AN: CONTENT WARNING! For maybe, like, 5% of the Chapter, there's a creepy bit with the Hacker Xavier. I got a review last time saying the surprise sex scene between Luis and Heather was too raunchy and that I should have left a content warning in the beginning, so here it is. Raunchy, raunchy warning. If you see Xavier, expect inappropriate language/actions. It could be I'm just numb to this sort of thing, but I need to take my readers into account, so, again, beware of Xavier. You can search this chapter for the name 'Xavier' and just avoid the part that mentions his name the most. I don't think it's too bad, but, again, I'm just covering myself. I don't usually write a character like this despite their existence in real life.
Now that that's out of the way, this Chapter is coming at you sooner than two weeks.
Please enjoy despite the content warning.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add pet brushes.
Chapter 233
Griefers
[Soul]
We didn't slip into Kivu Lake unnoticed, but then we weren't trying to. We were posing as Griefers, and quite a few of them sailed the same river to reach the lake beside the towering Obelisk, so we didn't raise any alarms. We were just more of the riff raff jumping on the Hackers' bandwagon.
This was also the closest I'd ever been to the Obelisk. It was imposing enough as a dark silhouette on the horizon, but it was ginormous and downright menacing up close. This was the home of the Hackers. Built out of stone brick by half of Akasha's population over three-hundred years ago. This building was designed to house the thousands of Hackers who had yet to spawn in and join the Hack Clan. It was Kalmarin's old home. It would have been Floyd's home.
...It was Giovanni's home.
Cat-Face let out a painful cry as I subconsciously tightened my hold. I relaxed my grip and stroked its fur to settle it. Christopher Squawken chirped on my shoulder to remind me of its presence.
There was a wooden dock to pull our boats into, so Dyson, Stayer, and I did just that. It was packed with boats and Griefers fishing despite how late it was. Haphazardly placed torches dimly lit the area and Griefers greeted and welcomed the new arrivals, though not without an exchange of items.
"Hand over any food you have." I overheard one Griefer saying to another new arrival.
"I... I didn't know about a food cost." The new arrival spoke weakly. Her skin clung to her bones and she looked barely conscious. She feebly held out a few hunks of rotten flesh in supplication. "I'm afraid this is all I have-"
The Griefer snatched the rancid flesh in a blink. "Doesn't matter what you got, be it rotten flesh, pufferfish, or spider eyes. As long as it's edible, we add it to the pile." He passed the rotten flesh to another Griefer, who promptly whisked it away. The female Griefer watched it forlornly.
"But... then... what will I eat...?"
"You will be given one piece of edible food only when you're about to starve and on your last Heart." The Griefer explained. "Your rotten flesh is going towards keeping several other Griefers alive. If you want more food, you'll have to help provide. Forage or take up fishing like the rest."
"But... but what's the recipe for a fishing rod...?"
"Hell if I know. We have slightly used ones we... borrowed... from that Dover Plains village." He pointed to the chests by the Docks. "Go on. Make yourself useful. Oh, and welcome to the Obelisk. NEXT!"
The female Griefer shambled to the docks with a vague expression just as the three of us stepped up. There were dozens of Griefers spread out to collect food. It was all brought to a pyramid of chests piled between the dock and the Obelisk. The same Griefer who had been speaking - Nikko_Wilde - took a cursory glance at us before holding on my named pets.
"Unusual to be keeping pets." Nikko noted suspiciously.
"They have their uses." Stayer took charge speaking for the group. "The cat sometimes brings in food when Soul wakes up."
"Really?" Nikko hummed. "And what use is the bird?"
"Er..." Stayer faltered.
"Feast your eyes on this!" I quickly set down the jukebox and popped in the 'chirp' disc. As the music sounded over the din, the Griefers quieted and Christopher began to bob and shake. "Yeah, do the dance! Do the birb dance!"
"...He took a nasty hit to the head. Brain's a bit addled." Stayer hastily tried to dismiss me. "Hasn't been the same since..." He trailed off upon noticing the Griefers' appreciative comments for the dancing parrot.
"Check out its style."
"Look at it go!"
"Watch its technique."
"Check out its flow!"
"My, how it leaps!"
"Oh, what a prance."
"Look at it, look at it, look at it dance!"
Seems the Griefers were starved for entertainment just as much as they were for food. Couldn't be easy living in the middle of west bumblefuck. I shot a shit-eating smile at Stayer that the assassin staunchly ignored. Squawken continued to bust a move, egged on to more animated movements as the gathered crowd grew. They had begun to chant encouragingly.
"Birb! Birb! Birb! Birb!"
"Go Squawken! Go Squawken!"
"ANYWAY!" Stayer shouted over the music and chanting to Nikko. "The three of us are new here." He gestured to Dyson, himself, and me. "We're from up north, looking for protection. Will you have us?"
"Course we'll have you. Griefers stick together." Nikko assured nicely. There was an air of camaraderie I wasn't expecting from bandits. "But first, hand over whatever food you got. We'll take anything edible. Rotten flesh, pufferfish, spider eyes, anything."
"What do you do with it?" I asked while rummaging through my backpack.
"We redistribute it to the hungriest and closest to death. Nothing goes to waste. It's never enough to keep us well-fed, but it works to keep is alive. We're used to eating anything, so don't feel bad if you got trash. We're not expecting five-stars. Oh, nice!" Nikko exclaimed as Dyson and Stayer withdrew cooked meats, fruits, and vegetables - a Paragon's balanced diet. I supplied some chunks of cooked mutton, some wooden bowls, and a heap of red mushrooms. The sight and smell of so much nutritional food drew attention away from Squawken's dance and put us square in the spotlight. "This is a feast! Who'd you rob?"
"Just some spoiled assholes." Stayer dismissed with a chuckle that Nikko shared.
"Well, this is some haul. This will feed plenty." Several Griefers hurried forward and took the food off our hands. Though their mouths watered, they didn't dare take a bite in front of so many eyes.
The Griefer that took my food looked confused with the bowls and mushrooms. "What are we supposed to do with these?"
"What do you mean? Just craft them with some brown mushrooms to make mushroom stew."
"Mushroom... stew? You can make that?"
"Yeah, it's-" I cut off when I noticed the Griefers within earshot looked at me with just as much confusion. Some even looked with suspicion.
Stayer was glaring at me pointedly and mouthing the words 'stop talking'. Was mushroom stew too advanced a recipe for them? Crap.
"-I mean, uh, I think that's how it works. I dunno. I've seen Crafters pick mushrooms." I tried to laugh it off, but a few Griefers still looked suspicious. "I've, uh, never made it personally, but I figured, if I run into some mushrooms... you know..." I trailed off lamely.
Thankfully, Dyson was there to bail me out. "I told you that recipe was made up!" He slapped me sharply upside the head. "Addled brain indeed! What kinda stew can be made with solid mushrooms without any cooking? Please ignore Lost_Soul. As his name implies, he's often lost. Sometimes I think this fool was a second away from becoming a Jibberman."
"No harm, no foul." Nikko reassured. The bowls and mushrooms were handed back dismissively while the rest of the food was brought to the communal pile. "You three look fairly strong and well-fed. While you have the energy, might I ask you to fish? You know how to fish, right?"
"Sounds complicated, but we'll give it a try." Stayer pretended to be clueless. Squawken was just about wrapping up its dance now that the song was ending.
"Good. Fishing rods are by the dock. Catch what you can. Afterwards, head over to the shelters," he pointed to some dilapidated makeshift hovels, "and find a place to bunk. Oh, and stay away from the Obelisk. Our Gods don't tolerate us getting too close."
"Will do. Thanks." Stayer nodded before guiding us to the dock and the fishing rods. Squawken hopped back on my shoulder as I packed up the jukebox.
As we left, Stayer gripped my wrist tight enough to hurt. He was also glaring at me. He couldn't audibly chastise me in front of so many Griefers, but I understood the reprimand all the same. I needed to be more careful. Carys explicitly forewarned us to act stupid.
Still, to not even know how to craft stew...
We reached the dock and pulled out a trio of used fishing rods. The durability was so low that I almost combined them together before stopping myself. That was too smart.
Dyson went off to one side of the dock to chat up some Griefers. Stayer, deciding I was too risky to be left alone, decided to stick with me while gathering the intel we were seeking. We didn't have a lot of time to dilly-dally.
