Infinite Dendrogram - Volume 1 - Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Tomb Labyrinth 

Royal Capital Altea — Paladin Ray Starling. 
After running away from the fountain plaza, we went out on a large road surrounded by shops on both sides. 
“All right, so we both want to become strong,” I said. “Our best option would have been to level in the hunting grounds surrounding the capital, but the current situation doesn’t allow that.” 
“The player killers are still active, after all,” Nemesis agreed. 
If we wanted to have our revenge on the player killers, we’d have to level in Noz Forest, but with them still being there, we’d end up getting PK’d the moment we left the capital. 
“That’s why we’ll go to the last available hunting ground that my brother told us about,” I said. 
“The Tomb Labyrinth, correct?” she asked. 
“Yeah,” I said. 
Tomb Labyrinth. Out of all the hunting grounds surrounding the capital, it was the only one that was inside it. It was a great, maze-like dungeon that extended below the capital’s graveyard. 
While my death penalty had been active, I’d taken a look at the walkthrough wiki and found out some important things about it. 
First, it was an underground dungeon with a theme and set of monsters that changed every five floors down. 
Second, the deeper you went, the stronger the monsters became. 
Third, the lower floors were swarming with monsters so powerful that they put Demi-Dragon Worms to shame. 
Fourth, the monsters in the upper floors were weak — about as strong as those appearing around the capital. 
Fifth, the walkthrough wiki’s volunteers had confirmed 415 floors so far. 
The most important point was the fourth one. In the upper floors, we newbies could level without worrying about getting killed by players. 
“Normally, the other beginners would completely flood it, but that won’t happen here, right?” Nemesis spoke. 
“Yeah, most of the other beginners should be unable to get in,” I replied. 
“...Tough world, isn’t it?” she asked. 
“Seriously.” 
Once we remembered the reason why the other beginners couldn’t enter, Nemesis and I heaved a long sigh. 
After dinner, we arrived at the graveyard where we could find the Tomb Labyrinth. 
As obvious as it might’ve been, the graves here were Western-style, not Japanese. We were surrounded by countless tombstones, displaying the names of the deceased and the years they had been born in and died. It was a large graveyard, so there was a map at the entrance. It showed that the Tomb Labyrinth was quite a distance inside. There was even a guardroom for the soldiers stationed there. 
Making our way to our destination, we walked through the graveyard. 
I’ve gotta say... this unfamiliar sight of a Western graveyard at night is pretty creepy, I thought. Though I guess thoughts like that will only get Nemesis to make fun of me and... hm? 
“Nemesis?” I asked. 
She didn’t respond. There was no expression on her face. In fact, she was making an active effort to not display any emotions. 
It’s gonna be our first battle since coming back from the death penalty, so she might be a bit on-edge, I thought. 
“Nemesis,” I said. 
“What... is... it...?” Nemesis spoke so clumsily that I could almost hear her voice creak like the mouth of some rusty old doll. 
“...It’s nothing.” 
“I... see...” 
I wondered, Is she on-edge or just tense? I can’t tell. Well, I don’t mind if she’s on-edge. We just recently revived, after all. But man, this graveyard is really grim. 
Well, nighttime graveyards weren’t lit up by anything, so it was only natural for them to be grim. It was the perfect place for one of those generic horror movie scenes in which zombies crawled out of their graves, banded up into an army, and closed in while losing parts of their bodies. 
“...Hm?” I asked. 
Right after I pictured a horror scenario, Nemesis took hold of my hand. I could feel it shaking, and when I looked at her face, I saw nothing but anxiety. 
...Oh, I see how it is. 
“Are you... afraid of ghosts and stuff?” I asked. 
She didn’t respond. Instead, she simply looked away. 
I guess she is and doesn’t want to say it, I thought. 
Nemesis always spoke in a proud manner, ate a lot, and was slightly arrogant. Yet, she was afraid of ghosts. Despite us becoming closer, I still didn’t have a good grasp of her character. 
“If you’re afraid, why not just change your form right now?” I suggested. 
“...Okay.” Still holding on to my hand, Nemesis transformed into a greatsword. For some reason, I could feel her becoming more composed. 
I guess her form has an effect on her mental strength, I thought. Keeping her psyche safe comes at the cost of making me look like a weirdo who hangs around graveyards with an unsheathed greatsword in hand, but whatever. I’ll just go to the entrance before anyone notices. 
 
