Invasion of the Overworld

by Mark Cheverton

  Soon, they left the grassy plains and entered a heavily forested area teeming with life. Packs of wolves could be seen moving about, their white fur standing out against the gnarled bark of the trees.

  “Wait a minute,” Crafter said as he slowed to a walk.

  “Why? We have to keep moving.”

  “Not yet,” Crafter replied.

  Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out a stack of bones, remnants of skeletons long dead, and threw them to Gameknight.

  “Take some bones,” Crafter said, holding one out in his hand. “We need some pets.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gameknight demanded. “We don’t have time for this.”

  “Yes, we do. Now just follow my lead.”

  Gameknight picked up the pile of bones and followed Crafter. The old man slowly approached the wolves with bones in hand. Tapping a wolf gently, Gameknight saw red hearts appear above the wolf’s head, then a colored band suddenly materializing around the animal’s neck. The wolf was suddenly transformed into Crafter’s pet.

  “Go get some,” the NPC said sternly, making his statement sound more like a command than a suggestion.

  Shrugging, Gameknight did as instructed, using the bone as a treat for the animals, winning them over as pets in an instant. In no time, both of them had half a dozen pets following them through the forest, pursuing more of them as they ran.

  “Why did we want the wolves?” Game-knight asked.

  “You’ll understand soon,” Crafter answered. “If you see any more, get them. We’ll need as many as we can find.”

  Gameknight nodded and continued through the dense forest, a circle of furry companions ringing him closely, their occasional barks sounding almost reassuring for some reason.

  I hope Shawny is ready, Gameknight thought. I hope he can convince the others, or this plan will fail.

  Doubt flowed through him with every heartbeat. It chipped away at his courage, but then he looked at his companion and felt strengthened. Crafter ran next to him, confident and strong, his long grey hair streaming down his back, courage and determination painted firmly on his blocky face. Turning his head as he ran, the old NPC gave him a smile and patted him on the shoulder, bringing a growl from one of Gameknight’s wolves. Throwing the animal a steak, the two continued to sprint, picking up any stray wolves they came across as they ploughed through the forest.

  Suddenly, a group of six zombies jumped out from behind a thick copse of trees, all clustered together in the shade of the thick canopy, trying to keep the lethal sun off their backs. Before any of them could attack, the wolves fell on them, snapping at arms and legs with sharp teeth. The wolf pack tore into the green monsters with a vengeance. Bright claws flashed through the air, reaching out for white fur, but the wolves were too fast for the green monsters. The zombies flashed bright red over and over as their HP slowly dropped, sharp teeth tearing at sickly emerald arms. The pack tore into the monsters, white furry missiles diving into the green cluster until the last of the monsters vanished with a quiet pop, leaving behind pieces of floating zombie flesh, and of course, XP.

  “Now you see why we need the wolves,” Crafter said proudly.

  Gameknight nodded.

  “That was a good idea.”

  Crafter beamed, then continued to run, his humming lightening their mood a little, the pack following close behind. They sprinted through the dense forest, weaving their way between low-hanging leafy branches and past serene pools, their furry protectors falling on zombies and spiders at every opportunity while their destination still drew them forward. They were headed toward the distant mountain that occasionally poked its stony face through the forest’s canopy.

  “I think that’s where it’s gonna be,” Game-knight said as they crested a hill. The rocky peak now stood visible before them tall and majestic, the forest ending at its feet in the distance.

  “You think we can make it that far before dark?” Crafter asked, worry creasing his unibrow.

  “I feel like we must,” Gameknight answered. “Something feels strange, like everything is massing toward this point. I can feel all the anger and violence in this world focused on this spot . . . tonight. We have to make it.”

  Looking over his shoulder, Crafter glanced at the sun, its golden face was just starting to caress the horizon. He didn’t need to look to know how much time they needed; it was just nervousness forcing him to check.

