AN: I'm legitimately angry at myself for these monthly updates. I used to be able to churn out a Chapter a week like Clockwork. Now, real life gets in the way.
Sure, this Chapter is longer, but I'm imagining I'm pissing off what few fans I have.
Anyway, just so you know, My Craft has a Discord Server now. The link is the following: (https /discord gg/Zrw4H59). Just replace the first space with a colon and the second space with a period. If that doesn't work, check the forum for details.
Conflagulations to redsynced for guessing last Chapter's riddle correct. The answer: A candle. Enjoy your Cookie and your acknowledgement.
(::)
Puzzle: I have branches, but no fruit, trunk or leaves. What am I?
Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Minecraft. But I love the new blue fire they're implementing.
Chapter 146
MultiAura
[Noman]
While Jade and Soul went on their errand with Akasha's ACC, Cobb, Lenzington, and I went in search of Arquero and the books he stole.
But, to my annoyance, we had to make yet another detour.
"The Taamba Kaata Inn." Cobb read, or tried to. Akasha really loved its double 'A's. "Looks sort of run-down."
"Does it matter? We will not be staying here too long." Lenzington reasoned. "All we need is a safe place to lay our heads at night. This fits."
"Then let's get checked in already." I rushed past the two Crafters and through the double doors of the Inn. The outside was run-down, but it in no way prepared me for the mess within. The first thing to hit me was the stench, like stale excrement left out in the sun too long. It was foul and it made me recoil and clamp a hand over my mouth and nose. My eyes watered as I fought the urge to vomit my lunch.
The Inn's lobby was small, but there were plenty of problems. For one, there was a hole in the ceiling from which a stream of water flowed down. The proprietor only seemed successful in stemming the flow with a few sandstone slabs. There was half a couch in the corner and gaps in the carpet where the other half had been undoubtedly torn up. Every available window was smashed and the innocent old lady behind the half-smashed counter was busy clearing some graffiti signs near the mounted clock.
Cobb and Lenzington followed me inside and, similarly, gagged at the smell. Doing so alerted the old lady to our presence, and she whipped around with a nervous expression.
"P-Please, leave me alone. There's been enough done this week."
"Uh… We're here for a room." Cobb said, his voice distorted from pinching his nose to mitigate the scent. It was rude to do so with the proprietor watching, but it would have been far ruder to our noses not to.
"Room?" The old woman faltered at the word. "I... ah… is this some sort of prank?" She clutched her hands before her chest, nervous. "Please, I'd like to know right away. Don't string me along. It's too cruel."
"What? No. No, we just want a room. We're new in the Kingdom and we need a place to stay."
"Oh. Oh, you're new." The woman breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders visibly relaxing. "Forgive me, but I've, ah, had some problems with the locals." She looked to the general state of the Inn and wilted. "Listen, you boys seem like nice young men. This Inn isn't exactly the best stay for tourists. I-I could direct you to a better place just down the block, if you'd like."
"Nonsense." I swept her offer aside, both being polite and also not wanting to waste more time finding the right abode. Besides, like Lenzington said, we only needed a place to rest our heads. "We need room and board for six. The other three will arrive later, but we'd like to pay up front for…"
"Two days. Today and tomorrow." Lenzington finished.
"A-Ah, well, if you're sure, I mean…" The woman, Peedit, shuffled on the spot. "Very well. Let's see. The rest of today I can count as half a day, and tomorrow makes it a day and a half. For six people that would be three rooms—if that's alright with you?"
"Three rooms is fine."
"I call bunking with Jade." Cobb called out suddenly.
"Then that would total to about… eighteen emeralds."
"That shouldn't be a problem." I took out what few emeralds I had and Cobb did the same. Not enough. "You wouldn't happen to have an ender chest we can use, do you?"
"Ah, no." She looked dejected. "That was destroyed last month and every time I try to replace it, it's…" She trailed off. "There's a market nearby that should have one. You don't have to pay me up front."
"That's very generous of you, thank you." I bent my back in a polite bow. "We'll get you the money as soon as we can."
"By tonight, in fact." Cobb offered.
"Very good. I suppose I should show you to your rooms now." Peedit gestured to the side and we followed.
"Don't you need to watch the counter?" I asked.
"Ah, I wouldn't worry. Customers have dried up."
"Because of the low population?"
"…Mm." She hummed noncommittally. "So what brings you boys here? We don't get many tourists as of late."
"Just passing through." I evaded, not wanting to let on we were tracking cultists and Herobrine books.
"That's quite the suspicious reply." Peedit warned gravely. "Best be careful. I'm sure you three are nice boys, but the Anti-Cult Committee won't accept that as an excuse. They'll want a concrete reason for your visit. Couple that with your friend's present headwear," she pointed out Cobb's Skeleton mask, "makes you three viable suspects."
"Suspects in what? We just got here today."
"That matters little to the ACC. They don't trust those that stand out." There was a beat of silence. "Nor do they trust those that stay hidden."
"I thought it was cultists they didn't like." Cobb asked. "Don't tell me the ACC are the kind of guys who jump to conclusions at the drop of a hat."
"Ah, I'm afraid it is exactly like that." Peedit said somberly. "Just don't give them any excuse to think you're a danger and they should leave you alone… for the most part. Ah, here we are."
She gestured to three rooms on one side of the hallway and the three of us picked one each. Mine—and probably Lenzington's and Cobb's—was barebones. Two beds, a crafting table, and a single toilet with no curtain or divider. Toilet time was sure to be awkward. How was I expected to share a room like this?
If I was lucky, maybe Floyd would stay out late with his Hacker acquaintances and I'd have the room for myself.
After surveying the room, I rejoined the others in the hallway where Lenzington was talking with Peedit.
"Er, my room has a hole in the floor, and the toilet is just a water source flooding everything."
"Ah, I'm terribly sorry." Peedit bowed lowly. "I forgot, that was the room that was… well, the rooms on the other side should be dry. You can have your pick of one of them."
"Not to sound rude," I began, "but this place is in dire need of repairs."
"I know." The woman sighed. "My husband was always on top of things like upkeep."
"…Was?"
"…He's been gone a long time." She said softly. "Ah, but anyway, Room 4 should be in order."
"Hold on." I spoke up. "The hole in that other room with the leaking toilet. That's the same hole we saw in the lobby. The one that's flooding everything."
"...Yes. I-I'll try to get it fixed by tonight—"
"No need. We can get it done in ten seconds. Right guys?" I asked, receiving nods from Cobb and Lenzington.
"If you got the sandstone to repair it, yeah, we can get it fixed."
"And I noticed your lights are shut off." Lenzington added. "A bit of redstone rewiring could get that fixed in two ticks of a redstone clock."
"…What?"
"He's offering to fix your lights." Cobb explained to the confused Innkeeper.
"Ah, th-that's very kind of you, but you're guests. You shouldn't be exerting yourself—"
"It's no trouble." I waved her off. "Besides, it's the least we can do after you were kind enough to postpone our payment."
"But… there's a good chance all your work will be undone…" She whispered.
"What do you mean?"
"Ah… I mean…" She looked at the state of disrepair of her Inn and gave a resigned sigh. "Please, help."
I smiled. "You got it."
Maybe we were in a hurry to find those books. Maybe we didn't have time to help an old lady.
But if we were going to spend the night there, we needed to clean things up a bit. I'm sure my aikido master, Old Man Bailey, would agree.
[Floyd]
Through the slight eye holes of my Creeper mask, I watched as Crafters five blocks away scurried down side alleys and dove out of the way of our path. It would have been comical if not for the grim truth that if any Crafter idled before our path, they would be slaughtered on the spot.
