Steve had told me about the ocean, about how absolutely massive it could be, but I hadn't quite understood. How could I when all I'd ever seen could be contained within such a small portion of my map? I'd never seen a biome so big before.
Wow.
The water stretched out in all directions in front of me until it faded into the horizon. The deep blue expanse was equal parts relaxing and terrifying. The forest had been big, but crossing it was easy. I just had to walk and keep going until I reached the end. All the while, I saw familiar sights.
The ocean was a different story. I didn't know how big it was, Steve hadn't mentioned an exact size other than 'gigantic'. I couldn't imagine swimming it. Would it tire me out more or less than walking? I'd only ever swam to cross small rivers, which was never a long enough trip to give me an idea of just how tiring the activity could be. A part of me felt it should be worse, but then the other part of me remembered just how weird swimming was. It was almost like walking, so maybe it wouldn't be too bad.
Steve hadn't even told me how he crossed the ocean, only that he had.
Did you really swim all of this? I really hoped for a response, though I doubted I'd get one.
Steve's silence proved me right.
I rubbed my chin as I pondered my new dilemma. How to cross an ocean? My gaze swept from side to side, searching for an answer. I didn't find what I was looking for but did notice something else. It made me do a double-take to make sure I'd seen right. Right on the edge, a tree had grown. It looked completely normal from the forest side, however, the side which should have been over the ocean looked wrong, mainly because it didn't exist. It was like someone had cut the entire portion of the tree's canopy off. It was perfectly flat.
In fact, the whole cliff was perfectly straight with no natural imperfections like I'd seen in all other natural formations. Taking a cautious step forward, I peered over the edge and determined there were no overhangs, no protrusions, and no beaches. This trait carried on with both the trees and the life into the horizon in the south and to the north. There was one single spot where the cliff had a blemish, and just below it, a gray protrusion sticking out to where something wooden floated in the water.
I took a step back from the strange ledge. If I recalled correctly, Steve had mentioned bizarre biome boundaries like this before. He'd also said they were rare.
Never would've guessed one was so close to home.
I trekked across the cliff face toward the deformity and whatever floated below it in order to investigate. I found the staircase. It definitely wasn't natural, but it also wasn't a real staircase. There were no actual steps, just blocks carved out so someone could hop up and down the side of the cliff to what looked like it could be a boat in the water.
I smacked my forehead. Why hadn't I thought of a boat? As soon as I saw the thing floating in the water, I remembered discovering the recipe but never having a need for it back home.
That will make crossing an ocean easier. Thank you, Steve. My shoulders slumped as I looked at the "stairs" again. But seriously, couldn't take the time to craft some real steps? And you call yourself a builder.
Unsurprisingly, my complaints didn't earn any sort of response. I rolled my eyes before placing down my crafting table and whipping up a few batches of wooden stairs, this way I wouldn't have to tire myself out hopping up and down the cliff.
Block by block, I descended the cliff until I reached the water and found an oak door in the side of the cliff. Next to it was a single glass block looking out over the ocean and in front of it, resting on the stone, was a tiny poppy in a flower pot. It was both odd, and kind of cute to see the little flower all alone at the base of the cliff. Opposite the door, a tiny dock of cobblestone, only a block wide and three long stretched out into the water, and just beyond, a boat floated gently on the waves.
My lips twitched into a smile as I pushed the door open. I held my breath, not sure of what kind of immaculate build I'd find. Then I let it out in a huff as the tiny, cave-like room greeted me. A single torch lit the four-by-four area. In the wall to my right, beside the window, a crafting bench and furnace had been set into the stone. In the back left corner rested a red bed, and at its foot, stood a single chest. In the back right corner, the floor gave way to another blocky staircase descending deep underground. I couldn't even see the bottom, despite the torches periodically lighting it up. Despite the rather lackluster setup, to my chagrin, the ceiling was three blocks high.
I shook my head. He could make the ceiling taller, but make actual stairs? No way.
He was ridiculous.
As much as it bugged me, I didn't bother fixing his horrible stairs. I had no plans of mining. Instead, I went straight for his chest and rummaged through it. Unfortunately, this venture didn't yield any results like I'd hoped. All the items held within were pretty basic. Some dirt, cobblestone, wood, saplings, and drops from animals and monsters alike. Basically, it was all junk he'd deemed unworthy of keeping and it told me nothing about him. He did leave behind a fishing rod, which I figured might be useful, so I added it to my pack.
