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.

244. The Deep End

AN: Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you're having a good break from either work or school.

I'm sick. I used my sick time to type out a good chunk of this Chapter, but my body felt sore and my throat felt raw. It feels like Covid (again) but it could just as well be a head cold. I don't have any tests to check.

This is a long Chapter. So long, in fact, I had to chop it up and copy and paste it into the site separately, as the file was too large and there were some corruption problems I can't explain. It's in, though, and I'm quite proud of it. Thus, I will give it the highest endorsement I can bestow:

Nothing Happens This Chapter. You Can Skip It.

---

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I would have put more in Java 1.18.

---

Chapter 244

The Deep End

[Cobb]

I was a reasonable man who made reasonable demands.

"I want everyone we have to go out and scour this peninsula for my redstone archerneer!" I demanded, slamming my palm on the table.

"Stop freaking out. This isn't as bad as it seems." Trenay reasoned, though not without a hint of anxiety bleeding through. "We need - oh, wow." She paused to check her personal map. "Jillian's a sharp one. She already noticed the missing blips and wants an update. Eustace, get on that."

"Yes, ma'am." Eustace got to work sending out map messages.

I was sending my own kind of messages to Z7. Through my vague understanding of Jibberish, we were communicating in short, one-to-three-word sentences, passing the book and quill between us. I spent the last twenty minutes relaying to her what we knew and relaying to the others how Z7 and her team got jumped by, most likely, the Eastern Executive. As for Z7 herself, she was beside herself with worry over Lenz, and terrified considering how quickly her team had been wiped out.

Neiro looked at how Z7 and I communicated via the book. "How do you know how to read and write that?"

"Lenz told me once. The letters are just reversed. A is Z and Z is A. I can't speak a word of it, but I can read and write it... to an extent."

I was slow and had to consult the self-guide I made for myself, but that was why we were writing in short sentences.

Z7 was latching onto me as an outlet, both to hear and be heard. Her involvement with whatever plan we decided on hinged solely on her ability to express herself in that book for me to translate. The pages already had several messages from her. They were short sentences she jotted down to explain what happened to her team.

[EXECUTIVE SNIPER ATTACKED.]

[DISTANT EXPLOSION. PRECEDED DEADLY ARROW.]

[ONE-SHOT KILL. BUFFS USELESS. BLEW THROUGH TOTEMS.]

[BURNT EVIDENCE. COVERED MY TRACKS.]

[WASN'T FOLLOWED.]

[GET LENZ BACK?]

I nodded to the last question. Of course we'd be getting him back. That was my friend out there. I just wanted to know why everyone was dawdling with their thumbs up their asses!?

"We need to find Lenz right now!"

"It's not just him missing, Cobb." Trenay reminded. Her hand slapped the enlarged map on the wall. "Perry and Dwight's blips are gone as well. However, based on where they left off, we can assume they're safe at the moment."

"Or dead." Attila added unhelpfully.

"They're not dead." I said, though I felt fear gripping my heart. "They're only dead if there's a Head. They're only dead if there's a Head." I repeated aloud, seeking some shred of comfort. It was a rule of thumb for me ever since I was misinformed of Floyd's demise. Only a Crafter's disembodied Head served as irrefutable proof that they were gone.

That criteria fit Shroud, Doyle, and Aurand right now. Luis, Wing, and Heather were already arranging their funeral pyre for an honorable cremation. Exactly what did the Eastern Executive possess to get through all those buffs?

"I concur. They're not dead." Baltic agreed before turning to his fellow Paragon. "You were saying, Trenay?"

"Right. We work the evidence." She slapped the map on the wall again. "There blips were all together, and before they blinked out, both Perry and Dwight's blips gave the 'going dark' signal."

"What's that?" I asked, lost.

"They picked up and dropped their maps three times, making their blips flash." Neiro explained. "It's used when Paragons are in too tight a spot to send a detailed map message. Basically, it means, 'I am going off radar. Not safe right now. Do not come find me. I will reestablish contact with you later.'"

"In which case, things might be going to plan." Witige pointed out. "They were out on their infiltration plan. Maybe it finally bore fruit, so they had to ditch their maps to avoid being searched upon entry."

"But Lenz was never meant to be involved! He can't be! They know him!" I stressed. "He was merely meant to lay down the explosives! Jade would've already leaked out the Beginners' identities! If he got roped in, the cultists will pick him out a mile away! Why did Perry and Dwight drag him into their reckless plan!?"

"Perry and Dwight aren't idiots. They would know as much." Trenay reasoned, a hand stroking her chin. "If worse came to worse, they could have simply used their buffs and totems to escape. The reason they didn't... must be because they're sure Lenz can infiltrate without being noticed."

"How can you be sure?"

"I'm not, but the only real threat to their buffs is the sniper Executive, and he was here while Lenz, Perry, and Dwight were here." She pointed to two distant points on the map of Oak Docks. "If they're not dead, and they're confident enough to 'go dark', we can presume Lenz's identity hasn't been compromised."

"But how? Jade would've told them!"

"...I don't have an answer." Trenay conceded. "We just have to trust the guys know what they're doing."

"Trust them? Trust them? We have no way to tell whether or not they're all still alive! Absolute zero contact!" I stressed.

"You're the one who said we needed results by today." Neiro reminded, making me overcome with guilt.

"...This isn't what I meant."

Now I was thinking that Lenz got roped in specifically because I put pressure on the group to get results. The incentive of wiping out the Eastern Division to smooth out his relationship with Z7 was too important. What if my words led to this issue? What if Lenz was in peril because of me?

I couldn't handle that.

"We have to find him. Find all of them." I corrected. It was easy to forget about Perry and Dwight where Lenz was concerned. I couldn't help it. I knew one longer than the others. "Baltic, Trenay, Attila. What are our options?"

"Well, it's important to stay level-headed."

"Okay."

"If Dwight and Perry used the 'going dark' message, we need to trust that they'll reestablish contact later. Presumably with the Eastern HQ's location."

"Okay."

"However, we can't risk jeopardizing their cover by going out and looking for them. We'll do more harm than good."

"...Okay?"

"Therefore, I regret to say, we'll have to curtail your widespread search plan. It's just too fishy having thousands of our forces scouring the peninsula for people infiltrating the Endward Cult. We'd be tipping our hand-"

"So you're saying... that the full extent of what you can do... to help me get my friend back... is... nothing?"

Baltic looked back without flinching. "At this moment, yes. There's nothing to be done."

I nodded, my tongue prodding the inside of my blackened cheek as I mulled over the Paragons' apparent helplessness.

"...Then I'll find him myself."

"Cobb, wait-"

I was already marching for the door with my Potions of Invisibility. Z7 recognized my intent and jogged to match steps with me. We were both heading out, it seemed.

"You guys are going back out there?" Alfonso asked, disbelief etched in his tone. "She almost got shot down by a Railgun!"

I whirled on him, as did several Paragons. "A what?"

"A Railgun." Alfonso explained. "I can only assume it was that, based off the Jibberwoman's 'testimony'." He used air quotes. "It was a technique of the Scarlet Tanager - a fellow Bird of Prey."

"So what is it?" Milton asked.

"A Railgun is a term for an arrow propelled at super high speeds. In Minecraftia, the damage done by an arrow is directly proportional to its speed, and the potential force is limitless." He stressed. "Capable of wiping out our buffed Health with ease. Understand, these are speeds no arrow was ever meant to go, but it can be achieved through stacks of condensed TNT, or, in a more compact form, through TNT minecarts. The Railgun gets its name from the 'rail' the minecarts with TNT are set upon. Rito - the Scarlet Tanager - spent years perfecting the technique before he released it to the public. It was sort of his trademark, though Inventory limitations made it only good for one shot at a time."

"So, what? You're saying the Eastern Executive ignited TNT minecarts," Daisy followed along, "then launched an arrow at just the right moment to kill Z7's assassins?"

"More importantly, are you suggesting the Scarlet Tanager is the Eastern Executive?" Attila pressed.

"Yes to you. No to you." Alfonso answered respectively. "As I said, Rito went public with this technique so that any archer could pull it off with enough practice. He was the most experienced with it, but it could be any skilled archer. You don't have to be a former Bird of Prey to be an exceptional archer, as your friend Lenzington can attest. If we ever encounter this Executive, we'll need totems in hand at all times. The Railgun is just that deadly."

"So I'll stay hidden!" I snapped back, offering some totems to Z7 only for her to turn them down. She wasn't about to accept charity when she lost her own totems. She would, however, share invisibility. I needed more potions, then. "Baltic, Witige. I need Splash Potions of Invisibility. As many as we can hold."

"Cobb-" Baltic tried.

"Are you going to tell me no?" I demanded aggressively.

Baltic stared at Z7 and me for a good while before he silently took out his gear and started brewing.

"This is a bad idea, Cobb." Daisy tried to dissuade.

"I already told you I'm not perfect." I countered. "But I'm not going to sit here. I'm going to channel my distress into doing something useful. I'll check where their blips were last seen."

"If you're seen by anyone-"

"They won't see me." I swore. I could at least promise that with the Potions of Invisibility. I would have to rearrange some items into my ender chest to free up room, but I'd make space.

Baltic handed me the potions. I lingered just long enough for Z7 to pay her respects during the cremation of her Teammates' Heads before she was committed to go. We doused ourselves and hurried into the early morning of December 11th.

---

[Lenz]

First thing we did was abandon our maps.

As Teal led us north through the lesser-known streets of the Cuore District, I handed my linked map to Dwight and ran distraction with the Lieutenant, asking her questions so that she would not notice my allies sending out a warning signal before depositing all our maps into a surreptitiously placed ender chest, to be retrieved later.

Yes, we needed the maps to show our allies where the HQ was hidden, but if we were checked prior to entry - a foregone inevitability - then the maps would be found, confiscated, and used to prove we had outside allies and were part of a larger, organized, Paragon-esque mission. Which would mean our deaths.

I was never more thankful for the dragon mask as I was then. My pupils were dilated and darting and would surely tip off the Lieutenant if she could see them. Of course I was internally panicking. I was no actor. I was never meant to be part of this infiltration mission.

After running distraction, I hung back and let Perry take a more engaging roll occupying Teal's attention. I kept quiet and reserved for most of the walk north, up until the sun started to rise and we were a few miles north of the Cadboro Bridge. That was when Dwight waited for me to catch up before pouncing.

"What are you doing?" He hissed.

"What!? What did I do!?" I panicked.

"You're being standoffish and reserved. You're keeping to yourself while Perry does all the talking."

"Why is that bad? I am trying to avoid detection."

"You're being too obvious about it!" Dwight lectured. "Listen, you don't infiltrate by keeping to yourself. You schmooze. You curry favor. You get them to like you and lower their guard." He gave me a look. "As you are, you're being hella suspicious."

"Well, I am sorry, but I was never meant to go this far!" I whispered back angrily, my eyes checking that Teal was occupied. "This is crazy! I cannot act! I lack the social skills to properly infiltrate!"

"Well, you better learn fast, or it's all our Heads!" Dwight hissed back angrily before taking a deep breath. "Look, just keep your head on straight, alright? You just need to keep this up until we find the Eastern HQ and re-access an ender chest for our maps. Then we can call in the cavalry. You got infiltrated by that Jade woman, right? What'd she do?"

"Romance Cobbert?"

"Okay, bad example. Umm..." Dwight backtracked immediately, thinking for a second. "Okay, look. Just... be yourself. Plus the added craziness of a cultist. Minus the romance, as Z7 will kill me if the cultists don't first. Remember, you are a killer."

"I am a killer." I echoed to myself. "I am a killer. I am a killer."

"Good, now go talk to her."

Dwight gave me a shove towards Teal and Perry, and I caught myself from stumbling into them before catching up and matching their pace. Perry was just wrapping up a conversation with her.

"-sounds like a good time, but don't you have to worry about them making boats?"

"Oh, no~! Boats aren't a problem." She winked teasingly. "Let's just say I've got a little trick in store to cover that~"

"Alright then, keep your secrets."

"I will." Teal turned to see me rejoin them. "You've been awfully quiet, Lenny~"

...Lenny?

"And how come you're still wearing that Dragon Mask?"

"Er..." I paused, thinking of an excuse. "...It makes me look less like a geek?"

Behind Teal, unbeknownst to her, I saw Perry throw his arms up in silent outrage, his lips mouthing the word, 'WHAT!?' As excuses went, it was fairly terrible. You would have to be pretty gullible to-

"Hum. Makes sense." Teal nodded with her arms folded in consideration. "It does make you look cooler. I suppose I can allow it until you feel more comfortable."

I was left surprised by how unguarded this apparent Lieutenant could be. Was Teal_Larkspur just one of the simpler Lieutenants?

I had to wonder how she did not know of me. Surely, Jade would have passed on that information. Did she know and this was just a trap to lure us in? Or was she, dare I hoped, a bit scatterbrained?

Maybe she had been informed, but it just did not stick in her mind. Names, after all, were easy to forget, especially for a battle junkie like herself. The same may not be said for the cultists at her HQ, but, if I was allowed to keep my Dragon Mask on, I could avoid revealing myself for as long as possible.

Now, what did I know about Teal herself? What did I know about the enemy?

From Helena at the Origin, I heard Teal was a sweet, friendly, and bubbly girl. Exhausting in large doses, but also a thrill seeker.

From Floyd and Soul, I knew she was a battle-maniac who liked games. She was easily distracted by games, hence her obsession with her barbaric Survival Games where she hunted Crafters for sport.

From Professor Lancer, I knew she was a former alumnus of the Redstone College (three-week dropout notwithstanding). She had an initial interest with Redstone, sparked by its beauty but snuffed out by its complexity.

She had the Voda Shlem and an elytra. She fought predominantly with fists and kicks.

And her EXP level was at... a whopping 88. Oh dear. I compared her level to my pathetic 25. Since the physical gains of EXP rose exponentially with level, she could overpower all three of us with ease despite our Strength buffs.

Maybe we could jump her all at once and kill her, but then we would lose out on locating the Eastern HQ. We needed her to lead us there, as dangerous as it was.

"So, what can you do~?"

"Huh?"

"I already know you can level a building." Teal elaborated. "What else you got on offer~?" She made a serious pose, resting her chin on one fist, though her smile indicated a little light teasing. "Sell yourself~"

"Er, well," I took out my bow, "I consider myself an accomplished archer."

She frowned dispassionately. "Archers are annoying."

"I am also a brilliant redstone engineer-"

Her frown deepened, her face wrinkling up in a distasteful scowl. "Ugh. Not one of those people."

