My Craft

by OnTheCobb

Devoid of memory or purpose, a new Crafter is pushed forth into the unforgiving land of Minecraftia. Armed with nothing but his wits, he must…well…actually he's pretty witless. Hopefully he won't get killed in the first week. Hopefully.

152. ACC

AN: Another Backstory Chapter? Guess so. Mercifully, it's not as long as that one about Herobrine.

Congratulations to The Amesiac for getting last Chapter's riddle. The answer: Herobrine! Enjoy your Cookie and your acknowledgement.

(::)

No Riddle This Week. Deal With It. There is an Omake though.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add more fruits.

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Chapter 152

ACC

[Cobb]

"So what're you in for?"

The question was innocent enough, and seemed to be the go-to one to ask fellow inmates. Oh, you killed several dozen members of the Fishermen Society? Okay, I'll just go over there. See? Practical.

While I was sure many of the cultists were indeed locked up for murder, some of the other innocents that gravitated towards me could have been there for anything with how the ACC were framing people. We had nothing but time waiting in the Pit and rations wouldn't be thrown down until much later. Moorkh and Kesh had some other cultists go wait on them while their Executive—that's me—devised a plan.

So, sat in a cell in a small semi-circle, I posed the question to my cellmates.

The cultists were first to reply. "Moorkh and I have been here for a long time, Sir Cobb. We were caught and interrogated by Obsidian. Not that we told him anything!" She tacked on hastily. "We kept our secrets secret."

"What Division were you in?"

"Southern." They stated proudly. I hid my disappointment. If they were part of that defunct Division, they'd have no new intelligence to share. "We were liberating Crafters and gathering their Heads in the confusion caused by the Hacker attacks. We thought we'd get away with it before Akasha could marshal the forces to respond." They gnashed their teeth in anger. "Then McGahn organized the Anti-Cult Committee and we were cornered. Obsidian was not kind, Sir Cobb."

"Serves you right."

"What?"

"You served us right. Thank you for your service." I covered up smoothly, causing them to stammer at my praise. "What's the matter? Didn't your superior officer offer up any praise?"

"No… before GardenWalker's demise—Herobrine rest his soul—he didn't offer much in way of adulation. The Lieutenants were no different. But we didn't join for recognition, Sir Cobb." Moorkh assured. "We joined the Endward Cult because we believed in a Next Life better than Minecraftia. To us, it was our solemn duty to send Crafters onward to a better life. The only way forward is Endward, after all."

"…Yeah." I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck.

"But, we also see the merit in allowing these prisoners to reconnect with their loved ones." Kesh added. "We're behind you all the way, Sir Cobb. And, once we're out of here, since you're the Southern Division's new Executive, perhaps you might need a Lieutenant, or—"

"Stop that!" Moorkh slapped her shoulder. "I just got through telling him we prioritize duty over acknowledgement and you immediately follow up with that?"

"I meant it in a totally 'we're professional, please give us the job' way. He needs Lieutenants, right? I'm not as… tough as Lieutenant Salt, but, I mean—"

"Do you know any other Lieutenants or Executives?" I asked before I could stop myself. It made me wince after I thought about it. Why would an Executive ask that of grunts?

"Er… no, Sir Cobb." Kesh answered awkwardly. "We joined early… before many of the Lieutenants in fact. And even if we joined up at around the same time, the Executives were spread out in the four cardinal directions. What they did and who they recruited was their business, as was their identities. But shouldn't you know them? They did pick you, didn't they—?"

"I-I meant know them personally." I covered. "S-Some of them are friendlier than others, so I just wondered if they got along with the dutiful soldiers."

"Oh, that makes sense!" Kesh realized before giggling. "For a second, it sounded like you weren't who you claimed to be."

"Hehe… ueh…"

"To answer you, Sir Cobb, no. We didn't know the Executives or Lieutenants personally. We only interacted with our own Division, and even then the higher-ups kept a frosty distance. We've been in here so long; we don't know the current Executives or Lieutenants. But our isolation hasn't dampened our loyalty to Herobrine or the Cult. No, sir! We're cultists to the core!"

That's what I was afraid of.

So much for pumping them for information. Instead, I turned to the other occupants of the cell. "Bakara? Kapila?"

"Y-Yes!" They stammered, still terrified to be with who they thought was an Executive. Even after I promised to reunite them with their loved ones… alive. Everyone would be alive. I had to stress that several dozen times before they felt comfortable enough to sit with us.

"I was drumming up support for my wife." Bakara went first. "She's a councilwoman in opposition to McGahn and the ACC. That, alone, should tell you how I got landed in here." He sighed. "My wife and I knew this was coming. We discussed this at length. She always assumed she'd be the one targeted and that I should be strong." He chuckled sadly. "Guess McGahn pulled one over on us, huh?"

"And I spoke in opposition to McGahn." Kapila supplied. "Back before the Akashic Records got burned, I read a few books written by… the devil we dare not name." He whispered. "They weren't cultist books! They were about philosophy. The purpose for Crafters being put on this plane. Normal Sense and Next Life included. I… I didn't believe in Next Life," he admitted, earning some growls from the cultists, "b-but I thought the Normal Sense theory had merit. How is it that we have these instinctual feelings and sensations when Minecraftia is all we know? I've always wondered about it."

"So you were also against the library getting burned." I guessed.

"Burning books is just wrong." He said, disgusted. "So yeah. I spoke against McGahn and the ACC. Then Nephrait planted a book at my Inn and painted me like some sort of cultist animal—Er, no offense." He added to me.

"None taken." Not like I was a cultist anyway.

"The people cursed me as I was taken away. But that wasn't the worst part." His head hung sadly. "Worst was watching my wife's tear-stained face as it happened. I haven't seen her in so long…" A single tear slid down his face. "I miss her so much. My sweet Peedit."

"…You'll see her again. Alive." I promised. "So you'd best plan out how you're going to embrace her." I closed my eyes, smiling as I imagined the husband and wife meeting after years of separation. Then, in my mind's eye, I saw myself sweeping Jade in a heartfelt embrace.

It was a good thing, having somebody you cared for.

"What about you guys?" I asked some of the other nameless innocents gathered about. They each had their own story and were happy to share. One was like Kapila, opposing the burning of the library only to be framed by Nephrait. Another had checked out a book of crafting recipes written by Herobrine and that was all the ACC needed to lock him away. But one woman's tale really caught my attention.

"I was a guard, fighting Creepers with other guards. I blocked an explosion and saved a life, and they were all amazed." My eyes widened in nostalgia. "They asked where I learned it and I, like an idiot, told them it was that Mob book Helena had me read back at the Origin."

"The one written by Herobrine." I repeated while nodding. The name had her flinch, but she didn't deny it.

"Yeah, they knew that too. They remembered it, after all. They locked me up here for practicing his knowledge or whatever."

"Hang on…" Kapila murmured. "That book was written by the cult's founder?"

"Oh, yeah!" Kesh snapped her fingers. "I know the book you're talking about! It had a funny title and taught how to fight Zombies and Skeletons and—yeah, that book was great!"

"Helena all but demanded I read it." Bakara added with a reminiscent gleam. "I will say it helped me deal with those troublesome Skeletons."

"I could never forget those tips." Moorkh nodded. "Even then, Herobrine's glorious teachings were helping us."

"Wait, wait, wait…" I said, holding my hands up and looking around at the gathered faces. Cultist and innocent alike. "Are you saying Helena had all of you read that Mob book?"

They glanced at one another in mild surprise before chuckling. "You know… I think she did. Who would have guessed we all had that in common."

"In fact, I bet that book was our first introduction into the world of Minecraftia."

"It certainly gave names to the monsters trying to chew our faces off."

"Oh, Herobrine, don't even get me started!" Kesh threw out a hand. "First time I saw a Spider I screamed my throat raw. I HATE spiders. Still do, but now I know they won't attack during the day."

"Yeah," I chuckled warmly, filing their information away for later, "the first Zombies I fought were a challenge. Now, they're just an everyday Mob for me."

"We've grown a lot since we first spawned." Bakara nodded wisely to which we all agreed.

I turned to the last guy who hadn't said a word.

"What about you, Casimir? How'd you end up in here?"

The aikido student raised an eyebrow before delving into his tale.

"You probably already guessed this, but Akasha is a hot mess of corruption thanks to McGahn and his ACC. The Mess Kingdom, through and through." He spat bitterly. "After the Hackers killed Tanner, McGahn rose to power and used that tall bastard of a Captain and that sneaky minx, Nephrait, to sway public opinion, frame innocent Crafters, and lock away any major threat to his regime. He makes the laws. He makes the rules. It's by his will whether what few people remaining in Akasha stay aboveground or in this dank pit." He gave the cell a look of disgust before adopting a reminiscent gleam in his eyes.

"Back in the day, I was a snot-nosed student of Aikido, learning the cowardly ways of the style under the tutelage of my teacher Master Bailey." He sounded snide on the title of 'master'. "Bailey's skills with a stick were renowned throughout the Kingdom, and McGahn himself asked him to join the ACC to help subjugate cultists. Bailey, despite his many faults, wasn't a naïve twit, and told that power-hungry McGahn in no uncertain terms to go fuck himself."

"He didn't like that one bit."

"Suddenly, we've got the ACC after us and we're forced to flee the mesa and travel as far west as we dared. Years went by. More and more people were getting locked away. My Master could have done something, but he chose not to. 'It's not the way of aikido to start conflict!' he said." He snorted in disdain. "In the end, he was too much of a coward to make a change. But I wasn't."

"So I cut myself loose of the old man and started amassing a force of Griefers to take back the Kingdom from McGahn's clutches. I mean, if it worked for Halstatt—"

"It didn't work for Halstatt." I corrected, maybe a bit too smugly. "The Griefers were repelled by that strapping Billionth fellow."

"Well, I still figured it was worth a shot!" He snapped. "I was hoping if I gathered enough Griefers I could sway a single Hacker, cut some sort of deal, and depose McGahn. Except, the Griefers needed food. They couldn't care for themselves. We had to steal to survive. So, we went from village to village, amassing more men as went, until…"

He glared at me. "Your friend, Nowhere_Man, stopped me before I could take over Bailey's farm. Next thing I know, the old man is offering my army a damn bed and breakfast and they all up and leave me." He crossed his arms angrily. "Without any forces, I had no bargaining chip to gain the Hackers' attention. I couldn't go to them without an army. They'd have killed me!"

"So what did you do?" Kesh asked.

"I…" He shut his eyes, his cheeks flushing. "I don't want to say."

