AN: Another weekly release!? Have I finally cracked the code to regularly scheduled Chapters while juggling work and my personal life? MAYBE!
Also, I heard a math puzzle from a friend at work. It was interesting, so I decided to share it with you guys and give you a chance at the elusive Victory Cookie. Here's a picture of it, in all its glory.
(::)
And here's a Negative Cracker, in all its infamy, if you get guess wrong.
[::]
For those of you that remember past chapters, I gave the readers a chance at solving a puzzle and replying in the reviews. First to reply would be credited in the next chapter for their victory and would receive a delicious Victory Cookie. This isn't a riddle, but a math puzzle, so I'll try explaining it as best I can. Here goes.
Puzzle: A Villager has 45 Chickens he has to move from his destroyed farm to a new farm. He approaches a Servant at the new farm and asks if he can keep his 45 Chickens in a fenced in, square pen. The pen is owned by a Landlord the Servant works for, and the Servant knows that the Landlord will kill him if he finds out too many Chickens are being stored in his pen.
These are the conditions the Servant sets:
-The square pen has four sides to enter from. Chickens can be stored in any of the four corners, or in two separate circular fences in the center of the pen. You can store any number of Chickens in these six locations (the four corners or the two circular fences in the middle.
-The catch is that whatever side of the pen you enter from, there has to be exactly 25 Chickens in sight. In sight Chickens means the Chickens in the corners on either side you enter from as well as within the two central fences. The Chickens in the corners opposite the side you enter won't be seen. (For example, if you enter the pen from the North side, the corners on either side can each have 7 and 8 Chickens. Then, if the two central fences have 5 and 5, 7+8+5+5=25. Exactly good.
Provide a number combination and explanation for how the Villager can fit his 45 Chickens in the pens without exceeding or subceding the 25 Chicken limitation.
I know this puzzle is long. I hope I explained it well enough. I suggest drawing it out on paper for visual aid. It'll really be worth the cookie if you solve it. There's also multiple answers.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. Bwuh.
Chapter 191
Endgame
[Daymonte]
"Wooo, yeah! Pour us another round!"
Nighttime. Dwight, Perry, Luis, and Heather were kicking back in a bar. Luis and Heather were a few drinks in, but Dwight and Perry were thoroughly sloshed, throwing emeralds around and making a raucous scene. Dwight threw back a full bottle, finishing it in an explosive exhale.
"HAAAA! That's the good stuff!" He praised with a red face. "You know, Awkward Poshuns have gotta be the greatezz invenshun known to man. Dey're the base for poshuns, and dey taste so happy."
"I think someone's had a little too much." Luis advised. "And you, Heather, have had too little. Why not indulge a bit more, hm? This might be our last chance for some R&R."
"Now, Luis. You're not goading me into drinking myself silly to take advantage now, are you?" Heather tittered, one hand propping her chin.
"What? No, no, no. Never. I'm not that kind of sleaze." He said immediately. "I'm just saying, you know, this might be our one time to cut loose. No time to indulge in pleasures later down the line."
"Pleasures?" She asked with lidded eyes as she leaned closer, her body pressing against his in the booth. "What kind of pleasures?"
"Th-the best kind." He took a sip from his drink to steady himself before shooting her a roguish grin.
"Hm. Does that mean you wanna get serious?"
"S-serious how?" He faltered.
"Serious as in official." She walked two fingers up his chest. "Serious as in a wartime romance. Living fast and dangerous. You and me."
"A-ah..." The excitement drained from Luis' face. He drowned his unease in another drink. "Together... Serious..."
Heather stopped her enticing motions. "You don't want to?"
"...It's not..." He fumbled for the words. "I'm just... I'm thinking about the future. And it just doesn't seem like such a good idea to be tied down by a relationship while fighting cultists."
"You think I'll tie you down?" Heather asked with a frown. "Like some big anchor?"
"Ah, that wasn't what I meant." He swore, his hands reaching for her. "Heather, you're not a... I always think of you as a..." He trailed off, his words failing him.
Heather sighed. "You want to have a good time without it meaning anything." It wasn't a question, just a grim acknowledgement.
"...Yes." He admitted. "I mean isn't that safer for us? We both like each other, but we have a war to fight. We can't bother with romance, right? We don't need to build up what can be done over a few drinks, some hasty decisions, and a nice comfy bed-OOF!"
Heather had shoved Luis out of the booth. She let out a huff before sliding out and walking over him. "I'm heading out first. Why don't you ask your left hand to show you a good time?"
"Heather, please! I'm sorry!" Luis called out to her from the floor. Dwight and Perry were only mildly interested, too absorbed in their own drinks. "I'm just... I'm just thinking about the future. Long-term."
"So was I." She noted sadly before slipping out of the bar.
