Shaking the confusion from his head, Gameknight charged forward across the pale yellow desert. The land was mostly flat, with the occasional green prickly cactus or dried bush decorating the landscape. In the distance, he could see sand dunes undulating across the ground like ocean swells frozen in time. The monster army was just cresting one at that moment as they continued their retreat.
He sprinted across the dry sands, his two swords now in his inventory, heading straight for their enemy. The monsters had maybe a ten or fifteen minute head start on them, but eventually they would catch them. Only the spiders were faster than villagers when they moved at normal speed; the other creatures were all slower. Gameknight hoped the zombie king stayed scared and continued to run. He did not relish the thought of another confrontation out here in the open. If that happened, many NPCs would perish.
Slowly, the army climbed the first set of sand dunes. Gameknight slowed as he reached the top, jumping cautiously upward. He was hesitant to just run blindly forward without being able to see what was on the other side of the hill.
The User-that-is-not-a-user peered over the top of the dune, then dove to the ground as a wave of arrows streaked over his head. Someone yelled off to the right as one of the skeleton arrows found its target.
“Skeletons on the other side of the dune!” Gameknight said. “Everyone back.”
The warriors moved down the sand dune a few blocks, then drew their weapons. Gameknight grabbed Woodcutter and Fencer and pulled them close.
“Each of you take a group of soldiers and go around the sand dune on either side,” Gameknight said. “When I give the word, charge in on either side and attack.”
“Got it,” Woodcutter said.
Fencer just nodded.
Parts of the army split off while the main force stayed in place. Gameknight moved forward and stood again, then ducked as another wave of arrows flew at him.
“What are you doing?” Weaver asked.
“We need to keep the skeletons from moving,” Gameknight said. He stood again, then quickly dropped to the ground. “If I keep giving them a target, they’ll stay there.”
“Unless they get lucky and shoot you,” the boy added.
Gameknight prepared to stand again, but Weaver pulled him back and then stood up himself. The skeletons fired, but Weaver dove to the ground as the arrows zipped by his head.
“This isn’t a very fun game,” the young NPC said, his face white with fear.
The User-that-is-not-a-user smiled, then popped up again, quickly diving to the sandy ground. Another wave of arrows flew through the air, many of the shafts landing far out into the desert behind them while others stuck into the blocks of sand right in front of them.
Gameknight glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the army.
“You all ready?” he asked.
They nodded their heads, fear present in their square eyes.
“Ready … NOW!” Gameknight screamed.
The villagers behind him stood, but he motioned them to stay there, giving Woodcutter and Fencer a few seconds’ head start. He could hear their battle cries as the two groups charged around the dune. The skeletons were likely turning to fire at the new threats.
“NOW!” he cried, then stood and charged over the dune, the rest of the army yelling as they charged over the hill.
Before him, Gameknight found a group of maybe thirty skeletons. They were firing at Fencer and Woodcutter’s groups, but when Gameknight came running down the hill, they were uncertain what to do. They shifted from target to target, unsure where to fire. This hesitation allowed the villagers to close the distance.
Gameknight drew his two swords and went into action. Spinning to the left, he knocked a bow out of a bony hand, then turned and slashed to the right, carving his way into the center of the mob. Skeletons turned to attack him, which Gameknight expected. He ducked and slashed at their legs when they began to fire. The skeleton arrows hit their own comrades as they tried to destroy the blacksmith.
Gameknight scurried between bony legs, using the skeletons themselves for a shield. His two swords slashed at femurs and fibulas. Arrows landed on the ground right near him, but he kept moving, shoving into the skeletons as he dodged their projectiles.
In thirty seconds, the battle was over. All that was left of the assailants was a field of bones, glowing balls of XP, and the occasional bow or arrow floating off the ground.
“Collect it all,” Gameknight said. “Give food to the wounded. Let’s go.”
