Steve heads out for his second day of search with the Adventurers while Herobrine recalls his first meeting with Steve.
Credits: ScarOfHerobrine
"Herobrine?..."
The voice came right before the touch, which jerked Herobrine awake.
His eyes wide, he shot up in his bed and immediately grimaced, barely stifling a yelp as familiar pain pierced his shoulder. Glancing up, he caught Steve's guilty blue eyes looking at him.
"I'm leaving now. I'll see you later." The Miner said quietly and gave startled Herobrine an apologetic smile. Herobrine hastily forced his scowl into a lack of expression and blinked at the windows in confusion.
It was already morning. Early rays of the sun streamed into his room through the windows curtains. He had slept so deeply in this false sense of safety that he didn't even perceive the Miner approach him. Frowning a little, he glanced back at Steve and curtly nodded to him. It was time for yet another day of ruse that this Human would pretend on his behalf.
The Human looked ready, his sturdy boots on his feet and wearing a long-sleeved jersey this time over his usual cyan shirt – both he and Herobrine thought it best that during his work with the heroes, Steve should not draw their attention to his strange resemblance to Herobrine, which neither Steve nor Herobrine could yet explain.
"All right. I'll be back a little past noon. And those kids won't come back until next week, after the heroes leave. I told them that I'm now working for them. You should have seen their faces!" Steve grinned wider, excitement shining in his eyes despite his attempt to remain calm. He was truly looking forward to another day with those players, intent in their hunt for Herobrine.
Herobrine didn't notice another scowl appear on his face until he saw guilt return to Steve's face, dampening his excitement a little. He forced himself to calm. His jealousy for this human's attention truly had no rational grounds.
Making an indeterminate humph, Herobrine plopped back down on his bed and again winced, barely stifling an oath. His current deplorable condition was difficult to get used to. Still, he felt noticeably better after so many hours of rest.
Giving him another reassuring nod, the human headed out the door, leaving it slightly ajar the way Herobrine preferred it. Herobrine heard his heavy steps across the wooden floor and then the door swung open.
"Um… Herobrine?" The Miner raised his voice, sounding a bit uncertain. "Should I lock it?"
Herobrine smirked a bit. The human's continued thoughtfulness was touching.
"No. Leave it open." He slightly enhanced his voice to make it carry across. The slightly echoing quality sent a shiver through Steve's body and brought a slight frown to his face, stirring unpleasant memories. He forced them back down, shaking his head a little, as he pulled the door closed and slightly stepped off the porch.
He pulled out the enchanted pickaxe instead and looked at it. The memory of treasures emerged, glinting in the walls of the hidden enclosed clusters that they found. Steve's eyes lit up and a slight smile re-appeared on his face.
Already looking at the Miner through the eyes of the spider, whom he positioned in the tree right next to the house, Herobrine couldn't help an amused huff.
Player. Although a very strange one.
Giving his lent pickaxe a look of appreciation, Steve swung it so it came to rest on his shoulder. Stepping off with a light stride, he moved into the woods. Unlike yesterday, today he had agreed to meet the heroes by one of the other discovered entrances into the caves, closest to the point from where they could resume their search.
Letting go of his vision through the eyes of the mobs, Herobrine allowed himself to relax. His few endermen, positioned around the house, had their instructions and would warn him if any danger approached the house. And his worry for the miner was considerably alleviated by the reactions of these two Players to Steve so far. It appeared that the plan the Miner proposed would work – the Players would remain distracted while his plan…
Herobrine reached out to the distant mobs along their tie to him and observed the steadily progressing work of their hands.
Nearly complete.
He sneered, satisfaction mixing with relief coursing through his body. Even some of his strength seemed to have become restored by the much-needed rest he gained thanks to the Human. Herobrine lifted his hand, where flames briefly appeared before winking out as he tightly closed his fist. All was well. All but his debt to Steve - that increased to a level that Herobrine simply couldn't accept, especially because the human offered it so freely, asking for nothing in return. If he had demanded something for his effort, that would have been far easier for Herobrine to accept. He would have known what the Miner wanted.
He would have also responded to such demands with scorn, since that was something he normally expected of Humans. Always seeking their own selfish gain.
Steve's actions… were hard to understand. The only cause for his unselfish behavior was probably his condition, if what Herobrine came to suspect about Steve was correct. But that didn't alleviate the debt Herobrine now owed to this human.
Herobrine frowned.
