The Endermen Invasion Read online

  The sun was about to rise and soon the Endermen wouldn’t be able to terrorize the players. But Steve knew if there were Endermites, there were still Endermen. It was just a matter of time before they struck again.

  Steve destroyed the Endermite with his diamond sword. They were easier to battle than Endermen, but they never traveled alone. Steve grabbed the pumpkin from his inventory but he didn’t even have time to craft the mask before the familiar piercing sound of an Enderman teleporting began ringing in his ear. He was in trouble!

  9

  ENDERMITES

  The Enderman landed in front of Steve. Normally Endermen were very passive unless provoked, but these Endermen seemed to be aggressive. Steve wondered if it was the lack of other hostile mobs that made these creepy beasts with purple eyes more potent.

  As the Enderman teleported toward Steve, the Endermite crawled by his feet. He had to destroy the Endermite before he battled the Enderman. Luckily Steve’s neighbor, Adam, was a potion expert and had given him a bunch of useful potions to take with him on his trip. Steve ran to his chest where he stored the potions and grabbed the Splash Potion of Harming. Steve splashed the potion on the Endermite. The Endermite was destroyed, leaving a trail of purple dust.

  Steve spotted another Endermite through the purple haze, and he lunged at the evil bug with his sword. When he looked up, the hostile Enderman stood in front of him. Steve struck it with his sword. The Enderman grew weaker. He hit it again. The Enderman was destroyed. As Steve picked up the Ender Pearl, he saw an army of Endermen heading toward him. Steve ran toward the water, but there were too many Endermen on his trail and his energy bar was low. He wasn’t going to make it!

  Running toward the shore, Steve comforted himself with thoughts of Snuggles and Rufus. Once he was respawned, he would be back on the wheat farm with his pets and in the comfort of his own bed. He was just about ready to surrender when he heard the cries of an Enderman being destroyed. Steve turned around to see Max, Henry, Lucy, and Kyra dressed in armor and battling the Endermen.

  Kyra plunged her gold sword into an Enderman as Lucy struck another.

  “Lead them to the water!” Steve shouted to the group as he took out his diamond sword and joined them in battle.

  Clash! The sword battle intensified as the group led the Endermen toward the cliff and hoped they’d fall into the water.

  They reached the edge!

  “Jump!” Steve shouted to the group.

  Lucy, Max, Henry, and Kyra jumped into the water. The Endermen followed.

  “We’re saved!” Lucy called out gleefully.

  “You’re still in the contest!” Henry told Steve. “This is awesome!”

  “I know this must be awful for you, but I had fun fighting the Endermen,” said Max. “I was getting kind of bored just sitting around waiting for the contest to be over.”

  “That’s an awful thing to say, Max,” said Lucy.

  “I have to agree with Max. I liked battling the Endermen with you guys,” admitted Henry.

  “Well, I’m glad it’s over,” Steve said, but as they reached the shore, the group realized it wasn’t over. It had just begun.

  The shoreline was crawling with countless black Endermites emitting a purple aura.

  “Don’t get out of the water!” Henry warned them. “Not until we have a plan.”

  Kyra stared at the Endermites. “How are we going to destroy these Endermites? There are hundreds of them!”

  “I have a splash potion,” Steve told them. “Let’s throw it at a bunch and then use our swords.”

  “This looks like a losing battle, but we can try.” Henry’s voice quivered as he spoke.

  Each armed with a splash potion, the gang walked from the water and threw it at the Endermites, destroying them. Yet the Endermites seemed to respawn instantly.

  “How can we win?” Lucy wondered aloud.

  In the distance Steve saw Georgia, Caleb, and Sarah heading toward the shore. They were dressed in armor and ready to join the battle.

  Georgia, Caleb, and Sarah fought and defeated a bunch of Endermites. As the group destroyed a majority of the evil bugs, they grew more confident of a possible victory, but they still had some doubts.

  They were distracted when they heard people call for help. The group wanted to see who was calling to them, but they were too busy battling the Endermites. If they lost concentration, they could lose the battle.

