AN: Happy Halloween everybody! It's tomorrow for me, but I didn't want to post this on Halloween while everybody's busy.
Our resident artist Puppet3 was kind enough to make a lovely Halloween sketch of one of this story's more popular ships. No, it's not Cobb X Furnace, but it's pretty wholesome.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd eliminate Ender Pearl damage.
...Have I done that one yet? I think I did that one.
Chapter 199
And The Sand Ran Red With Blood
[Endward Cult: Eastern HQ]
Spring and Carmen followed KillGore cautiously while cloaked with Invisibility. Although the midget agreed to hear them out, there was no guarantee he wouldn't rat on them. While the Eastern HQ was still on high alert.
Mark's orders to set up roadblocks and scatter gravel around were followed by the cultists. Every major corridor and intersection was covered, and Carmen had to use her impressive jumping ability just to cross patches of scattered gravel without picking any up and alerting them of her presence. Other times, KillGore just walked through without a care, creating a path for Spring while earning complaints from the cultists for ruining their gravel spread.
"Silence! I SAID SILENCE YOU FOOLS! KillGore goes wherever KillGore wishes! No gravel can impede my way."
It looked like he was keeping the secret. He'd have no reason to cover for them, especially when he helped Spring and Carmen slip past a blockade composed of Mark and Teal. It calmed Spring down to put that blue-haired, admittedly hot, crazy behind him.
The prospect of running into Abyssmal was far more nerve-wracking.
Eventually, KillGore led Spring and Carmen to a secluded spot where nobody would dare infringe upon their privacy: KillGore's Room.
"They have you set up in this far-off corner?" Spring asked, wondering how they could shunt him off to such a far-flung corner of the HQ.
"KillGore requested this spot personally." He said proudly. "Fewer annoyances for me to destroy. KillGore needs only wickedness and depravity as his neighbors. Quickly, now! Past the threshold. You are about to bear witness to the personal lair of evil incarnate. And wipe your shoes before you enter!"
Spring and the Carmen clones did as requested and walked into an absolutely cluttered mess. Books and leather armor were scattered about the floor. Signs were posted on every available inch of wall space beside a painting of the Wither. Chests were piled haphazardly in one corner with no organizational system whatsoever. The bed was buried by a heap of empty wooden bowls, glass bottles, and pieces of paper. The place was a pigsty!
Spring wrinkled his nose as there was an offending odor in the air. The Carmen clones nearly gagged as they pinched their noses shut, proving that linked senses were not all they were cracked up to be.
"Eugh! Qué es ese hedor rancio!? What's that rancid stench!?"
"Pure evil!" KillGore declared proudly. "Also some lingering smells. I dropped a poisonous potato somewhere I can't find. And some dirty bowls." He glanced at the bed piled with garbage. "Rotten flesh and fermented spider eyes might be somewhere under all that."
"Asqueroso. You need to clean this room."
"What for? KillGore does not mind. A rank smell for a rank villain. Mwahahaha!"
"How'd it even get this bad?" Spring asked as he stepped over some garbage.
"KillGore doesn't separate his work from his life. Especially when he's struck by evil inspiration!" He stooped down and picked up some books before stacking them in the chests in the corner. "I eat meals at my desk and rarely use the bed. Most of my time is spent devising and implementing new Mob Grinders. DON'T TOUCH THAT!"
Spring flinched slightly as he was looking through one of the books KillGore had laying around. It was full of ideas for Mob Grinders, all of them original works.
One of them used cats to scare away Creepers into pitfalls. Another used dogs to kill Skeletons. Another one had Snow Golems killing Blazes - very creative. KillGore had to have an extensive knowledge on what Mobs feared to make specialized grinders for each one.
"You came up with all these ideas?" Spring asked as the midget marched over and snatched the book from him. "Pretty impressive."
"Save your flattery! For alas, my greatest creation lies beyond my reach." KillGore lamented. "But enough about that. I've invited you into my home, given you sanctuary, and protected you from prying eyes. Now you must explain how and why you've come to fraternize with this Hybrid," he gestured to Carmen, "and what you request of me that only I can do."
Spring nodded and carefully cleared some space for him to sit before he began to explain himself.
He told KillGore about getting kidnapped by Carmen and being forced under threat of death into helping her locate her long-separated husband. He told him how he gave his word to change her back into a human, and that he fully intended to honor his promise even without the threat of death looming over him. Carmen nodded respectfully at that, acknowledging their mutual understanding, while two of her clones busied themselves tidying KillGore's landfill of a room.
Spring told KillGore about how the Hybridization ritual was their only hope to turn Carmen back to her original self. He admitted to stealing Heads from the Depository, and addressed the Heads they still required to make the ritual work.
In between questions, KillGore curiously poked and prodded at Carmen's jiggly skin, or else tested their hivemind linked senses by holding a hand behind his back in full view of one clone while he asked another how many fingers he was holding up.
"Riddle me this, Carmen. How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Dos."
"Wrong! Two, see?"
"Dos means two."
"What?"
"Yeah. Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez..."
"These sound like random noises!"
"Yeah, she does that sometimes." Spring conceded.
KillGore also asked Carmen questions about her transformation.
"Tell me, Hybrid, do you find any major changes in your lifestyle?"
"You mean other than being a walking, talking lava moco?" She spoke sardonically.
