My Craft

by OnTheCobb

Devoid of memory or purpose, a new Crafter is pushed forth into the unforgiving land of Minecraftia. Armed with nothing but his wits, he must…well…actually he's pretty witless. Hopefully he won't get killed in the first week. Hopefully.

185. Dropout

AN: This one took a while to type up. Didn't help that I got fully vaccinated last week and was too tired to do anything. The vaccine really fatigues you. You also feel a bit sore, but after a day or two, I was back to normal.

I also read about certain bars giving out free beers if you show them your vaccination card. They want you to be vaccinated so bad that they're giving away free alcohol. I would never do it, but that doesn't mean others should go without drinky drink.

Also, my workplace is getting audited for the next couple of weeks and it's gonna be a pain, I just know it. I'm gonna get asked questions and they're gonna pressure me into answering falsely so they could screw us over. Hopefully I can hide in a corner and be as unassuming as possible. What I wouldn't give for those Invisibility Potions...

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Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd make pumpkins easier to see through.

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Chapter 185

Dropout

[Cobb]

Our tiny, seedy inn room was only sixteen square meters. It was also the safest place to use as a base, since the cultists would never think to look for us there. Under my command, I had the Paragons get rid of all the furniture and clear as much space as possible. It would cost us the room if the innkeeper ever found out, so we worked quietly. The Paragons inquired what it was for, but I told them to wait and see.

Perry didn't like that.

"What does cleaning a seedy room have to do with entering this dangerous End dimension? You better not be wasting our time."

"How I waste your time is my business. I'm in charge, remember?" I brushed him and his growling off. "When Lenz and Trenay get back, you'll have your answer." There was a soft knock on the door. "That must be them now."

The door opened and shut as if by a ghostly force. Then, with raised buckets of milk and a pair of slurping sounds, Trenay and Lenz materialized. The former looking dazed and confused.

"He really bought pumpkins… nothing else…" Trenay mumbled with a thousand yard stare. "We needed supplies and he bought pumpkins… Why…?"

"It'll be all right, Trenay. Keep it together." Baltic hurried to comfort her. "It might seem outlandish, but maybe they have a reason for procuring these items."

"…You think?" She sounded desperate. "Please. I want to make sense of this."

"Let's watch them." He nodded.

Lenz took out his shears and began carving the eight pumpkins he had purchased. Meanwhile, I had the Paragons take out their beds and use the newly cleared space to stack them up like bunk beds. With the small dimensions of the room, there could be no space between the beds. They were all set beside one another. A second level of beds was then added to make eight in total. It took up half the room, but everything fit.

"Okay. All set here." I nodded, clapping my hands together. "Everyone coming with us to the End should pick a bed and sleep in it. Then Lenz will give you your pumpkins and we should be ready to move out."

There was a beat of silence as Baltic and Trenay blinked at the statement.

"I can't make sense of it!" Trenay bawled hysterically.

"Me neither, I'm lost!" Baltic echoed.

"I'll break it down for you." I said, scratching my chin. "See, the End isn't like the Nether. Going to and from the Nether, you always go through an obsidian portal. There's one in the real world and one there."

"But in the End, the portals work a bit differently." I went on. "The portal there is an inky black pool, and there's only one portal back—a bedrock fountain of that same inky black stuff."

"So where do the beds come in?" Trenay asked, only for Lenz to offer an answer.

"Every time we exited the End through the fountain portal, we awakened in our beds, as if the whole thing had been some crazy dream. Our altered inventories implied otherwise; we brought items back, so what we experienced was no dream. SutsCo probably understands this as well if they can regularly travel between dimensions."

"The beds are our way back." I summed up. "We sleep in them for a spell and set our return point. That way, when we enter the fountain portal in the End, we can skip the long-ass poem and warp back here."

"Long-ass poem…?" Heather muttered to Luis, only for him to shrug helplessly, just as confused.

"What's the long-ass poem?" Dwight raised his hand.

"It's nothing. It's just some meaningless drivel that scrolls down too slowly. Seriously, it's like whoever made the scroll speed thought we couldn't read faster than a line a minute. I just skip that shit."

"O…kay?"

"You'll get what I mean when you see it for yourself."

"Well, we better get sleeping, then… I suppose…" Doyle kept glancing back, unsure, as he climbed into a bed and laid down. Aurand and Shroud climbed over him and chose beds of their own.

"This is ridiculous. Are you sure this is even necessary?" Perry asked with folded arms.

"Positive. I have tested this a few times." Lenz assured. "I awoke in my bed every time." He then uttered some words in Jibberish to Z7 and coaxed her into one of the top beds. I narrowed my eyes slightly when I noticed she picked a bed next to his. The beds were all shoved together in a cramped room, so I told myself it didn't mean much, but those two were getting awfully chummy with one another.

"What happens if the beds are destroyed before we get back to them?"

"…Huh?"

"Just wondering." Baltic repeated. "If these beds are our return point and they get broken before we return, what happens to us? Where will we end up?"

"I… don't know." I admitted. Lenz gave a shrug as well. "We've never tested it before."

"So… does that mean there's a chance we might not come back?" Trenay guessed, stopping herself from laying in bed. All of a sudden, the mission had come with an unforeseen risk. If the beds went missing, would we even return to Minecraftia? Would we perish? Or would we return to the smothering darkness of the Void, never to be seen again?

"You'll make it back." Wing assured, stepping up and pounding a fist to his chest. "The six of us staying here will guard these beds with our lives. We'll make sure you have a point to return to."

His confidence was a welcome feeling. I hadn't really bothered getting to know many of the Paragons—I required a Heart for that—but his words made the risk of not returning diminish slightly.

Of course, Perry couldn't stop himself from ruining the mood.

"Oh sure. Guarding beds. Real perilous challenge for us." He growled sarcastically. "While you guys get to see a new dimension, we're stuck on bed duty."

"It's for an important cause, Perry." Baltic assured, climbing into a top bed beside Trenay. Seven of them were tucked in.

I was the last one to go.

Perry clicked his tongue before I turned to face him.

"Can I count on you for this?"

"…Huh?"

"These beds are important." I spoke gravely. "If one of them vanishes, you might lose one of your friends."

"The Paragons are comrades, not friends." He sneered. "Carys says there's no place for friendship in war. Not when people could die any minute."

"Well, Carys, as the most stable individual, knows best." I said ironically before going back to serious. "Just know that I'm counting on you to protect these beds. If they're gone and I don't come back, I'll make sure you never hear the end of it."

"Hmph. Ignoring the fact you won't be back at all?" He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'll keep an eye on the beds. Not like they're going anywhere."

I held his gaze for a few seconds longer, just to impress the gravity of the situation, before stepping back and climbing into the last available bed.

"Alright everybody." I commanded. "On my signal… SNOOZE!"

"I feel like an idiot…" Trenay muttered with a burning face as she reclined and stared at the ceiling.

"Nobody likes nap time." Dwight teased from the side.

"We only need rest for a few moments." Lenz informed before Z7 muttered something to him in a garbled tongue. "Ml, R droo MLG gvoo blf z yvwgrnv hglib. Yv hvirlfh." He chuckled sheepishly at the last.

Again, I narrowed my eyes in annoyance before closing them entirely. Maybe I should learn Jibberish just to figure out what they're saying to each other.

Literal moments later, the eight of us that had rested climbed out of the beds and stood ready to go. Lenz handed out the carved pumpkins.

"You haven't told us what the pumpkins are for." Aurand said as he accepted his.

"Right. Well, the End is full of Endermen. It might even be their home." I theorized with a shrug. "The last time we were there, we couldn't walk around out of fear of locking eyes and aggravating them. But thanks to this," I waved Advanced Mob-Slaying, "we found out that wearing pumpkins on our heads like masks would let us stare at Endermen all day without offending them."

"You mean we have to wear these?" Shroud complained. "But they narrow the vision too much! How will we be able to fight?"

"R'w izgsvi yzpv gsvn rmgl krvh." Z7 looked at hers disdainfully.

"There won't be a fight. Chances are whoever we run into in the End will be just as handicapped. They won't want to aggravate the Endermen either."

"Is that your guess? You think these pumpkins will stop Herobrine?"

"Would you relax? I only think he might be there. There's no guarantee."

Though I wanted him to be there.

"Dwight, Heather." The two stiffened as I called them over. "I want you to come with us too, just to see how to get into the lab. You won't have to come into the End with us, but I'd prefer to have others on standby… in case something does happen. It won't." I assured quickly. "But if we're not back, you might have to come in after us."

"How long do you think you'll need in there?" Dwight asked.

"Two days at most." Trenay volunteered. "The night of the 27th. That should give us plenty of time to investigate SutsCo's involvement and secure some merchandise. If we learn enough of their secrets, the Paragons may well be able to mass produce their stock."

"You mean you're not afraid of their non-disclosure agreements!?" I gasped overdramatically, causing her to chuckle.

"Dealing with bloodthirsty lawyers isn't a far cry from dealing with Carys."

Brain: Oooh, sick burn.

"The night of October 27th." Witige jotted down. "Got it. We'll send a map message over to Carys to explain. Since you're going to another dimension, she might get worried if your map blips disappear."

"Much obliged." Lenz nodded.

