“This is a really nice place you have here, Gameknight,” Hunter said with a strained smile. “What’s with the windows in the corners?”
Gameknight looked at the corners of the portal room. The bricks were missing, and through the holes he could see the Void on the other side. The Void was the space that filled the End, and was the barrier that surrounded Minecraft. Nothing survived the Void; it was instant death.
“It’s safe to say we aren’t tunneling out of here like we did the dungeons,” Hunter added.
Gameknight nodded his head in agreement.
“So when we destroy Entity303 and want to leave this horrible place, we need to use this portal?” she asked.
Gameknight nodded again.
“But there’s one of those Guardian things waiting for us on the other side.”
The User-that-is-not-a-user sighed and nodded.
“This is great!” Hunter exclaimed sarcastically.
Stitcher didn’t even try to punch her sister in the arm; she was too afraid to move.
Gameknight walked to the doorway in front of them. Before him stretched a long gray passage whose end was not visible. In multiple places, it branched off, the side corridors going who knew where. Each passage appeared the same, with the occasional pale-yellow block glowing on the wall or ceiling, casting just enough light to see. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, which meant that there were spiders in the tunnels.
Hunter moved to his side, then notched an arrow and pointed it down the passage.
“There aren’t any monsters here … yet,” Gameknight said, his voice almost a whisper.
She nodded then glanced at her sister. They took up defensive positions near the wall.
“Herder, see if your wolves can pick up Entity303’s scent,” Gameknight said.
The pack leader seemed to understand and lowered his nose to the ancient stone floor. He sniffed around, careful to stay away from the portal. Moving to the tunnel entrance, the animal sniffed some more, then began to whimper, his tail falling between his legs. Herder reached out and patted the animal on the side, then whispered something in their ear. The wolf stood tall, wagging his tail, looking affectionately at the boy.
Herder turned to Gameknight999 and shook his head. “They can’t find a scent.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Hunter said. “We’ll just search the passages until we find him.”
“You don’t understand,” Gameknight said. “The Outer Lands is like a maze. We could get lost in here and lose track of the portal, and be stuck in here for the rest of our lives.”
“Hmmm … if the enemy is not found soon, then the length of our lives will not be important,” Forpech said.
“Agreed, yes, yes,” Empech added.
“Then if we are going to …” Gameknight began to speak, but stopped when a strange little creature emerged from the portal. It was similar to a rabbit, but was flatter and smaller.
Forpech reached down and patted its soft head, but the creature did not respond. “It’s a grappy, from Fronos.”
The creature hopped away from the portal and into the passage. It moved to the nearest intersection and turned right. Then a purple berry creature with short stick-like legs and large white eyes shuffled out of the portal and followed the grappy, as if drawn by some external force.
“They can sense the power Entity303 brings to this place,” Trupech said in a rapid fire string of staccato words. A light green kiwi jumped out of the portal and followed the other creatures.
“I guess this makes the maze a little easier to solve,” Hunter said. “I say we follow them.”
“Okay,” Gameknight adjusted his Ichorium chest plate. “Everyone stay close and watch out for—”
“Look out!” Stitcher shouted.
A dark, crab-like creature suddenly scuttled across the ground toward them, its single eyeball staring at them hungrily. The monster snapped its two huge claws together, the razor-sharp edges making a clanking sound like a blacksmith’s hammer striking an anvil.
Stitcher fired an arrow at the creature, causing the crab to squeal with a strange sort of ghostly voice. She fired again, as did her sister, their arrows lighting the monster on fire. It flashed red multiple times, then flopped over on its side and disappeared.
“What was that?!” Hunter exclaimed.
“Eldritch crab,” Gameknight raised a finger to his lips. “Shhh, keep your voice down.”
She was shaking. “Keep your voice down … are you kidding? That was a one-eyed crab with massive claws. It wanted to eat us.”
Gameknight put a calming hand on her shoulder. “Welcome to the Outer Lands.”
He glanced around the room at all his friends. Terror was visible on all their faces, except for the pechs. For some reason, they seemed calm, as if they knew some secret and their faith in the User-that-is-not-a-user was unshakable.
