“What do we do?” someone asked.
“The splash potion won’t protect us from their blades,” another shouted.
The NPCs began to back away, slowly.
Then, a splashing sound came from the lava ocean. Huge shapes began to emerge, bouncing up and down as they rose from the molten stone. They sprang into the air with a squishing sound, splashing lava into the air. As the molten stone dripped off their huge, cube-like bodies, Gameknight could see a bright inner core within a dark red body.
“Magma cubes!” Crafter shouted. “They’re coming out of the lava.”
“Everyone back up,” Digger said again.
“No, we need to attack!” Butch said.
“NO! I am the User-that-is-not-a-user, and I say NO!” This time Gameknight asserted himself and refused to be ignored. The villagers were shocked by the ferocity in his voice. “We will not attack. You will all do as I say if you want to live!”
The puzzle pieces were tumbling around in his head, the solution just out of sight. And then he saw the ten or twelve villagers that he needed.
Thunk!
One of the puzzle pieces fell into place. Then Gameknight thought about his Grandma GG, and another part of the solution materialized in his head. In an avalanche of possibilities, everything all fell into place in his mind. And at that moment, Gameknight smiled.
“We … should attack,” Butch sputtered, but the User-that-is-not-a-user just ignored him.
“But there are too many of them!” someone said.
“We can’t do it …”
“I’m scared …”
“Listen to me, all of you,” Gameknight said in a softer voice. He put away his weapons and moved to the center of the group, so that all could hear him. “If we panic and give in to our fears, then we lose, and so does Minecraft. That’s what Charybdis wants us to do. If we just blindly attack, then the monsters will close in behind us and trap us against the lava ocean. They will drive us into the boiling stone until the last of us are destroyed, and Minecraft loses again.” He turned to look at those behind him, then slowly walked through the army before him, brushing his hands lightly against each NPC’s shoulder and back. “We are a family, not a mindless machine of violence. We are calculating and strategic, while the monsters are just thoughtless creatures of destruction. If we are careful and smart, then we can survive this battle.”
“We should listen to Gameknight999,” one of the villagers said.
“What is your plan?” asked another.
“Yes … tell us.”
Gameknight glanced back at the Nether fortress. The wither skeletons were still piling out of the fortress, while the magma cubes were bouncing their way onto the shoreline. The other villagers turned to glare at the monsters, but when they turned back, they found the User-that-is-not-a-user smiling.
“Here’s what we are going to do …”
And as he explained his plan, the villagers, too, began to smile.
CHAPTER 29
GRANDPARENTS’ REVENGE
The magma cubes bounced into the air with a squishy sound, a bright fiery glow coming from the center of their dark red bodies. They expanded like an accordion as they jumped up into the air, then compressed back into their cubic shape when they landed on the ground, moving closer with each bounce.
A dozen archers stepped out of the formation and knelt on the ground.
“Aim for a big one, then shoot the smaller ones after they divide,” Digger shouted. “FIRE!”
A stream of arrows sailed across the rusty landscape and pierced the large gelatinous cubes. The magma cubes groaned in pain, but continued to bounce toward them. The archers fired again, causing a couple of the bouncing monsters to divide into smaller cubes. More archers stepped forward and fired on the creatures, aiming for the smaller ones. They divided again, into smaller and smaller cubes, until they disappeared with a pop. Turning their attention back to the larger monsters, the villagers worked in groups of three and fired on the same creature, dividing them with a single volley.
As they attacked, Gameknight pulled out his remaining fire resistance potions and threw them on the snowmen that stood near the edge of the lava ocean, giving them a final eight minutes of life before the heat of the Nether would melt them to nothing.
The frozen creatures fired up at the blazes and the burning monsters launched fireballs back at them. Gameknight knew the blazes could just move out over the lava ocean, out of range, and wait until the snowmen just melted, but the ancient hatred between these two creatures was so great that neither could disengage. With the help of the fire resistance potion, the snowmen were slowly winning the battle.
Notching an arrow to his bow, Gameknight now turned his attention to the wither skeletons. The dark monsters were slowly spreading out along the edge of the fortress, but they had not attacked yet. It appeared as if they wanted to wrap around behind the NPCs so that they could trap them between their skeleton swords and the blazes.
Perfect, Gameknight thought with a smile.
“The skeletons are circling around us,” Crafter said, his voice cracking with worry.
“I know, that’s what I want,” Gameknight replied.
“What you want?!” exclaimed Butch. “Are you crazy? If they get behind us, we’ll have enemies on both sides of us and no way to escape. We should attack them now, before it’s too late.”
“Butch, I understand what you are saying, but a great general, named Sun Tzu, once said a long time ago: ‘All warfare is based on deception’,” Gameknight said. “The skeletons think they are putting us into a trap, while in actuality, they are the ones falling into our ambush.”
“What are you talking about?” the big NPC asked.
“You will see,” the User-that-is-not-a-user replied. “The deception must be complete. Our forces must seem scared to draw them in. You will see our salvation at the same time that the skeletons see their doom.”
Gameknight then turned and faced the other villagers.
