Mine Craft Online

Minecraft Universe, Blocky Planet

The redstone dust floated into his gullet, and his eyes glowed a subtle blue as the material was taken by the node for attunement to this dimension.

The tunnel ahead split into three paths. His enhanced hearing picked up the distinct bubble of lava from the leftmost passage, while water dripped steadily from the right. The middle path descended at a sharp angle, leading deeper underground.

According to the integrated memories, diamonds and other valuable ores appeared most frequently between levels 5 and 12. He wasn't certain at which level he was currently, but he could guess he needed to go deeper. The middle path would take him where he needed to go.

The passage narrowed as he descended. His claws scraped against stone blocks, breaking them when they blocked his path. The process was mind-numbing: break, move forward, break again.

A vein of gold ore sparkled in the wall. The blue glow from his eyes deepened. Yes, this would help with attunement. His claws made short work of the blocks, the raw ore floating before him. The gold had a strange quality to it – quicker to degrade than iron despite its value.

The gold ore disappeared into his maw, and the blue glow in his eyes pulsed brighter for a moment. A zombie groaned somewhere in the darkness ahead, but the sound held no threat. These cubic undead moved in predictable ways, and their attacks barely scratched his scales.

The tunnel opened into a larger cavern. Water flowed from the ceiling in perfect columns, spreading across the floor in exact square patterns. Lava bubbled in a pool twenty blocks away, exposing iron and coal veins embedded in the walls.

The precious gems would be near the bottom of the world. He broke through more stone blocks, creating a path downward at a steep angle.

The air grew warmer. More lava pools appeared, some hidden behind thin stone walls. He could smell them - that distinct scent of heat and melted rock. A skeleton's arrow bounced off his scales. He ignored it, continuing to dig. The skeleton's programming wouldn't let it navigate the steep tunnel he was creating.

The stone changed texture, becoming darker and harder. This deep underground, the blocks took an extra strike from his claws to break. Small blue crystals caught the light from his eyes - lapis lazuli. He harvested it, the fragments vanishing into his gullet.

An odd hum made him freeze. Not a creeper this time, this was something different. Through a hole in the cave wall, he spotted the black skin of an Enderman. The tall creature teleported randomly around a cavern adjacent to his tunnel, holding a stone block in its long arms. Don't meet the eyes.

But the Enderman's ability to vanish and reappear would make a valuable adaptation, wouldn't it? He broke one more block, and jumped at the tall creature. His claws raked across its dark flesh, the impact sending both damage particles and purple teleport wisps into the air. The Enderman's body flashed red as it took the hit, and with its characteristic vwoop sound, it vanished - leaving behind only a cloud of purple particles where it had stood.

He waited in the cavern, head low and muscles tensed. The creature had to return, they always returned to fight. A minute passed. Then another. The Enderman was gone.

The remnant memories suggested this behavior was unusual. These creatures typically fought back when damaged. Did this one have different programming? He shook his head and returned to mining downward.

The stone turned to smooth granite, then back to regular stone.

A glint of blue caught his eye. Diamond ore sparkled on the wall, and his eyes glowed brighter in response. He moved toward it, already anticipating whether it might be enough for-

"Don't move."

The voice came from behind him. Human voice. Female. Young. His muscles tensed, but he remained still.

"I have an enchanted bow aimed at your head. You're not completely cubic, so whatever you are, you're not supposed to exist in Minecraft. Turn around. Slowly."

The urge to strike made his body twitch - one quick movement and the threat would become sustenance. The remnant memories pushed back against the urge. Humans could be valuable. Could share knowledge. Could help understand this world better than basic consumption would allow.

He turned slowly. A player stood ten blocks away, bow drawn and aimed. She wore iron armor that covered most of her cubic body, leaving only a pixelated face visible. The bow had a purple glow.

The player's square eyes widened. "You... you're some kind of lizard-dinosaur hybrid?"

The Zerg opened his mouth, working to form words with a throat and tongue not designed for human speech. "Not... dinosaur." Each word came out as a growl-tinged rumble.

She took a step back, bow still trained on him. "You can talk? What are you doing down here?"

"Mining." He gestured toward the diamond ore with his tail. "Need... materials."

"With your claws? That's impossible. You need at least an iron pickaxe for diamond ore." Her bow lowered slightly. "Unless... those aren't normal claws, are they?"

He flexed his metal-reinforced claws. One of his adaptations allowed him to use consumed metals to improve his teeth and claws.

"Strong enough," he growled. "Not here to fight."

"Right. Just a peaceful mining trip by a talking lizard monster." She snorted. "I've been stuck in this game for eight months, but this is new. Did they add you in an update?"