"We should probably get moving." I hurried them along, prompting Baltic to pull out some Splash Potions of Invisibility. He really was good to have around. "Lenz can stay visible. He'll lead us to the Redstone College. From there, we should be far enough from prying eyes to go visible."

With one last nod of agreement and a splash of invisibility, Lenz slipped out of the cramped room, visible, and the rest of us followed, unseen, into the night.

---

[Lenz]

I did not bring it up with Cobbert, but I was secretly dreading returning to the college, and was hoping we could slip inside without being seen. It had nothing to do with the Endward Cult spotting us. I merely felt a degree of embarrassment towards returning to my old school. You go for the nostalgia, but at the same time the teachers look at you thinking, 'What are you doing here?' It is a feeling like you are not welcome, and I did not want to experience that.

However, as the only visible one of the group (as well as the one tasked with leading them through the college), I was placed at most risk of being seen.

Walking to the campus under redstone lamplight, words were exchanged among the group.

"You haven't told us what else to expect in the End." Shroud said.

"That's because there's not much else." Cobbert replied. "It's a floating island of End Stone, some obsidian pillars, and a metric shit-ton of Endermen. Aside from that, nothing."

"There can't be nothing. How would SutsCo get their merchandise if that was all that was there?" Trenay pointed out.

"Six Bounty Days occurred between our last visit and now. Anything could have changed in that dimension. Once we go through, it'll all be new to us." Cobbert explained. "Everything we know, we've taken precautions for. The pumpkins will keep the Endermen off us, and, if that doesn't cut it, I'm bringing a bucket of water. Endermen and water don't mix."

"I've never heard of this tactic." Doyle spoke, eyeing his pumpkin warily. "You sure it'll do the job?"

"Speaking from experience."

"So, why are we entering through the college?" Dwight asked next. "Does the nerd have a paper due?"

"R gsrmp blf'iv gsv lmob lmv dsl gsrmph blf'iv ufmmb. (I think you're the only one who thinks you're funny.)" Came Z7's cool reply. I was taken aback by her defense of me.

"What'd she say?" Cobbert asked. "Lenz, what did she say?"

"Ah, just that Dwight is not funny." I translated, earning an indignant squawk from the Paragon. "Anyway, to answer your question, there is a hidden railway in the college's basement. We can use it to get to the restricted parts of the Kingdom. That is where we will find the Stronghold, and the portal within."

"What are we going to do about minecarts? Shouldn't we have brought some?"

"No need. The Redstone Rail Lab is on the bottom floors. I always borrowed minecarts off of them—they have plenty to spare. All we need concern ourselves with is sneaking in."

"Shouldn't be too hard." Shroud said confidently. "None of the students will be there at this hour."

"Not quite." I corrected. "You are forgetting night classes."

"Aw, seriously!?" Dwight complained. "You telling me nerds waste their nights here too? Don't they have lives?"

I bristled under the rude comment. "Some students have other responsibilities during the day. They cannot learn then, so they are forced to take classes at night. One should respect their devotion to studying the fine art of redstone, as well as the teachers who take the time to teach in the late hours."

"I guess we have differing ideas on what we consider respectable." Dwight threw out with a yawn.

Shows what he knows about redstone. I thought furiously. If this were the Redstone Fair, they would all get a hard look at what we engineers are capable of. Not some nerds to be ridiculed.

Bouncing up several slime elevators and crossing a few stone bridges, we took the monorail the rest of the way and were dropped off at the gates of the Redstone College: A stone castle repurposed into a hallowed place of learning and stood atop a large, carved, stone pillar. Lit windows dotted the taller towers of the castle, proving that night classes were in session.

"This is where the magic happens." I said aloud.

"More like the nerd factory." Dwight snickered.

"Dwight. Not helping." Baltic chastised. "Alright, Lenzington. You lead, we'll follow."

I felt a mix of nostalgia and anxiety as I stepped past the college's gates and onto the campus. The path leading to the main grounds was lit with redstone lamps to give the students something to see. Nobody was out right now, though. Classes generally went on at the same time, with a mass movement of students signifying the end of one class and the start of another, even at night. A quiet campus meant classes were in session.

"Quickly now." I whispered, guiding my invisible followers past the castle walls, across the courtyard, and into one of the main buildings. We climbed a short flight of stairs in the foyer and I offered a small nod to a dozing campus security guard who apparently did not think twice about one late student. He made no move to interfere and instead settled more comfortably in his seat.

Past the foyer was the main hall, along which led to small classrooms. The larger lecture halls were typically underground where space was more ample, or otherwise in newer buildings built post-castle. The dorms were like that, built to accompany the swell of students as the college received more prestige. Of course, living off campus was also an option.

Creeping down the hall, I glanced into some classroom doors and spied some familiar teachers and classes. Punzi teaching Time-Based Redstone with redstone repeaters and hoppers, Ttrum teaching Logic Gates with a myriad of repeaters, comparators, and levers, Grosso teaching the difference between pistons and sticky pistons, Holliwell teaching how note blocks can change the sound they make depending on the block it is placed on, and Jackson showing off sorting systems using a series of hoppers.

All the lessons came rushing back to me as I strolled down memory lane. A faint smile spread as I recalled all the late nights I spent studying textbooks and diagrams in preparations for tests and quizzes. The homework I completed in the library with all the others.

Now I wielded a bow and fought bounty hunters and cultists and Griefers. How quickly life changed for me.

I jumped slightly when I saw a student appear up ahead. He was coming out of the bathroom and returning to class when he spotted me. I felt dread when I recognized the student, and he recognized me.

"Lenzington? Is that you?"

"Jerry." I inclined my head in an awkward greeting. "It has been a while…"

"I'll say. I haven't seen you around." He walked up with a curious expression. "I didn't see you at the entrance ceremony or on syllabus day. Did you just get in?"

"Ah, something like that." I replied evasively. "What class you taking now?"

"Oh, it's great." Jerry gushed excitedly. "I'm taking Arroyo's class."

"Automatic Farming? I found that particular one to be quite stale."

"That was before one of the Bounty Days over the summer introduced us to Observers! It's opened up a whole 'nother world of possibilities for Automatic Farming."

I was taken aback by the unfamiliar redstone term. "…Observers?"

"Yeah, they were discovered over the summer. Remember that first pair of Bounty Days?" Jerry said. "Well, one of them was for Observers. They're a block that can detect block changes in an adjacent block. They observe, and if the block experiences a change in any way, the observer outputs a redstone signal. This way, when crops grow, the observer can detect the change and output a signal for harvesting. It's wonderful!"

"Wait, but then could it not also be used as a substitute for long circuits?" I postulated, my mind already running rampant with ideas. "How quick can the observer detect changes and output a signal?"

"It's a one tick pulse. And it behaves the same with a string of them!"

"But that would mean that longer circuits could be powered instantly! Tedious redstone trails are a thing of the past, now!"

"I know!" Jerry exclaimed happily.

"The recipe. Tell me!"

"It requires the whole 3x3 grid. The top and bottom layer are cobblestone, and the middle layer is two redstone dust and one nether quartz. That's it, that's all."

"Another use of nether quartz." I hummed. "Fortunate, then, that the Nether is boundless. We should never run out of the mineral."

"Right you are. We'll run out of redstone before we run out of quartz."

"Do not say that! You will give me an ulcer." I whined, resting a hand on my chest.

"Sorry, sorry." Jerry laughed before his face lit up. "Hey, hey. Arroyo was just about to show us how to make an automatic melon farm! Wanna jump into the lecture?"

"That sounds great! Lead the way—"

I cut off as a floating dagger appeared behind Jerry. The handle end then struck the student's temple and he dropped like a sack of bricks.

I gaped at the unconscious student before then hissing to the hovering dagger. "Why!?"

"Blf dviv wilmrmt lm. (You were droning on.)" Z7 answered before the dagger flipped and disappeared as if it was never there. Then, Jerry's unconscious body was dragged off by an invisible force and deposited in the bathroom.

"Did you have to brain him?" I complained.

"Ml, R hfkklhv R xlfow szev proovw srn. (No, I suppose I could have killed him.)" Came her indifferent response. I could just imagine her shrugging with the words.

"She did the right thing. I didn't come here to sit through a lecture on farming melons." Dwight said mockingly. A few Paragons agreed with him. "You can fanboy over redstone on your own time. Keep leading the way."

I sighed resignedly. He had a point. We were here to reach the End, not get absorbed into classes. I lost my head at the mention of a new redstone device. Observers. With the recipe, I could test them later. What was more upsetting was that I missed out on new redstone innovations during my absence.

How much else had I missed? It weighed on my mind as I led the invisible group down the stairwell and into the castle's basement. Distracted as I was, I was less cautious and made more noise. Cobbert whispered a warning to keep it down, but I was hardly listening. My mind was too busy devising ways to utilize the observer block.

Since we had to pick up minecarts, we took a slight detour to the Redstone Rail Lab. This was one of the big lecture halls with the slanting floor and the rows of chairs facing the professor's desk. This lecture hall, however, was special. More space was allocated at the front of the classroom so that rails could be laid out and shown to the students. The class was still in full swing, so there was no way we could grab the carts we needed to reach the Stronghold. Instead, we waited as Professor Lancer walked around a zigzagging railway with a minecart hopper zipping along it. It was rigged in such a way that the minecart hopper would go back the way it came once it reached the end of the zigzag.