Despite the danger, I felt a flash of irritation. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing." Teal shook her hands hastily. "Just saying you eggheads put a lot of stock in something as convoluted as redstone."

"Redstone is not convoluted if you know what you are doing." I countered heatedly. "It has innumerable practical applications, and-"

"Neeeeeeeeeerd~!"

I bit my lip in irritation.

"Redstone takes too long to set up, making it useless in combat. Here. Pretend we're fighting." With a casual twist of her arm, Teal had my arm pinned behind my back in a near-breaking position. I winced at the resistance my arm felt, threatening to break. She had done it so swiftly. "Now how are you going to redstone wire your way out of this, egghead~?"

She allowed a few seconds for nothing to happen to prove her point before she let go of my arm. "You see? Redstone is just boring science smart people surround themselves with to look and sound smarter. The automated kingdom is all flash and no substance. No offense, but studying it is just a way to waste time, energy, and brainpower. It's not necessary. The world could do without it and nothing would change."

She had no idea how much she was infuriating me with her casual dismissal of Redstone. She was woefully uninformed on what it was capable of. Did she not see how automating menial tasks could free up time for Crafters? An automated farm could feed a kingdom for years. An automated Mob Grinder could gather EXP and drops and avoid the risk of dying. Airships that aided in transportation. TNT cannons and arrow turrets that aided in defense. I felt my fists tightening as she did Redstone dirty like that.

"Perhaps Redstone is time-consuming, I will grant you." I conceded to the Lieutenant. "But if you have that time, you can have the strength to vanquish an army. Ever hear of the great Battle of Halstatt? Well, the gravel trap that doomed all those Griefers was powered by redstone."

"It's shit in a straight fight, though. Plus, it makes my brain hurt, all the flippy torches and rules." She groaned. "Waaaay too tedious."

My eye twitched. "So you would never give it a try?"

"Psh. No~!" She giggled. "I wouldn't be caught dead following in a nerd's footsteps~"

"Then you would not know Professor Lancer," my words made her tense up, "nor would you know why he claimed you attended."

Teal clicked her tongue. "I need to have a word with that professor." She closed her eyes and let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, you got me. I was a student. Centuries ago. I'm not now." She opened her eyes and pouted at me. "And it was a waste of time. I dropped out."

"You quit because you could not understand the curriculum."

"I felt dumb!" She snapped. "I got picked on by redstone geeks. Me! No one else seemed to be struggling."

"That is not your fault. Professor Lancer felt partly responsible. He should have realized you needed help but were too proud to admit it."

"...He really said that?" Teal asked, her teasing lilt gone. She appeared to be mulling over her thoughts before she dismissed them with a shake of her head. "Humph. Whatever. It was a chapter of my life I'd prefer stayed shut. Don't go spreading rumors in the cult that I ever attended the same school as those geeks. No offense, Lenny~"

"But there is nothing to be ashamed of. Redstone can be enthralling if you let it!" I tried to earnestly convince her. "It is never too late to pick it up, and I can give some helpful pointers-"

I cut off as my cheeks were suddenly smushed together by a vice-like grip. Teal offered a closed-eyed smile as she got right up in my dragon masked face.

"Lenny~?" She asked in a saccharine sweet voice that promised pain.

"...Yesh, Tweal?" I spoke through smushed cheeks.

"Do I look like a geek~?"

"...Nwo, Tweal."

"Then let's drop it faster than I dropped my education~!" She released my cheeks with a playful pat before ending the conversation and sashaying to Dwight. "You. What can you do?" Dwight took it upon himself to answer and engage in conversation since I so clearly bombed it.

I felt a slap against the back of my head. "Are you trying to piss her off!? Learn to read the mood."

That was somewhat rich coming from him. "I said I was no good at this."

Perry rolled his eyes before checking that Teal was absorbed in conversation with Dwight. "She didn't recognize you when you showed your name, did she?"

"No. No flash of recognition or anything. She was just upset you guys were stealing credit for my work." I explained. "You think she is faking it or just plain ditzy?"

"Ditzy, definitely." Perry whispered back. "She's way too trusting. Or maybe just way too arrogant considering she can fold us in half with both arms tied behind her back." It was telling how the normally irascible Perry had no misconceptions about Teal's strength. She was lethal, and he knew it. "She didn't recognize me either."

"You encountered her? When?"

"Months ago. She led an attack on Lunar Castle a couple weeks after we ran the Hackers out. I was there, but I guess I didn't leave much of an impression." He sounded a tad hurt. "It works for us, though. You just keep that mask on, and maybe we make it out of this alive. And, for once, please lay off on the redstone talk."

"I get the idea."

We kept journeying further and further north. The wooden buildings of the Cuore District became sparser, and we found ourselves surrounded by oak trees. The forest must have been where the lumber for Oak Docks' docks came from. There was also a wide stretch of beach going up the western shore of the peninsula. I could spy several beachgoers as they settled for the morning now that it was safe, but we stayed out of their sight.

"Oh!" Teal suddenly stopped, Dwight crashing into her back. "I almost forgot. Doi~" She lightly bonked herself in the head with a fist before turning to face us. "I'm gonna need to search you. It's a policy Mar - Margaret cooked up. Can't run the risk of you carrying linked maps or whatnot. It's a pain, but rules are rules. I'm sure you understand."

Thankfully, we planned for such an eventuality. There was nothing in our inventory tying us to the Paragons. With that in mind, I spread my arms out, just like Perry and Dwight, and allowed Teal to search our Inventories without fear.

She checked belt pockets first, then the backpack, her head poking down into it while she rummaged like a burrowing squirrel. Her hair even looked like a squirrel tail with how it twitched and flicked while she searched.

She passed by Perry and Dwight, making a comment about the totems.

"You've seen totems before?" Dwight asked.

"Oh, yeah~ Know what they do too." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a matching golden idol. "Margaret risked life and limb stealing this from Nitebane. Said he wanted me to have it." She held it tenderly against her chest, a warm smile suffusing her face. "It was a big risk with the Paragons holed up there. You know the Paragons are in control of Nitebane?"

"Is that true?" Perry feigned shock. "That's worrisome."

"Yeah, but they won't be around for much longer with what we're cooking up. Hmhmhm~!" She giggled to herself.

It was unsettling she had a totem and knew how it worked. And the cult had plans for the Paragons? Even worse. Perry and Dwight needed to pass that information on to Jillian and Carys.

Actually, that was another factor to consider. Just as Jade unearthed secrets of ours, I needed to uncover secrets of the Endward Cult. Plans, strategies, numbers, personnel, resources, bases.

Maybe... even if they knew where Jade was stationed. Cobbert deserved that closure.

Teal's head poked into my backpack as she rummaged around. She made an excited squeal before taking out my two Pocket Boxes. "Damn, you're geared out! These are nice~!" She opened the red one before wrinkling her nose. "Not nice. It's full of nerd tech. Bleh. The hell is a hopper for...?" It took a visible effort to contain my outburst, but I held it together by biting my lower lip. "This gray one is more like it." She commented as she searched my other Pocket Box. "So many tipped arrows. You could give Ab - Abigail a run for his money. Bet you they cost you a fortune at SutsCo. And then there's these crossbows and rockets. An archer extraordinaire~! You're like a scaled down Abigail~!"

Was Abigail a cover for their Executive? What was his actual name?

"Citizenship Information... from Daymonte, that makes sense. I lived there for a little bit, myself." Teal perused my information before returning it. "Dang, look at all these totems~! How'd you get your hands on so many~?"

"We killed some Paragons for them." Dwight revealed with an evil smirk. "They tend to hamper the glory of 'Next Life.'"

"It is that, but I personally don't mind it so much." Lieutenant Teal smiled excitedly. "It's like extra lives in a game~! Just imagine, I can hunt down my Survival Games players again and again if I give them some totems. Not only does it make the game more interesting having extra lives as a safety net, but it can prolong the fun by giving me more chances to kill~! Oooh, I can only imagine the rush~!"

She spoke as if humanity to her was a small animal caught in a trap, to be tormented. I could not imagine hunting fellow Crafters for fun, yet she found pleasure in it. Her pleasure was the giving of pain, and from that, she felt some sense of fulfillment. Some greater high I could not fathom, nor did I want to fathom.

And only someone of pure evil could be uninterested in the magic of redstone.

This crazy frightened me, plain and simple.

After she was satisfied checking our gear, she led us further into the forest, towards the trees near the end of the beach. There, we came across a collection of boulders. Large chunks of stone that seemed otherwise innocuous.

Judging by how Teal approached them, they were far from innocuous.

"This is it, boys~ No going back after this~"

She climbed the rocks with an easy grace. We followed with the help of our Leaping buffs. At the top of the collection of boulders, there was a hidden crevice impossible to detect from the side. The crevice led down between the boulders, into the ground. I spied the top of a ladder.

Is this really it? I internally wondered.

Dwight lowered himself down first with his Slow Falling buff, followed by Perry. Teal went down next, leaving me for last. I glanced behind me towards a freedom I could run for. I now knew where the base was, and I would not have to risk my life on an infiltration mission.

But then what would Teal do to Perry and Dwight?

I sighed before giving up on escaping and floating down to the ladder. My hands caught the top rung, and I started climbing down, down, down. The sand walls turned to stone, the air becoming cool and damp. Torches cut through the darkness, allowing me to see a stone brick floor at the bottom of the ladder.

We found ourselves in a wide corridor. One end was sealed while the other end headed west. It had a stone brick floor that looked to have seen a lot of traffic. The corridor was illuminated by simple torches.

"You boys getting excited~?" Teal asked as she walked backwards while guiding us.

"Oh, yeah." Perry pumped his fists. "I've been dreaming of joining the Endward Cult ever since I first heard about you."

"Just thinking about all the existences in need of freeing gives me the strength to see this through. Let's ace this recruitment!"

"I like the spirit~!" Teal encouraged as the corridor started sloping down. It sloped for quite a while. "What about you, Lenny~? How ya feeling? Any better with that Dragon Mask?"

"Er, yes..."

"Aww, are you still moping about the redstone crack? I said no offense~ That should excuse me of all blame and responsibility~"

"No offense, but that is not how that works."

"Ooh, right back at me~! Nice one~!"

I could not tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

I did not know how many miles west we traveled. There was no sound but our footsteps along the torchlit stone corridor as it sloped further and further down. We were surely beneath the ocean and was that not a scary thought. My Thalassophobia started to flare up.

I focused on my breathing. It is fine. We are just underground, not in deep water. I mean, we are in deep water with the cult, per se, but not in the sense-

My thoughts abruptly cut off as I let out an involuntary whimper that had Teal turn around. "Was that you, Lenny? What's up?"

Dwight and Perry glanced at me with a hint of apprehension when they noticed what was up ahead.

The stone walls of the corridor turned to glass. A glass tunnel at the bottom of the ocean. With deep ocean on all sides. The briny deep of the ocean. Not only that, but there appeared to be a network of glass tunnels and rooms, alongside stone brick structures serving the same purpose. But why could they not all have opaque, stone brick walls and ceilings!? Did the killer cultists want to see the little fishies!? Baltic theorized the cult was based under the ocean, but I never expected a constant reminder of the terrifying, fathomless depths! At these depths, where the light of the sun could not reach, only watery darkness existed outside the illuminated glass tunnels.

Or it would be dark if I did not have the Conduit Power buff. Conduit Power was a buff nobody in Team Beta knew how to obtain, but they tested it to find that it granted Water Breathing, Night Vision only underwater, and Haste only underwater. What should have been dark blue, imperceptible depths was light blue and clear. I could see forests of coral and shipwrecks. Long vines of kelp reaching for the surface. Thermal vents created by veins of molten magma. Wooden structures apart from the HQ in the approximation of sunken ships. Guardians and Drowned swimming or floating about with the dolphins and fish.

But that did not change my terror of the deep water.

I was already backing away from the tunnels ahead. I needed to get back to the surface immediately.

I backed right into Perry, who grabbed my shoulders and kept me from retreating further.

"It's just water, Lenz." He hissed. "It's kept out by glass."

"L-Let me go." I whimpered back.

"The cult has been using this for years! You think it'll break anytime soon?"

"I said LET ME GO!" I shouted loud enough to be heard. I flailed my arms fitfully and connected with Perry's jaw once or twice. The Strength buff gave my blows more force, but his Resistance buff gave him more defense. Dwight had to come over to wrestle me still, all while I wailed in terror. Of course, none of this went unnoticed by Teal.

"What's with him?" She looked between me and the aquarium tunnel a few times before it clicked. "Can he... not swim?"

"I can swim just fine!" I swung my head wildly as I attempted to break the Paragons' hold. "Just not in deep water..."

"Isn't that what swimming sorta is?" She asked confused.

"He has Thalassophobia." Dwight tried to excuse my behavior. "He's terrified of deep water. We're sorry if this is unusual."

"We weren't expecting glass, underwater tunnels." Perry chipped in as he kept me still with visible effort.

"Well, I can't exactly fault that. Nobody ever expects underwater tunnels. They're cool, though, Lenny!" She gamboled over and seized one of my arms. "Come see~"

"Please, no..." I whimpered as Teal's EXP strength overpowered my Strength buff and dragged me slowly, inexorably forward, even with my heels dug in.

"Phobias are nothing new, Lenny. Every day, I regularly encounter people who fear me~!" Teal's happy-go-lucky voice became muted as I crossed the threshold into the glass tunnel. I shivered and hunched over, my free arm wrapping around to hug myself while Teal towed me forward. "But everyone is scared of something. You know that Western Lieutenant, Leadstripe? He's Claustrophobic. Can't stand enclosed spaces, or people in his personal space. He's never getting a girlfriend with that attitude, let me tell you~"

I kept my eyes on the stone brick floor to try and forget I was surrounded by deep water. I was hyperventilating.

"Hey!" I felt a soft swat against my chest. "Focus on your breathing, nerd." Teal ordered. "In and out. In and out. You wouldn't be able to breath if you were in deep water, right? In and out. In and out."

"I... have Water Breathing..." I argued halfheartedly.

"So then what are you freaking out for? This whole tunnel can collapse and you'll be fine~!" I whimpered. "Okay, sorry sorry, not helping." She twisted suddenly, taking my back and pushing me forward instead of tugging. "Just remind yourself that most of the time, your fears are never as scary as you imagined."

"...E-Easy for you to say." I shuddered as I kept my eyes glued to the floor. "You are a Lieutenant. You are probably not afraid of a-anything."

"You think~?" She brought her face next to mine, cheek-to-cheek, as she hummed in thought. "There used to be a lot that scared me. My fears have gone all over the place." She ticked off her fingers. "First it was dying, then it was growing bored, then it was losing my boo, Margaret. Often times, I found myself asking, 'What is the point to us having fears? Why do we have phobias?'"

