AN: No, this Chapter has nothing to do with marriage.

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd... eh...

Beta: AxeHelix

Chapter 89

The Best Man

[Cobb]

The buzzing fury bouncing around my skull had little to do with the guards we put further and further behind us. True, I had lost my cool when things looked particularly bad, but now that I was calmed down, I could fully realize what led to that situation in the first place.

Surprisingly, the blame didn't lie with the guards. They were only doing their jobs and I had already figured they would.

No. The real problem lay with the blue and grey-haired Crafters ahead of me. And once we were a reasonable distance away and safe beneath the shade of several tall trees, I let my anger show.

"What the fuck was that back there?"

The question came from Soul, but it adequately summed up what I was thinking. One moment we were turning the tide of the battle, the next Floyd and Lenz were getting into a hissy-fit over arrows. And Lenz came out worse, still unconscious.

Floyd remained silent, fists clenched, as he stared at the ground. That wasn't a good sign since it meant he had no reasonable explanation to offer.

"Floyd!" Soul snapped, lowering the unconscious engineer to the forest floor so he could reprimand Floyd unburdened. "Don't just stand there like you don't owe us an explanation." He paused only to add after a moment, "Did you freeze again?"

"…I didn't—No." Floyd bit back with a sigh. "No, I didn't freeze."

"Then why did you just break down after Lenz got shot?"

"…"

Soul was prepared to lay into him some more, but I stopped him. "Wait for Lenz to wake up first." I narrowed my eyes towards the blue-nette. "I want them both to hear what I have to say."

Soul paused to glance at the downed engineer before nodding in agreement. He then walked over and stooped down beside Lenz with a red splash potion in hand. Something for Lenz's Health. He was unexpectedly good with first aid—

I watched as he smashed the splash potion into Lenz's face, bits of glass skittering over his clothing. Lenz's body jerked from the force.

…Nevermind.

Well, methods aside, the potion was doing its job. I stooped down on the engineer's other side and watched as the Hearts on his arm filled back up. His Hunger was low, but it wasn't like we could cram food down his—

"No, Soul," I snatched the steak clenched in his fist, "we can't cram food down his throat. That's not how unconscious people eat."

"Well then why isn't he waking up?" Soul asked, checking the engineer over. "His Health is full. Shouldn't that mean he's fully healed?"

"Maybe damage to the mind takes longer to heal." I suggested. "He did take an arrow to the head. And without any armor to lessen the damage."

"Then it's time to fix that." Soul rummaged in his backpack for a second before pulling out the armor he scavenged from the guards we fought. A full set of iron minus a helmet, which was substituted by a green-dyed leather cap. The uniform of Ringwoods' guards.

I helped Soul put the armor on Lenz, figuring it was high time he suited up, and stepped back to see how he looked.

It was… different. Lenz never wore armor, being an engineer first, a warrior second. It looked a little out of place on him, but it wasn't meant to look good. It was meant to protect him.

Floyd didn't bother to help with the armor, but I did see him occasionally glance to Lenz, his brow creased with worry. No doubt he felt responsible for his current condition.

As he should.

Soul even deposited the arrows he scrounged from the guards into Lenz's Inventory. It made sense. He was our best archer. If anyone should have them, it should be him. Which made Floyd's stubborn reluctance all the more confusing.

It was noon when Lenz finally stirred back to consciousness. He clutched at his head and lifted his tinted glasses while we all crowded around him. Then, all of a sudden, he shot to his feet, arms waving wildly.

"What happened? Where am I? The guards… the—why am I wearing armor?" He clutched at his chest in confusion before waving his arms once more. "Have we been captured!?"

Soul walked up behind the engineer and firmly pinned his flailing arms to his side before lifting him off the ground. The action confused Lenz, stopping his freak-out before it could worsen and allowing us to answer his questions.

"We got away. You got knocked out. Nobody died. We're safe." I explained, nearly in order of the questions he shot out. But with him and Floyd both listening, I could move on to the bigger concern.

"I… I got knocked out…" Lenz muttered in confusion before suddenly growing dejected. "I got knocked out… I was useless…" Soul deposited him back on the ground and moved to stand beside Floyd. The movement was noticed by the engineer, who instantly scowled to the blue-haired Crafter. "You did this! You ruined my one chance at proving myself!"