“Have no fear, friends,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “There is help nearby, but right now, we must play the part of the victim.” He smiled as he scanned their faces.
Some of the warriors nodded their square heads, but still many had their eyes on Butch. Gameknight could tell that they wanted to do as Butch suggested—charge forward and attack. But if they followed the big NPC, then everyone was doomed.
Butch, exasperated, yelled and screamed, shouting about revenge and attacking the skeletons; but as he screamed, more of the warriors noticed Gameknight’s calm, confident demeanor.
“Be calm and be patient,” Gameknight said in a reassuring voice. “There is help out there … just have faith.”
This seemed to calm the villagers, but Butch continued to rant and rave; he was itching for a fight.
The skeletons were now behind them, and they began pushing forward.
“Don’t be scared … stand your ground,” Gameknight growled.
“There’s too many of them!” Digger cried, and while it sounded to the skeletons like he was scared, Gameknight recognized that there was a hint of acting in his loud voice.
“We should just lay down our weapons and surrender!” Crafter shouted in the same manner, before flashing Gameknight a smile and winking.
The User-that-is-not-a-user just nodded his head and smiled.
“We’re so afraid!” Gameknight said in a voice loud enough to be heard by all.
The effect of these words shone clear on the skeletons. They were hungry for a victory and advanced, ignoring everything but the supposed pleas for mercy from the villagers. As a result, while they closed in the NPCs, they didn’t hear the footsteps from behind. The dark monsters moved closer to their supposed prey.
“Stitcher, Hunter … NOW!” Gameknight yelled.
Suddenly, an angry cry arose from behind the skeletons. The bony monsters turned to see the source of the noise and found an army of grandparents charging toward them, each with an ar
row notched to their bow. At the head of the charge were Hunter and Stitcher, their enchanted bows lighting the Nether with a magical blue glow.
They charged forward until they were a dozen blocks away, then stopped and opened fire all at once. Their arrows tore into the skeletons, causing the bony creatures to yell in both surprise and pain.
The dark monsters turned to fight the grandparents, their swords deflecting some of the arrows. That was when Gameknight and the other villagers opened fire with their own weapons. Arrows fell down upon the ashen monsters from both sides, tearing HP from their bony bodies. Uncertain what to do, or which direction to fight, the skeletons stopped and drew into a tight formation, their stone swords deflecting arrows when they could.
Butch started to charge forward, but Digger grabbed him by the back of his armor and yanked him back.
“We can’t shoot at them with our bows if you are out there with them,” Digger said. “Gameknight has a plan and we’re going to stick to it. He can get us out of the Nether … alive. I think that’s a better idea than just attacking.”
Many of the villagers nodded their heads. Gameknight could still see the fire in their eyes. They wanted revenge for the destruction done to the Overworld, but they also knew their situation was precarious, and strategy was better than just reckless attacks. Slowly, the NPCs turned their gazes from Butch to Gameknight999, their faces seeming hopefully attentive.
“Center ranks: keep firing,” Gameknight said. “Warriors on the right and left: draw swords and move around to the skeleton’s flanks.”
One group, led by Digger, broke away from the main body and moved around the side of the skeleton formation. Crafter led the other party, the warriors running across the burning netherrack. Some of the skeletons moved to engage the warriors, but the main body of archers held them back.
When they had the skeletons surrounded, Gameknight pounded his sword upon his chest plate. The clank of diamond against diamond echoed across the Nether, sounding like thunder. The grandparents on either side of the skeletons started banging their bows against their armor, causing more thunder to erupt.
The skeletons turned and glanced nervously to the left and right, unsure what was happening. The archers stopped their attack and now drew swords. They banged on their armor, adding to the cacophony until it was overwhelmingly loud.
The skeletons now were terrified. The villagers advanced slowly, banging on their armor. The noise hammered at the skeletons from all sides, reflecting off the mounds of netherrack and Nether quartz. They didn’t know what was happening, and Gameknight could tell their discipline was begging to fall apart.
It was time.
“Butch, I think it’s time to do what you want to do,” Gameknight said so all could hear.
The big NPC glanced back at Gameknight999, and a smile came to his face.
“Now?” he asked.
The User-that-is-a-user nodded to him and returned a mischievous grin.
“CHARGE!” Butch yelled.
The NPCs all ran forward, swords ready. With the skeletons surrounded and packed into a tight circle, those at the center could do nothing but wait until the skeletons on the outside of the circle had perished. By surrounding them, Gameknight had reduced the number of skeletons they would have to face at one time.
A mighty crash sounded when the two armies met. Gameknight smashed into the skeleton formation with both swords swinging. He was at Butch’s side, slashing at skeletons with iron and diamond. The monsters wanted to get at the User-that-is-not-a-user, but Butch’s iron sword combined with Gameknight’s own blades kept the creatures back.
With warriors on three sides, and the grandparent archers firing from the rear, the monsters stood little chance of winning. Blades and arrows tore into skeleton HP, causing their bones to clatter to the ground. But they were not the only victims. Many villagers felt the bite of the skeleton swords. Piles of items floated on the ground where NPCs had fallen.
