related things and Lilianna.

Let's start with the easier one to ask.

"Does an <Embryo> change shape when it evolves?"

"Yes, bear. Our Baldr became more and more weapon-like, and it got bigger, bear."

I think that Gatling gun was quite large... but it was only the second form. How could it get any bigger?

"By the way, the fourth form we used today is a tank, bear."

"A tank!?"

Is that even possible!?

"...Will my Nemesis also change from its current humanoid form to something else? Like a tank?"

Nemesis, who was eating next to me, said, "That's a bad omen," and was scared.

"The evolution of an <Embryo> depends on the master, but your Nemesis will likely remain a Maiden. The 'with Arms' part might change to a different type, though."

"So, Nemesis can change into a sword?"

"Yes, an <Embryo> that can transform into Arms while remaining a Maiden. Maidens are generally hybrid types... a mix of multiple types."

"Wow."

It sounds like a good deal.

Nemesis is complaining, "What's a good deal for a woman!?"

"I know a guy who has a Maiden <Embryo> like yours. His is basically still a Maiden, but the 'with' part has changed a lot. He's now at the <Superior Embryo> stage."

"<Superior Embryo>?"

"It's another name for the seventh form of an <Embryo>. An <Embryo> has three major stages of transformation. The first is from the 0th to the 1st form, the second is from the 3rd to the 4th form, and the third is from the 6th to the 7th form. Currently, the 7th form is considered the final stage of an <Embryo>. It's called <Superior Embryo> because it 'exceeds' the upper limit."

"Final stage, <Superior Embryo>."

Will Nemesis ever reach that stage?

It's still in the first form, so I don't know how long it will take to get there.

"By the way, there are said to be fewer than a hundred players who have reached the <Superior> stage in the entire world."

Fewer than a hundred out of hundreds of thousands of players in <Infinite Dendrogram>?

What a tough journey...

"Those people are too dedicated."

"Not all of them are just dedicated to play time. Many who started on the release day haven't reached it yet, but some have reached it in just half a year."

Is there some special element required?

"Oh, by the way, brother, you started on the release day, right? How far have you evolved? What form are you in now?"

"Secret, bear."

Annoying.

Also, this bear brother normally speaks normally when explaining things but adds "bear" at the end when teasing me, which is also annoying.

By the way, while my bear brother and I were talking, Nemesis was finishing all the food on the plate.

...No, I was talking about you.

To be continued

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