“Where?” asked Robin.
“I know there are some in a Nether fortress,” Lily replied.
“How do you know this?” questioned Michael.
“I saw them,” she said, “and I’d get them for you but I have to get off the server now.” With that comment, Lily disappeared.
“The command blocks are in the Nether,” Michael moaned.
“That’s good, we need to go there. We are in desperate need of supplies for brewing potions. If we can do a quick trip to the Nether, we can get everything we need and head back to Lisimi Village and prepare to make our way back to the real world,” said Mr. Anarchy.
“I wish I could see things the way you do,” Robin sighed. “I really hate the Nether. It’s creepy and way too challenging.”
“Nobody likes the Nether,” explained Mr. Anarchy, “but we must make this one trip in order to save everyone and ourselves.”
“Okay, I’m in.” Robin took a deep breath as she placed obsidian down on the snowy ground. “I don’t have enough to craft a portal,” she stated. Robin searched through the inventory hoping she’d find more obsidian, but there simply wasn’t any more.
Michael called out, “I’m out of obsidian.”
Simon also didn’t have any obsidian. “What about you, Mr. Anarchy?”
“I don’t have any either.” Mr. Anarchy was upset. “What are we going to do? We have to get to the Nether.”
Pablo appeared and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“We aren’t telling you.” Robin leaped at Pablo with her diamond sword, but knew it was pointless to battle him.
“I don’t understand why you think I’m a bad guy,” Pablo said. “I’m not. I’m here to help.”
Robin shouted at Pablo, but everyone told her to calm down.
Mr. Anarchy knew Pablo might have obsidian on him, but he didn’t want Pablo knowing their plans. He had a serious internal debate, weighing the pros and cons of admitting that they were traveling to the Nether. If Pablo were intent on destroying them, thought Mr. Anarchy, he would destroy them no matter what. Mr. Anarchy then reasoned that Pablo could see the portion of the Nether portal that lay on the icy ground, so there was no use hiding their trip to the Nether. Mr. Anarchy decided to ask their potential enemy for help. “Do you have obsidian?”
“Yes, I do,” Pablo replied as he placed his obsidian next to the other blocks on the ground, making a rectangular shape. He ignited the portal for the group. The gang hopped on the portal. As purple mist surrounded them, they watched Pablo laugh and disappear.
13
NEVER IN THE NETHER
“Where did Pablo go?” Robin questioned, “and what is he planning for us?”
“We can’t worry about that.” Mr. Anarchy pointed at a group of white ghasts that darted across the sky toward them. “We have to destroy these ghasts.”
Robin looked up as the ghasts unleashed high-pitched sounds and shot fireballs. Robin used her fist to deflect one fireball, striking the ghast and destroying it. She was confident that she would win this battle. However, when she was struck by a fireball and lost a heart, she was humbled and quickly called for help.
Michael, Simon, and Mr. Anarchy used a combination of snowballs, arrows, and their fists to help Robin destroy the white flying fiery mobs.
When the last ghast was destroyed, Robin gathered the ghast tears that had dropped. “Ghast tears are very valuable. We can use these to brew potions of regeneration.”
“And other potions, too,” Simon reminded her.
Michael called out as he spotted a Nether fortress in the distance. “We have to travel to that fortress.”
The gang dashed past a couple of zombie pigmen and avoided making eye contact with them, as they navigated their way toward the luminous Nether fortress.
A group of blazes guarded the fortress, and the gang shot arrows at the flying mob until they were destroyed, but one of the blaze fireballs hit Mr. Anarchy, leaving his health bar dangerously low.
Robin handed him milk, and he took a quick sip, eyeing the sky for other powerful mobs that had the potential to destroy him.
Robin was the first to enter the fortress after she gathered netherrack from the side of the stairs. The others joined her and picked the remaining netherrack. Simon stopped and pulled his diamond sword from his inventory. Suddenly, he heard a noise. “Does anyone hear that bouncing sound?”
“Magma cubes!” Robin called out.
Simon leaped at the cubes, slicing one in half, while Robin clobbered the halved cube alongside Simon.
