Infinite Dendrogram - Volume 3 - Chapter SS4

Bonus Short Stories 
Marie’s Story 
Before the blockade incident at the Royal Capital, Journalist/Death Shadow, Marie Adler 
I was in the capital’s DIN branch office, writing an article covering the mountain of panda-like monsters in Huang He, when someone called out to me in a slightly nonchalant tone. 
“Marie, can I ask you something?” 
That “someone” was Alison — a tian working in DIN’s planning department. She traveled all over the seven countries as she led DIN to do all sorts of projects. Though she had the appearance of someone in their teens, Alison bore an aura of motherliness about her, making it questionable whether she really was as old as she appeared. Among tians, there were long-lived species such as elves, vampires and gu long ren — ancient dragon kin — so it was entirely possible for them to be of motherly age while looking young. 
“What is it, Miss Alison?” I asked in response. 
“Well... I was looking through the job levels of our members, and there’s something I want to ask about yours...” 
For a moment, I froze solid. A couple of my acquaintances knew that I was actually Death Shadow, but Alison shouldn’t have been one of them. Did she somehow find out about my real job and its relation to the onmitsu grouping? I thought nervously. 
“Marie,” she said. “Isn’t the state of your sub-job a bit... odd?” 
Oh... that, I thought, knowing exactly what she was referring to. 
My main job was Death Shadow, and I had several other onmitsu grouping jobs, but all of them were hidden by the Onmitsu Conceal skill, making my status display only the levels from the other groupings. In my case, it would appear as “Journalist Level 30 (Total Level 31),” making it quite obvious what she was confused about. 
“Aren’t you being neglectful of your other job? You only have one level on it,” said Alison. 
Indeed I am, and indeed I do, I thought. 
“I was just wondering what job it is,” she said without a hint of malice in her mannerisms. 
Though it greatly troubled me on an emotional level, I somehow forced myself to say it. 
“...Cook.” 
“...Oh, dear,” she muttered. 
Ouch. It actually hurt to see her understand it all with just that one word. The cook grouping had the sense skill called “Cooking.” In a nutshell, it made it easier to cook food that you found tasty, allowing you to sense how to handle the knife or manage temperature and time in order to get the best results. High-level cooks could even use high quality ingredients to create food that gave buffs. Anyone who raised the skill’s level could become good at cooking, and it didn’t even matter if you were bad at it in real life. However, it had a certain major flaw... 
“...My tastes are bizarre, so not even the skill could help me make anything good,” I said. 
“...Ohh, dear,” Alison repeated. 
Again, the Cooking skill made it easier to cook food that you — not anyone else — found tasty. If that basic foundation of the skill was as good as dead, it wouldn’t make you any better at cooking. In fact, it would make you worse. Though I could easily enjoy foods that most people found tasty, my own tastes were so “out there” that they rendered the Cooking skill absolutely worthless. 
“I cling to this level 1 Cook job because it’s hard for me to accept that fact,” I muttered meekly. 
“...Mh.” Without a word, Alison gently smiled and patted me on the back. 
That action almost made me cry. 
Nemesis’ Story 
Paladin, Ray Starling 
This happened when we were talking to Marie about various subjects. 
“So, what I should take from what you’ve told me so far is the fact that Dendro’s physical abilities are directly linked to stats, right?” I asked. 
“Yes, that’s exactly it,” she nodded. 
According to her, high enough AGI allowed supersonic movement and even altered the time experienced by the person. All of that was well and good, but... 
“So, the body doesn’t improve when you exercise?” I asked. 
In reality, people — especially those like my brother — improved their physical abilities through muscle training. In Dendro, however, stats changed with level growth and equipment bonuses. I’d experienced this myself when I’d punched a Gous-Maise Gang member while wearing my Miasmaflame Bracers. Thus, I couldn’t help but wonder if level growth and equipment bonuses were the only ways to get stronger. 
“It doesn’t,” curtly answered Marie. “Skills are a different matter, though.” 
“What do you mean?” 
“Well, while stats aren’t affected by weight training or daily running, certain jobs have passive skills such as Strength Enhancement or Agility Enhancement, which can be leveled up. Their effect isn’t too big, though.” 
That reminded me that Rook had gained the Identification skill by working a part-time job at a shop, making it quite obvious that certain skills could be gained and improved by actions other than leveling up or monster hunting. 
With that in mind, I became curious about another thing. “Maiden and Guardian Embryos can also get skills depending on their actions, right?” 
“Yes. Especially if they’re humanoid.” 
Babi had been able to get a massage skill, after all. 
“...So, uh, are there any... less-than-useful skills among those you can get by repeating a certain activity?” 
“Like?” 
“...Like a stomach expansion skill gained by overeating.” 
“Umm...?” 
