AN: 2022, Babyyyyyyyy! What better way to start the year than with Part VII of My Craft. There's an Omake as I promised from last Chapter.
I had a good hiatus. Had a lotta time to plan and type some side projects. Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. Here's to a better year
I'm excited for Part VII... and also something else I've been typing on the side. It's not ready yet, but I'm working on it with the same seriousness as I devote to My Craft. Look forward to it, my dear viewers.
Here's to hoping we surpass the FAV and FOLLOW count in the Minecraft genre. As always, leave a Review and check out our Discord. Links can be found on the FORUM on my Profile. Else I can post a new link if necessary.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Chickpeas.
*==PART VII==*
After a rocky start, the Beginner-Paragon Alliance is in full swing. Going East and West, the alliance is sharing new skills and forging unique connections to become stronger than they were on their own. But will they be ready to take on the Endward Cult and the dangerous new allies they've made? Sharpen your fangs and build your strength.
NOTHING HAPPENS THIS PART.
Chapter 201
The Stigmata Wars
[Floyd]
A volley of MultiAura spines sunk into a Griefer before he died in a burst of gear. I was shrouded in smoke, my sclerae black as night.
"A Hacker!" Another Griefer exclaimed, his weapon dropping and his hands going up. "Wait, wait! Most exalted one, we didn't realize who you-"
Kalmarin's sword cleaved the speaker in two before he could finish. He too was clad in smoke, using his Strength Hack to give himself an edge. It was hardly necessary against such weak Griefers, but maybe it was more a power move to demoralize them. They worshipped us, after all.
Anyway, the power move worked, and the band of fifty Griefers that ambushed us in the desert looked to Kalmarin and me in confusion and horror. They all lowered their weapons immediately, apologizing profusely and begging for forgiveness.
"It's okay." Noman spoke reassuringly. "So long as you surrender, you won't be harmed. We don't need to fight-"
"All your EXP." Carys steamrolled past Noman's feeble peace talk with a harsh demand. "Bottle all your EXP and hand it over. That's the price for forgiveness."
"Carys!"
"They attacked us. What, does Aikido practice generosity towards antagonists? Though, to be fair, calling these louts antagonists is a bit of a stretch." She kicked over a kneeling Griefer. "More like hindrances. But their EXP levels are decent. Figure we can make this a blessing in disguise."
"Didn't you get that strat from King_Cobb? Oh, sorry." Anibal backtracked since Carys was shooting her a death glare. "It's not his, and you shouldn't have to hide that you're using it." The death glare intensified. "I'll just go over there."
Carys closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. "Maaaybe Trenay's report told me about Cobb's EXP accrual and I thought the idea wasn't half bad." Just saying that seemed to take a lot of effort on Carys' part. "But that should only make you support this idea more. Cobb's done it with Griefers. If you're still against it, you don't have to take any. We'll divvy it up amongst ourselves."
As much as I hated to say it, I was on Carys' side, and so was Soul. Why not take EXP from the guys that jumped us? Even if they surrendered, it was a fair trade just for the trouble they caused. It's not like we were killing them, so why was Noman so against it?
Just when it looked like Albert and Reuben were going to hand out bottles to the Griefers, Noman inserted himself between them, arms spread out.
"I'm not stupid, Carys. You fully intend to take their lives after they hand over every drop of EXP they have." The Griefers flinched and a look of annoyance crossed Carys' features. "You wouldn't talk so openly about Cobb in their presence, and you can't have anyone leaking our alliance." Noman shook his head. "You see them like they're already dead."
"They were dead the minute they attacked us." Carys admitted. Her eyes glanced to the Griefers who were now glaring defiantly at her. She sighed. "And now they know they're dead and won't be bottling any EXP for us. Gotta get the EXP the messy way, then." She slid her knuckles against her scythe blade before walking over to Noman stood in her way.
"Carys, don't do it. This isn't like with Gunnah. There's nobody to avenge and they've surrendered. Please, don't-"
Her scythe handle cracked against the side of Noman's head and sent him into the sand. The pacifist crawled backwards, his pleading eyes upon the cruel scythe-wielder.
"This is the part where you shut up and let me do my thing." She waved one hand and the Paragons started executing the Griefers. Anibal riddled several with her dual crossbows, Kalmarin cleaved into torsos with his Hacker Strength, Albert and Reuben killed in droves with Splash Potions of harming, and Carys contributed by savagely grabbing a Griefer and grating his head onto a cactus like it was cheese. In front of a traumatized Noman.
"I mean, we need the EXP." Soul shrugged, his axe burying into one pleading Griefer. "If they're gonna die anyway, we might as well." He pulled his axe out and executed another Griefer.
I couldn't do it. Not when they surrendered so readily. Instead, I went over to Noman in a show of solidarity. Neither of us would execute surrendered men and women.