"Me!?" Floyd cried out indignantly, causing my eye to twitch at the expected argument. "I was doing fine with the arrows until you butted in! Right, Soul?"

The axe-wielder just shook his head. "All I saw were the two of you fighting each other instead of the guards. If you ask me, you were both being stupid."

"That's not—"

"Cobbert, tell him that—"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone went silent at my exclamation as their eyes, wide and shocked, darted to me. But given what happened, I felt justified in ranting at them.

"Enough of the bickering! What am I your mother or something, trying to keep everyone in line? I don't know what's gotten into you two, but arguing about it in the middle of a life-or-death fight is just suicidal!"

I was mad. Mad at the both of them. The whole time leading up to this rant, I had debated whether to come off as disappointed or nonchalant to get my message across, but that plan had disintegrated when they started going after each other's throats not ten seconds after Lenz woke up. This was just ridiculous.

"Floyd!" I snapped my attention to the blue-nette who stiffened slightly. "Why did you refuse to give Lenz arrows when he already proved how efficient an archer he was!? His long-range sniping was disrupting the guards and supporting us from a safe distance! What possessed you to fight him over the arrows to the point of throwing him—a non-combatant—into the line of fire!?"

Floyd made several gaping motions, but was unable to make anything in the form of a reasonable defense.

"Nothing?" I asked testily. "You have nothing to say?" More silence was his answer and I suddenly turned to Lenz instead. "And what about you?"

"M-me?"

"Whenever you made a mistake, no matter how small, you immediately turned the blame on Floyd! And when you couldn't turn the blame on him, you changed the subject into something he could be blamed for! Just now, as soon as you woke up, you blamed him! Yeah, it is his fault for hoarding the arrows, but you fought him over it too! Why is that!?"

Lenz's mouth was just as agape as he failed to come up with an answer. His head was quivering slightly and even though I couldn't see his eyes behind those glasses, I could tell his pupils were dilated in shame.

"Nothing from you either?" I asked, unimpressed by their behavior. "I noticed you didn't cover Floyd as much with your arrows as you did Soul. And I noticed that you," I shot Floyd a glare, "just fell to your knees when Lenz got downed. Either of you want to say anything about that?"

I was getting sick of hearing nothing coming from either of them. Again, they chose to remain silent. Only when their lives were on the line and they were trying to outdo one another did they feel like talking.

"Nothing." I concluded with disappointment that made the two of them lower their heads. "No explanation to how we nearly died. That's comforting." I said sarcastically. "Way to make me confident it won't ever happen again."

"…It won't." Floyd muttered causing me to round on him.

"I wish I could believe that. I really do." I glanced to the both of them. "Either of you could have handled that situation a hundred times better. But instead, like Soul said, you were too busy fighting one another. I just…" I made a choking motion with my hands as I struggled to come up with the right words. "Gah!" I finally grunted out as I threw my arms up.

"…Um… what was—?"

"Bah!" I eloquently interrupted as I threw my arms up again and tromped away from them.

"Cobbert, please wa—"

"Aghbahgah!" I finished while waving my arms wildly, not caring to listen to them now. They had their chance and they missed it. If they wanted to talk to me again, they'd have to clean up whatever crap was eating at them.

I had enough to worry about being a wanted man without my friends trying to get themselves killed!

[Floyd]

I had never seen Cobb so mad since the cookie incident. The fact that he, of all people, was storming away made me realize how fed up he was over our arguments. I knew it was pointless to try and explain myself without waiting for him to cool off first.

That didn't stop Lenzington, though.

"Cobbert, wait!" The engineer pleaded as he followed the agitated Crafter deeper into the forest. Soul and I made no move to stop either of them. So long as Cobb had his map, Soul could always find him.

"…So?" I glanced up at the question and frowned. "You feel like saying anything, now?"

"Not really, no."

With nothing better to do, I laid out my Inventory on the ground before me and sifted through it. I was hoping to look preoccupied so Soul wouldn't grill me for answers, but the bastard saw right through it. I was trying to show interest in ladders when he sat across from me.