My gaze was focused on Nemesis, who was quickly and consistently digging through the excessively large amount of buns that Marie had ordered. She was done with one extra-large plate and instantly moved on to another. To my eye, she’d already surpassed her stomach capacity, but that didn’t seem to be a problem for her. It was clear that her capacity had improved since I’d entered this world, so a part of me assumed that it was due to some sort of skill. 
“...I’m quite certain such a skill doesn’t exist,” said Marie. 
“I see,” I nodded. 
Though my question about the link between exercise and physical ability was answered, I was left with the question of “Why does the amount of food Nemesis eats keep increasing?” Still puzzled, I heaved a long sigh as I became painfully aware that her eating habits would continue to hurt my wallet. 
After that, we went on to have separate encounters with Rook and Shu, during which Nemesis had two more lavish desserts. 
Figaro’s Story 
A certain day of a certain month, Count Gideon’s residence 

“A duel with someone from Huang He’s rankings?” Figaro asked. 
“Indeed,” Count Aschbarray confirmed. “It’s still in the negotiation stages, but if it goes well, we should be able to get someone to come to Gideon.” 
The kingdom’s ultimate duelist, Over Gladiator Figaro, had just been summoned to Count Aschbarray Gideon’s residence. The two had known each other for four years now, ever since the former’d been a newbie and the latter not even a count. 
“There’s a certain gloom surrounding my city these days, and I want to do something about it,” said Aschbarray. “With this being sacred ground for duel enthusiasts, I concluded that the best way is to summon someone from the rankings of another country and have them duel one of our own, and it just so happens that the kingdom is beginning diplomatic talks with Huang He.” 
I doubt it’s a strategic move against Dryfe, but it seems like becoming hostile with the once-friendly imperium has made us seek allies in the empire, Figaro thought. 
“You say ‘from the rankings...’ that means it won’t be the reigning champion, right?” he asked aloud. 
“That’s not someone we can summon. Imperial blood, after all,” answered Count Gideon. 
The top of Huang He’s duel rankings was the Draconic Emperor — a tian and the symbol-like entity of the country’s rulers, ancient dragon kin AKA gu long ren. It definitely wasn’t someone they could summon all the way to the kingdom just for a duel. 
“Then I assume it would be the Master Jiangshi, Xunyu?” Figaro asked. 
“Yes. Most likely.” 
Upon hearing Count Gideon’s answer, Figaro lightly nodded. Master Jiangshi Xunyu was one of the four of Huang He’s Superiors, the “Huang He Si Ling.” The jiangshi was also the only duelist among them. Compared to the person at the top of their clan ranking — Dancing Princess, Hui Li — or the tops of the kill ranking — Commander-in-Chief, Gray ? Centauri — or for that matter The Arts, Ming She, who wasn’t on any ranking, Xunyu seemed like the best person to summon for a duel. 
Though Figaro also wished to battle the Draconic Emperor or The Arts, he wasn’t the least bit displeased about having to face Xunyu. He, being a man whose best friend would describe him as “a mellow hotheaded berserker,” was thoroughly looking forward to the duel. 
“...Oh, I’ve yet to hear your answer. Will you be able to partake, Figaro?” asked the count. 
“Ha ha ha,” he chuckled. “You don’t even need to ask, Asch.” 
After all, chances to battle Superiors were few and far between. One time, he’d had plans to face Legendaria’s duel champion — The Overwrestler, Bulk Bolkan — but had given up on it after realizing just how much their battle style differed. Figaro focused on making the best use of his equipment, while Bolkan specialized in battles where both sides didn’t have anything equipped. This would force either one of them to be at a great disadvantage and make them unable to have a fair fight. Both Figaro and Bolkan were extremely disappointed about this, and that was exactly why Figaro was not about to refuse a chance to face a fellow Superior with all he had. 
“I accept the duel against Master Jiangshi, Xunyu. And I will win with all I am.” 
Two months of Infinite Dendrogram time later, Figaro and Xunyu both participated in The Clash of the Superiors, but that was a story for another time. 
Eldridge’s Story 
Soon after the blockade around the royal capital, reality 
On that day, the leader of the bandit clan known as “Goblin Street” — King of Burglary, Eldridge AKA Leon Philadelphia — was examining a certain set of data. Perhaps due to his job as a banker, Leon found such information management to be enjoyable. Naturally, many would raise eyebrows at the prospect of a banker playing as a burglar, but Eldridge was the type to separate his real life from his Dendro activities. 
“Their HP is going down in a weird way,” he muttered to himself. 
What he was examining was the recording and the relevant data from the time when his clan members had gotten destroyed by a Superior: Lei-Lei the “Prodigal of Feasts.” It had been gathered by their designated archivist, done on Leon’s suggestion. 
“They don’t die due to the hits,” he added. 
He was watching the scene when Lei-Lei approached his clan members and punched them, causing them to explode into liquid. At first glance, it seemed that it happened due to the power behind the impacts; however, the party status summary at the edge of the screen showed something else, and Leon wasn’t dull enough to miss it. 
