Multiversal Primal Zerg

[Evoxius]

Starcraft Universe, Planet Zerus

The young Primal Zerg's nostrils flared, taking in the complex mixture of pheromones and blood. A pack had passed through not long ago, their scents were still fresh.

The creature ran silently through the dense growth, darting between giant mushrooms. The acid pools to its left bubbled and hissed. One of the pack members was wounded, the sweet tang of their blood called to the hunter.

It continued tracking them, muscles coiling and stretching beneath thin scales. The wounded one had fallen behind their pack.

Alone, separated, vulnerable. The hunt would be easier this way.

The ground trembled beneath its feet, the great mountains in the distance were spewing their endless fire into the sky again. The hunter paid it no mind. Such things were normal here, as natural as breathing. What mattered was the prey ahead.

It could hear it now. Strained breathing, the scrape of claws on stone, the occasional soft growl of pain. The hunter's vision sharpened as it drew closer, picking out details through the thick vegetation. The prey was larger, but its injury had weakened it. The hunter could smell the infection setting in.

The distance closed. Thirty lengths. Twenty. Ten.

The hunter's muscles bunched, preparing for the leap that would bring it to its prey's throat. The timing had to be perfect. It gathered itself, calculating the angle, the force needed...

The hunter jumped forward, but its claws caught on a patch of brittle growth. The snap seemed deafening in the humid air. The prey's head whipped around, eyes widening as it spotted the hunter mid-leap. Instead of sinking its teeth into the throat, the hunter crashed through poison-filled pods that sprayed their contents everywhere.

The hunt had just become much more complicated.

The burning sting of poison across its scales barely registered, there was something more important. The prey, though wounded, was now fully alert. It rose to its full height, nearly twice the hunter's size, mandibles clicking as it faced its attacker. The infection in its leg wound had weakened it, but cornered prey always fought hardest.

It lunged first, faster than its size would suggest. But the hunter was faster. It rolled beneath the strike, feeling the displacement of air as massive claws tore through where it had been. The ground trembled again, stronger this time, and the hunter used the fleeting distraction to its advantage.

As soon as the prey stumbled from the tremor, the hunter leaped onto one of the massive mushrooms, using it as a springboard. Its body twisted in mid-air, and it landed on the prey's back, its reinforced claws found purchase in the thick hide. The prey roared, trying to shake off its attacker, but the hunter had already sunk its teeth into the base of its neck. Venom came rushing out from the hunter's glands, pumping into its prey's bloodstream.

The prey thrashed, more desperate now. It slammed backwards into a rock formation, trying to crush its attacker. But the hunter had already moved away, and it could smell through the change in its prey's blood that the venom was beginning its work. The hunter could see the sluggishness creeping into its movements.

Still, it fought. They always did.

The prey charged toward one of the acid pools, perhaps hoping to force a retreat. A foolish move.

The hunter ran forward, its claws finding the tendons in the prey's legs. As it stumbled, the hunter struck at its throat again - this time from below. The hunter's reinforced teeth tore through the hide like it was nothing. Hot blood filled its mouth, rich with Essence. The prey collapsed, its final roar turning into a wet gurgle.

Victory. Food. Essence.

The prey's blood and flesh filled the hunter with strength. The essence flowed through it, but there was nothing new to adapt. This one was strong, but simple. Like itself.

The hunter's senses remained alert while it fed. The prey's pack could return, drawn by the scent of death. But they wouldn't. Not with the sweet scents of easier prey carried on the wind.

A faint movement caught the hunter's attention. Something different. Not like the usual prey that stalked these grounds. The scent was... wrong. Strange.

The hunter's nostrils flared as it raised its head from its kill. The movement came from beyond the thick growth of toxic spores, near where the ground split and burned. The strange prey was more interesting than finishing the meal. The hunter left the carcass, others would find it soon enough.

Following the scent was difficult. It kept disappearing, mixing with the acrid fumes from the burning ground. But the hunter knew it was there.

Something new. Something different.

The hunter stalked closer, and its vision sharpened. The prey was heading toward the high cliffs where the ground was more stable. It moved oddly, not like a proper hunter should. Instead, it seemed to glide over the terrain, barely touching the ground. The scent grew stronger - metallic, but not like blood. Different. Wrong.

The hunt became easier as the hunter tracked it up the cliffs. Here, away from the burning grounds and toxic spores, the trail was clear.

Good.

Every movement, every displaced stone told where it went. How it moved. What it was.

A deep rumble shook the ground. Stones tumbled down the cliff face.

The prey paused, and the hunter saw it clearly for the first time. Its body bristled with spines, not like claws or teeth, but long, sharp protrusions that covered its back and sides. As it moved, the spines shifted and flexed. Some launched through the air, embedding themselves in a large growth of fungus.

The hunter's body trembled. New. Different. Something to adapt. Something to become.

The ground shook again. Larger rocks broke loose from the cliff, but the hunter barely noticed. All its focus was on the spine-bearer. It hadn't noticed its stalker yet.

The hunter moved closer, careful now. The last hunt had started poorly - this one must be perfect. The essence must be pure. Clean.

The spine-bearer turned its head, sensing danger. But it was too late.

The hunter was already moving. It launched several sharp, deadly spines that whistled through the air. The hunter twisted, feeling them slice past its scales. One grazed its shoulder, drawing blood, but the pain was meaningless. What mattered was the hunt. The essence.

The ground trembled again, stronger this time. The spine-bearer lost its footing for just a moment.

That was all the hunter needed.

It lunged forward, its reinforced claws tearing into its prey's flank. The spine-bearer screamed - a high, piercing sound unlike anything the hunter had heard before. More spines launched, some glancing past the hunter's scales. The pain was sharp, but manageable.

They grappled on the cliff edge, a desperate fight for survival of teeth and claws. The spine-bearer's defenses made it difficult to penetrate, but the hunter's venom was already working. Each bite pumped more toxins into its blood. The spine-bearer thrashed, trying to dislodge its attacker. It rolled, nearly sending them both over the edge where the ground burned far below.

The fight was slowly going the hunter's way. Venom took hold, the spine-bearer's movements becoming sluggish. The last few spines it launched went wide.

When the hunter's teeth finally found its throat, it barely struggled.

Hot blood was swallowed down the hunter's throat, and with it came the essence it craved. This essence was different. Complex. As the hunter fed, it could feel the changes beginning. The genetic knowledge of spine-launching seeped into its body. Its scales shifted as new growths formed beneath them. The pain was intense but welcome.

This was what it meant to evolve. To adapt. To become stronger.

The hunter continued feeding until nothing remained of the spine-bearer. The new adaptation settled into place, it could feel the spines forming beneath its scales, ready to launch at will. Twelve of them, each as sharp as its claws. They would regrow, it knew this instinctively.

A new weapon. A new way to hunt.

The ground shook again, but something was different about this tremor. There was a new sound. A new scent.

The hunter turned toward this new disturbance, its fresh spines shifting beneath its scales, ready to be tested. The creature before it was unlike anything it had ever encountered. Small. Weak-looking. No claws, no proper teeth. It stood on two legs, covered in strange not-scales that rustled when it moved.

But what drew the hunter's attention most was its eyes - they glowed like the burning ground, but blue instead of red.

The creature made loud sounds, rapid and high-pitched. The sounds meant nothing to the hunter, but it could smell the thick, pungent fear in the creature's scent. Its prey pulled a small, dark object from its side. The thing made loud cracks, four times. Each time it cracked, a small something whizzed past the hunter.

Pathetic. Even the spine-bearer's attacks had been more threatening.

The creature's voice got louder, more frantic. Its arms waved around as it continued making those meaningless sounds. "...dimensional traveler... greatest golden finger... Zerus of all places... fucking Primal Zerg... doesn't matter... escape... become invincible..."

The blue glow in its eyes intensified. Something about that glow triggered the hunter's instincts. Prey trying to escape. It couldn't allow that. Wouldn't allow that.

All four feet pushed against the ground as the hunter jumped forward. The creature tried to make its thing crack again, but it just clicked uselessly. The fear-scent spiked. The blue glow in its eyes became almost blinding.

Too late.

The hunter's jaws closed around its head just as the blue light reached its peak. The creature's strange not-scales tore like wet vegetation. Its blood tasted odd, but rich with something new. The hunter bit onto something hard in what remained of its head. Something that pulsed with that same blue glow.

With each pulse, memories that weren't its own filled the hunter's mind. Strange images. Metal towers larger than the mushrooms. Creatures that moved without legs.

Words. So many words, their meanings suddenly crashing into its thoughts.

The blue thing detached itself from the prey's brain. Before the hunter could react, the object burrowed into its own head. It flinched from the unexpected pain. Not like the pain of adaptation. Different. Wrong. More memories came, and what that came knowledge. Understanding.

The hunter was... it was...

The thoughts were confusing. Scattered. It… he knew things he shouldn't know. Understood things he had never seen. The prey was called... human. Adrian Thorne. This place was... Zerus. The hunter was... Primal Zerg. The blue thing in his head was... technology. Dimensional travel... special materials... energy from biomass...

The hunter's head throbbed. Too much. Too fast.

The ground beneath his feet felt less solid. Everything started to blur, to shift, to change.

The last thing the hunter saw was Zerus falling away into pure blue light. Then he fell through space that wasn't space, through time that wasn't time.

When he could see again, the air smelled different. Wrong. The ground beneath the hunter's claws felt wrong too. Everything was wrong.

He opened his eyes to a world made of blocks.

 

[Evoxius]

Name: Adrian

Current World: Starcraft

Race: Primal Zerg (Reptilian)
Size: 8 feet long (body length), 3 feet tall at the shoulder. Similar in size to a large komodo dragon.

BASE ATTRIBUTES (summary of adaptations)
1. Strength: Can tear through standard steel
2. Agility: 60-70 mph sprints, 30-35 mph sustained.
3. Constitution: Tough hide (resistant to small caliber weapons), but vulnerable to medium/large caliber firearms.
4. Intelligence: Predator-level cunning, learning capacity high but currently instinct-driven
5. Senses: Enhanced eyesight, smell and hearing

ESSENCE SYSTEM:
Through age and experience, adaptations can be "compressed" or "optimized", potentially combining compatible ones to free up slots.

Minor Adaptations (Can have many):

1. Heat Regulation - Can function effectively between -100°F to 400°F. Adaptation to extreme temperature changes takes minutes.
2. Enhanced Vision - Can see clearly in near-total darkness, about 6 times better than human night vision.
3. Enhanced Smell - Can track scents up to several days old and detect specific chemical compounds. Range of about 2 miles in ideal conditions.
4. Enhanced Hearing - Can hear frequencies beyond human range (both higher and lower) and detect sounds up to 1 mile away in ideal conditions.
5. Reinforced Claws/Teeth - Claws/teeth made of ultra-dense biological material enhanced with consumed metals. Can tear through steel.

Medium Adaptations (Can have 10):

1. Rapid Regeneration - Can heal minor wounds in minutes, major wounds in hours. Requires significant biomass consumption. Limb regeneration possible but takes days.
2. Advanced Digestive System - Can process and extract essence from consumed biomass in hours rather than days. Allows for quick energy replenishment and faster adaptation to new essences. Limited by the complexity of the essence being processed.
3. Poison Glands - Hemotoxin/neurotoxin mix. In humans: severe pain and weakening muscles within 2 minutes, potentially lethal in under 20 minutes without treatment. Larger creatures: progressive weakening over 5-10 minutes, death in 30-60 minutes depending on size. Stores 5-6 doses, replenishes over 12 hours.
4. Spines Launcher - Can launch up to 12 spines in rapid succession. Spines regrow over 6 hours (2 per hour). Spines can pierce very thick steel armor at close range (under 100 feet). Accuracy decreases significantly at longer ranges.
5. Minecraft Physics Integration - Body partially adapted to function within Minecraft's rigid physics system. Allows proper interaction with blocks, grid-based movement, and compatibility with the world's healing mechanics. Scales and muscles can align to cubic patterns when needed while maintaining organic flexibility.
6. Webbing Glands - Can spray sticky webs from specialized glands in the mouth. Webs function identically to Minecraft cobwebs, significantly slowing movement of creatures caught within them.
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Major Adaptations (Can have 5):

1. Crystalline Minecraft Pearl - Developed specialized organ that functions as a biological crafting table and inventory system. Contains a crystalline pearl that can store (36-slots, variable stack size) combine materials according to Minecraft's crafting rules. Produces miniaturized items that are spat out. Items maintain Minecraft properties in other worlds, and follow the same rules. Processing time varies with complexity (seconds to minutes)
   1. Inventory:
      1. 131 diamonds, 15 emeralds
      2. 19 iron blocks, 28 coal blocks, 210 cobblestone, 82 oak blocks
      3. 40 steaks
      4. 4 Ender Pearls, 55 bone meal, 61 leather
      5. 5 furnaces, 64 torches, 40 arrows
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INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY
Dimensional Travel Node - A crystalline blue-tinted node (golf ball sized) integrated into the brain stem. Allows for dimensional travel. Stores energy converted from consumed biomass, 2 dimensional jumps when fully charged. 1 jump worth of energy per 48 hours of regular feeding. Emergency jump possible at half charge, but causes unconsciousness. Requires specific materials from each new world to establish stable connection points. Once a world is attuned, can return using only energy reserves.

Indicators:
1. Bright blue eye glow when actively traveling between dimensions
2. Subtle blue eye glow when scanning materials for dimensional attunement

Attuned Worlds:
Starcraft (0%)
Minecraft (95%)

Skills:
1. Apprentice Tracker
2. Novice Fighter

 

[Evoxius]

All background rolls use d100 with the following general outcomes:
Critical Failure (1-5): A severe mistake or backfire occurs, potentially causing harm or setbacks.
Failure (6-30): The attempt fails but without additional negative consequences.
Basic Success (31-70): The attempt succeeds with expected results.
Good Success (71-90): The attempt succeeds with additional minor benefits.
Critical Success (91-100): The attempt succeeds spectacularly with significant bonus effects.

For ESSENCE ADAPTATION attempts specifically:
Complete Failure (1-10): No useful information or changes gained.
Partial Success (11-40): Minor traits or incomplete adaptations acquired.
Full Success (41-80): Successful integration of desired adaptation.
Enhanced Success (81-95): Adaptation acquired with improved efficiency or power.
Perfect Integration (96-100): Adaptation gained with unexpected beneficial mutations.

SKILL PROGRESSION SYSTEM
Skills develop through experience and successful usage, progressing through six ranks:
Novice adds +5 to relevant rolls
Apprentice adds +10
Adept adds +15
Expert adds +20
Master adds +25
Grandmaster adds +30

MODIFIERS AND SITUATIONAL EFFECTS
Environmental conditions, physical state, and previous experience affect rolls. Similar previous adaptations grant +10, while severe injuries impose -20. Multiple relevant skills and adaptations can stack their bonuses. Current maximum bonus cap from all sources is +50 to maintain challenge and prevent trivial successes.

COMBAT - All physical conflict and hunting
EXPLORATION - Environmental interaction and resource finding
ESSENCE ADAPTATION - Evolution and biological improvements
CRAFTING - Making use of resources to create something new
SOCIAL INTERACTION - All creature interactions

 

[Evoxius]

Blank

 

[Evoxius]

1. Starcraft
2. Minecraft

 

[Evoxius]

Minecraft Universe, Blocky Planet

The ground was divided into perfect squares. Trees grew in cubic segments, defying natural law. Even the clouds drifted by in rectangular chunks against a sky that seemed too structured.

The Primal Zerg's eyes were tightly closed as memories imprinted themselves even more deeply into his mind. Words formed meaning. Concepts aligned. The world gained names, context, understanding.

Adrian.

Not his name - the prey's name - but with it came fragments of human thought. Of awareness beyond pure instinct.

The creature shook his head, but that only worsened his disorientation. The dimensional node pulsed at the base of his skull, sending sharp jolts down his spine.

The air felt wrong. Too rigid, following rules rather than natural flow. His claws scraped against dirt blocks, testing their substance. Each block remained perfectly cubic until broken, at which point it would shrink into a smaller floating version of itself. The human memories explained this was normal here, though his instincts refined through numerous hunts on Zerus screamed otherwise.

His body struggled to adjust to the world's rigid physics. Scales contracted painfully, trying to align with the cubic environment. The spines he had claimed from his last kill shifted uncomfortably under his hide, refusing to settle properly with this world's rules.

Nausea caused him to shudder as his body began to destabilize. The recent adaptations wavered, threatening to collapse.

He needed shelter. Needed time to rest.

His head snapped up. He quickly spotted a cave mouth in a nearby hill. The shadows inside registered as a light level low enough for danger, but he had little choice.

Each movement felt wrong as he forced himself toward the cave. His body fought against the world's rigid rules, but claws kept slipping on surfaces that should provide grip, and muscles worked harder than they should to cover simple distances.

The human memories warned that darkness meant danger, but his body needed time to adjust or it would tear itself apart.

The cave mouth was a perfect three-by-three arrangement of block spaces.

Inside, the light level dropped steadily until he could guess it reached seven, then six, then five. At these levels, he knew hostile creatures could spawn. The sound that came from deeper inside made his scales bristle - the rattle of bones against bones.

Through the darkness came a skeleton, its cubic skull turning as it felt his presence. It raised a bow.

The skeleton moved in a straight line for some reason, not deviating from its path at all. It quickly released an arrow, and it whistled through the air towards him. The Primal Zerg tried to dodge, but his body moved wrong, fighting against the cubic space.

The arrow struck his shoulder, embedding between scales. He hissed, but was more concerned how his flesh seemed to resist regenerating properly in this blocky world.

No choice.

He needed to adapt.

The skeleton drew another arrow, bones clicking as it maintained perfect distance. The Primal Zerg launched forward, his awkward movement actually working in his favor as the next arrow flew over his flailing body. His claws killed the skeleton in two hits.

Small floating bones hovered above the ground, and he quickly ate them up. His enhanced digestive system processed the traces of material, breaking down and analyzing what little Essence remained in the bones.

It was just enough to understand how matter existed here.

His body began to change, scales shifting painfully as edges became more defined. Muscles realigned, not fully cubic but adapted to move in right angles when needed. The transformation hurt, but when it finished, the world felt less wrong. He could feel how to interact with blocks properly now, how to move through space that operated on fixed rules rather than organic flow. The arrow wound in his shoulder began healing correctly, his flesh now compatible with this dimension's physics.

He wasn't fully creature of this world - his form remained largely natural - but he had adapted enough to survive here.

Now he needed to find proper shelter before night fell and more monsters spawned in the growing darkness...

With his body partially adapted to the cubic world, movement became more efficient. His claws found proper purchase between blocks as he explored deeper into the cave, seeking defensible space.

He measured light levels instinctively now. Level 7 meant safety. Anything lower would spawn threats.

A zombie shambled from where the light dropped to level 3. The Primal Zerg clawed at its flesh, and the zombie disappeared with a flash of red, leaving behind rotten flesh that he quickly consumed and determined to contain no useful essence.

More groans came from the cave's depths.

The cave system was too dark, too open to monster spawning. He needed somewhere else. Backing out of the cave, he looked at the biome carefully. The sun was falling in perfect increments across the sky.

Night would arrive suddenly, not gradually, and with it monsters would appear anywhere dark enough.

The nearest mountain rose in clear block segments. His adapted claws could break those blocks now, create shelter rather than just find it.

He ran rapidly across the cubic grass, each step matching the grid-like nature of the ground. A sheep wandered nearby, but food could wait.

Shelter came first.

Halfway up the mountain face, he began carving into the stone blocks. Each block broke in exactly eight hits from his claws, shrinking into a smaller version that he could collect against his scales. The process was easy now that he understood the rules - dig three blocks in, two blocks up, creating a space just large enough to defend.

Thunder cracked overhead in sharp booms.

Rain began falling in perfectly straight lines, each droplet following the same path. He worked faster, breaking and placing blocks. The entrance was deliberately small - one block high, one block wide. Most hostile mobs wouldn't be able to fit through, except baby zombies.

But he could deal with those just fine, couldn't he?

The moment night fell, he put the final blocks in place.

The den was basic but secure: three blocks deep, two blocks high, two blocks wide. A single block gap in the ceiling provided ventilation.

From his den, he watched the monsters appear. They didn't spawn gradually or walk in from elsewhere…

No. Instead they simply popped into existence wherever light levels dropped to 7 or below.

Skeletons took up positions. Zombies began their gridlike patrols. Spiders spawned behind trees. And there, in the distance, the distinct hiss of creepers. Their cube-shaped heads swayed as they moved.

None of them could reach his position easily, because the mountain face was too steep for their simple intellect to navigate.

The night should pass in exactly ten minutes of real time.

Rain struck the mountain in perfect vertical lines. Each droplet followed an exact path downward, but no water collected on the ground. Three zombies wandered in straight lines twelve blocks below. A skeleton positioned itself twenty-three blocks away, bow ready but unable to calculate a firing solution to his elevated position. A spider attempted to climb the cliff face but slid down when it encountered an overhang, clearly unable to cope with the obstacle.

The skeleton essence he had consumed earlier had finally finished integrating into his system.

His body settled further into this world's rules. Muscles and tendons aligned to move in exact increments. His claws adapted to break blocks in precisely eight strikes. Even his eyes became squares.

Through the small ventilation hole, he studied the mountain's composition. The vast majority consisted of stone blocks, but he could spot veins of coal blocks as well. Deeper in, iron ore sparkled. The human memories suggested these resources held value, but gathering them would require proper tools.

His defensive position proved perfect, because no mobs disturbed him during the short night.

When morning arrived, it came instantly. Zombies and skeletons burst into flames under the square sun, dropping items that vanished after exactly five minutes, while the creeper had wandered away. The rain stopped as suddenly as it had started, the sky clearing in a single tick of time.

Hunger soon drove him from his shelter.

There was a group of sheep grazing eight blocks away. They moved in the same manner as everything he had encountered thus far.

Turning at exact angles, completely unaware of the predator above them.