"Oh, come on. You can't leave us hanging." I prodded. "Go on, tell us."

"I said no!"

"Tell us! Tell us!" I chanted before jerking my head to the cultists. "Chant with me, I command it."

"T-Tell us! Tell us!" They chanted in unison, myself joining in.

"Tell us! Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!"

"Alright, alright!" He relented. "I… I thought about assassinating McGahn—"

"How very aikido of you."

"Shut it!" He snapped. "I went looking for TNT to set up in his room and… and it was in the dead of night—really, how anyone could differentiate between buildings without Night Vision is a mystery—and I… I…"

"Oh my God, you robbed the wrong building." Kesh realized before breaking out into a smile.

"It was a New Moon!" He defended hotly. "How was I supposed to know I was breaking into a brothel?"

I burst out laughing. "You broke into a strip club!? AHAHAHA!"

"That's… the funniest thing I've heard." Kapila struggled to contain his laughter. Bakara was beyond caring for tact, already pounding his knee and crying with laughter.

"Shut up! I can body flip all of you!" Casimir tried to silence us with embarrassment etched across his face. "Stop laughing!"

"So… so instead of breaking into a demolition store, you found yourself pressed between t-t-tahahahaha!" Kesh laughed.

"I've heard of bombshell bodies, but…" I trailed off, inspiring louder laughs.

"Enough!" Casimir put his foot down and our laughter slowly died down. Once we were done and our faces hurt from smiling, Casimir continued with his story. "I got caught and they recognized me as Bailey's student. I never sold out the old man—I wasn't a squealer and I owed him that much—and they threw me in here. The rest you can guess."

"You must have been admitted around the same time as Delaney, then." I muttered glancing outside the cell to find the woman in question sitting gloomily on the floor with Sue and Clyde nearby. I had to make it up to her by getting her out. By getting them all out.

Casimir leaned back on the floor, his arms folded behind his head. "We can swap stories all night, but the 'how' we got here boils down to one man and we all know it: Grosvenor_McGahn. He made the ACC what it is today. Nephrait frames people on his orders. It's all because of him." There were nods and murmurs of assent from everyone. "I mean, what sort of bastard thinks ruling with a dictatorial fist is a good idea?"

"Do you truly wish to know?"

Casimir and everyone else looked up to see a man standing at the threshold to our cell. He had grey-blond hair worn in an undercut style. He wore a dark suit and a white undershirt, like Noman, but with an emerald-green tie. He was dressed like a politician.

"Oh, hey, you!" I suddenly greeted with a wave of the hand. "It's good to see you again. Have you lost weight?"

"…You know me?"

"Absolutely not." I conceded. "But I thought I had and I was just blanking, and I didn't want to look like a jerk since you just butted into the conversation." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "See, the intention was to keep things from getting awkward, but now it's just getting more awkward and… yeah…"

I trailed off into silence.

"So who the hell are you?" Casimir asked.

"Mitr." The new arrival introduced. "My name is Mitr. And I couldn't help but notice you talking about Grosvenor_McGahn."

"…Yeah."

"We hate him!" Kesh chirped happily.

"Do you also wish to join our McGahn hate party?" Moorkh offered. "There's an open seat."

"Well, I bet I could tell you some stories, but no," he shook his head, "I'm not here to jump on the McGahn hate-minecart."

"Why not? It's easy and it's something everyone here has in common." I said.

"Well, it's hard for me to dislike my own running mate. Even if he did throw me in here."

"Running mate?" I balked. "You and McGahn?"

"Indeed." He leaned against the wall. "You're looking at former Councilman Mitr, co-creator of the Anti-Cult Committee."

"What!?" I stood up and pointed at the guy. "You helped create the ACC?"

"Yes."

"You worked with McGahn?"

"Yes."

"But he threw you in here?" Casimir interjected.

"Yes."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Ye—weeeeeell…" He wiggled his hand. "I won't pretend I'm okay with it, but I can see why he reached this decision. I understand where he's coming from. I don't like it, but… I get why he did it."

In that moment, I was suddenly jarred by the memories of Herobrine's journals and his descent into the role of Endward Cult Founder. He was a curious mind, constantly seeking answers for why he spawned in Minecraftia, unsatisfied with immortality and striving to build a better world for Crafters. After the Tragedy of Nitebane, he must have been in a bad place. So bad that he used the words of his best friend to convince himself that the people of Minecraftia moved on to a Next Life after he accidentally killed them. It was the only way for him to cope with the loss.

I wasn't okay with it, but I understood where he was coming from… because I had read through it all.

"…Were you with him from the very start?" I found myself asking the mysterious Mitr.

"Yes. The three of us were a trio of councilmen." He faltered slightly. "I mean—well, the third person isn't here to tell you—"

"Let me guess. It was Nephrait? Or Obsidian?"

"Neither, actually." That came as a surprise. "The third member of our band was Councilman Lagaat. He's gone now."

"Did McGahn…?"

"What!? No! No, McGahn would never. The three of us were inseparable."

I gestured to the prison he was currently stationed in, very much separated from said friend lounging it up in Indrad Rock.

He coughed lightly. "Yes, well, it's not as bad as you think. McGahn has the guards bring me better food twice a week. He also keeps offering me my freedom and a place on the ACC in exchange for my silence on the matter of its detestable methods. Haven't caved once."

"So you're a special prisoner." Casimir filled in. "Prisoner with benefits."

"I'm the last shred of conscience McGahn has left." Mitr summed up. "If he abandoned me, he'd be abandoning his soul."

Casimir scoffed. "Pretty sure that airship has sailed. Just look at all the innocents he's locked away. He has no soul."

"He wasn't always like this." Mitr defended. "At one point, he was Akasha's savior."

Again, there was a faint reminder of Herobrine.

"Would you care to tell us about him?" I asked.

"That depends, Executive." He spat. "What do you intend to do with this information?"

I blinked, gesturing to the prison I was trapped in. "Does it look like I can do anything? Even if I had the intel, who am I going to share it with? How will it do me any good?"

Mitr hummed contemplatively. "You raise a good point…"

"Don't look too deeply into it, alright?" I said. "Let's just say I'm learning that there's a story behind every monster. Try and convince me that McGahn isn't a tyrannical jerk-bag."

The imprisoned councilman glanced at the expectant faces of innocent and cultist alike before lowering himself to the floor and sitting cross-legged.

"Very well. I'll share with you the story of McGahn and the ACC."

---

[Year 145: Akasha]

The cruel warriors of smoke and shadow attacked without warning.

They blew through Akasha's defenses and guards like it was child's play, wrecking buildings, murdering Crafters, and demonstrating the full arsenal of the dark powers at their disposal.

There were always hushed rumors about demigods like them. They were beyond Crafters, invincible in body and aura. Nothing could touch them, and while they were amicable and cooperative with their fellow kin, they were downright cruel to anyone that didn't have those dark lines stretched over their eyes.

They were Hackers.

These Hackers were after something. Something they claimed King Tanner had in his possession. They focused their attack on Indrad Rock, at the crown of the Mesa Kingdom. Crafters were dying or fleeing, only to have nowhere to hide in the flat mesa and getting gunned down by flying Hackers. Those that tried to hide were also ousted, the Hackers having vision that could always seek them out. The streets were lines with gear and only half the population was spared as slaves.

In the end, those that were left alive watched as Akasha fell to the Hackers… and King Tanner was dragged from his throne and held by his neck before the entire population. Entity 303 glared at him with impassive eyes gushing smoke.

"Where's the artifact?" The Hacker growled/echoed while he held up the choking King. "We know you have it."

Tanner's eyes narrowed dangerously and his fury became apparent as he shouted past the hand strangling him.

"Herobrine… that bastard… he sent you after me!?" The hand tightened and Tanner was forced to silence, instead making a horrible retching sound.

"Sent me? Sent me? I'm not one to play the parcel." Entity 303 shook Tanner, showing him the destruction wrought by the Hack Clan. "We saw what you could do with that book. Sandra caught sight of you using it. She saw what it can do. When I see Herobrine again, that book will make killing him all the easier. Now what did you do with it?"

Tanner shook his head defiantly and uttered his last words, heard by all of his people.

"Fuck… you…"

Entity 303 dropped Tanner while his smoky aura flared. Countless bolts of smoke fired off, striking the falling King and killing him dead. The Third Crafter's Inventory rained down upon his people, ushering in a new era of fear upon the Mesa Kingdom.

---

[Year 145: Savannah]

Following the attack, the surviving half of Akasha's population enslaved by the Hackers was forced to build a home for them in the southwest savannah neighboring their Kingdom. The project would be constructed from stone bricks and would be tall enough to touch the sky… and wide enough to house thousands of Hackers yet to spawn.

The Hackers would call it the Obelisk, and it would forever stand as a monument to their victory over the common, lesser Crafters.

The enslaved citizens of Akasha worked tirelessly, mining stone and coal from the savannah's underground and processing it into stone bricks to add to the growing construction project. No citizen was spared, regardless of status.

That couldn't have been truer for the trio of councilmen swinging their pickaxes: Lagaat, Mitr, and Grosvenor_McGahn. The three of them sweated like pigs, even when spared the dry climate above in the baking sun. How quickly their lives had changed. One second they were scribbling down paperwork to approve new roads, the next, they were under attack, enslaved, and the whole Kingdom turned upside down.

Tanner's last words lingered on every Akashic citizens' mind. Herobrine had led the Hack Clan to Akasha—not just Akasha if the rumors were to be believed. Half the population was dead and the Mesa Kingdom was in shambles. Its people were now a work crew for the cruel Hackers, building them their own home.

But the trio of councilmen knew not to air their grievances. That was one good thing about working as a politician: You learned to keep your mouth shut. Any backtalk and the Hackers could and would kill them with but a blink. There could be no defiance.

Even then, there were deaths. Hackers found ways to justify their actions, even if it was just them blowing off steam. Anyone could die any day—the odds for and against lightning striking. And there was little anyone could do about it.

"What do you think will happen once we finish this thing?" McGahn asked with a heavy swing of his pick.

"Careful, McGahn." Lagaat hissed. "The Hackers could be listening…"

"Other people have been whispering and the Hackers haven't killed them. That's safe enough for me." He reasoned. "But back to my question—and it is a legitimate question—what happens when the Obelisk is done? The Hackers won't need us anymore, and I'd rather know sooner than later if we'll be living like slaves for the rest of our lives."

"However long that might be." Mitr added darkly.

