Destruction of the Overworld

by Mark Cheverton

  “So you mean . . . it’s all over?” Stitcher said, still standing on the obsidian. “I missed the whole thing?”

  “Don’t worry,” Gameknight replied as he reached out and helped her to the ground. “I’m sure there are a lot of people here who can tell you what happened.”

  “So what now?” Digger asked.

  “First things first: let’s get some doors back on the entrance,” Gameknight commanded.

  One of the NPCs pulled out a set of wooden doors and placed them in the obsidian wall. Satisfied they were safe for now, Gameknight sprinted to the top of the fortified wall. Across the battlefield, the retransformation wave was moving outward, leaving healthy grassy blocks in its wake.

  The endermen, seeing the wave approach, all teleported away, leaving the monster kings alone on the End Stone hill. Not waiting to see what happened when the wave reached them, Xa-Tul and Reaper turned their monstrous horses and sprinted into the night, leaving Feyd to stand there glaring back at them.

  “Your Maker’s time is over,” Gameknight yelled. “And your time is over, as well. When we find you again, you will receive the same fate as Herobrine so that Minecraft can finally be at peace.”

  The king of the endermen growled as he glared at his enemy.

  Just then, Digger moved next to the User-that-is-not-a-user, a curious look on his face.

  “Digger, what is it?” Gameknight asked.

  “Something has changed,” the big NPC said.

  Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out a second pickaxe and held them both over his head. More NPCs came up onto the fortified walls and stood at their side. They, too, reached into their inventory and each pulled out a second weapon. Gameknight looked at his comrades and smiled.

  “Looks like we have a few more surprises for you, Feyd,” the User-that-is-not-a-user yelled. “Why don’t you come on down here and face justice?”

  “You don’t frighten me, Gameknight999,” Feyd said with a sneer. “I shall be looking forward to that meeting. If you think you have seen the last of my endermen, or me, then you are truly the Fool. For now, it is farewell, but rest assured, we will be locked in battle soon. You can count on that.”

  Just before the retransformation wave reached him, the shadowy creature disappeared, then materialized on the exit portal just outside the castle. Reaching up, the king of the endermen grabbed the dragon’s egg that sat atop the bedrock portal, then disappeared in a cloud of purple particles.

  “At least he’s gone,” Digger said at Gameknight’s side.

  “Yeah, for now,” Hunter added from the other side. “But I have the feeling he’ll be back.”

  Gameknight glanced at Digger, then looked at the other NPCs on the wall, all of them holding two weapons.

  “What happened with the weapons?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” Digger replied. “I could just feel that something changed. Maybe it was a software update, or maybe it was the retransformation wave. Who knows?”

  “You’re upset about it?” Hunter said.

  “The last thing we need is another surprise,” Gameknight replied. He put away his weapons, then looked around at the village and landscape. “Herobrine did some significant damage to the village wall,” Gameknight said. “We have a lot of work to do to make the village safe again.”

  He slid down a ladder to the ground, then moved toward Crafter.

  “I think we should put the ender chest in the top floor of my castle,” Gameknight explained. “We’ll wall it in with more obsidian and hope that keeps him contained . . . for now.”

  “I’ll help, I’ll help,” Herder said.

  Crafter nodded, then took off with the dark chest, Herder running close behind. Gameknight and Monkeypants followed as the villagers started the long task of repairing the landscape and village with Digger directing their labors.

  Running into the keep, they crossed the obsidian floor and took the stairway that led upward into the tower. With each floor, the tower became narrower and narrower. At its base, the tower was maybe twenty blocks across, but at its peak was only six blocks wide. This would be the resting place of the ender chest.

  Crafter carefully placed the chest in the center of the room, then backed away cautiously. For some reason, Herder moved close to the box and leaned down, pressing his ear to the chest.

  “I can almost hear him in there,” the lanky NPC said. “He’s scared. I can feel it.”

  “What do you mean you can feel it?” Gameknight asked.

