AN: Was struggling for a title for this Chapter. It's more moving pieces around without being totally overwhelming.

It took a while because I've been busy at work. On the plus side, they finally gave me the wifi password so now I don't have to waste data to surf the internet on my phone. This is all relevant to working more efficiently btw.


Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add mirrors.


Chapter 195

Fortress

[Cobb]

October 29th.

Our first night on the Ohm Mountains was soft instead of rocky thanks to the beds we carried. Though, things took an unexpectedly soggy turn when it started to rain. We had to dig a cave just to stay dry. Thankfully, one of the Paragons was able to keep us warm with a new crafting recipe they learned from the Bounty Day.

"Campfires." Heather declared proudly. The toasty fire was self-sustainable without netherrack and had a cozy aesthetic that made our damp, dark cave feel like home.

We slept and kept watch on rotating shifts, Heather and I claiming the last. When we woke up in the early hours of the morning, the rain was still falling outside, meaning we'd be in for a soggy day of travel.

I got up and moved to the mouth of the cave, an Eye of Ender from my Pocket Box in hand.

I gave it a light toss in my hand before hurling the spherical object into the sky. The eye gravitated west, towards Daymonte, before falling to the ground. I retrieved it with a dissatisfied expression before stowing it back in my Pocket Box and settling back inside.

"What was that?" Heather asked.

"Nothing worth mentioning." I replied vaguely. "Anyway, since we got time before the others wake up, I was wondering if you wanted to talk?"

"Talk about what?"

"Well, I've been traveling with you guys for almost ten days, but I don't really know much about you."

"Who's fault is that?" She shot back plainly.

"Mine." I admitted. "Which is why I was hoping to get to know you guys now." I held firm. "We got the time."

She blinked, staring into the campfire and mulling over my words. She seemed to reach a decision as she scooted closer and began to talk.

"My name is Hopeful_Heather. I'm a member of Team Alpha. I'm good with a sword and a bow, though I personally prefer the sword. I've trained to be stronger than common cultists, and I'd estimate myself at the level where I could take two or three on at once. Escapees are a different story, as my fight with Maira outlined. I've participated in a number of raids at no less than twelve-"

"Hang on, hang on." I stopped her.

"What? You told me you wanted to know about me." She accused.

"I meant, like, what you're like. Where you grew up." I clarified. "How did you join the Paragons? What are you fighting for? That kind of stuff."

She clicked her tongue. "More talk about the future? This war is still ongoing."

"Not the future. Your past. How you ended up here." I shrugged. "Maybe your likes and dislikes? Interests?"

"You'd rather take an interest in our personal affairs than our combat prowess?" She asked skeptically. "How is knowing about me supposed to do you any good?"

"It's really hard to fight for someone when you don't know who that someone is." I said seriously, causing her to pause. "Who you are matters quite a bit, so I'd appreciate it if you could share a bit about yourself."

"Carys would disagree with you there."

"Carys and I do things differently, then." I said with a proud smile. "Would it help if I share first? Hi. Name's Cobb. I enjoy reading books and coming up with convoluted loopholes to beat big baddies. I have a council of internal organs of which I frequently converse with, and I've recently come to grips with some emotional trauma I don't want to go into right now. It's made me understand, however, that I don't want to continue fighting with people I don't know or care about. So telling me about yourself will help make you someone I want to protect, as opposed to just 'the lady with the long, brown hair'." I ended my introduction and gestured to a dubious looking Heather. "Your turn."

She regarded me for a second before staring at the ceiling of the cave. She seemed to focus her hazel eyes on a bat hanging upside down. She stayed like that for a good while, and just when I thought I'd chalk it up as a failure to communicate, she spoke.

"...In the beginning, it was just me and Iyal." She began. "We spawned at the Origin, got our numbers (mine being nine-hundred-eighty-seven-million six-hundred-fifty-four-thousand three-hundred-twenty-one if you can believe it), and ignored the giant mountain that was Mt. Mur in favor of going east." She chuckled bitterly. "We only ruled out going north because we figured that mountain was too much of a hurdle to cross. Little did we realize the nearest kingdom was right over it. At times... I wonder if we'd have been better off making that trip."

"So instead of north we go east. And we run into cultists, of course. And Iyal stays behind to hold them off and let me escape, of course. And I never... ever... saw him again." She shut her eyes, her voice hitching. "The cultists we met that day were such weaklings... The current me would have shot them like dogs. And isn't that how it always is? You're only as strong as you need to be when it's too late."

"After I got away, I landed in a village in Daymonte." Heather went on. "That's where I ran into Luis... and Wing!" She added hastily. "A-Anyway, they could tell I was a victim of cultists at just a glance, and they promised me a place where I could get stronger and take revenge. Carys' attack on the Southern Division had already happened by the time I joined, so I heard enough of their reputation to know they'd be a powerhouse to join. I worked my way up Team Alpha, and Luis, Wing, and I made a good team. And... here I am."

