The Devil Tree

Jaden's first flight was very short, and it didn't cause him a lot of problems. Thanks to his mysteriously unique UI, which he was the only one who can utilizes, Jaden was able to navigate his way on the ship's console. He remembered what Herc had told him about a planetoid near the edge of the ?4th Level?. So his destination was to head there first. As successful as his first trip was, he landed safely on what it seemed to him like an overly green planetoid. But Jaden was facing a new set of problems.

"Damn you, Aya Almosawa!" Jaden said to himself angrily. "Why would she take all the ship's supplies?!" 

I bet she's eating all that fat-cake, he imagined her mocking him.

'The cake wasn't part of the deal, hehe..'

..That mean evil shrimp!

Jaden was incredibly tired from the flight. Throughout his stay in 077, he was consistently focused on winning the ship and leaving the planetoid that he forgot providing currency. 

"I was too busy with everything that happened, I forgot that I had to exchange all the money I brought from Fortuna, and that gold I found in the Tomb!" Jaden sighed. "What's the use of money you can't spend when you're thirsty?..."

Jaden then looked around. 

I'm in a middle of a forest, he thought. There's gotta be some sort of water source somewhere. One can only hope, right..

Jaden put his new Engineblade in his ship before locking it, and went looking for water.

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 his ears. It was a scene he didn't think could be earth in the real world. 

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

The moment Jaden 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 his eyes. 

"Wa-Water.." he sighed in relief.

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

"Uo......"

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

For an artificial virtual world, thirst and hunger are very much identical to the real world. Up until several seconds ago, with the remaining small possibility that this place was by some twisted miracle, the real world, I would have to consider the dangers of drinking unboiled water, he was thinking. Thanks a lot, Aya!

However, watching the stream which looked as if it was from melted crystals, unable to resist the temptation, his right hand plunged into the river's surface. With a high-pitched sound as if it was cutting the cold water, his right hand poured the liquid into his mouth. 

Could this be called sweet?, he thought. Couldn't feel any impurities at all, the faint sweet and fresh taste of water makes 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, Jaden finally put his face into the water surface. 

When he got his head out of fresh water, Jaden felt something crawling up on his head.

"Whhhaaa!" he freaked out and rapidly removed it.

When it dropped on the smooth grassy ground, Jaden discovered it was a red and black round insect. "..It's just a ladybug." he sighed.

Suddenly, Jaden had some new mood changing sensations erupted within his chest.

What?!, he thought, what's happening to me. I feel blue all of the sudden! Did this ladybug do something to me?! Jaden was wondering as he wanted to carry the insect closer, but he stopped his stretching hand halfway. 

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

~Step, step, step..

Jaden had a feeling that he was about to glimpse a strange scene.

At the corner of his eye, there was what seemed to him like a black haired female. She walked passed him, and continued further. As his head was involuntarily rotating towards her, the Black haired girl stopped, and faced him; focusing on the ladybug on the ground. Jaden didn't know what to do. Speechlessly, he glanced at the ladybug for a second, and then looked back at the black haired girl, but she wasn't there anymore.

"Huh?!" Jaden was confused. 

Where did she..?, he wondered. Did I imagine her?!

He then felt his chest was getting tighter. 

Is this..... a memory......?, he thought.

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..

Even though the illusion had already disappeared, the overflowing feeling of nostalgia wouldn't leave. 

The middle of my chest feels tight and painful, he thought. A childhood memory? I had a strong feeling when I saw the back of that girl! But how come?! I never had friends with those features either, right?!

"Right?.." he mumbled.

The situation seemed to proceed further and further into an inexplicable direction. 

Am I really who I think I am?, as such doubt returned to him, Jaden fearfully looked into the surface of the river beside him. However, he couldn't see the difference as the face reflected off the undulated stream was distorted. 

As he tried to forget the prickly pain of the remaining memory for now, a continuous percussing sound reached his ears. When he tried to listen to it again, this sound also made him feel something, but he didn't know if he had heard this sound of wood being cut before. The confused Jaden shook his head slightly before starting to walk upstream. 

