No one's POV

Zora(mind): The air had a certain scent.

That was the first thing he'd noticed, through the fragmented thoughts he had just before awakening. The air coming into his nostrils brought a wealth of information. The smell of sweet flowers. The smell of fresh grass. The bracing, cleansing smell of trees. The tempting smell of water to a parched throat.

He focused on his hearing and was overwhelmed by an instant deluge of sound: The rustling of countless leaves. The cheerful twittering of songbirds. The soft hum of insect wings. The distant trickling of a creek.

Zora(mind): Where was I? Certainly not in my home.

There were none of the usual features of waking there, like the sunny smell of dried sheets, the AC's dehumidifier's growl, or the distant traffic over on the Kawagoe Bypass. Plus, the shifting patterns of green light on his eyelids weren't coming from the reading light he forgot to turn off, but from the shade of branches.

He pushed aside the lingering temptation of sleep and opened his eyes. Countless bits of light leaped into his sight, and he blinked rapidly. He had to lift the back of his hand to rub at the welling tears, as he sat up.

Zora: What the hell...Where am I...?

The first thing he saw was clumps of light-green grass. Little white and yellow flowers appeared here and there, and brilliant pale-blue butterflies wandered among them. The carpet of grass ended just fifteen feet ahead, replaced by a thick forest of gnarled, decades-old trees.

Zora(mind): I remember being at Agil's place. Then I left with Philia. But I can't remember what happened next.

No matter how hard he tried to remember, he had no memory of coming to a place like this and taking a nap.

Zora(mind): Was I sleepwalking? Amnesia? No, that can't be... I remember, Kirito and the others...

He shook his head to dispel the disturbing possibilities. At that point, he belatedly realized that he was wearing an odd outfit. It wasn't the T-shirt he used as nightwear, or his school uniform, or any of his personal clothes. In fact, they didn't look like any kind of clothes anyone would buy at the store.

Zora: My clothes. Cotton... No, Hemp? I've never seen clothes like these before. Am I in a game?

His top was a half-sleeve shirt of crude cotton or linen, dyed pale blue. The consistency was uneven and rough. The sewing along the sleeve was clearly done by hand, not a machine. There was no collar, just a V-cut in the front, tied with a brown string.

His trousers was the same material as the top, but an unbleached cream color. There were no pockets, and the leather belt around his waist was fastened not with a metal buckle but with a long, thin wood button. His shoes were also hand-sewn leather, and the thick leather sole was studded with a few cleats for slip resistance.

Zora: But... I don't remember what games this is. Did I fell asleep while I was full-diving? In any case, I'd find out by logging out.

He waved his right hand. A few seconds passed, and no window appeared. He tried with the left hand instead. No results. With the ceaseless rustling of leaves and chirping of birds in his ears, he did my best to dispel the growing prickle rising up his midsection.

Zora(mind): This was a virtual world. It had to be.

But it certainly wasn't familiar Alfheim. In fact, it couldn't be any of the AmuSphere's VR worlds fashioned from the Seed engine.

Zora: What the hell? My scar in my eye, it's there. I didn't know of any VR games that re-created the body to such a degree of detail. Command: Log out.

He ordered without much hope. There was no response. Sitting cross-legged, he examined my hands once again. There were fine swirls on his fingertips. Wrinkles on the skin of his joints. Fine body hair. Little droplets of cold sweat seeping forth.

Zora(mind): Way to realistic to be a 3D object. So this ain't a game. Am I dreaming? Wait... That's it. What in the world? I have to be crazy not to have thought of that until just now. This is the Underworld. I'm hooked up to the STL. But that can't be right. If I'm diving at the STL, my memories of the real world and my real world persona should be block. But I can still remember hanging out with Kazuto and the rest.

Zora: Kikouka! Higa! Anyone! Abort the dive! I think something is wrong in here!

He called out the them, but no one answers. He look down with a sigh. He decided it would be best to just walked around and see what he could find. He saw a river and he decided to take some dip in it. He look at the clear water like a molten crystal.

Zora(mind): This is too real to be a VR.

Suddenly, Zora heard the sound of clinging metal. It was the sound of something large and tough being struck by something even harder. Not just once. It was happening at a steady pace of about once every four seconds. It couldn't be an animal or a natural occurrence. It was a virtual certainty that a human was producing this noise. He'd imagined someone chopping down a tree, perhaps. Briefly, he wondered if it would be dangerous to approach them, but his best option was clearly to make contact and gain information.

He turned around and headed back upstream in the direction of the sound. Suddenly, he experienced a brief, strange vision. A glittering river on the right. A deep forest on the left. Straight ahead, a green path advancing with no end in sight.

Three children walked down it abreast. A boy with black hair, another boy with flaxen blond hair, and between them, a girl wearing a straw hat with flowing golden locks. They threw off dazzling light from the setting summer sun.