“The portal leads back to Fronos and can be used at any time. Eldritch Guardians are weaker when they aren’t in the Outer Lands, so you’ll have a better chance of survival if you go back.” He sighed and took a tentative step into the passage. “I’m going after Entity303, by myself if necessary. I have to get Weaver back into the past so that this timeline can be repaired and all of this madness can be stopped. I’m not gonna rest until everything is fixed.”
Gameknight adjusted his armor, making the orange plates hang a little more comfortably on his blocky frame, then moved off down the corridor. At the intersection, he peeked quickly around the corner, then turned to the right and followed the strange fruit creatures from Fronos. The walls of the passage were cold and lifeless and ancient. Their colorless appearance made the User-that-is-not-a-user feel empty and alone. But as he walked, the sound of boots clicking on the stone floor echoed off the walls. Glancing over his shoulders, Gameknight saw his friends following, all of them. Breathing a sigh of relief, he continued, moving deeper into the Outer Lands, a smile on his face.
I only hope I’m worthy of the sacrifice many of them are about to make, Gameknight999 thought.
Just then, faint musical tones echoed in the back of his mind. They were just whispers at first, but they slowly grew in volume. Like an ocean wave, they grew stronger and stronger until the lyrical notes crashed down upon him, washing away his fear and uncertainty. But, like all waves, it then receded again, leaving his mind in silence.
Have faith in your friends, child, a scratchy old voice said in his head.
Gameknight turned to see if anyone else had heard it, but all of his friends looked at him as if he were a little crazy.
“Any of you hear that?” he asked.
They shook their heads, confused.
Gameknight shrugged, then smiled.
I know it’s you, he thought. I’ve missed you.
There was no reply, but somehow, Gameknight could imagine her smiling. With a strong grip on his two Ichorium swords, he moved down the dull, gray passage, heading deeper into the Outer Lands, and closer to his enemy, Entity303.
CHAPTER 31
RUNED TABLET
They ran through the gray passages, the occasional glowing tile spilling light onto the walls and floors and providing just enough illumination to see. There were clusters of white crystals hanging from the ceilings, and strange rune-covered blocks occasionally dotting the walls. These features seemed distributed randomly throughout the Outer Lands, but could be found in every passage, making every tunnel appear identical. That was what made this maze was so dangerous; people often entered but never found the exit.
“What’s that?” Weaver asked.
Ahead was something like an ant hill in the middle of the floor, a puff of steam floating up from the dark opening at its peak.
“I don’t remember,” Gameknight said. “But I don’t think it’s good.”
Suddenly, an Eldritch Crab spawned on the mound. The dark creature’s purple shell blended in with the shadows, but its single, oversized eyeball glowed bright. It scanned the passage, glancing to the left and
right, then focused its hateful orb onto Weaver. It charged, snapping its gigantic claws together like deadly castanets. The terrifying monster jumped up into the air and landed on the young boy’s head, wrapping its spindly legs around his helmet. An eerie screeching sound came from the dark creature as its claws bit into his Ichorium helmet.
“Get it off … get it off!” Weaver screamed.
The sharp claws scratched and scraped against the metallic coating as the crab tried to reach the soft flesh that hid beneath the boy’s helmet. Weaver dropped his sword and reached up, frantically scratching at it with his fingers, but it had no effect.
Gameknight pulled a shovel out of his inventory. He moved close and struck at the creature, not trying to hurt it. Instead, Gameknight was just hoping to knock it off his friend’s head. A solid hit landed right on the creature’s eye. The crab staggered for a moment, then slackened its grip with its eight pointed legs for just an instant. Striking it again, the User-that-is-not-a-user knocked the crab to the ground. Before Gameknight could drop the shovel and use his sword, Digger was there with his glowing pickaxe. He hit the creature hard. The tip of his orange Ichorium pick tore through the shell and stuck into the gray stone floor, pinning the crab in place. Crafter then struck it over and over again until it disappeared with a pop.