"Oh, god, oh, god." Lagaat whined. "They can't do that! They can't keep us forever or-or-or kill us after all we've done. That's too cruel, even for them!"

"…If we could offer them something…" McGahn muttered under his breath. Mitr heard him.

"All we have to offer is menial labor. They might be Gods, but they won't do chores. I don't even think half of them know how to farm properly."

"You think they'll even hear out any offer we got?" Lagaat asked, wiping sweat from his forehead. "You'll be lucky just to get close to one without spontaneously combusting! We're just filth to them."

"Then maybe I swing it so they don't have to dirty their hands with us." McGahn thought aloud.

"If you want to swing anything, swing the pick, Grosvenor." Mitr cautioned, the iron tip of his tool digging out chunks of cobblestone. "It won't just be your life you're risking. One wrong word and the Hackers could slaughter us all, just to make a point. Lagaat's right, they won't hear us out. We're just slaves to them."

The former councilman conceded that point with a click of the tongue. He stood there for a while, leaning on his pick while his fellow councilmen dug out more and more rock for the Obelisk. Only then did he really pay attention to the mining tool in his hands. The gears in his head started to turn.

"…Then I'll make them notice me."

He drove his pick into the stone with purpose.

---

The citizens of Akasha worked tirelessly on the Obelisk, building it higher and higher for their cruel hacker taskmasters. There were no lunch breaks and food and water had to be taken covertly. The citizens, however, decided on working in shifts. Mining underground during the day, building aboveground at night. Working like this had them avoid the worst of the dry mesa heat.

However, not everyone was working underground.

A trio of Crafters surrounded a lava source with water sources on four sides. They focused intently, mining up cobblestone at a steady pace without budging.

A Hacker took notice.

"What are you worms doing lollygagging out here!?" A Hacker—Kalmarin_the_Prophet—flared with smoke as he grabbed one of the Crafters by the neck and hoisted him up. Watching Crafters trembled and some Hackers stopped to enjoy the show. "You think our home will just build itself!? Get underground and start mining cobblestone!"

"We are, sir."

McGahn spoke on behalf of his friend being choked. Kalmarin immediately zeroed in on the former councilman.

"Say that again, worm?"

He pointed to the lava and water sources. "It's a cobblestone generator, sir. The water flows into the lava flow and makes cobble. We mine it, then it resets. It's self-sustaining so there's no need to go searching underground for suitable stone."

The watching Hackers shared confused glances, apparently unaware of such a device.

"…You do know about cobblestone generators, right?"

"Of course I do!" Kalmarin bellowed, dropping Mitr and stomping up to McGahn. "I just want to know how you expect to get enough stone from this little thing," he kicked the generator, "to build that giant thing!" He pointed to the half-finished Obelisk.

In answer, McGahn, Lagaat, and Mitr showed off full Inventories of cobblestone. The Hacker and his onlooking brethren balked at the sight.

"We were just about to hand this over to the smelters, sir. Is there anything else you need?"

"…Carry on." Kalmarin grumbled before shoving his hands into his pocket and loping away. The other Hackers went back to harassing the other workers.

One Hacker, however, lingered on the trio and their cobblestone generator.

McGahn pretended not to notice the mysterious Null walking away.

---

The next week, the trio of councilmen were hard at work at the generator. With it, they were amassing more cobblestone than many of the miners underground. They didn't have to move, but they had to bear with the sun beating down on them constantly. Still, McGahn outpaced the other two in tenacity, ferociously mining away cobblestone to fill his Inventory before dumping it for the smelters to begin the process all over again.

And, once again, someone took notice.

Two figures approached the trio. One in white and one in black. Entity 303 and Null. The First and Second in Command of the Hack Clan. The Crafters made themselves scarce while the Hackers watched on in curiosity and respectable silence.

McGahn stopped working immediately and got on his knees to bow to the approaching figures. Mitr and Lagaat did the same.

"My brother tells me you've been digging more rock than any other slave." Entity 303 growled/echoed. His voice was terrifying and it was with considerable effort that McGahn found his voice to reply.

"Y-Yes, sir."

The crimson eyes beneath his pale hood shifted to the cobblestone generator. "With just this?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is it hard to arrange?"

"No, sir."

"Do you want to make some more?" He asked, though it wasn't phrased like a request. "Everyone could be mining from them. Our home could be built faster."

McGahn swallowed nervously. He got the attention of the head Hackers. This was his one and only chance to negotiate.

"…I have a condition."

The midday mesa temperature suddenly dropped a few degrees. McGahn kept his face bowed and in the sand, terrified of the expression Entity 303 could be making.

"What?"

"A condition." McGahn repeated, refusing to back down. Behind him, he felt Lagaat shiver. Mitr was more controlled, but he knew he must have been scared out of his mind too. But McGahn had rehearsed this. He knew the points to make and the best argument to make Entity 303 consider him.

He did this for his people.

"And what condition would that be?" Null interjected, sounding amused.

McGahn took that as his cue. "Once this Obelisk is completed, I beg of you to allow my people to return to Akasha, alive and well."

The listening Hackers sneered at the request, finding a Crafter speaking to their leader as an insult punishable by the worst torture imaginable. He was just a lowly worm. What right did he have to beg anything of Entity 303? Death would have been too kind for such a piece of trash.

"You wish me to set you all free?" Entity 303 asked.

"Is it a crime to desire freedom, sir?" McGahn posed. "You'll have your home. What further use would you have of us lowly worms?"

Null chuckled. "Well, at least they know their place."

"Many Crafters work to spare themselves your wrath." He went on. "Should they discover that you plan to keep them enslaved or dead following the completion of this project, they might just prefer death now."

"So we should just kill you all now. Is that what you're suggesting?"

"Only if you are suggesting you already made up your mind."

With his head bowed, McGahn couldn't tell what kind of looks Entity 303 and Null were giving him. He waited it out, though. Whether he'd face death or not depended entirely on the Hackers before him. He couldn't fight, but he could talk.

After a long, palpable silence, Null spoke first.

"Why would we even entertain this ridiculous idea?"

Next came the bullet points.

"I know you Hackers detest sharing the same air as us filthy vermin Crafters." McGahn stated with complete surety. "You can kill us with a glance, and would kill us if we so much as took a glance your way."

"True."

"The only way you would allow us to live following the completion of your home is if we had something to provide you. Something you needed."

Suddenly, McGahn gasped as his hair was yanked up by a smoke-covered fist. His knees and feet left the ground as the Hacker took to the sky, suspending the councilman above the mesa. Just like how Tanner was—and by the same Hacker—before he died.

"You presume too much." Entity 303 growled/echoed. "We Hackers are the superior race. What could we possibly need of you worms?"

"You are of a higher caliber, of course." McGahn choked. "But what Crafters lack in quality, we make up for in quantity." Entity 303 narrowed his eyes. "There are more of us than there are of you. We may be worms, but do you know that worms help fertilize soil for farming?"

Entity 303 let go of McGahn's hair and grabbed his suit instead. "Farming?"

"You need food. And I know you would rather someone else do the farming work." McGahn suggested, looking right into the crimson eyes peeking from the shadowy hood. "Akasha can provide food for the Hack Clan. A yearly tribute for the rest of eternity. Just so long as they can live in freedom within their own Kingdom."

"Is that all you have to offer us? Farming labor?" Entity 303 scoffed. "You think that's enough to bargain with me?"

"It's not just you we're feeding." McGahn brought out the big guns. "Your brothers and sisters that spawn in. They're the ones we're building all this space for, right?" The Hacker's arms slackened. "Food and board for all. We can provide. Provided you allow us to occupy our Kingdom again."

Entity 303 slowly sank to the ground, lowering McGahn to his feet. Lagaat and Mitr still had their heads bowed, but the eyes of every Hacker were on the pair.

"You'd be investing in a future." McGahn continued. "Imagine living here and training one another without having to worry about food or water. We'd fulfill any request you had of us. We'd provide anything you needed. This Obelisk could be your one, safe, self-sustainable haven and you'd never have to want for anything ever again. And all you have to do," McGahn's lips quivered, "is let us go. Please."

The head Hacker released the councilman and his crimson eyes seemed to glare into McGahn's very soul.

"Monthly tribute." He growled/echoed, shocking the watching Null and many of the Hackers. "You will provide monthly tribute for the rest of your existence. Food on the first day of every month. No delays."

McGahn was already nodding. "Yes, sir. Absolutely, sir!"

"Cobblestone generators first, Grosvenor." He stressed. "I want maximum cobblestone output by tomorrow. Finish the Obelisk, and I will honor this agreement. You have my word."

With that said, Entity 303 turned and walked away with Null and a few Hackers, all of which were questioning their leader's decision to listen to a worm.

Once they were gone, Lagaat and Mitr got up and clapped a hand each on McGahn's back. The councilman fell like a limp noodle, hardly believing he had just convinced the leader of the Hack Clan to free his people.

But he first had conditions to fill. If Entity 303's word was to be believed, he needed to arrange for cobblestone generators…

And a monthly tribute once all was said and done.

---

[Year 146: Savannah]

After a year of mining from cobblestone generators and building out of stone bricks, the Obelisk was completed. It was done to all of the Hack Clan's specifications and had enough space to house thousands of Hackers. Such a number was intimidating, but the Akashic citizens could do little about it.

As Entity 303 promised, the Akashic citizens were all quietly let go. However, the Hacker made sure to meet with McGahn one final time to reiterate the terms of the deal.

Monthly tribute to be delivered on the first of every month. The amount of food to be increased depending on the Hackers housed. No delays.

"Or else."

McGahn hunched slightly from the threat like a turtle trying to retreat into its shell. He didn't want to say it, but Mitr and Lagaat knew that the demand was a bit unfair considering that by the time they returned to their Kingdom, it'll be the 9th. Plus, accounting for the distance between Akasha and the Obelisk, they'd need to set out a week in advance to arrive on time on the first day of the new month.

Not to mention taking stock of farms and food in the ruins of Akasha.

Still, McGahn knew his place. "How many of your brethren should we expect, sir?"

Entity 303 paused, his gaze unfocused as if coming up with the numbers. "Thirty-seven. Meats. Fruits. Vegetables… Sweets." He smiled indulgently, though none of it was for the councilmen. "But not too many sweets." He almost sounded like a stern father. "Enough for thirty-seven, Grosvenor. No less."

"I understand, sir."

With that said, smoke enveloped Entity 303's body and he flew off, returning to the home the Akashic Citizens labored over for almost a year. The councilmen returned to the citizens already making their way back to their Kingdom… feeling like dogs with their tails tucked between their legs.