There wasn't much free space to fish; the dock was packed. The Griefers we squeezed up to were a pair of males named Evander and Alister. They took one look at our mismatched gear and made space for us without question.
"Any bites?" Stayer asked.
"Nix." Alister sighed.
"And you?"
"Oh, sure." Evander nodded sarcastically. "I got a tripwire hook, a lily pad, and, look, a bone!"
"Well, at least with the bone you can make bone meal." I suggested before immediately realizing my mistake. Stayer vaporized me with his glare.
"...Bone meal?" Alister asked suspiciously.
"Y-Yes! A meal of bones! Aha!" I threw caution to the wind as I embraced stupidity, grabbing the bone and chewing it like a dog. "So good!" I spoke through cracked teeth, fighting back tears in my eyes.
The two Griefers shot me cautious looks, though they seemed to decide I was crazy instead of suspicious. It was a good save.
"Ignore him." Stayer covered for me again as he cast his fishing line into the water before immediately yanking back. He deliberately didn't wait for a tug. "Am I doing this right?"
"First time fishing? I struggled too." Alister reassured. "You gotta wait a bit for a tug. Here. Watch me."
And so, Stayer and I spent the next few minutes 'learning' how to fish from the two Griefers. Stayer chatted them up as we went. He was pretty friendly when he needed to be.
"I thought there would be more Hackers." He said airily. "I suppose the Gods will keep to themselves though, eh?"
"That's not it. The Hackers drop by from time to time to grace us with their power." Evander said. "They're not here now though because they have some sort of big outing to be at."
"A big outing?"
"Yeah, Darrius on the east side told me." Evander nodded. "A ton of them went into some swirling purple portal."
"A Nether Portal, you mean?" I asked.
"Huh. Is that what its called?" Evander questioned while Stayer punched my shoulder discreetly. "Well, whatever. Yeah. Almost all the Hackers went into the Nether Portal. Must be big, whatever they're doing. Last time this many Hackers left was Akasha."
"You think this is because of those bee visions we got earlier today?" Alister asked.
"You think they went out to find bees?" I asked incredulously, deeming that a safe question.
"It could happen! Lay off." Alister defended hotly, his friend laughing at his expense.
"So all the Hackers are gone?" Stayer asked with feigned disappointment. "I wanted to see one in the flesh."
"They're not all gone." Evander clarified. "Percy said he saw Lady Serafina retire early after the Hackers left. And Lord Marshall_Worren is standing watch by that Nether Portal. He killed that group of five just for getting close. I don't recommend observing him if you just want to satisfy your curiosity."
"I'll hold myself back. Thanks for the warning." Stayer smiled. "About Serafina-"
"That's Lady Serafina." Alister corrected sharply. "That's an important lesson, newbie. Address all Hackers as Lords or Ladies. If you don't show the proper respect, they will smite you where you stand."
"Lady Serafina, sorry." Stayer corrected. "She retired to her room. I heard a rumor that she can summon colorful flames."
"It's no rumor. Lady Serafina - the Lady of Flame, we call her - has full mastery over fire. No flame can burn her."
"Did she wear boots like mine?" I pointed to the golden boots I was wearing. They nodded.
They didn't even know Serafina's colored flames were the work of an artifact. They probably assumed Giovanni had similar Hacks governing ice.
"What about a Hacker with ice powers?" I asked with deep loathing for the man. I despised him nearly as much as Spring_Fever.
"Lord Giovanni. Very dangerous." Evander said seriously. "He's been more volatile since Lady Sandradra's death. The two were close."
"He's another you should steer clear of, though I'm not sure if he left with the rest or not." Alister added. "The other day, he froze and shattered ten of us after coming back from Tinker's empty-handed." That fit with what we deduced happened to the poor blacksmith.
"They kill you so easily." I spoke the words aloud without meaning to and hastily tried to cover it up. "I-I mean, I thought things would be different. Here at the Obelisk. It's meant as a safe haven for Griefers-"
"This place is a safe haven for Hackers." Alister clarified. "It was never built for us, even if Lord Entity 303, in his infinite mercy, permits our presence. We are tolerated, not welcomed."
"But then why stay here? Things can't be worse than a place with little food where you can get killed on a whim."
"Soul..." Stayer warned.
"You ask such strange questions." Alister turned to face me fully. "You say there's little security here? What is security, especially to our kind? We live in a cruel and unforgiving world where we can't even learn a stable means to feed ourselves. We all struggle alone, but we're not alone while we're all together. We're aware of how pitiful we are in Minecraftia's society. We could starve any day just as easily as we could be killed on a Hacker's whim here. At least here we're with comrades. We have strength together. We're a force together. We can feel the thrill of raiding a village. We can be of use to the Hackers. That's living for us, and that's the natural order for those of us who can't evolve or adapt."
"Well said, buddy." Evander clapped a supportive hand on Alister's shoulder before continuing. "We know the Hackers treat us like dirt, but they're also wrathful and terrible Gods who make any Crafter wet their pants. Call us the weak seeking protection, but they're our best bet to raid the kingdoms. We're fine riding their coattails - being a part of something greater than ourselves. Yeah, it's melancholic, but it's the most we can hope for after spawning into a complicated world like Minecraftia."
I was contemplative as I took in what they said. The Griefers were doomed the second they couldn't grow or adapt. Unlike Crafters, they didn't seek to better themselves. Instead, they hung back with others like them. Those confused by this messed up Minecraftia, but who found solace in each other. Misery loves company, as they say. They acknowledged they were powerless alone, but powerful together. That was the natural order they accepted.
More worryingly, they decided that they were useless if not for giving their lives to their Gods. Their life expectancy was short given how they struggled with recipes, farming, or feeding themselves. They ate anything. They robbed and pillaged. Theirs was a lifestyle that could never last.
Maybe that was another reason they didn't seek to better themselves. If they become stronger, they wouldn't be Griefers. It's hard to make effort to better yourself. It was much easier sticking to a routine. Standing out would separate them from the group and take away that which made them feel they belonged.
Hearing the Griefers talk, it reminded me of my own insecurities, and it resonated with what Dyson told me on the airship - about being proud infantry. The Griefers were proud bottom feeders. They found comfort in belonging to a group of similar weaklings. As for me, I only felt inadequate... because I was the weakling surrounded by stronger friends. I was the odd man out. If everyone was as weak as me, I wouldn't care, but everyone was improving. Everyone was evolving and I was the Griefer who couldn't fit it.
I had no strength as infantry. Not while I was the lone grunt. I needed fifty grunts just like me before I could feel confident in facing any Hacker. Not like Carys or Cobb who could fight multiple ones off without batting an eye.
I felt Cat-Face rub its face against my leg. It noticed I was looking sad and sought to comfort me. Christopher Squawken did the same, letting out a soft trill from my shoulder.
Maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought.
Hunderprest proved himself a threat with his hundreds of hounds. If I had more pets, maybe I could be the sort of infantry I could be proud of.
"...Thanks for answering me." I nodded respectfully to the two Griefers. "You've given me a lot to think about."
"Whatever that means." Evander shrugged before his fishing line went taut. "Ho! I think I got something-" He reeled in only to find a piece of rotten flesh at the end of his line. "Ah. Well, better than nothing, I always say." He pinched the item off and set it aside for the communal pile.
Griefers were a lot more selfless than I thought. I pictured them as ruthless bandits, but they clearly looked out for each other. They set food aside for others when they themselves were hungry. They truly didn't deserve the situation they were in.
For some reason, Noman's stupid Aikido philosophy came to mind. All life was precious.
We stayed a little longer fishing - catching what few fish we could - before Dyson returned and told us it was time to leave. He had been talking amongst some fishing Griefers as well. The sun was just starting to rise when we deposited our fishing rods and bid farewell to Alister and Evander. We handed our food off to the communal pile before heading to the east side of the Obelisk, making sure we gave the Hackers' home a wide berth. Dyson only spoke about what he heard when no Griefers could overhear us.
"Portal's on the east side of the Obelisk." He told us. "Heard it from a pair of Griefers who were there yesterday afternoon."
"We found out Serafina still has her artifacts, and that a guy named Marshall_Worren is guarding the portal, killing any Griefers who get close." Stayer replied back before jostling me. "Soul here nearly blew our cover a few times. You babysit him next time."