  “I could feel him when he was a dragon, and I can still sense him, somehow, in my mind,” Herder replied. “He’s confused and scared and doesn’t know what’s going to happen to him.”

  “I don’t care what he feels,” Gameknight snapped. “Don’t be tricked into giving him any sympathy. That monster would have destroyed us all if given the chance. You stay away from this chest.”

  Herder nodded his head, his long black hair draped over his face, but he did not look at Gameknight; his eyes were still fixed on the chest.

  “Herder, did you hear me?” Gameknight said.

  He reached out and turned the boy away from the ender chest so that he could face him. Looking deep into his eyes, Gameknight though he saw a dreamy, confused look on Herder’s face. But as he pulled him farther away from the chest, the lanky NPC seemed to look normal again.

  Herder can be so strange sometimes, Gameknight thought but still wondered about that look in his eyes. It wasn’t right.

  “We’ll post guards at the doors and make sure the ender chest is kept safe,” Crafter said. “No one will be able to get in or out without us knowing about it.”

  “I’ll put some of my wolves on guard as well,” Herder said.

  “That sounds good,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “But for now, let’s get out of here. Being close to that monster gives me the creeps.”

  Moving to the door, the trio left the ender chest in the dark room and went back to the courtyard of the castle. When they reached the ground floor, Gameknight found his father waiting at the entrance to the keep, Hunter and Stitcher at his side.

  “Well?” Hunter asked.

  “He’s safely tucked away up there,” Crafter said. “We’ll need some guards to keep him safe.”

  “And my wolves,” Herder added.

  “Yes, and your wolves,” Crafter affirmed, giving the boy a smile.

  “I’ll go find some,” Herder said as he pulled out a bone and ran to the castle gates.

  “That boy is certainly motivated,” Monkeypants said.

  “That’s for sure,” Gameknight agreed.

  “So what about you two?” Stitcher asked.

  The User-that-is-not-a-user looked down at her and smiled, then turned and faced his father.

  “I guess we should be . . .” Gameknight said but stopped when his father raised a hand to stop his son.

  Monkeypants looked at Gameknight and then looked at the NPCs, his son’s best friends. He then looked around at the solid castle wall, then glanced over at the half-destroyed village wall next to it.

  “You may be stubborn about refusing to give up, but I’m obsessed with seeing things completed,” Monkeypants said. “That’s how I get my inventions done so quickly. I can’t stop until they are complete. Look around you.”

  Gameknight scanned the castle grounds. It had fared well through the battle, but the village was in a shambles. Half-destroyed archer towers loomed over the shattered battlements, evidence of Herobrine’s violence; scars that needed mending.

  “We can’t just leave with all this damage,” Monkeypants said. “Never leave a job half-complete. That’s my motto.”

  Stitcher smiled, then moved to the monkey and gave him a big hug. Hunter, too, looked at Gameknight’s father and grinned, then gave the User-that-is-not-a-user a smile.

  “We could use the help,” Hunter said. “There is certainly a lot to do.”

  “Then let’s get to it,” Monkeypants said. “I have some idea
s for a few inventions that might make things a bit easier . . . maybe some automated farming to start with.”

  “That sounds extremely interesting,” Crafter said. “We should discuss this.”

  “Well, here’s what I’m thinking . . .” Monkeypants said as he walked off with Crafter listening intently.

  In the distance, Gameknight could hear the howls of wolves and smiled, knowing Herder had found some more “friends.”

  “Come on, let’s get the village wall repaired,” Stitcher said. “Then maybe we can finish our archery match . . . even though you were losing.”

  “I was just getting warmed up,” Gameknight complained.

  “Yeah, right,” Hunter said. “I’ve seen you shoot, and you don’t stand a chance against my little sister.”

  “We’ll see,” Gameknight replied as the trio headed off for the village.

  Behind them, the terrible XP infected with Herobrine’s AI virus sat in the ender chest . . . waiting.

