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Carolus' POV
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I remember it now. I remember it all.
The day I died and my first meeting with the Goddess.
She offered me a second life. To live and walk once again but not in my own world but with hers.
She also explained to me the things that are going on in her world but...
"You refused my offer." The Goddess finishes my thought. "You said that it is my people's fault the things that are happening to them and they deserve to face their reckoning."
Right. I remember that too.
"You also said that it is not up to you to change whatever destiny my people will face." The Goddess continues.
The Goddess stands in her chair and walks a little bit to the side of the table then waves her hand.
An image suddenly pops up like there is some kind of projector somewhere projecting this.
It is the world that I lived in for the past months. The world of Minecraft.
The image is showing people tending their fields and children running all over the place, bothering their parent's work.
"When you said those words to me, I know that it will hard for me to convince you help save this world so I decided to take away some of your memories and let you experience this world." The Goddess says.
She turns her head towards me and I flinches in her stare.
"I know what I did is wrong but I'm too desperate and it is not often good souls past through my domain." She continues.
I don't know what to say or think. I know that she is reading my mind but I really don't know what to reply or even feel at this point.
She forced me to live in her world and she even took away some of my memories.
"Yes. That is exactly what I did. Now, tell me, young man, do you think my people deserve their impending doom?" The Goddess asks.
I start to think about all the things that have happened to me while I was living in this world.
The people I met. The monsters I fought. The children that I taught how to read and write in my castle.
When the Goddess said to me that her people are the ones that created the Ender Dragon, I believed that all of them are responsible and it is not my duty to save them but now I know that not all of them are accountable for the things that are happening.
I start to think my days living in a Minecraft world when suddenly I remember something.
Is the Goddess the one who whispered helpful tips to me?
"Yes. I watched your journey at first but was blocked by the Ender Dragon once she knew what I was doing." The Goddess answers my question in my head and she walks back to her chair then sit on it.
Great. I have a Celestial stalker.
What about the 'Destiny' thing that people keeps pushing at me?
"They are talking about a different person. You see, you are not the only one that I asked to live in my world." The Goddess says and I quickly ask in my head 'What?'.
"It is probably a long time for you but for me, it feels like it was yesterday. A young man just like you died and came to this place. I offered the same thing that I offered to you and he happily accepted."
'What happened to him?' I ask in my head and I notice that I still haven't spoken a single word in this entire conversation. I'm starting to get used to this mind reading stuff.
"He is a good man like you but unfortunately, he treated my world as a game and died attacking a cave filled with zombies."
Damn. I'm glad that didn't happen to me.
"I have high hopes for him and even told my people that their savior is here but he died. I'm still happy for him though since he tried to save the world."
Yeah, I bet that guy is jumping in joy knowing that he died once again but I guess I'm not in a position to say things since I'm also dead and I have no idea what will happen next.
"There are two options for you, young man." The Goddess says.
Great. Let's hear them.
"The first one is I will let your soul move on and not bother you anymore."
What? Move on as into the afterlife or heaven?
"Can't really say since it will ruin the surprise waiting for you on the other side." The Goddess says and I quickly wonder what is the second option.
"Open your status." The Goddess orders and I wonder what she is talking about.
What status? She meant the one where my health and status is displayed but I'm already dead so I don't see the point and there is not a lot of information in there.
The Goddess just stares at me and didn't say anything. She is just patiently waiting for me.
I decided to open my status and surprise to see more things in here.
Gifts, abilities and other things are displayed in my status and this is my first time seeing them.
"I hid most the information in your status so you won't treat this world like a game like the first person did." The Goddess explains.
I'm still reading the rest of my status.
Age: 528
Wow. Didn't know that I lived for that long. Now that explains what people are talking about when they said that I hid for too long.
"I created your body in this world with the features of your game character. I even tried to give you a gift that can revive you endless times but unfortunately, I don't have the power." The Goddess says.
I'm still bewildered about the information in my status but my eyes quickly glued in one of my gifts.
"You probably know the second option." The Goddess says while waving her hand making the image on the side change and it is now showing my castle.
I notice that my castle is a little banged up and I remember reading about it from one of Sisilla's letters. About monsters taking over a castle in the middle of the forest and the two of them, Sisilla and Arthur, has taken it back.