Immediately, I could tell it was for picking up items. Professor Lancer confirmed this as he addressed his students.

"…this kind of contraption is most commonly seen in egg farms." The balding professor explained. He actually looked a bit like Notch, minus the beady eyes. He was also a bit chubbier. "Chickens lay so many eggs that it becomes quite tedious collecting them all. Before the minecart hopper, engineers would just lay down a bed of hoppers to draw in the eggs. This is much more efficient." He nodded to the zipping cart. "This way, the minecart hopper collects the eggs and unloads them into a chest on either end of the rail. Any questions?" One student raised a hand. "Yes, Becca."

"Won't the chickens be walking on the rails? How come the tracks don't get gummed up?"

"Ah. Excellent question." He smiled. "A layer of grass is put above the rails. Hoppers have a draw range slightly larger than itself, so it works so long as it's only a single layer above the rails. Make note of that, class. It'll be on the midterm." The students hastily scribbled in their notebooks. "Now, I wanted to go into the loading and unloading system, but I doubt we'll have time for that. So, we'll end it there, a few minutes early." The class was already packing up at the word 'end'. "Don't forget, I expect you all to have read pages 124 through 145 by tomorrow's class. The better read you are, the better prepared you'll be, and the sooner we can start. And I don't want to hear any Bounty Day excuses! They'll be time for that after the exams."

"Hide!" Cobbert hissed as the students stampeded towards the doors. I ducked past the wall and in between two pillars.

The exiting students chatted amongst themselves about the lesson, about their lives, about studying for midterms, about the Bounty Day changes and the Testificates. All manner of things. Professor Lancer was the last one to leave, along with a female student.

"Are you sure you're understanding the unloading set-up, ZoZo?" The professor asked.

"No, yeah, no. I-I get it." The student, ZoZo, answered bashfully. "Thank you, professor, but I'm not lagging behind anymore. You won't have to waste your evenings."

"Imparting knowledge is never a waste." The professor said seriously. "When a teacher looks at his student, he hopes to see a reflection of his own abilities. Never forget that."

"A-Ah, yes sir." The student nodded before scurrying away. The professor watched her go before letting out a sigh.

"Flew right over her head, didn't I?" He muttered before walking off. I waited until he was out of sight before leaving my hiding spot and entering the vacated lecture hall. I assumed Cobbert and the Paragons were with me as I moved to the supply chests. Inside were many kinds of rails and many kinds of minecarts.

Without having to say anything, I watched as the minecarts were removed from the chests and distributed amongst the invisible Crafters.

"Stupid… backpack…" Cobbert mumbled, a minecart hovering aimlessly. "I don't have space for this. Can someone hold it for me?"

"What do you expect when your pack is crammed full of snowballs?"

"I'll have you know that these snowballs kept killer rabbits from biting your face off." Cobbert protested. "Show some respect."

"Indeed. It is like asking me to ditch my valuable redstone gear." I supplied.

"…Right, it's exactly like that." I could hear Dwight rolling his eyes. "Pass the cart here. I'll hold it for you."

Digging through the chests, I found more than just minecarts and rails. There were redstone torches, lamps, dispensers, droppers, daylight sensors, repeaters, and much, much more. It seemed that some students brought some leftover redstone from other classes by accident, and then stored it here during class. If so, the professor must not have found a time to return them to their proper place.

As it was, I took out a bunch of tripwire hooks, thinking of showing the Paragons how to craft crossbows. Just because I found little use for the added precision did not mean the Paragons would. Besides, nobody would miss a few hooks.

"Vbvh fk! Dv'ev tlg xlnkzmb. (Eyes up! We've got company.)"

I whipped around, bobbling the hooks before stuffing them into my belt and slamming the chest closed. A second later, the door to the lecture hall opened and a surprised gasp sounded.

"Oh! Excuse me, but you're not supposed to be here." Professor Lancer recovered from the shock quickly. "If you need a quiet place to study, I'm afraid you'll have to settle for the library…" He trailed off, squinting his eyes as he gazed at me. "Is that…? Lenzington?"

After being called out, I had no choice but to respond. I gave an awkward wave. "Professor. That was quite the lesson you taught."

"What? Oh! You mean—you saw that?" He walked up to his desk and began to dismantle the track he built for the lesson. Must have been why he came back. "I didn't see you in any of the chairs. Matter of fact, I haven't seen you attending any classes since the year started."

He beckoned me to the front of the lecture hall and I had little choice but to acquiesce. It would have been rude otherwise to just walk out while he was talking. I just hoped Z7 would not brain him like she did Jerry.

"I couldn't believe my ears when I heard you missed enrollment." Professor Lancer continued as I approached. Even while dismantling the track, he kept his kind gaze on me. "You're one of the college's brightest minds. What happened? Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine." I assured, feeling a pit of dread forming in my gut. How was I even supposed to begin explaining all the craziness I had been up to over the summer?

"You were supposed to enroll by late August. Yet here we are, late October. Midterms are coming up." The professor pointed out. "Do you think you'll be able to catch up?"

Sensing my distress, Z7 moved, unseen, behind the professor. Her presence was denoted by a floating dagger poised to thump the man in the temple.

"NO!" I shouted suddenly, startling the professor and causing the dagger to vanish as if it were never there. I recovered quickly. "N-No! I, er, decided to take some time off." I stated. "Yes. Just a few months off… to gain some practical experience."

"Oh, really?" The professor spoke with interest. "Is it an internship? What company are you working with? Potato Tech? Retronics?"

"Er… it is more like… an independent internship?" I tried, the phrase sounding pathetic even to my ears.

Professor Lancer frowned. "Independent internship?" He repeated skeptically, pausing in dismantling the track.

"That is right."

There was a long stretch of silence as the professor looked at me, his critical stare making me fidget uncomfortably. Professor Lancer was a good teacher. It felt too much like I was disappointing him by missing enrollment.

Back when I first joined Cobbert, it had been June. The school year just ended and I intended to journey with the fisherman for a few months before returning to the college with some real world experience. That had been the plan… before Halstatt, the Creeper Herd, Jolin, Zeppil, Akasha, and the Tragedy of Ringwood. I had been en route to Zeppil for an airship at the time of enrollment. Getting one and serving as the Beginners' archer just ate up all my thoughts.

Returning to college got away from me. Hence, why I felt so uncomfortable now. I did not want a professor seeing me, let alone a professor as nice and helpful as Lancer.

Finally, the professor broke the silence.

"You didn't dropout, did you?"

"What? No!" I denied. "Why would you ask that?"

"You have a lot of potential, Lenzington." The professor went on. "You have a talent for redstone, a thirst for knowledge, and an eye for details. I'd hate to see all that go to waste should you become a dropout. "

"I am not giving up my education." I assured. "I really am just taking some time off. Things have come up." I gave a one-shouldered shrug. "I have to keep my priorities in order."

"Really? Because the Lenzington I remember had starry eyes for a coveted spot at Potato Tech." Professor Lancer reminded me. "It used to be all you talked about. You studied for hours, aced tests—you even asked me for a recommendation letter."

I had done that.

"Yet now you're late for enrollment, skulking around the college like you have regrets." He made a gesture to my present standing and I had no way to refute without bringing up the Paragons. "Do you even still want to be an engineer?"

"…"

He sighed wearily. "Lenzington, when a teacher looks at his student, he hopes to see a reflection of his own abilities," he continued in a sincere and caring voice. "When I look at you, I see my own F. I don't like to fail, do you?"

"…No." I shook my head. "I just… I have a lot on my plate right now. I am not quitting." I assured. "I promise."

That seemed to satisfy the professor. He went back to packing up the tracks. "Sorry to press you like that. I just…" He bit his cheek. "All too often I see students drop out. They end up flushing their whole lives down the toilet and it hurts watching it happen again and again. Students like LeShui, Klinkscale, Larkspur... I just don't want to see that happen to—"

"Larkspur…?" I repeated, forgetting for a moment my own educational dilemma. "As in Teal_Larkspur? The Endward Cult Lieutenant?"

"Ah, you've seen her wanted posters too." Professor Lancer sniffed. "It's one of my biggest regrets as a teacher, to have taught her, and allowed her to walk such a path."

"…She used to be a student here? At this college?" I asked, positively flummoxed. The way Floyd and Soul described it, Teal never once used redstone. She was more brawn than brains, using kicks and fists and strength greater than Soul's.

"It was before your time. Centuries ago." The professor reminisced. "I was teaching pistons back then and Teal was one of my students. Jeb Almighty, she was so bright-eyed and eager, practically vibrating in her seat the first day."

"So what happened?"

"The second day." The professor sighed. "The syllabus took the wind out of her sails, then the lessons started and everything went over her head. I should have realized how lost she looked…" He clicked his tongue. "Instead I focused on the majority of the class." He spat bitterly. "Some teacher…"

"She had a learning disability?" I guessed, attributing cultists with a skewed mentality.

"No, it wasn't that." He shook his head. "She was interested in redstone, but she didn't have the talent for it. You see it all the time with incoming students, especially those visiting Daymonte for the first time. They become seduced by the razzle-dazzle of redstone—all the flashing lights and moving pieces—and they take more interest in the result rather than the how it's made. If you want to do impressive things with redstone, that's fine, but you can't skip out on all the bits and bobs. Teal saw redstone more as art than science, and that's a pitfall that has led many students astray."