Leaving the pickaxe embedded in the ground, Digger moved to the crusted mound and smashed it with his second pick until it shattered, leaving behind a hole that opened to the void. The stocky NPC used a block of cobblestone to seal the hole, then retrieved his pickaxe.
“I guess we know what those do now,” Hunter said.
A squeaking sound from behind made everyone turn with weapons ready. Shuffling across the floor was a kiwi-fruit creature. It scurried past the group of companions, then turned left at the next intersection.
“You see its eyes?” Stitcher said. “It seemed as if that fruit-thing was dazed and in some kind of trance.”
“It is the power Entity303 brings to this place,” Trupech said, his words coming in short, quick bursts. “It blinds the weaker creatures.”
“The enemy is planting something in this dimension, yes, yes, to start the tear in the fabric of Minecraft,” Empech said. “Its power grows, Empech can feel it. Soon, it will begin to affect us all. We must hurry.”
“Agreed,” Crafter added. “I can start to hear a faint whispering sound in the back of my head. It makes me kind of … sleepy.”
“Yeah … I hear it too,” Herder added.
“Empech’s right,” Gameknight said. “We need to hurry. Let’s follow that kiwi and see where it leads us.”
They ran through the passages, dodging lightning traps and invisible spiders. Crimson knights in red armor and flowing robes attacked, but were vastly outnumbered by the group … for now. Continuing to follow the kiwi, they turned this way and that until the fruit finally led them to a narrow passage. This corridor headed straight into a room filled with ancient pedestals positioned around the chamber, clay vases lining the walls. In the center of the room, a column of ancient stone stood higher than the rest. On it sat a stone tablet covered with runes. It was shaped like a rectangle, with sharp corners along the bottom but the top corners shaved off, creating a smooth curve. The magical piece of stone gave off a pale glow, as if lit by enchantments held within.
Gameknight stopped at the edge of the room and peered inside. He could see the kiwi-creature leaving the chamber through a tunnel at the back of the room. It seemed unharmed after passing through the room, but Gameknight999 had heard of many traps in the Outer Lands; he wanted to be careful.
“What is that?” Digger asked, pointing to the glowing sheet of stone.
Gameknight pulled out the steeleaf shield and held it in his left hand, a glowing Ichorium blade in his right. “That’s a Runed Tablet. We’ll need that to unlock the boss chamber. That’s probably where Entity303 is setting up his … whatever he’s doing.”
“Then let’s just get it,” Hunter said as she stepped into the room.
“NO!” Gameknight yelled, but it was too late.
Instantly, an Eldritch Guardian appeared. Black smoke billowed out from beneath the creature’s robes, obscuring the floor. The monster’s body was no longer transparent, but was now solid and dark as coal. A gray haze crept across the passage and chamber, the wither effect again making Gameknight999 feel numb all over, narrowing his vision. He shivered as needles of fear jabbed at him from all over.
The monster fired a ball of black magic at Hunter, striking her in the shoulder and knocking her to her knees. She tried to stand, but the weakness enchantment tore into her strength.
“Come on,” Gameknight shouted and charged forward. “FOR MINECRAFT!”
The Eldritch turned and fired a ball of smoky magic at the User-that-is-not-a-user’s chest. From pure instinct, he batted at the smoking sphere, knocking it away, then sprinted forward, closing in on the terrifying creature. His blade struck the dark monster’s chest plate, making a loud clanking sound. But this time, with the new weapons, he felt the creature’s protective coating give a bit. Gameknight moved to the side and noticed a pronounced dent in the monster’s armor.
Just then, a group of helmeted guards, called Shambling Husks, entered the room from the opposite side. Each wore a heavy gray cloak with a wide leather belt over enchanted chain mail. Atop their heads, the Husks wore a square helmet with a narrow opening across the front for their eyes. They jingled as they charged into the chamber, their chain mail sounding like deadly wind chimes. It didn’t seem that the monsters had any weapons, but Gameknight knew these creatures were dangerous.
