AN: Heyo! Going on Vacation soon and won't be able to publish, so I'm trying to get this out before I go to last day of work before vacation.
Funny story, though. I applied for a Texas Holdem Tournament the other day, it being my first tourney and me being a complete amateur at bluffing and betting, not knowing which cards are even the best hands to go in on, but knowing the rules of the game.
There were 120 players - most of them pros - and the betting stakes got higher and higher, having to place larger minimum bets from that initial starting amount of chips. And of course, I'm asking the dealer all sorts of questions in front of the other players, appearing very much like an amateur.
I played very defensive, holding onto my chips until I saw good cards to bet with, usually a pair in my hand. And, I shit you not, I quadrupled my money by sheer luck on the River (the last card) no less than three times. I outlasted four players at my table, and made it to a point where there were 60 players left without having to buy back in (two players at my table bought back in). The other players couldn't believe it and figured I was some prodigy acting timid and amateurish to play them as suckers.
At one point, the guy beside me (an aggressive player who I won most of my money from and who had to buy back in), questioned aloud what was going through my mind when I beat his full house cards on the River card with my own higher full house as if I was waiting for it or knew it would arrive. And what was going through my mind was:
"I don't know what I'm doing half the time."
I didn't gloat or anything, though. My hands were shaking when I was gathering a mountain of won chips towards me. I kept a cool face and played defensively. Even bluffed on an All-In a few times hoping to leave early, only for nobody to challenge it and give up more chips. Come on guys! I want to go home! Since it was a charity event, I couldn't cash out my chips, otherwise I would have done so right then and there. There was a $6000 Grand Prize or something, but I was only there for charity and fun. Figured I'd be eliminated straight out. Boy was I wrong.
Another funny moment of the night was when the aggressive player beside me - not aggressive angry but aggressive in betting - asked me if I ever played the game before after I won several big pots and when I said it was my first tourney. He asked if I played online or something. I said no at first, but then I remembered something. So I said this:
"You know that game Red Dead Redemption 2?"
"...Yeah?"
"Well, they have this Texas Holdem minigame in there, and I played that, so..."
The looks of incredulity on their faces was hilarious. And I'm just sitting there trying not to burst out laughing.
"...So your experience is from... a video game?"
"Yeah." :P
"I don't believe this..."
They're all scared of me, thinking I'm a prodigy at cards, but I'm really just an amateur. Even an amateur can shake up the pros, because they can't tell what you're thinking or what cards you have if even you don't know. Then they start second-guessing themselves and choking, losing more.
So I had a good time. Felt like sharing that here so I can remember it fondly years later when I reread this Chapter. I basically channeled my inner Cobb.
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I dd, I'd add Sand Bars.
Chapter 240
Prep Work
[Eastern Division HQ: Spring's Room]
"Ahhhh... mmmm!"
It was December 7th.
"Ahhhh... mmmm!"
Two Carmen clones were feeding each other the sugary sweet ambrosia that was honey. They took turns uncorking the glass bottles containing it and tipping it into the other's mouth, humming in delight at the taste.
Obtaining the honey hadn't been easy. Spring had to go off his Bounty Day vision, locate a beehive in the Restful Meadows, then siphon the honey with a glass bottle, angering the bees inside. Spring found out the hard way that bee stings inflicted poison, just as he learned that honey could dispel poison. He ended up killing a bunch of bees and forever ruining several beehives in order to get Carmen enough honey to satisfy her Winnie-the-Pooh-level addiction.
In return, Carmen had her clones spar with him.
Spring leapt back as a golden sword nearly skewered his shoulder. He backpedaled as one Carmen clone pressed the attack while another circled around. Carmen and her clones were fast learners, already mastering everything Spring taught them regarding combat. But that just meant they were the perfect opponents as they used his room as their arena. Fighting multiple enemies at once was the closest Spring could come to preparing against 4Blite.
Spring bounced on his heels and spun around to intercept the second clones sneak attack. However, the clone abandoned her sword entirely and lunged at Spring to grapple him in a blistering hold. Spring, having fallen for this multiple times already, sprawled low to allow the Hybrid to pass over him.
However, he recoiled when that same clone used the first clone to rebound and slam into him. He dropped his sword and hissed through his teeth at the intense burns of her jiggly, dark red skin. Seeing his pain, Carmen stepped back and called the match.
"N-No! Keep going." Spring urged. "I'm fine. We practice on."
"Spring, we've been practicing toda la tarde." One clone complained.
"You're exhausted. And this is becoming torture more than training." The other clone pointed out.
"Doesn't matter." Spring panted out as he wiped his forehead. "It's our lives on the line if I lose to 4Blite. I have to be ready. I need to have the stamina to wield whatever the next four Bounty Days bring."
That was the extent of Spring's plan when he heard four Bounty Days were in Minecraftia's future. They were set to arrive on December 11th. Once they dropped, he'd seek out an ace to use against 4Blite - one that nobody's ever seen before. The bee and honey update may have been lackluster, but there was bound to be something worthwhile out of four Bounty Days. All he needed was a week after the Bounty Days to thoroughly look for something that would give him an edge.
But to be ready, he needed staying power. 4Blite promised to be merciless.
Carmen sighed at his stubbornness. "Dios mío. At least let me cook you a meal. This miel has given me some great recipe ideas."
"...Yeah, okay." Spring couldn't say no to her delicious cooking, and his Hunger Meter was quite low. He let the clones get to work while he took a short break.
He took out a handful of bottles o' enchanting that KillGore requested he take as supplements to improve his level. He threw them at his feet, absorbing the EXP. Thanks to KillGore's supplements, he had passed level 56.
That was when KillGore arrived. He was covered in soot and grime and sweat, wearing a grim expression that Spring didn't like.
"KillGore brings tidings. Both good and bad." KillGore began in way of greeting. Not a great start. "Firstly, the Wither Skull grinder has been fortified, protected, and connected to the Portal Hub. From the dogs we left, a sizable number of Wither Skulls have been amassed, and the number will only increase now that Lieutenant XoX has lent us his Looting Sword."
"And the bad news?" Spring asked.
KillGore took a moment to compose his reply before putting bluntly, "The duel is scheduled for December 13th in the tundra. KillGore is sorry."
Spring felt his legs turn to jelly as he fell to the floor, a faraway look on his face. December 13th. Two days after the Bounty Day. He needed more than two days to look for advantageous fighting tools. He needed at least a week! Not two days! He couldn't venture too far, especially if the cult suspected he'd run out so close to the duel date! This was... this was awful!
"Noooo..." Spring whined through his teeth as he grabbed his head and lurched forward between his knees like he was going to throw up. "Noooo..."
Carmen and her clones stopped cooking, looking worriedly at the orange-haired cultist.
KillGore stepped forward and seized Spring's arm before examining it. "Tch. You need more levels. And a crossbow."
"I need a miracle." Spring complained hollowly. "Those four Bounty Days were it, and even that's been taken away. Did 4Blite have something to do with this? Did he hasten the date?"
"KillGore only heard it from Abyssmal while he escorted KillGore through the Nether." KillGore replied. "It's just bad luck."
"Of course it is." Spring thought in self-deprecation. "One misfortune after another with me. Can't ever catch a break!"
