“Eat something … quick,” Crafter said as he handed him a melon.
Gameknight took the slice and ate it quickly. He could feel his HP slowly recharge.
“Let’s get this done,” he said, then glanced around at everyone. “Are all of you ready?”
The other NPCs nodded from their doors.
“OK,” Gameknight said as he drew both his swords.
He moved past the edge of the opening and jumped down into the next chamber. As he slowly fell, his night vision potion expired, plunging him into darkness.
“No … not now!” he said to no one.
He fell for what seemed forever until he landed gently on the floor of the chamber. The sea lanterns faintly illuminated the corners of the room, but provided little light. Putting his swords away, he reached into his inventory and pulled out his last bottle of night vision potion. As he was about to pull out the stopper, something big streaked past, the turbulent currents and waves that followed the beast knocked the bottle from hand. Slowly, the glass container sank to the ground, disappearing into the darkness that surrounded him.
Oh no! I need that to see, he thought. It must be somewhere near my feet.
Quickly, Gameknight knelt to the ground and started feeling around with his hand. As he groped in the darkness, a deadly beam of light shot above his head and slammed into a block of prismarine. The light from the Guardian’s laser lit the surroundings just enough for him to see the bottle.
There it is, he thought, just off to the left.
Crawling forward, the User-that-is-not-a-user reached out and closed his blocky fingers around the bottle. Pulling the stopper, he quickly drank the dark blue potion, then stood up as his night vision returned. Turning, Gameknight faced the center of the chamber.
A giant eye was just inches from his face, its pupil a bright angry red.
“AHHH!” Gameknight screamed, bubbles floating up out of his mouth.
Before he could reach for his swords, the Elder Guardian slammed into him, its long purple spines smashing into his diamond armor.
And then the monster was gone, streaking into the shadows. A trail of bubbles marked its path, but for some reason they trailed upward … that didn’t make any sense.
Placing a door, Gameknight took a big breath, then turned and moved out into the large chamber. He scanned the room, trying to find his enemy, but saw only the occasional swish of bubbles here and there. Suddenly, the far side of the chamber lit up. As Gameknight moved toward the harsh glow, he saw Builder backing up, a bright beam of light hitting him directly in the chest.
“Bring up your sword,” Gameknight yelled, but his words did not carry through the water.
Rushing to his friend’s side, he reached out with his diamond sword and reflected the laser back toward the giant fish, its own beam striking it next to the great eye. With the swish of its massive tail, the Elder Guardian turned quickly and streaked away, disappearing into the shadows again.
Placing another door, Gameknight dragged Builder into the pocket of air.
“Are you OK?” Gameknight asked.
“I don’t know,” Builder replied. “I took some serious damage.”
“Do you have anything to eat?”
Builder reached into his inventory and pulled out an apple, which he ate quickly. He pulled another one out and ate that one as well.
“You stay here and let your HP rejuvenate.”
Builder nodded his head.
Gameknight then took a huge breath of air and charged forward. He had to find this creature and end it before any of his friends were seriously hurt. A swishing sound could be heard above his head as turbulent currents wafted down from above.
Something is moving up there near the ceiling in the darkness, Gameknight thought.
But then the swishing sound settled behind him.
Hot pain suddenly stabbed him in the back. Turning, he brought his sword up and reflected the laser away. He advanced, his iron sword held in his other hand. This time, the monster did not swim away. It waited for Gameknight to get close, but as he neared, the intensity of the laser grew brighter. He could feel the hilt of his diamond sword starting to grow hot. Soon he’d have to drop it. Running forward, he slashed at the mighty beast. But just when he reached the creature, it floated straight upward and out of reach, disappearing in the shadows overhead.
Gameknight moved to a nearby door to catch his breath. On the other side of the chamber, Stonecutter was trying to defend himself as the mighty fish slammed into him from above, its long purple spines sticking straight out. Before the stocky NPC could respond, the fish floated up and moved off to hunt another.