While he was moving both feet single-mindedly, Jaden had a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery once more, then he noticed that his 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 deeper inside the forest on my left, he thought to himself.

The strange sound he tried to count on his 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 Jaden was certain that it could be nothing but a 

human-made sound. 

During the three minutes of silence, Jaden walked in the general direction of the sound, then made some minor adjustment when the sound resumed. He already separated from the river bank and returned to the insides of the forest. Jaden proceeded silently as he 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 Jaden 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, he quickened his feet toward the light.

In front of his eyes was the scene that could be said unbelievable. Although the forest ended right there, there was no village. But he didn't have time to feel disappointed, as Jaden absentmindedly stared with his mouth open. It was a circular open gap of a clearing in the forest. It was certainly wider than the place he was at 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 he had walked past, there were no ferns, vines, nor short shrubs at all. 

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

..What a huge tree!

Jaden's gaze went from the top part, which completely obstructed the view above it, back to its base. He noticed the roots that were like big snakes wriggling about spread like a mesh in all direction, barely reaching the forest boundary where he 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. 

"Hmm?!" 

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

But fortunately, it seemed the first person he met in this planetoid didn't show hostility nor vigilance, just tilting his head in wonder.

His age should be the same as mine, he thought.

Jaden looked at the boy, aged probably between nineteen, or perhaps early twenties. His soft-looking ash brown hair was slightly wavy. His clothes were unbleached short sleeved tunic and trousers. 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, he couldn't be considered a westerner, and at the same time, he couldn't be an easterner either.

Jaden looked at the dark green eyes on his thin and tender features.

Jaden opened his mouth to declare that he had no hostility against him.  

What should I say?, he hesitated.

As he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly like an idiot, the boy spoke first.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?"

So, it's necessary to choose some safe words to talk to this boy and assert his position, Jaden thought as he secretly wiped the cold sweat off his palm using his pants. He put on a smiling face and opened his mouth, "Umm...... my name is......" he hesitated for a moment.

Lacrima name or Real world name? After all, nobody would recognize me here in this planetoid! 

He then gave his name while praying that it would be suitable for both ways, "..Jaden. I came from over there, but at the moment I'm a bit lost......"

Jaden pointed at a direction behind him, to the south, and the boy looked at him 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 Jaden.

"There...... the southern forest?"

"N-No... it's not like that." 

Jaden's face became stiff at the sudden dilemma, but he managed to answer. "That, erm...... I also don't know where I came from...... I found myself in the middle of the forest when I... woke up......" 

The boy still looked surprised, he asked while still gazing at Jaden's 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......" he stuttered.

This is a really cheap fib, but it's either this, or a super crazy explanation about the essence of existence!, Jaden was disgusted of himself. And there's no way of knowing if this he'll let me be if I tell him about the Keys..

"......That's a surprise...... The ?Cedivar's Prank?, huh?" the boy said. "Even though I've heard about it before...... but this is the first time I actually see it." 

"Ce-Cedivar... prank......?" Jaden was clueless.

"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 Emperor of the Realm of Darkness, Cedivar loves to play pranks on humans by kidnapping them, pulling out their memories before throwing them out in a faraway land." the boy continued. "Longgg ago, an old woman in my village had disappeared." 

"H-Heh...... Then it's possible that I'm also like that......" he reluctantly replied.

My situation is getting more suspicious, Jaden nodded as he thought so. 

Jaden managed to somehow add on a few words to deceive him. 

"Sorry, Hmm...... I mean is there a village or a town somewhere I could stay in." It was painful for him to say it.

The boy then nodded in admiration. "Heh...... It's the first time I heard such words.. Your black hair, and tan skin are also unusual around here...... it could be possible that you were born in the south." the boy wondered.

"Y-Yeah, that may be so." Jaden gave a stiff smile as he looked at the boy who was smiling without any ill will, then, he frowned in pity. 