"No pierdas la esperanza, Spring." The Carmen clones tried to motivate him. "We still have seis days to think up a plan. And KillGore is here to help-"
"Indeed!"
"-Te pondremos en forma. We're here for you."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Carmen. Really, I do." Spring spoke wearily. "But I don't have an ace up my sleeve. I have no secret weapon or technique beyond what I was hoping to discover from the Bounty Days. That was my one glimmer of hope. I-I have nothing."
"So you're gonna quit?"
The three amigos gave a start as they found the cultist grunt Parker loitering outside Spring's door. He leaned on the entrance as he regarded his old pupil.
"I heard Mox and Brandeen spreading the word. Your last day on Minecraftia is slated for the 13th. How unlucky."
Carmen and her clones jumped to their feet as they snarled at him like a rabid dog. "¡Salte! ¡Quítate de nuestra vista ahora mismo si sabes lo que es bueno para ti!"
Parker gave an apprehensive look at the Hybrid, but he didn't leave. "So this is the thing you're risking your life for? What a waste."
With an unintelligible cry, Carmen and her clones merged together into her giant form and raised a hand with the intent to flatten Parker like a frog. This time, Parker looked frightened, but KillGore stopped her by getting in her way.
"No Carmen! The Executives will kill you if you do anything rash! Calm yourself!"
"That puta madre is insulting Spring!" Carmen was worked up by his words. She was barely holding herself back from smushing him like a bug.
"Why are you here? To gloat?" Spring asked emotionlessly.
Despite the danger of the giant Hybrid, Parker entered the room with eyes only for Spring. "You didn't answer my question. Are you quitting?"
Spring didn't reply as he gazed at the floor.
"You admitted you have no chance without some ace." Parker continued unimpeded. "If you know you can't win, you may as well liberate yourself and spare the embarrassment of a humiliating defeat." He nodded to Carmen. "The Hybrid will have to die too. You can go together. Make it quick for each other."
Carmen snarled something malevolent.
"What happened to the guy who swore to do what he thought was right?" Parker questioned further. "Or do you think quitting is the right thing?"
"...No." Spring spoke lowly.
"What was that?"
"No." He repeated as he stood up. "Quitting is not the right thing."
"And why is that? You already admitted you don't have the tools to win."
"...Because 4Blite will have to work for his meal." Spring vowed with fire in his eyes. "I won't give that self-absorbed asshole the satisfaction of bowing out."
He turned to his allies. Carmen and KillGore. His Lieutenants.
"Sorry, guys. I lost my resolve for a second there. I'm back, now. I'm ready to win. Whatever it takes with whatever time I have left."
Two of the clones reached forward and gently took his hands between them. They smiled encouragingly. "We're here for you. We'll do whatever we can. Lo que sea necesario."
"KillGore will upend all the EXP it takes. Only the best for the man acknowledged by evil incarnate!"
Spring smiled at the little guy's intensity before turning back to Parker. This was clearly some form of pep talk to kick his ass into gear.
"...I'm sorry I had to betray the cult's trust." Spring apologized. "But I'm not sorry for trying to help Carmen. Whatever your feelings about her, nobody deserves to live in a cage for centuries, deprived of their sense of self." His eyes narrowed. "I won't have you insulting what wasn't her fault."
Parker held his gaze for a long while before reaching into his belt. Carmen and KillGore tensed, expecting a weapon, only for it to be revealed as a signed book. A very old signed book. It was dropped with a heavy slam onto the floor before Parker kicked it over, making it slide along the floor to a rest at Spring's feet.
"What's this?"
"Your ace in the hole."
And with that simple utterance, Parker exited Spring's room just as suddenly as he arrived. His footsteps echoed down the glass corridors until petering out entirely.
Spring's gaze returned to the book at his feet. He stooped down and picked it up, dusting off the aged tome. Where had Parker gotten it?
"Combo Locking and Crit Chaining by..." Spring's eyes widened as he saw who wrote it.
The old Executive of the Southern Division, GardenWalker.
Spring quickly skimmed through the book, wondering how this could serve him as an ace. Parker wouldn't say such things and leave the book if he didn't think it would help. But what was Combo Locking? What was Crit Chaining?
"Spring...?" Carmen asked, three of her clones gripping him and glancing over his shoulder at the book. "Qué dice?"
The more Spring read, the more he couldn't believe. It was a combat technique that sounded fantastical. It sounded more like myth than an actual technique.
But if it was real... and he could pull it off in six days...
He might just have a secret weapon against 4Blite.
"KillGore, we need a secret place to practice." He requested. "I don't want 4Blite or Mox getting wind of this." He clutched the book protectively. "Carmen, I need you for more practice, and your mini clones to keep watch."
"Lo tienes." Carmen agreed before handing Spring and KillGore a hearty helping of steak and honey, approximating caramelized meat. Carmen smiled as Spring enjoyed the meal. He tore into it with gusto, a warmth filling him that had nothing to do with the delicious food.
Thanks for giving me a fighting chance, Parker.
[Eastern Division HQ: Unknown]
"New Moon is in optimal position and materia have been deposited." A cultist spoke into a speaking tube to the test subject on the other side of the viewing window. Beside him were several cultist observers, including Lieutenant MarkAble, Lieutenant Teal_Larkspur, and Executive Abyssmal. Abyssmal was there in case this Hybridization ritual went anything like last moon's. Teal just wanted to see the phenomenon in person. The music of the cursed disc played as an unsettling background to what was already a sin against nature. At least, that's what Mark thought of it.
"Test Subject Cletus_Arning, you may now add your chosen Mob DNA."
Cletus did as bidden, dropping a gold nugget into the cauldron, taken from the orneriest Zombie Pigman he could find. Most people wouldn't understand, but Cletus had great respect for Zombie Pigmen and their strength and speed. He'd heard about how devastating the Stigmata in Exter could be. Pigmen were ferocious, and they never stopped until they hunted down their quarry. He wanted that same level of tenacity.
His only concern was of smelling like rotten pork.
"This better work." Teal tapped her foot impatiently as she watched Cletus lower himself into the cauldron. "I would've tried it from day one if not for all the Nervous Nellies."
"Oh, sure." Abyssmal rolled his eye sarcastically. "Let's make a Lieutenant the strongest thing in Minecraftia without first ascertaining if they can control themselves. Brilliant. This is why you're not an Executive."
"I'm not an Executive because nothing can separate me from my boo~" Teal gave a tender one-armed hug to the Lieutenant beside her. She'd been particularly clingy after returning from the Nether and learning that Mark had brazenly gone to Nitebane, the lion's den. And she thought she was the thrill-seeker. "Buuut if you can pull some strings and make Marky-Mark my Lieutenant, I might just sort out your little succession problem in the south~"
"And leave me with zero Lieutenants and nobody to do paperwork? Fat chance. I'm not giving him up." Abyssmal countered possessively. "Anyway, the succession problem will be resolved regardless. The duel is already scheduled. All that's left is to see who comes out on top."
"My money's on Spring." Teal wagered confidently. "The underdog fueled by the power of love. What about you, Mark~?"
"I'm hoping it's Spring_Fever as well." Mark nodded. "He's a trailblazer. I admire that."
