AN: I'm guessing Part VI will conclude at Chapter 200 before I go on hiatus. I usually do this after every part, and it's nearly the end of the year, so it seems about right. Don't think I'll clear 2 million words before Part VII, but that milestone won't be too far off.
As for Part VII itself, I got some juicy plot points planned. You're going to see the 'Nothing happens this Chapter' quite a bit.
Additionally, I'm trying to get a side project going. It's another story I really want to post. Think of it as a side story in the My Craft universe. It'll be my attempt at Romance/Humor and rated M for dark subjects, so I'm really trying to type it out. I only have maybe the first four Chapters done, and that's not really enough to start uploading it. I have it completely planned out and it'll only last maybe 22 Chapters. I might work on it during the hiatus and only really publish it later down the line.
Anyway, enjoy the Chapter. Published on a Wednesday just like the good old days.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Candy.
Chapter 197
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
[Noman]
"Come on, already! We're wasting time!"
"Please! Just a few moments more! These warts are about to peak!"
Reuben and I stood over our tiny soul sand garden of Nether warts. I didn't bring enough soul sand to make something big, but one plot seemed to grow faster than the others. We took turns watching it all night, and now that it was morning we waited with bated breath for the warts to speak, all the while being harassed by the impatient Carys.
"I won't tolerate any hold-ups!" Carys shouted, trying to hurry us along. "Pack up your little garden and try again at the next spot!"
"But we're so close!"
"You have until the count of ten before I drag the two of you out of here, kicking and screaming! One... Two... Nine..."
"You're skipping numbers - ah! It's done!"
"Break it! Break it!" Reuben urged.
I broke the warts and pocketed them just as Carys belted out, "TEN!"
She rushed over, her eyes determined, and grabbed Reuben and me by our legs. With her tremendous strength, she easily lifted us so that we were hanging upside down before taking us to our horses, the garden left abandoned.
"Ah! Wait! We're done, we're done!" I tried to mollify her while the blood rushed to my head. We couldn't just leave the soul sand behind.
However, while I was watching the remnants of our garden, I saw it all vanish in a blur of dark smoke and blue hair. Floyd used his Speed Hack to pack up our Nether wart garden in record time.
Once it was done, the blue-nette in question threw himself over his horse before reaching his Hack's time limit and going limp.
Carys didn't look impressed as she threw Reuben and me onto our horses and then smacked them to get them galloping. Then she and the rest of them followed as we continued going west through the desert.
We passed by another of those trapped chests Anibal pointed out. We steered clear of it despite not knowing what sort of trap lay beneath it. If the purpose of the trap was to kill the one who triggered it, did that mean there was someone nearby waiting to check and scavenge from them? If so, they spread them out in a far net. I asked Anibal as much.
"It's hard to say, but... I think all these trapped chests are being laid by the same person, or at least the same group of persons."
"What makes you say that?"
"Just simple probability." She shrugged. "So far we've come across two of these trapped chests within three days. So either two separate people had the same idea to lay the same booby trap without knowing about the other one only a few days out, or there are tons of these things dotted around this desert, all set by the same malicious party. Which seems more likely?"
"The second one." I nodded in understanding. "So this is just a net to catch as many curious Crafters as they can? Don't they care if they trap some innocent Crafters?"
"That's funny. Real funny."
I bit back a frustrated groan. I disliked how numb and indifferent they were to it. Not just Anibal, but Carys, Kal, the Paragons, and even Soul. They all didn't care about the bandit or bandits setting up trapped chests to kill and steal off people.
Saving Minecraftia meant saving all of Minecraftia, or at least as much as we could. If there was evil before our eyes, we had a duty to prevent it. The Endward Cult was bad, but the Paragons made it seem like they were the only thing worth any effort to stop.
A paragon was supposed to be a person of perfection. That was the definition. But these Paragons were all consumed by vengeance, forgetting that protecting the innocent was just as important as defeating the wicked.
It was for that reason that, when I saw blue fireworks rocketing up to the sky, just to the north of us, I changed Snow's direction and spurred it faster, diverging from the group.
"What the - HEY! Fucking invalid, get back here!" Carys shouted.
I ignored her as I crested over a sand dune and dodged cacti. If what Anibal said about the trapped chests was true, the blue fireworks meant someone triggered one and was in need of help. Right now, I bet whoever set the trap saw the rockets and was riding towards them just like me. The innocent in the trap could be dead or immobilized, but would surely be dead soon if the makers of these traps got to them first. If I could rescue them, those would be lives saved and evil thwarted.
The Paragons wouldn't have done anything. I could tell by their attitude that they would have ignored any fireworks and kept riding west. It was why I decided that when I saw the fireworks of a trapped chest, I would ride to it and rescue whoever I found.
Behind me, I could hear a horse gaining. I turned and paled when I saw Carys hunched low and hugging her steed's back to reduce wind resistance and up her speed. Her crimson eyes were like twin infernos as she tried to run me down. Anibal and her horse were keeping up as well. The dark-skinned thief seemed to be exceptional on horseback.
"Damnit, Noman! Forget about saving those guys!" Anibal shouted. "If they're stupid enough to trigger an obvious trap you should just let them die! Idiots are dangerous to have around!"
"I can't let people die if I can help it! Also, language! It seems trivial in these circumstances to correct your foul language, but-"
"Shut the fuck up and stop your horse!" Carys screamed over me. "Saving sheeple has NO bearing on our mission and will only threaten to expose us working together to the cult! No good deed goes unpunished, Noman!"
No good deed went unpunished? What did that mean? The double negatives confused me, though Carys' anger was clear as day.
Whatever it meant, I couldn't turn back just for fear of being discovered. All life was precious. One stupid mistake didn't mean those 'sheeple', as Carys called them, deserved to die.
"You stay back!" I shouted. "I'll save them alone! You won't be involved-!"
"That's it! I'm taking the shot!"
Carys and Anibal both drew their bows and aimed at Snow's galloping legs. I looked back in terror, and, fearing for my horse's life - and a little for my own - I threw on the Bottes Zephyr and kicked into the sky. Now they no longer had a reason to gun down my poor horse. Snow would not go the way of Carrot or Beetroot!
"For fuck's sake!" Carys screamed as I ran on the wind. She aimed her bow at me anyway and seemed to have me in her sights and within range, but she pushed it down with an irritated noise. She'd have to kill me to stop me, and that was against what she wanted. She and Anibal slowed to a stop besides Snow.
I continued running on the wind with my artifact. The fireworks weren't that far and I could reach them with a bit of jogging.
Below me was another tall sand dune that I traversed with ease. Below me were Floyd and Soul on their horses, riding in my shadow. I thought Soul would be like the other Paragons hanging back while I did the rescuing, but it seemed our friendship outweighed his indifference towards strangers. He wanted to make sure I was okay.
While on my winged boots, I was able to see where the trap had been triggered. A large hole had opened up in the desert sands, consuming the innocent Crafters in a pitfall full of cobwebs. A trapped chest floated above the hole where it had been originally placed as the bait. Anibal's assumptions about what the trap could do seemed spot on.
