Hey guys! It is I, the Phoenix, back with yet another new story.
However, this one is a little different from the others, except Radix Point (which has the same author's notes as this one because I'm feeling lazy).
Because ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present the first Fate crossover on the net with my new favorite series, Infinite Dendrogram. And one of the first Infinite Dendrogram fics on the FanFiction website to be honest. The only other one I know of is Worm: Justice For All, and that one isn't really focused on the Infinite Dendrogram side of things.
Honestly, I began to read the Light Novels on a whim, but then I was captivated by how flawless the Gamer system was.
Honestly, I don't know why people aren't worshipping it like Demon Slayer, because it is the best Isekai Gamer anime/light novel out right now.
Sword Art Online?
Utter garbage compared to this. Don't wake up from your coma, Kirito, because this'll send you right back when it shows you how useless your franchise is.
Overlord?
Move over Bone Daddy, because you've just been dethroned.
Why, Mr. Phoenix, are you so passionate about this, you may ask.
The answer is that I hate it when people appreciate power fantasy garbage and ignore the actual gems out there.
Infinite Dendrogram has no plot armor, with the MC, Ray Starling, actually using logic and superior tactics to win his battles. Even if he does get a Deus Ex, he still pays for it heavily later on. In this series, no character is OP just because, and each character has fleshed out skillsets, strengths and weaknesses, along with actual backgrounds and character. Hell, even the NPCs have character development!
I couldn't just ignore this series like everyone else.
That is why, I am releasing this crossover fic, to get more people interested in Infinite Dendrogram.
I don't even think that the Category exists yet on this site, which is sad, because even the anime has been out for a month or two now. That's the reason why I couldn't post this as a Crossover and had to put it up as a pure MHA fic. I hope the FanFiction people can fix this error soon. I said the same thing in Radix Point, but this issue has sadly not yet been fixed.
To be honest, only Rising of the Shield Hero is on the same level as this franchise, because I swear to god this series is so well organized and rich in both character development and lore that I honestly expect it to become the next big thing if the new anime does it any justice.
If it was Ufotable animating the franchise, it probably would have kicked Demon Slayer out of the water, but even with a low budget, it's still amazing.
Because seriously, it is the best Gamer Isekai (sort of) out right now. That much I can say with absolute certainty. If the anime doesn't do it justice, then read the manga. If that doesn't work for you either, then read the Light Novel.
End point is, give the series a shot, because it is seriously underrated, especially for such a meaningful and fleshed out story. It's true that Ray may seem kind of bland as a main character, but that's honestly the running theme with any anime nowadays. But every other character is incredibly developed, and Shu Starling is a god amongst men, who could probably even beat Gilgamesh.
I mean, when you can shatter freaking space using your fists, then there isn't much you can't do.
I honestly don't know any game out there that has lore as rich as Infinite Dendrogram. Not to mention such a cool and easy to write Gamer System. I thought my Multiplayer fic had an easy Gamer system, but this is way easier, and far more realistic.
*Ahem*
Before I keep ranting, I'd just like to get on with the story. While the first chapter is pretty similar to the first chapter from the light novel, kee in mind that it was necessary as the introduction.
Honestly, the people on Event Horizon are still badgering about those two paragraphs I copied from a dead crossover with a completely different franchise.
Anyways, that is all for now, so let me get on with the story!
AND OF COURSE, PLEASE READ OR WATCH INFINITE DENDROGRAM BECAUSE IT IS REALLY DAMN GOOD, ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO THE LIKES OF SAO AND DEATH MARCH RHAPSODY.
And of course, please show support for Sakon Kaidou, the God who created this amazing franchise.
Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Possibility
July 15, 2143.
On this date, the VRMMO Infinite Dendrogram was released around the world. It had been nearly half a century since man had first dreamt of a VRMMO (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online) game, and over a century and a half since the Glowing Baby Incident in Quingling, China, signaled the dawn of Quirks.
In early 2100s, right after society began to recover from the massive upheaval caused by the emergence of Quirks and the World finally began to accept the superhuman age it had been swept into, a variety of media, such as manga, anime, and video games, began to incorporate VRMMOs into their stories as the ultimate "dream game."
Contrary to popular belief, while Heroes and Villains were popular topics, they weren't everything the World revolved around. There were still people who liked movies, cartoons, and of course, video games. In fact, the beginning of the 22nd Century was known as the Second Renaissance due to the major boom in progress in all fields, including entertainment.
During this time and beyond, among a sea of creative entertainment, people eagerly looked forward to the release of a VRMMO, and in the 2110s, after years of extensive research, quasi-VR headsets were released, offering enhanced quality of sight and sound immersion.
Although at first a mere product of fantasy, VRMMOs were anticipated, developed, and then finally given form. In the 2130s, a small number of full-dive VRMMO games were released, allowing players to enter game worlds using all five of their senses.
The reason so few were released was due to the difficulty and enormous cost of development. This meant that only companies with leading technology and sufficient resources could even make an attempt. Or perhaps more were attempted, but never completed.
However, the few completed games that did make it out into the World were quickly met with disappointment. Unlike the VRMMOs depicted in fiction, these ones lacked in realism, they assailed the senses with discomfort, and their graphics were hardly any different from existing game systems. Also, despite guarantees of a safe design, players one after another fell ill and were taken to the hospital.
And the fact that the standard VR gear didn't work on people with specific Mutation-Type or other incompatible Quirks, also made them rapidly unpopular as it meant a decent chunk of the target audience was excluded from playing.
The development companies behind the initial dive VRMMOs all went bankrupt due to poor sales, bad reputations, and numerous lawsuits from afflicted and offended players.
A reviewer from the time had the following to say about these games: "They managed to create the 'dream game', but they weren't able to create the 'dream.'"
