System Overload Read online

  Why am I always in the position of being responsible for so many lives? Gameknight thought. I think Cobbler is wrong. Bag luck doesn’t follow him; it follows me, like a vulture.

  With a sigh, he left the zombie-town and ran through the crevasse. When he reached the tunnel, Gameknight peered back at the dark passages and shuddered. He could feel the vultures circling around his courage, getting ready to strike.

  CHAPTER 16

  WATERFALL

  The NPC army, now three times its original size, approached the waterfall with the newly-risen sun shining down upon them. Everyone had waited at Cobbler’s village while Crafter brought the rest of the army. But when he returned through the minecart network, more villagers joined their forces. Every NPC that had heard about the captured villagers was concerned and wanted to help bring them back. Now, with the additional warriors, Gameknight was starting to feel like maybe they had a chance.

  “Remember, everyone: stick to the plan when we get into the zombie-town,” Gameknight said as he addressed the troops. “Our goal is to locate the villagers, get them out safely, and figure out what the zombies are doing. What we don’t want to do is get caught in the zombies’ cave and have to fight it out with them. It’s likely we’ll still be outnumbered, and they’ll have the advantage of defending their own turf. So we go in quick and quiet.”

  The warriors all nodded their square heads.

  “Let’s go,” he said, then turned and headed down the hill that led to the waterfall.

  As he drew closer, the roar of the falling water grew louder and louder. Looking up, Gameknight could see it coming down off a cliff high overhead. Sheer walls of stone and dirt rose up on either side, their faces far too steep to climb. Pausing for a moment, the User-that-is-not-a-user surveyed the surroundings.

  “How will we get through that waterfall?” Stitcher asked. “The water looks like it’s moving pretty fast.”

  “I have an idea,” Hunter said. “Maybe we jump off the cliff and ride the waterfall on the way down, then shoot through an opening in the wall.”

  “But how will we know where the opening is located?” Crafter asked.

  “I didn’t say it was a good idea,” she replied.

  “We could swim upstream and try to swim up the waterfall,” Digger suggested.

  “No, that would probably scatter the army,” Crafter said.

  Gameknight stared at the terrain, looking for a way through the thundering waterfall. He scanned the river banks, and the sheer cliffs, and the …

  “Wait a minute,” Gameknight said.

  He moved to the closest wall and looked down. A series of stone blocks were placed haphazardly along the waterline at its base. From far away, it just looked like part of the wall, but up close, he could see that it looked like a path, with pieces either missing or purposely left out to ensure it wouldn’t be easily seen.

  “What are you staring at?” Hunter asked. “Admiring your reflection in the water agai—ouch!”

  “Be nice, or you’ll get another,” Stitcher said, her hand still balled into a fist.

  Gameknight didn’t pay them any mind; his thoughts were still focused on the blocks before him. He stepped out onto one, then the next, and the next. With a careful leap, he flew over an exposed section, landing deftly on the block on the other side of the gap.

  Glancing over his shoulder, Gameknight found the others following him, suddenly noticing the camouflaged path in front of them. Giving them a nod, he continued working his away across until he was inches away from the falling torrent of water.

  “What now?” Hunter asked.

  “I think we need to go through,” Gameknight replied.

  “Are you sure the path continues?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure of anything, but if we’re going to get the villagers back, we have no choice,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “If I make it through, I’ll shoot an arrow out and you’ll know it’s safe.”

  “Better you testing this out than me,” Hunter said sarcastically, but gave him a concerned look.

  He flashed her a smile, held his breath, and stepped into the watery flow. Instantly, his vision was filled with blue. The narrow ledge continued along the edge of the sheer wall, and after three blocks, he was out of the water and found himself in a dark cave.

  Standing motionless, Gameknight listened for monsters, but the only sound was the roar of the waterfall. He placed a torch on the ground, lighting up the opening. Before him was a massive tunnel burrowing its way into the mountain, angling downward into darkness.

  Pulling out his bow, he notched an arrow and fired it through the water. He could barely see it as it passed through the liquid. A moment later, Hunter stepped through with the rest of the army following close behind.

  “It looks like you survived after all,” Hunter said with a smile.

  “Yep,” Gameknight replied, then turned and faced the cavernous opening.

  He could just imagine the monsters that were down there, hiding in the shadows. It made him shudder, but he gathered his courage and took a step forward into the passage.

  “Come on, everyone,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said as he walked. “Let’s do this as quietly as possible. Remember, our goal is to save the villagers, not to start a massive battle.”

  The army followed him into the darkness. His enchanted armor cast enough light for him to see the ground just a few blocks ahead. Someone toward the rear placed a torch on the wall, casting a yellow circle of light on the ground, but Gameknight, being in the front, quickly walked out of the glowing patch and into darkness again.

  As they progressed, they passed multiple tunnels that intersected and went off in different directions. At each one, Gameknight would stop for a moment and have one of the wolves investigate. If they caught the scent of zombie, Gameknight would hear a soft growl. If there was no scent, the wolf quickly returned. It was slow going, but they needed to make sure they were still on the right path.

  “I wish we still had that zombie with us from the crevasse,” Stitcher said. “It could probably have led us right where we needed to go.”

