Destruction of the Overworld

by Mark Cheverton

  “That was the minecart tunnels,” Xa-Tul said. “The cowards have fled.”

  “Cowards?!” Herobrine growled. “I see you standing here alone, while your zombies were brave enough to go into the village. Who is the coward now?”

  “Xa-Tul’s job is to lead, not to die,” the king of the zombies said. “When the User-that-is-not-a-user faces Xa-Tul in battle, then the king of the zombies will show why he is king. Until that time, the zombies will fight for their king, and the Maker.”

  “You are so courageous,” Feyd said with a sneer.

  “Stop your bickering,” Herobrine snapped. He turned to face the dark red enderman. “I want you to bring all endermen here from The End. It is time we stopped playing with these villagers and taught them what annihilation really looks like.” Herobrine turned to face Xa-Tul. “When the endermen return, they will go to your zombie-town and collect all of your zombies. Every monster that can walk will fight. You will scour every zombie-town and bring me all of your brothers and sisters.”

  Xa-Tul nodded his large decaying head.

  “The NPCs have had it far too easy,” Herobrine continued. “My army will be the biggest ever seen in Minecraft, and then we will spread across this land like a virus.” He smiled to himself and looked at his monster kings. Clearly they did not get the clever joke. These monsters are idiots, he thought. Sighing, he continued. “We will crash down upon the next village like it was made of grass and sticks. No NPC will survive.”

  The endermen around him cackled with glee.

  Herobrine flapped his wings and jumped up into the sky. As he circled overhead, he watched his endermen disappear into little purple clouds of mist. The dragon knew they would return with many of their endermen brothers. With all the zombies, his army would soon be massive.

  “I will make the great zombie invasion from a hundred years ago look like a little party compared to what I plan to do to the Overworld,” Herobrine said to no one.

  Flapping his wings, he climbed higher and higher. Looking down upon the landscape, the Ender Dragon growled, then shouted at the very fabric of Minecraft.

  “You made a mistake today, Gameknight999,” Herobrine yelled. “You made me mad . . . and now you will suffer my wrath!”

  CHAPTER 17

  READYING FOR BATTLE

  Gameknight placed the cobblestone blocks as fast as he could, but building the defensive wall still seemed like it was going at an agonizingly slow pace.

  “If we had World Edit, we could do this in seconds,” Gameknight said.

  “What’s World Edit?” Monkeypants asked.

  “It’s a plug-in that lets you use a wand to place a lot of blocks really fast,” Gameknight explained. “If we had that, then we could build massive defensive structures and make all the villages impervious to Herobrine and his monsters.”

  “Defenses are never impervious to people with a strong enough desire to destroy,” his father said. “The only defense to violence is communication and mutual understanding.”

  “There is no communicating with Herobrine, Dad. He’s insane and wants to destroy everything, just because he can.” Gameknight paused his construction to face his father. “I’m sure he still wants to escape Minecraft and infect the Internet, and we can never let that happen. With his advanced artificial intelligence software, he could not only destroy Minecraft but the physical world as well. He has to be stopped.” He moved closer to his father and lowered his voice. “But I still haven’t figured out how to stop him. Herobrine will be crazy strong, and he’ll fly up high so that we won’t be able to reach him, just like with the Elder Guardian.”

  “The Elder Guardian?” Monkeypants asked. “What are you talking about?”

  “Another monster we had to fight,” Gameknight explained. “It was a giant, spiny puffer fish that kept floating away from us when we attacked, making it really difficult to hit. I know Herobrine will do the same thing. How can I fight him if I can’t reach him? This is impossible.”

  All the walls and explosives in Minecraft aren’t going to be enough to stop Herobrine, he thought. We’d need a giant net to hold the dragon down on the ground. How would we ever do that?

  Gameknight knew the NPCs were counting on him, but he needed help from someone, anyone. And then he thought about his friend in the physical world. He stepped away from the wall and his father and moved next to one of the village buildings to think.