I understood what he meant. If someone watched a musical concert made up of note blocks, they would immediately want to recreate it. However, upon learning the hard work involved to match up the notes and place the redstone wiring with properly timed repeaters, most Crafters would give up.

"Teal wasn't stupid." The professor affirmed. "She just needed a helping hand. Someone to break down the lesson in a way she could digest. I wasn't that person, unfortunately." He scratched his head with a somber look. "She quit after three weeks, never to set foot in the college again."

"Now she is a cultist." I acknowledged, realizing where the professor's regrets stemmed from.

"Yes. Now she is a cultist. I couldn't believe it when I first saw her poster. And after the ugly business in Ringwood, and me thinking she might have had a hand in it…" He trailed off. "You know, I pass a wanted board on my way to the college every day. Teal's face is always there, beaming at me with that happy smile. The same one she had on the first day of lessons." He shook his head. "She must truly be happy to make an expression like that. And she's on the side of killers."

Professor Lancer finished his packing with an air of finality.

"I see my own F most plainly in Teal_Larkspur, and how I failed to offer—no, insist on helping her. No other dropout is a worse reflection of my skills, and not a day goes by that I lie awake wondering how different that innocent girl's life would have been as a graduate of this college."

"That… that is…" I let loose a deep breath. "…quite the tale. I…" I hesitated. "…I have no intention of becoming a dropout like Teal. You have my word, professor. It really is just a matter of priorities."

"Then I'll leave it at that. Forgive an old man for rambling about past sorrows." Professor Lancer offered a kind smile and reached out to shake my hand. "Until you set your affairs in order. I'll look forward to the day you return to my class."

"Same." I smiled, a niggling thought squirming to the surface. "Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Have you… tried to extend help to students in need?"

"I have."

"And have you had any success?"

Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door. Looking over his shoulder, I saw it was the bashful female student, ZoZo.

"Ah, Miss ZoZo." Professor Lancer greeted welcomingly. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"W-Well, actually…" She fidgeted in place. "…I thought about what you said, and… I-I think I do need extra help. Can you go over the unloading set-up again?"

The professor had time to shoot me a knowing look before he stepped towards the lost student.

"I'm glad you came to me for help. I'll be happy to go more in depth. Feel free to ask questions as I explain." He then jerked his head towards the door. "Lenzington, if you'll allow us some privacy. I don't want you distracting my student."

I nodded with a small smile before going towards the door. As I passed, I patted the bashful student on the back, startling her slightly.

"Good luck."

"Um, thanks… guy."

Exiting the lecture hall, I was greeted by Dwight's weary sigh.

"I thought he'd never shut up. What a windbag."

"Professor Lancer is most certainly not a windbag." I rebuked with a scowl. "He is a brilliant and caring professor."

"And if you listened to half the things he said, you'd know he provided some valuable information on Teal_Larkspur." Trenay added. I could hear her furiously scribble in her notebook. "Seems the brawler of the Eastern Division had a history in these halls."

"Eh, I don't buy it." Heather uttered skeptically. "I've seen her posters. Teal is a bombshell battle junkie. No way someone that pretty could be a redstone nerd."

"Gee, Heather, tell Lenz how you really feel." Someone said.

"We come from all walks of life." Baltic interjected with a somber tone. It felt out of place with what we were discussing. "She's a different person now than she was back then."

"We all start out the same." Cobbert added. I could tell he was remembering the time we visited the Origin. He had asked Helena about the Lieutenants' pasts and learned how normal they had been. Sweet, bubbly Teal had turned into a monster.

"We should keep moving. I don't want to get stopped by every student and professor in this place." Doyle said, earning plenty of nods. Now that we had the minecarts we could press on.

I led the group down a few more halls towards the abandoned section of the college. We crossed the section roped off by white banners with red X's and kept going until we reached a supposed dead end.

The stone button blended well as I walked up and clicked it. There was a Cha-chunk as the wall slid open to reveal a secret entrance. I stepped past it with easy familiarity just before it closed behind me. It was on a short timer, so the Paragons had to move quick as they entered single file. Cobbert hopped through last.

"Gah, I always get my leg caught in that thing."

The rails were there waiting for us. I placed my minecart at the head of the track, the Paragons lining up behind. The invisibility had worn out, and they were fully visible as they strapped on their tools and armor. Since I was the one who had to trigger the track change buttons via arrows, I had to be up front. I would not be getting the arrows back, but I was used to it.

One whirlwind cart ride later and we emptied out into a cave, the cracked stone bricks of the Stronghold just a short walk away. It was like the lobby before the main structure. The opening act before the main event. A kind of tension hung in the air as the Paragons looked upon the cracked stone for the first time. It was a sight reserved for the First Ten, when Jeb led them inside centuries ago.

"That's it, huh."

"Indeed." I nodded seriously. Dwight made a step towards it, but I stopped him. "Hold on. The place is booby trapped. Let me lead."

"Fine, fine." He relented, taking a step back.

"One more thing." I added, and I made sure to translate this for Z7's sake. "While you are in this Stronghold, under no circumstance are you to break blocks. (Dsrov blf ziv rm gsrh Hgilmtslow, fmwvi ml xrixfnhgzmxv ziv blf gl yivzp yolxph.)"

Z7 nodded, not needing any reason other than I told her not to, but the others pressed for more details. Cobbert was all too happy to provide them as he waved Advanced Mob-Slaying.

"Silverfish. Strongholds are home to a rare Mob called Silverfish—you can read the entry if you like." He held out the book to Trenay. "They meld into stone, stone bricks, cracked stone, chiseled stone, mossy stone, et cetera, et cetera. They're content to stay in stone, dormant, but if you break their block and disturb them, they attack. They're tiny buggers, but get a bunch of them mad at you and they'll eat you alive. They're the reason why Daymonte roped off this sector of the Kingdom from mining."

Shroud, Doyle, and Heather took a huge step away from the cracked stone structure. "Thanks for the heads up. Is it safe…?"

"So long as you don't break any blocks." Cobbert adjusted his green leather tunic indifferently. We were so laidback after having done this before; we must have looked like professionals. "If we do start something, however, the Silverfish have low Health and are susceptible to Splash Potions of Harming. That's what the book says, anyway."

"He's right." Trenay nodded, flipping through the pages of Herobrine's Mob book. Any other Crafter would have burned the teachings of Herobrine, but Trenay treated the tome with care. Cobbert made note of it with a satisfied smile. "They're also considered Arthropods. Dwight, you have something for that?"

"Course I do. Reserved for big ugly Spiders, but I can take it out." He pulled out an enchanted iron sword from deep in his backpack. Meanwhile, Baltic prepared some Splash Potions of Harming just in case.

"Just do not break any blocks and let me lead the way." I repeated before climbing through the hole in the ruin. Cobbert followed and, more tentatively, the rest of the Paragons.

The Strongholds were as silent as I remembered. Down here, no sunlight or sounds could penetrate. The air was stale, yet cool. That hardly changed year-round. Even in the summer, the temperature in the Stronghold was low.

Also, the redstone contraptions were right where I left them. How many times had I studied their workings to duplicate them on my own? The stroll down memory lane was like remembering a little brother. How shockingly things changed.

"…You missed enrollment."

"Eh?"

After a period of silence, Cobbert spoke in a faint murmur, barely above a whisper. His gaze was cast downward, a troubled expression on his face.

"He said you were two months late."

"…Yes."

"Then…!" Cobbert stalled. "You should've…" Another stall as he trailed off, seeking the proper words. "We would've gotten you here."

Ah. Right. I let out a slight chuckle at the fisherman's words. His thought process was not hard to follow.

"You have nothing to feel guilty over." I explained slowly, lifting my tinted glasses to make direct eye contact. "What I told Professor Lancer is more or less why I gave up making enrollment. I had other priorities."

"…You never brought it up." He said helplessly. "I mean, if we knew, we'd—"

"Would we of?" I asked seriously. "Cobbert, at the time we should have been getting back to make enrollment, we were squaring off against Berserkers. We had not even made it to Zeppil yet. I made the decision between enrollment and an airship when we left Ringwood. I clearly chose one over the other."

"But, now, the airship's gone." He spoke hurriedly. "Can't you enroll late? They have that, right? Or, if not, we'll have them make an exception—we'll force the issue if we—"

"Cobbert, I am touched you are willing to bully the teaching staff into enrolling me, but I am telling you what I told the professor: I have other priorities now." I took a turn at an intersection, bypassing the tripwire traps. "After everything we have been through, I am not just going to abandon you to the Endward Cult to finish my education. As a matter of fact, this cult business is bigger than anything."

"Yeah, but… you love redstone." Cobbert tried. "I don't want you giving up your passions. It's not fair to you."

"Comparators, did you hear nothing of what the professor and I spoke of?" I asked, a bit of anger leaking out. "You think I am some dropout too? Willing to give up when things get too hard?"

"No, no!" He shook his head vehemently.

"Then when I tell you it is alright, it is alright." I said with no room for argument. "You make it seem like there is only one right way—you of all people, creative and ingenious, should know that there is more than one path to realizing my dream."

