Invasion of the Overworld Read online

  Also by Mark Cheverton

  The Gameknight999 Series

  Invasion of the Overworld

  Battle for the Nether

  The Algae Voices of Azule Series

  Algae Voices of Azule

  Finding the Lost

  AN UNOFFICIAL NOVEL

  BOOK ONE IN THE

  GAMEKNIGHT999 SERIES

  AN UNOFFICIAL MINECRAFTER’S ADVENTURE

  MARK CHEVERTON

  SKY PONY PRESS

  NEW YORK

  This book is not authorized or sponsored by Mojang AB, Notch Development AB or Scholastic Inc., or any other person or entity owning or controlling rights in the Minecraft name, trademark or copyrights.

  Copyright © 2013 by Mark Cheverton

  First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2014.

  Minecraft ® is a registered trademark of Notch Development AB

  The Minecraft game is copyright © Mojang AB

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Sky Pony Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

  Sky Pony Press books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Sky Pony Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [email protected].

  Sky Pony® is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ®, a Delaware corporation.

  Visit our website at www.skyponypress.com.

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  Cover design by Owen Corrigan

  Cover artwork by JiaSen (jiasen.deviantart.com)

  Technical consultant—Gameknight999

  Print ISBN: 978-1-63220-711-1

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-713-5

  Printed in the United States of America

  All of the characteristics of Gameknight999 in the story are completely fabricated and do not represent the real Gameknight999, who is the opposite of his character in the book and is an awesome, caring individual.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I want to thank all of my friends and family that have supported me through this venture: to Geraldine, whose constant support and excitement for this book kept me going; to Gameknight999, who forced me to try Minecraft and inspired the writing of this book; to Chad, who was always helpful and supportive, and was an always energetic sounding board; and my wonderful wife, whose confidence in me kept me going when the road became rough and my motivation waned. And especially, thank you to all the readers who have reached out to me. Your thoughtful comments motivate me to work harder so that the next book is even better than the last.

  “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains immortal.”

  —Albert Pine

  WHAT IS MINECRAFT?

  M

  inecraft is a sandbox game that gives the user the ability to build amazing structures out of textured cubes with various materials to choose from: stone, dirt, sand, sandstone . . . Normal rules of physics don’t apply because it’s possible to build structures in Creative mode that defy gravity or have no visible means of support.

  The creative opportunity that this program offers users is incredible, with people building entire cities, cliff hanging civilizations, and even cities in the clouds; the real game, however, is played in Survival mode. In this setting, users are dropped into a blocky world with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Knowing that night is fast approaching, users must gather resources: wood, stone, iron, etc., in order to craft tools and weapons so that they can protect themselves when the monsters come; nighttime is monster time.

  To find resources, the player must create mines, digging deep into the flesh of Minecraft in hopes of finding coal and iron, both necessities in order to make the metal weapons and armor that are essential to survival. As they dig, the users will encounter caverns, lava filled chambers, and possibly the rare abandoned mine or dungeon, where treasures wait to be discovered; but with passageways and chambers patrolled by monsters (zombies, skeletons, and spiders) waiting to snare the unwary.

  Though the land is filled with monsters, the user is not alone. Vast servers exist where hundreds of users play the game, all sharing space and resources along with other creatures in Minecraft. Villages dot the surface of the game, with NPCs (non-player characters) populating these small cities. The villagers scurry about the village doing whatever villagers do, with chests of treasure, sometimes great, sometimes insignificant, hidden within their dwellings. By talking with these NPCs, it’s possible for users to trade items to get rare gems or materials for potions, as well as obtain the occasional bow or sword.

  This game is an incredible platform through which people can design machines (powered by redstone, much like electrical circuits), unique games, custom maps, and PvP (player vs. player) arenas. Minecraft is a game filled with exciting creativity, spine tingling battles, and terrifying creatures. It’s a rollercoaster ride through a land of adventure and suspense, filled with uplifting victories and bitter defeats; enjoy the ride.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  I’

  ve come to love playing Minecraft with my son. I didn’t get here easily though, in fact my son had to drag me there kicking and screaming. But now . . . I love it.

  You see, he saw a video about Minecraft on YouTube and of course said he had to have it. Over the next month, he was persistent in reminding my wife and me that Minecraft was great and that he couldn’t live without it.

  So finally, we caved and bought Minecraft. He selected his user name, Gameknight999, and off he went. At first, he played it on his own, but soon he was calling us into our office so that he could show us what he created . . . and it was pretty amazing. He had built a gigantic castle, and then an obstacle course with moving parts, and then an underground village . . . his creations blew us away. As an engineer, anything that offers me a chance to build something sounds instantly intriguing. So I sat there with my son and let him teach me how to play Minecraft. In no time at all, I bought a license for me to use, Monkeypants271 being my user name, and off we went into the digital realm together, building towers, fighting with zombies, and dodging creepers.