  Monet, does Shawny have anything for us yet? Gameknight asked in the chat.

  He’s nodding his head and smiling, Jenny replied. I think he has something good. Ahh, wait a minute. She went silent for a moment, then came back. Shawny said he doesn’t have anything for the dragon, but he has a bunch of surprises for the monsters.

  Well, that’s something, at least. Have him teleport into the keep of Castle Gameknight. Digger and Herder will meet him there.

  He’s on his way, Jenny replied.

  Looking across the village, he spotted Digger and Herder. Motioning to them, he ran to his two friends.

  “Shawny is on his way and has some ideas for our defense,” Gameknight said. “Digger, Herder, go to my castle and listen to what he has come up with. He has helped us in the past and we’re gonna need him again for this battle.”

  “But you need us here to help with the defense of this village,” Digger pointed out.

  “We’re just slowing Herobrine down at this village, we aren’t trying to actually stop him,” Gameknight said. “Our defense will be where we are the strongest, and that’s at our own village. But we need something there that will stop Herobrine, and walls just won’t cut it. It has to be something special, something that will surprise him. That’s what we need from Shawny. Do you understand?”

  “He knows how to defeat the dragon?” Digger asked.

  Gameknight shook his head.

  “Shawny said he has something for his monster army, though,” the User-that-is-not-a-user explained. “And we’ll take any help we can get.”

  Digger nodded his head but Herder looked angry.

  “My place is here, with you!” the lanky NPC snapped.

  “Herder, this is not the real battle and you know this,” Gameknight said. “I have Hunter and Stitcher here to protect me, but I need you back at my castle to help Digger. If you really want to help me, then you’ll do this for me.”

  Herder frowned, then reluctantly nodded his head.

  “Thank you,” Gameknight said.

  But Herder did not reply. Instead, he gave a loud, shrill whistle, then knelt on the ground. Instantly, a pack of wolves emerged from between buildings and ran to him. With tails wagging and eyes looking expectantly up at him, they surrounded him with their furry bodies. Leaning down to the pack leader, Herder whispered into the wolf’s ear, giving it instructions, then stood and smiled at Gameknight999.

  “Go!” Herder commanded.

  Like bolts of white lightning, the wolves shot out of the village and ran across the surrounding savannah, spreading out around the community in a protective, watchful ring of fur and fangs.

  “My wolves will stay here and help you,” Herder said. “They’ll signal when they see the monsters, then nibble at their flanks as they approach.”

  Digger laughed and patted the skinny boy on the back, almost knocking him over. Gameknight nodded and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

  “Thank you, Herder. It makes me feel better knowing that they’re out there, watching.” He then turned to Digger. “I’ll try to slow the monsters down, but you need to work with Shawny to stop Herobrine’s army so we have a chance to face the dragon once again.” Gameknight moved right up next to the big NPC. “We need Shawny’s contraptions and redstone traps, or I fear our defenses will not be enough. You have to get it all built before Herobrine reaches our village, or we’re lost . . . understand?”

  “I won’t let you down,” Digger said.

  “OK, go!”

  Digger turned and headed for the watchtower and the tunnels that
would lead him to the minecart network, Herder fast on his heels.

  Looking around, Gameknight was amazed at how hard all the NPCs were working to fortify this village. They all knew what was coming and the impossible odds they would soon be facing, yet they still toiled tirelessly. It was remarkable.

  “The wall is done,” his father said, stepping up beside him. “I had the villagers go out into the savannah and start burying blocks of TNT. We can shoot some of the blocks and explode them when the monsters are near.”

  “Maybe,” Gameknight replied, his voice not sounding very confident. “But that will work only on the monsters that are within bow range. We need to hit them when they are farther away too . . . somehow.”

  “What we need is a fuse we can light that will travel out to hidden blocks far away,” Monkeypants said as he cupped his square chin in his hand, thinking.