"If he's a trailblazer, then I'm a super trailblazer." Teal spoke hastily. "Trails be blazing in my wake. I'm wild. You admire that about me too, right~?"
"What about you, Abyssmal?" Mark ignored Teal's attention-seeking. "Who do you want to win?"
"4Blite."
"Really? Even though his Plagues most likely killed the other Executive candidates?"
"I don't like it, but 4Blite winning is the only way to avoid things getting messy." Mark and Teal tilted their heads curiously, prompting the Executive to explain. "4Blite has all those loyal Plagues. If he loses, they won't get in line for somebody else and follow orders. I might have to eliminate all that promising talent from this realm. It's a waste. Which is why I'd prefer 4Blite win, no matter how much of a power-hungry jerk he is."
"I see." Mark hummed.
"Well, you can count on me to help clean up if it comes to that." Teal offered with a happy-go-lucky grin. "Oooh, maybe I can bring them into my Survival Games! Hmhmm~"
"Oh, right. That's coming up-"
Abyssmal stopped abruptly as the surface of the water in the ritual cauldron burst upwards. Teal screamed in genuine horror, the sound so unlike her that Mark reflexively shifted before her.
Cletus' blond hair was the same... but only on half of his head, since his now pink skin was rotted away in a sickly green that gave way to a grisly bleached skull. One eye was an empty socket while the other was still there, turning from his natural green to a dull black. His clothes, backpack, and belt were gone, replaced by a dirty brown loincloth. He had hooves for feet, though his fingers and hands had been spared the same fate. His legs, torso, and face were more rotted than his arms, exposing pale bones and a ribcage. His mouth was barely discernable under the loose, rotted green and pink skin. There was half a pig snout just above that. No name over his head.
"Oh my Herobrine, why did we allow this!?" Teal dry-heaved. "New rule: No more rotting Mob Hybrids!"
Several of the cultists watching this had similar horrifying reactions. It was hard to look at the abomination before them. The Ghast Hybrid Salvatore hadn't been nearly this ugly.
"So?" The Zombie Pigman Hybrid asked as he faced the window after checking himself. The skull half of his face moved creakily and looked unnatural. "How do I look?"
"...Really, really good." One cultist lied into the speaking tube before covering it with his hand and turning to Abyssmal. "Burn it with fire arrows, please."
"Now hold on." Abyssmal swept past the cultist and spoke into the speaking tube while examining Cletus with one eye. His size hadn't changed like Carmen or Salvatore. Probably because Zombie Pigmen were the same height as Crafters. "Cletus, do you remember who you are?"
"Yeah, nothing's changed." He shrugged as he trotted in place. "Er, feet and flesh notwithstanding. I guess this will have a serious impact on the lady factor."
Well, at least he still has a sense of humor. Abyssmal chuckled to himself. "I understand Mob Hybrids have an increased desire for violence and killing. Do you feel compelled to attack any of us in here?"
"And get obliterated? No thank you."
"So..." One cultist almost threw up in his mouth at the sight of him. "You feel no animosity?"
"Not at the moment, no." He shrugged before lifting an arm up and attempting to smell himself. His rotted snout didn't help much. "Huh. I don't smell. That's a relief."
"I think it's more like he can't smell." Mark commented. "You think his lack of animosity is because Zombie Pigmen-?"
"-don't attack unless they're attacked. I was thinking the same." Abyssmal narrowed his eye. "Cletus, we need to perform some tests. I'm going to come in there and damage you. Try and hold yourself back from attacking me."
"Wait, what? I have to f-fight you?"
"Not fight." Abyssmal broke off from the speaking tube and entered the test room. By then, the New Moon had left its optimal position. He took out a bow. "Just a light tap to see if you go ballistic. Again, try to control your urges." Abyssmal raised the bow and loaded an arrow. "If you can't, I'll have to kill you. Ready?"
"Uh... wait, let me just-"
"Boop."
Abyssmal wasted no time, lightly pulling back the bowstring and letting go to get the lowest possible damage and distance. He was standing right in front of him, so the arrow didn't have to go far. There was also no way the Night-Raven would miss either. The arrow struck Cletus in his rotted ribcage.
As soon as the damage registered, Cletus violently surged forward with an angry pig squeal. Abyssmal quickly loaded a new arrow and pulled back for maximum damage only for Cletus to stop in his tracks and let out a few feverish snorts. The wild look in his eye subsided, to be replaced with rational thought as he calmed down.
"Ooh. That was... phew. I'm okay. I'm still me." He assured, lowering the gold sword that had materialized in his hand without him realizing. "Where did this come from?" He dropped it, only to conjure a fresh one in his hand. "Whoa, no way. Can I conjure these from thin air?" He dropped a few more golden swords, making a growing pile of them as he conjured more. "That's kind of cool. I'll never be without a sword."
How is he so blasé about this? Did he really wake up one morning wanting to be a rotting Pigman? Abyssmal thought to himself before waving to the cultists behind the viewing window. "He's under control. Test successful, everybody."
"Successful is a strong word." Teal averted her eyes from the rotting hybrid. "So is tolerable. Revolting's actually looking a little weak right now. Remind me to wait and see what an Enderman hybrid looks like before I take the plunge."
Mark stiffened as he turned to Teal. "You're... not still considering this are you?"
"Well, the lack of clothes is a turn-off. Or maybe a turn-on~?" She teased flirtatiously, tugging at her halter top to flash a bit of skin. "But being part Enderwoman would make me invincible! Just think, I could teleport while I'm fighting, I'd have the strength and reach of an Enderman, I'd be immune to arrows - can finally beat Abyssmal in a fight - and I'd be a tall drink of water. I can't see any downsides, but I won't make the commitment until I've seen an Enderman hybrid for myself. There's a New Moon on December 31st; that's when I'll do it. Only seems fitting. New Moon, New Year, New Teal."
Mark was contemplative for a long while before he spoke up.
"Teal."
"Yeah?"
"If I asked you - begged you - not to become a Hybrid," he began, "would you change your mind?"
Teal balked at the question. "Where is this - if this is about looking like a freakshow, don't worry, I'll be careful. I already know the Magma Cube hybrid came out alright. If Enderman doesn't work out, I'll do some window shopping and-"
"I don't care about looks!" Mark blurted out, stunning Teal into silence. Her usual flirty grin was dropped. "This is about your very humanity. I don't trust this ritual."
Mark pointed at the Zombie Pigman hybrid being examined by Abyssmal. "My thought process is that whoever is involved in this ritual is taking from the Mobs. You're taking the Mobs' characteristics, and the more you take, the less you have. You'd be losing the real you."
"...But I'd be stronger. Strong enough to protect you from anything. Strong enough to-"
"You're plenty strong enough as is!" Mark spoke passionately as he took Teal's hands in his, her eyes going wide. "I know you're all about seeking new experiences, but this is one experience you're better off without. I'm not telling you to not be strong. I'm asking you to not sacrifice what makes you, you." He looked desperately to the ceiling. "I'll never ask for anything again if you please just forget about becoming a Hybrid."
Mark didn't care what the audience of onlookers thought of this rather emotional outburst out of him. He preferred Teal the way she was without making her part monster.
