Lucy wondered if griefers were attacking the school. Maybe there were students that didn’t get accepted and they wanted to destroy the school. But she didn’t want to let her mind wander with different theories. She had to pay attention. This was the first day, and she was going to find out a lot of important information.
Stefan continued, “I hope everyone likes their living quarters and has spent some time getting to know their new roommates.”
Lucy hadn’t spent much time with her roommates, but she knew she could rely on them in a battle, and that was a very important thing to know. It didn’t matter where they came from or what they had done before Minecrafters Academy. Although she was curious to know their stories, she was just happy that she had two people she could trust sharing a room with her.
Stefan introduced the head of the school. “I’d like everyone to meet Headmaster Isaac.”
Isaac walked up to the podium and thanked Stefan. Isaac wore a red robe and a monocle.
“I want to tell you all how happy I am that you are attending this school. The academics here are extremely rigorous. But you will learn a lot. Each day we will study another facet of the Minecraft universe. When you graduate, you will be a potion expert, a master builder, and a skilled fighter. Tomorrow is your first day of classes. Get some rest now. Be sure to sleep in your beds and never sleep off campus. It’s important that you always respawn in your dorm room. This will make learning at the academy a great place to experiment. It doesn’t matter what happens to you here, because you will always respawn in your bed.”
Lucy felt better after the orientation. She was excited to learn about the Minecraft universe and master many skills she’d be scared to learn when she was in the Overworld. Knowing that she would be able to respawn in her dorm room made her feel secure.
Lucy walked back to the dorm with her new friends. It was dinnertime, and the gang settled in the large dining hall in their dorm. They all took trays and gathered food from a buffet. Lucy took chicken, apples, and a large piece of cake.
Lucy saw Adam eating his dinner and walked over to him.
“What did you think of the orientation?” Lucy asked him.
“It was hard to pay attention. I was exhausted from the zombie battle before the orientation meeting. My roommates and I were battling a zombie invasion,” Adam replied and then took a bite of his chicken.
“We were also attacked by zombies,” said Lucy.
“I have a feeling something is happening at this school that the headmaster and Stefan aren’t telling us about.” Adam took another bite of his chicken.
“They told us that was a rare occurrence. And any time the lights go out, hostile mobs can respawn.”
Adam nodded. “But I still think something isn’t right.”
“I hope not,” said Lucy, and she walked back to her friends.
As she reached the table, the lights went out again.
Chapter 7
BREWING 101
“Watch out!” Phoebe called to Lucy.
A zombie was lurking behind Lucy. Lucy leapt at the undead zombie with her diamond sword.
A shrill scream echoed through the hall.
“Is everyone okay?” Jane asked the other students eating in the dining hall. She grabbed a torch and placed it on the wall.
“Everyone, take out your torches,” instructed Phoebe.
All the students took out their torches and placed them on the wall. They created enough light with the torches to ward off the zombies. In a few minutes, the light came back on.
Stefan entered the dining hall and announced, “I’m sorry for these blackouts. Please go on and finish your dinner. You need your strength. If we have another blackout, we might have to battle more zombies and skeletons.”
A student raised his hand. “Why is this happening?”
Stefan replied, “We don’t know.”
Another student raised their hand. “Does the school have any enemies?”
Stefan paused. “No, but that’s a good question. Isaac and I will go over the list of students who graduated and became griefers. It’s a very short list. We pride ourselves on educating people who make the Overworld a better place. But every now and then, we get a student who wants to use their power for evil. I don’t like to admit it, but we do have some noted evil alumni.”
Lucy wondered what evil griefers had attended Minecrafters Academy. She also wondered if something had happened while they were attending the school that might have made them turn into griefers.
Phoebe looked over at her new friends. “I think we should head straight to bed after dinner. I don’t want to risk respawning in one of the biomes I traveled through on my way to the school.”
Jane and Lucy agreed. But before they could finish dinner and leave the table, another blackout occurred. Zombies filled the room instantly.
All of the students began to battle the zombies.
Adam called out to Lucy, “I bet there is a spawner on campus!”
Lucy and Adam broke away from the group and explored the building. Adam said, “I thought I saw a staircase to a basement when I was heading into the dining hall.”
Lucy and Adam searched for the staircase, but it was too dark, and they couldn’t see. Lucy didn’t have a torch in her inventory. “Adam, do you have a torch?”
“No, I used them all during the attacks.” Adam unearthed a bottle from his inventory. “But I do have this.”
Adam handed her a night vision potion. Lucy took a sip and was able to spot a group of zombies headed in their direction. They took out their diamond swords and battled the zombies. Within seconds, the undead mob was destroyed. Adam sprinted down the hall and Lucy followed.
Lucy stopped. “Adam, I see it! I see the staircase.”
The duo was about to walk down the staircase when the lights went back on. Adam wanted to continue on to explore the basement, but Lucy said, “I think I should head back to my room and sleep. I don’t want to respawn off-campus.”
Adam nodded. “I have to wake up early, too. I have a brewing class in the morning.”
“I also have a brewing class,” said Lucy.