Zora(mind): Is this...a memory? I don't know why, but it felt so nostalgic. And frustrating.

Long-distant days that would never return. Days he'd believed would continue forever, that he swore to protect and cherish, but that vanished as easily as ice left in the open sun... Those nostalgic, heady days. By the time he blinked again, the vision was gone, evaporating as quickly as it had come.

Zora(mind): What was that?

The image was gone, but the sensation of nostalgia it brought stayed with him, clutching his heart agonizingly tightly. A memory of youth...In the vision of the three children walking along the riverside, he was absolutely certain that the boy with black hair on the right was...himself.

But that was impossible. There were no forests this thick or rivers this pristine in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, where he grew up. And he'd certainly never been friends with a blond boy and girl. Plus, all three of them in the image were wearing the same rustic fantasy clothes.

Zora: Dammit...

He decided to forget about the prickling aftereffect and focused on that steady, repeating sound. This, too, had a familiar feel to it, but I still didn't know whether it was the sound of a woodcutter's ax. Zora shook his head to clear his mind and headed back upstream toward the noise. By the time the steady pace of walking allowed him to enjoy the beauty of the scenery again, he noticed his path was taking him farther to the left. It seemed the source of the noise was not at the riverside but deeper in the forest.

As Zora walked, he counted on his fingers and realized that, oddly, the sound was not constant. After exactly fifty times, it would stop for three minutes or so, then resume for another fifty on the dot. It had to be coming from a human source.

Zora: Forty-nine...fifty...

He counted, just as it became noticeably brighter among the trees ahead. It could be the forest's exit or even a village. He quickened his pace toward the light. Climbing a set of rising roots like stairs so he could peer around an ancient trunk without exposing myself, he was met with a sight that was nothing short of breathtaking.

It wasn't the end of the forest or a human settlement. But the scope of the sight was so jaw-dropping that he didn't have time to feel disappointed. It was a circular clearing in the middle of the forest, far larger than the little patch of grass where he'd awoken—about a hundred feet across. The ground was covered in that pale-green moss, but unlike what he'd been walking over all this time, there were no ferns, vines, or low bushes at all. Just one thing, standing in the middle of the clearing.

Zora: What a huge tree...

The trunk of the tree couldn't have been less than thirteen feet across. Unlike the gnarled, broad-leaved trees of the forest, this was a conifer that stood absolutely straight. The bark was so dark it was nearly black, and numerous layers of branches spread out far, far above. It towered imperiously over everything.

Nearly every breath out of his mouth was a gasp. He had lost all caution for his surroundings, so enchanted was he at the sight. So, naturally, he didn't notice until it was far too late.

Zora: ?!

When he dropped his gaze to ground level, he met the eyes of someone peering around the trunk. Zora's breath caught in his throat, and he twitched, stumbled, and crouched. Zora's hand started to reach over his back, but there was no sword there. Fortunately, the first human he had seen in this world was not hostile or even cautious. The boy just stared at Zora, mystified.

The boy looked around Zora's age—about seventeen or eighteen. His ash-brown hair had just a hint of waviness. Just like Zora, he wore a simple tunic and trousers. He was sitting on a root like a bench, holding something round in his right hand.

He was a boy with soft-looking, flax-brown, slightly wavy hair, green eyes and a cream color skin.

The moment Zora saw his face, something deep in his head itched again... deep in his soul. But the instant he tried to seize the feeling, it vanished. Zora pushed aside that odd hesitation and decided to speak, to make it clear he had no hostile intentions. But before Zora could do so, he needed to know what language to say it in. He stood there for so long with his mouth agape that the other boy spoke first.

???: Who are you? Are you from around here?

There was something just barely alien about his accent, but it was otherwise perfect Japanese.

Zora(mind): Is he a tester like me? Or is he an NPC?

???: Do you have a name?

Zora knew that he couldn't stay silent forever, so he decided to give his players name.

Zora: My name is... Zora.

???: Zora?

Zora: I came from the forest over there. But I'm not sure where I am or anything.

???: The forest? You mean from the south? Did you walk all the way from Zakkaria?

Zora: Er, n-no. I, um...actually, I don't know where I came from, really...I just kind of woke up from being passed out in the forest...

Zora was hoping for a response like, [Oh, an STL error? Hang on, I'll contact the operator], but the boy merely gave Zora the same shocked response.

???: What...? Then where do you live? Can you remember the name of the town?

Zora: I don't know. All I remember is my name...

???: I heard the stories. But I never thought I'd ever meet a real life lost child of Vecta. I can't believe it.

Zora: Huh? What's a Vecta?