That was just how little the two Hackers accompanying me valued the lives of the regular people.
"Hey, Floyd. Hungry?" Winslow asked with a grin, his sclerae turning black as he reached out. His dark smoke seemed to gather and form a dark hand that plucked an apple from a nearby abandoned food cart before presenting it before me.
I frowned at him, though it was dulled by my Creeper mask. "You going to pay for that?"
"Why? It was just sitting there." He shrugged before withdrawing the smoky hand and tossing the apple to his real hand, taking a hearty bite.
I couldn't help my curiosity. "What do you call that Hack?"
"GhostHand." He spoke without missing a beat. He reached up and two smoky hands appeared over his head, flexing and rotating in an odd kind of showcase. "It lets me hit entities and interact with the environment through blocks. I've gotten so good at it that I can do it from a distance too. Watch. I'll choke the life out of that Crafter cowering in the street." At his direction, the pair of ghost hands shot down the street, poised to strangle a quivering Crafter too scared to run.
"Stop it!" I smacked him hard in the shoulder and the ghost hands vanished halfway to their target. The quivering Crafter finally regained his senses and tripped over himself getting off the street.
"What's your problem? You know that worm or something?" Winslow looked disapproving, the smoke swirling around him dying out and his eyes returning to normal.
"No, I don't! But that doesn't give you the right to end his life!" I snapped.
"You speak as if their lives matter." Sandra piped up. "There are millions of bugs out there. Do you expect to spare all of them in your path? Will you wear a broom on your head and bend your spine, sweeping every single piece of trash to the side so as not to step on it? Doing so wastes time and effort that could be better spent honing your natural talents."
I felt like tearing my hair out trying to reason with those two. Sandra and Winslow were so steeped in that Hacker supremacy mindset that all of Akasha may as well have been a Kingdom of Zombies before them. Even Thed had been a little more reasonable after the whole beating up everyone thing. Then again, I had never seen Thed in the heart of a moderately populated Kingdom.
"Let's just forget about bothering Crafters, okay?"
"They're the bothers. It's because of them that you're wearing that mask, right?" Winslow pointed out.
"Yes. Whip it off, brother." Sandra encouraged. "You have nothing to fear, we'll back you up. Show your lessers their betters."
I sighed heavily. "You said you can help me control my Hacker powers. Can we focus on that, please?"
"Very well. But we'll need a suitable location." Dark smoke erupted from Sandra's eyes before curling in on itself and swirling, strengthening her eyesight. She looked around idly. "Hmm, that basement is a touch too small. No, not there either. Secret library, big, but far. Aha! There's a spot." She pointed through a massive sandstone building while her Hacker smoke returned to her body. Winslow and I followed her as she circumvented the building and slipped inside a side door.
We found ourselves in some kind of gym. Crafters were working out by performing standard exercises like jumping jacks, squats, toe-touches, pull-ups, sit-ups, and jogging in place. Of course, when two Hackers and a mysterious masked person showed up they went from jogging in place to jogging to the door, fleeing in large numbers. One woman even vaulted out the window before bolting out of sight.
"You sure know how to clear a room." I commented.
"It's a gift." Sandra shrugged smugly. "Anyway, we should be able to train here without interruption. Nice and private."
At least the need for privacy was something we could agree on. The less people that intervened, the less people had to die.
"Before we begin," Sandra cleared her throat, "you must understand that these teachings come from the leader of the Hack Clan himself." There was a certain tinge of reverence in her tone. "He's older than any other Hacker, and it was he who first learned the secrets to harnessing the blessing of the lined eyes. By passing on his teachings, we ensure that future generations of hackers can learn and live to their fullest potential. And, while we'd prefer to teach you in the company of our brothers and sisters, we will compromise for the sake of your growth and safety."
"I… thank you." I said, a little unsure.
It was tough having a conversation with these guys because they weren't terrible, just incredibly misguided. They could make concessions… but only with their own kind. Crafters were left on the backburner.
"Now, since we're alone," Winslow gestured to his face when he looked at me. "Lose the mask, brother."
"…Right." It was just the three of us. Three Hackers. I slowly took off the Creeper mask, revealing my eyes to the nearly empty gym. I could almost feel a tingling sensation from the dark lines drawn over them, as if they were excited to learn from two master Hackers.
"Excellent. Now, we can begin." Sandra smiled. "First lesson." She pointed a finger at me. "You are amazing."
My eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Huh?"
"You," she repeated, taking an imposing step towards me, "are superior."
"Oh, this again." I realized, rolling my eyes. More of their Hacker supremacy.
"You are better than the Crafters." Sandra urged. "You're in a different world than them. You were spawned lucky. You were chosen."
"Yeah, great. Can we move on to the actual lessons?"
"These are the lessons." Winslow growled from the side. "Repeat it. You're better than them."
I sighed. If it would move things along, fine. "I'm better than them." I droned.
Sandra narrowed her eyes, knowing my heart wasn't in it. She shared a glance with Winslow before turning back to me.
"Never forget, Floyd. You're a God."
"Yeah, definitely a God." I droned. "Thanks for the pep talk."
Sandra just shook her head. "Moving on…"
"From your limited experiences with Hacks, you must think them unpredictable and mysterious. But Hacks are so much more. They are a tool which can be harnessed by us alone." Finally, she was starting to get my attention. "However, getting a handle on them is not easy. They are more unruly than a wild horse, they must be tempered like iron ore, and they are more volatile than a Charged Creeper."
Unruly and volatile. That was one way to put it. How many times had the power acted up? Too many to count.
"So how do I control it?" I asked.
"Through the three facets of Hacks: Willpower, Muscle, and Emotion." Sandra outlined.
"…Huh?" Floyd canted his head. "How does that work? Willpower and Muscle I get, but Emotion? What do emotions have to do with Hacker powers?"
"A lot. Now pipe down and listen." Winslow ordered, taking charge of the lesson. "Hacks are commanded through Willpower, strengthened like a Muscle, and evolved through our thoughts and Emotions. It's a pyramid—Willpower, Muscle, and Emotion—that forms the basis of a Hacker's power."
"Allow us to walk you through the stages." Sandra interjected. She took a deep breath and focused intently. Dark smoke began to pool from her eyes before coalescing around her lithe body. "The first Hack—or prime Hack—is always unlocked via a desperate desire. A command for new power. Back at the Obelisk, newly spawned Hackers are taught this in mock dangerous situations, completely safe. However, before the Hack Clan's existence, Hackers had to unlock the power on their own when in great peril, as I'm sure you had to."
I found myself nodding along, remembering when my Speed finally unlocked while fighting Teal_Larkspur in that graveyard. I had been desperate then too. Desperate to save Cara and Soul.
"However, willing the power to come to your aid is merely the first step. Imagine, if you will, a tiny sapling. The sapling represents your latent Hacker talent. With enough time and bone meal, the sapling will grow. So too do Hacker powers. The thick, sturdy trunk represents your own Willpower and the power you can draw through it. By commanding your Hack to the fore, you've already mastered the first stage, Floyd. You can call your Hack whenever you wish."
"So what comes next?" I asked, invested.
"Well, after the initial awakening, a Hacker can choose two branching paths. As a matter of fact, you can think of these paths as the branches of that same tree. If you want to gather more sunlight and water to grow and cast a larger shadow, you must sprout more branches."
"Like how?"
"Temper or Evolve." Winslow chipped in, his Hacker smoke swirling around him and his GhostHand ability forming a solid fist of vapor before him. "Temper means training your Hack. All Hacks are part of your body, like a muscle. And Muscles can be trained. Practice your Hack every day, push past your limits, and never give up. When my GhostHand first manifested, I could only make it move around me in a one meter radius. After training it though, not only has my radius increased, but I can control two hands at once AND I can attack through walls."