"This is why you can't reach your Hack." Kalmarin said, stunning me. "You don't have the strength to do the things to make yourself stronger." Kalmarin drove his sword down a Griefer's spine, his Strength Hack making the action as easy as punching a hole through paper. "Don't want for something you don't want."
I did want the Strength Hack, but not if it meant killing so wantonly. I wanted to be better than the Hack Clan. I wanted Strength to deal more damage to my foes, and to protect me from Potions of Weakness. Despite training with Kalmarin the past week, I'd made no progress with it. I needed to feel strong, independent, responsible. That couldn't come from killing surrendered Griefers. I needed it to mean something.
"All done." Carys said when it was finished. She said it like a doctor giving a patient a shot, and she said it to Noman. The poor guy looked upon all the spilled gear and needless death with a pained expression, as if witnessing it actually hurt him. "People die everyday, invalid. Grow a thicker skin." Carys said harshly. She waved everyone to move on, and the Paragons quickly remounted their horses. Soul was already on his, though he looked hung back to wait for Noman and me.
"We better get going." I said thinking that moving on was for the best.
"...You told me that doing good offsets the bad."
I turned to Noman, his despondent gaze on the sand beneath his feet. He was referring to our talk back in Akasha, after we both killed a Hacker.
"...Yeah."
"How... how can I offset Carys' bad?" Noman pleaded. "I can't keep her from killing, and every death I witness is another chip upon my soul. I can't. I can't stay here. I'm going to lose my mind. I can't."
My mouth opened, but I had no words of comfort for the pacifist. Cobb put me in charge, yet I couldn't even help my hurting friend.
In all honesty, this was no place for Noman. Of course witnessing war and death would wear away his sanity - he was a pacifist. He didn't need to be here. He needed to be helping refugees, or treating the injured, or feeding the poor, or teaching Jibbermen to read. He needed to do humanitarian things and save lives. He always needed to save lives.
He wouldn't get that chance with Carys.
And there I was, helpless to do anything. It was a problem with no easy solution, especially considering our circumstances.
He wasn't the only one who didn't know what to do.
That night, Carys and I were together on watch. Everybody else was asleep, the torches illuminating our campsite and keeping the Husks away.
Carys was scanning the dunes, her scythe at her side and ready for a fight.
"You expecting more Griefers?" I asked, trying to start a conversation. If it wasn't relevant, she wouldn't have bothered.
"Doubt it." She said. "No communities in the desert. They've all been wiped out. Hardly anyone passes through, so it's unusual to find the number of Griefers we did." She leaned back, stretching her legs. "Maybe they were trying to get somewhere. Maybe they were out looking for someone or something."
"Well, we'll never know. Because you killed them." I added carelessly. By Carys' sharp glare, it was a sentence too far.
"You disapprove? Or does your Hacker blood make you feel an attachment to your Griefer toadies?"
"I'm not-!" I gave up on that with an angry sigh. "This isn't about me. Noman's a wreck. First Gunnah, then today's massacre. He's growing further and further away from his peaceful ideals."
"Then I'm finally getting through to him." Carys said, proud of herself.
"We have enough fighters and firepower without changing him into one of your Paragons. Can't you lay off?"
"I'm trying to toughen him up. Eventually, he'll witness enough ugly truths to get the picture and be a real soldier. Then we can all move on-"
"He won't toughen up. Don't you see? He despises killing."
"Yes, he's told me the gist of his Aikido crockery." Carys rolled her eyes. "It's stupid. You kill or you die. Every killer you don't kill could mean another dead guy later down the line. It's simple survival."
"Noman wasn't made to kill."
"Then maybe he shouldn't have been given a killer chestplate!"
"No, it's exactly why he was supposed to have it." I asserted. "Giving that kind of power to the wrong person - anyone would let it go to their head. Not Noman."
Carys considered that a moment before shaking her head dismissively.
"He could have killed you or your Paragons in Zeppil or Shansi." I pointed out. "His mercy is the only reason you're alive - it's who he is - and you just want to rip that out of him?"
"Either I rip it out of him or someone else will." Carys said with certainty. "That's life. We can't all be innocent little sunflowers. That invalid needs to face reality."
"Is that why you shoved a guy's face into a cactus?" I asked dryly. "Ensuring he's mentally balanced is more important than forcibly turning him into a killer. You do this wrong, you'd be turning the man with the most powerful weapon into a madman."
"I know what I'm doing."
"All I'm saying is that you need to give him a chance to save lives or do something humane for a change. It'll go a long way to restore his confidence."
Carys stood up suddenly before turning on me. "I've got enough on my plate fighting a war. You're so concerned, why don't you do something? Cobb put you in charge, right? Fix your own damn problems."
She walked off after that, roughly waking up Anibal to swap shifts. She was done talking to me.
I pinched the bridge of my nose, reprimanding myself for thinking telling her would get her to do anything.
The next day, November 5th, we only traveled a few miles from camp before spotting by something new. It commanded our attention and had Carys smirking.
