AN: Sorry for posting this so late in the week. Work has been ratcheting lately and I can't find the time to type on the weekdays. But it probably won't be for long... probably.
Of course, this is an easily solved problem if I just type less. But I can never find a suitable stopping point! ARGH! I'm cursed!
Whatever. Enjoy the Chapter.
Congrats to fanfic-addict91 for guessing last week's riddle. Answer: The killer was the nerd! The riddle wasn't from Skyrim or anything. Also, on an unrelated note, I've been playing Skyrim in my off-time on the Switch. Fun-fun-fun.
Anyway, enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement fanfic-addict91. You earned it.
(::)
Puzzle: I don't have eyes, but once I did see. Once I had thoughts, but now I'm white and empty. What am I?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd ask all of Microsoft to build the My Craft world on a public server.
A man can dream.
Chapter 132
The Same Boat
[Cobb]
I awoke to the gentle rocking of the airship and two kinds of warmth. The first being the sunlight cast across the covers, warming me naturally. The second being the feeling of another body, exchanging its warmth with mine.
It was only my third time waking up to a shared bed. The first two times had been when Erin had sleepwalked into my bed. According to her it was a chronic condition. But this time it was with… someone I kissed…
Heart: No, it wasn't a dream. It really happened. I was all aflutter and I want another one before the day is over. Make it happen.
I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, a subtle smile spreading across my face as the memories of last night hit me all at once.
We kissed. Jade and I kissed.
Gods, we kissed…
Already, the stimulating sensations were becoming lost to me. How had it gone? Was it as enjoyable for her as it was for me? What had her lips felt like? Was the feeling of her skin against mine more a tingling or a burning sensation? All I could associate with it was bliss.
And, with a startled gasp, I realized I had completely forgotten about Carys. Even though she was still chasing us, I had surrendered myself to the moment with Jade and it all just… didn't matter.
No nightmares either. Just pleasant dreams that were already fading from my mind like mist.
I felt movement beside me and watched as Jade rolled over. Lidded amethyst eyes peeked out from a mess of green hair, like she was some predator hiding in the brush.
"Sleep well?"
"The best." I smiled, running a hand over her shoulder. "Thank you."
She yawned and stretched her arms. "Don't sweat it. You need to stop thanking me for every little thing."
"It wasn't a little thing." I urged, sitting up as well. "I was pretty shaken last night." I was reminded of tears, anxiety, and thoughts of taking the easy way out. "I may have said some things I didn't mean…"
"I hope it wasn't the thing about wanting to be boyfriend and girlfriend." She replied with a playful pout. "Because I really hope you meant that part."
"Of course." I laughed, still not quite believing it. "Have you… felt that way about me for a while?"
"I don't know if anyone ever told you, but you're stupidly oblivious." She deadpanned. "I was dropping hints since we met."
"Ouch." I winced. "Thanks for being brutally honest."
"It's part and parcel to the girlfriend gig." She shrugged before closing in with lidded eyes. "There might be a few benefits, though."
"Liiiiike discounts on parkour lessons?"
She groaned, stopping short of my lips and smothering her face into my shoulder. I groaned a little too.
"You want to try and fail to be funny or do you want to enjoy your morning?"
"Second option, please."
"That's better." She leaned back in, ready to remind me of all the sensations I had forgotten. Her lips lightly touched mine…
The speaking tube rattled to life, a loud, garbled voice and making me jump forward into Jade's arms, bowling the both of us onto the floor. I cursed the damn speaking tube. Instead of kissing soft lips I was kissing soft carpet!
"Cobbert! Emergency! We have a missing person!" My blood chilled at those words. "I think Carys must have kidnapped them in the night!"
Jade and I were up in an instant, weapons drawn, and leaning into the speaking tube.
"Lenz! What happened? Who was taken?"
"It is Jade! She is gone!"
The fear clawing up my spine suddenly receded and I relaxed my shoulders, dumbfounded. I glanced back to Jade and gave her a small squeeze just to verify she was there before returning to the tube.
"Um… could you repeat that?"
"Jade is missing!" Lenz's frantic voice repeated. "She was supposed to relieve me last night and take over flying, but she never showed! Comparators, she never SHOWED!" He sounded hysterical. "I checked her room and nothing! No sign of a struggle."
Beside me, Jade massaged her temple, both touched and a little embarrassed. She had blown off flying duty to sleep with me. In hindsight, we probably should have let him know. Time to clear things up before he had a heart attack.
"Lenz, listen, don't worry about—"
"Do not worry? Do not worry!? Have you been listening? That accursed Angel of Death stole one of us in the middle of the night!"
Jade shook her head, a fond smirk adorning her face.
"And while I am happy she spared the rest of us and my beloved airship," Jade's eye twitched in annoyance, "Jade is a valuable member of the guild," she smiled fondly again, "and she still owes me those emeralds." Jade flashed back to annoyance before striding forward, pushing me aside in the process.
"What's that about me owing you emeralds?" Jade said testily, speaking directly into the tube. The garbled rattling went silent for a bit before coming back to life.
"Jade?" Confusing and relief were evident in his tone. "Thank goodness! Where were you? Why did you not take over my shift? And why were you not in your room?"
"Well, I—" Jade shut her mouth with a click, her gaze turning to me inquisitively. 'Should we tell them?' Her gaze seemed to say. I shrugged, unsure. Our privacy was our own, but it would be a wasted effort trying to keep it from the group. Better to come clean.
"I was… uh… sharing a room with Cobb." Jade blushed as she uttered it.
"Why? Was there something wrong with your room?" Of course, Lenz was almost as oblivious as me, and needed more to go off of.
"…We slept together." Jade bit the bullet.
"Oh." There was a pause. "Oooooooh." Another pause. "Sorry for the false alarm, then."
"It's fine, Lenz." Jade sighed. "Just don't gossip to the others. I'd rather tell them later."
"Yeah, we can hear everything spoken through these tubes." Soul's gruff voice replaced Lenz's, causing Jade to go still.
"…So everyone heard?"
"Uh-huh." Floyd said.
"Apologies." Lenz sounded small.
"Sorry." Noman replied awkwardly.
"Yup." Soul spoke, holding back a laugh. "So? How was he in the sheets?"
"We didn't—!" The mortification was too much for her, and Jade blocked the speaking tube with some cobblestone before marching back to the bed and hiding her face under the covers.
"I'm guessing this is also part and parcel to the whole relationship thing." I rubbed my head sheepishly, all while Jade whined in embarrassment under the covers.