We took another turn, bypassing the lava pitfall. Things were going smoothly, no Mobs in sight.

"Look, Cobbert, do you remember when we got an airship? Was that a straight path that went according to plan?"

"…No." He said. "There were bumps and obstacles—we lost the Parkour Games—but we came out of it with the Asmodeus."

"Precisely." I smiled. "Things rarely go to plan, but our ability to persevere despite the tribulations makes us stronger, wiser, and ultimately better people."

Another stretch of silence as we continued through the Stronghold. Cobbert nodded to himself as he mulled over my words.

"You really don't mind missing college?"

"Yes. I can finish my education anytime." I assured. "I am not just an engineer, and I am not just an archer. I am a Beginner. And that is my top priority."

"Alright, alright. No need to go out and say it." He muttered in embarrassment.

"I feel I have to. There is no other detour through that thick head of yours." I joked, earning a laugh.

"…Let's make a promise out of it, then."

"Huh?"

"A promise." He nodded, liking the idea. "After this whole Endward Cult business is dealt with, let's promise to get you through college and into a cushy engineering job—what's the best job for that?"

"Probably the CEO position at Potato Tech, but I do not see myself—"

"Then yeah, that."

"Cobbert, I do not think you fully grasp how high such a position would be."

"Gotta shoot for the stars sometimes. The loftier the better." He smirked.

"I see." I shook my head, suppressing a laugh. "A promise, then?"

"Yup. For courage. And to remind us why we fight." He nodded. "Even when things get tough, remembering there are things left for you to do—well, it'll help give you strength."

"An interesting proposal." I hummed. "Alright, then. It is a promise."

Cobbert held out his hand and I accepted it with a loud clap to make it official.

"Oh, gag me."

Dwight made a choking sound at our display and Cobbert shot him a look.

"What's the problem?"

"Making promises? What are you, infants?" He mocked. "Are you going to pinky swear next?"

"What's wrong with making plans for after the Endward Cult is beaten?" Cobbert argued. "There has to be an end at some point, so what'll you do with all the spare time?"

"Hate to burst your bubble, but this war with the cult has gone on for years." Dwight continued. "It's not something that'll end anytime soon."

We took another turn down an intersection, avoiding more traps.

"Actually, Cobbert brings up a good point." I spoke to try and diffuse things. "What are your plans after the Endward Cult is beaten?"

"I just told you, it's not going to end anytime—"

"Even so, you must have goals." I interrupted, making Dwight pause. "You cannot just be mindless troops willing to die. What are your aspirations? What are you fighting for? What do you want to do if you had the free time?"

Silence. Complete and utter silence as the Paragons glanced at one another with varying degrees of confusion and… vacancy?

"You… you all have dreams, right…?"

Nobody spoke up. Heather frowned to herself, Aurand tilted his head indifferently, Dwight stared into the middle distance, blinking slowly.

I could not believe it.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Cobbert asked. "Aside from stopping the cult, why do you roll out of bed every morning? What do you got going for you?"

"…Can we not?" Doyle spoke harshly. "Now's not the time to go into it."

"…I disagree." I piped up bravely. "Having concrete goals keeps us motivated. If you could do anything, what would it be?"

"I don't want to—"

"What would it be?"

"I—"

"What would it be?"

"…"

"What would it be?"

"Pit filler." Aurand spoke suddenly. Maybe he was just annoyed and wanted me to stop, but I clung to his words, even as the Paragons looked at him strangely.

"A pit filler? You?"

"Sure." The big assassin shrugged. "I used to be a pit filler for the terraformers back in Dover Plains. My job was plugging up the holes made by Creepers. Those walking bombs were making the meadows pockmarked, so I had to go fill up the craters. Big strapping guy like myself filled a lot of ditches."

"And you want to go back to that?" Dwight asked incredulously.

Aurand shrugged. "Honest pay for honest work. Plus, with my added background as an assassin, I feel like I could threaten my boss if he tries to screw me out of my paycheck." He smiled softly. "I wouldn't mind going back to that."

"See? That is a fine aspiration to have." I nodded, trying to coax more of them into sharing. "Trenay, what about you?"

"Huh? Ah, I don't know. Come back to me." Trenay waved off, though it did look like she was thinking.

"Alright, then." I turned to the Jibberwoman who had been quiet the whole time. "Z7? Dszg dlfow blf dzmg gl yv? (What would you want to be?)"

"Xlnvwrzm."

"Come again?" The answer had come so fast I could not translate. "Xlfow blf ivkvzg gszg? (Could you repeat that?)"

"Xlnvwrzm. (Comedian.)" She said simply, her expression shrouded by her hair. "Hgzmw-fk xlnvwrzm. (Stand-up comedian.)"

I blinked, taken aback. Had I translated that right? The suggestion was so out there. Or maybe she was joking…?

"R dzmg gl yv svziw zmw R dzmg gl nzpv kvlkov ozfts. (I want to be heard and I want to make people laugh.)" She asserted, ensuring there was no mistakes in translation.

"What did she say?" Doyle asked, the question echoed by the other Paragons. "Did she even give an answer?"

All of a sudden, her aspiration clicked. She wanted to be heard, and wanted what was heard to bring people enjoyment. She wanted to make people laugh.

The cruel irony coming from a being that could not be understood. Only other Jibbermen could interpret her, but that accounted for a small population of Minecraftia. She wanted to bring joy to a larger audience. If that were truly her goal… it saddened me.

"A-Ah." I said helplessly, neither translating for the others nor offering the assassin any more words. Z7 did not have anything to add, instead following along with a face masked by her long, purple hair.

"…I thought up something." Trenay piped up. "I'd want to be a Bounty Day researcher."

"A what?" Cobbert asked with interest.

"It's a new position. What with all the Bounty Days you guys started." She grinned wryly. "Basically, people get together and research the new Bounty Day blocks and items and things. I think I'd like that." Trenay nodded. "I'd be the first to know things instead of getting swept up in another's pace." She looked at Cobbert and I as she said that.

"Don't tell me you're holding a grudge." Cobbert sighed. "So we know more about the End, so what?"

"There's no 'so what' for an information broker! We must be abreast of everything."

"I mean, you got two."

"…!"

"I used to work as a guard." Shroud offered. "Might even make Captain if I tried hard enough. I sort of like being an assassin, though, so I might just hire myself out to assassinating people."

"That sounds awful."

"Hey, you said give you an aspiration." Shroud shrugged before tilting his head towards Doyle and Dwight. "What about you guys?"

"…"

"…Nothing comes to mind."

Aurand chuckled. "You know, the more I think about it, the more I'm looking forward to returning to that peaceful pit filler life." He rested a hand on his chest as he walked. "I don't think I'm feeling any stronger, but… I do feel some warmth."

"How about you, Heather?" Baltic asked. "What would you want to do?"

She shrugged with a scowl. "I have a few thoughts, but nothing serious. At least I don't ever think it'll be serious." She added cryptically. "But really, we've been fighting so long, it's almost unthinkable thinking of a future."

"No reason not to try." Baltic said kindly.

"Oh yeah, then what do you want, old timer?"

"Aaah. What I want. Well…" Baltic closed his eyes. "I want now what I wanted the moment Carys started this whole thing."

He paused to allow some build-up. We all slowed our walking and perked our ears, listening carefully. You could cut the suspense with a knife, and the Stronghold had never been quieter as he stated his greatest desire.

"For Carys to be at peace."

I did not think it was possible, but the following silence was even quieter. It was already established that Carys and Baltic had some sort of past, but to hear that his greatest want was the other to be at peace, it was quite touching. It made me burn with curiosity, wondering what their story—

"Snrk.."

I thought only Dwight could be so insensitive to stifle a chuckle now of all times. Instead, I was unpleasantly surprised to find that it was Cobbert covering his mouth. The aged alchemist made a note of glaring at the fisherman.

"Something funny?"

"No, no." Cobbert waved off, only to give another slight chuckle before schooling his expression. "It's nothing. Nothing."

"It certainly seems like something." Baltic pressed sternly. "Care to share?"

A kind of tension filled the air. Building slowly, like a boiling kettle screaming higher and higher…

"Oh, don't get all serious on me." He rolled his eyes as we turned another corner. "I just don't think 'Carys' and 'peace' should be used in the same sentence."

"Oh, I get it." Baltic spoke with surprising callousness. "You think she's just a wild killing machine incapable of compassion."

"…Are we talking about the same Carys?" He asked incredulously.

"No." Baltic muttered somberly. "No we're not."

"Look, Carys just comes across as the kind of woman who runs towards a fight. That's all. Don't freak out." He tried to assuage, only for Baltic to rush to her defense.

"She's not the person she used to be."

"Yeah?" Cobbert snapped, whirling on him. "Well we're all not the persons we used to be! So quit making excuses for her like she's some sort of little kid!"

It was like a bomb had gone off. Nothing could stop Cobbert now.

"I had it, you know! It was in my hand, it was so tangible! I thought I found what I aspired for!" He held out his hand as if there was something in it. "I thought I had it all figured out, and then… and then…" He crushed his fist. "It fell apart like it was never there to begin with. Did I even really have anything at all with her or was it… was… Damnit…" He scrunched his eyes shut.