I paused in thought. Why did we have fears and phobias?

"...B-Because of trauma." I answered, my dragging heels becoming small footsteps. I thought back to those bullies who tried to drown me. "We are scared of reliving that trauma... that moment when we were helpless... and weak."

"But did you know," Teal raised a finger in front of my mask, "that fear makes you stronger~?"

I was confused enough to lift my head and fix her with a skeptical look.

"Hand to Herobrine." She swore. "Whenever you feel fear - that gripping sense of impending doom - your body releases that sweet chemical, adrenaline~!" She pumped her fist enthusiastically. "I used to get my fix doing death-defying stunts, until the day I nearly got myself and my friends killed by Griefers. That day, I felt so afraid that my body lashed out with more power than I thought myself capable of!" I paid more attention to her story and less attention to the glass tunnel, my pace and breathing evening out. "Not only that, but your body also releases dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin-"

"Feel-good chemicals?" I asked.

"Yeah~! Feel-best chemicals~!" She nodded enthusiastically. "Why do you think people like being scared, or reading horror stories, or going on roller coasters? Fear gives you a natural high, and a sense of empowerment. It's why I always go into a fight unarmed and without armor. Fear is energy. The adrenaline makes me feel less pain and put out more power, and the serotonin makes my brain work more efficiently. It makes me more focused."

I never knew that. The same chemicals released from a kiss existed in fear? Or... was there fear within the kiss? That feeling of excitement, like I was steps away from a terrifying plunge. The anxiety and fear of rejection. The embarrassment. The anticipation, then the gratifying payoff.

I held up my shaking, sweaty palms to my eyes, realizing my eyesight was super focused. I could count the grooves in my skin. I could see the goosebumps forming. I turned my gaze up and found I could see a lot farther outside along the ocean floor than my usual far-sighted vision permitted, even as I shivered under the glass tunnel. How had I never noticed such a thing before?

"So, whenever you're sweating over being scared, instead think of how your body is getting ready for what comes next. Fear is your body's way of making yourself stronger."

"...Preparing me for what comes next." I repeated to myself, my shivering subsiding.

"And we're done~!" You did it~!"

I blinked in surprise as I found myself past the long glass tunnel. We were in a stone brick room, still underwater, but with less around to remind me of the fact. I had really walked all that way.

Teal gave me a reassuring slap on the back before sweeping past me and continuing as our guide through the HQ. I rubbed my shoulder musingly as I looked on. As my fear subsided, so did my laser focus. The serotonin was fading.

Perry and Dwight came up behind me and clapped me on the shoulder respectively, congratulating me for getting so far. I nodded back before letting them take the lead. I brought up the rear.

That conversation was... remarkably thought-provoking. Professor Lancer did say Teal was not stupid. Maybe Teal was less of a ditz than I thought.

She still scared me, though. If she could overpower Soul and Floyd, fighting her was the last thing on my mind.

---

"And here we have the cafeteria."

It was around noon when Teal led us to a bustling cafeteria. If I was not out of my depth before, I certainly was now, surrounded by cultists who would want me dead at the drop of a Dragon mask. Luckily, it did not come to that. My name and face were concealed, and nobody dared make demands of Lieutenant Teal's new recruits. We were the center of attention, though, as we drew the eyes of many curious cultists who had heard about the bombings. Perry and Dwight worked to draw most of the attention, thankfully. They embraced their roles, playing the part of devoted cultist recruits perfectly. Although, my quiet demeanor and mask earned their fair share of speculation and murmurs. I caught words like 'mysterious' and 'intense'. I was the one recruit they had not heard of from Perry and Dwight's pub boasting.

The numbers were alarming. The massive cafeteria was packed with hundreds of cultists, and when Dwight asked how many cultists were in the Eastern Division, Teal nonchalantly replied:

"Around twenty-thousand, I think. Soon to be twenty-thousand-and-three~ Hmhmhmm~"

They had the supplies to fuel such numbers, too. Unlike Griefers, the cultists were smart and self-sufficient. They could farm, fish, and harvest kelp along the ocean floor to process into dried kelp.

The facilities were also well-maintained. Before the cafeteria, Teal showed us an auditorium, a stone brick complex of personal rooms, bathrooms and washrooms, a library, underground farms, open fishing spots with access to the ocean, some training rooms, an expertly accounted treasury with a surplus of emeralds and a long-term budget for the future, a marketplace of sorts with over fifty enslaved Testificate traders, and much, much more. We had yet to see the Portal Hub, but we did not insist on seeing it. We had to let Teal take us there when it was time. It was imperative we locate it, however, as we had to sabotage it for Carys to cripple the cult's supply lines and transportation around Minecraftia. The portals were how they acquired potion supplies, iron ingots, lumber, and whatever else they needed from their other outposts throughout the world. It was just as good as the Paragons' supply lines, if not better. It was no wonder Baltic had trouble finding anything on them; They supplied themselves.

We had enough information to send a distress signal to Team Delta with our coordinates, only we could not find five minutes away from Teal to reach an ender chest, grab our maps, and send it. Teal never let us out of her sight. There never seemed a good opportunity for Dwight and Perry to get away from her while she was giving the tour. She would not even allow for bathroom breaks, claiming there would be time for that later, at the end of the tour.

We sat down in the cafeteria for a short break. Teal offered to get us some lunch, but we turned her down, pointing out our Saturation buff.

"Those buffs are really something. Wait until... Oh! There he is now~! Hi, Maaaaaark~! Yeah, bring your cute butt over here~! I want to show you off to these new recruits!"

Reluctantly, the man named MarkAble broke off his conversation with some cultists and walked over. Mark did not seem to command a lot of presence. We took him for an unassuming grunt until Teal kissed him full on the mouth and introduced him as the other Lieutenant of the Eastern Division, and her 'other half.' Then we started to take him more seriously. He looked tired, weary, and unimpressive, especially when compared with the bubbly Lieutenant rubbing shoulders beside him. The most striking thing about him was his magenta hair. It was styled with curtain bangs at the front and neck length hair at the back. He had dead, dark gray eyes, a simple black and magenta shirt, light blue jeans, magenta backpack and belt with potions hanging off it, and black and white dress shoes. He looked clinically depressed. Perhaps being Teal's lover sucked all the energy out of him.

The Lieutenant eyed us appraisingly as he shook each of our hands. "These are the new recruits I heard about? The ones on the bombing spree?"

"Yepper~!"

"The reports said there were two of them?"

"Ah, well, they were taking the credit for their third member." She replied sourly before reaching back and dragging me forward. "Lenny here is the brains and the boom~! He's also sharp enough to exchange in banter."

Mark's eyes narrowed. "Did you have them interviewed and examined already?"

"Nuh-uh! They gotta do 'initiation'."

"Initi-? Oh, not this again..." Mark groaned before sweeping past Teal. "Don't listen to her. I can bring you to our Executive to get looked at. He'll ask a couple of quest-"

"Nooooo!" Teal whined as she covered his mouth and clung to him like a limpet. "Initiation is real! Don't listen to his sexy mouth~!"

"You're just trying to rope them into playing games with you!" Mark struggled to break loose. "You can't keep doing this with the new recruits! They're not your 'entertainment'. Lieutenant work is not all fun and games."

"It would be if you weren't such a wet blanket-!"

"IT'S HAPPENING!" A cultist from the cafeteria shouted. "BOUNTY DAAAAAAY!"

Teal let out an energetic whoop. I was suddenly reminded what today's date was just as a stillness settled about the world. Even down here, on the ocean floor, sound became muted, like nature was holding its breath. The inside of the cafeteria became dull and flat.

Then, a ripple of flowing numbers and signs spread over the cafeteria from the west, passing over every cultist waiting in anticipation. Everywhere the ripple touched regained its luster and shape, and every person the ripple touched suddenly clutched their heads as they were overcome by intense visions. Information was jammed into their brains.

I felt an oppressive force pass over me like a shadow before I clutched my Dragon masked head and saw a vision play before me.

I saw... a haybale, surrounded by four redstone dust. It made... a white haybale block with... red concentric rings on it. It was the shape of a target! And I saw myself shooting the target. There was redstone dust connected to the target. No comparator required to output a signal, just redstone. And the closer I got to a bullseye, the stronger its signal got, covering more redstone dust.

The vision left as abruptly as it came, and a headache began to form behind the bridge of my nose. Looking around, I saw the other cultists were similarly recovering from the Bounty Day visions.

"What... was that Mob...?" Dwight asked aloud as he clutched his head. "Red... scaled... long legs... and feathery protrusions on its sides, like whiskers." He recalled more of his vision. "It could walk on lava, and it was being led around with-"

"Cool blue fire~!" Teal sang, bouncing back from her migraine with startling ease. "I saw fire in my favorite color. I'mma decorate my whole room with those blue torches~!"

Blue fire? That sounded a lot like the Stivali Magma's ability. Had the Bounty Day made a natural alternative to making multi-colored flames?

"What'd you see, Mark~?"

"I... I'm not sure." He replied uneasily, his face twisting from the headache. "It looked a little like a Zombie Pigman... but also not like a Zombie Pigman. And I could trade with it? That can't be right. Pigmen aren't like Testificates. Are they a new Mob...?" He murmured to himself.

"I saw some dense metal in the Nether." Perry shared. "The outside looked like brown, shingled scales."

"I saw a target made from a haybale and redstone." I revealed, chuckling to myself. Even my Bounty Day visions were closely tied to my education.

---

[Cobb]

I fought through the pain and remained upright as I clutched my pounding skull. I couldn't let the Bounty Day visions impede my search. I couldn't speak for Z7, as she was invisible, but I assumed she was similarly withstanding the worst of the taxing visions in favor of looking for Lenz.

In my vision, I saw a Mob. At first, I thought it was a Zombie Pigman, until I noticed it had no rotten green skin or exposed bones. It was whole and undamaged, wearing a dirty brown tunic and shorts, with a belt buckle of gold. It carried a crossbow unlike Zombie Pigmen, and it also had droopy pig ears, and a more pronounced snout and tusks. Its eyes were also white.

Under normal circumstances, I'd be eager to learn more about a potentially new Mob and document my findings in my growing Mob book. Right now, however, my friend was missing.

I put the new Mob to the back of my mind and pressed on. Z7 did the same. We found the spot where the blips had been last seen. A little ways away from that was the last building Lenz, Perry, and Dwight detonated before they went missing. The guards had formed a perimeter and were keeping the civilians away. Z7 and I bypassed the perimeter with our invisibility and poked around the ruins for clues, but we found nothing.

I grew more and more anxious as the day waned. I moved unseen through crowds of excited citizens talking of their latest Bounty Day visions, and it all meant nothing to me.

Where are you, Lenz?

---

[Eastern Division HQ: Unknown]

Spring and KillGore recovered from their piercing visions while Carmen and her clones could only look on with worry. As a Hybrid, she could no longer receive Bounty Day visions.

The three were training in secret in preparation for Spring's upcoming duel on the 13th. KillGore had found a good spot away from Mox's prying eyes. It was the spot Abyssmal had been testing Hybridization. No one would return until the next new moon, making it perfect for their purposes. They'd been training for four days, using the book on Combo Locking and Crit Chaining, and practicing on Carmen's clones. Progress wasn't looking good, but Spring kept at it. They had been in the middle of a break when the Bounty Day hit.

"KillGore saw a castle-like structure, fit for someone of KillGore's grandeur." KillGore revealed haughtily in his alto tenor voice. "It was made of some black stone, and it was in the Nether."

"I saw a sword." Spring gasped. "It was made of some kind of metal. Dark gray. Looked pretty strong."

Maybe strong enough to overpower 4Blite's battleaxe.

"So? Should we look into that sword?" KillGore asked. "Or any of the other Bounty Day items?"

It was a hard call to make, but Spring made his choice.

"Nnnn... No..." The words were dragged out of Spring with visible effort. "We go by the book. Teach a man to fish and all." He sighed before steeling himself. "Let's get back to it."

"Don't forget your EXP supplements."

"Yes, dad."

"This belt doesn't just hold KillGore's pants up, young man!"

"Finish tus patatas al horno before they get cold. Both of you."

""Yes, mom.""

---

[Northern Division HQ: 4Blite's Room]

4Blite calmly opened his eyes. He didn't show any of the weakness his Plagues did when they received their Bounty Day visions. He bore the pain stoically.

He and his nine Plagues were gathered in his room on this day. For it was this day that would grant him a boon in his fight against the upstart grunt, Spring_Fever. With four Bounty Days, one of them had to have something useful.

"BLUE FIRE! I got blue fire!" Keen called out immediately with a raised hand. "Like the ones from the legendary Stivali Magma of Lazuli. You could use it to burn Spring! Blue fire is hotter than orange fire."

"I saw a crimson forest straight out of a heavy metal album." Cyan grinned. "Me likey~❤️"

"I saw some fascinating, never-before-seen flora." Mona went next. "In the inhospitable Nether of all places! Will definitely check that out later."

"I saw a new Mob. Looked like a giant warthog." Brandeen speculated. "If it's tameable, might be worth riding into battle, if only to see Spring's face." He snickered.

"Alas, the Holy Water has not seen fit to grace me with a proper vision." Drowned_One lamented. "I saw a basalt delta in desperate need of flowing water. Alas, since it has to do with that wretched hell where water cannot exist outside a bucket, I'm afraid it is destined to remain parched. A sad thing indeed."

"I saw a set of armor." 4Blite ignored Drowned_One. "Forged from a durable metal, in a design different from any set of armor I've ever seen."

"I-I think I know what you mean!" Erma saw her chance to contribute and made herself heard. "It was an alloy made from scraps of some new metal, and gold ingots. Four scraps, and four gold ingots made one ingot of the powerful metal. That's what I saw."

"Interesting." Mox hummed. "I saw the ingot you speak of. You need to use it with a smithing table, and diamond armor of your choice, to make the armor you saw. That's what I saw."

"I saw that you get the scraps from smelting some metallic debris." Maira went next.

"And I saw that you get the debris from the Nether." Sam emphasized before turning to 4Blite. "We can start searching for it immediately if that's the route you wanna go."

"Wait until all Bounty Days are over." 4Blite decided.

"Riiiight. Then we can compile a full shopping list to pick and choose from." Mox caught on with a playful salute. "Aye, aye, Lieutenant."

Not a Lieutenant for long. In a few days, after years of service under Ember's thumb, 4Blite would be named an Executive.

Then he could get to unleashing the Deadly Strain.

---

[Lenz]

Throughout the cafeteria, cultists shared what they saw, and listened to what others had to share. From what I overheard, a lot of the visions had to do with the Nether.