  MINECRAFT SEEDS

  A book warp room has been added to the Gameknight999 Minecraft server for each book I’ve written. In this room, you’ll find a hologram floating above the wall for each Gameknight999 book, with signs showing the chapter and which biome it will send you to. Just step up and click the button, and you can see the biome that I was looking at when I wrote the book. Many people have enjoyed going to the ocean monument to face the Elder Guardian or have voyaged through Malacoda’s fortress in the Nether.

  If you can’t get onto the server, I’ve also provided seed values and coordinates for you to use in Minecraft so that you can see these areas in your own single-player world.

  I hope you enjoy these warps. Readers from many countries have tried them out and seem to like exploring them.

  Book Warp room on

  Gameknight999’s server

  Server IP: Go to www.markcheverton.com and click on the Minecraft Servers tab

  Chapter 1: Sunflower biome -252953672

  x: -342, z: 358

  Chapter 2: Oak forest -2085488970

  Chapter 3: Savannah village -74179593399

  4633340

  x: 261, z: 113

  Chapter 4: Crafter’s village see Gameknight999’s server

  Crafting chamber see Gameknight999’s server

  Chapter 7: Desert village -22255155669

  1018

  x: -215, z: -857

  Chapter 10: Frozen river biome 6992

  Chapter 11: Grassland village -22255155669

  1018

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  I’ve come to appreciate the incredible creativity of the many readers who have submitted images and stories to my website, www.markcheverton.com. A relatively new feature is the creation and public access to Gameknight999’s Minecraft server; you can find the IP address on my website easily. If you can’t find it, please send me an email. On his server, I’ve been able to watch the creativity in real time and have been amazed at what I’ve seen. A village sprouted up out of nowhere, with incredible houses and shops created from people’s imaginations. I really like the pet shops and the floating bases with their trading centers, crops, and monster grinders. In the creative world, the pixel art and architecture slowly emerging from the plots is a testament to the creativity and incredible imaginations of kids from across the world. If you check the warp room, you’ll find a portal to Crafter’s village. Of course, beneath the tall watchtower, you’ll find a passage to the crafting chamber. Next to the village is Gameknight’s castle, complete with the obsidian wall. Be careful if you go to the top room of the keep; you may find a dangerous chest there. In addition, you can find Malacoda’s fortress in the Nether as well as many other incredible creations.

  All the additions to the server have been a wonderful process to watch, and a special thank-you goes out to quadbamber and LBEGaming on YouTube for their help setting all this up. Their video tutorials on server plug-ins and mods have been incredibly helpful, so check them out if you need help. Look for Gameknight999 and me, Monkeypants271, out there on our server. If you’re brave enough, maybe you can challenge us to a game of spleef or paintball—but only if you dare!

  Everyone: keep reading, keep writing, keep creating, and, of course, watch out for creepers.

  Mark

  DO YOU LIKE FICTION FOR MINECRAFTERS?

  Check out these unofficial Minecrafter adventures from Sky Pony Press!

  Invasion of the Overworld

  MARK CHEVERTON

  Battle for the Nether

  MARK CHEVERTON

  Confronting the Dragon

  MARK CHEVERTON

  Trouble in Zombie-town

  MARK CHEVERTON

  The Quest for the Diamond Sword

  WINTER MORGAN

  The Mystery of the Griefer’s Mark

  WINTER MORGAN

  The Endermen Invasion

  WINTER MORGAN

  Treasure Hunters in Trouble

  WINTER MORGAN

  Available wherever books are sold!

  EXCERPT FROM GAMEKNIGHT999 VS. HEROBRINE

  As they entered the pass, Gameknight999 felt a strange unease spread through his body. This would be a great place for an ambush, and even though Crafter said Two-Sword Pass was a secret only known to the NPCs, he’d learned not to underestimate Herobrine or his monster kings. Stopping for a moment, he glanced nervously over his shoulder, then peered up along the sheer stone walls that hugged the narrow corridor. Straining all of his senses, he scanned every aspect of their surroundings, looking for the angry red eyes of spiders, and listening for the sorrowful moans of zombies or the clattering of skeleton bones. He sensed nothing but a gentle wind that caressed his square cheeks.