They were cultists! They were already monsters, and many Crafters and cultists alike were terrified of Teal's combat prowess. Despite all the killing she did in her Survival Games, Mark didn't think she was a monster. He accepted her, and, if she were a Hybrid, she would still accept her. He just didn't want her to be more of a Mob and less of the person...
he...
fell...
for...
Teal's vibrant blue eyes were fixed on Mark's dark gray ones as they shared a meaningful look. She slowly extricated one hand from Mark's before taking one of his hands and bringing it gently to her lips, kissing it in a show of tenderness.
"...You like me just the way I am?" She asked almost timidly, her lips kissing the back of his hand again.
"Yes." He nodded.
"You want all of me for yourself?"
"I don't ever want there to be less of you."
"Oh, get a room you-"
Teal's fist lashed out and sent the interrupting heckler through the viewing window without her or Mark batting an eye. She sighed, lost in the romantic moment. Mark hardly ever spoke from the heart, always denying their feelings for one another.
"Okay, then." Teal nodded.
"You mean-?"
"Yep~!" Teal popped the p. "Teal will stay au naturel for her man... if that's what you want." She added coyly.
"I don't want you to think I'm holding you back." Mark insisted. "Of course I want you to be strong, but as yourself. This Hybridization stuff will taint you."
"You're bowing out of becoming a Hybrid?" Abyssmal asked as he spared a glance at the passed-out heckler and climbed through the hole in the viewing window. "What happened to your plans of finally beating me?"
"Change of plans, Cyclops!" Teal belted out dramatically, a finger to the ceiling and Mark's head pressed to her bosom. "I'm a strong independent woman who can crush diamonds with my abs and heads with my thighs! I'm pure, unadulterated badass, and I don't need to go tainting myself with some gross monster genes. No offense, Cletus."
The Zombie Pigman Hybrid looked at his own rotting body parts with burgeoning regret.
"I'm Teal_Larkspur! Lieutenant of the Eastern Division, and lover to this beautiful hunk of man, here~" She added in a lusty growl as she hugged Mark's head closer, making him blush. "With that settled, it is late, and Mark's bed is calling. Toodles~" She waved her fingertips in cute farewell as she absconded with the magenta-haired Lieutenant and his soon-to-be-shattered pelvis. Her hormones were raging after the two's tender moment.
"She's right. It is quite late." Abyssmal nodded. "And if any ladies want me to warm their beds tonight, I'd be more than willing to... oh, everyone's leaving? Okay. I'll just be forever alone." The Executive fought back tears as he cleared a room faster than the Hybrid smelling like sweaty, rotten bacon.
Or maybe he was just crying from the smell.
[Cobb]
It was the morning of December 8th. Our airship fleet carrying hundreds of ultra-potion-buffed fighters from Nitebane and Zeppil was making its way east. We were expected to arrive in Oak Docks sometime in the afternoon. Already, we could see the floating wooden structures that were Oak Docks' docks. The peninsula was further.
I was in the Icarus' bridge, leaning on a wall as I talked with Lenz. He wasn't too busy that he could talk and pilot at the same time.
"Sorry, Cobbert." He shook his head. "All I know about Jeb's demise is from the history books. His disappearance lines up with when the other kings were attacked by Hackers."
"But 303 said he never encountered him." I shot back. "He'd have no reason to lie about another Head over the Hack Clan's mantle. They attacked the other kings except Notch, Herobrine, and Jeb."
"You are asking to try and track down the Endabou artifact." It wasn't a question. He knew me well enough. "Have you tried contacting Mastah - er, Captain Veronica?"
"She didn't know much about him either. She wasn't a Captain while Jeb was around. She still had the Birds of Prey thing going." I tilted my head. "She was able to check the annals, though, and ask some of the older Crafters at the King's Fortress for me."
"And what did they have to say?" He asked with interest.
I composed myself as I went over the facts. "First, the annals confirmed that Jeb boasted of a Dragon Egg which he put on display in the King's Fortress for fifty years before removing it to an undisclosed location, coincidentally around the same time he received a magic bow that could fire arrows that could warp him around."
"The Endabou." Lenz recognized. The description was just like from Noman's artifact book.
"Exactly." I nodded before holding up a second finger. "Secondly, there was a witness who said Notch arrived the very day the egg was removed from display. He and Jeb had a private talk that nobody knows the details of. Then Jeb removed the egg with a piston and took it somewhere else."
"I forget. What's the importance of the Dragon Egg?" Lenz asked, not being blessed with my eidetic memory.
"The Dragon Egg is what Herobrine wants more than anything." I explained with certainty. "It was scrawled on those signs in the Stronghold bunker. That was Herobrine's lab. The signs also mentioned that someone he trusted took the egg, and that his 'Research cannot be for naught'."
"So then..." Lenz thought to himself, forgetting to adjust the ship's flight path. "If it is at this stage in his life, there is only one person Herobrine trusts who would have a reason to betray him."
"Notch." I nodded, applying guesswork to piece together the rest of Herobrine's history. In particular, I used what Ciro and the Paragons found out. "After Herobrine revealed his Next Life philosophy to the kings and gave them the artifacts, Notch must've been rattled and worried. Herobrine asked Notch where Jeb kept the Dragon Egg. And we know from the _ that _-" I stopped as the Non-Disclosure tattoo on my tongue prevented me from mentioning the Scouts or what we learned.
What I was trying to say was that we learned from the Scouts that only a Prime Dragon would drop a Dragon Egg, and you could only summon a Prime Dragon by uncovering a Stronghold and an End Portal in our realm. The first ten kings found the first one. The Scouts found a second one.
I also knew that you could track down Strongholds by throwing an Eye of Ender and following where it leads. I'd been doing that periodically ever since the Scouts. Just last night, I threw one from the top of the Icarus, but the Eye of Ender went northwest towards Daymonte, the site of the first Stronghold. That was the closest one.
Lenz knew what I was talking about, though.
"So Notch was the one to betray Herobrine's trust." Lenz nodded. "And Jeb probably gave the egg to him. That was what they chatted about, Herobrine going off the rails."
"Right. So now Notch has the egg." I paced back and forth as I tried to envision the scene. "He has the one thing Herobrine wants more than anything. The one thing that, apparently, not even his mastery of Command Blocks could obtain: A natural dragon egg. What did he do with it? Why did Herobrine want it?"
"You lost me again. Is the egg so important?" Lenz asked seriously. "We should focus on the artifact. What happened to Jeb's Endabou?"
"...Right." I reluctantly shelved the egg discussion in favor of the warping bow. "From Daymonte's annals, Jeb wielded the Endabou liberally after the egg was gone. Until one day, he and the bow vanished."
"Year 145."
"Same year the Hackers attacked. Only, no matter how much they attacked, they couldn't flush Jeb out. Hence, why he was presumed dead." I commented. "And five years later, Notch was murdered by Herobrine."
Notch had stepped down as king and disappeared at the time of the Hacker attack. He disappeared just like Jeb. Only Notch's Head was found on a grave in the Crystal Catacombs five years later. Herobrine wrote the indestructible Command Block message on his grave. The Cult's motto:
The only way forward is endward.
"Between 145 and 150." I murmured, pressing a fist to my head as I struggled to think. "What happened in those five years with Herobrine, Notch, and Jeb? What did they do with the egg and the Endabou?"