"Hey, everybody!" One cultist suddenly burst into the cafeteria, his face beaming. "The Nether has changed from the latest Bounty Day! It's like a whole new world! You gotta come see!"

The announcement piqued the interest of a majority of cultists, who proceeded to drop their lunches and make for the nearest portals. With any luck, that meant they were going to the Portal Hubs.

"Could we go see how the Nether changed?" Perry asked Teal for permission. He must have been thinking the same as me. This was our chance to locate the Portal Hub.

"Sure~! I'm eager to check it out myself. Last one there's a rotten egghead~!"

Teal bolted to the cafeteria doors, jumping on the heads of exiting cultists to stay ahead of the crowd. Perry, Dwight, and I used our Speed buffs to keep pace, though we failed to beat the traffic. We found ourselves in a congested glass tunnel, slowly carried forward by the eager and curious cultists. Having so many bodies pressed against me helped distract me from the ocean on all sides.

However, as we moved along, there was a fork in the tunnel. Half the cultists went one way, the other half went the other way.

"I thought we were all going to the same place." I shouted over the din to the nearest cultist.

"You're new here, huh? Name's Sadia." The female cultist introduced herself.

"My name is... Lenny." I settled on Teal's accursed nickname. Lenz was one thing, but Lenny just rubbed me the wrong way. It was the best alias I had right now, though. Lenny the cultist.

"Well, Lenny, the crowd split because we have two places where there's portals. We call them Portal Hubs, and they connect to all of our major bases. Our Executive built them, and they've been helping us move around Minecraftia ever since."

"...Two of them." I noted worriedly. "And how many portals does each hub have? Enough to fit this curious crowd, I hope."

"Each hub has fifty portals, so yeah, I'd say there's enough."

"...Super."

Oh, Redstone Repeaters. I internally groaned. That's one extra hub we need to sabotage.

The Portal Hub we were taken to was at the south end of the HQ. It was as Sadia said. Fifty swirling Nether portals, all arranged side by side down a large, double-floored corridor. Each one was labeled with a sign, designating the location in Minecraftia they would take you. I saw Kingdoms, villages, the Obelisk (yikes), and various outposts. Teal had beaten us to the portals, of course, and she only waited to gloat before hopping inside.

Dwight and Perry followed her in, along with several hundred other cultists, but I lingered hesitantly.

I tilted my masked face to look at my arm and all the tattoos showing buffs.

Artifacts do not work in the Nether. I remembered.

The buffs were made by the Vivlio Zythopoiias. There was a good chance Perry and Dwight would be stripped of all their buffs when they returned. They were likely stripped the second they entered the Nether.

I looked at the portal Teal went through and weighed my options. If I destroyed the portal frame right now, she would have no way back. The other Lieutenant, Mark, had gone in too, so I could leave him and a few hundred cultists stranded. They might even go back through the portal and wind up outside of the Border on reentry, dead. With the tipped arrows and rockets I had on hand, alongside my still-present buffs and totems, could I reveal myself and shoot down a good chunk of cultists?

I was almost tempted to try, but I patiently backed down when I remembered Dwight and Perry would be stranded too, and it was their ender chest inventories that had our linked maps to Team Delta. Plus, no matter how many cultists I took down, I would run out of ammo before they ran out of bodies. The Infinity enchantment did not make my bow's durability infinite.

I quietly waited with several other lingering cultists as the portals started filling up with returnees.

"It's all changed!" One cultist exclaimed. "The Nether is unrecognizable - it has biomes now! Biomes straight out of something from another planet!"

"Those biomes have sprung up in the way of our highways!" Another cultist complained. "One went right through some cyan forest. And there are these weird Mobs different from Zombie Pigmen. I-It's too different, I can't stand it! I hate change!"

"What if this delays our travel time to the duel? I want to watch 4Blite mop the floor with that traitor! Our Executive needs to fix this!"

Dwight and Perry came back amidst all the outcries and sought me out. I could already see that their buffs were gone. They looked sick.

"We lost our buffs."

"I have eyes." I told them dryly.

"Damn! I wouldn't have gone if I knew it'd cost our buffs!" Perry kept his voice low. "They're right, though. The Nether has new biomes, now. It's changed so much, and we only saw a brief glimpse of it. Who knows what else is out there."

"Considering we have three more Bounty Days to get through, I assume a lot more will..." I trailed off as I saw more returnees arrive from a portal labeled 'Wither Skull Grinder'. "...change."

Five cultists stumbled out with their hands full of Wither Skeleton skulls. The three of us watched their procession as they met with cultists, spoke of what they saw, and showed off what must have been forty or fifty Withers' worth of skulls. Dwight hurriedly jogged over to talk with them.

"...We definitely have to report this." Perry hissed.

"Agreed."

I went white at the thought of those black skulls spawning death incarnate Withers. I did not know how the cult had gotten so much raw material so quickly, but this was one more thing we had to put a stop to.

Dwight returned before long, and the cultists he had been chatting with departed down a corridor with haul in hand. Dwight's face was grim.

"They have more skulls in reserve. They're stockpiling. This explains all the Withers being reported up north, AND the Wither near Jolin." He shook his head. "They told me where they store the skulls, though, and that their precious grinder is in the Nether. We just need to be sure to take out their stockpile before they decide to unleash it all at once on Oak Docks."

There was no need to elucidate on the potential death toll of such a tragedy. The cultists were sitting on world ending resources, but it was only a matter of time before they used it. Were they waiting on one fell swoop?

"With that in mind, let's contact Team Delta." Perry capitalized. "Anyone seen a spare ender chest?"

"I have a few." I volunteered as I reached for my red Pocket Box.

"Woooo~!" Teal whooped as she returned from her portal with a raw porkchop in her mouth. She pumped her fists in the air. "Mmmm~! I just ripped one of those new Mobs' neck open with my teeth~!"

I shivered at that visceral image. Her teeth!?

"Teal, that was incredibly dangerous!" Mark reprimanded her as he returned from the portal. "We don't yet know what those new Mobs are capable of."

"Looked like a giant warthog to me~! Or are you jealous I rode something cowgirl into the ground besides you~💙?"

"Aaugh! Aaugahaaghau!" Mark tried to scream over her to drown her out.

She giggled before spitting out the porkchop. "Don't be upsetti spaghetti. Tearing apart new Mobs is the best part of a Bounty Day." After that, Teal placed down a Crafting Table, then took out a block of Soul Sand, a stick, and a lump of coal, and fashioned them together to make four torches, only with a calming blue flame. She set one down immediately and basked in the blue light. "Oh, yeah. These are definitely going in my room. Blue and transcendentally hot, like me~"

"Lenz!" Perry hissed, grabbing my petrified attention. I was still stuck on Teal using her teeth to kill something. "The chests!"

Using Dwight and Perry as cover, I placed down my red Pocket Box and withdrew two ender chests before subtly passing them to the Paragons. They would have to find an opportunity to use them later, for Teal was returning, waving her blue torches like a marshaller would wave down an airship. I picked up and pocketed my Pocket Box just in time.

"Quiet the eventful day, eh~?" She asked with a friendly smile. "You get a tour AND a Bounty Day! See anything cool?"

"Well, yes, actually. I saw a target that can be used with redstone-" I abruptly stopped when I saw Teal's face twist unfavorably. "Er, uh, nothing cool, Teal."

Her smile returned. "You're learning, rookie~ C'mon. Let's resume the tour. Before Mark insists on taking you for a boring interview. You'd much rather hang with me, right~?"

"The tour is more practical, and very much appreciated." Dwight smiled charmingly. "Lead on, Teal."

"Don't mind if I do~"

We exited the first Portal Hub and backtracked down the corridor we came from. Teal noticed immediately that Dwight and Perry's buffs were gone, yet mine were still active. Dwight explained it away, claiming he and Perry ate the Suspicious Stew that granted the effects earlier than me.

Right now, I was the only infiltrator with artifact buffs. Teal shrugged at the explanation before leading us towards some stone brick structures. I wondered what was left to show, as Teal had covered a great range of the HQ's facilities.

The long stone brick corridor we entered had rooms with iron doors and levers, and windows with iron bars.

They were cells. A prison.

"This here is where we hold our prisoners." Teal explained. "We're not in the habit of taking prisoners, but the cult made an exception in my case so I could gather contestants for my Survival Games."

I coughed to clear my throat as I saw over a hundred cells, not all of them filled. It made my heart pound to see so many Crafters captured for the sole purpose of being hunted prey in her sick games. As we passed, the Crafters within backed away from the cell bars in fear of the bubbly Lieutenant. She waved cheerfully at them as if they were friends, but I could see the naked fear and the submissive demeanor of the prisoners. They were all scared of her. Maybe she even had a hand in capturing and domesticating them, as horrible as that sounded.

This is sick...

The cells themselves were small, and some of them even had barred windows facing out into the ocean. No beds. Illuminated by a single redstone lamp on the ceiling. Six or seven cultists patrolled the corridor in case any prisoner decided to break their stone bricks with their bare fists, but it would be a timely and painful exercise without tools. Any sign of trouble would be met with cruel retribution. Maybe even death.

Still, at least one prisoner seemed to have life in him.

"TEAAAAAAAL!" A thunderous voice boomed as a body was flung at their cell wall, and two hands squeezed through the gaps in the bars to reach the Lieutenant examining her nails, unbothered. "LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU HARLOT!"

"Good to see you too, Lathrop." She waggled her fingers at him. "Are you enjoying your stay?"

"COME CLOSER SO THAT I MAY KILL YOU!"

"Somebody's cranky~ Did they forget to feed you~?"

I peered into the cell and saw a barrel-chested man named Lathrop31. He had neck-length white hair with black streaks, and violet eyes. His face was twisted with fury as he glared at Teal. He was chomping at the bit, his mouth frothing. He alone amongst the prisoners did not fear what Teal would do to him.

He wore black loafers, white baggy harem pants that tapered at the ankles with violet ankle straps, a white ruffle shawl collar cardigan, and a sleeveless, black, open front vest over it with a long length drape cape. His belt and backpack were light blue. He also had a monocle... on each eye. Kind of defeated the purpose of a monocle; he may as well just have glasses.

Anyway, the man looked violent. I instantly thought of a barking dog watching him snap and snarl in that cell. Our eyes met and I flinched.

"I am not some zoo animal to be ogled!"

"Really? With hair like that, you could pull off a zebra~"

"INSOLENT CUR! RELEASE ME SO THAT I MAY AVENGE MYSELF AGAINST YOU AND THE PERFIDIOUS NIGHT-RAVEN!"

My ears perked and I looked up. "Night-Raven?"

"He means our Executive, Abyssmal."

I felt the world around me grow muted. A dull buzzing, like static, sounded in my head as I stared at the stone brick floor.

'Good is too sissy a word to describe his degree of skill. So is masterful. No, he's... his skills are unreal. Legendary. So good, I've seen them myself and still doubt my eyes. Things I never thought possible. He's what all archers should aspire to become, even knowing it's an impossible goal to reach. No Bird of Prey ever came close to being as good as the Night-Raven. What else can I say? He's a legend.'

'He wasn't just 'one man'. He was a living legend. A brilliant talent with no equals. He won first place in every Archery Event he competed in. No other archer, Bird of Prey or otherwise, could hold a candle to the Night-Raven, Abyssmal.'

I felt my hands trembling and quickly hid them in my belt pockets.

Abyssmal... I thought deliberately. The Night-Raven... The former leader of the Birds of Prey...

The greatest archer in the world...

He's the Eastern Executive!?

My thoughts were a storm and I felt my eyes grow strained as I processed this new revelation. Perry and Dwight were not as affected by this reveal as I was, but the news was jarring all the same. This had to get to Team Delta right away. Another Executive was now known.

"ABYSSMAL IS A TRAITOR!" Lathrop bellowed as he shook at the bars on his window. "HE LEFT THE BIRDS OF PREY TO FADE INTO OBSCURITY WHILE HE JOINED AS HEROBRINE'S LAPDOG! WE WERE FRIENDS! HE THREW IT ALL AWAY TO JOIN A PSYCHO CULT! BRING HIM HERE SO THAT I MAY SMITE HIM!"

"Abyssmal is just following what motivates him. Herobrine has nothing to do with it." Teal replied before turning to us. "A little background for context. Lathrop here is a former Bird of Prey." She tapped the cell with her foot. "The Snowy Sabrewing. He meandered into Oak Docks a month ago looking for Abyssmal. He found him alright~" She grinned. "They had a duel, and you can see who the loser was." Again, she tapped the cell with the same foot. "He wasn't even worth killing for the boss, so he let me have him for my Survival Games. I like me some feisty participants~"

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Now, now, birdie~" She teased with a laugh. "Save some of that energy for the Games~!"

"RAUGAHAGURGAHURGAH!"

Teal sighed before turning to us. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to go clip some wings off an unruly bird~"

We took a collective step back as Teal boldly flicked open the lever for the cell door. Lathrop lunged for the Lieutenant's throat, just as she popped on the Voda Shlem. As soon as the Snowy Sabrewing got close, he slowed down as if he was moving through water. I could see the artifact's water effects forming a perimeter around the Lieutenant. She reached up and grabbed Lathrop's wrist before cruelly twisting it with a snap. His inarticulate cry was cut off by a swift elbow to the face that launched him back into his cell, where Teal pursued him.

Without any weapons, he stood no chance. Despite being smaller, Teal was stronger. She put the former Bird of Prey in a submission hold with the ease of a parent with an unruly child. Then she started moving her free hands to grip and twist and break things. It was like how one dismembers a lobster to get the meat within the shell, legs, and claws. I had to cover my ears as the sickening cracks and muffled screams made me ill.

When it was over, Lathrop's limbs were bent in ways they were never meant to bend, and Teal looked like she had yet to break a sweat. She dusted her hands and left the whimpering, broken in Bird of Prey to his captivity.

"All done~" Teal smiled before her attention was drawn to the opposite end of the corridor, where two female cultists were dragging in a limp Crafter. Her expression soured. "Oi! You two!" The two cultists in question stopped cold, terrified. "That limp noodle towed between you better not be your idea of 'challenging game'."

"...Ma'am, be reasonable." One cultist tried to defend. "It's hard finding Crafters our there with the curfew-"

"What have I told you about bringing in wusses?" She marched up and grabbed the limp prisoner by his shirt collar before shaking him like a ragdoll. "Look at him! Thin, scraggly. He's a bag of bones. More roadkill than anything."

"Meeting your criteria for 'buff Crafters' isn't easy, ma'am."