"I mean do you feel any different? Any mentionable or concerning side effects?" KillGore roved his eyes over Carmen, not lecherously, but in a purely scientific way. "This is the first I've been able to study a Hybrid up close. The Endward Cult hasn't even begun the trial tests."
"I'm not sure what you want me to say. I hate being a Hybrid, and I want to turn back tan pronto como sea posible."
As far as side effects went, Spring didn't mention Carmen's dormant bloodthirst. Mobs sought to kill Crafters, and the little bit of Mob used in the ritual was enough to turn Carmen - a promising chef with zero combat experience - into someone in favor of killing. Those instincts would become more noticable in murderous subjects like Teal or 4Blite... or a guy literally named after killing and gore.
"What's it like having a hivemind?" KillGore questioned.
"That's..." Carmen and her clones paused, considering. "It's difficult to describe. It's like... I know I'm here, but I can feel myself over there, there, and there." She pointed to her clones in order before resting a hand on her chest. "I can feel what they feel, but it's never to the point where there are too many sensaciones. I can process them all. Taste, sound, smell, sight, touch. Pain, pleasure, joy, sadness. I'm cuatro Carmens and una Carmen. It's... indescribable."
"Hm. Intriguing." KillGore nodded. "I suppose I'll have to experience it myself to truly understand it."
"Experience it? What are you...?" Spring's eyes widened. "You're thinking of becoming a Magma Cube Hybrid...?"
"Perhaps. The appeal of having a stronger linked mind is one KillGore cannot ignore." The midget smirked thoughtfully. "Either a Slime or a Magma Cube, though Magma Cubes have added resistance to fire."
"And they fear agua." Carmen added.
KillGore scoffed. "Water cannot hurt you! Magma Cubes avoid water, but they can swim in it no problem if they must. They don't take any damage and they float just fine." Carmen blinked at the tidbit of useful knowledge. "Anyway, Magma Cubes are deadly even in their smallest form. Having multiple KillGores only multiplies my brutality..."
"And you can supersize yourself." Spring said flatly.
"There are other factors!" KillGore snapped heatedly. "There are hundreds of pros to becoming a Magma Cube Hybrid other than becoming huge!"
"It's nice being más grande than everyone else." Carmen said kindly.
"IT'S NOT JUST THAT!"
It sounded an awful lot like it was just that.
"But true, I cannot deny that such a size combined with my astronomical EXP level would make KillGore nigh unbeatable." KillGore smiled evilly to himself, lifting a foot and squashing some garbage as he imagined what it could be like. "I'd have the power to crush my enemies underfoot! Mwahaha!"
"Odio reventar tu burbuja. Hate to burst your bubble, but Hybrids don't keep their EXP level." Carmen informed, the knowledge coming as much of a surprise to KillGore as it did Spring.
"What do you mean?"
"Take a look for yourself." Two of the clones showed off their arms to KillGore and Spring respectively. No green EXP meter tattoo. No green number. No green bar or partially filled bar. Her arms were completely devoid of any of the usual tattoos, including the Health Meter and Hunger Meter ones. Completely bare.
"You... don't have EXP?" Spring questioned, remembering how the EXP orbs seemed to ignore her instead of float into her arm. There was no EXP meter for them to float into.
"Es tan extraño? Mobs can't accumulate EXP, so neither can a Hybrid." Carmen reasoned, her arm falling back to her side.
"WHAT!?" KillGore raged impotently. "KillGore has to give up his hard-earned EXP to become a Hybrid!? KillGore refuses! I've spent too long amassing these levels and this strength to give them up in a single ritual! Hybridization is not worth such a cost! Not unless becoming a certain Mob balances it out." He folded his arms, momentarily reevaluating things.
"The ritual is actually what we need your help with." Spring saw his chance. "See, we've been trying to farm the Cursed Disc '11' for the ritual, but we keep pulling bland discs and it's too time-consuming and dangerous. We were hoping you had a Mob Grinder to expedite things."
"Hmph. Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I have a Mob Grinder for such a task!"
Spring and Carmen exchanged excited looks.
"I devised it after our visit to the islands." KillGore rummaged in the pile of chests for a bit before pulling out a book. "The plans are all in here, but it's already under construction. Mark's been supplying me with Splash Potions of Harming for the sifting process."
"Sifting...?"
"It's Mob Grinder terminology, troglodyte!" KillGore snapped. "Sifting refers to filtering Mobs so that only a certain type - the required type - is left for the grinder. Otherwise, the hoppers will get gummed up with undesirable Mob drops."
"What'd I tell you, Carmen." Spring nudged a clone's shoulder. "Told you he was smart as hell. So can you get us a disc?"
Though KillGore preened at the praise, his eyes narrowed at the request. "I fail to see why KillGore should offer up something for nothing."
"But..." Spring struggled to remain polite to the munchkin. "But you'd be farming dozens of them. And it's not like we'd use up the disc - we'd give it right back! I swear!"
"You think that's the only issue?" KillGore walked up to him and stabbed a finger into Spring's chest. "I've heard your excuse, and while a man's word is a fine excuse for why you help this Hybrid, it hardly absolves you of your responsibilities to the cult. You pillaged Heads from the Depository and jeopardized the Northern HQ while it's still getting set up. What's more, you cut a deal with the very Hybrid that claimed the lives of fellow cultists. How do you justify that?"
Spring bit his lip. At the time, it was either help Carmen or face a scalding demise. A true cultist would have accepted death, but he didn't want to die like the rest of them. He wanted to survive. He was always looking for a way to survive.