"Here you are." I agreed.

Heather sighed before sweeping her hair back. "So? Which Kingdom did you go to first?"

I slapped a hand to my leather tunic, proudly dyed in the colors of my home Kingdom. "Ringwood."

"So you crossed the mountain, then?"

"I was chased through the mountain." I corrected. "By Carys."

Heather's eyes widened before she smirked. "Sounds like quite the motivator." We shared a laugh at that before Heather's smile dimmed. "...Was Carys really lying about you being a cultist? Did she knowingly make it up to get us to come after you?"

"...Yeah." I said. Even Carys' devout grunts were starting to realize their leader's duplicity. It should have been refreshing to be vindicated for what she put us through, but for whatever reason it almost felt like it didn't matter. Turning them against Carys wasn't as important as getting the facts straight.

"Floyd and I stumbled upon her pig in the woods after fleeing some cultists." I told her. "And yeah, the pig was named and was tied by a lead to a post, and had a saddle, but... but I didn't think anyone would ride it as a steed!"

Heather shook her head. "Carys rode Mr. Piggles into a lot of battles. She could have gone in with horses faster or more armored, yet she chose Mr. Piggles every time. From what I've heard, that pig has been beside Carys since before the Paragons were established." Heather frowned. "And you ate it."

"I didn't know." I had my go-to answer. "Why the hell was she leaving a pig like that alone in the woods anyway. With all the cultists running around..."

"You see the irony of this, don't you?" Heather said suddenly.

"No. What?"

"That if you didn't kill Mr. Piggles, you probably would have joined the Paragons." The words took my breath away for a second. "I mean, you were chased by cultists. Carys could have brought you along if you met first. You would have been trained into a Paragon."

That was a possibility I never considered before. It made sense, though. Carys was all about recruiting people wronged by the cult. Floyd was with me at the time and would have fit that criteria perfectly. He lost a friend to them. And Carys would've been eager to recruit another Hacker into her guild, enough to allow a hapless tagalong like me if that's what it took.

If I hadn't killed Mr. Piggles, would I have become a Paragon? Living in Nitebane instead of Ringwood? Getting trained by Carys instead of Wynn? No longer a wanted criminal, but another avenger like the rest?

But then how different would I be?

Would I just be another heartless asshole like Carys?

"No offense on your training, but I think I make a stronger Beginner than Paragon." I said with surety. "I never would have faced the challenges that made me stronger while under Carys' thumb, and I certainly wouldn't have become Minecraftia's first Hacker-Slayer."

"You got me there." Heather conceded. "You're, what, five months old? I've been with the Paragons for nearly twenty-three years and I'm nowhere near as strong as you. I could never have held my own against Carys or Hackers. What's your secret?"

"...You fight for that which matters more than your own life." I spoke cryptically, feeling a warmth suffusing my chest.

"Matters more than your life..." She repeated to herself. Heather's eyes strayed to Luis as he started to wake up. She averted them just as suddenly, her face showing displeasure.

"Good talk." She ended the conversation on her terms, getting up to stretch her legs.

A smile spread upon my face as I watched her leave. The talk had been eye-opening. Now I could look at Heather and see her in a different light. She wasn't just in the background anymore. She was a human being with feelings and a history I could recollect at a moment's notice.

She mattered. So I'd make sure she continued to matter.


[Noman]

"This weather is a godsend." Anibal let out a pleasant sigh as the rain washed over her dark skin. It served to cool the desert heat and make our travels a little more bearable. True, our soaked clothes stuck to our skin, but they were like that anyway from our sweat.

It was comfortable enough now, but come night time we'd be chilled to the bone. We would need to find shelter underground if the rain didn't let up. Or dry off in the Nether.

Carys had made it a point to send a map message to Cobb and Baltic's group explaining how our Nether expedition last night went. She brought up the important thing first - that artifacts didn't work in other dimensions - before getting to the meat of the matter: she saved my life.

She was very adamant about emphasizing that to Cobb if Albert's translation was to be believed.

"Your invalid wuss nearly threw himself into lava. If not for my timely response, he would have been burnt slag in a sea of magma. You're fucking welcome."

I could only imagine how Cobb was taking it.


[Cobb]

"You want me to what?" Doyle asked dubiously.

"Just, like, accidentally slip on this ledge and grab onto my hand before you fall to your imminent death. I'll have saved you and then I can report back to Carys that she's not special. Go on."

"This seems staged..."

"I'm not gonna wait for an actual threat to show up! These mountains are supposedly empty. Come on, please?" I pleaded.

"Wouldn't it be easier to accept that Carys won one over on you?" Perry suggested.

I blinked at him before trying to shove him off the mountain despite his aggressive struggles.

"Let me push you so I can save you, damnit!"