“I’ll see you there,” Adam said and then added, “I’m glad I ran into you. It’s good to know someone here. Someone I trust. Also, we’ve been through so much together after Thomas invaded Steve’s town.”
Lucy remembered their intense battle with Thomas. “I feel the same way. But I’m not going to let these attacks ruin my experience at Minecrafters Academy. I will work hard and learn. This won’t distract me.”
“Me, too,” Adam agreed, and they went their separate ways.
Lucy entered her dorm room and Phoebe sprinted to the door. “Lucy! It’s so good to see you. We were very worried about you.”
Jane said, “I was so upset. Phoebe and I thought you respawned at another spot. We were devastated.”
Phoebe said, “Well, I’m glad to see you’re here now. We should get to bed. We have classes early in the morning.”
Lucy explained, “I’m sorry that I scared you. I saw my old friend Adam and we started to search for a zombie spawner.”
“Do you think a griefer spawned the zombies?” Phoebe asked.
“I’m not sure, but there were too many zombies for this to be a natural occurrence,” Lucy said.
Jane agreed. “I think this could be the work of a griefer. If we discover who the griefer is, maybe we’ll graduate head of the class!”
Phoebe was shocked. “This isn’t about us getting ahead. We want to do this because we want to help the school.”
Lucy climbed into bed. “I think we should just try and solve this mystery, but I also believe we have to get some sleep. It’s too risky not to go to bed. I want to know that we will all respawn together.”
The roommates agreed. They fell asleep. When they awoke, Lucy felt less anxious. She had made it through her first day, and she knew that no matter what happened today, she would respawn in her dorm room with her new frien
ds.
The trio went to the dining hall for breakfast. Lucy was excited because the school offered them cake at every meal.
Phoebe took a bite of the cake and asked her new friends about their schedules. Lucy told them she had to go to brewing class.
“I also have to go there,” said Jane.
“Me too!” Phoebe exclaimed. She was happy that she had friends in her first class.
The three friends walked into the classroom together. The teacher wore a green robe. She stood in front of the class and held a vial.
“Welcome to brewing class,” the teacher said. Then she splashed a potion on the class and everyone disappeared.
“Your first challenge is to make yourself reappear,” the teacher instructed the class.
Adam was the first in the class to reappear. Lucy wasn’t surprised. It took her longer to reappear. She was one of the last students to complete the task. But she had never been very good with potions. Lucy was a skilled hunter and that was why she had been asked to attend the school. She was excited to learn a lot about potions and become a potion expert, too.
The teacher helped Lucy brew potions to gain strength. Lucy listened, but was distracted when she heard someone talking in the hallway. It sounded like the headmaster, and she thought he was talking about a zombie spawner.
Chapter 8
NOW OR NETHER
Lucy wasn’t certain the headmaster was talking about the zombie spawner. She wasn’t even sure the voice she heard was the headmaster’s voice. So she decided not to mention it to her friends. Instead, she kept a close eye on the headmaster and listened carefully to anyone who might be talking about the zombie invasion. She wanted to end the invasion, so she could concentrate on her studies. At lunchtime, Lucy made the strategic decision to sit near the staff. The faculty usually sat at their own table. Lucy chose a table next to them, so she could overhear their conversations.
Phoebe sprinted over to Lucy. “Can I eat with you?”
“Yes,” said Lucy, but really, she wanted to be alone. This was the best time to eavesdrop on the faculty.
Jane sprinted over and joined them. “Did you hear the news?”
“What news?” Lucy wondered if it was about the zombie spawner. Stopping the zombie invasion was all she could think about.
“We are all going to the Nether after lunch,” announced Jane.
“Really? How do you know?” asked Lucy.
Phoebe explained, “I was talking to Stefan about the zombie invasion.”
“What were you talking about? What did he say?” Lucy interrupted.
“I just told him that these attacks were making me nervous and I wondered what they were doing to find out who was behind them.”
“And? What did he say?” Lucy asked.
Jane explained, “He said that they didn’t know. He also mentioned there would be a big general meeting about it with the entire school after we come back from the Nether. Then I asked about the Nether, and he told me that it was an outing that they always do on the first day of classes. We will learn to battle and also how to pick up valuable resources for brewing potions.”
“That sounds like fun,” said Phoebe.
“Fun? The Nether?” Lucy was shocked. She disliked the Nether. Although she had discovered many treasures in Nether fortresses, she disliked battling ghasts, blazes, and other fiery mobs that spawned in the crimson biome.
“I don’t like the Nether, either,” said Jane, “but I’m excited to learn how to survive in the Nether. I’ve always had such bad luck in the Nether. Once, I drowned in lava.”
“Yes, I’ve had bad experiences there, too,” Lucy told her.
“I’ve never been there,” Phoebe announced.
“Wow, really?” Lucy was surprised, but now she understood why Phoebe was excited to travel to the deadly biome.
“Where are you from?” asked Jane. “I find it hard to believe you’ve never been to the Nether.”
Phoebe replied, “I live in a grassy biome, but I am usually on Creative mode and I just build structures. People come from all around the Overworld to see my creations. I’ve built bridges and houses.”