  “Yeah, but maybe it would have led us into a trap,” Hunter added.

  “Hunter is right,” Crafter added. “I’m not certain the zombie led us to the crevasse because it was afraid. I think it was trying to trick us. There is something going on here that we still don’t understand.”

  “Well, I understand what’s happening,” Cobbler said. “It was my bad luck that made the zombies attack my village, and look at me now. I’m wet, and my family and friends are missing, and I’m all alone; I have no one.”

  The shoemaker sighed and lowered his head.

  “You need to look around you, Cobbler,” Digger said. “You aren’t alone. You’re completely surrounded by friends and people who care about you.”

  “Well … my village was destroyed. If I didn’t have bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all.”

  “You think you’re unlucky?” Hunter snapped, her voice becoming agitated. “You survived an attack that captured or destroyed your entire village. I’d say that was pretty lucky.”

  “Cobbler, you are a bright boy and seem like you have a good block on your shoulders,” Crafter said. “But as I’ve said to others recently—” he glanced at the User-that-is-not-a-user “—we can control how we feel by what we think. I guarantee you, if you keep on with the negative talk, then it will only make you depressed and make it more difficult for you to succeed. On the other hand, if you adopt a positive attitude and actively force yourself to say something about the good around you, then you’ll be happier and feel braver. Now, which one of those things do you think will help you the most: being depressed, or being happy and brave?”

  “I don’t know,” Cobbler mumbled as he looked sheepishly at the ground.

  Hunter walked up behind the boy and banged her bow on the top of his iron helmet. It rang out like a gong, causing the boy to snap out of his funk.

  �
��Wake up and use your head,” she said firmly. “A wise NPC is telling you something important.” She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. “Listen to him, or I’ll bonk you on the head again.”

  Cobbler glared at her, then turned and faced Crafter.

  “I guess being happy and brave would help more,” the young NPC said in a meek voice.

  “You don’t need to convince me, Cobbler. You need to convince yourself,” Crafter said, glancing at Gameknight with an inquisitive look, his eyes locked on the User-that-is-not-a-user. “Positive thoughts will drive you to success, but negative ones will only cause your ruin. You understand?”

  Gameknight felt like he was expected to speak up, but before he could say anything, Cobbler replied.

  “I get it, Crafter, I really do. It’s just that it can be hard sometimes.”

  “No one said this is easy,” Crafter said. “But it is a choice, and it’s all up to you. Think of your life as a boat traveling on a journey, and you are the captain of the ship. You get to steer it anywhere you want. You can go toward the beautiful sunset, or you can go over a cliff … it’s your choice. You are the captain of the boat: the boat of your life.” He stepped up to Cobbler and spoke in his ear, just loud enough for Gameknight999 to hear. “Choose,” he said, then glanced at the User-that-is-not-a-user one more time.

  Gameknight nodded, then stared down into the dark passage. He knew Crafter was talking to him just as much as he was to Cobbler. Deep down in his soul, he knew that it was all true, but sometimes Gameknight had a hard time believing it.

  It’s difficult staying positive when so many negative things happen, Gameknight thought bitterly.

  Suddenly, something white and furry darted past him, then another and another. Gameknight glanced over his shoulder and saw Herder looking at him, a huge smile on the young boy’s face.

  “They will scout ahead,” the lanky boy said.

  Gameknight nodded, then continued forward. With the wolves out in front, he felt more comfortable moving faster. Shifting from a walk to a run, he moved through the large tunnel as it sloped downward, going deeper and deeper underground. Occasionally, they came upon water that flowed across the tunnel. These tiny streams were quickly plugged with a block of cobblestone or dirt. But when they came across flows of lava, Gameknight999 had to be very careful. Swimming in lava was never a good idea in Minecraft.

  Suddenly, a whimpering sound echoed off the walls in front of them and filled the passage. Gameknight cast Herder a glance, and the young boy smiled.

  “Sounds like they found them,” Herder said.

  With a torch outstretched before him, the User-that-is-not-a-user sprinted through the passage. The whimpering sound became louder and louder as he neared. Soon, the wolves materialized out of the darkness as the circle of light from his torch bathed their white bodies. The animals were all facing to the side, looking straight at the wall of the tunnel, each of their tails sticking straight out. One of them glanced at Gameknight999, and he could see its eyes were blood-red; the wolves were angry and ready for battle.

  Moving up to the wall, he placed the torch on the ground. It threw yellow rays of light in all directions, illuminating what was before him. Gameknight could see the material was cobblestone instead of stone, like someone had been here before. Stepping up to the wall, he placed his ear against the stone, but couldn’t hear anything from the other side. Turning, the User-that-is-not-a-user glanced at Digger and nodded his square head.

  The big NPC stepped forward with his pickaxe in his hands. With three quick swings, he shattered the block of cobblestone, then crushed the one beneath it. A stale smell wafted out from the hole he’d created, as if it had been trapped on the other side for a long, long time. Instantly, the wolves began to growl as the scent hit their nostrils.

  “Zombies,” Herder whispered, recognizing it.

  Gameknight nodded in agreement.

  “Everyone ready?” he asked.

