"Things come and go. The stronger will dispatch the weaker. The predator will devour their respective preys. The one who consumes more will be the top of the food chain. This is Natural Selection."
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Player of Games/
Chapter 1/
Protagon1st/
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There are a few things one must know in living a life.
Life for people can be a lot of things. For those with a religion, it can either to praise their god(s), appease them with their existence, or probably believe that they are just here for the sake of amusement from the gods. For those without religion, perhaps they believe that the meaning of their life is to prove to the other living beings how much they worth. Life can be a small thing for people, for most of the time people forget how short their time can be. Life can be a valuable thing for those with a short time. Life can be the ultimate book of knowledge for others to learn from. Life can be a hideous monster lurking in the dark and pulling people into dark chasms of depression and sadness.
People view life differently, but every single sentient beings can agree on one thing:
Without a purpose, life means nothing.
That is why people went down the road of life. They are searching for a purpose. A reason why they exist right now. A reason why they are made for.
So when one find a purpose to his life for real, the meaning of his existence, by god, he will hold on to that. Because it is his 'truth' and key to his whole life. Because one's purpose is there to remind oneself what made him like this now, and is the red string that connected all his actions, his goals, and his mind in his whole life.
And so a person's 'purpose' itself is his life.
And by god,
when you find your purpose,
hold on to it.
That is what my friend told me.
By now, Steve has reached level 35 in his experience bar. He has enough to enchant another diamond sword of his own and hopefully he can get an addition of a flame apparatus, or better, he can enchant a bow and hope he get another infinite bow.
He lowered the diamonds and stick on a crafting table and slowly, it morphed. The two diamonds slowly melting and molding together as the top grid part of the table starts glowing, like being slowly shaped by invisible force, and it slowly churned and mixed, like dense liquid colliding into one. The edges of the morphing diamonds slowly sharpened and flattened as the other blunt end snaked out and pulls the stick into it, wrapping around it like a strong outer shell, and two ribbon-like strands slithered out from the blade, wrapping around the stick and morphing into leather as the base slowly forms a hilt, and in less than a minute, a diamond sword is on the table, and Steve picked it up. He never knew how this happened, but no matter. He got his diamond sword.
He looked at the glinting blade for a moment and swung the blade around, testing it. It is light and durable, just like what he wanted. The glow of the sword also always caught his interest. This is why he likes diamonds. They are unique. They are wonderful.
After a few minutes of testing, he sat down as he slowly traced the blade. Indeed, he loves diamonds, but somehow, it doesn't excite him as much as when he made his first diamond sword. Aren't these things getting a bit boring now? It's not like this is the first time he have three swords in and 35 EXP points. It has been the, what, 200ish time? His first diamond sword was about two decades ago. Although it is indeed true that diamonds are still exciting to find and is a challenge to get, it's as if slowly and slowly, the diamonds he hoarded gets duller and duller, and collecting them loses its value from time to time.
Moreover, throughout his life, he's always lonely. All that can actually make him less lonely is mining, occasionally crashing to mobs and all, but it's fun. As he grows older and he collected more diamonds and slain more mobs and acquire their loots, things are getting... monotone and boring. As if it's just going around and around in a circle. There is nothing new going on. Just the same things, same trades, same villagers, and same boring lifestyle. It's not like he wanted anything bad to happen to him. The peace is... quite unsettling for him, after all these years. The villagers doesn't seem to go well with him. Their eyes seemed dead and they speak as if they were just puppets. There are nobody else but him.
He twirled his blade once more before sheathing it and sighed softly to himself. He doesn't get it. Something feels off. Long, long time ago he remembered there used to be a lot of people around him, but it was so long ago. He doesn't remember why. He heard screams too, but why? What screams?
All he remembered is that he woke up and... he was here.
Steve placed the sword aside. Right now, enchanting anything seems boring to him. Everything is dull and grey. He had everything. He found pink sheep and breed them for the villagers and trading. He found emeralds and diamonds. He has a large farm and a house that will ensure 100 percent mob free.
Then what should he do now?
He ruffled his hair and sighed deeply. Times like this are those times where you just want to lie down and sleep and wish the next day has a better challenge in it.
Maybe he should go to bed.
Our protagonist, a man who had forgotten his true name, the first STEVE, is unaware that his life is secluded in a large cube. The Cube of Protection is what 'the dark creatures' call them. These large cubes are hosted in a large, dark dome, where all STEVEs are held in.
Whereas the entities that the Cubes hold are called STEVEs, entities with unimaginable source of aura and magic that can withstand all the power of the universe, if they use it properly. The dark ones called them Enstes, while we call them humans. They are a source of energy, sentient enough to have their own will and choose whom they wish to be.
