System Overload Read online

  “It’s here,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “Everyone get ready.”

  Stepping away from the wall, he scanned the area, looking for that one clue, and then he saw it: a single stone sticking oddly out from the flat partition. Moving to the lone block, Gameknight reached up and placed his hand on it. He then turned and glanced back at the huge collection of warriors that now filled the fiery, watery chamber.

  “We will not yield, we will not surrender and we will not give up,” Gameknight growled as he steeled himself for battle. “Remember the plan and stick to it, no matter what.” He eyed Hunter and flashed her a smile, then glared at the stone wall. “Here we go.”

  And then he pushed the block, causing the stone doors to slowly grind open.

  CHAPTER 30

  THE IMPOSSIBLE BATTLE BEGINS

  Gameknight charged into the tunnel as soon as the stone wall had slid open far enough to allow him to pass. He didn’t have to look behind to see if the others were following him or not. By the sounds of the thundering boots on the ground, Gameknight knew he was not alone.

  Suddenly, a zombie stepped into the tunnel. Before it could make a sound, Gameknight attacked with his dual swords. An expression of shock covered the decaying creature’s face as it realized who was attacking. But before the monster could utter a sound, the User-that-is-not-a-user took the last of its XP. It disappeared with a pop, leaving behind three glowing balls of XP and a piece of zombie flesh.

  They moved down to the end of the passage, and when they stared out upon the zombie-town, Gameknight was shocked at what he saw. The cave was bigger than anything he’d ever seen. A collection of houses dotted the edge of the cavern, each a different size and made of different materials. It seemed there were only a few dozen of the structures lining the edges of the huge cavern. Most of the cave was open space, with a cratered floor and HP fountains sparkling at the center. But there was a strange appearance to these homes. The blocky buildings seemed old and unkempt, as if they hadn’t been lived in for a long time.

  At the center of the chamber was a wide, flat area with eight HP fountains distributed in a circle. The glowing green embers shot up into the air like holiday fireworks, then sprayed down upon the monsters that stood eagerly under the flow. At the center of the circle stood a massive zombie. He wore chain mail that glittered in the light of the HP fountains, giving the impression that his armor was covered with the rarest of emeralds, and a golden crown of claws sat on his square head. There was no mistaking him for any other zombie: it was Xa-Tul.

  The zombie king was facing away from the invaders, staring down into the passage that led to the portal room. Out of the wide tunnel flowed what seemed like an endless parade of zombies, their numbers adding to the massive collection of monsters already gathered.

  As their numbers grew, Gameknight could feel Minecraft itself slightly shudder, like it was having difficulties accounting for so many creatures on a single server. To the side, he could see a group of NPCs digging away at one wall, slowly expanding the chamber to make room for the increasing number of monsters. Within the group of prisoners, Gameknight saw one NPC who was skinnier than the rest, a tangle of black hair hanging around his head and shoulders. It was Herder!

  The lanky NPC paused from his work momentarily, turned, and glanced up at the entrance. When Herder’s eyes met Gameknight’s, he smiled. The skinny boy pulled out a stone sword he’d kept hidden in his inventory.

  “It’s time to stop digging,” Herder shouted, “and start FIGHTING!”

  The other prisoners were shocked when Herder threw himself at the nearest zombie guard. Gameknight watched with pride as his friend slashed at the monster, dancing close to attack and then darting away to defend. The other prisoners cheered, then turned their pickaxes on their jailers, drawing the attention away from Gameknight and his villager army.

  “Come on, everyone, Herder is buying us a little time,” Gameknight said. “Everyone move quickly and quietly!”

  The User-that-is-not-a-user sprinted down the steps that led to the chamber floor, then ran along the edge of the cavern toward Herder and the other prisoners. Suddenly, a sorrowful moan filled the air, followed by an angry growl.

  “NPCs are invading!” a zombie voice cried. “It’s Gamekn—”

  The voice was lethally silenced by Hunter and Stitcher, but the partial alarm had done its job. Zombies from everywhere in the cavern moved toward the monstrous voice. Gameknight could see monsters shuffling between the few ramshackle houses that sat on the floor of the cave, their claws glistening in the green light of the HP fountains.