The hunt was trivial. He dropped from the high ground, landing on the largest sheep. His claws struck its head, and the sheep vanished in a puff of red particles. Raw mutton and wool remained floating above the ground, rotating slowly.

The other sheep showed no reaction.

A strange sound drew his attention. "Moo." The noise came from a cubic cow nearby. The creature stared at him with blank eyes. The cow's behavior pattern was simple - walk forward until blocked, turn, repeat.

And when he approached, it didn't flee. It simply continued its basic routine.

He clawed at it, the cow disappearing like the sheep. The floating meat and leather vanished into his gullet. Each bite made the forcibly integrated human memories clearer.

After a moment of just staring at his own claws, he looked around and spotted a cave entrance that gaped in the mountainside.

The dimensional node at the base of his skull tingled, suggesting materials for attunement might be below the ground. His new memories warned of danger underground, but also spoke of valuable ores.

The cave mouth led to a twisting tunnel system that descended at sharp angles. Torches would make this safer, the memories suggested, but he had no way to craft them yet. The darkness was no challenge to his night vision. Coal ore dotted the walls, along with specs of iron ore. The tunnels branched and split, some leading deeper underground. Water dripped from the ceiling in single-block sources that spread across the floor.

A red glow caught his attention.

Redstone ore.

His eyes glowed a subtle blue. This material could help attune him to this world, he knew this…

He moved toward it, but stopped at the sound of bones clicking against stone.

Three skeletons walked out from an adjoining tunnel, bows raised. The first arrow bounced off his scales. He spun, tail sweeping two skeletons off their feet. The third kept firing as he pounced, crushing its skull between his jaws.

The bones crumbled into items.

The remaining skeletons stood no chance. A few strikes of his claws reduced them to floating bone meal and arrows. But the sound of combat had drawn attention.

A loud hiss approached from behind.

The creeper never got close enough to detonate. His spines pierced its head, and the green mob vanished in a puff of gunpowder. Creepers exploded, destroying blocks and creatures alike, didn't they?

He returned to the redstone, breaking the ore with his metal-lined claws. The glowing dust would help attune him to this world.

But he needed more.

He knew that there were other valuable materials deeper underground. His claws flexed against the stone blocks, leaving deep scratches in their surface.

 

[Evoxius]

Minecraft Universe, Blocky Planet

The redstone dust floated into his gullet, and his eyes glowed a subtle blue as the material was taken by the node for attunement to this dimension.

The tunnel ahead split into three paths. His enhanced hearing picked up the distinct bubble of lava from the leftmost passage, while water dripped steadily from the right. The middle path descended at a sharp angle, leading deeper underground.

According to the integrated memories, diamonds and other valuable ores appeared most frequently between levels 5 and 12. He wasn't certain at which level he was currently, but he could guess he needed to go deeper. The middle path would take him where he needed to go.

The passage narrowed as he descended. His claws scraped against stone blocks, breaking them when they blocked his path. The process was mind-numbing: break, move forward, break again.

A vein of gold ore sparkled in the wall. The blue glow from his eyes deepened. Yes, this would help with attunement. His claws made short work of the blocks, the raw ore floating before him. The gold had a strange quality to it – quicker to degrade than iron despite its value.

The gold ore disappeared into his maw, and the blue glow in his eyes pulsed brighter for a moment. A zombie groaned somewhere in the darkness ahead, but the sound held no threat. These cubic undead moved in predictable ways, and their attacks barely scratched his scales.

The tunnel opened into a larger cavern. Water flowed from the ceiling in perfect columns, spreading across the floor in exact square patterns. Lava bubbled in a pool twenty blocks away, exposing iron and coal veins embedded in the walls.

The precious gems would be near the bottom of the world. He broke through more stone blocks, creating a path downward at a steep angle.

The air grew warmer. More lava pools appeared, some hidden behind thin stone walls. He could smell them - that distinct scent of heat and melted rock. A skeleton's arrow bounced off his scales. He ignored it, continuing to dig. The skeleton's programming wouldn't let it navigate the steep tunnel he was creating.

The stone changed texture, becoming darker and harder. This deep underground, the blocks took an extra strike from his claws to break. Small blue crystals caught the light from his eyes - lapis lazuli. He harvested it, the fragments vanishing into his gullet.

An odd hum made him freeze. Not a creeper this time, this was something different. Through a hole in the cave wall, he spotted the black skin of an Enderman. The tall creature teleported randomly around a cavern adjacent to his tunnel, holding a stone block in its long arms. Don't meet the eyes.

But the Enderman's ability to vanish and reappear would make a valuable adaptation, wouldn't it? He broke one more block, and jumped at the tall creature. His claws raked across its dark flesh, the impact sending both damage particles and purple teleport wisps into the air. The Enderman's body flashed red as it took the hit, and with its characteristic vwoop sound, it vanished - leaving behind only a cloud of purple particles where it had stood.

He waited in the cavern, head low and muscles tensed. The creature had to return, they always returned to fight. A minute passed. Then another. The Enderman was gone.

The remnant memories suggested this behavior was unusual. These creatures typically fought back when damaged. Did this one have different programming? He shook his head and returned to mining downward.

The stone turned to smooth granite, then back to regular stone.

A glint of blue caught his eye. Diamond ore sparkled on the wall, and his eyes glowed brighter in response. He moved toward it, already anticipating whether it might be enough for-

"Don't move."

The voice came from behind him. Human voice. Female. Young. His muscles tensed, but he remained still.

"I have an enchanted bow aimed at your head. You're not completely cubic, so whatever you are, you're not supposed to exist in Minecraft. Turn around. Slowly."

The urge to strike made his body twitch - one quick movement and the threat would become sustenance. The remnant memories pushed back against the urge. Humans could be valuable. Could share knowledge. Could help understand this world better than basic consumption would allow.

He turned slowly. A player stood ten blocks away, bow drawn and aimed. She wore iron armor that covered most of her cubic body, leaving only a pixelated face visible. The bow had a purple glow.

The player's square eyes widened. "You... you're some kind of lizard-dinosaur hybrid?"

The Zerg opened his mouth, working to form words with a throat and tongue not designed for human speech. "Not... dinosaur." Each word came out as a growl-tinged rumble.

She took a step back, bow still trained on him. "You can talk? What are you doing down here?"

"Mining." He gestured toward the diamond ore with his tail. "Need... materials."

"With your claws? That's impossible. You need at least an iron pickaxe for diamond ore." Her bow lowered slightly. "Unless... those aren't normal claws, are they?"

He flexed his metal-reinforced claws. One of his adaptations allowed him to use consumed metals to improve his teeth and claws.

"Strong enough," he growled. "Not here to fight."

"Right. Just a peaceful mining trip by a talking lizard monster." She snorted. "I've been stuck in this game for eight months, but this is new. Did they add you in an update?"

The words 'stuck in this game' triggered fragments of memory. Sword Art Online. A digital world turned real. Players trapped inside their avatars. His eyes narrowed.

"Not from here," he said. "Different world. Arrived... recently."

Her bow finally lowered completely. "Different world? Like... you're from outside the game too?"

A zombie groaned nearby. The player spun, bow raising again, but one of his spines cut through the air and embedded itself in the undead before it could reach her. The zombie burst into experience orbs and rotten flesh.

"Thanks." She stepped away from the floating items. "I'm Sarah. Or at least, that was my name before I got trapped here. Now everyone calls me IronMiner_217." She shrugged. "Not very creative with usernames."

"No name," he rumbled. "Never needed one."

"Well, No Name, want to explain why you're after diamonds? Because I'm looking for them too, and maybe we can help each other out. Safety in numbers down here."

He tilted his head. The offer made sense. She probably knew this world's rules better than he did, despite the remnant memories. And she hadn't shot him when she had the chance.

"Want diamonds," he growled, "to enhance claws." He waved them in the air. "Make them stronger."

IronMiner_217 leaned against a stone block. "Enhance them? Like enchanting?" She shook her cubic head. "Never mind, we can talk while we mine. There's usually more diamonds in these deep areas."

She pulled out a stone block and placed it beneath her feet, using it to reach the diamond ore. An enchanted diamond pickaxe appeared in her square hand. The ore broke quickly under the tool's strikes, shrinking into collectible items.

"So what's your story?" she asked, storing the diamonds in her inventory. "You said you're from another world?"

"Yes." He moved to the next vein of diamonds, collecting them as well against his scales in their miniature form. "Arrived here... recently. Everything different. Cubic."

"Tell me about it." She laughed, but the sound held little humor. "One day I'm playing Minecraft on my computer, next thing I know I'm actually inside the game. Woke up in a village with a bunch of other players. All of us trapped in these blocky bodies."

A creeper's hiss disturbed them. The Zerg spun and launched another spine. The green mob flashed red and disappeared before it could explode.

"Nice shot." IronMiner_217 mined another diamond. "We've got whole communities now. Players working together to survive. Some try to find a way back home, others have just... accepted this as their new reality."

"How many?"

"In our region? Maybe three hundred players spread across different settlements. I'm from New Haven - it's built into a mountain about two thousand blocks from here." She paused. "The bigger cities have thousands. But travel between them can be dangerous without proper gear, especially with the rare modded mobs…"

The mention of proper gear sparked more remnant memories. Enchanted armor. Potions. Methods of improving tools and weapons beyond their base capabilities.

"You live alone?" he asked.

"Nah, came down here with my mining team. We split up to cover more ground." She checked her coordinates. "They're probably a couple hundred blocks east of us."

More diamond ore sparkled in the wall ahead. The blue glow in his eyes brightened slightly.

"More players mean more questions," he rumbled.

"Yeah, they'll definitely freak out when they see you." She grinned. "But don't worry. After eight months here, we've seen some weird stuff. As long as you don't try to eat anyone, they'll probably accept you."

A skeletal skull reached through a gap in the wall. IronMiner_217 casually shot an arrow through its skull, and the mob collapsed into items.

"Nice bow," the Zerg said, the words coming easier now. The remnant memories helped shape the sounds more naturally.

"Thanks. I got lucky with one of the enchantments." IronMiner_217 examined her weapon. "Power II and Infinity. Never runs out of arrows."

A distant explosion echoed through the caves. IronMiner_217 pulled out a map, checking the red dots that marked her teammates' positions.

"That came from near Jason's location." She stuffed the map away. "Probably just a creeper, but we should check."

The tunnel branched ahead. One path led upward, while the other went toward bedrock. More diamond ore glinted in the lower passage.

"Your friends first," the Zerg rumbled. "Diamonds can wait."

They took the ascending path. IronMiner_217 placed torches every few blocks, keeping the light level above seven. The Zerg's night vision made the torches unnecessary for him, but he understood why humans needed them.

"So what should I call you?" she asked as they climbed. "Can't just keep saying 'hey you' all the time."

He considered this. Names held meaning to humans. Humans used them to form connections and build trust. What name should he use? Just 'Primal Zerg' felt inaccurate since that was just his species. Maybe he could use the name of the human from whom he got the Dimensional Travel Node (DTN)?

"Adrian," he said. "That is who I am."

"Adrian it is then." She stopped at an intersection. "Jason should be... wait, you hear that?"

Multiple zombies groaned ahead, and he could hear the skittering of multiple spiders.

"Jason!" IronMiner_217 called out. "Where are you?"

"Over here!" A male voice yelled back. "Cave spider nest! Could use some help!"

"This way." Adrian moved toward the sounds, his claws finding purchase on the stone blocks as he climbed. The tunnel opened into a larger cavern where wooden support beams supported an abandoned mineshaft.

A player in diamond armor swung his sword at three cave spiders while two zombies approached from behind. Cobwebs covered the floor and walls, slowing movement. More spiders appeared out of thin air from a spawner block tucked between support beams.

IronMiner_217 fired arrows at the zombies. The enchanted bow made quick work of them, but more spiders kept spawning.

"The spawner!" Jason yelled, backing away from a spider. "Break the spawner!"

Adrian ran forward. The cobwebs that slowed players had little effect on him, his greater speed meant he could navigate the sticky blocks efficiently. He reached the spawner and struck it with his claws.

The block cracked but didn't break. Cave spiders swarmed toward him. He spun, tail sweeping two away while his claws caught a third. The spiders were fast but predictable in their movements. Each one followed the same attack pattern - jump, bite, retreat.

"What is that thing?" Jason shouted between sword swings.

"Friend!" IronMiner_217 answered. "Adrian, the spawner needs more hits!"

Adrian struck the spawner again. More cracks appeared. A spider landed on his back, fangs seeking purchase between his scales. He rolled, crushing it against the stone floor. The spider burst into string and spider eyes.

The spawner broke after six more claw strikes, disappearing in a puff of particles. Without new spiders spawning, they could focus on the remaining ones. Jason's sword cut through two while IronMiner_217's arrows found their marks. Adrian's claws eliminated the rest.

"That's the last one." Jason leaned against a support beam, pulling out bread from his inventory to restore his health. "Now, anyone want to explain why we're working with a... whatever that is?"

"Adrian," IronMiner_217 said. "He's from another world. Like us, sort of."

Jason studied Adrian through his diamond helmet. "Another world? You mean like Earth?"

"No," Adrian said. "It's a different place. Called Zerus."

"It talks!" Jason stepped back. "Sarah, are you sure about this? Remember what happened with those 'friendly' pillagers?"

"He saved my life from a creeper," IronMiner_217 said. "And just helped clear this spider nest. I'd say he's earned some trust."

More groans from deeper in the mineshaft interrupted their discussion. The spawner might be gone, but abandoned mineshafts always contained multiple monster spawning points.

"Where's Marcus?" IronMiner_217 asked.

"We split up when I found the diamonds." Jason pointed down a side tunnel. "He went to check out some redstone deposits."

"How long ago?" Adrian asked. The words came easier now, less growl and more speech.

"Maybe twenty minutes?" Jason pulled out his map. "He should be right... huh." He tapped the map. "No marker. His signal's gone."

IronMiner_217 grabbed the map. "That's impossible. These maps have that modded enchantment. They only stop tracking if someone..." She didn't finish the sentence.

"Dies," Jason said. "Or loses connection to the server. But we know that's not the case…"

Adrian sniffed the air. The cubic environment made scents behave differently, but he could still detect traces of redstone dust. "I can track him."

"You can smell him?" Jason asked.

"The redstone. Fresh marks where he mined." Adrian moved toward the side tunnel. "This way."

The tunnel descended sharply. Water dripped from the ceiling in perfect columns, spreading across the stone floor. Redstone dust glowed on the ground, marking a clear trail.

"Marcus!" IronMiner_217 called out. "Can you hear us?"

No response. Just the bubble of lava somewhere below and the endless drip of water.

"Look." Jason pointed at broken blocks. "Signs of mining, but..." He picked up a dropped miniature iron pickaxe. "He wouldn't leave this behind."

Adrian examined the walls. Holes showed where redstone had been mined, but not everything had been taken. A two-block wide hole gaped in the floor.

"He fell?" IronMiner_217 peered down the hole.

Jason readied his sword. "Sarah, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yes." IronMiner_217 nocked an arrow. "Those players we banned from New Haven? The ones who kept stealing?"

"Raiders." Jason spat the word. "They've been getting bolder lately."

Adrian stuck his head through the hole. The shaft dropped straight down into darkness. His night vision revealed more broken blocks and scattered redstone dust.

"I'll go first," he said. "My scales can take more damage from falling."

"Wait." IronMiner_217 pulled water buckets from her inventory. "We'll make a water elevator. Safer that way."

She poured water down the hole. The liquid formed a perfect column that would slow their descent. Jason went first, then IronMiner_217. Adrian followed, his body sliding smoothly through the water stream.

They were now in a larger cavern. More mineshaft supports criss-crossed the space, and rails ran along the floor in different directions.

The ground rumbled.

Jason picked up a scattered iron ingot from the ground. "Marcus's stuff is everywhere. But where's-"

The floor blew up twenty blocks away. A massive cubic worm burst through the stone, segments of its body covered in what looked like wooden planks and cobwebs. The creature's head split into four parts, revealing grinding mandibles that processed blocks into different resources.

"What is that?" IronMiner_217 fired an arrow. The projectile bounced off the creature's armored hide.

"Run!" Jason grabbed her arm. "That's an Architect Leviathan! The admins warned us about these back when we were in the real world!"

The worm slammed into the ceiling, depositing fresh support beams from specialized glands. Rails sprouted from its underside as it moved, laying down track.

Adrian launched three spines at the creature's exposed segments. Two bounced off minecart plating after penetrating through multiple blocks, but one penetrated deep into its flesh, causing it to flash red. The Leviathan roared in pain.

"My arrows aren't doing anything!" IronMiner_217 backed away. "The mod creator made these things nearly invulnerable!"

Jason charged forward, diamond sword glowing with enchantments. The blade struck the worm's hide, leaving a small red damage indicator. The Leviathan responded by slamming Jason into a wall. His health dropped to half.

Adrian circled around, looking for weak points. The creature moved in straight lines, creating perfect tunnels as it went. Each segment produced different materials - wood, rails, support beams. The head contained the grinding mechanism.

"The joints!" He called out. "Attack between segments!"

IronMiner_217 adjusted her aim, arrows finding gaps in the plating. The Leviathan shrieked.

Jason recovered, eating golden apples to restore health. "We need to get some space! The underbelly might be weaker!"

The worm dove into the floor again. The ground shook as it moved beneath them, creating new tunnel systems. Adrian tracked its movement through vibrations in the stone.

"There!" He shoved IronMiner_217 aside as the Leviathan burst up through the floor. His claws raked across its side, tearing free a wooden plate.

The massive worm sprayed hardening resin from its mouth. The liquid turned to cobwebs, trapping Jason. His health ticked down as he struggled to break free.

"Sarah!" Jason called out. "Use the TNT!"

IronMiner_217 pulled TNT blocks from her inventory, placing them near the Leviathan's path. The worm's predictable movement meant it would pass right over them.

Adrian had four spines left. He launched two at the TNT as the creature approached. The explosions rocked the cavern, breaking the Leviathan's momentum.

The worm thrashed, mandibles grinding random blocks. Its armored segments showed cracks from the blast. Jason finally broke free from the cobwebs.

"The head!" Adrian launched another spine into the creature's grinding mouth. "While it's stunned!"

ronMiner_217 fired arrows into the same spot. Jason's sword found gaps in the damaged plating. The Leviathan's health dropped steadily.

But it wasn't enough. The creature recovered, body coiling to strike. Jason was nearly dead, and out of healing items. IronMiner_217 wasn't of much use. The worm lunged forward, mandibles open to grind them into resources.

Adrian's last spine flew true, striking deep into the exposed mouth. The Leviathan froze. Red damage particles erupted from its body. The massive form shuddered, then burst into items.

Wooden planks, rails, cobwebs, and various ores scattered across the floor. Among them lay Marcus's diamond armor and tools, along with half a stack of redstone dust.

"That's why we couldn't find a body," Jason said quietly, collecting his friend's items. "The Leviathan processed him into resources."

IronMiner_217 leaned against a wall, drinking healing potions. "I've never seen one up close before. They usually stay in the deep caves, building these tunnel networks."

"Now I understand why the mineshafts exist," Adrian muttered, remembering the confusion from the original Adrian in the remnant memories. "These creatures create them naturally."

"Yeah." Jason stored Marcus's items in his inventory. "The mod creator wanted to explain Minecraft's abandoned mineshafts. Didn't expect the monsters to be so deadly when the game became real."

Adrian examined the Leviathan's drops. His eyes widened slightly when he spotted a dark-brown round item he didn't recognize. Glancing at his new allies, he quickly gulped it down when they weren't looking.

"We should head back," IronMiner_217 said. "The council needs to know these things are coming closer to the settlement."

"What about the diamonds?" Jason asked. "We barely filled half our quota."

"I can help," Adrian offered. "I still need some for myself anyway."

IronMiner_217 smiled. "Thanks. But first we need more healing potions. That fight took everything we had. It's just too bad that Marcus died, he will have to wait a month to respawn."

 

[Behemoth.]

Aww dude. It's been a while since I've read primal zerg story. I used to search for these when I was a preteen. Excited to see where this goes and what world's he visits

 

[Evoxius]

Minecraft Universe, Blocky Planet

"We should head back to the surface," Jason said, collecting the last of Marcus's items. "The Trading Post might still have some healing potions in stock."

The water elevator carried them back up through the stone layers. Adrian's claws found easy purchase on the blocks as they climbed, while the humans placed temporary blocks beneath their feet when needed. The deep rumble of lava faded behind them.

"So Adrian," IronMiner_217 asked as they ascended, "what's your world like? You mentioned it was called Zerus?"

"It's a primal world. Harsh. Everything there evolves and fights to survive." Adrian broke through a block of granite blocking their path. "My kind lives there."

"Your kind?" Jason pulled himself up onto a stone ledge. "There are more like you?"

"Yes. The older ones can speak and think like I do. The young ones are more... basic. They need time to grow into awareness." Adrian paused at an intersection, sniffing the air. "This way leads up."

"How did you learn to talk then?" IronMiner_217 placed a torch on the wall. "English, I mean?"

Adrian considered his answer carefully. "I encountered something strange. It gave me memories - knowledge of Earth, humans, languages. Most of it is unclear, like trying to remember a dream. But it was enough to wake up my mind." He broke through another block. "Then I ended up here."

"Just like that?" Jason asked. "One moment in your world, next moment here?"

"More or less." Adrian didn't mention the pain of the transfer, or how his body had fought against the cubic nature of this reality.

The tunnel opened into a larger cavern. Sunbeams shone down through holes in the ceiling. They had reached the upper layers.

"We've got company," IronMiner_217 warned, pointing at three creepers blocking their path to the surface.

IronMiner_217 drew her enchanted bow. "Stay back. I've got this."

The first arrow made the nearest green mob flash red and stagger backward. A second arrow finished it off before it could start its explosion animation. The other two creepers turned toward the sound.

"These things used to terrify me," IronMiner_217 said, taking aim again. "Now they're just target practice."