"Hmmm, a place to stay. Although my village is just to the north, but as there are no travellers around here, there is no inn. But... if you explained your circumstances, perhaps Sister Linille would help you and let you stay in the church." 

"I-Is that so, that's great." Jaden scratch the back of his head. "Then I'll go to the village. Is it directly north from here?" 

His gaze moved, it was in the almost opposite direction to where he came from. Jaden saw a narrow path stretched out. However, before his feet could start moving, the boy made a gesture using his left hand to stop him. 

"Ah, wait a bit." he uttered. "There are guards at the village, it might be difficult to explain if you suddenly went there alone. I'll go with you and help explain the circumstances." 

"That would help a lot, thank you.." Jaden smiled.

This boy has a really kind personality, he thought. As soon as I find the Keys, I want to thank him properly. If he's real, that is.

As he was thinking about that, the boy made a gloomy face again. "Ah...... but, I still can't go right now though...... As I'm still working......" he said.

"Work?!" Jaden was surprised.

"Yeah. I'm on break now."

He moved his gaze to something wrapped with cloth beside the boy's feet, two lumps of what seemed to be part of round bread could be seen. So that's what he held at first. The other thing was just a water canteen made from leather. A pretty simple menu for a lunch. 

"Ah, did I disturb your meal?" Jaden shrank his neck, while the boy smiled timidly. 

"If you can wait until I'm done, I'll accompany you to ask Sister Linille to let you stay at the church...... but it would be about four more hours." 

Jaden actually wanted to go to the village and search for the person who could give him any helpful information about the Keys of Azerrak, but the feeling that he wanted to avoid having more conversation that was like treading on a thin ice was even greater.

Four hours wasn't a short time. Also, for a reason he didn't understand, Jaden also felt like he wanted to talk with this kind boy a bit more. He nodded and said "It's fine, I'll wait. I may cause you trouble, but I'll be in your care." 

Then, a smile brighter than earlier floated onto the boy's face as he nodded in return. "I see, then... just sit there for a while. Ah...... I still haven't told you my name." 

The boy extended his right hand, as he continued, "I'm Eugene. Nice to meet you, Jaden."

As Jaden grabbed his strong hand, which contrasted his slender looks, he repeated the boy's name several times in his mouth.

The boy who called himself Eugene pulled his hand back and returned to sit at the base of the great tree, before taking out the round bread from the cloth wrapping and offering it Jaden.

"N-No, I can't..." he hurriedly waved his hands, but the boy showed no sign of withdrawal. 

"Jaden must be hungry, right? You haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" 

Just as he said, Jaden unintentionally held his hand at his abdomen to suppress the overwhelming hunger. Even though the water from the river tasted good, I can't say it filled me up, he told himself.

"No... but......"

The boy.. Eugene, grinned and shrugged, "It's okay. Even though I said it like I want you to eat, but in truth, I don't like this anyway."

"......Then I'll gratefully accept. To be honest, I'm really hungry to the point I could collapse at anytime." 

'That's what I thought.." Eugene laughed and sat down on the root in front of the tree.

"......?" 

"Well, since it's not the 'bread' that can last long, just to be sure." as he said that, Eugene started bitting off his bread. "There's still quite a lot of time left, so there's no need to hurry eating it. But this is summer, it won't have this much time remaining though."

"Alright, then!" he brought the bread into his opened mouth as soon as he finished saying that, but the hardness of the bread caused his eyes to darken. However, Jaden couldn't spit it out either, so he forcefully bit and tore it off.

It was similar or perhaps even harder than the whole grain bread bought by my younger sister, Alex, he thought.

The hungry Jaden operated his chin to chew the thing which was crunchier 

than necessary, although its taste was passable. 

As he thought various ungrateful things, Eugene, who also frowned while bitting the bread, said as he gave a bitter smile, "It's not very good, right?" 

Jaden hurriedly shook his head "N-No, it's not like that." 