The sands of the Redbone Desert grew sparser as they turned into dark, volcanic obsidian. With the sun at our backs, our shadows stretched forward towards the jagged, unyielding ground. As unyielding as the woman leading us.
"The Lacquerlands. We made it." Carys smirked as she checked her map. "We made better time than that slowpoke massterbaitor. We're ahead of schedule. What's taking you so long, hmm?"
"How much farther is Exter?" Soul asked while I looked at the tall, black mountains on the western horizon. Were those made of obsidian too?
"We're five or six days away." Albert informed. "We really did make great time. It was supposed to take us a month, but we'll be a week early at this rate."
"Unless we run into a Stigma." Anibal remarked.
"Yeah, that would be just our luck." Spaatz agreed.
"Stigma? What's that?" I asked.
"Oh, boy. Looks like this is one of those things we know, but you don't." Anibal scratched her chin. "Carys, we gotta bring them up to speed."
"I know. That takes priority." Carys steered her horse towards us and spoke with authority. "Before we step foot onto that obsidian ground, you all need to be made aware of an environmental hazard that exists in the Lacquerlands: the Stigmata."
"Stigmata..." I repeated, the word sounding familiar. Cobb would be able to remember it immediately, but the rest of us had more trouble.
"That's right. The Stigmata. How much do you know about them?" The three of us shrugged at Anibal's question. "Alright, so, stop me if this sounds familiar. Herobrine did dot dot dot, and now we all have to deal with it."
I couldn't help but groan with Soul. "Not another problem caused by Herobrine. He really is the root of all evil. So what exactly did he do?"
"There's a story." Carys began before telling us. "You all know how Herobrine made the artifacts and gave them to the other nine kings. You also know he 'warned' the Hack Clan that the kingdoms possessed such weapons and intended to use them against the Hackers, thus instigating a conflict between the Clan and the Kingdoms. But did you know that Exter fought back?"
The three of us shared a look, the information new to us. We soon became engrossed as Carys retold Exter's history.
"At the time, Exter had the strongest military force in Minecraftia. Its king, Zipshin, was a combative and proud man who strove to arm his citizens and make Exter a stratocracy - a militaristic government. It wasn't like the other Kingdoms split between guards and civilians. Everyone was trained in combat, and the renowned blacksmith Tinker provided unique weapons of infinite durability to further strengthen the populace. No kingdom had a stronger army in all of history - though I intend to rectify that very soon." Carys added with a knowing smirk. She had something in mind.
"So when the Hackers attacked, Exter was ready for them." Carys continued. "Exter, which was the birthplace of the Captain and guard system. Exter, which had harsh, scalding lands to birth tough, unyielding warriors." Her gaze settled on Noman and turned a shade condescending. "Like coal under pressure, this land made them unbreakable diamonds with steel teeth. They had the strength to fight back. They had the will to survive."
"So Exter fought the Hack Clan off?" I asked. They had to have. Exter wasn't like Akasha. They weren't subservient to the Clan, providing monthly food tribute under threat of annihilation. So they had to have won, right?
"Not quite." Anibal shook her head. "Understand that not all of the Clan attacked Exter. The Hackers had to fight multiple fronts, attacking eight of the Kingdoms at once. Ringwood was spared, but Akasha was hit hardest because they felt their artifact - the Vivlio Zythopoiias - was the biggest threat. Then they had them build the Clan their Obelisk after it was over. Exter only had to fight ten Hackers and their army of Griefers."
"Only ten!?" Soul shouted, outraged. The Griefers wouldn't have been a problem considering the numbers on each side. He'd seen what Hackers could do to a Kingdom all together, but only ten could do the same? "Ten Hackers were a match for a kingdom of hardened warriors!?"
"Yes, and things would've been quite deadlocked - maybe even in Exter's favor - if Herobrine hadn't interfered."
I felt a sense of foreboding at Anibal's words before Carys took over the explanation again.
"Herobrine anticipated that Exter would show the most resistance. He knew they would be the toughest to beat, especially against only ten Hackers. So Herobrine used his Command Block knowledge to create the seven Stigmata, and he released them upon Exter."
"Wait, is it Stigma or Stigmata?" Soul asked reasonably.
"Stigma is singular, Stigmata is plural." Albert specified. "One Stigma, seven Stigmata. Get it?" Soul nodded.
"But what's a Stigma?" Noman asked.
"A Stigma is a Mob made by Command Blocks. It was designed with the express purpose of exterminating large populations of men and women. Much like the Withers." I shivered at the thought. I knew Command Blocks could make airships and protect zones, but to hear they could spawn specially designed Mobs was a shocker. The implications being that Herobrine could summon an army of monsters if he wanted to. "The Stigmata differed in that they were modeled after Zombie Pigmen, had a glass dome over their Heads, could not be harmed, and would multiply whenever they became incensed. And they would become incensed without even being harmed. Just getting too close would set one off, and then you wouldn't be facing one anymore."