"Come on, Floyd." He urged wearily. "It's me. Soul. Your buddy. The guy who's seen the same shit as you. Nothing you say is going to make me turn on you."

"I know that." I gritted out while running a hand over my iron pickaxe. Of course I knew Soul could be a confidant. I even trusted him a little bit more than Cobb when it came to private stuff. But I didn't feel it necessary for him to know what was on my mind.

I kept my attention on looking through my Inventory, refusing to look the axe-wielder in the eye. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

"…If you're still having problems freezing up—"

I crushed an ink sac in my grip.

"—get it. You don't want to talk about it." He continued. "But if what happened to Silent happens again to either Cobb or—"

I slammed a chunk of cobblestone into the ground, silencing him.

"I didn't freeze up." I growled lowly. "I only stopped because I was holding back—"

"…What?"

"…" I turned my attention back to my Inventory, glaring at some flint.

Soul leaned in. "You were holding back what?"

My Hacker powers.

"Nothing—or… myself." I threw out hastily, causing Soul to back off.

"Yourself?"

"Yeah…" I went along with it, even though it was the issue I was struggling with. "I… I don't want Lenzington to be the only archer we have."

"Why not? I've seen him shoot. The guy was good. He made beating up those guards a lot easier, let me tell you."

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Well, what if Lenz wasn't there?" I posed, glancing up from my items. "What if he was busy somewhere else, and you needed someone to take the shot. Doesn't it make sense to have as many archers as we can?"

"So, what? You're saying you stubbornly clung to the bow to try and outdo a professional archer?" Soul looked skeptical. "I feel like you need more time for that."

"In case you haven't noticed, time isn't something we have an abundance of. We're being hunted for reasons we don't even know. The Endward Cult is getting stronger. We need to prepare ourselves for whatever comes after us as soon as we can. And that means learning any style of combat we can think of." I picked up some flint and sticks, only to curse at the lack of feathers. "Do you have any arrows on you?"

"Uh, no. I gave them to the archer. Kind of like how you should have." I ignored his words and prepared to hunt some chickens. "Look, I understand the need to ready ourselves and prepare, but there's no shame in leaving archery to Lenz. It's what he does best. He shoots. I swing. Cobb… Cobb does whatever the fuck he does, I don't really know sometimes. But whatever it is, nobody does it better than him!"

"I don't care what he does best." I shook my head. "To beat the cultists, we need to be the best. Period."

If I could be the best man, I wouldn't have to worry about those Hacker powers showing themselves. I would surpass them with hard work and practice. Two things that engineer could never match with his twig-like stamina.

I wasn't being competitive in the slightest.

Honest.

Soul sighed. "No wonder you didn't feel like telling Cobb all this. He probably would have…" Soul trailed off as his head jerked to the left.

He heard it too. A rustling of leaves.

I gathered up the rest of my Inventory and armed myself with weakened Iron Sword. "Think it's those guards again?" I whispered, tilting my head towards the rustling bushes.

"I think we're about to find out." Soul narrowed his eyes and pulled his arm back, ready to let his axe fly. I prepared for the worst.

My muscles deflated as, the next moment, a white dog emerged from the underbrush, padding towards us.

"Just a dog." I sighed in relief, already lowering my weapon. "I swear, this forest is making me jumpy. Soul?"

The axe-wielder didn't lower his guard. "Pick your weapon back up." He hissed. "That's a dog, not a wolf. See the collar?" He pointed out the green collar around the animal's neck. "That means it's tamed. Which means its owner isn't far behind."

Realizing the danger, my sword was back up in an instant. The dog tilted its head questioningly, but I was no longer fooled. "You think it's the guards'? The collar matches their colors."

"No… no he would've been part of the fight, in that case." Soul reasoned, backing up a few steps. "I say we lose it in the woods."

"Sounds good." I was already turning around when my eyes zeroed in on something. "Whoa, wait, wait! There's two more."

Soul tilted his head and hummed at the sight of two more dogs sporting the same green collars. They were eyeing us hungrily.

