AN: I'm assuming some people are going back to school at this time. All I can offer as means of comfort is this...
Ahem.
Sucks to be you.
BUT! Hopefully reading this will bring a bit of humor or interest to you all. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add scents.
Chapter 194
Forged in Fire
[Lazuli]
In the snowy spruce forest in the southern Lazuli region, a man with slicked-back orange hair was shivering out in the open. The temperature dropped rapidly after nightfall, and he wore only a thin undershirt over his torso. No leather armor to bundle himself up in.
He hugged his sword to his body, the tip wavering as the shivered, but Spring_Fever kept his tired eyes upon the woods, seeking out the Mobs that had been ingrained in his head.
He'd been at it for a few days, so it was more a routine than anything that guided his actions.
First came contact.
There was the faint crunching of snow without any other sound. He turned and saw the miserable grimace and green color of a Creeper.
Usually the mere sight of one would give a Crafter a heart attack, but Spring focused on the explosive Mob with tentative hope as he slowly walked backwards. The Creeper followed, and Spring found himself guiding the Mob through the dark woods.
Eventually the man and Mob reached a snowy clearing pockmarked with craters. Many explosions had gone off there. Spring guided the Creeper to a relatively crater-free area and proceeded to walk the Mob in circles.
The official phrase for this was called 'training' - something he remembered from gathering the Creeper herd while under 4Blite's tyrannical thumb. It involved leading Mobs in circles when you weren't ready to kill them yet. You'd pick up more and more Mobs and form a sort of 'train' resembling a conga line.
Spring took out his sword and raised it against the Creeper in a series of controlled thrusts before beating hasty retreats so the Creeper wouldn't explode. He didn't outright kill the Creeper, however. He only weakened it so something else could deal the killing blow.
That something else soon showed up with a rattle of bones. Spring ducked an arrow as the newly arrived Stray fired upon him.
Strays were a new Mob from a past Bounty Day? Which one? Honestly, he couldn't keep track. There were so many nowadays. He could recall they came along with the Husks, at least, and they only populated snowy biomes, much like how the Husks stuck to the dry biomes like the desert or mesa.
Strays wore tattered clothes and behaved like Skeletons. Maybe they were distant cousins who adapted to the cold. The difference was that Strays fired tipped arrows of Slowness. It was like they were trying to freeze you in the cold.
Fortunately, they worked the same as Skeletons as a means of acquiring music discs. With the arrival of the Stray, everything was ready.
Despite the cold, a bead of sweat dripped down Spring's face as he maneuvered himself so that the Creeper was between him and the Stray. The Creeper kept following him with that horrible grimace, the danger it posed not to be taken lightly.
The Stray kept firing arrows at Spring despite the Creeper between them. The cultist had to move his body when the first two arrows went high and low. Finally, lining himself up just right with the Creeper, the Stray fired and struck the explosive Mob, killing it.
"YES!" Spring exploded in triumph.
He hurried over, kicking aside the useless gunpowder drop and instead going for the music disc.
It was mellohi.
"NO! ARGH!" He hurled the music disc like a frisbee straight into a tree before taking out his aggression on the Stray left over. It would make his job harder since he'd have to wait for a new Stray, but he didn't care as he bull-rushed the Mob, tanking projectiles that slowed him down, and jammed his blade into its skeletal ribcage. The Mob rattled angrily and Spring tackled it into a crater before lashing out with heavy slashes and strikes. Even after the Mob was dead, he kept hammering his sword into the snow, his mounting frustration finally getting to him.
"GODAMNIT!" He shouted, his sword flying out of his grip as he swung up. He continued by beating his fists into the snow, the cold doing a wonderful job of icing the bruises that were forming.
Four days of hunting music discs and what did he have to show for it? An impressive collection of music discs that had a painful lack of the cursed disc that he wanted, '11'. He'd trade all the discs he got for '11', just to be done with this annoying farming method.
Farming didn't just relate to crops and hoes. Farming Mobs was getting a bunch of Mobs together and then killing them and harvesting their crops. Mob Grinders were an automated farming method, but before those existed Crafters had to go around hunting for Mobs or else pay someone else to do it. Lieutenant Jade had mentioned that her husband had a job like that in a village not too far from where Spring was, but that was neither here nor there.
Out of all the farming methods, farming for music discs was probably the most annoying and dangerous. You were regularly flirting with death.
Fact is, music discs can be dropped by Creepers but only if they're killed by a Skeleton. As to why the meeting of Creeper and Skeleton made music, Spring hadn't a clue. That's just the way it was, and, aside from mining for unlooted dungeons in the hopes of finding music discs, it was the only reliable way to obtain the cursed disc '11' for Carmen's Hybridization ritual.
It was not without problems, however, as Spring was quick to discover. Getting a Skeleton and Creeper together was hard enough without having to contend with the dozens of other Mobs spawning at night. Zombies, Spiders, and Witches were all unwanted yet they joined the trains looking for a piece of Spring. He couldn't count the amount of times a train got too big and he had to abandon it or else risk getting killed.
It wasn't easy working with Strays either. This biome really was the worst for it. If a Stray hit him with an arrow of Slowness, he wouldn't be able to outrun the creepers he gathered.
He also learned pretty fast he had to weaken Creepers first to make it easier for the Strays to kill them, but in the cases where the Stray's first shot hit but wasn't enough to kill, it would knock the Creeper forward. Into who, you ask? STRAIGHT INTO SPRING! The craters littering the clearing were the results of the Creepers that were knocked too close towards him. If not for his quick blocking, there would be chunks of him left in the snow.
To top it all off, the times he succeeded in getting the Strays to kill the Creepers, they didn't drop the cursed disc '11'. No, they dropped 'mellohi', 'wait', 'chirp', 'strad', and other useless discs he couldn't care less for. He hated it!
He always knew he was a bad person, and this was proof. This was his eternal punishment for all the bad he'd done in Minecraftia. This was his purgatory, farming for music discs and growing increasingly frustrated with every miss. Karma was a cruel and unusual missus.
And speaking of unusual missuses...
Carmen_Delacruz and her three identical clones returned, one of them carrying a freshly made jukebox. They peered down at Spring, still beating his frustrations out with his fists in the crater.
"Still no luck, cultista?"
He sighed. "No."
By comparison, Carmen had succeeded in finding a diamond to build the jukebox. She also got redstone and the iron to make a cauldron. Sure, she had four able bodies to work with and Spring only had one, but she secured everything she needed to perform the ritual.
The only thing missing was the cursed disc '11' and the remaining Heads.
