On the way to the park, Ivan’s consciousness was abruptly extracted and then instantly re-immersed into the private sanctuary the system had previously rewarded him.
One second, the Rhodes Island squad was still handling the humid, stench-filled sewer exit, marching toward the park under the fading twilight of Terra.
The next second, the grim reality before Ivan’s eyes completely twisted, fracturing into countless geometric fragments before reassembling into something entirely alien.
Beneath his boots lay solid, perfectly square grass blocks, emitting the unmistakable, almost pixelated scent of fresh earth and vibrant greenery.
Above his head stretched an infinite sky constructed of azure cubes, dotted with sharply edged, perfectly rectangular white clouds that hung silently in the air.
The atmosphere was unrealistically crisp, carrying a pure, expansive vitality that belonged solely to the concept of a pristine world.
Ivan stood at the center of a vast, orderly, and almost sacred plain composed entirely of countless interlocking blocks.
“Is this…
the world that the system rewarded?” Ivan looked around.
Every single object in his line of sight was sharply defined, governed by the absolute laws of pure geometric shapes.
Tall oak trees resembled giant green building blocks, their leaves forming neat, cubic clusters, while the undulating mountains in the distance were massive, stepped earthen slopes.
This scene, defying all the natural laws of Terra, left him momentarily stunned.
Amidst his deep shock, an instinctive mantra, etched deep into the DNA of countless gamers, instantly surfaced in his mind.
Ivan almost subconsciously walked toward the nearest oak block, drew his arm back, and swung his bare fist directly at the rough bark of the tree trunk.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
A monotonous, rhythmic knocking sound echoed across the silent plains.
The tree trunk block began to spiderweb with jagged cracks with each successive hit.
Finally, with a soft, satisfying pop, the oak tree defied gravity.
Like a deconstructed architectural model, the broken section transformed into a miniaturized, floating oak wood block.
It automatically flew toward him, vanishing into the translucent, grid-like inventory interface that suddenly materialized at the very edge of his peripheral vision.
[Obtained Oak Wood x1] Ivan opened his inventory, his mind already racing with the steps to craft a basic crafting table.
Almost simultaneously, a crisp, mechanical prompt popped up in the dead center of his vision.
[Achievement Unlocked: Open Inventory!] [Reward: Wooden Planks x32 have been added to your inventory.] “Hmph!” Ivan’s heart skipped a heavy beat.
The sheer surprise instantly diluted any lingering confusion about his sudden transmigration into this blocky dimension.
‘There are actual material rewards for completing achievements?
Then the rarer the achievement, wouldn’t the rewards be absolutely game-breaking?’ Ivan could practically see endless mountains of treasures beckoning to him from the depths of this world.
“Alright, let’s craft a crafting table then.” Driven purely by his thoughts, a single oak wood block in the inventory interface was instantly broken down into four wooden planks.
He mentally arranged the four planks into the classic two-by-two grid he remembered so fondly.
With a brief flash of white light, a simple, unadorned crafting table block appeared in his output slot.
[Achievement Unlocked: Benchmarking!] [Reward: Torches x16 have been added to your inventory.] “Haha, it’s true!” Ivan chuckled, a wide grin spreading across his face.
This was exactly like having a beginner’s cheat code accelerator.
For the next indeterminate period, he completely surrendered himself to the addictive development rhythm of this voxel world.
He punched trees, crafted wooden tools, dug into the earth for stone, and plunged deep into the dark, winding mineshafts.
He even boldly adopted the classic, reckless true man’s mining method, digging straight down into the abyss.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Ivan finally paused.
He opened his nearly bursting inventory interface to take stock of his haul, and a massive wave of satisfaction washed over him.
A little over three stacks of cobblestone blocks, forty-two raw iron ores, twenty-four raw gold ores, and fifty-six pieces of coal.
Even better were the generous system rewards obtained from rapidly completing the series of Iron Age achievements.
A sturdy wooden shield icon, a complete set of gleaming iron armor icons covering his helmet, chestplate, leggings, and boots, alongside a full arsenal of iron tools including a sword, pickaxe, and axe.
Looking at the dazzling array of survival gear, Ivan broke into a wide, triumphant smile.
He could not resist muttering in a deeply satisfied, classic gamer tone.
“This mining…
what a beautiful thing it is.” Feeling incredibly secure in his new armor, his mind was now entirely consumed by the enchanting, icy blue glow of diamonds.
Just as he equipped his fresh iron pickaxe, fully prepared to strip-mine the depths for the coveted gems, the atmosphere abruptly shifted.
Two figures materialized without a single warning particle, standing just a few blocks in front of him.
The entity on the left wore a simple cyan shirt and indigo jeans, possessing a familiar, blocky head.
The entity on the right shared the exact same build, but his eyes were a chilling, empty, glowing white.
“Wait, you…” Ivan’s brain instantly crashed.
The scene unfolding before him completely shattered his comprehension.
One second he was happily hoarding ores, and the next, two literal creator-level deities of this universe were standing right in front of him.
Before Ivan’s mind could even begin to process the absolute absurdity of the situation, Steve spoke, his voice carrying a strange, resonant weight.
“Your companions are in trouble.
Go back.” Before the echo of those words could even fade, the legendary anomaly standing next to him, Herobrine, seemed entirely too impatient to waste another fraction of a second.
Those pale, dead eyes locked onto Ivan.
Without any wind-up or warning, Herobrine raised his arm and flicked his wrist.
A heavy sword and three glass bottles, swirling with a thick, crimson liquid, violently smashed through the air directly toward Ivan’s chest.
Ivan’s enhanced reflexes kicked in, and he subconsciously caught the items against his chest.
“Take these.
Steve’s orders.
Go quickly,” Herobrine stated, his tone devoid of any warmth.
“No, wait, I…” Ivan instinctively tried to ask a question, desperate for context.
“Get lost.” Herobrine seemed to effortlessly read his mind, spitting out the two words with extreme, raw impatience.
Immediately after, to Ivan’s absolute horror, Herobrine shifted his weight.
A leg covered in grayish-white pixels lashed out, striking Ivan directly in the stomach with a terrifying, physics-defying force and an irresistible, god-like might.
“Pfft!” Ivan felt an overwhelming, crushing power surge through his entire body.
The breath was instantly knocked from his lungs, and his vision violently stretched into a warped tunnel of distorted color blocks and flowing light.
He did not even have the luxury of feeling the pain.
Like a soccer ball struck by a titan, Ivan was launched backward, his body turning into a literal afterimage as he flew at a blinding speed.
“What the f—” “Herobrine, you Lungmen mother—” “You absolute bastard, couldn’t you have used a gentler method?!” Ivan was consumed by sheer indignation, his roaring voice echoing through the void, filled with colorful greetings directed entirely at the white-eyed entity’s nonexistent relatives.
With a final, rushing whoosh, he was violently and completely kicked out of the blocky sanctuary.
[Rhodes’s Note: Enjoying the operation so far, Doctor?
(This daily grind literally pays the landship’s rent!
to use the links!)