Just when I thought I had their numbers pegged, five more dogs emerged from behind trees and leaves, baring their fangs. Then another ten slinked in behind the first. More and more of them on the way.

And they all looked ready to attack.

[Lenz]

"Cobbert, I am sorry!" I called out while trying to reach the irate Crafter. My pleadings only made him lengthen his pace.

Comparators, armor was heavy. Even if their intentions were benign, the iron weighing me down turned a struggling jog into a sluggish slog. It also reminded me of my inadequacies. Cobbert and the others weathered armor with no complaint. They were able to fight with it.

An archer like me could not.

After running out of breath in half the time as usual, I tore the armor off so I could breathe without the confining metal cutting into my lungs. The leather cap was light, so I kept that, but everything else fell to the ground with a heavy thud before I began to replenish my Hunger with steak. Cobbert was already out of sight, lost amongst the trees.

Repeaters! I internally cursed. Repeaters and comparators, Floyd! This is all your fault!

I mentally hurled every redstone profanity I could think of at the blue-haired idiot for what he did. Everything had been going fine until he selfishly hogged the arrows to himself. He ruined my chance at proving my worth. Now Cobbert would never trust me again.

The only consolation was that he dragged himself down in the process, but that only meant Soul was now in the lead for most dependable Beginner. Floyd and I were tied for last place.

I had to do better next time. I would fight twice as hard at the next altercation, outshining both Floyd and Soul, and cement my worth as the most trusted Beginner. Or at the very least, begin to build Cobbert's trust back up.

And with the arsenal of arrows now in my… arsenal… I would be able to do just that. Not a single arrow would be wasted!

But first, I need a way to ensure Floyd does not interfere again. I drummed my fingertips together in contemplation. He obviously wishes to regain his position as Cobbert's best friend. I bet he is already scheming on how to make me look bad. Well if he thinks I will simply sit around and let him—

*TWANG*

"Eh?" I blinked in confusion as an arrow nicked my cheek only to sink into a tree to my left. I followed the trail back and took a step back when I saw a Skeleton hidden beneath the shade of a tree.

It fired another arrow that I dodged by crouching suddenly, an action that made my knees creak. I took out my bow and loosed three arrows right into the Mob, proving which of us was the better marksman.

However, instead of dying in a puff of smoke, the Skeleton remained standing after taking all three arrows to the ribcage.

"Wha… how is it still standing?" I questioned before the Skeleton stepped completely out of the shadows. I paled at the sight before me.

The Skeleton was wearing the iron armor I had carelessly chucked away. It had no trouble lugging around the additional weight, and in fact seemed delighted to have the additional protection. It passed between the trees' shade—keeping out of the sun—as it neared me.

We both exchanged more arrows, but it took less damage with the armor protecting it. Seeing the disadvantage, I followed Veronica's words of wisdom and channeled my inner moving artillery by strategically retreating to safer cover.

I heard an arrow impact the tree with a dull thunk before I allowed myself to peek around the edge, arrow ready. Its head was the only part unprotected. So that was what I needed to aim for.

After the latest shot I jumped out, arrow pulled back, and prepared to shoot it right into the Skeleton's eye socket.

Only to lower my bow as something else got to it first.

*Arf!*

The Skeleton's eye sockets widened in terror as three dogs surrounded and dove at it, sending the skeletal monster into the ground where it proceeded to thrash about. The dogs were wild and snarling as they sunk their teeth in between the gaps in the armor. Jaws clamped down on boney arms, forcing the Skeleton to drop its bow from the pain.

I watched with morbid fascination—the same type you get when watching a colony of ants team up against a scorpion—as the dogs quite literally ripped the Mob apart. Anytime the Skeleton's thrashing displaced an animal, it would just dive right back in without pause.

I could almost hear Mastah Veronica telling me, 'See, six-eyes? That's why archers keep their distance. Perfect metaphor, bam, right there.'

A lot of good that armor did. It only seemed to prolong the Skeleton's suffering. When the dogs finally killed it, they fought over the two bones it dropped, taking whatever opportunity they could to gnaw on the canine treat. The iron armor lay forgotten.