???: Wait, isn't that what they were called where your from? When someone disappears one day or appears in the forest or fields all of a sudden, that's  what the villagers call them. The God of Darkness, Vecta, kidnaps people as a prank, stealing their memories and placing them in a far-off land. In my village, an old lady vanished years and years ago, they say.

Zora: Ohhh...Then maybe that's what I am...

Zora(mind): His responses are way to natural for an NPC. Then, how about a direct approach.

Zora: Anyway...I'm in a bit of a bind, so I'd like to leave. But I don't know how...

Silently, Zora was begging for the boy to pick up his hint, but the boy only looked at him with sympathy.

???: Yes, I'm sure you do. I think I know how to help you. The forest is huge and it's easy to get lost though. I can show you a path that leads north. As long as you stick to it you won't get lost.

Zora: Er, no, I mean... I want to log out.

The boy just looked at Zora confused.

???: Log out? What does that mean?

Zora(mind): Dammit...

That settled it. Whether tester or NPC, he was a pure resident of the realm with no concept of a virtual reality. Zora tried not to let the disappointment show as he hastened to clarify.

Zora: S-sorry, I think I slipped into my local slang for a moment. Um, what I meant to say was...I want to find a place I can stay in a nearby town or village.

Zora just gave a very weak excuse, but if anything, the boy was impressed.

???: Really? I never heard of that one before. And that black hair is uncommon in these parts...Perhaps you were born in the south.

Zora: M-maybe you're right.

Zora gave a stiff smile and he smiled back, all innocence, then crinkled his eyebrows with worry.

Zora(mind): Now what...? He could be a tester, but if he is, his memory is definitely blocked.

???: My village is called Rulid. And is beyond those trees. But we don't get many travelers, so there is no inn. I think if we go to the church and explain your situation to sister Azalia, she might agree to put you up.

Zora: Oh...I see. That's good. In that case, I'll go to the village. Just north of here, you said?

Zora glanced ahead and saw that in the opposite direction of the way he'd come, there was indeed a narrow trail. No sooner had he started walking than the boy held out a hand to catch Zora's attention.

???: Oh, wait a moment. Your a stranger in these parts. I don't think the guards at the gate are going to let you in so easily. Hmm... You know what? If I go with you and talk to them they should understand your situation.

Zora: Thanks, that'll be a big help.

???: But, I can't go yet. I have to finish my work first. And I won't be done for another four hours.

Zora: It's fine, I can wait. I appreciate the help.

???: I see! Okay, then have a seat somewhere. Oh... I haven't told you my name have I?

Zora: Um, no.

He held out his right hand.

Eugeo: I'm Eugeo. How'd you do?

Zora: Eugeo? Sounds familiar?

His grip was much firmer than his skinny build would suggest. Zora rolled the name around in his head. He didn't recall hearing it before, and it didn't sound like it belonged to any language in particular, but the word was familiar on his tongue for some reason.

Eugeo: What's wrong, Mr Zora?

The boy named Eugeo let go and sat back down on the tree root, took the rolls out of the cloth, and handed one to Zora.

Zora: Oh, I'm fine. And please call me Zora.

Eugeo: Okay. Nice to make your acquaintance Zora. And please call me Eugeo.

Zora held his hand and shook Eugeo's hand.

Eugeo: That's right. You must be hungry.

Eugeo then hand Zora a bread.

Zora: Thank you.

Zora(mind): He's definitely not an NPC. Still not sure if he's a test player though. Or maybe this isn't VR... but reality?

Eugeo: Well, that bread's only good point is how long it lasts, but it never hurts to be sure.

Eugeo put his left hand above the piece of bread he held in the other. With his index and middle fingers, he traced a curvy figure in the air that was like a combination of an S and a C. To Zora's astonishment, he tapped the roll, and with a strange sound like vibrating metal, a glowing, translucent light-purple rectangle appeared. It was about six inches wide and three inches tall.

Zora(mind): Okay... I think he went like this...

From a distance, he could make out the familiar letters of the alphabet and Arabic numerals. It was a status window.

Zora(mind): That settles it. This ain't reality or a parallel dimension... It's VR.

That confirmation brought a wave of relief to Zora's mind, and his body suddenly felt lighter. He had been 99 percent certain before, but that last little bit of blank uncertainty had been weighing on him.

Of course, the circumstances of his dive was still unknown, but with the reassurance that he was within the familiar embrace of a virtual world came a bit of comfort and confidence. He leaned in for a closer look.

The contents were very simple: just a single line that said Durability: 7. It was clearly the life span of the bread.

Zora(mind): When that fell to zero, what exactly would happen to it, though?

Eugeo: Hey, Zora. Don't tell me you forgot how to use the Stacia Window too?

Zora: No of course not.

Zora looked up and saw Eugeo staring at him suspiciously, holding his bread. Zora put on a reassuring smile and brushed away the window, which vanished in a little spray of light. It was a relief that Zora had demonstrated some familiarity. Fortunately, Eugeo seemed satisfied with that.