"See? That's why I'm not a Player." The Human's earnest face once again appeared before him. Blue eyes looked at him, bright and sincere. "I am not a Player because I do feel pain. Every last bit of it. I am a normal person, Herobrine. Not like them. So… I am not a Player."
Steve was not lying about that. He could feel pain. And Herobrine knew it very well already, as he could remember well the day that both of them met.
He almost killed him then, assuming that he was just another foolish Player, who arrived to challenge him after hearing the story told by those local children in town. That's how it always began.
It didn't occur to him that this Human might be anything else. Why else would anyone come to the well known lair of the ancient monster who loomed in the scary tales people of every world used to scare their children to behave.
Herobrine humphed, his white eyes lazily studying the cracks in the wooden ceiling while his gaze grew distant.
He should have noticed right away that this human's reaction was strange, unlike that of other Players that he had encountered before.
...
As soon as the torch lights dimmed, the human froze, fear entering his face as he cautiously looked around. And at the first sight of summoned mob, which appeared ambling toward him with his rotting fingers clawing the air before it, the strange Player gasped and fled back toward the exit from the mansion.
Of course, Herobrine was not going to let him escape so fast. The human's fear satisfied, encouraging him to toy with the fool more before sending him to his respawn and leaving that world as Herobrine intended to do when he was done.
Seeing how the human reacted, coming to an abrupt brake when he saw more mobs waiting for him by the door, their blank faces turning to look at him with their black pits instead of eyes, seeing the Player's blue eyes grow round as his mouth gaped with disbelief, made Herobrine sneer with disdain.
What a sniveling worm!
That's when he decided to toy with Steve more, even directing his skeletal mobs to aim so their arrows flew past the player's body, piercing the walls around him as he ran, yelping and shielding his head.
A stray arrow still hit the young human in his side, causing him to stumble. Whimpering, he managed to pull himself to his fours and then ran again, leaping side to side as ghostly vex began to attack him, delivering biting damage. Still sneering, Herobrine teleported a little to the back, where at the gesture of his hands the lights went out and he knew that his figure would look most menacing.
The Player's gasp, followed by a fearful gulp as his eyes rounded even more at the sight of shadow shrouded figure appearing at the end of the mansion passage, had been so rewarding that Herobrine abandoned all caution and reason. This player was just a fool for him to toy with to his content! And that's what he did.
He followed not far behind the fleeing human, watching the Player attempt to find a refuge in one of the many rooms. The Human stumbled away from him, not even daring to look back. His hand grasped to his bleeding side where the arrow protruded, he threw himself against doors, trying to gain entry, then fled again. He did more damage to himself than mobs did, when he fell down the stairs into the underground passageway.
Herobrine couldn't help a dark chuckle, merely following him along at that point and even disabling some of the deadlier traps, which would have instantly sent the amusing Player into a respawn. The human ran safely across the area of the hallway, where holes opened in the walls but the volley of arrows never flew. And his feet ran across the tiles, where an incorrect pattern, which Herobrine already programmed to trigger earlier even if it had been correct, without falling through to the sharp spikes below. Summoned skeletons stepped out of doors with their bows raised, but lowered them at Herobrine's silent command.
The Player continued on running, his fearful whimpers a music to Herobrine's ears.
Coming around the turn, he lost sight of the Player and paused. It didn't take long for his senses to locate his victim – the Human had tried to hide from him, dragging himself into the far corner of the passage where it came to a dead end.
There, the Player sat, his back pressed against the wall, as his terrified eyes wildly searched the depths of the corridor where Herobrine would surely follow. At the sight of the figure, stepping forward into the dim light of redstone torches, the Player whimpered again and pressed back.
What great acting, Herobrine smirked. Maybe this fool was purposefully recording this entire session, to share online with others and to propitiate Herobrine's terrible legend.
Well, who was he to disappoint?
With an amused smirk, the villain drew closer, each step made without hurry. A gleaming pickaxe appeared in his hand, evoking another believable whimper from the Player. Fearfully, he shielded himself with one lifted arm, hiding his face away.
Herobrine paused right before him, still sneering, his pickaxe ready in his hand.
The first feeling off he had was when his amused eyes held on the Player's helplessly raised hand. The Human's fingers shook.
