Minecraft (Masters of Minecraft Box Set Book 1)

by Terry Mayer

  Breaking down the cobblestone wall into the first tunnel, they both step inside and then Jay blocks it back up again.

  *****

  "So which way to you want to go Jethro?"

  "Stick to the side tunnel on the left to start."

  "I would have thought the main tunnel would be the obvious choice," states Nathan.

  "You would think so, but in my experience the main tunnel always has traps, and there's no more chance of treasure than any other tunnel. We can start here then we can always explore the others afterwards. Nate you block the other tunnels and I will seal the temple entrance. Right, you guys ready for some treasure hunting?"

  They both nod to Jethro's question and set off down the side tunnel, closely followed by Fawkes and Flumey. Moving deeper into the temple they pass many empty rooms until they get to a large, wooden door, blocking the way forward.

  "Careful Natasha, just take it slow and easy. You know as well as I do that these places are always full of traps."

  "Chill Jethro, I know what I'm doing."

  As Natasha reaches her hand towards the door, Flumey and Fawkes start to growl, the hair standing up on the backs of their necks.

  "Keep your pets quite guys, we don't know what's behind the door, and we sure as hell don't want to alert it that we are here."

  Looking at the ocelots, Nathan smiles, then moves up to Natasha and whispers, "I think they are trying to tell us there's something in the room. Look at them," he points at the ocelots that are pacing backwards and forwards, growling and bearing their teeth. "There's definitely something in there Natasha."

  Looking at Nate, then back at the ocelots she replies. "You know what, you could be right. So Jethro, what do we do?"

  "Right, I say two of us throw open the doors, with swords drawn ready for any mobs, while the other has cobblestone ready to block the opening if we are confronted by something more than we bargained for. What do you say Nathan, sword or cobblestone?"

  "I'll take a sword, remember, I've seen you fight Jethro and it's not a pretty picture."

  "I would disagree with you dear boy, but alas, I'm afraid you are correct."

  "So where have all the gentlemen gone?" asks Natasha. "So much for chivalry, I'm surprised at you Jethro."

  "Really Natasha, you know very well that you are our best bet in any armed confrontation."

  "Yeah I know, I just like to hear you say it," she smiles, winking at Nathan.

  "Right, so all agreed, on the count of three, myself, and Nathan will open the doors, throw in a torch and you Natasha, get ready to defend."

  "Agreed," they both reply.

  Putting their shoulders to the doors and pushing them open, they both throw a lit torch through the opening and stand aside. Nathan, with sword in hand and Jethro with cobblestone. Tensing her muscles, Natasha readies herself for an assault by hostile mobs but is slightly disappointed when nothing happens. Looking at each other, they move cautiously into the room. It is a large open chamber, about 40 x 30, with a large glowing pit in the middle. Indicating that Jethro should stay by the door, Natasha moves along the left wall, while Nathan circles along the right. They both make it to the far side of the room, then move towards the pit in the centre. Arriving at the edge of the 5 x 5 opening, they quickly assess the situation.

  "You ok Nate?"

  "Sure, so what is it?" he asks, pointing at the pedestal with a chest on top, surrounded by lava.

  "It's a temple, so I guess this is an alter, or something."

  "Ok, but what does it do?"

  "Nothing, or rather it's probably a test with some sort of prize in that chest.

  "Cool, so how do we get it?"

  "Watch out."

  Spinning as Jethro shouts a warning, Natasha comes face to face with a large spider descending from the ceiling. Swinging her sword, she cuts at the spider's legs as another drops to the floor beside her. Backpedaling furiously she continues to chop away, killing the first spider and defending against the second as more spiders drop on her from above.

  Spotting a spider approaching Natasha from behind, Nathan jumps into the battle and chops at it before it can strike. Cutting it clean in two, he stands back to back with Natasha and defends against the next spider that attacks.

  "Thanks Nate, just keep them away from my back and I'll take care of business."

