Mission to the Moon

by Mark Cheverton

  “What’s this?” Crafter asked.

  The NPC reached out to touch the surface, but Gameknight grabbed his hand and pulled it back.

  “Let’s just smash open this door,” Hunter said. “This waiting around is getting annoying.”

  The User-that-is-not-a-user didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned and pointed at Trupech.

  “You still have the Runed Tablet?”

  The gray, wrinkled gnome nodded his head, then pushed through the congregation of colorful animals to reach his side. Pulling the stone tablet from his pack, Trupech reached up and carefully placed the Tablet into the recession, then backed up. Instantly, the ancient runes on the surface of the tablet began to glow bright red, the letters clearly part of the Standard Galactic Alphabet, which was the mystical writing used all throughout Minecraft. Gameknight felt a chill pass through the corridor as the braces slowly dissolved, allowing the star field of the Void to completely cover the opening. Each of the stars twinkled, then faded to darkness. Slowly, the shadowy depths of the Void parted, revealing the Outer Lands Boss chamber.

  Gameknight stepped forward and peered into the room. Standing at the side of the chamber was his enemy, Entity303, leaning over a crafting bench. But more shocking was the unthinkable horror that writhed at the center of the room.

  Waves of fear and hopelessness crashed down on Gameknight999. “Oh, no … Entity303, what have you done?”

  The dark magic of Thaumcraft bled across the room like a lethal bruise on the skin of the chamber, causing ripples in the fabric of the universe. Filling the center of the room was the most lethal of bosses ever brought into existence in Minecraft, but there was not just one, but five of them. It was horrific and impossible.

  “How are we going to defeat them?” the User-that-is-not-a-user whispered to his allies.

  Entity303 glanced up from the crafting bench and saw Gameknight999, then started to laugh a maniacal laugh.

  “Welcome to the destruction of Minecraft,” the vile user said. “It’s unfortunate that you’re too late to stop it.”

  And then Entity303 laughed again as icicles of fear stabbed at Gameknight’s soul, chilling him to the bone.

  CHAPTER 32

  AINTACLES

  Inside the chamber writhed five dark tentacles of differing sizes. They looked like they were growing right out of the floor, sticking straight up into the air and squirming about. The nightmarish things bent this way and that, squirming like a tortured squid. One of them appeared to be armored with shining, metallic plates along the side, while another had sharp thorns running down its length. The tallest of them splashed a green liquid on the surroundings that sizzled when it landed on untainted blocks. Gameknight guessed it was one of the venomous types; the poison would be lethal if left untreated.

  A diseased-looking purple stain spread out from the flailing things, slowly seeping into the dusty gray blocks that made up the floor and walls and ceiling. When it spread to the ancient slabs, they instantly took on a sickly and brittle appearance. Cracks spread across the stone blocks, a moldy texture covering the surface as they faded to the bruised-purple. Gameknight instantly recognized the dark bruise as the Taint. And that meant these twisting and bending monsters were Taintacles.

  One of the Taintacles flailed to the left and right, then reached out and grabbed one of the creatures of Fronos that was among those streaming into the chamber. The little blueberry screeched in agony as it flashed red, taking damage from the dark monster’s crushing strength.

  “What are those?” Hunter asked.

  “Taintacles. They grow from the taint our enemy has planted here.” Trupech’s words were fast and clipped. “When they grow large enough, they will break through the ceiling and floor. That will be the beginning of the tear. It will rip apart the fabric of Minecraft.”

  “Then we need to destroy those things,” Stitcher replied.

  “It will take all of us to destroy just one,” Trupech said, his words growing tense.

  “And while we battle the Taintacles, we can’t defend ourselves from Entity303,” Weaver pointed out.

  “You leave him to me,” Gameknight said. “I’ve had just about enough of him.”

  “Then let’s do it!” Crafter shouted. “FOR MINECRAFT!”

  They stormed into the room, pushing aside the Fronosian fruit-people. Choosing the smallest of the Taintacles, the comrades surrounded it, chopping at it with their Ichorium blades. The dark monster slashed at Herder like a whip, smashing into his chest plate. It sent him sprawling backward, landing hard on the floor. The wolves tried to defend their master, but as soon as the animals touched the tainted purple ground with their paws, they yelped in pain.