"Huh. When my Hack first activated, I could only use it for thirty seconds before going limp." I admitted. "Now, I can manage thirty-five seconds. But I've had my Hack for months! Why's it taking so long to improve?"
"Back at the Obelisk, Hackers are encouraged to practice their abilities at every opportunity. They are safe with friends and family who care for them." Sandra shot me a look. "I imagine your fear of being persecuted by the lesser Crafters is what's preventing you from doing the same." I averted my eyes, unwilling to admit she was right. "Surround yourself with weak Crafters and this is the result."
"They're not weak." I argued.
"I could choke them to death in a minute." Winslow scoffed before recoiling at my glare.
"Don't talk like that, Winslow. You may not like how I react."
"Tch… Whatever." He scowled, glaring to the side.
"You can't deny that you've trained less as a result of your environment." Sandra interjected, trying to steer the topic back to my powers. "If you keep rejecting who you are, your powers will reject you. You must remind yourself that you are powerful. You are superior. You are—"
"What about the other branch? Evolving, you said."
Sandra sighed. "Evolving deals with Emotion. When a Hacker feels particularly strong about something, the Hack responds appropriately, granting the Hacker a new power and elevating them to the next level."
"Next level?"
"A Hackers' level determines the number of Hacks at their disposal. Our leader is among the highest—a Level 10. Part of it is age, but another part is how hard he works, Tempering his abilities and driving himself forward. Since you're manifesting a second Hack now, we can consider you a Level 2. By the way, I'm a Level 4 and Winslow is a Level 3."
"Is level indicative of power?" I asked, curious.
"Eh, it depends on whether the Hacks are tooled for combat or not. For example, my Hacks are better at scouting, so they'd be a poor match against someone like Winslow who can fly and use GhostHands. But this is just hypothetical." She waved aside. "Hackers spar, but we never fight one another seriously. It's forbidden."
"Our leader, on the other hand," Winslow noted, looking tense. "His ten Hacks cover a wide range. In his case, level is very much indicative of power."
"But back to the lesson." Sandra interjected. "A Hacker can either strengthen an old Hack or unlock a new one, though the latter can only be performed when achieving an elevated emotional state."
"So, what, if I get really mad I can shoot spikes out of my body?"
"Er… there's more to it than that." Sandra sweat-dropped. "If your 'servant's' theory is—"
"Cobb's my friend, not my servant." I scowled.
"If whatever he is," Winslow threw his hands up, "knows what the hell he's talking about, then your latest Hack is tied to your feelings of anger at the arrogant scum weasel, Herobrine."
True to form, as soon as Winslow mentioned that name, my eyes radiated a pulse of smoke. I covered my cheeks in alarm, but the feeling soon faded.
"Does it have to be anger to manifest as power?"
"No, it can be joy, sadness, feelings of responsibility, feelings of pain, pleasure, etc." Sandra tapped her eyes. "For me, I had a clear image of what I wanted from my powers. I wanted a Hack that would prevent anyone from hiding or escaping from me. Hence, why I can see through objects, find Invisible people, and see long distances."
"And I wanted to extend my range to fight people at a distance. That's how I got GhostHands." Winslow waved his hands lazily.
"What's Speed usually associated with?"
"Could be anything." Sandra shrugged. "Maybe you had a desire to be faster than anyone else. Maybe you were sick of always being too little too late."
That last one sounded about right, especially after losing Silent and nearly losing Soul. And, when saving Princess Alaqua, hadn't my power pushed past its own limits?
"Your Speed isn't the main concern, though. The concern is your MultiAura."
"My what?"
"It's the Hack you manifested. MultiAura." Winslow explained. "We've got one or two people back home who've got it, so we're pretty sure when we say you got it too."
"However, we're not quite sure of the exact feeling tied to the power. Only that it involves anger or frustration." Sandra suddenly clapped her hands, as if thinking up a marvelous idea. "Since we're ill-equipped to be teaching you about it, why not visit the Obelisk where we can introduce you to some MultiAura masters. I'm sure given a few weeks of tutelage under their wings, you can get a good grasp on your latest—"
"Nice try, but no."
"Well, it was worth a shot." Sandra huffed. "Fine. But we really are going to be fumbling in the dark on this. It's too different from our own Hacks."
"For now, just get mad." Winslow instructed. "We need to get a read on what specific level of anger you need to reach to trigger your MultiAura. What specific thing about Herobrine makes you the maddest?"
"Ho-hold on." I struggled to keep the smoke bubbling to the surface. Sure, they were jerks who didn't think twice about killing Crafters, but these guys were trying to help me. I didn't want to unleash some dark power on them. "Maybe you two should find some cover—"
"Your concern is unnecessary, brother. We're far from thin-skinned Crafters. First lesson, Floyd. We're invincible." Winslow smirked, both he and Sandra activating their Hacks and letting the smoke cover them. They didn't look scared in the least to be facing a prospective onslaught of deadly projectiles.
"…If you say so." I shrugged. They must have had something up their sleeves. They weren't idiots. "Here goes."
I thought back about the story Jade told us about Herobrine. About how he summoned the monster that destroyed his own Kingdom. He created cursed items to tantalize the Hackers into doing his dirty work and making the world over fear them.
At once, I could feel my body getting coated in that familiar dark smoke. It pulsed in time with my breathing, flickering like a dark flame.
"Good, good." Sandra encouraged. "Keep it up. Focus on those feelings of anger."
How many lives were torn apart because of him? Why did he lash out at Minecraftia? He was one of this world's founders—the people were his responsibility—yet he threw it all away!
The smoke surrounding my body took on a new texture. It didn't feel like it usually did, anymore. Instead it felt sharper. Like every one of my hairs was standing on end, while simultaneously prickling at my skin. The change robbed me of my breath and made beads of sweat start to collect on my face.
"Don't stop. You're doing it! Hold on to those feelings!" Winslow cheered. "Think about Herobrine. Think about all he's done to us! How he made us his errand boys!"
What…? I faltered in my thoughts.
No! No, that wasn't all he did—why is that the only thing they're focused on? Shouldn't they care more about how he made them outcasts? How his actions revealed them and made them feared? They're getting the details all wrong!
As suddenly as it came, the smoke extinguished itself from my body. The prickling at my skin receded, leaving my body feeling exhausted and my chin dripping sweat upon my diamond chestplate.
The power was gone.
A second later, I fell to my knees, gasping harshly.
"Dang. Almost had it." Sandra snapped her fingers. "What happened, Floyd? Did the anger get away from you?"
"No…" I lied, not wanting to admit the truth. These guys couldn't care less about what Herobrine did to everyone else. They didn't know everyone else, but they did know Hackers. Hackers were their whole world and there was no room for the rest. "I don't think it's just anger…" I panted, struggling to move limbs that felt like lead.
"Well, it would have been too good to be true if you got it on the first attempt." Sandra speculated. "Rest up and we'll try again in a little bit."
I struggled to lift my hand so I could flash them a thumbs up, but I couldn't even manage that. I gave up half way with a huff.
"Will do."
[Noman]
"It sure feels nice to have our pockets loaded with emeralds again."
"Could you say that a little louder? I don't think the muggers heard you."
"O-Oh, yeah. Sorry about that." I glanced around, cupping the emeralds around my belt, expecting fifty muggers to pop out and strike. It would be just our luck to get robbed, though with an ender chest at the market, we had more emeralds readily available.
"Cobbert, what did you buy back there anyway?" Lenzington asked, to which the fisherman looked down fondly.