[Noman]

It was still so strange thinking Carys saved my life. I thought of her more as an ender of lives than a savior. Now I was indebted to her, and I really didn't know how to feel about that. We were allies, but she made her disdain for me perfectly clear. I'm sure she wouldn't have saved me if she didn't need me as bait.

Despite that, she did save me, and I had yet to truly thank her. I had my manners, after all. Next Nether expedition, I'd thank her properly. Whether she accepted or cared to hear it was a separate matter.

Upon returning from the Nether, I did a quick test of the artifacts to find they were working perfectly. It really was just a matter of location. Cobb had tried to say something about it through the map, but he was censored by the mysterious 'X' on his tongue. Whatever he learned in the End was related to the artifacts' inability to work in different dimensions.

Though I wasn't able to secure much alchemy ingredients, what I did obtain and show to Team Beta was enough to warrant a response.

"Glowstone Dust! Good find." Albert praised. "We need this stuff to improve the potency of potions. They elevate the effects of select Potions from tier one to tier two. Gunpowder and Redstone Dust are just as important, so be on the lookout."

"Got it." I nodded, committing the items to memory.

"Golden nuggets are okay, but try to prioritize brown mushrooms next time." Harbord advised. "Nuggets are needed for Glistering Melons and Golden Carrots, but only the brown variety of mushrooms can be combined with sugar and spider eyes to make fermented spider eyes. They're needed for potions with negative effects, which is positive for us when we're directing them at the enemy."

"Still no Nether Warts." Reuben pointed out. "You better search harder for Nether Fortesses if you want to start brewing."

"...Right." I said, slightly downcast at the reminder. I had to endure plenty of sleepless nights, and I was still no closer to obtaining the core potion ingredients: Nether Warts and Blaze Powder.

Continuing west across the Redbone Desert, we came across our fair share of Mobs spawning under the overcast weather. Husks, Skeletons, Spiders, Creepers, Witches. They all tried to attack us and were dispatched for it.

I noticed that Floyd and Kalmarin were pairing up often, the latter instructing the former on forms. Floyd was still trying to unlock a Strength Hack from what I could tell, and, with a Strength Hack of his own, there was no better tutor than Kalmarin.

Anibal and Soul paired up as well, but not as well. It mainly consisted of Soul's animal companions getting on the dark-skinned beauty's nerves.

We rode our horses throughout the day, throughout the rain, and made exceptional progress. We were definitely closer to Exter than Cobb's group was to Oak Docks. Adding to that was the two-week detour they had to take through the Ohm Mountains. They were taking longer, but I couldn't deny they had the better gear for it after returning from the End (even though they couldn't discuss what had happened there).

As our horses galloped across the wet sands, we came across something besides Mobs. Something that had Anibal pull her horse to a stop and dismount.

There was a lone chest sitting atop the sand.

It drew the eyes of everyone as it was unusual for a chest to be placed in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't like there was a village for it to have come from. Did someone camp out here and just leave it? Was it a bin for garbage, stuffed with a Crafter's useless items?

Soul's curiosity was piqued, and he approached the chest.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!"

Soul stopped abruptly and turned to face Anibal who marched forward and swept the axe-wielder aside.

"Are you really stupid enough to open a suspicious chest?" Anibal criticized.

"What's the problem with having a look? It's just a chest."

"Just a trapped chest." She clarified, pointing to it. "Notice the red discoloration around the latch? They're made from a tripwire hook and a chest, and used for booby trapping impulsive idiots." Soul frowned at that. "Opening this thing will send a redstone signal and trigger something. This is an obvious trap."

"I couldn't even tell..." One of the Paragons spoke in disbelief. "Anibal's incredible. She could tell at a glance."

Just to verify, Anibal crafted a regular chest and placed it next to the trapped one. They didn't merge into a double chest, instead remaining single and separate.

"That proves it. Without a doubt." She said. "They would have merged if it wasn't a trapped chest. Someone rigged this up."

"What for?" I asked. "We're in the middle of a desert. Why set up a trap?"

"I've encountered these before while in Akasha. Their purpose is to trap or kill Crafters for their items." Anibal explained. "Usually they'd trigger a massive pitfall of sand and land you in a pit of lava or cobwebs or lit TNT. At the same time, the trap would send up some fireworks rockets to signal whoever set up the trap that it had been triggered. Nasty stuff."

"You got all that from a trapped chest?" Soul asked, staring at the trap warily.

"If there's one thing I know about, it's the sneaky tricks of thieves." Anibal said proudly. "Don't know who set this up, but we'd best steer clear of it, and any more we find."

"You heard the woman." Carys announced to the rest. "Don't foolishly open strange chests."

We obeyed and ignored the chest, getting back on our horses and continuing west. After the chest was well behind us, however, my thoughts still lingered on it.

"I still can hardly believe Crafters would set up trapped chests just to kill and steal gear off people." I said sadly.