  “Herder, keep the wolves back,” Crafter commanded. “Our boots will protect us for a while, but the wolves are defenseless.”

  Suddenly, a large strawberry creature howled in pain as it was picked up by the armored Taintacle, then slowly crushed, its HP diminishing until it disappeared.

  “Keep the creatures from Fronos out of the room,” Herder commanded to his animals. “Don’t let them enter.”

  The wolves barked, then turned and herded up the creatures of Fronos like sheepdogs, their sharp teeth nipping to back the creatures out of the chamber.

  Herder stood and stared down at his boots. He could see tiny cracks forming across the Ichorium shoes; the taint was slowly degrading their armor. Rushing forward, the boy moved next to Weaver, his sword poking at the writhing creature.

  The comrades battled the monster, taking turns between defending when it was slashing at them to attacking when it was trying to hit someone else. Each time the Taintacles struck one of the defenders, it left a dark stain across their armor, the diseased taint slowly corroding the Ichorium metal. The pechs ran back and forth, splashing the NPCs with some kind of potion. The magical liquid seemed to erase some of the taint, but not all. It kept the dark bruise from spreading across their armor and eventually enveloping the wearer. But how many potions did the little gnomes have?

  Gameknight glanced at his friends as he walked straight toward Entity303, tiny little daggers of fear poking at him from all sides. He gave the deranged user an angry glare.

  “Well, well, well, what have we here?” the evil user boomed.

  “We’re here to stop you, Entity303,” Gameknight999 said in a loud voice. He squared his shoulders and tried to appear confident, but he was still shocked by the presence of the squirming mass of tentacles sticking up out of the floor, and that uncertainty was plastered all over his face.

  The evil user sneered, then slowly drew his glowing infused-sword from his inventory. The razor-sharp edge of the blade burned white hot, casting a harsh illumination across the terrifying scene, but did nothing to illuminate his armor. The Void Metal coating he wore was as black as night and reminded Gameknight of Herobrine’s ender-armor from so long ago. The shadowy metal sparkled with magical enchantments and seemed to drink up all light and hope. Entity303 growled, then swung his shining blade in a flourish of complicated moves, as if he were in a cheap martial arts movie.

  Gameknight held his hand up and shaded his eyes for a moment as they adjusted to the glare.

  “Well?” Entity303 said with a raised eyebrow. “You gonna come stop me, or just stand there and look like a fool?”

  He laughed a mocking, malicious laugh that made Gameknight’s skin crawl.

  Can I do this? the User-that-is-not-a-user thought. Can I really defeat him?

  Have faith, child and do what you do best, an ancient, scratchy voice said in the back of his head. It sounded as if it were coming to him from a thousand miles away, yet at the same time, it filled every part of his soul, the grandmotherly tone calming his doubt and fears.

  What I do best? What’s that?

  And then the answer burst into his mind like an explosion of hope: Refuse to give up!

  Gameknight stood a little taller as confidence began to flow through him. He drew his Ichorium blade with h
is right hand, then drew his second sword with his left.

  “It’s time you were stopped,” Gameknight said. “You have caused harm to Minecraft and the electronic lives that rely on it for their existence. You have destroyed creatures for no reason and caused the death of many dear friends.”

  Entity300 smiled, as if satisfied.

  “You lack the compassion to be a real developer of Minecraft and create something meant to be shared and enjoyed by others,” Gameknight said, taking a step closer. “All you can do is destroy and focus on yourself. The programmers of Minecraft were right to fire you. Now, I’m gonna make your termination complete.”

  The User-that-is-not-a-user charged at his enemy, slashing at the dark armor with his orange-glowing Ichorium blade, but Entity303 was fast … really fast. Gameknight could see spirals floating around the user’s head; he must have taken a potion of swiftness. It didn’t matter, the User-that-is-not-a-user would not give up.