The words 'stuck in this game' triggered fragments of memory. Sword Art Online. A digital world turned real. Players trapped inside their avatars. His eyes narrowed.

"Not from here," he said. "Different world. Arrived... recently."

Her bow finally lowered completely. "Different world? Like... you're from outside the game too?"

A zombie groaned nearby. The player spun, bow raising again, but one of his spines cut through the air and embedded itself in the undead before it could reach her. The zombie burst into experience orbs and rotten flesh.

"Thanks." She stepped away from the floating items. "I'm Sarah. Or at least, that was my name before I got trapped here. Now everyone calls me IronMiner_217." She shrugged. "Not very creative with usernames."

"No name," he rumbled. "Never needed one."

"Well, No Name, want to explain why you're after diamonds? Because I'm looking for them too, and maybe we can help each other out. Safety in numbers down here."

He tilted his head. The offer made sense. She probably knew this world's rules better than he did, despite the remnant memories. And she hadn't shot him when she had the chance.

"Want diamonds," he growled, "to enhance claws." He waved them in the air. "Make them stronger."

IronMiner_217 leaned against a stone block. "Enhance them? Like enchanting?" She shook her cubic head. "Never mind, we can talk while we mine. There's usually more diamonds in these deep areas."

She pulled out a stone block and placed it beneath her feet, using it to reach the diamond ore. An enchanted diamond pickaxe appeared in her square hand. The ore broke quickly under the tool's strikes, shrinking into collectible items.

"So what's your story?" she asked, storing the diamonds in her inventory. "You said you're from another world?"

"Yes." He moved to the next vein of diamonds, collecting them as well against his scales in their miniature form. "Arrived here... recently. Everything different. Cubic."

"Tell me about it." She laughed, but the sound held little humor. "One day I'm playing Minecraft on my computer, next thing I know I'm actually inside the game. Woke up in a village with a bunch of other players. All of us trapped in these blocky bodies."

A creeper's hiss disturbed them. The Zerg spun and launched another spine. The green mob flashed red and disappeared before it could explode.

"Nice shot." IronMiner_217 mined another diamond. "We've got whole communities now. Players working together to survive. Some try to find a way back home, others have just... accepted this as their new reality."

"How many?"

"In our region? Maybe three hundred players spread across different settlements. I'm from New Haven - it's built into a mountain about two thousand blocks from here." She paused. "The bigger cities have thousands. But travel between them can be dangerous without proper gear, especially with the rare modded mobs…"

The mention of proper gear sparked more remnant memories. Enchanted armor. Potions. Methods of improving tools and weapons beyond their base capabilities.

"You live alone?" he asked.

"Nah, came down here with my mining team. We split up to cover more ground." She checked her coordinates. "They're probably a couple hundred blocks east of us."

More diamond ore sparkled in the wall ahead. The blue glow in his eyes brightened slightly.

"More players mean more questions," he rumbled.

"Yeah, they'll definitely freak out when they see you." She grinned. "But don't worry. After eight months here, we've seen some weird stuff. As long as you don't try to eat anyone, they'll probably accept you."

A skeletal skull reached through a gap in the wall. IronMiner_217 casually shot an arrow through its skull, and the mob collapsed into items.

"Nice bow," the Zerg said, the words coming easier now. The remnant memories helped shape the sounds more naturally.

"Thanks. I got lucky with one of the enchantments." IronMiner_217 examined her weapon. "Power II and Infinity. Never runs out of arrows."

A distant explosion echoed through the caves. IronMiner_217 pulled out a map, checking the red dots that marked her teammates' positions.

"That came from near Jason's location." She stuffed the map away. "Probably just a creeper, but we should check."

The tunnel branched ahead. One path led upward, while the other went toward bedrock. More diamond ore glinted in the lower passage.

"Your friends first," the Zerg rumbled. "Diamonds can wait."

They took the ascending path. IronMiner_217 placed torches every few blocks, keeping the light level above seven. The Zerg's night vision made the torches unnecessary for him, but he understood why humans needed them.

"So what should I call you?" she asked as they climbed. "Can't just keep saying 'hey you' all the time."

He considered this. Names held meaning to humans. Humans used them to form connections and build trust. What name should he use? Just 'Primal Zerg' felt inaccurate since that was just his species. Maybe he could use the name of the human from whom he got the Dimensional Travel Node (DTN)?

"Adrian," he said. "That is who I am."

"Adrian it is then." She stopped at an intersection. "Jason should be... wait, you hear that?"