"Ender Chests. For Jade." Cobb said. "She always goes through them so quickly; I figured I'd get her some. Plus, I'm sure that Innkeeper will appreciate one. Her old one got destroyed, right?"
"That's very thoughtful of you, but is that wise?" I asked. "Considering they're an emerald block per piece, you dropped ninety emeralds at the market."
"And we do not have your Silk Touch Shovel to farm Grass Blocks anymore." Lenzington added.
"Don't worry about it. The funds are from my share anyway. Besides, I wanted to get something nice for Jade as thanks for the parkour training."
"I thought the two of you sucking face was gratitude enough."
"THANK YOU, LENZ!"
"You are welcome, Cobbert."
I shook my head, laughing. "Anyway, Lenzington, can you explain where we're going. You said you might have a lead on Arquero's whereabouts…?"
"Ah, right, right." Lenzington adjusted his tinted glasses. "It is quite simple really. I have used my exceptional deduction skills to ascertain the Book Burglar's next most likely target."
"I see. Care to explain to us stupid people?" Cobb asked.
"Let me answer your question with another question: Where do Bank Robbers go to steal money?"
"A bank, obviously. It's right there in the name."
"And where do Cat Burglars go to steal cats?"
"Ahm… I don't think that's quite what that means—"
"And where would one go to steal an airship?"
"Carys_Angel!" Cobb blurted out.
"…I was looking for Zeppil, but I suppose that is equally apropos."
"Don't use made-up words on me. Just get to the point."
"But apropos is a real word. It means 'appropriate'." Lenzington pointed out.
"Really?" Cobb tilted his head. "First I've heard of it. It doesn't sound like a real word."
"The point is," Lenzington pushed on, "the most likely place a Book Burglar like Arquero would go, would be a place with a lot of books to steal."
"A library." I filled in.
"Precisely." Lenzington snapped his fingers. "And it just so happens that Akasha is home to the largest library in all of Minecraftia. The crowning jewel of libraries: The Akashic Records."
"…The what?"
"Come on! The Akashic Records! A-ka-shic Records." Lenzington clapped his hands to enunciate each syllable. "I have spoken of them before. Do you not remember?"
"Oh, sure, sure, the Akashic Records. I remember." Cobb nodded along until Lenzington looked the other way, to which he then shot me a look and shook his head 'no'.
"Can you explain again for my benefit?" I asked, knowing it would fill Cobb in too.
"Gladly, Nowhere. The Akashic Records are Akasha's most noteworthy attraction. Tens of thousands of books are kept there concerning a spectrum of topics from Philosophy and Farming to Combat and History, and they are all overseen by the Records' Head Librarian and Minecraftia's most celebrated historian, Alexicon."
"Hey, I know that name!" Cobb suddenly exclaimed. "She's the author that wrote that book about Miner's Warren. Man, that feels like a lifetime ago."
"Alexicon's written about more than just an abandoned settlement." Lenzington explained. "She takes it upon herself to write about all of Minecraftia's locations and landmarks. Blitz Peak, Cadboro Bridge, the Crystal Catacombs, the Gift Tree, Lunar Castle, the Moral Islands, Mt. Mur, the Redbone Desert, and others. There is not a book in existence that cannot be found at the Akashic Records. Arquero would be a fool not to rob it."
As Lenzington continued explaining the impressive library, my mind—and Cobb's if the look he sent my way was any indication—was elsewhere the moment the redstone engineer mentioned books. Not just because of our stolen Herobrine books.
It just so happened that Akasha's artifact, the Vivlio Zythopoiias, was a book. A book that could imbue the wielder and wielder's enemies with any available potion effect. According to the entry, Herobrine had even accounted for future potion effects introduced via Bounty Days, and coded the book accordingly. As Minecraftia evolved, so too would the pages of the book be filled with potion effects, both beneficial and debilitating.
And with the Artifact List now in Arquero's possession, he had everything he needed to search for the book and harness its awesome powers. We couldn't let that artifact fall into his hands. We had to get the list back.
And the other Herobrine books too, I guess.
"So where is this impressive library?" Cobb asked, hands in his pockets and looking particularly brooding.
"Well, therein lies the problem." Lenzington frowned. "It is such a famous landmark. I expected to find some signs by now."
"You mean to tell me we've been walking around aimlessly?"
"N-Not aimlessly, per se," Lenzington stuttered. "We merely have to ask around a bit. I am sure one of the locals can point us in the right direction."
"Maybe if the streets weren't so abandoned." Cobb noted, glancing around. "Jade said things were empty here, but this is just crazy."
"Maybe the Hackers' presence has something to do with it." I suggested. "Everyone's too scared to leave their homes."
"Not everyone." Lenzington pointed to a lone Crafter that just entered our sight. He hurried forward, calling the Crafter to attention.
"Um… do I know you?" The Crafter asked.
"No, my friends and I are from outside the Kingdom." The spectacled engineer explained. "We were hoping you could provide us with directions."
"Alright, shoot."
"Could you point us to the Akashic Records?"
All of a sudden, the man's complexion paled and he took a step back. "Wh-Why would I know of that place? I'm clean! A-And I'd report anyone affiliated to the ACC immediately!"
"Uh… what—?"
"I'm sorry, b-but I have pressing errands to run. Good day!"
And with that, the panicked Crafter sprinted away, not once looking back.
"I wish I could make people flee in terror like that." Cobb joked, slapping a hand on Lenzington's shoulders. "Nice job, champ."
"But… but… did I say something wrong?" I was just as perplexed as him. The Crafter clammed up at the mere mention of the Akashic Records.
"It's probably a sign that asking about the Akashic Records is a bad idea," Cobb's eyes zeroed in a newly arrived Crafter, "but let's ask again anyway, just for the heck of it!"
The fisherman approached the latest bystander with a devil-may-care bounce to his step.
"Hey, excuse me? Can you help me with some directions? I'm looking for a big library—I think it's called the Akashic Records or something."
I watched carefully as the Crafter this time narrowed his eyes. "Why would you want to know about that place?"
"…To check out books?"
"Hmph. Sounds to me like you're an ACC spy, fishing for intel and suspects to lock up. Especially wearing a mask like that."
"Well, I am a fisherman—"
"Listen buddy," the man jabbed a finger into Cobb's chest, "the Akashic Records are toast and I don't know anything about cultists or the Book Burglar or Alexicon. You'll get nothing out of me, so go find some other chump to harass."
After saying his piece, the man shoved his hands into his pocket and hurriedly walked away, leaving Cobb and the rest of us even more confused.
"Why did he bring up the Book Burglar?" Lenzington asked upon Cobb's return. "You did not even ask about that…"
"I've a better question. Why're the Akashic Records such a touchy subject?"
"And why are the ACC always mentioned…?" I wondered aloud, looking for another person to question. As fate would have it, I found three. They all wore orange-dyed leather, symbolizing their status as ACC members. "Best to go to the source."
I took my turn, ambling over to the trio of ACC members. "Excuse me—?"
Three swords were immediately pointed at me. I raised my hands up, helplessly.
"State your business, tourist." The one at the front growled.
"How… how do you know I'm…?"
"One of the perks of living in an under populated Kingdom." One of the other ones explained. "We get to know everyone. And you three," he gestured to Cobb and Lenzington behind me, "are new faces. New faces make me nervous. And why is that guy wearing a mask?"
Cobb's eyes shifted nervously behind his skull mask. "Uh… Halloween is coming up."
There was a beat of silence.
"Aye, that it is."
The ACC members relaxed their posture and turned their attention back to me, swords still within reach. "So what's your business?"
