Chapter Four: Real Life Encounter
Reiji Mukudori
It was the day after I’d been kidnapped by Tsukuyo Fuso and her Lunar Society.
I’d honestly been worried about how that would turn out, but thanks to Figaro, I’d had no trouble going offline, getting a decent night’s rest, and making it to college.
The first day wasn’t the entrance ceremony or the start of classes or anything like that. It was simply a guidance session about the college.
Things here were going to be different than in high school or anything we’d experienced before, so this was obviously necessary. We looked through the materials they gave us, listened to their explanations, made preparations for next week’s lessons, and got a description of our schedule going forward, but there was nothing particularly strange about any of it.
I’d expected there to be a few days of group lodging to help us familiarize ourselves with our fellow students, but apparently, they didn’t do those anymore.
Cool, that means I’ll have more time for Dendro now, I instantly thought, before realizing that that probably wasn’t something a model student would think.
Still, we were given some time to introduce and present ourselves to the fellow students with whom we would be learning until we split into different departments two years later.
Since I came from a distant countryside, I obviously didn’t know anyone here, but the introductions were enough for me to memorize the names and faces of about 70% of the freshmen.
Also, I and four others revealed that we had Infinite Dendrogram as our hobby, so, come break time, we gathered up and had a talk about it.
As expected of college students my age, the rest either hadn’t been able to play much because of exams or, like me, had started after their exams were finished.
I felt that five players was a very small number, but it made sense, considering that we were the unfortunate generation of college students whose exam prep had coincided with Dendro’s release.
Anyway, I was excited about the prospect of questing with my new college friends, but alas, all four of them belonged to Tenchi.
There’re seven countries to choose from! Can such a coincidence even happen?! I thought, thoroughly surprised. The four seemed to share my sentiment, so it looked like it did, indeed, happen.
Naturally, going on quests with people on the other side of the continent was a difficult task. While most RPGs had teleports to fix such issues, in Dendro, teleportation was limited to Embryo unique skills, a way of leaving created dungeons, or just some weird accidents. Because of that, we had to postpone our questing to... whenever we had the chance.
Interesting thing to note: though all four of the other players were from Tenchi, they all served different lords, making them rivals, rather than allies. Their country was much like Sengoku Period Japan, so it would be apt to say they were like subordinates to Oda, Takeda, Chosokabe, and Shimazu.
If given the choice, I’d probably side with Uesugi, I thought.
So, with the guidance and orientations over, we freshmen were next confronted by countless canopy tents built on the college grounds — the club invitation zone.
The participants from all clubs were many, and they were full of zeal to gather as many new freshmen as possible. Many of us newbies were fully into it, while to some, this was just a bit too much.
I was one of the latter.
Struggling through the wave of people trying to invite me to their clubs, I made my way to the cafeteria to take a breather.
“Well, it sure looks like the culture gap between high school and college life is bigger than I expected,” I muttered to myself.
Though not in the same way as the one I’d experienced with the foreign culture in Dendro, it was still pretty overwhelming.
Exhausted in both mind and body, I drank some tea while listlessly staring at the bulletin board, which, of course, had posters inviting students to clubs.
“Clubs, eh...?” I murmured.
Many people considered college students improper unless they joined a club and made the most of their youth forming bonds with fellow club members. However, doing so would definitely have a negative impact on my Dendro time.
I was fully aware that a college student had no business prioritizing an MMO over communication and bonds made in college, but I really wanted to preserve as much of my online time as possible.
“If only there was a Dendro club or something...”
If there was, I would get the collegian social experience and not lose any online time because of it.
However, while a club for all games could probably exist, a college would never, ever have a club focused entirely on one game. Ever. At least, that was what I assumed until I looked at one corner of the board.
“...There is?”
Sure enough, a poster there said “Club Infinite Dendrogram” in English, which was as much of a description as it was a title. I questioned why they hadn’t gone with a Japanese name, but I could only assume it had something to do with the abbreviation. “CID” was quite convenient.
Anyway, I wasn’t about to ignore this blessing of a discovery.
A Dendro club was a two-for-one deal for me. It would allow me to live the collegian social life and come to know new fellow players.
Well, things could get awkward if there were people from Dryfe, but that would be interesting in its own right.
I followed the map provided, and made my way to the CID room. It was my first time at this part of the college, so I felt a bit lost every now and then, but I eventually arrived at my destination.
The door had a somewhat fancy-looking wooden plate on it, saying “Club Infinite Dendrogram.”
Slightly tense, I reached out and knocked.