  Jumping forward she slices the eyes on a spider that has just landed on the floor and with a backswing takes the legs off the next. Grunting with exhaustion, she continues to chop away at their assailants as Nathan defends her rear, killing another as it tries to attack him from above.

  As more spiders descend on glowing webs, Nathan shouts. "There's too many, we can't defend against this many."

  "Who's defending? Attack them Nathan, cut them up." Turning to Jethro, she shouts, "a little help Jethro, if you're not too busy."

  Feeling a little foolish, standing in the doorway with cobblestone in his hands, watching his friends fight, he quickly draws his sword and dashes into the melee. Swinging wildly, with little precision, it is amazing how much damage he inflicts on the spiders. Legs fly everywhere, and soon they finish off the last of them.

  Looking over at Jethro, Natasha raises her eyebrows. "That was quite an impressive display for someone who said they can't fight."

  "Well, I quite impressed myself. Simply swinging like a mad man and spinning in circles seems to work a treat on spiders," he replies with a huge smile plastered on his face.

  "Nice work J-Dog."

  "J-Dog?" asks Natasha.

  "Yeah, J-Dog. He may be old but he's one of us, isn't that right Jethro."

  "Yes Nathan, I most certainly am."

  As Nathan wanders back over to the pit, Natasha looks over at Jethro and asks, "just how old are you?"

  "Well I'm ...."

  A ball of lava shoots out of the lava straight at Nathan's head. Diving to the side, he rolls and kneels up, waiting to see what happens next. When nothing further happens, he looks to Natasha and Jethro, who both shrug, and edge closer to him.

  "What was that?"

  "No idea Nate. How about you Jethro?"

  "Hm, I wonder. Nate, do you think you can do that again?"

  "What, get a lava ball thrown at me?"

  "Yes, exactly that, I'm going to go around the other side and watch what happens when you approach the pit again."

  "Are you mad? That thing almost killed me."

  "Hardly Nathan, it did not even touch you. Right, if you would just wait for me to get in position, then approach the pit again, and please try and keep your head down." Walking around the side of the room, he moves to the far side of the pit and removes something from his inventory. "Ok, when you're ready."

  Looking at Natasha, Nathan asks. "He's serious right? He wants me to get another ball of lava thrown at me so he can watch."

  "Yep, I'm just glad he asked you and not me. Now Nate, off you go. Listen to J-Dog and keep your head down," she laughs.

  "Yeah, yeah, real funny," he replies moving ever so carefully towards the pit. When nothing happens, he rises and walks along the edge. Turning to Natasha, he says. "Nothing, maybe I stepped on a trap or something the first time."

  "Down Nathan," shouts Jethro as another flaming ball shoots out of the pit straight at Nathan's head.

  Ducking just in time he rubs his hair as it starts to ignite from the heat, as the flaming ball shoots past him

  Stepping forward as he shouts, Jethro raises the bucket that he had removed from his inventory and empties the water onto the lava monster that has risen out of the lava. In a hiss of steam, the lava monster gives a thunderous crack and falls apart.

  Rushing to the side of the pit, Natasha and Nathan watch as the lava monster turns to obsidian and sinks below the surface.

  "What was that?"

  "That Nathan was a lava monster."

  "A lava monster, I've never seen one of them before."

  "Well they are not that common Natasha. Only if you are play
ing on a server with that mod pack added would you have ever encountered one."

  "But how did you know they were here. There weren't any announcements."

  "Quite, Jay and myself were discussing that very point just before we lost the village to the creepers. We think that the announcement for 'The Infection' mod pack was more likely a blanket announcement that all mod packs are now in play."

  "Really, and you never thought to mention it to anyone?"

  "No, I guess what with running from the creepers, then escaping down the river, taming ocelots and falling over a waterfall to come and find you, that it simply slipped my mind."

  "Oh right, sorry, I guess we have been a little busy."

  "Yes, quite alright Natasha. So, what now then?"

  "Now we get ourselves some treasure," shouts Nathan, jumping up and high fiving Natasha.