  “Help us!” the voices repeatedly cried out.

  Within seconds, the judges dashed toward the shoreline, four Endermen following closely behind.

  Georgia, Caleb, and Sarah ran toward the Endermen and struck them with their swords. Steve sprinted to Georgia and Sarah, joining them in battle.

  Lucy, Max, Henry, and Kyra were defeating the Endermites and soon the shore was emptied of hostile mobs.

  Everyone looked at the empty shoreline with relief and exhaustion.

  “I need food. My food bar is very low,” Steve told the group; he wasn’t feeling very well.

  “I saw a few mooshrooms over the hill,” Georgia told them. “We can milk them for mushroom stew.”

  The gang walked to the pasture where the mooshrooms were grazing, but they barely had the strength to make it up the hill.

  The mooshrooms grazed peacefully. Steve approached one with a bowl and began to milk it. He handed mushroom stew to the group. Once everyone was fed, they began to talk.

  “Who would spawn Endermen and Endermites?” asked Sarah.

  “Someone who wants to destroy the competition,” Sylvia replied.

  “But who would want to destroy a competition we worked so hard to get into?” asked Steve.

  “There are only four of us left,” said Caleb, “and I’ll fight any hostile mob in order to keep the contest going.”

  “Actually, we have some good news,” said Lexie. “Eli will be able to make it back here. He will participate in the competition, but he will just build a smaller home.”

  The group was very happy to hear the news but they still feared the competition might not be able to continue. They agreed they’d all fight for the competition to continue. As the hungry crew devoured their mushroom stew, they saw Joshua coming up the hill.

  “Where were you?” asked Caleb. “We were attacked by Endermen and Endermites.”

  “I didn’t know there were any Endermen on the island,” Joshua said quickly.

  “Well, there are, or at least there were just now,” replied Caleb. “Didn’t you hear us call for help?”

  “No, I was by the dock. I was repairing your boat that I destroyed,” Joshua told Steve.

  “Thanks,” said Steve, “but if we don’t stop this Endermen invasion, I might not be taking a boat home. I’ll be destroyed by an Enderman and just respawn in my home and not be able to compete.”

  “That would be terrible,” said Joshua coldly.

  “Yes, it would,” Sylvia said as she stared at Joshua.

  Steve realized he wasn’t the only person who didn’t trust Joshua.

  When they were done with the meal, the group parted ways. With a full energy bar, Steve was excited to work on his house. As he walked toward his patch of land, he decided to take a detour past the docks. Steve saw his boat with the gaping hole from the crash. It hadn’t been repaired.

  10

  SOMETHING WICKED

  As Steve worked on his home, he tried to convince himself that Joshua was innocent. Joshua had no reason to ruin the competition; he was Caleb’s friend and was here to support him. Steve couldn’t stop thinking about Thomas, the griefer, and how much trouble he’d caused his friends. There was something about Joshua that Steve didn’t trust.

  Steve constructed a large window that would look out on the sea. The house was turning out the way Steve envisioned, and he was so happy. With the Endermites gone, Steve was able to get a lot of work done. Yet he did take time off to build a pumpkin mask. He wanted to be prepared if there was another Endermen invasion.

&nbs
p; A siren blasted throughout the island. Steve knew it was another announcement. Sylvia’s voice boomed over a speaker: “Please meet at the stage for a feast. Everyone is invited.”

  Steve made his way toward the stage, and when he arrived he saw Sarah and Georgia chatting by the stage. Georgia was laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Steve.

  “I was telling Sarah about my crazy trip getting here. I was just about to tell her about how I had to figure out how to get here without a map,” said Georgia.

  “You know what?” said Sarah, “I lost my map too! I was so upset, but I still found my way here because—” but Sarah stopped talking when she saw Steve’s face.

  Steve stood frozen.

  “What’s the matter, Steve?” asked Georgia.

  “I lost my map too,” said Steve. “At first we blamed Max, but then it reappeared, so we forgot about it.”

  “Mine reappeared too!” exclaimed Sarah.