Eugeo: You can take your time eating it if you want. It still has plenty of life left. If this were summer, no would be able to keep it this long.

Zora had guessed that the "life" Eugeo mentioned was the durability of the item. "Stacia Window" was the name for the status window. Based on how Eugeo had described the act of calling up the window as a "sacred art," Eugeo understood this not within the context of a computer system but as a religious or magical phenomenon. There was a lot still to process, but he set that aside for the more pressing concern of his hunger.

Zora: Okay, here we go.

Zora opened his mouth wide and bit down.

Zora: Holy? It's solid rock.

The toughness of the bread was astonishing, but Zora couldn't just spit it out; he had to keep chewing. The sensation was more real than any virtual food he'd ever tasted, which he marveled at even as his teeth felt ready to loosen in their sockets.

Eugeo: It's not very good huh. I get them from the bakery every morning on my way here, but it's so early they only have the leftover from the day before. And I don't have time to go during the noon for fresh one.

Zora: Ohh...Couldn't you just bring lunch from home...?

Zora wondered idly. Eugeo looked down, bread still in his hand. Zora winced, realizing it was none of his business, but fortunately, Eugeo looked back up and smiled.

Eugeo: Well actually, someone use to bring me my lunch everyday but... Not anymore...

His green eyes wavered, brimming with the deep sadness of loss, and Zora was so absorbed in it that he had forgotten this whole world was a creation.

Zora: What happened...?

Eugeo looked up at the branches far, far above in silence. Eventually, he began to tell the story.

Eugeo: She was my childhood friend... She was the same age as me. When we were little, we played together all the time, and after I received my Calling, she would bring me lunch everyday without fail. But then, six years ago...in my eleventh summer, an Integrity Knight came to the village...and took her away to the central city...

Integrity Knight. Central city. The terms were unfamiliar, but the context of his statement suggested an agent for maintaining order and the capital of this virtual world. Zora held his silence, urging Eugeo on.

Eugeo: It was...my fault. On a day of rest, the two of us went spelunking in the northern cave...and we got lost on the way back and wound up leaving through the other side of the End Mountains. You know what the Taboo Index says—the land of darkness that we cannot set foot in. I didn't venture out of the cave, but she tripped, and her hand landed on the ground of the other side...And just for doing that, an Integrity Knight came to the village, tied her up in chains in front of everyone...

Zora(mind): Taboo Index...

The half-eaten bread crumbled in Eugeo's hand.

Eugeo: I tried to save her. I didn't care if he arrested me, too. I was going to attack him with the ax...but my hands and feet wouldn't move. All I could do was stand there and watch as she was taken away...

Eugeo continued to stare at the sky, his face devoid of emotion. Eventually, his lips curled into a self-deprecating sneer. He tossed the smooshed bread into his mouth and chewed it viciously as he lowered his face. Zora didn't know how to respond. He took his own bite of bread and chewed it as best he could as he considered the information.

Zora: Do you know...what happened to her...?

Eugeo didn't look up. He shook his head weakly.

Eugeo: The Integrity Knight said she would be questioned and sentenced...but I have no idea what sentence she was given. I tried asking her father, Elder Gasfut, once...and he told me to assume that she was dead. But I still have faith, Zora. I know she's alive.

He paused.

Eugeo: Alice is alive, somewhere in the city...

Zora(mind): Alice... I know that name... Alice...

Zora sucked in a sharp breath as soon as he heard that name. Again, an odd sensation raced through my brain. Panic. Desolation. And most of all, a soul-shaking nostalgia... It was an illusion. Zora told himself that and waited for the shock to pass. He had no personal connection to this Alice, Eugeo's old friend.

Eugeo: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dump all that on you. I know we just met and all, but it feels like we're old friends.

Zora: Ahaha... That's okay. I don't mind. So, why don't you go find her? Go to the Central city.

As soon as Zora said the words, he realized he had made a mistake. The suggestion was too far outside of Eugeo's regular expectations. The flaxen- haired boy stared at Zora for several seconds without reaction, then whispered incredulously.

Eugeo: Rulid Village is at the very northern end of the Norlangarth Empire. To get to Centoria at the very southern end of the empire, it would take an entire week with the fleetest of horses. I mean, it takes two days just to walk to Zakkaria, the nearest town. You couldn't even get there in a day if you left at sunrise on a day of rest.

Zora: Then if you prepared for a proper journey...

Eugeo: Listen, Zora. You're about my age—didn't you get a Calling where you grew up? You know I can't just abandon my Calling and go on a journey.

Zora: Oh, g-good point.