  One stepped out in front of him. The User-that-is-not-a-user slashed at it with his two swords, then ran past. He knew those behind him would finish it off. Right now, he didn’t care about fighting zombies. All he cared about was reaching his friend’s side.

  He curved around a house made of dirt, then another made of sandstone, until he emerged from the archaic structures and out into the open. Zombies growled when they saw him, but he didn’t care. In the distance, he could see Herder swinging his stone sword with all his might, pushing the zombies back from the other NPCs. The prisoners had formed a large arc, with their backs to the stone wall, but the zombies were trying to get around their flanks and surround them. If that happened, the monsters would have an unbeatable advantage.

  With every ounce of speed, Gameknight sprinted through the zombie rabble, pushing and kicking aside monsters with his swords and feet. With one great lunge, he shoved past the last of the monsters and reached Herder’s side.

  “Oh, hi, Gameknight,” Herder said casually, as if it were nothing to be by his friend’s side again.

  “Herder, look out!” Gameknight screamed.

  He grabbed the young boy and pulled him backward just as a golden sword swiped through the air, right where his head had been. The zombie growled as it glared at the User-that-is-not-a-user. Herder said something, but Gameknight didn’t hear. He’d already shifted into battle-mode, his mind and body acting only on instinct. But instead of charging out into the mass of zombie bodies, he drew his enchanted bow, then placed blocks of stone under him until he stood far above the claws of the zombies. Firing as fast as he could, Gameknight999 launched flaming arrows into the crowd of monsters, attacking those nearest the prisoners. He didn’t even feel as if he were aiming. His body just worked automatically, picking out the monsters that were the gravest threats and firing three quick shots to eliminate each one.

  One of the monsters tried to claw his way up the pile of stone on which Gameknight stood, but Herder was there to finish off the monster. His stone sword flashed across the zombie in a blur of precision and strength. The User-that-is-not-a-user smiled as he watched the young boy take on monsters twice his size without the slightest hesitation.

  Suddenly, more arrows fell down upon the monsters as additional archer towers were constructed and filled with expert shots; the rest of the army had arrived. Swordsmen and swordswomen charged forward, pushing back the monsters as even more NPCs began building additional fortifications from which to fight. They built walls with high towers and holes in the walls from where the archers could fire.

  “Push forward!” Gameknight yelled, feeling the momentum swinging in their favor.

  The warriors advanced, pushing back the zombies as they attacked on the ground, while behind them, the archers fired over the tops of their heads at the monsters. Swords clashed against claws as the zombies tried to fight back, but the villagers knew they had one thing going for them … they knew defeat was not an option. They fought with a ferocity never seen before in Minecraft, and it scared the zombies. Those at the front had nowhere to go and quickly fell under the villagers’ insane onslaught. The zombies farther back saw how hopeless their situation was, and rather than advancing to meet the same fate as their fellow monsters, they fell back.

  “Finish the defenses!” Gameknight shouted as he leapt down from his perch and pulled out his dual swords. When the
other villagers saw his two swords, they cheered and pushed even harder, as if Smithy of the Two-Swords himself was fighting with them.

  Villagers at the rear finished the defenses, adding more stones to the wall and building additional archer towers. Narrow openings were left in the walls that would allow the defenders to get back in but would force the zombies into tight spaces if they followed, where they would be easy to pick off.

  The NPCs fought hard, giving their comrades time to complete the defenses.

  “Everyone, get behind the wall!” the User-that-is-not-a-user shouted when it was complete.

  The villagers turned and moved through the many openings, then spun around and attacked the monsters that pursued them. With villagers on both sides of the opening, they were able to fight two-against-one.

  “Ready for Zombie-Run!” Gameknight shouted as he stepped back and put away his sword. Hunter came down from her archer tower and stood behind him. Crafter moved next to them, with Stitcher at his side.

  “You ready?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked.

  They nodded their heads.