While Spring and Carmen had lifted a majority of the thousand Heads they would need to make the ritual work from the cult's depository, they weren't able to obtain the full required amount before having to beat a hasty retreat. They were down two-hundred-and-eighty-one Heads and Spring wouldn't be able to fool his way through next time. They likely beefed up security at the depository too, which meant they would need to get the Heads the old-fashioned way.
As for the Heads they retrieved, they stored them in the Nether near the Northern HQ portal. It was too dangerous to go back for them now with the whole Northern Division on high alert. Spring didn't like leaving them so close, but he didn't have a choice. One thing led to another and he had to hope they were hidden well enough and that nobody would think of digging through netherrack.
There was also the timing to consider. The Hybridization ritual had to be performed at midnight during a new moon. There was one tomorrow night, but there was no way they'd make that deadline without the Heads and disc. They would have to await the next one.
Spring vaguely wondered if the cult was having as much difficulty getting the ritual necessities. They had all the Heads they could want, but the cursed disc '11' was deemed junk because of the eerie music it played. Only a rare collector would have it, maybe in Oak Docks or Lazuli. They only needed the one, though. They could reuse it for however many rituals they wanted, and they had no shortage of grunts to pawn off such a tedious task to.
"You take a turn doing this. I need a break." Spring willingly handed over his sword to the Hybrid before cracking his neck wearily. Carmen and her clones stared apprehensively at the weapon.
"Que es esto? I'm a chef, not a luchadora."
"Could've fooled me after you wrecked those cultists."
"You'll find that anyone can fight viciously when cornered." She inspected the sword disdainfully, holding it like it was a dirty piece of toilet tissue. "The espada isn't even necessary to farm these monstruos, lo es?"
"You'll need it to fend off undesirables." Spring explained. "That's basic for any Crafter. You always arm yourself. Didn't you run into Mobs while mining?"
"No, nos dejaron solos. They left me and my clones alone." Carmen stated in her vibrato. She had to be lying. Caves and mines were teeming with Mobs. How could she have not run into any of them? "Un momento. Dealing with Creepers, won't I get blown to bits?"
"Difference is your bits can come back together. Mine can't." She was still showing disdain for the blade. "Fine. Don't take the sword." He swiped it back. "I'll go see about picking off some stragglers."
"Déjamelo a mí! Why don't you leave that to me too?" She and her clones offered eagerly. Too eagerly for a self-declared 'chef'. "I can super size and smother them a la muerte. Muy fácil."
This wasn't the first time Carmen had displayed a willingness to kill innocent Crafters. Spring had noticed the chef becoming particularly bloodthirsty whenever killing a Crafter was concerned.
Spring had a theory for it. The whole point of having a thousand Heads for the Hybridization ritual was to balance the ratio of DNA between human and Mob, otherwise you'd come out as an abomination like the failures he fought on the Morel Islands. Carmen was the first Hybrid with a stable ratio... but there were side effects.
Her mind was her own, but it had the qualities of a Mob - A predator. Just like with a Mob, she had the insatiable instinct to kill Crafters. Much like how the Creepers and Strays would chase Spring forever in circles trying to kill him, Carmen's Magma Cube DNA would urge her to hunt and kill.
Spring, being the closest Crafter for miles, didn't want to risk being the outlet for that urge. Fortunately, plying her and her clones with delicious food helped to keep killing off their hivemind.
"It's better to let me take care of it. Especially since you can't use a sword." Spring decided. When Carmen made to protest, Spring added, "Supersizing yourself is just gonna draw attention to us. We're trying to lay low. Keep off the cult's radar."
"Ah, bien." She relented, though one of her clones joined him. "I'll keep a clone with you so we can keep in contacto, cultista."
"...I'm not gonna run."
The clones offered responses in unison.
"Yo sé eso! I know that!"
"You're a hombre of your word."
"This is just so we know where to find one another."
"I'd be stuck without your knowledge of the world, cultista. Don't do anything reckless."
The clone nearest to him had said the last bit, and he grudgingly accepted her accompanying him. It still felt like he was being escorted despite the fact he knew he could best a clone his size that didn't know her way around a sword. She was only a threat when together. No chance of her succumbing to her base urges either.
As Spring and the clone walked into the woods in search of Crafters, he was reminded of how out of control things had spiraled. Here he was playing leader, with his and Carmen's lives on the line. Even if he got her what she wanted, he was still in the hole with the Endward Cult; he was seen colluding with her and stealing Heads. A killer without friends wouldn't be long for this world.
He needed a way to make it right.
[Cobb]
I was annoyed by how useful parkour was.
I jumped from one ledge to another before digging my hands into the rock face, locating hand and footholds, and climbing higher up. Z7 was right behind me, with Lenz and the other Paragons further below.
We used the night for cover. Baltic had doused us with Splash Potions of Night Vision and Leaping so we could see and get up Ohm Mountain without injury. I could see now why horses weren't an option. It was all cliff face.
I took a break on a ledge to turn and admire the view. Redstone lights shone from within the 'X' shaped chasms of Daymonte, looking like a golden cross among the flat valley's darkness. We had gotten so high up after a little rock-climbing. I could see Blitz Peak and the Trans-Kingdom Railway.
I stooped down and offered a hand to Z7 when she was just below my ledge. She eyed my hand warily before accepting it. "Gszmph."
"Mm." I replied just as illegibly before casting my gaze down the mountain. The others were having trouble, even with the Potion of Leaping helping them out. Lenz, Baltic, and Witige were understandable, but Wing, Luis, Heather, and the assassin trio were moving a lot slower than I was. What few parkour lessons Jade imparted to me were more effective than whatever training the Paragons underwent. It was simultaneously a point of pride and a point of regret.
I turned away to stare up the mountain and saw that we were close to our landmark: Ohm Tower. According to Lenz, the tower held a bunch of Daylight Detectors wired directly to the Automated Kingdom's day-night systems. Since natural sunlight couldn't reach the intersecting chasms, they rigged up the tower with them because it was the first place the sunlight would touch. There was a maintenance railway to get up there from Daymonte, but it was restricted. So we had to climb.
Z7 popped a cake down and proceeded to snack on it while we waited. She really had a sweet tooth, that one. I couldn't even catch her eating it; her hands moved too fast! I wasn't entirely unconvinced her curtain of hair hid a vacuum cleaner. I took a snack break myself and replenished my Hunger Meter for the final stretch. Lenz said there was a small path beginning at the same height as Ohm Tower. It was steep and rocky, but worn like a trail taken by those before us.