Nobody uttered a word as Cobbert stopped cold. They all stopped in their tracks, but everybody kept their mouths shut, too afraid to set the fisherman off again.

It was that sore subject again.

"…Books." Cobbert dragged his hands over his face, seemingly overcome by a bout of randomness. "That's what I want to do. I want to write books when this is all over. Mobs books…" He waved the tome he had been working on diligently. "And… and I'd want to write a story about my life." He asserted. "I'll have Alexicon publish it, and I can make millions as everyone reads about the struggles of my life. The good… the bad… the ugly…" He gnashed his teeth, dragging his hand across his face again. He didn't cry, though. Not once did he cry. "And then… then I guess I'll just keep going until it all stops."

He was saying a lot of dark things. I never should have let the discussion deteriorate this far. What started as harmless talk about the future suddenly turned grim… and depressing.

"Ah, sorry…" Cobbert shook his head before looking up. "Hey, Lenz." He pointed down a corridor. "This is our stop, right?"

"…Right."

We had reached the combination door. It was originally locked by a ten lever combination that granted access to the core chambers of the Stronghold. I had spent years trying to crack the combination… before Cobbert punched a hole through the wall.

The simple solution caused quite the stir, however, as it aggravated the Silverfish and nearly led to our demise. Now, however, the Silverfish were dormant and the hole was still there. There was no need to gain their ire. Instead, we walked straight through and continued on until we reached the bedrock shell separating us from the lab. The wooden button I had wired to open it up was still there.

"This is it." I said, hoping to distract from Cobbert's earlier rant. The fisherman looked like he wanted to forget too, and the Paragons all followed my lead.

"He really made a bunker out of this unbreakable stuff." Trenay whispered, running a palm over it. "This is wild."

"He wouldn't have erected such defenses unless he wanted to keep something out." Baltic noted.

"Or something in." I mumbled to myself, remembering the Creeper Hybrid and those empty cells.

No sense being cautious. We came this far. I walked up to the wooden button and clicked it to create a gap in the bedrock. The Paragons behind me were astonished that the unbreakable blocks could be displaced, but I took it in stride and crossed through the doorway before it sealed behind me. Cobbert was the next to enter, then Trenay, then the rest.

"Is… Is there a way back out?"

"There is another exit." I assured.

We continued a short distance down a torch lit bedrock corridor, stepped over a tripwire, and turned a corner before we finally reached the lab. Not a thing had changed since our absence, proving without a doubt that SutsCo's access to the End was somewhere else.

The redstone machinations littered about were as dusty as I remembered. The brewing stands and their multi-colored potions remained untouched, though they drew Baltic's attention like a moth to a flame. Trenay and Heather hesitantly walked over to the chests and bookcases, a futile attempt to find research notes I knew were not there. There were no books or notes left. All Herobrine's research was gone.

Aurand, Doyle, and Shroud congregated by the bedrock cells. Each one had a sign hanging above with experiment numbers written down. They wrinkled their noses in disgust at the poor conditions. Cobbert immediately went to the corner filled with signs and the strange redstone circle setup. Meanwhile, Z7 and Dwight were on the other side of the lab, by a pair of buttons with signs labeling them 'Cake Button' and 'Warning: Self-Destruct Button. Why on Earth Did I Think Placing These Two Buttons Side-By-Side was a Good Idea. I Must Have Been Drunk.'

"What's with people and cake buttons?" Dwight muttered critically while Z7 had a dazed look on her face. Her eyes were glued to the two buttons. She raised a finger and slowly moved it towards one of them.

"DZRG! (WAIT!)" I caught her hand before she could press the self-destruct button and gently guided it to the one she wanted to press. A cake flew out with a 'click' into her expectant palm and she happily continued to spam it, stockpiling a frightening amount of sugar. Seems her speech was as good as her reading. All she understood was 'cake'; the warning sign was lost on her.

"Leave it to Herobrine to rig up a self-destruct." I did not like the way Dwight smirked at the button, and neither, it seemed, did Baltic.

"Don't even think about it, Dwight."

"What? This place is a product of Herobrine. Nothing good can come of it. Like Perry said, we should just torch the place." He gestured to the button. "Well, here's a convenient button for it."

"We're not torching anything!" Cobbert snapped, turning from his corner spot. "There's nothing harmful in here. It's been cleaned out long ago."

"As far as you know." Dwight countered. "This place might have sinister purposes we couldn't even begin to understand. You want to risk the Endward Cult stumbling upon it?"

"Why? Are you thinking about blabbing it to them in a long-winded monologue?" Cobbert shot back. "They won't find it if you keep your mouth shut—"

"We're not torching the place." Trenay got between the two. "Now while there's an End Portal we can use. And would you get away from that self-destruct button? Honestly, we don't know the range or even if there's a counter on it, and you want to press it."

"Herobrine would have put a counter." Dwight dismissed easily. "He wouldn't want to kill himself."

"Assuming he's mortal in the first place." Baltic muttered.

"Of… of course he's mortal." Dwight said, a slight tremble to his voice. "What else could he be? He spawned just like us, right? Those horror stories are just made up by the cult."

Cobbert offered Dwight an uncertain glance before turning back to the signs and the redstone circle setup. Trenay and I joined him.

"What's this?"

Cobbert stepped aside to allow her to read some.

'He took it!'

'He ruined everything!'

'I was so close!'

'The Egg!'

'Trusted him.'

'Changed the world!'

'Research cannot be for naught.'

'Must find new Egg!'

'Back through the portal. Only way forward…'

The same messages, scrawled over and over onto signs.

"He went a bit loopy at the end, eh?" Trenay tried to joke.

"Don't we all." Cobbert spoke dully before turning to me. "See what I mean, Lenz? He was definitely looking for an Egg. It's got to be the Dragon Egg. The same one the First Ten won after slaying the Ender Dragon."

"Seems like it." I nodded. "But what does that tell us?"

"It tells us where to look for him." He pointed to one of the signs. "Says he went 'Back through the portal'. And 'The only way forward…'"

"…is endward." I finished, completing the cult's motto. "I still do not see how this helps us."

"…" Cobbert seemed to mull his answer over for a while before replying. "If nothing else, it gives us a lead to barter with." He decided. "The reason Ember ordered I be kept alive is she thinks I know where Herobrine is. They all think I know, but I don't. I just have a hunch." He shrugged. "So maybe I make it so I know what they think I know."

"And use it as leverage?"

"Better to have the knowledge than not. Good or bad, it all depends on what you do with it. And as for this…" Cobbert suddenly drew his sword and broke one of the signs, forever destroying Herobrine's last words. "…I think it's better we keep this to ourselves. Dwight, if you want to break stuff, you can help with these signs!"

"Hoo, yeah!"

With Dwight's assistance, Cobbert splintered all the signs containing Herobrine's mad ravings. If there was anything important on them, I knew Cobbert would remember it with his eidetic memory. And that was the whole point, was it not? It was all preserved in his head. If the Endward Cult wanted information on Herobrine, they would need him alive, which suited us just fine.

After the last sign was destroyed, Trenay drew attention to the strange redstone circle. It was drawn in a crude eye pattern with a jukebox and cauldron in the center.

"What's this for?" Trenay asked, tilting her head. "I'm no redstone expert, but shouldn't this be wired up to something? There's no switch."

"The purpose of it eludes me also." I supplied. "There were no notes on it. Maybe it is some elaborate bath…?" I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

I did not know it at the time, but the redstone circle was the dark source of the Hybridization experiments Herobrine undertook. It created the Creeper and Ghast Hybrids we had encountered, and would be the source of unspeakable evils later down the line. For now, we remained blissfully unaware of the darkness at work.

"How much farther is the End Portal? This place gives me the creeps."

"It's just up ahead." Cobbert assured, sheathing his sword. He then walked to the large painting in the back of the lab. The one depicting the Wither, along with the chest containing a book in which an eerie poem was written.

...

[Withering]

There are days when it rains
and I just want to lay down
with my back on the pavement.
I'd stare up at the tears
of the nameless.
Pretending every chilling drop
is a faintly stinging kiss.
Then I'd fade away from it all
without notice or being missed.

…

Cobbert walked right up to the painting and glared at it, his face twisted in anger. He was remembering the Tragedy of Ringwood and all the evil things that happened that night. The other Paragons recognized the depiction of the catastrophic man-made monstrosity and made similar showings of fury.

The fisherman brought up both hands to grip at the sides of the painting before tearing it down. It broke and turned into a blank painting, the image lost unless someone bothered to restore it. He need not have—he could have just walked through—but he felt that the painting was an evil that did not need to exist.

Tearing open the painting, he revealed the hidden passageway to the portal room.

"Through here." He ordered, ducking through the passage. "I hope you all have strong stomachs."

"…Why?" Heather asked worriedly while I braced myself.

Heads. Hundreds of disembodied Heads filled the small antechamber leading to the portal room. They were all of different shapes and sizes, yet with the same dead stare. No more thoughts filled them.

I expected some of the Paragons to wretch, scream, or faint at the morbid sight.

"Is that all?" Trenay asked, sounding unimpressed.

"Er… huh?"

"Yeah, this is nothing." Shroud dismissed with a wave. "Not much of a far cry from Carys' trophy room. You must have seen it on the Asmodeus."