"Unfortunately, that may be something only those three can tell us." Lenz stated. "Notch is dead, Jeb is presumed dead, and Herobrine is... well... you know." Lenz gestured airily. "This is the closest we can get to piecing together the whole truth given that there are so few witnesses."
"We also know Notch fought Herobrine in the Nether... and lost." I remembered from what Noman told me of Notch's grave message. If Herobrine kept to the End anyway in search of a new egg, he must not have gotten the one Notch had. Maybe Notch even tossed it in lava like dumbass Landon, the difference being Notch purposefully destroyed the egg rather than earn a dragon omelette badge.
"You know," Lenz began suspiciously, "Ember_Waves needed the Nether Star the Wither dropped. She needed it to prove herself to Herobrine and obtain some 'power' he left for the cult. You think the Nether Star and Dragon Egg are connected in some way?"
"Maybe..." I wasn't too sure. "Like you said, we're still missing a few pieces to this puzzle."
"And we are still no closer to finding the Endabou." Lenz sighed. "We already possess seven out of nine, with the eighth one on the way. Surely having most of them will be enough to defeat the Endward Cult, no?"
He had a point. Between the Beginners, the Paragons, and Ciro, we had seven of the nine artifacts. Getting Teal's would give us eight, and the Endabou wasn't even really suited for combat. It was more a movement-based artifact. Did we need it to defeat the Endward Cult? Probably not, but then maybe Notch wanted us Noman to gather them all so they couldn't be used against him. That wouldn't satisfy Noman or Ciro, though. They'd keep searching for leads on Jeb's mystical bow.
As for me, I was more interested in the rest of Herobrine's story. The five missing years nobody could account for. Nobody except... maybe...
The Executives.
I tilted my head up at the thought. If the first Executives were Herobrine's disciples, wouldn't they know something about his story? They were looking for him, so there were gaps in their knowledge, but there was a chance they knew something we didn't. Something that could explain what happened with Notch and Jeb that finalized Herobrine's descent.
Would the Eastern Executive willingly give that up? Probably not.
There was a knock on the door to the bridge, followed by the arrival of Trenay, Z7, Captain Fo, and a Zeppil guard with a white-dyed leather cap.
"What's up?" I asked, pushing against the wall.
"We're going over the landing plan. All members of the landing party need to attend. That means you too, Lenz." Trenay added to the reluctant pilot.
"Comparators. Just five more minutes, please?"
Z7 and I shared a silent look before we seized an arm each and dragged a kicking a screaming Lenz off the controls. The Zeppil guard replaced him as pilot and the rest of us made our way down to the loading bay for the meeting.
"That's the last of us." Captain Fo announced as Z7, Trenay, Lenz, and I joined the gathered Crafters. The overeager blonde Paragon, Daisy, waved me over, having saved me a spot. She had a lot of energy for someone about to listen to a lecture. For the past few days, whenever I gave combat tips to anyone who'd listen, she'd be there hanging on my every word. It was a little overwhelming at times, but, regardless, I took the spot beside her.
"Let's begin, then." Captain Attila added. It was her, Baltic, Trenay, and Fo at the head of the group. They were the brains organizing this thing.
"Firstly, we'll be arriving in Oak Docks this afternoon." Trenay announced. "However, we will only be sending in the Icarus, and only the landing party will drop down into the kingdom. This is being done for two important reasons." She held up two fingers. "First, we don't want to tip off the cult early. A fleet of six airships will raise alarms, and the cult may very well evacuate or set up troublesome defenses long before we locate their HQ. In contrast, a small party of nineteen - or less if you split up - will be less noticeable. The landing party will use their buffed Slow Falling to disembark from the Icarus and float safely to the Oak Docks end of the Cadboro Bridge, where they will enter the kingdom officially or unofficially."
She meant we could decide if we wanted to stay invisible and out of sight as illegal entrants or pay for our entry passes within the confines of the law. One would be good for stealth, but the other would allow us to move around freely and out in the open.
"The second reason we're doing it this way," Captain Fo continued, "is because it would be a violation of Oak Docks' borders to bring a military fleet into their airspace. The populace would freak out and it wouldn't endear us to the kingdom or its monarch."
"Wing and Aurand have already messaged ahead." Baltic chimed in. "The kingdom is aware we are coming to remove the Endward Cult's presence and forge an alliance. The Icarus will appear as a lone envoy ship while the remainder of the armada waits offshore. They will be clear to enter Oak Docks' airspace once we locate the Eastern HQ."
"And then there'll be hell to pay." Captain Attila spoke with relish. A vicious smile played on her lips. This was a vendetta she wanted to settle personally.
"If negotiations go well," Trenay added, "we may even have a sizable portion of Oak Docks' guards in the raid."
Now that was an idea I could get behind. Three kingdoms' worth of forces attacking together. It felt good having such a backing behind me. Being a part of an organized fighting force made me feel like we could do anything.
"But if our forces are the hammer," Captain Fo spoke up, "then the landing party is the scalpel. You need to be surgical. Locate the Eastern HQ, infiltrate, and disable their Portal Hub. That way they'll be cut off from escape and reinforcements. The main force will then do the rest."
"Easy peasy, let's do it." Perry raised a fist and wore a predatory grin. He was pumped for this. The chance to wipe a division of the Endward Cult off the board.
"The landing party will be as follows: Cobb, Lenzington, Attila, Alfonso, Perry, Luis, Heather, Baltic, Witige, Gregory, Milton, Dwight, Trenay, Daisy, Eustace, Neiro, Z7, Shroud, and Doyle." Captain Fo listed. "I will remain on the Icarus as negotiator with Oak Docks' king, and you will be able to contact me through the Team Delta map translators accompanying me. With Wing and Aurand already set up in their safehouse, the landing party will be a total of twenty-one Crafters."
"It'll be a packed safehouse, then." Dwight commented. "Is that all?"
"Not quite." Baltic turned to me. "Cobb, I am afraid you will have to enter Oak Docks illegally."
"Really? Why? Didn't Nitebane recall my wanted posters?" I asked in quick succession. "Or are there still some hanging around?"
"No, the wanted posters are all gone, and your bounty rescinded." Baltic assured. "The problem is you're too well known. After your achievements in Nitebane, the whole cult knows who you are. You have to remain unseen, or else the Executive and Lieutenants might come to us. There are also those Ringwood escapees to watch out for, and the Hack Clan. We need to dictate the where and when for our battle, not them."
"But look at us." I spread my arms, showing off the multiple multi-colored potion buffs swirling around me - swirling around all of the gathered Crafters. "An early confrontation satisfies the time limit on our buffs. Luring them out would give us the best odds of ending them."
There were a few nods from the Paragons and guards as they acknowledged my point. However, it was Dwight who had a rebuttal ready.
"Do you know the rules of infantry?" Dwight asked. "Many hands make light work, and one infantry can make or break a deadlock. This is about removing the cult's true power, which is its members. Zeppil's only in peace today because Carys had us exterminate the Southern HQ like a nest of ants. That's a wound they haven't been able to recover from since." This time, the Zeppil guards nodded their assent, reversing their earlier support for my idea. "We break the Eastern HQ's back. Then we finish off the higher-ups. Without a sizable force, the cult will collapse."