I finally arrived at the entrance to the Tomb Labyrinth. It took me about ten minutes, which spoke volumes about just how large the graveyard was. 
Well, there’s a large labyrinth underground, so it’s only to be expected, I thought. And since I was near the entrance to a dungeon now, no one would tell me off for holding a weapon. 
The gate to the Tomb Labyrinth was made of stone and looked really sturdy. There was a soldier stationed right next to it. He quickly noticed us. 
“Master, are you wishing to explore the Tomb Labyrinth? You need to have a ‘Tomb Labyrinth Exploration Permit’ to do that,” he said. 
A Tomb Labyrinth Exploration Permit. This item was the very reason why no beginners were exploring the Tomb Labyrinth. 
It was a possible reward for quests of difficulty level three or a random drop from boss monsters. They were being sold on the player market, too, but one went for an average of 100,000 lir. It wasn’t an amount an average beginner could easily procure. Basically, this was a harsh beginner’s hunting ground that required the players to pay a kind of toll. 
Luckily for me, I’d had the leftover money I’d gotten from selling the Demi-Dragon Worm’s drops. So, before going to this graveyard, I had bought my permit. I’d even finished filling it in and actually making it effective, so I was good to go. 
When I reached for my items and dug for the Permit with my left hand... 
“Oh? You’re a Paladin, aren’t you?” the soldier asked. “Then there’s no need for that. Please go inside.” 
He moved away from the gate without me having to show my permit. 
...Excuse me? I thought. 
“...What about the Tomb Labyrinth Exploration Permit?” I asked. 
“Paladins don’t need one,” he answered. 
...Are you for real? 
“Oh dear, what a waste of 100,000 lir,” Nemesis chimed in. 
“Oohhh...” Groaning, I fell to my knees. 
Not even the death penalty could do it, but this loss of money had made me collapse in an instant. 
The shock was huge. If I had to gauge it, it was about three times worse than playing one of those retro RPGs, spending tons of time getting enough money to buy an iron sword, only to get it from the next treasure chest you found. 
Goddammit, that money is the equivalent of 1,000,000 yen... I thought. I filled it in, too, so it’s exclusive to me and I can’t even resell it now... 
Why didn’t my brother tell me about this...? Well, I guess he wouldn't know, not being a Paladin and all. 
As I kneeled on the ground due to the shock, the soldier called out to me in a worried tone. “A-Are you okay, sir?” 
Nemesis chimed in, “I know you’re shocked, but nothing will come out of moping about it.” 
“...Y-Yeah, you’re right,” I said. 
Time to get a grip, I told myself. I simply have to raid this dungeon with the intention of making up for the lost money. 
“So, can I go inside?” I asked. 
“Y-Yes. Be careful, sir.” The soldier spoke a spell that opened the gate. Beyond it, I saw a gloomy darkness and a staircase leading down. 
“Let’s go, then,” I said. 
“Onward,” Nemesis agreed. 
We made our first step into the Tomb Labyrinth. 
My brother told me about the Tomb Labyrinth during a little break we had while we were buying my gear. 
“Here’s something to bear in mind: the largest dungeon in this country is inside the capital,” he’d said. 
He had just finished telling me about the beginner’s hunting grounds surrounding the city, so this info was like a little bonus. 
“Inside the capital? What do you mean?” I’d asked. 
“Bear-ly a few dozen meters below us, there’s a dungeon called the ‘Tomb Labyrinth,’ and it’s the largest one in the Kingdom of Altar — no, this whole continent,” he’d explained. 
Nemesis and I had stared darkly at the ground we were standing on. 
“It doesn’t seem like Dryfe even needs to do anything for this country to be destroyed,” said Nemesis. 
“Just bear with me here. The Tomb Labyrinth is a created dungeon,” my brother had continued. “The monsters inside will never crawl out — you can be paw-sitive about that.” 
“‘Created dungeon?’” I repeated the unfamiliar term, and my brother instantly began explaining it. 
“Dendro has two bear-ly similar types of dungeons,” he began. 
You really like giving explanations, don’t you, bro? I thought. 
“The first type is a ‘natural dungeon,’” he continued. “It’s used fur places that weren’t dungeons before, but that got the function due to various circumstances. The Old Orchard is the bear-fect example.” 
He went on to add that natural dungeons also included dens created by intelligent creatures and fortresses felled by monsters. 
“The other type is a ‘created dungeon,’” he went on. “Just as the name implies, these are places that were created fur the sole purpose of being dungeons. Bear with me if I sound a bit meta here, but they’re basically dungeons made by the devs.” 
“Oh?” I asked, expressing my desire to know more. 
“There are three main differences between natural and created dungeons that you must always bear in mind,” he answered. “First of all, monsters in created dungeons never go outside.” 
That makes sense, I thought. Living in the capital would be too dangerous otherwise. 
“The second difference is that monsters automatically respawn regardless of any ecosystems and reasonable causes,” he continued. 
The people of this world had realistic personalities and lives, and monsters normally weren’t different in that regard, since they adhered to proper ecosystems. They wouldn’t simply appear with no rhyme or reason. Just as dead tians wouldn’t come back to life, entire species of monsters could be made extinct. 
However, that didn’t apply to created dungeons, where monsters respawned without limit. It was perfectly natural for there to be undead-type monsters despite the lack of corpses. 
“The third difference is that every few floors you run into a boss monster that — along with its standard drops — gives you additional rewards,” he added. 
Unlimited monsters meant unlimited treasure. The grade of the drops increased the lower you went, and — in the deeper levels — items that could be sold for 1,000,000 lir weren’t uncommon. 
This dungeon was a real cornucopia. 
“There are other created dungeons, but the one with the most bear-able entry requirements is the Tomb Labyrinth,” my brother added. “When you look at Dendro as a game, this is obviously the best reason to choose the Kingdom of Altar. After all, to get in, you only need to have a permit and be aligned with the kingdom.” 
He paused for a moment, then continued. 
“Just like the fertile land around these parts, it’s one of the reasons why Dryfe wants to conquer this country. They can’t enter the Tomb Labyrinth until they do that, you know?” 
So, to Dryfe, the Kingdom of Altar is like a treasury with an endless supply of commodities, eh? I thought. 
“Did you stay with the kingdom so you could raid the Tomb Labyrinth?” I asked. “Is this the reason why you didn’t switch to the country you like once you got your suit?” 
“I’ve bear-ly been there,” he answered. 
Not the reply I’d been expecting. 
“Why?” I asked. 
“...Baldr’s fifth and higher forms are too large to use in the dungeon,” he admitted. 
I had no words. The saying “less is more” crossed my mind. I didn’t know if it fit his case, but it was a clear example that there were pros and cons to everything. 
And holy crap, what kind of Embryo is larger than a tank? I thought. 
 