Dive VRMMO games continued to be developed, but none were made that could be considered a success.
That is... until Infinite Dendrogram was released.
The lack of information about Infinite Dendrogram before its release was abnormal.
It was kept secret the whole time, and on the day of its release, the developers only made one announcement simultaneously across the global media networks. In it, they presented four key selling points for the game.
First: The five senses would be perfectly simulated.
Second: Even if there were 100 million players, all of them would play in the same game World on a single server.
Third: Players could choose how they'd view the game world, with options including realistic, 3D CG, and 2D anime.
Fourth: Time within the game would flow three times faster than in the real world.
In response to the announcement, voices from around the World could be heard saying: "Is this really even possible?" "Just how much money and tech did they use to make this?" "What kind of tech-based Quirk could even create something like this?" "Even for a case of misleading advertisement, isn't this going a bit far?"
Although the announcement had an impact, people found its content simply absurd. Out of everyone that saw the announcement, and this included non-gamers, 99.9998% of the them didn't believe it and didn't buy the game.
One would think a superhuman society would be more believing of marvelous things like that, but apparently that wasn't actually the case with many people.
The remaining 0.0002% of people, however, said things like, "It seems like a lie, but what if it's true..." "I'll try it," "I believe it," and they headed into stores to buy the game.
The necessary hardware cost around 10,000 yen, and was an extraordinary, some would even say reckless, pricing scheme.
What was even more amazing was the fact that people with incompatible Quirks could submit the exact specifications of the sizes they needed and what their powers did, and receive specialized VR Gear custom-designed for them, at no additional cost.
This helped lure in customers, with some saying, "Well, even if it's a lie, it's only 10,000 yen," "Hey, at least we can actually play this game," "If they're going so far as to create custom VR sets for free, then I might as well check it out." So they bought it and started playing.
And once they logged into the game... they all knew it was the real thing.
Overcome with amazement at the game's realism, they would log out and look at their clocks, only to be astonished even more. The dreams they saw were all real — the "dream game" was now a reality.
The day after Infinite Dendrogram's release, amid the clamor set off around the World by posts and comments from those who played the game, the developers released another announcement. This time, the contents of the game were detailed. A man named Lewis Carroll, the lead developer for Infinite Dendrogram, presented the broadcast announcement and said the following:
"The game system in Infinite Dendrogram has a special feature. Rather than relying on thousands of possible combinations of Jobs and Skills, this feature provides absolute and distinct uniqueness. This feature is the Embryo. It will offer players truly infinite possibilities and unique customization.
Embryos will respond to personal circumstances and evolve from among an infinite number of patterns. These patterns will not merely be different colors and parts, but will even include unique Skills and abilities, allowing them to be truly limitless in scope. This is what Infinite Dendrogram is all about.
Yes, Infinite Dendrogram will provide you with a new World and your very own unique possibility."
These words served as the last trigger needed to turn the game into a giant movement.
Hell, when the new Hero Ranking leaderboards came out that year, not a single person even cared.
For once, there was a facet of the entertainment industry that drowned out even the Pro Hero craze.
After all, why worry about some Heroes out in this World, when you could become a Hero yourself in another one?
{October 16, 2144 - Izuku Midoriya}
Izuku was sitting on his heels with the game in front of him, and a nervous expression plastered on his face.
It probably sounded like an exaggeration, but after waiting around half a year, which was when he had first noticed the game, Izuku was finally going to be able to play Infinite Dendrogram. So, of course, he was nervous. Understandable, considering the circumstances that led him there.
"It's been a long road..." he said to himself.
It had been approximately seven months since he had given up his long time dream of being a Hero.
Strike that, it had been seven months since he had modified his dream of being a Hero, and had decided to take a more realistic path in life.
It was with a heavy heart that he had finally given up on being a Hero like All Might. Looking back now, he still felt deep in his heart that he could be a Pro Hero. It was something he was unable to properly let go of, owing to the fact that he was a huge fan of Heroes, and it had been a childhood dream of his.
Sometimes, however, dreams weren't possible to make reality.
Don't misunderstand; he had no regrets on the new path he had chosen, but he still couldn't help but mourn the fact that he himself had come to accept the futility of his own dream.
Or, more accurately, had come to accept that maybe his talents lay in a different direction.
It all started towards the middle of his own second year of junior high.
It was then, that Izuku Midoriya made a friend.
Not a friend like Kaa-Bakugo, but an actual friend.
Funnily enough, they met during a Villain attack.
Not exactly a normal way to make friends, but it was certainly an efficient one.
He had saved her life, in a fit of bravery that seemed so unlike him, nearly at the cost of his own life.
He'd landed in the hospital for a week in Intensive Care, and might not even have survived if Recovery Girl hadn't been nearby at the time. He didn't get off completely unscathed, however. The scars on his upper arms and chest were a constant reminder that he had almost died.
It was when he had woken up again after a harrowing surgery and Quirk-assisted healing that he had an epiphany.
He couldn't become a Pro Hero.
To some, it might have been funny that such a realization had come after he saved someone's life from a real Villain, but the whole incident had taught Izuku something.
He couldn't ignore the gap in power between a Quirkless person like himself and those with powers, no matter how weak.
The Villain he had faced that day hadn't been a powerful one.
His only power was the ability to extend his fingernails to a certain degree, which he had sharpened to a rather terrifying point, but was ultimately no sharper than a common knife.
He had taken a foreigner a couple years older than him as a hostage, and the Heroes, as a result, were unable to do anything, as there was no one with a Quirk that would let them manipulate the situation in their favor.
Izuku, who had left home alone to gather groceries, was the only person nearby.
For a few moments he had stood, frozen in fear.
But when the Villain drew blood from the neck of his hostage, it was like a switch had been pulled in his mind.
For a few moments, he wasn't the same meek kid who regularly got picked on by everyone around him.
