Sword Art Online - Volume 9 - Alicization Beginning

by Reki Kawahara

  First, I want to moisten my dry throat which is protesting up until now. I turned my body around on the center of the grass covered ground I was standing on. The direction where a faint streaming sound came from, judging by the sun’s location, would probably be the east.

  Before I started moving, my right hand searched my back again, of course there was not a single stick there, let alone a sword. I kicked the hopelessness away as I put my right foot out, it was just in ten steps that I reached the end of the grass covered ground. I passed through the two old trees which rose as if they were natural gateposts, and stepped into the gloomy forest.

  The forest floor was covered in a velvet-like thick moss, the space felt suspiciously strange. The leaves of overgrown trees obstructed almost all sunlight, it was just narrow beams of gold light that managed to reach the ground. The butterflies dancing over the grasses were replaced with strange beetles which looked like dragonflies or moths, they glided soundlessly in the air. Occasionally, a sound of something from somewhere reached my ears. It was a scene I didn’t think could be earth in the real world.

  I walked for about fifteen minutes while praying that a hostile large animal or monster would not come out. I felt greatly relieved when the path that had a deluge of sunlight came into view. As the sound of water became clear, I was certain that up ahead would be a river. I naturally quickened my feet while suppressing my dry throat.

  The moment I rushed out of the dense forest, separated by a three meter wide area of grasses, was the surface of water, in which the silver light of the sun bounced off and entered my eyes.

  “W-Water—”

  With a miserable groan, I unsteadily walked along the final distance, before throwing my body down onto the soft undergrowth riverside.

  “Uo……”

  I unintentionally raised a sound once I laid on my stomach.

  What a beautiful stream. The river wasn’t wide, as I slowly crawled, I could see the stunning transparency of the water current. Like a drop of blue paint hanging on pure lack of color, I could clearly see white sands of the riverbed through the extremely clear mountain stream.

  Up until several seconds ago, with the remaining small possibility that this place was the real world, I would have to consider the dangers of drinking unboiled water. However, watching the stream which looked as if it was from melted crystals, unable to resist the temptation, my right hand plunged into the river’s surface. With a high-pitched sound as if it was cutting the cold water, my right hand poured the liquid into my mouth.

  Could this be called sweet? I couldn’t feel any impurities at all, the faint sweet and fresh taste of water made me no longer want to buy mineral water from convenience stores ever again. After using both hands to dip in the water in rapid succession, I finally put my mouth into the water surface.

  While thinking that this was exactly the taste of the water of life, in the corner of my mind, the possibility that this place was a virtual world created from the current FullDive machine was completely eliminated.

  That was because, for the most recent machine now —— namely, the AmuSphere, it was impossible to recreate liquid to this perfection. A polygon was an infinite number of coordinates forming a leveled surface before connecting to each other to create an object, it wasn’t suitable to reproduce the randomness and complicated shape of water. However, the state of water swaying in my hands, spilling, and flowing down had no trace of artificiality in it at all.

  I also want to drop the possibility that this is the real world—— while thinking so, I raised my body and looked around again. Such a clean river, the fantastic forest that continue along the opposite bank, and those vividly colored small animals, I don’t think exist anywhere on earth. In general, isn’t nature the thing that if touched by human hands will become a harsh environment? Also, is there any reason that I have yet to be bitten by an insect, even though I wandered around for a while dressed lightly like this?

  ——As I thought this, I had a feeling that the STL would summon a large horde of poisonous insects, I stood up while shaking that thought off. After I readjusted the possibility of this place being the real world down to one percent, Now, I looked to my left and right.

  The flow of the river drew a gradual curve from the north to the south. The end of both directions were swallowed by groups of big trees. However, from its cleanliness, coolness, and width, I thought the source of the river should be quite close. If that was the case, the possibility of houses or towns existing downstream should be high.

  It’d be easy if I have a boat… I thought as I started to walk downstream —— at that time,

  The breeze that changed direction slightly carried an odd sound into my ears.

  Hard, either a big tree or something similar was struck, that kind of sound. It wasn’t just once. I listened to the regular paced sound that had about a four second interval.

  It isn’t from an animal nor a natural source. It’s almost certainly a man-made sound. It should be the sound of someone cutting a tree in this forest. But trying to approach might be dangerous, I made a bitter smile after thinking for a moment. This isn’t an MMORPG world where fighting and killing is recommended anyway. Getting into contact with other people and obtaining information is currently an option at top priority.

  I made a half circle turn toward the upstream of the river, where the dry echoes came from.

  Suddenly, I had a feeling that I saw a strange scene.

  On the right was a rippling surface of a river. A dense and deep forest on the left. In front was a green path extending to somewhere.

  There, three children were walking side by side. Between a black haired boy and a light brown haired boy, a girl wearing a straw hat had her long golden hair swaying dazzlingly. Under the full mid summer sunlight, the gold radiance scattered freely.

  Is this —— memory……?

  Far away, the days which wouldn’t return. The eternal trust they vowed to do everything to protect, but like an ice dropped into sunlight, abruptly vanished——

  Those nostalgic days.