Two more arrows whistled through the air, eliminating the second creeper. The third one got within five blocks before an arrow caught it in the head, turning it into experience orbs and gunpowder.

"Nice shooting," Jason said, collecting the drops. "We could use the gunpowder for TNT if we run into another Leviathan."

Adrian moved toward the sunshaft piercing down from above. The cave opened into a ravine that cut through several biomes. Oak trees grew along one edge while there was a desert on the other side.

"The Trading Post is that way." IronMiner_217 pointed toward some buildings in the distance. "About five hundred blocks."

"What's with your eyes?" Jason asked Adrian. "They keep glowing blue."

"Side effect of what brought me here," Adrian replied. The less said about that, the better.

A skeleton took aim at them from the shadows of an overhang. The arrow struck Jason, causing him to flash red and stumble backward, but his diamond chestplate absorbed the damage.

"Let's move," IronMiner_217 suggested. "The sun's going down soon, and we don't want to be out here when all the mobs spawn."

They reached the Trading Post just as the sun dipped below the horizon. The wooden structure stood three stories tall, surrounded by a wall of cobblestone with iron golems patrolling the perimeter. Players moved between market stalls, exchanging emeralds and items.

"You two get the potions," Adrian said. "I need to rest for a bit."

"Sure." IronMiner_217 pointed to a quiet corner near some hay bales. "We'll meet you there after we restock."

Adrian settled down in the suggested spot, away from the other players. The Leviathan's essence burned inside him, demanding attention. He closed his eyes and focused inward.

The genetic information revealed itself to his instincts. Three distinct paths of adaptation presented themselves. The first would create segmented armor plating, offering protection similar to the Leviathan's wooden shell. The second would give him grinding mandibles capable of making instant tunnels.

But the third option... Adrian's eyes narrowed as he felt out the Essence. The Architect Leviathan hadn't just created tunnels - it had processed and transformed materials. Inside its body, a specialized organ had acted as a biological crafting system.

He directed his body to begin the adaptation. The essence flowed through him, reorganizing cells and creating new structures. A crystalline pearl formed in his chest cavity, surrounded by specialized tissue. The integration exceeded his expectations, the essence meshing perfectly with his biology.

The organ could store and combine materials according to specific rules, namely the same rules that governed crafting in this world. Items would be miniaturized, just like when players stored them in their inventories. He could even sense empty slots waiting to be filled.

His first Major Adaptation settled into place, one out of five. He picked up a nearby stick and brought it near his snout, causing it to disappear in a pop. The item appeared in one of the slots inside him, ready to be brought out or combined with other materials.

"Got the potions!" IronMiner_217 called out, walking over with Jason. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Adrian replied. "Just processing some changes." He would need time to experiment with this new ability, but for now, it was better to keep it hidden. "Did you get everything you need?"

"Yeah, got everything," Jason pulled out several healing potions. "Cost us most of our emeralds, but better safe than sorry."

They waited in the Trading Post as night passed. Other players huddled around crafting tables and furnaces, some trading items while others discussed recent events. A group near the entrance talked about a raid on one of the smaller settlements.

The sun rose within 5 minutes. Zombies and skeletons caught in the open burst into flames.

"We should head to New Haven," Jason said, checking his map. "The council needs to know about the Leviathan, and..." He glanced at Adrian. "Well, people are going to have questions about you."

"What kind of questions?" Adrian asked.

"The usual stuff. Where you came from, what you want, if you're dangerous." Jason shrugged. "Don't worry too much about it. We've gotten better at telling friend from foe. The troublemakers got kicked out months ago."

"Now they're raiders," IronMiner_217 added bitterly. "Stealing supplies, killing isolated players. They even have a fortress somewhere in the mountains."

"What happened when everyone first arrived?" Adrian asked as they walked toward the city.

"Chaos," Jason replied. "Three hundred confused players spawning in the same area? It was a mess. Some panicked, others tried to take charge. A few just started attacking everyone."

"The players who knew the most about the game eventually restored order," IronMiner_217 explained. "They organized us into groups, and created laws to keep everyone in check."

"Not everyone liked those laws," Jason said. "The griefers and trolls formed their own group. They raid outposts, destroy farms, kill players for fun. We had to build thick obsidian walls just to give us time to respond."

"How many players ended up in this world?" Adrian asked, jumping over a small stream.

"No one knows," IronMiner_217 said. "Every time we send exploration teams out, they find more settlements. Some tiny, some massive. The world seems endless."

"The biggest city we know of is Imperial Diamond," Jason added. "About fourty thousand blocks east. They've got nearly ten thousand players living there."

A burning skeleton died ahead of them. The morning sun lit up the plains biome, revealing herds of sheep and cows grazing on grass blocks.

"Some think everyone on Earth got transported here," IronMiner_217 said. "Not just Minecraft players, but everyone. We met a group last month who'd never even heard of the game before waking up here."

"Makes sense," Jason said. "The raiders we kicked out? They keep finding new members. Either they're convincing established players to join them, or they're running into more people out there."

Adrian watched a chicken pop out an egg. "So no one knows what caused this?"

"Nope." IronMiner_217 shook her head. "One day everything's normal, next day we're all blocks. The really weird part is how the game mechanics work now. Health bars, inventories, crafting - it's all real."

"Some players tried breaking the rules early on," Jason sighed. "You know, building floating bases, making infinite water sources. Everything works exactly like in the game."

A creeper spawned in a dark cave entrance nearby. IronMiner_217 casually shot it with two arrows before it could approach.

"The respawn mechanic is different though," she continued. "Used to be instant in the game. Now it takes a month, and you spawn randomly within ten thousand blocks of your death point."

"That's why the raiders are so dangerous," Jason explained. "A month without your gear, spawning in who knows where, it can be rough. Most players stick to safe areas now."

They walked up a hill, and New Haven came into view. The town was built into the natural terrain of a mountainside. Obsidian walls that were thirty blocks high, with guard towers spaced evenly along the perimeter. Iron golems patrolled between farms that extended out from the main gates.

"Home sweet home," IronMiner_217 said. "Population is nearly four hundred now. We've got everything - farms, forges, enchanting rooms. Even built a proper marketplace last month."

Players worked the wheat fields while others transported items between buildings. Someone rode past on a horse, carrying messages between guard posts.

"Council meets in the central tower," Jason pointed to a tall structure made of stone bricks. "We should report the Architect Leviathan situation first. They'll want to send warning messages to the other settlements in case of any other modded mobs this close."

"What about me?" Adrian asked.

"Yeah, about that..." Jason scratched his blocky head. "The guards might freak out when they see you. Let me do the talking."

They approached the main gate. Two players in full diamond armor stood watch, crossbows ready.

"Hold up," one guard called out. "What is that thing with you?"

"StoneBreaker, it's us," Jason - or rather DiamondSlayer_332 - stepped forward. "This is Adrian. He helped us fight an Architect Leviathan in the deep caves."

The guard, StoneBreaker, kept his crossbow ready. "Never seen anything like it. Could be another mod creature."

"He can talk," IronMiner_217 said. "And he saved our lives. We need to speak with the council about the Leviathan anyway."

The second guard, RedstoneKing95, lowered his weapon. "Wait, where's NetherWalker?"

"Marcus is dead," DiamondSlayer_332 replied. "The Leviathan got him. He'll respawn in a month."

StoneBreaker cursed. "That's the third death this week. First WolfHunter gets killed by raiders, then Dragon888 falls into lava, and now this."

Other players noticed the commotion at the gate. Some backed away while others drew closer, curious about the new arrival. A player in diamond armor with glowing enchantments pushed through the crowd.

"What's going on here?" The new arrival asked. The name tag above his head read 'Obsidian_Lord'.

"Sir," StoneBreaker straightened. "DiamondSlayer and IronMiner returned with... something."

"Something that speaks and fights alongside us," IronMiner_217 added. "We need to warn the council about modded mobs appearing near our territory."

Obsidian_Lord looked down at Adrian. "You're not like any mob I've seen before. Where did you come from?"

"Another world," Adrian replied. "I arrived here recently."

Obsidian_Lord studied Adrian for a moment. "Another world? Like Earth, or somewhere else?"

"Somewhere else," Adrian said. "A place called Zerus."

More players gathered around the gates. A player in leather armor ran toward the central tower, probably to alert the council.

"The Architect Leviathan is the bigger concern right now," IronMiner_217, or rather, Sarah said. "It was way too close to our mining routes."

Obsidian_Lord nodded. "Follow me to the council chamber. StoneBreaker, return to your post. Everyone else, back to work."

The crowd dispersed reluctantly. Adrian followed the group through New Haven's streets. Players worked at crafting tables outside wooden houses, while others traded items in front of market stalls. Furnaces glowed from inside blacksmith shops, processing ores into ingots.

The central tower was not far. Built from stone bricks and decorated with quartz blocks, it served as both a meeting hall and a last-defense point during raids. Iron golems guarded the entrance, stepping aside as Obsidian_Lord approached.

Inside, redstone lamps lit the circular chamber. Five players sat around a table made of dark oak wood. The one in the center wore netherite armor.

"Council members," Obsidian_Lord announced. "We have a situation."

The player in netherite armor stood up. The name Witcherqueen01 floated above her head. "Report."

Sarah stepped forward. "We encountered an Architect Leviathan in the eastern mining system. It killed NetherWalker. Without Adrian's help, we would have died too."

The council members exchanged glances. A player named Blazing420 leaned forward. "Adrian? You mean this creature?"

"Yes," Jason stepped forward. "He's not from Earth. He came from another world called Zerus."

The room went silent. Witcherqueen01 gripped the edge of the table. "Another world? Not Earth?"

"That means there could be more," a council member named Snapp said. "More beings from other worlds appearing here."

"Exactly what we need," grumbled Honeystinger. "As if raiders and modded mobs weren't enough trouble."

The fifth council member, Bluemage2000, raised her hand. "Let's focus on the immediate threat. An Architect Leviathan this close to our mining routes puts all our resource gathering at risk if there's other modded mobs nearby."

"Agreed," Witcherqueen01 stood up. "All mining teams must carry ender pearls for emergency teleports for the next two weeks. Bluemage2000, send runners to warn the nearest settlements."

"What about him?" Snapp pointed at Adrian. "We can't ignore a creature from another world showing up at our doorstep."

"I'm not here to cause trouble," Adrian said. "I helped kill the Leviathan because it threatened Sarah and Jason."

"It speaks perfect English," Honeystinger muttered. "And it uses their real names."

Snapp stood up. "How do we know there aren't more of your kind out there? Maybe planning to-"

"Enough," Witcherqueen01 cut him off. "He saved two of our best miners. That earns him the benefit of doubt."

The council voted to let Adrian stay. They provided him with a small cave near the eastern wall, which he modified into a comfortable den. The first few days brought curious onlookers, but the novelty wore off as Adrian proved to be more helpful than threatening.

Two weeks passed quickly. Adrian spent most days helping the mining teams, his natural abilities making him excellent at fighting off hostile mobs. The players appreciated having someone who could mine without worrying about the durability of tools, and his night vision meant fewer torch placements.

The mining expeditions also gave Adrian opportunities to gather Essence from various creatures. Cave spiders proved particularly useful, and after consuming several, he developed the ability to spray sticky webs from specialized glands in his mouth. The webbing worked just like cobwebs, slowing down anything caught in them.

Other creatures yielded less impressive results. Sheep, cows, and chickens contained no useful genetic information. He even tried consuming an ender pearl, but the crystallized item held no viable Essence. A fresh sample directly from an Enderman might work better, but he hadn't encountered another one since that first meeting.

The diamonds proved more valuable. Each one brought him closer to attuning with this world - he estimated about ninety-five percent completion. Only one material remained, and based on what he'd seen of the equipment hierarchy, netherite seemed the logical choice.

"Another successful run," Sarah said, climbing out of a mineshaft. She dropped several diamond ores into a portable chest. "We're getting spoiled having you around, Adrian. No torches needed, no pickaxes breaking..."

"The spiderwebs help too," Jason added, pulling himself up. "That ability would have been useful against the Leviathan."

Adrian watched the diamonds disappear into the chest. The blue glow in his eyes remained dormant - he'd learned to suppress it when he wasn't examining potential attunement materials. No need to make the players suspicious of his true goals.

"Speaking of abilities," Sarah said, "the council wants to know if you've seen any others like yourself out there."

"No," Adrian replied. "Just the usual mobs."

A bell rang from New Haven's central tower, the signal for sunset. Time to head back before the hostile mobs started spawning.

The group walked back toward New Haven. Adrian mentally checked his stored items - the Crystalline Minecraft Pearl inside him held plenty of valuable resources. One hundred thirty-one diamonds might be enough to trade for a netherite ingot, but the material was incredibly rare. Only a handful of players owned any, mostly the settlement's leader and elite guards.

The alternative was exploring the Nether, but from what he'd learned, that hellish dimension was even more dangerous than the deep caves. Still, he could gather useful Essence there as well...

Sarah hummed as they approached the gates. "I'll probably use some of the excess diamonds to craft some diamond armor, I lost my last set when I died a while ago."

StoneBreaker waved them through. "Just in time. Sun's almost-"

Three sharp rings cut through the evening air. The warning bell.

"Raiders!" Someone shouted from a guard tower.

The peaceful atmosphere shattered. Players rushed to arm themselves, while others herded animals into protected pens. Iron golems moved to defensive positions along the walls.

"How many?" Jason pulled out his diamond sword.

"At least thirty!" StoneBreaker called down. "They've got TNT cannons!"

Another bell rang - this one from the eastern tower.

"Two groups," Sarah nocked an arrow. "They're attacking from both sides."

 

[Water_Merchant]

Interesting start here, wonder what mutations Adrian will get next.... especially from the raiders. Respawn mechanics perhaps?

 

[Evoxius]

Minecraft Universe, Blocky Planet

"Two groups," Sarah nocked an arrow. "They're attacking from both sides."

A massive explosion rocked the eastern wall. Cobblestone blocks disappeared in an instant as TNT detonated. Raiders covered with enchanted diamond armor poured through the breach.

"Get the animals!" A raider screamed, swinging his sword at the nearest sheep. "Burn everything!"

Adrian sprinted toward the breach. Three raiders spotted him and backed away, raising their bows. Arrows whistled past his head as he zigzagged between blocks. Opening his mouth, he sprayed thick webs in an arc, catching two of them.

"What the hell?" One raider struggled against the sticky strands. "Since when do mobs spray cobwebs?"

The third raider pulled out an ender pearl. Adrian lunged forward, teeth sinking into the raider's hand before he could throw it. The venom worked quickly, the player's movements became sluggish within a couple of seconds.

"I can't... my health bar..." The raider managed to throw the ender pearl just before Adrian's claws swiped through his head.

More explosions thundered from the western side. Players in diamond armor clashed with raiders near the farms. Someone dumped lava from a bucket, setting the wheat field ablaze.

"Look what we found!" A female raider stood on the wall. "A nice cozy town full of carebears!" She placed TNT blocks along the ramparts.

Sarah's arrow caught her in the chest. The raider stumbled backward, falling into her own TNT as it exploded. Her items scattered across the ground.

"They're breaking into the storage house!" Jason shouted, blocking a sword strike with his shield. "Someone stop them!"

Adrian ran across the courtyard. Two raiders were destroying chests with diamond pickaxes while others grabbed the spilling items. He sprayed webs to block the doorway, trapping them inside.

"Drink milk!" One raider tossed bottles to his companions. "This thing's got poison!"

A crossbow bolt struck Adrian's shoulder. He spun around to face a raider in full netherite armor, wielding an enchanted netherite sword that glowed with purple energy.

"So you're the new pet everyone's been talking about," The raider's nameplate read Bloodychibi. "Let's see how tough you really are."

Bloodychibi charged forward, his netherite boots carrying him at sprinting speed. The sword slashed across Adrian's scales, cutting deep despite his natural armor.

Adrian snapped at the raider's arm, but his teeth barely scratched the full netherite protection. He tried to circle around for a better angle, only to receive another slash that nearly severed his front leg.

"Having trouble?" Bloodychibi laughed, biting into a golden apple. His health bar instantly regenerated. "Maybe you should have stayed in whatever world you came from."

Adrian opened his jaw and an ender pearl shot out from the Crystalline Minecraft Pearl behind a nearby house. The teleport gave him precious seconds to assess the situation. Blood dripped from the deep gash in his leg.

"Running away?" Bloodychibi sprinted around the corner, shield raised. "What happened to all that confidence?"

Sarah's voice called out from above. "Adrian, catch!"

Two golden apples fell from the guard tower. Adrian snapped them up, the healing magic spreading through his body. The wound on his leg sealed shut.

"Hey!" Bloodychibi blocked another arrow from Sarah. "No fair giving the mob golden apples!"

More raiders breached the western wall. Some carried buckets of lava while others placed TNT. The iron golems rushed to intercept them but got knocked back by shields and crossbow bolts.

"The storage house is empty!" A raider shouted. "Check the other buildings!"

Adrian launched three spines at a group trying to burn down the library. Two raiders fell, but the third blocked with his shield and threw an ender pearl onto the roof.

Bloodychibi charged again, swinging his netherite sword in quick strikes. Adrian barely dodged the first slash but caught the second one across his face. The enchanted blade took out his right eye.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Bloodychibi raised his shield to block Adrian's retaliatory bite. "I've killed sheep tougher than you!"

Jason and three other players in diamond armor surrounded Bloodychibi. Their swords glowed with enchantments as they struck from different angles.

"About time you cowards showed up!" Bloodychibi drank a Potion of Strength. The purple particles swirled around him as he knocked two players back.

Adrian sprayed webs to limit Bloodychibi's movement. The raider leader cut through them with his sword, but the delay let Jason land a solid hit.

"You're outnumbered," Jason said. "Your raiders are dying. Give up."

"Giving up is for weaklings!" Bloodychibi ate another golden apple. "Death just means a month-long vacation anyway!"

Bloodychibi's health dropped to half as Jason landed another hit. The raider leader pulled out an ender pearl and threw it over the wall.

Adrian grabbed one of his own pearls. The crystalline orb shattered against a tree, teleporting him right behind Bloodychibi. His claws raked across the netherite leggings, leaving deep scratches.

"Get off me!" Bloodychibi threw another pearl toward the desert biome.

Adrian followed with his second pearl, materializing next to a cactus. He sprayed sticky webs in a wide arc, catching Bloodychibi mid-sprint. The raider struggled against the cobwebs as Adrian's claws struck twice more at the weakened leg armor.

"Fine, you want to play?" Bloodychibi broke free and pulled out another ender pearl. "Catch me if you can!"

Adrian spat cobblestone blocks from his storage, creating a wall that intercepted the pearl's trajectory. The orb bounced off harmlessly as Bloodychibi stumbled backward.

"No no no-"

Nine spines shot out in rapid succession. The first three were blocked by the shield, but the rest hit the netherite armor. Bloodychibi's health bar dropped to zero. His body disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind piles of items.

Adrian quickly stored everything - the netherite armor, enchanted weapons, golden apples, potions, and various valuable materials. He left the dirt and cobblestone blocks behind.

The sounds of fighting had died down back at New Haven. Adrian ran toward the settlement, passing griefed areas where raiders had built towers of cobblestone covered in lava. Several buildings were still burning, while others had been reduced to scattered blocks.

Sarah and Jason stood near the broken eastern wall, helping put out fires with water buckets.

"Adrian!" Sarah waved him over. "What happened to Bloodychibi?"

"He pearled away," Adrian moved his remaining eye between them. "Used up all my pearls trying to catch him."

"Damn," Jason kicked a burnt fence post. "He'll be back with more raiders in a month."

The damage to New Haven looked bad, but Adrian knew it would only take a day or two to rebuild. The real problem was all the stolen items from the storage house.

"We should help clean up," Adrian suggested, hoping to change the subject. He didn't want anyone asking too many questions about what happened during the chase.

Sarah gasped when she noticed the wound where Adrian's eye used to be. "Your eye! Wait, I have a golden apple left-"

"Don't waste it," Adrian shook his reptilian head. "I can regenerate it within a day. My kind heals quickly."

"Are you sure?" Sarah reached toward the injury. "That looks really bad."

"We have bigger problems," Jason pointed at the central tower. "Council's calling an emergency meeting."

Players gathered in the tower's main chamber. The air smelled like smoke from the fires outside. Council members sat around the dark oak table, faces grim.

"Twenty-three dead," Witcherqueen01 announced. "Plus everything stolen from the storage house. Diamonds, emeralds, enchanted gear - all gone."

"Those bastards even took our netherite reserves," Blazing420 slammed a fist on the table. "Two ingots we spent months gathering!"

Snapp stood up. "And where were our guards during all this? How did they breach both walls?"

"The TNT cannons were automated," StoneBreaker spoke from the crowd. "They fired simultaneously. We couldn't reach them in time."

"What about our spy network?" Honeystinger demanded. "Nobody saw this coming?"

Bluemage2000 shook her head. "The raiders must have found our observation posts. Three of our scouts never reported back this week."

"And what about him?" Snapp pointed at Adrian. "The creature that was supposed to be so helpful? Bloodychibi got away!"

"I saw Adrian fighting," Jason stepped forward. "He saved multiple lives today. Without him, we would have lost more than just items."

Witcherqueen01 raised a hand for silence. "The blame game won't help us rebuild. We need solutions. Ideas?"

"Imperial Diamond might help," Sarah suggested. "They've fought raiders before."

"They're too far," Honeystinger replied. "By the time they respond, the raiders will have hidden everything in their mountain base."

Adrian listened quietly. He wasn't going to tell them about the netherite supplies from Bloodychibi. He needed that netherite so he could attune himself to this world and teleport to a new one. Once that was done, he would always have an escape plan in case they turned against him, because he could teleport back and forth between attuned worlds. The only cost would be some energy gathered from Essence.

"We should focus on fortifying the walls," Bluemage2000 said. "Maybe even more obsidian this time."

"With what resources?" Snapp demanded. "The raiders took everything!"