"Thirty-seven Hackers." Lagaat muttered breathlessly, shaking his head. "Thirty-seven—do you have any idea how much food we're going to need?"

"I have an inkling," McGahn spoke, "but I'm sure you have a better idea, Mr. Mathematician."

"A Crafter can eat between four and five foodstuffs a day and we're feeding thirty-seven for thirty days—assuming, of course, those demigods consume the standard fare. Therefore, we'd need… five-thousand five-hundred-and-fifty foodstuffs! And he wants fruits and meats and vegetables and—"

"We can make it work." McGahn assured. "We'll alert the other councilmen and whoever they elect to replace Tanner. With everyone helping out, we can gather a paltry amount like that no problem."

"We'll have to assess damages first, McGahn." Mitr advised. "No sense in harvesting food from ruined farms. Plus the Hackers left a real mess of Akasha."

"I know that." He gritted.

"Relax, Grosvenor." Mitr assured. "You're not alone on this. You'll have Lagaat and I backing you up. The three of us will make that tribute before the month is through."

"Yes." McGahn let a small smile spread across his face. "Yes we will."

---

[Year 146, June 9th]

It was worse than they feared.

The damage to the mesa they had seen and expected, but the trio of councilmen were in no way prepared or expecting the swift response of cultists within their Kingdom's borders. The villages of Akasha that had been spared the Hackers' wrath were preyed upon instead by the Endward Cult and their sacrificial ideology. Many villages were swallowed up by the surge of cultists, their populations gutted and their Heads taken. It had all happened while the citizens of Akasha were busy with the Obelisk. The villages didn't have the main Kingdom to request reinforcements from. Tragic tales popped up all across the mesa.

There were exceptions to the rule. Folktales spoke of a man named Glowing_Obsidian, who returned to his cultist-controlled hometown of Oonchaee Village and slaughtered them all to the last man. The sight of him standing atop a pile of Heads, wielding that massive cleaver, cemented his reputation as an avenger. Rumors claimed he went from village to village, slaying cultists in a desperate attempt to satisfy his bloody promise.

But he was but one man and the cultists were occupying too many villages. Their farms wouldn't be of much use to McGahn without clearing them first.

Worse still, many Crafters left the Kingdom. After being freed from the Hack Clan's slavery, many ultimately decided that Akasha was a lost cause, what with the damages and the close proximity to the Hackers. The people were unaware of the deal McGahn had cut to preserve their way of life. Akasha's already gutted populace grew scarcer, reaching only about a sixth of its former population. Only the stubborn, the proud, or those too tied down to go remained, and they weren't nearly enough to repair the Kingdom in a day.

Things were starting to look a lot like Nitebane.

But the absolute worst aspect McGahn had to worry about was on the political side of things.

Tanner's established heir had died when the Hackers fist attacked, and not one of the remaining councilmen could agree on a suitable candidate to take up the crown. Instead, things got divisive. The once unified councilmen saw an opportunity to seize political power in the aftermath of such chaos, and they split into left and right-wing parties that suited their views. As a result, the council was at one another's throats, vetoing one another, and passing very little reforms.

Those that didn't pick a side, either left or right, had little influence on what was discussed on Indrad Rock, and McGahn, Mitr, and Lagaat were among the undecided. They stuck together though.

They had to.

"Everyone should be part of the reconstruction projects!" One of the leftists argued from their seat in a wide open congress hall. "Akasha is suffering from a dearth of citizens! We can't afford to be selective with workers! We built the Obelisk together, we can rebuild Akasha too!"

"You think the people—whoever's left—would want to remember that year of sweat and toil? I know I don't." A rightist countered. "Councilmen delegate. That's our job. Leave it to the lower-class to build."

"It's precisely that attitude that's making it harder to bounce back!" A leftist shouted over the din. "There is no hierarchy here! We all need to chip in."

"And how will we compensate everyone who chips in?" Someone asked. "Our funds are low. Hiring everybody will drain what little we have saved."

"Then suspend funds! We need to—"

"Suspend funds!? Then how will the people afford goods? You can't suggest we offer handouts when our farms are operating at minimum capacity!"

"Well maybe the farms wouldn't be operating at minimum capacity if we sent them the reinforcements to get the CULTISTS OFF THEIR BACKS!"

"And again! How can we send reinforcements when we're lacking in manpower!? Let the villages fend for themselves… or let that Obsidian bloke take care of it for us. He's not asking for pay."

"People! PEOPLE!" McGahn belted out in an attempt to take the floor. "We need to discuss a more immediate problem—!"

"Glowing_Obsidian is operating outside his jurisdiction and should not be the law within Akashic lands!" A leftist interrupted. "Think of the message he's passing on to our citizens: Vigilantism is fine."

"What's wrong with that?" A rightist smirked. "The people like him and so do I. He's really giving it to those damned cultists. We should invite him over and give him a medal for his service."

"We are not awarding a renegade! The people are looking to us to protect them. That's our responsibility, not his. How can we call ourselves councilmen when we're blatantly ignoring their safety or else leaving it in the hands of a cleaver-waving maniac?"

"Speaking of ignoring!" McGahn tried again, raising his hand. "We need to discuss the pressing issue of the Hackers' tribute. We have until the end of the month to provide them enough food for—"

"First off, we don't have the guards to lug the guy to the Pit." A rightist interrupted, yet again, angering McGahn further. "Secondly, we won't have the support of the people. They love the guy! Mainly because hatred for the Endward Cult is at an all-time high for our current predicament. Easier to blame the cultists and their bastard Founder than our newest Hacker neighbors."

"On the topic of Herob—the Founder—I think we should expurgate his name from all records. His existence is a stain on the history of Minecraftia."

There was a murmur of agreement from all. "Very well. We shall censor his name—starting with the Akashic Records. Alexicon should be all too happy to handle that job. She's the only one who knows the full collection anyways—"

"EXCUSE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" McGahn shouted until he was blue in the face, earning several head turns and disdainful glares.

"Rude."

The councilman caught his breath before starting. "Whatever issues you want to address can wait! There won't be an Akasha if we don't provide food to the Hackers as tribute by the end of the month! We need to start harvesting fruits and vegetables, breeding livestock, baking cookies—!"

"Baking cookies—which party is he from?" Someone asked.

"Neither left nor right. He's an undecided."

"Then why are we bothering to listen to him…?"

"You should bother because we're all dead if you don't!" Mitr shouted from McGahn's side.

"McGahn's telling the truth!" Lagaat added. "We were only let go because of the deal he struck with the Hackers. We have to provide tribute or—"

"Listen young man," a rightist spoke condescendingly, "you can't just request the farmers to give up their crops for a tribute. They need that food now more than ever, and it is rightly theirs. It's their land, they spent the time and effort cultivating their crops and livestock. You can't expect them to hand it over for free! And even if we had the emeralds to exchange for them, that food would be better spent feeding the population. They need to spend their money too, otherwise our economy won't ever recover."

"I thought I told you to suspend costs!" A leftist shouted. "Tanner above, it's like we're talking in circles! Just give out the food! People are starving!"

"Then give them a fishing rod and tell them to fish!"

"And what if they get a bad draw? How will they eat a bone or a saddle!?"

"LISTEN TO US!" McGahn shouted. "We have until the end of the month! THREE WEEKS! If we don't get the food, then—"

"Then you get the food, Grosvenor." One of the rightists shot back, making McGahn look up in despair. "It's your deal. You take care of it. You and the rest of you undecided." He gave a contemptuous snort in their direction. "Now if you're done shouting like a petulant child, we have real work to do."

McGahn was shaking he was so angry, but he accepted that staying a second longer would be a waste of time. He angrily pushed out of his seat and exited the congress hall with his two allies. He slammed the door on the chaotic arguments and petty sniping he was leaving behind.

From his perspective, it was the whole rest of the council acting like petulant children.

"Fools." He cursed under his breath. "Those absolute imbeciles! They're so caught up in this power struggle that—!"

"Forget them." Mitr dismissed. "We need to get busy harvesting food. It's looking like we're on our own."

"Alright, alright." Lagaat brought his hands up to his head while he stared out into the middle distance. It was a habit of his whenever he needed to focus on a complex problem, whether political or mathematical. "303 wanted meats, fruits, vegetables, and sweets. We need five-thousand five-hundred-and-fifty foodstuffs. That's about… eighty-seven stacks of food. I'll check the farms for fruits and vegetables." Lagaat volunteered.

"I can hunt in the mesa." Mitr added. "Rabbits, sheep, cows, pigs. Fishing is a good source of protein, too."

"I'll cover dessert, then." McGahn frowned. "Cookies are the obvious choice… though importing cocoa beans from Jolin will be a problem. I hear they also got attacked by a Hacker. I'll still need wheat… or I can go the pumpkin pie route… but then I'd need sugar, eggs, and pumpkins…" He shook his head. "We'll need more help to get this done. I'll ask around. See what resources I can secure for us on short notice."

The trio spoke hurriedly, their ideas and plans for action giving them a burst of energy and the drive to see it done. They weren't hunters or farmers, but they were councilmen, and they'd be whatever they had to be to keep what was left of their Kingdom.

---

[Year 146: June 15th]

McGahn and Mitr found themselves in a seedy bar, impatiently awaiting a package they desperately needed. The barkeep, as it turned out, moonlit as an artist/botanist in his spare time. Akasha's guards required orange-dyed uniforms, so he grew dandelions and roses for the appropriate dyes. He gathered all dyes, including the source for brown dye: Cocoa beans. Farmed them from the stump of a jungle tree.

He was exchanging a stack of cocoa beans and a single jungle log for a stack of wheat. Emeralds were useless as collateral with the lack of food going around. Farming that much wheat had cost plenty of bones off of Skeletons, but the cocoa beans were vital for making cookies—the easiest dessert in existence.

It was worth the cost.

As they waited, McGahn noticed a drunk woman stumbling around the bar. She had seafoam green hair in a long braid down her back. Olive skin, steel-grey top, tan sash that covered her legs all the way to her ankles. Even though she was stumbling about, her almond eyes were sharp and focused.

She took particular notice when the barkeep showed up, flashing the merchandise.

Mitr reluctantly handed over the wheat and the two were rewarded with the log and the cocoa beans. Now they could get to work making cookies for the Hackers. That statement in and of itself spoke of how dire things were becoming.

Of course, the 'drunk' woman then bumped into the two after their deal was done.

"Slorry~" She slurred, her hand darting fast before she ambled away.

"What was she—?" McGahn trailed off, patting his pockets with wide eyes. "Half the beans are missing!"