And now, Nemesis and I were exploring the very same Tomb Labyrinth my brother and I had talked about. Since it was underground, I expected it to be pitch black inside, but it was actually relatively well-lit. This was because the walls and ceiling were covered in luminescent minerals. 
The labyrinth’s hallways were quite wide — enough to let about ten people walk side by side. The ceiling, however, wasn’t too high. Just as my brother had said — it would get in the way of anything particularly big. 
I thought that simply breaking the ceiling would solve that problem, but my attacks couldn’t even put a scratch on it. This dungeon was clearly indestructible. 
“Despite having the eerie word ‘tomb’ in its name, it’s quite a clean dungeon,” Nemesis commented. 
“It’s probably being cleaned automatically,” I said. I could only assume that, instead of realism, the main force at work in this dungeon was the will of the developers. 
“I wasn’t sure if I could handle a tomb, but if all of it is like this, then there’s nothing to worry about,” Nemesis said. She was getting increasingly motivated. “I’ll split apart all the monsters this dungeon sends our way!” 
“Hate to rain on your parade, but the only monster type that spawns in this floor is undead,” I said. 
“...Eh?” She let out an expression of shock and confusion. 
I pointed further into the hallway. Speak of the devil. 
Clad in tattered clothing, there was a person — or, rather, a monster that looked like a person’s bones. The fact that it was a monster was proven by the name above it — Civilian Skeleton. 
Just as the name said, it was clearly the skeleton of a civilian, rather than that of a soldier or knight. It had no weapon, so it merely extended its empty hands and closed in on me while making a rattling sound. 
Due to Infinite Dendrogram having such realistic graphics, the skeleton was quite a scary sight. The hints of red and yellow on the bones — likely left behind by dried bodily fluids — made the sight a bit too vivid and slightly unpleasant. 
Things like this make me wish I had chosen anime or CG as my visual setting, I thought. 
Despite the gross presence, Nemesis wasn’t saying a word. 
“Nemesis?” I called out to her. 
More silence. She didn’t respond at all. 
I guess she’s trying not to think about anything, I thought. After all, I was about to use her to attack it. 
“Let’s do this,” I said and brandished my greatsword. I had my reservations about attacking a person’s bones, but since I had to, I charged at the monster. 
My attack made the skeleton’s arm and shoulder shatter into many pieces. I then swung towards its head with the flat of the greatsword. 
The skeleton’s skull got easily pulverized, turning the monster into shining dust that vanished. 
“Can’t you do it without making me touch it so much?” Nemesis complained. 
“Are you saying we have some means of fighting besides slashing and smashing?” I asked. I had no offensive magic, and Nemesis’s only skills were the defensive Counter Absorption and the counterattack Vengeance is Mine. Though I’d bought some consumable magic items, they were limited. 
Physical melee attacks are my only option with these enemies, I thought. 
“That is true, but... it’s hard on my mental health,” Nemesis complained. 
“Well, at least we’re fighting skeletons here, not anywhere else,” I said. 
By “here,” I was referring to the fact that we were in a created dungeon. The Civilian Skeletons here weren’t actual remains of people, but monsters made just for the sake of being monsters. Even though they were eerie, they weren’t haunted or anything. 
When you think about it, these monsters are strangely sanitary, I thought. They even come out dry and fresh. 
“Hmm... that makes it a bit easier to bear,” Nemesis agreed. 
“Good to know,” I said. “Ah, there’s another monst—” 
I cut my sentence short and could hear Nemesis gasp. The creature that had come from the corner of the hallway made us both lose our words. 
Just like the skeleton, it was an undead-type monster. However, unlike the bare, bony frame from before, this one was... fatter. That was because its bones were covered in rotten, maggot-infested flesh. 
However, the covering wasn’t complete, and you could see yellow and dark red liquids dripping out of the places where its flesh was missing. Since my five senses in the game were about as strong as they were in reality, I could even smell the indescribably bad stench it was emitting. 
Above its head, I could see its name — Wounded Zombie. 
And so, the sight of the otherworldly, revolting creature made the explorer cast a D6 for a sanity check and... 
“...Whoa! This thing is so grotesque it made my mind drift away into another game!” I exclaimed. 
This is a bit much, honestly, I thought. Though I guess it’s natural for an undead lair to have zombies right next to its skeletons. 
Unlike the skeleton from before — which had been silent except for the rattling — this zombie was closing in on us while groaning and splashing its fluids on the ground. 
“Looks like we have another fight on our hands,” I said. 
“Huh?! W-Wait! Are you seriously going to use me to cut that?!” Nemesis yelped. 
“...Like I said, that’s not a dead person,” I said. “It’s just a monster made for this dungeon.” 
“No no no no! I don’t care how it was born, I simply do not want to cut that!” she insisted. 
“Nemesis...” I began. It looks like she really doesn’t want to do this, so... “I’ll polish you when we get back, so just bite the bullet for now.” 
“Nooooooo!” 
I raised Nemesis as high as the pitch of her scream and charged towards the zombie. 
 
Silent sniffling resounded through the hallways. Its source was none other than Nemesis. Still in my hand, she was weeping like some cursed weapon as I continued walking through the Tomb Labyrinth. 
Since we’d entered, we had defeated twelve zombies, thirty skeletons, and five monsters known as “Haunted Spirits.” That had gotten me two level-ups, making me level 7. My total HP was now above 1,000. 
“Th-The rotten flesh... the maggots...” Nemesis continued weeping. The battles with the zombies had taken a toll on her sanity. 
If there was a silver lining to this cloud of hers, it was the fact that the monster corpses completely disappeared, leaving nothing but the drops. Otherwise, both Nemesis and I would look terrible due to all the flesh and fluids covering us. 
“Ohh... I never expected you to be such a sadist...” Nemesis moaned. 
“Hey, I didn’t do it because I wanted to,” I responded. “It was necessary.” 
“...I feel like you performed a strangely high number of full swings, though,” she snapped suspiciously. 
“It’s just your imagination,” I said. Though doing them had made me look like the villain from some splatter flick, full swings with my greatsword had been extremely effective at shattering the fragile undead around here. It had made me feel like I was in a Western action game. 
Also, although unrelated, the groans of the zombies had all been drowned out by Nemesis’s screaming whenever she had their scattered flesh on her. I eventually got used to it, making it much like background music. 
“Damn, the last battle cost me half of my Gems,” I said. A Gem was an item type I had prepared for battles against spirits. 
As the name implied, spirits were ghost-like monsters that had the annoying property of being immune to physical attacks. Not only that, they also drained MP or SP instead of HP and had attacks that applied debuffs to their targets. 
I had no offensive magic, so I couldn’t do much against them. And though Vengeance is Mine could harm spirits, it could only counter based on the HP I’d lost — not MP or SP. I was woefully underequipped to battle them. 
However, I’d read the wiki info on the Tomb Labyrinth, and I’d known I’d run into spirits here. So I’d been aware that I’d need a countermeasure against them, and bought the Gems for this very purpose. 
When used, a White Lance Gem would release a shining spear of holy magic, making it really effective against spirits. 
However, they could only be used once, and each cost a whole 1,000 lir. I’d bought a total of ten, but the encounters so far had already cost me half of them. 
But there’s a little problem... I thought. 
“I wonder how much we will get for the drops we’ve gathered so far,” Nemesis said. 
She’d finished the thought in my stead. For one, it was clear as day that I’d yet to gather even 10% of the money I’d spent on the Gems. To be able to continuously hunt in this dungeon, I wanted to make up for the lir I’d lost, but the returns here were far too small. 
Zombies and skeletons dropped items such as Tattered Clothing or Bone Pieces, and I wasn’t even sure if they could be exchanged for money. Spirits were even worse, since they didn’t drop anything at all. 
If, at the very least, the monsters here had been animal-type, I could have made some nice money selling their pelts or fangs. But as things actually were, my wallet was in serious trouble. 
“Let’s try going a bit further,” I said. “We didn’t even find the stairs to the next floor, after all.” 
Maybe we’ll find a treasure chest if we keep it up, I thought. Despite being in a dungeon, we’d yet to see a single one of those. 
“Understood,” Nemesis agreed. “...By the way, Master?” 
“What?” I asked. 
“Once we’re back, I will hold you to your word, and you will polish me,” she said. 
“Well yeah, sure,” I replied. 
I guess the fact that the fluids and pieces of flesh disappeared didn’t do much to better her mood. 
 