"Um, I think I misheard that. Did you say they-?"
"Multiply. Yes." Carys nodded seriously. "They multiply by five every half-second they're incensed, and those clones are just as invincible and capable of multiplying as the original. It doesn't take long for one to turn into an army. Their damage output is standard Pigmen, but that's still a lot. Their speed has been tampered with too. They can run 10 meters per second. 22.4 miles per hour, and they don't tire."
"A Crafter's average speed is 5.6 meters per second." Anibal added. "And a Potion of Swiftness II only bumps that up to 7.9 meters per second. Only way to outrun them is with a faster than average horse or..." Her eyes strayed to me. "Certain Hacks."
"Herobrine unleashed seven of those things on Exter and watched as the warriors were ripped apart by a tidal wave of Zombie Pigmen." Carys closed her eyes. "The citizens of Exter were unprepared for the Stigmata and had no strategy to combat them. The sudden threat sowed chaos and confusion, and it tipped the scales to Exter's detriment."
"Don't you mean it tipped the scales in the Hackers' favor?" Soul asked.
"The Stigmata weren't made to distinguish between Crafter and Hacker. They attacked everyone. Like a natural disaster, it couldn't be stopped. All it took was a Crafter to get too close to a Stigma to spawn an unshakable army of them. The Hackers had no better understanding of how they worked than Exter's citizens, so it's more accurate to say the Stigmata were a detriment to Exter rather than a benefit for the Hackers. Because they were the dominant force, the period of time this conflict between Exter, the Hackers, and the Stigmata took place is called the Stigmata Wars."
"The history is well-known and documented." Kalmarin added. "I believe there's an Alexicon entry about it."
"Hang on. Exter's still around despite getting attacked by those Stigmata things." Soul pointed out. "How come?"
"Well, initially Exter's citizens were lost on how to deal with them. They couldn't be harmed by swords or arrows, by potions or TNT. They could multiply forever, only returning back to their original self when there were no Crafters around. Quite the tall order considering they were inside a populated kingdom. They kept spawning and spawning without end, the bodies multiplying by five every half second. Can you imagine being beset by a sea of Zombie Pigmen? They were faster and could deal six Hearts of damage at a time. All Exter's citizens could do was climb their roofs and pray for help. It was impossible to fight them."
"So instead, the Captains of Exter rounded up a group of courageous men and women and led the Stigmata away on the fastest steeds at their disposal. The Stigmata followed and emptied out of Exter in pursuit of those brave Crafters."
"On horseback they galloped west, putting as much distance as they could between them and Exter. They herded the sea of Stigmata to the Border and guided them straight off a cliff and into the deadly barrier."
"Not even that was enough to kill the Stigmata." The reveal had me alarmed. "They were well and truly invulnerable."
Immune to the Border too. Those Stigmata could walk in and out of Minecraftia if they so pleased.
"The Captains fulfilled their purpose in leading the Stigmata away. After they vacated the area they left them, the clones disappeared on their own, leaving the original seven Stigmata to roam."
"I'm telling you this before we set foot in the Lacquerlands," Carys went on, "because the Stigmata are confined to the Lacquerlands. Think of them as a regional hazard. Herobrine coded them somehow so that they can't leave this volcanic biome - a failsafe so that they couldn't be used against him. His only aim for them was to weaken Exter anyway, which they accomplished."
"What Herobrine hadn't counted on," Anibal continued with a smirk, "is that his Stigmata scared off the ten attacking Hackers. They didn't want to tangle with this new, mysterious, army-spawning Mob. While most attacking Hackers entered the kingdoms they were attacking, they never set foot in Exter."
"How did King Zipshin die?" Noman asked. "I know Ciro got his artifact, but-"
"Zipshin died on the front lines." Carys informed. "He was fighting the ten Hackers at once with the Yanhua Gong. He put up a fight, but the Hackers won. From what I heard, Ciro_Che was there at the time and managed to escape with the Yanhua Gong before the Hackers could claim it. The Hackers weren't in a position to pursue him with the Stigmata occupying the kingdom. They probably figured Exter would self-destruct on its own without a king. They were wrong. The kingdom was grievously wounded, but not killed. It was the beginning of the end for their military, on the other hand."
"So these Stigmata things are still roaming the Lacquerlands after all these years? When did the Stigmata Wars take place?"
"From 145 to 147, if I recall." Albert filled in. "Three years. The first two years was just Hackers and their Griefer army, the last one introduced the Stigmata."
"You're right that the Stigmata still roam these lands." Carys pointed with her head towards the Lacquerlands. "But we only have to worry about the odds."
"What odds...?"
"The Stigmata were labeled 1 through 7. Herobrine gave them names." Anibal explained. "Only the originals have the names, not the clones, but half of the originals have been destroyed. 2, 4, and 6 - the evens - are confirmed gone. 1, 3, 5, are still out there roaming. 7 is missing. Those are the odds."