As soon as he shouted that, the green-haired woman left the bar at a quicker pace. McGahn and Mitr noticed and tore after her, but by the time they were outside, the pickpocket was roof-hopping away.

"Damn it!" Mitr cursed. "Did you catch her name?"

McGahn nodded. "Nephrait428. She moves fast for a girl in sandals."

"Should we go after her? She stole half our beans!"

"…Somehow I feel like we won't catch her." McGahn sighed tiredly. "Forget her. We got the log. Let's just get off the streets before someone else robs us. Hopefully Lagaat had better luck harvesting food."

The two councilmen left the seedy bar, low in both cocoa beans and spirits.

---

[Year 146: June 18th]

Lagaat built a Mob grinder since bones were essential for quick farming. And since every morsel of food had to be reserved for the Hackers, the trio had taken to eating rotten flesh. It was terrible the first couple of days, but now they were inured to the taste. McGahn had tried suggesting it to the leftist and rightist sides as a method to deal with food shortages… but they shut it down within seconds.

"The people of Akasha deserve better than to eat garbage! Even at our lowest, we have standards, McGahn."

"If we can't make sacrifices, we're all going to be wiped off the face of Minecraftia!" He argued back.

"Akasha will endure. I very much doubt this Hacker problem is as imminent as you claim it is."

Grosvenor left that congress hall looking absolutely murderous. The council was just a bunch of arguing nitwits! Even the King they decided upon was useless. A puppet to be swayed by whichever side made the best argument. The people only approved because he, like the people, was stanchly anti-cultist.

They all blamed Herobrine for giving their King—and the other Kings—cursed items that called down the Hackers upon them all. Zeppil had been attacked and Exter, the Kingdom boasting the strongest military in Minecraftia—lost tens of thousands of Crafters in the Stigmata Wars just to repel the Hackers.

So much death. And it was all Herobrine's doing.

No wonder that Obsidian vigilante was putting the screws to them.

Strangely enough, the only Kingdom not targeted by the Hackers was Ringwood, but the King couldn't possibly send aid to Akasha when every Kingdom was suffering. It was beyond their capacity.

Mitr roamed the mesa day and night, hunting rabbits and animals, and fishing. He used his gathered EXP and enchanted some golden swords with Looting to increase the yield of meats. However, gold was hardly a durable material. It conducted EXP better for rarer enchantments, but they never lasted more than half-a-day at a time.

Lagaat continued to farm, doling out wheat and cocoa beans for cookies. They were easy to make, but they couldn't be a majority of the foodstuffs. They could only be less than a fifth of the tribute.

Eighteen stacks of cookies were the first to be completed. Over eleven-hundred cookies.

"Should we throw in some milk?" Mitr joked.

---

[Year 146: June 21st]

The month was winding down. McGahn, with his dessert duties taken care of, helped Mitr to fish and hunt while also begging Akashic citizens for however little food they could spare, explaining the Hacker tribute and why it was important. Most refused, many thinking the tribute was a scam for food, but some chipped in with carrots or potatoes. Some jerks threw out poisonous potatoes or pufferfish or spider eyes.

"Why doesn't anyone believe us?" McGahn asked himself after a lackluster day of begging. "Why are we the only ones working here?"

His spirit was slowly being beaten down.

The council and King continued to do nothing. They leftist and rightist sides were too preoccupied with vetoing one another.

They were their own worst enemy.

---

[Year 146: June 23rd]

The trio of councilmen worked through the night, sleeping the minimum amount and subsisting on a diet of rotten flesh. One might think the Mob drop was turning them into Zombies with how haggard and dead they looked.

The meats were nearing full collection. Fruits and vegetables were still slow going, but only because Lagaat had to resort to melons. There were no apple trees around.

The food was also kept secure in ender chests. After the incident with the pickpocket at the bar, the councilmen kept the tribute under lock and key. It fit perfectly, since five-thousand five-hundred-and-fifty foodstuffs split three ways into three chests… just about. Only when they had it all would it not fit in the ender chests, but by then they would be delivering it to the Hackers, and their backpacks had more than enough space.

If there were more Hackers to feed, however…

The trio kept focused on obtaining food. They really should have left by now, but they had an incomplete tribute.

They needed another day. If they rushed to the Hackers, they'd make it in the nick of time.

They had to…

---

[Year 146: June 25th]

Desserts are done. Meats are done. Vegetables are done.

But the fruits aren't there yet!

Lagaat was doing his best, but the melons couldn't be rushed like the other crops Patience was necessary, but patience was a luxury they couldn't afford.

Instead, they just kept farming vegetables and hunting fish to make up the difference. They were still lacking, however.

---

[Year 146: June 29th]

That's it! They had the food! All five-thousand five-hundred-and-fifty items of it!

They piled it into their backpacks and set off at breakneck speed—

And found Entity 303, Null, and three other Hackers awaiting them at the gates.

The trio of councilmen was so caught off guard; they hadn't the sense to bow.

"Y-You're early, sir…" McGahn gasped.

"No, you're just late." He growled/echoed, staring him down.

"N-No. It's not the end of the—"

"The deal was you would deliver it to the Obelisk on the first of the month." Entity 303 interrupted. "But I had my sister Sandra watching you. I'm curious how you expect to travel a week-long distance in two days. Do you possess a speed Hack we're not aware of?"

"Sir, we have the tribute and it's not yet the first." McGahn explained. "We can give it to you right now and you'll be fed for the—"

"But that wasn't the deal!" Entity 303 boomed, smoke flaring out. The trio of councilmen was cowed into silence, bowing to avoid the Hacker's wrath. "I made the terms clear! You were to deliver the food on the first of each month! In exchange, I set your people free. You claimed they would provide tribute to my brothers and sisters, but that was a lie! Sandra saw it all! The only ones providing the tribute are you three!" He gnashed his teeth. "For what reason did I let them loose if you three are the only ones working. And some of the slaves even fled this region! I've traded thousands of subservient Crafters for three hardworking ones."

"I-I apologize, sir." McGahn stammered. "I expected them all to stay! I expected them to assist us! They didn't believe our deal existed!"

"Excuses! Your politics matter little to us." Entity 303 growled/echoed. "You made a promise you couldn't deliver. You spoke on behalf of welchers and cowards. The Hack Clan doesn't bother itself coming to you. You come to us!"

In a rush of wind, McGahn, Mitr, and Lagaat found their Inventories wiped clean of all food. Glancing up, they saw Null handing it out to the three hackers that accompanied the Clan's leaders.

"Sandra told me how hard you worked securing this food." Entity 303 continued. "She spoke of how you ate garbage and slept little to ensure you reached this tribute. Even I must admit you worms have nerve, but my family will only grow over the years. This tribute will be the lowest hurdle you ever clear, and even then you barely made it. How do you expect to feed my brothers and sisters a hundred years from now?"

McGahn bit his lip, realizing the Hacker had a point. Three people couldn't bear such a weight. They needed the whole Kingdom on board to make it work. But the blasted council wasn't passing any laws to reform things. They were only arguing with one another. Divided!

"…Tell the council that the deal we made is real." McGahn tried. "Tell them about the tribute and they should—"

McGahn suddenly found himself hoisted off the ground by Entity 303's fist. "Do not presume I will waste my time scaring your squabbling people into action. This is your end of the deal, therefore it is your responsibility to fix it. Your word is your bond." His gaze darkened. "Just as my word is my bond."

McGahn's eyes widened fearfully. "N-No…"

"I warned you what would happen if there were any delays or complications, Grosvenor."

"W-Wait, we… we gave you the food!"

"And I have taken your hard work into account." Entity 303 nodded, raising his other hand and pointing a finger at Lagaat's bowing form. A large amount of dark smoke coalesced at his fingertip. "Therefore, I will respond appropriately for a first time offense."

"Please, STOOOOP!"

A missile of smoke shot from the Hacker's fingertip and exploded the space where Lagaat had been kneeling. The force of the dark, smoky explosion blasted Mitr onto his side and kicked up a cloud of sand and dust.

A blank-eyed Head was all that remained of the mathematical councilman.

McGahn could only watch and tremble in horror.

"He took the longest with the fruits." Entity 303 growled/echoed in lieu of explanation. He released McGahn and paid little mind to how he crumpled on his side. "Consider next month's tribute delivered. We will be awaiting the next one on the first of August. Be sure to deliver it to the Obelisk this time… else Akasha will share your friend's fate."

The Hackers accompanying the leaders laughed at the exchange before flying or running off. When they were gone, Mitr hurried over to McGahn and turned him over. The councilman was in tears, biting his lip and beating his fists into the sand.

"AAAAAAAUGH!" He screamed helplessly while Lagaat's lifeless Head looked on.

---

[Year 146: June 30th]

"Hey, Grosvenor, shouldn't you be worrying about the big bad Hackers showing up tomorrow?" One councilman jeered the second McGahn and Mitr stepped into the congress hall. "Where's your other undecided?"

"…The Hackers killed him." He spoke clearly, earning a few raised brows.

"Oh, come now, McGahn." A rightist dismissed. "Must you continue with this charade for attention—?"

"Shut up!" McGahn screamed, slamming his fists into the desk. "The three of us just worked ourselves to the bone to buy this Kingdom another month and you'd rather spend it arguing over laws and doing NOTHING!"

The split council collectively scoffed. "So you say, but where's your proof that you—"

"NO! You don't get to talk!" McGahn roared. "Every day! You've been arguing over the same issues every day for FOUR WEEKS! Meanwhile, your Kingdom is crumbling around you! Yet you do nothing! You don't pass any laws, you don't work to fix anything! The buildings are just as destroyed as they were four weeks ago! Our villages are in desperate need of aid! The citizens starve! My friend is DEAD! Get your shit together already!"

There was a beat of silence before a slow, sarcastic clap from a rightist. "That was a wonderful performance, McGahn. Too bad the King wasn't around to hear it. You'll have to do better than that if you want to seize power."

"Looks who's talking! I saw you brown-nosing to him what with passing laws to hunt down cultists!" A leftist replied.

And then the debate started all over again, everyone making valid points to block one another and ensure that they talked in circles until the sun stopped burning.

McGahn slammed the door so hard on his way out that it broke off the wall.

"I hate this!" The councilman grabbed chunks of his hair and pulled. "Nobody listens to us! And now Lagaat is… Lagaat is…" Hot tears came from the corner of his eyes and he struggled to keep them down. "Damn it, Mitr, why…? The last thing he did was work himself to the bone with no sleep. Why did this have to happen!?"