He then surveyed across his entire form, shriveling small as if trying to turn invisible before his pursuer's wrath. The Player's body curled, his chest quickly and shallowly panting with frantic, uneven breath interrupted by quiet sobbing. His other hand pressed against his side. The arrow was no longer there, perhaps torn away by one of his clumsy falls. It left behind an ugly wound, seeping blood through trembling fingers.
Those reactions… looked too believable.
Anger instantly flared up inside Herobrine at this. What a pathetic coward! Players didn't feel pain! Not truly, or else Herobrine would have given it to them with great gladness before sending them to respawn! He toyed with them only because it gave him pleasure at the next best thing – seeing their helpless anger as their fake forms failed to measure up to his power and skill. Seeing them crawl away, trying to keep from losing their precious items – that was the most Herobrine could do to avenge himself on them.
This Player though… How dare he pretend that this was real? To be afraid?
"Look at me, you worm!" Herobrine growled at the human, who flinched at the fury in his voice. "Look at me, or I will make you watch when I tear out your heart as you burn!" A truly feeble threat but it was all his role allowed him.
Still, the Player looked up. Blue eyes leaked tears, which trailed down the human's battered face and mixed with blood leaking from a wound in his scalp. Blood matted his hair on one side, streaming down his neck. Blood trickled from his flared nostrils and from one side of his mouth, twisted in a sob. Herobrine could almost feel the terror rolling from the human in waves.
His lips twisted with scorn, the grip on the handle of his pickaxe tightening as he prepared to deliver the final strike. Time to end this farce.
At his movement, the player once again gasped and tightly squeezed his tearful eyes, turning his face to the side as if that could save him.
Herobrine's pickaxe hovered in midair, the movement of his hand arrested as he studied the form cowering before him.
Too real. This Player was not pretending to be afraid.
Why?
The only time players would feel pain was when they entered something Notch called a "full emersion" or "hard-core mode". It helped them to pretend that they were truly in the game. Only then did they actually feel pain, as well as pleasant sensations that one could get from their senses more fully. Only even that option was limited, allowed only in places considered safe. This world… was not one of them. Not with the proliferation of hostile mobs such as those Herobrine was able to summon here or Herobrine himself.
Was this Player one of such fools, who perhaps hacked into his settings to raise them higher? It was the only thing that could explain his reactions.
Well, no matter.
A Player was still a Player and he did come here to challenge him, did he not?
A scowl returned to Herobrine's face and his grip on his pickaxe tightened. He sneered, about to bring his pickaxe down with full force, to make this Player's end swift.
The air rushed as his pickaxe flew down… Only to stop a hairs length away from the Player's temple.
Another memory intruded from the depths of Herobrine's past, filling up his mind and taking the presence away in a torrent of powerful images.
...
Terror.
He shivered, shrunk into a helpless ball, despair piercing his entire being. There was no way out of here. Only all-encompassing pain remained, threatening to tear what remained of his being to shreds. It came again and again and… He was at the edge of it. He knew it.
The sound of door opening made him flinch, only drawing his body tighter at the heavy footsteps that approached him until one of his tormentors stood above him.
"You've turned off his speech functions?" A deep voice grumbled above him with an annoyed tone, making him flinch again as new fear ran through him.
"He was making too much noise." Another voice responded from afar, even more annoyed.
"I felt his fear half way across the city. What is the point of this torture?" The deep voice sounded stern, yet also held a tone of… concern? Herobrine dared to look up. Jerking up his head, he peeked through the shaking fingers of his hand, raised in futile gesture of self defense.
His white eyes widened, recognizing the stocky figure of the being who vanquished him.
The bald-headed man still wore the same plain clothes, his face turned to one of the walls through which Herobrine felt his tormentors observe his reaction. The expression on this powerful being's face seemed to be that of annoyance and anger.
"Fear? He is just a glitched bot, Notch."
Deep, brown eyes turned and considered cowering Herobrine with a thoughtful, frowning look, as if the man was searching for something in Herobrine's face.
Desperate hope briefly broke through the desolate despair, as Herobrine felt his voice responding to him once more. His last screams had been mute. He shifted, his lips trembling as he opened his mouth and tried to mouth the words, his hope falling when the words wouldn't come. The man continued to wait.
"Notch, we are almost done. A few more sessions should take care of it. His code is no longer reforming as it did at first."
Despair returned and Herobrine grimaced, helpless sobs breaking through his breath. It was no use. Now he couldn't even plea for mercy, despite being given a chance. It was his last chance. He perceived this with dead certainty.