"It's fine pledging to want to make this right, but how will you go about it? How will you make things right with the cult? And why should I help you to keep your word? Doing so doesn't align with KillGore's interests."
The shrimp had a point. He heard them out, but he wasn't bound by any promise to turn Carmen back to normal. With things the way they were, he had every reason to report the two to the Executives and leave their fate to them.
Treating him as an equal wasn't enough. Spring needed something else to get him on their side. Something KillGore would want.
Grasping for inspiration, Spring glanced around the room to a helpless Carmen, and then to the Wither painting on the wall behind her.
"...What if we help you make a grinder." Spring threw out, the idea snowballing as he put it into words. In fact, if all went well, it could secure KillGore's help AND make things up with the Endward Cult at the same time. Two Ghasts with one arrow.
"You? Help me make a grinder?" KillGore scoffed at the idea and Carmen raised a brow wondering where he was going with this. "I am the supreme authority on Mob Grinders, what would I need your help for?"
"Because you don't have one of this kind." Spring said confidently. "That's the Magnum Opus you've been trying for, isn't it? The most coveted of all Mob Grinders."
KillGore narrowed his eyes, but he didn't refute what Spring said next.
"A Wither Skull Grinder. That's the one you really want to make."
"...KillGore is impressed. Perhaps you'd make a fine minion after all." The munchkin praised. "You are correct in that I have a fascination with devastating Withers." KillGore drew a book from a chest entitled 'Wither Skull Grinder Plans'. He gazed upon the Wither painting as he continued to speak. "I joined the Endward Cult after hearing what the manmade Wither they spawned was capable of. I wanted to make more of them and set them loose upon those who mocked me for my size!" He snarled under his breath. "It was only later when I discovered that ginger bimbo foolishly wasted all the Wither Skulls we had!"
"I had to make more. But making a Wither Skull Grinder in the Nether is no small feat. It remains as one of the most challenging grinders I've yet to construct. It hardly helps that Abyssmal refuses to grant me the workforce I require to construct such a device. I am always belittled." KillGore looked somber as he recounted it.
"...So prove them wrong."
KillGore looked up as Spring stepped forward, his voice inspirational and authoritative.
"We help you build this thing, and it works, the Executives will be falling on bended knee before you. How long did it take them to amass three Withers, huh? You give them a pile of skulls, enough for a hundred Withers, and they'll have no choice but to respect you. It'll be you, KillGore. Your name whispered in reverence by cultists. Your name loathed and feared by your enemies. Evil incarnate that would rival Herobrine himself."
"Yes. Yes! YES!" KillGore smiled nastily as he liked the sound of that. "They will be forced to recognize my brutality after I hand them the weapons necessary to lay waste to the nine Kingdoms! Not even the Hackers will survive! Mwahahaha!"
"I'll help you get it done." Spring promised. "You won't need to go to Abyssmal or anyone else. You got your pack mule right here; leave the heavy-lifting to me."
"Indeed? And what would you request in return?" KillGore asked. "All this for just a simple disc?"
Carmen looked a little touched seeing how far Spring was willing to go.
"Not just the disc." Spring clarified. "Once we successfully make this thing and it's cranking out skulls, you need to let the Executives know... I helped make it possible."
"KillGore refuses to give you credit for my brilliance. The Wither Skull Grinder is my idea, and you will not get in the way of my destiny!" He clutched 'Wither Skull Grinder Plans' protectively.
"You can keep most of the credit, I just need them to know I helped you out." Spring specified. "Just tell them my honest involvement - I'll work hard enough to make it a reality! Do that, and get us the disc we need to turn Carmen back, and we'll make this Mob Grinder together."
"I see. I see..." KillGore nodded. "You'll be earning my help AND repairing your reputation with the cult at the same time. Very clever. And a fair exchange." KillGore stared at him. "The answer is no."
The Carmen clones uttered a string of unintelligible curses and two of them loomed ominously over the smaller KillGore.
"Por qué no?" One clone asked dangerously.
"You'd spurn Spring when he's offering you his servitude?"
"C-Calm down, Carmen." Spring tried to mollify her. He didn't need her succumbing to her Mob instincts and asphyxiating the little guy. They still needed him!
"His deal is meaningless!" KillGore replied, not at all cowed by the simmering clones. "What he's offering will not help. No matter what, he can't expedite the Wither Skull Grinder any more than it already is."
"Explain yourself." Carmen said, her vibrato low like a growl.
"Humph. To explain, I shall have to start at the beginning." KillGore shut his eyes as he turned to face the Wither portrait.
"Since learning about Wither Skulls and how they can make WMD's (Withers of Mass Destruction), my brilliant and depraved mind has been working in overdrive to unravel the greatest grinder of this age. However, there were several problems that impeded progress on this promising project."
"For starters, Withers can only be made by Wither Skulls, which are only dropped by Wither Skeletons, and, based off my research, those spawn only within Nether Fortresses. Not on Nether bricks, but in a specific area where Nether Fortresses exist. There is some aura or ambience present that creates a suitable spawn environment for Wither Skeletons." KillGore turned to face Spring and Carmen. "For that reason, any grinder we make must be built in a Nether Fortress. Not only that, but to fit it, I'd have to overhaul the entire fortress structure and build from scratch. Doing so would take time, a dedicated work force, and a security detail to repel bothersome Mobs. The cult has rejected such an endeavor."