  He loved playing Minecraft so much that we bought a server for him the next Christmas. He spent months building things on his server: castles, bridges, underwater cities, factories, everything and anything his imagination could conceive. Next he brought in his friends from school to build some really gigantic structures. Of course I helped too, partially to monitor what was going on, but also because I’m a big geek and like playing the game. I was overwhelmed with how proud he was about his creations. He made videos showing off his creations and posted them on YouTube. Well, one day, some other kids were able to get onto the server, probably because my son or one of his friends gave out the IP address. These new kids destroyed everything that he’d built, griefed everything until only a crater was left. They leveled everything to the ground, obliterating months of work. The next time my son logged on, he saw his creations destroyed and was crushed. Then to make matters worse, these kids posted the video of their griefing his server on YouTube.

  This was the ultimate “teachable moment,” to talk about cyber-bullying. I tried to answer my son’s questions about why someone would do this, what kind of person would take pride in destroying someone else’s creation, but my answers just fell flat. That was when I came u
p with the idea of teaching my son through his favorite thing—Minecraft. I wrote the first book called Invasion of the Overworld, and it taught kids about cyber-bullying and how it affects others as well as hammering away at the importance of friendships, using Minecraft as the tapestry on which the lesson was written.

  My son and I are still playing Minecraft together, and have built structures that appear in Battle for the Nether, the next book in the Gameknight999 series. Looking ahead, I’ve nearly finished writing book three, Confronting the Dragon, which follows Gameknight and his friends into The End. In addition, a fourth book, Trouble in Zombie-town, has been started and will see Gameknight999 facing a new Minecraft villain.

  Thank you to all the people who have emailed me through my website, www.markcheverton.com. I appreciate all the kind comments from both kids and parents. I try to reply to every email I receive, but apologize if I’ve missed anyone.

  Look for Gameknight999 and Monkeypants271 out there on the servers. Keep reading, be nice, and watch out for creepers.

  Mark Cheverton

  CHAPTER 1

  GAMEKNIGHT’S GAME

  T

  he gigantic spider approached his hiding place slowly, methodically, its multiple red eyes burning like angry coals at the heart of a smoldering fire. Gameknight999 knew it was coming but was not afraid; his iron armor would protect him. In fact, he wanted the spider to come closer, hoping he had the timing just right. Clicking sounds from the spider floated through the forest trees and reached his ears, getting louder as it neared. Then there were more sounds from its companion; two spiders were now tracking him. Leaning out to look around the trunk of the gnarled tree, he took a quick glance, seeing the arachnid pair searching for him, the monsters peering into dark hollows and leafy shrubs. Moving back behind the tree, Gameknight pulled out a torch and placed it on the ground, the yellow light casting a warm circle of illumination that would be seen by other users. After a few seconds, he dug up the torch with his diamond pickaxe and put it back into his inventory.

  That should hopefully attract some attention, he thought to himself.

  Drawing his sword, Gameknight started to run out into the open. The two spiders upon seeing him gave chase, and now the sound of a dim-witted zombie added to the voices of pursuit. Sprinting as fast as he could, Gameknight ran around trees and over hills, making sure that his angry friends were still close behind, the hounds still chasing the fox. Then he saw his prey in the distance; two of his own teammates were closing in on his position. Gameknight smiled in anticipation.

  Hey, Dreadlord24, Salz, I’m over here, Gameknight typed into chat, his message broadcast to everyone on the server. I need help.

  We’re coming, typed Dreadlord.

  Gameknight looked back and slowed, letting the monsters close the distance a little, the chatter from the spiders getting louder. Looking ahead, he could see that his teammates were right where he wanted them to be.

  Stay there, I’ll come to you, Gameknight typed.

  Continuing onward, he headed for his two unsuspecting saviors, sprinting in a wide zigzag pattern to give the zombie a chance to catch up; he needed all three of the monsters together for this troll to work. Once the zombie and spiders had caught up, Gameknight ran toward his companions. They were standing atop a hill devoid of trees, with the thick forest surrounding them on all sides. It kinda reminded him of his teacher, Mr. Jameson, his bald head poking out from a ring of hair at the sides.

  Moan . . . click-click-click.

  The monsters were getting a little too close; he had to pay attention or he’d spoil this troll. Focusing on the here and now, he sprinted up the hill, drawing the monsters with him, their hunger for destruction keeping them following obediently. Cresting the hill, Gameknight met his two teammates at the top and then kept running, the ravenous beasts still in tow.

  Gameknight, where are you going? Salz asked, confusion clearly voiced in his message. I thought you needed help.

  I was wrong, typed Gameknight, it was you who needed help.

