March 19, year 378 in the time of the realm of humanity
I got up from the ground holding my head. The hell man...I feel like I'm fresh off a hangover.....actually....where am I? I surveyed my surroundings and found myself in a forest of some sorts. Let's see....I met with Sinon at Agil's place and I decided to walk her home.....after that, it's all hazy... Wait, what am I wearing? Hm, I tried logging out as if it was a VR game but no luck. I inspected the nearby tree...it looked real enough...is this a VR game? Or perhaps it's.... wait, could it be the Underworld? That can't be right, if that were the case then I wouldn't remember anything.....
Maverick: Hey uh Kikuoka? Higa? If you can hear me, can you log me out?
No response....wait, could it be? Was I hit by truck-kun and got isekaied?! Haha.....ah who am I kidding...i'm not that lucky. Well...might as well walk through this forest until I find civilization....hopefully. After five or so minutes I came across a river. I took a drink and washed my face. I stared into my reflection seeing a younger me. So my avatar is a younger version of me.....god aging is scary. That's when something seemed to flash into my mind....two people, a boy and girl around the age range of maybe seven to eleven? Hm, what was that? It felt oddly familiar. Perhaps these might be my memories from when I was in the Underworld? I decided to keep walking down this trail. I swear, if I don't find any civilization, I'm gonna start doing some Minecraft and begin building a house. Shouldn't be too hard....probably. I kept walking until I saw what seems to be a clearing and that's when I saw this big ass tree. I wonder if it's a redwood or something. I walked towards the tree and seized it up before noticing something out of the corner of my eye. I looked at it and it was a person. The person must have heard my footsteps as he turned his head towards me and stood up. It was a boy with short blonde hair and green eyes and european look to him and was about my age albeit shorter than me.
Boy: Who are you? Where did you come from?
Maverick: That's a good question. I don't know where I came from.
Boy: What town did you come from?
Maverick: That's the thing. I don't remember. I woke up in the forest and made my way out. Here we are.
The boy tilted his head in slight awe.
Boy: I can't believe it. I've heard the stories, but I've never seen one before. A lost child of Vecta.
Maverick: Now you're making me sound like some exotic animal. Who's Vecta?
Boy: Huh? Isn't that what they're called in your homeland?
Maverick: I just told you that I don't remember where I'm from. I just woke up in a forest.
Boy: Right...my apologies. People who suddenly vanish without a trace or suddenly show up in the forest or in a field, these are lost children of Vecta. Vecta is a dark god who likes to prank humans by spiriting them away, stealing their memories, and leaving them somewhere far away.
Maverick: Sounds like an asshole.
Boy: A what?
Maverick: Forget it. Guess that's what I am. Anywho, you gotta place I could crash?
Boy: A place you could crash? Do you vandalize buildings or something?
Maverick: No that's not what I-*sigh* I wanted to know if there's a place I could stay in town.
Boy: Oh! That's the first time I've heard that phrase. Hm....my village is to the north. We don't get any travelers so there isn't an inn. But if we explain the situation, maybe Sister Azalia at the church will help you.
Maverick: Sounds good. I'll be sure to do that.
I began to walk away when the boy stopped me.
Boy: The men-at-arms there might not let you into the village if you're alone. I'll go with you and explain the situation.
Maverick: Will you now? Well I appreciate it.
Boy: But I still have work. It's going to take another four hours or so.
Maverick: I can wait. Don't really have anything better to do. Oh right, I haven't got your name.
Boy: Right, apologies....
The boy held his hand out and smiled.
Eugeo: My name is Eugeo. It's nice to meet you.
Eugeo? Hm, sounds familiar...
Maverick: I'm Maverick. Nice to meet you too.
Eugeo: Okay, find a seat somewhere Mr. Maverick.
Maverick: Thanks, also Maverick is fine.
Eugeo: Yeah? You can call me just Eugeo as well. You must be hungry.
I sat down beside Eugeo as he handed me a bread ball.
Eugeo: Hopefully the bread is still good. Better check to be sure.
Eugeo drew an S with two fingers and pressed it showing a menu. I did the same motion and the same menu popped up.