"Um…"

It was barely a whisper, but it caused all three dogs to tilt their heads towards me. It was as if they only just noticed I was there. They started snarling, hackles raised.

"Not sure why I did not just sneak away…" I shrugged nervously as I backed away.

Two of the dogs had green collars, but one of them had a brown collar. I saw it narrow its eyes at me, as if studying me, before it let out a series of sharp barks to its two fellows.

Is that one the leader? The alpha? I thought as I raised my bow, determined to defend myself if they attacked me like that Skeleton.

Instead, at the brown-collared dog's urging, the other two dogs calmed down. Their fur relaxed, their teeth were hidden behind their closed mouths, and they chose to ignore me in favor of the bones they were slobbering over.

I blinked in confusion at their behavior only to suffer a miniature heart attack when fifteen more dogs bounded toward the brown-collared one—or Alpha—from the trees behind me. One or two of them even slipped between my legs in their haste to fight over the last remaining bone (the Alpha staking his claim to the other).

The tamed dogs—and they had to be tamed dogs with the colored collars—all bounced about, diving for the last remaining bone while the Alpha watched indulgently. They must have belonged to somebody, but… who could require eighteen dogs?

And why had they seemed hostile at first? Most dogs did not anger unless provoked. But these dogs were hostile after merely making eye contact, only to relax after getting a good look at me.

I rolled these thoughts around my head before I finally put two and two together.

What if they were trained to look for someone specific? Like, say, someone with a bounty on their heads.

Cobbert…

It was a theory—could dogs even be trained to do that?—but there was a way to verify.

I cleared my throat and gauged the dogs' reactions. "Cobbert!" I shouted.

The dogs paused for a second to inspect the noise before doing the dog equivalent of shrugging and returning to their all-important battle of the bone.

"Um… Cobb…?" I tentatively tried again, using the Crafter's more familiar name.

That got a bigger reaction as the Alpha dog's ears angled towards me like twin satellite dishes. A few of the other dogs paid me more mind, ignoring the bone.

"King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd." I tried for a third time and watched as all the dogs growled in unison, acknowledging the names they were probably trained to recognize. Or maybe it was the faces from the wanted posters that were drilled into them. Either way, it meant that whoever owned these dogs was after Cobbert and the other one.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a loud howl echoed through the trees. The drawn-out cry reverberated through my bones before the Alpha dog responded with a howl of his own.

And then more howls sounded. From all over the forest. Representing not one, not two, but at least ten different Alpha's, presumably leading a pack of twenty or more, just like the one before me.

The Alpha barked out some orders before the whole pack took off east, following the initial howl. That was the direction Soul and the other one were in. And it looked and sounded like they were soon to face a pack of ferocious dogs.

They were facing imminent danger. Time was of the essence. There was only one thing to do!

Go get Cobbert so he could witness how dependable I am at rescuing everybody from hounds!

Foolproof plan!

It was not like the other one and Soul were in any immediate danger, right?

They would be fine.

[Soul]

"We are NOT fine!"

"Why are you saying that!?"

"I don't know, but it's true! GAH! Bad Fido! Butts are not for biting!"

"Run faster! Crap, my sword broke!"

"That's what you get for not taking better care of wow shit my axe just broke too. Ha. We're fucked."

[Cobb]

"Why did these things just attack me?" I questioned aloud to the four slain dogs surrounding me. "I didn't even kick any of them or deny them rotten flesh. Just—Bam—hostile."

Their EXP sunk into my arm and I sheathed my sword as I regarded the vanishing smoke from each of the green-collared dogs. Hopefully this wouldn't be another Carys_Angel situation where the dogs belonged to one of the fiercest Crafters in existence.

Don't think I can handle a second psycho bitch.

[Carys]

"Baltic, the brewing stands aren't working for some reason and I need some Healing Potions." I stated as I climbed up the ladder into the bridge.

"Ah, that's because of the Bounty Day." He explained at the airship controls. "You need blaze powder to—Whaa!"

I smashed my fist through a window.

Don't even know why. Had nothing to do with the potions. Just—Bam—strong wave of anger. It startled the hell out of Baltic, but other than that was really random.

Maybe someone was talking shit about me somewhere?

