Episode 20: The Nether Journey (3)

******* Queen Thea's POV *******

We have been traveling for 3 days in this forest.

We are camping right now early in the morning and is about to march.

We managed to kill some of the enemies but ultimately we got pushed deeper in the forest.

I decided to cease fighting since we already got plenty of people injured and just start traveling east.

The prisoner said that there is a castle there with a blue monster living in it.

I don't really believe him but what surprised me is that he also said that there were chasing some villagers that went into the forest.

'The Spearman is also seen in that castle.' These words are what grabbed my attention the most.

The spearman is probably him.

I'm glad to know he is alright since I didn't see him in the village. I was also worried he got captured and is already sold to slavery.

"My queen. I have terrible news." I can hear a voice coming from behind me.

I'm inside a temporary wooden house staring at a map along with my officers to start thinking about what to do next.

I turned around and face the messenger.

"Well, we already have plenty of problems so what is one more. What is it?" I asked while exhaling.

I'm really tired of all of this and just want this to end.

"The prisoner is dead." He was reluctant at first to talk but decided to say the news.

"What?"

"He probably died last night. He bit off his tongue and bleed out. I'm sorry my queen." He continued and now is bowing deeply towards me.

The prisoner is dead.

He was the only one that I can get information about this forest.

What so terrifying about that blue monster he keeps on speaking?

"We should head back west my queen and just fight our enemies head-on." I can hear my general saying some things but I just ignored him.

There are already about 50 people who are injured and I'm not going to add more to them.

I also don't want anyone in my army to die for nothing.

"Tell everyone to start packing up things and prepare to travel east," I turned around and ordered everyone in the room.

"But my queen.."

"Now." The general was about to protest but I quickly cut him off.

We managed to distance ourselves from our enemies since all of us are in horseback so we are probably safe for about a couple of weeks.

We were expecting to encounter thousands of monster here but only saw a few of them and ultimately none the deeper we go in this forest. I should say we got lucky but I was hoping to see plenty of them to even the odds with the Kingdom of Xaerin.

I turned around and started walking outside the temporary house.

******* Carolus' POV *******

I have been traveling for 3 days or so I think since I don't have any way to keep track time and didn't see any nether fortress or a single blaze or any other monsters.

The only monsters I encountered are ghasts.

I was so surprised on seeing them and just hide for a moment.

My plan was to fight them by sending its explosive projectile they shoot back at them but decided to play it safe and just use a bow from a distance.

I managed to kill about 3 of them and gathered plenty of ghast tears and explosive powder.

I wonder why gun powder is called explosive powder here? It is probably because they are no guns in this world.

I'm glad I finally found some explosive powder.

I didn't find any creepers in the overworld that I started to wonder if they really exist but they are mentioned in Oliver's research book so humans turning into green explosive monsters is probably really rare.

I can use this explosive powder to craft some explosive arrows or TNT but I don't have any sand with me so I decided to just craft all of them into explosive arrows.

Yeah! Now I can blow up things into pieces.

I didn't know why I got excited about having explosive arrows.

I'm started to worry about myself that I'm starting to lose my humanity. I'm too battle-hardened now from all the fight that I fought.

The ghast tears can also be used for brewing potion of regeneration and other things. Now all I need right now is a brewing stand.

I leave my third tempory home I built to start traveling again. I built a couple of them in a considerable distance of one and another since it is impractical to keep coming back to the portal just to rest.

I was walking for a couple of hours and was traveling along a valley when suddenly I was stopped by someone.

I'm pretty sure that is a zombie pigman.

There are two of them.

They saw me and ready their golden swords.

Zombie pigmen are usually not aggressive in the game unless they are provoked but I have to assume that it is not the same here.

I also ready my sword and shield.

"Who are you? It doesn't matter. Give up all your belongings and come with us." I suddenly heard one of the pigmen talking.

What? They can talk?

It seems talking monsters in this world is a trend.

I can also see another 2 pigmen appearing out of nowhere behind me.

I'm surrounded.

One of the pigmen in front started to approach me with his golden sword ready to swing since I didn't answer back even though he keeps repeating his demand.

Okay. Should I try to talk my way out of this or just start swinging?

I can see the pigman approaching started to swing his sword.

Start swinging it is.

I countered back and swing my sword trying to cut him into two but was shocked since his sword managed to withstand my slash.