Brain: Think you'll need a rain check on those kisses, Heart.
We were the last ones to reach the bridge, which only added to the awkward air. Jade was staring defiantly at the floor, her cheeks heating up as she made her way to one of the corners.
Lenz was piloting with extreme focus, choosing to ignore any and all drama that he had inadvertently caused with his false alarm. I couldn't really blame him, but at the same time I thought him a bastard for ruining what could have been a morning kiss.
But then the real bastard, Soul, was wearing a shit-eating grin, leering at the two of us and making promiscuous gestures that insinuated something that didn't happen. I had to seriously rethink his status as one of my friends. Surely Carys could kill him a little, right?
Thankfully, Floyd remained my one true friend, not drawing attention to Jade or me and acting like normal. Bless his kind heart.
Oh, and Noman. He was… there. I didn't pay him much mind, but he looked awkward as hell. Vaguely I wondered if he had talked with anyone since boarding, but I didn't dwell on it long.
I had work to do.
"Is Carys still following?"
"Suprisingly." Lenz reported. "She is working that horse to death—"
"Kind of like how Jade was working Cobb last night." Soul sniped only to get kicked into the wall by an irate Jade. "Sorry, continue."
"—Carys continues to pursue us. Though she must be beyond the point of exhaustion."
"She's just keeping us in sight." Floyd nodded. "If she figures out where we're going, she can reroute the Paragons however she wants. I wouldn't be surprised if they got themselves a new airship and are tracking her by map."
"She must know we're running out of steam." Jade reasoned. "She wouldn't be following us for this long otherwise if—"
"Kind of like how Cobb ran out of steam after the climax—ARGH!" Soul recoiled, before facing us once again with a cutlass sticking out of his eye. "Okay, I'll stop."
"How many more days can we go on flying like this?" I asked the expert on airships.
"Two or three days. I checked the engines." Lenz reported.
"And how long to reach Akasha?"
"Two days if we head straight there. But then Carys will undoubtedly foresee our destination."
"If she hasn't already." Floyd mumbled, his eyes darting over to me. "You got an idea?"
I paused, my eyes sliding to Noman, who remained quietly looking to the floor. He hadn't uttered a word, content to stay on the sideline and let us discourse. I had no idea what he was thinking.
"I got some ideas." I replied in contrast to my thoughts. "It's risky, but it might get Carys off our backs for a while."
"By any chance, did this inspiration suddenly come to you in the throes of passion last night—put down the cutlass, Jade."
As Jade stalked menacingly towards the axe-wielder, I couldn't help but smile. He wasn't far from the truth. The pleasant night with Jade had given me the courage to go on. I had a guild to look after. It wasn't the time to mope and be afraid. Even if I was really, really afraid of that scythe-wielding psycho.
"Let's just say I decided to stop moping and do something." I said, eliciting smiles from the entire guild. Not from Noman, though. "Anyway, Carys knows we're low on fuel. She's hoping we stop soon. So," I offered our pilot a smile, "let's give her what she wants."
[Noman]
Back to being the outcast.
I didn't know what to expect. It wasn't like I knew any of them. One look and I could tell they were a close-knit guild of friends, throwing around ideas with the familiarity that I couldn't possibly hold a candle to. There was no place for a stranger in all that. It was a retread of Eric's group, and I bet a few of them were thinking I had outstayed my welcome. Now that the peril was mitigated, I was the odd man out.
The bulky Lost_Soul thought differently. He had invited me into the Silver Intent, and was now laying down the groundwork for me to join the Beginners.
If I didn't know King_Cobb's feelings on the matter, I would have almost believed it was possible. But he had made things perfectly clear. He resented me for taking his number and giving him mine. However unintentional, our numbers were switched, and that put him and his guild in the Endward Cult's crosshairs.
If there was one thing Cobb cared about, it was his friends.
He'd never accept me into his guild. And even if he did, I had a job to do. There were seven more artifacts out there and I'd need every one to combat the Cult.
I had to leave.
But not yet. I couldn't drop down into the waiting arms of a killer.
Literally and figuratively, until Carys was dealt with, we were all in the same boat.
[Carys]
Some Spiders trotted ahead, products of last night's spawn and docile in the sunlight.
I sliced them with my scythe as my steed barreled through them. Spiders hissed in pain as they were shredded into spider eyes and string, but my horse's gallop continued uninterrupted.
Faster!
I dug my heels into the horse's side, earning a whinny of pain, but the horse knew better than to protest or slow down. After days of the same treatment, it had finally learned whose orders were absolute.
I had long since run out of Swiftness Potions to increase its speed and I hadn't slept since… uh… Damnit, thinking was harder without sleep! It was inconsequential!
Because that fucker was still within my sights.
I didn't mean the airship as a whole. No, I just characterized anything that asshole was riding in as synonymous with said asshole. And with my sleep deprived and anger addled mind, I could almost envision the Asmodeus as a giant floating Cobb, complete with annoying catchphrases.
"I beat a Hacker before you did!" It taunted in my mind.
"Yes, but I killed two." I replied back sanely. The horse gave a whinny of worry. Worry was for the weak and slow. "Pick up the pace you damn horse."
I had almost caught up before. They had been docked on a hill, and I thought I had them, but then they took off again. In that brief respite, they must've refueled. But they couldn't have found so much in so short a time. Even with the six people on board… it was six, right? Ugh, I needed a nap.
I counted them off. There was the bane of my existence. The blue-haired Hacker. The nerdy archer. The axe-wielder. Cobb's girlfriend. And the suited shield-bearer.
How those six could have combated my Paragons, I had no idea. But it wouldn't happen a second time. Once Baltic and the others followed with their airship, we would settle the score, once and for all.
I stared up at the airship puttering along. My airship. The thought made my blood boil and always woke me up. Beyond any exhaustion, that one solitary thought of Cobb's terrified expression when I caught up always kept me going. However unhealthy it was for my physical health.
"Ha! I killed and ate your pig!"
And my mental health.
"I'll kill and eat your whole team." I growled, the threat making me sound like a cannibal. That was just crazy. Killing them before his eyes was far more… wait!
My tired eyes snapped open upon seeing the Asmodeus ground to a halt in the air. A dark grin spread across my face.
"At last…" I whispered under my breath. They were out of fuel. This wasn't a docking attempt, they were just hanging there. They had pushed their reserves too far, and now they were mine!
