Somehow all my ideas and plot are just gone. Poof. Disappeared from my head. I actually have no experience writing fight scene, I mainly write romance and fluff scraps before so I really don't have any idea. Chapter 4 was the first time o attempted really writing fight scene. This is just the author rant, not sure if anyone will read this. Pushing 2k words per chapter seems decent enough but I don't know if its good enough. But heyyyy, at least people wont obliterate me in the reviews for not being good at writing fanfic or taking too long to update.

On a side note. Minecraftia spawn rate and time make no sense. Like Minecraft time to real time would only lasted 20 minutes, and there is like a billion people in Minecraftia. We know that 500 years has passed since Herobrine first spawned, and that's Minecraft year. That is like 3 years if we convert it to real time. It would make more sense if Minecraftia apply real time instead of Minecraft time. We should ignore this massive plothole and pretend that a day in Minecraftia lasted 24 hours instead for the sake of this story.

I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I wouldn't know what to do with Minecraft anyway.

[A few minutes back]

I trudged through the forest, searching for my companion, frustration bubbled up within me like a simmering cauldron.

Come on, Fildde, don't make this harder than it needs to be. I though to myself in annoyance.

*WOOSH*

A sound caught my attention. "There you are!" I exclaimed, relief flooding through me as I spotted movement ahead. I pushed past the trees, clearing a path as I went, and gathered more seeds along the way.

"Finally," I said without looking. "I'm so gonna kill you for makin–" But before I could even address him, a whistling arrow hurtled toward me.

*VSH*

My instincts kicked in, propelling me into a swift dodge just in the nick of time. What the hell? A skeleton in broad daylight? My mind is struggling to process the situation.

As I readied my sword, preparing to face the unexpected threat, a figure emerged from the shadows—oh that is not Fildde. Instead, a female Crafter in front of me, I glanced at the name hovering above her head.

'RuthlessLee'

…

I have no idea who this chick is. She just shot me with an arrow, probably thinking that I was a Mob or something. Eh, at Least I found someone.

"Oh! Sorry! I thought you were a fresh Crafter," she exclaimed, her voice filled with embarrassment as she scratched her head.

She then approached me with an outstretched hand. "I'm Lee from the Endward Cult western division. I'm supposed to meet up with you sooner but, err, sorry! I was distracted by the bunnies and all that. I almost liberated you. Ehehe…"

Wait... fresh Crafter? Cult? Western division? My mind was still comprehending what she just said, is she implying that she would shoot me regardless if I was a Mob or Crafter?

My mind raced, trying to piece together the implications of her words. If "liberated" meant what I feared it did then... fuck.

"Right..." I eyed her warily.

With a forced nod, I played along. Masking my confusion with a facade of understanding. "Uh, yeah. Shooting an arrow at someone as greetings, real smooth, Lee." I shook her hand.

"Just making sure you're the one I'm waiting for. Besides, Newb Crafters are easy to spot. I'm sure you're not one though." she quipped.

How should I deal with this?

[Currently]

"-eah and so he goes 'No! Lee, you shouldn't play around with Crafter's head and use them as puppets!' And I was all like 'They're already ascended to the Next Life, I'm sure they won't mind.' Lieutenant Leadstripe is serious like that. And I haven't told you about the time I-"" She kept ranting on and on. Each word coming from her mouth made me cringe.

Helena is going to be crushed when she finds out her hero is actually a cult leader. Nothing's ever as it seems I guess.

Ok. Focus, Vagferes. She doesn't know. Assuming this chick is serious, you're in deep shit. But, you need answers, yeah? Fake it till you make it. Pretend you know what you're talking about. I give myself a mental pep talk.

Glancing at her, I take notes. Definitely more experienced, probably killed before. She mentions a cult-bad news, I gather. Can't take her down, but I've got the element of surprise. Must be an airhead. She thinks I'm her supposed cultist partner buddy. So there are two crazies on the loose. Damn it, Fildde. Don't kick the bucket.

"So, Vagferes. What about you? I'm sure you could tell me something about your Eastern division. Say, how's liberating Crafters going on for you? I heard it's pretty laid back."

Lee's question caught me off guard, snapping me out of my thoughts. Alright, Vagferes, time to think on your feet. Lie and improvise.

"Ah, well, you know how it is," I replied casually, trying to sound confident. "I've had my fair share of experiences. Killed a full-iron once with my stone sword," Technically true, though conveniently omitting the finer details like it's not a Crafter but a Zombie. "My partner and I had this strategy, you see. We called it the 'ping pong strategy.' Just hitting back and forth, you know?"

Lee nodded eagerly, seemingly buying into my narrative. "Impressive!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with admiration.

"Soooo, what were you up to?"

Keep going, she's believing it. "I was hunting," For food. "Looking for Crafters." Fildde and that guy Helena mentioned.