"Notch?" The voice behind the wall repeated, growing with impatience. The man continued to watch Herobrine.
"You can understand me, don't you?" He asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.
Herobrine's eyes widened and flew up, finding pity dwelling in his captor's stern, brown eyes. At first frozen, he quickly nodded, hope surging again.
"Notch, he is just a glitched bot." The voice behind the wall complained. A twitch of annoyance crossed the big man's face.
"He is sentient. I wish to keep him." He said with certainty, turning to face them again. Breathless, Herobrine waited. This moment would decide his fate.
"Hmm, Notch. He is already damaged beyond repair… Are you sure? He is not human, Notch. His program is that of a villain. Even if he is sentient now, it makes him too dangerous to keep. You know this."
The powerful man shrugged, dismissing the warning, his eyes returning to dwell on Herobrine's hopeful face. "Its fine. I can keep him contained." He said lightly and meant it. Detaining Herobrine would be easy for him. How did he not see it before? This power, that surrounded this being? It was like an enormous, transparent veil that tingled Herobrine's timidly reached out senses. The power connected this being to the world around him as if they were one whole. No wonder that he defeated Herobrine before he could even understand what happened.
Now this being spoke for him, wishing to save him?
"Fine. I guess you can give it a shot. But he will be your responsibility, Notch." The voice behind the wall relented, though uncertainty still filled it.
So much relief and gratitude washed across Herobrine's being, that he didn't react, only watching his savior with eyes that once again began to blur with tears. He flinched when chains appeared on his wrists, dragging his arms down.
"It's all right. It's for your own safety." The powerful being reassured and in that same instant, the chains faded away, leaving behind only two dark braces. Herobrine blinked up at him, but believed him, trust etched into his features.
"Show off." The voice behind the wall smirked, but Notch ignored him.
Leaning down, his eyes intent on Herobrine's white, startled ones, he unexpectedly smiled a very kind, encouraging smile and extended his large hand down to him.
"Don't be afraid." A gravely, deep voice reassured. "I will not harm you again. I promise."
White eyes silently held on brown ones, pleading for mercy and barely daring to hope. After a moment, Herobrine's scarred, dark tanned hand shakily reached out and felt his savior's hand grasp his, pulling him to his feet…
… Breaking out of the memory was like emerging from the depths of water, where he had been submerged fully.
Startled, Herobrine staggered back a step and stared down at the strange Player with wide open eyes.
Now, he knew what about this Player bothered him so, though earlier he could not quite define it. How did he not see it? Herobrine's eyes slowly swept across the human's plain clothes, his simple teal shirt and cyan trousers, now torn and stained with blood, which also caked parts of his tousled, brown hair.
The Human continued to huddle in his spot, his entire body posture betraying his misery. He still held his breath, waiting for the deadly strike to end his pain, his hand helplessly raised in useless defense.
"L-look at me…" Herobrine's voice shook at first, before he angrily snarled at his own weakness. This Human really reminded him of his own terror, when he had been caught at the merciless hands of the Admin and tortured for hours stretching into eternity. Only his protector's mercy had granted him a reprieve and another chance to live as a changed creature.
Only Players did not feel pain! They couldn't be afraid! This had to be a lie!
"Look at me!" Herobrine's lips curled with disdain, his voice a snarl.
He would see the lie in the Player's eyes. Then, he would slay him, along with this misplaced sympathy.
The Player jerked and obediently lifted his head.
It was like looking in the mirror.
This Player had Herobrine's face. It was like looking at his mindless copy, except blue eyes held on his, overflowing with tears and that face… the expression on that face was of a bewildered, childlike hurt.
Herobrine stared at him, disbelief warring with astonishment, morphing into distrust and anger once more.
"Drop the act! Don't pretend to be scared. You'll just respawn. You do not feel any pain. Quit acting as if you're afraid!" Herobrine's hand still clenched around the handle of his pickaxe, even as he unwillingly made a step. At once he knew that he had just hopelessly stepped out of his role.
If that had been this Player's intent, he showed no reaction to it, his dazed eyes merely filling with confusion as he blinked up at Herobrine.
He had enough of this. Irritably, Herobrine used his power and tore into the Player's defenses, pulling up his settings. His white eyes first narrowed, then held on the physical attributes below the Player's name, which he for now dismissed without interest.
"Perception level – 100%... " He muttered and turned to stare at the Player with disbelief. "Are you mad?" This Player was beyond hard-core! "How did you…" His voice trailed away when his eyes rose higher to the line above that one.
