Trapped In the Temple Page 4

  Edison and Billy stood silently. Hal spoke, “You don’t have to say anything, because I know everything. I made Anna tell me everything she had stored in her house, and once she confessed that she had this chest, I knew you’d come looking for it. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s too late.”

  “Too late?” Edison asked. He took a deep breath. He worried that they were on hardcore mode. He also worried that Anna had been destroyed already. The universe could be over, and Edison was heartbroken.

  “Yes,” Hal clarified. “It’s too late. You’re all my prisoners now. We’re off to the dungeon.”

  Edison was slightly relieved; he’d rather be a prisoner than destroyed. Although he’d admit he didn’t like either option. He also was glad to be reunited with Anna, who he assumed was also still trapped in the dungeon. He hadn’t seen her in a while, and he knew once they were reunited with her, they’d be able to come up with a plan to fight Hal.

  Andrew still had a few potions and sword in his inventory. He splashed a potion on Hal and then sprinted toward him with his diamond sword, but Hal called for his two minions. The minions entered Anna’s house and struck Andrew with their diamond swords, destroying him.

  Edison hoped the universe wasn’t on hardcore mode, and he hoped he’d see Andrew in the dungeon.

  “You guys want to be next?” One of the minions called out to Edison and Billy. They stood silently.

  Hal smiled. “They will happily go into the dungeon.”

  The rain was still falling, and Edison could hear the drops landing on the window. Thunder shook the small house. Zombies ripped the door from the hinges and reached for the minions. They were taken by surprise, and the zombies destroyed them. Hal wasn’t prepared for their destruction and fumbled. He swung the diamond sword at the zombies, but he fell back and into a bunch of bottles of potion of Harming and was destroyed.

  The instant Hal was destroyed, the sun came out. Edison rushed to the chest, which Hal accidently left in Anna’s house, and looted the chest. They filled their inventories with the diamond swords and bottles of potion, quickly put on the diamond armor, and raced out of Anna’s house.

  As they sprinted from Anna’s house, they heard their friends Erin and Peyton call to them. “Edison! Billy!”

  Peyton asked, “Where have you been? Where’s Anna?”

  Erin’s voice cracked when she asked, “What’s going on? The Overworld seems to be in turmoil. We were hoping Anna knew what was going on.”

  “There is a master hacker trying to destroy the Overworld,” said Edison, “but I don’t have time to explain. Do you want to help us?”

  “Of course,” they replied in unison.

  “Great,” said Edison, “because we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

  “Where are we going?” asked Erin, as they sprinted out of Verdant Valley.

  “We have to go back to the desert. Anna is trapped in a desert dungeon,” explained Billy.

  Peyton and Erin shrieked in horror. Peyton said, “This is going to be tough.”

  “Do you have well-stocked inventories?” asked Edison.

  Billy spotted Hal in the distance. “It doesn’t matter what they have in their inventories, because we will lose everything soon.”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Erin.

  “You’ll see,” Edison said as he watched Hal sprint toward them.

  10

  SWAMP TALES

  “I have an idea,” said Edison as he pulled a potion of Invisibility from his inventory and splashed it on himself and the others. “We have to take off our armor and put away our weapons,” he told them. “Let’s meet in the swamp biome. By the house we had crafted.”

  “I don’t know where that is,” said Peyton.

  “Me either,” Erin told him.

  “It’s on the shore. It’s not a big biome, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding it,” Edison reassured them, and then set off for the swamp, bolting past Hal, who looked upset that they had vanished on their own.

  The trip to the swamp biome was long. Edison reached the forest when the potion began to wear off and he was visible. At first he saw his legs, and soon his entire body was back to normal. He looked around for his friends. He assumed they would be close by and that the potions they took would be wearing off too, but he didn’t see anyone. He looked in his newly stocked inventory and found a bottle of potion of Swiftness and took a gulp. He wanted to get to the swamp quickly, and the potion gave him the strength to make it to the swamp before the sun had set. As Edison approached the small house he had built with his friends, three bats flew through the sky, and he saw a full moon. Edison didn’t want to repeat the last experience he had in the swamp biome. He didn’t want to waste his energy battling slimes and witches. To ward off potential hostile mobs, Edison placed a torch on the side of the small house.