"It's fine, no need to force yourself. I usually buy them from the Pan shop in the village before leaving, but as I leave in the early morning so they only had the Pan left over from yesterday for sale. At noon, I don't have enough time to go back to the village either......"

"Heh...... Then it should be better to bring a boxed-lunch from home......" Jaden added.

To his casual words, Eugene lowered his eyes with the bread in his hand. 

Jaden shrank his neck unsure if he blurted something rude, fortunately, he soon lifted up his face and gave 

a little smile. "You could.."

.... Alert....

...Oracle Scanner...

..Review Result..

"Huh?!" Mado's UI notified him that Eugene's profile was completely visible by that point. 

Good!, he thought. Now, I'll be able to know if he has a User Name, like how Aya got.

But when Jaden looked at Eugene who was in turn, looking back at him, he gazed at the panel above his head. It was a shattering shock to Mado once he read the User Name box. 

[Majd Al-Abhar]?!..

"No..way..!" Jaden coughed.

"Eh...Are you all right?!" Eugene asked. 

Jaden snapped fast, and said "Oh, yeah it's nothing...I thought I was about to get chocked.."

"Better be careful then." Eugene replied.

"You were.. saying something, weren't you?" Jaden asked.

"It's nothing important really..." Eugene said. "...A very longgg time ago...... at noon, there was a person who would bring a boxed-lunch here. But now......" 

The green pupils shook, they were filled with a great sense of loss, in that moment, Mado forgot that this was the artificial world, he wanted to listen to Eugene before bringing Majd's memories back. He then leaned forward, "That person... what happened......?" 

After he asked, Eugene looked toward the treetop far above his head in silence for a while, then he slowly moved his lips, "......A childhood friend. A girl, who was the same age as me..... we were always playing together from morning until evening since we were young. Even after I was given the Duty, she would still bring boxed-lunch here everyday...... But... ten years ago...... during my eleventh summer, the Eternal Knight came to our village...... and took her to the capital......"

Eternal Knight?!, Jaden thought. Weren't those the ones Libruou told me about. The highest rank force of the realm. 

"It was...... my fault. On one rest day, we both went to explore the northern cave...... but we got lost on the way back and ended up way deep into the Mountain range. And something happened, but I can't recall it. She didn't even know what happened! But somehow it ended up with her violating what was written in the Azerrak Almanac...... But just because of that... the Eternal Knight came to the village and tied her up in chains in front of everyone......" Eugene crushed the half-eaten bread in his right hand. "......I wanted to help her. I thought it was fine if he took me along with her, and planned to use the axe to attack him...... but... hands too... feet too... I couldn't move them. All I did was just... watch her being taken away... without saying anything......" 

His face was void of expression as he gazed up into the sky for a while, soon after, a faint self-deprecating smile floated to his lips. He then tossed the crushed bread into his mouth and chewed it while looking downward. 

Not knowing what to say, Jaden also took a bite of the bread, and thought as he chewed with all his strength. 

The existence of the status window proved that this is a virtual world created by the realistic technology, it could be some experiment by someone. However, why did such an ?Event? like this happen?

After he swallowed the bread, Jaden hesitantly asked "......Do you know what happened to her......?"

Eugene shook his head slightly as he faced downward. "The Eternal Knight said she'd be executed after the interrogation...... But, what kind of execution, I don't know. After they took her away, she's just disappeared from everybody's mind, like she never existed in the first place! I once... asked her father, the village chief, Tore......But he completely denied that he ever had a daughter by that name.....It's like I'm the only one who still does... Jaden, I believe that she's still alive." he explained. "Elaine is... definitely alive and is somewhere in the capital......" 

Jaden inhaled sharply the moment he heard that name. Inside his head, anxiety and curiosity were rapidly expanding. He wanted to get out right 

now, and ask the person outside to explain the situation, on the other hand. He also wanted to stay inside and continue chasing after the questions.