At first glance, I could only see three Crafters struggling in the cobwebs. Getting closer, I heard their cries for help.
"...nyone! Help us! Please!"
"Hold on!" I answered them, backflipping so I could safely descend.
They saw me in the air and panicked. "H-Hacker! It's a flying Hacker!"
"Oh, God! This is it, isn't it!?" Another cried. "We're dead! We're all dead!"
"I don't want to die a virgin! Come here, Virgil!"
"Okay!" Came an enthusiastic male response.
"I'm not a Hacker!" I quickly clarified.
"No, he's definitely a Hacker. We're all going to die, so let's continue where you left off, Vanessa."
"No, he's right! No smoke is coming off him! He must be flying with those new-fangled Wonder Wings I've heard about!"
"We're saved, Virgil!"
"...Yippee."
I touched down and peered into the hole. Now that I was closer, I could see the trap had caught five Crafters. Two women and three men. One of them seemed to be unconscious and another was off to the side.
The galloping of Floyd and Soul's horses slowed to a stop behind me before the two dismounted.
"Carys is gonna give you hell for this." Soul shook his head. "You just can't help yourself, can you?"
"No, I can't." I agreed.
"I guess we'll all be catching hell, then." Soul smirked before taking out some iron ingots and Crafting three sets of shears. "Here. Might as well scavenge those cobwebs. After what Mona did with them, I'm convinced they could be a dangerous weapon in the right hands."
"Good thinking." Floyd accepted his before starting to dig a staircase down to the pit. I saved time by using my Bottes Zephyr to get down there and break cobwebs from a safe distance.
Once we freed up the Crafters, they took out their own swords and started sawing away at the cobwebs in their path. The unconscious Crafter was picked up by them and they used Floyd's staircase to climb out safely.
"You guys are some life savers." The Crafter named Vanessa thanked us. "We were trekking north when this idiot," she jostled the unconscious man's head, "thought it would be a smart idea to open a suspicious looking chest in the middle of buttfuck nowhere."
"Language." I chastised.
"Then... buttsex nowhere." She decided with a pleased smile I didn't think she deserved.
"Anyway, thanks for rescuing us." Another of the women nodded in gratitude. "I hate to imagine what might have happened if we were stuck here when Mobs started spawning."
"Try and be more careful next time." Soul warned, forgetting that he had almost made the same mistake of opening a trapped chest before Anibal stopped him. I thought better than to point it out and wound his pride.
"Why would anyone rig a trap like this?" The one named Virgil asked.
"I don't-"
The high-pitched whistles of multiple firework rockets rent the air before an explosion of blue sparks enveloped our vision and blasted us all onto the ground. Two horses let out a death scream. There were screams and yells of pain as I found myself planted face first in the sand, the Head of one of the Crafters staring lifelessly back at me.
I was too confused to process what had happened or hit us. My ears were ringing as blue sparks seemed to dissipate around us. Floyd and Soul and four of the Crafters were struggling to get up, just as disoriented as I was. I took a look at my Health...
...
One Heart.
There was another high-pitched whistle and I caught a glimpse of a trio of fireworks coming at us from somewhere before a blur of dark smoke tackled Soul and I into the sand pit. The cobwebs cushioned our fall while the lip of the pit where we had just been became lit up with bursts of blue sparks that dissipated like fairy dust.
The gear of the Crafters we saved rained down upon us, the Head of Vanessa landing on my chest and staring back at me.
"Ah... AUUUUGH!" I screamed, desperately trying to get away from the Head only to be impeded by cobwebs.
Floyd had his Speed Hack active and was the first to escape the cobwebs before helping to free Soul and I. Soul was groaning about his head pounding while Floyd's dark eyes were wide and alert.
"I could only tackle the two of you... I'm sorry..."
Like me, they had a Heart left. Their Health Meters were desperately drawing from their Hunger Meters to replenish the damage that had been done by those blue sparks.
Once I was free of the cobwebs, I kicked away from the gear of the fallen innocents and doubled over to dry heave. They died right in front of me. Life snuffed out in the blink of an eye. No warning or anything!
Soul seized me by the collar and dragged me to the wall of the pit with Floyd. We pressed our backs to it for cover from those deadly fireworks getting fired at us.
"What the fuck...? What the fuck just happened!? Did you see that!?" Soul hissed low for fear of being heard.
"It was like the Yanhua Gong, but without the destruction and with ten times the damage." Floyd surmised gravely. "Did anyone see what shot at us?"
I shook my head shakily while Soul reached over and into my backpack. I barely registered him tugging the Severe Shield onto my torso.
"Never heard of rockets flying horizontally." Soul muttered after ensuring I was protected. "This a new Bounty Day thing we don't know about?"
"I bet." Floyd grimaced. "Guys, my Speed Hack is gonna hit its limit soon. I need to try and go up there to find the shooter."
"No, wait..." Soul pressed his ear to the wall. "I hear footsteps and shouting."
He was right. Perking my ears, I heard the sounds of battle as well as more of those whistling fireworks. Had Carys and the Paragons intervened? Soul made towards the staircase but I grabbed him and tugged down.
"Don't go up there!" I pleaded, terrified. "Your Health is too low! Whatever he shot at us can wipe out a full Health bar! It's too dangerous for you! Both of you."
"So we're just supposed to let Carys and the Paragons save our skins? No thank you!" Soul made to stand again, but I pushed him back down.
"Wait here." I insisted, not wanting any of them to die like those Crafters I was too powerless to save. "I'll handle this. My Severe Shield will protect me." A harsh scream pierced the air and spurred me to don the Bottes Zephyr and take to the sky.
Clearing the lip of the pit, I took in the battlefield and felt my breath still.
There were three fresh piles of gear and two unconscious bodies. I didn't have the time to tell who was dead before another whistle pierced the air.
Carys and Kalmarin were furiously fighting a mysterious Crafter while Anibal stood on the outskirts with bow drawn, her eyes coolly tracking the enemy's movements.
It was... just one man.
He had messy red hair and wore a tight-fitting navy blue jumpsuit overlain with a brown leather jacket. Likely he was the one who set the traps. His name: Lone_Gunnah.
Most people would recognize Carys as a dangerous criminal on sight. He wasn't intimidated. Most would think twice about fighting more than one opponent. Retreating would be their first thought. Not this guy, though. He was fighting everyone at once using a sword and a crossbow loaded with rockets that could fire three at a time.
He blocked a slash from Carys' scythe before pointing the sights of his crossbow at her. She gave up the attack at once and threw and ender pearl with staggering speed, warping away from the blue explosions.
Kalmarin jumped in and beat Gunnah's sword arm, dark smoke billowing off of him as he overpowered him with his Strength Hack. Gunnah winced under the strain and quickly angled his sword so that Kalmarin's blade would crash into the sand. He then pointed his crossbow point blank into his face.