I helped some of the others onto our ledge while Z7 took off towards the tower. I frowned at her impatience but shrugged it off in favor of helping Lenz and Baltic.
Instead of parkouring ahead, I helped point out spots in the rock for the others to climb with. With my help, the others were able to pick up the pace and reach the flat expanse on which Ohm Tower was stationed. The breeze felt nice on my sweat-soaked back.
"Sweet hoppers, I made it!" Lenz exclaimed, gasping for breath. He was pulling at his scarf like it was choking him, and reminding us all that he had been beaten up the mountain by an elderly alchemist. "Nothing but rock cliffs. Rock cliffs after rock cliffs. I always said they should install a slime elevator!"
"Haven't you made this trip before?" Shroud asked, somewhat winded himself.
"On a field trip once or twice." Lenz clarified. "And even then, we were allowed to use the maintenance rails." He greedily accepted my bucket of water and poured it over his face. Everyone took out glass bottles and helped themselves to the available water source to slake their thirst.
Ohm Tower stood proudly before us, but it was just a landmark for us to pass. We had no business inside it and were only interested in the rocky path that began here to take us through the mountains. Z7 was leaning on it, having waited for us.
"Dszg pvkg blf?" She said with a snarky tone and a grin. I frowned, understanding enough to tell she was being competitive with me. Why? Because of our Spleef game earlier? She beat me every round anyway so why the rivalry?
I must have stoked something in her though since she looked proud to have overtaken me in parkour. Joke was on her. We had a lot more climbing ahead of us and she'd crash hard on that sugar diet. You needed lean protein!
I made a show of tearing a great chunk out of a steak, much to the confusion of those around me. Z7 looked unimpressed.
We spotted the worn trail easy enough. There was a fence post marker around the other side of the tower and between two cliffs. It sloped up naturally, but there were a lot of man-made steps and places to climb, proving that it had been a rockclimbing trail at one point. Maybe they had it since before the maintenance rail was set up. Either way, it was as good a path as any to follow.
We walked towards it single file, slipping between the cliffs and beginning another rocky ascent. Baltic and the other took to it first, but I had to stop.
Lenz and I had been walking side by side. But I only just realized I was walking alone now. I turned and saw him staring at the fence post trail marker. He was contemplative... and a bit hesitant.
"What's up?"
"...This is it." He said.
"This is what?"
"If I take one more step, it will be the furthest east I have ever been." He looked to the worn trail up the mountains. "I have never seen the ocean before, but it is on the other side."
"There are a lot of things on the other side." I said, walking back. "Fact is, this is the furthest east I've ever been too. And every step after will take us further and further away from home and into danger."
"The Eastern Division." Lenz acknowledged. "Do you not feel apprehensive? Because I do. A little." He gulped. "Behind me is the last glimpse of my home. Ahead lies the unknown. It feels like crossing into this realm will take a courage and strength I do not possess. I cannot help but pause at the brink before taking the plunge."
I placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll take the steps together." I smiled.
He smiled back. "Right. Right! Okay!" He shifted in place, his gaze firmly on the fence post trail marker. "I just need a few more moments to mentally prepare myself-"
"Prxp."
Lenz was suddenly pushed forward as Z7's bare foot pressed into the back of his knee. The engineer flailed his arms, taking several fast steps to steady himself and crossing the trail marker. He turned with an irritated glare directed at the scarred assassin.
He then launched into a fierce rant in Jibberish, laying into Z7 based on the tone and volume. The assassin bore it all in stride, responding with short utterances or else exuding a devil-may-care attitude towards the engineer's fury. For good reason, I felt; she could bend him backwards in a physical exchange.
Though, was it just me, or was she smiling behind that curtain of hair while Lenz was ranting at her in her language? Theirs was a conversation the rest of us couldn't understand, so it was anyone's guess what the specifics were.
If nothing else, it seemed to take Lenz's mind off that first step, which may have been Z7's intent for pushing his buttons. With my Heart back in place, I was finally making an effort to understand the people I was traveling with. The time through the mountains would be split between training and getting to know the Paragons. That was my plan anyway.
With our hesitations behind us, we ascended the steep steps of the trail and began our two week trek through the Ohm Mountains.
[Lazuli]
"Estas frio. You're shivering."
"It's cold where there's snow." Spring answered sarcastically. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them while eyeing the Hybrid. "I guess Magma Cubes aren't affected by the cold. Heat proof AND cold proof. You sure being a Hybrid isn't a good thing?"
"Not when it makes you a hideous monstruo. A maldita."
"Again, what's so hideous about you? You got wavy, flaming hair, smooth skin, soft features - so soft they jiggle," her vibrato voice shook as she laughed, "and an exotic voice. Don't you know guys love it when they can't understand when a woman nags them?"
"Harharhar." She spoke dryly, though there was a bit of amusement in her eyes. "Aquí. Let me." She took his hands in hers and instantly he felt them warm up. It was nothing like the searing pain he was used to from her. Her skin was just naturally toasty, like a comforter left in the sun. "Mejor? Better?"
"Actually, yeah." Spring nodded, allowing the warmth to flood his hands. "Another perk to being part Magma Cube. You're a portable heater."
"Don't get used to it, pendejo." She smirked, moving her hands to warm his bare arms and shoulders next. "A muchacha has to do something to pay back all those heavy-handed compliments. I find your contundente forcejeo quite flattering."
"There you go again. You think I'm exaggerating?" He shook his head. "There's nothing hideous about you."
"Mentiras. Men recoil at the sight of me."
"People are stupid. Why should skin color matter? So you have a slight tan. Big deal."
"Calling this a tan is putting it mildly, cultista. I look like a meatloaf. Pastel de carne." She spat deprecatingly.
"This really bothers you, huh?"
"...I had such pearly skin when I was a Crafter." She admitted, pinching the skin of her upper forearm. She smiled softly. "Mi amor said I had skin like la luna. The moon."
Spring was quiet for a moment before commenting. "You're still you, though. And there are more of you to love."
"A harem of monstruos to love. All twisted versions of the woman he first fell in love with." She shook her head. "Dios mío, I couldn't stand him to see me like this. It's better now that he thinks I'm dead. He can move on with his life and new esposa."
"...Let him decide that for himself."
Spring didn't know why he was giving the Hybrid hope like this. She was just such a sad sack moping around about a ruined love life. Maybe he felt he owed her for her advice on Ember. It made the grunt realize his feelings for her were more targeted towards her looks than anything. He had nothing in common with the woman aside from the color of his hair.
While warming his hands, Carmen glanced at Spring out of the corner of one eye. "So... what is it that attracts you to the bruja?"