"...shit." Luis muttered, picking himself up and getting back in his seat. He finished his drink and then finished Heather's. "Shit. She drives me crazy sometimes."
"I hear you man." Perry raised a glass.
"Am I not being sensible, here?" Luis asked, looking for support. "You can't have a relationship in a war. It'll lead to distractions in the field, or worse, either of us could die and be devastated!"
"You made the right call." Perry hiccupped. "Like Carys sayz, no time for friends or attachments. We're soldiers. And soldiers follow nuthin but orders."
"So that's what you're doing here? Following orders." Wing suddenly arrived, walking up to the booth with a disapproving frown. "What good little soldiers you three are, getting sloshed for your guild. How self-sacrificing." He hiked a thumb to the door. "I just saw Heather running out with tears in her eyes. You wanna tell me what that's about, partner?"
"Shouldn't you be guarding beds elsewhere?" Luis struck back.
"Yeah, go away. You're ruining our buzz." Dwight slurred before shouting to the bartender for another round.
"How the hell is this inconspicuous?" Wing challenged. "Baltic and the others'll be back tomorrow night and this is how you'll display yourselves? Hungover and soaked in your own fluids? You should be on guard!"
"Nobody's gonna look for us in a seedy inn! Chill out!" Perry shouted.
Over in the corner of the bar, away from the Paragons' eyes, a tall, shadowy figure listened intently.
"We had a job to take care of and you guys are fucking it up just to go drinking." Wing spoke with disappointment. "You think Carys would let this stand?"
"Well, Carys isn't with us!" Perry shouted. "No, instead she just saddled us with babysitting a pair of chumps!"
There was a stretch of silence before Wing delivered his next stone cold words.
"Those 'chumps' are counting on you to pull your weight." He said. "And if you fail and they end up suffering for it, the only chumps around here will be you three."
"As for me, I'm going to do my job. Someone has to show them that the Paragons aren't incompetent drunks."
Wing turned on his heel and stormed out of the bar, leaving the three 'chumps' to their drinks, the wind taken out of their sails.
Meanwhile, in the corner of the bar, the tall, shadowy figure lifted herself from her seat and proceeded to vacate the building. She made sure to tug her green scarf up to cover her face.
For Maira_Kahel was a wanted woman. A former prisoner of Ringwood turned cultist and Plague for 4Blite.
It was a little strange being a cultist, now. She had to remind herself that the Paragons were the enemy. Actually, all of Minecraftia were an enemy now, but that would have been the case anyway, being a wanted escapee like herself. That suited her just fine. She was making more enemies than friends in her mission to depose corrupt people in power. At least this way she wasn't alone.
When fellow escapees started dropping like flies following Paragon sightings in Daymonte, she had opted to stake out a few bars, hoping to chance upon one of them wetting their whistle. It looked like tonight, fortune smiled upon her, so she stuck to the shadows, waited, and listened.
The takeaway from eavesdropping on them was this: Carys' pet Paragons were in town, and they were staying at a seedy inn, and they were expecting more to arrive tomorrow night. It would be preferable if she could track that Wing guy back to where they were staying, but she'd settle for searching the kingdom's seediest inns. Carys not being with them was a plus; she wasn't about to take on the Angel of Death. But she could handle a few low-end grunts, especially if she brought in another Plague for help.
The Paragons...
From what she heard, they elevated one of their own to rule Nitebane as a figurehead for Carys. A puppet, preparing the populace for a war against the Endward Cult. Corrupt and self-serving, using the citizens in her fight.
4Blite would be pleased to have a few less Paragons in the world, and so would Maira.
[Cobb]
Slay Jean? Slay the Ender Dragon!? What sort of trial was that!? Wasn't he ramping things up too much? It was also blatantly unoriginal! Did they just run out of ideas planning this thing before shrugging and telling us to fight a dragon!? Damnit, Landon!
The dragon let out a bestial roar as it soared past a distant obsidian pillar. We had to be on alert, however, ready for whenever it decided to dive bomb us.
"Time's ticking." Landon advised as he floated overhead. "Better get a move on."
"You mean we are still being timed!?" Lenz panicked. "Repeaters! Fighting that thing is daunting enough!"
"Screw that noise!" Doyle pointed to the bedrock cube in the center of the pillars. "We know how to get around their portal barricades! Let's just-"
"Oh no you don't!" Landon interjected before inputting a Command and activating it with the press of a button. At once, all the Chorus Fruit we brought from the first challenge vanished from our inventories. "You can't weasel your way out of the SutsCoDown Throwdown Showdown! You're in the endgame now. Slay Jean or admit defeat."
"I thought you needed this thing for merchandise!" Trenay accused.
"We do. Which is why I'll be performing my duty as Dragon Whisperer while you're engrossed in combat. If you'll excuse me..." He put on that ridiculous dragon head before flying after the purple fireballs Jean was spitting out. "Who's a good girl! Who's a scaly, good girl!"
