＜Infinite Dendrogram＞

□ Ling Er, the bird

"... ugh!

Shortly after that horde of monsters crushed my body, my consciousness was returning to reality to wake up from my dreams.

Unlike sleeping, consciousness is clear.

But if you accept the situation, no.

I remember the last announcement.

So I also understand that for the first time I have become a death penalty.

Still, I can't help but wonder what was going on there and what happened.

But I can't log into Infinite Dendrogram right now.

In the display embedded next to the equipment even if you try to log in, [during the penalty period. 23 hours, 55 minutes and 16 seconds more] and the announcement only appears.

"... here we go"

If you look outside, it's not dawn yet.

Time is also before 5: 00 a.m.

First, I decided to sleep.

Lie down in bed and try to sleep.

But if you close the eye lid, you will be reminded of different moments when you will be killed.

At the same time I remembered, I was thinking about how I could have survived if I stood around then.

It's like simulating a falling object game you keep playing, even after you close your eyelids.

I think over and over and over and every time I repeat... my own awkwardness of movement caught my eye.

Oh, this way and all the regrets come to mind.

While I was thinking about that, consciousness only melted into my dreams.

◇

The next morning, I wake up around 8: 00 and have breakfast watching the morning news.

I haven't tried making a decent breakfast in a long time, but the flavor feels a few steps inferior to the treat I had in the game.

I blurred that the pleasure of eating over here might diminish if this continued.

After I finished breakfast and cleaned up the dishes, I tried to find out if there was any information on the online bulletin board.

That one hit me just looking a little bit.

The tragedy in Noz Forest was the biggest news on the neighborhood bulletin board.

They don't make this much noise if it's just a PK.

but this time it was special.

Because players continue to be hunted in novice hunting grounds other than Noz Forest.

It's limited to Alter Kingdom, too.

Concurrent multiple, and continually beginner players in the kingdom are PK.

Obviously not a solo offender, but a certain organizational ability could be seen.

The question is, who's doing it?

Rumored drife was seen as the most powerful suspect when the bulletin board said it would attack again soon.

The reason is that "we are preparing for the resumption of war events and not to increase the power of war on the part of the Kingdom".

There are only cases in the kingdom, so it seems likely.

Players in the kingdom also struck countermeasures in this one case.

Apparently, an aspiring player became a vigilante and headed for a PK crusade.

Some hunting grounds said a battle between PK and vigilante players occurred.

But in all these fights, the vigilante side has been defeated.

It was expected from this that the PK population consisted of quite a few skilled players.

I'm dead, but I couldn't defeat PK.

However, < Noz Forest > is slightly different from the others.

They couldn't even find PK.

Novice hunting continues, but no one can spot the killer, and they can't fight or defeat him.

"... he is, isn't he?

That's when I saw the bullet monster and its master.

The guy was wrapped in a strange twist and didn't even know if he was young or old.

Does that have anything to do with the fact that you can't find it?

On the bulletin board, I "finally packed the kingdom", "Dryfmaj outer road" and "Cardina is recommended if you are going to exile" with regard to this PK disturbance. New people were also welcome "and other opinions were commonly seen.

with them. "If there happened to be a street, I was hit. Less like" It was time to evolve but I was far away in this despena "and" I was about to join the advanced... "are also mixed.

Is there anything besides login restrictions when it comes to death penalties?

I was curious, so I wrote, "I just started and I was first deathed this time. Is there something when I despend?".

"New B," "I'll tell you. I'll take my clothes off first," there were some lesbians, but there were some that usually taught me.

Anything, there are rumors that the more death penalties there are, the slower the evolution.

It is treated as fairly reliable information in the player neighborhood.

It is difficult to verify because of the intense individual differences, but the approximate comparison shows that the more frequent death penalties, the slower the evolution tends to be.

This disadvantage may also be one of the reasons why players on the kingdom side did not participate actively in the previous war.

Write a thank you for the information and move it to the other board.

I thought there was only a war, a good PK and a good noise story, but if you look at the bulletin board, they don't either.

Heaven and earth and the Yellow River are busy on the subject of events that seem peaceful.

In heaven and earth, there were "flowers seen under the auspices of Tian's [Conquest General"] because the cherry blossoms blossomed, "etc.

In the Yellow River, 'panda-shaped monsters bred heavily and the mountains became one black and white', etc.

If you look at the less or tensioned screenshots on the bulletin board (which can be taken with a camera item and output to external media), they are almost there and loosen your cheeks.

Even in combat relationships, Legendary's "Big Battle Royal with Memorial Concert Tickets for Everyone's Idol [Fairy Queen" Titania "]" and more conveys the PVP (Interplayer Match) but sounds like fun air.

"… why is the Alter kingdom on the verge of terror or destruction?"

I'm having trouble figuring out what it's like to be a player in exile just a little bit.

I feel like I'm sinking, so I dropped my computer.

Well, what's the matter?

It's before dawn tomorrow that the death penalty can be solved.

Until then, < Infinite Dendrogram > cannot be done.

When that happens... do you have a lot of things done by now?

Buying and selling household goods and food, opening moving luggage that hasn't been opened yet, and preparing for college admission next month.

Let's finish what we have to do in real life.

◇

By the time I had finished buying out and unpacking my moving luggage and had dinner, it was already past ten o'clock.

Check the bulletin board, they haven't cleaned up that case after two days in the game.