"Hyah!" I dug my heels harder into the horse, willing it to go faster. It whinnied in pain, unable to quicken past the pace I had set for it. Useless thing. The horse merchant had said it was the fastest, but I remained as disappointed as ever. Nothing evident had changed my mind. Compared to my last steed—
My breath hitched and for a moment the world faded away and reformed. I wasn't riding on a horse anymore. I was riding on Mr. Piggles in the Nether, my bow sending a hoard of pursuing Zombie Pigmen to oblivion. My trusty steed needed no command as it wove between flaming netherrack and Ghast fireballs. He was fast, he was reliable, he was…
…Dead.
I blinked the scene back into focus. I wasn't on Mr. Piggles. I was on a stupid horse, chasing his killer, feeling something unpleasant that I desperately wished to forget.
"…I'll kill him." I muttered darkly, the vengeance fresh in my mind. "I'll kill them all."
Forget waiting for the rest of the Paragons. I'd power through the exhaustion and take them all out here and now. I had one ender pearl saved up. I just had to get within throwing distance and then let my scythe do the rest.
The Asmodeus remained unmoving, suspended between two extreme hills. None of them had dropped down, and if they tried without a pearl, they would get squashed against the ground. So long as Cobb wasn't desperate enough to attempt that, I'd have the last laugh—
Just as I crested a hill, an arrow pelted towards my face. My reflexes saved me as I leaned over to one side, nearly falling off the horse. It let out a shrill whine, but not from any discomfort I caused.
An arrow was lodged in its chest.
"Blasted nerd!" I turned the horse sharply to avoid a second arrow. I had to get to cover quickly.
I backtracked, retreating the way I came. I took an arrow to the shoulder for the horse and batted another one aside with my scythe, but a third one slipped under my outstretched arm. Like threading a needle, the arrow struck the horse in the neck and it gave a horrible dying shriek before bursting into leather and a saddle.
I fell hard on my ass, the air escaping me in a 'whuff', but I grit my teeth and flipped back to my feet before flat-out sprinting towards the airship. If I could get close enough to throw the pearl—
I was expecting more arrows, but instead was shocked to find the Asmodeus humming back to life and sailing away.
"No!" I shouted in frustration. They hadn't run out of fuel. It was all a trick to get me close enough to take out my horse. Without a steed, there'd be no way to catch up.
It was out of reach, but I chucked the ender pearl as hard as I could anyway. It came up short. Too short. It plummeted to the next hill, and when I teleported, I was on my knees, tearing up the grass in frustration.
My one chance was gone.
"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH, COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBB!"
[Cobb]
"Hey, can you hear that?"
"I feel that." I replied nervously, the dot on the hill fading away as the distance grew. The enraged shouts echoed along the valley, staying with us for a good while. "Nice shooting, Skipper."
"Glad you think so, because it cost every arrow I had." Lenz reported glumly, sealing the window. I could understand what he meant. Even though his skills were in a league of their own, his bow was his only method of combat. He couldn't wield a sword or axe like the others. He lived and died by the bow. "We'll see about getting you some arrows in Akasha."
"Provided we make it that far." Floyd reported. Noman twitched over in the corner, but, just as he opened his mouth to say something, he closed it with a click. "We might still have to refuel."
"At least Carys is out of the picture for a while." Jade said, focusing on the one piece of good news. "She'll never be able to follow us on foot."
"Let's not jinx it. That woman's a force of nature." Soul returned from the engine room, catching the tail end of our conversation. "Coal's back in the furnaces. I say we spend some time strengthening our ranks."
I couldn't hide my interest. Neither could Floyd. Jade tagged along and together we followed Soul back to a room I hadn't entered yet.
It could have been a library, what with all the bookshelves lining the walls. However, it was the enchantment table in the middle that hinted at the room's true purpose. Small white runes filtered from the various shelves, merging into the enchantment table's floating book. I could feel a kind of energy emanating from it, resonating in my arm where my Level meter was.
"Enchanting room, oh yeah." Soul rubbed his hands together giddily as he stepped up to the table. "I got fifty levels worth of EXP to spend, and I'm blowing all of it on my axe."
I replayed the conversation with Jade last night, thinking about all the ways I could get stronger to face Carys. No better way to start than to spend hard-earned EXP. We all had accumulated quite a bit. Floyd had thirty-two levels while Jade and I had thirty-one.
Heart: Like boyfriend like girlfriend.
I blushed at my traitorous heart, but Jade stepped forward to grab Soul's hand before he could do anything.
"Hold on there, eager beaver. There are some things you should know about EXP before you carelessly dump it."
"Like what? The purpose of EXP is to enchant and beef up your gear." Soul folded his arms. "It's a no-brainer."
"And do you know what else EXP is good for?"
"Um…"
"Let me tell you a story." Jade began. "I knew this girl. Really chipper, bright and vibrant. The kind of girl who lights up the room and gets guys drooling over themselves just looking at her. She fights Mob after Mob, over and over, and accumulates fifty levels worth of EXP. But!" She held up a finger dramatically. "She never spent a drop of it on enchantments."
"Okay…"
"One day, this big, beefy guy shows up, decked out in enchanted diamond armor. Only the best for him. Protection, Unbreaking, Blast Protection, Projectile Protection. Basically a walking tank. He asks out the vibrant girl, and she shuts him down."
"Well, the beefcake doesn't like that, so he grabs the girl's shoulder to make her reconsider. Before he knows it, the girl grabs the offending hand and snaps it like a twig." Soul flinched at the story, rubbing his neck unconsciously.
"Sounds like… someone I know…"
"And that's not the worst of it." Jade continued. "The guy throws a fist—the unbroken one—at the girl, and she catches it before lifting the man off his feet and bodily slamming him atop a table. Mind you, watching a girl flip a guy twice her size is as funny as it sounds."
"Wait, but… how is that possible?" I asked, confused. "If the girl was half his size, how could she overpower him like that?"
"Because of the level disparity." Floyd spoke aloud in realization.
"Bingo." Jade smiled. "After spending all his levels on enchantments, the guy was back to level zero while the girl had fifty levels of EXP."
"I still don't get it." Soul growled. "They're just green orbs."
"Your strength reflects your EXP level." Jade explained. "Soul, you're strong not just because you look beefy, but because you've been slaying countless Mobs and mining ores, building up your levels until fifty! It's harder to level up the higher you go, but a higher number means you have greater physical strength than a level thirty. Lenz is so weak because he snipes from a distance and can't collect EXP. Most archers are like that, unless they bother collecting after their kills."