"Fine, fine." Dyson accepted grudgingly. "I also found out there's a group of Griefers gathered on the east side despite the proximity to Marshall and the portal. We should be able to blend in like trees in a forest."
"We don't have much time left before noon." I commented. "We know where the portal is, but we don't know for sure if Giovanni is here. Not to mention what other Hackers we can expect-"
"Giovanni's here." Dyson assured. "So are Null and this guy named Xavier. I heard one Griefer talk about something rather interesting involving those three."
"What?"
"Yesterday, after the Hackers went through the portal, but before we arrived, the lost Hackers - the ones Kal never brought from the Origin to here - they made a break for it."
"Say what?" I hissed under my breath as a group of Griefers passed dangerously close.
"You're kidding..." Stayer said in disbelief.
"Nuh-uh. I'm serious." Dyson continued. "Several Griefers I questioned said the same thing. All eleven of the lost Hackers tried to escape the second 303 and most of their 'siblings' were gone. They were stopped by Null, Xavier, and Giovanni."
"What do you mean stopped? They didn't refuse them, did they?"
"Looks that way." Dyson shook his head. "Null forbade them from leaving. Then that Xavier guy used his warp Hack to whisk the lost ones away one by one to God knows where. Nobody's seen hide nor hair of them since."
"So the lost ones don't want to stay here anymore." It made sense. Those guys had a taste for civilization, unlike the indoctrinated ones brainwashed from birth. They wanted to return to their old lives, but the Hackers wouldn't let them. "...What did they do with them?"
"No clue." Dyson shrugged. "It doesn't mean much to us aside from less Hackers to fight. So far, we've identified Null, Marshall, Giovanni, Serafina, and Xavier. We should press this eastern group for more information, but I think we've gotten about all the intel we can."
With Dyson leading us, we made our way to the east side of the Obelisk. There were thousands of Griefers milling about or resting in more of those makeshift shelters. They had a communal pile of food there as well, and Griefers would regularly come in from outside the Obelisk with rotten flesh, raw meat, and apples.
This time, Stayer went off to gather intel and left Dyson saddled with me. I used the moment to tell him about my conversation with the Griefers.
"I said it before. Griefers are proud infantry themselves." Dyson nodded. "Their strength is in numbers. They overwhelm people. For every Crafter that knows how to do things, there are ten or twenty Griefers and Jibbermen who don't know shit."
"But I don't want to be like that." I complained. "I don't want to be stupid."
"You don't have to be, but there's no shame in being part of a team. No one can do anything alone."
"I want a pet army."
The declaration left Dyson at an awkward loss of words before he settled on, "...you do that."
"Just hear me out. This one Berserker we fought - Hunderprest - had an army of wolves. Why can't I do the same? Tame an army of animals? I already have a start."
"Raaawk! They will fear me!"
*meow*
"I'm not even sure cats and parrots are combat-ready animals." Dyson sounded hesitant. "Focus on taming wolves."
"I will. And llamas. And pandas! And foxes, if I can find some."
"...you do that." Dyson repeated with a pained expression.
As we mingled with Griefers and Dyson asked questions, we learned that Giovanni lived on the higher floors of the Obelisk. One informative Griefer recalled how Giovanni flew up to his room with Serafina in his arms on multiple occasions, meaning their rooms were in the same vicinity. Dyson made a mental note of that, since it told us where we'd find the Hackers and their artifacts.
We were chatting with a trio of female Griefers when we heard a commotion.
"Out of my way, worms! I have business with Marshall!"
Dyson and I looked at the speaker and I paled upon spotting the name and face. DouGlassCannon. I quickly ducked behind Dyson, who turned with a questioning look.
"We need to go! I know that guy!" I hissed to Dyson, making his eyes widen. "He was taken from the Origin by Thed. He saw me with Floyd and Cobb! He knows I'm no dumb Griefer!"
Acting fast, Dyson shielded me from view and guided me out of Douglass' path. The Hacker didn't notice us in his single-minded match towards Marshall and the Nether Portal. Any Griefers too slow to move were struck by a smoke-clad fist and launched out of his way.
"I said MOVE! You pathetic bugs are like swarming gnats! Count yourselves lucky to be in the presence of a God such as myself!" A few Griefers, starving and low on Hearts, were too slow to escape his path and were killed on impact with Douglass' Strength Hack. Their deaths didn't affect Douglass in the slightest as he continued unimpeded. I watched him go with a troubled expression.
"He didn't see you. We're good." Dyson breathed out in relief. "Guess that's another Hacker we can chalk up to being here. I bet they left him behind because he's one of the newest." Dyson noticed by expression. "What's wrong?"
"Douglass... he wasn't like that at the Origin." I noted, feeling unsettled. "He's more spoiled, more aggressive. He's like a different person. He never used to talk like that, and he killed so easily..."
"That's what happens when you're indoctrinated at spawn." Dyson explained. "Kal told me the Hackers spent any moment they could hammering in their mentality into the new arrivals. Whoever Douglass was has been painted over. He's pure Hacker now."
"...Remind me to thank Kalmarin for ensuring that never happened to Floyd."
Dyson snorted. "You got it."
Again, I thought about the Hackers Exter brought in. The lost ones. "The lost ones are like Floyd. They haven't been indoctrinated yet. They want to go."
"Maybe there's hope for them. At the very least, they'll be rebellious to the Hack Clan's ideals." Dyson shrugged. "Just remember why we're here."
"We're here for the artifacts. I know." I nodded firmly.
"Good." Dyson nodded back before spotting Stayer approaching. "I really think that's as much as we can glean. We know where the portal is, we know where Serafina and Giovanni's rooms are, and we've identified six Hackers. Maybe there are more, but we'll look suspicious asking about every single one. Let's find a safe spot away from prying eyes and message Carys. We're ready for Phase 2."
[Noman]
Carys and Albert were hard at work with glass, Blaze powder, ender pearls, obsidian, and Ghast tears. They were using Albert's stock of ingredients to make those End Crystal things Cobb wielded against the Hackers that attacked Nitebane's capital. Cobb himself couldn't pass on the name due to his censor, but Jillian and Witige could. Their destructive power and volatility piqued Carys' interests enough that she figured they'd be a good weapon against the Hackers. They also stacked up to sixty-four, so she added them to her arsenal, making as many as she could cram. Shiroyuki was curled in a ball and snoozing atop her head as she worked. Nobody commented for fear of drawing her ire, and Carys made as little movement as possible so as not to disturb the sleeping creature.
The rest of us were just waiting for the call, which came to us a little before noon following Carys' schedule. Carys watched the map blip blink like a hawk while Albert translated for our benefit.
Soul, Dyson, and Stayer successfully located the Nether Portal. They successfully ascertained where Giovanni and Serafina were most likely located. They successfully identified six Hackers that Kal was quick to give us a run-down for with the exclusion of DouGlassCannon, a Hacker admitted to the Clan after Kal left. The name meant something to Floyd, though he was just as in the dark about his abilities.
They also brought up that the eleven lost Hackers brought in by Exter had been whisked away after trying to escape while most of the Clan was gone. They sounded like Pheodora, running from the Hacker lifestyle and just trying to live their lives before they were forcefully conscripted.
Carys took all the information in and formulated a plan. She banged her fist on the cockpit. "Start it up!"
The airship's engines turned on as Ciro piloted us towards the Obelisk.
"Get us plenty of elevation." Carys ordered the Millionth. "The sky's the limit. We don't want anyone to see us as anything other than an indistinguishable speck. We'll drop down via pearls."
"Copy that." Ciro called back, the airship tilting as it began to ascend. Out the window, the ground was getting further and further away. I was glad I didn't have a fear of heights.
"Okay, listen up." Carys clapped her hands to get our attention. Shiroyuki awoke with a start on Carys' head before climbing down to drape across her neck and shoulders like a stylish white and blue scarf. "Phase 2. Here it is. I'm thinking we do four teams. Anibal, you'll deploy your pearl to the east side of the Obelisk, where the portal is sitting. Link up with Dyson, Stayer, and Soul. You're on portal duty. Have the Severe Shield on and take out Marshall and any Griefers you see. Make a big enough distraction and we'll draw the Hackers out. Maybe you'll get the attention of Null, maybe you'll get Serafina or Giovanni. If either artifact-wielder shows up, you know what to do."
