32 END

"Ah, so this is what the system meant by 'access without getting lost,'" Ender muttered, his gaze sweeping across the vast, alien city before him. Towering structures made of greenish, purple stones and gleaming obsidian dominated the skyline, pulsating faintly with an ethereal light. To his surprise, the city wasn't empty.

The residents were humanoid, eerily similar to Endermen, yet distinct. Some had skin entirely white, like polished quartz, while others bore the black, void-like appearance of traditional Endermen but carried themselves differently. The city was a stark contrast to the desolation he had previously encountered in the End.

It appeared like an advanced alien civilization, complete with markets, transportation, and intricate architecture. But Ender knew better than to take it at face value. Nothing about the End was ever normal.

He smirked. "So, this is the real End. Hiding it until now, huh? Crafty."

(Flashback)

Years ago, after 'conquering' the Nether, Ender had gone to the End Dimension using the End Portal, driven by curiosity and a sense of completion. The Nether became his domain, or it always was, but waited for him to claim his place. Ender had put the Demon Lords in charge there making it a classic Hell.

After all, his time was split between protecting Earth, managing the Minecraft world, and spending time with his ever-growing family. Delegating responsibilities to capable beings was necessary, and the Demon Lords, while ambitious, were loyal when beaten into submission.

"It's not like anyone would dare try to take over my realm while I'm away," Ender had told himself at the time. And so far, no one has, not that anyone can.

But the End was different. When he first attempted to enter, he found... nothing. Just an infinite void stretching endlessly in all directions. He wandered for what felt like years, seeking any trace of life, structure, or purpose. But the End had remained silent, an enigmatic emptiness that even he couldn't pierce.

Eventually, he had abandoned the endeavor, concluding that the End would reveal its secrets only when it was ready—or when he was worthy.

(Back to the Present)

Now, standing before the sprawling End City, Ender realized the truth. The End hadn't been void of life; it had merely been hidden, cloaking itself from his reach until the moment was right.

"Who knew Oshtur would be the key to unlocking this place?" Ender muttered, recalling how her connection to him had triggered the system's recognition and granted him unrestricted access.

The significance wasn't lost on him. The End wasn't just a dimension; it was a realm with its own secrets, its own hierarchy, and perhaps its own purpose. And now, it was his to explore, to govern, to understand.

"The End… my End," Ender mused, as with a shift, his form elongated, darkened, like that of an Enderman. As his towering, void-like figure moved closer to the End City, a sudden presence brushed against his senses.

He paused mid-step, turning his gaze to the horizon. The aura was powerful—not enough to rival him, but certainly far beyond any of his familiars. A country-level threat, at least. Deciding to avoid unnecessary confrontation within the city, he veered to one of the many suspended islands that surrounded it.

The air grew heavy as the aura drew closer, and soon, a shadow blanketed the area. Ender looked up, his eyes narrowing in intrigue.

There she was.

The Ender Dragon.

It soared through the skies with an undeniable grace and majesty, its shimmering black scales glinting faintly with a violet glow. Its eyes glowing with an otherworldly purple light, scanned the horizon as if guarding its domain.

Yet, as imposing as the dragon was, Ender wasn't intimidated. Instead, a curious thought sparked in his mind, one that had lingered in the back of his mind for years.

His thoughts shifted to a single object that seemed to hum with dormant energy: a dragon egg.

'So… could I hatch it now?' Ender wondered, his lips curling into a thoughtful smirk, which looked sinister and weird with the face of an Enderman.

The egg had been a mystery to him ever since he first obtained it, nestled within his treasury alongside countless other treasures. He had tried everything: exposing it to fire, submerging it in lava, surrounding it with End Crystals, and even using his own immense energy to incubate it. But nothing had worked.

At first, he had assumed it was a mere artifact, a relic meant for display. But the faint pulse of life and energy emanating from within the egg had told a different story. The dragon within wasn't dead; it was simply dormant, waiting for something—someone—to awaken it.

And now, standing before the majestic Ender Dragon, a realization struck him.

'Of course. The answer is right in front of me all.'

The dragon circled above him, its gaze locking onto his. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, a silent understanding passing between them.

The dragon let out a low, rumbling growl that seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of the End. It wasn't a sound of hostility but of curiosity, as if it had recognized Ender as something more than just another intruder.

"So, no useless fights?" Ender raised an eyebrow, "it is not like you can defeat me anyway." He reverted to his usual Herobrine form, his glowing white eyes blazed brightly, a stark contrast against the void-like backdrop of the End.

The Ender Dragon stopped circling, hovering mid-air as it locked eyes with him. For a brief, almost peaceful moment, the tension seemed to dissipate. Ender was about to speak again when—

CRACKLE!

BOOM!

A torrent of flames erupted from the dragon's maw, roaring toward Ender with the intensity of a collapsing star. These weren't ordinary flames—they were the Flames of the End, capable of erasing creation itself.

Ender stood frozen, his hands still outstretched as if about to address the dragon.