He turned and ran off while the villagers whispered to each other about the savage skill Smithy showed with his two swords. They were all still surprised to see him with dual blades.
Gameknight sprinted northward toward the distant adversary. He could see they had gained a little ground, but the skeletons had delayed his army. Glancing up at the sun, the User-that-is-not-a-user judged the position of the sun and then estimated how long it would take to catch their prey. They had to hurry.
“We sprint!” Gameknight called out, then took off running.
He sped across the desert, climbing smaller dunes, then jumping down the opposite side. Glancing over his shoulder, Gameknight saw the rest of the army moving as fast as possible. The NPCs would sprint, then jump up the occasional single-block rises as they approached the next dune. Their timing was impeccable, jumping just at the right time so their sprint would not be interrupted.
A second large dune appeared before them. Gameknight suspected another trap. He slowed as he climbed the hill. A mechanical wheezing sound could be heard just on the other side of the sand dune. Gameknight instantly recognized the sound … blazes.
“Get out your bows,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said in a low voice. “Pass the word.”
The villagers whispered to each other as they pulled out their bows and fitted arrows to bowstrings.
Gameknight crawled to the top of the sand dune and peered over the top. On the other side was a field of green: a gigantic horde of creepers. Blazes hovered near the back, ready to launch their fireballs to ignite the creatures.
Crawling backward, Gameknight moved down the dune, then stood and faced the army.
“There is a massive group of creepers on the other side of this hill,” Gameknight said. “Clearly the zombie king hopes they will take out a big chunk of our army.” He glanced at Weaver and had an idea. “I think what we want is to have all those creepers blow themselves up. What do all of you think?”
The NPCs stared at him as if he were crazy.
“I know of only one thing that will make them all explode instantly,” he said.
“What’s that?” Woodcutter asked as he moved to Gameknight’s side.
“Me.”
The villages were shocked.
“You can’t go out there!” Woodcutter exclaimed. “It would be suicide.”
“Not if I’m careful,” he replied.
Fencer grabbed Gameknight’s tunic and pulled him close.
“What are you doing?” Fencer whispered. “We can’t lose Smithy again!”
“I’m not going to risk all these lives,” Gameknight said. “I know how to handle a bunch of creepers. They are completely predictable. Besides, I’ve done this thing before … it’s no big deal.”
Gameknight stood and faced the army.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said. The User-that-is-not-a-user then walked calmly over the hill.
“You aren’t going alone!” Fencer shouted. “I will follow Smithy wherever he goes. He is my commander … and my friend.”
“NO!” Gameknight snapped. “I’m doing this by myself.”
“Try to stop me,” Fencer replied as he moved to the top of the hill and stared down at the mob of creepers.
Gameknight ran to his side and faced the NPC.
“You sure are stubborn,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said.
“You have no idea,” the NPC replied with a smile. “Now let’s do this.”
The two comrades walk
ed casually down the hill. The creepers saw them and instantly surged forward. Balls of fire began to form under the blazes’ spinning blaze rods, growing larger and larger. When the creepers were only two blocks away, the fiery monsters attacked. Flaming projectiles streaked down from the sky and struck the lead creepers, making them hiss and glow, slowly expanding.
“Fencer, run straight through them,” Gameknight said as he took off at a sprint.
The pair streaked into the creeper formation, and just continued to run. The creepers that had been ignited followed their targets, turning and running into the middle of their formation. The blazes launched additional fireballs at the creepers, making more of them hiss as they ignited. The glowing creatures chased after Gameknight999. He knew he had to stay close so they’d stay together in a small group.
“Fencer, go around the left side of the group. I’ll go around the right.”
Gameknight turned to the right and ran along the perimeter of the monstrous group. He hoped some of the creepers would follow Fencer, but none of them did. They all chased Gameknight999. Sprinting as fast as he could, the User-that-is-not-a-user shot around the horde, then turned and ran straight away.
“RUN FOR IT!” Gameknight screamed.