"Well… my friends and I heard stories about a famous library," I began carefully. "The biggest one in Minecraftia, full of any book you can imagine. Maybe you've heard of it…?"
One of them spat on the ground. "The Akashic Records."
"Why are you so interested in that unholy ground?" Another growled. "There are plenty of libraries in Akasha with reading material purer than anything found in that black collection of cultist slag."
"Black collection? Unholy? Cultist slag!? Comparators, what are you talking about?" Lenzington interjected. "It is managed by a celebrated historian. Alexicon would never—"
"Alexicon would." The leading ACC member emphasized. "You seem to be misinformed, but we'd be happy to clear this up. You want to visit the Akashic Records so badly?" He shot a smug look to his fellow members as if sharing a private joke. "Follow us."
One short walk later to the center of the Kingdom—directly under the rocky, rainbow-shaped outcropping that extended overhead—and we found ourselves looking at a series of sandstone buildings.
"So?" Cobb asked. "Where's the library?"
"You're looking at it. Or what's left of it." One ACC member laughed. "The Akashic Records were burned down and replaced with these buildings years ago."
"WHAT!?" Lenzington flipped out, his eyes bulging from behind his tinted lenses. "Burned!? But… but all that knowledge…! That is so wasteful!"
My thoughts exactly. If the library was as impressive as Lenzington let on, millions… maybe billions of books must have perished, their contents never to see the light of day.
Strangely, however, Cobb didn't seem all that bothered by the news.
"Burning books is the epitome of foolishness!" Lenzington raged, turning on the ACC members. "Books are meant for teaching and learning and entertaining! Stories and instructions, methods and information! Who would be so callous to destroy the hard work of hundreds of authors!?"
"Alexicon did it to herself." The leader of the members dismissed. "She wouldn't play ball."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Look," a member rested one hand on his hip, "following the creation of the Anti-Cult Committee, Councilman McGahn passed a series of legislations to censor the dreaded devil we dare not name. To effectively taboo the name, we had to first eliminate it from every book."
"By burning them!?"
"Originally, we only burned the ones with explicit cultist teachings, or ones written by the devil himself." He explained. "But if a book even mentioned that accursed, Cult-founding bastard, it had to be rewritten with the name stricken. Of course, history books were no exception."
"However, Alexicon did take exception. She refused to burn or edit a single book in her library, claiming it would be an insult to the knowledge left in her trust." The ACC members shook their heads. "Nobody but her could keep a mental record of all those books. It would have been impossible for us to scour each one for mention of his name without her help. So, our hand was forced."
"By burning her library to the ground!?"
"Multiple warnings were issued against her, but she ignored them all and locked herself away." One of them shrugged. "Captain Obsidian himself got involved, seeking to bring the woman in for questioning on account of her sympathies to the devil's work. Then Arquero got involved, the shelves were set ablaze, they escaped with some books, and the rest is history."
"The Book Burglar helped out Alexicon?"
"Aye, the two are in league with each other." The third one spoke. "In the first weeks of the censor legislation, many of the books written by the devil were stolen by him. He was obviously doing so on Alexicon's orders in a misguided attempt to preserve that madman's teachings."
All throughout the conversation, not one of them uttered Herobrine's name. He truly was the devil they dared not name. It made following the conversation tricky, but manageable.
"But if the library is gone, why is Arquero still stealing books?" Cobb asked. "It doesn't seem very apropos."
"Apro—? Is that a word?"
"Course it is. Don't you know?"
Lenzington slowly turned to glare at Cobb before returning his focus to the ACC members.
"Anyway, rumor has it Alexicon had a secret library for her most forbidden knowledge." My ears perked at that, already drawing conclusions to the location of the Vivlio Zythopoiias. "Captain Obsidian thinks it's somewhere within the Kingdom, but I think he's crazy, we've already searched every building top to bottom. It's probably out in the mesa, buried under tons of sand. So long as it isn't polluting our Kingdom, I say to hell with it."
"So that's it?" Cobb asked. "The Akashic Records are no more?"
"No more than emerald armor."
"Well, that's a shame. Guess we'll have to go check out a different library." Cobb clapped his hands, sounding more positive than his words implied. "C'mon guys. We've taken up enough of their time."
The ACC members seemed to have thought the same, for they quickly left to continue their patrol. With no other leads, we reluctantly followed Cobb.
"What in the name of Silicon-Controlled Rectifiers was that all about!?"
"Whoa, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Cobb replied slyly, glancing to me. "Noman, say language like you usually do."
"Actually, Cobb, I agree with Lenzington." I said, no humor in my tone. "You're giving up far too easily."
"What do you want me to say?" Cobb shrugged, getting defensive. "You were right about Arquero being associated with the Akashic Records, Lenz, but the library got burned down a long time ago. We don't have any other leads. Nothing left to do but move on and accept that the books are gone."
"That hardly sounds like the Cobbert that used one of those very books to escape the End Dimension." Lenzington spoke heatedly. The news about the library burning down got him steamed. "You never give up this easily! If it was Floyd or Soul stolen you would—"
"Well it wasn't Floyd or Soul!" He shot back angrily. "It was a couple of books. Ink and paper and leather with a little feather quill attached—actually, wait, I know how to fix this."
He whipped his head around until he found a small bookstore off to the side. It was nowhere near the presumed size of the Akashic Records, but Cobb ran into it regardless. Lenzington and I followed hesitantly, but Cobb was right back out in no time, clutching some bookstuffs in his hands. Feathers, leather, paper, and ink sacs.
"Here. Look." He molded the items together, making three blank books and quills, then he began to write in them as he walked. His quill moved slowly at some parts and scribbled faster in other parts as he mumbled to himself.
"Come on Brain… work your eidetic magic."
After about an hour of scribbling and walking back to the Inn, Cobb turned and presented us with a trio of signed books. "Read 'em and weep!"
We took the proffered books and opened them, gasping at what we saw.
Cobb had somehow replicated, word-for-word, the stolen books. The Artifact List and, glancing over to the ones in Lenzington's hands, the two Mob books. Only now, the author was Cobb instead of Herobrine.
"How…?" I gasped, baffled. "How did you do this?"
"What? You guys don't have an inner voice representative of your internal organs that can retain information with eidetic precision?"
"Um… no."
"Oh… Neither do I…?" Cobb blinked awkwardly from behind his skull mask. "Buuuuut, that's not the point! We got the books back! All the information is there AND they don't have the devil's name on them anymore. They're perfect, now!"
Lenzington shook his head, showing Cobb the back. "You are missing the Jibberish writing at the back."
"Oh, come on. How am I supposed to memorize that?" He groaned. "Noman, back me up here. We've got the books back. Mission accomplished, right?"
Lenzington closed them with a snap before handing them back to Cobb. "I want those books back to decipher the hidden message at the back. There is still knowledge to be gleaned from those books, and I will not rest until I have transcribed them."
"You don't even know if that information is worth anything." He protested. "And why should it be? It was written by him."
"Let me find that out for myself." The engineer shot back.
"Ugh, give me a break. Noman." Cobb turned to me, the skull mask making it seem like death itself was staring me down. "You got the book you wanted, right Noman? Help me convince him and we can call it a day and search for other important items."
I knew what he was referring to, even if Lenzington didn't. The Artifact. The Vivlio Zythopoiias. Finding it was my mission. And even though we had little to go on, if we worked together it could be—
But then, heedless of my wants, I found my head turning to face Lenzington. He seemed so vulnerable in that moment. I knew if I sided with Cobb, he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. It'd be two against one and he had no leads on Arquero.
'Knowledge is knowledge.' The engineer's words drifted back to me. 'A book is hardly going to bite you on the nose for reading it. No matter who Herobrine was or what he did, the book's purpose has always been to impart knowledge.'