Eugeo claimed he wasn't arrested because he didn't venture into this area defined by what he called the "Taboo Index." So that was the absolute standard he had to follow—probably hard-coded through his fluctlight. He didn't know what Eugeo's Calling was, but it was hard to believe that it could be more important than the life or death of the girl he grew up with.

Deciding to get to the bottom of this, Zora chose his words carefully as Eugeo put the waterskin to his mouth.

Zora: So in your village, are there others besides Alice who broke the Taboo... Index and got taken to the city?

His eyes widened again. He wiped his mouth and shook his head vigorously.

Eugeo: Oh, no. In three hundred years of Rulid history, the only time an Integrity Knight has ever come was that one time, six years ago. According to Old Man Garitta.

Eugeo tossed Zora the water. He caught it, thanked Eugeo, and pulled out the stopper, which looked like a cork. The water wasn't cold, but there was a pleasant aroma to it, something like a mix of lemon and herbs. He took three mouthfuls and handed it back to Eugeo.

Zora(mind): Three hundred years?!

If that wasn't just a piece of background writing but indicated three whole centuries of fully simulated time, then the fluctlight acceleration factor would have to be hundreds...over a thousand, even. If that was how quickly they had accelerated Zora's personal time when he went on that recent continual-dive test, how long had he'd actually been inside the machine? He felt a belated chill crawl across his forearms, and he was too preoccupied to even marvel at how real it felt. The more information Zora attain, the deeper the mysteries got.

Zora(mind): Was Eugeo a human being or a program? Why was this world built?

To learn more, Zora need to go to Eugeo's home of Rulid and contact other people. Hopefully he would run into someone from Rath who could fill him in...

Zora: Thanks for the bread. And sorry about taking half your lunch.

Eugeo: No, don't worry. I'm sick of that stuff anyway. Well, lunch is over, so I better get back to work. So wait for me.

Zora: By the way, what is your job...I mean, your Calling?

Eugeo: Oh, right...You can't see it from over there.

He smiled and beckoned to Zora and he got up, curious, and followed Eugeo around to the other side of the tree trunk. There he saw an ax.

(Timeskip)

Eugeo continued his chopping with mechanical precision and speed while Zora watched his smooth form in total wonder. He made fifty chops at four seconds each in exactly two hundred seconds, then slowly pulled the ax out after the last one and heaved a deep breath. He stood the ax against the trunk again and sat down heavily on a nearby root. Based on the pace of his breathing and the beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, the swings were much more laborious than Zora had thought.

Zora: So, you're Calling is a woodcutter?

Eugeo: Well, I guess you can call it that. Not that I've cut down a single tree in my seven years since I received my Calling.

Zora: Eh...?

Eugeo: This enormous tree is called the Gigas Cedar in the sacred tongue. But most of the villagers just call it the devil tree.

Zora(mind):...Sacred tongue? Giga...Seeder?

A smile of a certain kind of understanding appeared on Eugeo's face in response to Zora's confusion. He pointed up at the branches far, far above.

Eugeo: The reason they call it that is because the tree sucks up all of Terraria's blessings from the land around it. That's why only moss grows beneath the reach of its branches, and all the trees where its shadow falls do not grow very tall.

Zora(mind): Terraria?

Zora didn't know what Terraria was, but the first impression he got when he saw the giant tree and its clearing was largely correct. Zora nodded, prompting Eugeo to continue.

Eugeo: The villagers want to clear the forest and plant new fields. But as long as this tree stands, no good barley will grow. So we want to cut it down, but, as the name suggests, the demon tree's trunk is wickedly tough. A single swing from a normal iron ax will chip the blade and ruin it. So they saved up a bunch of money to get this Dragonbone Ax carved from ancient dragon bone shipped from the center capital, and they designated a dedicated 'carver' to strike at the tree every day. That's me.

Zora: So...you've been chopping away at this tree for seven whole years? And that's all you've managed in that time?

Now it was Eugeo's turn to be stunned. He shook his head in disbelief.

Eugeo: Hardly. I'm the seventh generation carver. For 300 years, generations of carvers have chopped away every day, and this how far we've gotten.

Zora: For 300 years?!

In fantasy-themed MMOs, it was a given that production classes like craftsmen or miners were doomed to a whole lot of tedious repetition, but spending an entire lifetime to not even cut down a single tree was taking it to a new extreme. Human hands created this world, so someone must have placed this tree here for a reason, but Zora couldn't begin to guess what it would be.

Zora: Hey, Eugeo...mind if I try that?

Eugeo: What?

Zora: I mean, you gave me half your lunch. Doesn't it make sense for me to do half the work?

Eugeo was stunned, as if no one had ever offered to help him at his work before in his life—which could very well be the case.

Eugeo: Well, it doesn't say in the Taboo Index that you can't have someone help you with your Calling...But it's harder then it looks, you know.

Zora: Never know until I try, right?