  “Edison,” a voice called out.

  Edison looked up and saw Andrew walking toward him. Andrew smiled. “I was hoping I’d find you here. I stumbled upon this house before, and Anna had told me that you guys had built it.”

  “I’m so glad to see you,” said Edison. “I thought Hal had put the universe on hardcore mode, and I was worried that you were destroyed.”

  “No,” said Andrew. “He hasn’t done that yet, but it’s just a matter if time. We have to stop him. Let’s go to the desert now. I’m sure he’s waiting for us there. He definitely knows you want to save Anna and Princess Hannah and are going to showing up at the dungeon.”

  “That’s our plan, but I have to wait for my friends.” Edison explained that they had recruited two friends from their town and they would help them battle Hal.

  “Great. The more people we have, the better. He is a very skilled hacker,” Andrew said as a bat flew close to his head. He looked at the bat fly past and remarked, “This isn’t a good sign. I know once you see bats and a full moon, it’s just a matter of time before you see a witch.”

  “You’re right,” Edison said as a witch scuttled down the path toward them. She clutched a bottle of potion. Andrew leaped at the witch and struck her with his diamond sword, but she was able to splash a potion on him. Andrew couldn’t move—the potion weakened him to a point of immobility.

  “Help!” Andrew cried, but his voice was faint.

  Edison pulled some milk from his inventory and attempted to hand it to Andrew as Edison also raced to the witch. He slammed his diamond sword into the witch’s purple-robed body with one hand, and with the other hand, he tossed the potion to Andrew, who gobbled it up and regained his strength. With renewed energy, Andrew sprinted toward the witch and obliterated her.

  “Edison!” Billy called out.

  Edison turned around and saw his friends sprinting toward him. He told them to meet inside the house. When the gang was in the small house by the swampy shore, Edison introduced Erin and Peyton to Andrew, and then he said, “We have to come up with a plan.”

  “Yes,” Andrew agreed and explained, “We are dealing with a serious criminal. I have been following him for years.”

  “How did you meet him?” asked Erin.

  Andrew finally told the story of how he met Hal. “I was a treasure hunter, and I was searching for treasure in End City. If you’ve ever been there, you know it’s a very harsh biome that pays off with its rewards, but it is far from easy. I was on an End Ship when I had unearthed treasure after battling a shulker. When I was about to return home, I spotted a man with gray hair. I didn’t say anything to him, but when I returned to the Overworld, my treasure from End City was missing.”

  “Hal stole your treasure?” asked Billy.

  “That wouldn’t have been that bad. I’ve been treasure hunting for years and have had tons of loot taken from me,” replied Andrew.

  “Then what happened?” asked Peyton.

  “He found out where I lived and started to steal everything from me. When he was done taking all of my stuff, he robbed the rest of the people in the town, and no m
atter how hard we tried to hide our stuff, he’d find a way to take everything from our chests, and soon he had stolen from all the shops in the village. Eventually everyone moved away, and the town was left abandoned. I don’t see anyone I used to know, and I have been wandering around the Overworld trying to spot Hal. In the time since I’ve been trailing him, he has gotten stronger. I also notice that when I run into him when I’m underwater, he doesn’t have the same amount of power. He hasn’t quite mastered hacking under the water.”

  “That’s a really sad story. I hope once we defeat Hal, all of your friends can move back to your old town,” said Erin.

  “Yes, that’s my dream. I want to travel around the Overworld to find all of the people who left and let them know it’s safe to return to the town.” Tears filled Andrew’s eyes as he spoke.

  “What was the name of the town?” asked Billy.

  “Forest Haven.” Andrew described the scenic town, and he went into great detail about his home.

  Edison said, “I know someone from that town.”

  “Really?” Andrew asked.