"If it wasn't official before, it is now." I grumbled. "I hate the Scouts. No way am I becoming one of those nutcases!" A fire had been lit under me, fueled by Landon's unreasonable level of randomness. "We're killing that dragon!"
If we succeeded, there was a good chance we'd get our own Dragon Egg, Command Block, and High-Beam eyes. Then we could turn the tables on Landon. Use his own Commands against him.
"What do we do first?" Aurand asked. In reply, I pointed to the obsidian pillars.
"We got to take out the End Crystals on top of those pillars first! We can't miss a single one, otherwise the dragon will regenerate any Health we chip away."
I remembered as much, both from Herobrine's journal and Landon's story. The End Crystals had to go.
"They're pretty high. Also some of them are protected by iron fences." Trenay noted, her bow already drawn. "It'll take us time to..."
*BOOM*
Trenay trailed off as one of the End Crystals detonated in a tremendous explosion. Then the next obsidian pillar had its crystal destroyed, then the next. The dragon roared in dismay, but kept circling the outskirts of the floating island.
"That is three..." Lenz remarked, while lining up his next shot through tinted goggles. An explosion sounded soon after he let another arrow fly. "Four... Five..."
The engineer's archery skills were on full display, and I couldn't help the proud smirk that split my face when I saw the Paragons' mystified expressions. Z7 had to lift her curtain of hair to watch as Lenz threaded his next shot through the thin gaps of the iron cage encasing one of the crystals on the tallest pillar.
In less than a minute, all ten pillars were devoid of crystals. The Ender Dragon could no longer recover its Health. I don't even think the First Ten could have done a better job.
"What is next?" Lenz turned to ask before noticing everyone's stunned expressions. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"HOOOOOOOOOOO, what!?" Landon shouted in surprise, the mouth of his dragon head falling open. "I blinked and I missed it! Is that cultist a former Bird of Prey or something? He's definitely earned himself the Archery Badge!"
Brain: Lenz's shoulders must be sore from CARRYING THIS TEAM! HOOOOOOOOOO!
"Nice work." I congratulated the engineer. "Now all we have to do is chip away at the Dragon's Health." I spied the pink-purple Health bar over its head. Just like with the Wither, that would be our only indication of how close it was to death.
"Bows out!" Trenay ordered, drawing back her string and firing. Shroud, Doyle, and Aurand did the same. Even Baltic chipped in beside Lenz. The only ones without were Z7 and I, but it was then I was reminded how good it was to have a team.
While not at Lenz's caliber, the Paragons had basic archery skills and could hit Jean as she twisted gracefully through the air. The Health bar began to fall under their assault, without me having to do a thing.
It was almost enough to make me feel a faint warmth in my chest before I squashed it down with memories of that unendurable agony. I would never forget the pain I felt when I tried to reclaim my Heart. I couldn't even touch it without hurting.
I cut the tender feelings and jostled myself to attention. The dragon was still a threat spitting its purple fireballs, and it flew through the air like it was swimming. With the exception of Lenz, not every fired arrow found its mark. Just most of them.
The dragon's Health bar was down about a tenth just as I was starting to think we could get this done in time. That's when the dragon switched tactics.
It changed direction, flying towards the bedrock cube with the portal within. Then, it circled the cube, descending like it was getting sucked down a whirlpool. Great wings flapped, easing its descent and allowing it to hover atop the bedrock cube housing the fountain portal before perching upon it.
Then it started spewing a thick cloud of dragon breath. The purple stream affected the area before it, damaging and incensing Endermen. The eight of us, a ways out, weren't caught up in that cloud, but a few of the Paragons saw an opportunity.
"It's landed! Take out your swords!"
The dragon landing and spewing dragon's breath was new. Just like with the fireballs, it looked like there were more tricks up this dragon's sleeves. They were things never mentioned in either Herobrine's journal or Landon's story. It was possible the same Bounty Day that changed the End also changed how the dragon behaved.
I was wary to approach without knowing what to expect, but I failed to share that with Shroud and Doyle as they got up close. Meanwhile, Baltic brought out some empty bottles and started bottling Dragon's Breath just as Landon was doing.
Jean reared and spewed another wide cloud of purple breath Shroud's way. He strafed to the left and darted in with his sword, intending to slash at the dragon's exposed neck or head. Doyle did the same on the other side.
Just as they got close, the beast's great wings started flapping faster, kicking up dust and shaking the ground. The two Paragons shielded themselves, but were powerless as the wings' membrane repelled their charge and brutally whipped their bodies into the air like leaves in a storm. Their bodies were eerily limp as they tumbled in an arc outside the ring of pillars and off the sides of the island.