Couldn't argue with that. I nodded seriously to show I was convinced. After our raid on them, the Eastern Division would no longer have a foothold in Oak Docks. One less division to worry about. Plus, their transportation network would be in shambles. That was the priority here.
"We'll enter the kingdom and rendezvous with Wing and Aurand at their safehouse." Trenay continued. "They're still holding on to our linked maps, but we can locate them with Daisy, Eustace, and Neiro's maps." Daisy hopped and waved to distinguish herself while Neiro tried to disappear under the scrutiny. Her marred face was attracting the wrong kind of attention from Paragons and Zeppil guards alike. "As for higher-ups, the only known quantity is Teal_Larkspur. This is her." Trenay held up a wanted poster of a smiling woman with teal-blue hair in a ponytail. Z7 glared at the poster.
"She's worth six-hundred-and-seventy emeralds. Huh." I noted, looking at the wanted poster closely. "Also, really attractive."
The Paragons, Zeppil guards, and even Lenz turned to look at me incredulously.
"Cobbert, she is a Lieutenant. A killer."
"Man has a type." Dwight sniped in poor taste.
"I know that." I said to Lenz. "I'm not saying I'd go for her. I'm simply making the objective observation that she's a gorgeous woman." I stared back at the wanted poster. "Really gorgeous. Like, why did none of you warn me she'd be this gorgeous?"
"I'd never fall for cultist filth." Perry noted furiously. "A real turn-off."
"And don't let her looks or playful demeanor fool you. She's dangerous." Witige noted. "Dangerous and strong."
"If she's as strong as she is attractive then hoooo boy, we're in trouble! And if her face is only a fraction of her appeal-"
"Cobb."
"So gorgeous."
"Tivzg. Sv'h hrnkrmt uli svi. Gsv yzggov rh zoivzwb olhg." Z7 muttered to Lenz, earning an unrestrained chortle.
I could only tear my eyes away once Trenay put down the poster. "We have our countermeasures in place to fight both her and her artifact, but remember, our priority is the Portal Hub to cut off their escape, prevent reinforcements, and cripple their overall transportation network. Once our main force is set to invade, even a Lieutenant would be hard-pressed under a tide of able-bodied warriors."
"Then, that's it. That should cover everything." Baltic stepped back. "Everyone should get their inventories packed and sorted. We'll be over the drop zone by the afternoon, so make sure to be here on time. Dismissed."
The assembled Crafters cleared up, with many Paragons and Zeppil guards clapping the backs of the landing party members and wishing them luck.
"Cobb-sama, Cobb-sama!" Daisy turned to me with stars in her eyes. "Any last-minute lectures or lessons for me to improve my combat? There must be something I can improve upon."
Yeah, you could tone down the intensity. I thought. Baltic, Gregory, Milton, Eustace and Neiro joined us.
"You're not really pining for that Lieutenant, are you, sir?" Eustace asked carefully.
"It's not pining." I stressed. "It's just an objective observation. She's a pretty woman with a likeable face, but I won't let it stay my hand nor my blade. Trust me. I would never let an attractive Lieutenant distract me. Not again." I added to myself.
Baltic's eyes met mine as he understood what I meant after our talk about Jade and why her cutlass was in my possession. He didn't press me for details, instead focusing on the topic at hand.
"I'll make you invisible before we descend." He promised. "After that, it's on you to land on the bridge and stick close."
"Cobbert." Lenz came over shortly after, Z7 in tow. "Can I have some of our shared funds for the toll?"
"Sure thing." I took out twenty emeralds to cover the toll - and a little extra for spending money - and handed them to the engineer. "You nervous?"
"Terrified." He answered with a haunted look. "The prospect of learning to endure deep water is-"
"I meant entering a kingdom containing a cult division." I massaged the bridge of my nose. Z7 had her work cut out for her helping Lenz with his phobia. "Just remember you have the Water Breathing buff, and you can't drown if you tried."
"It is not the drowning that is the worst, it is the deep, unfathomable darkness of the abyss." He was already shaking as he described it, prompting Z7 to grab his hand and murmur something to him in Jibberish. He visibly calmed down after that.
It was at that moment that Luis and Heather wandered over. "Perry wants us to help carry Griefer Heads." Luis pointed to Daisy, Eustace, and Neiro. "You three. If your inventories have the space, Trenay is handing out Pocket Boxes to help offload the Heads. Help us out."
"Right away!" Daisy saluted before running off to where Trenay and Attila were talking. Eustace and Neiro followed at a slower, calmer pace.
"You boys looking forward to the beach?" Heather asked with a hand on her hip. "I know I wouldn't mind a certain someone going shirtless." She teased her boyfriend.
"Shirtless is fine so long as nobody's looking at my foot."
"At least you got hit in an area you can cover." I pointed out with a blackened hand. He didn't know how lucky he was getting Nuked where he did. Compared to Neiro and me, he got off easy.
"And what's this about the beach? We're on a mission, not a date." Milton stressed.
"Blending in is part of the mission." Heather defended. It was a lame excuse to my ears. Clearly, she just wanted to lounge in the sun and feel the ocean breeze on her skin. "We could also snorkel. I heard Oak Docks got some breathtaking coral reefs from one of the new Bounty Days. We could really sell the whole vacationer cover."
"That reminds me, can you guys tell me a bit about Oak Docks? The background and all?" I asked with interest. "They're a resort kingdom?"
"That's right." Baltic nodded. "Though their resorts and tourism didn't take off until the completion of the Cadboro Bridge in 245, when tourists could safely cross from the mainland without braving treacherous, Guardian-infested waters."
"But wait, then how did they cross?" Lenz asked.
"From the north, where the ocean was partially frozen and could be walked across. Others walked along the ocean floor with Water Breathing" Lenz shivered, "or just took their chances with boats in large groups. It was only when C418 used the Arcticum Arma to make an ice bridge that large influxes of Crafters poured into the peninsula."
Then, when the Hackers killed C418 and claimed the artifact, there was no longer a way to make ice bridges and bring over large groups of Crafters. Population rise stagnated.
"So they built the bridge as a safe way to come over." I reasoned. "They used wood and obsidian to build it because someone was sabotaging the construction, right?"
"Right. In all likelihood, it was probably the cult interfering, but the bridge got done." Baltic continued. "It's now a popular vacation spot for anyone wanting to experience the beach, the ocean, and the many resorts and amenities on offer. Oak Docks is paradoxically the largest and smallest kingdom."
I raised a brow at that. "I don't get it. How can it be both large and small?"
"Okay, so, you know how every kingdom has villages, and every kingdom has a capital?" Baltic explained, earning a nod. "Well, Oak Docks has no villages. It's all just the capital - the largest capital of all the kingdoms. It's a sprawling community connected by all the settlements established there and expanded to encompass the entire peninsula, and even the waters surrounding it. The people of Oak Docks spread out as much as they could, processing the oak trees on the island and extra lumber from Jolin into a series of crisscrossing, floating docks and canals."
"Oak Docks has three distinct districts. The Docks, where homes and structures are built on the water and docks act as streets, the Canals, where homes are built on raised platforms intermixed with waterways and inlets, and the Cuore, which consists of the peninsula and the beaches. Each district is home to respective businesses and services, with resorts being chief amongst all others. There are lighthouses, piers and boardwalks, coral reefs, sand bars, and a new attraction that shows off the recent aquatic life."
