The world of Minecraft has been completely brutal so far, and while I have only died twice, each death has set me further back than I could really afford. Building up my resources was fun, to be sure, but it was starting to feel a little repetitive and a little boring. But I wouldn't be deterred; I had determined to at least visit the Nether, and see for myself what it is truly like.
I'd lost all my wood and torches when I died, so first I had to turn to tending my tree farm. I only had to cut down half of the trees to have a full stack of wood, and it took the rest of the day to try and replant the saplings I collected. I spent the night in my house rebuilding all of my tools and equipment; the only threat was a creeper that continued to circle the house trying to find a way in.
I'd had the presence of mind to build my house with an escape tunnel that lead to my original base, so I was able to avoid the creeper entirely. I had to focus on my task at hand; my plans for the diamond originally were to save them until I had enough to make a complete set of armor, but that was an unrealistic goal for now. Instead, I made a diamond pickax and set to work mining the small lava lake I had turned to obsidian in my earlier expeditions. I only needed 14 blocks, but I decided to mine as much as I could. It was a long tedious process as it takes a full 15 seconds to mine a single block of obsidian, but fortune smiled upon me as the pool of lava proved to be only one layer deep... for the most part.
I had to rush back to the pool of water nearby to put the fire out (they don't support stop, drop, and roll in this game), but other than that minor incident I managed to collect a lot of obsidian. And so I began building the portal. I didn't really have a plan for this expedition, but I figured if it proved survivable, I would just travel a good distance and then build a second portal back.
I was pleased with my finished work; the portal was built lower and against a wall so I wouldn't get too disoriented upon my return. With pride, I lit the center of the portal with my flint, and a woosh of purple washed over my vision.
I was as prepared as I could be for this; it was now or never. My proving ground lay beyond, and whether I lived or died there would be no regrets. With a feeling of trepidation I stepped into the purple glow.
I emerged into a dimly lit realm, surrounded by fire and the eerie cries of ghasts echoing from every direction. The occasional grunts I could hear could only belong to the zombie pigmen I'd heard so many rumors about.
What made it most terrifying was that the cries of the ghasts seemed to be coming from very close by, but for the life of me I couldn't actually see any of them. I began carefully trekking in my chosen direction, the noises driving away any curiosity for exploring this place.
Very interesting formation to be sure... I guess I'll head that direction.
Just a short hop found me on the other side, and my descent led to a large cavern filled with zombie pigmen.
This place would suit my needs; it was far enough away that I likely wouldn't recognize the world when I left. As I finished building the second portal, I felt a rush of panic as the cries of the unseen ghasts suddenly changed to what I can only describe as outrage.
With my heart in my throat, I dove into the portal; the world around me appeared to erupt as fireballs rained down on me. But the purple sheet enveloped me, protecting me; the Nether faded away and I stepped out into the bright sunlight to check my surroundings.
Jackpot!
More to come!
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