And then, Izuku threw his bag, mimicking Kamui Woods' Lacquered Wood Binding Prison move, and managed to nail the Villain in the eye with a pen.
In the single second the Villain was distracted, his body had moved of its own volition and he had ran forward, and thrown himself in front of the fallen hostage just as the Villain recovered and slashed with his claws.
The wounds he had sustained were serious, and he was lucky that the major vessels in his body were left relatively undamaged, though there was damage to his lungs and liver, and he required surgery due to the fact that the Villain's nails were embedded in his body, as they had snapped off when the Pro Heroes had recovered their wits and intervened.
That was why, when Izuku woke up, he saw just how unrealistic his dream was.
He'd nearly died against a guy with long fingernails.
And he wanted to be a Hero like All Might?
Preposterous.
And it wasn't only the gap in the base power between himself and those with Quirks that he had come to see.
Izuku had also realized the fact that he had done nothing to go towards his dream in the first place, except just constantly saying that he wanted to.
If he didn't have a power, then the least he could do to actively pursue his dream would be to work out and master at least 3 or 4 different fighting styles.
What had he done?
Absolutely nothing.
It was enlightening, for sure, to realize just how messed up his thought processes had been.
The problem was, Izuku Midoriya had still believed that he could somehow still manifest a Quirk, nearly a decade after the age they were supposed to appear.
When he thought back on why the hell he hadn't brought himself to the peaks of physical human parameters through training, that was the only answer that came to mind.
He hadn't worked out because he was busy dreaming about what kind of Hero he would be instead of actually working towards it, waiting for a Quirk to just drop into his lap.
How unrealistic. What was this, a shonen anime? How deluded had he been to thing that he could somehow gain a power after so long?
And more importantly, the deciding factor that led to Izuku's realization was the fact that not only would he fail as a Hero the way he was now, but he would actually put more people in danger, with how foolish he had been.
It was humbling, to be sure.
And it made him see with absolute certainty that he could never achieve his dream, no matter how hard he tried.
In his own eyes, someone like him... shouldn't even be allowed to become a Pro in the first place.
Not that he would even have passed the U.A. entrance exams, but until he could get his act together he didn't have what it took to be a Hero.
And it wasn't about whether or not he had a Quirk, surprisingly enough.
It was when he had come to that horrifying, crushing realization when Izuku had met the girl he had saved with his act of bravery.
Then he had made his first friend, a French girl named Francesca Gautier, who was a first year student at I-Island University.
She had been in Japan in order to catch her plane to I-Island in order to begin her first year of college, and had unfortunately gotten caught up in all this just a couple hours before her flight.
Fortunately, she was able to explain her situation to the University, who still allowed her to attend due to the fact that such a thing was out of their hands, and surprisingly common.
However, this left her with nowhere to stay until the next flight, which was a week later, since transport to I-Island was only possible when it reached certain checkpoints, since the artificial city was always on the move.
His mother was more than happy to take her in.
And so they ended up living together for a couple days, and with Izuku's realization gnawing on his mind, it was only a few days before the topic ultimately came up.
What Francesca had told him that day had let to a true turning point in his life.
"A Pro Hero? To me, you're someone who just wants to help others, in any way they can. A Pro Hero is just a mold that society tries to fit those kind of people into. Take it from me, Izuku. The reason you're so fixated on Pro Heroes in particular is because you're trying to fit in with your peers, not because you really want it. Someone like you would be content helping others, no matter what kind of method you use towards that end. You could be a doctor or even a lawyer, but you would be happy since you would be able to help someone. Don't stunt your own talents by trying to narrow your own thinking just to do what everyone else thinks is proper or cool. I wouldn't have been able to move forward in my life if I hadn't come to that realization, Izuku."
Just like when he was young and had asked his mother if he could really become a Hero without a Quirk, those weren't the words he wanted to hear.
But those were the words he needed to hear.
He couldn't help but see the truth in them. He'd always been the kind of person to try and follow the norm, even before he'd been diagnosed as Quirkless.
Could that be why he saw no other path moving forward than becoming a Pro Hero?
So he could fit in?
So he could stick it in the faces of the people who constantly mocked and denied him?
Izuku honestly couldn't say for sure.
But what could he do now? What did he want to do with his life, now that he'd delegated heroics as out of the question?
He was smart. Really smart. Sure, it was stunted due to his own lack of self-esteem and confidence, but that didn't mean it wasn't there.
That was pretty much the only talent he had left to go on.
And, fortunately, this time, it was more than good enough.
"We have plenty of people who beat up Villains. What we don't have in numbers are people who use their brains to help society."
It had been during one of his later conversations with Francesca, who, rather surprisingly, disliked Pro Heroes.
The reason seemed to be rather personal, so he didn't pry, but he could tell it wasn't something she would budge on.
The next day, Izuku and his mother waved off Francesca at the airport, and Izuku found the path he wanted to take.
I-Island Academy.
It was something both his mother and Francesca were supportive of, especially when the latter explained that his Quirk Analysis Notebooks would make him a shoe-in for that department.
She'd said it as an off-handed comment, but Izuku found himself liking the idea.
It was a fresh start. No Bakugo. No people from Aldera to continuously make him miserable. It was the best high school in the World, heroics aside. And most importantly, it was a place where science and reason ruled. Scientists tended not to discriminate very much, especially when Quirks were involved.
Honestly, this seemed like paradise to him.
So from that night itself, Izuku began to work tirelessly towards his new dream.
To help people using the power of science. To make the World a better place, both as a Quirk Analyst, and an Engineer of Support Items.
Both were fields he was interested in, though they were usually overshadowed by his heroic aspirations.
His old dream still flickered in his heart, but Izuku managed to put it aside, so he could achieve his more realistic one.