  *****

  Landing on the block, Warlord gives a huge sigh of relief, then immediately starts laying blocks in the direction of the temple. The enderman reappears behind him and grabs the block below his feet, but Warlord is ready for him and jumps up, placing a block below him and continuing to build. He is within 2 blocks of the temple when the enderman reappears and grabs the block below his feet, too quick for him this time, all he can do is throw himself forward and hope for the best.

  Landing on the edge of the temple, he grabs hold of the block as his legs swing over the edge. The zombies below surge forward, sensing that they will be able to feed shortly. Grunting, Warlord quickly pulls himself up onto the temple and rolls a few blocks away from the edge, just as the enderman reappears and steals the block that he was just holding on to. Safely away from the edge he breaths a sigh of relief just as the enderman reappears. Standing 3 blocks high, he wavers in front of him, looking at the temple then back at Warlord again. Trying to watch the enderman without making direct eye contact, he wonders what it's up to when in a flash it's gone again. Jumping to his feet, prepared to run if it appears again he waits, tense and unsure of what's happening. After a few minutes, he starts to relax as he realizes that the enderman has given up. There are far too many blocks in the temple to steal to make it worth the effort. Surveying the immediate temple surroundings, he discovers that he is over 12 blocks straight down to the ground at the lowest point. No way can any zombies get up that, and the enderman would have one heck of a job stealing blocks to make a staircase without him noticing. Deciding that his best option is to make a defensive position here and wait for daybreak he immediately builds a 6 x 6 wall, 2 blocks high using cobblestone, just in case the zombies get to the top of the temple somehow. Placing torches at each corner of the wall, he sits on the top and eats the last of his cooked pork while watching the zombies shuffling about below him.

  *****

  Moving stealthily along the main tunnel, PowerGlide and Munster look for traps, or any sign of mobs. Passing two empty rooms, Munster stops and indicates that PowerGlide should come over to him. Whispering in his ear, he says, "no sign of anything boss, no mobs and no players, I think they must have gone down one of the other tunnels."

  "You're probably right, so what do you want to do, explore a little further or head back and try to find them?"

  "I say head back boss, this place creeps me out."

  "Yeah, you're not wrong there Munster."

  Turning, they start back up the tunnel but stop and crouch when they get to the bend, hearing voices ahead of them. Smiling wicked smiles and nodding to one another they prepare to attack whoever is around the bend in the corridor. Jumping out, screaming their war cry they are shocked to find it empty. Twirling swiftly to check the rear, they find they are totally alone.

  "What the... where are they?"

  "Listen boss."

  Quietening down they listen to sounds coming from just ahead.

  "You think they're around the next bend?"

  "No boss, I think these tunnels are playing tricks on us. I bet they are all the way back up at the anti-chamber where we came in."

  "You could be right, come on, let's get them before they get away."

  Running back up the corridor, slowing to check around each bend, they make good time and quickly make it back to the tunnel entrance. Seeing shadows moving in the large anti-chamber, they slow their advance, nod to each other and burst out of the corridor with swords raised high above their heads, ready to strike their enemies.

  *****

  "Ok, let's build a platform across to the chest and see what treasure we have found."

  "Slow down Nate, there could be more of those lava monsters in there," warns Natasha.

  "Nah, it would have attacked by now. What do you think Jethro?"

  "You are probably correct Nathan, but just in case I will stand here, ready with my last bucket of water."

  "Ok cool, so what's the plan Natasha?"

  "Build a cobblestone platform, 3 blocks wide over to the chest, then take a look and see if it's all kosher."

  "Why 3 blocks wide, isn't that just wasting time?"

  "No Nate, this is minecraft, and as you may have noticed, there are plenty of things that will quite happily kill you, so you always have to be careful. Building a 3 block wide platform will give me a clear block to either side and behind, if I need to get out of trouble."

  "Cool, but why are you going over, not me?"

  Sighing, Natasha continues, "ok Nate, how many treasure chests have you found and opened in minecraft? hmm, what is that, I cannot hear you? Oh right, none. In fact you have never even played minecraft, so before you get all cocky just stand back and watch someone who knows what she is doing and maybe you will learn something."

