After half an hour of crumbling, Jesse had deemed it is safe enough to get out of their hiding place. The group hurriedly left the chamber. The cave is still standing, and nothing had happened to it, but in the distance, Jesse and the others can see a mass of obsidians and cobblestones floating on the water. The marine animals were shocked to their core, and now have problem readjusting back to normal. Some fish was boiled when the cobblestones and obsidian made its appearance. The two appeared in a middle of the ocean? Lava. Lava and Earthquake? Volcano eruption. One look at his companion tells him that they were thinking along the same line.

They ran out of the cave, and narrowly dodged their deaths as a boulder fell. From there, they swam up the waterfall, and climbed uphill. Their eyes widened at the horror in front of them.

Ivor's cottage is on fire. The main structure collapsed, letting Jesse know that it is too late to save anything inside that house. Luckily they have moved everything valuable to the New Order's treasure room, but a large portion of Ivor's research is still in there. He will be devastated to hear about it once he is back. Not only the house and the slime-piston machine, the whole maze is on fire; lava had filled the maze almost completely, only leaving a few paths for escape. Even then you'd have to jump from wall to wall, and failure is not an option, seeing as you will be cook alive. Jesse can still hear some mobs' agonizing screams as they were burnt alive. Well, as alive as a zombie can be.

Without second thoughts, they immediately left the place. Going back to Beacon town and relax seems like a really good idea now.


"What. The. Heck. Was. That?!" Petra exclaimed in frustration, once they have passed the Beacon town gates, and into the safety of Jesse's office.

No one had spoken a word during the journey back, as they too, were shocked by the sudden developments. Radar looked worriedly at Jesse, who is clutching a piece of paper tightly in his hand, and Gabriel, who lounge lazily across the sofa. But if you actually notice, his posture is stiff and tense, like he is ready to attack at any moment. Petra just paced around the office, asking the rhetorical question that Radar have no answers to.

At a corner of the room, Axel stood there, leaning against the wall and look on the scene, while next to him, Lukas is sitting on the lime bean bag and work on his next book. On the floor, Olivia and Ellegaard are discussing strategies for a new type of redstone contraption they've thought of during their journey here. The four of them are wise enough to give the trio some time to gather their thoughts, as it seems to be a really important matter. Lukas is here because of his bi-annual visits, while Ellegaard and Olivia are here to discuss some trading problems due to the natural disasters happening. As for Axel, he just came for the fun of it.

Still, it took Radar every fiber of his being to not squeal and faint right then and there. Most of the Old Order and the New Order are here, in this room, and most importantly, drinking his tea!

'Oh, what have I done to deserve this honor?' Radar mused to himself.

"A volcano eruption, obviously." Gabriel drawled, oblivious to Radar's thoughts.

"Gabriel, just in case you haven't notice, there wasn't a bloody volcano there in the first place!" Petra growled.

That got everyone's attention. "What do you mean by that?" Ellegaard inquired.

"She is saying that there was never a volcano spotted." Jesse rubbed his temple, trying to gather his thought process. "And before you ask, no, the lava did not came from the ground. There were no cracks that large despite the earthquake beforehand. As for where did the lava came from, I don't know. That is the million dollar question, isn't it?"

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "What about the hole that surrounded the place next to the piston machine? Could the lava comes from there?"

Gabriel shook his head. "It wasn't, I assure you. There was no lava from the bottom, and none at the top either. It is almost as if...it just magically appears."

"Sounds oddly like the natural disasters that happens recently." Lukas rubbed his chin, clearly deep in thought.

"And that brings us to another point that needs to be made. It is awesome timing that you guys got here, by the way. Everything that will be spoken in this room must remains a secret between us, as the political strains will be heavy if coupled this in. We do not need so many problems at the same time. Any questions?" Everyone shook their head. "Now Gabriel, if you would do the honor."