  “So did mine!” said Georgia. “And there was no reason for it. I mean one minute it was missing and the next it was there. It was so crazy.” Georgia couldn’t believe Sarah and Steve had similar experiences.

  “And we all forgot our coal,” added Steve.

  “It’s amazing how much we have in common,” remarked Sarah.

  Steve was upset. “I don’t think it’s amazing. I think we are being tricked. Someone is sabotaging this contest.”

  Steve walked over to Caleb, who was talking to his friend Joshua, and asked them about their trip to the contest.

  “Did you have any easy time getting here?” he asked.

  “Super easy,” Caleb remarked. “We had a map and it got us here no problem.”

  “Did you lose it at all?” asked Steve.

  “No, we don’t lose maps. We’re very responsible,” said Joshua.

  “I’m responsible, and I lost my map,” said Steve.

  Joshua smiled. “Well, I’m glad you found your way here.”

  Steve excused himself and walked over to Max, Henry, Lucy, and Kyra.

  “Hey, Steve!” said Lucy. “How’s the house coming along?”

  “I’m not worried about my house. I’m concerned about the competition. I suspect Joshua is trying to sabotage it.”

  “Why would he do that?” asked Henry.

  “I don’t know,” said Steve, and then he told his friends about how the other contestants had experienced odd coincidences like the missing coal.

  “It sounds like he’s a griefer,” remarked Max.

  “We know how to deal with a griefer,” added Henry.

  “But I don’t have time to watch him, because I have to build the house. Can you guys keep a close eye on him?” Steve asked his friends.

  Steve didn’t want to get distracted by a griefer. He just wanted to get back to work on his house. He had so many ideas for the inside. He was going to build a fireplace and a terrace off the second floor. Now that the foundation was done, he could really work on the details.

  Steve’s friends promised to keep a close eye on Joshua. Steve felt like everything was going to be okay, until he heard a shrill cry.

  Sarah glanced at the sky and screamed. “Look!”

  The Ender Dragon was flying toward them. Since they weren’t in the End, somebody must have summoned this most evil powerful flying vulture. It could only be the work of a griefer. “There’s another one behind it!” shouted Georgia.

  The crowd sprinted toward the dorms for shelter. The Ender Dragons flew through the sky.

  Steve followed his friends to the dorms as the Dragons flew overhead. Before a beast could strike him, he made it through the doors to safety. He sighed with relief as he formed a plan.

  11

  THE ENDER DRAGON ISN’T THE END

  Thump! A Dragon’s wing banged into the side of the dorm, and the wall began to crumble. The group shielded themselves from the rubble.

  Steve used his bow to shoot an arrow at the Dragon’s stomach, which was visible from the hole in the wall.

  “Bull’s-eye!” Steve called out, but he knew one hit wouldn’t affect the powerful beast.

  “Everyone get your bows and arrows ready,” instructed Henry.

  “If we all hit it at the same time, we can defeat it!” said Steve.

  The group was armed when the Dragon flew into the roof of the building. They shot a sea of arrows at the Dragon as dust and large parts of the roof fell near their feet.

  “Don’t take off your helmets,” warned Lucy. “They will shield us from the crumbling building.”

  Steve knew Ender Dragons destroyed everything in their path. He hoped there were only two Dragons and they were just flying over the dorms. If one of the Dragons flew toward the houses the contestants were building, they’d be destroyed.

  Their arrows hit the Dragon; it was getting weaker as the group continued attacking the flying monster.

  Steve stood next to Joshua. He watched Joshua with his bow and arrows, fighting the Ender Dragon with the rest of the group. Joshua looked worried. Maybe Joshua wasn’t the griefer. Steve was confused.

  “This is a hard battle,” Steve said to Joshua.

  “Yes, but I like a challenge,” replied Joshua.

  Steve thought that was an odd comment.

  More arrows hit the Dragon, and the group finally destroyed it. They shouted in glee as an egg was unleashed from the destroyed Dragon.

  “There’s still one more! We can’t rejoice yet,” said Henry.

  “And there could be more on the way,” added Joshua.

  “I hope not!” cried Sarah.

