Chapter 1: Conversation of Competition

"You decide to waste my time, as I conjure an articulate plan to search for the rare and precious mineral of Diamonds, to interrupt my valuable thought processes, just to inform be of… a building competition."

"…pretty much sums it up."

"I prefer to use my times much more wisely than bragging rights over assembling certain blocks in certain positions. I have plans, you see, for a purpose that I can interpret as being worth the time and effort. Where does a building competition get me?"

"Well, I was going to tell you anyways. You get to meet the legendary Gabriel the-"

"Warrior. Right, my decision is official, if it hasn't been already. I want nothing to do with that frustrating Order, that futile competition that results in nothing more that the stroking of one's own ego, or associating myself with mutton-headed morons. And I refuse to care if anyone mocks me with meaningless words. It just misuses their own energy."

"I think it's more than just bragging rights here. And Gabriel is seen as a hero and a role model to many."

"Which is a vital problem no one bothers to address. One that most definitely won't be solved either. He shouldn't deserve that title of 'hero', along with his partners. They're all flukes. Anyone, at least someone with a functioning state of mind into the knowledge of combat, could have defeated the Ender Dragon by themselves. It takes four morons to have strokes of good luck to overcome such a powerful foe. They happened to be in the right place at the right time. Many factors, such as the mysteriously weakened Endermen that became less than scrap henchmen. And the Dragon was slowly dying of a disease from unknown circumstances (or known but someone doesn't want anyone to know)."

"You're just jealous that they defeated the Dragon before you were born."

"Of course I am! Wouldn't you be too? It's just an accomplishment, in the very least at the time, that deserves recognition and praise. At least, if the situation was fair for both parties. Such as, no outside help from what appeared to be the underdog group against a superior entity. Especially when these underdogs had already banished half of the Ender force to dust, and the Dragon was in a near-death state anyways."

"I think you're a conspiracy theorist."

"Does that make me crazy?"

"Well…"

"So, because I actually took hours out of my life to search for the truth behind this great fight of valiant decency to save the world (because bias was and still is a foreign concept), and because I have a differing opinion to everyone, I am then seen as crazy to you? Excuse me for not being lazy, gullible to facts that haven't quite been proven and not caring enough about the truth to confirm events that occurred in the past as fact. This is why I can't get along with anyone."

"Almost anyone."

"Yes, of course. I cannot forget you."

"You… may have a point there. I'll… come to my opinion at a later date. Anyways, people are very driven to meet Gabriel, which is rather rare. It's the selling point of this entire competition… aside from bragging rights."

"Consider myself not applying to games."

"…I know better than to at least try to persuade you further. May I ask, what you plan on doing one you have completed the search for Diamonds."

"Complex structures that relate towards the use of Redstone materials.

"I saw you have plenty of Redstone dust in your chests in the next room. What do you need Diamonds for?"

"Reasons beyond your simple levels of deduction and comprehension."

"You won't tell me."

"I plan to keep it a secret for now. Consider it a surprise, when you manage to figure it out, or when you perceive it first-hand."

"Are you trying to make Diamond tools and weapons again? There is no fighting competitions occurring in the near future, and no sign of war against… anyone. What do you need them for? Remember the last time you had Diamond tools?"

"You know that was an accident I couldn't have foreseen occurring."

"Really? You just didn't know that the portal would spawn above a large sea of lava."

"…and the Ghast bombarding me by surprise. I was being fed misleading information from a former trustworthy source. And you know how much I value trust."

"He wasn't lying on purpose, and you know that. I could tell he was really guilty about the whole ordeal."

"I don't believe his fake facial expressions. He lied through his teeth. Did you not remember what occurred before I decided my first ever trip to the lands of hot red water and easily breakable stone? That little scam he pulled?"

"…you might have another point. But I still believe he wasn't attempting assassination."

"Assassination? Who in their right mind would even eventuate such a thought against anyone else, unless spite overwhelms a mind?"

"You implied it just then."

"That's down to subjective opinion on what your mind can discern."

"And you laid out a theory to me a week ago that he wanted you dead in order to inherit all of your belongings out of him being a foolish loser, unable to create his own life out of cowardice and fear of the wilderness."

"…perhaps you have a point in this conversation. Decipher how you may fit. I still firmly believe I am in the right."

"Typically, just like everything you have an opinion on."

"I base my opinions on merit. And merits have led me to believe my own objective opinions that are subjective in nature. And the merits on that schemer is he made an attempt to stab me in the back, when the opportunity arose. I was in the right place, at the right time for him. I just know it."

"I think your paranoia and anxiety is getting worse."

"No, you are unable to grasp the severity of that situation."

"Oh, I can. Believe me (for once), I can. I care about you, mate. You just cannot fathom the possibility that I do."

"…you are an acquaintance, at the very-"

"Least. That's the word you were intending to finish the sentence, right?"

"…yes, of course. You are my… friend after all."

"Don't get nervous now. You can have your opinions while also having what you discern as a multiplex relationship with other people. Mainly me, in this instance. Having friends isn't as bad as it may seem."

"My trial-and-error encounters have proven that last statement to be absolutely near-false."

"Not everyone is a bad person! You can't wake up to this, because you're paranoid and have social anxiety issues that you can't admit to."

"You're wrong about having friends…"

"Then what do I make you. A bad person? That'll break your h-"

"You're an exception."

"…an exception."

"Yes. One of a kind, most possibly to never occur again, in my lifetime. You're an exception to my rule I've put in place for the future."

"So everyone is a scumbag until proven otherwise?"

"That isn't-"

"The more and more you deny you have social problems, the more and more you try and shut everyone that actually cares about you (more you can ever imagine), it will only become your downfall in the future. And this is something I can predict with near-certainty. I've… experienced such a tragedy to occur before. And I don't want it to ever happen again, especially to people who don't deserve to not be happy. Everyone deserves to have friends. Being an isolationist will kill you."

"The segregation of me and everyone is not going to harm me in any way, shape or form. Never has, never will. And this is something I can claim with absolute certainty. No hesitation, no possibility of a differing opinion. My solitude had brought nothing but pleasure and happiness. And participation in social activity has brought nothing but frustration and pain. I am not paranoid by any measurement, nor am I anxious of other people's opinions on me. I just consider the entire concept of social interaction a waste of energy. I've never benefitted in any possible form, emotionally or in terms of mining and building. They aren't worth it. My plans for these buildings are, and I don't care what you think."

"Yes you do. You've always cared what other people think about you. It's what makes you stand out, among many other reasons, to anyone in a large crowd. You're in denial. Please admit you have these problems-"

"I have no problems! And I will not waste any further of my time conversing in pointless discussions of mental illnesses that I am not diagnosed with! Now, if you excuse me, I intend of squandering no more of my precious time on my plans. Hope you have a good day, because you have proven another point of mine that exchanges with others has only brought frustration."

He stepped through the open doorway, twitch projected from his face, as he swiftly disappeared from sight, a noticeable iron pickaxe materialized into his right hand. The second party was left standing there, frozen in shock and light sadness, from the words the miner had spoken. "I just want to help you… not to see you made humble. To see you feel true happiness. Not this farce you've created for yourself. I… only hope… you can come to the right conclusion. I don't want physiological responses worsening your health. I care about you. Your blind selfishness to have someone help you, out of fear of being hurt once again… is understandable, I suppose. I know you won't open up about your deprived senses. I…

"Hope you take good care Tenebris… I know I will."