  Entity303 swung at him with his glowing sword. Gameknight brought up one blade, blocking the attack, then swung with the other, slashing at his enemy’s side. The blade landed with a THUNK, making the user grunt with pain. Entity303 quickly stepped back, moving away from him. It gave Gameknight a chance to glance at his friends battling the Taintacles.

  Instantly, he noticed how much larger the squirming things were getting; the terrible monsters were growing, even as they fought.

  “It’s almost touching the ceiling,” Forpech shouted, his deep rumbling voice making the tainted ground shake. “We must hurry!”

  Just then, the smallest of the squirming Taintacles disappeared with a pop. The group of warriors moved quickly to the next most vulnerable. After destroying the first purple creature, it looked as if they had a plan. With Herder and Weaver on one side, Crafter and Hunter on the other, they took turns attacking it, one side moving in and stabbing at the thrashing tentacle while the others distracted it with noise. Stitcher stayed back and fired her flaming arrows into the base of the creature, where the segments separated the most, one in three slipping past the hard exoskeleton and finding soft flesh. The monster flashed red again and again until it finally flopped to the ground and disappeared, leaving the three largest.

  The next Taintacle’s thick base and long reach made it a more dangerous adversary; they had no choice but to fight. Instead of waiting to think about it, the companions charged forward, attacking the monstrosity.

  “You know, they’ll never defeat the last one in time,” Entity303 mocked. “Say goodbye to Minecraft.”

  “Perhaps, but you’ll be stuck here when it happens,” Gameknight said. “As soon as you try to use the Digitizer to escape, I’ll destroy you with my Ichorium swords.”

  “Ha … your Ichorium swords. Those are pathetic.” The evil user took a step closer. “You know, those blades of yours are no match for mine. Here, let me show you.”

  Entity303 charged at Gameknight999, swinging his glowing sword with all his strength. Gameknight swung one of his swords up to block the attack, and the blades crashed together, making a sound like a clap of thunder. Gameknight’s arm buzzed with pain as the force of the blow vibrated through the weapon and into his shoulder. Stepping back, Gameknight glanced at his blade. Cracks spread across the weapon, the point of impact glowing slightly.

  “You see, what you don’t understand, fool, is that the energy in these weapons can be increased.” Entity303 laughed, then did something to the handle of the weapon that made the blade glow brighter. “But if you really knew anything about Minecraft, then you’d know this, wouldn’t you?”

  “Well …”

  Before Gameknight could finish his reply, Entity303 attacked again, his infused-sword leaving a trail of sparks in the air as it sped toward its target. Instead of blocking the weapon, the User-that-is-not-a-user rolled to the right, then attacked the evil user’s dark legs. The tip of his blade sliced deep into Entity303’s thigh, causing cracks to spread across the shadowy armor. Not waiting, he rolled back to the left and attacked the legs again, causing more cracks to appear on the Voidmetal.

  Entity303 grunted and stepped back. Gameknight thought his opponent was considering retreat, but then the evil user suddenly charged at him, his blazing sword streaking down at him in a vicious overhead strike. Gameknight’s only choice was to bring up his blade and block the attack. Sparks flew out in all directions as more cracks spread along the length of the weapon. Feigning an attack with the damaged blade, Gameknight slashed at his enemy with his left, scoring a glancing hit that did little more than annoy Entity303.

  The evil user smiled.

  “You see, fool, it’s impossible to defeat me,” Entity303 said. “I have more knowledge and skill than you’ll ever have.”

  Suddenly, a strange squeal filled the air, followed by a cheer.

  “We got one more,” Crafter yelled, “only two left.”

  “The big one’s getting closer to the ceiling,” Hunter yelled. “When it punches through, it’s all over.”

  Entity303 said with a smile. “You can’t stop my plan … it’s too late. You might as well give up and just watch the show.”

  Gameknight growled and swung his blade at the user’s head. Entity303 brought up his blade just in time. The weapons smashed together in a mighty crash. More cracks spread across Gameknight’s blade until it finally splintered in a shower of white-hot metal. Stinging shards of Ichorium nipped at his face and arms as the shattered pieces of his sword flew all around them, only the handle of the orange weapon remaining.