"Just because of a bit of manual labor? How is that any different from how they're gathering skulls now-?"
"SMACK!" KillGore exclaimed as he swatted Spring with enough EXP force to throw him against the wall. "DID KILLGORE SAY HE WAS FINISHED!? There is more, so don't interupt!"
Spring nodded back dizzily, prompting KillGore to continue.
"The second issue is the drop rate. Only a small percentage of slain Wither Skeletons will drop skulls. Even with a high tier Looting sword. Thousands of Wither Skeletons would have to be grinded to yield enough skulls to be worthwhile. Despite this, an automatic grinder is still preferable as it can be left alone and remove the risk of losing our numbers to the fatal Wither effect. So why is a Wither skull grinder still not feasible?"
Spring and Carmen blinked at the question, unsure.
"...Porque-"
"SMACK!" KillGore swatted Carmen, her body jiggling from the impact before it rubber-banded back into shape. "THAT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION! KILLGORE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS!"
Carmen and her clones looked annoyed, one of them muttering 'pequeño hijo de puta!' Spring figured it was alright to insult him in her language so long as he never found out what it meant. He wouldn't have continued with his explanation if he knew what she said.
"The third and most troublesome problem with a Wither Skull grinder is that Withers aren't the only Mobs that spawn in a fortress." He ticked off his fingers. "Blazes, Zombie Pigmen, regular Skeletons, even Magma Cubes." He spared a glance at Carmen. "All of these undesirables spawn in the same spot as the Wither Skeletons and their gear gums up the grinder. We'd have to take time out of the process to clean out the chests and hoppers or else the drops won't flow right. We need an adequate sifter - a filter - that will only allow Wither Skeletons to spawn. Such a thing doesn't exist."
KillGore gave a dramatic pause to let that truth sink in, letting Spring and Carmen think it was an impossible task.
"...Until recently."
Spring jerked his head up, a bit of hope showing.
"A few days ago, when the Bounty Day struck, KillGore received a vision." He spread his hands out grandly. "A supreme, wicked vision that could only be welcomed by a supreme and wicked mind!"
Dios mío. Just get on with it. Carmen thought.
"I saw a Wither killing a sheep, and from it dropped a rose as black as KillGore's heart... and just as fragrant!"
"A black... rose?" Spring asked, feeling like he was missing something.
"The rose's fragrance is imbued with the Wither effect!" KillGore spoke earnestly. "I saw it planted and wither another sheep that stood over it too long. These black roses - Wither Roses - will wither and kill anything standing on them EXCEPT," he declared, his finger held up triumphantly, "Withers and Wither Skeletons."
Now it clicked for Spring. "We use the Wither Roses as a sifter."
"Precisely." KillGore nodded, proud that he understood. "This vision convinced me that our cause is just, and that the world is trying to tell KillGore how to conquer it. If I can plant a layer of Wither Roses, it'll kill all other Mobs but the ones we want. This will greatly improve the yield of skulls and reduce the number of times we need to clean out the hoppers."
"So it is possible, then." Spring nodded, having listened to every detail with rapt attentiom. "We just need to get a bunch of roses and everything's roses!"
"That is one stupid way to phrase it, yes."
"Alright." A Carmen clone shrugged. "So we get you these rosas, then you'll help us out?"
"Where can we find them?"
KillGore frowned in bitter frustration, his teeth clenching.
"Wither Roses can only be obtained when a Wither kills a living Mob."
Silence befell the room as Spring replayed the words in his head. Still trying to get a grasp on what it really meant.
Finally, his traitorous brain found an ironic way to phrase it.
"So... to get Wither roses to build a Wither Skull grinder to make Withers, we first need... a Wither."
"Now you see the dilemma," KillGore nodded, "and why that dumb broad shouldn't have wasted every Wither we had! But nooooooo, she just had to pile everything on Ringwood. If she just waited until this Bounty day for the attack, we could have farmed hundreds of roses from Ringwood's farm animals, or else have a Wither to make the roses today! Instead we have neither."
Spring sank down and fell back to sit on the floor as he processed all of what KillGore told them. The Wither Skull farm was possible, but would take too long. The cult already had someone farming in the Nether with a Looting sword. The grinder wouldn't be any faster than him, and once he had the skulls, Spring suspected the cult would use it to get KillGore his roses.
Plans were already in place. Plans that he couldn't take part in. He couldn't make things right by just sitting around.
He couldn't make things right period.
Two of the Carmen clones placed supportive hands on either of Spring's shoulders. They could sense his helplessness. He looked to them, seeing faces just as hopeless. If they couldn't help KillGore, they couldn't get the disc they needed to make her human.
Another failure. Another helpless feeling.
"You can try farming Wither Skeletons yourself." KillGore advised. "But there's no way you can do it faster than someone already farming with a Looting sword. Human limitations. There are just some things beyond your power."
Now what? This whole trip was a bust. Would KillGore even keep quiet about this? It could go either way, but it wouldn't change that Spring had no way out. No way to make things right. He'd forever be a traitor to the Cult. How long before he was hunted down? He'd have to side with the kingdoms and give up names. There was no other way.
Like KillGore said, it was beyond his power.
At the very least, he could cure Carmen. It'd be dangerous and take longer, but he could scrounge a cursed disc... and gather a hundred or so Heads - enough to change her back. But then what hope would he have of making a plea deal with the Kingdoms when he had to kill more Crafters to cure her.
Was there even anything he could do for the Hybrid?
