Underneath the water, Julia could see the bottom of one of the wooden boats and tried to swim to the surface, but a squid got in her way, and by the time she reached the surface, the boat was gone. She looked in every direction, but she couldn’t find her friends. She was lost at sea. The sea was still rough, and Julia knew it was safer to be underneath the water. As she swam deep down toward the ocean’s graveled ground, she spotted an ocean monument. Julia grabbed her arm as she felt a pain radiate down the side, and turned around to see a guardian’s tail moving swiftly. The turquoise fish with orange spikes shot lasers as it swam toward her.
Julia’s health was dangerously low as she grabbed her bow and arrow and aimed for the hostile fish. As she swam closer to the fish, she grabbed her sword and slammed it into the guardian, and was relieved when the fish was destroyed. She swam toward the ocean monument, but there were three guardians swimming by the entrance, and Julia knew she had to come up with a quick plan to enter the ocean monument. Julia grabbed a potion of strength from her inventory and took a sip as she swam toward the guardians with a sword in her hand.
The sword pierced one guardian as the other two shot lasers. She took a deep breath as she tried to conserve her energy, and she plunged the sword into the guardian for a second time, destroying the fish. She followed the same plan with the other guardian, annihilating them, and then quickly sipped a potion of healing to replenish her energy. Even Julia was shocked when she singlehandedly destroyed the three fish and picked up the prismarine crystals the guardian dropped.
She knew ocean monuments contained treasures like gold bricks, and she swam through the underwater castle in search of whatever treasure she might find. Julia turned around when she heard a familiar voice, but she couldn’t see anyone.
“Julia!” a voice called out. “Over here.”
Julia swam toward the sound of the voice, and spotted Cayla hiding behind a pillar from an elder guardian. She swam toward her, but the elder guardian spotted Julia and focused its powerful laser at her. She fearlessly swam toward the elder guardian with her sword and ripped into the protector of the ocean monument. Cayla joined Julia in the battle as they worked together to destroy the fish.
When the fish was annihilated and they were no longer threatened, Julia and Cayla swam toward the treasure chamber. They searched throughout the chamber but didn’t find any treasure.
“Where are all of the gold bars?” Julia asked.
“I bet that man took them,” Cayla said.
“We can’t blame him for everything,” Julia said.
“Let’s get out of here. We have to find the others.” Cayla swam out of the ocean monument and Julia followed.
Chapter 12
FAMILY TIES
“I don’t see anyone,” Julia said as she reached the surface.
“I see Mushroom Island!” Cayla exclaimed.
The two swam toward the island. As they reached land, they could see their friends sitting on a dock.
Julia and Cayla climbed onto the land as water dripped off them. Emma said, “We were looking all over for you guys. We were very worried.”
“We were in an ocean monument,” Cayla explained, “and it was looted.”
“Incredible.” Brad wanted to know all the details about the underwater monument, but Cayla was too focused on getting to her home.
“I live up that hill right behind that mushroom patch.” Cayla pointed to a cluster of large red mushrooms.
The group followed Cayla, but Emma stopped them when she saw three mooshrooms strolling in a pasture. “Can we milk them? Please. I am seriously craving Mushroom Stew.”
“Yes,” Cayla said. “Those are my neighbor’s mooshrooms. They always let me milk them.”
Cayla led them toward the mooshrooms, and she took out a bucket and leaned over and milked the red spotted cows. Emma was the first to drink the mushroom stew. “Tasty,” Emma said as the others feasted on this local delicacy.
“Cayla,” a voice called out.
“Mom!” Cayla smiled as she raced toward her mother.
Cayla’s mother looked like her, with striking black hair. But her mother wasn’t smiling, which Julia thought was odd. Wasn’t she happy to be reunited with her daughter?
“There’s trouble here,” Cayla’s mother told them. “You guys should leave. It isn’t safe here.”
“What are you talking about?” Cayla asked.