Oh. Right. She did have a wall of Heads. Guess they were used to it.

"Snrk. Don't tell me you two screamed like little girls when you saw this." Dwight held back a laugh.

"N-No." Cobbert coughed.

"Your no sounds like a maybe."

"A-Anyway, we made it. End of the line."

Exiting the Head chamber, we finally reached the portal room. The beige portal containing the Eyes of Ender drew the Paragons' attention, as did the inky darkness of the portal that most closely resembled liquid onyx. It flowed in a languid tide that belied how far it would transport a Crafter.

"It… certainly feels different from a Nether Portal." Trenay commented, examining the pool of lava underneath. "Is there any significance to this lava?"

"I don't think so." Cobbert shook his head. "From Herobrine's journal entries, all I know is that they needed Eyes of Ender to activate it. They put them in these holes here." He pointed out the twelve portal blocks that made up the frame. "Funnily enough, Jeb settled in Daymonte because the Eyes of Ender led him here. They were leading him to this portal, almost like they wanted to reunite with the frame."

"They're items. They don't want things." Heather said, rubbing her shoulders. "This place is spooky enough without you making comments like that. Is that the way out of here?" She pointed to the emergency escape ladder. "If that goes through the bedrock shell, I can't help but think we should have come that way."

"You will be leaving that way." I nodded to it. "You and Dwight. Also, if we are late at the designated time of return, you will be using that path to come in after us."

"If and when." Dwight was already moving towards it. "C'mon, Heather. Let's make ourselves scarce."

She nodded, following him up the ladder. Before long, the two were out of sight, with even their footfalls fading away.

"Rg ollph dvriw. (It looks weird.)" Z7 commented, crouched on the edge of the portal, her knees up to her chest as she gazed down.

"Rg rh hzuv. R szev fhvw rg nzmb grnvh. (It is safe. I have used it many times.)" I assured her. "Blf szev mlgsrmt gl yv hxzivw lu. (You have nothing to be scared of.)"

"Ls, dvoo, mld R uvvo hzuv, mviwormt. (Oh, well, now I feel safe, nerdling.)" She parted her curtain of hair so I could see the eye roll. I lifted my tinted glasses so she could see my unenthusiastic glare. Her scarred face cracked a smirk before the curtain closed.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time." Cobbert announced, clapping his hands together. "Pumpkins on everybody. We're jumping in—"

"Just a moment."

"Ugh, what now?" Cobbert stopped. "Is it a bathroom break? You can just do it over the side in the End. The Void is literally right—"

"It's not a bathroom break." Baltic spoke evenly. Instead, he held up a map. "Seems that Carys received Witige's message about us going into the End. She's messaging us back. This can't wait." His eyes were glued to the map and the flashing blips representing the incoming message.

"Fine." Cobbert dropped the pumpkin. "Since we're waiting on Carys' message… can you three get a fire going?"

"What for?" The assassin trio asked.

"We should burn those disembodied Heads." He nodded to the Head chamber. "It's the least those souls should be afforded. A proper burial."

The assassins followed the command without a word, an unspoken respect for the dead guiding them to pull the Heads off the wall and toss them into a pile to be set ablaze.

It was a burial method Cobbert learned from Beican back at the Wailing Vale. Every Crafter deserved a proper burial, and, barring that, should have at least had their Head and possessions cremated. A final send off. The tradition may have even started to spite the Endward Cult, who kept the Heads and possessions of their victims.

It gave us something to do while Baltic and Trenay received Carys' message.

"Cobb." Baltic called. "Carys is asking how long you've known about another dimension that could grant her access to Wonder Wings and Pocket Boxes." He turned back to the map. "She's also saying that your friends are doing a good job and she appreciates—"

"Bullshit, what did she actually say?"

"…That Noman is a fupping invalid who can't kill a sheep. Useless to a tee." He relented awkwardly. "She also says Floyd is a sorry excuse for a Hacker and Soul is brash and stupid."

"Yeah? Well go tell her that Perry and Dwight are giving me a combination migraine, ulcer, stroke. Call it a strulceraine."

Baltic hesitated before translating the map message word for word.

"Just got her reply back." Trenay spoke up. "She says she'll happily take those two, and the stupid strulceraine crap, if it meant ridding herself of the piss-poor pacifist. Says he can't even do a simple raid. She's also demanding a pair of Wonder Wings if we can locate the source. I can answer that myself." She started dropping the map before Cobbert could offer his own snappy reply.

"Hang on, what's she doing putting him on raids?" Cobbert asked, pushing off the wall. "That's like asking a fish to fly! I thought she was a leader of badasses; she can't figure out a better use for his skills?"

"You want me to send that to her?"

"Yes!"

Trenay shrugged before dropping the map in Morse Code, relaying Cobbert's words to Carys. It was fortunate we were a few Kingdoms between us and her; otherwise she may have ripped Cobbert's head off.

"Ooh boy, Carys is swearing up a storm." Trenay winced after a while. Cobbert marched over and rested his hands on his chin as he watched the blip flash angrily. "Oh… oh… uh, wow… that's…" A hand flew up to Trenay's eyes, like she could not bear to look at what was being said.

Baltic gave a dry heave before tearing his eyes away from his own map. Whatever Carys was sending must have been obscene.

"I can't say that!" Trenay flushed heatedly. "Look, she… she just wants to know what you'd do with Noman. That's it. That's all I'm saying of it."

"Alright, alright." Cobbert rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Noman's strength is his negotiation skills. He always looks for the most peaceful path, so he's great at diffusing tough situations. He reminds me of Baltic—I… I mean Baltic reminds me of Noman." Cobbert amended. "He doesn't kill, but he's good at disarming and apprehending people. You can use him to take hostages or prisoners. He can fucking fly—that's a big deal. Plus, he has no trouble busting out the Severe Shield when it comes to Mobs. She can't find work for him with all that?"

Trenay relayed the message as fast as she could, and when it was over, there was a long stretch of silence from the other end. The blip remained a solid white for a good five minutes before it started blinking again.

"This is Soul." Trenay relayed. "Carys put me on because she was apparently done talking with you. She was swearing up a storm, though, so Noman had to tear his own ears off."

"Soul's talking now?" Cobbert asked.

"Hang on." I strode forward importantly. "We need to verify it is truly Soul by asking him a question. I have just the one."

"Okay. Ready to send it." Trenay readied her map.

"Soul, this is Lenz." I spoke. "To prove it is you, answer me this: What do you call the Redstone Logic Circuit in which it is on if both its inputs are different."

There was a short pause before Soul's immediate rebuttal.

"I have no fucking clue."

"That is the correct answer... for Soul." I nodded, Trenay relaying it before I could stop her. Soul answered.

"Can you feel it, Lenz? Can you feel me mentally choking you from kingdoms away?"

"No, I cannot, Soul." I answered back. "Your brain must not be large enough for such an endeavor."

"*TF#&IYGEKUUWLKIYO*^$T*O#*U$OIOGWYHBNELIH!"

"Hang on, we're getting another message from Nitebane." Baltic interrupted. "It's Jillian. She's saying to get off the damn line if you're going to bog it with nonsense words. Also, Carys, please stop cursing."

"Remind me to strangle you later." Soul messaged. "But yeah. Let's talk serious. Akasha got attacked by the Hackers." I felt my heart plummet, even as Cobbert stood up straighter and worried. The Paragons also looked troubled by the news. "It was retribution for Sandra and Winslow. They wiped it off the map."

"…What… what do you mean they wiped it off the map?" Cobbert stressed.

"I mean their boss took a damn nuke to the place. The whole mesa just got snapped out of existence." Soul replied. After a while, he added, "Obsidian died and I ran away like a coward. That's how I left it before joining back up with you in Ringwood."

"Shit…" Cobbert turned away, covering his mouth with a fist. "And Alexicon…?"

The pause before Soul's answer stretched into an eternity.

"I don't know. I don't think she or Arquero were there." It did not allow Cobbert a moment of relief, but Soul had more he wanted to address. "We were in a raid today. We came across some of the escaped prisoners from Ringwood. They're siding with the cult, and they were some tough sons of bitches. We came out of it alive, though."

"That's… a relief." Cobbert breathed.

Soul's next message brought an icy chill.

"They had intel from Jade."

Cobbert's face twisted with dark emotions and there was a… strange emptiness in his eyes as Soul continued.

"She knew about our fighting styles, Floyd's powers, Noman's artifacts. The whole cult knows us better than we do. That snake sold us out."

"…Forget it."

"I don't intend to. Next time I see that bitch, I'm showing her what a skinned snake looks like."

"Stop. That's enough." Cobbert spoke weakly, Trenay relaying the words. "Forget her, Soul. She's… she's not worth it."

There was another stretch of silence before the map blip flashed angrily.

"Are you out of your damn mind!? She Jaded us! She sold us out, stole from us, pretended to be our friend, pretended to love—!"

"That's enough, Trenay. Please." Cobbert covered the map and lowered her hand. Trenay shared a sympathetic look before nodding and stowing the piece of paper away. The blip was still flashing angrily, but nobody bothered to relay Soul's words.

"I suppose we've tarried long enough." Baltic nodded, choosing to ignore Soul's last message. Instead, he took out his carved pumpkin and removed his iron helmet so he could fit it properly over his head.