Gameknight slowly advanced on the monster, his shield held high. “I’ll take care of the Eldritch Guardian. The rest of you, take care of the other monsters.”
A wave of white dashed through the room as Herder sent his wolves into battle, the rest of the companions following close behind. Crafter and Weaver ran forward and attacked one of the Shambling Husks together while the wolves were confusing the others. Hunter and Stitcher stood on either side of the entrance and fired their arrows at the creatures, quickly lighting the helmeted monsters on fire. They flashed red and took damage, but the flames quickly faded; it was as if the fire was afraid to touch the terrifying monsters.
Gameknight glanced at the entrance. He found the pechs set up in a defensive formation across the tunnel in case any creatures attacked from behind. But Digger seemed lost. The stocky NPC stood near the entrance with his pickaxes in his hands, but was unable to join the fray. He shook with fright, his normally bright, green eyes dulled with fear.
“Okay, Eldritch, it’s just you and me,” Gameknight said as he turned to face his adversary.
The monster hissed, a cloud of dark steam coming from the creature’s helmet. The black mist smelled of rotten meat and decaying flesh, making the User-that-is-not-a-user momentarily gag. The Guardian gave off a loud screech that made Gameknight’s ears ring, then fired a shaft of dark magic. It was like dark water from an evil fire hose. It shot straight out from the center of the monster’s chest and hit Gameknight with the force of a giant’s hammer, pushing him back a step or two. Bringing his shield forward, he deflected the beam as best he could, then advanced and swung his glowing Ichorium sword. It landed squarely on the monster’s shoulder, tearing into the shadowy armor and cutting deep. The Eldritch Guardian groaned, then threw a fist at Gameknight’s head. He ducked and slashed at the monster’s mid-section. A satisfying clank resounded as his blade crashed into the monster.
On the other side of the room, Hunter and Stitcher were firing on crabs that had appeared, while the others battled the remaining Husks.
Duck, a scratchy, grandmotherly voice said in the back of his mind.
Gameknight crouched and rolled to the left just as a ball of dark magic streaked overhead. He stood and brought his sword down upon the monster, then dropped his shield and pulled out his second Ichorium blade.
The Eldritch Guardian saw the sec
ond weapon and tried to back up, but suddenly a group of wolves fell on it from behind, biting at its smoky form. It flashed red as the monster turned and tried to attack the animals. Gameknight leapt high into the air and brought both blades down on the creature. It screeched again, then tried to turn and face him, but arrows from Hunter and Stitcher rained down upon the dark monster. Gameknight swung both swords, hitting the monster hard in the side, his blades slicing through the enchanted armor. The Guardian wailed in pain, then fell to the side, and shook violently. Finally, with one last, hollow wail, the monster disappeared.
Gameknight readied himself for attacks from the other monsters, but they were all gone. Before any more creatures could appear, Trupech moved to the ancient stone pedestal. Reaching up, he grabbed the glowing slate and stuffed it into his backpack.
“Come on, we need to finish this!” Gameknight shouted. “Follow me.”
He ran through the chamber, taking the passage he’d seen the kiwi go down. It led through more tunnels, many of them booby-trapped with crab spawners that Digger quickly destroyed. Ahead, they could see the kiwi scurrying along until it turned right at another intersection, and then it just stopped. Gameknight reached the passage and was shocked at what he saw.
Before him were hundreds of the fruit and candy creatures from Fronos. They stood crowded together in a narrow passage, the end blocked by what looked like a door with a set of stout braces crossing its entrance.
Gameknight carefully pushed through the crowd, trying to get up to the barricade. When he drew near, he had a better view of the barrier. It was a huge door preventing access to some sort of chamber, two strong bars of metal extending across it in the shape of a “+”. Behind the bars, the strange emptiness of the Void sparkled, the shimmering points of light shifting as Gameknight moved his head. If anyone tried to climb past those braces, they’d be instantly destroyed by the Void.
At the center of the crossed bars, a small recession shaped like a rectangle with a curved top was visible. Gameknight was sure the braces were some kind of a lock, and that the recession was a keyhole.
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