"I don't know, Grosvenor." Mitr spoke helplessly. "Tanner knows he didn't deserve it."

McGahn slumped against the wall, burying his head into his arms. "It's over. There's no hope left."

"Don't say that! There has-has to be something we can—"

"It took all three of us to meet the quota. With just two it's impossible. Not to mention the next month and the month after. We don't have enough hands."

"Then we have to find a way to get the council's support… even if it means joining the leftists or rightists."

McGahn let out an insane laugh. "Are you kidding? We'd just be spending our last month on Minecraftia arguing over nothing. If nothing else, I'll enjoy the looks on their faces when the Hackers show up…"

"It sounds like you've already given up." Mitr noted sadly.

"Lagaat's dead, Mitr." McGahn said heavily. "We slaved away just to watch him die and save a Kingdom that doesn't want to help. I mean," he threw his head up with a scoff, "if it was a law against cultists, I'm sure the King and the people would be a hundred percent behind us, just like they are with that Obsidian vigilante. When it comes to cultists, the people drop everything… and… "

McGahn trailed off, a contemplative look upon his face. It was the same look he had when he first came up with the idea of getting the Hackers' attention. It was the face of someone with an idea that just might work.

"What are you thinking, Grosvenor?" Mitr asked warily.

McGahn pushed himself to his feet, his mind still deep in thought.

"I'm thinking… I need a drink."

---

McGahn dragged Mitr through the Kingdom and the pair of them wound up in a seedy bar. The same seedy bar where they were robbed of their cocoa beans by Nephrait.

McGahn scanned the patrons and zeroed in on seafoam green hair. He marched over to the woman who was sporting a drink and pretending to be drunk, ambling around and pickpocketing Crafters with her swift digits.

Her sharp eyes caught sight of McGahn and she made to bolt before Mitr blocked her escape.

"Miss?" The councilman began, his expression firm. "We need to talk."

"Look, if this is about the cocoa beans," she began, her drunk façade vanishing, "I'm sorry, but I had a bit of a sweet tooth. In fact, you should be thanking me, since I could have taken more than half if I wanted to."

"Water under the bridge." McGahn dismissed. "You always do this drunken shtick when you want to pick pockets?"

"Maybe." Nephrait grinned as she held up… McGahn's Citizenship information and began to peruse. "Ah, so you're a councilman. That explains why you look like you're made of money."

The councilman swiped the book back, but paused as he looked at it. "You must be quite an accomplished thief to steal things without anyone noticing."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Nephrait hummed, downing her latest drink and slapping the bar for a new one.

"You're also fast and agile. I saw you jump from rooftop to rooftop last time." McGahn continued.

"Where you going with this?"

"You're good at taking things from others." He said. "Think you could do it in reverse? Plant things on others?"

She scoffed. "Doesn't sound too fun." She then took a deep swig of her Awkward Potion.

McGahn slammed his fists on the bar, fed-up. "DOES THE END OF AKASHA SOUND LIKE MORE FUN!?"

Nephrait looked on with wide-eyed shock, her mouth still full of Awkward Potion. The expression on her face was a cross between a squirrel with stuffed cheeks and a deer caught in the headlights. There was a beat of silence before she gulped thickly, her expression pale.

"…O-Okay, you have my attention." She tried to laugh, but only swallowed nervously. "What, uh, what's the job…?"

---

[Year 146: July 2nd]

"What the—hey, what's the meaning of this!?"

"Unhand me! Do you have any idea who you're manhandling!?"

Two councilmen were roughly drawn out of a procession leading into the congress hall by a platoon of guards. Leading them was the recently minted Captain Chaara.

"Chaara!" One of the two councilmen shouted. "What is this!?"

"You're under arrest." She said coldly.

"Arrest? On what charge!? I'm the leader of the left-wing party!"

"And I'm the leader of the right-wing party! While I can't speak for the other guy, I can assure you I haven't done a thing!"

"You rightist asshole! I'm just as innocent as you!"

"That's fitting, since you're both guilty." Chaara held up a pair of books, confusing the councilmen. "These books written by… the devil we dare not name… were found in your respective quarters."

"WHAT!?" They shouted in united outrage.

"How you scum can stomach this devil's tomes baffles me." Chaara held the books as if they were covered in muck. "What do you have to say in your defense?"

"This… th-this is crazy!" The leftist shouted. "We're against the Endward Cult and Herobrine—I mean the devil we dare not—"

"Save the theatrics. We already frisked your offices and quarters." She held up a new book, unsigned. "Your orders."

"…What orders?"

She opened the book and started reading from it.

"'Excellent work splitting the council and infiltrating both sides. Continue to stall the passing of laws and Akasha should implode in a manner of months. Those fools are none the wiser. Herobrine will be pleased.'"

The two councilmen looked stricken with each word, too shocked to muster an immediate defense. The few councilmen that hung back stared on with betrayal and bewilderment, not knowing what to think of people they once considered friends and fellow associates.

McGahn and Mitr watched the whole thing. The former more indifferent than the latter.

"No more denials?" Chaara asked sarcastically. "Then allow me to escort you to your new home for the rest of your life: The Pit."

"Wait, wait, wait!" One councilman dragged his feet as the guards hauled him off. "That book isn't mine! I-I care about Akasha! I'd never help the cult! Honest!"

"This is… this is not happening!" The other wailed. "Let me go! I'm innocent! I-I've been framed! Someone, believe me! LET ME GO!"

More guards rushed in to deal with the councilman's tantrum. The other councilmen said and did nothing to defend the two, content to watch them be dragged off to the Pit. Of course, with the left and right-wing parties questioning their leaders' legitimacy, they suddenly looked to their fellows with a fresh sense of distrust. If the note was to be believed, then the cult's goal was to split the council and stall any laws from going out. Both sides were now cast in an unflattering light.

Neither left nor right could be trusted. The only side left was the undecided.

And it was them the King came to, asking for advice and methods of guiding Akasha on the path towards reconstruction.

Needless to say, McGahn had plenty of ideas.

---

[Year 146: July 14th]

"Why are we focusing on making cookies? How is a Kingdom supposed to survive on desserts?"

"We're not. At least I don't think we are. The guards are still enforcing that rotten flesh diet three times a week. Who was the lame brain that passed that?"

"They said it was for rationing purposes, but I saw some guards going at some farm animals with Gold Looting Swords. How come we don't get any of those?"

"They've been passing a lot of laws lately. I like that suspension of funds thing. We don't need to use emeralds anymore. But now we got to build for our share of food."

"Those Mob Grinders were nice though. Beats hunting Zombies and Skeletons. Bone meal is worth its weight in emeralds for farmers nowadays."

"Did you hear? That McGahn guy is finally sending guards to help out the outer villages. Looks like our courageous outlaw will get a bit of a helping hand on his cultist hunting."

"McGahn always seems to be at the center of any new laws getting passed. Considering the amount of food he's stockpiling, I'd say he's doing a nice job."

"Yeah, he's way better than those rightists. Did you hear four more got arrested? They had a bunch of devil books stashed away. Chaara threw them in the Pit, no questions asked."

"Huh… y'know… it makes me nervous hearing of so many cultists on the council. Are we sure Akasha is safe?"

"McGahn's already assured us he's organizing a force to investigate cultists within the Kingdom. There's no shortage of volunteers, but you know what would be really nice?"

"What?"

"If he gets Glowing_Obsidian at the helm."

---

[Year 146: August 1st]

"Right on time."

McGahn kept his eyes focused on the ground as Entity 303 stepped free from the crowd of Hackers. His face was the picture of calm… even though Mitr was sure his inner thoughts were more tumultuous at the sight of Lagaat's killer.

"We have your tribute, sir. First of the month, as promised."

"Very good. Your people will be spared this month." The other Hackers took menacing steps forward, but Entity 303 held up a hand. "Gently, brothers. Gently. They're just delivery boys."

The Hackers complied, taking the food without causing an incident… though the poor guards McGahn brought along to carry the tribute were pissing their pants and trying not to faint.

"I'm happy you finally sorted things out in your Kingdom, Grosvenor." Entity 303 commented.

"Will that be all, sir?" McGahn spoke flatly, making the Hacker frown slightly.

"…You may go."

The two groups separated and only when the Akashic group was well out of earshot did the guards relax.

"Tanner above! I was so scared!"

"S-s-so the tribute thing was real." The other guard grabbed at his hair. "My God. We need to get them food every month? H-How will we manage? I mean, we did fine this month, but—"

"We'll get it done." McGahn said with absolution, frightening the two guards. "This is already an improvement to last month's interaction. The ball's rolling and nothing can stop our momentum. I'll make sure of it."

Mitr watched with a twinge of worry as McGahn marched ahead of them all, his gaze focused solely on the horizon.

---

[Year 146: August 8th]

"I owe you a lot, Nephrait. Thank you."

"Hey, I'm just glad this Kingdom doesn't get turned into Hacker dust." She smirked before her expression tensed. "Are things going smoothly, now?"

"Yes. Thanks to you, we have the King's trust, and the laws we're passing are helping the citizens recover. Over fifty percent of the homes and buildings have been rebuilt. The new farm rotation is also maximizing our yield of food. And with the guards supporting the villages… we might actually get Akasha back to normal."

"As nice as that sounds," she shook her head sadly, "I don't think there'll ever be a normal here again."

"…Perhaps. The population is still spread thin." McGahn conceded. "But… there's no saying we can't get close to what we had. Maybe make things better?"

She smirked. "I'm listening."

"The council won't be cowed forever and I'm sure I'll make my fair share of enemies. Those last four councilmen we framed won't be the last of my political opponents."

"You need me to plant more devil books, huh?"

"Among other things. Your sticky fingers could be quite useful stealing noticeable weapons or items. Things to implicate certain people."

"Oh," she chuckled, "I can definitely do that."

"Stay on and I'll make it worth your while." McGahn promised.

"Well, my while is quite a bit," she reached out and shook his hand with a feral grin, "but since it's for the betterment of Akasha, I'll give you a discount. One master thief, at your service."

"Unfortunately, you're only half of the equation." McGahn let go while Mitr watched with uncertainty. Hiring Nephrait meant there'd be more framing. More lies. The first time was only meant to get the people and King on their side. The second time, sure, those councilmen would have challenged the very laws setting up the Hackers' tribute. But how many times did McGahn plan to frame others?

It didn't sit well with Councilman Mitr.