Zora grinned, then took the Dragonbone Ax. Despite being made of bone, the ax was tremendously heavy. Zora added a second hand to the grip and shook a bit as he tested my balance.

Zora had never used an ax as his main weapon in either SAO or ALO, but he figured he would at least be good enough with it to hit a stationary target. So he stood at the left end of the cut and tried to mimic Eugeo's form, spreading his feet and lowering his hips. Eugeo stood at a safe distance, watching Zora with equal parts consternation and entertainment. Zora lifted the ax up to his shoulder, gritted his teeth, summoned all the strength he had, and swung for the cut in the trunk of the "Giga Cedar."

The ax head cracked on a spot about two inches away from the center of the slice. Orange sparks flew, and a terrific shock ran through Zora's hands. He dropped the ax and cradled his numb wrists between his knees, groaning.

Zora: OOOOWWWWW.....!!!!!!!

Eugeo laughed heartily at the embarrassing spectacle Zora'd put on. He glared at Eugeo, and he waved in apology but continued laughing.

Zora: You don't have to laugh that hard...

Eugeo: Ha-ha-ha...No, no, I'm sorry. You put way too much tension into your shoulders and hips, Zora. You've got to relax your whole body...Hmm, how to explain it...

He awkwardly pantomimed swinging an ax.

Zora(mind): That's right. This is a Virtual World. It's not about my real ability, but my avatars.

The feeling was coming back to his hands, so he picked up the ax lying at his feet.

Zora: Just wait, I'll hit it right on the mark this time...

Zora held up the ax again, this time using as little muscle tension as possible. He envisioned all the movement of his body and slowly pulled back the tool.

Zora(mind): Sword Skill... Smash!

Zora shifted his weight forward, adding the energy to the rotation of his hips and shoulders down to the wrists and ax head, slamming it into the tree...This time it missed the cut in the tree entirely and twanged off the tough bark. He didn't get the same numbing jolt in his wrists, but he'd been so focused on his own movement that he neglected to aim properly. Zora figured that Eugeo would laugh again, but this time he offered honest feedback.

Eugeo: Whoa...that was pretty good, Zora. But your problem was that you were looking at the ax. You've got to keep your eyes focused right on the center of the cut. Try it again, while you've got the hang of it!

Zora: O-okay.

Zora's next attempt was also weak. But he kept trying, following Eugeo's advice, and somewhere a few dozen swings later, the ax finally struck true, producing that clear ring and sending a tiny little shard of black flying. At that point, Zora switched with Eugeo and watched him execute fifty perfect strikes. Then he handed it off, and Zora attempted another fifty wheezing swings.'

After a number of turns back and forth, Zora finally realized the sun was going down, and there was an orange tint to the light trickling into the forest clearing. He took the last swig of water from the large waterskin, and Eugeo set down the ax.

Eugeo: Okay, that's 1000 strikes.

Zora: Really? We did that many today?

Eugeo: Eugeo: Yeah. 500 for me, 500 for you. Strike the Gigas Cedar 2,000 to times in the morning and afternoon. That's my calling.

Zora: 2000 times.

Zora stared at the large crevice cut into the massive black tree. It didn't look like any damage had been done to it at all since they'd started.

Zora(mind): What a thankless job.

Euego: Your a natural at this, Zora. Thanks to your skill, I had an easy day today.

Zora: I dunno...if you were doing it all yourself, you'd have been done sooner. I feel bad; I was hoping to help out, but I only held you back.

Zora apologized, but Eugeo just laughed it off.

Eugeo: I told you, I can't cut down this tree for as long as I live. And after all, it will regrow half of the depth that we carve out over the course of the night... Oh hey, I've got something to show you. You're not really supposed to look at it, though.

He approached the tree and held up his left hand, making the usual sign with his two fingers, then tapped the black bark. Zora raced over to get a closer look, realizing that the tree itself must have a durability rating. The status, Stacia Window—appeared with a chime, and the two of them peered in at it.

Zora: Ugh...

Zora groaned. The number on the window was vast: over 232,000.

Eugeo: It's only gone down by about 50 since last month. You get it now, don't you? Even if you don't get a lot done in half a day, it doesn't make much of a difference. So you see, Zora...I could swing this ax for an entire year, and it would only reduce the life of the Gigas Cedar by about six hundred. I'll be lucky if the total is under 200,000 by the time I retire. Do you get it now? A little bit less progress over half a day doesn't make the least bit of difference. This isn't any ordinary tree; it's the giant god of cedars.

Suddenly, something clicked, and Zora understood the source of the name. It was a mix of Latin and English. The split wasn't after Giga, it was Gigas— there were two S sounds in a row. Gigas Cedar, the giant cedar.