The realization dawned on Soul and I soon after. It all made sense. Thinking about it from a different perspective, a freshly spawned Crafter at level zero was probably around the same strength as a Zombie. By killing a Zombie, you gain their Exp, or in other words their strength, progressing to level one or two or three. And the more Mobs you killed, the more strength you gathered. Almost as if you're fighting with the strength of a dozen Zombies."
But then, a scary thought crossed my mind.
"What about if you kill a Crafter?"
Jade's expression shifted into something more somber. "Crafters drop EXP as well. Not completely. Killing a level forty won't get you forty levels of EXP. There's a limit. But it's more than what you would get killing a measly Mob."
Which meant that killing a bunch of Crafters would level you up indefinitely.
Carys. She was waging a war against the cultists, but it was clear she had no qualms about killing others if they got in her way. How many levels did she get killing those two Hackers who probably laid waste to hundreds if not thousands of innocent people in Nitebane?
And the Endward Cult. They vowed to kill every Crafter in Minecraftia. They probably had levels to spare. It also explained Teal_Larkspur's monstrous strength given her slight frame. To overpower Soul like that, her hands were probably soaked in blood.
"So killers and murderers have more levels than anyone." Soul surmised. "Basically, all our enemies."
"Unfortunately." Jade nodded. She examined her cutlass quietly. "Tinker's weapons can't be enchanted, but they never break and keep their latent abilities forever. It's a trade-off, just like with enchanting. You can beef up your defenses or you can build up your physical strength." She looked to all of us, considering the enchantment table and the risks. "I just wanted to let you know this going forward. What you do with your levels is up to you."
No kidding. Was it better to save up EXP to overpower anyone? Or enchant something for however small an edge. Either way would require levels. I wished Wynn had explained this the first time I had enchanted. Maybe then I would've been more conscious of gaining levels.
Hell, Carys was probably level one-hundred by now. She fought enough Crafters to keep up her levels AND over-enchant her gear. A true Angel of Death. And now that she had control of Nitebane, and their EXP Factories, her and her Paragons would only be getting stronger.
"There are other ways to get levels, though." Floyd brought up. "Breeding, fishing, mining, cooking."
"We can even bottle it ourselves." Jade said. "One of the guilds I worked with had its members bottle all their earned EXP and gift it to their leader. Needless to say, I didn't stay there long."
"Maybe we could do that?" Soul suggested. "Give all our EXP to one of us and it'll probably be enough to hit level one-hundred."
"Levels aren't additive. Someone who's level twenty-two only has half as much EXP as a level thirty. Level thirty-nine is twice that."
"So we'd be looking at a combined total closer to sixty." Floyd assumed. "Not worth it if the rest of us revert back to level zero."
"It's out of the question." I ended any further discussion on it. No way was I going to make any of my friends weaker. We fought as a team. We'd all level up together… even if Carys was beyond us. Beyond anyone, maybe.
We'd be better off just buying EXP bottles and enchantments with all the emeralds we had. Or rather we would if I hadn't been stupid enough to lose my Silk Touch shovel to Carys. That was the only advantage we had over her, and now even that was hers.
We needed something powerful. An enchantment to even the odds.
But nothing came to mind. And following Jade's explanation of the true worth of EXP, we were all too scared to try anything.
"Ahhhh, screw it." Soul growled before walking up to the table. The book opened before him, filled with the runes from the shelves. Wynn had bothered to explain that more shelves meant higher level enchantments. There was a chest off to the side with the necessary lapis lazuli, and Soul didn't even hesitate to slam his axe down and pour in the necessary levels.
The green and yellow orbs flew from his arm, emptying him of thirty levels. His axe glowed with magical power and the room lit up before he extracted it from the table. he looked a little shaken, but he marveled at the diamond axe in his hand.
"Sharpness V. Score!" He slid the axe into his belt, but I saw the way his eyes drooped when he glimpsed the level on his arm.
He was level twenty now. Weaker than us. It would take him weeks—maybe even months—to reach fifty again.
"You guys wanna give it a go?"
The table was right there, calling to me, but I couldn't. Too much hinged on this decision. I almost wished Jade never said anything. One look at Floyd and I could tell he felt the same way.
Soul's was the only enchantment done.
[Noman]
I leaned against the wall, twiddling my thumbs and trying to look anywhere but at the man named Lenzington. It was just him and me, keeping silent in the bridge.
Silence was… I didn't want to say welcome, but it was the lesser of two awkward evils when being an outsider in a close-knit group. When the bridge was filled with Beginners, words flew back and forth like erratic bats. A complex combination of banter and seriousness that ensured that everyone was heard. Everyone had an opinion—a voice…
…Barring the outsider.
I despised it. I didn't know any of these people, and with how terrible relations were with Cobb, there was no point trying. It was too much like Eric's group. Keeping silent while they talked on and on about adventures and inside jokes and things I was never there for. The feeling of being left out was a dull, constant pain, and I was forced to keep quiet and just listen.
That's why I preferred this silent awkwardness all the more. Sure, it was awkward being in a room with someone when I wasn't required to, but I could always blame the silence on a need for focus. With Lenzington flying the Asmodeus, he couldn't be distracted. So shutting my mouth was the way to go.
Come to think of it, there was no better time to leave than now. Carys was thrown off their trail, everyone else was busy with whatever. Lenzington was probably so focused he wouldn't even notice if I retired to my room only to pack up, get to the loading bay, and use the Bottes Zephyr to fly off.
The more I thought about it, the more the idea appealed to me. Leaving now wouldn't give them a chance to make a fuss. True, Soul wanted me a part of their team, but he'd get over it. I was only an outsider, after all.
Leaving is for the best. For everyone.
With that thought, I pushed off the wall and silently crept to the doors. I had just cracked it open an inch before—
"Nowhere_Man." Lenzington called, causing me to wince. I turned and saw that he wasn't even looking back from the controls. "Could you come here? I want to teach you this."
"Maybe it can wait until later…?" I fake promised, wanting to just go and be done with it. But Lenzington was insistent.
"No time like the present." This time he did turn around, those tinted lenses of his giving away nothing. "Come, come."
With a sigh, I shut the door and wandered over to the Skipper. I was surprised when he stepped aside, giving me full control of the ship.
"Wha—what are you—?"
"I have already drilled the basics into Floyd and Jade, but having a fourth person piloting would really ease our burdensome rotations."
"Why not Soul or Cobb, then?"