  “Then let’s do it!” Gameknight said.

  He moved up to an opening, then yelled at the top of his voice, “ZOMBIE-RUN!”

  Gameknight sprinted forward, with Hunter directly behind. Off to his left, he saw Crafter running between the zombies, Stitcher following him. When they were about five blocks from their defenses, Gameknight began placing blocks of TNT on the ground. Hunter lit them with flint and steel right after they touched the ground. Sprinting in a zigzag path, they placed a curving line of explosives amidst the monsters, each one blinking as soon as it was lit. They ran through the crowd of monsters, carving a circuitous path so as to reach as many of the approaching zombies as possible, then curved their way back to the wall. But when they reached their defenses, Gameknight was surprised to find that none of the blocks had exploded yet.

  “Seal the walls,” the User-that-is-not-a-user shouted.

  Climbing up to the top of the wall, he stared out at the battlefield. The blocks of TNT were blinking, and went solid white, just as they were supposed to right before exploding. But instead of blowing up … it was like time stopped. The blocks just froze there, glowing bright white as if the detonation process was somehow paused. Minecraft was glitching.

  “The server is starting to seriously lag,” Gameknight said. “We don’t have much time.”

  Suddenly, a huge wave of monsters flowed from the portal room and headed toward their position. It was easily another five hundred monsters. Now, an army nearly two thousand strong was charging toward the NPCs’ defenses, all of them growling and wailing at the top of their voices. Many of the zombies had reached the defensive walls and were pounding on the stone barricade with their sharp claws. Gameknight knew there was no way they could stave off this attack forever; they were outnumbered three to one. He glanced down at the warriors behind the fortifications. They all had expressions of defeat painted on their square faces. Zombie-Run had failed. Every one of them knew what was rushing toward them; none of them stood a chance of survival.

  “Seal the walls … fast,” Digger boomed.

  NPCs pulled out blocks of cobblestone, and quickly sealed any passage through the walls, leaving only holes for archers.

  The User-that-is-not-a-user searched the crowd for his friend. When he saw Crafter, he sighed as despair covered his square face.

  I failed, Gameknight thought as he watched the wave of fangs and claws about to crash down upon them.

  CHAPTER 31

  FRIENDS

  Suddenly, a sound began to echo through the chamber. At first, Gameknight thought it was the zombies moaning, but as he stared down at the monsters that surrounded their position, he saw that they had all stopped pounding on the stone and were gazing up at the entrance to zombie-town. The chamber was completely silent, the zombies frozen in their places as the sound grew. Gameknight turned and glanced down at the villagers. He found all of them with confused expressions on their faces, with the exception of Herder. The lanky boy had a huge smile on his face, the look of defeat gone from his eyes, replaced with confidence.

  “Herder, what is it?” Gameknight asked as the sound grew louder.

  Herder stared up at the User-that-is-not-a-user and smiled, then answered with a single word that the other villagers did not understand. But Gameknight knew exactly what he meant.

  “Friends.”

  Majestic howls filled the chamber. Gameknight turned and peered up at the entrance to the cave. A furry white tidal wave flowed out of the tunnel that pierced the perimeter of the zombie-town. Wolves by the hundreds charged down the steps and across the cavern floor. The proud animals ran so quickly that it was impossible to estimate how many there were, maybe five hundred, maybe a thousand. All Gameknight knew for sure was that it was the greatest sight he’d ever seen.

  The wolves smashed into the zombie army, their strong jaws snapping at arms and legs as they tore into their adversaries. They wove between the monsters, attacking the decaying creatures as they sped by. Running straight toward the rocky defenses, the wolves fell on the monsters that had begun to pound on the fortified wall again, eliminating the attackers almost instantly. Once the zombies on the front ranks had been destroyed, the wolves turned and charged toward the rest of the army that was quickly approaching.

  “Come on!” Herder shouted. “My friends need help. THIS ISN’T OVER!”