Anibal's arrow struck Kalmarin before the fireworks could, and his EnderPort ability warped him behind Anibal, his attacker. They were covering each other in perfect sync to avoid those deadly fireworks.
Anibal swapped bows in an instant and directed flaming arrows towards Gunnah, who set down a block of sand before him to block. An ender pearl touched behind him before Carys warped into range, her scythe spinning violently before it carved into his body. She winced from counter damage, hinting that Gunnah wore Thorns enchanted armor, but she soldiered on and spun kick the attacker across the chin.
Gunnah reeled back and lobbed a pair of Splash Potions of Harming at Carys in quick succession. She leapt back, only taking the damage from one instead of both, but it still had to hurt. He reloaded his crossbow faster than I thought possible and aimed at her.
Without thinking, I ran in with my shield and Severe Shield. Gunnah caught me out of the corner of his eye and seemed to forget Carys entirely. Like his life was in more mortal danger from me than her.
He took out a different crossbow from his belt. It was enchanted and preloaded, not with rockets, so he had no trouble firing it at me. I raised my shield...
"Gah!"
And recoiled when the arrow pierced through the shield, the armor, and me, exiting out my back to stick into the sand behind me. I clutched my stomach from the horrible sensation of having an arrow run through me. Why didn't the shield block it?
Stranger was the fact that Gunnah was still alive after landing a hit on the Severe Shield. It didn't even look like he took any damage from the artifact's deadly Thorns damage.
Were crossbows capable of such ability? Firing devastating rockets and arrows that could pierce through shields and armor?
Gunnah loaded a golden arrow this time and fired. I raised my shield instinctively before realizing it was worthless at the worst time. The golden arrow passed through the shield and through my head, causing me to scream in agony and fall to my knees. My body was then enveloped by a glowing white outline, while olive particles seemed to emanate off of me. It was some sort of potion effect. The tattoo of a glowing skull showed up on my arm along with a ten second timer.
Gunnah swapped to his other crossbow, the one that could fire three things at once, and loaded it with a firework rocket before pointing it at my glowing outline.
A flaming arrow caught his arm and set him ablaze, his aim going high. I ducked from the deadly whistles and narrowly avoided the explosions of blue sparks behind me. Gunnah ate something that seemed to give him fire resistance before he reloaded his crossbow and pointed, not at Anibal, but at me.
"He's after the invalid!" Carys shouted before waving her hand. The Paragons left standing all drew bows and proceeded to fire upon Gunnah.
Faced with a hail of arrows, Gunnah threw a potion at his feet and sped off towards a horse that must've been his. He almost mounted it before a flaming arrow caught its flank and made it buck and scream in agony. Gunnah didn't slow down, instead changing direction and pulling himself on one of the Paragons' horses. He galloped through the group of Paragons towards me, the horse taking many of the arrows.
He loaded both crossbows and fired simultaneously at me, a flurry of rockets and an arrow coming my way. But as soon as he fired, he was already reloading, sending another barrage of whistling rockets and arrows.
I was so powerless like this. All I could do was cower behind my shield and bear the brunt of his attacks. Explosions of blue particles buffeted my body and tore through my normal armor and Health, while his piercing arrows tore through shield and armor and flesh. It was all I could do to bite my forearm to stifle a scream.
I endured thanks to the Severe Shield's Health Boost and Resistance effects. But it made my moments agony.
Gunnah was only able to launch three volleys of rockets before someone shot him off. The horse died soon after leaving Gunnah without a means of escape.
His eyes narrowed upon my damaged form before he drew a pair of splash potions and rushed me. He... he wasn't quitting!
Suddenly, a barrage of ebony spines riddled the sand leading up to Gunnah. His eyes widened before he swapped to a shovel and dug into the sand with a speed beyond what a shovel could be capable of. He sealed off the top with sandstone just as the black spines fell.
Floyd had his arms extended, his body enveloped in black smoke and carried by Soul like he was a portable minigun.
"Freaking grab him!" Soul shouted desperately. The Beta males were already moving towards the plugged hole with Splash Potions of Harming.
There were only two Beta males. Harbord was missing.
Anibal reached the plugged hole first and pried it open savagely before aiming her bow down into it. The arms holding the Splash Potions were cocked back ready to throw.
The hole was empty. Or rather, it was blocked with sandstone as Gunnah undoubtedly dug himself further down to escape, plugging the hole above him as he went.
Wordlessly, Carys took out four blocks of TNT and stuffed then into the hole with all the subtlety of a rhino. Anibal then ignoted them woth a flaming arrow. The Paragons were already backing up when we realized we should duck and cover.
A thunderous explosion followed by three explosions in quick succession echoed across the desert. Sand fell from the blast and formed a large crater eight meters wide and fifteen meters deep. Anibal and Carys aimed their bows into the crater, but there was no sign of Gunnah or his fallen gear.
He was gone.
"Damnit." Carys cursed, lowering her bow. "Who's not dead, sound off."
"Bastard got Buckner, Devers, and Harbord." Anibal spoke with utter hatred. Buckner and Devers were part of her team. Spaatz was the only one left of Team Gamma. "Those rockets came out of nowhere. Caught us all by surprise. They wouldn't have felt a thing."
"Dyson and Stayer took a nasty hit too." Kalmarin reported. "They're hurt, but alive. Stayer's horse, not so much. Floyd and Soul's horses are dead too. We should do something about Dyson and Stayer."
"We'll fix them up." Albert volunteered before taking a quiet Reuben off to fix them. The only one's still around were us three Beginners, Carys, Kalmarin, Anibal, and a mourning Spaatz.
Carys turned and walked towards me. Marched more like it. I tried to steady myself and get to my feet only for her to seize me by the arm and drag me up, uncaring for the chestplate I wore that could kill her from the slightest mistake.
"See where helping gets you?" She said brusquely. "No good deed ever goes unpunished."
To Carys' credit, she said no more about the deaths of her men despite having every right to. I wished she did. I felt like garbage getting them and those five innocent Crafters killed. I felt for Harbord the most, remembering his silly mnemonics for how to brew potions.
The whole interaction with Gunnah couldn't have lasted more than three minutes, and yet eight people were now dead. Three Paragons and five innocents. Anibal was off burning the Heads and gear as a proper send off, but not for the innocent Crafters. Only for the fallen Paragons.
Soul walked up to me while carrying Floyd.
"Hey... Noman..." He tried to say. "I'm sor-"
"Please don't." I stopped him, tears burning in my eyes. "It's my fault. That Gunnah was after me. I walked into the trap, bringing all of you with me. Yet even a sorry isn't enough for me to say. I have no right."
Soul thinned his lips, but made no argument in my defense. If he tried, I would have disputed it. I almost got them killed with my reckless need to save people. I did get people killed with my reckless need to save people. It was all for naught, just as Carys warned. She tried to stop me. She jumped in to protect us and her Paragons paid dearly for it.
It was as she said. I was an invalid. Everything I did only seemed to make things worse.