Eugeo: Hey Maverick, you at least familiar with the Stacia window right?
Maverick: Uh yeah. Just been awhile.....
Eugeo: It's still got plenty of life left so you don't have to eat it in a hurry. If it were summer, no way it would've last this long.
I took a bite into the bread and it was hard like stone.
Maverick: Damn, this is basically a rock. I could probably use this as a weapon.
Eugeo: Yeah I know. I go to the bakery everyday but it's so early that they only have bread from yesterday and it's too late to go at noon.
Maverick: Couldn't you just make something from home?
Eugeo: Well, years ago, somebody used to bring me lunch at noon every day.
Maverick: I'm guessing they don't now?
Eugeo solemnly nodded.
Maverick: What happened?
Eugeo: It was a girl that was the same age as me. She was my childhood friend. When we were little, we played together all the time. Even after I received my Calling, she'd bring me lunch every day....But..because of me..... One day, the two of us went to a cave up north and she accidentally entered the Dark Territory. A place that the Taboo Index forbids us from ever setting foot in. The next day, an Integrity Knight arrived in the village and she was....taken away....to the central city. But you know, Maverick, I still believe that's she's alive. I just know Alice is out there somewhere still alive within the central city.
Taboo Index....Alice these things sound so vaguely familiar.
Eugeo: Sorry for discussing something so strange. It doesn't feel like I just met you.
Maverick: That's mighty kind of ya. But thanks for sharing.
Eugeo: Thank you for listening.
Maverick: Still, why don't you go to this central city and look for her?
Eugeo: Even with a fast horse, it would take a week to get to the central city from my village.
Maverick: And? Preparation is everything. I'm sure you could make it if you prepped everything for the journey.
Eugeo: I would if I could. But, shirking my Calling would be a Taboo Index violation.
Maverick: I see......when was your friend taken?
Eugeo:Hm.....The summer I was eleven, so six years ago.
Eugeo tossed me his water skin as he stood up.
Eugeo: Well break time is over.
Maverick: Say Eugeo, what is this Calling of yours?
Eugeo: Oh, well my Calling is to cut down this enormous tree.
Eugeo picked up his axe and struck the tree.
Eugeo: This tree is called the Gigas Cedar. The villagers call it the Demon Tree since it sucks up all of Terraria's blessings from it's surroundings. So as long as this tree is standing, we'll never be able to expand our wheat fields. So the village sent for this here Dragonbone Axe from the central city so a dedicated carver could strike it every day. That's me.
Maverick: You've been at this for seven years?! And that's all the progress you've made?!
Eugeo: Hardly. I'm the seventh-generation carver. For three hundred years, carvers have chopped at this tree.
Maverick: What in the goddamn...... Well, would you mind if I took a crack at this?
Eugeo:?!
Maverick: I kinda feel bad watching you work even though you gave me some food and drink. The least I could do is help out.
Eugeo: Well the Taboo Index doesn't say that you can't get assistance for your Calling. It's harder than it looks you know....
Maverick: I'm sure it is.
I took the axe into my hands and took a couple practice swings and then began seeing where I was gonna hit. After calculating my hit. I reached back and struck the tree. I completely missed the indent feeling the shock from the hit. I placed the axe down and shook my hands while Eugeo laughed.
Eugeo: You're putting too much into shoulders and hips. Try to relax your body more.
Maverick: I can do that.
I picked the axe back up and rolled my arms before taking a deep breath and swinging the axe hitting the mark.
Eugeo: Nice work!
Eugeo and I continued switching at intervals until he stopped us.
Eugeo: Alright,that's 1,000 times. 500 for me, 500 for you. Strike the Gigas Cedar 2,000 times in a day. 1,000 in the morning, 1,000 in the afternoon. Thanks to you, I had an easy day today.
Maverick: Heh, I appreciate the modesty but I'm sure that you would've finished much earlier if I wasn't holding you back.
Eugeo: Don't feel too bad. Here, let me show you something.
Eugeo showed the tree's HP. WHAT KIND OF TREE HAS 320,826 HP?!