"That just means you're not looking hard enough!" She placed one hand on her hip while the limp Crafter in her other hand tried and failed to escape her grip. "I bet you just wanted to call it quits early to enjoy the Bounty Day. Lazy bones."

"N-No! Not us!" The cultists shook their heads rather unconvincingly.

Teal pointed away. "Go back out there and find me something more interesting. I'll take care of this." She lifted the limp Crafter who proceeded to cry pitifully. She spoke as evenly about it as one might discussing the weather. "Now go."

The two cultists marched off with their tails between their legs. Once they were gone, Teal turned and approached us, dragging the limp Crafter behind.

"Sorry about that. My cultists like to cut corners sometimes. We're more chill in the Eastern Division, and that allows for a more relaxed environment, but sometimes I wish I could kill a few cultists like 4Blite and light a fire under everyone's ass."

"Well, I can assure you, we won't cut corners, Teal." Dwight sold our usefulness smoothly. "We're ready to prove it. Just give us a chance with the initiation."

"We'll get there, we'll get there~ But we got to deal with this, first." She lifted the crying prisoner by his collar before throwing him on the floor before us. "Hey, Lenny~ Show me what you can do~"

I drew a blank, my mind still reeling from the Abyssmal reveal. "...Excuse me?"

"Kill him." Teal elaborated. The simple command made me feel like the world was closing around me. "I want to see how good you are with that bow. This is your chance to show your skills. Go nuts." She gestured to the crying Crafter begging for his life. His name was Nigel. "His life is your playground~"

My heartbeat quickened as I processed what I was being asked to do. Not asked. Forced. I had to do this. If I did not, it would raise questions and collapse the whole charade. What cultist balks at 'liberating' a pitiful Crafter? My eyes darted under my mask as I struggled to think of a way out.

"Don't bother, Lenny. Killing this trash is beneath you." Perry tried to step in, though it was clear he would shoulder the responsibility of ending the prisoner's life. There was no surviving this. "I'll deal with him myse-"

Teal lashed out with a kick that knocked Perry's leg out from under him and sent him crashing to the floor. Then she stamped hard on his back, threatening to break his spine. She was no longer smiling.

"You've killstealed enough! Killstealed... kill-killstole...? Killstolen enough? Is that right?" She paused contemplatively. "Whatever! You've done enough killstealing, and I won't stand for it! Let the geek have a turn."

Dwight made to intervene only to be glared down by Teal. Perry went still under Teal's sneaker. I stood helplessly.

"I want to see him in action!" Teal clarified firmly while pointing at me. "Get that through your skull. You've been taking credit for his work the past three days. Now its his turn." She looked up with a supportive smile. "Go ahead, Lenny. This is all you."

She could not see the panic behind my Dragon mask.

I looked to Nigel anxiously. He was bawling his eyes out, not even attempting to run away. He was whimpering about his wife, about how he was sorry he went out after curfew, about how he would do anything if we just spared his life.

Without much of a choice, I took out my bow. The sight of it made the prisoner's crying all the louder.

I only had one plan to potentially save this man, or, at the very least, make it so I would not be the one to end his life.

I pulled back the bowstring of my Power IV, Flame I, Punch II bow and aimed deliberately at his face. Every move I made was deliberate and slow as I waited on tenterhooks for the one thing that could buy this man a chance.

"Hurry up, Lenny." Teal goaded. "Another Bounty Day could hit any sec-"

That was precisely what I was waiting for. I did not act as my aim went wide in response to the crippling vision of today's second, and then third, Bounty Day. The two Hacker deaths had been close together.

The stillness of the world. The ripple of numbers and signs that passed. That debilitating visions that had all of us on our knees and allowed the prisoner a small chance at escape. Even a small chance was better than nothing. If he still did not escape, it would be out of my hands.

My second vision of the day was of a copper-colored rod that attracted lightning strikes. It was connected to a trail of redstone, and the trail lit up whenever the lightning rod was struck. Highly intriguing.

My third vision was a biome. Mountains with solid stone peaks. Not much else of notice.

The intensity of two visions at once nearly made me pass out as I was forced to take a knee. I pretended to be more affected, however, when I saw the prisoner move through the pain and make a run for the exit. Adding to that, there was a tremendous rumbling from below - an earthquake unlike anything I ever felt before. Something was changing underground to cause such a tremor. The visions and vibrations made an excellent diversion. This was Nigel's one chance to find a way out-

There was a high-pitched whistle and a rush of wind as Teal blew past me with her elytra and a trail of white sparks. She knew how to use rockets to propel her flight. She had her forearm bent before her and tucked in, allowing her elbow to stick out like a wing, which she used to connect with Nigel's spine in a devastating high-speed strike. He cried out in pain before he was sprawled out flat against the floor, his legs unresponsive. Did she just break his spine?

The Lieutenant got off the downed prisoner and rested her hands on her hips as she looked upon him with disappointment. Nigel clawed forward with his hands, desperate for rescue. I could hear his sobs.

"Pl-Please... please don't... I need out... I need out..." He cried.

"Sorry, buddy. Your fate was sealed the moment you got caught. Anybody else feel that earthquake?" Teal added as an aside before turning back to me. "Softened him up for you, Lenny~! Don't worry, I'm not one to steal kills."

My breathing quickened as I aimed my bow and loaded an arrow. Waiting for the last Bounty Day vision would take too long, and the prisoner was already crippled and without food.

"Just do it, Lenz." Dwight whispered to me under his breath. "Teal's right. He was dead the moment he got caught. If you don't kill him, someone else will. We can't blow our cover for one civilian. Just... make it quick."

Make it quick? Make it quick what? Nowhere would be appalled if he knew I ended an innocent civilian. Nigel was openly weeping now, his face buried in the floor as the strength of his arms gave out and he could no longer pull himself. This was a pitiful sight.

I pulled the string taut. Just detach yourself, Lenz. I told myself, trying to think rationally and pragmatically. He is already doomed. I gave him one out, and he failed. He had a chance. I am blameless in this.

If I do not kill him, I jeopardize the mission and all our lives. I need to be a killer. For the sake of the mission, I need to be a killer. I am sorry, but... I need to be a killer.

I compartmentalized all the negative feelings that would hold me back. I had to. Otherwise it would not be swift. It would not be merciful. My aim could not waver.

Let go of the guilt. Let go of the shame. This has to happen.

My eyes snapped open and I fired my arrow before Quickdrawing the crossbow at my belt and firing a loaded rocket right after. The first arrow hit, igniting and damaging Nigel severely. Then the rocket came and exploded in a shower of gray sparks that finished the job. His Head and gear toppled to the ground.

I was left breathless as I lowered the crossbow.

"What a kill~!" Teal celebrated. "And that draw speed was phenomenal! Almost as good as Abyssmal's. You're like the appetizer version of him~ I feel like sparring against you in a mock battle would be good practice against the real thing~" The Lieutenant showed not an ounce of remorse for the life that was just ended. In fact, she disrespectfully stuck her toe under the disembodied Head and kicked it up to balance on one finger while she spun it like a basketball. "That's one more Head for the pile~"

I felt sick. Killing an injured, crying, begging Crafter. What sort of nutcase would derive pleasure from that? I felt only revulsion towards what I had done.

I looked up from the hands that had just taken an innocent life and I glared at Teal from behind the safety of my mask. She was smiling and laughing without a care.

Just you wait. I thought vindictively. When all is said and done, we will have the last laugh.

---

[Nitebane: Underground Prison]

"This better be important." Queen Jillian said grouchily as she was led down the stairs to the underground prison where the two Hackers were held. "I have a dozen other things to do with the Bounty Days and missing members of our Oak Docks landing party!"

She had already noticed the missing blips, and she had received word that Z7's team members had been killed, and Lenz, Perry, and Dwight were presumably infiltrating deep in enemy territory. Add onto that the Bounty Day visions coming in about new Nether additions, plus her own visions of a compass-tracking lodestone, azaleas, and stony-peaked mountains, and she was positively swamped with work. Her people were equal parts excited and anxious over the world-altering changes, and they looked to her and Team Delta to list and catalogue all the recent changes.

"Apologies, ma'am, but we feel this is something you should see in person. Those earthquakes you felt? It was the underground expanding. Now we have a drop into the Void that goes on for quite a ways."

Jillian felt a flash of alarm. "What do you mean?"

"The underground expanded. Of that, we can be sure. Any existing bedrock became some new kind of mineral that can be broken, but now there's more under where the bedrock had been that wasn't there before. As for the open Void we had under the Hackers, it's still there, it's just now a greater distance to reach the Void now that the underground has expanded around it."

Jillian had a vague idea what that meant, but she needed to see it for herself to verify. As they entered the prison observation area, she saw the result of the latest Bounty Day.

Imagine the prison as a cardboard box, with the bottom being the Void and the walls being the stone and ores that had been exposed by Thed's Nuker ability. The Hackers were kept in a cell suspended over the Void, regularly kept subdued by the Vivlio Zythopoiias' buffs, and with the threat of being dropped into the Void hanging over them. Now, with the latest Bounty Day, the sides of the cardboard box had been lengthened, making for a longer drop until you actually hit the Void. It was still below, but now there was more underground to explore. It was like the world had shoved another layer of earth between the existing ground and the Void.

It didn't detract from the lethality of the drop. It just meant the drop would last a little longer before the Hackers hit the Void. Of course, it wouldn't be much of an instant failsafe if it gave them any time to be rescued. If there was no other choice, Jillian would rather the Hackers die than go free.

"...Have your men begin work on a new containment cell immediately. One closer to the new Void section." Queen Jillian ordered. "I'll arrange for some scaffolding to be delivered. Do the Hackers know?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then let's keep it that way." There was no sense for the prisoners to know why they were being relocated. The Blindness they were afflicted with would help keep them in the dark. With Hackers watching the outskirts of the capital, Nitebane could not let slip for even a moment where their brethren were being held. "Anything else to report about this 'underground expansion'?"

"Well, since there's more underground to mine," one Paragon reasoned, "we're thinking there'll be an explosion of ores coming in. Eike from Team Gamma used to be a member of the miner's guild in Exter, and he says there's enough projected iron ore to make a Cross-Kingdom Railway for every kingdom and village in Minecraftia. Plus extra!"

"Quite the bounty indeed." Jillian smiled happily at the news. "We really must thank Xavier for being so repugnant that Carys saw fit to kill him and usher in this glorious Bounty Day."

And there was still one more Bounty Day in the queue. The one for Giovanni. Despite her workload nearly tripling in response to the Bounty Days, she was eager to see what the last one would bring to her and her people.

---

[Lenz]

"Hooookay~!" Teal clapped her hands after we cleared the prison. "Time for 'initiation'. And I know just the spot to do it. Something tells me your mind is gonna be blown, Lenny."

"...Hm." I gave a noncommittal hum while I tried to mask my negative feelings towards the Lieutenant. If I let my emotions rule me, then I would have killed that innocent Crafter for no reason, and all this would have been for nothing.

We still needed to distract Teal so that Dwight or Perry could relay our location to Team Delta. The Lieutenant still refused to leave us alone for more than a second. If I did not know any better, I would say she was deliberately forestalling us from sending a message.

Teal took us to a place under the seafloor. There was a wide flight of stairs going down, and the terrifying glass tunnel became tolerable stone bricks. A group of cultists were lingering outside an iron door, conversing with one another. Teal excused herself to go over and talk to them while the rest of us watched and waited.

"Can you access the ender chest now?" I whispered to Dwight beside me. He shook his head.

"Too risky. The message could take a while, and Team Delta needs to know what we're up against in here. We need more time than just Teal talking with some grunts."

The Lieutenant in question hitched a thumb towards us to point us out to the cultists she spoke with. I could not hear what they were saying, but I saw one or two cultists look over Teal's shoulders and fix us with a hard stare. They said something else, and Teal laughed it off with a few shakes of her head before accepting something from them and bidding them thanks and goodbye. Then they filed into the iron door and up some narrow stairs within. The sign beside the door read 'Simulation Room Controls'.

"Sorry about that. We're all set. Those guys are gonna work the controls."

"Controls for what?" Perry asked.

"You'll see~"

We went further down the stone brick corridor and around a bend, then a little further until we came across another iron door. This one had a sign beside it labeled 'Simulation Room'.

"Simulation Room?" I asked, despite still being tense with Teal.

"Yepper~ Why don't you take a closer look?" She offered, flicking the lever to the iron door and gesturing for me to go inside. I stepped past her tentatively and found myself in a large, empty room. One-hundred meters long, fifty meters wide, and twenty meters tall. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of polished andesite except for a large glass window along the wall, closer to the ceiling than the floor. I could make out the cultists from earlier bustling around the window of what I presumed was the 'Simulation Room Controls.'

"What is this place?" Dwight asked.

Teal grinned. "It's whatever we want it to be, hun~ Hmhmhmm~" She giggled at our perplexed expressions before whistling to the people at the Simulation Room Controls. "Yo, eggheads~! Show us the forest~!"

The 'eggheads', as she called them, made an 'okay' gesture before pressing a button on the control panel. There was the unmistakable 'cha-chunk' of pistons below the floor. It sounds like there were hundreds of pistons retracting and extending in various ways. What was happening down below?

Suddenly, the floor opened up and oak logs sprang like geysers. The suddenness had me falling on my butt, but instead of hard polished andesite, I landed on soft grass. The polished andesite was being pulled out of sight and replaced with grass blocks - an expensive rarity that could only be picked up by a Silk Touch tool. The pistons underground implied they were being shifted and shuffled around to form an artificial landscape.

I gazed around in wonder as grass blocks rose at varying heights to form small hills and mounds from which more tall wooden logs sprang up. Logs stripped of all leaves.

When the sounds of pistons petered out, the four of us found ourselves in a grassy forest surrounded by tall oak trees bereft of foliage. Plus, a relaxing melody of note blocks was being played, combining flute, harp, and chime.

"Pretty cool, huh~?" Teal sing-songed. "No foliage, though. Our resident redstone nerd was lazy."

"Actually, Teal, pistons cannot move leaves." I pointed out automatically. My redstone knowledge was too deeply ingrained.

"That right? Huh. I take it back, then. He's not lazy."

"Who is 'he'? Was it Abyssmal who made this...?"

Teal burst into laughter. "Him? No way! Abyssmal's smart, but he's not redstone techie smart. Nah, this was done by KillGore."

"Kill... Gore...?" Perry questioned hesitantly.

"Self-declared. His real name is KillRoy, but don't ever let him hear you call him that. He's short - both in temper and size - buuut he knows his nerdstone. He's also a mean arm wrestler." She added as an afterthought.