After he swallowed the last piece of the bread, Jaden fearfully asked Eugene, "Then...... don't you want to go looking for her? At that... capital." 

Crap!, he thought right after he asked that. As his words pulled out an unexpected reaction from Eugene. 

The light brown haired boy looked at Jaden's face absentmindedly for several seconds, soon after, he whispered "Unbelievable."

"......This Bellyn village is at the north edge of the Realm of Light. Going to the capital's planetoid in the south, even if we used a fast ship, it would still take a week. Even if I leave the village on the dawn of a rest day." he said.

"Then...... just make some proper preparations for a long journey......" 

Jaden suggested.

"Hey Jaden... You look similarly aged as me, weren't you given a Duty at the village you live in? Abandoning the Duty and going out on a travel isn't something we can do, is it?" Eugene asked.

"......Th-That's true." Jaden remembered when Keryto told him that before.

"Umm, in Eugene's village, other than Elaine, is there anyone else who broke the Azerrak...... Almanac and was taken to the capital?" 

Eugene made rounded eyes again, before wiping his mouth and shaking his head. "Nope. In the three hundred years history of Bellyn, the only time the Eternal Knight ever came to the village was ten years ago, this is what grandma Garitta said." 

As he finished his words, he passed Jaden the leather canteen. He received it and pulled off the cork-like plug after thanking him. He then brought it to my mouth and drank the liquid, which wasn't cold but had a fragrance, as if it was mixed with lemon and herb. After three gulps, he returned the canteen to Eugene. 

While Jaden wiped his mouth with an innocent look, the insides of his chest was blown by the storm of surprise for God knew how many times. 

..Three hundred years?!

As he obtained more information, the mystery seemed even more complex. What exactly is the purpose of creating this world?

"Thanks for the food. But I'm sorry I took half of your lunch." he told Eugene. 

"No, don't worry. I'm quite sick of that Pan anyway." he replied with a very natural smile as he quickly collected the lunch wrapping. "Then, sorry but just wait for a while. Until I finish my afternoon work." 

Eugene he stood up with an agile movement, Jaden then asked "Now you mentioned it, Eugene's work......what is it?" 

"Ah, right...... you can't see from over there." Eugene smiled again while beckoning Jaden. He tilted his head as he stood up and walked around the trunk of the great tree behind him.

Eugene's right hand grabbed the axe on its handle, which was coiled by black shiny leather, and shouldered it. He then walked to the left edge of the one and a half meter cut, spread his legs, lowered his waist, and tightly clenched his hands on the grip. 

Then, being struck by another surprise, Jaden mouth was left wide open.

The slim body bent, the axe, which was drawn greatly backward, took a moment to gather the momentum before sharply tore the air. The blade, which looked heavy, cleanly hit at the center of the cut.

~Gaan!

A clear high-pitched metallic sound reverberated. 

No doubt, Jaden thought. This is the true nature of the strange sound that led me here. A wood cutting sound, my baseless intuition is correct.

Eugene handled his body perfectly, he repeatedly hit while maintaining the pace and trajectory beyond the accuracy of a machine. Drawing back took two seconds, gathering force one second, swinging one second. His chain of actions were so fluent it was as if the sword skill also existed in this world. 

Exactly fifty times at a pace of four seconds each time, the axe continued hitting for two hundred seconds, and after the final strike, Eugene pulled the axe off the deep cut and let out a long breath. 

He then set the tool against the trunk and sat on top of the root nearby. The beads of sweat on his forehead were shining as he caught his breath, while Jaden was watching him, he thought: swinging that axe must be more difficult than I had imagined. Jaden waited for his breathing to settle before asking "So, this tree is big! Is cutting it your Duty?" 

"Well... yeah, knocking on it is.." Eugene muttered. "The name of this huge tree is ?Ifrit Cedar? in the sacred Runic words. But the elderly in the village call it the Devil Tree." 

...Sacred words? Ifrit......Scedar......?, Jaden wondered.