Lenzington had been kind enough to hear me out back on the airship. He offered him my doubts about Herobrine and he replied with his feelings towards books and knowledge.
'Anytime someone has to learn something, they have to put their faith in a teacher or an instruction booklet…'
'Perhaps Herobrine was a killer and a liar and all the horrible stories are true, but he also spent his time researching Mobs and publishing his findings in those books. It is knowledge proven to be true, and far be it for me to abhor the words of a veteran. A book is a book. Knowledge is knowledge.'
Cobb had told me to get to know the other Beginners, and I had. Cobb wasn't my only ally anymore.
Allies stood by one another, and it was time to put my faith in Lenzing—no, Lenz.
I closed my book with a snap that had Cobb recoil before I handed it back to him.
"I'm finishing the mission too, Cobb."
"Wh-What are you…? Cobb lifted the mask off his head at great personal risk, but I could clearly see the betrayal and confusion on his face. By contrast, Lenz looked grateful, as if his faith in me had been rewarded. I was a little pleased with myself over that reaction.
"WHY!?" Cobb suddenly screamed, slapping the books he painstakingly made out of our hands. "Why do you care so much about those books when the author was a sham!?"
The skull mask joined the books on the ground, Cobb's emotions on full display.
"YOU!" He pointed at a startled Lenz. "You trusted those books to escape a dimension of stick Mobs! You looked up to that author! You trusted him! He taught you so much—you read them and reread them hundreds of times, marveling at the advice they gave! The books may as well have become a guide or-or a friend! You trusted them so inexcusably that you never would have even considered they were written by the Founder of the Endward Cult, so why!? Why can you forgive him? Why can't you hate the man who had been so clever…?" His voice petered out as he glared at the ground, his eyes tearing up. "…who helped me so much…?"
Lenz looked upon the broken fisherman with grim realization. "This is not about me, is it. It is about you."
Cobb rubbed his eyes furiously. "Those books taught me how to block Creepers… They arrived like a glimmer of hope to help us escape the End… They were always a source of wisdom I felt I could rely upon. What Jade said… It was like finding out a close friend was my greatest enemy. I hated it. God, I feel like such an idiot with how often I flipped those pages…" he laughed bitterly, "I can fucking recite it word for word…"
"Cobbert, just because the man may have been bad does not mean the knowledge is bad." Lenz comforted.
"I know that." He threw off Lenz's hand. "You don't get it. I found out my hero is a villain, and now I'm left to wonder if he found that information on Mobs to help others… or just to keep them alive long enough to sacrifice for the Endward Cult."
I furrowed my brow. The same thought crossed my mind a few times. Herobrine was a mystery, though most of the world seemed to lean towards him being the ultimate source of evil.
"I just… don't know what to believe anymore." Cobb sighed. "Floyd and Soul hate him and so does everyone else in this Kingdom. Being surrounded by such negative feelings is messing me up. And I know if I see those books again it's just gonna drag up these feelings of betrayal. I can't stomach it."
I let out a sigh. "I get how you feel, Cobb. I do." I placed a hand over his shoulder reassuringly. "But the information on those books can be dangerous in the wrong hands." Lenz looked confused as I was speaking about the Artifact List. "We need to get it back. We need to find Arquero and… we need to let Lenz finish translating. There could be something we missed."
"More like something else to bastardize Herobrine." Cobb mumbled. It was a good thing it was so late. Nobody was around to hear him breaking taboo.
"Either way, we need to find them." I repeated.
"Yeah…" Cobb groaned, finally getting his emotions under control. Speaking his mind had really taken a load off his shoulders. "Phew… I… I think I feel a bit better getting that out. Thanks for staying with me for my screaming."
"That's what friends are for." I smiled. Cobb got to his feet and, in a quick action, hugged the two of us before letting go.
"Hagh! Okay!" He burned the copied books with a bucket of lava and picked up his skull mask, settling it back over his head to cover his name. "Back to the search!"
"I thought you said we did not have any leads?" Lenz asked smugly.
"Bah! King_Cobb never gives up when he sets his mind to something!" He waved his finger in the air dramatically. "Besides, something those ACC members said gave me an idea."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." He grimaced. "Though asking for her help is gonna be a bitch…"
[Spring]
My time with the Endward Cult had been an interesting experience so far.
It started out innocently enough. I joined them for protection since my wanton killing sprees within the Kingdoms were garnering the wrong kind of attention. Guards were actively hunting me, and it became harder and harder to obtain that thrilling rush that came with ending a life. I heard from some of my fellow cultists that Lieutenant Teal_Larkspur of the Eastern Division had a similar murder addiction, so it wasn't like I was a psychopath.
Anyway, I didn't think much of joining, or their beliefs in Herobrine's 'Next Life' theory. It seemed like insane ramblings. Even the rumors of what Herobrine was capable of sounded farfetched. But I was allowed to kill and work with proficient killers, so I just went with it.
Then I met Ember_Waves. She's strong, and nice, and, oh, so beautiful.
Then there was 4Blite. He's not nice… and he sure isn't beautiful. I was assigned to his subdivision, helping to fulfill his Head quotas. I would have much rather worked with Ember, but the two of them were in the same Northern Division. Ember was the Executive and 4Blite the Lieutenant. I was just a mere grunt, the lowest on the totem pole.
But, through hard work and lots of Heads, I was able to ascend the ranks and garner the attention of the beautiful Ember_Waves. And I made friends with Parallel_Parker.
But then, due to an annoying handful of Crafters at the Creeper herd attack on Ringwood, Lieutenant 4Blite deemed my and Park's lives forfeit, siccing the Creepers on us in an attempt to slay us. We escaped and reported the bastard to his superior, where Ember proceeded to reprimand him and transfer the two of us to the other subdivision.
That had been a more relaxed environment, free from 4Blite's strict rule. In fact, in the first few days, we killed a band of newbs without losing a single person. It was great.
But then, out of nowhere, our new Lieutenant left! She said something about a super secret mission that only the higher ups knew about. She ordered some of us back to Ringwood, but other than that we were left without a Lieutenant.
But, like a light in the dark, we were reassigned to guard an important weapons outpost in the Birch Forest. But nerts to that! Ember was there!
We were serving in the same outpost as the Northern Executive! My chances of standing out to her and maybe gaining her affections nearly doubled! Plus, the job was easy as pie. Nobody knew about the outpost, and nobody had the balls to attack a place crawling with Endward Cultists and the ginger beauty herself.
So you can imagine my surprise when all the alarms started to sound and the outpost went on high alert. We were under attack.
"Crap, what am I supposed to do?" Sue me, but the emergency drills were weeks ago, and I had been focusing on Ember's bouncy hair at the time.
"Battle stations everyone!" Park called out, suiting up and tossing me a spare sword. The other grunts did the same. With the weapons we were manufacturing so close at hand, it was a simple task to gear up.
Good thing, since arrows started raining down upon us. We were in a large underground chamber—the factory floor—and the snipers had good vantage points from the suspended catwalks above and to the sides. We were sitting ducks, but at least the ones fast enough to equip armor managed to survive. Park and I were among them.
"Return fire!" One cultist commanded, pulling back his bowstring while taking cover behind a table. "For Herobrine! For the glory of the Endward Cult!"
A few cultists echoed his battle cry and withdrew their bows, firing arrows against our attackers. Me? I didn't care about any glory, but my own… and maybe Park's, but I had no intention of dying in an outpost without having another conversation with Ember!
I rolled out of the way of a volley of arrows and brought up my own bow to shoot at the first target I could find. It was tough, though. Our attackers had good cover and vantage. If we wanted to pick them off, we had to get up there.