"Yes, ma'am." The dark-skinned thief saluted eagerly.
"Kal, Albert, Floyd." Carys continued on. "You three will be on a team hitting the west side, near the dock. Deploy your pearls there. Start killing Griefers and be sure to show off your Hacks. That ought to draw out some curious Hackers." Kal and Floyd nodded. "Kill the artifact-wielders if they show. If it's Null instead, just keep him occupied. His Invulnerability Hack can't be overcome without demoralizing him first."
"Third team is Ciro and Noman." Carys pointed her scythe at me. I noticed she didn't use her 'Notaman' insult; she was strictly business now. "You two won't be deploying pearls. I want you staying on the airship. Give us a head start serving as distractions before you descend and dock along the Obelisk. Aim for the middle floors. You'll be doing a sweep up starting from there. Giovanni and Serafina's rooms are in the upper half according to Dyson."
"Does that mean you'll be your own team?" I asked incredulously. "All by yourself?"
Carys cocked her head and flourished her scythe. "I'm all I need."
"I'd call her arrogant if she wasn't right." Kal noted. "Don't worry about her, Noman. She has enough details about what we're up against. Even without an artifact, she's equal in strength to any of the other teams she arranged.
"I'll be directing my pearl to the base of the Obelisk." Carys explained. "I'll sow a little chaos of my own to help in the diversion. That is, if I don't run into Giovanni or Serafina first." She smirked slyly as she pet Shiroyuki.
It sounded like a lot of death would be expected. Ciro and I would have to work fast to grab the artifacts and end the siege.
"Once we have the artifacts in hand, the siege ends, right?" I voiced my concerns.
Carys shrugged. "Depends. Turnabout is fair play. They attacked my place; I attack their place. Maybe I feel like having an extra Bounty Day or ten."
"There aren't ten Hackers there." Floyd countered.
"I don't remember Dyson reporting the lost Hackers left the Obelisk." Carys brought up a good point. "They were just 'whisked away' by Xavier's Hack. Could still be on one of the Obelisk's floors. They wouldn't dare take them elsewhere. Not while they're playing defense with a skeleton crew."
Was she implying she would target the lost ones just for more Bounty Days.
For once, it was Kal who voiced the objection instead of me. "The lost ones clearly want to leave, Carys. They're not the bad guys. I'm partly responsible for not being there. If we find them, we should help them escape."
"Tch. We'll have our hands full enough as it is." Carys clicked her tongue. "Whatever. You're probably right. To answer your question, Noman, we'll use the Stasis Maps once we've secured the artifacts. I know when to quit while I'm ahead. Besides, I don't want to tangle with Null with 303 potentially waiting in the wings if the cult gets their portal back online."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. We'll try to find you once we have the artifacts. Or, if we warp back, Reuben or Spaatz can send a map message to the rest."
"What about the airship?" Ciro called from the cockpit, having heard everything. "This thing has no Stasis Chamber. We'll be leaving it in Obelisk airspace."
"It's a small mail delivery vehicle anyway." Anibal dismissed with a wave. "NOT LIKE OUR ASMOD-"
"Give it a rest already, we're sorry!" Floyd groaned over her.
"She's right, though." Albert added. "A small ship like this isn't worth much. It served us well getting us here, but it's not fuel efficient or armed for aerial combat."
"It's bloody uncomfortable too." Anibal groused.
"That too." Albert nodded.
"Alright, I can't argue with that." Ciro let out a forlorn sigh. "It was starting to grow on me, though."
"Only because you had the cockpit all to yourself." Anibal grumbled under her breath.
"Alright. That's enough chit-chat." Carys quieted the noises and put Shiroyuki down. "Ready your equipment. Prep your belts. Double-check your Stasis Maps. Ready your diaper, Notaman. Phase 2 will commence as soon as we're over the Obelisk." She clasped her scythe with both hands and gave a shark-like smile. "This is gonna be fun."
I didn't think so.
[Mark]
After doing a bit more clandestine work, I figured out how Nitebane was farming totems. Carys' puppet, Jillian, was using the Vivlio Zythopoiias artifact to imbue herself with a potion effect called Bad Omen. It was an effect that couldn't be brewed in a bottle, unfortunately, but it allowed those afflicted with it to call down a Raid event on any civilization they so foolishly walked into.
Bad Omen was meant to be a negative effect, but with the capital's EXP grinders defending it, the effect was actually a boon. The Mobs that attacked in Raids were easily dispatched and ground up into totems, day in and day out. An infinite source of extra lives for the Paragons.
The Executives needed to be warned about such a thing. It would mean the Paragons had an advantage in lives. Carys_Angel was problematic enough without her having twelve extra lives!
But first, I needed to get my hands on one.
It wasn't easy, but I ambushed a passing patrol with Splash Potions of Weakness and Slowness. I was invisible the whole time as I luckily hit all four of the patrol. They started shouting and making noises, so I worked fast, digging into their belts and backpacks for anything that looked like a totem.
Fortune was on my side as I found one on each of their persons. Four whole totems. They were small and light, fitting easily in my grip. Solid gold in the likeness of a Testificate's distinguished nose and forehead, with tiny emerald gems for eyes. I pocketed the totems and tossed a pair of Harming Potions to tidy up the paralyzed Crafters.
With that settled, I turned to leave only to freeze when a woman with long purple hair that dragged along the road stood before me, drawn by the shouts and cries of those I paralyzed and killed.
I recognized the woman - the Jibberwoman. She attacked the weapons' outpost in the Birch Forest. She fought on equal footing with Teal. She was one of Carys' Team leaders. An assassin named Z7KHD9H.
My invisibility wore off at the worst time too. I didn't renew it attentively. The Jibberwoman caught an eyeful of my name and face before I hastily doused myself and turned to run.
I staggered as a sharp pain sunk into the center of my back. I stayed on my feet but grimaced over the pain of an iron dagger in my back.
I couldn't reach up to pull it out. It was dead center in my back. It was also revealing my location, since daggers didn't float on their own. I heard the rapid, faint padding of bare feet on stone as Z7KHD9H pursued. There was a slight whistle and I darted left and right down the alleyway, dodging daggers by hairs until two more sunk into my shoulders. Then two more followed, sticking into my lower back.
I sneezed out of nowhere, my body suddenly visible and with particles of Absorption, Regeneration, and Fire Resistance swirling around me in its place. A totem I didn't realize I was gripping crumbled in my hand, making me go pale.
I just died...
"R hvv blf, yrgxs-ylb!" A garbled voice called after me as I dodged another dagger. This girl wasn't taking prisoners.
I doused myself again just as she caught up, a dagger flashing across in a swipe that slit my throat. I staggered back, choking, before the heel of her bare foot clocked me in the side. My hand grabbed another totem before she stabbed down with both daggers where the others were sticking out of my back.
I sneezed again only to find myself visible and on the ground with Z7KHD9H mounting me. All the daggers were out of my back and in her hands, the edges of one held against my throat. Another totem used up.
"Qroorzm droo dzmg gl gzop drgs blf."
I couldn't let her take me. If she took me, I could kiss my life goodbye. Luckily, I had two more lives to kiss goodbye first.
I made a sudden grab for the dagger with my Absorption and Regeneration aftereffects tanking the damage. Z7KHD9H was easily stronger in a contest of strength, but I only made the grab to distract her before extricating a Splash Potion of Poison and slamming it into her face. She screamed in blinding agony, but she refused to unpin, her hand flashing down to dig nine daggers I to my face.
I sneezed again as I found myself out from under her grip and my third totem fading away. The Jibberwoman was rubbing at her eyes while another hand brought a milk bucket to her lips. I scrambled away fearfully and broke into the nearest building - a once tall skyscraper with the top Nuked off by Thed_Hearst.
I didn't waste time with Invisibility as I heard Z7KHD9H right behind the door I slammed shut. Instead, I drank a Potion of Swiftness and bolted up the stairwell. I was no match for her.
"Ruuuuun." I muttered to myself as I heard the padding of bare feet below. "Fucking ruuuuuuuun!"