I... I didn't know what to do anymore.
But Carys had some ideas.
After burning the dead, Carys armed herself with her scythe while Kalmarin and Anibal grabbed some pickaxes. They moved to the crater.
"What are you doing?" Soul asked, running over. "You're not thinking of going after that nutcase, are you?"
"That nutcase," Carys emphasized, "knows we're working together and killed three of my men. So yeah. We're going after him."
"...You can't." I muttered feebly, a small part of me hoping I couldn't be heard. I didn't want them to die too, but what right did I have to make any decisions when my decisions got people killed? "He'll kill you. Those rockets..."
Carys heard me. "That Gunnah guy threw everything he had at Noman. He wanted you dead. I can only assume he's a high-ranking cultist tasked with murdering you. This is what we've been anticipating. If we let him slip away, he'll only ambush us again. I'd rather keep the pressure up now and not give him a chance to breathe. I won't allow him the element of surprise again."
It was still a risk. Tracking that guy underground in the dark, when he could pop out any second with those deadly rockets. All you'd hear is a whistle before...
"Why don't you just sit there and shut up." Anibal spoke coldly to me. "We'll take the risk and do the killing. All you have to do is what you're told to do. No chance for you to mess up that way." I lowered my head. "Is that clear enough for you?"
"...Yes." I conceded, sitting on the sand with my hands between my knees, looking very much like a kicked puppy.
"Let's move." Carys commanded. She, Anibal, and Kalmarin jumped into the crater and excavated the sandstone Gunnah hastily piled to cover his escape. The Paragons' best were going down there, leaving the rest of us aboveground to lick our wounds... and wallow in misery.
After a few minutes of silence, Floyd recovered his mobility and, sensing my discomfort, conversed with Soul about this new threat.
"Maybe he's the other Western Lieutenant. There's supposed to be two, right?"
"He did know an awful lot about the Severe Shield. His skewering arrows and rockets countered it perfectly."
"He didn't even think about retreating. He went all in on Noman, fighting Carys and the Paragons. And our horses..."
Floyd looked to where Stratus had died and Soul to where Long-Face had died. "It could've been anyone's. Gunnah grabbed Stayer's horse because it was closest and that one's gone too." The blue-nette sighed. "I might have to take Buckner's horse. He won't be needing it."
"I still can't believe the damage on those rockets. We were wearing armor and it got us down to one Heart! What did he enchant those crossbows with?"
"You'll find out when Carys brings back his gear and Head." Reuben interjected himself into the discussion, his face morose. I looked to him with a pained expression as he held out some ingredients.
No.
No, he couldn't be suggesting-!
"Take this. It's Harbord's alchemy gear. It'll go to waste anyway if you don't-"
I lunged forward and seized Reuben by the collar. Floyd and Soul shot up, startled, while Reuben just stared back at me. It was hard to see him clearly through the angry tears blurring my vision.
"WHAT! WHAT! WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME THIS! DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S MY FAULT!" I screamed, jostling him. "HUH! WHY! WHY! WHY AREN'T YOU HURTING ME! WHY AREN'T YOU BLAMING ME!"
Reuben gently took my hands and pried them off while I continued to rant.
"I was trying to prevent death! I didn't want anyone to die! And yet... and yet..." I fell to me knees. "What am I supposed to do? Nothing I try works..."
Reuben wrinkled his nose and looked away. "Go to Carys with such questions. If you can't bear the burdens of your choices, you may as well abandon your free will and follow orders to the letter."
"Troops follow orders. Chain of command." He went on. "Carys and the Team Leaders make the decisions. Doesn't mean they make good ones all the time. They make their fair share of bad ones, but... as to why I'm not blaming you - and why Carys isn't blaming you - is because it's a waste of time. Carys herself never apologizes for her mistakes. Instead, she acts. She makes amends and learns from her mistakes, never making them twice."
"But..." I sniffled, "I got her people killed..."
"Carys has gotten people killed. Her decisions aren't always the right ones, and people have died for it." Reuben sighed. "But that's what war is. It's what we all signed up for. We knew the risk and placed our fate in Carys' hands because we believe in her mission. Even though I wanted to fight, I stuck around as support because I'm making a difference with Carys."
"So don't bawl your eyes out." He pulled me to my feet and pressed Harbord's alchemy gear more firmly into my numb hands. "Crying is a waste of time that won't bring anyone back. Right now we need action. That's why Carys went hunting after Gunnah in the first place."
"If you still can't deal with your choices," Reuben continued, "just do what Carys says all the time. Leave the responsibility in her hands and absolve yourself of all of it. We can't be bothered every time you feel upset. Our enemies won't offer up that luxury either."
Reuben's hard words were a bitter pill to swallow. The only reason I wasn't being laid into was because Carys didn't have the time. People were dead, but an enemy was still lurking nearby. She had to move forward or else lose everything.
So did I.
Reuben left without another word to see to the downed Paragons. Floyd and Soul got up to give me some much needed space.
My hands were clawing at the sand until night fell. After that, I wiped the tears from my eyes and took up Harbord's alchemy gear.
I then started to brew potions in silence.
[Ringwood]
October 31st. Halloween. A time for masks, pumpkins, and spooky celebration.
No one in Ringwood felt like celebrating. Even after three weeks since the Wither attack.
The population was larger than the four-hundred it had been - about maybe six-thousand. The Crafters who fled the night of the attack slowly started to trickle back once the danger had been dealt with. Others that felt less secure took their chances in the villages or else moved to another Kingdom altogether. They traveled in large caravans for safety in numbers against the Griefers, and most of them sought refuge in the neighboring Kingdoms of Daymonte or Dover Plains.
Furthermore, the announcement that allied aid from Daymonte and Nitebane was on its way, and that the cult's Northern Division was no longer taking residency within Ringwood's walls helped to bolster confidence that it was safe to return.
But not all were convinced.
Many citizens criticized the guards and their lone surviving Captain, Wynn_Whispers, for failing to properly respond to the crisis and for allowing dozens of high-security prisoners to be freed. Not even King Mann's return could sway these critics of the current administration, though his presence did curry favor with the old guard as well as the deep rooted inhabitants.
But nothing could change the heavy odor of death hanging over the kingdom.
Citizenship informations were still being found and catalogued amongst the fallen gear. The confirmed body count rose by the day, now at sixty-thousand Crafters out of an estimated population of one-hundred-seventeen-thousand. The rest were either presumed dead or left the kingdom.
Wynn had her own share of problems to worry about. She was managing what few forces Ringwood had left and allocating land to citizens upon their return. Many buildings were in disrepair, and she didn't have the skilled builders needed to fix them. As such, she and WorkingMann assigned homes and stores to Crafters based on what was left standing.