"Take cover, everyone!" Park commanded, ducking down and building a wall out of cobblestone. Other cultists followed his example and laughed in relief when their makeshift shelters blocked a dozen deadly arrows.
"Dyson, Dwight, Spaatz! Circle round and get a better vantage point!" Came a male shout from above. "We can't let them escape!"
"Backup is on the way!" A feminine voice laughed. "Let's see if we can wrap this up before they get here!"
Backup? Not good.
I tried to catch a glimpse of the ones talking—undoubtedly the leaders—but there were so many projectiles and so many moving bodies up above. I couldn't discern any one of them.
Wait! No, there was one! A guy with dark blue hair. He was just standing there out in the open. The fool!
I took the shot when I had the chance, firing it directly at his chest.
Only… was he on fire? His body was smoking…
As soon as the arrow struck, the man vanished, only a puff of dark smoke showing where he'd been.
"The hell—?"
A hand caught my shoulder from behind, dark smoke wafting past my face as he spoke into my ear.
"Looks like you drew a bad card."
Next second, a back-breaking fist slammed into me and sent me spinning across the factory floor. I crashed into group of cultists, but there was pain from the contact on account of my numbed back. I couldn't feel anything from the waist down and I think he splintered my spine. I heard from the Eastern Division that Teal employed a similar tactic to incapacitate her victims, snapping their necks so they couldn't move a muscle. This guy's punches were on another level, I was sure.
After all, what Crafter had smoke wafting off of them.
"Ha-HACKER!" Someone screamed, which made everyone break out into a panic. Meanwhile, the dark blue-haired man moved through the cultists taking cover, swinging his blade and striking with more of that monstrous Hacker strength. Cultists crumpled before him like paper or outright exploded in a shower of gear.
If cultists didn't move, they'd get slain by that Hacker. If they tried to flee, they'd get riddled with arrows. More attacks were also lowering themselves down, joining in the brawl.
"Spring!" Park shouted, running over to me and holding a Potion of Healing to my lips. "You survived! You survived that Hacker's attack."
"Don't feel too good 'bout it right now." I slurred, dazed. The potion was doing its work, knitting my spine back together. Already, I could feel the pain in my awkwardly twisted leg. I could curl my toes on the other leg just fine.
"It's chaos. The Hacker's presence alone is making everyone lose their heads… no pun intended. We need to get out of here. Find a better place to fight."
"What's a Hacker even doing here? Are all these guys Hackers?"
"If they were, we'd already be dead." Park commented grimly. "Whatever the case, these aren't people we can mess with. We need to escape."
"…On it." I struggled to my feet, fighting through a still sprained leg, and reached back. My bow had fallen out of my hand after getting launched. Just a sword and armor. My eyes focused on the Hacker slashing apart cultists and warping around the battlefield… but only after he'd taken a hit. "That Hacker… he only warps after taking a hit, and it's always to whoever struck him."
"Meaning?"
I pulled Park out of the way of an arrow. "Meaning we can draw him away from here."
"What… did your brain get rattled from that hit!? We can't agro a Hacker! This isn't some meager Mob, this is one of Minecraftia's demon children!"
"If we don't try, everyone in this chamber is gonna die." I groaned. These were Ember's soldiers. She depended on them. Depended on us. "Besides, I'm not about to take a hit sitting down. Now come on! I need your aim."
Cultists started pulling weapons and potions from our cache supplies, flinging them at the few enemies that opted to fight on the ground, but there was little they could do about the snipers above and even less they could do against the truly skilled fighters. One of them, a dark-skinned beauty that rivaled Ember, tore five cultists apart at a time with just her enchanted diamond blade.
"Where's your leader, small fry?" She goaded. "This can't be the best you can do!"
You don't know the half of it, bitch. I thought, pulling an ender pearl from a chest and aiming it above. Park did the same, aiming at a different spot.
We lobbed them and waited, warping to a new position in the blink of an eye. I endured the warping damage and kicked a spawned Endermite off the catwalk I landed on. My sudden warp caught a sniper off guard. He tried to shoot me off, but I rolled under his shot before cutting across his chest and knocking him off. He impacted the factory floor with a satisfying crunch and exploded in a shower of gear.
The other snipers turned their fire onto me, sparing the cultists below and allowing them to finally take a stand against the ground fighters. They drew potions, swords, TNT, flint and steels, anything they could use as a weapon, and they turned it against them. The fight was on for real.
I blocked an arrow with an armored forearm and snarled forward, knocking another sniper off. Across from me, Park shot several snipers with well-aimed arrows, always going for their center of gravity. The better to unbalance them. They flailed their arms trying to keep balance, but a lot of them fell. Some even died on impact.
"Cultist scum!" One sniper named Darkened_Wing met my sword with his own, the two of us struggling to offset the other. "You're all going to die today. You should be happy. You can go to that next life you're always preaching!"
"You first!" I snarled, pulling off the pressure just enough to throw him off balance. Then I spun and kneed him in the gut, sending him falling out of sight. He crashed into several cultists who promptly started attacking him, but that Hacker jumped in to save him at the last second.
"Park!" I shouted, pointing out the Hacker and his dark smoke. "Shoot him! SHOOT HIM!"
I could see Park's grimace, but he drew his bow anyway and fired at the Hacker. He readied his sword at the same time, and when the arrow made contact and the Hacker's strange ability warped him to behind Park, he was ready, sticking his sword under the Hacker's ribs…
Which made the Hacker warp behind him again, albeit confused and hurt. The Hacker, Kalmarin_the_Prophet, still had the sense to knock Park back, his Strength knocking the wind out of the regular Crafter.
As he lay there on that catwalk, gasping for breath like a dying fish, Kalmarin approached with his sword drawn.
I rushed over, knocking two snipers off. Just as the blade was raised, I performed a sliding kick and toppled the Hacker's legs, causing him to warp behind me, though knocked over and on his side. I got up fast and swung for him, only for him to catch my sword with his bare hand.
"Uh-oh."
He wrenched it from my grip and dropped it out of sight. I heard an 'ow' from below that may have been the sword hitting someone's head.
Behind me, Park pushed a new sword into my hands and I grasped it with fumbling fingers. I'll admit it. Staring a Hacker dead in the eyes with smoke coming out of them made me piss myself with fear. I had no chance against him.
But then again, there was that story about the Crafter that crushed a Hacker. The Billionth, a mere ten-digit. And then there was that story about two Hackers biting it in Nitebane. Hell, if those Crafters could do it, so could I.
It was time to stand out.
"Bring it on, smoky."
[Floyd]
"Oh Notch, my lungs are on fire!"
After several failed attempts at trying to draw out my MultiAura, we switched to Tempering—training my existing Speed Hack. I was to run full sprint twenty seconds out in one direction, then sprint twenty seconds back in. Doing so with my powers led me to run outside the Kingdom and into the barren mesa before turning back.
The problem? I only had thirty-five seconds for what should have been a forty second workout.
"Gah!" My Hacker smoke extinguished itself right at the thirty-five second mark for the fifth time while training. I found myself lying on the street with a few shocked Crafters fleeing at the sight of my smoldering body.
Then, after a minute or two of lying on the street, panting for breath with a Creeper mask on my head, Sandra and Winslow flew in.
"Right down there." Sandra pointed, guiding Winslow to me.
With her supreme eyesight Hack, she could spot me from miles away, then Winslow could use his Fly Hack—clearly the most convenient Hack of all time—to reach me. It was a good system, and the guards on the wall and Crafters in the Kingdom were too terrified to do anything to harm me.