"Because Soul is Soul and Cobb is Cobb." He answered shortly. I kind of understood what he meant, but it probably would have been funnier if I had been along with them as long as he had. "Now, the panels control the directions and the levers are for ascending, descending, and rotating. Do not be shy. I shall be right here if you mess up and have us plummeting into a hill."
I tensed up immediately, my hands reaching out and holding the levers rigidly in place. Why did he trust something so important to a complete stranger!?
…
…Almost like how Notch entrusted his mission to a complete stranger.
"It feels good, huh?" Lenzington misinterpreted my tense stance and contemplative look. "I know how exciting piloting an airship can be, but you need to remember that there is a responsibility to it. You need to treat it like a woman."
"…Excuse me?"
"At some times, you need a firm hand and at others you need a delicate touch." He caressed the levers lovingly, making me uncomfortable. "You have to respect her."
"R-right?"
"Give yourself to her, and she will give herself to you. A mutual trust." He rubbed his face on the controls. "Let her whisper her sensual secrets to you, like clouds of sibilant mist."
"…"
"You got to embrace the airship!" He encircled his arms around the thing. "You got to sniff the airship!" He took a deep whiff, snorting wood paneling… and maybe some serious form of hallucinogen.
"You got to lick the airship! You got to date the airship! You got to be the airship!"
"…Is this the same speech you gave the other two when they flew this?"
"Yes. What is your point?"
"Nothing." There was no way I was going to lick the thing. "It's this pressure plate to turn left, correct?"
"Hm." He nodded, and I slowly pressed down the plate, circling above a tall hill before straightening it out. "Good. The airship has judged you to be an exceptional gentleman."
"That's… uh…" I trailed off, unsure of how to answer.
My only impression of Lenzington was that he loved redstone—whether that love was at an unhealthy level was anyone's guess—and that he was an exceptional archer. But without his arrows, he was useless in a fight.
Me? I didn't know a thing about redstone or archery, so there was nothing I could think to talk about. I was a pacifist cursed with an overpowered artifact that could indiscriminately kill… and a pair of snazzy boots.
We were nothing alike.
"Awkward attempts to bond aside," Lenzington bent low into a perfect, ninety degree bow, "thank you."
The gesture surprised me. "…Am I doing that good a job piloting…?"
"No. Your piloting skills are subpar at best. What I mean is," he said quickly, catching my irritation, "is that with the Angel at our heels, I never got the chance to properly thank you. Had it not been for you and Soul, I fear Floyd and I would have died at the hands of the Paragons."
"It was nothing." I said automatically. It was a habit of mine. Being polite just seemed to work more than being pigheaded about every little save.
"Saving our lives was not nothing, I assure you." Lenzington went on, smiling reassuringly. "Cobbert might not show it now, but I am certain he is just as grateful for your interference in Carys' plans. That man cares more for us than he does himself. Just be patient." He nodded. "With Carys a distant threat, he is sure to warm up to you."
If only you knew…
"You really think he'll want to keep me around?" I asked, slowly stepping on the plates to ease the ship forward. "Even if I helped, I'm still a stranger. One who doesn't have anything in common with anyone. An outsider. A misfit."
"The Beginners are an amalgamation of misfits." Lenzington spoke humorously. "Floyd is a Hacker who wants to do good, Soul is a thick-skinned brute with a softer center, I am a nerd trying to be something greater, Jade is an overpowered veteran searching for friends, and Cobbert is the glue that holds us all together." He smiled fondly. "This guild has a way of making those with nowhere left to go feel welcome. So what if none of us have anything in common. It is the differences that make us better."
His words were hitting all the right marks—fitting for an archer—and yet he didn't understand the one inescapable truth: I was too different from them. I had a mission. I had to collect the artifacts and protect Minecraftia. What did he have to do compared to that? What did any of them have to do that was even a fraction as important?
A billion lives were on my shoulders. Kingdoms, civilizations, Crafters. All would be wiped clean if the Endward Cult prevailed. I just knew it. The Beginners had been busy securing an airship all this time. If Cobb was as powerful as the rumors suggested, why didn't he go for the cult itself? What was the Endward Cult to a Hacker-Slayer? And why was the leader of the Paragons hunting them down when she should have been dealing blows against the real threat?
Sure, in a perfect world I would have wanted nothing more than to forget my responsibilities and go off on fun adventures with people who actually cared. But then, who would save the world, ensuring that thousands of others could do the same in my stead?
I had a path to follow. And it wasn't the same as the Beginners.
"Sorry, but I need to go…" I hastily excused myself, letting Lenzington take over the ship. I was halfway to the door, however, when his words stirred something inside me. I stopped, fidgeted in place, and then turned on my heel. Striding over, I grabbed Lenzington's hand and slapped all but one of my arrows into his awaiting palm. His eyes widened at the projectiles that would replenish his empty stock. Now he could fight again.
"I have an Infinity enchantment." I explained. "Don't waste them."
"Hm." He nodded. "Again, you have my thanks."
"It was nothing…" The same polite reply. No attachments felt. I left the bridge shortly after.
Down the corridor, I saw the ladder that would lead to the loading bay. At the same time, I saw a door open beyond it, loud voices incoming. I quickly dove for the ladder and slipped down, hearing the footsteps pass over me. Just missed them.
But I wouldn't miss them. I'd do my thing and they'd do theirs. The only difference being that my thing was more important.
I skipped the bottom rungs of the ladder in my haste before hurrying over to the loading bay doors. I wrenched one open…
And my face was instantly peppered with rain.
I sputtered, backing off and wiping my face before checking again. Where had this torrential downpour come from? It was sunny and clear from the bridge window a minute ago! There was thunder and lightning too, flashes and resounding booms every so often. The speaking tube crackled to life, Lenzington notifying all passengers about the current forecast. As if the wind and thunder shaking the Asmodeus wasn't indication enough.
I only paused for a second, mulling it over, before digging the Bottes Zephyr from my backpack and strapping them on. A little rain and thunder never hurt anyone. Just so long as I wasn't struck by lightning, I could backflip down with the boots and take shelter in one of the many hills. Nobody would find me, and I'd be gone before the Beginners even—
"Noman." My head jerked up, spotting the one person I didn't want catching me mid-escape. "What are… you…?" He trailed off, his eyes looking to the open doors and then to my wide-eyed, guilty expression. Then those green eyes narrowed accusingly. "I see."
"Cobb, it's not—"
"Thanks for saving my friends." He cut me off, his face and tone expressing nothing but disdain. "I was rude to you and neglected to show suitable gratitude for all you did." The tone was flat and empty. "So thanks, Noman. Thanks for helping. And thanks for leaving without saying anything."