"Anyway, blaze powder. Good to know." I pulled my fist out of the hole I had made, trying to ignore the tense awkwardness and the pilot clutching at his heart.

[Cobb]

Pig-favoring, cult-killing leader of the Paragons aside, the dogs up and attacking me was pretty suspicious. As was the dozen or so howls that shortly followed, coming from far behind.

…The same direction my friends were in.

"Whyyyyyyy..." I groaned into my hands before glancing at my map. According to the blips, Soul (along with Floyd and Lenz, hopefully) were to the northeast, heading south at a pace fast enough to be considered sprinting. So Lenz was either being carried or not with them at all. Either way, they wouldn't be sprinting if they weren't being chased by something. If I went straight east, I would catch up with them.

I memorized the path before returning the map to my backpack and taking off. Given the howls echoing through the forest, I had a pretty good idea of what was chasing them.

I just didn't know why.

[Floyd]

"This… wasn't a great plan."

"It works for cats so I assumed it would work for us too." Soul replied defensively. "Besides, I didn't see you coming up with anything when your sword broke on Balto's body."

"…You're naming every single one of these dogs, aren't you?"

"Only the persistent ones." He clarified.

"Only the persistent ones." I repeated in disbelief as I looked down at the hundred-dog pack swelling with ferocious canines. They all looked pretty persistent from where we were standing. Even then, more dogs were coming from the forest, drawn by the howls of the handful of brown-collared ones and the rapid barks of the green-collared ones.

We were stuck in a tree, by the way.

Soul had had the brilliant idea of channeling his inner cat by scaling the branches of a tall tree. Through the combination of ladders and teamwork, we were able to perch ourselves high out of those dogs' reach.

But now we were kind of stuck. The dogs were all barking and howling, pressing their bodies and paws against the tree, occasionally jumping in a pathetic attempt to reach us. And we could do little but watch and pray Cobb paid enough attention to his map to see where we were and that we needed help.

I didn't feel like waiting around, though. "No flint and steel. No arrows. Our weapons broke." I ticked off the options as I looked through my Inventory. "How do we get out of this?"

"You don't."

From below, a horse galloped into view before slowing to a trot. Sitting astride was a well-armored Crafter with short, wild, dark-blond hair and a face that looked anything but friendly. He wasn't a guard if the lack of a green-dyed leather cap was any indication.

He wore khaki hike pants and shirt, with a brown leather jacket over it. A brown leather belt and khaki colored canvas backpack. The name above his head read Hunderprest.

He had a diamond sword and an assortment of potions at his belt. Triumphant green eyes watched the pair of us trapped in our tree. Tied around his mouth was a navy green bandana. He tugged at in order to speak, revealing a clean, shaved face.

"The idea is that my hounds keep you right where I want you so that I can collect you easier."

"Your hounds?" Soul questioned, though it was fairly obvious. The dogs below parted for Hunderprest and his steed and he, in turn, tossed bits of meat and bones to reward his pack. Though there was far too many for one Crafter to tame.

"Just who are you?" I called down as the mysterious Crafter dismounted his horse. "What do you want with us?"

He smoothly patted his horse's back before turning his attention up our tree.

"My name is Hunderprest." He called up politely. "And I'm here for your bounty."

[Carys]

It wasn't long before Nitebane was in our sights. Those skyscrapers stood out for miles. Even more so now that the citizens were rebuilding them. For centuries, they had been broken; suspended off the ground to avoid the belligerent nuisances Griefers tended to be. But, as we approached the once ruined Kingdom, it was clear Jillian was doing her job well.

From one of the Asmodeus' many windows, I watched as small pockets of Crafters plowed farmland and dug small trenches for fresh water to flow. I saw Crafters bustling in and out of the newly operational EXP Factories, their arms overflowing with enchanted books and bottles of EXP. Those would go a long way in fixing Nitebane's economy. The domed roof of the Center for Planar Trade was getting repaired right alongside the skyscrapers and homes Crafters were moving back into.

Jillian had really lit a fire under their asses.

And speaking of fire, occasionally I would spot ones burning from the streets. They weren't the out of control varieties typically caused by Griefers, though. No, they looked more like the kind incensed citizens made whenever they found a leftover Griefer that needed to be 'taken care of'.