But for the Dark Ones, the one they called the dark magic, or Enders, humans are nothing but energy source and a suitable vessel.
And of all STEVES they retain so far, only one that manages to catch the dark magic's attention.
The first child they captured from the war.
The first STEVE.
And the one that survived the longest.
He has grown now, and sooner or later, his body will be suitable to be the main vessel for the dark magic. His mentality is weak, and the normal, everyday life of the little secluded world makes his soul bland and frail.
A little bit more, and it will be easy to get him.
Aside him, there is one more person.
A boy they acquired from the 67th War.
They never named him. All they call him is The Anomaly, or the Boy.
The first successful subject infused with the dark magic and the last one by far, which is also a failure since he still retain his consciousness.
There is one thing they know.
He is dangerous.
A lone figure watches in the darkness, in the midst of the silence, perched on a pipe leading towards a cube. The air is cold and smelled like iron and rubbing alcohol, but it always smelled like that. After all, the Dome must be repeatedly cleaned and maintained to the extent that the STEVEs will never know that they are living in a lie and a game.
He's here to stop that.
The figure stood up, wrapped in a tattered brown, hooded cloak. Purple light flooded and lighted the figure's face as he opened his eyes, partially exposing half of his face. Now that the Wardens have moved into another cube to mend a small damage he made, he should have time to break in.
This time, for real.
Two years is long enough.
In a split second, nothing is left of the figure, nothing but purple and black dust and particles. He has now moved towards a cube, teleporting in a zig-zag pattern as he ran on the tip of his toes. There are no more time. The war is getting tenser right now, and the only secret trump card that none of the parties know is him.
He's the one that will turn the course of this war.
A loud beeping resounded in the air as the figure blinked, growling. He really had no time for this.
Two mechanic figures launched from the ceiling, shrieking in a static, metallic sound as they slammed towards the surface of the cube, landing on pipes extending from their base that resembles tendrils with claws attached on its bases. The mechanical beings seemed to lock on the running figure's position before moving towards him at an alarming speed, while something resembling a turret produced from their sides, aiming at the figure.
Of course, the hooded figure knew there are two things that are following behind him. He is very aware of this, but he is really out of time.
One of them shot a burst of purple beam at his feet, which the figure dodges as he swerved to his right, almost tripping on his own heels. More bursts of beams came, and he is still running, trying to outpace the Wardens.
The beings warbled in an unknown, robotic language before one leaped at him and shoots the beam. It was lucky. The explosion caught up with the figure, sending him crashing and toppling to a side, temporarily dazed.
"Your Mightiness, 'He' has successfully breached in."
The Old One looked from one of the screens to another. Seemed like the boy has moved stealthier and more agile than normal. But again, he is out of time, and so are they.
"His trajectory, please."
"The Main Cube of Protection, towards the first STEVE."
The Old One mused, his fingers trailing on his wrinkled chin.
"...So that is his goal after all these years." He turned away. "He cannot be that strong. Send three more Wardens at him and see what he can do."
"Your Mightiness, is it not wise to send half of the Wardens we have against him?"
"No. It will be too late by then, and the rest must nurture and tend to the cubes." He looked back at them. "And I wish to see how strong the Boy can be and what is his true goals. If indeed he is going to get our precious Enstes, then so be it."
"But Your Mightiness-"
"Say no more. I have a plan." He said sternly. "The more you all speak and wonder, the more the Ender in him hears our voices, and our plan will go haywire. Let us make this easy on him and see what he is capable of. He might be dangerous and a thorn in our side. However, I shall remain you all that we are the Spirits of Deceit. The Dark One that Lies. It's our job to ensure everyone living in lies, no? And that includes the Boy himself."
There was silence as the other dark ones absorbed the Old One's words into their mind, taking it in.
"He thought he can fool us, but with a piece of ourselves inside of him and the constant watch we have on him, he won't win. Sooner or later, he will fight against himself and his own people, and we will flourish. Fear not, all of you. Surely, he is nothing but a secret pawn for us. We will play him like we played with 'Him' some time ago."
"...As you wish, your Mightiness."
The rest of the dark figures went back towards their screens, observing the STEVEs and chanting their statuses back and fro again as the Dark Ones looked back at the main screen.
What an interesting little boy.
The figure does not take his time to get up. The moment he snapped out of his daze, he quickly leaped up to his feet and dodges as soon as a metal claw slammed to where his head was. With a swift movement, the figure slid down and dodged another incoming attack which came almost after the blow, and dashed towards the robotic being, unsheathing something from under his sleeve.