"Now doesn't that sound amazing? How can you not want to indulge?" Heather asked rhetorically. "It's my dream vacation!"
She gave Luis the puppy dog eyes, making him falter.
"...Can't we enjoy the beach even a little, sir?" He asked of Baltic.
"No. We had a beach party last month, remember?" The old alchemist reminded. "This is a serious mission in enemy territory. Carys would agree, we need to be vigilant."
"There will be time for vacations after the cult is dealt with." Lenz pointed out.
"You just don't want to take a dip in the ocean."
"I have to take a dip in that blasted ocean anyway - ah, I mean, that is an unfounded claim."
"Tell you what," I offered. "After the Eastern Division is wrapped up, you guys will be due a vacation. Gotta recuperate and relieve stress. And Oak Docks will likely feel indebted to us - enough to offer us a free stay at their best resorts. If you can wait until then, you'll get the vacation of your dreams."
"I like the sound of that." Heather nodded happily. "Relieving stress is important to optimize workflow, after all."
Baltic hummed to himself. "I suppose some time off would do us some good. And it'd only be after the Eastern Division is dealt with. If Carys asks, we can always use the excuse that we're ensuring the kingdom's been cleared of cultist influence."
"Yeah, it's a plan then!"
Bladder: Beach episode, let's goooooooo!
Although Lenz bemoaned the idea of spending time somewhere in sight of the ocean, the rest of the Paragons seemed keen on the idea of a vacation. It was something pleasant to motivate them to work hard.
Couldn't subsist on righteous vengeance all the time.
[Obelisk]
"I want righteous vengeance."
Sdrawkcab was glad his eyes were closed so that 303 couldn't perceive his eyeroll. He sat at a table with the Hacker in the latter's own penthouse room of the Obelisk, an honor that no Crafter had ever experienced. It was only the two of them, as many of his brothers and sisters felt dissatisfied at the Executive's presence. Not only was he a lowly Crafter, but he was also a follower of the upstart Herobrine, the man who manipulated the Hackers into attacking the kingdoms. There were fears that he would manipulate 303, but the Hack Clan's leader would hear none of it. As he put it, Sdraw and his cultists were the Clan's best chance at wiping out their opposition. They'd be taking all the risks, and they'd be the ones pressed to deliver results.
"Call it what you like," Sdraw began, finding 303 a little too predictable, "but I already have a firm grasp on your objectives. You want your kidnapped siblings rescued, you want Nitebane destroyed, and you want the nine names on that list. Hackers alive, non-Hackers dead."
"A succinct summation." 303 growled/echoed. "For the sake of delivering results on these objectives, I am willing to lend my and my siblings' aid... within reason."
"Let's dispense with the conditions of your help and get down to brass tacks." Sdraw spoke frankly, earning a curt nod from 303. "The safety of your two hostage siblings is your top priority - and mine, given your promise to kill me should another member of your clan perish. That is a specific I wish to make clear. Not all Hackers are Hack Clan. I cannot account for Hackers outside your clan. I will only focus on those loyal to you."
303 nodded to show he understood. The lost ones had good reason to run away, but there was little to be done to keep them safe from harm when siblings he'd known for years were terrified and held captive. Their safety was first and foremost.
"Then we are in agreement that getting your siblings out of Nitebane should be our first order of business." Sdraw summarized. "Once they are out of danger, it'll be a trivial matter to decimate Nitebane, yes?"
"Infinitesimal."
"Very good." Sdraw nodded. "Then, it seems to me we have four options to go about it."
"Four? That many?"
"Schemes and plans are my forte, you will soon find." Sdraw boasted. "My brilliant mind possesses an ability to envision cause and effect for even the most minute of things. Like toppling a domino, my plans can instigate a chain reaction that results in the most advantageous and desired outcome. The final say, however, shall fall to you." He leaned forward slightly. "However, as I go over our options, I ask that you keep an open mind. Not all of these options will seem ideal, but I include them as part of my process."
"I understand. You are merely spitballing."
"Very good." Sdraw nodded. "Now then, first option. Sunk-Cost Fallacy. You Nuke Nitebane, siblings and all."
The murderous lunge was expected, which is why Sdraw ducked in his chair and allowed the Hacker to sail over him. 303 didn't use his Timer or Strength Hacks, though, so he was likely holding back.
"Sunk-Cost Fallacy?" 303 hissed dangerously.
"I thought you understood these are just spitballs?" Sdraw countered coolly as he sat back up in his chair. "I knew you wouldn't like it, but it's an option to consider nonetheless."
"There's nothing to consider. I would never allow such a thing!"
"Humor me. Imagine, for a moment, no longer having to worry about Jillian or her threats? Of no longer having a kingdom that opposes you? Of no longer having to worry about your captured siblings or the torture they're being subjected to? Of shocking Queen Jillian and King_Cobb, so sure in their perceived safety, that they'd never dare think you'd do such a thing?"
303 thought for a moment, tempted by the idea of turning their smug faces inside-out. In the end, however, he dispelled the thought.
"I won't trade lives. Not even one."
Sdraw sighed. "You'd be just terrible at chess."
"We're not your pawns."
"I know enough to differentiate real life from chess." Sdraw lied smoothly. "And it was merely an idea." Sdraw backed off. He'd achieved his goal, anyway. Open with the most outrageous option first so that the other options look more appealing. They called it the door-in-the-face technique. He knew 303 would never go for option one. "Option two: We go in stealthy, locate your siblings, and extract them safely. I can arrange for an elite ops team of our best Lieutenants and Executives. However, I advise against this as, no matter how skilled they are, one slip-up will get them discovered. Jillian and the Paragons would most likely kill one or both of the hostages in the confusion. In the event of the latter, you'll be free to Nuke the capital, but I trust that will be little consolation for your loss."
"Third option?" 303 rushed.
"We barter. They have lives we want back, so we negotiate back with lives they want." Sdraw held up the list of names that were the Hack Clan's targets. "For this option, I suggest capturing one of the Beginners - Cobb's guild - on this list."
"Why?"
"From a Lieutenant who infiltrated the Beginners, we discovered that Cobb is fiercely protective of his guild - his friends. He also has a conflict with Carys over a porcine companion, so their alliance is contradictive. I highly doubt Carys or Jillian would agree to a hostage exchange if it meant bringing Nitebane and everyone inside closer to being vaporized, but that is precisely why capturing a Beginner would cause friction between Beginner and Paragon. It'll cause infighting between Cobb, desperate to save his friend's life, and Carys, who would prioritize the worth of an intact capital as a military asset over one Beginner. Breaking up their alliance would make picking them off more manageable."
It was a predominant idea in Sdraw's mind to break up the Beginners and Paragons. They were more of a threat working together, as their latest successes have shown. But get them to fight each other, like they did in Zeppil, and the cult could swoop down and finish them both off. The hostage plan was just a means to an end.
"I know you'd rather off any Beginner you find, but having a hostage to barter with could prove useful. Best case scenario, it'll free one more sibling, but only one more. Jillian knows to hang onto that last hostage like they were made of diamond. She'll never hand over both siblings."