"Well, it's our job anyway. Need to make it interesting somehow."

I nodded along, inwardly relieved that she seemed to accept my half-truths. Hopefully, she'd concoct her own version of events and spare me any further scrutiny.

With that out of the way. There is another problem. I'm stuck playing pretend with some cultist chick while my partner is missing. I can't let her meet him, though. And I'm not exactly keen on encountering her cultist buddy either.

…

Wait, I could use this chance! I could pull a fast one on this cultist. Make her target her actual partner, grab Fildde, and dip. That is, if he's still in one piece and hasn't encountered her real partner. She won't see it coming, and I'll be one step closer to getting the heck outta here. Brilliant! I'm proud of myself.

Hmm, tempting. Or I could persuade Fildde to jump her and gather intel when I find him. After all, this cultist chick isn't exactly a saint. Wouldn't lose any sleep over it, that's for sure.

Ugh, I've barely exchanged a few words with this chick and already I'm plotting her murder. What's wrong with me... Do Crafters drop items after deat– I mean she is not a good person either and is casually talking about killing. Either my life or hers. Yep, justified it. Just trying to survive..

Damn, this is messed up. Maybe her demise will cheer me up… ok you're one sick bastard, myself!

"You look dazed. Thinking of something?" The cultist in question asked.

"Yeah, thinking about ways I should mur–liberate Crafters." I replied back.

Now that I have a semi solid plan, I just need to find my partner. I turned my head back and used the mountain silhouette as direction and tried to navigate back to where I placed my crafting table.

As we walked, we stumbled across a furnace. Neither I nor Fildde had placed it. That meant we were close to another Crafter, could be another cultist or the Crafter me and Fildde wanted to find. Well, might as well cook up these raw rabbits in the meantime.

Approaching the furnace, I inspected it. Inside were 5 [Coals]. I tossed in the 3 [Raw rabbits], and they began to cook instantly.

I should totally snatch this furnace once I'm done cooking these rabbits. And speaking of those, while I'm waiting for them to cook up, I hear this god-awful scream from the other direction.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

And that's my cue to leave. Something just happened. This went from manageable to shit real quick. RuthlessLee perks up, busts out her iron sword. "Oh, sweet! That must be a newly spawned Crafter. Come on, let's go!"

Hang in there for a little longer, Fildde. I need these cooked rabbits first.

[Fildde]

In all honesty, I wanted to scream my lungs out. LIKE, REALLY. But that would just alert the psycho killer chasing me. Dying isn't on my to-do list, especially when I barely know this world. Regrets? Yeah, I've got a few.

Oh, and I'm starving. Glancing down at my right arm, I could practically see the hunger bar flashing ominously. Only 6 drumsticks left. Great. Just great.

In times like this, screw dignity! I'm eating weird, disgusting meat. I pulled out the [Rotten flesh] and reluctantly began to gnaw on it. It tasted as expected but miraculously, I gained back a couple of drumsticks without triggering the hunger status effect that Helena mentioned. She did say 'sometimes' Crafters would get that.

Right now, I'm in hiding. I've resorted to the age-old tactic of hiding underground, currently cowering in a hole I dug myself, blocking out Curt with layers of dirt. Thankfully, he only brought an axe and not a shovel or a pickaxe.

Living on borrowed time right now. My mind is racing through all the possible scenarios of how I might meet my demise. Vag is still out there, and if I play my cards right, I might just have a shot at escaping this mess. Only a complete idiot would try to take on someone with more gear and experience with just a stone sword. Fortunately, I still have a shred of common sense left.

As I hear the sound of blocks breaking from above, a chill runs down my spine. "I don't have time. Why don't you make this easier for the both of us and stop hiding." Yeah, no thanks. I'll pass on that invitation. Instead, I keep digging deeper, faster than he can reach me. But blocking him with blocks also blocks the light source, with no clue of which way is up or down, the stress is really starting to get to me.

I don't know why, but I have a feeling my [Wooden pickaxe] won't last much longer.

Wait, I could dig the other way while that guy thinks I'm digging down. This might just work. I quickly shift my pickaxe in the opposite direction and begin chipping away at the stones, filling the path I made with dirt as I go.

*POP* *POP* *POP* *PO–*

*PSH*

Oh hell, that scared the shit out of me! I looked down and found that there was a gaping hole under the stone that I dug. That was close... Wait, A hole? Holy crap, there's a cave beneath me.

*POP* *POP* *POP*

What the hell? I whipped around to see Curtain smashing through the cobblestones I had placed, wielding a gleaming iron pickaxe. As if that wasn't bad enough, he then swapped to his axe and charged straight at me.