I threw blocks behind me in my mad dash to escape. Somehow the Jibberwoman found ways around them. I threw down Lingering Potions of Harming and Slowness and Poison on every other landing, but the accursed Jibberwoman never let up! She was harder to shake than a horny Teal!
I felt a stitch in my side, my legs burning, my heart pounding as I fought for air. This wasn't like the playful chases I got up to with Teal where the only penalty for losing was a sore pelvis. This was literal life or death. I was the prey, and Z7KHD9H was the predator.
I heard faint sounds and garbled words only a flight of stairs below me, urging me onward. I couldn't die here. I couldn't die here. I couldn't die here.
I had to get back. Teal needed to know I didn't abandon her.
All too suddenly, the stairwell ended where Thed's Nuker's destruction began. I was fairly high up, the wind whipping my face and chilling the sweat that had accumulated from sprinting up twenty flights of stairs.
Nowhere to go except a narrow ledge along the side of the erased skyscraper. I shimmied onto it just as Z7KHD9H burst from the stairwell, her hair blowing back from the wind and revealing a murderous face. She spotted me instantly and threw a pair of daggers that I dodged through a combination of the turbulent winds and thinning myself against the skyscraper. The Jibberwoman pursued me doggedly, shimmying after me with a dagger in her teeth.
I nearly lost my balance a few times, giving the assassin more time to catch up. It was nerve-racking with that assassin on my heels. I kept looking back and regretting it since she looked feral with her teeth bared and her hair whipping about.
When I reached the corner of the building and looked out at the vast urban city before me, I came to a desperate idea. I took out another Potion of Slow Falling and chugged it down. Z7KHD9H noticed and hastened her shimmying.
I muttered a silent prayer to Herobrine before leaping off the skyscraper. Z7KHD9H lunged after me with arms outstretched. Her fingertips grabbed my shoe, which I quickly willed off while pulling my legs up to my chest. The disintegrating motes of light slipped through her fingers as she lost momentum and found herself at the cruel mercy of gravity.
"Blf orggov hsrrrrrrrg!" She called out in her garbled tongue as she fell out of sight. My hopes that she would die from the fall were dashed when I saw her rip out a totem of undying. She was covered.
Meanwhile, I floated towards another half-Nuked building, my torso catching on a busted windowsill. I scrambled into the building and doused myself properly, though I didn't feel safe until I floated to another adjacent building. Then another. I put at least three blocks between me and where that assassin fell.
I had enough excitement for one day. Plus, I still had a totem to show for it, even if I had inadvertently given away my identity. The only silver lining was that Z7KHD9H had no way of knowing I was a Lieutenant. Otherwise, my name and face would make a wanted poster. As it was, the most she could assume me of being was a cultist.
Forget any further spy work. I thought, still trying to catch my breath. I'm outta here before I run into that Jibberwoman again.
I renewed my Invisibility on a strict schedule after that. I was always attentive with it until I reached the capital's northern limits. Rocky sea cliffs made way to warm beaches, the capital and its dangers far behind me.
[Obelisk: East Side]
In the sky miles above the Obelisk, higher than the clouds, a tiny dark speck slowly moved across. It could be mistaken for a Phantom if not for the time of day. No Griefer or Hacker noticed it, but Soul, Dyson, and Stayer recognized the airship Ciro was piloting. The trio got into position closer to the Nether Portal, but not close enough to tip off Marshall_Worren. They hid amongst the Griefers like trees in a forest. Cat-Face and Christopher Squawken stuck by Soul.
The ender pearls were too small to see, but five of them were deployed from the airship according to Carys' set-up. After that, the airship started to rapidly descend.
Soul caught sight of an ender pearl as it touched down in the middle of a group of Griefers. There was a beat of silence before a half-dozen Griefers exploded in a shower of gear where the pearl landed. Anibal_Whiteclaw exploded into action as she swung crossbows like blunt objects or else fired them indiscriminately into the Griefers while wearing the invincible Severe Shield. She wore an exhilarating expression as she dispatched Griefer after Griefer. Soul, Dyson, and Stayer chose that moment to switch into their true gear and brandish their weapons. They helped dispatch the nearest Griefers until Anibal linked up with them.
"Soul!? How could you-AUGH!" A familiar Griefer cried out in betrayal as Stayer slashed at him. Soul felt a pang of regret before he remembered that Griefers were never long for this world. Their lives were always on lease.
As the team of four dispatched Griefer after Griefer (Attila outstripping everyone in kills as Griefers threw themselves at her killer chestplate), they earned the attention of Marshall_Worren guarding the Nether Portal. The Hacker stepped forward with smoke gushing out of his eyes.
"Useless Griefers! Can't you do anything on your own!? It's only four intruders! Out of my way, out of my way." He readied his blade. "I'll deal with this."
Anibal aimed her crossbows - Buckner and Devers - at the Hacker and fired. Marshall tanked both arrows, his Regen shrugging off the damage, as he got closer to Anibal. The Griefers got out of his way so he could get closer. Anibal smirked and made no move to impede him.
"What are you smiling for?" A vein popped on Marshall's forehead as a smoke-clad hand wrapped itself around Anibal's throat. His Hack Strength lifted the woman as he reared back another smoky fist. "Lowly bug. Allow me to show you what my powers are capable of! THIS IS FOR MEDDLING WITH THE HACK CLAN!"
The fist connected into Anibal's gut and the dark-skinned beauty went flying into a band of Griefers.
At the same time, Marshall exploded in a shower of gear. The Severe Shield's overpowered Thorns enchantment killed him as soon as he made an attack on the armored woman. Soul, Dyson, and Stayer could hardly believe how easy it'd been to overcome a Hacker's Regen.
The watching Griefers suffered whiplash at the sudden reversal. Many were still processing while others seemed to think Marshall was somehow kidding around. A few Griefers, however, were smart enough to acknowledge the situation and recoil in fear at the death of one of their Gods. From Marshall's Head, a trail of dark smoke started to whip around before it zoomed off into the sky, and then shot northeast towards the Origin.
Where Anibal landed neck-deep in Griefers, there was another explosion of spilled gear as the dark-skinned thief came out swinging. The Severe Shield's protection and boosted Health defended her from Marshall's dying punch. She saw the dead Hacker and smiled drunkenly at her work.
"Ha. Hahahaha! YES! This is what it feels like!" Anibal laughed as she swung crossbows into Griefers all around. "This is what power feels like! How could Noman be scared of something so thrilling?" She opened up her arms welcomingly as the nearest Griefers rained slashes on her. Anyone that touched her died, as the Griefers quickly learned from the cascading gear of their dead comrades. "Who else wants some?"
Soul watched as Anibal tore into the Griefers like a woman possessed. She laughed at their futile efforts, killing more and more and siphoning their dropped EXP. Many Griefers were already in full retreat.
Soul always criticized Noman for not using the artifact, but seeing Anibal using it so viciously... so cruelly...
Maybe it's better someone responsible like Noman is holding such power back. He thought.
Dyson and Stayer must've thought the same thing, for they paused as they reached the Nether Portal uncontested to glance back at the madly laughing Anibal. They still knew their job, however, and Soul brought over his diamond pickaxe to break out a block of the obsidian portal frame. As soon as the chunk of obsidian was removed, the purple, swirling portal within winked out, the unearthly sounds dying with it. Mission accomplished. No backup would be coming soon.
And another Bounty Day was in their future.
Before they could celebrate a job well done, a smoke-clad figure crashed to the ground amidst the fleeing Griefers, who now stopped in their tracks.
Soul felt a shiver of dread.
Giovanni got up from his dramatic landing and gazed upon Anibal and the legions of dead Griefers. The Hacker then took a sharp intake of breath as he saw Marshall's fallen Head.
"Oh, words... words fail me." He spoke sadly, tears leaking from his eyes, as well as something more gaseous. Smoke gushed out and coated his being. His sclerae turned black as night. He put on the chainmail leggings - the Arcticum Arma - as he locked gazes with Anibal. "I can't remember the last time I put effort into killing someone. Lady, you're worth it."
"Don't I feel special." Anibal taunted coyly.
"I get off on beating down arrogant bastards like you."
If Giovanni was here, that was one less Hacker for Noman and Ciro to hint down. Soul hoped that Dyson or Stayer would send a message while Anibal dealt with him.