A few minutes later, we came across a set of stairs of the same design as the ones we had used at the entrance. 
“Well, this seems like the end of this floor,” I said. 
“No boss to be seen here,” Nemesis added. “I was told that you encounter them every five floors.” 
The floors in the Tomb Labyrinth came in sets of five. The first five floors were the haunt of undead monsters, and the fifth had an undead boss. 
Defeating it would open the entrance to the sixth floor, which was infested by an entirely different monster type until floor ten, and from there, the pattern repeated seemingly endlessly. 
The walkthrough site described floors until 415, which was in the domain of dragons. The boss on that floor was too strong for anyone to defeat, so anything beyond was simply called uncharted territory. 
That term wasn’t appropriate, though, since it actually referred to the fact that no one among those managing the walkthrough site or contributing to the wiki had ever made it past that floor. It was entirely possible that someone knew what was beyond floor 415, but kept it secret to have a little advantage. 
Man, I have absolutely no business pondering places I can’t even get to, I thought. I’ll just leave for now. But man, what should I do about this dungeon’s high cost and low returns...? 
As I got lost in thought, Nemesis called out to me. “Master!” 
Her quiet voice was a signal for me to be cautious. 
“What’s wrong?” I asked. 
“Someone is coming up the stairs,” she answered. 
I instantly shifted my attention to the staircase. 
I strained my ears and could faintly hear the echoes of someone’s footsteps as they went up the stairs. 
Monsters couldn’t go between floors, so it was clearly a player. Done with their business here, someone was taking their leave by using the stairs. 
Strangely enough, however, there was only one set of footsteps. If someone had come here to explore the dungeon instead of — like myself — grinding levels in the low-level floors, they would surely come with a party. 
As I considered that, the footsteps suddenly stopped. 
A moment later, from the darkness below, something extended towards me. It was almost too fast for me to perceive. 
There was some distance between me and its source, so I could sense it coming. However, right when I came to realize what it was, it was already right in front of me. 
The thing coming straight towards my face was an attack against me. 
“Counter Absorption!” Nemesis and I shouted, and something slammed against the newly-created barrier of light. 
That something... was a chain. 
Its end had the shape of a pyramid. Though blocked by the Counter Absorption barrier, it continued applying an immeasurable amount of pressure to it, making me fully aware that it could have pulverized my head in a single hit. 
“Th-This power...!” Nemesis’s voice made it obvious that it was hard to bear. She hadn’t reacted like that when defending against the Demi-Dragon Worm’s attacks, or the bullet monster’s. 
That means that this attack is far greater than those two! I thought in disbelief. 
“I... I can’t take it...!” Nemesis groaned. The barrier of light that had defended me against such powerful attacks began to crack, and... 
A sudden turn of events. Right before the barrier shattered, the chain returned to its source. 
We got a moment of reprieve. 
However, such an action from this opponent could only mean one thing. 
“They’re going to attack again! Prepare yourself!” Nemesis shouted. 
Just as she’d said, they were preparing for a second attack. 
I hastily jumped back, creating some distance between us. 
“...What do we do now?” I asked both Nemesis and myself. 
We had one more Counter Absorption use, but that was the extent of it. We couldn’t handle anything beyond the next attack. 
I got into a battle-ready posture and waited for the chain to come at us again. 
Some time passed, and I grew confused. The next attack showed no sign of happening. 
I couldn’t sense the chain coming, but I could hear the footsteps as the attacker resumed going up the stairs. 
“Master... which do you choose?” 
I instantly understood what Nemesis had in mind. 
There were only two options for me: to turn back and run away, or to face whoever was coming up. 
If the first attack was anything to go by, the power difference between us was so great that I couldn’t ever hope to win. I had a feeling that this person was stronger than the player killer we’d sworn to get revenge on. 
If it was possible, I didn’t want to fight them, but the possibility of having that chain attack me from behind crossed my mind, rendering me unable to move from my battle-ready posture. 
If I can’t move, running isn’t even an option, I thought. 
Hesitant as I was, I couldn’t expect either choice to bring me much success, so I could only go with a certain gamble. 
When he comes up, I’ll nullify his next attack, multiply all the damage he was supposed to give me, and launch a counterattack, I laid out the plan in my head. I have no idea if I’ll land the hit or if it’ll be enough to kill him, but it’s my only chance. 
Knowing my thoughts, Nemesis readied herself and aligned her attitude with mine. 
The footsteps became louder, and — sooner than later — the person was in sight. 
It was a young man who looked several years older than me. Though he had a nice face, he looked as though he was glaring at something. I would have even gone as far as to call him slit-eyed. 
His apparel was simply bizarre. Though the metal armor on his upper body was from the Riot set — the same as mine — for some reason or another, his lower body was covered in a hakama. Then there were his metal greaves, six familiar chains — three in each hand — rings on all of his fingers, and a feathered hat on his head. 
But the most extreme article of clothing he wore was the blue long coat hanging on his shoulders. 
None of his clothes were strange by design, but the coordination between them resulted in something truly bizarre. 

It seemed like a generic case of “I equipped only the highest quality items and ended up looking weird” that every gamer was familiar with. 
The reason I assumed the gear was high quality was simply because it all looked masterfully made, even to my inexperienced eye. 
The man in strange clothing threw me a glance... 
“...So it was a person.” 
...and spoke up with a sigh. 
A moment later... 
“I attacked you because I thought you were a monster! I’m so sorry! My bad!” He bowed before me and apologized. 
“...Huh?” I said. 
 