"They play off a Crafter's innate curiosity." Anibal said, riding up beside me. "Before they were explored, jungle and desert temples had the same thing. Those had actual treasure, though, and were preexisting structures before Crafters tried their own hand at it."

"It's not just Griefers doing this?"

"You kidding?" She scoffed. "Griefers could never rig up a trap like that. They don't even know how to make a tripwire hook. Their one advantage is numbers. All they do is throw bodies at you until you die. That's how it was in Akasha. That's how it is everywhere."

"...You lived in Akasha?" Soul asked suddenly. He seemed to have taken an interest. Anibal considered him a moment before nodding.

"I grew up in one of their villages. Not close to the Obelisk, thankfully, but on the east side of the Dryrock Mesa." She revealed. "It wasn't much, but it was home."

"Was...?"

"Cultists." She said, the simple word being all the explanation she needed. Despite that, she provided more. "They burned down my village and killed everyone there but me. I was the lone survivor.

"Was this before or after Obsidian became a Captain?" Soul asked with a scowl, his hatred for the cult's cruel acts on full display.

"After. Obsidian was already a Captain, but there was nothing he could do about it." Anibal said. "My village was thought to have been burned down by a runaway campfire. Never mind my testimony or the fact I lost my home and all my possessions. The cultists fled and Akasha could do nothing for me. I lived like a street rat in the main Kingdom after that."

"If you were from Akasha," I began, "the news of what the Hackers did there must have hit pretty hard. I'm sorry."

To my revulsion, Anibal laughed. "Was that a joke? I lived on the street. The early days were hellish struggles to find easy marks. If I didn't steal, I didn't eat." She recalled the memories with bitterness. "I may have adapted to that life, but I hated that dry-ass Mess Kingdom. I couldn't be happier that it's wiped off the map."

From behind Anibal, I saw Soul glaring at the thief. He was probably remembering his own desperate escape from that place and all the Crafters who died there. Captain Obsidian included.

"...How can you say that?" I asked, horrified. "No matter your feelings, you should never wish destruction on your home like that."

"My home was my village," Anibal specified with a scowl. "As I said before, I got my fair share of loss when the cult burned it down. More than enough for me to swear vengeance upon them. The Akasha where I learned how to steal and survive was nothing like the warm home I grew up in. I was even thrown in the Pit once or twice, surrounded by the captured cultists I despised! I have no tender memories of that place, so why should I care that the Hackers brought it to ruin?"

"Because a lot of people like you are now dead." Soul cut me off with a growl. He rode closer to Anibal and glared at her, even while she regarded him with indifference. "Don't you have any sense of patriotism? Or solidarity? You're all Akashic, aren't you?"

"Funny. I don't remember any 'solidarity' when I was begging for table scraps in a gutter." Anibal countered coldly. "No one bothered to lend me a hand. They stepped over me like I was a piece of trash. The one thing I had that they wanted was my body, but I wasn't willing to offer that up freely. Why do you think I learned to steal?"

Soul clicked his tongue but had no way to argue. Anibal had a rough life by the sound of it. And thinking about it, it wasn't our place to criticize her for the choices she made to survive. It was easy to do that when we lived a blissful life by comparison.

How many Paragons were just like her, growing up under harsh conditions because of the Endward Cult. Vengeance was their fuel, but it was only such a powerful driving force... because there was emotion at the heart of it.

What was it that Cobb said? Loss was the greatest form of love. Their thirst for revenge always had to stem from a love that was lost. A life taken.

Maybe I could ask about that.

"...Could you tell us about your village?" I asked timidly, throwing Anibal off.

"H-Huh...?"

"If you're okay with it." I amended hastily, trying not to force her. The other Paragons were watching and listening quietly. "If you don't want to talk about-"

"I don't."

The instant refusal shut me up.

"You don't gain anything by learning the scope of what I lost." Anibal spoke lowly. "Bottom line is I'm fighting for revenge. Same as the rest of us." The Paragons shared a nod.

"Sorry for prying..." I apologized. I should have known better than to ask. It was none of my business. Us and the Paragons weren't friends, so asking for personal details was out of line.

Still, I felt a sort of gloom that had nothing to do with the miserable weather.


[Redbone Desert]

A lone man on horseback sped across rain-soaked sand towards where fireworks had gone off. They were the same ones from the trapped chests he set up across a ten mile radius. Only a Crafter could have set it off.

A Husk tried to get in his way and he slashed it with his sword as he passed, killing it instantly.

Approaching the site of his trapped chest, he slowed his steed to a trot and gazed upon his handiwork.

Three Crafters were struggling in a pit full of cobwebs, stuck as if glued in place. Opening the trapped chest had triggered a piston beneath a pre-dug pitfall where the surface appeared like the surrounding desert. The piston was attached to a bunch of signs holding up the sand. DayCarts' Law of Signs: a redstone engineer trick. The Crafters had fallen right into the cobwebs for their curiosity and greed.