So he studied and studied and studied.
He was working at least 17 hours a day, only pausing for bathroom breaks, food and a few short naps.
Izuku had the awareness to know that getting into I-Island was not going to be easy.
In fact, getting into U.A. would have actually been easier.
He would be competing with geniuses from around the World for the limited number of spots available in I-Island Academy.
And that meant he needed to be on top of his game, or he would fail.
Failure was something that Izuku could no longer accept. Not when his own hard work, instead of an outside factor like a Quirk, was the only thing deciding whether he would succeed or not.
I-Island Academy, much like U.A., had multiple courses.
There was the Engineering Course, for those interested in the creation of Support Items. Then came the Quirk Analysis Course, for those people interested in Quirk research and its finer aspects. The last of the specialized courses was the Medical Science Course, for those interested in becoming doctors and pioneering medical technology.
Of course, there was a General Studies Course as well, but the main competition would be for the first three.
It was possible for a student to take a Hybrid Course as well, as Izuku himself was attempting to, but in order to do that he had to earn a spot in both the Quirk Analysis and Engineering Courses, and then work o the details with the Principal.
It definitely wasn't a walk in the park, but it was something that wasn't as far away as becoming a Pro Hero.
Quirk Analysis was something Izuku had been doing since he could walk, so he was confident that he could easily pass the exam for that Course.
But he knew next to nothing about Engineering.
So he rectified that.
Over the next couple of months, Inko Midoriya began to worry that her son had turned into a hermit.
He never came out anymore, he had went to Aldera and finished his junior high exams within a week of Francesca's departure, and whenever she went in to give him food or try to force him to rest, she found him surrounded by no less than seven different books on Mechanical Engineering and Physics.
It was kind of terrifying, but it was also relieving to see that Izuku was focusing so much on something other than Heroics.
While Inko herself had never been able to tell him, she did believe he could have become a Pro Hero. With the amount of dedication he showed towards the things he was interested in, Quirk or no Quirk, he would go that far.
What she didn't believe was that everything from then on would be easier. Heroes got hurt all the time, and without a Quirk to back him up, Izuku would inevitably get serious injuries, just like he did that horrible day in the grocery store.
And, worst of all, she knew that even if he became a Pro Hero, society would never accept him. Not without something short of a miracle, anyway.
The other Pros, vying for fame and fortune, would always be putting him down, and Inko didn't want to know how her baby would take getting bullied as a Hero.
So she was grateful her Izuku had chosen a different path in life, as was her husband, and that he felt just as strongly about it as he did about his Heroics.
She just wished he wouldn't overwork himself like that.
Unfortunately, as she was well aware of, you couldn't get everything in life.
But she was more than happy with what she did have.
She had a loving husband, and a talented, but most importantly, happy son.
She could almost feel her stress levels fading away.
For almost six months, things had gone on this way, with a few breaks in between when Izuku inevitably wore himself out. Then he would talk to Francesca, who had gotten settled in at I-Island by that point.
Funnily enough, he was getting more social experience than he had ever possessed in his life as a shut-in.
Then the exams had come, and Izuku had left his room for the first time in months, in order to grab his future with his own two hands.
And as with anyone who had worked that hard for their goals, he had succeeded.
Only a few days ago, he had received a letter from I-Island telling him that he had been accepted into both the Engineering and the Quirk Analysis Courses, and that he was to report to I-Island by October 20th in order to be assigned his living quarters and work out his schedule while he was there. The school term would begin on November 8th. The plane tickets for himself and his mother were already included, which meant all he needed to do was just get on board the aircraft that would take him one step closer to his new dream.
And for the first time in his rather short life, Izuku felt a profound sense of satisfaction.
He'd finally succeeded in something, after he had spent so long thinking he was destined for failure.
When he had texted Francesca about his acceptance into I-Island Academy, she had congratulated him... and then sent over a package which had reached him that very day.
He had opened it in and found a copy of Infinite Dendrogram along with the necessary hardware.
Before he could call her and try to send it back, she sent him a text stating that it was the least she could do considering he had saved her life and hosted her for a week.
Plus, now that he was finished with this endeavor for the time being, he could join her in the game and they could play together.
Unwilling to invoke her wrath by protesting further, Izuku just decided to roll with it. Besides, it wasn't everyday that someone outside his mother did something nice for him.
She'd told him about Infinite Dendrogram during one of their conversations when he was preparing for the exams. She said that all the rumors about it were right, and that it was a game he simply had to play. She didn't tell him any details because he was busy studying, and he didn't look anything about it up, in order to avoid spoiling the experience and his own preparation.
If the game was really as amazing as everyone said, then he doubted even someone like him, who never really played video games, could resist it, so he decided to just put it out of his mind until he had the time for it.
...
...
...
After reminiscing over the chain of events that had led him to that very moment, Izuku finally braced himself and opened the box.
Honestly, he was being kind of silly, and he knew it. It wasn't as if the box contained a bomb or something.
Inside it were a helmet-type game system and a manual.
According to the manual, in order to enter the game World, all one needed to do was put on the helmet and turn on the switch. There were other explanations regarding visuals and time as well, but "amazing" would be the only way Izuku could describe them.
'Really, just how in the World did they make this game?' Izuku wondered.
Even will the current advancements in the field of science, it seemed to be ten, maybe twenty years ahead of current technology...
However, Izuku knew it wasn't the time to be scared.
Following the instructions and recommendations in the manual, he put on the helmet and lay on his bed facing the ceiling.
Izuku then took a deep breath and turned on the game.
Instantly, his vision went black.
"Hello and welcommme."
Before Izuku knew it, he was no longer in his room, but in a space that appeared to be the study of a Western-style, wooden building.
The voice had come from a cat he had never seen before, which sat in front of me on a seemingly well-made, wooden rocking chair.