I have to figure out a way to defeat this monster, or it may destroy all my friends.
He moved to a corner, where he placed a door and thought about the problem, hoping the puzzle pieces would show themselves in his mind … nothing. But then the music of Minecraft swelled as the Oracle’s voice filled his mind.
You can accomplish only what you can imagine, her aged, scratchy voice said. You are not alone.
Then the music was gone.
He thought about these words … you are not alone. Was it a hint … a clue? As he contemplated, he saw the Guardian attack Crafter, the young NPC trying to reach the creature with his now-shimmering iron sword, but the creature floated up and out of reach just at the last instant.
“We cannot do this by ourselves; we have to work together,” he said to no one. “That’s it … you are not alone!”
He ran to each of the NPCs and spoke quickly, telling them to move back to the chamber where they had entered the Guardian’s lair. As Gameknight watched Builder swim to the opening high up on the chamber wall, the Elder Guardian charged. This time, Gameknight was ready. With both swords out, he ran at the monster, ready to block the laser with his diamond sword while he stabbed at the monster with his iron. The fish’s purple spines gouged into Gameknight’s diamond armor, driving the User-that-is-not-a-user back a step. Feigning injury, Gameknight went to one knee, then brought his iron sword up into the monster’s underbelly. He could feel the sword find flesh as the creature flashed red. Before the fish could get away, he slashed at it with his diamond sword, but it floated upward, escaping again. The User-that-is-not-a-user could see a look of overwhelming rage as the one eye looked down on him. But, strangely, the creature’s eye didn’t radiate with an eerie, evil glow, as all of Herobrine’s creations seemed to do. Instead, the eye looked normal, natural … pure, the pupil not the color of blood but the color of the clearest ruby.
Gameknight swam up to his friends and floated into the room that overlooked the Guardian’s chamber. He placed a door far from the opening, then placed four more for his friends. They all moved into the pockets of air, each breathing heavily.
“How are we going to fight that monster?” Builder asked. “It’s too strong … this is impossible.”
“No it’s not … we can do this,” Gameknight insisted.
“I have to go along with Builder on this one,” Hunter said. She pointed to the deep gouges in her iron armor. “Those spines are as hard as diamond and sharper than anything I’ve ever seen. It attacked me three times, and each time I couldn’t even touch it with my sword; it swims away right when you’re about to attack.”
“That’s right; it swims away,” Gameknight agreed. “So, we don’t let it swim away … we block its avenue of escape.”
“With what?” Hunter asked.
“With ourselves,” Gameknight replied. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”
As he explained his plan, he could see the fear on his friend’s faces gradually change to hope … and, in Hunter’s case, excitement.
“This idea is crazy. It’s incredibly dangerous, and has little chance of success,” Hunter said. “I like it!”
Gameknight smiled, then moved back to the opening that looked down on the Guardian’s lair.
“Let’s do this,” he said, then jumped into the room. As he fell
, his battle cry resonated through the watery chamber: “FOR MINECRAFT!”
CHAPTER 22
THE BOOK OF WISDOM
When Gameknight999 landed on the floor of the Guardian’s chamber, he instantly ran to the side of the room and to a door. Gulping in a quick breath, he ran around the large central structure, looking for the beast, but it was nowhere to be seen. He continued to run around the structure and found Builder on the other side. He gestured to the NPC, pointing at his own eyes, then pointing to the room. Builder shook his head; he hadn’t seen the creature, either.
Moving out of the room and into the long connecting hallway, Gameknight banged the hilt of his diamond sword on the blue-green prismarine blocks that made up the structure. The noise resonated throughout the Monument like a blacksmith’s hammer banging on a hot anvil. Swimming farther out into the corridor, Gameknight999 stopped to listen … but he heard only bubbles and the swishing of water.