"Gone? Destroyed? I thought they were invulnerable." I said, very confused.
"They are invulnerable, but everything has a weakness." Carys said wisely. "Although the Border couldn't kill them, one lucky soul - not you, Soul - discovered they can be stripped of their protection by drawing them into the Nether. He did it in a last ditch, desperate plan to escape the pursuing clones, but when a clone followed him into the portal, it lost its speed and could be harmed. The Stigmata are just regular Pigmen in the Nether - ironically, in the dimension where Zombie Pigmen originate from."
"Pushing them through a portal makes them vulnerable." Noman whispered to himself while pressing a hand to his chest. "They don't work in the Nether. Just like the artifacts..."
"I was thinking something similar." Carys agreed. "Command Block constructs only seem to work in the dimension they're made. They don't work cross-dimension. By drawing a Stigma into the Nether, Exter's people have been able to take out three of them. Furthermore, they've discovered that killing an original will take out the clones. All of them."
"It's not so simple to draw an original on its own." Anibal pointed out. "Remember, each one multiplies by five every half second a Crafter is nearby. You'd have to pick out the original and guide it into the portal without getting caught or killed by the clones. It's not easy, and many Crafters have died trying."
"But through their efforts, three have been vanquished." Kalmarin nodded. "They fought the good fight."
"What about the missing one? Number 7?" Soul asked. "What's that about?"
"Just what it sounds like. The seventh Stigma went missing." Carys shrugged. "No sightings of it in the Lacquerlands, but no confirmed kill on it either. It might've roamed outside the Border - the Lacquerlands biome exists outside it - or maybe it fell into a deep, dark hole deep underground, but nobody has seen it since the end of the Stigmata Wars when it was lured out of Exter. Wherever it is, it's no longer a hazard around these parts. The remaining odds are a different story; we need to watch out for them."
"Every night, we'll elevate our campsite and double the people on watch." Carys declared. "Albert, Reuben, and Noman will brew Potions of Invisibility and Night Vision so we can see in the dark. If we catch even a glimpse of a Stigma, sound the alarm and make yourself invisible. We're not going to fight these things... because we can't fight these things. Not without taking a needless risk. Got it?"
It must've been difficult to admit there was something she couldn't fight, but that only drove home how much these Stigmata were like a natural disaster. Carys would rather fight a Hacker than a speedy, endlessly multiplying, invulnerable, and deady army of Zombie Pigmen. We understood how serious a threat they were, the three of us nodding to show we were all on the same page.
"Alright. If you understand, we can take our first step into the Lacquerlands." Carys steered her horse forward and crossed onto volcanic rock at a canter. The rest of us followed.
Just a few more days to Exter.
[Blitz Peak]
"He's late."
The words were delivered in a sharp vibrato by Carmen as she and her three clones sat leaning back-to-back against each other.
"He'll be here." Spring assured, standing on the edge of the cliff, the rain pelting his back and soaking his clothes.
"That chihuahua sold us out. We should never have gone to him. What if he gives the culto your idea?"
"He won't." Spring shook his head. "We came to an understanding. He needs us as much as we need him. No way he'll sell us out."
Spring was banking on his instinct on this one. He had impressed upon KillGore the importance of teamwork and intrigued him with his plan to obtain Wither skulls faster than the Endward Cult. Spring felt there was a mutual respect between them, and he felt it was enough to convince KillGore to pursue this.
He didn't worry about what-ifs. If he didn't show, everything was over before it began.
"He could be having trouble slipping away from Abyssmal's eye." Spring commented. "Maybe he's just being careful getting here. The Cult wouldn't permit him working with us, after all."
"I just hate waiting in the lluvia." Carmen grumbled miserably, the rain evaporating off her body like steam.
"Because you're part Magma Cube?"
""""Because I'm cold and wet!"""" Carmen and her clones complained in unison. "It's not raining at the base of the montaña! Why couldn't we have waited there?"
Ah, yes. Blitz Peak was a most peculiar anomaly. The mountain was always experiencing a thunderstorm. Usually, when it rained in Minecraftia, every part of Minecraftia would experience the same precipitation. Maybe it would be snowing in Lazuli and thunderstorms in warmer biomes, but the precipitation would be widespread. Only one location had a storm all year round, and that was Blitz Peak.
Legend had it that Jeb wanted to study the effects of lightning on redstone, so he used a Command Block with a custom made code by Herobrine to have the weather always be a thunderstorm on a mountain in Daymonte's territory. The mountain was renamed Blitz Peak as a result. However, the experiments stopped after Jeb passed away and nobody could find the Command Block with the storm code to turn it off. So the storms kept assaulting the mountain.
Later on, it was discovered that Creepers struck by lightning became Charged Creepers, and that if they exploded, the first Mob they killed would drop a Head of that Mob type, but only for Zombies, Creepers, or Skeletons. As such, Daymonte erected a Weather Institute with a staff composed of Crafters and Testificates, both to study the weather and to gather Mob Heads as an export. Crafters liked wearing masks for parties... or else to conceal their name and face.