"I'm setting up a group to 'investigate' cultist activity and suspects." McGahn went on, heedless of Mitr's thoughts. "I'm calling it the Anti-Cult Committee. They'll be the driving force for enforcing my regime. But I need a strong poster boy. Someone the people would adore. A tough as nails outlaw turned guardian."

"…I think I see who you're getting at."

---

[Year 148: May 12th]

McGahn and Mitr rode towards a modest butte in the middle of Dryrock Mesa with a force of orange-leather garbed Crafters with a particular hatred for the Endward Cult. They had all volunteered for this mission, but only to catch a glimpse of their hero.

No other Crafter came close to the number of cultist casualties than Glowing_Obsidian.

From the reports, Obsidian was tracking Endward Cult outposts in the Akasha region from some captured cultists he tortured. The trail led to that butte, and, after nearly two years of searching, McGahn was finally going to get his meeting with the cleaver-wielding outlaw.

He had been practicing for this encounter for months. He knew exactly what to say and offer.

When McGahn and his entourage of guards reached the butte, they were surprised to find a bonfire of burning Heads and gear. There was a cave at the base of the butte, and someone was emerging with a two knocked out cultists hauled over his shoulders.

Glowing_Obsidian. His name fit his appearance with that black hair dyed cherry red in streaks like cracks. He locked like molten obsidian, the core not yet fully cooled.

"Are you cultists too?" He snorted lowly, glaring at the guards and McGahn. Then he took notice of the orange leather and relaxed a bit. "Akasha."

"Are those cultists?" McGahn asked, pointing to the two bodies Obsidian callously tossed onto the sand.

"Yeah, but I got dibs on them." He growled threateningly. "Work 'em over well enough and they should spill some other outposts for me. You're welcome to take the others as prisoners." He pointed to the 'kindling' in the bonfire. "I have no further use for them."

"…Oh wow. He's intense." One of the guards whispered.

McGahn stepped forward. "Your reputation precedes you, Glowing_Obsidian. I've heard much about you."

"Uh-huh." He replied carelessly, taking more interest in the porkchops he was chewing on.

"My name is Grosvenor_McGahn." He introduced. "I'm a councilman from Akasha and I have a proposition for you."

"Not interested." He disregarded. "I only have two goals: The liberation of Akasha from the Endward Cult… followed by the liberation of Minecraftia from the Endward Cult."

"All the more reason for you to hear me out, then."

Obsidian shot him a look. "Is that right, councilman? Because I remember the cultists claiming my village and killing everyone by the time I got back, but I don't remember the council stepping in to lend a hand."

"The council was… admittedly… going through some changes." McGahn explained. "We had internal problems to sort out and we had only just been freed by the Hackers. You must have noticed the guards spreading out now and tending to the villages. You must have."

"A lot of people were sacrificed for those cultists' bloody beliefs in the time it took you to sort your shit out." He countered. "I work better alone, do more alone, and make more of an impact alone. Why would I have to make a deal with you?"

"Because you'd be put to better use under my employ." McGahn answered. "I'm organizing a committee to investigate cultist suspects within Akasha."

"I don't want to be part of any book club."

"Committee is just a loose term." He assured. "It's really just a task force, full of people like you."

"…People like me?"

"Victims." McGahn continued, stepping forward. "Those with loved ones lost at the cult's hand. Those burning with vengeance for their fallen friends. They all want to join the Anti-Committee and they need a strong warrior to lead them. They need you."

"Me?"

"Of course! The people look up to you!" One of the guards added while others nodded emphatically. "You're a hero! There are rumors of you wiping out a village taken over by cultists single-handedly!"

"Well… I… ah…" Was it their imagination, or did he look humbled. "That's not a rumor. I really did that. Multiple times."

The guards 'oohed' and 'aahed' in amazement, making Obsidian look pleased with himself.

"So an Anti-Cult Committee, huh?" He repeated. "And you need me for it?"

"We need someone passionate who can inspire the people." McGahn continued, a master with his words. "Nobody has the drive that you do. You're the only man for the job. With you leading the ACC, the citizens of Akasha will sleep soundly and we'll have a new safeguard to protect our Kingdom from the accursed cultists!"

The flattery looked to be working.

"You'll be offered the title of Captain should you lead it." He went on. "We already have two, but this will be a new precedent for a third. You'll have full access to the Kingdom's records and information. You'll command your own force of Crafters to do with what you wish. You'll be allowed to travel to villages as you've been doing before, but this time with a trained force of sympathetic avengers at your beck and call. You'll have my full support and the freedom to act however you see fit. You'll be compensated for doing the thing you love—"

"I don't love it." He suddenly snapped. "I kill because cultists need killing and innocent people need protecting." He closed his eyes. "At best, I feel some… sick sense of self-worth for purging this Kingdom of sinners. I tell myself I've done a good job. But that's all."

McGahn, Mitr, and the guards listened to the warrior's words. It must have been the mantra he kept repeating in his mind. His reason for fighting. He didn't enjoy it, but it had to be done.

Finally, he opened his eyes. "If what you say is true, and my 'talents' would be better spent in your ACC… then I accept your offer."

McGahn smiled and his eyes gleamed. "I look forward to working with you… Captain."

The two shook hands and Mitr looked on with worry while the guards celebrated the latest acquisition. He couldn't help but notice how Obsidian's hands dwarfed McGahn's. Now the councilman had that strength on his side.

Slowly, Grosvenor_McGahn was gaining more and more power.

---

[Year 160: October 23rd]

"…Grosvenor?"

"Yes, Mitr? What can I do you for?"

"…Can we stop this?"

McGahn paused in scribbling something—orders for Nephrait to frame a disgruntled pig farmer for questioning his laws—and looked up with all seriousness at his friend.

"Stop what?"

"This." Mitr pointed to the book. "All this. The ACC, the laws, the framing. This has gone on long enough."

"You want to argue this again, Mitr?" McGahn sat up angrily. "Now? When we need to get the tribute party out?"

"This was only supposed to last so long as the council doubted the tribute! But they already believe us!" Mitr argued, pacing McGahn's office. "They know what will happen if the Kingdom can't make the tribute. They're scared! We don't need Nephrait or Obsidian to lock people up anymore!"

"All it will take is one slip-up." McGahn spoke with ferocity. "One tiny dispute and a tribute will be forgotten, and then we all end up like… like Lagaat, alright!? He's never coming back because people are too stupid to know what's good for them! But we're not like them." He gestured to the two councilmen in the room. "We know what needs to be done. The safest hands are still our own. And look at all the good we've done for this Kingdom! We've come back from the brink—"

"People are more terrified now than they've ever been!" Mitr shot back. "You think all the reports of people getting framed and friends and neighbors turning out to be 'cultists' are making anyone feel better? You've created a climate of fear! You, Nephrait, and Obsidian! The people no longer have any freedom."

"Better to give up their freedom than their lives."

"Is it though?"

McGahn narrowed his eyes at his friend. The last remnant of the trio that started it all.

"If you have such a problem with this, maybe you should just leave."

Mitr closed his eyes in defeat. "Maybe I will…"

And with that, the councilman stormed out of McGahn's office with only a shred of remorse for how out of hand things had gotten.

---

[Cobb]

It was official. Mitr won the story-telling contest.

Everyone was spellbound by how he retold his story of friendship, tragedy, and sacrifice, painting a vivid picture of the monster McGahn had become.

What was that old saying? The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

"After that last argument," Mitr went on, even though it was already apparent, "he had Nephrait plant something in my office and called me a cultist. He had to weather a pretty bad PR storm by revealing his friend and closest advisor was a cultist, but weather it he did. It also helped that any critics that spoke against him were framed like a self-portrait. I've been down here ever since."

Casimir sighed. "Well, when you say things like that…"

"Grosvenor isn't as much a monster as you'd believe." Mitr said. "His hand was forced. He lost a friend. The ACC was just a way to keep things under his control so it never happened again."

"But now he has too much control." I said. "It's all well and good that he's a sympathetic jerk, but now that he's established the monthly tribute to the Hackers, he should stop."

"Grosvenor doesn't want to take that risk." Mitr said. "He'll never give up so much as an inch of his influence over this Kingdom. And everyone is too scared to stand up to him."

"Then we're just going to have to do it." I said confidently, though Casimir scoffed.

"You'll have to get out of here first."

"I'm working on it!"

"There's only one way out," Mitr confessed, catching my attention. "It's no secret. Getting out is as simple as making the climb."

"The climb…? I need to climb my way out of here?"

Several heads nodded before pointing out the cell up to the open sky. A series of ledges were dotted in an ascending order up the side of the Pit, leading up to the lip and the fresh air beyond.

"The only way out of the Pit is to drag yourself out… or wait for the guards to come get you. Though…" Mitr paused.

"What?"

"The only time you're taken out of the Pit is if they plan on interrogating you for information. If not that, then…" He swallowed nervously. "…execution."

Oh, great. So if they take me out I can expect either painful maiming or death. Wonderful.

Blood: I for one love a good maiming…

"Nobody's ever made the climb." Casimir warned. "If it were easy, anyone would just climb out."

"Won't the guards do something?"

"Probably, but they don't have to." Casimir huffed. "The jumps are too hard—only a master parkourist could scale them—they only let you try because there's nothing more crushing than having freedom in sight only to fall and fail because of your own limitations."

"Many cultists, with little fear of death, have attempted it, Sir Cobb." Moorkh explained. "Many have died from the fall, and the survivors have had their hope beaten out of them from too many failures."

I was still hung up on Casimir's mention of a parkour master. Jade could make those jumps, sure, but she had only trained me a bit in the art of parkour. Was I at a skill level high enough to ascend to the top?

I didn't know… and I wouldn't know if I didn't at least give it a try.

I rolled up the sleeves of my hoodie and stared at where the ascent began. The cultists and Crafters watched with interest.

Here goes nothing…

---

[Indrad Rock]

"I just don't understand it."

"What is there to understand?"

In the privacy of McGahn's office, the councilman, Nephrait, and Captain Glowing_Obsidian were standing around discussing the events of the past few days. Nephrait was only half paying attention, admiring the Sweeping Edge III Diamond sword she had pilfered off of King_Cobb. She preferred Jade's cutlass, but her sticky fingers couldn't help but take a trophy from a satisfactory arrest.

On the other side of things, Captain Obsidian was most definitely NOT satisfied with how things had gone. In fact, he was downright befuddled.

"Why would a cultist save me from a Hacker?" Obsidian asked for what must have been the tenth time that day. He was asking himself more than his companions, trying to wrap his head around why Nowhere_Man did what he did. "Winslow had me dead to rights. Why jump in at all?"