“Come innn,” called someone inside.
“All right, then,” I said as I opened the door.
At that moment, a certain, danger-sensitive part of my brain belatedly reacted to the voice coming from inside and urged me to stop. But alas, I’d already opened the door, and now saw what waited beyond it.
“A freshman, I assume? Hey theeere! Welcome to Club Infinite Dendr—”
That was the moment I closed the door.
I had every reason to do so.
After all, the face I’d seen there was one I’d involuntarily etched onto my brain. It was a visage I’d seen just yesterday... the one belonging to Tsukuyo Fuso.
I might’ve been mistaken, but I had no intention of opening the door and confirming it. It wasn’t far-fetched to believe that the aberration, just like Shu, played as herself. Hell, considering the nature of her cult, it would be the obvious thing for her to keep her real face.
No, screw the reasons why she looked like she did, the person herself was a far bigger problem.
“Damn it! I should’ve been more cautious!”
I’d completely neglected the possibility of her being in the same college as me! I’d been told that cults often used clubs to gather new members, so why hadn’t I connected the dots?! Shit! I’d gone out of the frying pan and into the fire! My college life was in danger of collapsing on the first day!
I hurriedly turned around and got ready to sprint...
“Why are you running?”
...but before I could dash, the door opened, and a slender hand reached out and grabbed me by the nape of my neck. I struggled to move regardless, but I couldn’t make an inch of progress.
It seemed mechanically impossible, but once I glanced back, I saw the she-monster holding on to the frame of the door with her other hand.
Well, I... guess that’s enough to render me completely immobile with one hand... LIKE HELL! What’s up with this upper body strength?! What are you, my sister?!
“Wow, don’t know why, but you seem really scared,” she said, probably oblivious to the true cause of my panic. “Come on, there’s nothing here to be afraid of. Let’s go in and have some tea.”
The aberration dragged me into the room with unwomanly — borderline inhuman — strength, making me feel like a hamster being swallowed whole by a snake. Then she pushed me onto the bed they most likely used to play Dendro on.
“You’re here to join the club, aren’t you? Why are you running?”
Was that even a question? I was basically encountering an eldritch abomination right after having a nightmare about one. Of course I’d run.
“Oh dear, what a bad expression. Why are you so...?” she said before looking at my student card. “Umm, your name is...”
“Ah?!” I gasped as I realized she’d taken the card case out of my pocket without me even realizing it. She was strong as hell and had sticky fingers!
“Okay, so your name is ‘Reiji Mukudori’... Oh?” She slightly tilted her head to the side, clearly noticing something.
Oh, crap.
“That look in your eyes, your voice, and... ‘Reiji Mukudori’? Ray Starling?”
Shit! This is what I get for just translating my last name into English! I should’ve made it less obvious!
“Oh, I see. So that’s what this is about,” she said and cracked a grin.
To me, that expression was the very epitome of horror.
“Well, well... you can’t run away here, can you?”
Oh no. This is really bad.
She was about to force me into joining her cult, and I had no means of escape. How do I handle this...?!
“Okay,” she said as she started slowly moving her hands. “Let’s begin with my thanks for yesterday.”
And then...
“Hello.” The clubroom’s door opened, and a third party entered the room.
A part of me thought it was King of Assassins, but it was actually someone I’d never met before.
It was a girl with long hair in a braid, slightly slanted eyes, and glasses, all of which came together to make her look like the diligent type.
“Vice President Tsukikage asked me to bring him the relevant papers to the club invitation tent, and...”
She stopped mid-sentence and noticed the situation in the room. The aberration — all smiles — was holding me down on the bed, while I — scared beyond words — fruitlessly struggled to escape. The sight made the girl heave a sigh.
“President, could you refrain from pushing boys down on college grounds?” she asked, speaking in such a normal tone that it almost didn’t seem to fit the scenario. That made a flicker of hope light up within me.
This girl might actually be... I thought as I anticipated what she’d say next.
“More importantly, he doesn’t seem to want whatever you’re doing. Sexual misconduct against men is as valid as the reverse. Let him go ASAP.”
She is. My God, she’s actually normal.
She wasn’t an eldritch being, nor was she some weird super secretary.
“Oh, come onnn, I just caught him, you know?” said the aberration.
I’m not some pocket monster for you to catch, damn it!
“I was about to invite him to the club... and make him one of us, of cooourse,” the aberration purred.
“Don’t you think you’re being a little too forceful?” asked the normal girl. “Let him go.”
“Nooo, I wanna make him miiine!”