Spring was hoping the Charged Creepers could help KillGore get the Wither skulls he needed. That was the crux of their plan, as convoluted as it truly was.
Getting their plan to work was the reason Spring and Carmen were waiting in the rain, just shy of the Weather Institute. They had to get to the closest portal to Blitz Peak before walking the rest of the way. It was a pain, but Spring was in no position to complain. This was how life would be while he was on the outs with the cult and wanted by the kingdoms.
Finally, a shock of blond hair climbed into view. It made Spring smile and he stepped forward to greet their late arrival.
"You made it." Spring nodded.
"Of course I made it. KillGore keeps his word." KillGore slapped his soaked arm into Spring's midriff. "That snooping Abyssmal held me up, asking where I was heading. Why I was bringing a cat."
"Why did you bring a gato?"
"What a stupid question! We need this cat - General Disarray - to farm Creepers!"
"General who now?"
"General Disarray! A loyal minion." He held up the cat by its front paws. "Don't let his size fool you. Much like KillGore, fearsome things come in small, often overlooked packages."
"...Ah." Carmen coughed awkwardly before changing the subject. "What did you tell Abyssmal?"
"Rest easy. I got him off my scent. Told him I was working on a new Mob Grinder. Which is a truth!" His smile was all teeth. "We are working on a new Mob Grinder! The best the world has ever seen! Mwahahaha!"
"Save the evil laughter for when we actually got the skulls. I don't want to count our chickens early." Spring dug into his backpack for the obsidian. "We took the liberty of scouting out the Weather Institute. There's a blind spot by some rocks to the west of here. No one will see us working there."
"Very good. KillGore is ready to begin." KillGore took out some building materials from his backpack and the three partners in crime – and cat - moved to the designated blind spot. It was just as Spring said. The rocks kept them from being spotted by the people at the institute and there was plenty of space to work with.
"Did you bring the disco maldito?" Carmen asked the midget.
"KillGore has it stashed in his ender chest, but that shouldn't matter should it?" KillGore narrowed his eyes at the Hybrid. "You won't be getting it until AFTER your ability helps us."
Carmen and her clones glared at the shorty, prompting Spring to get between them.
"Relax, everybody. Relax." He repeated more insistently to Carmen. "We all know the plan, and we know we need each other to get what we want. You haven't forgotten what I said before, right?"
"...Sí."
"Enough dawdling. KillGore has miracle work to get done!" KillGore took out cobblestone and began building the foundations of a room. Meanwhile, Spring took out a stack of obsidian and started building portal frames. He had enough to make six, which he haphazardly placed around facing different directions. Carmen and her clones watched idly, though they were scared slimeless when a bolt of lightning struck two meters away and the thunder blew out their eardrums.
"Esta maldita montaña será mi muerte!"
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, 56 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, 24 Steak, 13 Tripwire Hooks, 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, 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, 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, 8 Pumpkin Pies, 38 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, 20 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]
Buckner's Horse
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 62 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, 11 Pumpkin Seeds, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 34 Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 41]
Devers' 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 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Green Shield [Beginners], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Cobblestone, 63 Nether Warts, 20 Soul Sand, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Shears, 10 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Brewing Stand, 37 Glass Bottles, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 2 Ender Chests, 16 Ender Pearls, 4 Ender Pearls, 18 Steak, 3 Phantom Membranes, 63 Glowstone Dust, 31 Gunpowder, 19 Redstone Dust, 63 Blaze Powder, 64 Golden Nuggets, 64 Brown Mushrooms, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple
[EXP: 35]
Snow the Horse
AN: Kind of short, but only because it's an intro Chapter. The first Arc of this Part will be the Stigmata Arc. I can't imagine why it would be called that...
Another issue caused by Herobrine. I'm wondering if the viewers are at a stage where they can't stand to hear one more bad thing this guy brought on Minecraftia.
But wait, where's Cobb? The star of the story? Well, he's still moving through the Ohm Mountains. Meanwhile, Carys and her group enter the Lacquerlands - gosh, what a great name that is - and go towards Exter. The biome for the Lacquerlands is one of my own design, with an Obsidian outer level, lava, volcanoes. Basically Mordor from Middle Earth. All Noman has to do now is take the ring to Mount Doom to be rid of it.
And now for an... interesting Omake.
My Craft Stew: Iron Chef Minecraftia
"Masters in their field!"
"World-class chefs with extreme confidence and incomparable skill!"
"You've seen these all-stars fight it out and make it this far, but now only one will become our grand champion and win 75,000 Emeralds! This is Iron Chef Minecraftia!"
"We are so excited for this!" Soul announced to the stands packed with people. Behind him were two identical kitchens stocked with ingredients, smokers, brewing stands, and crafting tables. "This final cook-off between two culinary giants. Let's introduce them."