"I thought this was what you wanted." I stalled. "Me out of the way. I was a threat to your friends, right? You told me to get lost!"
"Only because you made me out to be the Billionth and seemed ready to leave without a second glance. And look at that, I was right!" I shook my head with a bitter smile. "How stupid I was to actually worry about thanking you. You must have planned to leave the second Carys was out of the picture—"
"Well you seem to be fine now." I shot back. "It's all fun and games in an airship for you, right?"
"Shut up! It's nowhere near the same. I have Carys after me, the cult after me, the Hackers after me—"
"Two of those things are your mistakes!" I stood up straighter, the Bottes Zephyr secured. "You made your enemies. Not me. So why should I stay and clean up your mess?"
"You'd think the hero of Minecraftia would be a little more understanding." He mocked. "Or is all that shit made-up?"
"Language!"
"What exactly is your mission? Besides being a walking, talking swear-jar?"
I didn't rise to the bait. The artifacts were a secret I'd take to the grave. There were enough people searching for the artifacts. I didn't want another Ciro.
"Are you going to say something?"
I kept silent.
Finally, Cobb closed his eyes. "Fine. You do you, Noman. It's clear you don't care about anything but your mission."
"And you don't care about anything but your friends." I countered.
A brittle smile made its way onto Cobb's face. "I'm glad we're in agreement. Far be it from me to care if you get struck by lightning, but I owe you for saving my friends in Zeppil. Enough to offer shelter until the storm dies down or until we reach Akasha. Whichever you prefer." He suggested. "Then we can be rid of each other. No more favors owed."
It was a good offer. One that surprised me, given our heated argument. He clearly despised me for trying to duck out, but he cared deeply about his friends. That was the only reason he was making such an offer. I was free to turn him down. Just walk out those doors.
Instead, I kicked off the Bottes Zephyr, stored them deep in my backpack, and accepted his offer. Things were miserable enough without going out into the rain, and I could always restock on supplies in Akasha.
Then, I would be free of them for good.
"I'll stay. And," I added quickly, "I'll keep them safe while I'm here. I promise."
"I wish I could believe that." He sighed mournfully. "No matter what happens, I know both of us will do what we have to."
His parting words confused me, but I didn't stay for him to explain them. Instead, I climbed up the ladder, back to the solitude of my room.
Rain pelted the window, lightning arcing across the sky. It was night, but only the few people with clocks would be able to tell. The dark storm clouds made it difficult to separate night from day.
The coal reserves were holding up, but not for long. Lenzington was frantic charting a course to Akasha. Without Carys following us, it would be a straight shot. But Lenz remained doubtful whether it would be enough. There was a chance we would need to make another pit spot.
"Better be rested for tomorrow." I sighed to myself, getting ready for bed. I kept dim redstone torches on so that Mobs wouldn't spawn and settled into bed with a content hum. However, some small, niggling doubt was jabbing in my mind.
Slowly, I sat up and dug around through my Inventory. The Severe Shield and the Bottes Zephyr. I held the two artifacts in hand just to remind myself of how far I'd gotten.
Then, I took out one of my ender chests and placed it at the foot of my bed. I wouldn't need the Severe Shield for a quick escape, but if worse came to worse, I'd definitely need the Bottes Zephyr. We were miles in the air and Carys might not be far behind.
So I stored the Severe Shield away in the ender chest and kept the Bottes Zephyr tucked away in the deepest part of my backpack.
Only then did I let sleep take me.
I awoke to a particularly loud peal of thunder.
The clock on the wall told me it was dawn, but it was just as dark and stormy as last night. Hoping the storm would pass in half a day was just wishful thinking. At least I was able to get enough sleep. The thunder felt loud enough to wake the dead.
Are we moving closer or further away from the storm? I wondered, checking out the window. Is all of Minecraftia experiencing this weather? Or is it sunnier beyond these hills?
Water dripped down the glass, the raging storm outside almost seeming like another world, detached from the comfort of the Asmodeus. There didn't seem to be a problem if lightning struck. It just bounced off or around the ship.
I turned to get ready to start the day, but paused when I noticed something.
My bedroom door was open.
Hadn't I shut it last night? It could've… no, I definitely shut it, wanting my privacy. It was common to shut your bedroom door before going to bed.
So who had opened it…?
"No…" I whispered before reaching back and digging into my backpack. Slowly at first, I picked up pace when my fingers failed to find the feel of soft leather. "No, no, no." I fell to my knees, looking more desperately, twisting my body to the point of discomfort just to peer inside. But to no avail.
The Bottes Zephyr was gone.
"That son of a—"
I caught myself before I could swear, gritting my teeth and hurling myself at the opened door, knowing exactly who opened it. I stormed down the corridor, my expression furious. His words from last night echoed through my mind.
'No matter what happens, I know both of us will do what we have to.'
I was foolish not to take those words more seriously. I slammed Cobb's door open, expecting the fisherman, but finding Jade instead. She looked startled to have me of all people barging in, anger radiating.
"Where's Cobb." I hissed.
"What do you need him for?" She replied.
"I have to talk with him." I said shortly. "Where is he?"
"Anything you feel like saying, you can—Hey!"
I ignored her protests, going straight for the wooden chests, prying apart the contents in search of the Bottes Zephyr. Nothing! I turned to the chest near the pig pen instead. Nothing but carrots!
"It's rude to look through others' things." Jade said, irritation evident. "How about you explain what you're looking for—?"
"Where is Cobb!?" I shouted, whirling on her. She wasn't intimidated though, her cutlass coming up in a flash, the tip tickling my neck.
"Watch it." She warned. "I don't take abuse, verbal or otherwise, lying down. Now calmly tell me what you want."
Easy for her to say. She didn't know what was lost. She'd side with Cobb anyway. The two were sharing a room for Notch's sake. My fingers twitched towards my shield. I'd have to disarm her if things got out of hand.
"I'm sure nobody wants to start a fight. I'd like to remind you that we're all friends here." Cobb entered the room, his hands held up to defuse the situation. I felt rage rear inside me like an angry snake. How could he appear so calm and in the right, knowing full well that he was a thieving rogue. His eyes stared back calmly as he placed himself between Jade and I, lowering the cutlass pressed against my neck.
"Thank you, Jade. I'll take it from here."
Jade narrowed her eyes, never once taking them off me. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay? This one seems incensed."