Multiple zombies groaned ahead, and he could hear the skittering of multiple spiders.

"Jason!" IronMiner_217 called out. "Where are you?"

"Over here!" A male voice yelled back. "Cave spider nest! Could use some help!"

"This way." Adrian moved toward the sounds, his claws finding purchase on the stone blocks as he climbed. The tunnel opened into a larger cavern where wooden support beams supported an abandoned mineshaft.

A player in diamond armor swung his sword at three cave spiders while two zombies approached from behind. Cobwebs covered the floor and walls, slowing movement. More spiders appeared out of thin air from a spawner block tucked between support beams.

IronMiner_217 fired arrows at the zombies. The enchanted bow made quick work of them, but more spiders kept spawning.

"The spawner!" Jason yelled, backing away from a spider. "Break the spawner!"

Adrian ran forward. The cobwebs that slowed players had little effect on him, his greater speed meant he could navigate the sticky blocks efficiently. He reached the spawner and struck it with his claws.

The block cracked but didn't break. Cave spiders swarmed toward him. He spun, tail sweeping two away while his claws caught a third. The spiders were fast but predictable in their movements. Each one followed the same attack pattern - jump, bite, retreat.

"What is that thing?" Jason shouted between sword swings.

"Friend!" IronMiner_217 answered. "Adrian, the spawner needs more hits!"

Adrian struck the spawner again. More cracks appeared. A spider landed on his back, fangs seeking purchase between his scales. He rolled, crushing it against the stone floor. The spider burst into string and spider eyes.

The spawner broke after six more claw strikes, disappearing in a puff of particles. Without new spiders spawning, they could focus on the remaining ones. Jason's sword cut through two while IronMiner_217's arrows found their marks. Adrian's claws eliminated the rest.

"That's the last one." Jason leaned against a support beam, pulling out bread from his inventory to restore his health. "Now, anyone want to explain why we're working with a... whatever that is?"

"Adrian," IronMiner_217 said. "He's from another world. Like us, sort of."

Jason studied Adrian through his diamond helmet. "Another world? You mean like Earth?"

"No," Adrian said. "It's a different place. Called Zerus."

"It talks!" Jason stepped back. "Sarah, are you sure about this? Remember what happened with those 'friendly' pillagers?"

"He saved my life from a creeper," IronMiner_217 said. "And just helped clear this spider nest. I'd say he's earned some trust."

More groans from deeper in the mineshaft interrupted their discussion. The spawner might be gone, but abandoned mineshafts always contained multiple monster spawning points.

"Where's Marcus?" IronMiner_217 asked.

"We split up when I found the diamonds." Jason pointed down a side tunnel. "He went to check out some redstone deposits."

"How long ago?" Adrian asked. The words came easier now, less growl and more speech.

"Maybe twenty minutes?" Jason pulled out his map. "He should be right... huh." He tapped the map. "No marker. His signal's gone."

IronMiner_217 grabbed the map. "That's impossible. These maps have that modded enchantment. They only stop tracking if someone..." She didn't finish the sentence.

"Dies," Jason said. "Or loses connection to the server. But we know that's not the case…"

Adrian sniffed the air. The cubic environment made scents behave differently, but he could still detect traces of redstone dust. "I can track him."

"You can smell him?" Jason asked.

"The redstone. Fresh marks where he mined." Adrian moved toward the side tunnel. "This way."

The tunnel descended sharply. Water dripped from the ceiling in perfect columns, spreading across the stone floor. Redstone dust glowed on the ground, marking a clear trail.

"Marcus!" IronMiner_217 called out. "Can you hear us?"

No response. Just the bubble of lava somewhere below and the endless drip of water.

"Look." Jason pointed at broken blocks. "Signs of mining, but..." He picked up a dropped miniature iron pickaxe. "He wouldn't leave this behind."

Adrian examined the walls. Holes showed where redstone had been mined, but not everything had been taken. A two-block wide hole gaped in the floor.

"He fell?" IronMiner_217 peered down the hole.

Jason readied his sword. "Sarah, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yes." IronMiner_217 nocked an arrow. "Those players we banned from New Haven? The ones who kept stealing?"

"Raiders." Jason spat the word. "They've been getting bolder lately."

Adrian stuck his head through the hole. The shaft dropped straight down into darkness. His night vision revealed more broken blocks and scattered redstone dust.

"I'll go first," he said. "My scales can take more damage from falling."

"Wait." IronMiner_217 pulled water buckets from her inventory. "We'll make a water elevator. Safer that way."

She poured water down the hole. The liquid formed a perfect column that would slow their descent. Jason went first, then IronMiner_217. Adrian followed, his body sliding smoothly through the water stream.