Still in the room with the staircase, the strangely-dressed man and I began having a little chat. 
Nemesis had returned to her human form. 
The room we were in was protected by a barrier item — placed by the man — that kept monsters at bay, so we were safe. 
The first thing I found out upon speaking to him was that he wasn’t a PKer. Also, his mannerisms and the way he spoke gave me the impression that he was a... reasonably good person. 
As for why such a man would attack me... 
“So, you confused me with a monster, huh?” I repeated his excuse. 
“Yep... I’m really sorry,” he said. 
As he’d been making his way up here, he had felt someone examining the hints of his presence. The light shining behind me had made my silhouette look inhuman, so, just to be on the safe side, he had attacked me. 
...I couldn’t really blame him. After all, in her black greatsword form, Nemesis would reach right up to my shoulder. My silhouette could easily look monstrous. 
“Monstr—?!” Nemesis yelled. 
My observation seemed to have been quite a shock to Nemesis, but I chose to ignore it. 
“So tell me, why are you going solo in such a shallow floor?” The strange man asked. 
“Oh, I’m just leveling,” I replied. 
“Leveling? Why here, of all places?” He seemed puzzled. “Your total level is... 7, huh? Shouldn’t someone your level be leveling outside? It’s both easier and more profitable. I know you’re a Paladin and didn’t have to buy a permit, but still.” 
...I did buy one, though, I thought and lamented the wasted money once more. I also couldn’t help but notice that he’d been able to see my level. 
“Didn’t you know? No one can use the beginner’s hunting grounds due to the terrorism there,” I explained. 
“Terrorism?” he asked. 
“Yes, player killers are terrorizing the beginner’s hunting grounds around the capital. It’s been going on for three in-game days now.” 
“...I’ve been in this dungeon for five, so I had no idea.” He added that he didn’t even check the Internet for game-related news. 
I couldn’t hold back my surprise. “You’ve been in the Tomb Labyrinth for five whole days?! What where you doing here?!” 
“Just a little marathon,” he said. “I wanted to see how far down I could go while playing solo, and then I simply came back up.” 
A bit of a tryhard, isn’t he? I thought. His gear and the power behind his attack were proof that his level was really high. 
“How deep did you get this time?” I asked, just out of curiosity. 
“I got to floor 418,” he said. “That’s one more than my previous record.” 
The young man had spoken a number that was nigh impossible to believe. 
“...What.” That was about the only way I could react. Even while in a party, the tough guys from the walkthrough site could only reach floor 415. 
It was quite hard to accept that he had been able to go beyond where they’d gone and reach the uncharted ground while going solo. 
“You are...?” Nemesis asked for his name. 
“Oh, my name is Figaro,” he replied. “Nice to meet you.” 
“I’m Ray Starling,” I said. “This is my Embryo — Nemesis — and... ah!” 
As I introduced myself, I finally realized where I’d heard his name before. 
Figaro — Over Gladiator Figaro. 
That was the name of the one sitting at the top of the Kingdom of Altar’s duel rankings. 
“Are you that Figaro? From the rankings?” I asked. 
“Yep, that’s me,” he answered. “I go through lots of matches in the arena.” 
“Arena? Matches?” His words slightly confused me. 
“Yep. The arena,” he said. “In the kingdom, it’s in Gideon, city of duels. When dueling in the arena, you don’t die, even when you’re killed, and you can even win money depending on the audience you pull. It’s fun.” 
“‘Don’t die, even if you’re killed?’” I raised an eyebrow. 
“There’s a magical field that makes it work that way,” he explained. “It’s like a recreational activity with some betting on the side. There are some other tourist attractions, and the town is always lively, so I recommend you visit it someday.” 
I guess people’s tendency to cling to their desires is fully functional even when their country is on the verge of ruin, I thought. 
“Gideon is not too far after you pass the mountain in the south, and... oh, right.” He suddenly stopped. “If the terrorists are preventing the use of beginners’ hunting spots, then the Sauda Mountain Pass is blocked, as well. The idea of there being less traffic there is... troubling.” 
Figaro fell silent, pondering something... 
“All right, then. I’ll do something about it.” 
...and said that. 
“I also have to make up for the attack I did, after all,” he added. “I’ll take care of the player killers in Sauda Mountain Pass.” 
“Take care? How?” asked Nemesis. “...Negotiation?” 
The question mark behind that word was almost audible. 
“You should be able to use the pass by tomorrow, so you just get some levels and come over to Gideon,” said Figaro. “Most of the time, you can find me there or in this dungeon.” 
“Ah, okay,” I nodded. 
“All right, I’ll be going, then,” he said, getting ready to leave. “Oh, have this.” 
Figaro reached into his bag and took out a small stone. It was a Gem — just like the ones I’d used — but this one was of a different color and carried a different kind of magic. 
“It’s imbued with ‘Escape Gate’ — a spell that lets you leave created dungeons,” Figaro explained. “Get all the levels you can and use it to leave this place.” 
“Are you sure I can have this?” I asked. 
“Sure am,” he said. “It’s another thing I’m doing to make up for the attack I did. After all, it would’ve been really bad if I’d given a death penalty to a newbie like yourself.” 
“Thank you so much,” I said. I was sincerely grateful. With this item, I could continue the hunt without having to think about the dangers I’d face on the way back. 
Figaro really is a good guy. 
“But man, you two are pretty good,” he added. 
I raised an eyebrow. 
“You were able to withstand my attack, weren’t you?” he asked. 
“Well, yeah, but that’s what our skill is,” I said. 
“I wasn’t talking about the damage,” he said. “You didn’t break when I came up the stairs.” 
Didn’t break? I thought. What does he mean by that? 
“I’m fond of people who don’t break,” he continued. “I like you. Hope we get to fight in the arena someday.” 
“That’d be nice,” I said. If — as Figaro had said — there was no death penalty there, I could act on my curiosity and fight him just to find out how strong the top of the rankings really was. 
“Yep. I’m looking forward to it,” said Figaro. “I’ll dedicate this cleaning to the pleasures of the future.” 
“Cleaning?” I asked. 
Figaro stood up. 
“See ya later, then,” he said, instead of elaborating on the strange term. 
“See you, too. Thank you for the Gem,” I said, choosing not to push it. 
With a bright smile on his face, Figaro waved us goodbye and left the room. 
 
“Over Gladiator Figaro, huh?” Nemesis spoke. “Not the kind of person I expected him to be.” 
“Same here,” I agreed. “Based on what my brother said, I expected him to be more rebellious.” 
He’d told me that the reason Figaro hadn’t joined the war was because he “wasn’t interested in sloppy fights.” That had made him sound really obstinate and rebellious, but upon meeting the guy, I could only assume that he’d had his reasons. 
“All right, let’s get started, then,” I said. “We’ve got a Gem that lets us leave this place with no problem, so let’s go all out.” 
“Yeah, let’s do it,” Nemesis agreed. “No undead can be as scary as that attack from before.” 
Apparently, that event had made her sense of fear go numb. 
Perfect, I thought. We’ll be able to progress at a faster pace. Up until that point, a part of me had been holding back — for Nemesis’ sake. Now I can turn this little adventure into a real splatter flick. 
“Let’s resume the hunt!” I roared. 
“Bring it on!” she joined me. 
A few hours later, I was polishing Nemesis — still in her sword form — as she silently wept. 
This continued until the break of dawn. 
 