Age - 8 years and 6 months.
Herobrine froze, digesting this information for a moment, and then shame and disgust rushed across his entire being. Scowling, he cast the being before him an angry look. Of all the idiotic things he had ever seen Players do! Who was responsible for this foolish juvenile to allow him to play with hacked settings in a Survival level server?
At the anger visible on his tormentor's face, the young human tried to become smaller, evoking a wave of guilt. Herobrine's eyes drew to the player's hand shakily pressed against the wound in his side, blood seeping steadily through from a wound he caused him. The daze in Player's blue eyes grew as he swayed a bit. Herobrine heard his struggling heart skip a beat. Another. Startling, Herobrine abandoned his role completely.
A healing splash potion slammed into the ground by the hapless human's side, making the player flinch badly. Herobrine watched him with worried eyes. If Notch ever learned of this, he would never forgive him!
The Player stirred, still not quite coherent, as pain began to let go. Blue eyes turned in confusion to his wound, where now only clean skin showed through the rend in his shirt beneath the still bloodied fingers.
"Don't you think this mod is too scary for you to play at these kinds of settings?..." Herobrine grumbled with disgust. Enemy or not, as all humans were, he could clearly remember the fondness in his protector's eyes when he gazed at the group of young human players giggling as they chased each other in a special bright place in their Aethereal City. Fantastical, harmless animals and colorful butterflies fluttered around the group.
If this was truly a child, he could not harm him, for Notch's sake. As tired as he still was, he would just leave this place as soon as this Human left.
"… Get out of here. Get!" Herobrine growled, without his former ire.
Confused blue eyes turned up to him. Herobrine rolled his eyes as another twinge of guilt trying to stir at the sight of innocent ignorance he could see there. The memory of his own anticipation of punishing this hapless human for the wrongs done by others of his kind stood out in ugly contrast. Herobrine winced. What came over him all of a sudden? Was he so enslaved by his own role that he had forgotten what Notch showed him? Not all humans playing this Game were bad. Not even those who chased after him for a challenge, achievement, or glory were truly evil. The majority of them simply didn't believe that he was a sentient like them.
Only what else was he supposed to think when this human showed up at his mansion? Especially after his contest with players in the other server? Herobrine couldn't help a scowl from forming on his face despite his best attempt to contain his anger.
"Go!" He snapped, raising his voice. When the player flinched, but still didn't move, he huffed and roughly grasped him by the shirt at his neck, making the human catch his breath. Not caring too much for the minor damage caused by the process, he dragged the gasping human toward the exit from the mansion, angrily ignoring his frightened whimpers.
An arrow flew in the human's direction. Herobrine reacted without thinking, throwing his arm in its path. His eyes angrily held on the arrow that protruded there, causing sharp stinging. Scowling, he turned and glared at the skeleton that appeared in one of the doorways. In the next second, the summoned being vanished, disintegrating into smoke that fell apart in bits of dark particles and dispersed. The same happened to the arrow. Ignoring the minor wound, Herobrine irritably sent out a wave of command across his entire mansion for his summoned servants to stand aside. Then he resumed dragging the frightened Human along the corridors.
More skeletons paused, lowering their bows, their blank, empty eyes following their passage. Ghostly little Vex floated out of fuming Herobrine's way, retreating to the corners of the ceiling, where they hung, slowly moving about their stunted wings.
The outer mansion door flung open at Herobrine's will.
The human flew out into the dirt outside, where he scrambled into a sitting position, scooting away from Herobrine's figure that menacingly loomed in the dim doorway. White eyes blazed from the twilight.
"Don't return here again! Or I swear to Notch, I'll report you to your precious Admin myself!" Herobrine threatened in frustration at the ridiculous situation he found himself in.
His words didn't evoke any sensible response from the strange player at first, his blue eyes remaining glassy as he foolishly blinked. Then, at Herobrine's increasing scowl, he started quickly nodding his head and jumped when Herobrine slammed the door shut.
Herobrine stood on the other side and fumed as he tried to process what just happened. How did this Player manage to even do this? From everything Notch taught him, this should not be even possible! No sensible adult would allow their child to play at such dangerous settings and a child himself would not have the skills to hack his playing account to this degree, no matter how smart he might be. No, this probably wasn't a child! It was more reasonable to assume that he was a hacker! Then his age was probably false! And so was his appearance! He probably just arranged all this in hopes of getting Herobrine's reaction and he, like a fool, played along!
