The Underworld (Haitus)

Chapter 1|The Underworld

So. This is a book/story I won't really often update since my main is still ongoing, but I will write :3 I haven't really been online, and when I am, I'm often just reading other's books. Anyway, please enjoy it! (It's quite short :P)

Kirito POV

I searched around my surroundings. "Asuna-Asuna! Where's Asuna?" While I was frantically worried about my girlfriend, a yellow butterfly fluttering around, and I came to a choice, 'Is this a virtual world? I don't think Japan has this kind of nature.' I was surrounded by a forest. I scrunched my hand and opened it. 'It's just like real life, just less... techy?' I slapped myself into reality, 'Wait... then how am I in another reality? This can't be real...' Then I realised "The STL, Kikuoka."

Flashback

Before being injected, I had gotten a part-time job from R. A. T. H saying that they needed a special someone to test something out. When I arrived at the Ocean Turtle, I quickly figured out that it was a mythical creature from the Jabberwocky. The Rath was a mythical creature that looked like a combination of a pig and turtle. I was guaranteed access and was plunged into another world, only to forget everything that happened. Sitting up straight, tears flowed down my face to only realise my memories had been blocked. I asked Mr Higa and he explained some of it, "So, basically," he slurped on his noodles before looking up and apologising, "sorry, but damn, these cup noodles are good. Anyway, the reason why we need to block your memories is that if the real Kazuto, you, interfere with the project, something unexpected may happen. We can't afford it to all fall apart because of one minor mistake we made. I'm sorry, we got this going right after the Seed was published and look at where we are right now..." he glanced back to the large screen that monitored the Underworld, "We've worked so hard."

End of flashback

Is this... the Underworld? I flexed my hands, in and out, yup, it seems normal. It wasn't until I walked a few steps when I heard a constant sound. It was hollow and it seemed as if someone were banging on a wall, but that can't be that loud can it? Walking in the lush green forest, I looked around to identify the mysterious sound. Gentle crunches replaced my footsteps, and from here, I could hear the, now, clear and harsh wood chopping. I sped my pace. In front of me was a tree. Not a normal one, oh wow, definitely not a normal one, it was at least 30-40 metres tall, the width being more than a school bus. However, below it, was the source of the noise. A boy. His flaxen blonde hair shone like gold in the daylight, and with an axe on his back, he struck again making a hollow, but clear sound. Didn't Kikuoka say they were NPCs? Is this an event NPC?

"H-Hello?," I walked towards him, instinctively bowing my head, "Do you know where...this place is?" Normally, the NPC would respond through the system of some sort, but this boy, he just broke all the four walls and responded with, "It's the outskirts of Rulid."

"Rulid?" Am I supposed to have a mini-map? C'mon, even SAO had one and that was a literal death game.

"Yes, you see that village over there? That's my home. Rulid. From the looks of it, you aren't from here. Where did you come from?" I was shocked. NPCs were usually coded to speak with a script, but I don't think Mr Higa went through that... did it talk for itself?

"I-I don't remember-I don't remember where I came from."

"Wait! I've only heard of this but... are you a lost child of Vecta?!" Vecta... who the heck is that, I thought, I mean, I knew the Underworld has its own thing, but its own gods? Never predicted that. Maybe RATH got inspired by the Romans, Egypt and the Greeks with their own mythology.

"Uhh... what's that?" I stammered, blinking awkwardly.

"Vecta is one of the four immortals. Alongside Stacia, goddess of creation, Solus, the sun and Terraria, goddess of the land."