It was ten in the morning, the day after we’d explored the Tomb Labyrinth. 
It was time to check out, so I walked out of the inn while drowsily rubbing my eyes. 
The reason for my drowsiness was the fact that I had stayed up until dawn polishing Nemesis, who had still been asleep. 
Instead of being in her human or sword form, she was currently inside the crest on my left hand. Nemesis was outside of it most of the time, but for most people, Embryos were something to keep in their crests. 
That was obvious, of course. Otherwise, my brother would have to walk around with a Gatling gun in his hands or ride around in a tank. 
And that’s something that’d have him taken away by the police for questioning, I thought. 
Nemesis’s personality kept her outside most of the time, but now, she was focused on sleeping inside the crest. 
Seems like the R-18 zombie fest took quite a toll on her mind, I thought. 
However, thanks to that, I’d gotten to level 12 and gained two new skills. They were “Paladin’s Aegis” and “Instant Equip.” 
Paladin’s Aegis was an always-active defensive skill. It was pretty good, too, since it reduced all incoming damage — magic or physical — by a whole 10%. A Paladin simply wasn’t complete without it. Since it cost absolutely no MP, it was possible to just activate it and treat it as a passive skill. 
The other skill — Instant Equip — allowed the user to quickly switch to wielding another weapon from their inventory. There was no need to dig through the items in the 4D bag to find it. The skill wasn’t unique to Paladins — everyone who used any sort of weapon would get it sooner or later. 
There were downsides to both skills, though. For example, Paladin’s Aegis could only be used by jobs in the knight grouping, while Instant Equip had a cooldown of five minutes. 
...Well, it’s not like I have a weapon I could switch to using Instant Equip, I thought. Nemesis wouldn’t shut up about it if I did. 
“I won’t let you... cheat on me... with another weapon...” Nemesis murmured in between her breaths. 
...Is she talking in her sleep? I wondered. 
The first thing I did once I went outside was search for info regarding the player killings in the beginners’ hunting grounds. 
Figaro had said that Sauda Mountain Pass would be open by now, but I had to confirm it for myself. And, sure enough, the player killing terror in that area was over. In fact, it was disappearing in the other areas, too. 
“I can understand the south, but the others...?” I whispered. It even included the place I had died at — Noz Forest. 
If the timing was anything to go by, the south had been taken care of by Figaro, but what about the others? As such questions went through my mind... 
“Ah, Ray!” someone called out to me. “Hey there!” 
“Hm?” I turned to the familiar voice’s source. It was coming from the front of a store next to the street. 
In a mere moment, I realized that it was Rook — the guy I’d met in one of the beginners’ hunting grounds. Unlike last time, his graceful face wasn’t covered in dirt, and he was smiling at me while — for one reason or another — wearing the uniform of a shop run by tians. 
“Hello,” I greeted him. “Why are you wearing that?” 
“Getting skills while working part-time,” he answered. 
Apparently, the suitable job Rook had been diagnosed with and had chosen was close to the merchant grouping. Due to that, he’d been able to learn various mercantile skills by working at shops. Just like me, he’d gained skills without having to rely on the hunting grounds. 
“So, what job did you pick?” I asked. 
“Pimp!” he answered with excitement. 
Pimp... as in... Pimp? I wondered. Why does that job even exist? And why is an underage boy able to take it? In fact, why is that his “suitable job” in the first place? 
“...My guess is that it’s because he has a succubus with him,” Nemesis said sleepily, still in the crest. 
Well, that makes sense, I thought. Look at those bright eyes of his, though. Does Rook even know what the word “Pimp” means? 
“...What kind of skills do you Pimps have, anyway?” I asked. 
“I’ve got these ones so far!” Rook said eagerly and showed me his skill summary. 
Wordlessly, both Nemesis and I ran our eyes through it. 
In conclusion — he was a true pimp. 
There was Male Temptation — a skill that Charmed females and had a chance to tame monsters. Then there were Female Monster Strengthening and Female Slave Strengthening, which did exactly what the names said. I couldn’t ignore Influence, either, which increased the rewards from doing work and made the whole picture look very... “master”-oriented. 
The only normal skill among those was “Insightful Eye,” which seemed to have come as an extra. 
But man, “Charm” is quite a scary debuff, I thought. 
According to the game’s help files, it was a stronger form of the “Confuse” debuff. Charmed creatures would protect the one who Charmed them and attack their enemies. Basically, it made them guard the enemy and fight their allies. Players weren’t excluded from its effects, either — their bodies would simply start moving on their own. 
“There’s a theme here, isn’t there?” said Rook. “I guess Pimp is a monster-taming kind of job?” 
“...Something like that, I guess,” I replied. Women were a strange kind of monster, after all. 
In exchange for him showing me his skills, I showed mine, too. 
Upon seeing my Paladin’s Aegis and Instant Equip, Rook’s eyes lit up. He yelled out, “That’s so cool!” 
...Why must such an earnest, good young boy be a Pimp? I wondered. 
 
Rook quit his part-time position at the shop, so I waited for him to take care of whatever he needed to, and then joined him for lunch. He had only been working there because of the player killings, so no one had had any problems with him quitting now that they were over. 
In fact, the owner thanked him. That was because — during the three days Rook had spent standing in front of the shop — they’d gotten five times more customers than usual. One thing to note was that all the new customers were women — Master and tian alike. 
As we walked through the streets, I could feel a lot of people staring at us. To be specific, the women around us were staring at Rook. 
“Just look at that pretty boy... he’s so cute, I might faint,” one of them said. 
“That’s some amazing character creation skill. Wait, how do you even make a boy that pretty?!” another joined in. 
“He seems a bit too natural for it to be character creation,” a third one added. 
Hearing their comments made me throw a glance at Rook. 
“...Hmm,” I pondered. When I’d first met him, he’d just seemed like a pretty boy covered in dirt from battle, but now that he was clean, it was obvious that he was among the most handsome men in the world. It felt as though he’d been the result of some miracle that had happened in his ongoing transition from “boy” to “young man.” The silver hair covering his head made him look like a fairy representing the ephemeral nature of snow. 
“...Master,” Nemesis said, having read my mind. “Is it just me, or is your description of his appearance better than the one you gave me when we first met?” 
No comment. 
“By the way, Rook,” I said, “how much did you work on your character’s appearance when starting the game?” 
“I changed my hair color,” he answered. 
“...That’s it?” 
“Yes.” 
So a guy this handsome actually existed in reality, meaning that his Embryo being Babi and job being Pimp could all be attributed to him being handsome. 
I can only assume that the Pimp industry is limited to handsome people, I thought. 
“What do you think his relationship is with the blond guy next to him?” the girls continued their chatter. 
“Well, I’d say that they’re doing it,” one of them concluded. 
“Which one takes it?” a third one asked. 
“The blond one,” the other two replied in unison. 
“I think so, too!” the third squealed. “The pretty boy’s smile is that of a sadistic top!” 
The exchange made a chill go down my spine, but I pretended to not hear it. 
“Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Babi yet. Where is she?” I asked. Is she in the crest? Like Nemesis? 
“Babi is working part-time, too,” Rook answered. “She’s in a massage parlor nearby.” 
“Massage parlor...?” The implications of a succubus doing such services made me imagine only the most indecent of things. 
However, once I got there, I became made aware that it was a wholesome place that didn’t even need to operate from a back alley. 
“...Yep, it’s a massage parlor, all right,” I said. 
“Yes,” Rook confirmed. “What about it?” 
“Rook! I’m done with my job here!” With perfect timing, Babi ran out of the massage parlor and stood right next to Rook. 
“Ah, hello there, Ray! Hey there, Nemesis!” she added, noticing us. 
“Hello.” I returned the greeting. 
“It has been a while.” Nemesis, who was no longer in the crest on my left hand, now stood beside me in her human form. 
With all of us back together, it was time for lunch. 
My brother had told me about a nearby shop, so I chose it simply because I had no reason not to. His recommendations rarely disappointed, after all. 
 