Wait a minute...
...A cat?
"Ah! I-I'm so sorry for the intrusion!" Izuku said. He was confused, but decided to respond with a greeting first.
"Yes, that's niiice." said the cat. "I like people with proper mannerrrs." The cat spoke in fluent Japanese, but with a slow drawl at the end of his sentences.
"Is this like the game's tutorial or something?" Izuku asked.
"That's riiight. You'll be sent into the game after you finish configuring various settings herrre. Oh, I'm Cheshire, control AI No. 13 for Infinite Dendrograaam. Nice to meet youuu."
Control AI... Ah, things made sense to Izuku now. No wonder it was able to use fuzzy logic in its responses.
Control AIs were man-made cyber intelligences with entire modern supercomputers serving as their brains. Their primary use, as the name suggested, are in control and management. It was said that just one of them can perfectly, and at high speeds, manage the databases and networks of a small country. It was quite amazing what technology was capable of in this day and age. People were also more accepting of AIs since there were people out there who could cause global extinction, so they didn't need to worry about a Terminator reinactment.
If this one was No. 13, then did that mean there were twelve other control AIs of equal ability involved in managing this game?
"Nice to meet you, too." said Izuku.
"All riiight", said the cat. "First up is selecting the graphiiics. Samples of these will alternate, so choose which one you like the best, okaaay?"
After the cat... Cheshire... said this, the surrounding scenery completely changed.
The study they were in turned into a spacious area — a somewhat Middle Ages European townscape. There were many people walking about, and after a fixed period of time, their appearance would change. Actually, it wasn't their appearance, but rather, the way he saw them was changing. It went from a realistic appearance to CG, from CG to anime, and then back to realistic.
"...Wait, how are you doing this?" he asked, perplexed.
"Imagery perceived by sight is processed by the brain, after all, so there's a waaay", replied Cheshire. "And so, the way you see can be changed like this, but which one will you go wiiith? You can change it later by using an itemmm."
"I'll leave it as it is, Cheshire-san." Izuku said.
He thought that it would be better to see normally until he got used to the game, so that was the option he went for. Although he was interested in how it would feel to touch something that looked like it was from an anime.
"Okaaay", said Cheshire, and the scenery reverted back to the study. "Next is your player naaame. What do you want your name to be in the gaaame? Oh, and before you answer, know that the names of Pro Heroes are banned in any shape or fooooorm. Too many legal issues sprang up in the first few dayssss since everyone wanted to be All Miiiight."
"I... I'll go with Dekiru." said Izuku, his expression flickering for a moment.
Deku was a twist on his name at Bakugo had given him as a nickname, meaning 'useless'. But Izuku was determined to leave that part of his life behind, so he twisted it himself into Dekiru, which meant 'you can do it'. It was a name that he was proud of and a symbol of how he was moving forward from the darker times of his childhood.
Honestly, it was also because he wasn't very creative when it came to usernames. Normally he would just include something that had to do with All Might, but that apparently wasn't an option here.
Plus, there was just something about that name that seemed to click with the game he was playing. After all, Infinite Dendrogram seemed to be all about the ability to do anything.
"Interesting choice. Okay, then I'll set it to thaaat", said the cat. "Next, the settings for your appearaaance."
After Cheshire said this, a featureless mannequin and a bunch of window screens appeared before Izuku. These screens contained words such as "height", "weight", "bust", their corresponding sliders, as well as facial features.
"These are..." he said slowly, and rather awkwardly.
"Use those parts and sliders to make your own Avatar for the gaaame", said Cheshire. "Oh, you can also make it into an animal like me, or even change your genderrr."
'I'm not so sure about changing my gender in a game this realistic...'
"It's okay to take your time and think it overrr", said Cheshire. "We have three times the amount of time here than in the real wooorld. ...Oh yeah, there was that one time when someone repeatedly logged in and out and spent one month in Earth time making their Avatarrr."
That seemed like a tremendous amount of effort that Izuku wasn't sure he could reproduce.
It wasn't just because of the sheer number of sliders and parts, but the values you could set for each of them were way too exact. It was almost like they were telling him to make a real human face.
For a beginner, that was way too difficult, Izuku thought. Honestly, though he wracked his brains, he couldn't come to a decision regarding what appearance to pick for his Avatar.
Obviously, he wasn't supposed to use his real appearance when he was playing online, but he'd rather keep his body the way it was so it didn't cause too much of a discrepancy in his daily life by messing up his reflexes and muscle movements.
He had no idea what to do.
But in that case...
"U-um Chesire-san, I know this is a strange request, but can you design my Avatar for me?" asked Izuku, reddening from embarrassment. "All I know is that I want it to resemble my real body, but I don't know where to go from there."
"That's an unusual requeeeest." said Chesire, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "But I think it can be done. Avatars aren't my specialty, however, so I'll have to contact one of my colleaaaaagues. Please wait a moooment."
Cheshire walked over to the corner of the room before disappearing, leaving Izuku alone, who was fidgeting nervously.
A few minutes later, he returned with a girl in tow, who looked like she had been brought straight out of a fairy tale, though she had a presence like an elder sister.
She took a look at him and smiled playfully.
"Hello! I'm Control AI No. 1, Alice, and my domain is Avatars. Cheshire told me you want us to create yours! That's a request that can most certainly be done! After all, Infinite Dendrogram is all about freedom! Although I must admit, you are the first person to ask us to help you pick your Avatar." she said rather cheerfully.
"Y-yes." stuttered Izuku. "Can you please make it similar to my original body though?"
"Hmmm... Okay! In fact, I don't think that I have to change much at all! You're a rather cute one, for sure! I know just how to bring out your natural charm to its fullest potential!"
"E-eh?!" exclaimed Izuku, reddening furiously, as Alice began tapping away at the model of his body, which had transformed to become his mirror image.