“There’s someone here who is tormenting us. Our peaceful island is being attacked by some crazed person.” Tears filled her mother’s eyes. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“What does he look like?” Julia asked.
“He wears a purple jacket.” Her mother wiped the tears from her eyes.
“We know who he is,” Cayla said. “We think he’s behind the attack at Minecrafters Academy.”
“What’s happening at the school? Are you guys okay?” Cayla’s mother asked.
Cayla told her about the treasure chests and the storms. “We came back here to find out if you knew anything about these treasure chests. I remember you telling me a story about treasure chests on the campus.”
“Yes.” Her mom’s eyes opened wide as she looked in each direction to ensure they were safe. “That happened right before I attended the school. There was a thief who buried treasure around campus.”
“Did they ever find out who it was?” Cayla asked.
“No,” her mother replied. “Truthfully, I thought it was just a rumor that my roommate started. My roommate would tell me stories about a thief who was at on an off-campus treasure hunt with other students. It was extremely successful, but while everyone was sleeping, the thief stole the chests from their closets. Nobody knew who it was. My roommate said she discovered a buried chest when she was farming. She tried to take out a diamond and it created a massive storm.”
“That’s what happened to us,” Mia said. “It was awful.”
“I wonder if the man in the purple jacket has anything to do with these treasure chests,” Emma said.
“I don’t know,” said Cayla’s mother. “But he has been here for two days and has staged many attacks across the island and scared the residents.”
“Like what?” Brad asked.
“He summoned the Wither.” Cayla’s mother shook as she spoke.
“Wow,” Cayla said and then screamed, “There he is!”
The man sprinted toward them. “You’d better leave those chests alone,” he screamed, “or else!”
Julia leapt at the man, but he disappeared. “Did he have anybody with him?” Julia asked.
“Not that I saw,” Cayla’s mother said as she led them to her house. “I really think you guys are better off staying somewhere else, but I’ll let you stay here because it seems like there is no safe place in the Overworld at the moment.”
“We have to solve the mystery of these chests or the campus will remain under attack,” Cayla said. “Do you remember anything else about the story?”
Cayla’s mom shook her head. “That’s all I remember. As I said, it was before my time. I think my roommate Karen would know more, but I’ve lost contact with her.”
“We should track her down,” Cayla suggested. “She might help us figure out who the thief is and what we can do to stop him.”
“I don’t even know where she could be. It was so long ago,” her mom said as she entered her enormous mushroom house.
“This place is incredible.” Julia marveled as she walked through the building, noticing the complicated design.
“Are you a builder?” Cayla’s mom asked.
“Yes,” Julia replied. “So is Brad.”
“I’m a builder, too,” Cayla’s mom said.
“Did you build this house?” Julia asked.
“Yes.” She showed them around the spacious home. Julia wanted to ask her a million questions about how she’d constructed the mushroom house, but there wasn’t time to talk, because there was a loud deafening roar and a tail slammed through th
e roof, creating a gaping hole.
“Oh no!” Cayla cried. “The Ender Dragon!”
Chapter 13
LOOK UP
The muscular dragon circled in the air. The gang tried to shield themselves from the beast as they aimed their arrows at the dragon. Only one arrow pierced the side of the dragon. The sole arrow infuriated the dragon, and its fiery breath threw lethal fireballs at the group. The dragon focused its red eyes on Mia as it flew toward her at an incredibly close range. The dragon breathed, unleashing a fatal fireball and instantly annihilating Mia.
Julia teemed with anger as she used all her strength to plow her sword into the dragon’s wing. The powerful dragon was surprised by the attack, and retaliated by spewing a potent fireball at Julia, but she sprinted from the fireball. Brad and Emma shot a barrage of arrows at the dragon, weakening it. Cayla and her mother struck the weakened dragon with their diamond swords until the beast exploded. A portal to the End formed in front of the mushroom house.
“Mia’s gone,” Julia said. “She must have respawned in the igloo.”
“Hopefully she’ll TP back here soon,” Brad said.