They were now in a larger cavern. More mineshaft supports criss-crossed the space, and rails ran along the floor in different directions.

The ground rumbled.

Jason picked up a scattered iron ingot from the ground. "Marcus's stuff is everywhere. But where's-"

The floor blew up twenty blocks away. A massive cubic worm burst through the stone, segments of its body covered in what looked like wooden planks and cobwebs. The creature's head split into four parts, revealing grinding mandibles that processed blocks into different resources.

"What is that?" IronMiner_217 fired an arrow. The projectile bounced off the creature's armored hide.

"Run!" Jason grabbed her arm. "That's an Architect Leviathan! The admins warned us about these back when we were in the real world!"

The worm slammed into the ceiling, depositing fresh support beams from specialized glands. Rails sprouted from its underside as it moved, laying down track.

Adrian launched three spines at the creature's exposed segments. Two bounced off minecart plating after penetrating through multiple blocks, but one penetrated deep into its flesh, causing it to flash red. The Leviathan roared in pain.

"My arrows aren't doing anything!" IronMiner_217 backed away. "The mod creator made these things nearly invulnerable!"

Jason charged forward, diamond sword glowing with enchantments. The blade struck the worm's hide, leaving a small red damage indicator. The Leviathan responded by slamming Jason into a wall. His health dropped to half.

Adrian circled around, looking for weak points. The creature moved in straight lines, creating perfect tunnels as it went. Each segment produced different materials - wood, rails, support beams. The head contained the grinding mechanism.

"The joints!" He called out. "Attack between segments!"

IronMiner_217 adjusted her aim, arrows finding gaps in the plating. The Leviathan shrieked.

Jason recovered, eating golden apples to restore health. "We need to get some space! The underbelly might be weaker!"

The worm dove into the floor again. The ground shook as it moved beneath them, creating new tunnel systems. Adrian tracked its movement through vibrations in the stone.

"There!" He shoved IronMiner_217 aside as the Leviathan burst up through the floor. His claws raked across its side, tearing free a wooden plate.

The massive worm sprayed hardening resin from its mouth. The liquid turned to cobwebs, trapping Jason. His health ticked down as he struggled to break free.

"Sarah!" Jason called out. "Use the TNT!"

IronMiner_217 pulled TNT blocks from her inventory, placing them near the Leviathan's path. The worm's predictable movement meant it would pass right over them.

Adrian had four spines left. He launched two at the TNT as the creature approached. The explosions rocked the cavern, breaking the Leviathan's momentum.

The worm thrashed, mandibles grinding random blocks. Its armored segments showed cracks from the blast. Jason finally broke free from the cobwebs.

"The head!" Adrian launched another spine into the creature's grinding mouth. "While it's stunned!"

ronMiner_217 fired arrows into the same spot. Jason's sword found gaps in the damaged plating. The Leviathan's health dropped steadily.

But it wasn't enough. The creature recovered, body coiling to strike. Jason was nearly dead, and out of healing items. IronMiner_217 wasn't of much use. The worm lunged forward, mandibles open to grind them into resources.

Adrian's last spine flew true, striking deep into the exposed mouth. The Leviathan froze. Red damage particles erupted from its body. The massive form shuddered, then burst into items.

Wooden planks, rails, cobwebs, and various ores scattered across the floor. Among them lay Marcus's diamond armor and tools, along with half a stack of redstone dust.

"That's why we couldn't find a body," Jason said quietly, collecting his friend's items. "The Leviathan processed him into resources."

IronMiner_217 leaned against a wall, drinking healing potions. "I've never seen one up close before. They usually stay in the deep caves, building these tunnel networks."

"Now I understand why the mineshafts exist," Adrian muttered, remembering the confusion from the original Adrian in the remnant memories. "These creatures create them naturally."

"Yeah." Jason stored Marcus's items in his inventory. "The mod creator wanted to explain Minecraft's abandoned mineshafts. Didn't expect the monsters to be so deadly when the game became real."

Adrian examined the Leviathan's drops. His eyes widened slightly when he spotted a dark-brown round item he didn't recognize. Glancing at his new allies, he quickly gulped it down when they weren't looking.

"We should head back," IronMiner_217 said. "The council needs to know these things are coming closer to the settlement."

"What about the diamonds?" Jason asked. "We barely filled half our quota."

"I can help," Adrian offered. "I still need some for myself anyway."

IronMiner_217 smiled. "Thanks. But first we need more healing potions. That fight took everything we had. It's just too bad that Marcus died, he will have to wait a month to respawn."