"The reason they call it as such is because it absorbs all of the ?Life Stream? blessing from its surrounding ground. So nothing but these moss would live under the branches of this tree, and the trees within range of its shadow wouldn't grow taller either." Eugene elaborated. "The adults in the village want to expand the wheat fields to this forest. But it's futile as long as this tree still stands. So they want to cut it down, but as expected from the devil tree, its trunk is terribly hard. If a normal steel axe is used, its blade would break and no longer be usable in just one hit. Because of that, they spent a large amount of money to order this axe, which was carved from an ancient dragon's bone, from the capital, and assigned ?Cutting duty? to someone to keep cutting at it here daily. And that would be me." 

Jaden rotated his gaze between Eugene, who carelessly said it, and the one quarter cut on the great tree. 

"......It means, in the past seven years Eugene spent every day trying to cut this tree, and you only got this much in that time?" 

This time Eugene shook his head in surprise. "No way. If this cut requires only seven years, then I'd feel a little more encouraged." he explained."Listen, I'm the seventh generation of this cutting duty. Ever since Bellyn was found on this land, for three hundred years, each generation of the people with cutting duty came here everyday. Perhaps, the progress when I become a grandfather and pass over the axe to the eighth generation would be......" Eugene used his two hands to make a gap about twenty centimeters wide. "About this much, I guess." 

Jaden couldn't even let his breath out anymore. 

As this was the artificial world, it must be someone's intention to place this tree here. But for what purpose?, Jaden thought. 

"Hey, Eugene..... could you let me try for a bit?" 

"Eh?!" Eugene was shocked.

"Um, I took half of your lunch. So I should use my muscle to help with half of your work too, right?" he said.

"Hmm...... well, although there's no rules forbidding someone to help with the Duty work...... but, this is unexpectedly difficult. At first I couldn't even strike at the right place." 

"We won't know until we try, right?" 

Jaden said.

As Jaden grinned, he stretched out his right hand. And grabbed the handle of the ?Dragon Bone Axe? which Eugene held out while he still had a doubtful expression. The axe was heavy, despite its looks that it was made out of bone, and weighed down his right hand. He quickly grabbed the leather grip with both hands and made a small swing to confirm the balance. The UI notified Jaden.

....!!WARNING!!....

....Low Synchronization....

Jaden clenched his teeth and put as much force as possible into my arms, before swinging the axe down, aiming at the center of the deep cut on the trunk of Ifrit Scedar. 

~DUNG!

With a dull sound, the axe blade hit at a place about five centimeters away from the cut. The orange sparks scattered while a violent feedback assaulted his hands. Jaden couldn't bear it and dropped the axe, before putting both wrists, which were numb to the bone, between his feet and groaned, 

"O-Ouch-ouch-ouch." 

Unsightly, looking at him who couldn't do even a single strike, Eugene laughed amusedly. When Jaden turned his reproachful glance toward him. "Sorry," he lifted his right hand in that manner, but still continued to laugh. "Hahahahaha!"

"......You don't have to laugh that much......" Jaden said.

"Hahaha...... no, sorry sorry. Jaden, you didn't use force from your shoulders and waist. You need to use force from your entire body...... hmm, how should I explain it......" 

While watching Eugene repeat a slow swinging movement of the axe, he belatedly realized his mistake.

Perhaps the strict law of physics and the contraction of the muscle were not simulated in this world. As this was a realistic dream created by a super computer, Jaden thought, the most important thing had to be the power of my imagination.

"Hand me the axe," Eugene said. "I'll show you how it's done." 

He gave advice here and there as Jaden continued swinging the axe, he forgot how many times it was before the axe finally managed to make a high-pitched metallic sound as it struck at the center of the cut, sending off some small black fragments. After that, Jaden took turns with Eugene and had chance to watch fifty times of his excellent axe swing. Then he took the axe and made another fifty swings. 