"Hey, help us!" One of the three Crafters noticed Gunnah and attempted to wave him down. "We're stuck! Dig down here and help us!"

Gunnah got off his armored horse and crouched beside the pitfall he had made, studying the three Crafters carefully. None of them were King_Cobb or Nowhere_Man, but that would have been too fortuitous to be possible. The world was a big place.

What he wanted from them was information and rumors.

"I'm looking for two Crafters." He said. "King_Cobb or Nowhere_Man. Have you heard of them?"

"What? Didn't you hear me!? We need help!" He tugged at the cobwebs like a caught fly. "H-E-L-P! Help us out!"

"Have you heard of King_Cobb or Nowhere_Man?" He repeated, ignoring the Crafter. "Have you heard any rumors? Have you passed any other Crafters in the area-?"

"Is this guy stupid!?" The same Crafter asked of his companions. "Do you understand us or are you a Jibberman!? HELP US OUT OF HERE!"

Gunnah took a Splash Potion of Poison out of his pack and threw it at the loud Crafter. He cried out as it splashed him in the face and eroded away his Hearts. The other two Crafters looked up worriedly.

"King_Cobb and Nowhere_Man." Gunnah said shortly. "Have you seen them?"

"N-No!" One of the other two Crafters called up fearfully. "We haven't met anyone like that!"

"Do you know who they are?" He asked next.

"Y-Yeah, one of them at least." He stammered. "King_Cobb. He's the Executive with the thousand emerald Bounty, right?"

Gunnah nodded. "Have you heard any rumors about him?"

"N-No."

"How about of a man with an invincible chestplate? Heard anything like that?"

"Invincible...? No! No, nothing."

"When was the last time you saw a Crafter besides me?" He asked next.

"Three days ago." They replied. "We were in a village north of here near Dover Plains. We stocked up on supplies before coming here."

"What brings you to this desert?"

"We wanted to mine for ores - look, we answered your questions, can you please just help us out, sir?"

Gunnah frowned to himself, unsatisfied with what little information his first three captives had to offer. He should have figured they'd have nothing on his quarry. His trap method was only good for locating foolish or curious or greedy Crafters in the wilds. If King_Cobb or Nowhere_Man had any brains, they wouldn't carelessly open trapped chests.

Still, he couldn't just let them go. They might set off his other traps. No sense catching and releasing fish when other traps were lying in wait.

He took out his fireworks in one hand, with the intent of resetting this trap, while also withdrawing his Multishot crossbow. Splitting a projectile into three sounded perfect for dealing with his captives.

He loaded the crossbow...

And paused when he saw the loaded projectile was his fireworks rocket rather than an arrow like it had been the other times he tested it out.

He looked upon the rocket questioningly, the phenomenon new to him. Down below, one of the Crafters shouted.

"What are you doing playing with fireworks!? If you're not going to help, then just go away!"

Gunnah pointed the rocket-loaded crossbow at the trio and fired a test shot.

There was the usual high pitched whistle that accompanied a firework rocket, and the rocket was split into three due to the Multishot Enchantment. They left a trio of white sparks following their trajectory. When they struck the Crafters, they exploded in a burst of blue sparks (blue being the color of the fireworks).

But the blue explosions also dealt damage, killing the weakened Crafter while harming the other two. No blocks were destroyed, but Gunnah's eyes widened at the explosive projectile. He had heard rumors of a bow that could fire explosive arrows, but he had never witnessed one until today.

"You killed him!" One of the trapped Crafters bawled. "WHY!? What did you do!?"

Really, now. Smarter people would have put two and two together and realize Gunnah couldn't be talked to. He took out another rocket and quickly loaded it into his crossbow. The action took almost no time with his Quick Charge III Enchantment. The Crafters tried to wiggle out of the cobwebs, but Gunnah fired another trio of rockets and killed them in a shower of blue sparks.

He gazed upon the crossbow with a new sense of appreciation. Faster reload time, more damage, multiple arrows at once, could fire through Mobs, could fire explosive projectiles, and, with a stop at SutsCo, potion tipped arrows.

Gunnah just found his go-to long-range weapon.

He cleared the trap of the dead Crafters' gear - taking the valuable ores and gems they had mined - before resetting the signs and sand and trapped chest and fireworks.

Meanwhile, he took out some of the firework ingredients, wondering if he could strengthen how powerful the explosion damage on his rockets could get. He opted to try increasing the explosion radius first before testing it out on some Mobs.

This just might be the answer to that Nowhere_Man's invincible chestplate.


[Soul]

I struck the sand hard, my chest rising and falling as I greedily sucked in air.

Suddenly, a weight settled on my stomach. My opponent was performing the ultimate act of disrespect by sitting on me.