My kind of Kingdom. And it pretty much was.

The Crafters below all spotted the Asmodeus with its black sails and dark wood and recognized it immediately as the airship Jillian first arrived upon. They waved or saluted up at it, thinking Jillian, their passionate savior, was on board.

Their savior was on board, but they didn't need to know the finer details of who saved whom.

In a few moments, Baltic docked the airship atop Lunar Castle. I was able to slip out quickly so as not to be seen by any observing citizens while Baltic took his time. I fully intended to return to the seclusion of the dungeons where I could train and practice some new combat moves without interruption. I would have anyway, but hearing about the Billionth had lit a new, competitive fire within me. It was like preparing for Overshadow all over again. I had a goal in sight and I planned to find that Billionth and win him over to the Paragons. A Crafter at the same Hacker-slaying level as me would be invaluable.

There was also the manner of preparing my next move against the cult. And Cobb, once Wing and Luis' report got back.

When I reached the dungeons, however, I spotted Kalmarin and Z7 leaning against one of the cells. Z7 was sat cross-legged, her long purple hair covering her face and pooling in her lap. Kal, however, had his arms folded and looked conflicted. And it didn't seem to be directed at Z7.

The Jibberwoman raised her hand to point in my direction. "Zmtvo." She uttered in her garbled language. It was one of the more common words she referred to me as.

Kal followed her finger and unfolded his arms, pushing off the cell as he moved to greet me. "Carys. Any word on that rumor or…?" He trailed off, but I understood the gist of it.

"It's genuine." I verified and almost smirked at how Kal looked tense. I was taking the news better than he expected. "The Billionth killed a Hacker first. Nothing else to say about it."

Z7 didn't seem to care about our topic. She was paying more attention to a speck on the stone floor.

"It's hard to believe." Kal shook his head. "No guild to go by. No other alias. And yet for a ten-digit to do it—"

"Does it frighten you?" I asked, genuinely curious. "To hear there's someone out there that can kill Hackers. Someone besides me." Someone he wasn't allied to.

He shook his head. "From the rumors, I bet it was Alec. He was always chomping at the bit. Wanted to be better than a Level 1. Thought himself invincible just because of his Hack so the Clan had to banish him. He probably attacked Daymonte's villages looking for a way to get the Clan to take him back. If he was as reckless as I remember him, it's no wonder he caught the ire and attention of Crafters like… well… like this Billionth, I guess."

"Reckless? I thought all Hackers were like that."

"Some more than others." He offered noncommittally, taking a moment to trace the lines over his eyes. "I'm not worried, though. The Billionth sounds like the old heroic type, from back in the days where Crafters stood for truth and justice. He killed Alec because he was causing problems, not because he was a Hacker. I bet I could get along with him."

My lips tilted at those words. "Well, I'm pleased to hear that, because that might just be the case. The Billionth could be an asset to the Paragons."

"You thinking about recruiting him?"

"I'm more than thinking about it."

"…You're going to fight him, though. Right?" He asked.

"Just to see what he's capable of." I explained with no small amount of excitement. To face a worthy opponent on my level. Those Hackers had been a disappointment, after all—

"And you're going to be completely unbiased while judging him?" Kal questioned skeptically. "No animosity whatsoever towards the Crafter who killed a Hacker first? No competitive spirit of any kind? Really?"

"So what is it the two of you are doing here?" I changed the subject. Why did I have to explain myself to him, anyway? Two warriors had every right to compete against one another in a test of wills. I wouldn't be denied the chance to face a challenging opponent and lose myself in the throes of battle.

As clumsy as my method of diverting the conversation was, it made Kal pause and glance behind him to Z7. "Well… we may have had a situation while you were gone."

I raised an eyebrow. "Hackers? Cultists?"

"Neither—at least, we don't think so." Kal jerked his neck down the hallway of cells, signaling me to follow.

Instead, I took the lead while Kal and Z7 took up positions on either side. The Jibberwoman's hair dragged along the floor and her bare-feet moved silently in contrast to my sharp footsteps.