More cubes bounced toward them and the gang stabbed them with their swords. Robin called out in pain as she felt a sword slam into her back. She turned around and gasped as two wither skeletons lunged at her. Robin was sandwiched between the magma cubes and the wither skeletons. She didn’t have any potions in her inventory and barely enough milk to make a proper recovery. She tried to fight back, as her friends came to her aid, but it was too late; Robin was destroyed. She respawned in her bed in the jungle and looked at the other bed for Mr. Anarchy. She wanted to TP back to the Nether, but she really didn’t want to go there, and in any case, TPing to the Nether was impossible.
Mr. Anarchy spawned in the bed next to her.
“Mr. Anarchy!” she called out. “You’re back!”
“Yes,” he spoke quickly. “We have to TP to Lisimi Village. I have the command blocks and we must get everyone off this server as soon as possible. I think Pablo is ready to destroy it.”
Robin didn’t ask questions; she followed Mr. Anarchy back to Lisimi Village and gathered the townspeople.
“Everyone! Meet in the center of town! We’re going home!” Robin exclaimed.
Michael and Simon stood outside Mr. Anarchy’s lab and asked each person to write their name on a slip of paper.
Juan rushed over and gave a thumbs up, “You guys are back! I’m so happy to see you and to be able to say good-bye.”
A townsperson cried out in alarm, “A skeleton!”
Robin looked up at the sky. Night was approaching and it was dark enough for skeletons to spawn. She announced, “We will leave first thing in the morning. It’s too dangerous to leave now.”
Mr. Anarchy bolted from his lab. “Who gave you the power to make that decision?” he shouted at Robin.
At that moment, the townspeople fled to their houses as an army of skeletons invaded Lisimi Village.
Robin pointed to the endless sea of skeletons and replied, “They did.”
Michael cried, “We have to brew those potions.”
“This isn’t the best time for making potions,” Simon retorted as he battled three skeletons.
Lily reappeared, to their relief, and doused all of the skeletons with potions, weakening the entire army.
Everyone slammed their swords and arrows into the bony beasts until the final skeleton was destroyed.
“Can we wait until morning? Or do we have to leave now?” Mr. Anarchy looked at Lily. He needed answers.
“You can wait until morning, but you must get out of here the minute the sun rises,” she warned them.
“We will,” Mr. Anarchy promised. Lily vanished.
The names of the townspeople littered the ground. Everyone headed back to their home, wondering who would be the first to be chosen in the morning.
14
GOOD-BYE AND GOOD LUCK
The sun had just come up and already a crowd had gathered in front of Mr. Anarchy’s lab. Everyone couldn’t wait to leave the server. Michael checked with Mr. Anarchy and asked if he should pick the first name.
“Yes,” Mr. Anarchy called out from his lab. “I will summon the first lightning bolt.”
The assembled villagers were chatting and everyone could feel the excitement emanating from the incredibly energetic crowd.
Michael announced, “We are picking the first person now.” He leaned down and picked up a slip of paper.
“Cassie,” he called out.
A wo
man with red hair in ponytails squealed with happiness. “That’s me! I’m here!”
The sky grew cloudy as a lightning bolt flashed through the sky and Cassie disappeared.
“It worked!” Michael exclaimed.
“Pick another name,” people shouted from the crowd.
Juan, Emily, and Fred rushed over to watch each villager get zapped back to the real world. Juan said, “I can’t believe this day is finally here. I’m so happy for all of you. I hope you come back on this server as a player.”
Everyone promised they’d return. Michael picked another name from the ground and read it aloud: “Paul.”
A man in a black suit stepped out from the crowd and shouted, “I’m ready!”
The second lightning bolt struck Paul, transporting him back to the real world.
Michael picked up another piece of paper and read it out loud, “Robin.”
Robin was conflicted. She didn’t want to leave her friends behind and felt it was her responsibility to see all the townspeople escape from the server. “Maybe I should put my name back on the ground,” she suggested.
“Nonsense,” Michael stated. He assured his friend she should seize this opportunity and leave the server.