Spring shut his eyes and tried to think on what to do next. He ran a hand through his slicked back orange hair feeling very much like a cornered rat. All he'd done is kill and look for a way to survive. He wasn't strong or skilled like Ember, he wasn't smart like KillGore. He just kept his eyes forward and used creative means to solve problems - sometimes when he had no other choice.
Right now was one of those times. He needed an answer.
"Vamanos, Spring." Carmen tried to get him up. "If he can't help us, there's no reason to stay."
This was stupid! Stopped short of making things right just because he couldn't get some stupid Mob Heads!
...
Mob Heads...
Spring's eyes slowly opened and looked to Carmen, then KillGore. He recalled everything he learned about the Hybrid from their travels, coupled with everything KillGore said they needed for a Wither Skull grinder.
He covered his mouth as he thought more about it. It was a creative idea that he was sure nobody in the cult had thought of, but would it work? He didn't think it had ever been done or tested. If it failed...
NO! He couldn't think like that! It wouldn't fail - and even if it did, he'd think of something else! So long as it afforded him some time to look for another way out.
His mind made up, he spoke the words to get the ball rolling.
"If we could get you the skulls faster, would you work with us?"
The clones jerked their heads in Spring's direction while KillGore gave an immediate dismissal.
"You can't."
"That doesn't answer my question." Spring stood up, dusting his bondage pants as he did so. "If we help you get those Wither Skulls before the cult, would you work with us?"
KillGore narrowed his eyes, but leaned forward. "How?"
"Smack!" This time, Spring was the one doing the swatting. He caught KillGore in the head and made the smaller man recoil. "You still haven't answered my question. Would you work with us if we could get you the skulls faster?" He smirked when he saw KillGore fume. "Didn't like getting smacked, did ya?"
"You dare-?"
"I treat you how you treat us. You can't stand being belittled? Then don't go around smacking us like we're children. Respect is a two-way street, KillGore." Spring defended. "Now, do you want a Wither as soon as possible or don't you? Because we can get you one faster than the cult can."
KillGore looked like he wanted to rant at Spring, but his curiosity was clearly warring with his short temper. He knew it couldn't be done. Spring had to be lying. Yet the way he said it with such certainty had KillGore licking his lips like a dog smelling meat.
The Endward Cult was delaying him from starting the Wither Skull grinder. He still wasn't being taken seriously by the rank and file, having to prove himself in arm wrestling contests or hand out EXP just to garner respect.
Here were two people he could talk about the grinders with. They were on the run, but that made them stand out from those he normally dealt with. Spring certainly respected him, seeing the worth of his grinder and offering his help to get it started. All he asked was to get in the cult's good Grace's again. The Hybrid's loyalty was another story, but she seemed to listen to Spring.
KillGore decided to take a gamble.
"If you can get me the skulls, KillGore will deign to work alongside you." He agreed. "So what is your plan to get the skulls?"
"Now hang on." Spring held up a hand. "Before I get into that, I just want to make something clear. To both of you." He added to Carmen, who perked up.
Spring, Carmen, and KillGore gathered close as Spring made his words heard.
"Each of the three of us needs something." He began. "And we need the help of the other two to make it happen."
Spring looked to KillGore and Carmen, the ones who could help him square things with the Cult. Carmen looked to Spring and KillGore, the ones who could turn her back into a human. KillGore looked to Carmen and Spring, the ones who could potentially help build the Wither Skull grinder he'd been dreaming of.
"Because we're all relying on each other, our loyalty is to each other first." He clarified. "I just want to be clear on this. Since the cult thinks we're traitors and we're trying to race them to get a Wither first, we'll be going behind their backs. We can tell them all about it later, KillGore, but for now we keep the cult out of it. The three of us are in it together. Nobody else."
"Very well." KillGore nodded.
"Good. And while we're at it," Spring continued, "since we all need something from each other, we can accept that there are things we can't do alone." He looked to the two of them. "We understand that the other two have skills we don't. So we won't have any belittling or talking down or ridiculing from anyone. Not when we're all integral to achieving our goals. Mutual respect. Sound good?"
"Sí. Somos un equipo."
"KillGore will not throw the first stone." KillGore promised. "Just know there will be an avalanche of anguish to the one who does."
"Then we're agreed." Spring breathed out a sigh of relief. "Together, the three if us will see our ends met."
"Enough dawdling!" KillGore snapped. "Tell me! How do you plan to secure a Wither faster than the cultists without a Looting sword?"
Spring took out a map from his back pocket and showed it to the two. His finger jabbed a spot in the Daymonte region.
"It all starts here. Blitz Peak."
[Desert Temple]
Two bodies struck the jagged, exploded stone bottom of the desert temple's pit. Both recovered immediately and got to their feet before rushing one another.
Carys' scythe clashed with Gunnah's sword. His rocket loaded crossbow was in his other hand as the two briefly engaged in a battle of strength. It was then that Gunnah recognized the woman.
"What's one of Ringwood's most wanted doing protecting someone?" He gritted as the scythe's blade scraped closer to his shoulder. He disengaged with a shove and backpedaled only for his back to touch the wall. Their arena was narrow.
Gunnah ducked a scythe and slashed across Carys' side while slipping past her. Carys, however, lashed out with her boot, kicking Gunnah in the heel and causing him to trip and fall in an awkward position. Carys then spun around, her scythe crashing into Gunnah's stomach in a powerful overhead strike. Gunnah gasped in pain before wrenching the scythe aside and flipping back to his feet.