The User-that-is-not-a-user dove into the battle, his two swords cleaving a devastating path of destruction through the skeleton formation. He watched those around him as he fought, helping to block an attacking skeleton sword where he could to allow another NPC to drive home the critical hit. The villagers fought as teams, each helping out the other, while the skeletons just battled as individuals.
Bones and piles of coal began to litter the ground as the warriors pushed harder. Screams of pain from both sides filled the air, but the villagers did not relent; they drove forward, slashing at the dark creatures until every last one of them had been destroyed.
The NPCs cheered, then turned and charged at the magma cubes. Only a half-dozen of the creatures remained, but those did not last much longer, as a hundred arrows fell down upon them. The bouncing cubes divided again and again until they were all destroyed, the ground covered with round balls of yellowish-orange magma cream.
All that was left now were the blazes. Gameknight could see the blaze king, Charybdis, floating far out over the lava ocean, out of range from the snowmen. But the other monster forces had been defeated; it seemed as if the villagers were going to win the day.
Suddenly, one of the snowmen flashed red, then disappeared.
“Did you see that?” Crafter said. “A fireball didn’t even hit the snowman … it just disappeared.”
“The fire resistance potions!” Stitcher said, now at Gameknight’s side. “They are wearing off.”
“Does anyone have any more?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
Another snowman flashed red, then another and another as the frozen warriors melted away; the heat from the Nether was too much for the creatures. As the snowmen fell, the blazes drew closer. They began to throw their fireballs with greater intensity, aiming at the remaining few defenders.
“Come on, we have to go help them,” Gameknight shouted. “Charge!”
The NPC army sprinted forward, but they were too far away to help. The last of the snowmen finally expired, leaving Snowbrin on the shore of the Great Lava Ocean, alone. The twenty remaining blazes all fired on the light-crafter at once. As Gameknight watched, it seemed like the flaming balls of death were moving in slow motion. Snowbrin turned and faced Gameknight999 right when the fireballs hit, a look of fear on his white, boxy face.
He disappeared with a pop, leaving behind a pile of snowballs that floated just off the ground, bobbing up and down ever so slightly.
Charybdis laughed.
“NO!” the User-that-is-not-a-user yelled.
Fury rose up within Gameknight999. The battle was over, the monsters had lost, and yet they still felt it necessary to take another life. Rage clouded his vision as he glared up at the blazes. The fiery monsters drew closer, but still stayed over the lava ocean, ready to retreat if necessary. Glancing up at the blaze king, Gameknight knew that the blaze threat would never be eliminated until the king was destroyed.
I have to do it, he thought. I can’t let anyone else take the risk of facing that monster in battle. If it’s just him and me, then at least my friends will be safe.
As this realization solidified within his mind, he knew what he needed to do. He had to goad the blaze king into a contest of PvP.
“You are defeated, Charybdis,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “Come down here and face your punishment. I am judge and jury, and I say you are guilty of crimes against Minecraft.”
“Oh really?” the blaze king said. “And what is my punishment?”
Gameknight glanced at the pile of snowballs that had once been held by Snowbrin and growled.
“I will be your executioner,” he said. “Come down here and face me in combat, if you are not a coward.”
“Gameknight, no!” Crafter shouted.
“All of you, get back!” he yelled. “This is between Charybdis and myself. Everyone give me room, so I can punish this vile creation of Herobrine’s for the last time.”
The NPCs moved back and let the blaze k
ing draw near. He slowly floated down to the netherrack ground to face his enemy.
“I may have lost this war, but I will win this battle,” the blaze king said.
“You don’t have Herobrine to help you this time,” Gameknight said. “He saved you once before, but this time, you will be destroyed.”
“We shall see,” Charybdis said.
“I’m tired of talking with one of Herobrine’s dogs,” Gameknight spat. “Come on, blaze, let’s dance.”
CHAPTER 30
GAMEKNIGHT999 VS. CHARYBDIS
Gameknight drew his bow and fired a stream of arrows at the creature. Remembering their last conflict, he focused not on where the blaze king was but, rather, where he was going to be. He shot arrows all around where Charybdis was, so that no matter where the monster moved, an arrow would find him.
Flash … the monster fired a trio of fireballs. Gameknight rolled to the left, just as the burning spheres smashed to the ground. The intense heat of the fireballs was something he didn’t expect. Each flaming ball made the ground glow brighter and brighter until the third fireball turned the spot into lava.
Fear rippled through Gameknight999. These new fireballs were terrifying; they were much hotter than anything he’d ever faced before.
But Charybdis is not the only one in this battle with a few surprises, Gameknight thought.
Moving along the lava ocean shore, Gameknight backed away from the blaze king, shooting at the monster while dodging the white-hot fireballs. More small pools of lava began to form across the ground as the burning spheres smashed into the landscape. He had to do something different, or Charybdis was going to change all of the land to lava.
Gameknight was almost to his destination. Drawing an arrow from his inventory, he fired, then drew and fired, then drew and fired again. As the arrows flew toward their target, the User-that-is-not-a-user retreated to where Snowbrin had died. The icy light-crafter’s inventory flowed into Gameknight999, making him smile.
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