  Part 2

  Just as I blinked once, the illusory scene abruptly disappeared, just like when it had appeared.

  What was that just now? Even though the illusion had already disappeared, the overflowing feeling of nostalgia wouldn’t leave, the middle of my chest felt tight and painful.

  A childhood memory—— I had a strong feeling when I saw the back of the three children walking along the river bank. The black haired boy walking on the right, wasn’t that me?

  But such a thing can’t be possible. As there are no deep forests nor that clear river in Kawagoe, where I live, and I never had friends with those hair colors either. And before that, all three children were wearing the same fantasy clothes I’m wearing too.

  If this is inside the STL, the illusion just now is the memory from the continuous Diving on the first weekend? But even thinking it that way, due to the STL’s Fluctlight Acceleration function, I should have been inside for ten days at most. Such a short time wouldn’t be able to cause that throbbing pain in the chest from nostalgia like just now.

  The situation seemed to proceed further and further into an inexplicable direction. Am I really who I thought I am? as such doubt returned to me, I fearfully looked into the surface of the river beside me, however, I couldn’t see the difference as the face reflected off the undulated stream was distorted.

  As I tried to forget the prickly pain of the remaining memory for now, the continuous sound that reached my ears became clear. When I tried to listen to it again, this sound also made me feel nostalgia, but I didn’t know if I had heard this sound of wood being cut before. I shook my head slightly before starting to walk upstream again.

  While I was moving both feet single-mindedly, I had a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery once more, then I noticed that my direction had veered off to the left. Apparently, the source of the sound wasn’t from the river bank, but seemed to be a place slightly dee
per inside the forest on my left.

  The strange sound I tried to count on my fingers didn’t continue to echo constantly. It repeated for exact fifty times, then was followed by a gap about three minutes, before resuming another fifty times. Finally I was certain that it could be nothing but a human-made sound.

  During the three minutes of silence, I walked in the general direction of the sound, then made some minor adjustment when the sound resumed. I already separated from the river bank and returned to the insides of the forest. I proceeded silently as I reunited with the strange dragonflies, the blue lizards, and the giant mushrooms.

  “……Forty-nine, ……fifty…”

  An unaware low voice counted at the exact same time as the fiftieth strike had ended, it was then I noticed that the gap of the groove of the tree up ahead became brighter. So that’s the forest exit? Or it could possibly be a village. I quickened my feet toward the light.

  I clambered the tree roots which were raised up like stairs, when my face came out to the shadow of the old tree trunk, in front of my eyes was —— the scene that could be said unbelievable.

  Although the forest ended right there, there was no village. But I didn’t have time to feel disappointed, as I absentmindedly stared with my mouth open.

  It was a circular open gap of a clearing in the forest. It was certainly wider than the place I woke up a while ago. The diameter should be about thirty meters. Also, the ground which was covered in green and gold moss was different from the forest I had walked past, there were no ferns, vines, nor short shrubs at all.

  Then, at the center of the clearing, my gaze was fixed on something that rose up high.

  What a huge tree!

  Estimating with my eyes, its diameter shouldn’t be less than four meters. The trees I saw until now in this forest were all broadleaf trees with rugged and waved trunks, but the huge tree stretched high up in front of my eyes was a needle-leaved tree. Its bark was of a dark color close to black, and upon looking up, I could see that its branches spread out over each other high up into the sky. While I thought the Jomon cedar in Yakushima and the sequoia cedar in America I saw from images and videos were huge, I didn’t think the overwhelming presence of this tree could be something in the realm of nature, and I felt that it released the presence of an emperor.

  My gaze went from the top part, which completely obstructed the view above it, back to its base. I noticed the roots that were like big snakes wriggling about spread like a mesh in all direction, barely reaching the forest boundary where I stood. Or rather, as this tree had absorbed all the fertility, no other plant but moss could grow, resulting in a large clearing in the middle of the forest.

  Thinking about intruding into the garden of the emperor made me waver slightly, but the temptation to touch the trunk of the great tree led my feet to forward. Although I tripped several times due to the meandered roots below the moss, it didn’t stop me from looking up above my head, I slowly proceeded.

  I, who was approaching the trunk of the great tree while sighing many times in admiration, had completely forgotten to be cautious about the surroundings. As a result, it was already too late by the time I realized it.

  “————!?”

  My line of sight, which suddenly returned to looking straight ahead, met the face of someone whose pupils were watching me from behind the tree trunk. I swallowed my breath. Being startled, I retreated half a step before falling to the ground. My right hand was about to take something from my back, of course, there was no sword.

  But fortunately, it seemed the first person I met in this world didn’t show hostility nor vigilance, just tilting his head in wonder.

  His age should be the same as mine —— I looked at the boy, aged around seventeen, or eighteen. His soft-looking ash brown hair was slightly wavy. His clothes were the same unbleached short sleeved tunic and trousers as mine. He used the roots of the tree as a bench to sit on, and in his right hand was something round.