"NO!" Baltic shouted, the sound full of horror. He dropped his potion bottles and held out his hand in a helpless and pointless gesture as the two Paragons fell off the floating island and into the dark Void below. "SHROUD! DOYLE!"
"R'oo xziev gsvri mznvh rmgl blfi srwv!" Z7 shouted something unintelligible, a dagger in both hand as she darted after the dragon. It stopped its flapping before she could get close and took off into the sky, gracefully twisting and turning.
"Comparators, no..." Lenz uttered breathlessly, dazed.
"Keep firing!" Trenay commanded, her voice barely keeping steady. "Lenzington! We need you to keep firing! There's nothing we can do for them!"
I stared at the point Shroud and Doyle disappeared, feeling a strange lack of empathy. They were my comrades, but I didn't feel a thing over their deaths. There was no stirring in my chest. No painful feeling. I was unaffected.
I hadn't made a connection to them. They weren't my friends, nor my World. A few conversations were all we shared.
No Heart. No feeling.
I recoiled at the emptiness of it all, finding the experience chilling. Trenay was screaming something at Lenz while she and Aurand were firing at Jean.
I stared at my hands and saw they were eerily still. Calm. Unaffected by the deaths of two people. They tightened into fists, my breaths coming out hard and labored as things replayed in my head.
The dragon's roar drowned out everyone as it spat a fireball at Lenz.
I felt a rush of panic, then. Not like with Shroud and Doyle. I sprung into action, snagging Lenz with my fishing rod and pulling him out of the way.
"Keep your distance from that thing! And don't leave from this spot!" I ordered, shoving his body under cover before leaping out.
He had to be kept safe. Just him. With sudden death looming over the battlefield, this SutsCoDown whatever wasn't a game anymore.
"Ooh, looks like we've got some casualties." Landon chipped in. He was still busying himself bottling Dragon's Breath.
Trenay snarled at him. "After that dragon's gone, you're next! Lenz! Keep firing!"
Baltic had a brewing stand out and was hastily combining the freshly bottled Dragon's Breath with something just as the dragon circled the bedrock cube to land. It always landed where the fountain portal was stationed inside that bedrock cube. Was it guarding it, thinking we would use it to escape?
It was flapping its wings again. Like that, Lenz's arrows bounced right off, unable to inflict damage.
Z7 shot forward, a dagger in each hand, her bare feet padding rapidly along End Stone.
"You can't get close!" Aurand warned. "STOP!"
The wings flapped in quick succession, kicking up wind and dust just like before. But, without dropping speed, Z7 slid on her knees beneath the dragon's violent wings. She bypassed its defense and got right in its blind spot under the neck. Just like an assassin to go for the throat.
Then, she unleashed a series of quick slashes with her daggers. The dragon roared in pain as its Health began to fall dramatically. She must have carved out another fifth of its Health in that one go, her body safe from the flapping wings and purple breath stream while under its neck. The dragon took off weakly, escaping the assassin before she could do any more damage.
Straight into Lenz's arrows. The engineer's rate of fire was a little faster, his aim sharper. Despite the dragon twisting and turning in the air, all of Lenz's shots were headshots.
"Done!" Baltic shouted, prying himself from the brewing stand and, after a short stay at a Crafting Table, tossed something to Lenz. "I've upped your arsenal!"
Lenz caught the thrown items and marvelled at the eight arrows so soaked with potions that the arrowheads were dyed maroon. Arrows of Harming with Instant Damage II.
Lenz notched the upgraded arrow and took careful aim before directing it into the Ender Dragon's eye. It roared in agony as a larger chunk of its Health went down. Lenz continued to fire the Arrows of Harming while Trenay and Aurand helped with pot shots. Baltic didn't dare entrust them with Arrows of Harming when Lenz had the highest accuracy.
Baltic had also made some extra Lingering Potions of Damage II. He took a pair of them with him and hurried over to the bedrock cube, splashing Z7 and myself with a Splash Potion of Strength II while he was at it. I felt a swell of strength in my muscles and nodded in understanding at what Baltic wanted us to do.
If the dragon touched down on the bedrock cube twice, it would do so again. The three of us positioned ourselves nearby.
Jean roared angrily, its Health at around half, as it suddenly dove for Trenay and Aurand in a reckless charge. The two Paragons kept shooting directly at it, challenging it to a game of chicken to see who flinched first.
They scored a fair bit of damage, but the dragon wasn't stopping. It stretched its wings out as far as they could go, intending to clip both Paragons. Nowhere for them to hide on the plain.
"TRENAY, GET OUT NOW!" Aurand shouted before the mountain of a man grabbed the woman by the collar and chucked her straight up.
The dragon swept under Trenay's tossed body and rammed into Aurand, sending his body rocketing off the island. I knew from experience how much force was behind such an attack. There was nothing Aurand could do as he fell to his death.