I huffed and let the lid slam shut. Well, that was pointless. I crossed my arms and glared around the room. As I did so, I realized how basic this whole house was, which was very unlike him. If the home he built me was anything to go off of. He probably didn't stay here long. That's why there's nothing here. It was probably just a temporary house like I'd been setting up the last few nights. I did my best to ignore the fact his makeshift home was a lot more comfortable than my own.
Show off.
My arms dropped to my sides as I let out a long breath. While I hadn't found anything on Steve, I at least knew I was on the right path. I just had to keep heading east.
At least I know he was here.
I stared out the window at the boat. It was only a bit bigger than a block, and it had no sails or oars. I wondered how it could even move, let alone if it would be enough to really get me across the ocean. I wondered if any monsters lurked in the blue depths. There were monsters on land, so there had to be some in the water too.
A shiver traveled down my spine. Well, that's not terrifying at all…
I did not want to attempt crossing the ocean, and it was halfway through the day already. I'd be better off starting in the morning. Yeah, that's the smart, safe thing to do. I nodded to myself. Before heading back up the cliff to resupply. Once night fell, I slept in Steve's old bed and tried not to dream of gigantic sea monsters swallowing the little boat whole.
Come morning, I anxiously strolled onto the dock and to my dismay, realized how far away the boat was. I couldn't reach it without going for a swim. Wasn't exactly what I wanted to do first thing in the morning with the chill ocean breeze in the air.
Really couldn't park any closer? With a sigh, I dove into the ocean and climbed into the boat. I sat there for a long moment, not going anywhere. How am I supposed to drive this thing?
Steve didn't answer, which came as no surprise. Equally unsurprisingly, the boat didn't answer me either.
I sat there, water dripping from everywhere with no idea how to move. In my impatience, I rocked from side to side while attempting to understand this dingy. The motion did cause the thing to rotate, but not much. Still, thinking I might've found something, I tried leaning forward and back, but nothing happened. The stubborn thing remained in place.
Nothing! I growled and threw my hands into the air. The motion of them falling back to my sides sent ripples rolling out from the boat in gentle circles until they faded into the still waters. Grabbing the sides of the boat and shaking, I practically shouted. Just go forward!
The boat lurched forward, aimed straight at the cliff.
Yikes! I covered my face, closed my eyes, and braced for impact. It was a much gentler hit than I expected, and also wetter. I found myself sinking into the salty water and I opened my eyes to see the boat, now small enough to be picked up, sinking beside me. Shaking my head, I grabbed the item and tossed it in my pack before swimming to the surface. I climbed onto the dock and sat on the edge, my legs dangling in the water. Extracting the boat from my pack, I glared at it in my hands as water dripped down my face.
You're a real pain, you know? I huffed and put the boat back in the water at full size. At least I could pick it up and carry it with me. It would be convenient.
I stood and hopped back into the boat. Apparently, it responded to my thoughts, so I thought about moving forward and was pleased to see it listen. I thought of turning and it did, but it wasn't as precise as I would've liked. It was very easy to over or understeer the vessel. It was also just as easy to crash it into something, which would force it to shrink and drop me in the water. I didn't even have to hit something hard. The slightest bump into something and I found myself sinking into the water. I understood why it had been parked so far from the dock.
Realizing how difficult this thing was to drive, I decided to practice going up and down the coast. I only managed to crash and sink the boat a dozen or so times. And I only got a mouthful of water half of those times.
I was thankful the boat never sank randomly. It only ever did so after hitting something, which meant it wouldn't randomly pop on me while I sailed across the ocean. Though, I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if a sea monster hit it. I managed to bump into a swimming chicken earlier, which had caused the boat to break. What would happen if something came out of the depths to grab me? The boat would break and I'd have to swim for my life! I didn't like the thought of treading water so far from shore. It terrified me.
However, I'd been on the water half the day already, and nothing had jumped out at me yet. Besides, even if it did, I could just pick up the boat and place it again. If I kept the thing traveling in a straight line, it could really book it.
I'll be fine. I was doing my best to reassure myself of this adventure as I stared out across the ocean toward the eastern horizon. It was working, kind of. Though, maybe I should wait one more day. It was afternoon by the time I felt confident with my boating skills, and it was probably best to give myself a full day of travel to get across the ocean. If it would even be enough. I definitely wasn't stalling.
When the next morning arrived, I forced myself to eat breakfast, despite the way my stomach bubbled with nerves. I walked along the super short dock to the boat for what felt like hours. When I finally hopped in, I pointed the boat at the rising sun. . With one final glance over my shoulder at the strange cliff, I sailed off across the ocean.