The enchanted golden sword seems to be a little bit harder than stone and iron but still low on durability.

But it doesn't matter.

I just have to use a little bit of my strength.

I pulled back my sword and started to swing again.

This time, I applied a little more force in the swing.

I managed to cut him in half along with his sword.

The other 3 pigmen were shocked about what happened and all of them started charging.

The pigman on the back thrust his sword forward and I just twist my body on the side to avoid him.

His sword was impaled on the other pigman in front of me and now is slowly dying.

I used this chance and swing my sword to cut both their heads off.

The last pigman saw all of his companions dead and that he has no chance against me and just started running.

Oh no, you don't.

I quickly chased after him and tackle him to the ground.

I stepped my foot on his chest to pin him down and pointed the tip of my sword in his throat.

I can see so much fear in his eyes but this is their fault.

I didn't do anything to them and they just attack me for no reason.

"Do you fear death?" I asked the pigman to further strike fear in his heart.

He vigorously nodded his head.

"Good. Now answer my questions. Why did you attack me? What do you want?"

"We are ordered by our Lord to attack anyone who tries to get past this valley and gather their belongings."

I see. There are like bandits and their lord is the bandit leader.

"We have been assign in this valley for a long time but this is our first time seeing a human. You are a human aren't you?"

I didn't answer and just keep staring at him.

What to do?

I could just ask this guy where to find some blazes and guide me there but he might do something crazy and lead me straight into his people.

I continued asking him some questions like is there any nether fortress around here or where does he live.

"I answered all your questions. Now let me go. Please." He pleaded at me and he started crying.

I'm still pointing my sword in his throat.

After thinking for a while what to do with this guy, I just decided to let him go.

I got off my foot in his chest and turned around to start walking in the direction he said their castle is.

I can hear him standing quickly and immediately tried to kill me.

He struck me in the back and his sword managed to scratch 1 durability of my chest armor.

This is the second time my diamond armor's durability got reduced. The first time was the battle with the Queen of giant spiders.

I turned around to face him and fear immediately went back to his face.

"Wait!" He tried to stop me but I just swing my sword to kill him.

Monsters.

They are all the same.

I decided to look at their inventory quickly to see any useful items but I didn't see any so I just left them and started walking.

I didn't bother cleaning the bodies like I used to do with my monster hunting since I'm in the nether anyway and there is nothing but fire and lava here.

He said their castle is close so it probably won't take a while to reach it.

I have no idea what I'm going to do once I get there but I just keep on walking.

After a while, I can see a really small castle in the distance.

It is only about half the size of my castle in the overworld.

It made entirely out of nether bricks and the walls are only about 5 blocks tall.

I slowly approach it to see what's inside but someone on top of the wall noticed me and quickly started shouting to his people.

I can now see a lot of pigmen on top of the wall and they are equipped with golden bows.

Why does every time I went to a place I'm just greeted with sword slashes and arrow fires?

Another pigman appeared but this time he is a lot larger than the others.

He is about two blocks tall and he has a really big stomach like he is been eating nonstop for a week.

He is probably the leader of the pigmen.

I stopped about 15 blocks away from them and just keep on standing.

I have no idea what to do next.

I'm the type of guy who just does things and just improvise if things started going south.

I can see the leader holding an eye of ender in his hand and pointed at me.

The eye of ender suddenly explode and turn into dust particles.

I can see the leader suddenly so terrified and ordered his people to start firing arrows.

I have no idea what is going on but those gold arrows will probably reduce my armor's durability so I decided to block them with my shield.

After blocking for a while, the rain of arrows suddenly stopped and use this chance to start running towards them.

The leader is no longer on top of the wall.

He is gone.

I wonder where is he?

What did he just do with the eye of ender?

Did he just curse me or something?

Multiple questions suddenly keep rushing in my mind while I'm speeding towards them.

I checked my status in case the leader suddenly did something to me but luckily, I can see no changes.

After reaching for about 4 blocks away from the wall evading as many arrows as I could, I just jumped with all I got and managed to land on top of the wall.

I can't believe that I can jump that very high.

I feel like a freaking ninja.

Pigmen started attacking me with their swords and I just killed everyone who dared to approach me.

I can see the leader in the distance running towards his castle keep door but he didn't get inside and just turned around to look at me.

We made eye contact for a while.

I can still see the fear in his eyes.

I wonder what did I ever do to him to be this very afraid to me.