  “If we can make it to that next hill in a couple of minutes,” the NPC said, “then we should be able to reach the foot of the mountain. I hope your friend has something ready for us, or when we get there we’ll find our backs against the mountain and likely surrounded by every monster on this server. I hope he comes through.”

  “Me too,” Gameknight answered as images of zombies storming out of his dad’s digitizer and attacking his little sister filled his mind. “Me too.”

  They sprinted down the hill and bolted toward the next one, the sun racing them to the finish line. More monsters started to show their angry faces as they ran, the light level and cover from the trees making it possible for them to linger about without bursting into flames. Clawed hands reached out to them, trying to dig into their flesh as they sped by. A spider jumped directly into their paths. Game-knight and Crafter hacked at the creature as they jumped over it, the two swords slaying the beast in a heartbeat.

  Not stopping to collect the XP, the two companions continued their sprint; it was a race for their lives. A group of creepers tried to approach them from the right, but their tiny pig-like feet were just too slow. One wolf fell on the mottled green beasts, making them detonate, taking the entire group with them; poor wolf, Gameknight thought.

  Not stopping to engage any of the mobs, the two companions just sped through the forest, letting their pack of wolves do their dirty work wherever possible. Gameknight could see a few spiders and zombies run away after seeing them, likely to divulge their location to Erebus, but that didn’t matter now, in fact, they wanted Erebus to know where they were and bring his horde.

  I hope Shawny is ready, Gameknight thought.

  And then they heard the sound as they started to race up the next hill, the maniacal chuckle of endermen teleporting nearby.

  “You hear that?” Gameknight said as they ran.

  “Yep,” Crafter replied stoically. “They’re here.”

  Just then an enderman appeared directly in front of them, its long dark arms down at its sides, purple particles dancing about. Weaving around the shadowy creature, the two quickly looked down and avoided contact, putting away their swords. Endermen could only be provoked into fighting by either attacking them or looking at them directly in the eyes. Running around another of the shadowy creatures, Gameknight999 and Crafter both knew this well and were careful to look away and not touch the monsters, the nightmares.

  The sounds of pursuit were strong behind them, the yelping of their wolves sounding loud at their backs as the mobs fell on their furry protectors. The clicking of spiders and moans of zombies started to get louder until it filled the air as their numbers increased, the rattling of skeleton bones and chuckling endermen adding to the cacophony. The growls of the wolves gradually changed from one of attack, to one of defense—terrified defense—their yelping and howling accentuating the pain they were likely feeling.

  “I hope they just run away,” Gameknight said aloud to his friend, their cries of pain filling him with more guilt.

  “They won’t, unless they get hungry,” Crafter answered.

  More yelps and canine cries, then nothing more from the wolves, just the sounds of monsters; they were alone. Sprinting again, they finally reached the top of the last hill, the rocky mountain standing before them. Stopping for an instant to catch their breath, they looked back toward the forest and were terrified by what they saw. Hundreds, no, maybe a thousand monsters were closing in on their position, the angry faces of zombies, skeletons, spiders, slimes, and creepers visible through the tree branches with
the occasional enderman just standing . . . watching . . . waiting. It looked like the flow of a massive river, the creatures weaving around tree trunks and over small hills, all focused on their position, on Gameknight999. He could feel their anger, their rage, their desire to kill any and all creatures they encountered.

  Gameknight shuddered and shook with fear.

  “Come on, we have to get off this hill before we’re surrounded,” Crafter said, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward.

  Gameknight started to run, then sprinted down the hill toward their goal, though he wasn’t sure exactly where they were heading. Suddenly, a torch flared to life at the base of the mountain, a sign just barely visible under the glowing circle of light, a steel door under the sign shining bright.

  “There, you see it?” Gameknight yelled, the sounds of pursuit getting louder.

  Crafter nodded.