Again, I felt a startling lack of emotion. I had to clutch at my chest and feel the beating organ within just to verify I still had a heart. It was there, and yet it wasn't.
I couldn't feel for the giant Paragon who used to be a pit filler in Dover Plains. That was all I really knew about him, and yet it made him more human than the nameless masses Noman strived to protect. Surely I would feel something for the guy I fought beside, even as he gave his life to rescue Trenay.
Trenay's body hit the ground and she instantly scrambled to see what had become of Aurand. What she saw had her grit her teeth and glare hatefully at the dragon returning to the sky.
"There goes another one." Landon commented idly as he floated around spectating. Trenay cast her burning gaze his way.
"Landon, you fuck!" Trenay screamed at him. "This has gone too far! Call off this insane challenge or else there won't be anyone left to join you!"
"I told you this was the Endgame." He called back with a shrug. "You want to quit now when you're so close? Nuh-uh. You'll see this through to the end or die trying. Anyway, what do you cultists care? Aren't you all about dying is the new living or whatever you spout? I can't keep track."
Trenay wanted to throttle the bright-eyed Scout, but settled for directing her arrows at Jean. Lenz used up all his Arrows of Harming (they didn't become infinite with his Infinity Bow) and switched to regular arrows.
Finally, the dragon returned to the bedrock cube, circling it while descending, just as before. Z7 and I waited on either side of it, our blades drawn and Strength particles swirling around us.
Baltic was stationed on top of the cube, and, just before the dragon landed, he smashed one of the two Lingering Potions of Harming atop where Jean touched down.
Instantly, a maroon cloud settled over the bedrock cube. Baltic choked, taking a lot of damage before losing his grip and slipping off the cube. The dragon fared far worse, its Health plummeting while perched on the cube. Baltic lobbed a Splash Potion of Poison to speed things along, but it didn't seem to have an affect like the cloud of Harming. The dragon was impervious to other potion effects, it seemed.
Jean was hurting, but Z7 and I were going to kick it while it was down. We brought up our swords and daggers and went to town on the dragon's head and neck from within its guard. We were close enough to the body that the great flapping wings and dangerous breath couldn't touch us. When the cloud of Harming dispersed, Baltic threw in his last Lingering Potion to start the damage afresh.
Its Health was on its last dregs when Jean whipped its tail wildly. It was nowhere near Z7 or I, but Baltic, injured and reeling, caught the full brunt of it. It knocked him aside just enough to make him fall in the path of Jean's beating wings.
Even with Baltic, I felt nothing. Out of all the Paragons, he was the friendliest and the one I had gotten along with the most. Yet I felt remarkably little when I watched his elderly body sail through the dark sky. He didn't fall off the edge like the others. He just smashed into the ground and was gone.
I stared at the spot his body disappeared, the dragon's roars of pain muted. Hadn't I promised to keep the Paragons alive out of spite? Hadn't I told them I was to be put in charge because I knew what we were getting into in the End? Hadn't they entrusted their lives to me? Hadn't I said I would get us all out? Hadn't they believed in me? ME! A guy who used to be their enemy and tried to kill them in a fiery explosion.
Why couldn't I feel anything for these people!? They weren't nothing to me! They weren't! So why could I only feel relief that it was them that died instead of Lenz?
Z7 stared at where Baltic's body ended up, same as me. The only difference was she tore her eyes away faster and screamed something incoherent as she leapt onto Jean's neck, swung herself up, and proceeded to jam her daggers deep into the monster's scales. Jean let loose another scream, louder than ever, before Z7 twisted her daggers and dug in deeper.
The last sliver of Jean's Health ran out.
A high-pitched, ghostly scream sounded across the End as the dragon ascended upward. Z7 rolled off of it and landed on all fours just before the dragon burst forth in blinding, purple and white rays of light. Just as described in Herobrine's journal, snapping explosions peppered Jean's disintegrating body, the brilliant rays of light shining brighter and brighter. Wings and scales fell apart, exploding into smoke and gold, until only a descending clump of EXP remained of the beast.
Jean the Ender Dragon had been slain.
I shielded my eyes as the swarm of green and gold EXP orbs flowed over us like fairy dust. Lenz and Trenay were close enough to share the EXP as it was divided amongst the four of us that were left.
We were the lucky ones. Shroud, Doyle, Aurand, Baltic. They were all gone. Fallen into the mysterious Void below or else fallen to their death. I should be lamenting their loss, not standing around feeling nothing!
Without a Heart, I can't...
I gave up my feelings for a reason. After everything with her I just couldn't connect, couldn't feel without my chest aching, and that wasn't even the worst of it. That emotional pain was like searing agony that ripped me up inside. I didn't want that.