Spring raised a brow. "You mean Ember?"
"Sí."
"Well..." Spring closed his eyes to think before smiling slightly. "She's got a chest you can smother yourself with - OW! That was a joke!"
Carmen's hands had heated up to a blistering degree at Spring's comment before lowering back to a comfortable warmth.
"She's well-endowed." He corrected with tears in his eyes. "Men are always attracted to women with great figures." His eyes took on a dreamy quality. "She has long, wavy hair. She's charismatic and kind, the center of attention wherever she goes. A natural leader. She's a badass fighter with that rapier. That's what I really like about her. She's a killer like me, but she can still act so warm and gentle with people. And she's fiercely determined, believing so deeply in Herobrine..." He paused for a moment. "I didn't really believe any of that Herobrine fluff. The stuff I heard he could do sounded like the stuff of fantasy. But after seeing what I saw in that bunker..." He shook his head. "I guess Ember was right all along about him. The stories aren't just stories."
He sighed. "Pretty sure she's more attracted to Herobrine than me. A relationship would never work with us."
"...Sorry your amor is unrequited." Carmen said sadly.
"Not your fault. But anyway, yeah, Ember is kind and not afraid to stick up for others. You know she saved my life from 4Blite at a Gathering, and she transferred us to a different subdivision so we wouldn't incite that jerk's ire. I thought that meant something, but… she would have done that for any cultist. There was nothing special about me… no matter how much I wished there was."
"4Blite... the cabrón… he was with you at the bunker, correcto?"
Spring nodded.
"You and him don't get along?"
"If a Creeper was about to blow me up, 4Blite would push me towards it just to be rid of me a millisecond sooner." Spring surmised. "He loathes me. And Jade. And Ember too probably. People in general aren't his thing. Makes me feel somewhat bad for those Plagues under that prick's thumb." He added before pondering to hinself. "I wonder what Ember makes of all this. If she's already written me off as a traitor."
Carmen cast her gaze to the ground. "Is this because of me? Tengo la culpa?"
"Yes." Spring said bluntly. It was no good sugarcoating it. Carmen was smart enough to spot a lie. Spring was in deep trouble with the Endward Cult for helping the Hybrid.
"...Are there options?" Carmen asked feebly.
"Not many." Spring sighed. "When you resign from the Endward Cult, you resign from living. It's the final act of laying down your sword and crossing into the Next Life. Usually by jumping off a cliff. If you can't do it, someone else does it for you. Only deserters come away with their lives, but the cult has a habit of hunting them down. That's probably how they're branding me right now."
"Despreciable." Carmen said in disgust. "Why join such a group of pendejos?"
"Protection." He said simply. "I was already a killer at the time with the authorities in Ringwood after me. I didn't have any friends or allies. I had to join the cult or get locked away forever. Or die." He pulled his hands out of Carmen's warm grip. "Things are worse now than back then. The cult will want me dead."
"Just because they think you're a desertor?"
"I'm a deserter with intel." He corrected. "I saw Abyssmal's name. He's the Eastern Executive, but his identity isn't known to the kingdoms. He'll have a harder time moving around if I give up his name. Just like with Ember. That's why they'll want to silence me quick." He rubbed his chin. "They'll be afraid I'll squeal."
"Caramba! So then use that." Carmen insisted. "If you have no more options, go to the authorities. Give up Abyssmal and cut a deal. Tell them all you know about the culto, their bases, and their operations and they'll let you off. After I'm turned back to normal, we can tell them together, cultista."
He'd be lying if he said he hadn't considered it or saw the appeal. It's not like he was being a rat. If the Cult was hunting him, he had no choice but to sell them out. A killer without friends wasn't long for this world. If it was about his survival, he'd sell them out in a second.
There was just one problem. He wasn't entirely convinced the kingdoms were stronger.
The cult was on the rise with recruitment, and, if Carmen was any indication, Hybridization was a more effective means of strengthening the ranks than the cultists first thought. How much more powerful would Ember or Abyssmal become if they became Wither Hybrids?
So, while ratting them out was an option, it was one he was reluctant to take. It would be his last resort, when no other avenues were available. As it happened, he had one other idea.
"...I'm gonna try to make it right, first." Spring decided, earning a frown from the Hybrid. "If I can get the cult something - something that could make up for stealing the Heads and convince them I had been AWOL - then maybe they'd forgive me."
"Eso no suena bien. That doesn't sound like doing the right thing to me." Carmen groused.
"Well I'm not a good guy, remember?" He said. As an afterthought, he added, "If I can't make it right, I'll go to the authorities with you like you said. I'm just trying to keep my options open. Burning bridges is a bad idea."
"Is that why you didn't want me to kill those cultistas at the HQ?" She asked, a hand on her hip. "You'd have been better off if I did. Sin testigos. No witnesses."
"My complicity would've been figured out either way." Spring reasoned. "I show up out of nowhere, having escaped a Magma Cube Hybrid, only for that same Hybrid to show up at the same base as me and steal Heads? They're not idiots."
Plus, Spring knew some of those guys that ambushed him in the Depository. He knew them by name and he had fought beside then on a few occasions and shared meals on a few more. He was a killer, sure, but he wasn't willing to kill people he fought with.
Now if it was 4Blite on the other hand...
"Hrm..." Carmen pursed her lips, her attention elsewhere. Spring recognized it as the Hybrid receiving sensations from her other clones. "There's a problema with the others."
"Training Mobs isn't so easy, is it?" Spring said smugly. "Are the Creepers blowing up too close?"
"No. The Creepers and Strays are ignoring them entirely." Carmen said. "Just like in the cave. The Mobs leave us alone."
"...Because you're part Mob yourself, damn it." Spring realized with a facepalm. Talk about obvious. He dragged the hand across his face as he glared at the sky. "Mobs don't usually go after Mobs. They only target Crafters or Testificates. You and your clones are neither... which means I'm gonna have to waste my time farming music discs again. AUGH!"
Carmen could only shrug awkwardly. Even if she wanted to help with the Mob farming process, there was little she could do.
"How could this get any WORSE!?"
*ROAR!*
Spring and Carmen turned to find a polar bear of death barreling towards them. Oh yeah. Snow biomes had those things.
Spring drew his sword with a frightened look. He had never fought a polar bear before but he could tell just by looking that they were strong and could do plenty of damage. And Carmen couldn't fight.
