Miles’s friends crowded around Lila’s house waiting for the new dryad, and Matthew smiled when he saw Miles walk toward them.
Chapter 16:
NEW FRIEND
The new dryad walked out of her house, greeted by all of her new friends. Miles stood off to the side, watching her chat with the others. The dryad stared at Miles, calling out to him, “Hi.” She smiled, “Don’t you want to join us?”
Miles was embarrassed. He didn’t want to appear as if he didn’t care about the new dryad, but he was still trying to adjust to how things operated in this new world. “Yes,” Miles replied and joined them.
“I’m Isabella,” the dryad said.
“I’m Miles.”
“I like this house. You did a fine job building it.” She paused. “I’m sorry about your friend. I’m sure she was useful to you. I hope I’m also useful.”
“I don’t miss her because she was useful. I miss her because she was my friend.”
“Yes, I know,” Isabella said. “But a dryad’s most important job is to be useful. I want to provide you with purification powder and all of the tools you need to survive in this world.”
“I understand,” Miles nodded.
Isabella scanned the group. “Miles, it looks like you’ve met a lot of useful people. I think it’s probably time you move on to hardmode.”
Miles looked over at Matthew. “Now? Really? Is she right? Am I ready?”
“Yes,” Matthew replied. “You are ready. It’s time to summon the Wall of Flesh.”
“But you’re wrong. I’m not ready. I want to stay here.”
“Miles, life is about meeting new people and different experiences. And this isn’t all your decision. I’m also ready to leave. Once I teach you how to summon the Wall of Flesh, there is nothing left for me to teach. My job is done. I want to move on to a place where I’m needed.”
“But won’t you miss me?”
“Of course. We will both miss each other a lot, but we have very different paths. You will become a noted warrior and I will aid another person on their path. I feel rewarded and grateful that I could help you.”
Miles understood. He asked, “How do I summon the Wall of Flesh?”
“Good,” Matthew smiled. “That’s a tough question to ask, but it’s also the right question. You’ve made me very proud.” Matthew explained that Miles had to travel to the Underworld and defeat a Voodoo Demon.
Miles’s eyes widened. “The Underworld? The Voodoo Demon?”
“Yes, I know you’re strong enough to defeat the Voodoo Demon. And once you do, you must grab the Guide Voodoo Doll.”
“What?” Miles head was spinning.
“That doll is vital in summoning the Wall of Flesh.”
Miles asked, “Will you be there with me? To give me advice?”
“No,” Matthew explained, “my last job is teaching you have to navigate the Underworld, but I can’t go there with you. This is something you will do alone. Once you defeat the Wall of Flesh, you’ll be on hardmode, and your life will become a lot more challenging and a lot more interesting. I know you’ll love it.”
Miles didn’t focus on losing Matthew. Instead he concentrated on making Matthew proud. He knew he couldn’t go into the Underworld without a detailed plan, and Matthew was the perfect person to help him.
“Tell me everything I need to know,” Miles said confidently.
Chapter 17:
THE UNDERWORLD
Goodbyes are always tough. But they’re a lot harder when you’re saying goodbye to your first friend, your mentor, and your teacher. Matthew was all of those things to Miles, and while he tried to hold back the tears, he couldn’t.
“I hate long goodbyes,” Matthew said, “Just go to the Underworld. You’re prepared.”
After a week of intense training and crafting weapons, Miles was ready to enter the Underworld deep beneath the surface. He had a list of all his potential enemies and pitfalls. He knew once he got there, he couldn’t be distracted. He had to find a Voodoo Demon and start the process of summoning the Wall of Flesh.
Miles’s friends crowded around them as they said their goodbyes, and Miles addressed the group. “I will see you guys on hardmode. And I promise to protect you from any hostile enemy we might encounter in this new mode of living.”
Matthew smiled. “I know you will. Now go to the Underworld.”
Miles didn’t look back as he traveled to the Underworld. This dark world that lay deep beneath the surface was the most horrifying and inhospitable terrain Miles had ever encountered. Pools of magma and lava lined the ground, and Miles walked carefully through this demonic world, searching for the famed Voodoo Demon.
He looked down at the hellstone, but remembered Matthew had told him that he wasn’t prepared to mine for it yet, and extracting the valuable hellstone ore would inflict serious damage on him. He reminded himself that he was there to find the Voodoo Demon. However, the more he searched the Underworld, the more he believed he might never find it.
Miles was standing by a pool of lava, when a flying beast spawned in front of him. He instantly recognized this creature as the Voodoo Demon. The winged beast carried the coveted Guide Voodoo Doll by its talons. The precious doll hung inches from Miles as he leapt toward this vicious bird of prey.
“I want that doll!” Miles screamed, although speaking was pointless. This wasn’t the way the Voodoo Demon communicated.
Miles narrowly avoided tripping into a pool of lava. He knew if he made one bad move, he’d be destroyed, creating a pointless battle with the challenging Voodoo Demon. He swiftly sprinted, leading the winged demon away from the lava, and struck the creature.