I also didn't want what apathy I was feeling now. They fought with me and I couldn't bring myself to care that they were dead. Only the lowest kind of scum could be like that.
When all of the dragon's EXP had finished flowing into us, I half turned away from Trenay. I didn't want her to notice how emotionally numb I was over her fellow Paragons. I looked to Z7 instead. Her curtain of hair obscured her gaze well enough; she wouldn't be glaring at me.
...
Only... wait, she dealt the killing blow didn't she? Are her eyes...?
I took a step towards her just as Landon's annoying voice sounded in my head.
[Third trial complete! Elapsed time: 99.9999%]
"PISTONS AND HOPPERS, WE WERE THAT CLOSE!?"
[Fufufu, just kidding. Could you imagine? No. The elapsed time was 87%. You killed it quicker than my first time, but my dragon-slaying record is faster. I can fly and have access to God-tier cheats, but that's neither here nor there.]
"Anyway, congratulations are in order." Landon spoke normally, having floated before us. He took off his Dragon Head and revealed shining eyes and a polite smile. He looked pretty content for someone who lost. "You've overcome the SutsCoDown Throwdown Showdown and earned your freedom and more. I honestly didn't think you had it in you!"
An arrow flew at him only to bounce off like he was made of rubber. He tilted his head slightly as he regarded Trenay and her raised bow.
"Uh, hey? Challenge over. Didn't you get the message?"
"Half of us are dead because of your challenge!" Trenay snarled, loading another arrow despite seeing the first one had been useless. "What's there for us to be proud of!?"
"...I think there might be a bit of anger here." Landon spoke carefully before another arrow bounced off him. "Granted, it's well warranted, however I didn't expect you cultists to care this much."
I didn't feel like correcting him. We'd led him to believe we were cultists so they'd have reason to give us a tour. If that sentence doesn't make sense, just imagine it was the prerequisite for a badge. Still doesn't make sense, but that's par for the course with Scouts.
I turned my attention back to Z7 and felt my breath go still when I caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were black and empty, not at all shining with a blinding light like Landon's.
I got up right in her face and lifted her curtain of hair just to verify. She grabbed my wrist and twisted so hard it threatened to snap.
"Wlm'g. Glfxs." She growled in her language before throwing my arm back at me. I rubbed at it and backed away, feeling no small amount of confusion.
Z7 killed the Ender Dragon. She had to of, since Lenz and Trenay's arrows couldn't make contact while its wings were flapping. It was her daggers that finished the job. So where were the High-Beam eyes? Where was the Command Block? Where was the Dragon Egg?
Was it because she was a Jibberwoman? Maybe they were so different from normal Crafters that they couldn't wield High-Beam eyes. Or maybe Landon used a Command to prevent us from obtaining a Command Block. There was no limit to what he could do with those cheats of his.
"We won your challenge." Lenz, the voice of reason, spoke firmly. He had to since Trenay was still fruitlessly trying to shoot Landon. "Take down the bedrock blockade and let us leave."
"Of course. I would never defy the sanctity of the showdown." He swore. "But, if you'll recall, I promised you SutsCo merchandise and more. What say we celebrate your victory back at the facility? I need the time to draft up a new non-disclosure agreement anyway."
"What makes you think we want to break bread with you!?" Trenay shouted. "We're not in the mood! Just let us out of here; I can't stand to look at you anymore!"
Landon sighed, scratching his head. "I probably should have figured this would happen. We need to clear some things up and calm down. Fortunately, I know how to remedy this AND grab a rare badge I've had my eyes on since finding out Cobb was an Executive."
"Another badge?" I asked, feeling tired. "Whatever it is, can you just get it over with so I can cash in that favor you owe me?" The favor was one of the rewards I'd wanted for winning the showdown.
"Sure thing. The badge I was hoping you could help me with..."
He zoomed forward at an impossible speed and stopped right before me, his High-Beam eyes burning into mine.
The next instant, I felt something bury itself in my gut and exit out my back. My breath left me.
"...The Slay an Endward Cult Executive Badge." He muttered lowly.
My senses left me. I never had the chance to feel the agony his punch caused as Landon, Lenz, Trenay, Z7, and my surroundings all faded to black. It was dark and I felt as if my body was floating, nonexistent.
It was a feeling I recognized from my earliest days of consciousness. The days I floated in the Void, before I even had a name or friends.
Before I could ponder my situation any longer, I felt a rush of warmth and my back pressed against something hard. I was staring at a ceiling, eyes wide and dazed.
"Cobb? You died too?"
Baltic's aged and bearded face came into view, shading my face from the lights above. My eyes widened and I sat up fast, my mind reeling as it processed everything. It wasn't just the alchemist present. The assassin trio was there too. If I had to guess...
"...is this the afterlife?"