It took Gabriel a good portion of that hour to get everyone informed of the whole story. Needless to say, many were skeptical at first, especially the two engineers, as they were used to logical things that had a definite explanation. A stone that causes the natural disasters to occur are way above their comprehensions. But since no one have a better idea, they concluded that the Zircon gem is the problem now. They decided that searching the chamber again would be useless. The stone is gone, coupled with the fact that the notebook are also gone, it's safe to say that someone had took them and vanish. There are no traces to be followed, and the team is at a dead end. Axel suggested putting something of the same shape in there, but Gabriel shot the idea down immediately; Ivor had claimed that only the Zircon gem would work. The warrior had been there himself to tested it.

"What if we find this 'Zircon' material and replace the gem with a newly made one?" Ellegaard had suggested.

Axel shot back. "Where would we find it? I personally have never heard of this 'Zircon' thingy before."

"Well, one of the portal in the Portals Hallway ought to have it, right?" Petra added in her own two cents.

The blonde journalist's face pale in horror. "Are you saying we have to go back there again?"

Out of everyone else here, the Lukas hated that place the most. It's creepy, foreboding and brought bad memories. If it was up to him he'd burn the place down and forget that it had ever existed.

"That would be impractical. That idiot Ivor had grabbed the Portal Atlas, has he not?" Gabriel said in resignation, throwing his hands in the air for good measure.

Jesse pinches the bridge of his nose. He had knew that it would come back to bite them in the ass someday, but never this soon. They can not just risk jumping around from portal to portal until they find the Zircon. It would be a waste of time and time is something they could not afford. Not right now. It is also very dangerous, as proven by their very close run-in with PAMA. If Harper hadn't been there...

Jesse snapped his finger as an idea came to mind. "What about Otto?"

"What of him?" Olivia raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You want to ask him about the Zircon?" Lukas glanced at his best friend. That is a fine idea indeed. The Old Builders was the one who made that thing in the very first place. They should know how to get around without getting lost. Once had been more than enough, thank you very much.

"Yes. He can also pinpoints us to the correct portal to go, and the general informations as well. Without the Atlas, he is our next best choice."

"Sounds fine to me." Petra grinned. "I'm definitely coming then."

"Count me in." Lukas smirked, and Axel also shared the sentiment. Others simply nodded.

"But do you have any guarantee that it would work?" Ellegaard questioned. Jesse simply shrug, as he did not know the answer to that either. It will be down to luck. They started planning the other alternatives, different solutions, approaches, equipments,...

Radar was awed. From simply a piece of crumbled notebook, to dozens after dozens of ideas in the span of an hour. The Orders worked so well together, and he himself couldn't believe how lucky he is to witness first-hand their plans for this stone thing that apparently is the very cause of disasters. This time, it is a plan to save the entire world.

Finally, what seems like an eternity of planning, Jesse turned to him.

"And Radar? I trust you can handle Beacon town while we're gone, yes?"

Despite himself, he couldn't stop himself from squeaking in front of those intense emerald orbs that seemed to be looking straight at his soul.

"O-of c-course, Jesse! You could count on me!"

And Radar meant it.


"It's been at least two years since we've last visited, right?" Petra asked gleefully. No one answered; they knew a rhetorical question when they heard one.

It is a long, dark hallway filled with portals of different colors. The hallway is so long that it actually seems endless. There are torches on top of every portal, so the place was dimly lit. Weird thing is, mobs never spawn here, even though it is dark and spacious enough. It is probably one of the things up the Old Builders' arsenal that they haven't discover yet.

Opening the trapdoor to the long stairway, they begin to walk upstair. Jesse had ordered each person to bring the very basic: camping tents for at least one person, sleeping bags, ration bars or dry goods, water, their respective weapon, and some toiletries. If they wishes to bring anything else, it's their choice.

After a final check on equipment, he deemed them ready for action. With a flash of the familiar blue flint and steel, they are on their way.

Greetings them at the top of the staircase, however, are a pair of guards. The two asked them if they are here for 'The Games' or not.

"We are here for Otto. Can you please send him a message saying that Jesse and the others are here?"