Cayla’s mom said, “We have to stop these attacks on Mushroom Island. This is a peaceful place.”
“We have to find the man in the purple jacket,” Brad said.
The group didn’t have to search for the man. He suddenly appeared in front of them. “Help me,” he gasped.
“What?” Julia was shocked.
Cayla aimed her arrow at the man.
“I’m not the one who is hurting you. I’m just the messenger,” he pleaded. “I’m very weak and my inventory is empty. Does anybody have a potion of strength?”
“Why don’t you just milk a mooshroom?” Cayla asked.
“I need something stronger,” he begged. “If you lend me a potion, I will help you guys.”
“Help us?” Brad was annoyed.
“Your dragon destroyed our alchemist, Mia. She was the one with all of the potions,” Julia said.
Everyone was surprised when Cayla pulled a potion from her inventory and handed it to the man. He took a sip and thanked her. “I’m Johnny,” he introduced himself to the group. “I need your help. Can you follow me?”
“Where?” Cayla asked.
“There’s a cave,” he explained, “where the person I’m working for is staying. It’s where she keeps all her treasures. She’s a—“
“A thief,” Cayla’s mom interrupted.
“She calls herself a treasure hunter,” Johnny said.
“When you steal other people’s treasures, I call you a thief,” Cayla’s mom said defiantly.
“You’re right. She is a thief, and we have to stop her.” Johnny pointed to the cave’s entrance. “You have to come with me and stop her.”
Julia paused outside the cave’s entrance. “Why should we trust you? Maybe you’ll trap us in the cave.”
“There’s five of you and one of me,” Johnny reasoned.
“I don’t trust you,” Julia said.
Mia spawned in front of the cave’s entrance. “He’s telling the truth. There’s someone else who is behind the treasure chests.”
“Who?” Cayla questioned.
“When I spawned in the igloo, I saw woman with long red hair wearing a green dress. She was burying treasure. When I approached her, she asked me if the Ender Dragon destroyed me, and I asked her how she knew. She replied that she knew everything and that our campus was never going to be safe again.”
“That’s Karen. She’s the one who is tormenting me,” Johnny said. “She found me in a desert temple, where I was on my own treasure hunt. She told me if I helped her, she’d offer me countless diamonds. She said she needed help getting some old treasure back that she had buried.”
“Karen. Red hair. That sounds like my old roommate at Minecrafters Academy,” Cayla’s mom said.
“Does she live in this cave?” Cayla asked.
“Yes,” Johnny said, “but I guess she’s in the icy biome now. Maybe we can find her there.”
“How are we going to get back there?” Brad asked.
“I can teleport to her and you can come with me,” Johnny suggested. “She has to be stopped, she has a bunch of plans under way that will jeopardize the entire Overworld.”
“What if we just give her all of her treasure chests back? Will she leave us alone?” Julia asked.
“No, she wants more than her old chests. She said she didn’t even remember burying them until someone found them and tried to take a diamond. When that happened, she was alerted that they were found. She has a bunch of other plans in action.”
Johnny stopped talking when Karen appeared in front of them. “Talking about me?” she asked as she pointed her diamond sword against Johnny’s chest.
Chapter 14
THE GREAT ESCAPE
“Karen!” Cayla’s mom shouted. “It was you. You were the criminal.”
“Yes.” She laughed. “And you were the only person to whom I told that story, and I knew I had to come back here when I found out that your daughter was at Minecrafters Academy.”
Cayla was the first to strike Karen. Karen dodged the blade as she hit Cayla with a diamond sword. The strike weakened Cayla, who fumbled with her sword as she tried to defend herself. Even with her friends by her side, Cayla lost the battle. Angered by Cayla’s defeat, Julia struck Karen with all her might, puncturing Karen’s unarmored body and destroying her.
“She’ll spawn in her bed in the cave,” Johnny told them.
The gang rushed into the cave, but Karen’s bed was empty. “Where is she?” Julia asked.