As we dug into our meals, we continued exchanging information and chatting. 
Rook and Babi spoke about their time working, while I told them about the hunting grounds and the Tomb Labyrinth. 
“I got a new skill today!” Babi announced. 
She’d gotten a skill despite being away from Rook. Humanoid Guardian type Embryos were able to gain new skills by working, training, and learning while separated from their Masters. 
Babi’s current setup had a skill called Lilim Temptation, which could Charm males. It was the opposite of Rook’s Male Temptation, which was effective against women. When together, they could Charm both sexes, giving them a great advantage in countless situations. Another interesting skill she had was Lilim Drain, which allowed her to drain HP, MP and SP from Charmed enemies. 
As for the skill she’d gained in the massage parlor, it was Angelic Massage, which could take away the effects of Exhaustion. 
“By the way, Nemesis’s skills got me curious. Can she use Counter Absorption and Vengeance is Mine when she’s all by herself?” Rook asked. 
That was a good question. I could recall her having used Counter Absorption on her own volition, but what about Vengeance? 
“I cannot use Vengeance is Mine by myself,” she answered. “It can only be used when I become a weapon and get equipped.” 
“Oh, I see,” I said, understanding. According to Nemesis, Counter Absorption was closer to a Guardian type skill, while Vengeance is Mine was more of an Arms type ability. Guardians had autonomy, but Arms and Chariots had a lot of skills which could only work when they were equipped. 
“It just hit me that I asked to see your skills, but didn’t ask for your level. What is it now?” I asked Rook, looking at him. He hasn’t been able to grind much these past few days, so if our last meeting was anything to go by, he should be at about level 5. 
“I’m level 25,” he said. 
“25?!” I couldn’t hold my shock. That’s more than double my level! “How?! Where did you raise your level? The hunting grounds weren’t an option, so—” 
Hell, I don’t think he could get that many levels even if he could use the hunting grounds! I thought. 
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I couldn’t go hunting, but I got lots of XP for completing a Pimp guild quest.” 
“A Pimp guild quest?” I repeated, dumbfounded. 
I hadn’t been aware of it, but taking a job unlocked quests from the guild of that particular job grouping, and clearing them rewarded the player with experience. However, with the exception of those given to non-battle jobs, most of the quests in guilds required the player to defeat or defend something, so newbies like myself couldn’t do much there. 
Hell, I’m a Paladin — a high-rank job — so it’s probably even worse for me, I thought. 
“I see... but...” There was something I was curious about. “...A job that only a Pimp can do?” I asked. 
Is there anything in that vein that isn’t R-18? 
“The one I cleared was a quest to find a model for a painting,” Rook explained. “Here’s a copy.” 
“Let’s see here...” I said and looked at it.

Maestro Grantzian Valleno is looking for a model, difficulty level 6. 
One of the Kingdom of Altar’s greatest artists — Grantzian — is looking for a model for a new painting. 
Please bring someone that he would be satisfied with. 
Depending on the model, they might be asked to pose nude. 
Be advised that Grantzian is a fastidious sort and that his standards are sky-high. 

I had no words. The difficulty of this quest was actually a level higher than the one where I’d had to help Milianne. 
“So, you went and cleared it by showing Babi to him, right?” I asked. 
“No. Well, that was my original intention, but...” 
 
“Pardon the intrusion. I am Rook from the Pimp guild, and I came here with a model.” 
“Hmph, another one of you useless cretins who are only good at handling your crotches. All you wretches ever bring to me are atrocious hags. So, where is the...” 
“Umm, is anything the matter?” 
“You’re hired!” 
 
“For some reason, I had to be the model,” said Rook. “Well, it got me some levels and it made Mr. Grantzian happy, so I didn’t mind it at all.” 
“...I see. Good for you,” I said. 
Man, this world is really kind to handsome people... 
 
By the time we’d finished our lunch, my exchange with Rook was nearing its end. 
I’d thought I’d had some strange experiences since I’d started the game, but his adventures had been quite something, too. I had no idea if we were unique in that regard or if getting entangled in unusual events was the norm in this world. 
“By the way, Ray,” Rook addressed me. 
“Hm? What?” I responded. 
“We just talked about the player killers, and there’s something that I can’t get out of my head,” he said. 
...It’s probably the same thing that I’m interested in, I thought. 
“When you met Figaro, he said he would do something about the player killers in the south, right?” he asked. 
“Yeah, he said something about the hunting ground there being the passage to the city of duels,” I answered. 
“But the player killing is over in all the hunting grounds, isn’t it?” he asked. 
Exactly, I thought. That had been the question on my mind before I’d met up with Rook. 
There would’ve been no surprise if Figaro — the top of the duel rankings — had ended the player killing in the hunting grounds. In fact, if he’d simply given them all the death penalty, the player killing wouldn’t be happening for a whole three days. However, Figaro had only mentioned the Sauda Mountain Pass in the south. Therefore, it was strange that the player killings in the other places were over, too. 
“I have three possible scenarios in mind,” I said. 
“Do tell,” Rook said, looking interested. 
“Scenario number one: Figaro did something about the other three, as well,” I said. 
This scenario is quite unlikely, though, I thought. He’d probably taken care of the southern player killers to secure the means of travel between the capital and the city of duels — his main haunt. However, he’d had no reason to take care of the problems in the other areas. 
“Scenario number two: upon finding out that someone took care of the player killers in the south, the others ceased their activity, as well.” 
This one seems a bit questionable, I thought. Sure, getting killed would disable the player killers’ activity for a whole three days here, but this particular event was organized terrorism meant to prevent Kingdom of Altar’s players from growing stronger. 
From the way they’d sealed all four sides of the kingdom, it was obvious that they were acting as one. Due to that, it was hard to believe that they’d stop just because one side got neutralized. In fact, I would expect them to make up for the loss by sending over some of their killers from the other areas. 
Suddenly, another possibility came to mind. 
What if the countermeasures Figaro took aren’t as small-scale and haphazard as I think they are? I thought. What if he actually negotiated with the player killers? 
If that was the case, it was no surprise that all the player killing had stopped. 
However, that’s quite a questionable assumption, too, I thought. Figaro was a good guy, but he didn’t seem like the type to act like that. I didn’t talk to him for long, but the impression he gave me didn’t seem to fit that scenario. After all, he almost killed me just because he couldn’t see what I was. That brings him closer to “musclehead” territory... or just makes him seem like a person who is rough in the way he operates. 
“Umm, Ray,” Rook said, “what’s the third scenario?” 
Whoa, I got lost in thought, I realized. 
After a short process of elimination, I voiced the third possibility. 
“Scenario number three: at the same time as Figaro was doing his thing in the south, the other places were taken care of by other people,” I said. 
If Figaro wasn’t the one who’d taken care of them all and if the others hadn’t just backed down, it could only mean that someone else had gone to the other hunting grounds at the same time as him. After all, they were player killers, so there must’ve been many people who wanted them gone. Therefore, it was fair to assume that someone had gone to take care of them at about the same time as Figaro. 
I felt it reasonable to believe that the single cause led to a coincidence in timing — a synchronicity, of sorts. 
“And you are completely right!” an unfamiliar voice broke in. 
It was way too sudden. Before I realized it, a woman I didn’t know was sitting down at our round table — on a chair between myself and Rook. 
Despite her being right next to me, I hadn’t noticed her at all until she began speaking. Which was odd, because her appearance was strange and unique, making it nigh impossible to ignore her presence. 
Her hair was black and long enough to cover her neck, while her face was that of someone around my age, but neither of those points were what made her seem strange. All of her oddity was in her apparel. However, the reasons were completely different from Figaro’s. 
That guy had had clothes befitting a fantasy setting, but there had been no uniformity in his overall appearance. This woman’s clothing, however, was completely uniform. It just happened to be a men’s business suit that didn’t fit the fantasy setting at all. 
Not only that, but her eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses. I wouldn’t have found her appearance the least bit weird if we’d been in reality, instead of the game. Though, even in reality, it would be pretty strange to wear sunglasses indoors. 
“Umm... You are...?” Rook asked as I examined the woman. 
“Oh, do forgive me,” she said. “I found your conversation so interesting that I couldn’t help but join in. This is who I am.” 
As I noticed that she was talking in a slightly tomboy-ish way, she took out a business card... which was actually just a status window with her name, job, et cetera, but whatever.