  The villagers all nodded, and while their eyes were filled with uncertainty and fear, the looks on their faces said they all had faith in his ability to see them through the battle.

  I wish I had that much faith in myself, Gameknight thought, then stepped into the tunnel.

  CHAPTER 17

  HERDER

  Gameknight ran through the dark passage, letting the iridescent glow of his enchanted armor light the way. With his diamond sword in his right hand and iron sword in his left, he charged forward, ready for battle. Fear pulsed through his veins with every heartbeat.

  I wonder if the legendary Smithy of the Two-Swords had ever visited this ancient zombie-town during the Great Zombie Invasion, Gameknight thought for some reason. But then the smell of decaying flesh assaulted his nostrils and focused his attention back to the moment. How many zombies would they find ahead? Were the villager captives still alive? What was Xa-Tul up to? These questions and many more echoed through his mind as he progressed.

  Suddenly, the tunnel opened up into the massive cavern that made up this ancient zombie-town. It was a gigantic cave whose width likely exceeded a hundred blocks, with a ceiling that was probably thirty blocks high, if not more. At the center of the cavern was a hill that rose a dozen blocks into the air. A dark obsidian platform sat on the top of the mound. The floor of the chamber was covered with craters, like a scene from a World War I movie. Gameknight felt as if he was about to step into no-man’s land.

  All along the perimeter of the cavern were tunnel entrances, all of them leading out to unknown places. Each one looked dark and empty, as if they hadn’t been used in centuries.

  The cavern was lit with a faint green glow: light from the many sparkling HP fountains that dotted the cavern floor. It gave the area a sort of alien appearance.

  The cavern was completely silent, save the few bats that flittered and squeaked along the rocky ceiling. In fact, it was so quiet that Gameknight could hear the splash of the HP fountains; they sounded like someone sprinkling the tiniest of gems on a piece of glass. The sound was soothing, but the silence of the cavern was not. It reminded Gameknight of that moment just before the big drop on a roller coaster. He realized he was accidentally holding his breath, and slowly exhaled.

  “Where are all the zombies?” Stitcher asked.

  “Maybe they heard we were coming and ran away,” Hunter said, sarcastically.

  “Not likely,” Digger replied.

  “We need to look for clues,” Gameknight said. “Break up into three groups. I’ll lead one straight ahead. Digger will take the second group to the right, Crafter to the left. Everyone keep your eyes open. If you find anything, let the others know. We meet back here in five minutes. Go!”

  Gameknight ran forward, then jumped into the bottom of a crater and quickly climbed up the other side. As he ran, he glanced around him. He could see Crafter and Hunter leading a large group along the perimeter of the cave, while Digger and Stitcher led another group to the right. Periodically, they disappeared as they moved down into one of the many craters that covered the floor.

  Suddenly, he felt something brush past him. Herder appeared by his side as his wolves ran forward to scout the top of that obsidian-capped hill.

  “Don’t worry, Gameknight,” the lanky boy said. “We’ll find the villagers. I have faith in you.”

  Gameknight reached the top of the hill and stood on the obsidian platform. Before him, he could see the tunnel that led to the portal room. It glowed with a strange flickering radiance that seemed to shift back and forth from green to purple to a sickly yellow. He was surprised there were no zombies guarding the entrance. They had gone out of their way to destroy the green portal in the last ancient zombie-town, yet they left this one unguarded. It made no sense.

  “Gameknight … over here!” Crafter shouted.

  “Go check out the portal room, but keep your eyes peeled for danger,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said to Herder and the other warriors.

  Herder nodded his head, his long black hair falling
across his square face. He wiped the strands away, then flashed him a smile.

  “Wolves … forward,” he said in a commanding voice, then ran down the hill to the portal room, the rest of the warriors following close behind.

  Gameknight watched them leave and felt a sense of pride watching Herder. The boy had grown so much since he had first met him that night when the warriors had been bullying him. Now, he was leading a group of warriors across a zombie-town with confidence and strength. Gameknight sometimes wished he had half of the boy’s courage.

  Turning, the User-that-is-not-a-user sprinted down the hill and around the many craters that covered the ground until he reached Crafter’s side.

  “Look,” the young leader said.

  Gameknight stared down and saw a pickaxe floating on the ground in front of them, but nothing else.

  “You think this was someone’s inventory, and they died here?” Hunter asked.

  “No, there would have been other items here if that happened,” Crafter said.

  “This was left on purpose, as a signal to us,” Gameknight said.

  “Or maybe a warning,” Hunter added.

  “And look at the ground in this tunnel over here,” Crafter said.

  He pulled out a torch and moved to a passageway that pierced the side of the huge cavern. Kneeling, he placed his torch on the ground and examined the stone floor.

  “You see these scratches?” Crafter asked.

  Gameknight knelt and peered at the ground. He could see tiny marks across the faces of the stone blocks.

  “Something with claws on their feet walked across this stone, recently,” Crafter said. “Notice there is no dust in the tiny crevasses.”

  “Zombies,” Gameknight999 hissed.

  Crafter nodded his head, then stood.

  “They were here recently,” the young NPC said.

  “So where are they now?” Hunter asked.