"So I can only get one back. And if not, we cause friction between Cobb and Carys. Weaken their alliance." 303 nodded in understanding. "So far, that option seems the most appealing... even if it involves restraining myself against one of my siblings' murderers." He noted with a savage growl/echo. "What about the fourth option?"
"The fourth option, you're really not gonna like, but I feel it is the one to go with. It reaps the most rewards and has the highest chance of saving both your captured siblings. The Command Block route."
303's eyes narrowed, smoke billowing out of them. "I've been through this. I don't want to hear about Command Blocks!"
"Then clearly you don't know just what they are capable of." Sdraw challenged without backing down. "Command Blocks hold the keys to creation itself. The power behind them is awe-inspiring. Even the name denotes the ability to 'command' nature into doing your bidding. You call yourself a God, but you know nothing of godhood until you've wielded a Command Block."
"I've heard plenty of this obsession from Alec, and I know Herobrine's tool of choice." 303 countered. "I'm quite surprised he never shared that power with you. I thought he was your shepherd, yet he hoarded the power for himself. He's no God but a Devil."
"I've been seeking the power of Command Blocks for a long time." Sdraw revealed. "That and something else - something Herobrine has been searching centuries for..." He trailed off before shaking his head. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. Command Blocks are the key to rescuing your siblings. There exists a Command that can warp people directly to you as long as you enter their full name in the Command's text."
303 set his blackened lips into a thin line. "I know of this. I witnessed Herobrine teleport from me." He remembered their encounter by the Kawa River centuries ago. "So we could teleport Llewellyn and Hannah out with a few keystrokes?"
"Indeed. It is that simple with mastery of Command Blocks. However, mastery does not come cheap." He conceded. "My Domino ability suggests that Cobb is the key. His capture is the first domino to be toppled that will result in obtaining the power of Command Blocks."
That and a Dragon Egg.
"What? Capture?I want him DEAD!"
"You can kill him after we've gotten what we need from him. Or exchange him for a sibling, I don't care what you do with him, just wait until we extract everything useful, first." Either through torture or through Ember's Soul-Gaze ability.
303 growled conspiratorially. "How does his capture equate to Command Block Mastery? Does he know the secret?"
"Not likely, or he would have killed a few Lieutenants by now." Sdraw reasoned. "No. He doesn't have the knowledge, or he doesn't have full knowledge or knows what to do with it. Command Blocks require High-Beam Eyes to distinguish, generate, and understand code. Herobrine had High-Beam eyes, which he only obtained by dealing the killing blow to an Ender Dragon, which will require locating an End Portal, which will require either Herobrine's journals (likely destroyed in the Akasha Nuker), or the man who read them and is likely hiding all sorts of information on Herobrine based on Jade's intel. The Darker Billionth. King_Cobb. Capture him alive, bring him to Ember for interrogation, use him for barter for a sibling, and, if not, kill him."
303's eyes narrowed under his pale hood. "This plan seems time-consuming and self-serving."
"I did enough for you bringing in your lost siblings only for your second-in-command to scare them away!" Sdraw snapped back. "This is an ambition I held for a long time. It doesn't change the fact that a Command Block master could extract your siblings from Nitebane and have them before you in an instant. Or it could make a protective dome around your home as it does the Origin, permanently keeping your family from harm." 303's eyes widened covetously. "Do you wish to be the Command Block master!? Is that it!?"
"...I am wary of Command Blocks. Theirs is a power I cannot fully comprehend or trust. Allowing you that power makes me warier still. Capturing Cobb is a task I wouldn't assign to any member of my family aside from myself. Even then, I would rather have my captured siblings back as soon as possible than devote myself to some wild goosechase. This fourth option will be shelved."
"Then at least keep it in mind if you stumble across him. His capture will go a long way." Sdraw compromised. "In the meantime, if the whale is over the size limit, go for the guppies. The other Beginners will make excellent barter-"
"-or else cause friction. I know, I know." 303 agreed. "If bartering is our only recourse, I'll convince my siblings to capture instead of kill."
"As will I with my cultists." Sdraw agreed, holding out his hand to seal the deal. 303 glared at the hand and made no move to accept it, prompting Sdraw to retract it awkwardly.
One last thing." Sdraw added. "I have need of you and your family. If kidnapping Cobb is too hot for you, I have a scheme underway that requires a unique brand of skills." Sdraw's trademark sympathetic closed-eyed smile seemed to widen, making him look like some demon. "If you only knew of the dominos in my devious brain, Entity 303."
"And what would you have us do?"
"Nothing too bad." Sdraw assured. "I just need you to go to the Morel Islands with a Silk Touch tool and harvest some soil samples to be planted on some farms in Dover Plains. You'll also need to slaughter a good chunk of their livestock. The only catch being that your siblings cannot be seen using smoke powers. The only thing that should be seen on them are a set of purple-dyed leather caps on their heads."
303 looked perplexed. Purple-dyed leather caps were what Exter guards wore. "You're... framing your own kingdom for something? I don't understand."
"Nobody ever does. That's the curse of sharing my Domino plans to others." Sdraw lamented with a sigh. "You don't have to understand. Just follow my orders and watch what unfolds. Cause and effect is a fascinating thing."
The dominos were already falling in place for this plan, with Sdraw having helped it along here and there. With the added aid from the Hack Clan, it was only a matter of time...
...Before war broke out between Exter and Dover Plains.
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, 51 Cooked Salmon, 48 Cooked Chicken, 6 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, 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 Trident [Riptide III], 1 Trident [Riptide III], 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 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}: 35 Eyes of Ender, 30 Blocks of Emerald, 6 Emeralds, 1 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Iron Helmet [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Chestplate [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV, Depth Strider III], 25 Lapis Lazuli, 64 Books, 64 Glass, 64 Glass, 64 Glass Bottles, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Fishing Rod, 2 Books, 1 Enchanting Table, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 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: 53]
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, 51 Cooked Salmon, 48 Apples, 20 Emeralds, 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}, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying
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}, 5 Ender Chests
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], 35 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, 37 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, 1 Totem of Undying, 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 (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 Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 24 Cookies, 40 Baked Potatoes, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying
Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Iron Helmet [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Chestplate [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV, Depth Strider III]
[EXP: 47]
AN: Sdrawkcab's got plans. Heck, everyone's getting their prep work in order this chapter.
Bit of lore about Oak Docks. The Coastal Kingdom. Paradoxically the biggest and the smallest. Also some lore about Jeb and what possibly could have happened to him as Cobb thinks deeper on the missing last years of Herobrine, Notch, and Jeb. The five missing years between 145 and 150.
Bit of a half cultist, half Cobb Chapter. New Moons occur every eight days, the last one being that ungodly Ghast Hybrid. Zombie Pigman Hybrid is much more humane. And the duel! The duel date is set for December 13th in the tundra. Spring and 4Blite are going to throw down hard.
Plus, there's the four Bounty Days scheduled for the 11th. Keeping up with all these dates is tough yet rewarding. Just don't make me add in which day it is, please. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - bah! I can't. Months and Dates is all I can do.
It's nice having a smaller Inventory List to keep track of instead of that monumental wall of text.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. BAGELS.