A scowl reappeared on Herobrine's face anew at the mocking thought.
A knock on the door made him jump.
Automatically opening the door, he blinked with astonishment at the young human, who stood beyond with his hand timidly raised. The human gave him a sheepish look, still appearing quite dazed. It was the only explanation Herobrine could come up with for the words that left the human's mouth next.
"Um… Since you're not going to kill me, can I have my pickaxe back? It's my only one."
Herobrine gaped. Instead of responding, he simply shut the door into the human's face as he stood on the other side and blinked, all his previous line of reasoning thrown asunder.
His eyes drew to the simple, iron pickaxe that lay on the ground not far from the exit. This is where the human must have lost his pathetic weapon when he fruitlessly tried to escape the place, frightened away by the mobs he found waiting for him there.
Herobrine frowned at the low-level weapon.
A moment later, the pickaxe flew and pierced the ground, embedding itself next to the startled human's feet. He jumped, turning around and staring at it with a bit more awareness than before. He was also further away, in the process of leaving. Perhaps he realized what he was doing.
Good, at least his wits were returning.
Herobrine shut the door again, summoning a mob and using its eyes to observe what the human would do next. A spider, who appeared in a tree growing next to the mansion's ornate fence, looked at the human with eyes that softly flared white.
The human stood a bit longer, blinking at the closed door, his entire body tense as he waited for the terrifying being to return. Perhaps he thought it was another mocking gesture, before the being that toyed with him as a cat might with a mouse, before it finally decided to kill him.
When the door remained shut, the human uncertainly looked at his pickaxe, then stepped toward it. It took a bit of effort before he managed to pull it free from the ground. He then stood a moment longer, before turning and hastily making his way out of the mansion grounds, fearfully glancing around him and jumping at sounds. He did not notice the spider watching him.
Entering the woods, the human sagged in relief, before resuming his hasty retreat.
Herobrine frowned, releasing the mob from its task. Lifting his head, he silently teleported and appeared behind a tree, from where he watched the strange Player's path. The Player continued to run, stumbling a little and off balance.
"Not real… Didn't happen…" Herobrine heard his indistinct mutter.
He continued to wait, his own body tense. Any moment, this Player would log out, proving his entire act for the farce it was. He would send out messages, bragging about his recording about encountering 'the real Herobrine', whom he deceived to show mercy to a 'scared player'.
Herobrine scowled, angry that he had still proved to have such weakness. And that, after he had sworn to himself that he would show no mercy to any Player! Those Players, who first found him after he went into hiding after Notch allowed him to escape, certainly did not show any mercy to him, despite him admitting to them that he was real and sentient. His appeal only seemed to give them thrills to hear him beg, before they continued their torment, purposefully dragging it out while they recorded it, to spread the news of the more interesting, clever prey. Those who searched him afterward had not shown him mercy, either.
Herobrine scowled, his fists tightening as he watched the strange Player continue stumbling along.
Instead of heading toward town, he swerved off the overgrown path and reached a small cabin. The Human then shambled inside, leaving his door ajar. Herobrine, standing hidden in the shade of a nearby tree, narrowed his eyes, listening. Instead of logging out, the human moved about in his house, roving through chests. Herobrine could hear him grumbling.
"Stupid. Stupid! What was I even thinking going there? This got to be a dream… A nightmare, that's what this is. It didn't really happen! It couldn't!..."
A sound came as of a potion breaking. Herobrine felt the familiar sense of change, healing particles dispersing in the air. The Human had just used a healing potion of his own to take care of his remaining injuries and scrapes or perhaps for the peace of mind, since Herobrine's high-level potion should have taken care of all the numerous injuries he suffered earlier.
Another slight wave of guilt attempted to rise, but Herobrine stifled it, his frown stubbornly growing deeper. He refused to accept guilt for this! Even if this Human's data was real, his unfortunate experience had been his own fault and had it been Herobrine's mindless twin reacting in his place, it would not have been far different – certainly resulting in this idiot's demise.
No, human motivations continued to elude his understanding. Truly.
Herobrine waited. As soon as the Player logged out and began to send out messages, he would in good conscience make his retreat, resolving to never make such a dumb mistake again. It bothered his pride greatly now that new stories would emerge of the Great Herobrine being weak and so easily deceived.