The polar bear lumbered forward with surprising speed for its mass. Powerful muscles propelled it across the snow and it roared loudly
Spring strafed to the side while Carmen bunched her legs and used her jumping ability to leap clear over the charging polar bear. Spring struck at the beast's flank only for it to whip around and bat him aside like a ragdoll. He took four Hearts of damage, feeling like his arm was dislocated.
He heard heavy footsteps approaching and looked up in time to see the polar bear rearing back on its hind legs ready to maul down with its front paws. Spring rolled away from a weighty impact that would have caved his chest in.
He fired an arrow into the beast's neck, enraging it further. That was when Carmen leaped onto its back and squashed her body against it in a literal bear hug before her body started to glow with heat.
The polar bear roared in pain as the Hybrid seared its fur and skin with an intense heat. It thrashed wildly, crashing into trees, and bucking to try and dislodge Carmen, who clung on for dear life and burned off more Hearts.
Finally fed up, the polar bear reared back, throwing Carmen off its back. She landed in the snow with the wind knocked out of her.
The polar bear reared back on its hind legs and slammed down upon Carmen. Her agonized scream cut off as her dead clone split up into four miniature sized clones. She wasted time checking herselves, allowing the polar bear to rear up again. It let out a grisly roar.
A sword was driven through its flank, the intimidating roar taking on a higher, more pained note just before it died in a burst of EXP and salmon.
Spring caught his breath and rubbed his sore arm before checking Carmen. "Why were you just sitting there checking yourself. You needed to move. You were almost bear chow."
Carmen and her mini clones looked mildly contrite under Spring's critical glare.
"You can't make novice mistakes in the wilderness." Spring chastised the Hybrid as her miniatures gathered and reformed into a normal-sized clone. "I'm teaching you some basic sword fighting tomorrow."
"Qué? No seas ridículo! It was the one time and I'm fine!" She protested.
"Knowing how to defend yourself is essential. Monsters might not bother you, but other threats and people sure will." He stood firm. "You won't have a giant form to fall back on once you're returned to normal."
"Ah, tú ganas. You're right" She relented, crouching down and picking up the fish the polar bear dropped. The EXP orbs weren't drawn up by her despite her standing right beside them. Instead they gravitated toward Spring. "Guess we got dinner out of it."
"No Crafters, though. No Heads." Spring complained before hearing a soft growl from nearby. "Shh. Did you hear that?"
"Sí. It came from over there." The Hybrid pointed.
Spring and Carmen peered around a tree and saw a pair of polar bear cubs lolling around in the snow. It explained why the mother attacked them. It was protecting its cubs in the area.
Now the cubs were without a mother.
Spring and Carmen held their gaze with the cubs for half a minute before sharing a look.
"You know, baby polar bear tastes a lot like salmón." Carmen commented as she ate the furnace roasted fish. "Mmm, but it has a fierce freshness to it! Deliciosa!"
Spring gnawed on his fish in appreciation. Some people might call them cold-hearted monsters for killing a mom and then eating her defenseless kids, but it wasn't like that at all. The salmon was in the kids' bellies, so they were doing a civil service by slaughtering the cubs and rescuing the fish. And then, you know, eating the fish after. It was the circle of life, or whatever.
Carmen cooed in delight as she plucked some sweet berries from a neighboring bush and popped them in her mouth. "The tender fish and crispy skin, the sweetness of the berries, the warmth contrasting with the cold, snow-dusted forest. Sabrosa! Such a tranquil meal."
"Yeah, it's another winner." Spring agreed. "I'll miss eating five star cuisine."
"Qué quieres decir?"
"Well, you won't want to stick with me once you transform back into your old self, right?" Spring asked quite reasonably, making Carmen pause.
"I suppose not." She said quietly. Then, in a rush, she added, "If I ever open a restaurante, you can enjoy my cooking again."
"Assuming I can afford it?"
"You'll get a savior discuento."
"Savior? Just because I'm helping you Stockholm Syndrome style?" She threw a stick at him.
"No, pendejo. I mean when you opened the bunker on the Morel Islands." She hugged her knees close. "All us Hybrids were stuck in those dark cells for siglos. It may not have been your intention, but cracking open that bunker gave me the chance to make peace with mi amor, Alton. And now I can enjoy food again after so long, and I have new Bounty Day foods to look forward to. New flavors nobody has ever dreamed of making." She smiled. "It's a wonderful thing to be free. Gratis."
Spring silently pondered on her words before nodding. "When you put it like that, I guess I wouldn't mind a five-fingered discount on five star cooking."
"If you steal from mi restaurante, I'll parboil your dick." She said in a sweet vibrato. Spring reflexively closed his legs to shield himself, earning a pleased snort from Carmen.
"I'm not looking forward to grinding for music discs." Spring complained after the two had finished their dinner. Now that it was discovered that Carmen couldn't attract Mobs as a Hybrid, it fell to Spring to do the work. "It's tedious, dangerous, and doesn't guarantee the disc we want."
"You're sure you're not just being a little lazy?" Carmen teased. "Perezoso?"
"I'm not being lazy." Spring said shortly. "It's just too much for one person. I've been at this for four whole days. It's a grind! Doing the same thing over and over should be relegated to a Mob grinder, not foisted on a-!"
He paused in his ranting, his eyes widening slightly. The change had Carmen cock her head in question.
"A Mob grinder..." He whispered to himself. "That could do it... That just might do it..."
"Hacer lo? What are you talking about?"
"We make a Mob grinder for it." Spring clarified. "If we set it up right, it could harvest the Mobs for us and reduce the risk of getting blown to smithereens. We'd rake in music discs by the hundreds, and we're bound to get the cursed disc we need."
"You can make a Mob grinder for this?"
"No. That's engineer work." Carmen almost fell over from the blunt refusal. "But KillGore could do it."
"KillGore?"
"He was at the bunker with Ember, Abyssmal, and me." Carmen blinked blankly. "The little guy. You punted him?"
"Oh! The chihuahua!" She exclaimed.
"...Yes, the chihuahua." Spring nodded. "Though to keep him in a cooperative mood, we'd better nip those comments in the bud. He hates it when people draw attention to his short size."
"If he's a cultista, wouldn't he be opposed to helping us?" Carmen asked sensibly.
"I only ever interacted with him at the bunker, so I don't have much to base this on," Spring admitted, "but he seems the king of guy who's underappreciated. He joined the cult because of our Wither attack in Ringwood, and because he was sick of being ridiculed for his stature. His Mob grinders are top notch, however. He's gotten his EXP level so high because of it, and the cult is leveraging his talent. If we flatter and praise him, make him think we're recognizing him for the threat that he is, he might just agree to build us a disc grinder. He might even be working on one since learning about the importance of the cursed disc."
