Dante had finally returned to the place he had longed for day and night. Gazing at the hellscape before him, he couldn't resist bending down to kiss the Netherrack. Here, he was finally free from fear; here, he could finally live a good life.
Standing before the Nether Portal, Zeke pondered Dante's parting words. The more he thought about it, the more it nagged at him. Since when had Dante turned into the Riddler?
"Today, I have to get to the bottom of this," Zeke muttered, stepping into the portal. "The thing I hate most in my life is people stopping halfway through a sentence. Dante, what did you mean by 'Piglins have intelligence'? Explain it to me right now."
Dante insisted it was merely a guess. He had been closely observing the Piglin named Vergil for some time and had noted their obsession with gold and their capacity for trade. A creature that possesses greed and understands the concept of exchange must possess some level of intellect. Dante speculated that the Piglins appeared dull and wooden—mindlessly performing programmed tasks without communication—because their intelligence was being suppressed by something.
"So, it's just speculation?" Zeke nodded slowly. "Well, good luck with that."
After bidding farewell to Dante, Zeke decided that since he was already there, he might as well visit a Nether Fortress. Wielding the Harlequin's Kiss, he fought a fierce battle inside the fortress, farming enough materials for three Wither Skeleton Skulls.
He began to place the skulls onto the T-shaped soul sand structure. When the first skull was set, every creature in the Nether seemed to raise its head slightly, gazing toward Zeke. A king was about to arrive. As the second skull clicked into place, the air grew hotter, and the crackling of the lava fell into a rhythmic chant, like a prayer.
The atmosphere felt wrong. Seeing that only one head remained, Zeke decided to be a despicable 'block man.' He chose a summoning spot deep underground, encased in Netherrack, to prevent the Wither from flying around randomly. To be safe, he crunched down on an Enchanted Golden Apple.
Little Wither, you're easy pickings.
He placed the final Wither Skeleton Skull.
Ugh-ah!
A loud, groaning sound echoed through the cavern as the Soul Sand emitted a ghostly blue glow. The outline of the Wither began to materialize, visually expanding as it formed. A health bar appeared overhead, climbing rapidly from zero. During this generation phase, the Wither was invulnerable.
Zeke, fully armed, waited quietly for the show to start. As its health neared full, the Wither flickered between blue and black. Then, with a massive explosion centered on itself, the King of Hell re-emerged into the world. Three heads roared silently toward the sky, their eye sockets filled with a desire for total destruction.
The Wither was a boss with both high stats and complex mechanics. Its health bar was more than double that of the Ender Dragon, and it attacked by firing Wither Skulls that caused explosions and the Wither status effect. Enemies killed by it were converted into health for the boss, leaving behind a Wither Rose. It even had a second phase: when its health dropped below half, it gained Wither Armor, becoming immune to most ranged attacks like tridents and arrows.
The Wither focused its gaze on the human before it and spat a spinning skull. It exploded near Zeke; the damage was negligible, but the Wither effect was annoying, obscuring his vision of his own health.
"Let's make this quick." Backing against the Netherrack to absorb the impact, Zeke slashed rapidly at the monster. Under his intense offensive, the Wither's situation deteriorated rapidly, and it was defeated in no time. As its black body crumbled, a Nether Star shining with white light dropped to the floor.
Zeke picked it up, cleared the excess Netherrack from his inventory, and went back to work. He didn't stop at one; he farmed another set of skulls. Utilizing the Wither's hostility toward all living mobs except undead, Zeke wanted to test if he could summon it in the Overworld. If it worked, it could be an excellent biological weapon—an Minecraft-style bomber.
At a crafting table, Zeke combined Obsidian, Glass, and the Nether Star to craft a Beacon. Back at the camp, he constructed a max-level beacon base using the highest quality materials: Netherite Blocks. He was wealthy enough that the Netherite mined by his tunnel bore was essentially inexhaustible. A level 4 beacon required 164 blocks, and atop the pyramid, Zeke placed the Beacon, selecting the Strength and Regeneration buffs.
That day, everyone in the camp saw a beam of light pierce the sky. Along with it came a surge of physical strength and the miraculous healing of old wounds.
"It's truly a blessing to be in this camp," Wounded #3 said, sitting on a matchbox house while gnawing on a chicken leg. Not long ago, he had recovered, been sent to the front lines, stepped on a landmine that blew off his legs, and was shipped right back.
–
The first wave of enemies arrived.
Hordes of cultists attempted to breach the walls. Tattooed men and women wearing masks chanted as they advanced.
"The Crusader Squad is over there," Marshal Amalrich said, standing on the gantry. "And the Brothers with Heavy Bolters. They must not take a single step back."
"Yes, Marshal," Zaltan replied, stepping back to relay the order.
Nearby, two Battle Brothers stood on the gantry, firing wildly at the cultists below while snacking.
"Munch, munch, munch, who do you think invented this Golden Apple? It's so delicious."
"Delicious, right? The cost will be deducted from your pension."
"Huh? Didn't you say it would be reimbursed?"
Suddenly, a Nether Portal appeared in the rear area they were guarding. Gun barrels instantly swiveled toward it.
Zaltan arrived just in time and lowered the muzzles. "This style... it's reinforcements. No need to panic."
Zeke walked out of the portal, arriving at the front lines. This was the East, guarded by Marshal Amalrich of the Black Templars. Compared to the South guarded by Canoness Eleanor and the North by the Space Wolves, the pressure here was intense. Zeke had chosen this location specifically to deploy his Wither Bomber support.
Amalrich recognized the human, who was currently dual-wielding Bolt Guns and firing madly. "They are gathering out there," Amalrich said, pointing toward the smoke. A high-explosive shell tore through the Void Shield and exploded directly overhead. "I see a banner," he continued, raising his voice. "Do you see it there? Dark red."
Zaltan looked through his scope at a skull with a twisted tongue. "My Lord, that is the filth of Lorgar."
"Word Bearers," the Marshal roared. "That explains the chanting."
Word Bearers, huh? Zeke thought. I've decided to use you as test subjects.
"Marshal Amalrich!" Zeke shouted. "We need to pull back to the Curtain Wall."
"Why?"
"Trust me." Zeke began his setup. The Wither didn't distinguish between friend and foe, so he needed to clear his teammates from the blast zone first.
"Marshal, Creed has also sent a retreat order," Zaltan added.
"He wants us to retreat?" Amalrich's eyes remained fixed on the battlefield, though he stopped pretending not to hear.
Zeke placed the final Wither Skeleton Skull onto the Soul Sand. Immediately, the sky darkened. Black clouds swirled, brewing a thunderstorm—the Wither's inherent environmental effect, which looked incredibly oppressive.
Marshal Amalrich paused.
"This thing will help us crush those Word Bearers, but it kills indiscriminately," Zeke warned.
The Wither's body was expanding, and the scent of death began to spread. Amalrich raised his hand. "For the Emperor and Dorn, all units listen: retreat temporarily to the Curtain Wall. Repeat, this is not a retreat; this is a strategic withdrawal."
Zeke watched the Battle Brothers withdraw behind the wall, then fixed his gaze back on the expanding monster.
--
Only 30 Powerstones before next bonus chapter.