  Just then, the monsters burst out of the trees and reached the top of the hill, instantly falling on the two players. The spiders both attacked Dreadlord while the zombie slashed out at Salz. These two players were relative noobs, with only leather armor and stone weapons; their lack of experience and foolish trust in Gameknight999 leading to their downfall. Black furry spider legs slashed out at Dreadlord, quickly shredding his armor, their clicking getting louder as they attacked. It almost sounded as if the creatures were excited at the thought of a kill. At the same time, the green arms of the zombie struck out at Salz, hammering him with devastating blows. Dreadlord’s armor failed first, followed by his HP (health points) dropping quickly to zero. Then he disappeared with a pop, his inventory left to bob and float above the ground. Their need for destruction not sated, the spiders then turned their burning eyes onto Salz. Still battling with the zombie, he never saw the spiders jump on him from behind. His HP went to zero quickly. Gameknight stopped to watch the battle, laughing behind his computer screen, a feeling of malicious satisfaction flowing over him. He loved trolling people, even his own teammates.

  You suck, Gameknight, Dreadlord typed from jail, the respawn point after your character died in this game of team PvP.

  Yeah, thanks a lot, Salz added.

  LOL, Gameknight replied then turned and headed back into the heart of the battle.

  Minecraft was probably his favorite thing to do. He spent hours down in his basement playing the game, increasing his inventory and prestige on various multiplayer servers, usually at the expense of others. Gameknight was twelve years old and not very big for his age, but in Minecraft that didn’t matter; all that did were armor, weapons, and a ruthless strategy that included sacrificing others to achieve his own aims.

  Thinking about these two idiots he’d just trolled and the countless others he’d done the same to in the past, Gameknight999 smiled. Pulling his attention back to the current game, he moved his character back into the fray, looking for more victims. He didn’t care which team they were on. There were still more tricks to play on the other players, and nobody was as good at it as him. He still had one great trick to play on all the users on this server, something that would make people remember the name “Gameknight999.”

  Running to the top of a small hill, he could see players in the distance hacking away at each other, their user names glowing white above their square, blocky heads. They were fighting near what looked like a lava river that had an intricately curved stone bridge spanning the molten canal; a work of art that must have taken someone hours to construct. The bridge led to a tall round tower built out of mossy cobblestone and grey stone blocks, the magnificent circular structure stretching up high into the air. At the top of the tower shown a bright white light, a diamond beacon casting a brilliant shaft of light straight up into the blue sky; the end goal of the game. Atop the tower sat a block of white wool, the finish line for the game. Whichever team climbed the tower first and took the fuzzy white block was the winner. From his view, Gameknight could see the players fighting at the end of the bridge, trying to gain control and cross over the lava to get to the tower. Both teams were evenly matched, with no players able to disengage from battle to cross the bridge without getting picked off by archers. That would soon change.

  Moving to a copse of trees that stood near the battlefield, Gameknight put away his sword and drew his bow. It shimmered an iridescent blue; the Punch II, Power IV, and Infinity enchantments made it the envy of many players. Scanning the area quickly to make sure there were no mobs nearby, he built a series of blocks beneath him, jumping upward as he placed each stone, raising himself up into the leafy canopy of the nearby trees. This would give him an excellent vantage point from which to fire his bow while still being able to crouch and hide behind the green, blocky tree limbs.

  Drawing an arrow back, he let it fly toward one of the opposition . . . someone named ChimneySlip. The arrow streaked away and sailed
through the air in a gentle curving arc, hitting him squarely in the back, his character flashing red, signifying the hit. Firing three more arrows, one after another, the deadly rain fell down on ChimneySlip, annihilating his armor and leaving his dark skin exposed. Firing one last arrow, Gameknight killed his prey with a chuckle, and then fired indiscriminately into a group of players, not caring whom he hit. Arrow after arrow streaked away from his bow, the string humming with each shot. Gameknight continued to pump the projectiles into the cluster of players, bringing down more and more of them.

  Who’s firing those arrows? a user named Kooter typed.

  Gameknight laughed and fired more arrows, crouching down between volleys so that he would not be seen, then popped up again and fired more lethal shafts, the letters of his name disappearing with every crouch.

  Watch who you’re shooting at, King_Creeperkiller typed in the chat. This is supposed to be a team game!

  Yeah, added Duncan, whoever that is, try being a team player and not a butthead.

  Whatever, Gameknight thought to himself.

  His arrows had thinned out the crowd so that there were only a few players on each team remaining, but many more complaints were coming from the jail, his name being cursed now by the players. Pulling out his pick, he dug the blocks out from under him. In seconds, he was at ground level again, sword drawn and on the run. Using the terrain to hide his approach, Gameknight closed the distance to the other players. As he neared, he could see that there were only three players on each team, really four on theirs, but Gameknight didn’t consider himself on anyone’s side . . . other than his own.

  The six players were fighting hand-to-hand with iron swords and iron armor, diamond being too rare on this server to attain—well, unless you cheated like Gameknight did. Using an X-ray mod, he’d been able to find diamonds relatively quickly and craft them into a complete set of armor and sword. Now it was time to reveal himself. Opening his inventory, Gameknight removed his iron chest plate, leggings, boots, and helmet and replaced them with a diamond set, the blue armor making him look as if he were covered with ice, his sword almost glowing in the darkness.