“For a moment, it says that they have Melting Poison.” 
According to the status summary, a split second before getting the death penalty, the party members had received a debuff. It was so instantaneous that Leon had had to go through the video frame-by-frame to notice it. Just as the name said, “Melting Poison” was a debuff that did damage by melting the body. It also added other injury-based debuffs the longer it was active, making it a formidable weapon indeed. In the frame-by-frame playback, the injury-based debuffs appeared for only a single frame after Melting Poison was applied to the members, and they were dead another frame later. 
“It’s the Poison Hand skill,” he murmured. 
Another name that said it all. “Poison Hand” was a skill that imbued hand attacks with debuffs, the selection of which was wide and varied, and Leon concluded that Lei-Lei had picked Melting Poison for this encounter. However, by itself, Melting Poison was never this potent. High-rank Masters were tough creatures, and melting them in but an instant shouldn’t have been possible for anything that wasn’t at least a poisonous Pure-Dragon with powerful acid breath. That fact made Leon conclude that the abnormal amount of power in Lei-Lei’s debuff was due to her Superior Embryo. 
“I know her tricks now. If we ever face her again, I’ll take care of her by myself,” he told himself. 
Eldridge was certain that he could defeat Lei-Lei by using his King of Burglary skills before she got close, for their range was far greater than that of Poison Hand’s. 
“Hell, bring any Superior, I say. I’ll take on all of them.” 
As his eyes were fixed on the data, he pictured the battles he would have and formed a daring smile. 
Not long after that, Eldridge lost in a battle against the Master Jiangshi, Xunyu, who tore his heart out from his chest while standing outside his effective range, but that was a story for another time. 
Xunyu’s Story 
A certain day of a certain month, The Great Caldina Desert 
“Hm hm hm... ?” 
Master Jiangshi, Xunyu, hummed a tune, lying prone on the roof of her dragon carriage. She blew bubbles out of a tobacco pipe-like object as she looked at the vast desert expanding behind the carriage. A certain metallic arm was extending straight towards the horizon. 
That was one of Xunyu’s four prosthetic limbs — her Embryo, “Starsky-Reacher, Tenaga-Ashinaga.” She’d had her hand extend towards the horizon ever since morning. Tenaga-Ashinaga’s dominant characteristics were supersonic speed and super extension. However, not even Xunyu herself knew how far it could reach. She’d tried measuring it a few times before, but when she was in Huang He, her arms would always end up in some town or village and cause mass panic. In one of her attempts, she’d extended it upwards instead, but as the arm became longer, it became more susceptible to wind. She’d realized that this method was no good after almost falling with her arm still extended. 
Thus, she’d given up on measuring it. However, after waking up today and seeing the barren desert wasteland around her, she realized that this was a good chance to finally do it, and quickly began making her attempt. By leaving the hand in one place and making the arm grow as the dragon carriage moved forward, she wouldn’t cause any trouble in any settlement, nor would the wind shake it. Also, these prosthetic limbs were much like a combo of manipulators and thick-soled boots, so leaving the hand in the middle of the desert didn’t make Xunyu the least bit hot. Not to mention that, being a Master Jiangshi, she also had the characteristics of undead, making temperature changes of this extent into quite a trivial thing. 
“Wonder how fAr it’ll go.” It had to be noted that she was currently much like a child examining the length of a tape measure or a vacuum cleaner’s cord. 
Master Jiangshi, Xunyu, one of the four Superiors known as “Huang He Si Ling” and the one widely considered to be more reasonable than the rest, was actually a nine-year-old girl. Naturally, childishness and curiosity were integral parts of her. However, no matter how curious she was, there were things that took precedence over it. 
On the edge of her vision, she saw a window saying “Message: Urge to Urinate.” 
“...Now, of all tiMes?” 
While her avatar, Xunyu, was undead and thus never had to heed nature’s call, the same didn’t go for her as a player. Though time experienced in Infinite Dendrogram was three times greater than in reality, it was only natural to get such urges after being logged in for hours on end. 
“Guess I’ll loG out, then.” After informing her fellow travelers that she would disappear for a moment, she began the logging out process. However, she got a message saying “Cannot log out due to contact with another being.” 
“HuH? Hn...?!” 
Suddenly, Xunyu remembered that her arm was extended for miles outward. She instantly realized that some curious monsters somewhere had begun investigating her limb, and must have been touching it. Standard logging out could only be done if you went without contact for thirty seconds, meaning that she couldn’t go to the bathroom right away. 
“UoaaHh!” 
It was extended so far that she couldn’t even summon it back into her Embryo crest. Xunyu desperately tried to bring it back, but even at the immense speed it went, it took more than five minutes for it to return and then thirty more to log out. 
Only the heavens knew whether she made it. 
On an unrelated note, she didn’t try to measure the length of her arms ever again.