They both repeated this for some time, and by the time he realized it, the sun had already reached the horizon, and the clearing was bathed in a hazy, orange tinted light. As Jaden

drank the last gulp from the big water canteen, Eugene also finished his last strike, and then said, "Alright...... this makes two thousand." 

"Uh, we did that many?" Jaden asked.

"Yeah. Five hundred from me, and five hundred from Jaden. Together with the morning part, striking the Ifrit Cedar two thousand times each day, that's my Duty." 

"Two thousand times......" Jaden mumbled as he looked at the big cut on the jet black great tree again.

"Actually, Jaden has good muscle. Of the last fifty times, you made a good sound two... three times." Eugene smiled. "Thanks to you, today I had a lot of fun."

"Sorry, I was supposed to help but instead I was holding you back..." Jaden apologized in embarrassment, but Eugene just smiled as he shook his head. 

"Didn't I tell you I couldn't cut this tree down within my life span? Because half of the cut we did today would recover during the night......" Eugene had already finished packing up and said, "Jaden, sorry for the wait. Let's go back to the village."

As Jaden was shouldering the light brown haired boy, he kept on staring at him, wondering what should he do next. 

So, Eugene ended up being actually my friend Majd. If this [Oracle Drive] skill doesn't have any restrictions, I can bring him back his memories. But, I don't think now is a good time. I can't just repeat the same scenario of Artemis's melt-down. Eugene is very calm, but there's no way of knowing he'd stay calm after the big revelation. I gotta wait, at least till I talk to other people in the village.

The two young men just walked past under the last tree as Eugene lifted up his right hand. 

In front of his eyes were the wheat fields. They were still young, the green heads which had yet to swell were swaying in the wind. The scene which was greatly indulge in the dusk sunlight looked just like the sea. The path stretched into the meandering gap of the fields, Jaden saw a small elevated hill far up ahead. When he focusing at the hill which was 

surrounded by the grove of tree, he saw the sand grain-like buildings gathered together, there was a noticeably tall tower at the center. Apparently, that seemed to be where Eugene lives, the Bellyn village. But where Eugene pointed at was beyond the village.. at the faint pure white line of mountain range in the far off distance. The steep mountain ridge which looked like a saw stretched to the left and right edges of his vision. That was where Elaine had gone last.

Then, as they walked a little further, Jaden saw the village in the distance. "That is Bellyn village, right? Where is Eugene 's house?" he asked sarcastically.

"What we see is the south gate, my house is near the west gate, so we can't see it from here." Eugene replied. "Hmm. The highest tower is... Sister..Linille's church?" 

"Yeah, that's right." Jaden mumbled.

He focused his gaze at the top of the tower, there was a symbol which was a combination of a cross and a circle. "It's somehow... even more elegant than I had thought. Someone like me can really stay there?" 

"Don't worry. Sister Linille is really great person." Eugene said.

Once they reached the south gate, a guard was standing there, cautiously watching them. 

"Well hello there, Euge!" the guard, who happened to be a young man in his early twenties hollered.

"Oh, hey!" Eugene smiled as he greeted him.

"What have you found there?!" the guard said. "Don't remember seeing this face before."

"This is Jaden," Eugene explained. "He was pranked by the Dark Emperor, and got lost in the woods."

"For real?!" the young guard exclaimed. "I thought it was just a bedtime story!"

"No, it's true! He doesn't remember anything, even his Duty!"

"Hmmm, you really don't remember a thing?.." the guard leaned towards Jaden. "Not even your Duty?! I bet it was something lame anyways."

"Oh, alright! So what's yours?" annoyed Jaden asked.

"I'm a brave guard of the south gate. Protecting Bellyn from hooligans like you!" the guard said. "It's the most noble Duty! Unlike Mr. Crazy Eugene here who made up a person out of existence.."

"Well, how could..?" Jaden wanted to burst at him when Eugene interjected. "It's fine, Jaden.."

Jaden then noticed a sword hung on the guard's waist. He came up with an idea. 

"So, you uses this sword?" he asked.

"Of course I do!" the guard said back.