  The moaning of zombies and the agitated clicking of spiders started to surround them from three sides, the mass of bloodthirsty creatures slowly closing in. Looking over his shoulder, Gameknight could see the wave of monsters cresting the hill, the black eyes of the zombies seeming to glow with hunger, the red eyes of the spiders doing the same. They were all focused on Gameknight999. Some of the zombies tumbled down the hill in their haste as they spilled over the summit to reach the User-that-is-not-a-user, while the spiders climbed over the green bodies without a thought, their hatred focused on their target.

  Shivering with fear, Gameknight pushed on, focused on the torch and doors, salvation waiting for them. As they ran, they could see arrows flying overhead landing in the ground near their path; skeletons firing at them.

  “Weave around,” Gameknight said, “run a zigzag pattern.”

  The two ran to the left and right, making them harder to hit. Arrows flew in all directions, but most stuck to the ground near their feet, the occasional barbed point slightly nicking an arm or a shoulder. Running zigzag kept the arrows at bay, but allowed the other monsters to catch up a little, slowly closing the distance as their hungry growls got louder. Would they make it in time? Off to the left, Game-knight could see a cluster of spiders closing in on them—no, not spiders, cave spiders . . . oh no. Milk, they didn’t have any milk. How could they fight cave spiders? Their poison would certainly get them, and milk was the only antidote. Another cluster of cave spiders appeared to the right, farther away than the first, but still effectively boxing them in.

  The torch was getting closer; they had to make it. Sprinting as fast as they could, the two friends crossed the last bit of ground as deadly iron-tipped rain sprinkled down on them from the skeletons, the growling sound of monsters at their backs getting louder, angrier.

  The duo finally reached the iron doors only to find no switch or button, no pressure plate or means of opening their escape route; they were trapped. Turning to look at the sign, Gameknight saw what was written in large, capital letters: THE ALAMO. It was a joke from Shawny, referencing the last stand of the Texan army facing off against the Mexican army, the famous battle now being relived here in Minecraft. Unfortunately, they were playing the part of the Texans, and that historic battle didn’t end very well for the defenders.

  Crafter banged on the iron door with his fist, yelling to be let in. As he yelled, Gameknight turned and faced their pursuers. The monsters had stopped running and were slowly approaching, apparently wanting to revel in the moment of destroying the last user in this world. Gameknight could see endermen standing at the back, just watching; a cloud of purple dust formed a colored haze around the dark creatures. Then a new enderman appeared amidst the mob, this one a little taller than the rest, colored a dark crimson instead of the characteristic black; it was Erebus, his eyes blazing. Gameknight could hear Erebus chuckle in the distance, then his maniacal voice rose above the din of the mobs, uttering a single word, the word all the monsters had waited to hear.

  “ATTACK!”

  The monsters charged forward, a thirst for death filling their eyes, and all Crafter and Gameknight999 could do was draw their swords and wait.

  CHAPTER 14

  THE BAIT

  S

  uddenly, the iron door opened and a familiar face appeared, peeking out and smiling a mischievous grin. It was Shawny.

  “Hi, there,” he said playfully. “You wanna come in or what?”

  “Shawny!” Gameknight yelled, then grabbed Crafter and pulled him inside, the iron door slamming shut behind them.

  This triggered a burst of activity outside, moans and growls of frustration and hatred. Pounding instantly commenced as the zombies reached the door, their blunt fists trying to smash in the iron barrier.

  “Where have you been?” Gameknight asked as he backed away from the door, moving farther into the tunnel.

  “I’ve been here,” Shawny answered. “Just waiting until you had the monsters all riled up. We need them nice and angry for this thing to work.”

  “Is everything prepared?” Crafter panted as he tried to catch his breath, sweat beaded on his face.

  “Of course,” Shawny replied. “But it wasn’t easy getting some of the users to help. You’ve pissed off a lot of people, Gameknight. You don’t have a lot of fans.”

  Gameknight looked to the ground, ashamed of his behavior for maybe the first time in his life. Looking up at his friend, maybe his only friend, he was grateful that he was here. Glancing up at the ceiling, Gameknight noticed the shining silvery thread that stretched up from Shawny’s head through the rocky ceiling, connecting him to the server, his name floating overhead suspended on nothing but glowing bright in the dimly lit tunnel.