*tk tk tk tk*

"So what was this 'situation'?" I asked seriously, not wanting to brandy words or for him to sugarcoat things. Kal proceeded to launch into an explanation.

"It happened yesterday. Jillian was in the throne room, asking how progress was going throughout the Kingdom. I was at her side, as per your orders, in case any Hackers or cultists reared their heads. There were a few other Paragons as well. Most of them can verify my story."

"Most of them?"

"Some are still knocked out. I'll get to that part." He explained before continuing. "Anyway, Jillian was just asking about the EXP Factories when this woman bursts through the front doors waving a sword around and holding some explosives." Kal paused in his explanation, adopting a contemplative look. "Her eyes were fixed straight upon the throne. She was only looking at Jillian: her target. She ran forward in a reckless charge. The Paragons that went to block her were struck down and knocked out. She wasn't a Griefer—with swordsmanship like that—but she certainly had the explosives of one."

"Uriv rm svi vbvh." Z7 commented in her own way. It sounded like she was praising the unknown assailant. We turned a corner in the hallway of cells, heading deeper in.

"Anyway, I stepped forward and kept the assailant from reaching Jillian. We exchanged blows, and she hurled a string of curses at Jillian before I forced her back. She darted around, placing TNT everywhere and using Swiftness and Leaping potions on herself. I wasn't quick enough to grab her and I almost had to resort to my Hack just to prevent her from blowing the place to smithereens."

"But you didn't." I filled in. "And the throne room is still in perfect condition last I checked. So what happened?"

In response, Kal pointed to Z7, who only tilted her head.

"Just as the assailant was about to ignite the TNT, Z7 appeared behind her with twin daggers at her throat. The remaining Paragons wrenched the flint and steel from her tight grip and escorted her down here."

"Why didn't you kill her?" I asked, perplexed by the need to imprison the assailant.

"Z7 almost did. But Jillian said not to. It had something to do with what the assailant was cursing her for, but she wanted to wait until you got back. So you could see her for yourself."

I frowned at that, but conceded Jillian's point. If she felt the assailant was worth more alive than dead, I would see for myself. There was always the possibility that she was a cultist, come to assassinate Jillian. If so, the would-be assassin might have some information worth our time.

Rounding another corner, we came across Perry with his face pressed against the cell bars, looking in. He saw us approach out of the corner of his eye and quickly backed away. "Ma'am." He nodded respectfully.

As we walked in front of the cell, I got a pretty good look at the assailant. Young-looking face with signs of sleep-deprivation. Curly and long dark-brown hair. Gray sleeveless shirt over a black tank top. She had her knees bunched up with her arms wrapped around them as she sat in the darkest corner of her cell.

Her grayish green eyes looked dead as they regarded me. And the name above her head…

"Is it my time to die yet?" Asked attila_akrasia uncaringly.

"Maybe." I replied, my interest piqued. "Maybe not."

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Shovel [Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 13 Cobblestone, 14 Ender Pearls, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 57 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Unbreaking I], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 4 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 17]

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 8 Rotten Flesh, 5 Bones, 6 Gunpowder, 16 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 62 Cooked Chicken, 50 Apples, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds

[EXP: 24]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 16 Redstone, 61 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 57 Steak, 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Green], 59 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 32 Sugar Cane, 8 Leather, 18 Feathers, 10 Flint, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 6]

Inventory (Soul): 15 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {1:30}, 1 Milk, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 10 Steak, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 36]

AN: I took advice from my Beta and decided to just put the omake content in the Chapter since Carys is doing stuff too. I'm sure some of you might remember Attila, back when Floyd was visiting Nitebane. If you don't, refer to chapters 65-68.

Cobb and the Beginners are having trouble on their end too. Hunderprest is an OC submitted by TheShadowOfZama. I hope I captured his personality and appearance well in the five-or-so lines I devoted to him.

Will Floyd and Soul escape Hunder and his hounds? Will Cobb find out who the mysterious green-haired Crafter is? Will Lenz get over his inferiority complex? And will I publish the next Chapter on Wednesday!?

...

I dunno.

Next Chapter, I'll try answering questions in the reviews if you guys have any.