Suddenly, he saw a bright light off to his right and ran toward the brilliant glare. As he turned the corner, Gameknight caught sight of Builder on his knees, the full intensity of the Guardian’s laser blasting into his chest. Running as fast as he could, he tried to reach his friend, but he was just too far away. Builder’s chest plate cracked apart and fell to the floor, exposing his flesh to the burning shaft of light. As the NPC flashed red, Gameknight drew his bow and tried to fire an arrow at the monster … but he was still too far away, and the arrow flew only two blocks before falling harmlessly to the ground.
Finally, he reached the monster. With his diamond sword, he swung at the creature, but his arm moved more slowly than usual, the Mining Fatigue status effect still acting on him. When his sword hit the Guardian, the monster flashed red, then instantly floated upward out of reach.
But the beam stayed focused on Builder.
Gameknight ran to his friend, extending his sword to block the glaring laser. But before Gameknight could reach his friend, Builder gave the User-that-is-not-a-user one last sad look, then disappeared, his items falling to the chamber floor.
“Nooooo!” Gameknight screamed, but it was too late … Builder was gone.
Spinning, the User-that-is-not-a-user glared up at the Elder Guardian, then ran to a nearby door to get a breath of air. Stepping out into the open, he pointed at the spiny giant with his diamond sword, slowly walking backward.
“You can hear me … can’t you?” Gameknight shouted into the water.
The Guardian looked down at him, the unibrow over his eye furling with anger.
“You killed my friend, and now it’s time I punished you!”
Moving backward even faster, Gameknight drew the beast with him.
A blast of searing light shot out of the monster’s eye, directed at Gameknight’s head, but he was ready. He raised his diamond sword and easily reflected the beam away.
“That’s not gonna work on me, monster,” Gameknight yelled. “You want me, you’re gonna have to come down here and get me!”
The Elder Guardian extinguished its laser, slowly settled to the ground, and approached Gameknight999. Sticking his head inside a pocket of air that surrounded a nearby door, the User-that-is-not-a-user kept backing up, trying to give the appearance that he was afraid. That wasn’t hard—he was panicked, but he refused to give up … for giving up meant failure.
Gameknight continued to back up but eventually ran out of room and bumped into the chamber wall. Seeing that its prey had nowhere to run, the Elder Guardian swished its gigantic tail and charged forward.
Its long spines tried to poke at Gameknight999, but his iron sword pushed them away as his diamond sword reached for that massive eye. As expected, the creature backed up, but suddenly Hunter was there, her razor-sharp sword cutting into the monster’s back. Spinning, it lunged at her, but then Crafter was at her side, his own sword seeking the pale yellow monster’s flesh. Seeing that it was surrounded, the Guardian started to float upward.
“NOW!” Gameknight shouted.
From above, Stonecutter fell through the water and landed on the monster’s back, his mighty pickaxe swinging down and tearing into the monster’s spine-covered skin. With the Guardian pinned to the ground, all of them attacked, slashing at the creature’s body and seeking revenge for the death of Builder. Not stopping for air, they continued the attack as the monster flashed red over and over again. With its HP nearly consumed, the creature let out a long string of bubbles, then rolled over onto its side, spilling Stonecutter onto the ground.
Gameknight moved to a door to get a quick gulp of air, then approached the creature’s eye and spoke.
“You killed my friend, and now it is your turn,” Gameknight said. “Your creator, Herobrine, did not make you strong enough to withstand us all … his arrogance, and yours, led to your downfall.”
“You are mistaken,” the Elder Guardian said, his voice filled with the fizzing sound of a million bubbles. “I was not created by Herobrine. That vile creature does not know of my existence. If he did, he would be here trying to destroy me.”
Gameknight took a step back, confused.
“If you were not crafted by Herobrine, who created you?”
“The Oracle,” the mighty fish replied.
It struggled for a breath, then swiveled its big eye so that it was staring directly at Gameknght999.
“What?” Gameknight asked. “I don’t believe it.”
“That’s what she said you would say,” the Guardian replied. “She made me for the purpose of teaching those who come to the Ocean Monument. And for those who learn the lesson, they get the reward.”