Both of them ran straight away from the mob. Seconds later, the first of the creepers detonated. The explosion threw many of the creepers into the air, starting their ignition process. Now many of the monsters were hissing. Then another group of creepers detonated, filling the air with the sound of earth-shaking thunder.
“ARCHERS, ATTACK THE BLAZES!”
Instantly, the warriors behind the sand dune stood and shot their arrows at the glowing blazes. The fiery monsters had been floating aimlessly as they watched Gameknight escape their trap and were not expecting this. More creepers detonated as the pointed shafts of the villagers tore into the blazes’ HP. Metallic clanking added to the explosive blasts of the creepers until, finally, the desert was silent.
Gameknight stopped running and turned to see what was left of the monsters. Glowing blaze rods sat on the sandy ground where the Nether creatures had expired. A huge crater sat where the creepers had once stood. Their explosions had drilled down into the desert floor, exposing the stone that sat under the sand and sandstone. The bottom of the crater was filled with floating blocks of dirt and sand but also piles of gunpowder.
Gameknight smiled.
The army moved over to the sand dune and cheered when they saw the deep recession in the ground. Fencer moved to Gameknight’s side.
“I have to say, that was not fun … just so you know,” the NPC said.
“Understood,” the User-that-is-not-a-user replied, then turned and faced the army. “Everyone, forward.”
The army took off to the north again, continuing their pursuit. Gameknight sprinted, but instead of going around the crater, he went straight to the bottom, collecting all the gunpowder; he knew it would prove useful.
The warriors continued to sprint after their prey. Gameknight glanced nervously at the sun while he ran. It was well past its zenith and approaching the horizon. They had to catch up to the monster army before they could escape.
In the distance, a line of steep hills emerged through the haze. The monster army was trying to go around the right side, but the NPCs were drawing closer. The fastest warriors moved ahead of the main group, Gameknight in the lead. They closed in on the monsters with bows in hand. Firing arrows at the right side of the monster formation, they encouraged the creatures to veer to the left. Those that did not alter their path were fired upon. Quickly, the monsters headed for the mountains and away from the waves of pointed shafts.
“They’re doing it!” Weaver said at his side. “The monsters are heading for the mountains.”
Gameknight nodded, then signaled for the army to head straight for the distant hills.
They sped across the desert, now in complete silence. Every effort was focused on running, timing their jumps with the gradual undulations of the landscape so they would not be slowed. The NPC army moved like an unstoppable storm, relentlessly closing in on their quarry.
Finally, in the distance, they saw the monster army stop at the base of the mountains and turn to face their enemy. Gameknight could see snarls appear on monstrous faces as they waited for the villagers to arrive.
Gameknight shifted from a sprint to a walk so he could catch his breath, the rest of the army doing the same. As he slowly approached, he saw Vo-Lok move to the front of the monster army. There were mostly zombies and a few skeletons left, as the majority of the skeletons and creepers had already been used to delay the villagers.
“Vo-Lok sees the cowardly blacksmith approaching,” the zombie king growled. “Has the pathetic villager come to surrender or challenge Vo-Lok to combat? Or is the blacksmith a coward?”
Many of the villagers yelled back insults, but Gameknight did not reply. He knew what the zombie king was doing. Vo-Lok was trying to goad him into a fight, but the User-that-is-not-a-user had other ideas.
“You don’t frighten me, zombie king,” Gameknight said. “I’ve seen monsters like you before, bullies that are only willing to confront those that are weaker.”
“Smithy has never seen a zombie like Vo-Lok!” the zombie king snapped.
“Hah … you’d be surprised,” Gameknight replied. “But if you are brave enough to face me in combat again, then so be it!”
The scarred face of the zombie king lit up with excitement. He drew his massive golden broadsword slowly, the metal sliding against its scabbard, making a scraping sound like that of a giant hissing snake. The massive zombie then took a few steps forward and waited.