Curtain's axe sliced with deadly precision, striking me squarely on the shoulder. Pain exploded through my body, and I let out a strangled cry, stumbling backward.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed in pain. "OH FUCK! OH SHIT! IT HURTS!" It felt like my shoulder was being torn apart, the pain shooting through me like a lightning bolt. I stumbled backward and groaned.

My mind raced, a whirlwind of panicked thoughts swirling in a haze of pain. With trembling hands, I fumbled for my blocks, desperately trying to place them between us to buy myself some precious movement was an ordeal, every breath a struggle against the overwhelming tide of pain

"FUCK YOU!" I cursed, each word punctuated by a fresh wave of agony.

Curtain slowly breaks the blocks, placing down a torch on the wall. "You're not the first Crafter to try this." he dismissed my words. "I'm not a Newb like you. It was fun but hide and seek is over," he declared, relishing and flaunting his iron axe.

Okay, plan failed. I'm panicking and out of options. And no way am I surviving this, not after that. Glancing at my health meter… that took out half of my heart.

Curtain takes a step back, a wicked grin playing on his lips. "Always wanted to try this. Normally, I'd have to liberate you, but I managed to complete the status quo just in time. So, I get to have some fun."

Stranger danger! Stranger danger! I do not like his implication one bit.

Panic sets in. I don't want to go out like a chump, but there is nothing I can do.

*SSS*

As Curtain stood at the beginning of the tunnel, readied his axe. A sudden commotion above caught both our attention. I looked around just in time to see something hurtling down the hole, descending with alarming speed. It was a red block, emblazoned with the unmistakable label: TNT.

Before I could even process what was happening, the loud sound erupts my ear drums. The air was filled with the deafening roar of the explosion, the shockwave rippling through the tunnel. Curtain's eyes widened in disbelief as the force of the blast engulfed him, and disappeared in the middle of the explosion.

I watched in stunned silence as the explosion reached the stone platform beneath me, it shattered, crumbling away into the darkness below. With a helpless cry, I plummeted downward, the rush of air whipping past me as I fell into the cave below.

[Vagferes]

Lee leaned over the hole, peering down into it. "The sound is definitely coming from this hole," she confirmed.

As much as I wanted to push her down and hope she plummets to her death, I couldn't risk it with Fildde potentially down there.

Exchanging a glance with Lee, I approached the hole cautiously, the faint sound of shouting echoing from within.

Lee and I stood by the hole, peering down, though I kept my distance from the cultist.

"You think it's dead?" Lee questioned. "Digging straight down is a pretty reckless thing to do. A Newb Crafter with no experience whatsoever would totally do this,"

"Why don't we go down there and check?" I suggested.

I'm almost certain Fildde is down there. I don't know why he screamed—probably nothing. If I can get to him, we might have a chance to either kill or subdue this crazy cultist.

Lee thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Nah, I've got a better idea. Been wanting to use this for a while now," she said, then took out a red cube from her inventory and placed it down on the hole entrance... Wait, did it say "TnT" on the block? Holy shit!

If she's doing what I think she's doing, yeah, nope, nevermind, she is. I sprint towards her to stop whatever she's doing, but she pulls out a steel object and lights the TNT. It makes a hissing noise, then drops down into the hole.

I stood there speechless, dropping to my knees. "NO!" I watch as a loud explosion erupts from inside the hole.

I- fuck, FILDDE! I was panicking. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! I glared at Lee.

Her expression seems confused at first, then suddenly contorts with realization. "OH! You must've wanted to liberate the Crafter down there yourself. I'm sorry!" She looks down at the hole and quickly pulls out a water bucket, placing it inside. "You can have its items." She then jumped inside.

The urge to fucking kill her is overwhelming. How can she be so clueless? I bite my tongue, clenching my fists to stop myself from doing something stupid. I don't know if the plot requires me to like that guy but Fildde was the first person i've met here. Knowing that he likely perished is inverving and makes me feel weird, I talked to that guy today and now he's likely gone.

I could bolt right now. She's down there... but she also mentioned meeting another cultist. Screw it, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. Do I risk facing an unknown lunatic out there or stay down here with this lunatic? Besides, the Crafter down there might not even be Fildde.

…

I'm seething aren't I?

"Fucking hell!" I jumped down the watered filled hole.

Inventory (Fildde): 1 Wooden pickaxe, 1 Stone sword, 5 Oak woods, 2 Buttons, 1 Trap door, 6 Oak slabs, 1 Crafting table, 21 Cobblestones, 1 Spider eye, 1 Iron ingot, 1 Emerald

[EXP:1]

Inventory (Vagferes): 1 Stone Sword, 1 Wooden axe, 9 Oak planks, 10 Oak woods, 1 Stick, 4 Seeds, 3 Cooked rabbits, 4 Bones, 6 Arrows, 3 Rotten flesh, 4 Dirt, 2 Spider eyes, 1 Emerald

[EXP:3]