The meeting devolved into arguments about resource allocation and defensive strategies. Adrian noticed Sarah watching him with concern. The wound where his eye had been must have looked worse to humans than it was.

The council meeting ended without any clear solutions. Adrian returned to his cave den near the eastern wall, glad to be away from all the arguing. He pulled out the netherite leggings from his storage and placed them under his body. The metal felt cold against his scales.

The dimensional node in his head began analyzing the material. Numbers flickered in his mind as the attunement percentage rose steadily. 96%. 97%. 98%. 99%...

100%.

Adrian felt a slight buzz as the connection stabilized. This world was now properly attuned - he could leave and come back whenever he wanted. The blue glow in his remaining eye dimmed.

He checked the contents stored within the Crystalline Minecraft Pearl. The inventory slots filled most of his awareness:

131 diamonds and 15 emeralds sat in the first slots. Various materials took up several more - 19 iron blocks, 28 coal blocks, 210 cobblestone, and 82 oak blocks.

Food supplies looked good. 40 steaks and 44 golden apples would last a while. The combat gear impressed him most - a full set of netherite armor with Protection IV enchantments, plus an enchanted netherite sword with Sharpness V and Fire Aspect II. The bow had Power V and Infinity.

More useful items filled the remaining slots. 11 ender pearls, milk, water and lava buckets, 55 bone meal, 61 leather. Basic supplies like furnaces, torches, and arrows. The potions would come in handy too - health, strength, fire resistance, and speed.

Adrian curled up in his den. The eye wound throbbed, but he could feel it slowly regenerating. By tomorrow it would be fully healed. Then he could make his excuses about wanting to explore the world.

New Haven would make a good waypoint to return to. The players trusted him now, especially after helping defend against the raiders. As long as he maintained that trust, he would always have a safe place to rest between dimensional jumps.

He heard footsteps approaching the den entrance. Sarah's voice called out, "Adrian? Are you awake?"

"Come in," Adrian shifted to face the entrance. The netherite leggings disappeared into his storage just as Sarah ducked through the doorway.

"I brought you some steak," Sarah placed three cooked beef on the ground. "Jason wanted to come too, but he's helping rebuild the storage house."

"Thanks." Adrian ate one of the steaks, feeling his hunger dull slightly.

Sarah sat down on a wooden stair block. "That council meeting was a mess. Everyone's scared about what happens when Bloodychibi comes back next time with all of his raiders having respawned."

"A month is plenty of time to prepare," Adrian said between bites.

"Maybe." Sarah pulled out a torch and placed it on the wall. "But we lost most of our resources. The raiders even took our diamonds from the deep mining expedition."

Adrian kept his expression neutral. His own diamonds sat safely in his storage, along with everything else from Bloodychibi.

"I've been thinking," Adrian spoke carefully. "Once my eye heals, I want to explore more of this world. Maybe find other settlements, learn about what's out there."

"Really?" Sarah looked surprised. "It's dangerous to travel alone. The raiders control most of the territory between settlements."

"I can handle myself," Adrian ate another steak. "And I'll come back to New Haven to rest once in a while."

"Well..." Sarah stood up. "I'll inform the others, just be careful out there. We've lost enough friends already."

The sound of breaking blocks echoed from outside. Players were removing the grief towers of cobblestone and lava.

"I should go help with cleanup," Sarah walked toward the entrance. "Get some rest, okay? That eye needs to heal."

Adrian settled down to sleep, and eight hours later when the sun rose over New Haven, he blinked both eyes, testing his restored vision. The regenerated eye worked perfectly. He stepped out of his den to watch players rebuilding the damaged sections of wall with obsidian.

He needed to leave soon. While this world offered many opportunities, staying too long was dangerous.

What if Imperial Diamond learned about him and decided he needed to be killed for rare drops or something like that? Tens of players in enchanted armor could overwhelm him through sheer numbers, let alone more. Even with his combat adaptations, healing items and more, he couldn't fight an army. He needed a safe point in another world first.

He saw Sarah approaching with Jason.

"Your eye!" Sarah smiled. "It really did heal overnight."

"Told you," Adrian stretched his legs. "Listen, I'm heading out today. Going to explore the world like we discussed."

"Already?" Jason frowned. "We could use your help defending against the raiders."

"The walls will hold," Adrian said. "And I won't be gone forever. New Haven can be my... home base."

Sarah crossed her arms. "You sure about this? The raiders are still out there."

"I need to understand this world better," Adrian replied. The lie came easily. "Maybe find answers about why I ended up here."

"At least take some supplies," Jason pulled out a stack of torches.

"Thanks, but I have enough." Adrian moved toward the gate. "I'll return when I can."

He didn't need to deceive them, but survival came first. Once he established safe points in another world, he could always come back.

StoneBreaker opened the gate. "Good hunting out there."

Adrian walked past the iron golems and headed toward a distant hill. The morning sun cast long shadows across the plains biome as sheep meandered between oak trees. Once he moved behind the hill, blocking any view from New Haven's walls, he stopped.

The dimensional node activated. Blue light blazed from his eyes as energy coursed through his body.

Reality twisted after five seconds. The blocky world dissolved around him as he jumped between dimensions. When the world reformed, he found himself in a plume of smoke on a grassy field.

Adrian tried to move but his body fought against itself. The Minecraft Physics Integration adaptation clashed with this new non-blocky reality. He focused inward, slowly suppressing the semi-cubic nature of his body. The adaptation would remain in his essence, ready to be used again, but no longer forcing his body into rigid patterns.

The smoke cleared, and he saw dozens of teenagers in black cloaks standing in front of a large stone wall.

A young girl with bright pink hair stepped toward him with a smile on her face.

 

[MinerFrags]

does he look blocky even not in minecraft now

 

[Evoxius]

does he look blocky even not in minecraft now

Click to shrink...

No, that's why it says 'suppressing the semi-cubic nature of his body'

 

[Evoxius]

Familiar of Zero, Tristaine

The young girl with bright pink hair stepped toward Adrian with pride shining in her eyes. A balding person in dark robes stood nearby, adjusting his glasses while he studied Adrian's reptilian form. The man stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I've never seen a creature quite like this one before," he said, gripping his wooden staff. "What an unusual familiar you've summoned, Miss Vallière."

The other students whispered among themselves. A tall red-haired girl snickered. "Who would have thought Louise the Zero could actually summon anything at all? But I suppose even a broken clock is right twice a day..."

Adrian was still suppressing the adaptation that allowed him to function in Minecraft. The dimensional jump had left him disoriented, and now he found himself surrounded by teenagers in black cloaks. None of their words made sense to him, they spoke in a language he'd never heard before.

The man nodded to the pink-haired girl. "Well, go ahead with the ceremony, Miss Vallière. Complete the contract."

"Shut up Kirche!" Louise snapped at the red-haired girl. "My familiar looks way cooler than your stupid salamander!"

Kirche rolled her eyes. "At least my familiar isn't just lying there like a confused lizard."

Louise stepped forward with determination on her face. She raised her wand toward Adrian, who watched the small human with mild curiosity. The girl took a deep breath and spoke in a clear voice.

"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the five elemental powers; bless this humble being, and make him my familiar."

She leaned down and planted a quick kiss on Adrian's snout. He blinked in surprise at the contact but remained still, his body still adjusting from the cubic nature of Minecraft.

He could feel something odd in his mind. Something was probing his memories, searching deeper and deeper. The force seemed disappointed, ready to reject him, when it discovered the memories of the original Adrian - the human he had consumed on Zerus.

Bright light shone from Adrian's scales. His entire body lifted off the ground as the magic reshaped him. Bones shifted and reformed while his muscles redistributed themselves. His perspective rose higher and higher until he towered over the students and even who he guessed was their teacher.

Steam rose from his newly formed human skin. His adaptations remained, but changed to fit in his new body. He could feel his spines beneath his wrists, his strength now contained in human muscles. Different, but still deadly.

A burning sensation stabbed into his right hand. Adrian lifted it to examine the strange symbols carving themselves into his flesh. He had experienced far worse pain during his hunts on Zerus.

Louise's triumphant laughter cut off abruptly. Her face turned bright red as she stared up at his naked body.

"I want a handsome familiar too!" Kirche complained. "Why does Zero get such a tall drink of water?"

The teacher cleared his throat. "Miss Vallière, please get your familiar some proper clothes. You're fortunate to have summoned such a unique magical creature, but you must take care of it appropriately." He moved closer to study the runes on Adrian's hand for a moment before waving his staff. The man rose into the air and flew toward the castle in the distance.

Louise grabbed Adrian's hand, her small fingers barely wrapping around some of his hand. "Come on," she mumbled, face still flushed. The other students raised their wands and took to the sky.

Adrian followed the pink-haired girl, trying to make sense of what had happened. The ability to transform between forms rested in the back of his mind like a switch waiting to be flipped. At least he hadn't lost his true body, this was simply another kind of adaptation.

"Can you understand me?" he asked in English. "What just happened?"

Louise turned around and, still blushing bright-red, scowled at him. The small girl raised her wand with an annoyed expression. "Comply to my order by silence!"

Adrian tensed at the pointed wand. His instincts proved correct as an explosion blew up the air right in front of him. The blast wasn't particularly strong, but the surprise made him react. He darted through the smoke and grabbed Louise by her throat, lifting her into the air.

"Put me down this instant!" Louise screamed, kicking her legs. "How dare you manhandle your master!"

Adrian slowly loosened his grip, but frowned immediately. He hadn't decided to let her go, so why were his fingers relaxing? Was his new human body affecting him? Wait.

…a grassy field, a small pink-haired girl, magical runes... The original Adrian's remnant memories had him recall an anime called Familiar of Zero. A Japanese boy summoned to serve as a familiar, bound by runes that allowed him to master any weapon he held.

Louise continued to flail in his grasp. "I said put me down, you stupid familiar!"

Were the runes already affecting him? He wasn't clear whether they had any such influence over the mind, but he needed to counter this quickly just in case. His free hand moved and a distinctly cubic bucket of milk that he had looted from Bloodychibi spawned from the Crystalline Minecraft Pearl. The bucket vanished as he held it towards his mouth, hopefully nullifying whatever influencing magic was tied to the runes. It should work, considering a bucket of milk could dispel negative status effects.

Then, he paid attention to the gasping Louise, and stared at her with narrowed eyes. Her words made perfect sense now. Had she cast a translation spell that involved an explosion? The original Adrian's memories came in handy again, and they reminded him that she could only cast explosions, something about being a void mage.

He lowered Louise back to the ground. "Don't cast explosions at me again. I don't appreciate being attacked."

Louise rubbed her throat and glared up at him. "How dare you speak to me like that! I am a noble, and you are my familiar! You should be grateful I summoned you!"

"Grateful for being blown up?" Adrian crossed his arms.

"That was... that was an accident!" Louise stomped her foot, mumbling under her breath, "It was supposed to be a silence spell..." She raised her voice again. "And you can understand me now, can't you? See? I can cast spells!"

"You blew up my face."

"W-well..." Louise turned away, face reddening. "We need to get you clothes first. Come on, the servants should have something that fits."

Adrian glanced at the massive stone castle. Students flew through the air on their way back, some pointing and whispering about him. The original Adrian's memories suggested this was some kind of magic academy, but the details were fuzzy.

"You haven't told me your name yet," Louise mumbled as they walked. She kept her eyes firmly ahead, refusing to look at him.

"Adrian."

"That's... actually a proper name." Louise sounded surprised. "I thought you'd have some weird beast name. What kind of creature are you anyway? And how did you turn human?"

"You don't need to know my species," Adrian watched a group of students land near the castle entrance. "Your spell changed my form, but I can switch back whenever I want."

Louise spun around to face him, and then accidentally glanced down before quickly turning away again with bright red cheeks. "You can transform at will? Show me!"

"After I get clothes." Adrian eyed the castle walls. The stone blocks reminded him of Minecraft, but these were carved with actual detail rather than simple cubes. "I'd rather not be naked in human form."

"R-right." Louise hurried toward a side entrance. "The servant quarters are this way. We'll find something that fits you."

They passed through wooden doors into cool stone corridors lit by torches. A few maids carrying baskets of laundry stopped to stare at them. One dropped her basket, scattering clothes across the floor.

"Don't just stand there gawking!" Louise snapped at the maids. "My familiar needs clothes immediately!"

A black-haired maid rushed forward with a bundle of fabric. "Here, these belonged to a guard who left last month. They should fit..."

Adrian accepted the clothes – simple brown trousers, a white shirt, and leather boots. The maid kept her eyes firmly on the floor as she handed them over.

"What's your name?" Adrian asked while pulling on the trousers.

"S-Siesta, my lord." The maid bowed slightly.

"I'm not a lord. Just call me Adrian."

"Stop wasting time with servants!" Louise grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the maids. Her lacking strength struggled to budge him until he allowed himself to be led through the castle corridors.

She dragged him up several flights of stairs to what seemed to be student quarters. The room she brought him to was small but well-furnished, with a large bed taking up most of the space.

"This is my room," Louise released his arm. "You'll sleep there." She pointed to a pile of hay in the corner.

Adrian didn't really care about that, and sat down on a wooden chair near a small table. "Tell me about the world. Where are we?"

Louise perched on the edge of her bed and straightened her back proudly. "This is the Tristain Academy of Magic in the kingdom of Tristain. We nobles are blessed by the Founder Brimir with magical abilities..."

The next hour passed as Louise explained the basics about the five elements of magic (Wind, Fire, Earth, Water and the sacred Void), the social structure between nobles and commoners, and the surrounding nations. She seemed very eager to emphasize the importance of nobility, specifically her own family.

"And what about familiars?" Adrian interrupted her explanation about the current royal family. "What purpose do they serve?"

"Familiars are a mage's lifelong companion!" Louise closed her eyes and raised a finger in a lecturing pose. "They protect and serve their masters, helping them with magic and daily tasks. The familiar ritual is a sacred tradition that goes back 6000 years-"

Adrian stood up from the chair and walked toward her. Louise opened her eyes and squeaked when she found him inches from her, but he moved past her to the mirror mounted on the wall.

The reflection showed a six-foot-four man in his early twenties. Dark auburn hair fell around a face that looked similar to the original Adrian, yet different in subtle ways. The blue eyes remained the same, but the jawline was sharper, the nose slightly different. The athletic build stretched the borrowed white shirt across broad shoulders.

"Is something wrong?" Louise asked from behind him.

"No." Adrian touched the mirror. The fair-skinned human face copied his movement. "Just checking what I look like."

Louise continued explaining about familiars and nobles behind him, but Adrian focused on his next moves. Playing along as her familiar could work well. The academy would provide shelter and information while he learned about this world. He could always return to Minecraft if needed, but leaving now would mean abandoning this dimension unless he randomly teleported back here again.

Magic interested him most. The problem was acquiring it, because consuming random humans felt wrong now. The original Adrian's remnant memories made him hesitate at the thought. Enemies were one thing, but eating innocent humans for their Essence left a bad taste in his mouth. Still, if he remembered correctly, the academy would face attacks soon enough. Those enemies would make perfect targets.

The sun had begun to set outside the window. Louise walked to the closet next to the mirror and removed her black cloak, hanging it inside. She closed the closet door, turned around, and let her black skirt drop to the floor. Her fingers moved to the buttons of her uniform, undoing them one by one before letting that fall as well.

Adrian raised his eyebrows. Humans usually cared about nudity - that was why Louise had rushed to get him clothes earlier. But now she undressed right in front of him wearing only a very thin and see-through shirt. Did this world have different customs than Earth?

His new human body reacted strangely, a large bulge growing in his borrowed trousers. He had never experienced anything like this before. Was this human arousal?

Louise gathered up her discarded clothes and threw them at him. He caught them easily.

"Wash these," she ordered.

Louise pulled off her thin shirt and panties, tossing them on top of the pile in his hands. She stood there completely naked, apparently unconcerned.

Adrian dropped the clothes back on the floor. "I'm not doing your laundry."

"What?" Louise stomped her foot. "You have to! Familiars serve their masters!"

"I'll protect you if needed. But I won't act as your servant."

Louise puffed up her cheeks. "Fine! Then you won't get any food!"

"I can find my own food." Adrian turned toward the door.

"Wait!" Louise scampered to the side of her bed and pulled out something. She held up a metal collar attached to a chain bolted into the wall. "Come here and lean down."

Adrian stared at the collar. "You actually think I'll let you chain me up?"

"But... but familiars are supposed to be obedient!" Louise waved the collar. "How else will I train you?"

Adrian rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to act like a slave. I'll protect you if needed, but that's it."

"You have to obey me! I'm your master!"

"Am I a normal familiar?" Adrian crossed his arms. "You said yourself that familiars with human forms are extremely rare. I'm not some mindless animal you can order around."

Louise opened her mouth to argue, but her eyes dropped lower and widened at the obvious bulge in his pants. She squeaked and covered her face with both hands, dropping the collar. "F-familiars shouldn't do that!"

"Then get dressed, or call another servant to wash your clothes." Adrian stepped toward the door. "I'm going to explore the academy."

"Wait!" Louise peeked through her fingers. "You can't just leave!"

"Watch me." Adrian pulled open the door.

"At least tell me where you're going!"

"To find food." Adrian stepped into the hallway. "And don't try exploding me again."

The door closed behind him, leaving a frustrated and very red-faced Louise alone in her room.

 

[Evoxius]

Familiar of Zero, Tristaine

Adrian's stomach growled. He was hungry, but he didn't really want to waste any of his supply in the Crystalline Minecraft Pearl… Maybe he could ask one of the servants for directions to the kitchen?

He followed the stairs down, and spotted a girl with black hair standing close to a boy with blonde hair in the hallway. The boy held a red rose in his hand.

"I'm good at making souffle," the girl said shyly.

The boy gestured out with his free hand. "I'd love to have a taste of that."

"Really?" The girl's eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together.

"Of course, Katie. I would never lie to your eyes." The boy's gentle smile seemed rehearsed.

"Guiche..." Katie's voice was filled with adoration.

"There's never a hidden side of my affection for you-" The boy cut himself off as Adrian approached. "Oh, it's the tall plebeian that Louise summoned."

"Right, at today's ceremony." Katie nodded, then blushed bright red as her eyes drifted downward.

Guiche noticed her reaction and frowned deeply. "Hold it."

"What?" Adrian glanced back, already walking past them.

"As a plebeian who caused trouble for an aristocrat, shouldn't you say a word of thanks that our academy provided you with clothing?"

Adrian scoffed and kept walking.

A flick of Guiche's rose sent Adrian floating into the air. His body went rigid as he fought against the magical restraint, but he was stuck like this as Guiche dragged him back and forth through the air.

"I told you to apologize, didn't I? Plebeian."

"Put. Me. Down." Each word came out as a barely controlled snarl, Adrian's eyes blazing with murderous intent.

Guiche smirked and pulled Katie closer. "See how uncivilized these plebeians are..."

Adrian's free hand snapped up toward Guiche, trembling with rage as he fought the urge to impale the smug bastard right there. His breath came in sharp, angry bursts. Before he could give in to the killing impulse, Louise ran down the stairway and paused at what she saw.

"What's going on here?" she demanded.

Guiche shrugged. "Your familiar acted uncouthly. He's just like his master, it seems."

Louise let out a small growl. "Put him down!"

He let out an exaggerated sigh and released the spell. Adrian crashed to the floor.

"Come with me," Louise ordered. "I have something to say."

Adrian slowly stood up, his heart pounding with rage. Every instinct screamed at him to tear Guiche apart, to consume his Essence and gain his magic. But once again… the original Adrian's memories held him back.

Murder would have consequences on his stay here...

"Lead the way," he told Louise, keeping his eyes locked on Guiche until they turned the corner.

Louise led him through the hallways, slammed her door shut behind them, and spun around to face Adrian. Her pink hair whipped through the air as she jabbed a finger at his chest.

"What do you think you're doing? Running around the academy like some... some wild animal! Do you have any idea how this makes me look?"

Adrian just stood there with a blank look on his face, massaging his wrists where the spines strained against his skin.

"Everyone already thinks I'm a failure!" Louise paced back and forth. "The Zero who can't cast proper spells! And now my familiar won't even listen to basic commands!"

She stomped her foot. "Are you even paying attention to me?"

Adrian kept rubbing his wrists, pressing harder as memories of being helplessly floated through the air made his blood boil.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Louise marched to her bed and yanked two items from underneath, a long black whip with metal spikes pierced into the leather, and a silver collar covered in glowing runes. "Take off your shirt. Now!"

Adrian's fingers dug deeper into his wrists.

"You need to be disciplined as my familiar! You need to listen to your master!" Louise cracked the whip against the floor, leaving a mark in the stone. She held up the collar with her other hand. "This is a magical restraining device used to tame wild creatures. It's even got water and wind spells on it. At the master's signal, it gives out electric shocks. I think this will work perfectly after you've been disciplined!"

The spines under Adrian's skin pulsed with each heartbeat. His hands moved in slow circles, massaging harder and harder until his knuckles turned white.

Louise's voice faded into background noise as Adrian struggled with two very different mindsets warring inside him. The original Adrian's memories had changed him in ways he never expected. Before consuming that human on Zerus, he had been pure instinct.

Hunt, kill, adapt, survive.

Now? Now he questioned everything.

The human part of him understood patience and long-term planning. It whispered that he could gain more by playing along, by letting these 'nobles' think they had power over him.

He hadn't cared that much about the raiders in Minecraft, because they respawned after death, and that made them fair game. But these people?

One wrong move and they would be gone forever.

At the same time, his Primal Zerg nature screamed at the indignity of being floated through the air like a helpless prey animal. On Zerus, such a challenge demanded immediate response. Show weakness, and competitors would press their advantage until you lost everything.

Territory. Resources. Life itself.

The human perspective suggested gathering allies, learning the rules of this society, and finding opportunities to grow stronger without drawing attention. It was the smarter path, the optimal path.