Food production was shaky as many guards were forcibly assigned to farms in the Eastern District. They were lousy at it, but a kingdom needed food. No beef or milk, as the cult had slaughtered all the cows prior to the Wither attack. Pigs, chickens, rabbits, and sheep were still available. Any harvested food was stored in granaries for distribution and heavily guarded by Veronica, the Golden Hawk of Daymonte, herself. Anyone who tried to pilfer food got an arrow to the rectum.
Daymonte was helping repel Griefers thanks to their alliance, and the Trans-Kingdom Railway was being rushed to further provide aid. Nitebane's aid would also further bolster defense when it arrived.
But Wynn's biggest concern was the upcoming King's Trials to decide a new ruler.
WorkingMann insisted that the trials were necessary, not only to elect a new king, but to prove to the people that that king was strong. Dependable. A king worthy of such dark times.
Mann would be competing in these trials along with whatever king candidates Carys sent along with the Nitebane aid. This was as per the deal Wynn struck with her. Two Captain positions, four seats on the council (which was stark empty at the moment), and a chance at the throne. True, Wynn would be participating as Mann's Second and assisting him however she could, but the king was really out of shape. Wynn didn't want his Benevolence to hear her say this, but it was like his body was actively refusing to improve despite the simplest training drills she ran him through.
He was irreplaceable as a political advisor, however. Calling him in had been a smart choice. He helped organize food distribution, allocated Ringwood's wealth from the scavenged gear of the fallen to provide a substantial budget, and boosted morale by his mere presence. Many of the citizens from Denzel's Grove left with Mann to help out the kingdom, while additional help came from nearby villages and the mysterious mute loner named Creation's_Spark.
Having a large budget was important since Wynn also had until the end of the year to provide Nitebane with a thousand sets of diamond armor. An added stipulation by Carys for Wynn's defense of Cobb.
The latest Bounty day actually helped with that, creating Testificates with superior armor trades. Many occupational classes were unlocked by the Bounty Day, and suddenly Wynn was trying to attract Testificates into Ringwood's ruins. Trading with them was the only way to meet the thousand diamond armor quota by December 31st. She had Bitters and Solara on that front.
On top of all that, Wynn was training herself for the King's Trials that would test Mind, Body, and Heart. As Mann's Second, she would have to pull his weight to defeat the Nitebane candidates and secure his spot as king. Then maybe Ringwood would be on the track to recovery with a real king paving the way.
The aid from Nitebane would arrive November 8th. She had only eight more days to whip Mann into some semblance of shape so he wouldn't die in the trials.
[Endward Cult: Eastern HQ]
The Eastern HQ was underwater.
Spring couldn't believe such a convoluted design choice. Glass walls and corridors spanned the ocean floor, providing pristine views of colorful coral reefs and schools of swimming fish, and all he could think about was how much water had to be displaced to do such a thing.
You would have to have a Water Breathing Potion - a bunch of Water Breathing Potions - then walk along the ocean floor building glass corridors and the stone bricks and whatever else structure you want to make. It wasn't just glass, thankfully, as some people didn't want to live in an aquarium. But then you would need to drain all the water out of it, and that's hard since two water sources is all it takes to make a permanent water source.
Plus, this was meant to be a secret base for cultists. If it was ever found out, you were fucked. What were you going to do, move an aquarium? No. You'd have to leave it and all that hard work would be for nothing. Spring supposed it was the same case for the Northern HQ as it was just buried under Ringwood, but they never had to move ocean water out of the way!
But Spring couldn't waste time criticizing design choices since Carmen just revealed their location with her vibrato exclamation. Magma Cubes avoided water, and it looked like their Hybrids felt the same. It didn't matter that they were invisible since she just screamed twice about 'agua'.
"AGUA!"
Three times.
"Somebody's invisible over here!"
"Bust out the spectral arrows!"
Spring threw out a hand to find one of Carmen's invisible clones before forcing her down. Several spectral arrows were launched their way, flying over their heads as the cultists tried to pinpoint them.
"Agua! Agua por todas partes!" Carmen wailed in panic, further alerting the cultists. Spring grabbed her hand with both of his and lowered his voice.
"You need to calm down, Carmen!" He hissed. "Get a hold of yourself!"
Carmen took his words literally as her four clones hugged one another for comfort, their panicked breaths beginning to steady. Spring clasped her hand with both of his and gave some reassuring pats before having to let go to roll out of the way of another spectral arrow.
"It sounds like a woman!" One cultist declared, their bowstring taut. "Everyone fan out! She's still here somewhere."
"Maybe we should call Mark. Or Abyssmal?"
"Go fetch them, then. This is an emergency."
Three cultists scurried off while a dozen more spread out with questing hands and perked ears. They were scattering gravel and other small items in the hopes that the invisible person or persons would pick them up and reveal themselves.
Spring felt a warm arm wrap around his neck which he touched in understanding. He and the clones followed the cultists out of the corridor of portals, narrowly avoiding their hunters.
Once they were out, they moved into a corridor of stone bricks to make Carmen more comfortable. No more agua for her to see.
"That was too damn close." Spring breathed out once the coast was clear.
"Perdón. Sorry for going loca back there." Carmen and her clones apologized in unison. "I just... whenever I see agua, I..."
"You don't like water. I get it." Spring sighed. "Listen, this underwater base came as much a surprise to me as it did you, but I don't think you have to worry about touching water. This whole base is fortified so that water is kept out. If you keep that in mind, you'll see that there's nothing to fear. It won't touch you."
"Okay. That actually helps." Carmen took a steadying breath. "No puede tocarme. It can't touch me. It's all... outside."
"There you go." Spring leaned back, his head tilting back. "More terrifying would be the prospect of Abyssmal or Teal finding us. They're too tough."
"So then let's find KillRoy."
"KillGore."
"Lo que."
"Don't 'lo kay' me. We need to be clear on this. We have to show him respect if we want his help." Spring stressed. "That means we can't belittle him, we can't call him chihuahua, and we call him by his preferred name, KillGore."
"Alright. entiendo."
"Entendido."
"We'll heap praises upon him if that's what it takes to get back to normal." The last clone agreed. "So, donde empezamos? Where do we start searching for KillGore."
"...Not sure." Spring frowned as he looked down both corridors. "I guess it's too much to hope for a sign reading 'KillGore's Room'."
"Sí."
"Then..." he scratched his cheek, "we should find the potion stores. Our invisibility won't last much longer unless we recharge it. We can search as long as we have to as long as we find more invisibility potions."
With that in mind, the two crept down the corridors, keeping to the sides to avoid detection as cultists regularly passed them. The whole place was on high alert now that news of an intruder was spreading.
Eventually, Spring and Carmen reached a corridor full of doors. It was then their invisibility wore off.
"Mierda. We're out." Carmen cursed. She and her clones were fully exposed. "What next?"
"We can't stay here." Spring looked to the doors. "Here, we can hide - hang on, this is Mark's room!" He pointed to a sign.
"Quien es Mark?"