I snarled something and whipped up my limbs to dislodge her. She backflipped out of the way with an easy smirk, her sword tip held inches over the sand.

"Come on, come on. I was hoping you could warm up my blood with a good spar!" Anibal taunted. It was night, the rain had ended, and Noman and Carys were off mining for Nether Portals while Floyd and Kal were training their Hacks. Anibal had been the one to suggest a spar. I thought it would be my chance to pay back her sass with interest.

I never realized how tough she was. True, she was one of Carys' top leaders, the head of Team Gamma, but I thought she was just a good thief.

I should have known better. Team Gamma. Theft and arms unit. Her weapons and armor were of the highest caliber.

She fixed her ruthless black eyes upon me before switching to her bow. My eyes widened as I barely dodged a flaming arrow. It had Flame I!?

"What the hell's the matter with you trying to set me on fire!?" I shouted at her.

"I don't know! What is the matter with me setting you on fire?" She answered cheekily.

"We're in the middle of the desert with no water! You trying to burn me to death!"

"You're fiiiine. We've got Potions of Fire Resistance." She dismissed with a wave. "You want me to bust out the kiddie gloves, chicken-wuss?"

"Raaawk, chicken-wuss!"

"Chris you feathered traitor!" Soul threw out. "And you! I don't need your pity!" I kicked to my feet and brandished my diamond axe. "This is where I turn things around!"

Anibal lashed out with her Sharpness V, Looting III diamond sword, forcing me to evade or else risk half my Hearts in one slash. Even with my armor, that sword was ridiculously overpowered. My diamond axe had the same enchantment, Sharpness V, but axes were stronger than swords, meaning it could do more damage than hers.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you!?" I accused.

"You'll be fine if you keep dodging it." She replied lackadaisically in between sword swipes. I should count myself lucky she didn't have Sweeping Edge like Cobb.

Only, when she spun around, her hand flew to her belt and pulled out a different enchanted blade. This one caught my forearm and caused me to burst into flames. Fire Aspect II.

"Agh!" I yelped, frantically trying to put myself out while Anibal laughed. She waved her finger at one of the watching Paragons and a Splash Potion of Fire Resistance was thrown at my feet, ending the damage despite my body still being swathed in flames. "Asshole!"

"Do you like my selection of blades?" Anibal asked jokingly.

She showed off her belt and the plethora of enchanted diamond swords at her disposal. "Sharpness V, Sweeping Edge III, Smite V, Fire Aspect II, Bane of Aardvarks V. I've a sword for every occasion, and my armor is just as specialized." She showed off various diamond chestplate with different enchantments. "You're lucky Carys didn't take me to Zeppil with her." She boasted. "If I had joined Carys to go after you instead of Z7, you never would have survived."

"Hasn't Z7 beaten you more times in sparring, though?" Buckner interjected from the sidelines.

Anibal deadpanned his way. "Members of Team Gamma should know when to silently support their Team Leader!"

"Oh, sorry." Buckner cleared his throat before adopting an unctuous tone. "Anibal's the strongest and bestest there is! She's not just talking out of her ass!"

Anibal stared listlessly into the middle distance while Buckner continued to 'talk her up'. I snickered.

"I'm not afraid to praise my boss." Stayer chimed in. "Z7's won 57 spars to Anibal's 48 despite the disparity in enchanted gear."

"She only wins because she goes all sneaky!" Anibal protested. "She gets right behind me without making a sound because she goes barefoot!"

"And here I thought Carys packed this side with all her best." I remarked. "Can either of you defeat a Lieutenant or Executive?"

"Carys said that us Team Leaders are about at Lieutenant level." Anibal answered. "She's based it off what she knows of our combat ability, and her past fights with Executives and Lieutenants." She frowned. "Ember is too far out of my league, which is a shame. I have to pay her back for how she crushed me at the weapons outpost."

"You saying Ember is stronger than your Hacker?"

"Yeah. Kal nearly died."

That was a shock. Ember was stronger than a Hacker-class opponent. True, Kal didn't seem to have Regen like most Hackers, but he had two combative Hacks to draw upon. Yet Ember was stronger.

"Break time over. Back to fighting." Anibal declared in a rush before slashing forward with a randomly selected sword. I backpedaled, but the strike hit me anyway, making it a Sweeping Edge enchanted blade.

I really had to pay attention to which swords she swapped to.


[Noman]

Tonight was the quickest time we found a pool of lava. I was a bit faster making the portal while Carys watched. She made no sign of being impressed before we crossed through.

Once in the Nether, I performed a quick test on the artifacts and verified they were still inactive. No chance of flying across netherrack islands. Carys willed off her hot clothes and I kept my gaze firmly forward before we set off.

As we walked a jagged path, leaving a trail of cobblestone behind us, I took the time to properly thank Carys for saving me from burning to death in lava. Her response was predictable and typical Carys.