I just wish my efforts to Temper my Hack were more fruitful.
"Still nothing." I groaned as Sandra lifted me to lean against a building. It was amazing how their presence repelled all other Crafters. We were all alone on the street.
"Tempering takes time." Winslow advised. "Keep at it if you want results. And never forget, you—"
"Are a God, yeah, yeah." I droned, too tired to hear it. "I guess I just expected a bit of results after all this time. At least another second."
"It's good that you have a habit of keeping time." Sandra complimented. "Having an internal clock for these things makes you know your limits."
"Did your Hacks have limits?"
"Many did, yes." Sandra nodded. "But we surpassed those limits with enough training. Now it hardly ever drains us."
"Lucky."
"Yes, well," Sandra hesitated, looking to me with a frown. "Actually… some people have been known to capitalize on our hacks if the duration wore out early."
"Oh yeah? Like who?"
"Carys_Angel."
My eyes widened at the name so carelessly thrown out. They knew about Carys? How? If they knew who she was, wouldn't they be sending every one of their Clan after her and the Paragons in Nitebane? Cobb and I thought she had kept her involvement a secret and Sandra admitted she couldn't see all the way to Nitebane from here. So… how?
"She attacked Nitebane and killed our brethren, didn't she?" Sandra asked. I was unable to move, my mouth hanging open agape at how she obtained such knowledge.
"Sandra!" Winslow exclaimed. "Where did you hear that!? Why didn't you tell the rest of the Clan if you could see that far!? We could have strung that bitch up weeks ago!"
So Winslow didn't know. And neither did the rest of the Clan. It was just Sandra. But how…?
"Judging by your reaction, I'm guessing you knew too. So Carys really is the one that did in Urson and Ocan." Sandra said, cursing under her breath. "You should have told us, brother. There was no need to be afraid. Instead, I had to hear it from that smug friend of yours, Mr. Mediocre."
My eyes widened in realization.
…Cobb, you just kicked the hornet's nest.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Mob Head {Skeleton}, 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 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 61 Cobblestone, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 4 Gravel, 3 Feathers, 1 Bed, 36 Dirt, 7 Coal, 24 Flint, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 56 Jungle Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 7 Torches, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 String, 60 Emeralds, 1 Ender Pearl, 10 Ender Chests, 4 Snowballs, 9 Gunpowder, 16 Cooked Mutton, 27 Rotten Flesh, 2 Maps {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 33]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Leather Pants [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 3 Iron Ingots, 47 Dirt, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 18 Cooked Mutton, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Emerald, 1 Iron Sword {Weak}, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings, 16 Gunpowder, 4 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {6:00}, 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 Pants [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 5 Redstone Torches, 1 Bed, 9 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 23 Redstone, 17 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 48 Cobblestone, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 32 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 40 Cooked Mutton, 1 Ender Pearl, 64 Emeralds, 16 Sugar Cane, 8 Paper, 5 Ink Sacs, 3 Leather, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}
[EXP: 15]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 52 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Milk, 1 Diamond Helmet [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, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 18 Gravel, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 3 Ender Pearls, 47 Cooked Mutton, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {21 Mool Road}
[EXP: 27]
Inventory (Jade): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV], 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Bed, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 16 String, 23 Cooked Mutton, 14 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 64 Cobblestone, 24 Obsidian, 2 Buckets, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 1 Ender Chest, 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}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}
[EXP: 36]
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Black Shield {Slight Shield} [Blue Cross] {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Bow [Infinity], 28 Birch Wood Planks, 34 Iron Ingots, 18 Sticks, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 13 Cooked Mutton, 6 Ender Pearls, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 1 Bed, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Zeppil}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Compass, 1 Arrow, 3 Sugar, 14 Bookshelves, 6 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 64 Emeralds, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 18 Bones, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 49 Gravel, 9 Flint
[EXP: 25]
AN: This Chapter is brought to you in part by Hacker lore.
When you think about it, Hackers are really hardworking individuals. Not many would think about dowloading or creating files that enhance their gaming experience in a Minecraft Multiplayer Server. Most would just play the game, but they break the rules and play the game.
And because humor has been lacking, here's an Omake.
Omake: Floyd the Hedgehog
"Guys, guys!" Floyd exclaimed, running to our Inn room. It was our first night in Akasha, all of us getting back from our respective objectives. Soul and Jade had just gotten back from their ACC excursion. Floyd was eager to relay the news of his Hacker training. "I've figured out what my new power is. Watch this! Oh, you may want to bring your shield up, Noman. Everyone stand behind him, please."
At his urging, the five Beginners huddled behind Noman's shield while the bluenette stood in the middle of the dingy room.
"Okay! Here we go!" Smoke pooled out of Floyd's eyes and swirled around his body, coating it in the dark vapor. His face screwed up from thoughts of Herobrine and his anger radiated, morphing the smoke into sharp spines all over his body. Then with a final push of exertion, he fired those black quills in all directions, turning the room and Noman's shield into a pincushion.
When it was done, Floyd sagged, breath leaving him in labored gasps, but the smile on his face was unmistakable. "Cool, right? It's called MultiAura."
"That's awesome, Floyd. Good job." Cobb said supportively. "But… uh…" He shared a glance with the rest of the Beginners who looked equally awkward about something. "Aren't you worried Sega's going to sue?"
"…Huh?"
"Well, I mean…" Cobb struggled for the right words. "You got blue hair."
"Yeah…"
"And you can run real fast." Noman added.
"Uh-huh."
"And now you can shoot quills out of you." Jade added.
"So what?"
"So, you're basically Sonic the Hedgehog." Soul put it bluntly.
It felt like Floyd's entire world fell right from under him and he was falling… falling… falling…
…Into being compared to a video game character.
"Wh-Wha… I-I—No, wait! Hang on!" He argued desperately. "I am not Sonic the Hedgehog! My powers are completely different! They rely on dark shadowy powers! What sort of hedgehog is associated with shadows!?"
"Shadow the Hedgehog."
"NO!" Floyd stomped his foot. "That's—alright, wait, I'll prove I'm nothing like Sonic, because I manifested some other Hacker powers too! Yeah, I gained an Invulnerability! Now I can survive a killing hit! But to use it, I need to stockpile a collection of yellow hoops that I find lying around, usually in trails."
"So… you're telling us that you need to collect golden rings to survive death." Cobb outlined before sharing a quick glance with his friends. "That sounds like Sonic to me, dude."
"NO! No, it's different! And-and there's more! I can summon a familiar—a fox with two tails! And he can fly and operate planes, and… and… ah…"
"That sounds an awful lot like Tails, Sonic's best friend."
"No, no, no! I can't be like Sonic! I'm original! There's more! I can power up and turn my hair gold! But only after gathering seven… emeralds… ah…"
Floyd ran through his list of powers again before slumping to his knees, his eyes unfocused and empty. "My God… I am like Sonic…"
At the blue-nette's dejected state, the Beginners all gathered around and hugged him, comforting him in his time of need.
"There, there, Floyd. It's okay." Noman patted his back reassuringly. "As video game characters go, Sonic's pretty good. I mean, he's no Mario, but he's a solid main for Smash."
Floyd sniffled, wiping his nose. "Y-Yeah, I… I guess."
"Atta boy." Soul comforted. "Now I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Wanna head out?"
"Yeah… yeah, I could do with some food."
"Alright, we'll get you some Chili Dogs."
Floyd's eye twitched violently.
"…Did I say that out loud?"
AN: And then Floyd shouted, 'CHAOS CONTROL!' and went on a mad killing spree before starring in his own live action movie. It's looking to do better than the movie Cats, but that's already setting the bar low.
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