Chapter 22: Premature Death - Part 2
Alex is making a pie with the Ingredients found at Riko's house. Behind her the Group Q player is stuck in a spider web and is being attacked by a spider while also constantly being healed by a witch.
Group Q Player 1: Please listen to me. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I won't interfere again. I'll even leave Group Q. I'll be a simple, peaceful player and start farming.
Alex pretends like she can't hear him.
Group Q Player 1: Hey, I know you can hear me. Please stop this.
Alex: I don't think someone like you would be good at farming.
Group Q Player 1: You…How dare you. You're only a newbie. Bayer has already arrived here. He is the strongest player in Group Q. All of you will…
Steve arrives there with Group Q Player 2 who is knocked out.
Steve: Is this Bayer, your strongest fighter?
He drops him to the floor.
Group Q Player 1: Yes…he…is.
Toji is watching a Boat race.
Villager: I was wondering where you went.
Toji: Making Emeralds with Emeralds. I bet on one of the boats.
Villager: Have you ever even won?
Toji: …
Villager: So what are you doing here? You know I have to report on your work?
Toji: You want me to straight away attack them? Do you know who that guy is? He is Steve. He is the strongest player on the server right now. We need to send some weaker idiots to weaken him first.
Villager: So what are you planning?
Toji: I told you. We'd wait till he has his guard down. For now, I'll make some easy money.
Toji's boat doesn't win the race.
Toji: …
Villager: Looks like you're not good at making easy money. I'll just leave the job to you then, however you want to do it. By the way, how is Megumi?
Toji: …Who?
Steve: Should we take her to Shoko?
Alex: If only we could use commands to use potions.
Riko wakes up and finds herself being held in Steve's arms. She punches him and gets away from him.
Riko: Hey you. If you try to kill me, you'll die.
Alex: Riko, calm down. We're not the ones who attacked you.
Riko: Clearly you're lying. You both look like bad guys. You use default skins? How dumb.
Alex: …
Riko's friend Kuroi arrives and finds Alex and Steve throwing her using a slime.
Riko: That's disrespectful!
Kuroi: Please stop.
Riko: Kuroi?
Alex brings back the slime and Riko falls to the ground.
Kuroi: These 2 are here to help us.
Steve: She is very aggressive. I thought she would be sad after hearing about being taken over.
Riko: Unlike others, I consider this an honor. Notch only chooses the best accounts to take over. It is a great honor to be taken over by him. Unlike you fools, who are here to protect me you guys can only dream of getting such an important role.
Alex and Steve ignore her while looking at an item Steve is holding.
Alex: Hey is that the Heart of the Sea?
Steve: Cool isn't it?
Riko: Are you even listening??
Steve: Judging by the way she talks, I bet she doesn't even have any other friends.
Alex: It won't be an issue then.
Riko: I talk normally to other players. Wait, Kuroi, I was supposed to go for that fishing thing.
Kuroi: I don't think you should go.
Steve and Alex talk to Masamichi.
Steve: Huh? Wouldn't she be safer in the HQ?
Masamichi: I think so too. But it's Notch's orders. He wants her to enjoy her last moments of Minecraft.
Steve: That's spoiling her too much.
Alex: Don't say that Steve. You know she won't be able to play Minecraft again.
Kuroi, Steve, and Alex are keeping a watch outside while Riko is fishing with other players.
Kuroi: She doesn't have any friends. So please let her enjoy some time with the other players.
Alex: You are her friend though, aren't you
Kuroi: …Yes.
Steve: How are the mobs that are monitoring her?
Alex: Unlike Mei Mei, I can't use Spectator mode on my mobs. But I can still detect…Steve, we need to go. 2 of my mobs died.
While Toji is watching another Boat race, the Villager set a bounty on Riko.
Alex: Steve you go get Riko, I'll deal with the 2 players who attacked.
Toji: Now that the bounty is set, some idiots will attack them.
Villager: Are you sure? You set all the Emeralds Minecult gave you for the task as the bounty. If they kill her, you will lose the sum.
Toji: Don't forget that Steve is there. No one will be able to defeat him.
Villager: Including you?
Toji: …Who knows? Anyways, just let the others wear them down.
Alex runs towards where one of her mobs were. She finds a player there.
Unknown Player: Hey. You're from Jujutsu Pros, right?
Alex: Correct.
Alex spawns 2 creepers.
Unknown Player: (She can spawn mobs? That means she can't fight in close combat.) So you can control mobs?