She made a few fine adjustments he couldn't understand, though it didn't change the way he looked in the least, but then removed his freckles and slightly altered his hairstyle. His hair color had been changed to a cloudly white, and his eyes were the color of polished silver.
In fact, he looked kind of good that way.
In a way, with minimal effort, Alice had created an image of him that he was okay with, and one that was closely similar to his real face, but with a few tiny adjustments that made it surprisingly hard to recognize as his own.
"There we go! Is it to your liking?"
"Y-yes it is! Thank you very much, Alice-san!"
She giggled at him. "You're an interesting one! I'll be watching you, Dekiru! Enjoy your time in Infinite Dendrogram! And I hope you don't mind that I kind of turned you into a shota (though is that really the case, since he's actually a young teenager?)!"
"Huh?"
What was that last part?
Before he could ask again, Alice had vanished in a shower of pixels, leaving him alone with Chesire, who had been silently watching the whole affair with a large level of amusement.
"Is that the Avatar you choooose?" he drawled.
"Y-yes, it is!"
"Okaaay. Then I'll hand over your starting itemmms." Cheshire waved a padded paw in the air and a bag fell from empty space. "This is your storage bag, also known as your inventoryyy. The storage space inside it is from a different dimensionnn. You can store items in here if they're yours, but on the flip side, you can't put any items in here that arrren't."
"I see." Izuku said.
It was a useful bag, but Izuku guessed that meant it couldn't be used to commit crimes.
"Well", Cheshire continued, "if it's an item that dropped from someone you PKed, or one that you stole with the Steal skill, then it'll go innn."
Izuku fell silent. He didn't know what to say to that.
"By the way, if a player's Steal skill is high enough in level, they can steal an item from even inside this 4D pocket-like item baaag", the cat said. "So be carefulll."
'Now just how exactly am I supposed to be careful against a thief that's capable of stealing from the fourth dimension?!'
"This bag is for beginners, but there are also other types, such as ones that are tough to steal from, small ones, and ones with a lot of capacityyy." the cat said.
"What is the capacity of this one, Cheshire-san?" Izuku asked.
"The size is about equal to one classroom, and the weight is maybe around one ton in Earth measuremeeents."
"It can fit quite a lot." Izuku muttered. "That's plenty of space."
"It's apparently not enough if you're a merchant, thooough", said the cat. "They're likely to buy new onnnes. Oh, item bags will scatter their contents around if they get destroyed, so pay attention to their durabilityyy."
"I'll be careful." Izuku promised.
"Next is a set of beginner equipmeeent. Dekiru, what will you piiick?" Cheshire pulled a catalog from a bookshelf and showed it to him.
In it were full sets of various types of armor. There was the typical Eastern and Western style armor, but in addition to these, there were traditional outfits from China, India, the Middle East, and South America. On the opposite end, there were even outfits that seemed to be from Sci-Fi movies.
"I'll take this one." said Izuku, pointing to one of the outfits in the Sci-Fi section. It included a red-riding-hood style cloak in black, and a bodysuit that covered him completely, which was a light shade of gray and had bright, white lines resembling circuits running through it.
For some reason, the futuristic Mage look seemed to appeal to him.
"Okaaay. What will you pick for your first weaponnn?" the cat asked.
Izuku turned to a different page in the catalog. All kinds of weapons were listed, including a wooden sword, a practice sword with a dull blade, a knife, a bow, a sling, and a staff.
He decided to choose something that matched his outfit's theme.
"I'll go with the staff." Izuku said.
"Okaaay. So for your weapon and equipment... Wazaaaam." It was pretty hard to tell if Cheshire's voice was energetic or not, but as he said that, Izuku's appearance changed. His outfit switched to the one he had just chosen, and a staff was now strapped across his back, underneath his cloak. Most impressive of all, his appearance had changed to mirror the Avatar he had selected earlier.
"Wow, this is amazing!" exclaimed Izuku as he looked at himself in the full-length mirror Cheshire had provided. He looked pretty good, and noticed that Alice had also made his hair a tad bit lighter than it was normally.
"Oh yeah, that's right, here's your starting moneyyy." Cheshire handed him five coins that appeared to be made out of silver. "Five silver coins is worth 5,000 lirrr. One rice ball costs about 10 lir, by the waaay."
'Then 1 lir would be about 10 yen', Izuku thought. 'In that case, 5,000 lir is a lot of money!'
"I-Is it okay to get this much in the beginning?" Izuku asked.
"Yep. Be sure to learn how to make money before it runs out, thooough." he said.
In other words, he probably wouldn't get any more after this, so he had to use it wisely.
"Well then, it's finally time to transfer your Embryooo." he said.
"O-Oh, that's the thing in all the rumors!" Izuku said.
Embryos.
He'd heard they were the greatest feature in Infinite Dendrogram. They offered true uniqueness and evolved in infinite ways based on the player. They were partners that exceeded the likes of items and equipment.
Francesca, who had already playing the game, said, "If this hadn't been a well-made dive VRMMO, but just a regular MMO instead, I'm sure it still would've been a huge success as long as it had the Embryo system."
"Do you need an explanation on Embryooos?" asked the cat.
"S-Since you're offering, I guess I should listen to it, Chesire-san" said Izuku.
It was probably for the best to hear the tutorials for unique systems like that one, after all.
"Okaaay", said the cat. "All players receive an Embryo at the starrrt. The only time they'll look the same is while they are in this zeroth fooorm. With the first form and beyond, they'll change in completely different ways based on their ownerrr."
"Ohhh! Wow!" Izuku said. He wasn't a gamer, but he was an enthusiast regarding any kind of power, so he couldn't help but be fascinated by features that allowed for something to be totally unique.