"Huh," as the inferno engulfed him.

The dragon didn't stop there. A volley of flaming comets followed, tearing through the void and smashing into the ground around him, each impact shaking the very fabric of the End. When that didn't seem sufficient, the dragon surged forward, claws slicing through the air with reality-erasing precision.

Ender stood there, completely unharmed, still frozen in his pose with one eyebrow twitching. "Uh... okay?" he mumbled as a particularly large chunk of void cracked open beneath him, swallowing an entire floating island.

When the dragon finally stopped its assault, half of its energy reserves depleted, it hovered in place, panting heavily. Its reserves were already beginning to recover, but it seemed to hesitate.

Ender slowly lowered his arms, his glowing eyes narrowing slightly. "You done?"

The dragon blinked.

Ender took a step forward, intending to continue his address, but the dragon immediately reared back like a startled cat. With a panicked roar, it turned tail and bolted, wings flapping frantically as it fled.

"...Wait, what?" Ender raised a hand, baffled.

The dragon sped away toward the horizon, but before it could escape, a massive THUD echoed through the void. It slammed face-first into a colossal anvil that had materialized out of nowhere.

Ender raised an eyebrow, glancing at the glowing construct of End Energy he had created. "Huh. That's neat."

The dragon peeled itself off the anvil, looking utterly dazed. It glanced back at Ender with wide, traumatized eyes before letting out a pitiful whimper.

"Seriously?!" Ender threw up his hands, exasperated. "I didn't even do anything yet!"

The dragon shrank back, curling its massive body into a tight coil as if trying to make itself invisible.

Ender sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Great. Just great. I come here for a civilized chat, and now the ender dragon thinks I'm the boogeyman."

Muttering under his breath, he approached the dragon, which let out a nervous growl. "Relax," he said, exasperation giving way to amusement. "If I wanted to hurt you, you would already be a pile of ash. Now, are you going to listen, or do I need to make another anvil?"

The dragon flinched at the mention of the anvil, quickly nodding its massive head.

"Good," Ender said with a smirk, crossing his arms. "Now, about that dragon egg..."

(???)

A faint tremor rippled through the End, a subtle disturbance that demanded her attention. She closed her eyes, focusing her senses to trace the source. What she found startled her.

It was the Guardian of the End, the mighty protector of this realm, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks. Flames capable of erasing creation, comets tearing through the void, and claws that ripped through reality itself—all directed at a single figure.

Her brow furrowed. The Guardian, known to most as Velyra, was not one to attack without reason, especially after she had been resurrected. That event was a turning point, a renewal after her defeat by the Player, the mysterious entity that predated even herself. Velyra's purpose was to guard, not to engage in reckless combat.

But this... this was different.

And then, her frown deepened into wary contemplation as she observed the man standing amidst the onslaught, completely unscathed. He didn't dodge. He didn't counter. He simply stood there, untouched, as if the Guardian's might was no more than a breeze to him.

"That's... concerning," she murmured, her voice laced with both curiosity and caution. Her gaze lingered on him, noting the way the void itself seemed to bend around him.

And then she saw his eyes.

Glowing with an intensity that seemed to pierce through dimensions, those eyes were unmistakable. Her breath hitched, and she felt a flicker of unease creep into her chest.

"He has arrived," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. The significance of his presence was not lost on her.

"So will you hatch the egg for me or not? I am willing to take the responsibility after it hatches."

Crossing the veil of the portal she found the man standing in front of Velyra's large head the majestic dragoness lay with her head lowered, her massive violet eyes reflecting a mix of reluctance and hope. In front of her stood a man holding a massive egg that shimmered with an uncanny resemblance to Velyra's own scales.

"So, will you hatch the egg for me or not? I am willing to take full responsibility after it hatches," the man asked.

Velyra let out a low rumble, her eyes lit up when she saw her. Relief and an unspoken plea filled her gaze as if saying, Finally, someone who can make sense of this.

The man turned as well, his glowing eyes locking onto her. He seemed momentarily surprised, the egg in his hand disappeared.

"And who might you be?" he asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

She took a moment to gather herself, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. His presence was overwhelming, yet there was familiarity, almost. Suppressing her wariness

"I am Ianite, Goddess of Balance," she said, her voice steady, though her expression betrayed a hint of intrigue. Her gaze shifted briefly to Velyra before returning to the man. "And you are?"

The man smirked, "Herobrine, the Overlord of the Nether," he replied.

Ianite raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. "Herobrine," she echoed, letting the name roll off her tongue, "So, Nether isn't just a desolate land as legends say."

"Legends tend to exaggerate," he said with a chuckle.

Ianite crossed her hands. "And what exactly are you doing in End?"

~~~~

Man I am not getting any time since school opened and my exams are coming again, there may inconsistency in updates for sometime now.

I wanted to write more Nether part but that would take days so I decided to upload this.

Drop the Pics

Lady Ianite

Velyra