He expected the Player to reach out to his controls. Instead, the creaking of the wooden boards came as the Player climbed into his bed. And there he remained, his movements soon stilling as he… fell asleep?
After a few long moments, Herobrine teleported right within the house and stood, his puzzled eyes narrowed cautiously at the young man curled up on a low-quality, make-shift bed. The human appeared utterly passed out, an expression of exhaustion on his face after the physical and emotional ordeal that he had just been through. He seemed asleep, judging by the soft, steady breaths, though his limbs nervously twitched a bit.
Incredulous, Herobrine watched him a bit longer, then again delved into his settings, pulling up the Player's data.
So, his game name was Steve, no last name, but with name of a city added afterward, of Garstone. Many of the locals without a family name adopted such a last name. He was a Human, of course. His profession was Miner of level 58.
Herobrine's eyes held thoughtfully upon the last high stat. It either meant that this Player obtained some rare experience potions or that he spent countless hours working. Mining appeared to be his highest developed skill, with the others sorely lacking. Glancing at his Sword Fighting, level 3, and Fishing, level 2, Herobrine couldn't help a disdained smirk. And with these skills, this Player dared to go into the mansion of a legendary monster?
Maybe his initial impression was correct and this was simply some mad fool intent on ultimate thrills…
Just as he watched, the data in the Player's stats strangely glitched, becoming distorted. The age numbers changed to 2304 years of age, then 803 years of age, then several more nonsensical numbers. Other Skills appeared and vanished. Herobrine's eyes narrowed at this. What was that?
And another thing…
Where was his Point of Origin?
As soon as he realized this, he concentrated on the matter fully, searching with all his senses for that bright line that should have connected this Player to their true world, which lay beyond Herobrine's reach – the place where each Player really lived, using the form here as a manipulated puppet.
He searched and couldn't find it. It was as if this Player had no connection. The local humans, who were indigenous to the Game itself, did not have such a connection either. Neither did Herobrine, unless he specifically set his respawn point to a safely hidden place where he would wish to appear, instead of respawning somewhere else at random. He really should do it soon, he noted to himself, since he had not done it, yet. His eyes held on the Player.
All Players had that tie with their own world. Why didn't this one? Or… He simply couldn't see it? There were many hidden streams of data that he couldn't perceive at all, but which Notch showed him existed.
Herobrine continued to stand there as he frowned at the strange Player. The puzzle revolved in his mind, finding no ready explanation.
In search of clues, his eyes strayed to the human's dwelling. It was humble, to say the least. Something appropriate for the level of skills this Player had, also given sparse resources. Still, he could tell that the place was made with care. It was definitely a home and not just a temporary place. Herobrine could glimpse a cozy living room with a built in kitchen, where herbs hung in neat rows above the kitchen isle. A small stove merrily evoked heat from crackling coals. Cooking implements carefully aligned on a shelf along with clean pots and pans. Looking at the fresh loaf of bread sitting on the table, Herobrine suddenly became aware of the delicious smell and felt his mouth water.
How long has it been since he had eaten?
At that thought, his eyes flicked again to the sleeping Miner, gaining an amused look.
So… A Player who lived within the game? Now that he thought about it, Notch did mention to him one time that there was a special sort of Players, who chose to live in their worlds as fully as they were able. In their desire for their experience to be truly immersive, they hacked their settings to full blast and removed all traces of their interface so as not to disturb their pretense of being there. Some even went as far as blocking their origin point, so even the other Players could not tell that they were fellow players and considered them locals. Until now, Herobrine had never encountered such Players before. Could this Player be one of them?
Interesting.
Herobrine smirked, the possible explanation filling him with relief. His curiosity instantly flared, completely stumping caution, demanding that he leave this world immediately after his foolish blunder.
He… really wished to observe this Player.
Would he really continue to pretend to stay in his role even after encountering Herobrine? How far would this Player be willing to go before he fled the game, abandoning his foolish pretense? Herobrine had to find out! Curiosity burst to an unhealthy level, settling within Herobrine's mind.
He was not going to leave. A decision formed, casting out all caution, as anticipation built instead, almost equal to that he felt on a Player Hunt. Watching this Player was going to be fun!
But right now, he was famished.
Dismissing further examination of the Player's pathetic dwelling, Herobrine teleported back to his new mansion to his already fixed up, lavish room. At his will, a chest appeared before him, its walls adorned with an object that looked a lot like a single, slitted eye. While he looked within, a part of his room began to expand and additional details appeared, including a stove and a kitchen island, lined with decorated marble tiles. Reaching within the chest, Herobrine began to will forth supplies, which began to appear in their designated places in his new kitchen.