It was as goofy as you could imagine watching hardcore Paragons putting on pumpkins like it was Halloween. I did not miss the narrowed visibility that came with having to wear one, but it was a necessary sacrifice to keep the Endermen away.

"Alright. Hope you're all ready." Cobbert announced to our group of eight. Cobbert, myself, Baltic, Z7, Trenay, Aurand, Shroud, and Doyle. This was it. "Here we go."

Cobbert was the first to step off and drop into the pool of liquid onyx. He vanished in a blink before I followed after.

---

[Cobb]

Weightless floating as if my body was in freefall, then a soft landing as I rematerialized on the obsidian platform. End Stone all around.

I stepped forward as more presences emerged behind me. Lenz, Baltic, and the rest. All eight of us made it safe and sound in that underground chamber. The Endermen were just above—

"RRRRROOOOAGH-GH-GH!"

A rumbling roar shook the chamber, followed by an explosion of wind like an unfurling sail. I fell on my butt, my eyes wide and alarmed.

"Uh… what the hell was that?" Doyle asked the question all of us must've been thinking while Z7 drew her daggers.

"Hlnvgsrmt yrt."

"Cobbert…?"

"Cobb, what was that?" Trenay demanded.

"I… I don't know…" I answered honestly. Internally I was kicking myself for assuming things would be the same as last time.

Brain: Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Another rumbling roar—louder this time—made my ears ring as I felt something large and heavy fly by and displace the wind. More flaps like unfurling sails, followed by faint shouting. Just what the hell was going on above?

"Cobb, what are your orders?" Trenay urged, grabbing me by the arm and hoisting me to my feet. It was only then that I remembered that I put in place that condition. I was supposed to be the veteran here. They were looking to me on what to do.

"…Let's check it out." I decided, moving towards the stairs to the surface with narrowed pumpkin vision. The Paragons followed with weapons drawn.

Last time, the stairs out of the chamber were dug out of End Stone in a crude, barebones fashion. So I was surprised when instead of that, there were finely cut stairs made from that purple Purpur stuff SutsCo sold. I ran a hand over the first step and the carved walls before climbing up with blade drawn.

Who made this?

Another roar shook the stairwell, forcing me to brace myself before soldiering on. The unfurling sound became more apparent as great wing-flaps, and I could make a bit of that faint shouting.

"…op being stubborn…!"

"RRRRROOOOAGH-GH-GH!"

I took the steps two at a time before hoisting myself out of the hole in the ground and onto the surface. A pockmarked, crater-covered wasteland of End Stone was all I could see through my eyeholes. The Endermen were mulling about idly and the obsidian towers were just as they had always been. I tilted my head up as I traced a particular tower's ascent into the End's dark sky…

…Just as a black dragon crested over it and dive-bombed towards us.

"Holy SHIT! Go back, go back!" I turned on my heel and pushed the first Paragon back into the hole before something struck me with the force of a truck and swept me into the air.

My eyes were wide and afraid as the End tumbled around me through the windows of a pair of pumpkin eyeholes. I vaguely registered the Ender Dragon that flew by as I plummeted towards the ground at an alarming rate.

Hands scrabbled at my belt as I desperately sought the water bucket, thinking it was my only chance to cushion the fall. Instead, I touched a smooth glass neck.

Brain: Slow your fall stupid!

I ripped the potion out and tipped it down my throat as the ground came up fast. The bitter and fishy taste registered just as soon as my fall slowed to an easy float.

I clutched my pounding chest as I gently touched the ground, thanking Baltic for providing me a Potion of Slow Falling. My head swiveled and my eyes darted as I tried to figure out how far I got thrown. This was made ten times harder with the damn pumpkin stuck on my head! I had to stop myself from wrenching it off and angering the nearby Endermen.

"Oh shit." A small voice spoke up. I turned and spotted some semblance of a person watching me from an obsidian tower. "Oh fuck! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! WE HAVE INTERLOPERS IN VIOLATION OF SUTSCO SECURITYYYYYYY!" They ran off before I could stop them, or even process what they just said.

"Cobbert!" That could only be Lenz screaming. I whirled around and saw him running over with all the Paragons. They tripped on rises in End Stone since their visibility was so lousy, but they circled me to see if I was okay.

"Holy crap, you're alive!" Shroud gaped. "You're lucky you didn't get smeared against a tower!"

"Is that thing an Ender Dragon? What's it doing here? We weren't prepared to fight that!" Doyle shouted. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Did you see that figure flying with it?" Lenz asked, surprising me.

"There's someone up there?"

"Yes!" Lenz emphasized before pointing up. "Look! They are flying in unison!"

I followed his finger and narrowed my eyes. Through the pumpkin, I could just make out some dot against the expanse of darkness that was the End's sky. It flew beside the Ender Dragon twisting and twirling in the air.

I had to repeat it. The guy was flying. Not like Noman who could walk on air with the Bottes Zephyr. It was more like how Thed flew with his Flight Hack, yet was there even any smoke coming off of him? He was too far to tell. I could only make out his faint shouting—he had been the one I had heard.

"…C'mon, Jean! Say ahh! Think of the customers!"

"RRRRROOOOAGH-GH-GH!"

"Atta girl!"

The Ender Dragon took a great breath before expelling it as a purple and grey fireball. The flying figure darted off to chase it down, allowing the dragon to fly away unimpeded. Once the fireball struck the surface of the End Stone island, it spread out into a purple cloud, enveloping Endermen and causing them to take damage and scream with unhinged jaws. Furious, they then warped off to chase after the dragon for harming them.

However, the flying figure swooped up at the site of the cloud. He took out a couple of bottles and started bottling the cloud of purple gas like there was no tomorrow. Baltic watched the process with fascination while I took a closer look at the figure.

He was clad in diamond armor from what I could see, save for his head, which was covered by a giant dragon mask with a working jaw. It was the same head as the Ender Dragon.

Only… was there a bit of brightness behind the eye holes? Like someone was shining a light under the mask—

"…!"

"Cobb? Hey! COBB! STOP!"

My legs were running. They pounded along the End Stone frantically as I sprinted towards the masked figure with the glowing eyes. My pulse was racing and I had two kinds of tunnel vision. Thoughts and questions swam in my head as my mouth worked hysterically to try and voice them.

Who else would be in the End?

Who else could fly like that?

Who else would have glowing eyes underneath?

I didn't know if I was excited, scared, or just nervous. All I knew was that my hands wouldn't stop shaking even as I grinded them into fists and ran harder towards the man in the dragon mask. Lungs burned, but my spirit spurred me forward.

I was gasping for breath when I got near enough to see the blazing light emanating from the eye holes of his mask. That was when he noticed me too. He half-turned towards me with a handful of purple-pink bottles, that dragon mouth opening and closing rhythmically.

"Hm? Who are you?" He turned fully. "Take off that silly thing, I can't read your name."

I stilled my breathing as I did as bidden, removing the carved pumpkin without any regard for the Endermen. I had to see him face to face. Once it was off, he could see my name. Now it was his turn.

"…Herobrine?" I asked, walking forward with an outstretched hand.

The figure gave a slight start before relaxing and stowing away his bottles. He then reached up a hand and slowly dragged the dragon mask off, his high beam eyes surging with brightness.

"Sorry! Wrong guy!" Landon_Noir replied.

---

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 12 Cobblestone, 28 Sand, 2 Glass, 52 Glass Bottles, 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Furnace, 17 Flint, 1 Flint and Steel, 17 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 8 Ender Pearls, 14 Coal, 37 Snowballs, 5 Ender Chests, 24 Obsidian, 64 Steak, 27 Steak, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 38]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Chainmail Chestplate, 1 Chainmail Leggings, 1 Chainmail Boots, 1 Carved Pumpkin, 32 Pumpkin Seeds, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Shears, 1 Lever, 13 Tripwire Hooks, 9 Redstone Torches, 8 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Bow, 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Crossbow, 44 Arrows, 11 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 7 Ender Pearls, 46 Steak, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}

[EXP: 19]

Inventory (Baltic): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Sword [Sharpness II, Unbreaking III], 1 Shield, 1 Bow, 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Silk Touch I, Mending I, Unbreaking II], 25 Arrows, 4 Brewing Stands, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 64 Glass Bottles, 42 Glass Bottles, 1 Water Bucket, 59 Blaze Powder, 55 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 28 Bones, 64 Phantom Membranes, 9 Golden Nuggets, 64 Blaze Rods, 26 Fermented Spider Eyes, 59 Carrots, 58 Melon Slices, 17 Steak, 3 Ender Chests, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 26 Emeralds

[EXP: 30]

Inventory (Z7): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection III, Unbreaking IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 32 Cobblestone, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Charcoal, 9 Ender Pearls, 14 Torches, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 14 Cookies, 45 Baked Potatoes, 1 Bucket, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Potion of Slow Falling {4:00}, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}

[EXP: 42]

---

AN: If you don't know who Landon_Noir is, congratulations, you're in the same boat as Cobb.

If you do know, good on you for spotting details. For reference, you can check back in Chapter 45 as to who this mysterious Dragon Born is.

FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. CORN MUFFINS (yes, they're a thing, and I love them).