There was a lull as the two eyed one another carefully. Gunnah pointed his crossbow at her, the rocket aimed squarely at her face.
"One time deal." Gunnah spat. "You let me kill Nowhere_Man and we both walk out of here. Unless you'd rather die the same way those men of yours went." The crossbow clicked slightly as he fingered the trigger. "Your call."
Carys gave a shark-like grin. "You're not going to fire that."
"Yeah? Why's that-?" Gunnah cut off as Carys lunged at him, going so far as to press her chest against the loaded rocket and hold the crossbow there with one hand while her other raked her scythe over his face. Gunnah bit his lip to stifle a yelp of pain, but he didn't dare fire the rocket.
Not while they were in such an enclosed space.
"I didn't tackle you down here without a plan!" Carys declared before the handle of her scythe crashed into Gunnah's temple. The assassin fell back and swung his blade to ward her off. "I saw what your crossbow could do! You never fired at one of us unless you were far away. That's because you didn't want to get caught in the blast radius."
She spread her arms out, gesturing to the enclosed pit. "These walls are about the size of those blast clouds. And we've both taken hits. You can't fire a rocket without killing yourself!"
She swung her scythe into the ground. Gunnah leapt back, but the Scythe's shockwave effect spread out, scratching Gunnah's legs and causing him to tumble back.
"Shooting off that rocket will kill us both, but I still think you should do it." She grinned maliciously at him as her blade spun fast before crashing into the sword he put up to block it. "Because taking us both out is the closest you'll come to killing me!"
There was a click as a crossbow fired, but not the rocket loaded one. It was Gunnah's Piercing Crossbow, and it sent an arrow through Carys' armor leggings and upper thigh before exiting out the back and sticking into the wall. Carys clutched at the leg, hissing in pain.
Gunnah already had the crossbow reloaded and fired, this time puncturing through Carys' chest and out her back.
Carys staggered back a few steps but was able to sidestep another piercing arrow that would have punched through her neck. Those arrows felt like little drills boring holes into her body, and they rendered her armor useless. The reload speed was also unnaturally high.
Carys drew a Splash Potion of Healing II only for Gunnah to lunge forward upon seeing it. She threw it down and they both shared in its restorative effects. Carys clicked her tongue but slashed across Gunnah's chest.
Gunnah took the hit with a wince before grabbing the scythe by the handle. The two wrestled with it, getting right up into each others' faces. The crossbow went off and Carys tilted her head just enough to dodge it before cracking it forward in a dizzying headbutt. Gunnah blacked out for a moment before hooking a leg behind Carys' and sweeping her off her feet.
Her back struck the ground and Gunnah threw himself over her, pressing the scythe handle tighter against her neck as they continued to wrestle for it. He then braced himself with one leg before driving a knee into her diaphragm. Once. Twice. Thrice.
Carys coughed painfully and had to take one hand off her scythe before dragging Gunnah's head down and sinking her teeth into his ear.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" He screamed in audible pain, his neck twisting as she continued her tug of war with his ear like a dog with a length of knotted rope. He took one hand off the scythe to try and shove her head down, but then she gave up the ear and bit into his fingers, sitting up as Gunnah unbalanced himself off of her.
He was quickly learning that Carys was a biter.
A fist came up into Carys' chin, increasing the pressure of the bite for a moment before it loosened and Gunnah pulled his hand free. He sacrificed possession of the scythe to Carys, and she quickly leveraged it to knock Gunnah off of her. She rolled back onto her feet and darted to the wall, running along it for a moment before slashing at Gunnah from his blind spot. Her scythe was a whirlwind as she spun it faster and faster, the diamond blade carving out great tracts of stone before culminating in a shockwave that sent Gunnah into the wall.
The assassin shook the messy red hair out of his face, his green eyes glaring at Carys' red before he drank a bottle of something and shoved off the wall.
Carys recognized the telltale dark red particles of a Potion of Strength and evaded the first slash as it aimed to break her skull. She uncorked her own electric blue Potion of Swiftness and downed it to improve her speed. Splash Potions were out of the question as the narrow fighting space ensured both fighters would be equally enhanced or burdened.
Carys darted from side to side as she continued to evade Gunnah's blade. Her expression was the picture of cold patience. Whenever he overextended or made a mistake, she punished him with a solid slash of her scythe before returning to her evasion tactics. Gunnah had to swallow a Potion of Healing II just to stay in the fight.
He tried switching things up by alternating between his piercing crossbow and his sword, but Carys was wary of both and was able to dodge in such close quarters.
In truth, Gunnah had an ace up his sleeve that could end the fight in an instant. However, he hadn't been able to test it properly, and there was a chance that it could kill him, though it would certainly kill Carys.
He didn't want to use it just yet. Not when Carys was likely holding an ace as well. He'd let her play it first before resorting to his final gambit.
Gunnah broke from combat for a second and gulped down a Swiftness Potion of his own, coming at Carys with both strength and speed. Carys fell back as the attacks ramped up, grazing her and inflicting damage.
She swapped her scythe out for a bow and fired a few shots at the assassin, probing his movements. Gunnah pulled out a shield and blocked every one with ease.
"Bet you wish you had Piercing right about now."
An ender pearl landed behind Gunnah before Carys warped over and shot the assassin in the back.