Gameknight turned and faced the army.
“You aren’t really going through with this, are you?” Fencer said, a look of concern on his square face.
“Of course not, but I do have a plan,” Gameknight said. “And I have a special job for Weaver and all the kids.”
The young boy’s head perked up when he heard his name.
“OK, here’s what I want everyone to do …”
Gameknight explained the plan to a sea of nodding faces. He could see the fear on their faces as they listened to the crazy scheme laid out before them. But they all knew they had no choice. This battle was “winner take all,” and the prize was Minecraft.
CHAPTER 28
MANY PROBLEMS WITH MONSTERS
“Archers, form a perimeter and hold the monsters here,” Gameknight shouted. “If the monsters try to escape, fire in front of them.”
“Why don’t we just attack and destroy them?” Baker asked.
“Do you want a hand-to-hand battle with all those monsters?” Gameknight asked. “A lot of NPCs will not survive. Just stick to my plan and trust me. I’ve done this kind of thing before.”
“What?” Baker asked, a look of suspicion on his square face.
“I mean, I know what I’m doing,” Gameknight said quickly, reminding himself that he had to act like Smithy. “Swordsmen, start placing blocks. We need walls in case the zombies charge toward us. We need to keep them contained until we’re ready. Eventually, they’ll figure out they’re trapped and that charging us is their only option. I need three minutes for the kids to get ready.” He scanned the sea of faces for Weaver and the other kids. “Weaver, you all set?”
The young boy nodded his heads, his blue eyes bright with excitement.
“Do you remember what I said about crafting the TNT?”
“Yep, I got it,” Weaver replied.
“OK, here’s the gunpowder I collected,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “Use everything you already have and this supply as well. We need as many cubes as you can craft.”
“Understood,” the youth replied, the other kids nodding their heads.
“Oh yeah, one more thing,” Gameknight said, then leaned down and whispered something into the young boy’s ear. After listening to the message, Weaver laughed, then looked up at his friend. “Now, go!”
&nb
sp; The young villagers shot off in all directions. Gameknight watched as Weaver and a group of boys ran up the side of one of the sandy hills, using leftover ladders to make their ascent easier.
“Everyone else, start building,” Gameknight commanded. “Smithy of the Two-Swords has a little show to put on to keep the monsters distracted.”
“What are you going to do?” Fencer said nervously.
“What I must,” he replied.
Gameknight then drew his two swords and walked toward the zombie king.
“Ahh … the puny NPC has a morsel of courage after all,” Vo-Lok boomed. “Excellent! I hope the stinking NPCs enjoy watching Vo-Lok destroy their leader …”
“Your blabbing reminds me of my pet pig, Wilbur,” Gameknight mocked as he moved closer to the hulking monster.
“Oink!” Wilbur protested.
The NPCs laughed as they placed blocks on the ground.
“The NPC dares insult the zombie king!” Vo-Lok roared. “Soon, this zombie will break the blacksmith in two.”
“Wilbur!” Gameknight yelled.
“Oink!” the pig answered.
The NPCs laughed again.
“I’m not afraid of you, zombie,” Gameknight said in a loud voice. “You must face Smithy of the Two-Swords now. Surrender, and I might let you live. Bother me anymore with your mindless words, and you will be destroyed.”
Vo-Lok roared in frustration, then charged forward. He swung his huge golden sword at Gameknight’s head, but the monster was too predictable. Gameknight ducked, then slashed at the monster’s legs. His iron sword rang when it hit the monster’s leggings. A huge crack formed on the golden armor.
Butter armor, he thought with a smile.
The monster screamed, then attacked again, swinging his blade straight down on his target. Gameknight rolled to the side, but as he stood, Vo-Lok kicked straight out. A booted foot caught the User-that-is-not-a-user in the chest and sent him flying backward. He smashed into the cobblestone wall that was being built around the monster army.
The Great Zombie Invasion Page 17