  The growls of another purple-eyed flying demon roared through the remains of the dorms.

  “Here’s the second one!” Lucy called out as she shot an arrow at the scaly black flesh.

  The Dragon flew low to the ground and dug around the stage, instantly destroying it.

  “I hope the houses we built are okay!” cried Georgia.

  “If you’re so talented, you should be able to rebuild it,” Joshua said as he shot an arrow at the Dragon and it wailed.

  “Building is hard and takes time,” Steve told Joshua. Steve didn’t trust Joshua at all.

  The group tried to shoot as many arrows as fast as they could. Destroying the Ender Dragon was a challenge, since it was immune to water, lava, and potions. Their only advantage was that the Ender Dragon was spawned in the Overworld, which wasn’t its normal environment. If they were fighting the Dragon in the End, the beast would be able to eat Ender Crystals and increase its energy levels.

  “I think the arrows are weakening it!” Sarah said, since the beast seemed to lack the energy to flap its wings.

  The Dragon’s growls were growing quieter. Yet it still flew close to the dorms, destroying the last remaining wall. Now the group was exposed with only their armor to shield them. They held onto their bows and arrows, hoping they’d win this battle with the beast.

  “Keep shooting at it!” Henry told them. “Don’t give up.”

  The Ender Dragon let out a loud roar. It flapped its wings and flew close to the gang, almost landing on top of them.

  Kyra was nervous. “It seems to be getting stronger!”

  “No, that’s not possible,” Max told her.

  Then the Dragon’s wing hit a large mushroom. The Dragon let out one final roar and it was destroyed. Another egg dropped from the second destroyed Dragon.

  Everyone took off their helmets and walked around to assess the damage this powerful Dragon had created on Mushroom Island.

  The dorm was destroyed. The stage was destroyed. The island was covered in rubble.

  “My friends and I can rebuild the stage and the dorms,” Kyra told the judges.

  “That’s such a nice offer!” replied Sylvia.

  “We’ll help you,” said Jonathan, and his fellow judges agreed. They would rebuild the structures needed for the contest while the builders went back to their sites to build their houses.

  “Will you help us?” Kyra aske
d Joshua.

  “Yes, of course. I’m a fantastic builder,” replied Joshua.

  “I’m sure you are,” Steve told him. “You did a great job rebuilding my boat.”

  “Oh! I’m not done with your boat. Um . . . I’m still working on it,” Joshua stuttered.

  Joshua left with the others to start rebuilding the dorms and the contestants were able to return to their areas.

  The contestants looked at each other with worried expressions. They all had the same thought circulating through their minds. They wondered if their homes were still standing. There wasn’t that much time left before the judges would evaluate their work and there had been way too many distractions preventing them from building. They stood still. Nobody moved an inch.

  Finally Steve took a deep breath and said, “I’m going to check out my house. I’m hoping the Dragon didn’t get over to the building area.”

  Each step Steve took toward his building site seemed to take forever and filled him with dread. He walked past the mooshroom grazing and arrived at his house. It was fine! Steve was thrilled.

  But then a siren rang throughout the island, followed by an announcement from Sylvia: “Please meet by the stage”—she paused—“That is, please meet where we used to have a stage.”

  Steve sprinted toward the stage area.

  Sarah was crying. Georgia was crying. Caleb’s lip quivered.

  Joshua was talking to the judges.

  Steve had a feeling in his gut that something was very wrong.

  “How’s your house?” Sarah asked Steve.

  “Fine. But I’m guessing yours isn’t.”

  Sylvia walked over to and questioned him: “Are you saying that your house has had no damage at all?”

  Jonathan stood next to Sylvia and stated, “I find that very suspicious.”

  Steve knew he was being accused of something he didn’t do. It reminded him of when the villagers believed he was the griefer who had been destroying his hometown, and he had needed to prove it was Thomas.

  “Why?” Steve was innocent and shocked at this accusation. He wanted to tell them that he suspected Joshua to be the griefer, but the words wouldn’t come out. He said, “I can’t control the Ender Dragon.”