But it felt wrong. Every second he stood here, letting this small pink-haired human wave a whip and collar at him, felt like submission. The Primal Zerg didn't submit to those weaker than themselves.

He couldn't submit to anyone. He didn't want to.

The memories of the original Adrian showed him countless human cultures and societies. They built incredible things through cooperation. Through accepting hierarchies and working within systems. Through strategic thinking rather than pure instinct.

And yet...

Adrian's fingers pressed harder into his wrists where the spines were poking just the slightest bit out of his skin. The human part of him might understand patience, but it also understood pride. It understood anger at being treated as lesser. The original Adrian had memories of bullies, of people who abused power simply because they could.

Both mindsets agreed on one thing.

This treatment was unacceptable.

"Listen to me when I'm speaking!" Louise yelled, swinging the spiked whip toward Adrian's face.

His body shifted in an instant. Bones cracked and reformed as scales replaced human skin. The borrowed clothes seemed to magically disappear as he shrank down to his true size, eight feet long and three feet tall, a mass of Primal Zerg muscle.

The whip cracked harmlessly above him. Four spines launched from his back in rapid succession - two pierced Louise's eyes, one penetrated her throat, and the final spine went straight through her forehead.

The pink-haired girl was forcibly slammed against the wall with a wet thud. The spines pinned her upright like a puppet, blood running down the stone from all four points of impact.

Adrian felt... satisfied.

His instinctual side nearly purred at the swift execution of a threat. He wouldn't tolerate being treated as lesser, wouldn't accept being someone's pet to be disciplined.

It didn't matter that it might be the optimal path.

It wasn't his path.

He approached Louise's corpse, stored her wand into his Crystalline Minecraft Pearl, and tore into the flesh. The meat was still warm as he swallowed it down. She had to contain useful Essence, right? The original Adrian's remnant memories spoke of her importance as a 'Void Mage', whatever that meant. It wasn't long before nothing remained of Louise except bloodstains on the wall. Adrian's stomach churned as it began breaking down the biomass.

But he couldn't stay here. The encounter with Guiche proved that even a single student could render him helpless with magic. An entire academy of mages?

He had to escape. Now.

Adrian crashed through Louise's window, glass shattering around him as he fell three stories to the ground. His claws dug into the grass, and he sprinted toward the academy walls. He knew that it was possible to initiate an emergency jump towards a new world, and that it would activate quicker than the standard teleport. His only option in that regard was Minecraft, but he hoped to stay in this world a little longer. It would always be better to have more options available.

Most students were heading to the dining hall for dinner, paying little attention to the gardens where Adrian ran. His reptilian form blended in well with the growing darkness as he moved beside the green hedges.

The wall proved no obstacle. His claws found purchase in the stone, and he scaled it in seconds. The surrounding forest seemed to go for miles in every direction until it passed over the horizon.

Adrian dropped to the ground on the other side and disappeared into the trees. The thick canopy blocked most of the sunlight, creating deep shadows perfect for staying hidden. He maintained his sprint for several miles, putting significant distance between himself and the academy.

No sounds of pursuit reached his ears. No magical lights lit up the sky.

They probably hadn't discovered Louise's body yet. It would make sense, the students seemed to have individual rooms, and servants wouldn't enter without permission.

He slowed his pace and began searching for suitable shelter. It felt odd to be in nature without any other Primal Zerg around. Whether it be prey or predators, there was always danger present. Here the only sounds were birds and small animals scurrying through the underbrush.

A steep hillside caught his attention. Water had carved out a small cave near the base, partially hidden by hanging vines. Adrian cleared out the rotting leaves inside and widened the entrance enough for his body to fit comfortably. The cave extended about fifteen feet back, with solid rock walls that would be easy to defend. He dragged fallen branches across the entrance, creating natural-looking cover.

From outside, it looked like just another section of hillside. The cave would serve as a good base while he figured out his next move.

Adrian curled up in the back of the cave and closed his eyes. He needed to focus on processing Louise's Essence while staying alert for any signs of pursuit from the academy.

The moon rose higher in the sky as Adrian's digestive system fully absorbed Louise's Essence.

The first discovery surprised him. The Dimensional Travel Node informed him that his attunement to this world suddenly reached 100%. It seemed consuming someone deeply connected to the world bypassed the need to gather specific materials. That could be useful information for future worlds.

A tingling feeling drew his attention to the back of his front leg. The familiar runes that had engraved themselves onto his body during the summoning ceremony had disappeared. Without Louise alive to anchor them, the familiar bond had broken. Adrian flexed his claws. The Gandálfr runes might have been useful in human form, instantly mastering any weapon he held, but his true body relied more on natural weapons than tools.

It wouldn't have been that useful anyway.

The most interesting discovery came as his brain began incorporating a new adaptation from Louise's Essence. A new structure started forming, spreading tendrils of specialized neurons through his brain. But something felt... incomplete. The connections reached out in three different directions, as if searching for matching pieces that weren't there.

Adrian focused on this.

The structure seemed designed to interface with something larger, like one part of a greater whole. He knew she could cast some kind of Explosion, Illusion and Teleport spell, but not much else. Whatever this new adaptation was, it was unable to reach its full potential without the missing pieces it sought.

Wait.

Wasn't there supposed to be something within Tristain that could give him knowledge on Void Magic? He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but maybe it could give him a hint on this neural structure.

The sound of wings overhead made Adrian press deeper into the shadows of his cave. A griffin flew past, barely visible through the branches covering the entrance. Probably just a regular patrol, not searching for him specifically.

The best move might be to explore the capital of Tristain while he wasn't widely known, and see if he could gather any useful Essence or information. He felt it wouldn't be long before his human face became infamous...

 

[Evoxius]

Familiar of Zero, Tristaine

He opened his eyes and stared at the cave wall. What should he do next? The academy would discover Louise's body soon enough. Maybe they already had. Either way, he couldn't stay in this forest forever.

The capital seemed like his best option. He remembered bits and pieces about it from the remnant memories of the anime and whatever random facts he had absorbed. A magic-absorbing sword in some sword shop. Unknown items related to Void Magic and Brimir. A princess who would end up leading during some kind of war.

He needed information. Real, concrete details rather than these vague fragments floating around in his head.

Adrian stretched his limbs one by one, working out the stiffness from lying still so long. The plan formed in his mind as he moved:

Find the main road. Look for travelers he could question about directions. Make his way to the capital. Track down that sword shop. And most importantly, learn everything he could about Void Magic and the Founder's items.

Simple enough in theory. But this world ran on different rules than Minecraft. Actions had permanent consequences here. If he got caught...

Adrian shook his head. No point dwelling on that. He'd already killed Louise, there was no going back now. Besides, he refused to regret defending himself. Being treated like property, threatened with whips and shock collars?

Never again.

He peered out through the branches. The sky had begun to lighten in the east, so dawn wasn't far off.

Perfect timing to start moving, most travelers would be setting out for the day soon.

Adrian carefully pushed aside the branches covering his cave entrance. Cool air filled his lungs as he took a careful look around his surroundings.

Now... which direction had he come from? He turned in a slow circle, scenting the air. Faint traces of smoke from the academy's chimneys wafted into his nose.

The main road would have to run somewhere between here and there.

oo0ooOoo0oo​

Professor Jean Colbert walked through the quiet halls of the academy, a thick book tucked under his arm. His research last night had kept him awake for a long time. The familiar runes he'd seen on Louise's summon... they matched perfectly with ancient texts describing the legendary Gandálfr.

But that should be impossible.

He needed to speak with Old Osmond immediately. The implications were too significant to ignore.

Colbert reached the large wooden door to the Headmaster's office and knocked twice.

"Enter," came Osmond's voice from inside.

The office smelled of tobacco smoke, as usual. Old Osmond sat behind his desk, pipe in hand, while Miss Longueville organized papers nearby.

"Ah, Professor Colbert. What brings you here so early?" Osmond asked.

Colbert placed the book on Osmond's desk and opened it to the marked page. "Headmaster, I've been researching the runes that appeared on Miss Vallière's familiar yesterday."

"And?"

"They match exactly with historical records of Gandálfr, the Left Hand of God." Colbert pointed to the ancient text. "These symbols haven't been seen in many years."

Osmond's eyes narrowed. He set down his pipe and took the book to study the runes. "Are you certain?"

"Without doubt. And given that Miss Vallière summoned him..."

"The lost element," Osmond muttered. "The Void."

Miss Longueville stopped sorting papers, watching them with sharp interest.

"Headmaster, if Louise truly has the power of Void magic-"

"This information cannot leave this room." Osmond rubbed his mouse familiar's head in thought. "The political implications alone could destabilize the entire kingdom. Miss Longueville, you understand the need for absolute secrecy?"

She nodded quickly. "Of course, Headmaster."

"Professor Colbert, I want you to continue your research quietly. Document everything, but tell no one else what you've discovered. We must be absolutely certain before-"

The door burst open with a crash. A servant stumbled in, face pale and hands shaking.

"Headmaster! There's been a murder! Miss Vallière... she's... she's dead!"

Colbert's blood ran cold. "What did you say?"

"In her room... blood everywhere..." The servant's legs gave out and he slumped against the doorframe.

"Miss Longueville, get the guards," Osmond ordered, already standing up from behind his desk. "Professor Colbert, with me."

They ran through the halls, students peeking out of doorways as they passed. News traveled fast in the academy.

Whispers and frightened faces followed them up the stairs.

Colbert saw the crowd before they reached Louise's room. Students packed the hallway, craning their necks to see inside. Many wore their nightclothes, drawn out of bed by the commotion.

"Everyone back to your rooms!" Colbert raised his staff. "Now!"

The students scattered, leaving only Kirche and Tabitha standing near the door. Tabitha gripped her staff tight while Kirche's face had lost all color.

"Professor..." Kirche started.

"Go. Please."

They left without argument. Colbert stepped into the room and froze.

Blood covered the wall in long streaks. Shattered glass from the window littered the floor. But what turned Colbert's stomach was the complete absence of Louise's body. Only dark stains remained where she should have been.

"Founder preserve us." Osmond moved to examine the wall. "These holes... something pierced straight through the stone."

Colbert touched one of the holes. Clean edges, as if drilled through the rock. "Some kind of earth magic?"

"But where is her body?"

Colbert's eyes caught something dark and wet in the corner. He stepped closer, holding up his staff for light.

"Founder..." The word came out as barely a whisper.

Bits of flesh lay scattered across the floor. A piece that might have been lung tissue. Something pink and grey that made him turn away. The copper smell of blood filled the room.

"Headmaster." Colbert pointed to a silver object near the bed. "That's a familiar's restraining collar."

Osmond picked up the collar, running a finger over the runes. Next to it lay a spiked whip.

"She was going to discipline her familiar." Colbert closed his eyes.

How many times had he seen noble children treat their familiars like property? Like tools to be beaten into submission? It was a valid approach for unruly beasts, but…

"It fought back."

"Familiars turning on their masters is rare," Osmond said. "But not unheard of. Especially if the familiar possesses intelligence close to human levels."

"The runes should have prevented this." Colbert examined the blood-stained wall again. "Unless... unless Louise truly got unlucky with her familiar's temperament."

Miss Longueville walked into the room with two guards. She covered her mouth at the sight. "I've sent a pigeon to the capital. They'll dispatch riders to inform the Vallière family."

The blood drained from Colbert's face. "Karin..."

"The Heavy Wind." Osmond gripped his staff tighter. "When she learns what happened to her daughter..."

Colbert remembered stories of Karin's wrath. The duchess who could level entire armies with wind magic. Who earned her title through countless battles.

And now her youngest daughter lay in small pieces across her bedroom.

"We must find this creature," Osmond declared. "Before Karin arrives. If we can present her with her daughter's killer already dealt with..."

A glint of broken glass caught Colbert's eye before he could respond. He stepped toward the shattered window, careful to avoid the larger shards scattered across the floor.

The academy grounds were below. Fresh dew sparkled on the grass, but something wasn't right about the way it lay flattened in one spot.

"Headmaster." Colbert pointed down. "Look at this depression in the ground."

Osmond joined him at the window. Three stories below, deep claw marks tore through the grass and soil. Whatever made them had landed hard before sprinting toward the outer wall.

"Those aren't human tracks," Miss Longueville whispered.

"No." Colbert gripped the window frame. "The familiar must have reverted to its true form after... after killing her."

The guards shifted uncomfortably behind them. One whispered a prayer to the Founder.

Osmond placed a hand on Colbert's shoulder. "Jean. I need someone I can trust to track this creature down. The students are frightened, and rumors will spread fast. I must stay here to maintain order and prepare for Karin's arrival."

Colbert turned to face Osmond. "Yes… I'll need permission to use lethal force when I find it."

"Granted." Osmond's eyes hardened. "But be careful, old friend. We don't know what else this beast is capable of."

"I'll take two griffin knights with me," Colbert said. "We'll start at the wall and work our way out. It can't have gotten too far since last night."

Unless it could still change forms. A human-shaped killer would blend in easily with travelers on the road. Colbert pushed that thought aside. He needed to focus on tracking the monster's traces first.

"I'll send word if we find anything." He headed for the door, then paused. "Headmaster... what should we tell the students about Louise?"

Osmond sighed heavily. "The truth. That her familiar turned violent and killed her. They need to understand the danger. Miss Longueville, please inform the staff to keep all students inside the academy walls until further notice."

Colbert left the blood-stained room behind him. He had a beast to hunt.

oo0ooOoo0oo​

"So you've never seen Albion?" The old merchant asked, adjusting his position on the wooden seat of the caravan.

Adrian shook his head. "No, sir. I've barely left my village before now." He kept his voice humble, playing the role of an ignorant commoner. "A floating island sounds impossible."

"Ha! That's what everyone says at first." The merchant's eyes lit up. "But it's the windstones, you see. Massive deposits under the whole landmass. Keeps the entire country floating in the sky."

"Windstones?" Adrian raised an eyebrow at that.

"Magic rocks that float. Worth a fortune if you can mine them." The merchant waved his hand. "But that's nothing compared to Germania. Now there's a country that'll surprise you."

"What's Germania like?"

"Biggest military in Halkeginia. But barbaric!" The merchant spat off the side of the caravan. "No proper manners like we have in Tristain. They let anyone buy noble titles with gold! Can you imagine?"

Adrian made an appropriately scandalized face. "That's terrible."

"Better than Gallia these days. Fifteen million people living under a mad king." The merchant shook his head. "At least the Holy Empire of Romalia keeps some order in the south."

"The holy empire..." Adrian pretended to remember something told to him by Louise. "That's where the Pope lives, right? The first emperor was Brimir's apprentice?"

"Good to see a young man who knows his faith!" The merchant smiled. "The first Emperor was Brimir's Gravekeeper too."

Adrian nodded along. The merchant seemed happy to talk, and Adrian was happy to listen. Every bit of information could be useful later.

The horses pulled the caravan over a hill, and Adrian saw the capital not far away. Stone walls surrounded the city, but the gates stood wide open. Merchants and travelers flowed in and out without any guards checking papers or collecting tolls.

"Well, this is where I get off." Adrian stood up and bowed to the merchant. "Thank you for the ride and the conversation."

"May Brimir guide your path, young man."

Adrian waved goodbye and joined the crowd entering the city. No one gave him a second glance. Just another commoner come to seek his fortune in the capital.

He walked down the busy street, thinking about his next move. The magic-absorbing sword had to be somewhere in this city. Finding it would be easy enough once he asked for directions, but obtaining it...

Stealing it during daylight hours was going to attract attention. He needed money first. Real money.

An empty alley caught his eye. Adrian slipped between two buildings and found a secluded spot behind some wooden crates. He sat down and concentrated on his Crystalline Minecraft Pearl.

A diamond appeared in his palm. The perfectly cubic shape would raise questions immediately. No jeweler would believe it was natural. He made it disappear and pulled out Louise's wand instead. The wooden stick appeared, but now it too had become cubic, conforming to Minecraft's rigid rules.

"So anything I put in becomes Minecraft-like," Adrian muttered. "But can I reverse it?"

He focused on the diamond again. The Crystalline Minecraft Pearl wasn't just storage, it could craft items too. Maybe if he treated the conversion process like crafting...

Adrian placed the diamond back into storage, then concentrated on "uncrafting" it.

Nothing happened.

He tried visualizing the diamond being broken down into raw materials. Still nothing.

Wait. What if...

The Crystalline Minecraft Pearl worked like a crafting table. Nine slots, arranged in a square. Each slot could hold one item at a time.

But what would happen if he tried to put the same item in all nine slots simultaneously?

Adrian visualized the crafting grid, focusing on placing the single diamond into every slot at once.

Pain shot through his head. The Pearl resisted, trying to follow Minecraft's rules while Adrian forced it to break them.

His nose started bleeding.

The diamond flickered between slots, existing in multiple places at once. The paradox grew stronger as Adrian pushed harder.

Blood vessels burst in his left eye.

The Pearl couldn't handle it. Minecraft's rigid system demanded order, but Adrian kept forcing chaos into it.

Something had to give.

With a mental snap that felt like getting stabbed in the brain, the diamond shot out of the Pearl. It landed in Adrian's palm, no longer cubic. The edges were smooth, the faces naturally formed. A real diamond.

Adrian's vision blurred as he slumped against the wall, blood trickling from his nose and eye

"That... hurt..." He wiped his face with a sleeve. "But it worked."

He turned the diamond over in his hand. Any jeweler would accept this as genuine now. But converting more would have to wait until he recovered.

The headache felt like someone had driven spikes into his skull. His left eye wouldn't focus properly.

Adrian closed his eyes and focused on healing. The regeneration would take time, but at least he had proof of concept.

He could turn Minecraft items back into their real-world equivalents. It just came with a cost.

Worth it.

Now he just needed to rest until the bleeding stopped. Then he could find a jeweler and get some proper money.

After that... time to look for that sword shop.

 

[Evoxius]

Familiar of Zero, Tristaine

Ten minutes passed before Adrian's left eye could focus properly again. The throbbing in his head had dulled to a manageable ache. He touched his nose gingerly, the bleeding had stopped as well.

He glanced down at the diamond in his palm. The light caught its facets, sending tiny rainbows dancing across the alley walls.

Beautiful, but also dangerous to carry around so openly. Any thief with half a brain would try to rob him. Adrian frowned. The Netherite armor in his Pearl would offer better protection than walking around unarmored, but after what happened with the diamond...

No.

The strain might knock him unconscious or worse. He needed something simpler.

Iron? But that might injure him too much, and he still had nearly a stack of leather in the Pearl, so that could work just fine.

He pulled leather from his storage and crafted it into four basic armor pieces. They looked ridiculous at first glance, and absolutely no one would believe they were real. Taking a deep breath, Adrian focused on the boots first. He visualized the crafting grid, then pushed the leather boots to occupy all slots simultaneously.

A sharp pain stabbed behind his eyes, but nothing like the diamond's conversion.

The cubic boots warped and twisted in the Pearl until they were spat out as natural-looking leather boots in his hands. They even had proper stitching and soles.

Adrian smiled and repeated the process with the rest of the armor. Each piece caused less strain than the last. Soon he had put on a complete set of leather armor that could have come from any tanner's shop.

The chest piece even had useful pouches sewn into it!

He tucked the diamond into one of the pouches and stepped out of the alley.

A middle-aged man in worker's clothes walked past. "Excuse me," Adrian called out. "Could you direct me to a jeweler?"

The man looked up... and up... and up. His eyes widened at Adrian's height. Most people here barely reached Adrian's shoulders.

After a moment of startled silence, the man rattled off directions: "Head down this street until you reach the fountain, then turn left at the bakery. Take the second right after that, and you'll find Madame Laurent's shop. Can't miss it, it's got a big purple sun shade out front."

Adrian thanked the man and followed the directions through the busy streets. He could smell fresh bread from a nearby bakery, and his stomach immediately growled loudly in response.

He'd need to find more food soon...

The purple sun shade came into view exactly where the man said it would be. Madame Laurent's shop occupied most of the building's first floor, with large windows displaying necklaces and rings on velvet cushions.

Two guards in matching blue uniforms stood at attention by the entrance. They watched Adrian carefully as he approached, hands resting on their sword hilts.

The inside of the shop was a lot more busy than he expected. Noble women chatted as they looked at jewelry cases and well-dressed merchants haggled with employees at various counters. Adrian counted six more guards positioned around the room. Makes sense for a place dealing with precious gems and metals.

A young woman in an expensive-looking dress approached him. "Welcome to Madame Laurent's. How may I assist you today?"

"I'd like to speak with someone about selling a diamond."

She gave his leather armor a skeptical look but maintained her professional smile. "Of course. Please follow me to the assessment counter."

She led him to a desk where an older man sat examining gems through a magnifying glass. Jeweler's tools and scales were scattered on the desk.

"Master Renard, this gentleman wishes to sell a diamond."

The appraiser looked up from his work, eyes narrowing slightly at Adrian's appearance. "Very well. Please, show me what you have."

Adrian reached into his chest pouch and pulled out the diamond. The moment it caught the light, all conversation in the nearby area stopped.

Master Renard's magnifying glass clattered to the desk. The young woman gasped.

"W-Where..." Master Renard cleared his throat. "Where did you get this from?"

Two guards moved closer, hands on their weapons.

"It's a family heirloom," Adrian said calmly. "I've fallen on hard times and need to sell it."

The appraiser stared at him. "Please wait here."

He stood up and hurried through a door behind the counter, taking the diamond with him.

The guards didn't move from their positions. The young woman wrung her hands nervously.

Five minutes later, an elderly woman in an long purple dress walked out from the back room.

"I am Madame Laurent. Please, come with me to my office. We have much to discuss."

Adrian followed Madame Laurent through a side door into a well-furnished office, and the entire time he was scolding himself internally. How could he have been so ignorant? A diamond this size would raise every red flag imaginable. He should have broken it into smaller pieces first, at least that way people wouldn't question why had had such a big diamond.

I really need to consult the human memories more carefully before I make such big decisions…

Bookshelves lined the walls, and Master Renard hunched over a large desk, still examining the diamond. Adrian's enhanced hearing picked up the man's excited muttering.

