Sword Art Online - Project Alicization Volume 01 (manga)

​Sword Art Online - Project Alicization Volume 01 (ソードアート・オンライン プロジェクト・アリシゼーション)​ is the first volume of the Project Alicization manga adaptation. The volume partially covers Volume 9 of the light novels.

Summary
One day, Kirito awoke and found himself in Underworld, a virtual world that he used to dive to with his memories sealed as part of a part-time job. Unaware of his reason for being there and unable to establish contact with the real world, the boy explored the area, looking for the source of a mysterious sound he kept hearing. At the origin of the noise, Kirito met a young woodcutter named Eugeo.

Chapter.001
As part of a part-time job, Kirigaya Kazuto (Kirito) entered a virtual world through a device known as Soul Translator. In this world, with his memories of his real life suppressed, Kirito was an eleven-year-old woodcutter at a remote village. With his workmate and childhood friend Eugeo, he was assigned the lifelong Sacred Task of felling the Gigas Cedar, a giant tree that had withstood more than three hundred years of diligent daily chopping over several generations, in order for their village, Rulid, to acquire lands to expand its fields and pastures. Due to their different opinion on their job, the two boys began tickling each other upon finishing their quota for the morning. Just then, they were interrupted by the scolding of Alice Zuberg, their friend, as well as the village chief's daughter, who had come to bring her homemade lunch to them. While discussing how they could maintain their food's «Life» longer, the three children decided to search for ice in the forbidden «Mountain Range at the Edge».

Chapter.002
On their day off, Kirito, Alice and Eugeo embarked on the journey towards the mountains. After a few hours of walking, whilst the boys mused on their future should they cut down the Gigas Cedar, they arrived at a dark cave. Concluding it was an entrance to the «Mountain Range at the Edge», the children went inside. Having Alice to use «Sacred Arts» to elucidate the darkness, the three proceeded further and discovered a skeleton of a white dragon and the Blue Rose Sword. After realizing that the weapon was too heavy to take with them, Kirito, Alice and Eugeo gathered some ice and prepared to return to the village. However, as they took wrong path, the children exited the cave on the opposite side and found themselves in front of an entrance to the Dark Territory.