  “Yes, he’s an alchemist.”

  “Julian?”

  “Yes,” said Edison. “He’s an old friend.”

  “He was a friend of mine too, but I have no idea where he is today. Hal destroyed my town. I will never forgive him,” said Andrew.

  A bat flew past the window, and Edison could see the moon in the dark sky. “I think we should get some sleep. Tomorrow we’re going to the desert, and we need our energy.”

  They said good night, and drifted off to a peaceful sleep, but were awoken when they heard a loud scream.

  “Oh my!” Erin hollered.

  “What?” asked Edison.

  “All of my stuff is missing!” she screamed.

  The rest of the gang checked their inventories, and they were all empty.

  11

  DUNGEON

  There was no time to formulate a plan. Within seconds of discovering their inventories were emptied, Hal and his two minions stormed into the small swamp house.

  Hal declared, “You’re going to the dungeon.”

  They couldn’t fight back—they had nothing—and they followed Hal and his evil soldiers to the desert. The walk through various biomes was silent and solemn. As they walked, Edison tried to think of plan to get away from Hal, but he knew it was pointless. The only positive aspect of this capture was being reunited with Anna. Anna was a great strategist, and he knew once they spoke, they’d be able to come up with a plan.

  It was dusk as they approached the desert, which they could see through the leafy biome. With the desert in sight, Hal became more confident and said, “Welcome to the rest of your time in this universe. You will be in the dungeon when the Overworld comes to an end.”

  “You’re so smart, boss,” one of the minions smiled.

  Edison didn’t understand why anybody would want to destroy the Overworld. There was no reason to ruin other people’s lives. He asked Hal, “Why would you want to ruin a world that people enjoy?”

  “I’m a master hacker, and this is the ultimate challenge,” Hal replied, as if destroying the entire Overworld was just another accomplishment like reaching a new level in a game.

  “I’m sure there are other ways you can challenge yourself,” Edison reasoned with Hal, but Hal didn’t want to hear any of Edison’s opinions. Hal took out his diamond sword, swung it at Edison and told him to be quiet. As Edison lost a heart, he spotted four skeletons spawning in the leaf-covered path in front of them, but he kept quiet and didn’t warn Hal about the bony beasts. One of the skeletons shot an arrow that pierced Hal’s arm. He turned around and yelled at Edison, “Why didn’t you tell me there were skeletons?”

  Edison didn’t reply. Hal tried to battle the skeletons as Edison sidled up to his friends. “Let’s have the skeletons destroy us.” He spoke softly because he didn’t want Hal and the minions, who were busy battling the skeletons, to hear his plan. “If we’re destroyed, we can respawn in the swamp and escape.”

  Billy agreed this was a great plan, but before they could race in front of the arrows and lose hearts, Hal had destroyed the bony beasts. Hal yelled at them, “We have to hurry to the dungeon. We need to get there before nightfall.”

  He handed each of them a bottle of potion of Swiftness and forced them to drink it and sprint as fast as they could to the desert. They raced past cacti and up sand dunes in the dark until Hal stopped in front of a patch of ground and ordered them to stop, “Don’t move and don’t talk.”

  Hal leaned down and lifted a grate that was camouflaged into the ground and told them to climb down a ladder that went deep underneath the sandstone ground.

  Muffled voices could be heard, but Edison wasn’t sure which direction they were coming from. The ladder was very long, and Edison felt like he was climbing down the ladder forever. When he finally reached the bottom of the ladder, he heard a familiar voice that made him happy.

  “Edison,” Anna called out.

  Edison looked over and saw Anna, Princess Hannah, and Hannah’s family on the other side of a gate. Edison said, “Anna, I’m happy to see you, but not under these circumstances.”

  Anna stared at Edison and smirked. He knew that look. It was the one Anna made when she had a good idea, and Edison felt confident they’d be able to escape from this dungeon. They had to escape and stop Hal from destroying the universe. He also wanted Hal to stop the glitch that removed the ocelots. He missed Puddles.