From his backpack, Giovanni drew a massive iron blade that had Soul's blood boiling. It was a giant cleaver, familiar to anyone that knew the late Captain Glowing_Obsidian - the Captain who died getting Soul out of Akasha. Giovanni must've gone back to grab it after Entity 303 leveled the kingdom. Giovanni used his Strength Hack to wield it in one hand. He leveled it at Anibal.
The dark-skinned woman made a 'come hither' motion with her hand. "Let's dance."
[Obelisk: West Side]
Three pearls touched down, warping Floyd, Kal, and Albert between Kivu Lake and the Obelisk. They were on the side of the Obelisk opposite Soul, Anibal, Dyson, and Stayer, though there were just as many Griefers.
When the Griefers spied them, Floyd and Kalmarin wasted no time activating their Hacks. The sight of two unfamiliar Hacker lords left the Griefers confused and lost. They had been about to attack but were now paralyzed by indecision.
"Are they... new arrivals? Returned lost ones...?" One Griefer asked before getting riddled with spines alongside his comrades, courtesy of Floyd's MultiAura.
"My lords! Why do you attack us!? We wish to serve! We aim to please-Ulk!" Another was cut off by spines to the neck.
Kalmarin wielded his Sharpness III diamond sword with his Strength Hack, the smoke-covered blade shearing into the gathered Griefers. Those that weren't killed were flung backwards into others.
Two Hackers caught sight of the devastation and came to investigate from the shadow of the Obelisk.
"Whoa, hey, hold your horses! Now I like blowing off steam on Griefers as much as the next guy, but this is a little much newbies." One of the Hackers - Chase_Sturgis - tried to diffuse as he approached. He was an unidentified Hacker, though Kalmarin seemed to recognize him. He had long, black hair for a guy, and he wore a green coat with white fur around the hood and cuffs. He had beige khakis, brown shoes, and navy green eyes with the trademark Hacker lines over them. His belt and backpack were also navy green.
His companion, DouGlassCannon, was the more familiar of the two to Floyd. He and Douglass recognized each other immediately. Douglass pointed.
"I know you! Floyd! You're the one who refused Thed! You turned down ultimate power!" He folded his arms. "You've got a lot of nerve showing your face here after what you did to big sis Sandra. Have you finally come to your senses?"
"He's that Floyd?" Chase asked in surprise before taking a closer look at the two. "Hey, wait. The other guy..." His eyes widened in recognition. "It's Kalmarin! The deserter! You have just as much nerve as Floyd showing your face here! Did you think we would take you back just like that? Entity 303 and Null will have words for you."
"Go ahead and bring Null, then! I've got some words left unsaid!" Kal shouted uncharacteristically louder and angrier than normal. "I know he's around! Probably up lounging in the penthouse!"
"Show your elder brother some respect!" Chase shot back. "Especially after you deserted your post. This attitude won't do you any favors when you're asking for forgiveness."
"I DON'T WANT NULL'S FORGIVENESS!" Kalmarin roared, his smoke flaring out and stunning Chase into silence. The nearby Griefers all backed out of sight. "The only thing I want is for that bastard to understand what it means to be powerless! I want to tear him down from his ivory tower and make him feel mortal!"
"Kal, control yourself." Albert leaned in to whisper to him. "Remember what Carys said. We can't have you going off-"
"You dare speak so casually with a Hacker, worm!?" Albert flinched at being addressed by Douglass. "You are not permitted to act familiar with a shimmering God like Kalmarin, no matter how low he's fallen."
"Douglass, what happened to you...?" Floyd asked in disbelief. When the young Crafter had first spawned back at the Origin, he was never this high and mighty. He never looked down on Crafters or called them lesser. After his indoctrination, however, it seemed he was a changed man. "You were never like this. You were..."
"I was what, Floyd? Another nobody like the trash I spawned with?" Floyd recoiled as his callous disregard for his spawn brothers and sisters. "I can't even remember their names, but I'll never forget the day I arrived at the Obelisk. Thed bringing me here was the best thing that could've happened to me! The Hack Clan opened my eyes to my true potential! I'm better than those wimps, and so are you."
"No one's better or worse! We're equals." Floyd defended. "I've learned from them, just as they've learned from me. We work together."
"Like those insects could teach you more than the Hack Clan." Douglass scoffed.
"They taught me how to think for myself - something the Hack Clan has evidently neglected." Floyd sniped, making Douglass scowl.
"I'm not here to argue all day. If you're not here to join us, what are you here for?"
Floyd and Kal readied their weapons.
"...You're kidding." Chase scoffed in derision. "You're here to fight us? We're family!"
"You're not anything to me as long as you're with the Clan." Kal told him coldly, making Chase and Douglass flinch.
"You... you can't mean that." Chase shook his head. "Kalmarin, what has gotten into you? Is it... is it Carys and those Billionths that cultist keeps talking our ears off about?"
"What cultist?" Floyd asked, only to be ignored.
"Carys and those Billionths won't be a problem for much longer." Douglass smirked. "Or didn't you know? As we speak, Entity 303 and the rest of our clan are wiping them out. They should have been finished yesterday, but maybe they're checking the corners, making sure they thoroughly squashed them all."
"I'm not worried." Floyd told them calmly, not rising to the bait.
"Alright, then. Looks like it's the little brother who has to be the role model." Douglass flared his smoke as he cracked his knuckles. Beside him, Chase did the same. "If you're so confident, let's pit what you learned from those insects against the superior lessons of the Hack Clan!"
"Whatever you say, junior."
[Obelisk: Base Floor]
Carys walked unimpeded into the Obelisk through the front entrance after warping from her ender pearl. As she entered the base, she thought to herself how she was likely the first Crafter to enter for quite some time. Anibal and Kal were doing their jobs well distracting the Griefers and Hackers. Now, while Ciro and that pansy flew into position, Carys resolved herself to climb the interior of the Obelisk in search of Hackers to dispatch.
When it came to Bounty Days, more was better than less, and the bees was disappointing enough to make her crave another one.
The bottom floor of the Obelisk was like a hotel lobby without a front desk. The Obelisk's exterior was stone brick, but the interior was nicer with wooden floors, carpets, and various other decor. There were no doors or rooms, just a stairwell entrance on the back wall and a listed directory of names and floors. The Hack Clan likely used it to locate their brothers and sisters, seeing as how the Obelisk was designed to house thousands of yet-to-be-spawned Hackers. Most rooms and floors were probably empty. Carys moved closer to observe the floor occupants. As Kal said, Entity 303 and Null claimed the top hundredth floor with a room each. Serafina and Giovanni were around the middle floors.
"Guess I'll pay them a house call."
As she took a step towards the stairwell, there was suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around her, the hands feeling her up.
"You're lucky I found you first. Brother Null has zero tolerance for vermin in our home." A tired voice spoke into Carys' ear. The Angel of Death scowled. "As for me, I'm more open-minded. Especially for a soft..." He trailed off as he felt her toned abs. "...firm? Okay, firm is different, but not unpleasant."
Carys swung her scythe behind her, the swing whiffing as it passed through empty air where a Hacker had once been feeling her up.
"Now, now." The tired voice drawled. Carys glared sideways at the man. Xavier. She remembered him from Kal's cheat sheet. He was a warper, and Carys made a mental note of the spot he warped to. "Don't be rash. I don't know how you slipped in, but your timing couldn't be better. It's just us here." Xavier smiled in what he thought must've been a disarming way. "I won't sound the alarm if you don't."
He certainly matched Kal's description. He had short black hair with gray and purple streaks, and amber eyes that stood out all the sharper with his sclerae blackened. Carys also knew that he was a sexual predator. He would go out and kidnap women, warping them back to his room, sometimes multiple ones at once, to have his sick way with them. It didn't matter if he was screwing Crafters his siblings thought inferior as long as it satisfied his sexual appetite. He wouldn't dare try that on his sisters. He'd use fear to get those he kidnapped to consent, or just forcefully do whatever he wanted, and when he was done 'using' his victims, he'd dispose of them like trash.
Carys kept her face neutral, but she felt her skin crawl just looking at this sideways asshole.
"You don't want a fight with me." Xavier continued. "How's about I overlook this trespass, I warp you up to my room, and we skip straight to having some fun?"
As disgusting an idea that was to humor, Carys briefly checked the floor plan to discover that Xavier's room was on the eighty-second floor. Above Serafina and Giovanni, who were around the sixtieth floor. She really didn't want to climb that many flights of stairs. So...