"What if he doesn't help? El podria ser problemático. Could we just kidnap and threaten him?" Carmen suggested.
"I don't think that'll work." Spring said, recalling how stubborn and rude he'd been to Ember for belittling him. "He's prideful. Not the kind of guy we could threaten. I'd also rather he help us willingly since he'd do a better job. He's smart as hell."
"Fine. I don't have any better ideas." Carmen accepted. "Donde podemos encontrar KillGore? Where can we find him?"
Spring paused, thinking to himself. "He came with Abyssmal, so he must be stationed back east somewhere. The Eastern HQ is where we'll start."
"This seems like a long shot." Carmen didn't like the idea of sneaking into the Eastern HQ and neither did Spring. He'd never been there, so he wouldn't know the layout like he had breaking into the Northern HQ. All he knew was that they were in Oak Docks.
"We'll take a portal over there. We can pick up the Heads we need later." Spring decided while packing up his stuff. "We should also avoid being seen until we meet with KillGore. No supersizing yourself until we find him and cut a deal."
Carmen nodded and the unlikely duo headed off to reconvene with Carmen's clones and travel to Oak Docks.
[Noman]
Another night of mining under the desert with Carys as my chaperone. She let me do all the mining and Mob-slaying while she just watched, leaning on her scythe. It helped to raise my EXP levels, but only slowly. Not like the drastic growth rate that came with killing Crafters. She was always quick to point that out.
"Kill a million more Zombies and you might actually catch up to me." Carys drawled dully.
This had to be boring for her. Why not let one of her subordinates watch over me while she got some sleep? Was she even getting tired with her boundless stamina? I sure was. My eyelids grew heavier with each chunk of cobblestone I mined.
I was learning tricks to speeding up my search process. I could hear the bubbling and hissing of lava through the rocks, and it was usually at a certain depth. Carys also dropped a tip about never digging straight down, as there was a risk of falling into lava.
The night Cobb returned from the End, I found lava but was too late to make a portal with it. I had to return to the surface and try again another night.
The second night was when I lucked out. I found a big lava pool near the surface and wasted no time building a portal mold out of cobblestone. I then placed all the lava carefully and poured the water to cool it into obsidian.
"You're taking too long."
"Huh?"
"You're slow! You're being too cautious." Carys elaborated, pushing off the wall and pointing with her scythe. "You're cooling the obsidian a block at a time, and you don't even need the mold if you're fast enough with your hands."
"I don't want to make a mistake." I countered, refocusing on the portal, my tongue sticking out in concentration and sweat building from the magma's heat. "Without a diamond pick, I can't mess up a single block of obsidian. I know I'm short on time, but some things can't be rushed."
"Some things have to be rushed, and it's your job to figure out where to cut corners." Carys folded her arms. "Optimization is what lets us get ahead of the rabble. You'll never improve yourself by playing it safe all the time. You need to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them."
I was trying to be polite and listen to her, bit I was also trying to focus on the portal. I almost misplaced a lava source just now.
"Take this for instance." Carys outlined, gesturing to the portal I was in the middle of making. "You're on the run from a band of killers and you need to make a quick escape into the Nether. You chance upon an aboveground pool of lava, but, uh-oh, you don't have the time to make a mold. What do you do? You need to be fast!" She started snapping her fingers behind me. "You need to bucket that lava like your life is on the line. Don't even think, just do. Forget how a misstep can cost you your life."
I stopped my careful bucketing and hung my head. "If it's so easy, why don't you show me how it's done instead of prattling-?"
I cut off as I turned and witnessed Carys erect a Nether Portal in record time. She only had one bucket on her, but she cleverly made the center of the portal flow with water so she could instantly scoop up lava from the adjacent pool and bucket it in place. No mold necessary; just a few bracing blocks that didn't encumber the portal in the least. The lava cooled the instant after it was placed with no spillage.
Twenty-six seconds. That's how long it took her to finish the obsidian frame. She tossed the bucket, letting it drop like a microphone as she swaggered to the other end of the cave without a word.
I quietly and feebly finished my portal, taking seven times as long as her to properly cool the frame and remove the obstructing mold.
I'd never been to the Nether before today, but I had a clear idea of what to expect based off accounts from Cobb, Lenz, and other acquaintances. A heckish red realm of fire and lava with dangers around every corner. I knew about Ghasts, Zombie Pigmen, Blazes, Magma Cubes, and Wither Skeletons, so I felt I had a firm grasp on what Mobs to expect.
Nether Fortresses were a bit beyond me. I knew I needed one to acquire most of the alchemist starter pack so I could get started learning Potions with Team Beta, but where was I supposed to look? The Nether was boundless and I only had until morning in Minecraftia to locate a portal. Speaking of which, how were we supposed to keep track of time? Clocks and compasses didn't work in the Nether.
"I'm keeping a mental record." Carys answered. "I'm alotting us a time frame. Once it's up, we head back to the portal regardless of what we find." She spared a glance at our surroundings. My portal brought us to a flat ledge close to a netherrack ceiling. A sea of lava could be seen below. "Not a bad location. Make yourself useful and leave a trail of breadcrumbs as we go."
I scowled at her - she didn't have to phrase it so callously - before taking out some cobblestone and placing blocks of it as we explored. She was right about leaving a trail. We didn't want to lose our way home.
If I thought the desert heat was unbearable, the climate of the Nether was downright oppressive. I willed off my suit, but modesty dictated I keep my dress shirt and pants on while alone with what some might call a lady.
Carys threw modesty out the window after willing off her sleeveless green turtleneck and navy blue jeans.
"UUUUUUH!" I screamed, turning away from her bra and undergarments with a burning face. "What do you think you're doing!?"
"Cooling off?" She responded indifferently.
"D-Don't you have any sh-shame exposing yourself like that!?" I cried out, my hands coming up to cut off my peripherals.
"What's the problem? It's not like I willed off my panti-"
"Don't say THAT!" I screeched, covering my ears and making idle noises to drown her out. I didn't even want to think that Carys_Angel, the deadly Angel of Death, was practically nude behind me.
"Just when I thought you couldn't be any more innocent, you rise to the occassion." She spoke sarcastically before getting closer. "Are you that much of a prude?"
"Please stay back."
"Does the idea of a naked woman excite you, Nowhere_Man?"
"Stop it."
"You must be hot wearing those suffocating pants and shirt. Why not will them off? It's only me here."
"...What is this?" I said felling more confused than ever. Was it possible...? Was there even the slightest chance that she...? Was this that...?