"I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself. And if not-"
"-I'll be right down the corridor, within earshot."
"You'll know me by my girly scream." He nodded, waiting for the woman to take her leave. She did so slowly, bumping my shoulder as she passed. I waited several moments after the door shut before laying into him.
"The Bottes Zephyr. Where are they?"
"Safe." Was his insufferably short reply.
My anger flared. Aikido may have taught patience and non-violence, but those qualities were finite. Keeping it together until we were alone was all I could afford. I strode forward and gripped Cobb by his tunic.
"Return them. Now."
He raised a brow, unintimidated. "Doesn't feel good, does it?" He cocked his head. "When you cherish something and it's in someone else's hands. They can just take it away from you on a whim."
"I—"
"Now you know what I'm feeling!" Cobb's face suddenly hardened and he slapped my hand away. "Now you know what it feels like when something you care about is in jeopardy!"
I gnashed my teeth. "You had no right to take those."
"Why not? You weren't telling me anything." He shot back. "Keeping all your secrets close to your chest. I couldn't pry your lips open for longer than three seconds. The only way I was getting anything from you was to take a peek at your Inventory myself." He suddenly drew a book from his belt pocket. "Imagine my surprise when I found this. Not only do we share a number, we share the same taste in authors."
Lightning flashed ominously at the reveal and my eyes widened at the title in his hand. It was the Artifact List. I didn't even realize he stole that—my mind was preoccupied with the Bottes Zephyr—but it explained how he knew of the artifacts and what they were worth.
"'Bottes Zephyr,'" Cobb began to read, mispronouncing the first part. "'The wearer will have the following properties: Flight, Escape Artist, Air Resistance…"" He skimmed ahead. "'The boots allow the wearer to summon invisible blocks beneath them… Thus, the wearer can literally walk on air.'" He looked up from the book, fixing me with a smug expression. "It wasn't a fly enchantment at all. Just more Command Block mumbo-jumbo. Lenz didn't say you could use Command Blocks to make gear on par with Hackers."
He leisurely flipped through the pages, drinking in the knowledge of the artifacts. I could see in his eyes that he was hooked upon them. Just like Nana Widow. Just like Ciro.
"Herobrine. What a guy. His writings keep finding ways to save my ass." Cobb chuckled. "First with the Mob books, now this."
"What are you talking about…?"
"This is the answer." He held up the book, pointing to an entry I was all too familiar with. "The Severe Shield. The way to beat Carys is right here, staring me straight in the face. 'The greatest offense and defense of Minecraftia,'" he quoted, speaking with a renewed hope that made me squirm.
"'...Protection Enchantment with enough power to limit standard damage to half a heart per hit… a Thorns Enchantment with enough defensive force to wipe out any attacking Crafter… ten hearts of damage when striking with ANY punch or item… four times standard health...!' This is just what I need to kill Carys!" He was grinning giddily. "It's perfect! I don't even have to hit her! Just slip this on and wait for her to hit me and BOOM! Our problems are solved!"
I snatched the Artifact List from his hand and he let me, having already memorized the parts that mattered. "It's not that simple, Cobb. You couldn't even fathom how dangerous this artifact can be."
"I thought so too, at first." He admitted. "How can something so invincible exist? Thought I was dreaming reading it, but if those floating boots exist, then so does the Severe Shield. That's what Notch has you looking for, isn't it? He has you running all over Minecraftia searching for them. The nine artifacts are your ace in the hole against the cult. Well to hell with the other eight, I only need the one."
My eyes widened in fear. Was he about to…?
"And I'm going to help you find it."
I breathed a small sigh of relief, allowing Cobb to continue on his train of thought. "You had an ender chest, so there's no telling how many other artifacts you have safely stored away, but I know you don't have the chestplate because you're not wearing it right now. Nobody who possesses the ultimate, invincible artifact would stow it away. It wouldn't make sense. It'd be just plain stupid!" I glanced away, huffing silently to myself. "And you would've taken it out fighting the Paragons. No, it's still out there waiting to be found."
"The book said it was last seen in Ringwood. Notch wore it himself." Cobb's mind was already at work, trying to deduce the invincible artifact's location. Unaware that the very item he was searching for was safely stowed away in my ender chest. "I have friends in high places in Ringwood that could help track it down. After Akasha, I can—actually, screw Akasha, we need that chestplate more. I don't want to wait for that other guy to find it first."
"You've made your point, Cobb. You're after the Severe Shield." I suddenly spoke up, stepping forward. "Look for it all you want. But first, return the Bottes Zephyr."
Cobb raised an eyebrow. "Return? It wasn't yours in the first place. Herobrine made it for Dinnerbone—"
"I earned it." I hissed. I fought tooth and nail in the Labyrinth to claim it and there was nothing in Minecraftia that was going to keep me from it. "So hand it over."
"Oh, absolutely." Cobb nodded, though I didn't like that smirk. "But not for nothing. I want a trade. The Severe Shield for the Bottes Zephyr."
"What!?" I exclaimed angrily. "I need the Severe Shield… when I find it… to fight the cult! And since when is an invincible chestplate a fair trade for flight?"
"You're not the one being hunted down, remember? The cult's after my face and your number. So, as the Billionth my Citizenship Information claims me to be," he spoke pompously, "I require the Severe Shield to save Minecraftia… from the evil Angel of Death."
"The Angel of Death is against the cult. You know that." I threw up my arms in frustration. "You're just going to do them a favor killing her."
"Well maybe if Carys spent her resources on the enemy instead of a worldwide fishermanhunt, we wouldn't be in this situation at all!"
That was the last straw. Enough was enough.
Thunder boomed as I drew out my shield and bashed Cobb across the face. He fell to the floor and I was atop him in an instant. He didn't even bother to draw his weapon as I pinned him, squashing his face to the floor, as I began to rifle through his backpack for the white-dyed boots.
A minute slowly dragged into two, then three, then five of fruitless searching. I forgot about covering his mouth, but he made no move to shout for Jade. He was just smirking that same annoying smirk. Finally, I turned him over.
"Where is it?"
"Safe." He echoed from earlier, frustrating me more.
"...You put it in an ender chest?" I guessed.
"No, but one of my friends did." He tilted his head. "Any one of them could have it. Which means you have the same chance of finding it as you do losing it should anything happen to them." My eyes widened at the implications. "That's right. It's in your best interests to keep them alive. Because if I lose one of my precious friends, you could lose one of your precious artifacts, never to reclaim it again. I wonder if you can stop the cult with only eight."