Robin was about to decide when she heard a deafening roar and looked up at the sky.
“The Ender Dragon!” she cried.
“Get the snowballs!” Michael grabbed a couple from his inventory and pounded them against the dragon’s side.
Simon and Robin aimed their snowballs at the powerful dragon. The townspeople helped battle the dragon. Everyone wanted this beast to be annihilated so they could leave the server fast.
Robin threw a snowball at the Ender Dragon. The icy ball hit the dragon’s face, infuriating the lethal beast. Its red eyes stared intently at Robin as its muscular body flew toward her. Robin tried to duck, but she couldn’t hide from the dragon. With no potions in her inventory and grasping just a snowball, she was powerless. The beast sped up as it lunged at her. She lost a heart. Robin tried to escape and dodge away from the dragon, but she was trapped. There was no escape. The dragon repeatedly swung at her until she was destroyed. Robin respawned in the cottage, and left her house ready to battle this tricky troublemaker. Snowballs shot through the air, but the dragon wasn’t weakening.
Robin charged straight at the dragon because she wanted to be the one who annihilated the beast. She grabbed a snowball, but as she aimed at the Ender Dragon, it locked eyes with her and flew at her. She fell back and was destroyed again, and respawned in her bed.
Simon and Michael called out to Robin, as they continued to deplete their inventories of snowballs in the battle against this incredibly strong dragon.
“I’ve never encountered a dragon quite this powerful before,” Michael stated breathlessly.
“Me neither,” Simon agreed.
Mr. Anarchy used his last snowball. “I can’t believe I’ve gone through my entire inventory.”
“I only have a couple of snowballs left,” Michael said. He was worried.
Robin hurried to rejoin her friends and threw a snowball at the dragon. Again, the cold ball hit the dragon’s face and it roared in anger.
“It looks like that snowball actually made a dent in the dragon’s health bar,” Simon said. “We just need to hit it a few more times and we should be able to destroy it.”
Robin quickly grabbed an armload of snowballs and heaved them at the dragon. She held one in each fist and aimed carefully.
Light emanated from the dragon’s belly as the beast dropped an egg. Just as Robin reached over to grab the egg, Michael screamed, “Watch out!”
Robin had fallen into the portal to the End and disappeared.
15
IT CAN’T BE THE END
Mr. Anarchy gasped, “We have to go after her!”
Michael, Simon, and Mr. Anarchy jumped into the portal before it faded.
“Robin!” Michael called out as he stood on a pillar in the dark and creepy End. A cluster of block-carrying Endermen marched in the distance.
The trio knew it was important to avoid making eye contact with any Enderman. An attack from an Enderman, with the Ender Dragon looming above them, would prove fatal.
“Watch out!” Simon warned the others. The Ender Dragon eyed the gang. The flying beast was extremely powerful in the End because it could replenish its health bar with Ender crystals, unlike in the Overworld, where the beast was a lot easier to defeat.
The dragon peered at the gang with its menacing red eyes. Simon grabbed a snowball and aimed for the Ender Dragon. The snowball landed on the dragon’s side and its health bar diminished.
Roar!
The Ender Dragon leaped swiftly at the gang, focusing on Michael, who thought he was safely hidden behind a pillar.
Simon slammed his sword into the dragon and it plowed into Michael. As Simon struck the beast a second time, it unleashed another sonic roar and attacked him, too. Simon lost two hearts but was able to stab the dragon a few more times, weakening the beast.
Roar!
The infuriated dragon flew toward the Ender crystals, but Mr. Anarchy’s arrow was aimed at the crystals and he struck and destroyed them right before the dragon had a chance to eat the energizing crystals.
“Help!” a voice cried out.
As Michael sipped milk, he heard Robin’s cries. He looked around for her, but couldn’t find her. The End was very dark and it was hard to see anything. The Endermen were still walking on the dimly lit floating island, and Michael feared making eye contact with the lanky mob. Endermites crawled on the ground next to the Endermen, and Michael knew he’d have to overcome numerous obstacles searching for Robin, but he had to do it.