It was an arm-blade mounted on the back of his hand in the color of honey-gold. The blade itself resembled a sharpened orange crystal, which seemed to glow as he lashed at the robotic being, and slowly turning white, like an enchanted sword. With a single swipe of his arm, the blade went through the mechanical being, slicing through easily and leaving melted iron mark on its wake, before the contraption split into two and dropped to the ground, no longer moving.
The cloaked figure teleported away just before another beam exploded on where he was standing and has leaped on top of another remaining Warden, and drove the blade into its head along with his hand and yanks out some cables, which fizzes and crackled with electricity. The machine shrieked before going around in a random direction, unable to control its movements. The figure turned the machine with a yank of a cable and made it shoot the purple beams at the other incoming Wardens, who had just arrived and are airborne. One went down after a direct hit from the beam while the other two shoots back.
Deciding that the broken Warden has no more use for him, the figure ripped the cables off and lifted the now immobilized mecha before swinging it around and tossing it towards the incoming Wardens, who were just shooting at him. The beam came in contact with the machine propelled against them and detonated it, catching the incoming reinforcements in the purple-colored explosion, and not long after, parts and gears dropped and clinked on the top of the Cube as the figure sighed and once more, sheathed the orange blade under his sleeve.
The figure then produced six ender pearls from under his coat and placed it on the floor. He looked at them as he pushed his long bangs away from his face to the right side, showing a pair of obsidian-colored eyes, but something is different. The light did not emit from his irises or sclera, but in fact, it emitted from within the pupils itself, which is glowing in a soft magenta glow, in contrast of the black iris surrounding it. The figure looked at the pearls as they slowly shake, and the particles emitted by his eyes slowly were absorbed into the pearls as they glow purple as well, and slowly lifts up from the cube's surface as it slowly glows brighter.
There should be more Wardens coming soon, but their programs will deny them to enter the cube.
Which means he has to move fast, and hopefully, based on his calculations and trajectory reading , this will be the right cube.
The first pearl shook midair before it shot up, some tens of blocks before it dove down at high sped and crashed towards the cube's surface, and it exploded, sending a ripple of purple hexagon-pattern pulsing from the crash area throughout the surface, like water ripple. A second pearl followed through, then the third, smashing themselves towards the surface as the ripples glow brighter and pulsates quicker. By the time the fifth pearl came in contact with the surface, there was a loud explosion and a sound of glass shattering, and the hexagon patterns flicker, no longer glowing.
He has destroyed the barrier.
He looked at the sixth pearl before grabbing the floating orb with his right hand as it pulsates in his arm and he looked down at the surface, before slamming his fist down on it repeatedly, creating a crack. He launched some more violent blows at the surface and, along with the pearl, a single block on the surface breaks and smashes into black-colored pieces of concrete and steel. He peered down into it and swallowed.
By the time the rest of the Wardens came for reinforcements, nothing is left in the scene except parts of destroyed machines and a small hole on the cube, which is slowly sealing itself.
Steve grunted. Tonight is truly noisy. The thunderstorm seemed to come earlier than he expected. Great, instead of sleeping, he will be up and think too much, again.
How annoying.
He looked out from the window beside his bed and yawned. Strange. It's not raining, but the thunders are so loud. Well, either it's happening far away or it's just a sign it's gonna rain soon. He sighed and uses a hand to slowly wipe his face and pressed on his tired eyelids, before he took his t-shirt from the chair and wears it.
If he can't sleep, maybe some heated milk can help.
He drowsily kicked the sheets off him and rubbed his eyes, looking out of the window as another rumble of thunderous boom filled the air.
Strange... He didn't see any lightning.
He shrugged. Lightnings go around fast. It's not surprising if he missed one.
He decided to go to the kitchen and make some milk. Deep thoughts can come later.
FINALLY Updated this fic after times and times of re-writing.
There will be a LOT of new concepts in this fic, especially why there is a hybrid and he has orange blade. It will be explained later. I'm just trying to pace this story well and write longer than I usually do.
Anyway, on to the answers!
1. BlackDragon41: Ahh, thank you! And yeah, timezones really suck so... usually I update about afternoon here, which means everyone's midnight and most people are probably asleep. And yeah, endermen are the bad guys (This is kind of inspired by Exb756's story where endermen are the bad guys. I did kinda mention this in the beginning) The explanations of the vessels will come in later chapters and so are these enders. After some time developing I think this story kinda resembles Matrix in my eyes, so I'm gonna try and develop it even further to make it more interesting and original. And ahahaha yes, I think I might do updates in a circle, so all of my stories can still get updated.
2. xEnderAwesomex: Those questions will be explained in future chapters. A bit waaay fr out there but just be patient! ^ ^
3. WH1T3R4V3N: Thanks for the compliments! ^ ^ Thank you!
4. A. N. Onymous: I will, and thank you!
Thanks for reading!