"Mark the Lieutenant." Spring said excitedly. "He's an alchemist. He's bound to have brewing stands in his room." He was already reaching for the door. "Come on. We can make-"
He cut off with a terrified squeak upon opening the door. There were indeed brewing stands, but there was also a bed occupied with a naked woman. Her fishnet clad legs splayed out and a mess of teal-blue hair behind her sleeping face.
Shiiiiit!
The creaking of the door had Teal stirring. She sat up with a drowsy expression and yawned. "...Mark?"
Carmen and her clones tore Spring's eyes away from Teal's naked form as they retreated from the door and into an adjacent room before Teal could fully wake up. She glanced to the open door and yawned before checking herself and pouting.
"I fell asleep before he got back..." She lamented before willing her clothes back on as well as the band holding her ponytail up. She then exited Mark's room, stretching her arms high with a few satisfying pops and cracks.
"KillGore better not be pushing Mark too hard. That's my job~" She smiled salaciously to herself before sauntering off.
Once she was gone, Carmen and her clones tried to jostle Spring out of his state of shock.
"Spring? Cultista?"
"It's just as Abyssmal said." Spring muttered listlessly. "He truly is a lucky bastard."
"Venga ya! You act like you've never seen a naked woman before." Carmen paused for a second. "Though in your case, that might be true. Animarse! Snap out of it!"
Four sets of scalding hands grabbed Spring's backside and burned him back to his senses. He let out a howl before the clones shunted him into Mark's now vacated room.
"What... what happened?" Spring blinked after the pain subsided.
"You were picking your mandíbula off the ground." Two clones smirked while the other two moved to the brewing stands and grabbed some ingredients from a chest. They took out a golden carrot, ate it, and then took a second one out for the recipe. They also ate some melons left in there. "That was Teal? The Teniente? Why was she in Mark's room?"
"Probably waiting for Mark to come to bed because he's a lucky bastard."
"But why was she naked-?"
"Lucky. Bastard."
Carmen rolled her eyes. "She mentioned KillGore's working with Mark. Do you think she went to see him?"
"Only one way to find out." Spring accepted the Splash Potion of Invisibility Carmen brewed. She had already memorized the recipe with her hive mind. Spring masked the two of them and they crept after Teal.
The Lieutenant went on a long walk down corridors and paths Spring never would have figured out, eventually taking them to the mess hall.
There, at one table, was a familiar midget with the high-pitched alto tenor voice. He was surrounded by several taller cultists so it was tough to pick him out... if he wasn't mid-diatribe.
"Fooooools! KillGore refuses to reactivate the Drowned Mob Grinders for such disrespectful double-dealers!" He ranted, his arms waving impotently. "You think KillGore deaf!? I heard the murmurs behind my back of the men calling me a precocious munchkin or the women calling me an adorable SCAMP! Does this name say SCAMP!? No! It spells your doom and reckoning! KillGore, destroyer of worlds! Master of Mob Grinders! And wrecker of your shit!"
"But... but we would never say something like that, sir." One of the cultists was quick to mollify the raging munchkin, using rather forced politeness. "Why, the EXP your grinders are amassing for us has made the Eastern Division stronger than ever! We would never say or do anything to belittle you."
"Liar! Word of mouth is spreading as we speak! I won't reactivate the grinders for anything less than their complete and unconditional SURRENDER! They will swear fealty to me so that I may discipline them properly! That will teach them to underestimate KILLGOOOOOORE!"
"Hang on a minute shorty - I mean, no wait, uh-"
"SMACK!"
The cultist in question went flying with a broken arm as KillGore's incredible EXP level made his simple smack feel like a sledgehammer. He landed on a table near Spring and Carmen with a resounding slam.
"You dare call me shorty to my face!? No Mob Grinders for the lot of you!" KillGore exclaimed in his alto tenor voice.
"You can't do that!" A cultist complained. "You have orders to provide EXP for us! You don't want to get Abyssmal involved, do you?"
"KillGore does not take orders from the one-eyed slacker! For he too mocks from the shadows." KillGore's blond cowlick trembled from his rage. "He calls KillGore a pint-sized short-track, mocking me in the same way that orange-haired bimbo hugs KillGore like a teddy bear! I am evil incarnate. I am the harbinger of sorrow. All tremble with fear, for lo, KillGore the destroyer of worlds has come."
Teal leaned her head on her chin, rolling her eyes as she listened to his diatribe.
"Fear and terror are heaped upon my name, for I spew carnage, slaughter, and pestilence from my very fingertips. I wallow in oblivion. The universe itself cannot contain my brutality!"
"This is the cabrón we're going to ask for help?" Carmen whispered skeptically to Spring.
"...Yeah." He said dispassionately.
"Roll it back, short stuff." Teal set him off immediately, finding amusement in it. "Mark's been helping you make splash potions for your grinders. You're not gonna put all his effort to waste. Not if I have anything to say about it. So what say we have a friendly game to resolve this?"
"So you request a stay of execution, do you?" KillGore said haughtily.
"Whatever." Teal rolled her eyes.
"Well, keeping the grinders off does hinder my plans for world conquest. What did you have in mind?"
Teal grinned as she took a seat at a table and propped her elbow upon it.
"Arm wrestling~"
KillGore eyed the blue-haired Lieutenant warily.
"What? Is the destroyer of worlds afraid of a frail, transcendental beauty like moi~?" Teal fluttered her eyelashes cutely.
"Hmph. KillGore fears nothing! I accept your challenge!" He took a seat opposite her but had to sit on his knees so he could reach her hand across the table. Teal clasped it firmly with a toothy grin.
"If I win, you turn the grinders back on. If you win... What do you want?"
"KillGore wants for nothing but respect. Defeating a Lieutenant in a competition of strength in front of all these witnesses will be all the reward I need."
"Fair enough. Somebody spot us." A cultist stepped forward and cupped a hand over KillGore and Teal's clasped hands.
"Readyyyyy..." the cultist trailed off, the competitors readying their arms. "...GO!"
The cultist released their hands and immediately the two were exerting themselves trying to push the other's arm down. The cultists cheered them on and took bets.
"Come on, Teal!"
"Ten emeralds on the little guy!"
"KILLGORE IS NOT LITTLE!"
"Not even XoX could beat Teal! Fifty emeralds on her!"
"I better get a piece of that if I win~!" Teal winked to them, though she looked to be straining herself trying to push his arm.
Teal regularly killed Crafters in her Survival Games and used her bare fists and legs to fight. She would never waste her amassed EXP level on enchantments. She stood at level 88.
But KillGore drew EXP from his many Mob Grinders. Teal may have been taller, but KillGore's EXP level was at 97 and on par with Ember. And, as everyone knew, EXP was strength.
The arms began shaking as both sides wavered, apparently equal in strength.
"Teal, what are you doing!? Finish him!"
"Come on, KillGore!"
"Go Teal! Big Tiger Energy!
"The fuck is Big Tiger Energy?"
"You'll know it when you see it."
The arms trembled and Teal bit her lip as she dug deep.