"Don't thank me. I didn't save you out of the goodness of my heart. You can't be bait if you're dead."

I smiled to myself despite her harshness. "I figured you would say that."

"So why waste time when you know what I'll say?"

"I was hoping you'd say something kind." I said half-jokingly.

"Would you believe me if I said I saved you because I care about your life and want to be your new bestie, and I would very much like for you to teach me your wussy Aikido philosophy so I can dodge my problems for the rest of my days?" She asked sarcastically.

"At least I'm sharpening your wit." I answered, not offended in the slightest. "Coming up with sarcastic remarks like that takes time and brainpower. You don't want to reach too hard and flounder for acerbic comments, do you?"

"I suppose you're right. I should think of this as cutting my teeth for the times I really need to bust out the sarcastic zingers. You're just a sarcasm punching bag until I come back to Cobb." She countered before her gaze sharpened. She seemed to have spotted something. "Looks like you're in luck, Noman."

I followed her gaze and my eyes lit upon seeing the Nether brick structure jutting out of a netherrack landmass. Finally! A Nether Fortress! And we had loads of time left to explore it!

"Let's go!" I said excitedly before hurrying to the structure. Carys followed at a slower pace, her scythe out.

The entrance was a little out of reach, so I built a staircase out of cobblestone. Entering the structure, We were greeted by a long corridor with Nether brick fences acting as windows. Though, since the corridor went through the mass of netherrack, the only thing you could see out the windows was more netherrack.

Following the corridor, we came to a bend, then an intersection. Three ways to go, one of which went up a staircase.

While I deliberated, Carys immediately chose the stairs route and gestured me to follow with a twinge of impatience.

"Why the stairs path?" I asked.

"Blaze spawners are usually in open areas, not underground." Carys replied without looking at me. "If you're looking for Blaze Rods, you need to find a wide open area for Blazes to fly around. Nether Wart farms are underground, but we can check those later. I want to see if the Blaze spawners are untouched, or if someone has already discovered this fortress."

She was already thinking so far ahead! My experience paled in comparison to hers. For her to intrinsically know the layout of a fortress and plan accordingly. It was like she grew up in the Nether.

Going up the stairs, we came across a new intersection with a well of lava in the middle. From the windows I could see we weren't buried in netherrack anymore, but we weren't completely put in the open yet either. There were also some dark shapes that clattered noisily up ahead.

"Wither Skeletons." Carys remarked, scythe resting on her shoulder. "Should've brought Anibal's Looting sword. Would've been able to replace my old mask."

"You'd risk carrying those things around knowing what they could form?" I asked seriously. Every skull was a third of a Wither. They were too dangerous to lug around.

Carys shrugged breezily. "I wouldn't mind spawning a Wither in an Endward Cult HQ. See how they like it."

That would certainly pay them back for Ringwood, but what about after? The Wither would destroy the HQ and continue to destroy every living thing it came across. They were too dangerous a weapon to rely upon, not that Carys cared. So long as the cult paid, she couldn't care less about the consequences.

I decided to dispatch the Mobs quickly before Carys got any ideas about farming their skulls. I placed down my ender chest and withdrew my supply of Splash Potions of Healing. I still had a sizable portion leftover from the ones I bought to keep Cobb alive while he was comatose. Remembering what I knew about Wither Skeletons, I lobbed the Potions of Healing and watched the black skeletons recoil in pain. They died after three, their EXP flowing into me. I breathed out a sigh of relief when they dropped only coal and bones. Carys showed disappointment.

We crossed down a few more corridors (me leaving a trail of cobblestone all the while) and eventually came across another set of stairs that led up into an open area like Carys described. We were on high walkways built over a sea of magma. In the distance, I could see large, pale bodies floating like clouds. The cries they emitted were eerie.

Closer were non-physical entities of fire, smoke, and orbiting golden rods. They floated inside a Nether brick fence cage and surrounded a cage-like block that seemed to spit out more of them. There were stairs leading up to the cage, but they looked to be sealed off by netherrack of all things. It didn't look like the natural structure of the fortress, as Carys was quick to notice.

"Somebody's been here, but it looks like they were smart." She pointed with her scythe. "They sealed the spawner so they could keep the Blazes in one spot."

So that was what Blazes looked like. It was my first time seeing one. The golden rods orbiting them must have been blaze rods. Also, they seemed to spin around a molten core with eyes. Once those eyes spotted me, the Blaze ignited with a raspy moan. It sounded like its lungs were a pair of billows that were steadily stoking the flames.

But with them sealed inside a cage, there were no worries. We approached at our leisure and Carys broke a small section so we could attack without the Blazes being able to hit us. The accumulated EXP raised my level by one, and I was able to get my hands on thirty-seven blaze rods.

"That'll have to do." Carys nodded at the haul. "We need to check for wart farms, now."