"Cooking in the east corner, she's been brought back from the dead to make this scenario work. She's a dutiful housekeeper and former WWE Catfight champion. She's murdered a couple gold-digging furnaces with their eyes on her special boo. Put your hands together fooooooor ErinRunner!"
The audience applauded, but the dark-haired housekeeper was already scrambling to make the food. She had to use every culinary trick in her arsenal to make it this far into the competition, and she wasn't about to rest on her laurels. She was taking risks, inventing recipes in order to come out a step ahead of her opponent. Her hair was disheveled in places from how feverishly she was running between the smokers and the brewing stands and the pantry.
"ErinRunner." Soul greeted, stepping up into her kitchen space. "You're certainly living up to your name. You'll give Floyd a run for his money." Soul laughed at his own joke, though nobody else did. "Mind telling us what you're making tonight? Is that cooked mutton I smell?"
"Yes, it is." Erin threw out shortly, her attention focused solely on the food. She was making cooked mutton, a chorus fruit and carrot salad, a baked potato for a starch, bread and mushroom stew, some Thick Potions to drink, and for dessert a pack of chocolate chip cookies. She was pulling out all the stops.
"Okay, well, now to our other contestant." Soul moved to the other kitchen where four dark red and black figures were at different cooking stations, moving in unison like a well-organized team. "In the west corner, she's a Magma Cube Hybrid and a one-woman cook team. Sometimes I hardly understand what she's saying, but I like the way it sounds. The head chef of the best restaurant in Minecraftia, Carmen_Delacruz!"
More applause from the audience, and one Carmen actually broke off from cooking to wave at them. Three others focused on cooking. Carmen split into her four clones whenever she cooked to maximize the amount of prep work she could take care of. Ever since she started cooking with her... special condition… she only allowed herself to cook, because she was the only person she could trust to do a good job. She charcoal smoked the salmon, brewed several Mundane Potions to pair with the rabbit stew and sweet berry seasoning, dried kelp and beetroot soup, and finally a cream-frosted cake. No housekeeper was going to beat her.
She had an overwhelming advantage having four bodies do multiple things at once. Since they all had the same hivemind, they moved in perfect harmony without the need to communicate or shout. A sweat broke across Erin's forehead as she struggled to cook at the same level as Carmen.
"Damn, what Carmen's making smells good. I'm envious of the judges getting to sample these delicacies." Soul sniffed the air dreamily before wiping off some drool. "Let's go and meet them while our chefs finish up." He walked over to the desk seating a panel of three judges.
"Our first judge is a master fisherman with an eidetic memory. He also owes me money, but I know where he lives so I know he's good for it. If not I'll break his kneecaps." Soul lugged his axe menacingly. "King_Cobb, everybody."
The fisherman waved cordially. "I'm named after a food item. Those are my qualifications for judging this thing."
"Our next judge is an Endward Cult grunt that killed one of my best friends. As such, I fully intend to slow torture him after this competition is over. Spring_Fever!"
"Uh… what?" Spring asked worriedly from his chair. "He's joking, right?"
"No." Cobb shook his head.
"And our last judge is someone we've also brought back from the dead for the sake of this scenario. She's a parkour master and snake in human skin. I might just bring her in on the slow torture if the stars align. AceOfJades!"
"Don't hate because I'm a fan favorite and you're not. And I'm a villain!" The green-haired Jade crowed from the third seat. She then leaned forward and waved at Cobb. "Hey, Cobb. How are things?"
"Traumatizing…" Cobb hugged his knees and rocked back and forth, unable to look at his ex.
"And Spring! Good to see you again." Jade reached out and shook Spring's hand. "How's the subdivision since I left? Anyone filled my shoes? What's the cult up to?"
"Uh, well, I'm kinda on the outs with the cult right now." Spring rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "They think I'm a traitor since I helped Carmen."
"Ah. Swayed by a pretty face." Jade nodded wisely. "Been there, done that."
"Don't you call me pretty!" Cobb snapped.
"Don't you call him pretty!" Erin said at the same time before adding, "Homewrecker!"
"For the hundredth time, I didn't know you were Cobb's… whatever you are." She said lamely. "Were you two dating or something, what, what are you?"
"You got in the way of my elaborate ten-part dating plan!" Erin bawled. "I was at the friend stage, laying down the groundwork for friends with benefits. But then you killed me! ME! The best girl!"
"Fight, fight, fight! Kiss, kiss!" Soul chanted from the sideline before Carmen's clones strode forward with their finished dishes. "Oh, guess we'll have to put a pause on that excitement. One of our chefs just finished their-"
"W-Wait! Wait! I'm done too! Try mine first!" Erin hurried forward with her dishes, offering them up for tasting.
"I guess we'll just try them all at once." Spring shrugged. "Just set them out."
""""Buen provecho."""" The clones said, laying the food out gracefully. She lingered slightly in front of Spring's seat, her glowing orange eyes staring into his. He gulped thickly before the Hybrid withdrew.