Meaning that this boy spoke Japanese as his mother language, while English and other languages were treated as the "sacred tongue," like spells. If that was the case, he probably didn't even recognize that he was speaking Japanese.

Zora(mind): It was Underworldian. Or...Norlangarthian? But wait, when he talked about the bread, he had used the word pan, the Japanese word for it. But pan didn't originate from English...Wasn't it from Portuguese? Spanish?

Zora's mind tumbled through a cavalcade of distractions, while Eugeo tidied up the things he'd brought.

Euego: Thanks for waiting, Zora. Let's go to the village.

Eugeo then went to put the ax in a shed.

Zora: Shouldn't you lock it?

Eugeo: What for?

Zora: Er, because...it might get stolen...

Once Zora said his fear aloud, he realized where he went wrong. There were no thieves. No doubt in that Taboo Index there was an entry that said, "Thou shalt not steal," or something along those lines. Sure enough, Eugeo gave Zora the exact answer he had just been anticipating.

Eugeo: That would never happen. It says in the Taboo index not to steal, remember? And I'm the only one who's allowed to open this shed.

Zora: O-Oh yeah...

Zora figured as much. Then another question occurred to him.

Zora: But...didn't you say there were guards in the village, Eugeo? Why would that be a profession if there are no thieves or bandits?

Eugeo: Isn't that obvious? To protect the village from the forces of darkness.

Zora: Forces of...darkness...

Eugeo: Look, you can see up there.

He held up his hand to point just as we crossed the last line of trees. There was a full field of barley wheat ahead. The heads, still young and green and not yet expanding, swayed in the breeze. They caught the full light of the waning sun like a sea of grass. The path continued on through the field, winding toward a hill in the far distance. Atop the tree-dotted hill, as small as specks of sand to the eye, was a number of buildings and one taller tower among them. That had to be the village of Rulid, Eugeo's home.

But what Eugeo pointed at was far beyond the village—a range of pure- white mountains faded with distance. The line of peaks continued as far as the eye could see to the left and right, like the sharp teeth of a saw.

Eugeo: Those are the End Mountains. On the other side is the land of darkness, beyond Solus's light. Black clouds cover the sky, even in the daytime, and the light of the heavens was red like blood. The ground and trees were all as black as coal...

Eugeo's voice trembled as he recalled his experiences from the distant past.

Eugeo: There are accursed humanoids in the land of darkness like goblins and orcs, and even more terrifying monsters...Not to mention knights of darkness who ride black dragons. Naturally, the Integrity Knights protect the mountain range, but every once in a while, some of them sneak in through the caves, from what I understand. I've never seen it happen myself. Plus, according to the Axiom Church, every thousand years, when the light of Solus weakens, the knights of darkness cross the mountains with a horde of enemies to attack. When that happens, the Integrity Knights will lead the village men-at- arms, the sentinels from larger towns, and even the imperial army in the fight against the monsters.

Eugeo paused, looked at Zora skeptically.

Eugeo: Even the youngest children in the village know this story. Did you even forget that when you lost your memory?

Zora: Uh...y-yeah. It sounds familiar to me...but some of the details are different.

Eugeo beamed in a way that made Zora wonder if he even understood the concept of doubt at all.

Eugeo: Oh, I see...Maybe you really did come from one of the three other empires, outside of Norlangarth.

Zora: M-maybe I did.

Zora agreed, and pointed toward the approaching hill to steer the conversation away from this dangerous topic.

Zora: That must be Rulid. Which one's your house, Eugeo?

Eugeo: The thing in front is the south gate, and my house is near the west gate, so you can't see it from here.

Zora: Ahh. And the building with the tower? Is that the church with Sister... Azalia?

Eugeo: That's right.

Zora squinted and made out a symbol at the tip of the narrow tower, a combination of cross and circle.

Zora: It's actually...fancier than I expected. Are they really going to let someone like me stay there?

Eugeo: Of course. Sister Azalia is a very nice person.

Zora wasn't entirely convinced, but if Azalia was as much a personification of selfless virtue as Eugeo, then Zora could probably manage safely as long as he kept the conversation on sensible ground. Then again, Zora was totally in the dark when it came to knowing what passed for "common sense" here.
Ideally, Sister Azalia would be one of Rath's stationed observers. But he doubted that any staff members charged with monitoring the state of their world would take on a vital role like the village elder or nun. It was more likely they'd take the role of a simple villager, which meant Zora had to find them. And that was assuming they had an observer in this tiny village at all.

(Timeskip)

He followed Eugeo across a mossy stone bridge spanning a narrow waterway and set foot into the village of Rulid. Someone stopped them.

???: Hey, Eugeo. Who's that?

Eugeo: Zink. This is Zora. He seems to be a lost child of Vecta.

The boy named Zink walked up to Zora.

Zink: Hey, you really can't remember anything?

Zora: No...