Name: Marie Adler. 
Job: Journalist belonging to the company known as “DIN.” 

The existence of the job “Pimp” is surprising enough, and now I run into a Journalist, I thought. This game sure has great job variety. 
“What’s DIN?” I asked. 
“Short for Dendrogram Information Network,” Marie answered. “Some call us newspaper reporters. However, when we want to sound cool, we like to go for ‘intelligence agency without borders.’ We gather information from countries all over and sell it to other countries.” 
“...Is that a safe thing to do in the current environment?” I asked. The kingdom was at war with a neighboring country. People who could leak info to the enemy seemed like prime candidates for arrest. 
“Well, we have many DIN fans in the upper echelons of every country,” she answered. “Though I’m just an underling, so I specialize in info for citizens and Masters.” 
“Any examples?” I asked. 
“For the citizens, we recently took photos of and wrote about the pandas that were breeding so much they covered an entire mountain in Huang He.” 
...Oh yeah, I saw that in the message boards, I thought. 
“As for Masters, we recently gathered info about the player killers that were terrorizing the Kingdom of Altar’s surroundings,” she continued. 

“...Hmm,” I pondered. If she handled info like that, she might know how it all played out and ended. 
“You said that he was completely right. Do you know the truth behind the event?” asked Nemesis. 
“Do you want to know? 600 lir per area, please,” Marie said. “You can also buy the info on all four of the places at once for 2,000.” 
I see. So she only appeared before us to sell some info, I thought. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m interested in what happened, so... 
“...I’ll pay,” I said. 
“Ah! Ray, let me pay half of the money!” Rook joined in. 
We both gave 1,000 lir each. 
“Thank you for your business,” she said. “I’ll start with the conclusion: the player killers who occupied the hunting grounds around the capital city of Altea have been completely annihilated.” 
Now that’s a rough word, I thought. 
“Annihilated?” I asked. 
“Almost all the player killers in the hunting grounds are on their death penalty now,” she answered. “With something so extreme happening, I don’t think they’re gonna do this dirty work again. Some of the relevant clans might even split up.” 
Work? Clan? 
“Umm...” I expressed my confusion. 
“Oh, forgive me,” she said. “The player killer group responsible for this event was actually a union between several player killer clans.” 
“A union...?” I raised an eyebrow. I was told it wasn’t a solo effort, but an actual union between player killer clans? I thought. ...Wait, our country actually has enough player killer clans to create a union? 
“Yes,” she answered. “Easter Plains at the east was occupied by K&R. Sauda Mountain Pass to the south was occupied by Mad Castle. Wez Sea Route to the west was occupied by Goblin Street. These three clans were responsible for the recent player killing.” 
Two of those clan names sound really villainous, I thought. They’d probably chosen them on purpose. What about the north, though? That one’s the most important to me. 
“As for their motives... Apparently, they did it because someone hired them to do the player killing,” Marie added. 
“Was it Dryfe?” Rook asked. 
The question made her slightly raise her arms and shake her head. “That’s the rumor, but we at DIN don’t have any conclusive proof of that, so I can only say that I don’t know,” she answered. 
Well, as things are now, the only one who could be happy about Altar being damaged in such a way are Dryfe — the country we’re at war with — so it’s quite likely, I thought. Though it does seem a bit too direct. 
“From their perspective, it was probably just an attractive scenario where they could get some extra rewards for their player killing by merely switching their hunting grounds, but the world wasn’t too kind to them,” she continued. “They were annihilated by a certain four Masters.” 
“Four...” I repeated the number. Just four Masters had destroyed the player killers in all four areas. 
Is that even possible? I wondered. Well, I guess the south made sense, considering Figaro was involved. 
With that in mind, the other hunting grounds had been... 
“Yes, it was made possible by the work of the four Superiors loyal to the Kingdom of Altar,” she said. “They were the ones who exterminated all the player killer clans.” 
Superior. 
That was the term used to describe the ones who had made their Embryos evolve to the final — seventh — form. They were the elite of the elite among players, and the total number of them didn’t even cross a hundred yet. 
“King of Destruction the Unknown, Figaro the Endless Chain, Tsukuyo Fuso of the Lunar World, and Lei-Lei, the Prodigal of Feasts,” she said, naming the four. “They all went to a separate hunting ground and exterminated all the player killer clans occupying them. Oh, but Tsukuyo Fuso had her clan with her.” 
“Oho...” I said, interested. 
So Figaro’s nickname is “Endless Chain,” huh? Is it because he uses chains? I pondered. Also, is the King of Destruction’s nickname seriously just “Unknown?” What the hell? We don’t even know his name, so he could be a serious weirdo. 
“Now, take a look here.” Marie took out a crystal ball and placed it on the table. 
“What’s this?” I asked. 
“Well, it’s basically an item to display visual media,” she explained. “It shows what you record on magical cameras.” 
Magical cameras? I raised an eyebrow. Well, it’s obviously a camera that works magically, but I can’t help but wonder if the devs think anything goes as long as you put “magic” next to it. 
“Due to all the recent happenings here in the Kingdom of Altar, we at DIN increased the numbers of secret cam... I mean, information-gathering equipment we place here,” she said. 
...Illegal spying, eh? I thought. 
“Some of them happened to film the end of these terror events,” Marie continued as if it wasn’t a big deal. “This thing has it all in full detail.” 
She activated the crystal ball. 
“Since you two were talking about it, let’s begin with a look at the south, where Figaro the Endless Chain went...”