"If you're nothing without the weapon, then you don't deserve it." Carys spoke coldly before drinking a Potion of Regeneration II and grabbing a handful of ender pearls. "Warp Raid!"
Ender pearls scattered around the pit as Carys threw them, each one warping her to a new position to snipe or slash at Gunnah. His Hearts were torn away as he sustained hit after hit from Carys' assault. His shield was spun around in a vain attempt to protect himself.
This must be her ace! Gunnah thought before pain ripped through his heel. Carys had sliced his Achilles tendon on one warp, effectively crippling him. Speed was useless now!
Good. He thought before placing cobwebs around him and drinking a curious purple potion that Carys didn't recognize.
I'll finish him before he can use whatever he just drank! Carys thought as she delivered what she knew would be the killing slash. However, Gunnah survived it. Carys' eyes widened as it appeared the assassin had barely felt it, kneeling from a ruined Achilles heel but otherwise unharmed. He had also surrounded himself with cobwebs for some reason.
She warped again and shot the kneeling Gunnah this time, but again he endured, his low Health barely going down. He also had two types of particles swirling around him from that one potion. Carys recognized the gray blue as Slowness, but what effect were the redwood colored particles?
She didn't ponder for long as Gunnah started reaching for his crossbow, but at a glacial pace. Far slower than standard Slowness or Slowness II... or Slowness IV! He was even slower than Slowness IV, the highest possible tier!
Whatever he drank seemed to be slowing him down, but also raising his defense. Her attacks weren't getting through anymore and her Warp Raid was nearing its end.
It was then that the purpose of the cobwebs Gunnah had laid down became apparent. Her last ender pearl warped her right into it.
She cursed as she struggled to get an arm free to pry herself out, but it was there, stuck in a cobweb beside Gunnah, that she realized his full intentions.
The rocket loaded crossbow was drawn at a snail's pace and pointed between the two injured Crafters. But only one of them had the stronger defense from a potion.
This is bad! Carys thought as she desperately tried to free herself to no avail. The last thing she grabbed was a splash potion before a trio of rockets bombarded the space between the fighters with brilliant explosions of blue sparks. The deadly whistle was short from the point blank shot.
Gunnah was blasted off his feet and into a wall where he slid down onto his side. Even with his Potion of the Turtle Master, the damage had been too extensive. He was barely alive and incredibly banged up. His heel was in shreds and walking was out of the question.
The Potion of the Turtle Master. A new potion from the second to last Bounty Day. Brewed from a turtle shell of all things. Gunnah had picked it up while visiting the beaches of the Lacquerlands. The first tier of it inflicted a Crafter with Slowness IV and Resistance III.
The higher tier version - the one he drank - inflicted Slowness VI and Resistance IV, reducing 90% of all incoming damage.
The brew only lasted for twenty seconds - and ended just then so that Gunnah could move normally - and made you slower than a sloth, but it raised your defense to its absolute maximum. You were like a turtle. Or a tank. Perfect for tanking the attacks of a deadly criminal or enduring an otherwise fatal barrage of rockets.
Carys wasn't so lucky.
Gunnah allowed himself a small smirk that soon turned into a grimace as his heel was killing him. He won, but he was pretty banged up. He wasn't sure the Potion of the Turtle Master could endure his crossbow rockets, hence why he held off on using them. But now that Carys was dealt with, he was glad he took the risk.
He pulled out an ender pearl from his belt and threw it up and out of the pit. It landed on the temple's ceiling and he warped there before falling down on his injured foot, screaming through his teeth.
He breathed sharply through his nose before taking a bite of cooked porkchop to fill up his depleted Hunger Meter and begin the healing process. And while he was at it...
He turned to face Nowhere_Man before limping over to him.
The weakling was unconscious. Passed out from the pain of the rocket barrage, yet still alive thanks to that infernal chestplate. His protector was more of a challenge than he was. Leadstripe failed to mention that when making the request.
"You were too much trouble." Gunnah drawled tiredly as he continued to limp over. His piercing crossbow was loaded and trained on the pacifist in case he was pretending.
Gunnah eyed the invincible chestplate greedily. He figured he earned a little extra reward for such a difficult assassination. Plus, he had to get it off him to make the death quick.
With that in mind, he stopped over to pull the Severe Shield off of him...
A diamond scythe hooked around his front and yanked back, cutting into his armor and Health as he was hurled to the lip of the pit.
Gunnah whirled and his eyes bulged as he saw the Head still connected to a body. "I-Impossible!"
Carys stood before him with unforgiving crimson eyes and a pained grimace. She was favoring one side, leaning on her scythe slightly, but she was alive. Despite being caught in the middle of a trio of explosions that would have depleted her Health and ripped through her defenses, her armor was pristine.
"H-How!?" Gunnah exclaimed, firing his piercing crossbow at the woman. She stepped out of the way, letting the projectile strike the temple wall. "How did you survive!? Those rockets should have killed you!"
In answer, Carys winced as she took a bit of poison damage. Her body was covered in the green particles of a Potion of Poison. Gunnah's eyes widened as he saw how low Carys' Health was, and he soon put together how she survived.
"No way. You... you poisoned yourself at the point of impact?" Carys tilted her head up, her crimson glare fixed firmly on her foe. Her face brimming with conviction. "You used the poison damage like a shield to protect you from the rockets' damage!"
It was insane to even think of, not least of all because death awaited you if you got the timing wrong. Who in their right mind would poison themselves to protect themselves? Carys, apparently.