  “I know,” he said solemnly. “I wasn’t very nice to other people.”

  “Not very nice?” Shawny said, laughing. “You were a complete jerk.”

  “Yeah, I know. I was disrespectful and offensive and hurt other people for my own enjoyment. I was out for myself and only myself.” He sighed. “It’s a wonder anyone would even come to help me after the way I treated everyone . . . even you, Shawny. Thank you.”

  Shawny looked at Gameknight with a curious look.

  “I never thought I’d see the day,” Shawny said, a smile growing on his face.

  “What?” Gameknight asked.

  “You saying thank you,” his friend replied.

  Gameknight patted his friend on the back, but was quickly brought back to reality as the sound of endermen at the door echoed through the passage.

  “Come on,” Shawny said. “We need to get to the cavern before they break through. The endermen will quickly take away the blocks of dirt around the doors, and then they’ll be in.”

  Shawny led the pair deeper into the passageway, torches placed sparingly in the walls to provide some light. It slowly led downhill, deeper underground, curving this way and that, the tunnel cooling as it descended. At times it was two to three blocks wide, at other places only a single block, forcing the group to follow single file.

  “You need to know something,” Shawny said in an unusually serious tone as they ran through the tunnel. “Something is wrong with Minecraft.”

  “What do you mean?” Gameknight asked.

  “Respawning is messed up somehow.”

  “Respawning?”

  “When we die, we don’t respawn,” Shawny explained. “We just get kicked off the server and can’t reconnect, like we’ve been cut off or banned, but not just on this server, on all servers. Our Minecraft gets corrupted, somehow and won’t connect. All the other users on the Internet are talking about it.”

  “Does the screen mention the ban hammer?” Gameknight asked.

  “No, we just can’t connect to anything. The servers show in our server list, but we can’t get to any of them. All of these users here know this; if they die here, they won’t ever be able to get back into Minecraft. If we all die, then you’ll be on your own.”

  “That’s encouraging,” Gameknight said sarcastically as they moved quickly through the tunnels.

  “It’s the
war,” Crafter interjected, as they moved through the tunnels, the sounds of monsters in the distance adding more haste to the journey. “The mobs have taken enough XP to destabilize this world, changing the mechanisms that control this server. They’re getting ready to move up to the next server plane, closer to the Source. They need this battle to destroy this server and move up to the next level.”

  “What happens if you die?” Shawny asked his friend, concern in his voice.

  “I don’t know, but it hurts . . .” Gameknight paused for a moment as the memories from that first spider flooded his mind. “It hurts to get hit by the mobs, hurts like it’s for real. I don’t think I want to know what it feels like to die; it’s likely unpleasant, to say the least. I’m not sure what will happen. Maybe I’ll respawn or maybe I’ll get kicked from the game and end up back in my basement, or . . .”

  “Or what?” Shawny asked in a quiet voice, almost a whisper. The shuffle of their feet filled the tunnel with hushed echoes.

  “Or maybe I just die . . . you know . . . for real.”

  Just then, the narrow tunnel ended, opening up to a massive cavern filled with lava, an island of stone and sand in the center surrounded by a sea of burning rock. A sulfurous smell filled the chamber, instantly assaulting the senses while the blast of heat from the molten rock hammered the trio in the face, making them take a step back. The size of the place filled Gameknight with awe. The massive island at the center would likely be able to hold a thousand people, but more impressive was the incredible volume of lava, the lake stretching out deep into the recesses of the cavern, at places flowing out of sight. Roughly hewn walls and ceiling surrounded the lava lake. Clearly mined by the users with their pickaxes, the gigantic chamber had been carved out of the flesh of Minecraft just for this battle. Tunnels could be seen at the back of the cavern, each carved by an army of users, the passages lit with torches. Where they led Gameknight wasn’t sure, but for some reason he felt reassured that they were there.