"Please enjoy." Erin sent a kind smile at Cobb and Spring, though it turned brittle when directed at Jade. She practically dumped the food in front of her, and the bowl of mushroom stew she set down in front of her looked slightly different from Cobb and Spring's. "Don't choke on it, sweetie."
"Sounds like somebody doesn't want 75,000 Emeralds." Jade said pointedly before digging into the food. Cobb and Spring did the same.
"Mmm, I never realized how much difference charcoal grilling something can change the taste." Cobb remarked, taking a bite of Carmen's salmon. "Those smoky flavors are really sharper. And this beetroot soup is a good match with its earthy sweetness."
"Gracias." A clone nodded.
"And Erin. Chorus Fruit and carrots. I never imagined those two going together, but the pairing is magical." Spring nodded through bites of food. "And the Thick Potion is a great palate cleanser for your cooked mutton. I don't think I've ever tasted food this-" He cut off with a choked gasp when he saw the four Carmen clones shooting daggers at him with their eyes.
""""You choking, Spring?"""" They asked coldly. "Try my food."
"Ah… *cough* y-yes." Spring quietly sipped Carmen's Mundane Potion before taking a mouthful of rabbit stew and popping some sweet berries into his mouth. "Very delicious."
"How's my food, Cobb?" Erin asked innocently.
"Well, I really love the mushroom stew. The bread was a good choice to soak it up." Cobb spoke between bites and made Erin blush. "And these cookies are the right level of sweetness-"
"AUGH!" Jade suddenly screamed, clutching her stomach like there were shards of glass in her intestines. The other two judges looked to her in alarm as bistre particles swirled around her. "I've been WITHERED!"
"Now how did that happen!" Erin gasped.
"I knew it was suspicious! What'd she put in that stew!? AUGH! It hurts!" Jade fell out of her chair and writhed on the ground. "My insides are burning!"
"Does this mean I win?" Carmen and her clones asked innocently. Whatever status effect that stew caused, it didn't last long, and Jade was back on her knees before long. She glared at Erin who whistled innocently.
"You just lost my vote, genius!"
"Like I wanted your vote anyway, homewrecker!"
"Erin gets my vote for poisoning Jade." Cobb raised his hand with a grin that made Erin cheer happily. "She's a real winner."
"No es justo!" Carmen blurted out in her vibrato. "We go by the food! Poisoning it is a pecado! A sin!"
"So that's one vote for Carmen, one vote for Erin. Spring's the decider." Soul swiftly made the situation tense for Spring while things were beginning to escalate. "So who's the winner?"
Spring became the target of great scrutiny while he was still in the middle of enjoying good food. He knew he shouldn't have agreed to this judge thing, but Carmen had insisted. Both Carmen and Erin looked to him with half-hopeful, half demanding expressions. It was a close duel between the two chefs, but Spring knew there was a clear winner.
"…Carmen. My vote goes to Carmen."
The clones whooped enthusiastically before leaping up and chest-bumping one another. Meanwhile, Erin sank to the ground in defeat, tears leaking from her eyes.
"How… how could I lose to beetroot soup and salmon?"
"Oye! What's wrong with salmon?" Carmen demanded in her vibrato.
"It's too light. Not enough meat."
"Maybe your mutton was just too heavy. After all, you had to poison someone to get your one vote." One of the clones countered with a saucy snap of her fingers.
Erin narrowed her eyes. "You wanna talk heavy? How about that ten-pound cake you made! It's too much food - they wouldn't have the room for it!"
"Chocolate chip cookies are better? They're childish! Infantil! And your baked potato?" Carmen and her clones leaned forward and spoke the word slowly. "Soggy."
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Erin flung herself at one of the clones, the two of them slamming onto the table and rolling around. The other judges fled from their seats and the audience cried out at the violence, horrified.
"Fight, fight, fight, kiss, kiss!" Soul egged them on while Jade drew her Cutlass and helped Carmen fight off Erin.
"Hey, stop it! STOP IT!" Cobb tried to pull them off of each other only to get a jiggling fist to the face. "I can't believe this is the second time you guys have had a fight in an Omake!"
"ONLY IN THE OMAKE CAN I DISPLAY MY TRUE STRENGTH!" Erin screamed as The Carmen clones merged into her giant form. She threw a fist at Erin, which she caught before flipping the giant-sized Carmen at the stands and crushing the audience under her weight.
"Hey, you don't think bringing Erin back from the dead gave her any satanic powers, right?" Spring asked.
"VENGEANCE IS MIIIINE!" Erin screamed, her tone deepening and her eyes glowing red as she threw Jade into the ceiling. She hung there, protruding from the ceiling, like a chandelier.
"…Maybe." Cobb pondered.
AN: That ending bit I kinda just ran away with. Seemed like a funny idea at the time. This is all non-canon, in case it wasn't obvious.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. CANDYCANES.