"You're... pretty good..." Teal commended. "But this... is just... my usual strength!" Teal's face screwed up and she started breathing fast as her arm slowly started to push KillGore's down. KillGore grit his teeth, his eyes bugging out as he fought Teal's steady advance.
"And this... is a level beyond... BIG TIGER ENERGY! TRUE TIGER ENERGYYYYY!"
There was surge of strength as the Lieutenant pushed KillGore's arm even further. His arm shook from the strain as his arm was mere inches from touching the table. The cultists lowered their Heads to judge the distance, a low chant starting to build.
"TEAL, TEAL, TEAL, TEAL!"
Killgore fixed his gaze at Teal's confident face. She flashed him her teeth as well as a triumphant wink. She was so close and so sure it was in the bag. She just needed to wear him down with the steady pressure and she'd-
"KillGore... is just... toying with you..." KillGore gritted out, showing his other arm and the green number tattooed on it. It wasn't 97.
It was 110.
"Just like... you all belittled... ME!"
In a sudden burst of strength, KillGore completely reversed the positions and pushed Teal's hand from the brink of defeat to victory, the force so great that it actually flipped the Lieutenant's body and had her tumbling head over heels off the table and onto the floor.
The crowd was speechless. The shrimpy new recruit had out arm wrestled the Eastern Division's defending champion.
"VICTORY IS MIIIINE!" KillGore raised both fists in victory while Teal reached an arm onto the table to pull herself up. Her arm was throbbing and she looked exhausted. The cultists slid emeralds to one another as side bets were won and lost.
"Now you see that KillGore is a force to be reckoned! Not belittled, not humiliated, BUT RECKONED!"
To really sell the 'error of their ways' the cultists who won emeralds off of KillGore bowed in reverence to his majesty. He basked in the adulation, laughing evilly.
"B-Best two out of three." Teal tried.
"Mwahaha! You're a hundred years too early to be challenging KILLGORE THE MERCILESS to a rematch! And Ember is next on my path to universal domination! Now that I've surpassed her impressive EXP level, never again shall she subject KillGore to one of her demeaning hugs!"
"What are you idiots doing?" Lieutenant Mark suddenly arrived. Teal was quick to throw herself at him.
"Mark! Mark!" She bawled. "KillGore huwt my wittle arm! Could you kiss it and make it better~?"
"Were you naked in my bed last night?" He accused.
Teal stuck her tongue out cutely, scratching her head coyly. "You saw that, eh? Enjoy the show~❤?"
Mark spared her Health Meter a glance before throwing a Splash Potion of Healing at her to fix her arm. He then addressed the gathered cultists.
"I just got a report saying an invisible trespasser was detected in the Portal Hub, and you guys are here screwing around?" Alarm showed on everyone's faces and Teal dropped the flirty attitude immediately. "Abyssmal is scanning the hub and corridors with his discerning eye as we speak. Invisibility won't matter once he picks up the potion effect particles."
"What should we do, Mark?" Teal asked.
"Form bands of six or more and move as packs down the hallways and rooms. Scatter small items around so you can tell when someone moves over them and picks then up." He commanded. "Also set yourselves as road blocks along the main corridors. If you feel something you can't see, throw Splash Potions, fire spectral arrows, make a grab for them, anything you can to slow the trespasser down."
"You heard the stud muffin! Let's move!"
"Shit! We can't let KillGore go." Spring hissed urgently.
""""We're all over it."""" Carmen's clones promised at the same time before acting.
As the cultists broke off and filed out of the mess hall in groups of five or six, Teal hung back for KillGore. The midget was strangely rooted in place for someone who should be moving with purpose.
"You coming KillGore?" Teal asked.
"Mmm!" He responded without opening his mouth.
"Oh, I get it. Too cool and almighty to slum it with the commoners, huh?" She shook her head in exasperation.
"Mmm!" KillGore repeated, his eyes wide open. He still refused to move from his spot.
"Don't think we've settled this." She swore, dramatically pointing at the midget. "You may have won today, but I'll beat you next time after I've gotten a few more EXP levels under my belt. Kay~?"
"Mmm!" KillGore tried to shout, though his lips refused to budge like something was blocking them.
"Glad we agree. Now, let's see if I can't catch that trespasser before Abyssmal does~!"
Teal jogged down the corridor after the other cultists and only KillGore was left in the mess hall, his body still rooted to the same place and his sealed mouth still making muffled noises.
Then, as if by magic, KillGore's body rose from the floor. His eyes darted to the ground in confusion as he felt something jiggly pressing against his body from all sides and covering his mouth.
With limited options, he worked his upper jaw free before sinking his teeth in whatever was holding him. There was a sharp yelp.
"Este hijo de puta es un chihuahua de la vida real! Me mordió!"
KillGore heard the voice and the strange language, remembering it from the bunker on the Morel Islands. The invisible grip holding him slackened and he was able to free his mouth.
"You! The Magma Cube Hybrid that kidnapped my minion, Spring! You have made a grave mistake! Release me at once so that I may destroy you!"
"Whoa, hang on. When did I become your minion?" Spring asked, revealing himself.
KillGore's eyes bugged out. "Spring? You're here too!?" At that moment, the invisibility wore off and revealed Carmen in her giant form. One hand was gripping KillGore while the other was holding Spring.
"Uh... hey." Spring waved awkwardly, making KillGore squint.
"I can't believe the rumors were true. My first servant conspiring with the Hybrid and pilfering Heads from the Northern HQ! You are a traitor to the cause! From Hades' heart, I stab at thee. With my last breath, I spit at thee…"
"Okay, but when did I become your minion/servant?" Spring focused on the wrong thing.
"Every almighty ruler needs a good servant or two." KillGore answered simply. "For your respectable treatment towards me that day on the islands, I decided to allow you to become one of my minions. A high honor... that will soon be revoked! And you!" He looked to Carmen with the utmost animosity. "Again you lord over me with your size, carrying me like some small toy! I kill Mobs like you for a living! You are nothing more than a tub of jello, a delectable treat to be ground into EXP and devoured by the pure unadulterated genocide that is KILLGO - mph!?"
"Eso es mejor." Carmen spoke in her language and sighed in relief as her thumb closed around KillGore's mouth to shut him up. It also served to keep noise down as the giant Hybrid was fully exposed in the mess hall. If any cultist returned, she'd be spotted in a heartbeat.
"Carmen, remember what we said." Spring chastised before turning to the immobilized KillGore in her fist. "Listen, KillGore, I know this looks bad, but I'm trying to fix it. I'm trying to make things right with the cult."
KillGore turned his head aside, not wanting to hear any of Spring's words.
"Please. We-"
"You're the only person in the world who can help us, KillGore." Carmen suddenly spoke in her vibrato voice. "I apologize for demeaning your brutality like this, but it was the only way to separate you from the others and get a word in edgewise. Please spare us your vengeful wrath, oh Diablo de la destrucción."
She was making a real effort to be polite, and it seemed to be working as KillGore glanced curiously her way. Like she said, she'd do anything if he helped turn her back to human.