Alex: You're experienced it seems.
Unknown Player: You don't play the game for so long and not learn a few things.
Alex: It would be fun beating you then.
She spawns a ravager and has it charge towards him.
Unknown Player: (Were the creepers decoy?)
He immediately runs towards her, dodging the Ravager, and attacks her with his sword.
Alex immediately blocks the hit with her sword.
Unknown Player: (What?)
Alex strikes the player with her sword, easily dodging his attacks while attacking him.
Unknown Player: (I underestimated her. She tricked me into thinking she only uses mobs to fight and can't fight in close combat.)
Alex Easily defeats the player.
Steve enters the fishing area, picks up Riko, and leaves immediately.
Riko: Hey, you idiot. What are you doing? I was fishing.
Steve: Players are attacking you. We need to leave. You don't want others to get involved, do you?
Riko: …
Suddenly a Player stops them.
Unknown Player: So she is the bounty?
Steve: Bounty?
Unknown Player: I'll buy a whole village with those emeralds.
Steve: You should find another job.
Unknown Player: Naah. This job is fun.
Steve: Then let's have fun.
Steve puts Riko behind her and runs towards the player. The player swings his sword at him but he dodges it and stabs him. The player tries to attack him while he is close but Steve gets away from him and attacks him again, knocking him away.
Unknown Player: (He is strong.)
Steve: Fighting like this is boring me. Let's try something new.
Steve tries to spawn a TNT using commands.
Steve: I'll blow you up.
He fails to spawn it.
Steve: Shit. I failed.
Unknown Player: Huh?
Steve instead Stabs the player again, defeating him.
Steve: So. That's done.
They meet with Alex and Kuroi.
Alex: Someone set a bounty on Riko. Its deadline is for tomorrow. We need to protect her till then before we meet Notch.
Steve: What do we do till then?
They decide to give Riko the full Minecraft Experience. They then visited various places and biomes. In each place, they get attacked by players but they easily beat them. They swim in the ocean and explore forests and deserts. They ride a boat on Ice. Riko enjoys the whole day.
Kuroi: Is it even safe to be doing this?
Alex: You don't need to worry. This was Steve's idea anyway. He cares for her too. She shouldn't go without experiencing Minecraft to the fullest.
Steve and Riko come back from a cave, having mined Redstone.
Alex: Steve, can I talk to you for a second?
Steve: Sure.
Alex: Shouldn't we head back to the HQ now?
Steve: Riko is enjoying. Let her have it. We can go back tomorrow.
Alex: That's not the point. You haven't rested for a while now. We have been on guard for so long. You need to rest.
Steve: Don't worry. You know I can handle it. Besides, I don't need to worry about myself. You are here with me after all.
Alex: …
Alex smiles.
They spend another day visiting different places. They aren't attacked that day. Riko enjoys the day with Kuroi.
The next day, the bounty gets removed. They go to Notch's HQ to meet him and hand Riko over to him.
Alex: We are here.
Riko: Finally.
Alex: Steve. Good job. We can finally rest now.
Steve: Heh. I'll never do babysitting ever again.
Suddenly Steve gets stabbed from behind with a sword.
Alex: (Impossible.)
Toji stabbed Steve while his guard was down.
Toji: Got you.
A month ago, when Toji was a member of the Zenin, he used to kill players for fun. He used to find new players and kill them immediately.
Toji: (I used to like killing new players before they even got the chance to play this game. I used to enjoy it a lot. I tried to kill Steve when he joined the server too. I sneaked around behind him, about to kill him. But…he noticed me. He looked at me and then carried on. It was the first and last time someone noticed me sneaking up on them. That was when I knew, he was no ordinary player. It wasn't long before he became famous as the strongest player. I knew he was not a player I could just attack like that. I needed him to lower his guard.)
Steve takes out his sword and attempts to stab him while he is close, but Toji dodges away. He gets attacked by a phantom spawned by Alex.
Alex: Steve, are you alright?
Steve: I'm fine. He really caught me by surprise. You go and protect Riko. Take her to Notch. I'll deal with him.
Alex: Steve…Alright. Be careful.
Alex takes Riko and Kuroi with her inside.
Toji kills the phantom and appears in front of Steve.
Steve: The bounty on Riko has been withdrawn you fool.
Toji: It was me who withdrew it. I knew you would let your guard down if you thought there was no longer a threat.
Steve: Whatever. Just fight me.
Steve takes out his sword, ready to fight.