Zink: Did you forgot your Calling too?

Zora: Yeah, I guess...

Zink: Well, it probably wasn't a decent Calling anyway. Just like Eugeo there. It must've been one pointless, futile job!

Zora:...

Hearing this made Zora's hair covering his eyes.

Zink: Unlike my Calling, Man at arms-

Zora: Swordsman.

Eugeo and Zink: Huh?

Zora: That's my Calling. I'm a swordsman.

Zink: Swordsman? A scrawny, weak looking guy like you can wield a sword?

Zink then handed Zora his sword.

Zink: Then why don't you show me?

Zink then took Zora to a training field and Zora drew the sword and looked at it.

Zora(mind): A one handed sword this time, huh?

Zora got into stance and went to slash the target and the sword started to glow blue as he slashed the target in half and Eugeo and Zink were both shocked.

Zora(mind): No way... A Light Effect. Sword Skills exist in this world.

Euego: That was amazing, Zora! I didn't know you had skills like that! Maybe you were a sentinel in some big city?

Zora: I don't know... Maybe.

Eugeo: Zink. That's enough right? I'm going to let Zora into the village.

After leaving the station, they walked down the village's main street, attracting a slightly unnerving amount of attention. Several villagers asked who Zora was, and Eugeo stopped to explain each time, so it took them nearly thirty minutes to get to the small village square at the center of Rulid. One old lady carrying a large basket got teary-eyed when she saw Zora. "You poor thing!" she exclaimed, and pulled an apple out of the basket for him.

Zora: I'm so tired...

Eugeo: Well, we're here.

Zora: Finally. But is this okay? I mean everyone is just gonna accept me as a lost child of Vecta?

Eugeo: Yeah, we should be fine. Let's ask Sister Azalia.

By the time we got to the church standing on the small hill overlooking the village, the sun was almost entirely gone. Sister Azalia, a nun whose picture ought to be in the dictionary under the word stern, answered Eugeo's knock on the door.

Azalia: What do you boys want...?

Zora: Um, well... huh?

Zora noticed a girl inside with brown hair and blue eyes like his. But when she saw Eugeo, she seems somewhat surprise, but Eugeo looked away from her with a guilty face. After Eugeo explain the situation Sister Azalia welcomed Zora in almost instantly and offered him dinner to boot.

(Timeskip)

After Zora was done eating, he was sent to the bath, and after undergoing all of these many trials, he was free at last to lie here, in the bed in the guest room.

???: Here you go. A pillow and a blanket. Prayers start at six in the morning. Breakfast is at seven. I'll come check on you, but try to get up on your own. If you're late for prayers because you overstrain, Sister Azalia can be really scary! There's a curfew after lights out, so be mindful of that.

Zora accepted both the onslaught of words and the heavy pile of wool blankets with outstretched arms. A girl of about twelve years was standing before him as he sat on the bed. She wore a black habit with a white collar, and her light brown hair hung long down her back. Her big, busy eyes held none of the downcast obedience she'd displayed in the presence of the sister.

Her name was Selka, and she was a sister-in-training, studying sacred arts at the church. She was also charged with watching over the other boys and girls living at the church, which was probably why she bossed Zora around like a big sister or mother, despite being several years his junior. It was hard to keep the grin off his face.

Selka: Umm, is there anything else you need to know?

Zora: No, I think I've got it. Thanks for all the help.

For a brief moment, Selka's expression softened, and then it was back to fussy business as usual.

Selka: Good night then. You know how to put out the lamp, right?

Zora: Yeah. Good night, Selka. Truly, thank you for the generosity.

She nodded briskly and spun to leave the room, the hem of her slightly-too-large habit swaying. Once her quiet footsteps trailed away, Zora let out a long sigh.

Zora: What the hell is going on?

Zora sigh tiredly trying to think everything that's been going on from just this one day.

Zora(mind): This isn't the real world...And there isn't a single NPC in this village. Even so, there can't be enough STL's to allow every villager to log in as a tester. According to Eugeo...more then 300 years have passed in this world...And Eugeo has spent at least six year here. If that's true...then Eugeo and the others...

Zora turned off the lamp and got into bed.

Zora(mind): Eugeo and the others were raised here from the start. So they must be copies of the souls of newborns who were then raised in this virtual world. In other words, Artificial Fluctlights...it's hard to believe, but there's no other explanation. But why would they do something like that? And just how fast has time accelerated in this world? What will happen if I lived my life here before getting back into reality? I may be able to contact Kikuoka in a bigger city...Right now, I don't have the money to go on a journey, and I don't know enough about this world...

As Zora fell asleep, he heard his own voice rising from the depths of his mind.

Zora(mind): This wasn't the time to be searching left and right for an escape route. I had to go to the city. I had to find out the reason this world existed...