Carys quirked her lips up into a half-smile, gave him another sidelong glance, and extended her hand towards an eager Xavier.
"If you think you can handle me."
Xavier's face became energized as he sauntered over to Carys and gently took her hand. The next instant, the two were in a smaller room decorated in purple with a bed, a furnace, an adjacent bathroom, some furniture, and a giant bed. Outside the nearest windows was a spectacular view of the savannah.
Carys could tell they were warped to a higher floor. Kal had gone into explicit detail regarding Xavier's warp Hacks. He had TP Aura and Teleport. TP Aura enabled him to warp sporadically around whatever he was attacking in order to attack from multiple, unavoidable, untenable angles. His Teleport Hack was more practical... and selective. The Hack allowed him to set up to four warp points, to which he could warp to at any time. In a way, it was like he had four Stasis Chambers, though he was fully in control of them, he could warp others who he was in contact with, and the warp points could be used repeatedly. If he wanted a new warp point, he had to override one of his four existing points, and to set a warp point, he had to first be standing at the spot. He couldn't set a warp point to a place he'd never been.
Xavier likely had one warp point in the first floor lobby and another in his room. It made exiting the Obelisk easier for him. The other two warp points were slots he kept open for emergency use.
Speaking of Xavier, the creep was still clinging to Carys' hand, his other one coming up to run along her inner arm. Carys snatched her hand back and took note of where Xavier's warp point was.
"You seem nervous. Don't be. If this is your first time, I can take the lead." Xavier smirked as he turned off his Hacker smoke and approached.
Carys wrinkled her nose. "I thought you holier-than-thou Hackers wouldn't dare sully yourself with a lowly Crafter."
"We don't, but good luck finding a Hacker willing to take my cock down their-"
Xavier gagged as Carys' scythe blade was shoved into his mouth and down his throat, cutting both his words and his innards. Carys jerked the scythe roughly towards her to heighten the Hacker's damage and pain.
Her grin was shark-like. "Oooh, you just made this real easy for me."
Before Carys could twist or wrench the scythe to cause more damage, Xavier hurriedly willed his smoke on and Teleported back to his original warp point in the middle of the room. He coughed and massaged his throat, though Carys noted his Hearts back to full thanks to his Regen. He was a Level 4, with Regen, TP Aura, Teleport, and Criticals - a Hack that made all his hits critical hits as if he was wielding a cutlass. Criticals was a step beneath Strength, but it still meant he hit harder.
"Ow... ugh... heh..." He laughed weakly, though Carys could see the boiling anger just below the surface. "We doing some foreplay first?" He drew an iron sword from his belt, his dark smoke coating it and making black Crit Aura particles emanate off its surface. "I like feisty women."
"Then you're gonna love me." Carys smiled diabolically before pouncing with a shout.
[Obelisk: Middle Floor]
Ciro piloted the small mail delivery airship and descended around the Obelisk before docking at a randomly chosen floor in the middle. From there, he exited the cockpit and opened up the outside door before blasting a hole in the stone brick with the Yanhua Gong. After that, he, Noman, and Shiroyuki the snow fox leapt across the gap and clambered into the Hack Clan's home.
Ciro glared at the snow fox in Noman's arms, his facemask up. "What do you think you're doing? Get rid of that."
"We can't leave Shiroyuki on the ship. It's too big a target." Noman argued.
"One could argue that fox is safer in there than in here."
The fox barked in brazen defiance. Ciro stalked forward into the room they blew open. It looked vacant. A spare room yet to be claimed.
The two exited out the spare room onto a landing with an interior balcony - a mezzanine. There was an open hole in the middle for both the floor and the ceiling, allowing one to see the floors above and below. There were room doors on all sides of the Obelisk, and a stairwell at the back wall that went up and down. The whole place was illuminated by torches. There was also a convenient floor directory listing which floors housed which Hackers.
"We're on the fiftieth floor, and Giovanni's room is on the fifty-eighth floor." Noman read. "And Seraphina's on the sixty-first floor. We better get moving."
Noman took a step towards the stairwell only for Ciro to hold out a hand stopping him.
"Ciro, what is it? Floyd and Anibal can't keep the Hackers busy fore-" He cut off when he saw the Hacker phase through the ceiling from the mezzanine above and land opposite the hole in the center. He was trailing smoke. Shiroyuki growled.
"I thought I heard an explosion." Espen noted serenely. Another unidentified Hacker, but one Kal made a note to mention. The same one Floyd and Soul said they encountered in Nitebane. He matched Kal's description. Wispy, with long legs, white hair in a pony-tail, pale blue eyes with black sclerae, and a Hack that allowed him to phase through solid blocks. He sighed like a man with the unenviable task of taking out the trash. "Just some flies in need of swatting."
Slowly, he started walking around the mezzanine. Noman and Ciro stood still as he approached.
"Noman. Listen carefully." Ciro whispered to the Billionth. "On my signal, we both run opposite of him towards the stairwell. He'll use his jumping Hack to leap across to stop us. When that happens, use your Bottes Zephyr to get to the next floor."
"O-Okay, but what about you?"
"I'll hold him off."
"No!" Noman hissed loud enough for Espen to hear. The Hacker raised a brow but continued unimpeded. "Remember what Carys and Kal said. Your artifacts aren't suited against his Hacks! You'll be fighting a Hacker at a disadvantage."
"What do you suggest, then?"
"We subdue him together." Noman offered.
"And while we're both wasting our time fighting an enemy that can phase through our attacks, Serafina and Giovanni could get away with the artifacts." Ciro countered with a scowl. "We're here to secure the artifacts. Don't forget that. Better one of us go ahead than for both of us to be held up."
"But-"
"I'm more than my artifacts. Just as you're more than yours." Ciro_Che swore proudly. "I'm a former Captain. The Millionth. Notch's right-hand. I can handle this guy." Ciro drew the Destierro del Palillo and the Yanhua Gong. "Just take that fox with you. It'll only get in the way."
*Yif!*
Noman bundled the snow fox into his arms, his nerves tense as a bowstring as Espen continued to round the mezzanine. He didn't want to leave Ciro to fight a foe he was disadvantaged against, but he couldn't deny he'd be just as useless against someone who could phase through attacks. His one-hit Aikido technique would never connect to the back of his head. Fighting Espen would only serve to waste their time - time Floyd, Soul, Carys, Kal, and Anibal were buying for them.
He needed to get the artifacts quick. It was the only way to conclude the siege. Once the mission was accomplished, the Obelisk would be left alone, and no one else would die or risk their life.
"NOW!" Ciro gave the signal and Noman started running towards the stairwell with him. They kept opposite of Espen, who, as Ciro predicted, used his Bunnyhop Hack to leap across the wide mezzanine in a single bound. Noman kicked on the Bottes Zephyr and shot up in response while Ciro drew back on the Yanhua Gong.
Espen looked shocked by Noman's sudden ascent, but he couldn't alter his momentum mid-jump. Ciro's arrow came straight for him, but it passed harmlessly through him as he made his body intangible with his Phase Hack. The arrow kept going until it made contact with the opposite wall and exploded, destroying a chunk of a vacant bedroom. Again, Espen expressed surprise, though he landed with a crushing fist that had Ciro skipping back to dodge.
In all the excitement, Noman slipped to the upper floor.
Espen stood up, glancing to where Noman had walked on air, then to the chunk missing from the wall, then back to Ciro.
"That bow..." He pointed to the Yanhua Gong. "That's the bow Zipshin wielded in Exter."
"Were you there during the Stigmata Wars?" Ciro asked, bowstring taut.
"No, but I heard from some of the old guard." Espen commented placidly. "A bow with the power of TNT. Pretty identifiable." He tilted his head. "That other guy had boots that could fly. And then there's that stick of yours." He pointed to the Destierro del Palillo. "All artifacts. Is that what you're here for? The fire boots and the ice pants?"
"Don't call them that, pony-tail."
Espen balked. "What's wrong with pony-tails, pony-tail?"
Ciro flicked his long, dark pony-tail. "This is a warrior's panther-tail. Nothing at all like your feminine pony-tail."
"Sounds to me like a case of the pot calling the kettle a twat."