  Crestfallen, Nathan watches Natasha carefully move across the platform. Walking to his side, with his bucket of water ready, Jethro learns over and whispers.

  "Cheer up Nathan, she is right. You are new here and she's only looking out for you."

  "I know Jethro, but she's always saving me, I just want to help."

  "You are dear boy and you are doing fine. Now keep your eyes open."

  Watching Natasha advance across the platform, they hold their breath as she reaches the chest and reaches out her hand to open it. Slowly she feels around the edge of the lid, looking for any obvious traps, but feeling nothing she swallows, holds her breath and slowly raises the lid.

  Silence. No explosions, no monsters jumping out and attacking, nothing. Letting out a great sigh of relief she looks over her shoulder and winks at Nathan, before looking into the chest. Lying on the bottom are two shapes in small sacks. Lifting the first sack from the chest she turns and throws it to Nathan, who catches it and puts it in his inventory, keeping his sword drawn, ready to defend Natasha. Looking back into the chest, she reaches for the second sack then pauses, reaches into her inventory and removes a long pole. Standing away from the chest, she jumps up and places 2 blocks under her, giving enough height to still see into the bottom of the chest. Reaching out with the pole, she snags the last sack and lifts it from the chest. Immediately the chest explodes and throws all three of them to the floor. Pulling himself to his feet, Nathan dusts himself off, checks on Jethro, who is fine, and looks around for Natasha.

  "Natasha, where are you?" he shouts, fearing that she had been killed in the explosion.

  "Over here Nate."

  Running to the other side of the pit, he finds Natasha, lying against the wall.

  "How did you get all the way over here?"

  "When the chest blew, it caught me before I could move, but it must have been designed to kill anyone who stood in front of it because I felt all the shrapnel rush past below me, then the after shock picked me up and threw me over here."

  "Are you ok?"

  Patting herself all over, she looks up at Nathan and smiles, "yep, no damage done, and that Nate is how you open a chest in a temple."

  Slapping his hand against his forehead and groaning, Nathan puts out his other hand and helps Natasha up.

  "Remind me to let you open all the chests we
find in future, seeing as you are soooo good at it."

  Slapping him on the back of the head and laughing, Natasha replies, "oh very funny. So it did not go exactly to plan but as least no one got hurt, and we got the treasure."

  "The treasure!" shouts Nathan, quickly withdrawing the bag from his inventory.

  "Hold on Nate, let's not be too hasty. Put the bag on the floor, over there, and we will open it with a stick, ok."

  Remembering what just happened, Nathan places the sack on the floor and steps out of the way. "You're right Natasha, you want to do the business?"

  "Men!" she laughs. Pulling another pole from her inventory she pries open the sack and out rolls a diamond. "All clear," she says happily, and Nathan runs over and opens the sack all the way.

  "Wow, there's 6 diamonds in here."

  "Cool Nate, now let's see what's in the other sack."

  Placing the last sack on the floor, she repeats the process and opens it using a long pole. When nothing happens, she looks at Nathan and nods, and he dashes forward and withdraws a large black ball from the bag.

  "What's this?" he asks turning to Natasha.

  "Oh cool Nate, looks like an Ender Pearl."

  "What's an Ender Pearl?"

  "Well, it's a pearl from The Nether region."

  "Ok, I'll bite, what's The Nether region?"

  "Ok, really simple lesson, we're in the Overworld, which includes everything in this world, including mines, oceans, etc. ok, so far?"

  "Yep, keep going."

  "Good, now there are other regions in minecraft and an Ender Pearl comes from a region called The Nether, I suppose it's based very loosely on our images of hell. All fiery lava fields, with ghasts and pigmen."

  "And they are...?"

  "Ok, ghasts are like ghosts that throw flame balls at you and pigmen are just as they sound. Men with pig heads. Hey, maybe they're just men, seeing as most men are pigheaded anyway."

  "Ha-ha Natasha."

  "Yes, very droll my dear, but I would like to point out that not all men are pigs."