"Although the possibilities are infinite, there are some rough categorieees." added the cat.
"Oh, I didn't know that." Izuku said.
His decision to avoid talking about it with Francesca and looking it up online made it so that he had barely any true information on Infinite Dendrogram.
"The broad categories arrre: Type Arms — a device type that players can equip as a weapon or armorrr. Type Guardian — a monster type that protects the playerrr. Type Chariot — a vehicle type that players can riiide. Type Castle — a building type that players can reside innn. Type Territory — a barrier type that players can deployyy. That's about ittt."
"That's amazing!" gasped Izuku.
'It's like the different categories of Quirks! It's incredible how detailed this all is!'
He was starting to get excited to see how his own Embryo would turn out.
"Also, besides these ones, there are rare and advanced categories that an Embryo can evolve into, tooo. There are even categories that are unique to one Embryooo. It'd be nice if you could get onnne."
"Wow!" Izuku exclaimed, before going into deep thought and muttering to himself. "But if that's the case, there are bound to be players who keep resetting their character until they get a rare category..."
"Ahh, you can't remake your character in this gaaame." said the cat, who seemed to have been able to pick up on it without a problem.
"Huh?"
"Even if someone bought different hardware and played the game, that person would log in as the same character as the first tiiime", Cheshire explained. "Their Embryo would also be the saaame. This is because we keep records on our side of users' brain wave dataaa."
"..." Izuku was silent.
'They record our brain wave data...', Izuku thought nervously. 'Yeah, that sounds kind of scary.'
"Even if they were able to reset, it's all based on that person anywaaay, so I think their Embryo would end up exactly the saaame." said the cat.
Is that how it worked?
"Annnd... while we were talking, your Embryo finished transferrinnng." Cheshire added.
"Huh? ...Ah." Izuku realized that on the back of his left hand, the only place that his bodysuit didn't cover, was now embedded a faintly glowing oval gem.
"That's your Embryooo", Cheshire said. "It'll be stuck to your left hand during its zeroth form, but it'll come off after it hatches and reaches its first forrrm."
In other words, Izuku guessed it was sort of like he incubating an egg. Or an embryo.
"Cheshire-san, is there any chance it can break while it's an egg?" he asked.
"That won't happennn", said the cat. "Any damage an Embryo receives while in its zeroth form will be passed on to the playerrr."
'Ahh, I see. So that means the Embryo will be safe even if the player dies.'
"But after they hatch, Embryos can be damaged and break like anything elllse", the cat said. "They'll self-repair over time, thooough."
It was kind of like a living creature.
"By the way, after your Embryo turns into its first form, a tattoo of a crest will appear where the egg waaas", said the cat. "It serves as a sort of identification for players in this Worrrld. Without it, you wouldn't be able to tell players apart from NPCees."
"I-Is that so?" Izuku asked, slightly incredulous.
'But no, there's no way I would mistake an NPC for a human... right?'
"Also, the crest has the ability to store your Embryooo", said the cat. "When you don't need it, you can keep your Embryo in your left hannnd. You'll be together with it as long as you play this game, so please take care of ittt."
"U-understood, Chesire-san!" said Izuku.
It felt like he was being entrusted with a baby.
'I'm still not sure how my Embryo will evolve, but that's okay. It all comes down to oneself anyway, so I guess it'll work out on its own. But I wonder what kind of powers it'll give me...'
"I'll be sure to take excellent care of you!" he said to the egg on the back of his hand.
Needless to say, there was no response from his Embryo, but Izuku got the feeling that it had shined slightly.
"Lastly, please choose which nation to joiiin." Cheshire laid out a map on the study's desk. It was an old scroll map.
After it was unfurled, however, pillars of light rose up from seven locations on the map, and from within them, Izuku could see various towns. "The nations with pillars of light are the ones you can join in the beginninnng. What you see in the pillars is the capital of each nationnn."
Floating in letters of light around each of the pillars was the name and explanation of each nation.
'Surrounded by castle walls is a Western fantasy town, with a white limestone castle at its center.
Kingdom of Altar: The Land of Knights.'
'Sakura petals dance through the air in this city made of wood. A Japanese-style castle looms high above it.
Tenchi: The Land of Blades.'
'Subtle elegance hangs in the air of these mountains. A large river flows for all eternity through its valleys.
Huang He Empire: The Land of The Hermits.'
'Black smoke rises from countless factories and forms a cloud that blocks out the sky. On the ground is a modern day city made of steel.
Dryfe Imperium: The Land of Machines.'
'Bazaars nestle up to a giant oasis, surrounded by desert as far as the eye can see.
Caldina: The Commercial City-State Union.'
'Made from connecting countless large ships together, this man-made landmass floats in the middle of the open sea.
Granvaloa: The Maritime Nation.'
'At the base of Yggdrasil deep in the forest, elves, fairies, and demi-humans live in this secluded garden of flowers.
Legendaria: The Homelands of Fairies.'
"This is... so incredible!" Izuku said, struck with awe.
'Seeing this makes me want to visit every one of them', Izuku thought. 'Tenchi has a similar feel to the Azuchi-Momoyama Period, while Huang He gives off a sense of Chinese fantasy. Dryfe seems like they'd have robots, and just walking through the bazaars of Caldina would feel like I was sightseeing. The seas of Granvaloa seem like an excellent place to find an adventure, and as for Legendaria, there's no need to even think of a reason to try and go there.'
However...
"I'll go with the Dryfe Imperium" Izuku said.
"Okaaay.", said the cat. "By the way, as a quick survey, what would your reason for choosing that beee?"
"My friend is waiting for me there."
"Oh, is that so..."
He had called Francesca just before he'd opened the game, and she'd said, "Then I'll be waiting for you in the Dryfe Imperium's capital. It's where my Clan's base is, anyways."