The pair of guards nodded, and the one on the right went. Meanwhile, Jesse and the other have a look around the place. Petra picked up a brochure and raised an eyebrow. Lukas looked over her shoulder and whistled. Apparently Otto had kept his promise about making the games better, safer and more fun for the participants. Gone were the rules about mining in the Nether as punishment, replaced by a forfeit of being unable to enter the games for a week. As for the mine, Otto had transformed it into a game area, where competitors have to search for treasures, as many as possible and bring it back. The team with the most loots will win.

Jesse observe the scenery through a windowpane in the room. The competitors' village has changed drastically. It almost resembles a town now, with people bustling in and out. Shops were opened for armors and weaponry, purchasing using points from the game. All of the Tim pictures are gone, and the people seemed happier. The center of the town, however...

"Holy cow! Look at that!" Axel exclaimed. Jesse was surprised, as he did not sense Axel coming earlier. They peered down and look in the direction Axel pointed. Collective gasps can be heard from everyone. The brunette whistled. This is certainly unexpected.

Down there, in all of it's glory, is a statue of multiple people. Not just anyone, but the New Order of the Stone, with Jesse in the middle. The statue was either painted in gold, is made from something similar, or it is gold itself. Jesse and the other was in their full armor, but the brunette has Tim's armors and weapons on. There is a board next to it, seemingly describing their battle against Hadrian and Mevia. Red ropes surrounded the statue, and everyone passing by look at it in awe.

"Like what you see?" A voice ask from behind them. Jesse turn around, and spotted Otto standing a good three meters from them. They happily greeted each other like old friends should be, and discuss the new improvements of the game briefly, before Jesse introduces the Old Order.

"Otto, this is Gabriel, my mentor,-" said man wave at Otto with a grin, "-and Ellegaard." She nod at Otto respectfully and he did the same.

"Ah, it is an honor to finally meet you two. Jesse had a wonderful mentor to be this strong and brave. I'm sure you've heard about it, but your student here had knocked some senses into my wayward teammates, and rescue everyone here in the process. I can not thank him enough." Otto shook Gabriel's hand, as Petra silently snickered. After all, the Old Builder knew what exactly happen regarding to a certain dragon and command block.

"It is really nice to meet you again, Otto. And I really can't wait for a tour around here sometime, but we have some major problems. We need your help." Jesse said, face turning serious.

Otto was surprised, but kept his cool facade. He motioned his guards to get back to their station while leading the Order to his office. Serving them a cup of coffee each, he began listening to their retell of the situation. The aging man realized that it is a major concern. He know about the Zircon stone, and to his current knowledge, there are only three places that have such material.

Setting his cup of coffee down, Otto started, "To my current knowledge, there are only three places existed that have the material you spoke of. Zircon is loved by nobles, you see, so there was a war over it. The first place wiped itself out during said fight, and the Zircon is either buried deep underground, or destroyed. A shame, really." He slowly shook his head, "As for the second place, people had mined so much Zircon that it started to pollute the air, filling it with carbon dioxide. There are still Zircon available, but I wouldn't go there if I were you."

Jesse couldn't resist a gulp, "What about the third one?"

"The third one is probably the safest bet, though I really can't really guarantee your safety. It is a kingdom, very prosperous and feared by other nation that surrounds it. It is ruled by, from what I heard, a tyrannical princess sixteen years of age. She implied heavy taxes, kill anyone dares to oppose her, and enjoy life in the castle without much caring for the citizens outside."

Petra mumbled, "Wow, what a spoiled brat."

"I am aware, but there are something more concerning. Her right hand man, Prime Minister Derek, is a mystery. He got his position after the assassination of the previous one. Derek had served under the late king, who was murdered, I believe, and now currently ruling for the most part of the country, since the princess is unable to. You won't get your hands on the Zircon stone easily, that's for sure. They are rare, very rare so therefore they are expensive. You are outsiders, try not to cause trouble."

"Even so, our world is depending on it. We have to try. No pain, no gain after all." Lukas chimed in.

Otto chuckled. "That's the spirit. Anyway, there are a bit of history behind the stone itself. You might want to hear about this. This stone is old, very old. It appeared around the time planets were formed. The Zircon ore originally weren't on either of the three worlds I mentioned above, but a different one. I did not know how it gets there later on. But here is the myth of how the Zircon was formed."