Noman only had the interactions between Cobb and Jade to go off of (and wasn't that just a cruel bit of irony), but was this that flirting thing women did with men? How was he supposed to respond?
"Carys... I'm a b-bit confused?" I admitted.
"Oh really?" She sounded like she was smiling, relishing how uncomfortable she was making me. "About what?"
"Well, I mean, if what I think you're proposing is what I think, then..." I took a deep breath to steady myself. "I should let you know that you're not really my type."
"Ha! Don't be deluded enough to think I was seri-"
"I mean, you're strong and all, and-and maybe some people are looking for a strong woman - I'm sure there are people like that out there, so don't be discouraged - but I don't really respond well to the way you keep putting me down all the time."
"I wasn't really flirting with you, nimrod." She said flatly.
"See, those kinds of comments w-will only send mixed signals. Unless," I stopped, remembering there was a type like that, "unless you're one of those Tsunderes that say and mean two different things." Carys went deathly quiet behind me. "I'm not really compatible with those types, but you should really wear something to designate yourself as a Tsundere so you don't hurt the feelings of potential suitors. May I be so bold as to recommend a Tsundere nametag-?"
"I'M NOT A TSUNDERE!" Carys all but screamed as she brought her scythe handle across my throat and yanked me up and into her, choking me. Also pressing her bare skin against my dress shirt. Also screaming in my ear. "I WAS MESSING WITH YOU! MAKING YOU UNCOMFORTABLE! BUT YOU JUST HAD TO TAKE IT TOO FAR!"
"I'm really, really, really uncomfortable right now mission accomplished!" I choked out, my legs flailing off the ground as her scythe handle dug across my throat. "Urk! I'm sorry! Just put your clothes back on!"
The scythe handle slackened and I fell forward into soul sand, coughing and hacking. Carys didn't put her clothes back on as I had hoped. Instead she just walked ahead while angrily muttering what she would do to me if Cobb or the others back at camp overheard about this Tsundere conversation.
"Remind me never to mess with you ever again." She growled. "You're so gullible you'd probably think seeing me naked meant we were married. What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for Nether Fortresses." I said quite reasonably while staring directly up at the ceiling so I wouldn't see her underwear. "Nope! No fortresses here!"
"If killing you didn't mean Cobb getting one over on me..."
"What was that?"
"I said I'd kill you if I could."
We continued walking along our netherrack ledge in search of the nether brick fortress, Carys throwing out the occasional terrifying mumble or two ("If I told them a Ghast got him, they'd buy that."). We encountered a squad of Zombie Pigmen and I remembered them to be fast and strong, but only aggressive if attacked first. Sneaking past then was the safer route...
...But Carys whipped out her scythe and slaughtered them all, inciting every Zombie Pigman within a thirty meter radius to attack the Paragon leader. She dealt with them with ease, completely comfortable with the situation and her cooler attire.
I, by comparison, was sweating buckets. The collared dress shirt and pants were too much. I loosened my tie and wiped my brow as the Nether's stifling heat baked me medium rare. I was tempted once or twice to strip down to my underwear like Carys, but my chivalry prevailed. Take that heatstroke!
Eventually, we ran out of ledge. We found ourselves on a netherrack outcropping that was impossible to climb down. The sea of lava was fifty meters below. There were a few netherrack landmasses like islands in the distance, some sections made of soul sand or gravel. No nether brick fortress, though.
"Looks like your portal was a dud." Carys scanned the area before making a turn. "Time to head back."
"What? No! We're finally here!" I argued, pointing to the Nether. "It can't be morning already."
"It isn't. If we caught sight of a fortress, I would have allowed further exploration. But there's nothing nearby." She placed a hand on her hip. "Searching any further would be pointless. Even if we found something in another area, we wouldn't have time to do a proper sweep before having to rush back to the portal. This was we can get back with plenty of time and maybe get some shut eye."
"What was all that you said about 'taking risks'?" I challenged, making her crimson eyes narrow. I momentarily forgot she was missing certain clothes as I focused on her face. "We can't leave empty handed. Just a little more searching, please."
"Just grab some mushrooms and glowstone or whatever." Carys dismissed with a wave. "You can try again tomorrow night. Maybe without taking ages on your portal." She added conspiratorially.
The twinge of anger I felt at that statement was enough to tip the scales and convince me that I had to keep looking. With or without Carys.
With that in mind, I kicked on my Bottes Zephyr. Carys noticed and tried to clothesline me with her scythe handle, but I ducked under it with a quick "Sorry!" before leaping off the outcropping.
I expected the Bottes Zephyr to do what they'd done a hundred times and enable me to summon air blocks beneath me so I could walk on air across the sea of lava.
They didn't.
"What...? Hey, WHAAAAAA!"
My shout of alarm soon turned into a scream as I plummeted towards the lava. Ot felt like my heart stopped as the fiery pool of death came up fast. I twisted in midair so my feet were pointing down, but my Bottes Zephyr refused to activate. They wouldn't work!
Thinking fast, I tugged on my Severe Shield just before I hit the lava. Nothing could hurt me while I was wearing the invincible artifact. And it was chalk full of potion effects like fire resistance and water breathing and WHY WAS I BURNING!?
The Severe Shield was surely fastened around my body, yet it did nothing to protect me from the white hot lava searing through my Health. I couldn't think or breathe and I prayed for the pain to end already it was too HOOOOOOT!
Cobb! Floyd! Someone! Help me!
A glass bottle broke over my head before the searing pain ended. I regained control of my breathing and looked around, my body bobbing above the lava like it were water. Amber particles swirled protectively around me, but not from the Severe Shield. Someone had jumped in after me.
"Now wasn't that a stupid thing to do." Carys insulted while swimming towards me. She was covered in amber particles too. She was prepared enough and her reflexes honed enough to douse both of us in Fire Resistance the instant I started falling. "You like dying in lava?"
"N-No, no... I..." I stammered, shaken and pale, realizing how close I came to death. Carys saved me.
Oh, lord, Carys saved me.
"I-I don't know what happened..." I shook my head. "My... my boots and... OW!"
Carys suddenly slugged me hard in the face. I nearly lost consciousness from the force behind it, and I was already pretty low on Health after getting burned alive. I clutched my throbbing cheek and put some distance between us. "What was that for!?"
"A test." She examined her fist and the Severe Shield still covering my torso. "I'm not dead after hitting you. So your chestplate's overpowered Thorns enchantment didn't activate." My eyes widened at her observation. She was right! The protective enchantments were inactive. No Health Boost, no Resistance, no nothing! It was just a regular diamond chestplate.