The Voodoo Demon let out a loud cry. Miles was shocked by the powerful sound. He quickly slammed his sword into the beast as it shrieked and disappeared, dropping the Guide Voodoo Doll. He picked up the doll and summoned the Wall of Flesh.
Miles walked over to the pool of lava and dropped the doll into the flaming pool. He winced as he placed the doll in the pool, knowing the minute it fell into the deep rich red lava that Matthew would disappear from his home, and would be placed as a guide with another person. Miles’s eyes filled with tears as the doll was slowly engulfed in lava. He had successfully summoned the Wall of Flesh. But this wasn’t a victorious event—it was the start of Miles’s most demanding battle. He lost his best friend for this opportunity and he was going to win.
Miles wasn’t prepared for the hideousness of the Wall of Flesh. Its enormous cylinder-shaped body had a large mouth full of pointy teeth and two eyes bulging from either side of the gaping mouth. Miles flew up in the sky with his rocket boots and shot arrows at the tall beast.
The beast shot a fiery laser from its eyes, and he flew higher to avoid getting hit, and grabbed his sword and struck the red vile being. With each arrow that pierced through the Wall of Flesh’s body or eyes, the beast became increasingly agitated. Moving fast, it raced toward Miles, who shot another round of arrows.
Miles gasped, as the mouth floated from the belly of the beast. The mouth, which appeared to be its own entity, was attached to a vein connecting to the Wall of Flesh. The mouth chomped as it flew straight toward Miles. The rocket boots weren’t powerful enough to escape the clutches of this gruesome mouth. The beast unleashed more fiery lasers, leaving Miles with little energy.
He clung to his sword, pounding into the Wall of Flesh, and finally weakening it. But the Wall of Flesh became more vicious as it grew weaker. Miles hit it harder, trying not to get killed, hoping his last attempt would annihilate the red bumpy being, which looked like raw meat.
Miles struck one of the eyes, as the Wall slowly faded. He threw a grenade at the mouth and struck the body. Miles used his sword to strike the beast in its state of vulnerability. For a second it felt like the world stood still. He wasn’t sure what was happening.
A message appeared telling him ancient spirits were released. They were the spirits of light and darkness. He knew this signifie
d he’d defeated the Wall of Flesh and was now on hardmode. He wanted to rush back and tell Matthew about his victory, but he remembered he was gone. He did recall Matthew’s last piece of advice. Matthew said, “Once you defeat the wall of flesh, you must grab the Pwnhammer. Then you can travel back to The Corruption and break a demon altar. These are the benefits of hardcorde mode.”
Miles saw a tiny room in the sky and went inside. There he found the Pwnhammer. He was ready to break a demon altar. Miles wanted to tell his friends about his victory. He also had to alert them that they were on hardmode. He worried, as he sprinted back to town, that they might be in the middle of attack by a new hostile enemy. As he raced home, he stopped when a voice called out from a large cavern.
Chapter 18:
NEXT LEVEL
Miles rushed into the cavern and saw a man who appeared to be bound against the wall, dressed in a purple robe. A pointy purple hat covered his grey hair and he had a long grey beard.
“Well, hi there!” he exclaimed.
“Who are you?” asked Miles.
“I’m Cedric. I’m a wizard,” he said “You saved me.”
“I bet you want me to build you a house now, right?” asked Miles.
“You’re a smart kid.”
Miles introduced himself and led Cedric out of the cavern. “I have to go back to my town. I’m sad though,” he confessed. “I miss my guide.”
“You learned all you can from him. I’m sure he’s happily off educating another noob,” Cedric said, but realized his words weren’t filling the hole in Miles’s heart. He tried a lighthearted approach and put his hand behind Miles’s ear. “Wow! I found a coin behind your ear.”
Miles laughed, “If you’re a wizard, I bet you know a lot better magic tricks than that one.”
“Are you saying that’s a bad trick?”
“No, but I’d love to learn about real magic. Can you teach me?”
Cedric nodded. “Of course. I can teach you all sorts of tricks and spells. I also have a bunch of useful tools to perfect your ability to perform magic.”
Miles was excited to introduce Cedric to his friends. As they approached the houses, Miles spotted John rushing toward them.
“You did it. We knew you’d defeat the Wall of Flesh,” John called out. Everyone raced to Miles, and he introduced them to his new friend, Cedric.
The gang talked to Cedric, when Miles interrupted. “Cedric, I know you wanted me to build you a home, but I’d like to offer you this one.” He walked toward Matthew’s door. “This was my guide Matthew’s house. If you’d like, you can live here.”
“I’d be honored,” Cedric said and walked into the house. “It’s a fantastic house.”
“Thanks,” Miles replied. “It’s right next door to mine.”
“I am grateful to live here. And I promise to be your guide in the world of magic.”
Isaac hollered, “Get out of the house. We have some celebrating to do.”
Miles joined the others in celebration. As he told them a detailed account of his battle with the Wall of Flesh, Miles thought about Matthew. He hoped Matthew was happy with his new student. Miles knew he’d always miss Matthew and would never forget all of the important information he taught him. Matthew was a guide and a friend, which was an unforgettable combination.
THE END
Attack of the Goblin Army Page 6