"Maybe he just had a score to settle. Guys are macho like that." Nephrait shrugged uncaringly. "The Hackers despise the devil we dare not name while the cultists idolize him. Why shouldn't they be at odds?"

"But he could have just as easily waited until I was done in before killing Winslow—Tanner, I can't even comprehend that. A Hacker is dead."

"That's the most troublesome news of the night." McGahn wore a troubled frown. "Did anyone else see the fight, Captain?"

"No, sir. We were underground and the guards didn't see anything." He hesitated. "Maybe the Book Burglar caught sight of it, but he and Nowhere_Man fled before I could stop them."

"How did they escape you again?"

"They… flew, sir."

McGahn rubbed at his temple. "Right…" He sighed. "Well, you're not one to lie, Captain, and Nephrait confirmed your story. You were right to burn Winslow's Head. The Hackers can never catch wind of this, or its Akasha's destruction. As for Nowhere_Man," he tapped his desk, "if he can fly without a Hack, it's not unlikely that he possesses the means to kill Hackers. Perhaps Nowhere is the fabled Billionth that slayed a Hacker in Halstatt."

"But that only makes his actions more confusing." Obsidian said, his brow creasing in confusion. "Nowhere_Man is both a Hacker-Slayer AND an ally to the Endward Cult. But if that's to be believed, then why would he save me? If he has the power to kill a Hacker as easily as swatting a fly, why was he holding back while fighting me? And what about Cobb's Hacker lieutenant, Flawwed_Floyd? We still haven't caught sight of him anywhere within the Kingdom, and that only worries me more!"

"This particular band of cultists—King_Cobb, Nowhere_Man, AceOfJades, Flawwed_Floyd—could be doing a lot more damage than what they've—"

"Excuse me," Nephrait shot up, "but about fifty ACC members are dead because of that blasted Executive, and I was nearly one of them! They did plenty of damage."

"Comparatively speaking." Obsidian amended. "Compare this to what the Hackers did."

"Only one of them is a Hacker."

"And one of them can kill Hackers."

Nephrait had no rebuttal for that. The Captain went on.

"I just… can't understand why he saved me. Are they really even cultists?"

"Of course they are! Cobb had devil books on him. That proves he's in with the cult!"

"But Nowhere_Man… he gains nothing from saving my life. Absolutely nothing."

"You're wrong there, Captain." McGahn smoothly interjected, getting up from his desk.

"Sir?"

"He does gain something." He paused for effect before letting the Captain in on the secret. "Confusion."

"Confusion, sir?"

"From that one seemingly innocuous act of kindness he's shaken you to your core." McGahn continued. "Now you're questioning their motives and trying to solve something that may have just been a frivolous whim of a devious mind."

"…You think so?"

"I've heard many a tale of the Endward Cult's cruelty and manipulation, Captain." McGahn nodded sagely. "It is not always about strength and brutality from them. Many of their Lieutenants are cunning, messing with the heads of their victims in a sick attempt to weaken them from the inside out. It wouldn't be the first time. In fact, I've heard rumors of a Lieutenant from the North that infiltrates guilds, gets their targets to lower their guards, and then mercilessly slaughters them all. I imagine this is something similar."

"So you believe this is all just to lower my guard?" Obsidian questioned. "But… but he could have killed me, so why would he have to lower—?"

"It's not just your life, Captain." McGahn went on. "Remember, you're the foundation of the ACC. A shaken foundation can bring the whole thing down. If you let this Nowhere_Man's actions color your decisions, you'd be playing right into the Endward Cult's hands."

"…I don't know."

"Let me put it this way," McGahn tried one last time. "As you are, wouldn't you be more willing to show sympathy to a man who saved your life? Even if they were a cultist?"

"No, I…" He paused, thinking it over.

"There would always be a shred of doubt, Captain. A sliver of hesitation. I'm certain that's what this Nowhere_Man is counting on. Better to face a hesitant and weaker foe than a deadly, focused one."

The Captain sighed. "You're right. Sorry I've been so shaken, sir."

"It's quite alright, Captain." McGahn smiled warmly. "Why don't you take the rest of the night off? Clear your head. Center your thoughts."

"I think I will. Thank you, sir." Obsidian saluted the councilman before offering a curt nod to Nephrait and then exiting the office.

McGahn waited a good minute until the Captain's footsteps died out before whirling on Nephrait with thunderous fury. "How could you have let things escalate like this!?"

"Hey, I was busy catching an Executive, alright!" Nephrait defended. "How was I supposed to know one of the cultists would develop a conscience and jump in front of a Hacker? Nobody could have predicted that!"

"Whether they intended to or not, this band of undesirables have put me in a precarious situation." McGahn slumped into his chair, propping his elbows on top of his desk and holding his face. "Hackers and cultists working together. It's a nightmare!"

"Is it really so bad? The Captain's alive and we have an Executive in custody. Plus, we burned down a new Akashic Records and got Alexicon and Arquero running scared. That's nothing but good press for the ACC."

"The problem is we have the Captain questioning himself." McGahn snapped. "I wasn't lying when I said he's the ACC's foundation. I give you the target, you plant the evidence, and he provides the muscle. But by saving him, Nowhere_Man has made the Captain doubt everything he thought he knew about the cultists. The last thing we want is for him to start questioning other arrests and taking a closer look at things!"

"So what do we do?"

McGahn steepled his hands over his nose, thinking quietly to himself. Nephrait knew not to distract him. Instead, she glanced at the Sweeping Edge blade again. Nephrait couldn't help but wonder if things would have been better if she just killed Cobb straight out when she had the chance. Just roll him into lava and be done with it.

Instead, she brought him back to be imprisoned.

She kept replaying McGahn's bogus reasoning in her head.

'As you are, wouldn't you be more willing to show sympathy to a man who saved your life? Even if they were a cultist?'

'There would always be a shred of doubt, Captain. A sliver of hesitation.'

Is that what happened? When Cobb saved her, did she unconsciously show mercy by choosing the Pit over a lava pool? How many steps ahead was the Endward Cult thinking?

Finally, McGahn had something. "What we need… is to reassure Obsidian, as fast as possible, that these people are in fact cultists. Then we need to wipe out all trace of them before they can weaken the Captain's resolve any further. Everything we've worked for depends on it."

She was all on board with that.

"Okay. How do we start?"

"A public admission of guilt from the Executive himself." He said darkly. "Followed shortly by a swift execution."

---

Inventory (Cobb): {Empty}

[EXP: 27]

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 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 Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings, 16 Gunpowder, 3 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {6:00}, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 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 {Weak}, 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, 17 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 21 Cooked Mutton, 64 Emeralds, 16 Sugar Cane, 8 Paper, 5 Ink Sacs, 3 Leather, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 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, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 41 Cooked Mutton, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}

[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 Bed, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 16 String, 17 Cooked Mutton, 14 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 34 Cobblestone, 30 Emeralds, 24 Obsidian, 2 Buckets, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 8 Ender Chests, 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, 10 Cooked Mutton, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Potion of Healing II, 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 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Compass, 1 Arrow, 3 Sugar, 14 Bookshelves, 5 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 64 Emeralds, 18 Bones, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 49 Gravel, 9 Flint

[EXP: 25]

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AN: An Executive Execution? Hum...

My thought process going into this was I wanted a Chapter deciated to the ACC's backstory. The ACC, as I'm sure many of you can guess, is based off of HUAC. The situation in Akasha is reminiscent of the Red Scare where everyone was suspicious of everyone, and Grosvenor_McGahn is loosely based off of Joseph McCarthy. However, I wanted to make these framing jerks a bit more sympathetic than 'What I say goes! I am the law!'

I had this Akasha Arc planned for quite a bit... probably for as long as when the OC Glowing_Obsidian was first submitted. Anyway, like the Herobrine backstory, you're shown how the characters got to where they are, the types of things they were going through and had to sacrifice. The best way to make good villains is making the reader sympathize with them. Maybe you all still think McGahn is a jerkwad, but that's your choice. I just laid out the road he took, swerves and all.

FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. SERVER. POPTARTS.

And now, because I owed a friend of mine an Omake... here you go.

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Omake: Fifty Shades of Chicken Revisited

Cobb and the Corn Gang were camped out in the airship, passing the time with some engaging stories.

"…And then the engineer realized," Lenz paused for dramatic effect, "the redstone signal… was coming… from OUTSIDE THE HOUSE! AIEEHHHHHHHH!"

His captive audience (captive in that they had nowhere else to go), stared flatly back at the engineer with only Noman having the decency to clap his hands awkwardly.

"That was… a very good story, Lenz."

"Booooo!" Soul groused, lobbing an apple at the nerd. "Get off the stage!"

"Humph. I would like to see you tell a better story."

"I'll take you up on that offer." Cobb volunteered, standing up and allowing Lenz to take a seat. "Thanks to my eidetic memory, I can tell you all a grand epic as if I was reading it word for word. And no story is more emotionally charged than Fifty Shades of Chicken—"

"NO." Jade suddenly waved her arms. "No, no! I want nothing to do with that book!"

"You've read it before?" Noman asked.

"No, but a friend of mine did, and by how she summarized it, it was the stupidest thing I ever heard."

"That explains Cobb's appreciation for it."

"I heard that Soul!"

"I mean, could it really be that bad?" Noman asked innocently.

"Oh, you sweet, dumb, summer child…"

"Cobb and I spawned in late spring, actually—"

"Well, we're bored enough to listen to anything, so just get on with it. And if the story sucks, I'll ready my apples." Soul handed a spare to Floyd and the two shared a smirk.

"Alright! Prepare to be dazzled by the greatest epic known to Crafterkind!" Cobb proudly boasted before beginning the story.

---

Twenty and a half minutes later…

So? How was the story?

Five faces of confusion and abject 'what the fuck did I just listen to' graced the young fisherman before Soul gave an honest and heartfelt critique.

"What the fu—"

"Yeah, he's not making this up." Jade declared flatly, numb to everything. She had the right idea, unlike Noman who was still trying to make sense of it.

"So… the man exclusively dated chickens?"

"Why was this documented?" Lenz whispered in shame.

"When you said Bryan was a chick magnet, I thought you meant something else." Floyd shook his head before holding out his hand. "I'd like those twenty and a half minutes of my life back."

"You guys just can't appreciate good literature."

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AN: If you haven't read Fifty Shades of Chicken from the past Omakes, this probably doesn't make much sense. If you have read the past Omakes, this probably doesn't make much sense. Chapters 44-48 for the epic Fifty Shades of Chicken collection.