A fire whooshed into being in the oven and a bag of flour plopped on the kitchen counter. A large basin appeared there next. Herobrine glared at it thoughtfully. What should he make? Pancakes or bread?
The image of Miner's bread vividly displayed in his mind's eye, nicely baked to a golden color with cracks running along the top. Herobrine's eyes narrowed, burning a little brighter as a slightly malevolent but satisfied smirk played across his lips. Mmmh. He could almost smell it already. Stepping up to his kitchen, the being absorbed himself in a very pleasant if manual work that completely defied his role of a hard-hearted, cruel villain…
…
In the present, still laying on his bed, Herobrine frowned, allowing his memory of the past to disperse. The pulling, persistent ache and his current physical weakness immediately flooded his awareness and he winced, dismissing those perceptions to the back of his mind.
What Steve said to him yesterday…
"Well, I am not one of them and I keep telling you that! I can feel pain just like any other normal person. Every last bit of it! So I cannot be one of Them." Steve's voice rung again with unfeigned confidence.
In the past nine months that Herobrine had tested the strange Player's resolve, he had all but become convinced. Steve wasn't pretending. He truly did not know that he was a Player.
"I don't know where I come from. I just woke up one day. I was lost in the woods and wandered, until some good travelers found me and took me with them to nearest town? They helped me to learn basic skills and I really liked Mining, so that's what I decided to become. And it was… maybe nine years ago? I don't know. Those first years are a bit blurry, so I don't remember it well." Steve's earlier voice spoke shakily, intimidated and far less certain since this interaction had happened during one of their earlier encounters. Then, Herobrine still did not trust this strange human's claims.
Was it possible for a Player to forget who he was? Maybe some sort of trauma? It wouldn't be surprising, with those maxed out perception levels…
Who was Steve, really?
Herobrine frowned as the puzzle continued to revolve in his mind, still not offering him a concrete solution even after all this time that he knew Steve.
He also… found himself wishing that Steve never learned who he was before. If he did, he would almost certainly cease being the person that Herobrine knew now. Herobrine had become so accustomed to this Human's presence, to his acceptance and patience despite Herobrine's continued tests of Steve's resolve and honesty. He would… regret if Steve once again became one of THEM.
That's why he avoided explaining to him about the things. He selfishly wished to keep this Human all to himself.
Herobrine stifled a sigh as he understood his own motivations. He had not bothered to think about this before. Being forced to lay here, as he recovered, was giving him too much time to think.
Where was Steve right now, anyway? Almost relaxed, Herobrine once again reached out with his strengthened senses to the world beyond, until he found several mobs along the approximate path the Miner was due to take to get to his agreed upon destination. A pig, a bird, a fox, and then a wolf briefly paused in their roving and looked up in turn, their eyes turning a glowing white and searching. Finally, Herobrine located the small figure.
Steve was already approaching the meeting point. Crossing across a large stretch of bare land, where only sparse tufts of grass stuck out from the ground, not allowing Herobrine's mobs to draw closer, the Miner raised his hand and cheerfully waved to the two figures that waited for him by the entrance to a cave within the fissured side of a cliff framing the fields on one side.
Again, Herobrine felt his jealousy stir. His Human seemed so happy at greeting those other Players, Herobrine's enemies relentless on finding him to destroy them. The Players didn't react, watching Steve approach, their postures tense. The former levity on their faces was gone, replaced by same suspicion with which they watched Steve yesterday, before they got to know him.
"Hello!" Steve said, coming closer. The Players gave him stiff nods. Steve looked at them with his usual cheerful, friendly smile that left slight dimples in his cheeks.
"Ready to get going?" Steve asked, not daunted by the somewhat cold reception he received. Herobrine tensed, his senses throwing an alarm, though he couldn't quite pinpoint the reason.
The Players nodded, turning to the cave. Allowing Steve to go first, they moved behind him, exchanging strange looks.
Herobrine shot to a sitting position, ignoring the pain that shot through his shoulder.
"So, where do you want to s…" Steve began to say, turning around, when one of the Players suddenly lunged to him and knocked him hard on his head with the flat of his sword. Both Players silently watched Steve's slack form softly collapse to the ground where it lay motionless.