She lowered her hand and placed KillGore down before releasing him. Then she split up into her four clones and they all bowed reverently to the shrimp. Taking it a step further, she split into her sixteen miniatures, each of them prostrating themselves before him.
"Perdóname for intimidating you with my size. I lower myself before you - present myself in my most vulnerable form - and beg for your help. Please, KillGore, lend this humble Hybrid your expertise."
KillGore blinked at the heavy-handed adulation before holding a hand up to his mouth and snickering to himself. He then gave his blond hair a light toss before he answered.
"Naturally. It is the smart ones who know their destruction when they see it. They flock to KillGore's side knowing full well that he is their only salvation. Rise, Hybrid!" Carmen's minatures rose, merging together into her four normal-sized clones. "What is your name?"
"Carmen_Delacruz."
"Carmen_Delacruz. For your worship, you have earned my favor. Though you seem like an unholy abomination," Carmen's brow twitched, "you pale in comparison to the true embodiment of carnage that is KillGore. You will not become a victim of KillGore's wrath today. Nor will you be destroyed tomorrow." He then turned to glare at Spring. "As for you! I will hear your excuse and decide if it's worthy of my mercy or not!"
"How magnanimous." He said.
"Quite." KillGore nodded, missing the sarcasm.
"Before we explain, can you take us somewhere safe?" Spring asked. "The whole Eastern HQ is on high alert searching for us, and we don't know the layout-"
"Say no more. KillGore shall bring you to his private quarters. Follow me." He waved a small hand and led Spring and the four clones down a different corridor and away from the searching cultists.
Even still, Spring knew they had a limited amount of time to win KillGore over before Abyssmal tracked them. And if they failed, KillGore would likely bring the whole HQ down on them.
He had to choose his words carefully.
[Cobb]
Another day of trekking through the Ohm Mountains.
It was also Halloween, apparently. October 31st.
What I didn't know was that certain Mobs spawned wearing carved pumpkins or jack o'lanterns on this day. It was my first Halloween in Minecraftia, so it came as a surprise that night when I encountered a Skeleton with that eerie pumpkin grin.
I was exhausted after another round of endurance training. It was only with Witige this time, as Baltic was busy trying to reach Carys that night. There was no response from them and a few blips had vanished from the maps. The others tried to tell him it was probably just another Nether excursion and that was why the blips didn't show up, but Baltic pointed out that someone would have at least checked in. He was restless the whole night.
Lenz and I had gotten into a kind of routine now that there were no Griefers to worry about. In the morning, I'd do endurance training with either Baltic or Witige (I preferred Witige as he didn't fuss over how ruthless the training was) and Perry would occasionally watch. Lenz would also be there, but training with Z7 on how to throw daggers. Sometimes those two would talk for hours in that garbled dialect of theirs.
Then, after exhausting ourselves, we would exhaust ourselves further with a hike through the mountains, the sun warming our fronts in the morning and our backs in the afternoon.
It would conclude at night when I'd crash into bed, falling asleep with the sound of practicing my lies.
That's how I planned to spend my time in the mountains. Steady progress, building up my endurance, and practicing how to lie.
I needed to be ready for anything.
More than that, I needed to be ready for Ember_Waves.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Depth Strider III], 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 12 Cobblestone, 2 Glass, 16 Ender Pearls, 9 Ender Pearls, 52 Glass Bottles, 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Furnace, 17 Flint, 1 Flint and Steel, 17 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 10 Coal, 64 Snowballs, 25 Snowballs, 4 Ender Chests, 30 Obsidian, 64 Steak, 8 Steak, 2 End Crystals, 12 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 64 Eyes of Ender, 64 Chorus Fruit
[EXP: 38]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Dragon Head, 1 Chainmail Chestplate, 1 Chainmail Leggings, 1 Chainmail Boots, 32 Pumpkin Seeds, 1 Iron Dagger, 16 Ender Pearls, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Bow, 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Crossbow, 42 Arrows, 11 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 32 Steak, 63 Chorus Fruit, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Shears, 1 Lever, 13 Tripwire Hooks, 9 Redstone Torches, 8 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}
Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 63 Arrows of Poison {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 63 Arrows of Weakness {0:30}, 60 Arrows of Slowness {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Fire Resistance {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Healing II, 64 Arrows of Invisibility {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Leaping {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Slow Falling {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Night Vision {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Strength II {0:12}, 64 Arrows of Swiftness {1:00}, 63 Arrows of Swiftness II {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Water Breathing {1:00}
[EXP: 21]
Inventory (Baltic): 1 Iron Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Sword [Sharpness II, Unbreaking III], 1 Shield, 1 Bow, 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Silk Touch I, Mending I, Unbreaking II], 10 Arrows, 3 Brewing Stands, 1 Water Bucket, 28 Bones, 2 Steak, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 26 Emeralds, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Healing II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 64 Glass Bottles, 6 Glass Bottles, 64 Dragon's Breath, 64 Dragon's Breath, 1 Dragon's Breath, 46 Blaze Powder, 43 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 63 Phantom Membranes , 64 Blaze Rods, 22 Fermented Spider Eyes, 58 Carrots, 55 Melon Slices, 55 Rabbit's Feet, 50 Golden Ingots, 1 Golden Nugget, 56 Gunpowder, 55 Redstone Dust, 56 Glowstone Dust
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Z7): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 32 Cobblestone, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Charcoal, 14 Torches, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 10 Pumpkin Pies, 40 Baked Potatoes, 1 Bucket, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Slow Falling {4:00}, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
[EXP: 42]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Shears, 5 Cobwebs, 2 Iron Ingots, 64 Steak, 27 Steak, 2 Sticks, 29 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 16 Ender Pearls, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 44]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 22 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Shears, 8 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Jukebox, 1 Music Disc {chirp}, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 24 Torches, 34 White Wool, 23 Dirt, 12 Pumpkin Seeds, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 44 Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 41]
Cat-Face the Cat
Christopher Squawken the Parrot
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Green Shield [Beginners], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Cobblestone, 64 Nether Warts, 20 Soul Sand, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Shears, 10 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Brewing Stand, 40 Glass Bottles, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 2 Ender Chests, 16 Ender Pearls, 4 Ender Pearls, 26 Steak, 3 Phantom Membranes, 64 Glowstone Dust, 32 Gunpowder, 20 Redstone Dust, 64 Blaze Powder, 64 Golden Nuggets, 64 Brown Mushrooms, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple
[EXP: 35]
Snow the Horse
AN: Comedy from the EC and tragedy from the Carys side. Also some background on how Wynn is doing. I haven't forgotten about her.
Just a Chapter to show Gunnah's caught up with Noman's group and is a significant threat. He doesn't stop, just like the Terminator. RIP Harbord, Buckner, and Devers. Pretty much nameless Paragons. The ones with Cobb have more weight to them since Cobb's gotten to know some of them. You can probably remember a few of their names more than the ones with Carys.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. LICORICE.