Everyone is listening intently. Axel even stop his fidgeting motions. They are walking to the portal lead to the third world that Otto had mentioned. It is a long walk, so he thought, why not make it more exciting with a little background story?

"Long, long ago, there was a kingdom. They were really poor, and the kingdom was starting to collapse from the very inside. Taking the chance, another kingdom westward invaded, taking over. The leader of the invasion became the new king. Once, the newly appointed king was enjoying the beautiful scenery on a lake, when a giant golden turtle appeared. It said:-"

Olivia interrupted, "A talking turtle?"

"Yes. It proclaimed that it was sent from the heaven to help the king. The turtle gave the king one of its claw, telling him that if he uses it to make a bow, it will stop the other invading forces. By that time, the empire on the northern region wanted to invade the kingdom. The empire was rich, independent and have a strong military force, but lack the trading route the kingdom have. The emperor tried to invade the kingdom multiple times, but to no avail because of the magical bow. Each shot from the bow itself resulted in hundreds of arrows fired-"

Axel leaned forward, "Hold up, hundreds of arrows?!"

Otto's left eye twitch. "Yes. The emperor can't bypass the forces, so he thought up a different plan. He sent his only son to the kingdom to sign a peace treaty, and request a marriage to the king's daughter to strengthen the bonds between the two kingdoms. However, his true goal is to stole the magical bow, and finally, conquer the kingdom. The king agreed, because he like everyone else, was tired of bloodshed. The prince came to the kingdom to live, as ancient tradition stated the suitor have to spend a fair amount of time at his betrothed's house. The prince started his quest soon enough. At first, the princess didn't reveal any information about the bow, but time passed and she actually believed that they were a family now. She told him everything she knew, and even went as far as sneaking her husband into the chamber, where the bow lies. The prince switched the bow without the princess knowing, and left. A few days later, the prince requested to go back to the empire, stating he missed his parents. Before going, he told the princess to leave behind a trail of goose feathers whenever she goes outside of the castle, so if something happens he should be able to follow."

"Afterwards, the emperor invaded the land, once again. The arrogant king just laughed at them, but do nothing. When the enemies were near, he orders the troops to use the bow, but it didn't display any of it's magical effect. The enemy surrounded the castle, and the king have to abandon everything to run away with his daughter. The princess, of course, left a trail of goose feathers from her coat because of the promise with the prince. During their travel, the golden turtle raised once again, and told the king that the princess was the one who let the information of the bow leaked to her husband. Blinded by anger, the king ended his beloved daughter's life with his sword, and drowned himself afterwards. The prince, finding the princess' corpse, felt guilty and remorse over what he had done to his wife, jump down into a well nearby and end his life." Otto stopped to let the story sink in. "Rumors spread that the princess' blood was washed into the sea, settle under the bottom of the ocean, making what you now know today as Zircon. If you wash the Zircon in the water of that well, then the gem will shine brighter than ever."

The Old Builder ended his story. Olivia and Ellegaard are sniffling, while Axel is downright crying. Petra and Lukas are silent, while Gabriel is contemplating something.

Jesse wondered. "Did the others ever found out what happened?"

"Sadly, no. The emperor thought his son died in battle. The story started to go around probably two hundreds years after what happened. And by the way, here we are." Otto jerk his head.

It is a portal made of lapis lazuli, radiated with soft azure light that have the typical swirl portals bear. Jesse have to admit; he is nervous about the whole ordeal, but Beacon town- no, the whole world's survival is resting on their shoulder, once again. Shifting his backpack on his shoulder, he turn around and thanks Otto for his generous help.

"Don't be. I wish I could have helped you more, but The Games won't last without someone monitoring it. Just...be very careful. You guys are strangers, try to blend in with them, and don't cause any trouble. If you can, fly off the radar, stay hidden and most importantly, don't get caught."

Petra smiled, "Don't worry, we've got this in the bag!"

"I know, I know." The Old Builder chuckled, amused at the girl's antics

And off they go.