While Izuku was personally more oriented towards places like Altar, since knights were basically ancient Pro Heroes, and Legendaria, because, magic, Francesca was the one who invited him to the game in the first place and was the only player he knew. At least until he could get a handle on the basics, he needed her help so he didn't get lost or something, which seemed like a real possibility considering how complex Infinite Dendrogram seemed to be.
"There are events that allow you to change the nation you belong to, so don't feel so down about ittt." said the cat.
"Yeah, thank you, Chesire-san." Izuku said.
He was really overthinking it. For all he knew, the Dryfe Imperium, although it sounded like the child of Nazi Germany, could actually be a nice place. Plus, it wasn't like he would be locked to one area, anyways.
"Okay then, I'm going to send you to the Dryfe Imperium's royal capital, Vandelheeeim." said the cat.
"Ah, just a second, Cheshire-san. What are the goals in this game?"
Izuku wasn't an expert on video games, but common knowledge stated that they had established goals such as defeating the evil god or demon king. He thought this game would be the same, but when he asked this to Cheshire...
"Anythinnng." was the response he got.
"Anything?" Izuku asked, perplexed.
"That's what I meannnt. Anythinnng. You can become a Hero or the demon king, a king or a slave, a good person or an evil person. You can do something, or you can do nothing. You can stay in Infinite Dendrogram, or leave it. It's all up to you. If it's possible, then you can do anything you want." Cheshire's way of speaking had changed. "Just like the Embryo on your left hand, what's about to begin is infinite in possibility."
His speech had morphed from the slow drawl. It was almost as if he were narrating something.
"Welcome to Infinite Dendrogram. We warmly welcome you!" a voice said.
As soon as these words were spoken, the study disappeared from Izuku's surroundings. The desk, the bookshelf, and even Cheshire, vanished, and he was left floating in the air.
"Huh?"
Below him was a familiar-looking World. He was looking down on the same continent he'd seen on the map just moments earlier. Before long, almost as if his body was being sucked down toward one point on the continent — the Dryfe Imperium — Izuku started to fall at a great speed.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
And just like that, Izuku Midoriya set foot in the world of Infinite Dendrogram.
In the coming months, Izuku Midoriya, or Dekiru, as he would be known in that World, would experience many things he had never even believed possible.
He would fight monsters ranging from the smallest of slimes to the likes of the Superior Unique Boss Monster, the Tri-Zenith Dragon, Gloria, which was capable of vaporizing mountains with a single strike of its claws.
He and his Embryo would go on great adventures together, ranging from the Corpse Fortress Incident in Granvaloa's southern seas to the Cause behind the Dryfe Imperium's food shortages.
He would make countless friends of all shapes, sizes and personalities, like the High End Princess of the Imperium, Claudia L. Dryfe, that he could stand by proudly, and even great enemies, like the King of Crimes, Sechs Würfel.
He would become a Hero of great renown, just like he had always dreamed, and find happiness and even love in this World of Infinite Possibilites.
And most importantly, he would find out that Infinite Dendrogram was so much more than just a game.
The culmination of all these things was none other than...
The Tale of Dekiru.
And that's all for the first chapter!
The backstories of both Izuku and Infinite Dendrogram in the MHAverse have both been recorded, and Izuku goes through the character customization process. For those of you who've actually seen or read Infinite Dendrogram, you've probably realized that I pushed it forwards a century chronologically. This was done to accommodate MHA, because society stagnated for a while after Quirks appeared, and I couldn't see the beginning of the Quirk crisis being less than a century old, nor could I see it happening in the freaking 1900s. I hope none of you guys mind, because they didn't give any actual dates for MHA.
Someone once told me in Event Horizon that I should have made a separate fic where Izuku studies at I-Island. Well, here it is, folks. Izuku will be taking both Quirk Analysis and Engineering, though it's a hybrid course that still leaves him with enough time to play Infinite Dendrogram.
I feel like this is a really realistic take on how Izuku did things, because it was the only possible explanation, considering how hard he's capable of working. Now, he has a new friend, and a new goal that'll lead to him making even more friends and even finding out some surprising things from his mother's past.
Anyways, some of you may know who Francesca Gautier is. In Dendro, she is also known as Mr. Franklin, the major villain of the first few Volumes and Season 1 of the anime. If you know her background, several of the things she told Izuku in this chapter will make sense. I have Shirou as a part of Altar in Radix Point, so I wanted Izuku to be a Dryfe Master, to showcase things from the other side. Plus, there are lots of interesting characters in Dryfe that I want to develop, which is why I went for it.
Plus, Francesca has her own unique background, which is something to get into.
As for Izuku's Embryo and his Jobs, I've already worked that out. As you can tell from the thumbnail, Izuku's Embryo is Ereshkigal, Queen of the Great Below, who is a Type Maiden with Territory Rule (since she is young) Embryo.
Now, you may be wondering, how could someone like Izuku result in the creation of Ereshkigal as an Embryo? There's actually a pretty good explanation for that, which wil come later.
I'll talk about her more in the next chapter when Izuku unlocks her.
This should make it obvious how Izuku's Job Build is going to go, a sheer contrast to Shirou's full offense and weaponsmithing Build in Radix Point.
Oh yeah, Izuku's starting outfit looks like a white and grey version of Lancer's Extella outfit in Fate with the back of his left hand exposed, with a black version of Ruby's cloak (from RWBY) covering his body.
As I've mentioned before, Izuku wil have many different adventures around the World of Dendrogram, which I am really eager to get into, but his own daily life at I-Island Academy and the events of MHA will be equally as important. Blending these things together properly is what creates a good story.
It's going to be a wild ride, so I hope you guys come along with me, and help Infinite Dendrogram get the support it deserves.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you guys show this fic some support.
Spatialphoenix here, burning to ashes.