  What was strange was his appearances. Although his skin was cream colored, but he couldn’t be considered a westerner, and at the same time, he couldn’t be an easterner either. I looked at the dark green eyes on his thin and tender features.

  The moment I saw his face, my head…… the insides of my soul felt a throbbing pain. However, that feeling vanished as soon as I tried to catch it. I patiently tried to forget it, as for now, I opened my mouth to declare that I had no hostility against him. ——But, what should I say? And before that, what language should I use? I had no idea at all. As I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly like an idiot, the boy spoke first,

  “Who are you? Where did you come from?”

  That slightly foreign intonation was —— in perfect Japanese.

  I received the same shock as when I first looked at the jet black great tree, and became absentminded for a while. In this place, which no matter how I looked, wasn’t Japan, hearing my native language in this different world was something I didn’t expect at all. Once I got used to hearing the words flowing out of the mouth of this boy, who was wearing exotic clothes western Europe during the Middle Ages, it felt like non-reality, as if I had jumped into a dubbed western film.

  However, this was not the situation I could become engrossed in. This was where I practiced thinking. I began to desperately rotate my brain, which I felt had become rusty these days.

  Assuming this world is a virtual world created by STL, in other words, «Underworld». The boy in front of me is either, ① a test player during the Dive, and possesses the real world memories just like me, ② a test player but his memories were restricted, becoming a resident of this world, or ③ an NPC being operated by the program.

  If it’s the first then it’d be quick. Just explain my strange situation to him and ask him for a way to log out.

  But if it’s the second or third, the situation won’t be that easy. Toward the human that acts as an inhabitant of Underworld or an NPC, if I suddenly said something he couldn’t understand like Soul Translator’s abnormality or a way to log out, it might cause an intense cautiousness which will make gathering information later on become difficult.

  So, it’s necessary to choose some safe words to talk to this boy and assert his position. As I secretly wiped the cold sweat off my palm using my trousers, I put on a smiling face and opened my mouth,

  “Umm…… my name is……”

  I hesitated for a moment. Japanese style or western style, what is the common way used in this world? I then gave my name while praying that it would be suitable for both ways,

  “——Kirito. I came from over there, but at the moment I’m a bit lost……”

  As I spoke, I pointed at a direction behind me, probably to the south, and the boy looked at me in surprise. After placing the round object in his right hand down, he stood up with an agile movement, then pointed in the same direction as me.

  “There…… the southern forest? Are you from Zakkaria?”

  “N-No… it’s not like that.”

  My face became stiff at the sudden dilemma, but I managed to answer,

  “That, erm…… I also don’t know where I came from…… I found myself collapsed in the middle of the forest when I woke up……”

  ‘Oh, is something wrong with STL? Just wait for a sec, I’ll connect to the operator.’ ——was a reply I had expected from the bottom of my heart, however, the boy still looked surprised, he asked while still gazing at my face,

  “Hmm…… don’t know where you come from…… what about the town you were living in up until now……?”

  “A-Ah…… I can’t remember. The only thing I know is my name……”

  “……That’s a surprise…… The «Vector’s Prank», huh. Even though I’ve heard about it before…… but this is the first time I actually see it.”

  “V-Vector… prank……?”

  “Eh, you’ve never heard about it from your hometown? It’s what my village calls a person who one day suddenly disappears, then later on,
suddenly appears in the forest or the field. The god of darkness Vector loves to play pranks on humans by kidnapping them, pulling out their memories before throwing them out in a faraway land. Longgg ago, an old woman in my village had disappeared.”

  “H-Heh…… Then it’s possible that I’m also like that……”

  My situation is getting more suspicious, I nodded as I thought so. The boy in front of me no longer seemed to be a test player who was role playing. As my emotion was driven up the wall, I started saying something a little more dangerous,

  “Also…… there’s some trouble, and I want to get out of here once. But… I don’t know how to do so……”

  I desperately prayed that this would make him understand the situation, the sympathy showed in the boy’s green eyes as he nodded while saying,

  “Yeah, not knowing the way, it’s natural to get lost in this deep forest. But it’s alright, if you go north from here, you will find a road.”

  “N-No… erm……”

  Well, just do it then, I said out the main keyword,

  “……I want to log out.”

  To the word I bet my ray of hope on, the boy tilted his head before asking,

  “Log…… what was it? What do you mean?”

  It seems it’s confirmed by this.

  He is either a test player that is a pure inhabitant without any idea about this being the «Virtual world», or an NPC. While I was careful not to let my disappointment show on my face, I somehow added on a few words to deceive him,

  “S-Sorry, it seems I used the wrong wording for this region. Hmm…… I mean is there a village or a town somewhere I could stay in.”

  It was painful for me to say it. The boy then nodded in admiration.

  “Heh…… It’s the first time I heard such a word. Your black hair is also unusual around here…… it could be possible that you were born in the south.”

  “Y-Yeah, that may be so.”

  I gave a stiff smile as I looked at the boy who was smiling without any ill will, then, he frowned in pity.