  Gameknight threw the handle aside, then transferred his remaining Ichorium blade from his left hand to his right. He stepped back and sighed as he glanced at the remaining Taintacles dominating the room. Looking at Entity303 with a defeated expression on his face, he threw his sword to the ground.

  “Oh, are you giving up?” Entity300 asked. “Are you expecting mercy?”

  “Gameknight, what are you doing?” Hunter yelled, her blade slashing at the base of the Taintacle. “Pick up your sword and defend yourself.”

  “It won’t do any good,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “It will only shatter after a few impacts with Entity303’s sword.”

  “A wise decision, giving up,” the evil user said.

  “Who said anything about giving up?” Gameknight replied. “This isn’t over, not while I still draw breath.”

  “As you wish,” Entity303 growled.

  Raising his glowing infused-sword high in the air, he swung it directly at Gameknight999.

  CHAPTER 33

  ENTITY303’S REVENGE

  It was like watching a disaster happen in slow motion.

  Entity303’s blade was moving toward his head and Gameknight’s hands were empty. The User-that-is-not-a-user thought he could hear the glowing sword hiss as the superheated weapon burned through the air. It came closer and closer, but Gameknight felt no fear. This was his moment—it was why he was here, why he was the User-that-is-not-a-user. It was the culmination of everything he’d learned and experienced in Minecraft, and now, all he had to do was let his instincts take over and he would either live … or die.

  Just before the shining blade reached him, Gameknight dropped to the ground and rolled to the side. He could feel the white-hot, razor-sharp edge zip past his ear as he rolled, the heat from the weapon singeing his hair. While he rolled, Gameknight reached into his inventory and pulled out the sword King Iago had given him on that floating island in Mystcraft so long ago.

  Pressing the blood-red ruby in the pommel as he’d seen Entity303 do, Gameknight arose with his own blazing-hot infused-sword.

  Entity303 growled at having missed his target. He tried a counter attack, swinging his blade at Gameknight’s midsection, but the User-that-is-not-a-user was ready. Their identical infused-swords clashed together in a shower of sparks that was brighter than the biggest firework.

  “We destroyed one more,” Crafter shouted. “Only the large one is left.”

  Gameknight didn�
��t look; instead, with their blades locked, he stared into the surprised eyes of his enemy. Entity303 glanced at the blade in his hands, and growled.

  “Iago,” the user hissed.

  Gameknight smiled.

  “Now it ends,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “Come on, Entity303 … let’s dance.”

  The evil user snarled and pushed away, trying to kick the User-that-is-not-a-user hard in the leg. But growing up with a mischievous younger sister, Gameknight had learned to avoid kicks, and he dodged the attack.

  Then, with his sword a blur, Gameknight999 slashed at his enemy, first hitting the tip of his sword, then sliding his blade down the keen edge until he was able to strike at his enemy’s hand. The evil user snarled, then charged in a fury. Gameknight stepped aside and slashed at him as he moved past, tearing a chunk out of his Voidmetal armor. Entity303 threw a flurry of fast attacks aimed at Gameknight’s head, then stomach, then shoulder, then neck … but the User-that-is-not-a-user blocked them all, then countered. He thrust his blade through Entity303’s defenses, scoring hit after hit.

  The evil user yelled in frustration, swinging his blade wildly. This was his chance. Gameknight stepped to the side, then sliced his blade against his enemy’s wrist. He knocked the weapon out of his hand. The glowing sword skidded across the floor, stopping next to the giant single remaining Taintacle. Entity303 stepped back as Gameknight advanced, his hands in the air.

  “Hunter, Stitcher, get over here,” Gameknight shouted.

  He heard the thud of boots pounding against the ancient stone floor.

  “Well, what do we have here?” Hunter said, an arrow drawn back and aimed at Entity303.

  “If he tries to flee, shoot him,” Gameknight said. “If the Gateway of Light forms and he tries to escape to the physical world, shoot him. He doesn’t leave this place until we all do … got it?”

  “We understand,” Stitcher said.

  “This is gonna be fun,” Hunter added with a snarl.