  Hal was the last person to climb down the stairs, and he took out a key and opened the gate. “Get in here,” he shouted at them.

  The gang walked silently into the jail that Hal had created in this dungeon. Inside the sandy jail was an empty chest. Edison looked in the chest and wondered why Hal had left an empty chest. Was he trying to torment them? Edison decided not to ask any questions. He just listened to what Hal had to say.

  When they were all locked inside the jail, Hal began to speak. “Since I have taken all of your resources and emptied your inventories”—he giggled as he said this—“I will provide you with just enough food to survive. I wouldn’t want any of you being destroyed because you have a diminished health bar. So I will fill up this chest with food, and you can distribute it amongst yourselves.”

  Edison stared at the chest as it filled with various foods, from cakes to chicken. The chest had enough food for a large feast. He couldn’t believe this was the food ration for the day. He realized Hal wanted them to stay alive, and as he eyed the food he came up with a plan. He looked over at Anna, and her smirk grew wider. Edison realized Anna had come up with the same plan.

  Hal and his minions climbed up the ladder, and the gang could hear the grate being placed atop the ground. They were trapped.

  Billy grabbed an apple from the chest.

  “Don’t eat it,” Anna called out.

  “Why not?” Billy questioned. “I’m very hungry.”

  “I know, but I have plan,” said Anna.

  “What is it? Starve us?” questioned Billy.

  “Yes,” Anna and Edison said in unison.

  “What are you talking about?” Billy was confused.

  “If we don’t eat, we will be destroyed and respawn out of here. Hal hasn’t noticed that our health bars are very low. If I don’t eat today, I will probably be destroyed by tomorrow. Look at your health bars. You guys have been traveling and not eating, right?”

  Billy looked at his health bar. “Yes, my health bar is also very low.”

  “Yes, we have to stop eating, and then we can come up with a plan. I think if we get out of here, we can defeat Hal,” said Anna.

  Erin loved the plan, but she also wanted Anna to know about Hal’s tricks. Hal was capable of emptying inventories, and he was leaving everyone in the Overworld without any way to defend each other.

  “He looted my chest, right?” asked Anna.

  “Yes,” Edison said.

  Peyton had a plan. “If we find out w
here he lives, I bet we’ll find everybody’s stuff.”

  Prince Elias said, “I know where Hal lives.”

  “Tell us,” said Edison.

  12

  HACKER ARMY

  Prince Elias told them about a big underwater treasure hunt he had taken. “I saw a large ocean monument where he stored all of his treasures. It seems as if this is the only biome where he can’t hack, and maybe he knows others can’t either, so he believes his treasures are safe underwater.”

  Andrew confirmed this. “Yes, I told you that we all had to stock up on potions of Water Breathing.”

  Edison realized that he still needed pufferfish, and then remembered that he had nothing. Hal had stolen all of his potions and his ingredients. In fact, Hal had stolen everything. He didn’t have any way of traveling underneath the water. “How can we go under the water? We don’t have a potions for breathing under water.”

  Edison disliked poking holes in people’s plans, but he also knew a good detective had to challenge the people around him or they’d never solve the case.

  “That’s true. Do you think he has a place where he stored his looted treasure in the Overworld?” asked the queen.

  Andrew paced the length of the small cell. “I have been following him for a very long time, and I haven’t come across any storage facilities for his loot.”

  Prince Elias said, “I bet it’s somewhere over here.”

  “What?” asked Peyton.

  The Prince explained, “When I encountered him in the desert and questioned him, he became very aggressive and trapped us down here.”

  Andrew interrupted, “Yes, you’re right, he’s never done anything like that, which must mean we are close to discovering something.”

  Edison agreed. He did believe Hal felt threatened by them, and he wanted to stop them from investigating and stopping him. “We have to find out where he’s hiding his treasure.”

  Peyton’s stomach rumbled, and she excused herself. The group was famished, and it was hard to stare at the chest filled with food without taking something. She eyed the cookies and reached for one.