"There is no afterlife. You're dead, you're dead." Doyle grunted. He was grumpy because what I said was too close to cultist mentality. "We're not dead."
"We should be." Aurand remarked, reeling from shock. "I was taking damage in that Void. It was like it was eating me alive, tearing great chunks out of me. I watched my Health run out. We should be dead."
"It was a trick. We fell into the Void too, and we're still alive." Shroud noted. "We have all our items and EXP too. No way did we die."
"I fell from a great height, but not into the Void." Baltic noted. "I saw my Health. The fall damage would have killed me. I struck the ground only to end up here."
"We won, didn't we?" Doyle asked of me. "We heard Landon's message. You killed the dragon, right? Did you fall into the Void too?"
"...No." I felt the spot where Landon had run a fist through. It was fine and my Health was full, yet the faint memory of pain still lingered. It felt like it had been a dream. A phantom pain. "I died too, but I ended up... here? Where is here?"
Here looked to be a small room made up of End Stone Bricks and purpur blocks. Though, judging by the pink and yellow particles swirling around us, we were being affected by the beacon. That meant we were somewhere within the SutsCo facility.
There was also an iron door near the fall wall. It was sealed shut, but it soon opened, revealing the bright-eyed Landon_Noir. I scrambled to my feet, a cold sweat breaking out as I covered my stomach where he punched a hole through me.
"Peace, peace." He assured. "I passed the prerequisite. No profit in killing you twice." He waved a piece of paper happily. "The Slay an Endward Cult Executive Badge is all mine. It's such a hassle since the Executives never reveal themselves. It was either you or that Ember chick. I wasn't about to let this chance slip by." He gave the piece of paper a kiss before tucking it into his belt. He then stepped aside to allow the others into the room.
"Cobbert!" Lenz shouted in relief. "You are alive!"
"Aurand, you absolute asshole!" Trenay shouted, running up to the giant man and smacking his head. "Who asked you to risk your life saving mine!? Never do that again!"
"It wasn't a conscious decision. And I lived, didn't I?" He backed away under her scathing glare. "...You're right. I was out of line. Won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." Trenay's face relaxed as she took in each Paragon. "You all made it."
"See? It was all just a misunderstanding." Landon had the nerve to say. Trenay whirled on him, no longer furious, but equally annoyed. "Why the apprehension? You should be celebrating your triumph over us."
"Maybe it's because you punched a hole through my body." I offered somewhat dryly. I knew I shouldn't have been trying to antagonize him after he demonstrated just how deadly he could be when there was a badge on the line, but my personal brand of sarcasm and snark shone through.
"You're alive, though. Everyone's alive." There was a beat of silence. "Well, not everyone. Jean is hella dead. No Command Block can bring her back. Speaking of which, I need a new name for the next dragon. Since you slayed her, I'll let you name her." He gestured to Z7. "You got a name in mind?"
Lenz hastily translated and Z7 gave her answer.
"Xzibh."
"Exotic. I like it!" Landon nodded, making a mental note.
"How are they alive?" Trenay asked dubiously. "Three of them fell into the Void, Baltic smashed into the ground like an overripe fruit, and the length of your arm was through Cobb's body! We saw him explode, but he didn't leave any EXP or gear behind. No Head either. So what did you do?"
"Fufufu. When I planned this showdown of ours, did you seriously think I wouldn't consider the possibility of you all killing yourselves to get out of joining the Scouts?" Landon asked. "Each challenge had a chance of you dying, just as every day exploring the End has a chance of one of us dying. Which is why I devised a few handy commands."
He spread his arms out wide, his High-Beam eyes blazing brilliantly. "Here in the End, you cannot die. You cannot lose your Inventory. You cannot lose your EXP. And anytime you die, you respawn in this room as if nothing happened."
"...Are you serious?" Baltic spoke breathlessly. "You've... changed natural law?"
"Do I have the Natural Law Breaker Badge or don't I?" Landon boasted smugly. "But yes, I'm serious. Too many Scouts were losing their lives exploring the End. It was bad for business. So I tweaked the rules of this dimension to suit our needs."
"You make it sound like you were simply redecorating an office."
"With Command Blocks, it's just as easy." Landon smiled.
"If you made a Command Block like that, does that mean everyone who died in the Tragedy of Ringwood respawned here?" I asked with equal parts hope and fear.
"Command Blocks don't work between dimensions. The block and the Command both need to activate in the dimension you want to affect. I've only altered this dimension, thank you very much."
"But... but why not make one in Minecraftia?" I pleaded. "Think of all the murdered victims that could be brought back! Think of all the bloodshed you could stop! The Endward Cult's reason for existing would be crippled-!"
"Why would you cultists want that?" Landon countered smoothly. "And, more importantly, why would I want that? Life becomes empty without some risk. If everyone knew they were invincible, and if there was no penalty for being stupid, the world would fall into a chaos."