"Please, sit." Madame Laurent gestured to a cushioned chair.

Adrian sat down, cringing slightly as the chair creaked under his weight. Two guards positioned themselves by the door. Great. Just great. He was boxed in, and if things went wrong, he'd have to fight his way out. Not ideal in the middle of the capital.

"Would you care for some tea?" She asked, taking her seat behind the desk.

"No, thank you." The last thing he needed was to accidentally break one of their fancy cups with his strength.

"Very well." She folded her hands on the desk. "I must admit, in my forty years of business, I've never seen a diamond of this size and quality. Master Renard tells me it's completely flawless."

Of course it was flawless. It came from a video game. Adrian wanted to bash his head against the wall. He should have deliberately damaged it first somehow, made it look more natural. But no, he just had to walk in here with a literally perfect gem.

"Yes, I believe so," he said, somehow managing to keep his voice steady.

"May I ask where you acquired such a rare diamond?"

"Family heirloom," Adrian repeated his earlier story, knowing how weak it sounded. "My grandfather left it to me."

"I see." She was clearly skeptical but looked deeply into his eyes. Adrian maintained eye contact, grateful that at least his blue eyes looked human enough. "And your grandfather was...?"

"A merchant. He traveled extensively." The lie felt pathetically transparent. What kind of merchant would leave such a valuable diamond to gather dust instead of selling it? He really needed a better story, but he had absolutely no idea what non-nobility family could possibly own such a diamond and not want to sell it. Changing it now would only make him look more suspicious anyhow.

"Hmm." She stared out of the office's windows. "You're not nobility, I assume?"

"No. I work as a mercenary."

"A mercenary." She raised an eyebrow. "With a diamond worth more than most noble estates?"

Master Renard cleared his throat. "Madame, the crystal structure is unlike anything I've ever seen. The clarity... it shouldn't be possible."

"What are you implying?" He asked, while mentally preparing escape routes. The window was three stories up, but he could easily survive the fall. The door had two guards, but they were hopefully only normal humans...

Madame Laurent clasped her hands together. "Young man, a diamond of this size and quality has never been recorded in Tristain's history. Not in any kingdom's history, as far as I'm aware. Do you understand my position?"

"You think I stole it?"

"Did you?"

"No."

She sighed. "Then you won't mind if we verify your story? The guard captain can send someone to contact your family-"

"That won't be possible," Adrian cut in, seizing the only excuse that might work. "They're dead. All of them."

A moment of silence filled the room. Adrian could pick up increased heartbeats from the guards. They were getting nervous too.

"I see." Madame Laurent's expression softened slightly. "I apologize for your loss. But surely you understand my caution? This diamond... it raises questions."

Adrian opened his mouth to respond, but paused when he heard multiple sets of boots rushing up the stairs and voices discussing "suspicious individual" and "manticore support".

"The diamond," a woman's voice said from the stairwell. "Captain, he brought in a diamond larger than any recorded in-"

Time was up.

"I'll be taking this back." He snatched the diamond from Master Renard's hands, and his bones shifted, scales replaced skin, and suddenly an eight-foot long reptilian monster filled the office.

Madame Laurent screamed. The guards drew their swords. Master Renard fell backwards over his chair.

Too late.

Adrian's tail smashed through the window, sending glass everywhere as he dove through with a miniature bucket in claw.

A cubic block of water appeared beneath him just before impact. The Minecraft physics kicked in, completely negating his fall damage. He sprinted on all four feet down the street as people scattered in terror, and above him, five Manticore Knights took flight from the rooftops. The beasts roared, lion-like faces snarling as their bat wings spread wide.

"Stop right there!" A knight raised his wand.

Adrian darted sideways and crashed through the nearest door. A young woman stood frozen in her kitchen, bread hanging from her mouth. The bread dropped as Adrian barreled past her dining table.

"Sorry about the door!" He called back, smashing through her back wall into an alley.

"IT TALKS?" Someone screamed.

More shouts from above. Adrian zigzagged between buildings, crashing through walls whenever he needed to break line of sight. He burst into a nobleman's study, scattered papers everywhere, and kept running.

"My research!" The nobleman wailed.

"Sorry!" Adrian yelled, already smashing through the next wall.

A burst of explosive air whizzed past his head. Too close. He needed better cover.

Adrian jumped through a bakery's open windows, sending flour everywhere. The white cloud provided perfect cover as he changed direction and burst into the adjacent house.

An elderly couple sat at breakfast. The husband dropped his tea cup.

"Fuck!" Adrian smashed through their back door.

He kept running, ducking into narrower alleys where the Manticores couldn't follow easily. After several minutes of this, the sounds of pursuit grew distant.

Adrian transformed back to human form and caught his breath. A mercenary stood nearby, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Excuse me," Adrian asked casually. "Would you happen to know where I could find an old sword shop? Run by an elderly gentleman?"

The mercenary pointed shakily down the street. "T-two blocks that way. Look for the rusty sword sign."

"Thanks!"

Adrian transformed back into his true body right as the Manticore Knights spotted him from the skies.

"THERE IT IS!"

"Sorry about this too!" Adrian called to the stunned mercenary before going through another home.

A mother was reading to her children in the living room. They all froze as Adrian burst in.

"Don't mind me, just passing through!" He smashed out through their kitchen.

The kids started cheering. "Do it again!"

"Maybe later!" Adrian yelled back.

Two blocks to go. He could make it.

A blast of wind magic tore chunks from the street behind him. The Manticore Knights were getting better at predicting his movements. Adrian needed to end this chase soon.

He spotted the rusty sword sign ahead, swinging in the morning breeze.

But five Manticores circled overhead, and more guards were overflowing the streets. He couldn't just crash through the shop's front door, they'd box him in immediately.

Adrian ducked into a side alley and transformed back to human form. The knights would be looking for a monster, not a tall man in leather armor.

Maybe they'd miss him like this? He walked out onto the main street, acting like he belonged there.

"It went that way!" He shouted, pointing down a different street.

The Manticores banked hard, following the false lead. Adrian smiled. Now he just needed to-

"You there! Stop!"

Adrian turned. A squad of guards approached from behind, led by a balding man in blue robes. The man carried a wooden staff that crackled with fire magic.

Professor Colbert. Of course the academy would send him.

"Hands where I can see them," Colbert commanded.

Adrian raised his hands slowly, watching the professor's staff. If Colbert recognized him...

The rusty sword sign creaked in the wind. Just twenty feet away.

Colbert stepped closer, studying Adrian's face. The professor's eyes narrowed in recognition.

"You..." Colbert's staff burst into flames. "MURDERER!"

Adrian dove left as a stream of fire scorched the cobblestones where he stood. His body shifted mid-roll to his true form. The guards stumbled back at the sight of his transformation.

"Kill it!" Colbert roared.

Adrian sprayed webbing from his mouth glands before they could react. The sticky strands crystallized as they hit the guards, trapping them in Minecraft cobwebs. The men struggled uselessly against the blocks, moving in slow motion.

But Colbert had jumped clear. The professor's staff glowed bright red as he channeled more fire magic.

"For Louise!"

A massive fiery snake rushed toward Adrian. He spun and smashed through the sword shop's door, wood splintering around him. The fire blast followed him inside.

An old man behind the counter yelped and ducked as Adrian crashed into a weapon rack. Swords clattered to the floor around him.

"Where's the talking sword?" Adrian demanded.

"What?" The old man peeked up from behind the counter.

"Derflinger! The magic-eating sword!"

More flames poured through the doorway. Adrian jumped behind a shelf as fire consumed half the shop.

The old man pointed to a barrel of rusty blades in the corner. "In there! Take it and leave!"

Adrian knocked the barrel over with his tail. Dozens of old swords spilled across the floor.

"Hey! Who's making all this noise?" A muffled voice came from one of the blades. "I was napping!"

Found it.

Adrian grabbed the talking sword and shifted back to human form. The blade felt warm in his hand, almost alive.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Derflinger spoke from the rusty metal. "I was having such a nice- wait, why are you glowing?"

Adrian could hear the Manticore Knights landing outside, and Colbert's fire magic was spreading through the shop. He needed to leave NOW. It was regrettable that he didn't get information related to Void Magic, but he could always return to this world in the future since he was fully attuned.

An emergency dimensional jump would surely have a cost compared to the standard jump that took five seconds, but staying meant near-certain death. He triggered the emergency protocol.

Massive amounts of blue light poured from his eyes, seeming to consume them entirely. The Dimensional Travel Node burned in his head like molten metal.

"DIE!" Colbert appeared through the flames with his staff raised high in the air.

Another fire snake split the air as it rushed toward them.

"What in Brimir's name is happening?" Derflinger yelled. "Why are your eyes doing that? And why is everything getting all weird and- WAAAAAH!"

Reality twisted, and Adrian's consciousness instantly winked out. The fire snake dissipated inches from his face as space itself bent around his unconscious body, pulling them through dimensions.

 

[Water_Merchant]

Explosive exit there. Wonder what the costs gonna be for the emergency exvac

 

[Evoxius]

??? ????????, ???? ?????

The first thing Adrian heard was an annoying voice. It had been talking for what seemed like hours, drilling into his unconscious mind until he couldn't ignore it anymore.

"...and then the idiot tried to use me as a backscratcher! Can you believe it? Me! The legendary Derflinger! Used as a common backscratcher! I showed him though, gave him such a rash he couldn't sit for weeks. That'll teach him to respect ancient magical artifacts..."

Adrian's head throbbed as consciousness returned. The emergency dimensional jump had taken more out of him than expected. He blinked against harsh fluorescent lights, pushing himself up from cold tile flooring to sit.

"Oh hey, you're finally awake! I was starting to wonder if you'd died. That would've been awkward, being stuck next to a corpse and all."

Adrian looked down at the rusty sword lying beside him. "How long was I out?"

"About an hour or so? Hard to tell in this strange place. Speaking of which, where exactly are we? And who are you anyway? Not that I'm complaining about the rescue from that dusty shop, mind you, but it's customary to introduce yourself before kidnapping someone."

Adrian rubbed his temples. "I'm Adrian."

"Just Adrian? No fancy titles or anything?"

"No titles."

Derflinger made a sound like a metallic snort. "Well, you might not have titles, but you've got something more interesting, don't you? Void magic. I can sense it in you clear as day."

Adrian stared at the sword. "How can you tell?"

"Kid, I've been around for six thousand years. You pick up a few tricks after that long. The void element has a certain... flavor to it. Can't mistake it for anything else."

"But what did you do anyway?" Derflinger asked curiously. "And where are we?"

Adrian looked around the space. Long aisles filled with modern furniture displays in every direction. Beds, couches, and dining sets were arranged in perfect little scenes, like frozen moments from thousands of different homes. Signs hung from the ceiling with strange words and numbers.

The entire place felt like one of those big stores from Earth.

"I jumped worlds to escape that fire mage," Adrian explained.

"Jumped worlds?" Derflinger paused. "Wait, you already know Void spells?"

Adrian shook his head. "Not magic. Different method."

"Huh. How'd you know about me anyway? And why were they trying to kill you back there?"

Before Adrian could answer, he spotted a figure in yellow and blue clothing pushing a cart down one of the aisles. Adrian blinked several times, unsure if the emergency jump had damaged his vision.

The person stood at least seven feet tall with arms that hung down past their knees. Their legs looked comically short in comparison, but what really made Adrian pause was their complete lack of facial features. Just smooth, blank skin where a face should be.

"Hey!" Adrian called out. "Could you tell us where the exit is?"

The figure continued pushing their cart, showing no sign they'd heard him.

"Well, that's not creepy at all," Derflinger muttered. "Maybe they're just shy? You know, I once knew this knight who was so shy he wore his helmet backwards and-"

The fluorescent lights above them clicked off with a sharp sound. It was instantly dark, broken only by red emergency lighting in various corners.

At least he had very good night vision, so it wasn't a big problem.

"Oh come on," Derflinger grumbled. "I was just getting to the good part of my story!"

The faceless figure stopped pushing the cart. In the soft red emergency lighting, Adrian watched as it turned towards them with jerky movements.

"THE STORE IS NOW CLOSED." The voice boomed from where a mouth should have been.

"PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING."

Adrian stood up slowly, gripping Derflinger's handle. "I'd love to exit, if you'd point me to the-"

The 'employee' charged at them, arms stretched out like claws. More of them came from behind furniture displays, all identical faceless staff members running straight for them.

"PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING."

"PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING."

"PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING."

The voices overlapped into a droning shout.

"Adrian," Derflinger spoke quickly, "I think now would be a good time to run!"

"No need to worry," Adrian set Derflinger down against one of the shelves. "I can handle this."

His body shifted and changed, bones cracking as scales grew from his skin. In seconds, an eight-foot-long reptilian creature stood where the human had been.

"BY MY RUSTY POMMEL!" Derflinger yelled. "WHAT ARE YOU?"

Adrian didn't answer. He charged forward on all fours and launched himself at the nearest faceless employee. His jaws clamped around the creature's head, teeth piercing through with ease.

One quick twist and the head popped off like a bottle cap.

The body crumpled, but another employee swung at him. Adrian turned to dodge - and the blow hammered his side, scales splintering from the force. The force sent him sliding across the floor into a display of coffee tables.

"That actually hurt," Adrian growled, pushing himself up. These things were far stronger than they looked.

The faceless monsters rushed forward as a group.

"PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING."

Adrian's mouth opened wide, spraying sticky strands that crystallized into blocky webs. The employees became tangled in the Minecraft cobwebs, moving in slow motion as they struggled against the blocks.

"What kind of magic is that?" Derflinger asked as Adrian pounced on the trapped creatures one by one, tearing them apart with teeth and claws.

"Again, it's not really magic," Adrian grabbed another employee by the leg and slammed it into a shelf of decorative pillows. "Just something I picked up."

More employees appeared from different aisles, all moving with those same jerky motions.

"THE STORE IS NOW CLOSED."

"Yeah yeah, I heard you the first time." Adrian spat another wave of webs. He needed to conserve his limited supply of spines for real emergencies.

His side throbbed where the creature had struck him. The scales were already mending, but not fast enough. Adrian pulled a blocky Golden Apple from his Pearl and it vanished the moment he held it near his mouth. Regenerative energy spread through his body, knitting together damaged tissue and reinforcing cracked scales.

More faceless staff members fell to his attacks. He tore through limbs and crushed torsos, leaving broken bodies scattered across the furniture displays. The fighting continued until finally, the area grew quiet except for the sound of Adrian's breathing.

A pile of monster employee corpses lay around him, some still twitching. The red emergency lights lit up their broken faceless heads.

"Well," Derflinger broke the silence from his spot against the shelf. "That was... different. You're full of surprises, aren't you? First the void magic, then turning into whatever you are, and now you're eating golden fruit that heals wounds?"

Adrian shifted back to human form and retrieved the sword. "The fruit is from another world. Like I said, not magic."

"Right, right. Not magic." Derflinger sounded unconvinced. "So what exactly are you? Because I'm pretty sure you're not human."

Adrian considered what to tell the sword. The human memories suggested caution, but what did it matter? Derflinger had already seen him transform and fight. Besides, the sword was probably more accepting of the unusual considering its age, and having an ally who understood the situation might help, especially one who knew about Void Magic.

"I'm a Primal Zerg," Adrian explained. "I teleported to your world during some kind of student summoning ceremony. They assumed I was a summoned familiar and tried to bind me."

"Tried to?"

"The girl who claimed to be my master wanted complete obedience. She humiliated me, tried chaining me to a wall, even brought out a spiked whip and magic shock collar." Adrian's voice grew cold. "I had an item that cleared mental influences, so nothing stopped me from killing her and escaping."

"And it turned out she was a Void Mage. I had the Gandálfr runes before they faded away, but one of my… abilities let me take her Void Magic when I killed her."

"YOU WHAT?" Derflinger nearly fell over in his hand. "You can't just TAKE someone's Void Magic! That's impossible! They're tied to bloodlines-" The sword stopped mid-sentence. "Well... I suppose you did. I can sense it in you clear as day. But how?"

"Like I said, not magic. Just something I can do."

"Huh." Derflinger went quiet for a moment. "…you know, my maker was Gandálfr too. Brimir's familiar. She ended up killing him with me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Sometimes masters need killing when they go too far. Not proud of it, but it happens." The sword paused. "So where are we now? Some strange shop?"

"No idea. Emergency teleport to a new world. We're stuck here for at least two weeks before I can jump again."

"TWO WEEKS?" Derflinger shouted. "In this place? With those faceless things trying to kill us?"

"Could be worse," Adrian shrugged. "They only became aggressive when the lights go out. Maybe they'll ignore us when the lights turn back on?"

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better! We'll only get murdered at night!" Derflinger's voice dripped with sarcasm. "And what happens when you run out of food? I don't see any restaurants around here."

Adrian tapped the center of his chest. "I have enough stored food to last a while. Golden Apples, steaks, even some potions."

"Stored... where exactly?"

"In here." Adrian pulled out a blocky steak from his Crystalline Minecraft Pearl, showing how it appeared from thin air. "Another trait I picked up. I can store and create items following specific rules."

"Create items? Like what?"

"Basic tools, weapons, armor. Nothing too advanced." Adrian looked around at the scattered bodies. "We should find somewhere defensible before more show up. Somewhere we can block off the entrances."

A distant shout of "PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING" spread through the store.

"Good idea," Derflinger agreed quickly. "Very good idea. Any thoughts on which direction?"

Adrian sniffed the air. "I smell humans that way." He pointed down an aisle. "Living ones. Maybe they know more about this place."

"Or maybe they're all crazy murderers who'll try to kill us!"

"Then I'll eat them." Adrian started walking.

"Wait, what do you mean 'eat them'? Was that a joke? Please tell me that was a joke! Adrian? ADRIAN!"

Adrian ignored Derflinger's protests as he followed the human scents through the maze of furniture displays. Every so often they passed more faceless staff members lying broken on the ground.

A flicker of light caught his attention. Not the red emergency lighting, but something brighter.

They rounded another corner of shelving units, and Adrian saw it - a massive wall built from furniture going up toward the ceiling. Flood lights mounted along the top illuminated the area, and he could make out people moving along walkways near the top.

"Would you look at that," Derflinger whispered. "They've built themselves a fortress out of furniture!"

Two figures stood at an open gate in the wall, waving frantically at Adrian.

"Hey!" One of them shouted. "Quick, get inside before more Staff show up!"

Adrian walked toward the gate, studying the construction. Beds and tables had been stacked and secured together to form surprisingly sturdy barriers. Power cables ran up the walls to the lights above.

"You're lucky," the other guard said as Adrian stepped through. "Most people don't survive long out there at night."

The gate closed behind him with a heavy thud. Adrian found himself in what looked like a small town. Makeshift buildings filled the space, constructed from various pieces of furniture. People were carrying supplies or huddled around portable heaters.

A sign hung from the ceiling far above: "Exchange and Returns"

"Welcome to Exchange," the first guard smiled. "I'm Sandra, and this is Jerry. You're safe now."

"THE STORE IS NOW CLOSED," echoed from outside the walls.

"Yeah yeah, we know!" Jerry yelled back. "Damn Staff never shut up about it."

"How many people are here?" Adrian asked, looking around at the settlement.

"About fifty right now," Sandra replied. "Other towns have more. Some less. How long were you out there?"

"I just arrived."

Jerry's eyes widened. "Just arrived? Like, you just appeared here?"

"Something like that."

"Well, you're gonna want to talk to Chris then," Sandra pointed toward a building made from office furniture. "He's been here the longest, knows more about this place than anyone."

"PLEASE EXIT THE BUILDING."

The voice outside was joined by others, and they steadily grew louder.

"Sounds like they're gathering again," Jerry sighed. "Better get inside. They'll lose interest eventually."

Adrian nodded and headed toward the office building, while Derflinger muttered quietly:

"At least these humans seem normal. You're not really going to eat them, right? Right?"

 

[Mythraal]

Is this chapter in Discount Dan?

 

[Mintart]

It's in the Infinite IKEA, forgot what the scp number was though, but it's one of them

 

[MinerFrags]

think its 3008 right

 

[Evoxius]

??? Universe, IKEA Store

Adrian shot Derflinger a warning look. "Stay quiet around others for now. We don't need the attention."

"Fine, fine," the sword grumbled. "But we're having a long talk later about your dietary habits."

He paused when he noticed several couples heading toward an area filled with beds. To his surprise, they started stripping and having sex right there in the open. No one else seemed to care.

A few people even waved casual greetings as they passed by.

Adrian was a bit confused now. The remnant memories suggested this was unusual behavior, but maybe this place had different social norms? He shook his head and kept walking.

The 'office' turned out to be a bizarre structure cobbled together from desks and filing cabinets. Every surface was covered in aluminum foil that crinkled softly in the artificial breeze from nearby vents.

A crooked sign reading "Chris's Place – Knock First!" hung above the door.

He knocked on the makeshift door.

"Come in!" called a raspy voice.

Adrian pushed it open, stepping into a room that looked like a conspiracy theorist's fever dream. Maps and diagrams covered the walls, connected by red string that formed large webs.

Even more aluminum foil lined the ceiling.

Behind a thin desk sat an elderly man with a wild gray beard that reached his chest. He wore what appeared to be a pointed hat crafted entirely from foil.

"Welcome, welcome to my humble domain!" The old man's voice was surprisingly warm. "I'm Christopher Wellington the Third, but everyone calls me Chris. Please, have a seat! Would you like some meatballs? They're quite fresh!"

"No thank you," Adrian replied carefully, lowering himself into a chair. "I was told you could explain this place?"

Chris had a massive grin on his face. "Ah yes, you're new here aren't you? The Great Store has chosen another!"

"The Great Store?"

"The Infinite IKEA!" Chris spread his arms wide. "A retail space that extends forever in all directions! No exits, no windows, just endless aisles of affordable Swedish furniture!" He paused, expression growing serious. "And of course, the Staff who hunt at night."