“Help,” the voice called out again.
Michael turned around, but he didn’t see the Ender Dragon swoop down at him, knocking his energy bar. He barely had enough strength to grab a sword from his inventory. Michael tried to strike the Ender Dragon, but he was destroyed first.
Meanwhile, Simon and Mr. Anarchy were too busy destroying the Ender crystals and battling with the dragon to hear Robin’s cries.
“We just have to destroy the Ender crystals,” Simon called to his friend who was slamming snowballs into the powerful dragon.
Mr. Anarchy heard a faint cry in the distance. “I think I hear Robin now,” he told Simon, but Simon paid no attention.
Simon concentrated hard as he shot an arrow at the last remaining Ender crystal. “Got it!” he shouted.
Simon rushed over to Mr. Anarchy carrying a handful of snowballs and began throwing them at the dragon.
Mr. Anarchy exclaimed, “I hear Robin. She is crying for help.”
“We can’t find her until we destroy the dragon,” Simon reminded him as they continued to pound the dragon with icy cold snowballs.
The dragon was growing weaker and angrier. It let out a deafening roar, drawing the attention of the cluster of Endermen walking on the floating island. One of the Endermen locked eyes with Simon. It shrieked and teleported to Simon. With a snowball in one hand and his diamond sword in the other, Simon skillfully annihilated the Enderman and was even able to strike the Ender Dragon.
“Help!” the voice called out again. This time it was louder.
“Robin,” Mr. Anarchy yelled, “we’re over here. We’re battling the Ender Dragon.”
Simon let out a sigh of relief when the other Endermen didn’t seem to notice him. He grabbed another snowball from his inventory and when he went to get another, he noticed there were only two more snowballs remaining. “I’m running low.”
“Me too,” Mr. Anarchy said nervously.
“Help,” Robin cried.
Mr. Anarchy called out again, “Over here! Robin!”
Robin was battling Endermen and Endermites. She repeatedly slammed her sword into the Endermen and the Endermites, but the battle was quickly depleting her energy supply. She could see her two friends in the distance and yearned to make her way back to them,
but it seemed impossible. She felt guilty, as if this was all her fault because she had carelessly fallen into the End portal. With a couple of hearts left in her energy bar, Robin mustered up the strength to strike an Enderman until he was destroyed.
“I can help you,” a voice called out.
Robin shrieked when she saw Pablo standing in front of her. “Leave me alone. You’ve caused so much damage. We would have been home by now if it were not for you.”
“I can’t use the computer for very long. I’m being punished,” Pablo confessed.
“So you’re bad in the real world, too? That’s not a surprise,” Robin was annoyed. She didn’t want to talk to Pablo; she wanted to focus on defeating the Endermen and Endermites and helping her friends defeat the Ender Dragon.
“I did get in a lot of trouble at home. Also, Lily won’t communicate with me on email, text, or chat. I feel awful. I just want you to know that I’m gone. I’m banned from the computer for a week. I shouldn’t even be on here now, but I felt badly for what I did—” Pablo didn’t finish his sentence. He simply disappeared.
Robin couldn’t believe Pablo didn’t even strike one of the Endermen as he made his confession. She needed the help. As Robin struck the final Enderman that attacked her, she hoped Pablo was being honest and wasn’t playing tricks with her. With one last blow to the Enderman, she was free to find her friends. Robin ran toward the roar of the Ender Dragon.
“I’m here!” she called out to her friends. With renewed energy, she hit the Ender Dragon with her diamond sword and destroyed it. The trio teleported into another floating platform in the End, which was filled with plants and a large building.
“Oh, my!” Mr. Anarchy marveled, “we’re in the End city!”
They entered a lavish tower.
“Watch out!” Robin shrieked as a blocky purple beast encased in a shell popped up and shot a projectile that unleashed white particles in the air. The gang luckily dodged it, but before they could strike back, the beast was safely in its shell.
“What is that?” Simon cried.
“A shulker,” Mr. Anarchy replied. “It’s a powerful mob and we have to destroy it.”
Attack of the Ender Dragon Page 5