Still...
Gunnah got up on his one good leg, his sword raised and his Piercing crossbow reloaded. Carys squared off, though she took another bit of Poison damage, bringing her Hearts closer to zero.
Gunnah smirked. Even if she survived, she was at death's door for it. Poisoned and damaged from all those ender pearls she used. She looked like she could barely stand on her own! All he needed was a clean hit to take her out and finish off Nowhere_Man.
"You're finished!" Gunnah shouted as he fired a piercing arrow first before propelling himself forward with his one good leg.
Carys' eyelids flickered - her gaze unfocused - as Gunnah shot and charged her. But her strength and stamina hadn't failed her. She'd survived countless life or death situations and faced down Hackers on a razor's edge.
She swayed out of the way of the arrow, bringing her scythe up into both hands as Gunnah reared back to thrust his sword into her center.
Her legs kicked off the ground and sent her body above and horizontal to Gunnah's, dodging his thrust and positioning her perfectly.
Her crimson gaze burned like cold fire into Gunnah's green eyes as they met as if in slow motion. Her scythe reared back before she spun in mid-air, and sliced his other Achilles tendon.
"GAH!" Gunnah fell to his knees, both legs now ruined, while Carys landed behind him with a soft *tk* of her boots before darting towards his downed form.
In desperation, Gunnah tried to load his rocket crossbow.
"Now you see what I told you from the beginning." Carys muttered. "You've missed your chance. No ties here."
Moving faster than her battered body should have been able to, Carys pushed herself and unleashed a barrage of lightning fast swings to carve up the last of Gunnah's Health. The last slice bisected his body, killing him and bathing the temple in his spilled gear.
Her momentum carried her a few steps forward before she stood upright, her scythe hanging from her fingers. Carys' Health Meter throbbed as it was brought down to half a Heart from the poison; it felt like her insides were burning. Her head tilted up to feel the moonlight shining through the cracked temple ruins.
Gunnah's Head lay disembodied behind her. A show of her victory. His EXP seeped into her arm.
A crimson eye opened to look upon the fallen Noman.
"You better pay me back with interest, invalid." Was the last thing she said before she pressed herself against a sandstone pillar and waited for the poison to work its way out of her system.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Depth Strider III], 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 12 Cobblestone, 2 Glass, 16 Ender Pearls, 9 Ender Pearls, 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, 10 Coal, 64 Snowballs, 25 Snowballs, 4 Ender Chests, 30 Obsidian, 64 Steak, 8 Steak, 2 End Crystals, 12 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}, 1 Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 64 Eyes of Ender, 64 Chorus Fruit
[EXP: 38]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Dragon Head, 1 Chainmail Chestplate, 1 Chainmail Leggings, 1 Chainmail Boots, 32 Pumpkin Seeds, 1 Iron Dagger, 16 Ender Pearls, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Bow, 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Crossbow, 42 Arrows, 11 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 32 Steak, 63 Chorus Fruit, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 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}, 1 Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 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, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}
Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 63 Arrows of Poison {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 63 Arrows of Weakness {0:30}, 60 Arrows of Slowness {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Fire Resistance {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Healing II, 64 Arrows of Invisibility {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Leaping {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Slow Falling {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Night Vision {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Strength II {0:12}, 64 Arrows of Swiftness {1:00}, 63 Arrows of Swiftness II {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Water Breathing {1:00}
[EXP: 21]
Inventory (Baltic): 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], 10 Arrows, 3 Brewing Stands, 1 Water Bucket, 28 Bones, 2 Steak, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 26 Emeralds, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Healing II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 64 Glass Bottles, 6 Glass Bottles, 64 Dragon's Breath, 64 Dragon's Breath, 1 Dragon's Breath, 46 Blaze Powder, 43 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 63 Phantom Membranes , 64 Blaze Rods, 22 Fermented Spider Eyes, 58 Carrots, 55 Melon Slices, 55 Rabbit's Feet, 50 Golden Ingots, 1 Golden Nugget, 56 Gunpowder, 55 Redstone Dust, 56 Glowstone Dust
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Z7): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 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, 14 Torches, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 10 Pumpkin Pies, 40 Baked Potatoes, 1 Bucket, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Slow Falling {4:00}, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
[EXP: 42]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Shears, 5 Cobwebs, 2 Iron Ingots, 64 Steak, 27 Steak, 2 Sticks, 29 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 16 Ender Pearls, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 44]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 22 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Shears, 8 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Jukebox, 1 Music Disc {chirp}, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 24 Torches, 34 White Wool, 23 Dirt, 12 Pumpkin Seeds, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 44 Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 41]
Cat-Face the Cat
Christopher Squawken the Parrot
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Green Shield [Beginners], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Cobblestone, 63 Nether Warts, 20 Soul Sand, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Shears, 10 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Brewing Stand, 37 Glass Bottles, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 2 Ender Chests, 16 Ender Pearls, 4 Ender Pearls, 26 Steak, 3 Phantom Membranes, 63 Glowstone Dust, 31 Gunpowder, 19 Redstone Dust, 63 Blaze Powder, 64 Golden Nuggets, 64 Brown Mushrooms, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple
[EXP: 35]
Snow the Horse
AN: Winner - Carys. RIP Gunnah.
This Chapter made me realize I'm better at writing fight scenes in third person rather than first person.
Also, what's Spring's plan to get Wither Skulls, and how will Carmen and KillGore help him? Maybe you can guess...
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