  “A fuse—that’s it!” Gameknight exclaimed.

  He found a group of NPCs and motioned them to approach. Talking quickly, he explained his plan, and the villagers nodded as he spoke.

  When he finished, the NPCs moved to the village gates and dug through the soft dirt, starting at the walls and heading straight out into the open plains. Climbing the ladders to the top of the fortified wall, Gameknight watched the villagers. One of them dug a trench two blocks deep while another followed with redstone dust, a third covering up the redstone trace. They placed the occasional repeater to keep the redstone signal strong, then put blocks of TNT on the ground. Carefully, they covered all traces of the hidden surprises.

  “What are they doing?” Monkeypants asked.

  “You’ll see,” Gameknight replied, a mischievous tone to his voice. “A little surprise for Herobrine and his mob.”

  Gameknight looked at the two archer towers still under construction. But as he approached the wooden structures, a commotion sounded from the watchtower. He was shocked to see villagers streaming out of the hidden tunnel, each heavily armed and armored. A cheer errupted across the village as the other NPCs saw the reinforcements bursted from the hidden tunnels. Instantly, they went to work building more towers, several heading off to expand the walls so they could accommodate all of the new warriors.

  “How about that, son,” his father said as he slapped him on the back. “Where did they all come from?”

  “I don’t know,” Gameknight replied. “Maybe they are from—”

  Suddenly, one of the NPCs yelled out his name and approached. Gameknight instantly recognized the villager; it was Baker, the volunteer who had gone to the last village to trigger the TNT.

  “Baker, you’re alright?” Gameknight asked.

  Baker nodded his head.

  “How did it work?”

  “I wish you could have been there,” Baker said, excitement filling his normally sad eyes. “It was wonderful. The explosions took out a whole company of zombies.”

  “Did it get the zombie king?” Gameknight asked. The thought of facing Xa-Tul in battle still terrified him.

  “No, we didn’t get him, but we sure got a lot of the zombies,” Baker exclaimed. “The armor stands tricked him alright. They came in really slow and weren’t sure what was going to happen.”

  “That gives me an idea,” Gameknight said.

  He issued instructions to some of the NPCs, putting Baker in charge before dismissing the villagers on their new mission.

  “This is really starting to shape up into a strong fortress,” Monkeypants said. “Maybe we can stop Herobrine here and end this, once and for all.”

  “No, we’re only here to slow them down,” Gameknight insisted. “If I know Herobrine, he’ll be really angry after the little trick we played on him at the last village he visited. He’s going to come at us with everything he has. We don’t have enough warriors here to put up a defense. We slow him down and run; that’s the plan.”

  “If that is true, then how will we evacuate the village quickly when it is time to run away?” Monkeypants asked. “There is only one ladder that leads down to the crafting chamber.”

  “Hmm . . . you’re right, Dad,” Gameknight said.

  And then he thought about their adventure in The End, when they’d thought Herobrine had finally been destroyed. To get off the obsidian pillars quickly, Gameknight had jumped into water, which was exactly what they needed here.

  Scanning the area, he saw Farmer from Crafter’s village and gave her instructions. He told her what to build and where. Nodding her gray-haired head, she ran off to collect other workers.

  “How long do you think we have?” Monkeypants asked. “Maybe Herobrine isn’t coming to this village.”

  “I’m sure he is,” Gameknight replied. “He’s been following a straight path, moving from where he first appeared from The End and directly toward Crafter’s village. Herobrine may be strong, but he isn’t exceptionally bright or clever. He will continue his march across the Overworld until he finds our village and ends up right on our own doorstep.”

  “He doesn’t sound very nice,” Monkeypants added. “I think I liked him better as a pig.”

  Gameknight laughed for the first time in a long while.

  “Yeah, me too,” he replied. “But I think if we can—”

  Suddenly, a howl pierced the air. It was a proud howl, not like the sorrowful moaning of a zombie. No, this sound was from a strong furry warrior, signaling that the enemy had arrived.