Adrian stared at the crazy old man and wondered if he was literally insane.

"…how can a store be infinite?"

"That's the beauty of it!" Chris' eyes seemed to nearly bug out from excitement. "This place goes on forever in every direction. The walls keep going, the shelves keep going, everything just keeps going! We've had expeditions travel for weeks without finding an exit."

He pulled out an old notebook. "Some think it's a parallel dimension. Others say it's an anomaly in space-time. Me?" He tapped his foil hat. "I think it's IKEA themselves. They finally achieved their dream of the perfect store - one that never ends!"

"But that's impossible," Adrian said. "Nothing can be truly infinite."

"Impossible?" Chris laughed. "My boy, you're sitting in a furniture store bigger than our entire planet! The laws of physics don't apply here. The only constants are the Staff, the layout, and the closing time."

"The Staff… those faceless creatures?"

"Exactly!" Chris pulled out a sketch pad showing crude drawings of the employees. "They only attack at night when the lights go out. During the day they just stock shelves and walk around. We think they're some kind of automated security system."

He flipped through more pages. "The store has different sections: furniture displays, warehouses, pharmacies and more. Sometimes you find other survivors who've built settlements like ours. But travel between areas is dangerous. The layout shifts randomly, and the Staff become more aggressive the further you go from populated zones."

Adrian kept quiet while studying the maps on the walls. They showed various "known areas" connected by dotted lines, with large sections marked as "unexplored."

"But here's what really interests me," Chris glanced around the empty room, and started whispering. "I think everyone here comes from different dimensions. Different versions of Earth."

"What makes you say that?"

"Think about it! If hundreds of people were disappearing into an infinite IKEA, there'd be investigations, news coverage, panic! But when I talk to people here, their worlds all have subtle differences. Different historical events, different technology, different cultural touchstones."

Chris shook his little notebook in the air. "Sarah remembers a world without the Statue of Liberty. Wasim's Earth never launched the International Space Station. Little changes that suggest parallel realities!"

His eyes gleamed with excitement. "This place isn't just infinite in space - it's a nexus point between dimensions! A cosmic warehouse where reality itself comes to shop for furniture!"

"THE STORE IS NOW CLOSED," boomed from outside.

"Yes yes, we know!" Chris shouted at the ceiling. He turned back to Adrian. "Don't mind them. They're just doing their jobs, praising the eternal IKEA as they should!"

Adrian was starting to understand why this man wore a foil hat. Although given the circumstances...

"Do you know any way out?" he asked.

Chris's expression turned serious. "No. The ceiling is unbreakable, and any doors or windows just lead to another section of the Great Store."

He sighed. "Most folks eventually stop trying to escape. We've built a life here. We have food from the restaurants, power from the emergency generators, plenty of furniture obviously. It's not so bad once you accept it."

"Praise be to IKEA," he added with a slight bow.

Adrian nodded slowly. "Thank you for the information."

He hesitated before standing up. "One more question. About the... public displays outside?"

"Ah!" Chris smiled. "The free love movement! Yes, that's been part of the culture for a long time. You see, being trapped in an endless furniture store changes people."

He leaned back in his chair, scratching his beard. "At first everyone tried to maintain their old social norms. Privacy, modesty, all that nonsense. But after years of living on top of each other, seeing the same faces day after day..."

"People got bored?"

"Exactly! What is there to do here besides break furniture, build with furniture, or play cards? Some folks started hooking up. Others joined in. Eventually everyone just stopped caring about privacy."

Chris shrugged. "When you spend every day wondering if faceless monsters will break through the walls and kill you, social taboos start feeling pretty meaningless."

"The Great IKEA chose us all," he added with religious reverence. "We are one community now. One family. Why hide what brings comfort and joy?"

A loud moan drifted through the thin walls.

Chris didn't even blink. "Besides, testing the durability of IKEA beds is practically a public service!"

Adrian stared at the old man.

"So everyone just... accepts it?"

"Most do. Those who don't usually move to other settlements. We have a few 'traditional' communities scattered around, though they're usually composed entirely of new people." Chris waved his hand dismissively. "But here in Exchange, we embrace freedom in all forms!"

He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. "The couples' section has some very comfortable mattresses if you're interested. Memory foam!"

"I'll pass," Adrian replied flatly.

He needed time to process everything he'd learned. An infinite IKEA store that connected different dimensions? It sounded insane, but he'd seen enough strange things by now to keep an open mind.

"Suit yourself!" Chris pulled out a small notebook. "Now, where did you say you were from? I'm documenting all the dimensional variations-"

"I should go find somewhere to sleep," Adrian cut him off, moving toward the door. The less this man knew about him, the better.

"Of course, of course! Sandra can help you find a spot. Just remember - praise be to IKEA!"

Adrian stepped outside into the artificial lighting, and sat down on a random filing cabinet.

"Well, that was educational," Derflinger muttered. "So we're trapped in some kind of cosmic furniture warehouse? With perverts?"

"For now." Adrian got up and walked away from the noise, looking for a quieter corner. "We only need to survive two weeks."

"And then what? Jump to another crazy dimension? Maybe next time we'll end up in an infinite church!"

Adrian ignored the sword's complaints. He found an isolated spot behind some storage crates and sat down to think.

This reminded him too much of Minecraft. Another infinite world filled with trapped people trying to survive. At least the Staff weren't as dangerous as the mobs, they moved at normal human speeds and could be easily outrun.

The only concerning thing was how strong they were. That first hit had actually damaged his scales.

Still, it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"Hey Derflinger," Adrian spoke quietly. "What do you know about using Void Magic?"

The sword hummed thoughtfully. "Not much about the mechanics, to be honest. But I know there are four Void Items that could help you learn."

"What kind of items?"

"Well, Tristain has the Founder's Prayer Book. It's supposed to contain records of all the Void spells Brimir ever created."

Adrian perked up at this information. "A book of Void spells? Where exactly-"

Footsteps interrupted them. Adrian went silent as someone walked around the storage crates.

It was Sandra, the guard from earlier.

She smiled when she saw him, brushing back strands of brown hair from her face.

"There you are! I've been looking all over." She walked closer, hips swaying slightly. "Chris said you might need help finding a place to sleep."

Adrian stayed seated as she approached. Even sitting down, he was nearly at eye level with her.

"I'm fine here."

"Oh come on, you can't sleep behind boxes!" She leaned against one of the crates, looking down at him. "We have much more comfortable spots. I could show you around..."

Adrian shifted uncomfortably. Yes, his body responded to her advances, these human instincts were quite insistent on that. But something felt wrong about it. The remnant memories spoke of deep emotional connections. Of building trust and affection over time. Of sharing more than just physical pleasure.

This felt... empty.

"…I appreciate the offer," he said carefully. "But I prefer to be alone right now."

Sandra pouted playfully. "Are you sure? Nobody should be alone in the Great Store." She reached out to touch his arm. "Especially not someone as handsome as you."

Adrian stood up, moving away from her touch. At his full height, she had to crane her head up to look him in the eyes.

"I'm sure."

She blinked, taken aback by his firm rejection. "Well... if you change your mind..."

"I won't."

Sandra's expression hardened slightly. "Fine. Be weird about it." She turned and walked away, muttering under her breath.

Adrian sat back down with a sigh.

"You know," Derflinger spoke up after she left, "most men wouldn't turn down an offer like that."

"I'm not most men." Adrian closed his eyes. "I'm not even human."

He needed something to focus on. The Staff bodies outside might have useful essence to consume. But first, sleep.

Adrian found an empty bed that smelled clean enough and lay down.

"Keep watch," he told Derflinger.

"Sure, sure. I'll warn you if any more amorous locals come sniffing around."

Adrian ignored the jab and closed his eyes.

Eight hours later, he woke feeling refreshed. He grabbed some Swedish meatballs from the food area, finding them surprisingly tasty.

"Ready to explore?" Derflinger asked as Adrian approached the gates.

No one guarded them during daylight hours. The occasional Staff he spotted seemed docile, mindlessly organizing shelves and pushing carts. Adrian walked straight to the pile of bodies from last night's fight and crouched down next to one of the more damaged ones, examining the internal structure.

"This is strange." He poked at the exposed flesh. "No organs, no bones, no muscles. Just layers of skin-like tissue all the way through."

"What do you mean?"

Adrian transformed into his true form and cut deeper into the corpse. "Look. The outer layer is normal skin, but underneath... more skin. Different densities and textures, but still just skin."

He frowned. "Yet they moved like they had bones. And they hit with incredible force."

The tissue felt odd under his claws. Dense in some places, elastic in others. Somehow this layered skin-tissue generated massive strength without any conventional muscle structure. But these beings moved clumsily, lacking the precision and dexterity of real muscles. The tissue seemed optimized purely for raw strength at the cost of fine motor control…

Interesting.

Adrian bit into the corpse, tearing off chunks of the layered tissue. His advanced digestive system began breaking down the material immediately.

"Ugh, that's disgusting," Derflinger commented. "What are you even looking for?"

Adrian didn't answer right away, focusing on what his body was telling him about the consumed material. The genetic structure was bizarre, completely corrupted and twisted in ways that defied normal biology. No circulatory system, no nervous system, no way to process energy or nutrients.

How did they even function? How could they see without eyes or speak without vocal cords?

He found fragments of useful data in the muscle-mimicking skin tissue. The layered structure somehow generated tremendous force through some kind of bio-mechanical process he didn't fully understand because the DNA was too warped to properly integrate.

"Need more samples," he muttered, moving to another corpse.

The second body yielded similar results - more corrupted genetic material that he struggled to understand. The third corpse showed him how the skin-layers contracted and expanded, but not how they connected to each other.

It wasn't until the fourth body that he finally gathered enough stable genetic information to begin adapting.

His scales swelled as new tissue formed underneath. Bands of dense, layered 'skin' grew around his limbs and torso, integrating with his existing musculature. The process was slow, each new band placed to work in harmony with his natural muscle groups. He flexed one of his legs, and the muscle-like skin immediately contracted in sync with his movements. When he pushed against a nearby shelf, the metal bent slightly under his paw.

"Impressive," he said. "And it makes no sense. My body had to specially connect this skin to my nervous system, but these creatures shouldn't be able to move at all, let alone generate such power. No energy source, no control system..."

"Maybe they run on IKEA magic," Derflinger suggested.

Adrian transformed back into human form and snorted. "You might be right. This place must do something to keep them functioning." He glanced down at his now-enhanced human muscles. "At least I got something useful from them."

He looked around and stood there quietly for a moment. His adaptations… Some changes came easily - improving senses, regulating body temperature, reinforcing natural weapons with consumed metals. These… Minor Adaptations barely taxed his Essence at all.

But then came the more substantial changes.

His rapid healing required dedicated organ systems. The poison and webbing glands needed specialized tissue. The spine launcher demanded precise biological mechanisms. His advanced digestive system that allowed him to process and extract essence at a fast rate. The Void Magic Fragment that caused him to develop a specialized set of neurons. And naturally, the currently suppressed Minecraft Physics Integration that required unnatural adjustments to his body so he could function in the blocky world of Minecraft.

He could feel how each of these Medium Adaptations occupied space within his Essence, and ten seemed to be his current limit for changes of this scale.

And then there was the Crystalline Minecraft Pearl.

Just thinking about the organ made him aware of its presence in his chest. The way it bent reality to store and transform items... it consumed an enormous amount of space within his Essence.

He could theoretically handle five such Major Adaptations, but even one felt like it filled a significant portion of his being. With time and experience, he might learn to compress these changes, combine compatible ones, optimize the space they occupied within his Essence. The limitations weren't permanent, more just temporary restrictions while he grew up.

"What are you thinking about?" Derflinger asked. "You've been staring at nothing for a while now."

"Just considering my capabilities." Adrian smiled. "And what I might become."

 

[Evoxius]

??? Universe, IKEA Store

He spent the next few days talking with other residents of Exchange, confirming Chris's claims about the infinite store. Everyone shared similar stories: they'd gotten stuck in IKEA, found no exits, and eventually joined one of the scattered communities. Most disturbing was how they validated the old man's claims about their different Earths. Some remembered a world where Kennedy survived, others where the Soviet Union never fell.

Small changes that added up to paint a picture of countless parallel realities.

Adrian found the community's... casual approach to intimacy increasingly uncomfortable. Public displays grew more frequent as night approached, turning the furniture displays into impromptu gathering spots.

"This place changes people," Jerry had told him over breakfast. "First you go mad from the endless aisles. Then you go sane again, but different. The old rules stop mattering."

He'd left shortly after, seeking isolation in a distant corner of the store. Using his Minecraft blocks, he built a simple iron enclosure - just enough space to work in private.

"What exactly are you planning?" Derflinger asked as Adrian sat down on the ground.

"Converting Minecraft items into real versions," Adrian explained. "I managed it with a diamond before. The process hurts, but..."

"You're going to force reality to bend again? You told me that it wasn't safe, and you could injure yourself heavily."

Adrian shrugged. "I've got Golden Apples and my own innate regeneration. I can handle it."

He placed the boots into the crafting grid, filling all slots with one item. Immediately he felt the strain build up in his head as reality tried to reconcile the impossibility.

"ARGH!" Adrian screamed as his right arm twisted unnaturally. Bones cracked and muscles tore, but he maintained focus. The boots flickered in and out of existence, transformed, and became real.

"Stop this!" Derflinger shouted. "You're going to tear yourself apart!"

Adrian grabbed a Golden Apple with his good arm, biting into it. Golden light spread through his body, mending the damage completely over the next several seconds.

"I'm fine." He picked up the helmet next. "Just need to power through."

The second paradox hit harder. His left arm shattered, fingers bending backward. Blood poured from his nose as he forced the conversion.

Another apple. More healing.

The leggings caused his right eye to explode and his stomach to rupture. He barely noticed, focused entirely on maintaining the paradox until the armor piece became real.

"Adrian..." Derflinger's voice was quiet now.

"Almost done." Adrian's words came out garbled through a mouthful of blood. He ate two more apples, watching his wounds close.

The chestplate was worst. Both eyes burst, legs snapped, fingers turned to pulp. He screamed until his throat tore, but didn't stop until the transformation finished.

Nine Golden Apples later, Adrian could see again. He stared at the Netherite armor pieces scattered around him.

"That wasn't so bad."

"You're insane," Derflinger muttered.

The armor looked different now. No longer cubic, it had become an elegant set of plate mail with a dark metallic sheen. Purple enchantment runes were inscribed all over the material.

"How do I put this on?" Adrian picked up the boots and leggings. They clicked together magnetically, forming a seamless whole. The chest and helmet did the same.

"Maybe..." He stepped toward the armor, willing it to equip like a player would do in Minecraft.

The plates shifted and opened, wrapping around his body. Each piece sealed perfectly, leaving only minimal gaps for vision and breathing. Adrian flexed his armored hands. "Not bad. Just missing the Unbreaking enchantment, but I can fix that the next time I'm in Minecraft. I do wonder…"

He looked at his old leather armor. "Can I store this without it converting back?"

He tried placing it in the Crystalline Minecraft Pearl while focusing on maintaining its realistic form. When he pulled it out, the leather had reverted to Minecraft style.

"Guess not. I'll need to convert everything before leaving Minecraft in the future."

"If you survive that long," Derflinger grumbled. "You do realize you shouldn't casually mutilate yourself for better equipment?"

Adrian smiled behind his helmet. "Why not? There was no lasting harm done."

"Whatever you say." Derflinger sighed. "Just try not to get us both killed with these experiments."

Adrian shifted into his Primal Zerg true form, the Netherite armor fading away as his body changed. He quickly broke down the iron blocks surrounding them, storing each piece back in his Crystalline Pearl. Once finished, he returned to human form.

"Time to explore," Adrian announced. "I want to see more of this place."

They walked through endless aisles of furniture. Beds, couches, and tables everywhere they went under the harsh fluorescent lighting.

The occasional Staff member shuffled past, paying them no attention.

"Hey Derflinger, I've been meaning to ask about your magic absorption."

"What about it?"

Adrian grabbed a plate of Swedish meatballs from a food court they passed. He lifted his helmet just enough to eat while they talked. "The remnant memories I got suggest you can absorb spells, but what are the limits?"

"Dot and Line magic? Easy. Triangle spells can take a bit more effort," Derflinger explained. "Square-class magic needs time to absorb. The more powerful the spell, the longer I need."

Adrian finished the last meatball. "What else can you do?"

The sword went quiet for several seconds.

"Well... if this body gets damaged beyond repair, I can transfer myself to another sword."

Adrian stopped walking. "Really? In that case..." He pulled out his enchanted Netherite sword from the Crystalline Pearl.

"Want an upgrade? You look pretty worn down."

"Are you sure?" Derflinger hesitated. "You just went through quite an ordeal with the armor..."

"A sword uses far less material than a full set of armor. The strain should be minimal." Adrian smiled. "Besides, I still have plenty of Golden Apples."

"Well, if you're certain..."

Adrian focused on the paradox, placing the same Minecraft sword in all nine crafting slots. He grunted in pain when his eardrums burst, but compared to the armor conversion this felt like a minor headache. The sword fell to the ground with a metallic clang, purple runes glowing along its length.

He picked up the blade, admiring how the cubic design had transformed into an elegant weapon. The edge looked impossibly sharp.

"So what now? Do I just break your current blade?"

"Yes, but it isn't required." Derflinger sounded nervous. "Just place me next to the new sword and I'll handle the transfer. But... are you absolutely sure about this?"

"The new one is better in every way. Stronger metal, magic-enhanced, and not corroded to the point of near uselessness."

"True enough." Derflinger sighed. "Alright, lay me down next to it."

Adrian placed both swords on the ground. For several seconds nothing happened.

Then cracks spread across the old blade until it shattered into rust-colored fragments. At the same moment, the Netherite sword pulsed with purple light.

"Whoa..." Derflinger's voice came from the new weapon. "This is... incredible! The metal responds perfectly to my consciousness. And these enchantments... I can feel how they enhance my abilities!"

Adrian picked up the sword, and the purple runes brightened a bit at his touch. "Better than steel?"

"Much better! Regular metals always felt restrictive, like wearing clothes that are too tight. But this..." The sword vibrated with excitement. "I can channel magic so much more efficiently now. The sharpness enchantment even amplifies my cutting power!"

"Want to test it out?"

"Absolutely!"

Adrian walked over to a metal shelf and swung Derflinger in a casual arc. The blade sliced through the steel like butter, leaving a clean cut with barely any resistance.

"Amazing!" Derflinger laughed. "I've never cut anything so easily before. What did you say this material was called?"

"Netherite. It's supposed to be the strongest material in the Minecraft world."

"No wonder it feels so good. Hey, try absorbing some magic with me! I bet I can handle much stronger spells now."

Adrian smiled at his companion's enthusiasm. "We'll have to wait until we're back in Tristain or some other magic world for that. Speaking of which..."

He checked his dimensional travel node. Still charging as he expected, but getting closer.

"One more week here should do it. Want to explore more of the store while we wait?"

"Lead the way, partner! Just try not to get us killed by those faceless things."

A Staff member rounded the corner, pushing an empty cart. Adrian grinned and rushed forward, swinging Derflinger in wild arcs. The blade cut through the creature's torso easily, but...

"No, no, NO!" Derflinger protested. "What are you doing? You're swinging me around like a club! I'm a sword, not a baseball bat!"

Adrian paused mid-swing. "Does it matter? The cuts work fine."

"It matters because you'll get yourself killed fighting anyone who actually knows how to use a sword! Here, let me teach you the basics at least."

Over the next several days, they found a quiet section of the store with enough space to practice. Derflinger guided Adrian through proper stances and basic guards.

"Keep your feet shoulder-width apart," Derflinger instructed. "The sword should feel like an extension of your arm, not a separate tool."

Adrian adjusted his grip, moving through the positions Derflinger described. High guard, middle guard, low guard.

Each stance flowed into attacks and defenses.

"Better! Now practice these cuts. Start from your shoulder, not your wrist. Let the weight of the blade do the work."

They spent hours working on fundamental strikes.

Derflinger explained how to read an opponent's body language, when to press forward and when to create distance.

"Swordplay isn't about wild swinging," Derflinger explained. "It's about control and timing. Knowing when to strike and how to protect yourself."

Adrian practiced ripostes against imaginary attacks, learning to transition smoothly between defense and offense. The movements felt awkward at first, but gradually became more natural.

"We can't do proper sparring without a partner," Derflinger admitted. "But at least now you aren't flailing around like a drunk peasant."

Adrian smiled as he moved through another practice sequence. The sword techniques might prove useful if he ever needed to fight in human form. Especially against mages, they'd get very surprised if he absorbed their spells with Derflinger right before he cut them apart.

"Ready to try those cuts again?" Derflinger asked. "This time with proper form?"

Another Staff member appeared in the distance.

"Good timing." Adrian settled into a proper guard stance, blade raised and ready.

The Staff member fell in three clean cuts - not perfect, but much better than his earlier wild swings.

"Well, at least you won't embarrass me anymore," Derflinger sighed. "But you'll need a real teacher if you want to improve further than a novice. Someone who can actually spar with you and correct your form in real-time."

Adrian nodded, placing Derflinger against his armor where the sword stuck magnetically to the Netherite plate. "Better than nothing. And the basics might come in handy."

They continued walking through the endless aisles until Adrian spotted something unusual.

A phone mounted on the wall. The beige plastic looked old but well-maintained.

"What's that doing here?" Derflinger asked.

Adrian picked up the receiver. A voice immediately came through, speaking in disjointed words:

"Blue carpet folding yesterday inside breakfast quantum differential expanding marketplace swimming pool..."

"Hello?" Adrian tried.

"...doorknob butterfly quantum expanding differential marketplace inside yesterday blue carpet folding..."

The voice kept rambling, ignoring his attempts to communicate. Adrian hung up the phone with a frown.

"That was strange."

"What did it say?"

"Nothing that made sense. Just random words strung together." Adrian stared at the phone. "I wonder if…"

A blue glow lit up Adrian's eyes. He stared at the phone intently.