"You think they'll be any?"

"Not sure. Whoever came across this place was smart enough to preserve the spawners." She noted. "But you can make your own wart farm. No sense in leaving anything here.

We used our remaining time to check anyway. We retraced our steps down stairs and checked every corridor, dispatching Mobs as we went. I was unlucky once or twice and got Withered by Wither Skeletons, but my potions kept my Health from running out. Carys frowned at the lack of skulls dropping.

Finally, we came across a staircase and Carys made a noise of indication. Looking down, I spotted soul sand laid out beside the stairs. I didn't see the appeal until Carys explained.

"Nether warts are grown on soul sand, like with these gardens." She said. "These gardens are usually where you can find the warts, but these ones are barren. Whoever scoured this fortress cleaned it out."

"So no warts." I sighed dejectedly. The blaze rods were a great find, but I needed Nether warts to get started on brewing. Finding a fortress alone took a stroke of luck, how hard would it be to find another?

"You know what?" Carys hummed. "Let me talk to Albert and the Beta-males to see if they can't spare a Nether wart for you to farm."

My eyes lit up. "Really? You're not being sarcastic just to be mean, right?"

"You'll know when I'm being sarcastic to be mean." Carys assured. "Farming your own Nether warts isn't far from finding your own yourself. The blaze rods were more of an issue, which you've taken care of. Take some soul sand for farming and we'll head back."

"Y-yes, ma'am!" I replied dutifully before scampering to dig up four blocks of soul sand from the garden. She smiled to herself at how obediently I followed her orders.

After that, we followed our trail of cobblestone back out of the fortress and returned to the portal. Albert, Harbord, and even Reuben would be impressed to see the haul I brought back. And after farming Nether warts, I'd finally be ready to start alchemy!


[Cobb]

The rain let up sometime during our hike, and now it was nighttime again. We camped out in the open, a few torches to keep away Mobs while we gazed upon the clear, starry sky. Without Daymonte's light pollution, we had a beautiful view of the moon.

It was my turn on watch with Witige, the alchemist toiling away with his brewing stand. He was so absorbed that I doubted he would notice what I was working on.

I dug a small hole in the rocky ground and poured my water bucket into it to create to equivalent of a basin. I splashed my face with water before I gazed at my reflection in the water's surface.

'You can't win against Ember, Cobb. She's even stronger than Carys and she can see through lies greater than my own. She can read anyone like a book.'

Oh, she can, can she? Well, we'll just see about that.

I wiped my face clean, then wiped my expression clean so I was staring blankly back at myself from the water's reflection. I made my face as impassive as I could before speaking.

"I am a four-hundred foot tall purple Creeper with pink horns and silver wings."

I blinked at my expression, noticing the blank mask I put up cracking at certain spots. My lips thinned before I relaxed and tried lying again.

"I am a four-hundred foot tall purple Creeper with... snrk... pink horns and silver wings."

Great. Now I was giggling. I couldn't keep my face straight. I covered my mouth and rubbed my cheeks in a vain attempt to compose myself before I tried again.

"I am a four-hundred foot tall purple Creeper with pink horns and silver wings."

I thought calmer thoughts as I spoke to myself. Then I thought more morbid thoughts to occupy myself so I could lie unconsciously. It didn't work very well.

If I thought my lies flimsy, then Ember would certainly see through them.

"Hey, is that Carys_Angel behind you?" I used one of my more popular lies, finding it easier to say than my purple Creeper one. What was I thinking going with that?

"Hey, is that Carys_Angel behind you?" I repeated, trying to convince myself the lie was real. How exactly was I supposed to be a good liar?

A liar better than Jade.

"...I didn't love you, Jade." I lied. "I don't miss you at all." I lied again.

My eyes misted over and I quickly wiped them before looking up with a sad chuckle.

"I'm... going to keep pushing people away." I lied again, this time smiling. "I'm going to never feel happy again. I'm going to wallow forever and never walk forward."

The lies were coming easier now.

"I'm not going to use what I learned from you." I lied. "I'm not going to get stronger from this. I'm not going to beat your boss, Ember, and I'm not going to become the greatest liar ever."

"What are you murmuring about over there?" Witige called over.

"Nothing!" I lied.


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, 15 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, 37 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, 8 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, 13 Pumpkin Pies, 43 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, 34 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, 14 Pumpkin Seeds, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 51 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, 46 Cobblestone, 4 Soul Sand, 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, 3 Ender Chests, 16 Ender Pearls, 4 Ender Pearls, 1 Nether Star, 32 Steak, 3 Phantom Membranes, 7 Glowstone Dust, 37 Blaze Rods, 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: 35]

Snow the Horse


AN: Slowly creeping towards 200.

Again, this Chapter is checking in on everybody and moving pieces to places. Most of the focus should be on the Exter group with Carys and Noman.

FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. DUMPLINGS.