If Drife is really pulling the thread behind him, he'll keep this situation until the war resumes.

Then the question is, where do I get to the next level?

All the hunting grounds just out of the Quadrangle Gate in Wangdu are PK kill zones.

I mean, novices can't help but leave King's Capital right now.

Even if we managed to move through the blockade to another city... at this level, there is no hunting ground for fitness in the country other than around the King's Capital.

There are inconsistencies that we cannot go to where we raise the level.

Now, no matter what I say... the answer is decided.

"That's the only place, huh?"

Novice hunting grounds my brother taught me.

It was mainly written about the hunting grounds as soon as they exited the Square Gate, but there was only one exception.

First of all, the PK population is out of reach.

Even the bulletin board doesn't talk about being targeted there.

But my brother said there was something wrong with that hunting ground.

When I asked what the problem was, I myself thought hunting there was hard.

But if no other hunting grounds are available, the only way to get to the next level is to go there.

I fell asleep early that day and logged in to < Infinite Dendrogram > where the penalty was lifted at dawn the next day.

◇

When I logged in, < Infinite Dendrogram > was three days past. Time is the same dusk as when you die.

By the way, the login point wasn't dead, it was the fountain where I was meeting my brother.

Because I found out when I was shopping around the city that this seems to be one of several savepoints in the King's Capital, so I set it at the resurrecting savepoint.

I see. You automatically restart from a savepoint when it's a death penalty dawn?

"... Back, Master"

When I realized, a human form of nemesis stood next to me.

They came out at some point.

"Yeah, I'm home."

…………

…………

Awkward.

Being a death penalty is awkward.

It's also a big problem for Nemesis because the death penalty inhibits the evolution of Embrio.

I owe you an apology because it's my mess that killed you this time...

"Oh."

"I don't need it."

Rejected before I said it. Yes, Nemesis knew what I was thinking.

"Don't think about it differently. Because I'm the one who's awkward, and I'm the one who wants to apologize."

"Huh?"

Why? Why?

"... scattered, while I was at my best in front, I could easily have killed my lord if it was a battle between them. I am angry at myself for this lack of strength that is incompetent"

Nemesis was biting his lips so hard that blood conveyed the edge of his mouth, as he blamed his lack of strength.

Not so much, Nemesis thinks it's his fault.

But......

"That's not true. If you hadn't prevented a second blow, you would have been subject to a death penalty sooner. I was rather bad at it. Funny how you say you want to be a Ranker."

"No! I wish my skills were stronger and I could have prevented the last attack!

"Don't be impotent! I knew what we were capable of, so I wish I had stood around better!

When I said that, Nemesis slapped me in the chest.

Its power is weak.

But the words that leaked out of Nemesis's mouth......,

"It's my lack of power... If the Lord were not a player, I would have lost him forever... I can't wait for it to be horrible..."

Her words were weaker and more fragile than fists slapping my chest.

She keeps saying she's so good, she's revealing her weakness.

"Nemesis......"

".................. ugh"

Nemesis was crying.

The tears are transparent, they're going to break, and they're stiff.

The crying nemesis...... didn't look like a game.

"... maybe Nemesis is right"

When I say that, Nemesis's shoulders tremble.

I put my hand on that shoulder.

"But nemesis, I knew this one was yours... not your only (...) lack of strength"

I gaze at the nemesis, one or two lower in the head than I am, and I look straight into my eyes.

"And... as you say, I'm not the only one who's (...) powerless."

"Master......?

Nemesis is not the only one who lacks power.

I'm not the only one lacking strength.

"This time it was our (...) lack of strength."

That's the answer.

"My level was low. You hadn't grown up yet either. Besides, we were inexperienced. That's why he killed me."

Its defeat is no longer in the past.

I can't change what's past anymore.

This one death penalty will remain a flaw.

But this is how we live.

Killed, but the player's... I'm alive.

Nemesis may be slow to evolve, but he's safe.

"So I'm fine. I can still do it, I can still be strong from now on"

We're the Masters and the Embrios.

Whatever it takes, take it back.

What happened to the defect?

I didn't ask for an unharmed and false path from the beginning.

Even if we get hurt... our knees won't break.

"You two get stronger, we'll get him revenge."

Instead, let's think we've got a goal.

He said he'd level up, evolve, brush his arms, and one day bring him down in a head-on battle.

"... truly, an unexpectedly hot and painful man, my lord."

Nemesis laughed bitterly at my words.

"But the Lord is right. Um, I regret that I passed and broke my knee, and I fell at the end of the day. There's still a way ahead of us."

Nemesis wets his tears.

What followed was the usual invincible grin.

"I don't even know his name, but he's gonna let me drop him sooner or later."

And Nemesis raises his right hand.

"Let's go! Master! Strong! Stronger! May no one be able to make me and the Lord lack me!

"Respond. Let's do it, Nemesis!

That's how me and Nemesis put each other's arms together.

[Edge deepened], what a senseless announcement does not flow but I feel it.

Now my nemesis and I have deepened our bond.

This is our real starting point.

◇

By the way, I didn't mind during the conversation with Nemesis, but there were a lot of other players there because it was a fountain that was also one of the save points.

The pattern of our conversation was well watched, and the players around us applauded the combination of hands.

We followed the scene in an uncluttered fashion of blushing and escaping.

To be continued