"Partner? What's happening?"

Adrian just grabbed the phone and yanked it off the wall, wires snapping with a sharp crack. He held the device in both hands as the blue glow intensified. Dimensional Energy flowed from the phone into the node, and numbers flickered in his mind: 1%, 3%, 7%...

The attunement settled at 10% and stopped.

"This phone... it's one of the materials I need to attune to this dimension." Adrian turned the device over in his hands. "Just like the metals in Minecraft or the Void Magic Fragment in Tristain."

"So we need to find more phones?"

"Probably." Adrian stored the phone in his Crystalline Minecraft Pearl.

He looked down the endless aisle. "It's just a matter of going out there and getting them..."

Adrian kept up a good running pace, following the aisles of identical furniture. Two more phones added another 20% to his attunement level, but the distances between them grew larger each time.

"We must be at least 500 miles from Exchange by now," Derflinger noted as they passed yet another bedroom display.

"Probably more." Adrian slowed down as he spotted lights ahead. Another settlement.

But something felt wrong.

The walls were plain metal shelving units, no decorations or personal touches. Guards stood at fixed points, staring blankly ahead without speaking or moving.

Adrian approached the entrance, and one guard turned mechanically to face him.

"Welcome to Point Suitcase," the man spoke in a monotone voice. "Please enter and follow community guidelines."

Inside, people shuffled between identical metal tables. They ate meatballs in complete silence.

No one spoke. No one smiled.

Empty eyes stared at nothing as they repeated the same actions over and over.

"This is... disturbing," Derflinger whispered.

A woman walked past Adrian, not even glancing at his distinctive armor. She sat down, picked up a fork, and began eating.

"What happened to these people?" Adrian watched as more residents performed their routines like wind-up toys. People finished eating, stood up, walked to designated spots, and just... stood there. Staring at walls or into empty space.

Even when the Staff attacked at night, the defenders moved to their positions without urgency or emotion. They fought back but showed no fear, no anger, no satisfaction in victory.

"We should leave," Derflinger muttered. "This place feels wrong."

Adrian nodded. These people hadn't grown lustful like the hedonistic Exchange. They'd done something worse.

They'd given up completely.

 

[Evoxius]

??? Universe, IKEA Store

Adrian walked away from Point Suitcase, his armored boots clicking against the linoleum floor. The emptiness in those people's eyes… disturbed him. He'd seen death before, and had caused plenty of it himself. But this was different. These weren't corpses walking around. They were something worse.

"I don't understand," he said quietly. "How does someone become... that?"

"Sometimes breaking isn't dramatic," Derflinger replied from his hip. "It's not always screaming or crying. Sometimes people just... fade away."

Adrian stopped walking and leaned against a shelf of kitchen utensils. He thought about the woman he'd seen eating. The lifeless way she'd lifted her fork. The absolute void where personality should have been. He clenched his fist, wanting to tear into something. To fight.

To prove he was still alive.

"Back on Zerus, everything made sense," Adrian said. "You hunt. You kill. You evolve. But this..." He gestured back toward the settlement. "What's the point of surviving if you lose yourself in the process?"

"That's the real challenge, isn't it?" Derflinger's voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "Keeping your mind intact when reality stops making sense."

A Staff member shuffled past their aisle, pushing an empty cart. Adrian watched it go, remembering how the defenders at Point Suitcase had fought without any real self-preservation.

Just going through the motions...

"Exchange might be weird with their... activities," Adrian said. "But at least they're still human. Still feeling something."

He pushed off from the shelf and started walking again, faster now. As if he could outpace the hollow feeling in his chest.

"You know what's strange?" he asked after several minutes of silence. "I killed the slaver girl without hesitation. Consumed her Essence like any other prey. But seeing those people back there..." He shook his head. "It feels wrong in a way that killing a weak human didn't."

"Because there's nothing natural about it," Derflinger said. "Death is part of life. But whatever happened to those people? That's something else entirely."

Adrian spotted another phone mounted on a wall ahead. But instead of rushing to claim it, he paused.

"What if that happens to us?" he asked quietly. "What if we stay here too long and end up like them?"

Would he notice it happening? Would he feel himself slipping away piece by piece until nothing remained but empty routines?

The thought made his skin crawl.

"Partner," Derflinger's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. "We should keep moving. Find those phones and get out of here. And don't forget you can jump dimensions, we won't get stuck no matter what, right?"

Adrian nodded at Derflinger's words. "You're right. Let's keep moving."

Over the next several days, they traveled deeper into the store. Each community they found showed different ways humans coped with their imprisonment. Some settlements mirrored Point Suitcase, filled with empty shells going through daily routines. Others embraced pleasure like Exchange, turning their prison into an endless party.

The phones became harder to find. Adrian had collected five so far, each one bringing him closer to attuning to this dimension. But the cost of seeing humanity break in so many ways weighed on him.

"Another settlement ahead," Derflinger announced.

Adrian had already smelled them, but looked up from his thoughts. The fluorescent lights illuminated something different this time. Hundreds of office desks had been stacked and arranged into towering spires. Cubicle walls formed makeshift flying buttresses between the towers. The whole structure resembled a massive cathedral.

Signs covered every surface:

"PRAISE BE TO THE INFINITE"

"IKEA PROVIDES"

"ALL HAIL THE ENDLESS AISLES"

People in robes made from curtain fabric walked between the towers, heads bowed in prayer. Some carried clipboards, taking inventory of nearby shelves with religious dedication.

"Well, this is new," Adrian muttered.

A group of robed figures approached him. The leader, wearing a crown fashioned from coat hangers, spread his arms wide.

"Welcome, lost soul! Have you come to embrace the Truth of IKEA?"

Adrian stared at the man. The zealot's eyes burned with absolute conviction.

"I'm just passing through," Adrian replied carefully.

"Nonsense!" The crowned man stepped closer. "The Store has guided you here for a purpose. Come, let me show you the path to enlightenment!"

Adrian glanced at the zealots surrounding him. These humans posed no real threat, and he'd already seen two different ways communities survived here. Why not see a third?

"Sure," Adrian shrugged. "Show me your... enlightenment."

"Excellent!" The crowned man beamed. "I am High Priest Marcus. Welcome to The Cathedral of Infinite Wisdom."

"Partner..." Derflinger whispered. "Something feels off about these people."

Adrian ignored the sword's warning and followed Marcus through the desk-structures. Robed humans bowed as they passed, muttering prayers about "blessed inventory" and "sacred stock numbers."

Marcus led them to a raised platform made from stacked coffee tables. "This is where we conduct our daily readings from the Sacred Catalog!"

A plastic IKEA catalog sat on a pillow, pages yellowed with age. People gathered around it, writing down product codes like they were ancient scriptures.

"The Store provides everything we need," Marcus explained, eyes shining with fervor. "Food, shelter, purpose! We simply must understand what it wants from us."

"And what does it want?" Adrian asked.

Marcus smiled. "Order! Organization! Perfect inventory management!" He gestured at the clipboard-carrying 'priests'. "We count every item, track every shelf. The Store rewards those who maintain proper stock levels."

"Rewards how?"

"By keeping the Staff at bay, of course! They only attack those who displease the Store." Marcus lowered his voice. "But sometimes sacrifices must be made to maintain balance..."

"What kind of sacrifices?" Adrian asked, already suspecting the answer.

Marcus gestured for Adrian to follow him deeper into the cathedral. They walked through layers of desks and shelving until reaching a basement level lit by strings of Christmas lights.

The smell hit Adrian first. Blood. Fear. Death.

Three Staff members stood chained to support pillars. Metal collars around their necks connected to thick chains bolted into the concrete floor. Unlike the mindless ones wandering the store, these Staff members writhed and pulled at their restraints.

"The Store demands order," Marcus explained, walking between the captive Staff. "When someone disrupts that order - stealing, breaking merchandise, refusing to help with inventory..." He smiled. "Well, the Store must be appeased."

Adrian noticed dark stains on the floor. Drag marks led to a metal door.

"You feed people to them."

"We give the unworthy to the Store's servants!" Marcus spread his arms wide. "It's beautiful, really. The Staff take the chaos-bringers, and in return they leave our community in peace."

There was a loud scream from behind the metal door. Marcus didn't even flinch.

"That would be tonight's offering. A new woman we caught trying to take more than the allowed amount of meatballs from the shelves. Such selfish behavior cannot be tolerated."

Adrian watched the High Priest's face. No guilt. No hesitation. Just absolute conviction that he was doing the right thing.

"Would you like to watch the ceremony?" Marcus asked. "It's quite inspiring. The way the Store's servants cleanse the impure..."

"Partner," Derflinger whispered. "These people are completely insane."

Adrian nodded slightly. The Exchange residents might have embraced hedonism, but at least they helped each other survive. And the empty shells at Point Suitcase had simply given up.

But this...

This was active evil masquerading as faith.

"Actually," Adrian replied. "I think I'll pass on the ceremony."

"Oh?" Marcus frowned. "But surely you want to witness the Store's divine justice? Unless..." His eyes narrowed. "You question the Store's wisdom?"

Robed figures walked out from the shadows, holding makeshift weapons. Adrian noticed they all wore pendants made from price tags.

"The Store guided you here for a reason," Marcus declared. "If you reject its teachings, then perhaps you too need cleansing."

Adrian looked at the cultists with a raised eyebrow. "Do you really think you can hurt me? I'm wearing full plate armor."

Marcus raised a kitchen knife. "The Store will protect us! Get him!"

Adrian shoved the High Priest aside, sending him sprawling into a desk. A red Strength Potion appeared in Adrian's hand, and it disappeared when he held it to his mouth. His muscles immediately began to squirm and twist as the amount of power he could exert was greatly enhanced.

The metal door didn't stand a chance. Adrian slammed into it shoulder-first, ripping it clean off its hinges. Inside, a cultist held a terrified woman over a pit. Injured Staff members reached up from below, long arms reaching for her dangling feet.

"The Store demands-" the cultist started.

Derflinger cut him in half mid-sentence.

Adrian grabbed the woman before she could fall, pulling her away from the edge. She shook like a leaf as she clung to his armored arm.

"Stay behind me," Adrian told her.

The cultists poured through the doorway, screaming about heretics and divine punishment. They waved chair legs and kitchen tools like holy weapons.

"You dare interfere with the Store's justice?" Marcus appeared at the front of the mob. "Kill them both! Feed them to the blessed Staff!"

"Ready for some practice, partner?" Derflinger asked.

Adrian stepped forward, sword raised in a proper guard stance. "Just remember what you taught me about control."

The first cultist swung a metal rod. Adrian deflected it and countered with a clean slash across the chest.

Two more rushed him from different angles. He spun between them, Derflinger's enchanted blade leaving trails of red from flying heads.

"Your form still needs work," Derflinger commented as Adrian blocked another attack. "But you're passable for a novice."

"The Store will punish you!" Marcus screamed from the back of the crowd. "You cannot stop divine will!"

"Watch me," Adrian growled.

Adrian cut through them like paper. The Strength Potion combined with his Netherite armor and sword made him unstoppable. Weapons bounced harmlessly off his plate mail while Derflinger carved bloody paths through flesh and bone.

"FOR IKEA!" A cultist rushed forward with a chair leg.

Adrian separated his head from his shoulders.

"CLEANSE THE HERETIC!" Three more charged.

Three more bodies hit the floor.

The cultists kept coming, climbing over their dead companions in a religious frenzy.

Adrian just kept slashing his sword.

These weren't even real prey, just insane humans who'd forgotten their humanity.

Ten minutes later, Adrian walked out of the cathedral. Behind him lay piles of cultist bodies, men and women who'd chosen false faith over sanity. The final count was around two hundred.

The woman he'd saved followed quietly.

"IKEA will punish you for this sacrilege!" Marcus screamed from where he was bleeding out on the ground. "You cannot escape divine judgment!"

Adrian turned back to look at the self-proclaimed High Priest. "Your 'Store' isn't divine. It's just a prison that broke your mind."

He walked away from the cathedral, the woman following close behind. She kept glancing back, as if expecting the cultists to rise up and chase them.

"T-thank you," she whispered. "I was just looking for a new coffee table, and then... everything changed. The exits disappeared, and those people grabbed me..."

Adrian noticed she wore clean clothes, jeans and a sweater. No signs of wear or dirt. She must have arrived very recently.

"What's your name?"

"Emma. Emma Mitchell." She wiped tears from her face. "I don't understand what's happening. One minute I was shopping, the next these crazy people in robes were dragging me away, talking about sacrifices and some divine store..."

She stumbled, and Adrian caught her arm before she fell.

"Sorry, I just..." Emma started shaking again. "Those things in the pit. The faceless ones. They were going to..." She broke down completely, wrapping her arms around herself.

"You're safe now," Adrian said.

Emma stared at Adrian with wide eyes, blood splattered across her face and clothes. Her hands shook as she tried to wipe it away, only managing to smear it more.

"I... I was shopping for a coffee table." She started laughing, a high-pitched hysterical sound. "Just a coffee table! And now..." She looked down at her bloody hands. "Oh god. Oh god, there's so much blood."

She fell to her knees and vomited.

Adrian stood awkwardly nearby as she emptied her stomach. The woman alternated between dry heaving and sobbing.

"You killed them all," Emma whispered. "Just... cut through them like they were nothing. Heads and arms flying everywhere..." She retched again. "But they were going to feed me to those things. Those monsters in the pit..."

She looked up at Adrian, tears streaming down her face. "What kind of place is this? What happened to those people to make them so... wrong?"

"The Store breaks people in different ways," Derflinger spoke up.

Emma screamed and scrambled backward. "The sword talks! Why does the sword talk?!"

"My name is Derflinger," the sword said gently. "And yes, I talk."

Emma pressed her hands against her head. "This isn't real. None of this is real. I'm having a mental breakdown in IKEA. That's all this is."

"Emma." Adrian crouched down to her level. "How long have you been here?"

"Two hours?" She wiped her mouth. "I got lost looking for the exit. Then those robed freaks grabbed me, started talking about divine punishment and proper inventory management." Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "They killed three other people while I watched. Had those... those things tear them apart."

She grabbed Adrian's armored hand. "Please. You have to help me get out of here. I can't... I can't end up like them. Like those empty-eyed people I saw, or those insane cultists, or..." She shuddered. "Those faceless monsters."

Adrian looked at the terrified woman. She was already cracking, the horror of what she'd witnessed fighting with her desperate need to believe in her savior.

Even if that savior had just butchered two hundred people in front of her.

"The exits are gone," Adrian explained. "But I might be able to help you-"

Emma screamed. Adrian spun around, Derflinger ready.

A Staff member stood not far away, staring at them. Someone seemed to have embedded a price tag scanner in its head.

Emma let out a small whimper and pressed against Adrian's back. "Please don't let it take me. Please don't let it take me..."

Adrian hesitated, not entirely sure what to do. The woman behind him shook uncontrollably, and the remnant memories gave him the impression that human women could be very… fragile, and needed protection and comfort. He turned around slowly and wrapped his arms around Emma, patting her back awkwardly.

"Shh..." Adrian spoke softly. "The Staff won't attack while the lights are on. As long as we don't provoke them, they'll leave us alone."

Emma buried her face in his armored chest, sobbing her eyes out. "I want to go home. I just wanted a coffee table..."

The Staff member shuffled past them, pushing an empty cart. The price tag scanner in its head beeped occasionally as it moved.

"See?" Adrian kept patting her back. "It's ignoring us."

Emma peeked out from his chest, watching the creature disappear around a corner. She pulled back slightly, wiping her eyes.

"I don't understand any of this." She looked up at Adrian. "First those cultists, then you killing everyone, and now..." She gestured at his armor. "Where did you even get that? The medieval section?"

"It's... complicated." Adrian released her gently. "But right now we need to move. The lights won't stay on forever."

Emma grabbed his arm. "What happens when they go out?"

"The Staff become aggressive," Adrian explained. "We should find shelter before that happens."

"There's no way out?" Emma asked in a small voice. "No emergency exits or staff doors or..."

Adrian shook his head. "The Store goes on forever. But I might be able to help you leave another way."

"How?"

"First we need somewhere safe." Adrian looked around. "Somewhere defensible where we can talk properly."

Emma nodded, still holding his arm. "Okay. Okay... lead the way."

They walked through the endless aisles. Emma flinched every time they passed a Staff member, pressing closer to Adrian.

"Why do you think this happened?" she asked quietly. "Why trap people in a furniture store?"

"I don't know," Adrian replied. "But I've seen what it does to people who stay too long."

Emma shuddered. "Those cultists... they seemed so convinced. Like they actually believed this place was divine."

"The Store breaks minds in different ways," Adrian said. "Some become empty shells. Some embrace madness. Some create new beliefs to cope."

"And some become monsters," Emma whispered, remembering the faceless Staff in the pit.

Adrian stopped walking. "We can rest here."

They'd reached a display of bedroom furniture. He moved some tall wardrobes to create natural walls around a collection of beds and nightstands.

"The wardrobes will slow down any Staff that try to get in," Adrian explained. "And there are multiple escape routes if needed."

Emma sat on one of the beds, hands clasped tightly in her lap. "Now what?"

Adrian sat down on a nearby bed, looking at Emma. He understood her fear, remembered how lost he'd felt when first arriving in the Minecraft world. At least he'd had the advantage of being a predator.

"The Store pulls people from different versions of Earth," Adrian explained. "Some come from worlds where small things changed. Others from worlds with major differences."

Emma frowned. "Different versions?"

"In one world, the International Space Station was never built. In another, the Soviet Union still exists." Adrian pulled off his helmet and rested it next to him. "What year was it in your world?"

"2025," Emma replied while staring at his exposed face.

"And I assume you came from America, so who was the president?"

"Donald Trump. He won the recent election." Emma rubbed her arms. "Why?"

"I've met people from 2007 who only arrived here last year. Some from 2020, 2022..." Adrian shook his head. "You're actually the most recent arrival I've seen. Everyone else came from 2024 at most."

Emma wrapped her arms around herself. "This is insane. Parallel worlds? Time differences?"

She took a deep breath. "But you said you might be able to help me leave?"

"Yes. I can travel between dimensions," Adrian explained. "In a few days when my power recharges, I'll be able to leave this place. But..." He paused. "I can't reach your original world."

Emma stared at him for a long moment. Then she started laughing, a broken sound that echoed through the makeshift shelter.

"Dimensional travel. Of course." She wiped tears from her eyes. "Why not? I just watched you kill two hundred people like they were nothing. Your sword talks. There are faceless monsters wearing blank name tags pushing shopping carts through an endless furniture store..."

Her laughter died. "But you can't get me home?"

Adrian shook his head. "The only world I have access to that humans can survive in is... well, it's medieval. Only nobles can use magic there, and I'm wanted for killing a noble who tried to enslave me. Not exactly safe."

Emma's shoulders slumped. "So I'm trapped here? Going to end up like those cultists or those empty shells walking around?"

"No," Adrian leaned against a cabinet. "We can find you a safe community here in the Store. One of the… normal ones. Then when I find a better world, I'll come back for you."

"You'd do that?" Emma looked up. "Come back for me?"

"Yes."

"Why?" She gestured at the blood still covering her clothes. "You don't know me. And after what I saw you do to those cultists..." She shuddered. "What are you? Really?"

Adrian considered how to answer. The woman was already traumatized. Telling her he was an alien predator who consumed Essence might push her over the edge.

"I'm someone who can help," he said finally. "That's all you need to know for now."

Emma nodded slowly. "I guess after everything I've seen today, I shouldn't question help when it's offered." She rubbed her arms. "Even if that help comes from someone who can cut through crowds of people like a hot knife through butter."

"One of the communities like the Exchange is probably your best option," Adrian muttered. "They're... unusual, but they look after each other. No cultists or empty shells there."

"Unusual how?"

"You'll see." Adrian stood up. "We should rest here until the next light cycle starts. Then I'll take you there."

Emma grabbed his arm. "Don't leave me alone. Please."

"I won't," Adrian promised. "Get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

She laid down on the bed, still fully clothed and covered in blood. Within minutes exhaustion overtook her and she fell into an uneasy sleep.

"That was almost gentle of you, partner," Derflinger whispered. "Not telling her what you really are."

Adrian watched Emma toss and turn. "She's seen enough horror for one day."

"Those hedonistic communities might not be the best place for her," Derflinger noted. "You know how they get."

"She doesn't have to participate in it." Adrian sat on the edge of the bed. "And I meant what I said. When we find a better world, I'll come back for her."

"Why? You've not really cared about humans before, have you?"

Adrian frowned. "I don't know. Maybe because she reminds me of how lost I felt when first arriving in Minecraft."

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Why shouldn't he help these trapped humans? The ones who hadn't gone utterly insane deserved a chance at a real life.

"You know," Adrian spoke quietly. "I could probably save most of the sane ones. Get them all to hold hands or grab onto each other, and I could transport dozens, maybe even hundreds at once."

"That's... surprisingly compassionate of you," Derflinger whispered.

Adrian watched Emma sleep. "I've been thinking about what I saw in these communities. The cultists, the empty shells at Point Suitcase... that's what happens when hope dies." He clenched his fist. "But I could give them hope. A real chance at survival."

"The Exchange has about fifty people," Derflinger mused. "Most of them are still... relatively normal, despite their quirks."

"And there are many other communities like them scattered throughout the Store." Adrian smiled slightly. "Once I find a safe world, I could come back. Gather all the survivors who want to leave. Give them a fresh start."

"You're changing, partner," Derflinger said softly. "You didn't seem the type to have cared about saving anyone."

"Maybe that's not such a bad thing." Adrian glanced at his armored hands. "I'm still a Primal Zerg. Still who I was in Zerus. But I can be something more than just a predator."

Emma whimpered in her sleep, caught in what was likely a nightmare about cultists and faceless monsters.

Adrian awkwardly patted her shoulder until she calmed down.

"Get some rest yourself," Derflinger suggested. "I'll wake you if anything approaches."