  “They’re here!” Gameknight shouted. “Everyone to your positions. Remember the plan!”

  Looking over his shoulder, the User-that-is-not-a-user surveyed the village and its defenders. They were as prepared as they could be. But would this really be enough to slow down Herobrine’s army? Drawing his diamond sword, Gameknight moved to the top of the fortified wall and crouched behind one of the cobblestone blocks. His father mimicked his actions.

  “Are you ready?” Monkeypants asked his son.

  “Do we have a choice?”

  His father shook his ridiculous looking monkey head and gave his son a smile. They had to slow the enemy down so that Digger and Crafter could get their village ready . . . or all would be lost.

  Gripping his sword firmly, Gameknight readied himself for battle.

  CHAPTER 18

  THE ATTACK

  As the sun slowly set on the western horizon, the sky blushed a warm orange, then a fiery red. Gradually, the twinkling faces of the stars emerged, making the sky sparkle with beauty.

  If only the earth could stay as peaceful and beautiful as the heavens, Gameknight thought.

  Gameknight peeked out from behind the cobblestone block. The plains remained clear of intruders, but he knew they were coming. The howls of the wolves had been concentrated directly in front of them, the furry protectors nipping and tearing at the stragglers whenever possible. He could hear moans of pain as wolf teeth found zombie flesh, the howls sounding victorious, but also closer and closer.

  “They’re getting close,” Gameknight shouted from behind the cobblestone block. “Everyone take your position and make sure they can see you. I’ll give the signal to attack.”

  The villagers all moved into circles of torchlight, then stood still as if they were frozen statues, weapons hidden.

  Crouching low behind the cobblestone block, Gameknight glanced at his father. The letters over Monkeypant’s head were barely visible while he crouched. Good.

  Out in the dark, open plain, the bent forms of the acacia trees could be seen in the light of the torches placed there. Their crooked shapes made the dim landscape look strange and alien, as if it were a different planet. Their shadows stretched across the gray-green landscape, some of them taking on the shapes of hideous monsters.

  And then one of the shadows moved.

  Gameknight instantly knew it was an enderman. The dark creature walked forward into the torchlight. Reaching down, it chuckled, then took the block under the torch, causing the burning stick to instantly go out, engulfing that section of the plain into darkness. And then all across
the savannah, more shadows came to life. The dark creatures removed every block of dirt into which a torch had been placed, extinguishing them and plunging the landscape into a dark gloom. Now, only the lights on their fortified wall illuminated the soon-to-be battlefield.

  “They put out all our torches,” Monkeypants whispered to his son.

  The User-that-is-not-a-user nodded his head.

  “That’s OK, we couldn’t shoot out that far anyway,” Gameknight explained.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the villagers move.

  “Stay still!” Gameknight whispered. “Let them come to us.”

  The NPC froze in place and stared out at the oncoming horde.

  The army of monsters moved closer. As they approached, the square face of the moon began its relentless trek across the sky, casting a silvery light across the landscape. Now they could see their enemy.

  Gameknight gasped.

  Before them stood hundreds of zombies and endermen, each with a look of unbridled hatred on their terrifying face.

  How had Herobrine collected so many monsters? Gameknight thought.

  At the back of the mob, he saw Feyd and Xa-Tul, both riding their terrifying horses. The king of the endermen was looking at the statue-like figures on the ramparts, then glanced at the obviously placed armor stands next to the village gates.

  “Why aren’t they attacking?” Monkeypants whispered.

  “They think this is another trap like the last village,” Gameknight replied. “Which is exactly what we’re hoping they’ll think—”

  “This is like the last village,” Xa-Tul boomed. “The cowards have already fled. Send in your endermen.”

  “Perhaps the king of the zombies should lead the attack and see if he is right or not,” Feyd screeched, his voice cutting through the quiet savannah landscape like a knife.