Damn. So Sisilla was really talking about my castle. I actually didn't think that will happen since my castle is quite hidden in the forest and even monsters decide to capture it, they will gain nothing since I've hidden all of my stuff.
"So, it is time for you to make a decision, young man."
My thoughts are interrupted by the voice of the Goddess and I turn my head to face her.
"I won't force you this time and I let you decide." The Goddess says while waving her hand and the image of my castle disappeared. "Now, what will it be?"
I stare at the Goddess and started to think about what will be my decision.
I can't go back to my own world since I'm already dead. I'm not really sure I want to fight monsters and save this world either.
I lean my back to my chair and close my eyes to calm myself since I'm still shocked about the things that just happened and the information the Goddess gave to me.
"Remember, young man." The Goddess suddenly says and I quickly open my eyes and focus my attention on her. "I will owe you greatly if you decide to help save my people."
Great. I'm starting to feel the pressure that is bestowed upon me and my head is starting to spin around.
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Legendary Creeper's POV
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The progress in gathering the horde of monsters is going well.
The number of Pigmen is now more than 3000 and same with the Wither Skeletons and combined with my Creeper army, we now have about 7000 monsters.
The numbers are still growing though since more and more monsters are coming in from all over the nether dimension but we can no longer wait.
We are facing some sort of enemies that keep on attacking our armies then disappearing the moment one of the Legendary Monsters started moving.
They said that there are only two of them and I can't really believe it since every time they appear, they will leave dozens of corpses on the ground.
I tried tracking them down with my gift 'Hatred' since I figured that they are probably humans but failed. They probably know about my abilities and I highly suspect that the woman I fought in the overworld is one of those people.
I also tried tracking them normally but they left no trace and even they do leave one, the trail will just lead us to nowhere. The other one is probably Astikuvielian. Masters of the mountains and hunting.
We can no longer delay our stay here and I quickly gathered everyone, especially the two Leaders, around the giant portal.
Thousands of monsters stare at me on top of the hill that I built the giant portal.
I straighten myself and shouted: "My fellow monsters, it is time for us to make a move."
The horde of monsters starts screaming and cheering in my words and I raise my hand to settle them down.
"You really think that we stood a chance against the humans?" The giant pigman asks me.
"Yes. Unlike five centuries ago, humans are now even more divided and they are weaker since they only got leather armor and stone weapons to protect themselves." I say to him and he started tapping his giant mace on his shoulder. He is probably thinking about what I just said.
"How can we know that you are telling the truth?" The giant wither skeleton asks me this time.
"You don't. You just have to see it for yourself." I say to him while concentrating on my back.
My back suddenly exploded, igniting the giant portal and everyone here gasp in surprise about what just happened.
I hop on top of the ghast and steer it to face the portal.
I can see a giant empty field on the other side of the portal and I don't really know what is waiting for us but I'm confident that we can win with the amount of force that we have.
"What are you waiting for?" I shout at everyone here. "LET'S GO!"
I steer my mount forward and we started flying towards the portal.
I didn't look back but I can hear thousands of footsteps and two giant footsteps.
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Arthur's POV
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This not good. The monsters are now starting to move.
I quickly turn around and hop on my horse to head back to camp.
It didn't take long for me to reach the camp and I see Sisilla doing some brewing.
"Sisilla! Sisilla! The monsters are moving." I shout to her while still riding in my horse.
"Really? Then we should wait for a while until all of them left the nether dimension." Sisilla casually says while lifting a bottle filled with red liquid to inspect it.
"Why? We should attack them once again while their backs are turned." I say to her while dismounting my horse then walking towards her.
"That would be unwise, my boy, since there are only two of us and that would also make the entire horde of monsters focus their attention to us," Sisilla says and she is still focused on her brewing.
I just stay silent since I don't really know what to retort.
She is right. There are only two of us here and we only managed to diminish some of their numbers from guerilla tactics but it is still not enough.
"Don't worry." She says while placing another set of bottles in the brewing stand. "We won't sit idle for a long time. I have a plan."
"Would you mind sharing this plan of yours in advance since I don't want to be left wondering." I quickly say since I remember the last time she said those words.
She didn't answer my question and just started brewing potions in silence.
I stare at her while she is silently working.
She starts giggling all of a sudden.
'I swear, she will be the death of me.' I just say to myself.