"Well, I agree he knows his redstone. This is pretty advanced!" I complimented as I reached down to touch the grass - not green wool, but grass. The forest ambiance helped to transport me as well. "So that is why it is called the simulation room. You can simulate an environment down here."

That was why it was placed at the bottom of the ocean, under the ocean floor. The complicated redstone needed all the space it could.

"Hmhmhmm~" Teal laughed dramatically. "How naive~ It's not just 'an' environment." She sing-songed.

My eyes widened under my mask. "Impossible..."

"Nope~! Check it~!" She whistled again to the cultists in the control room. Even with the bare trees, we could see them from their observation window. "Pick a different one! Surprise us~!"

The cultists flashed a thumbs up before flicking a different lever. Immediately, the underground sounds of pistons started up again. Grass blocks and logs were pulled down and away and replaced with stone and dirt. Things went further, however, when the ceiling and walls were replaced with stone and dirt as well. A hole opened up above and allowed for gravel to drop down in columns and heaps in an approximation of an underground cave. A large, thick stone pillar rose from the middle of the floor, turning the room into a donut shape. The redstone lamps on the ceiling were dimmed by black stained glass. Even ores were slid into place on the ceiling, floor, and walls, to make it more cavern like.

I clutched my head and let out a long, unending gasp lasting the duration of the whole process. Who cared that I was running out of oxygen? This was awesome!

The room had become an underground cave, now. Aside from the giant observation window, there was no telling it apart from an actual cave. There was also a dark, gloomy background music playing, with low notes on the didgeridoo.

"Ta-dah~!" Teal sang, her arms spread out. "We can simulate any of eleven biomes." She started ticking off her fingers. "Forest, Cave, River, Desert, Jungle, Ruins, Snow, Plains, Mountain, Swamp, and Nether. We got it all, baby~! And they're all interchangeable. No malfunctions or troubleshooting whatsoever."

I was breathing heavily, my distaste for Teal all but forgotten. "That is amazing! Truly a remarkable feat!"

"I figured you'd like it~"

"I do. And I would very much like to meet this KillRoy. Is it possible...?"

"Afraid not." Teal shook her head. "He's busy doing last-minute training for... well, it's a long story." She explained away.

"Then can I at least take a peek at the redstone behind-the-scenes?" I asked hopefully.

"Hmm~ I dunno~" Teal pretended to consider it with a teasing smirk before relenting. "Oh, okay. But don't ever say I didn't do anything for ya~"

I was already at the nearest dirt block on the floor, prying it up with my bare hands to see the redstone circuitry underneath. My Haste buff made digging a breeze despite being without a shovel. The cultists in the observation window made to protest as they were worried I would screw up the redstone wiring (as if I would do something so heinous), but Teal dismissed them with a careless wave of her arm.

When the dirt block was dug up, it made a hole that revealed a massive - larger than the simulation room - chamber underneath that was too dark to see properly without Night Vision. It was only faintly illuminated by lit redstone.

I quickly took out my gray Pocket Box and plucked out an arrow of Night Vision before loading it into a crossbow and asking Dwight to shoot me with it. He did so reluctantly, allowing me the Night Vision to take a peek at the 'magic behind the curtain', as it were.

I lowered myself into the hole and almost fell through entirely if not for a strong hand grabbing my ankle and suspending me by it.

"I got you, Lenny. Look to your heart's content." Teal called down reassuringly as I was lowered upside-down. Her arm did not shake or strain. She held me with little effort. Despite the fear of being in the hand of a deadly Lieutenant, I trusted her to hold me so that I could ogle the redstone beauty undisturbed.

It was amazing.

Hundreds of pistons, repeaters, slime blocks, hopper clocks, note blocks, observers, comparators, and redstone torches. I could see thousands of pre-prepared blocks made up of the same materials that made up the eleven biomes Teal listed. I saw jungle logs on standby to be raised as tall jungle trees. I saw sand and netherrack. Grass, snow, ice, stone, clay, dirt, cracked stone bricks. Lines of note blocks placed on different instrument sounding blocks to simulate the background ambiance for each biome. It was glorious.

I wish I could have helped this KillRoy fellow (I was not calling him KillGore). This was a serious project that I would have loved to be a part of. My mind was already whirring with ways to improve upon the simulated biomes, or else introduce some new ones. This would take a seasoned redstone engineer to pull off, and it would have taken weeks - maybe even months - to perfect.

All too soon, my Night Vision faded, and I reluctantly asked Teal to pull me back up. Despite the sensation of blood rushing to my head, I could have stared avidly at the behind-the-scenes circuitry for hours. I was careful not to disturb anything. It would still work as intended. I plugged the hole back up with dirt and let out a contented sigh.

Teal looked at my satisfaction with an odd face.

"Mind if I ask you something?" She asked.

"Er, go ahead."

"Why do you like redstone so much? What got you into it?"

There was no teasing lilt in her tone for once. It was an honest question that she was genuinely curious about. She patiently awaited an answer while I contemplated how much to tell her. I saw no harm in relaying the truth. It was ancient history now, with no bearing on the Beginners, the Paragons, or the Endward Cult.

"...I started out weak." I began. "I was not strong or tough. The strong and tough ones - the ones all the weak ones relied on - bullied us, but we needed them to protect us. The power structure was strong bruisers at the top, weaklings at the bottom. But Redstone Engineering flipped that hierarchy on its head. In Daymonte, it did not matter if I was strong, since redstone favored intellect. I could not only survive in it but thrive in it. Of course I would take to redstone like a fish to water. Redstone engineering... was the only path of improvement I could pursue." I sighed. "At least with redstone I can leverage my intellect in a way that raw brawn cannot."

"Hmm." Teal hummed. "In other words, you picked redstone because it was all you considered yourself capable of."

"...I suppose." I conceded. "But I really enjoyed it! I found it fascinating, all the things you could do or automate. It was not just about doing what I was capable of. It became my passion. And anyone can be capable of it. Everyone's brain is the same size. It is just a matter of perseverance. Never quitting, even when things get hard."

Teal snorted dismissively. "Lenny, there are some things you need to know when to bail on. My college education was one of them."

"That is not right. You are smart. If you apply yourself-"

"I'm following what I consider myself capable of. Just like you." She cut me off sharply. Her eyes told me the topic was closed. "If blood doesn't go to your muscles, it goes to your brain, and vice versa. I enjoy being the strong predator who hunts down the weak prey, because, guess what, the real world hierarchy is a jungle that favors the strong. And I love doing what I do a helluva lot more than I did in any lecture hall." She gestured to me with one hand. "But, if you prefer redstone, be my guest. I just think it's a boring waste of time."

"Do you consider this simulation room a 'boring waste of time'?" I asked snidely.

"It's a cool waste of time," she conceded, "but it's still a waste of time. I could get this by just traveling. However~!" She clapped her hands dramatically, her face all smiles. "It is here where we'll be doing our 'initiation'~!"

"About time." Perry sighed. "I need to use the bathroom, soon."

"About this initiation..." Dwight brought up. "Mark seemed to imply this was an unnecessary errand meant to entertain you. One that you regularly pull on burgeoning recruits?"

"Oh, that? That - uh - that's just Mark being silly. Pay him no mind. This is real. Initiation is a serious ritual we - uh - partake in to parse the wannabe cultists."

"Uh-huh. And what will this initiation entail?" Dwight pressed skeptically with folded arms.

"Just some trials and challenges to test your physical abilities." She tried to sound innocent, but she was clearly being suspicious.

"Like?"

"Like... uh..." She hesitated. "Tag. Hide-and-seek. Eye Spy - hey, don't walk away!"

Dwight and Perry were already walking to the iron door that remained unchanged against our simulated cave wall.

"Wait, wait, wait! I'm the Lieutenant here!" She was clutching at straws at this point. "I'm supposed to test your mettle."

"You just want to play games."

"And that! So!?" She folded her arms defensively. "Nobody ever wants to play with me. They're always finding an excuse. Besides, are you telling me you'd really rather sit through a snorefest interview with Abyssmal than play some harmless games with a bombshell like moi?"

Her words had Dwight and Perry grind to a halt. Getting grilled by an Executive was the last any of us wanted. Teal seemed to sense our aversion to the interview, for she smiled like the cat that ate the canary.

"I thought so~ If you boys want those Lieutenant favoritism brownie points, you're gonna have to play my little games~"

The three of us exchanged looks. This would surely be exhausting and tedious. Teal adored games. She especially adored violent games if Floyd and Soul were to be believed. It could be hours before we were free of her to send a map message. Unfortunately, it looked like we would have to play her game. The other option would be to risk the interview and being discovered by Abyssmal by being asked to take off my mask in his presence.

"Fine. We'll play. But this is a gross waste of our talents!" Dwight said, sounding offended.

"Yes!" Teal pumped a fist, looking genuinely excited as she hopped around. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. We're gonna have a lot of fun~"

Perry grimaced. "What's first? I need to use the bathroom."

"Oh, just hold it." Teal dismissed before picking the first game. "Let's start off with something simple." The blue-nette clasped her hands behind her back and sashayed forward, her ponytail swaying with her movements. She got right up in Perry's face. Then she held up one finger and tapped the Paragon on the nose. "Tag. You're it~"

To his credit, despite the harmlessness of the situation, Perry reacted like his life depended on it, throwing out a hand to tag Teal back. Tagbacks had yet to be forbidden. However, Teal moved just as fast as Perry, if not faster, diverting his arm with one of hers and dodging his fingertips by leaping back. She had a big fat grin on her face.

"I love it~! Bring it on~!"

And so, Dwight and I watched as Perry doggedly chased after Teal all around the simulated cave. Since it was in the shape of a donut, they would often times just run around and around, with Teal giggling and bouncing and swaying out of Perry's reach each and every time. Watching her movements, I saw she was both nimble and flexible, bending or twisting her body in a myriad of ways to stay one step ahead of an increasingly frustrated and exhausted Perry. She would also throw out taunts to further enrage him.

"Oooh, so close~!"

"I felt the wind on that one~!"

"Weave, weave, weave~!"

She also strafed. She feinted towards Perry to make him flinch, then she sidestepped and slid around to take his back and punish him with a light kick to the butt. She could have been more vicious, admittedly, but she was being surprisingly gentle considering her nature. Maybe she just did not want to injure us and spoil her fun. And she was having fun.

After breaking off from a panting Perry, a barely sweating Teal turned to us. "Don't be strangers, you two! Join in on the fun~!"

"But Perry's it." Dwight replied.

"Well, this is barely a workout, so why don't you all be it! Make it more interesting for me~!"

Dwight shot me a look before shrugging and stepping forward to join. I stayed back for now, my eyes observing carefully. Dwight walked right up to a cheekily grinning Teal. She did not move. Not even when Dwight was within arm's reach of her.

He lifted his arm. The blue-nette's vibrant blue eyes locked onto it. Dwight hesitated for a second before he lowered his arm and shrugged, turning so that his back was to her. "Like I'll fall for your provocation - GRAH!" He suddenly pivoted and lunged at her, but, of course, she was ready for it. She bent her body double, ducking Dwight's lunge and letting the Paragon sail over and crash into a charging Perry. The two fell into a heap on the cave floor, and Teal laughed at the state they were in.

"Hmhmhm~! You boys are a hundred years too early to catch the transcendental Teal~! But keep trying. It's endearing~" She sing-songed before looking over her shoulder. "What about you, Lenny? Care to tangle with an elite~?"

I stared back quietly from behind my dragon mask. No word was uttered. I just kept watching her like a hawk.

Like an eagle.

"The silent treatment, huh? Well, jump in whenever. I'll be ready for you - whoa now~!"

She dodged another lunge by Perry, and then a follow-up lunge by Dwight. The two recovered fast and encircled the Lieutenant with determined looks. Teal waggled her eyebrows challengingly as she kept her body tense as a spring.

I watched her carefully for any weakness. Any opportunity to tag her.

Even with two people trying to tag her, Teal was able to evade with ease. She always kept both Paragons in her line of sight as she swayed, leapt, darted, or danced around them. She was still not showing signs of fatigue. She was like a puppy with boundless energy and no outlet. It was no wonder she was considered exhausting, and why no one wanted to play with her. She could not be caught.

That was painfully clear as I observed her carefully, watching the muscles tensing underneath her fishnet stockings and sleeves. Even if I added my feeble, non-athletic efforts, there was no chance of any of us actually tagging her.

I needed to be cerebral, here.

Her teal-blue ponytail whipped around as she dodged by pulling off a complicated full twist gymnastic move that resembled the barrel roll of an airship. She landed on a handstand and pushed herself off the floor before performing a double backflip, then a picture-perfect landing.

"Ooooh!" I clapped politely at her trick, earning a wide grin from Teal and an incredulous look from the Paragons.

"Hey, Lenny!" Perry stressed my alias angrily. "Why don't you get in on this instead of applauding her!"

"S-Sorry, sorry. She just looks so... dazzling."

"DAZZLING!?"

Teal puffed out her chest proudly. "Why thank you, Lenny~! It's nice to be recognized." She saw that Perry and Dwight were trying to encircle her again, and she smirked eagerly. "Hmhmhm~ Watch this one~"

As the Paragons tried to graze her with their fingertips, Teal strafed to their left, then performed a backwards vault jump over their heads by kicking off the ground with her tremendous leg strength. I saw her muscles ripple under those fishnet stockings. She landed on her right hand, then spun in a leg sweep that knocked the two Paragons onto their asses.

I applauded the feat with feverish claps. It almost reminded me of Jade's parkour. The blue-nette gave a low bow as she graciously accepted my adulation.

"Thank you, thank you~ You're too kind~"

"Lenny, seriously, quit hyping her up and help us!" Dwight panted tired lying as he struggled to his feet. "You're the only one with the Speed effect to catch her."

"Hey, if the nerd wants to watch my moves, I say let him!" Teal defended before getting an evil glint in her eye as she took out her Wonder Wings. "Now for a real showstopper~"

Not liking where this was going, Perry and Dwight scrambled backwards along the floor. They did not get far, as Teal put on her Wonder Wings and used her firework rockets to zoom towards the two. Perry tried one last lunge with an arm, but Teal zoomed past it. She went at a blinding fast speed, using more and more rockets as she flew around and around the giant stone pillar in the middle. She was nothing but a blue blur, and Perry and Dwight's heads bobbed dizzily as they tried to track her flight pattern. They dreaded what was coming.

"Lenny, help!"

"Lenny can't help you now~!"

At the peak of her speed, Teal straightened out and shot towards the Paragons like a blue missile. She bowled through them, sending them up into the air before they crashed back down in a groaning heap. The damage was not too bad, since Teal was weaponless, but the two were clearly exhausted.