  “Are you coming, or are you planning on staying for some kind of extended vacation?” Hunter asked sarcastically.

  “Hunter!” Stitcher snapped. “Why do you always have to be . . .”

  “You’re always lecturing me,” the older sister interrupted. “Have you ever noticed that? I’m tired of . . .”

  “Stop arguing!” shouted Digger, his voice echoing off the stone walls of the pass.

  This silenced the two girls, but they still glared at each other. Crafter walked forward and placed a hand on each, calming the sisters.

  “We are getting close to our goal and will soon be rid of our evil cargo,” Crafter said calmly. “I’m sure Herobrine senses this somehow and is working hard to divide us. He would love nothing more than to have us all turn on each other. You must remember that we are a family and everyone here would do anything to help another. Our bonds are forged from trust and our willingness to always be there to help.” The young NPC’s voice rose in volume as he stood a bit taller. “We are stronger than Herobrine’s irritating whine will ever be, and nothing will stop us from dropping that ender chest into The Abyss.” He cast his bright blue eyes to Herder and glared at the dark box under his arm, then glanced at his other companions. “We must stick together and keep trying to work together. Remember, each of us are relying on the other and no one is alone.”

  The sisters nodded to Crafter and looked apologetically at each other, then smiled.

  “Let’s get this done,” Digger boomed as he pulled out his pair of iron pickaxes and started forward, the rest of the party following close behind.

  The pass was maybe six blocks wide, at some places wider, at others narrower. Sheer stone walls stretched up from the ground, making Gameknight feel as if he were in a curvy tunnel whose ceiling was out of sight. The light grew dim as the hills blocked out the rays of the sun, putting the party in complete shadow. The only time the pass saw sunlight was at high noon, when the sun was directly overhead. But with the sun still far from the horizon, they would likely be through the pass before dusk.

  Ahead, Two-Sword Pass turned to the left, then zigzagged around large piles of sand, finally curving to the right. Glancing over his shoulder, Gameknight found the entrance was now completely hidden, the exit still concealed from view. The curv
ing path made it difficult to see very far ahead or behind the party, and it made the User-that-is-not-a-user feel uneasy.

  “I don’t like this,” Gameknight said as he drew his enchanted diamond sword from his inventory. “We can’t see anything.”

  Hunter nodded and pulled out her bow, but then put it away; the curving pathway made the weapon relatively ineffective. If they had to battle any monsters, it would be up close and personal, and that was sword work.

  “Everyone get ready,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  Just then, a clicking sound echoed off the steep rocky walls. Gameknight wasn’t sure if it had been his imagination or just a trick of the wind.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  His voice echoed off the stone walls and reflected back to him. On its return, his voice sounded thin and scared.

  Everyone stopped and stood motionless . . . listening. As they stood there, Gameknight scanned the sheer walls that boxed them in, but there was nothing . . . just stone.

  They continued to move forward. Every step echoed off the curving walls, making it sound as if there were a hundred people in their party . . . Gameknight wished that were the case.

  Suddenly, the piercing whine from the ender chest increased in volume tenfold. Stitcher yelled out in pain as she tried to cover her ears with her hands, but it did no good.

  “Monsters must be coming,” Crafter shouted. “Run!”

  The party sprinted forward, following the winding pathway. Ahead was a sharp bend in the pass, but when they bolted around the corner, everyone skidded to a stop. Ahead of them were half a dozen spiders blocking the pass, with another six climbing down the walls.

  Before anyone could think, Gameknight charged forward, his diamond sword in his right hand, his iron sword in his left. Purple waves of enchanted light painted the walls of the pass as he crashed into the monsters.

  “FOR MINECRAFT!” the User-that-is-not-a-user yelled, his swords slashing at the dark fuzzy creatures.