"Looks like your toys don't work in the Nether." Carys surmised, making me think. Was that the reason the Bottes Zephyr didn't work either? If so, then this was a glaring weakness never mentioned in the Artifact List.
The artifacts were useless in the Nether.
Had it been an oversight on Herobrine's part for them to have such a flaw, or did he just not care since he was using them to draw out the Hackers and get his old friends killed.
But at least with Notch, whom he made the Severe Shield for, he wouldn't have intended for any weakness. Not for the strongest artifact of them all.
So... maybe it was just a design flaw not even Herobrine could remedy. The nine artifacts were the strongest weapons in Minecraftia. Literally only in Minecraftia.
"Feel like going back now?" Carys insisted, to which I could only nod. Without the Bottes Zephyr, I would have to navigate the Nether on foot. No way to cross the sea of lava. I had to go back anyway to see if the artifacts could still work after becoming inactive.
As frustrated as I was to come back empty handed, that was exactly what was going on.
We swam back to land and found our trail of cobblestone, leading us back to our portal. We left that fiery dimension with a handful of glowstone dust, a few golden nuggets, and a couple of mushrooms.
A pathetic haul.
[Elsewhere]
In the ruined remains of a desert village, Lone_Gunnah picked through the homes for anything worthwhile. He was still looking for King_Cobb and Nowhere_Man, but with few leads, he decided to go scavenging. The desert villages had been abandoned for ages, unable to endure the unending tide of Mobs and without Crafters to offer protection. Trampled upon crops and homes without doors spoke of an inhospitable ghost town. Aside from a well of clean water, which Gunnah used to refill his bottles, there was nothing worth mentioning in the villages.
Except...
There was a wooden tower near the outskirts of the village, that was there but shouldn't.
What did he mean by that? Only that he had no memory of a tower ever being there before. There were no Crafters in the village to build it, and it was made of wood, something you couldn't find readily available in a desert. Yet it cropped up, almost overnight. Were there a band of gnome carpenters running around? No.
He came to the conclusion that the tower was a new structure brought about by the latest Bounty Day. Corroborating this were the unique new Mobs spawning around and inside it.
These new Mobs actually looked like Testificates, with big noses and distinguished foreheads. But they had sickly gray skin and wielded crossbows. One or two of them even bore banners on their backs.
Not villagers, but... Pillagers?
Gunnah killed them as they spawned. Killing the banner bearing ones seemed to inflict him with some sort of potion effect. Dark green particles swirled around him and a new tattoo of an angry Pillager with dual axes appeared on his arm. Nothing came of the strange new potion effect, so he wrote it off. He took more interest in the crossbows they occasionally dropped. He amassed quite the collection of them before combining them in a Crafting Table to repair their durability and create one fresh crossbow.
Curious, he took it to the library in the village and threw down his enchantment table beside some bookshelves. He wanted to see if the crossbow held any interesting enchantments. He added a chunk of lapis to facilitate the enchantment and used a large portion of his EXP before sealing the deal. The crossbow flashed gold before becoming enveloped in the purple-pink glow typical of enchanted gear.
"Unbreaking I and... Piercing IV?" He said to himself, examining the weapon that fit comfortably in his hand. The first was standard, but the second one sounded new and promising.
He decided to experiment some, farming the new Mobs for crossbows and taking them to an enchantment table. He kept enchanting and combining enchantments, testing them on the Pillagers as he did. He soon learned that the crossbow had three unique enchantments. Piercing, Multishot, and Quick Charge.
Piercing could shoot arrows through enemies. They would hit and then continue their trajectory. The piercing power increased with the level.
Multishot only had one level, but it could fire three arrows in a wide range for every arrow it consumed. Only the middle arrow could be retrieved. Multishot and Piercing were mutually exclusive. You couldn't have both for one crossbow.
Quick Charge made up for the crossbow's tedious reloading, cutting that time by a quarter second per level.
Piercing IV, Multishot I, and Quick Charge III. Gunnah selected the best enchantments of the bunch and poured them into two crossbows. And, as the final touch, he took out a pair of books enchanted with Curse of Vanishing and used an anvil to apply them to the weapons. He did that with all his top enchanted gear in case he ever died. The enchantment would ensure his gear wouldn't be left behind for his killers to abuse. They were his weapons and his alone. He gave an appreciative hum at his creations before stowing them in his belt beside his sword and potions.
Back to the hunt. He had very little to go on. This wasn't like past jobs where he could ask cultists for rumors. Leadstripe made it clear this was to be off the books. And so far every civilian he'd asked had nothing useful or had to be killed.
He could keep asking around, but there were few people in the desert. They crossed it if they had to, but the climate was so extreme that Crafters usually went around.
It would make a great route to travel through if you were trying to avoid people. It was why he went there to search in the first place. But the Redbone Desert was a big place.
To locate Crafters to ask about rumors, he'd have to be a little... creative.
He grabbed some trapped chests from his backpack along with some firework rockets and went to work.
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, 18 Steak, 2 End Crystals, 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}, 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, 39 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 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Water Bucket, 28 Bones, 10 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 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, 9 Glass Bottles, 64 Dragon's Breath, 64 Dragon's Breath, 1 Dragon's Breath, 47 Blaze Powder, 44 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 63 Phantom Membranes , 64 Blaze Rods, 23 Fermented Spider Eyes, 58 Carrots, 55 Melon Slices, 55 Rabbit's Feet, 50 Golden Ingots, 1 Golden Nugget, 56 Gunpowder, 56 Redstone Dust, 57 Glowstone Dust
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Z7): 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, 15 Pumpkin Pies, 44 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, 2 Iron Ingots, 64 Steak, 36 Steak, 2 Sticks, 31 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]
Stratus the Horse
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 28 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 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, 15 Pumpkin Seeds, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 54 Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 41]
Long-Face the Horse
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, 26 Cobblestone, 17 Sand, 18 Sandstone, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Glass Bottles, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 4 Ender Chests, 16 Ender Pearls, 4 Ender Pearls, 1 Nether Star, 35 Steak, 3 Phantom Membranes, 7 Glowstone Dust, 6 Golden Nuggets, 3 Brown Mushrooms, 5 Red Mushrooms, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings
[EXP: 34]
Snow the Horse
AN: Sorry this took so long. Typing for Carmen is annoying because I sprinkle her dialogue with spanish words.
This is the start of an Arc I'm calling the Red Sands Arc. Is there meaning to that name or am I just throwing out ominous words in the hope of unsettling the you avid viewers?
I'll never tell.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. FORUM. DISCORD. PANCAKES.