Espen leapt forward with Bunnyhop, his expression serene as he lunged for Ciro's throat. Ciro launched an arrow from the Yanhua Gong, but it went through Espen when he phased. Ciro then swung wildly with the Destierro del Palillo. It made contact, but it didn't knock the Hacker back since he had AntiKnockback on. Instead, Espen closed a fist around Ciro's throat.
Ciro choked under Espen's Strength Hack before firing another arrow at point blank range. When Espen phased out, the arrow passed through him, his fingers passed through Ciro's throat, and the Hacker passed through the mezzanine to the floor below.
Ciro coughed on his knees, his throat healing from the crushing pressure.
It's just as Kalmarin said. Ciro thought. Espen can't control which parts of his body Phase. He's either all solid or all intangible.
Just as he thought that, Espen shot up out of the floor using Bunnyhop and Phase from the lower floor. He was a Level 5 with Phase, Strength, Regen, Bunnyhop, and AntiKnockback. A poor matchup against Ciro's artifacts - the Destierro del Palillo was rendered useless - but Ciro wasn't about to back down.
To overcome Espen's Regen, I need a one-hitter quitter. Explosives, falling anvils, Iron Golem attacks. Those are all out since he can phase right through them. Ciro gripped his bow tight. There's only one thing that might work, but it'll take some subtle set up.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness III, Fire Aspect I, Sweeping Edge III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Efficiency II, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling III, Unbreaking III], 18 Obsidian, 8 Ender Chests, 43 Chorus Fruit, 59 Cooked Salmon, 55 Cooked Chicken, 7 Rotten Flesh, 64 Oak Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 1 Bed, 30 Blocks of Coal, 64 Torches, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 64 Snowballs, 64 Snowballs, 16 Eggs, 11 End Crystals, 16 Ender Pearls, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash 2.0} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Lure II, Unbreaking III], 1 Trident {Awe} [Riptide III, Unbreaking III], 1 Trident {Shock} [Loyalty II, Channeling], 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}, 1 Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying
Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 36 Eyes of Ender, 32 Blocks of Emerald, 8 Emeralds, 1 Diamond Cutlass, 25 Lapis Lazuli, 64 Books, 64 Glass, 64 Glass, 64 Glass Bottles, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Fishing Rod, 2 Books, 1 Enchanting Table, 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}
[EXP: 34]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Chainmail Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Dragon Head, 1 Chainmail Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Chainmail Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Chainmail Boots [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Dagger, 16 Ender Pearls, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Compass, 1 Bow [Power IV, Flame I, Punch II, Unbreaking III], 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Crossbow [Piercing IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Multishot I, Unbreaking III], 64 Arrows, 64 Arrows, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Small Ball x 7, Gray x 7}, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Large Ball x 7, Gray x 7}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 62 Dark Oak Planks, 50 Chorus Fruit, 59 Cooked Salmon, 56 Apples, 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}, 2 Fire Charges, 36 Charcoal, 4 Torches, 32 Pumpkin Seeds, 1 Book {Redstone Textbook}, 1 Book {Notebook}
Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 53 Arrows of Poison {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 57 Arrows of Harming II, 52 Arrows of Weakness {0:30}, 49 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}, 63 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: 25]
Inventory (Baltic): 1 Iron Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond 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, 64 Bones, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 20 Emeralds, 64 Cooked Chicken, 51 Cooked Chicken, 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 Regeneration II {0:05}, 1 Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Totem of Undying
Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 41 Glass Bottles, 64 Dragon's Breath, 59 Dragon's Breath, 64 Blaze Powder, 64 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 62 Phantom Membranes, 64 Blaze Rods, 64 Fermented Spider Eyes, 64 Carrots, 64 Melon Slices, 64 Rabbit's Feet, 64 Gold Ingots, 64 Gold Nuggets, 64 Gunpowder, 64 Redstone Dust, 64 Glowstone Dust, 64 Ghast Tears, 64 Sugar
[EXP: 32]
Inventory {Jillian}: 1 Book {Vivlio Zythopoiias}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness II, Unbreaking III], 1 Bow {Artemis} [Unbreaking III, Punch II, Power V, Knockback II, Curse of Vanishing, Infinity], 1 Bow {Apollo} [Unbreaking III, Flame I, Punch II, Knockback II], 1 Crossbow, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 35 Torches, 1 Book and Quill {Planner}, 1 Book and Quill {Notebook}, 40 Cooked Cod, 46 Cooked Salmon, 56 Arrows, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Small Ball x 7, White x 7}, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Large Ball x 7, White x 7}, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying
[EXP: 53]
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, 40 Torches, 59 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 33 Cookies, 52 Baked Potatoes, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
[EXP: 47]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Diamond Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Shears, 2 Iron Ingots, 24 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 7 Cooked Mutton, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 10 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Map {Stasis Map}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 48]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Diamond Pickaxe, 61 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 5 Ender Pearls, 8 Gold Ingots, 11 Blocks of Diamond, 16 Blocks of Emerald, 1 Shears, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Leather Pants, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Golden Boots, 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, 22 White Wool, 61 Cobblestone, 14 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Obsidian, 4 Bowls, 23 Red Mushrooms, 1 Armor Stand, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Map {Stasis Map}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}
[EXP: 42]
Cat-Face the Cat
Christopher Squawken the Parrot
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Shield, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Diamond Pickaxe, 6 Cooked Mutton, 56 Nether Warts, 15 Soul Sand, 1 Flint and Steel, 10 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Brewing Stand, 15 Glass Bottles, 4 Packed Ice, 8 Ender Pearls, 60 Glowstone Dust, 23 Gunpowder, 12 Redstone Dust, 60 Blaze Powder, 62 Gold Nuggets, 43 Brown Mushrooms, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Map {Stasis Map}, 1 Book {The Art of Peace}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}
[EXP: 35]
Shiroyuki the Snow Fox
Inventory (Kalmarin): 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 Mob Head {Skeleton}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness III, Unbreaking I], 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Map {Stasis Map}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 15 Cooked Chicken, 18 Apples, 1 Bow [Power I], 36 Arrows, 8 Ender Pearls, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 40 Torches, 31 Sand, 12 Cobblestone, 21 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 43 Coal, 1 Clock, 1 Compass, 1 Iron Pickaxe [Unbreaking I], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Old Reliable} [Unbreaking III, Efficiency V], 1 Book {Meetup}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}
[EXP: 43]
AN: Dead Hacker Count: (1) Marshall_Worren. Respective Bounty Day: 1.16 (Nether Update).
No more guesses for dead Hackers. Three Chapters to go before the end of Part VII. Then hiatus.
Some may say Marshall was a nameless Hacker I included just to die... and you're right. But I had to have it that way to prove the power of the Severe Shield and to contrast how Noman uses it with how anybody else would use it and get drunk on power. I drew inspiration for that from Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where John Walker gets given Captain America's shield and you see an extreme for how bad a Captain America he can be. Compare that to Noman who is more reserved with the power, using it to protect rather than to kill. Anibal had to kill a Hacker to give validation to Carys' decision to loan out Noman's Severe Shield. Even if it was only a nameless Hacker.
That being said, not all of these Hackers are nameless Hackers. Them and their powers have been mentioned early on in the story. Xavier, Espen, Serafina, Null, Giovanni, Douglass, Quentin. They were always there, just in the background.
I gave a little bit of insight into the mindset of the Griefers. They know they're weak and cannot survive in a world like Minecraftia, so they band together under the Griefers. They migrate from all over upon hearing of the Obelisk, even while low on food or destitute, because they know it's their only chance of survival. They're fine with being treated like dirt. It's not that they're stupid, though, like they're brainless. There's just a lot of information to constantly remember about Minecraftia. There's no available wiki for them, so they're just forced to comprehend everything and, for Griefers or Jibbermen, that's hard. They don't have the mental capacity to take it all in. Even for me, there's stuff I can't remember about Minecraft that I think is too useless or too insignificant. Any adult taught how to survive in Minecraft is going to struggle.
Was the uncomfortable Carys-Xavier scene too uncomfortable? Was I right to include a content warning? Let me know, because I honestly don't know where you guys draw the line.
The Hacker matchups are set. How will things go? Find out next time, on My Craft!
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. FORUM. DISCORD. S'MORES GIRL SCOUT COOKIES.