"Since when have the Scouts cared about chaos?" Lenz asked skeptically, flustering Landon.
"Alright, fine, it's because there's no badge for it!" Landon admitted. "I can't get the Natural Law Breaker Badge twice. So I don't see a point in changing the laws of life and death in Minecraftia."
"Then we will." I spoke firmly. "Where's our Command Block for killing the dragon? And the Dragon Egg?"
"And the High-Beam eyes." Lenz added. "Z7 should have gotten them; she dealt the killing blow."
"Think again." Landon shot us down. "Your victory in the showdown may have secured some choice SutsCo merchandise, but that's got nothing to do with winning a Command Block or a Dragon Egg, or these eyes. In all the time we spawned in dragons and killed them, only the first dragon, a Prime Dragon, granted those three things. The manmade ones don't. Not to mention, the manmade ones are such pale imitations of the real deal that the EXP dropped, five-hundred, is drastically less than from a Prime Dragon's twelve-thousand. If we could expand our supply of Command Block users, don't you think I would?"
"You better not be lying." I accused.
"Why would I lie about this?" He asked rhetorically. "If Herobrine really had eyes like mine, and a Dragon Egg, and a Command Block, he must have killed a Prime Dragon just like me. Which means you'll have to find your own unused End Portal for this place to spawn you a Prime Dragon."
It was merely the theory of a madman, but it had merit. Herobrine killed an Ender Dragon after activating and entering a new portal. Landon did the same. If there was another portal buried in Minecraftia somewhere, we'd need it to obtain the High-Beam eyes that could rewrite the world's laws, and the Dragon Egg that Herobrine sought so desperately.
On the topic of portals, Landon had promised to reveal the location of his as a lose condition. Maybe that would be the first step to narrowing down where another End Portal was hidden.
"We want our loot." Trenay's demand caught us by surprise. She was curt and short with Landon, obviously embarrassed at having overreacted to the Paragons' deaths when there was no need to. If he just told us we couldn't die in the showdown, it would have saved a lot of drama.
Not that I felt an iota of drama in the first place. Knowing they were alive compared with thinking they were dead, there was no great change inside me.
It felt so empty.
"Right, right. I promised you a shopping spree and I intend to deliver." Landon assured. "I accepted your challenge and lost. Thus, I will uphold all of my promises as to honor the SutsCoDown Throwdown Showdown. If you will all follow me, I will show you to the facility's storehouse.
I cared less for the gear and more for the portal information and the favor owed, but the gear was important to the Paragons. After fighting so determinedly, they earned a reward.
I just hoped there were no more nasty surprises from the Scouts.
[Daymonte]
"That's it. Their hiding spot."
Maira studied a seedy wooden inn from her vantage point on a stone bridge. The place was falling apart. No one in their right mind would choose to stay there.
Yet she knew it was where the Paragons were hiding. It was in the same direction those two Paragons had entered and exited the bar from. It was also on the same level in case those drunkards had to shamble back with hangovers. They hadn't yet. In fact, Maira doubted they had left yet. They were happily sleeping off a night of drinking. How dependable.
That was the problem with with people. All responsibility and duty flew out the window in the face of vice. Kings and authority figures were no different. Corrupt and irresponsible, all of them.
They'd pay for their indulgence. The Paragons' reckoning was upon them.
Maira's eyes narrowed as she watched one of the Paragons from yesterday exit the inn. That was all the confirmation she needed to report back with. More would arrive tonight, and she needed reinforcements.
The Paragon looked up, directly at her, but only through Maira as she had an Invisibility Potion cloaking her. She didn't want the guards to spy a wanted escapee idling around.
Having secured everything she needed, Maira slinked away unseen. The Paragons down there would be dead within the day.
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, 14 Coal, 37 Snowballs, 5 Ender Chests, 24 Obsidian, 64 Steak, 24 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, 43 Arrows, 11 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 41 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: 21]
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], 10 Arrows, 3 Brewing Stands, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 64 Glass Bottles, 24 Glass Bottles, 5 Dragon's Breath, 1 Water Bucket, 54 Blaze Powder, 50 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 28 Bones, 63 Phantom Membranes, 1 Golden Nugget, 64 Blaze Rods, 25 Fermented Spider Eyes, 59 Carrots, 57 Melon Slices, 14 Steak, 1 Ender Chest, 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, 14 Torches, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 18 Pumpkin Pies, 2 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: Thus ends the SutsCoDown Throwdown Showdown.
Also, no, this isn't an Avengers rip-off. I got a comment about "Not even Infinity War first". Endgame was a term long before that movie, thank you!
I wonder if I made anyone think I'd killed off Baltic and those other Paragons.
. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. PANCAKES.