"You… you…" I was seething mad. Was he really risking the safety of Minecraftia over four people!? "You selfish—"
"Yeah, I'm selfish!" Cobb suddenly spat. "I'm selfish and stupid. But I know what I want! I'm keeping those four alive no matter what under-handed tricks I have to resort to, be it theft, blackmail, or murder! Because Carys isn't going to be pulling her punches neither!" He shoved me off of him, finally taking charge of the conversation.
"So here's the deal. You stay and protect my friends-protecting your artifact in the process-and we search for the Severe Shield together. Then, once I have it and Carys gets killed to confetti, you can have your stupid artifacts back and you can go fulfill your noble, selfless destiny, saving the world-and more importantly my friends-from the dastardly Endward Cult. And if you don't like it, the door's right there."
For a while, with the sounds of thunder filling the silence, we just stared at one another. Glared would be more appropriate. It was as he said. Blackmail. He was holding the Bottes Zephyr hostage, and now I was bound to protect everyone for fear of losing the artifact.
But I would have protected them anyway. I wasn't callous enough to stand by and let people die. Aikido said that every life was precious. Even the life of the man across from me, coercing me into an unfavorable deal.
"You're selfish." I finally said, shaking my head. "All you care about is your friends."
"And all you care about is everything."
"How is that a bad thing?" I snapped.
"You care too much. You're spreading yourself too thin." Cobb advised. "Learn to prioritize. Some people just aren't worth it."
"I'm beginning to think so." I narrowed my eyes at the fisherman, but he didn't even flinch under my gaze. He was committed to this. With an aggravated sigh, I relented. Holding out my hand. "I'll work with you for now."
Like I had any other choice but to agree. But Cobb had another thing coming if he thought he'd ever get his hands on the Severe Shield.
Cobb reached out to grasp my hand, happy to have 'convinced' me. "Then it looks like we're figuratively and literally in the same boat-"
Everything dipped sharply at once.
I clung onto the bed frame as the Asmodeus performed a sudden nosedive. Cobb crashed into the wall of Heads, rolling along them as he tried to right himself. Lightning lit up the windows and the noisy rattle coming from the speaking tube was drowned out by violent thunder. Rain pelted the ship in waves and the wind howled, feeling like it would rip the airship's very sails.
Still, the airship descended at an alarming rate. More noise came from the speaking tube and Cobb was pressing his ear to it to make it out. His eyes suddenly widened and he beckoned me over to the door.
"Bridge! Bridge!" He cried.
I pushed off the bed, banging my shoulder into the doorframe in my haste, but Cobb didn't wait up for me. Whatever was happening must have spooked him because he was running full sprint to the bridge. I did the same, figuring whatever was wrong couldn't be good.
Floyd burst out from his room next, almost crashing into me in the narrow corridor before joining in the mad dash for the bridge. What had Lenzington said over the speaking tube to get everyone so panicked? What was happening?
I didn't have to wait long for the answer. The ship pulled a little bit out of its nosedive, but the real problem was behind us, where a huge mound of dirt and stone was phasing through the corridor after us.
I picked up the pace seeing the pursuing doom, wondering what Lenzington was thinking landing the ship so dangerously. The mound of earthen rock was gaining.
Ahead we saw Jade and Soul, holding the doors to the bridge open for us. Cobb, Floyd, and I were the last ones to get there, and it didn't look like we'd make it before being buried alive.
There was a dark whiff of smoke and an arm reaching around my side. A rush of wind later and the next thing I knew, I was laid out against the floor of the bridge, Cobb pushing up beside me along with the others who had been bowled over by…
Floyd's Hack. He had saved us.
The Hacker was standing next to Lenzington, smoke pouring from his eyes and body as he questioned the pilot feverishly flicking levers and pressing plates.
Finally, the airship ground to a halt, as did the oncoming avalanche of earth. It stopped right at the threshold to the bridge and, glancing out the windows, it was obvious why.
Lenzington had landed us between two hills, positioned in such a way that most of the Asmodeus was clipped through them except for the bridge. It would have been comical if we hadn't almost suffocated in the process.
Lenzington picked himself up from the floor, readjusting his skewed glasses as he looked to us.
"We are completely out of fuel."
We were in the same boat alright. A fast sinking, same boat.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Mending I, Unbreaking I], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Sword, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 47 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 26 Dirt, 11 Torches, 3 Coal, 17 Flint, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 64 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Bucket, 5 String, 21 Emeralds, 11 Snowballs, 2 Gunpowder, 46 Cooked Mutton, 13 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 31]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 30 Iron Ingots, 31 Dirt, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 55 Cooked Mutton, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Emerald, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings, 17 Gunpowder, 8 Ender Pearls, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 32]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 1 Bed, 9 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 28 Redstone, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 21 Cobblestone, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 63 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 58 Cooked Mutton, 16 Sugar Cane, 8 Paper, 5 Ink Sacs, 3 Leather, 5 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 15]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 52 Iron Ingots, 12 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Milk, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 24 Torches, 34 White Wool, 58 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 5 Ender Pearls, 28 Emeralds, 64 Cooked Mutton, 9 Cooked Mutton, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 20]
Inventory (Jade): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV], 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Bed, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 53 Cooked Mutton, 27 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 48 Cobblestone, 24 Obsidian, 2 Buckets, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 23 Emeralds, 2 Ender Chests, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Lazuli Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 31]
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Black Shield {Slight Shield} [Blue Cross], 1 Bow [Infinity], 28 Birch Wood Planks, 35 Iron Ingots, 18 Sticks, 13 Torches, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 48 Cooked Mutton, 1 Ender Chest, 9 Ender Pearls, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 1 Bed, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Zeppil}, 1 Compass, 1 Arrow, 3 Sugar, 14 Bookshelves, 6 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 10 Emerald Blocks, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 2 Bones
[EXP: 20]
AN: Get it!? Because it's a boat! SUBTLE!
So Cobb, finally fed up with Noman not telling him anything, takes matters into his own hands. And now he knows about the artifacts. But putting 2 and 2 together gets him 3.8. He still doesn't know Noman has the Severe Shield.
Not much humor. This chapter was mostly a Noman chapter with the last one being a Cobb Chapter. More importantl is the mechanic of EXP. More EXP levels means more physical strength, but you can also spend EXP levels on enchantments.
Carys is off their trail, but now the Beginners are stuck without fuel. How will they get out of this one?
Find out next time, on My Craft!
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