Eugeo: It's only gone down about 50 since last month. You get it now don't you? Even if you don't get much done, it doesn't make much of a difference. Well, let me go put this axe away.
I followed Eugeo as he placed the axe in a storage cabin and closed the door without locking it.
Maverick: Aren't you gonna lock it?
Eugeo: What for?
Maverick: So no one steals it?
Eugeo: No need to worry, the Taboo Index forbids stealing, remember?
Maverick: Sure.
How much faith does he have in this Taboo Index? I followed Eugeo towards the town as I gazed out towards the plains but the one thing that I noticed was that there were no animals. I mean, there were insects and bugs but no cows, bears, deer, moose, fish, pretty much anything that could be killed for something. As we headed into town we were stopped by some fuckboy looking dude.
Zink: Hey Eugeo. Who's this?
Eugeo: Zink. This is Maverick. He seems to be a lost child of Vecta.
Zink approached us and then turned his attention towards me.
Zink: Hey, you really can't remember anything?
Maverick: Nope.
Zink: Not even your calling?
Maverick: Nope.
Zink: Well, it probably wasn't a decent calling anyway. Just like Eugeo here. It must've been one pointless, futile job!
Maverick: Now, now, Tink-Tink. Let's not go around talking about people's calling when I'm pretty sure you barely know how to use that sword of yours as you stand around doing nothing.
Zink: What was that? Do you think you can handle this here sword?
Maverick: I can probably handle it better than your scrawny ass.
Zink: Ha! Then why don't you show me?
Maverick: Thought you'd never ask.
Zink took us to the training area as my goal was to land a decent hit on the wooden pillar. I took the sword from Zink and drew it from it's sheath. A one-handed broadsword. Not what I was hoping for since I've been really digging two-handed ones and Sugu's teachings have been clutch but can't complain. I approached the pillar and gripped the sword firmly and swung in a backhand motion slicing the pillar and taking a section of it cleanly off. Was that a light effect? So sword skills exist in this world. Just what I needed......
Eugeo: That was amazing, Maverick! I didn't know you could use a skill like that! Maybe you were a sentinel in some big city?
Maverick: Perhaps........ Hey Zink.
Zink: Y-Yes?
Maverick: No hard feeling right?
Zink: Yeah...none at all.
I sheathed the sword and handed it back to Zink to which I shook his hand. Eugeo and I made our way through the village with practically everyone stopping us to greet me. Eventually we made it to the church as Eugeo knocked on the door. The door opened revealing an old lady wearing church clothing. She kinda looked like that one teacher lady from the Jimmy Neutron show. I noticed a girl behind her as she met eyes with Eugeo who averted his gaze. He quickly explained the situation and the sister agreed to let me stay. I parted ways with Eugeo and entered the church. The sister led me to an empty room and left. The young girl, Selka behind Sister Azalia entered the room and gave me spare bedding.
Selka: Here you go. A pillow and blanket. Prayers start at six in the morning. Breakfast is at seven. If you're late for prayers because you overslept, Sister Azalia can be really scary! There's a curfew after lights out, so be mindful of that.
The girl turned her eyes towards the door as I heard little footsteps run off.
Selka: Um....do you have any other questions?
Maverick: I'm okay. Thanks.
Selka: Have a goodnight. You know how to put out the lamp, right?
Maverick: Yeah. Have a goodnight Selka.
Selka flashed me a smile and left the room. I sat up and turned my lamp off and opened the window feeling the cool breeze brush against my face. This world.....it feels so real. Everything feels natural.... According to Eugeo, 300 years have passed in this universe. I wonder how much time has passed in the real world.....Whatever the case may be, I need to find a way to contact the outside world ASAP. Man, these Artificial Fluctlights sure are the real deal.....Man, what kind of science experiment did I get myself into this time? I probably should've asked Kirito about the details of this stuff. I let out a heavy sigh as I closed my eyes. No point rushing things when I don't have skills, currency, and intel to go on a journey.... Hm, that central city might be where I will find my answers. That will be my main objective for now. Actually.....my main objective is to go to sleep for now.....