"How about you let me try it then?" Jaden asked.

"Haha, you?!" 

"What? Scared that I'll humiliate you?.." Jaden smirked.

The guard the was successfully provoked. He hesitantly handed the sword to Jaden. "There're bunch of cut down wood over there. Show me what you got."

The rectangular table held six thick wood clynders sat horizontally before Jaden. He held the guard's sword in his left hand, and his UI got activated. This time, since he changed into a sword, new skills showed up. Eugene and the guard watched him as Jaden prepare to slash.

Alright then, let's see a suitable new skill to try, he thought. This looks fair!

Jaden's body began to charge. 

[Wide Dice]!! 

He swang the blade horizontally in only one quick blurry swift. Moments later, the entire row of cut wood were sliced in half.

~SHINN!

"Uh, un..blievable!" the guard said in a shock.

"Wow, that was amazing!" Eugene clapped.

After that dazzling showcase, Jaden and Eugene went into the village, and walked straight to the church. 

Once they reached the door, Eugene knocked lightly, and remained silent. Jaden felt like a delinquent compared to Eugene's manners.

"Don't be so nervous!" Eugene tried to comfort him.

"Alright..!" Jaden stuttered.

When the door was finally opened, the two boys saw a middle aged thin woman. She had a serious expression on her face. Jaden was abruptly intimidated.

"Uhh, sister Linille, how are you?" Eugene smiled.

The serious woman remained still. Jaden noticed a young lady, almost same as Kat's age. She was taking glimpses from behind sister Linille. 

"Here's a pillow, and a blanket if the weather is too cold" the little girl said. Morning Prayer is at 6am, and breakfast starts at 7. You should come along to look, so try to wake up early. Also, going out after the lights are turned off is forbidden. Please take note of that." 

A simple pillow and wool blanket came flying at him with the words that sounded like a torrent, and Jaden hurriedly reached out to receive them. He sat down on the bed, and the person standing in front of him was a girl that looked fifteen. She's dressed in a black habit with a white collar, and the bright tea-colored hair grew down to the waist. The eyes that were of the same color as the hair were moving in a lively manner, but she seemed to change into a completely different person the 

moment she started to be in her Sister persona. 

The girl called Renee, was an apprentice Sister staying at the Church to learn the ?Sacred Arts?. Jaden didn't know whether she was also tasked to look after the other young boys and girls who also stayed in the church as her tone to me was as sharp as an older sister or a mother. 

I could only smile and endure this, he thought to himself.

"Then, is there anything else you don't understand?" Renee asked.

"No, no problems. Thank you very much." Jaden replied.

On hearing him thanking her, Renee's expression eased slightly, only to quickly frown again. 

"Then, good night. You know how to turn the lamp off, right?" 

"Uhh. I'll manage.. Good night, Renee." 

Renee nodded again and moved out of the room in her slightly oversized habit.

He waited for the sound of her footsteps to go further away before heaving a long sigh. 

The place Jaden was staying at was a room on the second floor of the church that was hardly used. It's about 6 tatamis wide, and the room itself had a bed made of cast iron, a table set with a chair, a small bookshelf and a cupboard. Jaden put the wool blanket and the pillow on his knees onto the bedsheet, put both hands behind his head and laid on the bed. The lamp above his head let out a creaking sound as it swayed. Jaden turned it off, and laid down on his back.

Up until this moment, I couldn't speak to anybody other than Eugene and few others, he thought. As far as my [Oracle Eye] goes, only Eugene has a User Name while the rest don't. So that means, Jaden closed his eyes. Everyone in this village are NPCs, or more precisely AIs. But how could they be so seamlessly realistic?! Did technology advanced during the time I spent living here? Don't wanna go to the extremes, but I might not be the real me, or maybe I'm an reincarnation!, he closed his eyes as his exhausted body drifted deeper into slumber.

I need to stay focused. Reviving Majd's memories, and searching for the Keys of Azerrak are my top priorities for the being...