Teal touched down on the cave floor and slid to a grinding stop with her blue sneakers. She beamed proudly, her chest rising and falling, as she looked expectantly towards me for my reaction.

"That was incredible!" I pumped my fists animatedly. "You were moving so fast I could hardly follow! You are just too good for them!" I hurried over with my hand held up. "You have got to give me five on that one!"

"Well," Teal chuckled modestly as she approached, "when you're Queen of Games, you're Queen of-"

"Tag!" I exclaimed right as her high five made contact. "You are it!"

Teal and her smile froze as she realized she had just been suckered in by my deception. I stepped back, feeling a little pleased with myself. Cobbert would be proud of such deception. Dwight and Perry, sprawled on the cavern floor, could hardly believe my success. The blue-nette lowered her arm and looked at her hand for a solid second before that same hand flew to my collar and lifted me up as if I was a kitten.

I was instantly in a panic. Did I overstep? Was she mad I played her for a fool? Did she not like losing? Her bangs were shielding her face, so I could not tell what her reaction was.

Suddenly, she looked up and cracked a lively grin. "You got me~ You got me good~!" She laughed happily as she dragged me back down by my collar and put me in a gentle but firm headlock, her other hand forming a fist to noogie my head good-naturedly. "I can't believe I fell for that! Hmhmhmm~! Nobody's ever suckered me like that before. Looks like I won't be bored with you anytime soon~" She teased my masked cheek and cooed happily, even while my face was pressed into her chest.

I have Z7. I have Z7. I have Z7. I repeated in my mind.

It was actually easy to resist the Lieutenant's bubbly charms and good looks. She was just too prone to spontaneity. People that are too fun often drive you crazy in large doses. Plus, my revulsion for her was still fresh for what she made me do to that innocent prisoner.

"I suppose I'm it now." She announced as she released me from the headlock. She looked at the two battered Paragons groaning on the floor. "Guess they need a little timeout. You're still fresh, though, right?"

"Uh... well, I suppose-"

"Great~!" Teal steamrolled through any reluctance and whistled up to the cultists at the Simulation Room Controls. "Bring out the Jungle!"

The sounds of redstone machinery followed and the simulated cave was broken down and transformed into a thick jungle. The trees were jungle logs and markedly taller than from the oak forest, but there was no foliage. The ground became grass with little hills here and there, and a new soundtrack played. This one was a melody designed to pump you up, with the instruments being the snare drum, clicks and sticks, and some well-placed, prescription-filling, cow bell.

"You two take a bathroom break." Teal gave Dwight and Perry a merciful reprieve, making them perk up immediately. This was their chance to send a message! "Right now, I've got geek in my sights~"

I gulped worriedly as she eyed me predatorily. I felt I had to run from those blue eyes, and Teal thought the same.

"I'm it, Lenny, but I'll give you a one-minute head start. Do make it enjoyable for me~" She said while licking her lips.

I really did not want to run around being hunted, but I had to distract her so that Perry and Dwight could do their thing. If I kept her entertained, the Paragons could be alerted to where the Eastern HQ was located, as well as the identity of their other Lieutenant and Executive, and their supply of Wither skulls. This had to be done.

"One... Twooo..."

"Comparators!" I cursed under my breath before turning and running into the thick, leafless jungle. I was aided by my Speed and Leaping buff, and my Hunger Meter never ran out thanks to my Saturation buff...

But I was still the least athletic Beginner of the group! I shed shameful mock tears as I lamented my pathetic physique. Forget playing tag, I had to play hide and seek!

You guys better make this count! I swore in my head as I brushed past tree after tree, going in one solid direction.

Unlike jungle trees, these trees had no leaves or vines, making climbing them impossible unless you could do parkour wall jumps like Mario (whoever Mario was). Instead of that, however, I slid against the grass and tucked myself between a hill and a tree. I had a good mental sense of time passing from my work testing Floyd's Speed Hack. I knew exactly when one minute was up.

I took shallow breaths as I pressed myself to the hill and listened for the Lieutenant. I heard a high-pitched whistle that was surely her rocket propelled Wonder Wings, and I held my breath as it passed. Despite the harmlessness of the game, I felt like a rodent being hunted by a genuine bird of prey.

"Leeeeeeenny~!" The blue-nette's voice echoed in a sing-song. "Immagetchu, Lenny~! AH - FUCK!"

She suddenly nosedived while grabbing her head, crashing into a grassy knoll. I felt the same pain stabbing through my brain as I let out an involuntary cry against my hiding spot.

The final Bounty Day of the day.

I doubled over while clutching my head, the pumped-up jungle music becoming muted as I became overwhelmed by my latest vision. I saw a moldy blue-green colored slab of something the texture of fuzz. It looked hairy and disgusting, and, in fact, it had hairy leaves on all four corners that flowed and swayed like seaweed, but out of water.

It was also connected to a redstone trail. It looked alien and gross, but anything redstone related could not possibly be bad. It was just misunderstood, yes.

Anyway, it was underground somewhere, and I saw a version of myself stomping noisily near it. Responding to my stomps - and here is the most amazing thing - the seaweed leaves of the moldy slab lit up and made a responsive sound. The redstone trail lit up more the louder and closer the version of myself got to it. But then, when the vision version of me started tiptoeing gently, the moldy slab did not light up or output a signal.

It was sound-based. Redstone that responded to sound. It opened the way to automatic redstone that could activate without a button or lever, but by mere presence or sound. Wireless redstone! A way to overcome the growing concern of running out of dust! Replace all the redstone dust in Daymonte with these wireless sound sensors and make a truly automated kingdom that no longer required switches or buttons. This could streamline hopper clocks! This could detect the presence of Mobs or be made into an automatic burglary system against the cult! Remote-detonated explosives without repeaters or dust! Team Zeta needed to hear of this game-changing innovation to redstone! The possibilities were exploding in my-

I realized vibrant blue eyes were staring at me curiously. Teal's head tilted to the side. I had been so absorbed in my vision, that I did not realize the vision was over.

"So, do you wanna run? Or...?" Teal trailed off.

I bolted from my hiding spot immediately, running away. I put my Speed buff to good use. Teal giggled behind.

"Yeah, okay. That's what makes it fun for me~" I heard her sip a potion before she started chasing me. Sound sensors! If she had the same level of Speed as me, I would gain no ground.

"See any good stuff in your last vision?" Teal asked casually as her voice got closer. I stumbled on damn near every knoll, while she kept an even, steady, almost relaxed pace. "I saw some adorbs light-blue winged thing that fetched items for me. Could come in handy gathering trophies in my Survival Games. What about you?"

"Sound-detecting redstone!" I cried out between pants.

Teal clicked her tongue. "Maaan, your visions are boring. You're fun to play with, though~ Oh, you're doing great by the way~" Teal teased sarcastically from what sounded like right behind me. I could feel her presence looming. "I want you to feel like you're doing a good job~ I really want you to feel like you're escaping~" She mock-encouraged.

"I am escaping!" I gasped through burning lungs.

"Yo~" She giggled when she caught up with me with her face level with mine. I darted a different direction only for her to mark me closely, get on my other side, and bring her face right next to mine. "Yo~"

She kept playing with me, switching sides as I tried to get away until I tuckered myself out and fell to my knees, panting and wishing I did some more physical training. I felt a hand lightly slap the back of my shoulder. "Tag, you're it~" She laughed contentedly at the game and my weary state. "Hmhmhmm~! Ah, it's fun to be it. Tag me back, tag me back~! Let's go again. Different biome this time - you can pick."

I groaned into the grass, seriously considering revealing myself so we could end this torture.

Hurry up, Dwight. Perry. I can't keep this up forever.

---

Mercifully, we only played one more game of tag in a biome of my choice - Ruins - before we switched to various other games. Maybe Teal noticed I was exhausted and took mercy on me, picking a game of Eye Spy in the Nether biome. I was surprised to see lava waterfalls as part of the simulated biome. That was highly dangerous to redstone wiring. I won Eye Spy by picking the blue shirt of the cultist up in the control room, leaving the Lieutenant flabbergasted.

"You can see that far!? Sheesh, you really are a scaled-down version of Abyssmal. Only you have four eyes instead of one, hmhmhmm~"

"...Abyssmal is one-eyed?" I asked, interested.

"Yeah, you didn't know? He spawned that way. Lot of Crafters have scared faces or bodies when they spawn in."

"But then, how can be the greatest archer?" I felt confused. "With one eye, he has no depth-perception. His shots should be all off."

"His shots may be off with the ladies, but believe me, he can snipe a bat from miles away." Teal revealed. "And then there's his Foresight. I've never been able to beat him once, even with my Wonder Wings, and magic cap." She sighed wistfully. "Even though I'm the strongest Lieutenant - the closest to Executive in skill - it's still a gap I can't bridge no matter what I do. It gets frustrating." She pouted, speaking seriously for once.

We continued our game of Eye Spy with different biomes - desert, swamp, mountain. I particularly hated the river, which surprised me when I saw a valley rise from the simulation room, followed by a stream of water that smelled of the ocean. KillRoy even managed to get water flowing safely without causing problems. He was a little prodigy. A talent that appeared once every hundred years. I wondered if he ever attended the college, or if he was celebrating the new sound sensor block.

We also did other things. We played bumper boats on the ice lake of the snow biome - I lost. I set up a slot machine with a dispenser that initially had Teal cringe before she got into it gambling on what random block would be spit out. We played rock, paper, scissors. Chopsticks. Red hands (that hurt). Mob trivia. We did it all. Teal even surprised me when she took out a clock and marveled at the time. It was already night. The time actually flew by when I was not running for my life.

Surely Dwight and Perry were done by now. Teal or the cultists in the control room would grow suspicious soon.

Teal whistled for a biome change and picked the one we had yet to touch. The plains. The floor became grass with small rises in level across, the ceiling was replaced with light blue and white wool to simulate a peaceful sky, and a relaxing tune of flute, chimes, and the electric piano played for us to enjoy and ease down.

"Well, it's getting late." Teal stretched her arms in a cute yawn. Her endless energy had been spent. "I'd say you definitely earned those Lieutenant brownie points. Wish I could say the same for your deadbeat buddies." She wrinkled her nose distastefully as she turned to the iron door. "Some bathroom break. This always happens when I want to play with people. And they up and bailed on you. Get better friends."

"I have some, trust me." I smiled under my mask, thinking of the Beginners. Cobbert was probably beside himself with panic right now if Perry and Dwight could not reassure him. I doubted anyone could with me being this deep.

"You consider me a friend?" Teal asked innocently.

"Well, ah, I am unsure if that is allowed with the hierarchy of the cult-"

"Nah, we're friends."

"Would that not-?"

"Nah, we're friends."

"...Do I have a choice?"

She giggled. "Nah, not really~"

"Alright then, as, uh, flawed, awful," I listed sarcastically, "totally uncomfortable and poorly matched friends with no matching interests. Absolutely."

"Hmhmhmm~ That sounds perfect~" She reached out and gently took my shoulder. "I really do appreciate you putting up with me all day. Not many cultists - aside from Mark - do that."

"You and Mark are... dating?"

"We're doing more than that~" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Some friendly advice: Find someone who loves you as much as you love them. Love is the best high you can ever get."

I thought back to the recent development with Z7 and smiled tenderly behind my mask. Teal noticed my gaze drift and a shit-eating grin spread.

"Ohhhhh, I know that look~! You've got someone~? A dweeby noodle like you? I have my own dweeby noodle, but still." She rocked excitedly on her heels. "What's her name? Or his name. I don't judge."

"...It is a she." I carefully revealed, knowing naming a Paragon was out of the question. "It is also recent. She... she is funny, and blossoms from attention. She has an insatiable sweet tooth." I smiled fondly. "She has been isolated for a long time, and I..." I blushed. "I really just want to make her happy. I find myself happy when she is happy, and... and she glows whenever she makes me laugh, as if that is more important than the whole world."

"She sounds like a keeper. What's her name?"

"...Uh, Zear... foss..."

"...Zearfoss?"

"Yes. That is what I said. The lovely... Zearfoss..."

Comparators, why did I not just name her Zara or something? What even is Zearfoss? Is that a real name?

"Well, she sounds exotic!"

Cover maintained.

"Before we clear out, would you mind one last before-bed game?" Teal fluttered her eyelashes innocently. "For your new best frieeend~💙?"

Buying more time could not hurt.

"I cannot say no to you, Lieutenant."

"Please, call me Teal. No 'Ma'am' or 'Lieutenant' or 'Larkspur'. I hate being formal and wish my division would take the hint." She blew a raspberry to get a strand of hair out of her face. "So, for this last game, we need signs. You got planks, right?"

I did in fact have planks. Dark oak planks. With them, I made three signs. Teal and I only needed one each.

"The game is called 'Sign Detective', or 'What Am I?'" Teal explained as she set down the sign before her so it was facing her and wrote something down. "You place a sign down facing away from the player opposite, and you write down a noun. Person, place, thing, or idea." She had her word set, and, with the sign facing her, I was unable to read it. "The sign will read whatever you are, and you have to ask twenty yes or no questions to narrow down what it is. Then you take a guess. If you're right, you win. If you're wrong or nobody says a correct guess, we ask five more questions."

"I think I understand the rules." I nodded, setting my sign down and picking a noun for Teal to be.

"This is a game that requires intelligence. Right up your alley~ And don't pick anything to do with nerdstone! I don't know that shit."

I grudgingly broke my sign reading 'Observer' as Teal predicted I would pick something redstone-related. I thought for a moment for something brain-stumping and settled on 'honey'. It was new, so maybe she would not guess it.

"Alright~! I'll kick this off to show you how it's done~" Teal smirked as she pondered. "Am I a person?"

"No. Am I a person?"

"Yes." Okay, so I was a person. A famous person? "Am I a place?"

"No. Am I someone famous?"

"Mmm..." Teal pondered for a moment. "Yyyyes. Yes you're famous."

Why the hesitancy on that yes?

"Am I a thing?"

"Yes." I nodded back, making the blue-nette pump a fist. "Do I have a specific name?"

"Mmm. Clarify."

"Um... A name chosen when I spawned?"

"Nope~!"

So I was a person without a name? A Testificate perhaps?

"Am I dropped by a Mob?" Teal asked.

"No... wait." I thought about bees for a moment, but they did not drop a glass bottle full of honey. "No. The answer is no."

"Ooh, getting warmer~" She rubbed her hands together diabolically.

"Do I have a big nose?" I asked.

Teal scoffed. "Nope. You're way off the mark, archer~" She teased before asking her next question. "Am I a consumable?"

"...Yes." I answered grudgingly. She was pretty good at this, while I was still lost on what I could be. "Okay... uh... am I a monarch?"