  Herder pulled out his sword, opened the wall, and then charged out into the zombie army with his stone sword flashing like lightning. The entire army cheered, then rallied behind the lanky NPC with renewed courage. Gameknight ran to his friend’s side and slashed at the monsters. Digger stepped forward with his two pickaxes. He swung them with such strength that any monster he hit just flew through the air, as if he had the Knockback V enchantment on his weapons.

  Archers mounted the stone walls and fired down upon the massive zombie army. Arrows were notched to bowstrings and fired as quickly as possible. With the number of monsters in the cavern, it was almost impossible for them to miss their targets. But as the zombies were wounded, they quickly retreated to the HP fountains where they regained their HP.

  “Focus on the closest monsters,” Gameknight said. “Pass the word.” The order was relayed as the warriors pushed forward.

  Hunter appeared on Herder’s left, her bow singing. Burning zombies danced about when struck by her arrows, but did not last long. She fired faster than Gameknight could swing his sword. Then Stitcher and Crafter joined them. The six friends stood shoulder to shoulder, refusing to yield any ground to the decaying monsters. The NPCs rallied, driving the monsters back even further. But as they fought, a menacing growl came from the center of the zombie-town. Gameknight glanced up and saw Xa-Tul glaring down at him, his massive golden broadsword in his clawed grip.

  “Your time is almost over, fool,” the zombie king growled. But instead of charging forward, the huge monster turned and ran for the portal chamber.

  “Push them back!” Gameknight yelled. “The zombie king is running away!”

  The NPCs cheered, and as villager and wolf fought shoulder to shoulder, they battled like their lives depended on it … which they did. Gameknight slashed at zombie after zombie, his dual swords tearing a huge path of destruction through the monster army. Between attacks, he glanced at the passage that led to the portal room.

  All of a sudden, a loud, sorrowful moan rose up from the dark passage. It was then joined by more and more voices until hundreds of zombies all wailed together, their sorrowful moans bringing chills of fear to the NPCs.

  Suddenly, the ground seemed to come alive with electricity. Tiny little sparks emerged from the cracks between blocks. At first, they were the smallest of things, like pale white fireflies on a warm summer evening flittering about on the ground. But then they became bigger … and angrier. The sparks grew into larger balls of electricity, zapping both monster and NPC alike.

  �
�Ouch!” Gameknight said as a thin tendril of lightning climbed up from the ground and found a patch of exposed skin under his armor.

  He reached down to rub his leg, then turned and looked at Crafter. The young NPC was scanning the surroundings, a look of shock and fear on his square face.

  The thin snakes of electricity began to merge together into thicker bolts that shot up at the ceiling of the cavern. The brilliant shafts of energy struck the stone roof with the force of a giant’s fist, causing blocks to explode and rain down from above. The lightning grew bigger and angrier as the bolts zigzagged into the air. It was as if they were trying to claw their way to the surface of the Overworld.

  Many of the stone blocks began to shatter for no reason, bursting into clouds of sparks, the lines of code holding them together finally beginning to fail.

  “Crafter … look!” Gameknight shouted over the din of battle.

  “I know,” Crafter replied as he dodged a zombie attack, then slashed at the monster, making it disappear. “Maybe this is the end?”

  “No … it can’t be,” Gameknight said. “I refuse to be defeated. We can do this…. WE CAN DO THIS!”

  The NPCs cheered and began to fight harder.

  Suddenly, a purple mist formed in the air, forcing many of them to step back. The mist sputtered and flickered, then solidified. And suddenly they were surrounded by two hundred endermen, with Feyd, the king of the endermen, standing directly in front of Gameknight999.

  CHAPTER 32

  UNEXPECTED HELP

  Gameknight held his swords before him and readied for battle. He flashed an angry glare at the tall skinny monster, then quickly looked away, knowing what would happen if he stared at the enderman too long.

  “Feyd, king of the endermen,” Gameknight growled. “I didn’t expect you to be stupid enough to participate in this insanity … yet here you are.”

  “I haven’t come to fight you, User-that-is-not-a-user,” the king of the endermen snapped. “Xa-Tul is insane and will kill us all. The only way he can be stopped is if we work together.”