“What is the reward?”
“Why, the Book of Wisdom, of course,” the creature said.
“Where is the book?” Gameknight asked.
“It lies within me. Only through my death can the victor obtain the book,” the Elder Guardian said. “You have learned the lesson well, as the Oracle predicted. Gameknight999 is truly worthy and the first to have figured out how to best me in battle. You are indeed the User-that-is-not-a-user.”
The Guardian struggled for one last breath.
“Sometimes,” the monster rasped, “the lesson is the journey and not the destination.” And then the Elder Guardian disappeared, leaving behind many glowing balls of XP and a single, leather-bound book.
Gameknight scooped up the ancient-looking tome as the balls of XP streaked into his body. Moving to the side of the room, he found a door and stepped into the pocket of air. Instantly, he found Crafter, Hunter, and Stonecutter at his side.
“Well,” Crafter asked. “What does it say?”
“I haven’t opened it yet,” Gameknight replied.
“What are you waiting for?” Hunter asked. “Read it quickly so that we can get out of here.”
Stonecutter moved to his side, but said nothing, his stocky frame lending silent support.
This book is going to show me where to find the wisdom and courage to face Herobrine and use the weapon from the Oracle, he thought. Without it, we’d be lost, but now I’ll know where to find what I need to save Minecraft and all my friends.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he carefully opened the book. Staring into the ancient volume, he couldn’t believe what he saw. Flipping to the next page, he saw the same thing. Turning from page to page, Gameknight saw the same thing over and over.
“What is this … some kind of joke?” Gameknight yelled, his eyes filled with anger and frustration.
“What’s wrong?” Crafter asked. “What does it say? Where can you find what you need to defeat Herobrine?”
Gameknight999 looked down at the book in disbelief. Every page was a mirrored sheet, reflecting his own image back to him.
“I needed to know where to find bravery and wisdom to defeat Herobrine and all I get is my own reflection,” Gameknight said, his voice filled with anger.
Handing the book to Crafter, Gameknight turned around and stared at the wall, furious.
We fought that monster, and Builder had to
die for this cruel joke, he thought. Who knows how many NPCs are getting hurt battling the guardians up on the ocean surface? And we did all that just for a mirror … ORACLE!!!
But the music of Minecraft was silent.
Taking the book back from Crafter, he looked up at the ceiling.
“We have to get out of here before the night vision potion runs out,” Gameknight said.
Looking at the spot where Builder’s items still floated, Gameknight sighed. He felt betrayed and defeated.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go.”
He swam upward, then moved to the chamber high on the wall. But instead of following the twisting corridors that snaked through the Monument, Gameknight floated upward. Taking out his diamond pickaxe, he cut through the ceiling. Instantly, the group was in open water with blue spiny guardians all swimming about, chasing squid. Before any of the one-eyed fish noticed them, they reached the surface and climbed into their boats. Looking about the ocean, he could see NPCs in boats, but, sadly, some of the boats were empty. Sighing again, Gameknight steered his boat for shore.
“Come on, everyone, we have to get back to the village,” Gameknight shouted.
As they headed for shore, Crafter moved his boat up next to Gameknight’s.
“What do you think that book meant?” the young NPC asked.
Gameknight sighed.
“I don’t know … maybe it means nothing … maybe the Oracle is just a mean, spoiled child like Herobrine, and she played this trick on us just for fun.”
“I can’t believe that,” Crafter said. “It has to mean something.”
“All I needed was to know how to defeat Herobrine,” Gameknight complained, then sighed. “Maybe she was trying to tell me that the courage and wisdom that I need is already within me.”
“That’s possible,” Crafter replied.
“Well, she could have just told me,” Gameknight said angrily. “Builder and many others had to sacrifice their lives for me to learn this … it’s not fair.” He then looked straight up into the blue sky and screamed. “YOU HEAR ME ORACLE! IT’S NOT FAIR!”
Last Stand on the Ocean Shore Page 16