“That sounds like fun,” Lucy said.“But you have to be very careful in the Nether. Mobs spawn in the sky and shoot fireballs at you.”
“Don’t scare her,” Jane said to Lucy.
“I’m not trying to scare her. I just want to prepare her. It’s not a fun field trip. It’s serious. She has to use this opportunity to learn a lot about the hostile environment.”
Jane looked at Phoebe. “Stick with me. I’ll stay close by and protect you during the trip to the Nether.”
“I’ll do the same,” Lucy said. She felt bad for scaring Phoebe. She had thought she was just being helpful.
Isaac, the headmaster, stood up and made an announcement at lunch. “After we finish eating, we will all meet outside and craft portals to the Nether. This is a very important day for the academy. This is a day where we learn survival skills that we will use throughout our time at Minecrafters Academy. Pay attention when you’re in the Nether.”
The trio exited and walked outside the dorm. Groups of people were working together to craft portals to the Nether. Stefan walked over to them. “Everyone must enter the Nether with a leader.” He looked down at his clipboard. “You’re in the group with Eitan. He will be your teacher.”
The gang was excited as Stefan led them over to their teacher.
Eitan instructed his students, “We have to watch out for each other. When we get to the Nether, I will teach you the best way to battle a ghast and other hostile mobs. I will also have you look for resources to brew powerful potions.”
Phoebe confessed, “I’ve never been to the Nether and I’m really scared.”
Eitan told her, “I’ve taken many people to the Nether for their first time and they’ve done very well. They are especially alert because they are in an unfamiliar territory. Some people who have been there many times are too confident and think they know everything. Those are the people that I’m worried about. They can get very hurt during a trip to the Nether.”
Eitan taught them how to craft a portal out of obsidian, and within seconds, a purple mist surrounded them and they were in the middle of the Nether.
“Watch out!” Lucy warned Phoebe.
Three ghasts flew toward them and unleashed fiery blasts at the gang.
Eitan instructed them, “No weapons. Just punch the fireball and aim it back in their direction.”
Phoebe was frozen. She had never seen a ghast, and the fireball was heading straight toward her. She didn’t want to touch it, because she was afraid she’d get burned or destroyed. Phoebe sprinted from the fireball and it landed on the netherrack ground.
Lucy used her fist, and with a powerful blow, she hit the fireball and it flew toward the ghast.
Kaboom!
The ghast was destroyed.
“Good job,” Eitan cheered.
Jane also used her fist to defeat a ghast.
“Excellent!” Eitan was proud of his new students.
The remaining ghast shot more fireballs. As Jane prepared to strike the next fireball, Eitan called out, “No. Let Phoebe do it.”
“No, Jane can destroy it.” Phoebe’s voice shook.
“You can’t run away. You have to face your fears. Punch the fireball and destroy the ghast,” Eitan told her.
“No, I don’t even want to be here. I’m not a fighter. I’m a builder,” Phoebe protested. “I want to live on Creative mode.”
“If you want to advance yourself, you have to take chances. To be an expert, you have to learn to survive on all the settings.” Eitan’s voice grew louder.
Jane and Lucy dodged the fireballs. Both of them wanted to destroy the ghast, but they knew Eitan would be upset, and they also knew that Phoebe had to learn to get over her fears of the Nether. Lucy really understood. She was terrified during her first trip to the Nether, but her friends Henry and Max wouldn’t let
her give up. They had told her that once she found the treasure in the Nether fortress, the trip would be worth the fear and hassle. Lucy remembered opening her first treasure chest deep within the Nether fortress. She had been so excited to discover the treasure that she had realized traveling to the Nether wasn’t as bad as she had originally thought. But she couldn’t explain this to Phoebe. Phoebe had to discover it on her own.
“The fireball is headed in your direction. You must strike it, Phoebe,” Eitan informed his petrified student.
Lucy called out, “Phoebe, if you get destroyed, you’ll respawn in your bed and will be out of the Nether. That’s the worst that can happen.”
Eitan looked over at Lucy. He was the teacher and he didn’t want Lucy taking over his role.
Phoebe sprinted forward and struck the flaming ball. It flew toward the ghast.
Kaboom!
The ghast exploded.
“You did it!” Jane was so happy for her friend.
Eitan walked over to Lucy. “I’m glad you encouraged your friend. You did a good job.”
“Thanks,” Lucy replied. “I’m glad you feel that way. I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries.”
“No, it’s good that you guys work together as a team and get each other to take chances. I see you already trust each other. That is a hard thing to teach, and your relationship with each other makes my job a lot easier. I am here to teach you skills. You have to learn to build relationships.”
Lucy was happy that Eitan was pleased with her work. “I think Jane, Phoebe, and I have become friends quite quickly.”
Jane and Phoebe agreed.
“Good,” Eitan said. “Let’s travel further into the Nether. We have a lot of exploring to do.”
Lucy and the gang walked along a lava stream. They watched for ghasts, blazes, and other hostile mobs that spawned in this fiery biome. Lucy spotted the headmaster and some of the other faculty members enter a Nether fortress in the distance. She wanted to sprint toward them to hear what they were talking about during their trip to the Nether.
Zombie Invasion Page 3