I’d very much prefer it if you didn’t!
“President, if you don’t listen to me, I will leave the club.”
“Eh?”
“That would leave only you and the vice president, and two people aren’t enough to keep a club active, correct? Do you want that?”
The normal girl’s words made the aberration falter. “That... would be a problem...”
“Then please refrain from approaching him improperly and inviting him so forcefully. I’ll say it again. Let him go.”
At this moment, in my eyes, she seemed somewhat divine.
“But...” muttered the aberration.
“‘But’ what?” demanded the normal girl.
“Okaaay...”
And thus, although reluctantly, the woman finally let me go.
Freedom! I thought as I jumped out of bed and distanced myself from the eldritch creature so much that my back was against the wall.
“He’s so scared,” said the normal girl. “Did you do more than just make unwanted sexual advances?”
“Nooo, I didn’t do much. I just kidnap— invited him over in Dendro.”
In response, the normal girl just looked at her in silence.
The aberration was clearly far too guilty to plead “I didn’t do much.”
The normal girl then sighed and said, “President, I have something to say to you. Please sit where you stand. Properly. On your knees.”
“Umm... but this is the floor.”
“No worries there. I’m sure your legs can handle it just fine.”
“That’s not the problem here...” The aberration was actually being overpowered.
Just what is this girl...? I wondered, astonished.
“You should run away right now,” the normal girl told me. “You can’t let yourself be caught by a person like... this...”
“Like whaaat...?” the aberration complained.
I felt like I’d been pulled into a boat when I was seconds away from drowning.
“Thank you,” I said, expressing my sincere gratitude. Then I left that wicked lair. Once outside, I took a moment to listen to their conversation.
“President,” said the normal girl, “I know that Infinite Dendrogram gives us great freedom, but you shouldn’t bring that mentality over to reality. You might’ve been able to kidnap him with no repercussions in the game, but here, unwanted sexual advances are a breach of public order and morals. Do you want to become a criminal?”
“Ehh? But you’ve got it all wronnng. He came here himself this time. And secondly, when you’re online, you also...”
“I separate my game life and real life, thank you very much.” The normal girl was thoroughly scolding her for this.
Anyway, thanks to her intervention, I’d escaped the aberration’s venomous fangs.
Oh, I forgot to ask for her name, I thought as I walked away.
Thanks to the normal girl, I’d been able to escape the eldritch monstrosity. That was the second time the woman had held me in her grasp, and the second time someone had saved me from her.
Still, I couldn’t ignore the fact that she was in the same college as me. That could become a huge problem going forward. Though I’d avoided whatever she had planned for me this time, the aberration was now a part of my real life, and I definitely wasn’t excited about that.
For some reason, she was obsessed with me, and that made me feel really unsafe.
I sighed, realizing that this might lead me to involve Shu... or perhaps even my sister.
No, that’s not an option. Things would only escalate further, I thought as I pictured The Lunar Society’s IRL building, completely reduced to rubble. If someone unrelated to the conflict got hurt, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Anyway, after getting out of the lion’s den, I made my way to the college library, since one of the fellow students I’d met today had told me something intriguing about it. He’d said he’d been there before, and told me that he’d seen several Dendro-related books.
Curious as to what they were like, I came to the library to check them out and read them, and it didn’t take long for me to find where they were.
Though the publishers sold them as strategy guides, they had titles you’d expect to see on adventure novels or travel magazines. Exploration Records of the Maxim Brigade, Twenty Thousand Metels Under the Sea, and Vagrants in Tenchi were good examples.
Basically, Infinite Dendrogram was so vast that getting the required information for a proper strategy guide was no small task.
Not even the walkthrough wiki had all the info on all the maps, spawns, or dungeons, and some of it could even become obsolete as time went by. Like everything relating to Noz Forest.
Because of this, most of the so-called “Dendro strategy guides” were focused on describing the editors’ personal experiences, rather than presenting data. I found that interesting in its own right, so I didn’t hesitate to pick those three up.
With this, I’d have something I could use to keep myself occupied during breaks between lectures or other times I couldn’t go online. Many of the books were about countries other than Altar, so I was looking forward to reading them.
Now, all I had to do was check them out, and...
“Ah,” I exclaimed as I realized that my student card was still in the aberration’s hands.
What now? I wasn’t too keen on exposing myself to the danger of going there again, so... hm?
Without saying a word, I reached into my pocket and found the very same case I’d thought was still in her hands.
“That’s even scarier than going back there,” I muttered.
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