"No." She giggled. "Am I from one of the last five Bounty Days~?"

"Yes..." I was losing badly and she knew it. I wracked my brain. "Am I male?"

"Nope."

So then I was a female. Okay. Famous female. But then why did I not have a spawned name? Something was wrong here.

"Am I something sweet~?" Teal asked.

"Yes. Am I female?" I asked, just to verify.

Teal giggled. "Nope~!"

Comparators! How could I be a person, yet be neither male or female? Was she cheating? I thought back over my questions before realizing my error.

At the rate we were going, this would be my loss.

"Can I be found in a bottle~?" She asked, basically cementing what it was.

"Unfortunately, yes." I sighed. "Am I a group of people?"

"Yes~!" She laughed. "Finally caught on, but it's too little too late, hun~! I'm a bottle of honey!"

"Correct." I gave up with a sigh while she cheered. She did not even need half of the full twenty questions. She went around and verified what was written on my sign before whooping triumphantly. "I lose. So what was I, anyway?"

"Come see for yourself~!"

I shrugged as I was beckoned over. I circled to her side of the sign and read what I was.

[BEGINNER]

I wanted to shout, 'OH, FUCK!', but I could not over the metal rim of a bucket of milk pressed to my lips from behind. Teal had taken my back in an instant, tearing off my dragon mask and revealing my full name for everyone while she forced me to drink. My terrified gasp made me swallow the milk as Teal wrenched my head back and giggled.

"Bottoms up, Beginner~!"

I choked and spluttered, trying to cough the milk back up, but Teal held my nose closed until my replenishing buffs and potion particles all vanished. My Vivlio Zythopoiias buffs were gone! Once the bucket of milk was empty, she released me with a happy sigh and I fell onto my palms, coughing for breath. I felt fear grip my heart as I spun around and crawled backwards on my hands. No Resistance, no Saturation, no Regeneration, no Absorption, no Health Boost. No nothing!

Teal laughed joyously at my expression. "That's what I was waiting for~! Looks like you got played, college boy~" She whistled to the control rooms, prompting them to click a lever a change the biome from plains to jungle. "Welcome to the jungle, Lenny~! Now we'll have some real fun~! Something to really get your heart pumping~!"

I shook my head, not quite believing it, even as the simulation room changed around me to a thick jungle of barren trees.

"No... No... S-Since when did you know?"

"Since the first time you took off your mask and I saw your name, Lenny~! Why did you think I called you that instead of your real name? Momma knows how to play the long game~! Jade would go green with envy~!" She cracked her knuckles threateningly. "Jade leaked who you were, genius! I just didn't want anyone spoiling my fun, so I played dumb. Pretty easy for a dropout like me, yeah~?"

"You... you saw through my cover all along?" I asked incredulously as I scrambled to my feet and pressed my back into a jungle log. "So... that prisoner you had me kill...?"

"I wanted to see if you had the stones to pull it off~" Teal - Larkspur - admitted. "It felt good, didn't it? You killing an innocent and proving yourself superior. And you were stone cold about it too. All to maintain a cover that was never there to begin with~! Hmhmhmm~!"

"You..." I gnashed my teeth. "You are sick!"

"Don't I know it~!" Larkspur shamelessly admitted before smiling softly. "And I think I really oughta tell you now that your friends won't be bailing you out of this one~" I felt a spike of fear. "You didn't actually think I'd let them go off alone to find an ender chest and blow the whistle on our base, now did you~? Direct those four eyes to that." She pointed to the control room window, where I saw the bruised and beaten bodies of Perry and Dwight. Lieutenant MarkAble was up there too, now, and the Paragons were afflicted with Slowness and Weakness, rendering them helpless.

I thought back to when she excused herself to talk with the cultists and they directed hard stares at us. I thought she was merely ordering them to man the Simulation Room controls, but was that when she told them we were Beginners? Then they got Mark and apprehended Dwight and Perry when they stepped out?

I was on my own.

"I really did enjoy our games, together, Lenny~" She stressed that hated nickname while I found my words caught in my throat. "Having you dance in the palm of my hand, entertaining my every whim like an adorbs little wind-up toy. I loved it~! But now it's time to show you what true entertainment is like~ We have an audience to please~!"

The cultists in the control room stamped their feet in agreement. They were about to watch a Beginner get dismantled by a Lieutenant.

I trembled fearfully as Larkspur's blue eyes watched me like a predator. This was no game anymore. Maybe to her, but not to me! I instinctively grabbed one of my Totems of Undying and pressed further against the jungle bark.

"You feel that primal fear, Lenny?" She asked with a rapturous look. "That icy cold liquid coursing through your veins? That sweet high when you know it's kill or be killed?" She snickered with saccharine sweetness. "I'm glad I get to share this feeling with you, friend~ We get to have that mock battle after all-"

I pointed to the control room window. "Look! Mark in a bikini!"

"Really!?" Larkspur whipped her head to look. "His clothes changed-? AGH!"

A high-pitched whistle shattered the standoff as I Quickdrew my preloaded crossbow and fired a gray firework rocket. The massive explosion of gray sparkles caught Larkspur off guard and sent her crashing into a tree.

I did not stop unloading.

"VOLITION REPEATER!" I screamed in raw fear as I pulled out the move I beat Alfonso with, firing every preloaded crossbow at my belt with Quickdraw. After the first blast, Larkspur used her fireworks and wings and zoomed off before the follow-up blasts could hit her.

We truly were opposites. While my fireworks were packed with firework stars for damage, her fireworks were packed with gunpowder for flight duration with none of the stars for explosions. If we ever traded fireworks, her flight would kill her, and my fired rockets would do zero damage.

I backed up away from where she flew off and sprinted to where I remembered the iron door to the simulation room being. Using up all my preloaded crossbows meant I could not do another Volition Repeater without taking the time to reload them all. With my noodle arms, that would not be easy; I would need both arms and one foot to hold the crossbow in place while I pulled back the string and hook. I had hoped to kill her immediately with that salvo.

"Leeeeeenny~"

I had not.

"Leeeeeenny~" Her voice sounded haunting as it echoed from the trees. I could hear the high-pitched whistle of her rockets as she flew above. "I'm coming to kill you, Lenny~"

It was official. I was terrified. I weaved between trees in a panic, aiming my strongest Power IV, Flame I, Punch II bow to the treetops. I moved at a sideways gallop, my eyes scanning above for any sign of her. I saw a blue blur and fired, but my arrows may as well have been in slow motion. She was too fast.

How could I have screwed up this badly!? I kicked myself as I kept moving. This is all my fault for getting exposed! Perry and Dwight are only captured because of my naïveté!

Female Lieutenants were lying cows.

I finally reached the iron door and scrabbled my hands against it, trying to wrench it open. Locked from the outside! I forgot the first rule of redstone in my panic. I needed a power source. I set down my red Pocket Box and ripped out a lever before placing it beside the door and flicking it open. I ran through the threshold only to get forcefully shoved back by a sword slammed horizontally across my chest.

The sneers and jeers of cultists echoed from the slats in the door. There were dozens of them in the corridor, braying for blood and keeping me trapped inside like a caged animal. There was no way I could fight them all!

"Where are you going, Lenny~?" I felt my hairs raise at the whisper in my ears. "Don't you wanna play with me anymore~?"

I whirled around only for her to kick my bow up and out of my hands. It spun into the air before she gripped me by the scruff of my shirt and threw me away from the iron door. I rolled with the impact, skidding to a stop against a tree before crawling behind it and Quickswapping to my Infinity bow.

Larkspur did not bother to dodge. Instead, she donned the Voda Shlem artifact and created a radius of water effects around her. It was like my arrows shot into molasses. She contemptuously swayed her head left and right to miss them as she approached.

"Gotta say, you're not living up to the Beginner hype, Lenny~" Larkspur mocked. "The last Beginners I fought put up more of a fight~!"

I wish I had any of the anti-Larkspur Thorns armor. Her close combat skills were one more reason we were polar opposites.

I had to risk it.

I took out a crossbow and used both hands and one foot to load in a rocket. The blue-nette balked at the sight. "Are you legit that weak? What am I saying, of course you are." She sighed before darting forward with arms outstretched.

I got my crossbow loaded and aimed at her, but she strafed to the left to avoid it, the gray sparkles exploding against a distant tree. She smiled haughtily, missing how I Quickswapped to my Infinity bow and fired an Arrow of Slowness. Even at point blank, my arms moved like molasses, and the arrow was drastically slower, allowing Larkspur to grab it out of the air and throw it to the ground before grabbing me by the neck and driving a knee up into my stomach.

I doubled over, feeling something crack in my side. A rib, maybe. It sure felt like a busted rib. I feebly struggled against the grass before Larkspur dragged me up by the collar and whipped my body around like a ragdoll before slamming me into a tree. I felt my breath leave me from the impact.

"Sheesh, maybe I should have let you keep the buffs." Larkspur sounded disappointed. "Should we end our little game here, Lenny~?"

I took out a Chorus Fruit and gulped it down before warping out of and away from Larkspur's grip. "Whoa!" She exclaimed in alarm before locating me instantly. Her artifact slowed down my tipped arrows, allowing her to dart in and kick me hard in the side. My breath was stolen away by the impact before I was launched across and through a jungle tree. My body kept going and I felt the back of my skull crack against something before everything went dark.

---

[Eastern Division HQ: Simulation Room]

"That's for the Mark in a bikini fake out." Teal scorned the downed nerd she had just kicked through a tree. "I'm ashamed to say I fell for that, and I'm ashamed to admit I will always fall for it on the off-chance it actually happens, but you can't-" She suddenly stopped when the Beginner did not stir. "...Lenny? You okay there?" She walked over and prodded at his unconscious face with her sneaker. "Darn, he's got brittle bones." She folded her arms in disappointment. "This Bird of Prey wannabe is nothing like Abyssmal. So much for a warmup."

She had panicked a bit with that initial salvo of fireworks that wiped out nearly all of her Hearts, but the nerd blew all his firepower right from the get-go and found himself helpless when Teal dodged.

Teal knelt down and started robbing unused totems off his unconscious body. "These will go to a much more suitable cause, Lenny~ Sleep tight~" She smiled before standing up and whistling for the cultists to reset the simulation room back to default polished andesite.

She looked upon the downed Beginner triumphantly. "Time for some leverage~"

---

[Cobb]

December 12th.

The day after the Bounty Day.

We received an 'invitation' through a note sent to the Oak Docks' guard barracks. The note made its way to our attention through our connection with the guards.

[Paragons and Beginners. Come to the Northern Lighthouse today between noon and sunset. You may bring SIX Crafters of the highest authority in your group, but you must include at least ONE Beginner.]

[If anyone else shows up, or the above conditions are not met, the owners of these citizenship informations will be liquidated.]

Along with the note were the citizenship informations of Perry, Dwight...

...and Lenz.

Blood: Time to unleash the beast...

---

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling III, Unbreaking III], 26 Obsidian, 6 Ender Chests, 43 Chorus Fruit, 48 Cooked Chicken, 64 Oak Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 1 Bed, 30 Blocks of Coal, 64 Torches, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 64 Snowballs, 11 End Crystals, 16 Ender Pearls, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash 2.0} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Lure II, Unbreaking III], 1 Trident {Awe} [Riptide III, Unbreaking III], 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Book and Quill

Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 35 Eyes of Ender, 30 Blocks of Emerald, 6 Emeralds, 1 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Iron Helmet [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Chestplate [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV, Depth Strider III], 25 Lapis Lazuli, 64 Books, 64 Glass, 64 Glass, 64 Glass Bottles, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Fishing Rod, 2 Books, 1 Enchanting Table, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}

[EXP: 53]

Inventory (Lenz): {Empty}

[EXP: 25]

Inventory (Baltic): 1 Iron Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Sword [Sharpness II, Unbreaking III], 1 Shield, 1 Bow, 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Silk Touch I, Mending I, Unbreaking II], 35 Arrows, 3 Brewing Stands, 1 Water Bucket, 64 Bones, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 20 Emeralds, 64 Cooked Chicken, 37 Cooked Chicken, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Healing II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Regeneration II {0:05}, 1 Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}

Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 35 Glass Bottles, 64 Dragon's Breath, 59 Dragon's Breath, 64 Blaze Powder, 62 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 62 Phantom Membranes, 64 Blaze Rods, 62 Fermented Spider Eyes, 62 Carrots, 64 Melon Slices, 64 Rabbit's Feet, 64 Gold Ingots, 48 Gold Nuggets, 62 Gunpowder, 62 Redstone Dust, 64 Glowstone Dust, 64 Ghast Tears, 64 Sugar

[EXP: 32]

Inventory (Z7): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Charcoal, 39 Torches, 59 Oak Planks, 4 Glass Bottles, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 24 Cookies, 38 Baked Potatoes, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}

Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Iron Helmet [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Chestplate [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots [Thorns III, Projectile Protection IV, Depth Strider III]

[EXP: 47]

---

AN: This Chapter was quite something.

You see the use of Heart emoji's (❤️) now that I've figured out how to place them. When I saw the Blue Heart (💙), I knew it had to be for Teal. Gives her more pop.

The Teal and Lenz character interactions are probably my favorite interactions, because they're such foils for each other. They both went to Redstone College, but one dropped out and pursued Physical improvement while the other thrived and pursued Cerebral improvement. Also, their weaknesses are the other's strength. They use opposite ends of Fireworks Rockets. Brains against brawn.

Probably the best 'Oh Shit' moment this Chapter was when they were playing the twenty questions What Am I? Game, and Lenz reads the sign. You all knew she knew, but you held out hope that maybe she didn't and everything would work out... until the suspense broke and you read the sign.

Sprinkling the four different Bounty Days and the perspectives of those that see them was particularly challenging. I had to write up a list of all the major characters, then go through each update - 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, and 1.19 - and designate visions relating to that character. The visions are usually based off the viewer's wants, hence, why Lenz's were redstone related. We're officially in 1.19, my dear viewers.

The Chapter name - The Deep End - is obviously in reference for the Eastern HQ being underwater, but also the fact that Lenz, Dwight, and Perry are in deep undercover (at least they thought so) while infiltrating. The very definition of in too deep.

The Simulation Room is maaaaaybe pushing what is possible with redstone. It would be unbelievably complicated to make a room that simulates eleven biomes. I knew there was no way for foliage to spawn unless there were cultists on standby to plant saplings, then have a bonemeal dispenser grow them, but then that would not be automated. So I had to make some concessions to make it more believable. It's a good idea, and a good setting, though.

FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. FORUM. DISCORD. LIPTON NOODLE SOUP.