“Maybe the icy biome?” Johnny suggested. “I have no idea.”
Cayla spawned by the entrance to the cave and called to her friends, “Get out of the cave. I think Karen has TNT in there.”
The group sprinted from the cave as it exploded behind them. Julia could barely see through the smoke-filled air. “Cayla, where’s Karen?”
Cayla explained, “I saw Karen in the icy biome. She spawned in the bed next to me. I confronted her and she told me if I waited a few minutes I’d see all of my friends, and that she’d booby-trapped the cave.”
“Where is she now?” Johnny asked.
“I don’t know,” Cayla replied. “She could be in the icy biome.”
“I can’t believe Karen is the same person I roomed with at school. I bet nobody knew she stole all of those treasures,” Cayla’s mom said.
“That’s why Lucy and Aaron had never heard about this story. It was as if Karen was confessing only to you. It all makes sense now,” Julia said.
“I never knew I was the only one she told this to,” Cayla’s mom said.
“We have to tell everyone on campus and warn them about Karen,” Emma said. “She’s probably heading there.”
Brad suggested they TP to campus, and they all agreed. The group teleported back to campus, and as they emerged on the Great Lawn, they spawned in the middle of a rainy skeleton battle. Four skeletons aimed their bows at Julia. She tried to duck, but it was useless; she was outnumbered, and the four arrows weakened Julia until she had no hearts left and awoke in the igloo. Karen stood above her, holding a diamond sword at Julia’s forehead.
“Why are you doing this?” Julia asked. “I’m sure the school would give you back all the treasure chests, even though you don’t deserve them.”
“They’d better,” Karen said as she disappeared.
Julia teleported to Emma and Mia, who were in the middle of a battle with a zombie army that had viciously attacked them.
Lucy sprinted toward them and Julia called out, “Did someone take something out of the treasure chests? Why is it raining?”
“I don’t think anybody took anything from the chests. All the students have been on high alert. We haven’t let anyone dig into the ground,” Lucy said as she struck a zombie with her diamond sword, and picked up the rotten flesh that dropped to the ground when the zombie was destroyed.
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A lightning bolt flashed across the sky as the rain intensified and the campus flooded. A treasure chest rose from the dirt ground, and Julia raced toward it. She leaned over and opened the chest. “It’s empty!”
“What?” Lucy rushed over to the chest. “How can this be?”
A new crop of zombies lumbered across the lawn and headed toward Julia and Lucy. They shot arrows to stop the undead beasts, but every time they destroyed one zombie, another spawned in its place. Zombies ripped the doors of the dorms and the other school buildings from their hinges.
Screams were heard throughout the campus. Julia looked at Lucy, “How are we going to stop this?”
“We will,” Lucy said confidently.
Julia wanted to believe the headmistress could save the day, but she knew this wasn’t an easy problem to solve. Julia weakened the zombies with the potion and then slayed them with her sword. She looked around and saw the entire campus battling all of the mobs of the Overworld. It seemed like a never-ending battle.
Brad was battling several skeletons, Emma and Mia were destroying tons of creepers, and Henry was in the midst of an intense zombie attack. Julia looked up at the sky, relieved that they didn’t have to battle the Wither or the Ender Dragon. A skeleton’s arrows struck her arm. She drank a potion to regain her strength and rushed toward the skeleton, slamming her sword against its bony frame. Lucy joined Julia in the battle.
Steve sprinted over to Julia and Lucy. As he helped them battle the skeletons, he said, “I found two empty chests.”
“Oh no,” Lucy said as she struck a skeleton.
In the middle of the rain, in the center of the campus, Karen spawned and grabbed an empty chest. She looked inside the empty chest and stood in the rain, hollering, “It won’t stop raining until you come up with the treasure.”
Chapter 15
THUNDEROUS THREATS
“Where is the treasure?” Julia cried as more skeletons spawned in the rain. Thunder boomed and lightning lit up the dark skies as more mobs spawned on the rainy campus.
Hidden in the Chest Page 5
